Vanilla Sauce

  

Ingredients

 1 3/4 cup whole milk

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 tbsp pure vanilla extract or 1 vanilla bean scraped

1/4 cup granulated sugar

2 large egg yolks

3 tsp cornstarch

1/8 tsp salt

 

Preparations

In a bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch and salt.

In a medium saucepan bring the milk, heavy cream, and vanilla to a boil, stirring constantly to prevent it from scorching. Whisk 1/2 cup of the hot milk mixture into the egg mixture. Pour this egg mixture into the saucepan, constantly whisking it into the hot milk to prevent clumping. Heat the mixture over medium heat until thickened. Do not let it boil.  Strain the vanilla sauce through a fine mesh sieve.  Serve immediately or let it cool and store covered in the fridge. Will keep for up to 3 days. Can be served cold or reheated to serve warm.  Makes about 2 1/2 cups of Vanilla sauce.    

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Roasted Cauliflower Chowder

  

Ingredients

1 large head cauliflower, washed and cut into florets

2 tbsp olive oil

pinch of salt

2 tbsp butter, vegan/paleo: use olive oil

1medium yellow onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 medium carrots, chopped

2 celery ribs, chopped

1 large red bell pepper, seeds removed and diced

3 cups veg broth

1 tsp chopped fresh thyme

1 small bay leaf

1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 tsp salt

1 cup heavy cream, vegan/paleo: use cashew milk

 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

 

Instructions 

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Place the cauliflower florets onto a lined baking sheet and drizzle with the olive oil and a pinch of salt. Roast for 20-25 minutes until nicely browned, turning with a spatula after 15 minutes. Set aside until ready to use.

Heat the butter in a stock pot over medium-high heat and cook the onion until soft and translucent, 5-7 minutes. Add the remaining vegetables and cook for another 5-7 minutes until softened. Add the roasted cauliflower, stock, thyme, bay leaf, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for 25 minutes. Discard the bay leaf.

Use an immersion blender to puree the soup to consistency you prefer (I like to puree just part of it and leave the rest chunky). Alternatively transfer a portion of the soup to a regular blender, puree it, and add it back to the pot.

Add the cream and parsley and heat through. Add salt and pepper to taste. Note: If you prefer a thicker consistency you can dissolve some cornstarch in a little water (e.g., 1 tablespoon cornstarch in 3 tablespoons water) and pour it into the soup at the end. Let the soup simmer for a minute or two until slightly thickened.

 

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Sweet Corn Gelato / Ice-cream

 Sweet Corn Gelato is rich, creamy, and surprisingly complex. The natural sugars in the corn bring a mellow, almost caramelised flavour, and the texture is silky with just a hint of grainy charm. While it takes a bit of time to prep and churn, the result is worth every minute, especially when topped with a sprinkle of sea salt or a drizzle of honey.

Ingredients

3 ears Sweet Corn

3-1/2 cups Whole Milk

1 cup Heavy Cream

1-1/2 cups Sugar

8 Egg Yolks

1 tsp Salt

Plastic Wrap

Method

Slice the corn kernels and break the cobs into 2 or 3 pieces.

In a large saucepan, bring the milk to a simmer on medium heat. Remove the pan from the heat, add corn kernels and the corn cob pieces, press the cob pieces down into the milk and cover and allow to steep for 45 minutes.

Remove the corn cob pieces from the milk and discard them. Carefully pour half the milk and corn kernel mixture into a blender and blend until smooth. Place a coarse strainer over a large bowl and pour the mixture through the strainer. Discard the corn mush. Repeat the process with the remaining half of the corn and milk mixture.

Measure the amount of corn-infused milk and add more milk if necessary to make it about 3-1/2 cups.

In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat the corn-infused milk, heavy cream and 1-1/4 cups of sugar, stirring occasionally until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is hot. Do not simmer or boil the milk.

Remove from heat, whisk the egg yolks and the remaining 1/4 cup sugar and salt together in a bowl.

Take about a cup of the hot mixture and very slowly drizzle it into the bowl with the egg yolks, constantly whisking while you add the hot mixture so the eggs do not get cooked as you add the hot cream mixture.

Once the egg mixture is smooth, slowly pour the egg mixture back into the saucepan with the rest of the hot cream mixture.

Cook the mixture over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens and coats the back of the spoon for about 5 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat and pour the mixture through a fine strainer into a bowl

Immediately place the bowl into an ice bath to cool, stirring occasionally.

Once cool, cover the bowl with a plastic wrap, so that the wrap touches the surface of the custard to avoid ice formation. Refrigerate overnight.

Churn in an ice cream maker and freeze again for 4-6 hours before serving.

 

 

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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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Lefse (Norwegian Potato Flatbread)

  

Ingredients

1 3/4 pounds starchy potatoes (e.g. Russets), peeled and cut into roughly 1 inch pieces

5 tbsp unsalted butter, softened at room temperature

1/4 cup heavy cream

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp sugar

1 1/2 tsp salt 

 

Method Boil the potatoes until tender all the way through, then thoroughly drain them. While they're still warm, rice the potatoes into a large bowl. For the fluffiest, smoothest results rice them a second time.  Add the butter and combine it evenly into the potatoes to make a smooth mixture.  Add the heavy cream, sugar and salt and stir to thoroughly combine. Cover and chill the potato mixture overnight. The next day, add the flour to the dough and knead to combine. This can be done by hand but for convenience I use my stand mixer with a paddle attachment.  The consistency of the dough should be very soft and pliable but not sticky. Add more flour or liquid as needed. Place the dough on a floured work surface and divide it into 10 equal pieces. Keep the remaining dough covered while you're rolling out the individual lefse. Generously flour a pastry cloth or clean, smooth cotton dish towel. Roll each piece of dough into a ball and lay it on the floured cloth. Press the ball into a flat disk and sprinkle some flour over it. Flour the rolling pin. Roll the dough into as thin of a sheet as you can, about 1/16th inch, sprinkling over a little more flour as needed to prevent stick and ripping. Very carefully lift up the lefse and transfer it to the griddle or pan. To do this use a long spatula to easily lift up and transfer the lefse. Heat the griddle or pan over high heat (around 475-500 F). Lightly spray with oil. Place the lefse onto the griddle or into the skillet. Cook on one side for about one minute until it's speckled with brown spots. If it's cooking too fast, reduce the temperature. If it's taking too long, increase the temperature. Carefully flip the lefse over and cook on the other side for another minute or two until likewise speckled. Transfer the cooked lefse to a large plate/platter or lined baking sheet. Repeat the process for the remaining lefse, fanning them out onto the plate or baking sheet so that they can cool without sticking together. Serve warm or at room temperature.   Allow any leftover lefse to fully cool and then wrap them well in plastic wrap. Store them at room temperature where they will keep for several days (inspect them for any signs of mold). Storing them in the fridge tends to dry them out. If you'd like to store them longer or make a large batch for convenience, they can be frozen. Folding them in half or in quarters, place them in a freezer bag or container and freeze them for up to 6 months.

NOTE- this is some what like aloo paratha, but it is not stuffed. Something similar, you can use salted butter, then omit salt, serve hot with pickle / chutney of your choice and curd.

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Peanut Butter Cake

 Ingredients

 For the Cake:

 1 1/2cups all-purpose flour

 2 tsp baking powder

 1/2 tsp baking soda

 1/2 tsp salt

 1/3 cup coconut oil, at room temperature or oil of choice (I use coconut oil). Note: Oil yields a moister cake than butter

 1/3 cup natural unsweetened peanut butter

 1 cup brown sugar

 2 large eggs

1 cup buttermilk(can substitute 1 cup milk with 1 tablespoon white vinegar or lemon juice stirred into it. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes then use as recipe directs)

 1 tsp vanilla extract

 For the Frosting:

 1 cup natural unsweetened peanut butter (if using regular peanut butter which has lots of sugar in it, cut back a little on the brown sugar)

1/ 2cup unsalted butter, softened

3 cups powdered (confectioner's) sugar(can use less if preferred)

up to 1/2 cup heavy cream, at room temperature

 

Preparations

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a medium bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, add the peanut butter, oil, and brown sugar. Beat until combined and creamy. Add the eggs and vanilla extract and beat just until combined.

Alternately add the flour and buttermilk to the wet mixture, beating just until combined. Be careful not to over-beat or the cake will be dense and dry. A few small lumps of flour is fine.

Grease a 9X2 inch round baking pan. Pour the batter into the pan.

Bake for about 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out moist (not wet with batter but moist. If the toothpick is dry, the cake is over-baked and will be dry). Let the cake sit in the pan for 5 minutes, then invert the cake onto a wire rack to cool completely.

To Make the Frosting: In the meantime place the peanut butter and butter in a large mixing bowl. Beat until smooth and creamy. Add the powdered sugar one cup at a time, continuing to beat. Add the heavy cream until you reach a spreadable consistency. (Note: This is a fairly stiff frosting.)

Cut the cooled cake in half horizontally. Frost the bottom half of the cake and down the sides. Place the top layer of the cake, upside down, on top of the bottom layer. Frost the top layer and down the sides.

Notes

To cut back on calories (and save yourself some work), bake the cake in a 9X13 cake pan as a sheet cake and make half the amount of frosting to go on top. Also, for a more moist and goopy version, prepare the sheet cake. In a small saucepan bring 1/4 cup honey, 1/4 cup brown sugar and 2 tablespoons of butter to a boil. Remove from heat. Poke some holes throughout the sheet cake and drizzle the honey glaze evenly over it. Allow to cool completely and then frost (remember, half the recipe amount for the frosting). Note, I haven’t actually tried this version, merely conceptualized it in my mind, but I think it would work ;) Note: For chocolate frosting, add a couple of tablespoons of good quality cocoa powder.*Variation: Add Nutella to the frosting*Another variation: Pour some chocolate ganache over it for ultra decadence!

 

 

 

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Quick Strawberry Shortcake

  

Ingredients 

 2 pints ripe strawberries, hulled and chopped

2 tbsp white sugar

1 cup sweetened condensed milk

5 prepared strawberry shortcake cups

1cup heavy cream, whipped

 

Preparations

Place strawberries and sugar in a bowl; stir in condensed milk and mash with a fork until juicy. Cover the bowl; refrigerate 30 to 60 minutes. 

Place each shortcake cup on a dessert plate; top with strawberries and juice. Top with whipped cream; serve.  

 

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Peaches and Cream, Literally

  

Ingredients

4 medium fresh peaches, or as needed

⅓ cup white sugar, or to taste

¼ cup water

1 ½ cups heavy cream

Preparations

Cut each peach in half along the crease, twist open, and remove the pit. Peel and slice. Cut slices in half to get roughly 2 cups of sliced peaches. 

Bring sugar and water to a boil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Boil until a syrup forms, about 3 minutes. Stir in peaches until coated. Bring syrup back to a light simmer, about 1 minute. Immediately remove from the heat and pour mixture into a bowl to cool, 15 to 20 minutes.  

Use a slotted spoon to transfer peaches to a large bowl. Discard simple syrup or reserve for another use. Pour in heavy cream and stir to combine. Divide mixture between six serving glasses or bowls, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until completely chilled and cream has absorbed all the peach flavor, at least 3 hours. 

Chef's Tips

If your peaches are very sweet, you can skip the simple syrup step (step 2).

My attempt at a cooked-cream version didn't turn out as well as the classic but feel free to try it anyway. After Step 2, simmer heavy cream with 1/4 cup white sugar in a small pot until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in 2 teaspoons lemon juice, then let cool slightly. Transfer peaches into serving glasses using a slotted spoon, then pour warm cream mixture on top. Cover the glasses with plastic wrap and refrigerate until completely chilled. Pour leftover peach syrup into a saucepan and simmer until reduced by about half, 3 to 5 minutes. Let cool briefly before spooning onto each serving.

 

 

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