Chocolate Lava Cake

This is the most unhealthy thing ever. But also the most delicious. I crave this like crazy. At least it's not fried . . .
I always use this recipe off of Famous French Desserts. I'm always afraid the website won't exist anymore, so I'm rewriting it here. Oh, and I don't have a double boiler, and I don't pretend to make one. I just put it on super low heat and stir constantly. It all melts fast.

6 oz. Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate (or use your favorite 70% dark chocolate bar)
6 oz. Butter (diced, room temperature)
3 Eggs
1/2 cup Granulated Sugar (reduce sugar if you prefer darker chocolate)
1/3 cup Flour
Butter for Ramekins

How to Make It:

Preheat oven to 350°F

1. Melt chocolate on low flame in a bain-marie (double boiler). When melted, take of flame, and…
2. Stir in diced butter, until it melts.
3. In another bowl, beat eggs and sugar, until it starts to whiten.
4. Stir in melted chocolate and then the flour.
5. Butter 4 individual ramekins, and pour in chocolate batter.
6. Cook for about 10 minutes.
7. Tip ramekins upside down onto dessert plates and serve.

Voilà!

Tips:
You can definitely prepare your chocolate lave cake recipe ahead of time, and then bake 10 minutes before serving. I always do it this way!

In terms of buttering the ramekins: butter the bottoms first, and then butter the sides, wiping from the bottom up to the top. It helps the chocolate to rise even more.

In terms of baking time… well, it depends on how runny you want it! I like it with a super-liquid-oozing center -- so do my guests! For this, you want the top to be cooked through, but the center to be liquid. You can check with a toothpick after 10 minutes of baking. (If your oven cooks hot, check earlier. So disappointing when it doesn't ooze.)

If you don't like liquid-center chocolate desserts, just cook for a little longer, and you will have an incredibly moist chocolate cake. So, either way, you can't go wrong!

Let it cool for around 10ish minutes before attempting to invert onto a plate. It will be very hot.

Balsamic Chicken Sandwich

You want something scrumptious and easy for dinner? This sandwich is your ticket. I got it from Parade magazine, written by Jessica Seinfeld, who apparently has a cookbook called Double Delicious. The adults in our family love the whole sandwich, and we make a no-tomato, not-so-toasty version for our kids. They gobble it up.

2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/4 cup whole-wheat flour (have to admit that once I used white. It was fine.)
3 Tbsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup low-fat, reduced sodium chicken broth (or just boullion and water if you don't have broth)
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar (I didn't have enough balsamic once, so I used half red-wine vinegar. Tasty.)
6 Tbsp firmly packed dark-brown sugar (light brown plus molasses works pretty close)
1/2 cup broccoli puree (directions follow)
6 ciabatta rolls (I used Italian Olive Oil bread once, and homemade sourdough the next, it all works)
6 large slices tomato
1/2 cup grated part-skim mozzarella
fresh basil (optional) (I really like it, don't leave it out. I have mine in the freezer for these occasions.)

1. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. (I have to admit I don't measure, just sprinkle) Spread flour on a sheet of waxed paper. Toss chicken chunks in flour to coat completely. (I never mess with the wax paper, just toss.) Preheat oven to 350.
2. Warm oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add chicken and garlic. Lower heat to medium and continue to cook until chicken begins to brown and garlic becomes fragrant, 8-10 minutes. (I made my chicken so small it took less time.)
3. Add chicken broth, vinegar, and brown sugar. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer 10-15 minutes, until chicken is cooked through and no longer pink in the center. Add puree and cook 2-3 minutes more until flavors are blended. (At this point I usually take the top off and let it reduce a little, I like it syrupy. I will try putting in less broth sometime and see what happens.)
4.Place rolls on a large baking sheet. Top each of the 6 bottom halves with a tomato slice (and fresh basil, if desired); divide chicken among them and sprinkle with mozzarella. Bake until cheese is melted and edges of rolls are crisp, 5-7 minutes. Serve immediately.

Broccoli puree instructions: Steam florets, then puree in a blender about two minutes. She says add a little water if needed, I say definitely needed.
What I have done when making this, is make enough broccoli for us to eat for dinner, then take out a little for the puree in the sandwich. Then I have my side dish done at the same time.

This may seem complicated, but it's really just explaining in detail a really easy process. I made this in half an hour tonight. Yumminess is still here to be licked . . .

Link: Sandy's Chocolate Cake

I'll finish up my spree with my favorite chocolate cake. (If you want a dinner idea, go down a couple of posts. :) ) This, of course is Sandy's. From allrecipes. I crave this thing . . . I made another chocolate cake last month, and was so sad. I also love the frosting with it, though others might differ in opinion. Put the cake in the fridge overnight, then warm up a piece the next day. YUM!

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Sandys-Chocolate-Cake/Detail.aspx

If I find a superior cake one day, I'll let you know. Might take me a while to try again, though.

Link: Pumpkin Apple Muffins with Streusel Topping

Okay, so you know I use whole-wheat flour, and sub applesauce. Also, I reduce the sugar in this recipe. How much, you ask? Actually, almost by half. But it's up to you, so do what you gotta do.

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Pumpkin-Apple-Streusel-Muffins/Detail.aspx

And yes, someday I will type a real recipe, but right now I'm just on a linky roll . . .

Link: Pumpkin Waffles with Apple Cider Syrup

I love these things!! So addicting to me.

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Pumpkin-Waffles-with-Apple-Cider-Syrup/Detail.aspx

Link: Chuck's Favorite Macaroni and Cheese

This is the macaroni and cheese we had at Josh's B-Day barbeque. It's Gary's favorite, although I like the crockpot version equally. They're just different, so it depends on what you're in the mood for. All of you thought it was delicious then, so here's the recipe if you want to give it a try:

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Chucks-Favorite-Mac-and-Cheese/Detail.aspx

Pay attention to the ounces of the different packages. He must live somewhere where stuff comes in different size packages than what I buy here. Also, use sharp cheddar! You can use something milder, but it really gives it a great flavor. That's what was in it when you tasted it at our house, and you liked it . . .

Link: Spicy Honey Chicken

We made this the other day and it was delicious. The kids loved it! We didn't have chipotle powder, so we used regular chile powder, and chicken breasts instead of thighs. I'd love to try it with all of the real ingredients, but even with what we had on hand, it's a winner! Good to depart from always putting BBQ sauce on chicken, sometimes.

From Our Best Bites: http://www.ourbestbites.com/2008/06/spicy-honey-chicken/#comments

Link: Streusel-Topped Blueberry Muffins

I have decided that I want to keep track of recipes I really like, but don't modify much from the internet site I get it from. (If I modify much, I'll just re-type.) I like this recipe a lot because, well, it's delicious, and I don't notice my healthy changes. I use 100% whole-wheat flour (fresh ground), and sub most of the oil with applesauce. Caution on subbing w/ applesauce: You really must leave some of the oil in the recipe or it gets really chewy. I'm talking about any recipe.

This one's from Our Best Bites: http://www.ourbestbites.com/2011/02/streusel-topped-blueberry-muffins/

Also, I have tried it with the orange zest and without. Both are good, but I think I'm leaning toward without. Let me know if you try it with lemon. Update: Gary much prefers with the orange zest.

Easy Chicken and Rice Soup

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 medium carrots cut small how ever you like
2 celery ribs cut into 1/2 inch slices
(personally I like to use the celery leaves instead because where else will you use them that the kids won't know what they are eating?)
4 fresh thyme springs (had no clue how much a spring was so I just put in some)
1 bay leaf
2 quars chicken stock or broth (low sodium or other)
1 cup water
1 cup long grain white rice ( I used about 1 1/3 cup brown rice. Yummy)
1 of the large cans of chicken we can at the cannery or 1 1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast
Kosher salt and black pepper (yep, we bought Kosher salt)

I put some olive oil in a soup pot and heated it up. I added the rice right away so it could brown also. Makes a great flavor. I also added the onion, cloves, carrots, celery, thyme and bayleaf. I stirred them around a while until the vegies were getting a little soft. Then add the chicken broth and water. I used the broth in the can, too. I did take any fat off the top. I cooked the chicken in with everything for a while. It all needs to come to a boil to start the rice cooking. Brown rice does take a bit longer to cook. After about 20 minutes I took the chicken out and let it cool so I could cut it up. Then I put it back into the pot and cooked the soup until I thought the rice was done. It took about an hour all together I think. Tate says it is the best soup he ever ate.

Saucy Chicken over Rice

This recipe doesn't really have a name because I made it up one time, although it reminds me of a dish that I often ate in Germany. I'm sharing it with you because it has become one of our favorites. It's fast, easy, and delicious. Also, I'm just giving you general guidelines, not an exact recipe, and you can adjust to how much your family generally eats.* Really, try this dish and you won't be sorry.


Yumminess

• red bell pepper, cut in strips
• mushrooms, sliced
• onion, sliced
• chicken, cooked and diced or shredded
• whole milk
• sour cream
• salt
• pepper
• onion salt
• paprika
• rice

Saute pepper, mushrooms, and onions in butter until tender. Add chicken. Add salt and pepper to taste, along with onion salt and a liberal amount of paprika. (I don't have any guideline for you, but I use quite a bit.) Pour in milk (enough that mixture is nearly covered but not quite) and let simmer a bit with the lid on the pan. Then add a couple spoonfuls of sour cream and stir. Don't add too much or the sour cream taste will overpower the dish rather than simply giving it depth.

The sauce won't be thick, but it will be yummy. Serve over rice.

*I'll give you an idea of the amounts I used tonight so you can adjust accordingly: one red bell pepper, two huge mushrooms (probably the equivalent of 6 normal ones), one small onion, and half a can of chicken.

Buckwheat Pancakes

If you like pancakes, you need this recipe in your life. I got it from the family Dave stayed with in Vegas a few summers ago. Since I never have buckwheat flour, I usually use whole wheat flour instead.

Mix together thoroughly:

1 c. buckwheat flour

1 c. sifted all-purpose or whole wheat flour

2 tsp. double-acting baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. sugar

1 tsp. salt

You may substitute 2 tsp. molasses for the sugar. If so, add it to the buttermilk, below. Stir into flour mixture:

2 beaten egg yolks

¼ c. melted butter

2 c. buttermilk

Whip until stiff, but not dry:

2 egg whites

Fold them into batter until it is blended only. Cook on a greased hot griddle.

Crock Pot Macaroni and Cheese

We originally got this recipe from Rebecca Shurtz, so you know it's southern . . . Somehow it's morphed into Cindy's recipe.

1 cube of butter (I always use less)
16 oz. cooked macaroni noodles
12 oz. can evaporated milk
2 eggs beaten
6 cups shredded cheese (I usually use less of this as well. But the full amount is tasty . . . )
salt to taste

Grease crock pot with butter, melt the rest in the bottom. Combine other ingredients in the crock pot. Cook 3 hours on low, 1.5 hours on high (stir frequently if on high).

Scones!

I'm talking about frybread-type scones, not English scones. I have tried a million scone recipes over the years, and they all seemed to be either too time consuming or too rubbery and tough in the end. These, however, are the perfect scones and I'm completely in love. I've made them a few times and they've always turned out well. They're pretty quick, too. I know Rhodes rolls work in a pinch, but these are definitely worth the extra 5 or 10 minutes they take to make.

One recipe probably makes 8 smallish scones. Double it if you're making it for the whole fam. Of course they're great for Navajo tacos or simply with jam, cinnamon & sugar, or honey. Please, if you like scones, give these a try!

Oh yeah, and I got this recipe from a sister in my ward. It's in our RS cookbook.

Quick, Never-Fail Scones

1 c. milk (scald)

1 ½ Tbs. Shortening (add to milk, cool to lukewarm)

1 pkg. yeast (dissolve in ¼ c. warm water)

Combine the following dry ingredients and add to the liquids above – blend well.

2 c. flour

1 tsp. salt

½ tsp. baking powder

2 tsp. sugar

Knead 20 times.

Let rise 10 minutes. Roll out to ½” thickness. Cut into squares. Deep fry.

Noodles (for chicken noodle soup)

Cynthia makes these and I always want to know her recipe, so here it is. Enjoy.

2 cups flour
2 tsp. salt
4 eggs
2 tbsp. water

Mix together dry ingredients.
Add the wet ingredients.
Flour your counter.
Roll out dough onto floured counter.
Cut into strips with pizza cutter.
Drop into boiling soup.

Voila!

Cheddar Chicken & Penne

I found this recipe in a magazine ages ago, and I love it. It's simple and incredibly fast--you can have it on your table within 20 minutes of beginning to cook. A few nights ago I served it with a toasted baguette and a fresh green salad. Without further ado, here's the recipe:

• 1 Tbsp butter
• 3/4 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch chunks
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 3/4 cup chicken broth (14 oz.)
• 8 oz. (1/2 pkg) penne rigate, uncooked
• 16 oz (1 pkg) frozen vegetable mix
• 2 cups (8 oz) shredded cheddar cheese*

In 5-quart saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Sprinkle chicken with garlic powder, cook in butter until no longer pink, about 5 minutes, turning occasionally.* Add broth; heat to boiling. Add uncooked pasta and frozen vegetables, stirring to coat pasta with liquid. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover; simmer 10-12 minutes or until pasta is tender and most of liquid is absorbed, stirring every 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in cheese until melted.

*Notes: The last couple of times I made this, I cooked the chicken separately and then added it at the end so I could do it all faster. Also, I probably only use 3/4 cup cheese and it seems like plenty to me.

Toffee Bars

Cindy and I have been in love with this recipe for years. We got it from an older version of the Better Homes and Garden cookbook--it's no longer in their cookbook, which is a shame because it's the best. But here it is for your eating pleasure.

Crust
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup flour

Filling
1 14-oz. can sweetened condensed milk
2 Tbsp. butter
2 tsp. vanilla

Topping*
semi-sweet chocolate chips


For crust, beat 1/2 cup butter, 1/2 cup sugar, and 1/4 tsp. salt until combined. Stir in 1 cup flour and then pat mixture into an ungreased 13x9 baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 min. or until edges are golden brown. (Will work well with a mixture of white and wheat flour.)

While crust is baking, make filling. Stirring CONSTANTLY,** heat sweetened condensed milk and 2 Tbsp. butter in small saucepan over low heat until bubbly. Then continue heating (and stirring constantly) for about 5 min. more. It will become thick and smooth. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Spread on baked layer and bake 12-15 min.

For topping, sprinkle chocolate chips on toffee and return to oven until chips are soft (usually less than 5 min.). Spread chocolate with a rubber spatula. Let toffee bars cool slightly before serving, but remove them from pan and store in another container before completely hard or they will be stuck to the pan forever.

*I no longer have the original recipe for the fudge icing because the chocolate chips are so much easier and just as tasty. Ask Cindy if you want it.

**Also, I'm not kidding about stirring the filling constantly while you are cooking it. Just invest 7 minutes of your life in this and it's easy. Today I let a toddler drag me away for a couple of minutes and it very quickly turned into a black, burned disaster. Just a fair warning.

P.S. I'm trying to figure out how to make these not only taste good, but look good. They are usually a bit ugly because they get crumbly when you take them out of the pan, but you have to take them out early or they get too hard. Next time I'm going to line the pan with parchment paper so I can remove the whole thing from the pan without cutting it, and then once they're cool I'll cut them. I think that will do the trick.

Beef Stroganoff

This is the best beef stroganoff I've ever made. I got the recipe from allrecipes.com but tweaked it enough that I'm posting an updated version here instead of just giving you a link.

Ingredients

• 1 (12 ounce) package egg noodles, cooked and drained
• 6 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 tsp garlic, minced
  
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 cups beef broth
• 2 Tbsp worcestershire sauce
  
• 1 cup sour cream
• salt and black pepper to taste

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook egg noodles in boiling water until done, about 8 minutes. Drain.
2. Meanwhile, prepare the sauce. In a large skillet, cook mushrooms and onions in 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat until soft; remove from pan.
3. Using the same pan, brown ground beef. Drain and rinse. Melt remaining butter and mix in flour. Stir in beef broth, and cook until slightly thickened. Add worcestershire sauce. Add mushroom and onion mixture; stir in sour cream. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Continue cooking until sauce is hot, but not boiling. Serve sauce over egg noodles.

A few thoughts: I probably did less beef than is listed and it was fine. I also like to serve this over rice instead of noodles sometimes. You might want to add half the worcestershire sauce and then taste it before adding more. I like the full amount, but it's a different kick so you should just make sure it fits your taste buds before adding too much.

*If you want to see the original recipe, go here.

Sweet & Sour Chicken

This has become one of my favorite recipes. It's completely yummy and flexible and can easily be prepared ahead of time.

• chicken, cooked and cubed (I usually do one chicken breast for my family)
• 1 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 garlic clove, chopped (I use minced garlic from Sam's; so much easier in my opinion)
• 1/2 red onion, diced
• 1 small green bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch squares
• 1 small carrot, sliced (I usually julienne them, just because I like it)
• 1/2 can drained canned pineapple chunks (save the juice for the sauce)
• 2 Tbsp malt vinegar (I've never used malt vinegar, just whatever vinegar I have--if you use white, only do half the amount)
• 3 Tbsp ketchup
• 1 cup pineapple juice
• 2 tsp sugar
• 2 tsp cornstarch
• 1 Tbsp cold water
• salt
• ground black pepper
• rice, to serve

Cook chicken however you want. You could broil it, but I usually cook it in a frying pan with garlic powder, onion salt, salt, pepper, etc. Then set meat aside while you cook the rest.

Heat oil in nonstick frying pan until very hot. Stir-fry the garlic and onion for a few seconds, then add the green pepper and carrot and stir-fry for 1 minute. Stir in pineapple chunks, vinegar, ketchup, pineapple juice, and sugar. Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer for 3 minutes. Add cooked chicken to vegetable mixture and cook for about 2 minutes. Mix cornstarch to a paste with the water. Add mixture to pan and cook, stirring, until slightly thickened. Serve with rice.

**I follow this recipe very loosely. I often mix the sauce together before putting it in the pan, including the cornstarch and water. That saves a step and works really well. Sometimes I add more sugar or pineapple juice to taste. Also, I often add other veggies. I really like it with chunks of yellow or red pepper. Pretty much just use this recipe as a guide and do what you want. If you like a lot of sauce, double the sauce.

Guiltless Alfredo Sauce

2 C low-fat milk
1/3 C (3 oz) low fat cream cheese
2 T flour
1 t salt
1 T butter
3 garlic cloves
1 C grated Parmesan cheese

Toss the milk, cream cheese, flour, and salt in a blender.

Process until smooth and set aside.

In a non-stick sauce pan, melt butter on med-high heat and add garlic. Stand above the pan (but not close enough to scald your face) and inhale. Ahhh...butter and garlic. Okay, now get cooking again. Let the garlic saute for about 30 seconds, you don't want to burn it. It should be nice and bubbly.
Then add milk mixture to the pan. Stir constantly for about 3 or 4 minutes or until it just comes to a simmer. Keep stirring and let it cook for a few minutes more. It should be much thicker now.


When it's nice and thickened remove the pan from the heat. Add the cheese, stir it up and then cover immediately. Let stand for at least 10 minutes before using. It will continue to thicken upon standing. Also, if you have leftovers in the fridge, the sauce will thicken almost into a solid. Just re-heat and add a little milk and it will be back to normal again.

Spanish Rice

Spanish Rice
Recipe adapted by Our Best Bites


6-8 oz. bacon (1/2 of 1 package)
1 medium onion, chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 small (or 1/2 larger) green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 28-oz. can stewed tomatoes, undrained
1 1/4 c. water
2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1 1/4 tsp. chili powder
1/8-1/4 tsp. Tabasco sauce (no need to measure it, just add a few shakes and go from there)
1 1/2 c. long-grain rice


Cook bacon until crisp in a Dutch oven if possible. Remove from pan and drain the grease, reserving 2 tablespoons in the pan. Return the pan to medium heat and add the onion, garlic, and bell pepper. Cook until the onions are translucent. While the onions are cooking, place the tomatoes in the jar of your blender and pulse 2-3 times to chop them. Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Stir, cover, and reduce heat to low. Cook for 20-25 minutes or until the rice is cooked, stirring occasionally to make sure the rice is not burning. Serves 6-ish and makes great leftovers.