Banana Mango Raspberry Smoothie

Back to list

Ingredients:

• 1 banana peeled fresh or frozen
• 1 mango peeled and seeded
• 1/2 cup frozen raspberries
• 1/2 cup soymilk or 1/2 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon fresh ground flax seeds No need to ground if using a vita mix
• 2 ice cubes

Steps:

• Place all ingredients into a vita mix or blender
• Pour and enjoy

Chocolate-Peanut Butter Dream Bars

Back to list

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
• 1 18 1/4 ounce box brownie mix
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/3 cup oil
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup chopped dry roasted peanuts
• 4 ounces cream cheese softened
• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
• 3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• whipped cream chopped peanuts chocolate-peanut butter candies and caramel sauce to garnish

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350F
• Spray a 9-inch square baking pan with nonstick cooking spray Line pan with foil
• allowing sides to overhang; spray foil
• In small bowl
• combine graham cracker crumbs and granulated sugar
• Mix in melted butter
• Press crumb mixture into prepared pan
• Bake until golden
• about 5 to 7 minutes
• Cool on wire rack
• Prepare brownie mix according to package directions for cakelike brownies adding 1/4 cup water
• 1/3 cup oil and 3 eggs
• Fold in chopped nuts
• Pour batter into crust-lined pan
• Return to 350F oven; bake until brownie is just set and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean
• 30 to 35 minutes
• Cool completely in pan on a wire rack
• With electric mixer in medium bowl
• beat cream cheese until smooth
• Add peanut butter and confectioners sugar; beat until just blended it will look lumpy
• Add milk; beat lightly to loosen mixture
• In separate bowl
• whip 1 cup of the cream and gently fold into peanut butter mixture
• Spread mousse evenly over cooled brownie
• Refrigerate 1 hour
• Heat remaining 1/2 cup cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until just boiling
• Remove from heat; add corn syrup and chocolate chips
• Cover and let stand 5 minutes
• Stir until smooth
• Pour glaze over chilled mousse and spread to cover completely
• Return to refrigerator for at least 1 hour
• Run a small knife around inside of pan and lift out brownie
• Heat knife under hot running water and trim edges
• Slice brownie
• rinsing knife after each cut
• into 5 strips about 1-1/2 inches wide
• Cut each strip into 5 pieces about 1-1/2 inches square
• Transfer to a serving plate and garnish with whipped cream
• nuts
• candy and caramel sauce

Four Bean Mix Bruschetta

Back to list

Ingredients:

• 1 75 g can four-bean mix drained
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 tablespoon chili
• 2 cherry tomatoes
• 1/4 roasted red pepper no seeds
• 2 tablespoons water

Steps:

• Combine ingredients in blender
• Blend and serve
• Serve on toast with some boccocini on top with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil or cut some vegies and serve as a dip

Ginger Chocolate Shortbread

Back to list

Ingredients:

• 1 cup butter at room temperature
• 1/2 cup superfine sugar also known as fruit sugar
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup finely chopped preserved gingerroot not candied but the type preserved in syrup
• 3 ounces semisweet chocolate chopped

Steps:

• Please note that this recipe calls for preserved ginger
• which is the ginger typically sold in jars or in bulk stores where I buy mine that is in a sweet syrup; the type of ginger that is candied and sugared is NOT the type of ginger to use
• Place soft butter and superfine sugar in a mixing bowl and
• using an electric mixer
• blend butter and sugar together until fluffy
• Slowly stir in flour
• then chopped ginger
• then chopped chocolate
• The mixture will be crumbly
• Divide the dough in half and shape each half into a log about 1-1/2 inches in diameter; wrap logs tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm
• about one hour
• Dough keeps well in the fridge for several days
• so theres no need to bake the whole batch up at one time if youre pressed for time
• When ready to bake
• preheat oven to 300F
• Cut logs of cookie dough into slices about 3/8-inch thick I found a sharp serrated steak knife worked better for me than my chefs knife; arrange about two inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet and bake in centre of oven for 18 to 20 minutes
• Cool cooked cookies on a wire rack; do not store until completely cool

Great Big Oatmeal Cookies That are Both Great and Big

Back to list

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups flaked coconut
• 3 cups rolled oats
• 1 3/4 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter I used 1/2 a cup of each or 1 cup margarine softened I used 1/2 a cup of each
• 1 3/4 cups dark brown sugar packed
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4 cup milk

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350F
• Spread the coconut and oats out on a large baking sheet - two sheets work better
• Bake for 10 minutes or until lightly browned and toasted
• stirring often
• While the coconut and oats cool
• mix the flour
• baking soda and salt
• Cream the butter and sugar together in a separate
• large
• bowl at medium speed for one minute
• Add the eggs and vanilla to the butter mixture and beat until mixed; beat in the milk
• Stir in the flour
• then stir in the coconut and oats
• I thought the dough looked pretty sticky
• so at this point I put it in the refrigerator for an hour Its not something thats called for in the original recipe
• but I recommend it since it worked very well for me
• Drop dough in 1/4 cup amounts
• 3 inches apart
• onto greased baking sheets I used an ice cream scoop for this filled so the scoop was rounded
• but not heaping
• and it worked perfectly
• Bake for 12 minutes
• or until they are set and lightly browned
• Let the cookies cool on the cookie sheets for one minute before transfering to a rack to finish cooling

Herbed Batter Bread

Back to list

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
• 1 cup lukewarm milk
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs well beaten
• 1/3 cup butter or 1/3 cup shortening melted and cooled
• 2 tablespoons liquid honey
• 1 tablespoon minced chives or green onion tops
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
• 2 teaspoons dried basil or dried dillweed or dried marjoram
• 3 cups all-purpose flour

Steps:

• In a mixing bowl stir yeast into milk until dissolved
• Beat in salt eggs melted butter honey and all the herbs
• Add two cups of the flour and beat for 3 minutes by hand or 1 minute using electric mixer; work in remaining flour to make a very soft and sticky dough
• Leave in bowl; cover bowl and let dough rise for one hour or until doubled in bulk
• Stir dough down and with oiled hands transfer into a well-greased 10-inch tube pan; cover pan and let dough rise for 30 minutes
• Place pan in a COLD oven; turn heat to 350F
• Bake bread for 30 minutes or until golden

Lemon Coconut Cake

Back to list

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter at room temp
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup shredded coconut
• 3 egg yolks reserve whites
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 cup milk
• 2/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 2 large eggs beaten
• 1/2 cup butter at room temp
• 1 cup shredded coconut divided
• 3 egg whites
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• Butter a 9x13 baking pan and set aside
• In a large bowl cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy
• Beat in the coconut and egg yolks
• Combine the baking powder and flour in a small bowl
• Add to egg mixture in 3 batches alternating with the milk
• Pour into the prepared baking pan and bake for 25 minutes
• Test with a toothpick and if done remove from oven
• Set on a wire rack to cool
• Combine the lemon juice sugar cornstarch eggs and butter in a heavy double broiler
• Heat and stir for 5 minutes until thickened
• Pour onto warm cake
• Sprinkle 1/2 of the coconut on top of the filling
• Beat the whites in a medium bowl until soft peaks form
• Gradually beat in sugar until dissolved
• Spread over coconut layer
• Sprinkle second amount of coconut over top
• Bake for 12 minutes or until the coconut and whites are lightly browned
• Cool on the wire rack for 15 minutes
• Place in the fridge for 1 hour or better yet all day or overnight
• Cut when cooled

Summer Pudding With Rum Whipped Cream

Back to list

Ingredients:

• 2 cups fresh strawberries hulled and sliced
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 3 cups fresh raspberries divided
• 2 cups fresh blueberries
• 2 tablespoons framboise eau-de-vie raspberry brandy
• 1 1 lb brioche bread or 1 1 lb egg bread
• 1/2 pint cold heavy cream
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon dark rum

Steps:

• Combine the strawberries
• sugar
• and 1/4 cup of water in a medium saucepan and cook uncovered over medium-low heat for 5 minutes
• Add 2 cups of raspberries and all the blueberries and cook
• stirring occasionally
• until the mixture reaches a simmer
• Cook for one minute
• Off the heat
• stir in the remaining raspberries and the framboise
• Slice the bread in 1/2-inch-thick slices and remove the crusts
• In the bottom of a 7 1/2-inch round by 3-inch high souffle or baking dish
• ladle about 1/2 cup of the cooked berry mixture
• Arrange slices of bread in a pattern this will become the top when its unmolded and then add more berry mixture to saturate
• Continue adding bread
• cutting it to fit the mold
• and berries
• Finish with bread and cooked berries
• using all of the fruit and syrup
• Place a sheet of plastic wrap loosely over the pudding
• Find a plate approximately the same diameter as the inside of the mold and place it on top
• Weight the mold with a heavy can and refrigerate
• Remove the weight after 6 to 8 hours
• Cover the pudding with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight
• Just before serving
• run a knife around the outside of the pudding and unmold it upside down onto a serving plate
• Whip the cream in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment
• When it starts to thicken
• add the sugar
• vanilla
• and rum
• Continue to whip until it forms stiff peaks
• Serve pudding in wedges with cold rum whipped cream