The Recipe
200g dark chocolate (60-70%) chopped coarsely
200g unsalted butter in 1cm cubes
2,75dl sugar
5 eggs
1 tbsp flour.
Preheat the oven to 190C.
Put butter and chocolate in a microwaveable bowl and heat it up for 30 seconds at a time (stirring between each pulse) until just melted (alternatively, melt over waterbath). When chocolate and butter has melted, stir to combine. Add sugar and stir thoroughly until the sugar has been incorporated completely. Set it aside to cool for 5 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time and mix thoroughly between each. Add flour and stir again until the flour has disappeared completely.
Put the mixture in a spring form and bake it for 20-25 minutes until the top is firm and just a tad cracked. The center should jiggle only slightly, if at all.
Leave it to cool for 15 minutes and then remove the 'circumference' of the spring form. Let it cool completely before serving.
This cake can be frozen for up to a month. Allow 24 hours to defrost completely.
The Verdict
It felt really, really weird to make a cake with just one tablespoon of flour, but it was ridiculously yummy! Filled with mushy-mushy chocolaty goodness. It's very rich though, so though small in size, the above recipe is easily enough for dessert for 8 people.
It was a very easy cake to make - took hardly any time at all. I'll definitely be making this again!
Edit I made this again on May 30th, but substituted 100g of the plain dark chocolate for dark chocolate with orange. WOW! It was good before, but this made it SO much better! Also, I used salted butter instead of unsalted, and really couldn't tell the difference.
Monday, November 21, 2011
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Week 45: Orange Chicken Soup
The Recipe
Soup Base
2 chicken thighs/drumsticks
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 small onion, quartered
1-2 red potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/4 small squash, cut into 1-inch pieces
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1/4 orange, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch rings
1 cup chicken broth
2 cups water
1 tsp honey
thyme
Soup
1 large onion, chopped
3 red potatoes cut into 1-inch pieces
2 large carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 small squash, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 bell pepper, cut into strips
1 can stewed tomatoes (400g)
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp curry
150g bacon cut into strips
2-3 cups vegetable broth
Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper to taste; place in a pot and add remaining ingredients for the soup base. Bring to a boil, cover and leave to simmer for 1 hour.
Once done, discard all the vegetables but save the stock (it boiled down to less than a cup for me - you might end up with more in which case the additional stock for the soup won't be necessary). Pick the chicken from the bones, discard the skin and bones and cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces.
In a large pot, add onion, potatoes, carrots and bacon, paprika and curry. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring regularly. Add bell pepper and squash and cook for a minute or so. Add tomatoes, chicken stock and enough vegetable stock for the soup to have the desired consistency. Cover, bring to a boil, and leave to simmer for at least 30 minutes, 1 hour if possible.
The Verdict
Wow, it wasn't until I started typing this out that I realized how elaborate the recipe had gotten! It felt easy to me, but that might have been because I'd prepared the soup base ahead of time. Anyway, it was really, really good. I loved it, and ate more than my fill :-) You can probably make it with just regular chicken stock rather than this elaborate base - I couldn't say how big a difference in taste that would make.
Soup Base
2 chicken thighs/drumsticks
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 small onion, quartered
1-2 red potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/4 small squash, cut into 1-inch pieces
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1/4 orange, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch rings
1 cup chicken broth
2 cups water
1 tsp honey
thyme
Soup
1 large onion, chopped
3 red potatoes cut into 1-inch pieces
2 large carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 small squash, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 bell pepper, cut into strips
1 can stewed tomatoes (400g)
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp curry
150g bacon cut into strips
2-3 cups vegetable broth
Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper to taste; place in a pot and add remaining ingredients for the soup base. Bring to a boil, cover and leave to simmer for 1 hour.
Once done, discard all the vegetables but save the stock (it boiled down to less than a cup for me - you might end up with more in which case the additional stock for the soup won't be necessary). Pick the chicken from the bones, discard the skin and bones and cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces.
In a large pot, add onion, potatoes, carrots and bacon, paprika and curry. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring regularly. Add bell pepper and squash and cook for a minute or so. Add tomatoes, chicken stock and enough vegetable stock for the soup to have the desired consistency. Cover, bring to a boil, and leave to simmer for at least 30 minutes, 1 hour if possible.
The Verdict
Wow, it wasn't until I started typing this out that I realized how elaborate the recipe had gotten! It felt easy to me, but that might have been because I'd prepared the soup base ahead of time. Anyway, it was really, really good. I loved it, and ate more than my fill :-) You can probably make it with just regular chicken stock rather than this elaborate base - I couldn't say how big a difference in taste that would make.
Week 44: Orange chicken with potatoes
The Recipe
2 chicken thighs/drumsticks
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 small onion, quartered
1-2 red potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/4 small squash, cut into 1-inch pieces
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1/4 orange, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch rings
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 tsp honey
thyme
Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper to taste; place in a slow cooker and top with remaining ingredients. Cover and cook on LOW for 3 to 4 hours or until chicken is cooked through.
The Verdict
Easy to make, but pretty non-descript. Made a terrific base for a soup though (recipe to follow ;) ). I didn't care much for the cooked oranges, as they seemed too sour in comparison to the rest of the dish.
2 chicken thighs/drumsticks
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 small onion, quartered
1-2 red potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/4 small squash, cut into 1-inch pieces
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1/4 orange, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch rings
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 tsp honey
thyme
Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper to taste; place in a slow cooker and top with remaining ingredients. Cover and cook on LOW for 3 to 4 hours or until chicken is cooked through.
The Verdict
Easy to make, but pretty non-descript. Made a terrific base for a soup though (recipe to follow ;) ). I didn't care much for the cooked oranges, as they seemed too sour in comparison to the rest of the dish.
Monday, October 24, 2011
Week 43: Kizzy's Crockpot Beef Stew
The Recipe
300g stew meat
2-3 tbsp flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp onion powder
Olive oil
1 medium onion cut into chunks
2 fist-sized potatoes peeled and cut into chunks
5-6 baby carrots (or normal carrots, cut into pieces)
1/2 cup beef broth
splash of hearty red wine
1/4 tsp. bottled prepared horseradish (optional)
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
splash of barbecue sauce (optional)
a couple of dashes Worcestershire sauce
1 bay leaf
sprig of fresh thyme
1/2 tsp. cornstarch
enough liquid from stew to make a slurry
Heat a glug of olive oil in a pan over medium heat. While it's heating, toss together the flour and seasoning in a Ziploc bag and add the meat. Close bag and toss so all every piece of meat is coated. When the oil shimmers, add meat in one even layer. Let it sizzle for a 1-2 minutes, then flip each piece over so they all become nicely browned. When the all the meat is browned, add it to the crockpot.
Add vegetables.
In a bowl combine the broth, wine, horseradish, mustard, optional barbecue sauce, and Worcestershire. Pour it over the meat and veggies. Add enough water so the liquid comes 3/4ths of the way up the pot, but not enough to cover everything completely. Add bay leaf and thyme.
Cover, set crockpot to low, and let it cook happily for 6-8 hours.
About 15 minutes before serving fish out the bay leaf and thyme. In a small bowl mix cornstarch with enough of the gravy-in-the-making to make a slurry (a little runny but not liquid.) Uncover crockpot, add slurry, mix, and leave uncovered so everything can reduce and thicken.
Serve by itself in bowls with some warm crusty bread and perhaps a nice green salad. Or over hot noodles with plenty of pepper.
The Verdict
I'd signed up for Dewey's 24 hour Read-a-Thon, and needed something that could take care of itself, so I didn't have to worry about stopping to cook dinner half-way through - perfect timing for a new crock-pot recipe! I didn't have any horseradish, but served it with wasabi peanuts on the side (I dumped mine in, DH didn't touch them at all), which actually worked quite nicely. I found that it needed a lot more salt than what I had already added, but other than that, it tasted great!
300g stew meat
2-3 tbsp flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp onion powder
Olive oil
1 medium onion cut into chunks
2 fist-sized potatoes peeled and cut into chunks
5-6 baby carrots (or normal carrots, cut into pieces)
1/2 cup beef broth
splash of hearty red wine
1/4 tsp. bottled prepared horseradish (optional)
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
splash of barbecue sauce (optional)
a couple of dashes Worcestershire sauce
1 bay leaf
sprig of fresh thyme
1/2 tsp. cornstarch
enough liquid from stew to make a slurry
Heat a glug of olive oil in a pan over medium heat. While it's heating, toss together the flour and seasoning in a Ziploc bag and add the meat. Close bag and toss so all every piece of meat is coated. When the oil shimmers, add meat in one even layer. Let it sizzle for a 1-2 minutes, then flip each piece over so they all become nicely browned. When the all the meat is browned, add it to the crockpot.
Add vegetables.
In a bowl combine the broth, wine, horseradish, mustard, optional barbecue sauce, and Worcestershire. Pour it over the meat and veggies. Add enough water so the liquid comes 3/4ths of the way up the pot, but not enough to cover everything completely. Add bay leaf and thyme.
Cover, set crockpot to low, and let it cook happily for 6-8 hours.
About 15 minutes before serving fish out the bay leaf and thyme. In a small bowl mix cornstarch with enough of the gravy-in-the-making to make a slurry (a little runny but not liquid.) Uncover crockpot, add slurry, mix, and leave uncovered so everything can reduce and thicken.
Serve by itself in bowls with some warm crusty bread and perhaps a nice green salad. Or over hot noodles with plenty of pepper.
The Verdict
I'd signed up for Dewey's 24 hour Read-a-Thon, and needed something that could take care of itself, so I didn't have to worry about stopping to cook dinner half-way through - perfect timing for a new crock-pot recipe! I didn't have any horseradish, but served it with wasabi peanuts on the side (I dumped mine in, DH didn't touch them at all), which actually worked quite nicely. I found that it needed a lot more salt than what I had already added, but other than that, it tasted great!
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Week 42: Parmesan Chicken
The Recipe
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp basil
1/2 tsp thyme
a dash of garlic powder
1/6 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1lb chicken breasts
1 egg, beaten
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp olive oil
Mix the first 6 ingredients (bread crumbs through cheese) in a plastic bag.
Cut the chicken into 2cm x 5cm ('ish) strips, dip them into the egg (making sure it covers all sides) and dump them into the plastic bag. Shake thoroughly to cover the chicken with the crumb mixture on all sides.
In a large pan, heat the butter and oil over medium-high heat. Remove the chicken from the plastic bag and brown it for about 5 minutes on each side or until chicken is done.
Serve with french fries, a tomato-mozzerella salad and dips of your choice.
The Verdict
Oh my goodness, soooo goooood!!!! Both DH and I LOVED this! The coating kept the chicken from getting dry, and the crumb mixture was wonderfully seasoned and the cheese gave it an extra 'twist'. It's a bit of a hassle to make, but worth it :)
Week 41: Lemon Chicken
The Recipe
1lb chicken breast halves
3 tsp lemon juice
3 cloves garlic
½ tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 bell pepper, stripes
4 cherry tomatoes, halved
Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Combine lemon juice, garlic, sugar and soy sauce.
Place chicken in a bowl and pour marinade over chicken, flip to coat both sides.
Cook chicken in oil, in a large wok, over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes per side. Add bell pepper and tomatoes and cook for another couple of minutes. Serve with rice.
The Verdict
I liked it well enough, but honestly, I couldn't taste the marinade at all. Either I didn't make it strong enough, or it should have been allowed to 'sit' for longer. As it was, it was pretty much a non-recipe.
1lb chicken breast halves
3 tsp lemon juice
3 cloves garlic
½ tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 bell pepper, stripes
4 cherry tomatoes, halved
Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Combine lemon juice, garlic, sugar and soy sauce.
Place chicken in a bowl and pour marinade over chicken, flip to coat both sides.
Cook chicken in oil, in a large wok, over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes per side. Add bell pepper and tomatoes and cook for another couple of minutes. Serve with rice.
The Verdict
I liked it well enough, but honestly, I couldn't taste the marinade at all. Either I didn't make it strong enough, or it should have been allowed to 'sit' for longer. As it was, it was pretty much a non-recipe.
Saturday, October 8, 2011
Week 40: Honey BBQ Chicken
The Recipe
1lb chicken drumsticks
salt, pepper
oil for cooking
1/2 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 bell pepper, chopped
1 1/4 dl tomato sauce (~4oz)
2 tbsp cider vinegar
2 tbsp honey
1 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tbsp mustard
1 tbsp worcestershire sauce
1 tsp paprika
Season the drumsticks with salt and pepper and brown them on all sides in a frying pan. Transfer to an ovenproof dish.
Mix remaining ingredients (onion through paprika) in a bowl and pour over the chicken. Bake at 200C for 40 minutes.
The Verdict
VERY good! Definitely something I will be making again. I think I may have added just a bit too much vinegar and a tad too little honey, as it did have a bit of a tang, but not enough to be a nuisance. I really liked it, and think you could easily make it with other meat than chicken.
1lb chicken drumsticks
salt, pepper
oil for cooking
1/2 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 bell pepper, chopped
1 1/4 dl tomato sauce (~4oz)
2 tbsp cider vinegar
2 tbsp honey
1 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tbsp mustard
1 tbsp worcestershire sauce
1 tsp paprika
Season the drumsticks with salt and pepper and brown them on all sides in a frying pan. Transfer to an ovenproof dish.
Mix remaining ingredients (onion through paprika) in a bowl and pour over the chicken. Bake at 200C for 40 minutes.
The Verdict
VERY good! Definitely something I will be making again. I think I may have added just a bit too much vinegar and a tad too little honey, as it did have a bit of a tang, but not enough to be a nuisance. I really liked it, and think you could easily make it with other meat than chicken.
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