www.marypremiercru.com – Page 2

May 4, 2018

FRENCH ONION SOUP AU GRATIN (as it should be)

FRENCH ONION SOUP AU GRATIN (as it should be)

How many times have you ordered French Onion Soup and what you got resembled a bowl of brown dish water with a sorry excuse of a cheese crouton floating on top?

This is without doubt one of my all time favourite soups. If it’s on the menu, I order it. Sometimes with excellent results, other times exceedingly disappointing.

I will share two of my horror stories regarding this irresistible savoury soup. One was in a well known pub and much to my excitement, French Onion Soup was on the menu. Of course, I ordered this only to be served packet Lipton onion soup with no cheesy crouton. Ghastly. The other was more recently in a known French Restaurant in Edinburgh where I was served a bowl of what tasted like they had used dish water to top up the pot. The floating cheesy crouton floating looked lifeless and not freshly done. Not what one would expect from a French Restaurant.

So let’s dispel of these kitchen disasters and learn to make our own. The important thing about French Onion Soup is the caramelisation of the onions. You need to be patient at this point and if you are the result will be award winning.

FRENCH ONION SOUP AU GRATIN – Serves 4

Ingredients – 2 tbsp butter, 1 tbsp olive oil, 6 medium onions or 3 large onions (halved and thinly sliced) , 6 cups (48 ozs) of good beef stock (you can use ready made beef stock or 5 Knorr Cubes/ 5 Oxo Cubes), 1/4 cup of medium dry sherry or port (I prefer sherry), 3 garlic cloves chopped, 1-1/2 tbsp cornflour, 8oz dry white wine, bouquet garni (you can buy this in the supermarkets in the spice aisle – it comes in a tea bag form or if you are lucky enough to have fresh herbs – tie 2 bay leaves, a sprig of rosemary, along with a few sprigs of thyme and parsley together). 1 heaped tbsp chopped fresh parsley or chervil. Sea salt & pepper to taste.

To top things off – sliced french baguette (sliced 1″ thick toasted), 1/2 lb grated emmental cheese and 1/2 grated gruyere cheese.

Method – melt the butter with the olive oil in a large heavy based pan. Separate the onions and add to pot and put lid on for about 10/15 minutes until onions are soft. At this point you could add 1 tsp of sugar but I prefer to add 1/4 of medium dry sherry and cook for a further 20 mins. Stir frequently, until onions are caramelised (they should be very golden). Be careful not to burn. Add the garlic and stir into onions – cook a few minutes more. Add the cornflour and stir well into onions and garlic. Gradually add the white wine and beef stock and continue to stir. Add the bouquet garni and chopped chervil or parsley. Add sea salt and pepper as desired. Bring to a boil then lower heat and cook for a further 20 minutes allowing the herbs to infuse the beef stock.

Put 1 tbsp of each cheese into the bowls. Add the hot soup on top of the cheese in the bowl. Place one slice of the toasted baguette on top of soup and top bowls with remaining cheeses. Place under the oven grill until cheese has gone brown and bubbly.

Serve with fresh french baguette and a lovely mixed salad. VOILA! Enjoy French Onion Soup at its best!

If you are enjoying my blogs and following me on my Facebook Page – Mary’s Kitchen , please subscribe after reading this blog by entering your email address in the subscription area at the end or side of this blog. You will then receive notification when I have posted again. You can also follow my instructional videos on You Tube – Mary PremierCru (again, please subscribe if you enjoy them).

Thank you for stopping by.

Mary Joan Calder

April 22, 2018April 22, 2018

SWEET POTATO BOATS – TWO SAVOURY WAYS

SWEET POTATO BOATS – TWO SAVOURY WAYS

I sing the praises of the sweet potato due to it’s magnificent health benefits and have designed two recipes here that can be eaten as a snack or a main meal. You can prepare these well before hand and keep refrigerated until your ready to eat them.

Lets firstly shout the benefits of this fairly unattractive tuberous root vegetable. Unattractive it might be, but it packs a powerful punch when you look at the goodness it encapsulates.

Not only are they a rich source of fibre, they contain an array of good vitamins and minerals. High in B6, Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Iron, Magnesium, Potassium, Iron, Calcium and Selenium. If that is not enough to brag about, one of the key nutritional benefits of the sweet potato is that it is high in an antioxidant known as Beta Carotene which converts to Vitamin A once consumed.

So let’s get cooking this beneficial root vegetable and keep it in our steady diet.

LET’S GO GREEK – SWEET POTATO BOATS – GREEK STYLE

2 medium sweet potatoes, 1 small red onion chopped (1/3 cup), 1/3 cup chopped cucumber, 1 red and 1 yellow mini pepper chopped, 15/20 black pitted Kalamata olives chopped, 1 tbsp of fresh oregano or 1 tsp dried, 1/2 chopped red chilli, sea salt & pepper, 4 ounces Feta cheese crumbled.

Method – bake sweet potatoes for 30/40 minutes at 200C/400F/Gas Mark 7 (bake until knife slips in easily). Remove from oven. Cut in half. Scoop flesh out into a bowl. Leave a little flesh in so skin stays in boat shape. Add red onion, red chilli, olives, peppers,, cucumber, oregano, sea salt and pepper. Mix. Lastly fold in the Feta cheese. Scoop mixture into skins. You can make these ahead of time then just warm in oven for 15 mins on 180C/375F/Gas Mark 5 when you are ready to serve. You can make a day ahead – place in refrigerator overnight if you want to do this. I like to serve with a small mixed leaf salad and cherry tomatoes. Add a dollop of authentic Greek Yogurt on top of potato before serving the top off with a black olive. Most of all – Enjoy!

Serving Suggestions – snack 1/2 – a meal 1 whole with side salad.

FIERY CHICKEN SWEET POTATO BOATS

2 medium sweet potatoes, 2 tbsp sweet corn (i used tinned), 4 ounces cooked chicken chopped, 2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander (cilantro), 2 tbsp chopped red onion, 1/2 chopped red chilli, sea salt and pepper, 2 ounces goat or feta cheese.

The method is as above. Add the corn, chicken, coriander (cilantro), red onion, red chilli, sea salt & pepper. Mix. Lastly fold in chosen cheese. Scoop mixture into skins. Bake for 15/20 mins on 180C/375F/Gas Mark 5 when ready to serve.

Serve with a small side salad and lime wedges.

Please enjoy these two recipes and benefit from the rich nutritional goodness of the unassuming sweet potato.

Thank you for stopping by.

Mary Joan Calder

March 31, 2018March 31, 2018

The Queen of Dips – Roasted Red Pepper, Garlic and Chilli Hummus

ROASTED RED PEPPER, GARLIC AND CHILLI HUMMUS

I am dubbing this wonderful dip, “The Queen of Dips” because the simple chickpea has such enormous health benefits and it is such a versatile dip to use with numerous dishes. Not only that, there are a number of ways to reinvent it by adding a few different ingredients. The possibilities of preparation are endless and here I will share a couple of ways to make the unassuming chickpea, (also known as the garbanzo bean), into something quite tasty.

Firstly, for those of you who are “clean eaters” you will no doubt already be familiar with the many health benefits of the chickpea. But let me just list a few of the secret health benefits of this Mediterranean, Middle Eastern gem.

Not only being an excellent source of fiber, they are also high in protein, carbohydrates and contain minerals like selenium, vitamin K, folate, phosphorous, zinc, copper, manganese and choline. They also contain high levels of vitamin B-6, iron and magnesium. These minerals and vitamins each having their own health benefits. Well known health facts are chickpeas can help diabetes, blood pressure, inflammation, digestion, weight management, cholesterol and even cancer.

So let’s get busy in the kitchen and prepare this easy dish so you can impress your family and friends.

INGREDIENTS

1 tin chick peas (reserve the liquid when you strain them), 1 roasted red pepper, 3 garlic cloves chopped, juice of 1 lemon & 1 lime, 1 chopped red chilli, 3 tbsp tahini paste (recipe follows below to make your own), 1/4 cup olive oil, sea salt & ground black pepper.

METHOD

Cut the red pepper in half and place face down on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil. Bake for 15/20 mins at 180 degrees or until skin turns dark. Remove from oven and place in a plastic bag for a few minutes. This makes it easy to peel outer skin off. You can also roast your garlic at the same time if you would like to. If you do, place garlic cloves in tin foil with skins on and drizzle with olive oil. You can of course just use fresh chopped garlic. Once you have peeled your red pepper set aside for a moment.

Add the chickpeas to your food processor, the roasted pepper, chopped chilli, chopped or roasted garlic, tahini paste, lemon & lime juice, olive oil, s&p.

Blend well as you want a creamy texture so if you feel it is a little dry, slowly add the chickpea reserve liquid or a bit of water and continue to blend until you get the creamy consistency we are looking for. Place into a bowl, sprinkle with a little paprika and a drizzle of olive oil. You could also top with some roasted pine nuts, walnuts or pecans if you wish (optional).

TAHINI PASTE

This is an expensive commodity to buy in health food stores, so why not make your own. It couldn’t be simpler.

You can make this raw if you have a really powerful blender (raw meaning sesame seeds only) but I tend to mix in a little olive oil and use my nutribullet to blend. You can roast the sesame seeds before hand by dry roasting them in a frying pan or even add a little olive oil.

SIMPLE METHOD

1 cup sesame seeds, 3 to 4 tbsps olive oil (as need to get good consistency)

Place into a blender and mix until it turns into a paste. It’s that simple and you have saved yourself a fortune.

TIPSTERS -There are various methods you can jazz up your Hummus.

1. Roast a whole bulb of garlic with some olive oil in tin foil for 15/20 mins and add entire bulb leaving out roasted red pepper.
2. Caramelise some onions slowly and add them to decorate the top of the Hummus.
3. Roast some Pine Nuts, Walnuts or Pecans and decorate the top.
4. Tahini dressing – 1 tbsp of tahini paste, 1 tsp lemon juice, 2 tbsp water – mix well. Use to dress vegetables, chicken, sweet potatoes.
Basically use your imagination and the world is your oyster. Enjoy!

Thank you for stopping by.

Mary Joan Calder

March 18, 2018March 18, 2018

POACHED EGG PERFECTION

HOW TO ACHIEVE A PERFECT POACHED EGG? and WHERE’S THE HOLLANDAISE?

Nothing tastes better on a Sunday morning than perfect poached eggs topped with a velvety hollandaise sauce.

There are many debates on how to achieve the perfect poached egg and hollandaise, so let’s get back to basics and make it simple.

Some B&B owners run hurling into a kitchen when an order for Poached Eggs is placed. Everyone has different idea on how to poach the perfect egg and most shy away from this simple task because they quite often get it wrong. The biggest problem being of course, is overcooking and the hollandaise separating.

We spend money buying special pans which guarantee the perfect poached, but these are quite unnecessary and take away from the natural appearance of how a poached egg should look on the plate.

Follow a few simple instructions will have you making your perfect Sunday brunch fit for a queen.

POACHED EGGS

Firstly, fill a skillet with 1-1/2 inches of water. Bring this water to a boil and then turn down to a simmer (you must never put you soon to be poached eggs into boiling water). Add two tablespoons of White Wine Vinegar. Swirl this around in the pan. If your skillet is large – you can poach 4 eggs at one time. If a smaller skillet is being used – do 2 at a time.

Using fresh free range eggs, break your egg into a small plate, with your whisk gently swirl the water around in your skillet. Slide the egg off the plate into the gently swirling water. Do the same with the remaining eggs. Leave to simmer for anywhere between 3 – 5 mins until the white is opaque and firm. Gently remove eggs with a slotted spoon and lay them on sheets of paper towel to absorb water.

While your eggs are simmering, you now have time to make your Hollandaise Sauce.

HOLLANDAISE SAUCE

2 tsp lemon juice

2 tsp white wine vinegar

2 large egg yolks

125 grams Kerrygold (grass fed butter) – melted

Sea Salt & Pepper

Put your lemon juice and vinegar into a heatproof bowl. Add your two egg yolks and whisk these together. Place your heatproof bowl over a small pan of simmering water, acting like a Bain-Marie. Continue to whisk being very careful at this point not to boil the water in the pan. The egg yolks will thicken and become a lighter yellow colour. You do not want your eggs to scramble so really watch the heat – be patient. Slowly add melted butter and continue to whisk. Sauce will become thick and velvety. Add sea salt & pepper to taste. Remove from heat.

(Quick Fix Tip as we all can get this one wrong sometimes – if your hollandaise separates while whisking, try adding a tbsp. of boiling water and continue to whisk – the velvety texture should return. You can also add one more egg yolk and whisk).

If you are using English Muffins or Crumpets, best to toast and butter these a minute or so before eggs are finished. You can place bacon or ham on top of your Muffin, then place the poached egg and top with a couple of tablespoons of Hollandaise. Voila! A perfect Sunday breakfast.

As Romeo was to Juliet – so is a perfect poached egg with hollandaise. Enjoy!

Thank you for stopping by.

Mary Joan Calder

March 20, 2017February 20, 2019

LET’S MAKE DOG BISCUITS

LET’S MAKE DOG BISCUITS – HEALTHY EATING FOR OUR BEST FRIENDS

Have you ever taken the time to read the ingredients in some dog treats and food? Shock horror will follow. The ingredients that you should try and avoid
are:

Meat and grain meals and by products

BHA (Butylated Hydroxyanisole) – chemical compound – effective alternative is Vitamin E

BHT (Butylated Hydroxytoluene) – another chemical compound

Ethoxyquin – a PESTICIDE that controls scald on pears after harvest. Used in dog foods as a preservative to prevent the rancidification of fats. Yikes!

Food dyes (dogs do not see colour the way we do – so why do manufacturers put food colourants in their food) – avoid all food colorants (blue 2, red 40, yellow 5 and 6, 4-MIE

Corn and wheat gluten

PG (propylene Glycol) – antifreeze – again Yikes!

Rendered fat

Some of these ingredients you can’t even pronounce and they are not necessary in dog food. Make sure you read the composition before you buy. There are a lot of really good dog foods out there, so if you want a healthy dog with good strong bones and teeth and a shiny coat, pay attention to what you feed your pet.

I have three Hungarian Vizslas who are hugely energetic so I like to have homemade clean healthy eating treats on hand for them.

Here is a great recipe that takes minutes to put together and your dogs will love you for putting in the effort.

SARDINE OAT BISCUITS

300 grams or 1- 1/3 cup of oatmeal

60 grams or 1/3 cup of wholemeal flour

2 tins of sardines in sunflower oil

Put the sardines with the oil into a bowl and mash up. Add the oats and wholemeal flour and mix through the sardines. Gradually add small amounts of water until the mixture forms a ball. Cover your work surface in a small amount of wholemeal flour and roll out your mixture to 1/2 inch thick (1-1/4cms).

I use a small heart or dog bone cookie cutter and this makes about 5 dozen.

Bake in a pre-heated oven 190C/375F for 20-25 mins. Store in a container – not necessarily airtight.

Stay tuned for more clean healthy eating recipes for your furbbies.

If you are enjoying my Blogs, please follow and put a ‘like’ on my Facebook Page – www.facebook.com/Marypremiercru – “Mary’s Kitchen”. Please subscribe after reading my blog by entering your email address in the subscription area at the end or side of this blog. You will then receive notification when I have posted again. You can also follow my instructional videos on You Tube – Mary PremierCru (again, please subscribe if you enjoy them).

Thank you for stopping by.