Chocolate Truffle Pie

A very rich, yummy chocolate pie, often requested from my Sunday School class for birthdays.  I had to make it for one of my class member's birthdays tomorrow, and thought I had lost the recipe, so when I finally found it decided it was about time to add it to the blog even for MY own sake in keeping track of it!

Warning: This pie is very rich, so don't serve out too large of pieces unless you know you can handle it! :)

Crust:

1 ¼ cups chocolate cookie crumbs (I crush enough oreos to make about 1 ½ cup)
¼ cup butter or margarine, melted

Filling:
1 bag (12 oz) semi-sweet chocolate chips (2 cups)
½ pint (1 cup) whipping cream
1 tsp. vanilla
2 egg yolks

Topping:
½ cup whipping cream
1 tbsp. powdered sugar
Unsweetened baking cocoa, if desired

In a small bowl, mix cookie crumbs and butter. In ungreased 9-inch glass pie plate, press crumb mixture in bottom and 1 inch up the side.

In a double boiler set over hot simmering water, heat chocolate chips 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently, until melted and smooth. Do not allow any water (even drops) to get in the chocolate, as it will make it grainy. Gradually add 1 cup whipping cream, stirring constantly, until combined. Stir in vanilla and egg yolks until well blended. Cook over medium-low heat 5 to 6 minutes, stirring frequently, until thickened and hot. Pour filling into crust. Refrigerate at least 3 hours until firm.
If want whipped topping, beat ½ cup whipping cream and the powdered sugar with an electric mixer on high speed 1 to 2 minutes or until soft peaks form. Top individual servings with whipped cream, and dust with cocoa if desired.

Salmon with Lemon Dill Sauce

Grandma Wood made this for us a while back and we both loved it.  I'd been craving it for a while, finally got the recipe from Grandma, and made it tonight. Yummy! So quick, so simple, yet so satisfying. Danny rated it a 10!

1/3 cup light mayonnaise
4 salmon steaks (6 ounces each)
1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp. dried dillweed
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper

Preheat broiler.  Coat a broiler pan or rimmed baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.  Place salmon steaks on the pan.

In a small bowl, combine all the remaining ingredients; mix well.  Spread evenly over the top of the salmon steaks, then broil for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the fish flakes easily with a fork.  Serve immediately. 

While broiling, the mayonnaise mixture puffs up and seals the juices in, and makes for one yummy, amazing, comforting dish!

Peanut Butter Brownies

Thank you, shimmerchk from food.com, for this incredible recipe which has been said to create possibly the best brownies ever eaten by those members of our family who have tried them. I am finally officially adding this incredible recipe to our collection!

WARNING:  The recipe below is only for one 9x9 pan, but I doubt you will be making so little.  I just double it and put it in a larger pan, about 10x15.

Brownie Base Layer:
2 ounces unsweetened high quality chocolate squares
1/2 cup unsalted butter
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 ounce semisweet chocolate square

Peanut Butter Topping:
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
2-3 tbsp. heavy whipping cream

Glaze:
1 ounce semisweet baking chocolate
1 tbsp. butter

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350. In a small saucepan, melt unsweetened and semisweet chocolates with butter over low heat.  Set aside to cool slightly.  In a mixing bowl, beat eggs and sugar until light and pale colored.  Mix in 1 tsp. vanilla. Add flour, salt, and melted chocolate. Stir to combine.  Pour into a greased 9x9 baking pan.   Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until brownies test done with a toothpick coming clean but with moist crumbs clinging to it (this is important to make sure they are nice and rich and not too cooked and cakey!).  Cool.

For filling, add peanut butter and butter in a mixing bowl and mix until thoroughly combined and smooth.  Slowly add powdered sugar.  Mixture will be a bit crumbly.  Blend in cream until the mixture is fluffy and reaches your desired spreading consistency.  Spread over the cooled brownies.  Cover and chill until firm.

For glaze, melt chocolate and butter in saucepan, stir until smooth.  Drizzle over the filling.  Chill well before cutting. Let sit at room tempterature for at least 10-15 minutes before serving.

Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus

I made this recipe yesterday for a Thanksgiving appetizer and these were SO GOOD! All the grown-ups loved them, the kids not so much.

Asparagus, trimmed

Proscuitto

Italian herbed cheese spread (near cream cheeses)

Blanch the asparagus by boiling it for about four minutes. As soon as you drain the asparagus, dip it in an ice water bath to cool it. Preheat the oven to 450. While the oven is heating remove the proscuitto from the packaging and separate the slices. I cut each slice in half to make each rectangle into two squares (this helped the proscuitto go further and made the proportions better). Spread each proscuitto slice with the cheese spread and wrap individual asparagus stalks in the proscuitto. Arrange on a baking sheet and bake 15 minutes.

You can skip the blanching step if you want, but I read that it helped the asparagus to not dry out while roasting. The asparagus really was perfect, moist and easy to bite into, while the proscuitto gets a little crispy on the outside. YUM!

This can also be a side dish, just gather several stalks of asparagus into each proscuitto slice.

Tortellini Soup

I know I'm lazy at posting here, but that's because I'm lazy at typing.  A friend asked me for this recipe and so I thought I'd copy it here too....

Tortellini Soup

easy, 30 minutes prep and cook combined

heat 2 T olive oil

add 6 cloves chopped garlic (I put about 3 T of pre-chopped, refrigerated garlic)

add 48 oz chicken broth and some red pepper flakes

when boiling add tortellini (packaged in pasta aisle... I prefer the spinach and cheese for this recipe)

cook for half the tortellini cook time

add 14-28 oz crushed tomatoes (the recipe calls for 14, I always do about 26)

cook for remainder of tortellini cook time

add some fresh spinach leaves, cook for a minute or so

Tomato-Peach Salad

Had a bunch of fresh tomatoes and peaches from the farmer's market, saw this easy recipe on the food network's website, and gave it a try!  Yummy!

Ingredients:
Tomatoes
Peaches
Red onion
Cider vinegar
Olive oil
Sugar
Salt
Pepper

Cut tomatoes and peaches into wedges.  Toss these together in a bowl with thinly sliced red onion. Drizzle with cider vinegar and olive oil; season with sugar, salt and pepper.

Park City Cashew Chicken

While I have my Rachel Ray cookbook out...

I have been craving this one.  It can be very spicy, or not so spicy depending on how much chipotle in adobo you use.

Ingredients:

2 tbs. olive oil
1 tbs. unsalted butter
1 large onion, 1/4 finely chopped, 3/4 thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups brown rice
3 cups chicken stock or broth
1 1/2 pounds chicken tenders; boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into pieces
2 tbs. grill seasoning, such as McCormick's Montreal Steak Seasoning
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded and thinly sliced
3 tbs. chipotle in adobo
1 tbs. ground cumin
2 tbs. honey
1/4 cup real maple syrup
3 tbs. chopped fresh cilantro
1 cup raw cashews


Directions:

1. In a medium pot over medium heat, combine 1 tbs. olive oil and the butter. When the butter melts into the oil, add the chopped onions and cook for 2 minutes, then add the rice and cook for 3 minutes more.  Add the stock and cover the pot.  Raise the heat to bring the stock to a rapid boil.  Once the stock boils, reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the rice is tender, 17-18 minutes.
2. While the rice cooks, make the chicken.  Heat a large skillet over high heat.  Add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil, then the chicken.  Season the chicken with the grill seasoning.  Lightly brown the chicken on both sides, then move off to one side of the pan.  Add the remaining onions, the garlic, and the bell peppers.  Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, then mix the vegetables and meat together and add the chipotles and cumin.  Toss to coat.  Glaze the mixture with honey and maple syrup and turn off the heat.  Add the chopped cilantro and the nuts.
3. Top the rice with the cashew chicken and serve.