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    Tuesday, November 29, 2016

    Tasty Cauliflower - Sicilian Style with Pecorino Cheese and Black Olives

    Once again, always thinking of food the kids would like to eat
    This IS a Cauliflower Cheese, without the usual Cheese Sauce
    BUT as you will see, using the leftovers, I did make the Cheese Sauce and it was yummy


    I found this recipe in the NY Times Cooking Column. Martha Rose Shulman is the author in fact
    My Grandchildren love vegetables, so it's good to find different ways, to serve food to develop their palate 
    I did like the idea of using Green Cauliflower, a very pretty vegetable
    1 generous head green or white cauliflower (2 to 2 1/2 pounds)
    Sea Salt
    1 small onion, finely chopped
    3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
    2 garlic cloves, minced
    16 imported oil-cured black olives, pitted and cut in half
    2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
    Freshly ground pepper
    ½ cup freshly grated Pecorino or Parmesan, or a combination


    Break up the cauliflower into small florets while you bring a large pot of water to a boil.
    Salt the water generously and drop in the cauliflower.
    Boil 5 minutes while you fill a bowl with ice and water.
    Transfer the cauliflower to the ice water, let sit for a couple of minutes, 

    This stops the cooking process and keeps the Cauliflower nice and firm
    then drain and place on paper towels.
       
    Preheat the oven to 175C
    Oil a 2-quart baking dish or gratin dish. 


    Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium heat in a large, heavy skillet and add the onion. 

    Cook, stirring, until tender, about 3 minutes, and add a pinch of salt and the garlic.
    Cook, stirring, for about 30 seconds, until fragrant and translucent.
    Remove from the heat and stir in the olives.
    Place the cauliflower in the baking dish and 

    Add the onion and olive mixture, the remaining olive oil, the parsley and half the cheese. 
    Season to taste with salt and pepper and stir together well.
    Spread out in the dish and sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.

    Bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, until the cheese is nicely browned.
    Serve hot or warm.
    I served this with Roast Chicken

    The next day
    I looked at the leftovers and of course "a bake" came to mind
    Very simple
    Just make a simple Bechamel Sauce
    Flavour it with some grated cheese
    Voila...another dish has been created

    2 tablespoons butter
    2 tablespoons flour
    1 cup milk
    Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
    1/2 cup grated tasty cheese


    Handful of extra grated cheese

    Melt butter in a small pot
    Add flour and cook for 2-3 minutes, to get rid of the raw flour taste
    Season with S & P
    Add milk gradually
    Stir vigorously and keep on the heat
    A wooden spoon is best or a wire whisk
    Keep on stirring till the sauce begins to thicken
    When it is bubbling
    Let it cook for another 2-3 minutes
    Stir every so often to stop lumps forming and make sure it doesn't stick
    Add grated cheese

    In a gratin dish, layer the chicken and cauliflower
    Cover with sauce
    Top with extra grated cheese
    This is good to freeze at this stage
    I have excellent Pyrex dishes, just big enough for 1 person
    Into the freezer for another night

    But if you are working with the unfrozen dish
    Heat oven to 180C

    Bake for 20 - 25 minutes until it bubbles and turns lovely and golden
    Absolutely Fabulous

    Vegetable Fritters - More Ways to Use Leftovers

    Cooking for one, frequently means you have too much food. I am from a family that never had the same meal every night. So when I have leftover food, I find another to present it.

    So last night, some potatoes, some asparagus.
    What to do?
    Fritters for lunch.
    Yes

    So I grabbed a courgette, a spring onion, some cherry tomatoes, couple of eggs  from the fridge.

    There is no absolute rule for the amounts...but the rule of thumb is... enough flour to coat the vege
    and enough egg to bind them all together

    So for these fritters
    This is what I had in hand

    2 small cooked potatoes grated
    4 stalks cooked asparagus sliced into disc
    1 spring onion finely chopped
    1 courgette grated
    3 cherry tomatoes quartered, seeds removed and chopped

    1/4 cup flour
    2 eggs

    Oil for frying

    Sea salt and  freshly ground black pepper

    Place the vegetables into a bowl
    Add flour and salt and pepper
    Toss to coat the vegetables 

    Meanwhile in another bowl beat eggs with some salt and pepper
    Add the seeds from the tomatoes and beat together
    Add egg mix to vegetables
    Heat oil in a pan, over medium heat, till it is hot
    Add the mixture in spoonfuls
    Cook on one side 2-3 minutes
    Turn and cook on the other side for another 2-3 minutes
    If they cooking too quickly turn the heat down

    Drain on a wire rack

    Serve
    I think room temperature is best for the flavour
    You could squeeze a little lemon over the top
    or serve with a chutney
    I like them just with a little sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
    Your choice






    Tuesday, November 22, 2016

    Moussaka you say? Not Quite, But Close… Layer up Carrots, Potatoes, Meat Sauce and Béchamel

    After making lasagne yesterday I had Leftover Meat Sauce and Leftover Béchamel
    I wanted to make something different with them, rifled through my fridge and pantry and found Carrots, Potatoes and some spinach
    I haven't specified quantities
    I think you just use what you have, I had a couple of cups of meat sauce and about a cup of Bechamel
    if you want to see how to make the Meat Sauce and Bechamel have a look here
    Peel and slice carrots and potatoes into rings
    Cook in microwave till just tender 2-3 minutes
    Drain









    Toss in a slosh of olive oil Shake of oregano, salt and pepper
    Onto baking sheet and into 200 C
    roast for about 15 minutes till turning golden

    Spinach
    Place 2 cloves of garlic smashed with sea salt into a pan
    Saute gently till garlic just starting to soften
    Add washed spinach and toss well and wilt it right down
    Remove from pan and chop
    Back into a bowl and add 2 tbs béchamel sauce
    Mix well
    Season with freshly ground black pepper and some finely grated Parmesan cheese
    Now time to assemble
    Oil a suitable dish
    First layer potatoes and carrots
     Add layer of 1/2 the meat sauce
     Then the spinach mix
     Top with the remainder of the meat sauce
    Layer with the remainder of the potatoes and carrots
    cover with Béchamel Sauce
     Lightly Cover with foil
    Bake for about 20 minutes
    Take foil off and place back in the oven and bake till top is golden
    and bubbling
    Approx another 20 minutes
    Serve...by the way, you don't need anything to go with it!!!
    All food groups covered

    Saturday, November 19, 2016

    Celery and Blue Cheese Toasts - Substantial Nibbles to have with Drinks

    Celery goes so well with Blue Cheese
    So let’s take advantage of this pairing, to make some little delights to have with drinks
    So so simple…I got the idea from The New York Times Cooking Web site
    and of course as usual have adapted it to my taste buds

    Generally most people have the ingredients in the fridge or pantry
    Their recipe called for buttered toast
    Cover with a slice of Blue Cheese and top with a celery salad
    If you use Castello Blue Cheese, as I did, I don't think there is any need for butter
    It is quite a mild, creamy blue cheese,
    That's enough
    Ingredients I haven't put quantities, I think you can work that out

    Bread for Toasting
    Castello Blue Cheese mashed for spreading
    Celery Stalks
    Spring onions

    French Dressing
    Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper
    Then just finely slice a stalk of celery
    Plus a spring onion finely sliced
    Sprinkle with Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Black pepper
    a tablespoon of French Dressing
    Don't dress the salad till you are nearly ready
    Want the vegetables to remain crisp
    I used Vogel’s Bread… the thin sliced

    Toast the bread and let cool in a toast rack so that it stays crisp
    Or lean it up against something while it cools, to let the steam out
    When you are ready to serve
    Spread the toast with a thick layer of blue cheese
    Spoon over the Celery Salad
    Cut into portions
    And watch them disappear

    Friday, November 18, 2016

    Bell Peppers with Chicken and Coconut Rice


    This recipe from the Epicurious Site  by Larraine Perri was originally for Prawns but my Grandson is not so wrapped in Prawns so I substituted Chicken
    I decided to poach the chicken in coconut milk and water, flavoured with basil and peppercorns and a shallot. These added extras, made a flavoursome stock to cook the rice
    Always love extra flavour
    There was enough of the cooked rice to fill 5 peppers plus some leftover.

    Ingredients
    1/ 400 gm can coconut milk
    Fill the empty can with water 
    Couple of stalks of basil with the leaves intact 
    1 shallot peeled and rough chop
    1 teaspoon finely grated lime zest
    1 teaspoon sugar
    3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
    1/4 teaspoon black pepper
    2 skinless chicken breasts      

    4 teaspoons vegetable oil
    1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger
    4 teaspoons chopped garlic
    1 and 1/2 cups jasmine rice, rinsed and drained

    3 cups Coconut chicken stock
     

    1 large red or yellow bell pepper per person

    2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
    1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
    1/3 cup roughly chopped roasted, unsalted cashews

    First poach the chicken
    Place the coconut milk, water, basil, sea salt, freshly ground black pepper, lime zest, sugar
    and shallot into a pot and slowly bring to the boil
    Add the chicken breasts, make sure the chicken is covered
    Bring back up to a simmer and let gently simmer for about 5 minutes
    Turn off the heat cover and let cool in the pot for a couple of hours
    The chicken will be perfectly cooked
    Remove from the pot
    Strain the liquor, there should be approx 3 cups enough to cook the rice
    Shred the chicken
    Meanwhile
    In a large pot, bring 8 inches of water to a low boil.
    Cut off top third of each bell pepper and reserve;
    remove ribs and seeds.
    Boil peppers and tops until slightly soft, 5 minutes;
    Remove peppers and drain

    Then start on the rice
    In a medium pan over medium heat,
    Heat oil.
    Cook ginger and garlic, 1 minute. 

    Add the rice
    Add chicken liquid, about 3 cups
    Season with more salt and pepper
    It does need to be well seasoned then bring to a low boil till it bubbles away
    When it looks like boiling mud pools
    Take off heat
    Cover and leave for about 10 minutes
    Add shredded chicken. basil and cashews nuts and lime juice 
    Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary
    Stuff the pepper with the mixture
    Well oil a baking dish
    Add stuffed peppers
    Heat oven to 170C
    Pour an inch of water in bottom of dish.
    Cover with foil and bake until warm, 15 -25 minutes
    Here they are...very pretty. Just pop a basil leaf on top to serve
    The verdict
    Excellent

    In fact the Chicken and Coconut Rice is worth making on it's own

    Wednesday, November 16, 2016

    Cinnamon Rolls - Thank you Paula Deen

    When my husband was in hospital, I was always thinking of treats to take up to him
    Everyone was talking about Cinnabons
    Those wonderful rich Cinnamon Rolls
    I had a look through the Food Network Site for a recipe
    The Americans do these kind of rolls, so well
    Paula Deen the Queen of Rich and Over the Top food, had this recipe
    So I made them
    It was so so popular
    He loved them
    Dough:
    1/4 -ounce package yeast
    1/2 cup warm water
    1/2 cup scalded milk
    1/4 cup sugar
    1/3 cup butter or shortening
    1 teaspoon salt
    1 egg
    3 1/2 to 4 cups all-purpose flour

    Filling:
    1/2 cup melted butter, plus more for pan
    3/4 cup sugar, plus more for pan
    2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
    3/4 cup raisins, walnuts, or pecans, optional

    Glaze:
    4 tablespoons butter
    2 cups powdered sugar
    1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    3 to 6 tablespoons hot water.

    Heat oven to 175 degrees C
    In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water and set aside.
    In food processor  Add 2 cups of flour and mix until smooth. 
    Mix milk, sugar, melted butter, salt and egg. 
    Add yeast mixture.
    Mix in remaining flour
    Blitz until dough is easy to handle.
    Knead dough on lightly floured surface for 5 to 10 minutes.
    Place in well-greased bowl, cover and let rise until doubled in size, usually 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
    When doubled in size, punch down dough.
    Roll out on a floured surface into a 15 by 9-inch rectangle.
    Spread melted butter all over dough.
    Mix sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over buttered dough. 
    Sprinkle with walnuts, pecans, or raisins if desired.
    Beginning at the 15-inch side, role up dough and pinch edge together to seal.
    Cut into 12 to 15 slices.
    Coat the bottom of baking pan with butter and sprinkle with sugar.
    Place cinnamon roll slices close together in the pan and
    Let rise until dough is doubled, about 45 minutes.
    Bake for about 30 minutes or until nicely browned.
    Meanwhile, mix butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla.
    Add hot water 1 tablespoon at a time until the glaze reaches desired consistency.
    Spread over slightly cooled rolls.
    Pull apart and devour