Chocolate Lovers Angel Cup Cakes: Take off your shoes..but you can leave your hat on

Chocolate Cupcake with Mocha Cream

Photo by David Bishop

http://dbishop.net

When you hear the words “Chocolate” and “Cream”, what comes to mind is moist, rich heavenliness. What we don’t think of is frugality in the “calorie and fat” department. To have both at the same time is in fact “To Have Your Cake and Eat It Too”. I strive to create scrumptious food that is exemplary as tasty delight and healthy choice. Flavor and texture are the primary elements that drive excellence in the culinary experience. The highest quality and purist ingredients comprise the muse components as inspiration for creating delectable recipes. My years of experimentation with a multitude of products has given me a broad palette for discovery in this endeavor.

I present to you here a recipe for Chocolate Angel Food Cupcakes with Mocha Cream that will knock your socks off…your shoes and pants too…But you can leave your hat on. (As per Joe Cocker’s song lyrics)

I have included calorie counts for all of the ingredients used in the recipe. Having totaled and divided for per serving consumption, each cup cake has about 58 calories. Using 1/8 cup of the Mocha Cream for each at 19 calories, the grand total per serving is a mere and astounding 77 calories, with none of it from fat.

Angel Food Cup Cake Recipe- pre-heat oven to 375′ F

• 3/4 cup Coconut Crystal Sugar (from your local health food store), 180 cal
• 1 cup unsweetened Cocoa Powder, 197 cal
• 1/3 cup water, 0 cal
• 1/4 tsp salt, 0 cal

Heat the ingredients together in a sauce pan until they are dissolved and smooth of lumps. Let cool.

• 1/4 cup all purpose flour, 100 cal
• 2 teaspoons Baking Powder (I use aluminum free brands), 0 cal

Whisk together flour and baking powder in a small bowl and set aside.

• 1/4 cup Meringue Powder (powdered egg whites), 60 cal
• 1/2 cup Water, 0 cal
• 2 Teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract, 40 cal

1. Beat the meringue powder, water and vanilla extract with an electric mixer on high until soft peaks form, about 5 minutes.
2. On a lower speed, mix in the chocolate sugar syrup.
3. Gradually mix in the dry flour mixture.
4. Pour batter equally into about 8 – 10 paper lined cupcake pan portions.
5. Bake for 10 – 12 minutes until a pick comes out cleanly. Let cool while you make the Mocha Cream.

Mocha Cream

• 2 cups 0% fat Greek Yogurt, 260 cal
• 1/2 cup Coconut Crystal Sugar, 120 cal
• 1/2 cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder, 98.5 cal

Whisk together in a small bowl until smooth and set aside.

• 1 cup very strong Espresso Coffee, 0 cal
• 1/2 cup Meringue Powder, 120 cal
• 1/2 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract, 10 cal

1. Beat together the meringue powder, coffee and vanilla with an electric mixer on high speed until soft peaks form.
2. Lower the speed and mix in the Mocha Yogurt mixture.
3. Using a pastry bag with a # 2 tip (about 3/8″ diameter), poke the cupcakes in the center almost to the bottoms to fill the interiors and cover the tops with the Mocha Cream, about 1/8 cup per cupcake.
4. There will be lots of Mocha Cream left over. It stores covered in the refrigerator for days. It can be re-whipped to use it again.

Enjoy your low cal, no fat, chocolatey dessert with or without your hat on.

Also check out my professional web site at www.marilinda.com and my food column at  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/marilinda-hodgdon/

Read Full Post »

Baked Marinated Arctic Char

Arctic Char Marinated on Ice

Photo by David Bishop

See David’s link at http://www.dbishop.net

Marinating fish, whether whole, filleted, steak cut or chopped, is one of the tastiest ways to take advantage of seafood’s sweet and tender flaky flesh. Marinades not only impart flavor to food, they preserve moisture and tenderness. Add delicate vegetables and herbs to a palette of sweet, savory, salty, spicy and acidic liquids and seasonings to a fish filled oven proof covered baking dish, and bake gently for a foolproof ragoût de poisson.

Pictured here, the Arctic Char, vegetable and marinade presentation is being readied for the baking dish and oven. The beautifully colored whole fish was scaled and cleaned by the fish market, leaving the head and tail on for an elegant service. The cavity is stuffed with thinly sliced lemons and red onions for flavor and color.

I have been told more than once that this combination of fish, marinade and condiments is one of the best ever tasted. The marinade is a blend of high quality Mirin (Naturally sweet Japanese sake wine-Avoid using the cheap artificially sweetened corn syrup imitation), soy sauce, olive oil, toasted sesame oil, and Sambal Oelek Ground Fresh Chile Paste & Siracha Hot Chili Sauce (Chinese pepper vinegar preparations available in the Asian section of your grocery store). For amazing dazzle, sprinkle with sliced scallions, slivered fresh ginger, capers, dill, baby Funnel Chanterelle mushrooms (also known as yellowfoot or winter mushroom) and Maldon Natural Sea Salt Flakes.

If you don’t have a lid for your baking dish, cover the fish with a sheet of parchment paper and seal the dish with aluminum foil. I don’t like to let the foil touch the food to avoid adding aluminum residue, especially when acid is present in the food.

Recipe: Serves 4-6 (All measures are approximate and can easily be adjusted to your needs and taste)

Fish:

• One fresh whole cleaned 3-4 Lb. fish with head and tail; Arctic Char, Salmon, Bass, Grouper, Snapper, etc.

Stuffing:

• 1/2 thinly sliced lemon
• 1/2 thinly sliced red onion

Marinade: Whisk together

• 1/2 cup Mirin
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/8 cup soy sauce
• 1/8 cup toasted sesame oil
• 1 Tablespoon Sambal Oelek Chile Paste
• 1 Teaspoon Siracha Hot Chili Sauce

Flavor Garnish:

• 1 cup baby Funnel Chantrelle Mushrooms, or your favorite mushroom
• 1/4 cup sliced scallions
• 1/4 cup capers
• 1/4 cup fresh dill leaves, torn
• 1/8 cup slivered fresh ginger
• Pinches of sea salt flakes

Directions: Pre-heat oven to 350′ F

1. Wash and dry cleaned fish
2. Prepare marinade
3. Rub marinade into the cavity of the fish
4. Stuff the cavity of the fish with lemons and onion slices, alternating them
5. Pour a bit of the marinade into the baking dish, just coating the bottom so the fish won’t stick
6. Pour the marinade over the fish
7. Sprinkle the flavor garnish over the fish and baking dish
8. Cover the fish and dish with parchment paper
9. Seal the baking dish with foil, or cover it with a fitting lid
10. Bake for about 20 minutes for a larger fish and less for a smaller fish. Do not over cook. The fish should be just flaky and moist.
11. Serve topped with excess marinade and flavor garnish as needed

Also see my food news column in the Huffington Post under Life & Style/Food at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/marilinda-hodgdon/

Read Full Post »