Red Wine Chocolate Cake ~ ElephantEats.com

More WINE!!!

Haha, hopefully you’re not sick of red wine recipes yet, because I have one more for you.

As you know I had a bottle of red wine I opened for a recipe that seems to have lasted forever, since i’m not a drinker. I knew at some point I’d make a red wine chocolate cake, but the recipes online weren’t anything special.

Red Wine Chocolate Cake ~ ElephantEats.com

 

Then, I was scrolling through Shutterbean’s recipes and came across this amazing-looking chocolate bundt cake. It happened to call for a liquid, water, which I figured I could easily substitute for some wine! I also replaced some of the heavy cream in the glaze with wine…and greek yogurt for the sour cream because that’s all I had. Sometimes you just have to work with what you have!

So the moral of this story is, always use wine when a recipe calls for water ;) Jk. Although its really not a bad rule to follow.

Red Wine Chocolate Cake ~ ElephantEats.com

I was anxious to take a pic and eat this, so I didn’t give the glaze a chance to thicken to a good consistency. If you want to have it oozing down the sides of the cake, you should put it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. I didn’t have time for that so I cut a slice and just poured the thinner version of the sauce over it…equally tasty but not as pretty.

Red Wine Chocolate Cake ~ ElephantEats.com

Note that this cake definitely has a distinct wine taste, but I think that’s what makes it so unique and tasty. The cake itself is moist but still a little crumbly and the glaze…well I ate that by the spoonful ;) The alcohol content in the cake bakes off, and the glaze only has 1/4 cup so I’m pretty sure it’s fine to serve this to kids.

Whether you have some red wine sitting around, or you just want an excuse to open the bottle so you can drink the rest yourself, this recipe is for you!

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Red Wine Chocolate Cake

adapted from Bi Rite Market’s Eat Good Food Cookbook via Shutterbean

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Makes 1 bundt cake- serves 10

For the cake
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, plus more for the pan
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup red wine
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for the pan
1 3/4 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
2 large eggs
1/2 cup greek yogurt (or sour cream)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For the glaze:
4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons corn syrup
1/4 cup red wine
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar

Make the cake:

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 10- or 12-cup Bundt pan and set aside.

In a small saucepan, combine the butter, cocoa powder, salt, and wine and put over medium heat. Cook, stirring, just until melted and combined. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Put the flour, sugar, and baking soda in a large bowl and whisk to blend. Add half of the melted-butter mixture and whisk until completely blended (it will be very thick). Add the remaining butter mixture and whisk. Add the eggs one at a time, whisking each to blend completely before adding the next. Whisk in the yogurt and vanilla until smooth.

Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes.

Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes and then invert onto a rack. Let cool completely before making the glaze.

Make the glaze:

Put the chopped chocolate and corn syrup in a medium bowl and set aside.

Combine the heavy cream, wine and sugar in a small saucepan and put over medium heat. Stir constantly until hot and the sugar is dissolved. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and whisk until melted and smooth. Refrigerate for 30 min or until the glaze is thick enough to ooze down sides of the cake.

Side-note: Do you guys like my new header?? It took me so long to draw and decide on how it should look (with some good input from Nate and my mom!), but I think I like it. I’m also teaching myself HTML and CSS and am working on a whole new blog design, to be unveiled semi-soon!

Baked Red Wine Rosemary Risotto ~  ElephantEats.com

Do you happen to have some red wine lying around? If Nate was home I wouldn’t, since the man loves some red wine…but he’s not, and I happened to have some red wine leftover from the bolognese I made last week. Since I’m not a drinker or a waster, I had to find another use for it! After doing a little search for recipes using red wine, I settled upon risotto.

But as you know, I’m currently all alone with no one to impress with this dinner, so I certainly wasn’t about to spend an hour standing over a pot stirring. I decided to take the lazy way out and shoved my risotto in the oven (and crossed my fingers it would work).

Baked Red Wine Rosemary Risotto ~  ElephantEats.com

Lo and behold, after about an hour it was done! You don’t save any time making it in the oven versus the stove, but it’s not active time. While it was baking I started this blog post, checked email, chatted with Nate online and cuddled with my kitty cat, so it was definitely an hour well-spent.

I pulled it out of the oven not sure what to expect, but it really looks and tastes like regular risotto. It was absolutely delicious! Although I’m partial to anything with rosemary and mushrooms, so I knew I’d love it even if it came out as one gloppy mess…which thankfully it didn’t :)

Baked Red Wine Rosemary Risotto ~  ElephantEats.com

Since I’m eating this alone and it will take me at least the entire week to finish, I’ll probably be so sick of it that I won’t want to look at risotto again for a year.

I still have half a bottle of wine left. Be prepared for some sort of chocolate cake incorporating it. Unless you guys have some better ideas?

Baked Red Wine Rosemary Risotto ~  ElephantEats.com

Baked Red Wine Rosemary Risotto with Mushrooms

Print this recipe!

Makes 4 LARGE or 6 smaller servings

1/4 oz. dried mushrooms
3/4 cup boiling water
2 Tbsp butter, divided
1 lg onion, diced
1 lg carrot, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups arborio rice
1 1/4 cup red wine
8 oz. mushrooms, sliced
1 Tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese (plus more for garnish)
32 oz. chicken stock
1-1.5 tsp salt (depending on how salty you like things)
ground pepper

Put dried mushrooms in a cup and cover with 3/4 cup boiling water. Set aside to reconstitute for 20 min.

Preheat oven to 350 and coat a 9×13 pan with cooking spray.

While dried mushrooms are softening, melt 1 Tbsp butter in a large sauce pot or saute pan over med high heat. Add onions and carrots and cook til onion is soft.

Add garlic and cook 2 minutes. Add rice and toss to coat.

Add red wine, stirring completely. Dump winey rice mixture into prepared pan.

Melt second Tbsp of butter in the saute pan. Add sliced mushrooms and stir. Remove dried mushrooms from water, reserving water. Chop mushrooms and add to other mushrooms along with rosemary. Saute til soft.

Add mushroom mixture, mushroom water, parmesan cheese, chicken broth, and salt/pepper to baking pan and stir.

Place in oven and cook uncovered for one hour, stirring halfway. Rice is done when the liquid is completely absorbed and mixture is cooked. If still undercooked/crunchy, add more water 1/3 cup at a time, cooking until absorbed. Remove from oven and cool for 10 min.

Salt more if needed. Serve with a sprinkling of parmesan.

Inspired by Joy the Baker

Pasta with Sausage and Broccoli Rape

I just got back from visiting Nate in California again yesterday. It was another great, but too short, trip. I have to say that the weather out in LA is not as bad as I thought it would be. In fact, I can’t believe it gets as cold as it does! I guess I could live out there if I had to…let’s hope Nate finds something in the job department soon.

I got to see my uncle’s new puppy…she’s so tiny!!!

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And I got to see one of my best friends, and bridesmaid, Barrie. Nate and I met her at the LACMA where there’s this really cool lamppost sculpture.

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Anyway, since Nate’s been gone, I haven’t done that much cooking. I would cook a small amount but I just don’t like spending all that time and effort on a meal that will only last a day or two. So instead I only know how to make large quantities, but with only me eating it I can’t be doing that very often.

Pasta with Sausage and Broccoli Rape

So I’ve been forced to go back to some recipes I made but never posted. The photos aren’t great because I rushed to take them so we could dig in. I actually made this meal during the 4th of July weekend! But actually, I think this makes a great meal in any season :)

I don’t know why I never posted it, since it’s totally delicious. I guess it’s kind of similar to a couple other pastas i have on my blog already, but honestly this type of garlicky sauce with sausage is my favorite kind. I got this from my mom’s recipe box, but I think it’s from Gourmet or Bon Appetit or something.

Pasta with Sausage and Broccoli Rape

I promise I’ll cook up something new for you soon. I actually had high hopes for an oreo bundt cake I baked up while out in CA, but it didn’t come out as pretty as I thought it would. It was tasty, but nothing special in the chocolate cake department.

You guys looking for me to make any particular types of recipes?

Pasta with Sausage and Broccoli Rape

Penne with Broccoli Rabe

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Serves 5-7

Ingredients:

1 lb penne
3/4 pound raw italian turkey sausage
2 bunches broccoli rabe (rappini)
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp capers
1/4 cup white wine
1/2 grated parmesan plus more to garnish
salt and pepper to taste

Cook penne in salted water.

While penne cooks, cut stems off broccoli rape. Cut remaining stalks and leaves into 1″ pieces.

Heat 1 Tbsp oil in large skillet. Remove sausage from casings and cook, breaking up with wooden spoon until no longer pink.

Remove sausage from pan. Add another tablespoon oil and garlic. Saute garlic until golden.

Add broccoli rape, capers and white wine. Saute until leaves wilted and stalks are tender, 5 min. Season with salt and pepper.

When penne is al dente, drain and put in bowl. Add broccoli rape and cheese. Toss and serve with more cheese.

vegetarian lentil bolognese
I’m not a vegetarian but I find that I cook more than 50% of our meals meatless. This is in part because the only animal protein Nate will tolerate is poultry. He’ll eat seafood (though not shellfish), but it tends to be pretty pricey.

Anyway, I can only eat so much chicken and turkey, especially since I’m not particularly fond of either. Plus vegetarian meals are usually lower in fat and calories.

vegetarian lentil bolognese

Who doesn’t love a good Bolognese sauce? I make pasta sauce a lot for Nate and I usually use our go-to protein- Lean Italian Turkey Sausage. The sausage is raw and I squeeze it out of the casing and chop it up in the pan with a wooden spoon as it cooks. It adds tons of flavor and has much less calories than beef.

However after calculating the nutrition in the Smoked Cheddar Pot Pies that I made a couple weeks ago, I realized that turkey sausage, while healthier than ground beef, is still incredibly high in fat! I don’t usually care about these things but I figured it just can’t be healthy to eat as often as we were eating it.

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So I set out to make my usual pasta sauce completely vegetarian, without sacrificing the taste or texture. I thought about what I could add for heft, and I remembered that I had a pack of Trader Joe’s precooked lentils in the fridge. I also decided to throw in some mushrooms to add a nice chew. I think next time I might even use some reconstituted dried mushrooms for more chewiness and depth of flavor.

I think this sauce easily rivals a traditional Bolognese and it’s much lower in saturated fat and calories. The wine makes it feel indulgent. Enjoy it over a steaming bowl of pasta and a sprinkling of parmesan for a delicious, satisfying, well-rounded dinner!

This makes about 7 heaping cup servings at around 210 calories, 2g fat, and 10 grams of both protein and fiber per serving! I calculated the nutrition here.

vegetarian lentil bolognese

Lentil “Bolognese” Sauce

Makes about 7 cups

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Ingredients:

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 large carrot (or two small), diced
1 rib celery, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
One 8-oz container mushrooms, chopped coarsely
1 lb cooked lentils (Trader Joes sells them in a vacuum sealed pack in the refrigerated section)
Two 28-oz cans crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup red wine
salt & pepper, garlic powder, italian seasoning
sugar to taste

Preparation:

Heat oil over medium high heat in a large, deep saucepan. Add onions, carrots and celery and cook until onions begin to soften.

Add garlic and cook for a minute. Add mushrooms and mix together. Cook for 5-10 minutes or until mushrooms begin to soften. Mixture may look dry but the mushrooms will begin to release moisture after a minute or two.

While mixture is cooking, warm lentils according to package directions. Add lentils to pan. Add tomatoes and wine and bring to a boil. Reduce head and simmer for 30 minutes, partially covered, stirring occasionally.

Season to taste with salt/pepper, garlic powder and italian seasoning. Add sugar to taste. This depends on the tomatoes. Sometimes they’re very acidic and other times they aren’t. Taste your sauce and see…if it seems to sour, add sugar starting with a Tablespoon or so.

Serve on pasta!

 

Chocolate Brownie Cookie

I teased you on Sunday with promises of another Valentine’s Day treat. This one, lucky for you, is of the chocolate variety!

Sometimes you just decide that you need freshly baked cookies NOW. Don’t tell me you never had thoughts like that. It’s happened to me on several occasions, but unfortunately most cookie recipes call for room temperature butter, which foils all hope for spontaneity.

These Chocolate Brownie Cookies though, like brownies, use melted butter! So you have no excuse not to make them this very second, no advanced preparation needed…except maybe making sure you have enough room in your tummy to eat a few fresh out of the oven.

Chocolate Brownie Cookie

I actually made these cookies months ago for Nate’s friend’s birthday. I have a million yummy chocolate cookie recipes (and I’m sure you do too), but this one was pretty darn tasty and you should consider adding it to your repertoire.

They call for nuts, but Nate thinks that nuts ruin all baked goods, and so I left them out. Personally, I think they’d add a nice crunch.

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The key is to take these out of the oven when they seem too soft to be done. If you cook them too long, they will be dry. Trust me on this one :(

If you do happen to overcook them slightly, make sure you serve them warm-15 seconds in the microwave will moisten them right up. In fact, they’re always best served warm regardless.

Chocolate Brownie Cookie

 

And in case you need some other Valentine’s Day inspiration, here are a few of my faves:

 

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Red Velvet Cake with Raspberry Mousse and Fluffy Cream Cheese Frosting– I made this for my first Valentine’s Day with Nate!

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Chocolate Fudge Cheesecake

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Rich and Thick Hot Chocolate

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Chocolate Fudge Cheesecake

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Dark Chocolate-Cherry Ganache Bars

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Cider Poached Pears– a delicious, lighter dessert

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Chocolate-peanut butter pb cup cookies

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Butterscotch Rum Banana Spiced Blondies

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Chocolate Pecan-Pie Bars

Brownie Cookies

From Oxmoor House

Print this recipe

makes 2.5 dozen

1/2 cup butter
4 (1-oz.) unsweetened chocolate baking squares, chopped
3 cups semisweet chocolate morsels, divided
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups chopped pecans, toasted (optional)

Combine butter, unsweetened chocolate, and 1 1/2 cups chocolate morsels in a large heavy saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until butter and chocolate melt; cool.

Combine flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

Beat eggs, sugar, and vanilla at medium speed with an electric mixer. Gradually add flour mixture to egg mixture, beating well. Add chocolate mixture; beat well. Stir in remaining 1 1/2 cups chocolate morsels and pecans (if using).

Drop dough by 2 tablespoonfuls 1 inch apart onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets.

Bake at 350° for 10 minutes- they will look slightly underdone, do NOT over bake!

Cool slightly on baking sheets; remove to wire racks to cool completely.