Sweet Potato Fries with Honey-Cayenne Glaze

Since discovering sweet potato fries, I've become a bit obsessed with them. If they are ever offered at a restaurant, I have to order them, it's a compulsion, I don't have a choice.


A few months ago, I went to a fun and different restaurant in New Hampshire called The Friendly Toast. They had a great menu, full of items that would satisfy the carnivore and vegan alike. But the first thing that caught my eye was their sweet potato fries glazed in a spicy honey. They were to die for! I took the majority of my sandwich home in a box, but there was not a fry to speak of by the time I was done with them.

A few weeks later I did my best to recreate them. I'll never make sweet potato fries as good as restaurants can, simply because I can't bring myself to fry them. However, the honey glaze was just as good. A sprinkle of cayenne in about two tablespoons of honey, and you have yourself a different and delicious way to eat sweet potatoes. Give it a try!

Sweet Potato Fries with Honey-Cayenne Glaze

Ingredients

2 Sweet Potatoes, peeled and sliced into wedges
2 tablespoons olive oil
sea salt and pepper
2-4 tablespoons honey
1/2-1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, depending on how hot you want it

Directions

Toss sweet potato wedges, olive oil, salt and pepper until coated. Roast on a cookie sheet at 375 for about 20 minutes, or until soft and browned. Mix honey and cayenne pepper. Plate serving of fries on a plate and drizzle with desired amount of honey.

Serves 4

Fontal Polenta with Mushroom Saute

Okay, I think that's it. I think that's the last of the mushroom posts...for now anyway...bwaAAHAHAHAHAHA!

(Forgive me, we've had quite a few snow days and the cabin fever is making me a bit crazy.)


This is a really good recipe if you're making polenta for the first time. I adore polenta, I love it's creamy, smooth, yet nutty texture. It's so filling and rich and is the perfect palate for so many toppings and mix ins. This particular version is full of melty, creamy fontina cheese, and then topped with a gorgeous mixture of sauteed mushrooms. So filling, and great for your meatless Mondays. It also gave me an excuse to use my French Onion Soup bowls again!


Fontal Polenta with Mushroom Saute
Cooking Light December 2010

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 (4-ounce) packages exotic mushroom blend, chopped
1 (8-ounce) package presliced cremini mushrooms
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh oregano
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1/3 cup organic vegetable broth
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
2 cups 2% reduced-fat milk
1 1/2 cups organic vegetable broth
3/4 cup instant polenta
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded fontal or fontina cheese, divided
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. Heat oil in a skillet over high heat. Add mushrooms; sauté 4 minutes. Add herbs and garlic; sauté 1 minute. Stir in 1/3 cup broth, juice, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and pepper.

2. Bring milk and 1 1/2 cups broth to a boil. Stir in polenta; cook 4 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in half of cheese and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Divide polenta among 4 gratin dishes; top with remaining cheese. Broil 5 minutes. Top each serving with 1/2 cup mushrooms.

Per Serving:
CALORIES 377 ; FAT 18g (sat 7.9g,mono 8.1g,poly 1.3g); CHOLESTEROL 42mg; CALCIUM 322mg; CARBOHYDRATE 30.5g; SODIUM 784mg; PROTEIN 16.9g; FIBER 4.6g; IRON 1.2mg

Sausage, Tomato, and Arugula Fettuccine

This dish helped me to make a very important discovery.

I love arugula.

I don't know what it is about this leaf. It's got flavor that so unlike regular lettuce. It's sharp, slightly bitter, and fragrant. It's especially good in dishes like this, partially wilted, coating the whole meal in an earthy, green flavor. After I made this pasta, I had a bunch of arugula left, which lasted for about a day because I was looking for any excuse to eat it. I do believe that arugula will be a permanent staple in our house.

This was a DELICIOUS pasta. It's pretty much ready as soon as that pasta is cooked, and the flavors are incredible. My whole family loved it, and even the leftovers disappeared quickly, always a good sign!

Sausage, Arugula and Tomato Fettuccine
Cooking Light December 2010

Ingredients

1 (9-ounce) package refrigerated fettuccine (I just used dried, I wasn't in THAT big a hurry)
1 tablespoon olive oil
6 ounces Italian turkey sausage
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 pint cherry tomatoes
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 cups baby arugula leaves
2 ounces pecorino Romano cheese, shaved, mine was shredded

Directions

1. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain in a colander over a bowl, reserving 2/3 cup cooking liquid.

2. While pasta cooks, heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Remove casings from sausage. Break sausage into bite-sized pieces and add to pan; cook 3 minutes or until browned, stirring frequently to crumble. Add garlic; cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Add tomatoes, salt, and pepper; cover and cook 2 minutes. Mash tomatoes with the back of a wooden spoon to break them up. Cover pan; reduce heat to low, and cook 3 minutes. Remove pan from heat. Add pasta, reserved 2/3 cup cooking liquid, and arugula; toss well. Sprinkle with pecorino Romano.


Per 1 1/3 cup: CALORIES 356 ; FAT 13g (sat 4.2g,mono 4.2g,poly 2.4g); CHOLESTEROL 92mg; CALCIUM 168mg; CARBOHYDRATE 39.3g; SODIUM 706mg; PROTEIN 19.8g; FIBER 3.9g; IRON 3mg

Homemade Blue Cheese Dressing

I'm a bit of a salad dressing hoarder. It drives my husband crazy. At one time I've been known to have up to ten dressings in our fridge. The problem is, I always want a light dressing, but it's usually rare that I actually like it enough to eat it again and again. So I finally decided to make my own.

Enter angels, or a great white light, or whatever it is that signifies a life changing moment.

Seriously, after all these years, I've finally found a light dressing that makes me excited to eat a salad again, and they're so easy! I only have to look as far as what's already in my fridge or pantry, and it's not as full of all the chemicals and preservatives that might be in regular dressing.

I made this after having a nice hunk of Stilton left in my fridge from Christmas. The great thing about having such a strong flavored cheese is that a little goes a long way, and did it ever. This dressing had the wonderful pungency of blue cheese, as well as the nice tang you get in a dressing. It was chunky, it was creamy, and you would never guess that you were eating something light. Give it a try, you might never buy it out of a bottle again!



Blue Cheese Dressing
America's Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook

Ingredients

1/4 cup crumbled strongly flavored blue cheese, such as Roquefort or Stilton
1/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup light mayonnaise
1/4 cup lowfat sour cream
2 tablespoons water
2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Directions

Mash the blue cheese and buttermilk together with a fork in a bowl until the mixture resembles cottage cheese with small curds. Stir in the remaining ingredients until well combined.

Per 2 Tablespoons: 45cal, 3g fat, 1g carb, 1g prot, 0g fiber

Salisbury Steak with Mushroom Gravy

I would tell you that the mushroom party is over and this will conclude my mushroom posts, but that would be lying, and I love you all too much to do that to you.



A few days ago, Shelby from Grumpy's Honey Bunch wrote about how she's been inspired by other bloggers. Well, Shelby had inspired me with this Salisbury Steak from Cooking Light's December edition. I've eaten quite a few salisbury steaks in my day, but when I say Salisbury steak, what I mean are those gelatinous disks that come in low calorie frozen meals, usually served with a side of mac and cheese and an antacid. Turns out the homemade version is much better, who knew! And it's low calorie to boot.

This is one of those meals that yielded no leftovers because it's so dang good. The flavors are so rich and full of the familiar comforts of home. My kids snarfed it down, which guarantees that it will be made again!



Check it out here. Thanks Shelby!

Cheesy Broccoli-Cauliflower Casserole with Rye Crumb Topping

I'm not sure why, but I always feel really accomplished when I can serve an entire, satisfying meal without any meat. Don't get me wrong, I love my steak and chicken as much as the next carnivore, but I like to prove to myself that it's not imperative to a good meal.



I found this in my Cuisine at Home magazine, a magazine I've come to love. It's a casserole full of veggies, cheese, rice and the wonderful flavors of rye bread. It's a unique, but healthy and delicious casserole that will not leave you wishing for a burger. My husband isn't a huge fan of caraway, so I will probably leave it out next time, but I will make this again. It would work as a main dish, or a lovely side dish for guests or a potluck. I do love to see my family eat their veggies!



Cheese Broccoli-Cauliflower Casserole with Rye Crumb Topping
By Cuisine at Home December 2010

Ingredients

For The Casserole:
3 cups broccoli florets
2 cups cauliflower florets
2 cups cooked white rice

For The Crumb Topping:
1 1/2 cups fresh seeded rye bread crumbs
2 TB unsalted butter, melted
salt and pepper

For The Sauce:
3 TB unsalted butter
2 TB minced shallots
1 TB caraway seeds
2 TB all-purpose flour
2 1/4 cups milk
1 TB Dijon mustard
2/3 cups smoked Gouda
2/3 cup shredded Emmental (I used Cheddar) cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375.

2. Blanch broccoli and cauliflower in a pot of boiling salted water, 3 minutes. Drain and immediately shock in ice water; set aside.

3. Combine crumbs with melted butter in a bowl until coated, then season with salt and pepper.

4. Melt 3 TB butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add shallots and caraway seeds; cook until seeds are toasted, 3 minutes.

5. Whisk in flour, coating shallots; cook 1 minute. Whisk in milk and Dijon, cooking until sauce slightly thickens, 8 minutes (do not boil). Add Gouda, stir until melted. Add Emmental or Cheddar; stir until melted. Add Emmental; stir until melted. Season sauce with salt and pepper.

6. Stir broccoli, cauliflower, and rice into sauce. Transfer mixture to a 2 quart baking dish.

7. Sprinkle crumb topping over casserole, and bake casserole until bubbly, about 35 minutes. Let casserole rest 10 minutes before serving.

Per Serving: 283 cal, 15g fat, 28g carb, 3g fiber

Serves 8

My kids got new aprons for Christmas. After several attempts, this is hilariously the best picture we could get.

Mushroom Stroganoff

The Mushroom strikes again. You'd best make friends with him, he's not going anywhere for a while!

This is one of those meals that proves that you really don't need meat to have a rich and satisfying meal. Creamy egg noodles infused with the beefy flavor of a variety of mushrooms makes for a meal that your whole family will love. So quick, so easy, so delicious, just like this post!

Mushroom Stroganoff
By Fresh Food Fast by Cooking Light

Ingredients

3 1/2 cups uncooked medium egg noodles
butter flavored cooking spray
5 (4 oz) packages fresh gourmet-blend mushrooms (be sure to note that you need 5 of them, I think I only got one, not NEAR enough!)
1 cup coarsely chopped onion
3 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups reduced fat milk
3 tablespoons dry sherry
2 tablespoons light butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup reduced fat sour cream
1 1/2 teaspoon finely chopped chives (optional)

Directions

1. Cook noodles according to directions

2. While noodles cook, heat a large Dutch oven over high heat; generously coat pan with cooking spray. Add mushroom and onion; cook 10 minutes, or until browned, stirring frequently.

3. While mushroom mixture cooks, place flour in a bowl, Gradually add milk with a whisk. Transfer cooked mushroom mixture to a large bowl. Gradually add milk mixture to hot pan, stirring with a whisk. Cook, whisking constantly, 3 minutes or until slightly thickened.

4. Stir sauce and cooked noodles into mushroom mixture. Stir in sour cream; sprinkle with chives, if desired. Serve immediately.

Serves 4: Serving is 1 3/4 cups

Per Serving: 393 cal, 12.6g fat, 15g prot, 55.2g carb, 3.5g fiber

I'll be submitting this to girlichef for Pasta Presto Nights!

Mediterranean Pasta Salad

Every other weekend or so Glenn and I try to drop the kids off and go out. Sometimes we like to have a nice night of dinner and a movie, other times we're just happy to go grocery shopping together, as long as it's just the two of us.

Before we dropped the kids off, I threw this salad together for the kids. We were planning on eating out, so we didn't want to eat any to ruin our appetites. The kids weren't too crazy about it, but Glenn and I couldn't stop picking at it. I don't think either of us wanted to admit it, but we both would have been happy to stay home and eat this for dinner instead!

This is such a quick and easy salad, great for potlucks and picnics. It's chuck full of colorful, healthy veggies, and then rounded out by soft cheesy tortellini. It might not be the most "wintery" dish, but sometimes it's nice to have a little blast of summer during these cold months to give us a ray of hope!

Mediterranean Pasta Salad
Adapted by Fresh Food Fast by Cooking Light

Ingredients

1 9 oz package refrigerated rainbow three cheese tortellini
1 quart water
1/4 pound asparagus spears, trimmed
1/3 cup chopped red pepper, or roasted red pepper, depending on preference
1 ounce Pepper Jack cheese, cut into 1/4 inch cubes
6 drained canned quartered artichoke hearts
8 grape tomatoes, or 3 seeded and diced tomatoes
8 black or kalamata olives
2 thin slices prosciutto, cut crosswise into strips
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
3 tablespoons light balsamic vinaigrette

Directions

1. Cook pasta in 1 quart boiling water 6 minutes. Add asparagus to boiling water, and cook 1 minute. Drain in a colander, and rinse with cold water until cooled. Drain.

2. While pasta and asparagus cook, combine bell pepper and next seven ingredients into large bowl. Add tortellini and asparagus; toss gently.

Serves 3: Serving size 1 1/3 cups

Per Serving: 304 cal, 16.2g fat, 29.7g carb, 11.2g prot, 2.2g fiber

Teriyaki Salmon with Mushrooms

Thanks for all of your sweet comments on my last post. It was a fun way to get to know a lot of you better too!

Every once and a while I find a theme in the foods I am eating and cooking for a period of time. Maybe a take a few weeks to roast just about everything I put in my mouth. Or I want to put eggs in everything. For a series of days I might even be looking for anything that might be slightly delicious doused in my favorite balsamic vinegar. And then I move on.

Lately I feel like I can't keep my fridge stocked full enough of mushrooms, specifically cremini. What is it about those lovely little fungi? I think it's their ability to soak up any flavor you introduce it to, while still adding a flair of it's own. They can be the real star of a dish, but also don't have a problem acting as a supporting role. I just love them.

So you can imagine how much I loved pairing them with this salmon dish. Sauteed with tangy teriyaki flavors and then laid on top of a nice rich fillet of salmon, it was a total party for my palate. And I got the recipe from...do I even need to tell you? Healthy, rich, flavorful, happy new year to me, and you!

Teriyaki Salmon with Mushrooms
From Fresh Food Fast by Cooking Light

Ingredients

1/4 cup dry sherry
1/2 cup low sodium teriyaki sauce
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 teaspoon canola oil
1 (8 oz) package presliced baby portobello mushrooms or creminis
4 (6-oz) skinless salmon fillets, about 1 to 1 1/2 inch thick

Directions

1. Combine first three ingredients in a small bowl; stir to dissolve sugar.

2. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; add mushrooms, and saute 4 minutes or until tender. Add 1/3 cup sherry mixture to mushrooms. Reduce heat, and simmer 1 to 2 minutes or until liquid almost evaporates. Spoon mushroom mixture into a bowl; set aside.

3. Heat pan over medium-high heat, add fillets. Cook 3 to 4 minutes on each side or until browned on all sides. Add mushrooms and remaining sherry mixture to pan; cook 2 minutes. Transfer fillets to a serving platter, and top with sauce and mushrooms.

Serves 4

Per Serving: 335 cal, 14.3g fat, 37.6g prot, 0.9g fiber,9.5g carb

What kind of food themes do you find yourself in?

4 Things About Me

If you haven't visited Mandi and Erica over at Itzy's Kitchen yet, you really need to. These girls are absolutely adorable, so sweet, and totally kick-butt. They are both into health and fitness and constantly inspire me to be healthier. Go check them out.

After doing the "4 things about me" tag, Mandi tagged me. Since I have so much fun reading about you fellow bloggers, I'm excited to participate as well.

Four shows I watch:
1. Dexter. I'm slightly obsessed with this one, which could be a bit scary since it's a show about a serial killer. Of course it doesn't hurt that the main character is not hard on the eyes :)

2. Glee!! Tuesday nights just might be my favorite night of the week because of this show. I've always been a music/theatre nerd, so this show is right up my alley.

3. True Blood. I'm kind of over the vampire craze, but this show is so edgy and dark that I just can't turn away.

4. Grey's Anatomy. I loved it, then I tolerated it, then I hated it, and now I'm back to loving it again. I feel like the dialogue gets a bit "speechy" but I really love the characters, so it's kept me hooked. Plus I'm really glad that Izzy's gone.

They're my favorite!

Four Things I'm passionate about:
1. Without coming off as totally generic and cliche, I have to say the people in my life. My family, my friends, those that have touched me throughout my life. I just don't know that life gets anymore gratifying then when we make genuine positive connections with other people, especially those closest to us. I don't know where I'd be without my little family, they're the reason I do 99% of what I do.

2. Food, a no brainer. The fun thing about having a passion for food is how it's ever changing. I used to think that I was big into baking, but now I'm realizing that cooking is really my forte and I leave the baking to my husband. I love trying new things in the kitchen, but I also love returning to the familiar comforts of old recipes.

3. Books. I. love. to. read. And when I say books, I mean actual books. Covers with pictures and printed text. I have a Kindle, and I plan to use it, but I just can't let go of the romantic connection I have to holding an actual book in my hands, smelling the ink, turning the pages. It's magic to me.

4. Traveling, I don't get to do it a whole lot right now, but I don't have to do it to know that I'm passionate about it. I have an ever growing list of places I can't wait to visit.

Four phrases I use a lot:
1. "Hey babe/buddy/sweetie/kiddo/dude/sister/girlfriend"...the list goes on. I'm big on nicknames, and I live in a home with kids that will greet you whenever you walk into the same vicinity of the house as them, so I'm saying hello a lot.

2. "No worries." I don't like to get hung up on offenses or grudges, it weighs me down, so no worries.

3. "Totally!" Yes, I'm a child of the 80's, I say totally all the time.

4. "What's up" this is pretty much how I start all of my conversations.

Four things I've learned in the past:
1. It seems that no matter how difficult a period of time was, the things that I remember most about those times are the positive things. So I try to focus on the positive things as much as possible in the present since the negatives will most likely fade from my memory anyway.

2. A good night's sleep can cure a lot of what ails you.

3. No matter how great my relationship with my husband is, nothing beats having good girlfriends.


4. Working out really is the best way to start your day, and this is coming from someone who never cared much for exercise!

Four places I'd like to go:

1. Scotland! I don't know what it is about that place, but I've already told my husband that it's the very first place I want to go when we are able to start traveling. It is so green, so pretty and has castles!

2. New Orleans. There's just something so sultry and soulful about New Orleans, I'd love to experience it.

3. Barcelona. I saw a special on it once, and I've been infatuated ever since.

4. Greece. Every single thing I've ever seen or heard about Greece makes me ache for a visit. Plus, how could you not want to go to a place that invented Baklava and Gyros?

Four things I did yesterday:
1. Dropped my daughter off at school, despite her wishes to take just one more day off.

2. Got in a nice workout at our local YMCA.

3. Started the laundry.

4. Chatted with old friends. (Yesterday was a delightfully quiet day).


Four things I love about winter:

1. I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with winter. I love it when it starts, I hate it towards the end, right around the time that spring should be appearing. Right now I'm a bit indifferent. So when I actually do love winter, I love: Wearing big comfy clothes, sweaters, scarves, fuzzy socks, and wrapping up in blankets. It's just so cozy.I'm obsessed with scarves!

2. Going skiing. I haven't gone in years, but I love it and can't wait to go again.

3. The smells, you know, all of those fragrant Christmas smells of pine, cinnamon, apples, even the cold air has a distinct smell. I love it.

4. The comfort food. It might not be that great for my waistline, but I love warming, rich, creamy comfort foods to get through those cold days.

So there you go! I'd like to tag:

1. Kim from Stirring the Pot

2. Kim from The UnGourmet

3. Julie from The Sporadic Cook

4. Jennifurla from Indigo's Sugar Spectrum

Enjoy!

Coconut Shrimp with Fiery Mango Sauce

Back when I was getting to know my husband, the ever important question came up, "do you like shrimp?" His answer, which remains his answer still is "not unless it's been breaded and deep fat fried!" Not being one to fry things often, I resigned myself to a happy but shrimp-less life with my husband, crossing my fingers that his non-shrimp loving genes wouldn't be passed on to my kids. It was.

So you can imagine my joy in finding this recipe from Cooking Light (for those of you new to my blog, I'm in love with Cooking Light. If Cooking Light was a religion, I'd be their first follower.) Big fat shrimp, coated in a crunchy, sweet layer of coconut and panko, and skillet fried to a browned crispy perfection. They're accompanied by a sweet and HOT mango sauce. I think I used jalapenos instead of habaneros, I haven't quite reached that level of bravery when it comes to hot foods.

During these cold, post-holiday days of winter, give this tropical dish a try, it might give you that bit of hope that you need to get you through it!

Coconut Shrimp with Fiery Mango Sauce
Cooking Light January 2010

Ingredients

Sauce:
1 teaspoon canola oil
2/3 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon grated peeled fresh ginger
1 garlic clove, minced
1 (12-ounce) can mango nectar
1/4 Scotch bonnet pepper, unseeded
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/8 teaspoon salt

Shrimp:
28 jumbo shrimp (about 1 1/2 pounds)
1/2 cup flaked sweetened coconut
1/2 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
1/3 cup cornstarch
3 large egg whites, lightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 teaspoons canola oil, divided
Cooking spray

Directions

1. To prepare sauce, heat a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add 1 teaspoon oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add onion, ginger, and garlic; sauté 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add nectar and pepper; bring to a boil. Cook 10 minutes or until reduced to 3/4 cup. Remove from heat; let stand 10 minutes. Place mixture in a blender; process until smooth. Stir in juice and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Cool.

2. Peel and devein shrimp, leaving tails intact; discard shells.

3. Place coconut in a food processor; pulse 6 times or until finely chopped. Add panko; pulse to combine. Place coconut mixture in a shallow dish. Place cornstarch in a shallow dish. Place egg whites in a shallow dish. Sprinkle shrimp evenly with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Working with 1 shrimp at a time, dredge shrimp in cornstarch, shaking off excess. Dip in egg whites; dredge in coconut mixture.

4. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 teaspoons canola oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add 7 shrimp to pan; coat tops of shrimp with cooking spray. Cook shrimp 2 1/2 minutes on each side or until done. Repeat procedure 3 times with remaining oil and shrimp.

Serves 4

Creamy Hot Chocolate

I honestly don't know if anything is more rewarding then a cup of hot cocoa after a cold day outside. I remember deliberately playing in the snow as a kid, my cheeks and nose getting cold and rosy, knowing that it was all going to be topped off with a steamy, rich cup of hot chocolate.


I still love hot chocolate, but what I don't like is that powdery stuff trying to front as hot chocolate. Let's face it, you could shovel heaps of that sweetened dirt into your cup, it just doesn't cut it. I need the real thing.

My husband is actually the one that found this recipe. This is the real stuff folks, thick, creamy, chocolatey goodness that will make you feel like a kid again. You'll jump in a big pile of snow just to get a cup!


Creamy Hot Chocolate
Found on Allrecipes

Ingredients

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 cup white sugar
1 pinch salt
1/3 cup boiling water
3 1/2 cups milk
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup half-and-half cream

Directions

Combine the cocoa, sugar and pinch of salt in a saucepan. Blend in the boiling water. Bring this mixture to an easy boil while you stir. Simmer and stir for about 2 minutes. Watch that it doesn't scorch. Stir in 3 1/2 cups of milk and heat until very hot, but do not boil! Remove from heat and add vanilla. Divide between 4 mugs. Add the cream to the mugs of cocoa to cool it to drinking temperature.