Chocolate mousse

Chocolate mousse
Originally uploaded by wayfarer.

I do believe this is one of the most beautiful things I ever made. Rich, bold, and unapologetic.

(from The Joy of Cooking)

Heat 1 inch water in a large skillet over low heat until bubbles form along the bottom; adjust the heat to maintain the water at this temperature. Combine in a large heatproof bowl:

6 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons coffee or water
1 teaspoon gf vanilla flavoring (if using water)

Set the bowl in the water bath and stir until the chocolate is melted. Remove from the water and set aside.

Whisk together thoroughly in a heatproof bowl:

3 large egg yolks
3 tablespoons coffee
3 tablespoons sugar

Set the bowl in the water bath and, whisking constantly, heat the mixture until thick
and puffy, like marshmallow sauce. Remove from the water bath and whisk thoroughly into the melted chocolate. Let cool to room temperature. In a separate bowl, beat on medium speed until foamy:

3 large egg whites, at room temperature

Add and beat until soft peaks form:

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

Gradually beat in:

1/4 cup sugar

Increase the speed to high and beat until the peaks are stiff. Using a large rubber spatula, stir one-quarter of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture to lighten it, then gently fold in the remaining whites. In another bowl, beat on medium-high speed until soft peaks form:

1/2 cup cold heavy cream

Gently but thoroughly fold the cream into the chocolate mixture. Turn into a 5- cup bowl or six 6- to 8- ounce individual cups. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to 24 hours. Serve with:

Whipped cream.

If you wish, sprinkle with:

1 ounce semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, grated.

Iranian food

I just finished compiling all the Iranian recipes. That was a lot of work to make all this food, cook it, write up the recipes and make it all pretty enough to be filmed! Here's what I made:

Sabzi khordan (vegetable, cheese, herb and bread plate)
Mast-o-khiar (yoghurt with cucumber, onion, mint)
Salad-e-shirazi
Dolmeh (Leila's recipe)
Torshi-e-makhloot (pickled vegetables with herbs and spices)
Chelow Kabab (Saffron steamed rice, tahcheen, kababs)
Baqala polow (Rice with fava beans or black eyed peas)
Khoresht Gorme Sabzi
Doogh
Rose Water Syrup
Saffron Ice Cream (Leila's recipe)

My husband's favorite (well, one of em anyway) cuisine is Iranian and I love it too. When my inlaws are here, I plan on making this all again.

Chicken and avocado quesadilla

Chicken and avocado quesadilla
Originally uploaded by wayfarer.

Using some of the chicken from the soup below (after it's cooked) I made these...

Take a tortilla (i use soft taco size), layer on it, mozarella cheese, chicken, slices of avocado and then a little more cheese. Put another tortilla on top.

Heat olive oil in a pan and let it get nice and warm. Put the quesadilla in there and cook for a minute and then flip and cook again. Garnish with sour cream, green onions or chives and salsa.

Absolutely delicious especially since the chicken is full of flavor too. Roasted chicken would work well too.

Chicken Noodle Soup - or Jewish Penicillin

Chicken Noodle Soup
Originally uploaded by wayfarer.

This is why it's better for dh to be home sick than me. He got this yummy bowl of soup. After tasting it he said it was the best chicken soup he ever had so I figure it deserves a post.

Boil a couple cups of water, add chicken cube or chicken stock if you have it (making the soup is essentially making stock but for time's sake, i add the cube so the soup is ready to eat in 45 minutes).

Add the chicken, chopped celery, chunks of onion, minced garlic, salt, pepper and parsley. When chicken is done, put everything through a strainer. Put the broth back in the pot and keep on the heat. Take the chicken pieces off the bone (they should come off very easily if the chicken is done). Discard the bones, skin etc.

Now, I use baby cubes of food because i have them but what you can do is chop in a food processor a little carrot, celery and onion from the vegetables that cooked with the chicken...not a lot, just a little to add some more flavor. Make sure it's soupy and not chunky and add it to the broth...it should only be a half cup or so. You are now done with those veggies. I grind it up for LD, but do what you will with it. (BTW, a shortcut is to add a little vegetable broth but i never have that so i do this but that would be easy with a cube).

Once chicken is back in the pot, add diced potatos, sliced carrots and whatever pasta you want. Rotini is good, so is tortellini or regular noodles. Check for taste adding more seasoning if you want. I bet I use about a tablespoon of parsley, a half teaspoon to maybe a full of salt, and 1/4 teaspoon or so of black or white pepper.

It truly is a hearty soup and easy on the stomach.

Leftovers salad

Leftovers salad
Originally uploaded by wayfarer.

Using everything in my veggie bin.

Chopped spinach
Various kinds of tomatos
cucumbers
Radish
Celery
Green onions
Roasted red peppers
Feta cheese
Olive oil, salt and pepper

Seafood ravioli with white sauce and garlic bread

Seafood ravioli with white sauce and garlic bread
Originally uploaded by wayfarer.

Got the ravioli's from Trader Joe's. I'm so glad they are beginning to open stores here now. Awesome goods there. Made a basic white sauce by simmering milk with a bay leaf, cloves, onion, nutmeg etc adding a rue of butter and flour and simmering again.

Old fashioned jelly roll

Quick way:

Box of cake mix - use pound cake box if making white cake with jelly inside or chocolate or devils food if making chocolate with cream filling.

Mix cake per directions on box, line a jelly roll sheet (cookie sheet with lips) with wax paper, grease and lightly flour. Spread cake mixture evenly and bake at 400 until done (somewhere between 8-15 minutes). Let cool completely and then flip onto aluminum foil. Fill with filling, layer of jam and/or whipped cream and then roll gently using aluminum foil to help. The top layer will come off on aluminum foil but that's okay...it's what you want. It may crack at first but by the end it shouldn't. Tighten and wrap. Put in fridge for an hour or so and then enjoy. :-)

Chicken with 40 cloves garlic - crock pot recipe

(sorry no picture - camera was broken at the time)

Not very pretty but very tasty and very tender... I've learned to love the crock pot. LD gives me very little time so it's working wonders in the kitchen. I'll get the crock pot going when he goes down for a nap and it frees me up for the day, plus there's the benefit of the house smelling yummy and I'm not doing anything. :-)

Recipe:

2 teaspoons thyme
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teapoon kosher salt
1 whole roasting chicken or a chicken cut up (recipe called for whole one but i used a cup up one)
40 whole, peeled garlic cloves
2 tablespoons white grape juice or apple juice

*** Original recipe called for white wine. I also a splash of white grape juice and apple juice instead. I changed many things about the recipe so i'm posting as my own. And don't let the garlic scare you. After it cooks this long, it no longer tastes like garlic, it's sweet.

Add first four items and mix. Put chicken in and roll around in the oil mixture. Add the garlic cloves trying to get them below the chicken. Cover and cook until done. My crock pot is a cheapo one and has only one setting so can't tell you what it is. Just cook it until it's done. Meat will fall off the bone and garlic will smell and taste sweet.

Baby Mousaka

LD loves this...

Take an eggplant and either bake it or saute it or even steam it then layer as follows:

Thin layer of tomato sauce then a thin layer of eggplant, then cottage cheese or ricotta cheese, then repeat. Top with mozarella halfway through baking. Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes. Delish!

pictures and recipes

I haven't posted much on here because my camera broke...well it was always broken from the time i bought it but I sent it in for warranty repair. I hope it gets back soon...until then, i'll post a few recipes but they'll be pictureless. Now that i'm caught up on things, i should be posting more often too.

Egg Scramble or Omelette

I had this yesterday and it was awesome. LD didn't like it though. I think the feta threw him off. If you don't like feta, add something else...it's still good. I was using up some leftovers from my huge iranian feast.

Heat olive oil, add chopped onions (green and white is what i used), add garlic, when onion gets clear, add chopped tomato and olive (i used kalamato) and then the scrambled egg. Add salt and pepper. Either make it a scramble or an omelette.

Crockpot Meatballs

Delicious and oh so easy! I had 'em on a hoagie with mayo and cheese. I couldn't believe how easy. I love meatballs and this recipe will have me making them more because you don't have to fry them and then bake them etc.

From Taste of Home Ground Beef Cookbook

INGREDIENTS
1 cup milk
3/4 cup quick-cooking oats
3 tablespoons finely chopped onion
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1-1/2 pounds ground beef
1 cup ketchup
1/2 cup water
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar

DIRECTIONS
In a bowl, combine the first four ingredients. Crumble beef over the mixture and mix well. Shape into 1-in. balls. Place in a 5-qt. slow cooker. In a bowl, combine the ketchup, water, vinegar and sugar; mix well. Pour over meatballs. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or until the meat is no longer pink. Yield: 6 servings.

Strawberry Cheesecake

My first attempt at homemade cheesecake. It may not be pretty, but it was GOOOOOD.