{No Bake} Chocolate Hazelnut Tart--Chocmeister Review

I love Peanut Butter & Co. It is well documented. So when I heard they were coming out with chocolate hazelnut spreads...I nearly jumped up and down, I was so thrilled! And, lucky lucky me, they sent me a jar of their new Chocmeister Dark Chocolatey Hazelnut Spread to play with!

Before I tell you about all the deliciousness you are presently gazing upon, let me give you the 411 on Chocmeister Chocolatey Hazelnut Spreads. First of all they come in 2 varieties, milk and dark chocolate. And they're made with 25% LESS sugar and 50% MORE protein than the leading chocolate hazelnut spread brand. Which is pretty amazeballs. And, as someone who immediately tried some: it tastes even better! The hazelnut flavor really comes through and it's perfectly delicious. Just the thing to eat on toast, with fruit, or ya know...in a perfect no-bake tart.

It's summer. My favorite season. I love it. And it's hot-which I'm totally cool with but maybe we don't reeeeally want to use the oven if we don't have to, you know? That's why I wanted to make you guys a super decadent no-bake dessert. And the Chocmeister Dark Chocolatey Hazelnut Spread was so rich and had such a great hazelnut flavor that I knew I wanted to play that up. And I DID. This tart seriously just embodies chocolate and hazelnut-in every way.

First, we have a chocolate cookie + hazelnut no bake crust: tastiness. Then I made a ganache with the Chocmeister and heavy cream. And topped it with chopped hazelnuts. You chill the entire thing and it...is...just...perfect. The texture of the filling is so silky and perfect and the crust and hazelnuts give you a bit of crunch. So good. SO SO GOOD. 

Zucchini & Tomato Skillet

I know. I disappear for 2 weeks and then I come back to you with vegetables. Like...who am I even?

Don't worry, I'm still me. I made this for Michael :P

BUT I tried some and actually didn't mind it. And it was a super simple thing to throw together as a healthy side dish for the boy. You're gonna agree-trust me!

Michael was a little wary at first...he said it looks like minestrone soup (of which he is not a fan). I informed him that it was literally just some garlic and chopped tomatoes and zucchini with some seasonings. He gave me a suspicious look and took a bite...

...and he was pleasantly surprised! "This is REALLY good, actually!" he said.

*huff* I can't believe he doubted me.

SO don't you all start doubting me either! This is seriously the simplest (and most adaptable) weeknight skillet idea that works as a side or it could even be an entree if that's your thing (whether you're a vegetarian or if you wanted to mix in some cooked meat with the veggies). You can also of course mix up the vegetables according to your preference but the zucchini and tomatoes really worked out nicely. The zucchini ended up perfectly tender and the tomatoes started to cook down so that they almost became a sauce--which I didn't expect (I suppose I should have but I didn't). Anyway--flavorful, quick, easy, healthy. These are words that describe this one skillet dish that I hope your family likes as much as mine does! :)

Cheesy Chicken

Today is National Cheese Lovers Day!!! 

Are you a cheese lover? 

OF COURSE YOU ARE! Who isn't? 

(oh wait....sorry lactose intolerant friends. Love you.)

Since this is the day of cheesy lovins, I decided this was the opportune time to share this recipe-a major favorite with Michael and I! I learned how to make this from his mom (Mama Maria). She made it up. Supposedly this dish began as Chicken Marsala....and somehow morphed into just chicken, breading, cheese, chicken broth OM NOM NOM NOMSS!

 You just brown some cut up chicken breasts really quickly...

 Then cover in LOTS of cheese, and pour on some chicken broth. And bake, of course.

I tried this for the first time at Mama Maria's house, within the first month of Michael and I dating. I was not prepared for how much I would love it! It became a thing that Michael and I bonded over while long distance-we would "cook dinner together" with this recipe, in different cities, but somehow it made us feel closer.

And you know...it was a great excuse for a tasty dinner.

It really has next to nothing in common with Chicken Marsala.

Just preparing you.

But it's like, way better!

Mama Maria is kind of a genius.

Brown Sugar Roasted Chicken- Michael's birthday dinner!

Figuring out what to make for Michael's birthday dessert was easy. The dinner was a bit more of a challenge. All he said was "Just, nothing that has any Italian seasonings". So...I sort of decided to wing it. He supplied that corn and rolls would be good, and when I suggested I try making roast chicken (like I've made previously from a Just Chicken Pot Pie recipe) with a brown sugar covering, he was up for it. It was a success! It was moist, and subtly sweet. Next time I'll probably put the brown sugar mixture on top and bottom because Michael said it was a bit too subtle. Overall, though, it was really tasty and a great departure from what I usually make. :)

Brown Sugar Roasted Chicken

Cooking Actress original. Referencing How Sweet it Is and  Heat Oven to 350 for inspiration.

"Oreo Balls" a la Kayle (No Cream Cheese!)

This is not one of those recipes where there are...umm....measurements. It was pretty much just me doing a lot of improvising and guesswork. "Let me esplain....no, there is too much. Let me sum up" (The Princess Bride-my fav. movie):

We had only been moved in a short while. My new food processor was sitting there, begging me to use it. I had a half used package of Oreos, that had pretty much gone stale. I was having a chocolate craving (which happens at about 4:00 PM every day). I thought to myself, "Hey! I have that Oreo Balls recipe on my computer from How Sweet, I should make that!" Once I consulted the recipe, I realized....I didn't have cream cheese. Nor do I particularly enjoy it in my desserts. I searched the internet for substitutions but found nothing. But I figured...how hard could it be to just mimic the texture?

 So, I broke apart the Oreos I had left and put them in the food processor. Then I decided peanut butter might be a good substitute for the cream cheese, so I put some of that in there to. I processed for a while but...it was too thick. I added some more peanut butter. I added a little milk. Then I melted some chocolate and poured that in there too. That did the trick! They seemed to be the exact same consistency as the actual "Oreo Balls"!. Then I did as my original recipe instructed, I rolled the mixture into many little balls, and put them on a tray and set them in the freezer for an hour or so. After they'd frozen and firmed up, I melted some chocolate and dipped them in and coated them (some got covered in milk chocolate, others in dark-I definitely think I preferred the dark chocolate). Then back to the freezer (where they remained)!

They. Were. Per-fect! PERFECT! I loooved them, Michael loved them! It was a miracle! They were like yummy little peanut butter Oreo truffles and they were awesome-I hope you try them and love them as much as we did (and now I have something to do with leftover Oreos!) :).

Oreo Balls

Author: Kayle, "The Cooking Actress"

Ingredients:

• Oreos
• peanut butter
• melted chocolate (milk, dark, or white-whatever you prefer) + more to coat the Oreo balls
• Optional-milk, if the consistency is too thick

Preparation:

• Break up Oreo's and place in a food processor. Add peanut butter and melted chocolate. Proccess until it reaches a consistency that will allow you to roll them into small balls. If too thick, add a bit of milk and/or extra melted chocolate.
• Rolls the mixture into small balls (about the size of a gumball). Place on a tray that is lined with wax paper or parchment paper and freeze for about 1 hour, until firm.
• Melt some chocolate and dip the frozen Oreo balls in until coated. Place back on the wax or parchment paper and return to the freezer until the chocolate has hardened.
• Store leftovers in the freezer or refrigerator.