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Saturday, December 31, 2011

Bacardi Mojito

Bacardi Mojito (say 'mohito,' and enjoy!)



An easy mojito cocktail recipe to liven up your evening:

1.5 oz BACARDI Rum
12 fresh spearmint leaves
1/2 lime
7 oz club soda
2 tbsp. simple syrup
(or 4 tsp. sugar)

For the smoothest majitos, gently crush mint leaves and lightly squeeze lime in a cool tall glass. Pour sweet syrup on top to cover and fill glass with ice. Add Bacardi Rum, club soda, and stir your emerging mojito well. Garnish with a lime wedge, a few sprigs of mint, toast, sip, and enjoy Bacardi mojitos with your friends.

For over a century, the Bacardi Mojito has channeled the spirit of the Caribbean. Use our original mojito cocktail recipe to bring a little of old Havana your mojito party or gathering.
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Monday, December 19, 2011

Turducken

Turducken Recipe

Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 4 hours
Total Time: 5 hours
Yield: 12 to 14 servings


Ingredients:
2-3/4 cups prepared savory bread stuffing, at room temperature, divided use
2 cups prepared cornbread stuffing, at room temperature, divided use
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup whole berry cranberry sauce
1 (10 to 12-pound) turkey, deboned
1 (4 to 5-pound) duck, deboned
1 (3 to 4 pound) chicken, deboned
4 Tablespoons butter
3 cloves garlic, cut in quarters
6 fresh sage leaves
2 Tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
1 Tablespoon browning sauce
1 Tablespoon olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Preparation:

Have the turkey, duck, and chicken already deboned (save the bones for stock) before you begin to assemble the turducken. Keep all of the poultry refrigerated until you are ready to use it. Do not assemble turducken until you are ready to bake it in order to avoid foodborne illness from contaminated stuffing.

Measure out 2-1/4 cups of bread stuffing and set aside. Place remaining 1/2 cup of bread stuffing in another bowl and add 1/2 cup of the cornbread stuffing along with the whole berry cranberry sauce, and pecans. Toss gently to combine. Place remaining 1-1/2 cups cornbread stuffing aside. You should have 3 separate stuffings.

In a food processor fitted with the metal blade, combine butter, garlic, sage, and thyme until herbs are finely chopped.

Run your hand under the skin to separate and make a pocket, but do not separate skin completely from the meat. Distribute the butter herb mixture evenly under the skin.

Rub the skin of the turkey with the browning sauce (promotes even browning but doesn't add flavor), then the olive oil. Sprinkle generously with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper.

Flip the turkey over so it is open and skin-side down. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Preheat oven to 300 F.

Spread bread stuffing evenly over turkey cavity. Place duck on top of bread stuffing, skin-side down.

Spread cranberry nut stuffing on top of open duck cavity. Top with chicken, skin-side down.

Spread cornbread stuffing on top of open chicken cavity. Skewer the back of the chicken closed. Bring up the sides of the duck to cover the chicken. Skewer the back of the duck closed. Repeat process with the turkey. Carefully turn the turducken over, so it is seam-side down and breast-side up. Remove all skewers except the last one holding the turkey together.

Place turducken in a heavy roaster. Roast 3 to 4 hours, until meat thermometer inserted in the very center of the chicken stuffing reaches 165 F. Baste once per hour with pan juices. If turducken begins to get too brown, tent loosely with heavy-duty aluminum foil that has been coated with vegetable spray.

Let turducken rest 30 minutes before carving. To serve, slice turducken across the breast to show off each layer. BlogBooster-The most productive way for mobile blogging. BlogBooster is a multi-service blog editor for iPhone, Android, WebOs and your desktop

1 2 3 Floor Cocktail

1 2 3 floor Cocktail Ingredients

1 shot vodka
1 shot malibu
i shot After Shock (Blue)
Instructions

mix all 2gether an down
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Mind Eraser Cocktail


Mind Eraser Cocktail Ingredients

30 mls vodka
30 mls kahlua
soda water
Instructions

Fill a large glass with ice. Pour Kalua and Vodka in. Top with soda water, DO NOT stir ingrediants. Garnish with a long straw and skull through straw. First to the bottom, Wins!

For the daredevil. If you don't like soda water, try tonic or lemonade.


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3 Fires Coctail

3 Fires Cocktail Ingredients

1 part Black Absinthe
1 part tequila
1 part Jage jagermeister
Instructions

pour all three into a tall glass

have a glass of icy water ready =) because i promise you this is really! Going to hurt XD
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Melktertjies

There are a few variations of this most sought-after recipe, but the basic ingredients remain the same. We settled for the following melktertjie recipe.
Makes approximately 860 ml
Ingredients:
One 375 ml bottle Vodka (you can reduce it to 300 ml if you prefer less kick)
One 395 gram (300ml) tin of condensed milk (use up to two cans to make it thicker and sweeter)
Half of a 375 ml tin evaporated milk
Ground cinnamon to serve
Method:
Mix well, using a food processer or whisk, and bottle, or simply pour the ingredients into a 1-litle bottle and shake well.
Keep in the fridge. Shake well before pouring into shooter or shot glasses.
Sprinkle each melktertjie with ground cinnamon and serve chilled. BlogBooster-The most productive way for mobile blogging. BlogBooster is a multi-service blog editor for iPhone, Android, WebOs and your desktop

Thursday, August 4, 2011

Homemade meat pies


Homemade meat pies

Makes

4

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon cornflour
  • 1/4 cup tomato sauce
  • 2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
  • 1 teaspoon Vegemite
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 large brown onion, finely chopped
  • 500g beef mince
  • 2 sheets frozen ready-rolled shortcrust pastry, thawed
  • 2 sheets frozen ready-rolled puff pastry, thawed
  • 1 egg, beaten

Method

  1. Combine cornflour, 1/2 cup water, tomato sauce, worcestershire sauce, Vegemite and salt and pepper in a jug. Mix until Vegemite is dissolved.
  2. Heat oil in a large, non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Add onion and cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until soft. Increase heat to high. Add mince and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, for 4 minutes or until browned. Stir in sauce mixture. Bring to the boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to low. Simmer for 5 minutes or until thick. Set aside to cool completely.
  3. Place a baking tray in oven. Preheat tray and oven to 200°C. Grease four 1-cup capacity pie tins. Cut two 14cm rounds from each shortcrust pastry sheet. Use to line base and sides of pie tins. Spoon mince mixture into pastry shells. Brush pastry edges with cold water. Cut two 12cm rounds from each puff pastry sheet. Use to cover filling, pressing pastry edges together with a fork to seal. Brush tops with egg.
  4. Place pies on hot baking tray. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden. Stand in tins for 5 minutes before serving.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I tried this one last night (3rd of August 2011)
It was a HIT,,, didn't look the same as the picture in
the recipe ~ but it was delicious.

I added some spinach and a tossed-salad to the pies 
and Voilà!”  a nice and healthy home made meal.

Basic Quesadilla


Basic Quesadilla


Basic Quesadilla 

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon butter or oil (optional)
  • 8 flour tortillas (7 inch)
  • 2 cups cheddar (or other) cheese, shredded



Directions

  1. 1.Lay out 4 of the tortillas on a counter and divide the cheese (and other fillings, if any) among them making sure to spread the cheese evenly to the edges of the tortillas. Top with the other 4 tortillas.
  2. 2.Place a large pan over medium heat for 2 minutes. Melt the butter in the pan.
  3. 3.Lift one sandwich with a spatula and place in the sauce pan. Cook, turning once, for 2 to 3 minutes on each side or until the cheese is melted and the tortillas are lightly browned (the trick is to melt the cheese before the exteriors of the tortillas become dark brown and hard; you want them to remain soft).
  4. 4.Repeat with the remaining 3 quesadillas.
  5. 5.Cut each quesadilla into quarters and serve.
  6. 6.Note: While you're finishing the quesadillas, the ones already cooked may be kept warm on a baking sheet in a 200 degree F oven.

Buckwheat Crepes



Buckwheat Crepes


Buckwheat Crepes 

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup buckwheat flour
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • Butter or neutral oil, like corn or grapeseed, for frying

Directions

  1. 1.Combine the first 4 ingredients in a bowl with 1 cup water; whisk until smooth and let sit for at least an hour if time allows.
  2. 2.Heat an 8- or 10-inch nonstick skillet over high heat for about 2 minutes. Add a teaspoon or two of butter or a thin layer of oil, then pour most of it out (you can use it for the next crepe), leaving just a trace behind.
  3. 3.Pour in 1/4 cup of the batter and swirl it around so that it coats the bottom of the pan completely; pour the excess back into the remaining batter.
  4. 4.Adjust the heat so that the batter dries on top before it burns on the bottom; it will be ready to turn in 1 to 2 minutes. Turn and cook the second side for about 30 seconds.
  5. 5.Repeat with the remaining batter, adding more oil to the pan if necessary (it will not always be). Stack the crepes as they finish, then fill as desired and serve.

Roast chicken and sage ~ BBC Food

Roast chicken and sage and onion stuffing and gooseberry sauce





Roast chicken and sage and onion stuffing and gooseberry sauce
A classic roast chicken with a tangy gooseberry sauce.

30 mins to 1 hourpreparation time

1 to 2 hourscooking time

Serves 8






Ingredients

For the chicken and stuffing
For the gooseberry sauce
  • 4 tbsp caster sugar
  • 100ml/3½fl oz water
  • lemon, zest only
  • 250g/9oz gooseberries, topped and tailed
  • 300ml/10½fl oz white wine
  • 300ml/10½fl oz chicken juices, (reserved from cooking the roast chicken), or chicken stock
  • 25g/1oz unsalted butter

Preparation method

  1. For the chicken and stuffing, preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
  2. Cook the onions in a pan of boiling water for four minutes, then add the sage leaves and continue to boil for a further minute. Drain well and place into the bowl of a food processor. Add the breadcrumbs, butter, egg yolk, nutmeg, salt and freshly ground black pepper. Blend until the mixture is just combined and resembles large breadcrumbs (do not blend to a paste).
  3. Stuff the chickens with equal quantities of the stuffing mixture. Rub the extra butter over the outside of the chickens, then season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
  4. Place the chickens into a roasting tin, breast-sides up, and add just enough water to cover the bottom of the roasting tin. Cover the roasting tin with aluminium foil.
  5. Cook the chickens in the oven for 1½-2 hours (cook the chickens for 1 hour per kg, allowing the weight of the stuffing to factor in as well). Remove the foil 20 minutes before the end of the cooking time and strain off the juices, reserving it for the gooseberry sauce. Return the chicken to the oven uncovered for the final 20 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and the skin is golden-brown and crisp. (To check if the chicken is cooked, the juices should run clear when the chicken is pierced between the leg and the body).
  6. For the gooseberry sauce, place the sugar and water into a non-reactive pan and heat until the sugar has dissolved. Stir in the lemon zest and bring to the boil, cooking for 2-3 minutes until reduced slightly.
  7. Add the gooseberries to the pan, reduce the heat and and gently poach for 4-5 minutes, or until the gooseberries are tender. Remove from the heat and allow the gooseberries to cool in the syrup.
  8. When cool, strain the gooseberries through a sieve and reserve the syrup. Push the gooseberries through a sieve into a separate bowl. Discard the skins and solids left behind in the sieve.
  9. In a clean pan, bring the white wine to the boil with a little salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cook for 4-5 minutes, or until the liquid has reduced by half in volume.
  10. Add the chicken juices (or stock) and continue boiling until the liquid has again reduced by half in volume. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the butter until the sauce is smooth and glossy. Stir in the gooseberry purée and season, to taste, with a little of the reserved syrup, the salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Chicken and pea risotto ~ a BBC food favorites for me

Chicken and pea risotto


Chicken and pea risotto



A light and summery risotto recipe that can be rustled up in no time.

Ingredients

For the risotto
For the chicken

Preparation method

  1. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.
  2. For the risotto, heat the oil in a pan and fry the onion until soft. Add the rice and stir well, then add the wine and simmer until reduced completely. Add a good ladleful of the hot stock and stir continuously. When all this has been absorbed, add more stock. Continue adding more stock, stirring continuously, until the rice is cooked.
  3. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and stir in the peas, asparagus, spinach, basil and cream
  4. For the chicken, season the chicken breasts well with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Heat the oil in a frying pan and place the chicken breasts skin-side down. Fry the chicken breasts on both sides until lightly browned.
  5. Place the chicken breasts in an ovenproof dish and pour in enough stock to come one third of the way up the sides of the chicken breasts. Place in the oven for 15 minutes, or until completely cooked through.
  6. To serve, place the risotto into serving bowls. Slice the chicken and place on top of the risotto, then sprinkle with parmesan shavings.

Sticky date and pecan pudding



Sticky date and pecan pudding


Sticky date and pecan puddingIngredients (serves 10)

  • 1 1/2 cups roughly chopped pitted dried dates
  • 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
  • 100g butter, softened
  • 3/4 cup caster sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 1/3 cups self-raising flour
  • 3/4 cup pecan nuts, toasted, chopped
  • Butterscotch sauce (see related recipe) and double cream, to serve


Method

  1. Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C fan-forced. Grease a 6cm-deep, 22cm (base) round cake pan. Line base with baking paper.
  2. Combine dates and 1¾ cups cold water in a saucepan. Bring to the boil over medium heat. Remove from heat. Stir in bicarbonate of soda. Cover. Stand for 5 minutes. Process mixture until smooth.
  3. Using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until combined. Add eggs, 1 at a time (mixture will curdle at this stage). Transfer mixture to a large bowl. Stir in flour, then pecans and date mixture. Pour mixture into prepared pan.
  4. Bake for 1 hour or until a skewer inserted in centre comes out clean. Stand for 10 minutes. Turn onto a wire rack to cool. Serve with sauce and cream.

Notes

  • To freeze: Wrap whole pudding in plastic wrap, then foil. Freeze for up to 3 months.
    To serve: Stand at room temperature for 4 hours to thaw. Microwave on medium-low (30%) for 10 to 15 minutes, checking every 5 minutes, or until pudding feels warm. Stand for 5 minutes. Serve with butterscotch sauce and cream.

    Source 


    Super Food Ideas - June 2010