Something Spicy--Mexican Chocolate Cookies

This weekend I went a little south of the boarder, and in honor of this, I decided to make a sweet treat to go with the meal. I found this recipe in a book I'd checked out of the library, Everyday Baking, by CookingLight I did make it a little lighter by using some sugar substitute and egg substitute. These are small cookies, but have a really good chocolate flavor, with just a little kick of spice. They give you that happy yummy feel.

Ingredients:
5 oz bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chopped
3.3 oz all purpose flour
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
dash of freshly ground pepper
dash of ground red pepper
1/2 c sugar
1/3 c stevia baking substitute
1/4 c egg substitute
1/4 c butter softened
1 tsp vanilla extract

First get the oven heated to 350, and then melt the chocolate in the microwave. I ended up using half unsweetened chocolate and half semi-sweet, of a really high quality chocolate. Since this is so chocolate centered I wanted to highlight the chocolate flavor.

The dry ingredients are sifted into a bowl. The trick with this recipe is that a dash of the black pepper and hot pepper could be different each time--this time it was just right, a pretty generous sprinkle of both.

In a second bowl, the butter and sugars are creamed. I'm getting better at this and creamed it together for the 5 minutes the recipe suggested, until it was good and fluffy. Then the egg substitute and vanilla are beat in until smooth. At that point the chocolate should be room temperature--if not the butter will melt and the egg will cook, so don't put warm chocolate in! Fold it into the batter, and then gently fold the dry ingredients until just mixed.

This made a really thick batter--almost like a fudge, so it would be good to use a small scoop to portion out of about one tablespoon. They didn't spread much, so I was able to fit them all on two pans. They bake for about 10-11 minutes, and then set on the pan for another two minutes to set. I found them to be pretty soft, so you could possible cook a bit longer.

The Verdict: YUM! Just a hint of spice, just a hint of heat, the dark luscious chocolate is satisfying in just a small amount. I'm looking forward to enjoying these as part of my south of the boarder feast!

Butternut and Black Bean Toastadas

One of my favorite ways to figure out what to eat has been to buy some veggies and look for different ways to cook them. This is one of my very favorite recipes that I've invented. I figured if I write it down, then others can enjoy it, and it might be more consistent the next time I make it. The hardest part of this recipe is cutting the butternut squash--so if you are in a hurry buy pre-chopped.

Ingredients:
1 medium butternut squash,
1 medium/large onion
1 can black beans
taco seasoning packet
chili powder
cayenne pepper
salt and pepper
corn tortillas
light cream style cheese (skinny cow is what I use)
salsa or other toppings

When I made this last, I used butternut squash leftover from another recipe, which saved a lot of time chopping! Even though the squash can be time consuming to prepare, this is actually a pretty quick and versatile dish. You could serve it over rice, in burritos, enchiladas, or as a dip. I usually eat it with cheese, but without it could be a vegan, gluten free dish depending on what you serve it with. 

The onion is diced into small pieces, and placed in a medium saucepan sprayed with cooking spray and heated to medium hot. I let them soften a little and then add the butternut squash. That cooks for about 5 minutes, before the drained black beans are added along with about half the taco seasoning packet (use low sodium or just use chili powder and cumin), about 2 tablespoons chili powder, and a dash of cayenne, and salt and pepper to taste. I like quite a bit of heat to balance out the sweetness of the butternut squash, but taste as you cook and adjust.

As this cooks, the onions and butternut really cook down and get almost syrupy with the seasoning, and adding the beans lets them get some of that flavor. I let it cook until the butternut cooks through, and becomes soft.

At this point the mixture could go into lots and lots of things--served on rice, chips, or even folded into scrambled eggs. I like this as a topping for crispy corn tortillas. To save calories and money, I toast my own in the oven. I take corn tortillas, spray them with cooking spray, lightly salt them, and toss them directly on the rack of a preheated oven on broil. I check them often, turn and rotate, until they are crispy and not too dark. They burn quickly if you don't watch carefully, so keep an eye on them. This batch I made had some that were over done--you can really see if your oven has a hot spot if you don't rotate them. Still they are delicious and healthier than buying tostatas pre-made from the store.

 The verdict:
The spicy cayenne and the sweet butternut and onions make a balanced flavor profile that goes well with the creamy cheese, and crunchy toasted tortillas. This is a regular dish on my rotation. I'll make up a big batch and divide it into serving size tupperware and bring to work with tortillas, cheese, and salsa. I've also used it in my morning egg bowls to add some veggies and flavor.