Mar 31, 2014
So simple, so quick! With just a few simple ingredients, dinner’s on the table in a flash!
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive or canola oil
1-2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
3 large potatoes, cooked and cooled, cut into chunks
1 onion, sliced into rings
1 red, yellow or green pepper, sliced
1 package kielbasa, sliced on a diagonal
salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
– Heat oil in a large skillet on medium heat and add garlic cloves.
– Add potatoes. Cook and turn potatoes until all sides are golden brown. Add peppers and onions and saute until done.
– Remove from heat and keep warm with foil.
– Saute kielbasa in the same skillet and brown on both sides.
– Return vegetables to skillet with kielbasa and toss. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.
Mar 20, 2014
Baking salmon encroute (in pastry dough) seals in flavour and keeps the fish moist. Showy, elegant, and perfect for dinner parties. Serve this up to family and friends and bow for the applause.
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
3 – 4 large leeks, white part only
1/2 cup white wine
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon white or black pepper
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1 package of frozen puff pastry, thawed to room temperature
1 1/2 pounds skinless salmon fillet, cut 3/4 – 1 inch thick, cut into 4 equal-sized pieces
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- Prepare the leeks by cutting lengthwise. Wash well to remove any dirt or sand. Pat dry and thinly slice crosswise.
- Add olive oil, butter, and leek slices to a skillet. Sauté over medium heat for 3 – 4 minutes or just until the leeks begin to soften.
- Add the wine and garlic, and continue cooking for about 5 more minutes until the liquid mostly evaporates. Remove from heat. Stir in the lemon zest, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, mustard, and thyme.
- Prepare the puff pastry by lightly rolling out the pastry sheets on a floured surface into 12-inch squares. Cut each square in half to get 4 rectangles measuring 6 x 12 inches.
- Spoon a quarter of the leek mixture onto the middle of each pastry rectangle, spreading the mixture in an area roughly the shape of each piece of salmon. Put the salmon fillets on top of the leeks, and sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Bring together the ends of each pastry rectangle, and pinch to form tight seams. Then pinch together the side seams.
- Place each salmon pastry on a non-stick baking sheet, seam side down.
- Bake at 425°F for between 20-25 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown. Check to see if salmon is fully cooked by making a small slice in one pastry. If necessary return to oven for 3-4 more minutes, or until salmon is cooked through.
To serve cut each pastry in half and arrange on a platter.
Mar 20, 2014
Easy, tasty and oh, so moist! Delicious served warm by itself or with Crème Anglaise Sauce if desired. Serves 8 to 10
Ingredients:
- 3 cups milk
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
- 5 to 6 cups day-old French bread, torn into pieces
- 2 cups fresh blueberries
- 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Evenly butter bottom and sides of an 11- x 7-inch baking dish.
3. Whisk together the milk, eggs, sugar, extracts, and lemon zest. Add the bread and let stand for 10 to 15 minutes.
4. Gently toss blueberries with powdered sugar then add to the bread mixture; folding in gently. Pour mixture the buttered baking dish.
5. Prepare an oven bath: Place the baking dish containing the bread pudding in a larger pan and place in oven on middle rack. Add about 4 cups of hot boiled water to the outer pan.
6. Bake for about 1 hour, or until the bread pudding is set and lightly browned on top.
Crème Anglaise Sauce
Ingredients:
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 4 egg yolks
- 1/3 cup white sugar
Directions:
1. In a small, heavy saucepan, heat cream and vanilla until bubbles form at edges.
2. While cream is heating, whisk together egg yolks and sugar until smooth. Slowly pour 1/2 cup of hot milk mixture into egg yolks, whisking constantly. Gradually add egg yolk mixture back to remaining milk mixture, whisking constantly. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture coats the back of a spoon.
Makes: 1 1/2 cups
Mar 16, 2014
Cooking over a low, slow heat makes this brisket flavourful and melt in your mouth delicious.
Prep time: 20 mins Cook Time: 2 hrs 30 mins Makes: 16 servings
Ingredients:
4 pounds corned beef brisket
1 cup brown sugar
1 (12 fluid ounce) can or bottle Irish stout beer (e.g. Guinness®)
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 300°F. Rinse the beef completely and pat dry.
- Place the brisket on rack in a roasting pan. Rub the brown sugar on the corned beef to coat entire beef brisket. Pour the bottle of stout beer around, and gently over the beef to moisten the sugar.
- Cover, and place in oven. Bake for 2 1/2 hours. Allow to rest 5 minutes before slicing.
Mar 16, 2014
Soft, chewy and delicious! Make a batch for St. Patrick’s Day!
Prep. time: 15 mins Cook Time: 10 mins Chill time: 8 hours or overnight
Makes 6 dozen
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
Directions
1. In a large bowl, combine the sugar, butter, cream cheese, salt, almond and vanilla extracts, and egg. Beat until smooth. Add flour, and stir until well blended. Chill the dough for 8 hours, or overnight.
2. Preheat oven to 375°F.
3. Separate dough into 3 equal pieces. On a lightly floured surface, and working with one third of the dough at a time (refrigerate remaining dough until ready to use), roll out the dough to 1/8 inch thickness. Cut into desired shapes with lightly floured cookie cutters. Place the cookie cut-outs 1-inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
4. Bake for 7 to 10 minutes, or until light and golden brown. Cool cookies completely before frosting.
NOTE: Do not substitute butter. Using real BUTTER gives best results.
Mar 15, 2014
When it comes to onions Bermudians know the deal! We’re not called ‘Onions’ for no reason at all you know! (read a short story here)
Bermuda onions were first introduced to the Bermuda islands by British settlers in 1616. The settlers found our native soil and mild climate was ideal for producing a non-pungent, sweet onion and to this day Bermudians will declare that no other onion can compete with our beloved locally-grown onions. Their mild, sweet flavour is enjoyed in tarts, soups, casseroles and salads, on sandwiches, in our codfish cakes, and in chutney and pickle jars.
Bermuda onions start appearing in stores and farmer’s stands in late March and April, which coincides nicely for including our favourite veggie in our Good Friday and Easter recipes! The earlier crops also tend to yield younger, smaller onions that are perfect for pickling.
Bermuda Onions are wonderful pickled, and make good use of any excess onions you may have bought or grown. Pickled onions are delicious served with cold cuts, cheese, and crackers or bread. Make a few extra jars and save for your Christmas or New Year’s Eve buffet.
Pickled Onion Recipe
Ingredients
1/4 cup salt
2 lbs. small Bermuda onions, left whole
4 bay leaves
1 tablespoon peppercorns
4 cups white vinegar (you can also use white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar)
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon pickling spice
2-4 small dried red chilli peppers, or chilli flakes to taste, optional
Directions:
Combine salt and 4 cups of water in a large glass bowl. Stir until salt dissolves. Peel skin from onions, leaving onions whole. Add peeled onions to salted water. Use another heavy bowl to weigh down onions so that they are completely submerged in the liquid. Cover bowl and let stand at room temperature overnight.
Drain and rinse onions under cold water. Dry onions, and pack into four 3-cup capacity sterilised jars, layering with bay leaves, peppercorns, and chilli peppers or chilli flakes if desired.
Add vinegar, sugar and pickling spice to a non-reactive saucepan over low heat. Cook, stirring, for 15 minutes or until sugar has dissolved. Bring to the boil. Simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes or until syrup thickens slightly. Set aside to cool completely. Strain liquid. Pour over onions, making sure onions are completely covered. Seal jars. Allow to stand for 3 weeks before using to let the flavours infuse completely.
Store jars in refrigerator after opening.
