Chocolates are my obsession

 I am obsessed with making chocolate confections.  In this picture I have several of the types I sell through my catering company, seven hills catering. There is espresso, green chili with pistachio, spicy peanut butter, 60% dark, mocha latte, raspberry, massaman curry, orange, and chai.   I am always trying new flavors I think go well with chocolate.  Right now I'm working on an American classic dessert collection which will include a s'more, NY cheesecake, banana cream pie, and Boston cream pie.  I am also trying not to get too fat while tasting all of these delicious treats so I have started running.  I figure I can eat all the chocolate and pastries I want as long as I exercise regularly, right?  

Cottage Pie

This is a great comfort dish and can be made in large quantities and frozen.  If you are freezing wrap well with plastic wrap and then aluminum foil.  Label clearly and date.  This should last a couple of months in the freezer.  To reheat, let thaw and then bake at 350º until hot, about 30 minutes.  Broil briefly to brown top.  

1 lb chuck roast

1 t. + 1 t. olive oil

24 oz stout

1 T. Worchestershire sauce

1/2 t. granulated garlic, 

5 lbs potatoes

1/2 cup heavy cream, milk, or soy milk (I always have soy milk in the fridge, but hardly ever any real milk.)

2 T. butter

1 cup frozen green peas, thawed

3 carrots, cut into bite sized pieces 

2 yellow onions, cut into bite sized pieces

5 stalks celery, cut into bite sized pieces

1 t. thyme leaves, chopped.  

HP, A1, or some brown sauce to taste.  

1.  Cut beef into bite sized cubes.  Do not add salt at this time.    

2.  Heat pot to medium high heat and add olive oil.  Once pot is hot, add beef in small batches and brown on all sides.  Continue until all beef is browned.  You want the beef to leave brown bits on the bottom of the pot, you may have to adjust the temperature to avoid burning the "fond", or brown bits.  Set beef aside.  

2.  Add beer to the pot and scrape the bottom of the pot to release the fond.  

3.  Season the beef with salt, pepper, and garlic powder, add to pot.  Reduce heat to low and simmer for about 40 minutes or until beef is tender.  You may have to add water(or beef stock) if the beer evaporates.  

4.  While Beef is braising, make the mashed potatoes.  Peel, and cube potatoes, boil in salted water until cooked.  

5.  Mash, add butter, milk, salt and pepper.  Reserve.  

6.  Heat a saute pan over high heat and add oilve oil.  

7.  Add onions, carrots, and celery and saute until tender.  Season with salt, pepper, and thyme leaves.  Add peas, saute briefly.  

8.  Mix beef and vegetables.  

9.  Spoon mixture into individual aluminum mini-loaf pans.  I can make about 6.  

10.  Top with some brown sauce, then mashed potatoes.  

11.  Broil to brown the top.  

Lemon penne with chicken

I had cooked chicken breasts in the fridge so I used them.  If you don't have cooked chicken, cook whole breasts in a pan with olive oil, salt and pepper.  This could be made vegetarian or with shrimp.  

2 leftover chicken breasts, cooked and diced

1 lb whole wheat penne

2 lemons, zested and juiced

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus 1 T.

1 cup frozen peas

1 yellow squash

1 clove garlic

1 stalk of thyme

1/4 t.  crushed red pepper

feta cheese to taste

1.  Start pasta water, make sure to season with salt

2.  Heat saute pan with olive oil on high heat.

3.  Add crushed red pepper and whole garlic clove, and thyme stalk, saute briefly. 

4.  Add summer squash, season with salt and pepper, cook until tender, about 2 minutes

5.  Add peas, saute until tender.  

6.  Add chicken breast

7.  Add lemon juice and zest, turn off heat.  Remove garlic clove and thyme stalk.  

8.  Drizzle with the extra T. olive oil.  

9.  Meanwhile cook penne.  Drain, reserve a little pasta water.  

10.  Once veggies and chicken is off, add a little pasta water to pan.  Mix pasta in with everything else.  

10.  Serve with feta cheese to taste.  

My new job :-)

So here I am, in my second month as a stay at home dad.  I've been watching Clare during the day ever since Whitney went back to work in early December.  I am finally getting the hang of things with a four month old.  It's kind of quiet.  I like quiet.  I have a feeling that I'll look back at that and laugh in a few months when Clare starts crawling.  We wake up, really early.  Clare is usually in a really good mood in the mornings.  Our routine consists of the same things everyday:  getting dressed, polyvisol with iron, playing, reading, napping, cleaning.  I've always wanted to be a house husband;  I'm living the dream.