Rich Mocha Fudge Brownies (Dairy Free)

Trigger warning:
My family has been eating a lot more wheat-free, no sugar added, raw, nutrient-rich things. This is NOT one of those things.

This recipe is based on a well tested recipe from America's Test Kitchen for chewy brownies. I've adjusted to make them with available, dairy free, ingredients, and more rich chocolate and fudgy.

These brownies are a real show-stopper, and they are relatively easy to make in that they don't require a mixer, separate mixing bowls, or whipping anything into "peaks."

YIELD: at least 24 very rich brownies, or one 9x13 pan or "half pan"

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/3-1/2 cup (100 ml) cocoa powder (depending on your taste) (I use about 1.2 oz by weight) 
• 3/4 cup strong coffee
• 2 oz finely chopped unsweetened chocolate (I start with 7/8 of a 100 gram bar of 100% cocoa "Holy Cacoa")
• 4 Tablespoons (about 1.8 oz by weight) coconut oil
• 5/8 cup (5 liquid oz) olive oil
• 2 eggs (whole)
• 2 egg yolks
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups sugar (use a little less for a deeper bitter-sweet flavor, but significantly decreasing or substituting sugar will alter the structure of the brownie
• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon table salt (less if your salt is extra fine, more for kosher salt)
• 8 oz (250 grams) cold, high quality bittersweet chocolate chips or large chocolate chunks

1. Have all ingredients ready, except coffee.
2. Preheat oven to 350 F or 180 C. Line a 9" x 13" pan with parchment paper (or foil) and a light coating of oil or cooking spray.
3. Brew strong coffee, add to large mixing bowl (must still be hot).
4. Whisk in cocoa powder, followed by chopped unsweetened chocolate. Whisk until smooth and melted. Mixture looks like ganache. Resist the urge to taste this bitter mixture.
5. Wisk in oils, then eggs, yolks, and vanilla.
6. Wisk in sugar until everything is homogeneous. Until this step, you don't need to worry about mixing too much.
7. Switch to a spatula and mix in flour and salt until just combined. Fold in chocolate chips.
8. Scrape into oiled paper- or foil-lined pan.
9. Cook 20-30 minutes. Checking frequently after 20 minutes or as soon as you smell them. They are done when a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out with sticky chocolatey crumbs, but the brownies are not "soapy" or very jiggly. Remember these have a lot of chocolate and other ingredients that are liquid when hot and will cool to a solid. Do not leave them in until solid.
10. Let cool at least 1 hour, preferably several hours in the fridge before cutting.

Tips:
* Pull out as soon as you smell it.
* Double the recipe, slice into small squares, and freeze small portions. WRAP WELL because high fat foods absorb other smells/flavors. Plastic wrap just doesn't cut it.
* Serve hot with ice cream, or cold. I like them when they've been out of the freezer for about 10 minutes.
* Try adding pecans.
* For chewy, less gooey brownies, add an extra 1/4 cup flour and cook an extra 4-5 minutes.
* Try adding caramels and rock salt on top in the last 7 minutes of cooking. (Reduce salt in batter.)

Too Easy Chocolate Chip Peach Cake

I don't bake much. It just doesn't get my creative juices flowing quite like stringing together a healthy, balanced, and economical meal that most of my family might eat. But when I ask a friend if there's something I can do to help, I mean it. And if the response is that I should bring cake... Well by golly, I'll bake a cake! Here's the thing, my one go-to easy cake is the Apple Sauce Cake recipe given to me by the same person to whose house I would be bringing the cake! 

How to make great Chicken Soup

When my friend, Tammy, was sick last month, I whipped up some Matzoh Ball Soup for her and her family. I received the following response:
"My dearest,I want to tell you,that your chicken soup was one of the best I ever tasted in all my life! The chicken was sooo....succulent...and juicy! I don't know how you did it,but it was THE BEST!!!!"

Chicken soup is one of those things that can seem intimidating, but once you do it a few times, it's at least as easy as making pasta salad.

Cook time: 20 minutes in a pressure cooker or 1 hour simmering in a regular pot

Basic ingredients:

• 1 whole chicken
• 2-4 carrots - peeled, whole
• 2 stalks of celery, washed, cut into a few pieces
• 1-2 onions, washed or peeled, quartered
• 1-2 bay leaves
• water
• salt to taste - maybe 1 tsp for kosher chicken, more for a non-kosher bird (kosher chickens are salted to remove the blood.) 

Extra ingredients or alternatives:
NOTE: don't overdo leafy things or you will have a soup that looks and tastes more green than meaty.

• whole peppercorns
• fresh or dry parsley
• celery seed (I only tried it because I didn't have parsley last time, but It was GREAT!)

Make your own "Ferrero Rocher"

In honor of my Mom's birthday today I want to share this delicious chocolaty recipe. My friend Tzippy made these knock-off Ferrero Rocher truffles and my mom and I got to try them a couple weeks ago.  Amazing!

Makes 25 balls of nutty, creamy, goodness.

Ingrediants
150 gr (5.3 oz) nut cream filled "gliliyot" Pirouline/Pirouette style rolled wafers with hazelnut creme filling
50 gr (1.8 oz) roasted and peeled hazelnuts
200 gr (7 oz) nougat spread
25 whole hazelnuts - optional

topping:
150 gr (5.3 oz) dark chocolate
"krookant" crushed pralines/chopped, toasted and candied nuts (see image) - optional

1. In a food processor, finely chop "gliliyot" rolled wafers and 50 grams of nuts. Add nougat spread and mix well.
2. Cool in the refrigerator for about three hours.
3. Create balls and place on baking paper. You can leave them in the freezer for 10 minutes if the balls are too messy.
4. Place whole hazelnuts in the center of each ball, if you want.
5. Melt chocolate
6. Dip each ball in chocolate and roll in krookant crushed nut topping.

Have a lovely spring to all and... Happy birthday Mom!!

Roasted Pepper and Olive Dip PLUS Purim Baskets

One of the mitzvot (commandments) of the Jewish Holiday of Purim is to give gifts of food (at least two types of food) called "mishloach manot" or "Shalach Manos."  There is an idea that it should be ready to eat food that can be enjoyed for the festive Purim meal. However, the most popular gifts are candy and cookies. I just moved my oven and fridge into my new kitchen yesterday (I'll post details of my kitchen renovation on Sunday.) so I had a last minute idea to make dips and give them with a pack of crackers. I also made a few packages of nonperishable packages for unexpected visitors, because the dips didn't stretch as far as I expected.

Each package had three of the following:
- Roasted chickpeas (recipe to come)
- Eggplant & Tehina/tehini
- Avocado salad with tomatoes and garlic
- Roasted bell pepper dip with olives and roasted garlic (instructions below)


1.Wash bell peppers and take excess paper off garlic.  Cut and seed peppers if desired. Alternatively, you can roast them whole, flip them half way through and seed them when you peel them.

2. Roast until the peppers are very soft and the tops are black.

3. Remove skin when they are cool enough to handle and squeeze a few cloves of garlic out of the skin.


4. Hand chop a little bit of the peppers and a few olives to top the dip.

One Pan Roasted Chicken and Veggies

I hope you will see this as a great technique, not a recipe.  Each individual ingredient is optional.  What matters is the layering and the size of the raw vegetables.  Your goal is to cut the veggies to a size where they will be cooked to your preference exactly when the chicken is done.

Optional Layer 0:  White rice with water or partially cooked brown rice.  If you skip this layer, you will want to serve this with a grain that can soak up all the incredible juices.  I served this over medium grain brown rice.

Layer 1: Olive oil, fresh green beans, mushrooms, finely chopped garlic, white part of scallions (I use the more mild green part for raw things), shallot, seasoning such as crushed red pepper and ground coriander seeds.

Layer 2: Chicken (see why I like dark meat) brushed with tomato paste and seasonings of choice.

Upside-Down Stuffed Peppers with Vegetarian Stuffing

Is it so wrong that I fancy myself a genius for cooking the peppers on top of the stuffing?  The peppers get more roasted, the rice stays moister, they are easier to stuff, and the half-pepper is a better portion for a side dish.

This is really two recipes in one.  First I'll tell you about the stuffing, a pilaf which is an excellent balanced food for vegetarians.  Then I'll tell you about the stuffed peppers.  You can serve the pilaf by itself, or stuff the peppers with waterever mostly-cooked grains you have.

Chicken in Mushroom Shallot Sauce

I have made some version of this dish many times.  Use your best judgment to substitute and tweak my directions as they work for your tastes.  For a prettier presentation, leave the chicken on the bone or use whole breasts.  I prefer to use dark meat and take the bones out in the kitchen to save them for stock.  Whether or not the bones make it to the table, I still have to cut my kids food, so making bite size pieces ahead of time means we can all enjoy our food with less table work.

1. Pan cook chicken legs, turkey, or chicken or beef cut of choice.  Remove meat from pan, but leave oil and bits.
2. Fry sliced shallots (or onions) and mushrooms in ample oil and/or margarine in the same pan.
3. Sprinkle generously with flour and continue cooking on medium-low.
4. Add white wine, beer, or broth and scrape up yummy bits. 
5. Add green olives, capers, sun-dried tomatoes, or other ingredients (optional) and return chicken to the pan.
6. Continue cooking if necessary or cover and keep warm until ready to eat.

Serve over brown rice or bulgur.

Sending Food

This Guest-Worthy Wednesday I want to discuss the opposite of having guests - sending food.  Many communities organize at least a week of dinner or lunch for families going through certain tough situations: a new baby, a parent or child in the hospital, a death of an immediate relative, or moving in or out of the community.  Kosher on a Budget used the term "Chesed Meals."

When you give food like jam or olives that are process intensive, you are giving a unique gift that shows the recipient you are worthy of their time.  If you give a friend in need some fresh produce, you say, "I was thinking about you, but don't worry, it was no trouble."  There is a food for every occasion!