Chocolate Cake with Ganache and Praline Topping

I discovered this delectably rich cake recipe in my July 2009 edition of Bon Appetit magazine, and knew I HAD to try it...chocolate cake, ganache, praline topping...what could be more satisfying? The first time I made the cake, I followed the exact directions, making it a one layer cake. Well, lets just say it didn't last very long, so I made it a couple weeks ago for Ryan's Birthday, and made it a two layer cake (by doubling the cake and ganache ingredients). Speaking from experience, please don't forget to chill the cake after you've poured the ganache on top, or you'll have a pool of chocolate when you pour on the warm praline. Enjoy!

Serves 6-8

Ingredients
Cake
• Nonstick vegetable oil spray
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes, room temperature
• 1/4 cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup boiling water
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
• 1/4 cup buttermilk
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Ganache
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
• 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
Praline
• 3/4 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
• 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup pecans, toasted, chopped
Preparation
FOR CAKE
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray 9-inch cake pan with nonstick spray. Line with parchment. Spray parchment. Dust with flour, tapping out any excess.
• Place butter and cocoa powder in medium bowl. Pour 1/2 cup boiling water over; stir. Let stand 2 minutes; whisk until blended. Whisk flour, sugar, baking soda, and coarse salt in another medium bowl. Whisk buttermilk, egg, and vanilla in large bowl. Gradually whisk cocoa mixture into buttermilk mixture; whisk until smooth. Add flour mixture in 3 additions, whisking to blend between additions (batter will be thin). Pour batter into prepared pan.
• Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool in pan 10 minutes. Run knife around pan edges to release cake. Invert onto rack; remove pan and parchment. Cool completely.
FOR GANACHE
• Place chocolate and cream in microwave-safe bowl. Heat in microwave in 15-second intervals, stirring occasionally, until melted and smooth. Stir in butter. Let stand until spreadable, about 30 minutes. Spread over top and sides of cake. Transfer cake to plate. Chill 2 hours and up to 1 day.
FOR PRALINE
• Stir first 3 ingredients in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat until butter melts. Boil 1 minute without stirring. Remove from heat; whisk in sugar and vanilla. Add pecans; stir just to incorporate. Quickly pour praline over cake. Spread just to edges (topping sets quickly). DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome. Store at room temperature.

Arugula Salad with Beets and Goat Cheese

One of the tastiest greens in my opinion has to be arugula. It is crisp, peppery, and slightly bitter. This salad is similar to a version they make at Il Fornaio Italian restaurant (Insalata Bertola). The beets add a little sweetness, the goat cheese adds creaminess, and the walnuts add crunch. This is my favorite salad!

salad:
1 package arugula
2 beets, boiled and juilienned (red or golden)
1/2 package goat cheese, crumbled
handfull of chopped walnuts

dressing:
in food processor mix, 1/4 cup olive oil, 2 TBSP red wine vinegar, 1 TBSP dijon mustard, 1 TBSP lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste.
*These are approximate measurements, I add everything to taste.
Mix until it's dressing consistency, and toss into salad!
Add beets to salad, then add cheese crumbles and walnuts on top.

Almond Baked Chicken

This is one of my favorite recipes from the South Beach Diet cookbook. It's their version of fried chicken, without all the fat. The chicken is dredged in olive oil, then in a nutty, cheesy bread coating that's baked in the oven. For extra crisp on top of the chicken, I sprayed a little cooking spray on top just before popping it in the oven. I also added whatever fresh herbs I had in my fridge to the bread coating. Move over fried chicken!

Serves 4

Ingredients

1/2 cup whole wheat bread crumbs
1/8 cup (1/2 ounce) grated Parmesan cheese
1/8 cup finely chopped almonds
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1/2 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon dried thyme
Pinch of ground black pepper
1/8 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded to 1/2" thickness and cut into 6 pieces (or cut in half horizontally)

Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400°F.

In a medium bowl, combine the bread crumbs, cheese, almonds, parsley, garlic, salt, thyme, and pepper. Mix thoroughly.

Place the oil in a shallow dish. Dip the chicken first in the oil, then dredge in the crumb mixture. Place the chicken in a shallow baking pan. Optional: spray the top with cooking spray.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a thermometer inserted in the center of a piece registers 170°F and the juices run clear. (Do not turn the chicken during cooking.)

Swordfish with Citrus Pesto

After watching Giada De Laurentiis prepare this beautiful dish on the Food Network, I knew I had to try it for myself. And boy, was I impressed! Ryan even liked it! It is healthy, fresh, and easy to prepare. I will definitely be adding this to my list of favorites. I halved the recipe, and it made enough for 2-4 servings.

Ingredients
Citrus pesto:
1 bunch fresh basil, stemmed (about 3 cups)
1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted
1 clove garlic
1 lemon, zested and juiced
1 orange, zested and juiced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup grated Parmesan

Swordfish:
4 (6-ounce) swordfish steaks
Extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
Blend the basil, pine nuts, garlic, zests, juices, salt, and pepper in a food processor until the mixture is finely chopped. With the machine running, gradually add the olive oil until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the Parmesan.

Place a grill pan over medium-high heat or preheat a gas or charcoal grill. Brush both sides of the swordfish fillets with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill the swordfish about 3 to 4 minutes on each side for a 1-inch thick fillet.

Transfer the grilled swordfish to serving plates, top with the citrus pesto, and serve.

Southern Red Velvet Cake

One of my all-time favorite cakes, red velvet is a moist cake complimented with a rich cream cheese icing. It is a popular cake from the south (courtesy Cakeman Raven) which includes cocoa powder, buttermilk and almost a whole bottle of red food coloring! This recipe won at a dessert contest we had at work. You gotta try it!

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon fine salt
1 teaspoon cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
2 large eggs, at room temperature
2 tablespoons red food coloring (1 ounce)
1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cream Cheese Frosting, recipe follows
Crushed pecans, for garnish

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease and flour 3 (9 by 1 1/2-inch round) cake pans.
In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder. In another large bowl, whisk together the oil, buttermilk, eggs, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla.

Using a standing mixer, mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined and a smooth batter is formed.
Divide the cake batter evenly among the prepared cake pans. Place the pans in the oven evenly spaced apart. Bake, rotating the pans halfway through the cooking, until the cake pulls away from the side of the pans, and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean, about 30 minutes.

Remove the cakes from the oven and run a knife around the edges to loosen them from the sides of the pans. One at a time, invert the cakes onto a plate and then re-invert them onto a cooling rack, rounded-sides up. Let cool completely.
Frost the cake. Place 1 layer, rounded-side down, in the middle of a rotating cake stand. Using a palette knife or offset spatula spread some of the cream cheese frosting over the top of the cake. (Spread enough frosting to make a 1/4 to 1/2-inch layer.) Carefully set another layer on top, rounded-side down, and repeat. Top with the remaining layer and cover the entire cake with the remaining frosting. Sprinkle the top with the pecans.

Cream Cheese Frosting:
1 pound cream cheese, softened
4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
2 sticks unsalted butter (1 cup), softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Yield: enough to frost a 3 layer (9-inch) cake

Cooks Tip: I'll let you in on a secret for making sure you have no crumbs in your frosted cake. Apply a thin layer of frosting to the entire cake (called a crumb coat), and chill for about 30 minutes. Then apply another layer using the remaining frosting, which will "cover" the crumb coat for a pure white iced cake!

In a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or with a hand-held electric mixer in a large bowl, mix the cream cheese, sugar, and butter on low speed until incorporated. Increase the speed to high, and mix until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. (Occasionally turn the mixer off, and scrape the down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.)
Reduce the speed of the mixer to low. Add the vanilla, raise the speed to high and mix briefly until fluffy (scrape down the bowl occasionally).

Honeybush Milk Tart

This recipe was found in the most unlikely of places, on the box of my Numi herbal tea. When I saw it, I was intrigued by what it might taste like, since i like the flavor of their honeybush tea. Honeybush is a plant that grows mainly in South Africa, and it's leaves are harvested to make the tea. It tastes similar to rooibos, but is slightly sweeter. If you haven't tried Honeybush, you may want to try it first by brewing a cup before making the tart to see if you like the flavor. Or be adventurous and make it with your favorite tea!

The tart is sweet and creamy, and perfect with the graham cracker crust. Delicious if you're up for trying something new!

Ingredients:

2 cups milk

2 bags Numi brand Honeybush herbal tea

2 eggs

1/3 cup sugar

2 TBSP flour

2 TBSP cornstarch

Pinch of salt

1 TBSP vanilla

1 TBSP butter

¼ cup crushed pistachios

Cinnamon

Directions:

Place tea bags in milk and bring to a simmer. Set aside.

In separate bowl, beat eggs and sugar, until fluffy.

Add flour, cornstarch and salt and mix well.

Squeeze teabags and remove from milk.

Slowly whisk milk into to sugar mixture, mixing well.

Return mixture to stove and stir constantly over medium heat until thickened.

Beat if lumpy. Add vanilla and butter, stir until butter melts.

Pour into your favorite pre-baked 8”-9” pie crust (preferably graham cracker).

Sprinkle with crushed pistachios and cinnamon.

Refrigerate for at least two hours before serving.

Chicken and Chickpea Pilaf

My sister Tami recommended this recipe to me (thanks girl, love ya!). She and my family loved it, so I decided to give it a try. It has a Moroccan flavor, a little spice from the cumin and saffron, and a little sweetness from the raisins. It's a great "one pot" meal, and there's a lot of leftovers!

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

Pinch saffron threads

4 skinless boneless chicken thighs, cut into pieces

1 onion, diced

2 garlic gloves, peeled and crushed

2 1/2 cups chicken broth

1 15 oz. can chickpeas (garbonzo beans)

2 TBSP vegetable oil

salt & pepper

2 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp ground cumin

1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped

1 1/4 cups long grain rice

2 bay leaves

1/3 cup golden raisins

1/2 cup slivered almonds (I used pine nuts)

3 TBSP chopped parsley (I used cilantro)

Directions:

Place saffron threads into a small bowl, add 2 TBSP boiling water, and set aside for at least 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat 1 TBSP oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper and sprinkle with the coriander and cumin. Cook the chicken, stirring often, for about 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Add the remaining oil to the saucepan. Add the onion, red pepper and garlic and cook, stirring often, about 5 minutes, until softened.

Stir in the rice. Return the chicken to the saucepan and stir in the stock, along with the saffron and its liquid, 1/2 tsp salt, and the bay leaves. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce to low and cover. Simmer for 15 minutes. Rinse and drain chickpeas, then stir in along with the raisins and cook about 5 minutes, or until rice is tender. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, for 5 minutes. Transfer to serving platter and sprinkle with nuts and herbs.