Molten Lava Chocolate Cakes

Prep:   15 minutes   

Total:   29 minutes                                                          

4 squares Baker’s Semi-Sweet                   

   Baking Chocolate                                          

½ cup butter

1 cup powdered sugar                                   

2 eggs                                                                   

2 egg yolks                                                          

6 Tbsp. flour                                                       

PREHEAT oven to 425 degrees F.  Butter 4 (3/4-cup) custard cups or soufflé dishes. MICROWAVE chocolate and butter in large microwaveable bowl on HIGH 1 minutes or until butter is melted.  Stir with wire whisk until chocolate is completely melted.  Stir in sugar until well blended.  Whisk in eggs and egg yolks.  Stir in flour.   

Divide batter between prepared custard cups. BAKE 13 to 14 minutes or until sides are firm but centers are  soft.  Let stand 1 minute.  Carefully run a small knife around cakes to loosen.  Invert cakes onto dessert dishes.  Serve immediately.                                                                            

Makes 8 servings—1/2 molten cake each.  (I think 4 servings is more likely.)

Balti Butter Chicken

My friend Jess (from Hawaii) gave me this recipe from her stay in India when she was stationed there. This is a yumm-o dish and kid friendly! Serve on top of rice.

150 ml/ ¼ pint/ 2/3 cup plain or Greek-style yogurt

50 g/2 oz/ ½ cup ground almonds

1 ½ tsp chili powder

¼ tsp crushed bay leaves

¼ tsp ground cloves

¼ ground cinnamon

1 tsp garam masala

4 green cardamom pods (I omitted this b/c I couldn't find it)

1 tsp ginger pulp

1 tsp garlic pulp

400 g/14 oz/2 cups diced tomatoes (I used canned)

1 ¼ tsp salt

1 kg/2 lb/6 ½ cups chicken, skinned, boned and cubed

75 g/3oz/6 Tbsp butter

1 Tbsp canola or corn oil

2 medium onions, chopped or sliced

2 Tbsp chopped fresh coriander (cilantro)

4 Tbsp single (light) or double (heavy) cream, to taste

1.     Put the yogurt, ground almonds, all the dry spices, ginger, garlic, tomatoes and salt into a mixing bowl and blend together thoroughly.

2.     Put the chicken into a large mixing bowl and pour over the yogurt mixture.  Set aside.

3.     Melt together the butter and oil in a medium karahi or deep round-bottomed skillet.  Add the onions and fry for about 3 minutes.

4.     Add the chicken mixture and stir-fry for 7-10 minutes.

5.     Stir in about half of the cilantro and mix well.

6.     Pour over the cream and stir in well.  Bring to a boil.  Serve garnished with the remaining chopped coriander.
Serves 4-6

Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins (browneyedbaker.com)
Yield: 12 muffins
Prep Time: 20 minutes | Bake Time: 18 to 20 minutes

2/3 cup sugar
Grated zest and juice of 2 lemons
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
¾ cup sour cream (I used plain yogurt because I didn't have sour cream)
2 eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
½ cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 tablespoons poppy seeds

1. Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Butter or spray the 12 molds in a regular-size muffin pan or fit the molds with paper muffin cups.
2. In a large bowl, rub the sugar and lemon zest together with your fingertips until the sugar is moist and the fragrance of lemon strong. Whisk in the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a large glass measuring cup or another bowl, whisk the sour cream, eggs, vanilla, lemon juice and melted butter together until well blended. Pour the liquid ingredients over the dry ingredients and, with the whisk or a rubber spatula, gently but quickly stir to blend. Don’t worry about being thorough – a few lumps are better than over mixing the batter. Stir in the poppy seeds. Divide the batter evenly among the muffins cups.
3. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until the tops are golden and a thin knife inserted into the center of the muffins comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a rack and cool for 5 minutes before carefully removing each muffin from its mold. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature.

Vegetable Stir-Fry

I posted this because I loved the light flavor. I just used frozen veggies and whatever fresh stuff I had but I mainly wanted to post this because of the sauce. And if we weren't in a tofu mood I would add chicken instead.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and julienned
• 1 yellow bell pepper, cored, seeded, and julienned
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
• 1 cup half-moon sliced yellow squash
• 1 cup small broccoli florets
• 1 baby eggplant, cut into chunks
• 8 ounces firm tofu, cut into large chunks
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup teriyaki sauce (check the label: no more than 2 grams sugar per serving)
• 2 cups sliced bok choy
• 1 cup fresh mung bean sprouts
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 cup snow pea
• 2 tablespoons sesame oil

Directions

Start by preparing and cutting all the vegetables and measuring your ingredients so that they are ready to go. Once you begin stir-frying, it goes very quickly.

In a wok or large skillet, heat canola oil over high heat until almost smoking. Add the peppers and onion while stirring constantly. While continuing to stir, add successively the squash, broccoli, eggplant, tofu, garlic, and teriyaki sauce. Cook, stirring, constantly for 2 minutes. Add the bok choy, sprouts, pepper, and salt and cook, stirring, until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes more.

Stir in snow peas and sesame oil and remove from heat. Serve immediately. 

Chicken Monterey

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter, divided
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 8 large mushrooms, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 1 teaspoon celery salt (I omitted this because I didn't have it)
• 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1 1/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• salt and pepper to taste
• 8 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - pounded thin

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Lightly grease a medium baking dish.
2. Melt 1/4 cup butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Stir in onion, mushrooms and garlic. Cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in 2 tablespoons flour, chicken stock, celery salt, white pepper and white wine. Reduce heat to low, and cook, stirring frequently, until thickened and well blended, about 10 minutes. Mix 1/2 cup Monterey Jack cheese into the thickened sauce mixture, and stir until melted.
3. In a shallow medium bowl, mix 1 cup flour with salt and pepper. Dredge chicken breast halves in the flour mixture to coat. Melt remaining 1/4 cup butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Cook chicken until lightly browned on all sides. Arrange breast halves in the prepared baking dish, and cover with the sauce.
4. Top chicken breast halves with remaining Monterey Jack cheese. Bake in the preheated oven 25 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear.