Sunday, March 28, 2010

White Chocolate Coconut Truffles

Truffles are on the same level as champers for me. They are delicious and luxurious. Lucky for me (and you), they are also really easy to make!

WHITE CHOCOLATE COCONUT TRUFFLES -makes about 20

INGREDIENTS:
  • 3.5 oz (350g) white chocolate (I used Lindt)
  • 2 Tbsp coconut milk
  • 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
  • 2 drop coconut extract (optional)
  • a couple of handfuls of coconut shredded
  • food coloring ( I used a couple drops of red to make pink)
DIRECTIONS:
  • Put coconut flakes in a bowl. Drop a couple drops of food coloring in coconut (if desired).. mix and set aside.
  • Break white chocolate bars into chunks.
  • Melt the chocolate pieces, coconut milk, and butter in a metal bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Make sure the bowl is sitting above the hot water (not submersed in it).
  • When it is melted, remove from heat and add a couple drops of coconut extract. Mix.
  • Put the bowl into the refrigerator until it is hard enough to roll (may take over an hour).
  • Roll the mixture into balls. then roll in coconut flakes. Do one by one.
  • Put in refrigerator until ready to serve. They keep for about a week.

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Nothing Better than Shrimp and Grits..

Grits always seem to be controversial. Some people love them, some hate them, and a lot of people outside the South don't even know what they are. Luckily for me, I was able to get my daily grits quota filled at my University of Georgia sorority house every morning at breakfast (thank you Ms. Carol!). I still love them and often thought if I was on the British show "Come Dine with Me" I would cook them for my undoubtably sketchy guests. I wonder how that would go? If you are a member of the group that hasn't tried grits, it is time. Give them a chance.. please?

SHRIMP AND GRITS - serves 4

INGREDIENTS:
  • 4 cups water
  • 1 cup stone-ground grits (you can use instant grits.. just reduce water to 3 cups)
  • 3 Tbsp butter
  • 2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
  • a pinch of garlic powder
  • 1 lb (455g) shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 5 slices bacon (streaky for the Brits)
  • the juice of half a lemon
  • 1 large garlic clove, minced
  • a dash of cayenne pepper for heat (optional)
  • two drops liquid smoke (optional- sadly I have never seen this in England)

DIRECTIONS:

for grits:
  • Bring water to the boil with the butter
  • Add grits slowly.. whisk
  • Cook until thickened (for stone-ground it may take 20 min., instant takes about 5)
  • remove from heat and add cheese, a pinch of garlic powder, and salt & pepper
for shrimp:
  • Fry bacon in a skillet.. when done, remove bacon from pan and leave the fat in the pan.
  • add shrimp to the skillet..
  • when the shrimp is starting to turn pink add: lemon juice, garlic, cayenne pepper (optional), liquid smoke (optional), and salt & pepper.
  • serve over grits.. garnish with cooked bacon bits and parsley.

A word about grits for the Brits: Grits are delicious and I have been trying to promote them at British dinner tables for a while now. I am 99% sure you can get them at Selfridges or Partridges; but, if not, you can order them offline for a special occasion. If this all seems like a massive hassle and you are not up for the search, you could have the shrimp with creamy polenta. It is not exactly the same but has a similar texture. Just cook polenta as directed and add butter and cheese when done.

Friday, March 19, 2010

Caroline's Asian Salad


This is a perfect “let’s clear out the kitchen” meal or side. I mean who doesn’t have a pack of ramen noodles in their pantry? I got this recipe from one of my favorite people, Caroline. When I met her in college, I instantly knew we would be good friends. She is almost as weird as I am, is six foot tall (as am I), and, like me, does not possess the verbal filter that stops awkward things from leaving the mouth. I would share some of our mutual oddities; however, for fear of judgement, I will abstain. Just know Caroline is a peach and her salad is crunchy, healthy, easy, and delish.. I promise!

CAROLINE'S ASIAN SALAD
serves 2-3 as main and 4-6 as side

INGREDIENTS:
  • 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 6 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
  • 4 packets splenda (or real sugar
  • 1 Tbsp salt
  • 1 Tbsp pepper
  • 1 Packet Ramen Noodles without the seasoning
  • 1 handful sesame seeds
  • 1 handful slivered almonds
  • 1 bag of cabbage slaw (shredded), if there is no slaw, shred a head of green cabbage and a half of a red cabbage
  • diced green onion (not too much)
DIRECTIONS:
  • Whisk olive oil, vinegar, splenda (or sugar), salt, and pepper in a bowl and put in fridge a couple of hours before serving.
  • Brown ramen noodles (broken up), sesame seeds, and almonds in a large skillet. Do not use any grease or oil until they are brown. Stir A LOT and keep a close eye.. they brown quickly!
  • Toss green with dressing. Serve with crunchy topping.. PERFECT

Sunday, March 14, 2010

Tarts are your friend

Shannon (best friend/partner in crime) has recently returned to the wonderful world of vegetarianism. I promised her brunch on Saturday and was forced to forego my normal weekend serving of bacon in favor of veggie goodness. When planning the menu, I thought I would make something easy that can serve as lunch, brunch, or dinner for those struggling with little time and excess groceries. My friend, Erin, mentioned that when shopping for one she always ends up with too many extras and is forced to throw food in the trash.. well why not make a tart with it?? Buy some puff pastry (totally a waste of time to make your own) and throw on your extras.. taste amazing and saves doe rae mi ($). Prob solved..

Here is mine..

ARTICHOKE AND TOMATO TART

Ingredients:
  • one sheet of frozen puff pastry, thawed
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 10 artichoke hearts (fresh or canned)
  • 6 vine-ripened tomatoes, sliced
  • small package goat cheese, crumbled
  • small package feta, crumbled
  • three fresh sprigs of thyme
  • sprinkle of dried oregano
  • kosher salt & pepper
Directions:
  • pre-heat oven to 400 F/210 C
  • roll out the pastry on a lightly-floured surface until almost twice the size of original sheet.
  • cut pastry in half to make two rectangles.
  • fold over sides to create an edges
  • take a fork and gently poke small holes throughout
  • brush egg over the edges to help brown in oven.
  • arrange toppings to personal taste/creativity.. don't forget s & p!
Finally, bake for about 20 min. until golden brown... Voila!!

you can also make a......

PESTO, SPINACH, AND GORGONZOLA TART

With this tart follow the same directions with the pastry and baking. Just change the toppings! This one is inspired by the "norfolk special" pizza from Fellinis in Norfolk.. make my day.

Ingredients:
  • one sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
  • 1 egg
  • a tiny bit of olive oil
  • 3 spoonfuls pesto (bought or home-made.. recipe coming in spring!)
  • 2 vine-ripened tomatoes, sliced
  • two handfuls of baby spinach leaves
  • small package of gorgonzola, in crumbles
  • kosher salt & pepper
Directions:
  • pre-heat oven to 400 F/210 C
  • cook spinach with a little bit of olive oil in a pan until wilted.
  • roll out pastry on a lightly-floured service to twice the size
  • cut pastry in half to make two rectangles
  • fold over sides of each rectangle to create edges
  • take a fork and gently poke holes throughout
  • brush egg over edges to help brown in oven
  • arrange toppings!!!
  • bake for 20 min. until golden brown.

Butternut Squash Chutney




875g butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
3 large cooking apples, peeled and roughly chopped
4 carrots, cut into 1 cm chunks
2 large onions, coarsely chopped
200 g mixed dried fruit - I like to use a mixture of raisins and apricots, roughly chopped
2 inches of fresh ginger, grated (or powdered ginger, about 2 tsp)
1 tsp crushed dried chillies
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground allspice
700 ml cider vinegar
2 blush oranges, peeled and segmented then roughly chopped
500g jam sugar (granulated will work fine)
bunch of fresh thyme (leaves removed from stalk)
generous grind of black pepper

  • Place all the ingredients in a pan except the oranges, sugar and thyme and bring to the boil
  • Reduce the heat and simmer gently for 25 minutes until squash has become tender
  • Add the oranges and sugar and mix gently until the sugar has dissolved
  • Continue to simmer gently, uncovered, for 35-45 minutes until mixture thickens
  • Stir in the fresh thyme and take off the heat
  • Whilst the mixture is still hot, spoon into hot sterilized jam jars (ensuring you fill all the way to the top)
  • Seal immediately and keep in a cool, dark room until required

It is best to leave these a week until you open the first jar, and apparently chutneys are at their best 3 months after being made. They will last up to a year so you can give them as presents throughout the year.

This mixture made about ten jars worth of chutney. The first jar got eaten with some of my mother's delicious Rye bread and Comté cheese. Of course any other hard yellow cheese would go well, and maybe even some lovely Welsh goat's cheese. I first had pumpkin chutney with a mild Sri Lankan curry that my good friend Sarah made and that also went wonderfully.

Saturday, March 13, 2010

Pesto Curls




150g (5.3 oz) parmesan, finely grated
80g (2.8 oz) almonds, toasted
1 clove of garlic
4 handfuls of greek basil
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 pack of puff pastry
sea salt and pepper for seasoning
flour for dusting

  • place a frying pan over a medium heat and toast the almonds for 5 minutes or so, tossing often to ensure they do not burn
  • in a small food processor blitz the almonds and garlic clove until crumb size
  • then add the basil, parmesan, salt, pepper and olive oil, continue to blitz until a paste
  • on a floured surface layout of the puff pastry, run a rolling pin over it a few times, just to stretch it out a little as pack pastry can often be quite thick
  • spread the pesto over the entire sheet of pastry
  • roll the opposite sides towards each other until the two rolls meet in the middle (try and roll it as tightly as possible without mutilating the shape)
  • place in the fridge for an hour/hour and a half to let it rest
  • preheat the oven to 180 C
  • once chilled cut the roll into 1cm (2cm is fine as well) segments and lay out flat on a baking sheet
  • place on middle shelf and check on them after 15 minutes
  • transfer onto a wire rack to cool fully


I found this alternative recipe for pesto in
Jamie Oliver's Italy cookbook and thought it would work great as this pastry morsel. These are always a crowd pleaser accompanying drinks, however, you can use the pesto recipe in it's own right with pasta. Reserve a little of the pasta water to loosen it up, or add some olive oil to bulk it up and you can always use the old pine nuts instead, if you don't like almonds.

This form of pastry is also really versatile and you can add chopped sun-blushed tomatoes to the pesto, or crumble in some goat's cheese. Always be wary on how much salt you use as parmesan does a lot for seasoning.


Banana and Walnut Muffins



350 g plain flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
2 tsp cinnamon
160 g caster sugar
370 ml whole milk
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
75g unsalted butter, melted
4 medium-large very ripe bananas, mashed
2 handfuls of walnut halves, toasted and chopped

for topping:
2 tablespoons of caster sugar 
1/2 tsp cinnamon













  • preheat oven to 170 C
  • heat a frying pan on medium heat - add walnuts to a dry pan for roughly 5 minutes, tossing often to ensure they do not burn, then remove from the heat and chop roughly
  • mix together the flour, salt, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl
  • in a separate bowl or jug combine the milk, egg and vanilla and mix well
  • slowly pour wet mixture into the flour mixture whilst using a wooden spoon to beat together until combined
  • once combined, stir in the melted butter, mashed banana and chopped walnuts and mix well
  • spoon into lined or well greased muffin tray about 2/3 full
  • combine the sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over the cupcakes 
  • bake on the middle shelf for 20-30 minutes (if making mini-cupcakes check on them after 10 minutes)
  • to check if the cakes are done insert a skewer into the centre - it should come out clean
  • leave to cool in the tray briefly before turning out onto a wire rack to cool fully
This is a great alternative to banana bread - not too heavy, greasy or sweet, it is perfect with coffee in the afternoon or even as a breakfast on the run.


I am a big fan of nuts and feel they are essential with most fruit-based baking, however, if you are not a fan of walnuts they can be substituted with pecans, hazelnuts, or you can even add a few tablespoons of crunchy peanut butter. If you do not like nuts or are allergic, then simply remove - the end result will not be any less delicious!