Chicken Chili Soup

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 pounds diced chicken breast meat
• 2 green bell peppers, diced
• 2 red bell peppers, diced
• 1 onion, diced
• 1/2 cup frozen corn kernels
• 4 (15 ounce) cans kidney beans with liquid
• 2 (14.5 ounce) cans diced tomatoes
• 1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 2 cups water
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

Directions

1. Coat a large pot with cooking spray and place over medium-high heat. Cook and stir chicken, bell peppers and onion until chicken is brown and peppers are just tender. Stir in corn, beans, tomatoes, tomato sauce and water. Season with chili powder, parsley, garlic powder, cayenne and cumin. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 30 minutes.

Amount Per Serving  Calories: 160 | Total Fat: 1.1g | Cholesterol: 26mg

Blueberry-Lemon Pound Cake

Ingredients

• 2 cups butter, softened
• 3 cups white sugar
• 1 cup milk, room temperature
• 6 eggs
• 2 teaspoons lemon extract
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
• 2 cups fresh blueberries

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 10 inch Bundt pan.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the lemon extract. Combine the flour, baking powder, and lemon zest; stir into the batter alternating with the milk. I like to use a spatula and stir by hand, mixing just until blended so the batter is not over mixed. Be sure to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl often. Fold in the blueberries. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan.
3. Bake for 1 hour in the preheated oven, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for at least 10 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Amount Per Serving  Calories: 509 | Total Fat: 25.5g | Cholesterol: 142mg

Homemade Chocolate

Things you'll need:

• Milk
• Cocoa beans
• Sugar
• Cocoa butter

Instructions:

1. Roast the cocoa beans in the oven or in a coffee roaster. The beans should be roasted between 5 and 35 minutes, at a temperature between 250 and 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Begin roasting the beans at the hottest temperature, gradually reducing the heat until the beans begin to crack. The cracking sound indicates the roasting is complete.

2. Shell the cocoa beans by removing the husk (outer shell) from the nib (actual bean). This process can be time consuming, since the most effective way is by hand, and is easier if the beans are roasted properly.

3. Grind the shelled beans until they become a fine chocolate liqueur. Some juicers work well for this process; otherwise it must be done by hand and can be rather messy.

4. Add cocoa butter, sugar and milk, if you'd like. Every chocolate maker uses a different recipe, so this step allows for some experimenting. Start by adding very little milk and cocoa butter.

5. Fold the chocolate continually upon itself. This is called conching, and the longer it is done, the oilier the chocolate finish will be. (The less it is done, the grittier the chocolate will turn out.) This may need to be done for hours for a smoother finish.

6. Cool the chocolate to about 90 degrees Fahrenheit and pour it into the desired mold. Use a mold to make bars or other shapes.

Hummus Pizza

Ingredients

• 1 (10 ounce) can refrigerated pizza crust dough
• 1 cup hummus spread
• 1 1/2 cups sliced bell peppers, any color
• 1 cup broccoli florets
• 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 475 degrees C (220 degrees C).
2. Roll out pizza crust and place on a pizza pan or baking sheet. Spread a thin layer of hummus over the crust. Arrange sliced peppers and broccoli over the hummus, and top with shredded cheese.
3. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes in the preheated oven, until the crust is golden brown and cheese is melted in the center. Slice and serve.

Italian Breaded Pork Chops

Ingredients

• 3 eggs, lightly beaten
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 1 1/2 cups Italian seasoned bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons dried parsley
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
• 4 pork chops

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
2. In a small bowl, beat together the eggs and milk. In a separate small bowl, mix the bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, and parsley.
3. Heat the olive oil in a large, oven-proof skillet over medium heat. Stir in the garlic, and cook until lightly browned. Remove garlic, reserving for other uses.
4. Dip each pork chop into the egg mixture, then into the bread crumb mixture, coating evenly. Place coated pork chops in the skillet, and brown abut 5 minutes on each side.
5. Place the skillet and pork chops in the preheated oven, and cook 25 minutes, or to an internal temperature of 160 degrees F (70 degrees C).

Amount Per Serving  Calories: 527 | Total Fat: 24.6g | Cholesterol: 247mg

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Spanish Braised Octopus in Paprika Sauce

Ingredients:

1-2 pounds octopus

1/2 t. salt

1 t. black pepper

3 chopped garlic cloves

1 T. sweet paprika

1/2 cup olive oil

2-3 lemons

Preparation:

Braise your octopus as directed in the instructions below.

Meanwhile, put the salt, pepper, paprika and garlic in a mortar and pound it until it is a paste. Slowly add the olive oil, stirring and mashing all the while. If you don't have a mortar and pestle, you could use a food processor, but the texture will be different.

When the octopus is tender and still warm, cut into chunks, put into a large bowl and toss with the sauce. Squeeze the juice of 1 lemon into the bowl and toss to combine.

Serve warm or at room temperature with slices of lemon.

Prep Time: 3 hours, 30 minutes

Total Time: 3 hours, 30 minutes

Banana & Cinnamon Whirls

Ingredients 

·         225g strong white flour

·         225g malted granary bread flour

·         1 tsp salt

·         1 tsp caster sugar

·         7g sachet easy-blend yeast

·         150ml warm milk

·         1 egg , beaten

·         1 tbsp olive oil

·         100-150ml warm water

·         50g unsalted butter , melted

·         4 medium bananas

·         200g dried apricots , chopped

·         2 tsp cinnamon

·         100g light muscovado sugar

·         zest 1 orange

·         4 tbsp runny honey

Directions

1.    Mix the flours and salt together in a large bowl, then stir in the sugar and yeast. Make a well in the centre of the flour and pour in the warm milk, beaten egg, olive oil and enough of the water to form a soft, wet dough.

2.    On a lightly floured surface, knead dough for 10 mins until smooth. Put the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with oiled cling film, then leave to rise in a warm place until doubled in size. The dough is now ready to be shaped.

3.    Lightly butter a 20cm square baking tin. On a floured surface, roll the dough into a rectangle approximately 30cm x 25cm and brush with melted butter.

4.    Thinly slice bananas into a bowl and mix in apricots, sugar, cinnamon and orange zest. Spoon mix over the dough, leaving a finger-width border.

5.    Roll the dough towards you from the long side of the rectangle, tucking in any banana that falls out. Press ends together to seal. With a sharp knife, cut into 9 pieces and place, cut side up, in the tin, just touching each other. Cover loosely with oiled cling film and set aside in a warm place to rise for 30 mins.

6.    Heat oven to 200C/fan180C/gas 6. Warm the honey in a pan or in the microwave on High for 5 secs, then brush half over the buns. Bake for 20-25 mins until golden. Allow to cool in the tin for 10 mins before removing to a cooling rack. Brush with the remaining honey then pull apart to serve.

Nutrition per serving:

191 kcalories, protein 5g, carbohydrate 36g, fat 4 g, saturated fat 2g, fibre 2g, sugar 18g, salt 0,32 g.

Traditional Layered French Croissants

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 4 cups all-purpose flour, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 2 (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast
• 1/4 cup lukewarm water
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon water

Directions

1. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of flour over the butter and mix it together with your hands in a mixing bowl or on a work surface. Transfer the butter to a length of foil or parchment paper and pat it into a 6 inch square. Fold up the foil to make a packet and refrigerate until chilled, about 2 hours.
2. Combine 2 cups of the flour with the salt and sugar in a mixing bowl. Dissolve the yeast in the lukewarm water (100 degrees F/38 degrees C) and set aside until frothy, about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, warm the milk and the heavy cream to lukewarm. Add the yeast, milk, and cream to the flour mixture and stir well. The dough will have a batter-like consistency.
3. Stir in the remaining 2 cups of flour 1/4 cup at a time to form a soft dough. It should no longer be sticky. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead until smooth, about 5 minutes. Place the dough in a mixing bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
4. To begin the rolling and folding process, both the butter and the dough should be at a cool room temperature. [See Cook's Note.] Place the dough on a floured surface and roll it into a 10-inch square. Set the block of butter diagonally on the square dough. Bring each point of dough to the center of the butter square; the edges of the dough should overlap. Pinch the edges together to seal.
5. Starting from the center of the square and working outward, use a rolling pin to roll the dough out into a rectangle. The butter should be pliable enough to roll smoothly with the dough; if it's too soft and starts to ooze out the corners, wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate before proceeding. Roll the dough into a long rectangle, approximately 8 by 18 inches. Fold the length of dough into thirds, like a business letter.
6. If the dough is still cool, you can continue with another fold. Otherwise, wrap it in plastic and refrigerate for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and let it warm up for about 10 minutes before you begin rolling it out again.
7. Position the dough so that the open ends are at 12 and 6 o'clock. Roll the dough into a rectangle, working from the center of the dough and pressing outwards. Reposition the dough as necessary to fit your work space. You should have a long rectangle for the "book fold." Fold both ends of the dough into the middle; the ends don't have to be touching, but should be close. Fold the already-folded dough in half; it will look like a thick book. Wrap the dough well with plastic and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours.
8. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and let it rest at room temperature for about 20 minutes. Roll the dough into a rectangle again and fold it into thirds, like a business letter. Wrap it in plastic and refrigerate for 4-6 hours or overnight.
9. To shape the croissants, roll the dough into a 10- by 38-inch rectangle on a lightly floured work surface. It should be about 1/4 inch thick. Use a pizza wheel or sharp paring knife to trim the edges of the dough. Divide the rectangle in half so that you have two 5-inch wide strips of dough. Use a clean yardstick to mark each strip into triangles that are 5 inches wide at their bases. Cut the triangles and place them onto parchment-lined baking sheets. Chill for 15 to 20 minutes, if necessary.
10. Starting at the base of the triangle, roll the dough up into a log; the tip of the triangle should be under the body of the croissant to prevent it from unraveling. Bend in the corners to form the traditional crescent shape. Repeat with the remaining dough.
11. Arrange the croissants on the parchment-lined baking sheets and allow to rise until doubled in size, about 1 to 2 hours.
12. Preheat an oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Beat the egg with the tablespoon of water to make the egg wash. Brush the croissants with egg wash and bake in the preheated oven until deep brown, 22 to 25 minutes. Cool on a rack before serving.

Amount Per Serving  Calories: 213 | Total Fat: 14g | Cholesterol: 46mg