Cooking Food Cloud: February 2023

Tuesday, 28 February 2023

Chocolate Bread

This bread is every chocolate lover’s dream! Moist and soft with deep chocolatey flavor, you won’t be able to stop at one slice!

Homemade sweet breads are my absolute favorite. A few of my other go-to recipes are this award-winning banana bread, chocolate chip zucchini bread, and cinnamon swirl bread! You’ve got to try them all!

Easy Chocolate Bread Recipe

Who needs a bakery when you can make your own chocolate sweet bread at home? This chocolate bread is honestly one of the best desserts I’ve made recently. If you love all things chocolate, this is the recipe for you! Not only is this chocolate bread the most delicious thing on the planet, but it’s also surprisingly easy to make. This is a sweet bread similar to zucchini or banana bread, so all you have to do is mix up your ingredients and pop it in the oven!

The flavor of this bread is sublime. Each bite tastes like rich, dark chocolate heaven! Paired with how moist and soft the bread itself is, you’re going to want to finish the whole loaf by yourself. Honestly, it tastes great on its own but you can also serve it warm with a little butter on top! It’s the perfect dessert but also works for breakfast or a quick snack! This chocolatey delight is always a hit whenever I make it for my family. I know yours will love it just as much!

Ingredients Needed

This easy chocolate bread uses a lot of standard baking ingredients. I’m sure you’ll have most of them on hand! My one tip here is to make sure you’re using high-quality cocoa powder and chocolate chips. It makes all the difference in the flavor of this bread!

Dutch-Process Cocoa: This is a type of cocoa powder that has been alkalized to make it less acidic. This way, it has a more mellow flavor. It gives the chocolate bread a rich, deep chocolate flavor and color.
All-Purpose Flour: Provides the structure and texture for the chocolate bread.
Dark Brown Sugar and Granulated Sugar: These two types of sugar add sweetness and moisture to the chocolate bread. They also help to create a slightly crispy crust on the outside.
Baking Powder and Baking Soda: These ingredients work together to make the bread rise and become light and fluffy.
Salt: Just a pinch to enhance the flavor of the bread.
Buttermilk: Helps to tenderize the chocolate bread.
Eggs: Eggs provide structure and moisture to the chocolate bread, and also help it to rise. I used room temperature eggs so they mix into the batter smoothly.
Vegetable Oil: Keeps the chocolate bread moist and tender!
Vanilla Extract: Vanilla adds flavor to the bread and complements the chocolate.
Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips: Chocolate chips are added to the batter to provide pockets of melty goodness throughout the bread. The divided portion is sprinkled on top of the batter before baking to create a delicious chocolatey crust. I used semi-sweet chocolate chips, but you can also use milk or dark chocolate chips.

How to Make Chocolate Sweet Bread

Break out your loaf pan, it’s time to make some delicious chocolate bread! This bread is beyond easy to make. Just mix up all of the ingredients and pop it in the oven for an hour! I know it may be tempting to open the oven door to check on it while it bakes, but this will let all of the heat out. Trust me, it’s well worth the wait!

Preheat Oven, Prep Pan: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Then spray a 9×5 bread pan with cooking spray and set aside.
Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the cocoa, flour, both sugars, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Add Wet Ingredients: Add the buttermilk, eggs, oil, and vanilla. Then mix until combined. Fold in ½ cup of the chocolate chips.
Transfer to Pan: Pour the batter into the prepared pan and then top with the remaining ¼ cup of chocolate chips.
Bake: Bake for 55-60 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean from the center.
Cool and Serve: Let chocolate bread cool completely before slicing.

4-photo collage of batter being prepared.

Extra Tips

To make sure your chocolate bread turns out perfectly, I’ve added a few tips and variations for you! You’re going to absolutely love this bread. If sweet breads are your thing, another great recipe to try out next is this chocolate zucchini bread!

Cocoa Powder: Be sure to use Dutch process cocoa powder. You can use regular cocoa powder, but the flavor and color will be quite a bit lighter and not as rich or full.
Add Nuts: Nuts and chocolate are the perfect combo! Feel free to add in chopped walnuts, pecans, or slivered almonds.
Swap Chocolate Chips: You can omit the chocolate chips completely or switch them out for milk or white chocolate. I personally love adding chocolate chips because they add extra flavor and melty goodness.
Homemade Buttermilk: If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, make your own using this recipe here! It’s perfect for all of your baking needs.

How Long Does Chocolate Bread Last?

As long as it’s stored properly, chocolate bread should stay soft, moist, and absolutely delicious throughout the week. It’s the perfect snack to have when you’re craving something sweet!

At Room Temperature: Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
In the Freezer: Wrap in plastic wrap followed by foil. Then freeze for up to 2 months. Let come to room temperature before slicing.

4 pieces of bread stacked on top of each other.

Chocolate Bread

This bread is every chocolate lover’s dream! Moist and soft with deep chocolatey flavor, you won’t be able to stop at one slice!

Course Bread, Breakfast, Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword chocolate bread, chocolate loaf, chocolate sweet bread

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes

Servings Loaf Cake

Calories 2519kcal

Author Alyssa Rivers

Ingredients

½ cup dutch process cocoa
1 ¾ cups all purpose flour
6 tablespoons dark brown sugar
6 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
¾ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
2 large eggs room temperature
½ cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¾ cup semi sweet chocolate chips divided

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a 9×5 bread pan with cooking spray and set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together the cocoa, flour, both sugars, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Add the buttermilk, eggs, oil, and vanilla. Mix until combined. Fold in ½ cup of the chocolate chips.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and top with the remaining ¼ cup of chocolate chips.
Bake for 55-60 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean from the center.
Let cool completely before slicing.

Nutrition

from The Recipe Critic https://ift.tt/pUyV6Go

30-Minute Shrimp, Peas and Rice

This 30-minute Shrimp, Peas and Rice dish is a family favorite dinner! It’s quick to cook and requires no chopping, easy prep!! Shrimp, Peas and Rice Last week I shared this Shrimp, Broccoli and Orzo dish. For those of you observing Lent, I thought I would share another quick 30-minute meal using shrimp! You can

from Skinnytaste https://ift.tt/GIDZqNV

Chicken Fajita Meal Prep Bowls

Whether you are trying to stick to a diet, eat out less, or just stop stressing about what to make for dinner, these Chicken Fajita Meal Prep Bowls are your answer! This recipe makes a flavorful and filling meal that is ready to go for the perfect work lunch or quick dinner.

Mexican-inspired dishes are one of my favorites to make a lot of because I know the whole family will be happy with the flavors all week! It always reheats so well, and is something I honestly crave all the time. If you are like me, then you have to try these fun Mexican Pinwheels, this delicious Mexican Pasta Salad, and this crave-able Mexican Corn Chowder.

Chicken Fajita Bowl Meal Prep

We’ve all been there. It’s a crazy busy week and everyone is asking what’s for dinner. You’ve been going non-stop for 15 hours straight and you SERIOUSLY need a break. Enter meal prepping. We’ve all heard of it, and maybe tried it at one point. But the thing about meal prepping, is it needs to make your life EASIER, not more complicated. That’s why I love making these chicken fajita meal prep bowls. They are super simple to make, and only take a few extra minutes to portion out to have meals ready to go for the week. Use the calculator on the top right hand of the recipe card to double or triple the recipe for larger families.

This is just a jumping off point for your meal prepping journey. This recipe is simple, but you can absolutely add more to it! What do you like with your fajitas? I know I love fresh salsa, and this blender salsa is ready in just minutes. I can’t help but crave some guacamole too. You can even switch up the flavor of the chicken by using taco seasoning instead of fajita seasoning. Get creative with the recipe, make it the way you want it!

Ingredients

These chicken fajita meal prep bowl is so convenient to have on hand! It’s also really simple to make. This is just the basic ingredients, other things I love to serve with it are extra vegetables, black beans, corn, and top it with sour cream. You can find tips for cooking the rice in the tip box below. You can find measurements below in the recipe card.

Olive Oil: This is for sauteeing the veggies and meat.
Chicken Breast: I like to use boneless skinless chicken breast, but any part of the chicken will work here.
Fajita Seasoning: I have a recipe for a homemade blend that I always keep on hand! If you don’t want to make your own, one packet of store bought fajita seasoning will work. It has enough salt to perfectly season the chicken breasts and it tastes so fresh! It’s a blend of cumin, chili powder, paprika, and a few other seasonings that are just amazing together.
Bell Peppers: I like to use a variety of green, red, and orange bell peppers. They have amazing flavor together!
Onion: This is for extra flavor and texture. What is a fajita without onions!
Rice: You will need some precooked rice. I share some of my favorite rice recipes below in the recipe box.

Process photos showing how to cook the veggies, meat and put them in the containers.

Chicken Fajita Bowls Meal Prep Recipe

These chicken fajita meal prep bowls are too easy to put together. They are also amazing to be able to pull them out of the fridge all week. Perfect for work lunches or sending with the kids for a school lunch. Here is how to make this recipe.

Season Chicken and Cook: In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the olive oil and chicken. Sprinkle half of the fajita seasoning on the chicken and cook until no longer pink. Set chicken aside on a plate.
Saute Veggies: Add the bell peppers, and onion. Sprinkle remaining fajita seasoning on top. Sauté until they are tender. Add chicken back to the skillet and stir until warmed through.
Add Rice: To assemble, place ½ cup cooked rice into four sealable containers. I like to use leftover rice or prepackaged cooked rice for convenience.
Add Chicken: Place 1 cup of cooked chicken fajitas into the containers.
Store: Seal the containers and store in the refrigerator until ready to eat. Warm in the microwave and garnish with chopped cilantro. Serve with sliced avocado if you desire!

Tips for Making Chicken Fajita Meal Prep Bowls

You can switch up these chicken fajita meal prep bowls however you see fit! They are really just a basic recipe to get your wheels turning and to give you some ideas for ways to keep your fridge stocked with delicious food. Here are some tips for how to switch things up and keep them interesting.

Cooking the Rice: I have so many rice recipes that would be perfect for these bowls. This Mexican rice of course is a great choice, or this lemon rice adds a bright flavor. You can also try this cilantro lime rice that is always a favorite! If you are short on time and just want plain and simple white rice, use this instant pot rice recipe.
Other Fresh Toppings: I like to add a fresh lime to squeeze some lime juice over the top. I also highly recommend a healthy fat like some slices of avocado or fresh guacamole. It’s filling while keeping the meal healthy and paleo.
Add Tortillas: It might just be me, but when I think of fajitas I just crave tortillas! Homemade flour tortillas are so simple to make and taste so incredible. You’ve got to give it a try!

A close up on the chicken fajita meal prep bowl with a fresh lime and avocado.

Storing Leftovers

There is nothing more satisfying than being able to pull these chicken fajita meal prep bowls out of the fridge when you need them. You are already putting them in your storage container when you make the recipe, so all you have to do is put them in the refrigerator!

In the Refrigerator: You can store your bowls in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 6 days.

Chicken Fajitas Meal Prep Bowls

Course Dinner, lunch

Cuisine Mexican

Keyword chicken fajita meal prep bowls, chicken, fajitas, meal prep

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings Bowls

Calories 579kcal

Author Alyssa Rivers