I haven’t had a good dose of chocolate in a while, so I really wanted to make some brownies.  With Alex loving all things mocha, I knew this mocha brownie recipe was what I had to make.  These are intensely rich.  Exactly what I needed.Mocha Brownies1/4 cup applesauce1/4 cup vegetable oil3/4 cup lightly packed brown sugar1/4 cup + 2 T cocoa powder1/2 t salt1/2 t baking powder2 t instant coffee granules1 1/2 t vanilla extract2 eggs1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (I used ghirardelli’s 70%..they were a bit big so some fell out once I cut squares after baking)Preheat oven to 350º F.  Lightly coat pan with cooking spray.  Line pan with parchment paper, leaving ends hanging over edge of the pan.  The parchment paper should stick to the oil coated pan.  Lightly spray the paper with oil.In a large bowl, whisk together applesauce, oil and sugar until all sugar is dissolved.  Whisk in the cocoa, salt, baking powder, coffee and vanilla.  Whisk in eggs until smooth.  With a rubber spatula, stir in flour until moistened.  Fold in chocolate chips.Pour brownie batter into prepared pan and bake for about 25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.  Let rest on wire rack until completely cooled.  Refrigerate for at least two hours for easiest cutting.

I haven’t had a good dose of chocolate in a while, so I really wanted to make some brownies.  With Alex loving all things mocha, I knew this mocha brownie recipe was what I had to make.  These are intensely rich.  Exactly what I needed.


Mocha Brownies
1/4 cup applesauce
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup lightly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup + 2 T cocoa powder
1/2 t salt
1/2 t baking powder
2 t instant coffee granules
1 1/2 t vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (I used ghirardelli’s 70%..they were a bit big so some fell out once I cut squares after baking)

Preheat oven to 350º F.  Lightly coat pan with cooking spray.  Line pan with parchment paper, leaving ends hanging over edge of the pan.  The parchment paper should stick to the oil coated pan.  Lightly spray the paper with oil.
In a large bowl, whisk together applesauce, oil and sugar until all sugar is dissolved.  Whisk in the cocoa, salt, baking powder, coffee and vanilla.  Whisk in eggs until smooth.  With a rubber spatula, stir in flour until moistened.  Fold in chocolate chips.
Pour brownie batter into prepared pan and bake for about 25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.  Let rest on wire rack until completely cooled.  Refrigerate for at least two hours for easiest cutting.

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Photo Post

Date

2 years ago

Alex wanted something warm tonight for dinner.  Why it ended up being nachos, I couldn’t tell you, although the heat from the red hot and chili pepper flakes definitely did warm me up.. Alex has been wanting to make nachos for a while now since I got him some sour cream, and it only made sense to have it in the place of dinner because of the large quantity of nachos Alex always ends up eating.

We browned some ground meat, seasoned it with a tiny bit of taco seasoning, melted some cheese on the chips in the oven with some salsa, then added fresh onion, some greens, chili pepper flakes, red hot, the meat and finally, some sour cream.

Today’s been a day of snacking all around; for lunch, we fried up some summer sausage and had it on crackers with some cheddar (although we did have a side salad - hooray for a bit of nutrition!). 

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Photo Post

Date

2 years ago

Tonight, we made grilled cheese (with cheddar) with tomato artichoke soup.  The soup was slightly tangy and had a nice flavor.  Perfect for dunking!Tomato Artichoke Soup28 oz can fire-roasted diced tomatoes 15 oz can artichokes 1 cup water 1 cup milk 2 tablespoons butter (or olive oil)1 large onion, chopped1 clove garlic, chopped3 bay leaves 1/2 teaspoon oregano 1 teaspoon basil In a large soup pot, heat the butter (or olive oil).  Sauté the onions, garlic and bay leaves until onions are translucent.  Chop the artichokes into smaller pieces.  In the soup pot, add the tomatoes, artichokes, water, oregano and basil.  Simmer for 10 minutes.  Using an immersion blender (or blender), blend the soup to a smooth consistency.  Add 1 cup milk.  Serve immediately. 

Tonight, we made grilled cheese (with cheddar) with tomato artichoke soup.  The soup was slightly tangy and had a nice flavor.  Perfect for dunking!


Tomato Artichoke Soup
28 oz can fire-roasted diced tomatoes 
15 oz can artichokes 
1 cup water 
1 cup milk 
2 tablespoons butter (or olive oil)
1 large onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
3 bay leaves 
1/2 teaspoon oregano 
1 teaspoon basil 

In a large soup pot, heat the butter (or olive oil).  Sauté the onions, garlic and bay leaves until onions are translucent.  Chop the artichokes into smaller pieces.  In the soup pot, add the tomatoes, artichokes, water, oregano and basil.  Simmer for 10 minutes.  Using an immersion blender (or blender), blend the soup to a smooth consistency.  Add 1 cup milk.  Serve immediately. 

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Photo Post

Date

2 years ago

For my friend Jaclyn’s birthday, Lin and I decided to make a chocolate layer cake.. the cake sort of fell apart when we moved it, and the icing hardened before we could really get it spread on, and we didn’t have enough icing, so it looks rather lacking, but it tastes really delicious.  It was really moist and the frosting was so good.

Chocolate Layer Cake with Chocolate Frosting
makes 1 two-layer cake

For the cake:
2 cups sugar1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup cocoa
1 1/2 t baking powder
1 1/2 t baking soda
1 t salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 t vanilla extract
 1 cup boiling water

For the chocolate frosting:
2 cups powdered sugar
4 T cocoa
4 T butter, melted
4 T strong, hot coffee
1 t vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350°. Spray two 9” round pans with cooking spray. Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water and pour equally into 2 pans. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes and remove from pans to wire racks.   For the frosting, beat all ingredients together until smooth.  Frost the top of the bottom layer of cake, place the top layer on, and frost the top and edges.

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Photo Post

Date

2 years ago

With some leftover sautéed mushrooms, asparagus and broccoli, we added in some chicken cooked in a sauce like the one used for the chicken here.  We served it up on whole grain tortillas with mozzarella.

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Photo Post

Date

2 years ago

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