Light Asparagus Leek Soup

Here's another simple, healthy soup that my children LOVE.  Since I first made it in September, they've been asking for it every week.  It comes from Ian Knauer's cookbook - The Farm - which I highly recommend.  This soup is a thinner consistency than most asparagus soups I've had, but it is a lovely fresh flavour.  I like it best cold, but the rest of the family prefers it warm.  I cannot wait to try it with fresh asparagus in springtime.

Recipe serves 4.  There won't be leftovers!

Asparagus Leek Soup

1 leek, pale green and white parts only, sliced crosswise and well washed
2 tbsp butter
1 clove garlic, smashed
kosher salt and black pepper
4 c chicken stock
1 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2 inch pieces
12 cilantro sprigs, chopped (or more, to taste)
6 fresh dill sprigs, chopped (or more, to taste)

Melt butter in a heavy saucepan until foam subsides.  Cook leek and garlic with 1/2 tsp each salt and pepper over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until leek is soft but not browned, about 6 minutes.  Add stock and bring to a boil.
Add asparagus to stock.  Cook until tender - 6-10 minutes.  Remove the pan from heat and stir in cilantro and dill.  Puree with an immersion blender or in a stand blender until smooth.
Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Truffle Linguine for One

As the weather cools, my need for carbohydrates heats up.  Here's another quick and easy Nigella recipe for nights when you find yourself eating alone.  The only part of this recipe that is good for you is the comfort it provides, but that is sometimes enough.  NB:  Must love truffles.

Lone linguine with truffle oil

• 4 ounces linguine
• Salt, to taste
• 1 egg
• 3 tablespoons heavy cream
• 3 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
• A few drops white truffle oil, or to taste
• Freshly ground white pepper
• 1 tablespoon butter

Put on some water to boil for the pasta and, when it comes to a boil, salt it generously before adding the linguine and cooking for 2 minutes less than directed by the instructions on the package. In a bowl, whisk the egg with the cream and parmesan, a few drops of white truffle oil and a good grinding of white pepper. When the pasta's had the time you've allocated, check to see if it's al dente. Just before draining it, remove and reserve some of the cooking liquid.

Return the drained pasta to the cooking pan and, on the stove but off the heat, add the butter and about 1 tablespoon of the cooking water and stir to mix. Now, stir in the eggy mixture and keep stirring so that the pasta becomes smoothly, softly and lightly coated. Taste to see if it needs any salt or any more truffle oil and act accordingly.

Lemony Arugula Couscous

I tried this couscous for the first time a couple of weeks ago, thanks to my friend Julie.  It comes from Nigella's cookbook Kitchen, and is meant to be served with the turkey meatballs I posted on September 22nd.  They are indeed lovely together, but this is without a doubt my favourite couscous dish ever and I intend to serve it with all kinds of things, like BBQ'd salmon or baked lamb chops for example.  So lemony and fresh.  The recipe makes enough for 8 people in my view, so for us it's dinner and lunch tomorrow.  Excellent!

Lemony Arugula Couscous

800 ml chicken or vegetable stock
3 tbsp garlic oil
500g couscous
zest and juice of 1 lemon
4 green onions, finely sliced
100g arugula
salt and pepper, to taste

Bring stock to boil (or make from concentrate with boiling water).
Heat oil in a saucepan, add couscous and fry, stirring all the time, for 2-3 minutes.  Pour in hot stock, still stirring, and stir over a gentle heat until stock is fully absorbed, about 5 minutes.
Cover the pan, turn off the heat and let stand for 10 minutes.
Fork through the couscous to eliminate any lumps, then sprinkle with lemon zest and juice, green onions, salt and pepper.  Stir, then add arugula, tossing together carefully to mix.

Amazing Hummus

I used to buy ready made hummus at the grocery store or, when I was feeling adventurous, I'd whip up a batch using tinned chickpeas.  That was before I tried this recipe from Ottolenghi's cookbook Plenty.  This recipe uses dried chickpeas and, once you try it, you will not go back to the others.  The texture is so creamy.  There is none of that cloying preservative taste so often found in the store bought versions.  Feel free to play with the taste by adding cumin or hot sauce or paprika or whatever tastes you crave.  The base is wonderful.  It also freezes well.  I tend to put ice cream scoops of the stuff onto a parchment lined baking sheet, freeze and then store in ziploc bags in the freezer so there's always some for the kids' lunches.  (Remember the vegetarian child?)  Defrosts easily in the microwave to be slathered onto a wrap, covered with veggies and rolled into lunch.

Hummus
 (Makes 8-10 cups)

2 1/2 c dried chickpeas
1 1/2 tbsp baking soda
1 1/4 c tahini paste
3 tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
6 garlic cloves, crushed
salt

Put the chickpeas in a large glass or plastic bowl and cover with at least double the volume of cold water.  Add 1 tbsp baking soda.  Soak overnight.

Place soaked (drained) chickpeas and remaining baking soda in a medium saucepan and cover with double the volume of cold water.  Bring to a boil, then simmer gently for 2-3 hours, until totally soft and easy to mush. Add more water during cooking if necessary to keep chickpeas immersed.  Drain, retaining cooking liquid.

Transfer warm chickpeas to a food processor and add tahini, lemon juice, garlic and 1 tsp salt.  Blitz for a minute or two until totally smooth.  Add some of the cooking liquid and blitz again.  You want the mixture to be soft and almost runny.  Taste and add more salt if you like.

This is best served warm but can be cooled and reheated or frozen (see above).  (It will get thicker when it cools so don't worry about making it too runny while warm.  Use your first attempt as a way to decide the texture you like best.)

Nigella Lawson's Turkey Meatballs in Tomato Sauce

I am a fan of Nigella Lawson recipes.  They are, for the most part, easy and straightforward.  The following recipe is from her cookbook - Nigella Kitchen - which contains many family friendly, quick and easy meals.  What I like about this recipe is that it is very tasty and quite simple.  It has that proper Italian restaurant tomato sauce taste, which I attribute to the pureed celery and onion mush that I was at first quite skeptical of.  The meatballs are easy to make and the cleanup is minimal as the meatballs cook in the tomato sauce.  We enjoyed this over pasta, but Nigella recommends couscous.  This will remain a staple in our home.  Although I haven't tried it, the original recipe says that it freezes well.

Turkey Meatballs in Tomato Sauce

• 1 onion, peeled
• 1 stick celery 
• 2 tbsp garlic oil
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 2 x 400g/14oz cans chopped plum tomatoes, plus approximately 2 full cans of water
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp sea salt flakes or ½ tsp pouring salt
• black pepper, to taste

• 500g/1lb 2oz ground turkey
• 1 egg
• 3 tbsp breadcrumbs
• 3 tbsp grated parmesan (the Kraft kind rather than freshly grated)
• 2 tbsp finely chopped onion and celery (see above)
• 1 tsp worchestershire sauce
• ½ tsp dried thyme

For the sauce, put the onion and celery into a food processor and blitz to a mush. (Or you can chop as finely as humanly possible by hand.) Reserve 2 tablespoons of the mixture for the meatballs.

Warm the garlic oil in a large, heavy-based saucepan or casserole, add the onion and celery mixture, along with the thyme, and cook at a moderate to low heat, stirring every now and again, for about 10 minutes.

Add the cans of plum tomatoes, filling up each empty can with water to add to the pan. Season with the sugar, salt and pepper, stir well and let the mixture come to a bubble, then turn the heat down and simmer the sauce gently while you get on with the meatballs.

For the meatballs, put all the ingredients for the meatballs, including the reserved chopped onion and celery, and salt according to preference, into a large bowl and gently mix together with your hands. Don’t overmix, as that will make the meatballs dense-textured and heavy.

When all the meatball ingredients are amalgamated, start rolling them into balls. The easiest way is to pinch out an amount about the size of a generously heaped teaspoon and roll it into a ball between the palms of your hands. Put each meatball onto a baking tray lined with baking parchment or greaseproof paper. You should get about 50 little meatballs.

Drop the meatballs gently into the simmering sauce.

Let the meatballs simmer in the sauce for 30 minutes, or until cooked through. 

Serve with rice, pasta or couscous.

Nigella's Coconut and Cherry Banana Bread

We've all fallen in love with this super moist and tasty loaf from Nigella Lawson's Kitchen:  Recipes from the Heart of the Home.  It's an unusual marriage of ingredients but it works very well.  This is another recipe that requires a home kitchen scale.  If you are thinking of investing in one, I recommend the electronic!

Coconut and Cherry Banana Bread


125g unsalted butter, melted and cooled
4 small bananas (about 500g with skin on), mashed
150g white sugar
2 eggs
175g flour
2 tsp b powder
1/2 tsp b soda
100g dried cherries
100g unsweetened dried coconut

Preheat oven to 340 degrees.  Line the bottom of a 900g (2lb) loaf tin with parchment paper and grease the sides.  (I find it useful to allow the parchment to carry on up the ends of the loaf pan to make it easier to get the loaf out later.)
Beat the sugar into the melted butter, then beat in mashed bananas and eggs.  Fold in flour, b powder and b soda.  Add dried cherries and coconut.
Fold well so everything is incorporated, pour into loaf pan and smooth the top.
Bake for 50-55 minutes, checking after 45 minutes.  The loaf is done when it is pulling away from the sides of the loaf pan and the top springs back to the touch.
Once out of the oven, let the loaf rest in the pan for 10 minutes, then slip out of the pan on the parchment paper and let cool on a wire rack.

Quick White Wine Sangria - for One!

Some days cry out for a perfect glass of sangria.  Sadly, sangria is usually only made by the bucket.  I decided to play around with some usual sangria ingredients to see if I could come up with a reasonable facsimile of sangria by the glass.  Turns out, I was able to create a white wine sangria that is about perfect for me.  There's some flexibility in portion and ingredients, as you'll see.  I prefer it with orange and cranberry juice because, honestly, I usually have those on hand.  See what you think!

Debra's "by the glass" White Wine Sangria

Mix together in a cocktail shaker with ice:

4 oz pinot grigio
1/2 to 1 oz grand marnier or triple sec
1 to 2 oz orange or peach juice
1 to 2 oz cranberry or pomegranate juice
1/2 oz Rose's lime cordial

Shake well and alter ingredient quantities to taste.

Grilled Martini Chicken

We had this for dinner last night for the first time and it was great - very moist and full of flavour.  The recipe appeared in The Arizona Republic on March 16, 2012.  We boiled the marinade and poured it over the chicken, and it added a lot of taste.  To be safe, be sure to keep the chicken in the refrigerator while marinading. 


Grilled Martini Chicken

1/2 cup dry vermouth
1/4 cup pimiento-stuffed green olives, finely chopped
2 shallots or green onions, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon grapeseed or canola oil
1 to 1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Stir vermouth, olives, shallots, garlic, lemon zest and oil in a shallow container large enough to hold the chicken. Add chicken and thyme, turning to coat. Cover and marinate in refrigerator for at least 4 hours, up to overnight.

Preheat grill to medium heat. Remove chicken from marinade and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  

Cook chicken on oiled grill until opaque almost halfway through. Turn chicken and cook until slightly firm in the thickest section or juices run clear, about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, pour marinade into a pan, bring to a boil and boil for at least 5 minutes.

Remove chicken from grill. Spoon marinade over chicken and serve hot.

Rhubarb Ginger Crisp

I spotted rhubarb at the farmer's market last week and it reminded me of this recipe I clipped from an LCBO Food & Drink magazine in the early summer of 2001.  I've made it dozens of times.  It's easy, tasty and a nice change from the usual rhubarb crisps that show up everywhere in springtime.  I cannot wait to make it again soon.

Rhubarb Ginger Crisp

6 c chopped rhubarb
1 1/4 c sugar
2 tbsp flour
1 tbsp grated orange rind

topping:
1/2 c flour
1 c crushed ginger snaps
1/4 c brown sugar
1/2 c chopped pecans
1/2 c butter

Preheat oven to 350.  Butter a 1.5L baking dish.
Combine rhubarb, sugar, flour and orange rind, and place in baking dish.
In a separate bowl, stir together topping ingredients except butter.  Cut in butter until mixture resembles small peas.  With your fingertips, crumble the mixture until it forms large and small clumps.  Sprinkle over rhubarb and pat down slightly.
Bake for 30-40 minutes, until topping is crisp and rhubarb is bubbling.

Ste Anne's Granola

My friend Lisa and I spent a lovely weekend at Ste Anne's Spa in Grafton last year.  We both fell in love with their homemade granola, which we enjoyed with their fabulous cranberry tea.  I combed the web to find the recipe.  I think this is it, but even if it's not, it's just as good.  I still enjoy it on its own, with tea.  The kids love it over yogurt or ice cream.

Ste Anne's Homemade Granola

Ingredients:

• 1 cup slivered almonds
• 1 cup sliced almonds
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 1 cup unsalted sunflower seeds
• 1 cup pumpkin seeds
• 1 cup unsweetened coconut
• 1/2 cup sesame seeds
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp. ground cloves
• 1/4 cup grapeseed oil or unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup honey

Directions:

1. Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
2. Stir together grapeseed oil and honey or, if using butter, melt the butter in a pan over low heat and slowly stir in the honey.
3. Pour the liquid ingredients over the nut mixture and mix well.
4. Spread the contents over a large cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
5. Bake for approximately 25 to 30 minutes, at 375 degrees, stirring after the first 15 minutes to avoid burning.
6. Allow granola to cool completely then store in airtight containers.

Feel free to vary the recipe as you wish, by substituting some of the nuts with dried cranberries or adding in some rolled oats or puffed wheat. Do not omit the coconut or sesame seeds;  these are really the ingredients that make this granola special.

Orzo Asparagus Salad

I copied this recipe from a magazine I found on a friend's kitchen counter years ago.  In googling the ingredients, I now see there is a very similar version in a recent Best of Bridge cookbook.  I'm not sure where the recipe originated, but it is wonderful and a perfect salad choice now that asparagus is all around.  I plan to serve it tonight with grilled or sauteed jumbo shrimp.


Orzo Asparagus Salad

Salad:
1 cup uncooked orzo
1 cup chopped asparagus
1 cup  halved red cherry or grape tomatoes
1/4 cup pitted & coarsely chopped kalamata olives
1 tbsp toasted pine nuts

Dressing:
3 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tbsp grainy Dijon mustard (optional)
1 tbsp maple syrup or honey
2 tbsp coarsely chopped fresh dill
1 tsp finely chopped capers
1 garlic clove, minced
salt & pepper to taste
6 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

Bring a medium-large pot of salted water to a boil and add orzo. Cook orzo for about 10 minutes, until al dente, adding asparagus to pot during last 2 minutes. Drain orzo and asparagus in colander, rinse with cold water and set aside.

Combine vinegar, mustard, maple syrup, garlic, salt and pepper. Stir in dill and chopped capers.  Add oil.  Mix well.  (Or combine the whole lot in a food processor.)

Place orzo and asparagus in a large bowl and toss with dressing. Refrigerate, covered, for 1 hour. Remove salad from refrigerator 30 minutes before serving and gently toss in tomatoes, olives and pine nuts.

Barefoot Contessa's Rosemary White Bean Soup

With a vegetarian in the house, we eat a lot of beans.  I'll admit, I get tired of them.  I made this soup for the first time this week, and it is a welcome change.  It is thinner than many white bean soups, and rich in flavour.  It's a keeper.  The recipe is taken from The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook.  I have reduced the oil and salt.

Rosemary White Bean Soup


1 pound dried white cannellini or navy beans
4 c sliced onions
2 tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 large branch fresh rosemary (6-7 inches)
2 quarts chicken stock
1 bay leaf
1-2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

In a medium bowl, cover beans with water by at least one inch and leave in refrigerator for 6 hours or overnight.  Drain.
In a large stockpot over low to medium heat, saute onions in olive oil until translucent, 10-15 minutes.  Add the garlic and cook over low heat for 3 more minutes.  Add drained white beans, rosemary, stock and bay leaf.  Cover, bring to a boil and simmer 30-40 minutes, until the beans are very soft.  (NB  Using navy beans, I found it took a full hour.)  Remove rosemary branch and bay leaf.  Transfer soup to food processor and pulse until coarsely pureed.  Return to pot, reheat and add salt and pepper.  Serve hot.

Quinoa Greek Salad

This recipe is thanks to Rose Reisman.  It's very tasty and very good for you.   And it keeps nicely for a couple days in the fridge, so it is an easy choice for packed lunches.

2 cups chicken or vegetable stock	1 1/2 tsp grated lemon zest
1 cup quinoa	1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 cup diced red and/or green bell pepper	2 Tbsp olive oil
and/or halved cherry tomatoes	1 tsp minced fresh garlic
1/2 cup diced English cucumber, skin on	1 tsp dried basil
1/4 cup chopped green onion	1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 cup sliced black olives	pinch of freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup diced red onion
2/3 cup light feta cheese, crumbled

1. Bring the stock to a boil in a saucepan. Stir in the quinoa. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and cook for 15 minutes, or until the quinoa is tender and the liquid has been absorbed. Transfer to a large serving bowl and set aside to cool.
2. Add the red and/or green pepper and/or tomato, cucumber, green onion, olives, red onion and feta cheese to the cooled quinoa.
3. Whisk the lemon zest and juice, oil, garlic, dried basil, oregano and pepper in a small bowl. Pour the dressing over the quinoa mixture and toss to coat well. Garnish with fresh basil.

Chard Chips

There's a lot of talk about kale chips these days.  And I want to like them, I really do.  But even when home made, they're just okay in my estimation.  A few weeks ago, I started making chips out of swiss chard instead and guess what?  Our family prefers them.  The kids LOVE them.  Here's the easy recipe, which is really Nigella Lawson's kale chips recipe, adapted.  Feel free to use any dark leafy green, including kale, if you'd prefer.

1 big bunch swiss chard, stems discarded and leaves torn into pieces approximately 1 1/2 inches in size
2 tbsp olive oil
salt

Preheat oven to 400.
Toss chard with olive oil and spread out onto two baking sheets.  Sprinkle generously with salt and roast for 12-15 minutes, until lightly browned and crispy.
Eat like potato chips.

Ottolenghi's Spiced Red Lentils

I just finished making this for dinner tonight and I do not think there'll be any left when my family arrives home.  Fantastic!  Sweet, sour, salty...  Takes lentils to a whole new place.  It's like a thick soup or stew and could be served with naan or rice.  I've made a few variations to the original recipe which is by London's Yotam Ottolenghi.  Try it!

Spiced Red Lentils


1 c split red lentils
1 1/2 c water
1 bunch fresh coriander
1 small onion, peeled

2 1/2 inch piece of ginger, peeled 
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1 mild green chilli (optional if you're serving to kids)
1½ tsp black mustard seeds (I used yellow because I didn't have black)
4 tbsp sunflower oil
1½ tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
½ tsp ground turmeric
½ tsp paprika
10 curry leaves
1 large tin diced tomatoes, drained 
2 tsp sugar
½ tsp fenugreek (optional)
1 pinch asafoetida (optional)
Salt

150g Greek yogurt
75g finely diced cucumber
1½ tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp unsalted butter
1½ tbsp lime juice

Rinse lentils several times, drain and soak in water for 30 minutes. Cut the coriander bunch somewhere around its centre to get a leafy top half and a stem/root bottom half. Roughly chop the leaves. Put the stem half in the bowl of a food processor, add the onion, ginger, garlic and chilli - all roughly broken - and pulse a few times to chop up without turning into a paste.

Put the mustard seeds in a heavy-based pot and place over medium heat. When they begin to pop, add the onion mix and sunflower oil, stir and cook on low heat for 10 minutes. Add the spices and curry leaves, and continue cooking and stirring for five minutes longer. Now add the lentils and their soaking water, the tomatoes, sugar, fenugreek, asafoetida and a pinch of salt. Cover and simmer for about 30 minutes, until the lentils are fully cooked.

Before serving, whisk together the yogurt, cucumber, oil and some salt. 

Stir into the lentils the butter, lime juice and chopped coriander leaves, taste and season generously with salt. Divide into bowls, spoon yogurt on top and garnish with coriander.

Gwyneth's Miso Soup

I have fallen in love with Gwyneth Paltrow.  Seriously.  I bought her cookbook, My Father's Daughter, because I have a serious cookbook addiction, but I did not have high hopes for it.  I was wrong.  Every recipe I have tried has been wonderful!  You can expect to see more of them here on my blog, but for now, enjoy the miso soup.  I make it at least once a week.  The kids love it.  Sometimes I cook up a package of soba noodles and pour the soup over them.  I expect it would be easy to add tofu, although that's not really my favourite thing.

Best Miso Soup


6 c water
1 c dried bonito flakes
3 dried shiitake mushrooms
1 4-inch piece of dried wakame seaweed
1/4 c plus 2 tbsp miso paste
2 c watercress leaves, spinach or other tender green, washed and chopped

Heat water in a small soup pot.  When bubbles form at the edges, add bonito, turn the heat down and simmer for 2 minutes.
Turn off the heat and let the broth sit for 5 minutes.  Strain the broth into a clean pot and discard the bonito.   Add mushrooms and seaweed and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes.
Remove mushrooms and wakame.  Slice mushrooms (removing any hard stems), chop wakame, and return to the broth.
In a small bowl, combine miso paste with a bit of the broth and whisk to combine.  Pour the mixture into the pot and let the soup simmer gently.  Add greens, allow to just wilt, and serve.

NB.  The wakame and bonito are available at asian grocers, but they are also at Whole Foods for the lazier amongst us.  If you don't want to eat the soup right away, make the broth (called dashi) and store it in your fridge.  Just stir in the miso and greens when ready to use.

Tasty Turnip Gratin

I have acquired the taste for turnips.  Admittedly, this was necessitated by the frequency with which they now arrive in my organics box.  I am also a fan because, unlike potatoes, turnips are 0 points on WeightWatchers.  Below is a gratin recipe I found on the New York Times website which I made last night and really enjoyed.  I hope you do too!

Turnip Gratin

Butter or olive oil for the baking dish

1 garlic clove, cut in half

2 pounds turnips, peeled and sliced in thin rounds

Salt and freshly ground pepper

4 ounces Gruyère cheese, grated

2 1/2 cups low-fat milk (1 percent or 2 percent)

1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, roughly chopped (or 1/2 tsp dried thyme)

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Butter or oil a 2-quart baking dish or gratin dish. Rub the sides and bottom with the cut clove of garlic.

2. Place the sliced turnips in a bowl and season generously with salt and pepper. Add half the cheese and the thyme and toss together, then transfer to the gratin dish and pour on the milk. It should just cover the turnips.

3. Place in the oven and bake 30 minutes. Push the turnips down into the milk with the back of a large spoon. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top and return to the oven. Bake another 40 to 50 minutes, until all of the milk is absorbed, the turnips are soft and the dish is nicely browned on top and around the edges.

Yield: 4 servings.

Advance preparation: You can assemble this several hours before baking, but don’t add the milk until you’re ready to bake. You can bake it several hours ahead and reheat in a medium oven.

Nutritional information per serving: 258 calories; 7 grams saturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 4 grams monounsaturated fat; 43 milligrams cholesterol; 22 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams dietary fiber; 319 milligrams sodium (does not include salt to taste); 16 grams protein

Two Brownie Recipes

There is little doubt that brownies equal comfort food.  When I visit our local bakery, however, I find the size of the brownies overwhelming.  And they are remarkably rich.  The following two brownie recipes are lighter and are meant to be cut into servings of 1/16 of an 8 inch square pan.  The kids LOVE the Lean but Luscious Chocolate Brownies, while the Triple Chocolate Brownies tend to appeal more to an adult palate.  Enjoy!

Lean but Luscious Chocolate Brownies

By The Canadian Living Test Kitchen

Lean but Luscious Chocolate Brownies 
Photography by Matthew Kimura

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup (125 mL) all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup (125 mL) unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp (2 mL) baking powder
• 1/4 tsp (1 mL) salt
• 2/3 cup (150 mL) granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup (60 mL) butter, melted
• 1 egg
• 2 tbsp (30 mL) milk
• 1/2 tsp (2 mL) vanilla
• 1 jar (4-1/2 oz/128 mL) strained baby food plums

In bowl, sift together flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt ; set aside.

In bowl and using electric mixer beat sugar with butter until combine but not smooth; beat in egg, milk and vanilla. Using wooden spoon, stir in flour mixture alternately with plums, making 2 additions of flour and 1 of plums. Spread in lightly greased 8-inch (2 L) square cake pan, smoothing top.

Bake in centre of 350°F (180°C) oven for about 20 minutes or until tester inserted in centre comes out with just a few moist crumbs clinging to it. Let cool completely in pan on rack. (Brownies can be stored in airtight contalner in refrigerator for up to 3 days or individually wrapped in plastic wrap and frozen in airtight container for up to 1 week.)

Triple Chocolate Brownies

By Rose Reisman, author of Weekday Wonders

Ingredients

• Brownies:
• 2/3 cup (150 mL) sugar
• 1/4 cup (60 mL) vegetable oil
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp (5 mL) vanilla
• 1/3 cup (75 mL) unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/3 cup (75 mL) all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp (5 mL) baking powder
• 1/4 cup (60 mL) low-fat yogurt or low-fat sour cream
• 1/4 cup (60 mL) semisweet chocolate chips
• Icing:
• 2 oz (57 g) light cream cheese
• 2/3 cup (150 mL) icing sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp (7 mL) cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 tsp (7 mL) water

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray an 8-inch square metal pan with cooking spray.

To make brownies:
In a bowl, combine sugar, oil, egg, and vanilla until well mixed. Add cocoa; mix well. Add flour, baking powder, yogurt, and chocolate chips, mixing just until combined and smooth. Don't overmix.

Pour batter into pan; bake in centre of oven for 15 to 20 minutes, just until set. Do not overbake. Cool.

To make icing:
In a blender or food processor, blend icing ingredients until smooth. Spread over brownie batch.

Cut into squares.

Source: © CanadianLiving.com