Chocolate Pecan Pie

The name of this pie is the Gold Brick Chocolate Pecan Pie, and once you’ve tried it, you’ll know why. It is so dense, yet so delicious… takes pecan pie to a whole new level. It’s a bit tricky to eat, as the chocolate topping gets quite solid and hard to break through, but boy is it good. So good that no one will care if your crust isn’t pretty.

And you know, the edible gold leaf is completely optional… hehe.

Chocolate Pecan Pie

Makes 1 9-inch pie. Recipe from Emeril.

Ingredients
Crust:
8 ounces flour, about 1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 stick (1/4 pound) cold butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
2 tablespoons solid vegetable shortening
4 to 6 tablespoons ice water

1 cup milk chocolate chips
2/3 cup corn syrup
1/3 cup sugar
3 large eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup coarsely chopped pecan pieces
1/2 cup chopped bittersweet chocolate
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar
Edible gold leaf, torn or cut into flakes, garnish (optional)

Directions
For crust, sift the flour, sugar, and salt into a large bowl. Using your fingers, work in the butter and shortening until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add 2 tablespoons of ice water and work with your fingers until the water is incorporated and the dough comes together. Add more water as needed to make a smooth dough, being careful not to over mix. Form the dough into a disk, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before using.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to an 11-inch circle. Transfer to a 9-inch pie pan, trim and flute the edges. Let rest refrigerated for 20 minutes. Cover with parchment paper and pie weights. Bake until set, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove the paper and weights and cook until just golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool.

In the top of a double boiler, gently melt the chocolate chips over almost simmering water. Remove from the heat. In a large bowl, combine the melted chocolate with the corn syrup, sugar, eggs, vanilla, and pecans. Pour into the cooled pie crust and bake for 10 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F and bake for an additional 25 minutes.

Remove from the oven and cool on a rack.

Place half of the chopped bittersweet chocolate in a small bowl. Place the remaining bittersweet chocolate and the oil in the top of a double boiler, or in a small metal bowl set over a pot of simmering water. Heat the chocolate, whisking, until melted. Pour the melted chocolate over the chocolate in the bowl, whisking to melt. Pour over the warm pie, spreading to the edges to coat the top. Refrigerate until well chilled, at least 2 hours.

In a medium bowl, whip the cream until soft peaks start to form. Add the sugar and whip to stiff peaks.

Remove the pie from the refrigerator, slice and arrange on plates. Garnish each slice with edible gold flakes and serve with whipped cream on the side.

Turkey Meatballs with a Minted Yogurt Dipping Sauce

We saw Emeril make these little bites and just had to try them. I’m a huge ground turkey fan, and this was a delicious recipe for it. We ate them as our entire meal along with some toasted bread, but they’d be great appetizers as well. Or, make yourself a meatball sandwich! The yogurt dipping sauce is a must, though… really adds something special to the meatballs.

We also substituted soy creamer for the heavy cream, and used regular plain yogurt instead of the whole milk/greek yogurt. No loss there. :)

Turkey Meatballs with a Minted Yogurt Dipping Sauce

Makes 3-4 dozen. Recipe from Emeril.

Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds ground turkey
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small red onion, very finely chopped
1 scallion, finely chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 cup dried bread crumbs
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 egg
1 egg yolk
4 tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaves
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
1 1/4 teaspoons salt, plus a pinch
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus 1/8 teaspoon
1 1/4 cups plain whole milk yogurt, preferably Greek, drained overnight in a cheesecloth-lined fine mesh sieve
1 lemon, zest finely grated and juiced

Directions
Place the turkey in a medium mixing bowl and set aside. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a small skillet and, when hot, saute the red onion and scallions until softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Let cool slightly, then add to the turkey, along with the garlic, cumin, bread crumbs, heavy cream, egg and egg yolk, 3 tablespoons of the mint, the parsley, 1 teaspoon of the salt and 1/4 teaspoon of the pepper. Mix gently but thoroughly. Using a small scoop or spoon, divide the mixture into 1 tablespoon portions and roll into smooth round balls. Place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, about 1 hour.

While the meatballs are chilling, make the dipping sauce. Combine the yogurt, remaining 1 tablespoon of mint, remaining 1/4 teaspoon plus a pinch of salt, remaining1/8 teaspoon of pepper, and lemon zest, 2 tablespoons olive oil, and lemon juice and whisk to combine. Refrigerate until ready to serve the meatballs.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Brush the meatballs with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and bake until browned and cooked through, about 10 minutes.

Let the meatballs cool slightly, then serve warm, with the yogurt dipping sauce.

Yield: About 5 1/2 dozen bite-size meatballs, generous 1 cup sauce, serving 6 to 8

Tuscan Tuna and Bean Sandwiches

I struggle with lunch. If there aren’t leftovers from the night before, I’m more likely to skip lunch altogether than actually spend the time to make something. But this tuna sandwich is worth the extra effort. It’s got a nice flavor, with a bit of a kick from the olives, quite good.

Tuscan Tuna and Bean Sandwiches

Makes 4 servings. Recipe from epicurious.

Ingredients
For beans
1 (14- to 15-oz) can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley or basil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

For tuna salad
2 (6-oz) cans Italian tuna in oil, drained
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil or flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup pitted Kalamata or other brine-cured black olives, finely chopped
1 celery rib, finely chopped
2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper

For sandwiches
8 (1/3-inch-thick) slices rustic Italian bread (from a round crusty loaf) or 4 (4-inch-long) oval panini rolls
1 cup loosely packed trimmed watercress sprigs

Directions
Prepare beans:
Coarsely mash beans with a fork in a bowl, then stir in garlic, lemon juice, oil, parsley, salt, and pepper.

Make tuna:
Flake tuna in a bowl with a fork, then stir in basil, olives, celery, onion, oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper until combined.

Assemble sandwiches:
Spoon one fourth of bean mixture on 1 slice of bread, then top with one fourth of tuna salad, some watercress, and a slice of bread. Make 3 more sandwiches in same manner.

Zucchini Pancakes with Basil Chive Cream

I love potato pancakes (latkes) and these were a delicious variation…. a great way to use all that beautiful summer zucchini! They don’t get quite as crispy as potatoes do, but I thought the flavor was delicious. Topped with the basil chive cream, yum! We substituted plain yogurt for the sour cream, and it was still a cool and delicious topping.

We think it’d be fun to do a “mixed veg” pancake, a little zucchini, yellow squash, sweet potato… it’d be pretty that’s for sure!

Zucchini Pancakes with Basil Chive Cream

Makes approx. 15-20. Recipe from Epicurious.

Ingredients
For basil chive cream
3/4 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons water
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste

For pancakes
4 cups coarsely grated zucchini (1 lb)
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 large egg whites
4 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil

Directions
Make basil chive cream:
Blend sour cream, water, basil, chives, and salt in a blender until smooth and pale green. Chill until ready to serve.

Make pancakes:
Put zucchini in a colander and toss with salt. Let stand at room temperature 20 minutes, then wrap zucchini in a kitchen towel and twist towel to wring out as much liquid as possible. Transfer zucchini to a large bowl and stir in flour, sugar, and pepper.

Beat egg whites with a pinch of salt using an electric mixer until they just hold stiff peaks, then gently fold into zucchini mixture.

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a 10-inch nonstick skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking. Working in batches of 5, spoon 2 tablespoons batter per pancake into skillet, flattening slightly with back of spoon. Cook pancakes, turning once, until golden brown, about 3 minutes total, transferring as cooked to paper towels to drain and adding more oil to skillet as necessary.

Serve immediately, with basil chive cream.