Vegan Chocolate Mousse-Tofu no kidding

Alton Brown was on Dr. Oz ( I can hear Arielle and Greg groaning) and he had the easiest chocolate recipe ever!! Sets up with protein not fat (whip cream) and no eggs!!

1 bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips (i don't use Nestle's they don't taste real anymore) I use trader Joe's or ghiradelli's

1lb of silken tofu-use organic non-GMO tofu

1tsp of Vanilla

1TB of Honey or Agave

1/3 cup of Kahlua

Graham Cracker or Chocolate Cookie Pie Crust or use custard cups and no crust.

Food Processor with metal blade

Melt the chocolate, Kahlua either in the microwave or over a double boiler. Don't let the water get too hot or next to the bowl or the chocolate will seize. (the good news is everything goes in a food processor so this is a very forgiving recipe)

Add the honey and vanilla to chocolate and stir

Put the tofu in the food processor add the chocolate mixture blend for a minute.

Poor mixture into pie crust and refrigerate for at least a couple of hours until set.

My niece and nephew love this and they have no idea it has tofu.

Options: you can leave out Kahlua and use strong coffee and 1/4 cup of honey or agave.

I have bought half cup container with lids and portioned it out and used it too spread on plain cookies...

Added it to plain yogurt...good-bye vegan

Top with whip cream and strawberries...raspberries...any fruit you like

Slice a chocolate Vita-top muffin in half and fill spread a small amount of all natural peanut butter and some of the chocolate cream...top and whoopie!!!

Enjoy!

Almond cookies - Kosher for Passover and Everyday

I had these in Israel a few years ago and I just tried them the other day. I have just about a few ideas what to do with these perfect little cookies.

You will need:

pre-heat oven to 325 degrees

3 cups sliced raw almonds (not slivers) (i have used toasted almonds too just cook them less so they don't burn)

2 egg whites

3/4 cup powdered (confectioners) sugar

1tsp of vanilla or almond flavoring

Parchment paper

Sheet pan

Mix the 2 egg whites, sugar and vanilla together in a bowl

Dump in the almonds

Stir until all the nuts are coated

drop mounds on parchment paper

flatten slightly

bake 15-20 minutes until lightly golden

let cool, peel from parchment

Keep in tight container for a week or freeze...yummy right from the freezer

Ideas: Dip some in chocolate, Make some of the instant chocolate mousse (in a post) and spread some in-between two cookies and freeze.

Use some orange zest and juice in mixture and then dip in white chocolate or dark chocolate.

Use instead of granola in yogurt...

Serve with fruit, tea...

I have also used Agave instead of confectioners sugar. I would use 1/3 cup of agave it spreads and it is better frozen like a chewy caramel around the nuts.

This recipe works well cut in 1/2 as well!!

Enjoy!!!

Chocolate Biscotti

Okay Arielle Buss you asked and I will deliver. A simple dessert that will survive a 5 hour road trip!!!

Chocolate Biscotti

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

3/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

6 Tbsp(3 oz) unsalted butter, softened

1 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1 Tbsp strong coffee (optional)

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

3/4 cup dried cranberries

3/4 cup mini chocolate chips

1. Sift together dry ingredients. Beat butter and sugar together until very smooth, then beat in the eggs and the flavorings. Mix in dry ingredients until blended. Fold in add-ins. You can substitute white chocolate chips for the dried cranberries for fruit haters.

2. Divide dough; put pieces on opposite sides of a parchment lined baking sheet. Shape each into a 12 inch-long, 1/2 inch thick log. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes, cool 20 minutes.

Note: I put the dough in a round disk and wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate it for a few hours or overnight. It is easier to work with when you divide the dough and form it into logs.

3. Slice into 1/2 inch thick cookies (easiest with a serrated knife, I use a bread knife). Stand them up on the baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Cool to room temperature.

If you like them drier and crunchier you can turn the oven to 250 and leave them in longer.

Suggestions: Serve with Cappuccino, gelato.

They travel really well...I took them to California. Store them in a tin or a pretty jar. I also freeze them and Harry eats one at night. I don't have them around, currently, since I cannot eat just one!!!!

I hope this works for you!!

You also might want to take a look at the marshmallows, but you need a high powered mixer for those!

Enjoy your trip!! Love, PW

Trader Joe's what would I do without you- #2

Lentil Salad

While it is not hard to make lentils it is even easier to buy a box at trader joes!

1 Box of prepared and refrigerated lentils

1/2 small red onion diced

1/2 a european cucumber seeded and diced or a couple of the small persian cukes

1 red pepper

1 carrot diced small

2 T chopped fresh parsley

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

2 T garlic infused olive oil or regular olive oil and use some garlic powder in seasoning

2 T red wine vineagar

crumbled feta cheese (optional)

Toss together taste and adjust seasoning and dressing

This is great to have in a container. Add some salmon or chicken and you have a meal.

Trader Joe's what would I do without you!!!

Low Sodium Tomato Soup pumped up!!!

This soup can be a starter or an entire meal!

1 box of Trader Joe's Low Sodium Tomato Soup

Good Curry Powder

Options:

Steamed or Sauteed Spinach

Cubes of Grilled Chicken

Chunks of Tofu

Roasted Cauliflower-Especially good seasoned with the Moroccan blend from another post

Sauteed Mushrooms

So here is the deal. Dr. Oz kept touting the benefits of turmeric and how the incidence of dementia and Alzheimers is very low in India and I thought, "we are going to start embracing the curry!"

While I like the Trader Joe's tomato soup I did think it lacked a little something. Well low and behold start with a couple of teaspoons of curry powder and taste add more to your liking and heat slowly. At this point it is good just as a starter, but now start adding some ingredients and you have a hearty, satisfying bowl of soup.

My favorite is steaming or sauteing some spinach with red pepper flakes and garlic in a little olive oil or going the extra distance and making some kale. Pour the soup over a serving of the spinach and add some cheese if you like. Yummmm!!!

The reality is a little seasoning and some additions make a wonderful semi-homemade meal in minutes!!!

Enjoy!!!

BAM, Vassar College, Aquarius: fall 2010.mov

Good-bye Brisket with wine-Hello Short Ribs!!!

First there were the brisket wars but now those days are gone!! I got the family's blessing to stop with two kinds of brisket and just make these short ribs. This is a fail proof recipe! I have doubled it, I have used up to 8lbs of meat and there is plenty of sauce ( of course I go with 3 cups of wine) I have used boneless short ribs from Costco, Safeway, premium short ribs on the bone, not so premium short ribs a combo of the two and then separated for serving. Everyone goes nuts!! Even my friends who don't like to potchky (fuss) in the kitchen are willing to make this because their husbands will do whatever they want them to do if they feed them this!!!

I take no credit for this recipe since I got it from where else, the food network and their last chef goddess, Anne Burrell. Her show Secrets of a Restaurant Chef is great! I cook the ribs low and slow at 325 instead of her 375 but I could split the difference at 350. She also says the meat shouldn't fall off the bone but mine usually does. I have made these in a small batch and served them the same night and unlike brisket they are yummy!! Usually, I am making a ton and freezing them for some holiday. When I am making them for a crowd I like to make a few on the bone since the bones enhance the sauce, but I have done them with just large boneless short ribs and they were a big hit too!!!

The big fuss is the browning of the meat and when you are making them for a crowd that takes a while and de-fatting them after cooking. I do a quick drop of a paper towel on top and lift quickly. After they cool a little I refrigerate overnight and take any residual fat off.

Ingredients

6 bone-in short ribs (about 6 lbs)

Kosher salt

Extra-virgin Olive oil

1 large Spanish onion cut into 1/2 inch pieces

2 ribs of celery cut into 1/2 inch pieces

2 carrots peeled, cut in 1/2 lengthwise, then cut into 1/2 inch pieces

2 cloves garlic, smashed

1 1/2 cups tomato paste

2-3 cups hearty red wine (wine you would drink not cooking wine)

2 cups water

1 bunch fresh thyme, tied with kitchen string

2 bay leaves

Directions Preheat oven to 325

Season each short rib generously with salt (i also use a little black pepper)

Coat a large pot (I use a dutch oven with a tight fitting lid) with olive oil and bring to a high heat

Add the short ribs to the pan and brown (sear) very well 2-3 minutes per side. Do not overcrowd the pan. Cook in batches if necessary. This browning is crucial to creating the layers of flavor.

(when i do this for a crowd i make it in batches and transfer it all to a huge roasting pan which i put a layer of parchment paper and then cover twice with very heavy aluminum foil wrapped tight in order to braise.)

While you are browning the short ribs, puree all the vegetables and the garlic in the food processor until it forms a coarse paste.

When ribs are very brown on all sides, remove them from the pan. Drain the fat, coat the bottom of the same pan with fresh oil (do not wipe the pan out, just dump the fat in a bowl or a can!! Flavor is in the bottom of that pan!!) Add the pureed vegetables generously salt the veggies and brown until they are very dark and a crud has formed on the bottom of the pan, approximately 5-7 minutes. Scrape the curd and let it reform. Scrape the crud again and add the tomato paste. Brown the tomato paste for 4-5 minutes. Add the wine and scrape the bottom of the pan. Lower the heat if things start to burn. Reduce the mixture by 1/2.

Return the short ribs to the pan and add 2 cups of water or until the water has just about covered the meat. Add the thyme bundle and bay leaves.( I always forget to do this and then i have to uncover the whole thing) Cover the pan and place in the preheated oven for 3 hours. Check periodically during the cooking process and add more water if needed ( i have never done this.) Turn the ribs over halfway through the cooking time ( i have never done this either and i guess that is because i cook it a little longer at 325. Remove the lid during the last 20 minutes of cooking to let things get nice and brown and to let the sauce reduce. When done the meat should be very tender.

Serve over mashed potatoes or polenta or grits or cut into small pieces and make a ragu for pasta.

Garlic Roasted Mashed Cauliflower

I serve it over garlic roasted mashed cauliflower. Roast garlic in oven 45 minutes at 350. Slice head of garlic horizontally and drizzle with olive oil and salt and pepper wrap in tin foil tightly and place in oven. Steam Cauliflower until very soft. Place cauliflower in food processor with a few pats of butter and the garlic which you squeeze out the cloves. Add a little 1/2 and 1/2 as needed. This is from the south beach cookbook with a few twists. I would rather use a little of real then a lot of fake.