In the spirit of Christmast; the fruits cake recipe !

Saturday, December 11, 2010 at 03:23PM

Now that I am beginning my recovery i thought it would be good to add a very festive recipe that fit well with the Christmas season. We used to buy it instead of making it at home, but once I went to a great aunt new year eve dinner and she had made one that was the best fruits cake I never had. I stole the recipe. Actually it is from "La cuisine Raisonnee" Hope you and your guest love it too !

Festive Fruits cake

Ingredients
- 250 ml of butter
- 500 ml of grated sweeten coconut
- 625 ml (2 1/2 cups) of all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons of baking powder
- 1 pound of raisins (dry)
- 1/2 pound of candied fruits
- 2 cups of white sugar
- 1 cup of milk
- 4 eggs
-1 pound of figs
- 1/2 pound of candied cherries
- 1/2 pound of crush almonds
- 1/2 cup of water
- 1/2 teaspoon of salt

Recipe
1- Mix the dried and candied fruits and almonds with 1/4 of the flour in a large bowl
2- In a separate bowl mix the butter in cream and add the sugar a bit at the time. Mix well both ingredients together. Add the eggs and mix until it is of a creamy texture and the sugar is all melted.
3- In a other bowl mix the sieve flour with the baking powder and the salt. Add the butter mixture and the water. Mix really well until alternating between the water and the butter mixture.
4- Add the fruits and flour mix to it and once again mix really well until perfect consistency.
5- Pour the mixture in two non stick bread pan or round pan covered with parchment paper.
6-  For the baking step it's gonna be a bit different. You will add a large pan full of boiling water
in the bottom rack in the oven. Put the second rack just on the top of it, so that it is align about the middle of the oven. Put your dried fruits cake mix on this rack and align the pan to be directly on the top of the water pan. Cook at 275 degree F for 1 1/2 hour. Remove the water pan and cook an extra hour at the same temperature. Poke a knife in the middle of the cake, if it come out clean it means it is ready, if not, leave it in the oven for an extra 15 minutes.

A good any days meal; salmon pie !

Monday, December 6, 2010 at 09:54PM

I once again had left over salmon in the fridge and I ran out of ideas on what to make. I remembered a recipe my mom use to make , it's pretty easy, if you don't do the crust of the pie and just buy it. It a good any day recipe that your family will love. You can feed easy 4 person with this and it takes about an hour to bake.


Ingredients
- 1 can of salmon or 12 oz of left over salmon
- 3 potatoes, cube and cooked
- 2 hard eggs, sliced
- 3/4 cups onions
- 3/4 cups celery
- 1/4 cup butter
- 2/3 cup of flour
- 1 cup of milk
- 1 tablespoon of concentrated chicken stock
- salt, pepper, parsley
- 2 ready made crusts

Recipe
- In a pan on medium heat melt the butter. Add the onion and celery and cook until translucent for about 5 minutes.
- Add the flour and stir very well. Add the salmon and the juice from the can if there is any, the milk and the chicken stock.
- Stir constantly for 5 minutes. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat to low. Add the hard eggs and the cubed potatoes. Add a bit of salt, pepper and parsley and mix one more time.
- Add the mixture in the first crust and cover with the second crust on the top. With a fork seal the side of the crust together.
- Bake at 425 F degree for 20 minutes and reduce the heat to 350 F than cook for 45 minutes.
It can be served with a egg sauce on the top, it's really good.

 

Confort food for the cold days: Boeuf Bourguignon

Wednesday, December 1, 2010 at 05:57PM

This is the season for slow cooker and I love the fact that it requires not a lot of work. The boeuf bourguignon recipe is similar to a stew, and this one is made in the slow cooker. It is perfect for everyday dinner, party or holiday dinner's. It's so good, it will melt in you mouth.

Enjoy this Boeuf Bourguignon , Quebec's style !

Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pound of stewing beef shoulder, bones removed, cut in 1 1/2 inche cube.
- 1 cup of onions, sliced.
- 2 cups of mushrooms, sliced.
- 1 can (284 ml) of mushroom cream
- 1/4 cup of red wine
- 1 teaspoon of beef powder stock
- 1/2 cup of water
- 3/4 teaspoon of salt
- 1/4 teaspoon of pepper
-1 minced garlic clove

Recipe
1- In the slowcooker add the beef cube, the mushroom and the onion.
2- In a mixing bowl, add the last 7 ingredients. Mix well. 
3- Pour the mix in the slowcooker with the beef cube , onion and mushroom.
4- Cook a the lowest heat for 8 to 10 hours, stirring only once or twice.
Enjoy this with some baked potatoes, green beans, fresh french bread and some wine! Cheers !

 

A other famous holidays appetizer: Mini Cocktail sausages

Monday, November 22, 2010 at 10:44PM

This one is really simple, the ingredients are basic but it is very popular amoung us for the holidays or party.
What you'll need:
- 2 pack of mini sausages
- 1/4 cup of cherry sauce (VH brand work's well)
- 3/4 cup of ketchup
- 1 garlic clove, cut very finely
- 3 drops of Tabasco sauce
- 6 drops of Worcestershire sauce

Recipe:
1- First grill the sausage in a pan on each side, do not over cook.
2- Mix all the other ingredients together.
3- Marinade the sausages in the mix for 8 hours in the fridge.
4- Slowly reheat the sausage in a pot in low-medium heat for 30 minutes at serving time.