Poulet du général Tao

Préparation: 20 minutes
Cuisson: 15 minutes
Portions: 6 

Ingrédients
Huile d'arachide, pour la cuisson
1 1/3 lb (600 g) poulet, en petits cubes
Farine tout-usage
2 gousses ail, hachées finement
4 c.à soupe (60 ml) racine de gingembre, frais, haché fin
6 c.à soupe (90 ml) cassonade
6 c.à soupe (90 ml) sauce soya
6 c.à soupe (90 ml) vin blanc
4 c.à soupe (60 ml) vinaigre blanc
4 c.à soupe (60 ml) eau 

Méthode
1 Enfariner les cubes de poulet. Cuire dans l'huile d'arachide dans un wok. Retirer le poulet une fois cuit.  
2 Remettre un peu d'huile dans le wok si nécessaire. Faire revenir l'ail et le gingembre 1 minute environ.  
3 Ajouter à cela dans l'ordre et à 3 secondes d'intervalle: le vin blanc, la sauce soya, la cassonnade, le vinaigre blanc et l'eau.  
4 Remettre le poulet dans la préparation du wok. Laisser mijoter (petit
bouillon) jusqu'à ce que la sauce caramélise.  
5 Servir avec du riz Basmati et des fèves germées fraîches, réchauffées dasn l'eau chaude à laquelle vous aurez rajouté 1/4 tasse (65 mL) de vinaigre de riz assaisonné. (facultatif). 

Gâteau renversé aux bananes

Fond :

·         ½ tasse de beurre

·         1 tasse de cassonade

·         Bananes en tranches

·         Noix, cerises ou raisin

Pâte :

a)      ½ tasse de beurre, 2 œuf, ¼ tasse de sucre, 1 tasse de bananes écrasées

b)      1 ½ de tasse de farine, ½ c. thé de sel, ½ c. thé poudre à pâte, ¾ c. thé soda, ½ tasse de lait sur (ajouter quelques gouttes de vinaigres), 1c. thé vaille

Préparer un moule en couronne ou autre bien beurré.

A)     Étendre dans le fond le beurre défait en crème avec la cassonade, recouvrir de tranches de bananes, noix/cerises/raisin

B)     Crémer la graisse ou le beurre, ajouter le sucre, œuf battus et bananes écrasées. Tamiser les ingrédients secs, l’incorporer au 1^er mélange alternant avec le lait, puis vanille. Verser sur le fond préparé à l’avance. Cuire 375°, 30 minutes ou plus, démonter et refroidir 

Sweet potato crackers

Ingredients  

(makes the equivalent of one box of crackers)

1-1/2 cups organic flour
2-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons organic unsalted butter
1 medium organic sweet potato (1 cup of sweet potato puree)
1 teaspoon organic sugar
coarse salt

Preparation

Cook sweet potato until softened ( boiling it in water). Use a hand blender until it’s a smooth mixture. Set the cooled sweet potato puree aside.

Place butter into the bottom of your KitchenAid Mixer. Sift flour, baking powder, sugar and salt together into a large bowl. Using the KitchenAid Mixer’s regular mixing attachment, mix the butter into the flour mixture until it becomes a coarse meal texture. Add the sweet potato puree and let it stir until it turns into one big clump like this.

Roll it into a ball using your hands. Divide dough into 4 pieces. For easier rolling, wrap it in wax paper and chill for 1/2 hour.

Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and and roll each very thin, as thin as you can roll it. Cut using small cookie cutters. Place on a jelly roll pan or cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.

You can sprinkle with salt, sesame seeds and a little cayenne, if desired.

Bake in a preheated 350 F oven on an ungreased parchment paper-lined jelly roll pan or cookie sheet for 10 minutes until bottoms are slightly browned. Turn over and bake until they’re crispy. The original recipe says 3-4 minutes more but mine are always another 8-12 or so …maybe it’s my cheap-o oven.

You want them to be crispy, not chewy. Just don’t let them get too brown. Cool on a wire rack before storing in a airtight container. Remember there aren’t any preservatives in these so you should probably snack them up within a week. 

Middle eastern pizza 

Ingredients

·         1 onion, finely chopped

·         1 teaspoon taco spice

·         250g minced meat

·         175g mushroom  (and/or peppers)

·         1 bunch asparagus (about 1 pound), thick ends removed

·         1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes (oil-packed), thinly sliced, plus 3 tablespoons oil from jar

·         1 1/2 tablespoons tomato paste

·         2 large rounds Lebanese bread

·         150g fetta, crumbled

·          

Method

Preheat oven to 400°F. When hot, place 2 flat baking trays in the oven to heat.

 Cook the onion with the mince meat until golden brown. Season with taco spice.

Heat grill to medium. In a large bowl, combine asparagus (cut into thirds) and 1 tablespoon sun-dried tomato oil; season with salt and pepper. Grill, turning occasionally, until vegetables are tender, 6 to 9 minutes. When cook enough, add sun-dried tomatoe and mushroom.

Spoon the tomato paste over the Lebanese bread. Add meat mixture and feta (you can also add a little bit of parmesan cheese on top). Place on the preheated baking trays and bake for 8 minutes or until crisp. 

Peckham Pizza 

• 2 naan breads
• 500g minced meat
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 4 tomatoes
• 1/2 teaspoon of taco spice (or more)
• 1/2 sprig of fresh coriander
• 1 cup of Ricotta cheese
• 1 cup of grated mozzarella cheese (optional)

Preheat the oven to 180C. Soften the onion in a little oil then add the minced meat. Stir it, breaking it up until it is all browned. Meanwhile, skin the tomatoes by covering them with boiling water and leaving a for a few minutes. Drain them then cover with cold water for a further minute. Rub the skins off, quarter them and remove the seeds. Blend to a paste in a blender or chop finely.

When the meat is browned, add the spices and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds or so. Add tomatoes and let cook for around 10 minutes on a medium heat, stirring occasionally. Check the seasoning and adjust to taste.

Spread the ricotta cheese + the topping + small piece of fresh coriander (+ mozzarella cheese) over each naan, making sure to really press it down and spread it right out to the edges. Cook for around 10 minutes, until the edges of the naan are nice and crisp. 

 

Cranberry Cake

Makes: 12 servings

Preparation: 20 mins

Bake:  350°F 40 mins

Ingredients

·       3 cups cranberries

·       1 cup chopped pecans (I used chop walnuts instead)

·       2 cups sugar

·       2 eggs

·       1 cup all-purpose flour

·       ½ cup butter, melted

·       2 tablespoons milk

·       Sweetened whipped cream (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degree F. Generously grease a 2-quart rectangular baking dish. Spread cranberries and pecans over bottom of the dish. Sprinkle with 1 cup of the sugar.

In a medium mixing bowl beat eggs with an electric mixer on high speed until foamy. Add remaining 1 cup sugar, flour, melted butter, and milk; beat on low speed just until combined (batter will be thick). Carefully spread batter over cranberries and nuts.

Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until top is brown and a wooden toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack at least 30 minutes. To serve, spoon warm cake into dessert dishes, cranberry side up. If desired, top with sweetened whipped cream. Makes 12 servings.

Rotisserie Chicken

Ingredients:

1 broiler/fryer chicken (3.5-4 lbs)

2 Tbsp Paprika

1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper (optional!)

1 1/2 tsp onion powder

2 Tbsp garlic powder or 3 cloves garlic

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

Preparation :

First, rinse the chicken and remove the neck and giblets

Place all of your ingredients in a small bowl and stir in water by the teaspoon until a paste forms.

Spray your slow cooker with cooking spray and place the chicken in, breast side up.

Coat the chicken inside and out with the paste.

Cover and cook on low 6-7 hours or on high 3.5-4.5 hours. Make sure the thickest part of the thigh registers at 180 degrees.