Chocolate Covered Strawberries

Valentine's day is just around the corner and I am sure you're scrambling all prepared. In case you've been "too busy with work" or whatever else you tell yourself I am going to give you something so easy you have no excuse not to knock someone's socks off with your thoughtfulness and culinary abilities. Seriously, everyone loves these so make a big batch and bring them to the office, your man-hating girls happy hour, or simply make them for your boyfriend (this is my personal fave because then you get to eat them, all while doing a good deed).

Ingredients: Strawberries + Milk Chocolate + White Chocolate (optional)

Kitchen Equipment: Medium-sized Pot, Small Metal Mixing Bowl, Wax Paper, and Baking Sheets

1) First we are going to assemble our double boiler. Don't run for the hills! This is as complicated as it gets. Fill your pot with water, place your metal mixing bowl over it. Pick up the mixing bowl and inspect the bottom. If it's wet you've added too much water. The steam is what will melt the chocolate, you don't want the bottom of your bowl to come in direct contact with boiling water. This is what your double boiler should look like:

2) Set your stove to the lowest setting. Break up your chocolate into pieces and watch it melt. Stir occasionally.

3) Once you're chocolate is all melted. You are ready to start making your strawberries. Dip your strawberry in the chocolate. Place the finished product on a baking sheet lined with wax paper.

4) Refrigerate until the chocolate is nice and hard.

*I like to use both milk and white chocolate and have a little fun. My favorite is the half and half.

Roasted Salmon with Green Herbs

Typically I gravitate towards recipes that are easy simple enough that they require one hour from start to finish max while still tasting delicious. Presentation is usually the least of my concerns. This dish is not your average dinner dish. It's more of an 'impress dinner company' dish. We all need at least one in our arsenal and I am sharing mine with you (recipe here). Not only is it impressive it is very easy to make. So please wipe the smirk off your face when the aforementioned company is ooh-ing and aah-ing at your culinary skills, it is just not polite.

Apple Chips

I'm a big fan of the promise the new year brings. I love the idea of constantly improving and re-inventing oneself. And I have yet to meet someone whose resolutions don't include improving their health and wellness through fitness and diet. If you are one of those people I actually don't want to meet you. So maybe you should go now. Without further ado here is my small contribution to helping those with similar agendas as mine in 2012. Meet one of my favorite snacks the apple chip!

They get bonus points for making your home smell amazing. They are also simple to make and require very few ingredients. Let's get started!

 

Ingredients: apples + cinnamon 

1) Preheat your oven to 275 degrees Fahrenheit. Core your apples; I like to use a potato peeler. 

2) Slice your apples thinly. If you have amazing knife skills use a knife. If you don't invest in a mandolin. This is my mandolin of choice.

3) Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place your apple slices on it. Sprinkle with cinnamon.

4) Bake at 275 degrees Fahrenheit for one hour and then flip. Bake for one more hour, checking them halfway.

Congratulations you made apple chips!

Thumbprint Cookies

These cookies have always been a constant in my life. As a child I loved to find the ones with the most jam. This week I baked up a batch to get more in the holiday spirit. They are not the simplest of cookies but I think they are worth the trouble. And Christmas wouldn't be Christmas for me without thumbprint cookies.

Thumbprint Cookies

1/4 cup butter (softened)

1/4 cup shortening

1/4 brown sugar

1 egg, white and yolk separated

1/2 teaspoon vainilla

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup crushed pecans

1/2 cup strawberry jam

-Preheat oven to 390 degrees Fahrenheit.

-In a stand mixer (or with a hand mixer) combine butter, shortening, sugar, egg yolk, and vanilla until it is all creamed and combined. Add the flour little by little to this mixture.

-Roll the dough into small balls (larger than a marble). Lightly beat the egg white with a fork. Dip balls into the egg wash and then roll in the pecans. Re-form the balls so that the pecans are incorporated into the dough. Place on a greased baking sheet and poke a hole in the middle with your finger. You may need to pinch the edges back into shape.

-Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely. Microwave the strawberry jam for 20 seconds. Spoon the jam into the center of the cookies.

Sweet Potato Soup

This past weekend I found myself craving Thanksgiving dinner. Rather than attempt the impossible I decided to isolate a main component (sweet potatoes) and re-work it using this recipe*. The results definitely satisfied my craving and I think I will be able to wait until next year. I'm a huge fan of soup and sandwich combos so I accompanied my soup with a pita.

 

 

*At the end I decided to add an additional cup of vegetable stock. It's up to you to decide what consistency you would like.