Cooking With Indulgence

[The Albatross]

Shrimp and pea salad

• 1 lb large shrimp, cooked, peeled and chilled
• 2 cupsfresh English peas, steamed
• 1/2 cup red onion, slicd and diced thin
• 1/4 cup dill fresh chopped fine or 1 1/2 tablespoons dry
• 1/3 cup chopped parsley fresh or 3 tablespoons dry
• 1/4 tsp. dry mustard or 1 tsp spicy brown mustard
• 1 tablespoon white wine
• 1/4 cup ranch or spicey ranch dressing (I prefer spicey)
• 1 teaspoon cajun or jerk seasoning
• Pepper to taste
• Dash of lemon or lime juice

Note: You can serve in extra large fresh beef steak tomatoes, or grilled red peppers (let to cool), on a bed of mixed greens or on croissants.

Frozen peas can be substituted for fresh but fresh is better. For extra heat, add a jalepeno sliced, stripped and diced (without seeds for medium, with sees for extra heat).

 

[The Albatross]

Mediterranean Cold Soup
Source: Parenting Magazine

1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced (1 cup)
1 cucumber, seeded, quartered and diced (1 1/2 cups)
1 tbsp black olives, sliced
1/2 tbsp capers
1 1/2 cups tomato juice

In a food processor or blender, combine peppers and cucumbers
together until finely chopped. Add remaining ingredients and process
until smooth. Keep chilled until ready to serve. Serves 2.

Calories: 60
Total Fat: 1 g
Carbohydrates: 12 g
Protein: 2 g

Optional items to add: celery, green apple, red seedless grapes, fresh herbs, onion, garlic or ginger... sky's the limit.

 

[The Albatross]

Watermelon Gazpacho Soup

Ingredients:

• 4 cups seedless watermelon (cube 1 cup into into 1/2-inch pieces)
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1 tablespoon lime zest.
• 1 teaspoon salt or more to taste
• 1 to 2 cloves minced garlic
• 1 cup ripe tomato, cubed into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 cup peeled or unpeeled seedless cucumber, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1/2 cup sweet yellow or orange pepper, cubed into 1/2-inch pieces
• 3 tablespoons minced red onion
• 1 tablespoon balsamic or red-wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped seeded jalapeno pepper (optional)
• Pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons minced cilantro or dill or parsley
• Pinch sugar

Preparation:

1. Purée 3 cups watermelon and transfer to a large nonmetallic bowl. Add lime juice, lime zest, salt, garlic, tomato, cucumber, green pepper, red onion, vinegar, oil, fresh herbs of choice, sugar and jalapeno, if using, and 1 cup cubed watermelon. Mix well.
   
   
2. Chill until serving time. For a pretty presentation, fill martini glasses with the gazpacho and garnish with a slice of lime and fresh herb sprig, if desired.

 

[KP the nut]

Banana Muffins

Ingredients

200g (7 oz) plain flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 large bananas, mashed
150g (5 oz) caster sugar
1 egg
75g (2 1/2 oz) butter, melted

Preparation method
Prep: 10 mins | Cook: 25 mins

• Preheat the oven to 180 C / Gas 4. Place 12 paper baking cases in a muffin tin.
• Sift together the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt; set aside.
• Combine mashed bananas, sugar, egg and melted butter in a large bowl. Fold in flour mixture, and mix until smooth.
• Spoon evenly into baking cases in muffin tin.
• Bake in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until muffins spring back when lightly tapped.

Serves: 12

 

[amethist]

Thank you KP.

I will try this with blueberries when we get back.

 

[KP the nut]

Coconut and lime cupcakes
Ingredients

• 120g butter, softened
• 160g caster sugar
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• Zest of 1 lime
• 200g self raising flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 125ml coconut milk
• 50g dessicated coconut

Buttercream

• 120g butter, softened
• 200g icing sugar, sifted
• Lime juice to taste

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Line a 12 hole muffin tin with cupcake cases.
2. Sift the flour and baking powder together and set aside.
3. Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in the lime zest. Fold in half the sifted flour, then half the coconut milk, then the rest of the flour, followed by the remaining coconut milk. Gently fold in the dessicated coconut.
4. Spoon the mixture into the cupcake cases and bake for 18-20 minutes or until a cocktail stick inserted into the centre comes out clean. Place on wire racks to cool completely.
5. To make the buttercream, cream the butter, gradually add the sugar until smooth and creamy. Add the lime juice and continue creaming until fully combined. If the mix is to thin, add more icingsugar until it is a pipable consistency.
6. Pipe onto the cupcakes using a piping bag and then, garnish with dessicated coconut.

 

[The Albatross]

Halupki

made with ground beef and pork, sauerkraut, paprika and tomato sauce.
Makes about 18 Slovak stuffed cabbages or holubky or halpuki
Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 4 hours
Total Time: 4 hours, 45 minutes
Ingredients:
· 1 (4-pound) whole head of cabbage
· 1/2 cup raw rice
· 1/2 cup water
· 1 finely chopped medium onion
· 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter
· 1 1/2 pounds ground beef chuck
· 1/2 pound lean ground pork
· Salt and pepper
· 1 large egg
· 1 clove minced garlic
· 1 teaspoon sweet or hot paprika
· 1 pound drained (reserve juices) sauerkraut (rinsing optional)
· 1 (14-ounce) can tomato sauce
· 1 (14-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
Preparation:
1. Remove large outer leaves from cabbage and set aside. Remove core from cabbage. Place whole head in a large pot filled with boiling, salted water. Cover and cook 3 minutes, or until softened enough to pull off individual leaves. You will need about 18 leaves.
2. When leaves are cool enough to handle, use a paring knife to cut away the thick center stem from each leaf, without cutting all the way through.
3. Chop the remaining cabbage, still reserving large outer leaves, and place it in the bottom of a large greased casserole dish or Dutch oven.
4. Rinse rice and cook it in 1/2 cup water until water is abosrbed. Remove from heat and let cool. Meanwile, saute chopped onion in butter in a medium skillet until tender, and let cool.
5. In a large bowl, mix cooled rice, cooled onions, beef, pork, salt and pepper to taste, egg, garlic, paprika, reserved sauerkraut juices and 1/3 cup of the tomato sauce, and blend thoroughly. Don't overmix or the meat will become tough.
6. Place about 1/2 cup of meat on each cabbage leaf. Roll away from you to encase the meat. Flip the right side of the leaf to the middle, then flip the left side. You will have something that looks like an envelope. Once again, roll away from you to create a neat little roll.
7. Place the cabbage rolls on top of the chopped cabbage with sauerkraut and some tomato sauce in between the layers in the casserole dish or Dutch oven. Top with all the crushed tomatoes, remaining sauerkraut and tomato sauce, and a few of the reserved whole cabbage leaves. Add enough water to cover completely. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to very low, cover and simmer 3 to 4 hours. Watch carefully so stuffed cabbages don't burn.
8. Serve with pan juices and a drizzle of sour cream, if desired, and mashed potatoes and crusty bread.
9. Cabbage rolls freeze well before or after cooking, and can be made in a slow cooker (see your manufacturer's instructions).
Note: Since they can be eaten hot or at room temperature, mini cabbage rolls make great appetizers. Just spear them with a frilled toothpick and you're good to go!

My variation I use V-8, some tobasco or red rooster chili sauce. The stuffing I add chopped fresh parsley or tarragon.

 

[The Albatross]

Not something I can eat, but still want to try (it came from a kidney support website) for a dessert for family:

Caramel Apple Salad

Portions: 10 Serving size: 1/2 cup
Ingredients

• 3 cups Granny Smith apples (approximately 2 medium apples)
• 8-ounce can crushed pineapple, packed in juice
• 8-ounce container non-dairy whipped topping, thawed
• 1/2 cup butterscotch dessert topping
• 1/3 cup unsalted peanuts (optional)
• 1/4 cup butterscotch baking chips

Preparation

1. Wash and core apples, but do not peel. Cut apples into approximately 1" cubes.
2. Mix crushed pineapple (including juice) with diced apples.
3. In a separate large bowl, combine thawed non-dairy topping with butterscotch flavored dessert topping until evenly distributed.
4. Stir apple/pineapple mixture into the non-dairy topping mixture.
5. Add butterscotch chips and unsalted peanuts to mixture.
6. Stir and serve.

Helpful hints

• For best presentation, make this salad on the same day as serving.
• Be sure to use unsalted peanuts; salted peanuts will affect the consistency of the salad.
• Make ahead and refrigerate but leave out the peanuts until ready to serve.

 

[Deleted member 12723]

You guys are making me hungry.:laugh:

 

[The Albatross]

Another one of my "not yets" but I have two friends with a lemon grass plant:

Stuffed Lemongrass
Cuisine: Lao

Recipe Type: Appetizer

Vegetarian


Ingredients:

4 cloves garlic, minced
6 green onions, chopped
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
1 kaffir lime leaf, fine chiffonade
1 tsp. sea salt
8 oz. tofu, drained and cubed
10-12 thick stalks lemongrass
2 eggs, beaten
oil, for deep frying

Directions:

Brown tofu in a pan, season with 1 tsp. soy sauce and let cool. Crumble into very small bits and place in a mortar or food processor with the garlic, green onion, cilantro, lime leaf, and salt. Blend until all ingredients are incorporated. Starting about 1/2" (1cm) from the base, make a 2" (5cm) slice that goes all the way through the lemongrass, straight up the stalk. Rotate the lemongrass 1/4 turn and repeat. You should now be able to make a "cage" out of the bottom of the lemongrass by pushing it down slightly. Fill this area with a couple of spoonfuls of the tofu mixture, enclosing the mixture within the lemongrass "netting". Coat each piece of stuffed lemongrass in beaten egg and deep fry in a wok until browned.

Submitted By: Chris

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cooking Time: 10 minutes

Servings: 4-6

 

[Nighthawk]

Gillaume Nicoli’s vanilla crème brûlée

Makes three medium-sized crème brûlées.
Ingredients

• 70g milk
• 210g fresh cream
• 35g caster sugar
• 1 vanilla pod
• 2 egg yolks

For the caramelized topping:

• 1 tablespoon raw or Demerara sugar per ramekin

Method

1. Heat the milk and cream without boiling and add the vanilla pod.
2. Allow the vanilla pod to infuse in the cream and milk mixture for 30 minutes.
3. Combine the egg yolk and sugar and whisk continuously while slowly adding the milk and cream mixture to it. Or, do it the Gillaume way, by adding a third of milk mixture at a time and whisk it before adding the next third.
4. Pour into your ramekins and bake in a pre-heated oven at 100°C for one hour.
5. Allow to cool and then chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
6. Sprinkle brown sugar in an even layer over the top of each.
7. You can either torch it with a kitchen blow torch, or put under the oven grill for a few minutes until the sugar caramelised (but keep a constant eye on it!).
8. Allow the caramel layer to harden for a few minutes before serving.

Will keep well in the fridge for a day or two.

This recipe is so easy and so so yummy.

 

[piratelady]

((NH)) Thank you! :) I can't wait to make this