Okay, the gang is coming over and you want to make a snack to chomp on during the game. Well, here is a great one. You can vary the amounts, depending on how many people you will have over.
- 4 tbsp. butter
- 1/4 cup honey
- 2 tbsp. Dijon mustard
- 16 chicken drumsticks
- 3/4 cup Panko crumbs
- 3/4 finely chopped pistachios
- salt and pepper to taste
In a saucepan, melt the butter and add the honey and mustard and simmer for 7-8 minutes. Remove from h eat.
With a brush, coat the chicken legs all over with the butter mixture.
In a separate bowl, add the bed crumbs, nuts, salt and pepper and roll the legs in it to completely coat. Place on a parchment lined cookie sheet and bake until tender and brown. This should take 45-50 minutes in a 350 degree oven.
The only thing to supply now is a pile of napkins and small plates.
Lime Curd Dessert With Special Crumble
This is unusual and refreshing after an evening meal. When served with guests at the table, they will be so happy they came for dinner. Your family? They will think someone took their Mom and replaced her. Who Knew?
The unusual part of this dessert is that is not made with lemon.
- 3/4 cup fresh lime juice
- 3 limes, finely zested
- 1 cup sugar*
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup, room temperature butter, cut in cubes
- 1 – 1 1/2 cups of a plain, Greek yogurt
- Honey to drizzle
- Your own special homemade crumble
* taste it in case you require a bit more sugar. Should be tart, not sour.
In a medium saucepan, bring the lime juice, all the zest and 1/2 cup sugar to the boil. Lower the temperature when it starts the full boil.
In a large bowl, beat the eggs and remaining sugar until smooth and creamy.
With the mixer still beating, gradually add the lime mixture without stopping. If you stop, it will curdle.
Return to the saucepan and whisk continuously. When the mixture starts to boil, remove from the heat. Mix in the butter, whisking until smooth and blended. Cover with plastic wrap, making sure it touches the surface of the curd and cool before refrigeration.
Place 3-4 large spoonfuls of the lime curd into stemless wine glasses (or your prettiest glasses) and top with a large dollop of yogurt. Drizzle with honey and a sprinkle of your own homemade crumble.
Woo Hoo! You will love it. Serve with a couple of your homemade oatmeal or shortbread cookies.
Edam Stuffed Tenderloin
- 1 lb. pork tenderloin
- ½ small onion, peeled, chopped finely
- 2 slices bacon, chopped
- 2 tsp. olive oil,
- 1 oz. pecans, chopped
- 3 tbsp. panko breadcrumbs
- 3 slices edam cheese, cut in strips
- 2 tsp. water
- 2 tsp. Crisco oil
- 2 tsp. Butter
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1 tbsp. cider vinegar
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Butterfly the tenderloin lengthwise, leaving 1/2 inch uncut on the bottom side. Flatten gently on both sides. Cover with plastic wrap and pound with a mallet to flatten slightly. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper and re-cover and set in the refrigerator.
In a frypan on medium heat, saute the onion and bacon in the oil for 6-7 minutes. Do not burn.
Transfer to a bowl, stir in the pecans and panko crumbs and cool slightly. Add the edam and moisten with a touch of water until the mixture holds together.
Place stuffing down the middle of the tenderloin, and pull the sides together. Tie together with butcher’s twine.
In a large oven proof pan, melt the oil and butter and add the tenderloin and brown for 3 minutes each side.
Place the pan in the oven and roast for 20 minutes until done to taste. In a small bowl combine the honey and vinegar and microwave 20 seconds to warm. Remove the twine, drizzle the warm honey over and slice. Place remaining honey in a bowl and let everyone add more (and they will).
Enjoy!
Baklava For Celebrations
With Easter just around the corner, this would be a terrific and, yes, traditional treat. Use it for a dessert at your Brunch Buffet or Easter dinner.
It can be long in time to make, so make it up to a week ahead of when you want to serve it. As long as it is in an airtight container and not put in the refrigerator, it will be wonderful and delicious with no harm done.
*Note: Do not crush the nuts in a food processor. Just chop them. If put in a processor, they made the Baklava very heavy and not pleasant, as it should be. Just sayin’.
Read through first, then make your syrup before working with the phyllo.
- 3 1/4 cups whole almonds, skins on, finely chopped
- 2 1/3 cups walnuts, finely chopped
- 1 1/4 cups sugar
- 1 tbsp. cinnamon
- 2 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp. ground cloves
- pinch of salt
- 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
- 1 x 1 lb. pkg of phyllo dough, thawed
Whisk together the almonds, walnuts, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and salt until really well combined.
Generously brush a 13 x 9 inch glass baking dish with melted butter.
Halve the phyllo sheets and keep covered with 2 layers of plastic wrap and then topped with a damp tea towel (of course, clean). Lay 2 sheets of phyllo in the bottom of the baking dish and generously brush with butter. Continue layering 2 sheets at a time staggering sheets every two layers slightly to cover the bottom of the dish, until you have 10 layers in total.
When you have brushed the top layer with butter, spread 1 1/2 cups nut mixture over it and drizzle with 2 tbsp. butter. Do this step 3 more times. Oh, by the way, when done you should have 50 layers of phyllo. Butter the top and let stand 15 minutes to allow it to harden a little.
Now the fun…..with a very sharp knife, cut in 16 diagonal rectangles, then cut each piece in half diagonally. You must ensure you cut all the way through.
Bake this until golden (55 – 60 minutes) in a 350 degree oven.
Syrup
- 2 cups sugar
- 2/3 cup water
- 1 lemon, halved
- 1 orange,halved
- 1 lime, halved
- 1 1/2 cinnamon sticks
- 2/3 cup honey
Combine the sugar and water in a 3 qt. saucepan. Squeeze the juice from the fruit into the sugar mixture. Add the fruit halves and cinnamon sticks and bring to a boil, stirring often until the sugar has dissolved. Let cool to room temperature and pour through a sieve, pressing on the fruit halves and then discard all the solids.
Chill, uncovered, until cold. (about an hour).
Now, SLOWLY pour the cold syrup over the Baklava, getting into all the cuts, sides and all over the top. Now, let this stand for 8 hours. Once the Baklava has reached room temperature, cover with plastic. Do not chill.
Sweet? Sure.
Beyond your dreams? Absolutely.
Will you enjoy this? More than you will ever know.
YUMMY!
Apricots Poached In Honey
This is a fresh and light dessert to serve your family and guests. With the guests, be sure to serve with Icewine. Yummy!
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1/3 cup honey
- 1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
- 9 apricots, halved and stones removed
- chopped, toasted pistchios for garnish
- plain yogurt
In a pot over medium heat, stir together the water, honey and vanilla bean. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes.
Add the apricot halves and simmer until tender (about 3-5 minutes). With a slotted spoon, remove the apricots and transfer to a bowl.
Increase the heat to medium high and boil the syrup until reduced by half, remove the vanilla bean and let cool to room temperature. Make sure it is at room temperature before serving.
To assemble, top each apricot half with a generous dollop of yogurt and a sprinkling of chopped, roasted pistachios.
Serve 2 per plate and pair with a glass of chilled icewine.
Yummmmmmy!
Parfait With Blackberries, Candied Ginger And Granola
This is a great breakfast fare when you have company for the weekend..be it for a wedding, long weekend get-together, Anniversary celebration….it is sinple, fantastic in taste and showy in presentation. Go for it!
- 5 1/2 cups granola
- 1 cup dried cherries, chopped coarsely
- 2 tbsp. candied ginger, finely chopped
- 3 – 17.6 oz. containers of a good Greek yogurt
- honey
- large plastic, resealable plastic bag
Mix together the granola, dried cherries and ginger together in a bowl and set aside..
In the bottom of your trifle bowl, pour the yogurt into the plastic bag, snip off the corner and pipe a 1 inch thick layer on the bottom of the bowl.
Scatter 1 1/2 cups of the berries on the yogurt layer and drizzle with honey.
Sprinkle 3 cups of the granola over the berries. Repeat this one time…layer of yogurt, berries and honey and granola mixture. Mound 1 cup of berries in the center and drizzle with warm honey.
When we ran the Bed and Breakfast, I would make individual parfait dishes for our guests. They are pretty, have the wow factor and taste so scrumptious.
Chilled juice and pots of freshly brewed coffee. You can also serve with warm-from-the-oven muffins that you also made.
Sunflower/Pumpkin Seeds and Fruit Granola
This is a great snack for walking, travelling or at work.
- 3/4 cup raw sunflower seeds,
- 1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds
- 1/2 cup whole almonds
- 1/4 cup flaxseed
- 1/4 cup honey
- 2 tbsp. canola oil
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- pinch of coarse salt
- 1 cup mixture made of dried cherries, cranberries, golden raisins and snipped dried apricots.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, combine the sunflower and pumpkin seeds, almonds and flaxseed and microwave on high for 20 seconds. Stir in the oil, honey and salt and toss to coat.
Spread this out on a parchment lined cookie sheet and bake for 20 minutes. During this time, stir the mixture twice to move it around. Stir in the dried fruit and cool for 15 minutes. Spread this out on the parchment paper and let cool completely. Break up into pieces and store in an airtight container.
Store for a couple of weeks (if you don’t eat it all up) in the refrigerator.
Yummy.
Wasp Recipe
Heading into summer full time, this recipe really works in keeping the wasps away from your table. Just be sure to put the container away from the deck or they will be buzzing around trying to get into the dish.
I use a plastic yogurt container or the like and you just mix the ingredients together and set it out.
- 5 tbsp. honey
- 1 tsp. yeast
- 1/2 cup warm water
- 5 drops liquid detergent
Now go and enjoy the summer…..
Flavouring Butters
By flavouring butter, you are able to enhance the food you are serving. What I have here are three butters used for Breakfast fare such as pancakes or french toast etc. They can also be used for scones or muffins.
They are wonderful and I hope you will try them out. They all keep well in the refrigerator.
Orange Butter
- 1/2 cup softened butter
- 2 tbsp. concentrated orange juice
- 2 tsp. icing sugar
- 1 tsp. grated fresh ginger
In a small bowl, beat the butter until fluffy. Add the rest of the ingredients and beat until well blended. Place in a covered container and keep in the refrigerator.
Honey Cinnamon Butter
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/4 cup softened butter
- 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
Beat all in a small bowl and place in a covered container in the refrigerator.
To change the flavours, you can opt out for nutmeg or ground ginger. All I can say is yum yum!
Nut Butter
I know there are allergies to nuts BUT my grandaughter has severe allergies but can eat almonds. So adjust any nut if you can avoid any problems. Try walnuts, hazelnuts or almonds.
- 1/2 cup softened butter
- 1 tbsp. icing sugar
- 1 tsp pure vanilla
Blend in a small bowl, combine the butter and nuts. Blend in the sugar and vanilla. Place in a covered container and keep in the refrigerator. This butter is soooo good with muffins and scones.
Blushing Pear Salad
For our New Year’s Eve Dinner, we made the ‘blushing’ pear salad.
- 3/4 cup pomegranate juice
- 1 tbsp. sugar
- 1/4 cup dry white wine
- 1/4 cinnamon stick
- 2 Bosc pears, peeled but keep stems attached
- 3 cups green leaf lettuce, rinsed and torn into pieces
- 1 tbsp. vegetable oil
- 2 tbsp. pomegranate juice
- 1 tbsp. lemon juice
- 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
- 1/2 tbsp. honey
- crumbled chevre
- sprinkle of candied pecans, broken up
Place pomegranate juice, sugar, wine and cinnamon into a large saucepan. Bring to a simmer and gently stir until the sugar dissolves.
Peel the pears but keep in stem intact.
Place the pear in the simmering liquid and cover. It will take about 20 minutes until tender. Be sure to turn occasionally. Once tender, remove from the heat and let cool down. Turn the pears over often while cooling so the colour is even.
Divide the lettuce on two fancy plates. Halve the pears and core them. Cut each half into slices. Divide the slices over the two plates.
Combine the oil, juices, mustard and honey in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat and simmer, stirring often for about 2-3 minutes (it will thicken slightly). Add the chevre pieces and candied pecans over the top of the salad and spoon some of the warm sauce over the salad.
Absolutely scrumptuous.
My Perfectly Good Husband’s Ham Glaze
You gotta know my “PERFECTLY GOOD HUSBAND” is a great cook. This is his glaze for ham and everyone who has tasted this has wanted the recipe. Here goes:
- 1 cup apple jelly
- 1 tsp. ground cloves
- 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
- 1 tbsp. honey
- 2 tbsp. cornstarch mixed with 1/4 cup cold water
Put the ingredients, except the cornstarch and water, in a small saucepan and, stirring to combine, bring to a simmer and make sure it is smooth. Bake the ham according to instructions and remove from the oven. Score the fat on the ham. (yes, this is unusual)..Now pour the glaze over the ham and bake for 20-30 minutes longer at 325 degrees.
Thicken the sauce with the cornstarch and drizzle over the sliced ham and keep the remaining sauce in a gravy boat. EVERYONE will want more.
Savory Pecan Scones
Anything with pecans, to me, means comfort food. These are a wonderful scones mixed with cheese and herbs…….yummy-yummy.
You will need:
- 1 cup toasted, coarsely chopped pecans
- 2 1/4 cups flour
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 1/4 cup finely ground toasted pecans
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- pinch of salt
- 1/2 cup cold butter
- 1 cup shredded Gruyere cheese
- 1/2 tsp. dried thyme, crushed
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 1/4 tbsp. honey
- 1 tbsp. mustard
- Shredded cheese for topping
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In a large bowl combine flour, ground pecans, baking powder, soda and salt.
Using a pastry blender cut in butter until mixture looks like a coarse meal. Stir in the Gruyere cheese, chopped pecans and thyme. Make a well in the centre of the flour mixture.
In a small bowl, beat the egg, buttermilk, honey and mustard. Add all at once to the flour mixture.
Turn dough out onto a lightly flolured surface. Knead gently 10-12 strokes until nearly smooth. Divide in half. Roll and pat into 2- 6 inch circles. Cut each circle into 6 triangles. Place the triangles on a parchment lined cookie sheet and bake for about 20 minutes or until golden.
Transfer to a cooling rack. Serve warm. You could, at this time, drizzle a little honey over the top of each scone.
Now, make a pot of tea/coffee, grab a good book/friend and enjoy a quiet time.
Truly yummy-yummy