death by chocolate

This is for all the chocoholics out there, or even if you like it once in awhile, or certain times of the month (am i right, ladies!?) I am not going to waste any time with stories or little jokes. I am getting down to business today!! Bring on the recipes!

This first one seems to be all over the place and can be found just about anywhere. Super easy, but very satisfying and crowd pleasing every time!

The Chocolate Truffle



1 package (18-1/4 ounces) chocolate fudge cake mix ( I have also used brownies)
1 package (6 ounces) instant chocolate pudding mix
1 carton (12 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed
6 Heath bar (1.4 ounces each), crushed

Directions

Bake cake according to package directions. Cool. Prepare pudding according to package directions; set aside.
Crumble cake; reserve 1/2 cup. Place half of the remaining cake crumbs in the bottom of a 4-1/2 or 5-qt trifle dish or decorative glass bowl.
layer with half of the pudding, half of the whipped topping and half of the crushed candy bars. Repeat the layers of cake, pudding and whipped topping.
Combine remaining crushed candy bars with reserved cake crumbs; sprinkle over top. Refrigerate 4-5 hours before serving.




How about cupcakes? everyone likes those right? How about cupcakes full of vegetables? Don't turn your nose up to these chocolaty, moist and yummy treats! TRY THEM!!! I promise you will love them, and its a great treat for the kids bc they have no idea they are eating vegetables!

Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes



Ingredients
1-1/4 cups butter, softened
1-1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup baking cocoa
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 cup grated zucchini
1 cup grated carrots
1 can (16 ounces) chocolate frosting


In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in vanilla. Combine the flour, baking cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt; add to the creamed mixture alternately with yogurt, beating well after each addition. Fold in zucchini and carrots.
Fill paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full. Bake at 350° for 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely, then frost!

You could also take out about 1/2 Cup of butter and substitute some applesauce for a little less fattening...but not by much;)




There are lots of things you could do with chocolate. And for those that read an earlier blog of mine talking about Nutella...I have a few things you could quickly do, using this yummy chocolate and hazelnut spread. These are to die for!

You don't need a whole lot of additional ingredients to make a tantalizing dessert or snack. You can easily use it to make simple, sweet sandwiches:

Vanilla wafers or other simple cookies
Sugar donuts, split in half horizontally
Plain white bread or toasted English muffin (my daughter is addicted to these after she gets home from school!)
French toast - Spread the Nutella between two pieces of cooked French toast. Place back on the griddle until slightly warmed and then top with a little powdered sugar!
Banana bread or other sweet breakfast breads

What about making fried wontons with nutella???

Separate wonton wrappers into individual sheets. In the center of each wrapper, place about a teaspoon of Nutella and top with a slice of ripe banana or a few raspberries, or whatever you feel like adding really....
Use a pastry brush to moisten the edges of the wonton with a beaten egg mixture. Fold the wontons in half to form a triangle. Use your fingers to press the edges of the wonton firmly together to seal completely.

Preheat a deep fryer, or heat two inches of oil in a pan to approximately 350 degrees. Drop the wontons in a few at a time and cook, turning them over during the process, until they are lightly browned and cooked through, usually 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from pan and drain on paper towels. Sprinkle with confectioner's sugar and serve warm.



You know that tube of croissant rolls that you have in the fridge just waiting to be used??? How about now!

Open a store-bought tube of crescent dough. Separate each of the triangles and lay them flat. Brush one side with melted butter. Place approximately 1 teaspoon of Nutella near the bottom (wide side) of the triangle. Roll the croissants from the wide side up to the tip of the triangle and bend to form a crescent shape. Using a clean pastry brush, brush lightly with a beaten egg mixture.

Place the croissants approximately 1" apart on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 15 minutes or until the croissants are golden brown. Remove from the oven, transfer to serving platter and dust with confectioner's sugar. These are best served warm.



Are you freaked out yet?? How about something sweet and savory...kinda like...umm...

CHOCOLATE COVERED BACON!!!!! ok i have completely lost it right? YOU DARE ME?!?!?!

check this out:




12 thick-sliced bacon strips (about 1 pound)
12 wooden skewers (12 inches)
6 ounces white candy coating, chopped
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 tablespoon shortening
Optional toppings: chopped dried apple chips, apricots and crystallized ginger, finely chopped pecans and pistachios, toasted coconut, kosher salt, brown sugar, cayenne pepper and coarsely ground black pepper

Directions

Thread each bacon strip onto a wooden skewer. Place on a rack in a large baking pan. Bake at 400° for 20-25 minutes or until crisp. Cool completely.
In a microwave, melt candy coating; stir until smooth. Combine chocolate chips and shortening; melt in a microwave and stir until smooth.
With pastry brushes, coat bacon on both sides with melted coatings. Top each strip as desired. Place on waxed paper-lined baking sheets. Refrigerate until firm.

My fave topping is almonds or pistachios!!!


So whatever, or whenever you get the craving...a nice full force chocolate dessert or treat is just around the corner! (i think i just realized why i am having such a hard time loosing weight! HA!)


til next time!

as the first leaf fell....

I don't know about the rest of you people, but I could not be more happier to feel the weather changing. We are starting to get some nice temperatures outside. I am simply waiting on that moment. You know...the official autumn moment. When you get a chill, and for the first time in a LONG time, you actually need something more than just a sheet on your bed, and the leaves start to fall to the ground.

When you think about fall, most of you think about the colors that come along with it. But me? I think about the color of the foods that help transfer my mind into colder nights, long sleeves, and good eats! But the colors of both are quite similar :)

Fall’s seasonal fruit and veggies are one of the reasons we associate rich shades of orange, yellow, red, and gold with the autumn season. Apples, black berries, blueberries, butternut squash, pears, pumpkins, okra, sweet potatoes...just to name a few. Today, however, I am going to be focusing on one of the most popular fruits...the Apple! You can get them pretty much year round in grocery stores, and you have a variety to choose from. I am going to be sharing some of my favorite recipes, using apples. Yummy yummy!


First I am going to name a few of the more well known apples, describe them, and tell you how to choose the best ones.

Fuji
these small red beauties have become hugely popular due to their sweet flavor and incredibly crispy texture. (red delicious)

Golden Delicious
obviously golden in color and has creamy, firm, yellow flesh and lightly spotted skin. The flavor is absolutely sweet and mellow, making it a versatile cooking apple. It holds its shape well when baked, but handle them with care bc they bruise the easiest.

Granny Smith
Lime-green skin that resists bruising and very firm, crisp flesh characterize this popular apple. Its sharp, tart flavor holds up well in recipes with spicy notes, and the flesh is firm enough to retain its shape when cooked.


Apples can be eaten fresh, cooked, canned, frozen and made into many tasty and healthy dishes. Apples are fat, sodium, and cholesterol free. A medium apple has about 80 calories. who knew right?!?! Select firm, bruise-free apples. The color can be anything from dark green, to yellow, pink, orange, bright red, dark red or even a combination. It all depends on the variety. And color is not really how you tell when an apple is ripe. Apples should be crisp and firm. CRISP AND FIRM!



Now to get into my fave part...the recipes! YAY!! I am going to start you out with Waldorf Salad recipe that has been growing and growing on me. When it comes to apples, this is one of the most light and refreshing salads you can make. And it even tastes good!

Ingredients

1/2 cup walnuts halves
1/2 cup yogurt (plain or Greek)
2 tablespoons light mayonnaise
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
1 teaspoon honey
1/2 lemon, zest finely grated
2 large apples of your choice
2 ribs celery, sliced into 1/2-inch-thick pieces
1/4 cup golden raisins (or halved green or red grapes)
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 head of lettuce, optional

Preheat the oven to 350 degree F.

Spread the nuts on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for 8 to 10 minutes. Cool and break the nuts up into small pieces.

Whisk the yogurt, mayonnaise, parsley, honey, and lemon zest in a large bowl (you can season with pepper if you would like)

Halve, core, and cut the apples into 3/4-inch pieces, leaving the skin intact. Add the apples, celery and raisins to the bowl, and sprinkle with the lemon juice; then toss with the dressing. Cover and refrigerate if not serving immediately.

When ready to serve, toss walnuts into the salad. Arrange the lettuce leaves on a large platter, or divide them among 4 salad plates. Place the salad on the lettuce and serve.

***I have been known to change it up depending on what I have or what tastes I feel like putting together. Pecans, different apples, grapes, even adding a little chopped grapefruit can give this salad a very unique flavor***


You could also make chips!! (yes you read that right) These chips bear no relation to those you buy at the market: the intensity of their flavor is much deeper and more apple-y (is that even a word?) and they are SO LESS FATTENING. To ensure crispness, slice the apples as THINLY as possible: slice one side and then turn the apple 1⁄4 of the way and slice smaller pieces (they won’t be round) and keep going. The slices don’t have to be uniform. You can do something like the following:

2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
4 Granny Smith or other tart apples, thinly sliced

Preheat the oven to 250°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Place the sugar and cinnamon in a large bowl and mix well. Add the apple slices and toss until most of both sides of the apples are well coated (no need to get crazy if they aren’t completely coated).

Pour the apples, in a single layer, onto the baking sheets, transfer to the oven and bake until lightly browned and just crisp, about 2 hours. Set aside to cool and then transfer to a jar or plastic bag. Or if you are anything like me....you wont have any left, so it really wouldn't matter!




But not only can you cook and eat apples, you can use them as decoration. WHAT?!?!?! Has this lady gone crazy??? Yes I have. And in my craziness, i have taken it upon myself to show you a few decorations you can do with APPLES! (and yes you are still reading that correctly)

And I do not have any long candles to show you a picture, but you could always take two apples, core them, stack them up and stick a long candle down the middle as a beautiful centerpiece as well.


Put this in your pipe! Indians in the Northwest Territory smoked wild apples to preserve them for the winter. (Bet you didn't know that!) And so what if you did...shut your face and go eat an apple!



til next time!

triumphs and disasters

So I have now made a handful of blogs and given some pretty good information and tips (i hope anyways). I thought I might take a few moments and tell you about a few of my greatest cooking triumphs and some of my kitchen disasters!! For your reading pleasure..don't laugh at me to long!!!


My greatest triumph EVER was cooking an entire thanksgiving meal BY MYSELF! My husband (boyfriend at the time) actually told me that if my dressing didn't compare to his mother's then he was breaking up with me!! haha. He was joking of course! Or at least I think he was. I cooked my first turkey, home made cornbread dressing, gravy, broccoli and cheese casserole, corn pudding, fresh cranberry sauce (from scratch), sweet potato pie (2 of them) and a chocolate truffle. I bought frozen rolls that I cooked in the oven, though. I can't do it all! (but unfortunately, i did not get any pictures of this feast, because i did not actually get a camera until christmas the next month...meh)

We even invited his family over to eat and watch the football game that was on that weekend. I was SO nervous. But everything turned out great! His mother enjoyed it and that made me so happy! But most importantly, my man liked it! Our relationship was saved by a thanksgiving meal. What a story to tell the children, huh?

Another big triumph for me was for a "dirty santa" party we have had every year for the past four years. I did the traditional ham and all the fixings, similar to my thanksgiving meal. But the thing that I was most proud of, was my fruit platter...

It only consisted of green and red grapes and strawberries, but i used a pineapple, grapefruit, orange, and lemon, to make the bowls for the different kinds of fruit dip. It turned out great and everyone, including me, was impressed!


I have not ever had a HUGE disaster in the kitchen, though I have messed up a few times. Cooking has always come pretty natural to me. But not to long ago I invited my very dear friends, Cole and Amy over for supper. I was cooking chicken and dumplings from scratch. Making my own dumplings and boiling and de-boning a chicken.

I had made it several times before and had no worries. Cole loves home made chicken and dumplings, but Amy never really liked them. She said she wanted to try mine though, because she loved my cooking. I had everything prepared and was adding the dumplings to the broth when they arrived. Everything was going well until I started to smell a "burnt" aroma. I went in and tried stirring my dumplings and could feel the bottom of the pan was caked with burnt dumplings. I emptied the dumplings into another container, but the damage was done. The burnt flavor had already soaked into the chicken and it was AWFUL! I was not thinking when I started cooking and grabbed my biggest pot. It was stainless steel and was pretty old. Needless to say, we ordered pizza that night! Hello domino's!



Now i am going back quite a few years. My senior year in high school, I was taking some kind of job related class that let me leave school early to go to work. I didn't really have a job, i just liked getting out of school! lol But i did love the class. During one part of the class we learned how to garnish foods and make different things out of fruits and veggies. Which is were i gained the knowledge to make the fruit platter from my earlier story (see picture) After a couple weeks learning the tricks about garnishing, we were put in to teams and had to design a fruit or veggie platter and the teaching faculty was going to vote on the best. My team (or should I say, just me, because the guy i was paired with didn't care to do anything) decided to make apple swans and neat bowls out of lemons, oranges, and bell peppers. We filled the bowls with fruit and veggie dip. The arrangement was stunning and the food was yummy. My platter was picked out of about 15 different platters, and I won 1st place! WOOT! yeah I was pretty stoked. That moment told me what I really wanted to do. Impress people with food! Here is a picture an apple swan:

And one more of my disasters...

Not too long after Jared and I started dating, I decided to do something a little different for dinner. I had never cooked boneless pork chops before, and thought it was as good a time as any. I started looking through all of my cookbooks and magazines looking for recipes. I eventually ended up on the internet looking, because i needed something with a picture. For some reason, I needed to see what the words were trying to describe to me. (its a wonder i didn't fail my English classes) And also i wanted to what "looked" good. I came across a Paula Deen recipe, if i remember correctly, that was an orange glazed pork chop. The glaze being made from real oranges and juice. Not the fake ones, ya know, cuz so many people get those confused. O.o

I wrote down my list, went to the store, and couldn't wait to surprise my hunny with such an "elegant" meal. I was reading over the recipe and measuring out my ingredients getting ready to cook the chops. I got to the seasonings, and thought to myself "that is not enough seasoning for all this meat." So I literally more than quadrupled the amount of seasoning!! (and just for the record...I will reiterate that I never cooked pork chops, and also add that the only meat I had actually witnessed being seasoned were ribs. and they RUB THAT STUFF ON THICK!!!)

So anyways...back to my chops...

I started rubbing all the spices into my pork chops to let them marinate, just like i had seen people do with ribs. Do not ever do that by the way. The chops were so nice and golden brown and looked great next to those oranges. Jared and I were so anxious to sit down and enjoy the meal together...i had never been so disgusted by something in my entire life! UGH! horrible...horrible i tell you!!! And Jared, trying not to hurt my feelings, said "its not that bad." and ate it anyways. bless him! just FYI...the "leftovers stayed in my fridge for a few days untouched, and then hit the trash!!


So anyways...hope you enjoyed this little read, and I also thought that I might leave you with a little "food for thought":

Never be afraid to experiment in the kitchen. Dont always follow a recipe, get creative. Season and taste as you go, and most of all....HAVE FUN!

til next time...

i said what what...WATERMELON!

I got the pleasure of attending one of my best friend's daughter's birthday parties. (ya get that) I thought I had seen just about everything there was to see when it came to a child's birthday party. BOY WAS I WRONG! I knew that they were going to have a water slide at this party, but holy cow! The thing was as wide as my living room and almost 20 feet tall! It was insane!!

But to get to one of my fave parts of the party...the watermelon. One of my fave fruits growing up and still on the top of my list as an adult. It is so light and refreshing. Great for summer time birthday parties or just for a sweet and healthy snack anytime really! Watching them cut up the watermelon ,so precisely, into child hand held size, brought back so many memories from my own childhood. And my daughter did exactly what I did when I was her age...just about ate a whole melon by herself! LOL

While I was there I had my friends hubby delightfully suggest that I should write about watermelon on my next blog. After thinking about it, I thought, HOW PERFECT! One: I get to buy a bunch of watermelon to test some recipes. Two: I get to eat the watermelon! haha it was a win win situ. So, Todd, I took your advice and came up with some pretty successful outcomes. I hope you enjoy:)

On a not so bright note...my Air conditioner went ka-poot, so some refreshing watermelon was the greatest idea ever! I decided to make some watermelon salads.

My first salad that I am sharing with you is a little sweet and a little salty. Great combo.

2 c. chopped watermelon
1 c. chopped jicama
2 jalapeno peppers, chopped
1/4 red onion, finely chopped
2 to 3 peaches, chopped
5 oz. crumbled feta cheese
3 tbs mint leaves, finely chopped
juice of 1 lime
1 T honey
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

FYI: A Jicama (pronounced ˈhɪkəmə,) Is similar to a turnip but is creamy white on the inside with a crisp texture that resembles raw potatoes or a pear. The flavor is sweet and starchy, reminiscent of some apples. It is usually eaten raw.

This next salad i made is one of my fave fruit salads.

It is a mixture of watermelon, fresh mozzarella, mint, a drizzle of EVOO and a dash of red chili flakes. The flavor combo is out of this world. You have sweet from the melon, salty and savory from the cheese, and that little kick of pepper flakes really helps the flavors to POP!


Also something that you could do that is VERY simple, is to make a lime or mint vinaigrette to toss your melon, or any other fruit, in. I usually do this, but i wanted to try a few new things so passed this time. But this is how you do it:

Take the zest from one lime and add it to a saucepan with 1/4 C of water and 1/4 C of sugar. Trim away the rest of the white membrane, and chop the lime. Add the chopped pieces along with the juice to the pan. Cook on High heat until it starts to boil and the sugar is melted. Then remove from heat and let cool.

You can substitute lemon instead of lime and add a bunch or mint (finely chopped) and cook as above. Either way, you get a great vinaigrette. You simply toss it with whatever fruit combo you like. Some of my favorites are...
1. Watermelon, Cantelope
2. Watermelon, strawberries, and blueberries
2. Watermelon, cucumber, and mozzarella

...just to name a few. Your possibilities are endless!!!


Until next time!

mirepoix...learn it, use it, love it!

On behalf of my menu for tomorrow night, I have decided to explain what a mirepoix (mihr-PWAH) is. Now, i know its not Thanksgiving or Christmas (or any other holiday) but i have decided to make turkey and dressing. My husband and I have had a rough couple of days, and to help us get over this week and to enjoy our "humpday" I am going to make some comfort food. This particular post is going to have lots of explanation and may seem boring to some. But if you are truly interested in getting the best flavors in your dishes...they should all start with this one simple formula.

A mirepoix is made by sauteing vegetables-one part celery, one part carrots, and two parts onions-in butter. Some chefs add smoked meats, such as ham bacon or fish, to darken and enrich the aroma. Adding a mirepoix to your dish makes a strong impact. Cooking a simple mirepoix in a pan before braising meats or fish yields a surprisingly complex flavor. It is used to flavor stocks and soups. Tomato paste or puree is often included if you want to make a brown stock, gravy or stew.


The one I have just explained in the basic formula, but can be altered with other aromatic ingredients depending on the type of dish you are creating. Leeks, parsnips, garlic, tomatoes, shallots, mushrooms, peppers and ginger are among the ingredients commonly referred to as aromatics. They can be used in various combinations depending on the type of cuisine. If you needed Asian aromatics you could use ginger, garlic and green onion. Also commonly used is the Cajun Trinity-onion, green pepper and celery.

Side note for basic formula: Simply start by sweating or browning your onions in just enough fat (butter or oil) to coat the bottom of the pan. Then add your carrots, and finally the celery. Cooking it on low heat until the veggies start to give off their own juices is known as "sweating. If a lid is used to cover the pot as the aromatics are sweating, this is known as smothering. A mirepoix can cook until it turns a deep rich brown, preferred to as caramelized, either on the stove top or in the oven.

Now that you have been introduced to the elements of a mirepoix, I can explain why it is going to be in my dish. I start out making my dressing from boiling a chicken in water. Now you can easily just salt and pepper your chicken and boil it in water alone and use the water infused with the chicken flavor for, but as stated before...a mirepoix works like magic! I am going to start my broth by making a mirepoix, then pouring water into my pot after i have extracted the flavors from the vegetables. I will then add my chicken and cook like normal. After my chicken is cooked, I remove it from the broth, let it cool and debone. then add the meat back to the pot. VOILA!!! I have my basis for my dressing. Now just add cornbread, biscuits, eggs, or whatever else you might use in your dressing recipe. The flavor created by this one simple addition and start to your dishes will BLOW YOUR MIND!!!

I really hope that you will try this out the next time you are going to make a soup or stock. Even for browning meats or fish...even using it as the start to a spaghetti sauce will add so much flavor and aroma to your meal.

I hope you enjoyed this little lesson, and until next time...