Deep Dark Chocolate Cake Amazingness

I don't know about you but I love chocolate, especially dark chocolate. This cake is one that my mom has made since I was little and it is my favorite cake. It is hard for me to eat other chocolate cakes because they just do not compare. This is the perfect cake for any occasion. You can also take this recipe and make it into cupcakes as well.

I am going to add two different types of icing recipes. One is a semi-sweet chocolate sour cream icing and another is dark chocolate cinnamon ganache. The sour cream icing might sound different but it is a nice compliment to the richness of the chocolate cake. The dark chocolate cinnamon ganache is very nice for the cupcakes and if you want to make it a little bit fancier. Both are delicious.

Deep Dark Chocolate Cake

2 cups sugar

1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup Hershey's cocoa

1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1 cup milk

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup boiling water

Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round pans or one 13x9x2-inch baking pan. 

Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of electric mixer 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour batter into prepared pans. 

Bake 30 to 35 minutes for round pans, 35 to 40 minutes for rectangular pan or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely.

Now if you are going to use the sour cream icing (recipe to follow) the best way to do it is to make the cake a day ahead and then freeze it. This may sound weird, but the cake is a lot easier to frost when it is cold. It will not take long for it to defrost.

For the ganache it does not matter as you will just be pouring it over the top.

Semi Sweet Chocolate Sour Cream Icing

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

4 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup sour cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 3/4 cups confectioners' sugar

Melt chocolate and the butter together. Let cool and blend in the sour cream, vanilla, and salt in an electric mixer. Gradually add the confectioner's sugar until the frosting is of spreading consistency, beat well.

 Semi Sweet Chocolate Cinnamon Ganache

1 cup heavy cream
8 oz semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

In a saucepan, slowly heat up the heavy cream. You do not want to boil it, but warm it up enough until there are bubbles on the side of the saucepan. Pour this over the chocolate in a glass bowl and mix until it is melted. Blend in the cinnamon.

You can pour this over the chocolate cake or dip each individual cupcake into it.

These recipes are delicious and extravagant. You will fall in love with them…promise J

Buon Appetito!!!!

Roast Lamb with a Mint Caper Sauce

For my second to last blog, I am going to share one of my favorite recipes of all time. Now some people are scared to step outside of their comfort zone when it comes to food. However, I promise that if you do for this that you will be in love. Well at least I was! I made this for the first time this past Easter and it has become one of my favorites. It is also a very easy meal to make. So what are we making? Incredible roasted shoulder of lamb with a mint caper sauce. Traditionally, lamb is usually served with mint jelly. I don't know if you have ever tried mint jelly but it is not a great thing (at least that is my opinion). Though this sauce may sound interesting it is the perfect match for the lamb because the flavors are not too strong. I really hope that you will try this recipe and hope that you will enjoy! You can pair this with a salad and any kind of seasonal vegetable or garlic mashed potatoes.

Lamb

1 (2.2-pound) shoulder of lamb (buy the shoulder of lamb without the bone)

Olive oil

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 large bunch fresh rosemary

1 bulb garlic, unpeeled, broken into cloves

For the sauce:

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

2 cups good-quality hot low sodium chicken stock

2 heaped tablespoons capers, soaked, drained and chopped

1 large bunch fresh mint, leaves picked

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

Preheat your oven to full heat (450 degrees to 500 degrees). The trick to making this lamb great is to have a very  hot oven and turning the heat down when the lamb goes in the oven. This will help to make it very tender and juicy.

Cut the fat side of the lamb all over with a sharp knife. Lay half the sprigs of rosemary and half the garlic cloves on the bottom of a high-sided roasting pan. Rub the lamb all over with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place it in the pan on top of the rosemary and garlic, and put the rest of the rosemary and garlic on top of the lamb. Tightly cover the tray with aluminum foil and place in the oven. Turn the oven down immediately to 325 degrees F and cook for 4 hours - it's done if you can pull the meat apart easily with 2 forks.

Sauce:

Remove the lamb from the oven and place it on a chopping board. Cover it with foil, then a kitchen towel, and leave it to rest. 

 Pour away most of the fat from the roasting pan, discarding any bits of rosemary and the cloves of garlic. Put the pan on the stovetop over medium heat and mix in the flour. Add the stock, stirring and scraping all the sticky goodness off the bottom of the pan. You won't need gallons of gravy, just a couple of flavorsome spoonfuls for each serving. Add the capers, turn the heat down and simmer for a few minutes. Finely chop the mint and add it to the sauce with the red wine vinegar at the last minute then pour into a pitcher.

When you serve the lamb each person can pour on however much sauce that they want.

I really hope that you all will enjoy this recipe!

I have really enjoyed writing this blog and I hope that maybe I have given you some ideas for your own recipes. Cooking can be a very very enjoyable thing if you make it one. Picking out foods that you and your family like and spicing them up in different ways can make any dining experience great. Don't be afraid to experiment to your hearts content! If it goes wrong there is always the next time.

For the last time Buon Appetito!!!

Italian Meat Loaf

Tonight it is cloudy, raining and otherwise just miserable weather. This is one of those nights that you just want some good comfort food and to curl up on the couch with a blanket and a good movie. So that is exactly what I did. I made an Italian meatloaf filled with cheese and herbs and topped with marinara sauce. This I paired with a green salad and yummy garlic cheesy herb bread. There is nothing better on a nasty night such as this one to eat this yummy comfort food. 

Meat Loaf

3/4 cup bread crumbs

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese (fresh Parmesan works best to be able to work it into the meat mixture)

1 Tbsp Herbs de Provence (this is a mixture of dried Italian herbs and easy to find in any grocery store. It is definitely one of my pantry staples)

1 medium onion, diced

2 Tbsp fresh Italian parsley, chopped

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1 tsp Salt

1 tsp Pepper

2 eggs

1 pound ground beef

1 cup of your favorite marinara sauce. (I like Bertolli)

Olive Oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium skillet saute the onion and garlic in the skillet with some olive oil until the onions are softened. 

In a bowl mix together the bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, herbs, parsley, salt and pepper. Add the cooked onions and garlic to the mixture along with the eggs and mix well together. With your hands (Yes, I know you may not want to touch the meat but it really is the best way to mix the meat without overworking it) mix the meat and ingredients together. Mix just enough to get everything together but don't overwork the meat as it will make it tough.

Grease a loaf pan and place the meat mixture into the pan, pressing down with your fingers to ensure that all of the air bubbles are released. Top this with the marinara sauce, making sure that this is spread evenly. To help create a crust grate some more Parmesan cheese on top of this.

Bake in the oven for about 45 minutes or until a knife stuck in the middle of the meatloaf comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let sit for about 5 minutes. Slice, serve and enjoy!

Garlic Cheesy Herb bread

1 loaf of ciabatta bread

1 stick of butter, softened

3 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced

1/4 cup of grated Parmesan cheese

3 Tbsp of dried herbs

2 scallions, finely chopped

Preheat oven to 450 degrees

In a bowl combine the softened butter, garlic, cheese, scallions and herbs. Mix until all of the ingredients are combined. Cut the bread in half lengthwise and then spread the butter mixture onto the two halves of the bread. Place onto a cooking sheet and then bake until it is lightly toasted. Probably about 5-7 minutes.

Pull out of the oven and let sit for a moment and then slice it up and enjoy! It really is a wonderful treat :)

Buon Appetito!

Turkey Pot Pie

As I said in my previous post, I have other recipes for leftover roast turkey. Turkey or chicken pot pie has been one of those comfort foods that have been familiar to me since my early childhood. It was one of those meals that mom would make whenever we were having a rough day and it never failed to cheer us up and make us happy. It is also a perfect meal to eat in front of a fire on a cold winters day. I am using turkey for this recipe but you can also use leftover chicken breasts or roast chicken. Some of the best pot pie is made from the roast chickens that you can get at Sam's or the grocery store. Like I said this recipe is a family favorite and I hope it will become one of yours as well.

Ingredients
(now I have to make a confession, I am kind of guessing at the quantity of the ingredients because I normally just add till it looks right. Because of this you might have to do a little give and take as well.)

unbaked boxed pie crusts (you could also use phyllo dough or puff pastry if your prefer that)
2 cups of chopped turkey
1 bag of frozen mixed vegetables ( you can also use fresh vegetables if you choose)
1 10oz can of Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 15oz can of Chicken Broth (you can use the leftover broth from your roasted turkey or chicken if you have it)
1 onion, chopped finely
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine all of the ingredients together. The consistency should not be to runny as it will melt down as it cooks and you don't want it to become to juicy.

Place the combined ingredients into a greased baking dish and cover with the pie crusts. Make sure that you poke a couple of holes in the crust so that the steam can be released. If you would like you can brush the crust with some melted butter or a beaten egg white to help create a nice golden crusts.

Bake until the ingredients are hot in the middle and the crust has become golden brown.

Serve this alongside a green salad or with some cheesy garlic toast and you will have a meal that your family and friends will beg you to make again!

Buon Appetito!

Reliving Thanksgiving...summer style

I don't know about all of you, but Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. This due in part because of the wonderfully delicious food. I think we sometimes forget that we can roast a turkey anytime and that it is not just for that wonderful holiday. I roasted a turkey this afternoon and paired it with some mashed garlic cauliflower (in place of mashed potatoes) and a green salad. It is a great thing that you can put in the oven and leave for a couple of hours. It is very simple and a way to relive that holiday meal.


Roast Turkey
1 fresh turkey (about 10 to 12 pounds)
1 stick of butter
1 lemon, zested 
1 tsp each of fresh herbs such as  rosemary, thyme, oregano, and sage
salt and pepper
1 small apple, quartered
1 small onion, quartered
1 head garlic, halved crosswise
a handful of fresh herbs such as  rosemary, thyme, oregano, and sage


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees


Melt the butter (you still want it to have some consistency so don't melt it all the way). Add the zest of the lemon and the juice of one half of the lemon as well as the teaspoons of various fresh herbs. Stir together and set aside


Remove  the giblets and any other unnecessary items out of the turkey and make sure you rinse out the cavity and the rest of the turkey. Make sure you pat the outside dry, as it will help to create a nice crust. 


Take half of the butter and herb mixture and work underneath the skin. You will have to separate the skin from the meat, but do it gently as you do not want to rip the skin. It may take a little to do it. You want to make sure that you spread this butter mixture all over the body, on all sides and not to forget the legs! 


Salt and pepper the inside of the turkey cavity and then stuff with the fresh herbs, half a lemon, apple, onion and garlic. Make sure that they are stuffed well inside, to make sure that they do not come out during the cooking process.


Take the rest of the butter mixture and rub on the outside skin of the turkey. Sprinkle salt and pepper all over the turkey. This will help brown the skin. Trust me when this melts and blends with the juices of the turkey it will make a great broth! Tie the legs together with string and tuck the wings underneath the turkey body. 


Roast the turkey about 2 1/2 hours, or until the juices run clear when you cut in between the leg and the thing. Halfway through the cooking process pull the turkey out of the oven and baste the turkey with the juices in the bottom of the pan. This will help keep the turkey moist as it cooks. When it is done pull the turkey out of the oven and cover with aluminum foil and let sit for about 20 minutes. This gives time for all of the juices to soak into the meat and make it juicy and wonderful.


Mashed Cauliflower
My family loves mashed potatoes but the mashed cauliflower is a nice substitute and honestly you really can't tell the difference between them. 

1 medium head of cauliflower

1 tablespoon cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup grated parmesan

2 cloves of garlic

2 tablespoons of unsalted butter

salt and pepper

Put on a pot of water to boil and in the meantime wash and cut the cauliflower into small pieces. Cook this cauliflower until it is tender. Take out of the pan and pat dry between two towels. 

Place the cauliflower and the rest of the ingredients into a mixer and blend together until it is smooth. Adjust with salt and pepper to adjust the taste to your own preference. 

Pair this with the turkey and a green salad and you have a wonderful dinner!

More recipes to follow to make with your leftover turkey!

 Buon Appetito!

Ricotta and Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breast with Lemon White Wine Sauce

We eat a lot of chicken in my house and it is easy to get stuck in a rut with the same recipes repeatedly. Sometimes chicken can be a very boring dish and sometimes it can be an amazing one like the recipe I am about to share with you. It is a simple recipe that you can substitute and add too at your heart’s content. It is one of my favorite recipes and is great for entertaining.  They will think you spent hours and tons of money to make this great meal!
 

This recipe is for two people so if you are cooking for more just add as you need it.

Ingredients

Stuffing:

• 1 cup cooked, chopped, and drained fresh spinach
• 1/2 cup ricotta
• 1/2 cup Gorgonzola (if you don't like Gorgonzola, the Italian version of Bleu cheese, then you can also use Parmesan cheese)
• 4 slices cooked bacon, crumbled
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 large egg

Sauce:

• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1/2 cup homemade chicken stock
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 lemon, juiced
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Chopped Italian parsley leaves, for garnish

Chicken:

• 2 (8-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Directions

Beginby making the stuffing: In a bowl, combine the spinach (make sure that you have drained all of the water out of it), ricotta, Gorgonzola, and bacon and mix well. Season with salt and pepper (make sure you taste before you add more salt as the bacon and Gorgonzola will be salty). Add the egg, mix well, and then set aside.

 Place each chicken breast between 2 doubled-up sheets of plastic wrap, and pound to an even 1/4-inch thickness with a meat-pounder or rolling pin. Divide the stuffing between the breasts, mounding it along the center of each. Fold the bottom edge of each breast over the stuffing, fold in the sides, and roll forward until completely wrapped, to form a tight rolled package. Secure each flap with a toothpick. Season the chicken all over with salt and pepper, to taste.

The original recipe says that you should cook the chicken in a skillet over medium heat. You want to cook the chicken on each side about 2 minutes until they are browned and then cover the skillet, turn down the heat and cook until just cooked through...should take about 5 minutes.

Here is another option for cooking. This way you can stick the chicken in the oven and enjoy your time with your guests. Place the chicken in a greased baking dish and cook in the oven on about 350 degrees until the chicken is cooked. Halfway through the cooking process spoon the juices that have formed in the dish on top of the chicken.

Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes.

Now for the sauce: combine the wine and stock in a non-reactive saucepan. Bring to a boil and reduce to a sauce-like consistency. Whisk in the mustard, lemon juice, and season with salt and pepper, to taste.

If you cook the chicken in the saucepan, you can add the sauce to this after you have removed the chicken to scrape up all of the tasty little bits left by the chicken...

Slice the chicken into medallions, divide among plates, and spoon some of the sauce over each.Garnish with parsley and serve immediately...

Buon Appetito!!!

The wonders of Scottish food...

My dad's side of the family is from Scotland and as such I have come to love everything to do with Scotland, including the food. My dad and I traveled to Scotland last summer for my graduation trip and spent 14 amazing days traveling all over Scotland from Edinburgh to the Highlands. I loved every single moment of it and I truly miss it. My dream is to one day live and work in Scotland, but until then I must make do with looking at pictures and reliving my memories.

My dad and I standing in front of Edinburgh Castle on one of our first days there...

One of the things we loved was sitting in a booth at one of the local pubs and enjoying a delicious dish of steak and ale pie on those cold wet Scottish nights. This of course was sometimes followed by a great cup of strong coffee and some Sticky Toffee Pudding. So since these are two of my favorite things of all time I am going to share these recipes with you and I hope that they can become some of your favorites as well. 

These dishes are ones that are perfect comfort food and they are so simple to make. I mean what could get better than steak simmered in spices and ale topped with some kind of pastry dough? Or sweeter than a sticky toffee pudding covered in a rich delicious custard? I can't think of anything....

Steak and Ale Pie

2lbs of stew beef (I usually just buy a round roast and cut it up or buy stew meat) 

Olive Oil

1 Medium onion, peeled and diced

1 Tbsp flour

1 Tbsp Ketchup

1 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce

1 Tsp English Mustard

1 bay leaf

1 handful of fresh thyme and marjoram (if you don't have fresh you can substitute dried)

1/2 cup beef stock

1/2 cup of dark ale ( I find that guinness does really well...you have to make sure that it is a dark ale or you will lose the flavor of it when it cooks)

1 box of puff pastry or fillo dough 

Salt and Pepper

You want to make sure that the pan you use is big enough to hold the meat and the liquids as they will all be combined in the end and will simmer for about an hour. 

Cut the beef into small cubes. You want them about 1 inch or bite size and make sure that they are pretty consistent so that they cook evenly. Pat the meat with a paper towel to absorb some of the moisture so that it will brown more evenly. You want to make sure that the meat is room temperature before you add it into the pan.

Add some oil to the pan and put in the onions. You want them to cook until they are just tender and then add in the beef and cook until it is medium brown. Add the flour and cook until the flour is mixed in with the juices and it is dark brown. Add the ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, herbs, bay leaf, and salt and pepper. Slowly add in the beef stock and the ale and then bring to a boil. Taste test this to ensure that you have the proper seasonings.

Simmer this until the beef is tender. It will probably take about an hour or so. You want the meat to be extremely tender. You may have to add more ale or beef stock depending on if it cooks down. You don't want a runny sauce, but a thick juicy sauce. 

Remove the meat from the pan and put it into a pie dish and then cover with the pastry and cook in the oven until the pastry is risen and golden brown.

You can pair this dish with some mashed potatoes and English peas for the full Pub experience.

Sticky Toffee Pudding with Custard

(this is more like a cake than a pudding, and is one of THOSE desserts that you dream about afterward)

Unsalted butter for baking dish
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
¾ cup chopped, pitted dates (about 4 oz.)
8 tablespoons unsalted butter
¾ cup granulated sugar
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 ¼ cups boiling water
8 tablespoons packed brown sugar (1/2 cup)
3 tablespoons heavy cream
Custard (see recipe below) or Ice Cream and Whipped Cream

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8x8 broilerproof baking dish. Sift the 1 cup of flour and the baking powder into a bowl; set aside. Toss dates with 1 tablespoon flour in small bowl. Beat 4 tablespoons butter and ¾ cup sugar in large bowl until mixture is light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, along with a little of the flour mixture; beat for 1 minute. Beat in remaining flour mixture. Add dates, baking soda, and vanilla to the boiling water, stirring to combine; add to batter, beating until well blended.

Pour batter into prepared dish; bake until set and well browned on top, 35-40 minutes. Remove from oven to wire rack. Heat broiler. Heat remaining 4 tablespoons butter, brown sugar, and heavy cream in microwave on simmer until thickened, 3 to 5 minutes. Pour over hot pudding. Place pudding in broiler, about 4 inches from heat; broil until topping is bubbling and becomes sticky, about 1 to 2 minutes. Serve immediately, top with custard or vanilla ice cream and whipped cream.

Custard
¾ c. sugar
3 T. cornstarch
¼ t. salt
2 c. milk

Combine above and bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir a small amount into:

3 egg yolks – slightly beaten

Add egg yolks to the rest of the mixture when tempered and cook 2 minutes. Remove from heat and add:

2 T. butter
1 t. vanilla

Mix and chill. Serve atop sticky toffee pudding

I hope you love these recipes as much as I do!!!