Peaches and Cream Flan with Roasted Honey Peach Compote

Spouse was heading out for a get together with the girls yesterday afternoon and wanted a fresh peach topping for the sour cream flan that she was taking along to the party. Unfortunately the peaches in the supermarket yesterday morning were much too hard so I resorted to the fallback position of roasting the chopped peaches in a shallow dish with a little cinnamon and honey. This softens the peaches and effectively glazes them in the honey. This simple compote is delicious not only on that flan but on waffles, pancakes, biscuits or a great simple vanilla cheesecake. I've included the recipe for the flan as well which has appeared in several versions here in the past.

Roasted Honey Peach Compote

3 pounds peaches peeled and chopped into large chunks

1/4 cup honey

1/4 tsp cinnamon

pinch salt

juice of 1/2 lemon

Toss all of the above together and spread in a single layer in a glass baking dish. Bake at 400 degrees F for about 30-40 minutes, tossing every 10-15 minutes. The cooking time will vary depending on the ripeness of the peaches. Just cook them until the liquid in the baking dish reduces and becomes syrupy. Cool completely.

Sour Cream Flan

Grease a 9 inch springform pan, lining the bottom with parchment paper to make the flan easier to remove from the pan..

Mix together until well combined:

1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup melted butter
2 tbsp sugar

Press into the bottom of the greased springform pan.

For the custard part of this desert it is important to use full fat sour cream or the filling will not set. I use 18% milk fat sour cream that is sometimes sold as “restaurant style” or “extra thick”.

Whisk together until the sugar is dissolved:

Three, 8 oz tubs of sour cream
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
3 tsp vanilla extract

Pour onto the prepared graham crumb crust and bake at 325 degrees F for 50-55 minutes. The custard will still be quite jiggly at the center when done and may be just beginning to brown slightly at the edges, although no color at all is necessary for the flan to be properly baked. Allow the flan to cool to room temperature then refrigerate for a couple of hours before topping with the peach compote and serving.

Grilled Mango Chicken Teriyaki Salad

 

 

Today's recipe made good use of a slightly different version of the teriyaki sauce that was recently featured in our Baked Teriyaki Panko Pork Chops in this delicious salad. The sauce is simply made just a little thicker which will allow it to be repeatedly glazed onto thin strips of chicken on the grill for a very quick, easy and tasty meal.

S'mores Tart

This recipe was inspired by a photo of a deeper dish S'mores Pie that I saw recently on one of the food porn sites. I loved the look of the top of the pie with its golden toasted marshmallow top but the ganache filling seemed a bit thick and dense for my taste. I thought it might be too rich so I decided to do my own much shallower version in an 11 inch fluted edge tart pan using a chocolate tart filling that I've used many times before. Another reason I opted for the larger, shallower pan was so that I could fit more marshmallows on the top for a better marshmallow to chocolate ratio. If you don't have a large tart pan, use your largest pie plate and add a few minutes to the baking time.

Not surprisingly, my kids loved this tart, finishing off the leftovers from dinner before bedtime and though it is bound to be popular with kids, I think it looks elegant enough to serve at any dinner party and sure to be enjoyed by the young and young at heart. After all, who doesn't love s'mores?

Crust

Lightly grease an 11 inch tart pan. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Mix together 

2 cups graham cracker crumbs

1/3 cup + 1 tbsp butter, melted

2 tbsp sugar

Press into the bottom and sides of the greased tart pan.

Filling

7 ounces (by weight) dark chocolate, chopped into small pieces
7 ounces whipping cream
3 ounces milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 large beaten egg

Bring the cream and milk just to boiling and pour the hot liquid over the chopped chocolate. Let stand for 5 minutes and whisk together until smooth. Cool for about 10 minutes before whisking in the beaten egg and vanilla.
Pour into the crust and bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes. The center can still be a little wobbly at this point. The surface should still be shiny.

Remove from oven, change the oven setting to broil and move the oven rack to the bottom. place the tart on a pizza pan or large circular baking pan. This will later allow you to easily turn the tart as the marshmallows toast.

One 1/2 pound (250gram) bag large marshmallows

Cut the marshmallows in half with kitchen scissors and starting by placing one marshmallow half in the center of the tart, arrange the rest of the marshmallow pieces in a tight circular pattern right to the edge of the crust. Place in the oven under the broiler and watching closely broil until the top is evenly golden brown. I like to rotate the pan about every 15 seconds to ensure even browning. The entire process should take just a few minutes. Cool the tart to room temperature before serving. If refrigerating the tart allow it to come back up to room temperature before serving for best results. Serve with a drizzle of chocolate ganache if desired.

Chocolate Strawberry Shortcake

 

A group of family and friends including some visitors from Alberta went "overseas" for a picnic on the beach a couple of days ago. Going "overseas" is my Dad's tongue-in-cheek expression for taking the 20 minute ferry ride from Portugal Cove, just outside St. John's to beautiful Bell Island. The dramatically high cliffed island in the center of Conception Bay has over the years become a favorite spot for family picnics and "boil-ups". There are many great scenic locations on the island to spread a picnic blanket and break open your basket of treats. The grassy hills around the lighthouse at the eastern edge of the island is particularly scenic, where you can gaze left and right to the opposite sides of the bay. 

 

 Lance Cove on the northwest side of the island is also a picturesque location for a great picnic beside a beach comprised of smooth flat round beach rocks formed by the turbulent ocean surf. Here visitors are provided with picnic tables along the shore and a small open field where the kids in our group played football and badminton an a glorious sunny day. Beside the field is a small duck pond and further on is a sheltered small craft harbour; a perfectly pretty little place.

 

There were 15 people and 2 pooches in our party that day, as we feasted on various sandwiches and baked goodies, including chocolate chip cookies, macaroons and my Mom's pumpkin bread. My contribution to the gluttony were these delicious Chocolate Strawberry Shortcakes. I sliced the berries and whipped the cream at home before we left and stored them in separate airtight containers on ice in our cooler. Later they were broken out at the picnic location where our eager picnickers lined up to split the chocolate tea buns and spoon on the berries and cream. Never one to be caught short of grub, there was more than enough left over to share with the Mandevilles, a couple of teachers from the kid's junior high who we encountered on the beach as they visited with their very talkative and charming little boy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Overall it was a relaxing and thoroughly enjoyable day in the middle of the bay. If you get the opportunity to pack your picnic basket and hop the ferry in what may be the waning, brilliant days of summer, I'm sure you'll have a memorable day as well.

 

To see more of my photos from Bell Island check out this Facebook Bell Island Photo Album. You need not be on Facebook to view it.

 

Chocolate Tea Buns

Makes about 8

In a food processor, combine:
1 ¾ cups flour
1/3cocoa
½ cup sugar
4 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  + 2 tbsp milk

Pour over the dry ingredients and toss together lightly just until a soft, sticky dough forms. Do not over mix. Drop the dough onto a well floured surface. (I mix cocoa powder with the flour used for rolling) Roll out to about 1 inch thickness and cut out buns with a 3 inch biscuit cutter. Bake on a parchment lined aluminum baking sheet in a preheated 400 degree oven for about 20 minutes or until they spring back when touched lightly. Remove from baking pan and cool completely on a wire rack

In a medium size bowl combine:

1 ½ pints fresh strawberries, washed and sliced
6 tablespoons sugar

Toss together well, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let stand for about an hour, stirring occasionally. The sugar will cause the strawberries to begin to release their juice, combining to form a strawberry syrup.

Vanilla Whipped Cream
Beat together until firm peaks form:

1 cup whipping cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 tbsp icing sugar
To assemble the dessert simply split a chocolate biscuit, spoon the strawberries and cream over the bottom and replace the top. Drizzle with chocolate ganace of desired.

Chocolate Ganache

Scald 1/4 cup whipping cream in the microwave. Pour over 2/3 cup  chocolate chips. Let stand for 5 minutes. Stir until smooth.

The Best Buttermilk Biscuits & Honey Butter

Followers of Rock Recipes will know that I love a great weekend brunch and look forward to it all week long. Brunch ideas have often made appearances here over the years. This week was extra special with my sister visiting from Alberta along with her husband and Kaitlyn, a land locked Albertan friend who has come to love the natural beauty and warm spirit of Newfoundland, our incredible island home. To watch Katie comb our rocky beaches for seashells and starfish with the wide-eyed wonder of a child, is to witness the spirit of so many who have discovered this place and now claim just a little piece of it as home.

But more than the spirit gets fed here in Newfoundland, so back to that brunch. From the rocky shores of Newfoundland we travel to the sandy beaches of the US gulf coast for a southern breakfast specialty, the buttermilk biscuit. In Newfoundland we are very fond of our raisin tea buns and the food culture equivalent in the southern states has to be warm, tender buttermilk biscuits. I've sampled many in my travels in chain restaurants to roadside diners but with real buttermilk not being readily commercially available here until being recently introduced by Farmers brand, my attempts with buttermilk substitutes have always fallen just a little short of my expectations.

Not so now, as these beautiful little biscuits were a big hit with all 11 hungry appetites at yesterday's brunch, where about three dozen were conquered with various combinations of sweet honey butter, homemade cherry apple jam, fresh strawberries and cream. One or two adventurous experimenters who shall remain unnamed, piled all of those on as an over the top finale to a great meal that also included scrambled eggs, sausage and one of my favorites, Prime Rib Hash topped with what has become a favorite breakfast condiment at our house, Spicy Quick Tomato Compote.

There are a few tips that make this recipe work particularly well  in my opinion. Although many traditional southern recipes call for all shortening in varying amounts, some of which leave the biscuits a little too oily for my taste, this one relies on a combination of a moderate amount of vegetable shortening and butter for a perfect combination of lightness and flavor. The amount of baking powder required is about double what I would use for our traditional tea buns and is supplemented with just a little baking soda. Too much soda in other recipes I find I can taste quite strongly and really don't enjoy. Other than that, the trick to really flaky biscuits is handling the dough as little as possible; overworking the dough will produce much denser biscuits. Higher than usual oven temperature also makes these rise, bake and brown quickly making them extra flaky.

Give these a try to add a touch of homemade baking love to your next weekend brunch. I guarantee they will be much appreciated and enjoyed.

Makes about 18 two inch biscuits

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

In a food processor, blend together

4 cups all purpose flour

9 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

Pulse in

1/4 cup + 1 tbsp very cold vegetable shortening, cut in small cubes (I store mine in the freezer)

1/4 cup + 1 tbsp very cold salted butter, cut in small cubes

Do not over incorporate the shortening and butter into the flour. Similar to making a flaky pastry, small pieces of butter should be visible in the flour. 

Transfer this mixture from the food processor into a large mixing bowl and make a well in the center. Pour in

2 cups buttermilk

Working very quickly with a wooden spoon, fold the dry mixture through the buttermilk, only until the flour disappears, then stop immediately. Drop the sticky dough onto a well floured counter top or bread board. Sprinkle the top of the dough with additional flour as well as flouring your hands to handle the dough. I don't even use a rolling pin for these biscuits, the dough is soft enough to pat it out gently with floured hands to a thickness of about 1 & 1/2 inches. Using a sharp 2 inch biscuit cutter cut the biscuits out an place them, almost touching, on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. I recommend aluminum baking sheets because they tolerate the higher oven temperature without burning the bottom of the biscuits.

Bake in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes or until the tops of the biscuits are evenly golden brown. Delicious served warm with Honey Butter.

Honey Butter

Honey butter is simply honey beaten into plain butter in a 2 to 1 ratio of butter to honey.

1 cup butter (not margarine or other horrible butter substitutes)

1/2 cup honey

Beat together with an electric mixer until smooth and fluffy.

Chicken Souvlaki with Lemon Mint Tzatziki

Greek food is a family favorite at our house and this simple but very flavorful meal is yet another way to pull a great meal off the summertime grill. This particular souvlaki and tzatziki was definitely one of the best meals I've had this summer and I'm already craving more .

The chicken need only be marinated for 15-20 minutes to infuse it with intense lemon garlic flavor. My souvlaki marinade also uses a small splash of balsamic vinegar and some smoked paprika for extra layers of flavor. This marinade also works very well with pork tenderloin or lamb which can be marinated much longer than chicken if you prefer.

There are a couple of herbs that work well in a good tzatziki, including parsley or dill but my absolute favorite is finely chopped fresh mint that I pluck from a small herb bed in the garden, just a few feet from the kitchen door. Working against the tangy zing of lemon and Greek yogurt, I like the balancing freshness that mint brings to this bright accompaniment to a great souvlaki. It also makes a fantastic dressing for Greek salad or as a veggie dip.

We served this meal a couple of days ago with a simple Greek salad and instead of traditional pita bread we used the backyard grill once again to make some crispy, chewy garlic flatbreads which were perfect to round out this amazing meal. You can find that Flatbread recipe here.

Serves 4

4 large boneless skinless chicken breasts

I like to pound out the chicken breasts to about a quarter inch thickness to provide as much surface space as possible to accept the marinade and increase the flavour. I then cut the thin marinated chicken into about 1 x 3 inch pieces and fold them over before piercing the meat onto a skewer to grill.

Souvlaki Marinade

6 tbsp fresh lemon juice

3 tbspp olive oil

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1 rounded tbsp smoked paprika

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

3 cloves minced garlic

Mix all of the ingredients together and pour over the chicken in a Ziploc bag. Toss the chicken around well in the marinade to coat on all sides. Marinate in the fridge for 15 - 20 minutes. While the chicken is marinating, soak 4 long bamboo skewers in water. Pierce the chicken onto the skewers, alternating with pieces of sweet pepper or red onion. Cook on a preheated grill at medium high heat for about 6 minutes before turning over and grilling for an additional 6 minutes on the opposite side or until the chicken is completely cooked through.

Serve with a Greek Salad, flatbread and tzatziki.

Lemon Mint Tzatziki

3 cups Greek yogurt, drained.

Draining the yogurt removes much of the liquid and produces an end product about the consistency of thick sour cream. To drain the yogurt, line a colander with several layers of cheesecloth (or in a pinch, several large coffee filters) Pour the yogurt into the colander and place it in a large bowl or in the sink for an hour or two. this should produce about 2 cups of thick yogurt.

6 inch piece of English cucumber

Peel the piece of cucumber and remove the seeds and pulp at the center with a teaspoon, then dice the outside flesh of the cucumber into small cubes of  1/8 inch or less.

Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of kosher salt over the diced cucumber and toss together well. Let this rest for about a half hour , stirring occasionally. This process removes some of the liquid from the cucumber so that it will not water down the consistency of your finished tzatziki. Drain all of the liquid off the diced cucumber before adding it to the drained yogurt along with

2 tbsp finely chopped fresh mint

2 cloves minced garlic

3 tbsp fresh lemon juice

2 tbsp olive oil

pinch salt and pepper to season

Mix well, cover and store in the fridge for at least a half hour before serving.

Oreo Caramel Brownie Bombs

 

Today's recipe got a lot of attention and was the object of some good-natured fun from members of our Rock Recipes Facebook Page, when I posted a couple of preview photos there yesterday and asked for folks to suggest a name for this incredibly indulgent recipe. Some of the suggestions, especially those from friends in private messages were of a nature that...well, let's just say I wouldn't want to enter any of them into a search engine. :)

 

 

With a bottom layer of soft chocolate chip cookie, which is topped by broken Oreos and gobs of caramel before a layer of soft chocolatey brownie, it's no wonder that this one ticks a lot of boxes for dessert and sweet lovers. A drizzle of chocolate ganache to crown these beautiful squares may be over the top but when you've gone this far, why not?

 

If you're not already a member, why not "Like" our Facebook Page for preview photos of upcoming recipes and up-to-date info on what's cooking in my kitchen.

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9 x 13 inch baking pan. Line the pan with parchment paper and again lightly grease the parchment. An unlined pan could result in some of the caramel sticking to it, making the squares difficult to remove.

The base is partially pre-baked so you will want to have the brownie batter, caramel and broken Oreo cookies all prepared and ready to quickly top the base and get it back in the oven ASAP.

 

Chocolate Chip Base 

 

Cream until light and fluffy:

½ cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
Add
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
Beat well.

Sift together
1 cup + 3 tbsp flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp baking soda

Add dry ingredients to the creamed mixture, folding to combine well. Fold in

½ cup chocolate chips

Spread in the prepared baking pan and bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees F. (325 degrees for glass bake ware) Remove from oven and immediately sprinkle with

18 Oreo cookies, broken into quarters

2 dozen soft caramel candies or two dozen teaspoons homemade soft caramel   (Our homemeade soft caramel recipe is here.)

 

Brownie Batter

3/4cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoon cocoa powder
1/4teaspoon salt
1/2cup butter
5 squares unsweetened chocolate
3/4cup granulated sugar
¼ cup light-brown sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Sift together flour, cocoa and salt. Melt together butter and unsweetened chocolate over low heat. Remove from heat and cool to lukewarm. Add eggs,vanilla and sugars. Stir very well until sugars are dissolved.

Pour batter over the Oreos and caramel, return to the oven and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes or until the suface of the brownie batter is no longer glossy. Cool completely.

Top with a drizzle of chocolate ganache if desired. Cut in 2 inch squares.

 

Chocolate Ganache

In the microwave, scald 1/3 cup whipping cream, almost to boiling. Pour over 1 &1/3 cups chocolate chips. Let stand for 5 minutes, then stir until smooth. Spoon the ganache into a Ziploc bag and using sharp scissors, snip a small corner of the bag off and pipe a thin stream of the ganache in a continuous circular pattern over the squares.

Caramel Vanilla Puff Bars

 

Attention folks with a chronic sweet tooth! Inspired by a popular Canadian snack cake (which will be obvious our resident readers), I made these for a planned family picnic which ended up being a family dinner at my Mom's house. Indoors or out, these were a great success, particularly with the kids. I originally planned to make these  only with the thick caramel filling but number one son insisted that a thin layer of vanilla frosting was also necessary. When he's right, he's right.

 

Makes 18 pastries
 

Two 12 inch square sheets puff pastry
Granulated sugar

Cut pastry in 9 squares per sheet, do not roll it out, you want the full thickness of the pastry.  Sprinkle the tops with sugar and bake for about 13-15 minutes at 375 degrees F until evenly golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.

Caramel Filling

1 cups sugar
1/4 cup butter cut in small cubes
4 tbsp water
1/2 cup whipping cream

Begin by mixing the sugar and water in a medium saucepan. NOTE: I use a larger saucepan than seemingly required because the sugar foams up when you add the butter and cream so make sure you have a large enough pot; 1 1/2 quarts should do.

Boil the sugar and water over medium heat until the mixture begins to turn a light amber color. It is very easy to burn this mixture which can happen very quickly once the proper color is achieved, so have your butter and cream at the ready, as timing is crucial for this recipe. Do not stir the mixture as it boils but swirl the mixture as needed to pick up any crystallization that might form at the sides.

When the color is right, quickly add the butter and stir quickly until the butter is melted. Remove from the heat immediately and pour in the whipping cream, stirring constantly until the sauce is uniformly smooth.Return to the stove at medium low heat and simmer slowly, stirring often until the mixture reaches 230 degrees F on a candy thermometer (just below soft ball stage). Remove from heat and cool completely to room temperature.

Vanilla Frosting

2 cups icing sugar
1/2 cup softened butter
3 - 4 tbsp milk ( adjust to achieve the proper consistency)
2 tsp vanilla extract

Beat all together with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.

Split the cooled pastries horizontally with a sharp serrated knife. Spread a rounded teaspoon of the caramel on the bottom pastry and a heaping teaspoon of vanilla frosting on the top half of the pastry before bringing the two halves together. Store in an airtight plastic container in the refrigerator.

Bakeapple Chicken Curry

 

A bakeapple is the Newfoundland term for a cloudberry, a rare and prized delicacy in local food culture. It is the closest thing we have to an exotic fruit way up here in the far northeast of the continent. These low growing berries thrive mostly on open acidic wetlands like marshes and bogs and die-hard berry pickers often hold secret their favorite harvesting locations. First appearing as bright red raspberry look-alikes, they ripen into a golden amber color with a sweet, slightly tart flavour that has hints of orange and apricot but have a unique taste that is almost indescribable to the uninitiated...let's just leave it at simply delicious.

Traditionally made into jams and baked into tarts and pies, these beautiful berries have in the last 20 years or so begun to appear in commercial applications because of the burgeoning awareness of the excellent health benefits of northern wild berries. Rodrigues Winery in Markland, Newfoundland, about an hours drive outside St. John's has also been turning these golden jewels of berries into delicious wines and liquers for years. 

I sometimes use bakeapples in savoury applications as well, like in this Bakeapple Peach and Ginger Chutney. Since I do like to experiment with a little Newfoundland fusion cuisine on occasion and being a fan of fruit based curries like the recent Mango Chicken Curry, the idea of a bakeapple curry with exotic spices really appealed to me. Sweet onions and ginger also paired well with the bakeapples and spices in this successful experiment that will really shake up your taste buds if you are in a circular dinner menu rut. Ripe, fresh apricots, peaches or nectarines make an easy substitute for those who are not lucky enough to find a supply of tasty bakeapples.

Serves 6 - 8

You will need to drain the plain yogurt in advance of making the curry.

3 cups plain yogurt, drained for about an hour in a collader lined with cotton muslin cloth or in a pinch, you can even use coffee filters.

3 to 4 pounds of boneless skinless chicken thighs (or boneless chicken breasts; if using breasts add them later to the sauce to keep them from drying out)

3 tbsp tandoori masala

3 tbsp lime juice

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp salt

3 tbsp peanut oil

Place all of the above ingredients in a large Ziploc bag and marinate in the fridge for about a half hour. Completely cook the chicken thighs on a gas or charcoal grill and set aside to rest for a few minutes before cutting the chicken into large cubes.

In a large saucepan or dutch oven saute together for just a until softened

2 large sweet white onions, diced

1 large red onion, diced

4 cloves minced garlic

4 tbsp canola or peanut oil

When completely softened, puree the onion mixture in a food processor and then return it to the pot. Add all of the following.

4 cups bakeapples (cloudberries)

4 tbsp freshly grated ginger

2 tsp garam masala

1 tsp turmeric

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1/2 tsp ground cardemom

1 tsp ground fennel seeds

1 tsp ground coriander seeds

3 tbsp lemon juice

3 tbsp brown sugar

1/2 tsp red curry powder (or 1 tbsp chili powder) 

2 tbsp yellow curry powder

1 cup water

1 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

Drained yogurt

Simmer together over low heat for about 20 minutes. Add the diced chicken to the sauce and simmer for an additional 15 minutes. (Only about 5 minutes if using chicken breasts.) Lastly add:

1 large roasted red sweet pepper, diced

3 tbsp butter

Simmer for only a couple of minutes more to warm through the peppers. Serve over steamed rice or with your favorite naan. Peshawari Naan with golden raisins, cashews and coconut is particularly good with this curry.

Baked Teriyaki Panko Pork Chops

I've tried many online recipes for homemade teriyaki  sauce and none of them really hit the right balance for my taste. In general I have found them too intensely flavored, too salty, or including ingredients that are not readily available. Here, I've developed my own version which I tweak to suit different applications. The recipe, as written, makes a great straight forward sauce for serving over noodles and salmon or as a dip. If it is not intense enough for your taste, simply reduce the amount of water in the recipe. By reducing the water by half, the sauce makes a delicious glaze to toss with fried chicken wings or to brush on meats on the grill.

Teriyaki Sauce

In a small saucepan add:

3 cloves minced garlic

3 tbsp peanut oil

Saute until the garlic is softened but not browned then add:

1/2 cup soya sauce (preferably reduced salt soya sauce)

1 cup water

1/2 cup honey

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 tsp five spice powder (or cinnamon)

2 tsp sesame oil

4 tbsp rice wine vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)

1 ounce piece fresh ginger, very finely grated (freezing ginger makes it easier to grate)

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Simmer for about 5 minutes before adding a thickening slurry of a mixture of

1/4 cup cold water

1 1/2 tbsp corn starch

Simmer for an additional minute and remove from the stove.

4 large butterflied center loin pork chops, well trimmed

Mix together a seasoning mix of

1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp five spice powder

Rub this seasoning mix onto the pork chops.

1 cup flour
Egg wash ( 1 egg whisked with 2 tbsp water)
1cup panko crumbs

Coat the pork chops in the flour, then dip them in the egg wash and finally coat with the panko crumbs.

Place the prepared chops on a lightly oiled cookie sheet and drizzle another couple of tablespoons of oil over the top of the chops. Bake in a 400 degree F oven for 20 minutes, flip the chops and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes depending on the thickness of the pork chops. Serve with thin noodles. and drizzle with the teriyaki sauce. Garnish with chopped green onions and toasted sesame seeds.

Banoffee Pie

Those who know me will tell you that I am very fond of British TV, in particular their excellent selection of cooking programs. Although more an entertainment program than a cooking show, Come Dine With Me features several contestants who each throw a dinner party on successive evenings and are rated on their food and hosting skills by their competitors. This very popular show has been running very successfully, almost non-stop since 2005.

Don't assume that these are all accomplished cooks however. There are usually a couple of competent cooks in the mix but this is British TV after all and the eccentric is almost always well represented in the mix of competitors, often serving as a foil to a "posh" contender in the group. One recent show I watched featured a self described "nomad" who's diet was heavily subsidized by roadkill. A roadside freshly found unfortunate pheasant served as the filling for her appetizer meat pie which she fed to a posh housewife, a millionaire playboy and a comic chap who's Coronation Street themed party saw him cross dressing as venerable Rovers Return landlady Bette Lynch. If you cannot recognize the comic possibilities in that mix, you might want to consider a funny bone transplant.

The show also is a window into some of the most common dishes in current British  cuisine. I don't know who popularized baked monkfish wrapped in parma ham with the British public but judging by it's popularity on the plate in Come Dine With Me, it must be a now ubiquitous dish in the collective culinary consciousness. I suspect it's simplicity of preparation with just enough of a "gourmet" association to those contestants without an extensive cooking repertoire accounts for its popularity.

Similarly, a very common "pudding" to end the meal on many episodes is the Banoffee Pie, which my research tells me has been extremely popular across the pond since the early 70's. While a graham crumb crust is practically universal for no-bake pies in North America, a digestive biscuit crumb crust seems to be more the standard in the British Isles and one of the reasons I wanted to try a version of this recipe which also combines a sort of dulce de leche base filling topped with sliced bananas and whipped cream. Having seen it prepared so many times, I could not help but try a version of it myself.  The combination is quite rich and very delicious and proved to be very popular with my kids and some of their friends who visited yesterday and this morning only a few crumbs remain on the serving plate. This one is sure to please all ages and is well worth a try.

Biscuit Base

Mix together:

2 1/4 cups digestive biscuit crumbs (pulse biscuits in food processor)

1/2 cup melted butter

3 tbsp sugar

Press into the bottom and sides of a lightly greased 9 inch springform pan, about an inch and a half up the sides of the pan will do. Bake in a preheated 350 degree F oven for 10 -12 minutes. Remove from oven and cool in the pan on a wire rack.

Toffee Filling

  

In a small saucepan combine:

1/2 cup melted butter

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

2 tsp vanilla extract

Bring to a slow boil until foamy, then add:

1 10 oz (300 ml) can sweetened condensed milk

Bring back to a slow boil over medium low heat. and cook stirring continuously for another 3 or 4 minutes until the mixture darkens slightly. Remove from heat and pour into the prepared cookie crumb crust. Chill for 2 hours or more until thoroughly cooled.

Banana Cream Topping

Add to the bowl of an electric mixer:

2 cups whipping cream

3 tbsp icing sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract.

Beat together until soft peaks form and then gently fold in:

4 ripe bananas, sliced

Spread the Banana Cream Topping over the toffee filling and garnish the top of the pie with chocolate shavings if desired. Chill for about another hour before serving.

Cherry Apple Jam on Sour Cream Flan

 

Last week I arrived home to find a present on my doorstep. A friend had come by some beautiful cherries from her friend's garden in Shea Heights, a neighborhood high atop the Southside Hills with stunning views of downtown St. John's. The cherry tree was on the property when they bought it 20 years ago and even in a terrible summer like this one, still gives up it's annual sweet bounty. This year I was lucky enough to share in that bounty and immediately set out to make this delicious Cherry Apple Jam with an eye to making yet another version of a family favorite dessert, a sour cream baked custard flan. This is a very simple and versatile dessert recipe, pairing well with almost any fruit topping. Over the years I've made many versions including strawberry, raspberry, apple, lemon, partridgeberry, blueberry and tempting bakeapple. This new version definitely did not disappoint and got rave reviews when we served it to visiting friends a few nights ago.

I managed to get 4 jars of this gorgeous jam out of my little treasure trove of cherries but after making a flan and everyone in the house, including the kids having a love affair with this ruby red, jewel-like spread on toasted Georgestown Bakery Belgian Loaf, we are now down to a single jar. I need to find a really good hiding place for the lone survivor. There's a long winter ahead and we'll all appreciate it more with a blanket of snow on the ground. For complete step-by step instructions on how to safely preserve jams in mason jars visit the Bernardin website. http://www.bernardin.ca/pages/step_by_step___your_guide_to_home_canning/32.php

Cherry Apple Jam

3 large Granny Smith Apples, peeled and thinly sliced

1/2 cup water

Slowly simmer the apples in the water in a covered saucepan until they are completely softened.

8 cups pitted cherries

Puree the cherries and cooked apples in a food processor. Transfer to a saucepan and simmer for 10 minutes over low heat. Add 

4 1/2 cups sugar

Bring to a boil and simmer for an additional 5 minutes, then add

2 oz pectin crystals (I used Certo brand, 1 box)

Simmer for only one minute longer. Remove from heat and stir continuously for 5 to 7 minutes, skimming off any foam on the surface. Pour into sterilized jars and fit with sterilized lids. Let stand at room temperature for several hours to set.

Sour Cream Flan

Grease a 9 inch springform pan.

Mix together until well combined:

1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup melted butter
2 tbsp sugar

Press into the bottom of the greased springform pan.

For the custard part of this desert it is important to use full fat sour cream or the filling will not set. I use 18% milk fat sour cream that is sometimes sold as “restaurant style” or “extra thick”.

Whisk together until the sugar is dissolved:

Three, 8 oz tubs of sour cream
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
3 tsp vanilla extract

Pour onto the prepared graham crumb crust and bake at 325 degrees F for 50-55 minutes. The custard will still be quite jiggly at the center when done and may be just beginning to brown slightly at the edges, although no color at all is necessary for the flan to be properly baked. Allow the flan to cool to room temperature then refrigerate for a couple of hours before topping with the cherry apple jam and serving.
For complete step-by step instructions on how to safely preserve jams in mason jars visit the Bernardin website. http://www.bernardin.ca/pages/step_by_step___your_guide_to_home_canning/32.php

Strawberry & Rhubarb Fool from "The Lighthouse Picnic"

High above the rocky shore in the historic community of Ferryland, stands a bright red towering beacon beside a white clapboard lighthouse that has helped provide safe passage for mariners since 1870. Ferryland was first settled in 1621 by George Calvert, who later left for warmer climes, eventually founding the city of Baltimore. About an hour drive from St. John's, the Colony of Avalon in Ferryland is now an amazing interpretive site and home to an active archeological dig on the site of the original 1621 settlement and a must-see for any visiting tourist.

 Inaccessible by road, in order to get to the lighthouse, you must pass the Interpretive Centre for the Colony of Avalon, which houses thousands of artifacts from the dig. Taking a scenic stroll to the lighthouse, you are met with grassy hills surrounding the site with stunning views of the rugged Newfoundland coastline. It is here that you can sit and gaze out over the clear blue North Atlantic watching waves, seabirds and humpback whales feeding near the shores. 

As if the breathtaking beauty of this location was not enough, for the past 9 seasons, owner/operator Jill Curran has been dishing up fantastic gourmet picnics to visitors who now come as much for the food as the views. Some of the items on offer at The Lighthouse Picnic can include: Chutney-glazed ham & brie on lighthouse bread, warm gingerbread & custard sauce, curried chicken with mango and sliced almonds on lighthouse bread, peach shortcakes, orzo pepper and fresh mint salad, cranberry scones and much more. Is it any wonder that accolades for this transcendent picnic experience continue an an unabated pace including:

• Listed in Where to Eat in Canada Guide every year since 2004.
• Listed in EnRoute Magazine’s 100 favourite things in the world!
• 2010 Canadian Living Magazine listed as #1 picnic place in Canada

Ferryland and The Lighthouse Picnic are truly special experiences not to be missed by anyoneone who gets the opportunity.

 A popular dessert often found on the menu at The Lighthouse Picnic is a simple Strawberry & Rhubarb Fool and Jill has been kind enough to share the recipe with us.

To see more of my photos from the Lighthouse Picnic check out my Facebook Photo Album.

Strawberry & Rhubarb Fool

"This dessert couldn’t be easier or couldn’t be any tastier!" Jill Curran.

1 lb rhubarb

½ lb sugar

¾ lb strawberries

10 ounces of whipping cream

1.     Cut rhubarb into chunks & add to saucepan with sugar. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes over a gentle heat until soft. Be sure to stir often!

2.     Once cooked stir rhubarb to mash using a wooden spoon. Set aside to cool.

3.     Whip cream.

4.     Slice strawberries.

5.     Once rhubarb is cold. Gently fold in the whipped cream & sliced strawberries. 

6.     Keep dessert chilled until ready to serve.

7.     Serve with fresh mint.