Pumpkin banana mousse tart

November 24, 2014September 7, 2022 Belinda1 Comment

This is delectable and well worth trying, especially for Thanksgiving. Thanks to Ina Garten for this gorgeous and easy recipe

For the crust:
2 cups graham cracker crumbs (14 crackers)
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
For the filling:
1/2 cup half-and-half
1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree
1 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3 extra-large egg yolks
1 package (2 teaspoons) unflavored gelatin
1 ripe banana, finely mashed
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
1/2 cup cold heavy cream
2 tablespoons sugar
For the decoration:
1 cup (1/2 pint) cold heavy cream
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Orange zest, optional

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, cinnamon, and melted butter in a bowl and mix well. Pour into an 11-inch tart pan with a removable bottom and press evenly into the sides and then the bottom. Bake for 10 minutes and then cool to room temperature.

For the filling, heat the half-and-half, pumpkin, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a heat-proof bowl set over a pan of simmering water until hot, about 5 minutes. Whisk the egg yolks in another bowl, stir some of the hot pumpkin into the egg yolks to heat them, then pour the egg-pumpkin mixture back into the double boiler and stir well. Heat the mixture over the simmering water for another 4 to 5 minutes, until it begins to thicken, stirring constantly. You don’t want the eggs to scramble. Remove from the heat.

Dissolve the gelatin in 1/4 cup cold water. Add the dissolved gelatin, banana, and orange zest to the pumpkin mixture and mix well. Set aside to cool.

Whip the heavy cream in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment until soft peaks form. Add the sugar and continue to whisk until you have firm peaks. Carefully fold the whipped cream into the pumpkin mixture and pour it into the cooled tart shell. Chill for 2 hours or overnight.

For the decoration, whip the heavy cream in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment until soft peaks form. Add the sugar and vanilla and continue to whisk until you have firm peaks. Pipe or spoon the whipped cream decoratively on the tart and sprinkle, if desired, with orange zest. Serve chilled.

Do-ahead · Gluten Free · Meat

Maple mustard slow roasted pork

November 9, 2014September 7, 2022 Belinda

Here’s a recipe from BBC Good Food that you won’t forget in a hurry. This meat just falls off the bone, is so succulent and tasty. Served with a winter coleslaw, that’s all you need.

Serves 6 with leftovers
Takes 8 hours minimum and must be started the night before for the marinading.

7oz sea salt
11 oz dark brown sugar, or light Muscovado sugar
4lb 8oz piece of pork shoulder
4 fl oz pure maple syrup
4 oz wholegrain mustard
2 tbsp English mustard powder, like Colmans

Mix the sea salt and 7 oz of the sugar in a large food bag, add the pork and coat it well. (If you don’t have a bag, rub over the pork in a dish and cover with plastic wrap) Leave to marinate in the fridge overnight.

The next day, remove the pork and wipe down the meat with kitchen towel.
Heat the oven to 275 F (140C/120C)
Mix the remaining sugar, the maple syrup, mustards and some ground pepper. Rub half the mixture over the pork and sit it on a rack in a roasting tin. Roast for 6 hours.

Spoon the remaining maple mixture over the pork and roast for 1 hour more.

Remove from the oven and rest the meat for 30 mins on a platter loosely covered with foil. To serve, tear the pork into big chunks and after skimming the surface for fat, spoon over any juices from the roasting tin.

Gluten Free · Holiday Food · Vegetable sides

Roasted carrots with cumin yoghurt

November 8, 2014February 8, 2016 Belinda

This is a gorgeous dish and the little “stubby” carrots roast so well with a really deep flavor. The cumin yoghurt lends a “Middle Eastern” quality and all in all, it’s a must.

Serves 8

3 lbs Thumbelina or other small carrots, scrubbed and cut into 2″ pieces
2 tbsp freshly squeezed orange juice
1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
2 bay leaves
1/4 cup plus tbsp olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 cup plain Greek yoghurt
1 tbsp fresh lime juice
1/4 cup cilantro (coriander) leaves with tender stems, plus more for garnish
1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

Preheat the oven to 450 F.
Toss the carrots with the orange juice, thyme, bay leaves and 1/4 cup olive oil on a rimmed baking sheet; season with salt and pepper.
Roast,tossing halfway through until golden brown and soft, 30 – 35 minutes; remove bay leaves

Meanwhile, toast the coriander seeds in a small dry skillet over medium-high heat, tossing, until fragrant, about 1 minute; transfer to a plate. Repeat with the cumin. Let cool and coarsely chop.

Puree the coriander seeds, cumin, yoghurt,lime juice, 1/4 cup cilantro and remaining 2 tbsp oil in a food processor until smooth; season with salt and pepper.

Serve the carrots topped with the cumin yoghurt, cilantro and sesame seeds

Appetizers · Fish · Gluten Free

Bubbling cheese, crab, spinach and artichoke dip

November 8, 2014February 7, 2016 Belinda

All my favorite things rolled into a hot, gooey dip, great for dunking bread, crackers or tortilla chips

1 tablespoon butter
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 cup baby spinach,packed
4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup sour cream
chili sauce to taste
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup Parmigiano Reggiano,freshly grated
1/2 cup mozzarella, grated
1/2 cup good quality mature cheddar, freshly grated
1 cup artichoke hearts, chopped
1 cup crabmeat, chopped
3 green onions, chopped

Melt the butter in a pan over medium heat, add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Add the white wine and spinach and heat until the spinach wilts, about 1-2 minutes.
Process the spinach, cream cheese, sour cream, chili sauce, salt and pepper in a food processor until nice and mixed.
Mix everything, place the mixture into a baking dish bake in a preheated 350F oven until bubbling and golden brown on top, about 20-30 minutes.

Baking · Chocolate · Do-ahead

The ultimate rocky road, sticky toffee, crispy cakes

November 8, 2014September 7, 2022 Belinda

I would only make these around Thanksgiving or Christmas as they go in a flash. They are little cakes of one’s fantasies that you don’t even need to bake!

3 x boxes (14 oz) Cadbury’s Chocolate Fingers (For US friends, you can get these at Costplus World Market or online) Here is a picture of what they look like.
8 oz pitted Medjool dates
11 oz Green and Black’s 72% chocolate
11 oz Green and Black’s white chocolate
7 oz butter
4 oz mini marshmallows
4 oz Rice Krispies

Line a 8” by 12” cake pan with baking parchment, leaving flappy bits hanging over the sides to use as handles for pulling the cake out of the pan.
Chop fingers into small, bite-sized pieces (the Cadbury’s chocolate fingers that is – not your own).
Whizz the dates in a food processor until they turn into a smooth paste.
Melt the chocolates and butter in a bowl set over a pan of warm water.
Stir in the dates and mix until combined.
Add the chopped fingers, marshmallows and crispies. Stir to incorporate evenly.
Scrape into the prepared cake pan and spread with a spatula. Leave the cake to set in the fridge for an hour or so, or for as long as you can put off eating it (whichever comes sooner).
Unmold and cut into squares.

Appetizers · Nuts

Baked brie with maple glazed pecans

November 8, 2014February 7, 2016 Belinda

This is incredibly moreish and yet so easy to make. Wow your guests with this beauty and serve it with crackers or toasted french bread slices.

Makes 8 servings

1 (16 ounce) wheel of Brie
1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick)
2 tbsp packed brown sugar
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
1 cup toasted and chopped pecans
1 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
crackers, to serve

Preheat the oven to 350 F
Shave off the top rind of the Brie.This is easier to do if you stick the Brie in the freezer for about 20 minutes first. If the Brie came in a wooden box, return it to the original container, if not, then make a makeshift “box” out of a few layers of aluminum foil, leaving the top of the Brie exposed.

Place the cheese on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until warm and gooey,15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow it to cool for 20 minutes before serving.
Carefully transfer to a serving platter; you do not want the rind to puncture, if possible.

While the Brie is cooling, make the praline sauce.
Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the brown sugar, maple syrup and pecans. Cook, stirring constantly, until all the ingredients are well combined, 3 to 5 minutes.
Stir in the coarsely ground black pepper and remove from the heat. Allow the mixture to cool for 5 to 10 minutes, until it has thickened up just a little.

Dollop the warm sauce over the baked cheese. (There may be extra praline sauce) Serve with crackers

** The praline sauce can be made the day before. To reheat, microwave in increments of 20 seconds, or heat in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until warm.

Baking · Chocolate · Do-ahead

White chocolate gingerbread blondies

November 8, 2014September 7, 2022 Belinda

It’s that time of year when baking for Thanksgiving and Christmas is utterly therapeutic. This was originally a Martha Stewart recipe and I found it on the wonderful food blog called “The view from Great Island” The combination of gingerbread and white chocolate is divine!

2 & 3/4 cups plus 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 & 1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cloves
2 & 1/2 sticks (1 & 1/4 cups) unsalted butter at room temperature
1 & 1/4 cups packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp granulated sugar
2 large eggs, plus 1 large egg yolk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup molasses
10 oz white chocolate chips

Set the oven to 350 F
Spray a 17″ by 12″ baking sheet (the kind with a rim) with cooking spray and line with parchment paper.
Cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs and extra yolk, one at a time.
Blend in the vanilla, molasses and spices.
Whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. Add to the bowl and blend just until combined.Fold in the chocolate chips
Spread the batter evenly in the baking sheet. Take a few moments to spread it out and get an even layer from side to side and end to end.
Bake for about 25 minutes until the edges are browned. let the gingerbread cool in the pan before slicing, and dust with a little powdered sugar, if you fancy

Do-ahead · Fish · Soup

Shrimp bisque

November 7, 2014September 7, 2022 Belinda

I adore shrimp bisque and this recipe is from Ina Garten. It’s creamy, with a great shrimp flavor, as you use the shells as added flavor. Serve with warm crusty bread.

Serves 4 to 6

1lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined, but keep all the shells
4 cups seafood stock (for US cooks, this brand is available in markets)

3 tbsp good olive oil
2 cups chopped leeks, white and green parts (3 leeks)
1 tbsp chopped garlic (3 cloves)
pinch of cayenne pepper
1/4 cup Cognac or brandy
1/4 cup dry sherry
4 tbsp (1 stick) unsalted butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups half and half
1/3 cup tomato paste (puree)
2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Place the shrimp shells and seafood stock in a saucepan and simmer for 15 minutes. Strain and reserve the stock. add enough water to make 3 & 3/4 cups.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven. Add the leeks and cook them for 10 minutes over medium-low heat, or until the leeks are tender but not browned. Add the garlic and cook 1 more minute.
Add the cayenne pepper and shrimp and cook over medium-low heat for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the Cognac/brandy and cook for 1 minute more, then the sherry and cook for 3 minutes longer.
Transfer the shrimp and leeks to a food processor fitted with a steel blade and process until coarsely pureed.
In the same pot, melt the butter. Add the flour and cook over medium-low heat for 1 minute stirring with a wooden spoon. Add the half and half and cook, stirring with a whisk, until thickened, about 3 minutes.
Stir in the pureed shrimp, the stock, tomato paste, salt and pepper and heat gently until hot but not boiling.
Season, to taste, and serve hot

Baking · Do-ahead · Holiday Food · Nuts

Delia Smith's famous Christmas cake

November 6, 2014September 7, 2022 Belinda

I realize my fellow Americans are not going to take much notice of this recipe, but in England and New Zealand, (my other two homes) one cannot have Christmas without this cake. My husband, (LA born too) adores this and requests it every year and I have been making this recipe since the mid 1980’s. It is rich, moist as anything and chock-full of dried fruits soaked in brandy. It’s important to make this cake a good month to 2 months before Christmas and “feed” it every week with brandy. Divine!!

1lb (450g) currants
6 oz (175g) golden raisins (sultanas)
6 oz (175g) raisins
2 oz (50g) glace cherries, rinsed, dried and finely chopped
2 oz (50g) mixed candied peel, finely chopped
4 tbsp brandy, plus extra for “feeding”
8 oz (225g) plain flour
1/2 level tsp salt
1/4 level tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 level tsp ground mixed spice (not allspice)
8 oz (225g) unsalted butter
8 oz (225g) soft brown sugar
4 large eggs
2 oz (50g) almonds, chopped (the skins can be left on)
1 tbsp black treacle. (I have been known to use molasses if I don’t have treacle)
grated zest 1 lemon
grated zest 1 orange
4 oz (110g) whole blanched almonds (only if you don’t intend to ice the cake and want to use these almonds as decoration instead)

* You will need an 8 inch round cake tin or a 7″ square cake tin, preferably with a loose bottom. Grease the tin and line it with baking parchment. Tie a band of brown paper or newspaper around the outside of the tin for extra protection

** Begin this cake the night before you want to cook it. All you do is weigh out the dried fruit and mixed peel, place it in a large mixing bowl and mix in the brandy, stirring, so everything is evenly coated with the brandy. Cover the bowl with a clean tea cloth and leave the fruit aside to absorb the brandy for 12 hours.

Next day, preheat the oven to 275 F. (140 C)

Now measure out all the other ingredients, ticking them off to make sure you don’t miss anything. The treacle will be easier if you dip the spoon in hot water before using it.
Sift the flour, salt and spices into a large mixing bowl, lifting the sieve up high to give the flour a good airing.
Next, in a separate large mixing bowl, whisk the butter and sugar together until it’s light, pale and fluffy.
Now beat the eggs in a separate bowl and add them to the creamed mixture a tablespoonful at a time: keep the whisk running until all the egg is incorporated. If you add the eggs slowly by degrees like this, the mixture won’t curdle. If it does, don’t worry, any cake full of such beautiful things can’t fail to taste good!
When all the egg has been added, fold in the flour and spices, using gentle movements and not beating at all as you need to keep that precious air in it.
Now fold in the fruit, peel, chopped nuts and treacle and finally the grated lemon and orange zests.
Next, using a large kitchen spoon, transfer the cake mixture into the prepared tin, spread it out evenly with the back of a spoon, and, if you don’t intend to ice the cake, lightly drop the blanched almonds in circles or squares all over the surface.
*Alternately, you don’t need to put anything on top of the cake, as my picture shows.
Finally, cover the top of the cake with a double square of parchment paper with a small 1″ diameter hole in the center. (This gives extra protection during the long, slow cooking)

Bake the cake on the lowest shelf of the oven for 4 & 1/2 to 4 & 3/4 hours. Sometimes it can take up to 1/2 to 3/4 hour longer than this, but in any case don’t look in the oven till at least 4 hours have passed.
Cool the cake for 30 minutes in the tin, then remove it to a wire rack to finish cooling.
When it’s cold, “feed” it – make small holes in the top and base of the cake with a skewer or knitting needle, then spoon over a few tsps of brandy, wrap it in parchment paper secured with an elastic band and either wrap it again with foil or store it in an airtight container.
You can now feed it every week until you want to eat it.
You can make this cake up to 3 months in advance, feeding every week!

Baking · Do-ahead · Grains

Date and oat crumb bars

November 6, 2014September 7, 2022 Belinda2 Comments

I love something sweet at the end of a meal, and these are sweet, gooey and crunchy all at the same time. You will love them and so will the family.

Makes about 8 servings

1lb Medjool dates, pitted and chopped
1/4 cup honey
1 cup water
1 tbsp butter
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
3/4 cup flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 350 F
Bring the dates, honey, water and 1 tbsp butter to a boil, remove from the heat and let sit until they cool down to room temperature
Puree in a food processor until smooth
Mix the rolled oats, flours, sugar, cinnamon and salt in a bowl.
Stir in the melted butter until it forms crumbs
Press half of the crumb mixture into the bottom of a greased 8 inch square pan
Spread the date mixture on and top with the remaining crumbs
Bake in the oven for 25 mins