Monday, November 19, 2012

OMFG

This one is really really really not for my dieting friends.  My normal daily diet is about 1500 calories.  This dessert is gonna blow my wad.  If you think the better than sex desert is good you have to try this.  Don't be scared by the ganache or the espresso mousse they are both so easy to make.



Pecan cookie base

Espresso Mousse (super good on it's own)
 
 The ganache after hot cream added (not pretty yet)
 
 Oh what 30 seconds can do (pretty shiny ganache now)
 
 Boring marscapone layer (tastes great)
 
Ganache layer going down over cookie crust
 
Marscapone going down over ganache
 
Espresso mousse over marscapone
 
Toffee bits over mousse (I think some curled chocolate would look better)
 
 

Crust Ingredients:
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup glazed chopped pecans
3 Tbsp sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 cup flour

Espresso Mousse Ingredients:
12 oz white chocolate chips
5 Tbsp water
2 cups heavy whipping cream
3 tsp instant espresso powder

Ganache Ingredients:
7 oz chopped bittersweet chocolate
2 Tbsp corn syrup
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream

Cheese Layer Ingredients:
8 oz marscapone or cream cheese
1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup cool whip

Top Layer:
8 oz bag of Toffee bits

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Spray a 9 x 13 baking dish with cooking spray.  Mix all crust ingredients together and press the mixture into the baking dish.  Bake for 20 minutes.

For the mousse, stir white chocolate and water in microwave safe bowl.  Microwave at 50% power 1 minute, stir and continue heating checking every 15 - 30 seconds until chocolate is smooth add espresso powder.  Cool to lukewarm, stirring occasionally.  Using an electric mixer, beat cream in a large bowl until soft peaks form.  Gradually pour white chocolate over cream, folding to blend well.  Cover bowl and chill until firm, at least 3 hours.  Keep chilled.  May be made 1 day ahead.

For the ganache, place chocolate and corn syrup in medium bowl.  Bring cream to a boil in small saucepan; pour over chocolate and corn syrup.  Stir until melted and smooth.   Cool to room temperature.  May be made 1 day ahead.

For the cheese layer, in a mixer add marscapone, powdered sugar and cool whip.  Mix until light and fluffy.

After crust is cooled.  Spread ganache over crust evenly.  Spread cheese layer over ganache, then spread on espresso mousse.  Top evenly with toffee bits.  Refrigerate for a few hours until set.

Thursday, November 15, 2012

Avocado Meets Bacon

So today I am going to attempt a combination of recipes.  I have had an obsession with avocados lately so I am going to add some to one of my favorite pastas of all time (the classic carbonara).

 
This got rave reviews at my last dinner party.  It was super yummy.
 
Avocado cream sauce processed smooth.


 Avocado cream sauce warming in butter.

 Crisp up the bacon.
 
Toasting up some pine nuts.
 
Toss it all together and serve.
 


Avocado Cream Ingredients:
2 ripe avocados
2 tbsp lime juice
2 tbsp mayonnaise
2 tbsp sour cream
1/2 tsp coarse kosher salt
1 tbsp butter

Carbonara Ingredients:
3/4 pound chopped bacon
2 or more cloves minced garlic
black pepper
3 tbsp butter
1 pound cooked fettuccine (save a cup or more of salted cooking water)
2 large beaten eggs
1/2 cup or more toasted pine nuts
1/2 cup or more grated Parmesan cheese


Combine avocado, lime juice, mayo, sour cream and salt in a food processor and process until smooth.  Melt butter in a saucepan over low heat, add avocado cream sauce and heat until warm.

Cook bacon in large skillet until crisp, remove to paper towels,  pour off all but 3 tbsp bacon grease.  Add the garlic and season with pepper.  Saute about a minute.  Add butter, stir until melted.  Add the crisp bacon and pasta.  Saute for 1 minute.  Season beaten eggs with salt.  Remove pasta from heat and add the eggs, stir until thickened.  Add in the warmed avocado sauce.  Return to low heat and cook until heated through.  If mixture is too thick add in some reserved pasta cooking water until it reaches desired consistency.  Add in the toasted pine nuts and cheese.

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Buffalo Turkey Sandwich and Salad

So I eat taco salad about once a week but thought I would try something a little bit different so I flavored the meat with a buffalo cream sauce instead of taco seasoning.  You can eat this as a sandwich or as a salad.  Makes 4 large salads or enough for 8 Oopsie sandwiches.


Buffalo Turkey on Oopsie
 
 
 Buffalo Turkey on Lettuce with Tomato
 
 
 Kick Ass Base with Buffalo Sauce
 
Ground Turkey with Onions and Green Peppers
 
 Ground Turkey with Buffalo Cream Sauce Added
 


Kick Ass Base Ingredients (You will only use a portion of this) see note.
2 cups non-fat milk powder
¾ cup cornstarch
 
Ingredients:
1 cup water
1/2 to 3/4 cup Buffalo Sauce
11/4 lb lean ground turkey
1 large chopped onion
1 large chopped green pepper


Oopsie Rolls or Lettuce and tomatoes for serving if having a salad
Oopsie roll recipe link follows just make sure you use fat free cream cheese.

http://yourlighterside.com/gluten-free-low-carb-buns-aka-oopsie-rolls/ 


Mix together kick ass base ingredients. You will only be using 1/4 cup for this recipe so store the rest in an air tight container for other recipes. See note below.

In a medium saucepan over medium heat stir together kick ass base and 1 cup water.  Whisk until thickened.  Stir in buffalo sauce.  Set aside.

Place a large skillet over medium heat and spray with cooking spray. Cook turkey until halfway done breaking up large pieces then add in onion and green pepper cook stirring until the onion is softened and browned, about 6 minutes. Add buffalo sauce mixture.  Stir until combined and heated through.

Serve on an oopsie roll or as a large salad.

Note: You can add 1 ½ tsp chicken or beef granules to 1/3 cup base with 1 ¼ cup water to make a creamy soup.

Sunday, November 4, 2012

Seriously Good Beef Stroganoff

So Beef Stroganoff is one of my all time favorites.  I haven't had it in over a year because I didn't think I could and still maintain my new eating lifestyle.  Well hello, now with the Kick Ass Base ingredient I can enjoy beef stroganoff again.  I am sooooo happy.

So for this recipe you can use whatever beef you want.  I had some leftover shredded beef roast from yesterdays recipe so I threw that in for the cooked beef.

This whole recipe minus the noodles came in at 961 calories.  Could be a little more or less depending on the beef you use.

 
Onions, garlic and mushrooms in the pot.
 
Kicks ass base and boullion added, starting to thicken
 
Beef and sour cream added just simmer until ready to eat
 
Yay Yummy Yummy Yummy (and yes that was my hubbys portion with the real noodles)  The Shirataki were fine for me.
 
 
Kick Ass Base Ingredients (You will only use a portion of this) see note.
2 cups non-fat milk powder
¾ cup cornstarch 

Stroganoff Ingredients
2 tsp beef bouillon granules
1 ½ cups hot water
1lb Sirloin or any beef sliced in strips
1 large sliced onion
1 clove minced garlic
8 oz sliced button mushrooms
1/4 cup kick ass base
2 Tbsps reduced sugar or sugar free ketchup
½ cup fat free sour cream
Parsley for garnish
16 oz Shirataki noodles, or cooked whole wheat noodles for serving 

Mix together kick ass base ingredients.  You will only be using 1/4 cup for this recipe so store the rest in an air tight container for other recipes.  See note below. 

Dissolve beef granules in hot water.  Set aside. 

Place a large skillet or sauce pan over medium heat and spray with cooking spray.  Cook beef until almost done to your liking and remove.  Add sliced onion, garlic and mushrooms to pan meat was cook in and cook stirring until the onion is softened and browned, about 6 minutes.  Add kick ass base, and reserved beef bouillion.  Cook until thickened.  Add in ketchup, cooked beef and sour cream.  Cook until heated through.  Garnish with parsley.  Serve over Shirataki noodles, or whole wheat noodles.

Note:  You can add 1 ½ tsp chicken or beef granules to 1/3 cup base with 1 ¼ cup water to make a creamy soup.

 


Saturday, November 3, 2012

Shredded Beef with Redeye Curry Gravy

So I got the inspiration for this dish from Food & Wine.  They did a Chicken-Fried Steak with Redeye Curry Gravy.  As much as I would like a chicken-fried steak well that just isn't the way I eat anymore.  I also can't have calorie laden coconut milk so this is my take on this recipe.  If you eat half of this and that is a lot you would only be eating 500 calories.  A normal serving would be like 1/4 of this and 250 calories but I eat a lot and I did eat half of this recipe.

Well this is it served over Shirataki noodles
 
Beef getting ready to be cooked really really fast in the pressure cooker
 
 Cooked and shredded beef
 
 Coconut Milk made from the kick ass base
 
Onions, garlic and ginger in the pan 
 
 Cooked onions, garlic and ginger with curry powder and sriracha
 
Cooked onion, garlic and ginger after coffee and coconut cream added
 
 
After Beef added over Shirataki Noodles
 


Kick Ass Base Ingredients (Makes 9 servings)(You will only use a portion of this) see note.
2 cups non-fat milk powder
¾ cup cornstarch 

Beef Ingredients
1lb boneless chuck tender roast
1 ½ cups water
1 tsp beef granules
1 small quartered onion
3 cloves smashed garlic 

Redeye Curry Gravy Ingredients
1/3 cup base
1 ½ cups water
1 tsp coconut extract
1 medium chopped onion
3 cloves minced garlic
1 Tblsp grated ginger
1 Tblsp mild curry powder
1 ½ Tblsp Sriracha sauce
¾ cup strong-brewed coffee
Juice of 1 lime
2 Tblsp Braggs Aminos or Low-Sodium Soy Sauce
16 oz Shirataki noodles, cooked brown rice or coarse bulgar wheat for serving 

Mix together kick ass base ingredients.  You will only be using 1/3 cup for this recipe so store the rest in an air tight container for other recipes.  See note below. 

For the beef I used my pressure cooker because I love my pressure cooker.   If you don’t have a pressure cooker get one, if you still don’t have a pressure cooker then use the oven to cook the beef until tender enough to shred.  I added the beef, 1 ½ cups water, 1 tsp beef granules, the onions and garlic to my pressure cooker.  Cook under pressure for 30 to 40 minutes.  Once cooled shred beef with the leftover juices.

Add 1/3 cup kick ass base to 1 ½ cups water in a medium sauce pan.  Whisk over medium heat until thickened.  Stir in 1 tsp coconut extract.  Set aside. 

Place a large skillet over medium heat and spray with cooking spray.  Add chopped onion, garlic and ginger and cook stirring until the onion is softened and browned, about 8 minutes.  Add curry powder and sriracha and cook, for two minutes.  Add the coffee, coconut cream sauce, lime juice and Braggs Aminos.  Cook until heated through.  Add in shredded beef and juices.  Serve over Shirataki noodles, brown rice, or coarse bulgar wheat. 

Note:  You can add 1 ½ tsp chicken or beef granules to 1/3 cup base with 1 ¼ cup water to make a creamy soup.