Nana's Favourite Trifle Ingredients: 2 x 85g Original Port Wine Jelly 1 x 300g sponge or jam roll, sliced 1 x 800g can peach slices, drained (keep juice) 2 tbsp peach juice 750ml thick custard 1 cup (250ml) cream, whipped Method: 1. Prepare jelly according to pack instructions, refigerate until just beginning to set. 2. While setting, line a 1.5L glass bowl with sponge slices, pressing into base and drizzle with peach juice. Top with drained peach slices. Pour all but one cup of jelly over peaches and allow to set firmly in the fridge. Set the remaining cup of jelly in a shallow bowl, and then crush with a fork. 3. When trifle is set, top with custard, whipped cream and crushed jelly. Or decorate as you like. For a more traditional trifle substitute the peach juice for 2 tbsp of sherry or port.
Bastard on the beach: Part 1: 1 shot fresh lime juice 4 shots chilled ginger ale dash of angostura bitters 1 shot rum 1 shot gin Shake ingredients together, pour into glass filled with ice, garnish with mint sprig Part 2: 1 shot brandy 1 shot gin 1 shot rum ½ shot lime juice 1 dash bitters 1 shot Ginger Ale mix, repeat with ice filled glass. Part 3: 1 shot brandy 1 shot bourbon 1 shot gin 1 shot rum ½ shot lime juice 1 dash bitters 1 shot Ginger Ale mix, repeat with ice filled glass. Part 4: Pass out.
Pecan Pie Bars 3c flour 1/2c conf sugar pinch salt 1teas vanilla 1 cup butter or marg (cold/diced) Mix in large bowl or food processor to crumb stage. Press into 10x15x1 1/2 in pan. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Meanwhile mix: 5 eggs 1 1/2c sugar 1 1/2c corn syrup (you can adjust this with a bit of maple syrup if you want) 3 Tb melted butter 1 1/2 teas vanilla 4 cups chopped pecans Pour into crust and bake for additional 25-30 minutes. Be careful though cause once you make this it will become a frequent request, people will climb over each other and hide pieces for later consumption, it will get ugly!!
Polpettone al Forno (Italian Meat Loaf) Polpettone Tuscan bread 4 slices (you can use any bread) Extra lean ground beef (1 3/4 lbs) Ground pork (1/4 lbs) Prosciutto (1/4 lbs) finely chopped Extra virgin olive oil Garlic (4 or 5 cloves to your liking) finley chopped Red onion (1 large) finely chopped Eggs (2 whole beaten lightly) Italian Parsley (1/4 cup) leaves only, finely chopped Parmigiano Reggiano (1 cup freshly grated) Bread crumbs (2 cups fine) Salt and freshly cracked black pepper Milk (1 cup) Lemon zest (optional) Salsa Pomidori (tomato sauce) Extra virgin olive oil Garlic (2 or 3 cloves to your liking) finely chopped Bay leaf Dried chili pepper (4) optional Canned Italian tomatoes with liquid (2 cans 28oz each) Dry Red wine (1 cup) Italian Parsley (2 tbs) leaves only finely chopped Salt and freshly cracked black pepper DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 375°F. Chop the onion and garlic fine. In a skillet, pour some olive oil and when heated saute the finely chopped garlic and onions until transparent and set aside to cool. You can remove just the garlic when it starts to brown and set it aside first. Remove the crust and break the bread into small pieces and soak them in the milk. Drain the milk and with your hand squeeze the bread into a mush. In a large bowl, mix with your hands the beef, pork, Prosciutto, bread, eggs, parsley, Parmigiano together with the room temperature onions and garlic. Add salt and freshly cracked black pepper to your taste. Knead together until the mixture is well integrated and the feeling is slightly tacky. The more you knead, the better the texture. Sprinkle the bread crumbs evenly on a sheet of aluminum foil and shape the mixture into a rectangular loaf. Carefully roll the loaf on the crumbs so that all sides are uniformly coated. Don’t forget the ends. You can use a another sheet of aluminum foil to wrap the loaf from the top to help maintain the rectangular shape. In a baking dish or roasting pan, pour some olive oil and gently place the meat loaf in the center. With a brush, coat all surfaces of the meat loaf with olive oil being carefull not to remove any bread crumbs. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes until golden brown. While the polpettone is in the oven prepare the tomato sauce. Open the cans of tomato and remove the seeds either using a tomato press or by spoon. Put the tomatoes and liquid in a blender and chop the tomatoes so its not totally pureed. Heat up the olive oil in a sauce pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and optional chili pepper and saute until it changes color. Add the tomatoes and juice from the cans and stir in the salt and pepper and red peppers. Bring to a boil and add the red wine. Cook 8 to 10 minutes and add and stir in the parsley. Take the polpettone out and using a spoon, carefully remove the impurities that seeped to the surface or dripping down the sides and any that are floating on the bottom including oil. This is very important for a healthy recipe. Now tilt the baking dish and remove about 3/4 of the remaining liquid. Pour the tomato sauce over the meat loaf and mix it with the remaining liquid in the pan and cook another 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and wait at least 5 minutes before cutting. Spoon the sauce over each serving and sprinkle lemon zest on top if you like. Buon Apettito!
I don't usually use recipes, and seldom follow them even when I do. Baking requires more precision than cooking, but I pretty much wing it when it comes to meals. Like, stir fry has mostly veggies, but apples and even mango and papaya are pretty tasty. Spices are a little of this and a little of that...hmm, needs more something...I'll try this.
This is so me! I have a hard time when I make up my own recipes though if I don't write some of it down as then it is difficult to recreate. I do not buy any type of nut butter, that is what food processors are for, neither do I buy salad dressing....I love shaking up something special in a little jar.
Tired of the same ol' appetizer for New Year's Eve? Super Bowl? Then try this MUSHROOMS SEGOVIA Prepare one day ahead Ingredients 1lb common brown mushroom de-stemmed and cleaned. Choose small buttons 1/4 lb ground pork or finely chopped pork 2 - 3 slices Jamon Serrano or Prosciutto di Parma or baked ham (not smoked) finely chopped 2-3 cloves garlic finely chopped Extra Virgin olive oil 1 cup Dry white wine 1/2 tsp red hot pepper 3 tbs parsely leaves only finely chopped sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper Directions: Clean and de-stem the mushrooms using a brush. cut those that are big into halves Pour olive oil in a medium pot, 1/4 cup to start with, add the mushrooms and saute for 5 minutes under medium heat. Add more olive oil as the mushrooms soak it up so that it won't evaporate and dry up. Add the garlic and hot pepper flakes. Then add pork, finely chopped Jamon or Prosciutto or ham, parsely, salt and pepper and saute for 3 minutes mixing along the way. Then add the white wine and evaporate. Take off the stove to cool down and leave in fridge over night. Re-heat and serve with toothpicks, whatever. When all the ushrooms are gone, dunk bread into the remaining liquid and eat the left over pork. yummm
I'm taking Vegan Jalapeno Poppers for New Year's: A pile of jalapeno peppers, with seeds removed. Try to leave as much of the pepper intact as possible A tub of Tofutti Vegan "cream cheese" spread* 1/2 cup corn meal 2 Tbls Eat in the Raw brand Vegan Parmesan substitute, Chipolte Cayenne style* Using a teaspoon, stuff about a teaspoon of cream cheese into each pepper. Dampen stuffed peppers slightly, then roll in the mixture of corn meal and parmesan. Arrange on lightly greased baking pan, and bake for 20 minutes, at 350F. Let cool slightly, and eat! *Vegan items are generally available at larger grocery stores, Trader Joes, Whole Earth Foods, or health food stores that carry grocery items. I get mine at the Olympia Food Co-op. I've seen them at Fred Meyer's, as well.
Crepes 1 and third cups milk 1 cup flour 1 and a half eggs teaspoon oil teaspoon sugar pinch of salt pinch of baking powder Butter up a griddle on medium heat and pour some on. Smooth it around with a flat spatula to make a thin even layer. The first one I usually throw out as a primer to get the excess butter off and the rest cook perfect. Roll or fold them up and top with powedered sugar etc.
Irish Car Bomb (I can see a few of these being consumed tonight): 1 shot of whiskey 1 shot of Bailey's Irish Cream 1 bottle Guinness Fill glass with Guinness, pour shot of Whiskey on top. Add shot glass full of Bailey's to mix and chug quickly when it starts to foam.
Purple hooter: Shot of vodka shot of Chambour Lemon sour Another of my favorite breakfasts: Pannekoeken: 1/2 cup flour 1/2 cup milk 2 eggs Heat oven to 350. Put a tablespoon of butter in a ceramic pie pan in the oven till it melts (this helps get the pan to the proper temp). Pull out and add the above mixture and sprinkle cinnamon and nutmeg on top. Put it back in the oven and watch it rise for about 25 minutes or till the rising sides get dark brown. Add powdered sugar and enjoy.
Vegan Waffles 1 large banana 1/2 cup rolled oats 1 & 1/2 cup whole wheat flour (yes, you can use white flour if you are a wuss) 2 tsp baking powder 1 tsp cinnamon 1/4 tsp nutmeg 1/2 tsp vanilla 2 cups water Blend all together in a blender, pour onto pre-heated, greased (this is important!!) waffle iron. Bake as usual. you can also make these as pancakes. My waffle iron takes 4 minutes, 30 seconds to bake them perfectly. Serve with Earth Balance spread and maple syrup You have to grease the waffle iron because there is virtually no fat/oil in the batter, and they will stick!
Pavlova The Pavlova is a wonderful Kiwi dessert served at any holiday piss up (festive occasion). The pavlova is so good that Aussies try to claim it as their own. (The first known published recipe was in E. Futter 1926 “Home Cookery for New Zealandâ€. Yet the Aussies claim to have created the pavlova 1935 – typical.) Ingredients For the base: $10 1 bicycle OR 4 egg whites 1 teaspoon vanilla essence ¼ teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon vinegar 1 cup castor sugar 2 teaspoons cornflour (cornstarch) For the topping: 1 cup (240 ml) heavy whipping cream 1 1/2 tablespoons (20 grams) granulated white sugar 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract sliced fresh fruit - kiwi, strawberries, bannana Cooking instructions Get on your bike, and take the $10 to the corner store. Purchase a boxed pavlova and take it home and make the topping. OR Preheat the oven to 150°C. Beat egg whites and salt in a bowl until soft peaks form. Gradually add the castor sugar while beating. Continue until stiff peaks form. Beat in the remaining ingredients, vanilla essence, vinegar and cornflour. Turn mixture out onto a baking paper covered tray. Shape into a circle approximately 23 cm (9 in) in diameter. Reduce oven temperature to 140°C. Bake for 15 minutes, then further reduce the oven temperature to 120°C and bake for 1 ¼ hours. Cool completely in the oven. Whichever method you have used to acquire your pavlova base, just before serving gently place the pav onto a serving plate. Whip the cream in your electric mixer, with the whisk attachment, until soft peaks form. Sweeten with the sugar and vanilla and then softly spread the whipped cream over the entire pavlova. Arrange the sliced fruit randomly or in a decorative pattern, on top of the cream. Serve immediately as this dessert does not hold for more than a few hours. Pour champagne, slice pav, enjoy...
