KBKabaret

I made this delectable cheesy goat and Stracchino spread (young creamy cheese you can substitute with cream cheese) as one of the appetizers for my son’s wedding.  We served it on Sliced Crostini
You can make this as a layered dip and serve toasted bread or crackers on the side.

Ingredients

• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 3/4 pound Goat cheese, crumbled
•  8 ounces Stracchino cheese or Cream Cheese
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 shallot, minced
• 3 tablespoons dry vermouth or vodka
• Ground white pepper, to taste
• 1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted
• 1 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes
• 3/4 cup pesto sauce (*recipe separate)

Directions
1.    In a food processor, combine the butter, goat cheese, stracchino cheese, garlic, shallot, vermouth (or Vodka), and white pepper. Process until smooth.
2.    Spread on Crostini and layer with pesto, sun-dried tomatoes, and pine nuts.
3.    Serve on a silver platter

Alternative Layered Dip
Oil a medium bowl, or gelatin mold, and line with plastic wrap for easy removal. Layer the dip into the mold as follows: Sun-dried tomatoes, pine nuts, pesto, and cheese mixture. Repeat. Pat down into the mold, and refrigerate for at least one hour.  Turn the dip out onto a serving plate, and remove plastic wrap. Serve with crackers.

* Pesto Recipe

• 2 cups packed fresh basil leaves.
• 2 cloves garlic.
• 1/4 cup pine nuts.
• 2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste.
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Pecorino Toscano cheese.

Combine the basil, garlic, and pine nuts in a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped.  Add the oil and process until smooth.  Mixed in grated cheese.  Salt and Pepper to taste.

(This can be frozen without the cheese.  Place in a zip lock freezer bag. Can be frozen for 3 months. Thaw and stir in cheese.)

(I) Guinness Stew Filling (TheSavory)

Ingredients

• 4 slices bacon, cut into small pieces
• 2 1/2 pounds boneless beef chuck, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1 teaspoon salt, or more to taste
• freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 2 onions, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 (14.9 ounce) can dark beer (such as Guinness(R))
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme
• 3 carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 stalks celery, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 teaspoon white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
• 2 1/2 cups chicken stock, or as needed to cover
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch

Directions

1.    Cook and stir bacon in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat until bacon is browned and crisp, 3 to 4 minutes. Turn off heat and transfer bacon into a large stew pot, reserving bacon fat in the skillet.
2.    Season beef chuck cubes generously with 1 teaspoon salt and black pepper to taste. Turn heat to high under skillet and sear beef pieces in the hot fat on both sides until browned, about 5 minutes. Place beef in stew pot with bacon, leaving fat in skillet. Turn heat down to medium; cook and stir onions in the retained fat in the skillet until lightly browned, 5 to 8 minutes; season with a large pinch of salt.
3.    Cook garlic with onions until soft, about 1 minute; pour beer into skillet and stir with a wooden spoon, scraping up and dissolving any browned bits of food into the liquid. Pour cooking liquid from skillet into the stew pot. Stir in tomato paste, thyme sprigs, carrots, celery, sugar, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, and enough chicken broth to cover.
4.    Bring stew to a gentle simmer, stirring to combine; reduce heat to low and cover pot. Simmer stew until beef is fork-tender, about 2 hours. Stir stew occasionally and skim fat or foam if desired.
5.    Remove cover and raise heat to medium-high. Bring stew to a low boil and cook until stew has slightly thickened, 15 to 20 minutes.
6.    Add cornstarch and thicken completely.
7.    Remove and discard thyme sprigs and adjust salt and pepper to taste.

(2) Rum Peach Filling (TheSweet)

Ingredients

• 12 yellow peaches, about 10 cups, peeled and slice
• 1/2 cup butte
• 5  Tbsp. brown sugar
• 2-3 Tbsp. dark rum
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 Tbsp. cornstarch
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon

Directions

1. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in 5 Tbsp. brown sugar. Add sliced peaches and rum; cook stirring frequently for about 5 minutes. Drain.

2. In a large bowl add the peaches, 1/4 cup brown sugar, cornstarch, and cinnamon and mix well to coat the peaches evenly; set aside.

3. Stir in a heavy sauce pan over medium heat.  Peaches have to be totally softened and liquid evaporated to make it into a jammy consistency.

(3) Pasty Dough

Ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup shortening (lard)
• 1/2 cup cold water

Directions

1.    In a medium bowl, stir together the flour and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Cut in lard with a fork or pastry blender until the mixture resembles bread crumbs. Stir in cold water with a fork until the mixture is able to come together in a ball. Knead a couple of times then divide pastry into two pieces. Pastry may be refrigerated for later use at this time.
2.    Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
3.    On a lightly floured surface, roll out each half of the pastry into a 16-inch circle.
4.    Place stew in the left bottom 3/4 of the circle, leaving the right bottom 1/4 for the rum peach jam.  Leave a 1/2 inch between the savory and sweet and an inch all the way around at each end uncovered.
5.    Place a 14 inch long & 2 inch wide slice of pastry under the edge of the stew and fold over the top long edge to create a barrier between the savory and sweet.  Brush the edge with egg yolk.  Then fold the top edges over the pastry over the filling, and tuck and pinch the ends.
6.    Transfer the two pastries to a greased baking sheet, and cut a few slits in the top of each one for ventilation.
7.    Bake for 45 minutes in the preheated oven until golden brown.

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup chunky peanut butter
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup rice vinegar
• 1/4 cup sake
• 1 Tbsp. sesame oil
• 2 Tbsp. Sriracha
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 1 Tbsp. ginger /minced
• 3 cloves garlic /minced
• 2 Tbsp. brown sugar
• 1 Box spaghetti
• 1 cup carrots /finely cut into matchsticks
• 1/2 small Napa green cabbage/thinly sliced into strips (de-vein)
• 1/2 small red cabbage /thinly sliced into strips (de-vein)
• 5 tangerines peeled, deseeded and chopped (add the juices)
• 1/2 cup green onion /sliced
• 1/4 cup cilantro /chopped
• 1/2 cup peanuts /chopped

Directions:

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to instructions on the box. Drain and run cooked pasta under cold water to cool.

In a medium bowl, whisk together peanut butter, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sake, orange juice, sesame oil, Sriracha, minced ginger, minced garlic, and brown sugar.

Combine pasta with sliced vegetables and chopped tangerines. Pour the dressing over the pasta and vegetables and mix well. Cover and chill for at least one hour before serving.

Garnish with chopped cilantro and peanuts. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
(Servings for about 4 or 1 in my case)

• 1 Bottle nigori sake
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup water
• ½ cup Fresh ginger, chopped (about six inches)
• 3 tangerines (more, for garnish)
• ⅓ cup Fresh mint (more, for garnish)

Directions:

1. Bring 1 cup of sugar and 1 cup of water to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Of course, if you want to make other ginger-flavored beverages throughout the week, then go ahead and double this recipe. It is great in lemonade, tea or over ice cream.

2. Add 1/2 cup of fresh, chopped ginger. Remove from heat, and let steep 30 minutes.

3. Pour syrup through a fine sieve into a heat resistant container; discard ginger. Chill in the refrigerator. If you made extra, just store it in an airtight container for up to a week.

4.  Thinly slice 3 tangerines and add them to the pitcher.

5.  Add 1/3 cup of fresh mint leaves to a glass with barely enough sake to cover and mull them.

6.  Add the mulled mint and the remaining sake to the pitcher.

7.  Add the chilled ginger syrup to the pitcher and mix well.  (Add some more mint for color.)

8.  For each glass you are going to serve the sangria in, sugar coat the rim. Just pour about 1/4 cup of granulated sugar into a shallow plate. Wipe the rim of the glass with a tangerine slice and then twist the wet rimmed glass in the sugar.

Pretty and (might I add) Pretty Good, Too!
MMM!!!

1.    Shrimp Marinating Base

Combine ingredients
(Marinate 6 hours minimum in refrigerator)

• 30 large uncooked shrimp (about 2 pounds), peeled with tail left intact, deveined
• 2 cups Champagne or other sweet sparkling wine
• 1/3 cup finely chopped shallots
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/4 pound of Bacon (warmed to sizzling but still raw. Pour in with bacon drippings. (This coats the shrimp and allows all the other ingredients to stick.)
• 2 tablespoons Champagne vinegar or other white wine vinegar
• 1 tsp. Kosher salt
• 1 tsp. whole black peppercorns

2.    Shrimp’s Sauce

• 1 cup Champagne or other sweet sparkling wine
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 pound chopped raw bacon
• 3 tablespoons minced shallots
• 6 cloves of garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 salt
• 2 tablespoons red curry
• 1/4 tablespoons nutmeg
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh chives
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh tarragon
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
• 1 cup butter cut in slices

PREPARATION OF SAUCE

1.    Put olive oil in a Large deep skillet and add chopped bacon, black pepper and salt and simmer on medium/low heat until bacon starts shriveling and translucent.
2.    Place Shrimp in and sauté until pink.  (Remove and set aside)
3.    When bacon is crisp set aside along with the shrimp
4.    (Leave bacon drippings in pan)
5.     Add minced shallots, minced garlic to bacon drippings and keep stirring until garlic is translucent (do not burn)
6.    Add Champagne to shallots and garlic.  Boil until reduced to 1/4 cup liquid, about 20 minutes.
7.    Stir in Curry and Nutmeg (Can be made 4 hours ahead. Cover and let stand at room temperature.)
8.    Rewarm sauce base over medium-low heat. Whisk in butter 1 piece at a time, just allowing each to melt before adding next (do not boil or sauce will separate). Season taste with salt and pepper.
9.    Spoon warm sauce around shrimp and bacon. Sprinkle with fresh herbs and serve with warm crusty French Bread to dunk sauce.
(Alternative)
You can make pasta (about 1 1/2 to 2 cups cooked) of your choice and stir in the sauce (make sure pasta is not wet when adding to sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add shrimp, bacon, and fresh herbs.

Ingredients

• 2 pounds of cubed (about 1 inches) Beef Chuck (Leg of Lamb can be substituted)
• 1 large Chopped Onion
• 1 minced Clove of Garlic
• 1 tablespoon of lard
• 1 cup chopped carrots
• 1 cup sweet peas
• 1/4 tsp. tarragon
• 1/4 tsp. basil
• 1/4 cup of chicken, beef or vegetable stock/your choice
• 1 1/2 cup of dry Red Wine.  (Can replace with a Pint of Guinness or 1/2 cup of Scotch.  If using scotch add 1 cup of chicken, beef or vegetable stock)
• 1 tsp. Salt and 1 tsp. Pepper Later more to taste
• 2 cups mashed potatoes (Flakes or premade are fine; prepare according to your favorite recipe or the boxes recipe)
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
• Salt and Pepper to taste (I like using a pinch of cayenne pepper instead of the Black Pepper)

Preparing

Place lard in a nice Large-Deep Skillet and add onions in before melting.  Stir and Simmer on medium high for a minute and add garlic.

Continue Simmering until onion is translucent

Lower heat to low/med on stove

Add Carrots and Peas Stir simmer for 1 minute longer.

Add a 1/4-cup of the chicken broth so vegetables won’t burn.  (You can substitute the chicken broth with beef or vegetable broth.  Your preference.)

Stir and simmer for 5 minutes. (Do not cover)

Add 2 pounds of cubed beef or lamb

Brown, do not char, Beef or Lamb on both sides (meat should still be rare on inside)

After meat is browned place heat on low.  If you are using an electric stove, take skillet off for 2 minutes until stove top cooler.

Add wine, beer, or scotch mix with broth (your preference) to the medley, along with tarragon, basil, salt and pepper (more S&P later if you wish).

Cover and stew on low heat for two hours.  Stir on occasion, from bottom up to avoid burning vegetables.  If getting dry, add a little stock.  We don’t want this soupy by the end but definitely not dry either. Test to make sure meat is tender, insert a fork into a piece of this delectable bite.  If separates easily, then ready.  Taste and add salt and pepper if needed.

Place this wonderful party into a glass rectangle Pyrex baking dish (10 inch length preferable).

Make sure the rack you will be putting the Pyrex on is in the upper center

Preheat oven’s broiler to LOW.

PREPARE THE MASHED POTATOES ACCORDING TO YOUR BOX LABEL OR FAVORITE RECIPE

Use a pastry bag with an extra-wide Star or French tip and fill with mashed potato.

Starting from the perimeter of the meat-party filled Glass Pyrex Rectangle Baking Pan, squeeze the potato all the way around until reaching the center in a maze fashion.  (If there a little gaps here and there, no worries.)

Sprinkle entire top with the grated parmesan cheese

Place uncovered baking dish in the pre-heated broiler’s oven until mashed potato and cheese are golden brown (should be under 10 minutes but always check).

Take out of oven an let rest for at 10 minutes before serving.

Enjoy with the beverage you chose for the recipe and get ready to savor the best Shepard’s Pie you ever had!

INGREDIENTS

•  1 (12 oz.) package sun-dried chicken sausages, cut into 1/2″ slices (Omit for vegetarians)
• 1 (8 oz.) package Baby Bella Mushrooms, lightly rinsed and sliced
• 1 tsp. dried Italian seasoning
• 1/2 cup chopped red onion
• 1 cup Quaker Quick 3-Minute Steel Cut Oats
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 3-4 cup chicken stock (vegetable stock for vegetarians)
• 2-3 cups chopped kale
• 2 Tbs. butter
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup halved cherry tomatoes
• 1 Tbs. lemon juice
• Salt and pepper
• Parsley, for garnish

INSTRUCTIONS

1.    Heat a Tbs. of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add the sliced chicken sausages (for Vegetarians try Tofu or other vegetable based delicacy) and sear until browned on both sides, about 5 minutes total. Remove from the pan the set them aside.

2.    Back in the pan, add the sliced mushrooms, the Italian seasoning, and a small pinch of salt. Sauté until the mushrooms have softened and darkened, maybe four minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside with the sausages.

3.    Back in the pan, add another tsp or so of oil. Add the diced red onion and sauté for a couple of minutes, until the onions have taken on some of the good browned bits in the bottom of the pan. MMM So good! Now add the oats and stir to combine and “toast.” Add the wine and let it burn off for about 30 seconds. Then in 1/2-cup amounts, ladle the chicken or vegetable stock into the pan, until the oats have absorbed the liquid. Keep ladling and stirring until the oats have absorbed enough liquid to soften and become toothsome. This will take you about 20 minutes, if that.

4.    Now, add the chicken sausages (or your substitute) and mushrooms back to the skillet. Add the chopped kale, and stir until it’s wilted, and everything is dancing in the pan. Shut the heat off, and stir in the 2 Tbs. butter, and the parmesan cheese. Add salt-pepper-lemon Juice according to taste. Add the cherry tomatoes.

5.    Garnish with parsley, and enjoy.

6.    Serves four.

or
How To Dump Leon,  A Two Timing Son Of A Snake, Lurking In Jello

Making Jello Shots are so easy.  

Take a package of Blue Jello

Add 1 cup Hot Water stir.

Then add:

•   1/2  Shot of Blue Curacao
•   1/2  Shot of Coconut Rum
•  1/2  Shot of Peach Schnapps
•  1/2  Shot of Strawberry Schnapps
•  1/2  Shot of Vodka
• 1 tsp of Pineapple Juice

Place in small shot plastic cups on trays and put in refrigerator for 24 hours.

Oh,  those baby blues are so good!
(Don’t let it fool you.  They are strong.)

Eat Responsibly.

Ingredients For The Macarons:

(Measurements need to be to the gram)

• 3 egg whites weighing 100 g in total
• 3 tbsp granulated sugar
• 110 g ground almonds
• 175 g icing sugar
• 1 tbsp. meringue powder/egg white powder
• 1/8 tsp. Amaretto Liqueur  (optional but adds a bit more flavor}
• Violet/Purple Gel Food Coloring

Ingredients For The Blueberry And Lime Curd:

• 3/4 cup fresh blueberries
• 60 g {1/2 stick} unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
• 100 g {scant 1/2 cup} caster sugar
• 2 free-range eggs, or 2 yolks and 1 egg, beaten
• 2 tablespoons of Lime Citrón Liquor

Instructions:

Makes around 28, line 2 baking sheets with parchment.

To Make The Macarons

1. Begin by weighing out the ground almonds, weigh it out after you have sifted it to remove any larger grains. Now combine it with the icing sugar and whizz it up in a food processor, a mini chopper in batches, to get it as finely ground as possible. Set to one side.

2. *Cheat* To ‘age’ the egg whites, place them in a bowl and microwave them for 20 seconds on medium power. Now put them into a clean, grease-free mixing bowl and add the meringue powder. Use an electric beater to whisk them to frothy peaks. Once the egg whites look good and voluminous add the granulated sugar a spoonful at a time, whisking well between each. The egg whites should now start to look glossy and smooth. Continue whisking to stiff peak stage but no more.

3. Now ditch the electric mixer and switch to a spatula. Add the Amaretto liquor and a colorful amount of the food coloring gel. Be brave, the color softens during the baking process. Give it a one or two stirs to begin to work the color in then sift over half the icing sugar/almond mixture. Use the spatula to gently fold the dry ingredients in. As you do this, the color will continue to spread into the batter.

4. Sift in the rest of the icing sugar/almond mixture and continue carefully folding it in. As soon as no dry ingredients are visible change your technique. Now gently press the batter up the side of the bowl to reduce the volume. The batter will begin to look smoother.

5. To test if the batter is the correct consistency, lift the spatula up and watch to see how the trail of batter running off it falls onto the batter in the bowl. It should leave a soft trail that takes five or six seconds to ‘melt’ back into the batter. If it just sits on top, it’s not ready yet. If you overdo this process, the batter can become too thin. The Macarons need to be able to hold their shape when you pipe them out.

6. Fit a piping bag with a 1cm plain nozzle and fill with the macaron batter. Put a dab of the batter on the corner of each baking sheet to ‘glue’ down the parchment to make piping out easier. Pipe 3 cm wide blobs of the batter on the lined baking sheets, leaving a little space between each. You can pipe free-hand but a template can be used to make them more precise.

7. Now drop the baking sheets sharply onto the work surface a few times to knock out any air bubbles and to level them, they should settle into fairly smooth discs. Leave the macarons to form a skin for anything up to a couple of hours, it depends on the temperature and humidity of the room.

8. Set the oven to 140 C / gas 1 / 280 F

9.  When the macarons have formed a skin you will be able to gently touch them and they will not be sticky at all. Pop them into the preheated oven. Set the timer for 10 minutes. After the ten minutes the macarons should have risen and have their characteristic ‘feet’ or frill. Switch the baking sheets over, to ensure an even bake, then continue cooking them for a further 8 to 10 minutes.

10. Keep your eye on them, if any of them start to catch turn the heat down a little. To test if they are ready, they should be firm on their frilly bases, i.e. no movement. If they appear sturdy try lifting one. When they are ready they should lift off the parchment and have a smooth base. Try a few to, depending on the oven, some will cook quicker than others. Remove from the oven.

To Make The Curd Filling

1. Place the blueberries in a jug or mug with a half teaspoon of water and microwave them for about a minute on high until they are burst and bubbling.

2. Use a hand mixer to blitz the cooked blueberries to a fine liquid then stir in the lime juice to cool it. Set aside.

3. Start to melt the butter in a bowl set over a barely simmering pan of shallow water. Do not let the water touch the bottom of the bowl. Once it begins to melt, stir in the caster sugar and continue to cook over a low heat until the sugar melts into the butter and looses its grainy appearance.

4. Stir in the blueberry/lime juice mixture, this will cool the butter and sugar down. Now add the beaten eggs and the lime zest and beat them in. Continue gently cooking the curd for about 20 to 30 minutes, stirring regularly until the curd thickens.

5. Pass the curd though a sieve to remove and lumps and zest and pour into a hot, clean jar. Put the lid on and allow to cool completely.

6. Spend a minute or so pairing up the cooled macarons, finding ones of similar sizes. Spoon a dollop of the cooled curd onto one of the macaron shells then cover it with its pair.

Note
7. ‘Ageing’ the egg whites can help with the successful baking of macarons, this either means separating the eggs and leaving the whites in the fridge for a day or two, or you can give them a quick blast in the microwave to speed cheat this.