Sauteed Shrimp with Warm Mint and Pea Pesto

From Food and Drink 2011, If you are short of time, make the pesto ahead and warm up just before serving.

Mint and Pea Pesto
2 1/2 cups fresh green peas
1/2 cup chopped fresh mint
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tbsp butter
1/4 cup whipping cream
Salt and freshly ground pepper

SHRIMP
Salt to taste
1 1/2 lbs (750g) large shrimp, shelled
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup chopped shallots
1 tbsp chopped garlic
1 tsp hot smoked Spanish paprika
1/4 cup white wine
1/4 cup chicken stock
Freshly ground pepper

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil.  Add peas and blanch for 1 minute.  Drain and rinse with cold water to stop cooking.  Set 1 cup peas aside.
2. Add remaining peas to a food processor along with mint, cheese, butter, and cream and process until almost smooth.  Stir in reserved peas and heat in a skillet until warm and slightly runny, adding a little more cream if needed.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.
3. Salt shrimp.  Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.  Add shallots and garlic and saute for 30 seconds or until beginning to soften. Add shrimp and paprika and saute for 2 minutes or until almost cooked through.  Add wine and stock and bring to a boil.  Boil until shrimps are pink and slightly curled, about 1 minute longer.  Use tongs to remove cooked shrimp from pan.  Cook juices for 1 minute longer or until reduced to about 1 tbsp.  Scrape sauce over shrimp, toss together and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Serve with warm Pesto.

Serves 4

Roasted Maple Glazed Chicken with Roasted Seasonal Vegetables

The original recipe called for Cornish Hens…but I switched for chicken.  I feed a family of 4 and it just seemed a better fit - besides the kids would never eat a "baby chicken".  Roasted vegetables are one of my favourite foods.  This one has fennel, which I am just starting to use.  Give it a try if you haven't used it - it definitely has a different flavour.  If you are not adventurous - just omit it and add some more squash or sweet potatoes.

Roasted Vegetables
1 small pepper squash, cut into 8 wedges
2 red onions, cut in 1/2 inch thick rings
3 portobello mushrooms, halved (or use cremini mushrooms - about 8)
1 fennel bulb, trimmed and cut in 6 pieces
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/2 inch thick
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 tsp grated nutmeg
2 tsp fresh thyme

Chicken
1 chicken
salt and pepper to taste
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 spanish onion, peeled and chopped
3/4 cup white wine (enjoy the rest)
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 tbsp cider vinegar

1. Preheat oven to 450F.
2. Place vegetables in one layer in roasting pan.  Toss with olive oil, salt, pepper, nutmeg and fresh thyme.  Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until browned and tender.
3. Remove backbone from chicken.  Break breastbone and remove.  Turn chicken onto flesh side and flatten.  It is now butterflied.  Season with salt and pepper.
4. Heat a skillet over high heat and add 1 tbsp vegetable oil.  Sear chicken skin side down, about 2 minutes.  Flip when the skin is light golden.  Sear underside.  Add remaining oil and fry a piece at a time.
5. Place onions in roasting pan and add wine.  Place a rack in pan and place bird on rack, skin side up.  Roast 15 minutes.  Combine maple syrup and vinegar and brush liberally over chicken.  Roast another 5-10 minutes and baste again.  Roast another 5 to 10 minutes basting frequently or until juices are clear.  Remove from oven and cover with a clean tea towel.  Cut into quarters.  Strain pan juices discarding onions.
6. To serve:  put one of each kind of vegetable on to a dinner plate.  Place a piece of chicken over the vegetables.  Drizzle some of the strained juices over.

From Food and Drink 2000

Almond Diamond Cookies

Easy and delicious!  Toast the almonds for a different flavour, or drizzle some chocolate over top.

2 cups butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp finely grated orange rind
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp salt
4 cups all purpose flour
2 tbsp milk
1 cup sliced almonds
2 tbsp granulated sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350F.  Combine butter, sugar, orange rind, vanilla and salt until fluffy.  Stir in flour 1/2 cup at a time until combined.
2. Press dough evenly into a buttered 15 x 10 in rimmed baking sheet.  Brush evenly with milk.  Sprinkle with nuts and press lightly into dough.  Sprinkle evenly with sugar.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 18 to 20 minutes or until lightly browned.  Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes.  Starting in one corner, slice into bars.  Rotate pan and slice again starting at the opposite corner to make diamond shapes.  Let cool in pan on rack.

Chocolate Pâté with Coffee Aspic

I was a little concerned about doing this recipe as I do not generally like aspics - or any jelly type dessert.  They kind of remind me of the 50's type of desserts.  This however was different enough that I decided to try it.  I like the coffee and chocolate mixture (of course) and the gelatine top is interesting with the added liqueur..I used Kahlua.  Definitely an adult dessert.

2 tsp unflavoured gelatine
2 tbsp cold water
2 tbsp granulated sugar
1/2 cup hot, strong black coffee
2 tbsp coffee flavoured liqueur

Mousse:
1 pouch unflavoured gelatine
2 tbsp cold water
3 egg yolks
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup hot milk
8 squares bittersweet chocolate, melted
1 1/2 cups 35% whipping cream

1. Sprinkle gelatine over cold water.  Let stand for 1 minute.  Add sugar, hot coffee and liqueur and stir until sugar dissolves.
2. Butter 9 x 5 in loaf pan very lightly.  Line with 4 inch wide piece of waxed paper or parchment long enough to overhang long sides of pan.  Smooth down completely.  Pour coffee mixture into pan; transfer to refrigerator and chill for about 15 minutes or until set.

Mousse:

1. In a medium saucepan, sprinkle gelatine over water.  Let stand for 1 minute.  Whisk in eggs and sugar and blend well.  Stir in hot milk.  Cook, stirring over medium heat for about 5 minutes or until thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon.  Stir in melted chocolate and let cool completely.
2. Whip cream until stiff.  Using rubber spatula, gently fold cream into chocolate mixture.  Spread mousse evenly over set jelly in loaf pan.  Cover tightly.  Place in refrigerator for at least 3 hours or up to 2 days.  Turn pate out onto serving platter; remove paper.  Slice to serve.

Chocolate Cookie Buttons

Great for Christmas!

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
4 squares semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
1 tsp vanilla
1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt

Coating:
12 squares semi-sweet chocolate
3 squares white chocolate

1. Preheat oven to 350F.  In a large bowl, cream butter.  Beat in brown sugar and granulated sugar until very smooth.  Beat in egg.  Microwave chocolate on medium for 1 minute.  Stir until smooth.  Stir in chocolate and vanilla into creamed mixture.  Stir in flour, baking soda and salt.
2. Roll teaspoonfuls of dough into small balls.  Place on lightly buttered baking sheet and set in freezer for 5 minutes or in refrigerator for 15 minutes.  Bake cookies for 10 minutes.  Cool completely on rack.

Coating:

1. Microwave semi sweet chocolate on medium for about 2 minutes.  Stir until smooth.  Set bowl of melted chocolate over pan of steaming water.  Dip cooled cookies into melted chocolate.  Lift out and place on a rack set over a baking sheet.  Once chocolate is firm, microwave white chocolate on medium for about 45 seconds.  Stir until melted and smooth.  Decorate cookies by drizzling with white chocolate.

Makes about 6 dozen.

** I changed this up for the picture and used milk chocolate for the topping decorated with smarties

Tiramisu Cheesecake Bowl

This dessert can be made in one large bowl or individually - you choose :)

11 Graham Wafers
1/2 cup strong coffee
2 tbsp coffee liqueur or brandy
1 pkg (250 g) Cream cheese
1 cup Mascarpone cheese
1 tsp vanilla
1 pkg unflavoured gelatine
1 cup milk
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 cup sour cream
1 square bittersweet Chocolate, finely grated

1. Spread wafers, overlapping if necessary in bottom of an 8 inch round glass dish or serving bowl. Mix together coffee and liqueur.  Brush evenly over wafers.  Beat cream cheese until smooth.  Add mascarpone and vanilla, beating until smooth.
2. Sprinkle gelatine over 1/4 cup of the milk.  Let stand for 1 minute.  Combine remaining milk with sugar and bring to a boil.  Stir gelatine into milk mixture.  Let cool slightly.  Beat half of the milk mixture into mascarpone mixture.  Scrape onto graham wafers and smooth to cover evenly.
3. Mix sour cream with remaining milk mixture.  Drizzle over mascarpone layer.  Gently smooth until even.  Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.  Just before serving, sprinkle grated chocolate over top.

Chocolate Cranberry Scones

A festive twist to the usual scone.

2 1/4 cups cake and pastry flour
3 tbsp granulated sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup cold butter, cubed
4 squares semi sweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup dried cranberries or cherries
3/4 cup milk
1 tbsp brown sugar
2 squares white chocolate

1. Preheat oven to 400F.  Combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.  Use pastry blender or two knives to cut butter into dry mixture until crumbly.  Stir in semi-sweet chocolate and cranberries.
2. Make a well in dry ingredients; add milk and stir with fork until ragged dough forms.  Turn out onto work surface and knead just until ragged bits are incorporated into dough.  Gently pat dough into 3/4 inch thick disc.  Use 2.5 in cutter to cut out scones.  Place on unbuttered baking sheet.
3. Sprinkle tops evenly with brown sugar.  Bake in preheated oven for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden on the bottom; broil for 45 seconds or until top is golden.  Let cool on wire rack.  Microwave white chocolate on medium for about 1 minute.  Stir until smooth.  Drizzle over cooled scones.

Makes 12 scones