A few Nibbles for New Years

   

We did a One Night in Bethlehem activity at our chapel prior to Christmas.   We tried to serve all biblical or middle eastern foods . . .  finger foods, foods that would make great nibbles for the New Year's Eve Buffet table.

  

I made this lovely feta dip, which was really delicious and tangy and so simple to make.  It is basically just feta cheese, olive oil, thyme and lemon zest and juice blitzed until smooth in the food processor or blender.   Very simple really.  

  

It was absolutely wonderful!   It was nice served with vegetables for dipping and crackers for spreading.  You want something crisp to go with the smooth richeness of this dip.   It went down a real treat.  

*Creamy Feta Dip*

Makes about 2 cups

Printable Recipe  

Creamy, sharp and herby.   Goes well with toasted pita chips, raw vegetables, crackers.   Quick and easy to make. 

400g feta cheese (1 3/4 cups)

125ml of extra virgin olive oil (1/2 cup)

1 fat clove of garlic, peeled

the finely grated zest of two unwaxed lemons

the juice of two lemons

fine sea salt and cracked black pepper to taste

a few springs of fresh thyme 

To finish:
a drizzle of olive oil
a few thyme leaves  

  

Place all of the ingredients into a blender and blitz until smooth.  Cover and chill until needed.  Place into a serving bowl.  Drlzzle the top with some extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with a few thyme leaves.  



I also made these lovely little Lamb Kofta Meatballs.  Spicy and just wonderful served with some pita breads and Tzatziki for dipping.    You could fry them if you wanted to, but I just bake them in the oven because they brown nicely, evenly and as lamb is a rather fatty meat anyways it helps to cut down on some of that extra fat.

*Kofta Meatballs*
Makes about 20

Printable Recipe  

Moist and spicy.  Serve with some Tzatziki sauce for dipping.  (Your own or purchased) 

2 pounds lean ground lamb

1 medium onion, peeled and finely minced

1/2 bunch of fresh flat leaf parsely, finely chopped

1 TBS ground cumin

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground allspice

fine sea salt and fine black pepper to taste 

Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F/gas mark 6.   Have ready several rimmed baking sheets.  Place the cumin, cinnamon and allspice into a dry frying pan.  Cook over medium heat until very fragrant.  Remove from the heat and allow to cool. 

Crumble the meat into a bowl.   Add the chopped onion, parsley and cooled spices.   Season with salt and pepper.  (If you wish you may cook a small bit of this in the frying pan and taste it to see if you have seasoned it correctly.)   Shape the mixture into 1 1/2 inch balls and place them evenly spaced on the baking trays.  Bake in the heated oven for 25 to 30 minutes until nicely browned and cooked through.  Serve warm or at room temperature with sauce for dipping if desired.  

Note: These are also nice served hot and tucked into warm Pita Breads with some lettuce and sauce. 

Happy New Year!  Have fun and stay safe!

Mincemeat Snowflakes

I just love using mincemeat during the Christmas season.   It's one of my favourite ingredients and I am sure I go through several jars.  Each year I try to do something different with it if I can.  There has been a photo circulating on the net and Pinterest over the past couple of months of a nutella bread which is layered and twisted and I got to thinking that the same thing done with mincemeat would be really nice.



I decided early on though that I would use puff pastry instead of bread dough however, because I wanted these to be like mince pies.   I also decided that if they were going to work properly I would have to puree the mincemeat a bit so that it wasn't too lumpy.



As you can see they turned out really pretty.   Golden on the edges . . . lovely to look at . . . flakey and sweet and spiced just nicely.  I created a thin icing, lightly flavoured with cinnamon (if you want) to drizzle over top once baked and I sprinkled them with some white sparkle sprinkles.



I was really pleased with how they turned out!  They tasted really nice as well.   I think they were just that little bit different than the usual mince pies! In short, I fell in love with them.  Very Festive.  And no . . . they were not as fiddly as they look to make.  Trust me.

*Mincemeat Snowflakes*
Makes 8

Printable Recipe  

Created on a whim.  Pretty.  Delicious.  Festive.  Easy.

1 small jar of your favourite kind of mince meat

2 sheets of all butter ready roll puff pastry

To finish:

130g icing sugar, sifted (1 cup)
milk

sparkle sprinkles

Preheat your oven to 200*C/400*F/gas mark 6.  Line two baking sheets with baking parchment paper.

Blitz the mincemeat in a food processor until the particles in it are very small.  Almost, but not quite a paste.

Cut 16 (4 inch) circles from your sheets of puff pastry.  Place 8 on the baking sheet.  Spread each with a heaped TBS of the mincemeat. Place the remaining 8 circles on top and press down lightly.  Make four equal cuts almost, but not quite to the middle of the circle, using a very sharp knife and cutting all the way through.  You will want to leave at least 1/2 inch in the centres, uncut.   Cut again evenly in between the four first cuts so you now have 8 equal cuts.   Twist each section in the same direction without pulling them off and keeping the pastry intact.   It's not hard to do.   Just persevere.  You will only get about two twists maxium from each section.    

  

Bake in the heated oven for 15 to 20 minutes, until golden brown and puffed.

Remove from the oven and allow to sit for just a minute or two before scooping off onto a wire rack to finish cooling.   Whisk together the icing sugar and enough milk to give you a thick drizzle icing.  



You can flavour it with a bit of cinnamon if you like.  Drizzle this over top of the snowflakes and sprinkle with the sparkle sprinkles.   Store in an airtight container.  Will keep several days.

Linda's Bean Salad

Divorce is a funny thing.   You not only lose your spouse but in most cases you lose an entire branch of people that have been your family for a very long time, as if by still associating with you they are being disloyal or some such.  Fair dues.  I completely understand.   This is my ex sister in law's recipe that she shared with me eons ago it seems.  It's the best bean salad you could ever eat.   I love it around the holidays because it goes great on the buffet table, lasts forever and tastes better with each day that passes.  Oh, and it serves a lot of people!  The lime juice is my addition to the recipe.  I like the extra tang it gives.



I dug it out and made it recently for a party we were having at church for the ladies.   Each had been asked to bring a salad to share and I thought this would be the perfect one to bring as it makes a lot and everyone always loves it.



I was completely wrong.   I was the only one who ate any of it.   The British don't seem to understand bean salad.   To them it's like eating a kangaroo, or an armadillo . . . maybe even snake.   They avoided it like the plague.  Nobody else touched it at all.   I was quite fascinated by their disdain of it actually.  Perhaps someone can enlighten me?  In any case, this is the best bean salad ever.   And I stand by that statement.  Unless you are a Brit, in which case, it's extremely suspect and to be avoided at all costs! ha ha

*Linda's Bean Salad*

Makes a lot, but keeps for days

Printable Recipe  

This is my ex sister-in-law's recipe which she gave me about 20 years ago.   It's the best bean salad I have ever eaten. 

1 tin of green beans, drained (15 ounce)

1 tin of chickpeas, drained and rinsed (15 ounce)

1 tin of kidney beans, drained and rinsed (15 ounce)

1 tin flagelot or cannelini beans, drained and rinsed (15 ounces)

1 small tin of sweet corn niblets, drained (about 4 ounces)

1 tin of baby corn, drained (15 ounce) and cut into 1/2 inch pieces

1 small red onion, peeled and finely chopped

1/2 red pepper, trimmed and chopped

1/2 green pepper, trimmed and chopped

1 stalk of celery, trimmed and chopped 

For the dressing:

1/3 cup apple cider vinegar (80 ml)

1/3 cup granulated sugar (65g)

1/4 cup vegetable oil (60ml)

1 TBS Worcestershire sauce

1 TBS lime juice

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp dried parsley

1 1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground black pepper 

Whisk all of the ingredients together for the dressing in a large bowl.  Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary.   Dump in all of the well drained tins of beans along with the chopped vegetables.   Toss to coat. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for several hours to allow the flavours to meld, giving them a stir every so often.  (This is a salad which gets better with sitting.  In fact I usually make it the night before I want to serve it, storing it in a well sealed plastic box and giving it a good shake every so often.)  Use a slotted spoon to serve.

Chocolate Dipped Peanut Brittle

One thing that I like to make each Christmas is Peanut Brittle.  It's easy to make and makes a nice hostess gift if you are invited out.  I have never had anyone turn their nose up at a pretty little box of it yet!



Making it in the microwave takes all the guess work out of it.  It goes together easily and always turns out.  I have never had it fail.   Just be sure to check it frequently and if you think it is getting too brown, stop.  It should never be more than a golden brown.



It's made in less than 10 minutes, and that is 10 easy minutes where you aren't standing laborously over a stove, stirring and watching.  The microwave does all the work.  The only thing you need to be careful of is that you use a glass bowl that is truly microwaveable safe and that you use oven mits taking it out of the microwave.  Glass conducts heat very well and this is candy.  Candy is hot.



Also be very sure to take great care in handling the sugar mixture, once again . . . it's really hot and it will stick to your skin, so do please be very careful.  I would hate for anyone to get burnt badly.



This year I added a chocolate dip to mine . . . if there is anything that tastes better than homemade peanut brittle . . . it's homemade peanut brittle dipped in chocolate.  Semi sweet chocolate flavoured with peanut butter.  



Oh baby.  This is good.  I may have to make another batch to give away!  This first batch seems to be shrinking rather quickly.  Oh I do so love the Holiday Season, don't you!

*Chocolate Dipped Peanut Brittle*

Makes about 1 1/2 pounds

Printable Recipe  

The evil twin sister of Peanut Brittle.  Easier to make than you suppose!  Even easier to indulge in.  Moreish. 

200g white sugar (1 cup)

175g of golden syrup (1/2 cup light corn syrup)

1 TBS butter

325g of salted roasted peanuts (2 cups)

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)

1 tsp pure vanilla

115g semi sweet chocolate, chopped (4 ounces)

45g creamy peanut butter (1/4 cup)  

Line a large baking sheet with foil.  Butter the foil well.  Set aside.

Stir the sugar and golden syrup together in a large glass microwaveable bowl,  Microwave on high for 5 minutes, stopping to stir it halfway through the cooking time.   Stir in the butter and peanuts.   Return to the microwave and cook on high another 3 to 4 minutes, until a golden brown.  (Don't let it get too dark)  Remove from the microwave and stir in the soda and vanilla.  Don't worry, it will foam up quite a bit.  That is what makes it light.   Carefully spread this mixture out over the prepared baking sheet, trying to spread it as thin as you can.   Allow it to cool completely.

Once it is cool, break it into pieces.  

Place the chocolate pieces into a smaller microwaveable bowl.  Cook on high for 1 to 2 minutes, until the chocolate melts when stirred.   Stir in the peanut butter until it melts.  Dip half of each piece of peanut brittle into the chocolate, scraping any excess off on the edge of the bowl.  Place on a wire rack to set.  Alternately you can let it set in the refrigerator.  



Note:  If you are not fond of chocolate and peanut butter, then just leave that final bit out and just make the brittle.  Store in an airtight container.

Pumpkin Crumb Pie

 

The Toddster and I had a pretty in depth conversation the other night about pumpkin.  He thought pumpkin was a very bland recipe.   I had made a delicious pumpkin pie for dessert when we had the missionary elders over and we were talking about pumpkin.

He hadn't realized that the pumpkins which are normally used for pumpkin pies are the smaller sugar pumpkin variety.  I know some people use the larger ones and that's ok . . . but if you want a really great pumpkin pie you want to use a sugar pumpkin.  They are lovely and sweet, and I don't think you could call them bland at all!



I have always found the larger pumpkins to be lacking in flavour in comparison and their texture is not quite the same.  I do like them roasted though . . . as with any of the autumn vegetables, roasting brings out a lot of the natural sweetness.  I just roast them with a bit of olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic.



Anyhoo . . . this pie I am showing you here today went down a real treat with the missionaries (and with the Toddster),  It's a bit different than your usual pumpkin pie in that it has an oatmeal cookie crust and a buttery crumble topping.



It's nicely spiced and that buttery cookie crust is to die for.   I guess it is somewhat like an  big fat round oatmeal cookie stuffed with spicy creamy pumpkin . . .  and what's not to like about that???

 

It is absolutely stunning cut into wedges and served with a nice dollop of lightly sweetened whipped double cream on top . . . or served still slightly warm, topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream . . . and yes, lashings of custard would go down a real treat as well.  I hope you will give it a try and when you do you will come back and tell me how much you enjoyed it!  Coz I just know you will.  It's a cert!

 

*Pumpkin Crumb Pie*

Serves 6

Printable Recipe 

Something a little bit different.  It smells gorgeous when it is baking!  Tastes even better if possible.  We like this more than ordinary pumpkin pie.

175g of plain flour (1 1/4 cups)

100g of old fashioned oats (1 1/4 cups)

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

95g of granulated sugar (1/2 cup)

100g soft light brown sugar (1/2 cup packed)

172g unsalted butter, melted (3/4 cup)

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

For the filling:

50g of granulated sugar (1/4 cup)

50g of soft light brown sugar (1/4 cup packed)

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

1/4 tsp ground ginger

pinch ground cloves

1/4 tsp salt

1 large free range egg

1 large free range egg yolk

1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
85ml evaporated milk or single cream (1/3 cup)

225g of pureed pumpkin (1 1/4 cups)  

Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4.  Have ready a nine inch round deep pie tin.  (alternately you can use an 8 inch square pan)

Whisk the flour, oats, salt and bicarbonate of soda together in a bowl.   Tip in both sugars and rub together a bit with your fingers so that no lumps remain.   Whisk the melted butter and vanilla together and then stir this into the flour mixture, mixing well with a fork.   Measure half of it out and press into the pie tin, going partially up the sides.   Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes.

While the bottom crust is baking, whisk together all of the filling ingredients until smooth.  Remove the bottom crust from the oven and pour this mixture over top.  Return to the oven and bake for 15 minutes. 

Remove from the oven and crumble the remaining crumb mixture evenly over top, breaking it into small bits.  Return to the oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes longer, until the crust is golden on top and the centre jiggles slightly.  Allow to stand at room temperature for an hour, after which you can chill it in the refrigerator for one hour or longer.    Cut into wedges and serve with whipped cream and a light dusting of cinnamon.  Alternately you can serve it warm like a crumble, spooned out with some vanilla ice cream or lashings of custard.   Delicious!

Note:  If you bake in an 8 inch square pan you can cut into squares to serve and you will get approximately 4 decent sized servings, or 8 smaller ones..