Last night's Progressive Dinner was a huge success. We had a blast and ate A LOT of great food!!! I am still collecting the recipes so keep checking back for more to come.
RECIPESCHILI/SOUPS
Chickpea, Kale, and Potato Soup*Most quantities are approximate—this is a grandma-style recipe, I was winging it.
1 lb. bag of dried chickpeas
1/2 C. barley, uncooked, or 1½ C. cooked
2 ribs celery
1 onion
1 T. chopped garlic
3 bay leaves
2 tsp. dried basil
2 tsp. dried thyme
2 tsp. dried rosemary
1 tsp. dried oregano
5 medium-small potatoes
½ bunch fresh kale, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
8-12 cups chicken stock or equivalent water and bouillon cubes or powder
Rinse chickpeas, cover with water, and soak overnight or 8 hours. (Or use the quick soak method: rinse, cover with water, boil, remove from heat and soak 1 hour.) After soaking, drain chickpeas and place in large stock pot with stock or water and boullion. Heat over high heat until boiling, then lower heat to simmer. (If using dry barley, add it at this point also.) While the chickpeas are simmering (they take about an hour to cook), start chopping vegetables and adding, in the order of the recipe. Onion, garlic, celery, and dried herbs give flavor to the broth, so add those first. Then peel, chop, and add potatoes. Finally add kale (and barley if already cooked), stir, and continue to simmer soup until chickpeas are soft. Add salt and pepper to taste.
This could be made completely vegetarian with veggie stock, or carnivores can add chicken, cooked and crumbled bacon, or sausage. Mushrooms would also probably be a nice addition. You could also make it a lot faster by using canned chickpeas. The soup would still need to simmer at least a half-hour for the herbs to release their flavor into the broth.
Butternut Squash Soup
Ingredients
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 large or 2 small onions, chopped
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 Tblspn chopped garlic
• 2-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
• 2 medium carrots, chopped
• 2 medium potatoes, cubed
• 1 small sweet potato, peeled and cubed
• 1 small beet, peeled and cubed
• 2 medium butternut squashes - peeled, seeded, and cubed
• 8 cups chicken stock or equivalent water and bouillon
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 cinnamon sticks
• ½ tsp. nutmeg
• 1 tsp. ground coriander
Directions
1. Melt the butter in a large pot, and cook the onion, celery, garlic and ginger until soft, about 5 minutes. Add carrot, potatoes, sweet potato, beet, and squash and continue to sautee until all vegetables are added. Pour in enough of the chicken stock to cover vegetables. Add bay leaves, cinnamon sticks, nutmeg, and coriander. Bring to a boil.
2. Reduce heat to low, cover pot, and simmer 40 minutes, or until all vegetables are tender.
3. Remove bay leaves and cinnamon sticks. Transfer the soup to a blender, and blend until smooth. Return to pot, and mix in any remaining stock to attain desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper.
Cheese Broccoli Soup (very fattening....you all ready for this?)
1 stick butter
1 small onion (less depending on how much you like onion)
flour (enough to make a paste of the butter and onion)
2 16 oz pkgs frozen chopped broccoli
1 46oz. can chicken broth (or 4 small cans)
1 large block velveeta cheese (or less depending on how much you like cheese)
In (at least) 5 qt pot simmer broccoli in chicken broth for 45 minutes. When it is ready, set aside and saute onion with butter in a soup pot. Add flour to make a paste out of butter/onion. After paste is formed, pour broccoli/broth mixture into soup pot....stir. Add cut up cheese. Stir frequently until cheese is completely melted. If you want soup to be thinner, add milk after cheese is melted.
APPETIZERS
MeatballsMEATBALLS 2 PACKAGE FROZEN MEATBALL LET COOK IN CROCKPOT FOR A FEW HOURS I AM GOING TO GO WITH FOUR HOURS AND THEN ADD IN 1 LARGE JAR OF BEEF FLAVORED GRAVY AND MIX IN 8 OUNCES OF SOUR CREAM AND SERVE.
DESSERTS
Triple-Chocolate Mousse Cakefrom the Episode: Triple-Chocolate Mousse Cake
This recipe requires a springform pan at least 3 inches high. It is imperative that each layer is made in sequential order. Cool the base completely before topping it with the middle layer. We recommend Ghirardelli Bittersweet Chocolate Baking Bar for the base and middle layers; our other recommended brand of chocolate, Callebaut Intense Dark L-60-40NV, may be used, but it will produce drier, slightly less sweet results. Our preferred brand of white chocolate is Guittard Choc-Au-Lait White Chips. For best results, chill the mixer bowl before whipping the heavy cream. The entire cake can be made through step 8 and refrigerated up to a day in advance; leave it out at room temperature for up to 45 minutes before releasing it from the cake pan and serving. For neater slices, use a cheese wire or dip your knife in hot water before cutting each slice.
Serves 12 to 16
Bottom Layer
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter , cut into 6 pieces, plus extra for greasing pan
7 ounces bittersweet chocolate , chopped fine (see note)
3/4 teaspoon instant espresso powder
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 large eggs , separated
Pinch table salt
1/3 cup packed (about 2 1/2 ounces) light brown sugar , crumbled with fingers to remove lumps
Middle Layer
2 tablespoons cocoa powder , preferably Dutch-processed
5 tablespoons hot water
7 ounces bittersweet chocolate , chopped fine (see note)
1 1/2 cups cold heavy cream
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1/8 teaspoon table salt
Top Layer
3/4 teaspoon powdered gelatin
1 tablespoon water
6 ounces white chocolate chips (see note)
1 1/2 cups cold heavy cream
Shaved chocolate or cocoa powder for serving, optional (see note)
1. FOR THE BOTTOM LAYER: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Butter bottom and sides of 91/2-inch springform pan. Melt butter, chocolate, and espresso powder in large heatproof bowl set over saucepan filled with 1 inch of barely simmering water, stirring occasionally until smooth. Remove from heat and cool mixture slightly, about 5 minutes. Whisk in vanilla and egg yolks; set aside.
2. In stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, beat egg whites and salt at medium speed until frothy, about 30 seconds. Add half of brown sugar and beat until combined, about 15 seconds. Add remaining brown sugar and beat at high speed until soft peaks form when whisk is lifted, about 1 minute longer, scraping down sides halfway through. Using whisk, fold one-third of beaten egg whites into chocolate mixture to lighten. Using rubber spatula, fold in remaining egg whites until no white streaks remain. Carefully transfer batter to prepared springform pan, gently smoothing top with offset spatula.
3. Bake until cake has risen, is firm around edges, and center has just set but is still soft (center of cake will spring back after pressing gently with finger), 13 to 18 minutes. Transfer cake to wire rack to cool completely, about 1 hour. (Cake will collapse as it cools.) Do not remove cake from pan.
4. FOR THE MIDDLE LAYER: Combine cocoa powder and hot water in small bowl; set aside. Melt chocolate in large heatproof bowl set over saucepan filled with 1 inch of barely simmering water, stirring occasionally until smooth. Remove from heat and cool slightly, 2 to 5 minutes.
5. In clean bowl of stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, whip cream, granulated sugar, and salt at medium speed until mixture begins to thicken, about 30 seconds. Increase speed to high and whip until soft peaks form when whisk is lifted, 15 to 60 seconds.
6. Whisk cocoa powder mixture into melted chocolate until smooth. Using whisk, fold one-third of whipped cream into chocolate mixture to lighten. Using rubber spatula, fold in remaining whipped cream until no white streaks remain. Spoon mousse into springform pan over cooled cake and gently tap pan on counter 3 times to remove any large air bubbles; gently smooth top with offset spatula. Wipe inside edge of pan with damp cloth to remove any drips. Refrigerate cake at least 15 minutes while preparing top layer.
7. FOR THE TOP LAYER: In small bowl, sprinkle gelatin over water; let stand at least 5 minutes. Place white chocolate in medium bowl. Bring ½ cup cream to simmer in small saucepan over medium-high heat. Remove from heat; add gelatin mixture and stir until fully dissolved. Pour cream mixture over white chocolate and whisk until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth, about 30 seconds. Cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally, 5 to 8 minutes (mixture will thicken slightly).
8. In clean bowl of stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, whip remaining cup cream at medium speed until it begins to thicken, about 30 seconds. Increase speed to high and whip until soft peaks form when whisk is lifted, 15 to 60 seconds. Using whisk, fold one-third of whipped cream into white chocolate mixture to lighten. Using rubber spatula, fold remaining whipped cream into white chocolate mixture until no white streaks remain. Spoon white chocolate mousse into pan over middle layer. Smooth top with offset spatula. Return cake to refrigerator and chill until set, at least 2½ hours.
9. TO SERVE: If using, garnish top of cake with chocolate curls or dust with cocoa. Run thin knife between cake and side of springform pan; remove side of pan. Run cleaned knife along outside of cake to smooth sides. Cut into slices and serve.
Step-by-Step: Slicing Soft Cake
1. Hold the handles and pull the wire taut. Using your thumbs to apply even pressure, slice down through the cake. Wipe the wire clean with a dry towel.
2. Make a second cut, perpendicular to the first. Continue to make cuts around the circumference.
Step-by-Step: Triple-Decker Construction
BOTTOM LAYER
A modified flourless chocolate cake made with whipped egg whites, egg yolks, butter, dark chocolate, and sugar provides a sturdy—but not dense—base. The cake collapses as it cools.
MIDDLE LAYER
The layer's silky yet sliceable consistency is similar to regular mousse in texture, with flavor from dark chocolate and cocoa powder.
TOP LAYER
Made with whipped cream and white chocolate, this layer is the lightest in flavor and texture. The addition of a little gelatin helps to make the topping sliceable.
Chocolate Éclair this is about 4grams of fat per serving and you wont believe it when you taste it!! :)
1 box Graham Crackers (low fat)
1 large bowl of fat free cool whip
1 large vanilla instant pudding (made with skim milk)
1 chocolate icing
make the pudding as directed then fold in the cool whip so it is about 50/50 pudding and cool whip.
9x13 glass pan
layer of whole graham crackers
layer of pudding/cool whip mix
layer of whole graham crackers
remaining pudding/cool whip mix
layer whole graham crackers
spread chocolate icing on top of graham crackers
*** This is key, put it in the refrigerator over night or for at least 8 hours..
