I love to make weekends special and spoil my family and friends when I have a little extra time to do so. There is nothing like an intimate dinner with a sweet chocolate dessert and a special bottle of vino on a cold snowy evening in February to warm Alaskans’ spirits.
For an appetizer, I like to make these special and positively addictive pot-stickers. Once you have one, you have to have a half dozen! Serve a nice sauvignon blanc or a dry riesling with these.
Kay-sans Pork Pot-stickers 1 pound ground pork (not pork sausage) 2 tablespoons fresh grated ginger 1 teaspoon fresh grated garlic (add more if you love garlic) 2 thinly sliced green onions 1 tablespoon dry sherry 1 tablespoon soy sauce Sprinkle of salt and pepper Sprinkle of sugar Mix all ingredients thoroughly. 1 package of gyoza or pot sticker wrappers. (Can be found in the vegetable area of supermarket.) 1/4 cup soy sauce 1 tablespoon sesame oil 1 green onion sliced thin 1 – 2 tablespoons rice vinegar Sprinkle of sugar Mix all together in small bowl and serve with pot stickers. <p>Assembly:</p> Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to cook. Preparation: Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium high heat until hot. Add pot stickers seam side up to pan; don’t crowd. Cook on medium high heat until bottom is browned, about 3 minutes. Add about 1/4 cup water to pan and cover with tight fitting lid. Cook until done, about 5 more minutes. Remove pot stickers from skillet and keep warm. Repeat cooking procedure with remainder of pot stickers. Serve with dipping sauce. These are a perfect union of chocolate and coconut and are easy to make.
Use fresh moist coconut and mini-chocolate chips.
1 1/3 cups mini semisweet chocolate chips (about 8 ounces), divided
2 large egg whites
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups sweetened flaked coconut Preheat oven to 325°F. Line 2 large rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Place 1 cup chocolate chips in microwave-safe bowl; microwave on low setting at 10-second intervals until chocolate is melted, stirring occasionally. Cool to room temperature.
Using electric mixer, beat egg whites and salt in medium bowl until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar, then vanilla, beating until whites are thick and glossy. Fold in melted chocolate and coconut, add remaining 1/3 cup chocolate chips.
Drop batter by heaping teaspoonfuls onto prepared sheets, spacing 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake cookies 10 minutes. Reverse sheets. Bake until tops are dry and cracked and tester inserted into centers comes out with moist crumbs attached, about 10 minutes longer. Cool cookies on sheets on racks. Store airtight at room temperature up to 2 days. 1 cup whipping cream 8 ounces semisweet chocolate chips 1 teaspoon instant coffee crystals 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 pint coffee ice cream 1 9-inch-diameter purchased chocolate cookie crumb crust 10 chocolate sandwich cookies, crushed coarsely (about 1 cup) 1 pint chocolate ice cream Additional sandwich cookies
Microwave coffee ice cream on low setting at 10-second intervals until slightly softened. Spread ice cream evenly in crust. Pour 3/4 cup chocolate sauce over; sprinkle with crushed cookies. Freeze until ice cream is firm, about 20 minutes. Drizzle 1/3 cup sauce over pie. Arrange chocolate ice cream in side-by-side scoops around edge of pie. Wedge 1 whole cookie between each scoop. Freeze pie until firm, at least 2 hours and up to 1 day. Cover and chill remaining sauce.
Rewarm sauce. Cut pie into wedges. Serve, passing sauce separately.
Makes 8 to 10 servings.
In March I will be headed to Italy with the Kenai Peninsula Community Choir. I will be attending a cooking class the last day I am there and am looking forward to sharing the recipes with you. Until next time, have fun in the kitchen and remember to tell the cook how much you appreciate the wonderful meals prepared for you by your personal chef. Teri Robl welcomes comments, questions and suggestions from readers. Her Web site is http://www.acsalaska.net/~robl/. Her e-mail address is robl@ascalaska.net.
Kay-sans Pork Pot-stickers
Ingredients
Directions
Dipping Sauce
Take one gyoza wrapper at a time and lay on work surface. Dip a finger in a small bowl of water and run around outer edge of wrapper. Place 1 heaping teaspoon of pork mixture in middle of wrapper. Fold in half and press edges to seal tightly. Set on a cookie sheet that has been dusted with cornstarch while making remainder of pot stickers.
Chocolate Macaroons
Ingredients
Directions
Chocolate Cookie and Coffee Ice Cream Pie
This makes an awesome dessert that kids and adults devour and it is easy to assemble.
Ingredients
Directions
Bring whipping cream to simmer in small saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat. Add chocolate chips; whisk until chocolate is melted. Whisk in coffee and vanilla. Let sauce cool.
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