Monday, December 26, 2011

Don't Leave Shirred Eggs Off Your Menu For Brunch

!±8± Don't Leave Shirred Eggs Off Your Menu For Brunch

If you're writing a menu for brunch, don't forget Shirred Eggs. They're extremely simple, can be made well in advance, and make a great table presentation.

People love foods in individual serving dishes. In my many years of Catering, I've seen the trends come and go, but high visual appeal never goes out of style. Individual appetizers in a flat-bottomed Asian spoon are always a hit. Hors d' oeuvres served in martin glasses or desserts in chocolate cups are delicious to the eye.

That's why when I create a menu for brunch, I try to include shirred eggs. "Shirred" refers to being baked in individual ramekins. Eggs baked in ramekins don't sound particularly exciting, but it's what you do before and after to the egg that makes it amazing.

You can add any of your favorite ingredients to the ramekin to make a signature shirred egg dish yourself. My favorite is to place a slice of ham or Canadian bacon in the bottom of the ramekin, crack an egg, top with Swiss Cheese, broccoli, mushrooms, and a touch of cream.

You might line the individual baking dish with toast points, an egg, crumbled bacon, and cheddar cheese. Sometimes, the shirred egg is baked within brioche dough or puff pastry that will rise as the egg bakes, giving an egg-inside-a-croissant result.

Even near the shore, people are creating shirred egg dishes with bits of shrimp, lobster, sausage, peppers, and tomatoes. Your art is complete when you've assembled the ingredients YOU like best and baked them with an egg in an individual serving dish. You've created your first shirred egg!

The ramekin is baked at 325F (180C) until the egg is set to your liking. If you've created a menu for brunch that includes a buffet, you can create multiple varieties of shirred egg and display them on buffet table. The ramekins will keep the dish hot longer than omelets or scrambled eggs and the amount of choices you can present to your guests are limitless.

Shirred eggs needn't be relegated as a special occasion only item. They're a healthy alternative to pastries and cereals when you can eat whole eggs with protein from an individual serving on your way to work.

However, shirred eggs should not be forgotten when you're planning your menu for brunch. They can be made well in advance and refrigerated until baking. You have the ability to bake only a few at a time, saving on potential wasted food and you can make an elegant presentation with the least amount of effort.


Don't Leave Shirred Eggs Off Your Menu For Brunch

Saved Sonos Zp100

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Asparagus Tart (Puff Pastry Recipe)

Learn how to make this crowd pleasing appetizer. Watch this video to see how simple it is to make extraordinary, inspired dishes with Puff Pastry. ©2011 Pepperidge Farm, Incorporated. All rights reserved.

Whirlpool Refrig Fast

Thursday, December 15, 2011

RICOTTA TARTS - VIDEO RECIPE

Nicko makes you a awesome snack! NICKOS DAILY VIDEO DIARY www.youtube.com TWITTER: www.twitter.com FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com NICKOS T-SHIRTS www.zazzle.com.au Ingredients: serves 4 1 sheet puff pastry 16 cherry tomatoes 1/2 cup ricotta cheese 8 basil leaves pepper ENJOY! ~ Nicko Music from Nickos Kitchen is from www.incompetech.com Used with permission

Discounted Vicks Germfree Humidifier

Sunday, December 11, 2011

Mrs Beeton's Recipes - Gems From a Victorian Cookbook

!±8± Mrs Beeton's Recipes - Gems From a Victorian Cookbook

Mrs Beeton was born in London in 1836 and was christened Isabella Mary Mayson. In July 1856 she married Samuel Orchard Beeton and became Mrs Beeton. In 1859, after the tragic death of her first child in 1857 she began writing articles on cookery and household management for her husband's publications.

In 1861 these publications were gathered together in a single volume, entitled, rather imposingly: The Englishwoman's Domestic Magazine and in October 1861, the articles were published as a single volume: The Book of Household Management Comprising information for the Mistress, Housekeeper, Cook, Kitchen-Maid, Butler, Footman, Coachman, Valet, Upper and Under House-Maids, Lady's-Maid, Maid-of-all-Work, Laundry-Maid, Nurse and Nurse-Maid, Monthly Wet and Sick Nurses, etc. etc.Beetonalso Sanitary, Medical, & Legal Memoranda: with a History of the Origin, Properties, and Uses of all Things Connected with Home Life and Comfort. Though the book quickly became known rather more succinctly as: Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management.

It gave an extensive collection of recipes, as well as tips on how to run a Victorian household. As well as having recipes that are still made and which are still relevant today it is also our best guide to the foods (both opulent and frugal) of the Victorian dining table. This book also represents the first time that recipes were published in the modern manner, with a list of ingredients and instructions on how to cook them.

Below you will find two of Mrs Beeton's classic recipes, for a starter and a main course, redacted (re-written) for the modern age.

Apple Soup

Ingredients:
900g cooking apples
3/4 tsp freshly-ground white pepper
6 cloves
cayenne pepper, or ground ginger, to taste
3l beef stock

Method:
Peel and quarter the apples then remove their cores. Add to a pan along with the stock, bring to a simmer then stew gently for about 30 minutes, or until tender. Take off the heat and either purée in a blender or press through a fine-meshed sieve with the back of a spoon.

Return the purée to a pan, add the seasonings then bring to a boil, take off the heat, ladle into warmed bowls and serve.

Grouse Pie

Ingredients:
2 grouse
450g rump steak, cut into bite-sized pieces
290ml well-seasoned stock
350g fresh puff pastry
cayenne pepper
salt and freshly-ground black pepper
1 egg yolk, beaten, to glaze

Method:
Line the base of a large pie dish with the steak. If the grouse are large then joint them, if they are small, halve them. Lay the bird pieces on top of the meat then season liberally with cayenne pepper, salt and black pepper. Pour in the stock then cover the pie with the puff pastry. Brush the top with the beaten yolk of an egg make a few steam holes in the top and transfer to an oven pre-heated to 180°C. Bake for about 50 minutes, or until the meat is cooked and the pastry is golden brown. Serve hot with mashed potatoes and root vegetables.

Note: If you are jointing your grouse then you can make a gravy by stewing the grouse backbones and trimmings with an onion, a little sherry, herbs and a blade of mace.

I hope you enjoyed this article an recipes and are now keen to learn more about Mrs Beeton and her recipes.


Mrs Beeton's Recipes - Gems From a Victorian Cookbook

Glue Mouse Trap Decide Now

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

MINI MEAT PIES

A delicious snack or meal. Golden crisp pastry on the outside, delicious succulent mince on the inside. If you are vegetarian simply use TVP instead of mince. This recipes makes about 14 small pies: 1 brown onion, finely chopped 2 garlic cloves, crushed 500g lean beef mince or TVP (Textured Vegetable Protein) 1 carrot, peeled, grated 1 zucchini, grated 25g (1/4 cup) powdered gravy (Gravox Traditional brand) 250ml (1 cup) boiling water 5 sheets ready-rolled shortcrust pastry, thawed 5 sheets ready-rolled puff pastry, thawed 1 egg, lightly whisked Worcestershire sauce to taste These can be frozen for 1 month. Simply reheat in a 180 degree oven for 15 minutes.

Pixma Mp800 Buy Online

Thursday, December 1, 2011

Monday, November 28, 2011

Food Alternatives - Alternative Seasoning

!±8± Food Alternatives - Alternative Seasoning

What alternatives to common food seasoning?

When we talk about food seasoning, we always refer to common food seasoning like salt, pepper, chicken powder, monosodium glutamate (MSG) or Ajinomoto (it's a brand name), white pepper, fish stock powder, etc. However, there are always ways to enjoy hot & cold, sweet and savory foods without the need to actually use these seasonings. Especially salt, when there are much health concerns about it.

Food Central is trying to keep up with its Food Alternative usage by applying methods like Flavored Sugar & Salt and Flavored Oil as we mention of, plus other methods we use to reduce usage of common seasonings. Today, Food Central would like to introduce certain metrics and methods of Food Alternatives available in the kitchen that you can use other than just your regular salt. Besides, these tips rocks - And our customers really love them.
Seasoning Alternatives Cheese Cheese is one of the common seasoning alternatives we use. Instead of sprinkling some salt into our salads or pasta, we use grated cheeses (higher in sodium content). Also, be aware that certain cheese may only contain its flavor - Parmigiano Reggiano in powdered form has less sodium content. As an alternative, always ask your dairy supplier about these stuff. Anchovies Anchovies are one of the best sources for salt - And they provide the 'feel' of meat in your dishes. If you're using canned anchovies, be aware that they might not be as salty as you deem it would be - So look at the Sodium content at the can label. If you're using dried ones, don't soak them in the water or wash them too long - They will lose a lot of their sodium. Consider one wash and take them for a deep-fry, then pound into pieces. Dressings & Condiments This can be mayonnaise or your favorite thousand island sauce, tomato & chilly sauce, thai sauce, mixture of cream and teppan sauce, fermented shrimp paste and grinded chillies, garlic + coriander + grinded chillies, basil leaves + onions + grinded chilly, etc. Acid-based items For example lemon juice and olive oil, balsamic vinegar, bloodorange or the infamous Apple Cider vinegar. Mix this with your salads, marinade your meat items, cook them in your soup, mix them with No. 3, cold-cook your fish (Civishi), cold-cook your prawns, etc. Canned/Packed items Canned items can vary from pickled items to infused with herb foodstuff like tomato and garlic, and pickles like stuffed olives or, you can also try cream cheese - They give you an extra bang of the richness of cream and cheese. Pickled Vegetables A great example for pickled vegetables is kimchi. Kimchi gives a spicy, sour yet cheese-influenced power of knocking your tongue out. Others can be Szechuan, pickled white cabbages, sauerkraut and so forth. Use them to accompany your steaks, baked chicken or even salads. Packed Nuts Packed nuts may contain a little salt, and if you toast then grind them well, they can give you a strong, coffee-influence ass-whooping flavor to your meats, salads, pasta and also fried rice. If you need more kick from the sodium, consider sprinkling them over your foods without grinding. Stock Powders Beef stock powders, chicken stock powders, fish stock powders, and so forth. Some come in cubes, some come in powder or granules. No matter what, this can actually enhance the taste of your cooked ingredients like pasta, soups, salads, rice, appetizers and so forth without having the need to add more salt in - There are no more usage for that with these stock alternatives. Keep in mind that this applies only to salt alternative - And they contain a small amount of MSG mixture, so use cautiously. Spreads Spreads make great use in substituting common food seasoning to raw items like bread, desserts or pastry items. Simply handling a good Danish butter for your puff pastry, margarine for your bread and jam mix for your pastry items will diminish your need for additional sugar. Also, some spreads that you buy may contain high amounts of sodium, so be aware and keep an eye on the label. Smoked meats Smoked meats can contain very high sodium content - Almost 3-4 times higher than a regular 'seasoned' meat. This is good when you need to add into salads, breads, or maybe just a plain accompaniment. Alternatively, you can also mash these up for stuffing, roll them into roulettes to accompany cold items. By all means, this is a very good way not to use excess sodium in your food and also serves as an alternative.


Food Alternatives - Alternative Seasoning

Pool Decks Above Ground Buy Online Rane Ttm57 Buy

Friday, November 25, 2011

Throw a Trendy Wedding Cocktail Hour on a Budget

!±8± Throw a Trendy Wedding Cocktail Hour on a Budget

Lavish cocktail hours that precede the ceremony have quickly become one of the hottest wedding trends within the past year. Some brides focus on one signature drink and appetizer theme (think sangria with tapas) while others offer multiple full service stations with circulating small bites. This practice ensures the comfort of their guests prior to long ceremonies when their empty stomachs tend to become testy.

For the budget conscious bride, these preceremony events can be quite expensive. Luckily, they can be adapted for even the most frugal resources. By incorporating key elements such as creativity and artful presentation, most budgets can happily accommodate a cocktail hour. Here's how:

Dilute the alcohol not the style. Consider mixed coolers and spritzers. A multitude of options are available online at The Food Network. Make the presentation special with fruit filled ice cubes, chopped fresh fruit, edible flower petals, or sprigs of herbs. Pair drinks with simple (or do-it-yourself) appetizers such as tomato rings topped with cheese and herbs, pancetta wrapped asparagus, or mini quiche tarts. Eliminate the alcohol entirely. Is your event more family friendly? Save the alcohol for the reception, but serve creative drinks with elegant touches. For winter weddings consider spiced up versions of hot chocolate (dash of chipotle for the adults, peppermint for the kiddies) with store bought fruit and chocolates. Most grocery stores now stock excellent hot chocolate mixes for a nominal price. Or, add coffee flavor syrup (available in most coffee aisles) to your hot chocolate for a more upscale option -- just remember a little goes a long way! Smoothies, lemonades, fruit juice, spritzers, and punch are great alternatives for spring and summer weddings. Find easy and delicious recipes online from Drinks Mixer and Epicurious. Make upscale groceries your friend. Most of the better grocery stores will provide fresh fruit, cheese, and appetizer trays at a fraction of the cost of your caterer. Combine with unusual crackers and artisan breads (the grocery bakery will slice their own loaves for free). Rent or purchase beautiful platters for presentation style. If you can't afford new or rented platters, use fresh spinach leaves, greens, or banana and grape leaves to cover your own platters. No one will notice what is underneath. Garnish with your own green onions, grape tomatoes, fresh herbs, flowers, and fresh fruit. Don't have fresh herbs? Buy them and beautiful blooms inexpensively at the local farmers market. Embrace semi-homemade recipes. Sandra Lee is the queen of semi-homemade cooking! Stretch your dollar by combining store bought and fresh ingredients to make your own versions of chic foodie fare. Love spinach turnovers? Buy premade puff pastry and stuff with your favorite store bought spinach dip. Garnish with whole or thinly sliced spinach leaves. Do you have a zest for Italian food? Top a ready made polenta slice (logs available in your grocer's refrigerated aisle) with tomato, salami, and provolone slices. Bake or broil for a tasty appetizer that can be served warm or hot. Garnish with fresh basil or herbs from your garden. Just remember to keep your portions bite-sized for your guests. Add your own extra blanched veggies, flowers, herbs, crackers, artisan breads, or greens for presentation with extra punch.With a little creative wedding planning, your guests can enjoy prewedding cocktail celebrations with style and panache. And better still, these festivities don't have to break the bank. Incorporate the trend without the expensive price tag with my four tips for budget conscious brides. And, throw a bash to remember!


Throw a Trendy Wedding Cocktail Hour on a Budget

Back Pain Heating Pad Review

Monday, November 21, 2011

Saturday, November 19, 2011

Pesto Spirals- Freezer Appetizer-The Bag Holder

This is a super easy recipe with few ingredients. We have puff pastry sheets, pesto, pamesan and dijon mustard. We spread on the pastry and roll. Fast and easy and can be frozen for up to 3 months.

Osprey Porter 90 Discount Purchasing Michael Kors Snakeskin Bag

Saturday, November 12, 2011

Dinner Party Ideas

!±8± Dinner Party Ideas

You need dinner party ideas to plan one of the most relaxed parties there is. The parties might not present a great challenge while planning but, they need attention so that you can impress your guests over great food and wine. Firstly, making the surroundings inviting and attractive is key. Everything must have a style of arrangement from chairs to other decorations at the table. You do not need to have something very elaborate just something inspiring and comfortable. You can view some of the settings on the internet and get to see how to achieve certain aspects of class without having to spend much. Do everything to make sure you achieve the ambiance you are looking for which is suitable for a dinner party.

You also require dinner party ideas for food. There are several courses that will make up a dinner party and you need to plan for appetizers which must to serve their purpose well. You can consider the following foods for appetizers. First, asparagus and Parmesan puffs will do the trick. The ingredients include rolled puff pastry, red pesto, cherry tomatoes, fine asparagus spears, Parmesan cheese and coarsely grated rock salt. You can also add freshly milled black pepper to spice the meal. Other great appetizers you can do for your dinner party include Waldorf salad, sticky barbecued chicken wings, oyster Rockefeller and many more. Do the meals that you are confident that you can do or follow all the instruction to the letter.

Some dinner party ideas for the first course are avocado mozzarella and tomato salad, baked Salcom creams, French conjoin soup and many other. For the main course include spiced and super moist roast turkey, chicken Alfredo, fish cakes, luxury fish pie and others. You can do some side dishes and they will include the following mashed potatoes, glazed beans and many more. Some of the dressings you can do are bread sauce, cranberry sauce, garlic bread and many others. Ideas for dessert include the following brandy sauce, chocolate truffles and other. You can also make traditional afternoon tea which can be taken with sandwiches, cakes and others.

The internet is filled with these recipes and more and they will furnish you with many dinner party ideas for food. You do not have to be an expert to make them exquisite. Make sure that you take time on final touches. Remember, you can work with a particular theme that will give your dinner party that feeling of diversity and culture. For example, you can make it an African theme. You will therefore include African dishes and decorations. When it comes to dinner party ideas, they never end. However, before you go for such a theme, study every recipe carefully and if you are comfortable with it, do it. If you cannot cook, follow every instruction to the letter and you will discover that it is not complicated. Let the mood of the party take over as you relax with your guest over dinner.


Dinner Party Ideas

Sportdog Yardtrainer This Instant Last Minute Waterside Water Softeners Best Prices Gun Safe Organizer

Friday, November 11, 2011

What's For Dinner? 30-Minute Menus For Week of November 2

!±8± What's For Dinner? 30-Minute Menus For Week of November 2

Can you believe November is here? I sure can't! The menus this week are heartier to help keep everyone warm and strong as winter arrives. They are also lighter on the budget as the holidays near - I have included two 'bake once - eat twice (or three times!)' meals to really help stretch those food dollars. You have the extra bonus of having meals with the meat already cooked to really speed the dinner prep!

This Sunday I will be visiting my mother so will be preparing a simple but elegant meal for her. I will make the Shrimp Scampi and start the strawberries marinating ahead of time making it a snap to cook the pasta and asparagus at her house. The salad will go together quickly, too! I will add appetizers of veggies and Ranch dressing with blue cheese along with a Mexican dish of layered cream cheese, salsa, and cheese warmed in the microwave and served with corn chips (yummy!). These are easy appetisers using bagged veggies, bottled Ranch dressing, and jarred salsa.

I hope you have a great week!

Sunday:
Shrimp Scampi (cleaned and deveined shrimp)
Angel Hair Pasta
Asparagus
Mandarin Orange Salad (bottled Oriental-type salad dressing)
Strawberries Romanoff

Monday:
Turkey Breast (crock pot) with French Country Gravy (jarred gravy)
Long Grain and Wild Rice (boxed mix)
Sauteed Brussels Sprouts
Pound Cake Torte (purchased pound cake and frosting; reserve half of unfrosted cake for Wednesday)

Tuesday:
Grilled Pork Tenderloin
Sweet Potatoes with Brown Sugar
Waldorf Salad
Almond Blueberry Cookies (purchased sugar cookie dough, blueberry jam; save half of dough for Saturday)

Wednesday:
Chicken Tacos, Burritos, or Tostados (poultry from Monday, jarred salsa and guacamole)
Red Onion / Orange Salad
Heavenly Hash (fresh berries in purchased whipped topping over saved pound cake from Monday)

Thursday:
Jambalaya (boxed mix with fresh seafood and sausage; those little pieces from the turkey can be added if you dare serve turkey four times this week!)
Strawberry / Spinach Salad
Cream Puffs (puff pastry and instant pudding mix)

Friday:
Pork Medallions (pork from Tuesday)
Spinach Herb Pasta (frozen spinach)
Corn on the Cob
Apple Strudel (phyllo dough, apple pie filling)

Saturday:
BBQ Turkey (poultry from Monday)
Condiments and Buns
Potato Wedges
Slaw (bagged slaw mix and prepared slaw dressing)
Fruit Pizza Cookies (cookie dough from Tuesday)

I sincerely hope you have fun with your meal planning and preparation,

Elizabeth Randall and Family


What's For Dinner? 30-Minute Menus For Week of November 2

Andis Dog Clipper Quickly

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Appetizer Recipes - Elegant Appetizers

!±8± Appetizer Recipes - Elegant Appetizers

These elegant appetizer recipes can be served at any special occasion or dinner party. Showcase them at family gatherings, bunco groups, work parties, church pot lucks, graduation parties, bridal and baby showers. Appetizer recipes suit many special occasions, so enjoy them as often as you like!

Cheesy Asparagus strips

30 fresh asparagus spears, cleaned and trimmed
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon all purpose flour
1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
1/2 teaspoon mustard
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
2 sheets frozen puff pastry, thawed
1 egg, beaten
salt and pepper to taste

Steam the asparagus just until tender. Cut 20 asparagus spears into 1 inch logs. Mash remaining spears. In a small bowl, combine mashed asparagus, mayonnaise, flour, mozzarella cheese, cheddar cheese, mustard salt, pepper and lemon zest. Roll puff pastry sheets into 17 inch squares. Place 1/2 of mixture on each each square; top each with the cut asparagus logs. Fold the pastry in half and seal the edges. Brush the dough with beaten egg. Bake at 375 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes or until puffed and golden brown. Cut into strips to serve (16 servings).

Calamata Crostini

1 cup pitted Calamata olives
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4-5 cloves garlic, crushed
anchovy paste (2" from tube)
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 baguette French bread, sliced 1/2 inch thick
1/2 cup (or more) mozzarella cheese

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Combine olives, oil, garlic, anchovy paste and parmesan cheese in a food processor until well blended; scrape down sides of the bowl. Spread the mixture on bread slices; top each with some mozzarella cheese. Place on a cookie sheet and bake at 325 degrees for 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted.


Appetizer Recipes - Elegant Appetizers

Good Bargain Cheap Olympic Weight Sets Austin Bazaar Guitars Ideas Logitech X540 Quick


Twitter Facebook Flickr RSS



Fran�ais Deutsch Italiano Portugu�s
Espa�ol ??? ??? ?????







Sponsor Links