ENCHILADAS WITH MINCED MEAT
500 g (1 lb) lean minced meat
1 medium-sized onion, peeled and finely chopped
125 ml (½ cup) sour cream
1 cup grated Cheddar
2 tbsp cilantro, finely chopped
¼ tsp black pepper
1/3 cup chopped bell peppers (any colour)
2/3 cup water
1 tsp chilli powder
1 ½ tsp fresh oregano leaves
¼ tsp cumin powder
1 garlic clove, peeled
and minced
143 g (4.5 oz) green chillies
370 ml (15 fl
oz) tomato juice
2 tbsp
tomato paste
8 soft tortillas
Extra grated cheese, sour cream and chopped onions to serve
Preheat oven to 180 C (350 F). Cook minced meat, over medium heat, stirring occasionally
for 8-10 minutes. Stir in the onion, sour cream, 1 cup grated cheese, chopped cilantro
and black pepper. Cover and remove from the heat.
In a saucepan heat tomato juice and paste, bell pepper, water
chilli powder, oregano, chillies and bring to the boiling point, stirring
occasionally. Reduce the heat and simmer,
uncovered, pour into aa deep, ungreased Pyrex plate.
Dip each tortilla in the sauce to coat both sides. Spoon ¼ cup minced meat in the centre of each
tortilla and roll up. Place seam-down in
a Pyrex dish, pour some sauce over the enchiladas and bake for about 20 minutes
until bubbly.
Serve with extra grated cheese, sour cream and chopped
onion.
POULET BASQUAISE
A delicious French recipe from the Basque
country.
3 tbsp olive oil
4 small fresh chorizo sausages
4 chicken breasts, skin on sliced lengthwise
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
6 sprigs of thyme
2 large garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1 bay leaf
1 cup finely sliced onion
2 spring onions, trimmed and finely sliced
1 tomato, peeled, seeded, and diced
2 tbsp tomato paste
375 ml (1 ½ cup) dry white wine
10 piquillo peppers, halved
12 small potatoes, boiled
¼ cup green apple, finely diced
Chopped parsley and
Espelette pepper
Preheat oven to 180 C (350 F). Sauté the sausages in olive oil, over medium
heat, until well browned, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a plate, cut into bite-sized
pieces and set aside.
Season the chicken breasts with salt and freshly ground
black pepper. Sauté, skin down, in the remaining
olive oil. Tuck the sprigs of thyme, garlic and bay leaf between the chicken
pieces and cook until the skin is brown, 5-7 minutes. Transfer the chicken with
the herbs and garlic on the plate next to the sausages.
In the same saucepan sauté the onion and spring onions,
stirring until slightly brown, about 5 minutes. Pour in the tomato and cook until
the liquid evaporates, about 3 minutes.
Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring for 1 minute pour in 125 ml( ½ cup)
of the stock and ½ tsp of salt scraping the brown bits from the bottom of the
saucepan and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated, 5-8 minutes. Place
the herbs sausages and chicken, skin side up, to the saucepan. Transfer to the oven and roast until the
chicken is cooked through, about 10 minutes.
Place the chicken and sausages on a dish.
Place the saucepan over medium heat and add the wine
piquillo peppers and the remaining 1 cup stock and bring to a simmer. Cover, stirring occasionally, until the
liquid has reduced by half, about 10 minutes.
Remove from the heat,
Return the chicken, sausages and potatoes and serve directly from the
pan, sprinkling with apple, parsley and Espelette pepper.
120 g (4 oz) onions, peeled and finely chopped
75 g (2 ½ oz) green peppers, seeded the white pith removed
and finely chopped
3 medium-sized tomatoes, peeled, seeded and finely chopped
1 tsp finely chopped garlic
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
8 tbsp olive oil
500 g (1 lb) clams, scrubbed, string removed and cooked in a
white wine until they open, strain and
reserve the cooking liquid
500 g (1 lb) squid, cleaned and cut into strips
500 ml (2 cups) dry white wine
8 slices of bread cut into triangles
3 tbsp finely chopped parsley
Place the onions, peppers, tomatoes, chopped garlic, salt
and pepper in a bowl and mix well together.
Place half the vegetables in a large heavy casserole, pour 4
tbsp olive oil over. Scatter the squid.
Spread the remaining vegetable mixture on top and pour in the wine. Bring to the boil over high heat and then
reduce the heat, cover the saucepan and simmer gently for about 20 minutes
until the squid is cooked. Add the
reserved clams with their juices and cook for 2 minutes more.
Meanwhile, fry the bread in the remaining olive oil and
brown well on both sides. Then transfer
of kitchen paper to drain.
Place the fried bread on a serving dish, arrange the clams
and squid attractively over and ladle the sauce over. Serve sprinkled with parsley.
PRAWN CURRY
This is a recipe for a delicious Indian dish.
1 ½ kg (3 lb) prawns, shelled, deveined, thoroughly washed
and patted dry
A little salt mixed with
½ tsp ginger
3 tbsp olive oil or more
3 onions, peeled and finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 piece of ginger, peeled and sliced
2 heaped medium-hot curry powder
½ tsp ground cardamom seeds
½ tsp ground coriander
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp Cayenne pepper
½ tsp freshly ground pepper
½ tsp grated nutmeg
1 bay leaf
800 g – 1 kg (1 lb 10 oz – 2 lb) apples or peaches peeled,
cored and thinly sliced
500 ml (2 cups) tasty vegetable stock
Salt, sugar or honey to taste
1 pact of desiccated coconut
Boiling water to cover
Sprinkle the prawns with the salt and ginger mixture and
sauté them in olive oil and clarified butter until they just changed colour and
transfer to a dish.
Remove all but 2 tbsp of the oil and add the onion and a
little water and cook gently, stirring occasionally, until the onion is cooked
and slightly coloured. Then add the
garlic and ginger and cook for a few minutes.
Mix all the spices together and sprinkle over the onion
mixture and stir for 3-5 minutes. Then
add the fruit, salt and sugar or honey, lower the heat and simmer gently,
covered, stirring occasionally until the fruit resembles a thick purée. Add the
stock and stir to prevent sticking.
Remove the ginger slices and blend the sauce until smooth and taste and
add sugar or honey and salt, if necessary.
Add the prawns to the sauce and simmer gently for 1 minute but
do not overcook. Cover, cool and
refrigerate the food until needed. I
usually prepare this dish the previous day because it really improves with
time.
The next day, place the desiccated coconut in a saucepan and
pour boiling water over, to cover and leave for 1-3 hours to infuse. Heat the prawn curry, strain the coconut
milk over and stir. Taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary. It should be perfect.
A delectable Italian dish.
500 ml (1 fl lb) milk
156 g (5 oz +1 tsp) semolina
A little salt
72½ g (2 ¾ oz) butter, divided
62½ g (2.8 oz) grated Parmesan, divided
22 g (0.7 oz) grated Gruyere, divided
2 eggs, whipped
Simmer the semolina in milk, stirring, until cooked and
thick. Remove from the fire, sprinkle
with salt, half the amount of butter, half the grated cheese, the eggs and stir
well together with a wooden spoon.
Spread the mixture on a work surface, roll it out 1.25 cm (½
oz) thick and cut into small rounds with a biscuit cutter. Arrange them on a buttered Pyrex dish, dot
them with butter and sprinkle each round with the remaining grated cheese and
bake them in an oven, preheated to 180 C (350 F) for 12 minutes.
Serve the gnocchi ala Romana with a meat sauce.
England’s national dish.
A 3 kg (6 lb) rib joint of beef, at room temperature
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 twigs of rosemary
Preheat oven to 250 C (475 F). Place the beef, fat side up, in a large,
shallow roasting tin sprinkle with salt and freshly ground black pepper and the
rosemary twigs and roast undisturbed in the centre of the oven for 25-30
minutes.
Reduce the heat to
180 C (350 F) and continue roasting, without basting for about an hour until
the beef is roasted to your taste. (It
needs 20 minutes for ½ kg (1 lb) for rare beef – 25 minutes per ½ kg for medium
and 30 minutes for well done).
Transfer the beef to a heated dish and let it rest for 15
minutes for easier carving.
A traditional Greek dish.
1.250 kg (2 lb 8oz) lamb chops, boned, all
visible fat removed, reserve the bones*
2 tbsp butter
1 onion, peeled and grated
6 cos lettuces, trimmed, washed, cut into
small pieces, blanched and well strained
1.250 kg (2 lb 8oz) endives, washed,
thickly chopped, blanched and well strained
Salt and freshly grated black pepper to
taste
Stock prepared with the *reserved bones + 1
carrot + 1 celery stalk with leaves + ½ an onion
Avgolemono Sauce:
3 eggs
1 tbsp plain flour
1 cup lamb stock
Lemon juice to taste
Cut the lamb into bite-sized pieces,
sprinkle with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Brown all over in butter with the grated
onion. Pour the lemon juice and enough
water to cover. Lower the heat, and
simmer, covered for about 30 minutes or until tender.
When the lamb is cooked add the blanched
vegetables and cook for 5 minutes more.
Taste for seasoning and add salt, pepper and lemon juice, if necessary.
Then prepare the avgolemono sauce (egg and
lemon sauce). Whip the eggs, sift the
flour over and stir until well combined.
Pour in the lemon juice over sprinkle with salt and freshly ground black
pepper and cook until the sauce thickens.
Then add 500 ml (2 cups) lamb stock and mix very well together until
smooth. Pour evenly over the meat and
vegetables and swirl the saucepan to incorporate the sauce. Taste
once more and season accordingly. Serve
with chips.
A delicious salad from Russia which is a
must for any buffet dinner.
1 ¼ kg (2 ½ lb) shrimp shelled, deveined, washed
and boiled * (Please see first recipe below)
1 kg (2 lb) potatoes, boiled in salted
water, peeled and diced
500 g (1 lb) carrots, peeled, boiled and
diced
500 g (1 lb) peas, cooked in salted water
and strained
2 sweet gherkins, finely sliced
2 tbsp olive oil
1 cup fresh parsley leaves, roughly
chopped, separated
2 cups mayonnaise *(Please see recipe
below)
Recipe for Boiled Shrimp
Shrimp shells
1
tbsp salt
1 peeled garlic clove
1 bay leaf
2 litres (8 cups) water
Bring the shrimp shells and the other
ingredients to the boil, simmer gently until the garlic softens and
strain. Add the shrimp and boil for 2-3
minutes or until they turn pink. Remove
and cool immediately to prevent the shrimp from hardening.
Recipe for Mayonnaise
2 egg yolks, at room temperature
1 heaped tsp Dijon mustard
½ cup sunflower oil mixed with
¼ cup mild olive oil
1 tsp tarragon vinegar
Lemon juice to taste
A little salt, if necessary
Place the egg yolks in a bowl with the
mustard, vinegar and a little salt and stir until well combined. Then very, very slowly add the oil, drop by
drop whipping constantly until ¼ of the oil has been added and the egg yolk
mixture thickens and emulsifies.
Continue adding the oil in a thin stream and beating until all the oil
has been used.
Place all the diced vegetables and the
boiled shrimp in a large bowl with the sliced gherkins and ½ the chopped
parsley, drizzle with a little olive oil and very gently fold in the
mayonnaise, until well combined.
Arrange the shrimp Russian salad in a
pretty bowl and garnish with extra parsley
GRATIN d’HUITRES d’OSTEND
Creamed Oysters and Shrimps in Shells
This is a Belgian gourmet dish.
250 g (8 oz) medium-sized shrimps, shelled, deveined,
thoroughly washed and patted dry
90 g (3 oz) butter
24 oysters, the deeper shell of each oyster and the liquor
reserved
6-12 tbsp milk
1¼ tbsp. dry white wine
22.5 g(¾ oz) plain flour
1 egg yolk
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
Rock salt please see below
3 tbsp soft fresh bread crumbs
60 g (2 oz) grated Gruyere or Emmenthal cheese
Sauté the shrimps in 1 tbsp butter, over moderate heat, for
2-3 minutes, stirring constantly until they begin to turn pink. Set aside off the heat.
Pour the oyster liquor into a measuring jug and add enough
milk to make 1½ cups and stir in the wine.
Melt the remaining butter over moderate heat, stir in the flour and mix
together thoroughly. Pour in the milk,
oyster liquor and the wine mixture and cook over medium heat until the sauce
bubbles and thickens lightly, stirring constantly with a whisk. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for about
3 minutes. Then beat the egg yolk
lightly in a bowl add 3 tablespoons of sauce and whisk the egg yolk mixture
into the sauce. Add salt and pepper and
taste for seasoning. Remove the pan from
the heat and stir in the reserved shrimps.
Fill a large baking tin with coarse salt. Spoon about 1 tbsp of shrimp sauce on each
oyster shell, cover with an oyster and mask with another tablespoon of shrimp
sauce. Arrange the filled shells, side
by side on the salt in the baking tin.
Bake for 8 minutes until the sauce has barely started to bubble. Sprinkle the shells with breadcrumbs and cheese
and return them to the oven and bake for 3-4 minutes until the cheese melts and
the crumbs brown lightly. Serve at once.
SWEET AND SOUR CHICKEN
A low calory, delicious Chinese dish.
Chicken stock:
1 onion, peeled, halved and thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
2 tbsp grated fresh ginger
2 skinned chicken cut into bite-sized pieces
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 capsicum peppers, deseeded and cut into small pieces
1 carrot, scraped and cut into matchsticks
Sauce:
1 ½ tbsp vinegar
1 tsp tomato paste
125 ml (½ cup) tasty chicken stock
Sugar to taste
(Stir well to combine)
Heat a little chicken stock, in a wok) add the onion and
garlic and cook for 3-4 minutes until the onions turn translucent.
Add the chicken and cook on all sides, pouring more chicken
stock, if necessary. Add the ginger,
peppers and carrots and cook for 3 minutes more. Finally, stir in the sauce ingredients and
simmer gently for 4 minutes more.
Serve with fried rice and an Asian salad.
A lovely dish from Thailand
4 eggs sprinkled with a pinch of salt and
whipped until pale and fluffy
2 tbsp corn oil or mild-tasting olive oil
1 small onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
500 g (1 lb) chicken legs, skinned, boned
and finely sliced
2 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp sweet white wine or sherry
4 cups steamed rice* (please see recipe
below)
120 g (7 oz) bean sprout from a jar, patted
dry
2 spring onions, trimmed and finely sliced
2 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp soy sauce
3 tbsp thickly chopped parsley
Peas
Place half the amount of oil in a wok, and
place over high heat. Add the whipped
eggs, and cook for 2 minutes, until an omelette is formed. Fold in half, continue sautéing until cooked
and golden and transfer to a plate and chop finely.
Pour the remaining oil into the wok and
sauté the onion and ginger for 1 minute, stirring constantly until slightly
coloured. Add the chicken and sugar and
cook for 3-4 minutes more, then stir in the steamed rice, and the oyster and
soy sauces, stirring for 3-4 minutes until well combined and piping hot. Serve in a large bowl sprinkled with
parsley.
ETON MESS
An English dessert which everybody adores.
3 egg whites
1 tiny pinch of salt
120 g (4 oz) sugar
500 g (1 lb) hulled strawberries roughly chopped
500 ml (2 cups) double cream
1 tbsp icing sugar
Extra strawberries for garnish.
Heat oven to 120 C (248 F) and line a large tray with baking
parchment. Whip egg whites with a tiny
pinch of salt to the soft peak stage, then add the sugar gradually whipping
each time until well incorporated and forming stiff peaks.
Spoon dollops of the mixture on the lined tray and bake at
the bottom of the shelf for 1 hour – 1 ¼ hour until the meringues are
completely hard and come off the parchment easily. Allow to cool.
Meanwhile blend the strawberries to make a strawberry
coulis.
In a large bowl whisk the cream with the icing sugar until
thick. Roughly crush the meringues and
tip the with the chopped strawberries and stir. Then swirl through the strawberry
coulis. Spoon equally into individual bowls,
crust the remaining meringues evenly on top.
Garnish with strawberries.
IRISH CHRISTMAS PUDDING
My Mother was given the recipe for this lovely Christmas
pudding by an Irish couple who lived next door, when she first went to India.
Candied and dried fruit finely chopped:
200 g (6 3/5 oz) candied lemon peel
250 g (8 1/3 oz) candied orange peel
250 g (8 1/3 oz) candied bitter orange peel
200 g (6 3/5 oz) glace cherries
200 g (6 3/5 oz) candied pears
200 g (6 3/5 oz) dried apricots
200 g (6 3/5 oz) dried prunes
300 g (10 oz) whole raisins
150 g (5 oz) almonds, blanched, lightly roasted and coarsely
chopped
200 g (6 3/5 oz) apples, peeled, cored and finely chopped
250 ml (1 cup) Metaxa brandy or more
250 g (8 1/3 oz) butter or margarine
400 g (13 1/3 oz) sugar
8 eggs, separated, whites whipped to soft peaks with a pinch
of salt
1 ½ cup orange juice
1/8 tsp grated nutmeg
1/8 tsp ginger powder
400 g (13 1/3 oz) dried breadcrumbs
125 ml (½ cup) brandy, heated
Cream
Place all the chopped candied fruit with the chopped dried apricots,
the chopped dried prunes, raisins and almonds in a large bowl, pour in the
brandy and soak for 48 hours stirring 6 times a day.
Prepare two pudding basins by brushing them lavishly with
vegetable oil. Line the base of
he basins with rounds of baking parchment oiled on both
sides.
Beat the sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Add the yolks one at a time and keep on
beating after each addition. Stir in the
nutmeg and ginger powder and pour in the orange juice alternately with the
breadcrumbs in three portions. Then stir
in the soaked fruit and finally fold in the whipped egg whites.
Spoon the pudding batter into the prepared basins, cover
each with oiled baking parchment and tin foil and steam for about 1 hour. Remove from the heat to cool.
Before serving, heat the pudding in an oven preheated to 120
C and reverse on a hot pyrex dish. Ignite the heated brandy and pour over the
hot pudding. Wait until the flames die, and serve with cream.
No comments:
Post a Comment