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Posts Tagged ‘lemon’

  1. Christmas party – menu

    January 5, 2013 by potatoface

    I said recipes were coming soon, but who truly can define ‘soon’.

    In other words I was just being lazy, doing what you should over Christmas – do nothing, eat, drink, and be merry…

    But here it comes, christmas party menu:

    Beetroot soup with mushroom parcels

    For the beetroot soup you need:

    2-3 beetroots (fresh)

    1 carrot

    1 parsnip

    1 onion

    3 pints of water

    salt

    pepper

    dried marjoram

    oregano

    lemon juice from 1 lemon

    1 spoon of olive oil

     

    1. Boil water in a pan. Add olive oil.

    2. Peel all the vegetables , cut them into big chunks (onion in half) and add to boiling water.

    3. Add salt and pepper.

    4. After few minutes add lemon juice. Boil for 15-20 minutes, taste and add more seasoning or lemon juice if you need to.

    5. You can take all the vegetables out of your pot (we need clear beetroot soup) and add herbs and a dash of an olive oil.

    I’m not going to lie, you can make yourself mushroom parcels (like tortellinis with porchini mushrooms). My sister does. But I bought them frozen from a Polish shop (one can only do a few things at a time).

    mushroom parcels

    mushroom parcels

     

    beetroot soup with mushroom parcels

    beetroot soup with mushroom parcels

    Next thing on the menu were Beet and Goat Cheese Terrine with Rocket and Roasted Butternut Squash Salad

    beetroot and goat cheese terrine

    beetroot and goat cheese terrine

     

    beetroot and goat cheese terrine

    beetroot and goat cheese terrine

    You can find the recipe in ‘Fresh’ by Anna Olson

    I served it with Rocket and Roasted Butternut Squash Salad, Ina Garten aka Barefoot Contessa’s recipe:

    You can find it in her book ‘Back to Basics’

    or on the Food Network website here.

    For the main we had Spanakopita (Spinach and Feta in Filo Pastry). I tried different variations of  this Greek dish but my favourite recipe which I used over and over again is Jamie Oliver’s from his ’30 Minute Meals’  book

    There were two deserts. One of them was mince pies in filo pastry, dead easy. You need to cut filo pastry into squares, brush with melted butter and arrange in a muffin tin. If you feel artistic and have time arrange them with corners making a star. Fill them with vegetarian good mince meat, zest of lemon and fresh cranberries, bake till golden and sprinkle with icing sugar and maybe little sugar snowflakes…?

    mince pies in filo pastry

    mince pies in filo pastry

    And there were also Gingerbread Cupcakes.

    Christmas gingerbread cupcakes

    Christmas gingerbread cupcakes

    Christmas gingerbread cupcakes

    Christmas gingerbread cupcakes

    And the recipe you can also find on the Food Network website here.

     

    Category dessert, dinner, Party, soup, starter | Tags: ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, | No Comments

  2. ricotta crescents

    July 20, 2012 by potatoface

    ricotta crescents

     Sometimes I think baking keeps me from going insane. It’s zen, it’s like meditating. It makes me feel a bit like a witch making potions (evil laugh).

    So when you feel down, save yourself by baking.

    And give the product of your labour away if you tend to comfort eat. After all what they say is if you love it, set it free…

    ricotta crescents

    ricotta crescents

    Ricotta crescents

     Ingredients

    for the dough:

    50grams of fresh yeast or two sachets of dry ones (15 grams)

    cup of lukewarm milk

    2 table spoons of sour cream

    1/4 cup of sugar (or 1/4 cup of honey)

    pinch of salt

    3 eggs and 1 egg white (you will have one after making the filling)

    100 grams of melted butter

    3-4 cups of flour

     for the filling:

    220 grams of ricotta or quark cheese

    zest and juice of one lemon

    1 egg yolk

    1 mashed banana

    1/3 cup of honey

    1 egg for brushing

    1. Put yeast in a big bowl, add sugar or honey and warm milk. Mix and leave it for 10 minutes.

    2. After 10 minutes when the yeast has started working add eggs, butter, sour cream, pinch of salt and 3 cups of flour.

    3. Start to kneed the dough. If you need it, add more flour…no pun intended.

    4. Leave the dough to raise.

    5. After half and hour kneed it again and leave it for another half an hour.

    6. Mix ingredients for the filling.

    7. Sprinkle your working surface with more flour. Divide the dough into 4-5 parts.

    8. Roll out one part of the dough on the floured surface. Cut into triangles. Brush with beaten egg.

    9. Put about 1 small tablespoon of filling on the end of the triangle. Start rolling from that end making the shape of a crescent. Repeat with the rest of the dough.

    10. Transfer crescents onto a baking tray lined with greased paper. Brushed each one with beaten egg and sprinkle with more sugar.

    11. Bake in the oven at 170 C till they are golden brown.

    Breath in and out…eat it. Be happy.

    Category breakfast, dessert | Tags: ,,,,,,,,,,, | No Comments

  3. iced tea – ice ice baby

    July 8, 2011 by potatoface

    iced teaSummer is great. Especially if you have a garden. There is nothing better than drinking alcoholic beverages in outside space.

    Sometimes you can have too much alcohol and you want to stick to ice tea.

    Here’s a recipe for a bit different ice tea.

     

     

     

    Iced tea

    two tea bags

    one mint tea bag

    3 spoons of elderflower cordial

    2 spoons of brown sugar

    lemon

    orange

    1. Brew tea using two tea bags (PG or earl grey) and mint tea bag.

    2. Wait till it’s brewed, pour it to the jag, sweeten with sugar. When sugar dissolves top it up with cool water.

    3. Add lemon juice from half of the lemon and slices from other half. Do the same with orange.

    4. Add some elderflower cordial, stir. Taste and add some more if it’s not sweet enough.

    5. Add plenty of ice cubes.

    6. Serve.

     

    Category drink | Tags: ,,,,,, | No Comments

  4. Squash risotto – a dish with character

    June 9, 2011 by potatoface

     

    squash risottoMy love of risotto runs deep. It is a dish with character and personality. It is almost like me – it needs attention, if you can’t give enough, it turns nasty.

    I mentioned before that you can hardly ever have good risotto in a restaurant or a pub if it’s not run by a devoted Italian family.

    I was embarrassed by Boyfriend’s father once in a very nice pub. As it happens, the only vegetarian option was mushroom risotto and based on my experience I expected it to be horrible. And it was. You couldn’t find mushrooms in it with a magnifying glass, tasted of nothing and it was overcooked. I bitched about it for 5 minutes, just because I love bitching. Then the waitress came and asked if we liked the food and Boyfriend’s dad said : ‘Yes, food was really good, apart from risotto, but that’s just because she can make it better’. I was afraid to have a desert because I expected them to spit in it. And who can blame them.

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    Category dinner, risotto | Tags: ,,,,,,,,,,, | No Comments

  5. Healthy crepes

    June 8, 2011 by potatoface


    healthy crepes

    When you have a day off (for some people it is usually the weekend, for myself and Boyfriend it is a random day) you could make something different for breakfast. I quite often make crepes. They are a healthy version with oats and wholemeal flour and they are yummy. They are also good for brunch or lunch. When we’ve got friends staying over it’s always a winner.

    (more…)

    Category breakfast, brunch, lunch | Tags: ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, | No Comments