Problems & Solutions Recipes

A Man, A Can, A Plan by David Joachim

Chocolate Snowballs

What to use:
12-oz. package semisweet or milk chocolate chips (2 cups)
8 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped (about 1½ cups)
14-oz. sweetened condensed milk
4-oz. can chopped jalapenos, well-drained and patted dry with paper towels
¼ tsp. ground cinnamon
1/3 cup powdered sugar

How to Make It:
Put the semisweet or milk chocolate, and the condensed milk in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Nuke for 30 seconds to 1 minutes, or just until it can be stirred smooth, stirring every 30 seconds. (The chips will harden if you over-nuke them, so be sure to stop every 30 seconds.)

Stir in jalapenos and cinnamon. Cover and refrigerate for a couple of hours or until firm. When the chocolate-pepper mixture is good and chilled, get ready to make snowballs: Put the powdered sugar in a shallow bowl. Retrieve the chocolate-pepper mixture from the fridge, use a spoon to scoop out small chunks, then shape the chunks into 1” balls, rolling them between your palms. (Your hands will eventually get covered in chocolate; just lick or wash it off.)

Drop the balls in the sugar and roll them around until covered. Then tap off excess and put the balls in an airtight container. Store at room temperature (your best bet for the best taste) for up to a week or in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

Makes 50 snowballs.

Hushpiggies

What to use:
2 5-oz. cans chunk lean ham, drained
15-oz. package honey cornbread-and-muffin mix
2 7-oz. cans low-sodium whole-kernel corn, drained
¾ cup fat-free milk
1 large egg

How to Make It:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients. Dump the mixture into a 2-quart casserole dish coated with cooking spray. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until puffy and golden.

Makes 6 servings.

Tuna Steaks Italiano

What to Use:
14-oz. can no-salt added dice tomatoes, drained
14-oz. can small white beans, rinsed and drained
4 tuna steaks, each about 1 inch thick (about 1½ lb. total)
1 tbsp. virgin olive oil
Juice of 1 large lemon
5 tbsp. chopped fresh herbs (parsley, basil, chives)
2 minced garlic cloves
1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. red-pepper flakes

How to Make It:
Fire up your grill to medium-hot. Dump the tomatoes, beans, and oil into a big bowl. Stir in ½ each of the lemon juice, herbs, and garlic. Dump everything else into a big ziplock bag, tuna last so it gets good and coated. Seal the bag and refrigerate for 30 minutes, or all day if you want. (In which case you should wait to light the grill, pyro.) Then, debag the fish and grill for 3 to 4 minutes per side, brushing with marinade, until just brown on the outside and still pink in the center. Don’t overcook it- that’s just wasting good tuna steaks. (These babies ain’t cheap!) To check for interior pinkness, separate the flesh with tongs or make a small cut with a knife. Serve with the bowl of bean stuff.

Makes 4 servings.

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