Veggie Shooters

There is really no room for extras in this kitchen.  Our everyday dishes already have to be housed in the dining area and cabinet space is precious all over this little home. 
So if something is going to make its way in that is not essential, it is going to have to be extremely versatile.  Enter these 3 oz. glasses.  If you throw a party even once every couple of months, these are worth the investment.  The options are endless. 

I can't wait to try these darling milkshakes.  What a perfect way to pass milk and cookies.  The soup options are endless.  Yep, I'm in love and now own two boxes, which comes to a total of 72. 

If you are interested, here is where I got mine and my favorite part is the thin bottom of the glass. They look less like shot glasses and they could go modern or rustic.   If you are not quite ready to make the investment, you could use small clear plastic glasses as well.

Goodbye to the days of camping out over the veggie tray. 
From my little kitchen to yours... Enjoy.

Veggie Shooters with Hummus
Recipe Notes
You can really choose any dip you want for the bottom.  I have found hummus to be the most popular, but ranch dressing works great too.  Plan on about 2 oz. of hummus per glass.  You might have a little leftover, but this will help you not run out. 
Ingredients
Assortment of vegetables, cut into 3-inch skinny strips (bell peppers, celery, carrots, cucumbers)
Hummus, about 2 oz. per glass
Step by Step
Fill a small ziploc bag with hummus and seal.  Cut a small hole in the corner of the bag.  Be careful to not make the hole too big.  Start small... you can always cut more off in you need.  Fill each glass 2/3 full with hummus.  Stick 3 or 4 vegetable strips in each glass.  Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.

Honey Comb Goat Cheese Spread

True story. 

The first time I served this to a crowd was for a ladies tea/ luncheon/ get together sort of thing that I catered in the fall.  I spent quite a bit of time preparing all kinds of tea sandwiches, making a few dips and mini appetizers.  When I got to the party, I threw together this dish in about 5 minutes. 

About 30 minutes into the party, the honey comb goat cheese had been utterly devoured and the other dishes were just starting to show signs of being nibbled on. 

Moral of  the story:  Preparation time does not equal the amount of goodness or popularity of a dish.

Okay, so that is not brain science, but listen up... you are totally going to to need to serve this at your next get together.  A tiny bit of extra sweet honey comb with a bite of tangy goat cheese topped off with the burst of a fresh berry or a fig is the definition of a party in your mouth.

This is just what January needs.  Fresh flavors that are a tad funky.  This is so 2012. 

Honeycomb honey is great.  The honeycomb is insanely sweet so a little goes a long way.  I'm sure it is quite helicopter momish of me, but I feel like I must instruct people on how to eat this.  If I'm leaving the party, I make sure to instruct folks and also urge them to pass on the word to other guests who might not have shown up yet.  It's just that if you get the perfect bite, it is pure bliss.  

So my instructions include: Grab a cracker, slice off a tiny piece of the honeycomb... like 4th of a marble size tiny... scoop a little goat cheese honey mixture and top with a berry.  Perfection.

From my little kitchen to yours... Enjoy.

Honey Comb Goat Cheese Spread
Recipe Notes

Honey with a honey comb can be bought at specialty grocery stores and some of the larger stores as well.  If you are in Texas, HEB carries the brand pictured below. It will be on the shelf with the rest of the honey selection, but look closely and you will see a honey comb floating in the middle of a few varieties.  Use berries depending on the season.  I love fresh figs this time of year, but raspberries and blueberries (or a mix) are also great choices. If using figs, cut off stems and quarter them.    I also like to serve this with two types of crackers.  Wheat Thins ( I like the "BIG" ones that are a little bit larger of a square than the regular) and Wafer thin crackers that seem to be popping up in most grocery stores.  There are a lot of brands, but this is what they look like.

Ingredients

1 jar of honey with a honey comb (see recipe note)
1 large log of goat cheese (10 or 11 ounces), or the same amount of pre crumbled goat cheese
1 to 2 cups of figs, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries
Your favorite plain crackers and Wheat Thins, for serving
Step by Step
Remove honey comb from jar of honey and place in the middle of a large serving platter.  Drizzle a little bit of honey on the rest of the plate.  Crumble goat cheese all over the plate and honey comb.  Drizzle a little more honey on top.  Sprinkle berries on top. 

Serve with crackers.

Serves 8 to 12.

a non-dairy cake

Anyone out there that can't eat dairy?  First of all, let me say that I would equate hearing the news that I can't eat dairy, with the news that I was going to lose my right arm. A life without cheese and ice cream seems like a world without laughter.  Okay, so I'm being quite dramatic, but I am daily hearing of more people who have allergies to milk and oh how I feel for you.

A mom recently came to me and asked if I could come up with a cake without dairy.  Her son is allergic to a protein in milk and she wanted to order a birthday cake.  I admitted I would be treading in unchartered waters, but I would give it a shot.  I found a great cookbook called My Sweet Vegan, and thanks to all the weird ingredients they carry at Whole Foods, I was able to pull this off.  If I ever had to live in a non-dairy world, now would be the time because it seems like there are more possibilities to get around dairy than ever before.

Sidenote:  This is the first time I have posted a recipe that I haven't tried, but the family assured me it was delicious, and as I hear more and more people who cannot eat dairy, I decided to go ahead and share this.  If you have success, please let me know.

From my little kitchen to yours... Enjoy.


Silken Chocolate Mousse Cake
Adapted from My Sweet Vegan by Hanna Kaminsky
Recipe Notes
The original recipe calls for Extra Firm Silken Tofu, but I couldn't find that exactly.  If you are use to dealing with tofu, you might know where to find this, but my options were either Silken tofu or Extra Firm tofu. I chose silken for the texture over Extra Firm.  If you make it with silken, be prepared for a very soft cake.  You need to keep it in the refrigerator up until the moment you serve it.  Maybe even stick it in the freezer for a few minutes before.  If you are serving this at a place where the cake will be out of refrigeration for awhile, I would suggest not making this (if you cannot get extra firm) because it will get really soupy.   Also, almond meal is kind of expensive, but if you go to a place like Whole Foods, you can buy it in bulk and purchase only as much as you need for this recipe.
Ingredients
Crust
1 1/2 cups almond meal
1/3 cup dutch process cocoa powder
1/4 cup light corn syrup
3 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
Chocolate Mousse
2 12-ounce packages Extra Firm Silken Tofu (see recipe notes)
1/2 cup dutch process cocoa powder
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
pinch of salt
12 ounces vegan (or non-dairy)  semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 bar dairy free dark chocolate

Special Equipment
9 inch round springform pan
Step by Step
Lightly spray the bottom of a 9 inch round springform pan with cooking spray.  In a medium sized bowl, combing all ingredients for the crust and mix until well combined and a moist dough forms.  Press crust into the bottom of the springform pan and press until it evenly covers the bottom of the pan. Refrigerate crust for 5 to 10 minutes, while preparing the filling.

Drain excess liquid from the tofu and place in a blender or food processor.  Puree until smooth and add cocoa, sugar, corn syrup, vanilla, and salt.  Pulse until well combined.  Place vegan chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl and heat for 30 second intervals until melted.  Stir chocolate chips between intervals so that the chocolate doesn't burn.  Pour melted chocolate into tofu mixture and blend for 2 to 3 minutes.  Scrape down sides and continue to blend until a smooth and well combined mousse is formed.

Pour the filling into the chilled crust and smooth the top.  Return the cake to to the refrigerator and allow to chill for at least 3 hours.  Release the springform sides of the pan just before ready to serve.  To add the finishing touches, shave the dark chocolate bar with a vegetable peeler and top cake with a thick layer of the shavings.