Thursday, July 10, 2008

Fondants au chocolat


Ingrédients :

100 grammes + 8 carrés de chocolat patissier
3 oeufs
80 g. de sucre
50 g. de beurre
1 cuillère à soupe de farine

Faire fondre les 100 grammes de chocolat et ajouter le beurre.
Dans un saladier mélanger les oeufs, le sucre et la farine.
Incorporer le chocolat et mélanger.
Remplir les ramequins au 3/4, ajouter 2 carrés de chocolat et recouvrir avec le reste de la préparation.
Four 180-200°C.
Faire cuire environ 15 minutes et démouler tiède.

Bon appétit !

----------------------------------------
Ingredients:

4 ounces + 8 squares of chocolate
3 eggs
1/3 cup of sugar
¼ cup of butter
1 tbsp of flour

Melt the 4 ounces of chocolate and add butter.
In a salad bowl, mix eggs, sugar and flour.
Then add the chocolate and mix.
Fill up ramekins ¾ , add 2 squares of chocolate and cover up with the rest of the preparation.
Bake at 374 about 15 minutes and turn out lukewarm.

Enjoy!

Wednesday, July 9, 2008

Cinnabun Cake

I found this recipe recently on the Sisters Cafe blog and have made it a couple of times. It is sooooo delicious. It takes just like a real, frosted, gooey, buttery cinnamon roll. I made it for our family and for a birthday brunch for a friend's birthday. Everyone who has tasted it loves it! It's one of our new favorites!
Cinnabun Cake

Ingredients:

3 cups flour
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 ½ cups milk
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
4 T. butter, melted

2 sticks butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
2 T. flour
1 T. cinnamon
2/3 cups nuts, optional

2 cups powdered sugar
5 T. milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

In an electric or stand mixer mix the flour, salt, sugar, baking powder, milk, eggs and vanilla. Once combined well, slowly stir in melted butter. Pour batter into a greased 9 x 13 inch baking pan.
In a large bowl, mix the 2 sticks of softened butter, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon and nuts until well combined. Drop evenly over cake batter by the tablespoonfuls and use a knife to marble/swirl through the cake.
Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes or until toothpick comes out nearly clean from center.
Place powdered sugar, milk and vanilla in a large bowl. Whisk until smooth. Drizzle over warm cake. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Monday, July 7, 2008

Fiesta Pasta Salad

As you can tell I'm on a salad kick right now. Nothing better during the summer in my opinion! This is our most favorite salad of all time. We could live off this stuff. It's nice to have a pasta salad that is flavored with something other than Italian dressing. You could also add cooked or canned chicken to this recipe. I never have. We like it so much without. The dressing is what really makes this recipe. I ended up changing the oil and vinegar amounts to 1/3 c. instead of the 1/2 c. Taste it and add a little at a time until you have your own perfect combination! So yummy! Our family can almost eat the entire bowl in one sitting!


Fiesta Pasta Salad

Dressing:
1 pkg Hidden Valley Fiesta Ranch dip mix
1/2 c. oil (I use olive oil and I only use 1/3 c.)
1/2 c. vinegar (I use apple cider vinegar and only use 1/3 c.)

Salad:
1 bag garden rotini (colored spiral noodles)
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can black olives, halved
2 -3 tomatoes, chopped (I like to use small grape tomatoes sliced.)
1 cup frozen corn
1 lb cooked, shredded chicken (about 1 ½ to 2 breasts), if desired

Mix dressing mix, oil, and vinegar in small bowl and set aside. Combine cooked pasta, beans, olives, tomatoes, and chicken in large bowl. Add dressing (to taste) and frozen corn about 20 minutes before serving. Be sure to toss again just before serving, as the dressing will seep to the bottom. Enjoy eating your little piece of heaven.

Thursday, July 3, 2008

Orange Sesame Salad

I decided to try a new salad tonight and it was great! So refreshing and it had a great flavor! The kids all gobbled it up. The dressing is very mild so if you're looking for something with a little more kick you might want to taste it before you put it on the salad and doctor it up if you need to. To make it a main dish you could always add some cooked chicken or some garbanzo beans.



Orange Sesame Salad

1/2 pound vermicelli (or thin spaghetti), broken in half
1 1/2 cups snow peas, cut in half
1 small yellow summer squash, cut into thin strips
1 small zucchini, cut into thin strips
2/3 cup shredded carrots (I used my favorite Broccoli Cole Slaw mix instead)
1 cup shredded Napa cabbage
3 Tbsp. sesame seeds, toasted if desired
Orange slices to garnish

Citrus-Sesame Dressing
1/4 c. fresh orange juice
2 Tbsp. honey
4 Tbsp. rice vinegar (or white wine vinegar)
1 tsp. toasted sesame oil (this added a GREAT flavor! Found with the oriental foods like soy sauce and teriyaki sauce)
1/8 tsp. salt
1/4 c. olive oil (I only added half this amount. I'd probably add a little more orange juice next time to make up the difference.)

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and rinse pasta under cold running water and drain again.


In a large bowl, toss together the pasta, snow peas, summer squash, zucchini, carrots, and cabbage.


Combine the orange juice, honey, vinegar, sesame oil, and salt in blender and mix well. (Or you could whisk the mixture vigorously by hand.) Add the olive oil and blend.


Pour dressing over the pasta and vegetables to coat them lightly and toss. Just before serving top the salad with orange sections and a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds. Serves 6-8.

Monday, June 30, 2008

Cornmeal Waffles

These are some of our favorite waffles to make. We've been out of our whole wheat to grind into flour so we've been making this cornmeal variety a lot lately. We use our grinder to grind popcorn into fresh cornmeal and it makes such a difference! So fresh! They still turn out great even if you don't grind your own cornmeal though! Top with your favorite waffle topping. We enjoy the no sugar added flavored applesauce by Motts.

Cornmeal Waffles

1 1/2 cups flour
3 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups cornmeal
3 eggs
3 cups milk (we use soy milk and have the same results)
1/4 c. oil (I usually reduce to 2 Tbsp. or omit entirely.)

Mix dry ingredients together. In separate bowl mix wet ingredients. Add wet to dry and mix well. Bake on waffle griddle that has been sprayed with non-stick spray.

Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Homemade Play Dough

Although this recipe isn't for the eating...it is still a nice one to have! We've made a few batches recently and the boys have been having so much fun playing with it. We just put it in zip top plastic baggies and it stays nice and soft. Of course you could also let their creations air dry, too! It's so easy to just mix up another batch!




Homemade Play Dough

1 cup flour
1/2 cup salt
1 cup water
1 Tbsp. oil
1 Tbsp. cream of tarter


Cook in medium saucepan over medium heat stirring constantly. Heat until dough pulls from sides. Divide into smaller balls and add food color. *I usually place the dough in a plastic bag, add the drops of food color, and squeeze outside of bag to mix the color in. Much easier than stirring and not as messy as using your hands.

Friday, June 20, 2008

Brooke's Curry Chicken and Rice

Here is another one of our family favorites that I made up a few years ago. It's a recipe I tend to forget about but every time I make it the kids go crazy over it! They love it and I love having a different flavor! It can easily be adapted to a vegetarian recipe by leaving out the chicken, sour cream, and cooking with vegetable broth or water instead of chicken broth. We have tried it both ways and love it either way!



Brooke's Curry Chicken and Rice

1 1/2 cups uncooked brown rice
2-3 chicken breasts
1/2 cup dried cranberries or raisins (I prefer cranberries)
1/2 cup sliced or slivered almonds, toasted (350 degrees for 6-8 minutes, stir often)
1/2 cup dry lentils
1-2 cups chicken broth
2 tsp. curry (microwave for 30 seconds to release flavor oils)
2 cups frozen peas and carrots
1 cup sour cream, if desired
salt and pepper to taste

Cook brown rice according to package directions. Cook lentils in separate pan according to directions. In a large skillet, sprinkle chicken with enough curry powder to cover. Add water about half way up chicken. Cover and cook about 10 minutes on each side if frozen or until done. Dice and set aside. In same skillet, add chicken broth, frozen peas and carrots, and 1-2 tsp. curry (microwave first). Add cooked rice and cooked lentils, chicken, and craisins. Salt and pepper as needed. Add more chicken broth or water if rice absorbs too much liquid. Add sour cream and serve with toasted almonds on top.

Thursday, June 19, 2008

Aztec Couscous


Sorry, the picture is so blurry. We ate this with some salsa, and guacamole garnished steak. It was really good, especially if you like that cilantro and lime taste. I don't remember where I got the recipe from, but I've been carting it around ever since I had a couscous dish at the British Museum.

1 cup plain couscous
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp salt
Mix together in a heatproof bowl. Pour 1 cup boiling water over couscous. Cover tightly and let sit until water is absorbed, about 5 to 10 minutes.
Toss In:
1 can black beans, rinsed
1/4 cup purple onion, finely chopped or minced
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped or minced
1 jalapeno, minced (I had to reduce this to 1/2 jalapeno so my kids would eat it)
Mix in :
1-2 tbsp olive oil
3-4 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
Serve warm or at room temperature.

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Cheese tart

If you're interested in having this french recipe, just leave a comment and i'll publish the english measurements...



Comment faire?

- la pâte:
150g de farine + 1/2 c.c. de sel
50g de beurre fondu
1/3 verre eau chaude
Pétrir le tout- laisser poser 10-15 min

- Le mélange:
3 oeufs
250ml de lait
1 peu de crème fraîche
100-150 g de fromage râpé
sel, poivre
Mélanger. Ajouter à la pâte une fois étalée.

Au four 200°C, environ 45-60 min.
How to do?
- The pastry:
1 cup of flour + ½ tsp of salt
¼ cup of melted butter
1/3 warm water glass
Blend the all ingredients and let resting for 15 min.

- The mixing:
3 eggs
1 cup of milk
A little bit of cream
5 ounces of grated cheese
Salt, pepper
Mix all. Add to the spreaded pastry.

Bake in the oven (428 °F), ther. 6 for 45-60 min.

Chapatis


CHAPATIS
Useful indian recipe for having a kind of bread without yeast and without using an oven.
If you're interested in having this recipe, just leave a comment and i'll translate it with english measurements!


Ingrédients: (pour 15 chapatis)
-250g farine complète
-25 g beurre fondu (ou 1 c.s. huile)
-12 cl d'eau tiède (pour mesurer cette quantité, les biberons c'est pratique!)
-1/2 c à dessert de sel

Réalisation de la pâte (temps de préparation: 15min. temps de repos: 30 min)
Dans un saladier, mélanger à la main, la farine, le sel et le beurre fondu(ou huile)
Incorporer progressivement l'eau. Pétrissez jusqu'à former une boule de pâte malléable et homogène. Laissez poser 30 min.
Séparez la pâte en 15 parts égales. A l'aide d'un rouleau, étalez chaque part de façon à obtenir un chapatis très fin d'environ 12 cm de diamètre.
Cuisson
Faire chauffer une poêle (le mieux est une poêle à crêpes en fonte ou une poêle à fond épais, les poêles anti-adhésives marchent moins bien) sans matière grasse, faire cuire les chapatis des 2 côtés; ils doivent dorer légèrement mais rester souples.
Quand un chapatis est cuit, le disposer dans un torchon et le recouvrir pour le maintenir au chaud afin qu'il ne durcisse pas.
Peut êttre utilisé en accompagnement d'un repas en remplacement du pain ou comme base de repas avec viande, légumes ou crudités.
Moi j'ai fait des genres de roulés (ou fajitas) avec des restes de crudités du frigo! On s'est tous régalé!!!
Bon appétit!
Ingredients (for 15 chapatis)
1 cup flour
1/8 melted butter (or 1 tbsp oil)
½ cup of tiède water
½ tsp salt

The pastry: (15 min of preparation- 30 min at rest)
In a salad bowl, mix flour, salt and melted butter (or oil).
Blend progressively the water. Knead till having a malleable and homogeneous pastry ball. Let resting 30 min.
Separate the pastry in 15 equal parts. With a rolling pin, spread each part to have a very fine chapatis of 5” diam.

Cooking:
Warm up a frying pan (the better in a pancake frying pan with thick bottom) without fat, and cook the chapatis in 2 sides; they have to brown a little. When a chapatis is cooked, put it in a dishcloth and cover it over to keep it warm and not get hard.

It can be use as garnish of a lunch, or as base with meat, vegetables.

Monday, June 16, 2008

Piña Coladas

For a quick, easy, refreshing drink that the whole family will enjoy-make a Piña Colada!


Piña Coladas

1/3 c. Real Cream of Coconut
1/3 c. pineapple juice
2 cups ice

Mix well in blender. Garnish with shredded coconut, pineapple, and a cherry!

**Make sure you get cream of coconut and not coconut milk. Cream of coconut is often found with drink mixes.

Strawberry Whipped Sensation

This is the dessert I made for Father's Day this year. It was nice and easy. I found the recipe in my Kraft Food & Family magazine-Summer 2008.


Strawberry Whipped Sensation

4 cups fresh strawberries, divided
1 can (14 oz.) Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tub (8 oz.) Cool Whip topping, thawed, divided
8 Oreo Cookies

1 Tbsp. butter, melted

1. Shape foil onto outside of 8x4 inch loaf pan. Line inside of pan with shaped foil, with ends extending over sides of pan.

2. Mash 2 cups of the strawberries in large bowl. (I used a potato masher.) Stir in condensed milk and juice.

3. Stir 2 cups of the whipped topping into strawberry mixture. Pour into prepared pan.

4. Finely chop cookies. Combine cookies and butter. Spoon over whipped topping mixture in pan.
5. Cover cookie mixture with ends of foil and gently press cookie mixture into whipped topping mixture. Freeze 6 hours or until firm.

6. Invert dessert onto serving plate when ready to serve; remove pan and foil. Spread remaining whipped topping onto top and sides of dessert.

7. Slice remaining 2 cups strawberries; arrange on dessert. Store leftovers in freezer.

Makes 12 servings.



**To make it a little healthier I used Eagle Brand Fat Free Sweetened Condensed Milk, Lite Cool Whip, and omitted the butter in the crust. You could also use Reduced Fat Oreo Cookies to save on fat and calories.
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