Mystical Meatballs

* 1/2 cup Dutch-process unsweetened cocoa powder
* 11/4 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 cup sugar
* 1/2 tsp baking soda
* 1/8 tsp salt
* 2 whole large eggs
* 1 large egg yolk
* 3/4 cup buttermilk
* 1/4 cup vegetable oil
* 1 tsp vanilla
* Unsalted butter

1. Sift together cocoa, flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl, then whisk in eggs, yolk, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla until combined well.

2. Heat a griddle or nonstick skillet over moderately low heat and lightly coat with butter.

3. Working in batches of 2 or 3, pour ¼ cup batter per cake onto hot griddle; cook until bubbles appear on surface, 1 to 2 minutes. Flip cakes with a large spatula; cook until tops spring back when pressed gently, about 1 minute more.

4. Transfer to a plate and loosely cover with foil to keep warm. Add ½ tsp butter to griddle between batches.

Serves 4

Posted by Chef at 1:48 PM | Permalink

* 2 cups dry pinto beans
* 2 (14.5 ounce) cans reduced sodium chicken
* 2 celery ribs, diced
* 1/4 cup diced onion
* 1/4 cup diced green pepper
* 1 teaspoon ground cumin
* 1/2 teaspoon ground sage
* 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
* 2 bay leaves
* 1 garlic clove, minced
* 2 (14.5 ounce) cans Mexican diced tomatoes
* salt to taste
* minced fresh cilantro or parsley, optional

# Soak beans overnight in slow cooker, rinse, and drain. Or use the quick method: Place beans in a Dutch oven or soup kettle; add water to cover by 2 in. Bring to a boil; boil for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat; cover and let stand for 1 hour. Drain and rinse beans, discarding liquid. Pour beans into slow cooker.
# Stir in broth, celery, onion, green pepper, cumin, sage, pepper flakes, bay leaves, garlic and tomatoes. Cook on high for 1 hour, then on low for 5-6 hours, or until beans are very tender. Discard bay leaves. Stir in salt. Sprinkle with cilantro.

Nutritional Analysis: One serving (3/4 cup) equals 164 calories, 1 g fat (trace saturated fat), 0 cholesterol, 605 mg sodium, 32 g carbohydrate, 10 g fiber, 10 g protein.

Posted by Chef at 10:27 AM | Permalink

1 cup plus 2 tbsp all purpose flour
1 tbsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup butter, room temperature
6 tbsp Nutella
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup quick-cooking oats (not instant or regular)

Preheat oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a large bowl, cream together butter, Nutella and the sugars until mixture is fluffy. Beat in the egg and the egg yolk, followed by the vanilla extract.

Working at a low speed or by hand, gradually blend in the flour mixture and the oats (if you don’t have quick-cooking, pulse whole rolled oats in the food processor to chop them up a bit). Drop teaspoonfuls of the batter (1/2-inch balls) onto prepared baking sheet, leaving at least 2-inches between cookies to allow for spread. Bake for 10 minutes, until cookies are set.

Cool on baking sheet for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

Yield: 6-7 dozen cookies

Posted by Chef Billy at 10:36 PM | Permalink

4 cups shredded cabbage
1 cup shredded carrots
1 small onion, finely chopped
pinch of salt and pepper
1 1/2 Tbsp seasoned rice vinegar
1/3 cup fat-free mayonnaise
1 1/4 tsp Asian sesame oil
1/2 tsp sriracha
2 Tbsp Splenda
1 Tbsp sesame seeds or chopped peanuts (optional)

# Toss cabbage, carrots, onion, and salt in a bowl. Season with pepper.
# Whisk together vinegar, mayonnaise, sesame oil, sriracha, and Splenda until smooth. Taste; add more salt if needed.
# Pour dressing over shredded vegetables and toss to combine. Serve slaw immediately or chill for a few hours, tossing again before serving. Finish with a shower of sesame seeds or some chopped peanuts, if desired.

Posted by Chef at 8:52 PM | Permalink