Flourless Chocolate Torte with Mousse Filling and Ganache

Rich, walnut-studded layers of chocolate cake filled with fluffy chocolate mousse, topped with fresh whipped cream and decadent ganache.  Mmmm....

It was Rob's birthday and I wanted to make him a cake, but didn't want a huge thing that would a) make us fat, or b) sit uneaten in the fridge in avoidance of making us fat.  So I made this little cake instead.  Super rich, yes, but small enough that it wasn't overwhelming.  

As you can see, my decorating skills leave something to be desired, but I'm sure this could be a very presentable dessert if appropriate patience and effort were applied.  I'm just gonna blame the wine this time.

Start by making the chocolate cake- I did this two days ahead of time and kept the cakes in their pans in the freezer.  Even if you do it the day of, I recommend allowing for a couple hours of freezing time so that they are easier to handle.

What you need:

7 ounces dark or bittersweet chocolate

1/4 cup butter

1/3 cup sugar

Heavy cream (if needed)

3 tablespoons Kahlua

2 eggs, separated

1-2 teaspoons powdered sugar

pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.  Melt the chocolate and the butter over a double boiler (or a Pyrex bowl set into a small saucepan), stirring frequently.  Add the sugar and stir until smooth (if this is too think and starting to seize up, add a splash of heavy cream to smooth it out).  Add the Kahlua and let cool a bit.  While it cools, beat the egg whites with the powdered sugar until firm peaks form.  Go back to your chocolate mixture.  Add a tablespoon of this to the egg yolks and stir it in.  Add the salt to this and then add the egg yolk mixture to the chocolate mixture.  Fold in the egg whites.  Pour the batter into three greased 4 x6 pans (I bought those aluminum ones that can be thrown away).  Bake for 30 minutes.  The cake will still look a little wet in the middle, but shouldn't be jiggly.  Let cool and then freeze for at least a couple hours.

NOW, on to the rest of the cake:

You need:

Half of a batch of chocolate mousse, chilled (see recipe here.)

3 layers of flour-less chocolate cake, chilled, see recipe below.

Whipped cream

Chocolate ganache (heat half a cup of cream until just boiling, then add 2/3 cup bittersweet baking chocolate or dark chocolate chips, stir until smooth)

Chocolate garnishes (chocolate curls, mini chocolate chips)

Spoon a 3/4-1 inch thick layer of mousse on top of one of the cake layers (still in pan).  Carefully remove one of the other layers from its pan and place on top of mousse layer.  Repeat with more mousse and the other cake layer.  Spoon a bit more mousse on top and freeze the cake for an hour or two.  When ready to eat, remove from pan, placing it upside down on a serving plate.  Top with a layer of whipped cream and Drizzle the chocolate ganache over the cake and the plate.  Garnish with additional chocolate-y things or whatever you like.  Slice and serve.  Enjoy!

Goat Cheese and Nectarine Filo Pastries

This would make a lovely appetizer or accompaniment to a light main dish.  I made four and served them along with my earlier post of tilapia and shrimp on top of salad.  They are decadent and delicious.  This makes four generous servings (with the salad and seafood I only had half of one.  Rob managed his with impressive swiftness).  And there are the two (and a half) leftover for another day!

What you need:

3-4 ounces goat cheese, divided into four pieces and shaped into 1/4-1/2 inch thick rounds

4 pieces thawed filo pastry

1 large nectarine, cut into thin slices

2 jalapenos, chopped into thin slices

1/3 cup mixture chopped fresh basil, mint, and sage- I used the most basil and the least sage

Salt and pepper

Spread your four pieces of filo out on a clean surface, one on top of the other (wrap the rest of package tightly and save for another use... or make more of these).  Place one round of goat cheese on the top filo piece.  Then top with three thin wedges of nectarines, a few slice of jalapeno, a sprinkle of the herbs, a pinch of salt and sprinkle of pepper.  Wrap the filo neatly around the goat cheese to create a little packet or bundle.  Place on a oil-sprayed baking sheet.  Repeat with remaining pieces.  Place any remaining nectarine or pepper slices alongside the packets and season lightly with salt.  Spray the entire pan with olive oil and bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit.  The filo should be browned but not burned, and the extra nectarines should be slightly softened.  Top each packet with a few nectarine and pepper slices.  Serve on top of a green salad (preferably one that includes arugula).

Enjoy!

Coconut and Peach Tilapia and Shrimp

Super simple and pretty healthy.  Not a bad combo.  I served it on top of a salad with fresh lettuce, arugula, sliced radishes, avocado, and nectarines with some goat cheese and nectarine filo pastries (and made a light fruit vinaigrette to go on top of the greens).  Yum.

What you need (this is going to make enough for 4-6 people... we have lots of leftovers):

3/4 pound tilapia
3/4 pound shrimp, raw, peeled and deveined
1/2 packet coconut milk powder (or try using 1/2-1 cup coconut milk)
2-3 tablespoons unsweetened dried coconut
2-3 tablespoons peach nectar
1-2 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar (I used a raspberry flavored version because it's what I had, but I don't think it really matters)
1 tablespoon Ponzu (basically lime-y soy sauce, so if you don't have it, try a mix of lime juice and soy sauce)
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon black pepper

Mix everything together.  Let marinate for 30 minutes or so.  Heat oven to High Broil.  Pour everything onto a baking sheet (include marinade).  Broil for 10-12 minutes until cooked through.

*If you want, you can broil the shrimp and tilapia without the marinade so that they get more of a "crust".  But I recommend that you still keep the marinade and bring it to a boil so that it can be served alongside as  a sauce.

Enjoy!

Mediterranean Chicken and Roasted Vegetable Salad

Lately I've been on a serious roasted vegetable kick.  So this recipe is pretty similar to others I have posted recently, but has the significant addition of chicken.  No need for any sides other than maybe a little bread (though I did make a naan bread pizza with anchovies, fresh tomato, olives, and feta to accompany this for Rob).

Start by making the roasted veggies (these could even be made the day before and then stored in the fridge):

What you need:

A couple pounds of eggplant (maybe two medium- I used a variety of baby ones and part of a big one, because that's what I had), cut into 1-inch thick rounds
1/2 pound carrots or baby carrots- carrots should be cut into 1/8 inch slices and baby carrots cut in half if they are fat ones
1-2 red peppers, kept whole
1 medium onion, chopped roughly
1 pound cremini mushrooms, cleaned and kept whole

Heat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Spray two 13 x 9 pans with olive oil (or if you only have one, you can do this in batches, which is what I actually did).  Spread the eggplant and carrots across one pan, and the onion, red pepper, and mushrooms on the other.  Spray everything with olive oil and then season with salt and pepper.

Roast the eggplant pan for an hour and the other pan for 30 minutes.  If done, the vegetables should be soft and slightly browned.  Let cool and chop everything into bite sized pieces (make sure to remove the skin and seeds from the red pepper).  Place everything in a bowl.

For the rest of the salad:

1/2 pound- 1 pound cooked chicken, depending on how protein heavy you want it to be (see note below for cooking tips/ ideas)
1 cup sliced and quartered cucumber
1-2 cups cherry tomatoes, quartered
2 tablespoons capers
1/4 chopped Greek or Kalamata olives
1/2-1 cup chopped artichoke hearts (use the marinated ones if you don't mind the extra oil, or just the ones in brine, which is what I did)
4 anchovies, finely chopped
3-5 pickled jalapenos, chopped
1-2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon olive oil
Black pepper, garlic powder, oregano, basil, and salt to taste (I probably used about 2 teaspoons each black pepper, oregano, and basil.  A ton of garlic powder, and a just a bit of salt, because my chicken was already seasoned, as were the veggies from the oven)

Optional (I would have added all of these, but circumstances on Saba prevented me from doing so):
1 head of roasted garlic, with the garlic squeezed out
Fresh Basil leaves
Fresh arugula (add this at the very end)

Mix everything together, refrigerate for an hour or a few, and serve on a bed of lettuce.  Sprinkle a little feta cheese on top if ya like.  Enjoy!


*Making the chicken:

You can simply boil the chicken, use meat from a rotisserie chicken (though not if you live on Saba), use leftover grilled, or saute some up like I did.  I used boneless chicken tenderloins and cooked them whole, because they are small enough that this works.  If I use breasts, I cut them up first.  Just heat your pan, add a good spray of olive oil, and add the chicken after it heats a bit.  Add a bit of salt right from the get go, because this helps the meat cook.  I also seasoned with garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, poultry seasoning, and za'atar ( a Middle East spice mixture that I thought would work well with the rest of the salad).  When the chicken was almost done, I added a splash of white wine and lemon juice, turned down the heat to low, and covered it for the last couple minutes.  Once it's cooked, let it cool and cut into bite-sized pieces.

Speedy Pork and Pumpkin Curry

I got home at 5:45.  This was on the table by 6:15.  Yep, it's that quick.  And REALLY good.  And pretty healthy.  And it makes a lot, so you'll have leftovers for when you really don't have time to cook.  What more can you ask for?

I served it with some of my leftover vegetable salad, leftover cooked rice, and pita bread.   Without convenient leftovers, you'd still have time to cook up some rice while the curry is cooking and maybe roast a quick pan of asparagus or make green salad.  

What you need:

1/4 cup curry paste (I used Patak's mild curry)

2 teaspoons coriander powder

1 teaspoon chili powder (optional)

1 teaspoon black pepper

2-3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh ginger

3 tablespoons minced garlic (or substitute garlic powder)

1/2 cup chopped onion

3-5 dried hot red Thai peppers

1 package (with the 2 tenderloins, each 3/4-1 pound) pork tenderloin, chopped into 1 inch chunks 

2 tablespoons Ketjap Manis

1 cup coconut milk

1-2 cups milk, water, or something along those lines (I used a light soy milk to cut calories and I also sometimes use unsweetened almond milk in things like this.  If you are not watching calories too carefully, you could also just use more coconut milk for a richer version.)

1/4-1/3 tomato sauce or ketchup 

Start by heating a large pot over medium-high heat.  Add the curry paste, coriander, chili powder, black pepper, ginger, garlic, onion, and red peppers and let cook for a few minutes.  The mixture should become fragrant and slightly browned.  Add the pork and let this brown for a few more minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add the pumpkin and continue to stir-fry.  If the mixture is too dry and starting to stick too much, go ahead and add the Ketjap Manis and a splash of water to help it along.  Once the pumpkin is slightly browned and beginning to soften, add the coconut milk, the Ketjap Manis (if you haven't already), the milk/ water, and the tomato sauce.  Reduce heat and let simmer until both the pumpkin and pork are cooked through (the pork can be just slightly pink in the middle.  Taste test and add a bit more Ketjap Manis, garlic powder, or even some regular curry powder if you find it lacking. 

Enjoy!

Roasted Vegetable Salad with Fresh Basil and Arugula

Mmmm... so tasty, so healthy, and simple to make.  It was a lovely side to the baby octopus I made, but would also make a nice light lunch or dinner on its own or with some bread or rice.  

What you need:

2 medium eggplants, cut into 1 inch thick rounds

2-3 cups cremini mushrooms

3 jalapeno peppers

1 small onion, cut into 1/4-1/2 inch wedges

cooking spray, salt, pepper

2-3 cups fresh arugula, chopped

1 cup fresh basil, chopped

2-3 small tomatoes, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces

1/4 cup (or more) seasoned rice vinegar

1 teaspoon EACH chili oil and sesame oil

1-2 teaspoons soy sauce

1-2 teaspoons fish sauce

1 tablespoon (or more if you're a garlic fiend like me) garlic powder

2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh ginger

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.  Spray two 13 x 9 pans with olive oil.  Spread the vegetables across the two pans (I filled one up with the eggplant and the other with the other vegetables.  That way you can easily leave the eggplant in longer).  Spray with olive oil and lightly season with salt and pepper.  Roast in the oven until softened, lightly browned, and cooked through.  This took about 20 minutes for the pan with the mushrooms, peppers, and onion, and between 45 minutes and an hour for the eggplant.  Let cool a bit, and then chop everything into bite sized chunks (except the mushrooms, which I like to leave whole).  Place the veggies in a large bowl and add the remaining ingredients.  Toss and let sit for 20 minutes (or more) before serving to let the flavors meld a bit.

Barbecued Baby Octopus

Okay, first step to this is getting over the cute little baby octopus that you are planning to boil, broil, and eat. Maybe chop them up first if that helps you out.

Then proceed with the directions below.  I promise, they're quite tasty!  Similar to calamari (not the deep fried kind).  I like to serve them with a roasted vegetable salad and maybe some fried rice or a light naan bread "pizza".

What you need:

1 pound frozen baby octopus, thawed and cleaned

1 cup red wine

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1/4 basil tomato sauce

2-3 tablespoons ketchup

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon hot chili-garlic sauce

1 teaspoon black pepper

2-3 teaspoons garlic powder (or use minced garlic)

1/4 very thinly sliced onion

1-2 tablespoons finely chopped or minced fresh ginger

chopped fresh basil and cilantro (optional)

Start by bring the wine, balsamic vinegar, and octopus to a boil.  Lower heat, and let simmer for 20 minutes. While simmering, preheat oven to a high broil.  Then drain the octopus, discarding the liquid.  Place octopus and the rest of the ingredients in a 13 x 9 pan and mix everything together.  Broil for 10-15 minutes, depending on how hot your broiler gets.  The onion should slightly cook and the the sauce should become thick and become baked onto the octopus in places.  That's it!  At this point, if you have it, add a bit of freshly chopped basil and cilantro.

Enjoy!