Mexican Chocolate Brownies

This past Sunday was Cinco de Mayo, which in the US means that we have an excuse to eat a lot of Mexican food and drink margaritas. And since the day after Cinco de Mayo happened to be the monthly celebration of birthdays in my office, I thought that I'd use the holiday as inspiration for a couple of birthday treats. First up - Mexican chocolate brownies.

This is only the second time in my life that I've made brownies from scratch. It definitely won't be the last. Sure, it takes a little longer to melt the chocolate down, but you also get to control for things like chewy vs. cake-y and the level of sweetness, and the balance of flavors. (And if you have a stand mixer, the machine does most of the work anyway!) As written below, these spicy beauties pack three kinds of chocolate (but aren't super sweet), a little bit of heat (but not so much that your co-workers who prefer bland foods will have to miss out on the brownie fun), and are quite moist and chewy.

Mexican Chocolate Brownies (~16-20 brownies, depending on how generously you cut 'em)
1/2 c. butter (two sticks)
2 oz. unsweetened or bittersweet baking chocolate, chopped
2 T. cocoa powder
1 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2/3 c. flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/3 tsp. cayenne pepper (or rounded 1/4 tsp.)
1/4 tsp. salt
2/3 c. semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350F and grease a square 8 x 8 baking pan.

2. Melt butter and chocolate together in the microwave, stirring frequently (I heated for 30 seconds, stirred, and repeated until ready to go). Stir in cocoa powder and set aside.

3. In large mixing bowl, whisk together sugar, eggs, and vanilla. If using a stand mixer, set to stir and pour in chocolate mixture.

4. Sift in flour, cinnamon, cayenne, and salt; stir until just combined.

5. Fold in chocolate chips and pour batter into prepared pan.

6. Bake at 350F for ~35 minutes, until a knife or toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Craft-y Macaroni and Cheese

I have fond childhood memories of making the mac and cheese that came in the blue box. My parents didn't let me have it particularly often, but Kraft Macaroni and Cheese was perhaps the first meal that I was able to cook on my own (not that it took a lot of skill). It was more of a treat - I remember having friends over for a sleepover during which we made a VERY FANCY version (we cut up hot dogs and mixed them in, along with the milk and butter and powdered cheese).

But a funny thing happened on the way to adulthood - the day-glo orange cheesy noodles aren't quite as good as I remember. Don't get me wrong - I still like an occasional bowl of mac and cheese. But it just doesn't cut it for me anymore as a stand-alone meal. I try to atone for the cheesy goodness by mixing in some sort of vegetable (carrots, spinach, etc.). I stir in pepper or Italian seasoning to liven things up a bit.

Which leads me to...going beyond the box. It doesn't really take that much longer to whip up a homemade batch of mac and cheese, and it is infinitely more customizable (and, perhaps, a tad healthier - although, really, it is never going to be a healthy meal). Making your own mac and cheese means that you can pick the cheese that you like (I used a mix of mild and sharp provolone, fontina, and asiago when I made this the first time - the leftovers from an Italian cheese tray, which I chopped up - although cheddar, colby, mozzarella, pepper jack, or many others will also work). And it turns out that you don't have to have powdered, super-processed cheese food product to achieve the bright orange color found in the blue box - squash puree can give you the same result!

Macaroni and Cheese (8 servings)

1 package (13.25 oz.) whole wheat macaroni (penne, shells, or other shapes will also work)

2 T. butter

2 T. flour

ground black pepper to taste

2 c. skim milk

1 1/2 c. shredded or chopped cheese

1 c. cooked squash puree (half of a square frozen package)

1 c. frozen or 3 c. fresh chopped spinach (or try other vegetables)

1. Cook pasta according to package directions for al dente. Drain and set aside.

2. While pasta is cooking, melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat, then stir in flour and pepper. Stir in milk, cheese, and squash puree. Continue to cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the cheese is melted and the squash puree is fully incorporated.

3. Toss together pasta, cheese sauce, and spinach. Pour into a 13 x 9 baking dish. Bake at 350F for 20-30 minutes, until heated through.

Kale Slaw

Spring is in the air (or at least it was, until we got a load of sleety rain yesterday, which brought a chill just in time for the start of astronomical spring) - and fresh produce is in the mind, if not yet abundant in the stores and farmers markets. But fear not - kale is a perfect vehicle for springtime veggie lust.

This slaw doesn't require much time or equipment to prepare - just a large bowl (if you have one with a lid, that's even better), a smaller bowl, a good chef's knife, a cutting board, and a fork. Of course, if you want to get fancy and use a food processor or mandoline on the carrots and cabbage, that's okay, too. Also, you may need to play with the proportions of ingredients based on the size of your kale bunch, how much you like particular ingredients, and desired amount of dressing, but this is a good start. The slaw keeps well in the refrigerator for a few days, so don't be afraid to make a big batch - you might find it disappears pretty quickly.

Kale Slaw
1 bunch curly kale
3-5 green onions
1-2 carrots
1/8-1/4 head red cabbage
1 15 oz. can chickpeas, drained

Dressing
1/4 c. mayo
1 T. red wine vinegar
1 tsp. poppy seeds
salt and pepper to taste

1. Chop kale, onions, carrots (julienne or shred), and red cabbage (finely chop or shred). Add chickpeas and toss in a large bowl.

2. Stir together mayo, red wine vinegar, poppy seeds, salt, and pepper until combined. Add to slaw and toss. If desired, make more dressing and repeat.

3. Serve up a big helping and enjoy!

Pumpkin and Chickpea Curry

After an extended hiatus (only from the blog realm - I've still been in the kitchen), The EmT Plate is back with a recipe made just for cool fall evenings...pumpkin curry!

This recipe grew out of the need to use up some of the various gourds we've been getting in the CSA share this fall before another batch came in. It can be made with one or more varieties of pumpkin and/or winter squash - for the one I made, I used a pumpkin and a butternut squash, with some crookneck squash thrown in as well. If you are planning ahead, roast the squash the night before you make the curry - it will reduce cooking time for the curry overall.

Pumpkin and Chickpea Curry (~ 6 servings)
1-2 small to medium winter squashes (pumpkin, butternut, acorn, etc.)

Cut the squash(es) in half and roast on a large baking sheet, cut side up, at 400F for about 20 minutes. You should be able to pierce the flesh with a fork, but it will still be somewhat firm (and if it is really soft, just scoop it out and use it anyway!). Allow to cool, then peel and cut into ~ 1/2 - 1" chunks.

1 T. ghee or oil
1 T. Bengali five spices (panch-phoran)*
1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 hot peppers (jalapeno, etc.), or to taste
1 T. ginger puree or minced fresh ginger
1 T. tumeric
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. ground coriander
salt and pepper, to taste
water, as needed
1 cup (~ 1/2 can) cooked chickpeas
1/2 cup almond milk

Heat ghee in a large pot over medium heat. When it melts, add Bengali five spices and allow to simmer for 30-60 seconds. Add diced onions, garlic, and hot peppers and cook about 2-3 minutes, until the onions just begin to turn clear. Add squash, ginger, tumeric, cumin, and coriander. Stir together and continue simmering, stirring regularly and adding water as needed, until squash is tender (and your kitchen smells like an Indian restaurant), about 20-30 minutes. Add the chickpeas and almond milk and continue simmering, about 5-10 minutes.

Serve over rice (for a Halloween-y look, over black rice, as shown below, or wild rice) - and top with mango chutney.

* If you can't find panch-phoran at your local supermarket or Indian grocery, you can make your own by mixing equal parts cumin, fennel, black mustard, kalonji, and fenugreek seeds.

Chard and Sweet Potato Gratin (or winter squash)

I am a bit late to the party for Smitten Kitchen, but smarter heads prevailed in a recent search for delicious vegetarian dish that would use up some of the chard that is (still!) growing in the garden. The recipe for swiss chard and sweet potato gratin at Smitten Kitchen turns out a delicious crowd-pleaser that I've made twice so far (and will definitely make again!).

The first time around, we had some winter squash puree that we'd frozen amidst the squash deluge from the CSA this fall, so we substituted squash for the sweet potatoes. It was delicious.



Then for Thanksgiving we followed the recipe more closely, using sweet potato rounds and an applewood smoked gruyere that imparted this dish with an almost bacon-y scent and taste. Everyone (well, almost everyone) at Thanksgiving dinner gave the dish a thumbs up. (A couple folks swore up and down that they don't like sweet potatoes. I don't know how it is that I am related to them.)

Finally, a friend of mine also made this dish for a fall potluck. Instead of chard, she substituted frozen mustard greens, and she kept the sweet potatoes. It was a hit.

(Vegetarian) French Onion Soup

Caramelized onions, crusty bread, and melty cheese...what's not to love about French onion soup? If you are a vegetarian, perhaps the strong beef broth that serves as a base of this popular soup. But with the rain pouring down outside and oodles of onions from last week's CSA delivery filling my produce bowl inside, I was determined to make a vegetarian version of French onion soup that could pass muster. This one is lighter in color and sweeter than what you'd get with the traditional recipe, but my fiancee pronounced it delicious - just the thing for a rainy, stormy night. We actually made this one night (through step 3), froze about 2/3 of it, and refrigerated the rest to heat and serve for dinner the following day.

French Onion Soup (~6-8 servings)
1 T. butter
2 T. olive oil
4 large onions, finely sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
2 T. flour
1 c. white wine
4 c. vegetable broth
1 c. apple cider
1 c. water
6-8 slices French bread, toasted
grated Gruyere cheese, to taste

1. In a large stock pots, heat butter and oil over medium-high heat until melted. Add the onions and cook about 10 minutes, until soft and just starting to go from translucent to brown.

2. Add the garlic, sugar, and thyme. Reduce heat to medium and continue cooking, stirring frequently, until onions are brown - about 30-35 minutes.

3. Stir in the flour, wine, broth, cider, and water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium or medium-low and simmer for 45 minutes.

4. If you are brave and have oven-proof bowls, heat the broiler. Fill each bowl about 3/4 with soup, then add a piece of toast and top with grated cheese. Broil about 3-4 minutes. If you are less brave or don't have oven-proof bowls, float the bread, top with cheese, and microwave for 30-60 seconds, or until cheese is melted.

Acorn Squash Pasta Bake (also good for butternut squash)

I have been a very bad blogger, and have left this site for over a year (yikes!). However, my culinary adventures have continued...and today, I bring you acorn squash pasta bake!

This delicious autumn dish was born of necessity - our CSA gives us lots of squash, and so we've been very creative in finding ways to use it - in squash soup and baked squash  and spaghetti form. But I had committed as the host of a potluck dinner, and wanted to find something really great to make with some of the squash that we'd roasted, scooped, and frozen a few weeks ago. And thus the acorn squash pasta bake was born...(sorry there are no pictures - we ate it too quickly!)

Acorn Squash Pasta Bake (~ 8 servings)
1 lb. pasta of choice (I used mini penne; ziti, penne, shells, elbows, rotini, etc. would all work)
2 cups acorn or butternut squash, already roasted or boiled and mashed*
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 clove garlic, or 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 T. olive oil
1 egg
freshly grated black pepper, to taste
salt, to taste
1 bunch spinach or chard, chopped (about 1/2 pound, give or take depending on your taste)
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Butter or spray a 9x13 baking dish.

2. Boil the pasta according to package directions for al dente. Drain.

3. While the pasta is cooking, puree the squash, ricotta, cinnamon, nutmeg, garlic, olive oil, egg, pepper, and salt in a blender or food processor to make a smooth sauce.

4. Stir together pasta, squash sauce, and chopped spinach or chard and turn into baking dish. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.

5. Cover baking dish with aluminum foil and bake 30 minutes at 350F. Remove foil and bake an additional 15 minutes. Remove pan from oven and let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

* To prepare squash, slice in half and scoop out the seeds. Rub the cut side with a bit of olive oil or butter and place cut side down on a baking sheet. Bake at 375F for 30 minutes, turn cut side up, and continue baking until tender, ~15-30 minutes depending on size of squash. Scoop flesh out of shell. If you are using butternut squash, you can also peel the raw squash and slice into 1" chunks, then boil until tender (~10-15 minutes).