Chocolate Strawberry Tart

A while back I made this chocolate tart: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/chocolate-tart-recipe/index.html and wasn’t overly satisfied with the results, on account of the fact that I used random baking chocolate instead of higher quality stuff.  I also decided to switch it up a bit, and add strawberries to the recipe. The simple syrup only adds a hint of strawberry to the chocolate mixture, so feel free to add more if you feel like it. The results are pretty outstanding – I’ll definitely be making this one again sometime.

1 cup heavy cream

½ cup milk

10 oz. semisweet chocolate (I used Ghiradelli chocolate chips – chop the chocolate into small pieces if using larger chunks/bars)

2 tablespoons sugar

¼ teaspoon salt

1 lb. strawberries, divided

1/3 cup water

2 large eggs, room temperature

Pine nut and almond crust (recipe here: http://gavinscooking.blogspot.com/2012/05/lemon-sabayon-tart-with-honeyed.html)

Press the pine nut and almond crust into a 9” tart pan, then refrigerate for 15 minutes. Line the crust with tin foil and pie weights (I use some pinto beans I have reserved just for this purpose) and bake in a 350°F oven for 12 to 15 minutes. Remove and let cool.

In a medium saucepan, heat the cream and milk until it just starts to simmer around the edges. Remove the pan from heat, and add the chocolate, whisking to incorporate. Add in the sugar and salt and let the mixture cool for a few minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, add 1/3 cup water and bring to a boil. Stem and quarter 3 strawberries (should be ½ a cup, chopped) and add to the water. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes, adding an extra bit of water if it reduces too much. Pass the syrup through a strainer into the chocolate mixture.

In a bowl, mix the two room temperature eggs, then add to the chocolate mixture. Pour the chocolate mixture into the cooled tart shell. Bake at 325°F for 15 to 20 minutes until the filling is set. If it starts to form bubbles or crack remove from the oven immediately as that’s the signal that it’s starting to overcook. Cool completely.

Chop the remaining strawberries into thin slices and arrange them around the tart, working from the outside inwards.

Cod en Papillote with Lemon Beurre Blanc and Steamed Aspagus

Any fish filet should work here, keep in mind that cooking time will vary depending on how thick the fish is. Mine was very skinny. The beurre blanc recipe makes at least 4 servings depending on how much you drizzle on your fish.

Total time: 40 minutes

Cod en Papillote (for each individual package):

Cod filet

Salt

Parlsey sprig

Butter (about 1 tbsp)

Lemon slices

Splash of white wine

Lay the cod filet out on a piece of parchment paper and season with salt. Top with remaining ingredients. Fold the parchment paper over itself and use a stapler and/or toothpicks to seal, allowing steam to be trapped inside in the oven. Bake in a 400°F oven, about 10 minutes (or more if the filets are thick). Remove fish from parchment packages and discard remaining ingredients.

Lemon Beurre Blanc:

¼ cup white wine (I used a French Chardonnay)

¼ cup lemon juice

1 small shallot, diced

Zest of ½ lemon

1 stick unsalted butter (4 oz)

Salt

Pepper

Add the white wine, lemon juice, shallot, and zest in a small pan and reduce until almost a glaze (about 8 minutes). Add the butter in 4 additions, whisking to emulsify. Season with salt and pepper.

Steamed asparagus:

Wash asparagus spears and trim off the woody ends. Use a vegetable peeler to remaining stalk, moving downward from the tips. Fill a dutch oven with 1-2” of water and nestle a pasta strainer over top. Bring the water to a boil then reduce heat to low. Add asparagus to ghetto steaming basket, then cover with lid and wrap foil around any cracks to prevent steam from escaping. Steam for 6 minutes.

Serving:

Cook polenta according to directions on package. Place polenta on plate, top with cod filet (I halved mine and stuck one piece on top of the other, lemon buerre blanc, a slice of lemon and fresh greend/herbs (I used mustard greens, baby arugula, and parsley). Arrange asparagus around the plate.

Pork Chops in Mole Verde

Sorry for the presentation, this isn’t the sexiest plate I’ve ever made. This recipe comes from Gran Cocina Latina, except it calls for chicken instead of pork.  I have a freezer full of pork loin chops to eat, hence the substitution. The mole turned out a bit thin, I think because instead of a baguette slice I used a piece of white bread. I may have added too much liquid to the herb puree as well. The original recipe also calls for 4 sprigs of fresh epazote added to the herb blend, but I didn’t have any on hand.

3 to 4 one-inch thick pork chops

6 allspice berries

5 whole cloves

2 teaspoons cumin seeds

2 pounds tomatillos (about 15 large)

4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped

2 jalapenos, seeds

1 baguette slice (1 ounce)

2.5 cups chicken stock

2 chayotes

8 ounces green beans

1 bunch flat-leaf parsley

½ bunch cilantro

3 dried hoja santa leaves

Olive oil

Salt

Heat a skillet over medium heat and add the allspice, cloves, and cumin. Toast for a minute, until fragrant. Grind in a spice grinder.

Remove the tomatillos from their husks, give them a wash and halve them. Add the tomatillos, the jalapenos, the garlic, and the spices from the grinder to a blender. Puree, then pass the mixture through a medium-mesh strainer.

Add 1.5 cups chicken stock and the baguette slice in a bowl. Place in a blender and puree.

Heat a dutch oven over medium and add olive oil. Cook the pork chops for 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove to a plate.

Add the tomatillo mixture to the dutch oven and cook for 3 minutes on medium. Be careful, as excess oil left in the oven may splash. Add the bread puree, the chayote and green beans. Cook for 5 minutes. Add the pork back in and cook for an additional 15 minutes.

While the pork and veggies cook, place the parsley and cilantro in a blender with ½ cup broth and process into a puree. Place the hoja santa leaves in ¼ cup water for 2 minutes. Puree in a mini-food processor and pass through a small strainer into the herb mixture. Pulse to incorporate.

When the pork and veggies have cooked, pour in the herb mixture. Serve immediately before the color of the sauce darkens. Mexican rice is the go-to side dish here.

Vanilla and Chocolate Zebra Cake

So this was an experience. I found the zebra cake tutorial here: http://www.mycakeschool.com/blog/how-to-make-a-cake-with-zebra-stripes-on-the-inside/, however that site calls for cake mixes, which I wasn’t about to use. I took two cake recipes and halved them, but I ended up not quite having enough batter. I think part of the problem is that the chocolate cake batter I used wasn’t as liquid-y as the vanilla batter. I stuck them in the oven anyway, and everything turned out better than expected. Not that they look perfect - the stripes aren't as stripey as in the tutorial, but at least it wasn't a complete disaster.

Vanilla cake recipe adapted from http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/golden-vanilla-cake-recipe.

Chocolate cake recipe adapted from http://www.verybestbaking.com/recipes/32386/Moist-and-Tender-Chocolate-Cake/detail.aspx

Vanilla frosting from: http://www.marthastewart.com/341903/fluffy-vanilla-frosting

Chcolate frosting from: http://www.verybestbaking.com/recipes/30350/Chocolate-Lovers-Frosting/detail.aspx

Vanilla Cake:

1 cup (7 ounces/200 grams) sugar

6.875 ounces (195 grams) ap flour

1 ¼ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

3 ounces unsalted butter, soft

5 ounces milk, room temp

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 large eggs

Mix together the sugar, flour, baking powder and salt in the bowl of your mixer. Mix together with a fork/whisk. Add the butter and mix on low speed, until the butter is the size of pebbles. Combine the milk and vanilla extract, and add to the flour mixture. Mix at low speed for 30 seconds, then increase the speed to medium and beat for an additional 30 seconds. Scrape the bottom of the bowl.

Add the eggs, one at a time, with the mixer running on low speed, then increase to medium and beat for 30 seconds. Repeat with the second egg. After both eggs are added, beat at medium high heat for an additional 30 seconds. Transfer to a bowl.

Chocolate Cake:

0.875 cups (6 ounces) sugar (170 grams)

1 cup (4.4 ounces) ap flour (125 grams)

1/3 cup cocoa powder (27 grams)

½ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

¾ stick of butter (3 ounces)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 large egg

½ cup milk (4 oz)

Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a bowl (not the mixer). In your mixer bowl, add the butter, sugar and vanilla extract and beat until creamy.  Add the egg, and beat well.

Add the flour mixture and milk, alternating, half of each at a time.

Butter and flour two 9 inch cake pans. Add ¼ cup of the vanilla batter to the center of a pan. Directly on top of the batter, add ¼ cup of the chocolate batter. Continue alternating vanilla and chocolate between the 2 pans. Bake in a 350°F oven for 25 to 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

D'oh

Chocolate frosting:

3 cups powdered sugar (300 grams), sifted

2/3 cup baking cocoa (55 grams)

1 stick (1/2 cup) butter

6 tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Beat 1 cup/100 grams powdered sugar, all the cocoa, all the butter, 2 tablespoons milk and the vanilla extract in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment until creamy. Add the remaining powdered sugar and milk in 2 additional, beating until smooth. Beat on medium high until smooth and fluffy. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a star tip.

Vanilla frosting:

3 sticks butter room temp

1 lb./4 cups/400 grams powdered sugar, sifted

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter on medium-high speed until pale and creamy. Add the confectioner’s sugar, ½ cup at a time, mixing on low to incorporate, then increasing the speed to high for 10 seconds, to incorporate air into the frosting. Repeat until all the sugar has been added. Add the vanilla extract and mix until smooth.

Spread a layer of chocolate frosting on the top of one of the cake rounds. Place the other half on top, and cover the top and sides of the cake with vanilla frosting. Pipe the remaining chocolate frosting along the top of the cake.

Cool Ranch Doritos Tacos

This week’s theme was fast food, so I decided to try and mimic Taco Bell’s Dorito Taco shells. This was my first time both making corn tortillas from scratch and deep frying tortillas. They’re a lot more prone to coming apart during the cooking process, and a lot pickier about pan temperature than flour tortillas – I lost 2 of my 8 during the initial cooking because of this. I was winging the whole frying process, and initially had the oil up to 375, which overcooked the tortillas way too easily. After adjusting the heat, I finally felt like I was getting the hang of it, and then I was all out of tortillas.

Dorito seasoning recipe slightly modified from: http://www.instructables.com/id/Homemade-Doritos/step2/Mix-Seasonings/

Dorito Seasoning:

½ packet hidden valley ranch mix (0.5 ounces)

¼ packet cheese powder from white cheddar mac n cheese

½ teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 ¼ teaspoon onion powder

1/8 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/8 teaspoon sweet paprika

Pinch cayenne

Dorito Tortilla Shells (makes 8 shells):

1 cup loose packed masa harina (~4 oz)

2/3 cup (5 oz.) water

Dorito Seasoning

Mix the masa with the Dorito seasoning, then add in the water. Mix with your hands for two minutes, until a smooth dough forms. Add water, 1 tablespoon at a time if the dough is too dry.

Divide dough into 8 pieces, and cover with plastic wrap. Place each piece, one at a time, between two pieces of plastic wrap and flatten into a 5” circle using a tortilla press or heavy object (I used a dutch oven).

Set a skillet over medium-high heat (do not add oil). Cook the tortillas for about 40 seconds per side. Place on a plate covered with a towel to keep warm and pliable as you cook the remaining tortillas.

Once the tortillas are all cooked, add 1” of oil to a cast iron skillet, and heat it to 350-360°F. Place the tortillas in the oil one at a time, using tongs to hold the top and bending into a ‘U’ shape. Use a spatula to keep the bottom portion submerged in oil. After 10-15 seconds flip the shell and repeat on the other side, using the tongs and spatula to maintain the shape. Remove to a sheet pan lined with paper towels.

Taco Meat:

1 lb. ground beef

1 teaspoon cumin

½ teaspoon coriander

½ teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon ancho chili powder

Salt and pepper

1 cup water

Brown the meat in a skillet over medium heat, breaking it up into small pieces and seasoning with salt. Remove from skillet and discard excess grease.  Return meat to skillet and add water and remaining seasonings. Bring to a simmer, and cook for 15 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed/evaporated.

To Finish:

Flour tortillas

Cheddar and Monterrey Jack Cheese

Lettuce

Tomatoes, diced

Hot sauce (I used El Yucateco)

Place the tortillas on a prepared baking sheet and sprinkle cheese on top. Cook at 350°F for 3 to 5 minutes, until cheese has melted. Nestle one Dorito taco shell into each flour tortilla, and fill with taco meat, additional cheese, lettuce, and tomato.  Top with hot sauce.