Double Blueberry Pie

This is a filling for the piecrust.

Preparation Time : 30 minutes + 5 hours chilling
Printable Recipe

Ingredients

1/2 cup sugar
5 tbsp melted margarine
2 tbsp cornstarch
3 cups blueberries

Preparation

1. In a saucepan, mix cornstarch with 2 tbsp cold water until blended. Stir in half of blueberries and sugar; heat to boiling over medium-high heat, pressing blueberries. Boil 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove saucepan from heat; stir in remaining blueberries.

2. Pour blueberry mixture into baked piecrust.

3. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 5 hours.

Piecrusts

This is a recipe for a 9-inch tart pastry. Read tips, at the end of this post, before doing this. This recipe takes practice.

Preparation Time : 25 minutes + chilling + cooling
Baking Time : 22 to 27 minutes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp shortening
6 tbsp cold margarine or butter, cut up

Preparation

1. In large bowl, mix flour and salt. With pastry blender or two knives used scissor-fashion, cut in shortening and margarine until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

2. Sprinkle in only 2 to 3 tbsp cold water, a tablespoon at a time. Mix lightly with fork after each addition, until dough is just moist enough to hold together.


3. Shape dough into a ball. Wrap and refrigerate 30 minutes.

4. Roll dough round gently onto rolling pin; gently ease into pie plate.

5. Preheat oven to 425F. Line tart shell with aluminium foil, fill with pie weights (ie. uncooked rice, dry beans). Bake 15 minutes. Remove foil with weights, bake 7 to 12 minutes longer until golden. Cool completely on rack.

Tips for perfect pastry

- Start with cold ingredients. The kitchen should be cool too.

- Handle the dough as little as possible, or you'll overdevelop gluten in the flour and make tough crust.

- When cutting fat into flour, work quickly so fat remains firm and cold.

- Sprinkle in cold water just until dough is moistened. Toss quickly and lightly with a fork; do not stir. Use the least amount of water to avoid tough crust.

- Chilling dough for at least 30 minutes will make it easier to roll. Wrap tightly.

- To prevent sticking, roll it out on lightly floured surface.

Bars du Québec a.k.a Maple Bars

Here is a recipe for homemade granola bars with a touch of Maple Syrup.

Makes 15

Preparation Time : 5 minutes
Baking Time : 25 minutes

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

1 cup margarine
3/4 cup Maple Syrup
1/3 cup brown sugar
3 cups Quaker's oats
3/4 cup sifted flour
1 cup dried fruits (raisins, apricots, cranberries, etc.)

Preparation

1. Slightly oil a 8 inch square baking pan and line bottom with wax paper. Oil wax paper. Preheat oven to 350F.

2. Combine margarine, syrup and brown sugar in a small saucepan and melt gently over low heat until foaming.


3. In a large bowl, stir together oats, flour and dried fruits. Add liquid mixture and blend well.


4. Press mixture into lined pan and bake for 25 minutes.

5. Let it cool for 5 mins. Cut into small rectangles.

Asian Curry Turkey

Here is a recipe that you can use for your leftover turkey. Since this is an experimental recipe, the measurements are approximate.

Serves 4
Preparation Time : 2 minutes
Cook Time : 10 minutes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients

3/4 lb cooked turkey
2 green onions
Leftover carrots and celery (optional)
1 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
1 minced garlic clove
1 tbsp chopped parsley
1 tbsp honey
1 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp cornstarch

Preparation
1. Shred turkey meat. Thinly slice green onions

2. In small bowl, mix soy sauce, garlic and the remaining ingredients from the list and add 1/2 cup of water.

3. In wok or skillet, heat oil over high heat. Add green onions and cook until golden. Stir sauce mixture and turkey. Cook until heated through. Serve over rice or noodle.

Note
For a vegetarian version, turkey can be replaced by mixed vegetables. Mixed vegetables which include : broccoli, cauliflower, nappa cabbage and onions.

Yorkshire Puddings

Don't let the name fool you. It is actually a fluffy muffin.

Makes 10-12
Preparation Time : 3 minutes

Baking Time : 25 minutes

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

3 large eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
1 1/2 all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp salt
3 tbsp roast-beef pan drippings (optional)

Preparation

1. In medium bowl, whisk eggs, milk, flour and salt until smooth. Let it rest for an hour.

2. Preheat oven to 400F.

3. In standard muffin pan, oil each cup and put into oven to heat for 3 minutes.

4. Pour batter in muffin pan, return pan to oven and bake until risen and golden, about 25 minutes.

5. Tap pan on work surface, the puddings should lift out easily. Serve hot.

Roast Beef

Roasting is one of the simplest technique in cuisine. It actually requires little or no attention. It is all about timing. To follow as instructed on the package, it is preferable to take the meat out 30-60 mins before roasting. Roasting time is dependent on the weight of the meat and the desired doneness. By reading several cookbook, I found one that the process seems intriguing. In this book, the meat is seared for 15 mins to ensure an outside coating to prevent from bleeding, then temperature is reduced. The roast is served with a traditional British style - Yorkshire puddings.
Printable Recipe

Ingredients

Beef Rib Roast
Olive or Vegetable Oil
Thyme
Black Pepper

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 425F. Calculate the roasting time according to the precise weight of roast. Stand the fat-side up, in roasting pan and brush with oil. Scatter thyme and season, and place in oven.

2. After 15 minutes, reduce to 350F. Continue roasting the beef for the remainder of the calculated time.

3. Transfer roast to carving, let rest in warm place for 20 minutes before carving.

Croûtons

This is simply small dice bread that are fried until crisp.
Printable Recipe

Ingredients

3 tbsp oil

4 tbsp butter or margarine

3 slices of bread, diced

Preparation

1. Heat oil and butter in frying pan over high heat. Add bread.

2. Shake pan so croutons color and cook evenly.

3. Spoon them out onto paper towels and pat dry.

Mushroom-Barley Soup

Barley is inexpensive and great for soups and stews. Here is a simple recipe of a very hearty vegetable soup. No meat involved.

Serves 4
Preparation Time : 20 minutes
Cook : 1 hour 15 minutes

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

1/2 cup pearl barley
10 medium mushrooms
3 medium carrots

2 celery stalks, sliced

1 small onion, coarsly chopped

2 tbsp tomato paste

1 can beef or vegetable broth

1/4 cup dry red wine

Salt and pepper

Oregano leaves for garnish

2 tbsp oil
Croûtons (optional)

Preparations

1. In a saucepan, heat barley and 4 cups water to boiling over high heat. Reduce heat to low. Cover. Simmer 30 minutes. Drain.

2. Meanwhile, cut mushrooms into thick slices. Cut carrots into cubes.

3. In an oven pot, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add celery and onion. Stir occasionally until golden brown. Increase heat to high; add sliced mushrooms. Stir occasionally until all liquid evaporates and mushrooms are lightly browned, 10 minutes.

4. Reduce heat to medium-high, stir in tomato paste and cook for 2 mins. Add broth, carrots, wine, barley and 3 cups water; heat to boiling over high heat. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes, until carrots and barley are tender.

5. Garnish, season and serve hot with croutons.

Jelly Roll

This is a very similar recipe as for sponge cake. Here, you can use your favorite filling such as jams, whipped cream, strawberries with fromage frais, etc...

Preparation Time : 15 mins
Baking Time : 15 mins

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

4 eggs separated

1 pinch cream of tartar (optional)

2/3 cup of white or brown sugar

2/3 cup all-purpose flour sifted

2 tbsp orange or lemon juice (optional)
1 onz. lukewarm water

2 onz. oil
Icing sugar

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350F. In a 9'' x 13'' baking pan, line with baking parchement. Oil the parchement.

2. In a large bowl, beat egg yolk with water and oil.

3. Place egg whites with cream of tartar in another large bowl until they form soft peaks. Gradually beat in the sugar. Transfer egg whites onto yolk mixture. Fold gradually sifted flour with juice.

4. Transfer mixture into the prepared pan, spreading evenly. Bake for 15-18 mins, or until the cake springs back when pressed lightly.

5. Meanwhile, spread out a sheet of baking parchement. Turn out the cake onto this and remove lining paper. Neatly trim edges of the cake.

6. Spread your favorite filling and roll up the sponge quickly from one short side.

Dark Chocolate Mousse

I love to give out this recipe since there is a bitter and sweet taste into it. Fast and easy to make.

Serves 4-6
Preparation Time : 10 mins
Cooling
Printable Recipe

Ingredients

170g Baker's chocolate 70% (purple box)
1/2 cup milk
1 egg yolk
4 egg whites
1 tsp cream of tartar (optional)
1 1/2 tbsp sugar

Preparation

1. Chop chocolate with serrated knife then place it in a heatproof bowl over simmering water.

2. Bring milk to a boil. Pour it onto melted chocolate.

3. Add egg yolk to mixture, should be hot & comfortable to touch.

4. Beat egg whites with cream of tartar until firm peaks. Add sugar bit by bit while beating.

5. Add 1/3 of whites and whisk briskly. Fold rest of egg whites with a plastic spatula.

6. Serve & chill for at least an hour.

Note

To check if egg whites reach firm peak. Simply lift some of the whites out of the bowl, the tips should droop gently.

For folding, use a spatula and simply cut down through the center of the whites and gently bring some of the heavier mixture up and over them. No whites should be visible.

Simple Pizza Dough

Here is a basic recipe of a pizza dough.

Makes 2 (12-inch) thin crust pizzas
Preparation Time : 10 mins
Baking Time : 20-30 mins
Printable Recipe

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 envelope Rapid Rise Yeast
3/4 tsp salt
1 cup lukewarm water
2 tbsp olive oil

Procedure

1. In a large bowl, combine 2 cups of flour, yeast and salt.

2. Stir water and olive oil into flour mixture. Stir in enough remaining flour to make soft dough.

3. Knead on warm lightly flour surface until smooth and elastic, 4-6 mins.


4. Cover with warm cloth. Put it in the oven with the lights on until dough doubles in size.

5. Cut dough in half. Spread dough on pizza pan. Add your favorite toppings (not too much).

6. Bake at 400F for 20 to 30 mins.

Note
The dough can make one pizza on a 13'' x 9'' baking pan. It is also possible to make mini pizzas.

For kneading, simply check on youtube...

Alternatives
WHOLE WHEAT PIZZA DOUGH : Replace 1 cup all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour

CORNMEAL PIZZA DOUGH : Replace 1/2 cup all-purpose flour with cornmeal

HERB AND GARLIC PIZZA DOUGH : Add 2 tsps Rosemary and 1 clove finely minced garlic along with dry ingredients.

Cream of Mushroom Soup

This soup does not come from Campbell's soup. This is a fancier version and my favorite one to make.

Serves 4
Preparation Time : 10 mins
Cooking Time : 45 mins
Printable Recipe

Ingredients

8 large mushrooms
2 tbsp butter
1 small onion
10 oz. can of chicken stock + 10 oz. of water (or as instructed)
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp black pepper
2 cups heavy cream
1 tsp cornstarch in 1 tbsp water
1/2 cup white wine
minced parsley

Preparation

1. Chop mushrooms into minced cubes.

2. In a saucepan, boil chicken stock.

3. In large pot, cook onions with butter until transparent on medium heat. Add minced mushrooms and thyme on low heat for 10-15 mins or until the liquid from mushroom disappears.

4. Add salt, pepper, cream, white wine and chicken stock, cover and simmer for 20 mins. Stir occasionally.

5. Add cornstarch and simmer for 10 mins, stirring constantly.

6. Sprinkle with parsley.

Blueberry Crisp

Preparation Time : 10 mins
Baking Time : 45 mins
Printable Recipe

Ingredients

(1)
Blueberries
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp flour

(2)
1 cup Quaker's oats
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup melted margarine
3/4 cup of flour

Preparation

1. Preheat oven at 350F

2. Mix brown sugar and flour from (1), then add blueberries enough to cover a 8'' x 8'' baking pan.

3. Mix oats, flour, brown sugar and margarine from (2).

4. Spread oats mixture on top of the blueberries.

5. Bake for 45 mins or until golden.

Lemon Bars

Preparation Time : 35-40 mins
Baking Time : 30-40 mins
Cooling
Printable Recipe

Ingredients

1 3/4 cups flour
1/4 cup shortening
4 tbsp melted margarine
1 1/4 cups sugar
Salt
3 limes
2 lemons
1/2 cup sour cream
5 large eggs
Icing sugar

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350F

2. In a medium bowl, add flour, shortening, margarine, 1/4 cup sugar and a dash of salt. Use two knives, cut through the mixture with a scissor mouvement until crumbs form.

3. Add 2 to 3 tbsp of cold water, 1 tbsp at a time until dough comes together.

4. Press dough onto bottom and 1/4 inch up sides of lightly oiled 13'' x 9'' baking pan. With fork, prick dough all over.

5. Grate lemon peel. Squeeze lime and lemon juice. In bowl, whisk sour cream with eggs, remaining 1 cup sugar and salt. Mix in juice and grated lemon peel.

6. Pour citrus mixture over warm crust, bake 15 mins (don't overbake, filling may crack). Cool completely and refrigerate until chilled. Glaze with icing sugar and serve.