Cauliflower Soup

So worth the effort...

Ingredients 1 to 2 heads of cauliflower
1 carrot
1 celery branch
1 onion
(8 tbsp) butter
30ml (2 tbsp) parsley
1L (4cups) chicken or vegetable broth
500ml (2cups) milk
(6 tbsp) flour
2 bay leaves
salt to taste
250ml (1 cup) crème fraîche

Preparation
1. Cut in half and get rid of hard inner core. Roughly chop the cauliflower.
2. Finely dice carrot.
3. Finely dice celery.
4. Finely dice onion.
5. Place a stock pot over medium heat and melt (4 tbsp) butter.
6. When butter is melted, add onion. Stir them around for 2-3 minutes until lightly colored.
7. Add carrots and celery and stir around for 1 minute.
8. Add cauliflower and parsley and stir well. Reduce to heat to low and cover. Let simmer for 15 minutes, stirring a few times.
9. Add broth. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then reduce heat and let simmer.
10. While it's simmering, melt (4 tbsp) butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat.
11. In a separate bowl, pour milk, add flour and whisk.
12. As soon as the butter is melted, pour the milk mixture into the saucepan. Stir to combine and until it thickens.
13. Add 250ml (1 cup) half-and-half cream into the milk mixture and stir.
14. Pour milk mixture into the simmering soup and add 2 bay leaves.
15. Salt to taste.
16. Let soup simmer for 15-20 minutes.
17. In a soup tureen (or whatever serving bowl you will be using) place crème fraîche in bottom.
18. Add 2-3 ladles pf soup to crème fraîche and stir vigurously to get crème fraîche warmed up.
19. Pour in the rest of the soup and serve.

Makes 6 servings

Source: thepioneerwoman.com

Mussels Vinaigrette

The sea at its best...

Ingredients
(3 quarts) mussels
(1/4 cup) finely minced shallots
(1 1/2 tsp) oil
(1 1/2 tsp) butter
5-6 sprigs of fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/2 bay leaf
Few sprigs of thyme
(1/4 cup) dry white wine

Preparation
1. Scrub mussels well, scraping away all barnacles, beards, and dirt. Soak in fresh water for 1-2 hours. Alternatively, by pre-cleaned mussels and skip this step
2. In a large, covered pan, sauté shallots in oil and butter until soft.
3. Add mussels, herbs and wine.
4. Raise heat to high, cover pan, and cook, shaking pan every other minute, for about 5 minutes.
5. Do not overcook or mussels will shrink.
6. Cook only until shells have opened.
7. Drain in a colander and let cool.

Vinaigrette
Ingredients
(1/4 cup) Dijon mustard
30ml (2 tbsp) wine vinegar
(3/4 cup) light olive oil
Coarse salt and freshly grounded black pepper to taste
5-6 sprigs of fresh flat-leaf parsley

Preparation
1. Combine mustard, vinegar, salt & pepper in a bowl.
2. Gradually whisk in oil to make a thick sauce.
3. Pour over mussels and gently toss to coat mussels completely - using your hands makes it easier.
4. Sprinkle with chopped parsley.
5. You can serve lukewarm or let them cool.

Thundup's Thai Shrimp

Exquiste flavours...

Ingredients

400g cooked shrimp

3 cloves of garlic

2 green onions

1 lime

200ml coconut milk

30ml (2tbsp) vegetable or olive oil

10ml (2 tsp)red curry paste

15ml (1tbsp) tomato paste

good handful of fresh coriander, chopped
salt
black pepper

Preparation

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet or wok.
2. Sautée shrimp with garlic and green onions for 2 minutes.
3. Add coconut milk, curry paste and tomato paste.
4. Salt & pepper to taste.
5. Leave cook for 3 minutes.
6. Add lime zest and juice, coriander and serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings

Toffee

Just can't stop eating it!

Ingredients
170gr (2 cups) slivered almonds
340 (1 1/2 cups) unsalted butter
400 gr (2 cups) granulated white sugar
60 ml (1/4 cup) water
45ml (3 tbsp) light corn syrup*
5ml (1 tsp) pure vanilla extract
170 gr (6oz) milk or semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

*Can be substituted with equivalent quantity of dark corn syrup, liquid glucose or honey.


Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 177°C (350° F).
2. Place almonds on a baking sheet and bake them for 8-10 minutes, or until lightly browned and fragrant. Once the nuts have cooled to room temperature, roughly chop one cup of the almonds. Set aside.
3. Take the remaining cup of almonds and place in a food processor, fitted with a metal blade. Pulse the almonds until they are finely chopped. Set aside.
4. Butter an 28 x 43 cm (11 x 17 inch) baking sheet. Place the prepared baking sheet on a cooling rack.
5. Melt the butter in a large heavy saucepan over medium to medium-high heat. Once the butter has melted (do not let it brown), stir in the sugar, water and corn syrup. Stir until the sugar has completely dissolved. Once the mixture boils, immediately stop stirring. Brush down any sugar crystals clinging to the sides of the saucepan with a pastry brush dipped in water. Clamp a candy thermometer to the side of the saucepan and cook, without stirring, until the mixture reaches the hard crack stage 149°C (300°F). This will take about 15 minutes. If you find the sugar syrup browning unevenly, swirl the saucepan from time to time.
6. Immediately remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract and the cup (85 grams) of roughly chopped almonds. Quickly pour the toffee in an even layer on the prepared baking sheet. Carefully place the chopped chocolate over the hot toffee. After a few minutes the chocolate will be soft enough to spread with an offset spatula in an even layer over the toffee. Sprinkle the cup (85 grams) of finely chopped almonds over the melted chocolate.
7. Cool completely, either at room temperature or in the refrigerator, and then cut or break into irregular pieces.
8. Store the toffee, in an airtight container at room temperature, for about 7-10 days. It can also be frozen for about a month.

Makes about 900 - 1025 gr (2 - 2 1/2 pounds)


This recipe was taken from joyofbaking.com

Chicken Breast with Radish-Honey Cream Sauce

Smooth, velvety sauce...

Ingredients
30ml (2 tbsp) extra virgin olive oil
30ml (2 tbsp) butter
4 chicken breasts, without skin, cut in two
Fresh thyme
8 radishes finely chopped
60ml (1/4 cup) white wine
15ml (1 tbsp) honey
60ml (1/4 cup) chicken broth
60ml (1/4 cup) cream
Grounded salt and pepper

Preparation
1. Preheat the oven at 180°C (350°F).
2. In a big skillet pan, heat half of the oil and butter.
3. Season chicken breasts with salt & pepper and sear on both sides.
4. Reserve chicken juices in skillet pan.
5. Place seared chicken breasts in an oven plate and sprinkle with thyme.
6. Cook in oven for 10-12 minutes or until chicken cooked through.
7. Add remaining olive oil and butter into pan with chicken juice. When butter is melted, fry radishes for 1 minute. Deglaze with white wine and add honey.
8. When liquid has reduced to half add broth and cream. Leave it simmer for 2 to 3 minutes or until you get a smooth & thick consistency.
9. Service chicken topped with radish sauce.

Makes 4 servings

Cabbage Coleslaw

Tangy taste...

Ingredients
1 medium head cabbage, shredded
(1 cup) grated carrots
(1 cup) white sugar
(1 cup) white vinegar
(3/4 cup) vegetable oil
(1 tbsp) salt
(1 tbsp) dry mustard
black pepper to taste

Preparation
1. In a large bowl, combine cabbage and carrots.
2. Sprinkle with 1 cup sugar, and mix well.
3. In a small saucepan, combine vinegar, oil, salt, dry mustard, and pepper. Bring to a boil. Pour hot dressing over cabbage mixture, and mix well.
4. Let cool before serving.

This is best if made a day ahead to 2 weeks ahead. If you make it far ahead, drain juice prior to serving.

Smoked Paprika Chicken

A taste of summer fun...

Ingredients
(4 tbsp) mild or medium (not extra virgin) olive oil
(4 tsp) smoked paprika
(4 tsp) sea salt
8 large or 12 small chicken drumsticks, skin on

Preparation
1. Mix oil, paprika and salt together in a mixing bowl and rub the marinade over the chicken drumsticks. Push back the skin to coat the flesh itself, then pull the skin back to cover the flesh and stop it from drying out under the grill.
2. When all the drumsticks are well coated, cover the bowl and put in fridge for about an hour.
3. Preheat the grill to medium-high and grill the drumsticks for 20 minutes, or until the flesh is no longer pink and the juices run clear. Turn them every 5 minutes or so to colour them on all sides. Towards the end of the cooking period you can turn heat up to high, to crisp up the skin slightly, but monitor them closely to make sure they don't burn.