Sunday, February 4, 2024

Landon’s pancakes

 

INGREDIENTS

  • eggs
  • cup  milk
  • tablespoons  butter
  • teaspoon  baking powder
  • 34cup  flour
  • 12teaspoon  salt (optional)

    DIRECTIONS

    • Melt the butter and add the eggs and milk.
    • Mix well.
    • Add baking powder, flour (and salt). Mix well.
    • Pour enough out to make a pancake about 3" across onto a hot, oiled griddle, but the amount you pour out really depends on how big you want the pancakes to be.

Tuesday, November 24, 2020

Converting Pie Recipes to Mini Pies

The Filling

A 9-inch pie recipe will yield between four and six individual 5-inch pies or two 7-inch pies. Be careful not to overfill your pie tins as these are typically much more shallow than a standard 9-inch pan.

This is the maximum amount of filling in cups for each pie tin:

  • 9 inch pie = 4 cups filling
  • 7 inch pie = 2 cups filling
  • 5 inch pie = 3/4 cups filling

If you have a pie tin that is a different size than the ones listed above, you can test the capacity of your tin by pouring water in it until it reaches the brim of the tin.

The Crust

For 5-inch pies:

A single dough pie crust will yield about four individual 5-inch pies. To help with the baking time, you will want to roll out the dough thinner than you do for a 9-inch pie, to about a 16 inch square. This will give you four 8 inch squares to work with (you need the dough to overhang by about 1/2″ if you’ll be crimping or adding any lattice).You can either work the squares into the pie tins and trim the excess, or use an 8-inch circle guide to cut them before putting them in the tins. If you’re adding lattice, make sure to save those scraps from the first crust. Individual pies tend to require more dough than a standard pie.

A crumb crust recipe will yield between 4 and 6 individual 5-inch pies. This will all depend on how thick you want to make your crumb crust. Many crumb crust recipes will call for 2 1/2 cups of whichever cookie or cracker you are using, so you can add 1/2 cup of crumb to each tin to get even crusts.

For 7-inch pies:

This one is a lot simpler. A double crust recipe of pie dough will yield enough dough for three 7-inch pies. The same goes for a crumb crust.

Baking

Bake the individual pies at the temperature your original recipe calls for. Follow the recipe’s directions for oven placement, too.

The baking time is where the experimentation happens. The ratio of individual pie baking time to 9-inch pie baking time has varied for each type of pie I’ve made. If you’re worried about over-baking, start checking around half of the original recipe’s baking time. Generally, the baking time for 5-inch individual pies has been about 3/5 the original baking time. For 7-inch pies, it will be closer to 4/5 the original time.


From The Pursuit of Nice

Thursday, November 12, 2020

MOQUECA DE CAMARÃO (COCONUT SHRIMP STEW)

For The Marinade

  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1 lime
  • 1 tsp chilli flakes
  • 500 g king prawns

For The Sauce

  • 1 onion
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 fresh green chilli
  • 1 green pepper
  • 1 red pepper
  • 1 tbsp coconut oil
  • 1 tsp chilli powder
  • 1 tsp cayenne
  • 2 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp tomato puree
  • 4 plum tomatoes
  • 400 ml coconut milk
  • 1 bunch fresh coriander

To Finish

  • 1 big bowl cooked white rice
  • 2 spring onions
  • 1 lime

MARINATE THE PRAWNS

Peel and mince the garlic for the marinade and scrape it into a mixing bowl. Zest the lime into the bowl then squeeze in the juice. Add the chilli flakes and the prawns. Marinate for an hour.

FRY THE VEG

Peel and dice the onion. Peel and mince the garlic for the sauce. Dice the chilli and deseed and thinly slice the peppers. Place a large saucepan over a medium high heat and add all of the prepared veg. Fry for 5 minutes, add the chilli powder, cayenne and paprika then turn the heat down low and fry for another 10 minutes, until the veg is starting to caramelise.

COOK THE STEW

Dice the tomatoes, keeping the seeds. Add the tomato puree and cook it out for a few more minutes before adding the fresh tomato and the coconut milk. Simmer for 20 minutes. Add the prawns and simmer for another 5 minutes. Serve with white rice. serves 4

Sunday, October 11, 2020

Pan Fried Asparagus

 

Ingredient Checklist
Instructions Checklist

Monday, August 17, 2020

Gnocchi Skillet with Chicken Sausage & Tomatoes

Gnocchi Skillet with Chicken Sausage & Tomatoes

  • pound frozen or shelf-stable gnocchi
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • ounces cooked chicken sausage (about 3 links) , sliced into 1/4-inch-thick coins
  • pint cherry or grape tomatoes, sliced in half lengthwise
  • 1 to 2 ounces fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced (1/2 to 1 cup loosely packed)

  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the gnocchi and cook for 2 minutes or according to package directions. Drain and toss with a drizzle of olive oil.

  2. Heat a 10-inch or larger cast iron skillet over medium heat with a light drizzle of olive oil. Add the sausages and cook until it begins to brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Push the sausages into a pile at the edge of the skillet and turn the heat up to high.

  3. When the skillet is quite hot, add the tomatoes, skin down, crowding them in if necessary. Cook until they are blistered, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the sausage and cook until both tomatoes and sausage are slightly browned, about 2 minutes more. Stir in gnocchi and cook just until all is combined, but the tomatoes have not broken down into sauce.

  4. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the basil. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

Monday, June 29, 2020

Cream of Soup substitute

  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 3 tablespoons flour
  • 1/2 cup chicken broth
  • 1/2 cup milk (I used 1%)
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  1. In a small sauce pan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Whisk in flour and let cook for 1-2 minutes.
  2. Slowly stir in chicken broth, then milk. Whisk until it begins to thicken. Let it simmer for a few minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Wednesday, May 31, 2017

Theresa's Pizza Crust

•1 cup whey + 1 cup HOT water (or add both cool and warm in microwave)
•2 TBS yeast
•3 TBS sugar (under-filled rather than heaping)
•1 tsp salt
•4 cups flour 
Add yeast, sugar, and salt to liquid. Let prove until just starting to bubble. Pour liquid into flour and mix for a sticky dough (I use my stand mixer). Let rise, covered, 30 minutes. Pour out onto floured surface and knead 5-10 times. Make your pizza. Bake at 375° for 15-20 minutes (i never actually time it). Let rest 5 minutes before cutting.
If I make pizza or ham and cheese roll ups, baking time is 25 minutes.

Sunday, April 10, 2016

Stuffed Jalapenos

9 jalapenos
12 ounces cream cheese
2/3 to 3/4 lb bacon
cumin
garlic powder
soft bread crumbs

Slice jalapenos in half, and remove core and seeds.  Cook bacon most of the way, then diced into small pieces (I discard the really fatty parts).  Mix softened cream cheese with bacon, then add a dash of cumin and a few dashes of garlic powder.  Stuff jalapenos with the cream cheese mixture. Spread bread crumbs out on a plate, and press the cream cheese side of each jalapeno into the bread crumbs, then brush off the excess.  Place jalapenos cream cheese side up in a glass pan or on a metal baking sheet and bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes.  Then move rack up and broil for 1-3 minutes, watching to make sure the bread crumbs crisp and lightly brown, but don't burn. Serve warm.

Samoa Cupcakes

1 box Devil’s Food cake mix
1 box chocolate fudge instant pudding
4 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup milk
1 cup sour cream


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Using a stand mixer, combine all ingredients. Beat for about two minutes. Place slightly less than a 1/4 of a cup of batter into each cupcake liner. Bake for 18-20 minutes.


*mini cupcakes, a less than a tablespoon of batter per liner, bake 8 to 10 minutes.  Check with a toothpick

Salted Caramel Buttercream
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
4 oz. (1/2 block) cream cheese
1/2 cup good quality salted caramel sauce
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups powdered sugar

Allow butter to set out at room temperature about 15 minutes (you can gather your other ingredients in the mean time). 
In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter until smooth. Add cream cheese and continue to beat until fully smooth and well incorporated.
While slowly mixing, pour in caramel sauce (should not be warm). Add vanilla.
Continue slowly mixing and add powdered sugar, one cup at a time, allowing the sugar to blend a bit before adding each additional cup.
Scrap down the sides of the bowl and then blend the frosting an additional 30 seconds or so. The frosting should be fluffy, and all ingredients fully incorporated.
Frost cupcakes or cake.

Drizzle frosted cupcakes with the leftover salted caramel sauce, then top with toasted coconut.

Almond Squares

1 cup butter
3/4 cup white sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup almond paste
1 teaspoon almond extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 ounces sliced almonds

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream butter in a large mixing bowl; gradually add sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Add egg yolk (reserve egg white), almond paste, and flavoring; beat until well blended. Stir in flour.

Spread mixture in a 13 x 9 x 2 inch baking pan. Beat egg white (at room temperature) until foamy; brush over entire surface of dough, and sprinkle with almonds. Bake for 35 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool thoroughly, and cut into 2 inch squares. Store in airtight containers.

Coconut Macaroons

2/3 cup all-purpose flour
5 1/2 cups flaked coconut
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, stir together the flour, coconut and salt. Stir in the sweetened condensed milk and vanilla using your hands until well blended. Use an ice cream scoop to drop dough onto the prepared cookie sheets. Cookies should be a little smaller than a golf ball.

Bake for 12 to 15 minutes in the preheated oven, until coconut is toasted.

Key Lime Pie Tarts

1 23 oz jar Private Selection Key Lime Filling (found at Smith's)
2 eggs
1/2 C sweetened condensed milk
1 pre-made graham cracker crust
whipped cream
lime zest
12 foil cupcake liners

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Fill muffin pan with 12 foil liners. Divide the graham cracker pie crust among baking cups. Press to bottom and slightly up sides of cup. Beat together key lime fruit filling, sweetened condensed milk, and eggs until well mixed. Fill the cups to the top. Bake 25 minutes. Top with piped whipped cream and lime zest.

Saturday, April 2, 2016

Virgin Pina Colada Drink

20 oz can crushed pineapple, pureed
1 can frozen pineapple juice concentrate, thawed
1 can frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
1 can coconut milk
1 can cream of coconut

Mix together!

Wednesday, February 24, 2016

Apple Ginger Sparkler

adapted from Martha Stewart

2 2 L bottles of club soda
2 apple juice concentrates (frozen section)
1 1/2 C ginger syrup*

Let the apple concentrate thaw, then mix all three ingredients together.  Makes a little over a gallon and a half.

*Ginger Syrup



  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 six-inch piece fresh ginger, finely diced
  • Place sugar, ginger, and 2 cups water in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, and cook about 1 hour, until ginger flavor is quite strong. Let cool; strain before using. Store in an airtight container, refrigerated, up to a week.

Thursday, January 21, 2016

Stuffed mini peppers

5 jalapenos
10- 12 sweet mini peppers
1/2 lb bacon
1/2 can black beans
half cup of frozen corn, defrosted
half cup of rice, cooked
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
a dash or five cumin

Cook the bacon most of the way, then dice into small pieces.  Cut the peppers in half and remove veins and seeds.  Grease a cooking sheet, and lay the peppers on the tray open side up (jalapenos in the middle so they get the brunt of heat from the broiler).  Mix together the remaining ingredients, then fill peppers to slightly heaping with the filling.  Broil  on hi in the oven with rack on the 3rd setting down from the top, for around 5 minutes.