Leftovers #48 ~ Chicken Taco Penne

I know that I may be creating a culinary sacrilege here but when leftovers are a concern the rules may bend according to your creativity. Creating fusion meals are a great way to use up leftovers. I am defiant on this one. Simply add leftover taco meat to a lightly seasoned homemade pasta sauce, warm through and toss with cooked penne. Sprinkle with finely grated cheese when serving. You get a nice sweet tomato flavour mixed with a bit of spiciness, from the taco flavouring. Absolutely delicious! Love your leftovers.
      
Hope everyone is having a good week which will bring on a great weekend! - JD 

Food Photo of the Day ~ Pancakes!

To me, pancakes are the ultimate comfort food; and can be dressed up in many ways. They may be sweet or savoury, depends on how you like them. Which ever way you enjoy them you can not deny their comfort food status.  

When I have plenty of things that need to be done; I find it refreshing to take the time and whip up a few pancakes to recharge and bring a sense of serenity. Plus, if there are leftovers and there always are, then they are devoured by my kids and my husband. Which is a welcoming bonus for them and me! 

There is plenty of sunshine out and about. Colder today as I muddle along... - JD       

Peanut Butter, Oat and Sesame Seed Bites

What can I say other than minimum effort, maximum taste. Something fulfilling that will satisfy and give you a boost in energy when you need it.  - JD

Peanut Butter, Oat and Sesame Seed Bites

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makes approximately 15 to 20 bites

1/2 cup Smooth Peanut Butter

1/4 cup honey

1 cup large flake rolled oats

1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

3 tablespoons ground flax seed

1/4 to 1/3 cup sesame seeds

In a bowl combine the peanut butter and honey and blend until smooth.

Add the oats, walnuts and flax. Mix well. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Roll peanut butter mixture into 1 inch balls, using... about 2 tablespoons peanut butter mixture, for each ball.

Pour the sesame seeds on a plate or in a small bowl and add the peanut butter balls, one at a time; roll to evenly coat each peanut butter ball with the sesame seeds. 

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.


Notes: I used Kraft Smooth Peanut Butter. 

 

French Silk Pie

I know this recipe is a bit of an effort however it is well worth it. A dense mousse like chocolate filling and whip cream topping pair well with a flaky homemade pie crust which, to me, reminds me of the French pastry, Mille-feuille. How rich this dessert may appear to be there is a lightness in texture and taste.  

French Silk Pie

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1 sheet of refrigerator pie pastry
2/3 cup white sugar
2 large eggs
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup heavy whipping cream
2 teaspoons icing sugar (confectioner's sugar)

whipping cream and chocolate curls or grated chocolate for topping


Cut pastry sheet in half. Repackage and refrigerate one half to use another time. On a lightly floured surface, roll out remaining pastry half into an 8 inch circle. Transfer to a 7 inch pie plate and form the edges.

Line the now formed pie shell with heavy duty foil, double line if need be. Bake at 450ºF for 4 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 2 minutes longer or until crust is golden brown. Cool completely on wire rack.

In a small saucepan, combine the caster sugar and eggs until well blended. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture reaches 160º and coats the back of a metal spoon. Remove from heat. Stir in chocolate and vanilla until smooth. Cool to lukewarm, about 90º, stirring occasionally. 

In a small bowl, cream butter until light and fluffy. Add cooled chocolate mixture and beat on high speed for 5 minutes or until light and  fluffy.

In another large bowl, beat whipping cream until it begins to thicken. Add the icing sugar and beat until stiff peaks form. Fold into the chocolate mixture; then pour into the baked pie crust. Chill for at least 6 hours before serving. Garnish with whipping cream and chocolate curls or grated chocolate, if you wish. Refrigerate leftovers, if there is any!

Notes: Rather then use a ready made pie crust; I made my favourite pie crust recipe and used that. I also made, baked and allowed the pie crust to cool a few hours in advance before making the filling.

Spring Feeling Cocktail

Cabin fever... Spring fever, call it what you will, this fresh spritely cocktail will certainly give you those Spring vibes.

Spring Feeling Cocktail

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makes 1 cocktail

1/2 oz lemon juice

1/2 oz Green Chartreuse

1 oz Dry Gin

Place all ingredients into a cocktail shaker with cracked ice. Shake well. Strain into 3 oz cocktail glass.

Warmer temperatures, above 0ºC, are a bonus. Have a great weekend everyone! - JD 

Chestnut Soup

This is an excellent soup. The perfect fall and winter or mid-winter warmer. The recipe comes from a memoir of sorts called The Wood: The Life and Times of Cockshutt Wood by John Lewis-Stempel; who is also the author of Where Poppies Blow. The Wood, gives us insight into the woodlands in remote Herefordshire with just a few recipes scattered throughout, a great nature read. 

  

Chestnut Soup 

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Serves 4

675g chestnuts

1 onion, finely chopped

1 carrot, finely chopped

30g butter

1 sprig rosemary

chicken or game stock

150ml single cream

parsley, finely chopped

Cut crosses in the ends of the chestnuts, place in a pan with enough water to cover and boil for 2 - 3 minutes. Remove from heat, and when the chestnuts are cool enough to handle, peel, scrape off the papery inner skin, and put them to one side.

Sweat the onion and carrot in the butter until tender.

Add the chestnuts and rosemary and continue sweating over a low - medium heat for 5 minutes. Pour the stock, then simmer for 20 - 30 minutes. Liquidize the soup, then strain into a clean saucepan and add the cream. Bring up to almost boiling and season to taste. Serve with a scattering of chopped parsley on top. 

Notes: We found chestnuts and boiled them only to find our effort derailed, most were rotten inside... so back to the shops we went and fortunately found packaged roasted chestnuts, which we used instead. Although no measurement was stated in regards to the stock we added about 2 pints of chicken stock and that was perfect. 

Hope everyone had a lovely weekend. We did! - JD

  

Prestonpans Biscuits

A sweet salute to Robert Burns Night. These biscuits have a hint of sweetness and will be greatly consumed with a wee dram of Scottish whisky. Our ode to the Scotsman will be a humble toast to him.

Prestonpans Biscuits

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8 oz flour

8 oz corn flour

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

8 oz white sugar

8 oz butter

2 beaten eggs

Sift all dry ingredients into a basin. Rub in butter. Mix to a dough with the eggs and add a little milk if required. Roll out on a lightly floured board. Cut into rounds. Bake a little apart on a lightly greased baking sheet in a moderately hot oven, 375ºF., for 10 to 12 minutes. Dredge with caster sugar. 

Notes: This recipe comes from a vintage Scottish cookbook and is typed as printed in the book. The flour I used was unbleached all purpose flour, the butter was softened. I lined the baking sheet with baking parchment paper instead of greasing it. I found the dough to be quite soft therefore I was more generous with the flour when rolling the dough out. As for the baking time... I found 10 minutes was perfect.

One reference I found that mentioned Prestonpans was a book called The Battles of Dunbar & Prestonpans: And Other Selected Poems New and Old, by James Lumsden, published in 1896. Which I believe the Bodleian Library of Oxford may have online in their Catalogue (SOLO). 

Happy Robert Burns Day and Night!