Cheese Drop Biscuits

 

My mother always told me to trust recipes that came with a brand.  After all, they showcase the product so they have to be good.  This recipe is from the website of White Lily products.

Cheese biscuits are great for a ladies lunch, coming soon on Lindaraxa.

Prep Time: 10 min Cooking Time: 10 min Makes: 12 biscuits

Ingredients:

Crisco® Original No-Stick Cooking Spray
2 1/2 cups White Lily® Enriched Bleached Self-Rising Flour
1/4 cup Crisco® All-Vegetable Shortening
OR 1/4 stick Crisco® Baking Sticks All-Vegetable Shortening
1 cup (4 oz.) shredded Cheddar cheese
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup butter

Instructions:

1.	HEAT oven to 450°F. Coat baking sheet with no-stick cooking spray.
2.	PLACE flour in large bowl. Divide shortening into several pieces; scatter on top of flour. Cut in shortening using pastry blender or 2 knives until crumbs are the size of peas.
3.	STIR in cheese and milk gradually, stirring just enough to moisten flour and hold dough together. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto prepared baking sheet.
4.	BAKE 8 to 10 minutes or until tops are golden brown. Brush tops with melted butter				.

Jacques Pepin Corn Parfait

A parfait is a smooth cream dessert, and this savory recipe is creamy and smooth as well, hence the name. Corn dishes are always best in full corn season, with the ears picked fresh from the garden. Yet, supermarkets generally have pretty good corn most of the year, and this recipe is a great addition to roast meat or grilled fish, as well as being a good first course for dinner or main course for lunch. This parfait is always better when slightly wet and undercooked in the center.

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 cups half and half
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon unsalted butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
4 ears corn, husked
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Directions:

Coat a 4 or 5 cup gratin dish with the butter. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Cut the kernels off the ears of corn, and put them in the bowl of a food processor with the flour, eggs, salt, and pepper. Process until well pureed. Add the half and half, and process for another 5 to 10 seconds. Pour into the buttered dish, and sprinkle the Parmesan cheese on top.

Bake for about 25 minutes (mine took about 40 minutes) or until just set, puffy, and nicely browned. Serve. (The parfait is best served immediately, but you can make it 1 to 2 hours ahead and reheat it in the oven or microwave.)



Recipe: Jacques Pepin
 photo credit http://homecookinginmontana.blogspot.com

String Beans With Ginger And Garlic

French style green beans, or  haricots verts as they are called in France, are now in the markets  You can also find them at Costco and at Whole Foods.  Don't miss the opportunity to serve and enjoy them while you can.

For a dinner party where you want to serve a vegetable with a little zing, this works! 

Yield:  10 servings

Ingredients

• Salt
• 2 1/2 pounds string beans (French-style slim haricots verts work especially well), trimmed
• 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup minced fresh ginger (about 6 inches ginger root, peeled)
• 4 medium-size garlic cloves, minced

Preparation

1.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, and fill a large bowl with ice water. Working in two batches, boil beans until just tender but still crisp and bright green. Start testing after 4 minutes or so, being careful not to overcook. When done, plunge beans into ice water to stop cooking, lift out immediately when cool and drain on towels. (Recipe can be made to this point up to a day in advance and kept refrigerated, wrapped in towels.)

2.

When ready to cook, heat 2 tablespoons oil in a wide skillet over high heat. Add half the beans, half the ginger and half the garlic, and cook, stirring and tossing constantly, until beans are heated through and ginger and garlic are softened and aromatic. Sprinkle with salt, and remove to a serving dish. Repeat with remaining oil, beans, ginger and garlic. Serve


Recipe and photo from The New York Times.

Snow Peas And Chicken Green Curry

This is a perfect recipe for those of us who are trying to cut back and get in shape for the summer!

Made throughout Southeast Asia, curry paste usually includes fresh ingredients such as lemongrass, galangal, garlic, onions, green or red chilies, and cilantro. Green curry paste, called for in this recipe, is available at Asian markets and well-stocked grocery stores.

Serves 4


Ingredients:

1 1/2 Tbs. canola oil

1 tsp. Thai green curry paste

3 boneless, skinless chicken thighs or 1 boneless, skinless chicken breast,

thickly sliced crosswise

1/2 tsp. Asian fish sauce

1 cup light coconut milk

3 Tbs. low-sodium chicken broth

1/2 long green chili, seeded and minced

1/2 lb. snow peas, trimmed

1/2 lb. button mushrooms, thinly sliced

Steamed rice for serving

Directions:

In a large fry pan over medium-high heat, warm the oil. Add the curry paste and stir-fry for about 45 seconds. Add the chicken and stir-fry until opaque, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the fish sauce and a little coconut milk and stir to scrape up the browned bits. Add the remaining coconut milk, the broth and chili and cook, stirring, until the liquid is reduced to 2/3 cup, 6 to 7 minutes. Add the snow peas and mushrooms and cook for 1 to 2 minutes more.

Serve the curry hot over steamed rice.


Adapted from New Healthy Kitchen Series, Main Dishes, by Georgeanne Brennan (Simon & Schuster, 2006).
© 2012 Williams-Sonoma Inc. All Rights Reserved

Cherry Tomato And Caramelized Onion Bites

This recipe comes from one of my favorite food blogs Passionate About Baking.  and is a great way to use the beautiful cherry tomatoes over ripening in my kitchen counter!


Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

■ puff pastry

■2 red onions, sliced very fine {approx 150gm}

■1 tbsp butter

■1 tbsp olive oil

■150-200gm cherry tomatoes, halved

■ Few leaves of fresh basil chiffonade

■1 clove garlic, minced

■1 tsp white vinegar

■1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

■Sea salt

■Freshly ground pepper



Directions:

1.Roll out the pastry into a 10.5″ X 10.5″ square. With a pizza cutter/pastry wheel, trim the edges and cut into 2.5″ squares {8 small}

2.Score a tiny border about 1/4 cm along the inside edge, taking care not to cut right through. Place on parchment lined baking tray and chill for about 30 minutes, until the topping is ready.

3.Gently sauté the finely sliced onions in 1tsp butter and 1 tbsp olive oil until golden brown and caramelised. Reserve in a bowl.

4.Toss the halved cherry tomatoes with the basil, garlic, 1 tbsp olive oil, vinegar, salt & pepper. Taste and adjust flavours. Set aside for a little while for the flavours to mature, about 10-15 minutes.

5.Preheat oven to 200C.

6.Take pastry out of fridge. Divide the caramelised onions between the bases, ensuring they stay within the scored edges.

7.Give the tomatoes a good stir, and top the onions with about 5-6 halves each, cut side up. Sprinkle with a little sea salt.

8.Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden and puffy.

9.Serve warm or at room temperature.