Black Forest Pancakes

Chocolate pancakes inspired by black forest cake served with cherries and whipped cream.

Servings: makes 2 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 cup flour
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup milk
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 2 cups cherries, pitted and halved
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons corn starch
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 cup whipping cream
• 2 tablespoons sugar

Directions

1. Mix the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.
2. Mix the milk, egg and butter in another large bowl.
3. Mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.
4. Heat a pan over medium heat and melt a touch of butter in it.
5. Pour 1/4 cup of the mixture into the pan and cook until the surface starts to bubble and the bottom is golden brown, about 2-3 minutes.
6. Flip the pancake and cook the other side until the bottom is golden brown, about 1-2 minutes. Repeat for the remaining batter.
7. Meanwhile simmer the cherries, sugar, cornstarch and water over medium heat until the sauce thickens, about 5 minutes.
8. Whip the cream and sugar until it forms soft peaks.

Black Lentil & Chickpea Salad With Mint Lemon Dressing

Yield: Serves 8

Prep Time: 15 mins

Cook Time: 20 mins

A healthy combination of fresh vegetables, black lentils, and chickpeas create a delicious hearty salad.

Ingredients:

2 Cups Beluga Lentils, Rinsed & Picked Over
2 Stalks Celery, Finely Chopped
6 Green Onions (Scallions) Chopped
1 (14 ounce) Can Chickpeas
6 Large, Ripe Plum Tomatoes, Chopped
1/2 Cup Coarsely Chopped Fresh Parsley
1/4 Cup Pitted Kalamata Olives, Chopped
Dressing:
Juice from 1 1/2 Large Lemons
Zest From 1 Lemon
3 Tablespoons Fresh Mint
1/2 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper

Directions:

Cook the lentils until "al dente" in boiling water, about 20 minutes.
Drain lentils and bring to room temperature.
Use a blender or hand wand to puree the dressing ingredients.
Add the lentils and other ingredients into a large bowl, then pour on the dressing and toss to mix.
Let salad rest at room temperature for 30 minutes, mix again, then serve.

Black Rice - Arroz Negro

•Ingredients: 400grs of rice (2 glasses), 350grs. of small squids or cuttlefish, the ink of the squids, 2 garlic cloves, 2 ñoras (dried and a bit spicy pepper), some parsley, 1 green or red pepper, 1 onion, 2 tomatoes, 9 glasses of fishsoup, olive oil, a bit of saffron, and some salt.
•First of all prepare the fishsoup with a couple of fresh beach fishes, 4-5 crabs and a piece of monkfish’s head.
•Prepare a pot with some olive oil, add a tomatoe, one onion and a couple of garlic cloves.
•When the tomatoe and the onion are done, add the crabs and cook for 10 minutes. Stir now and then.
•Add the water and the fishes to the pot.
•It should be boiling between 20 to 30 minutes. When the white foam appears, take it away. After this time leave the soup apart.

•Prepare a big pan with some olive oil and when it starts getting hot add the ñoras (first take the seeds away) and the garlic.
•When the garlic changes its colour, take all away and reserve.
•Get the ñoras, garlic, ink and parsley together in a recipient and smash it all until you get a fine texture.
•Add some salt and reserve it.

•Slice the pepper and onion.
•Add some more olive oil to the pan and add the onion and pepper.
•Clean the squids and cut in small pieces. Add to the pan and cook it in the opposite side.

•When everything is done and has taken away its water, add the tomatoes. The fire should be medium-high.
•When the sauce gets oily and darker means that the sofrito is done (see Paella recipe).

•It should look this way.
•Add the rice and stir for 3 to 5 minutes.

•Add the fishsoup to the pan. It should be boiling when you add it.
•Inmediately after add the ink mixture and stir with a wooden spoon. Add 2-3 saffron threads and stir.
•The fire should be high for 10 minutes.

•Add some salt and cook for another 10 minutes at medium fire.
•If the rice gets too dry add some water.
•Turn off the fire. Cover the pan and let it rest for another 10 minutes.
•Really exotic taste and colour!!! 

Warm Black Tagliatelle Salad

Not a usual salad, not usual Pasta, but the mixture of ingredients is fresh and new and with a sea taste on top.

•Ingredients for 4 servings: Black NestsTagliatelle, half avocado, half salad tomatoe, half green pepper, one fresh green onion, 90 ml of extra virgin olive oil, 20 ml of balsamic vinegar, salt, black pepper. 16 fresh prawns or little lobsters and 2 or 3 kinds of lettuce. 10 walnuts.
•Boil water in a big pot and when it starts boiling add a pynch of salt and a spurt of oil. Add the tagliatelle and let boil for 4 minutes (whatever your package says). Strain and add a bit of olive oil so that it doesn’t get sticky.

•Meanwhile wash the little lobsters (their size is like a prawn but look like lobsters. You can use prawns if you want).
•Prepare the dressing with the avocado, tomatoe, onion, green pepper, olive oil, vinegar, salt, black pepper. All veggies should be cut very tiny.

•Place the tagliatelle on the plate, add the dressing on top.
•Place the letucce over the tagliatelle (previously cleaned and dried), add some more dressing.
•Fry the little lobsters just a bit in a saucerpan with some olive oil and salt. (aprox 2 minutes).
•Peel the little lobsters, take their heads off and use them to decorate the dish. Put their bodies on top of the lettuce.
•Add some more olive oil to the saucepan used to fry them, strain and use it to pour on top.
•Add the walnuts in small pieces.

You won't be deceived... Try it!!!