Grilled Rack of Lamb with Saffron Rice

4 servings (serving size: 2 lamb chops and 3/4 cup rice)

Ingredients

• Cooking spray
• 1  cup  diced onion
• 2  garlic cloves, minced
• 1  cup  uncooked basmati rice
• 2  cups  fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 1/4  teaspoon  saffron threads, crushed
• 1  bay leaf
• 3/4  teaspoon  kosher salt
• 1/2  teaspoon  ground cumin
• 1/2  teaspoon  ground cinnamon
• 1/2  teaspoon  paprika
• 1/8  teaspoon  ground coriander
• 1/8  teaspoon  ground cardamom
• 1/8  teaspoon  ground red pepper
• 1  (1 1/2-pound) French-cut rack of lamb (8 ribs)
• 1  teaspoon  olive oil

  Preparation

  1. Heat a medium saucepan over medium heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion and garlic to pan; cook 5 minutes or until golden brown, stirring frequently. Add rice and next 3 ingredients (through bay leaf); bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes. Discard bay leaf. Keep warm.
  2. Prepare grill.
  3. Combine salt and next 6 ingredients (through pepper). Brush lamb with oil, and rub with salt mixture. Place lamb on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 10 minutes, turning once or until a thermometer registers 145° (medium-rare) to 160° (medium). Let stand 5 minutes before slicing into chops. Serve lamb with rice.
  
  

  Nutritional Information

  Calories---294 (35% from fat)

  Fat---11.3g (sat 4.5g,mono 4.7g,poly 0.5g)

  Protein---24.1g

  Carbohydrate---22.6g

  Fiber---1.9g

  Cholesterol---68mg

  Iron---2.4mg

  Sodium---618mg

  Calcium---40mg

Black Forest Cake

 10 servings

Ingredients:

½ cup (110 g) butter, softened

1+¼ cup (275 g) sugar

2 eggs

1+¼ cup (140 g) all-purpose flour

½ cup (50 g) unsweetened cocoa powder, natural

½ teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

¾ cup (1.8 dl) buttermilk

Ingredients for filling:

¼ cup Kirschwasser (Kirsch/cherry brandy), optional

2 cans (14 oz or 400 g) cherry pie filling or pitted cherries

3 cups (7.2 dl) heavy whipping cream, chilled

¼ cup confectioners' sugar

Milk chocolate curls or shavings, for garnish

Maraschino cherries or sweet cherries, for garnish, optional

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350 deg F (Gas mark 4 or 180 deg C).
2. Line a 9 inch (23 cm) cake pan with greaseproof or other non-stick paper.
3. With an electric mixer, beat the softened butter with sugar until white and fluffy.
4. Add one egg at a time, mix well between each egg.
5. Add sifted flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, vanilla extract and buttermilk, and mix until the batter is smooth.
6. Transfer to a cake pan and bake at 350 degrees just until set in the middle, approximately 45-60 minutes. A wooden pick inserted in center should come out with just a few moist crumbs on it. Do not over-bake!
7. When cake is cool, use a long serrated knife to cut the cake horizontally into 3 equal layers. It is easier to cut if kept in a refrigerator for a few hours before cutting.

Filling:

1. Drain cherry pie filling in a colander to remove most of the thickened juices.
2. Beat the whipping cream with confectioners' sugar until it thickens.
3. Using a vegetable peeler, shave chocolate; refrigerate until the cake is assembled.

Assembling:

1. Sprinkle each layer of the cake with Kirschwasser.
2. Place one cake layer on a serving plate.
3. Spread about one fifth of the whipped cream on the layer, and strew half of the cherries on top of the whipped cream.
4. Add the second cake layer.
5. Spread one fifth of the whipped cream on the second layer and the remaining cherries on top.
6. Add the third cake layer.
7. Spread one fifth of the whipped cream on top and one fifth on the sides. Gently press chocolate curls on the sides and/or on top of the cake.

Variations:

1. You may substitute the cherry pie filling with cherry jam. In that case spread first the jam on the cake layers, then whipped cream on top.
2. You may use three cake tins intead of one. In that case the baking time must be shortened.
3. If cake flour is used, the cake comes out much fluffier (suggested by Andrea, February 2009).

Filling:

1. Drain cherry pie filling in a colander to remove most of the thickened juices.
2. Beat the whipping cream with confectioners' sugar until it thickens.
3. Using a vegetable peeler, shave chocolate; refrigerate until the cake is assembled.

Assembling:

1. Sprinkle each layer of the cake with Kirschwasser.
2. Place one cake layer on a serving plate.
3. Spread about one fifth of the whipped cream on the layer, and strew half of the cherries on top of the whipped cream.
4. Add the second cake layer.
5. Spread one fifth of the whipped cream on the second layer and the remaining cherries on top.
6. Add the third cake layer.
7. Spread one fifth of the whipped cream on top and one fifth on the sides. Gently press chocolate curls on the sides and/or on top of the cake.

Variations:

1. You may substitute the cherry pie filling with cherry jam. In that case spread first the jam on the cake layers, then whipped cream on top.
2. You may use three cake tins intead of one. In that case the baking time must be shortened.
3. If cake flour is used, the cake comes out much fluffier.

Warm chocolate sponge with chocolate sauce and very cold Chantilly

Ingredients:

       110g/4oz dark chocolate, melted

     *

       1 orange, finely grated zest only

     *

       6 eggs, Separated

     *

       110g/4oz caster sugar

     *

       110g/4oz ground almonds

     *

       55g/2oz chocolate or cake crumbs

     *

       310ml/11oz double cream

     *

       140g/5oz dark chocolate pieces

Preparation method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.

   
2.Butter and sugar the insides of 8 metal pudding Moulds.

     
3.Mix the melted chocolate and orange zest together. In Another bowl whisk the egg and sugar together Until Yolks thick and pale.

      
          Technique: Zesting citrus fruit

       Citrus Zesting fruit Watch technique1: 02 minutes

4.Fold in the chocolate mix, Followed by the almonds and crumbs. Whisk the egg whites stiff until into and then fold the chocolate mixture.

5.Divide the chocolate mixture and Moulds Between the cover with rounds of buttered tin foil.

6.Bake in the oven in a Bain Marie for 20 minutes Until Risen and just firm to the touch

7.Whip the double cream with 1 tbsp caster sugar until stiff and Refrigerated.

   
8.In a small saucepan, bring the cream to the boil and add the chocolate pieces.

   
9.Unfold the puddings onto warm plates and spoon a little chocolate sauce and spoon over Each One Some chilled whipped cream on the side.