RECIPE | bittersweet chocolate hearts & hot dates

Valentine's Day is overrated, except as an excuse to eat chocolate (as if one needs an excuse). For Tastespotting's "Hot Date" celebration, I took a somewhat literal interpretation and made chocolate-coated dates topped with pink peppercorns. These four-bite hearts are a relatively healthy chocolate treat, especially when made with dark chocolate. Soaking the dates in hot water and double-dipping them in chocolate results in a smooth consistency that mimics that of a chocolate truffle. Pink peppercorns provide pleasant crunch (together with the interior toasted nuts), though the same beautiful colour contrast can be achieved with crumbled freeze-dried raspberries for a sweeter note.

Do not be put off by the 90 minute timeframe to make these - most of that time is dedicated to soaking the dates and chilling the chocolate. Just enough time to watch a bittersweet Audrey Hepburn film while you wait.



DOUBLE-DIPPED BITTERSWEET CHOCOLATE DATES WITH PINK PEPPERCORNS AND TOASTED NUTS

TASTING NOTES:
White chocolate is a pretty (non-vegan) substitute for dark chocolate (I used Green & Black's) /// Crushed freeze-dried raspberries make a sweet alternative topping that is equally pleasing to the eye /// A few tablespoons of orange liqueur, brandy, or orange blossom water can be added to the soaking water /// I like to toast extra nuts and toss them in the bowl of chocolate after all the dates are coated to make sure no chocolate is wasted. Sprinkled with pink peppercorns, the chocolate-coated nuts also become a tasty snack /// Dates can be kept, covered in plastic wrap and refrigerated, for up to a week

INGREDIENTS:
8 good-quality medjool dates
16 pecan or walnut halves
200 grams (7 ounces) dark chocolate
2 teaspoons pink peppercorns, crushed

DIRECTIONS:
Soak the dates in hot water (and optional flavouring) for 20 minutes, until soft. Toast the pecans (or walnuts) in a 375˚F (190˚C) oven for 7-10 minutes, until they are slightly browned. Melt the chocolate in a bowl set over simmering water. Pat each date dry with a paper towel, then slice lengthwise from the wider part two-thirds down to the bottom. (Do not slice all the way down since you want to keep the point at the bottom of the "heart.") Pull open slightly to form a heart shape and remove the pit. Stuff each cavity with a nut half and continue with remaining dates. (The nuts should be securely pressed into the date so as not to dislodge in the dipping process.) Dip each date in the melted chocolate, carefully turning it to fully coat in chocolate. Transfer to a plate lined with parchment paper, and refrigerate for 20-30 minutes, until chocolate is set. Remove dates from the refrigerator and repeat the process of dipping them in chocolate, using a rubber spatula to scrape chocolate off the sides of the bowl. (You may need to remelt the chocolate if it has cooled too much.) Transfer dates to the parchment paper-lined plate and sprinkle with crushed pink peppercorns immediately after dipping, while chocolate is still wet. Refrigerate for 20-30 minutes until chocolate is set. Remove from refrigerator at least 10 minutes before serving to allow the chocolate to soften.

Serves: 8
Time to table: 90 minutes
Equipment: double boiler or bowl that fits over a pot, rubber spatula

RECIPE | new potato salad + lemon rosemary pine nut pesto

I am unable to follow recipes. I have an uncontrollable urge to try to improve any recipe I come across, even if it is my first time making something. Sometimes that gets me in trouble (most often in baking where ratios need to be adhered to), but other times it results in developing something that becomes a kitchen staple, like my chocolate peanut butter muffins or this lemon rosemary pine nut pesto. I first made this for my cooking club as part of the grilled pear and goat cheese crostini recipe in Ottolenghi's Plenty, but immediately felt the need to augment the plain pine nut, olive oil and garlic spread with lemon and rosemary. (A combination I have written about before.) The resulting pesto has so much more use than as just a simple crostini spread, pairing well with mushrooms, potatoes, pasta, and just about anything else that rosemary and lemon complement. Even better, this spread takes less than ten minutes to make, is comprised of kitchen pantry staples, and keeps in the refrigerator for a week.

Pesto or James Turrell installation?

LEMON ROSEMARY PINE NUT PESTO
Adapted from a recipe in Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi

TASTING NOTES:
The pesto is also excellent as a spread for sandwiches, tossed with whole wheat pasta and brussels sprouts, or spooned over sautéed mushrooms /// You can substitute sage and other herbs for the rosemary.

INGREDIENTS:
70 grams (1/2 cup) pine nuts
1 garlic clove, peeled and coarsely chopped
8 tablespoons olive oil
zest of 1 organic, unwaxed lemon
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary (or fresh sage)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS:
Add all ingredients to a food processor and blend until smooth. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.

Serves: 12 one tablespoon servings
Time to table: 10 minutes
Equipment: food processor, Microplane or other fine grater

NEW POTATO & PEA SALAD WITH LEMON ROSEMARY PINE NUT PESTO

INGREDIENTS:
750 grams (about 1 lb 10 ounces) new potatoes, washed and gently scrubbed
1 cup frozen green peas
1/2 cup parsley, chopped
juice of one lemon (optional)
200 grams (7 ounces) baby spinach (optional)

DIRECTIONS:
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add the whole potatoes. Boil the potatoes for 15-20 minutes, until almost tender. (Make the pesto while the potatoes are boiling.) Add the green peas and cook for another 3-4 minutes, until the potatoes and peas are fully cooked. (You should be able to pierce a potato with a knife.) Drain the peas and potatoes and set aside. Quarter the potatoes and place in a large bowl with the peas and parsley. Toss the potatoes (and optional spinach) with half of the pine nut pesto, and season with additional salt and black pepper to taste. Squeeze over the remaining juice of the lemon used to make the pesto (optional) and serve warm or cold.

Serves: 4 as a side dish or as a salad with greens
Time to table: 45 minutes
Equipment: large pot, large bowl, sieve

CHIC EATS | the recipe index #1

This year I only made two resolutions: to start a cooking club, and to actually post to this blog. On Sunday I accomplished the first resolution when my boyfriend and I hosted the first edition of The Recipe Index. The idea behind the cooking club is that everyone cooks one dish from the same cookbook. We all have cookbooks lying around that we have never cooked out of, or from which we have only tried one or two recipes. This cooking club provides participants with the chance to taste a variety of recipes from one cookbook and an opportunity to experiment with cooking a new dish that they might not have tried on their own. It is also a good way to test out a cookbook before purchasing it.

Since it is January and most people are still clinging to more health-oriented resolutions, the first book selected was the vegetarian cookbook Plenty, by Yotam Ottolenghi. If anybody knows how to make vegetables exciting, it's Ottolenghi, and the recipes selected did not disappoint. Accompanied by sparkling water (and a little bit of white wine for those of us with less resolve) and a soundtrack provided by Blood Orange, the meal was a resounding success. No clear favourite recipe emerged, partially because the complementary nature of each dish (a benefit of cooking from the same cookbook) elevated the entire meal to more than the sum of its parts. No one at the table of dedicated omnivores noticed the lack of meat either, which is a testament to Ottolenghi's way with the vegetable. I am pretty sure Amazon already carries fewer copies of Plenty as a result of this dinner...

So if you are in your second week of a January detox and already regret the impact it has on your social life, consider taking a page from Ottolenghi's (cook)book and host a healthy dinner with friends. It is much more enjoyable than gulping down a green juice by yourself, guaranteed.

The Recipe Index Menu #1: Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi
Aubergine with Buttermilk Sauce & Pomegranate Seeds
Surprise (Potato) Tatin
Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms with Melted Taleggio
Lettuce Salad with Oven-Dried Tomatoes, Capers & Radishes
Grilled Pear Crostini with Pine Nut Spread & Goat Cheese

RECIPE | chocolate banana muffins for a sunday morning

After living in a flat with no oven for eight months, I have taken every opportunity to bake/roast/broil my meal in my new oven. Eggplant parmesan, baked pasta, broiled chicken, and roasted autumn vegetables have all recently made an appearance on the dinner table, and I do not anticipate a slowdown in this hearty comfort food with winter approaching. This morning, I made my go-to recipe for banana muffins for the first time this year, and greedily devoured two of them while still warm from the oven. They were unintentionally healthier than usual because I only had whole-grain flour on hand, but it just added an extra bit of crunch and nuttiness to the muffins.


CHOCOLATE BANANA MUFFINS
From my cookbook

INGREDIENTS:
3 overripe bananas, mashed
2/3 cup applesauce (which I only found at Whole Foods under the label "Apple Purée")
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour (some/all can be subbed with whole-grain flour)
1/3 cup sugar
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
a little more than 1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup each of: chopped dark chocolate, walnut pieces, dried cranberries
flavourings of your choosing (orange zest, cinnamon, and cardamom are all excellent)

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 425°F (about 220°C). Combine the bananas, applesauce, egg, and vanilla extract in a standing mixer with a paddle attachment or in a large bowl. Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt, and flavourings together in a separate bowl. Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix until just blended.  Fold in chopped chocolate, nuts, and dried fruit. Spoon the batter into a greased muffin tin. Bake in the middle of the preheated oven for about 11 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre of a muffin comes out with moist crumbs.

Serves: 12
Time to Table: 35 minutes