Tag Archives: Recipes

Sangria’s Best

Smiles, Laughter, Friends….Sangria’s Best

Summertime, Laughter, Memories, Mixed Drinks!!!! HAVE FUN….

Sangria should be refrigerated 24 hours before serving.  Any soda drink, or sugar added 30-60 minutes before serving.     Carrafe or bottle must accomodate about 4 liters of liquid.

INGREDIENTS

  • 3 Peaches peeled, pitted and diced.
  • 2 Apples peeled, cored and diced
  • 2 Oranges peeled and cut into rounds
  • 1 cup Cherries pitted and halved
  • 1 cup Berries of choice
  • 1 750 ml Sangiovese wine
  • 1 750ml Lambrusco wine
  • 1/3 part (250 ml) Rum
  • 1/3 part (250 ml) Brandy
  • 3/4 liter (750 ml)  sprite or coke (added 30-60 minutes before serving then reseal bottle.)
  • 4 Cinnamon sticks

Mix all ingredients in container seal and store in refrigerator for 24 hours.

Presentation and Flavor

Prepare an additional:  3 Peaches, 2 Apples ( cored and diced), 2 Oranges cut into rounds, 1 cup Berries and 1 cup Cherries.  Toss fruit in a bowl and keep close to Sangria for serving. Mint Sprigs, Cinnamon Sticks Lime cut into round circles for presentation eased onto side of glass.

Serve:  Pour Sangria over  a few ice cubes in cup and  add freshly cut fruit.

Drink Cautiously.  1 glass for women. 2 glasses for men. Have appetizers available  before drinking, always eat first!   (Food higher in fat absorb alcohol,  like cheese, or chip/dip, so that the alcohol will not be absorbed by the brain) .

Scones from Sarah

1Ib Self Raising Flour 
4 Teaspoons of Baking Powder
4 ozs of Margarine (will try with Butter next time Kim)
Rub all of the above ingredients together finely.
Then add
2 ozs of Sugar
6 ozs of Sultanas
 
Mix the above together
With a fork add approximately half a pint of milk – slowly to make a soft dough – add more flour if too wet.
Roll out onto a flat surface – about quarter of an inch thickness
Cut out into individual rounds and glaze top with a beaten egg (but not for Ricardo!!)
Place on a baking tray at about 200 c (approximately 10 – 15 mins) until golden brown.
Enjoy with fresh cream and jam or butter.  I like to warm them in the microwave and add butter and jam.
Happy eating!
Sarah

Roasted Pepper and Carrot Soup

Roasted Pepper and Carrot Soup

Roasted Red Pepper and Carrot Soup
Serves 4-6
Preparation time 15 minutes
Cooking time 30 minutes
Various methods may be used for roasting peppers: under oven broiler, heat oven to 250 C / 500 F, or grilled.

Roast peppers under the oven broiler or on the grill, then remove skin.

 Ingredients
  • 3 large Red Peppers (quartered and de-seeded)
  • 10 Carrots (peeled and roughly chopped)
  • 4 Tablespoons Olive Oil
  • 2 Onions peeled and diced
  • 2 Potatoes peeled and quartered
  • Pinch of ground Cinnamon
  • 1.8 Liters Vegetable Stock
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • Salt and Pepper to taste
  • 4 teaspoons Panna or Heavy Cream (optional)
  • Paprika
  • Parsley for decoration
Preparation 15 minutes
Place peppers on flat pan and into the a very hot oven for 10 minutes.
(Optional: Hot roasted peppers may have skin removed by placing them in a sealed container and after 10 minutes remove peel.)
Peel onions and in large pan gently saute` the onion in 2 Tablespoons of olive oil for 10 minutes. Peel carrots and potatoes. Toss carrots, potatoes and  roasted peppers in 2 Tablespoons olive oil.
Simmering  time,  30 minutes on stove top
Add carrots, potatoes and peppers  to the onions with the cinnamon, salt and pepper to taste; toss together in pan.
Add stock and lime juice, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
With a ladle add cooked vegetables into a blender and  then puree` for about 20 seconds, add back to soup and reheat for10 minutes.
Serving and Presentation
Ladle soup into a bowl, sprinkle chopped parsley on top and drizzle the panna or  heavy cream.
Serve soup with a spoonful of Creme` Fraiche and pinch of paprika.
Enjoy!!!

Tiramisu

Tiramisu

A most requested recipe that will drive the most dubious to the most “Romantic”.  I’ve even had non-coffee drinkers totally embrace this dessert and WILL NOT pass on this Tiramisu.  To optimize the flavors of Tiramisu it is best that it is prepared 24 hours in advance.

tiramisu by chocolate monster mel.

Ingredients

Begin with a cookie sheet and a 9×13 size pan.
36 salviardi or Lady Finger cookies.
1 1/4 cup espresso coffee (When preparing coffee, use 1/2 c. ground turkish cut coffee grounds to 1 1/3 c. water.)
1/4 Marsala (secco) /Rum Liquer
4 Medium eggs room temperature.
3/4 cup sugar
Pinch of salt
Mascarpone 750 grams (When removing seal from Mascarpone container there should be a thin layer of fluid on top of Mascarpone. If there is not ADD 1 more egg for a total of 5 Medium eggs.)
Whipping Cream (Optional)
Bitter Chocolate Powdered

On a cookies sheet place the salviardi cookies.
Make coffee. Add rum and coffee together and drizzle liquid all over the cookies.

Using two mixing bowls, open raw eggs and seperate yolk from egg white placing each into it’s own bowl.
Beat egg whites for about two minutes.  (May add a pinch of salt or a pinch of cream of tarter before beting egg whites in order  to stiffen egg white peaks.)
Beat egg yolks and sugar together for about 5 minutes until egg yolks are a light colored yellow.  Next, add mascarpone and beat into egg yolk mixture.

Gently fold egg whites into egg/mascarpone mixture, until no egg white is showing.  Using a half circular motion, place  spatula at bottom of bowl gently bring mascarpone to top of egg white, allowing for mascarpone  to lightly fall onto beaten egg whites.

Take pre-soaked cookies and layer the bottom of the 9×13 pan.  Then add a layer of mascarpone mixture.  Add another layer of pre-soaked cookies.  Spread on a second layer of mascarpone mixture.  Gently layer with whip cream.  With a sieve over the cookie sheet add powdered chocolate to sieve.  Tap seive over Tiramisu so that the powdered chocolate completely covers whip cream.

Place Tiramisu in refrigerator and allow to cure for 12-24 hours. Or place into Freezer for 3 hours and allow to thaw on counter top for 1 hour before serving.

Cut into squares and serve on dessert plate .
May decorate with shavings of white or Dark chocolate; or a chocolate covered coffee bean on top; or mint leaves and raspberries on the side.

Holiday Kid Friendly Appetizers

Kids are hungry by design, because they are constantly moving and therefore are burning the calories from meals in just a couple hours. We can help our children this holiday season to not fall into poor dietary habits, by instead having, healthy snacks readily available to offer them.

A few families have provided some of their holiday fun food ideas:

·         Sliced carrots and celery in cups or flower vases as a centerpiece

·         Apple, Pears and Cheese slices. 

·         Fruit or vegetables dipped in Yogurt

·         Oranges, washed and sliced (leave on the skin as most kids like to play with the sliced circles.)

·         Olives and sundried tomatoes

·         Meat slices set on sliced Kiwi

·         Platters with varied dried fruits (Nuts, Dried Apricots/banana’s, Pumpkin seeds and Popcorn) set on kitchen and living room tables.

·         Yogurt or a glass of milk slows down a child’s hunger pains.

·         Wheat grisini with cream cheese and honey dip (3 Tablespoons cheese to 1 tablespoon honey)

·         Wheat crostini with slice of cheese (pecorino) and honey drizzled on top

·         Wheat crostini with pesto or truffle cream or cream cheese

It is important to have healthy snacks available for kids that are not always made up of empty calories. Teaching kids the benefits of making smart eating choices when they are young can lead to a lifetime of healthy eating habits. This holiday show your kids how snacks can add to their nutritional requirements for the day.

Nutritional snacks should be kept in an area that is easy for children to reach, while unhealthy choices kept in less accessible areas. This will encourages children to reach for the healthy options first. By encouraging healthy snacking, parents can give their children the nutrients and know-how needed for healthy living.