Tag Archives: cream

Chocolate Eclair Pots

10 Sunday Feb 2013

Posted by in Desserts, Valentine's

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , ,

Chocolate eclair pots
This is a dessert that my mom used to make that would be perfect for a Valentines’ Day treat.

I made the whip cream and chocolate ganache to step it up a notch.
This was a BIG hit with friends at the dinner we hosted last night.

What you will need:
1 box Vanilla Instant Pudding Mix
1.5  Cups of Whipping Cream
8oz Chocolate Bar
8 Graham Crackers
1/2 Cup of Scalded Heavy Cream

I made 6 pots out of this so change accordingly if you want to make more or less.

First make the instant pudding which just requires milk. SUPER EASY. It sits for 10 minutes in the fridge.

Whipped cream

Whipped cream

Then whip 1.5 cups of whipping cream.

Fold the instant pudding into the whipped cream. Put it back in the fridge to sit while you make the chocolate ganache.

Fold cream

Fold cream

First chop your chocolate into bits. Then pour the cream in a double boiler over medium heat. As soon as it starts to bubble, add your chocolate and stir until chocolate has melted.

Melt chocolate

Melt chocolate

Let the ganache sit off the heat for a few minutes to help it thicken.

You can either layer this with graham crackers in a small casserole dish or in individual pots.

The pots are cleaner and have a better presentation but either one works.

Lay crackers

Lay crackers

You just layer graham crackers and the spread the vanilla cream over it. Put the vanilla cream mixture in a baggie and piped it out for better control but you can just spoon it.

Pipe cream

Pipe cream

You should be able to do this about three or four times before topping it off with chocolate ganache.

Continue layering

Continue layering

Let it sit in your fridge for at least an hour before serving.

This is a quick and easy dessert that looks and tastes like you slaved over it!

Enjoy!
Joy

Quinoa porridge with peaches and bananas

03 Monday Sep 2012

Posted by in Breakfast

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , ,

Quinoa porridge

This is my FAVORITE porridge to eat in the morning now! It’s full of protein and fiber. It keeps well overnight too. Sometimes I make it the night before and reheat in the morning. You can easily make this dish non-dairy by omitting the whole milk and increasing your coconut milk.

What you will need:
1 Banana (Unpeeled and Whole) *I use 2 bananas because I love the creaminess and body it adds to the porridge but it does overpower the peach flavor, so you decide.
25-35 Slices of Frozen Peaches
1 Cup Quinoa
1 1/2 Cups Coconut Milk
1/2 Cup of Whole Milk
1/4 Teaspoon Cinnamon
1 Teaspoon Vanilla
1-2 Teaspoon Honey (you decide how sweet you want it)

You can just use milk if you prefer instead of coconut milk.

Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Place the bananas and peaches on a lined baking sheet and roast for 15 minutes. (Halfway through, I drizzle a little olive oil over the peaches).

Roasted banana and peach

Bring milk and coconut milk to a boil. Whisk a few times to make sure it is not sticking to the bottom of your pan. Once your milk boils, add your quinoa and bring to another boil. Whisk a few times before letting it simmer. Then cover and simmer on lowest heat for 15 minutes.

After 15 minutes, the milk WILL NOT all be absorbed in the quinoa. This is what you want. You should be able to see some milk when you add your fruit and puree.

Blend fruit

Once your fruit is done, put a little more than half of it in a blender and add your honey, cinnamon, vanilla and a splash of milk (you decide which kind). Be sure to fold the whole fruit and puree to your quinoa and cover until all milk is absorbed about 1-2 minutes.

Add fruit into quinoa

I add a pad of butter before serving but that is optional. Top with toasted coconut and/or macadamia nuts.

Enjoy!
Joy

Pasta carbonara – with pancetta or salmon

02 Saturday Jun 2012

Posted by in Meals in one

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , ,

This is another recipe that my husband makes. YUM!

Pasta carbonara – with pancetta or salmon

It is a variation of the traditional carbonara but that’s why I like it.

Here is what you need:
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil Pancetta (cut up into pieces)
Spaghetti (boxed is better than fresh)
3 Eggs
1 cup of Parmesan
2 Tablespoons Heavy Cream
1 Shallot
2 Cloves of Garlic (chopped)
Parsley (chopped)
2 Teaspoons Black Pepper

Get your pasta going because you will use the pasta water later. Put oil into a pan on medium heat. Add your pancetta, you want it to be slightly crispy. After about 5 minutes, once some of the fat has rendered, add your garlic and shallot. Turn your heat down stirring occasionally. Drain your pasta and set aside 1/3 cup of the water. Whisk your eggs, black pepper and the pasta water. Keep whisking and add the Parmesan cheese and cream. Toss the pasta in the pancetta/garlic/shallot pan and then mix in the egg mixture with some parsley. You can sprinkle more cheese on top if you like!

And for a bit of a variation Mel uses cooked or smoked salmon instead of pancetta. Great for a vegetarian option.

Enjoy!

Joy

Chicken Broccoli Casserole

22 Wednesday Feb 2012

Posted by in Simple meals, Soup and stews

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , ,

 

Chicken Broccoli Casserole

This is a recipe that my mom made for us as kids.

I have no idea where she got it but I am sure it was on the back of a soup can.

It’s easy and perfect if you are craving comfort food and has become a staple in our house.

Here is what you need:
1 Bag of Egg Noodles
1 Can of Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 8oz Container of Sour Cream
1-2 Cups of Shredded Cheddar Cheese
1 Head of Broccoli (Steamed)
1 Rotisserie Chicken Shredded

The prep for this dish is to have your chicken shredded, your broccoli steamed and your noodles cooked.
Once you have done that, combine the sour cream and soup in a separate bowl. Mix well.
Pour the soup mixture over your chicken and mix thoroughly….I find using your hands instead of a spoon works best.
Lay your noodles in your baking dish.
Next, put the chicken mixture on top.
Then, you will place your chopped broccoli over the entire dish.
Top with cheese and bake for 25 minutes at 325 degrees.
YUM!

Joy

Berries-N-Cream Cups

21 Monday Nov 2011

Posted by in Desserts

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , ,


Berries have been on sale lately so I’ve been making danishes and strudels all week. The berry compote that goes inside a danish is so delicious that I wanted to try it with a sweetened cream cheese.
These cups can be served with coffee for breakfast or with an espresso for dessert. Either way, this gorgeous treat takes no time at all!

Here is what you need:

1 Package of Ready to Bake Pastry Cups
1 Egg
1 Tablespoon of Water
1 6oz of Blueberries
1 6oz of Blackberries
1 6 oz of Raspberries
1 6oz of Strawberries
1 Cup of Sugar
1 8oz Package of Cream Cheese
1/2 Teaspoon of Almond Extract
1/2 Teaspoon of Vanilla Extract
1/4-1/2 Cup of Confectioners Sugar
1 oz of White Chocolate
2 Tablespoons of Heavy Whipping Cream

Preheat your oven to 475. Beat your egg and water to make an egg wash and brush it on top of your frozen pastry cups. Place all 6 on parchment paper and bake for 15 minutes.
While your pastry cups bake, combine all of your berries into a bowl and smash. Add 1 cup of sugar and stir thoroughly. Place the bowl in the microwave for 18 minutes stirring 3-4 times.

Melt the white chocolate and cream in a small saucepan on low heat and set aside.

Your pastry cups should be done. Take them out and remove the tops with a fork. Also, remove as much of the dough on inside as you can without putting a hole in the cup. This has to be done delicately. Then, with your fork, press the remaining dough to the bottom and sides of the cup. You want to be sure you have space to fill these. Put back in the oven for 3 more minutes for extra crispiness. Set aside and let cool.

Take your berries out and stir. Set aside to cool to room temperature.

Combine the cream cheese, almond extract, vanilla extract and confectioners sugar and beat until fluffy. Add 2 teaspoons of the white chocolate mixture and continue to beat.
*Pipe the cream cheese mixture into your pastry cups and use a fork to press the mixture into the cup. Next, place a spoonful of berry compote on top. I added a small dot of cream cheese on top for decoration but that’s optional.

Enjoy immediately!

*I put the cream cheese mixture into a baggie and snipped off one of the corners of the baggies and used this to pipe the mixture into the cup.

Enjoy!

Joy

Leek and Bacon Quiche

24 Monday Oct 2011

Posted by in Simple meals, Tarts, Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , ,


Apologies for the photo – it was taken with my phone…

I went round to my friend Claudia’s for a bit of cooking, and we made leek and bacon quiche, cheesy bits and a beautiful tarte tatin. I’m going to explain how to make a very easy and yummy  and the cheesy bit – you’ll have to wait a little for the tarte tatin.

For our quiche we used bacon and leek but you can really use anything you fancy so this is a good one if you have left-overs and want to make something a little fancy. We were left with a bit of pastry so we made my special cheesy bits – they are great for an apperitif.

What you will need for the quiche:

Short-crust pastry (ready-made or freshly made – see our tomato tart for this recipe)

4-5 eggs
300ml of single cream
2 handfuls of grated cheddar cheese
4 slices of bacon
1 leek
Pepper

Pre-heat your oven to 180C . Cover a tart tin with the pastry. Heat a pan and add a bit of butter or oil and add in diced bacon, once they start to brown add thinly sliced leeks until they are softened.

In a bowl whisk all your eggs and add the cream – you can also replace the cream with milk or go half milk half cream. Now add the cheddar, bacon and leek and a some ground pepper to taste. You don’t need to add any salt due to the cheese and bacon. Put the mixture into the tart tin and place in the oven for about 20-25 minutes.

What you will need for you cheesy bits:

Short-crust pastry left-overs 
1-2 handfuls of grated cheddar cheese (the more the better)

Mix your pastry and cheese together and then roll it so it looks like a stick, you can do this in small bits. Then cut into small pieces. Put in a pre-heated oven at 180C and it should be ready in about 15mins!

It’s that easy! And the quiche will feed 4 people, serve with a green mixed salad and there you have it a yummy but simple meal.

Mel

One Fantastic Peach!

18 Tuesday Oct 2011

Posted by in Desserts

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , ,

I recently had a dinner party with the intention of making a peach cobbler for dessert but completely ran out of time. I literally had no dessert when dinner was finished.
I had grilled peaches in the past and decided to try broiling them. The result was so tasty and it only took 5 minutes!

Here is what you need to serve 4 people:

2 Peaches
4 Pads of Butter
1 Tablespoon of Brown Sugar
1/8 Teaspoon of Cinnamon (optional)
1 Cup of Heavy Whipping Cream
1 Teaspoon of Vanilla Extract
1-3 Tablespoons of Powdered Sugar (depends how sweet you like it)
4 oz Mascarpone Cheese

Slice the peaches in half and remove the pit.
Put a pad of butter in each center and sprinkle the brown sugar over all 4 peaches.
Place in broiler for 5 minutes
Remove the peaches and scrape off the burnt sugar
Lightly sprinkle the cinnamon over all four peaches
In a cold mixing bowl, pour in the heavy whipping cream and Mascarpone Cheese.
Once it starts to thicken, add the powdered sugar and vanilla.
Continue to whip until you see stiff peaks.
If you beat too much, you will get butter, so be careful!

Joy

Nut and Caramel Crusted Banana Cream Pie

02 Tuesday Aug 2011

Posted by in Desserts

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , ,

I LOVE my mom’s banana cream pie recipe but I wanted to do it a little different, so I changed the crust.

Here is what I did:

Crust:
1 1/2 cups  Vanilla Wafer Cookies (crushed)
2/3 cups of Macadamia Nuts (crushed)
1/2 stick of Butter
4-5 Tablespoons of melted Caramel
1-2 Ripe Bananas

Once I combined the first three ingredients, I pressed them into a pie crust pan.
I covered it and put it in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours with a couple of heavy jars on top to ensure it would be as compact as possible.

After two hours, I took it out and poured my melted caramel on top. You just want a thin layer because otherwise it will effect how your custard sets up.
Put the crust back into the refrigerator for another 1-2 hours. When you are ready to start making your custard, slice the ripe bananas on top of your caramel layer.

Pie Filling:
2/3 cup of Sugar
1/4 cup of Cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon Salt
2 1/4 cups of whole milk
1/2 cup of heavy whipping cream
4 egg yolks (beaten)
1 tablespoon Butter
2 teaspoons of Vanilla Extract

Sift the sugar, salt and cornstarch.

In a *double boiler, combine the milk and cream over medium heat and slowly add your 3 dry ingredients. Stir until thickened and bubbly.

Reduce heat and stir 2 minutes longer. Remove from heat and stir in 5 tablespoons  (one tablespoon at a time) of the hot milk mixture into your beaten egg yolks.
While you are slowly adding your tablespoons of the milk mixture, be sure to whisk constantly.
This is the tricky part. If you do this part incorrectly, you will end up with scrambled eggs! Once you have added all 5 tablespoons, you can pour the egg mixture back into the double boiler with the remaining milk mixture.

Whisking constantly, bring to a gentle boil. This should take 5 minutes (set your timer) then cook it for an additional 2 minutes. If you do not set your timer and you don’t cook it long enough, your custard will not set and you will end up with pudding instead of pie.

Remove from heat and stir in your vanilla and butter.

Pour custard into a bowl and press plastic wrap onto the surface of the custard. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour. Then you pour the custard into your pie crust and enjoy!

I know this sounds long and laborious but it really isn’t. Each step only takes 10 minutes.
It’s perfect for those days when you are cleaning and doing laundry because you do one part and then go back to your chores. Then you do the next part and go back to your chores, etc.

*I don’t have a proper double boiler, I just use 2 saucepans. The smaller one goes on the bottom.You get the water to boil on the bottom pan and you put your ingedients in a slightly bigger saucepan, which sits non top of the smaller pan.
This ensures that you will not burn the milk. It is so easy to do.

Joy