Posts

Posted on » by Dino » Theme:

Dark Chocolate Mousse

Recipe by Ellie Krieger

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 1 hr
Total: 1 hr 20 min
Yield: 5 servings (serving size 1/2 cup of mousse, 1 tablespoon
whipped cream and 1/4 teaspoon shaved chocolate)

Ingredients

  • 1 (12.3-ounce) package silken tofu, drained
  • 3 ounces high quality bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
  • ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, preferably Dutch-processed
  • ¼ cup water
  • 1 tablespoon brandy
  • ½ cup plus ½ teaspoon superfine sugar
  • ¼ cup heavy cream
  • 1 ¼ teaspoons shaved chocolate

Directions

  1. In a blender or food processor, puree the tofu until it is smooth.
  2. Put the chopped chocolate, cocoa powder, ¼ cup water and brandy in a
    saucepan or heat-proof bowl fitted over a pot containing 1-inch barely
    simmering water.
  3. Stir frequently, until melted and smooth. Remove from heat. Mix in ½ cup of sugar, a little at a time, until smooth.
  4. Add the chocolate mixture to the tofu and puree until smooth and well
    blended. Spoon the mousse into serving dishes, cover and refrigerate
    for at least 1 hour.
  5. Whip the cream with a beater. When the cream is almost completely
    whipped, add the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of sugar and finish whipping.
  6. Top each serving with a dollop of whipped cream and a sprinkle of
    chocolate shavings and serve.
Posted on » by Michael » Theme:

Onion Soup (Julia Child)- Soupe a l’Oignon Gratinee des Trois Gourmandes

The onions for an onion soup need a long, slow cooking in butter and oil, then a long, slow simmering in stock for them to develop the deep, rich flavor which characterizes a perfect brew. You should therefore count on 2 1/2 hours at least from start to finish. Though the preliminary cooking in butter requires some watching, the actual simmering can proceed almost unattended.

1 ½ lbs. or about 5 cups of thinly sliced yellow onions
3 TB butter
1 TB oil
A heavy bottomed, 4-quart covered saucepan

Cook the onions slowly with the butter in the saucepan, covered for 15 minutes
1 tsp salt
½ tsp of sugar
3 Tb flour
Uncover, raise the heat to moderate, and stir in the salt and sugar. Cook for 30-40 minutes stirring frequently, until the onions have turned an even, deep, golden brown. Sprinkle in the flour and stir for 3 minutes.
2 quarts of boiling brown stock, canned beef bouillon, or 1 quart of boiling water and 1 quart of stock or bouillon. (I used 2qt chicken stock)
½ cup of dry white wine or dry white vermouth (I used white wine)
salt and pepper to taste
Off heat, blend in the boiling liquid. Add the wine, and season to taste. Simmer partially covered for 30-40 minutes or more, skimming occasionally. Correct seasoning. (This is why you skim)
A fireproof tureen or casserole or individual onion soup pots
2 ounces Swiss cheese cut into very thin slivers
1 Tb grated raw onion (I didn’t use this)
12-16 rounds of hard-toasted French bread
1 ½ cups Swiss, or Swiss and Parmesan cheese
1 Tb olive oil or melted butter (I didn’t add this)
reheat oven to 325 degrees. Bring the soup to a boil and pour into tureen or pots. Stir in slivered cheese and grated onion. Float toast rounds on top of the soup, and spread the grated cheese over it. Sprinkle with oil or butter. Bake for 20 minutes in the oven, (Oops, I forgot to to this) then set for a minute or two under a preheated broiler to top slightly.

I didn’t do this last part
A 2-quart bowl
1 tsp cornstarch
1 egg yolk
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
3 TB cognac
Beat the cornstarch into the egg yolk, then the Worcestershire and the cognac. Just before serving the soup, lift an edge of the crust with a fork and remove a ladleful of soup. In a thin stream of droplets, beat the soup into the egg-yolk mixture with a fork. Gradually beat in two more ladlefuls of soup. Again, lifting the crust, pour the mixture back into the soup. Then reach in under the crust with the ladle and stir gently to blend the mixture into the rest of the soup. Serve.

Posted on » by Ashley » Theme:

Zen Temple Dumplings

Zen Temple Dumplings
Cooking Light April 2007

“Zen” refers to a style of Buddhism (most Buddhists are vegetarian), and this dish is representative of what Zen Buddhist monks might eat at temples throughout Japan–hence the temple reference in the recipe title. Asparagus and green onions give these dumplings a lovely green hue. Enjoy them as an appetizer or a main course with a side of vegetables or tofu. The dumplings can be prepared up to a month in advance: Place uncooked dumplings on a baking sheet and freeze; store in zip-top freezer bags. To serve, steam the frozen dumplings for about 10 minutes or until the wonton wrappers are translucent.

Yield 9 servings (serving size: 4 dumplings and 2 teaspoons sauce)

Dumplings:
1 1/2 teaspoons coarsely chopped peeled fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1 cup (2-inch) slices asparagus (about 1/2 pound)
1/4 cup (1-inch) pieces green onions
1 (8-ounce) can whole water chestnuts, drained and coarsely chopped
1 (8-ounce) package mushrooms, stems removed
2 teaspoons dark sesame oil
1 1/2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
36 wonton wrappers
Cooking spray

Sauce:
1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon minced green onions
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 teaspoons dark sesame oil

To prepare dumplings, drop ginger and garlic through food chute with food processor on; process until minced. Add the asparagus, 1/4 cup green onion pieces, and water chestnuts; pulse 4 times or until chopped. Add mushrooms, 2 teaspoons sesame oil, 1 1/2 teaspoons soy sauce, and 1/4 teaspoon salt; pulse 4 times or until mixture is finely chopped.

Working with 1 wonton wrapper at a time (cover remaining wrappers with a damp towel to keep from drying), spoon about 2 teaspoons mushroom mixture in the center of wrapper. Moisten edges of wrapper with water. Bring 2 opposite corners together. Press edges together with fingertips to seal, forming a triangle. Place on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray while assembling; lightly cover with a towel or plastic wrap. Repeat procedure with remaining wonton wrappers and mushroom mixture.

Add water to a Dutch oven to a depth of 1 inch; bring to a boil. Coat a metal vegetable steamer with cooking spray. Arrange 9 dumplings in steamer, slightly overlapping. Steam dumplings, covered, 8 minutes or until tender. Remove dumplings from steamer; cover and keep warm. Repeat procedure with remaining dumplings.

To prepare sauce, combine 1/3 cup soy sauce and remaining ingredients. Drizzle over dumplings.

Nutritional Information
Calories: 138 (18% from fat)
Fat: 2.7g (sat 0.4g,mono 0.9g,poly 1.1g)
Protein: 5.2g
Carbohydrate: 23.7g
Fiber: 2.3g
Cholesterol: 3mg
Iron: 2.1mg
Sodium: 585mg
Calcium: 28mg