KOA

Basil Sun-Dried Tomato Baked Brie

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A molten wheel of brie cheese with sun-dried tomatoes, basil, parsley, Parmesan cheese and garlic – sinful goo!   The amounts for the topping can vary according to the size of your brie wheel. Check out Brie Basics for other ideas.

Ingredients:

  • 1 wheel brie cheese ( anywhere from 6 ounces to more than 2 pounds)
  • sun-dried tomatoes , chopped
  • basil , finely chopped
  • parsley , finely chopped
  • garlic
  • Parmesan cheese
  • sun-dried tomato oil (from the jar of sun-dried tomatoes
  • crackers or baguettes

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350°.
  2.  Lightly toss fresh herbs, cheese, garlic, oil and sun-dried tomatoes.
  3.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  4. Place brie cheese in the center. Keep the rind on the cheese; it is edible. Without the rind, the cheese will not hold its shape. If you have an oven proof dish the right size that is ideal.
  5. Neatly top brie with tomato/herb mixture.
  6. Place in oven and bake for 10 minutes.
  7. Once brie is baked, remove from oven and place on serving plate.
  8. Cut a slice of cheese out to remove it.  Cheese will ooze lightly.
  9. Pair with crackers or bread and use a butter knife for the cheese and herbs.

Serves:  How big is the brie?  What else are you serving?

Source:   Inspiration

Roast Filet of Beef with Orange Juniper Crust

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A different sort of marinade – pretend the beef is venison.   If juniper berries are unavailable add a tablespoon of gin.

Ingredients: 

  • 2 tsp grated orange rind
  • 1/2 tsp chopped fresh thyme leaves
  • 1/2 tsp fresh rosemary
  • 1/2 tsp chopped fresh sage
  • 1/2 c chopped Italian parsley
  • 1 tsp juniper berries
  • 1 tsp chopped garlic
  • 3 lbs beef tenderloin, tied
  • 1 Tab olive oil
  • salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 2 c beef or chicken stock

Directions:

  1. Combine orange rind, thyme leaves, rosemary, sage, parsley, berries and garlic in a small bowl.
  2. Brush filet with olive oil.
  3. Season with salt and pepper. P
  4. at crust all over meat.
  5. Place on a roasting pan fitted with a rack.
  6. Let rest refrigerated for at least 2 hours but bring back to room temperature before roasting.
  7. Preheat oven to 450°.
  8. Roast until rare for 25 to 30 minutes or until desired degree of doneness.
  9. Remove from oven, cover with foil and let rest for 15 minutes.
  10. Remove the twine.
  11. Lightly salt the surface of the meat.
  12. Slice thinly.
  13. Add stock to roasting pan, scraping up bits on the base of the pan.
  14. Bring to boil and boil until reduced by half.
  15. Season.
  16. Arrange meat on platter.
  17. Spoon sauce over meat.

Serves:   8

Source:   Lucy Waverman Food Columnist Special to the Glove and Mail

Peas with Mint and Sour Cream

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If you make this recipe with fresh peas, keep in mind that it will take about 30 minutes to shell them.  (Do they still make fresh peas????)  Peas are good with just sour cream too.

Ingredients:

  • 1 (1-lb) bag thawed frozen peas or 1 lb shelled fresh green peas (3 1/2 lb in pods)
  • 3/4 c  sour cream
  • 2 Tab finely chopped fresh mint
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Directions:

  1. If using freshly shelled peas, cook in a 4- to 5-quart saucepan of boiling water (not salted), uncovered, until tender, 3 to 5 minutes.
  2. Drain in a colander.
  3. Heat cream
  4. Add cooked fresh or thawed frozen peas and cook, stirring, until heated through, 3 to 5 minutes.
  5. Stir in mint, salt, and pepper and briskly simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until peas are well coated, about 1 minute.

Serves:  6

Source:  I made it up
.

Watercress, Walnut and Blue Cheese Salad

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Basically, greens, nuts, cheese and dressing – any combination can work.

Ingredients:

  • 3 c spring lettuce mix/spinach
  • 3 c watercress, washed and trimmed
  • 1 Tab raspberry vinegar
  • 1 Tab port wine
  • 2 Tab olive oil
  • ½ cup toasted walnuts
  • ½ cup crumbled blue cheese

Directions:

  1. Put the watercress in a large bowl with the nuts, lettuce and the cheese.
  2. Mix gently so that the ingredients are well distributed.
  3. Mix together the port, vinegar and oil.
  4. Toss the dressing into the salad just before serving.

Serves:  4

Source:   A mash up of several recipes.

This entry was posted in Salads and tagged .

Drambuie Coffee

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Drambuie is a Scottish liqueur made with scotch malt whiskey and heather honey. It gives the coffee a unique herby, spicy, sweet flavor.  I like to add a teaspoon of brown sugar.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup hot coffee
  • 1/2 ounce Drambuie liqueur
  • 2 tablespoons fresh whipped cream

Directions:

  1. Combine coffee and Drambuie in a coffee cup.
  2. Stir gently to mix.Top with the whipped cream.
  3. Serve immediately.

Serves:   1

Source;  CDKitchen

Skye Prawns Sauce

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This sauce is really called Japanese Steakhouse Mayo Sauce from The Way To His Heart with some slight changes based on the list of ingredients I had.  Great as a dip for shrimp, fries, spread on hamburger etc.  Skye Prawns are not to be confused with Sky Prawns which are locusts!

Ingredients:

  • 1 c mayonnaise
  • 1/4 c cream/water
  • 1 tsp tomato paste
  • 1 Tab melted butter
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1/4 tsp paprika
  • 1 dash cayenne pepper or Tabasco

Directions:

  1. Whisk all of the ingredients together until the sauce is creamy. Do not add all of the cream/water at once. Add a little at a time, until you get the consistency you want.
  2. Refrigerate over night for best results.

Serves: Makes about 1 1/2 cups

Source: Unknown

Bacon & Onion Bread

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Frozen bread dough is soooo easy to use.  If you have a wholesale source, you can buy large sheets of it and just pop whatever on top.

Ingredients:

  • 1 loaf  frozen bread dough, thawed
  • 1/3 c olive oil
  • 1 c sharp Cheddar cheese, grated
  • 1/3 c real bacon bits
  • 3 Tab chopped fresh green onions or 1 small onion, thinly sliced

Directions:

  1. On a lightly floured board, roll thawed dough into a 14 x 12-inch rectangle.  If dough shrinks back after rolling, let rest for 10 minutes and then continue rolling.
  2. Carefully transfer rectangle of dough to baking sheet pan.
  3. Lightly coat bread sheet with olive oil.
  4. Evenly sprinkle cheese over dough.
  5. Top with bacon bits and onions. .
  6. Let rise in warm area until almost double in size.
  7. Bake at 350° for 20-30 minutes or until golden brown and done in the center.
  8. Remove from oven and pan to cool on a wire rack.

Source:  Bridgeford Bread

Rice, Artichoke and Shrimp Salad

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This can be served cold as a salad or heated as a casserole  – a twofer!

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb small or medium cooked shrimp (or crab)
  • 3 to 4 chopped green onions, white and green parts
  • 6 sliced pimiento-stuffed green olives (optional)
  • 1 tsp curry powder
  • 1 tsp lemon juice
  • 1/2 c mayonnaise (if kept over night, you might need a little more)
  • 1 (6 oz) jar quartered marinated artichoke hearts, chopped (save the marinade)
  • 1 1/2 c cooked rice (could be instant, Basmati, brown, etc.)

Directions:

  1. Drain the artichoke hearts and reserve the marinade.
  2. In a small bowl, whisk the marinade and the mayonnaise to combine.
  3. Add the green  onions, olives, curry powder, lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste, and mix together.
  4. Add the artichoke mixture to the rice.
  5. Gently stir in the cooked shrimp.
  6. If serving as a salad, chill until ready to serve. If serving as a casserole, preheat oven to 350 °. Place in a 2 1/2 quart casserole dish and bake for 20 minutes, until heated through.

Serves: 4 – 6

Source:  Memory of someone’s salad at a pot luck.  Can be made without the shrimp.

Chinese Bread – Lo Bing or Spring Onion Flatbread

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蔥油餅 cōng yóubǐng (scallion/spring onion pancakes). This delicious, easy-to-make snack is sold on street corners all over the Middle Kingdom.  This dish is often mistakenly called a pancake but is bread, unleavened bread – pancakes are made from batter.

Ingredients:

  • 2 c plain (all-purpose) flour
  • 1 c warm water
  • Vegetable oil
  • 1 c spring onions, finely chopped
  • Salt
  • White pepper

Directions:

  1. Sift flour into a mixing bowl.
  2. Add water gradually mixing until blended together.
  3. On a floured surface, knead into a smooth, elastic dough.
  4. Roll into a ball.
  5. Cover with a damp cloth,
  6. Let sit for 30 minutes.
  7. Separate dough into 2 pieces.
  8. Roll into balls.
  9. On a floured surface, roll out dough thinly (2 mm).
  10. Daub some oil over surface of each piece of rolled dough.
  11. Spread spring onions evenly over dough.
  12. Sprinkle salt, and add a pinch of pepper.
  13. Roll dough tightly like a burrito.
  14. From end to end, roll each loop into a spiral like a snail shell.
  15. Tuck tail end on top of spiral.
  16. Roll into a disc about the size of a dinner plate.
  17. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of oil to a flat-bottomed fry pan.
  18. Bring to a medium heat.
  19. Fry on both sides until golden brown.
  20. Slice like a pizza and serve immediately with or without a dipping sauce,

Serves:  6 as snack or as part of a meal

Source:  Cookchina.

Sausage Rolls

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 Use any sausage you like, either bulk or with the casing removed.  You could even use Italian or Spicy.

Ingredients:

  • 2 lbs sausage
  • 1 medium onion, finely chopped
  • 1 (17 1/3 ounce) box puff pastry sheets
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1/4 c flour

Directions:

  1. Set oven to 400°.
  2. Mix the sausage with the onion; set aside.
  3. Separate the puff pastry sheets into three sections (along fold lines).
  4. Flour your hands, rolling pin, and workspace lightly to avoid sticking.
  5. One section at a time, roll the pastry thin, and set it lengthwise on floured workspace.
  6. Place the sausage/onion mixture (about a half-inch wide and a half-inch tall) along the middle of the pastry sheet.
  7. Brush the top and bottom edges of the pastry sheet with egg.
  8. Bring them together at the top of the sausage and seal them.
  9. Brush the entire top of the roll with egg.
  10. Cut the roll into one-inch sections.
  11. Cut two small vent slits on top of each section.
  12. Place sections on ungreased baking sheet.
  13. Bake until the pastry is golden brown, typically 10 to 15 minutes).

Serves:  12, makes 36 rolls

Source: Genius Kitchen