Friday, May 28, 2010

Creole Jambalaya

Ingredients:

* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 2 tablespoons butter
* 3/4 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch chunks
* 1/2 lb andouille sausage or hot Italian sausage, cut into 1/2-inch slices
* 1 medium onion, diced
* 2-3 garlic cloves, minced
* 1 celery rib, chopped
* 1/2 green pepper, diced
* 2 tablespoons creole seasoning
* 1 tablespoon tomato paste
* 1 cup canned diced tomato, with juices
* 1 cup chicken stock
* 12 large shrimp, deveined, shells intact
* 1 cup long grain rice
* 2 scallions, chopped (optional)
* 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped (optional)

Directions:

1.

Heat oil and butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add chicken, saute until brown.
2.

Add sausage, onions, garlic, celery, green pepper and spice mix. Saute stirring occasionally until onions and pepper are tender.
3.

Add tomato paste, canned tomatoes, chicken stock. Stir until well combined.
4.

Reduce heat to low and add shrimp and rice stirring once.
5.

Cover and let simmer for 20 minutes without stirring.
6.

Remove from heat and stir once. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
7.

Spoon into serving bowls and top with chopped scallions and fresh parsley. Serve with a baguette and some good white wine.

Thursday, May 27, 2010

Mandarin Orange Chicken



Ingredients:

* 1/3 cup dry white wine or chicken broth
* 1/3 cup frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
* 1/4 cup sweet orange marmalade
* 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
* 4 boneless chicken breast halves

* 1 (11 ounce) can mandarin orange segments, drained
* 1/2 cup green seedless grape

Directions:

1.

Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
2.

Stir the wine, thawed orange juice concentrate, marmelade and ginger together in a 13x9-inch baking pan.
3.

Add the chicken, turning once or twice so that both sides are well-coated.
4.

Place the baking pan in the oven and bake the chicken, basting occasionally with the pan juices, for 35 minutes or until the juices run clear.
5.

During the last 5 minutes of baking, add the mandarin orange segments and the grapes.
6.

Serve over rice or noodles, with your favourite side dish or salad.

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Spicy Pork Ribs

Ingredients:

* 3/4 cup harissa paste
* 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
* 1 tablespoon minced garlic
* 2 slabs baby back ribs (about 1 1/2 lbs. each)
* Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
* 2 bottles (12 oz. each) of beer, any type

Preparation:

1. In a small bowl, stir together harissa, lemon juice, and garlic. Set aside.

2. Rinse ribs and pat dry. Use a dull butter knife to loosen thin papery membrane that runs along underside, then pull it off with your fingers. Rub ribs generously on both sides with salt and pepper, then slather all over with harissa rub. Wrap ribs in plastic wrap and marinate, refrigerated, for at least 8 and up to 24 hours.

3. Set up a charcoal or gas grill for medium indirect heat (300° to 350°; you should be able to hold your hand 1 to 2 in. above the hottest area of grill level only 4 to 5 seconds). Place ribs, bone side down, in cooler part of the grill; close lid. Cook, basting gently with beer on both sides every 10 minutes (keep ribs bone side down), until ribs are tender and cooked through and meat has shrunk back from ends of the bones, 40 to 50 minutes total. Try to keep harissa paste on the ribs while basting. Serve ribs hot, with salad.

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Double Homicide Bars


Ingredients:

* 13 ounces graham cracker crumbs
* 1/2 cup margarine
* 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
* 2 (12 ounce) bags peanut butter and milk chocolate chips (or your choice)

Directions:

1.

Melt the margarine and pour into the bottom of a 9x13 inch pan. Heat the oven to 350 degrees for a metal pan and 325 degrees for a glass pan.
2.

Pour the crushed graham crackers evenly over the margarine tapping the pan a few times gently against the counter to settle the crumbs into a flat layer.
3.

Pour the sweetened condensed milk evenly over the top of the grahams. Next, pour over both bags of chips and press firmly into the pan.
4.

Bake 20-25 minutes or until lightly brown on top. Remove from oven and allow to cool before cutting.

Monday, May 24, 2010

French Gratin Potatoes


Ingredients:

* 3 lbs waxy potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced (such as Desiree, Golden Wonder, Maris Piper, Idaho or King Edward)
* 6 ounces gruyere cheese, grated
* 3/4 pint double cream
* salt
* fresh ground black pepper
* 2-4 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
* 2 sprigs fresh thyme
* 1 ounce butter
* cheese, for topping (optional)

Directions:

1.

Preheat the oven to 300F/150C/gas mark 2.
2.

Take a heavy-bottomed dish or an ovenproof gratin dish (a Le Creuset is ideal - the potatoes tend not to catch), and grease it will with some of the butter.
3.

Layer the potato slices in the dish, slightly overlapping each other, seasoning lightly with the salt and pepper, and sprinkling a liberal amount of cheese on each layer.
4.

Sprinkle cheese on the top of the last layer.
5.

Put the double cream, garlic and sprigs of thyme in a pan and bring to them gently to the boil, then remove the thyme and pour hot cream over the potatoes.
6.

Dot the top of the gratin with the remaining butter and some extra cheese if you wish, and bake for about 1 hr to 1 1/2 hrs, or until the potatoes are soft, and the top is crispy and golden brown.
7.

Serve bubbling hot as a main meal or as an accompaniment.

Friday, May 21, 2010

Peach and Raspberry Yogurt Fool


Ingredients:

* 2 peaches
* 8 ounces raspberries
* 2 1/2 cups low-fat plain yogurt or low fat low sugar fruit yogurt
* 4 teaspoons rolled oats
* 4 teaspoons sliced almonds

Directions:

1.

Cut the peaches in half, remove the pits and then slice the flesh into thin wedges.
2.

Mix the peaches and raspberries with the yogurt in a bowl, then spoon into 4 sundae glasses and chill.
3.

Spread out the rolled oats and almonds in a broiler pan.
4.

Broil them until lightly toasted, shaking the pan frequently.
5.

Cool, then sprinkle the oat mixture over the dessert and serve.

Thursday, May 20, 2010

Pink Crepes With Cream Cheese Filling

Ingredients:

* 1 medium fresh beet, washed, topped, unpeeled
* 1 cup cake flour
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 3 large eggs
* 2 tablespoons butter, very soft
* 1 cup milk

Filling:

* 7-8 ounces cream cheese
* 4 tablespoons very finely chopped spring onions
* 1 tablespoon very finely chopped fresh parsley
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 teaspoon garlic, finely chopped
* 1/4 cup milk

Directions:

1.

Cook the beet until tender, and cool. When peeled, the beet I used weighed about 3 oz or 80/90 grams.
2.

Cut up the beet and put in processor. Add the flour, salt, eggs and butter, and whizz.
3.

First add 1/2 cup milk, then more, until you have a thin pancake batter consistency.
4.

(The amount of milk might depend on how dry the beet was and the size of the eggs. If using smaller eggs you might need more than 1 cup milk).
5.

Whizz in blender until very smooth. You'll have just under 3 cups liquid.
6.

Pour into a jug or bowl, cover, and leave in fridge for at least 1 hour.
7.

FILLING: Scrape the cream cheese into a bowl, and add all the flavourings except the milk.
8.

Normally you will find the mixture too stiff to use as a filling, so add milk little by little, until you have a satisfactory consistency for a filling: easy to scoop out but not runny.
9.

Cover and refrigerate until needed.
10.

CREPES: Use a small crepe pan. The smallest I have is 6"/15cm in diameter.
11.

Heat over medium heat. If not non-stick, keep butter handy and grease pan with butter.
12.

If the batter has thickened on standing, add a tiny bit more milk.
13.

Use 2 - 3 tablespoons batter per crepe: you want to aim for thin crepes. Swirl the batter to the edges of the pan so the crepes are of even thickness.
14.

Watch -- and when the last raw swirl of batter on top starts to firm, turn crepe. Give it about 10 seconds on the other side, then slide out on to a plate.
15.

Stack them on this plate as you continue.
16.

You should get about 12 crepes if your pan diameter is 6"/15cm.
17.

The fillimg is enough for six of these crepes. If you wish to use all the crepes, double the filling ingredients.
18.

Use the filling sparingly as it is rich. Fold crepe over. Decorate with a sprig of spring onion and some parsley or salad leaves. A tiny bit of julienned carrots will also look good, or a few thinly sliced lemon rind strips.
19.

Serve warm or at room temperature.
20.

Leftover crepes can be covered and frozen.
21.

*In this case cream cheese really is a better bet than a low-fat cottage cheese, as it makes a big difference to the taste.
22.

If you wish to use a FLAVOURED cream cheese, that is fine. (I used the green onion flavoured one). One heaped tablespoon filling should be enough per crepe.

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Regal Alaskan's Blackened Shrimp or Halibut


Ingredients:

*
section 1:

* 1 lb halibut fillet (or enough to feed your crowd)
* 1 lb large shrimp or prawns (enough to feed your crowd)
* 1/4 lb melted butter (or more)
section 2:

* blackening seasoning
* 3 tablespoons paprika
* 2 1/2 tablespoons salt
* 1 teaspoon garlic powder
* 1 teaspoon onion powder
* 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
* 3/4 teaspoon black pepper
* 3/4 teaspoon white pepper
* 1/2 teaspoon thyme leaves
* 1/2 teaspoon oregano leaves

section 3:

*
Cajun Hollandaise Sauce:

* 1/2 cup ham, diced
* 1/2 cup shrimp, diced
* 1-2 teaspoon blackening seasoning, to taste
* 1/4 cup green onion, diced
* 1/4 cup tomato, diced
* 1 package hollandaise sauce (prepared)
* 1-2 tablespoon butter

Directions:

1. I put 1lb.
2. for the halibut or shrimp, but this recipe is designed to feed however many people you want.
3. Adjust the amount of shrimp or halibut to however many servings you need.
4. For Blacken Seasoning: Mix all ingredients in a bowl making sure to mix everything very well.
5. For Cajun Hollandaise Sauce: Sautee the ham and shrimp in butter until the shrimp is cooked thoroughly.
6. Add the blacken seasoning to taste and cool the mixture.
7. After the shrimp mixture has cooled fold in the tomato, green onion, and hollandaise sauce.
8. For the Blackened Shrimp or Halibut: For this recipe it is best to use a cast iron skillet or griddle on a bbq grill or an outdoor propane cooker, I prefer a large cast iron skillet and a propane cooker.
9. For shrimp: peel, devein, and butterfly the shrimp.
10. For halibut: cut halibut filets to 1/4 to 1/2 inch thickness.
11. Heat cast iron skillet to 700 degrees (the skillet will smoke and the bottom will start to turn white) Dredge butterflied shrimp, or halibut filets, in butter then coat one side with blacken seasoning.
12. Place shrimp (or halibut) seasoning side down in the skillet and coat the other side with blacken seasoning.
13. Cook for 2 1/2 minutes and then turn the shrimp (or halibut) and cook until desired doneness (usually only takes about another minute or two) Serve shrimp on a pool of Cajun Hollandaise Sauce, reserving enough sauce to dip shrimp into.
14. This recipe will also work for cooking steaks or thicker pieces of halibut but you need to cook as above and then finish in the oven.
15. WARNING: You will create a large amount of smoke when using this cooking method.
16. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO USE THIS METHOD INSIDE YOUR HOUSE OR GARAGE!
17. (Unless you wish to invite your local fire department to join you for dinner.) WARNING Number 2: Cooking shrimp or halibut using this method has been known to be extremely addictive once you have tasted the results.

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Apple Ham Steak

Ingredients:

* 1 medium vidalia onion, halved and thinly sliced
* 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
* 2 tablespoons butter

* 1 (1 lb) ham steak, boneless and fully-cooked
* 1 teaspoon cornstarch
* 1/2 cup unsweetened apple juice
* 1/2 cup apple butter

Directions:

1.

In a large skillet, saute onion and pepper in butter until crisp tender. Remove from pan and set aside.
2.

Cut ham steak into 4 pieces and in the same skillet, brown ham on both sides.
3.

While ham is browning, in a small bowl, combine the cornstarch and apple juice until smooth; then pour over ham.
4.

Bring juices to a boil and cook while stirring for 1-2 minutes or until slightly thickened.
5.

Reduce heat and spread apple butter over ham.
6.

Top with sauteed onion.
7.

Cover pan and simmer for 5-7 minutes or until thoroughly heated through.

Monday, May 17, 2010

Bacon Fried Rice


Ingredients:

* 2 cups uncooked calrose rice
* 6 slices bacon, chopped
* 2 large eggs, beaten
* 5 green onions, sliced
* 2 carrots, grated
* 1/4-1/2 head cabbage, thinly sliced
* soy sauce, to taste
* salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

1.

Steam or cook rice according to package directions. Cool.
2.

Fry bacon in large fry pan or wok until crisp.
3.

Move bacon to side of pan (or remove) and add eggs to pan and scramble.
4.

Add all vegetables to pan, and stir fry with bacon and eggs until crisp-tender.
5.

Add rice to pan and mix well.
6.

Add soy sauce, salt and pepper to taste.

Thursday, May 13, 2010

Tropical Fruit Salad

Ingredients:

* 4 cups 1/2 inch cubed fresh pineapple or canned pineapple
* 2 medium oranges, peeled and divided into sections
* 2 medium mangoes, peeled and diced
* 2 bananas, cut in 1/2 inch slices
* 2 tablespoons lime juice
* 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
* 1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut, toasted

Directions:

1.

Combine fruits in a bowl.
2.

Combine lime juice and brown sugar and add to fruits; toss to coat.
3.

Cover and chill at least 1 hour.
4.

Sprinkle with coconut.

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Sourdough Pancakes

Ingredients:

* 2 cups milk
* 2 cups flour
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1 cup sourdough starter
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 2 eggs
* 2 tablespoons sugar
* 3 tablespoons oil or melted butter

Starter:

* 1 compressed yeast cake
* 2 cups all-purpose flour
* 2 cups water
* 1 tablespoon sugar

Directions:


1. Night before: Mix flour, milk, salt, and starter in large bowl. Cover and let stand over night! (Be sure to set aside 1 cup as future starter).

2. In morning: Add Soda, eggs, sugar, oil or butter. Mix until lumps are gone.

3. Cook on heated skillet until cakes are golden brown. Serve with favorite syrup (Grandma's choke cherry syrup is the best!).

4. Starter: Soften yeast in warm water.

5. Stir in Flour, water, and sugar. Beat until smooth.

6. cover and let it stand at room temperature until mixture is bubbly. During this time stir 2-3 times daily. Refrigerate or freeze.

Monday, May 10, 2010

Elephant Walk Sweet Beef Stew

Ingredients:

* 2 lbs boneless top round beef, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
* 1/2 cup peeled thinly sliced gingerroot (about 2 ounces)

Paste:

* 3 dried New Mexico chiles, soaked, seeded and deveined
* 3 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
* 1 large shallot, coarsely chopped
* 1/2 cup water

Stew:

* 5 tablespoons vegetable oil
* 3 tablespoons sugar
* 2 tablespoons fish sauce
* 1 tablespoon mushroom soy sauce
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
* 1 cup chicken broth
* 1 cup green coconut juice
* 1/4 cup tamarind juice
* fresh cilantro stem, for garnish
* cucumber, slices

Directions:

1. Put the beef in a medium bowl. Grind the ginger slices with a mortar and pestle, adding them a few at a time until you have extracted most of the juice, or use a mini-chop to make a wet paste. Squeeze the juice from the fibers (you should have 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons) and stir it into the beef; discard the ginger solids. Let the beef marinate for at least 10 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, make the paste: Blend all the ingredients in a blender until smooth, 2 to 3 minutes.

3. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the paste and cook, stirring occasionally, until the flavors are released, about 2 minutes. Stir in the beef, sugar, fish sauce, soy sauce, salt, pepper and broth. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer, partially covered, until the liquid is reduced by half, about 40 minutes.

4. Add the coconut and tamarind juices and cook for another 20 minutes. If the sauce is too thin at this point, increase the heat and reduce further; the sauce should be fairly thick.

5. Garnish with cilantro sprigs and serve with cucumber slices and rice.

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Double Choc-Chip Muffins

Ingredients:

* 2 eggs
* 1/2 cup oil
* 1 cup milk
* 1 teaspoon vanilla
* 1 3/4 cups plain flour
* 1/2 cup sugar
* 1/4 cup cocoa
* 1 tablespoon baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
* extra chocolate chips, to sprinkle on top

Directions:

1.

Preheat oven to 200 C and prepare muffin pan by greasing or fill with paper liners.
2.

In large bowl mix the eggs, oil, milk and vanilla.
3.

In smaller bowl mix the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, salt and chocolate chips.
4.

Combine wet and dry mixtures and fold together gently until just mixed.
5.

Spoon into prepared pan and sprinkle choc chips of top of each. Bake at 200C for 20 minutes.
6.

Remove from pan and cool on rack. These are nice sprinkled with extra chocolate chips on top of each muffin before baking.

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Golden Onion and Dill Frittata

Ingredients:

* 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
* 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
* 1 cup crouton, homemade are best
* 8 eggs
* 1/2 cup milk
* 2 tablespoons fresh dill, minced
* 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 teaspoon pepper, freshly ground

Directions:

1.
In 8-inch (20 cm) nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium heat. ( I use half butter, half oil).

2.
Cook onion, stirring occasionally, until softened and golden, about 7 minutes.

3.
In a bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, dill, mustard, salt and pepper.

4.
Sprinkle croutons over onions.

5.
Pour egg mixture over croutons, stirring gently to combine.

6.
Cover and cook over medium-low heat until set, about 15 minutes. Flip frittata onto serving plate. To serve cut into wedges.

7.
Note: I have used purchased seasoned croutons, I find them quite salty, I recommend reducing the the amount of salt to 1/2 teaspoon.