Mocha brownie cake

Mix well:
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup oil
1/4 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
3 eggs, beaten

Combine in a second bowl:
1 cup cocoa
3/4 cup flour
1/4 cup vanilla pudding mix
1 Tbsp finely ground coffee
1 tsp baking powder

Add to egg mixture, stirring until just blended. Pour into nonstick 8x8 pan. Bake in preheated oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.

Pot of pesto pasta

2 chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 roasted red peppers
1 cup sliced mushrooms
3 cloves crushed garlic
3-4 heaping Tablespoons of basil pesto
1 Tbsp olive oil
3 cups cooked pasta

Saute the chicken and garlic in olive oil. When chicken is white all the way through, add mushrooms, red peppers and pesto. Heat well.

In a large bowl, mix pasta with sauce. All done!

Mighty beta-carotene muffins

Once before I tried looking for carrot muffin recipes. But I was re-inspired by the pile of carrots in the fridge. So I got creative.

In a large bowl, mix well:
2 eggs, beaten
1/3 cup oil
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp grated orange zest

Stir in:
2 cups cooked carrots, mashed well

In a separate bowl, mix:
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp salt
dash ground cloves

Stir the dry ingredients into wet. Stir until just mixed. Pour into muffin cups, filling 3/4 full. Bake in preheated oven at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until a knife inserted in center comes out clean.

Nutritional information

Ricotta cheesecake

A light cheesecake, perfect with fruit topping!

Ricotta cheesecake is like New York cheesecake's cousin: similar, but not the same. It's much lighter in texture, and fortunately also much healthier.

3 eggs
3 Tablespoons flour
15 oz ricotta cheese
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp lemon zest
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp almond extract

Beat eggs, then add other ingredients, mixing well. Pour into a greased and floured pie dish, or into a prepared Graham cracker crust*. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until set. Pie will rise, then fall as it cools. Let cool completely, then chill before serving.

Frenchie expat tip: To make a Graham cracker crust, use petit beurre cookies, butter and cinnamon!

Porto mushroom sauce

Cook over high heat until reduced by half:
1/2 cup porto wine
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

Reduce heat to medium, then add:
1 cup beef broth
1/2 cup light cream (15 percent)
2 tsp Worchestershire
1 tsp tomato sauce
1/2 tsp Dijon
1/8 tsp rosemary

Simmer until thickened. Serve over steak and mashed potatoes - yum!

Onion & potato Tarte Tatin

Tarte tatin is a traditional French open-faced tarte that can be sweet or savory.

1 prepared pastry crust
1 medium potato, sliced very thinly
1 medium onion, sliced thinly
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
butter
pinch of sugar
pinch of rosemary
salt and pepper

Butter an 8-inch baking dish well. Layer the sliced onions in the dish. Cover with sliced potatoes. Sprinkle with seasonings. Cut crust to fit the dish, then lay over potatoes. Bake in preheated oven at 425 degrees for 30 minutes.

Heat balsamic vinegar and sugar and reduce to a syrup.

Remove tarte from oven and immediately invert onto a warmed plate. Drizzle with balsamic syrup and serve hot.

Little Red Hen Brownies

Our favorite brownie recipe, which Jonathan (a.k.a. the Little Red Hen) has perfected.



1/2 cup butter
8 oz dark choclate, chopped
1 cup sugar
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup flour
1 tsp freshly ground coffee
1/2 tsp salt

Slowly melt butter and chocolate together over low heat, stirring constantly. Let cool to room temperature.

Stir in sugar until dissolved. Add eggs and vanilla, beating well. Gently fold in flour, salt and coffee. Pour into non-stick 8x8 pan. Bake in preheated oven at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes.

Cool completely before eating - trust me. They get better as they cool. :)


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Oatmeal yeast rolls

As great as this recipe is...I can't take credit. It came from here.

Pulled barbecue pork

Can be served on buns or over egg noodles. This recipe can also be done on the stove on very low heat, rather than in a crock pot. The coffee works as a tenderizer, but can’t be tasted in the end.

2 lb pork roast
1 Tbsp beef bouillon
1/2 c brewed coffee

Place roast in crock pot and add liquids. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. Pull out pork, reserving broth.

Pour broth into a saucepan, then add:

1 small can tomato paste
1 onion, finely chopped
1/4 c vinegar
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 T sugar
2 T lemon juice
2 tsp mustard
2 tsp Worcestershire
1 tsp liquid smoke
dash cayenne pepper
salt and pepper

Simmer sauce 15 minutes. Meanwhile, shred the pork with a fork. Add pork to sauce and simmer until thickened.