Pesto

Served with hot noodles this is a fantastic dish. Fast and easy!

Ingredients:
3 large cloves garlic
1/3 cup toasted pine nuts, or almonds
2 cups fresh basil
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Olive oil

Method

1.  Wash basil. 
2.  Peel garlic. 
3.  Put all ingredients except cheese in blender, add enough oil to make a mixture easily ground in the blender. 
4. Puree until smooth. 
5. Add enough oil to reach the consistency you like- a thick paste. Blending continually to have a smooth texture. 
6. Add cheese and blend again.
7. Toss hot noodles with this and serve immediately

Greek Salad Dressing

Use this on a lettuce salad with tomatoes, feta cheese, grilled chicken and any other yummy salad vege. I like to make a larger batch and keep it in the fridge. I got this recipe when I worked in a coffee shop cafe.

Ingredients:
1/4 c. olive oil
2 t. Dijon mustard
1/2 t. sugar
1/4 t. salt
1/8 t. pepper
2 T. lemon juice
2 cloves garlic- chopped finely
1 t. oregano leaves
1/2 thyme

Method

Mix all ingredients together well by putting in a bottle and shaking vigorously.

Short Chocolate Cake

We made this last night at our cooking/bible study. It was a hit.
It is from our church cookbook, by Susan Nelson.

Ingredients:

1 c. margarine (180-200g.)
1 c. water
4 Tablespoons cocoa
2 c. flour
2 c. sugar
1 teaspoon soda
2 eggs
1 Tablespoon vanilla
3/4 c. milk

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F 
2. Bring margarine, water and cocoa to boil. 
3. Combine dry ingredients.
4. Combine wet ingredients
5. Combine cocoa mixture with both dry and wet ingredients and stir well. 
6. Pour into greased and floured pan. 
7. Bake apx. 20 min. 

Frosting:

Ingredients

1 c. sugar
1/4 c. milk
4 Tablespoons margarine
1/4 c. broken pieces of dark chocolate

Method:

1. Combine sugar, milk and margarine in small pot. 
2. Bring to boil and boil 3 minutes. 
3. Remove from heat and stir in chocolate. 
4. Pour over cake

Honey Glazed Chicken

We made this at our first cooking/Bible event. It was good, but not as good as it usually turns out for me. I would say girls that you need to use more curry powder- I have tweaked the recipe. And cook it hotter so that it gets browner- just don't burn it.

Ingredients: For 4 servings
1/2 cup flour
1 t. salt
1/2 t. red pepper
4 pieces chicken
1/4 c. melted butter
1/4 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. honey
1/4 c. lemon juice
1 T. soy sauce
1 T. curry powder

Method:

1. Melt butter. 
2. Mix first 3 ingredients. 
3. Dip chicken in butter than in dry ingredients. 
4. Bake 30 minutes. 
5. Mix remaining ingredients with leftover butter. 
6. Pour over chicken. 
7. Cook until tender, basting several times. Bake apx. 30 min. more.

White Mountain Frosting

Used on Vanilla Almond Cupcakes.

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar
1/3 cup water
2 egg whites
Vanilla or other flavorings.

Method:

1. Separate eggs. 
2. Stir together sugar and water until sugar is dissolved. 
3. Whip eggs white until they are very stiff
4. Boil sugar until it reach 240 F or apx. 110 C- the soft ball stage. 
5. Slowly pour this syrup over the eggs whites whipping them all the time! 
6. Whip until stiff enough to spread and cool. 
7. Add flavoring. 
8. Frost your cupcakes or cake.

Vanilla Almond Cupcakes

From the wonderful blog Sweetopolita with my modifications.

Yield: 24

Ingredients

3 cups flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter
4 eggs
1 cup milk, or sour milk or keirs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 325 F. or 170 C. 
2. Mix dry ingredients. Blend in a little butter at a time, making sure there are no large chunks.
3. Mix wet ingredients and add to dry. Beat until well blended, but do not overbeat. 
4. Put in muffin liners, Fill muffin tins 2/3 of the way full.
5. Bake apx. 15 min, or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. 
6. Cool and frost.

Ice Cream Parfait

This is called a parfait, but what it really is ice cream that is frozen without stirring.

2 eggs
3/4 cup sugar (125 g)
1/2 liter of cream
Flavors as desired

Cook the egg and sugar together until slightly thick. Cool. Whip cream (do not overbeat or it will become butter) and when it had gentle peaks mix in the egg mixture. gently Then flavor as you wish. Freeze.

Our favorites are:

Peanut butter ( I add the peanut butter to the egg mixture while it is hot)
Chocolate (I add cocoa to the hot egg mixture)
Coconut
Mint Chocolate chip
Maple Nut
Vanilla

If you have any questions or new flavors I would love to hear from you!