Chocolate...Need I say More?

I have a slight obsession with Nutella. When I go grocery shopping I literally have to stop myself from buying it because I will seriously eat the whole container within days of purchase and, to top it all off, I will find anything and everything to eat with it.

However, I feel that birthdays give me a valid reason to incorporate a little Nutella into my life. So, when I recently had to make a birthday cake for a loved one, I searched like a mad woman  stumbled upon an amazing recipe by Nigella Lawson for a flourless chocolate Nutella cake. Nigella's recipe is written using metric measurements, but I was lucky enough to find an adaptation via The Painted Peach blog. I topped mine off with raspberries and the recommended toasted hazelnuts, but I think that quartered strawberries would be really yummy, too!

Enjoy!

Nutella Cake with Chocolate Hazelnut Ganache

Adapted from Nigella Lawson via The Painted Peach

Cake:
6 large eggs, separated
pinch salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 13-ounce container Nutellla
1 tablespoon rum
1/2 cup finely ground hazelnuts
4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, melted and
cooled

Ganache:
4 ounces whole hazelnuts
1/2 cup half and half (she calls for heavy cream but I was out, half and half worked well)
1 tablespoon rum
4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
whisk the egg whites and salt until stiff. In another bowl, cream the butter and Nutella, then add
the rum, egg yolks, and ground hazelnuts. Fold in melted chocolate.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees; butter a 9-inch springform pan. In a large bowl (preferably metal),

Add a blob of beaten egg whites to the chocolate batter, and mix gently until well-combined. Fold in the remaining whites, one-third at a time, very gently but thoroughly. Pour into springform and bake for 40 minutes. Test for doneness by inserting tester, which should come out mostly clean; lightly pressing finger into top to check for a slight bouncing-back; and observing edges beginning to separate from pan. Let cool completely, in pan, on a rack.

Toast the hazelnuts in a dry skillet, or toaster oven shaking them around frequently. Do it for about 4 minutes, or until they are lightly browned, then let cool completely. If hazelnuts came with skins on, put them in a towel after toasting and rub around; this will remove most of the skins.

Chop chocolate, and add to sauce pan with half and half and rum over medium-low heat. Once chocolate is melted and components are combined, whisk until mixture reaches desired thickness, then cool. Remove rim of cake pan and pour cooled ganache over, spreading lightly to create a smooth, shiny surface, and apply hazelnuts all over.

Birthday Season

It's officially "Birthday Season" in my home.  I have 5 family birthdays to celebrate (including the Husband) in a 6 week time span. That makes for a lot of birthday shopping in a very short amount of time. It also forces me to get a little creative; four out of the five people celebrating birthdays will be at each others birthday celebration and, I want to make sure that each has their own unique gift.

Thus, I squealed with delight when while reading the most recent edition of Everyday with Rachael Ray, I came across a feature about Serenade Chocolatier. Their chocolate creations are literally works of art and one of my favorites is this beauty:

 The cakes are from their Piñata Cakes  collection and they are absolutely divine. The recipient gets a "chocolate cake" along with a mallet. They then get to use the mallet to break through the decadent chocolate shell to find that the cake is filled with a plethora of goodies. It's the perfect (and delicious) gift for the person who has everything!

Images via Seranade Chocolatier

Black Bean Quesadillas

I'm always on the quest to find vegetarian recipes that will satisfy both myself and my meat-and-potato-loving husband (neither of us are vegetarian). I believe that eating meatless several times a week for non-vegetarians has a multitude of health benefits, and when planned correctly, can save money, too! This recipe satisfies both criteria- it's a tasty recipe that is easy on the wallet.

So, is there anything that can make this recipe even better? Why yes, there is. It takes about five minutes to prep and about 10 minutes in the oven- woo hoo!

I originally found the idea recipe on Real Simple Magazine's website, but made some adjustments to it. Also, I've used both store bought salsa as well as this homemade recipe that I found via Pinterest- it's delicious both ways!

This recipe also gets better the longer the bean and corn mixture sits. I often make it the night before we're having it which lets the flavors come together overnight.

fresh avocado and salsa are my favorite ways to finish this dish

Black Bean Quesadillas

Adapted from Real Simple Magazine

1 15.5 oz can black beans, drained

1 11 oz, drained

3/4 c salsa, drained
3 tbsp. adobo sauce

1 tsp freshly squeezed lime juice

1/2 tsp. ground cumin

1 1/2 c shredded Monterey Jack cheese (Mexican Cheese blends work well, too)

8 flour tortillas    

Cooking spray (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Lightly spray tortillas with cooking spray (this helps make them get slightly crunchy and crusty while cooking). 

Drain and rinse black beans. Transfer to a paper towel to remove any excess moisture. Repeat with corn. Combine black beans, corn, salsa, lime juice, and cumin in a bowl. Stir gently to combine.

Place four tortillas on baking sheet and divide the cheese among them. Using a slotted spoon, top each tortilla with the bean and corn mixture; top with the remaining tortillas. 

Bake in the oven for 7-10 minutes until the cheese is melted. Flip halfway through cooking time to allow the tortillas to crisp up. 

Garnish with additional salsa, sour cream, chopped cilantro, or red onion. 

Note: If you'd prefer to not have a vegetarian dish, you can add in chicken, beef, pork, or shrimp- any of the above leftovers work beautifully in this dish. Also, when you buy a can of chipotles in adobo sauce it keeps in the refrigerator for a very long time. 

All I Want...

I'm a fan of Jenny Steffens Hobick. Ok, I'm a big fan. Her lifestyle trips, recipes, and home decor tips are to die for. In the past few months that I've been following her blog I've become infatuated with the idea of getting a pasta machine. She's constantly making the most amazing pasta dishes with the help of her handy dandy pasta machine. However, what really pushed me in more recent weeks to seriously consider purchasing one was this recipe from her blog. I mean, homemade pasta is always to die for, and she makes it look so easy.

Santa didn't bring me one this year, so I think I'm going to start saving my pennies.

(Image via Williams Sonoma)

What is your kitchen must have for 2012?

Bring On 2012!

I've been absent for a while. Ok, a long time. Between moving and starting a new job, things got a little crazy, ya know?

Anyways, winter is here, and so is my one of my favorite months- January! January is a month that brings new beginnings; hence my rededication to blogging (I may also be biased because it may or may not be my birthday month!).

Things have been unseasonably warm since the start of 2012, but are starting to take a turn for the cooler and I decided to cook up one of my favorite cold weather dishes (it's actually great anytime of year, though!). I like to serve it with rice and green beans, but you can serve pretty much anything with it. It's a great recipe to cook for a date night, and it also freezes well (and it's budget friendly!!).

It's adapted from one of my favorite blogs, This Week for Dinner. I've made a few changes to the recipe, so if you'd like to check out the original, click here.

Orange Chicken
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed and trimmed of any fat
1/2 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/ teaspoon pepper
3 tablespoons butter (don't leave this out!)

Sauce:
3 tablespoons brown sugar
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
4 green onions, thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups orange juice
11 ounce can Mandarin Oranges, with juice
1/2 teaspoons nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

Preparation:
Combine flour, salt, and pepper in a zipper top plastic bag. Add cut up chicken to bag. Shake bag until chicken is thoroughly coated.

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. In small batches (about 8 pieces of chicken), brown chicken on each side. Remove from pan and add next batch.

In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients for sauce. Whisk well. Add to pan with all of the chicken, scraping up browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Bring ingredients to a simmer and cover. Cook for 20 minutes, or until chicken is thoroughly cooked.

Add in mandarin oranges with juices. Tip lid slightly, and cook for 15 minutes, or until sauce has thickened.

Serve and enjoy.