MARMITE CHICKEN WITH BACON

For some reason, last week I was watching The People’s Cookbook on UKTV and this cute little old lady, Flossie Squires, came on. Now, I probably need to explain what this show is all about. Well, here is the abbreviated summary...there are two professional chefs who choose recipes sent in by viewers. These chefs each choose one viewer’s recipes (usually a main and a dessert each), and then bring in the people who sent the recipes to demonstrate and cook them together. The idea is that the chefs are competing against each other and cook the recipes for a panel of judges (ordinary people like you or me) and whichever recipes are chosen, will eventually be added to The People’s Cookbook when it is published.

Now, going back to the cute little old lady, Flossie (what a great name too!). Well, her recipe for a main was quite simple really. It was basically a roasted chicken...with a twist though. She stuffed her chicken with lemon wedges and herbs, saving two wedges at the end to cram under the wings...then she smeared Marmite all over the chicken before covering it in bacon.

I know – my American friends are saying, “what the hell is Marmite?” Marmite is the Kiwi/British version of Vegemite and it is a very pungent yeast spread that Kiwis, Aussies, and Brits like to use for making sandwiches with or to spread (very sparingly) on toast. It is also good, in moderation as a soup stock flavouring as well. I know I had seen Marmite (and Vegemite) in American groceries on the west coast, so I know it is available if you want to give this recipe a try. (Otherwise, perhaps I can “hook you up” with some...) The folks out here don’t get the American fascination with peanut butter, yet this yeast spread stuff is far more potent than any peanut butter I have ever come across. So – remember to use it sparingly if you plan on eating it straight or adding it to your soups!!!

Anyway, I have changed the recipe just a little, but it was absolutely fantastic and the whole house smelled gorgeous!!! We have a lemon tree in our garden, but I wanted to try this with an orange because I find that lemons are pretty strong when used with chicken. Oranges seem to lend a little citrus without overpowering the other flavours like lemons sometimes can. This recipe is certainly a must try if you like roasted chicken and/or bacon. I have to say also, that no salt is needed due to the saltiness of both the spread and the bacon, so really, garlic and pepper are the only seasonings required! Let’s get this started!


INGREDIENTS:

1 Roasting Chicken (I think mine was about 2 kg, that’s roughly 4-5 Lbs)
1 Large Orange
2-3 Tbsp Marmite or Vegemite (not much flavour variation between the two, really)
2-3 Cloves Garlic, crushed
1 Tsp Black Pepper (more or less)
200-300 Gm Streaky Bacon (about 8 strips or so of American-style Bacon)
½ Cup Chicken or Vegetable Stock


DIRECTIONS:

Preheat your oven to 190° C (375° F).

First cut your orange into several wedges and squeeze just a little juice into a small bowl (perhaps a teaspoon or less – only to help thin the marmite a bit)

Next, add the marmite and garlic then mix thoroughly together.

Now, rinse and pat dry the chicken before sprinkling a bit of pepper inside, and then stuffing all but 2 small wedges of the orange in too.

Next, you will spread the garlicky marmite mixture all over the chicken – top, bottom, sides – before placing the chicken, breast side up, in a shallow roasting dish.

Now, tuck the last two thin orange wedges under the wings before covering the chicken with bacon rashers.

Lastly, you pour the stock (or water, if you don’t have stock) into the bottom of the pan and cook the chicken for about 20 minutes per 500 Gm (per pound) or until the internal temperature is 82° C (180° F).




The bacon can be removed after the first hour if you desire. I cooked my chicken for 2 hours and left the bacon on. It was moist, tender and absolutely fantastic! Now...if you want gravy, you can pour the pan juices into a small saucepan and heat to a boil, and then add a bit of corn flour (corn starch) pre-mixed with either cold milk or cold water to thicken it. Season if desired, and voila!

I par-boiled then roasted potatoes and carrots to accompany our chicken, but you can fix whatever you like as a side accompaniment.

Good health and enjoy!

CHICKEN & PRAWNS WITH VODKA SAUCE

Well, in less than 24 hours now I will be in Waikiki, Oahu with my lovely family and I will be relying primarily on other cooks' creations for several days. Do not be surprised to see a post or two on Hawaiian fare if I get the chance!

Luckily, I have a good friend to stay and cuddle our needy little cat, Polly, whilst we are away. Things have been hectic lately with all of my daughter's activities, homework and school projects, but I have managed to provide a few tasty treats for the family on minimal time allowances. This, and the fact that hubby loves my cooking, makes me VERY proud of myself.

I borrowed this lovely sounding recipe from Katherine at Smoky Mountain Cafe and I have to say, it was just as good as I thought it might be. I made a few minor adjustments to suit my own tastes (and to feed an extra dinner guest) and it was, in my opinion, a good choice. Oh, yes...those ARE Artichokes in the photo background...and from our little veggie patch in the back garden...just gorgeous!

Thank you Katherine, for the inspiration!


INGREDIENTS:

1 Med Onion or 3 Lg Shallots, finely minced
1 Clove Garlic, crushed
1 Tbsp Butter
1 Tbsp Good EVOO
3 Cups Diced Tomatoes
1 Tbsp Fresh Basil, chopped
1 Cup Cream (I used canned evaporated milk to lower the fat content)
¼ Cup Vodka
½ Tsp Red Pepper Flakes, crushed
300 Gms (½ Lb) Prawns, peeled, tails off & deveined
300 Gms (½ Lb) Chicken, cut into bite-sized cubes
*Salt & Pepper

*Amounts vary to individual tastes


DIRECTIONS:

First, heat the butter and oil together in a skillet over medium heat.

Next, add the minced onion to skillet and saute until transparent.

At this point, I quickly brown the chicken for a few minutes then add the prawns and brown those for an additional minute or so...then, I removed the chicken and prawns and set them aside to add back in later.

Now, add the diced tomatoes and cook over medium heat for about 15-20 minutes or until almost no liquid remains in skillet, stirring frequently.

Next, increase heat and add the basil, cream (or evaporated milk), vodka and crushed red pepper flakes.

Just bring to a light boil then reduce the heat to add back in the chicken and prawns (or whatever seafood you plan to use).

Now, boil this for about 2 minutes until the sauce thickens up a bit.

Lastly, season to taste with salt and pepper.

There you have it. A flavourful and creamy tomato sauce with depth. I added veggies at the last minute and served this with vermicelli noodles, but it would be tasty with other pastas or even rice too.

Enjoy!

TANGY BLUEBERRY BOURBON STEAK SAUCE

(Or...Blueberry Bourbon & Onion Chutney)

No, I'm NOT Joking!

Well, this all began with a family outing to the local blueberry farm, The Blueberry Farm And Bakehouse, where we spent a lovely, albeit windy, morning picking berries. We ended up picking roughly a kilogram (that's 2.2 Lbs) of blueberries and later purchased a "Gynormous Brownie Sundae" before heading home with our loot.

Now, we all know by now how good these little blue wonders can be for us with their antioxidants and such, however, I still needed to figure out what to do with them if we weren't going to eat them all within the next couple of days (a challenge even for us!). Sure, I thought about writing about pancakes, but seeing how my friend in Oregon had JUST posted hers, I certainly didn't want to be a copycat or look like I was competing for best blueberry pancakes, now did I?!?! Yes, I did make some of the standard blueberry muffins and I even took some berries (and muffins) next door to our favourite neighbour, but...I remembered seeing this weird, yet wonderful, recipe over at the Lobster Gram Recipe blog that I just had to try. Sure, I was hesitant...more like sceptical yet curious, but it sounded like it just might work. I often prepared my steaks this way or only slightly varying from it anyway, so the sauce was the only potential challenge for me. I just wasn't sure if the challenge was making or eating it! :o)

When the sauce was ready, it did smell REALLY, REALLY good...sort of a tangy and spicy barbecue sauce or slightly fruity onion chutney and it really was a fantastic compliment to the steaks (which we don't tend to eat too often in order to stick with healthier protein options when possible). What a treat this was!

Just as my last little comment here before you go start assembling the ingredients, I would suggest even making this in a larger batch and jarring/canning it as a gift or even just saving some aside as a snack topping. I took the leftover sauce with me next-door one day and we had it on crackers and cheese - YUMM...

Also, feel free to adjust the spices and try different types of peppers to change it up just a bit, but it is simply lovely just like this.

BLUEBERRY BOURBON SAUCE ~ INGREDIENTS:

1 ½ Tsp Light Cooking Oil (I use Rice Bran Oil, but Canola Oil is okay too)
½ Red Onion, chopped
2 Cloves Garlic, crushed or chopped
1 Tsp Tabasco Sauce (or 1 Jalapeno Pepper, seeded & chopped)
¼ Cup Bourbon
1 Cup Blueberries, fresh or frozen (not thawed)
¼ Cup Tomato Ketchup (not the Kiwi “Tomato Sauce”, as it contains spices not found in proper ketchup)
3 Tbsp Cider Vinegar
1 Tbsp Brown Sugar
1½ Tsp Molasses
1 Pinch of Allspice (ground)


STEAKS ~ INGREDIENTS:

1 Tbsp Thyme, fresh chopped
1 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
¾ Tsp Salt (I used freshly ground sea salt)
½ Tsp Black Pepper, coarsely ground
4 Steaks (Filet Mignon or Fillet Steaks are the best)

DIRECTIONS:

First, heat the oil in a small saucepan over medium heat.

Next add the chopped onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and just starting to brown, 2 to 4 minutes.

Now add the garlic and Tabasco Sauce (or jalapenos) and cook, stirring, about 30 seconds before adding the bourbon.

Next, increase the heat to high and bring it to a boil, cooking until most of the liquid has evaporated, approx 2 to 5 minutes.

Stir in blueberries, ketchup, vinegar, brown sugar, molasses and allspice and then return it to a boil.

Now reduce the heat and simmer the sauce, stirring occasionally, until thickened, approx 15 minutes or so.

Preheat the barbecue grill to high and then combine the thyme, oil, salt and pepper in a small bowl to rub the onto both sides of the steaks.

Grill the steaks about 3 to 5 minutes per side for medium-rare, then allow the steaks rest for 5 minutes before serving with the sauce.

This is a surprisingly tasty sauce and a versatile one at that, so give it a go and see what you think! Happy cooking!!!

HONIED CARROT AND SPICE BISCUITS

The weather “down-under” has been marvellous, but unfortunately the heat isn’t great for creative cooking inspiration. It just makes me lazy and I end up throwing together sort of interesting salads or just grilling everything on the BBQ. It makes for tasty light meals, but nothing too blog worthy really I'm afraid. I am working on some melon granitas and homemade ice cream today, so hopefully – with any luck – they will turn out as good as they sound and I will have some lovely summer treats coming up very soon.

This weekend was wild! I went sailing on Wellington Harbour with some friends and it was fantastic! It was a 8.2 metre keel boat (supposedly won’t tip over) and it was like being on a carnival ride with the boat deck being practically vertical half of the time. Now I am tossing up whether or not to take lessons at the local sailing academy. They are reasonably priced and in talking to experienced sailors it sounds like winter sailing is the best. I guess I need to see if it’s something I will have enough time for…

Anyway, this sweet recipe was a last-minute project I fooled around with the other night whilst craving something sweet and tasty, but sans chocolate. We had a massive chocolate overdose over the Christmas break and, unlike my hubby, I am ‘over it’ for a while! I have this old cookbook with 100 quick & easy cookie recipes in it, but I have noticed that sometimes a step or two is left out or the measurements aren’t quite right, so I had made a few notes that this one was okay, but needed a bit of help.

I started with the basic cookie recipe, but added vanilla and changed a few measurements to get this, the perfect cookie (or mini muffin). These do not come out hard or chewy really. This recipe yields a much softer almost cake-like biscuit that is very tasty indeed. Imagine an entire dish of the best part of the muffins – just the tops!

I hope you enjoy them!

INGREDIENTS:

1 Cup Sugar
300 Gms (½ Cup) Butter, softened
2 Eggs
¼ Cup Honey
2 Tsp Vanilla Essence (extract)
2½ Cups Flour
2½ Tsp Baking Powder
1 Tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice (Cinnamon, Ginger, Nutmeg, Allspice mixed together)
¼ Tsp Salt
1 Med-Lg Carrot, shredded


DIRECTIONS:

First, preheat oven to 160 C (325 F).

In a large bowl, cream the sugar and butter together until pale yellow and fluffy.

Next, add eggs, honey and vanilla and beat well.

In a separate bowl, sift together all dry ingredients and then slowly incorporate them into the sugar/butter mixture.

Mix until all of the ingredients are well combined then add the carrot and mix well again.

Now, with 2 spoons, shape the dough into approx 2-3cm (1-inch) balls and place them about 4 cm apart onto a silicone baking mat, or cookie sheet lined with baking paper.

Bake about 15-20 minutes or until the edges go slightly brown. Be careful not to overcook or they will be dry and possibly burnt on the bottoms.

Remove immediately and cool on a wire rack.

Voila - Perfectly delicious cake-like cookies.

This recipe makes about 4 dozen lovely biscuits or miniature muffins. If you prefer mini muffins, cook them longer – about 20-30 minutes or until a toothpick/skewer comes out clean.

SNOOTY MENUS

Like anyone else, I really enjoy a night out once in a while. I love good food and great company, but every now and then I see a particularly snooty menu and it irritates me. Today I received an invitation to a "winemakers lunch" along with the following menu that made me laugh...needless to say, it's a bit "over the top" for even me. At first, it all sounded very interesting...

The lunch includes:

• A sumptuous five-course meal
• 6 glasses of superb wines from the guest vineyard
• Return transport from Central Wellington
• Extreme Golf (10 balls per person)
• Claybird shooting (10 shots per person)
• Use of petanque and horseshoe throwing sets

Not too bad yet, right? They also provide transport so no one will drink & drive. So, I decide to have a look at the menu to see what is on offer...

Menu
~
Petit Brioche with Alaskan King Crab Fraiche
Abalone on Japanese Seaweed Salad
Served with Allan Scott Cecelia Reserve Brut
~
Whipped Goat Curd
on sweetcorn Parantha with mustard greens, melon and ginger salsa
Served with Allan Scott Millstone Organic Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2008
~
Spiced Pork Gyoza
with grilled scampi and an Asian herb salad with lime labne
Served with Allan Scott The Wallops Chardonnay 2007
~
Seared Ostrich Medallionon roast beetroot and shallot with
Vincotto olive pate, snail wontons and caramelised beer vinaigrette
Served with Allan Scott The Hounds Pinot Noir 2007
~
Roast Nectarine
With a pear, brandy and butterscotch sauce
with gorgonzola icecream and madelines
Served with Allan Scott Late Harvest Riesling 2007
~

Now, I will admit that some of these things sound interesting, but...whipped goat curd on parantha - can't they say goat cheese on indian flatbread? Or...how about the ostrich...the stuff is nearly flavourless on it's own, so why try to dress it up rather than serving duck or even quail (if you want to cook exotic fowl), at least they have flavour!!!

Now, the snail wontons - I mean, really? Yes, I have eaten snails as escargot and although I thought it was okay, it wasn't something I'd rush madly out to buy...would you? Again - flavourless except for the fat, herbs & garlic they are smothered in (usually).

Finally, we get to dessert, this has to be good, right??? Well, the fruit and sauce sound okay...I'll even take a madeline or two, but gorgonzola ice cream??? WHAT?! I detest blue vein cheeses at any given time, but to make an ice cream out of the vile stuff has to be a crime against all things right in the world or something, really!

So now I suppose that with three out of six courses featuring cheese of some variety or another, the seaweed, snails and fruit are supposed to be nature's laxatives to help push it all through, right?

Well, whatever the case, I think I'll give this one a miss. I would prefer the lunches on offer at , Willamette Valley Vineyards, where I know the menus will still be first class, but not overstated...much like their wines, I suppose. I know this because my Uncle is their winemaker as well as a first rate cook (as is my Aunt Maria).

Enough for this post...have a laugh and be thankful that most people, no matter what their class, status, or income, are not so snooty as this. LOL

Cheers!

COCONUT PRAWNS

WITH SPICY SWEET & SOUR SAUCE

So, I've been quite busy these last couple of weeks. With the school festival and trying to plan Thanksgiving, and somewhere in all this the excitement of our precious daughter getting her first job! That's right, only 7 years old and we make her earn her keep! Actually, she has always been quite a little drama queen and she was recently given the opportunity to be on television in a commercial for a bank. (pretty cool, eh?!) Technically, it's her second job though...her first gig was a photo shoot for a government brochure about 2 weeks after we arrived here in New Zealand. A photographer had asked me if she could photograph my lovely little nymph as she chased pigeons around the parliament courtyard...several weeks later we received, a package with a check and several photos in it along with a copy of the Auditor General's Annual Report and guess who graced the cover?! Well, that was a couple of years ago now, and I don't push my little one into anything, so there are no acting lessons on the horizon as we will stick to ballet and piano for now. She wants to do everything (guitar and singing/dancing are the flavours of the week because she wants to be like Hannah Montana). LOL

Anyway, my point...so much to do and so little time!

I had practically forgotten about coconut prawns as I haven't had or made them since we moved down under. This was a favourite appetizer at a local restaurant that a former director used to take my department to whenever we celebrated anything. In any case, it was always something I liked to make, but my daughter has never been fond of coconut or prawns...aha, but put them together and as long as it's fried, it now passes inspection...just barely!

These were just fantastic last night though. Not too heavy, and the ever-so-slight coconut aroma was heavenly. This was paired perfectly with the slightly spicy sweet and sour sauce I managed to whip up successfully (one of the first things I had learned to make way back in home economics class when I was about 13 or so).

My only regret here, is that I apparently didn't make enough for lunch today, so it's back to leftover chicken from my hubby's weekend cooking spree (he won a size 20 chook in the quick-fire raffle at the school gala - just a bit too big for our little family I think).

Here is the easy-to-follow recipe for my coconut prawns and sauce. Sauce first...


SAUCE ~ INGREDIENTS:

1 Cup Crushed Pineapple, with juice
3 Cloves Crushed Garlic
2 Tbsp Soy Sauce
2 Tbsp Corn Starch
2 Tbsp Red Chilli Sauce (or minced red chillies without seeds)
2 Tbsp Chinese Black Vinegar (lemon juice will do in a pinch)


DIRECTIONS:

Prepare the sauce by combining pineapple (with juice from can) in a pot with garlic, soy sauce, and cornstarch, then stir together until well combined

Now, add chilli sauce or minced peppers (jalapeno works as well, but use half as much if you don't want the sauce to be too spicy).

Mix together until peppers are well incorporated.

Next, simmer over medium-low heat for 10-15 minutes or until the sauce has thickened to desired consistency.

Lastly, stir in vinegar.

The sauce is best prepared up to 24 hours in advance and refrigerated until ready to serve (serve room temp or cold). Also, any leftover sauce is great with leftover rice the following day. Mmmm…sweet and slightly spicy!


PRAWNS ~ INGREDIENTS:

½ Cup Flour
½ Tsp Baking Powder
½ Tsp Smoked Paprika
½ Tsp Garlic Salt
½ Cup Cold Water (more or less)
¾ Cup Breadcrumbs
1½ -2 Cups Shredded Coconut (I prefer the finer texture over the coarsely shredded version)
500 Gm (approx 1 lb) Prawns, de-veined and tails off
2 Cups (more or less) Peanut Oil or Rice Bran Oil


DIRECTIONS:

Stir together the flour, salt, baking powder and paprika in a medium size bowl with a fork or using chop sticks.

Once well combined, add water and whisk until batter is smooth, then set it aside.

In a separate bowl, mix together the breadcrumbs and coconut to make the coating.

Drop the prawns, one by one, into the batter, and then roll in the coconut mixture, pressing down on the prawns to coat them well. I used chop sticks to keep from making a big mess.

Now heat approximately 1 inch of peanut or rice bran oil in a large frying pan to 185° C (approx 365° F).

When the oil has reached temperature, fry the prawns in batches of about 6 at a time until they are golden brown on both sides, turning over once.

Remove the prawns from the oil using a slotted spoon or tongs and drain the excess oil on paper towels.

Finally, you sprinkle the hot prawns with a pinch of salt to enhance the flavour before serving with steamed rice and a veg. I added a hint of coconut essence and a few drops of sesame oil to my rice and it was addictive!!! YUM!!!

SPICY TWIST:

Add ¼ Tsp Cayenne Pepper to bread crumbs and follow basic process as above.

FOODIEVIEW POST BUTTON

KIWIFRUIT GLAZED – BALSAMIC PORK SPARE RIBS
(Adapted from Ming Tsai’s recipe from Simply Ming )

Now, I have had some really good spare ribs before...but this was really amazing! The bones literally fell out of the meat it was so tender, and the salsa gave the meat an extra depth that was phenomenal.

Note To Self: Buy a bigger rib rack next time...MUCH bigger!

I don't think much more needs to be said here - just see for yourself! (Bugger there aren't any leftovers for my lunch!!!)

THE DAY BEFORE…Make salsa and cure ribs.

INGREDIENTS – SALSA:

4 Kiwifruit, diced

1 Tbsp Ginger, finely minced

1 Large Red Onion, diced

¼ Cup Coriander, packed

2 Thai Chillies, stemmed and finely minced *Alternatively use 1 Tbsp Thai Chilli Sauce

½ Cup Lime Juice

*1 Shot Tequila (optional)

*Flaky Sea Salt

*Freshly Ground Black Pepper

*Amounts vary to individual tastes.

DIRECTIONS:

In a medium bowl, gently mix all the ingredients then, season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Allow to stand covered overnight in the refrigerator for flavours to fully develop.

Remove from fridge at least one hour before use and allow it to warm to room temperature.

RIBS: The day before, rub the ribs with salt and pepper and let cure overnight.

THE DAY OF…Cook ribs and prepare a simple side salad.

INGREDIENTS – RIBS:

1½ - 2 Kg Baby Back Ribs, cut to fit

1 Cup Good Balsamic Vinegar

¼ Tsp Chinese Five Spice

½ Tsp Ground Coriander

1 Cup (more or less) Ginger-Kiwi Salsa

500 Gms (about 1 Lb) Red Potatoes, scrubbed, boiled and halved

6 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled

¼ Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 Tbsp Cider Vinegar

2 Tbsp Parsley Leaves, finely chopped

*Flaky Sea Salt

*Freshly Ground Black Pepper

*Amounts vary to individual tastes.

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 190 C (375 F).

Puree 1 cup Ginger-Kiwi Salsa in a blender or, use an immersion (stick) blender to blend until smooth.

Prepare ribs by rubbing off any excess salt and pepper first, then place ribs into a large deep pan.

Next, add the vinegar so that a 1/4-inch layer is on the bottom and cover tightly with foil.

Bake in the oven for 1 to 1 ½ hours, checking ribs at 1 hour, and continuing cooking until all the vinegar is evaporated.

Now either transfer ribs to a grill and slather with more or less 1 cup of the pureed Ginger-Kiwi Salsa or, keep them in the pan and slather with blended salsa and change oven setting to grill/broil to colour well.

Meanwhile, to make a simple German potato salad: Toss hot (or warm) potatoes with bacon, olive oil, vinegar and parsley.

Check for flavour and season if necessary.

Serve the potato salad on a large dish and top with sliced ribs and reserved salsa.

The bones just fall out and the meat is moist, succulent and full of gorgeous flavour.

Now, TUCK IN and savour!!!

(Nothing but empty bones left at the end of the meal!)

MARGARITA PIE

MARGARITA PIE

Here’s a nice cool summery dessert I dug out of the old Pampered Chef archives. For my Kiwi & Aussie Friends, Pampered Chef is a bit like Tupperware (only reasonably priced) where they only sell direct from catalogues and you have a party at your house where the host/ess cooks something using their gear.

I had this at a friend’s home years ago during a party at which I am certain I spent far too much money on stuff I had little storage room for…but I remember how nice this was and it is another I can add to my “Unusual Ingredients” category because it has a pretzel crust…something different, eh? Tasty though…very tasty!

I had to make a few slight modifications as the original (or the version I still had) was a bit on the sweet side, and because the recipe originally called for Cool Whip non-dairy whipped topping which is not available in New Zealand (to my knowledge, anyway). I must say though, after trying my own version, I should suggest either individual servings made in ramekins, freezer storage, or stabilizing your whipped cream with dissolved gelatine before folding into the filling (recipe below). This should help it to keep its shape sans Cool Whip.

If you are in North America, you won’t have a problem – just replace the whipped cream below with Cool Whip!

STABILIZED WHIPPED CREAM:
(Makes about two cups)

1½ Tsp Unflavoured Gelatine

4 Tsp Hot Water

1 Cup COLD Cream

½ Tsp Vanilla Essence/Extract

Combine gelatine and hot water and mix until syrup-like consistency, and slightly cooled.

Now whip cream and vanilla until slightly thickened then, while beating, slowly and gradually add gelatine to the whipped cream mixture.

This needs no sugar because the rest of the filling mix is sweet enough!

Continue whipping on high speed until stiff but stop before you get butter!

CRUST – INGREDIENTS:

1 ¼ Cups Finely Crushed Pretzels
½ Cup Butter or Margarine, melted
¼ Cup sugar


DIRECTIONS:

For crust combine all ingredients in medium bowl; press onto bottom and up side of deep pie pan. (Doesn't get much easier!!!)

FILLING – INGREDIENTS:

2 Cups Sweetened Condensed Milk
2 Tsp Grated Lime Peel
1/4 Cup Lime Juice (approx 2-3 limes)
1/4 Cup Orange Juice
1½ Cups Stabilized Whipped Cream (recipe above)

DIRECTIONS:

In a medium bowl, combine milk, lime peel and juices, then fold in whipped cream.

Pour the mixture into the crust and refrigerate until well chilled – a minimum of 30 minutes.
Serve chilled – goes great with tea!

This one is very rich and sweet, so you may want to go easy on the portions (I think one could almost get cavities from just the photo alone!)

Cheers!

FOODIEVIEW POST BUTTON

OMNIVORE'S HUNDRED

I found this challenge at Cooking Down Under and thought it might be fun for my foodie friends to try, so here it goes. I’ll copy from her intro below, but the foods listed and marked will be my own. (I'll post the Lamb Shanks with Baby Carrots & Asparagus later...)

“Now here’s a bit of fun for those of you who are game to give most food a try. Andrew, a sometime journalist and full-time eater who lives in South London and blogs at Very Good Taste has come up with the Omnivore's Hundred - 100 things he thinks every good omnivore should have tried at least once in their life. It’s a mix of fine food, weird food, “different” food and some downright nasty food.

He’s called on his fellow bloggers to engage in a little interactivity and to:

• Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions.
  
• Bold all the items you’ve eaten.
  
• Italicise any items that you would never consider eating.
  
• Optional extra: Post a comment at www.verygoodtaste.co.uk linking to your results.”

I have completed mine, and found I’ve tried 71½% of his list.
(The ½ is because I have tried Congnac, but would never smoke a cigar)

As for the rest, I haven’t tried them because I have never heard of them, or pretty much because I don’t have a death wish!

Let me know how you get on… If you don’t have a clue as to what something is, just Google it.

The VGT Omnivore’s Hundred:

1. Venison
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros
4. Steak tartare
5. Crocodile
6. Black pudding
7. Cheese fondue
8. Carp
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush
11. Calamari
12. Pho
13. PB&J sandwich
14. Aloo gobi
15. Hot dog from a street cart
16. Epoisses
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes
19. Steamed pork buns
20. Pistachio ice cream
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Foie gras
24. Rice and beans
25. Brawn, or head cheese
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper
27. Dulce de leche
28. Oysters
29. Baklava
30. Bagna cauda
31. Wasabi peas
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl
33. Salted lassi
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float
36. Cognac with a fat cigar
37. Clotted cream tea
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O
39. Gumbo
40. Oxtail
41. Curried goat
42. Whole insects
43. Phaal
44. Goat’s milk
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more
46. Fugu
47. Chicken tikka masala
48. Eel
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut
50. Sea urchin
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi
53. Abalone
54. Paneer
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal
56. Spaetzle
57. Dirty gin martini
58. Beer above 8% ABV
59. Poutine
60. Carob chips
61. S’mores
62. Sweetbreads
63. Kaolin
64. Currywurst
65. Durian
66. Frogs’ legs
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake
68. Haggis
69. Fried plantain
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette
71. Gazpacho
72. Caviar and blini
73. Louche absinthe
74. Gjetost, or brunost
75. Roadkill
76. Baijiu
77. Hostess Fruit Pie
78. Snail
79. Lapsang souchong
80. Bellini
81. Tom yum
82. Eggs Benedict
83. Pocky
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant.
85. Kobe beef
86. Hare
87. Goulash
88. Flowers
89. Horse
90. Criollo chocolate
91. Spam
92. Soft shell crab
93. Rose harissa
94. Catfish
95. Mole poblano
96. Bagel and lox
97. Lobster Thermidor
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Snake

How do you rate?...

ZUCCHINI BREAD

ZUCCHINI BREAD

I love the smell of freshly baked holiday-style loafs and cakes, and this one is one of my all time favourites (right up there with bananna nut bread and carrot cake). There is just something about the sweet cinnamon & clove aromas that just say to me, "Thanksgiving is nearly here!" or, "Christmas isn't far off now!".

Kiwis don't celebrate Thanksgiving because it's really just an American tradition...or so I thought. Some of my formerly Canadian, now Kiwi, friends have pointed out that Canada actually has their own version as well. Good on 'em, I say!!! For those of you who don't really know what it means to us, it's basically a day to be thankful for all you have...your health, friends, family, and anything else you can think of. A common question I get regards gift-giving... We do not exchange gifts until Christmas, but usually the invitees bring something to go with the main holiday meal or else bring a dessert. Some folks bring salads or their favourite side dish, others bring the traditional pumpkin or pecan pies. The host usually roasts a stuffed turkey and mashed potatoes with gravy, however not being a huge turkey fan, I sometimes opt for a honey-baked style ham or a leg of lamb is nice provided it's prepared well.

In any case, for many Americans, Thanksgiving is just a test-run for holiday recipes before Christmas, as the feast is usually similar as are the guests often times. My grandmother was an amazing cook and came up with all sorts of goodies. Even when my family lived far away, we could always count on some christmas baking in the form of a black walnut & cinnamon Christmas tree-shaped stolen and some homemade fudge & divinity.

The loaf I made here, the Zucchini Bread, is a favourite with many Americans. To you Kiwis & Aussies out there unsure of what a zucchini is - you call them courgettes! This loaf is very similar to carrot cake or bananna bread, so don't be afraid to put veggies into your baking now and then.

In my own version here, I sometimes add carrots and various nuts (whatever I have in the pantry, usually), so this one was made with carrot and pistachios rather than only courgettes and/or walnuts. It's a thick batter and makes one large loaf or two medium loaves, so I usually split it into two just to keep my loaf pan from overflowing!

INGREDIENTS:

2 ½ Cups (315gm) High Grade Flour
1 ½ Teaspoons Ground Cinnamon
½ Teaspoon Ground Cloves
¼ Teaspoon Ground Cardamom
2 Teaspoons Baking Soda
1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
1 Teaspoon Salt
1 ½ Cups (375gm) Sugar
¾ Cup Salad Oil
3 Eggs
2 Cups (500gm) Unpeeled Zucchini
1 Small/Med Carrot Peeled & Grated
1 Cup Finely Chopped Nuts (Walnuts, Pecans, Almonds, or Pistachios work well)
1 ½ Teaspoons Vanilla Extract

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 180 C (350 F) oil-spray loaf pan (22 ½ x 12 ½ x 7 ½ cm) then line with baking paper cut to fit pan. (Baking paper is optional, but I found it very clean & easy to use.)

Sift together – Flour, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

In a separate mixing bowl, with heavy wooden spoon or electric mixer, combine the sugar, oil and eggs and beat until smooth.

Slowly add in sifted dry ingredients until well combined and smooth.

Now add grated zucchini and carrot, vanilla extract and nuts.

Bread will rise, so carefully pour batter into prepared loaf pan/s leaving approximately 1 cm of space at the top, then bake 60-75 minutes or until cake tester inserted in center comes out clean (I cooked mine 70 minutes).

Allow the loaf to cool in the pan at least 10 minutes prior to turning out onto cooling rack/wire bread rack.

Décor Ingredients (optional):

½ Teaspoon Cinnamon
¼ Cup Sugar
10 Walnut Halves

DECORATING IDEA:

If desired, before serving combine ½ teaspoon of cinnamon and ¼ cup of sugar.

Turn the loaf upside down to decorate edges with cinnamon sugar then use approximately 10 walnut halves to decorate the top.

This bread is lovely served with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. It is also nice just served warm or cold with butter or margarine.

Enjoy!

BEEF STEW WITH GUINNESS

When the weather turns colder and you are looking for a comfort food recipe, this is always a nice one to have handy. One nice thing about this recipe is that you can cut up everything ahead of time the night before, then get everything into the slow cooker (crock pot) first thing in the morning, and let it cook all day while you are out. No worries, mate!

One pot, one pan, healthy veggies, tasty tender beef in a rich Guinness gravy...who could turn that down? Especially if it's served up with some tasty cheese scones or homemade bread? Mmmmm....

Well, this is how I make it, but feel free to make modifications to suit your own taste.

INGREDIENTS:

1 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 Brown Onions, cut into med-large chunks

1 Lb (500-600 Gms) Lean Chuck Steak, cut into bite-sized chunks

1 Tbsp Flour

1 Cup Beef Stock

1 Can Guinness (Approx 2 Cups)

2 Carrots, chopped

2 Parsnips, chopped

2 Med Potatoes, diced

2 Tbsp Tomato Paste

4 Cloves Garlic, crushed

2 Tsp, Oregano

2 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce

DIRECTIONS:

First, heat the oil in a large pan and sweat onions with a bit of salt until they begin to soften.

Dump the onions into the crock pot and return the pan to the stovetop to quickly fry the meat off on high heat.

Cook the beef just about 2-3 minutes until browned, then add the flour and stir in for approximately half a minute.

Now put the meat into the crock pot and add the beef stock, Guinness, and all of the rest of the ingredients.

Cover the crock pot and cook on low 6-8 hours or on high 4-5 hours.

Taste and season with salt & pepper to taste.

I love the traditional American style buttermilk biscuits or even the Kiwi style cheese scones with this stew. The leftovers are always a hit too!

Enjoy.

COKE-A-COLA CHICKEN

Here's an Asian classic, Coke-a-cola Chicken. There are many ways to do this and some of which involve crock pots, diet cola, and tomato sauce (ketchup to the other Americans out there). Nevertheless, this is one that I like to make and it's quick, easy, and oh so sticky & yummy!!!
















Ingredients:

600-700 Grams (approx a pound and a half) of Chicken pieces (I use breast tenderloins, but drumsticks or wings also work)
2-4 Tbsp Peanut Oil (or other cooking oil)
3-4 Cloves Garlic (minimum)
2 Tsp Finely crushed or grated ginger
1 Can or roughly 300ml Coke-a-Cola (or, I imagine Pepsi would work in a pinch)
2 Tbsp Bai Jiu (Chinese sorghum liquor) OPTIONAL
1 Tsp Celery Salt
2-3 Tbsp Honey


Directions:

Heat oil in wok or large chef's pan. When oil is hot, quickly add in ginger and garlic and give a quick stir around before carefully tossing in the chicken peices.

Brown the chicken lightly then pour cola over chicken to cover.

Once cola begins a rapid boil, add in the honey and liquor then give a good stir around before adding the celery salt.

Now cover and simmer until cola reduces to a thick and sticky syrup. Make sure all chicken pieces are well coated and remove from heat. Don't assume the black stuff on the pan is burnt...that's the best part!

I serve mine with steamed veggies and rice vermicelli noodles and topped it off with toasted sesame seeds. Rice or yakisoba noodles would also make a nice substitute for the vermicelli.