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| All 100 finalist! |
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| Here I am during the Bake Off! |
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| Pumpkin Ravioli and Salted Caramel Whipped Cream |
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| This is Christina (Winner) and myself. We met the first day that we were in Orlando. |
Back Home : )
Indonesian Street Food Breakfast
Are you looking for some ideas for your breakfast?Hey... let's meet them; ...at Negeri Dongeng. I'll see you there!
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Apple, Cinnamon, Raisin & Almond Swirls with Honey Glaze
'Playing' with puff pastry is always an exciting moment for me. Not only baking, but I do enjoy eating all the food that using the puff pastry as one of the ingredients. The combination characters; crisp, buttery, flaky and light make me really love it.Honestly, I didn't prepare the puff pastry from the scratch, as I always have a stock of ready-to-use puff pastry in my freezer. Regularly, at
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SO EXCITED!
Here my 45th Pillsbury Bake-Off recipe:
Caramelized Onion and Peppered Bacon Flatbread
INGREDIENTS
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon McCormick® Ground Black Pepper
1/8 teaspoon McCormick® Cayenne Pepper
8 slices thick-sliced bacon
4 cups thinly sliced sweet onion (about 1 lb)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons LAND O LAKES® Butter
1 can Pillsbury® refrigerated thin pizza crust
1 can (14.5 oz) Muir Glen® organic diced tomatoes, drained
2 cups (8 oz) shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil leaves
DIRECTIONS
1 Heat oven to 400°F. Line 15x10-inch pan with sides with aluminum foil. Place cooling rack in pan.
2 In large resealable food-storage plastic bag, combine brown sugar, black pepper and cayenne; shake to combine. Separate bacon slices and place in bag; shake to coat. Place bacon on rack in pan.
3 Bake 25 to 30 minutes, turning once halfway through baking, or until bacon is browned and thoroughly cooked. Cool completely. Chop bacon; set aside.
4 Meanwhile, in 12-inch skillet, cook onions and garlic in butter over medium heat 15 to 20 minutes, stirring frequently, or until onions are golden brown. Remove from heat; set aside.
5 Spray15x10-inch pan with sides with Crisco® Original No-Stick Cooking Spray. Unroll pizza crust dough in pan; press dough to edges of pan. Bake 7 minutes. Remove from oven.
6 Spread onion mixture over partially baked crust; top with drained tomatoes. Sprinkle with mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses; top with bacon.
7 Bake 7 to 11 minutes or until crust is golden brown and cheeses are melted.
8 Remove from oven; sprinkle with basil.
Arugula Blood Orange Salad & Blood Orange Poppy Seed Dressing
Continuing with our wonderful foray into Raw foods this month, I present to you the most natural of all RAW foods...The SALAD! I have to admit, I never really did like salad much in my younger years. Perhaps I was just never offered a salad worthy of my love, or maybe I just had yet to develop the 'taste' for it.
Present day though, I LOVE salad. I'll eat it just about
The Bold & The Fearless You!
There’s a darkness upon me that’s flooded in light
In the fine print they tell me what’s wrong and what’s right
And it comes in black and it comes in white
And I’m frightened by those that don’t see it
When nothing is owed or deserved or expected
And your life doesn’t change by the man that’s elected
If you’re loved by someone, you’re never rejected
Decide what to be and
Parmesan Crusted Chicken
This is a quick and easy chicken recipe.
It's another one of my 'Chicken for Dummies'.
When my grandson calls at the last minute and
wants to know what he can do with a couple of
chicken breasts and just a few other ingredients,
I need to be ready!
Lay the chicken breasts in a shallow pan.
(Do not crowd the chicken like the above photo.)
These were large breasts that I cut in half.
cheese in a small bowl.
a little breadcrumbs on top.
Now to make a complete dinner super easy
you can roast some cut-up potatoes and fresh
vegetables along with the chicken. Just toss them
in olive oil with a little seasonings.
Dinner is in the oven!
(or at 375 for 25 minutes)
until cooked through and browned.
How easy is that?!
This works on fish too; just bake
for about 10 minutes @425.
Parmesan Crusted Chicken
4 boneless chicken breasts
1/2 C mayonnaise
1/4 C Parmesan cheese
4 t Italian breadcrumbs
seasonings of choice
Place the chicken breasts in a shallow pan.
Season the top with about (your choice here)
1 t seasoned salt, 1/2 t garlic powder,
and 1/4 t pepper or to taste
Combine the mayo and grated cheese in
a small bowl. Spread this on the chicken breasts.
Sprinkle a little breadcrumbs on the top;
about 1 t each. Bake for 30 minutes @375
or 20 minutes @425.
or 20 minutes @425.
or until browned and cook through.
Enjoy!
Smoked Salmon and Leek Tagliatelle
Smoked Salmon and Leek Tagliatelle
A super quick delicious dish that can be made in the time it takes to cook the tagliatelle! The wine and mascarpone cheese work very well together to create a lovely light but rich dish!
Serves 2
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Ingredients
200g/7oz tagliatelle
2 tbsp olive oil
2 leeks, sliced
1 small glass of white wine
A good pinch of dried chilli flakes
200g/7oz mascarpone cheese
4 slices of smoked salmon, cut into slices
Method
1. Cook the tagliatelle as per packet instructions.
2. In a large frying pan heat the oil and fry the leeks until softened. Add wine, chilli flakes and mascarpone cheese. Heat until the mascarpone has melted.
3. Add the salmon and mix through, drain the pasta and toss with the sauce
4. To serve, divide between to serving plates, enjoy!
Mushroom, Leek and Spinach Risotto
Mushroom, Leek and Spinach Risotto
A full flavoured risotto - add your favourite mushrooms and extra chilli flakes for an extra kick!
Serves 4
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 35 minutes
Ingredients
For the Risotto
1.1 litres/2 pints chicken or vegetable stock
2 tbsp olive oil
1 knob of butter
1 leek, finely sliced
½ - 1 tsp chilli flakes
150g/6 oz mixed mushrooms, roughly chopped
400g/14 oz risotto rice
2 glasses of dry white wine
150g/6 oz spinach, roughly chopped
Freshly ground salt & pepper
70g/2 ½ oz butter
115g/4oz freshly grated parmesan cheese
Method
1. To make the risotto, heat the stock in a pan. Put the olive oil and butter into another pan and leek and chilli flakes, fry on a low heat until softened.
2. Add the mushrooms and cook for a further 2-3 minutes and then add the rice and turn up the heat.
3. When the rice is slightly translucent add the wine and keep stirring until it has cooked into the rice.
4. Add the first ladle of stock and reduce the heat to a simmer. Keep adding the ladlefuls of stock gradually allowing each ladleful to be absorbed before adding the next. This should take around 15 minutes. Season to taste.
5. Remove from the heat and add the spinach, butter and parmesan, stir well. Place the lid on the pan and allow to rest for 2 minutes.
6. Serve the risotto in a serving bowl, enjoy!
Book Review: Eat Like A Dinosaur by Paleo Parents (with Video)
'Eat Like A Dinosaur' is a brilliant book! And we've had a total blast cooking recipes from it, as you will see in the video below. This book is chocked full of greatness. With great gluten free recipes, amazing kitchen tips, and engaging pictures, 'ELaD' is filled with creative ways to help your kids LOVE eating healthy foods!
Note: The 'shortening' that the boys refer to in the video
Pink Champagne Jelly
Pink Champagne Jelly
A perfect dessert after a heavy meal – delicious, light and low in fat!
Makes 6
Prep time: 5 hours
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Ingredients
300ml/10fl oz hot water
55g/2 oz caster sugar
500ml/16fl oz pink champagne or rose sparkling wine
4 leaves of gelatine
150g/5oz raspberries or fruit of your choice
Method
1. Put the water and sugar into a small saucepan and place over a medium heat. Stir to dissolve the sugar, then bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, simmer for five minutes, then remove the pan.
2. Pour the sparkling wine into a large heatproof bowl and add the gelatine. Set aside for about five minutes, or until the leaves are soft and squidgy. Take out the leaves, squeeze off as much liquid as possible, and add them to the sugar syrup.
3. Whisk furiously until the gelatine has completely dissolved, then pour the syrup back into the bowl with the sparkling wine and whisk to combine. Allow to cool thoroughly, then refrigerate the jelly for about one hour.
4. As soon as it starts to thicken, stir in the raspberries or other fruit. Divide the jelly between six glasses and cover them with cling film.
5. Refrigerate for four hours, or until they have completely set and serve.
Lamb Shank with Garlic, Rosemary and Cannellini Beans and Crispy Parmesan Crumbs
Lamb Shank with Garlic, Rosemary and Cannellini Beans and Crispy Parmesan Crumbs
This is a delicious and flavoursome dish that can be prepared in advance, serve with crusty bread to mop up the wonderful sauce.
Serves 4
Prep time: 15 - 20 minutes
Cooking time: 3 hours 15 minutes
Ingredients
For the lamb shanks
4 lamb shanks
6 tinned anchovies, cut into halves
12 small rosemary sprigs
12 slivers garlic
salt and freshly ground black pepper
55g/2oz butter
2 carrots, roughly chopped
2 sticks celery, roughly chopped
1 leek, roughly chopped
2 onions, roughly chopped
1 head garlic, broken up into cloves
1 sprig thyme
1 sprig rosemary
1 bay leaf
½ bottle red wine
600ml/1 pint chicken or lamb stock or water
For the sauce
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
115g/4oz streaky bacon lardons
1 carrot, finely diced
1 stick celery, finely diced
1 onion, finely diced
6 cloves garlic, peeled & finely chopped
2 sprigs thyme
2 sprigs rosemary, chopped
4 tomatoes, seeded and diced
2 x 375g/13oz tins cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
For the parmesan crumbs
2 tbsp olive oil
50g/2 oz white breadcrumbs
25g/1 oz parmesan, freshly grated
To serve
Crusty bread
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4.
2. To make the crispy parmesan crumbs, heat the olive oil in a frying pan and add the breadcrumbs. Fry for 2 – 3 minutes until golden and crunchy. Transfer to a bowl, sprinkle over the parmesan and toss to coat the crumbs.
3. For the lamb shanks, remove the majority of fat from the shanks. Make three deep incisions in each shank and insert in each half an anchovy wrapped around a sprig of rosemary and a slice of garlic. Season the meat with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
4. Heat the butter in a casserole, add the shanks and brown all over. Remove and set aside. Now add the carrots, celery, leek, onions, garlic cloves and herbs to the casserole and cook over a high heat until the vegetables are browned.
5. Deglaze the casserole by adding the red wine, scraping the residue on the bottom of the pan and stirring well. Add the stock to the casserole, place the shanks on top of the vegetables, cover and cook in the oven for two and a half hours.
6. When the lamb has finished cooking, remove the four shanks to a dish and keep warm. Blend the vegetables and cooking liquor in a food processor and set to one side.
7. For the sauce, heat the oil in a large pan over a medium to high heat. Add the bacon and fry until browned. Reduce the heat and add the carrot, celery, onion and garlic. Cook for eight minutes until the vegetables have softened then add the thyme, rosemary, tomatoes and cannellini beans. Heat through.
8. Pass the blended lamb cooking liquor and vegetables through a strainer or fine sieve onto the bean mixture, stir together and pour over the lamb shanks.
9. Serve the lamb garnished with the crispy parmesan crumbs and crusty bread to mop up all the fabulous flavours.
Leek and Roquefort Tart with Caramelised Apple and Pine Nut Dressing
Leek and Roquefort Tart with Caramelised Apple and Pine Nut Dressing
This is a wonderful starter which you can prepare in advance to create this delicious dish.
Makes 4 Individual Tarts
Prep time: 15-20 minutes
Cooking time: 35 minutes
Ingredients
500g/1lb 2 oz ready-made short-crust pastry
25g butter
1 leek, finely shredded
100g/3 ½ oz Roquefort cheese
2 tbsp double cream
4 free range eggs
For the Apple & Pine Nut Dressing
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 tbsp pine nut kernels
1 tsp finely chopped chives
Pinch of salt and black pepper
25g butter
2 dessert apples (Cox are good)
3 tsp sugar
To serve
Basil leaves to garnish
Method
1. Roll out the ready-made pastry and cut out 4 rounds 13cm/5in in diameter. Use to line 4 individual tartlets about 10cm/4inches. Prick the base all over with a folk and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to let the pastry rest.
2. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4.
3. For the best results blind bake the tartlets first. Line the pastry case with foil and add the baking beans. Place on a baking tray and place in the oven for 12-15 minutes, remove the foil and beans and bake for a further 5 minutes.
4. In the meantime melt the butter in a frying pan over a medium heat and add the shredded leeks and cook until softened but don't allow them to colour.
5. Divide the leeks equally between the pastry cases. Beat together the eggs and cream and pour into the pastry cases and crumble the Roquefort into the tarts. Pop the tarts back into the oven and cook for about ten minutes or until the cheese have melted and the egg has just set. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
6. Core the apples and leaving the skin on, cut them into quarters then divide the quarters again. This will give you four thick wedges for each serving. Melt the butter in your frying pan. Add 2 tsp of sugar and heat gently until it melts. Add the apple wedges and cook until they begin to soften and take on a little colour.
7. To make the dressing, put all the remaining ingredients into a jam jar and shake to combine.
7. To serve. Place a tart in the centre of each plate. Arrange the apple wedges around the tart and spoon around the dressing. Garnish the tart with some torn basil leaves.
Corn Beef Hash
You would think I would be tired of corned beef as I have had a few reuben sandwiches the last few days but I'm not. After brunch today the corned beef will be all gone. I'm sad to see it go because I usually only think about making corned beef once a year on St. Patrick's Day, so it's a treat. This corned beef hash is easy to make and makes a great breakfast/brunch combined with fried eggs.
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| All you need is butter, onions, potatoes, corned beef, parsley and a few eggs to fry up for a great breakfast. |
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
3 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, finely chopped (about 1 cup)
3 cups chopped, cooked corned beef
3 cups cubed, cooked Yukon gold potatoes
Salt and pepper, to taste
Chopped fresh parsley (optional)
1. Heat the butter in a large non-stick skillet on medium heat. Add the onion and cook for a few minutes, until translucent.
2. Add the potatoes and stir lightly so not to smash the potatoes.
3.Once the potatoes are lightly browned, add the corned beef. Continue to cook until heated through.
4. Remove from heat, stir in the chopped parsley. Add freshly ground black pepper and salt to taste.
Irish Coffee Bar
Wow, we have just passed mid of March. Time really flies quickly ....There's no special story for now. We're still here, in Jakarta, I mean we're not moving anywhere. The whole family really focus to give support for our daughter who is facing final exam and National Exam for all 6th graders in this country.Mellow Yellow March. Cloudy and windy still accompany our daily activities.Last week, our
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Reubens
Butter (or mayo) side down. Layer with Swiss cheese.
Layer on corned beef.
Layer on sauerkraut.
Drizzle with Thousand Island dressing.
Layer another slice of Swiss cheese.
Top with rye bread butter (or mayo) side up.
Broil or grill until golden brown.
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons butter (I use mayo-see note)
8 slices rye bread
8 slices Swiss cheese
sliced corned beef (see note)
1 cup sauerkraut, drained
1/2 cup Thousand Island dressing
Directions:
1. Preheat a large skillet (medium heat) or broil in oven (see note).
2. Lightly butter (or mayo) one side of bread slices. On non-buttered bread slices, layer 1 slice Swiss cheese, sliced corned beef, 1/4 cup sauerkraut, Thousand Island dressing and second slice of Swiss cheese. Top with remaining bread slices, buttered sides out.
3. Grill or broil sandwiches until both sides are golden brown. Serve hot.
Note: I like to use mayo instead of butter to spread on bread because butter I have to soften before I use and mayo spreads on easily and grills up beautifully. It really works great, just use real mayo not miracle whip and just a very thin layer.
Note for cooking corn beef: Place corned beef in large pot cover with water. Add the spice packet that came with the corned beef. Bring to a boil then turn down to simmer, cover and cook for about 50-60 minutes per pound until very tender. Or cook in the crockpot 6-8 hours until tender. Slice meat across the grain.
Note: When I'm making several sandwiches it's easier to make under the broiler. Place sandwiches on a cookie sheet and broil (preheat broiler) until golden brown. Turn and broil other side until golden brown. Don't take your eyes off these as they will burn just like that!