Thursday, April 3, 2014
Cookies and cream cheese cake
Cookies and cream cheese cake
Ingredients for cookie base
- Oreo cookies crushed 2 cups
- Butter melted 3 ounce
Ingredients for filling
- Cream cheese 200 gm
- Curd cheese 1 cup
- Sugar ¾ cup
- Whipped cream 2 cups heaped
- Vanilla essence 1 tsp
- Coarsely crushed Oreo cookies 1 ½ cup
- Gelatin 1 ½ tbsp soaked in ¼ cup milk
Method for base
- Combine cookie crumb and butter, press into bottom of 9 inch cheese cake pan, bake for 10 minutes, remove and cool.
Method for filling
- In a bowl beat cream cheese, curd cheese and sugar for 2 minutes add dissolved gelatin, stir in vanilla, fold in coarsely crushed cookies and whipped cream, pour over crust, chill until firm about 3 to 4 hours. Decorate top of cake with whipped cream and mini Oreo cookies, serve chilled.
Wednesday, April 2, 2014
Simple Roast Chicken
The internet is a wondrous place, full of more information that you could ever need about everything from Nazi hunters to forgotten informercials from the 90s. Needless to say, there are basically a million recipes for roast chicken, some of which are more intimidating than others, and even though my favorite website of all time recently explored the topic in depth, I lack dignity and self-respect, which is why I wanted to share my recipe for roast chicken too!
Simple Roast Chicken
Feeds 4 adults
- 4-5 lb organic, free-range whole chicken
- 6-7 springs thyme
- 1 orange
- 3 cloves garlic, smashed
- lots of kosher salt and pepper
- olive oil
1. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Pat chicken dry with a paper towel. Drizzle about a tsp or two of olive oil all over chicken (top, bottom, and inside the cavity--you may need to remove the giblets, so do that first). Gently rub olive oil all over chicken.
3. Liberally sprinkle the entire chicken with salt (seriously, use a lot of salt; its important for getting the right flavor). Make sure you get the cavity too!
4. Sprinkle pepper everywhere you did with salt. You dont need as much pepper as salt, but dont be shy!
5. Slice the orange in half. Throw orange halves, garlic, and thyme into the cavity.
6. Place chicken on a roasting rack in a roasting pan. I like to put mine in breast-side down to allow the juices from the dark meat to drip to the white meat underneath, but you dont have to do that.
7. Roast chicken for an hour, then turn up oven temperature to 450 degrees F. Cook for another 30-60 minutes, or until thigh meat renders 165 degrees with a meat thermometer.
8. Remove from oven and allow to sit for about 15 minutes before carving.
Blackcurrant Swirl Cheesecake
Last weekend I made this cheesecake, it had a lovely texture, but I found the cheese mixture a bit thin for swirling the blackcurrant puree through and most of it sank to the bottom making the base a bit soggy. I didnt have any chocolate to flake onto it, it does need something as it doesnt look too exciting. I may try it with a topping of stewed blackcurrants, it tasted great though and everyone enjoyed it.
Ingredients
For the fruit puree
225g fresh or frozen blackcurrants
50g caster sugar
For the base
85g shortbread biscuits
50g ground almonds
45g butter melted
For the filling
600g cream cheese, softened
25ml Amaretto liquer
175ml soured cream
2 eggs
225g caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2-3 tbsp shavings dark chocolate
1. Preheat the oven to 150C/gas1. Puree the blackcurrants in a food processor
and strain through a sieve.
You should have about 100ml of puree. Place the puree and sugar in a small saucepan set over a medium heat and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Simmer for 8-10 minutes, until thickened, and set aside to cool.
To make the base, place the bisucuits in a food processor and process until crushed.
Add the ground almonds and butter and blend once more, until combined.
Grease a 20cm spring form tin and line the base with non-stick baking paper. Press the crumb mixture over the base and refrigerate until firm.
For the filling, blend the cream cheese and amaretto in a food processor until smooth.
Add the sour cream, eggs, sugar, and vanilla, and process until combined. Pour the cream cheese mixture over the base. Drizzle the blackcurrant mixture over, and swirl lightly with a knife.
Bake for 1 hour, until firm to the touch.
Leave to cool at room temperature, and refrigerate until ready to serve. Decorate with chocolate shavings and serve in wedges.
Read More..
Ingredients
For the fruit puree
225g fresh or frozen blackcurrants
50g caster sugar
For the base
85g shortbread biscuits
50g ground almonds
45g butter melted
For the filling
600g cream cheese, softened
25ml Amaretto liquer
175ml soured cream
2 eggs
225g caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2-3 tbsp shavings dark chocolate
1. Preheat the oven to 150C/gas1. Puree the blackcurrants in a food processorand strain through a sieve. You should have about 100ml of puree. Place the puree and sugar in a small saucepan set over a medium heat and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Simmer for 8-10 minutes, until thickened, and set aside to cool.To make the base, place the bisucuits in a food processor and process until crushed.Add the ground almonds and butter and blend once more, until combined.Grease a 20cm spring form tin and line the base with non-stick baking paper. Press the crumb mixture over the base and refrigerate until firm.For the filling, blend the cream cheese and amaretto in a food processor until smooth. Add the sour cream, eggs, sugar, and vanilla, and process until combined. Pour the cream cheese mixture over the base. Drizzle the blackcurrant mixture over, and swirl lightly with a knife.Bake for 1 hour, until firm to the touch.Leave to cool at room temperature, and refrigerate until ready to serve. Decorate with chocolate shavings and serve in wedges.Pomegranate Braised Lamb Shoulder – “Seasoned” Perfectly
This pomegranate braised lamb shoulder is about as seasonally appropriate as it gets, and one of the best things I’ve tasted in a long time. Actually, that’s not technically true, since I ate this same dish at the neighborhood restaurant I stole the idea from last week.
The place is called, Bar Bambino, and if you’re ever in San Francisco, you should give it a try. Anyway, I was so impressed by the combination of fall flavors, colors and textures that I decided to replicate it here. I think it’s a gorgeous plate of food, and all modesty aside, it tastes even better than it looks.
As I joke about in the video, braised lamb is pretty tough to screw up. Simply cook it until it’s tender, and if it isn’t quite succulent enough, leave it in a bit longer. That’s the reason that shoulder chops work so well, as they have the right amount of fat and connective tissue for the long, slow braise.
By the way, if you don’t have a large skillet with a lid like I used here, simply transfer everything into a Dutch oven before putting it in the oven. In a pinch, you could even do this in a stockpot, on top of the stove, over very low heat.
Anyway, the timing is perfect for this lovely fall meal, especially with the roasted pumpkin I used to dress up the plate. I will show you that simple procedure in a future video soon. In the meantime, I really hope you give this a try. Enjoy!
Ingredients for 4 servings:
3 lbs thick-cut lamb shoulder chops (of course this would work with shanks as well)
salt and pepper to taste
vegetable oil as needed
1 sliced onion
4 cloves sliced garlic
2 cups pomegranate juice
1/3 cup aged balsamic vinegar
1/4 tsp dried rosemary
8 whole mint leaves, plus more to garnish
1/4 tsp hot chili flakes
1 tbsp honey, or to taste
1 tbsp freshly sliced mint leaves
1 tbsp pumpkin seeds
2 tbsp Pomegranate “jewels”
View the complete recipe
View the complete recipe
Tuesday, April 1, 2014
Roasted Vegetables in a Nest Gluten Free Pasta
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| Tender, sweet roasted vegetables in a nest of gluten-free pasta. |
Last night was a night for roasting. Theres nothing so easy as roasted vegetables. And nothing quite as tender and sweet. All those natural sugars softening and caramelizing into deep toned jewels of melting charred goodness. Its enough to soothe any gloomy girls heart. Especially against-the-current girls who dream of Venice Beach and don jean jackets and flip-flops instead of downy winter coats and wool scarves.
Especially in February.
Especially in February.
Roasted Vegetables in a Nest - An Easy Pasta Recipe
Balsamic vinegar and sea salt make for fabulous roasting, complementing the caramelized sweetness with a perfect touch of salty-tart (and who doesnt love a salty tart?). Seriously, nothing could be easier.
Cut up any and all veggies you happen to have kicking around and throw them in a roasting pan. Give them a hefty toss in some balsamic vinegar.
Put on a pot of pasta water.
Kiss your favorite person.
For last nights meal we cut up:
Half a head of cauliflower
Half a head of broccoli
One yellow and one green squash
One large sweet onion
3 large carrots
A handful of grape tomatoes
6 cloves of garlic
And tossed them in:
A generous drizzle of olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
More balsamic vinegar than you think youll need
A spoonful of your favorite herbs - oregano, thyme, rosemary, sage, parsley, basil
Instructions:
Roast the veggies for about an hour, stirring them at least once or twice. If you prefer your vegetables less cooked, shorten the roasting time.
Roast the veggies for about an hour, stirring them at least once or twice. If you prefer your vegetables less cooked, shorten the roasting time.
Serve on a nest of cooked brown rice pasta noodles
tossed in pesto or simply your best fruity extra virgin olive oil. Shave some good Parmesan for the top, if you like cheese.
Heres my post How to Make a Vegan Pesto for those of you who are dairy-free.
tossed in pesto or simply your best fruity extra virgin olive oil. Shave some good Parmesan for the top, if you like cheese.Heres my post How to Make a Vegan Pesto for those of you who are dairy-free.
Recipe Source:
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Squeez Bacon!
Like most of you, Ive long wondered why no one has yet developed a squeezable bacon? I mean, we have the scientific know-how to fake a moon landing, for heavens sake, why cant be put bacon in a squeeze bottle?
Well, happy days! Im thrilled to introduce Squeez Bacon, the Swedish food sensation that will undoubtedly change the worlds diet for good. Now, people in the most remote corners of the world can finally enjoy a delicious BTL.
Im actually thinking of closing down the blog and becoming a Squeez Bacon salesman. Imagine the wealth and fame that will come from being in on the ground floor with this amazing new product. I sure hope this isnt some kind of internet hoax.
Photo (c) thinkgeek.com
When I Grow Up I Want to Be a Celebrity Chef! Right Mommy
I received a link recently to an article from The Oregonian, written by Casey Parks, about a five-year-old named Julian Kreusser who has his own cooking show on an Oregon public broadcasting network. As I read about "Chef" Julian, I became intrigued and decided to watch a few of his shows.Normally, I wouldn’t care about some cute kid making cooking videos with his parents, which there are probably hundreds on YouTube, but why this kids show has me so interested, and disturbed, is its being packaged as an actual cooking show, with the kid as some sort of culinary savant. I have a feeling theres more here than meets the eye.
The driving forces behind "The Big Kitchen with Food" seem to be Julians parents, and Portland Community Media, which airs the show starring the young, slightly confused chef. After watching the clip, I couldnt help but question some of their claims and quotes from the article. It all seemed a little "hoaxy" to me.
"He actually understands what hes doing. Hes not just following orders," claims executive director Sylvia McDanie. She says the viewers love him, and adds, "It has potential to be a national program." Has she seen the show?"Its great that he gets to do what he wants to do," says his mom, Kristen McKee. "We want him to do whats in his heart, to follow his interests." Isn’t that what those beauty pageant moms always say?
The parents claim the recipes, as well as the theme song are all Julians ideas. Even though his father admits he used some connections to help get the show on the air (thanks, I thought he may have put on a little suit, took a cab to the station, and pitched them the show on a milk crate), he insists Julian came up with the concept. Really? "We are just enablers," says his dad, Ben Kreusser. Thats one word for it.
It may not come as a huge surprise that along with all this adult "guidance," Julian is also home-schooled, or as its referred to in the article, "unschooled." Apparently this is some type of home schooling where the child decides what they want to learn. Julian is quoted saying, "So everything I see, I can learn about." Well, isnt that convenient. Must make scheduling the shows filming a breeze.
Ive posted a video of Chef J below, making some "tomato sauce without tomato paste," and after watching it, all 13 agonizing minutes of it (the "cute" wears off after about 45 seconds), I would love to hear your thoughts. By the way, the viewer comments I read on Yumsugar, where this same video was also shown, werent very kind.There are several moments in the video when Julian doesnt even seen to remember what hes making (even though he "created" the recipe himself). He also struggles with the tools - instead of being cute, the sight of him trying to use the vegetable chopper was kind of sad. Then, the camera cuts away, and wha la! The veggies are cut and its on to the next step. Thanks, Mommy.
Anyway, you be the judge. Maybe Im being too suspicious. Maybe he isn’t being manipulated and exploited by parents that want the celebrity they believe will come with star chefdom. Maybe the fine folks at Portland Community Media dont have any ulterior motives. Maybe I should pick on someone my own size?
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