Roasted Pork
So easy to make and makes a fabulous Sunday dinner. Any leftovers that you have are great for making Cuban Pork Sandwiches!
INGREDIENTS
5 Peeled & Pressed Large Garlic Cloves
5 Teaspoons Chopped Fresh Rosemary
2 Teaspoons Kosher Salt
1 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
2 ½ Pound Boneless (Well Trimmed) Pork Loin Roast
Preheat your oven to 400° F. Combine the garlic, rosemary, salt and pepper in a bowl. Rub the garlic mixture all over the pork before placing, fat side down, in a roasting pan. Roast the pork for 30 minutes and then turn the pork over fat side up. Roast for another 25 minutes or until the pork reads 155° F (insert a thermometer into center of the pork). Remove from the oven and let stand for 10 minutes. Pour any juices from the roasting pan into a small saucepan. Set over low heat to keep warm. Cut the pork crosswise into 1/3 inch thick slices. Arrange pork slices on a platter and pour the pan juices over the top. Serves 8
Beef Stew With Beer
Everything tastes better cooked in beer!
INGREDIENTS
3 Pounds Beef For Stew
¼ Cup Olive Oil
3 Cups Sliced Onions
3 Cloves Crushed Garlic
2 Tablespoons Unbleached Flour
2 ¼ Cups Light Beer
2 ¼ Cups Dark Beer
2 Allspice Berries
1 Bay Leaf
¼ Teaspoon Thyme
3 Peppercorns
Place the olive oil in a heavy pot and heat until hot. Make sure that the oil is not smoking. Add the beef and brown all sides. Remove the beef to a platter and set aside. Add the onions and garlic to the pot and brown. Stir occasionally. Sprinkle the onions and garlic with the flour and cook for another 3 minutes. Gradually add the beer and reduce the heat. Cook slowly uncovered for 25 minutes. Make an herb bundle by combining the allspice, bay leaf, thyme and peppercorns in a piece of cheesecloth. Secure with kitchen twine.
Add the beef back to the pot of cooking liquid. Add the herb bundle and simmer, covered, for 1 hour. Next uncover the pot and cook uncovered for another 30 minutes. When done remove the herb bundle. Serve with a side of mashed potatoes. Serves 6
Cherries Jubilee
Cherries Jubilee is one of my favorite desserts that was created for one of Queen Victoria’s Jubilee celebrations (Golden Jubilee 1887 or Diamond Jubilee 1897). Made with cherries and liqueur, typically Kirschwasser, which is subsequently flambéed and served over vanilla ice cream.
INGREDIENTs
½ Cup Sugar
2 Tablespoons Cornstarch
¼ Cup Water
¼ Cup Orange Juice
1 Pound Pitted Bing Cherries
½ Teaspoon Finely Grated Orange Zest
¼ Teaspoon Cherry Extract
¼ Cup Brandy
3 Cups Vanilla Ice Cream
Whisk together the sugar and cornstarch in a large saucepan. Stir in the water and orange juice and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Whisk until thickened. Stir in the cherries and orange zest, return to a boil and then reduce heat. Simmer for 10 minutes. While the cherries are cooking spoon the ice cream into serving bowls. Remove the cherries from the heat and stir in the cherry extract. Pour in the brandy and ignite with a long lighter. Gently shake the pan until the blue flame has extinguished itself. Spoon the cherries over the bowls of ice cream. Serves 6
Strawberry Trifle
Trifle is a dessert made from thick custard, fruit, sponge cake, gelatin, cream, wine, port or sherry and whipped cream. These ingredients are usually arranged in layers with fruit and sponge on the bottom with custard and cream on top. There is no “set in stone” recipe so feel free to be creative.
INGREDIENTS
For The Syllabub:
2/3 Cup Dry White Wine
2 Tablespoon Sherry
Zest and Juice of One Lemon
1/3 Cup Sugar
1 ¼ Cups Heavy Cream
For The Sponge Cakes:
4 Separated Eggs
¾ Cup Plus 2 Tablespoon Sugar
¾ Cup Unbleached Flour
4 Tablespoon Softened Butter
For The Custard:
2 Cup Milk
2 Eggs
2 Egg Yolks
1 Cup Dry White Whine
3 Tablespoons Sherry
9 Cups Strawberries
For the syllabub put wine, sherry, lemon zest and lemon juice into a large bowl. Stir to combine and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight.
For the sponge cakes preheat the oven to 350° F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. Put the egg yolk and ¾ cup of sugar into a large bowl and whisk until thick and pale yellow. In separate large bowl, beat egg whites to stiff peaks and add remaining sugar to the egg whites. Whisk again to stiff peaks. Add 1/3 of the egg whites and 1/3 of the flour and 1/3 of the butter to the egg yolk mixture and gently fold together. Repeat twice more with the remaining egg whites, flour and butter. Spoon a heaping ¼ cup of the batter onto a prepared baking sheet. Repeat to make 8 large circles in all, evenly spaced apart which should be about 4 on each baking sheet. Bake for 14 minutes or until cakes are light golden brown and bounce back when touched. Transfer to a rack to cool.
For the custard bring milk to a boil in a medium pot over medium-high heat. Put eggs, egg yolk and sugar into a large bowl and whisk to combine. Slowly pour the milk into a large bowl while whisking constantly to prevent the eggs from becoming scrambled. Transfer mixture to the pot and cook over medium-low heat for 13 minutes and stir constantly until thickened. Strain the custard into a medium sized bowl and set aside to let cool.
To assemble your trifle place 4 sponge cakes in the bottom of a 14 cup glass bowl. Overlap the cakes slightly. Pour half of the wine and half of the sherry over the cakes and press firmly to soak up the liquid. Repeat with the remaining cakes, wine and sherry. Top the cakes with 5 cups of the strawberries and pour the custard over the strawberries. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 7 hours or overnight. Remove and throw away the zest from the syllabub. Add the sugar and stir to dissolve. Add the cream and beat to form soft peaks. Top the trifle with the syllabub and then heap the remaining strawberries on top. Serve immediately.
Serves 8
Sticky Toffee Pudding
This English steamed dessert consists of a very moist sponge cake that is made with chopped dates and covered in a toffee sauce. Sticky Toffee Pudding is considered an English classic and is thought to have developed somewhere in the south of England and made accessible by The Gait Inn at Millington (East Yorkshire), England in 1907.
INGREDIENTS
8 Ounces Stoned & Finely Chopped Dates
6 Ounces Boiling Water
1 ½ Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
6 Ounces Self-Rising Flour
1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
2 Lightly Beaten Large Eggs
3 Ounces Softened Butter (Plus Extra For Greasing)
5 Ounces Demerara Sugar
2 Tablespoons Black Treacle
3 ½ Ounces Milk
SAUCE
6 Ounces Muscovado Sugar
2 Ounces Butter (Cut Into Pieces)
8 Ounces Heavy Cream or Double Cream
1 Tablespoon Black Treacle
Preheat the oven to 325° F. Butter and flour 6 individual ramekins or use a deep square baking dish. Put the chopped dates into a large glass bowl and fill with boiling water to soak for 20 minutes. Once the dates are soft add the vanilla extract. Sift the flour and baking soda into a medium bowl. In a separate large bowl cream the butter and sugar together until light and creamy. In small amounts at a time add the beaten egg to the butter and sugar mixture. Mix well between additions. Add the black treacle and beat well. Now fold in 1/3 of the flour and then 1/3 of the milk and repeat until the flour and milk are all in the butter mixture. Add the chopped dates including the liquid in the bowl and stir gently. The mixture will resemble a thick batter. Divide the mixture between the ramekins (or deep square baking dish) and place on a baking sheet and bake 20 to 25 minutes for the individual puddings or 45 to 50 minutes for the deep square baking dish. The cake should be raised and firm to the touch. Make sure not to over bake. Remove from the oven and cool for 10 minutes before turning out.
To make the sauce: Over medium heat melt the butter, sugar and half of the cream in a saucepan. Increase the heat slightly and bring to a boil while stirring constantly until all of the sugar has dissolved. Add the treacle and allow the sauce to bubble for about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and leave to cool for 1 minute. Now stir in the remaining cream.
To serve place an individual pudding or a portion from the baking dish onto a warm individual serving dish. Drizzle generous amounts of sauce over the pudding. You can serve with either ice cream or custard. Serves 6
Welsh Rarebit
The first recorded use of the term Welsh Rabbit was in 1725. It is said to be an ironic name coined in the days when the Welsh were notoriously poor and only well-to-do people could afford meat from the butcher. In England rabbit was the poor man’s meat, but in Wales cheese was the poor man’s meat. The slur against the Welsh was, “if a Welshman went rabbit hunting then this would be his supper.”
INGREDIENTS
2 Tablespoons Butter
2 Tablespoons Flour
1 Tablespoon Mustard Powder
½ Teaspoon Cayenne
¾ Cup Dark Beer (Guinness)
2 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
1 Pound Grated Semi-Hard Cheese (Cheddar, Double Gloucester, Comte, Gruyere)
4 to 8 Pieces Light Toasted Bread
Put the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. When the butter melts stir in the flour. Continue to cook for 5 minutes (stir occasionally) until golden brown and very fragrant. Stir in the mustard and cayenne and then whisk in the beer & Worcestershire sauce. When the mixture is uniform, turn heat to low and stir in the grated cheese. Stir until smooth. Remove from heat and pour into a bowl to set. You can refrigerate for up to a day. Spread the mixture thickly on toast and put under the broiler until bubbly and edges of the toast are crisp. Serve immediately. Serves 4
Rhubarb Fool
INGREDIENTS
1 Pound Fresh Rhubarb (Trimmed & Cut Into 6” Lengths)
3 Tablespoons Fresh Orange Juice
½ Cup Plus 1 Tablespoons Sugar
1/8 Teaspoon Salt
1 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream
Soak the rhubarb in 9 cups of cold water for 25 minutes. Drain the rhubarb and pat dry. Cut crosswise into ½ inch slices. In a medium saucepan combine the orange juice, ½ cup sugar and salt. Bring to a boil. Add the prepared rhubarb to the saucepan. Bring mixture back to a boil and then reduce heat to a medium-low. Simmer gently for 10 minutes until rhubarb is tender and starts to break apart. Rhubarb pieces should be remaining and not a total puree. Transfer rhubarb to a bowl and let cool to room temperature. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate from 2 to 24 hours. When ready to assemble, beat the whipping cream and 1 tablespoon of sugar together until cream forms soft peaks. To assemble, spoon ¼ cup of the rhubarb mixture in 8 ounce glasses. Top with ¼ cup of the whipped cream. Repeat with another layer of rhubarb and whipped cream. Serve immediately or cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate up to 6 hours. Serves 4
Eton Mess
Eton Mess is a dessert of English origin consisting of a mixture of strawberries, pieces of meringue and cream, which is traditionally served at Eton College’s annual cricket game against the students of Winchester College. The dish has been known by this name since the 19th century. A similar dessert is the Lancing mess, served throughout the year at Lancing College in West Sussex, England. The word mess refers to the appearance of the dish.
INGREDIENTS
1 Pound Fresh Strawberries
1 Pint Double Whipping Cream
Icing Sugar
12 Meringue Nests (Purchase in a Store)
Keep the ingredients in the refrigerator until needed as this is a dessert best served cool. Break up the meringues into bite sized irregular chunks. Forget baking your own meringues, it is far too much trouble and the store bought ones are as good quality as home baked meringues.
Remove the strawberry stalks and cut them in half or into thick slices if they are large. Place half of the cut strawberries and all of the icing sugar into a blender and blend for 20 seconds to make a puree. Whip the cream until it starts to thicken, but hasn’t turned solid. Add the meringues to a large bowl and pour in the cream & the strawberries. Add half of the puree and stir it all together gently with a spoon. The goal is to get a red and white marbled effect rather than a pink all over color. Spoon into serving dishes and drizzle over the remaining strawberry puree. Keep refrigerated until serving. Serves 4
Victoria Sponge
The Victoria Sponge Cake was named after Queen Victoria, who favored a slice of the sponge cake with her afternoon tea. A traditional Victoria Sponge consists of raspberry jam and whipped double cream or vanilla cream. The jam and cream are sandwiched between two sponge cakes. The top of the cake is not iced or decorated.
INGREDIENTS
8 Ounces Unbleached Flour
2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
8 Ounces Sugar
8 Ounces of Soft Butter
4 Large Eggs
½ Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Filling:
4 Ounces Raspberry Jam
5 Ounces Double Cream – Whipped
Preheat the oven to 375° F. Beat the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. In a small whisk the eggs just to mix. Slowly add the eggs to the butter and sugar mixture. Make sure that each addition is well mixed in before adding more. Sift the flour and baking powder, then gently fold into the egg mixture with a spatula. Use baking parchment to line a 9 inch round cake pan with a removable bottom. Line the side of the pan with a separate strip of parchment. Pour in the cake mixture. Bake for 30 minutes or until done. Cool on a wire rack. Remove the cake from the pan and cut into two equal layers using a bread knife. Spread jam on the cut surface of one layer and whipped cream on the other cut surface. Sandwich together. Serve sprinkled with confectioner’s sugar is you like. Serves 8
Bakewell Tartlet
The Bakewell Tart is a traditional English baked dessert tart of cake. It is a distant cousin of the original “Bakewell Pudding.” The Bakewell Tart consists of a shortcrust pastry shell, spread with jam and covered with a sponge-like filling enriched with ground almonds (Frangipane). The Derbyshire town of Bakewell claims to be the home of the authentic Bakewell Pudding. The tale told to tourists is that the tart was an accidental invention of the 1860’s, which occurred when a nobleman visiting the White Horse Inn (now called The Rutland Arms) at Bakewell and ordered a strawberry tart. The cook, instead of stirring the egg mixture into the cake, spread it on top of the jam.
INGREDIENTS
For The Pastry:
1 ¼ Cups Unbleached Flour
1/3 Cup Confectioner’s Sugar
½ Teaspoon Salt
10 Tablespoons Chilled Unsalted Butter (Cut into Pieces)
2 Lightly Beaten Egg Yolks (Plus 1 Tablespoon Water)
For The Filling:
8 Tablespoons Unsalted butter
1/3 Packed Almond Paste
½ Cup Sugar
3 Lightly Beaten Eggs Plus 1 Egg White
1/3 Cup Plus 1 Tablespoon Cake Flour
1 Cup Strawberry, Raspberry or Sour Cherry Jam
For The Icing:
1 1/3 Cups Confectioner’s Sugar
2 Tablespoons Water
Garnish:
6 Halved Candied Cherries
To make the pastry: In a food processor combine flour, confectioner’s sugar and salt. Pulse to mix. Add the butter and process in short pulses until pea-sized crumbs form . Do this for 25 seconds. While pulsing, add the egg yolk mixture and process to form large, moist crumbs (pulse 15 seconds more). Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, shape the dough into a ball and divide it in half. Shape each half into a flat 5” dish and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 1 hour.
Move the oven rack into the center of the oven and preheat to 400° F.
Working with one piece of dough at a time, roll out to 1/8 inch thickness. Using a 3 inch round cookie cutter, cut out 12 rounds of pastry. Transfer a round to each well of a 12 well mini tart tin or you may use individual mini tart tins. Using your fingers, press the pastry to fit into the well. Refrigerate until ready to bake.
To make the filling: In a large bowl beat the butter until light and creamy with an electric mixer. Add the almond paste and sugar. Beat until smooth and creamy. While beating, add the eggs one at a time. Blend well after each addition. Reduce the speed to low and fold in the cake flour until just blended and no lumps of flour remain. Spoon 1 heaping teaspoon of jam into each tart shell to make a thin layer ¼ inch deep. Spoon the filling into each shell, filling it just to the top. Bake in a preheated oven until (on the middle rack) the tartlets are golden. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Repeat until you have finished up making all tartlets.
For the icing: Sift the confectioner’s sugar into a bowl. Combine with 2 tablespoons of water until smooth. Spoon the icing over the cooled tartlets and tope with candied cherry half. Makes 24 tartlets
