Chocolate Guinness Cake with Cream Cheese Icing

Do you ever get an idea in your head and it seems too crazy to be true, then you look it up online and to your surprise you find that there are other people out there just as crazy as you but have actually TRIED the recipe?? Yeah…..Guinness Cake.

I’m not a fan of Guinness but I enjoy tasting it now and then. I’ve never had a full can nor have I ever had a carbomb. (Don’t even try and challenge me)

But one day, while watching the game with a bunch of guys, I took a taste and got the idea of a chocolate Guinness cake. The craving was born and thus began my mission.

There are a few recipes out there but this one just seemed to make more sense to me. Heating up the butter with Guinness and chocolate seemed like the right route to take. Not to mention it smelled like heaven.

We had a house full of people for this recipe so I got a decent amount of feedback. Hands down, this cake is awesome and it turned out exactly as I imagined. I wanted to step it up with my favorite cream cheese icing and I’m glad I did, it was perfect. After tasting it I could taste the potential that a little orange zest or orange extract could go a long way mixed in either the batter or the icing.

Try this one out by making cupcakes next time you have people over. Trust me; people will be talking about it for weeks.

Enjoy!

Chocolate Guinness Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Epicurious

Ingredients

Cake

• 2 cups stout (such as Guinness)
• 2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Dutch-process)
• 4 cups all purpose flour
• 4 cups sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 4 large eggs
• 1 1/3 cups sour cream

Icing

• 12 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 4 cups powdered sugar
 

Preparation

Cake

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter three 8-inch round cake pans with 2-inch-high sides. Line with parchment paper. Butter paper. Bring 2 cups stout and 2 cups butter to simmer in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add cocoa powder and whisk until mixture is smooth. Cool slightly.
• Whisk flour, sugar, baking soda, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt in large bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat eggs and sour cream in another large bowl to blend. Add stout-chocolate mixture to egg mixture and beat just to combine. Add flour mixture and beat briefly on slow speed. Using rubber spatula, fold batter until completely combined. Divide batter equally among prepared pans. Bake cakes until tester inserted into center of cakes comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Transfer cakes to rack; cool 10 minutes. Turn cakes out onto rack and cool completely.

Icing

• Using electric mixer, beat 12 ounces cream cheese, 1/2 cup butter and vanilla extract in large bowl until smooth. Add powdered sugar 1 cup at a time, beating until smooth after each addition.

Chicken with Green Olives, Orange and Sherry; Endive and Apples with Grapes; Baked Sweet Potatoes

Now don’t lie to me. What’s better than picturing a meal and having it taste exactly the way you imagined? What’s better than cooking a meal for someone who means the world to you and having them say it was their favorite thing you ever cooked for them? Well, I mean, I don’t mean to toot my own horn but….beep-beep. This meal is something that came to me when I was thumbing through recipes on Bon Appétit (big surprise) and fell in love with the flavors in my imagination. The more I read and the more I taste the more I’m finding that it’s easier for me to predict and improvise.

This meal was devised through the feelings I have for someone very close to my heart. Someone who deserved my best effort and who I knew would appreciate it.

I find that when you cook for people who fill your world with joy, there is a certain ease to every cut of the knife, every taste with the spoon and every extra last minute ingredient you add to a dish. When you’re cooking for someone who knows exactly how much thought and effort you put into a meal, it allows the composure of the meal to come with ease thus allowing the imagination to sore.

Now, I’m getting carried away with a simple meal. I am no chef but this is a dish I am very proud of. I am always thankful to have company to cook for and now, as I make my dreams come true, I’m thankful to have wonderful friends, near and far, who adore my enthusiasm and influence these silly dreams of mine.

Enjoy, loves, this is for all of you!

Chicken with Green Olives, Oranges, and Sherry:

Bon Appetit

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 4 3/4-pound chicken, cut into 8 pieces
• 1 cup sliced shallots (about 3 large)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup medium Sherry
• 1 cup low-salt chicken broth
• 1 orange, halved lengthwise, each half cut into 5 wedges (I used a blood orange)
• 1/3 cup brine-cured green olives (such as picholine)
• 1 tablespoon honey

Preparation

• Preheat oven to 425°F. Heat oil in large ovenproof skillet over high heat. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Add chicken to skillet; cook until skin is crisp and browned, about 6 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to plate. Reduce heat to medium-high. Drain all but 2 tablespoons drippings from skillet. Add shallots; stir until soft and beginning to brown, about 2 minutes. Add garlic; stir 30 seconds. Add Sherry; boil until reduced by half, scraping up browned bits, about 3 minutes. Add chicken broth; bring to boil. Return chicken, skin side up, to skillet. Place orange wedges and olives among chicken pieces. Transfer to oven and braise uncovered until chicken is cooked through, about 20 minutes.
• Transfer chicken to platter. Bring sauce to boil over high heat. Stir in honey; boil until thickened, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Pour sauce, oranges, and olives over chicken, or return chicken to skillet and serve.

Endive, Apples (Pears), and Grapes:

Bon Appetit

Ingredients

• 2 large unpeeled tart-sweet apples (such as Fuji or Gala) (2 Bosc Pears)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons salted butter
• 2 large heads of Belgian endive (12 to 16 ounces total), halved lengthwise
• 4 small clusters green grapes
• 5 small fresh rosemary sprigs (I didn't use these- they are out of season)
• Fleur de sel or other sea salt
• 2-3 tablespoons water

Preparation

• Quarter and core apples. Using vegetable peeler, shave off thin strip of peel down center of each apple quarter, leaving remaining peel intact. Melt butter in large nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Add endive, cut side down, to skillet. Add apple  wedges, 1 cut side down, to skillet. Add grape clusters and scatter rosemary sprigs over; cook, uncovered, without turning or stirring, until endive is caramelized on bottom and apples are just tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Carefully turn endive, apples, and grapes over; baste with liquid in skillet and cook until apples are very tender, 5 to 10 minutes longer. Season with fleur de sel and freshly ground black pepper.
• Transfer endive mixture to platter. Add 2 to 3 tablespoons water to skillet, scraping up any caramelized bits, forming small amount of sauce. Spoon sauce over endive mixture and serve.

*Chef’s note: I used pears instead of apples because I thought they would go better with the chicken. Swapping out the navel oranges and using blood oranges and using pears instead of apples cut back on the sweetness of the dish and allowed for the chicken to be the star.The blood oranges were used more for flavor and a garnish in the dish and brought out the true flavor of the sherry. 

Baked Sweet Potatoes:

Ingredients

• Two Large Sweet Potatoes (about 1 lb)
• ¼ cup of olive oil, plus more for the baking sheet
• Salt & Pepper

Preparation

Heat oven to 425°F. Cut each potato evenly into quarter inch rounds and place in a medium bowl. Add olive oil, salt, and pepper and toss until coated evenly. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and generously coat with more olive oil. Spread out the potatoes evenly on the sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes, turning each piece over half way through the cooking.

Chocolate Peppermint Bark Cookies

So now that we’ve all had our fill of guilty pleasures this holiday season, left regretting every decision that seemed like a ‘good one at the time’, I encourage you to continue on your downward spiral and overindulge at least until the first of the year. We’ll all make resolutions that we’ll conveniently forget come March so let’s all throw caution to the wind and start baking!! Who’s with me? No? Oh, come on!!

Well, those of you who truly think this is a good idea, I’m going to start with my favorite cookie recipe of this season. Yes, it is a Christmas cookie but I try to hang on to the Christmas spirit as long as I possibly can. When all the toys and gifts are open, wrapping paper is everywhere, and the kids are running around playing, I just sit and think “All that work and now it’s all over.” Not this year!! Grab those candy canes off the tree and get your frustration out by smacking the crap out of them! Check this out…

Chocolate Peppermint Bark Cookies

Recipe from Bon Appetit 

Ingredients

• Nonstick vegetable oil spray
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 large egg yolk
• 6 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 1/2 cup finely chopped red-and-white-striped hard peppermint candies or candy canes (about 3 ounces)
• 2 ounces high-quality white chocolate (such as Lindt or Perugina)

Instruction

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray 13x9x2-inch metal baking pan with nonstick spray. Line bottom of pan with long strip of 9-inch-wide parchment paper, leaving overhang on both short sides of pan. Whisk flour and salt in medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until creamy, about 2 minutes. Gradually beat in sugar. Continue beating until mixture is light and fluffy, stopping occasionally to scrape down sides of bowl, about 3 minutes. Beat in vanilla, then egg yolk. Gradually add flour mixture, beating on low speed just to blend.
• Drop dough by tablespoonfuls into prepared baking pan, spacing evenly. Using moistened fingertips, press dough to form even layer over bottom of pan. Pierce dough all over with fork.
• Bake cookie base until light golden brown and slightly puffed and edges begin to come away from sides of pan, about 30 minutes. Place pan on rack; immediately sprinkle bittersweet chocolate over. Let stand until chocolate softens, about 3 minutes. Using small offset spatula, spread bittersweet chocolate over top of cookie in thin even layer. Immediately sprinkle chopped peppermint candies over.
• Stir white chocolate in medium metal bowl set over saucepan of simmering water until melted and smooth. Remove from over water. Using fork, drizzle white chocolate all over cookies. Chill until white chocolate is set, about 30 minutes.
• Using paper overhang as aid, lift cookie from pan and transfer to work surface. Using large knife, cut cookie into irregular pieces. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 week ahead. Store in refrigerator in airtight containers between layers of waxed paper or parchment paper.

Day 5 – You Are What You Eat: A 'Week' of Raw Food

So, if we are in fact what we eat then I’m a steaming hot bowl of homemade lentil soup. Yes, my dear friends, my journey has come to its end. Walking home from work, slipping and sliding in the snow, I decided that this diet (right now) is for the birds. However, I did pretty well ‘till I got home…

Day 5 -The end of a (very) short journey:

I did the whole fruit thing again today with raw almonds. Surprisingly, that holds me over better than oatmeal does. I did have a cup of green tea to start my cold day off; I needed all the help I could get.

Lunch was the leftover wrap with a portion of pumpkin seeds and baby carrots. (Can you tell how excited I am?) Today I had a bit of a sweet tooth and fought very hard not to give in to it. Instead I substituted with an apple and almond butter. I couldn’t help but look online at all the different Christmas cookie recipes and was left imagining how they taste.  I can’t take this anymore!

What’s that saying? “When one door closes, another one opens.” Well, the raw food door has closed and the Christmas cookie door has opened. Sorry Raw Model guy…

So, with a belly full of lentil soup, I’m off to the store to pick up ingredients for Christmas cookies. Don’t worry, I’ll try this again…..in the summer. 

Day 4 – You Are What You Eat: A Week of Raw Food

I think the winter god must read my blog because it wasn’t as cold out today. I mean, I could have done without the frozen face but overall I can’t complain. This diet thing is getting easier by the day. I’m starting to feel more energized and focused overall. My cravings for hot food are subsiding and I’m not as hungry as I usually am. 

Day 4: Exhausted from my long day at work yesterday, I was in bed and asleep very early last night. After a well rested night, I was able to practice my yoga a little bit this morning before I had to run out.

Because my morning was not as hectic as yesterday, I attempted to try the fruit breakfast once more. I ate a larger amount over a longer period of time and added a handful of raw almonds into the mix. A cup of kombucha tea also kick started my focus and I was able to crank my work out.

I was looking forward to the leftover warm soup for lunch. Again, I packed a larger amount to sustain me throughout the work day and I was pleased I did. The spirulina water really gives me that kick I need to get through the afternoon.

Chef’s Note: Leave the raw garlic out of the soup recipe if you’re going to heat it up the next day or only use one clove. The garlic was overwhelming after it had been marinating in the broth overnight.

I felt refreshed after another long work day. Stopping by the organic market on my way home I pick up some wraps and (you guessed it) some more nori snacks. I swear I’m going to turn into a nori snack if I keep eating these things! I’m ready for round two of yoga but I need to put something in my stomach before it gets too late to eat. Rummaging through the fridge I throw together some random veggies and make a handy wrap. Not too heavy, but a perfect amount of food to satisfy.

 

Spinach Veggie Wrap

Ingredients:

• Whole wheat wrap (or what ever type you like)
• Hummus
• Fresh whole leaves of spinach
• Red pepper sliced thin
• Yellow pepper sliced thin
• Avocado sliced thin
• Sunflower seeds

Directions:

Spread hummus generously on one side of the wrap, concentrating on the middle. Add spinach, peppers, avocado and top with sunflower seeds. 

Day 3 – You Are What You Eat: A Week of Raw Food

Is anyone else tired of this freezing cold yet? All I can think about is a steaming hot bowl of soup. I’m beginning to think this ‘going raw’ thing in the middle of the winter was not the best idea I’ve ever had but I’m going to stick to my promises.

Day 3: Today was not as energetic as yesterday. I did not sleep well so Bushi and I slept through the first alarm and woke by the second. There was no time to do my morning yoga and I was a bit rushed. The walk to the metro in the frigid cold did not help my situation. I was disappointed that I didn’t have time for morning meditation and exercise.

I started off my day with two shots of wheat grass that I bought frozen from my local organic store and a large bowl of fruit. The fruit did not sustain me at all. Coming out from the winter chill to a bowl of cold fruit was not exactly inspirational. I ate as much as I could in my morning rush and starved my way through my morning meetings. 

Lunch came at 1:00 today and I was more than ready for it. Still cold from sitting all day in an office, I was not excited for the leftovers from last night’s dinner, but once I took one bite I remembered why I was doing this. It was just as delicious as I remembered and I was soon stuffing huge bites in my mouth. I took my multi vitamin with lunch today because it seemed more sustainable than a bowl of fruit. That woke me up a little bit and got my blood flowing.

For a mid day snack I ate an oversized organic honey crisp apple and washed it down with a tablespoon of spirulina dissolved in water. For those of you who don’t know, spirulina is it’s a dietary supplement that you can either drink by dissolving in water or take in pill form. It is also part of the macrobiotic diet and it has the highest protein content of any non-meat dietary supplement.

Walking home from the metro this evening was not my idea of a pleasant stroll. My face was literally frozen and I couldn’t feel my toes. Finally reaching my front door, I had never been so excited to be home. I immediately put my sweat pants on and headed to the kitchen. There’s got to be a way that I can eat something semi-warm.

I found this recipe on RawFoodHomeRecipes.Com. If you heat up your food slightly (roughly 70 degrees) it does not cook your food and the vegetables still remain raw and keep all of their nutrients. This soup hit the spot tonight! It was nice and warm but the vegetables were still crisp and raw, the best of both worlds. Enjoy!

 

Raw Vegetable Miso Soup

Ingredients:

Broth

• 8 cups water
• a big knob of fresh ginger root, grated
• 2 tbsp miso (or to taste)
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed

Veggies

• kale, broken up in small pieces
• mushrooms, sliced and marinated in a little olive oil and tamari
• red pepper, cubed
• green onion, sliced
• carrot, thinly sliced

Directions:

Bring water to boil in a pot, along with the ginger root, then simmer for about 10 minutes on low heat. Turn heat off and allow broth to cool down a little. In a small bowl, dissolve miso in a 1/4 cup or so of hot broth. Add to the pot, along with garlic and kale. Let sit for 2 or 3 minutes. In the meantime, prepare the serving bowls, placing some of the veggies in each one. Pour miso broth on top and enjoy! Serves 4

Day 2: You Are What You Eat – A Week of Raw Food

In my research, I read that it is important to always lubricate your digestive system with a substantial amount of water each day. I mean, come on, really; that’s a no-brainer. One website suggested to drink a liter of water before consuming your breakfast or your first cup of coffee in the morning. I’m game, let’s give it a go….

Day 2 started off pretty well. I woke to the first alarm I set for myself each day at 5:00am. This alarm is to wake me for my morning exercise, whether it is running or yoga. I have not woken up to this alarm in over four weeks. This morning, I think I figured out why – My cat, Bushi (Japanese name for warrior), always wakes up to this alarm and it’s his cue to cuddle with me till the second alarm goes off. To his dismay, I got up. The yoga warmed my cold body and woke me up. By the time I was finished, I was ready to face the world with plenty of time to spare. So far so good.

Upon arriving at work, I immediately drank my liter of water and heated up some oatmeal. I have oatmeal for breakfast every morning but this time I vamped it up with some banana, craisins, and crushed flax seed. I finished this off with a cup of hot kombucha tea and my multi vitamin. Shortly after I finished my tea, I felt fatigued. My eyes started to get heavy as the warmth of the food sat in my belly. This is not cool….I mean, is this diet even working?  I’m figuring it’s due to the warm food so it’s a huge bowl of fruit tomorrow. We’ll see.

Lunch time rolled around and my body was naturally ready to eat around 1:00. I’m usually counting down the seconds till the clock strikes 12:00 so I can rush to the kitchen for some leftovers. I had made seconds of the pizza dish I referenced to in my last post and decided to add some avocado for some extra nutrients this time. Though it’s a bit difficult to eat, the quality of this meal is superb. 

It really doesn’t seem like much, but man is it good.  It is a filling, tasty meal that leaves you satisfied but not stuffed. 

Chef’s note: Don’t leave out the nori and the basil. Those two ingredients really pulled all the flavors together.

I must admit, it’s only been two days but I can’t get enough of these nori snacks I bought yesterday. They are roasted, so they are not raw, but they are part of the macrobiotic diet which is also used to prevent and cure illnesses. These snacks are just a little over a dollar at my local natural food store and they are just like chips to me. I’m definitely going to stack up on these babies! Not sure how it’s going to make my breath smell but...eh.

2:30 rolls around and I’m wide awake, focused, sitting up straight and cranking my work out. The end of my work day approaches quickly and I notice, for once, I’m not hungry! I packed an apple and a handful of raw almonds and didn’t need to touch either.

I’m finally home and I’m getting hungry. My long trek from work, almost 2 hours, has increased my appetite and I’m ready for something good. My bones are absolutely freezing, I can’t feel my hands and I’m craving something that’s not piping hot. Ugh....promises, promises. I swear if I didn’t have this blog - no one would ever know…

This recipe I found today on We Like It Raw.Com. (I know, I know). It’s actually one of the best raw websites I’ve found online as far as recipes are concerned. They even have video tutorials to show you how to make some of these things. Ahem….ladies, meet the raw model  (You’re welcome.)

Anyway…..dinner…right. So, I decided to make their Zucchini Pasta for dinner tonight. I’m eating it right now and it’s absolutely awesome. I made an over abundance and ate it as my main dish and will have it for my lunch tomorrow, but it would be an excellent side dish.It doesn't have many ingredients, it takes less than five minutes to prepare, packed with huge flavor and I’m completely satisfied.

Secret: I’m no longer cold. Just because I’m eating cold food, doesn’t mean it actually makes me colder. Your body kicks up when you add nutrients to it, especially more than it’s used to. It generates heat because your blood is pumping to your digestive organs to help absorb the food. Something I’ve noticed is that I stay warmer longer since I’ve been eating raw. I usually get very cold after I eat because the majority of my blood is rushing to my stomach, using too much energy to try to digest the food I’ve just consumed. Pretty neat, huh? And….I’m not hungry!

Enough of that, here is the recipe. Enjoy!

Zucchini Pasta by Philip McCluskey

Ingredients

• 1-2 zucchinis, shredded with hand peeler
• 1 handful organic artichoke hearts
• 1 handful of olives, pitted
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 lemon, squeezed for juice
• sea salt to taste
• pinch of chopped basil

Directions

1. Shred zucchini with hand peeler
2. Add rest of ingredients
3. Toss and serve