Eggnog

This non alcoholic version of the festive drink got a huge two thumbs up from my kids and husband!. Gently cook to ensure no bacteria from the eggs, you will never drink the store bought again!

Ingredients

6 egg yolks

2 1/2 cups whole milk

1/3 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1 tbs sugar

ground nutmeg

Directions

Beat the egg yolks, add the sugar and continue to beat until they start to lighten in colour.In a large saucepan mix the egg yolks and milk until well incorporated. Heat in medium low heat and stir constantly. Allow this to heat slowly for approx 10 minutes or until it coats the back of a spoon. Do not allow it to boil or simmer. Place the pan in a sink or bowl of ice water and stir for 2 minutes. Sitr in vanilla. Cover and chill in fridge for at least 4 or up to 24 hours.

When ready to serve whip cream in a mixing bowl and 1 tbsp sugar until peaks form. Transfer chilled egg mixture to a punch bowl. set aside a spoon of cream for each cup and then fold in the rest of the cream to the egg mixture.

Pour into cup and top with a dollop of cream and sprinkle a pinch of nutmeg on each serving.

Melting Moments Bickies

These small melt in your mouth sugar packed bickies, are the christmas tradition in my house. Making them at this time of year just seems to make them that much more special to my family and friends. Originally I kept this recipe a secret but gradually over the last couple of years I have learnt to share the joy! put them in a cute little box with a ribbon and you have the perfect christmas gift!

Note: this recipe takes patience and can be temperamental. Take the time to ensure you have exact ingredients, and that your butter is really well softened to room temperature. If you double the batch you run a much higher risk of it not turning out (it has worked about 50% for me when I double it). You are better off just making one batch at a time to ensure it will always be perfect.

Ingredients

1/4 cup icing sugar (powdered sugar)--do not pack it down.

3/4 cup plain flour (just shy of this is perfect. I have learnt if you go over this at all it will not work)

1/4 cup custard powder ( this is available in the "gello"/pudding section of your supermarket. Should be in a little tub)

6 0z salted butter

Directions

Pre-heat oven to 355 F ( 180c)

Cream butter, slowly add the custard powder, constantly scraping down the sides of your mixer. Then gradually whip in the icing sugar. while mixing gradually spoon in the flour.

Using a freezer zip lock bag, cut off the tip to use for piping. spoon in the cookie mixture.

Lightly spray a cookie sheet with non stick spray and then lightly wipe it with a paper towel. You want the tray to be just barely oiled since the cookies are butter based!.

Pipe 1 or 2 on the tray and do a test run to see how long you will need to cook it. The cook time changes depending on different ovens I use. Time how long it takes for the edges to barely start turning brown and take your cook time as being 30 seconds less than that.

Pipe a small circle as shown in the picture.

Bake them for 9-15 minutes depending on your altitude and oven. Watch closely, when they are ready they will not be browned.

Allow them to sit on the tray for a minute and then while still warm slide the tip of a metal knife under them and transfer them to a cooking rack to cool completely.
Allow the cookie sheet to cool completely before piping more on.

Repeat until all the cookies are baked.

While they are baking prepare the frosting. (see directions below) Carefully put some frosting on a cookie and then with evenly distributed pressure slowly siggle the second on top. They are very fragile and at this point will break easily so be patient. It's SO worth it!.

Frosting Ingredients & Directions

125g Softened Salted butter (softened to room temperature)

1 1/4 cups icing sugar (powdered sugar)

2 tbsp whole milk

Beat butter and gradually whip in half the icing sugar, add in the milk 1 tbsp at a time. Then slowly whip in the rest of the sugar. Whualla. Easy!

Satay Chicken Wraps

Tender, and TASTY. Give these wraps a try. I used leftover satay chicken to make myself an asian salad the next day. I love a good meal that just keeps on giving.

Ingredients

Marinade
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, pounded/flattened, cut into 1-inch strips (Approximately 4-6 thighs)
3 tablespoons peeled, roughly chopped ginger
3 tablespoons roughly chopped white onion
2 tablespoons roughly chopped garlic
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons crunchy peanut butter
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes
1 tablespoon fish sauce

To cook
3 tablespoons peanut oil
3/4 cup julienne red onion
1/4 cup shredded carrots
1/2 cup julienne red bell pepper
1/2 cup julienne bok choy
3/4 cup mung bean sprouts
1 tablespoon minced ginger
1 teaspoon minced garlic
Asian Mayonnaise, recipe follows
6 flat out wraps, (or naan bread)

Directions

Put the chicken into a resealable gallon-size plastic bag and pound with the flat side of a meat tenderizer to a thickness of 1/2-inch. Add the rest of the ingredients to a food processor, fitted with the bottom blade or a blender, and pulse 5 to 6 times for 2 seconds each or until well blended. Using a new resealable gallon-size plastic bag, add the chicken and the marinade, mix well and refrigerate for 1 hour at least. You can marinate this as long as you want overnight is fine, you can't over marinate it.
While the chicken is marinating, prepare the Asian Mayonnaise.
Remove the chicken from the marinade and wipe off the excess with a paper towel. Heat a large saute pan over high heat and add 3 tablespoons peanut oil. When the oil is hot, add the chicken, stirring frequently for 3 to 4 minutes. Once cooked through, remove the chicken to a plate and keep warm. To the same pan add the red onions, carrots, red bell peppers, and bok choy and saute for 2 minutes longer. Add in the mung bean sprouts, ginger and garlic and saute for 1 minute. Remove from the heat. Spread all of the naan with the Asian Mayonnaise and top with the chicken satay saute. Roll and serve immediately. The asian mayo is pretty strong tasting. Feel free to try it with or without the mayo.. the chicken flavor is fantastic either way.

Asian Mayonnaise
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon finely chopped cilantro(coriander) leaf
2 teaspoons finely chopped green onions

In a small, nonreactive bowl, combine all the ingredients. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes, stirring after 15 minutes

Chocolate Mousse

Ingredients

6 Ounces Semi-Sweet Chocolate
2 egg yolks
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp Almond Essence
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream

Directions

Melt the chocolate over a double boiler setup.
While the chocolate is melting, in a large mixing bowl, combine the egg yolks and sugar and beat, with a hand-held mixer, until very pale and thick and have doubled in size. Whicsk in the Almond Essence. When the chocolate has melted, whisk it into the egg yolk mixture.
In a medium bowl, whip the heavy cream to medium peaks. Using 1/3 of the whipped cream at a time, fold the cream into the chocolate mixture. Repeat this process until all the cream is incorporated. Transfer the mousse to individual serving dishes and chill for at least 1 hour.

Chocolate Hazelnut Gelato

Picture is coming!

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups whole milk
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup sugar plus 1/4 cup
4 egg yolks
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup melted Ritter sports chocolate hazenut chocolate bar. Or Lindt Chocolate hazelnut chocolate bar (the ritter sports has whole hazelnuts.. the lindt has only pieces)

Directions

In a saucepan combine the milk, cream, and 1/2 cup sugar over medium low heat. Cook until the sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes. Do not let it get so hot it boils. Just hot enough to melt the sugar.
Meanwhile, in a medium bowl whip the egg yolks with the remaining (1/4 cup)sugar using an electric mixer until the eggs have become thick and pale yellow, about 4 minutes. Pour 1/2 cup of the warm milk and cream mixture into the egg mixture and stir. Add another 1/2 cup milk slowly. Add this mixture back into the saucepan. Cook over very low heat, stirring constantly, rubbing along the sides or you will have cooked egg, do this until the mixture becomes thick enough to lightly coat the back of a wooden spoon, about 7 to 10 minutes.

Place a strainer over a medium bowl and pour the warm custard mixture through the strainer. Stir in the melted chocolate, with a whisk gently incorporate and stir the chocolate until it is all combined with the milk mixture, this may take up to 10 minutes, sometimes letting it sit and then stir, sit then stir again helps. Add the vanilla. Chill mixture completely before pouring into an ice cream maker and follow manufacturer's instructions to freeze.

Grilled Marinated Ginger, Lime and Garlic Pork Tenderloin

This recipe is everything it's name says it is. I should put in extremely miost and tasty as the title as well! Using only a few key ingredients this is a really tasty, zingy... and not too spicey meal. My kids and husband both loved it. Try it yourself and let me know what you think.

Ingredients

1 plain pork tenderloin roast, trim off any excess fat or rhind
5 Tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp freshly chopped garlic
1 heaped Tbsp finely chopped ginger
juice of 2 limes
peel of lime chopped finely
3 Tbsp oyster sauce
1 tsp chilli paste

Directions

in a bowl mix all ingredients except pork and whisk together until all the sauces are well blended and incorporated together.
Slice pork roast ultra thin, then cut down into bite size strips.
In a zip lock bag put your sauce in first getting all the yummy little lime ginger and garlic pieces in. Then add your pork strips. Before sealing squish it around to get the sauce all through the pieces. Then seal and refridgerate for 4-5 hours.

Before cooking is a good time to start steaming your rice as it cooks in approx. 5 minutes.

To cook heat up 1 tbsp vegetable oil in a pan or lightly grease your BBQ, heat up to Medium high.
(If BBQ-ing leave strips long so they don't fall through grates on the grill)
Once oil (grill) is heated add pork in single layers to the heated cooking area ..., allow it to sear the sides well. With the remaining juices in the bag, place in a small sauce pan on medium high and simmer and reduce the marinade while the pork cooks.
When meat is done all the way through (it cooks EXTREMELY fast) remove it from the heat. Let it rest a minute and it will get very happy in your pan/plate!.
Serve over steamed rice and pour reduced marinade over the top.
YUM!

BBQ'd Bacon Wrapped Creamy Mustard Chicken

I pulled out a bunch of ingredients sitting in my fridge that needed to be used last night. All I knew was I felt like BBQ'ing and it had to be chicken. What was originally a throw it together meal turned into a creamy, moist and extremely satisfying winner of a meal.

My daughter gave it 100/10!

Note: This meal does not HAVE to be BBQ'd, it was the method I chose, I am sure it will turn out great if you cook it in a pan on low on your stove top.

Ingredients
4 chicken Breasts trimmed of fat
1 packet maple bacon (trimmed of fat) - it will work with normal bacon too but the maple bacon turns this flavor into honey mustard, if you use normal bacon you won't get that effect.
1/3 cup mayonaise
3 tbsps sour cream
4 tbspoons yellow mustard
pinch salt
pinch pepper
3 tbsp Spade L Seasoning (Beef)
approx 1/2 cup grated monterey jack cheese or blend mix.
Toothpicks


Instructions

Place chick inen a zip lock bag or cover with plastic. Place on a chopping board and with a mallet (or anything heavy pound it flat and even. The thinner it is the quicker and more evenly it will cook)
Mix Sour cream, mayonaise, mustard, salt and pepper together in a small bowl. Whip it together well until it looks creamy.
One piece of chicken at a time spread a generous amount of mustard mix on the inside of the breast, sprinkle cheese on top of the mustard (just enough to lightly cover it. Layout enough strips to cover the cheese (it doesn't have to be exact).
Starting at on end of the chicken breast firmly roll it up, keeping a good firm grip and tension on it without breaking it. Then use 4 or 5 strips of bacon to wrap around the outside and hold the roll shut by overlapping ends. Using toothpics pin the bacon and chicken in place, tucking in the open ends to keep as many juices in as possible. sprinkle the outside of the roll generously with Spade L Seasoning. Let it sit 5 minutes. The smear a littel more mustard mix over the outside of the chicken. So it looks like the picture while grilling.

Repeat with all chicken.
Heat BBQ up to medium low heat. In order to keep it moist while not burning the bacon cook around 310 for 30 minutes covered so the inside is cooked and not dry. Keep an eye on it and use your judgement. Lower and longer means a more succulent piece of meat.