Curried Chicken (or Turkey) Salad

Ingredients

1 3/4 cups chicken broth

1 1/2 lb skinless boneless chicken breast

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/3 cup plain yogurt

5 teaspoons curry powder

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

1 teaspoon honey

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 medium red onion, chopped (1 cup)

1 firm-ripe mango (3/4 pound), peeled, pitted, and chopped

1 cup red seedless grapes (5 ounces), halved

1/2 cup salted roasted cashews, coarsely chopped

Preparation

Use leftovers or cook chicken/turkey. Cool chicken/turkey. Chop into 1/2-inch pieces.           

Whisk together mayonnaise, yogurt, curry, lime juice, honey, ginger, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Add chicken, onion, mango, grapes, and cashews and stir gently to combine.

Serve salad on bed of lettuce, in croissants, on your favourite buns or swedish thin bread. 

 

Peanut Butter Chocolate Semifreddo

Ingredients
2 cups whole milk
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 cups creamy peanut butter (not natural)
4 ounces semisweet chocolate chips (3/4 cup)
2 cups heavy cream
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

PreparationLine a 5-by-10-inch jumbo loaf pan with parchment paper, leaving a 4-inch overhang on all sides. In a medium saucepan, combine milk and 1 cup sugar. Bring to a simmer over medium-high, stirring constantly, until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat, add peanut butter, and whisk until smooth. Transfer to a large bowl and let cool to room temperature.
2. In a small saucepan, bring 1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 cup water to a boil over medium-high, stirring occasionally, until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat, add chocolate, and stir until chocolate melts and mixture is smooth. Transfer to a small bowl and let cool to room temperature. (reserve 1/2 cup to put on bottom of plate when serving)
3. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, whisk cream and vanilla until soft peaks form. Add half the peanut butter mixture and whisk until combined. With a rubber spatula, add half the remaining peanut butter mixture and gently fold 3 times (mixture will be rippled). (reserve 1/2 cup to put on bottom of plate when serving)
4. Transfer half the cream mixture to loaf pan. Top with half the peanut butter mixture and 1/4 cup chocolate mixture. Top with remaining cream mixture, then drizzle with remaining peanut butter mixture and 1/4 cup chocolate mixture. With a skewer or thin-bladed knife, swirl mixtures together. Freeze until firm, about 5 hours.

You can take out of freezer for 10 mintues before serving  - it will cut straight from freezer with strong knife. 

Basmati Rice with Lamb

From Three Guys and a Stove in Huntsville - Jeff Suddaby

Ingredients
12 oz. lamb, cut into pieces
8 oz. mixed vegetables (red & orange peppers, red onion, turnip, zucchini, asparagus, mushrooms, &eggplant)
1 1/2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
2 oz. raisins
4 oz. black olives
pinch of crushed chilies (to taste)
4 tbsp. red pepper jelly
2 oz. olive oil
8 oz. chicken stock *
4 oz. feta cheese
3 cups basmati rice, pre-cooked **
mint leaves to garnish
Preparation
Preheat oven to 400 f. heat pan, add oil, braise lamb for one minute. Add vegetable mix, olives, garlic and herbs; stir in pan approximately two minutes. Add red pepper jelly, stir to allowing the jelly to 'breakdown' or 'melt' into the vegetable mixture. Add stock, chilies, raisins, and cooked basmati rice. Mix well and place into a hot oven cooking until the stock has reduced and absorbed into the rice, about 5-7 minutes. Place in a warmed serving dish; garnish with feta cheese and fresh mint.
* If you are not using homemade chicken stock, you can use a stock cube or powder, preferably without msg, available at the grocery store. Reconstitute with water according to directions on container.
** Precook your rice with the 3 cups of water to 1 cup of rice ratio

Make-Ahead Gravy

from Jamie Oliver. This is awesome.

 

Makes: 1 litre

Ingredients
• 2 celery sticks, trimmed and roughly chopped
• 2 carrots, roughly sliced
• 2 onions, peeled and quartered
• 5 fresh bay leaves
• 5 fresh sage leaves
• 4 sprigs of fresh rosemary
• 2 star anise
• 2 rashers of smoked streaky bacon, the best quality you can afford
• 8 chicken wings
• olive oil
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 tablespoons plain flour
• optional: 60ml sherry or port
• 2 heaped dessertspoons cranberry sauce, for finishing

Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Put the veg, herbs and star anise into a sturdy bottomed roasting tray. Scatter the bacon on top. Break the chicken wings open then put them onto a board and bash the bones up with the end of a rolling pin; this will release more of their flavour. Put them in the pan, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle over a few pinches of salt and pepper then toss everything together and put the tray in the oven to cook for 1 hour, or until the meat is tender and falling off the bone.

Take the pan out of the oven, and put it on a hob over a low heat and use a potato masher to really grind and mash everything up. Keep mashing, moving and scraping all the goodness from the bottom of the pan as you go. Gradually mix in the flour to thicken the mixture. The longer you let everything fry, the darker your gravy will be. When the flour is combined pour in 2 litres of hot water, turn the heat up and bring to the boil for 10 minutes, till thickened, then turn down the heat and simmer for about 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. If you want to add 60ml sherry or port for flavour, do that now.

When it’s reached the consistency you’re looking for, check the seasoning then push it through a sieve into a large bowl. Really push and mash everything through so you get as much flavour as possible. Discard anything left behind. Once it has cooled down to room temperature put it into containers or freezer bags and pop it in your freezer. You’ll finish it off on Christmas Day.

Finishing the gravy:

To finish the gravy, take your it out of the freezer when you’re ready to cook your turkey. That way, it will defrost as your turkey cooks. When the turkey is perfectly cooked, put a carving fork inside the cavity and use that to pick the bird up and tilt it over the pan so all of the juices inside run out.

Spoon away as much of the fat as possible, then pour your pre-made gravy into the pan with the rest of the turkey juices. Bring it to the boil over the hob and scrape all those flavourful bits and pieces from the bottom of the pan. Have a taste then add the cranberry sauce. It won’t taste sweet but it will add a wicked background flavour.

Once your gravy is piping hot, strain it through a sieve and into a pan.

Leave that on the lowest heat to tick away until you’re ready to serve. Skim away any fat that rises to the top and add any extra resting juices from the turkey before serving.

Chocolate Marshmallow Peanut Squares

Quick and easy instructions from Jenn G. I made these for St Michael's Christmas Tea.

Melt :
·         ½ c butter
·         1 bag chocolate chips (2 c.)
·         2 c. Butterscotch chips
·         1 c. peanut butter

Let cool.

Fold in:
·         1 bag miniature marshmallows
·         2 c Spanish peanuts from bulk zone (with skins on)

Spread in 9 x 13 pan and chill.

 

Rockin' Moroccan Stew

(from Looney Spoons)

2 tsp olive oil

1 cup chopped onions

1/2 cup each diced celery and chopped green bell pepper

1 tsp minced garlic

2 tsp grated ginger root

1 tsp each ground cumin, curry powder, ground coriander and chili powder

3 cups reduced-sodium vegetable broth

3 cups peeled, cubed sweet potatoes

1 can (19 oz/540 mL) no-salt-added diced tomatoes, drained

1 can (19 oz/540 mL) no-salt-added chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/4 cup raisins

2 Tbsp each light peanut butter and minced fresh cilantro

I also added:

• cooked chicken
• 2/3 c Coconut milk
• 1 ½ c kale

Directions:

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions, celery, green pepper and garlic. Cook and stir until the vegetables begin to soften, about three minutes. Add ginger root, cumin, curry powder, coriander and chili powder. Cook for 30 more seconds.

Add all the remaining ingredients, except the raisins, peanut butter and cilantro. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes.

Stir in raisins, peanut butter and cilantro. Mix well. Simmer for five more minutes. Serve hot.

Makes 6 servings.

Pea Soup

2 ¼ c split green peas

about ¼ lb. ham

1 large onion, chopped

1 bay leaf

2 tsp salt

1 tsp dried savory

2 c. diced carrot

salt and pepper

Add peas, salt pork, onion, bay leaf, salt and savory to 12 cups (3 litres) of water in a big pot. Bring to boil; reduce heat and simmer, covered for 1½ hours. Remove meat. and bay leaf; then puree peas and onions using immersion blender. Chop up the meat and add it back. Add carrots and simmer covered for 30 minutes or until tender. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Makes about 8 servings.

Christmas Eve Salad

This is traditional for Christmas Eve with the Nickersons. You can make it in a jelly mold if you’re brave or you can just make it in a glass trifle bowl and serve it in the bowl. Either way, you want the green layer to end up on the bottom and the red layer on the top. Mary de Bakker suggests these amounts to make it set.
Red layer: A package of red jello. Add a cup of boiling water as per the instructions on the box. Then add only ½ cup of cold water instead of the full amount suggested on the box. Chill until set. (In the photo, there seem to be raspberries in it, but we don't use them.)
Yellow Layer: A package of yellow jello. Add a cup of boiling water as per the instructions on the box. No cold water. Mix in 4 ounces of cream cheese. Pour over the red layer and chill until set.

Green Layer: A package of green jello. Add a cup of boiling water as per the instructions on the box. No cold water. Mix in ¾ of a can of crushed pineapple, drained. Pour over the yellow layer and chill until set.

This is a delicious summer salad that Joyce Primmer brought to a potluck.

QUINOA & CHICKPEA SALAD  WITH  TOMATO VINAIGRETTE

 

 

  INGREDIENTS

 

    1 cup (250ml) quinoa,rinsed

    2 cups(500ml) green beans,trimmed and chopped

    1 can (540ml) chickpeas,drained and rinsed

    1 sweet red pepper, diced

    1 cup (250ml) crumbled feta cheese

 

TOMATO VINAIGRETTE:

 

    1/3 cup (75ml) bottled strained tomatoes,( passata ) I buy the bottled tomatoes from Maltese

    3 tbsp (45ml) red wine vinegar

    3 tbsp (45ml) olive oil

    3 tbsp (45ml) liquid honey

    1/2 tsp (2ml) dried Italian herbs

    1/4 tsp (1ml) pepper

    1/2 tsp (2ml) salt

    1 pinch cayenne pepper

 

PREPARATION:

 

In saucepan, bring quinoa and 2 cups water to boil; reduce heat, cover and simmer for 12 minutes. Fluff with fork and let cool.

 

Meanwhile, in saucepan of boiling water,blanch green beans until tender-crisp,about 3 mintues. Drain and refresh in bowl of ice water.Drain and transfer to large bowl.

 

Stir in cool quinoa,chickpeas,red pepper and feta cheese.

 

Tomato Vinaigrette : Whisk together tomatoes,vinegar,oil,honey,Italian seasoning,salt,pepper and cayenne pepper; pour over quinoa mixture and stir to coat.

 

 

Source: Canadian Living Magazine: March 2011

 

 

ENJOY.