Chocolate Mousse

July 28th, 2010 | Posted by admin

Chocolates, flowers, gifts, cards and delicious high-fiber desserts are all the tradition on this special day for love known as Valentine’s Day. Fiberlady recognizes that no matter what the origins of Valentine’s Day, it’s a perfect day for celebrating with those you love and to share the healthy indulgences of high fiber foods. Say “I love you” with these scrumptious high-fiber desserts. Your lover’s heart will be content.

White Chocolate Mousse With Raspberries

6 servings

Ingredients:

2 cups fresh raspberries or frozen raspberries (washed & divided 3-1)

1/4 cup sugar

2 tablespoons framboise liqueur

6 ounces white chocolate, finely chopped

1/4 cup milk, warmed

1 cup heavy cream

2 egg whites, room temperature

1 pinch cream of tartar

3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 tablespoons finely chopped toasted almonds

raspberries (to garnish)

mint sprigs (to garnish)

Preparation:

1. In a blender or food processor fitted with metal blade, combine 1-1/2 cups of the raspberries with the sugar.

2. Puree until smooth.

3. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl.

4. Add the framboise and stir to mix.

5. Stir in the remaining whole raspberries, halved, into the puree.

6. Set aside.

7. Place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl and set over pan of gently simmering water; do not allow the bowl to touch the water.

8. Heat the chocolate until it is melted and smooth and registers 140F on an instant-read thermometer.

9. Gradually add the warm milk to the chocolate, stirring constantly until smooth.

10. Remove the bowl from the water and allow mixture to cool until it is almost at room temperature.

11. In a bowl, using an electric mixer on high, beat the cream just until soft peaks form.

12. In another bowl, using clean beaters, beat together the egg whites and cream of tartar on high until stiff peaks form.

13. Using a rubber spatula fold half of the whites into chocolate mixture to lighten it.

14. Fold the remaining whites, whipped cream and vanilla into the chocolate mixture just until combined and no white drifts remain.

15. DO NOT OVERMIX.

16. You may cover and refrigerate the mousse for up to 1 day ahead.

17. To serve, spoon about half of the mousse into 6 parfait glasses, half filling each glass.

18. Top with raspberry sauce, again using about half and dividing equally.

19. Then sprinkle the top with 2 tablespoons of almonds.

20. Repeat with remaining mousse and raspberry sauce.

21. Sprinkle with remaining finely chopped almonds. Garnish with raspberries and mint sprigs.

Fiber per serving 3.3 grams

Poached Red Pear Zinfandel

4 servings

Ingredients:

4 large ripe red pears or other pear variety

1 1/2 cup white zinfandel or rose wine

1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise, or 1 tsp vanilla

1/3 cup sugar

4 tsp honey

1 fresh mint leaves (optional)

Preparation:

Core pears from bottom, leaving stem intact. If desired,use a paring knife to peel a spiral channel from tip to bottom of fruit.

Slice the bottoms off pears to allow them to stand upright. Stand pears up in the bottom of a large saucepan; add wine and vanilla bean or liquid vanilla. Bring mixture just to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer pears, covered, for 10 to 15 minutes or until tender.

Using a slotted spoon, transfer pears to four dessert dishes. Add sugar to liquid in pan; bring to the boil. Reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 12 minutes or until liquid is reduced to 2/3-cup and is the consistency of a thin sauce.

Spoon sauce over pears. Drizzle honey on top. Serve warm or chilled. Garnish with mint.

Fiber per serving: 5 grams

Chocolate Fondue

Ingredients:

8 oz Premium Chocolate (chopped)

1 cup Whipping Cream

2 tsp Grand Marnier (optional)

Preparation:

Over low flame, heat cream until warm (DO NOT BOIL).

Slowly add chocolate while stirring. Mixture will become smooth. Stir in liqueur.

To Dip: Strawberries, Bananas, Apples, Pears and Raspberries

Fiber Count:

Strawberries: 1 cup, 3 grams

Pear: 1 medium, 4 grams

Apple: 1 medium, 4 grams

Banana: 1 medium, 3 grams

Raspberries: 1/2 cup, 4.6 grams

Honey Nut Tart

8 servings

Ingredients:

Crust:

1/3 cup butter, softened

1/3 cup sugar

1 egg

1-1/2 cups flour

Filling:

1 cup honey

2 tbsp. butter

1/3 cup heavy cream

2-1/2 cups unsalted mixed toasted nuts

Preparation:

To prepare crust, stir together butter and sugar until fluffy. Stir in egg, then flour and salt. Knead several times on a lightly floured board and wrap tightly in plastic wrap; refrigerate for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350°F. Press dough into the bottom of a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom and bake for 25 minutes or until lightly browned; set aside.

Filling: combine honey and butter in a saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat for 5 minutes or until reduced by half and deep golden brown; add heavy cream and cook for 5 minutes more; stir in nuts. Pour into crust; let cool before cutting.

Fiber per serving: 5 g

Pear and Cranberry Crisp

6 servings

Ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour

2/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup old-fashioned oats

1/4 teaspoon salt

8 tablespoons (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter or margarine, cut into pieces

Fruit Filling:

7 large slightly under-ripe pears, peeled, cored, and each cut lengthwise into 8 slices

1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries

1/2 cup sugar

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

Vanilla ice cream (optional)

Preparation:

Place a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350ºF. Butter an 8-inch square baking dish with 2-inch sides.

To make the topping: In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, brown sugar, oats, and salt. With a pastry blender or two knives used scissor-fashion, cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal.

To make the filling: Toss together all the ingredients and spoon into the prepared dish. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the filling. Set the dish on a baking sheet to catch any drips. Bake for about 1 hour, or until the topping is golden and the filling thickens and bubbles. Cool at least 20 minutes. Serve with vanilla ice cream, if desired.

Fiber per serving: 9.1 g

HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY!

Stephanie Shank aka Fiberlady has studied nutrition for many healthy years which prompted her commitment to high fiber foods and the development of her informative website High Fiber Health.

July 26th, 2010 | Posted by admin

As we all know, the 2-stoke engine is a much more user-friendly and lighter ATV to ride…especially for youth and kids. The 2-stoke ATV has been around so long that we’ve come to accept the excessive emission of carbon monoxide like our own skin. However, as technology advances and the law closes in on the manufacturers of ATVs, we are finding more and more 4-stoke ATVs now than ever before. In fact, it’s quite safe to say that the 2-stoke engine is probably going to be extinct in the ATV market.

In the Youth ATV scene today, we can see a whole lineup of new funky 4-stoke ATVs but nary a single 2-stoke one at all. This goes to prove the point. There are many 2-stoke ATVs for youth being showcased by manufacturers from all over the world – particularly makers from China.

With the current and sudden influx of 4-stoke ATVs right now, it’s hardly surprising to find similarities between the new models. Despite bearing very strong resemblance in terms of the way each of these ATV machines are designed, the specs and features are pretty much…alike too! the only difference, as usual, is the brand, the packaging and PRICE. For example, the Jetmoto bears extreme resemblance to Honda’s little baby TRX90. It may even seem as though Jetmoto made an effort to re-model whatever is worth remodeling in the TRX90, leaving the Jetmoto a slightly more superior machine.

The Jetmoto is an extremely easy ATV to use because it was designed with Youth in mind. One good example of this point is that many previous ATV models do not have the reverse option. All this while, the only way is forward. The Jetmoto comes with the reverse feature. The makers go all out of their way to ensure that reversing is as easy as a piece of chocolate mousse cake! This feature is particularly important for Youth and Kids because they may need to back themselves out of tricky trails and holes without needing to get off the ATV to do it.

Apart from the extremely tough suspension, the Jetmoto is, indeed, quite a good buy!

Marsha Maung is an ATV enthusiast enthusiastically promoting ATV riding as a sport and family activity! She runs and is one of the staff for one of the hottest and fastest-growing ATV sites right now…http://www.atv4kids.com Upload and share pictures, articles, views, advice, reviews, ideas, tips and tricks to ATV riding with other ATV enthusiasts through ATVspace, [http://www.atv4kids.com/atvspace]

July 23rd, 2010 | Posted by admin

Being unique for your dinner party can be daunting. How would you like to serve something different? You can, and you can make it yourself. Pick out the flavors below, bake and cool the layers then, fill them with what I used, and enjoy!

1. Banana and Chocolate Swirl (aka Marble) with a Kahlua Mocha Chip filling.

2. Banana Cake with Cream Cheese., Pineapple and Nut filling. You can add sliced Bananas or Strawberry slices, even a few mini-Chocolate Chips to the filling if you wish.

3. 1 layer each Banana and Chocolate Cake with a Kahlua Mocha Chip filling and Banana slices.

4. Chocolate Cake with Genache OR Raspberry or Strawberry Mousse OR Fudge filling.

5. 1 layer each Chocolate and Lemon Cake with White Chocolate Mousse filling and fresh Raspberries.

6. Chocolate-Orange Swirl (aka Marble) with Chocolate Fudge filling and Mandarin Orange slices.

7. Lemon Cake with White Chocolate Mousse filling and fresh Raspberries.

8. Mocha Cake with Tiramisu Filling and Coffee Icing.

9. Strawberry Cake with Chocolate Icing filling and fresh Strawberry slices. Add a few mini-Chocolate chips to filling for extra special taste.

10. Snicker Doodle Cake. Chocolate Cake with Carmel Filling, Rich’s Bettercreme Icing, and sliced Snickers on top.

11. Black Forest Cake. 4 layers of Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Mousse on 1st layer, Cherries on 2nd layer, and White Chocolate Mousse on top layer. Ice with Rich’s Bettercreme (see below for where to purchase this item). Sprinkle Chocolate slivers all over cake. Put Cherries with stems on top of cake and you have one amazing dessert!

I suggest you find a great recipe for a Buttercreme Icing or, if you wish, purchase icing in cans at the store, but being they are small, you need at least 2 or 3 cans to cover a 2 layer, 8 inch cake.

Otherwise, Ruth Levy Berenbaum has luscious icing recipes made with liquor and fresh butter (she has a wonderful website). You can add melted chocolate but I prefer Hershey’s Cocoa for the Chocolate Buttercreme. Do remember to add a little bit of water as you beat in the Cocoa because Chocolate tends to make the icing too thick and you need it to spread easily.

Rich’s Bettercreme (non-dairy topping) can be purchased at your local cake decorating shop. Sams Club sells it but the container is a massive bucket normally for commercial use. Your local cake decorating shop should be able to sell it to you in quart or half gallon sizes.

If you use Cream Cheese, purchase the solid bars, beat with a little water in your mixer so it is spreadable, and keep iced cake in refrigerator until you are ready to serve your dessert.

Lastly, Williams-Sonoma has a cake book with one of the best Chocolate Genache recipes I’ve ever tasted.

I sincerely hope many of you looking through this article, will try all of these combos and love each one.