Thursday Recipe

I wasn't going to post anything today, but this recipe tempted me. I used to make Lemon Curd when I lived in England, but I have never made nor even tasted it since I emigrated. The recipe I used to use had a lot more sugar in it, as I recall. Doesn't it look delicious? If I weren't going out to lunch, I might even go grab some lemons and make it. However, at the Mandarin I will be eating enough food to last me quite a while I think.

Lemon Curd

4 lemons, juice and zest
1/2 cup sugar
4 large eggs
6 Tbs unsalted butter

1. Heat everything in a bowl over a small sauce pan of water simmering over medium-high heat, whisking continuously until thickened, about 10 minutes.

Yield: 20(1 1/4 cups or 20 1 tablespoon servings)

Author: Kevin Lynch
Source: Closet Cooking

Author Notes
Note: You can cook the lemon curd directly in a saucepan rather than in a bowl on top of the saucepan with the simmering water but there is more of a chance for the egg to cook and produce little white flecks in the otherwise smooth and creamy curd.

Note: If some of the egg does cook and turn into little white flecks in the curd, you can push the curd through a sieve to remove them!

Note: Let cool and store in the fridge for up to a week.

Have a great day
 

Bathroom, Gold Bunnies,

I was reminded, this morning, that the other day I bought myself a new rubber mat for my bath/shower and was absolutely staggered to pay $23 for it. Yes, I know, better than slipping, but things are getting so expensive nowadays. Maybe I shouldn't complain, looking for a picture, I saw prices up to $45 or so. Funny, we bought one for each bath at the same time and mine was wearing out with tears in the corners, and Matt's is fine.

I was also looking at a new shower curtain (we would need two) in
my Avon catalogue and they too are pretty expensive. The Avon curtain was really attractive with bright poppies and would cheer the bathrooms up terrifically. This one is $30 and includes a bath mat which we don't need. In the catalogue it looks brighter than this picture. I wonder??? We have plain green at the moment and I am bored with it. Had the curtains a long time now too.

Matt keeps asking if we can eat our Lindt gold bunnies now as it's April and I keep telling him he has to wait til Easter. They are sitting patiently on the shelf waiting for us to guzzle them. I do like Lindt chocolate. Actually at the moment we have two milk chocolate bunnies and Matt prefers dark chocolate but couldn't find one the other day. Shopping later today (Tuesday) so will have another look. Wouldn't be Easter to me without my Lindt bunny. In the UK it used to be Easter Eggs, large chocolate eggs with candies of some kind inside. Never seen them here. I claim deprivation because they were not available during most of my childhood due to WWII and once I had my first one, I wanted to gobble  them all up plus sit them on a shelf to look at them. As things improved the eggs got so much prettier with flowers made of coloured chocolates and icing etc.

My earring backs finally turned up. Took long enough. I got a small packet. Having opened it I couldn't see anything and hiding at the bottom was a small plastic bag with the backs inside. It doesn't really look like 100 of them, but I am assuming that is the number. I sure as heck ain't gonna count them. I wondered why I had to wait so long. But maybe they only make them every so often. Staples just called with my printer ink. Got 25% off so worth getting two for free delivery as well.

This dessert came from an email entitled 50 Fantastic Easter Desserts. I ask you, who is going to work their way through 50 recipes for anything? This was the second.

Chocolate Orange Crepe Torte

This beautiful torte consists of layered crepes with a homemade orange cremeux and chocolate

ganache.

Crepes
1 cup (150 g) all-purpose flour
1 Tbs (12 g) granulated sugar
1 cup (250 mL) 2% milk
2 large eggs
3 Tbs (45 mL) vegetable oil
½ cup (125 mL) soda water

Orange Cremeux
? cup (160 mL) 35% whipping cream
2 tsp (10 mL) finely grated orange zest
8 oz (240 g) white chocolate, chopped
¾ cup (175 mL) full-fat (minimum 10%) Greek yogurt

Chocolate Ganache
1 cup (250 mL) 35% whipping cream
2 tsp (10 mL) finely grated orange zest
7 oz (210 g) bittersweet chocolate, chopped
2-3 slices candied orange peel, for decoration

Crepes

For the crepes, whisk the flour and sugar in a bowl and whisk in the milk, eggs and oil. Right before making the crepes, whisk in the soda water (the batter will be thin). This is enough for at least 8 crepes that are about 9-inches (23 cm) across.

Heat a crepe pan or non-stick skillet on medium heat and grease lightly. Ladle a little batter onto the centre of the pan swirling it so that the batter covers the pan in an even layer in a circle. Return the pan to the heat and cook it until the top surface of the batter appears dry (matte). You may find that you have to fiddle with the temperature and the amount of batter to find “just right”. Gently lift and flip the crepe over, cooking it just 30 seconds more. Remove this to a parchment-lined baking tray and continue with the remaining batter, greasing the pan lightly after each crepe. After the crepes have cooled, they can be stacked on top of each other and wrapped in plastic wrap. If using the crepes on the same day, leave them at room temperature and if making them ahead, freeze them and thaw on the counter when needed.

Orange Cremeux

To make the cremeux, heat the cream with the orange zest in a small saucepan over medium heat until it just begins to show signs of simmering. Pour the hot cream over the white chocolate in a bowl, let sit a few seconds and stir gently until the mixture is smooth. Whisk in the Greek yoghurt and chill for at least 2 hours until set – the cremeux will be of a spreadable consistency.

Chocolate Ganache

To make the ganache, heat the cream with the orange zest in a small saucepan over medium heat until it just begins to show signs of simmering. Pour the hot cream of the semisweet chocolate in a bowl, let sit a few seconds and stir gently until the mixture is smooth. Set aside to cool to room temperature, if still too fluid when you are ready to assemble, you can chill the ganache for 30-40 minutes to set it to a spreadable consistency.
To assemble the crepe torte, trim the crepes so that they are tidy circles about 8-inches (20 cm) across (you can use a tart ring or an inverted bowl to trace and trim.

Place a crepe on a plate and spread a generous layer of cremeux over the crepe extending almost to the edges. Top this with a crepe and now gently spread a layer of ganache evenly over this crepe. Repeat this process, alternating between cremeux and ganache, so that you finish with a layer of ganache on top of the crepe torte. Chill the torte for at least an hour before serving and arrange 2-3 candied orange slices on top of the torte before serving.

Servings: 6-8

Author: Anna Olson

Have a great day
 

Mandarin, Bowling,

Whooppee friend's birthday lunch at the Mandarin coming up on Thursday, not that I really need an excuse, but... I am still somewhat toothless of course but have been assured one hardly notices. Only got to wait til the 20th. I am managing to eat anything at the moment with the exception of nuts.

I said I wasn't going to post much this month, but I'm still here.

Bowling is such a stupid game. I started off the first game getting 4 strikes in a row. People congratulating met and such. I lost it then, but made it up a bit at the end and finished with 233. However, for my third game I didn't even make 100 (81). Ridiculous. Disappointing too of course.

Sounds yummy - salmon is always a delicious dish and this is something I may well try.

Slow-Roasted Salmon with Fennel, Citrus, and Chiles

Don’t bother trying to divide this fillet into tidy portions. Instead, use a spoon to break it into

perfectly imperfect pieces.

1 medium fennel bulb, thinly sliced
1 blood or navel orange, very thinly sliced, seeds removed
1 Meyer or regular lemon, very thinly sliced, seeds removed
1 red Fresno chile or jalapeño, with seeds, thinly sliced
4 sprigs dill, plus more for serving
Kosher salt and coarsely ground black pepper
1 2-lb. skinless salmon fillet, preferably center-cut
¾ cup olive oil
Flaky sea salt (such as Maldon)

1. Preheat oven to 275°. Toss fennel, orange slices, lemon slices, chile, and 4 dill sprigs in a shallow 3-qt. baking dish; season with kosher salt and pepper. Season salmon with kosher salt and place on top of fennel mixture. Pour oil over.

2. Roast until salmon is just cooked through (the tip of a knife will slide through easily and flesh will be slightly opaque), 30–40 minutes for medium-rare.

3. Transfer salmon to a platter, breaking it into large pieces as you go. Spoon fennel mixture and oil from baking dish over; discard dill sprigs. Season with sea salt and pepper and top with fresh dill sprigs.

Servings: 6

Tips: Also Try it With: Cod, halibut, John Dory, or turbot fillets

Source: Bon Appétit

Have a great day
 

Exercise Class, Cartoon, A to Z, Emails,

Having felt almost crippled on Thursday, I went back to exercise class on Friday, much to the delight of Kelly who was our relief instructor for a couple of days, and she worked our butts off again. This time, I felt much better. Next week I will get to meet Emmy (I assume that's how it's spelled) who is our current teacher and hopefully continue the good work.

I thought this was funny I stole it from How to Geek.

It occurs to me that writing a blog during the A to Z is really not worth it because all the A to Z people will be too busy this month. So, I am thinking of taking a break which means this month you can expect me when you see me. Mind you I still like blethering on so I may still be here every day despite everything, even if you aren't. There are some of us who haven't accepted the Challenge this year for one reason or another. One person told me she was "burned out" last year. Bit how I felt.

You know, I hate these recipe emails I get which say "19 ways of frying eggs" or "26 ways of cooking something else". Basically I can't be bothered to plough through so many recipes at once. Apart from not having the time. I frequently end up not looking at more than the first two or three.

Crab is not very easy to get here, used to get lots in NC. Makes me hungry for it.

Crab and Avocado Toasts

Gerard Craft grew up in Washington, DC, eating lots of Maryland blue crab. Here, he creates a very simple and delicious starter by tossing sweet crabmeat with fresh mint and lime juice, then spooning

it over mashed avocado on toast. You can make the toasts or buy store-bought ones to save time.

2 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
8 slices packaged thin white bread
2 Hass avocados
Salt and cayenne pepper
4 oz lump crabmeat, picked over
1 Tbs chopped fresh mint
2 tsp fresh lime juice

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F/176°C; and lightly brush a large baking sheet with olive oil. Using a 2-inch round biscuit cutter, stamp 4 rounds out of each slice of bread and transfer to the baking sheet. Lightly brush the rounds with olive oil and toast for about 15 minutes, until they are lightly golden and slightly crisp.

2. In a small bowl, mash the avocados with a pinch each of salt and cayenne pepper. In another small bowl, gently stir the crabmeat with the mint and lime juice and season with salt. Spread the mashed avocado on the toasts, top with the crab mixture and serve right away.

Servings: 8

Source: Food & Wine

Have a great day

Saturday Recipe

April Fool's Day and the beginning of the A to Z. Good luck every one.

I thought this recipe looked really delicious. I could have eaten it the minute I saw it.

Sesame Chia Banana Bread with Honey and Tahini

A moist, tasty and healthy banana bread with tahini, honey, sesame seeds and chia seeds!

1 cup (about 3) very/over-ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup tahini
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1/3 cup milk
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup rolled oats
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbs white sesame seeds
1 Tbs black sesame seeds
1 Tbs chia seeds

1. Mix the bananas, honey, tahini, eggs and milk, followed by the mixture of the flour, oats, baking soda and salt, followed by the seeds.

2. Pour the batter into a greased loaf pan and bake in a preheated 350F/180C oven until the top is lightly golden brown and a toothpick pushed into the centre comes out clean, about 60 minutes.

Servings: 10

Tips
Option: Use a mixture of all purpose flour and whole wheat flour.

Option: Add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.

Option: Replace the tahini with peanut butter.

Option: Use almond milk or other milk substitute.

Note: If the top starts getting too dark before the centre is done, cover with foil.

Author: Kevin Lynch
Source: Closet Kitchen

Have a great weekend
 

Exercise and A to Z

Well, I expected to feel it after my exercise class on Wednesday, but I was aching all over on Thursday and bowled like a man with no arms. I barely crept over the 100 in all three games. Even a glass of wine (aiming fluid) didn't help. I felt like the 100 I w as trying to score. I will be going again this afternoon and hopefully will begin to loosen up. In fact, I had to pick up a scrip on the way home so I also picked up a rotisserie chicken for supper. Had it for supper with some sautéed snow peas.

Well, the A to Z starts on Saturday, but this year I will not be participating. Too much going on in my life at the moment - not least of which is the dentistry stuff I have talked about. Just couldn't cope with A to Z this year although I will probably still be writing a blog every day except Sunday. However, I don't feel bound to do so nor to do all the necessary visiting which takes up masses of amounts of time. So my best wishes to all of you who are participating and I hope you make it through to the end successfully. I know many write their posts before it all starts, I always did, but it's the rest of it which takes such a lot of time which I just don't have at the moment.

Asparagus season is nearly here. Could be at the end of April or early May. As most of my readers know, I go nutty about asparagus and publish asparagus recipes practically the whole time. I also eat some every day. Here is one recipe to be going on with.

Asparagus, Lemon, and Mint Soup

This soup is easy to make. Asparagus has a strong flavor by itself, so I chose to add a few mint leaves and lemon zest to give it a wonderfully fresh.

1 lb fresh asparagus, trimmed (unless farm fresh, when you can eat the whole stalk)
1 Tbs olive oil
1 shallot, chopped
1 Tbs chopped fresh mint
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 cups chicken stock, or more if needed
1 tsp lemon zest
1 hard-boiled egg, chopped

1. Cut tips from 6 asparagus spears, about 1 1/2 inches from the top; reserve for garnish later. Chop the remaining asparagus into chunks.

2. Heat olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat; cook and stir shallot in the hot oil until softened, about 3 minutes. Add chopped asparagus; season with mint, salt, and pepper. Cook until asparagus are slightly tender, about 3 minutes.

3. Pour chicken stock into asparagus mixture; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until asparagus are tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Stir in lemon zest.

4. Blend soup using a hand blender or a food processor until smooth.

5. Bring a small pot of lightly salted water to a boil; cook asparagus tips in the boiling water until just turning bright green, about 2 minutes. Strain asparagus tips and run under cold water to stop the cooking process. Garnish soup with asparagus tips and hard-boiled egg.

Servings: 2

Tips: You may substitute a leek for the shallot, if desired.

Source: fromgardentosoupbowl.com


Have a great day
 

Exercise Class, Yosemite Ice Pack,

Having been told by the surgeon that I didn't really need vascular surgery for my legs, I finally decided to go back to my exercise class. We had a fill in trainer today, I have met her before, and she really worked us hard. I managed far more than I expected. I thought I would be sitting down for most of the aerobic section, but much to my surprise, I didn't need to sit as much as I thought. I enjoyed the class too and am so glad I went back.

Watched yet another programme on Nature which was about Yosemite National Park, Once again the emphasis was on the lack of snow and how the snow pack wasn't forming nearly as much as it did, which means that the water sources are decreasing. Basically all our rivers and lakes are sourced by the snow packs of the world. As I frequently hear, global warming isn't happening though. I personally believe that it isn't just being caused by human activities, but a lot of it is caused by all the volcanoes which do so much damage.

Stuffed peppers are always good so when I saw this recipe I thought I would try it.

Deconstructed Stuffed Pepper Casserole

This deconstructed stuffed pepper casserole offers you all the great flavors of stuffed peppers, but it can be ready in a fraction of the usual amount of time. This casserole really does taste like real stuffed

peppers but ready in 30 minutes, perfect for any busy weeknight!

1 Tbs olive oil
1 lb ground pork
1 lb ground beef
1 onion chopped
1 large green bell pepper chopped
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1 Tbs dried dill
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 cup rice uncooked
1 cup chicken broth low sodium
14.5 oz diced tomatoes (1 can including juice)
1 cup cheddar cheese shredded
1 Tbs fresh parsley chopped
sour cream for serving optional

1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground pork and ground beef; brown and crumble the meat. Cook for 5 minutes, or until the meat is no longer pink.

2. Add the onion and bell pepper to the skillet. Stir in the smoked paprika, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, dill and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook for 5 minutes, or until the vegetables begin to soften.

3. Add the rice to the skillet, then stir in the chicken broth and the diced tomatoes, including the juice. With the heat on medium, continue to cook for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the rice cooks through and absorbs all the liquid.

4. Sprinkle with the cheddar cheese and garnish with parsley. Within a couple minutes the cheese should melt on top. Serve immediately with a dollop of sour cream.

Recipe Notes

The recipe in the book uses instant rice to speed up the cooking process. In this recipe I used a long grain rice. Either rice works in this recipe.

The recipe in the book does not included the cheddar cheese, so the cheese is optional.

Servings: 6

Author: Joanna Cismaru
Source: JoCooks

Have a great day
 

Nurse and Chair, Dentistry, Trump,

Tuesday we had our feet prettied up by our foot nurse. Used to use my chair to lift up our feet to a good height, Now we have to use a foot stool and cushions. I haven't yet sorted out the charges the repair people wish to make. At this rate I probably never will get it repaired.

I now have dates for my next dental visits, April 13 for the filling and to take a form for my partial. Then a week later, they will fit the partial. Not sure about this as we are supposed to go to a bowling banquet the same day. Hopefully there will be no difficulty. We have a friend in the States who always takes his teeth out to eat, even in a restaurant - discretely - but they hurt him and the dentists don't seem to be able to help him.

A certain President has got himself in the news again today because he has signed an executive order which totally contravenes the Kyoto accord and will lead to more industrial pollution. He says global warming is a hoax!!! He says it will give the miners jobs and he asked these miners if they would like other jobs and they all said no. That I don't believe, I have never heard of a miner who wouldn't be delighted to get out of the mines.The man is a congenital liar.

Following a trend from yesterday, here is a broth which is vegan and also full of umami which is really worth working to achieve. Kombu is an absolutely delicious seaweed and should certainly be available at any Asian store as too the miso.

Vegan Umami Broth

Roasting the vegetables along with a trio of umami-rich ingredients (miso, mushrooms, and kombu) give this meat-free broth a deep, satisfying flavor that can be used in a variety of soups or braises.

You can even sip it on its own or top it with scallions and fresh chiles.

3 Tbs white miso
2 Tbs vegetable oil
8 dried shiitake mushrooms
4 6x4-inch pieces kombu
2 medium onions, unpeeled, halved through root, very thinly sliced
1 medium carrot, unpeeled, very thinly sliced
1 celery stalk, thinly sliced
1 head of garlic, halved crosswise
6 sprigs parsley
1 tsp black peppercorns

1. Preheat oven to 300º. Whisk miso, oil, and 2 Tbsp. water in a small bowl. Crush mushrooms and kombu with your hands over a rimmed baking sheet. Add onions, carrot, celery, garlic, and parsley and toss to combine. Drizzle miso mixture over vegetable mixture and toss to coat. Bake, tossing halfway through, until vegetables are slightly shriveled and mixture is fragrant, 60–75 minutes.

2. Transfer vegetable mixture to a large pot. Add peppercorns and 4 quarts cold water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, uncovered and stirring occasionally, until broth is reduced by half, 60–75.

3. Let broth cool, then strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl, pressing on solids to extract as much liquid as possible; discard solids.

Yield: 2 Quarts

Tips: Broth can be made 3 days ahead. Let cool; cover and chill, or freeze up to 3 months

Source: Bon Appétit

Have a great day

Worldwide Food Production, Bowling, Gas,

On Monday I was sent this article on Food production worldwide. The article is full of maps which are self explanatory. It is absolutely fascinating and extremely worrying. I think it is something everyone should read. It talks about what and where meats of all kind are produced and the effect such vast food production has on the rest of the world. I had heard about methane gas produced by cows, but this article talks about a lot more than just that. We are, once again, doing things to damage our environment. Most of us are totally unaware of this. I certainly was and thanks Hilary of Positive Letters - Inspirational Stories for sending me the link.

For once, our team actually took all 7 points at bowling today. One of our team had two excellent games. Matt had one excellent game which helped in the third game. I had 3 mediocre games and our other bowler had an excellent game in the third as well. I had a 206 on Thursday, why oh why can't I get a score like that on Monday? Nobody commented on my teeth. I would like to think they didn't notice but they may well have been too polite to say anything. One of the players had a birthday yesterday and brought in 4 dozen donuts. Nice of him. I took one so had to rethink the rest of my day.

Funny we left home and the gas was $1.9 a litre. On our return home it was $0.99 so Matt went back to fill up. I don't really think the price should jump about like it does, but not much we can do about it. Just take advantage when it seems to be in our favour.

Here's a nice, easy and vegetarian dish for supper.

Broccoli and Wild Mushroom Casserole

Photographer and Alabamian Robert Rausch grew up eating vegetable casseroles—he and his mother are both vegetarians. The broccoli casserole his family ate is a step up from the standard church cookbook recipe, which calls for using canned mushroom soup: In place of that, he uses wild

mushrooms. He still relies on Ritz crackers, though, for the crispy, buttery topping.

3/4 lb mixed wild mushrooms, such as cremini and shiitake, stemmed and quartered
1 stick unsalted butter, plus 1 tablespoon melted
1 large onion, minced
4 large celery ribs, finely diced
3 Tbs all-purpose flour
1 cup chicken stock or low-sodium broth
1/4 cup milk
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 cup mayonnaise
2 1/2 lbs broccoli—heads cut into 1-inch florets, stems peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 1/2 cups coarsely shredded sharp cheddar cheese (6 ounces)
1 1/3 cups crumbled Ritz crackers (from 1 sleeve, about 35 crackers)

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. In a food processor, pulse the mushrooms until coarsely chopped. In a large saucepan, melt the stick of butter. Add the onion and celery and cook over moderately high heat, stirring, until softened, about 6 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring, until their liquid evaporates and they begin to brown, about 6 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the chicken stock and cook, scraping up any bits stuck to the pan, until the mixture is very thick, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the milk. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a large bowl to let cool, then stir in the mayonnaise.

2. Arrange the broccoli florets and stems in a large steamer basket and steam until barely crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Add the broccoli to the mushroom mixture and season with salt and pepper.

3. Butter a 13-by-9-inch baking dish. Pour in the broccoli-mushroom mixture, smoothing the surface. Sprinkle the cheese on top. In a small bowl, toss the cracker crumbs with the melted butter and scatter them over the casserole. Cover with foil and bake for about 30 minutes, until bubbling. Remove the foil and bake for about 40 minutes longer, until the topping is golden and crisp. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Servings: 12

MAKE AHEAD

The baked casserole can be refrigerated overnight. Reheat before serving.

Source: Food and Wine

Have a great day
 

Railways, London Food Markets, Asparagus,

Watching a programme on Saturday night on TV Ontario, it was all about how trains changed Britain in particular in the transportation of food all over the country and particularly to London. The people doing the narration ended up in a big London market where they bought the most beautiful lamb chops I have seen in over 40 years. I wanted to go 'home'. These in the picture look pretty good, but not as good as the ones I saw on TV. The food they showed in the markets, in particular Billingsgate which is a fish market in London, made me long for the foods which were so readily available there. They even visited a guy who smokes herrings to make them into kippers (I drooled) and another man who runs a genuine fish and chip shop. Unfortunately, I understand the old fish and chippers are giving way to the corner Indian takeaway. On this side of the pond there is too much emphasis on production for the masses and not enough on quality and taste. I have talked before about aging meat which is not done long enough in North America as a whole. One can get meat well aged, but as it is a specialty item instead of the norm, the price is astronomical. Another thing they did, was herd some sheep to the station and load them onto the train. There was a sheep dog so I don't think they were totally on their own. I was surprised, the sheep were being transported in an open carriage and didn't seem to be a bit worried at all.

Not a lot going on this weekend. We've been cleaning silver and glassware which is a bind but looks so nice once it's done. Taking it by easy stages, a shelf at a time. We had quite a lot of rain over the weekend and Sunday it was somewhat foggy. They keep mentioning snow on the weather forecast but so far, nothing has materialised round here.

I have just found a site on Cooking Light with lots and lots of asparagus recipes. So I won't have  to

repeat the same 'ol same 'ol although some I will repeat because they are so good. We had asparagus soup tonight, need to use it up as I will soon be making more, I hope. A lot of the recipes I found called for roasting the asparagus. Not my favourite way of cooking it as steamed or boiled it is such a succulent vegetable. A couple I saw were roasted and then a sauce added. Those I would definitely boil for preference. Looking at this picture, hadn't noticed before, the ends are white which shows the asparagus is NOT farm fresh. You never have to snap off the ends with farm fresh asparagus. You can eat the whole stalk.

If you are like me and love carrot cake and pancakes, this is the perfect brunch dish for you - or breakfast or any meal.

Carrot Cake Pancakes

Want to have your cake and eat it too? You can (and for breakfast!!!) with these incredible Carrot Cake Pancakes. Drizzled with a cream cheese topping and sprinkled with a vanilla wafer crumble,

these decadent and fluffy pancakes are the perfectly delicious and tasty way to eat dessert for breakfast.

Carrot Cake Pancakes
2 ¼ cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp kosher salt
½ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 ¾ cups buttermilk
¼ cup butter, melted
¼ cup maple syrup
¼ cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups finely grated carrots, pat dry on paper towel

Cream Cheese Topping
4 oz cream cheese
6 Tbs icing sugar
3 Tbs whole milk
½ tsp vanilla extract

Crumble Topping
½ cup vanilla wafer crumbs
½ cup brown sugar
2 Tbs butter, melted

1. For the pancakes, in a large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice. Set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk buttermilk, butter, maple syrup, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla extract. Stir milk mixture and grated carrots into the dry ingredients. Do not over-mix (lumps are okay in the batter). Let the batter rest while the skillet heats up.

2. Heat a large, non-stick skillet over medium heat. Coat the skillet with non-stick cooking spray. Spoon ¼ cup pancake batter into the hot skillet. Cook until bubbles form, then flip over and cook on the other side until golden. Keep warm in 200ºF oven or serve immediately. To serve, stack pancakes, drizzle with cream cheese topping and sprinkle vanilla wafer crumble over top.

3. For the cream cheese topping, using an electric mixer, beat together cream cheese, icing sugar, milk and vanilla extract until smooth. Can be refrigerated until ready to use over pancakes.

4. For the crumble topping, preheat oven to 350ºF. In a small bowl, combine vanilla wafer crumbs, brown sugar and melted butter. Place mixture on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 6 minutes and then remove from oven and let cool. Crumble over pancakes.

Yield: 15 pancakes

Source: Zoomer Weekend

Have a great day
 

Saturday Recipe

For those of you who are interested, my extraction wounds are coming along fine, thanks. Almost back to normal eating.

Here's another frittata recipe. They are so easy to make and so tasty. I am not quite sure what sausage crumbles are, but crumbled sausage meat would, I assume be the same.

Sausage Frittata

1 (9 5/8 ounce) package pork sausage, crumbles
2 cups red potatoes, cubed and cooked
8 eggs
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/2  cup tomatoes, seeded and chopped
2 green onions, thinly sliced

1. Cook sausage in large nonstick skillet over medium heat 4-5 minutes or until hot. Stir in potatoes.

2. Beat eggs, cheese, salt and pepper in large bowl with wire whisk. Pour over sausage mixture.

3. Cook over medium-high heat 2 minutes, occasionally lifting edge with spatula and tilting skillet to allow uncooked egg to flow underneath. (Do not stir.).

4. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover. Cook 14-17 minutes or until eggs are set.

5. Top with tomato and onions. Cut into 8 wedges to serve.

Servings: 8

Source: Food.com

Have a great weekend.

All Over, Food,

OK,  it's all over bar the shouting. I am minus 2 more teeth. The injections hurt like hell but that was the only thing that did, unless you count the bill. I was shaky and very cold when I left and right through til close to lunch. Then after lunch I was bored and so we went to the bowling alley after all. I was semi prepared to sit and watch, but didn't in the end and had one of the best games I've had for a while!!! I even beat Matt twice. Took a large mug of iced tea with me. No hot drinks.

I remembered a recipe we used to make a long time ago when in NC. It was a knock off of a paté sold

by Sam's. Basically you mix (cooked) smoked fish like kippers, smoked trout, etc. with Philly Cheese (whole pack) add 1 tbs of Mayonnaise (not Miracle Whip) 1 tbs lemon juice and 2-3 drops of Tabasco (or more to taste). It's delicious.

I ate it on whole wheat bread - having cut off the crusts which are a nono for me at the moment - small bites at a time. Matt just made a sandwich of his.

I also made a blancmange which is a typically English milk pudding. I have a packet which was sent by Matt's daughter several years ago (she sent 2 packs, only used one not sure why). I have never seen it in Canada. Having written this, I decided to Google, Guess what, good old Amazon sells the same packet as that I already have. Blancmange takes me back to my childhood, my mother used to make them for birthday parties for me. There is/was an English cook/author who published a book with original recipes. I tried making her recipe for blancmange. Quite different to what I was used to and I didn't enjoy it as much. I also tried her recipe for custard and that was absolutely no different to the Bird's Custard that so many of us in England used to use, probably still do.

I am not really up to writing much of a blog today, so that's it for now.

Have a great day
 

The Future, Bowling,

I am probably not in the best of moods tonight (I wonder why?) but bearing in mind the things I have been writing about in recent months, over fishing, shooting animals of all kinds for their ivory, illegal animal trades anyway, not to mention terrorist attacks whether instigated by a particular group or just because someone appears to go nuts (London attacks on Wednesday). Then there are the things we can't do anything about like all the super volcanoes out there or the major earthquakes waiting to happen. It made me think that really I am not going to be around that many more years. I know, I could live til 100 but not many people are doing that yet although more and more each year. But really, do I want to?

There are things going to happen that I would like to do of course, but I am too old to be included in such things as manned trips to Mars and the like. A certain president is pushing that I believe. Maybe not such a good idea coming from him.

We did go bowling today just in case I can't cope tomorrow or feel such a toothless hag I don't want to appear in public, grin. Matt won 2 out of three and the third game was a really good one. As I said, why can't he do it on Monday when it counts? Mind you I had one pretty good game so I guess the same applies to me. We were supposed to be bowling downstairs today, but one of the owners decided to make some adjustments to allow us to bowl upstairs as there was a group of handicapped people bowling today and they tend to be extremely noisy. We appreciated that.

One comment from the owner - was I loaded up on yoghurt and apple sauce. No, not much nutrition in those things. Soups, eggs, fish, much better I think. We shall see.

This caught my eye originally because of the use of radishes.

Sweet-and-Sour Chicken Bowl

Bone-in chicken thighs are pan-seared before being basted with sticky-sweet sauce and slow cooked to fork-tender perfection. Sear the chicken thighs in batches to avoid over-crowding the pan and hindering browning. Though we swoon over the superiorly moist meat, the real magic lies within the sauce, which masters the balance of savory and sweet. For a burst of freshness, we add a simple cabbage slaw that rounds out the meal with a satisfying crunch. For an extra dose of veggies, pair it with sugar snap or snow peas. Our recipe requires little legwork and saves 300 calories and 250 mg

of sodium over the classic.

2 1/2 lbs bone-in chicken thighs, skinned
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 Tbs canola oil
2 green onions
1/4 cup unsalted ketchup
1/4 cup honey
2 Tbs reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 tsp grated fresh ginger
2 tsp minced garlic (about 2 cloves)
3/4 tsp kosher salt
1/2 cup plus 1 Tbsp. rice vinegar, divided
2 (8.8-oz.) pouches precooked whole-grain brown rice (such as Uncle Ben's Ready Rice)
3 cups packaged cabbage-and-carrot coleslaw
3/4 cup thinly sliced radishes
1 Tbs toasted sesame oil

1. Place chicken thighs in a large ziplock plastic freezer bag; sprinkle with cornstarch, and seal. Shake bag until chicken is evenly coated. Remove chicken; shake off excess cornstarch.

2. Heat canola oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high. Add chicken, and cook 3 minutes on each side or until browned. Place in a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker.

3. Thinly slice green parts of green onions; set aside. Finely chop white parts of green onions; stir together with ketchup, honey, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, salt, and 1/2 cup vinegar in a medium bowl. Pour sauce over chicken in slow cooker. Cover and cook on HIGH for 3 hours, or on LOW for 7 hours and 30 minutes, until chicken is tender and cooked through. Remove chicken from slow cooker; cool slightly. Carefully remove bones from each thigh; discard bones.

4. Heat rice according to package directions. Stir together coleslaw, radishes, sesame oil, and remaining 1 tablespoon vinegar.

5. Divide cooked rice evenly among 6 bowls. Top evenly with coleslaw mixture and chicken. Drizzle with sauce from slow cooker; sprinkle with green onion slices.

Servings: 6

Cooking Light

Have a great day
 

More on dentistry, Shopping,

Today I expected to be grousing about my teeth having had them extracted on Tuesday. However, because I am on a blood thinner, I have to stop taking it for a couple of days before, so now I am going at 8:15 a.m. (is there such a time?) on Thursday. I have been having a lot of pain with this stupid tooth - they wanted to do root canal, but the only one I ever had was a pain in the butt and I ended having the tooth pulled 10 minutes later (not literally of course). So now I have to suffer til Thursday. I think we will, hopefully, be bowling on Wednesday aft instead of Thursday, just in case.  Mind you if I am up to it, we will probably bowl Thursday anyway. I may be curled up at home feeling desperately sorry for myself of course.

Tuesday we did grocery shopping and I couldn't think what to buy because I didn't know if I could eat it by the weekend. Decided to leave some of it until Friday maybe and see how it goes. Problem isn't it? Whilst shopping we went to one store to see if they sold a particular brand of Dutch wafer cookies, some of the same chain of stores do, but not our local one. I will have to continue to rely on my bowling buddy to get them from her store for me. There are all kinds of wafers around many with chocolate, vanilla and other flavours, but these from a particular source in Holland are coffee flavoured and absolutely delicious. Matt and I both love them. Don't have any around right now and can't remember the name of them.

Here's something a bit different. Frittatas I have made, but never one like this.

Persian Herb And Leek Frittata

Kuku sabzi (Persian frittata) tend to have less eggs than the typical fritter or omelet. They can be slightly sweet with dates and dried rose, or savory, like the one below. Try not to be diverted from all the greens that are suggested for this recipe. You really can use whatever hearty greens and herbs you

like. It’s the ideal clean-out-the-fridge recipe. Read more about throwing a Persian New Year feast here.

5 Tbs vegetable oil, divided
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 medium leek, white and pale-green parts only, finely chopped
5 large eggs
1 ½ tsp kosher salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
½ tsp ground turmeric
1 ½ cups finely chopped cilantro
1 ½ cups finely chopped dill
1 ½ cups finely chopped parsley
1 Tbs dried fenugreek leaves

1. Heat 2 Tbsp. oil in a 10" skillet over medium. Cook onion and leek, stirring occasionally, until very soft but not brown, 10–12 minutes. Transfer to a plate and let cool. Wipe out skillet; set aside.

2. Whisk eggs, salt, baking powder, pepper, and turmeric in a large bowl. Using a rubber spatula, mix in onion mixture, cilantro, dill, parsley, and fenugreek. (Egg mixture should look thick and very green.)

3. Heat broiler. Heat remaining 3 Tbsp. oil in reserved skillet over medium. Pour in egg mixture; spread evenly across pan with spatula. Cover and cook frittata until bottom is just set, 8–10 minutes. Uncover and broil, watching carefully, until top is set, about 1 minute. Let cool slightly, then slide out onto a platter.

Servings: 8

Source
Source: Bon Appétit

Have a great day
 

Mt. Nyiragongo, Illegal Fishing,

There is no doubt in my mind that some people are total freaking idiots. We watched a National Geographic programme on Sunday night about a volcano in the Congo called Mount Nyiragongo. There were research scientists from all over the globe plus photographers. Nyiragongo has the largest crater in the world and these people climbed the mountain then climbed down into the caldera. There were several levels and the scientific project required some magma which they had actually seen form so they could time and

date it. The caldera had a sort of wall around it formed by magma, and you could see the liquid lava splashing over this wall in many places. In the end, the photographer basically persuaded one of the scientists to climb the magma wall in a thermal suit whilst he took pics. The scientist had decided not to do this because conditions were so bad, but once he got close, he couldn't resist it. You can see the 'wall' round the caldera and as I said, the lava was splashing over it and running down the sides. He

got his lava sample when he climbed the 'wall' and he was finding it almost too hot to hold even through thermal gloves. The idea is, samples of the magma, especially 0 aged magma, can help predict the next eruption and hopefully save lives. All the way through the scientist was resisting risking his life because conditions there were so extremely bad and in the end the photographer virtually talked him into it.  Found a third pic which shows how the lava was splashing down the sides and how tall the 'magma wall' is. There was no way of telling where it was going to splash over next. He climbed right up to the lip of the 'wall'. Scary to watch let alone do. I wonder if the lava had actually splashed at him, whether he would have survived?

Later we watched a programme about illegal fishing. I knew it was bad, but not how bad. People have overfished the seas round them and are now poaching other areas. Those concerned are trying to teach the abusers to be more conservative in their eating. One restaurateur said that sushi is moving to vegetable sources these days. I have said before, Tuna can fetch a million dollars or more. Great efforts are being made to try and stop poaching particularly in those areas which depend on fish for their source of protein. One area in particular is Palaui Island in the Philippines which has turned their waters into a protected marine reserve. I thought the animal poaching was bad enough, I didn't know much about fish poaching.

The minute I saw this recipe I knew I had to share it. I am not sure how gratin became to be used for a dish sprinkled with cheese. It really means with breadcrumbs. This is probably adaptable for my vegan friends.

Tomato Gratin

2 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
1 tsp thyme leaves
1 3/4 lbs plum tomatoes, sliced crosswise 1/4-inch thick
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 Tbs unsalted butter
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 425°. Oil an 8-by-12-inch baking dish. In a medium skillet, heat the olive oil. Add the onion and thyme and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened, about 7 minutes. Scrape the onion into the prepared baking dish and spread evenly over the bottom.

2. Arrange the tomato slices over the onion in overlapping rows. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with the balsamic vinegar. Dot the tomatoes with the butter and sprinkle the Parmigiano-Reggiano on top. Bake on the upper rack for about 15 minutes, until the cheese starts to brown and the gratin is bubbling. Let rest for about 5 minutes before serving.

Tips
The assembled gratin can be refrigerated overnight. Bring to room temperature before baking.

Source: Food & Wine

Have a great day
 

Emails, Earrings, Cream, Leftover chicken,

I don't like getting dozens of emails from advertising sources, but it annoys the heck out of me to get lots of emails from Walgrens. As far as I know, they are not even in Canada. Certainly not round here. Also, since our last election, I get regular emails from both the Liberal Party, in power, and the Conservatives. I am totally uninterested, but I can't seem to stop them. I mark them as junk, spam, etc. etc., but nothing seems to work. However, I did get an email from Shop.CA which I really didn't want either although I have shopped with them before now, and I did so this time. I really didn't need another pair of earrings but...... so that's probably another good reason for not getting advertising emails.

Doing some cooking this weekend and realised I hadn't got any cream. However, I did have whipped

cream frozen in the freezer. Never thought of using it for cooking before, but it works fine. Of course you have to make sure you don't sweeten the cream before you freeze it. For those of you who don't remember me writing about this before, all you need to do is whip some cream, whipping cream of course, and then either dollop (easier) or pipe the cream onto waxed or parchment paper as shown and then put it in the freezer. When frozen I bag it and it seems to keep forever. You can either use it with a dessert or as I am now doing, by adding it to a casserole. or a cream of mushroom sauce for fillet steak.

Last week, feeling sorry for myself (the tooth saga) I bought a rotisserie chicken and we had chicken sandwiches and salad for supper for a couple of nights. Then I de-boned the rest of the meat and Sunday I finely sliced a leek, chopped up half an onion, chopped up a carrot and some celery then sautéed them in butter. After a while I added 3 tbs sherry and a cup of chicken stock. I thickened it with cornstarch and let it cook for a while. Once it had thickened I stirred in the chicken and 2 Tbs of cream. We ate it with noodles and it was delicious. I got the idea from a recipe for leftover turkey and ham which I posted at Christmas, but I adapted it.

When I saw the picture of this White Chocolate Butter Cream, I started drooling LOL. I simply had to share it.

White Chocolate Buttercream

Creamy, sweet, and perfect for any treat, you'll want to make this frosting for all of your favorite cakes.

2 sticks (1/2 pound) unsalted butter, softened
12 oz white chocolate, melted and cooled slightly
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1. In a large bowl, using a handheld electric mixer, beat the butter at medium speed until creamy. Beat in the melted white chocolate. Add the confectioners' sugar and vanilla and beat at low speed, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl, until light and fluffy.

Yield: 2 3/4 CUPS

Source: Food and Wine



Have a great day