Jun 1, 2015
These tasty pesto bread sticks make fabulously moreish appetizers, served with dips or a selection of antipasti. Alternatively, why not make mini bread sticks for an elegant dinner party canapé?
Ingredients
- 500g ciabatta bread mix
- 350ml water
- 2 tbsp Filippo Berio Olive Oil
- 4 tbsp Filippo Berio Classic Pesto or Filippo Berio Sun Dried Tomato Pesto
- 3 tbsp fresh Parmesan cheese, grated
For more delicious pesto inspired recipes from Filippo Berio click here.
Directions
1. Empty the bread mix into a bowl and add the water. Mix to a soft dough. Tip onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 5 minutes until the dough is springy.
2. Put into a lightly oiled bowl, cover with cling film and leave for 5 minutes. Tip the dough back onto the surface and roll out to a large rectangle. Spread over either of the pesto leaving 2cm border. Sprinkle over the Parmesan cheese.
3. Fold the dough in half along the long side. Press together and seal with a rolling-pin. Cut into 2cm slices. Place the slices 2cm apart on a lightly oiled baking sheet. Twisting each pastry strip as you lay onto the baking sheet.
4. Brush the pastry with olive oil and cover lightly with cling film or a clean cloth. Bake the bread sticks for 20 to 30 minutes until golden. Remove and serve with drinks or as an accompaniment.
Jun 1, 2015
Who doesn’t like gelatin? That colourful and wiggly, suck through your teeth stuff is just plain fun to eat! We’ve glammed up the kiddie versions for more elegant desserts worthy enough to serve to even the most discerning guest. Stir up a few, chill out and enjoy!
Cheers to Juicy Berry
Total Time: 4hrs 15mins • Prep: 15 mins • Chill time: 4 hrs • Serves: 8
Ingredients:
- 2 cups Ocean Spray Cran-Raspberry
- 1 (6 ounce) package Jell-O Raspberry Gelatin Mix
- 1 1/2 cups club soda
- 1/4 cup Creme de Cassis liqueur
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 3 cups blueberries, divided
Directions:
- On stove top, in a 1 quart pot, heat Cran-Raspberry juice until boiling. Pour gelatin mix in a large bowl and pour juice over gelatin mix; stirring constantly until gelatin is dissolved, about 2 minutes.
- Stir in club soda, liqueur, and lemon juice.
- Pour gelatin mixture into serving glasses and refrigerate about 45 mins to 1 hour, or until slightly thickened.
- Remove gelatin from fridge and stir in 2 cups of the berries, distributing evenly in all glasses.
- Refrigerate about 4 hours or until firm.
- Top glasses with remaining 1 cup of blueberries before serving.
Banana Pudding with Whipped Coconut Cream
Total Time: 3hrs 15mins • Prep: 15 mins • Chill time: 3+ hrs • Serves: 6
Ingredients:
- 1 pkg. Jell-O Instant Banana Cream Pudding Mix
- 2 1/2 cups cold whole milk
- 1 can coconut milk, refrigerated for 12 hours
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
Directions:
- Mix pudding mix with 2 1/2 cups cold milk. Whisk until mix is completely dissolved and combined with milk and pudding is slightly thickened.
- Remove can of coconut milk from refrigerator. Scoop out all the solid coconut into a mixing bowl (use only the solid coconut – leave the remaining coconut liquid in the bottom of the can). Add 1 tablespoon sugar and whip until smooth and fluffy.
- Add 1/3 of whipped coconut cream to banana pudding; folding in gently.
- Spoon banana cream pudding into individual glasses and top with remaining whipped coconut cream.
- Refrigerate 3 hours, or until completely set.
- Top with sliced banana before serving.
Festive Jello Sparklers
Total Time: 3hrs 15mins • Prep: 15 mins • Chill time: 3+ hrs • Serves: 8
Ingredients:
- 30 fl oz champagne, sparkling wine, or sparkling juice, divided
- 2 tablespoons sugar (omit if you are using sparkling juice)
- 6 envelopes or 6 tablespoons unflavored gelatin
- toppings of your choice – berries, sliced fruit, whipped cream, etc.
Directions:
- Pour 20 oz of champagne, sparkling wine or sparkling juice into a medium saucepan. Add sugar for champagne or sparkling wine, omit if using sparkling juice. Sprinkle the gelatin over top of the liquid and let sit for a few minutes until the gelatin starts dissolve into liquid.
- Warm liquid on low heat, whisking until the gelatin is completely dissolved. Remove from heat and mix with the remaining 10 ounces of liquid. Set aside until the foam subsides.
- Pour gelatin mixture into glasses.
- Refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or until the jello is set.*
- Remove from the fridge and add toppings, if desired. Serve and enjoy!
*Note: If you wish to add fruit in the gelatin, refrigerate gelatin for 45 minutes to 1 hour until slightly thickened. Remove from fridge and stir in sliced grapefruit, pineapple chunks, or other fruit. Return to refrigerator to chill until set; about 3-4 hours.
May 26, 2015
Well, it is that time of year again. Fresh, locally grown corn has hit the produce shelves and we know Bermudians love it on the grill. Instead of eating it off the cob use a few ears to make sweet and spicy corn fritters. They’re a great side dish for grilled shrimp, salmon, or served with pastrami and slices of avocado. Also try topped with garden fresh tomato salsa. Yum!
Makes: 8 fritters
Sweet & Spicy Corn Fritters
Ingredients
2 medium ears of corn
1/4 cup diced green onion
1/4 cup diced red bell pepper
1-2 tablespoons seeded, diced jalapeno
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 large eggs, beaten
1/4 cup whole milk
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Freshly ground black pepper
pinch of salt
Vegetable oil for frying
Directions
1. Hold one ear of the corn upright in a shallow dish. Using a sharp knife, start from the top of the cob and slice downwards to remove the kernels from the cob. Repeat with the remaining ear of corn.
2. In a bowl sift flour and baking powder. Mix the eggs and milk together in a separate bowl and then gradually whisk into the flour mixture until a thick batter is made.
3. Add corn, red pepper, green onion, jalapeño, cilantro, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, a few cracks of black pepper and a pinch of salt.
5. Heat oil in a skillet on medium heat. Working in batches, drop spoonfuls of batter to make fritters (flatten out slightly with spoon). Cook slowly over medium heat until golden brown, crisp and cooked through; about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels. Repeat, adding more oil if necessary, until the batter is all used up. Serve immediately.
Tomato Salsa
Ingredients
4 – 6 plum tomatoes, chopped
½ cup chopped red onion
1 jalapeño chile pepper, stemmed, seeded, and finely chopped
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon fresh black pepper
Directions
1. In a medium-size mixing bowl combine all ingredients until well blended.
2. Cover and let stand for at least 30 minutes to allow flavours to blend. Stir, taste, and adjust seasonings if necessary.
3. Store covered in refrigerator and use within 1 to 2 days.
May 26, 2015
Trade in your hot coffee beverage for these yummy ice-cold treats this summer. Whether you prefer creamy latte, frothy frappe, or frappuccino smoothies, with just a few simple ingredients you can say goodbye to expensive store-bought iced coffee and create your own amazing iced coffee creations at home with ease.
First things first. You will need a good coffee base concentrate for a few of these recipes.
Coffee Base Concentrate
Ingredients
1 lb ground coffee (a rich, dark roast blend)
8 quarts cold water
Directions
In a large container or bowl, mix ground coffee with water. Cover and allow to sit at room temperature overnight. Line a strainer with cheesecloth. Place strainer over a container and pour coffee through to filter out grounds (you can also use a paper coffee filter). You may have to strain a few times to achieve the best results. Discard grounds. Cover, and place filtered coffee mixture in the fridge for several hours before using.
Note: You can store in the refrigerator for several weeks, and use it when needed.
Simple Iced Coffee
Fill a glass with ice. Fill glass two-thirds full with coffee base concentrate. Add a splash of milk or half and half. Add 2-3 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk or simple syrup. Stir, and adjust milk or sweetener if necessary.
Iced French Vanilla Latte
Ingredients
1 cup strong brewed french vanilla flavoured coffee (or you can use 1 cup coffee base concentrate and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract)
1 can (12 fl oz.) evaporated milk
1/3 cup sugar
Ice cubes
Directions
Add coffee, evaporated milk and sugar to a blender. Blend until smooth. Pour coffee mixture over ice in tall glasses. Serve immediately.
Iced Mocha Latte
Ingredients
Ice
chocolate syrup
coffee base concentrate
milk
Directions
1. Fill a glass with ice. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of chocolate syrup.
2. Add coffee concentrate leaving about one inch from top for milk. Add milk and stir. Taste and adjust if necessary by adding more milk or chocolate syrup.
Greek Frappe
Ingredients
2 teaspoons good quality instant coffee
2 teaspoons sugar (or more, to taste)
cold water
ice cubes
2 tablespoons cold milk, optional
Directions
1. Place coffee, sugar and water in a blender or shaker. Mix/shake for 15 seconds until mixture thickens into a creamy, light brown foam.
2. Pour coffee foam into a tall glass. Add ice to fill up to about two-thirds of the glass. If desired, add one or two tablespoons of cold milk. Then fill the glass with ice cold water. Pop in a straw for sipping and stirring. Enjoy!
Peanut Butter Mocha Frappuccino
Ingredients
3/4 cup coffee base concentrate
3 scoops chocolate ice cream
2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
12 ice cubes
Directions
1. Add all ingredients into a blender and blend on high-speed until the ice is finely crushed and the mixture is smooth.
2. Pour into 2 glasses. If desired add a dollop of whipped cream on top and sprinkle with shaved chocolate. Serve immediately.
Iced Caramel Latte
Ingredients
1/2 cup coffee base concentrate
1 cup milk
2-4 teaspoons caramel sauce
6 large ice cubes
Directions
In a small bowl add milk and caramel sauce. Whisk until combined and frothy. Pour coffee base into a glass. Add caramel froth, add ice and enjoy!
May 20, 2015
Looking for a super quick and easy dessert that’s perfect for the warmer weather ahead? Try mango pudding! This popular Asian dessert hits all the right notes. It’s not overly sweet, and is cool and refreshing. Delicious!
Prep time: 20 mins Chill time: 3 hours Total time: 3 hours 20 mins Serves: 8
Ingredients
- 1½ tablespoons unflavoured gelatin
- 1 cup hot water
- ⅓ cup sugar
- 1 cup evaporated milk
- 1½ cups mango puree*
- Additional evaporated milk for topping
- Fresh mango slices or cubes for garnish
Directions
1. Dissolve gelatin by pouring hot water in a bowl and sprinkle gelatin over it. Stir constantly to mix well. Let stand for 3 minutes.
2. Add sugar and stir until it dissolves completely.
3. Add evaporated milk and stir to combine. Add mango puree and stir until smooth.
4. Pour mango mixture into a large bowl or individual molds and place in refrigerator for at least 3 hours or until pudding is set completely.
5. To serve, flip molds onto a plate and garnish with fresh mango slices or cubes. You can also serve in a bowl with either evaporated milk or coconut milk poured over the top of the pudding.
Tip: Dipping sides of mold in warm water for 20 seconds helps release the pudding from mold.
* If you can’t find fresh mango you can use frozen mango chunks. Just thaw chunks and then puree in a food processor or blender.
May 13, 2015
Sautéed until golden brown, mushrooms are perfect for serving over juicy steaks and burgers.
Servings: 2-4
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 pound button mushrooms, sliced
- 1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup onions, chopped
- 1 tablespoon burgundy wine
- 1 tsp low-sodium soy sauce or teriyaki sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt, or to taste
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
Directions
Heat olive oil and butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook and stir mushrooms, garlic, onions, soy sauce, wine, garlic salt, and black pepper in the hot oil and butter until mushrooms are lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low and simmer until mushrooms are tender, 5 to 8 more minutes. Serve with steak or burgers.
