Dan Dan Noodles ~ healthier~ low carbs but with Full Flavor!

I am not a huge pasta lover but I absolutely adore really spicy Dan Dan Noodles.  Recently I had a craving for them and instead of running out to my favorite Szechuan restaurant I decided to make them at home and to try and do a healthier version.  My concession to making them healthier was to replace the Chinese egg noodles with some no calorie/no carb Shirataki noodles and instead of pork (which I generally order) I decided to use some ground turkey breast. 

Holy cow this recipe rocked and had all the wonderful flavors found in the restaurant version and even better, I didn’t feel all full and bloated after eating it.  I just found a new winner with this recipe and I’ll be making it time and time again.  Oh and when Eammon tried it, he thought that I had brought in take-out ;-) 

Dan Dan Noodles 

• 1 lb. Shirataki noodles or 6 ounces dried Chinese egg noodles
• 1 TBS. peanut oil, or oil of your choice
• 6 ounces ground turkey, pork or beef
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped finely
• 1 tsp. fresh ginger, chopped finely
• 2 dried red chili peppers, seeds and pods chopped finely
• 1 TBS. Shaoxing wine, Chinese cooking wine or Chinese rice wine
• 1 TBS. Chinese black vinegar 
• 2 ounces of Szechuan preserved vegetable/zha cai, soaked and chopped
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 2 TBS. soy sauce 
• 2 tsp. Chinese sesame paste or tahini 
• 1/2 - 1 tsp. ground Szechuan peppercorns 
• 2 TBS. chili oil
• 1/4 cup finely ground dry roasted peanuts 
• 1/2 cup Cheaters Chicken Soup, chicken stock or water
• 1 tsp. sesame oil 
• 1 tsp. Whey Low granular or sugar
• sea salt to taste
• 2 green onions, chopped ~ for garnish

If using the Shirataki noodles, drain and rinse very well.  If using the Chinese egg noodles, bring a large pot of water to boil and cook the noodles according to package instructions. Drain the noodles, rinse under cold water, and drain again. Transfer the noodles to a serving dish.

Heat a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add the oil and swirl to coat the base and sides of the wok. Add the garlic, ginger and red chili peppers. Stir fry until lightly brown and fragrant.  Add in the meat, breaking it apart with a spatula. Stir-fry until the meat no longer pink and slightly browned. Add in the Chinese wine, black vinegar and Szechuan preserved vegetable and cook until fragrant, about a minute. Add in the green onions, soy sauce, sesame paste, Szechuan peppercorns, chili oil, ground peanuts, chicken stock, sesame oil and sugar.

Stir well and bring to a boil. Cook until the sauce thickens. Check the seasonings and add salt if needed.  Spoon the cooked meat mixture over the noodles. Sprinkle the chopped green onions on top before serving.  

Enjoy!

Pressure Cooker Balsamic Collard Greens

I totally admit that I have no earthly clue on how to make a big ol’ bowl of collards look beautiful in a picture, but what I do know is how to make them taste amazing!  This recipe takes five minutes of hands on work, 20 minutes in the pressure cooker and then you’ll be eating some of the most delicious collards you’ve ever tried.  Though I do love me some southern collards rich with bacon, ham hocks and butter, this recipe is much more diet friendly and so packed with delicious flavor, I don’t even for a moment miss those other ingredients.  I hope that you’ll give this recipe a try and trust me, you’ll be licking the bowl.

Pressure Cooker Balsamic Collard Greens

• 1 lb. fresh collard greens, washed & cut into 2-inch wide pieces (I used a bag of washed and cut ~ ready to go)
• 1/2 cup chicken stock, can use beef stock or vegetable stock
• 1 TBS. olive oil, or oil of your choice
• 1 1/2 TBS. tomato paste 
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar 
• 1 TBS. Whey Low Gold or brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp. sea salt 
• 1/2 tsp. fresh ground pepper
• 1 cup medium diced sweet onion
• 6 large garlic cloves, minced

Add the stock, olive oil, tomato paste, balsamic vinegar, Whey Low Gold, salt & pepper to the pressure cooker and stir to mix.  Stir in the onion and garlic.  Add the collard greens and seal the pressure cooker.  Over high heat bring to full pressure and then reduce temperature to low.  Cook for 20 minutes.  Remove the pressure cooker from the heat and either run it under cold water or release the steam via the valve.   Open and stir to coat all the collards with the sauce. 

Enjoy!

Baked Bananas

It is now month 16 of the Improv Cooking Challenge and this month our hostess Kristen of Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker has challenged the participating bloggers to make any recipe of their choosing using the two given ingredients of bananas & nutmeg.  Unlike last month where I just was uninspired, but still managed to make a wonderful White Chocolate Marshmallow Cranberry Cashew Bark, this month there were so many delicious things I wanted to make.  I’m talking about cakes, cookies, pancakes, muffins, fritters, ice cream and smoothies, so many wonderful things to be made with bananas and nutmeg.  But here it is, a new year, and after all our indulging over Thanksgiving, during our trip to Savannah, during our two weeks in Aruba, over Christmas, New Years Eve and then visiting with friends and our week at Disney…well I needed something delicious but very healthy.  With that in mind, may I present, Baked Bananas.  I saw this recipe on Epicurious and knew that I had found a winner. 

And a winner it is, just minutes to make, all the ingredients are staples in my home and delicious…well just insanely!!  I have made these Baked Bananas a few times already, once as a dessert with a little bit of whipped cream sprinkled with nutmeg and a few times I’ve put them over plain oatmeal, a delicious breakfast.  One night I served these Baked Bananas as a sweet little side dish along side some roasted pork (amazing combination) and I even just baked up a half recipe one night when I was craving something sweet.  I’d bet that these bananas would be fabu over some vanilla ice cream…one day I will give that a try.  I suggest that you give this recipe a try as you’ll be amazed at how just a few ingredients and a tiny bit of time totally transforms simple bananas into an insanely delicious treat.      

Baked Bananas (adapted from here)

2 bananas

Juice of 1 lemon

1 TBS, dark rum  

1/4 tsp. ground roasted cinnamon 

1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg 

1 TBS. Whey Low Gold or brown sugar 

1 TBS butter 

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Peel the bananas and slice in half lengthwise. Lay the pieces into a buttered 9x9x2-inch ovenproof dish. Pour the lime juice and rum evenly over the bananas. Sprinkle on the cinnamon, nutmeg, and brown sugar. Dot on the butter and bake for 10 to 15 minutes. Serve hot with a bit of whipped cream sprinkled with a pinch of nutmeg.

Enjoy!

My previous Improv Cooking Challenge entries:

December 2012  Chocolate & Marshmallows:  White Chocolate Marshmallow Cranberry Cashew Bark    
November 2012  Sweet Potatoes & honey: Sweet Potato Glass Noodles with Honey Garlic Lime Shrimp 
October 2012  Oatmeal & Raisins:  S’mores Granola Bars   
September 2012  Zucchini & Brown Sugar:  Zucchini with Onion & Brown Sugar 
August 2012  Tomatoes & Peppers:  French Fries Hash Browns 
July 2012  Corn & Butter:  Fritos Crusted Pollock 
June 2012  Cherries & Almonds:  Dried Cherry Almond Tart 
May 2012  Strawberries & Cream:  Strawberry Soup 
April 2012  Peanut butter & Jelly:  Peanut Butter & Jelly Bars 
March 2012  Potato & Cheese:  Loaded Potato & Buffalo Chicken Casserole 
February 2012  Ginger & Carrots:  Shrimp & Avocado Salad with Carrot Ginger Dressing 
January 2012 Lemon & Sour Cream:  Ponderosa Lemon & Sour Cream Tart 
December 2011 Eggnog & Cranberries:  Eggnog Popovers with Cranberry Butter 
November 2011 Pumpkin & Cream Cheese:  Praline Pumpkin Cheesecake
October 2011 Caramel & Apples:  Caramel Stuffed Apple Cider Cookies

Sweet Potato Cranberry Nut Cookies

Here it is, January 1, 2013 and I hope that everyone had a wonderful New Year’s eve and we wish everyone a wonderful and delicious year.  I’m hoping that in this new year I can be a bit more organized and caught up with things as here I am, still posting recipes from Thanksgiving. 

After Thanksgiving I had some leftover sweet potatoes and I couldn’t decide what to do when them until I saw a recipe for Sweet Potato Cookies on Stephanie’s blog, Eat Your Heart Out and I thought, what a perfect way to use them, and as it worked out,  I had all the other ingredients needed for the recipe already in my pantry.

These cookies were wonderful, almost a cross between a cookie and muffin.  I loved these cookies plain, but even better when they were heated a little in the microwave, split open and topped with a nice pat of butter  My parents too really loved the cookies and my Mom has been asking for weeks now, that I post the recipe, so for her this is my first recipe of the new year. . 

Sweet Potato Cranberry Nut Cookies (adapted from here) 

• 1 cup cooked, mashed sweet potato
• 2 eggs 
• 1 cup packed Whey Low Gold or brown sugar   
• 1/2 cup coconut oil, solid at room temperature 
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract 
• 2 cups all-purpose flour   
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder 
• 1 tsp. baking soda 
• 1 tsp. cinnamon 
• 1/4 tsp. ground cloves 
• 1/4 tsp. ground coriander 
• 2 tsp. minced crystallized ginger    
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries 
• 1/2 cup roughly chopped pecans 

Preheat oven to 350 F. Prepare two baking sheets lined with Silpats or parchment paper.

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and Whey Low Gold (or brown sugar) until thick and pale.  Whisk in the coconut oil until well combined.  Stir in the sweet potato & vanilla extract.  Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda & spices. Fold together with a spatula until no flour remains. Fold in the crystallized ginger, cranberries and chopped pecans.

Using a large cookie scoop portion out the batter onto the prepared pans.  Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until puffed and lightly golden and a toothpick inserted into the center of one of the cookies comes out clean. Allow to cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.  Cookies will last, well wrapped, at room temperature for up to 4 days. If storing in layers, separate with parchment or wax paper so they don’t stick together.

Enjoy!

Crockpot Baked Stuffed Apples

I know, here it is the last day of November and I’m still trying to get my Thanksgiving recipes posted and shoot, this isn’t even my last one.  Busyness, continued sickness and tiredness…well I’m just behind and maybe one day I’ll catch up…maybe by next Thanksgiving??  I mentioned both over on my Moments with Maisie and on this blog that this year with all the food restrictions and sickness, I went really simple with our dinner and especially with dessert.  I mean think about it, what do you make with the following restrictions?  Maisie can’t have wheat, egg or dairy, my Mom can’t have dairy, my Dad limits sugar, Eammon really doesn’t care for desserts which are too chocolaty and I’ve been avoiding flour & sugar and also, though I enjoy crisps, crumbles & some tarts, I generally don’t care for pies, the making or the eating.  

Dessert really was a dilemma until I saw a recipe for Crock-Pot Baked Apples on the blog, Skinny Chef.  The recipe was perfect as it it was the right seasonal flavors and it pretty much met everyone’s dietary restrictions.  Even better, it was simple to prepare and once it was put in the slow cooker no one had to think about it until dessert was served.  Even though the original recipe met most of our dietary restrictions I still tweaked it a bit by changing out the trans-fat free margarine called for in the original recipe, instead using coconut oil and I also decided to add dried cranberries, crystallized ginger and some additional spices to make the dish more my own. 

I loved the simplicity of the dish and the flavor of the filling and the apples.  The only thing I would do differently next time is to use less fat and that’s only because I didn’t care for the mouth feel but on that, I was the only one who complained.  We enjoyed these apples both hot and cold as leftovers.  These apples provided all of the flavors of the holiday without all the heaviness, calories, fat and work of pies and by having these apples I think we all felt a bit less stuffed and possibly…even a bit healthier!

Crockpot Baked Stuffed Apples (adapted from here)

• 6 Honey Crisp, Gala or Macintosh apples, cored
• 1/4 cup Whey Low Gold or brown sugar
• 1/4 cup walnuts, chopped
• 1/4 cup pecans, chopped
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries  
• 2 TBS coconut oil (I would cut this to 1 TBS.) 
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 1/2 tsp. finely minced crystallized ginger 
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves   
• 1 cup apple cider
• 2 TBS orange liquor (optional)

Using an apple corer and a serrated grapefruit spoon, core the apples, scooping out all the seeds and opening the cored hole a little wider at the top of the apple than the corer.  It’s okay if you go all the way through as the apples don’t move when they cook and if you carefully scoop them from underneath when serving, the filling stays in them without a problem. 

In a large bowl, mix the Whey Low Gold, walnuts, pecans, cranberries, coconut oil, cinnamon, ginger & ground clove.  Fill each apple with approximately 2 TBS. of the filling, packing it in, and place the filled apples in the crockpot. Pour in the apple cider and orange liquor.  Cover and cook for 2 1/2 to 3 hours on high heat until the apples are soft and begin to collapse.

Enjoy!

Steak with Bourbon & Brown Sugar Barbecue Sauce

Maisie adores nice, rare, perfectly grilled steak, especially if it has been marinated in a delicious, slightly sweet sauce just like this Bourbon & Brown Sugar BBQ Sauce.  I marinated the steak for a few hours in some of the sauce and then grilled the steak, brushing a little bit more on as it cooked.  This sauce was absolutely delicious and would also be fabu on some ribs so that will be my next go with it.  I served the steak with a little salad, drizzled with the Fig Balsamic Dressing from this recipe, and my Hasselback Potatoes with Garlic Sour Cream.  A totally delicious, rich and filling meal. 

Steak with Bourbon & Brown Sugar Barbecue Sauce (adapted from here)

• 1 cup ketchup 
• 1/2 cup bourbon
• 3 tablespoons Whey Low Gold or brown sugar 
• 3 tablespoons mild (light) molasses 
• 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar 
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce 
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 
• 11/2 teaspoons liquid smoke 
• 1 teaspoon onion powder 
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder 
• 1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper flakes   
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 

Bring all the ingredients to boil in saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat; simmer until sauce is reduced to 2 cups, stirring often, about 10 minutes.  Can be made 2 weeks ahead. Cover & chill. Use at room temperature.

I marinated the meat for a few hours in some of the sauce and then brought the meat to room temperature before grilling.  As the meat grilled I brushed on additional sauce.  Allow the cooked meat to sit for about 15 minutes before slicing.

Enjoy!

Shrimp & Vegetable Madras Curry for Daniel

Through my blogs I have met many wonderful bloggers, some in real life but most, just though cyberspace.  It’s amazing though because even the bloggers who you only know via what they write on their blog or by comments they leave for you, you form a bond with them and you look forward to what they write on their blog and what they have to say about what you’ve written on yours.  In my almost 8 years of blogging I have mainly been involved in two online communities, the International adoption community with my Moments with Maisie blog and the foodie community with this, my Cook Lisa Cook blog.  In both online communities I’ve found that most bloggers and those who may not have a blog, but comment on mine, are wonderful, supportive and kind people.  One of those people whom I’ve only met through cyberspace and really because of my participation in The Secret Recipe Club was Daniel Saraga of The Haggis and the Herring.  I’ve loved reading Daniel’s blog as he seemed to have a warm and gracious spirit, his passion for cooking and food shone through in his words and his taste in foods ran right along the same diverse, ethnic and adventurous lines that ours do.  When commenting on my blog, Daniel always made kind, thoughtful and often humorous comments that always warmed my heart and made me smile.  So it was with great sadness that I read of his sudden passing about two weeks back.  Daniel left behind his wife, two sons and third child on the way as well as a large extended family and many friends.  I had tears in my eyes reading Meredith’s words for the loss of her beloved husband, you could tell how much he was loved. 

Daniel was also loved in the online foodie community and that is why today, numerous Secret Recipe Club bloggers are coming together in a tribute day to Daniel by recreating and posting a recipe from The Haggis and the Herring.  

From my reading of The Haggis and the Herring, Daniel seemed to have a special passion for Indian curries, posting numerous delicious versions including Aloo Mutter Butter Paneer, Baked Aloo Kofta Curry, Channa Korma Curry, Channa Masala, Chicken Curry, Butter Chicken, Chicken Madras, Chicken Vindaloo and Chicken Tikka Masala.  So with that in mind I decided to recreate one of his curry dishes.  Unfortunately when I went to make my chosen recipe of Chicken Madras, I realized that I had everything in the house but chicken so knowing how versatile curries are I used what I had on hand for protein, shrimp.  I also decided to bulk up the shrimp with some added veggies as that morning I had picked some gorgeous red, orange, yellow and green peppers as well as some tomatoes from our garden and I also had a package of mushrooms that begged to be used.

I sautéed the veggies which smelled delicious on their own.

Then I added the shrimp which had been marinating in the curry sauce along with some crushed tomatoes and a delicious curry came together.  I hope to try many more of Daniel’s curries and other recipes.  He, his posts, recipes and kind words will all be missed.

Shrimp & Vegetable Madras Curry

• 1 TBS. garam masala
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1 rounded TBS. curry powder
• 1 tsp. ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp. sea salt 
• 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 2 TBS. Whey Low Gold or brown sugar
• 4 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 rounded TBS. fresh grated ginger
• 1/3 cup lemon juice
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 pound peeled and deveined shrimp (I used medium/small shrimp but any size would work)
• 2 TBS. olive oil
• 3-4 sweet peppers, mixed red, orange, yellow & green
• 8 oz. mushrooms, sliced
• 3 medium tomatoes, cut in 8ths
• 1 - 14.5 oz. can crushed tomatoes

In a large bowl, whisk together the garam masala, cinnamon, curry powder, black pepper, salt, cayenne, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, lemon juice and 1/2 cup olive oil.  Stir in the shrimp, cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.

In a deep pan heat 2 TBS. olive oil on high and add the peppers & mushrooms.  Allow the peppers & mushrooms to brown slightly then stir in the fresh tomatoes and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes until the tomatoes start to soften.  Add the shrimp curry mixture and cook for 2 minutes stirring continuously. Add the tomatoes, stir and let simmer on medium-low for 30 minutes.  Serve with rice.

Enjoy!

 

 

Toasted Sesame Ginger Salmon with Sesame Ginger Honey Glaze

I don’t remember how I happened upon Jessica’s blog How Sweet It Is but once there I was immediately drawn to her recipes, especially her Toasted Sesame Ginger Salmon as her pictures had me wanting to lick my computer screen.  So as I do, I saved her recipe to my ever expanding “need to make file.”  Then I was emailing with my bloggy pal Colleen and she mentioned that this week she was making my Coriander Roasted Salmon with Cilantro Yogurt Sauce and that got me in the mood for some salmon.  Though my Coriander Roasted Salmon with Cilantro Yogurt Sauce is one of my favorites I remembered that I had Jessica’s recipe saved and other than the salmon, I thought that I had everything in the house* so that’s the direction I went. 

I of course changed Jessica’s recipe a bit by upping some of the flavors and to better fit with my diet I reduced the oil and made sugar free substitutions for the honey and brown sugar.  I also used salmon with skin and made sure to crisp it up as Eammon loves salmon skin.  So how did it turn out?  Well oh my word this salmon was a huge hit, moist, flavorful and wonderfully delicious.  Maisie loved the sweetness of the glaze and ate a huge portion, as large as mine.  Eammon and I loved it too and were both picking at the scraps on the baking sheet, enjoying every last bit.  I made two large filets so I had one left over and the following day we enjoyed the leftovers, Maisie and Eammon ate it heated and I loved it cold, flaked on a salad with a bit of the glaze used as dressing.  The day after we finished both filets I asked Maisie what she wanted for dinner and she asked for more salmon!!  I will be making this salmon again and again and very soon as it was totally delicious and a winning recipe in all our books.

*  I thought that I had all the ingredients in the house, including fresh green onions but that wasn’t to be so I had to pull some from the freezer so they look a bit limp on the salmon.  Oh well, still delicious.

Toasted Sesame Ginger Salmon with Sesame Ginger Honey Glaze (adapted from here)

Toasted Sesame Ginger Salmon

• 2 1/2 pounds raw salmon with skin  
• 1/4 cup toasted sesame oil 
• 1/4 cup rice vinegar 
• 1/4 cup Whey Low Gold or brown sugar 
• 1/4 cup soy sauce 
• 6 large cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup freshly grated ginger
• 1/2 tsp. fresh ground pepper
• 1-2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
• 4 green onions, sliced

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray.

In a large bowl or baking dish, combine the sesame oil, vinegar, Whey Low Gold, soy sauce, garlic, ginger & ground pepper and whisk well until combined. Add salmon to the dish or place everything in a Ziplock bag, then refrigerate and marinate for 30 minutes.

Preheat the broiler in your oven to high and move the rack as close to the broiler coils as possible.

Remove salmon from the marinade and place skin side up on the prepared pan and then place directly under the broiler. Cook for 5 minutes until the skin is crispy.  Remove from broiler and turn the filets over.  Top with some of the marinade, getting as much of the minced garlic and ginger on to the salmon as possible.  Return the salmon to the broiler for approximately 5 more minutes until the inside of the salmon is opaque and easily flakes with a fork.

Serve immediately topped with some toasted sesame seeds, green onions and some of the Sesame Ginger Honey Glaze  (below)

Sesame Ginger Honey Glaze

• 1/3 cup sugar free honey 
• 1 TBS. toasted sesame oil
• 1 TBS. soy sauce
• 1 TBS. freshly grated ginger
• 1/2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds

Combine all the glaze ingredients in a bowl and whisk until smooth. Pour over salmon.

Enjoy!

Double Chocolate Mousse Cake

I love this time of month as it’s Secret Recipe Club time, woohoo!!  This month my assigned blog was Holly’s Phemomenon which is a blog that I just adore so I was super excited to dig through the multitude of recipes she has to find the “one” that I wanted to make and feature.  Finding that one recipe wasn’t easy because Holly not only cooks for her family but she also cooks and does television demonstrations and participates in numerous online cooking challenges so her blog is just chockablock with fabu recipes and tempting pictures.  Just as a funny aside, last month for our Secret Recipe Club posts Holly and I both, from two different blog assignments, each decided to make versions of candied popcorn.  I guess great minds think alike  ;-)

In the end I chose a recipe which Holly made for one of her online cooking groups, French Fridays with Dorie and the Michael Rostang’s Double Chocolate Mousse Cake.  I have been trying to avoid white…you know flour & sugar and this recipe was perfect as it didn’t contain flour and I could easily substitute the sugar and as I needed a dessert for a dinner I was making, well it was just a perfect pick.

I read that Michael Rostang is Michelin-starred chef in Paris and that this recipe is considered a classic at his restaurants, so off the top I figured it was going to be good.  I was also intrigued by the recipe as it uses only six ingredients and you make only one chocolate mousse and then bake some of it and then pile the rest of the mousse on top and either chill it or bake it again so you can enjoy it either warm or cold, but in the end it’s six ingredients, one batter, two layers, two textures, “my” diet friendly…and it’s chocolate….need I say more?

Let me start by saying, I took a LOT of liberties with this recipe.  First, because I didn’t have the correct sized pan for the recipe (I used a 10-inch springform pan) I doubled the original recipe so that my cake would have some depth and didn’t turn out pancake thin. Then to also mess around with what is probably chocolate perfection, I mean the originator IS a Michelin-starred chef, I used sugar-free chocolate chips instead of good high quality bittersweet chocolate and I also substituted Whey Low Gold for the sugar AND cut the amount of sweetener. 

Even with all my messing about this cake was absolutely amazing and I love the two layers, so I can’t even begin to image how delicious and wonderful the original recipe would be.  Either way you choose to make this, my lower-carb no-added sugar version or the original, this is a simple and winning recipe.

Double Chocolate Mousse Cake

• 8 oz. sugar-free chocolate chips
• 2/3 cup hot brewed espresso
• 14 TBS. butter, at room temperature, divided
• 1 cup Whey Low Gold
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 8 large eggs, separated
• Whey Low Powdered, for dusting

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 400 F.  Using the base of a 10-inch springform pan as a guide, cut a piece of parchment paper to fit into the bottom of the pan.  Re-assemble the springform pan and generously butter the sides and bottom.  Add the cut sheet of parchment paper to the bottom of the springform pan and smooth it down.

In a large microwave safe bowl melt the chocolate along with 4 Tablespoons of the butter.  Do not over heat the mixture, once the butter is all melted and hot stir to finish melting the chocolate until it's smooth.  Whisk in the espresso and then whisk in the remaining 10 Tablespoons of butter one tablespoon at a time. Gently whisk in the Whey Low Gold and one pinch of salt.  Then add the egg yolks, one at a time, whisking until you have a lovely, velvety mixture.

Using an stand mixer and a clean, dry bowl, whip the egg whites and the remaining salt until they are firm but still glossy. Very gingerly whisk about 1/4 of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture. Switch to a rubber spatula and gently fold in the remainder of the egg whites.

Scrape a generous third of the mixture into the buttered springform pan and place on a baking sheet. Cover and refrigerate the remaining mousse.

Bake the mousse in the springform pan for 15 minutes, at which point it will be puffed. Transfer the baking sheet to a wire cooling rack  and let the cake cool to room temperature. There will be a dip in the center of it. Place the cake, still in the springform pan, in the refrigerator for at least an hour.

Now you have a choice:

TO SERVE BAKED AND CHILLED (recommended and how I proceeded): Chill the base of the cake for at least an hour. Preheat the oven to 400 F. Scrape the remaining unused chilled mousse onto the chilled baked base and place on a baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes or until top is puffed and dry. It will crack and a knife inserted inside a crack will come out almost dry.

Transfer the baking sheet to a wire cooling rack and cool to room temperature. Chill in the refrigerator for at least four hours or overnight. Remove the sides of the springform pan. (Run a blunt knife around the edges or warm the pan with a hairdryer.) Carefully transfer the cake to a serving plate, and dust with Whey Low Powdered.  Serve with whipped cream or ice cream if desired.  

TO SERVE BAKED AND WARM: Bake as for "baked and chilled" (above). After you have transferred the baking sheet with the cake on it to a cooling rack, wait five minutes and then run a blunt knife around the edges of the cake and remove the sides of the pan. The cake will sink, so just let it settle for another five minutes. Transfer to a serving platter and dust with Whey Low Powdered. Serve with whipped cream or ice cream if desired.

TO SERVE CHILLED: Let the base of the cake chill thoroughly. Scrape the remaining mousse over the base. Cover and refrigerate at least six hours or overnight.  Transfer the springform pan to a serving plate and remove the ring. (Run a knife around the edges or warm the pan with a hairdryer.) Dust with Whey Low Powdered. Serve with whipped cream or ice cream.

Enjoy!

My previous Secret Recipe Club Recipe Posts:

Candied Popcorn
Fruit, Nut & Poppy Seed Chicken Salad 
Broiled Sushi 
Health(ier) Peanut Brittle 
Crunchy Fudgy Heart Bites 
Texas Chicken with Lime Butter 
Pork Belly Soup with Collard Greens 
Thin Mint Irish Coffee 
Levain Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies 
Welsh Cakes 
Nutella Crêpes 
Cilantro Lime Chicken 
Holy Guacamole 
and
Home Style Chicken Curry