Saturday, December 22, 2007

THE Holiday Feast Down Unda

I'm a little late getting this years holiday feast typed in. In fact, we've already started on it --3 days ago! Some of you may notice it's a wee bit similar to last years feast; that's cus we've got many favorite recipes. Also, I've some new ones, and some that are just too darned expensive.

This is in NO particular order, but it'll feed four adults for two weeks. Oh, we're having a pool party and barbeque on the 28th, so the 4 or 5 kilos of snags are for the sausage sizzle.

Unless otherwise noted, everything is homemade by yours truly, or adapted (by yours truly) from recipe book --of which I have LOTS.

If'n any of you'd like a recipe for any of the following, just let me know via a comment, no worries.



Highland oat cakes

Shortbread

Peanut butter cheesecake with hot fudge sauce

Polynesian pork spare ribs

Pineapple pie

Cinnamon raisin bread

Polynesian ham

Pineapple sherbet

Chocolate mint ice cream with choc chips

Banana jam

Pineapple-Coconut pie

Miti (it's a dip)

Charlotte rouse

Banana leaf wrapped pork roast

Roast chook (at least 2 of em)

Candied yams

3 apricot cobblers (had one of em last night)

3 kinds of stuffing

4 types of gravy

3 types of salsa

Guacamole

5 kilos of sausages (for the bbq pool party)

2 kilos onions (for the above sausages)

Herbed spuds on the grill

My special homemade Dolmades

Waldorf salad

Tzatziki dip

One of my special sushi platters

Maple syrup candied pork roast

Corn chips and potato chips fresh made

Green beans and red capsicums with bacon and peanut sauce

Champagne with strawberries

Buttered roasted pumpkin pieces

2 cases beer

2 casks red wine

1 cask white wine

spicy marinated onions

Tequila, triple sec, and lime juice (mum-in-law has requested my special margaritas)

1 bottle brandy

1 bottle Father O'Learys Irish Cream

1.5 liters bourbon and coke

1 bottle dry cider

1 bottle sweet cider

Hot fudge sauce

Fudge brownies

Mince pies (lots)

Banana tarts

1 homemade bottle of chilli pepper and honey mead (I'll be the only one having that)


I think that should pretty much cover it. Remember, if you want a specific recipe then just ask.

Wednesday, December 19, 2007

Chilli Marinated Onions

I figured that pretty much everyone is posting their Holiday recipes that I should do something, well.... different.

It's not that I don't like all the "traditional" holiday foods, it's just that I usually take the road less travelled.

Ok, here we go:

Dave's Own Chilli Marinated Onions

What you need:

1 large onion (white or brown)
1 tbsp dried chilli flakes (or more)
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup cider vinegar
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp fresh ground black pepper
2 tsp dried tarragon

What you due:

Thin slice the onion as thin as you can. If you use a food processer it only takes 10 secs. Mix everything else in a bowl and whisk the heck out of it for 15 to 20 secs. Toss in the onion slices and stir so that all the onion is covered.

Let it sit for 2 to 3 hours.

Then, remove the onion from the marinade and fry it in a wok for a minute or two. You want the onion to just START to turn translucent, but still be crunchy. Remove from heat, let cool.

Put the semi-fried onion back in the marinade for a few more hours.

Use as needed! I find it's good with kalamata olives, as an addition to a salad, or just eating by itself (kinda like kimchi in that respect).

Use more or less chilli flakes depending on your heat tolerance.

Oh, almost forgot: Don't eat lots of this if you plan on snuggling with your wife or hubby that night... Just sayin'.

Monday, December 10, 2007

In Honour of My Back

I was going to type in the entire holiday menu this weekend... however I really can't sit at the computer for any length of time, so I'll give you one of the drink recipes my MIL has demanded that I make over the holidays.

Yes, it's a liquid pain killer known as booze! Margaritas to be specific. Now, I've yet to find any Mexican restaurant down here that can make good margaritas (or good mexican food for that matter). One place made theirs with LEMON juice instead of lime juice --blech!

Here's my Margarita recipe:

What you need:
1 bottle of tequila
1 bottle of triple sec (white curacao)
salt
lime juice
some ice cubes

What you do:
Mix tequila and triple sec half and half in a jug; add some lime juice till it's a very light green (you won't need much, 1/4 to 1/2 cup if you're doing the entire bottles all at once).
Salt the rim of a glass --wet the rim then swirl the rim of the overturned glass in a saucer of salt till you have the amount of salt you want.
Put a few ice cubes in the glass (AFTER you've turned the glass right side up), and then pour in the margarita mix to the top.

Drink up and be merry :)

Tuesday, December 4, 2007

Chocolate Mint Ice Cream

Yes, I can hear you now, "dave, why don't I just go out and BUY some chocolate mint ice cream?"

The answer is, "If you're reading a food blog, then you probably want a recipe for something to make yourself --cus it's fun to play in the kitchen! Besides, who wants to eat all that preservative laden gunk anyways?"

This recipe was originally for Mint Ice Cream with Chocolate Chips. However, I just happen to have a chocolate mint plant growing outside the window overlooking the pool patio, so I'll be making it with chocolate mint leaves instead of the boring ole regular mint leaves.

In case you didn't know, mint is very very easy to grow down here, and if you aren't careful it'll take over a big patch of your garden (not that that's ever happened to ME, of course). Oh yeah, caterpillars LOVE it.

I'll even make this as an actual recipe type thingy with amounts and weights and all that stuff. See, I normally don't measure things (hence my not being able to read a kitchen scale properly) when I'm cooking cus I'm good at eye-balling amounts (years of lab work --don't ask), but when making ice cream you really need the proper amounts to get it to freeze properly.

Oh, you can make this even without an ice cream maker! Just chuck the finished bowl in the freezer and give it a stir every 10 to 15 mins or so (it will take hours!). But it's much easier with an ice cream maker so go and get yourself one.

Chocolate Mint Ice Cream

What you need:

for the ice cream:
1/2 cup of finely chopped FRESH chocolate mint leaves
1 cup whipping cream
1 cup full cream milk
3 egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
a few drops of green food colouring
1/4 cup small chocolate chips

and for the garnish:
1/2 cup freshly whipped whipping cream
a few tbsp of shaved dark chocolate
a few fresh mint leaves


What you do:

Add the cream, milk and chopped chocolate mint leaves to a saucepan. Bring to a boil (while stirring --don't wanna scald it). Remove from the heat and cover it. Let it stand for 15 to 30 mins or until it's as minty tasting as you'd like.

While it's standing, whisk the egg yolks and sugar till good and fluffy (use an electric mixer, unless you have hand and forearm strength like me!).

Strain the chopped mint leaves from the first mixture, then add that to the egg mix while whisking.

Take the bowl with all the stuff in it and float it in a big pot of simmering hot water. Whisk it for 5 to 10 mins (the mix will thicken as you do this).

Take the bowl out of the hot water, add a few drops of green food colouring till it's as green as you want.

Pour it into your ice cream maker. Once it starts to freeze and thicken, then add the chocolate chips (should be after 
5 to 7 mins). About a half hour later: Poof! Chocolate Mint Ice Cream.

For serving, top it with the freshly whipped cream, the shaved chocolate and a few chocolate mint leaves to make it look cool.