Cherry Clafoutis

Ingredients

 3/4 cup whole milk

1/2 cup heavy cream

3 large eggs , room temperature

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 tbsp melted butter

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp almond extract

1/4 tsp salt

3 cups cherries , pitted (fresh or frozen; if frozen thaw and drain completely)

powdered (confectioner's) sugar for sprinkling

 

Preparations

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.  Butter a 1 1/2 quart baking dish.

Place the cherries in the bottom of the baking dish.Put all remaining ingredients (except for the powdered sugar) in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour the batter over the cherries, place the baking dish on the middle oven rack, and bake for 30-40 minutes until the top is a rich golden brown, the clafoutis is set but still slightly jiggly. Remove it from the oven and let it cool for 5-10 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.  Serve warm with whipped cream or vanilla custard.

 

 

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Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

  

 Ingredients

2 cups heavy cream

2 cups whole milk

1 cup granulated sugar

1/4 tsp kosher salt

1 1/2 tsp  quality pure vanilla extract

1-2 tsp peppermint extract, to taste

a few drops of natural green ( spirulina) food coloring ( optional) 

3/4 cup miniature dark chocolate chips or chunks

waffle cones (optional)

 

Preparations

In a large bowl, stir together the heavy cream, milk, sugar, salt, and extracts until the sugar is dissolved.Add the natural green food coloring, if using, starting with about 3 drops and adding more as desired. Pour the mixture into the ice cream maker and follow the manufacturer instructions.

After approximately 20 minutes, once the mixture is thickened, add the chocolate chips/chunks or crushed Oreo cookies and let it continue to churn for 5-10 more minutes or until the ice cream is thick. Spoon the ice cream into a fairly shallow freezer container with a lid and freeze it for at least 3-4 hours or until it is firm. For best results let it freeze overnight. Scoop and serve. Makes about 1 quart.

Notes

• Peppermint extract: Strength varies from brand to brand. Start with less, taste, and add more as desired. 
• If you’re planning on freezing your ice cream beyond a few days, press a piece of plastic wrap on top of the surface of the ice cream and then secure the lid in place. This will help prevent ice crystals from forming when the ice cream is exposed to air.
• Store the ice cream container towards the back of the freezer to prevent it from warming every time the freezer door is opened. The continually warming and freezing cycle likewise causes the formation of ice crystals.
• Homemade ice cream is best eaten within 2 weeks, after which the texture will begin to degrade.

 

 

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Black Eyed Pea Salad

  

Ingredients

3 cups cooked black eyed peas (about two 15 ounce cans, rinsed and drained)

1 cup corn

1/2 cup chopped red onion

2 tomatoes , seeded and diced

1 cup cucumber , seeded and diced

3 green onions , chopped

For the Dressing:

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

juice of 1 lime

2 tsp sugar

1 tsp kosher salt

1/4 tsp  freshly ground black pepper

1 1/2 tsp cumin pdr

3/4 tsp coriander pdr

3/4 tsp smoked paprika

a few dashes of hot sauce , according to heat preference

 

Preparations

 Combine the beans and vegetables in a large bowl. Whisk together the vinaigrette ingredients and pour over the mixture. Stir to combine. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving. Enjoy as a salad, side dish or as a salsa with corn chips.  

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https://cancersupportindia.blogspot.com  for info on cancer and health related topics

https://GSiyers home remedies.blogspot.com   is the latest addition to my blogs

 

18 Cooking and Food Storage Tips and Tricks

Knowing how to store and prep your food is the key to easier and more efficient cooking, no doubt about it. As it often is, the devil is in the details, and small tweaks that require no extra purchases and equipment will surely help you spend less time in the kitchen and save money in the long run. These 18 food tips will teach you how to prevent food from spoiling and will show you how to save time and effort in preparing certain foods.

1. Place a warm glass over cold butter to soften it in a few minutes

 

2. Cooking two pizzas at once is easy if you slice them in two and arrange them like so:

3. Place a paper towel in the container with greens to help them stay crispy and fresh for longer

4. Cooking crispy bacon is so much faster in a waffle iron than a frying pan

 

5. Slice a mango in two, cutting around the pit, and then use a glass to scoop the pulp out like this:

 

6. Separating eggs is super fast if you have an empty plastic bottle on hand. Just suck the yolks into the bottle by pressing on the sides of the bottle and then releasing

 

7. If you wrap the tops of bananas in plastic wrap, they won't ripen and go bad as quickly

8. A slice of watermelon on a stick is most refreshing! Just cut the watermelon into long rectangles like so and pierce each slice with a wooden stick 

 

9. Put a wooden utensil on a boiling pot. This will ensure the water doesn't spill over while boiling

 

10. If your cookies are too big to fit into a glass of milk, simply pour some milk into the empty section of the cookie box

11. Don't let leftover herbs go bad. Instead, place them into an ice tray, fill it with water and freeze. They will remain fresh in the freezer for up to a month

 

12. Need to protect your food from insects outdoors? Use shower caps instead of plastic wrap: these are reusable and much easier to remove and put back on than plastic wrap

13. If you have a large batch of quesadillas to prepare, cook them together like so in the oven instead of warming them up one by one on a stove-top.

 

14. If you need to remove the tops of strawberries for a recipe, you can use a plastic straw to do so

 

15. Shucking corn before grilling isn't necessary if you soak it for a few hours before

 

16. To prevent a halved avocado from browning, store it in a container submerged in water

 

17. Slice several tomatoes simultaneously by simply putting them between two plates and sliding a knife between them

 

18. Do you like your ice cream soft? If so, then seal the carton of ice cream in a Ziploc before freezing it

https://gscrochetdesigns.blogspot.com. one can see my crochet creations  

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https://GSiyers home remedies.blogspot.com   is the latest addition to my blogs

7 Cheat Sheets For Kitchen Mastery

We could all use a bit of help in the kitchen sometimes. There are so many foods and so many cooking methods, that even those of us who have been cooking regularly for years can always learn a trick or two. That's why we have gathered together these 7 fantastic cheat sheets, all of which are designed to help you become the master of your kitchen!

1. How to Store Your Fruits & Veggies

2. What Type of Onion to Use for Different Dishes

 

3. How Long Do Different Foods Last in Storage
  

4. How to Cook Your Steak

5. Quick & Easy Measurement Conversions

6. How to Pair Herbs with the Correct Food
7. How to Improve Your Chopping Skills

 

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11 Cooking Tips from Chefs

Professional chefs keep their cooking tricks a secret, sharing them only with their students. But we are sharing some drops of cooking wisdom right here. These tips, brought to you by professional chefs from around the world, will help make your dishes taste as good as Gordon Ramsay's, or better!

1. The perfect steak

If you've just taken a piece of meat out of the fridge, don't fry it. Leave it to set for an hour or two before cooking, until it's at room temperature. Then fry the meat evenly, and regardless of how you like your steak done, you'll get a great meal. For a brown crust on your steak, get rid of all the moisture in the meat.

2. The juiciest meat 

It takes time to fry chicken or pork properly, yet you can dry them out very easily. But European chefs use a simple trick to ensure that the meat gets cooked properly: they put the meat in a brine. To make a good brine, take 3 cups of water, add 1/4 cup of salt and 1/4 cup of sugar. Then pour the brine onto your meat, ensuring that the liquid covers it, putting it in the fridge. The time it takes to marinate will depend on the thickness of the chops. But roughly calculate about 1 hour for 1kg of meat. Just be sure to not let your meat marinate for more than 8 hours or less than half an hour. If preparing chicken wings, the time should be based on an average weight of one wing. Be sure to pat the chops dry before cooking.

3. Flavoring spices

Want a taste of spices in your dish? To enhance the taste, toss them in a pan over medium-high heat, toasting until fragrant. Then use a mortar and pestle to grind your spices. When using black pepper, you can supplement with black peppercorns, cracking the seeds. This will add a better aroma and flavor. 

4. Light and airy dough 

For the perfect dough, follow this simple rule: take the butter and eggs out of the fridge the night before, so that they are at room temperature. 

5. Fish with a delicate crust

Want to fry fish on a grill? Spread some mayonnaise on it to get a tasty, delicate crust. Using a pastry brush, dip the tip in the sauce, and lightly apply mayonnaise to the fish. Add some salt, then grill it. This will guarantee you a perfect golden crust. Keep spices to a minimum, and use salt instead. When the fish is done, spritz it with lemon juice for the best result.

6. Cooking steak without oil 

One of the world's most famous chefs, Alain Ducasse, revealed his secret for cooking a great steak. He suggests placing the steak on its edge because it renders the fat while creating an appetizing crust on the edges. You also don't need to use oil while cooking. Easy! 

7. Creamy mashed potatoes

 

Before turning boiled potatoes into mashed, dry them properly. Place them in a clean heated frying pan and keep them there until the remains of water dry out. When dry, you'll get the best creamy mashed potatoes. To avoid hot milk splashing you when you make mashed potatoes, mash some of them in a pan, then add the milk. 

8. Excellent cream soup 

Before you start cooking vegetable cream soup, fry all the vegetables separately with olive oil. Then add some water or a broth. Frying will caramelize the sugar in the vegetables and enhance their flavor. This will make the dish taste exquisite and tasty. This can also be applied to a vegetable stew. 

9. The best pancakes

 

Regardless of the recipe you follow, add two tablespoons of sour cream to the mix. This trick suits all kinds of pancakes well, ensuring that they will turn out to be very tasty, fluffy and free of cracks. 

10. Sugar is not for sweetness 

Sugar is as great a seasoning as salt. So add a bit of sugar to a dish with pickled or fresh tomatoes or a tomato paste - the sugar will reduce their natural sourness, making the meal taste better. 

11. Perfectly fried eggs

There are 3 components to making a perfectly fried egg. First is a thick-walled frying pan, some butter, and minimum heat. Heat the frying pan and add 1/2 a tablespoon of butter. Allow the butter to melt slowly, without sizzling. Break the eggs and cook for 4 to 5 minutes. Add salt and enjoy!

https://gscrochetdesigns.blogspot.com. one can see my crochet creations  

https://kneereplacement-stickclub.blogspot.com. for info on knee replacement

https://cancersupportindia.blogspot.com  for info on cancer and health related topics

https://GSiyers home remedies.blogspot.com   is the latest addition to my blogs

13 Bread-less Sandwich Ideas

 Just because you’re on a diet doesn’t mean you have to ditch your favorite foods. There’s nothing better than a juicy sandwich. If you’re trying to lose weight, wish to take a break from bread, or you're just out of bread in the house, why not try these innovative alternatives? These mouthwatering dishes are easy to make and are suitable for the whole family.

1. BLT Spring roll  

 Replace bread with rice paper for a different take on your traditional BLT. Season with fresh basil and mint.

2. Tomato bun sloppy joe 

   

Instead of putting your meatball in a bun place it between large tomato halves. Spread mayonnaise or Greek yogurt over your meatball and add alfalfa sprouted seeds. 

3. Cucumber turkey subs

 

Replace your footlongs with cucumbers. Scoop out the seeds in the center, spread mustard and white cheese and add slices of turkey. 

4. Portobello mushroom sandwich

 

For this mouthwatering sandwich grill 2 large Portobello mushrooms. Spread garlic and pesto. Add mozzarella cheese, basil leaves and tomato slices. 

5. Eggplant and avocado sandwich

 

Place pieces of eggplant under a broiler for 2 minutes. Remove and cool. Layer tomato, avocado, lettuce and mustard. Cut in half. 

 

 6. Bell pepper sandwich

 

Cut a bell pepper down the middle and cut off the top. Add strips of avocado, lettuce or seaweed strips and turkey slices. 

7. Halloumi slice sandwich

 

Grill slices of halloumi cheese until they are firm. Layer cold cuts, tomatoes, shredded lettuce, and roast peppers. Drizzle olive oil and red wine vinegar for added flavor. 

8. Spinach leaves with corned beef and cheese

 

Lightly steam collard leaves. Wrap these around rolled up corned beef, sauerkraut, and Swiss cheese. You can dip in Russian dressing while eating. 

9. Tofu slices with ham and cucumber center

 

 Fry slices of tofu in olive oil or butter on both sides until they are a light golden brown. Once cool, spread mayonnaise and add slices of ham and cucumber. 

10. Eggplant stacks with sweet potato filling

Slice eggplant, add salt and pepper and shallow-fry in olive oil. Stir-fry cubes of sweet potato with diced mint leaves and crumbled feta in butter. Layer this in between your eggplant slices. 

11. Chicken salad in a lettuce taco

 
Grill strips of chicken breasts in balsamic vinegar. Drizzle the chicken strips with tzatziki, and add this to the lettuce tacos. Garnish with tomatoes, red onions, feta cheese, olives, basil, oregano and red wine vinegar.

12. Salami and ham wrap with spinach filling

 

Wrap sweet ham and salami slices around slices of tomato, spinach leaves, and sliced banana peppers. Dress with mayonnaise, mustard and dried oregano. 

13. Caprese salad sandwich

 

Layer sliced tomatoes with slices of caprese cheese and asparagus. Dress with olive oil and cut in half.

NOTE- one can always substitute non-veg with veg of your choice, or use lentils, paneer to make filling.

 

https://gscrochetdesigns.blogspot.com. one can see my crochet creations  

https://kneereplacement-stickclub.blogspot.com. for info on knee replacement

https://cancersupportindia.blogspot.com  for info on cancer and health related topics

https://GSiyers home remedies.blogspot.com   is the latest addition to my blogs