Chocolate Covered Strawberries with Tempered Chocolate

Have you ever noticed how smooth and shiny the chocolates in a store are? I've always enjoyed hand dipping things in chocolate but mine never turned out smooth and shiny. They were always dull with streaks in them. Well, after doing some research on line I figured out it's because I didn't temper my chocolate before dipping things in it. Tempering your chocolate is what gives it the glossy shine.

With Valentines Day being tomorrow I decided I would make chocolate covered strawberries for my hubby. So this morning I tried tempering my chocolate for the first time. And it actually worked! I think the strawberries turned out fabulous! So I decided to post it here for you all to try!

Chocolate Covered Strawberries

You'll need:

1 lb. of good quality chocolate. (I used dark chocolate, but you can use any kind.)

a double boiler or a heat proof bowl that fits on the top of a pot.

a thermometer (instant read thermometers are best but I just used a regular one)

a rubber spatula

strawberries or anything else you wish to dip in the chocolate

1. Put 1-2 inches in you pot and bring just barely to a simmer. You don't want the water to touch your bowl and you don't want the water to boil.

2. Chop your chocolate and put 3/4 of it into your heat proof bowl. Reserve the other for a later step.

3. Once the water is simmering set your bowl of chocolate into the pot with the thermometer in it. You will need to stir CONSTANTLY until the chocolate is melted and the thermometer reads 118-120 for dark chocolate, or 116-118 for white and milk chocolate.

4. Once your chocolate reaches the right temp remove the bowl and stir constantly until the chocolate cools down to 80 degrees. As soon as it reaches 80 out it back over the simmering water until it reaches 88-91 degrees for dark chocolate or 85-87 degrees for white and milk chocolate. After it reaches this target temp your chocolate is tempered.

5. To make sure your chocolate has properly tempered spread a little bit of chocolate thinly onto a piece of tin foil and stick in the refrigerator for 3 minutes. If your chocolate is shiny and smooth it's done correctly. If not, just start all over and bring your chocolate back to 118 and follow the steps again.

6. Then dip your fruit in the chocolate letting the excess drip off.

I had extra chocolate so I covered some pretzels and added dried cranberries and I also covered cashews and peanuts with the chocolate.

I cut this heart out of the test chocolate. I think next time I might spread a lot more out to cool and then cut out fun shapes for dressing up desserts or for adding to cakes.

BBQ Chicken Pizza

My hubby has been asking me to make pizza so last night I whipped up this really quick BBQ Chicken Pizza. This is one of our favorite pizzas to order when we are getting pizza delivered or at a restaurant. So I decided to make it at home and boy oh boy is it easy and yummy!

BBQ Chicken Pizza

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

salt & pepper

1 refrigerated pizza dough

3/4 cup of your favorite barbecue sauce, divide into 1/2c and 1/4c portions

1 c shredded mozzarella cheese

1/2 red onion thinly sliced (you can use what ever onion you have on hand)

1/2 red bell pepper thinly sliced

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. (Or what ever it says on the dough package.) Heat oil in a skillet on medium high. Season chicken with salt & pepper and brown on both sides. About 5 minutes per side.

Meanwhile, stretch the pizza dough onto a baking sheet and top with 1/2 cup of the bbq sauce. Sprinkle cheese on top of the sauce and then top the pizza with the peppers and onions. Once the chicken is done, slice it into long pieces and put in a bowl with the 1/4 cup of bbq sauce and toss. Put the chicken on the pizza and bake for 13-17 minutes. It may take a bit longer if you have really thick crust.

Roasted Chicken, Potatoes, and Brussels Sprouts with a Balsamic Glaze

Since I was stuck inside all day yesterday due to the snow I figured I would make a dish for supper that had a longer cooking time. I don't usually make meals that take longer than 35 minutes during the week since we want to eat right after work. So it was a fun treat getting to spend the extra time on supper last night. And let me tell you, it was well worth the extra time!

I didn't have a whole lot on hand but I did have chicken, some russet potatoes, and a bag of brussels sprouts that my hubby bought at Costco before all the snow started. I had decided on roasting the brussels sprouts so I looked online to see if I could find a good way to season them. Most recipes just suggested olive oil, salt, and pepper and I was going to do that until I saw one recipe that suggested adding balsamic vinegar. Well, that got me thinking. what if I roasted the chicken and potatoes with the sprouts and added the balsamic vinegar to it all? So that's just what I did. And all I have to say is YUM!

Roasted Chicken, Potatoes, and Brussels Sprouts with a Balsamic Glaze

I used:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

3 russet potatoes, scrubbed and cut into chunks

2lbs. brussels sprouts with ends trimmed and any outer yellow leaves removed

extra virgin olive oil

salt

fresh ground pepper

balsamic vinegar

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Put the potatoes in boiling water while you trim the brussels sprouts so that they have a head start in cooking. (I only had mine in the water for 5 minutes.) Once the sprouts are trimmed place them in a roasting pan or baking sheet. Drain the potatoes and add them to the pan with the sprouts. Drizzle olive oil on the sprouts and potatoes, sprinkle with salt and pepper and using your hands, toss to coat. I just eyeballed the oil amount. Salt and pepper the chicken and place it in the middle of the pan. Drizzle the balsamic vinegar over everything and using your hands toss the potatoes and sprouts in the vinegar and rub the vinegar onto the chicken.

Put in the oven and roast for 10 minutes then stir the veggies. Bake for 20 minutes and stir again and this time flip the chicken over and spoon some of the liquid in the pan onto the chicken. Bake for another 20-25 minutes then serve immediately. Enjoy!

I loved how this turned out! Hubby added some vidalia onion salad dressing to his because he loves his food with creamy sauce on it. I did find out as he took his first bite that he didn't like brussels sprouts. That is, he didn't like them until last night! He said, "I can't believe I like these brussels sprouts. They used to torment me as a kid. I hated them." Yay! I got him to eat, AND like brussels sprouts! Mission accomplished! (And this was said before he added the salad dressing.)

Bottom of the Barrel!

Well, with all the snow that the DC area has gotten in the past 6 days I have officially been snowed in and I'm running out of food. I'm really glad I stocked up as well as I did but I'm scrapping the bottom of the barrel for dinner ideas. I don't know about you but it seems like I get stuck in a food rut sometimes and I always make my same go to things when I'm low on supplies. Tonight's supper is in the oven and if it turns out I'll be posting it for you shortly. It's just a mixture of what I could find in the fridge and pantry.

I'm wondering what things you typically have on hand. Do you find yourself continually making chicken like me? Or maybe its pasta for you. Would you like some new ideas and recipes for the food that you tend to make over and over or for food that you have on hand in the back of the cupboard that you have no idea how to use it up? If so, please tell me what lurks in the back of your pantry or what rut your in and I'll try to kick up some new recipes for you. I'm always up for a cooking challenge and with all this snow I have a lot of time to spend in the kitchen.

I look forward to hearing from you and creating new ways to spice up your staples!

In Honor of the Super Bowl

With the Super Bowl being tomorrow and all I figured I'd post a good game time snack. I got this out of Food Network's Magazine in the January/February issue. They made potato skins and topped them 32 ways; one in honor of each football team in the NFL. Below is the recipe for the potato skins. You can top them however you want with whatever you have on hand. The picture is just 2 of the ways I topped mine the last time I made them. (On the left they are topped with my chicken nachos and on the right they are topped with guacamole and tostidos ranch queso.) I have also listed the toppings that the Food Network Magazine gave for the Colts and the Saints. If you want to have a really fun Super Bowl party you can use those toppings. I hope you enjoy these as much as I do!

Potato Skins

4 large russet potatoes

4 tbsp melted butter (you might need a bit more or less depending on the size of your spuds)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Scrub the potatoes and pierce them with a fork. Bake them directly on the oven rack until tender. About 1 hour. Let cool, then quarter lengthwise and scoop out the flesh, leaving a 1/4 inch shell. Brush both sides of the skins with melted butter and season with salt and pepper. Bake, skin side up, at 450 degrees until crisp, about 15 minutes. Then add your favorite toppings and enjoy.

If you want to make cheesy skins, flip the baked shells over after the 15 minutes and sprinkle with grated cheddar cheese and bake and extra 5 minutes.

Go Saints:

Muffuletta - assorted sliced Italian deli meats, provolone cheese, olive salad, and sliced pepperoncinis

Go Colts:

Fried Pork - mayonnaise mixed with mustard and hot sauce, sliced fried pork cutlets, chopped tomato, and diced red onion.

Brown Sugar Kisses

Since I am trying to watch what I eat I picked up the cookbook Cook Yourself Thin Faster by Lauren Deen. There are some good looking recipes that I haven't had a chance to try yet but I'm really looking forward to trying them. There is one recipe, however, that caught my eye. It's a recipe for Brown Sugar Kisses. The best part about this recipe is that each kiss is....get this....only 15 calories! That's right! 15 calories, less than 1 gram of fat, 12mg sodium, 18mg potassium, 4g carbs, and 1/2g protein. With numbers like that you don't have to feel guilty when you pop 3 of these yummy treats in your mouth. And this would be something really fun to make with your kids. You can put the meringue in a small plastic bag and snip off the end and give them their own baking sheet and let them make their own meringues. They might look a little funny but they'll taste yummy and the kids will have fun baking with you.

Brown Sugar Kisses

3 egg whites

pinch of salt

1/2 c light brown sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 225 degrees.

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone sheets. (I used wax paper)

Using either a stand mixer or handheld mixer put the egg whites and salt in a bowl and mix on high speed until soft peaks form. Once the peaks have formed add the brown sugar a little at a time while beating until the meringue is stiff and shiny. About 3 to 5 minutes. Add the vanilla and beat to combine.

Fill a pastry bag or a large plastic baggie that has the end snipped off with the meringue and squeeze the meringue onto the sheet to form kisses.

Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Then turn the oven off and keep the door ajar. Let cool in the oven for an hour.

Store them in a tin or wrap loosely in tin foil; do not store in plastic wrap or glass or the kisses will become soggy.

I know this recipe has a long baking and cooling time but they take only 10-12 to put together. This is a great recipe to make on a day when the weather keeps you indoors or when you have a lot of cleaning to do. You'll have a yummy treat waiting for you once your house is sparkly clean. :-)