Chicken in Dark Cocoa and Fig Sauce

The combination of dark cocoa powder and dried figs in a pan sauce takes this chicken dish from good to awesome in my kitchen, at least for the other adult in the household. Not being a fan of chicken or other meats, I can take it or leave it.

Some sauteed onions and colorful mini peppers form the base for the sauce while dried figs and a dollop of fig preserves plus the dark cocoa bring the earthy deliciousness that is hard to describe.

Ingredients
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into thin strips for easy cooking
1 medium onions, diced finely
6 mini red, yellow, orange peppers, diced finely
2 Tbsp dark cocoa powder
2 Tbsp fig preserves
4 dried figs, reconstituted in red wine, coarsely minced or ground
1 Tbsp homemade Taco Seasoning
1 Tbsp lemon pepper seasoning
salt to taste
2 Tbsp olive oil

Preparation

1. Heat the oil in a pan, add the onions and bell peppers, the seasoning and saute
2. Add the chicken strips, cocoa powder and fig preserves plus the minced figs in red wine
3. Stir well, add just enough water, cover and cook at medium heat till chicken in cooked and the sauce has the desired consistency - not too runny, not too goopy
4. Serve with Black bean rice and some steamed broccoli

Black bean rice:

1. Heat 1 Tbsp of oil in a pan
2. Add a teaspoon each of sage powder, paprika, and Italian seasoning mix, then add 2 cups of cooked and seasoned black beans, stir well
3. Add 4 to 5 cups of cooked rice, sprinkle some salt to taste, stir well, turn off heat, serve warm

Chocolate Bowl Filled with Marzipan Vegetables and Fruits

Since Papa doesn't like cake much, and since we indulge in desserts only for special occasions, we were wondering what to make for his birthday.

When the nine year old got interested in it, there was no turning back - we made mini chocolate bowls and filled it with mini marzipan veggies (and fruits).

We used the balloon method for making the mini bowls, about 2.5 inches at its widest, and about 1.5 inches tall. The nine year old went for the marbling effect, and the asymmetric tulip-like petal effects. Since this was her first attempt, it was just fine despite the imperfections.

We also made chocolate cups using silicone cupcake mold.

The marzipan veggies and fruits: carrots, green beans, artichoke, eggplant, strawberries, pear, watermelon, oranges. This was the favorite part as the little girl still loves to play with play dough and make shaped things that look like other real things. And working with marzipan was just like playing with play dough.

And some marzipan-filled confections.

Moo-less Dark Chocolate Pie

Now, technically, I'd like to call it Silken Soy Dark Chocolate with Agave Nectar and Splenda™ Filling on a Chocolate Wafer Crust. And that says it all, there is the recipe!

I've started loving silken soy tofu nowadays and find ways to use it more in my dishes. I used to buy it before, let it sit in the fridge for weeks, and dump it in the compost when it went past its prime, untasted, mostly for want of inspiration...

A web search will produce quite a good set of results for 'moo-less chocolate pie' and this recipe is an adaptation of one of the classic moo-less chocolate pie recipes I found (and didn't bookmark).

I am partial to dark chocolate. Milk chocolate is too sweet and cloying for my tastes. And D likes dark chocolate a lot too (72% or higher). So, this is a slight variation of the original moo-less chocolate pie recipe - a version I like to think is slightly "healthier" so I can eat that large slice without feeling terribly guilty :)

I went easy on the sugar and used dark unsweetened chocolate (bittersweet) along with some dark lightly sweetened chocolate (72%) for this recipe, some Splenda™ and some agave nectar.

Ingredients
1 block silken tofu
4 Tbsp Kahlúa or Toussaint or other coffee liquer (optional)
4 Tbsp Splenda™
4 Tbsp light brown sugar
6 Tbsp Agave nectar
1 cup bittersweet chocolate
1½ cups sweetened dark chocolate
1 prepared chocolate wafer crust (or Graham cracker crust if preferred)

Preparation

1. Melt the chocolate in a double-boiler - simply boil water in a large pot and put the chocolate in a smaller pot that fits inside this larger pot and stir till it melts, adding 1-2 Tbsp of water as needed, not too much though
2. Add the liqueur and the rest of the ingredients (not the crust) and blend/whip on medium speed till very smooth
3. Pour into the crust and refrigerate for about 4 hours till firm enough for your tastes; I leave it in the freezer for an hour before serving so it is easier to slice and serve

molten chocolate cupcake

I am not really a cupcake fan, but, this one was asking to be made...

I found a used copy of Cupcakes by Susanna Tee - just exclusively cupcakes - at my local bookstore pleading, "Take me home, please", and I had to :)

Of course, as with music CDs, I rarely find one book with only the recipes I like and want. Same with this cupcake book. But, there were enough good recipes in there (plus it was under $5) that I decided to get it a week before my baby's birthday: I was planning to make mini cupcakes of various sorts for her birthday, but, decided to make teddy bear cakes instead.

Anyway, the molten center of the cupcake made this appealing. Simply place a little bit of your favorite chocolate into the center of the cupcake batter before baking; bake as usual; and serve warm. The chocolate inside is perfectly melted and just oozes out. I was a bit conservative as seen in picture above, but next time I think I will add more chocolate to the center ;)

And what was more appealing to me was that this was one of the recipes in the book that made up a small batch - just 6 regular cupcakes. Usually, if I try to halve the proportions of the ingredients of a standard baking recipe they don't turn out right.

Of course, as always, I could not help meddling - the recipe here is slightly different from the one in the book :) But it turned out alright...

Ingredients

4 Tbsp butter
½ cup baker's sugar
1 large egg
2/3 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder^**
1 Tbsp Hersheys Special Dark™ cocoa powder^*
2 oz dark or semi-sweet chocolate
powdered sugar for dusting (optional)

^*or any other cocoa powder you like
^**my baking powder is old, so, if using fresh baking powder, reduce the amount a little

Preparation

Heat the oven to 375°F; place 6 paper baking cases in a muffin pan, or double layered paper cases on a baking sheet

combine all ingredients, (except the chocolate and sugar for dusting), and beat with electric whisk till just smooth, no need to over beat

spoon some batter into the paper case, just half way, add the chocolate, spoon more batter to fill the paper case

bake for about 20 minutes or until risen and springy to the touch

Remove from oven and let it rest for a few minutes before serving. Dust with powdered sugar, if desired.