Chez's Recipes
Baked Bacon Baskets
IngredientsBacon (I used a British cut from Fresh and Easy, you can use any type)
Parmesan cheese (again, use any type you have) Eggs Best breakfast on Planet Earth! |
InstructionsCook the bacon, careful not to burn it
Line a muffin tin with the bacon (If you are using a round tin, cut a circle of bread using a glass and place it in the bottom of the tin, then wrap a strip of bacon around the edge.) Place you cheese of choice Crack an egg and carefully place into a hot oven. Cook at 375 for 12-15 minute |
Corn tortillas with fresh corn and chili sauce
IngredientsMakes 6-8 small
Half a cup of corn kernels, frozen of fresh 1 tbsp of chili sauce A cup of masa harina A scant 3/4 cup of water Foil Cling film Chopping board for pressing into shape, unless you have a press |
InstructionsPut the corn, water and chili sauce together and blitz with an imertion blender
Place the masa harina in a bowl , pour in the wet mixture and mix together with your fingertips for a couple of minutes Cover with a damp cloth or piece of kitchen roll let rest for 20 mins then cut into 6 or 8 pieces and form small balls Keeping them covered, take a ball out and place on a piece of foil (I spray mine with oil to help release it for cooking place a piece of cling film over the top and then press down using chopping board, applying even pressure toast in a dry pan of skillet Enjoy |
Hibiscus Spiced Tea
Ingredients
Dried hibiscus flowers (I get mine in the Hood @ Thai Number1 for $2 each, worth the risk and the guy is delightfully helpful)
A few cardamon pods A stick of cinnamon Star anise (spices from Shayan in Torrance) Sugar to taste (you can use any type of sweetener, I used agave) Filtered water (or not) |
InstructionsBring a pan of water on to boil
Toast the cardamon, cinnamon and star anise in a dry pan until you smell their fragrance. Drop them into the water, turn down and simmer for 15-20 mins or more Turn off the heat and add your sugar, stirring to dissolve completely Add your hibiscus flower I go by instinct (NINJA!) but you can use the package suggested amount. Close the lid and let them steep for 10-15 mins depending on you like. Do not leave them in for too long or they will turn bitter. |
Thai papaya salad
Ingredients
Green papaya shredded A carrot shredded (optional) a couple of green beans a few small tomatoes (any will do) 1-2 cloves of garlic a tbsp piece of palm sugar (any type will do) a wedge of lime tbsp of fish sauce cashews (or peanuts) a pestle and mortar |
Put the sugar, lime, chili and garlic in the pestle
Bash with the mortar to release the juices Add a handful of papaya for each person Bash the papaya into the juices Turn using a big spoon to coat everything Break up the beans and add them with the tomatoes Add a tbsp of fish sauce and lightly pound (If you don't like fish sauce you can use soy sauce) Add the nuts, break them up a little add the carrot now Gently mix with fingertips and serve garnish with a few whole nuts and a lime slice Enjoy! |
Stuffed Chicken Breasts
Ingredients
2 Chicken breasts
6-8 half walnuts
6-8 dates
1-2 tbsp of capers
6 rashers of British back bacon (you can use any type of bacon)
375
Roughly chop the dates and walnuts and mix in the capers
removed the tender loin from the breast
place a piece of cling film over the breasts and bash them out flat until they are uniformed in thickness
season both sides with a little salt and pepper
place half the date mix in each along one end, and then roll up making sure to keep all the filling inside the breast
lay out two squares of cling film
place the rashers of bacon, overlapping them slightly, into a small square
now place the chicken with its filling in the middle and roll, using the cling film to hold everything tightly in place
Now spin both ends to make a nice tight sausage shape
place in the fridge to firm up for about half an hour (you can make hours ahead of time)
Once firm, take them out and string them up. (you can use cocktail sticks soaked in water if you like to hold the bacon together, but looks a bit messy)
Pre heat the oven to 375 °F
If you have a pan that transfers to the oven use it, if not place a baking sheet in the oven now to pre heat
Brown off the bacon in a touch of oil, turning four timesuntil all the sides have a nice colour
Place in the hot oven (on the tray you have pre heated) for 40 minutes at 375 °F
Served with a coconut and black bean brown basmati rice, baked broccoli and a roasted date, blue berry and pepper sauce.
6-8 half walnuts
6-8 dates
1-2 tbsp of capers
6 rashers of British back bacon (you can use any type of bacon)
375
Roughly chop the dates and walnuts and mix in the capers
removed the tender loin from the breast
place a piece of cling film over the breasts and bash them out flat until they are uniformed in thickness
season both sides with a little salt and pepper
place half the date mix in each along one end, and then roll up making sure to keep all the filling inside the breast
lay out two squares of cling film
place the rashers of bacon, overlapping them slightly, into a small square
now place the chicken with its filling in the middle and roll, using the cling film to hold everything tightly in place
Now spin both ends to make a nice tight sausage shape
place in the fridge to firm up for about half an hour (you can make hours ahead of time)
Once firm, take them out and string them up. (you can use cocktail sticks soaked in water if you like to hold the bacon together, but looks a bit messy)
Pre heat the oven to 375 °F
If you have a pan that transfers to the oven use it, if not place a baking sheet in the oven now to pre heat
Brown off the bacon in a touch of oil, turning four timesuntil all the sides have a nice colour
Place in the hot oven (on the tray you have pre heated) for 40 minutes at 375 °F
Served with a coconut and black bean brown basmati rice, baked broccoli and a roasted date, blue berry and pepper sauce.
Sweet Potato Muffins with Dates and Walnuts
Ingredients
2 cups of whole wheat flour
1 cup of unbleached flour 1 - 2 tsp of cinnamon 1tsp of baking power 1 tsp of baking soda 1 tsp dried ginger 1/2 tsp nutmeg 1/2 tsp salt 1/4 cup of oil |
1 cup of lightly packed brown sugar
2 large eggs 1/2 cup of apple sauce 2 cups of grated sweet potato (can use carrots, or mix of both) 12-15 dates chopped in half lengh ways and then 3 more times (6 bits from 1 date) half a cup of walnuts broken into big pieces, not more than 4 per half nut 1/4 cup of milk |
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a muffin tin with paper liners.
Sift dry ingredients together and mix with a dry whisk. put the sugar, oil eggs and apple sauce together and whisk lightly.
Put the walnuts, dates and sweet potato with the sugar and oil, mix wellpour the wet into the dry and fold in with a spatular.
Do not over mix.
Using a 3-ounce ice-cream scoop or a 1/3 cup measure, spoon batter into paperlined muffin tins.
Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Let cool completely on a wire rack.
Sift dry ingredients together and mix with a dry whisk. put the sugar, oil eggs and apple sauce together and whisk lightly.
Put the walnuts, dates and sweet potato with the sugar and oil, mix wellpour the wet into the dry and fold in with a spatular.
Do not over mix.
Using a 3-ounce ice-cream scoop or a 1/3 cup measure, spoon batter into paperlined muffin tins.
Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Let cool completely on a wire rack.
Duck Breast Prosciutto
Place in a salt cure for 24 - 36 hours in the fridge. For two breasts I used to heaped cups of kosher salt, a few peppercorns, some crushed up bay leafs and a sprinkle of dry thyme. Then rinse them clean under cold running water and pat completely dry. Then wrap in two layers of cheesecloth and tie string around the ends. Then suspend in the lowest part of the fridge and wait for 3-4 weeks. I will post a picture of the finished prosciutto next month.
Coriander Paste
If you buy cilantro and it has roots attached, don't throw them away. The most intense favors are often in the roots, and cilantro is packed full. Turn the roots into a paste. I used to buy all sorts of expensive pastes and powders, not anymore! Now I make everything from scratch. If it's in a can, jar or tin a man or woman put it there. If someone who works in a factory can make it then so can I. Click on the first picture below to start the slide show.
Garlic Ginger Paste
The base to most Asian foods. I make a batch up on a weekend and use it throughout the week.
Chez's Own Recipes: Healthy Style Dolma
• 1 pound of ground meat (any type will do)
• 1 small can of crushed tomatoes (fresh is you have)
• 1 large onions, finely chopped
• 1 cup of rice (I used 5 grain brown, use anything you have)
• 1 tbs of olive oil
• A jar of Grape Leaves
• 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
• 1 bunch of finely chopped fresh parsley
• Big pinch of cinnamon, ground coriander seed, or cumin
• Pinch of salt
• Good pinch of pepper
• Chili flakes if you like spicy
• 1 small can of crushed tomatoes (fresh is you have)
• 1 large onions, finely chopped
• 1 cup of rice (I used 5 grain brown, use anything you have)
• 1 tbs of olive oil
• A jar of Grape Leaves
• 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
• 1 bunch of finely chopped fresh parsley
• Big pinch of cinnamon, ground coriander seed, or cumin
• Pinch of salt
• Good pinch of pepper
• Chili flakes if you like spicy