Saturday, February 24, 2007
Cheese Stuffed Tomatoes
1/3 cup slivered almonds -- chopped ---------2 punnets cherry tomatoes 1 packet cream cheese -- softened 1 small red pepper -- finely chopped 2 tablespoons chives -- finely chopped Toast the almonds on an oven tray for about 5 minutes (or in dry pan stovetop) Slice the top from each tomato, scoop out the seeds and set a little aside (2-3 tablespoons) Beat the cream cheese until smooth and stir in the rest of the ingredients. Fill the tomatoes and refrigerate for at least an hour before serving. |
Candied Yams
5 small to medium sweet potatoes - about 2 1/2 lbs, preferably Peurto Rica butter to grease 1/2 cup sugar 1/2 packed cup light brown sugar 1/2 cup water 5 tablespoons unsalted butter 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon Scrub and dry the potatoes, grease lightly with butter Bake at 400oF (200oC Gas Mark 6) for about an hour or until tender when pierced with a fork. Remove from the oven and when cool enough to handle peel and cut lengthwise into about 1/2" thick slices. Place them in an un-greased baking pan and set aside. Combine the rest if the ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil stirring constantly. Pour the mixture over the potatoes and bake at 350oF (180oC Gas Mark 4) until the syrup is thick and bubbly about 30 minutes, basting once or twice. Allow to cool for at least 15 minutes before serving un-drained. ---------------- |
Steamed Whole Fish with Ginger.
1 whole firmed flesh fish like sea bass, haddock, silver bream. Head and tail must be intact or it will symbolized that the year will not have a good beginning or end. ----------------2 inch of ginger peeled and thinly sliced to matchsticks 2 cloves of garlic chopped some sliced spring onions fresh coriander leaves, roughly chopped rice wine or dry sherry few drops of sesame oil light soya sauce sprinkling of sugar salt and white ground pepper slice some red chillies for garnish Give the fish a quick rinse especially in the cavity area and pat dry. Place on a large heatproof plate. Stuffed the cavity with some of the sliced ginger, chopped garlic, spring onion and coriander leaves. Then sprinkle on the salt and pepper, tiny sprinkling of sugar, sesame seed oil, splash of rice wine or dry sherry, soya sauce, the rest of the ginger, garlic and most of the spring onions and coriander leaves, leaving a little for garnish. Steam over rapid boiling water for 15 to 20 minutes (till fish is perfectly cooked) depending on the size of fish. If they are small, then 10 to 15 minutes. Flesh should be white and moist, Just take care not to overcook the fish. Serve hot with fresh sprinkling of chopped spring, sliced red chillies and coriander. |
Lemon chicken.
1 whole chicken, cut into small bite sized pieces or use 6 whole chicken breasts with skin. -----------Juice from 1 large lemon Seasoned flour (salt,pepper and garlic powder) 2 beaten eggs 3 tbsp runny honey 1 tbsp chopped garlic 1 heaped tbsp of corn flour mixed with some water to form a paste Dust the chicken pieces or whole chicken breast in seasoned flour in a bag, then roll into beaten egg and then coat it again with the seasoned flour. Deep fry the pieces in hot oil for 10 minutes till cooked. The smaller the pieces the faster it will cook. Drain on kitchen paper. To prepare the sauce, first stir fry the garlic in a little oil. Then add in the lemon juice, runny honey and boil for 2 minutes. Have a taste. If it is too sharp, more honey or sugar or if it is too sweet, add water and a bit more lemon juice. Then when almost ready, add in the corn flour mixture to thicken the sauce. Pour the sauce over the fried chicken and serve immediately. You can fry the chicken pieces and keep warm in oven till ready to serve. The sauce can also be made ahead and then heated up before serving. |
Leeks and dried Chinese sausages stir fry.
2 leeks- washed and thinly sliced sausages stir fry250 gm of slices Chinese sausages (you can buy this at Chinese Supermarket) – But you have to soak the sausages first in hot water for about 10 minute or more and then removing the skins and then slice them thinly. 3 cloves of chopped garlic 1 tsp of chopped ginger rice wine or dry sherry (optional) 1/2 tsp of sugar soya sauce Heat the wok till smoking. Then add in about 2 tbsp of oil. When oil is hot, put in the chopped garlic and ginger and quickly stir fry till fragrant but do not burn them. Then add in the sliced sausages and fry for 2 –3 minutes, stirring constantly. Then add in the sliced leeks and then a splash of rice wine or dry sherry (this is optional). If prefer just sprinkle some water instead. Then stir fry till leeks are cooked. Add in seasoning and sugar to taste. Serve hot. |
Easy Golden Coin Japanese Tofu
1 to 2 tubes Japanese egg tofu. This is easily obtained at most Chinese supermarket. Half a cup of corn flour (some excess cornflour can be use to thicken sauce) 2 large beaten eggs – 1 for coating and 1 for sauce (plus any extras) 1 carrot- cut into julienne Sliced spring onions 1 can of straw mushrooms, cut into half length ways 150g of mangetout, cut off any stringy edges. 2 cloves of garlic, chopped finely seasonings soya sauce 1 cup of chicken stock salt and pepper, if wished First cut the tops off the Japanese tofu tube and slide out the tofu carefully on to a cutting board. Cut across the tofu into medallions and they look like coins. Dip the tofu coins into corn flour and then into beaten egg and again into the corn flour. Shallow fry them in hot oil, turning once when the underside is golden brown. Set aside fried coins, draining on kitchen towel. For the sauce, fry the garlic in some oil till fragrant. Add in the julienne carrot and mangetout. Stir fry the ingredients for 3 minutes. Then add in the chicken stock and bring to boil. Lower the heat into a simmer. Add in some soya sauce, taste and adjust seasonings. Mix about 2 tsp of the excess corn flour with a bit of water to make a smooth mixture. Now take all the beaten egg and trickle them in slowly into the sauce to make delicate “clouds”. Do not stir at this point. Allow the egg mixture set and cook in the sauce. This will take about 1 to 2 minutes. When sauce is ready, pour in the corn flour mixture to thicken the sauce. Pour sauce over the fried coins in a serving plate. Garnish with the chopped spring onions. Serve immediately. |
Chinese Style Fried Rice
Serving Size : 2 Preparation Time :0:15 Categories : Main Meal Cuisine: "Chinese Style" 1 onion -- chopped 5 slices streaky bacon or pancetta 1/2 cup peas 2 eggs -- beaten 1 cup rice (raw weight) -- cooked & cooled 200 grams peeled prawns (raw if possible) 1 small skinless & boneless chicken breast -- cut into small dice oil for frying 2 teaspoons sesame oil Fry the onion and bacon in a large pan or wok. Add the chicken and stir-fry until cooked. Add the cooked rice and peas. When the rice is well coated with oil push to one side of the wok and add the eggs one at a time breaking up as they cook. Stir in the prawns and when cooked or thoroughly heated through, serve. --------------- |
Chinese Stuffed Mushrooms
20 Chinese Mushrooms (soaked in hot water till soft) or fresh shitake mushrooms (large ones) ------------150 gm fresh uncooked prawns 150 gm of firm fish fillet, cut into bite sized 1 tbsp chopped ginger 1 tbsp chopped garlic 2 tbsp chopped water chestnuts 2 tsp of cornflour 1 egg white a few drops of sesame seed oil some peas for decoration seasonings to taste (salt and white ground pepper) If using dried mushroom, clean them after soaking to remove any debris and cut out the stems as they are hard to chew. Set them aside. Put the prawns and fish into the food processor with all the ingredients EXCEPT the peas and egg white. Blitz till well chopped and combined. Then add in the egg white and blitz till smooth paste. Take out the mixture into a bowl and take a handful of it and slap it against the side of the bowl a few times till mixture stiffens. This sounds like an odd practice, but this will firm the mixture up and the end result would have a springy texture when cooked instead of soft sloppy texture. Now fill in the cavity of the mushroom with the mixture and make a dome shape on top. Then press a pea in the middle. Put the filled mushroom to a heatproof plate. Repeat the process till all mushrooms are filled. If there is any of the fish mixture left, roll them into balls with wet hands and then add a pea on top and steam them with the mushrooms. These are known as fishballs. If using fresh mushrooms, just clean them and then cut away the stems but u can blitz the stem with the mixture as they are quite soft and tender. But discard any hard tough ones. But handle the mushrooms carefully as they are more delicate then the dried ones. Then just fill them up as above and place on heatproof plate. Steam them in the plates over rapid boiling water for 8- 10 minutes till the mixture is cooked. Remove from heat and serve hot. The mushrooms will have some lovely juices around it from the steaming. You can enhance the flavour by adding a few drops of soy sauce to the mushrooms before serving hot with other dishes. You can prepare the mushroom a day ahead and leave in fridge till ready to steam but as it is cold from the fridge, allow extra cooking time of 3 – 4 minutes. |
Braised Pork Trotters*
1 pig’s trotter, about 1 kg in weight (do try to obtain the part that’s near the shoulder, (normally called the foreleg) as it is much leaner. If possible, ask the butcher to remove the bones for you.) -----------------1 tbsp dark soy sauce 10 dried black mushrooms, soaked 1 piece cinnamon stick, about 4 - 5cm 1 star anise 3 cloves 3cm piece ginger, smashed lightly to release oils 1 piece nam yee (red fermented bean curd) – you can buy this from Chinese supermarket. The nam yee gives a rich flavour and dark red-ish brown colour to the finished dish. 1 whole bulb of garlic- washed but retain the skin and keep whole. 5 hard-boiled eggs, shelled and leave whole 2 tbsp oyster sauce 2 tbsp light soy sauce 1/2 tbsp dark thick soy sauce 8 red dates (this can be bought from Chinese supermarket quite easily) 2 stalks spring onions - sliced Seasoning 1 tsp salt 2 tsp sugar 1/4 tsp pepper 500ml water To thicken the sauce (combined) 1/2 tbsp corn flour 1 tbsp water First bring half a pot of water to a boil. Put in trotter and blanch for 3 to 4 minutes. This is to remove any scum and impurities that would cloud the sauce. Then remove it from pot, give a quick rinse under the tap and leave the trotter aside for a short while. While it is still hot, brush it with dark soy sauce. This will give rich dark colour to the meat. Now add the whole garlic bulb into some oil in a pressure cooker and stir fry till fragrant and it turns light golden brown. Then place trotter and all the other ingredients, including the seasoning and water into the pressure cooker. Cover and bring to a boil over medium high heat. When the second ring on the pressure cooker appears, lower the heat and set the timer for 25 to 30 minutes. The meat should be tender and lovely when its ready. Release the pressure and remove the lid. Add the corn flour mixture to thicken. It is now ready to dish out and serve. Or you can prepare this dish ahead of time and leave aside or store in fridge over night. Then reheat or re-cook the dish before serving, ensuring the meat is piping hot. f you do not have a pressure cooker, then it will just take a longer time to braised the dish on a medium to low heat. I would say it will take about 1- 2 hours, depending on the meat. When it is tender and is almost falling apart, it is ready. Add the hard boil eggs in the last 30 minutes of cooking if not using pressure cooker. * This dish is made in the pressure cooker for speed Recipe contributed by Dew |
Western - Honey Tea Cake
2 oz Butter ¼ cup Sugar ¼ cup honey 1 Egg ½ cup Self-Raising Flour ¼ cup Milk Icing sugar Cinnamon Preparations: 1. Cream softened butter, sugar and honey until light and fluffy. 2. Add egg and beat well. 3. Fold in sifted flour and milk alternately. 4. Spoon into greased 8 inch since sand which tin. 5. Bake in moderate oven 25 to 30 minutes or until firm to touch. 6. When cold sift a little icing sugar over cake and sprinkle with cinnamon. |
Western - Prawn Pickle
Ingredients: --------------500 gm Shelled medium sized prawns 500 gm Small red onion 10 gm Ginger 10gm Garlic 1tsp Jeera 2 Green chilies 1tsp Black pepper ½ oz Turmeric ½ oz Dry chilies Preparations: 1. Grind all this in strong vinegar. 2. Fry prawns. 3. Heat half bottle of oil and brown the sliced onions, till golden brown. 4. Then add ground ingredients, the cut up green chilies and fried prawns and a little more vinegar. 5. Cook till the oil floats. |
Friday, February 23, 2007
How to Make a Friendship Cake Starter
There are many versions of this starter and the resulting bread or cake recipe going around. There is one with fruit, one with nuts, one made with whole wheat flour and raisins and the list goes on and on. Here is one method for starting the starter: Friendship Cake Starter Recipe 1 package active dry yeast 3 cups warm water (105° to 115°F), divided 2 cups all purpose flour, sifted 2 tablespoons sugar Starter food (flour, sugar and water) Dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup warm water, stirring well; let stand 5 minutes or until bubbly. Combine remaining water, flour and sugar in a medium size, non-metallic bowl; mix well. Add dissolved yeast and stir well. Cover loosely with plastic wrap or cheesecloth and let stand in a warm place (80°-85°F) three days, stirring 2-3 times daily. Place fermented mixture in refrigerator at this point. Stir daily and use within 11 days. Always bring starter to room temperature before using in cake recipe. Allow to set in a warm place for one hour or longer before using. Stir well, then measure amount needed for recipe. Or on day 10 divide the mixture. Measure two to three cups starter for recipe. Divide remaining starter into one cup portions. Place in plastic or glass containers, loosely cover with plastic wrap. Keep one cup for yourself and give one cup each to friends along with the "Nurturing Your Starter" instructions and cake recipe. Nurturing Your Starter--Your starter should have a sweet yeasty smell. If at any time you notice signs of spoilage toss the starter and begin again. Do not add milk, cream, or eggs to starter or it may produce harmful bacteria. Day #1 -- The day your receive your 1 cup of starter, stir the mixture with a wooden spoon, let it sit on a counter, loosely covered with crumpled plastic wrap or wax paper for one day. Do not refrigerate at this point. Use a nonmetallic container. Day #2, 3, 4 -- Refrigerate, stir the mixture each day, keep loosely covered. Day #5 -- Transfer starter to a larger glass or ceramic jar or bowl. Add the following "starter food." 1 cup water 1 cup flour 1 cup sugar Stir to mix, cover loosely and return batter to the refrigerator. Mixture will expand. Your container should not be more than half full. Refrigerate the starter at this point. Day #6, 7, 8, 9 -- Stir only and keep refrigerated, loosely covered. Day # 10 -- You may need to transfer the batter to an even larger container. Add more starter food and stir. Allow starter to sit at room temperature for one hour. Remove 3 cup for three friends, and measure 3 cups for the following recipe. Note: If you keep a cup for yourself, start over, beginning with Day #1. Fruit and Nuts Friendship Cake 1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda 1 cup sugar 2 cups all purpose flour 2/3 cup vegetable oil 2 teaspoons baking powder 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 cup chopped apples 3 cups starter 1 cup raisins or chopped nuts 1 egg plus 2 egg whites Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl, set aside. In another large bowl mix starter, egg and whites, sugar, oil and vanilla. Add flour mixture, apples and raisins or nuts. Pour into a greased and floured tube pan or 9 x 11 loaf pan. Bake at 350°F for 50 to 60 minutes. Cool, dust with powdered sugar. Note: Any combination of fruit and nuts can be used as long as the total equals 2 cups. Try crushed, drained pineapples, dates, pecans, or almonds |
Homemade Stuffing Mix
1 cup water -----------------2 tablespoons butter or margarine 3 tablespoons dried celery flakes 1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes 2 teaspoons dried minced onion 2 teaspoons chicken bouillon granules 1/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning 1/4 teaspoon sage 3 1/2 cups unseasoned bread cubes (dried) To prepare: In a sauce pan over medium heat, bring water, butter and seasonings to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat; add bread cubes and mix gently. Cover and let stand for 5 minutes. Toss with a fork before serving. Serving suggestions: Add sautéed mushrooms, almonds and celery. No dried celery, parsley or onion? Substitute about twice the amount of fresh ingredients by Leslie Sausage |
Cake Mix Cookies
1 packaged cake mix, any flavor 2 large eggs 1/2 C vegetable oil 1 C chocolate chips, M&M's, or nuts Combine all ingredients and mix together. Drop by tablespoons on a cookie sheet prepared with non-stick spray. Bake at 350ºF for about 12 minutes. Recipe Review: Very good and very easy! Cream Cheese Cookies 3 oz pkg. cream cheese 1 C shortening, butter or margarine 1 C sugar 1 egg 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract 3/4 tsp. salt (if you use shortening, otherwise omit) 1/2 tsp. baking soda 2 1/2 C all-purpose flour Cream the cream cheese and shortening until fluffy. Add sugar, egg and vanilla. Beat until well mixed. Add dry ingredients. Mix thoroughly. Roll into balls and flatten with fork tines on un-greased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 F. for 10 to 12 minutes or until slightly browned. Makes approximately 4 dozen cookies. For cut out cookies, chill the dough several hours or overnight to make it easy to roll out and cut into shapes with your favorite cookie cutters for any of the holidays. |
Chocolate Covered Raisin Cookie Mix
3/4 C sugar ------------1/2 C firmly packed dark brown sugar 1 C chocolate-covered raisins 1/2 C milk chocolate chip morsels 1 3/4 C all-purpose flour, combined with 1 tsp baking powder and 1/2 tsp baking soda Layer ingredients in order given in a quart size container. Gently press each layer, before adding the next layer. Attach these instructions to the container: Chocolate-covered Raisin Cookies Empty cookie mix into large mixing bowl. Use your hands to blend mix. Add: 1 stick butter or margarine, softened at room temp. 1 egg, slightly beaten 1 tsp vanilla Mix until completely blended. You will need to finish mixing with your hands. Shape into walnut sized balls. Place 2-inches apart on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Do not use waxed paper. Bake at 375 degrees for 13 to 15 minutes until tops are very lightly browned. Cool 5 minutes on baking sheet. Remove cookies to racks to finish cooling. Yield: 30 cookies |
Thursday, February 22, 2007
Barley & Vegetables Recipe
Mushrooms, zucchini, onion, and celery blend with barley for an easy garden skillet dish. INGREDIENTS: * 3 cups water * 1 cup uncooked barley * 1 tablespoon low-sodium beef bouillon granules * 1-3/4 cups zucchini cut in 1/4-inch slices (about 2 small) * 1 cup sliced celery (about 2 medium stalks) * 1/4 cup chopped onion (about 1 small) * 1 cup sliced mushrooms (about 3 ounces) * 2 teaspoons chopped fresh basil or 3/4 teaspoon dried basil leaves * 2 tablespoons margarine * 1 jar (2 ounces) diced pimientos, drained * 1 tablespoon lemon juice PREPARATION: Heat water, barley, and bouillon granules to boiling in 3-quart saucepan; reduce heat. Cover and simmer about 1 hour, or until barley is tender and all liquid is absorbed. Cook zucchini, celery, onion, mushrooms, and basil in margarine in 10-inch non-stick skillet about 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until the celery is crisp-tender. Stir in barley and the pimientos. Cook over medium heat about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until barley is hot. Stir in lemon juice. Yield: 8 servings Per Serving: 130 calories, 4 grams protein, 22 grams carbohydrates, 3 grams fat, 0 milligrams cholesterol, 50 milligrams sodium, 450 milligrams potassium |
Cauliflower Latkes Recipe
. Use steamed cauliflower instead of potatoes and spice them up a bit with seasoned bread crumbs and herbs, then sweeten with carmelized onions. Less heavy starch and you probably won't even be able to tell they are not made of potatoes. Latkes are traditonal for Hanukkah, but you'll want to make these year-round. INGREDIENTS: * 1 (about 2 pounds) large cauliflower, trimmed and chopped into 1-inch pieces * 1 medium onion, finely chopped * 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil * 1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs * 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme * 2 Tablespoons minced fresh parsley * 2 large eggs, lightly beaten * Salt to taste * Freshly ground pepper to taste * 4 Tablespoons vegetable oil for frying * Sour cream for dipping, optional PREPARATION: Steam cauliflower until very tender. Mash to the consistency of mashed potatoes with 1/4-inch lumps. Drain any excess moisture. Meanwhile, gently saute onions in vegetable oil over medium-low heat until soft and lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool about 5 minutes. Combine mashed cauliflower, sauteed onions, bread crumbs, thyme, parsley, eggs, salt, and pepper with a wooden spoon. Heat about 4 tablespoons of oil in a deep skillet. Scoop out a heaping tablespoon of the cauliflower mixture into your hands and compress into a patty about 1/2-inch thick. Place patty in hot oil to fry. Repeat with remaining cauliflower, cooking 4 to 5 patties at a time, flipping when golden on the first side. Do not crowd pan or they will not brown and crisp properly. Drain cauliflower latkes on paper towels and keep warm in the oven at 250 F. until all are completed. May be served plain or with sour cream as an optional dipping sauce. Yield: 6 servings ----------- |
Potato Vegetable Kugel Recipe
Yellow squash, onions, and carrots join potatoes in this delicious baked vegetable kugel. It is a perfect side dish for Hanukkah or any meal. INGREDIENTS: * Vegetable oil spray * 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil * 1 large onion, chopped * 1 pound yellow squash, coarsely grated * 2 large carrots, peeled and coarsely grated * 2 large baking potatoes * 3 large eggs * 1 teaspoon salt * 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper * 1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley * 1 teaspoon paprika * 1/4 cup matzoh meal PREPARATION: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Generously spray an 8-inch square pan or 7-cup baking dish with vegetable oil spray. Gently saute the onion in the oil over medium-low heat until soft, about 10 minutes. Place grated squash and carrots in a large mixing bowl and add the onions. Peel the potatoes and coarsely grate. Place in a strainer and squeeze out any excess moisture. Transfer the grated potatoes to the vegetables in the bowl. Mix in eggs, salt, pepper, parsley, paprika, and matzoh meal. Heat the baking dish for 5 minutes in the preheated oven. Scrape the vegetable mixture into the hot pan. Lightly spray with vegetable oil and sprinkle with additional paprika for color. Bake potato vegetable kugel about 1 hour until set and browned on top. Let rest 5 minutes before cutting to serve hot. Yield: 6 to 8 servings ---------------- |
No-Bake Homemade Chocolate Mallowbars Recipe
Ingredients Bottom layer: 8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, chopped 4 Tbsp shortening or butter 1 cups chocolate wafer crumbs Marshmallow layer: 1 cup cold water, divided use 3 packages unflavored gelatin 1-1/2 cups granulated sugar 1 cup light corn syrup 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract (or other flavoring - see Note) Coating: 8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, chopped 2 Tbsp shortening (not butter nor margarine) 2 ounces paraffin (Gulf wax), chopped Instructions Prepare a 9 x 13 x 2-inch baking pan by lining pan with non-stick foil. Grease sides only of pan with shortening. For the bottom layer: Melt chocolate and shortening in a double-boiler. Remove from heat and add chocolate wafer crumbs; combine thoroughly. Spread evenly into the bottom of the pan and chill to set while making marshmallow layer. For the marshmallow layer: Mix gelatin with 1/2 cup cold water in a large bowl. Let rest for 10 minutes. While waiting for the gelatin to bloom, prepare the syrup. In a small heavy pan, combine corn syrup, sugar, salt, and remaining 1/2 cup water, cooking over medium heat until all is dissolved. Increase heat and cook until mixture reads 240 degrees F. on a candy thermometer. Immediately remove from heat. Do not overcook. Slowly add sugar mixture into gelatin while constantly mixing at low speed. Once all the syrup has been added, increase mixer speed to high and whip for 15 minutes. Watch carefully; as the mixture thickens, it tends to climb up the beaters. Just push it back down with a spatula. Mixture should become very thick. Add vanilla extract last and mix until incorporated. Pour marshmallow mixture on top of cooled chocolate layer and smooth out with an oiled spatula. Let stand, uncovered, overnight (18 to 24 hours) to dry out. Line a large 15-inch cookie sheet with butcher paper, shiny side up. Remove the sheet of candy on the foil to a flat surface and peel down the foil sides until flat. Using an oiled long serrated bread knife, cut the candies into even squares and place each piece 1/2-inch apart on butcher paper. For the coating: Melt chocolate, shortening, and paraffin in the top of a double-boiler until smooth. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Spoon liquid chocolate over each square to cover each completely. Chill about 30 minutes to set chocolate. Yield: about 40 to 60 pieces, depending on cut size Note: You can easily vary the flavor of these goodies by substituting other flavored extracts or liqueurs for the vanilla extract and/or graham cracker crumbs for the chocolate wafer cookies. --------------------- |
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Broccoli soup
Ingredients ----------------knob of unsalted butter ½ onion, peeled and diced ½ broccoli, cut into florets ½ pint vegetable stock 1-2 tbsp rice splash of double cream salt and freshly ground black pepper few fresh herbs, chopped Method 1. Gently melt the butter in a large non-stick saucepan and sauté the onion and broccoli for 3-4 minutes. 2. Pour in the stock and then add the rice and bring to the boil. 3. Reduce the heat and simmer gently for 10-12 minutes, or until the broccoli is tender. 4. Add a splash of cream and season to taste. Transfer the soup to a liquidiser and blend until smooth. 5. Return soup to the pan to warm through and then pour into a serving dish. Sprinkle with the fresh herbs and serve. |
Purple sprouting broccoli pesto
Ingredients 675g/1½ lb purple sprouting broccoli 25g/1oz basil leaves 4 cloves of garlic 55g/2oz pine nuts ½ tsp sea salt Method 1. In a food processor blend together all the ingredients. Excellent for folding into pasta. ---------- |
Monday, February 19, 2007
Vegetarian pizzoccheri
Ingredients 350g/12oz dried pizzoccheri - pasta 225g/8oz potatoes, peeled and diced 200g/7oz fresh French beans or spring greens or brussels sprouts, trimmed 150g/5oz unsalted butter 2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely sliced freshly grated nutmeg few sage leaves 200g/7oz fontina cheese, diced 100g/4oz freshly grated parmesan cheese Method 1. Cook the pasta, potatoes and French beans, spring greens or brussels sprouts together for 20-25 minutes or until tender. Drain the pasta and the vegetables. 2. Heat the butter and gently fry the garlic for a few minutes adding the nutmeg and sage. 3. Preheat a large serving bowl. Put a layer of the pasta and the vegetables in the bottom, sprinkle with some of the fontina cheese and some of the parmesan cheese. Repeat the layers once again. Pour the hot butter and garlic over the top, mix slightly ---------------------- |
FISH STEW
INGREDIENTS FOR RICE and FISH STEW ----------------------· 3 lb sea bass tail · 2 lb broken rice · ½ lb pound calabreze · ½ lb sweet cassava · 9 cups cold water · 1x6 ounce can tomato paste · 3” piece smoked fish (any firm white will do) · 12 small okra pods · 5 small purple turnips · 5 carrots · 4 sweet potatoes · 2 large onions · 2 scallions · 2 small eggplants · 2 large cloves garlic · 1 small green cabbage · 1 bunch parsley · 1 fresh bird chili · 1 habanero chili · 4 Tbsp peanut oil · 1 tsp salt TO PREPARE THE FISH STEW Dissolve the salt in the water. Prepare the vegetables as follows:- Peel and dice both the calabreze and cassava into 1 inch pieces. Wash, top and tail the okra pods, making sure you have no hard pods Quarter the turnips and sweet potatoes. Peel the carrots and cut into 1 inch rounds Cut the eggplants into 1 inch slices Cut the cabbage into 8 pieces Mince the onions Prepare the sea bass by cleaning and cut into 1 ½ inch thick steaks, score the steaks with a sharp knife. Prepare the stuffing for the sea bass steaks by placing the parsley, garlic, bird chili and scallions in a food processor and pulsing until they form a thick paste. When the paste is ready poke the stuffing into the slits, previously made by scoring the sea bass steaks Heat the oil in a large stockpot and brown the onion. Add the smoked fish, tomato paste and ¼ cup of the salted water. When the onion has browned, place the sea bass in the pot with the onion mixture and cook for 5 minutes. Add the remaining water. Bring to the boil, cover and lower the heat. Add the vegetables as follows: calabaza, sweet cassava, turnips, cabbage, sweet potatoes, eggplants, carrots, okra and habanero chili. Remove and reserve the habanero chili when the thiebou dienn is spicy enough to taste. Cook for 20 minutes. |
INGREDIENTS FOR THIS TASTY SPINACH RECIPE
·2 lbs spinach (collards may be substituted) ·1½ oz peanut butter ·1 tomato ·1 onion ·2 tsp curry powder ·1 cup coconut milk ·3 Tbsp cooking oil ·1 tsp salt HOW TO PREPARE THE SPINACH Wash the spinach, roll leaves together and chop. Pop the tomato in boiling water for 30 seconds to 1 minute, peel and chop. Peel and chop the onion. Mix the peanut butter with the coconut milk. Heat the oil over medium heat in a large frying pan. Add the onion, tomato, salt and curry powder and sauté for 5 minutes, or until the onion becomes soft and translucent. Add the spinach, continue cooking for about 15 to 20 minutes, until the spinach is cooked. Add the peanut butter and coconut milk mixture. Simmer, for another 5 minutes, stirring constantly, to ensure that the mixture does not stick to the pot. The curried spinach and peanut butter may be served as a side dish, or as a full meal when served with rice, ugali or samp and beans ------------------------- |