Saturday, December 22, 2012

Birthday Dinner 2012 (-1990)

22 Birthday dinners and still going strong!

Stuffing:
Panko breadcrumbs
Red bell peppers chopped
Rosemary finely chopped
Sage finely chopped
Salt
Egg


Rolled into balls drizzle with olive oil and bake on top shelf till crsipy brown.

Lambs smothered in solidified stock fat, salt, garlic and rosemary.
Bake for almost 5 hours at 170ish




Individual apple pies - didn't make it to the dinner table this year, there were just so many desserts.

Just a nice greeny picture.
Here testing my apple pies and first testing of my stuffing for the vegetarian folks.


Quick Chow Mein so we don't starve till dinner-party time.


All hail to the mighty mint sauce


Oh yeah, Come on Eileen!

Stuffing Roasted
and below all garnished up and looking gooooood..

Pepe's cerviche mushrooms.
No words.


Galit's amazing bread

Recipe - Click here





Nili's crazy good salad
Sourcle Link : marthastewart fennel-and-orange-salad



Refreshing mint tea all round.

Recipes:

Cheese cake
Base
200g Butter cookies - grounded
70g Butter melted

Mix.
Layer in tin and chill in refridgerator

Filling
1 cup Sugar
700g Heavy cream cheese (Gad or Yakov brand)
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 eggs
1 Sour cream (como pa-am)

Cream sugar and vanilla and cheese together.
Add eggs one at a time.

Cover the base of the cake tin with foil, this is protection as the tin will float in a bain-marie
whilst baking. This ensures a moist rich heavenly cheesecake.

Pour over the cookie base.
Place in another tin with high edges filled with boiling water and bake for 1 1/4 hour or till the
sides come steady but the middle is still wobbly.
Keep in bain-marie and let the cake to cool completely before removing it to the refrigerator.
Cool for 24 hr. before serving.

Tip: For super moist cheesecake slightly underbake and take the cake out BEFORE it's done
and sets. If it has set, it is already over done.

Truffles

Crocnat:
100g crudely crushed Almonds
1/2 cup of Sugar

Carmelize sugar, add almonds.
Oil a pan and pour hot mixture, let set.
When cold, bash in plastic bag.
Pralines:
350g Bitter Dark quality Chocolate
2/3 cup of Coffee Expresso
2 tbsp Brandy
125g Butter
3 tbsp grounded chocolate
3 tbsp cocoa

Melt coffee and brandy with chocolate.
Take out from the gas, and add butter and let it melt
Cool for a little while and add the nuts.
Line pan with baking paper and pour mixture.
Chill for at least 4 hr.
Work with 2tsp to form nut size pieces and role to small balls.
Roll the balls in chocolate and in cocoa.
Keep in refrigerator.

Option 2:
Pour the whole mixture in flat pan and freeze.
Just before serving, cut with a good knife into small squares and dust the cocoa powder.

(Tip: use chopsticks to pick up - hands will melt the damn thing)
Delicioulsy decadent!




Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Fresh Meat and Bones

Gloriously fresh, meat lovely and dark red, fat off-white and firm. Super.
Top: Lamb Shank,
Right: 2 x Best Quality Lamb Shoulders
Bones on the left for fabulous maximum-flavour-stock.

So excited! making mint sauce to go with :)


Bones ready for the long slow cook.  You should roast them first in a hot oven, patience was never a virtue of mine.








Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Beignets - Happy Channuka




I don't do sufganiyot, too heavy for me.  These on the other hand....light, crisp and ahhh Oh! so divine.
Happy Channuka!


Recipe

Basic Recipe - Choux Pastry - Bero book


50 g (2 oz) butter/margarine
150 ml (1/4 pint) water
100g (4oz) Plain flour
2 - 5 large eggs  ( beaten)

1Place fat in water and melt over gentle heat, then bring to boil.
Note:

Make sure water is boiling before adding flour, otherwise a thin paste will form.
2Remove from heat and stir in flour.
3While off the heat, stirring until mixture forms a ball in the middle of the pan.


4Thoroughly beat the eggs into the mixture, a little at a time with a wooden spoon or electric whisk.  A thick but runny batter is what you should be aiming for.  Whisk well to avoid lumps.
5.  Pre-heat enough oil in a pan to deep fry.

6.  Dip the two teaspoons in the oil to coat it so the sticky dough does not stick to the spoons as you scoop with one teaspoon and push/drop the dough into the hot oil with the other spoon.



Fry in hot oil till just burst.  Nice and brown all over.  They're done!
Leave to cool slightly on kitchen towels.  Dust with icing sugar.
Dip in deep dark chocolate and top with whipped cream ( I like to add some icing sugar in the cream for extra sweetness.)

Enjoy

Click here for Source Recipe






Friday, December 7, 2012

Honey! I made Meat Pies






ShortCrust Pastry
1 + 1/4 Plain flour
120g butter
1/2 tsp.  Salt
1/2 tsp. Vinegar
Cold water (till form a dough)
Milk  or Egg to brush on top (optional)


Filling
Best quality mincemeat
Onions
Carrots
Beef Stock (worth waiting till you have real beef stock gives a much flavourful filling)
Salt Pepper
Soya sauce

Worchestershire
1 to 2 tbps. of Cornflour mixed in 2 tbps. cold water


Fry onions and carrots  till soft.
Add meat fry till brown.
Add soya and worchestershire

Season
Add cornflour mix to thicken.
Line pastry.
Scoop in filling then top and close pie with another layer of pastry.
Dampen edges with water and pinch layers to close.

Slit a small hole on top, wrap and  freeze immediately or bake.

 I baked straight from the freezer, frozen at 190 for  about 1hour 20 mins.
Cover the tops with aluminum foil to prevent burning, after an hour remove foil to brown tops.  Pies are done when golden brown and the lower crust is firm and baked.


Enjoy!

Sources
Videos:
http://artofthepie.com/videos/ 

artofthepie dough
http://artofthepie.com/flour-salt-fat-and-water/

Vinegar Tip for top crust:  http://bakingbites.com/2013/11/flaky-vinegar-pie-crust/

Extra reading on pie pastry

Extra in Simple print form


 
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