Very Chocolate Zucchini Bread

Makes 4 mini-sized loaves plus several muffins.

2 ounces of unsweetened chocolate
3 eggs
1-1/2 cups white sugar
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup sour cream
2 cups grated zucchini
1-1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup coarsely broken walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease four mini loaf pans or muffin cups, if preferred.

In a microwave-safe bowl, microwave chocolate until melted. Stir occasionally until chocolate is smooth.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine eggs, sugar, oil, grated zucchini, vanilla and chocolate; beat well. Stir in the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon and cocoa powder. Fold in the chocolate chips and walnuts . Pour batter into prepared loaf pans.

Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a loaf comes out clean (trying not to hit a melted chocolate chip for a false reading). Muffins will be done in about 20 minutes.

Brie, Bacon & Chicken Sandwich

Serves 2

2 ounces brie cheese
2-3 ounces chicken breast or tenders
3 slices smoked bacon
1/2 onion
baguette, halved and sliced into 2 sandwich portions

1. Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat.
2. Slice bacon into approximately 2-inch pieces and cook in skillet until crispy.
3. Meanwhile, slice onions and cut chicken breast/tenders into small bite-size pieces.
4. When the bacon is crispy, place them on a towel-lined plate and set aside.
5. Remove excess bacon fat in skillet. Lower heat to medium and sauté onions.
6. Add chicken pieces and cook until no longer pink and the onions have softened. Set-aside.
Now you’re ready to assemble the sandwich!
7. Heat a griddle over medium-high heat.
8. Place brie pieces, bacon, chicken and onions on bottom half of each baguette. Put the top half on and set both sandwiches on griddle.
9. With an oven mitt, take the cast-iron skillet (careful, it’s hot!) and place it on top of sandwiches.
10. Once the cheese is melting and the bottom is toasted, remove skillet and gently flip the sandwiches over to toast the other side. Again, place skillet on top.
11. The sandwich is ready when both sides are hot and toasty.

Hot and Sweet Glazed Pork Chops

2 lbs bone-in pork loin chops, about ½ inch think
4 tbsp honey
4 tbsp Dijon mustard
½ tsp red pepper flakes
1 cup unsweetened apple juice

Combine all the ingredients except the pork in a small saucepan and bring to a gentle boil over medium high heat. Simmer until the glaze is reduced by half. It should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Let cool completely. Reserve half of the glaze for a dipping sauce.

Preheat grill to medium high. Season the chops with salt and pepper. Brush the glaze on one side of the chop and place glaze side down on the grill. Brush more glaze on the top side. Cook for 4 minutes, then turn. Add more glaze to the top, and cook for another 4 minutes. Continue glazing and turning the chops frequently, for a total cooking time of 15-20 minutes. The chops should read about 145°F to 150°F on an instant read thermometer. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving with the reserved glaze for dipping.

Mint-Filled Brownie Cupcakes

From Martha Stewart's Cupcakes

8 oz semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter*, cut into pieces, room temp
1 cup sugar*
3/4 tsp salt
3 large eggs*
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
12 small chocolate covered peppermint patties, such as York Peppermint Patties
*Healthy Swaps: use light butter (will change consistency), reduce sugar to 3/4 cup sugar, and fat free egg substitute

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a standard muffin tin with paper liners. Place chocolate and butter in double boiler and stir occasionally just until melted, 4-5 minutes.

Remove bowl from heat, whisk in sugar and salt until mixture is smooth. Whisk in eggs to combine. Gently whisk in flour and cocoa just until smooth (do not overmix).
Spoon 1 heaping tbsp of batter into each lined cup. Place 1 patty on top, gently pressing into batter. Top with 2 tbsp batter, covering patty completely. Bake, rotating tin halfway through , about 35 minutes (start checking at 30). Transfer tin to a wire rack to cool completely.

Zucchini Salad with Lemon & Feta

Serves 4

4 cups shredded zucchini
1 lemon, zested and juiced
2 tablespoons mint, chopped
1 tablespoon dill, chopped
6 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste

Combine zucchini with lemon zest, juice, mint, dill, feta cheese and olive oil. Toss to combine and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and let stand in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours and up to 24 hours before serving.

Honey-Soy glazed Drumsticks

adapted by Martha Stewart
12 drumsticks
1/2 cup honey
2 tablespoon soy sauce
1 garlic cloves, minced
Sesame seeds
salt 'n' peppa

1 Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Season drumsticks with salt and pepper, both sides.
2 Mix honey, soy sauce, garlic cloves, and some sesame seeds in a bowl.
3 Line a shallow roasting pan with aluminum foil and lay the drumsticks in alternating directions in a row. Pour honey mixture over all the chicken and bake about 30-40 minutes, basting every 10 minutes.
4 Once chicken is done, transfer the remaining sauce in the pan to a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Then reduce to a simmer for about 10 minutes until thickened. Serve chicken with sauce.

Brownie Krispies

Adapted from One Ordinary Day

1 box brownie mix + additional ingredients to bake brownies according to package directions
4 c. mini marshmallows
1 1/3 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 c. creamy peanut butter
3 Tbsp. butter
2 c. crispy rice cereal

Bake brownies according to package directions in a greased 9×13″ baking pan. Two minutes before they are supposed to be baked, pull brownies from the oven and sprinkle marshmallows across top. Return to oven for 2 minutes to soften marshmallows. Remove from oven and spread marshmallows across top of brownies. Let cool completely.

Prepare crispy topping: combine chocolate chips, peanut butter, and butter in a bowl. Heat in microwave for 30 seconds at a time until mixture is melted and smooth. Add cereal and stir to coat. Pour over marshmallow layer and spread evenly. Place brownies in the refrigerator for at least an hour until chilled. This helps make them easy to cut and makes them a little less messy to eat.

Fondant au chocolat

for a 24cm-wide cake pan or sixteen 6cm-wide cercles

200g dark chocolate, slightly bitter works well (I love Valrhona’s Guanaja here)
240g butter
8 eggs (400g if, unlike me, you’re super accurate)
400g sugar
130g flour

Preheat the oven to 170°C, and generously butter a 24cm-wide cake pan.

In a bowl, melt the chocolate and butter.

In a heatproof bowl, mix the eggs and sugar, and place over medium heat (or as said above, on a water bath). Keep on mixing until not cold anymore. It shouldn’t be hot either. Just at room temperature. This step is done, as we say in French, to casser le froid [break the coldness].

Pour the chocolate over the egg mixture, and homogenise. Sprinkle the flour over and using a rubber spatula, gently incoporate it iuntil just smooth.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes until just set.