Sarah, Author at Less Than Perfect Parents

Chocolate Peppermint Roll

December 14, 2012 by Sarah 4 Comments

When it comes to holidays, my family loves to go all out with great food, great desserts and great fun. And one of our favorite Christmas desserts is a Chocolate Peppermint Roll– it’s like a jelly roll except the rich chocolate cake is filled with peppermint ice cream. Heaven!

Typically, I stick to ridiculously easy recipes but sometimes you want to fancy things up a bit — like at the holidays. Now this recipe? It’s easy, but it takes awhile since there are several things that have to happen to make this dessert a reality: first, you have to make the springy cake layer. Then you roll it up and let it cool in that log shape. Then you have to spread ice cream all over (make sure it’s soft but not too soft). And then you refreeze it. Finally, unwrap, sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve (word to the wise: let it sit at room temperature for 10 minutes before serving).

Now, here’s the thing. I’ve made this with a thick layer of peppermint ice cream. And I’ve made it with a thin layer — like here — and I think the thin layer is just better. The cake is rich and the thin layer of peppermint ice cream breaks it up nicely without being overwhelming. But, if you are looking for a more layered look (instead of the marbled one), double the ice cream in the recipe.

Chocolate Peppermint Roll

Serves 8

5-1/2 ounces bittersweet chocolate (60% cacao recommended), broken into pieces
2 tablespoons heavy cream
6 large eggs
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 cups peppermint ice cream, softened
1/4 cup powdered sugar

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a 10×15-inch jelly roll pan with parchment paper. Set aside.

In a microwave safe bowl, heat the chocolate and heavy cream for 30 second intervals, stirring after each one, until smooth. Meanwhile, combine the eggs and sugar in the bowl of a standmixer and beat for 7-10 minutes until the mixture is pale yellow and foamy. With the mixer running on medium speed, drizzle the chocolate in until combined.

Sift together the flour, cocoa and salt. Fold into the chocolate mixture. Pour into the prepared pan and smooth gently so that the mixture forms a single layer. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until cooked through.

Dust a second piece of parchment paper with confectioners sugar and turn the cake onto it, peeling off the parchment from the oven. Roll into a jelly roll-shape and place on a wire rack to cool with a dish towel over it.

Once the roll is completely cooled (about 40 minutes to 1 hour), unroll it and spread the softened peppermint ice cream all over. Re-roll and then wrap in aluminum foil or plastic wrap. Don’t worry if it seems like the cake is breaking as you roll — just keep at it and wrap it up. Chill for at least 2 hours.

About 10 minutes before serving, remove the chocolate peppermint roll from the freezer, unroll and dust with confectioners sugar.

Enjoy!

Filed Under: Family Meal Planning

Roasted Sweet Potatoes: A Simple Thanksgiving Side Dish

November 9, 2012 by Sarah 1 Comment

There was a time when I thought that Thanksgiving dishes had to be intricate. They had to be involved and complicated. That mindset made cooking Thanksgiving dinner challenging because it would take so much time and effort. And yet, the results didn’t excite me that much. In fact, in one case, a super complicated squash dish became the butt of all future Thanksgiving jokes in my family — it was that bad.

But live and learn, right? These days I know that dishes don’t have to be multi-stepped feats to be delicious and fabulous. In fact, my family prefers simple goodness to overcomplicated food.

Quite simply, food doesn’t have to be complicated to be delicious.

And it’s that simplicity that makes these roasted sweet potatoes so amazing. With just a drizzle of oil and a sprinkling of salt and pepper, roasting these babies renders them addictively sweet but yet savory. Quick, easy, memorable, delicious. That’s something to be thankful for, right?

Hope you and your family have a lovely and delicious Thanksgiving celebration!

Roasted Sweet Potatoes

serves 4
2 lbs sweet potatoes, cut into 3/4-inch to 1-inch chunks
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Toss together the sweet potatoes, olive oil, salt and pepper on a nonstick baking sheet.

Roast the potatoes in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Stir the potatoes, flipping over as many as you can. Roast for an additional 10-15 minutes, until golden and tender.

Serve.

Note: You can make these a day in advance and reheat before serving. Also, these are great cold too — try these Roasted Sweet Potatoes in salads.

Filed Under: Family Meal Planning Tagged With: entertaining, food, holiday, holidays, life style, oven roasted sweet potatoes, recipes, Thanksgiving side dish

Roasted Butternut Squash and Ham Flatbread Pizza

October 12, 2012 by Sarah 6 Comments

We always hear about how parents should deal with picky eaters. But what about when the picky eater in the house is an adult? That’s an even bigger challenge. Believe me, I know. My husband is a meat-and-potatoes guy who avoided all vegetables until he married me — a former vegetarian who tolerates meat for health reasons. Fortunately, my kids inherited my veggie love. And my husband? Well, he’s come around and eats some veggies now.

Among those is butternut squash. So now that it’s in season here in Connecticut, I’ve been buying it every week. It’s gone into soup, mingled with my favorite curry and caramelized during the roasting process. But one of my favorite uses this fall has been on this super simple flatbread pizza. Not only is it a perfect use for left over roasted squash, but it takes less than 15 minutes to make — perfect for those busy, busy nights that we all have.

This flatbread pizza combines the sweet roasted squash with salty ham and creamy gouda cheese on the crispy crust. The combination of flavors and textures makes this pizza shine.

Roasted Butternut Squash and Ham Flatbread Pizza
serves 4

2 flatbreads (I like the Flat-Out brand Light Italian)
2 cups freshly shredded gouda cheese, divided
1 cup roasted butternut squash (see below)
2 slices deli ham, torn

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with nonstick aluminum foil.

Set the two flatbreads on the baking sheet. Sprinkle 1/2 cup freshly shredded gouda cheese on each followed by 1/2 cup butternut squash and 1 torn slice of deli ham (on each). Top each with 1/2 cup gouda.

Bake for 5-8 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the edges are golden.

Cut each pizza into 6 slices and serve.

Note: To make this a meal, serve with a big, loaded salad (think the works!) or a side salad and a slice of grilled chicken.

How to roast butternut squash

Cut the squash into 1/2-inch cubes and toss with a little olive oil, salt and pepper. Spread out on a nonstick baking sheet and roast at 425 for 20-30 minutes, flipping and stirring occasionally, until golden.

Filed Under: Family Meal Planning Tagged With: food, recipes

Black Bean Avocado Salad with Corn and Red Peppers

September 14, 2012 by Sarah 3 Comments

If we didn’t love living in the northeast, my family would do well in California — especially if we could have an avocado tree in our backyard. That would be awesome. We love the silky green flesh of avocados and eat them often when they start appearing in grocery stores for about $1 each. Some of our favorite ways to enjoy avocado? Mashed on toast with eggs over easy, scooped onto tortilla chips (as guac, of course) and sliced into salads.

This salad celebrates the avocado (along with a few other of our favorites: fresh sweet corn and red bell peppers) in a simple but scrumptious light lunch. The best thing about this salad? It can go from ingredients to plates in a mere 10 minutes, if you are in a hurry.

Serve this with a few tortilla chips and it’s heaven.

Black Bean Avocado Salad with Corn and Red Peppers
serves 4

1 Hass avocado, pitted, peeled and diced
1 large red pepper, diced
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 ears fresh corn, cooked and kernels removed from the cob
1 lime, juiced
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste

Stir together the avocado, red pepper, black beans, corn, lime juice and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Enjoy immediately or chill until ready to serve.

Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to two days.

Optional: Love cilantro? Stir a few tablespoons of finely chopped cilantro into this salad for more fabulous Southwest flavor.