Asian Lettuce Wraps

Can hardly believe it's so good when it's so easy

Ingredients
10ml (2 tsp) vegetable oil
1 pound ground beef
2-inch piece ginger, peeled and finely grated
2 scallions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
30ml (2 tbsp) soy sauce
5ml (1 tsp) red pepper flakes
50ml (1/4 cup) hoisin sauce
50ml (1/4 cup) chopped peanuts
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 head of Boston lettuce

Preparation
1. Separate lettuce leaves, clean and dry.
2. In a skillet over medium-high heat add the vegetable oil and saute beef until brown.
3. Stir in ginger, scallions, garlic, soy sauce, red pepper flakes, and hoisin and cook for 1 minute.
4. Remove from the heat and stir in the peanuts.
5. Season with salt and pepper and serve warm wrapped in lettuce cups.
Makes 4 servings

Chocolate Fudge Frosting

Ingredients
4 ounces (120 grams) unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
2/3 cup (150 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/3 cups (160 grams) confectioners (powdered or icing) sugar, sifted
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Preparation
1. Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl placed over a saucepan of simmering water. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.
2. In the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the butter until smooth and creamy (about 1 minute).
3. Add the sugar and beat until it is light and fluffy (about 2 minutes).
4. Beat in the vanilla extract.
5. Add the chocolate and beat on low speed until incorporated. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat until frosting is smooth and glossy (about 2 -3 minutes).
Makes enough to frost 16 cupcakes

Strawberry-Rhubarb Crumble

Crumblicious

Ingredients for the topping
200ml (1 1/3 cup) flour
200ml () oats flakes
5ml (1 tsp) baking powder
45ml (3 tbsp) sugar
45ml (3 tbsp) cane sugar
Zest of one lemon
115g (1/4 pound) unsalted butter, melted

Ingredients for the filling
(1 1/2 cups) rhubarb, chopped into 1-inch pieces
1L (1 quart) strawberries plus a few extras, hulled, quartered
Juice of one lemon
(1/2 cup) sugar
(3-4 tbsp) cornstarch
Pinch of salt

Preparation
1. Heat oven to 375°F.
2. Prepare topping by mixing all ingredients in a bowl. Mix until small and large clumps form. Refrigerate until needed.
3. Prepare filling by tossing the rhubarb, strawberries, lemon juice, sugar, cornstarch and a pinch of salt in a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate.
4. Remove topping from refrigerator and cover fruit thickly and evenly with topping.
5. Place pie plate on a baking sheet, and bake until crumble topping is golden brown in places and fruit is bubbling beneath, about 40 to 50 minutes.

Makes 6-8 servings

Divine Dark Chocolate Cake

Divine doesn't quite describe how good it is

Ingredients
475ml (2 cups) boiling water
85g (1 cup) unsweetened cocoa powder
345g (2 3/4 cups) all-purpose flour
9g (2 teaspoons) baking soda
2g (1/2 teaspoon) baking powder
3g (1/2 teaspoon) salt
225g (1 cup) butter, softened
450g (2 1/4 cups) white sugar
4 eggs
8ml (1 1/2 teaspoons) vanilla extract

Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 175° C (350° F).
2. Grease 3 - 9 inch round cake pans.
3. In medium bowl, pour boiling water over cocoa, and whisk until smooth. Let mixture cool.
4. Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt; set aside.
5. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
6. Beat in eggs one at time, then stir in vanilla.
7. Add the flour mixture alternately with the cocoa mixture.
8. Spread batter evenly between the 3 prepared pans.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes. Allow to cool.
Makes 12 servings

Source: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Dark-Chocolate-Cake-I/Detail.aspx

Asian Meatballs With Sesame Lime Dipping Sauce

A blast of sensations with a delicate taste...

Ingredients
(1/4 cup) milk
(1/4 cup) dried bread crumbs
450-700g (1 to 11/2 lbs) ground turkey (don't use only breast as it will be too dry)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
15ml (1tbsp) finely minced ginger root
2.5ml (1/2 tsp) salt
(1/2 cup) chopped fresh cilantro
(1/4cup) cilantro sprigs for garnish
15ml (1 tbsp) soya sauce
10ml (2 tsp) Asian sesame oil

Preparation
1. Preheat oven at 250°C (500°C).
2. Pour milk over bread crumbs in a large bowl and stir until liquid is absorbed.
3. Add ground meat, egg, salt, chopped cilantro, soya sauce, and Asian sesame oil and mix well with your hands until well combined.
4. Shape 3 tbsp meat mixture into a ball and transfer to a 13"x19" glass baking dish.
5. Make more meatballs with remaining meat mixture, arranging meatballs about 1/2" apart in baking dish.
6. Bake until cooked through, about 15 minutes.

Ingredients for sauce
30ml (2 tbsp) fresh lime juice
30ml (2 tbsp) water
10ml (2 tsp) sugar
60ml (4 tbsp) soya sauce
10ml (2 tsp) Asian sesame oil

Preparation for sauce
1. Stir all ingredients until the sugar is dissolved.

Transfer cooked meatballs to serving dish. Stir sauce, then drizzle meatballs with 15ml (1 tbsp) sauce and sprinkle with cilantro sprigs. Serve meatballs with remaining sauce and steamed white rice.
Makes 4 (main course) servings.

Adapted from Gourmet magazine, May 2007 and first read on Sherry Cermak's blogg What Did You Eat?

Rocky Road Brownies

Ingredients
4 ounces (120 grams) unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 cup (200 grams) granulated white sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs
3/4 cup (95 grams) all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt

Topping
1/2 cup (85 grams) semi sweet or milk chocolate chips
1 cup (250 ml) miniature marshmallows (store bought or home made)
1/2 cup (50 grams) chopped nuts (walnuts, pecans, almonds, hazelnuts, peanuts, and/or pistachios)

Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven.
2. Butter, or spray with a non stick vegetable spray, an 8 inch (20 cm) square baking pan.
3. Melt the chocolate and butter in a large stainless steel bowl placed over a saucepan of simmering water.
4. Remove from heat and stir in the sugar.
5. Next, whisk in the vanilla extract and eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Finally, stir in the flour and salt.
6. Pour into the prepared pan and bake for about 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs.
7. Remove from oven and immediately sprinkle the brownies with the chocolate chips, miniature marshmallows and chopped nuts.
8. Return the brownies to the oven and bake for about 5 minutes, or just until the marshmallows start to melt.
9. Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack.
Makes 16 brownies.

This recipe was taken from The Great Book of Chocolate, 2004.

Broccoli and Almond Soup

Soothing flavours...

Ingredients

15ml (1 tablespoon) vegetable oil

1 onion, chopped

2 leeks, chopped

1 garlic clove, crushed or 2.5ml (1/2 teaspoon) dried/purée

500g broccoli

1.5 liters organic vegetable stock

60g (4 tablespoons) flaked almonds, toasted

crème fraîche

Preparation

1. Fry onion, leeks and garlic in oil until soft.

2. Add broccoli florets and vegetable stock. Bring to a boil and simmer until soft.

3. Blend soup until smooth.

4. Serve with toasted almonds and a spoonful of crème fraîche.

Makes 4 servings