Avocado and Gorgonzola Salad with Parmesan Vinaigrette
Thursday, April 14, 2011Creamy avocado, pungent blue cheese, sweet onions, and juicy tomatoes. This is one of my favorite salads to throw together. Dried fruits, like cherry or cranberry, and toasted nuts could also be added to create a wonderful salad with variety of textures and flavours.
Parmesan Vinaigrette | Salad |
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- Whisk all ingredients until creamy and smooth. Store in the fridge until ready to use.
- In a large bowl, place field salad leaves, diced avocado, Gorgonzola, shredded carrot, red onion and tomato wedges. Drizzle with Parmesan vinaigrette and toss gently. Divide the salad in two serving plates, then sprinkle the dried cherries over.
Last, but not the least, I want to thank two lovely ladies, Eva at DAILY DOSES OF SUGAR, and Parsley Sage from The Deep Dish for passing two wonderful blog awards to me. Thank you!
Chocolate Glazed Tart with Pistachios
Monday, April 11, 2011A crisp yet crumbly chocolate shortbread crust filled with a layer of rich chocolate glaze and finished off with some chopped lightly salted roasted pistachios---an unbeatable combination for an unforgettable sweet treat!
Shortbread | Topping |
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- Preheat the oven to 160C/320F. Put the butter into a large mixing bowl, and beat with a wooden spoon until soft. Beat in the sugar and salt. Sift over the flour and cocoa powder and mix just until a dough forms.
- Divide the shortbread dough into four portions and press each in an even layer onto the bottom of four 12cm/4inch tart pans or one 26cm/10inch. Bake for about 20 minutes, or just until the they are firm to the touch.
- Meanwhile, melt the chopped chocolate, maple syrup, butter and heavy cream in a stainless steel bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water. Mix until smooth.
- Remove the shortbread from the oven and pour the warm chocolate glaze over the shortbread crusts and evenly spread the surface. Sprinkle the chopped pistachios or caramelized walnuts. They can be stored in container at room temperature for a few days.
Chickpea Salad with Cumin
Thursday, April 07, 2011In this wonderful healthy salad, chickpeas are first cooked in salt cumin water, that makes them more digestible as well as adding a nutty and peppery flavours to the chickpeas. The chickpeas are then dressed in a spicy vinaigrette.
- 250 g Dried chickpeas
- 1/3 tsp Cumin seeds
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1-2 tsp Ground cumin
- 1 clove Garlic, minced
- 1/3 tsp Chilli powder
- 1-2 tbsp Fresh lime juice
- 2 tbsp Parsley, finely chopped
- 2-3 tbsp Walnut oil
- Place the chickpeas in a bowl and add enough water to cover by 1 inch. Soak the chickpeas for 4 hours or overnight. Drain the chickpeas and discard the soaking water.
- Add the chickpeas, salt, cumin seeds and water to the pressure cooker so that the cooker is no more than one-third full. Lock the lid onto the pressure cooker and activate the desired program setting. Allow pressure to be fully released before removing the lid.
- Drain the chickpeas and place in a large bowl. Add the ground cumin , minced garlic, chilli powder, lime juice, chopped parsley, walnut oil, and salt to taste. Toss well. Cover and set aside for 30 minutes at room temperature. Check the seasoning and add more salt or lime juice if needed. You can serve the chickpeas mounded on some lettuce leaves if desired.
Fresh Fruit Tartlets
Monday, April 04, 2011Those mini fresh fruit tartlets have a sweet pastry crust that is filled with a rich hazelnut cream and topped with fresh fruit. Dust the fruit with powdered sugar before serving or glaze with apricot glaze to give the fruit a bright shiny finish.
Sweet Pastry Crust | Topping |
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- Heap the flour on a work surface and make a well. Put in butter, salt, sugar, and egg yolk. Using your fingertips, mix all the ingredients together. Add in cold water and work until the dough begins to hold together. Shape each into a ball and wrap with a plastic film and chill for half an hour.
- Cream the butter and sugar with a hand mixer in the bowl. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract until smooth. Add the ground hazelnut and beat until it forms a smooth paste. Set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Grease four 12cm tartlet tins with butter and sprinkle them lightly with flour. Remove the pastry from the refrigerator and divide into four equal portions. On a lightly floured surface, roll each portion of pastry into a 16cm circle. Line the tins with pastry and prick several times with a fork.
- Divide the hazelnut mixture into 4 pastry cases and smooth the top. Put the tart tins on the hot baking tray and bake for 30 minutes until golden brown. Lift the tart and base from the tin and leave on a wire rack to cool completely.
- Spread two tablespoons of chantilly cream on top of each tartlet. Arrange the fruit on top. If desired, dust with powdered sugar before serving.
Tomato, Olive and Gorgonzola Salad
Friday, April 01, 2011Fresh, delicious and so easy to make, that you can enjoy a light but satisfying lunch in 5 minutes. If Gorgonzola is way too strong for you, milder Scandinavian blues would be perfect for crumbling over the salad too.
- 3 Large tomatoes, sliced
- 1 tbsp Balsamic cream
- 2 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 12 Pitted black olives, cut into wedges
- 50 g Gorgonzola, crumbled
- 1 tbsp Pistachios, chopped (optional)
- Fresh basil leaves (or corn salad leaves)
- Arrange sliced tomatoes on a plate. Drizzle with balsamic cream and then olive oil.
- Sprinkle lightly with salt and fresh ground black pepper. Sprinkle with olives, crumbled Gorgonzola and if using, chopped pistachios. Garnish with basil or corn salad leaves.
Cumin and Oyster Chicken Wings
Tuesday, March 29, 2011There will always be a lot of ways in preparing and serving chicken wings. And this is the one I really like. You started by marinating the chicken wings after cutting them into bite-sized pieces, then coating with potato flour before frying them up. Once the chicken wings have completely cooked, drain excess oil by placing them on paper towels. At this point, you can serve them with the prepared sauce you like on the side. Or return the chicken wings to the skillet and toss thoroughly with the sauce together.
Sauce | |
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- Rinse and dry the chicken wings. Cut them into the bite-sized pieces. Season the chicken wing pieces with garlic salt, black pepper and egg. Use your hand to mix all well. Set aside for 15 minutes. Mix all the ingredients of sauce in a bowl.
- Fill a skillet half full with vegetable oil. Heat the oil over medium-high flame until hot. Coat the chicken wing pieces with potato flour and shake off the excess. Fry until they are lightly golden brown and crispy. Remove and drain on the kitchen paper.
- Leave about a tablespoon of oil in the skillet. Stir in minced garlic, chopped piri piri and white part of chopped spring onions. Pour in the prepared sauce and bring it to a simmer. Return the chicken wings to the skillet, and then add in the rest of spring onions. Stir until well mixed and heated through. Turn the heat off and sprinkle. Serve them warm on a bed of corn salad if using.
And I want to thank Ah Tze from Away of Mind and Esther from X3Baking for passing on the Awards to me. Thank you, ladies!
Almond Galette
Saturday, March 26, 2011This is the dessert traditionally served in France for Epiphany, on the 6th day of January, but is welcome at any time of year. It's also known as the "Galette des rois", or "King Cake". One "feve", "bean" in French, or a tiny ceramic figurine is hidden somewhere in the galette as a "prize" and the finder is crowned the king or queen.
Frangipane Almond Cream | |
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- Cream the butter and sugar with a hand mixer in the bowl. Beat in the egg, vanilla extract and salt until smooth. Add the almond meal and beat until it forms a smooth paste. Set aside.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll the pastry out until it’s about 3mm thick. Cut out two 4-inch rounds and two 6-inch rounds or two 11-inch rounds.
- Place one sheet of pastry on the baking sheet. Spread a circle of filling on the pastry, leaving 1-inch border around the frangipane. Brush the border with some of the beaten egg. Top with the second sheet of pastry over the filling and press the borders firmly to seal it.
- With the back edge of a paring knife, make 6 or 8 of tucks along the border. Make a small hole with a skewer in the center, so the steam can escape during cooking. Glaze the top with beaten egg. Cut a decorative pattern on the top with the tip of a knife.
- Refrigerate for one hour. Preheat oven to 200C/400F. Put in the center of the hot oven for 25-30 minutes until they are nicely brown and crisp. Remove and cool the galette on the wire rack. Slice and serve!
Smoked Salmon Salad with Potatoes and Crispy Capers
Wednesday, March 23, 2011Warm potatoes and smoked salmon are wonderfully harmonious with a creamy, guilt free tzatziki dressing and crispy capers. This simple recipe makes a delicious and luxurious brunch dish served with a glass of unoaked Chardonnay.
- 350 g Potatoes
- 1 tbsp Olive oil
- 1 tbsp Capers, drained
- 30g Arugula
- 100g Smoked salmon
- 2-3 tbsp Tzatziki
- Place potatoes in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Cover and bring to the boil. Uncover and cook for 8 minutes, or until potatoes are just tender. Drain and set aside to cool. Cut into 6 wedges.
- Heat olive oil in a skillet over a medium-high heat. Add in drained capers and potato wedges. Cook until capers are crisp and potatoes golden, about 5 minutes. Drain on paper towel.
- Arrange sliced potatoes on serving plates. Top with rocket, smoked salmon and capers. Drizzle over the tzatziki.
Blueberry Tea Cake Rolls
Saturday, March 19, 2011A soft spongy cake roll prepared with eggs, sugar, flour and ceylon tea bags with a delightful blueberry flavour. Those cake slices taste very nice on its own, but they can be served with whipped cream, or ice cream.
Yolk Batter | Meringue |
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- Line a 30x40-cm baking tray with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 190C/375F. Beat the egg yolks, maple syrup, vegetable oil and milk until thoroughly blended. Whisk together the cake flour, blueberry tea, and baking powder. Sift the flour mixture into the yolk mixture. Fold to combine.
- Beat egg whites with salt and lemon juice over low speed until frothy and foamy. Gradually add in sugar, increase speed and beat until stiff but not dry. Carefully fold 1/3 of egg white mixture into yolk mixture to lighten it and then carefully fold in remaining whites.
- Pour the cake batter into the prepared baking tray and smooth the top. Transfer to the oven and bake for 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and invert onto a sheet of baking paper dusted with icing sugar. Carefully peel off the the paper liner and trim the edges of cake. Roll up from the short side.
Curry Rice Salad with Fish and Papaya
Wednesday, March 16, 2011Rice salads are easy, delectable and infinitely versatile. This curry rice salad is prepared mainly with Basmati rice, peas, pan-seared walleye fillet tossed with curry powder and olive oil, and finished off with papaya. It's perfect for a lunchbox, a picnic, and even great as a side to a summer BBQ party.
- 125 g Basmati rice
- 75 g Frozen peas
- 2 tsp Curry powder
- 1 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tsp Lime juice
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 180 g Walleye fillet, pan-seared
- 1 tsp Butter
- 50 g Carrot, diced
- 1/3 Red onion, chopped
- 1 Papaya
- Cook rice following packet directions. Add the peas 2 minutes before the end of cooking. Drain. Rinse under cold water. Drain well. Place in a large serving bowl. Add the curry powder, olive oil, lime juice, salt and freshly ground black pepper. Gently stir to combine.
- Season the fish with salt and pepper. Melt the butter in a non-stick pan over medium heat. Cook the walleye fillet until golden brown. Remove fish and cut into half-inch pieces. Dice the carrot and red onion.
- Add the fish, carrot, and red onion to the rice. Halve the papaya lengthwise and remove the seeds. Scoop out some flesh and add into the rice salad. Fill the papaya shells with rice salad or just serve them in a bowl.
Cornflakes Encrusted Baked Cod Fillets
Monday, March 14, 2011A delicious and healthy alternative to the fried fish. The topping prepared with a mix of cornflakes and breadcrumbs, which results in a crunchier crust. Serve with lemon wedges.
- 2 Cod or walleye fillets
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 25 g Herb butter
- 25 g Cornflakes, crushed
- 25 g Breadcrumbs
- 2 tbsp Olive oil, plus extra for greasing
- 1 tbsp Fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 tsp Dill
- 2 clove Garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp White wine
- Lemon wedges, for garnish
- Preheat the oven to 210C/420F. Grease lightly a glass baking pan with olive oil. Melt the butter and place them in a bowl together with crushed cornflakes, breadcrumbs, olive oil, herbs and minced garlic.
- Pat the fish fillets dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Place them, skinned-side down, on the baking pan. Pour the white wine over the fish. Divide the cornflake mixture onto two fish fillets and press down lightly so they adhere.
- Bake in the center of the hot oven for 20 minutes or until the topping is golden and the fish is opaque and cooked through. Serve immediately garnished with lemon wedges.
Roasted Chicken Salad with Pear and Walnuts
Saturday, March 12, 2011A really easy salad recipe with leftover roasted chicken, pears, toasted walnut halves and rocket leaves gently tossed with a simple white balsamic vinaigrette. Serve it with bread or roasted potatoes.
- 200 g Leftover roasted chicken thighs
- 40 g Rocket leaves
- 1 Pear, washed, cored, cut into thin wedges
- 1 handful Walnut halves, toasted
- 30 ml Walnut oil
- 15 ml Balsamic bianco
- 1 tsp Wholegrain mustard
- Place walnut halves in a single layer in a skillet. With the skillet over medium-high heat, stir the nuts continually for 5 minutes or until they start to turn golden.
- Place rocket leaves, pear wedges, toasted walnuts, and chicken in a large bowl. Toss gently to combine. Whisk walnut oil, balsamic bianco and mustard together. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to combine. Serve salad with bread.