Sunday, September 15, 2024

Denise’s peach pie.

From Nadine Rollo-

  • I’ve got a really easy recipe We all (sisters)have the same recipe and we all use it.

    .(for 1 pie)
    3/4 C Sugar
    4TB cornstarch
    1 Pinch of salt
    1C cold water
    1 T Lemon juice to taste 
    10 drops of lemon essential oil
     1/8 c butter

    Cook to pie shell first and let it cool in freezer or fridge.

    Stir together the sugar, cornstarch and salt.
    Add 1c water slowly while stirring.. and keep stirring.
    It will become really thick stir and cook for one minute. remove from the heat and add your lemon juice to taste and the butter.
     Add the peaches to the sauce stir. carefully Add to prepare pie shells and enjoy it.

    Refrigerate for a couple of hours but if not, it’s OK. It taste good either way. I hope this works for you. We do love it with whipping cream by the way or ice cream.. … I told Lily that if the peaches ripen on any of the trees while we are gone, but you are welcome to take some peaches. Thank you for letting her do all this. She’s a great help.

Thursday, September 12, 2024

Vietnamese Noodles with Lemongrass Chicken

Original recipe Serves 4 people

Doubled recipe serves 8 people


CHICKEN AND MARINADE

       DOUBLE             ORIGINAL              
  • 2-3lbs chicken     600 - 800g / 1.2 - 1.6lb chicken thigh fillets , skinless and boneless or breast (or pork, beef or any seafood)
  • 2                          1 stalk lemongrass , white part only, bruised them sliced into pieces easy to pick out later (Note 1)
  • 4                          2 garlic cloves , finely chopped or minced
  • 4 T                       2 tbsp lime juice
  • 4T                        2 tbsp fish sauce (Note 2)
  • 2T                       1 tbsp soy sauce (all purpose or light, NOT dark soy)
  • 4T                       2 tbsp brown sugar
  • 2T                      1 tbsp vegetable oil

NUOC CHAM (VIETNAMESE SAUCE)

  • 1/4 cup fish sauce (Note 3)
  • 4 tbsp rice vinegar
  • 2 tbsp white sugar
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 2 garlic cloves , finely chopped
  • 1 red birds eye chilli , finely chopped (Note 4)
  • 3 tbsp lime juice

NOODLE BOWL

  • 1/2 tbsp oil
  • 200 g / 7 oz vermicelli noodles , dried
  • 2 carrots , julienned
  • 2 cucumbers , julienned (optional: remove seeds)
  • 5 cups iceberg lettuce , finely sliced
  • 3 cups bean sprouts
  • Handful of mint leaves
  • Handful of cilantro/coriander
  • Sliced red chilli (for garnish - optional)
  • Lime wedges (to serve - optional but recommended)

Instructions

LEMONGRASS CHICKEN

  • Combine Chicken and Marinade ingredients and set aside for at least 1 hour, up to 24 hours. (Note 4)
  • Heat 1/2 tbsp oil in a fry pan over medium heat (or heat the BBQ). Remove chicken from marinade, shaking off large bits of lemongrass (small bits should fall off during cooking).
  • Place chicken in the pan and cook each side until dark golden brown and chicken is just cooked through - about 6 to 8 minutes in total.
  • Remove from pan, shaking off any remaining bits of visible lemongrass and set aside to rest for 5 minutes. Then slice into thin pieces.

NUOC CHAM SAUCE

  • Combine the Nuoc Cham ingredients and mix well to dissolve the sugar. Adjust to your taste (spiciness, lime, sweetness) and set aside for at least 20 minutes.

ASSEMBLE

  • Soak the vermicelli noodles in hot water for 3 minutes (or according to packet instructions), then drain and rinse under cold water to stop the noodles from sticking together.
  • Individual servings: Place noodles in bowl. Top with vegetables and herbs, and sliced chicken pieces. Drizzle with a few tablespoons of Nuoc Cham Sauce (be generous, ~ 4 tbsp per serving) and serve with lime wedges.
  • DIY (my preferred way): Place chicken, vegetables, herbs, noodles and sauce in separate bowls / piled on platters. Then let everyone make their own bowls!

Recipe Notes:

1. Lemongrass - to prepare, peel the tough outer layers off to reveal the softer white part on the bottom ~1/3 of the lemongrass. Bruise using the back of the knife (see video). Don't slice too finely or finely chop, you want the pieces large enough so you can just brush them off (lemongrass is kind of tough, it has to be very finely chopped / cooked for a long time to eat).
You could sub with 1 tbsp lemongrass paste.
2. Fish sauce is a key ingredient in a lot of Asian cooking. Don't worry, it doesn't taste fishy when combined with other ingredients! It's an incredible flavour enhancer that has more depth than salt or soy sauce and is very cheap to buy at supermarkets or Asian grocery stores (even better value!).
3. Chilli -This can be substituted with any spicy chilli or even chilli paste. Adjust to your taste.
4. CUSTOMISE:
  • Make this kid friendly by just serving the chilli on the side.
  • To make it GLUTEN FREE, ensure you use GF tamari.
  • Sub the vegetables with other vegetables of choice eg. capsicum/bell peppers, snow peas (finely sliced)
5. Freezing: Pop the chicken in the fridge as soon as it's in the marinade. Then let it defrost in the fridge - it will marinate during this time.
6. DIY Noodle Bowl Spread: Pile all the components on a large platter or separate bowls and let guests serve themselves. That's how I typically serve this.
7. Nutrition per serving.

Wednesday, September 4, 2024

Brinley Brownies

DBL     Original Recipe

4          2 eggs

1c        1/2 c oil

2c        1 c sugar

2t        1 t vanilla

1c        1/2c flour

2/3c     1/3c cocoa powder

1/2t      1/4t baking powder

1/2t       1/4 t salt


Mix ingredients pour into Sprayed 8x8 pan 

Bake @ 350 for 20-25min

Double recipe to fit in a 9x13 pan