Sip On The Beach martini

  • 3 parts Coffee Vodka
  • 3 parts Kahlua
  • 1 Part Grand Marnier

 

Pour ingredients into shaker filled with crushed ice. Shake really well for about a minute and strain into chilled martini glasses. Garnish with chocolate flakes and a twist of orange.

This is a really nice martini. Try it! This will make you wish you WERE on a beach somewhere.

 

Taste Rating: 8.9

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Lucky Chances

My daughter has won the hockey pool at her workplace THREE times in a row. We keep telling her to buy a lottery ticket. I think she has but……

Lucky is in the eyes of the beholder…lucky to have a roof over our head? Absolutely. Food on the plate? For sure. Sense of humor? A true gift. A loving spouse? God given. It goes on and on. Even when the rain is never ending (or so it seems), a house half built-soon to be finished.

Daughter coming for a brief dinner date? Mind boggling. Have the ingredients to make a martini on a whim? What can I say to that? Lucky, lucky me.

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Cinnamon Apple Puff

This is from my cookbook “The B & B Cookbook” and is easy to do. I am putting a few of these out there and perhaps, just perhaps, a few men will try and make this for their special lady. Pick the occasion or just a “pamper you morning”.

You need:

  • 1 very large Granny Smith apple (they are the green ones, fellas)
  • Peeled, cored and sliced thin
  • 3 tbsp. butter
  • 3 eggs
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 1/2 cup whole milk
  • 1 tsp. sugar
  • pinch of salt
  • 2 tbsp. cinnamon sugar
  • juice of whole lemon
  • icing sugar for garnish

 

Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Grease 9″ quiche dish well. Saute apple in 1 tbsp. butter until slightly tender (translation: soft). Spread slices evenly into quiche dish.

Mix together, eggs, milk,flour, sugar, salt until well blended. Pour over the apple slices and bake for about ten minutes. Dot with remaining butter and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.

Return to oven for about 5 minutes. Bring to the table puffed and sprinkle with lemon juice and then show off a little. Using a strainer, sprinkle with icing sugar.

Come on, admit it. you got brownie points. Right? Tell me nothing more…too much information for this “old” lady. Enjoy!

 

Taste Rating: 9.5

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Colour Me Orange Martini

I seem to be on a martini kick again. It is so much fun…This one is too easy but yummy.

  • 2 parts Orange Vodka
  • 1 part Grand marnier

 

Pour into shaker with cracked ice and shake well. Strain into chilled martini glasses and garnish with (what else?) an orange twist.

I did say this was easy didn’t I? Hint: you can use blood oranges as well. they have a “finer” flavour.

 

Taste Rating:  8.5

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Signature Valentine Martini

Men, get ready to pamper the lady of your choice.

Try this one.

  • 2 parts Raspberry liqueur
  • 1 part raspberry vodka
  • 1 part cinnamon liqueur

 

Pour ingredients into a shaker with cracked ice and shake well. Strain into chilled martini glasses and garnish with a couple of fresh raspberries.

OR

Change the raspberry liqueur and vodka to strawberry and garnish to a fresh strawberry.

 

Taste Rating: 9

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Ham and Cheese Stuffed Puff Pastry For Men To Make

This is sooooo easy but the flavours are incredible. You can cut up fresh, cold melons/berries and arrange on the plate. This is perfect when paired with scrambled eggs.

You need:

  • 1 sheet frozen puff pastry
  • 1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
  • thin slices of cooked ham
  • slices of swiss cheese
  • 1 beaten egg
  • 1 tbsp. cream

 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Unfold pastry and when thawed, divide into 4 squares. Spread mustard over each square (gingerly), place ham and cheese on top and fold into a triangle. Wet the edges of the pastry with cream and seal closed.

Put on a parchment lined cookie sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes until puffed and golden brown.

Serve this with fresh muffins, fresh coffee and juice. Men: If working on special occasions or Valentine’s Day, this is for you. Put a long stem red rose in a vase on the tray or table. Couldn’t be easier but WOW! the results are unmentionable. (At least here).

 

Taste Rating: 9

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Seared Trout with Calvados Sauce

Oh, boy….turkey has now gone bye-bye and you are having guests. What to serve? Try this delectable and elegant dish.

You will need:

  • 3 tbsp. unsalted butter
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped shallots
  • 2 tsp. finely chopped thyme (fresh)
  • 2 tsp. finely chopped garlic (fresh, not bottled)
  • 3/4 cup Calvados (apple liqueur)
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • salt and pepper to taste (go light)
  • 4 trout fillets (if have 4 people for dinner) 6 oz. each

 

In small saucepan melt 2 tbsp. butter over medium heat. Add the shallots, thyme and garlic and cook until the shallots become transparent. (maybe 5 mins).
Add the Calvados and reduce by half, add the cream and cook over medium heat until a light sauce consistency is achieved. Set aside.

While sauce is reducing, melt the remaining butter and sear the trout in butter on one side. Cook the presentation side in the butter first. This is the side without skin.

Brown the presentation side for about 4 minutes and cook the other side for the same time. This will vary depending on the thickness of the trout. Remember to tuck the thin end under the trout so it will all cook the same.

If you wish, you can place the salmon over frisee lettuce and top each one quarter of the sauce.

Wipe any ‘drips’ off the plate so you only serve “clean” plates.

 

Taste Rating: 9.2

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Whipped Frosting

This is a little different from the normal, icing sugar, milk or cream, maybe a dab of butter. Try it and see if this doesn’t make a huge difference.

This will make about 5 cups. Will more than fill and ice a 3-4 layer cake. This doesn’t keep so it must be used right away. Ready?

Set a bowl over a pot of simmering water (not in it, but the same way you would melt chocolate) and combine 3 large egg whites, 3/4 cup of sugar, a pinch of salt and 1/3 cup of water.

Cook over medium heat, stirring until the sugar has dissolved, this will take about 2 minutes or so. Transfer this to a large bowl and using an electric mixer, beat on high until glossy (about 3 minutes) and reduce speed to low. Add 1/4 tsp. pure vanilla and beat until combined.

If making a chocolate cake, use chocolate flavouring, omitting the vanilla. Or orange, lemon…whatever you are making. Really a good icing and worth the few minutes it takes to make.

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Baked French Toast

It is always wonderful to get up on a lazy Saturday or Sunday morning and have that special treat that somehow makes your world perfect. This could be it.

You need:

  • 1 tbsp. pure vanilla
  • 2 cups milk
  • 8 slices of bread, 3/4 inch thick
  • butter (of course)
  • 6 eggs
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 3/4 tsp. cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup maple syrup
  • Fresh fruit (berries or sliced fruit)

 

Cut each slice of bread into quarters on the diagonal to make triangles. Arrange these, point side up in a 13 x 9 inch baking dish, overlapping as necessary, into 3 rows.

Whisk together the sugar, eggs and 1/2 tsp. of the cinnamon until blended and whisk the milk in. Pour over the bread and gently press to immerse. Cover and refrigerate over night.

In the morning, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Uncover the baking dish and once again, immerse the bread into the liquid and bake for 30 minutes until a knife inserted comes out clean and the bread is a golden brown and puffed up.

While the bread is baking, whisk the maple syrup with the remaining cinnamon in a small saucepan until it begins to bubble. Serve with the french toast and cold berries. Wonderful combination.

This is a real endulgent start to your day. Grab a good book, mate, whatever and get in the moment. Later.

 

Taste Rating: 9

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Chocolate Trifle with Mixed Berries

Alright, The holiday period is now over, all the ornaments have been packed away, thank you cards have been written (they have, right?) you deserve a special dessert and here it is. If you love chocolate and who doesn’t, this is just for you.

It is three steps and each one is a ‘make ahead’. You can make each step, place them in the fridge and they are ready to put together when you are ready to serve. No fuss at all. Oh, yes, the strain of it all. You should whip some cream up. Here goes.

Cake

  • 3 eggs
  • 1/3 cup of flour
  • 1/4 cup cocoa powder
  • pinch of salt
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 tsp. pure vanilla
  • 2 tbsp. melted butter

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. To get the best volume when whipping eggs right out of the fridge, place the eggs (not yet cracked) in a bowl of warm water and cover. Mix together the flour, cocoa and salt. In an elelctric mixer beat the eggs and add the sugar, beating until very pale, four times the volume and will run off the beaters in a ribbon. Now beat in the vanilla. Slowly FOLD in one half of the flour until combined.

Now gently FOLD in the remaining flour. FOLD in the butter and pour into a prepared pan. Bake for 25 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the cake and place on a rack to completely cool.

Custard

  • 3 cups milk
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 4 tsp cornstarch
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 6 oz. bittersweet chocolate
  • 1 1/2 tsp, pure vanilla

Heat the milk and half the sugar until steaming. In small bowl whisk remaining sugar, cornstarch and egg yolks until well blended. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, for about 10-12 minutes until slightly thickened and bubbles just rise to the surface. Remove from heat and strain through a sieve into a clean bowl over the chocolate. Add vanilla and stir until the chocolate is completely melted. Place plastic wrap directly on the surface and chill completely.

Berries

  • 4 cups of frozen mixed berries or fresh (if in summer)
  • 1/2 cup framboise, or any fruit liqueur
  • Bittersweet chocolate shavings for garnish

Place berries in a bowl and combine with the liqueur. Let stand, stirring occasionally until the berries are ‘melted’ and well flavoured with the liqueur. If large berries remain, cut up into smaller pieces.

In a pretty wine glass, put pieces of cake into glass, spoon 1 tbsp. of berries with juice on top of the cake. Spoon a generous tbsp. of custard over the berries and repeat each layer until the wine glass is full. Cover and chill these for at least 8 hours. When ready to serve, put a dollop of whipped cream on top and sprinkle chocolate shavings on top.

Now, isn’t this the best way to pamper and be pampered? You bet it is. Yummy, I can taste it now. Let me see….yup I need pampering. Later.

 

Taste Rating: 8.9

 

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Corn Pancakes

Before you think this is a mistake, let me tell you why. Don and I are trying a NO pasta, NO potatoes, NO rice, NO flour and NO white sugar (as in cakes and cookies) regimen. We have been eating cornbread now for two weeks. Upon returning home this morning from Church, Don said let’s get inventive. I threw out (teasingly, of course) make waffles or pancakes. With that he altered his Mom’s recipe for pancakes and the result was absolutely amazing and darn good too!

In a medium size bowl combine :

  • 1/2 cup corn flour,
  • 1/2 cup cornmeal,
  • 1 Tbsp. Baking Powder,
  • 1 Tbsp. sugar,
  • pinch of salt.

 

Set this aside.

In a separate bowl, beat one egg. Now alternately add 3/4 cup buttermilk with the flour mixture into the beaten egg. Mix until smooth. Don used a whisk; maybe that is why is was so good. Cook like any other pancake and add your butter and syrup.

Now you know why we are so married. He’s a wonderful; cook. Yup!

 

Taste Rating: 9

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Beignets

Don’t laugh but when Don and I were travelling the south of France a few years ago, my ‘bucket list’ was to find and devour Beignets. These are wonderful french delectables. We found them only once and it was a beach kiosk in Cannes. that was it. Ha Ha! Here is the recipe.

Needed:

  •  1 pkg dry yeast
  • 1/2 cup warm water
  • 1/2 cup evaporated milk
  • 1 egg, well beaten
  • 1 tsp. pure vanilla
  • 2 tbsp. melted butter (never margarine)
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • pinch of salt
  • 3 cups flour
  • deep fryer if you have one or 4 inches of oil for frying in a deep sided fry pan
  • Icing sugar
  • Berry sugar mixed with a touch of cinnamon

 

In electric mixer dissolve the yeast in the warm water. Now add the milk, beaten egg,vanilla, butter, sugar and salt. Add the flour, 1 cup at a time on medium speed for about a minute. Dough will be sticky. Work with 1/4 of the dough at a time. Place on a well floured board and roll out to about 1/8″ thick.

Cut dough into 2 inch squares. Preheat oil to 370 degrees. Fry the square (few at a time). When they rise to the top, flip them over and cook until golden. Dust with the sugar (either one) and be sure to serve warm.

Oh, did I say you would be making these EVERY DAY?

 

Taste Rating: 9.9

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