Blackberry Panna Cotta topped with White Chocolate Cream Mousse

Ingredients:

Blackberry Panna Cotta

2 c blackberries simple syrup
3 c heavy cream
2 1/2 envelopes unflavored gelatin
1 T vanilla extract
1/2 c white sugar

White Chocolate Mousse

8 oz good white chocolate broken up
1/2 c heavy cream for ganache
3 c heavy cream for whipping

Instructions.
Day 1 - make Panna Cotta.

1. Put blackberry syrup in a large saucepan on low heat.
2. Sprinkle gelatin powder on top and allow to stand for 5 minutes.
3. When gelatin is all wet an wrinkly, begin to whisk.
4. Add sugar and whisk until all is dissolved.
5. Add cream and vanilla and heat gently. DO NOT BOIL or even simmer. When warm and all well combined, remove from heat.
6. Pour into 12-14 - 6 oz cups or ramekins (about 1/3 to 1/2 full.)
7. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Day 2 - make White Chocolate Cream Mousse

1. In a large microwave safe bowl combine chocolate pieces and 1/2 c heavy cream.
2. Microwave in high for 30 seconds at a time, whisking between until chocolate is melted and combined with cream. 
3. Set aside.
4. In a large mixing bowl (or power mixer bowl with a whisk attachment) pour 3 c COLD heavy cream. 
5. Whisk by hand or with mixer at medium speed for several minutes until cream forms soft peaks. (Do not over mix or you will make butter!)
6. Put about 1/2 of whipped cream into the chocolate-cream mixture and whisk gently to combine. 
7. Add chocolate & cream mixture back into whipped cream bowl and whisk gently to combine. Do not over mix.

Assembly

Portion cream onto tops of cups or ramekins of Panna Cotta.

Chill for two hours before serving.

Bacon wrapped, bleu cheese filled, pitted dates

Ingredients:
1 lb bacon
40 pitted dates
2/3 c crumbled blue cheese

Instructions.

Preheat oven to  400°

1. Cut bacon strips into halves (you may need more than a pound if its think cut - you need twenty full length bacon strips total.) In a large skillet, cook bacon in batches over medium heat until partially cooked but not crisp. Remove to paper towels to drain; keep warm.

2. Carefully cut a slit in the center of each date; fill with blue cheese. Wrap a bacon piece around each stuffed date; secure with wooden toothpicks.

3. Place on ungreased baking sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until bacon is crisp. 

Yield: 40 pieces

I had these first at a local restaurant, the Federal Taphouse. They call them, "Devil on Horseback". I call them better than sex.

Blackberry Simple Syrup

Ingredients:
4c fresh blackberries
4c white sugar
4c water

Instructions.
Put all ingredients in a large sauce pan over medium high heat. 

Stir continuously mashing the fruit as you stir. Use a potato masher to help breakdown the fruit. (The idea here is to extract the juice from the pulp and seeds.)
Heat until mixture begins to just boil and remove from heat.
Set aside and allow to cool.
Pour through a fine strainer to separate pulp and seeds from syrup.
Put the syrup in a quart (or two pints) and refrigerate for up to three weeks or freeze in a muffin tin for longer storage.

Ready for the freezer.

Cheese, Onion & Sweet Pepper Cornbread

Ingredients:

Topping
1 c onion - diced into 1/4" pieces
1 c sweet green pepper - diced into 1/4" pieces
olive oil for sautéing

Cornbread - see recipe here. Replace black beans with onion & pepper topping.

Instructions. Topping instructions
1. heat a skillet on high heat. When hot add a coating of olive oil.
2. Immediately add onions & peppers
3. Saute on high until onions begin to brown and peppers are softened.
4. Remove from heat.

Follow corn bread recipe instructions using onions & peppers in place of black beans.

Serve with pico de gallo, salsa, guacamole, or fajita filling.

Cranberry barbeque chicken dip

Ingredients:
1 can whole-berry cranberry sauce
1 bottle chili sauce
1 T Worcestershire sauce
1 T coarse brown mustard
1 t red pepper flakes
1 T cider vinegar
4 c cooked chicken, shredded
2 pkg Neufchatel cheese, softened
1 lb Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
Small bunch of green onions cut up for garnish.

2 - 8" diameter oven safe serving bowls or a single 9x13 glass casserole dish

Instructions.

Preheat oven to 350° F

Lightly oil dishes with olive oil. Evenly divide Neufchatel cheese between the dishes and press out evenly on the bottom (put some oil on your fingers to make this easy.) Cover with a light layer of shredded Monterey jack. Set aside.

Put cranberry sauce, chili sauce, worschesher sauce, mustard, red pepper, and vinegar in a food processor. Pulse to combine. You want the cranberries to still have some texture, so don't puree.

Put chicken in a large bowl. Spoon about 1/2 cup of barbeque sauce over it and stir well. Keep adding a few spoonfuls until all of the chicken is coated and the mixture holds together. Add a bit more sauce along with about 1/2 cup shredded Monterey jack and mix just until combined.

Spoon an even layer of chicken mixture into the casserole dishes. Level with the back of a spoon.

Coat with the remaining shredded Monterey jack cheese.

Bake, uncovered for 30 minutes. Remove and top with green onions.

Serve immediately with snack crackers.

Red Pepper Hummus

Ingredients:

• 2 red bell peppers (roasted, skinned and diced)
• 1.5 cups (one 15 oz. can) cooked chickpeas, rinsed and drained if canned (equals 1/2 c dry beans soaked overnight and cooked for 45-90 minutes)
• 2-3 medium cloves garlic, peeled
• 1/4 cup raw tahini (sesame paste)
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon sea salt (or less if you prefer)
• 1/4 cup vegetable broth
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

Instructions.

• 1. If you are anal, skin the chickpeas. It will take a while. You might start to curse, or give up altogether.
  2. Roast red peppers directly over burner on stove until blackened on all sides. Put in a paper bag for 10 minutes. Peel off skin, dice into 1/8" pieces
  3. In a food processor, blend the garbanzo beans and garlic cloves very well. Add the tahini, lemon juice, salt, broth and oil and process until fully emulsified and creamy. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to ten days. For best results, allow to warm to room temperature before serving.
  4. Add 1/2 of the peppers to the food processor and blend (peppers should still be visible.)
  5. Serve hummus in a bowl and garnish on top with the other 1/2 of the peppers.

Moroccan Style Sausage Rolls & Red Pepper Hummus

Ingredients:

• 3 puff pastry sheets
• 1½ lb ground beef (use lamb if you can afford it)
• 2½T sundried cranberries
• 1½t ground coriander
• 1½t ground cumin
• 1T of lemon juice
• 1/4lb fresh spinach leaves, chopped
• 4 sprigs fresh coriander leaves, chopped
• 3 sprigs fresh parsley leaves, chopped
• 2 eggs lightly beaten
• 1 egg lightly beaten with 2T cold water (separate from above)

Instructions.

1. Remove the pastry from the freezer to defrost
2. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F
3. Put the chopped herbs and spinach, and spices in a bowl and blend well.
4. Put the ground meat into the bowl and mix by band until well blended
5. Add 2 beaten eggs and mix through
6. Split the mixture into three parts
7. One by one, layout each sheet of pastry on a lightly floured surface, rolling slightly to fix any splits and to make the pastry even.
8. Dab some of the egg/water mixture for about 1" along one edge.
9. Lay out 1/3 of the meat mixture along the opposit edge of the pastry and then roll the pastry up and over into a log, sealing with the egg dabbed edge.
10. Cut into 1" pieces
11. Put the pieces onto a baking tray lined with baking paper and brush with the egg/water mixture to glaze
12. Bake for 30 minutes
13. Remove from the oven and cool
14. Serve with Red Pepper Hummus