olive oil – Mary's Kitchen

May 7, 2019February 19, 2020

MAYONNAISE made EASY

LET’S MAKE HOMEMADE MAYONNAISE

There are several methods of making this culinary favourite that graces most kitchens, restaurants and dining tables, but this method is by far the easiest and quickest method I have ever come across with “5 star” results.

The final result is a velvety mayonnaise that any chef would be delighted to serve and you can make it in your own kitchen in less than one minute. I don’t eat mayonnaise every day by any means but some recipes like devilled eggs, sandwiches, coleslaw, cocktail sauce and salads would not be the same without it.

Depending on what you decide to serve this culinary favourite with, you can add your own unique flavours by adding different herbs, mustards, vinegars and garlic. Nothing tastes better than dipping a homemade sweet potato wedge into a dollop of homemade garlic mayo. The wonderful thing about making your own mayonnaise is that not only are you in charge of the flavour, but more importantly, you know exactly what the ingredients are. There are no preservatives and other chemicals as are used in store bought. YOU ARE IN CHARGE.

Olive oil is my preferred oil but using other more neutral oils can make a better canvas for adding additional flavours. Grapeseed, safflower, canola, avocado and peanut oils are all good.

The one kitchen gadget that will simplify the production of your own mayonnaise is a hand held immersion blender which usually includes a tall plastic pint size cup. This one. shown here also has a lid so you can store your mayonnaise in the cup. From a few simple ingredients comes the delights of homemade mayonnaise.

INGREDIENTS

1 EGG (cold from fridge) do not break yolk while adding to blender

1TSP OF DIJON MUSTARD

250ML OLIVE OIL (you can use Sunflower, Avocado, Peanut, Grapeseed, Canola)

1 TBSP APPLE CIDER VINEGAR OR WHITE WINE VINEGAR

SQUEEZE OF LEMON (this can be added after to taste)

pinch SEA SALT

Add all ingredients (except lemon & salt) into tall pint size plastic cup that immersion blender fits into to. I use the one the blender came with. Insert immersion blender right to bottom of cup. Turn blender on to highest speed and do not lift out of cup. Continue for 10 seconds. A vortex is created and almost immediately the mixture will emulsify. Now you can move blender up and down to incorporate any oil that is still on top. Once you have a creamy velvety mixture, you can add lemon, salt and any other flavours you would like. Try garlic, herbs and chilli. Use different mustards and vinegars in your ingredients.

Once you have made in once, it will become a firm favourite to your kitchen repartee.

Why not visit Mary’s Kitchen for more delicious recipes on www.facebook.com/marypremiercru or Instagram on Mary_premiercru.

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Thank you for stopping by.

Mary Joan Calder

December 1, 2018December 1, 2018

LET’S MAKE ITALIAN BEAN & MINESTRONE SOUP

LET’S MAKE ITALIAN BEAN & MINESTRONE SOUP -( some things are just TOO GOOD TO THROW AWAY)

Italian Bean & Minestrone Soup – bursting with colour and flavour

There is no better time of year than SOUP TIME! The climate is getting cooler, flakes of snow are starting to fall and Christmas is just around the corner. So let’s get our jimjams (PJ’s) on, click on the Netflix and get a nice comforting bowl of soup with some fresh crusty bread.

Yesterday I was in Morrisons, a UK based supermarket and in the vegetable department I found this really neat idea. Morrisons had these boxes made up which were labelled – TOO GOOD TO THROW AWAY – and each box was full of great vegetables and fruit which they were selling for only £1. This got me thinking, how many times do you open the bottom drawer of your fridge and find an assortment of vegetables that are just about ready to put their best foot forward and take a hike right out of the vegetable drawer. So I decided to rescue the situation and turn these TOO GOOD TO THROW AWAY veggies and turn them into a wonderful pot of Italian Bean & Minestrone Soup. The result was amazing. I even found a half a bottle of Pinot Grigio and how that even made it into the fridge, only the wine fairy knows the answer to that.

An assortment of – TOO GOOD TO THROW AWAYS.

In my search I found 4 softish tomatoes which I chopped up. A bag of carrots that were crying out – USE ME. Some celery that was left over from adorning Bloody Mary’s. A bag of green beans. Several garlic bulbs. In the cupboard I found some Butter and Cannellini beans. Went to the garden and picked some fresh herbs, added 1000ml of chicken stock plus 3/4 cup of pasta and voila. There is no measuring required here and what you will produce is something quite delicious.

ITALIAN BEAN & MINESTRONE SOUP – made easy

4 chopped tomatoes (or 1 tin chopped toms), 4/5 stalks celery, 2/3/4 garlic cloves chopped, 2 chopped onions, 5/6 chopped carrots, some chopped green beans, 1 tin butter beans, 1 tin cannellini beans, 1000 ml chicken stock, 1/2 cup of Pinot Grigio if you have any left over (lol), 1/2 cup of a small sized pasta (macaroni or such like), some fresh herbs.

Add 2tbsp of olive oil to your soup pot – add onions, garlic, carrots, celery, green beans and saute gently. Add tomatoes, wine, beans, chicken stock and whatever else you would like to throw in. Mix well, bring to a boil then turn down to a simmer for 1 hour.

Get yourself some lovely crusty bread and some grated parmesan to top off and just ENJOY.

If you are enjoying my Blogs, follow and have 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.

Mary Joan Calder

October 22, 2018October 26, 2018

LET’S GET OUR SLOW COOKERS OUT OF HIBERNATION

LET’S GET OUR SLOW COOKERS OUT OF HIBERNATION

The autumn leaves are falling, the mornings are frosty and the temperatures are dropping. As we move into the winter months, let’s turn our thoughts to some winter warmers.

I have just dusted off my slow cooker (crock pot) and placed it on the kitchen counter in full view to remind me to use it! I don’t use this kitchen marvel during the summer months, but now the nights are closing in and getting colder, it’s time to crank the slow cooker back into action and produce some wonderful wintery dishes that fill the kitchen with awesome aromas.

Such a versatile piece of kitchen equipment, especially if your a busy mom or working person, the slow cooker can turn a simple selection of ingredients into something quite tasty.

If you are using meat, I tend to like to brown and seal mine first in a frying pan with some coconut or olive oil before adding to my pot. I also like to sauté my onions and garlic a little before adding them along with the other ingredients.

My first recipe I would like to share with you is:-

CHICKEN, MUSHROOM AND WHITE BEAN CASSEROLE3 CHICKEN BREASTS DICED, 3 TBSP. COCONUT OIL OR OLIVE OIL, 1 LEEK (SLICED AND DICED), 1 ONION (DICED), 3 GARLIC CLOVES (SLICED), 3 GREEN CHILLIS (DICED), 6 CARROTS (CUT INTO LARGE PIECES), 2 CANS OF WHITE BEANS (USE ANY SORT – I’M USING BUTTER BEANS), 1 PUNNET OF CHESTNUT MUSHROOMS, 2 – 3 CUPS CHICKEN STOCK, 2 HEAPED TABLESPOONS GREEK YOGURT, 1 TSP CUMIN, 1 TSP CAYENNE PEPPER, 1 TSP OREGANO, S&P.

HEAT OIL IN FRYING PAN – ADD CHICKEN BROWN AND SEAL – ADD SPICES – PLACE IN SLOW COOKER. SAUTE ONIONS, LEEKS AND GARLIC IN SAME PAN – ONCE THEY ARE SAUTÉED ADD A LITTLE CHICKEN STOCK TO FRYING PAN TO DECARAMELISE THE FLAVOURS FROM PAN. ADD TO SLOW COOKER ALONG WITH ALL OTHER INGREDIENTS. COOK ON MEDIUM – READY IN 4/5 HOURS. ENJOY.

LEMON CHICKEN THIGHS & ROSEMARY8 CHICKEN THIGHS, 3 TBSP OLIVE OIL, 2 SHALLOTS, 2 CUPS CHICKEN STOCK, 2 LEMONS (SLICED), 6 GARLIC CLOVES (SLICED), 2 BAY LEAVES, FRESH ROSEMARY, 8/12 PEELED CARROTS (LEFT WHOLE), 1 RED CHILLI (SLICED), 2 TSP CHILLI FLAKES, S&P.

ADD OLIVE OIL TO FRYING PAN, ADD CHICKEN THIGHS AND BROWN SKIN WELL. WHILE BROWNING THIGHS, ADD YOUR CARROTS AND LINE BOTTOM OF SLOW COOKER. PLACE COOKED CHICKEN ON TOP OF CARROTS. ADD SHALLOTS TO FRYING PAN AND SAUTÉED UNTIL TRANSPARENT – ADD TO COOKER. ADD ALL THE REST OF THE INGREDIENTS. COOK ON MEDIUM – READY IN 4/5 HOURS. ENJOY.

If you are in more of a hurry, both these dishes can be cooked in a casserole dish and placed in a conventional oven at 375F (180C). Place foil over top of dish if it doesn’t have a cover. Cook for about 1-1/2 hours.

The luxury of the slow cooker is, you can prepare meals the night before in the slow cooker, place the internal pot in the refrigerator over night. In the morning, turn your slow cooker on ‘low’ and come back later that day to a wonderfully tasty meal that you haven’t had to worry about getting burnt. Because the food is cooking so slowly all the flavours are intensified.

I hope you get a chance to enjoy these two recipes.

If you are enjoying my Blogs, 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.

Mary Joan Calder

July 5, 2018July 5, 2018

LET’S EAT AL FRESCO

LET’S EAT “AL FRESCO”

There is no better past time in the summer than to fire up the barbecue and cook and eat Al Fresco. Especially when the weather here in Scotland has been so outstanding, pushing temperatures into the 80’s.

With Canada Day on July 1 and Independence day July 4, I can’t imagine either of these holidays being complete without family and friends all around and the grill fired up.

Being a huge BBQ aficionado, I grill all summer long and am always inventing new recipes to try, creating marinades and accompaniments to go with these.

I would like to share a couple of these recipes with you. So along with my chicken skewer marinade, I have included two clean eating side accompaniments that will turn your chicken skewers from humdrum to fandabbidossie.

Marinade for Chicken – Serves 2

3 tbsp olive oil, 2 chopped garlic cloves, 1 chopped red chilli, 1 tbsp honey, a good splash of soya sauce, a dash of paprika. Mix throughly in a bowl and add 2 chopped chicken breasts. Allow to marinate for at least 1 hour.

4 bamboo sticks (make sure you soak in water before threading chicken on to them. An assortment of peppers, mushrooms, onion, tomatoes, courgettes – what ever you would like to thread onto the bamboo stick along with the chicken. Alternate between chicken, veg or fruit. (peaches and pineapple work well with chicken to.)

Two Awesome Sides – PICKLED BLACKBERRIES and PICKLED RED ONION & CUCUMBERS

PICKLED BLACKBERRIES – 3/4 cup blackberries, 1 small red onion (chopped), 1 chopped red chilli, 1 tsp coconut sugar, 1 tbsp white wine or apple cider vinegar, 1 tsp fresh or dried thyme.

Gently squash berries in a bowl with the back of a spoon. Add the rest of the ingredients. Leave to sit for at least one hour. Serve as a side dish.

PICKLED RED ONIONS & CUCUMBERS –2 sliced red onions, 1 chopped red chilli, 1/2 cucumber deseeded, 4 tbsp cider vinegar, 1-1/2 tbsp water, 3 tsp coconut sugar.

Gently heat vinegar, water and 2 tsp coconut sugar. Leave on heat until sugar dissolves. Add sliced onions and coat in pickling liquid. After 5 minutes add cucumbers and chilli. Stir and coat everything well. Place in a bowl and sprinkle remaining tsp of coconut sugar on the top. Cover with cling film and leave to marinate for a good hour.

Both these dishes are simple to make and really pack a punch to any BBQ food. Whether your cooking chicken, pork, beef or fish, you will find these two accompaniments and real hit with your guests.

Now get that Barby fired up and enjoy eating Al Fresco.

If you are enjoying my Blogs, follow 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

May 24, 2018May 24, 2018

SPICY TURKEY MEATBALLS with a CHILLI and RED PEPPER SAUCE – BELLISSIMO!

SPICY TURKEY MEATBALLS with a CHILLI and RED PEPPER SAUCE

I love nothing more than a lovely plate of pasta adorned with spicy Italian meatballs smothered in a rich marinara sauce. I say Italian meatballs because by tradition that is normally equal portions of pork and beef. So this spurred me on to create a slightly healthier option using Turkey Mince. The result was phenomenal if I do say so myself. They were so moist and tasty, I much preferred them to the usual beef meatball. I think the most important thing is to spice them up. Try them – you won’t be disappointed.

TURKEY MEATBALL INGREDIENTS – 1 LB lean turkey mince (organic if possible), 1/2 chopped red chilli, 1 beaten egg, 1-1/2 slices of gluten free bread made into bread crumbs (use your hand held blender to do this), 2 heaped tbsp chopped onion, 1 tsp thyme, 2 cloves of chopped garlic, 1 tsp of mixed herbs, 1 tbsp Worcester Sauce, 2 ozs grated Parmesan, season with sea salt and black pepper. Mix all ingredients together then divide into 12/16 balls. Heat a tbsp of olive oil in a non-stick frying pan and cook the meatballs 5-10 mins until brown all over. Remove and set aside resting on paper towel.

CHILLI AND RED PEPPER SAUCE INGREDIENTS – Add 1 more tbsp of olive oil to same pan – add 1 chopped onion, 2 chopped red peppers, 1/2 chopped red chilli and 1 clove chopped garlic. Cook 5 minutes until everything is soft. Add 1 tin of chopped tomatoes (14 ounces/400g) and 10 ounces water (300ml). Cook for a further 10/15 mins. Let sauce cool slightly, put in a blender and blend until smooth. Return sauce to pan and add meatballs then simmer for a further 30 minutes. Serve over spiralised courgettes or your favourite pasta. Top with some grated parmesan.

BELLISSIMO! – Serves 4.

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

May 12, 2018March 11, 2024

MELANZANE PARMIGIANA

MELANZANE PARMIGIANA

No food cries out Italy more than a tasty dish of Melanzane Parmigiana. You may not be familiar with the name Melanzane, more commonly known in the UK as Aubergine. The “eggplant”, as it is also known, was originally native to Pakistan and India. In India it is known as Brinjal.

Melanzane from the Latin “mala insana” or “bad egg” but there is nothing bad about this world respected fruit. The Greeks use it in Moussaka, the Indian culture in vegetarian curries, and throughout the world this dish favours in many a vegetarian diet.

I would like to share my recipe with you so you to can enjoy this easy to prepare tasty dish.

MELANZANE PARMIGIANA – Serves 2

1 Aubergine (The first thing you must do is prepare your aubergine. Slice it thinly lengthwise. Brush lightly on both sides with olive oil.)

I like to prepare mine on my outdoor barbeque as it gives a lot of space to lay the aubergine. However, if you are not able to do this grill it in the oven until it colours and turn over. This will not take too long so keep your eye on them.

INGREDIENTS – 2 tbsp olive oil, 1 red onion (chopped), 3 garlic cloves (sliced), 4 oz chestnut mushrooms (or any other type), 3 fresh thyme sprigs or 1 tsp dried thyme, 8 sage leaves (chopped) or 2 tsp dried sage, 1 tsp dried oregano, 1 can chopped tomatoes 400g/15oz, 1/4 cup red wine, 2 to 3 oz grated parmesan, 1 slice of gluten free multi seeded bread made into bread crumbs (use a hand blender for this task and also excellent for grating parmesan), 2 oz pine nuts, 1 mozzarella ball, handful of fresh basil.

METHOD – Put your olive oil into a heavy based frying pan. Add onions and mushrooms, allow to cook for 5 minutes. Add your herbs (dried or fresh). Add tomatoes and red wine. Allow this to cook for 20 minutes allowing the herbs to infuse. Get an ovenproof casserole dish. Now we are going to layer this like lasagne. Put a little sauce in the bottom of your dish, add a layer of aubergine, add more sauce, then aubergine until everything is incorporated. Mix your bread crumbs, parmesan and pine nuts and add a little olive oil and mix together. Slice your mozzarella ball thinly and place on top of dish. Sprinkle bread crumb mixture. Bake at 375F/190C/Gas Mark 5. Serve as a main course with a side salad or as a vegetable dish.

Bellissimo!

Thank you for stopping by.

Mary Joan Calder

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

March 16, 2017

LET’S MAKE PESTO

LET’S MAKE HOMEMADE PESTO

There is nothing easier to make than pesto providing you get all your ingredients together before you start. I have made a short video on You Tube (Mary PremierCru) for you so you can see just how easy it is to prepare. There are a number of variations to my recipe which I will also share with you.

Pesto did not become popular in the North Americas until the 1980’s. It was traditionally made with a Pestal & Mortar – the Italian verb Pestare means to pound or crush. But nowadays, we have it easy in that we have all sorts of different styles of blenders to do the hard work for us. I prefer a hand blender to make my Pesto but you can use a large food processor as well.

LET’S GET STARTED

2 cups of of fresh Basil Leaves (you can use 1/2 basil and 1/2 spinach as well)

1/3 cup of Pine Nuts (or you can use walnuts)

1/2 cup Parmesan Reggiano (or you can use Pecorino or Romano) basically any hard Italian Cheese

3 garlic cloves

1/2 cup olive oil or more to get consistency correct

1 lemon (optional) Italians love using lemons and if you enjoy the taste of lemon – go on and give your pesto a squeeze.

METHOD

Tear the basil into pieces including stems and place in blender along with pine nuts. Give it a whirl to break up the basil and pine nuts. Scrape down the sides of blender then add garlic, parmesan and olive oil. If necessary add more olive oil until you get the right consistency to mix through your cooked pasta.

VARIATIONS

Use walnuts instead of pine nuts and also you can run some whole pine nuts or crushed walnuts through your pasta to give some extra nuttiness.

Use Parmesan Reggiano, Pecorino or Romano cheese

Instead of using all Basil – do 1/2 spinach and 1/2 basil.

There you have it. Your pesto will keep for one week in a sealed container in the fridge. Or you can freeze it in ice cube trays and once frozen put it into freezer bags and this will keep for six months.

TIPSTER

What a great hostess gift this would make. Put it in a lovely jar, decorate the lid with some fabric and ribbon and give the gift of love.

I hope you enjoy this true Italian flavour. If you would like to receive more clean and healthy eating recipes, please fill out your email address just to the right – subscribe to my blog.

Thank you and come back soon.