Jamaican Eats shares ‘My Wooden Spoons’

Many Thanks to Grace Cameron, Editor of the fabulous magazine ‘Jamaican Eats’ for bringing, ‘My Wooden Spoons’ to your readers.    

 How Exciting!!!

I was humbled by the wonderful coverage given to my blog in the ‘Readers Recipes’ section!  What a superb job and this magazine continues to inspire cooks around the globe.  I for one believe this is one of the best Caribbean magazines relating to Jamaian foods that you will find.  It continues to offer top notch recipes, photos and shares inspirational stories from their readers.

You can get your subscription now @  http://www.jamaicaneats.com/home/home.aspx

Spinach & Basil Salmon Cakes

Salmon cakes are a wonderful, easy week night dinner choice.  A simple can of salmon along with a spinach salad is a healthy choice.  These cakes are easy to prepare and are ready in minutes.  You can add any of your own ingredients, but this is a simple easy recipe that works everytime.  You won’t be disappointed.  Simply delicious!

Ingredients

1 can salmon, remove skin and large bones

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups panko bread crumbs

1 tsp dijon mustard

1 tsp parsley

1/2 tsp fresh chopped rosemary or dried

1/2  tsp fresh squeezed lemon juice

pinch of cayenne pepper

pinch of cumin

pinch of black pepper ( 1/4 tsp)

1 tbsp mayonnaise

2 tbsp onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1/2 cup chopped spinach

2 sprigs fresh basil, chopped or 1 tbsp dried

2 tbsp virgin oil

Prepare

Add the canned salmon to a mixing bowl and with a fork, remove the skin, flake and mash.  Add the eggs, bread crumbs and mix well before adding all of the other ingredients.  Form into 4 patty cakes.

In a skillet, add virgin oil and heat to a medium/high heat.  Add the salmon cakes and cook on one side until golden brown, then turn and brown the other side.

Serve with a a spinach salad, garlic yogurt dressing, and garnish with a lemon slice.

Rosemary Beer Braised Lamb Shanks

I love lamb shanks, so when the temperatures are well below freezing it’s a treat to braise a couple of lamb shanks, smother with root vegetables, fresh herbs, red wine, dark stout beer and simmer for hours.

The kitchen aromas can’t be beat and it warms the heart and soul. When done….the meat will fall off the bone and the lovely simmered root vegetables along with a delightful tasty sauce is perfect with a scoop of garlic mashed potatoes.

As good as any Irish Stew dish in the depths of the winter.

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

2 fresh lamb shanks

1 onion, chopped into good sized pieces

4 cloves garlic, chopped

2 carrots, chopped into large pieces

2 parsnips, chopped into large pieces

2 celery ribs, chopped into large pieces

2 tablespoons tomato paste  ( 1/2 small can)

 

2 tomatoes, chopped

1 (12 fluid ounce) bottle dark stout (such as Guinness )

1/4 cup red wine

2 beef oxo cubes/packages

3 sprigs fresh thyme

2 sprigs fresh chopped parsely or 2 tsp dried parsley

2 bay leaves

1 sprig fresh rosemary

salt and pepper to taste

Prepare

Heat oil in a Dutch oven or skillet on medium-high heat.  Brown the lamb shanks in the hot oil on all sides until well browned, about 10 minutes. Remove lamb shanks and set aside.

Reduce heat to medium, and in the same dutch oven or skillet, stir in the onions and garlic, carrots, turnips, and celery, cooking for 10 minutes.   If using a skillet, now add the beef bouillion, wine, tomatoes, tomato paste and stout beer.

Add the shanks to the baking dish ( if not using a dutch oven ) and cover with the vegetables and liquid.  Cover and add to a preheated 350 degree oven along with all the herbs.

Check every 20 minutes and add juices and turn the shanks.  Cook for 2.5 hours reducing heat to 325C after 1.5 hours.  You want the cooking liquid to have reduced into a nice sauce by the time the lamb shanks are done.

When the shanks are done the meat should fall off the bone.  Serve with a nice bottle of red wine and garnish with a sprig of rosemary.

Serves 2

Whole Cauliflower with Herbs, Tomato & Olive Oil

I simply loved this recipe…you’ll definitely want to give this one a try.  It has wonderful medditeranean aromas and flavors with the herbs, olive oil and tomatoes combined. 

I had a whole cauliflower in the fridge, and wanted to do something exciting with it.  I was tired of the old ‘cheese sauce’ style, so I did some googling and came up with some ideas and recipes. 

The whole cooking method was appealing to me, Jamie Oliver had most of the ingredients that I wanted to use.  I used fresh tomatoes instead of canned, I also had sun-dried tomatoes that I wanted to finish up, so I planned my recipe with the ingredients on hand.  * Don’t be afraid to add your own ideas and ingredients to this recipe.

Ingredients

1 head of cauliflower, cored and kept whole

1 medium onion, chopped

5 cloves garlic, chopped

1 stalk celery, chopped with leaves on

5 medium tomatoes, chopped ( or 1 can diced )

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil ( with or without herbs )

1 tsp parsley

1/2 tsp of black ground pepper

2 sprigs of fresh thyme ( or 1/2 tsp )

1/4 tsp oregano

1/4 tsp basil

1/4 cup red wine

6 olives, pitted and sliced

1/4 cup sun-dried tomato antipasto, with oil ( comes packaged in oil )

2 tbsp parmesan cheese ( optional )

Prepare

Remove the leaves from the cauliflower and core, leaving the head in tact.  Use a dish deep enough to cover the top of the caulifower ( make sure it fits for the steaming process).  On top of the stove add onion, garlic, celery and a small amount of the olive oil and saute for a few minutes.  Chop up the tomatoes and add to the dish.

Add the parsley, oregano, basil, pepper, olives, red wine and sun-dried tomatoes with some of the oil from the package. (if they come in an oil based package) and simmer for a few minutes.  Throw in a couple of sprigs of fresh thyme.

Make a spot in the centre of the dish and push the cauliflower to the bottom so that it is half covered by the tomato mixture around the outside.  Drizzle the caulflower with oil, spinkle with a bit of parsley and cover with the lid.

On a low to medium heat, cover the dish and cook for approximately 50 minutes.

Let cool, then serve the dish to the table.  It makes a lovely presentation.  If desired you can sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

Serves 4 – 6

http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/vegetarian-recipes/whole-baked-cauliflower-with-tomato-and

 

Spinach & Sundried Tomato Pasta Toss

This dish was delightfully fresh and satisfying.  I love making tomato pasta sauce during the week, an easy meal to pull out the fridge when you don’t feel like cooking.

I decided to add spinach and sundried tomatoes along with parmesan cheese and toss it along with the whole wheat pasta.  It was a scrumptous and light supper.

Ingredients

Your favorite spaghetti sauce ( * below is one of my favorites )

*Summer Zucchini Pasta Sauce..

1 cup spinach

1/4 cup parmesan cheese

1 tbsp. sundried tomato antipasto

1 wedge fresh lemon

1/2 cup whole wheat pasta ( cooked )

Prepare

Heat up a bowl of your cooked pasta and spaghetti sauce.  Tear up the spinach and add to sauce, tossing it thoroughly.  Add parmesan cheese and top with sundried tomaotes.  Add a squeeze of lemon.

This is a nice way to switch up spaghetti and it feels so much healthier.  You tend to eat last pasta and more spinach.

Serve with garlic toast and a nice glass of chilled chardonnay.

SunDried Tomato & Goat Cheese Stuffed Shrimp

These delicious appetizers are delicious and great for any occasion.  Shrimp is such a versatile appetizer and we like to keep frozen shrimp on hand at all times.

Wrapped in Prosciutto, these tasty bites were stuffed with Sundried tomatoes and goat cheese and baked in the oven.

Ingredients

10 large count shrimp, peeled but with tails on

1 package of sundried tomato antipasto

1 small package of goat cheese

10 strips of prosciutto

Prepare

Lay strips of prosciutto on a cutting board, add a shrimp and a small spoonful of sundried tomatoes and a small spoon of goat cheese.  Wrap the shrimp in the prosciutto and secure with a toothpick.

Place on a wire rack in a baking pan.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Bake shrimp for approximately 15 minutes, turning once.  If you choose you can broil at the end for a few minutes to brown the prosciutto.

Serve hot and garnish with lemon wedges.

Beef Wellington

Well, this was first for us, and I have always wanted to do a beef wellington, and actually not really sure why I haven’t.  But at the request of my daughter, we decided on New Years Day to attempt such a feat….lol

With price guiding the meat purchase, tenderloin wasn’t on sale, so after talking with the butcher we used the next best roast….a favourite of ours too!

The First Slice into the Roast…mmmmm

Temperatures needed to be adjusted but, we were happy with the finished product.

Ingredients

3.5 lbs rib eye roast ( tenderloin is the choice of cut beef wellington )

1/4 cup butter

2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms

1/4 cup chopped onion

2 Tbsp red wine

1/4 cup chopped parsley

 Pastry - 1 package frozen puff pastry

 4 oz liver pâté

 1 egg, beaten

Prepare

Preheat oven to 425°F . Roast Beef on a rack in an uncovered roaster for 55 minutes or until the meat thermometer reads 120°F.  Remove from oven, let stand 30 minutes.
Sauté mushrooms and onion in butter until tender. Add wine and parsley.

Cook until all liquid evaporates; cool.

Roll pastry into 18″ x 14″ rectangle about 1/4 inch thick. Spread pâté over pastry leaving 2″ margin. Spoon mushroom mixture down centre of pastry. Place roast, top side down, on mushrooms.

Wrap meat completely with pastry. Seal edges with beaten egg. Cut steam vents and decorate with extra pieces of pastry. Brush top and sides with egg.

Bake at 425°F for 45 minutes. Cool 10 minutes before carving.

* Wellington may be prepared to this stage earlier in the day and kept refrigerated.

Turned out perfect…    Not overcooked in the least…

Serve with Rosemary Roasted Mini Potatoes….and asparagus…

Serves 6

Serve with a Red wine Brown gravy and a nice bottle of wine   Enjoy..

2011 in review.. This is pretty cool ~

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2011 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

The concert hall at the Syndey Opera House holds 2,700 people. This blog was viewed about 17,000 times in 2011. If it were a concert at Sydney Opera House, it would take about 6 sold-out performances for that many people to see it.

Click here to see the complete report.

All the Best in 2012…’Midnight Martini’

To all My Blog Friends ~

I wanted to thank you all for taking the time to visit my blog, leave comments or just stopping by to check out a recipe.  It has been a good year, new challenges, traveling with lots of photography shoots and a lovely new home.

I am blessed to have a wonderful family and friends….and thank you once again for all of your support and encouragement and I wish everyone health, happiness and prosperity in 2012.  Here is the recipe for our newly concocted martini!  It was delcious 

Midnight Martini

Ingredients

1 oz. champagne

1/2 oz vodka

1/2 oz Grand Marnier

1 squeeze of lemon

1 oz. soda water

splash of gingerale

Fresh raspberries

Ice

Prepare

Place sugar on a place and add 2 drops of yellow food colouring.  Rim the martini glass with lemon and place the glass face down to rim the edge.

Add all the liquid ingredients in a martini shaker and ice, then pour into your glass.  ( You can shake the martini if you choose)

Add the raspberries and a thin slice of lemon for garnish.

Delicious!!  Serves 1

Cinnamon Gold Flake Martini

Deck the halls….now let’s make a new Christmas Martini!    I love trying to come up with new and exciting martini’s, so this year I looked around for a liqueur that I wouldn’t normally buy.  I came across this pretty looking bottle with real gold flakes and tasted like cinnamon!  It kind of looked like a winter snow globe.  Now that was it….

‘Cinnamon Gold Flake Martini’

Ingredients

1 oz Goldschlager Cinnamon Schnapps

1/2 oz vodka

1/2 oz rum

1 oz soda water

1/2 oz cranberry spritzer

6 fresh cranberries

1 tbsp sugar

1-2 drops red food colouring

Crushed Ice

Prepare

Place sugar on a plate and add red food colouring.  Mix together.  Use a lime to rim the glass then place face down in the coloured sugar to cover the rim of the glass.

Add all the ingredients to a martini glass, a squeeze of lime, then add crushed ice.  You can use a shaker if desired.

Delicious and festive.  Serves 1