Recipe Blog Book

1 lb (450 g) meat tortellini

1 ½ tbsp (20 mL) butter

½ green pepper, sliced

3 good quality sausages, preferably spicy, cut in 3/4 inch (2 cm) pieces

3/4 cup (185 mL) ricotta cheese

½ cup (125 mL) grated pecorino cheese

salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Cook tortellini in boiling salted water.

2. Melt butter and saute pepper and sausage until sausage is browned and cooked through.

3. In a bowl combine ricotta and pecorino, a little salt and generous grindings of black pepper. Just before serving, beat in 1 ½ - 2 ½ tbsp boiling pasta water.

4. Drain tortellini and transfer to a warm serving dish. Add ricotta and sausage mixtures and toss to distribute evenly.

2 cups (500 mL) granulated sugar

1 ¼ cups (310 mL) sour cream

4 oz (110 g) white compound chocolate, chopped

½ tsp (2 mL) salt

3 tbsp (45 mL) liquid glucose or light corn syrup

1 tsp (5 mL) vanilla extract

2 tsp (10 mL) unsalted butter

2 oz (60 g) unsalted macadamia nuts, chopped

1. In large, heavy-based saucepan, combine sugar, sour cream, chopped chocolate, salt and liquid glucose or syrup. Stir over low heat until chocolate is melted and sugar is dissolved. Bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 3 minutes.

2. Remove lid from the saucepan and stir frequently until mixture reaches 245F (118C), or soft ball stage. Remove from head and stir in vanilla and butter. Allow to cool without stirring until lukewarm, then beat vigorously with wooden spoon until fudge is no longer glossy.

3. Stir in chopped macadamia nuts and press mixture into square or rectangular pan lined with aluminum foil, or use nut-shaped molds. Refrigerate until firm. Unmold or cut into squares.

Note: Other unsalted nuts such as peanuts, hazelnuts or walnuts can be substituted for macadamia nuts.

5 oz (150 g) Chocolate

Coffee oil flavoring, to taste

4 oz (110 g) Hazelnuts

1. Melt chocolate over hot, not boiling water. Add coffee extract.

2. Cement three hazelnuts together at a time with melted chocolate.

3. Allow to set, then dip in melted chocolate. Decorate with hazelnut on top.

I have been drinking wine of different labels lately, there is chardonnay, red wine, vodka, tequilla and sometimes rhum but i just don’t understand their true differences, i mean there’s not much difference when it comes to their tastes, obviously that makes me a wine idiot, maybe *grins*.

What makes a wine expensive than the other of same kind but of different label? and so i did a bit of research about wines, and here’s what i have found out. If it’s made from grapes then it would defer on the type of grape used. The color and clarity, and flavor balance and quality.

If you are a serious wine lover, there are a lot of winemaker’s circle around which you can join. You can even join one on the net, www.tastevine.com is one.

A close friend of mine from Italy gave me a bottle of Merlot for my family’s Christmas dinner.

3 lb (1.5 kg) chicken

4 green onions, shredded

Marinade

1 tsp (5 mL) chopped garlic

¼ cup (60 mL) soy sauce

3 tbsp (45 mL) vegetable oil

½ tsp (2.5 mL) five-spice powder

½ tsp (2.5 mL) sugar

1. Combine marinade ingredients. Brush mixture inside and over chicken. Let stand 30 minutes on a rack over a pan of water.

2. Drain chicken and roast Chinese style at 350F ( 180 C) until tender. Baste and turn chick four times during cooking for even browning.

3. Chop chicken Chinese style. Serve hot garnished with green onions.

It has been a year already since i bought new cooking wares. That is the reason why i am making this Christmas Wish list;

Most of my cooking tools are for Chinese cuisine only, mostly wok/clay pots and non-stick pans, and since i am teaching myself to learn western recipes so i am buying a couple of new kitchen wares, like slow cooker which i already found the brand and made to buy, thanks to google and wize’s slow cooker review.

So, here’s my wishlist:

1. Rival 6.5qt Round Slow Cooker

2. Rapala electric fillet knife

3. Precise Heat KTES2 Electric Skillet

I wish to have these kitchen wares this Christmas, Please Santa!

1 kg. beef shank, sliced into serving portions

2 Beef Broth Cube, dissolved in 4 cups water

2 tbsp cooking oil

4 cloves garlic, crushed

1 medium onion, sliced

1/2 cup peanut butter

1 cup coconut milk

1/3 cup flour, dissolved in 1/4 cup water

2 tbsps. sesame seeds, toasted

Vegetables:

2 tbsp cooking oil

3 cups string beans, sliced 2 inches long

3 pieces eggplants, sliced 2 inches long

1 Chicken Broth Cube

1. Cook beef with broth using a slow cooker until fork-tender. Remove beef from broth but reserve broth for later.

2. Heat oil and saute garlic and onions until limp. Pour in 3 cups of reserved bert broth peanut butter and cocomilk. Add in tenderized beef and simmer for about 20 min. Thicken with flour mixture if necessary.

3. Heat oil and stir-fry vegetables together with Chicken Cubes just until crisp-tender. You can serve it as a side dish to the meat.

½ lb (225 g) beef fillet, thinly sliced

2 tsp (10 mL) salt-reduced soy sauce

1/3 cup (85 mL) vegetable stock

1 lb (450 g) broccoli florets

½ tsp (2.5 mL) sugar

½ tsp ( 2.5 mL) chopped fresh ginger

1 tbsp (15 mL) cornstarch blended with

3 tbsp (45 mL) vegetable stock

1. Combine sliced beef with soy sauce, and let marinate 15 minutes. Heat a non-stick pan. Add beef and stir-fry 1 minute.  Remove from pan and set aside.

2. Add stock to pan and bring to a boil. Add broccoli, sugar and ginger, and cook covered over high heat 3 minutes.

3. Return beef to pan. Stir in blended cornstarch and stock to thicken. Serve at once.

½ cup mango pulp

2 cups curd (made out of skimmed milk)

1 tbsp finely chopped coriander leaves

½ tsp oil, ¼ tsp mustard seeds

1/8 tsp fenugreek seeds

salt and pepper

1. Strain the curd. Add the mango pulp, salt and pepper.

2. Heat the oil. Fry the mustard and fenugreek sees. Add to the curd.

3. Then add the coriander and mix well. Serve chilled.

1 ½ cups (375 mL) uncooked rice

4 tbsp (60 mL) oil

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 clove garlic, bruised

1 slice fresh ginger, roughly chopped

6 green onions, cut in ½ inc (1 cm) pieces

½ lb (225 g) Chinese barbecued pork (char sui)

¼ cup (60 mL) soy sauce

1. Cook rice. Heat 1 tbsp (15 mL) oil in a wok. Pour in beaten eggs to form a flat omelet; cook for 2 minutes. When bottom is set, flip over and cook for further 2 minutes. Remove from heat, roll up jelly-roll style and cut into thin strips.

2. Heat remaining oil in wok, add garlic and ginger and cook until browned, lift out and discard. Add green onions and rice. Stir-fry 2-3 minutes. Add char sui and soy sauce, and stir-fry 1 minute. Add a little water if too dry. Spoon rice into a serving dish and garnish with egg stripes.