This decadently rich chocolate pie recipe has an ingredient that that is going to surprise many of you! When I told my trainer, Mr. Strong…

…about this pie, he was extremely skeptical because that surprise ingredient is “silken tofu”. Having never tried tofu, Mr Strong had no idea what to expect and was very hesitant to give it a try. When he tasted it and then asked how to make it, I knew we had a winning dessert!

Tofu comes in different consistencies. If you have never bought tofu before, it is essential for this recipe to buy the “silken” tofu (which is also used to make delicious smoothies!) Look for the word “silken” on the packaging.

The filling for this pie is all made in a blender. You will need:

• 16 ounces of semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted
• 1/3 cup of coffee liqueur (Khalua) or strong black coffee)
• 1 block of silken tofu
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon of honey

You will also need a 9-inch graham cracker pie crust (or 8-10 mini size) which you can make yourself or buy pre-made.

I recommend using semi-sweet chocolate chips, although you could use just about any chocolate you prefer. The chips are more economical than buying a premium chocolate bar. (Use semi-sweet chocolate or a combination of bitter sweet (4 ounces) and semi-sweet (12 ounces).

Put the chocolate bits into a microwave safe bowl.

Microwave the chocolate, for about 1 minute and 30 seconds. Give it a stir. If it’s not smooth and melted, zap it again, in 15 second increments, until it’s completely melted.

Meanwhile, cut out a small corner of the silken tofu container and drain off the excess fluid – only about 2-3 Tablespoons.

Measure out the coffee liqueur (Khalua), honey and the vanilla.

Now, put the tofu, coffee liqueur, vanilla extract and honey into a blender:

Mix this all together on medium speed for about 20 seconds

Add the melted chocolate…

to the blender…

and mix that in as well, on medium, for an additional 30 seconds.

With a silicone spatula, scrape down the insides of the blender.

And give it one more whirl, on medium for about 20 seconds, until everything is totally blended and smooth.

Pour the chocolate mixture into a 9-inch graham cracker crust…

or 8-10 mini crusts.

Put the pie (or mini pies!) in the refrigerator for about 1-to-2 hours to set.

A tart pan with a removable bottom also works beautifully with this recipe.

Pour the filling into the prepared crust.

And refrigerate the tart until it’s firm.

Serving the Pie

If you have made a nine inch pie using a pre-made or home made crust, then just start slicing.  If you used the mini crusts you can gently remove these tarts from the tin.  For those that made a crust from scratch and use a tart pan with removable sides, balance the tart on a large can. The rim drops down very easily.

Then just put it on a serving dish and dig in!  (You can also top this pie with some whipped cream if like!)

Of course you could always just forget about a crust and pour this fudgy filling straight into a beautiful stemmed glass and eat it as is!

Enjoy!

Source: http://startcooking.com/blog/346/

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You should always have a few boxes of pasta in the cupboard. It keeps for a long time, and is always good for an emergency meal when you can’t think of anything else to make!

Stock up on pasta when it goes on sale and buy all different shapes and sizes. Be sure to always have some olive oil on hand as well.

For this recipe you really need to use fresh garlic and fresh lemons and fresh parsley. Garlic powder, dried parsley and lemon juice from a jar just won’t cut it in this recipe.

Start cooking your pasta according to the directions on the package.

While the pasta is cooking you need to do 5 things:

• Mince the garlic
• Grate the parmesan cheese
• Remove the zest from the lemon (see below)
• Juice the lemon (video)
• Chop the parsley

Peel and mince 2 cloves of garlic.

Grate about 1/3 cup of parmesan cheese.

Wash 2 lemons. Before juicing the lemons, we need to remove tiny shreds off the peel of the lemon. This is known as lemon zest. You can use a grater or a knife and just cut the zest into really tiny bits.

Be sure to only use the yellow part of the lemon peel. The white part tastes bitter.

Now juice the lemon. We actually need 4 Tablespoons of lemon juice.

Then chop about 1/2 cup of fresh parsley.

Once the pasta is cooked, remove one cup of the cooking water.

Then drain the pasta.

(After we add the other ingredients, the pasta may be too dry. You can add some of the cooking water to help moisten it.)

Using the pot you cooked the pasta in, heat 3 Tablespoons of olive oil.

Add the garlic to the oil and fry it, until you can smell it cooking, about 15 seconds.

Turn off the heat. Add the lemon juice and zest to the pot.

Then add the pasta to the garlic and oil.

Add the chopped parsley.

With a pair of tongs or two spoons toss everything together. If it seems too dry, pour on some of the reserved pasta water.

Serve with lots of parmesan cheese, salt and freshly ground pepper. And of course, garnish with fresh chopped parsley!

Enjoy!

Source: http://startcooking.com/blog/107/

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