Recipies, Part Two

[Michelle]

Leave your recipies here...
(Discussions in a seperate thread, if possible, to make the recipies easier to find. :) )

[Debbie]

I love this dessert for when I have no time for anything clever.

1 packet biscuits - (you can use most types, but ginger, digestive or choc chip cookies work best)
250ml double cream
sherry, whisky or orange juice
1 cadbury's flake and/or trifle decorations to suit

Whip the cream until it is stiff.
Dip each biscuit in the sherry, whisky or orange juice depending on your tastes, and then sandwich together with about 1/2 the double cream.

leave in fridge for 1 - 2 hours to mature.

Before serving, spread the rest of the cream over the biscuit roll, and decorate with crushed flake or decorations to suit (mandarin oranges are a great decoration if you use orange juice)

Serves 6 -8

[Debbie]

Quick and easy low sugar lemon cheesecake

For the base:
100g no added sugar muesli
50g butter

For the topping

250g mascarpone cheese, or low fat Philedelphia if you are very virtuous
250ml double cream
4 level tablespoons of Splenda low sugar sweetener
juice and rind of 1 lemon

Melt the butter and mix with the muesli. Press into a cake tin base and put in fridge to set.
Whip the double cream until fairly stiff
In a separate bowl mix the cheese, sugar, lemon juice and rind together, and then add the cream, stirring with a metal spoon.
Spoon the mixture onto the base and return to fridge to set for a minimum of 1 hour

Debbie

[Maureen]

Angel - This is a recipie for krustini. Hope they come out all right.


Krustini are a traditional biscuit which is not too sweet and usually baked all the year round. These are twice baked biscuits which are spotted with whole roasted almonds and are often used as dunkers in tea and coffee.

Here is what you need to make around 40:
60g soft unsalted butter
250g castor sugar
2 eggs
400g plain flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
150g whole almonds -- not blanched

Start off by placing the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl and stirring until smooth. Next add the eggs one at a time and then the flour and baking powder. Add the nuts and give the mixture a thorough stir.

Now, line a biscuit tray with baking paper and place the mixture on the tray in the form of 2 or three sausages.

Bake the rolls in a preheated oven at 180C for 20 minutes. They will still be soft at this point.

Once the first bake is done, cut the rolls up into 2 cm slices and place them flat on the tray. Return the tray to the oven and bake again until they are golden. This should take around 10 minutes.

Once the krustini have cooled, place them in a biscuit tin or an airtight container, they should keep for a week.

Or you can do like I did and eat them all at once! that way they will not go stale for sure.
Bon apetite

[Maureen]

I found this recipie for bread (on the net). i have never baked bread in my life, so do not have any idea if this comes out like it is supposed to!
It does not seem difficult though!

Hobz (Maltese Bread)

Ingredients


600g flour
10g salt
15g sugar
15g margerine
25g yeast
345ml luke warm water
1 tablespoon milk


Method


Mix the four, salt and margerine. Add the yeast. Make a mixture of the luke warm water, sugar and the milk. Add on to the flour and knead the mixture well until the dough is white and elasticated. Place in a bowl, seal with cling film and a wet dish towel, place in a warm place for about 1 hour. Work the dough, cut into small pieces (50g). Place on a baking tray, paste with egg, cut with a knife and let the pieces rest for about 15 minutes. Cook in oven 450F (232C) gas mark 6-8 for 12-15 minutes.

[Kell]

Kell's Chickpea & Chorizo Soup
Ingredients:
1 tin chopped tomatoes
1 small can of tomato puree (or 1 tube)
1 small onion (diced)
1 clove garlic (minced)
1/2 can of chickpeas
50g chorizo (diced into small cubes)
1 ham stock cube
Dash of Balsamic vinegar
Pinch each of paprika, oregano, salt & pepper

1. Pop the can of tomatoes, along with the puree, onion, garlic, balsamic vinegar, herbs & spices into a large pan. Fill the tomato can with water & add it to the pan. Crumble in the stock cube & bring to the boil.

2. Simmer for around 15 minutes till the onion is tender, then pop it all in the blender (or use a hand blender - that's what I do).

3. Return the smooth soup to the pan & add the chickpeas & the chorizo. Simmer for a further 20 minutes.

4. Serve with crusty rolls.

If you don't have Balsamic vinegar, you can use a dash of Worcester sauce instead (or, if you fancy, pop it in as well - it's lovely!). You should get 4 servings of soup from this recipe. If the soup's a little thick for your liking, just add a drop more water till you have the desired consistency.

I have to admit, this is my favourite soup as it's so quick & easy to make & it tastes DELICIOUS!

[Maureen]

ARTICHOKE STEW

6-10 large artichokes,
4 onions - chopped
1 small pkt broad beans - skins removed
1 cup fresh peas
2 leeks
Fresh garlic and herbs,
1 tin chopped tomatoes
2 cups stock (or more)
1 pkt dry mixed beans
Salt and pepper to taste.

Start off by gently frying the chopped onions, add the garlic and herbs, and the leeks. Next, mix in the chopped tomatoes and add stock or water to make the sauce fairly runny. Add the beans.

Now prepare the artichokes by stripping away the outer leaves and place the hearts in the sauce and simmer. When almost done, add the broad beans and the fresh peas. Continue simmering until all the vegetables are done.

[Maureen]

I came across another recipie for artichokes. Have never tried it before.

Pasta with fresh artichokes
Here is what you need to serve 2 (sauce):

4 small fresh globe artichokes
1 large can of tuna
2 tomatoes
fresh parsley
fresh thyme
olive oil
spring onions
vegetable stock


Start off by removing the outer layers from the artichokes, cutting into quarters and slicing off the top part of the remaining leaves.

Now, place your spring onions in a pan with a little olive oil and add the artichoke hearts. Should fresh artichokes not be in season, you can always substitute with tinned or frozen ones. Now add some vegetable stock, fresh or a diluted stock cube and allow the artichokes to cook through.

Should you be using the tinned ones, then very little stock is required since these are already cooked. Once the artichokes soften and are cooked through, add the tuna and tomatoes.

Make sure you deseed the tomatoes and cut them into smallish chunks. Next add the fresh herbs and a little more stock if required.

Once your pasta is cooked, drain it well and stir into the sauce. Once you plate the dish, drizzle a little olive oil on each plate.

[Angel]

Recipe for Red Onion Marmalade - ala Gordon Ramsay

2 Red Onions
50g Butter
1tbl sp Brown Sugar
1 tbl sp.Balsamic Vinegar

Gently fry down sliced red onions until soft, (not browned) in the butter.
Add sugar and cook for further 4-5 mins until caramelised. Drain excess fat, add balsamic vinegar. Cook for 2-3 mins until syrupy. Set aside marmalade to cool down.

Although extremely simple, it is delicious!!!!

[Tash]

ooo I shall be trying that myself!!! And ooooo balsamic vinegar *drools* :lol:

Yes, I drool alot lol

[Maureen]

Easter in Malta is nothing without the traditional figolli. These are delicious sweets which are as traditional as the egg in Malta. This is what I will be wolfing down in days to come....More here figolli (http://www.maltamedia.com/features/easter/easter-figolli.shtml)

[Kell]

Ooh, they look delish, Mau!

[Maureen]

They are Kell - really scrumptious. Here they are as popular as Easter eggs - or more - cause I honestly prefer a slice of figolla with a mug of coffee or tea, than a choc egg.

[Mamacita]

I found this recipe on Giada De Laurentiis' website. I think it could easily be adapted to take advantage of just about any summer fruit, including peaches, apricots, & strawberries.

RASPBERRY TIRAMISU
by Giada De Laurentiis

The great thing about this dessert is that you actually have to prepare it ahead of time. The longer it sits, the better it tastes.

1 cup seedless raspberry jam
6 tablespoons Grand Marnier
1 pound mascarpone cheese, at room temperature
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
48 soft ladyfingers (2 3-ounce packages) or 40 dry Italian ladyfingers (2 packages)
3 baskets fresh raspberries ( _ dry pint, about 3 _ cups total)
confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Stir together the jam and 4 tablespoons of the Grand Marnier in a small bowl to blend.

Stir together the mascarpone and remaining 2 tablespoons of Grand Marnier in a large bowl to blend. Using an electric mixer, beat the cream, granulated sugar, and vanilla in another large bowl until soft peaks form. Using a large rubber spatula, stir a fourth of the whipped cream into the mascarpone mixture to lighten. Fold the remaining whipped cream into the mascarpone mixture.

Line the bottom of a trifle bowl or other decorative serving dish with a third of the ladyfingers. Spread a third of the jam mixture over the ladyfingers. Spread a third of the mascarpone mixture over the jam mixture, then cover with a third of the fresh raspberries. Repeat layering with the remaining ladyfingers, jam mixture, mascarpone mixture, and raspberries. Cover and refrigerate at least 3 hours or overnight.

Dust the confectioners' sugar over the top and serve.

[Kell]

Ooh, that sounds devilishly delicous & incredibly calorific. How can I resist?

[Mamacita]

I made an easy peach cobbler last night...

I drained two large cans of peaches (fresh ones aren't quite in season yet).
Reserved the juice of one can, added a generous amount of freshly grated cinnamon, some nutmeg, and a dash of sea salt, then thickened it over med heat with cornstarch dissolved in a bit of water.

Once the sauce was thickened, I added the drained peaches.

I made a sweet scone dough, patted it out into a round almost as large as the baking dish and about 1/4" thick, put the peaches in the dish, topped it with strips of the dough, sprinkled demerara sugar on top and baked until it was bubbly and the dough golden brown.

Here's the result:

http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c283/Cinthia123Hamer/PeachCobbler.jpg[/img]

[Kell]

Mamacita - that looks HEAVENLY! I adore cobbler!

[Maureen]

Mamacita - can you send me a piece pls? It looks heavenly

[Icecream]

Make your own potato cakes. They are much cheaper than buying them. I'm not sure of the quantities. We just guess, but just mix your left over mash potato with flour, shape, grill, stick on your butter/cheese or whatever and there you go. We even thought of mix vegetables with them for an easy high energy nutritious meal.

[Mamacita]

This dish is incredibly popular among the vegetarian crowd where I live/grew up.

2 pints cottage cheese
1 large onion, finely minced
1 cup English walnuts, minced
3 packets of vegetable broth powder (I use G Washington, but I'm sure there are brands in the UK and elsewhere that will work fine. Just make sure the cubes are meant to make 1 cup of broth when added to water)
1 box Kellog's Special K cereal
5 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup butter, melted

Combine all ingredients except cereal, stir well to mix, then gently fold in the cereal, taking care to thoroughly incorporate all ingredients.

Pack firmly in a 13X9X2 baking dish that's been sprayed with release agent. Bake at 350* F for 1 to 1-1/2 hours.

You can serve this with any gravy, but every time I take it someplace, the gravy goes untouched. :)

[Kell]

Sounds yummy!

[Mamacita]

Margarita Chicken
This recipe is a bit time consuming but well worth the extra effort.
4 chicken breast fillets
2 C. fried tortilla strips
1/2 C. shredded jack cheese
1/2 C. shredded Cheddar cheese

Marinade:
1/2 C. water
1/4 C. tamari or soy sauce
8 T. lime juice
2 t. minced garlic
1 t. mesquite liquid smoke
1/4 t. minced fresh ginger
2 T. tequila

Southwestern Ranch dressing:
1/4 C. mayonnaise
1/4 C. sour cream
1 T. milk
1 T. minced tomato
1 1/2 t. white vinegar
2 t. minced canned jalapeno slices
1 t. minced onion
1 t. minced fresh parsley
1/2 t. Tabasco sauce
1/8 t. each salt, dill weed, cayenne, cumin, granulated garlic
1/2 t. chili powder
Dash ground black pepper

Prepare marinade by combining marinade ingredients in medium bowl. Pound chicken breasts til they are about ½” thick. Place in a flat dish such as a 9X13 casserole. Pour marinade over chicken, turn to coat, cover dish and refrigerate for 2-3 hours. Don’t marinade longer, because the acid in the marinade will “cook” the chicken and change the texture of it.

Combine all southwestern ranch dressing ingredients in medium bowl. Mix well until smooth, then cover dressing and chill it until needed.
Preheat grill to high heat. When grill is hot, cook marinated chicken breasts for 2 to 4 minutes per side.
Arrange cooked chicken in baking pan. Spread a thick layer of the chilled dressing over each piece of chicken, followed by ¼ cup cheese. Broil chicken for 2 to 3 minutes, or until cheese has melted. Spread a bed of 1/2 cup of tortilla strips on four plates. Slide chicken breast onto strips and serve with rice, refried beans, and pico de gallo salsa.

[Maureen]

Mamacita. I'm glad we are not neighbours, or I'll be popping in frequently, and my clothes will be popping out!

[Mamacita]

We won't discuss...clothes popping.... :oops:

So, hubby announced that he wants a birthday cobbler (cherry) instead of a cake. :mrgreen:

[muggle not]

Basic Polenta for 4. The lazy man way.

1 quart water
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup cornmeal
1 tablespoon butter

Combine water, salt, cornmeal, and butter in a 11/2 to 2 quart baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Remove the dish from the oven and give it a good stir. Stick the dish back in the oven and cook for 10 more minutes. The polenta, again, can be "jazzed up" anyway you like it while cooking, ie, cheese, mushrooms, tomatoes, etc



Basic Polenta for 6 to 8. The lazy man way.

2 quarts water
2 teaspoons salt
2 cups cornmeal
2 tablespoons butter

Combine water, salt, cornmeal, and butter in a 2 to 3 quart baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 80 minutes. Remove the dish from the oven and give it a good stir. Stick the dish back in the oven and cook for 10 more minutes. The polenta, again, can be "jazzed up" anyway you like it while cooking, ie, cheese, mushrooms, tomatoes, etc

[Maureen]

Recipie by Muggle:

Corn Pudding guaranteed to please. :D

2 (11 oz) cans corn
11/2 tablespoon flour
3 tablespoons sugar
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup milk
3 tablespoons butter

Blend all ingredients 10 seconds at high speed in a food processor. Then pour into a greased baking dish. Bake at 375 degrees for about 45 minutes.

(muggle I moved this for you)

[KW]

1 c ( 2 cubes ) soft butter
3/4 c white sugar
1/3 c cocoa
2 Tb instant coffee
2 Tb vanilla
2 Tb water
Mix until creamed.

Add: 1 3/4 c. flour
1/2 cu finely chpd pecans or walnuts
1/2 cup semi-sweet chips

Mix with creamed mixture and place large golf-ball sized balls on cookie sheet. Bake at 325 for 12 min. Let cool thoroughly. Douse with powdered sugar.

[muggle not]

I told a friend :D that I would post my recipe for polenta and now see that I had posted it months ago so I am bumping it up in this thread. The amount of time in the oven will depend somewhat on the type of polenta you use, so use my recommendation and then adjust for future when baking.

Basic Polenta for 4. The lazy man way.

1 quart water
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup cornmeal
1 tablespoon butter

Combine water, salt, cornmeal, and butter in a 11/2 to 2 quart baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Remove the dish from the oven and give it a good stir. Stick the dish back in the oven and cook for 10 more minutes. The polenta, again, can be "jazzed up" anyway you like it while cooking, ie, cheese, mushrooms, tomatoes, etc



Basic Polenta for 6 to 8. The lazy man way.

2 quarts water
2 teaspoons salt
2 cups cornmeal
2 tablespoons butter

Combine water, salt, cornmeal, and butter in a 2 to 3 quart baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 80 minutes. Remove the dish from the oven and give it a good stir. Stick the dish back in the oven and cook for 10 more minutes. The polenta, again, can be "jazzed up" anyway you like it while cooking, ie, cheese, mushrooms, tomatoes, etc

[pontalba]

thanks Muggle!
I have it printed out in front of me now. :smile2:
Sounds delish!

When you take it out of the oven it will still be malleable?

[muggle not]

thanks Muggle!
I have it printed out in front of me now. :smile2:
Sounds delish!

When you take it out of the oven it will still be malleable?
It depends somewhat on the size baking dish used. A small deep dish and it will be more malleable than if you use a larger flatter dish. again, different brands of cornmeal will result in softer or harder polenta. It takes a little experimenting with the oven time.

Oh yeah, when eating it for breakfast I like to pour a wee bit of maple syrup on it and mix it in....soooo good.

[pontalba]

Recipie by Muggle:

Corn Pudding guaranteed to please. :D

2 (11 oz) cans corn
11/2 tablespoon flour
3 tablespoons sugar
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup milk
3 tablespoons butter

Blend all ingredients 10 seconds at high speed in a food processor. Then pour into a greased baking dish. Bake at 375 degrees for about 45 minutes.

(muggle I moved this for you)
Boy, I have not seen this in ages! My grandmother and aunt always made this...but with fresh corn, broken up against a grater.
Yummy!

[pontalba]

It depends somewhat on the size baking dish used. A small deep dish and it will be more malleable than if you use a larger flatter dish. again, different brands of cornmeal will result in softer or harder polenta. It takes a little experimenting with the oven time.

Oh yeah, when eating it for breakfast I like to pour a wee bit of maple syrup on it and mix it in....soooo good.
Thanks muggle!

[Mbwun_Lily]

This recipe is my specialty. One of the neat things about it is, if you use extra lean ground beef, you wind up with a relatively low fat, and very healthy meal, that qualifies as "comfort food".

Almost Cabbage Rolls

Loosely mix together:

1 1/2 lbs lean ground beef
1 large onion - diced
1 cup long grain rice
several cloves of grated garlic (I use lots)
2 tsp pepper
a dash of salt

Layer 4 cups of coarsely chopped cabbage in the bottom of a large casserole dish.
Layer half of the hamburger mixture on top of this.
Add another 4 cup layer of chopped cabbage, then the other half of the hamburger mixture, then 4 more cups of chopped cabbage. Make sure that it is loosely layered - do not pack it down.

Mix together:

1 22 oz. can tomato sauce
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 tbsp. mustard powder

Pour over the top of ingredients in casserole dish and let sit for 20 minutes minimum.

Bake covered in a 325 degree oven for 2 - 2 1/2 hours.

I've found that this tastes particularly nummy when served up with freshly-baked, still warm from the oven, cranberry-orange bread - spread with real butter. The way I make it is I use a raisin bread recipe, substitute thawed orange juice concentrate for the water, and craisins for the raisins.

[Mbwun_Lily]

This recipe makes a nice addition to any meal:

Pepper Salad

1 - 14oz can green beans (drained)
1 - 12oz can kernel corn (drained)
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1/2 cup chopped red pepper
1/2 cup each of any other colour bell pepper you would like
1 cup sliced celery
1/2 cup sliced green onion

Dressing:

1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup salad oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Mix together and pour over vegetables. Refrigerate.

notes:

If you double the vegetables, you don't need to double the dressing.

The recipe lends itself to quite a bit of "customization". The first time I ever had this, my sister had added a can of white beans (drained and rinsed) to it. I would think that garbanzo beans (chick peas) would make a nice addition, as well. You could also substitute the can of kernel corn with a can or two of those mini corncobs.

[papillon]

When the lights are dimmed and its dark and cold outside add an extra glow and sparkle with these simple recipes.

HOT BUTTERED RUM = Preheat mug and add 2 oz rum, 1 tsp sugar, 1 stick of cinnamon, and a pinch of nutmeg. Fill with boiling water and add a pat of butter. Dip a cube of sugar in rum, light it and float it on top of buttered rum.

FLAMING BANANAS = Cut 2 bananas in half lengthwise. In a large skillet melt 4 tbsp butter, then add 3/4 cup of brown sugar and 1 tsp of cinnamon. When the sugar melts and the mixture begins to thicken, place the bananas in the pan and cook until soft. Remove from heat, add 1 oz of rum and 1/2 oz of Bols Creme de Bananes. Light it up to flame and serve hot and lots of whipped cream.

And last, but not least, ideal for the man who can't *do* desserts

ICE CREAM SURPRISE

Take a wide brimmed glass ideally with a stem fill it with your OH's favourite ice cream (you could sprinkle with grated chocolate, or add a few fruit segments), place a small sparkler in the top and light it. Of course the kids would love this as well. :-)