Mixed-Berry Crostata
Ingredients:
- 300 ml (plus 1 tbs) all-purpose flour
- 60 ml (plus 2 tbs) sugar
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 120 g (stick) unsalted butter, softened
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 240 g raspberries
- 240 g fresh blackberries
- 1 tbs fresh lemon juice
- 1 tbs sugar
Method:
- Make the dough: Combine 1 1/4 cups flour, 1/4 cup sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Form a well in center of the dry ingredients and place the butter and 1 egg in the well. Using your hands, mix the ingredients into a soft, pliable dough. Form it into a 4-inch disk and place it on lightly floured parchment paper. Lightly dust the dough with flour and roll it into a 10-inch circle. Place dough with parchment on a baking sheet, cover the dough with plastic wrap, and chill for 10 minutes. Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Make the crostata: In a small bowl, mix remaining flour and sugar and set aside. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and evenly spread the flour and sugar mixture on the dough, leaving a 1-inch-wide border around the edge. Place berries on top of the mixture and sprinkle with lemon juice. Fold the 1-inch border over top of the berries to form a 9-inch crostata.
- Bake the crostata: Lightly brush the top of the crostata dough with remaining beaten egg and sprinkle with sugar, if desired. Bake on the middle rack of the oven — about 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and slide crostata with the parchment paper onto a wire rack. Cool for 1 hour. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Note: Crostata a free-form rustic tart is a quick fill-in for two-crust pie and can be made in under an hour. Perfect pastry is easy with Mixed-Berry Crostata and crostata isn’t limited to berries: take advantage of all of the seasonal fruits, like thin-sliced rhubarb or stone varieties. Equal amounts of peaches, plums, cherries, nectarines, or apricots can be substituted for some or all of the berries in this recipe, and you can create a different dessert each time. Vary repeat performances by adding a hint of flavor (grated orange zest, candied ginger, or cinnamon) to the crust. In the filling, toasted chopped nuts tossed along with the berries add a satisfying crunch.
Crockpot Cranberry Pork Roast
Ingredients:
(serves 4-6)
1.5 kg pork loin roast or rib roast
1 teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon dried mustard
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 (454g) can whole berry cranberry sauce
or: 1 cup fresh cranberries, 1/2 cup white sugar, 1/2 cup brown (I did add 1/4 cup brown sugar half-way through cooking after tasting the sauce, but 1/2 cup would be better. I learned from making my own cranberry sauce that you really do need a lot of sugar to balance out the cranberries.
⅓ cup golden raisins
1 clove garlic, chopped
⅓ cup cranberry juice
½ small lemon, thinly sliced
Method:
Use a 4 quart crockpot. In a plastic zipper bag, put dry spices and cornstarch and add meat. Shake to coat. Put contents into your slow cooker. Add cranberry sauce, or your fresh cranberries and sugar. Put in raisins and garlic. Pour in cranberry juice, and top with lemon slices. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or high for about 4. The longer you cook the meat, the more tender it will be.
Read MoreVegetable Terrine with Minted Beetroot
Ingredients:
4 beetroots, cooked and peeled
1 red onion, chopped
A handful of chopped mint leaves
Lemon juice
Lemon zest
1 cup natural yogurt
5 gelatin leaves
Salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon honey
1 ½ fl oz each white wine vinegar, white balsamic vinegar and water
Method:
Line a terrine dish with baking paper. Cut the beetroot into thin rounds and layer some at the bottom of the terrine. Follow with a layer of onion then chopped mint. Repeat and finish with beetroot.
Combine the vinegars, honey, water, salt and pepper and heat together until the honey dissolves.
Soften the gelatin leaves in a covered bowl of cold water. When soft, squeeze the water from the gelatin and add it to the vinegar sauce.
Stir until dissolved and adjust the seasoning. pour the gelatin mixture over the terrine until it is covered.
Press down and refrigerate for at least 6 hours until set.
Mix together the yogurt, lemon juice, lemon zest and some more chopped mint and serve the terrine drizzled with this sauce.
Serve garnished with mint leaves and fresh pepper and arrange some green salad on the side.
(Serves 6)
Read MoreBaked Rice Pudding
Ingredients:
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups milk
1/2 cup sugar
3 eggs beaten
1/2 cup raisins
ground cinnamon
2 cups cooked rice
Method:
In a large bowl combine the eggs, milk, sugar, vanilla and salt and make sure you mix them well together. Take the cooked rice and raisins and mix them into the mixture.
Using cooking spray just lightly spray a baking dish and spoon the rice mixture evenly into it. Set the oven temperature to 180 degrees Celsius and place the pudding into it. Bake for 30 minutes, then stir, sprinkle the cinnamon on top and continue baking it for another 30 minutes.
The Baked Rice Pudding is ready when you insert a knife in the centre and it comes out clean.
Read MoreGoan Pork Vindaloo
Ingredients:
1 Kg Pork non-fat meat
2 Big Onions
Salt as per taste
3 peppercorns
3 cm piece of Cinnamon
few cloves
Vindaloo masala:
1 red Chillie, deseeded and chopped (or 1/2 tsp chilli powder)
1 tsp sweet red paprika
4 Garlic cloves crushed,
1 tbs grated ginger
2 tsp cumin powder,
1 tsp coriander powder,
2 tbs Vinegar
Method:
Wash the Pork pieces well, and then chop them up into 3 cm cubes. Dry well. Add salt and set aside.
Get the masala ready, grind the chillies into a powder, then add vinegar and all the ingredients of the vindaloo masala (spices), then grind all of it in the blender.
Add masala to the pork pieces and mix it up well. Make sure all the pieces of meat are evenly mixed with the masala. Store it overnight in the fridge.
Just before cooking, chop and blend onions, then add them to meat.
Heat the pan with some oil and fry meat on medium heat for 5 mins. Add a few peppercorns, a cinnamon and a cloves to the dish.
After a little while of frying add some water and simmer on a low heat as the meat soaks in the masala and gets cooked (1-2hrs).
The Vindaloo is ready when it turns the fiery red colour.
Note: The Vindaloo always tastes better the next day as the meat gets properly marinated, its not really a very spicy dish but on the tangy side. The longer you store it the better it tastes, just like a pickle!
Read More