Easy Peach Shortcakes

Easy Peach Shortcakes

Unable to find fresh peaches to grill one day this past week, I resorted to an old standby recipe using canned peaches. Another great barbeque dessert that will have to do until some good peaches show up in the local markets.

Shortcake Biscuits:

In a food processor, combine:

• 1 ¾ cups flour
• ½ cup sugar
• 2 tsp baking powder

Cut in:

• ½ cup very cold butter cut in cubes

Pulse process until this mixture resembles a coarse meal. It is very important that pea sized pieces of butter remain in this mixture. Transfer from processor to a large bowl.

Mix together:

• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• ½ cup milk

Pour over the dry ingredients and toss together lightly just until a soft dough forms. Do not over mix. Drop the dough in rounded tablespoons onto a parchment lined or silicone lined baking sheet about 2-3 inches apart leaving room for them to spread as they bake. Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 12-15 minutes or until evenly golden brown. Makes 1 dozen.

Peach Compote:

• One 28 ounce can sliced peaches in light syrup
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• ½ cup water

Bring to a gentle simmer and then thicken the compote with a cornstarch slurry of

• 2 tbsp corn starch dissolved in 2 ounces water

Simmer for an additional minute and allow to cool thoroughly.

Split the biscuits in half, spoon on some peach compote and serve with vanilla whipped cream.

Vanilla Whipped Cream

• 2 cups whipping cream
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 4 tbsp icing sugar (powdered sugar)

Beat all together until firm peaks form.

Rum and Chocolate Buttercream Torte

This Rum and Chocolate Buttercream Torte is very well appreciated every time I serve it. I sometimes like to sprinkle toasted and roughly chopped hazelnuts over the filling and on top of this torte, which makes a very delicious variation to this basic recipe.

Vanilla Cake

Cream well:

1/3 cup + 1 tbsp butter
1 cups sugar
1 ½ tsp vanilla extract

Add

1 egg

Beat until well creamed.

Sift together
½ cup + 1 tbsp all purpose flour
½ cup + 1 tbsp cake flour
3/4 tsp baking powder

Fold the dry ingredients into the creamed mixture, alternately with

1/3 cup +1 tbsp whole milk

Beginning and ending with the dry ingredients.

Pour batter into a 9 inch cake pan that has been greased and floured and the bottom lined with parchment paper. Bake for about 30 minutes at 350 degrees F or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack.

Chocolate Buttercream Filling:

1 cups sugar
1/3 cup water

Combine and bring to a boil. Continue to boil over medium heat without stirring until the mixture reaches 240 degrees on a candy thermometer.

Meanwhile beat together to stiff peaks

3 egg whites at room temperature
¼ tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp vanilla extract
Pinch salt

Slowly pour in the sugar syrup hitting the side of the bowl and not the beaters. Continue beating the frosting for 10-15 minutes until the meringue is completely cool. When completely cool, slowly begin to add, a few tablespoons at a time

1 cup softened unsalted butter

Beat until smooth after each addition.

Combine and melt in a double boiler:

8 ounces chocolate, chopped in small pieces
¼ cup butter

Add to the meringue mixture and beat well until frosting reaches a spreadable consistency. This may take 15 minutes or so and you may have to chill the frosting for several minutes before beating it again to get it to stiffen. Alternatively, you can place the frosting bowl in an ice bath while continuing to beat constantly until the icing stiffens sufficiently.

To assemble the torte:

Split the vanilla cake into 2 layers. Sprinkle each half of the cake with

1 ounce dark rum

Fill and frost the cake with the buttercream frosting and chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours before finishing with the Chocolate Ganache Glaze.

Chocolate Ganache Glaze
8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/3 cup scalded whipping cream
Pour scalded cream over the chocolate chips and let stand for 5 minutes before stirring until completely smooth. Pour and spread over the entire torte.

Bacon and Chorizo Frittata

I'm a big advocate of breakfast or brunch dishes for supper, especially during a busy work week. This frittata is a great suggestion for a very flavourful, quick and easy weekday supper or weekend brunch idea.

Serves 4-6

Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet. Add and cook until softened:

1 clove minced garlic

In a large bowl whisk together

6 large eggs
1/3 cup whipping cream
Salt and pepper to season
½ tsp ground cumin
2 tbsp hot sauce (optional)

To the egg mixture fold in:

8 slices crisp cooked bacon, crumbled
4 ounces cooked chorizo sausage, chopped
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
¼ cup chopped cilantro
1 roasted red pepper, diced
½ cup pitted kalamata olives
1 cup precooked pasta

Pour into a greased 9x9 baking dish or back into an oiled oven proof skillet.
Bake for 30-40 minutes or until the center springs back when pressed lightly.

Blackstrap Barbeque Braised Beef

Blackstrap Barbeque Braised Beef

The weather is not exactly cooperating for outdoor grilling here in St. John's these days, so this is one way of getting my barbeque fix. This is a beef pot roast that is braised in my own Blackstrap Barbeque Sauce and shown served on grilled slices of country loaf from Georgestown Bakery here in St. John's. It also serves well with mashed potatoes and roasted corn as a very flavorful supper meal.

The recipe for the BBQ sauce can be found here:
http://rockrecipes.blogspot.com/2008/05/blackstrap-barbeque-sauce.html

• 3 lb beef pot roast, blade or cross rib cuts work well
• 3 cloves minced garlic
• 1 medium onion diced
• 4 tbsp canola oil
• 2 cups blackstrap barbeque sauce
• 1 ½ cups beef stock
• Salt and pepper to season

Heat the oil in a heavy bottomed skillet. Season the meat with salt and pepper and brown the pot roast on all sides in the skillet. Move the pot roast to a small roasting pan.

Add all the remaining ingredients to the skillet to deglaze the pan, then pour the braising liquid over the beef in the roasting pan. Cover and roast in a 325 degree F oven for 2-3 hours until the meat is fully cooked, tender and falls apart easily.

Turkey Club Wrap on BBQ Flatbread with Lemon Savoury Mayonnaise

Turkey Club Wrap on BBQ Flatbread with Lemon Savoury Mayonnaise

I like to use any of my pizza dough recipes to make flatbreads on a gas grill. I find dough that was made the previous day and stored in a covered bowl overnight to be best for this purpose. I have posted a couple of them previously on this blog. You can find the plain pizza dough recipe here:
http://rockrecipes.blogspot.com/2007/10/grilled-chicken-pizza.html
My whole wheat and oatbran crust recipe can be found here:
http://rockrecipes.blogspot.com/2008/03/steak-and-roasted-red-pepper-pizza.html

I use about 3 ounces of pizza dough per flatbread, forming it into balls and allowing it to rest for about 10 minutes before rolling out to a very thin round of about 9-10 inches in diameter. Lay the dough rounds on a preheated gas grill on medium flame. These cook very quickly, so don't walk away. They will take a minute or less per side. As soon as they are able to be flipped, do so and cook for a minute or less on the other side. It is important not to overcook them, don't allow them to become crispy or else they cannot be folded to use for wraps. We make them all the time during grilling season and use them as a base for quick pizzas, for breakfast wraps, just as an accompaniment for favorite BBQ fare or as shown here, as sandwich or salad wraps. This one is a particular favorite of mine which I often make with leftover rotisserie turkey and add some crisp cooked bacon, baby spinach leaves and sliced tomatoes. The fresh Lemon and Savoury Mayonnaise absolutely makes this sandwich.

Lemon Savoury Mayonnaise

In a blender or food processor combine until thick and pale in color
2 large or extra large egg yolks
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
2 tbsp dried summer savoury

Add oil alternately with lemon juice in three parts, adding the oil very slowly in a thin stream.
1 cup canola oil
Juice of one lemon
This will produce a thick mayonnaise, for a thinner mayo reduce the amount of oil.

Lime Cheesecake Chiffon Pie with Raspberry Compote

Lime Cheesecake Chiffon Pie with Raspberry Compote

This is a terrific summertime BBQ dessert recipe that everyone loves whenever we serve it and it can be prepared a day or two in advance as well. The tangy tart flavors of raspberry and lime play very well with each other in this gelatine based dessert which makes a much lighter and refreshing end to a meal than a traditional cheesecake.

Raspberry Compote:

• 2 cups fresh or frozen raspberries
• ½ cup sugar
• ¼ cup cold water
• 1 tbsp corn starch

Bring the raspberries and sugar to a gentle boil. Dissolve the cornstarch in the water and add to the boiling raspberries stirring constantly until thickened. Simmer for an additional minute, remove from heat and allow the compote to cool to room temperature.

Crust:

• 1 ½ cups graham crumbs
• 3 tbsp sugar
• ½ cup ground almonds
• 1/3 cup melted butter

Mix all ingredients together and press into the bottom and sides of a 10 inch pie plate or, if you prefer, the bottom of a 9 inch springform pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to fully cool before adding the filing.

Filling:

Mix together and set aside:

• 1 ½ envelopes gelatin powder
• 1/3 cup milk

In a double boiler, combine

• 3 egg yolks
• ½ cup sugar
• Pinch salt
• Juice of 3 small limes
• Zest of 3 small limes, very finely minced

Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture reaches 170 degrees F on a candy thermometer. Remove from heat and stir in the softened gelatin mixture. Set aside to cool to lukewarm or near room temperature.

In a small saucepan combine

• 1 cup sugar
• ¼ cup water

Bring to a boil without stirring and continue to cook until the mixture reaches 240 degrees F on a candy thermometer.

In an electric stand mixer, beat together to soft peaks:

• 3 egg whites
• ¼ tsp cream of tartar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Slowly pour the hot syrup in a thin stream down the side of the mixer bowl, being careful not to pour it directly onto the beaters or whisk attachment. Continue beating until the mixture cools to room temperature. You can use an ice bath for the bowl to speed up this process.

When cool slowly begin adding to the bowl:

• 8 ounces cream cheese (at room temperature and cut in small pieces)

Beat well after each addition until smooth. Fold the lime custard and gelatin mixture into the meringue and cream cheese mixture until well combined.

Finally, whip to soft peaks,

• 1 cup whipping cream

Fold into the filling and pour over the pie crust. Chill for 3 hours or overnight. Cut and serve with the raspberry compote on top.

Turkey Sausage Meatball and Roasted Vegetable Soup

I make this soup in 2 basic variations, one as a simple roasted vegetable soup and one with the addition of some very tasty turkey sausage meatballs. I generally use vegetable stock when not adding the meatballs and chicken or turkey stock when adding the meatballs. Either version is very good and when sweet corn is in season, I grill a couple of cobs on the barbecue and cut the kernels off the cob to make a delicious addition to the soup as well.

10 cups vegetable stock (use chicken or turkey stock if adding turkey meatballs to the soup)
1 large red onion, diced
6 cloves minced garlic
4 tablespoons olive oil
3 large carrots cut in sticks or coins
2 large parsnips cut in sticks or coins
½ fennel bulb, diced
1 cup fresh or frozen green peas

2 cobs roasted sweet corn (optional) (kernels cut from cob)
2 large roasted red peppers
2 large tomatoes diced
2 tbsp dry oregano or basil
4 tbsp savoury
Salt and pepper to season
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
18-24 pre-cooked turkey sausage meatballs (recipe follows)

Toss together the onions, garlic, olive oil, carrots, parsnip and fennel. Season the vegetables with salt and pepper and bake in a single layer on a cookie sheet for about 20-25 minutes.

Add the roasted vegetables to the vegetable or chicken stock along with the dried herbs and cayenne pepper if desired. Simmer for about 10-15 minutes before adding the peppers, peas and tomatoes (and corn if desired). (If adding cooked meatballs, add them at this point as well) Simmer for another 15 minutes and taste for final seasoning with salt and pepper before serving.

Turkey Sausage Meatballs

1 pound Turkey sausage removed from casings

2 pound ground turkey
2 eggs
2 ½ -3 cups coarse breadcrumbs
2/3 cup milk
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
1 tbsp dry oregano
2 tbsp dried summer savoury
1 tsp salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Soak the breadcrumbs in the milk for a minute before adding to a large bowl along with all of the remaining ingredients. Mix together until well combined.
Form into 1 ½ inch balls. Mixture will be quite loose so a good tip is to wet your hands with cold water when forming the meatballs. Drop the meatballs onto a lightly oiled cookie sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes at 375 degrees F.

Fried Chicken Wings with Blackstrap BBQ Sauce

Fried Chicken Wings with Blackstrap BBQ Sauce

This is probably the most requested dish that I have ever served when entertaining guests in my home. They have been a mainstay at many a celebration with friends over the years and some are not shy about requesting them in advance when an invitation is extended. We don't like to disappoint. ;)

3 pounds chicken wings, washed, trimmed and cut in pieces.

Mix together

2 cups flour
2 teaspoons freshly grated nutmeg
½ tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp dry oregano
1 tbsp dry basil

Dip the chicken wings into an egg wash made from
2 eggs
4 tbsp milk

Dredge the egg washed wings in the flour mixture and drop them in a canola oil filled and preheated 350 degree F deep fryer for about 15-20 minutes depending upon the size of the wings until a medium golden brown. Drain on a wire rack placed on a cookie sheet. Hold in a 175 degree oven if making more than one batch. Serve with Blackstrap Barbeque Dipping Sauce. Find that recipe here: http://rockrecipes.blogspot.com/2008/05/blackstrap-barbeque-sauce.html

Blackstrap Barbeque Sauce

Blackstrap Barbeque Sauce

• One 14 ounce can plain tomato sauce
• 4 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1/3 cup blackstrap molasses (substitute regular fancy molasses if necessary or if you don't like the strong flavor of blackstrap)
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper (optional or to taste)
• 1 tbsp ground fennel seed
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon ground dry oregano
• ½ tsp kosher salt

Simmer all ingredients together slowly for about a half hour.

Lemon and Rosemary Marinated Grilled Chicken

Lemon and Rosemary Marinated Grilled Chicken

A lean and light, very easy marinated chicken breast recipe that's ideal to slice and serve atop your favorite garden salad.

To make the marinade mix together:

• Juice of 1 lemon
• Zest of one lemon
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
• 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar

In a glass bowl or large Ziploc bag place the chicken pieces in the marinade and place in the fridge for 30-60 minutes, no longer. Grill the chicken on medium flame until completely cooked. Makes enough marinade for about 6 chicken pieces.

Ragged Rock Black Bottom Pie

Ragged Rock Black Bottom Pie

This is my take on a classic and pretty simple no-bake pie that combines the flavors of chocolate and Ragged Rock rum, one of our local brands here in Newfoundland. You can, of course, substitute any good quality rum in this recipe. Hey, rum and chocolate...how bad can that possibly be? ;)

2 cups chocolate cookie crumbs
1/3 cup melted butter
2 tbsp sugar

Combine together and press into the bottom and sides of a lightly greased 10 inch pie plate.

Soften 1 envelope (2 teaspoons) gelatine in ¼ cup milk. Set aside.

In a small saucepan combine

2 cups milk
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 egg yolks
½ cup sugar

Heat just to boiling over medium heat, stirring constantly. Measure off 1 cup of the custard and to it add

½ cup dark chocolate chips

Stir until the chocolate is fully melted and the custard is smooth. Spread in the bottom of the prepared cookie crumb crust.

To the remaining custard add the softened gelatine and stir until it is dissolved into the mixture, then stir in:

1 tsp vanilla extract
¼ cup Ragged Rock rum

Place the custard bowl in an ice bath and stir occasionally, scraping the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula until the gelatine in the custard begins to partially set, forming soft mounds.

With an electric mixer begin to beat to soft peaks

2 egg whites
¼ tsp cream of tartar

Gradually beat in
1/3 cup sugar

Continue to beat until the sugar is dissolved and the meringue is quite stiff. Slowly begin to beat in the custard by large spoonfuls, beating well after each addition until all the custard is incorporated. Pour the mixture over the chocolate custard in the prepared cookie crumb crust. Chill the pie in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight before garnishing with whipped cream and chocolate shavings or melted chocolate and serving. Serves 8.

Easy Puff Pastry Bacon and Cheddar Quiche

This simple bacon and cheddar quiche is a really quick and easy recipe for Sunday brunch. No need to make pastry, just use store bought frozen puff pastry. No need to roll out the pastry either or even trim it into a circle for a standard pie plate, just use a square baking dish instead and save the fuss.


Serves 4

1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
6 eggs
6 slices smoked bacon
2 cloves minced garlic
½ cup whipping cream
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
½ tsp salt
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Place the puff pastry sheet in a 8x8 inch baking pan, covering the bottom and sides.

Cut the bacon in small pieces and fry to crisp in a heavy skillet over medium low heat.

Whisk together the eggs, whipping cream, salt and pepper. Fold in the garlic, cheese and bacon. Pour into the pastry crust and bake for about 30 minutes or until the eggs are fully set. Cut and serve.

Raspberry-Orange Chocolate Buttercream Torte

This tempting torte was thrown together for dessert a couple of nights ago based on some leftover chocolate buttercream frosting and raspberry compote that I already had on hand. A really delicious mix of flavours in this one for sure and it was well appreciated by my dinner guests and a couple of lucky friends who received the leftovers the following day.

As an alternative to brushing the cake with orange syrup you can use a couple of ounces of Grand Marnier or similar orange based liqueur or even a raspberry liqueur if you prefer.

Orange Cake
Cream well

1 cups sugar
½ cup butter
Zest of one orange

Add
2 eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition
1 tsp vanilla extract

Sift together
1 1/3 cups + 1 tbsp cake flour
1 tsp baking powder

Fold in the dry ingredients in three equal portions, alternately with
½ cup whole milk, in 2 equal portions

Always begin and end with dry ingredients. Pour batter into a greased and floured 9 or 10 inch round cake pan. Bake for approximately 25 minutes at 325 degrees F or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Watch them carefully as they can over bake quite quickly. Cool on a wire rack .

Orange Syrup

½ cup sugar
Juice of one orange + enough water to make ½ cup
Zest of one orange

Boil together in a small saucepan until the mixture becomes syrupy about 10-15 minutes.

Raspberry Compote
3 cups fresh or frozen raspberries
2/3 cup sugar
1 ½ tbsp cornstarch dissolved in a little water

Bring the raspberries and sugar to a rolling boil. Add enough of the cornstarch slurry to slightly thicken the compote. Cook for an additional 30 seconds to a minute. Set aside to cool.

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

2/3 cups sugar
1/3 cup water

Combine and bring to a boil. Continue to boil over medium heat without stirring until the mixture reaches 240 degrees on a candy thermometer.

Meanwhile beat together to stiff peaks

2 egg whites at room temperature
¼ tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp vanilla extract
Pinch salt

Slowly pour in the sugar syrup hitting the side of the bowl and not the beaters. Continue beating the frosting for 10-15 minutes until the meringue is completely cool. When completely cool, slowly begin to add, a few tablespoons at a time

2/3 cup softened unsalted butter

Beat until smooth after each addition.

Combine and melt in a double boiler:

6 ounces chocolate, chopped in small pieces
3 tbsp butter

Add to the meringue mixture and beat well until frosting reaches a spreadable consistency. This may take 15 minutes or so and you may have to chill the frosting for several minutes before beating it again to get it to stiffen. Alternatively, you can place the frosting bowl in an ice bath while continuing to beat constantly until the icing stiffens sufficiently.

Chocolate Ganache
12 ounces chocolate, chopped in small pieces
½ cup scalded whipping cream

Pour scalded cream over the chocolate in a medium sized bowl. Let stand for 5 minutes then stir until completely smooth. Note: You can add a teaspoon of finely grated orange zest to the ganache for extra orange flavour if desired.

To Assemble the Torte
Split the cake in two layers and brush each layer with the orange syrup. Using a piping bag or a plastic bag with the corner snipped off pipe a ½ inch thick border of buttercream frosting around the perimeter of the bottom layer of cake to form a sort of well to contain the raspberry compote. Pour the chilled compote into the well and top with the second layer of cake. Frost the entire cake with the remainder of the chocolate buttercream frosting. Chill in the refrigerator for a couple of hours before spreading on the chocolate ganache. Chill for another half an hour. Garnish with raspberries and or orange slices if desired.

Salmon in Sour Cream Pastry with Tarragon Dijon cream Sauce

This salmon is one of my favorite dinner party entrees because it can be prepared ahead of time and just popped into the oven for about a half hour or so before serving. I often make it the day before if I am particularly busy on the day I have guests. Such was the case yesterday when I had the grandparents and Nanny Moo invited for supper before heading off to Olivia's annual dance recital in the early evening. With an Orange-Raspberry Chocolate Buttercream Torte for dessert, it was a very well received meal by all.

The salmon can also be prepared in individual servings if you prefer.

Serves 4
1 ½ pound boneless skinless salmon fillet

Pastry:

3 cups all purpose flour
2 cups very cold butter
1 tsp salt
1 cup sour cream

Cut butter into the flour and salt with a food processor or pastry blender until mixture resembles a coarse meal. Small pieces of butter should still be visible in the mix. Stir in the sour cream to form a dough. Form dough into two rectangles, wrap in plastic and rest in the fridge for 20 minutes. You can freeze one to use at another time.

Roll one dough rectangle out to a thickness of about 1/8 inch and trim to 2 inches longer than the length of the salmon fillet and 2 inches wider than the fillet.
Place salmon on the pastry. You should trim off the tail section of the fillet and place it on the thinnest part of the fillet to get a uniform thickness along the length of the salmon.
Season the salmon with salt and pepper and a squeeze of lemon. Sprinkle the salmon with dill or tarragon. Fold the dough over the salmon and pinch the edges together to seal. Brush the top of the pastry with an egg wash of one beaten egg and 1 tbsp water. Chill for at least ½ hour before baking in a preheated 375 degree F oven for about a half hour to 40 minutes depending upon the thickness of the salmon until the pastry is a uniform golden brown.
Serve with Tarragon-Dijon Cream Sauce.

Tarragon-Dijon Cream Sauce
In a small saucepan heat
2 tbsp olive oil
3 cloves minced garlic
Cook for a minute or 2 until the garlic is translucent. Add
3 oz white wine
Simmer until volume is reduced by half. Then add:
2 cups whipping cream
3 tbsp Dijon mustard
3 tbsp fresh chopped tarragon
Salt and pepper to season.
Simmer until sauce thickens enough to coat a metal spoon.