Serves 4
- 2 acorn squash, cut in half and seeded,
- 2 tbsp. pure maple syrup
- 1/2 – 3/4 tsp. grated ginger
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Place the acorn squash cut side down and bake for 40 minutes. Turn over, sprinkle with a pinch each of salt and pepper.
Place the maple syrup and ginger in the microwave for 10 seconds and brush over the fleshy surface of the squash. Return to the oven for another 5 minutes.
Serve this with a lovely stuffed pork chop or a fish like salmon. Add a salad of your choice and you have prepared a great dinner. Damn YOU can do this!
Apple/Pear Tartin
This is a funny one. We were getting ready to roll out the puff pastry so I could make my custard tarts and realized we had one sheet too many, but it was thawed. We are having company tonight for dinner (orphan neighbors-each has a partner away), and I needed a dessert.
We were looking for a way to use the pastry and realized we had 3 pears and one apple. Light goes on….if we saute the fruit in a sugar syrup with cinnamon and nutmeg (fresh) for about 10 minutes, adding golden raisins as well, we could use it all up.
Roll out the pastry, enough to cover the baking dishes you are using, and hang over the sides. Make a caramel sauce to use later. Voila! Dessert fit for a king. This was soooo easy and my husband is the genius this time. His idea for the puff pastry. Is it really a tartin? Only if you stretch the truth just slightly.
Reheat in the oven to get hot, put the whole dish on a plate, drizzle caramel sauce over the top and add a dollop of whipped cream on top. Works for me…now what kind of a martini shall I use? Later.
Silk Chocolate Cheesecake
I know I said earlier that I wanted to make a lemon dessert for our dinner, but ran across this one and it is such a proven winner, I changed my mind. I have talked about this one, but not posted the recipe…..until now.
Once you make this and try it, you will make it over and over again.
- 1 1/4 cup toasted, finely chopped pecans
- 2 tbsp. melted butter
- 2 tbsp. brown sugar
- 3/4 cup berry sugar
- 32 caramels, unwrapped – have fun! Melted
- 3 tbsp. cream
- 3 pkg. cream cheese
- 3 eggs
- 8 squares Baker’s dark chocolate, melted and cooled slightly
- 1/2 cup toasted pecan halves
- jar of Caramel sauce
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Draw out a circle of parchment paper to cover a 9 inch spring form pan. Combine the pecans, melted butter, brown sugar and carefully spread over the bottom of the pan, on top of the parchment paper.
Peel the wrap off the caramels and with the cream, put in a bowl over a pot of simmering water to completely melt. Stir occasionally to make sure it is smooth. Pour this over the pecan mixture in the pan and cool completely.
Beat the softened room temperature cream cheese, berry sugar and eggs on low to completely blend and add to the melted chocolate. Pour over the cooled caramel layer. Wrap the pan with tin foil up to and including the sides of the pan and place in a larger pan filled 2/3 full with boiling water. Bake for 45-50 minutes. Run a knife around the edge to loosen and cool completely. Cover and place in the fridge overnight.
When ready to serve, drop a generous spoonful of caramel sauce on the plate and set a slice of the cheesecake on top, making sure it stands up. Drizzle in a zigzag pattern with some caramel sauce across the top and add a couple of pecans. If you don’t think this is enough, put a dollop of whipped cream on the side.
Note: The water bath will prevent the cheesecake from splitting and cracking. Just sayin’.
Also note…I have been baking for over 40 years and for the first time, I tried to take a shortcut and put the caramels in a microwave safe bowl and melt them. It almost set our house on fire. The smoke was horrible and, of course, it broke the bowl. Never again
Turkey and Mushroom Tasty Croustades
With the holidays around the corner and New Year’s Eve on the rise, this is a good way to use up some of the left-overs. Entertain with abandon and make these up ahead of time. You show off you!
- 20 slices of white sandwich bread (Cobbs Bakery is good)
- melted butter
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove the crust and brush both sides of each bread slice with melted butter. Press the slices gently into muffins tins and bake until golden (approximately 15-18 minutes).
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1 cup finely chopped fresh button mushrooms
- 1/2 small onion, chopped fine
- 6 1/2 ounces chopped turkey
- 3 tbsp. flour
- 1 cup half and half cream
- 1 tsp. lemon juice
- pinch of salt
- pinch of Cayenne
- chopped fresh parsley
In a saucepan, melt the butter and saute the onionand mushrooms until the onion is transparent. Add the turkey meat and stir to combine. Sprinkle the flour over the mixture and blend well. Slowly add the cream and the rest of the ingredients (except the parsley, lemon juice, salt and cayenne) and bring to a boil and thickens. Remove from the heat and add the lemon juice, salt and cayenne. Fill the croustades and place on a cookie sheet and heat up in the oven, When hot, sprinkle parsley on top.
The empty shells can be made ahead and frozen. Do not fill.
**in a super pinch or you ate all the turkey, use (ugh) canned turkey flakes.
Duck Terrine
We have had a couple of requests for this recipe. Trust me, it takes a long time but you will never taste anything better. (Actually 3 days) Read through first.
Serves 10-12
Terrine:
- 1/3 cup milk
- 2 Moulard duck breasts (1 3/4 -2 lbs total)
- 4 tsp. kosher salt
- 1 tsp. ground black pepper
- 1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
- 1/4 tsp. ground allspice
- 1/4 tsp. ground ginger
- 2 tbsp. Port (amber)
- 1 tbsp. brandy
- 1/2 cup whipping cream
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 1/2 cup shelled pistachios
Freeze milk in a shallow dish, scraping once or twice with a fork to break up the crystals until completely frozen. This should take about 1 hour. Remove the skin and any fat with your fingers. When needed, use a knife.
Set a medium bowl inside a larger bowl filled with ice and water under the grinder to catch the meat, then feed only the meat through a second time, adding spoonfuls of the frozen milk as you go. Chill and cover with plastic wrap, in the fridge.
Using the same method, feed the duck skin with fat through twice then add to the duck meat and leave the bowl in the larger bowl of ice.
Add the remaining terrine ingredients and mix with your hands to combine well. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for at least 8 hours.
Glazed Shallots.
- 1 1/2 cup dry red wine
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
- 1 thyme sprig
- 1/2 bay leaf
- 1/2 lb. small shallots, peeled and trimmed
Bring the ingredients to a boil in a 1 quart saucepan stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Add the shallots (whole) and cover the surface with wax paper and simmer vigorously until tender (about 45 minutes). Transfer from the cooking liquid with a slotted spoon to a bowl and discard the sprig of thyme. Boil the liquid until it is about 1/3 cup. Pour over the shallots and cool.
Line and bake the terrine
Set the rack in oven to the middle and preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line the bottom and all sides of the terrine pan with proscuitto, overlapping the edges slightly and be sure to leave about 2 inch overhang on the long sides. Rub some of the duck mixture on the proscuitto to ensure the rest with stick to it and pack in two thirds of the remaining duck.
Make a trough down the middle with the back of a spoon. Gently push the drained shallots pointed end down in the trough. Pack the balance of the duck mixture on top and bring the overhang of proscuitto over the top (add more if you have to). Wrap in a double layer of tin foil. Rap the mold sharply on the counter to compact the mixture.
Bake the terrine in a water bath for about 2 hours. Remove the foil and cook on a rack for half an hour.
To weigh the terrine, place in a clean baking pan and place a piece of parchment paper on top. Place a piece of wood or cardboard the exact size of the terrine that has been wrapped in foil on top and add a couple tins of soup. Chill this now for about 4 hours. Continue to cool without the weights for at least 24 hours to allow the flavours to develop.
Serving
Run a knife around the edge of the terrine and let stand in about 1 inch of hot water to loosen the bottom for about 2 minutes. Tip the terrine, making sure you have a hand on the top, to drain excess liquid; reinvert on a cutting and with a paper towel gently wipe the excess liquid off the Proscuitto. Let stand for about 30 minutes then cut into 1/2 inch slices and serve on plates that have been drizzled with the wine syrup.
This will keep well if wrapped in plastic and kept chilled for about 1 week.
Oh yeah, read this through first and loudly proclaim “damn, I can do this!”
Pistachio Cheese Rolls
This is a great little bite to enjoy with a glass of wine when you have guests over. The recipe makes about 20 pieces, so you can adjust for the number of people there will be. The usual numbers are 5 pieces per person, if only one item being offered, or 3 pieces if there are two or more. Just sayin! (no error here).
- 1/2 cup red seedless grapes
- 1/2 cup pistachios
- 1/2 cup soft cream cheese
- 1/2 cup soft chevre cheese (goat cheese)
- 2 large tortillas
- Lettuce leaves
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Roast pistachios on a cookie sheet for about 3 minutes. When thoroughly cool, chop fine.
Finely chop the grapes and place in a bowl with the pistachios and both cheeses. Mix until well blended and the cheese is smooth.
Lay a tortilla flat on surface and spread one half of the mixture on top. Place a crisp, cleaned lettuce leaf on top and roll up. Wrap in plastic wrap. Repeat for the second tortilla and place both in the refrigerator for at least one hour. When ready to serve, remove the plastic wrap and with a very sharp knife cut into 1/2 inch pieces and serve with your favourite glass of grape. (wine!)
Note: If you sample even one piece of this, you will be making another recipe. One of the best that can and should be doubled. Honest….
Macadamia Nut Chicken Breast
Macadamia nuts are wonderful to use and really works with the chicken and ginger.
Serves 4
- 1 cup soy sauce
- 4 tbsp. dark brown sugar
- 1 1/2 tbsp. grated ginger
- 1 tbsp. minced garlic
- 1/2 cup Chardonnay white wine
- 4 chicken breasts
- 1 1/2 cups panko crumbs
- 1 1/2 cups finely chopped macadamia nuts
- 1 1/4 cup flour
- 3 eggs, whipped
- 3/4 cup good olive oil
- 3 carrots each person, steamed, some green stem attached
Preparation:
Combine first 5 ingredients and whisk lightly until sugar has dissolved. Wash chicken with cool water and pat dry. Place in the marinade for about 1 hour.
Mix the panko crumbs and nuts. Remove chicken from marinade and pat dry to remove excess liquid. Dip chicken in the flour, then into the egg white. Now dip in the panko crumbs and nuts, pressing firmly so it sticks to the chicken. Lighly coat a fry pan with olive oil and saute chicken until fully cooked, but don’t overcook. If you need to, add more oil.
When plating, slice each breast and lay out on the plate. Add steamed carrots (3 each) and be sure to leave about 1 inch of green stem on.
Now watch who will want to lick their fingers, they will do it slyly.
This is truly over the moon to eat.