Archive for » July, 2009 «

26
Jul
Fine Chocolate Salami

Ingredients:

250 g cooking dark chocolate

100 g unsalted butter

100g dried apricots chopped

100g ground almonds

3 tbs light coloured honey

50 g mixed nuts (walnuts, hazelnuts, pecan nuts)

225 g amaretto biscuits

Preparation:

  1. On low heat (best above the boiling water) melt chocolate, butter and honey.
  2. Nut mix roast in a pan.
  3. Crush biscuits.
  4. Mix well together around 180 g biscuits with all other dry ingredients and melted chocolate.
  5. Put on a glad wrap and form a roll 25-30 cm long.
  6. Cool in a fridge for 30 min, then take it out and roll it in the remaining biscuits for top coating. Roll it back into a wrap and leave overnight to set wll.
  7. Slice on tin slices and serve for dessert with coffee.
Category: Desserts, Italian  Tags: , ,  Leave a Comment
26
Jul
Holly Guacamole

Guacamole, a dip made from avocados, is originally from Mexico. The name is derived from two Aztec Nahuatl words – ahuacatl (avocado) and molli (sauce). The trick to perfect guacamole is using good, ripe avocados. Check for ripeness by gently pressing the outside of the avocado. If there is no give, the avocado is not ripe yet and will not taste good. If there is a little give, the avocado is ripe. If there is a lot of give, the avocado may be past ripe and not good. In this case, taste test first before using.
This recipe gives smooth dip and spread guacamole with rich flavour.

Ingredients

  • 2 ripe avocados
  • 6cloves of roasted garlic
  • 1 tablespoon of fresh lime or lemon juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon sweet ground red paprika
  • A dash of freshly grated black pepper
  • A dash of dry chilly flakes

Garnish with red radishes, red casicums or tomatoes. Serve with tortilla chips or crisp bread selection.

Method:

1 Cut avocados in half. Remove seed. Scoop out avacado from the peel, put in a mixing bowl of a food processor.

2 Add all other ingredients and process until smooth.

Remember that much of this is done to taste because of the variability in the ingredients. Start with this recipe and adjust to your taste.

3 Cover with plastic wrap directly on the surface of the guacamole to prevent oxidation from the air reaching it. Refrigerate until ready.

Serves 4.

Category: Appetisers, Mexican, Sauces, Vegetarian  Tags: , , ,  Leave a Comment
25
Jul
Turkey Stuffing Recipe

Here is my recipe for the best bread turkey stuffing. It’s also easy to make and amazingly versatile, as it can be used for stuffing the turkey or cooked in the oven. I don’t think that anyone will be disappointed.

Bread Stuffing Recipe

This turkey stuffing recipe serves approximately 12.

Ingredients:

3 loaves of aged bread

1 large chopped onion

6 cloves chopped garlic

1/2 bunch of Italian parsley

1 kg bacon rashes (skin off)

1 small bunch chives

1 tsp ground nutmeg

1 tsp. salt, or to taste

1 tsp. pepper, or to taste

1/2 cup water

Roast in a frying pan onion, garlic and bacon rashes until golden brown, and then cool and blend in a food processor. Add to the mixture, crumbled bread, herbs and spices. Process it by adding water only to combine it together.

This turkey stuffing recipe can be made ahead and put in the refrigerator for the next day before cooking or stuffing. This recipe can be used in the turkey or baked by itself at 230 degrees Celsius for approximately 40 minutes.

Category: Appetisers, Mains, Side Dishes  Tags: , , , , ,  Leave a Comment
25
Jul
Vienna Custard Squares

Serves: 12

Ingredients:

350 g sugar

6 eggs
2 tbs standard flour
2 tbs vanilla sugar
1 1/4 l milk

¼ l water
200 g corn flour
2 large sheets puff pastry (20x30cm)

Icing sugar

Preparation:
Bake puff pastry sheets one at the time in the oven.

Beat egg yolks with ¼ l milk, add vanilla sugar, corn flour and flour.
Add to remaining milk water, 200 g sugar and bring to boil. Add yolk mixture and with constant stirring cook on lower heat until thickens into a cream, then remove from the heat. Meanwhile beat the egg whites with remaining sugar until thick and glossy, then fold it gently into still warm cream.
Pour the cream over one sheet of puff pastry, top with another sheet and work the edges of the cream with knife into smooth surface. Sprinkle the top with icing sugar and chill for couple of hours to set completely. Cut gently with very sharp knife into squares.

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25
Jul
Mango-Apricot Spiced Chicken

Ingredients:

For Marinade:

½ cup mango melanesian sauce

½ cup spiced apricot sauce

1 chopped yellow capsicum

1tsp red curry paste

1tsp sweet chilly garlic sauce

9 diced dried apricots

Seasoning to taste: cracked and ground black pepper, salt, chilly flakes

1crushed garlic clove

500g chicken meat pieces (breast preferably)

4 tbs oil

Fresh chives, chopped for garnish

Preparation:

Mix all ingredients for marinade, add chicken meat, toss well and marinate for an hour in the fridge.

Heat oil in a fry pan, add marinated meat with sauce included and cook on lower heat for approx. 20 min. If to dry some water can be added to keep consistency of sauce. Season when finished with more salt and pepper to taste.

Serve:

Serve on the bed of rice and sprinkle with fresh chives.

Category: Asian, Mains  Tags: , , , ,  Leave a Comment
25
Jul
Sauteed Chicken Livers
Chicken livers are mild in taste and not so bitter, but cooking them in the milk completely takes bitterness away and sauteed onoin with garlic gives sweetness and aroma.

Ingredients:

  • extra virgin olive oil
  • 4 shallots or one larger onion finely chopped
  • 1 tsp of salt
  • 4cloves of garlic crushed and chopped
  • 45 g of sour cream
  • 500 g fresh chicken liver washed and sliced
  • 1-1/2 cup of milk
  • cracked papper  and chopped parsley to season

Method:

Trim 500g of chicken livers and pat dry.

Heat 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil in a frying pan, add  peeled and chopped onions with garlic and stir until soft and golden brown. Reduce heat, add chicken livers and sautee  till they are just brown. Add milk and sautee further for few minutes until reduced into sauce. Add sour cream for last minute of cooking and season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with chopped parsley.

To serve:

Serve with  green salad and mashed potatoes. Serves 4.

Category: Appetisers, Mains  Tags: , , ,  Leave a Comment
25
Jul
Cold Squares

Ingredients:

Pastry:

6 eggs
6 tbs sugar
6 tbs ground walnuts
6 tbs standard flour
3 tbs cacao
1 lemon’s grated rind
1tsp baking powder

Syrup:

300 g sugar
2cups water

Cream:

750 ml milk
12 tbs standard flour
3 tbs sugar
3 egg yolks
250 g unsalted margarine or butter
4 tbs icing sugar

Glazing:

100 g cooking chocolate
20 g unsalted margarine or butter
1 tbs milk

Preparation:

Pastry:

Beat eggs with sugar until smooth, then add the rest of ingredients, mix it and bake on 180-200 °C for approx. 20 min.

Cream:

Beat egg yolks, then add already mixed together flour and sugar. Add it gradually into boiling milk, stirring all the time that it wouldn’t clump. Cool it after it thickens. Separately beat margarine with icing sugar then mix it with cooled cream.

Chocolate glazing:

In a bowl above the hot steam melt and mix together chocolate, milk and margarine.

Pour syrup over cooled pastry, then spread the cream and glaze it with chocolate.  Refrigerate for couple of hours, then cut into squares with a knife dipped into a hot water and serve on a platter.

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25
Jul
French Salad

This is an excellent cold salad which should be served with cold meat cuts or on it’s own with toast.

Ingredients:

For Mayonnaise:

3 egg yolks

1 / 2 liters of oil

200 g mustard estragon tatste

salt and pepper

a few drops of lemon

For Salad:

3 / 4 to 1 kg of potatoes smaller and of equal size

250 g carrots

250 g peas

5 large or 10 small gerkins (depending on size)


Preparation:

The secret of good French salad is in mayonnaise, and we recommend that you create your own instead of buying it. For the amount that we recommend here (for fifteen people) you will need three eggs, or egg yolks. Egg yolks detach from the egg-white and the first to add one teaspoon mustard making it so easily to blend into unique mass. Then, slowly, drop by drop, add oil, mixing constantly. When the oil and eggs are not connected, stop adding oil and mix at the maximum speed. When oil and egg yolks connect, continue with a slight adding of oil. Three egg yolks can “drink” up to half a liter of oil that will be enough for the amount of other ingredients. Mayonnaise can be done and of olive oil, which is warmly recommended. When the oil and egg yolks connect in unique mixture, it should be seasoned. First mix in 200 g mustard making (estragon recommended), then add salt and pepper. Mayonnaise should be tasted, and salt and pepper should be placed so that you can do that mayonnaise  is somewhat too salty, too peppered and too sour. It is for this reason that the vegetables are cooked in water only and has no additional flavorings, whichyou will get from the mayonnaise.

Cook the whole potatoes. When cooked, immediately peel it. Cook carrots and peas. Cook all ingredients separately, only in hot water. All ingredients (potatoes, carrots, gerkins) dice into cubes of equal size (approximate size of grains of peas), then all together mix with mayonnaise. Leave in refrigerator for at least 12 hours to cool down.

These amounts are approximate, may vary slightly.

Category: Appetisers, French, Salads  Tags: , ,  Leave a Comment
25
Jul
Spinach artichoke dip

by Joy Bauer
Serves 6

Always a hit! This is one of my favorite low-calorie, heart-healthy appetizers — it’s most delicious served piping hot with lots of colorful, raw veggies.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 10-ounce package frozen, chopped spinach
• 3/4 cup “reduced-fat” mayonnaise (any brand with 25 calories or less per tablespoon)
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan Reggiano cheese
• 1 (14-ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and finely chopped
• 2 scallions, finely chopped
• Plenty of baby carrots, celery sticks and red, yellow and green pepper strips for dipping

PREPARATION:

Preheat the oven to 230 degrees Celsius.

Microwave frozen spinach according to package directions. Drain all water and set aside.

In a medium bowl, mix together mayonnaise and Parmesan cheese. Stir in the artichoke hearts, scallions cooked spinach and kosher salt. Mix thoroughly.

Spoon into a small casserole dish and bake for approximately 25 minutes, or until hot.

TIP:

Serve with raw vegetables, toasted pita breads or crackers (or combination of all).

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24
Jul
Fruit Salami

This is an easy sweet recipe that can be prepared in advance. Enjoy this rich salami with divine taste.

Ingredients:

300 g pitted prunes

500 g dry figs

250 g dates

150 g walnuts

200 g icing sugar

1 tsp vanilla sugar

Rind of one orange

Crystal sugar for coating

Preparation:

Finely chop walnuts and orange rind. Process prunes, dates and figs in food processor until finely ground. Cook the icing and vanilla sugar with a small amount of water into a very thick syrup (you should be able to pull a string between two fingers), then take away from the heat and mix with fruit mixture. Spread crystal sugar in a thin layer over alu foil. Spread the mixture in the shape of roll and roll foil over it. This should give a shape of salami. Chill in the fridge for a day. Slice into thin slices (few mm).

Serve:

Excellent with coffee.

Tip:

This can be done in advance and stored in a fridge for quite a while as all ingredients are natural dry fruits.

Category: Desserts, Italian  Tags: , , ,  Leave a Comment
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