Sippin' Chocolate

I am not one of the lucky ones to have that Polynesian themed grocery store that health and budget-concious people everywhere rave over.  Whenever my travels will place me in the viscinity of a Trader Joe's I stop in and load up the cooler.  I am also very fortunate that I have family and friends who deliver TJ's orders when they come to town!  Their Sipping Chocolate is elusive and appears sometime just before Thanksgiving and has usually vanished by Christmas.  Having obtained a canister this year from my friend Karyn over from the Serenity Swamp, with a little tinkering I am pleased to announce that Sippin' Chocolate does not have to grace us but once per year (or not at all).

You can adjust the ingredient quantitities to your specific tastes.


INGREDIENTS

Approx 2/3 cup  (130 g) of really good chocolate chips (60% cacao or higher)
1/3 cup cocoa powder, unsweetened
1/4 cup cane sugar (I used turbinado that I ground in food processor until fine)

1 - Place chips into well of food processor with sharp blade and grind until a fine powder (see picture, below).

2 - Place into bowl with cocoa powder and sugar, whisk to combine well.

3 - Use in 1 - 3 tablespoon increments by stirring into desired hot liquid of your choice (i.e., milk or water).  In our house, we like a tablespoon of it stirred into unsweetened chocolate almond milk. 


ENJOY!  This is some seriously good stuff ;-)



Nutritional Info, Per 1 Tablespoon Serving:

* Nutritional data calculated using ingredient compilation program for 2,000 calorie diet and is deemed close but not exact. 

Goes great with homemade marshmallows (marshmallow recipe courtesy of Alton Brown)

Tested and approved by the Tiny Tarts!

 

Creamy Sautéed Spinach with Garlic and Parmesan

This is a staple in my home and I make at least a batch per week. The first time I tried it was at my sister-in-laws when it was served as a dreamy side for steak. Since that time, I have learned it goes great on Grilled Pizza, as a "stuffing" for mild fish such as flounder and even stirred into some eggs or pasta. Really, this stuff can used to add a new dimension of creaminess and flavor to so many dishes and it's got some serious nutrient power as well.


INGREDIENTS

1 lb frozen, chopped spinach
1.5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
6 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese


1 - Place spinach, olive oil and garlic in sautee pan that has a lid over medium-high heat. Saute until defrosted, adding water if needed to keep from sticking.

2 - Add remaining water and place lid on pan. Reduce heat to med-low.

3 - Check every so often to make sure this is not sticking (or worse, burining!). When spinach is creamy and soft but not so overcooked that it is brown, grate cheese over it and stir to incorporate.

That's it! Now it's ready to use as a recipe enhancer.