I am back

Sorry that the blog has been dark for the last few weeks. There has been allot going on in the past few weeks and things are finally getting back to normal. I will be posting 20 new recipes that i have been working on for the past month. There are 6 new soups, several new chicken recipes: which are my take on some old classics, and lastly there are a few cookie and deserts as well. A

Lemon Tart

Lemon Tart

Ingredients

Crust
1 box Nilla wafers
1 stick unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup raw sugar
1/4 cup unbleached flour

Filling
2 3.5oz bars of Green and Blacks white chocolate chopped
1 Cup heavy cream
3 eggs
1/2 cup raw sugar
2 large Lemons zest and juiced, Meyer lemons are best

Directions

Place the box of Nilla wafers into the food processor and pulse until crumbled. Transfer to a bowl and add the flour and sugar and stir to combine. Now add the butter and stir until coated. Transfer to a parchment lined tart pan, press until even in pan and bake in a 350 degree oven for about 10 to 15 minutes until set. Set aside to cool.

In a large bowl whisk together the sugar, eggs, zest and juice until smooth. Place bowl over boiling water and whisk until the mixture starts to thicken. Remove from heat and add the chocolate, whisking until melted and smooth. Let mixture cool, while in the stand mixer whip up heavy cream until stiff peaks are formed. Fold whipped cream into cooled lemon mixture, pour into tart pan, smooth out. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least two hours.

Enjoy Cooking

Earthy Fish Stew

Here is another of my soups I have been working on over the past few weeks. It is really warming on a nice cold night and it is not too heavy, Enjoy.

Earthy Fish Stew

Ingredients

4 cups low salt Veggie stock
2 red onions, diced
2 red peppers, diced
3 stalks of celery, diced
1 cup of diced carrots
2 cans tomatoes, diced, 15 to 16oz cans
1 can chickpeas, drained, 16oz can
1/4 cup dried cherries, diced
1 1/2 lbs shrimp, peeled and cleaned
3 catfish fillets, cut into 2 inch slices
1/4 cup fresh parsley
2 table spoons olive oil
1 green chili sliced into rings, seeds removed
salt to taste

Now for the spices - I used this spice mixture i made up for my Moroccan BBQ chicken: so you are going to make allot and only use about 2 tablespoons for this dish but its is great on meats too.

2 teaspoons of cardamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
2 teaspoons mace
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons turmeric
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon allspice
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

Mix well in a jar and then pull out 2 tablespoons for this dish and save the rest.

Directions

In a deep soup pot place 1 of the diced onions along with 1 tablespoon of oil, saute until soft over medium high heat. Now add the cherries and saute for an additional 2 minutes. Remove from the pot.

In the same pot add the remaining onion a long with the carrots, celery, peppers and the remaining oil. Saute until soft. Now add the tomatoes, stock, the 2 tablespoons of the spice mixture and the chickpeas, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 30 minutes.

Now add the catfish and simmer for 5 minutes. Next add the shrimp, stir, cover and turn off the heat. Let stand covered for 5 to 7 minutes, until shrimps are cooked through and tender. Noe add parsley, stir and serve. Garnish with the green chili rings.

Enjoy Cooking

Spicy Red Lentil Soup

I have been playing with this recipe for the last few weeks but i think now its perfect, enjoy

Spicy Red lentil Soup

Ingredients

3 cups red Lentils
4 medium Parsnips, peal and chunky diced
1 large onion, diced
1 large red pepper, diced
3 ribs of celery, diced
1 pint cherry tomatoes
1 can of diced tomatoes, 15 to 16oz
1 can tomato paste
1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley, Italian
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground yellow mustard
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper(we like its spicy so i use i bit more)
salt and pepper to taste
10 cups of water

Directions

Melt butter over medium high heat in a deep soup pot. Next add onions and peppers and saute until soft, about 5 minutes, followed by all the spices, saute for an additional minute. Now add the parsnips and the garlic and saute for an addition 2 minutes. Add the lentils, all the tomatoes and the water, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for about an hour on a very low heat: tasting and adjusting the seasoning as you go. Once the soup is thick and the parsnips are soft the soup is done. Add the parsley before serving with a nice baguette.

Enjoy Cooking

Earthy Spicy Hamburgers

Earthy Spicy Hamburgers

Ingredients

2 lbs of organic ground chuck beef
1 egg, whisked
1 cup minced onions
1/4 cup minced, seeded tomato
2 tablespoons of minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced ginger
1 tablespoon minced chili of choice

1 teaspoon of all of the following
ground cumin
ground coriander
ground turmeric
ground cinnamon
fresh ground black pepper

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
salt to taste

Directions

Whisk all spices together; then place all the ingredients in a large bowl and mix together well him hands.

Form in patties and grill to desired wellness.

I serve with a garlic yogurt tomato sauce, onions and tomato on slices of French bread.

Enjoy Cooking

Lemongrass Chicken

Happy New Year, it has been awhile since my last post, but there was so much going with holidays. Also i have been playing with the flavors of South East Asian, it is an area i have not explored before. Here is one of the recipes i recreated from one of my favorite Thai dishes: Enjoy

Ingredients

4 chicken breasts, skinned and boned
1/4 cup shredded lemon mint
3 green onions chopped into about 1 inch slices
2 tablespoons of minced lemongrass, from the blub end
2 tablespoons of minced garlic
2 tablespoons of fish sauce
1 tablespoon of minced chili of choice
2 teaspoons of raw sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons of soy sauce
salt and pepper to taste
Canola oi

Directions
Cut chicken into bit sizes pieces and place in a large bowl followed by the balance of the ingredients with the exception of the mint and the oil. Toss to coat, cover and place in the fridge to marinate, at least 2 hours, the longer the better.

Place a large skillet over medium high heat with a few table spoons of oil and heat until oil starts to shimmer. Now add the chicken and stir fry the chicken until done, about 3 to 4 minutes. Take a piece and cut open to make sure its cooked through. Serve with a nice spicy cucumber salad.

Enjoy Cooking