Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Supreme Chocolate Cupcakes

Thanks to Hershey's I found the perfectly moist and decadant chocolate cupcake. I have posted the Perfectly Chocolate cake recipe in my earlier post and I used that to male 24 cupcakes. I topped them off with a simple ganache . By dipping the cupcake in the icing , a smooth and classy look is achieved. I topped it off with chopped white chocolate. '

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Baked Chicken Parmesan

2 chicken breasts- cut into two steaks each with about 1/2 inch thickness
1 cup aurora Italian style breadcrumbs with cheese
1 egg beaten with a little cream
1 cup all purpose flour
2 tbsp butter melted with a few cloves minced garlic
1 jar President's Choice Marinara sauce
Fresh Mozzarella Cheese
Basil leaves

Set up a breading station with a bowl with flour, in another bowl the breadcrumbs, and the beaten egg and cream in another. First dredge the chicken steak in flour, shaking off excess, then dip it in the egg cream mixture again shaking off excess, and finally roll it in the breadcrumbs , making sure it is well coated. Place the steaks in an oven proof dish, which has been sprayed with PAM. Once all the steaks are in the dish, drizzle them with the melted butter and place in a preheated oven at 375 C for about 30 minutes or until cooked. Midway, take the dish out and flip over each steak.
Once cooked, place in an oven proof serving dish, and pour over the marinara sauce and the sliced or shredded fresh cheese on top and place under the broiler for about 8 minutes or until light golden brown and bubbly.

Serve the delicious chicken with some steamed veggies, pasta or mashed potatoes.

Sunday, December 6, 2009

Three Course Vegetarian Night Meal

Cream of Mushroom Soup with Puff Pastry
Vegetable Pizza with fresh mozzarella and Basil
Hershey's Perfectly Chocolate Cake withe Ganache topping

CREAM OF MUSHROOM SOUP WITH PUFF PASTRY SHELL

3 tsp Olive Oil
2 tablespoon Butter
3 cups mushrooms(fresh button)
3 cloves fresh minced garlic
1/2 onion(minced)
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup all purpose flour
3 cups Campbell's vegetable Stock
1 tbsp Lemon juice
1 cup half and half
1 tbsp finely chopped green onions or chives

In large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat add butter ; cook onion, mushrooms, garlic, seasoning mix, salt and pepper, stirring occasionally, until liquid is evaporated, about 8 minutes. Sprinkle with flour; cook, stirring, for 1 minute.

Gradually stir in stock and lemon juice, scraping up any brown bits; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.Stir in cream; heat until steaming but not boiling. Serve garnished with chives.
(courtesy http://www.canadianliving.com/food/lightened_up_cream_of_mushroom_soup.php)

Pour the soup in individual oven proof ramekins or soup bowls. Cut the Presidents' choice Butter puff pastry sheets into squares and fold them over each bowl. Brush the pastry with beaten egg. And put into the oven at 425 C for about 10 minutes or until the puff pastry is brown.

Pizza

Mixed Vegetables- Green Peppers, Kalamata Olives, Onions, fresh mushrooms
Fortinos Pizza Dough
1 jar Presidents Choice Marinara Sauce
Fresh Ball Mozzarella Cheese

Roll out the Dough into a rectangale 13x9 Dish and spoon over generous amount of marinara sauce. Spread the mixed Veggies and Sprinke generous amount of shredded fresh mozzarella. Bake at 375 C for about 20 minutes or until brown on top and cooked through. Top with freshly chopped basil leaves.

Hershey's Perfectly Chocolate Cake

  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 cup boiling water
Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a Bundt Pan

2. Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour batter into prepared pans.

3. Bake 40 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; and then remove from pan
4. When cool, top with a ganache made with whipped cream and melted semi sweet chocolate.
Courtesy http://www.hersheys.com/recipes/recipes/detail.asp?id=184

Saturday, December 5, 2009

Easy Peasy Lasagne

Meat sauce
11/2 lb chicken mincemeat
2 bottles President's choice pasta sauce(any kind should be fine)
1 medium onion
a few cloves fresh minced garlic
salt and pepper to taste
pinch garam masala, pinch turmeric, pinch corriander (for the desi taste we love)

White Sauce
3 tablespoon butter
3 tablespoon flour
2 cups milk
salt and pepper to taste
shredded mozzarella

Lasagne Sheets (Boiled as per instruction s on package)

For the meat sauuce, fry the onion 1/2 cup oil, till it caramalises and becomes a nice brown, then add the minced garlic until it gives off a nice aroma. Then add the meat until it browns evenly and fry on medium heat. Cook for 10 minutes then add the spices and the pasta sauce. Cover the pot and leave to simmer on low heat for about 1/2 hour so that the meat is fully cooked.
Meanwhile, prepare the cheese sauce. In a saucepan, heat the butter and then add the flour until it is brown in color and gives a nice aroma. Add the milk in slowly so that the mixture does not clump. Once heated through, cook for 10 minutes until the sauce is thick, then add the salt and pepper and the cheese.
In a large oven proof dish, layer first a little of the pasta sauce so that the lasagne sheets do not stuck to the bottom, then add more meat sauce and the white sauce. Keep on layering until all is used up and in the middle, shred some fresh mozzarella and also at the top add some more shredded fresh mozzarella. Once complete, sprinkle some Italian seasoning on top and bake in covered for 20 minutes in a 350 oC oven and then remove the foil and bake it for another 15 minutes until nicely browned on top.