Chocolate Pear Tart

During my day of baking, I decided I wanted to have a little chocolate and fruit in my life, so I made a fancy tart. It sat in the fridge for until dinner the next day and still looked (and tasted) great. I made a 9 inch and a 5 inch, but would have made 2 9 inch tarts if I had the pans for it, because the crusts were a bit thicker than I wanted with the smaller second tart.

Chocolate Pear Tart
Makes 2 tarts in 9 inch pans
Prep time: 3 hours (most of it waiting for things to chill in the fridge)
Cook time: 20-25 minutes

Ingredients:
- 8 Tbs (1 stick) butter
- 3 Tbs evaporated cane juice (or sugar)
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 1/4 cups unbleached all purpose flour (plus a couple pinches to dust pans)
- 2 ripe green pears (bartlett or anjou work well)
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (or however much chocolate you want)
- 1/4 cup unsweetened greek yogurt (I used Fage 0%)

Tools:
- 2 tart or pie pans, 9 inches
- 1 large bowl
- 1 wooden spoon
- 1 pastry cutter (or two knives)
- 1 fork
- 1 spreading utensil that won't melt (small silicone spatula or butter knife work fine)
- 1 small microwave safe bowl
- 1 sharp knife
- 1 veggie peeler (optional, can use the sharp knife in place)
- 1 cutting board
- 1 oven
- 1 refrigerator
- 1 microwave
- 1 timer

Directions:

Crust:
1. In large bowl, cream together the butter, sugar, and salt.
2. Chill butter mixture and flour in the fridge for 30 mins.
3. Add flour to butter mixture and cut the butter into the flour. At the side is a video on how to do it with a pastry cutter and another video on how to do it with two knives. You can also use your hands to smear the butter and flour together to get a really flakey crust.
4. Put a little flour in each pan and spread it around to give it a light dusting (this helps with release)
5. Put half of the dough in one pan and the other half in the other. Using your hands, press the dough into the pan so that it is an even thickness and the crust goes up the sides.
6. Place the unbaked crusts in the fridge for 30 minutes to chill.
7. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
8. Use a fork to poke holes in the crust so that it won't bubble (it will be difficult with the dough cold, so be careful).
9. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the crust is golden brown.

Filling:
10. Melt the chocolate in the microwave on the lowest power setting, stirring every 15 seconds to get everything to melt evenly and prevent scorching. (Yeah, it's a pain, but chocolate is finicky and is ruined when it's burned). Optionally, use a double boiler to melt chocolate.
11. Spread melted chocolate in the bottom of the tart crust and up the sides. Try to get it even and smooth.
12. Chill chocolate for 30 minutes in the fridge until hard.
13. While waiting, cut pears into quarters, cut away the cores, and use the peeler to make thin slices of pear (leave on the skin because it's pretty). Alternately, use your sharp knife to very carefully cut thin slices of pear, take your time with this and keep all of your fingers.
14. Once chocolate is solid, apply a layer of yogurt over the chocolate, but leave the sides exposed.
15. Layer pear slices on top of yogurt in a circle with the small ends facing the center and the skins forming rays from the center (this looks best if the pears slices are all the same size. Optionally, layer pear slices starting at the outside and working inwards with the skins facing out (this works better if the pear slices are all different sizes so the big ones are at the outside and the little ones at the inside).
16. Serve tarte at room temperature or else the chocolate makes it difficult to cut the tart.

If not intending to serve immediately, cover with plastic wrap put tightly over the fruit and store in the fridge for 1 to 1.5 days (the pears will start to look bad after that). Remove from fridge 1 hour prior to serving to allow tart to come to room temp. The crust can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge (baked or unbaked) for up to a week or frozen for up to 6 months.

Chocolate Chip Orange Blossom Clove Cookies

Today I got a baking need and so I thought I would share what I made with you lovely people. Due to a lack of vanilla extract, I had to find some other fragrant potion to make my cookies have a little pizzaz, so I kicked them up a notch by adding ground clove and orange blossom water. These cookies would be great to make with kids because everything is mixed at room temp in bowls and then put in the oven, so they get to work on their math skills and hand-eye coordination. Enjoy.

Chocolate Chip Orange Blossom Clove Cookies
Makes 60 cookies (if you use a perfect Tbs ball for each one and don't eat any dough, but when does that ever happen?)
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 9-11 minutes per batch
Level: Easy

Ingredients:
- 2 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground cloves
- 1 cup (2 sticks) butter
- 1 1/2 cup evaporated cane juice
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 Tbs honey
- 1 Tbs orange blossom water
- 2 eggs
- 4 oz semi-sweet baking chocolate roughly chopped (I used the whole ar of baking chocolate)

Tools:
- 1 large mixing bowl
- 1 medium mixing bowl
- 1 wooden spoon
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- 1 cookie sheet (though more would be quicker)
- 1 oven
- a timer

Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 C).
2. In a large bowl, mix together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cloves. Set aside.
3. In a medium sized bowl, cream together butter, sugars, honey, and orange blossom water with a sturdy spoon (wooden spoons work best for this because butter is stubborn and the whole thing needs to be lump free).
4. To the butter mixture add eggs and mix until combined (be careful to not slosh any of the egg out of the bowl because at first it won't want to mix).
5. Add the dry ingredients into the wet a bit at a time, mixing in between each addition.
6. Once the dry and wet have all been combined, add the chocolate and stir it around until the chocolate is evenly distributed.
7. Use a tablespoon (or just a regular spoon you might eat cereal with) and scoop dollops of dough onto the cookie sheet approximately every 1.5 to 2 inches apart, so that you get individual cookies instead of one large cookie.
8. Bake for 9-11 minutes until golden brown (cooking time will vary depending on altitude, humidity, your stove, and how crispy you like your cookies, so keep an eye on those puppies).
9. Transfer to a plate and wait until cookies are no longer hot like lava before consuming. The waiting will be the most difficult part.

Store any uneaten cookies in a ziplock baggie or tupperware (or cookie jar) on the counter overnight, in the fridge for up to a week, or the freezer for up to 2 months. Uncooked dough can be kept in the freezer for up to 6 months or fridge for up to a week. Raw eggs can cause food poisoning, but cookie dough is amazing, so eat raw cookie dough at your own risk because we both know that it's well worth it.

Purple Carrot Cake

Today I had a massive sweet tooth and was too lazy to go to the store to buy myself something sweet, so I decided to bake a cake. Since I happened to have a bunch a purple carrots in the fridge that needed to be eaten, so I used them in this recipe to give it some fun color, but you can use whatever color carrots you like. Also happened to have some vanilla buttercream frosting left over from a while ago, so I used that instead of making a new batch of frosting, so I have not included the recipe for that.

Cake or dinner, it's a tough call.

Purple Carrot Cake
Makes 1 - 9x13 inch cake

Prep time: 10 mins if using pre-shredded carrots, 1 hour if shredding carrots by hand.
Cook time: 40-50 mins

Ingredients:
Butter to grease pan with
4 eggs
1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
2 cups evaporated cane juice (or white sugar can be substituted)
3 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour (I prefer unbleached)
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp all spice
3 cups shredded purple carrots
Frosting of choice

Directions:
1. Grease pan with butter and preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a large bowl, beat together eggs, oil, cane juice/sugar, and vanilla until combined.
3. Add flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and spices, stir until there are no lumps.
4. Mix in carrots until combined.
5. Pour batter into pan and bake for 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
6. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool completely.
7. Frost the cake before serving.

Cake in a mug that only takes 5 minutes total

5 Minute Chocolate Cake in a Mug

This is the most dangerous cake recipe in the world because you are only 5 minutes away from chocolate cake any time, day or night. 

Ingredients:

4 Tbs flour

4 Tbs sugar

2 Tbs coco powder

1 egg

3 Tbs milk

3 Tbs vegetable oil

A small splash of vanilla extract

1 large coffee mug

(Optional: 3 Tbs chocolate chips)

Preparation:

1. Mix well flour, sugar, and coco powder in mug.

2. Add egg and mix thoroughly, don't leave any dry powder in the edges.

3. Add milk, oil, and vanilla extract, mix well.

4. Optionally, add chocolate chips and mix again.

5. Place mug on a plate to catch any drips and microwave on high (1,000 watts) for 3 minutes. Note that the cake will rise above the top of the mug, this is fine, no panicking. 

6. Allow cake to cool a bit before eating because it will be like lava at first.

A Vacation Meal to Tide You Over

Thought that I would tantalize you with an easy meal that has become my "Breakfast of Champions", which I have repeatedly enjoyed during my time in Australia. The best part? It's easy enough to make when half asleep and only takes one pan to allow for easy cleanup. High in protein and vitamines, this meal will leave you feeling satisfied until lunch without skimping on big taste.

Breakfast of Champions with bok choy

Also, who says that breakfast is the only time to eat breakfast? This meal works well for lunch or dinner because of the rich flavors and lack of fillers. I love cooking foods without added oils and if your bacon is too fatty, simply drain some of the fat before cooking the other ingredients. Mmmm, just thinking about this hearty, yet surprisingly healthy, meal makes me hungry. Bon Apetite, until next time.

Breakfast of Champions
Serves 1

Ingredients:
2 eggs
2 pieces of thick cut bacon, cut in half to fit easily into the pan
1/4 cup chopped mushrooms (get the pre-chopped to save on time)
5 oz baby spinach (that's half a bag) or chopped kale or chopped bok choy
sea salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:
1. Heat a skillet over medium to low heat until warm. Add bacon.
2. When bacon has released some of the liquid fats and is sizzling, move bacon to the middle so that there is space to crack eggs into the pan on one side and cook the mushrooms on the other side.
3. When eggs start to solidify, add greens to mushroom side of pan and flip the bacon to prevent charring.
4. The meal is done when the whites of the eggs are completely solidified, the mushrooms are gray, the greens have turned a dark green and wilted without releasing too much water, and the bacon is cooked fully without being charred. Salt and pepper to taste.

*Note: the directions for these eggs and bacon are for runny eggs and floppy bacon; if you want over-easy eggs, flip the egg and keep cooking; for crispy bacon, keep flipping bacon to prevent burning while cooking bacon to a crisp consistency. Don't over cook the mushrooms ro spinach.

Jessie's Last Day Before Hiatus

Good morning gentle readers. Today is my last lunch before I leave you for about three months. While I'm gone, Patricia will be cooking fantastic meals for you; please give her the consideration you have given me while she adjusts to the position. As a special treat, I will be making mussels in a white wine broth. To accompany the mussels I made broccolini, a mixed greens salad featuring dried cranberries, and sautéed chicken for those that don't enjoy shellfish. A nice french bread is perfect for sopping up the sauce. Enjoy.

Mussels in a White Wine Sauce
Serves 12

Ingredients:
1 stick of butter
6 shallots, finely chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups white wine (choose something you would drink)
1 bunch parsley, chopped
6 lbs mussels, scrubbed and debearded
1/2 tsp salt
3 loaves french bread, sliced

Preparation:
1. In a large pot, melt the butter.
2. Add shallots and garlic, saute until things start to smell good.
3. Add wine, parsley, and salt, bring to a boil.
4. Reduce heat to low and simmer until flavors have combined, about 5 minutes.
5. Add mussels, increase heat to high, and cover.
6. Cook until the mussels open, stirring a couple of times to get them even, about 5 minutes.
7. Serve mussels in a bowl with some of the broth and the bread. If you're gluten free, try sweet potato fries as a substitute.

Broccolini
Serves 12

Ingredients:
6 lbs broccolini
everyday seasoning, to taste

Preparation:
1. In a large pot heat a few inches of water and as much broccolini as will reasonably fit in the pot over high heat. Cover.
2. Steam the broccolini until it is a vibrant emerald green and they start to smell yummy.
3. Set aside broccolini and season with everyday seasoning.
4. If there is more broccolini, repeat steps 1-3 with the same water.

Sautéed Chicken
Serves 6

Ingredients:
4 lbs chicken breast tenders
2 Tbs olive oil
2-3 Tbs liquid aminos (I use Brags) or soy sauce.

Preparation:
1. Heat olive oil in a skillet over high heat until it starts to smell like olives but not smoking.
2. Carefully place the chicken into the pan so you don't splash yourself.
3. Cook chicken until it is turning white around the edges when looking down on it and the bottom has some browned bits.
4. Flip chicken and cover with aminos. Cook until no longer pink in middle of the thickest piece.

Mixed Greens Salad Featuring Dried Cranberries
Serves 12

Ingredients:
1 large box mixed herb salad
2 large handfuls dried cranberries
1 large handful roasted pumpkin seeds
1 large handful parmesan cheese
2-3 Tbs red wine rosemary dressing

Preparation:
1. Dress the greens so that the leaves are evenly covered but not drowning.
2. Layer toppings over the dressed greens.

London Broil with Mushrooms and Grilled Onions, Bell Peppers with Sautéed Greens, Brown Rice, Lemon Mustard Salad

London Broil with Mushrooms and Grilled Onions
Serves 12

Ingredients:
4 lbs London broil
1 package sliced cremini mushrooms
1 sweet onion, thinly sliced
olive oil
salt and pepper

Preparation:
1. Season meat with salt and pepper on both sides.
2. Heat 2 Tbs of olive oil in a pan over medium high heat until warm but not smoking.
3. Cook meat until browned on both sides.
4. Set aside meat to rest and heat 2 more Tbs oil int he pan.
5. Saute onions until golden brown and soft.
6. Set aside onions and cube the meat so that people can portion control better.
7. Heat 2 more Tbs oil in the pan and saute mushrooms until they are done on one side, flip, and return meat and onions to the pan.
8. Cook until the mushrooms are done and the meat is reheated.

Bell Peppers with Sautéed Greens
Serves 12

Ingredients:
4 red bell peppers, seeded and chopped
3 orange bell peppers, seeded and chopped
4 bags super greens
olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:
1. Heat 2 Tbs oil in a large pot over high heat.
2. Saute peppers until fragrant, set aside.
3. Heat 2 Tbs oil the pot over high heat and saute the greens in batches so that nothing gets over cooked; for each batch use enough oil to coat the bottom to prevent sticking, about 2 Tbs oil, and stir constantly. Remove each batch once everything has changed a darker green.
4. Combine peppers and greens and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Lemon Mustard Salad
Serves 12

Ingredients:
juice of 1 1/2 lemons
2 Tbs honey
3 Tbs stone ground mustard
3-5 Tbs olive oil
2 Tbs water
fresh ground pepper
1 large box spring greens
1 avocado, pitted and cubed
1 carton blackberries
2 Tbs mixed seeds
2 Tbs sliced almonds

Preparation:
1. Whisk together first 6 ingredients, adjusting until a fantastic dressing is achieved.
2. Dress the greens so that all of the leaves are covered but not drowning.
3. Layer toppings on the salad so that they don't all fall to the bottom.