Avocado salsa

-Avocado 1-2
-Tomato 1/2-1
-Red onion 1/4(ish)diced very small
-Juice of 1/2-1 lime
-Kosher salt (pinch)
-Cumin (pinch)
-Fresh cilantro chopped finely to your taste

Grandma D’s Cheese sauce

Can be broccoli,  cauliflower,  Asparagus, whatever sauce….

Butter to pan and melt

Grate 1 plate of gouda cheese

1 heaping tbsp cornstarch, stir

Add 1 cup milk

Add nutmeg and pepper

Heat at number 8

Add 3 caps of lemon juice

When boils add cheese and stir.

If too thick add milk

Add 1 egg yolk stir

Cookies

Ingredients
1 cup butter, softened

1 cup white sugar

1 cup packed brown sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons hot water

½ teaspoon salt

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

1 cup chopped walnuts

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Beat butter, white sugar, and brown sugar with an electric mixer in a large bowl until smooth. Beat in eggs, one at a time, then stir in vanilla. Dissolve baking soda in hot water. Add to batter along with salt. Stir in flour, chocolate chips, and walnuts

Brownies

  • ½ cup butter
  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • ½ cup all-purpose flour
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon baking powder

Frosting:

  • 3 tablespoons butter, softened
  • 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup confectioners’ sugar

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour an 8-inch square pan.

  2. In a large saucepan, melt 1/2 cup butter. Remove from heat, and stir in sugar, eggs, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat in 1/3 cup cocoa, 1/2 cup flour, salt, and baking powder. Spread batter into prepared pan.

  3. Bake in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes. Do not overcook.

  4. Remove brownies from the oven, and make frosting. Combine 3 tablespoons softened butter, 3 tablespoons cocoa, honey, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and 1 cup confectioners’ sugar. Stir until smooth.

Chocolate mousse

from https://www.recipetineats.com/chocolate-mousse/

Ingredients
Cups
Metric
▢3 eggs (~55g/2 oz each)
▢125g / 4.5 oz dark chocolate , bittersweet / 70% cocoa (Note 1)
▢10g / 0.3 oz unsalted butter
▢1/2 cup cream , full fat (Note 2)
▢3 tbsp caster sugar (superfine white sugar)

i used icing sugar and it could have used more i think

there were a few ‘lumps’

Instructions

Separate eggs and yolks while eggs are cold. Place whites in a large bowl and yolks in a small bowl. Leave whites while you prepare other ingredients. (Note 4)
Yolks: Whisk yolks.
Melt chocolate & butter: Place chocolate and butter in a bowl. Melt in the microwave in 30 second bursts, stirring in between, until smooth. (Stir in optional flavourings at this point, but read Note 6 first). Set aside to cool – proceed with other steps.
Whip cream: Beat cream until stiff peaks form (see video).
Whip whites: Add sugar. Beat whites until firm peaks form (see video, Note 5)
FOLDING:
Fold egg yolks into cream using a rubber spatula – 8 folds max. Streaks is ok.
Check Chocolate Temp: Touch the chocolate. Should still be runny but only lukewarm. If too thick, microwave 2 x 3 seconds until runny.
Pour chocolate into cream yolk mixture. Fold through – 8 folds max. Streaks ok.
Add 1/4 of beaten egg whites into chocolate mixture. Fold through until incorporated – “smear” the spatular across surface to blend white lumps in – aim for 10 folds.
Pour chocolate mixture into egg whites. Fold through until incorporated and no more white lumps remain – aim for 12 folds max.
Divide mixture between 4 small glasses or pots. Refrigerate for at least 5 hours, preferably overnight.
To serve, garnish with cream and chocolate shavings. Raspberries and a tiny sprig of mint for colour would also be lovely!

Recipe Notes:
1. Chocolate: Ensure you use COOKING chocolate, not eating chocolate. Cooking chocolate (baking aisle) is made for cooking with – melts smoothly and is thinner than eating chocolate. If you use eating chocolate, the mousse is denser (I tried).
Bittersweet dark chocolate and 70% cocoa dark chocolate is best to get a good chocolatey flavour. The 70% cocoa sold at supermarkets in Australia is ideal (Nestle Plaistowe, Cadbury and Lindt 70% all work well) – these are bittersweet chocolates.
2. Cream: You must use a cream that can be whipped. Pure, thickened or heavy cream all work here. Do not use “Pouring Cream” that cannot be whipped – the label will say as such if the cream cannot be whipped.
Cream must be full fat – now is not the time to go low fat!
3. Chocolate Shavings: Use a small knife and scrape at a low angle on the flat side of a block of chocolate.
4. Eggs tip: It’s easier to separate whites from yolks when eggs are cold, but whites at room temp fluff up better when closer to room temp. So separate the eggs when fridge cold then set aside while you prep the other ingredients to let the whites come to room temp a bit.
5. Beaten whites consistency: Egg whites can be beaten to: soft peaks, firm and stiff peaks. We want the middle one – firm peaks. This is when you have a “elf hat” floppage at the top of the peak (see video). If it stands straight upright without the little hook then it’s stiff, not firm (still works fine but it won’t hold up as well after a few days in the fridge). If you do not get any type of peaks at all, then keep beating!
6. Flavourings: such as liquor, can be added into the melted chocolate, but make sure it is at room temperature other it can make the chocolate sieze. Stir it in then leave to cool per recipe. You can taste it later to see if the flavour is strong enough for you – but don’t go overboard otherwise you may have issues setting the mousse! Up to 1 tbsp should be fine (and that should be enough!!), don’t go overboard otherwise it might affect the melted chocolate or compromise how the mousse sets.
PRO TIP: Never add flavourings into just melted chocolate otherwise it might seize and become grainy, always ensure it’s combined with something (butter, in this case).
7. Storage: Best within 2 days but keeps for a week in the fridge with only a slight reduction in aeration

Moroccan couscous

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium red onion chopped
1 yellow bell pepper chopped
1 carrot chopped into cubes
2 cloves garlic minced
salt & pepper to taste
½ teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon ground coriander
¼ teaspoon turmeric
½ teaspoon celery salt
½ teaspoon ground cumin
⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
cayenne pepper optional, to taste
1 cup frozen peas
14 oz chickpeas (garbanzo beans) one can, drained
6 Peppadew Piquante peppers chopped, mild or hot
1½ cups chicken stock or vegetable stock
A good handful fresh parsley chopped
1 cup instant couscous

Instructions
In a medium-size skillet heat the oil over medium heat.
Add red onion, yellow pepper, and carrot sauté 10-15 minutes or until brown and all the vegetables are your desired tenderness
Add the garlic, sauté another minute.
Mix in the salt & pepper, paprika, ground coriander, turmeric, celery salt, cumin ground cinnamon, and cayenne pepper (if using). Stir-fry until fragrant (about a minute).
Add the frozen peas and cook briefly. Stir in the piquante peppers and chickpeas. Followed by the stock, scraping any brown bits from the bottom of the pan.
Add the chopped parsley and stir in the couscous. Remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Fluff and serve.

Wings

 Baking the Wings

toss them in some flour. Maybe some flour and spices. Maybe even corn starch. Some say baking powder. Do it. Added one such option below

Then take those wings (knocking off excess powder) and put them on parchment paper. Then put it in the fridge. At least 30 minutes. I do it for an hour. Or more. Then when your ready, pre-heat the oven for 500. bake for about 13 minutes a side.

BAKED PARMESAN GARLIC CHICKEN WINGS

INGREDIENTS:

1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt (1/2 tsp table salt)
2 1/2 pounds chicken wings
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (or melted butter)
2 tablespoons minced fresh basil
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon seasoning salt (like Lawry’s)
1 cup blue cheese dressing
1-2 teaspoons Dijon mustard (or to taste)

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a small bowl, mix together the oregano, rosemary, cumin and salt. Lay the chicken wings on a baking sheet and season the chicken wings with this mixture.

2. Bake the chicken wings as above. While the chicken is baking, mix together the oil, fresh basil, garlic, parmesan cheese and seasoning salt.

3. In a separate bowl, mix together the blue cheese dressing with the mustard (this is your dipping sauce) – i haven’t tried this yet

4. When the chicken is cooked through, toss the wings with the garlic/cheese/olive oil (or butter) sauce. Serve with the blue cheese/mustard dressing.

i skipped the seasoning salt, and the olive oil.. and actually just put the rest all in the first mix so it all baked.

buffalo sauce

  • 1/3 cup hot pepper sauce (such as Frank’s RedHot®)
  • 1/4 cup cold unsalted butter
  • 2-1/4 teaspoons white vinegar
  • 1/8 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
  1. Combine the hot sauce, butter, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, and salt in a pot and place over medium heat. Bring to a simmer while stirring with a whisk. As soon as the liquid begins to bubble on the sides of the pot, remove from heat, stir with the whisk, and set aside for use.
  2. after wings are baked, toss in some sauce. (i haven’t tried baking in the sauce yet)

 

 

Pork chops with honey mustard butter sauce with parsley and sage

Ingredients

4 (1/2-inch-thick) bone-in pork loin chops 1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/4 cup butter, softened

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

2 tablespoons honey mustard 1 teaspoon chopped fresh sage

Preparation

1. Sprinkle chops evenly with salt and pepper, and place on a wire rack in an aluminum foil-lined broiler pan.

2. Stir together butter and next 3 ingredients in a small bowl until blended. Top each chop with 1 rounded Tbsp. butter mixture.

3. Broil 5 inches from heat 8 to 10 minutes or until a meat thermometer inserted into thickest portion registers 155°.

Beef stroganoff

I made a couple alterations..but from this recipe..it was quite tasty…
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/beef-stroganoff-hamburger-dinner-in-a-skillet-recipe.html

I used ground turkey even.
I didn’t use the paprika or cayenne.
I used cremini mushrooms

Oven baked bacon

We have a neat insert for the baking pan that keeps the bacon up so the grease drips off..but here is what we do:

Place bacon on the sheet
Set oven to 425
Put bacon in oven (don’t wait for temp to hit 425)
Bake for 25 min

Yum