Bacon Cheddar Monkey Bread

Ingredients

1-1/4 cups (7 ounces) shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
12 ounces bacon, cooked and chopped (about 1 cup)
1/4 cup finely chopped green onions
2-1/4 to 3 cups all-purpose flour, divided
1 package (1/4 ounce) rapid-rise active dry yeast
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup warm water (120°F)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/3 cup butter, melted
1 egg

Method

1. Combine cheese, bacon and green onions in medium bowl; mix well.
2. Combine 1-1/2cups flour, yeast, and salt in large bowl of stand mixer; stir to combine. Add water and oil, beat with paddle attachment at medium speed 3 minutes.
3. Replace paddle attachment with dough hook. Beat in 1-1/4cups flour until dough comes together. Add 1 cup cheese mixture. Knead at medium-low speed 6 to 8 minutes or until dough is smooth and elastic, adding remaining 1/4 cup flour if necessary to clean side of bowl. Place dough in greased bowl and turn to grease top. Cover and let rise in warm place about 30 minutes or until doubled in size.
4. Generously spray 12-cup (10-inch) bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray. Whisk butter and egg in shallow bowl until blended. Punch down dough. Roll 1-inch pieces of dough into balls. Dip balls in butter mixture; roll in remaining cheese mixture to coat. Layer in prepared pan. Cover and let rise in warm place about 40 minutes or until almost doubled in size.
5. Preheat oven to 375°F.
6. Bake about 35 minutes or until golden brown. Loosen edges of bread with knife; invert onto wire rack. Cool 5 minutes; serve warm.

Makes 12 servings.

Source: Monkey Breads and More

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Baked Veal Shanks

Ingredients

8 (1-1/2 inch) pieces veal shank
plain (all-purpose) flour for coating
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 leeks, thickly sliced
4 cloves garlic, sliced
1 cup white wine
3 cups chicken stock
1 tablespoon shredded lemon rind
1 tablespoon small thyme sprigs
sea salt and cracked black pepper

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).
2. Toss the shank pieces in flour and shake off any excess.
3. Place half of the oil in a large, deep frying pan over high heat. Add the meat and cook until well browned. Transfer to a large baking dish, lining the bottom.
4. Add the remaining oil to the pan and cook the leeks and garlic until golden. Transfer to the baking dish with the wine, stock, lemon rind, thyme, salt and pepper. Cover the dish tightly and bake for 1-3/4 hours.
5. Serve the veal pieces on plates with the pan sauce and couscous or potato mash.

Makes 4 servings.

Source: Modern Classics

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Spice-encrusted Lamb Popsicles

Ingredients

3-1/2 to 4 lb rack of lamb, cut into 30 chops
1/2 cup cooking oil
2 Tbsp ground cumin
1-1/2 tsp salt
1 to 1-1/2 tsp ground cayenne pepper
2 Tbsp ground coriander
1 Tbsp paprika
1 tsp turmeric
2 Tbsp finely chopped garlic (6 medium cloves)
1/2 to 1 whole lemon, cut in wedges (optional)

Serve With

Apple Chutney
Coconut Curry for Any Day and Any Dish
Coconut Vegetable Curry

Method

1. In a large bowl, combine lamb with oil, cumin, salt, cayenne, coriander, paprika, turmeric and garlic. Toss lightly to coat the lamb, then cover and refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours to allow lamb to marinate.
2. Move your oven rack to its highest position, and preheat the oven to 500°F.
3. On a large baking sheet, arrange chops — as many as will fit comfortably without overlapping (at home we usually cook 12 to 18 at a time) — and bake for 2 minutes. Remove from the oven (closing the oven door so that the heat doesn’t escape), set on a heatproof surface and, using tongs, turn each chop over. Bake for 2 minutes more, then remove from the oven.
4. Using a sharp knife, cut into a popsicle; it should be pink in the centre. (If the popsicles are not quite cooked, bake each side for 30 seconds to 1 minute more.)
5. Transfer to a serving platter and squeeze some lemon juice over the cooked popsicles.

Makes 6 servings.

Source: VIJ’s at Home

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Shepherd’s Pie

Ingredients

2-1/2 cups cubed cooked lamb
1 large onion, minced
2 tbsp finely minced parsley
1 tsp salt
3/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
4 slices lean bacon, minced
1 cup Lamb Stock (see recipe below)

Duchess Potato Mixture

1 lb peeled potatoes, quartered
1/8 tsp white pepper
1 tsp (scant) salt
1 medium egg yolk
2 tbsp butter, melted

Anglais Glaze

1 medium egg
1 tsp olive oil
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground white pepper

Method

1. Make the lamb stock.
2. Make the potato mixture. Steam the potatoes in a vegetable steamer with about 1 cup water until soft. Drain water from steamer. Force potatoes through ricer. Dry the riced potatoes in a pan over low heat, stirring constantly. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well.
3. Prepare Anglais Glaze. Combine all ingredients and beat well with a fork.
4. Combine the lamb, onion, parsley, salt and pepper in a large bowl and mix well. Turn into a buttered 7 x 7 x 3-inch casserole.
5. Combine the bacon and stock in a small saucepan over low heat. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat. Simmer for 5 minutes, then pour over the lamb mixture.
6. Spread the potato mixture over the top evenly and score with a knife blade, then brush with the Anglais Glaze.
7. Bake in a preheated 350°F oven for 25 minutes or until lightly browned. (The potato mixture may be piped on top, if desired).

Makes 4 servings.

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Lamb Stock

Ingredients

2-1/2 lb lamb shoulder bones and trimmings
1 tbsp salt
1 tsp peppercorns
2 cups coarsely chopped celery and leaves
1 large clove of garlic, halved
2 onions, quartered
2 carrots, coarsely chopped

Method

1. Combine the bones and 2 quarts of water in a large heavy saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes, skimming the top occasionally.
2. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer for 1 hour and 30 minutes.
   Strain the stock through a fine sieve and cool.

3. Remove any remaining fat. This makes about 1-1/2 quarts of stock.

Source: The Creative Cooking Course

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Strawberry and Cream Layer Cakes

Ingredients

1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon caster/granulated sugar
1 stick butter, softened
2 eggs
2/3 cup self-raising flour
1/3 cup ground almonds
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-1/4 cups double/heavy cream, whipped
1-1/2 cups strawberries, thinly sliced
3 generous tablespoons strawberry jam/jelly

To Decorate

30 g ready-to-roll fondant icing
red and green food colouring pastes
1-2/3 cups powdered fondant icing sugar
1 tablespoon rosewater

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Grease 10 (6 cm diameter) cake pans.
2. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar and butter until light and creamy. Whisk in the eggs then sift in the flour. Fold in along with the almonds and vanilla extract. Spoon the mixture into the prepared cake pans and bake in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, until the cakes spring back to the touch. Leave to cool in the pans, then slide a knife around the edge of each one to release the cakes.
3. Make the fondant strawberries. Colour three quarters of the ready-to-roll icing red with a small amount of red food colouring paste. Colour the remainder with the green food colouring paste. Make at least 40 tiny strawberry shapes with the red icing and use a clean pin to prick holes in them to look like the seeds. Top each with a tiny blob of green icing to represent the stalks. Set aside to dry.
4. Prepare the icing. Mix together the fondant icing sugar, rosewater and about 1 tablespoon cold water until you have a smooth, thick icing. Cut each cake into 3 layers and cover the top layer of each cake with icing. Allow the icing to set for about 5 minutes, then gently press 4 fondant strawberries on to the top of each one to decorate.
5. Once the icing has set completely, assemble the cakes. Spoon a little whipped cream and preserve between each layer, topping with strawberry slices. Finish each one with an iced and decorated top.
6. Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator until needed.

Makes 10 mini-cakes.

Source: French Fancies

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