Dark chocolate smore

This dark chocolate s’more recipe is easy and tasty. Inspired by a key lime pie in a cup I saw at the doctor’s office. It’s a nice new twist on the traditional sandwich s’more. Add this to your holiday baking fun.

Servings: 6

Ingredients:

8 graham cracker cookies, rolled into fine crumbs
4 tablespoons butter, melted
1 cadbury dark chocolate bar, melted except for 6 squares
6 large marshmallows

Step one: Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease a regular muffin pan. Combine graham cracker and butter in a small mixing bowl. Use a spoon to mix until paste like. Divide the crust into six muffin molds. Press down and up the side to make the crust into a cup. Bake in oven for 10 minutes.
Step two: While the crust is baking, melt the chocolate except for the 6 squares in a sauce pan over low heat. Mix with a heat proof spatula occasionally until all the chocolate is melted. Remove from heat.
Step three: Remove the crust from the oven and allow it to cool for 10 minutes. Then carefully remove the crust from the pan and set it on a baking sheet lined with foil. Pour chocolate into eat crust cup until it’s all used up. Then top each chocolate filled cup with a large marshmallow.
Step four: Bake for 10 more minutes or until marshmallow is golden brown on top. Remove the s’mores and allow it to cool for 10 minutes. Then stick one chocolate square into each s’more. Eat while the s’mores are warm.

Chili ice cream in a spoon

Don’t worry, this chili ice cream won’t send you screaming for water to put out the fire in your mouth. It has just enough heat to remind you of the chili, but subtle enough to enjoy a big bowl.

Chili sampler from MarxFoods.com

When I received the chili sampler from Justin at Marxfoods.com for the A Chili and a Spoon challenge, I had several ideas running through my head. When I saw the habanero chili I knew I had to make a spicy chicken soup for my aunt. Unfortunately, with Thanksgiving and a bad cold I didn’t have the stamina or time to put together the soup, which required making chicken stock from scratch. So I thought, why not make a chili ice cream. There were a few mild chilies in the sampler and I decided to use the de arbol chilies. Instead of using the ice cream maker I borrowed, I decided to make it the more time consuming way which involved a hand blender. The ice cream came out very smooth and creamy and well worth the time. The next time you make ice cream, try it with a few chilies.

Vote for my recipe:

Servings: 6-8

Ingredients:

1 cup whole milk
3/4 cup granulated sugar
4 de arbo chilies
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 1/2 cup heavy cream
4 egg yolks

Step one: Add milk, sugar, chilies, cinnamon and nutmeg to a sauce pan and turn the heat on to medium low. Stir the mixture with a heat proof spatula until sugar is dissolved. Turn off the heat and place the lid on the sauce pan. Allow the milk mixture to sit for 2 hours. Before walking away for 2 hours, place a medium mixing bowl in the refrigerator.
Step two: Remove the chilies from the milk mixture and reheat it on low. Beat the egg yolks in a mixing bowl with a heat proof whisk and once the milk is reheated, grab a ladle and slow pour the milk into the egg yolks and whisk it all together. Keep whisking and ladling until all the milk is combined with the yolks.
Step three: Remove the mixing bowl from the refrigerator and pour in the heavy cream. Grab a spatula and pour the milk and yolk mixture into the heavy cream. Mix everything together until the cream is cool. Use an ice bath to speed up the process.
Step four: Once the cream has cooled, use a hand mixer to beat air into the cream. Set the mixer on high and beat for 3 minutes. Place the cream in the freezer for 1 hour. Remove the ice cream and beat with hand mixer for another 3 minutes. Place in the freezer for 30 more minute, remove and beat for another 3 minutes. Then freeze for 2 hours and the ice cream is ready for consumption.

Marx Foods is always giving away delicious treats and if you love sausages you should check out this give away.

Dragon shrimp is one of my favorite snacking dishes and I decided to name it after my grandfather because he taught me how to make it. This is a great dish for Chinese new year or any Asian themed party especially as an appetizer. Feel free to substitute peeled and cleaned shrimp for the shell and head on shrimp used in this recipe.

Servings: 2

Ingredients:

1 pound of medium size shrimp, shell and head on
1/3 cup Chinese cooking wine
3 tablespoons peanut oil
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
6 cloves of garlic, whole or cut in half
1 slice of ginger, about 1/4 inch thick
3 tablespoons ketchup
2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
2 tablespoons sambal chili
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Step one: Rinse and drain the shrimp. Place shrimp in a large bowl and add cooking wine. Mix until well incorporated and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
Step two: Combine ketchup, soy, sambal and salt in a small bowl. Set sauce aside for later use. Take the shrimp out of the refrigerator, rinse with water and dry.
Step three: Heat peanut oil in a large saute pan over medium heat and add granulated sugar, garlic and ginger. Stir the sugar and oil mixture until the sugar is melted and incorporated into the oil. Add shrimp and reserved sauce to the skillet and cook until the shrimp is pink and the sauce has thickened. Eat with with rice.

Sausage fish stew

When I told a friend I made fish and sausage stew, she looked at me a little funny. I can see how the idea of fish and sausage together caught her by surprise, but the two proteins work really well together in this dish. I will post the photos sometime this week.Servings: 4

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 mild Italian sausages, casings removed
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 garlic cove, minced
2 cups sliced white potatoes (about 2 potatoes)
1 1/2 cups white wine
1 cup grape tomatoes, cut in half
4 Tilapia fillets
1 tablespoon fresh flat leaf parsley, minced
Salt and pepper

Step one: Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add sausages and break up into small pieces with a wooden spoon. Cook the sausages until golden brown and spoon into a bowl for later use.
Step two: Add onion and garlic to the skillet and cook until onion slices are translucent. Add potatoes, wine, salt and pepper to the skillet and bring to a simmer. Turn the heat to low and cover the skillet with a lid or aluminum foil and cook until potatoes are cook through. About 150-20 minutes. Cooking time will vary depending on the thickness of the slices.
Step three: Remove the lid or foil and mix the tomatoes into the stew. Turn to heat to medium and place the Tilapia fillets on top of the mixture. Sprinkle salt and pepper on the fillets and top by parsley. Cover the skillet and cook until the fish is opaque. Serve over brown rice.

Ingredients:

4 medium bananas mashed
2 tablespoons ground flax seed
6 tablespoons water
1/3 cup agave syrup
1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Step one: Preheat oven to 375 F. Mix bananas, flax seed, water, and agave in a mixing bowl. In a separate mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix banana mixture into flour mixture with a spatula until well incorporated.
Step two: Line 12 muffin pan with paper liner and fill each muffin cup with about 2 tablespoons of batter. Bake for 17 minutes on the middle rack. Take the muffins out and let the muffins sit in the muffin pan for 5 minutes. Then remove the muffins and place on a cooling rack. Enjoy with a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice or a cup of black coffee.

Chicken in White Wine Cream Sauce

This chicken in white wine and sour cream sauce is flavorful, tangy and satisfying. It’s a good dish to serve over white or brown rice.

Life is still hectic but I hope to post more frequently starting next month. All my traveling should be done at the end of August and I hope to have more time for cooking and blogging. With my busy schedule I’m not cooking as much, but when I do get a chance to cook I make a big batch so it will last a few days. This dish was such a hit, the love of my life ate it for lunch and dinner three days in a row.

Servings: 8

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 chicken breasts, cut each breast into 4 pieces
1 1/2 teaspoon salt free seasoning
Salt and pepper
5 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
8 ounce mushrooms, quartered
2 cups white wine
16 ounce fat free sour cream

Step one: Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sprinkle seasoning, salt and pepper on chicken breasts and cook chicken until golden brown on both sides. Be sure to cook the chicken in batches to avoid over crowding the skillet. Place cooked chicken in a large bowl and reserve for later use.
Step two: There should be oil left in the skillet, if not, heat another tablespoon. Add garlic, onion and mushroom to the skillet and cook until onions are translucent. Add white wine and cook for 5 minutes. Turn the heat to low and whisk in the sour cream until well blended. Return the chicken to the skillet and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until chicken is cooked all the way through.

how to make Sour Cream and White Wine chicken

Pan Seared Tilapia

Tilapia is a great fish to work with and delicious pan seared. The fish gets a wonderful color and crunch on the outside, but the inside is still moist and tender. To make it a complete meal, I served it with brown rice and steamed fresh green beans. This meal is healthy, light and easy to make. To add more flavor to the dish, cook the rice in vegetable stock and add some peas and corn.

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

4 tilapia fillets
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Step one: Rinse the fillets and pat dry with a paper towel. Lay the fillets on a flat surface and season both sides with salt, pepper, onion powder and cayenne pepper. Depending on the size of the fillets, you might need to increase the amount of onion powder and cayenne pepper.
Step two: Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Cook the fillets until golden brown on both sides. Serve with brown rice and green beans.

Drink with: Sauvignon Blanc

celery salad

This celery salad makes for a wonderful side to any Asian inspired dinner. The salad is crunchy, refreshing and has a way of disappearing quickly. Feel free to omit the dried shrimp if you do not have any on hand.

I apologize if I have not visited your site and left a comment. Life has been pretty busy with starting a new job and planning my best friends bachelorette party. I hope to get back on track with my posts and comments soon.

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

6 stalks of celery, sliced on a diagonal
3 tablespoons dried shrimp, minced
3 tablespoons Chinese cooking wine
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 tablespoon sesame oil

Step one: Place the celery in a salad bowl and refrigerate. Add the remaining ingredients together and set aside. When you are ready to serve the salad, remove the celery from the refrigerator and add the dressing. Toss everything together and serve immediately.

The "Joey" Burger

The “Joey” burger was my entry into the Burger Wars contest hosted by Dining with the Catty Critic this weekend. This burger is named after the love of my life because he is the one who discovered peanut butter on hamburgers.

There were six entries and each contestant had to make four 100% beef burgers. The competition was fierce and my burger didn’t come in first, but I got to introduce people to burgers with white bread and peanut butter, which was more important than winning the burger war. The patties are moist and flavorful and the white bread is the perfect bun because it is light and doesn’t throw off the burger bun ratio.

The burger is easy to make and fun to eat. I hope you will give it a try.

Makes: 4 hamburgers

Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef (preferably with 30% fat)
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Salt and pepper

8 slices of white bread
4 slices of American cheese
1 tomato, sliced
1/2 red onion, sliced
1/2 cup of smooth peanut butter
1/4 cup ketchup

Step 1: Place the first five ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix together with your hands. Shape into four patties and cook on a grill or griddle until desired temperature and top each burger with a slice of cheese.
Step 2: While the patties are cooking, place the bread on the grill or in the oven and toast on both sides. Remove the bread and place on a cooling rack.
Step 3: To assemble the burger, place 2 tablespoons of peanut butter on a slice of toasted bread, top with burger and cheese, tomato, onion and another slice of toasted bread with 1 tablespoon of ketchup. Serve immediately.

How to assemble The "Joey" Burger

Pork and celery dumplings

The love of my life has been on a dumpling kick and I made another batch, but this time with pork and celery. Most of my friends prefer dumplings fried or steamed, but we love them boiled. I think the texture of the wrapper when the dumplings are boiled can take a little getting used to, but I think the filling tastes best when it’s boiled. Dmplings can be made a few weeks in advance. All you have to do is freeze them on a flat pan dusted with flour and once the dumplings are frozen, place them in freezer safe bags for storage.

Pork and celery dumpling filling

Makes: 28-32 dumplings depending on size of filling

Ingredients:

1 pound ground pork
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 egg
1 cup finely diced celery
2 tablespoons light soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon five spice powder
1 package of dumpling wrappers

Step one: Combine all the ingredients in a bowl, except for the dumpling wrappers.
Step two: Place about 1 tablespoon of filling in the middle of a dumpling wrapper. Dip your index finger in some water and wet the edges of the wrapper. Fold the wrapper in half and seal tightly by pressing the edges together with your fingers. To create a design, make three ‘z’ shapes with the edge of the wrapper and press tightly. Place wrapped dumplings on a floured surface and repeat step two until all the filling is used up. Watch video on how to make dumplings.
Step three: Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the dumplings. Stir the pot gently to make sure dumplings are not sticking to the bottom. Once all the dumplings have floated to the top and the edges of the wrapper are translucent, scoop out the dumplings with a slotted spoon onto a large plate. Enjoy as is or with a drizzle of soy sauce.

Making pork and celery dumplings