Very Good Recipes

Here is Kollywood's Christmas entree for the Christmas Menu Challenge:

Gigot Bergére

What to buy ?

For lamb :

One full leg of lamb (gigiot) - 1 carrot – 2 sticks of celery - 200 gm of mushroom - 2 cube Beef extract - 200 ml white wine - Puff pastry - oil – butter.

For white sauce :

½ lt of milk – 50 gm butter - 2 to 3 tablespoon of flour - salt and pepper - 1 pinch of muscade - Paremesan .

150 gm of rice - 100 gm of peas

How to do ?

1)Heat a casserole, you are going to rissole chopped carrot and celery with butter and 3 tablespoon of oil and add chopped mushroom. Add now full leg of lamb. Cook it two sides gloden color. Pour white wine and 1 glass of hot water in which you have melt the beef extract. simmer over a gentle heat. When the leg come soft remove from the fire.

2) Pass the liquid through a sieve. Separate vegetables and liquid.

 

3)Prepare Thick white sauce (Béchamel)

a) In a pan, melt butter(low heat).

b) Add little by little the flour into the melted butter.

c) Add slowly milk, stirring constantly.

d) Continue cooking slowly until smooth and thickened.

e) Add salt, pepper and 1 pinch muscade and parmesan.

 

4)Keep the full leg in a plat and coat 2 sides with white sauce.

5) preheat oven 200°

6) Roll the full leg of lamb with puff pastry and Put the packaging into the oven for 25 – 30 minutes.

7)cook the Rice and peas sepeartly.

8) serve with full leg lamb , rice , peas vegetables, and lamb extract. In a separate bowl

Bon appétit

 

Here is Rebecca's Christmas Dessert entry for the Christmas Menu Challenge:

I've been making these meringues for years now and they have become a staple on my holiday baking list. They are super easy, very festive, easy to store, and always bring rave reviews. 



Ingredients:
2 egg whites
1/8 tsp. cream of tartar
1/8 tsp. salt
1/2 white sugar
2 crushed candy canes

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 225 degrees Fahrenheit. Line cookie sheet with foil.
2) Beat egg whites, salt, and cream of tartar to soft peaks.
3) Gradually add sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form.
4) Cut the corner of a ziplock bag and use to pipe spoonful amounts on to cookie sheet.
5) Sprinkle with crushed candy cane.
6) Bake for 50 minutes or until centers are almost dry. Turn off oven and leave door ajar to let them cool. Do not let them brown.

Meringues can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 months or frozen.

Here is Teena's recipe for the Thanksgiving challenge:


Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Inspired by: Barefoot Contessa by Ina Garten

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups sugar
• 1 1/3 cups vegetable oil
• Ener-G egg replacer for 3 eggs (1-1/2 teaspoons Ener-G Egg Replacer plus 2 tablespoons water equals one egg)
• 2 cups plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose GLUTEN-free flour (I used trader joes brand)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1½ teaspoons kosher salt or 1 teaspoon regular morton's salt
• 1 pound organic carrots, grated
• 1 cup dried berry blend (from trader joes)
• 1 cup chopped walnuts

METHOD

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease 2 (9 x 2-inch) and flour round cake pans.

In a bowl, beat the sugar, oil, and egg replacer on medium-high speed for 2 minutes or until light yellow and thickened. Then, stir in the vanilla.

In another bowl, sift together the 2 cups of gluten free flour, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda.  With the mixer on low, slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ones.

In a medium bowl, toss the carrots, dried berry blend walnuts, and the 1 tablespoon of flour. Stir into the batter with a rubber spatula.

Now, divide the batter between the two pans and smooth the tops. Bake for 10 minutes, lower the heat to 350 degrees, and bake for 30-35 minutes. Check with a toothpick --- it should come out clean. Let cool in the pans for 15 minutes, turn out onto a baking rack, and cool completely.
Place one cake on a flat serving plate, rounded side down. Spread half the frosting on the top only. Place the second cake on top of the first cake, rounded side up and frost just the top.
Enjoy!

Keywords : April Fool, Chocolate Torte

Mary's entry for the April Fool recipe challenge:

No one ever guesses the surprise ingredient in this torte.



Ingredients:

• 2 cups black beans, cooked, drained and rinsed
  
• 4 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate
  
• 2 tablespoons prepared strong coffee
• 4 ounces butter
  
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 3 eggs, separated
  
• 1/3 c ground walnuts
  
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  

Preparation:

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Generously butter a 9-inch springform pan. Puree black beans until very smooth; set aside. Melt chocolate and coffee in the top of a double boiler set over boiling water; set aside to cool. In a large bowl, cream butter and 3/4 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Add cooled chocolate, ground walnuts, vanilla and pureed beans and blend well. In a separate bowl beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Add 1 T sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form. Using a rubber spatula fold 1/3 of the egg whites into the batter to lighten it; incorporate fully. Gently fold in remaining egg whites until completely blended. Pour batter into pan, smoothing the top and filling the pan from side-to-side. Bake in center of oven for 50 to 60 minutes. The middle will still be soft but will set as it cools. Do not overbake. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edge and remove outside ring of pan. Allow to cool completely.

Dust with confectioner’s sugar, unsweetened cocoa powder or garnish with orange peel curls. Serve with sweetened whipped cream. Serves 8-10.

A disguised recipe by Martine of Mart-inn and key2paris for the April Fool challenge :

Hello,

• 250gr of good bitter chocolate (Valrhona is excellent)
• 80gr de powdered sugar(caster)
• 2 TBS flour
• 4 eggs
• 125gr softened butter (a stick is 100gr)

 

break the chocolate into pieces, add a TBS of water and melt in the microwave for about 1mn. Make sure not to overcook it.

Stir with a spatula.

Cut  butter in small pieces and stir into the melted chocolate.

Add sugar, flour and whole eggs one at a time.

Pour this batter into you mold .(buttered and floured if not non-stick one).

Bake (double  boiling method)  at 180°C for about 30mn.  (350F)

 

Middle of the cake should be firm when touching with your finger.

Let it cool and remove from mold.

 

Then you can cut circles (size to match with your clay pot).

 

I use rubber mold ( Demarle, flexipan brand) so I do not have to butter and flour the mold. Also double boiling is not necessary.

 

You can either use a large mold and you’ll cut the circles out of it.

Or  use individual molds and then you’ll choose the clay pot according to the size of your molds.

 

If you use individual molds, the cakes are cooked before 30mn.

You should experiment with your molds and oven.

 

Martine Jablonski-Cahours

2 great recipes from Corrina for the Saint-Patrick recipe challenge:

My children LOVE, LOVE, LOVE mixing ingredients. If I don’t give them something to mix, they will find stuff to mix on their own (which always involves an enormous mess on my kitchen floor). This was a good task for them. Simple ingredients, simple process, and they got to crank the heck out of the pasta machine. Don’t be afraid to make your own pasta – it is really much easier (and tastier) than you can imagine. This is a true hit with the kids because (1) they get to help make it, and (2) it’s GREEN!!!

Ingredients:

Pasta:

• 1 Tbs. flaxseed meal
• 4 Tbs. water
• 4 Tbs. olive oil
• 1 cup fresh spinach leaves
• ½ tsp. salt
• 1 cup flour

Pesto:

• 2 cups lightly packed spinach leaves (2 oz.)
• ¼ cup pine nuts, toasted
• 1 Tbs. lemon juice
• ½ Tbs. garlic, minced
• ¼ tsp. salt
• Pinch of black pepper
• 1/3 cup nutritional yeast
• 1/3 cup olive oil

 
Directions:
To make the pasta: In a small bowl, combine flaxseed meal and 2 Tbs. water and let sit for 10 minutes. In a blender, combine flaxseed meal mixture, remaining 2 Tbs. water, olive oil and spinach. Puree until smooth. In a standing mixer combine flour and salt. Add the green mixture and combine. When well mixed, knead by hand for about 5 minutes. Let sit for 15 minutes. With a pasta machine, follow the instructions, and roll dough out to desired thinness (I use level 3), and then use the pasta machine to cut into strips of desired width (I like linguini size for fresh pasta). Let air dry over the side of a bowl until ready to use. To make the pesto: If you haven’t toasted the pine nuts, place them on a cookie sheet and bake in a 350 degree oven for 6 minutes. Place spinach, lemon juice, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper in a blender and puree until smooth. Add the pine nuts and pulse a few more times. With the machine running, gradually add the oil, blending until the mixture is creamy. That’s it. Your pesto is ready. Now, submerge your pasta in boiling water for about 3 minutes. Gently stir to separate the noodles. Turn off the heat. When done, drain and return to the warm pan. Add the pesto sauce and stir to coat. It is ready to serve.

A recipe by Sherri Williams for the Saint-Patrick Recipe Challenge:

Ingredients :

• 1 lb.  baby bok choy, blanched and sliced in half
• 4 oz shitake mushrooms, sliced
• 1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 3 lg garlic, cloves minced
• 1 1/2 tsp. herbes de provence
• 1 tsp. red pepper flake
• ¼ cup white wine, dry
• flaked smoked sea salt sprinkled on top

Preparation:

1. In a large heated frying pan add the olive oil.  Add the garlic to the pan and sauté for about 1 minute.
2. Add bok choy, herbs and red pepper flakes to the pan.  Fry for 5-6 minutes.  Toss in the mushrooms and wine. Allow the alcohol to cook off for about 1-2 minutes. Plate up and sprinkle with sea salt flakes.

 

Yield: 6
Prep:   5 minutes
Cook:  10 minutes