Chocolate Nog A Rita Recipes

MAPO TOFU

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Bring a pot of water to a boil and set up a bowl of ice water.
• Cook the gai lan in the boiling water, 3 minutes, then plunge into the ice water to cool. Drain and pat dry.
• Add 2 tablespoons peanut oil and the shiitake mushrooms to a 12-inch cast-iron pan and stir to coat the mushrooms. Put the pan into the oven and roast, stirring as needed, until slightly browned, about 10 minutes. Remove from the pan and allow to cool slightly before roughly chopping. Set aside until ready to use.
• Heat a medium saucepan on medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon of the peanut oil. Add the millet and toast, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add half of the chives to sweat for a minute. Add 1 tablespoon doubanjiang and 3 cups water. Cover and cook for about 20 minutes. (Add more water if it is cooked out and the millet is too al dente).
• Meanwhile, in a wok or wide saucepan, add 2 tablespoons peanut oil. Add the remaining 1/2 cup chives, along with the ginger and garlic, and cook for 1 minute. Add the mushrooms and stir to combine. Add the Shaoxing, dark soy sauce, sugar and remaining tablespoon doubanjiang and continue to cook until heated through, adding a little water if it becomes too dry.
• Combine the two mixtures together and add the Sichuan peppercorns and soy sauce to season. Spoon into a serving bowl and top with the tofu, chile oil and gai lan. Garnish with the peanuts, crispy shallots, cilantro and more chives. Add a pinch of ground Sichuan peppercorns over the top.

CHOCOLATE NOG-A-RITA

Steps:

• Mix the melted ice cream, milk, bourbon, dark rum and Nocino together in a bowl and keep chilled.
• Set the egg white in a shallow dish.
• Mix together the sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon and Aleppo in a separate shallow dish.
• Dip the rim of 4 chilled coupe glasses or other glasses into the egg white, then into the sugar and spice mixture.
• Pour 1 cup of the mixture into a large cocktail shaker and add ice. Shake for 30 seconds. Strain into the glasses and serve. Keep any leftover ice cream mixture chilled until ready to serve more.
• Alternatively, blend the mixture with ice in an electric blender and pour into the prepared glasses.

THE WHOLE CARROT SALAD

Steps:

• For the carrots and lentils: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Slice half the carrots into thin slices with a mandoline. Reserve in cold water and keep refrigerated.
• Cut the remaining carrots into bite-size pieces or halve them lengthwise and toss with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil along with the cumin, coriander and fennel seeds, 1/4 teaspoon each of the Aleppo Urfa chile, 1 teaspoon salt and a little black pepper. Transfer to a baking sheet and cover. Roast for 20 minutes. Remove the lid and continue to roast until browned, about 5 minutes. Set aside.
• Cook the red onion with the remaining tablespoon olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the lentils, thyme sprigs and 2 cups water. Cook for 20 to 30 minutes on a simmer, adding more water as necessary. Season with freshly ground pepper, the remaining teaspoon salt and remaining 1/4 teaspoon each Aleppo and Urfa chile. Set aside.
• For the seeds: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Toss the pumpkin and sunflower seeds together with the olive oil on a baking sheet and toast them, raking every 5 minutes, for 10 to 15 minutes.
• Dry roast the sesame seeds either in the oven or on the stovetop until toasted. Add the cumin and fennel seeds and toss to combine. Turn off the heat.
• Mix all the seeds together with the Aleppo and Urfa and a little salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
• For the pesto and yogurt: Blanch the carrot top leaves, garlic and parsley in boiling water until brightened in color, about 1 minute. Drain and rinse under cold water.
• Combine the blanched carrot tops, garlic and parsley with the olive oil, a pinch of salt and 1/2 cup reserved toasted seeds in a blender. Swirl the pesto with the Greek yogurt and set aside until ready to use.
• For the vinaigrette: Add the olive oil, sherry vinegar, honey, orange flower water if using, salt, pepper to taste and tangerine juice and zest. Blend until thoroughly combined. Set aside.
• For serving: Drain the raw carrots well and toss with about a third of the vinaigrette in a bowl and set aside. Toss the roasted carrots with about another third of the vinaigrette. Toss the lentils with the remaining third of the vinaigrette.
• Set a large spoonful of the lentils in the bottom of a large serving bowl. Set a large spoonful of the pesto-yogurt mixture on one side. Pile the roasted carrots over the rest of the lentils. Top the roasted carrots with the dressed raw carrots. Sprinkle more of the roasted seeds on top and serve. Repeat to make more bowls.

CURRY CAULIFLOWER PIZZA

Steps:

• To make a quick version of chutney, aka "jack up your jam," mix the apricot jam with the ginger, lime juice, turmeric, vinegar, cayenne, cloves, a pinch salt and a few cranks of ground pepper.
• For the Swiss fondue sauce: Add the butter and cornstarch to a medium saucepan. Turn the heat to medium-high and whisk until melted and bubbling. Add the milk a little at a time and continue whisking until the mixture thickens. Add the cheese, nutmeg and pinch of salt and whisk until melted. Cool until ready to use.
• For the curry cauliflower: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Slice the cauliflower in half, and then quarters. Cut into 1/2-inch slices. (There will be smaller florets that fall or crumble off but keep those with the slices.) Set the cauliflower on a wide pan or baking sheet.
• Drizzle oil all over the cauliflower and make sure to get it on both sides. Sprinkle salt all over on both sides. Add pepper on top of each slice. Sprinkle cumin and fennel seeds all over.
• Cover with a lid or foil.
• Bake the cauliflower for 20 minutes. Remove the foil, then sprinkle the curry powder over the cauliflower and add the chile, gently tossing to combine. Bake, uncovered, until the cauliflower is tender but not too soft, another 10 to 15 minutes. Squeeze lime juice over the top and set aside to cool.
• Preheat oil in a deep fryer to 375 degrees F. Line a plate with a paper towel.
• Add the curry leaves to the oil and fry, in batches if needed, until crispy, about 15 seconds. Drain on the paper towel.
• Spread some of the cooled Swiss fondue sauce over each naan. Spoon some of the curry cauliflower over each pizza and top each piece with about 1 tablespoon grated Gruyere. Place on a sheet pan. Warm in the oven until the cheese has melted, 3 to 5 minutes. Drop about 4 to 5 spoonfuls of chutney around each piece of naan pizza and top with the fried curry leaves.

MANGO-RITA

Steps:

• Combine the lime zest and 1 tablespoon salt on a small plate. Moisten the rim of 4 glasses with lime wedges; dip in the salt mixture.
• Puree the tequila, orange liqueur, lime juice, frozen mango and 2 cups ice in a blender until smooth. Pour into the prepared glasses and garnish with lime wedges.

PARSNIP HAZELNUT CAKE WITH PRALINE CREMEUX

Steps:

• For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Add the butter to a small skillet over medium heat. Cook with the sage leaves until the butter is browned, then remove the leaves and set aside on a paper towel-lined plate. Reserve for later. Let the butter cool slightly.
• Add the eggs and sugar to a stand mixer fitted with a whip attachment. Whip on medium-high speed until it has thickened, 5 to 7 minutes.
• Add the grated parsnips, ground hazelnuts, reserved browned butter, flour, baking powder, salt and nutmeg. Fold until just combined, then pour into a 9-by-13-inch nonstick baking dish.
• Bake until golden brown, 40 to 45 minutes.
• For the praline cremeux: Add the cream cheese, almond butter, caramel sauce, oat milk and salt to a food processor. Turn on the food processor and stream in the cream until fully blended, scraping down the sides as needed.
• Pour the mixture into a bowl and refrigerate while the cake is baking.
• Spoon the cake into jars or rocks glasses, then drizzle with the cremeux and garnish with the reserved fried sage leaves.

CHOCOLATE EGGNOG

Steps:

• In a small heavy saucepan, whisk eggs and sugar until blended; stir in 2 cups chocolate milk. Cook and stir over medium heat 12-15 minutes or until mixture is just thick enough to coat a spoon and a thermometer reads at least 160°. Do not allow to boil. Immediately transfer to a large bowl., Stir in ice cream, vanilla and nutmeg. Stir in remaining chocolate milk. In a small bowl, beat cream until soft peaks form; stir into eggnog mixture. Transfer to a pitcher., Refrigerate, covered, until cold. Stir just before serving. Top servings as desired.