Guinness Chocolate Cake

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INGREDIENTS

Cake:
1 cup stout (such as Guinness)
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons sour cream

Icing:
1 cup whipping cream
1/2 pound bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped
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DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter two 9-inch round cake pans. Line with parchment paper. Butter paper.

2. Bring the stout and butter to simmer in heavy large saucepan over medium heat.
Add cocoa powder to the stout and butter mixture. Whisk until mixture is smooth. Cool slightly.

3. Whisk flour, sugar, baking soda, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt in large bowl to blend.

4. 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.

5. Slowly Add flour mixture to the chocolate and egg mixture. Beat briefly on slow speed. Using rubber spatula, fold batter until completely combined.

6. 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.

*For icing (store-bought works too): Bring cream to simmer in heavy medium saucepan. Remove from heat. Add chopped chocolate and whisk until melted and smooth. Refrigerate until icing is spreadable, stirring frequently, about 2 hours.

7. Place 1 cake layer on plate. Spread icing over. Top with second cake layer. Spread remaining icing over top and sides of cake. Cut and enjoy.

Chicken Mole

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INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 can diced tomatoes, drained
1 bell pepper, chopped
2 chipotle peppers, roughly chopped
1 (10-ounce) can chicken broth
2 tablespoons peanut butter
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
About 8 pieces chicken thighs
White or Brown rice, for serving
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DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Heat oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Add onion and saute until translucent. Add garlic and spices and continue to saute to toast and develop flavor. Add diced tomatoes, peppers, chipotles, broth, peanut butter, and chocolate. Simmer for 10 minutes. Remove chipotles and puree sauce with a hand blender.

Sear the chicken in a heavy bottomed hot saute pan over medium-high heat until browned on both sides. Add to casserole dish, cover with sauce and braise the oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Serve over rice.

Parmesan Chicken

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INGREDIENTS
2 large skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
3 extra-large eggs
1-1/4 cups seasoned dry bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Butter
Olive oil
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DIRECTIONS
1. Pound chicken breasts between saran wrap until they are 1/4 inch thick. You can use either a meat mallet or a rolling pin.

2. Combine the flour, salt, and pepper on a dinner plate. On a second plate, beat the eggs with 1 tablespoon of water. On a third plate, combine the bread crumbs and 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese. Coat chicken breasts on both sides with flour mixture, then dip both sides into egg mixture and dredge both sides in bread crumb mixture, pressing lightly.

3. Heat 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large sauté pan and cook 2 or 3 chicken breasts on medium-low heat for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until cooked through. Add more butter and oil and cook the rest of the chicken breasts. Serve with extra grated Parmesan.

Irish Lamb Stew

INGREDIENTS
2 pounds boneless leg of lamb, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 3/4 pounds white potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
3 large leeks, white part only, halved, washed and thinly sliced
3 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
3 stalks celery, thinly sliced
1 14-ounce can reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup packed fresh parsley leaves, chopped

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DIRECTIONS
Combine lamb, potatoes, leeks, carrots, celery, broth, thyme, salt and pepper in a 6-quart slow cooker; stir to combine. Put the lid on and cook on low until the lamb is fork-tender, about 8 hours. Stir in parsley before serving.
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Buffalo Chicken Pizza

Another great recipe from Rachael Ray!
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INGREDIENTS
3/4 pound chicken breast cutlets
Evoo, for drizzling
2 teaspoons grill seasoning, (Montreal)
1 pizza dough, store-bought
Cornmeal or flour, to handle dough
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 to 3 tablespoons hot sauce
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/2 cup blue cheese crumbles
3 scallions, thinly sliced
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DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Preheat grill pan to high.

Place chicken on a plate and drizzle extra-virgin olive oil over the chicken then season with grill seasoning. When grill is hot, add chicken and cook about 3 minutes on each side.

Stretch dough to form pizza using cornmeal or flour to help you handle it. If you let it rest and warm up a few minutes it will handle even easier. Set pizza on pizza pan to the side and clean board.

In a medium skillet over medium heat, melt butter and stir in Worcestershire, hot sauce, and tomato sauce.

Remove the chicken from grill and thinly slice it. Add chicken to sauce and coat. Cover the pizza dough with the saucy Buffalo chicken, cheeses, and scallions. Bake 18 minutes or until crisp.

Celery Succotash Salad

Just saw Rachael Ray make this recipe and it looks awesome. Comments on the web site rave about this salad dressing too.

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INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons honey
1/2 lemon, juiced
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/3 cup evoo
Salt and pepper
1 whole celery heart, sliced
1/2 cup shredded carrots
1 (10-oz) can corn kernels
1 (15-oz) can chick peas, drained
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 small to medium red onion, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
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DIRECTIONS
In a medium bowl, combine the mustard, honey, lemon juice, and vinegar then whisk in extra-virgin olive oil and season the dressing with salt and pepper. Add the celery, carrots, corn, chick peas, peppers, onions, and thyme. Toss to combine the salad and adjust salt and pepper, to taste.

Turkey Salisbury Steaks

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INGREDIENTS
1 lb. uncooked ground turkey
1 envelope (half of a 2.2 oz. pkg.) beefy onion soup mix
2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp. olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. butter
2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup dry red wine or reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup tomato paste
Fresh thyme leaves (optional)
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DIRECTIONS
1. Combine turkey, 2 tablespoons of the soup mix, and 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce; mix well. Shape in 4 oval patties about 1/2 inch thick.

2. In skillet cook patties in hot oil over medium-high heat 3 minutes or until browned; turning once. Remove; set aside. In hot skillet cook garlic in butter 30 seconds. Add mushrooms. Cook and stir 5 minutes or until tender. Add broth, wine, tomato paste, and remaining Worcestershire sauce and soup mix. Stir, scraping up browned bits. Return patties to skillet; spoon sauce over. Cover; cook over medium-low heat for 8 minutes or until patties are 160 degrees F. Sprinkle with thyme.