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  1. Nutella Stuffed Sugar Cookies Recipe


    Ingredients

    2 cups all purpose flour

    1/4 teaspoon salt

    1/2 teaspoon baking powder

    1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

    1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

    1 cup sugar

    1 egg, slightly beaten

    2 tablespoons milk

    1/2 teaspoon vanilla

    1/2 cup Nutella

    1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

    1/4 cup hazelnuts, roasted, skinned and chopped

    Directions

    1.   Roast hazelnuts at 400 degrees for 10-15 minutes.  Place hot nuts in a towel and rub vigorously until husks come off.  Peel off remaining husks if possible and place in food processor.  Chop roughly.

    2.  Combine flour, salt, cinnamon and baking powder in a medium bowl.  In a larger bowl, cream sugar and butter.  Add all dry ingredients and mix until well incorporated.  Add egg, milk and vanilla and mix until fully blended.

    2.  Roll dough on a lightly floured surface and cut into 2 separate balls.  Wrap and refridgerate for at least 1 hour.

    3.  Heat oven to 350 degrees.  On a floured surface, roll out dough to 1/8 inch thick and cut out circles with a cookie cutter or the rim of a floured glass.  Drop Nutella in a pipe or the end of a plastic baggie with a cut tip and drop 1/2 teaspoon into center of the cookie.  Fold over edge and seal with a fork.

    4.  Bake cookies for 8-10 minutes or until edges brown ever so slightly.  Cool on wire racks.

    5.  Once cookies have completely cool, melt chocolate chips.  With a fork, drizzle melted chocolate over cookies.  Sprinkle with hazelnuts.  Allow at least 5-10 minutes for chocolate to set.

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    Recipe & Photo Licensed Under CC BY-SA 3.0

  2. 3 Layered Chocolate Mousse Recipe

    Ingredients

    • 3 Eggs
    • 1 tbsp Cornstarch
    • 75oz Sugar
    • I cup of  Milk
    • 1 Pkt Gelatin
    • 3 tbsps Water
    • 300g Whipped cream
    • 2.5oz Bittersweet Chocolate
    • 75oz White Chocolate
    • 75oz Milk Chocolate
    • Chocolate shavings for decorating

    Directions

    1. Line a loaf pan or any other pan with baking paper.
    2. Break the eggs. Separate egg whites in 3 different glass bowls and mix in all the egg yolks together in another bowl. Stir in the cornstarch and sugar with the egg yolks and keep aside.
    3. Boil the milk stirring gently. Place another bowl filled with water on high heat and let it come to a boil. Meanwhile gradually pour the egg yolk mixture into the milk and keep stirring with a whisk. When the milk and yolks has combined well, remove the bowl from the heat and place it in the hot water bowl such that the base of the bowl touches the boiling water. Keep stirring until the mixture thickens. Remove and let cool.
    4. Mix in the Gelatin with 3 tbsps of water in a small bowl and leave to swell. Place the bowl in hot water and keep stirring till it dissolves completely (You can also use a microwave, just microwave for 4 to 5 seconds on low). Mix the dissolved gelatin into the milk-yolk custard and keep aside.
    5. Whip the cream until stiff and fold it gently into the milk-yolk custard. Now divide this custard-cream mixture into 3 portions.
    6. Melt all the 3 types of chocolates separately using a double boiler (You can use a large bowl with water which can accommodate all the 3 chocolate bowls or cups and melt them simultaneously, remember to use 3 different spoons to stir).
    7. First stir in the melted dark chocolate into one portion of the custard-cream mixture. Beat 1 egg white until stiff and fold it into the dark chocolate-custard-cream mixture. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and smoothen on top. Place the pan in the refrigerator.
    8. Meanwhile, mix the melted white chocolate with the second portion of custard-cream mixture. Beat the second egg white until stiff and fold it into the white chocolate-custard-cream mixture. Pour this on the first layer of mousse and smooth on top. Transfer it back to the refrigerator.
    9. Repeat the same steps with the milk chocolate and layer it on top of the white chocolate. Let it stay in the refrigerator for 5 to 6 hours or overnight or until you serve.
    10. Before serving, Carefully place the prepared serving plate on top of the loaf pan and turn the pan upside down. Lift the pan up and remove the parchment paper. Decorate with chocolate shavings before you serve.
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    Recipe & Photo Licensed Under CC BY-SA 3.0

  3. Butternut Squash, Black Bean & Spinach Enchiladas

    Ingredients

    • 1 whole butternut squash, peeled and cubed into 1/2 inch to 1 inch pieces
    • 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
    • 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper, divided
    • 1 teaspoon salt, divided
    • 1 teaspoon black pepper, divided
    • 1 small onion, chopped
    • 1 16 oz can black beans
    • 1 bag of spinach
    • 1 teaspoon cumin
    • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
    • 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
    • whole wheat tortillas
    • 3-4 cups enchilada sauce
    • 1-1/2 cups shredded cheese

    Directions

    1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
    2. Toss butternut squash with 1-2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Place on cookie sheet and cook for 40-50 minutes until tender.
    3. Now is a good time to make your enchilada sauce.
    4. When squash has about 20-30 minutes left to cook, heat remaining oil over medium high heat in large saute pan. Add onion to pan and cook for about 10 minutes, until tender. Add black beans, spinach, remaining salt, remaining pepper, remaining cayenne, cumin, garlic powder, and chili powder. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 8-10 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and stir in squash when it is finished cooking. Keep oven on at 375 degrees after removing squash.

    Assembling the Enchiladas

    1. To assemble enchiladas, place a few spoonfuls of squash mixture into tortilla, fold in bottom and top edges and roll up. Place seem side down into baking dish (I used a 7×11 pyrex baking dish). Do this with the remainder of the mixture and place side by side in baking pan. Spoon about 2 cups of enchilada sauce on top and then sprinkle cheese over top. Bake in 375 degree oven for about 15 minutes, until cheese is melted.
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    Recipe Licensed Under CC BY-SA 3.0

  4. Spinach Balls

    Ingredients

    • 2 packages frozen chopped spinach
    • 1/2 cup butter
    • 1 box stuffing mix
    • 6 eggs, beaten
    • 1 cup parmesan cheese

    Directions

    1. Cook spinach in microwave, and squeeze out excess liquid.
    2. Stir butter into spinach until melted.
    3. Add stuffing mix, eggs, and cheese and mix all ingredients. Let cool for 10-20 minutes.
    4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, form spinach mixture into balls, place on baking sheet and cook for 15 to 20 minutes.
     
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    Recipe Licensed Under CC BY-SA 3.0

  5. Minestrone Soup Recipe

    Ingredients

    Serve 4
    • 1 medium size white onion chopped
    • 3 cloves of garlic chopped
    • 1 stalk of celery chopped
    • 1 carrot diced
    • 1 cup of tomatoes chopped
    • 2 tsp of tomato concentrate
    • 1 cucumber chopped
    • 1 can of red kidney beans
    • 1.5 litre of water
    • 1/2 a cube of vegetable stock
    • Pepper and salt
    • Olive Oil

    Directions

    This is one of my favourite soups of all time. It can be prepared quickly and kept for in the fridge for later consumption. It is a healthy vegetarian dish, excellent for weight watchers.
    1. Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a pot.
    2. Sautee onions until they turn translucent
    3. Add the harder veggies ie carrots and celery and cook them until soft, add the garlics. Cook for a further 1 to 2 mins till garlics start to brown slightly.
    4. Add the rest of the ingredients, tomatoes, concentrates, cucumber and red kidney beans, water and veggie stock and bring to a boil.
    5. When the soup starts to boil, lower heat and let it simmer for 20 to 25 mins.
    6. Season with pepper and salt to taste.
    To make it a full meal, add some cooked macaroni or farfalle to the serving. And there you have it, a hearty soup dish.
    Source
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