1 Minute Chocolate Cake

So actually, my real passion in life is baking, and dinner is really just that pesky meal that comes before the best part of a day! But I had avoided posting sweet recipes because dinner is much more useful to most of us. This recipe, though, is useful for just about anyone who likes chocolate, dessert, and low calorie treats.

1 tbsp and 2 tsp cocoa powder

3 tbsp flour

1/8 tsp salt

1/4 tsp baking powder

1 tbsp and 2 tsp sugar (or one stevia packet and 2 tsp sugar)

1 tbsp applesauce (or 1 tbsp vegetable oil)

3 tbsp fat free milk

1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract

Optional 1 tbsp semi-sweet chocolate chips

Put all the dry ingredients into a bowl and mix together very well (no clumps!) then add in the wet ingredients and mix all together. Pour into a mug or microwave-safe dish and microwave for about a minute, less if you’re microwave tends to be a fast cooker. Pull it out and top with 1 tbsp semi-sweet chocolate chips while its hot, and enjoy! Only 170 calories without chocolate chips and 240 with it! Mmmm…

Shrimp Laksa

This is a great shrimp curry soup with a little bit of heat and a creamy coconut milk base. Fresh veggies make it a perfect meal. It’s a little more intensive than previous posts but I finally have my full kitchen and access to a grocery store more easily! This recipe serves about 3, each a medium sized portion.

Half a package of medium width rice noodles (or whichever type you prefer, thinner ones would be great too)

2-3 tbsp laksa paste

1 3/4 cup (or one can) of light or half-fat coconut milk

2 1/4 cup chicken stock or broth

15 cooked deveined unshelled shrimp

a few hands full of bean sprouts

1/4 of a cucumber, cut into thin strips

small bunch of fresh cilantro

juice of half of one lime

salt

Put the noodles in a bowl and pour boiling water over them and let them sit for 5-7 minutes or until soft, then strain and put to the side.

Heat a pan and add the laksa paste and a little bit of coconut milk (2 tbsp for mild, 3 for a little more spice). Let simmer for 3-4 minutes then add the rest of the coconut milk and the chicken broth and simmer for two minutes. Add the shrimp and cook until they are thoroughly heated. Stir in the beansprouts and the lime juice (to taste, add a little juice at a time) and then add the salt, also to taste. Put the noodles into your bowls, ladle the soup over it and top with the cucumber and cilantro.

There you go! Delicious and not bad for you.

Quick and Easy Guac

So, another battle between me and my tiny kitchen. I have an avocado that MUST be eaten. What do I do? Go out and buy a tomato, an onion and a lemon. Guacamole is on the menu tonight!

When I first moved in with the group of girls I lived with, we made a big Mexican inspired dinner and I was astounded that no one knew how to make guacamole! I, of course, made a big show of fancy guacamole for ten people, amazed at how easily I was labeled a “cook”- they hadn’t even tried my cookies. Here is a simplified version for the lazier of us, the less ingredients the better!

Guacamole- makes about 1 cup (it goes quickly)

1 ripe avocado

1 lemon

1 tomato

1 onion

Salt and Pepper

Slice the avocado in half, carefully, trying to keep the pit intact. Scoop out the insides into a medium sized bowl using a spoon-make sure you get every last bit. Discard the skin and the pit. Mash the avocado in the bowl until only slightly chunky.

Slice the tomato in half and scoop out the seeds of one half, we don’t want slimy guac! Dice the remaining tomato half into small squares and throw those in with the avocado mush.

Peel the onion and chop about 2 tbsp into small squares about the same size as the tomato (add a few more tbsp if you like onion, I usually prefer only a small amount) and put in the bowl with the avocado and tomato.

Cut a wedge of lemon about 2 cm or half an inch wide and squeeze the juice into the bowl with the avocado (not only does it give the guac a bit of zest but it also keeps the avocado from turning brown). Don’t worry if pulp gets in but definitely scoop out any seeds.

Add salt and pepper to taste and mix together. Usually, its good to add salt and pepper in small amounts, mixing, trying, and adding again to get your perfect balance- don’t forget though, if you’re eating it with tortilla chips they have salt of their own, so don’t oversalt!

Anyway, its easy to whip up and is a great thing to show off your amazing cooking skills. Have fun and enjoy!

Orecchiette with Chick Peas, Broccoli Rabe and Optional Chicken

This recipe I found from one of my favorite sites, EatingWell.com. They always seem to have the best low fat recipes where you don’t have to compromise too much! I mean I like eating low-cal as much as the next person but sacrificing flavor is not an option. Again, I made some adjustments to the recipe:

4 ounces whole wheat orecchiette or chiocciole (or regular, if you truly hate the texture of whole wheat pasta)

1/2 a bunch of broccoli rabe, ends trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces

3/4 cup vegetarian or chicken flavored broth

2 tsp all purpose flour

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (more if making chicken)

4 cloves of garlic, minced (I really enjoy garlic so sometimes I add a bit more, and you need more if you’re making the dish with chicken)

1/2 tsp minced fresh rosemary, or 1/8 tsp dried (definitely not necessary but a nice addition to the dish if you have it, also good on the chicken)

1 8-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

2-3 tbsp balsamic vinegar (to taste, I love how balsamic tastes on pasta with cheese so I usually add a bit more, also need 1-2 tbsp more if making dish with chicken)

1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper

parmesan cheese for garnish

1 chicken breast, cubed (not required, I just liked it because it gave the dish a heartier feel and I was hungry!)

Bring a large saucepan of water to boil. Cook pasta for 6 minutes, then add broccoli rabe to the water and continue to cook and stir the pot until both pasta and broccoli rabe are tender, 3-5 minutes more. Drain.

(If making with chicken) Heat a small saute pan with a bit of extra olive oil (about 1 tbsp) over medium heat. Add in some garlic (about a clove to a clove and a half) and a pinch of rosemary if you have it. Saute for about 30 seconds until aromatic, then drop in the chicken cubes and pour 1-2 tbsp of balsamic vinegar over them. If the cubes don’t seem to be cooking within the first minute or so of being in the pan turn up the heat slightly, but not too much. Stir the chicken so all pieces get cooked and coated with the vinegar, garlic and rosemary. Once chicken is cooked through (cut into a cube to make sure, about 8 minutes), remove from heat and drain out excess oil from the pan. Set aside.

Whisk broth and flour in a small bowl. Heat oil in the pot used for the pasta over medium high heat. Add garlic and rosemary and cook, stirring until fragrant, about 30 seconds-1 minute. (Make sure you don’t burn the garlic!) Whisk in the broth mixture. Bring to a simmer, constantly whisking until it thickens. Add chickpeas, vinegar, salt, pepper and the pasta mixture. Cook, stirring constantly, until heated through and coated with the sauce, about 2 minutes. Add in the chicken and mix to combine (if using it), garnish with a bit of parmesan and enjoy!

Chicken Chili

Okay so here is another recipe I found while wandering online, and altered due to lack of kitchen/ingredients. It still tasted AWESOME though, and since I’ve given up red meat I was so happy to find a chili that was just as hearty and flavorful as the one my mom makes with ground beef.

Originally found from Martha Stewart Online:

1 tbs olive oil

1 onion, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

5 garlic cloves, chopped

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed

1 28 oz can chopped tomatoes with their juice

2 1/2 cups skimmed chicken stock (low sodium if available)

1 tsp salt

4 cups canned kidney beans, drained and rinsed

ground pepper

1 packet of el dorado burrito seasoning, medium

In a large pot heat the oil over medium high until hot, then reduce to medium low and add garlic, onion and pepper. Cook, occasionally stirring, for 10 minutes or until veggies are tender.

Raise heat to medium and add the chicken and half of the packet of seasoning, stirring to coat. Keep stirring to ensure all the chicken is seared on the outside and coated, about 10 minutes. Add tomatoes, stir to mix and cook for 5 minutes. Now add the chicken stock, salt (pepper if you’re using it) and beans, stirring to combine.

Cover and let simmer, stir contents and replace the lid to partially cover the pot. Reduce heat to medium low and cook until chili is at your desired thickness and chicken is tender, around 1 1/2 hours. Make sure you KEEP STIRRING occasionally to get an even cooking and to make sure you aren’t burning the chili on the bottom. Burnt chili is still good but if it can be avoided, avoid!

You can now serve right away, or put it in the fridge or freezer. Mine kept well for a week in the fridge, though I haven’t tried past that. Great with some cheese sprinkled in, tortilla chips, sour cream or all alone!

Naked Tomato Sauce

So as I trolled the internet for anything and everything that looked delicious (I have almost no kitchen right now and so I spend my time planning what I will make when I do) I stumbled across a wonderful tomato sauce recipe full of fresh ingredients and minimal effort. Now I had to adapt it a little, because a) I didn’t agree with some of it and b) I didn’t have all the tools required but its turned out amazing! It makes about 2 generous servings (I ate both, it was just as good the next day)

Originally found on Smitten Kitchen:

5 ripe medium tomatoes (recipe calls for plum but I used common tomatoes and it was just as flavorful)

3/4 tsp salt (I used more because fresh recipes can often be under salted which ruins the flavor!)

1 large clove chopped garlic (You can use pre-minced canned in water)

1 pinch red pepper flakes (I didn’t use these but added black pepper afterwards, depends on how much heat you want)

1 heaping handful of basil leaved

1/4 cup (or a little less) olive oil

12 ounces spaghetti

Bring a pot of water to a boil (your tomatoes will be popped in here so make sure it’s big enough). Cut shallow Xs on the bottom of each tomato. Prepare a bowl (once again big enough for all the tomatoes) with ice water. Drop the tomatoes into the boiling water for about 20-30 seconds and then transfer them quickly to the ice water. The skin will now easily peel off. Get out a large saucepan, big enough for all of your pasta too. Cut each tomato in half and scoop our the seeds (the recipe calls for straining to keep the juice in but I scooped out the seeds and squeezed the juices by hand into the pan, messy but effective) and then put the tomatoes and the salt into the pan. Put the saucepan on the stove and turn the heat to medium high. Begin to break down the tomatoes (you can chop or use a potato masher, I honestly broke it down with a plastic spoon and kept it a bit chunky). Once the sauce has begun to boil, turn the heat down to medium low and let it simmer for 30-40 minutes.

While that cooks combine garlic, olive oil, pepper flakes if you’re using them and half of the basil leaves in a smaller saute pan. Put the heat on very low and let the oil cook slowly to a simmer so it doesn’t burn the garlic or ruin the basil and then take it off the heat. (The original recipe calls for the garlic and basil to be strained out of the oil but I can’t see why-garlic and basil belong in pasta sauce!)

Once your sauce is cooked to your desired consistency, add the oil, rip up the other half of the basil leaves and throw them in and add some more salt and pepper to taste. If your sauce is thicker than you would like, feel free to add a half cup of reserve water from boiling your pasta to loosen it while it simmers, though I didn’t.

Now mix in your pasta, maybe throw some fresh mozzarella or parmesan in there too and enjoy! Simple and delicious.