Archive for » December 1st, 2009«

01
Dec
Honey Slices

Ingredients:

For pastry-

3 eggs

4 tbs honey

2 tbs oil

750 g flour

2 tsp baking powder

½ tsp ground cinnamon

1 tbs oil

For filling-

1 l milk

80 g custard powder

3 tbs flour

200 g sugar

375 g unsalted butter (1 ½ package)

Chocolate shavings or powder for decoration

Method:

1. Eggs, honey and 2 tbs oil mix together and cook on a low heat until darkens a little bit. Cool it down by mixing, then add the remaining ingredients. Make a soft dough, and if it is too tough than add some milk to get the right consistency for rolling the pastry sheets.

2. Divide dough onto four equal parts. Roll it on a baking paper and bake on inverted side of wide oven tray. Make sure all four pastries are of the same dimensions. Bake in the oven on 180 degrees C for 5 min only (not longer!).

3. In a separate jug mix some of the milk with custard powder, sugar and flour until smooth. Bring the remaining milk to the boil and stirr the custard mix in. Cook by constant stirring for couple of minutes (until thickens), then cool it of by occasional mixing. When cooled mix in well beaten butter to get smooth cream.

4. Fill in pastry with cream and finish with cream as top layer.

5. Grate the chocolate shaving or sprinkle the chocolate powder on top. Let it rest overnight, then cut into slices for serving.

Category: Desserts  Tags: ,  Leave a Comment
01
Dec
Farmhouse Baked Beans

Ingredients:

- 500 g white or brown beans soaked overnight

- 300-500 g smoked dry pork meat (neck, ribs, hogs or similar, with some fat on it)

- 1 slice smoked bacon

- 2 smaller or 1 big onion chopped

- 2 cloves of garlic roughly chopped

- 1 bay leave

- 1 tsp dry oregano

- 1 tsp dry basil

- 1tsp dry thyme

- 1 carrot sliced

- ½ celery stalk sliced

- 1 small parsnip root sliced

- 1-2 tbs finely chopped Italian parsley

- salt

- 5 black peppercorns

- olive oil

- 1 tbs flour

- 1tsp ground paprika

Method:

* Put soaked beans into cold water, bring it to the boil, cook shortly and then discard water and rinse the beans.

* Put beans into fesh water and add onion, garlic, smoked meat, carrots, celery, parsnip, bay leaves, herbs and peppercorns.

* Bring it to the boil, add salt, parsley and some olive oil.

* Cook until beans are completely cooked, but still firm (aprox. 1-11/2 h).

* Fry in the pan flour on the oil to become golden, add ground paprika, then some water from the beans and stir into smooth cream, then add to the beans. Cook for additional few minutes until sauce thickens. Check for salt and season to taste if needed.

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01
Dec
Spinach Salad with Apples and Feta Cheese

By Corbin Tomaszeski


Ingredients:

(serves 4)

* 500g spinach, cleaned and dried

* 1/2 cup bean sprouts

* 1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled

* 2 tablespoons sunflower seeds lightly toasted and cooled

* 1/2 cup mandarin oranges, segmented

* 1/2 cup red pepper, chopped into thin slices

* 1 apple Granny Smith, sliced into match stick sized pieces

* yogurt dressing (see recipe)

Method:

Add spinach to bowl, add rest of ingredients and lightly toss. Add yogurt dressing and toss again.

Category: Appetisers, Salads, Side Dishes  Tags: , ,  Leave a Comment
01
Dec
Homemade Maionese

Ingredients:

(basic recipe is per one egg yolk)

* 1 egg yolk

* 1/8 l vegetable or light olive oil

* 1-2 tsp smooth mustard

* 1 tsp lemon juice

* 1 tsp sugar

* salt to taste

Method:

Using an electric hand mixer, stand mixer or a wire whisk, whip the egg yolks with mustard, sugar, salt and lemon juice until they’re thoroughly beaten.

Now, with the mixer going full speed (or with your arm whisking as hard as it can) add the oil very slowly, as little as a drop at a time until emulsifies.

When the emulsion starts to form, you can add the oil more quickly, but keep it at a fairly moderate stream. Adding the oil too fast will break your mayonnaise.

If the emulsion thickens too much, add a teaspoon or so of lemon juice to thin it out. Continue adding oil, stopping occasionally to add more lemon juice if the mixture gets too thick.

Store unused portion in the refrigerator, where it should keep for a day or two.

Note:  Homemade maionese should be made only from completely fresh and high quality eggs to prevent food poisoning. Because there is no preservatives it should be consumed quickly, therefore only small amount should be made at a time. However, the taste of homemade maionese beats the commercial ones.

Category: French, Sauces  Tags: ,  One Comment
01
Dec
Creamy Avocado Dressing

Ingredients:

1 avocado

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon lemon juice

½ cup water

sea salt to taste

¼ black pepper

Method:

1. Place avocado, olive oil, lemon juice and water in vita-mix (water can be adjusted to desired consistency).

2. Puree until smooth then blend in salt and pepper.

3. Serve over green or chopped salad.

Category: Salads, Sauces, Vegetarian  Tags: , ,  Leave a Comment
01
Dec
Yoghurt Dressing

Ingredients:

* 1/2 cup low fat yogurt

* 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped roughly

* 1 tablespoon mayonnaise

* 1/2 teaspoon dry hot mustard

* 1 clove garlic, minced

* 1 orange, juiced

* 2 tablespoons fresh basil. Chopped roughly

Method:

1. Using a whisk combine all ingredients in a bowl and blend until mixed evenly.

2. Refrigerate.

Category: Salads, Sauces  Tags: ,  Leave a Comment
01
Dec
Urmashice

Ingredients:

(measured in expresso coffee cups!)

For the dough:

6 cups  standard flour

1tsp baking fpowder

1 tbs grated lemon zest

2 cups oil

2 eggs

2 cups  sugar

100 g whole halves walnuts

For the syrup:

2 lemons (juice)

1/2 l water

500 g sugar

Method:

Beat in the bowl eggs with sugar. Add lemon zest, oil and beat it well. Add flour with baking powder, knead with hands until dough is soft and doesn’t stick to the hand (add more flour if needed).

Form 3 cm ball and press in the middle walnut half, then roll them into oblong shape which is then pressed against the lemon zest grater surface and flattened (this gives decorated surface).

Prepared urmashice lay into greased deep oven tray 2-3 cm appart. Bake at 200 degrees C approx. 20 min or until golden brown.

In the meantime prepare the syrup by boilingthe  water with sugar and lemon juice for 5 mins.

Pour the syrup over the cakes and leave it overnight to soak in.

Serve chilled.

Note: this is energetic bomb, so enjoy it carefully! It is traditional Balkan dessert with probably Turkish origin.

Category: Desserts, Vegetarian  Tags: , , ,  Leave a Comment
01
Dec
Oven Baked Beans

(Traditional Macedonian: Gravche na Tavche)


Ingredients:

(serves 4)

800 g cooked white butter beans (from can)

oil

1 medium onion chopped

2-3 garlic cloves chopped

1tbs sweet ground paprika

1tbs parsley chopped

1tbs flour

salt and pepper to taste

1tsp dry thyme

1tsp dry basil

4 precooked hambugers or choritzo sausages

4 deseeded halves large red capsicums

Method:

Heat the oil in the pan, add onion and fry until transparent, then add galic, ground paprika and flour. Fry for 1 mins, then mix in beans from can (water included), thyme, basil and parsley. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add some water if needed, but it should be of a very thick creamy consistency.

Pour the beans into gratine dish (clay or ceramic preffered), spread on top meat patties or sausages and top with capsicum halves.

Bake it in the oven on 200°C for 40 min or until the brown crust is formed on the top and patties with capsicums are nicely chargrilled. Water will evaporate and beans will have very thick concictensy.

Serve with some fresh green salad and spring onions.

Note: this is Macedonian traditional dish, not very complicated, but extremely tasty.

Category: Mains  Tags: ,  Leave a Comment
01
Dec
Spinach Salad with Grilled Eggplant and Feta

Recipe by John Willoughby and Chris Schlesinger:

Photograph by Romulo Yanes

Ingredients:

Serves4 (main course) or 8 (first course or side dish)

* 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

* 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

* 1 teaspoon minced garlic

* 2 teaspoons chopped marjoram or oregano

* 1 large eggplant, trimmed and cut into 8 (2.5cm -thick) rounds

* 350 g baby spinach

* 100 g crumbled feta (1/4 lb)

* 1/4 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted

Method:

*Prepare grill for direct-heat cooking over hot charcoal (high heat for gas).

* Whisk together oil, lemon juice, garlic, marjoram, 1/4 tsp salt, and 1/8 tsp pepper in a small bowl.

*Brush both sides of eggplant slices with some of dressing. Season with 1/4 tsp each of salt and pepper. Oil grill rack, then grill eggplant, covered only if using a gas grill, turning occasionally, until tender, 12 to 15 minutes total. Cut into pieces.

*Toss spinach with enough dressing to coat and season with salt and pepper. Add eggplant, feta, and pine nuts and toss again.

Notes: Eggplant can be grilled, in batches if necessary, in a lightly oiled hot grill pan over medium-high heat. Eggplant can be grilled 1 day ahead and chilled. Bring to room temperature before using.

The slightly sweet, almost flowery flavor of marjoram adds a delicate note to this Middle Eastern-inspired salad, though oregano is also fine. To be sure the eggplant is tender, slice into it before taking it off the grill—when properly done, it will be moist all the way through.

Category: Appetisers, Middle Eastern, Salads, Side Dishes  Tags: , , ,  Leave a Comment