Saturday, May 31, 2008

Overnight Salad.
Original recipe is from America's best 'Lost Recipes'. We usually make this salad for our summer parties. Easy to make, can be made one day before the party and taste heavenly!
Ingredients
Eggs 2
Sugar 2 tbl spn
Cream

1 cup

Lemon juice 2tbl spn
Pineapple Tidbits (drained) 1 can
Mandarin orange segments(drained) 1 can
Marshmallows (large, halved)

2 cups

Almonds (slivered) 1/2 cup


1. In a double boiler over simmering water Beat eggs and sugar well, add 1/2 cup cream and lemon juice and continue to stir till the mixture is thick. Cool the mixture

2. Beat the other half cup cream till it forms soft peaks.

3. Fold the cream in to the egg mix, add the pineapple tidbits, marshmallows and the almonds.

4. Refrigerate at least 24 hours before serving.

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Lemon upside down Pudding

Lemon upside down pudding.

summer isn't summer unless you have baked some of these easy pudding, with a cake like texture on the top and a pudding layer underneath.

Ingredients
Eggs2. Separated
Butter. Unsalted2 tbl spn
Sugar3/4 cup
Grated rindfrom 2 lemons
Lemon juice1/2 cup
Flour2 tbl spn
Salta pinch
MilkI cup
All Ingredientsat Room temp


Method

1. Preheat oven to 350° F

2.Grease 6 Ramekins

3.Beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt till it forms soft peaks

4.Beat butter, yolks,sugar,flour,lemon juice, rind and milk together

5.Fold in the egg whites gently

6.Use a spoon to ladle the mix in to the ramekin

7.Place the Ramekins in an oven safe baking pan.

8.Boil water and pour in to the pan. The water should reach halfway up the sides of the ramekin

9.Bake for 20 minutes till the top is lightly browned.

10.Serve at room temperature.

Sunday, May 25, 2008

Chicken Pot pie

Waste not, want not was my mother's motto. So is mine.
The left over meat from the roast chicken can be turned in to a delicious pot pie the next day.

Ingredients
1. Cooked Chicken(diced) :1 cup
2. Onion (diced) :1
3. Carrot (Diced) :1
4.Peas :1/2 cup
5.Chicken stock :2 cups
6.Thyme :1/2 t spn
7.Flour :1tbl spn
8.Oil :2tbl spn
9.Puff pastry :enough to cover the soup bowl.

Method.
1. Pre heat oven to 400° F
2. Heat oil
3.Saute the onion, when it is lightly browned, add diced carrots and peas. stir fry for a few mints and add 1 tbl spn of flour and keep stirring. After 3 minutes add the thyme and the chicken stock. When the stock boils, add the cooked chicken pieces and stir. When the soup is thick, pour in to individual oven proof soup bowl.
4. Roll the pastry in to 1/2 inch thick, cut to fit the top of the soup bowl, making sure that there is enough pastry to overlap the edge of the bowl. Wet the bowl edge before placing the pastry and press the pastry down, so it will stick to the bowl. Make a slit on top of the pastry to let the steam out.
5.Bake for about 20 minutes( till the pastry is golden brown)
6. Serve hot.
7. Serves 4.

Note: Of you don't have readymade puff pastry, you can make a simple pastry.
Vegetable oil pastry
Ingredients
1. flour :2 1/2 cup
2.Salt :1 tsp
3.Oil :1/4 cup
4.water : 1/4 cup

Method
1. mix flour and salt, make a well in the center
2. Add the water and oil in to the center. Knead. Mixture will be sticky.
3. Place the dough between two parchment paper and roll.

Friday, May 23, 2008

The perfect roast chicken

Original Recipe is from "The gift of Southern cooking" by Edna Lewis and Scott Peacock.

Why I love this recipe?
There is no need to keep opening the oven and check the chicken to see if it is done!

This recipe is absolutely fool proof!

1. Chicken: 1.5 kg

2. Butter : 4 tbl spn( unsalted)
3. salt :1 1/2 t spn
4. pepper:1 teaspoon
5.thyme :3/4 t spn

5.onion :1 small
6.lemon : 1

7.water :1/2 cup

Method
1. Preheat oven to 425°F
2. Rinse and pat dry the chicken.
3. mix ingredients 2 to 5 well and coat the chicken well
4. Quarter the lemon and push it in the cavity.
5. Truss the chicken with twine, making sure the wings are tucked in well
6. Dice the onion
7.Place the onion and the water in the bottom of the roasting pan.
8. place the chicken on the wire rack.
9. Roast in the middle of the oven for 40 minutes without opening the lid!
10. After 40 minutes, remove the roasting pan from the oven, pour off the fat and juices from the pan in to a small bowl.
11. Return the pan to the oven for another 20 minutes.

The chicken is done when the internal temperature (thigh or the breast) reaches 165°F .

I do not serve the sauce because of the high fat content. But if you wish to, you can boil the juices that you drained from the pan earlier along with the fat in the roasting pan for a few minutes till it thickens and pour it over the meat when you are serving it.