chocolate pound cake

Chocolate Pound Cake

Cream Cheese Ribbon

3 oz reduced-fat cream cheese, softened

1 Tbsp plain fat-free yogurt1 Tbsp sugar

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Batter

1 1/4 cups flour

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 cup sugar

2 large egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 cup plain fat-free yogurt

3/4 cup low-fat buttermilk

2 Tbsp mini semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350°F and spray an 8 x 4-inch loaf pan with nonstick spray. Combine cream cheese, yogurt, sugar, and vanilla in a food processor and process until smooth.

Whisk together flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Beat butter and sugar in a large mixer bowl at medium speed until light and fluffy; beat in egg and vanilla. Combine yogurt and buttermilk in a small bowl. Reduce speed to low and add half of flour mixture, beating just to combine. Add yogurt mixture, then finish with remaining flour mixture.

Pour half the batter into prepared pan; dollop with cream cheese mixture and swirl layers together with a knife or wooden skewer. Top with remaining batter and smooth with an offset spatula; sprinkle with chocolate chips. Bake for 55 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and cake springs back to the touch. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes; carefully remove cake from pan and cool completely on wire rack. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 3 days.

CHEESE SAUCE FOR CHEESE FRIES AND NACHOS

CHEESE SAUCE FOR CHEESE FRIES AND NACHOS

Ingredient

• 8 ounces extra sharp cheddar cheese (or a mix of cheddar and pepper Jack—see note), grated on large holes of a box grater
• 1 tablespoon corn starch
• 1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk
• 2 teaspoons Franks Red Hot or other hot sauce

Procedures

1. 1
   Add cheese and cornstarch to large bowl. Toss to combine. Transfer to medium saucepan. Add 1 cup evaporated milk and hot sauce. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly with whisk until melted, bubbly, and thickened (about 5 minutes). Mixture will look thin and grainy at first but will thicken and come together after heating. Thin to desired consistency with additional evaporated milk. Serve immediately with fries, tortilla chips, burgers, or hot dogs.

   
   

   Evaporated milk

   Ingredient

   
   

   1/2 cup butter

   1 1/2 cup boiling water

   1 1/2 cup instant dry milk

   Procedures

   
   

   put water on to boil

   Slice butter to small pieces

   Stir the butter into the water when it begins to boil. Turn down the heat source to medium or lower and continue to stir until the butter is fully incorporated into the water.
   
   Add in the powdered milk and stir until completely dissolved.
   
   Cook the mixture down until it reaches your desired consistency.
   
   Blend in a food processor to ensure even consistency.
   
   Let cool, and place in a glass jar with a lid in the refrigerator for up to one week.
   

   
   

   
   

TERIYAKI SHRIMP AND HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN TERIYAKI SAUCE

TERIYAKI SHRIMP AND HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN TERIYAKI SAUCE

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb frozen medium shrimp, thawed out
1 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, you can also use ginger
4-5 large carrots, sliced
Thai fresh basil, chopped you can also use regular basil
2 Tbsp olive oil

Teriyaki sauce

1/3 cup soy sauce

3 teaspoons oyster sauce
1/3 cup cold water
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/3 cup honey or brown sugar

DIRECTIONS:

In a small bowl mix the Teriyaki sauce ingredients and set aside. If you just want to make the sauce for future consumption store it in an air tight container and store in the refrigerator.

In a sauce pan add the two tablespoons of olive oil. Add the onions and carrots and cook stirring occasionally until almost tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook further for another minute.

Add the shrimp and stir followed by the Teriyaki sauce. Stir for about 1-2 minutes until the shrimp and the sauce is warmed up and the sauce starts to thicken. Turn heat off and add the chopped basil.

Serve over brown rice.

NOTE: I doubled the Teriyaki sauce for us.

Easy Parmesan "Risotto"

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
5 cups simmering chicken stock, preferably homemade, divided
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup dry white wine
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, diced
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup frozen peas

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Place the rice and 4 cups of the chicken stock in a Dutch oven, such as Le Creuset. Cover and bake for 45 minutes, until most of the liquid is absorbed and the rice is al dente. Remove from the oven, add the remaining cup of chicken stock, the Parmesan, wine, butter, salt, and pepper, and stir vigorously for 2 to 3 minutes, until the rice is thick and creamy. Add the peas and stir until heated through. Serve hot.

Tuna Puttanesca

Ingredients
Salt
1 pound penne pasta
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 cans (about 5.5 to 6 ounces each) Italian tuna in oil or water, drained well
6 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 to 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
A generous handful black olives (Gaeta, kalamata or oil-cured), pitted and chopped
3 tablespoons capers, drained
1/3 cup chicken stock
1 (28-ounce) tomatoes sauce or diced tomato 
A generous handful fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1 teaspoons lemon zest
Fresh ground black pepper
Crusty bread

Directions
Place a large pot of water over high heat and bring up to a boil. Salt the water and cook penne to al dente.

Meanwhile, heat a large skillet with 3 turns of the pan extra-virgin olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes, cook a minute or 2, then add tuna and break it up with your spoon. Add olives and capers, cook a minute or 2 more, then add chicken stock; stir and cook down a minute. If using whole tomatoes, place a colander over a bowl, crush up tomatoes with a wooden spoon, then add tomatoes and their juice to pan. Otherwise, stir in diced tomatoes and juice. Add parsley, zest and black pepper, then simmer the sauce a couple of minutes more.

Add a couple of ladles of starchy pasta-cooking water to the sauce. Drain pasta, add to the skillet and toss to coat. Serve with some nice crusty bread.

Baked Rigatoni with Eggplant and Sausage

Ingredients

Kosher Salt
Extra-virgin olive oil
6 links sausage (about 3/4 pound)
1 large eggplant (about 1 1/2 pounds), cut into 1-inch pieces
1 large onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 large can (28 ounces) peeled whole tomatoes
Leaves from 1 small bunch basil
1/2 pound rigatoni
1 pound fresh mozzarella
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Directions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat for the pasta. Get yourself a 9 by 13-inch glass or ceramic baking dish.

Heat a 2 count of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausages and toss in the hot oil for 3 to 4 minutes, you want them nicely browned on the outside but still rare on the inside. Put the sausages in the baking dish.

Turn the heat down to medium. Add a generous 1/3 cup of oil to the skillet and get it hot. Add as many eggplant pieces as you can comfortably fit in a single layer and sprinkle well with salt. Cook, turning, for 7 to 8 minutes, until the eggplant is nice and browned, crisp on the outside and soft on the inside. Use a spatula to put the eggplant into the baking dish with the sausage. Cook the rest of the eggplant pieces, adding more oil to the pan, as needed, and putting the finished eggplant into the baking dish.

Add another 2 count of oil to the skillet, then your onion and garlic, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until translucent. Dump the whole can of tomatoes and their juices into a bowl and crush the tomatoes with your hands to break them up; add that to the pan with the basil and cook it down until pulpy and relatively thick. This will take about 15 minutes.

By this time your pasta water will be boiling. Add the rigatoni, give it a stir, and cook for 6 to 7 minutes, it should be slightly firm as it will cook further in the oven. Ladle out 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water and reserve; the drain the rigatoni.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Chop the sausages into nice big, bite-size chunky pieces and return the pieces to the baking dish. Add the tomato sauce, rigatoni, and the reserved pasta water. Break up half the mozzarella over the mixture, season with salt and pepper, and gently mix with your hands or a spatula. Dust with the Parmigiano and drizzle with more olive oil. Bake for 15 minutes. Spread the remaining mozzarella in an even layer over the top and continue to bake for another 10 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly.

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/cda/recipe_print/0,1946,FOOD_9936_35268_RECIPE-PRINT-FULL-PAGE-FORMATTER,00.html?oc=linkback

Homemade Tortillas Recipe

• Prep/Total Time: 30 min.
• Yield: 8 Servings

102030

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup water
• 3 tablespoons olive oil

Directions

• In a large bowl, combine flour and salt. Stir in water and oil. Turn onto a floured surface; knead 10-12 times, adding a little flour or water if needed to achieve a smooth dough. Let rest for 10 minutes.
• Divide dough into eight portions. On a lightly floured surface, roll each portion into a 7-in. circle.
• In a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray, cook tortillas over medium heat for 1 minute on each side or until lightly browned. Keep warm. Yield: 8 tortillas.