You say…corn oysters? Yup! There isn ‘t an oyster or anything that could be attributed to an oyster in this recipe. It is the shape it takes when cooking.
- 2 large eggs, separated
- 2 cups freshly cut corn
- 1/8 tsp. Worchestershire sauce
- pinch each of salt and pepper
- 1/4 cup flour
- 1/4 tsp. baking powder
- 2 tbsp. Crisco oil
In a small bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff, but not dry and set aside.
In another bowl, beat the yolks slightly, and add the corn, Worchestershire sauce, salt and pepper and mix well. Stir in the flour and baking powder and mix well. Fold in the egg whites carefully.
Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat and drop the mixture by tablespoonfuls, cooking until it turns golden. Turn them over and repeat. This should take about 3 minutes per side. If you need to, add a little more oil.
Keep them hot while cooking the remaining batter. This makes 12 ‘oysters’. Makes a really nice side dish for any meal, especially barbecue
Potato Gnocchi
Gnocchi appears to be the latest ‘in’ food item. Homemade is great and you can change the ingredients and herbs for different, yet exciting flavours.
This recipe will serve 6-7 people
- 1 1/2 lbs. Russet potatoes scrubbed
- 1 cup flour (you might need more)
- 1 large egg yolk, beaten
- pinch of salt
- generous pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
- 1 tbsp. good olive oil
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Pierce the potatoes in several places and bake until tender (about 1 hour).
Cool slightly and cut the potatoes in half, scooping out the flesh into a potato ricer. Rice the potatoes on a parchment lined baking sheet and let cool.
Line another large baking sheet with parchment paper. Transfer the potatoes to a large bowl. Add the flour and toss to coat.
Form a well in the center and add the egg yolk, nutmeg and salt,. Stir this with a fork until evenly moistened. “It will look a little shaggy”.
Turn this out onto a lightly floured surface and knead the dough until it comes together, sprinkling with flour, very lightly, if it is sticky.
Form this dough into a ball and cut into 4 wedges.
Roll the dough between both hands and work surface to form a 3/4 inch thick rope. Cut each rope into 3/4 inch pieces and place on the prepared baking sheet.
Working in batches, cook the gnocchi in a large pot of boiling water until they rise to the surface. Continue to simmer until completely cooked through and tender (about 4 minutes).
Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to a bowl. At this step, you can lightly saute until it just starts to turn golden OR just drizzle olive oil and toss to coat.
**You can add 1/2-3/4 cup of pure pumpkin puree and some sage for a different flavour and serve with roast chicken.
Lime Cucumber Relish
This is a wonderful traditional relish to accompany grilled or roasted chicken. It has a yogurt sauce as well. So with these two companions you have a super great meal in minutes.
- 1 medium English cucumber, chopped ( 2 1/2 cups)
- 1 large tomato, chopped (1 cup)
- 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
- 1 tsp. shredded lime peel
- 2 tbsp. fresh lime juice
- 2 clove garlic, minced
In a medium bowl, combine all the ingredients and stir to blend it well.
Yogurt Sauce
- 1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 tbsp. honey
- 1 tsp. cream
Whisk this together until smooth.
When serving this with grilled or roasted chicken, top the chicken with the cucumber relish and then drizzle the yogurt sauce over.
Tenderloin Medallions with Surprise Risotto
The tenderloin is, without a doubt, my favourite meat to eat. The potato-style “Risotto” is a wonderful addition to show off your talents in the kitchen. Read it through first, pour a coffee and tell yourself “damn I can do this” and go for it.
- 1 tbsp. butter
- 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
- 1 lb. Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/8 inch thick slices, then into cubes
- pinch of cayenne pepper
- pinch of salt
- 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 1/2 cup whipping cream
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- 1/8 cup finely chopped chives
- 6 x 6 oz. 1 inch thick tenderloin steaks
- 1 1/2 tbsp. chopped fresh thyme
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent, stirring occasionally for about 5-6 minutes. Add the potato cubes, cayenne pepper, pepper and salt, 1 1/2 cups broth and bring to a boil and cook for about 8 minutes. If needed, add more broth, a tbsp. at a time, to keep it creamy with a little sauce. It should not be dry.
Add the cream and simmer until the potatoes are tender, stirring often for another 10 minutes. Add the cheese and chives and stir to blend.
Sprinkle the steaks with salt and thyme and cook on the barbecue to the doneness you want. (If no barbecue, you can use a frypan). Add a touch more oil and cook for 3-4 minutes each side for a steak that is medium rare.
Split the risotto onto 6 plates, and place a steak on top of each one. Add a vegetable of your choice.
The one thing that is a must would be a glass of Shiraz wine. Okay….now look at the plates, and congratulate yourself for a job well done.
Coconut Key Lime Pie
In the last couple of months, I found I much preferred the taste of lime over lemon…I don’t know why! This is the “easy way” to make the pie.
You can use a store bought graham pie crust but the real flavour comes from the homemade kind because I always use a pinch of cinnamon in the crust. Your choice.
- 1 can condensed milk
- 1 can unsweetened coconut milk
- 1/3 cup fresh squeezed lime juice
- 7 large egg yolks
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 2 tbsp. icing sugar
- 3 tbsp. unsweetened shredded coconut, toasted
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together the condensed milk, coconut milk, lime juice and egg yolks until completely smooth. (you can use your mixer for this for a really smooth texture).
Pour this into the crust and bake until set but still a little wobbly in the center (about 35-40 minutes). Remove from the oven and let cool down for about 2 hours, then refrigerate over night. (covered).
In a large bowl in your mixer, beat the cream and sugar on high until stiff peaks form. To serve this pie, slice into wedges, top with whipped cream and a sprinkle of toasted coconut.
I told you it was “easy of pie” and I wasn’t kidding. Make it…enjoy….everyone will want seconds.
Pumpkin Loaves
This recipe makes 2 loaves….one for now and one for unexpected company in the future.
- 3 1/2 cups flour
- 2 tsp. baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 3 cups sugar (yes, this is right)
- 2 tsp. cinnamon
- 2 tsp. freshly ground nutmeg
- 4 large eggs, beaten
- 2/3 cup water
- 1 cup Crisco oil
- 2 cups pumpkin puree not pie filling)
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- 1/2 cup English toffee bits
Sift dry ingredients in a medium bowl, add the beaten eggs, water, oil and pumpkin. Stir in the toffee bits and pecans until well blended. Grease 2 loaf pans and bake for about 1 1/2 hours in a 350 degree oven.
Check for doneness and let cool on a rack. Remove from the pans. Wrap in saran and, if freezing, insert inside a freezer bag.