Chocolate Heaven

So I've finally gone through all the information I got from the Chocolate Salon. It is quite possible, actually I know it will happen, I will loose all of these little pieces of paper so I went through them to pick out what I thought was good and what I would go back and buy again.

*This is me at the Chocolate Salon with Master Sommelier Andrea Robinson(left) and Check Please! hostess Leslie Sbrocco (right).

Jade Chocolates - This company is out of San Francisco and has already won numerous awards. They will be opening a store in Burlingame this summer. Their chocolates are blended with teas and spices from Asia and the Pacific Islands. The flavors don't over power the chocolate they complement them very well. I actually bought one of these they were so different. Lots of places blended their chocolate with spices, but none as well as Jade. Check them out http://www.jadechocolates.com/

J Truffles - One of only two or three truffle shops, this one stood out! I tried the Creme brulee and the limoncello. We met the owner and maker she was super sweet! check them out at http://www.jtruffles.com/. They are not in this market yet, but on hopefully soon.

Divine-Here's a company with a cause (I just love that!) Divine invest in the Kuapa Kokoo's Women Project which teaches women who are cocoa farmers how to start their own businesses and earn extra family income. I tried the white chocolate with straberries (Delicious!) and then the dark chocolate with rasberries (mmmmmm) and lastly the chocolate with orange (Oh yes!). Basically this is great chocolate that supports an even greater cause...ONE MORE REASON TO EAT CHOCOLATE! I'll be using my $1 off coupon..check them out DivineChocolateUSA.com

Greater Purpose Wine- 55% of the profits from this company go to help children in need around the world. Their reisling was delicious! greaterpurpose.com

Vad Vodka- http://www.vadspirits.com/ this Vodka company is on the rise with their Vodka that has vitamins in it.

Adult Chocolate Milk - ok this was delicious...it comes in an old-fashioned looking glass milk bottle. I think Vena already found a bottle at Costco..it's also supposed to be a Bevmo. This is a fun drink.

Chocolate Wasted

The chocolate....read below

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So Vena and I ventured out to Fort Mason today to partake in a little wine and chocolate....2 hours later we are totally chocolate wasted! And there is no real food in site...good thing we are in San Francisco. My find for the day is "Dragon's Breath" from Jade Chocolates. It has roasted sesanme seeds, lapsang souchang tea and chili pepper. While i'm off on easter break I think im going to make chocolate peppered muffins....recipe coming!

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An Afternoon in Havana

So, last month Javani assured us that we would be doing salads and soups. We all thought that would be a nice change of pace and would help us all stay on track with eating better. Sometime however in the last month or salad turned into a Cuban feast. Not that there's anything wrong with that! I think the lamb was my favorite-cut and cubed and full of flavor. I grew up with lamb, but I've always been limited in the way I've prepared it. I must say between this Cuban recipe and the one from mediterranean night, I plan to use one of them for Easter dinner! But the highlight of any real Cuban meal is the mojitos...which were delicious-a nice tropical blend of mango and pineapple.

Oh by the way we missed you Vena! Javani picked soup for you because you are sooooo good at making soup. I included the recipe anyway. Maybe one day you'll make me lunch!

Next month we sample chocolate and wine...I'll keep you posted. Now on to the recipes...




Avocado & Pineapple Salad Recipe - Ensalada de Aguacate Y Piña

Mix the following ingredients for a simple Cuban-style salad.

Shredded iceberg lettuce
2 cups of pineapple chunks
1 large avocado, peeled and cut in slices
1 small onion, sliced thin
olive oil
red wine or cider vinegar
salt and pepper

Black Beans & Rice with Mango recipe
courtesy of the Cocina Cubana Club founded by Pascual Perez & Sonia R. Martinez


1/4 cup chorizo, crumbled
1/2 cup red pepper, chopped
1/2 cup onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 (15oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
3/4 cup water
1 tsp dried oregano, crushed
salt to taste
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
2 cups cooked white rice
1/2 cup chopped fresh mango

Cook 1st 3 ingredients in a large skillet over medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes, till sausage is browned. Add next five ingredients; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

To serve, spoon bean mixture over rice in servings bowls, then top with fresh mango. If desired, garnish with fresh oregano. If chorizo is unavailable, use any other spicy sausage. Makes 4 servings.


Cuban Chicken Soup recipe (Sopa de Pollo)

1 1/2 quarts water
1/2 boneless chicken, cut into pieces
1 chicken liver
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp. ground oregano
1 medium onion, chopped well
1 tbsp. tomato sauce
1 potato, diced small
1 carrot, sliced
1/4 teaspoon saffron
2 oz. vermicelli pasta
1 tsp lemon juice

In large pot, add water, chicken, liver, garlic, salt, oregano, onion and tomato sauce. Cook over medium heat until chicken is tender (20-30 minutes or so). Add diced potato and carrots, cooking over medium-low heat until vegetables are tender (20-30 minutes).

Using a blunt object or potato masher, slightly mash vegetables in pot. Add saffron and pasta. Cook until pasta is tender and add lemon juice.

Serves 5.


Cuban Lamb Shanks recipe

1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
3 pounds of lamb shanks in 1 ½ inch pieces
8 ounces tomato sauce
1 tablespoon annatto oil
salt and pepper
½ teaspoon oregano
½ teaspoon cumin
1 cup of chicken stock

In a large casserole or stock pot with cover, sauté the garlic and onion in olive oil for about 5 minutes. Add the lamb and remaining ingredients. Cover and simmer until tender about 1 hour 45 minutes.

It was cold, but the Indian food was Spicy

I know, I know corny title, but the night was definitely cold. You know Friday when it was supposed to snow...but it didn't. Nonetheless we got together for a fun time. I think the best part was was the warm tea Kesha concoted! While I would never cook a full Indian meal I definitely found some winners that will serve as appetizers for guests.









Ok first of all a shout out to Weight Watchers (and Jennifer Hudson, stop hating she looks great!). This first recipe is a WW recipe. Vena who made this dish suggested adding more Shrimp and chicken along with red potatos to make it heartier.

Shrimp and Chicken Curry
Ingredients
2 spray(s) cooking spray
2 tsp olive oil
1 Tbsp curry powder, mild or hot, to taste
1/2 tsp table salt
3 medium scallion(s), thinly sliced, green and white parts separated
1/2 cup(s) light coconut milk
1 pound(s) shrimp, large, shelled and deveined
3 cup(s) cooked brown rice

Instructions
Coat a medium to large skillet with cooking spray; add oil and set over medium heat. When heated, add curry powder and salt; cook, stirring constantly, until curry is fragrant, about 1 minute.


Add white parts of scallions; cook, stirring occasionally, about 2 minutes more. Add coconut milk; stir to blend. Add shrimp; cook, stirring occasionally, until shrimp turn pink, about 4 to 5 minutes. Sprinkle with green parts of scallions; serve. Yields about 5 to 6 shrimp, 3/4 cup rice and 1 to 2 tablespoons sauce per serving.
Notes
Add cilantro, hot peppers or tomatoes for a completely different twist.

Serve this recipe with fresh pineapple, mango or papaya to cut the spice (will affect PointsPlus values).

**OK Tamika made this dish...almost. I hope she chimes in because she totally changed this dish with her obssession with cheese. But it made for good food.
Palak Paneer Recipe
Palak Paneer, which also known as Saag Paneer, features wholesome flavor of cooked spinach (Palak) with fresh and delicate Indian cottage cheese, Paneer. For quick Palak Paneer, use frozen chopped spinach.You can also use canned spinach but avoid using it since it has more mushy texture and usually extra salt and spices. For vegans, substitute paneer with firm or extra firm Tofu.

Ingredients
1 lb paneer pieces (½ inch cubed)
2 lb spinach
3 tablespoon onion (chopped)
2 tablespoon tomato (chopped)
½ cup half and half
2 teaspoon garam masala powder
1 teaspoon cumin powder
½ teaspoon turmeric powder
2 tablespoon ghee or oil

Salt to taste

* Add ~ 1/4 cup half and half to give creamy texture to the dish
Preparation
1 Heat ghee in low-medium flame. Add cubed Paneer and heat until light golden brown. Remove and set aside.
2 Heat ghee or oil. Sauté onion until light golden brown. Add spinach and cook until it turns into a paste.
3 Add spices and tomatoes. Simmer for few minutes.
4 Add cubed "half and half" and Paneer to spinach curry. Cook for about 10 minutes in medium heat.
5 Serve hot with rice or indian bread.


Chicken Tikki Masala

Ingredients :
2 tbsp coriander seeds
2 tbsp paprika
2 tbsp jeera
1 tsp mango powder
1 tsp chilli powder
juice of a lime
10 good thick yoghurt
salt to taste
2 lb chicken, diced
5 to 6 cloves garlic, chopped
1 large onion, finely chopped
chicken stock or water
oil

Method :
Grind the spices and mix with marinade ingredients.
Marinade chicken in the fridge for 24 hours.
Heat oil in a frying pan or wok until becomes very hot.
Stir fry chicken vigorously for about 5 minutes.
Take out chicken and keep warm.
Fry the onion and garlic until just browning and return chicken with any remaining marinade, plus stock, plus more spices if you think the sauce needs it an extra tsp of cumin and coriander may 'lift' it a little.
Simmer until chicken is cooked and Sauce is nice and thick.
Ready to serve.

Vegetable Kurma
Ingredients :
Oil little
1 big onion
Salt to taste
1 garlic piece
2 carrots, 1 capsicum
1 potato, small ginger piece
7 to 10 beans, 3 to 4 cauliflower pieces
2 to 3 cloves, little elaichi
½ tsp cinnamon
10 to 15 cashew pieces
1 tsp of khus khus
½ cup coconut
Method :
Cut the onions into small pieces and one fourth of the onions into big pieces.
Take a Kadai with little oil and add cloves, cinnamon, elaichi and cashews and then fry a little add ginger, garlic and big pieces of onions and then keep it to cool a little after everything is fried.
Then grind the whole mixture with coconut and khus khus and keep it aside.
Now take a little oil and add sombu, and then onions, fry it nicely.
Take all the vegetables cut into small pieces and boil it in the microwave. After everything is cooked nicely add it to the onions and mix it.
Add salt in the ground mixture. Now after everything is mixed well add water if it is very thick.

Japanese-no fish

That's right the little american girls got together to make Japanese food. Tamika who was quite adamant about telling us she can't eat fish was not very happy. Of course her experience with Japanese food was limited to the millions of sushi bars scattered throughout the Bay Area. I must say though that with this in mind, Vena put together a terrific menu with items everyone vowed to put in their repetoire. I think the cucumbers were my favorite-so freshing to the palate this one was a twist I'll definitely be using again. But I'm going to start with dessert...cause why not!


Green Tea Pound Cake
It's a tasty variation of basic pound cake. If you like green tea flavor, try this recipe.
Ingredients:
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup flour
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 Tbsp matcha (green tea powder)
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
Preparation:
Cream butter in a bowl. Add sugar in the butter and mix well. Gradually add beaten eggs and stir well. Sift flour, baking powder, and green tea powder together and add the flour to the egg mixture. Pour the batter into a buttered loaf pan. Bake in preheated 340 degrees F oven for about 30-40 minutes.
*Makes 4 servings

Imokenpi is deep-fried and sugar-coated sweet potatoes. It's a really crunchy and delicious snack.
Satsumaimo Sweet Potatoes
Ingredients:
• 2 satsumaimo, about 1 lb
• 4 Tbsp sugar
• 2 Tbsp water
• 1 tsp ginger juice
Preparation:
Peel satsumaimo potatoes and slice into 1/4 inch thick rounds. Further, cut them into 1/4 inch thick strips. Soak in water for five minutes. Drain and dry with paper towels. Heat oil for deep-frying in a deep pot to 340 degrees F. Deep-fry satsumaimo strips for about 6-8 minutes, or until softened. Drain on paper towels. Reheat the oil to 375 degrees F, and add satsumaimo strips back into the oil. Fry until crispy. Drain on paper towels. Heat water, sugar, and ginger juice in a large skillet on medium heat until thickened. Add deep-fried satsumaimo in the skillet and mix well. Spread on wax paper and let them cool.


Soba with Toasted Sesame Sauce


Ingredients
• 1/2 cup sesame seeds
• 8 ounces dried soba noodles
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 2 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon dark sesame oil
• 5 green onions, chopped
• 3 cups broccoli florets
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. Pour the sesame seeds onto a rimmed baking sheet. Toast the seeds in the oven for 10 to 12 minutes, until they are a rich brown around the edges.
3. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the noodles and cook them for 5 to 6 minutes, or until they are just tender. Drain them, rinse them well with cold water, and drain them again.
4. In a large mixing bowl, mix together the vinegar, sugar, soy sauce, garlic, sesame oil and green onions. Add the noodles, and the toasted sesame seeds. Toss well, then stir in the broccoli. Let the dish sit for 30 minutes at room temperature before serving.


Yakitori DonIngredients


• 1 (3 pound) whole chicken, cut into pieces
• 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger root
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 3 tablespoons white sugar
• 2/3 cup soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon sake
• 1/4 cup mirin (Japanese sweet wine)
• 2 tablespoons cooking oil
Directions
1. Rinse chicken, and pat dry. In a glass baking dish or bowl, stir together the ginger, garlic, sugar, soy sauce, sake and mirin. Place the chicken into the mixture to marinate. Refrigerate, covered for several hours, or overnight.
2. Heat oil in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Place chicken pieces into the pan skin-side down, reserving marinade. Cook until light brown, then flip and brown the other side. Drain off grease, and pour the marinade into the pan. Cover, and reduce heat to low, and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the lid and continue cooking, shaking the skillet occasionally, until marinade is evaporated. Serve hot with rice or noodles

Sunomono

Ingredients
• 2 large cucumbers, peeled
• 1/3 cup rice vinegar
• 4 teaspoons white sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger root
Directions
1. Cut cucumbers in half lengthwise and scoop out any large seeds. Slice crosswise into very thin slices.
2. In a small bowl combine vinegar, sugar, salt and ginger. Mix well. Place cucumbers inside of the bowl, stir so that cucumbers are coated with the mixture. Refrigerate the bowl of cucumbers for at least 1 hour before serving.
Nutritional Information
Amount Per Serving Calories: 27 Total Fat: 0.2g Cholesterol: 0mg Powered by ESHA Nutrient Database
 

Miso SoupDashi is a basic stock used in Japanese cooking which is made by boiling dried kelp (seaweed) and dried bonito (fish). Instant dashi granules are sold in conveniently-sized jars or packets and vary in strength. Add more dashi to your soup if you want a stronger stock. You can use yellow, white or red miso paste for this soup. Yellow miso is sweet and creamy, red miso is stronger and saltier."
Ingredients
• 2 teaspoons dashi granules
• 4 cups water
• 3 tablespoons miso paste
• 1 (8 ounce) package silken tofu, diced
• 2 green onions, sliced diagonally into 1/2 inch pieces
Directions
1. In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, combine dashi granules and water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, and whisk in the miso paste. Stir in tofu. Separate the layers of the green onions, and add them to the soup. Simmer gently for 2 to 3 minutes before serving.