Edibletcetera – Fast & Fabulous Food | Quick (Mostly) & Easy Recipes for Busy People who LOVE Good Food…

Recipe – Indian Spiced Fishcakes

Posted on January 25, 2014 by edibletcetera

I nearly tore my hair out the other day, trying to find some Atlantic fish or fish that was farmed on the US east coast. In the end I resorted to buying Chilean-farmed salmon which worked pretty well in this recipe. At least that’s in the South Pacific and far away from Japan’s east coast – but I’d have loved to have got my hands on some fresh Atlantic cod or haddock.

Why am I being so picky? You might well ask and here’s why; every single variety of frozen fish I found in the supermarket labeled ‘Wild Caught’, states in teeny tiny print on the back, ‘A Product of China’. What?!? The US doesn’t fish anymore?

The alternatives were no better – ‘Farm-raised in Somewhere, Indonesia’. All a bit depressing but now that I’m the owner of a Russian-made, pocket SOEKS Geiger counter, I’m able to steer clear of anything Pacific-caught that potentially glows in the dark with unacceptable levels of radiation.

You can make these wonderful little fishcakes as hot and spicy as you like by increasing or decreasing the amount of chili. Brits have the edge with their access to fresh haddock (my preference), although thawed frozen fish fillets work very well in fishcakes and I think they’d also be great made with lump crabmeat – the rest of us will have to make do with what’s available.

They’re versatile so you might want to double the quantity and freeze them. They make a great appetizer or hors d’oeuvre (in which case, make them smaller and stab them with a cocktail stick). I like to serve them with a creamy yoghurt-based, fresh mint and cilantro relish that also happens to go very well with many Indian inspired dishes.

Finally, if you can’t find certain spices in your local supermarket and you don’t have an Indian/Asian food emporium nearby; ‘A1 Spice World’ is excellent for mail order.

HOT & SPICY FISHCAKES

(Serves 4 as a main course)

Ingredients:

4 oz (110g) of slightly stale white bread

1 lb (450g) fillet of haddock or cod (or similar) skinned and cut into chunks

½ oz (15g) of fresh cilantro (coriander), chopped

1 egg

Sea salt to taste (approx 1 teaspoon)

2 tablespoons (30ml) of oil suitable for high-temp cooking (I use avocado or grape-seed)

1 medium sized yellow onion, finely chopped

2 teaspoons of freshly grated ginger

2 teaspoons of crushed garlic

1-2 fresh chilies (I like Serrano) seeds removed and chopped

1 teaspoon of ground up anise seed (ajowain)

1/2 -1 teaspoon of chili powder (adjust to taste)

1/2 teaspoon of Garam Masala

¼ teaspoon of turmeric

A little gram (garbanzo/chickpea) flour or coconut flour to lightly dust the fishcakes in before frying

Extra high-temp oil for frying

Action:

Soak the stale bread in cold water for a minute then squeeze out the water and put the bread in a food processor along with the chunks of fish, cilantro (coriander), egg and sea salt. Pulse until smooth and transfer to a large bowl – set it aside.

Heat the oil in a large wide sauté pan and once it’s hot, stir fry the onion, garlic and ginger for about 4 minutes until soft but don’t let the onion brown.

Add the chopped green chilies, ground anise, chili powder, turmeric and garam masala and stir fry for another 2 minutes. Take off the heat and cool. Once it’s cool, add it to the fish mixture, stir thoroughly then cover and chill for a minimum of 2 hrs or overnight.

When you’re ready to cook them, divide the mixture into four (if serving as a main course) and shape into 5 fishcakes, making a total of 20. Make them half that size (40) if serving as an appetizer/hors d’oeuvre.

Dust them with a little gram or coconut flour.

In a wide, deep pan, heat up the oil over a medium heat until it’s smoking hot. You want enough oil to half cover each fishcake. Fry them for 6-8 minutes turning once, until they’re evenly browned on both sides.

Drain them on kitchen paper and serve right away.

(Based on a Madhur Jaffrey recipe)

Posted in Fish & Seafood, Indian & Asian Cuisine | 12 Comments

Recipe: Pistachio Cookies

Posted on January 18, 2014 by edibletcetera

These crisp little pistachio cookies are deliciously nutty and go really well with a nice cup of tea. Or coffee. Or neither – just eat them on their own; they’re irresistibly more-ish.

Although they’re wheat-free, you do need a really well-floured board to roll them out on. I use oat flour for it’s complimentary nutty taste but any type of flour will do (except whole wheat – it’s too strong-tasting).

You can buy rosewater from any high end grocery store or Asian food market. It has lots of uses – I keep a bottle of rosewater in my fridge and whisk it into honey-sweetened yoghurt over ice in the summer (Lassi); you can use it to perfume cakes, frosting/icing, strawberries, etc…or sprinkle it over a Bangalore Phal (a bloody hot lamb curry) as a fragrant palliative for the pending palate-searing heat that accompanies the first mouthful; and it’s an essential ingredient in B’stilla (a Moroccan chicken and almond pastry). You could even sprinkle it on your pillow to encourage sweet dreams. Anyway, you get the idea.

These cookies have minimal ingredients so you can really taste the pistachios – and they’re easy to make but the rolling out part is a bit of an effort because the ‘dough’ is rather stiff.

Whole Foods sells raw shelled pistachios in bulk but you might get a better deal at an Asian supermarket if you have one nearby.

PISTACHIO COOKIES

(Makes about 40)

Ingredients:

15 oz (425g) of unsalted raw shelled pistachios

1 and 2/3 cups (400ml measure) of powdered/icing sugar, plus extra for dusting

1 large egg plus 2 egg yolks

1 tablespoon of unsalted butter, melted

1 teaspoon of rosewater

Flour for rolling

Action:

Pre-heat the oven to 300F (150C)

Spread the nuts in a shallow baking tray and toast them in the oven for 8 minutes, then rub off as much skin as you can in a kitchen towel, or roll them around in a metal fine mesh strainer over the sink; don’t worry if you can’t get all the skins off.

Put the pistachios and powdered sugar in a food processor and pulse until it’s really fine.

Mix the egg and yolks together and blending with a fork, add them a little at a time to the powdered sugar/nut mixture. You’ll have incredibly sticky dough. Add the melted butter and rosewater and knead everything together to combine well.

Divide the dough into two flattened disks and cover one with plastic wrap while you roll out the first batch.

You’ll need a really well-floured surface for this and keep the flour handy for loosening up sticky bits. Roll the dough out until its approx 1/8^th inch (4mm) thick, then using a 2 inch (5cm) well-floured cookie cutter, cut them out and place on an un-greased cookie sheet.

Bake at 300F (150C) in the middle of the oven for 20-25 minutes, until they’re golden.

Carefully transfer them to a rack to cool and dust with powdered sugar while they’re still warm.

These delicious little treats will keep in an airtight container at room temp for about 5 days (if you have any left by then).

Posted in Cookies & Edible Gifts, Gluten Free Desserts | 9 Comments

Recipe: Rich Chocolate Almond Cake

Posted on January 11, 2014 by edibletcetera

I don’t believe it’s possible to have too much chocolate, regardless of how much of it we’ve stuffed into our faces over the past month – nor do I believe we need a special occasion to indulge either.

So here’s yet another devastatingly good chocolate confection that’s wheat free, moist (due to the ground almonds) and lighter than you’d expect, thanks to the meringue that’s folded into the mix before baking.

There are many versions of flourless chocolate cake; for instance Bête Noire is a classic and a huge crowd-pleaser if you’re in the right frame of mind for eating a giant truffle. If you prefer a nuttier-tasting cake, the Chocolate Hazelnut Torte is one of the best…and then there’s the one you don’t bake at all that’s choc-full of puréed French chestnuts (Le Turinois) – but for now, it’s chocolate with ground almonds – absolutely delicious and because it freezes well, you won’t feel you have to eat the whole thing alone…but then again, you might.

Note: you’ll need a few large mixing bowls and an electric whisk/beater. *Green & Black’s Organic Cocoa Powder is available online (and probably from gourmet food shops such as Whole Foods) – it’s by far the best but if you can’t find it, use the best quality unsweetened cocoa available.

RICH CHOCOLATE ALMOND CAKE

(Serves 10-12)

Ingredients:

7 oz (200g) of best quality dark chocolate (min 65% cocoa solids), broken into small pieces

5 1/2 oz (150g) of unsalted butter at room temp

5 eggs, separated

7 oz (200g) of fine (caster) sugar

3 tablespoons of espresso or strong black coffee

1 teaspoon of baking powder

2 tablespoons of *Green & Black’s organic cocoa powder

3 1/2 oz (100g) of ground almonds / almond meal

Powdered (icing) sugar for dusting

Action:

Lightly grease a 9 inch (22cm) spring-form cake pan and line the base with baking parchment.

Put the chocolate and butter in a covered bowl over a pan of water that just boiled (turn the heat off and make sure the bottom of the bowl isn’t touching the water). After about 8-10 minutes, give it a good stir until it’s totally melted and glossy. Set aside to cool for a bit.

Pre-heat the oven to 365F (185C).

In a separate bowl, beat half of the sugar into the egg yolks until they’re pale and thick then fold this into the cooled melted chocolate and butter.

Mix the ground almonds, baking powder and cocoa together (I use a clean dry whisk) and fold this into the chocolate-egg mixture, followed by the coffee. Stir everything carefully but thoroughly (no more whisking or beating).

Whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form, then gradually whisk in the remaining sugar a small amount at a time.

Finally, fold in the beaten egg whites in four batches, using a large metal spoon and with a cutting motion. You don’t want to deflate the egg whites. Once everything is thoroughly combined, spoon it into the prepared pan.

Bake for 45-50 minutes in the pre-heated oven, until a skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool the cake in the pan on a rack.

Once cooled, remove the cake from the pan and dust it with powdered sugar.

I like to serve it with a blob of crème fraîche and whatever pretty berries or fruits are in season.

Posted in Desserts, Gluten Free Desserts | Leave a comment

Recipe – Shrimp & Rice with Sherry and Almonds

Posted on January 4, 2014 by edibletcetera

I normally refer to this recipe as ‘Party Shrimp & Rice’ because unlike paella or risotto that need lots of last-minute attention, this is partly made ahead, making it a perfect ‘go-to’ dish for entertaining.

I’ve removed the word ‘Party’ from the title because I figured most of you would have had enough partying for the time being and I didn’t want anyone assuming they had to throw yet another party in order to justify making it.

That said, this is really easy to make, is absolutely delicious and fantastic for feeding a crowd. The unusual (for me) ingredient is canned tomato soup. I use ‘Amy’s Organic Low Fat Cream of Tomato Soup’ but any non-condensed tomato soup will do. Home-made is even better if you have time.

You can spice it up by adding more cayenne pepper. I really like the combination of smoked paprika and cayenne but you can use plain paprika if you prefer. Just add small amounts of one or the other (or both) until you have the level of heat and smoke that you want.

I made this with smoked Basmati rice that’s available from Amazon (buy/share it with your friends – at $22.95 for a 10lb bag it’s great value). The original recipe calls for plain white rice so you don’t have to go out of your way to buy the smoked stuff but it really is wonderful and adds a delicious wood-smokey dimension to so many rice dishes.

Finally, I prefer wild caught or US freshwater shrimp because I don’t care for the way imported Indonesian shrimp is farmed. Check it out for yourselves and make your own decision.

PERFECT SHRIMP & RICE with SHERRY and ALMONDS

(Serves 8)

Ingredients:

2lbs (1 kilo) of frozen prawns – large, raw and peeled

12 oz (340g) of Basmati rice (smoked or plain)

1 tablespoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 tablespoons of light olive oil

1 large yellow onion, chopped

1 large green pepper, chopped

1 oz (29g) of butter

One 10 oz (284g) can of non-condensed tomato soup

8 fl oz (228ml) of cream

4 fl oz (114ml) of sherry

4 oz (114g) of slivered/flaked almonds

Sea salt, freshly ground black pepper, cayenne, smoked paprika – adjusted to taste

Action:

Cook the rice according to instructions and set it aside.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil and drop in the frozen prawns; simmer for 5 minutes, drain them quickly and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process.

Put the prawns in a large non-metal bowl and add the oil and lemon juice. Toss them around a bit then pile the cooked rice on top of the prawns; cover and chill for a minimum of 4 hours to overnight.

In a very large heavy pan with a lid, heat the butter and gently cook the chopped onion and green pepper until they’re soft.

Reduce the heat to very low, add the rice and prawns followed by everything else, reserving about 1 oz (29g) of the flaked almonds for decoration. Adjust the seasoning and spice a little at a time, to taste.

Fold everything together very gently to mix then cover and cook it over a low heat stirring once or twice for about 30 minutes, or until everything is warmed through.

To serve, pile everything into a warmed serving bowl – scatter with the remaining flaked almonds and a sprinkle of paprika.

Posted in Fish & Seafood | 4 Comments

Recipe: Roasted Red Pepper, Walnut & Pomegranate Dip (Muhammara)

Posted on December 28, 2013 by edibletcetera

This robust-tasting dip originates from Lebanon and as long as you have a food processor it only takes minutes to assemble, making it a perfect party dip for busy hosts.

‘Muhammara’ is chock-full of healthy ingredients and the addition of pomegranate molasses and seeds helps create a delicious and exotic-looking result.

The recipe, along with a bottle of *pomegranate molasses, was a welcome gift from a friend who frequently travels to Eastern Mediterranean and Middle Eastern countries and brings back spices, recipes and inspiration. You know who you are and thanks for sharing!

The original instructions didn’t call for toasting the walnuts first but I thought it would add a nuttier depth of flavor (it does). To toast walnuts, spread them (halves or pieces) in a single layer on a baking tray and toast in a pre-heated 350F (180C) oven for 8 minutes. To get rid of some of the skins, swirl them around in a fine mesh metal strainer over the sink – I prefer this method to rubbing them in a kitchen towel that then needs to be washed. All that said, you can use walnuts straight from the packet if you can’t be bothered or don’t have time.

The same goes for cumin powder that’s available everywhere. I like to amp-up the flavor, so I make my own by dry-roasting whole cumin seeds on the stovetop in a small pan until they became fragrant and start to darken (3-5 minutes), then I grind them up in a pestle and mortar or spice-grinder. You can store what you don’t use in a small screw-top jar.

Muhammara is best made a couple of hours ahead to allow the flavors to develop. Add the pomegranate seeds just before serving and here’s a tip: don’t waste your money buying expensive plastic containers of pomegranate seeds because you think extracting them directly from the fruit is laborious; all you need to do is roll the whole fruit around on a hard surface, pressing down quite firmly with your hand. This loosens the seeds inside the fruit. Carefully slice it open over a large bowl to catch all the juice and seeds which will easily drop out with some slight coaxing…wear an apron or dark clothing because any squirts of juice are a bugger to remove.

The dip will keep covered in the fridge for a few days. Serve it with pita toasts, a selection of crudites or your favorite crackers.

* Pomegranate molasses can also be labelled ‘syrup’, ‘concentrate’ or ‘cordial’ (not to be confused with POM juice that you swig straight from the bottle); they’re one and the same thing and are available from good supermarkets or Middle Eastern food emporiums.

Muhammara

ROASTED RED PEPPER & WALNUT DIP with POMEGRANATE (Muhammara)

(Makes approx 2 cups – 470ml)

Ingredients:

1 cup (237ml) of roasted red peppers (from a jar is fine – drain them first)

2/3 cup (158ml) of fresh breadcrumbs

½ (118ml) cup of walnuts (preferably roasted, see above)

One or 2 large garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped

1 tablespoon of lemon juice

1 tablespoon of pomegranate molasses/syrup/concentrate

1 teaspoon of ground cumin seeds

¼ – ½ teaspoon of hot red pepper flakes (adjust to taste)

3 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil

Action:

Put all the ingredients except the olive oil into a food processor and blend together. While the motor is running, slowly pour in the olive oil and continue to blend until you have a smooth paste. Stop partway through and scrape down the sides if necessary.

Transfer the dip to a serving bowl, cover and chill for at least 2 hours and up to 24hrs. Before serving, scatter with fresh pomegranate seeds and a drizzle of pomegranate molasses/syrup/concentrate.

Muhammara will keep covered in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days.

Posted in Made in Under 30 mins, Salads & Appetizers, Vegan, Vegetables / Vegetarian | 13 Comments

Recipe: Warm Truffled Goat Cheese Toasts with Walnuts, Rosemary & Honey

Posted on December 21, 2013 by edibletcetera

These fragrant, truffled goat cheese toasts are a quick hors d’oeurve that would go perfectly with a glass of chilled champagne.

Little slices of baguette are spread with soft mild goat cheese that’s been blended with truffle oil, then baked in the oven for 8-10 minutes; finally topped with toasted walnuts, minced fresh rosemary and drizzled with warm honey, they make a fragrant two-bite appetizer that’s perfect for entertaining at this time of year.

Toast the walnuts by spreading them on a shallow baking tray/cookie sheet and baking in a 350F (180C) oven for 8 minutes. Rub off some of the skins by rolling them around in a wire mesh strainer over the sink; or in a dish cloth.

Not much else to say other than I ate this entire plateful after photographing them – they were impossibly delicious.

Happy Holidays!

Warm Truffled Goat Cheese Toasts with Rosemary, Walnuts & Honey

WARM TRUFFLED GOAT CHEESE TOASTS with WALNUTS, ROSEMARY & HONEY

(Makes approx 18 toasts)

Ingredients:

A skinny French baguette, weighing approx 8 oz (230g)

8 oz (230g) of soft mild goat cheese such as Montrachet

One tablespoon of white or black truffle oil

¼ cup (60ml) of runny honey

½ cup (120ml measure) of walnuts, toasted then chopped

½ a tablespoon of chopped fresh rosemary

Action:

With a fork, mash the truffle oil into the goat cheese and set aside.

Pre-heat the oven to 350F (180C). Toast the walnuts as above then coarsely chop them.

Cut 18 thin diagonal slices from the baguette and spread goat cheese on each slice. Arrange them in a single layer on a baking tray and bake in the pre-heated oven for approx 10 minutes. The baguette edges will be slightly colored and cheese will have softened.

Meanwhile, warm the honey gently in a small pan.

Arrange the hot toasts on a serving plate, scatter each with chopped walnuts, chopped rosemary and top with a drizzle of warm honey.

Serve them immediately. It’s unlikely you’ll have any left over.

Posted in Made in Under 30 mins, Salads & Appetizers, Vegetables / Vegetarian | 3 Comments

Recipe: Warm Spiced Olives with Rosemary, Orange, Garlic & Chili

Posted on December 16, 2013 by edibletcetera

As we approach the year-end’s festivities, busy foodies that entertain are always on the lookout for fuss-free and impressive hors d’oeurves that can be assembled at the last minute.

A bowl of warm olives scented with orange zest, fresh rosemary, garlic, chili and extra-virgin olive oil, is guaranteed to generate plenty of ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’ – and this certainly does.

I like Sicilian Castelvetrano olives for their mild, meaty quality and vibrant green color but a mixture of black and green olives will also look wonderful. They’ll need to be whole rather than pitted so serve with a small bowl on the side for the pits.

I buy them loose from the ‘olive bar’ section of Whole Foods or my local deli and you’ll need to drain off the liquid they float in before you scoop them into a container.

Increase or decrease the amount of garlic and dried chili flakes to taste. If you’re in a real hurry, rather than roasting them in the oven for 10 minutes you could nuke them in a microwave but be careful, because after about 12 seconds they’ll start to spit and bounce around in there, so nuke them in 5-second increments.

Warm Spiced Olives with Rosemary, Orange Zest , Garlic & Chili

WARM ROASTED OLIVES with ROSEMARY, ORANGE, GARLIC & CHILI

(Makes 3 cups – 700ml)

Ingredients:

3 cups (700ml) of assorted black and green whole olives, drained

2 sprigs of fresh rosemary, broken into four bits

The thinly-pared zest of one large orange

¼ cup (60ml) of freshly squeezed orange juice

2 cloves of garlic, peeled and slightly flattened

¼ teaspoon of dried chili flakes

¼ cup (60ml) of extra-virgin olive oil

Sea salt to taste

Action:

Pre-heat the oven to 400F (200C).

Toss all the ingredients together to coat the olives well then spread them in a single layer in a heavy ovenproof skillet or shallow roasting pan. Bake for 8-10 minutes until warmed through and serve them immediately with all the juices and other bits.

They’re also wonderful served at room temperature so if you make them in advance or have leftovers, they’ll keep well in a sealed container in the fridge for about a week but bring them back to room temp before serving.

Posted in Made in Under 30 mins, Salads & Appetizers, Vegan, Vegetables / Vegetarian | 10 Comments

Recipe – Cream Cheese Torta with Sun-dried Tomatoes & Pesto

Posted on December 14, 2013 by edibletcetera

This lovely combination of cream cheese layered with sun-dried tomatoes and pesto is perfect for entertaining; just offer some really good crackers or slices of toasted baguette.

It isn’t difficult to make but it is a bit fiddly and you’ll need a food processor – however, for special occasions it’s well worth the effort. You’ll need to make it and chill it in the fridge for at least 24 hours and up to 3 days before you need it. After you’ve decorated it with toasted pine nuts, keep it in the fridge until you’re ready to serve.

I prefer to use Neufchatel rather than the full fat cream cheese (as in Philadelphia) but that’s entirely up to you. It does contain butter so using a lighter cream cheese won’t yield a less creamy result.

CREAM CHEESE TORTA with SUN-DRIED TOMATOES & PESTO

(Serves 20 as an appetizer / hors d’oeuvre)

Ingredients:

4 garlic cloves, peeled

1 ½ cups (355ml measure) of packed fresh basil leaves

¼ cup (60ml) of pine nuts

2 tablespoons of extra-v olive oil

1 teaspoon of fresh lemon juice

2 and 2/3 cups (600g) of Neufchatel cream cheese (30% reduced fat) at room temp

¼ cup (60ml) of freshly grated parmesan cheese – the best sort

1 and 1/3 cups (315ml measure) of sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained

1/3 cup (80ml) of tomato paste / puree

¾ cup (180ml measure) of butter at room temp

To decorate:

Fresh basil leaves and extra pine nuts, toasted

Action:

In a food processor, pulse the garlic, fresh basil and pine nuts with the lemon juice and olive oil until it’s well blended.

Add the Parmesan cheese and 1/3 cup (80ml) of the cream cheese; pulse to combine then transfer it to a bowl.

You’ll need to wipe out the food processor bowl.

Process the sun-dried tomatoes with the tomato paste until quite smooth then add 1/3 cup (80ml) of cream cheese – blend well and transfer to another bowl.

In a separate bowl using an electric mixer, beat the remaining 2 cups of softened cream cheese with the butter until it’s light and fluffy – season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Spray a 3 pint (1.7ltr) capacity loaf pan or soufflé dish with cooking spray then line it with plastic wrap. A bit fiddly – you want to get it as smooth as possible inside leaving some overhang.

Start by spreading a layer of the butter/cream cheese mixture into the bottom of the dish and then alternate with the sun-dried tomato mix, the pesto and so on – I got a bit lazy this time and put three colored layers in the middle.

You need to finish it with a layer of butter/cream cheese mixture so that you have white layers on the top and the bottom.

Cover with plastic wrap and chill for a minimum of 24 hours and up to 3 days.

Just before you’re ready to serve it, invert the whole thing onto a platter, peel off the plastic wrap and decorate with lightly toasted pine nuts and some fresh basil leaves.

Serve with toasted baguette or your favorite crackers. Leftovers will keep covered in the fridge for several days.

Posted in Salads & Appetizers, Vegetables / Vegetarian | 2 Comments

Recipe: Sugarplums

Posted on December 7, 2013 by edibletcetera

Sugarplums are a traditional festive sweetmeat that date back to the 16^th century and despite their name, they aren’t sugared plums. Well that’s not quite true because this particular recipe calls for dried plums (prunes) – along with almonds and golden raisins.

If you love traditional English Christmas Pudding, then you’ll love these tender little treats as they have the same wonderful, slightly tipsy, fruity-rich aroma. There are many recipes out there for sugarplums, no doubt because they’ve been around for so long and each cook has made their own version over the centuries. Some are made with aromatic spices and honey, and some are laced with cognac. Experiment with your own favorite dried fruit/brandy combinations – but prunes are a must, in my opinion.

My version is very simple – so simple in fact, that making them would be a fun treat for kids from 3 to ninety-three.

BTW, the amount of Grand Marnier in this recipe isn’t enough to make even the smallest sugarplum fairy fall over drunk – and just to give them a little extra sparkle, I roll them in vanilla sugar combined with edible gold dust. If you don’t have access to a shop selling specialized cake decorating stuff, you can buy edible gold powder online from Amazon or better yet, from www.nycake.com

I make my own vanilla sugar but regular fine white sugar will work perfectly. To make vanilla sugar, simply stash a whole vanilla bean in an airtight jar filled with sugar. That’s it. It will last for ages; re-use the vanilla bean when you’ve used up the sugar.

These are best made 24-48 hours ahead to allow the flavors to develop. After that, keep them in an airtight container at room temp for up to 2 weeks.

If you can’t live without chocolate and you’re feeling a bit ambitious, try these astonishingly good Prune and Armagnac Chocolate Truffles – not at all difficult to make but they do require more effort as they take a few days to prep.

Traditional Sugarplums

SUGARPLUMS

(Makes approx 24)

Ingredients:

1 cup (250ml measure) of ready to eat pitted prunes, chopped

1 cup (250ml measure) of golden raisins (sultanas)

1/3 cup (75ml measure) of slivered almonds

2 tablespoons of Grand Marnier

¼ cup (63ml) of fine white vanilla (or regular) sugar, combined with ¼ teaspoon of edible gold dust (optional)

Action:

Put the prunes, raisins, almonds and Grand Marnier in a food processor and pulse on and off until you have a thick sticky paste.

With wet hands, roll heaped teaspoonfuls of the paste into balls and then roll them one at a time in the sugar.

Store at room temp in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks – and I like to roll them in the remaining (gilded) sugar once more just before serving.

Posted in Cookies & Edible Gifts, Desserts, Gluten Free Desserts, Made in Under 30 mins, Vegan | 5 Comments

Recipe: Spiced Chicken Meatballs

Posted on November 30, 2013 by edibletcetera

If you’ve overdone the poultry this Thanksgiving, here’s a great recipe for another time – otherwise try these wonderful spicy chicken meatballs; a great alternative for non-beef eaters.

They came about after I’d been marinating some chicken breasts in lemon zest, garlic and rosemary to stick on the grill. (Perfect Grilled Chicken is one of my favorites when confronted with skinless chicken bits and no time to prepare anything too fancy).

But by the time they were ready to cook I wasn’t in the mood for grilling, so I ground them up with some prosciutto and dried chili flakes, then added beaten egg and breadcrumbs to make small meatballs.

The result was devilishly good, especially with an arrabiatta pasta sauce (tomato sauce with garlic and chili) over some pasta – but they’ll work with any tomato-based sauce.

They’d also be wonderful on top of soft polenta if you aren’t in the mood for pasta – and if you’re really watching your weight, pile them onto some oven-baked spaghetti squash that you scooped out of the skin and tossed in a little butter, black pepper, sea salt and a good measure of finely grated Parmigiano Reggianno.

Another thought; you could also serve them as a warm hors d’oeurve with cocktail sticks to dunk in your favorite dipping sauce.

Be careful not to overcook them as they could become a bit dry and you’ll need a food processor.

SPICED CHICKEN MEATBALLS

(Serves 4-6)

Ingredients:

For the chicken marinade:

2 peeled garlic cloves, roughly chopped

1 level teaspoon of coarse sea salt

The finely grated zest and juice of 1 small lemon

4 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon of chopped fresh rosemary

Half a bay leaf

A good grind of black pepper

For the meatballs:

1 lb (455g) of skinless, boneless chicken breast or thigh meat (or both), roughly chopped

4 slices of prosciutto, chopped

1/3 cup of fresh breadcrumbs

1 – 2 teaspoons of dried chili flakes, to taste

1 egg, lightly beaten

Olive oil for cooking

A good tomato based pasta sauce to serve

Action:

Preferably using a pestle and mortar, pound the garlic sea salt into the sea salt until you have a creamy paste, then whisk in the remaining marinade ingredients. Add to the chicken and marinade for a min of 2 hrs or overnight (I use a sealed ziplok plastic bag).

Discard the bay leaf then put the chicken and its marinade in a food processor along with the chopped prosciutto. Pulse until coarsely chopped, transfer to a bowl and add the egg, chili and breadcrumbs. Mix thoroughly and with wet hands, form into approximately 24 balls (about 1 tablespoon each). Cover and chill in the fridge for about an hour.

Heat the olive oil in a wide sauté pan and in batches, brown the meatballs all over (about 10 mins – don’t overcook them), then transfer them to a paper towel-lined plate to drain slightly.

Serve immediately with your favorite pasta sauce.