Hot Chocolate, made even better

I love love love hot chocolate when it starts turning cooler.  You have come to learn by now I have quite a sweet tooth, so you can see how this rich chocolaty drink would be a weakness. 

I have to share with you my favorite Hot Chocolate, EVER.  (and I've had a lot of hot chocolate, lemme tell ya). 

Williams-Sonoma carries this seasonally, so stock up in the Fall and winter if you want to savor it on a cool spring evening.  This hot chocolate is different from anything I've ever had before because it's not made with cocoa powder.  No, that would be far too run-of-the-mill for Williams-Sonoma.  They completely upped the ante with making this out of shavings of pure premium chocolate.  Yes, it's true.  Rich, smooth, velvety chocolate shavings that melt away into a mug of warm milk.  What could be better than that?

I'm a purist when it comes to my cocoa so I've never sprung Peppermint Hot Chocolate.  However, if that's you cup of tea, or cup of cocoa rather in this case, I'm banking this would be the best Peppermint Hot Chocolate you've ever had.

Here's a link to the cocoa on their website.  You can also find it in all their stores.  Yes, it's more than you would typically spend on Hot Cocoa, but trust me, it's worth it. 

It would make a perfect hostess gift over the holiday party season. 
http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/hot-chocolate-peppermint-hot-chocolate/?pkey=cbeverages%7Cfodbevchc

Breakfast for dinner

There is nothing more comforting on a cool fall night than cooking breakfast for dinner.  Last night I shook it up a bit and made omelets.  Not just any old omelet, one stuffed with ooey-gooey white cheddar, smoked ham, spinach and mushrooms.  It hit the spot!

I've tried tons of methods over the years to get the perfect omelet at home.  They never would measure up to a diner's neatly folded, well set, egg pocket.  UNTIL I got the oven involved in the process.  This is a no-fail method for getting the eggs set and cheese melted. 

Smoked Ham, Spinach, Mushroom and White Cheddar Omelets

(Ingredients list makes one omelet)

Ingredients:

1 Non-stick pan with an oven safe handle

Non-stick cooking spray

2 eggs

Splash of milk

1/4 cup chopped smoked ham (can buy at the deli counter)

1/4 cup chopped mushrooms

1 handful fresh baby spinach leaves

1/4 cup white cheddar cheese; shredded (I used Cabot 50% less fat White Cheddar)

Salt and Pepper to taste

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.  Over medium heat on the stove top, heat non-stick skillet.  Once heated, drizzle in about a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil.  Saute mushrooms with a sprinkle of kosher salt and black pepper until desired texture. 

(Some like them close to raw, I prefer them cooked down a bit)

Add in the chopped ham and a generous handful of baby spinach.  

Season again with a pinch of salt and pepper. 

Saute ingredients together until spinach wilts, about 3-4 minutes.

Pour mixture into a bowl and set aside, keeping warm. 

Remove pan from heat to let it cool down.  Lower heat on stove top to medium-low.

Crack two eggs in a bowl, add in a small splash of milk (about 1 tablespoon).  Sprinkle in a pinch of salt and pepper.  Lightly whisk everything together with a fork.



Two bowls, because I'm doing two omelets at a time. Talented!

Place cooled skillet back over the lowered heat.  Generously spray with non-stick cooking spray.  Pour eggs into pan and let the bottom start to set before stirring. 

Once the bottom of the eggs start to turn opaque, use a rubber spatula to pull the done edges towards the center of the pan, tilting the pan to let the runny eggs flow to the open side.

 

While the eggs on top of the omelet is still soft remove pan from the heat.

Sprinkle shredded cheddar cheese over 1/2 of omelet. 

Top cheese with the ham, spinach, mushroom mixture.

Place the pan in pre-heated oven to finish setting the eggs and warming all the ingredients through; about 5 minutes. 

Remove from oven and use a rubber spatula to loosen the side of the eggs with no toppings. 

Gently fold the loosened side over.

Now close your eyes and pray you can slip this onto a plate in one piece.  I still break my perfectly folded omelets nearly every time I try to transfer to a plate.  The best method is to use a spatula to scoot it out the side the pan onto a plate. 

But seriously, say a prayer...cause it's hard to do. 

I've seen some people put a plate over the entire pan and flip it over.  I've had some luck with that.  Just do what works for you and don't worry if you bust the first several (hundred) omelets in the transfer process.  They still taste fabulous!

 

I served our omelets with spicy oven roasted potatoes topped with cool ketchup.  

Someone call Guy Fieri because this dinner was Diners Drive-ins and Dives worthy!



The quintessential Bloody Mary

I have a confession to make.  Until the last two months, I didn't even like Bloody Mary's.  I love everything that makes up a Bloody Mary so it drove me crazy that I didn't care for them. 

Finally, my taste buds have come around!  I drank my first Bloody Mary at a Titans game a few weeks ago, and have been hooked every since.  I feel I must share that I haven't been drinking Bloody Mary's for long in the interest of full disclosure that I might not be a well-seasoned judge.  That said, I'm still pretty confident my husband and several of our friends have cornered the market on making the best. 

This isn't entirely our "secret recipe" per se, but a mix of how we've observed others make it.  My husband mixed and matched his favorite techniques to make one of his own.  A hybrid, if you will. 

Our tips for perfect Bloody Mary's

Numero Uno, most important Bloody Mary must, ZING ZANG mix.  There is no other mix worthy of my Grey Goose Vodka. 

Second tip is to use a decent tasting vodka.  I prefer Grey Goose.  Absolut is a close second.

Thirdly, the add-ins.  We believe perfect mix-ins are a couple of shakes of Tabasco Hot Sauce and Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce.  Top it off with and a squeeze of a fresh Lime. 

Assembly: My husband pours all the ingredients in one glass, then pours the mixture over ice into a second glass.  Last but not least, pour them back and fourth between glasses a few times to get it mixed thoroughly and icy cold.

Here's a pic of Jim's game day mixing station. 

There are plenty of schools of thought about what makes the perfect drink garnish.  Celery, olives, carrots, shrimp, and on and on...  On this particular game day, I added in a big juicy dill pickle to munch on as I worked my way down the glass.  May sound a little crazy, but it was delightful.

How do you like your Bloody Mary's?  Please share you tips with me.

Mini Bacon and Cheese Toasts

Long time, no talk!  After a week away for work I am happy to be back and COOKING.  Before I get to talking about healthy stuff I'll be having this week, I must share with you a tasty little treat I made last week.  (That healthy stuff can wait 'til Tuesday!)

Tis the season for itty-bitty party food, snacks and appetizers and these would be perfect for all occasions.  They are wonderful out of the oven or at room temperature, which makes them great for buffets or making ahead to take to a party.  I made these to serve with a big pot of Chili for my bunko group.  Yes, I could have done grilled cheeses, but I wanted something a little more grown-up and gourmet than a Kraft single between two pieces of white bread.  (I'm not bashing the good 'ole grilled cheese here, it just didn't fit the occasion this time.) 

I found this recipe in the back of Everyday Food Magazine over a year ago and cut it out knowing someday I would have the perfect party for them.  I tweaked the amount of bacon a bit from the original recipe.  Because we southern girls love our bacon! 

Mini Bacon and Cheese Toasts

Makes 50 mini toasts.  Allow 2-3 per person. 

(Us 11 bunko girls demolished all 50 on our own)

10 oz block extra sharp white cheddar cheese, cut into 1/2 inch cubes (You can use regular Extra Sharp Cheddar if no White Cheddar is available.  Buy good quality cheese like Cabot or Cracker Barrel.  No store brand!)

2-4 slices cooked bacon coarsely chopped (recipe called for 2 pieces, I used 4)

1 small white onion coarsely chopped

1 loaf cocktail bread, rye or pumpernickel (found in the bakery section)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a food processor, combine cheddar cheese, bacon slices, and onion.  Process until a smooth paste forms.  (Took me about 2 minutes, stopping to scrape down the sides once or twice.)

Arrange cocktail bread slices on two rimmed baking sheets.  Bake until crisp, but not browned, about 4-6 minutes.  Remove from oven and let cool completely.

Heat broiler.  Top each toast with 2 tablespoons cheese mixture.  Broil until topping is lightly browned, about 4 minutes. 

These were PERFECT for dipping in chili!

Instead of playing Bunko, I made them pumpkin carving contest.  Their pumpkins turned out so good I just had to share a picture with you.  They were not allowed to use stencils, this is all free-hand.  I'm so proud! :-)

Sorry!

I'm sorry to report, I have to take a week off from the blog.  I will be gone all week for a conference in Atlanta. 

Hopefully I will have some good stuff to share when I get back.

Have a great week!

-Amanda

Red Velvet Cake Balls

Tonight it's my turn to host my bunko group.  I'm doing a Halloween themed night but wanted to make a dessert that doesn't scream "Halloween theme" with the same old pumpkin something. 

I found a recipe for Red Velvet Cake Balls on Bakerella's website. Bakerella was a pioneer in the whole Cake Ball trend so I knew the recipe would be fabulous, no taste testing needed.  It was still a little spooky, dark chocolate on the outside and red on the inside. Okay, spooky might be a stretch, but they are fabulous!  Really these girls couldn't care less about themes as long as the food is yum.

The recipe could not be simpler.  But note, I did make one small change to the dipping chocolate. 

She called for Chocolate Bark.  What the?  Chocolate Bark?  I have no idea what that is, and it's no where in the store.  I searched the baking isle to just make sure I wasn't crazy. 

So for the dipping chocolate, you will need 1, plus another 1/2 bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips and 2 tablespoons vegetable shortening.  Melt chocolate chips and shortening together in a microwave safe bowl. Start with microwaving 1 minute, stir well, then go in 30 second increments until melted.  Watch carefully, chocolate burns easy.  Once that's smooth you are ready to dip. Just proceed with recipe as normal.
(Yes, shortening grosses me out too, but it's necessary evil when you make dipping chocolate with chocolate chips)

Recipe Link:
 http://www.bakerella.com/red-velvet-cake-balls/

Here are my photos along the process, step-by step.  I made the cake and rolled out the balls Tuesday and dipped them in Chocolate Thursday.  You can make these way ahead of time if you need to and freeze them in an air tight container. 

Perhaps it is spooky?  Looks like blood to me!

I know this is my food blog but I can't help but show off my table centerpiece my super talented sister, Karen  made for me.  To assemble she hollowed out a green Cinderella pumpkin and used "coffee break" roses with seeded eucalyptus greenery. 

I LOVE LOVE LOVE this!  Are those roses gorgeous or what?

In case you missed it...Chipolte's Guacamole Recipe

One of the chef's from Chipolte appeared on today's Talk of the Town to share their coveted Guacamole recipe!

Holy Guacamole!   Not only did they give the Guacamole recipe, they also shared the Spicy Corn Salsa and regular Tomato Salsa.  

If you've not tried the guac at Chipolte yet, I don't know what you are waiting for.  It's life-altering, amazingly good.  Stop fighting the urge and get to one of the three Nashville Locations (West End, Green Hills, Brentwood, and soon to be open location on Cool Springs Blvd.  Yes, I even know all locations.  Sad, but true.)

These recipes are so simple.  That's the beauty of Chipolte.  Fresh, simple, good ingredients.

Here is link to the Talk of the Town site with recipes.  Video included, for those who love visuals....
http://www.newschannel5.com/Global/story.asp?S=13365089
Enjoy!

PS: If you are on planning on whipping up a batch, I saw Hass avocados are on sale for $1.00 at Kroger.  Pretty good buy on them for them for early fall.  Run, don't walk.  In case I beat you to them ;-)