Soft-Centered Chocolate Puddings

Here's the recipe I gave Morgan and Carol yesterday. I hope I didn't over-sell it. Although from my point of view (it being so easy and so delicious), that can't really be done.

Soft-Centered Chocolate Puddings
serves 4 (but easily tripled. Just in case.)

7 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped (or chocolate chips)
7 T unsalted butter
2 T all-purpose flour
1/2 c sugar
3 large eggs

creme fraiche for serving (So says the recipe. Usually we serve with nothing, or vanilla ice cream.)

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Melt chocolate and butter in double boiler until melted. Stir, remove from heat.

In a small bowl, mix flour and sugar. In a medium bowl, whisk eggs. Whisk in flour & sugar, then stir in chocolate/butter until combined. Scrape into 4 1-cup ramekins. Bake for about 12 minutes, until edges are firm and center is still runny. Serve warm.

(Remember it's supposed to be pudding and not brownies, or you'll never take it out of the oven. Which is actually fine. You can bake it at least twice as long, and it's still delicious.

We bake ours in oven-safe tea cups. Also, since there's so few ingredients, you'll really notice if you use nicer chocolate.

Enjoy!

Jalapeño Popper Dip

2 8 oz packages of cream cheese

1 c mayonnaise

1 4oz can chopped green chilies, drained

2 T pickled jalapeños, chopped

1 c Parmesan cheese

Mix cream cheese and mayonnaise until smooth. Stir in chilies and peppers. Sprinkle with Parmesan. Bake at 375 for 30 min or microwave for 3 minutes.

Serve with crackers.

As easy as it is delicious.

Spicy Thai Stir Fry

Last year I was sitting in a meeting not paying attention. My mind started to drift to what I was going to make for dinner. I wanted something spicy, but I didn't want to work too hard. I invented this recipe, and it has become a staple.

1 rounded spoonful of peanut butter
1 rounded spoonful of chili garlic paste (available in the Asian food aisle)
Soy sauce
Chopped peanuts

Any assortment of the following:
1 can water chestnuts, chopped
1 or 2 bell peppers, chopped
A few handfuls of sugar snap peas
sliced mushrooms
bean sprouts
bok choy
any sort of veggie you would like in stir fry. You may like broccoli, I find it disgusting, but I can see how you might like it in this dish.

Saute the veggies in non-stick spray or vegetable oil. Start with the ones that take the longest to cook. I usually cook the mushrooms for a minute or so, then add the peppers, throwing in the peas at the last minute, so they heat up but don't lose their crunch.

While cooking the vegetables, mix together the peanut butter, garlic chili paste, and soy sauce. Whisk the sauce together, adding soy sauce until it is the consistency you like to see in a sauce. I usually use twice the amount of soy sauce as anything else.

Add the sauce when the vegetables are ready to go. Serve on brown rice or barley. Sprinkle with peanuts.