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.

Mashed Eggplant with Garlic and Mint

This recipe comes from Mark Bittman's cooking bible How to Cook Everything.

Ingredients:

• 2 medium or 1 large eggplant (1-1/2 to 2 pounds total)
• Salt
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic (about 4 large cloves)
• 1/2 cup minced fresh parsley leaves, plus more for garnish
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• pinch of red pepper flakes
• 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves

Directions:

1. Peel the eggplant if the skin is thick or the eggplant is less than perfectly firm; cut it into 1-inch-thick slices and salt if time allows.
2. Heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Smear a baking sheet with half the oil. Cut several slits on one side of each of the eggplant slices and lay them on the baking sheet. Mix together the remaining oil, the garlic, and the 1/2 cup of minced parsley and sprinkle with salt (if you did not salt the eggplant) and pepper. Spread this mixture on the eggplant slices, pushing it into the slits.
3. Bake without turning until the eggplant is soft, 40 minutes or more. Garnish with parsley and allow to cool slightly.
4. Put the slices in a large bowl and mash with a fork or potato masher. (It's fine to leave the skin on; it will break into small bits.) Stir in lemon juice, red pepper, and mint. Taste and adjust the seasoning and serve drizzled with additional olive oil if you like.
   

Makes 4 servings.

To salt the eggplant: If the eggplant isn't fresh and firm, to remove bitterness sprinkle it liberally with salt and let it rest in a colander for up to an hour or so; then rinse, pat dry, and proceed with the recipe.

Asparagus Orange Salad

The original recipe presents the asparagus in whole spears elegantly on a platter. Lacking such a platter, I chopped the asparagus and served this as a tossed salad.

Ingredients:

• 10 oz. / 1 bunch thin asparagus spears
• 1-1/3 cups watercress sprigs (I couldn't find watercress, so used baby arugula instead.)
• 1 small red onion, very thinly sliced
• 1 orange, cut into 12 segments
• 1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest
• 1 tablespoon orange juice
  
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 2 teaspoons poppy seeds
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese
• Salt and pepper to taste
  

Directions:

1. Cook the asparagus in boiling water for 1-2 minutes, or until just tender. Refresh under cold running water and drain well.
2. Arrange the asparagus on a platter with the watercress, onion, and orange segments.
3. Put the orange zest, orange juice, sugar, vinegar, and poppy seeds in a small bowl. Whisk in the olive oil with a fork until well combined, add salt and pepper to taste, then drizzle over salad.
4. Scatter the goat cheese over the salad and serve.
   

Parmesan Roasted Broccoli

Ingredients:

4 to 5 pounds broccoli
4 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
Good olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons julienned fresh basil leaves (about 12 leaves)

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Cut the broccoli florets from the thick stalks, leaving an inch or two of stalk attached to the florets, discarding the rest of the stalks. Cut the larger pieces through the base of the head with a small knife, pulling the florets apart. You should have about 8 cups of florets. Place the broccoli florets on a sheet pan large enough to hold them in a single layer. Toss the garlic on the broccoli and drizzle with 5 tablespoons olive oil. Sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Roast for 20 to 25 minutes, until crisp-tender and the tips of some of the florets are browned.

Remove the broccoli from the oven and immediately toss with 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, the lemon zest, lemon juice, pine nuts, Parmesan, and basil. Serve hot.

Source: Food Network

Apple, Pear, and Walnut Salad

I went a little crazy at Trader Joe's when I realized how many different apples and pears they had... I ended up using 4 pears and 5 apples (all different varieties) and ended up with a very perishable salad that could have served about 20. Luckily it was really delicious and refreshing, and made a great light side for the pasta. This is the original recipe (which I basically doubled):



Ingredients:
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 1/2 tablespoons orange juice
1 orange, zested
1/2 cup raisins (I also added a 1/2 cup of dried cranberries)
4 apples, preferably use 2 to 3 different kinds
2 pears, preferably red and green
2/3 cup walnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
In a large bowl whisk together vinegar, orange juice, zest, and raisins. Core and cube apples and pears. Add fruit and walnuts to a bowl and drizzle with oil. Toss well to combine. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Refrigerate 1 hour before serving.

Source: Food Network

Favorite Cheese Ball

I found this recipe on Pioneer Woman's blog (if you haven't checked it out, you should). For fully photographed, step-by-step instructions, check out her blog. I served this softball-sized cheese ball with an assortment of crackers, and it was a big hit!

Ingredients:
•8 ounces, weight Cream Cheese
•¼ cups Sour Cream
•1 cup Finely Shredded Cheddar Cheese
•¼ cups Shredded Parmesan Cheese
•¼ cups Finely Chopped Onion
•½ teaspoons Teaspoon Garlic Powder
•1 pinch Cayenne Powder
•1 teaspoon Lemon Juice
•¼ teaspoons Freshly Ground Black Pepper
•⅓ cups Dried Cranberries, Optional
•½ cups Toasted Pecans, Chopped Coarse

Directions:
1) Place all ingredients except pecans in a large bowl. Beat with a hand mixer on medium-low speed until well combined.

2) Scrape the mixture onto a piece of plastic wrap. Cover with the plastic wrap and shape into a ball or log. Put the cheese ball on a plate and place in the refrigerator to harden, about 30 minutes – 1 hour.

3) Roll the cheese ball in the chopped pecans and place on a serving plate. Serve with crackers.

Note: this cheese is best if allowed to sit for at least 1 hour in the refrigerator to allow the flavors to blend. The flavors are best if it is allowed to sit at room temperature for 15-20 minutes before serving.

Costco Find: Dave's Gourmet Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce

We found this today at Costco for the first time, and it is DELICIOUS! (And all natural!) We had it tonight on whole wheat spaghetti, but I'm sure it would be a delicious substitute for a tomato-based sauce in any pasta dish.

Baked Beans

I make these in a crock pot and they are always a crowd pleaser! (The extra bonus is that they are super easy!) This is a vegetarian adaption of a recipe from my aunt. The original recipe calls for a pound of sausage (fried and drained) and a can of pork and beans instead of the vegetarian baked beans.

Ingredients:
1 can lima beans (drained)
1 can French-style green beans (drained)
1 can kidney beans (drained and rinsed)
1 can vegetarian baked beans (NOT drained)
1 can chili beans (NOT drained)**
1/2 cup hot BBQ sauce
1 cup brown sugar
1 can of condensed tomato soup

Directions:
Put all of the ingredients in the crock pot and cook for at least a couple of hours.

** I had a hard time tracking down the chili beans the first time I made this. I eventually found them by all the baked beans.

Frozen Peanut Butter Cheesecake

Ingredients
1 store bought oreo crust
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
2 (5 ounce) cans sweetened condensed milk
3/4 cup peanut butter
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup whipped cream
1/2 cup chocolate fudge sauce

Directions

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Gradually beat in condensed milk and peanut butter until smooth. Stir in lemon juice and vanilla. Fold in whipped cream. Pour into crust. Drizzle chocolate topping over pie and freeze for 4 hours or until firm. Keep in freezer until ready to serve, and return leftovers to the freezer as well.

From Allrecipes.

Spinach and Orzo Salad

Continuing on my theme of little effort and little heat, we had a delicious (and easy!) orzo salad which has now become a big hit at my house.



Spinach and Orzo Salad

Ingredients:
1 (16 ounce) package uncooked orzo pasta
1 (10 ounce) package baby spinach leaves, finely chopped
1/2 pound crumbled feta cheese
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
3/4 cup pine nuts
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

Directions:
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add orzo and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain and rinse with cold water. Transfer to a large bowl and stir in spinach, feta, onion, pine nuts, basil and white pepper. Toss with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Refrigerate and serve cold.

Note: This makes a ton, but the leftovers keep really well.

Caramelized Onion, Sausage, and Basil Pizza

So, I happened to catch the pizza party episode of "Giada at Home" over the weekend and got inspired to try her caramelized onion, sausage, and basil pizza. I am pleased to say it did not disappoint! You can find the recipe here.

A lot of the local grocery stores around here sell pre-made fresh pizza dough in their refrigerated section -- it's just as good as the dough you can make from scratch, but you can buy it much quicker than you can make it :) -- so I picked up the dough from Harris Teeter, as well as their store-made sweet Italian chicken sausage to make this. And as a Wisconsin girl, I loves me some cheese, but having just a few gorgonzola crumbles on top for flavor was a nice change of pace. Definitely a good Sunday night treat!

Fattoush

Much like its Italian counterpart (panzanella), this salad is a great way to use up stale bread, though in this case the bread is flatbread or pita. Though I served this for Greek night, fattoush's roots lie a little farther to the east in Syria.

Much like panzanella, use what you've got handy. Below is the version that I made this particular night.

(As an aside: I discovered that I'm apparently allergic to sumac, so if someone wants a free bottle of it, let me know.)

Fattoush

Ingredients:

Pita bread (about 2 pieces)

1/2 medium red onion

1 English cucumber, diced

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 pint of grape tomatoes, halved (if it's tomato season, use the real deal, diced)

1/2 c. basil, torn

2 T mint, torn

1/4 c. olives (optional)

1 T. capers (optional)

1 tsp sumac (OPTIONAL!!)

olive oil

1-2 tsp red wine vinegar

salt and pepper to taste

Method:

• If your pita bread is not stale, tear the pita bread into bite-sized pieces. Place the bread on a baking sheet and let it hang out in a 350 degree oven for 10 minutes or so until it's nice and crispy.
• In a large bowl, combine the pita bread, tomatoes, cucumbers, bell pepper, red onion, torn herbs to taste and olives, capers, and sumac (if using). Toss.
• Add in red wine vinegar and a decent glug (3 T.) of olive oil. You want to be able to coat the veggies and still have enough dressing for the pita bread to soak up.
• Add salt and pepper to taste.
• You'll want to let this sit for 15 minutes or so before serving. You want the crispy bread to partly soak up some of the vegetable juices, but still have a good bit of texture.

Tabouleh

Tabouleh is one of my favorite salads. I had it for the very first time on one of our family road trip vacations to California back in the 80s. We had this at a stop in--Oklahoma City--who knew? Tabouleh is perfect for when you want something filling, but you don't want to make a big production in the kitchen. All you need is a bowl, a knife, and a cutting board. (Also a spoon would be handy.)

One of the best things about this salad is you get a healthy dose of your greenery, plus the added bonus of a whole grain. It also keeps for a while in the fridge, so it makes for a great lunch the next day. You can also transform this as a filler for endive leaves for a party appetizer, or wrap it up in a butter lettuce leaf as a low-carb burrito, or even use it as a topping on a veggie patty.

Like pretty much anything I make, you can mix and match the ingredients to go with what you've got on hand or what you're feeling like for the day. For example, some other herbs you could use are marjoram, tarragon, basil, or arugula. One thing that is a must, the greenery must outweigh the bulgur wheat. The salad should be more green than tan.

Tabouleh

Ingredients:

1/2 c. bulgur wheat

1 c. boiling water

2 lemons

1 bunch of parsley

1 c. mint leaves

1 English cucumber

grape tomatoes, halved

olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Method:

• In a heatproof bowl, mix bulgur wheat and boiling water. Cover and let sit.
• Meanwhile, chop the cucumber into a small, bite-sized dice. And finely chop the parsley and mint.
• Once the bulgur has absorbed all of the the water, zest one of the lemons into the bulgur.
• Halve both lemons and squeeze the juice over the bulgur. Add a healthy pinch of salt, several grinds of pepper, and a tablespoon or so of olive oil. Toss well to combine.
• Add in herbs, cucumber, and tomatoes. Gently toss and taste for seasoning. You may need to add more salt.

You can either serve this as is, or it will hold for a while at room temp.

Moroccan Spiced Goat Cheese

I knew that regardless as to how the rest of the Moroccan dinner turned out, the evening wouldn't be ruined as long there was cheese. So I googled, "Moroccan" and "cheese" and found this recipe on the Whole Foods website. I'm not quite sure I believe this is an authentic Moroccan recipe, but it sure was delicious!

Ingredients:
1 1/2 t freshly ground black pepper
1 t ground ginger
1 t ground cumin
1 t ground cinnamon
1 t ground coriander
1/4 t grated nutmeg
1/8 t ground cardamom
1/8 t ground cloves
1 (4 to 6 ounce) log, crotin, or pyramid of fresh goat cheese

Combine the spices on a plate. Roll goat cheese in mixed spices until completely covered. Transfer to serving dish and serve with crackers.

Note: I got a big daddy 11 ounce log of goat cheese (the four of us LOVE cheese), so I doubled all of the spices. I turned out to have a bunch leftover and probably would have been fine with the original amount.

Moroccan Spiced Carrot Dip

Last night I had the girls over for a Moroccan-themed dinner. I don't think I've tried Moroccan food before, and I've certainly never tried to cook it, so it was a bit of a gamble. Luckily, I think most of it turned out pretty well. We started the evening with this carrot dip (courtesy of http://herbsspices.about.com) which I will definitely make again.

Ingredients:
1 pound carrots, peeled, trimmed, and cut into 1 inch chunks
1/4 cup water
2 to 3 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
3/4 t peeled and grated fresh ginger
1/2 t paprika
1/4 t cinnamon
1/4 t coriander
2 t freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 T extra virgin olive oil
Freshly chopped parsley for garnish (optional)

Place the carrots and water into a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Once the water begins to boil, reduce the heat to low, cover, and steam the carrots until they are very tender (about 15 minutes).

Puree the carrots using an immersion blender (or food processor or regular blender). Add the garlic, ginger, paprika, cinnamon, coriander, and lemon juice, and continue blending until the mixture is smooth. Drizzle in the olive oil, and continue to blend.

Allow to cool before serving (can be served chilled or at room temperature). I served this with Trader Joe's pita crackers.

Black Bean Chili

This is one of my go to recipes on a cold day like we've been having. It is easy, requires few ingredients, and leftovers are great on nachos. (I even mixed some leftover chili with half a jar of Tostitos queso to make a delicious bean dip for the Superbowl that got rave reviews!)

Ingredients:
2 cans black beans (drained and rinsed)
2 cans diced tomatoes (with juices)
1 can chopped mild green chiles (drained)
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced (or 2 cubes of frozen garlic from Trader Joes - love it!)
1 red pepper, chopped
2 T chili powder
1 T ground cumin

Saute the onion, garlic, and red pepper until soft. Add beans, tomatoes, chiles, and spices, and stir. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer for 30 minutes.

Note: This recipe is very flexible, so feel free to add extra veggies if you want something more hardy. Last time, towards the end of the cooking time, I added a cup or so of Trader Joe's frozen roasted corn, and it was a hit.

Mexican Calabacitas

This is another healthy (and tasty) Mexican side dish.

5 medium size zucchini or yellow squash (or a mix), peeled and diced
1 can sweet corn, drained
1 onion, chopped
1 can ro-tel tomatoes
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
olive oil

Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, zucchini, and onions. Cook until the onion is tender, and then add the corn and tomatoes. Cover the skillet, reduce the heat, and simmer for 15 minutes stirring occasionally.

Sopapilla Cheesecake

Apparently this is an incredibly popular recipe on the web (probably because it is so easy). Once I found it, I found about a million copies of the recipe with slight variations.

Sopapilla Cheesecake
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 (8 ounce) cans refrigerated crescent rolls
3/4 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup butter, room temperature

Preheat an oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9"x13" baking dish with Pam. Beat the cream cheese with 1 cup of sugar and the vanilla extract in a bowl until smooth. (I don't have a mixer and was able to do this by hand.) Unroll one can of crescent roll dough and press the two rectangles into the 9"x13" pan to cover the bottom. Evenly spread the cream cheese mixture into the baking dish. Unroll the other can of crescent rolls, press them into a 9"x13" and shape, and put this on top. Stir together 3/4 cup of sugar, the cinnamon, and the butter. Dot the mixture over the top of the cheesecake. Bake in the preheated oven until the crescent dough has puffed and turned golden brown, about 30 minutes. Cool completely in the pan before cutting.

Mmmm... dip!

Bean Dip
This is my aunt Holly's specialty, and we always devour it at family functions.

1 - 8oz brick of cream cheese (softened)
1 - 8oz tub of sour cream (cover your eyes, Emily!)
1 can vegetarian refried beans (refried black beans are particularly delicious)
1/2 package of enchilada seasoning or taco seasoning
1 - 16oz jar of salsa
1 - 8 oz bag of shredded cheese (I usually use the Mexcican blend)

Mix the cream cheese, sour cream, beans, and seasoning together. Spread the mixture in two 8" pie pans. Top with salsa and cover with cheese. Bake for 15-20 minutes at 350. Serve with tortilla chips.


Queso

1 can of Ro-tel tomatoes (undrained)
1 small block of velveeta

Cube up the velveeta and mix in tomatoes. Microwave for 5 minutes or until melted, stirring once in the middle. Serve with tortilla chips. (So easy, but so good!)

Stir-fried chicken with lime and coconut

This recipe was originally published in How to Cook by Delia Smith, but I found it in another compilation of recipes. There are two things I love about it:

1. It tastes complicated, but it's actually really easy with relatively few ingredients, so it makes for a great weeknight meal.
2. It's already scaled for two servings, so I don't have to convert any measurements or end up with a big batch of leftovers. (Not that there is anything wrong with leftovers, but sometimes you just don't want to deal with them, you know?)

Anyway, here it is...

• 2 boneless skinless chicken breast halves

• Grated zest and juice of 1 large lime


• 2 tsp. olive oil


• 1 hot green chile pepper, seeded and finely chopped


• 2/3 c. canned unsweetened coconut milk


• 2 tsp. fish sauce (nam pla)


• 4 scallions, cut into 1-inch shreds (including the greens)


• 6 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro


• Cooked jasmine rice, for serving

Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces. In a medium bowl, combine the chicken and lime zest and juice. Stir well and let marinate for 1 hour.

In a wok or large skillet, heat the oil over high heat. Add the chicken and stir-fry for 3 to 4 minutes, or until golden. Add the chile and stir-fry for 1 minute more. Add the coconut milk, fish sauce, half the scallions, and 3 tablespoons of the cilantro. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes more. Serve with jasmine rice and sprinkle the remaining scallions and cilantro over the top.

------------------------------------------------------

This works out really slick... I zest and squeeze the lime while defrosting a couple of frozen chicken breast halves. Once I have chopped the chicken and gotten it marinating, I have about half an hour to get a load of laundry going, check my e-mail, whatever. Then I start the rice, and while it's cooking I chop the chile, scallions, and cilantro. After that I can get out the rest of the ingredients and start the stir-fry. By the time it's done, so is the rice... perfect!

I'm guessing that you could easily substitute shrimp or even tofu into this recipe, though you would need to adjust your marinating and stir-frying time. If you go the tofu route, you can make the dish vegan by substituting light soy sauce for the fish sauce and adding a pinch of sugar. Your dish won't have that distinctive fish sauce twang, but at least you'll get the salty-sweet aspect of it.

Also, I've found that I use less cilantro and scallion than the recipe calls for, only about 4 tablespoons cilantro and 3 scallions. That's still a lot of flavor but fewer leafy bits to get stuck in your teeth.