Recipe: Zucchini Flan

Zucchini Flan

Yield: Serves 4

From: LSU Art Professor Michael Crespo who loves to recreate dishes he enjoyed during his travels.


Ingredients:


3 large shallots

1 small to medium zucchini

2 Tablespoons butter

1 Tablespoon olive oil

Salt

Garam masala or curry powder

6 egg yolks

2 cups half-and-half

6 stems fresh thyme, about 3 inches long

Directions: Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Halve the shallot bulbs and slice very fine. Halve the zucchini lengthwise and slice into very thin half moons.

Preheat the butter and oil in a small sauté pan over medium heat and add the shallots. Sauté until the shallots begin to brown nicely, 10 to 15 minutes. Add the zucchini and cool until they are cooked through, not soggy. Salt to taste.

Spoon the shallot/zucchini mixture equally into four (6 to 8 oz.) custard cups. Add a TINY pinch of garam masala or curry powder to each (no more than 1/8 teaspoon per cup). Set aside.

Whisk the egg yolks together until well blended. In a saucepan, bring the half-and-half, 1 ½ teaspoons salt and thyme to a boil. Remove from heat immediately. Cover and let stand for 10 minutes. Strain the milk into a bowl or measuring cup and slowly dribble into the egg yolks, whisking all the time. Pour the egg and cream mixture equally into the custard cups.

Place the cups in a baking pan. Add enough hot water to the pan to come within an inch of the tops of the cups. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake on the top shelf of the oven for 30 minutes. Remove and check to see if the custards have set. If not, cover again and cook a bit longer.

When done, remove from the hot water and cool to room temperature. To serve, run a small knife around the inside of the cup to loosen the sides. Invert over the serving plate, jiggle slightly and the flans will release from the cups. (If you are nervous about removing from the cups, serve in the cups like puddings.) Flans should be eaten at room temperature and may be prepared ahead of time. Serves 4.

Note: For other recipes visit my other fun blog –
Romancing The Chocolate

Recipe: Macaroon Kiss Cookies

Macaroon Kiss cookies

This is a long time favorite cookie here in America! Who doesn't love the wonderful synergistic combination of coconut and chocolate?

Ever since Hawaii became an American state this country has had a love affair with their food products like coconut. Europeans especially love the Hawaii hazelnut and use it extensively in their chocolates.



Ingredients:


1/3 cup butter, softened

3oz cream cheese, softened

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 egg yolk

2 teaspoons almond extract

2 teaspoons orange juice

1 1/2 cups unsifted all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

5 cups flaked coconut

Chocolate kisses


Directions: Preheat oven to 350° F.

Cream together butter, cream cheese and sugar in large bowl until light and fluffy.

Add egg yolk, almond extract and orange juice; beat well.

Combine flour, baking powder and salt, gradually add to creamed mixture.

Stir in 3 cups coconut. Cover tightly and chill 1 hour.

Shape dough into 1" balls, roll in remaining coconut. Place on ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake for 10 - 12 minutes, or until lightly browned.

Remove from oven; immediately top with a chocolate kiss. Let cool on a wire rack.

Note: For other recipes visit my other fun blog:
Comfort Food From Louisiana

Recipe: Smoky Chicken Chili

During the winter months many of us like to turn to serving up bowls of hot chili. Sometimes the beef version is far too spicy and heavy and we want a change of pace.

How about using that rotisserie chicken from the grocery store or a smoked chicken from your favorite deli to make that lighter version of your favorite chili?

Instead of the usual heavier red kidney beans why not try a change of pace with earthy black beans and nutty white beans to compliment a lighter meat like chicken?

Remember: to cut the spicy heat stir in some sour cream as dairy products are stellar at standing in for the local fire department, instantly dousing that fiery heat!


Smoky Chicken Chili


Yield: Makes 9 cups

Preparation time: 15 minutes to assemble plus 1 hour 15 minutes cooking time

From: Southern Living magazine


Ingredients:

2 poblano chile peppers, chopped

1 large red bell pepper, chopped

1 medium-sized onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 Tablespoons olive oil

2 (14 ½ oz.) cans zesty chili-style diced tomatoes
(Del Monte brand)

1 (16 oz.) can navy beans (in Louisiana use Camellia brand
cream-style white beans)

1 (15 oz.) can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 (12 oz.) can beer OR 1 ½ cups low-sodium chicken broth

1 (1.25 oz.) envelope white chicken chili seasoning mix
(McCormick brand)


Toppings: shredded cheddar cheese, chopped fresh cilantro, sour cream, lime wedges, baby corn, sliced black olives, chopped red onion, tortilla chips



Directions: Sauté first 4 ingredients in hot oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat 8 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Stir in diced tomatoes and next 5 ingredients.

Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, 1 hour. Serve with desired toppings.

Note: For other recipes visit my other fun blog –
Romancing The Chocolate

Recipe: Bittersweet Chocolate Tarts

Here's an awesome easy chocolate tart for the true chocolate lover!


Bittersweet Chocolate Tarts

From: Pastry Chef Shirl Gard,
The Old Inn On The Green and Gedney Farm - New Marlborough, Massachusetts

Yield: 8 tarts

Special Equipment: eight 3 1/2” fluted tart pans



Ingredients for Chocolate Tart dough:


1 ¾ cups all purpose flour, sifted

½ cup cake flour, sifted

3 Tablespoons cocoa powder, sifted

¼ cup toasted, skinned hazelnuts

3 Tablespoons sugar

9 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

5 Tablespoons confectioners’ sugar, sifted

1 large egg


Ingredients for Dark Chocolate Filling:


1 pound bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

1 ½ cups heavy cream

1 cup whole milk

2 large eggs

2 large egg YOLKS

6 Tablespoons superfine sugar


Directions to make dough: In bowl, whisk together flours and cocoa powder until well blended; set aside.

In bowl of food processor, combine hazelnuts and sugar and process until nuts are finely ground.

In electric mixer, using paddle attachment, mix butter with confectioners’ sugar at medium speed until blended, about 1 minute. Add ground hazelnut mixture and mix until blended. Add egg and mix until combined. Add flour mixture at low speed, mixing just until mixture starts to come together as dough. Scrape dough out onto work surface and shape into disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.


Roll and bake tart shells: On a lightly floured work surface, roll dough out to a thickness of about 1/8-inch. Using a small plate or cutter as a guide, cut out eight 5” circles from dough. Ease dough circles into eight 3 1/2” tart pans, pressing dough against bottom and sides. Roll pin over top of tart pan to remove excess dough. Place dough-lined pans in freezer for at least 20 minutes before baking.

Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 325° F. Arrange tart pans on baking sheet and bake for about 15 minutes, until no longer shiny. Transfer pans to wire rack and cool completely. Reduce oven temperature to 225° F.


Directions to make the Filling: Place chopped chocolate in medium bowl and set aside.

In small saucepan, combine cream and milk and place over medium heat until simmering. Pour hot cream mixture over chocolate and let stand 30 seconds to melt chocolate. Swirl gently with a rubber spatula until chocolate is completely melted and mixture is smooth and shiny. Cool for 10 minutes.


In small bowl, whisk together eggs, yolks and sugar. Whisk into cooled chocolate mixture. Pass through fine-mesh sieve into large glass measure with pouring spout. Place tart pans on baking sheet and pour chocolate filling into shells, filling them to within 1/8-inch from top.

Bake tarts for about 30 minutes, until shiny and almost completely set. Filling should not be puffed around edges. Cool slightly and serve warm or cool completely and serve at room temperature.


Pastry Chef Shirl Gard
The Old Inn On The Green and Gedney Farm
Route 57
New Marlborough, Massachusetts 01230
1 – 800 – 286 - 3139

Note: For other recipes visit my other fun blog:
Comfort Food From Louisiana

Recipe: Earlene's Easy Hoppin' John Soup for the New Year!

Earlene’s Easy Hoppin’ John Soup

After a devastating 2008 full of nature’s hurricanes and the financial ones like job loss, bankruptcy both personal and business and home foreclosures, there are a millions of Americans who could sure use some good luck right about now.

Life events like these that probably precipitated recipes to start off the New Year with good luck. Everyone wants a prosperous easier life when battered by harsh financial or health winds.

This recipe serves 6. From Earlene Richards Strother of Clayton, Georgia.

Ingredients:

1 medium onion, chopped

1 Tablespoon chopped garlic

2 Tablespoons olive oil

2 Tablespoons flour

1 (10-oz.) can Ro-tel tomatoes (I use original; you may want to use the mild version. Ro-tel tomatoes are diced with jalapenos.)

1 can chicken broth

4 to 6 ozs. chopped Black Forest (or other deli ham)

2 cans black-eyed peas (I use Bush’s brand)

Cooked rice

Sour cream, chopped green onions and cornbread, optional


Directions:

Sauté onion and garlic in olive oil. Stir in flour when sautéed. Coat onion and garlic with the flour.

Add Ro-tel tomatoes and about ½ can of chicken broth and stir.

Add ham. Stir and reduce heat.

Process one can of black-eyed peas in blender or food processor until creamy. Add to mixture.

Add remaining can of whole peas.

Stir and simmer about 20 minutes. Add remaining chicken broth as needed for desired soup thickness. The soup does NOT seem to need salt added.

Serve over a scoop of cooked hot rice. Garnish with a dollop of sour cream and chopped green onions. A good slice of cornbread goes well with this.