Mousse au chocolat - Chocolate mouss

- 250 gr of black chocolate 70%

- 10 cl of light cream but you can replace this ingredient by 20gr of butter if you do not want your chocolate to get too hard

- 4 eggs

Break your chocolate in pieces in a bowl

Let melt the chocolate in a bain-marie with hot water

When the chocolate is fully melted add the light cream and stir. Let it in the bain-marie.

Separate the egg whites of the yolk and beat the whites until very very compact.

Take the chocolate out of the bain-marie. Add and stir the yolk. Your chocolate needs to be very smooth and light.

Pour the mousse in small recipients and store them at least 6hours in the fridge.

Et voila! 

Tips :

Add some water (not too much) in the whites when still liquid and bubbly : you ll get more!

You can change the recipe by... changing of chocolate or why not make a mouss with 3 different chocolate layers! You just need to pour the first layer and wait some time for the mousse to  become a bit hard before to pour the second one and repeat for the 3 layer.

If you use black chocolate 90 % add a bit of sugar

For milk or white chocolate add a little bit of milk

You could even realise this mousse with some particular flavored chocolates...

Add a bit of extract of almond in your mousse, it is just delicious!

Decorate your mousse with grated chocolate white or black... and add a small fruit on the side - strawberry, orange...

You can also add a little stick of biscuit.

For a children dessert think about small and colorful sweets for the top - Trust me they will just love it!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

0.5 cup butter (the actual recipe calls for shortening but I choose to use butter)
1.5 cups white sugar
1 egg
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2.5 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
0.5 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets.
In a large bowl, cream together the shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, then stir in the pumpkin and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon; gradually mix into the creamed mixture. Stir in the walnuts and chocolate chips. Drop dough by teaspoonfuls onto the prepared cookie sheets.
Bake for 15 minutes in the preheated oven, or until light brown. Cool on wire racks.

Cocktails - Martinis from NYC

- pucker up, smirnoff triple distilled, fresh granny smith juice
- cranapple martini, cranberry & apple infused vodka
- cosmopolitan, citrus vodka, fresh squeezed lime
- watermelon martini, fresh muddled watermelon
- bellini martini, peach puree, smirnoff, champagne
- raspberry lemondrop, stoli raz, lemonade, chambord
- ruby sipper, absolute ruby red, fresh grapefruit juice
- pomegranate pear martini, pear sorbet, pomegranate juice
- saphire fizz, bombay saphire, fresh citrus, champagne
- lychee-pear martini, grey goose la poire, fresh lychee

Rochers a la noix de coco or Congolais

Ingredients :

180gr of sugar

2 eggs

250gr of coconut

Break the eggs and add the sugar then the coconut. Mix well until the dough is becoming easy to cut. On a buttered baking sheet make small mountains/triangular shapes and bake in the oven for about 15minutes or until creamy golden colored. Let them cool down before to unstick.

note : this recipe contains full eggs and not just the white part.

Tiramisu

400gr savoiardi (ladyfingers)

500gr mascarpone cheese

150gr sugar

4 eggs

3 coffee cups (approx.)

powdered unsweetened cocoa

Preparation :

Beat the eggs yolks together with the sugar in a bowl until you obtain a frothy mixture ; stir in the cheese and mix carefully. Add the whipped cream, soak the savoiardi in the coffee, turning them on both sides and then line them on top of the cream. Pour a second layer of cream onto the savoiardi and then arrange more savoiardi soaked in the coffee. Top with another layer of cream, spreading it with a spatula. Using a sieve, sprinkle the powdered cocoa generously over the cream. Put in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

Thanks Manuela!

Cannelloni

Ingredients for 6 persons :

24 cannellonis

800gr ricotta cheese

150gr ground beef

1/2 cup of porcini mushrooms

3 tbsp grated parmesan cheese

salt and pepper

Tomato sauce

1tbsp onion

3tbsp olive oil

2 little cans of tomato

basil

salt and pepper

Tomato sauce :

Heat oil and onion in a saucepan and cook until soft. Add tomatoes with liquid and other remaining ingredients. Reduce heat to very low and simmer for 30 min with pan partially covered. Stir occasionnally. Taste for seasoning and correct f necessary.

For filling : 

Cook ground beef with garlic in a large skilet until meat is brown.  Add salt and pepper. Stir ricotta cheese, ground beef, mushrooms, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper.

To assemble and bake Cannelloni : Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Pour just a film of tomato sauce into baking. Fill the cannelloni with the cheese-meat mixture. Lay side by side in one layer on the tomato sauce. Spoon the rest of the tomato sauce on top. Bake, uncovered, 20 min or until the sauce is bubbling.

Thanks Manuela!

Black Bean Quesadillas

Simple yet satisfying, quesadillas can be filled with any of your favorite veggies and cheeses for quick and easy party appetizers or delicious wedges for brunch or lunchtime fare.

Ingredients
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 green bell pepper, chopped
2 tomatoes, chopped
1/2 (10 ounce) package frozen corn
12 (12 inch) flour tortillas
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1/4 cup vegetable oil

Preparation Time: 15 min.Cooking Time: 30 min.Ready In: 45 min.Servings: 12

Cooking Instructions
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a skillet over medium heat, and saute the onion and garlic until soft. Mix in beans, bell pepper, tomatoes, and corn; cook until heated through.
Spread 6 tortillas with equal amounts of the bean and vegetable mixture. Sprinkle with equal amounts of the Cheddar cheese, and top with the remaining tortillas to form quesadillas.
Heat 1/4 cup oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Place quesadillas in the skillet and cook, turning once, until cheese is melted and both sides are lightly browned.

Brown-Bag Bean Burritos

Make these easy black bean and Monterey Jack burritos whenever you're craving a taste for Mexican flavors. They're great warm or cold, so you can tuck one into your lunch for a break from the ordinary.

Ingredients
1 (15 ounce) can black beans
1 cup salsa
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon chili powder
8 (10-inch) flour tortillas
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Preparation Time: 10 min.Cooking Time: 10Ready In: 20 min.Servings: 8

Cooking Instructions
Rinse beans in cold water, drain well.
Combine beans, salsa, cumin and chili powder in large pan. Cook over medium-high heat for about ten minutes, mashing beans slightly with back of wooden spoon. Stir occasionally, adding a little water if mixture looks too dry.
Spoon bean mixture into tortillas. Top with cheese. Fold each tortilla into an envelope shape, ensuring both ends are tucked in. Eat warm or wrap in plastic to take for lunch.

Cinnamon and Lime Chicken Fajitas

This delicious dish tosses together roasted potatoes and shredded chicken with citrus and cinnamon flavors for a family-pleasing supper.

Ingredients
2 large baking potatoes, peeled and cubed
1/4 cup canola oil, divided
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
salt and pepper to taste
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1 large clove garlic, peeled and minced
1 tablespoon chopped jalapeno peppers
1 lime, juiced
12 (6 inch) corn tortillas, warmed

Preparation Time: 15 min.Cooking Time: 40 min. Servings: 6

Cooking Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
Place potatoes in a shallow baking dish. Drizzle with about half the oil, and season with salt. Bake 30 to 40 minutes in the preheated oven, until tender.
Meanwhile, season chicken with cinnamon, salt, and pepper. Arrange in a separate baking dish, and bake 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until no longer pink and juices run clear. Cool and shred.
Heat remaining oil in a skillet over medium heat, and saute onion and garlic until tender. Mix in shredded chicken, jalapeno, and lime juice. Cook until heated through.
Serve the chicken and potatoes in warmed tortillas.

Mexican Pizza

These tortilla pizzas are layered with all your favorite taco toppings, including ground beef, refried beans, cheese, chilies, avocado, olives and sour cream. Cut into wedges, they also make amazing appetizers.

Ingredients
1 (16 ounce) can refried beans
1 pound ground beef
1 (1.25 ounce) package taco seasoning mix
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
4 (6 inch) corn tortillas
8 ounces shredded Cheddar cheese
8 tablespoons sour cream
2 roma (plum) tomatoes, chopped
2 green onion, chopped
1 (4 ounce) can diced green chilies, drained
1/2 avocado, diced
1 tablespoon black olives, sliced

Servings : 4
Preparation Time: 17 min.Cooking Time: 30 min. Servings: 4

Cooking Instructions
Heat the refried beans.
In a large skillet, brown the ground beef. Stir in the seasoning packet.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Place a small amount of vegetable oil in a large skillet. Let the oil heat, then place one corn tortilla in the skillet. After 15 seconds, flip the tortilla over and let it fry another 15 seconds. Repeat this process with the remaining tortillas, letting them drain on paper towels once they have been heated. When the tortillas have drained, arrange them on a cookie sheet.
Spread a thin layer of beans on the tortillas, followed by a layer of beef, and cheese.
Bake the tortillas in the preheated oven for 20 to 30 minutes. Slice the tortillas into wedges and arrange them on plates or a serving platter and garnish them with the sour cream, tomatoes, green onions, chiles, avocado, and olives.

Breakfast Burritos

These tasty tortillas, stuffed with scrambled eggs, salsa, refried beans and shredded lettuce, are wonderful warm for a morning meal or can be enjoyed cold, tucked into a lunchbox for a midday snack.

Ingredients
2 tablespoons refried beans
2 tablespoons salsa
3 eggs, beaten
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
4 (6 inch) flour tortillas
1 1/2 cups shredded lettuce

Preparation Time: 5 min. Cooking Time: 5 min. Servings: 2

Cooking Instructions
In a small bowl, mix together beans and salsa. Place a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat. Pour beaten eggs into pan and allow bottom to set, approximately 1 minute. Spread bean mixture onto one half of eggs and flip other half over to make a half-circle. Continue to cook until eggs are set.
Spread an equal amount of mayonnaise onto each tortilla. Cut eggs into 4 equal pieces and place one piece on each tortilla. Cover each with shredded lettuce. Roll up tortillas and serve.

Easy Chicken Mole

This is a lighter version of this classic Mexican dish - as it does not require as many ingredients. Therfore it still contains the 2 absolute requirements : peanut butter and chocolate.

Servings: 6

Ingredients
2 tbsp (30 mL) olive or vegetable oil
6 to 8 boneless chicken breasts (skin-on)
salt and black pepper
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups (750 mL) prepared Mexican salsa – mild, medium or hot
1 cup (250 mL) chicken broth
3 tbsp (45 mL) Mexican chili powder
2 tbsp (30 mL) unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tbsp (30 mL) creamy peanut butter
cooked rice or warm tortillas

Cooking Instructions
Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the chicken breasts with salt and pepper and place in the hot oil, in a single layer. Brown the chicken pieces, turning over once, until golden brown on both sides. Remove from pan and set aside. (If necessary, you can do the browning step in two batches.)
Pour off all but one tablespoon (15 mL) of the fat from the pan and add the onion. Cook, stirring, for 5 to 7 minutes, until softened. Add the garlic and continue cooking for another minute. Add the salsa, chicken broth, chili powder, cocoa powder and peanut butter and stir to blend.
Bring to a boil, then return the chicken breasts to the pan, snuggling them into the sauce. Lower the heat to low and cook uncovered, basting the chicken pieces occasionally with the sauce until cooked through and the sauce has thickened – 35 to 40 minutes.

Serve with steamed rice or tortillas.

Tarte au chocolat facile

Cooking & Baking : 10 mn + 25 mn
Ingredients :
- 1 baking dough (sablee or brisee)
- 1 chocolate bar for cooking (250 g)
- 10 cl of light cream
- 1 vanilla sugar bag

Instructions :
Place the dough on a cooking tin and cook it empty for about 25 min (180°C). During this time, melt the chocolate - cut in small pieces - using the Marie bath technic with the light cream and a little bit of water on very light heat. Stir well on and off. Add the vanilla sugar.

Pour this preparation on the dough, spread well evenly with a spoon. Cover with paper and put the tart in the fridge for at least 4 hours for the chocolate to be solid.

Note : for a little bit of fantasy add coconut bits, a walnut or strawberry at the middle.

Creme patissiere

Crème pâtissière - known also as pastry cream - is a delicious and rich egg custard that provides the filling for a variety of pastries. Crème pâtissière can substitute for whipping cream in cream puffs or éclairs, or it may fill the center of a cake. The traditional crème pâtissière is vanilla flavored but it can be replaced easily - just be creative!

Boil 1 litre of milk
Beat 250g of sugar (or a little bit less) + 4 eggs in a saucepan. Add 100g of flour
Add if you wish vanilla sugar, rhum etc...
Pour the milk on top of the prepartion and mix on mild fire.
The cream becomes thick. Mix well until smooth.

Tips : it can be freezed easily.

Chicken, mousse of green peas with sweet curry

Ingredients:

Mousse : 100g of young peas fresch or frozen, 1 egg,

12cl of light cream, 1/2 tspoon of curry, salt, pepper.

Meat : 4 chicken breasts, 1/2 cube of chicken bouillon, salt, pepper

Sauce : 1 minced scallion, 1 glass of dry white wine, 1 cube of chicken bouillon, 20cl of light cream, tabasco, lemon jus, sweet curry.

Store your small dishes you will be using to cook in your fridge for a while.

Boil some water in a pan and add 5g of butter + 1 table spoon of sugar.

Cook 5min in the young peas. Strain. Mix together with the egg, 12cl of light creamm add salt and pepper and a bit of sweet curry. Poor everything in little dishes buttered and cook bain-marie way for about 25mn /170°c.

During the cooking of the mousses, poach the chicken breasts usses, pocher les blancs de poulet seasoned - saucepan closed - for10 to 15mn in a little bit of water with 1/2 a cube of chicken bouillon in.

Cooking the sauce : cook until dry the scallion, bouillon with the white wine. Add the cream, tabasco and lemon, wait until boiling and add the curry.
For the dressage, pour 1 mousse on each plate, cit the chicken breasts in pieces, add the sauce on top and add pink berries for the eyes... et voilà!

Moules marinieres - mussels in white wine

Brush and wash the mussels several times under running water. Do not leave them soaking in water. Remove the thread (byssus), which is sometimes caught in the mussel.

Fry the shallots until transparent in a pan with a little oil. Add the wine and season with pepper. Pour in the mussels and stir them with a skimming ladle to bring the ones at the bottom to the top. When they have all opened, remove them with the skimming ladle. Do not serve unopened mussels.

Wash and chop the parsley. Sprinkle it over the mussels just before serving.

Strain the cooking juices to remove the sand which drops from the mussels as they open. Return the juices to the pan with 1 tablespoon of oil, the wine and the chopped parsley. Season with pepper. Return the mussels to the pan and cook for 2 or 3 minutes. Serve hot.

Tip: You can add 2 crushed garlic cloves to the cooking juices, if liked. You can also add a spoonful of cream to the juices at the end of the cooking time.

Butterbredele (Butter Biscuits) from Alsace

This is the most traditional ones. Makes 60.

2 cup flour, 1/2 cup sugar, 125 g. butter, 4 egg yolks.

Eggs wash : 1 egg yolk diluted in a bit of milk.

Sift flour and dig a pool in it. Add sugar, egg yolks and diced butter in this pool.

Cover with flour and combine everything. Shape dough into a ball and leave for 2 hours.

Roll out on a lightly floured surface to 5mm thickness. Cut into pieces with a cookie cutter.

Brush surface of biscuits with egg wash. Place on a greased oven tray and bake at 180°C for 5 to 10 minutes.

Spinach, tuna and feta cake

Preparation : 15 min

Ingredients :
- 120 g of tuna (in a can)
- 5 hands (or a little bit more) of fresh spinach
- 75 g of feta cheese (to adjust)
- 3 eggs
- 150 g of flour
- 1 sachet of yeast (= 7gr or 1/4 ounce)
- 5 cl of vegetal cooking oil
- 50 g of butter
- 120 ml of milk
- nutmeg, salt and pepper

Directiions :
In salty water , cook the spinash. When done dry them with a teatowel.
Fry them in some butter, then add the small pieces of tuna, then the feta chese cut in small cubes. Let cook for about 5minutes.
In a large bowl mix together the eggs (bit them like for an omelette), flour, yeast, milk and oil.
Add the mixture spinash-feta-tuna, and salt, pepper and nutmeg.

Pour in a cake pan. You do not need to oil it. Cook in the oven for 45 min - at temperture 180°C / 6-7.

Tips :
Use half and freeze the rest!

Pâtes brisée

Recipe for 3 tarts for 6 pers about

Flour : 500g
Butter : 375g
Salt : 10g
Egg : 50g
Water : 100g

Dissolve the salt in the water.
Mix well flour and butter.
Mix the salty water and the egg.
Mix together to get an homogeneous dough. It should come as a ball a tiny bit sicky only.
Reserve in the fridge for 12h before use.

Note :
When i want to use it straight away i usually add a little bit more flour.
This dough can be used for sugared or salty tart, as well as pizza.

Tips : This dough can be easily freezed.

Artichoke Dip

2 cans artichoke hearts
1 small jar marinated artichoke hearts
4 garlic cloves
1 cup vinaigrette made with white wine vinegar
1 cup parmesan cheese, grated
¼ cup mayonnaise
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste

Quarter all of the artichoke hearts.
Add garlic and vinaigrette; marinate for 24 hours.
Preheat broiler.
Drain most of the excess liquid.
Mix in cheese and mayonnaise; put in broiler-safe serving dish.
Sprinkle cayenne pepper on top.
Broil for about 10 minutes, or until cheese has melted and dish is bubbling.

Egg crape

For 1 sheet

1. put the ingredients in a bowl and mix well (starch-1tsp, cooking wine-1tsp, salt-a little)
2. put one whole egg into the bowl and beat it.
3. heat a pan and put some oil. put the egg and wait for a while. turn it over and wait about 10seconds.
4. cool it down.

Special thanks to Ikue for her japonese cuisine lessons and for the special real bamboo mat!

Deep-fried shrimp

For 4 persons :

1. shell the shrimp. wash them with salted water and then just water. ( if you don't put in sushi rolls, leave on the tail )
2. put some (any kinds of) cooking rice wine on the shrimp for a while.
3. coat the shrimp with the flour, dip them into the beaten egg and cover them with PANKO(bread crumb).
4. bring the oil up to 180'C and fry them until golden brown. remove and drain.
(5. serve with tartar sauce.)

Note : You can use boiled shrimp instead of deep-fried shrimp. The combination of shrimp and avocado is good!

Sushi rice

For 4 persons :

1. wash 3cups of rice 30~40min before you cook. [make some slits in seaweed and put it in the water(30min-)]
2. put a little less [seaweed broth +] water than the scale. put 2tsp of cooking wine.
3. cook the rice as usual.
4. mix all ingredients (vinegar-4tbp, suger-5tbp, salt-2tsp) until all of them are melt
5. put the cooked rice in a bowl and pour the vinegar mixture.
6. mix it well. when you feel it heavy, fan it.
7. keep covering it with wet cloth

"how to cook rice"http://chinesefood.about.com/cs/rice/ht/cookrice.htm
"how to make sushi rools"http://www.sushi-master.com/usa/whatis/recipes.htmlhttp://www.mediterrasian.com/cuisine_of_month_sushi.htm