Cream Of Carrot Soup

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Posted on March 20, 2010 by Henry

Ingredients

8 peeled and sliced carrots
1 chopped onion
1 bay leaf
3 cups chicken stock
3 tablespoons butter
2 minced cloves garlic
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
salt and pepper

Method

Combine the carrots, onion, bay leaf and stock; cover and simmer until tender about 30 minutes.
Remove and discard bay leaf.
Puree the soup.
Meanwhile melt the butter; cook the garlic over low heat until tender, stir in the flour, cook, stirring, over low heat for 2 minutes.
Pour in the hot puree; stir and bring to boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 3 minutes.
Stir in the milk.
Season with salt and pepper.
Serve in bowls, garnish as desired.

Notes: Garnish with grated lemon peel and chopped parsley

Keywords: soups, vegeterian
Servings: 4
Source: Canadian Living – Everyday Cookbook 1984 – Page 60

Fruit Flan

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Posted on March 20, 2010 by Henry

Ingredients

1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 cups milk
2 beaten eggs
4 ounces cream cheese
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 large sponge cake flan
3 tablespoons cognac
assorted fresh fruits
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
3/4 cups orange juice

Method

In large saucepan stir together 1/2 cup sugar, 1/4 cup cornstarch and salt.
Gradually stir in milk. Stirring constantly, bring to boil over medium
heat, boil 2 min. Gradually stir about 1/2 cup hot mixture into eggs, then
stir eggs into hot mixture. Stirring constantly boil 2 min. Add cream
cheese and vanilla; mix until smooth. Sprinkle cognac over flan shell,
pour filling into shell. Chill 2 hours until firm.
Arrange fruit over filling. In small saucepan, stir together 2 tablespoon
sugar and 1 tablespoon cornstarch. Gradually stir in orange juice stirring
constantly bring to boil over medium heat and boil 1 min. Spoon evenly
over fruit. Chill until firm.

Servings: 8
Source: Lilien Borg Bathet

Minestrone Alla Napoletana

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Posted on March 20, 2010 by Henry

“A typical minestrone from the Campania region of Italy”

Ingredients

100 g pasta (ditali)
500 g diced pumpkin
200 g diced potato
400 g drained kidney beans
2 diced zucchini
1 diced large carrot
1 finely chopped stalk celery
100 g finely chopped pancetta
1 finely chopped sprig fresh rosemary
300 g peas
30 g finely chopped parsley
1 finely chopped onion
fresh basil
fresh marjoram
4 tablespoons olive oil
5 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
salt and pepper
1 litre hot water

Method

Prepare the onion, pancetta, parsley, basil, celery and rosemary and cook in the olive oil until the onion is soft and the pancetta is cooked. Add the carrot, pumkin and the potato and continue to cook for 7 minutes.
Add the hot water and slow boil for 30 minutes. Add the drained kidney beans.
Continue boiling for an other 30 minutes. Add the zucchini and the peas, stirring and finish cooking.
Add the pasta and cook over medium heat. ( Add a little hot water if required ). Add a pinch of marjoram, salt and pepper and a tablespoon of grated cheese. Serve with the remaining cheese.
Minestrone could be served hot or cold.

Source: Primi Piatti – Page 457
Preparation Time: 4:00
Keywords: soups, vegetables, italian
Servings: 4

Spaghetti Alle Vongole In Bianco

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Posted on March 20, 2010 by Henry

Ingredients

3 kg clams
100 ml olive oil
150 ml dry white wine
3 peeled and sliced garlic cloves
3 crumbled small dried chillies
250 g spaghetti
3 tablespoons chopped parsley
salt and pepper

Method

Heat 1/3 of the oil in a large saucepan with a lid.
Add 1/2 the wine, 1 garlic clove and 1 chilli.
Add 1/2 the clams, cover, and cook over high heat until they open.
Remove the clams to a large bowl together with their juices.
Repeat with the remainder of the clams.
Chop the remaining garlic and chilli, and fry until light brown.
Add the clams and their juices and remove from heat immediately.
Cook the spaghetti, drain, place in the clam pan, coat and add the parsley
and black pepper.

Source: The River Cafe Cookbook – Page 87
Keywords: pasta, seafood, italian
Servings: 6

Garlic Soup

Posted on May 10, 2012 by Henry

Ingredients

12 large garlic cloves, peeled
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon melted butter
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
4 cups / 1 liter good chicken stock
2 egg yolks, lightly beaten
bread croutons, fried in butter to serve

Method

Crush the garlic in a garlic press, put the oil and butter in a pan, add the garlic and onion, and cook gently for 20 minutes, until soft but do not brown. Add the flour and stir to make a roux. Cook for a few minutes, then stir in the wine vinegar, stock and 1 liter / 4 cups of water. Simmer for about 30 minutes. .
When ready to serve the soup, whisk in the lightly beaten egg yolks. Put in the croutons into eight soup bowls and pour over the hot soup. IMPORTANT TIP: When adding egg yolks to thicken a soup, reheat the soup gently but do not bring to the boil, otherwise egg will curdle.

Keywords: soups, Irish
Servings: 8
Source: The Soup Book by Anne Sheasby – Page54

Stuffed Tomatoes, Italian Style ( Pomodori Ripieni)

Posted on April 30, 2012 by Henry

Ingredients

FILLING
200 grams boneless skinless chicken breast, sliced
50 grams fresh bread crumbs
1 tablespoon capers, rinsed and chopped
1 shallot, chopped
1 sprig rosemary
1 sprig marjoram
6 tablespoons dry white wine
milk to soak breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper
finely chopped parsley
finely chopped rosemary
ASSEMBLY
4 large tomatoes, halved and emptied
mayonnaise to serve
1 grated zucchini, green part only
Parmesan cheese, grated
extra virgin olive oil

Method

Marinate the sliced chicken breast together with the chopped shallot, the rosemary and marjoram sprigs and the white wine for 1 hour. Soak the breadcrumbs in milk. After an hour marinating, place the chicken breast, the bread squeezed from the milk, 2 tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese , salt, parsley and finely chopped rosemary in a processor and process until chopped. Add the chopped capers to the mixture and fill the emptied and drained tomatoes. Sprinkle the tops of the filling with the grated zucchini, grated Parmesan cheese and a drizzle of olive oil
Preheat the oven to 190°C and cook the tomatoes for 15 minutes; serve lukewarm accompanied with a bowl of mayonnaise.

Keywords: Italian, appetizer, antipasto, poultry

Servings: 4
Source: Cucina Italiana Special – Pomodoro che passione – page 34

Roast Duck With Gingered Apricot And Cherry Sauce

Posted on April 29, 2012 by Henry

Ingredients

2 – 4 pound ducks, excess fat removed, neck and giblets (excluding liver) reserved
1/2 orange, halved
2 cups chicken stock
1 apple sliced
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1 inch piece fresh ginger, cut in julienne strips
2 ounces dried apricots, cut in julienne strips
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup apricot preserves
1/4 cup pitted cherries

Method

In a large kettle let the ducks soak in hot water to cover for five minutes, drain and pat dry.Season lightly with salt and pepper, prick all over with a fork, put a quarter orange in each of the cavities, truss the ducks and roast on a rack in a large roasting pan in a preheated 325°F. oven, basting them with 1 cup of chicken stock, for 2 hours and thirty minutes, or until very tender.
While ducks are roasting, in a large saucepan combine the remaining 1 cup chicken stock, the reserved necks and giblets, cover with enough water to cover , bring to a boil and simmer mixture for 2 1/2 hours, adding water if necessary to keep the necks covered. Strain and boil liquid until reduced to about 1/2 cup.
Let the ducks cool, halve the ducks, discard backbones, ribs and thigh bones, and trim any excess fat and skin. Arrange the ducks on top of apple slices in another roasting pan and reheat them in a preheated 425°F. oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until they are hot and crisp.
While duck is being reheated, in a small saucepan combine the sugar and vinegar, boil the mixture, swirling the pan, until syrupy, stir in the gingerroot and apricots. Stir in the reduced stock and wine and boil the sauce until reduced by one fourth. Stir in the preserves, the cherries, season with salt and pepper to taste and simmer until it it is thickened slightly.
Serve the duck with the sauce.

Keywords: poultry
Servings: 4
Source: Gourmet – May 1986 – Page 182

Ormskirk Gingerbreads

Posted on April 24, 2012 by Henry

Ingredients

900 grams flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
225 grams butter
450 grams soft brown sugar
450 grams golden syrup

Method

Sift the flour, baking powder and ginger into a bowl. Rub in the butter, then mix in the sugar.
Warm the syrup and stir into the ginger mixture. Leave overnight
The next day, roll out the dough thinly and cut into shapes with biscuit cutters. Place on a baking sheets and bake in a moderate oven 180°C for 15 minutes.
Keep watch as the gingerbread will burn easily
Keywords: cookies, biscuits

Servings: Makes 20-24 cookies

Source: The Women’s Institutes’ Book of 650 Favourite Recipes – Page 240

Qaghaq Tal-Qastanija Or Qaghaq Tal-Ghasel, (Honey Xmas Rings)

Posted on April 17, 2012 by Henry

Ingredients

PASTRY

11/2 pounds flour
1/4 pound margarine
1/4 pound sugar
1/4 pound semolina
1/4 pound lard
water to mix
FILLING
2 cups honey or treacle
2 cups water
2 tangerines or 1 orange
4 teaspoons cocoa powder
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1 small glass (jigger) anisette
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons Maltese mixed spice (see recipe)
1 tablespoons semolina

Method

PASTRY: Mix flour, fats, sugar, semolina and enough water to bind and knead into a dough
FILLING: Put all the ingredients in a pot except for the semolina and bring to the boil. Add the semolina very gently and stir, continue cooking, stirring once or twice until the mixture thickens, remove from the heat and allow to cool.
ASSEMBLY: Roll out the pastry and cut into long strips approximately 2 1/2 inches wide. Place the filling down the centre of the strip and roll over lengthwise. Cut into lengths to form rings 6 inches in diameter, place on a floured oven tray joint side down, cut slits at intervals on the top to form a pattern. Bake in a hot oven until the pastry is golden in colour and the filling seeps through the slits.

These are traditional Christmas sweets, today however they are found all the year round, This recipe is adapted from Carmen Carbonaro’s recipe book “Maltese Dishes” frist published in the late 1950′s

Keywords: Maltese, Christmas sweets
Source: Carmen Carbonaro

Maltese Mixed Spice

Posted on April 15, 2012 by Henry

Ingredients

3 teaspoons ground coriander
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cloves

Method

Mix the ground spices together, place in a glass jar with a good cover

Mixed spice is found in a lot of traditional Maltese recipes, I am not quite sure where this came from, I suspect North African influence.

Keywords: Maltese traditional, Spice mix

Source: Traditional

Pork And Crab Meatballs

Posted on April 15, 2012 by Henry

Ingredients

225 grams pork fillet, chopped
170 grams canned crab meat, drained
3 spring onions, chopped finely
1 garlic clove, chopped finely
1 teaspoon Thai red curry paste
1 tablespoon cornflour
1 egg white
vegetable oil for deep frying
boiled rice to serve
SAUCE
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 shallots, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 large fresh chillies, deseeded and chopped
4 spring onions, chopped
3 tomatoes, coarsely chopped

Method

Put the pork and crabmeat in a bowl and mix together. Add the spring onions, garlic, curry paste, cornflour and egg white and beat to make a thick paste. With damp hands, shape the mixture into walnut size balls.
Heat the oil in a wok and deep fry the balls in batches for 3-4 minutes, turning frequently, until golden brown and cooked. Drain on kitchen paper and keep warm.
To make the sauce, heat the oil in a wok and stir-fry the shallots and garlic for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the chillies and spring onions and stir-fry for 1-2 minutes more, add the tomatoes. Stir together quickly, then spoon over the pork and crab balls. Serve immediately with rice.

Keywords: appetizers, starters, Thai, Asian
Servings: 6
Source: Asian the essential recipe collection – Parragon

Xkunvat

Posted on April 15, 2012 by Henry

Ingredients

10 ounces flour
knob of margarine
2 egg yolks
1 small glass anisette
1 tablespoon sugar
honey
hundreds and thousands
chocolate chips

Mix the flour, sugar and margarine until smooth. Add the egg yolks and anisette . Mix into the dough and knead well. Roll into a ball cover with plastic film and leave to rest for a few hours. Roll out the pastry ver finely, cut into strips, and form into knots. Deep fry until golden in colour, lift with slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper. Pour honey on each strip while still hot and decorate with hundreds and thousands and chocolate chips.

This recipe was adapted from a old recipe book by Carmen Carbonaro who was a very popular radio host in Malta back in the 1950′s. The ingredients are what was available in the Maltese grocery store at the time, Butter can be substituted for margarine, and Sambuca can be used instead of the anisette.

Keywords: Maltese, desserts
Source: Recipes of Maltese Dishes – Page 54 by Carmen Carbonaro

Oxtail With Aged Rum and Rioja Wine

Posted on April 15, 2012 by Henry

Ingredients

2 oxtails, cut into serving pieces, trimmed of fat
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 garlic cloves
250 grams sweet potato, peeled and cubed
3 onions sliced
250 grams pumpkin, cubed
250 grams celeriac, peeled and cubed
300 milliliters beef stock
600 milliliters Rioja wine
Scotch Bonnet hot pepper
1 teaspoon allspice berries
2 cinnamon sticks
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoons tomato puree
zest and juice of 1 lime
1 teaspoon sugar
salt and freshly ground black pepper
150 milliliters aged rum
2 tablespoon chopped parsley
FOR THE SEASONING
3 garlic cloves
1 red onion, finely chopped
1 teaspoon fresh oregano leaves
2 tablespoons finely chopped Scotch Bonnet pepper, deseeded
1 celery stick. chopped

Method

Blach the oxtails pieces by pouring boiling water over them, dry thoroughly and place in a bowl. Blitz the seasoning ingredients , then rub the mixture over the meat, cover and place in a refrigerator overnight. Heat the olive oil, add the oxtail pieces a few at a time and fry 5-7 minutes until lightly browned, remove each batch and set aside. Add garlic, sweet potatoes, onions, pumpkin and celeriac to the pan and fry over moderate heat for 5 minutes, or until golden brown. Drain of the excess fat and a pour in the stock, wine and 300 milliliter of water to the pan. Add Scotch Bonnet pepper, all spice, cinnamon, bay leaves, tomato puree and lime zest and juice. Season with sugar, salt and pepper.
Bring to the boil over moderate heat, then reduce to low and simmer for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, or until meat is soft and tender. Remove scotch Bonnet and discard. Transfer the meat to a serving dish and keep warm while you prepare the sauce.
Strain the sauce juices through a sieve into another pan, pressing out as much juice as you can. De-glaze the pan with the rum and add to the strained sauce. Bring to a boil, then pour over the oxtails and serve immediately, garnished with the chopped parsley.
The Scotch Bonnet are optional, depending on how hot you like your food

Keywords: Cuban, meat, stew

Servings: 8 persons
Source: Eat Cuban, recipes from Floridita – Andy Rose and Judy Bastyra – page 74

Mediterranean Pesto

Posted on April 12, 2012 by Henry

Ingredients

40 grams stoned black olives
25 grams capers
20 grams pine nuts
20 basil leaves
2 sprigs oregano
1 small red chili pepper, seeded
1 garlic clove
extra virgin olive oil
coarse sea salt

Method

Puree all the ingredients with a tablespoon of olive oil and a pinch of salt.

Keywords: sauces and marinades

Servings: 1

Source: Cucina Italiana – August 2004 – page 98