Favorite Recipes

• 170 g (about 1 cup) dried apricots
• 1 kg boned lamb shoulder or leg, fat removed or 1 Leg of Lamb, bone removed
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 3 T. oil or clarified butter
• 2 garlic clove, peeled, finely chopped
• 2 cm. fresh ginger, finely chopped
• 2 onions, peeled, chopped
• 1 t. each ground turmeric, cumin
• 1/4 t. chili powder (or 1/2 tsp. fresh chopped chlli)
• 1 t. each coriander, salt
• 2 cups hot water
• 450 g. piece pumpkin (2 cups peeled, diced)
• Optional: 1 T. lemon juice

1. Cover apricots in cold water and soak. Cut lamb into 2 cm cubes. Grind some pepper over it and mix through.
2. Heat oil and butter in a large, heavy-based metal casserole (or frying pan). Brown lamb, a little at a time; don't crowd the pan. Turn cubes with tongs; remove as they brown.
3. Reduce heat. Add garlic, ginger and onions. Sauté on low, 2 to 3 minutes, scraping bottom of pan well. Add spices and salt. Stir in hot water then diced pumpkin. Combine with browned lamb.
4. Bake in covered casserole in oven, at 160 degrees Celsius (320 degrees Fahrenheit) for 1 hour. Add drained apricots. Cover and cook 1 more hour until lamb is tender. Add lemon juice if desired.
5. Serve hot with couscous

• 12 ears fresh corn
• 1 cup butter (2 sticks)
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 T. flour
• 1 cup evaporated milk
• 4 eggs, well beaten
• 1 T. baking powder
• melted butter to grease baking dish

Topping

• 1 t. cinnamon
• 1 cup sugar
• red cherries and green leaves (use your imagination)

1. Cut corn from ears with sharp knife and grate it.
2. Melt butter with sugar and add flour slowly.
3. Gradually blend in milk, then add beaten eggs, then baking powder.
4. Mix thoroughly and pour into a greased baking dish.  
5. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit until brown, or about 30-50 minutes.
6. When done, brush with melted butter and sprinkle with mixture of sugar and cinnamon.
7. Garnish with red cherries and green leaves.

Filling

• 2 med. onions, chopped
• 6 T. unsalted butter
• 1 ½ lbs. mushrooms, chopped
• 2 sm. red bell peppers, chopped
• 1/3 cup cream sherry
• ½ cup parsley, minced
• 3 T. bread crumbs

Pastry Options

• Frozen puff pastry - 17 oz. pkg. with two sheets (instructions below cover this option) or
• Prepared won ton skins or
• Make your own puff pastry

Egg Wash

• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 t. water

1. In a 12-inch skillet, sauté the onion in the butter over med.-low head until transparent.
2. Add the mushrooms and bell peppers. Cook until mushrooms begin to brown and any liquid is evaporated.
3. Add sherry and cook until the liquid is evaporated.
4. In a large bowl, mix the mushroom mixture, parsley and bread crumbs.
5. If using frozen puff pastry: on a lightly floured surface, stretch one sheet of the dough to at least a 14 X 10 inch rectangle.  Cut lengthwise. 
6. Spread half of the mushroom mixture on one of the half-sheets, leaving a one inch border. Brush edges of the mushroom covered sheet with some egg wash.
7. Place second half sheet on top of first. Crimp edges together with fork.  Cut slits in the top.  Brush with some egg wash.
8. Repeat with second sheet.
9. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.  After placing the pastries in the oven, reduce heat to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.  Bake until golden, or about 35 minutes.
10. To serve, cut into 1 inches slices.

• 2 T. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 med. onion, peeled, trimmed and thinly sliced
• 1 med. leek (white part only) washed, dried, and thinly sliced,
• 2 McIntosh apples, peeled, cored and cut into ½-inch cubes
• 10 oz. celery root, peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 sprig thyme
• 1 pinch fresh nutmeg, grated
• Salt and freshly ground white pepper
• ¾ lb. fresh chestnuts, peeled (from about 1¼ lbs. shells on) or dry-packed bottled or vacuum-sealed peeled chestnuts
• 2 qts. unsalted chicken stock or store-bought low-sodium chicken broth
• ½ cup heavy cream

1. Heat oil in large stockpot over med. heat. Add onion, leek, apples, celery root, bay leaf, thyme, nutmeg, and salt and pepper to taste. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes, or until onions and leeks are soft but not colored.
2. Add chestnuts and chicken stock to pot and bring to a boil.
3. Lower heat and simmer, skimming the surface regularly, for 35-40 minutes, or until the chestnuts can be easily mashed with a fork.
4. Add cream and simmer for 5-10 minutes more.
5. Remove pot from heat and discard bay leaf and thyme.
6. Puree the soup until smooth using a blender, hand-held immersion blender, or a food processor. Work in batches if needed.
7. Pass soup through a fine-mesh strainer or sieve.
8. Measure soup, there should be about 2 quarts.  If there is more, simmer over medium heat until reduced and thickened.
9. Taste and add more seasonings if needed.
10. Soup may be cooled and stored in a covered container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days or frozen for up to a month.
11. To serve, reheat the soup to a boil, then ladle into warm bowls.

• salt
• 1 lb. haricorts verts or green beans, trimmed
• ½ cup green hazelnuts, skins removed or mature blanched hazelnuts
• ¾ cup crème fraîche (French sour cream)
• 1 T. red wine vinegar
• freshly ground black pepper
• 2 med. tomatoes, seeded and diced
• 4 cups mixed baby greens
• 4 sprigs fresh basil

1. Bring a med. pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add haricots verts and cook until tender, about 5-8 minutes.  Drain and refresh in ice water, then drain, wrap in a dish towel and set aside.
2. If using green hazelnuts, coarsely chop and set aside.  
   If using mature hazelnuts, heat a med. skillet over med.-high heat.  Add hazelnuts to the dry skillet, and roast, turning, until nuts are golden, or about 5-7 minutes. Remove, coarsely chop and set aside.
3. Put crème fraîche in a med. bowl.  Whisk in vinegar and season to taste with salt and pepper.  Add tomatoes, stir gently, then set aside for 10 minutes, allowing tomatoes to flavor and color dressing.
4. To assemble, toss greens in a medium mixing bowl with about 2 T. dressing, then evenly divide between 4 plates.  Put haricots verts in the same bowl, add about 1/2 cup dressing and toss to coat.  Arrange haricots verts on top of greens.  Spoon remaining dressing over salads, taking care that a few diced tomatoes are on top of each one.  Sprinkle with hazelnuts and garnish with basil leaves.

• 1½ cups milk
• 2 cups water
• 1 cup grits
• ½ cup cream
• 1 t. salt
• ½ cup butter or margarine plus an additional pat of butter for each guest
• 1 lb fresh shrimp, 40 - 50 to the pound, cooked and shelled
• 2 T. white cooking wine
• 2 T. ketchup
• ¼ t. lemon pepper
• ½ t. Louisiana Hot Sauce
• 1 T. chopped parsley
• 1 T. chopped green onions

1. Place the water, milk and salt in a large sauce pan. Boil briskly.
2. Gradually stir in the grits. Reduce heat, cover and simmer gently for 20 - 30 minutes, or until the grits thicken, stirring frequently.
3. Add cream and ¼ cup butter. Cook another 20 -30 minutes. The longer the grits cook the creamier the texture. (Treat "Instant" grits the same way, regardless of what the package says.)
4. Keep hot until ready to serve. Add a little water if it gets too thick to stir.
5. While the grits are cooking, prepare the sauce.
6. Spoon the hot grits on a dinner plate and make a well in the center with a spoon.
7. Add about 6-7 shrimp with sauce to the well.
8. Garnish with a butter pat on the side.

1. If the shrimp are frozen, defrost and pour off any water.
2. Melt the butter, and then sauté the onions and parsley in it for 3 minutes.
3. Stir in the ketchup, lemon pepper and hot sauce.
4. Add the shrimp to the sauce and mix well. Set aside and reheat when ready to serve.

• 8 ounces Chantaboon rice noodles (or any flat rice noodles)
• 5-6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2 T. chopped shallots (or small red or purple onions)
• 1/2 cup fresh cooked shrimp
• 1/4 cup fish sauce
• 1/4 cup regular sugar (or crushed palm sugar but it doesn't make much difference)
• 2 t. tamarind concentrate mixed with 5 t. water (this makes tamarind juice)
• 1 medium egg, beaten 
• 1/4 cup chives, chopped
• 1/2 cup roasted, unsalted peanuts, very coarsely ground
• 1 cup bean sprouts 
• 1/2 cup "firm" tofu, diced in 1/2" cubes
• Dark sweet soy sauce
• Cooking oil
• Radish, rinsed and salted (optional)

• 1 T. Lime juice
• 1 t. tamarind concentrate mixed with 2.5 t. water (this makes tamarind juice)
• 1 T. fish sauce
• 1/2 cup beans sprouts
• 1/2 cup chives, chopped
• 1/2 cup roasted, unsalted peanuts very coarsely ground
• 1 lime
• 1 cucumber

1. Soak noodles in room temperature water for an hour or more depending on how soft you prefer the noodles. It may take some experimentation to determine your preference. They will get softer when cooked.
2. Dice tofu into 1/2" cubes, place in small container and cover with sweet soy sauce. Marinate until ready to use.
3. Coarsely break up peanuts in a stone mortar and pestle.
4. Heat a little cooking oil in a wok. Add garlic and shallots, and briefly stir fry until they just shows signs of changing color.
5. Add remaining ingredients except egg and bean sprouts, and stir fry until the noodles soften (about 5 minutes). As you stir the noodles, periodically throw in 1-2 tablespoons of water, and after 2-3 minutes add 1 tablespoon of rinsed, salted radish (optional).
6. Continuing to stir with one hand, slowly "drizzle" in the beaten egg to form a fine ribbon of cooked egg (if you don't feel confident with this make an egg crepe separately, and then roll it up and slice it into quarter inch wide pieces, which you add to the mix at this point).
7. Add the bean sprouts and cook for no more than another 30 seconds.
8. Remove from wok to a serving platter and garnish.

1. Mix lime juice, tamarind juice and fish sauce in a small bowl.
2. Add uncooked bean sprouts, chives and peanuts.
3. Sprinkle this mixture on the cooked Pad Thai.
4. Cut lime into segments.
5. Slice cucumber into rounds, then halve the rounds.
6. Arrange lime and cucumber segments around the serving platter.