So here's an amazingly simple recipe for the best moist brownies ever...
Once again, get the kids involved, have them help with the mixing,
the melting of the chocolate and butter, and the anticipation
and excitement of waiting for the final result :)



super moist brownies

1 ¼ cup cake flour
½ tsp salt
¾ tsp baking powder
8 ounces unsweetened chocolate chopped
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, or 12 tbs cut into 1 inch pieces
2 ¼ cup sugar
4 eggs
1 tbs good vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 325°, cut about 18 inch length foil fit into 13 x 9” baking dish, cut 14 inch parchment paper and insert over the foil inside the baking dish. Spray the paper with nonstick cooking or baking spray.

Combine flour salt and baking powder in a poll; set aside.
Add hot water to a saucepan and heat over medium heat, once the water starts to simmer, and chocolate few ounces at a time with a few pieces of butter to a glass bowl placed over the hot water. Melt all the chocolate and butter in the heat proof bowl over the saucepan stirring constantly, until smooth. When chocolate is completely smooth, remove bowl from saucepan and gradually whisk in sugar. Add the eggs one at a time then add vanilla, add the flower mixture in three steps folding with a rubber spatula or whisking gently until batter is completely smooth.

Pour batter into the baking dish using the rubber spatula, smooth the surface and place in the oven. Bake until toothpick inserted into center of brownies comes out with a few moist crumbs, 30-35 minutes. Cool on wire rack for about two hours. Cut brownies into 2-3 inch squares and serve with confection sugar and a sprig of mint on top, or some vanilla ice cream, or just enjoy it all on it’s own.

sara motamedi

copyright 2009

Persimmons & Pomegranate salad

3 fuyu persimmons
3 Persian cucumbers
2 small tomatoes
1 cup pomegranate
½ cup blue cheese or feta cheese finely crumbled
1 tsp dry mint/ fresh mint finely chopped or cilantro
¾ tbs kosher salt
½ tbs fresh ground pepper
2 tbs lime juice
1 ½ tbs extra virgin olive oil

Chop the persimmons, cucumbers, and tomatoes. Add olive oil, lime juice, mint, salt and pepper and mix. Add the cheese, and the pomegranate and gently toss.

Feel free to add grilled chicken, shrimp, or salmon fillet and enjoy.
This is a serving for 4.

sara motamedi

copyright 2009

  Bread pudding

2 tbs Grand Marnier

8 cups of cubed brioche, egg bread, day or two old croissants

1 cup milk
1 cup heavy cream

5 eggs

¾ cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla

¼ tsp salt

½ cup dried currants

Combine the dried currants with the Grand Marnier and heat for about 30 seconds then set aside. Butter the baking dish, and the sides. Whisk together the milk, cream, eggs, sugar, vanilla, and salt. Pour the soaked currants and Grand Marnier over the bread, add the milk mixture to the bread and currants, making sure all the bread is soaked with the mixture. Let set for an hour or overnight in the refrigerator covered.

Heat the oven to 350, place the baking dish in the oven, and cook for 45-55 minutes, depending on the oven. For best results, start checking the bread pudding around the 45 min time, to make sure it’s not overcooked! Once the top is golden brown, the bread pudding is done and ready to be served!


Serve with a sprig of mint, some vanilla bean ice cream, or just a dollop of whip cream.


Feel free to substitute the currants with dried cherries, or blueberries…

sara motamedi

copyright 2009

oatmeal chicken tenders

• 1 pound chicken tenders 
• 1 cup ground oatmeal
• 3/4 teaspoon paprika
• half a teaspoon cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon to turmeric
• 1 teaspoon salt 
• pinch of fresh ground pepper 
• olive oil spray 
• half a cup of heavy cream/buttermilk/milk

Pound each piece of chicken tender into a quarter inch thin, soak chicken tenders in heavy cream for two hours or overnight, make sure chicken tenders are all the same size to cook evenly.

Add the paprika, cumin, turmeric, salt and pepper to the ground oatmeal. Mix the ingredients and add to a deep plate. Take each chicken tender letting the excess cream drip off, place into the oatmeal and cover both sides equally, repeat the process with the remaining chicken tenders.

 Place a deep frying pan on high with a quarter inch of canola oil in the pan, once the oil is nice and hot add the chicken tenders one by one and cook for about 2 to 3 minutes depending on the size of the chicken tender flip the chicken and cook for another minute, do not overcook. Place the chicken tenders on paper towel to remove the extra oil.

Plate the chicken tenders, serve with a side of blanched broccoli (or their favorite veggie), and drizzle the plate with some honey. Your kids will eat everything off of their plate, and ask for more.

enjoy

sara motamedi
copyright 2009

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breakfast for the weekends

My motto in the kitchen is always including the kids, they will love to get involved with the cooking process, and get to spend quality time with mom @ her best, or even better if it's not @ your best, you get to experament with them and make something tasty, what an inspiration for your young ones :)

fluffy pumpkin pancakes

3/4 cup whole weat flour
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
4 tbs sugar
1 1/2 tbs baking powder
pinch of salt
2 eggs/3 egg whites
1 cup milk
1/4 vegetable oil
1/4 cup plain yogurt
1/4 cup cream
3/4 pumpkin puree

In a large mixing bowl add, milk, cream, eggs, whisk or use a hand held mixer, then add  flour and all the dry ingrediants and mix till jsut combined.  Do not over mix, add the yogurt, pumpkin, oil, and once you have all the ingrediants blendid, let stand for 5 minutes while you get the pan, or the skillet hot and ready for the pancakes.  Get the oven set to 200, to add and keep the cooked pancakes warm and ready to serve.
As the pancake batter is sitting the baking powder is developing and that process with the starch in the yogurt will make the pancake super flaky and delicious.

Using a ladle, drop 1/3 to 1/2 cup batter onto heated surface, and cook on medium low heat till there are bubbles on top of the pancake, then flip, and cook for about another 3o seconds.  Place each pancake in the oven to keep warm, then serve with real maple syrup, or confectioners' sugar and enjoy.

sara motamedi

copyright 2009