Dessert
July 11, 2021 Leave a comment

Ingredients

CRUST

  • 150 g / 5 oz Graham Crackers or other plain sweet biscuit
  • 100 g / 3.5 oz unsalted butter, melted and cooled
  • 2 tbsp white sugar

 

FILLING

  • 700g / 1.4 lb of mango flesh
  • 6 tsp gelatin powder (Note 2)
  • 1/2 cup / 125 ml cold tap water
  • 500 g / 1 lb Philadelphia cream cheese, softened (2 blocks)
  • 2/3 cup / 150g caster sugar (superfine white sugar)
  • 300 ml / 10 oz whipping cream or heavy cream

MANGO JELLY

  • 100g of mango flesh
  • 2 tsp gelatin powder (Note 2)
  • 1/4 cup / 65 ml cold tap water
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice

Note: each envelope of gelatin is 4 tsp; need 2 envelopes

Directions

  • Put crackers in the food processor until fine with sugar. Pour in butter and mix to combine. Firmly pack onto your pan and set aside.
  • For the filling gelatin, sprinkle gelatin on top of the water, mix a bit and microwave 15 seconds twice until it’s dissolved. Set aside and let cool.
  • For the filling, put all ingredients in food processor (including the gelatin), pour in mixture and put in the refrigerator to set for 3 hours.
  • For topping, once the cake is set, mix the gelatin with the water and microwave for 15 seconds twice until dissolved, set aside and let cool.
  • Combine all toppings in food processor and pour on top of the cake.
  • Let set for 24-48 hours.
Salads, Sides & Starters, To Try
July 3, 2021 Leave a comment

Ingredients

HONEY MUSTARD DRESSING

  • 1/4 cup stone ground mustard
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

POTATO SALAD INGREDIENTS

  • 1/2 lb. ruby sensation nibbles, Tasteful brand
  • 1 lb. honey gold nibbles, Tasteful brand
  • 5 slices center cut bacon , cut into small pieces
  • 4 eggs hard-boiled , sliced thin
  • 1/4 cup fresh chopped dill
  • 1/2 cup diced shallots
  • Scallions – chopped as a garnish
  • Few turns cracked black pepper

Directions

PREPARE THE POTATOES:

  • Rinse the potatoes in a colander and slice them in half.
  • Boil a pot of water and add the mini potato halves to the water.
  • Boil for 15-16 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender.
  • Drain off the water using a colander and set them aside to cool.

PREPARE THE EGGS:

  • Add 4 eggs to a pot with water, make sure the water covers the eggs.
  • Let the eggs and the water come to a boil. Cook for 12-13 minutes for hard-boiled yolks.
  • Remove the eggs form the water and let them cool before peeling and slicing.

PREPARE THE BACON, SHALLOTS, DILL AND SCALLIONS:

  • Grab an 11-inch non-stick skillet and place it over medium heat.
  • Using kitchen shears, cut the bacon into thin strips. About ½ inch wide.
  • Add the bacon to the skillet and cook it until it is crispy. Add the pieces to a paper towel to absorb any excess grease.
  • Next, dice the shallots, chop the dill and dice some scallions as a garnish. Set aside.

PREPARE THE DRESSING:

  • In a small mixing bowl, combine the honey, apple cider vinegar, stone ground mustard, salt and paprika. Mix until well combined.

ASSEMBLE THE POTATO SALAD:

  • Once the potatoes have cooled, add them to a large mixing bowl, combine them with the diced shallots, chopped dill, honey mustard dressing, and bacon. Toss until everything is well coated in the dressing.
  • Add the potato salad to a platter, add the sliced eggs and top it with the fresh chopped scallions and a pinch of salt and pepper.
    Serve and enjoy.
Meats, To Try
June 29, 2021 Leave a comment

Ingredients

  • 1.5 kg (3.3 lb) piece pork neck (also called boston butt or pork shoulder)
  • ¼ cup hoisin sauce
  • ¼ cup brown sugar
  • ¼ cup Chinese Shaoxing wine (or sherry or chicken stock)
  • ¼ cup honey
  • 3 tbsp light soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp oyster sauce
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • ½ tsp Chinese 5-spice powder
  • 3 garlic cloves, finely grated
  • 1 tbsp beetroot powder (or annato)

Directions

  1. Slice the pork neck lengthways to form 3 long pieces.
  2. Place all ingredients except the pork into a large bowl and mix until well combined.
  3. Place the pork and the marinade in a ziplock bag. Seal and shake well until the pork is evenly coated. Set aside to marinate in the fridge overnight.
  4. Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F.
  5. Line a roasting tray with foil. Place a rack on top. Remove the pork pieces from the marinade and place onto the rack. Pour water into the bottom of the roasting tin (ensure the water level is below the pork). The water and the foil will help to stop the sweet marinade from burning on your roasting tray. Cook in preheated oven for 20 minutes.
  6. In the meantime, pour the marinade out of the ziplock bag and into a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes or until thickened slightly. Remove from heat and divide the mixture between 2 bowls. One half will be for basting and the other can be used as a serving sauce.
  7. Remove the pork from the oven. Baste both sides of the pork with the thickened marinade. Place back into the oven to cook for another 20 minutes or until cooked through. Remove from the oven, add another layer of basting sauce and rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
Dessert, To Try
June 28, 2021 Leave a comment

Ingredients

  • 3 medium ears of fresh corn; sweet yellow, husked
  • 1/4 cup of fine yellow cornmeal
  • 14 oz can of sweetened condensed milk
  • 1/4 cup of plain whole milk yogurt
  • 1 1/4 cups + 2 Tbsp of all purpose flour
  • 2 Tbsp of cornstarch
  • 2 tsp of baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp of table salt
  • 2 large eggs + 2 large egg yolks
  • 1/2 cup of grapeseed or other neutral oil
  • Powdered sugar to serve

Directions

  1. Heat the oven to 350°F with a rack in the middle position. Mist a 9-inch round cake pan with cooking spray. Using a chef’s knife, cut the kernels from the ears of corn.
  2. Measure 250 grams (1½ cups) kernels and add to a blender; if you have extra corn, reserve it for another use. To the blender, add the cornmeal, condensed milk and yogurt, then puree until smooth, 15 to 20 seconds, scraping down the blender as needed.
  3. Let stand for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder and salt.
  4. To the blender, add the whole eggs and yolks, and the oil; blend on low until smooth, 5 to 10 seconds. Pour the puree into a large bowl.
  5. Add the flour mixture and whisk just until evenly moistened and no lumps of flour remain. Transfer to the prepared cake pan and bake until golden and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes.
  6. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Run a paring knife around the pan to loosen the cake, then invert directly onto the rack and lift off the pan.
  7. Re-invert the cake onto a serving platter and cool completely, about 1 hour. Serve dusted with powdered sugar.
Vegetable Dishes
May 1, 2021 Leave a comment In Vegetable Dishes

Ingredients

  • 4 large Yukon Gold Potatoes
  • 1 bag of Swiss Cheese
  • Bacon or Prosciutto
  • Salt & Pepper to taste
  • 3 Black Garlic pieces
  • 1.5 cups of Heavy Cream

Directions

  1. Peel and slice the yukon gold into water so it does not oxidize
  2. Heat the heavy cream in a separate saucepan with the black garlic–when the black garlic is tender and warm, puree it and put back in the heat to warm; season with salt and pepper to taste
  3. Preheat oven to 400
  4. On a cast iron pan, render the bacon or prosciutto and removed the meat, keep the oil on the pan
  5. Layer the potato, top with a little cheese and prosciutto and repeat layers
  6. Halfway through, pour half the sauce and make sure you keep pressing layers down
  7. Prior to the final layer, top with remaining sauce and put a layer of potatoes on top and foil
  8. Bake for 1.5 hours covered and let cool for as long as needed
  9. Prior to serving, top with cheese and broil until cheese is golden brown and bubbly
Dessert
April 27, 2021 Leave a comment

Ingredients

  • 1 stick unsalted butter
  • 1 10 oz bag mini marshmallow
  • 1 cup + 2 tbsp dry milk powder – plus more for dusting
  • 1 12 oz box Ritz cracker
  • 1¼ cup dried cranberry

Instructions

  1. Line a 9 X 9 or 8 X 8 baking pan with parchment paper and set it aside.
  2. Break the crackers into large chunks and set aside – take 2-3 at once and break in half. Keep chunks large.
  3. Melt butter in a large Dutch oven or non-stick pan over medium low heat.
  4. Once the butter melts completely, add mini marshmallows into the pot. Stir and cook until all the marshmallows melt and became a smooth batter. Adjust the heat accordingly to prevent the bottom from burning.
  5. Stir in milk powder and mix until there’s no more dry powder before adding cranberries and crackers.
  6. Fold the crackers and cranberries until they are evenly coated with the marshmallow mixture. Work quickly and try to keep the crackers from being crushed too much.
  7. Transfer everything into the baking tray, cover with another piece of parchment paper and press down until it’s firm and the surface is smooth.
  8. Let it cool completely before cutting into bite sized pieces; dust with more milk powder and enjoy!
Uncategorized
April 22, 2021 Leave a comment

Ingredients

  • 1 cup mayonnaise (see notes)
  • 1/2 cup sour cream (can be light)
  • 1/2 cup milk (use lesser fat for thinner dressing)
  • 2 Tbs lemon juice
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tsp vinegar
  • 1/2 tsp onion powder
  • 2 tsp sugar
  • 4 Tbs fresh dill (best if fresh, if subbing use 1 1/2 Tbs dried)
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper

Directions

  1. Add lemon juice to the milk. This is going to create a buttermilk type reaction where the milk will look curdled after a minute. This is good.
  2. Then mix everything together and then refrigerate. I like to refrigerate for an hour before using so all the flavors can have a mixer and be friends. You can totally just make it and use it though!
  3. I make this in a mini food processor or as I like to call it, heaven sent dressing and sauce maker. It is so fast and easy. If you don’t want to go that route, you could use a blender. Or finely chop the herbs with a knife and put the whole thing in a bowl and really whisk it well or in a mason jar and mix it well. The key is mixing it well! It is important. Like knowing your ABC’s and doing the robot. There should be no chunks of anything.

NOTES
Mayonnaise is important here. It needs to be good tasting mayo. Do not for the love of Windex use Miracle Whip or something that remotely tastes like it. You may like that on your turkey sandwich but it aint gonna work here. Best Foods or Hellman’s are my choice for this. Remember if you don’t want it super garlicky, mix with one clove, taste it and add more to taste. I really think it needs two but won’t condemn you for lesser consumption.

Makes about 2 cups

To Try
April 15, 2021 Leave a comment

Ingredients

  • 2 large cauliflowers (about 3 1/2 pounds in total)
  • Neutral oil, like grapeseed or canola
  • Salt
  • 2 large yellow onions, thinly sliced
  • 6 cloves of garlic made into a paste
  • 2 1/2-inch piece of ginger, peeled made into a paste
  • 3/4 teaspoon ground cardamom (or finely ground seeds from 8 pods)
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 2 teaspoons garam masala
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground red chile (we used cayenne)
  • 1 cup ground almonds
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 2 cups plain Greek yogurt
  • 3/4 – 1 1/4 cups milk
  • A handful of raisins
  • A handful of sliced almonds

Directions

  1. Heat the oven to 350°F and (optionally) line two large baking pans with foil.
  2. Break the cauliflower into bite-sized florets and put into a large bowl. Pour 4 tablespoons of oil over the florets (or mix enough to coat them properly), then sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of salt. Mix with your hands until they’re completely coated, and place in a single layer in the baking pans. Roast for 30 to 40 minutes, until tender and nicely browned in places. Check every 10 minutes—if the florets start to burn, cover them loosely with foil.
  3. In the meantime, put 3 tablespoons of oil into a large frying pan over medium heat and, when hot, add the onions. Cook for 12 to 15 minutes, until soft and browning, then crush or grate in the garlic and grate in the ginger. Fry for a couple of minutes, then add the ground cardamom, black pepper, garam masala, ground red chile, ground almonds, honey and 1 1/4 teaspoons of salt (or to taste). Stir-fry for 3 minutes, then add the yogurt.
  4. Turn the heat down to low and cook for around 10 minutes, until the sauce starts to turn a rich gold. When the cauliflower is tender, tip it ino the sauce and stir to coat. Thin the sauce to the consistency of pouring yogurt with milk, and heat through. Check for seasoning, as you may need to add a little more salt.
  5. Finally, put a small frying pan over medium heat and, when hot, add the raisins and sliced almonds. Stir-fry until the raisins start to blacken and puff up and the almonds turn golden brown, then take off the heat.
  6. To serve, scatter the raisins and toasted almonds over the top of the cauliflower, and serve with rice or chapatis.
Sauces & Dips
February 8, 2021 Leave a comment In Sauces & Dips

Ingredients

  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/4 cup ketchup
  • 1 tbsp hot sauce
  • 1 tsp dijon mustard
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/2 tsp hot sauce
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp onion powder
  • ground black pepper to taste
  • sugar to taste
  • Juice of 1/2 to 1 lemon, taste it after adding half the juice

 

Uncategorized
December 23, 2020 Leave a comment

Ingredients

  • Thin Sliced Pork (4) or uncured bacon
  • Enoki Mushrooms 200g or 7oz of mushrooms for 4 bundles

Teriyaki Sauce

  • 2 tbsp Soy Sauce
  • 1 tbsp Sugar
  • 1 tbsp Mirin
  • 2 tbsp Sake

Directions

  • Create your bundles and wrap each with the pork.
  • Heat up the pan and pour in the sauce. Place the bundles and cook and roll until nicely browned and caramelized all around.
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