Chocolate-Avocado Mousse Martinis with Fresh Raspberries

This does not nearly do justice to how dark and velvety the mousse looked in person.

The fabulous LRK also turned me onto this recipe, which comes from Sheryl Crow's cookbook, If It Makes You Healthy: More Than 100 Recipes Inspired By the Seasons.

If you didn't know that this dessert was vegan, you would swear it was loaded with butter and cream. The texture is more closer to ganache than mousse -- I was amazed at how dense, creamy, and decadent the avocados made it. Because I am a complete fool for dark chocolate, I used Hershey's Special Dark cocoa powder, which resulted in a mousse that was dark as sin with a rush of deep, intense chocolate flavor. The tartness of the raspberries cuts the richness and keeps you from going into a complete chocolate coma.

The martini glasses serve no purpose other than to look pretty; you could use small dishes or ramekins to serve. I bet that adding a splash of Grand Marnier, Chambord, Domaine de Canton, or the like would take it to yet another level.

The mousse was darker than my table.

Ingredients

• 2 large ripe avocados
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (Sheryl likes Green & Black's organic fair trade cocoa powder, but I'm a fan of the Special Dark)
  
• 1/2 cup agave nectar, plus more to taste
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract (which I thought I had, but I didn't, so I omitted)
  
• 1/2 pint fresh raspberries, for garnish

Instructions

1. Halve and pit the avocados and scoop out the flesh. Transfer the avocado flesh to the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Using a spoon, break up the avocado a little in the food processor.

2. Add the cocoa powder, agave nectar, vanilla extract, and almond extract to the processor and process for 1 to 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and then process again until the mousse is very smooth, 1 to 2 minutes longer.

3. Taste the mousse and if not sweet enough, add more nectar, 1 teaspoon at a time. Pulse to mix.

4. Spoon the mousse into martini glasses or similar serving vessels. Cover the glasses with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 8 hours.

5. Serve the mousse chilled and garnished with raspberries.

Yields 3 to 4 servings. I doubled it since I expected 5 people, and the servings were quite generous.

Bulgur Pilaf with Spinach

This was easy and tasted great -- perfect for weeknights, when you don't want to put forth a ton of effort. I'd imagine that using frozen spinach would work just fine and cut down on prep time even further.

I made a half batch of this one, too, but am posting the recipe as it is written.

Courtesy of myrecipes.com

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 cups bulgur wheat
• 1 qt. chicken broth or water (I used vegetable broth)
• 1 pound spinach leaves, chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Instructions

1. Heat a medium pot over medium-high heat, 2 minutes. Add oil, then stir in onion and garlic. Cook, stirring often, until onion is translucent, about 4 minutes.

2. Pour in bulgur and stir to coat with oil. Add broth. Let mixture come to a boil, then stir in spinach, cover, and reduce heat to simmer. Cook until all liquid has been absorbed and bulgur is tender, about 20 minutes. Season with salt and lemon juice.

Serves 8.

Green Beans with Lemon, Garlic, and Parmigiano Gremolata

This is another LRK recipe. I made a half-batch, as the original recipe is written as a side dish for a Thanksgiving meal. If you make the whole batch, use two pans. Slowly steaming the green beans lets them soften without getting mushy. These are fabulous at room temperature, so they are a great make-ahead dish. I stupidly forgot to by a nice block of Parmigiano-Reggiano to grate, so I punted with grated stuff from a can; frankly, I don't think the taste suffered.

Ingredients

Beans:

• Good tasting extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 pounds green beans, stem ends trimmed
• Salt and fresh-ground black pepper
• 1 cup water

Gremolata:

• 5 large garlic cloves, crushed
• 1/3 cup water
• Shredded zest of 2 large lemons (organic preferred; after all, you are eating the entire rind)
• 1 tight-packed cup Italian parsley leaves
• Salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
• 1-1/2 cups coarsely-grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Instructions

1. Lightly film the bottom of 2 straight-sided 12-inch sauté pans with oil. Heat them over medium-high heat. Add the beans and generous sprinklings of salt and pepper, and sauté for 2 minutes, or until the beans begin to brown. Add 1/2 cup of water to each pan and immediately cover it. Turn the heat to medium-low. Cook the beans for 15 to 20 minutes, checking them often for burning and adding a little water if necessary. You want the beans very tender.

2. As the beans cook, make the gremolata. Put the garlic and 1/3 cup water in a coffee mug and microwave 1 minute, or simmer in a small saucepan to 1 to 2 minutes (this mellows the garlic just a little). Then, in a food processor, mince together the garlic (with its liquid), lemon zest, and parsley. Salt and pepper the mixture to taste.

3. When the beans are tender, uncover them, cook off any liquid in the pan, and turn them into a serving bowl. Toss the beans with the gremolata and the grated cheese.

Serves 10-14 as part of a large meal.

Cheese Straws

This recipe was featured on The Splendid Table, and it comes from The Gift of Southern Cooking: Recipes and Revelations from Two Great American Cooks by Edna Lewis and Scott Peacock, ©2003 Alfred A. Knopf.

I could see freestyling this recipe, too... using pepper jack instead of extra sharp cheddar, or maybe gruyère cheese with garlic powder and nutmeg for a Frenchy flair. The pastry blender and the pizza cutter are your best friends when making the cheese straws.

Ingredients:

• 1 2/3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or more to taste
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 8 ounces extra-sharp cheddar cheese, grated
• 2 tablespoons water

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F.

2. Sift together the flour, salt, dry mustard, and cayenne pepper. Put the butter and grated cheese in a mixing bowl, and mix for several minutes, until thoroughly blended. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter and cheese, and mix until completely incorporated. Add the water, and mix for one minute longer.

3. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface, and knead five or six times. Roll the dough out 1/4 inch thick, and cut into strips 1/4 inch wide and 4-6 inches in length. Place the strips on ungreased cookie sheets 1/2 inch apart, and bake in the preheated oven for 12-16 minutes, until golden brown and crisp. Cool completely, and store in airtight containers.

Makes approximately 4 dozen cheese straws.

In Praise of the LRK

For my most recent dinner club meal, I used several recipes that have been featured on the NPR show "The Splendid Table," hosted by the wonderful Lynne Rossetto Kasper. Its tagline is "the show for people who love to eat," and LRK waxes rhapsodic about the culinary delights around us every single day. (As Emily describes it, LRK talks about food like it is porn.) Her guests include chefs, restaurateurs, sommeliers, food critics... really, anyone else who shares a passion for food. You can't listen to the show and not be inspired to storm a kitchen -- if not to cook, then to eat.

The show's website, www.splendidtable.org, contains a database of all the recipes discussed on the show. I have tried more than a few, and I have to say that LRK has never steered me wrong.

If you don't listen to the show, you should. You can even subscribe to a podcast on iTunes for free and download episodes to your electronic device of choice.

Layered Vegetable Torte

This is another dish from one of my favorite cookbooks, How to Cook Everything, by Mark Bittman. I deviated slightly from his original recipe by adding caramelized onion and fresh mozzarella to the layers, dusting the top with some grated parmesan, and serving the torte warm. It was good, but for all the effort I put into it (roasting eggplant, peppers, and zucchini separately, and caramelizing my own onions), I had wanted it to rock my world. So, I don't really see myself making this again anytime soon. But if you dig tedium and waiting, this recipe is for you. I will share the recipe as it is written, but it does lend itself well to freestyle interpretation. You could use herbs other than basil, for example, or do a fall version with squash, sweet potatoes, or other root vegetables.

Ingredients:

• 2 medium eggplant
• 4 medium zucchini
• salt
• 4 red bell peppers, roasted and cleaned
• 1/2 c. EVOO, or more as needed
• freshly ground black pepper
• 20 or so fresh basil leaves, some torn or chopped for garnish
• freshly grated parmesan cheese for garnish (optional)

1. Peel the eggplant if the skin is thick or the eggplant is less than perfectly firm. Cut it and the zucchini into 1/4" thick slices; salt the eggplant if time allows. (See recipe for Mashed Eggplant with Garlic and Mint for instructions on salting.) Cut each roasted pepper into thirds or fourths and set aside.

2. Heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Smear 2 (or more) baking sheets with 2 tablespoons olive oil each. Lay the eggplant slices on one sheet and the zucchini on the other in a single layer. (You may need to work in batches, cooking the eggplant on 2 baking sheets and then cooking the zucchini.) Sprinkle with some salt and pepper (if you did not salt the eggplant) and drizzle or brush another couple of tablespoons oil over each sheet of vegetables. Roast until the eggplant and zucchini are soft, about 15 minutes for the zucchini and 20 minutes for the eggplant.

3. Coat a deep pie dish with some oil. Layer a third of the eggplant slices into the bottom of the pan, covering the bottom (trim the eggplant pieces if necessary), then layer half the zucchini, peppers, and basil, sprinkling each layer with a bit of salt and pepper; repeat the layers, ending with eggplant.

4. Put a plate or other flat object (you want it to distribute weight evenly across the top of the pie) over the top of the pie and weight it down with a large tomato can or something similar. Let rest at room temperature for at least an hour or in the fridge for a day, then remove the weight. It can be stored in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days before being served. (Put it on a large plate or platter, as juices may be squeezed out.)

5. Serve at room temperature or heat it in a 325 degree F oven until warm, about 30 minutes. Garnish with chopped basil and parmesan and cut into wedges to serve.

Makes 4-6 servings.

NOTE: To add cheese to the torte, after step 3 bake the pie in a 325 degree F oven until hot (you want the cheese to melt into the vegetable layers), about 40 minutes.

Watermelon-Halloumi Cheese salad

I saw this recipe in Bon Appetit. I think this salad has it all. Sweet and salty flavors, plus the coolness of the watermelon against the warm cheese. It's also just pretty to look at. I would totally make this again.

In case you haven't seen or heard of it, halloumi cheese is a very firm cheese originally from Cyprus So firm, in fact, it can stand up to pretty high heat. You can fry it, or grill it (this is what I did for this recipe). It's a little pricey (~$8 for an 8.5 oz. package). If you can't find halloumi cheese, paneer might be a good substitute, though paneer doesn't quite hit those salty notes that halloumi does.



Ingredients:
1/2 of a medium-sized seedless watermelon
1 pint of cherry tomatoes
1 8-9 oz. package of halloumi

Herb oil:
1 c. loosely packed basil
1/2 c. loosely packed mint
1 garlic clove
1/2 c. olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

First prepare the herb oil. place the basil, mint and garlic in a food processor. With the machine running, drizzle in about a 1/2 c. of olive oil. You're looking for the mixture to get to a dressing-type consistency. Add salt and pepper to taste. This can be made ahead.

Heat your grill or grill pan to medium heat.

Slice the halloumi into 8 or 9 thick slices. Place them on the grill. Using a pastry brush, dab the tomatoes with the herb oil and place those also on the grill.

After about 2-3 minutes (or when you see grill marks) turn the cheese and cook for another 2-3 minutes.

When the tomatoes start to get a little color and begin to burst, remove them from the grill.

I sliced the watermelon into steaks, but if you prefer a dice, go right ahead. Layer the watermelon onto a platter.

Top with grilled halloumi and tomatoes. Drizzle entire salad with remaining herb oil.

Enjoy.

Note, the cheese will squeak against your teeth, but I kind of like that sort of thing.

Peach-Red Onion salad

I saw the recipe for this in Martha Stewart Living. It looked so refreshing and summery, I had to try it. I feel a little weird posting a recipe for this because it hardly takes any time at all to throw this together. If you aren't a peach fan, I'm sure you could sub in nectarines, plums or even mango and it would still be pretty good. I love peaches, so that's what we have here.


Peach-Red Onion salad
3 ripe, yet still slightly firm peaches
1/4 of a large red onion, thinly sliced
lemon
olive oil
salt & pepper to taste
freshly torn basil (or any herb of your choosing)

Slice the peaches into a bowl. Add thin slices of onion (NOTE: if you have a really strong onion, use a little less, if it's nice and sweet, use a little more). Squeeze the juice of 1/2 a lemon over the salad. Drizzle with a little olive oil and give a few pinches of salt and peppper.

Stir carefully to combine. Top with basil.
Enjoy!

Not your mom's grilled cheese

This is our dessert... we didn't eat it first, but maybe we should have.

Our last supper club featured summery salads and nosh from the grill. We started things off with this fairly easy grilled camembert.

Note: I tried to recreate this on the 4th of July and the thing completely melted through the grates. Watch the cheese carefully, and you should have cheesey goodness, not a complete mess.

Grilled Camembert

I'm going to eat you!!!

1 wheel of camembert

drizzle of EVOO

Drizzle the wheel of camembert with a little EVOO and use a brush to make sure that all the sides get coated.

Place the wheel on a medium-heat grill. Let it go for about 3-4 minutes, flip, and cook for another 3-4 minutes.

Serve with bread, crackers, apple slices, or just lick the plate.