Lavender Shortbread Cookies

 Lavender Shortbread Cookies

Makes 2 dozen cookies

1 cup (2 sticks) of unsalted butter, softened

½ cup sugar

3 tablespoons of honey, any variety

2 cups all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons dried lavender (or 6-8 fresh blossoms, buds removed)

Pinch of salt

Powdered sugar topping (optional)

2 tablespoons powdered sugar

2 teaspoons dried lavender buds

Place the butter, sugar and honey in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer until fluffy. Place the flour, lavender and salt in another large bowl. Whisk until well-combined. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture. With the mixer on low, beat the flour into the butter until just combined, about 30 seconds. Scrape the inside of the bowl with a spatula and fold in any flour that wasn’t incorporated. 

Set out two 12- inch long sheets of parchment or wax paper. Take the dough and split it in half, placing each portion onto paper. Form each portion into an 8 inch log for round cookies or press into an 8 in square bar for square cookies. Wrap each log in the paper and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.

When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 F. Slice the cookie logs into slices about ½ in thick. Place onto a prepared baking sheet and bake for 15-20 min, until the edges are golden and the cookies are firm to the touch. Cool on the baking sheets. If using powdered sugar toppings, place powdered sugar into a small bowl and lavender and stir well. Sprinkle over cookies and serve immediately. Store cooled cookies in an airtight container on the counter top for up to 1 week.

Creamy Garlic Mushroom Chicken Thighs - Made Jul 26 2023

For The Chicken:

• 1 1/2 pounds (700g) boneless skinless chicken thighs (around 6-8 fillets)
• 1 teaspoon each onion powder and garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon each of dried thyme and rosemary
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

For The Sauce:

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 8 ounces (250 g) sliced brown mushrooms
• 4 cloves garlic, minced (or 1 tablespoon minced garlic)
• 1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley
• 1/2 - 1 teaspoon each of dried thyme and dried rosemary (adjust to your taste)
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream / thickened cream (evaporated milk or half and half)*
• 1/2 cup fresh shredded parmesan

INSTRUCTIONS

• Pat chicken thighs dry with paper towel and trim off excess fat. Combine the onion powder, garlic powder, herbs, salt and pepper. Coat the chicken evenly with the combined seasoning.
• Heat 1 tablespoon of oil a large pan or skillet over medium-high heat and sear chicken thighs in batches until browned on each side and no longer pink in centre (about 8 minutes each side, depending on thickness). Add remaining oil if needed for second batch. Transfer to a plate; set aside and keep warm.
• To the same pan or skillet, melt the butter and add the mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper and cook until soft (about 3 minutes). Add the garlic, parsley, thyme and rosemary; sauté until fragrant (about 1 minute).
• Stir in cream, bring to a simmer, then reduce heat and continue cooking until sauce has thickened slightly. Stir in the parmesan cheese and allow it to melt through the sauce for a further 2 minutes, while occasionally stirring.
• Return chicken to the pan. Taste test and season with salt and pepper to your taste. Garnish with fresh parsley. Serve immediately.

https://cafedelites.com/chicken-thighs/#recipe 

 

Caramel Apple Upside-Down Cake

Caramel Apple Upside-Down Cake

 Ingredients 

Toppings

• 1/4 cup unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 large apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced

Cake

• 1 and 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs (room temp)
• 1 tsp vanilla 
• 1/2 cup milk

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 deg. Spray 9 -inch cake pan well with non-stick cooking spray and set aside. 

2. Make the topping - Add butter, brown sugar and cinnamon to a saucepan over medium heat. Stir well until the mixture is completely melted and smooth. Remove from heat and pour the mixture into the prepared cake pan and evenly spread it on the bottom. 

3. Arrange the apple slides in an even layer on top. Set aside.

4. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Set aside. In a separate bowl, beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer until smooth. Slowly add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each one. Add the vanilla and mix until fully combined. 

5. Alternate mixing the dry ingredients and milk into the wet ingredients, starting with the flour and ending with the flour.

6. Pour the batter into the cake pan on top of the sliced apples.

7. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. 

8. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for about 10 minutes in the pan before flipping over onto a large plate. 

Tahitian Breakfast Treats

 

Directions

1. Add yeast to warm water and stir to dissolve; allow to sit until yeast has bubbled, 5-7 minutes. Add yeast mixture to warm coconut milk. In a large bowl, combine coconut, sugar, salt, yeast mixture and 1 cup flour; beat on medium speed until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a stiff dough (dough will be sticky). Turn dough onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1-1/2 hours.
2. Punch down dough. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; divide into 8 portions. Roll each into a 12-in. rope. Curl ends in opposite directions to form a figure 8. Tuck each end under where it meets center of roll and pinch lightly to seal. Place 2 in. apart on a parchment-lined 
3. 
   baking sheet. Cover with a kitchen towel; let rise in a warm place until almost doubled, about 30 minutes.
4. Preheat oven to 375°. Bake until light brown, 10-12 minutes. Meanwhile, place sugar, cinnamon and ginger in a shallow bowl. Split vanilla bean lengthwise. Using the tip of a sharp knife, scrape seeds from the center; stir into sugar mixture. Brush warm pastries with melted butter; roll in sugar mixture to coat.
   

Test Kitchen tips

If you choose to fry: heat oil to 375°F, and fry until golden brown, about 1 minute. Omit the butter step and roll in sugar mixture. Serve warm.

Add chopped crystalized ginger to the dough when adding the flaked coconut.

Try drizzling with a glaze! Combine 1 cup powdered sugar, 3 tablespoons dark rum and 2 tablespoons melted butter.

Jalapeño poppers

 12 medium-sized fresh jalapeño peppers, halved and seeded

4 oz cream cheese

1 and 1/2 cups shredded smoked Gouda

2-3 sliced bacon, cooked and crumbled

Preheat over to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place jalapeños on the baking sheet, cut side up and roast for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, combine cream cheese, Gouda and bacon in a small bowl. Remove peppers from oven and allow to cool. Portion cheese mixture equally between jalapeño halves. Raise oven temp to 400 and bake stuffed halves for 5 minutes, or until cheese melts and slightly browns. Makes 24 pieces. 

Potato Leek Soup

 https://www.onceuponachef.com/recipes/potato-leek-soup.html 

Potato Leek Soup

A French classic, this creamy potato leek soup is quick, easy, and comforting.

Servings: 6

Prep Time: 25 Minutes

Cook Time: 40 Minutes

Total Time: 1 Hour 5 Minutes

INGREDIENTS

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 4 large leeks, white and light green parts only, roughly chopped (about 5 cups)
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
• 2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped into ½-inch pieces
• 7 cups chicken or vegetable broth
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 cup heavy cream
• Chives, finely chopped, for serving

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Melt the butter over medium heat in a large soup pot. Add the leeks and garlic and cook, stirring regularly, until soft and wilted, about 10 minutes. Adjust the heat as necessary so as not to brown.
2. Add the potatoes, broth, bay leaves, thyme, salt and pepper to pot and bring to a boil. Cover and turn the heat down to low. Simmer for 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are very soft.
3. Fish out the thyme sprig and bay leaves, then purée the soup with a hand-held immersion blender until smooth. (Alternatively, use a standard blender to purée the soup in batches; see note.) Add the heavy cream and bring to a simmer. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. If soup is too thin, simmer until thickened. If it's too thick, add water or stock to thin it out. Garnish with fresh herbs if desired.
4. Note: If using a standard blender to purée the soup: be sure not to fill the jar more than halfway; leave the hole in the lid open and cover loosely with a dishtowel to allow the heat to escape; and pour blended soup into a clean pot.
5. Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The soup can be frozen, without the cream, for up to 3 months. Defrost the soup in the refrigerator for 12 hours and then reheat it on the stovetop over medium heat until hot. Once heated through, add the cream and bring to a simmer before serving.

Key Lime Parfaits

 Ingredients

• 1/2 cup nonfat lime-flavored greek yogur
• 1/2 cup fresh lime juice
• 1 lime zested
• 1 cup low-fat cream cheese
• 1/2 cup nonfat sweetened condensed mil
• 2 cups vanilla wafter cookies, crushed
• 1 cup whipped cream
• lime slices for garnish

Instructions

• Mix yogurt, lime juice, lime zest, cream cheese, and condensed milk with an electric mixer until smooth. Keep refrigerated until ready to assemble the parfaits.
• Pipe key lime filling into 4 jars. Alternate with layers of crushed cookies and whipped topping. Garnish with lime slices before serving. 
• 
  

Posset

 2 cups whipped cream

2/3 cups sugar (or a little less)

2 tsps lemon zest

(optional a pinch of salt)

Boil all of the above (simmer to boil) for about 10 minutes. Set aside to cool for 20 minutes.

Add 1/3 cup lemon juice and stir. At the end of 20 minutes , stir again and pour into ramekins for fridge time, at least 3 hours. 

Air fryer chicken

 https://therecipecritic.com/air-fryer-chicken-breast/

Ingredients

  

• ▢2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• ▢1 Tablespoons olive oil
• ▢1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning
• ▢1 teaspoon garlic powder
• ▢1/2 teaspoon paprika
• ▢salt and pepper
• ▢optional: brussels sprouts

Instructions

 

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• Place the chicken in the air fryer basket. Rub olive oil on the chicken.
• In a small bowl add the Italian seasoning, garlic powder, paprika, salt and pepper. Rub on each sides of the chicken.
• Cook in the air fryer at 360 degrees for 9 minutes. Open the air fryer and flip the chicken. (Add Brussels sprouts now if using). Cook for another 9 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.

Air fryer eggplant from Love and Lemons

 The best eggplant past from the air fryer!

https://www.loveandlemons.com/air-fryer-eggplant/ 

Lemon Curd

 Prep 10 min

Total time 1 hr 30 min

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1 large egg, plus 3 egg yolks
• 1 1/2 tsp finely grated lemon zest, plus 1/3 cup fresh juice (from 2 lemons)
• 3-4 tbls unsalted butter

Instructions

Step 1 : in a nonreactive pot (enamel or stainless steel) whisk together sugar and salt. Whisk in whole egg and yolks and then immediately whisk in lemon zest and juice.

Step 2: Place pot over medium heat and bring mixture to a simmer, whisking constantly, until bubbling in center and thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in butter.  (For thicker consistency, use 4, for thinner use 3 tbls)

Step 3: Strain through a fine-mesh sieve set over a bowl, to remove any zest or cooked pieces of egg white. Press a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface and let cool completely (about 20 min). Refrigerate until thickened and cold, at least 1 hour, in an airtight container, up to 1 week or freeze for up to 2 months. 

Shrimp Boil Foil Packets

 This is for camping / grilling

Easy-Peasy

Ingredients

• 1 ear of corn cut into 8 pieces
• 1 medium zucchini, sliced thick
• 4 cloves of garlic
• 1/2 lb uncooked shrimp
• 2 andouille sausage
• 1 tsp Old Bay
• 1 tsp Cajun Seasoning
• 4 tbls butter
• Fresh parsley chopped

Instructions

1. tear off some foil and put parchment paper on top of the foil

2. Diving the corn, zucchini, minced garlic, shrimp, spices and butter between the sheets of foil

3. Form the packets by bringing the short edges to meet and crimp everywhere to seal

4. Cook the packets on a grill (or the grill grate of your campfire) for 8 minutes, flipping occasionally.

5. Remove from the grill and cool slightly. Open carefully and top with parsley. 

Green tea Salmon with Miso Veggies

 

INGREDIENTS

SERVES: 4

SALMON

• 4salmon fillets, skin-on
• 2green tea bags
• olive oil
• salt and pepper

RICE

• 1 and 1/4 cup basmati rice
• tin of coconut milk
• ½lemon

VEGETABLES

• 1red chili
• thumb sized pieceginger, peeled
• 1 tbsmiso paste
• 1 heaped tsphoney
• 2 tbslight soy sauce
• juice of ½ alemon
• large handfulcoriander
• sugar snap peas
• broccoli
• asparagus
• lime

METHOD

This recipe requires a blender.

1. Fill and boil the kettle
2. Place 4 salmon fillets onto a plate, open 2 green tea bags and shake the green tea over the salmon. Season with salt and pepper and make sure the salmon is evenly coated on all sides.
3. Pour a small amount of olive oil into a frying pan on a medium heat and place the salmon in the pan, skin side down. Fry the skin side for at least four minutes then periodically turn the salmon until all the sides turn golden brown.
4. Wash 300g of basmati rice until the water runs clear then add it to a saucepan with a tin of coconut milk, 400g water (refill the coconut milk tin to measure the water) and half a lemon. Bring the water to a boil then place a lid on the saucepan and turn the heat all the way down. Cook for 10 minutes then turn off the heat leaving the saucepan lid on.
5. Slice half a red chilli to use as a garnish then place the remaining half into a blender along with a thumb sized piece of peeled ginger, a tablespoon of miso paste, a heaped teaspoon of honey, 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, the juice from half a lemon, most of a handful of coriander and a small splash of water. Blend until all the ingredients have combined into a smooth liquid. Taste and add more soy sauce if needed.
6. Fill a saucepan with boiled water and add 200g of mange tout, 200g of broccoli and 300g of asparagus. Cook for around 3 minutes until vegetables are just tender.
7. Remove the cooked salmon from the frying pan and peel off the skins by sliding a knife under them. Place the skins back into the pan, soft side down, and cook for a minute to crisp up.
8. Pour the miso dressing into a bowl or serving platter then place the vegetables on top.
9. Gently fluff the rice, remove the lemon squeezing its contents over the rice and transfer to a large bowl placing the salmon and skins on top. Garnish with the chilli slices, coriander leaves and lime wedges.

https://hotcooking.co.uk/recipes/jamie-oliver-15-minute-meals-green-tea-salmon#recipe