Thursday, May 20, 2010

Strawberry Nutella Crepe Stackers

I had never had Nutella until about a year ago. Some good friends invited us over for dinner and dessert was warm french bread spread with some Nutella. I was instantly smitten. In fact I may have consumed an entire jar and loaf of french bread the following week. I've learned to temper my addiction since then, but there is always a jar in my pantry, and when I see a Nutella inspired recipe my heart beats just a little bit faster.
This was my dish for this month's cooking club. The theme this month was strawberries, and this was a real winner! I wanted something that was small enough to eat without utensils, and while this was good, I think next time I might try to bake the cooked crepes in a muffin tin to make sturdy little cups. I also think that I would toast the hazelnut before grinding next time so that it brings out the flavor a little more.

Strawberry Nutella Crepes
1/2 c flour
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
1 tablespoon ground hazelnuts (use a food processor)
1 tablespoon pureed strawberries
1 egg
3/4 c milk
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon butter, melted

Mix everything together & pour batter in small 1 inch rounds on a skillet heated on medium. Cook on both sides until lightly browned.

Strawberry sauce
1 c strawberries
1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon orange juice
1/2 teaspoon corn starch

Puree everything together in a small food processor. Pour into a small saucepan and cook on medium heat until sauce is bubbling and has thickened.

Strawberry Nutella Crepe Stackers
Strawberry Nutella Crepes
Strawberry sauce
sliced strawberries
Nutella
ground hazelnuts

Place a strawberry slice on each crepe. Top with a dollop of Nutella. Pour a bit of strawberry sauce over it. Top with a tiny sprinkle of ground hazelnuts.

Source
Inspired by Closet Cooking

Thursday, May 13, 2010

Zucchini "Cookies"

These were really good. I really enjoyed the way these tasted even though Philip said they weren't his favorite. Michaela absolutely loooooved these little things. Shhh, come close and I'll tell you why.
I may have told her they were cookies.
Yeah, I know that tricking your kids into eating vegetable by telling them they are something else isn't the best idea. But she ate them. 'Nuf said.
I may have also coerced her into eating the rest of dinner by telling her she could have more cookies if she finished. Don't judge, she actually ate meat because of this!

Ingredients
1 zucchini, shredded finely
1 tablespoon flour
1/4 cup breadcrumbs
1 egg
1/4 cup cheese, shredded
Directions
Mix all ingredients together, then form into patties. Fry the patties in a skillet in a scant amount of canola oil until browned.

Source

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Real World Wednesday - Calabazitas

This is one of my favorite side dishes to make whenever we have enchiladas. I love squash and that taste mixed with corn and green chile is oh so delicious. Not to mention this is super easy to put together!

Ingredients*
1/4 c onion
1 clove garlic
1 zuchinni
1 yellow crookneck squash
1/2 c corn (frozen or stripped from the cob)
1/4 c green chile, roasted, peeled, and chopped
1/8 c milk
1/2 c cheese (cheddar or pepperjack)

Directions
Saute the onion, garlic, squashes and green chile in a little bit of olive oil. When tender, add corn & stir. Put in a casserole dish or pyrex bowl, add milk, cover with cheese, and place in 350 oven just until cheese is melted.

*Measurements in this recipe are approximate. I just do it to taste, and adjust the measurements based on how many I'm serving, their tolerance for green chile, etc. Trust me, there's not much you can do too mess up this dish. Any combination of the ingredients would be tasty!

Friday, May 7, 2010

Strawberry Mousse

Strawberries were on sale for .97/lb last week, so I've been on a pretty big strawberry kick. This was the perfect light dessert and tasted great served with graham crackers for dipping. I think this would be yummy atop pound cake too.

Ingredients
1lb strawberries, rinsed & hulled
juice from 1/2 lemon
1/2 c sugar
1/2 c whipping cream
4 egg whites
pinch of salt
Directions
Puree strawberries, lemon juice & sugar. In a seperate bowl whip cream until stiff, then mix gently with strawberry mixture. Beat egg whites and salt until stiff in a seperate bowl. Fold gently into berry mixture. Refrigerate for at least two hours before serving.

Source