Ramsay's Escalope of Chicken

Ingredients
4 chicken breasts, boneless/skinless and pounded thin
2 eggs, lightely beaten with 1 Tbsp milk
Flour
Breadcrumbs, seasoned
1 ball mozzarella (or bag of shredded mozzarella)
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
Olive oil
1 shallot
1 clove garlic, minced
1 pint or 250g cherry tomatoes
Dried basil
Sea salt and ground pepper

Method
1.  Preheat the oven to 395F (200C).

2.  Dust each chicken filet in flour, then dip in the egg wash and next the breadcrumbs.

3.  Saute the escalopes in hot olive oil in a frying pain until golden brown, then transfer to a baking tray.

4.  Heat a little new olive oil in the same pan. Saute the shallots and garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the tomatoes and basil and allow the tomatoes to soften. Season with a little salt and pepper.

5.  Spoon some tomato sauce over each escalope. Top with mozzarella and sprinkle with the grated Parmesan. Bake in the oven for approximately 8 minutes, until the chicken is cooked and the cheese is melted and golden.

6.  Serve alongside a light salad.


Adapted from Gordon Ramsay's F-Word Recipe "Escalope of Chicken with Sauteed Potatoes and Red Chard."

Ramsay's Chocolate Mousse

Ingredients

100g (3.5oz) dark chocolate

300ml double cream

1 large egg white

50g (1/4c) caster sugar

Method

1.  Break the chocolate into small pieces and set aside. In small saucepan, heat half of the cream (150ml) until it begins to boil. Turn off the heat, add the chocolate pieces and stir until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth.

2.  Pour the mixture into a bowl set over a large bowl of iced water and add the rest of the cream. Using a handheld electric whisk, beat the mixture to soft peaks. Remove the bowl from the iced water.

3.  Meanwhile, whisk the egg white with a handheld electric beater until stiff peak. Add the sugar, a tablespoon at a time, and continue whisking to a soft meringue. Carefully fold the meringue through the chocolate mixture, then spoon or pipe into chilled serving glasses.

Shelly's Note: Since I don't have a handheld mixer, I use my stand mixer but chill the chocolate/cream before mixing. Though it doesn't work as well, in a pinch you can use cocoa powder mixed with canola oil/shortening and sugar as a substitution for the chocolate. This is equal to 4 oz chocolate, or just over 100g. 

Substitution for baking chocolate:

4 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

8 tsp canola oil/shortening

14 tsp sugar

Adapted from Gordon Ramsay's F-Word recipe "Four Minute Chocolate Mousse."

Cajun Seasoning Mix

Ingredients
2 tsp white pepper
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp onion powder
2 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp paprika
2 tsp ground black pepper

Method
Combine all ingredients.

Transfer to an airtight container and store in a cool, dry place. Use as needed.

Cajun Chicken Pasta

Ingredients
1 pkg chicken tenderloins, cut into thin strips
1 box rotini pasta
1 Tbsp Cajun seasoning
2 Tbsp butter
2 cup heavy cream
3 Tbsp chopped sun-dried tomatoes
Garlic powder
Dried basil
Parmesan cheese

Method
Place chicken and Cajun seasoning in a baggie and shake to coat thoroughly.

Saute chicken in butter until chicken is tender, about 5 to 7 minutes. Meanwhile, cook the pasta.

Reduce heat and add heavy cream, tomatoes, and several dashes of garlic powder and dried basil. Heat through, stirring occasionally, until thickened slightly.

Pour over hot pasta and stir to mix. Serve topped with Parmesan cheese.


Adapted from the Food.com recipe "Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta."

Chocolate Cupcakes

Ingredients

Cupcakes
1 1/4 cups flour, sifted
1/2 teaspoon baking soda, sifted
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup whole milk, room temperature
1/2 cup cocoa powder, sifted

Ganache frosting
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 cup (6.4 oz) semisweet chocolate chips

Method
For the cupcakes
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a standard cupcake pan with 12 baking cups, and a second pan with 6 baking cups.

Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt on a sheet of wax paper or parchment paper.

Place the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer or hand-held electric mixer. Beat on medium speed until fluffy. Stop to add the sugar; beat on medium speed until well incorporated.

Add the eggs one at a time, mixing slowly after each addition.

Combine the vanilla extract and milk in a large liquid measuring cup.

Reduce the speed to low. Add one-third of the flour mixture to the butter mixture, then gradually add one-third of the milk mixture, beating until well incorporated. Add another one-third of the flour mixture, followed by one-third of the milk mixture. Stop to scrape down the bowl as needed. Add the remaining flour mixture, followed by the remaining milk mixture, and beat just until combined.

Add the cocoa powder, beating (on low speed) just until incorporated.

Use a standard-size ice cream scoop to fill each cupcake paper with batter, so that the wells are two-thirds full. 

Bake for 18 to 20 minutes (start checking at 15 minutes) or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool completely.

Frosting
Lay a large piece of wax paper on the work surface.

Combine the heavy cream and chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl. Fill a medium saucepan with an inch or two of water and place over medium-low heat. Place the bowl over the saucepan and let the mixture melt, stirring until it is shiny and smooth.

Remove the bowl of chocolate ganache from the saucepan; let it cool slightly, for 2 to 3 minutes. Working with 1 cupcake at a time, carefully dip each cupcake top in the warm ganache, twisting your wrist as needed to make sure the cupcake top gets completely coated. To prevent drips, quickly turn the cupcake right side up and place on the wax paper. Allow the ganache to set for 5 minutes before serving.

(If the cupcakes are dipped once, you'll have about 1/2 cup of ganache left over.)

Shelly's Note: I haven't tried the ganache frosting yet, but it's got to be good. Alternatively, you can use the recipe on the back of the Hershey's cocoa powder box or the recipe from the Chocolate-Frosted Ice Cream Roll, or whatever your favorite frosting is!

Adapted from the ladies at Georgetown Cupcake.

Chocolate-Frosted Ice Cream Roll

Ingredients

Cake

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/3 cup cocoa

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

4 eggs, separated

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp almond extract (we've always left this out)

1 quart vanilla ice cream, softened (or use whatever flavor strikes your fancy)

Frosting

1/4 cup butter or margarine, softened

3 Tbsp milk

3 Tbsp cocoa

2 cups sifted powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

Method

Grease a 15- x 10- x 1-inch jellyroll pan. Line pan with paper; grease paper, and set pan aside.

Sift first 4 ingredients together; set mixture aside.

Beat egg whites (at room temperature) at high speed of an electric mixer until foamy. Gradually add sugar, beating until soft peaks form. Set aside.

Beat egg yolks until thick and lemon colored; stir in flavorings. Fold yolk mixture into egg white mixture; then gently fold in flour mixture. Spread batter evenly in the prepared pan. Bake at 350F for 12 minutes.

When cake is done, immediately loosen from sides of pan and turn out onto a damp towel. Peel off waxed paper. Starting at wide end, roll up cake and towel together; cool on wire rack, seam side down, 30 minutes.

Unroll cake; remove towel. Spread ice cream evenly over cake. Gently roll cake back up; carefully place on a large baking sheet, seam side down. Freeze until ice cream is firm.

While the cake is freezing, make the frosting. Combine all ingredients; beat until firm. Yield: enough frosting for one cake roll.

Frost cake with chocolate frosting; freeze until serving time. Yield: 8-10 servings.

Shelly's Note: This has been the traditional Tennant Family Birthday Cake Recipe since about the time the cookbook was written. The fact that you can personalize it with your favorite ice cream always made it that much more special! This is also one of the best frosting recipes I've ever tasted.

From Southern Living: 1984 Annual Recipes, p. 200

Ramsay's Curried Chickpea Samosas

Ingredients

Samosa pie dough

Scant 1 2/3 cups (225g) all-purpose flour, plus extra to dust

1 1/2 tsp (7.5ml) fine sea salt

1 Tbsp (15ml) melted butter (or oil)

5-6 Tbsp (75-90ml) warm water

Vegetable oil, for deep-frying

Filling

2 Tbsp (30ml) vegetable oil

1 tsp (5ml) hot curry powder, or to taste

1 tsp (5ml) garam masala

1/2 tsp (2ml) ground cumin

1/2 tsp (2ml) ground turmeric

1 small onion, peeled and miced (we used one small shallot)

1 garlic clove, peeled and minced

1-inch (2.5cm) piece of gingerroot, peeled and grated (we used a couple dashes of ground ginger)

1 green chile, seeded and minced

14oz (400g) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

generous 3/4 cup (200ml) water

1/2 tsp (2ml) sea salt

scant 1 cup (100g) peas, thawed if frozen, blanched if fresh

juice of 1/2 lemon, or to taste

Method

To make the dough, combine the flour and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the center and add the melted butter and 5 Tbsp (75ml) warm water. Mix with a round-bladed knife to form a dough, adding another 1-3 tsp (5-15ml) water if the mixture seems too dry. Tip onto a lightly floured counter and knead for 5 to 10 minutes to a smooth dough. Wrap in plastic wrap and let rest in a cool part of the kitchen for at least 30 minutes.

For the filling, heat the oil in a wide skillet or wok. Add the curry powder, garam masala, cumin, and turmeric and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Next, add the onion, garlic, gingerroot, and chile and cook until the onion is softened and the spices are fragrant, about 4 to 5 minutes. Tip in the chickpeas, then add the water and salt. Cook, stirring gently, until most of the water has been absorbed, then take off the heat. Stir in the peas and lemon juice to taste. Transfer to a bowl and let cool completely.

Divide the dough into 6 or 7 equal pieces. Now roll out the dough and cut out a circle, 4 1/2-6 inches (12-15cm) in diameter. Cut each in half to give 2 semicircles. Working with one at a time, brush the edges with a little water, then fold the semicircle in half to join the cut edges and form a cone shape. Press the dampened edges together to seal, then holding them together, open up the cone and spoon in some chickpea filling, to 5/8 inch (1.5cm) from the top. Brush the curved edges lightly with water and press these together to seal. Place on a tray lined with baking parchment. Repeat to make the rest of the samosas.

Head a 2 1/2-inch (6cm) depth of oil in a deep heavy saucepan or wok over medium heat to 350-375F (180-190C). To test, drop a bread cube into the oil; it should sizzle on contact. Deep-fry the samosas in batches until golden brown and crisp, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain on a dray lined with paper towels and keep warm in a low oven while cooking the rest.

Shelly's Note: Though a lot of work, this is an incredibly fun project to do as a family on a weekend. If you have a pasta roller, using that to roll out the dough before cutting it into circles makes easy work of it. Ramsay says that they can also be baked if given a generous brushing of melted butter - we haven't tried that yet, but I'm sure it would work out great and be a much healthier option. If you are deep-frying, make sure the oil isn't too hot, because the samosas will overcook in minutes. Serve with butter chicken or any kind of Indian sauce or curry for a fantastic meal.