Thursday, December 30, 2010

Recipes

SCHOCKOLADE MOUSSE (Chocolate Mousse)
Given to me by an investigator, Barbara, in Austria
Serves 5-15 people

200 g quality chocolate (measure using a scale) - I use semisweet chips
40 g butter (4 Tbsp)
1 Tbsp powdered sugar
4 eggs, separated (whites only)
160 mL whipping cream (pyrex wet measuring cups have mL measurements)
1 tsp vanilla sugar
-Wash hands. With clean hands, thoroughly clean a lg mixing bowl and beaters. Dry thoroughly. In clean bowl, beat egg whites till stiff. *If bowl or beaters or hands are not free from ALL traces of oil or other substances (like egg yolk or shell), egg whites will not become stiff.* In a med-size mixing bowl, beat cream till thick (semi-stiff peaks). Melt chocolate slowly in a double boiler, stirring occasionally. (Two pots - one small, one medium. Choc goes in sm pot; about an inch of water in med pot. Set sm pot in med pot and bring water to boil. Heat from water will slowly melt chocolate.) In sm mixing bowl, beat melted chocolate, butter, pwd sugar, and vanilla sugar. Add choc mix to bowl of cream and beat. Add choc/cream mix to egg whites and beat.
Serve and enjoy some chocolate heaven.

RED VELVET BREAD PUDDING
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/red-velvet-bread-pudding-recipe/index.html
-I made this for a baby shower once and put it in cupcake holders. Cute and different.

Recipes

PENNE ROSA
*Serves 4
1/2 lb penne pasta
3 Tbsp - 1/4 c. white cooking wine
apprx 1 c. favorite pre-made spaghetti sauce (more if serving more people)
apprx 1/2 c. whipping cream
1/2 box frz spinach, thawed & drained
3-4 sun-dried tomatoes from a jar w/ oil (leave whole, as chopping will make them flavorless in sauce)
1/4 ea. red & green peppers, chopped
1/2 zucchini, shredded
1 good dash cayenne pepper
extra garlic, depending on garliciness of spaghetti sauce
Garnishes: freshly shredded parmesan; provolone cheese slices; freshly diced tomato

-Do all food prep first. If you begin pasta and sauce at same time, they'll finish at same time - warm pasta, warm sauce.
-Cook pasta according to pkg directions (apprx 10 min). *Bring water to boil, THEN add salt. Adding salt first makes water take longer to boil.*  While water comes to boil, start sauce. In sm sauce pan over med, heat wine and reduce to cook out alcohol. Stir in rest of ingredients and cook over med 5-8 min or until pasta is ready. If sauce begins to bubble, cover and turn to low.

PARMESAN PUFF PASTRY
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/parmesan-puff-pastry-recipe/index.html
-I use Pillsbury Crescent Rolls instead of puff pastry sheets.
-I don't grease baking sheet or use a floured surface. Instead, I lay out and separate each crescent roll on baking sheet, then twist them, then brush w/ butter, then roll in cheese mixture.
*A fresh parmesan cheese block is a MILLION times better than the Kraft pkg kind. If you wrap it in celophane and put in a ziplock, it keeps for a month or two, so you don't have to worry about it going bad before you eat it all. Plus, it's a super easy way to fancy-up a meal.

Recipes

EASY MASOOR DAAL
http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/easy-masoor-daal/Detail.aspx
My additions:
1 tsp Garam Masala pwd
3/4 tsp extra tumeric (equalling 1 tsp)
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 carrot, peeled & shredded
1 tomato, diced
*Serve over Basmati or Jasmine rice
-When you cook the onions and spices in oil, add the extras I suggest, except the tomato. After you add the sauteed spices to the dal, then add the tomato and cilantro, and cook until the tomatoes are soft (appx 5 min).
-The picture on that site makes the dal look thick, but most of the time I make it, it stays a little soupy, which is nice when you're serving it over rice.

SPICY CHICKEN COCONUT CURRY
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/spicy-chicken-coconut-curry-recipe/index.html
My additions:
2-4 carrots, diced
1-2 med potatoes
1 (15-oz ?) can chick peas
*Serve over Basmati or Jasmine rice or EXOTIC RICE:  http://www.foodnetwork.com/videos/exotic-rice/1390.html
-Cook the additions when cooking the onions, garlic, & ginger.
-Ghee is another name for clarified butter, which you can buy, or you can just use regular butter. If you make the ghee, the whole recipe takes about 2 hrs from start to finish. If not making ghee, takes maybe 1 hr total, including the exotic rice, if you plan it right.
-I have used several dashes of ginger pwd instead of fresh, which has worked fine; also used green onions as a substitute; also never used chiles, but instead, a few dashes cayenne pepper
-Instead of making his curry powder recipe, I use 1 Tbsp curry pwd + 1 Tbsp Garam Masala + s&p
-Pork works just as well as chicken

Saturday, December 18, 2010

Awesome Awesome Awesome

Kitchen Towels
Check out this awesome gift idea! I know it's getting a little late for holiday gift-making, but this could be an any-time-of-the-year gift or you could use the idea next year!
http://steamykitchen.com/12673-easy-sew-kitchen-hand-towels.html
Teaser:
SK said it took her one afternoon and her boys helped!