The Best Cocoa Recipe

Cocoa is best when made from milk or cream, even though it generally has more calories that way. But if you need a rich boost, skipping powdered mixes that you add water to is the first thing to do. With a microwave, heating milk is easy. Check your model's instructions online to find the right amount of time to heat milk. Using cream instead of milk will give you a rich, satisfying cocoa drink. Then add your favorite chocolate in powdered or bar form. Mix it into the warm cream until it melts. It should melt just fine without heating it more in the microwave.

If you prefer using a stovetop to heat milk or cream, you know you have overheated it if it starts to form a skin on top. Heating milk (and chocolate) is best to do slowly or in short 15-second increments in the microwave if you aren't sure of the right amount of time.

Rich Hot Chocolate

from Taste of Home

2/3 cup Heavy whipping cream

1 cup 2% Milk

4 oz. Dark chocolate candy bar, chopped

3 T sugar

Vanilla rum (to taste), optional

Sweetened heavy whipping cream

Heat cream, milk chocolate, and sugar in a saucepan (or in the microwave) over medium heat. Stir consistently while heating. When it starts to simmer, remove from heat. Pour into the mug and add rum, if desired. Top with whipped cream and enjoy.

Alternatives:

Hazelnut – Replace chocolate with Nutella and rum with Frangelico. If it's too sweet, reduce or eliminate sugar.

Dairy Free – Replace milk and cream with vanilla almond milk. Add a teaspoon of vanilla extract. Top with marshmallows instead of whipped cream.

Peppermint – Add crushed candy canes to taste (about a tablespoon per cup).

Come up with your own flavors for warm cocoa and test them out on your friends and family while you're on vacation in your Cypress, TX apartment. Contact us if you want a tour of our model apartments.

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Healthy Holiday Meal Ideas

• Instant Pot Mashed Sweet Potatoes. Sweet potatoes are low on the glycemic index and therefore a healthier version of traditional mashed potatoes. Using an Instant Pot makes preparation that much faster. Simply peel and chop sweet potatoes. Add sweet potato cubes to Instant Pot, along with salt, cinnamon, thyme and one cup of water. Cook in pressure cooker mode for eight minutes, then release pressure. Add maple syrup and coconut oil to potatoes and stir together. Serve in a beautiful dish.
• Vibrant Winter Salad. In the dark days of winter, sometimes you just need a little color. If you need a break from the soup rut, a bright salad is the way to go. You can make this salad ahead of time, which is great for holiday entertaining. For dressing, mix together 1/4 cup olive oil, 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar, 3 tablespoons of lemon juice and 3 tablespoons of orange juice. Set aside. Add sliced kale and Brussels sprouts to a bowl. Pour dressing over kale and Brussels sprouts and let soak for several hours or overnight. Roast thinly sliced butternut squash in 450 degree Fahrenheit oven and drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper. Remove squash after 25 minutes. Add pomegranates, orange slices and thinly sliced red cabbage to kale mixture. Top with roasted squash and nuts.
• Skillet Honey Pomegranate Chicken Thighs. This is an easy protein dish to impress your guests. Mix together salt, cumin, chili powder, ginger and pepper. Rub onto chicken thighs. In a different bowl, mix together pomegranate juice, honey, vinegar, molasses and lemon. Brown chicken in a skillet and saute on each side until cooked through. Cook shallots in skillet. Mix 1 teaspoon cornstarch with 1 tablespoon water. Set aside. Saute garlic in skillet, then add molasses mixture. Add cornstarch and water mix. Reduce heat, stirring until thick. Add chicken back to skillet and cover in sauce. For extra presentation, add pomegranate seeds, chopped parsley and lemon slices.

There's no better place to try out new recipes than at one of our chef's kitchens. Contact us at Carrington at Barker Cypress Apartments in Cypress to learn about our many upscale amenities that make life really grand. 

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Amazing Rice Dishes

Garlic Butter Rice

Saute six cloves of finely sliced garlic in oil until golden and crispy. Drain on a paper towel. Remove excess oil from the pan. Heat two tablespoons of butter, then cook 2 1/2 teaspoons of minced garlic until golden. Add 1 1/2 cups of white medium- or long-grained rice to the pan, and toss to coat it with garlic butter. Pour in 2 1/2 cups of chicken broth, and then place a lid on the saucepan. Heat to simmering, and then turn it to medium-low heat. Cook for 12–15 minutes. Let it rest 10 minutes. Fluff the rice with a fork, and transfer it to a serving bowl. Top it with thinly sliced green onions and crispy garlic. Top it with your protein of choice.

Pineapple Fried Rice

Heat two tablespoons of coconut oil in a large skillet. Saute one chopped onion, one diced red bell pepper, and one cup of fresh, diced pineapple until the pineapple is caramelized. Toss in three cloves of minced garlic and 1/4 cup of cashews, and cook for about one minute. Stir in three cups of cooked rice, 1/2 cup of frozen peas, the juice of one lime, two tablespoons of soy sauce, and one teaspoon of Sriracha into the pan to cover the rice. Push the rice aside in the pan, and add two whisked eggs to the pan. Stir until it is almost set, and then combine it with the rice mixture. Top it with green onions and serve. Top it with your protein of choice.

Chicken Fried Rice

Add salt and pepper to both sides of three chicken breasts. Cook in a skillet with olive oil, and then let it rest for five minutes. Dice the chicken when it's cool. Cook one chopped onion and two diced carrots in one tablespoon of sesame oil until soft. Add one tablespoon of minced ginger and three cloves of minced garlic, and cook for one minute. Incorporate four cups of cooked rice and 3/4 cup of frozen peas into the vegetable mixture. Cook it until heated. Push the rice aside in the pan, and then add one tablespoon of sesame oil to the empty side. Add three whisked eggs, and then cook until they're almost set. Fold the eggs into the rice mixture. Add chicken, three tablespoons of soy sauce, and two sliced green onions to the pan and stir it all together. 

At Carrington at Barker Cypress Apartments in Cypress, TX we're always cooking up ways to make residents' lives better. Call us today to find out more about our luxury amenities.

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