Creamy Mushroom Soup ~ Velouté de Champignons


Serves 4.

INGREDIENTS:

1 oz. dried porcini mushrooms
3/4 cup hot water
12 oz. mushrooms (reserve 4 whole mushrooms for garnish)
1-2 Tablespoons butter
1 garlic clove, pressed
2 cups vegetable broth
3 Tablespoons chopped parsley + extra for garnish
1/2 cup cream
fresh lemon juice
salt, pepper and freshly ground nutmeg

PREPARATION:

1. Pour the 3/4 cups of hot water over the dried mushrooms and let them sit for 10 minutes to re-hydrate.

2. In the meantime, clean and chop the fresh mushrooms, reserving 4 whole ones for a garnish.

3. In a large pot, melt the butter and stir in the pressed garlic. Add the chopped mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper.

4. Remove the dried mushrooms with a slotted spoon and add the pot. Do not throw out the liquid.

5. Line a strainer with a coffee filter and strain the re-hydrating liquid. Add the strained liquid to the pot, along with the 2 cups of vegetable broth.

6. Bring the soup to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes.

7. Stir in the 3 tablespoons chopped parsley.

8. Using a hand blender, blend the soup. Stir in the cream.


To serve:
Season the soup with salt, pepper and some nutmeg. Stir in some lemon juice. Slice the reserved mushrooms. Ladle the soup into 4 bowls, top each with sliced mushrooms and some parsley and serve.

Mint Chocolate Mousse


INGREDIENTS:

11 oz. bittersweet chocolate (Callebaut or Valrhona), finely chopped
12 Tablespoons water
6 large eggs, separated
1 stick (4 oz.) unsalted butter
4 Tablespoons Crème de mènthe

PREPARATION:

1. Heat the water in a saucepan over low heat. When it is warm, add the chopped chocolate and stir to melt. Allow to cool.

2. Place the chocolate in a mxing bowl and beat at high speed for 2 minutes.

3. Add 1 tablespoon of the butter alternately with 1 egg yolk. (Start and end with 1-1/2 tablespoons of butter.) Beat the mixture until it is fluffy and lighter in color.

4. Add the crème de menthe and mix well.

5. In a clean bowl with scrupulously clean beaters, whip the egg whites to stiff peaks, adding a little sugar about half way through.

6. Fold the egg whites into the chocolate. Place the mousse in the refrigerator overnight.

To serve:
Serve in individual bowls garnished with some whipped cream and a mint sprig, if desired.

Ice Cream


Ingredients

2 cups cocnut milk
1 cup water
4 eggs
1 teaspoon of vanilla or rosewater (optional)
pinch of salt
2 tablespoons of shredded coconut
sprigs of mint for garnish

method

Stir fry the coconut until golden (optionally use a few pieces of fresh
corn... Thais often flavor ice cream with things considered unusual to
western tastes).

Heat the coconut milk and water over medium heat, stirring continuously
for a couple of minutes. DO NOT ALLOW TO BOIL.

In a bowl beat two eggs, plus two yolks, then add the other ingredients,
and whisk gently.

Transfer the mixture to a double boiler over gently boiling water, and
slowly blend in the hot coconut milk, stirring until the mixture
thickens to form a continuous slightly sticky coat on the back of a
spoon lifted from the mixture.

Remove from the heat and allow to cool, then transfer to a metal ice
cream tray or similar container and place in the coldest part of the
freezer for one hour.

Remove to a food processor and beat slowly until smooth (this incorporates some sir into the mixture and prevents it becoming too
hard), then return to the freezer and complete the freezing process.

Cherry and Cream Trifle


Ingredients:

1 can sweetened condensed milk
11/2 cups cold water
1 package(4 serving size) vanilla instant pudding mix
2 cups(500ml) whipping cream, whipped
1 vanilla or lemon cake, cut in cubes
1-2 cans(19 oz) cherry pie filling

Method:

In large mixing bowl combine milk and water. Add pudding mix; beat well. Chill until thickened, about 20 minutes. Fold in whipped cream. Spoon some of the pudding(enough to cover bottom of round serving dish) into bowl. Top with some of the cake cubes and then cherry filling. Repeat procedure ending with pudding on top. Chill at least 4 hours. Serves 8-10

me too

Plain Cake Doughnuts



INGREDIENTS:

2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
2 tablespoons melted butter
1/2 cup milk
1 egg, beaten
1 quart oil for frying
optional - powdered sugar or cinnamon sugar mixture


PREPARATION:

For draining doughnuts, prepare a place with either newspapers or a brown paper bag. Top those with paper towels. Either flour clean kitchen counter or bread board for kneading doughnuts. Prepare a shallow bowl or plate with an inch of flour.
Heat oil in deep fryer to 375 degrees F.

Sift flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg. Mix in butter until crumbly. Stir in milk and egg. With floured hands, lightly knead the smooth dough. Turn onto area prepared with flour. Pat dough into 1/4 inch thickness. Dip either doughnut cutter or two biscuit cutters (one 1-inch and one 3 or 4-inch) in flour. Use to cut-out doughnuts. Carefully drop doughnuts into hot oil, only a few at a time. Fry, turning once, for about 3 minutes or until golden brown. Drain on prepared paper towels. Sprinkle with powdered sugar or cinnamon-sugar mixture.

French Toast

.
INGREDIENTS:

4 eggs
1 teaspoon sugar, optional
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
10 to 12 slices white bread
butter
maple syrup or other syrup

PREPARATION:

Break eggs into a wide, shallow bowl or pie plate; beat lightly with a fork. Stir in sugar, salt, and milk.
Over medium-low heat, heat griddle or skillet coated with a thin layer of butter or margarine.

Place the bread slices, one at a time, into the bowl or plate, letting slices soak up egg mixture for a few seconds, then carefully turn to coat the other side.

Soak/coat only as many slices as you will be cooking at one time.
Transfer bread slices to griddle or skillet, heating slowly until bottom is golden brown. Turn and brown the other side. Serve French toast hot with butter and syrup.

serves 4.

good

Butter Prawns

Ingredients

600 g (1-1/4lb) large prawns
oil for deep frying
2-3 tablespoons butter
15 birds's eye chillies, roughly chopped
10-15 sprigs curry leaves
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon light soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon chinese wine
1/2 grated coconut, dry fried until golden

Preparation

Remove heads from the prawns but leave on shells.
Slit dow the back to remove intestinal tract, trim feelers and legs and dry parwns thoroughly.
Heat the oil and deep fry the prawns.
Drain and reserve.

Melt the butter, and chillies, curry leaves, garlic and salt and fry for 2 minutes.
Add prawns, sugar, soy sauce, wine and grated coconut.
Cook over high heat for 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently.
Serve immediately.

Oatmeal Muffins Recipe 1


Ingredients

1 cup oatmeal
1 1/2 pints flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon cold shortening
2 eggs
1 pint milk

Instructions

Sift together oatmeal, flour, salt, and powder.
Rub in cold shortening and add beaten eggs and milk.
Mix into a smooth batter.
Fill muffin-pans 2/3 full and bake for 15 minutes.

Paprika Sauce

Ingredients

1 tablespoon paprika
3½ cups cream or white sauce
(To make White Sauce: scald 1 pint of milk. Melt 1,2 or 3 tablespoons of butter, depending on desired consistency, in a saucepan. Add half a teaspoon of salt, and 1,2,or 4 tablespoons of flour, depending on desired consistency, and let cook for one minute, stirring constantly. Add the milk little by little, stirring gently until it boils. Let it boil for 3 minutes.)

Instructions

While the cream sauce is still hot, mix in the paprika.

Salmon Soup


Ingredients

1/3 can salmon
4 tablespoons flour
1 quart scalded milk
1½ teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons butter
Few grains pepper

Instructions

Drain oil from salmon
Remove skin and bones, rub through a sieve.
Add gradually the milk, season, and bind.

Grated Apple Tartlets


Ingredients :
400g filo pastry
4 or 5 Granny Smith apples
200g apple sauce or compote (homemade or shop bought)
150g caster sugar
20g butter
A little flour


Recipe :
Preheat oven to 420°F (210°C).

Dust your work surface with flour, roll out pastry to 3mm thickness, divide into two rectangles then cut each one into three.

Place the pastry rectangles on a baking tray lined with baking parchment and roll the sides of each one up slightly to form borders. Prick the bottom of each tartlet with a fork.
Peel the apples, removing cores and pips, then grate into medium strips and mix with half of the caster sugar.

Spread a layer of compote on each tartlet, then share the grated apple out on top. Sprinkle with remaining sugar and add a few small chunks of butter to each one.

Bake in the middle of the oven for 20 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350°F (180°C) and bake for a further 20 minutes. Leave in the oven for a further 5 minutes, with the door half open.

Leave tartlets to cool completely on a wire grill, once you have taken them out of the oven.