Restaurant style chocolate souffle

Restaurant style chocolate souffle 

There are recipes that look like you worked hours to create it and really it takes less than 10 minutes. This mouthwatering decadent chocolate souffle is one of them. Whenever I make it all my guests are scraping out the last licks from their ramekins. You can also use disposable mini baking cups that now comes in a variety of pretty designs (like the one I have on this picture). If you are making it for a dairy meal, you can try using butter instead of margarine and dairy chocolate for the center. Just add some store bought ice cream and some fresh berries for a restaurant style presentation.

Ingredients:

12 oz chocolate chips
2 sticks margarine
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 eggs
6 T flour
1 bar of pareve rosamarie chocolates

Instructions
Preheat oven to 400
Grease 12 ramekins
Melt chocolate chips with margarine in a microwaveable bowl for about 30-45seconds. Mix until smooth. Add sugar and let it cool for a few minutes. When mixture is not so hot anymore add eggs and finally the flour. Mix batter until its all well blended. Pour batter into your greased ramekins filling it up halfway. Place 1 square of chocolate in middle of each souffle and push it down, it should immerse in batter.

Bake for 20 minutes and serve it hot!

Bon Appetit!

Quick and easy vegetable stock

Quick and easy vegetable stock

There are so many recipes that called for vegetable stock. You have the option of buying it in the store, but it's usually either high sodium,msg or just full of chemicals. I make my own stock and freeze them in 2lb containers, so whenever i need some stock I just pop one into the microwave for 3-4 minutes and it's ready to use. It's made out of only fresh ingredients and the flavor you can't compare to any boxed one from the grocery! You can double the recipe and keep it in freezer up to 2-3 months, one recipe makes about 2 quarts

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoon oil

• 2 leeks cut into small pieces
• 8 celery stalks, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 parsnips, peeled, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 turnip, peeled,cut into 1 inch cubes

• 3 large carrots, peeled, cut into 1-inch pieces

• 8 ounces button mushrooms or shitake mushroom cut in half

• 5-6 cloves of garlic
• 1 bunch flat parsley 

Instructions:

• Heat oil in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Add first leeks and than remaining ingredients and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables begin to soften, 5-7 minutes. Add 4 quarts cold water. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until stock is reduced by half, 1-1 1/2 hours.
• Strain stock  into a large bowl and enjoy!
• How hard was that? Trust me its all worth it!

Beef kebab over garlic-basil orzo topped with crispy salami "croutons" and steamed broccoli

Beef kebab over garlic-basil orzo topped with crispy salami "croutons" and steamed broccoli

I don't know how about everyone else, but one of the things I miss about the summer is the BBQ suppers. It's such an easy and delicious way without messing up your kitchen. And especially when you dont have to stand over the grill, because its a man's job, right? So I figured why not make my own indoor "grill" and recreate that experience without making any pots dirty. All you need is a disposable pan thats a little bit smaller than your skewers and you can set up your own indoors BBQ! Enjoy this quick and easy supper idea!

Ingredients 

1 package orzo cooked according to instructions and drizzled with garlic basil olive oil

1 lb bag of frozen broccoli florets, steamed 

2 lb beef stew chunks

1 red (purple) onion cut into 1 inch pieces

1/4 cup oil mixed with spices of your choice (I like to use basic flavors: paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper)

You will need metal or wooden skewers. If you use wooden skewers presoak them in water for at least half hour to avoid burning

Instructions

Preheat oven to broil (make sure you remove all racks that are too close to burner)

Thread beef pieces alternating with onion chunks on skewers, leave about 1inch empty on ends in order to hold on our "grill". When finished place skewers on the edge of the baking pan.

Take the spiced oil mixture and brush it evenly all over your kebabs, If you have time you can also marinade the pieces in this mixture before threading them on skewers.

Place it in oven under broiler (about 8-10inches away from fire) and broil it 4 minutes on each side. When turning them around or removing them from oven be very careful, metal skewers will be very hot.


Crispy salami "croutons"

Ingredients:
1 small chunk of salami (calculate 1" slice per serving), cut into small crouton size pieces (about half inch cubes)

Preheat oven to 400
Place salami cubes on greased baking sheet, Spray them on top with the olive oli spray
Bake it for 7-8 minutes, or until it crisps up on all sides

Oven roasted cornish hen with sweet potato steak frites and root vegetable chips

Oven roasted cornish hen with sweet potato steak frites and root vegetable chips

First question for many of you is probably what is a cornish what???? As I call it the "bird on the plate" is basically a little chicken that had a  shorter growing span of 28 to 30 days, as opposed to 42 or more for regular chicken. It takes faster to bake than regular whole chicken and its very juicy and moist. Here is my version of the oven roasted cornish hen:

Ingredients 

2 cornish hen (usually enough for 4 portions)

1 onion

1 red pepper

2-3 cloves of garlic

1 T margarine  

1/2 cup oil mixed with 1T paprika and if you like spicy 1t of montreal steak spice

salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Slice onion and pepper into thin slices and place it in the bottom of a roasting pan with the garlic. Put cornish hen on top and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Let it stand for 5 minutes. Cut margarine into small pieces and stuff it under the skin gently, be careful not to tear the skin. This trick will keep the cornish hen even moister. Mix oil with spices and rub it all over the skin. Fill up the pan with water just to cover the onion and pepper slices. Cover tightly and bake for 40 minutes, once uncovered baste it with the sauce and roast it on 400 degrees for 15 minutes to crisp up the skin. Once its nice and crispy remove it from oven cover it with a piece of silver foil to keep all the juice and moisture inside the hen.

Root vegetable chips 

Ingredient

2 carrots peeled

2 parsnips peeled

1 green squash  scrubbed clean

1 yellow squash scrubbed clean

1 beet peeled (leave it for last, makes your cutting board all purple)

all vegetables sliced thinly (i like to use my crinkle cutter for a prettier presentation)

olive oil

salt and pepper for tasting

2 sprigs of fresh rosemary (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (if you have only one oven like I do you can make it before you bake the cornish hen, and just crisp it up in oven before serving)

Spray oil on a sheet pan and lay down all vegetable slices in one layer. Do not overlap them, if necessary use two pans. Drizzle olive oil over the vegatables and sprinkle it with salt and pepper. Put rosemary sprigs over if you choose to use it. Put it in oven and bake it for 40 minutes, until all vegetable slices are crispy.

Sweet potato steak frites

2 large sweet potatoes (scrubbed clean)

olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Spray a sheet pan with oil. Cut the ends off the potatoes, then cut them in half lengthwise. Cut into thick wedges, try to keep them same sized for even cooking. Spread the fries on the sheet pan and drizzle with a few tablespoons of olive oil, sprinkle with a big pinch of salt and ground pepper. Toss potato wedges to evenly coat. Sprinkle wit some paprika or smoked paprika for an extra kick of flavor. Roast them for 10-15 minutes, than flip them over and roast it for another 10-15 minute for the perfect crunchy steak frites.

Bon appetite!

Chicken kiev with grilled polenta and corn salad

Chicken kiev with grilled polenta and corn salad

When I first heard about chicken kiev from my friend  Esther I wanted to see the recipe right away. It sounded so my style of cooking. I looked at the recipe and the first thing that hit my eye was the prep time 2 hours. I thought to myself no way! There has to be a shortcut for this delicious chicken meal. So this is how I came up with this lighter version and 30 minute recipe.

Ingredients (for 4 portions)

4 slices of chicken breast butterflied and thinned (not too thin)
1 stick of margarine room temperature
1-1 frozen cubes of frozen parsley, basil, dill and garlic (you can also use only one flavor, I like the mixed herbs)

Coating
3T mayonnaise mixed with a few drops of hot water and some garlic powder
Choice of breading: I used pretzel crumbs,but you can use corn flake crumbs, panko or bread crumbs 

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees
Prepare a greased 9x13 pan
Lay out chicken cutlets on a clean surface make sure its dry
Mix the room temperature margarine with the herb and garlic cubes (if you are in a rush, just microwave margarine and herbs together for 30seconds)
Spread a light layer of your herb mixture on each cutlet and roll them up.
Prepare your breading station: dip each rollup first in mayo, than in your crumbs and place it on the greased pan.
Bake it for 25 min covered and uncover for 5 minutes.
Let it rest for 5 minutes before slicing.

Grilled polenta
Shhhhhhhhhh, dont tell anyone, but they sell pre-cooked, ready to serve polenta loafs in the grocery. All you have to do is buy it, slice it, grill eat and enjoy it!

Corn salsa

1 small can of white and yellow corn (or use regular yellow corn)
2 scallions
2 tomatoes
1 green pepper
Optional: chopped parsley or cilantro
Olive oil (I love flavored olive oil)
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions
Cut all vegetables in small pieces amd mix with olive oil and spices! Cant get any easier than that, right?


Bon appetite!

Cream of broccoli and cauliflower soup

Cream of broccoli and cauliflower soup

Ingredients:

2T oil
1 large onion or 1 leek finely chopped
1 pkg (16oz) frozen winter mix vegetables (broccoli and cauliflower florets)
1 small idaho potato
4 cups vegetable stock (I make my own, will share recipe in a different post) or 4 cups water mixed with 2T soup mix
1/2 cup coffee creamer(optional for extra creaminess)
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:
In a large pot heat oil and cook onion or leek until tender over medium high heat. Add potato and toss to coat with oil and onion mixture. Add warm stock and bring to a simmer, stir in broccoli and cauliflower mix and return to a simmer for approximately 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Remove pot from heat and puree soup with immersion blender or in food processor. For even more creamier texture (and more calories) add cream and mix well, season to taste and serve warm. Garnish it with fresh parsley or dill and finely chopped scallion.





Bon appetite!

Crispy Kale "Chips"

Crispy Kale "Chips"

Ingredients

1 head kale, washed, checked  and thoroughly dried

2 tablespoons olive oil ( I like to use the flavored ones)

Sea salt for sprinkling

Directions

Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F.


Remove the ribs from the kale and cut them into 1 1/2-inch pieces. Lay on a greased baking sheet and toss with the olive oil and sprinkle with salt.

Bake until crisp, turning the pieces halfway through, about 20 minutes.

 Serve as garnish or just enjoy it as the ultimate healthy snack. (Kale is very high in beta carotene, vitamin K, vitamin C, and rich in calcium)


Bon appetite!


Fun fact: Store bought  kale chips is about $4-5 for a 3oz bag, our recipe costs less than $2 that makes at least 16oz of kale chips! Don't you feel rich now?