Finally...a decent Hot Cocoa mix

 Being diabetic, I rarely get to savor some of my favorite things. A cup of cocoa or a shot of cocoa to my coffee sometimes makes the day bearable. I’ve tried a few mixes and concoctions I have not cared much for. This time I think I found the right recipe that hit the right notes and I subbed the sugar with a Stevia. 

This mix will make about 9 cups and last a few months in a sealed jar.

1/2 c sugar or Stevia

1/2 c cocoa I use Hershey Special Dark

3 ounces of chopped semi sweet chocolate I used Trader Joe’s Dark Chocolate

1 teaspoon of  cornstarch 

1/2 t vanilla extract

Pinch of salt

I also added a bit of Cayenne pepper

Give this a whir in the food processor till a fine powder. 3 tablespoons in a cup of steaming milk, a dollop of whipped cream and you’re ready to rock. 

Lamb and Chickpea Curry

 

  Lamb and Chickpea Curry

by Ina Garten

Ingredients:

2 pounds boneless lamb shoulder (not tied), gristle and fat removed, and 1-inch diced 1/4 cup Madras curry powder

1 teaspoon ground paprika

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon roughly minced fresh rosemary leaves 1 teaspoon roughly minced fresh thyme leaves 1/2 teaspoon ground fennel seeds

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup good olive oil

1 cup chopped yellow onion

1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger

2 teaspoons minced garlic (2 cloves)

2 cups chicken stock, or vegetable stock, both preferably homemade 1 (13.5-ounce) can coconut milk

1/2 cup dry white wine

1/2 cup tomato paste (6 ounces)

1/2 cup dark brown sugar, lightly packed

3 tablespoons pure maple syrup

2 tablespoons harissa

1 cup (3/4-inch-diced) carrots (4 carrots)

1 cup (3/4-inch-diced) celery (2 large stalks)

1/2 cup golden raisins

 

 4 cups canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained (45 ounces) Steamed basmati rice, for serving

Plain whole milk Greek yogurt, for serving

Whole fresh parsley or cilantro leaves, for serving

Directions:Place the cubed lamb in a large bowl. In a medium bowl, combine the curry powder, paprika, cumin, rosemary, thyme, fennel, 2 tablespoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Add the seasonings to the lamb, toss well to coat, and set aside for 15 to 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large (11-inch) Dutch oven, such as Le Creuset, over medium heat. Add the onion and ginger and saute for 5 minutes, until the onion is translucent. Add the garlic and cook for one minute. Raise the heat to medium high, add the lamb and all the seasonings in the bowl, and saute for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the lamb is evenly browned. Add the chicken stock, coconut milk, wine, tomato paste, brown sugar, maple syrup, and harissa. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer, partially covered, for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

Add the carrots, celery, raisins, chickpeas, and 2 teaspoons salt, bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer, partially covered, for another 30 minutes. Serve hot in shallow bowls with the rice, a dollop of yogurt, and a sprinkling of parsley.

Cooks note:  I added a few chopped chick thighs to the marinade with the lamb to up the protein. My lovely bride does not care for lamb but this dish really made it very palatable and delicious. I added only one can of beans but 2 would be great also. Great dish with a little heat. Add a squeeze of lime and sprinkle of Cilantro to finish. I know Ina does not care for Cilantro but it really makes the dish. Yum! 

"Cook Like a Pro" by Ina Garten © Clarkson Potter 2018. Provided courtesy of Ina Garten. All rights reserved.

https://food-network.app.link/Ta970jHvbcb

 

Soup du Jour...Chicken, Sausage and Cannellini Bean

 We had a pizza last Friday and half the cooked sausage I topped the pizza with haunted me in the fridge. I picked up a few key ingredients at the market today and assembled a great, hearty soup/stew for dinner tonight. 

6 oz cooked Hot Italian Sausage

4 chicken thighs, skin and bone

2 T olive oil

1 medium onion

2 stalks of celery

2 cubed carrots

2 cloves garlic minced

1 carton chicken stock

1 tin of Fire Roasted tomatoes 

1 tin of Cannellini Beans, drained

2 handfuls fresh spinach

2 bay leaves

1 tsp Thyme

1 tbls Italian seasoning

Shredded Parmesan for garnish. 

In a 5 Quart Dutch oven....Cut the sausage into bite size chunks. Sauté till cooked thru. Remove from pan and use the fat for the chicken, adding the olive oil if needed. Salt the thighs and cook them in the reserved fat  till the skin is browned, about 3-4 minutes on each side, then remove from pan

Add the onion, celery, carrots and garlic and sauté till softened, adding a little more oil if needed, then deglaze the pan with a bit of the stock. 

Add the sausage and chicken back to the pot with the tomatoes and spices.  Simmer slowly for 30 mins covered with lid askew. Remove the chicken and shred the meat. Discard the bones and skin. Add the beans and spinach to the pot. Remove the bay leaves and bring to a boil then turn off the heat. Cover a let sit till ready to serve. A little shredded cheese on top would be great. 

Butternut Squash and Sage Ravioli

 I still had some lingering foodstuff from Thankgiving so first I used the leftover mashed potatoes and made Graffe Napolitano doughnuts. The the roasted butternut squash caught my eye. It was going to be a curried soup but I was inspired to use a couple of ravioli cutters I spied in the drawer. 

Finished product.

Amazing that the garden still has fresh sage despite the temps outside so I harvested a bit and hit the squash with some cream and the immersion blender. It turned into a nice thick paste to use for the filling. Made some pasta dough and rolled it out to form the raviolis. Note to self: use the thinest setting as the pasta swells a bit and I thought it to thick in the final product. The topping was sage infused brown butter and a sprinkling of grated cheese.