Culinary Arts Lab: Chocolate

Remote high school wrapped up this week, and Erik's assignment in Culinary Arts was to make something using chocolate, then taste it and review the creation. How did it smell, taste, look? What was the texture like? Was it balanced? Would you make it again, and if so, would you change anything? 

His teacher made brownies on Teams, with her two adorable young sons as helpers during class, but she encouraged the students to make anything they had ingredients for at home. We happened to have almost everything to make this recipe (that inspired me to buy the December copy of Real Simple), but I'd never gotten around to making the recipe for a holiday dessert. So, this was the perfect excuse to take this for a test drive, and Erik says that he would definitely make this again because it was "really good." He's right. It is really good. Delicious, balanced, easy and elegant. Fancy without too much work. Enjoy!!

Chocolate Ganache Tart

adapted from Real Simple magazine, December 2021

12 servings (or 16 smaller portions)

Crust ingredients

60 Ritz crackers 200 grams (almost 2 sleeves worth)

1 stick unsalted butter, melted

1 Tbs. sweetener of choice (we used an erythritol/monkfruit blend, but Real Simple used powdered sugar)

 

Filling ingredients

1 cup extra dark or bittersweet chocolate chips (we used Ghirardelli 72% cacao chips)

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1/8 tsp. kosher salt

1 tsp. vanilla (always use real extract)

4 Tbs. unsalted butter, softened

Maldon flaky sea salt for serving

Preheat oven to 350-degrees F. Erik smashed the crackers in a gallon ziplock bag, with a rolling pin, then mixed the crumbs in a bowl with the melted butter and sweetener. Next, dump the crust mixture (that will look like wet sand) into a 9-inch tart pan. Press firmly, up the sides and into the bottom. Bake for 10 minutes, then take out to cool completely.It will be golden and smell toasty and nutty. 

For the filling, Real Simple used a double-boiler method, which is fine, but for speed and easy clean-up, Erik opted for heating the cream in the microwave for 4 minutes, then whisked in the salt, and then the chocolate chips in two parts. Next, add the butter, one tablespoon at a time, and whisk well. Finally, mix in the vanilla, and let the ganache cool for about 30 minutes before pouring it into the cooled crust. 

Chill the tart, uncovered for at least two hours before serving, and sprinkle with Maldon flaky sea salt to finish/serve. I loved this touch, but Erik thought it was unnecessary. You could certainly let people adorn their own slices. 

Using the sweetener, and the Ghirardelli chips, this tart clocked in at 13g carbs per slice (at the 1/12 size portions) and only 4 g of sugar (1 g from the Ritz and 2.6 g from the chocolate). Is there a lot of butter and cream? Yep, but it's a delicious and decadent dessert (about 1 Tbs. butter per slice and only 1.5 Tbs of cream per serving, so really, not that bad overall).

Pho & Vietnamese Salad

 

I've now made these recipes twice - once on a cooking Zoom with a friend-of-a-friend, and once last Friday with five of my friends. I keep tweaking things to streamline, but this is an amazingly delicious recipe. Make it! 

 

Vietnamese Pho Soup

Serves 6 people

PHO BROTH INGREDIENTS:   Extra broth can be saved and frozen.

·         2 large Walla Walla sweet onions, peeled and halved

·         2, 3-inch pieces of fresh ginger root, peeled and cut into halves

·         3-4 tsp star anise or fennel seeds, toasted (OR 3-4 tsp ground anise or fennel powder)  

·         6 whole cloves (OR ½ tsp ground cloves)

·         3-5, 3 inch cinnamon sticks (OR  2 to 2 ½ tsp ground cinnamon)

·         3-4 cardamom pods (OR couple pinches of ground cardamom)

·         1 ½ tablespoons whole coriander seeds (OR 3 tsp ground coriander)

·         12 cups good-quality beef, chicken or vegetable stock (this is 3 boxes of 32 fl oz stock)

·         1 ½ tablespoon brown sugar (optional - I leave it out)

·         3 teaspoons fish sauce (optional, but delicious – tamari or soy sauce for vegan)

·         1 teaspoon Sriracha (or red curry paste) – (optional)

·         Sea salt, to taste

PHO SOUP INGREDIENTS (substitute with your favorites):

 

·         12-15 oz UNCOOKED steak, chicken or pork, very thinly sliced (while still very cold/partially frozen) OR 1” cubes of FIRM tofu

·         8-12 oz UNCOOKED thin rice noodles or other flat noodle (Shirataki or Miracle Noodles perfect an easy)

·         1 medium sweet onion, very thinly sliced (or green onions)

·         Bean sprouts

·         Lime wedges

·         Handful of fresh herbs (cilantro, mint, and/or Thai basil)

·         Thinly-sliced jalapeno chiles

·         Sriracha sauce

Prep the protein in one of two ways. Either remove your meat from the freezer (to fridge) a couple hours ahead of time to let it defrost slightly OR put fresh meat into the freezer for 30-60 minutes before you are going to use it so it will freeze slightly and be easier to slice.  Both ways will allow your meat to be partially frozen and make it easy to thinly slice before adding it to the broth. 

Make the broth.  Turn your oven broiler onto HIGH.   Place the baking rack about 8 inches away from the heating element.   Broil that onion halves and ginger chunks for about 7-10 minutes, under broiler until the tops of the onion and ginger are slightly charred.  Then remove and set aside.   

While the onion and ginger are broiling, briefly heat the spices (whole or ground) on medium heat in a LARGE stockpot for about 2-3 minutes until fragrant (toasting brings out their flavor).  Stire them occasionally so they don't burn.  After toasting the spices, add the charred onion, ginger and broth to your stockpot and stir well. 

If you are using curry paste or Sriracha, measure out your curry paste into a very small bowl, add 2-3 Tbsp of broth to it and whisk well.  Add this liquid to the broth.

Cover and let this mixture come to a simmering boil.  Then turn down the heat a bit to medium low and let everything simmer together for at least 30 minutes so the flavors blend well.  Next, strain out and discard the onion and ginger root pieces and spices.  Then stir in the fish sauce, salt, and (optional) brown sugar.  Taste your broth for good flavor and add more salt/spice if needed.  

Prep the noodles. Meanwhile, as your broth is simmering, cook the noodles al dente according to the package instructions.  Drain in a strainer, then toss briefly with cold water to prevent the noodles from continuing to cook. Put them back into your cooking pot, add a little oil to prevent them from all sticking together and set aside.

Prepare the vegetables and garnishes. 

Chop up your fresh onion, herbs, cut your lime wedges and your jalapenos into slices if desired.  

Assemble the bowls.  Just before assembling the bowls, add your thinly sliced meat to the hot simmering broth and stir well.  Make sure the meat slices all get cooked thoroughly.

Note:  If you are using tofu, make sure it is drained and cubed ahead of time.  Then add it into the broth now so it can heat up for a few minutes. 

Add a handful of noodles to each individual serving bowl, top this with your slivered onions, and finally add ladles of your meat or tofu and the hot broth into the serving bowls.  Top with fresh herbs, lime wedges and jalapeno slices if desired. 

Recipe adapted from https://www.gimmesomeoven.com/pho-recipe/ & Andrea Roelen, Hummingbird Kitchen

Vietnamese Cabbage, Jicama and Pear Salad  Serves about 4-6 people

SALAD INGREDIENTS (substitute as desired - this is also great with just chopped cabin and arugula):

½ Walla Walla sweet onion, diced

2 cups purple or green cabbage, roughly chopped

1 tart apple (Granny Smith or Cripps Pink are great), cored and julienned

2 cups jicama, grated (or subbed diced/julienned daikon radish)

1 large carrot, grated

1 firm pear, cored and julienned

¼ cup mint leaves, finely chopped

¼ cup toasted peanuts, lightly crushed for garnish (optional)

Chop up the onion, cabbage, apple, jicama, carrot, pear and mint leaves and add to a large bowl.  Set aside.  Toast peanuts in a dry skillet for a few minutes until golden brown.  Roughly chop them up and use them later as a salad topping garnish. 

 

DRESSING INGREDIENTS:

4 Tbsp canola or avocado oil

¼ cup onion, finely minced

3-4 cloves garlic, crushed

1/4-1/2 tsp. powdered ginger (or to taste)

1 Tbsp. Sriracha sauce (or more to taste)

4 T fish sauce (tamari, soy sauce or liquid aminos if vegan)

¼ cup fresh lime juice (about 2 limes)

2 Tbsp sugar, depending on desired sweetness (optional – I don’t use any sugar)

 

Add the onions, garlic, ginger and Sriracha to a small mixing bowl.  Add the fish sauce, lime juice, and sugar (optional - and it is perfection without it, so why add sugar?).  If adding, whisk well until sugar dissolves thoroughly into the dressing.  

Add the dressing to the salad ingredients and mix very well.  Taste and add salt if needed to bring out the flavors. Serve into portions and top with crushed peanuts. This dressing keeps well in the refrigerator for a couple weeks. 

Recipe adapted from Vietnamese Table, PCC Cooks

 

 

 

Friday Dinner & Dessert

My family's expectations are a tad too high, which is entirely my own fault. Last Friday, after polishing off a glorious dinner, they immediately asked what was for dessert. *Insert heavy sigh* which I'm apparently famous for... must be why I love yoga so much, with all that cleansing breathing.

So, this week, there will be dessert. Creme Brulee to be exact, and the recipe that ruined Joel for ordering it anywhere ever. This Ginger & Vanilla Bean Creme Brulee comes from pastry chef Mark Okumura, of Alan Wong's Restaurant in Honolulu, and was published in Bon Apetit magazine back in 1999. I've not made it in awhile, but will probably lighten this version this week, and see how that goes... I'll likely do with half & half rather than whipping cream, and I might split the batch and see how the chemistry works with Swerve sweetener... or maybe maple syrup.

And, we're doing grilled jerk chicken, veg, and a confetti-bean salad (beans, and your favorite chopped veg, like sweet peppers, tomatoes, avocado, corn, etc., cilantro, sea salt & lime juice).

Ginger & Vanilla Bean Creme Brulee
6 servings

2 cups whipping cream
1/2 cup sugar
2 Tbs. chopped and peeled fresh ginger
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
5 large egg yolks

Preheat over to 325-degrees F. Place six 3/4-cup ramekins in a 13 x 9-inch baking pan. 

Mix cream, sugar, and ginger in a heavy medium saucepan. Using a small, sharp knife, scrape seeds from vanilla bean into cream mixture, then toss in the vanilla bean too. Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves and mixture begins to simmer. Cover pan, reduce heat to love and simmer gently for 10 minutes to infuse flavors. Next, strain into a large measuring cup. 

Whisk the egg yolks in a medium bowl until well blended. Gradually whisk in the hot cream mixture (a little a a time) just to blend. Return custard to the measuring cup and divide evenly among the ramekins. Pour warm water into the 9 x 13 pan to come halfway up the sides of the dishes, and carefully transfer the pans to the oven. This is a bain marie (water bath) and keeps the custards from curdling by cooking them gently until they set. 

Bake custards until almost set in center when pans are gently shaken, about 35 mins. Transfer custards to a work surface to cool for 30 mins after baking, then chill for at least 3 hours (and up to 2 days). 

Brulee Topping
12 teaspoons sugar
Sliced tropical fruit (mango, pineapple, papaya, kiwi, etc.)

Sprinkle 2 teaspoons sugar evenly over each custard. Working with one custard at a time, hold blowtorch so that the flame is 2-inches above surface. Direct flame so that sugar melts and browns evenly, for about 2 minutes. Refrigerate until custards are firm again but topping is still brittle, about 1-2 hours, and garnish with fruit. Custards can also be "brulee'd" under the broiler in your oven until the sugar caramelizes. 

Jerk Chicken Marinade

2 bunches scallions, chopped (or equivalent amount of onion)
6 garlic cloves, crushed
4 t. allspice
2 T. dried thyme
4 t. salt
1 can of chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
1/2 c. oil
1/2 c. molasses
2 T. cumin

Broil or barbecue the chicken after marinating for at least two hours. Once, I marinaded a double batch, but only grilled half, and froze the rest (in the marinade) for about a month. After defrosting and grilling, it was phenomenal. My brother was over for dinner with his daughter Sophia, and he was blown away by the flavor of this jerk chicken. I usually use chicken thighs for this (for the best flavor). 

Vegan Caesar Salad

Years ago, a friend recommended the book Thug Kitchen, and I discovered a handful of favorite recipes in it. Amusingly, it took me nearly the whole book to realize that it was all vegan recipes. It's possible that I was distracted by all of their foul language in the book, but I think it was just that there were SO many great gems in there. One of the recipes that I copied but hadn't tried (until today) was their Almond Caesar Salad, and now I really wish I'd tried it years ago because it's fantastic!

Vegan Caesar Dressing

1/3 cup sliced or slivered almonds

1/3 cup hot water

1-2 cloves garlic, chopped

1/4 cup olive oil

2 Tbs. lemon juice

1 tsp. Dijon mustard

1 tsp. rice vinegar

1 Tbs. capers

(Optional, but delicious - 1 Tbs. nutritional yeast to toss with salad)

Put the almonds in a glass with the hot water and let them soak for 15 mins. Chop the garlic. When the almonds are done soaking, put them in a blender or food processor with the garlic, olive oil, lemon, mustard, and vinegar. Blend it up until it's creamy and the almonds are blended. Add the capers then blend again to combine. 

I used 5 Tbs. of dressing on about 3/4 head of red leaf lettuce, and tossed 1 Tbs. nutritional yeast and a handful of croutons. I added chicken to my lunch salad too, making it not vegan, but this might be my new favorite Caesar...

 

Chicken Piccata & Kale Caesar

It's time to dust off the old cooking blog and get my current recipes on here, as people have been asking...

This was a hit with everyone in the house, so it'll be dinner tomorrow, and we're making it with some family on Zoom or Teams. We'll add in Mads' fave smashed potatoes (small goldens or reds, steamed or boiled, then crushed on a cookie sheet, drizzled with EVOO and seasoned/roasted), and Kale Caesar (adapted from Dr. Andrew Weil, and enjoyed in our home at least twice a week).

Chicken Piccata (Chicken with Lemon and Capers)

Serves 6-8 (great for leftovers)

3-4 chicken breasts split in half into cutlets (or sub thighs if you prefer)

1/2 cup flour

2 tsps lemon pepper

2 tsps salt

2 tsps garlic powder

2-3 lemons (zested, and juiced)

4 Tablespoons olive oil

1.5 cups chicken broth

1/4 cup capers

4 garlic cloves, pressed or minced

1-2 Tablespoons half-and-half

Split your chicken breast in half (into cutlets) and then pound them thin (I do this in a Ziploc bag with a rolling pin). I then cut each half into two or three pieces. If you're using thighs, just pound them thin. Two chicken breasts fed our family of four dinner, with leftovers for lunch for two the next day.

Mix the flour and seasonings together in a pie pan or on a large plate, and coat the chicken pieces. Add pieces to a large skillet to brown, about 8 mins, depending on thickness. Turn the chicken to brown evenly. Move the chicken to another plate or pan as you finish cooking all of the chicken.

Whisk together the lemon juice and zest, broth, and garlic, then pour it into the chicken drippings in the pan. Stir and reduce a bit, and add half-and-half. Add the chicken back to the pan, and sprinkle in the capers to warm up to serve.

Kale Salad

5-6 cups chopped Italian (Lacinato) kale, ribs removed (or a triple-washed package of baby kale)
Juice from 1 large lemon, or two small lemons
4-5 Tbs. olive oil (truffled olive oil from Trader Joe's is amazing in this)
4 cloves pressed, fresh, garlic
Kosher or sea salt (to taste)
lemon pepper (or Penzey's Sunny Spain) to taste
3/4 cup shaved or grated Parmesan, Asiago, or other hard, flavorful cheese

Whisk the fresh-squeezed lemon juice, olive oil, pressed garlic and seasonings in a large salad bowl, then add all but 1/4 cup of the Parmesan cheese and whisk again. Let sit for at least 5 minutes, just before serving, and top with remaining Parmesan.