MOCHA CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE CAKE

MOCHA CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE CAKE

 

I had my ladies group of friends in for a lovely luncheon recently.  They drove a good distance  to see me and a fabulous desert certainly was going to be on the menu!   Well, here is ONE!! Super great!

 I posted before some of the luncheon menu/recipes, but saved one UNBELIEVABLE Dessert recipe for you all.    I must say this is not mine.. I changed it a bit - basically not much, but it is a major keeper!

(This is prompted by my sweet friend Chase, who asked for a good dessert recipe: Chase this is for you) Chase: never fear my “special easy no-brainer cake recipe is coming.. But if you want to really wow that man/friend? Etc..!!  Try this!

2 cups cold heavy cream

12 ounces mascarpone cheese

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup coffee liqueur

2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon instant espresso powder

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

3 (8-ounce) packages chocolate chip cookies

Whisk the cream, mascarpone, sugar, liqueur, cocoa powder, espresso powder, and vanilla slowly then on high speed until peaks form.

 

 

 

 

 

Place chocolate chip cookies flat in an 8-inch spring form pan, covering the bottom as much as possible) Spread a fifth of the mocha whipped cream evenly over the cookies.

 Place another layer of cookies on top, lying flat and touching, followed by another fifth of the cream. Continue layering cookies and cream until there are 5 layers of each, ending with a layer of cream. Smooth the top, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight.

Run a small sharp knife around the outside of the cake and remove the sides of the pan. Sorry I cannot remember where I got this.

NO TIPS HERE.. not my recipe and it is amazing as it is!

Seafood and Vegetables in light Avocado Sauce

Seafood and Vegetables in Light  Avocado Sauce over Pasta

 

I had two cooked lobster claws leftover from my Lobster salad dinner and needed to use them.  I found some frozen shrimp, squid and then looked for a few vegetables.  Then there was this lone half of avocado that needed to be used! Hmm....  As I started with the lobster in mind, I did not want to make an over-powering sauce.  A little Avocado ( no cream needed) a bit of cream cheese; again to get a creamy but a light texture.

Well, it surprised me, but I LOVED IT.                                                           Serves four.

3 tablespoons Olive Oil

2 tablespoon butter

½ small onion chopped finely

1 tablespoon minced garlic

½ cup or so chopped snow peas (trimmed first)

5-6 six quarter sized tomatoes chunky

10 peeled and deveined shrimp

4 squid, cleaned and sliced in small rounds

Meat of two lobster claws (optional)

2 tablespoons minced parsley (keep a small bit to garnish at the plate)

1 tablespoon fresh basil minced

1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes

½ cup white wine or seafood or chicken broth

2 tablespoons cream cheese

½ Avocado

Pasta enough for two

Boil water and begin to cook your pasta of choice to el dente stage.

Melt butter in olive oil and butter together and sauté the onion, garlic, parsley, basil, tomato and snow peas. Add shrimp and squid and cook 2-3 minutes until the shrimp begin to curl and turn pink.  Add the wine and cream cheese  and avocado and cook another 2-3 minutes.  

Add a bit of the pasta water if too dry. Add cooked lobster claws and stir/cook another minute. 

Add pasta to the pan, swirl to heat all together, plate and top with part of the parsley leftover and grate parmesan cheese on top.

TIPS:

1.      Change up any fish to the sauce
2.      Add other vegetables then just the snow peas and tomatoes (your choice)

3.      Asparagus and peas would be nice

4.      A bit of cream will make it a richer sauce ( but sometimes with rich shell fish a heavier sauce is not warranted and detracts from the elegant fish)

As always be your own Creative Dump Cook and change this recipe to what YOU have on hand!

 

SPRING SALAD WITH LOBSTER TAIL AND AVOCADO

SPRING SALAD WITH LOBSTER TAIL AND AVOCADO

 

 

This is for TWO.

Lobster was at an amazing price this weekend due to the Memorial Day holiday, so we could not pass up buying few.  I have the super market steam them for me to make sure I don’t over or under cook them.  Go to the counter first thing as you walk in and order them steamed and then you will have 20 minutes until them are finished... bagged. .ready to go!   

I bought three; one each as a full meal and one to use separately, as in this recipe which just uses the tail for the two of us.

The rich taste of lobster, creamy avocado, crispy snap peas, peppery arugula earthy beets, crunch of flax seeds and spice of the onion, all add zip to a simple salad, making it the prefect dinner.

1 ½ cups arugula

1 ½ cups romaine lettuce chopped

½ avocado sliced

¼ cup chopped tomatoes

1/4 cup snaps peas cut in thirds

1 tablespoon flax seed

5 small canned beets sliced

¼ cup canned green beans (had leftover ones)

2 tablespoon minced onion

1/8 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Juice of ½ big lemon

Salt and lots of pepper

1 lobster tail shelled and cut length-wise down the middle.

I used a homemade balsamic ;Dijon mustard; a touch of agave syrup vinaigrette. (Your choice)

I make and leave my dressing in a used Dijon mustard jar  (getting all the little mustard bits leftover) for easy use.

Mix all but lemon, avocado and lobster together and then squeeze lemon on the salad and toss.  Shake dressing and put on salad  and toss well (enough to your liking but do not over dress).
 

 

Plate and place avocado slices and lobster tail piece on top.

 

 

 

 

 

Other than TIPS today, as salads make it easy to add or take out any item, I have two stories.

1:  ODE TO MY GALS!  I can’t eat lobster without thinking of my daughters and feeling a bit guilt!  They are living in Greece and lobster (Maine) is not on the menu!  Both of them LOVE lobster. I adore the claws most of all and usually  when we all eat lobster I am filled after eating just the claws.  But the rest of my lobster never went to waste but fueled a bidding war between my girls!  Those gals can eat lobster!

2: When in high school, so very many years ago, I spent 10 days at a home of a friend in Maine.  Each time we had lobster, as they were placed head first into the boiling water; little screams were omitted from the kitchen.  To this day I still do not know if the poor lobbies do scream or not or whether my friend’s dad played games with me.  That is why I have the store steam them for me!

As always be your own Creative Dump Cook and change this recipe to what YOU have on hand

Small Spicy Meabals "Keftedes"

Small Spicy Greek Meatballs  "KEFTEDES"

 

1 lb ground meat (80/20%) or a mixture of beef and lamb

1 egg beaten

1 slice of stale bread soaked in milk and wrung out

¼ cup finely chopped mint

¼ cup finely minced or gated onion

1 garlic clove minced

1 tablespoon dried oregano

½ minced jalopena pepper (optional but this is spice of the Spicy Keftedes)

¼ cup minced parsley

Flour to coat balls

Mix all very well.   

 

Roll into balls the diameter no bigger than a quarter.

 

 

 Roll in flour.  Fry on high heat in a bit of olive oil. The meat will emit more fat. Fry so the outside on all side is brown and crispy.  Drain on paper towels.

 

 

TIPS:

·        Serve with a Zatziki sauce or a spicy tomato sauce.

·        Serve warm or at room temperature

·        I served over Quinoa with vegetable mix.

 

As always be your own Creative Dump Cook and change this recipe to what YOU have on hand!

 

Spinach and Strawberry Salad

SPINACH AND STRAWBERRY SALAD

I mentioned I would give you the rest of the luncheon menu’s recipes and here is the Spinach Salad. 

(Dessert to come)  This was one of the better salads I have ever made.  Very pretty and so refreshing with the use of spring strawberries.  Everyone went back for seconds. Make your spring table pop with a bright and pretty salad.

 

 1 shallot diced

1  cups strawberries sliced

3 cups spinach leaves¼ cup walnuts roughly chopped

½ large seedless cucumber sliced

1/2 cup fresh basil leaves

DRESSING

5 tablespoons olive oil 

2 tablespoons Raspberry vinegar

1 teaspoon aged balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon sugar

Juice of 1/2 lemon

Salt and freshly ground pepper bowl

Mix the salad in a bowl and the dressing in a separate. Just before serving dress the salad and serve.

  

     

 Dress your stable with red, which will bring out the

                       color of the strawberries.

 

 

 

 

TIPS:

·        I used a raspberry vinegar but you can change that up or just use all Balsamic

 

 

 

As always be your own Creative Dump Cook and change this recipe to what YOU have on hand!

 

 

 

Chicken Tarragon Salad Whole Grain Sandwiches

Chicken Tarragon Salad Whole Grain Sandwiches

I

 just entertained a group of girlfriends for a luncheon and made these sandwiches.  They were yummy. Also, on the menu was a marvelous spinach salad and dessert to die for!  I will post those next time.  I was lucky to find wonderful whole grain croissants, but feel free to use any whole grain bread.

4 cups of chicken diced (bone in and roasted)

3 stalks celery chopped

1 tart green apple diced

 ¼ cup parsley chopped

¼ cup Basil chopped

½ red onion minced

1 lemon juiced

Good squeeze of hot sauce

1 cup mayo

Salt/pepper to taste

1 ½ teaspoon fresh tarragon

6 large leaves of butter lettuce

6 whole grain croissants or bread of choice

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Place the chicken breasts, skin side up in a roasting pan and sprinkle them with olive oil, salt and pepper.

Roast the chicken for 40 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Set aside to cool.   Then remove the skin and bones and cut chicken into small cubes. Place chicken in bowl.  Mix the remaining ingredients and then add the chicken. Toss well.

Open rolls of pieces of bread of choice. Lay a piece of lettuce down and place a big ball of salad on top. Top with remaining bread.

TIPS:

·        Add more or less of the mayo as you like

·        Leftover salad is good stuffed in a large hollowed tomato

·        Leftover salad can be rolled in a tortilla, flat bread or lettuce to make a wrap

 

 

 

As always be your own Creative Dump Cook and change this recipe to what YOU have on hand!

 

 

Guacamole

Guacamole

 

CINCO DE MAYO May 5^th   a celebration with great Mexican food; a celebration of Mexican heritage and pride. I like any celebration and I am always looking for new ideas for cooking.  So with only a couple ingredients you can make a quick and easy Guacamole.  This is makes enough for two and easily will double –triple as you need.

1 ripe avocado (diced if you like it chunky)

3 small tomatoes, seeded, diced

1 tablespoon onion diced

1/4 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped (I use parsley as I am not a fan of cilantro)

Jalapeño pepper, finely minced (as much heat as you like)

½ lemon juiced

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

A couple turns of ground pepper

Chop the tomatoes, onions, cilantro or parsley and peppers. Scoop out the avocado and chop for chunky style or mush for a creamier style.   

 

Mix all together and add salt, pepper and lemon. Stir lightly for chunky style and mush up well for creamy.

TIPS:

·        Invite friends over and make a big batch and serve on a nice corn chip

·        Add lime instead of lemon

·        Add some radish diced, garlic or a bit of mayonnaise

 

 

 

As always be your own Creative Dump Cook and change this recipe to what YOU have on hand!