breakfast on the run - oatmeal muffins

So, anybody watch the hockey last night? Those Canadians... embarrassing! And I even forgot to eat dinner I was so stressed. Anyways, so, I was starving when I woke up and jumped out of bed when I remembered that there were the remains of a batch of breakfast muffins in the freezer... So, with a cup of coffee and my frozen muffin, I watched the replays of the men's 500m short-track... Ohno, is really Oh-No, think he must be my least favourite athlete... anyways, finally those Montrealers mined out some metal :o)

As for these muffins, we've been taking them skiing and also when flying those flights where a sandwich costs as much as the ticket... I really enjoy them, Fredrik is not a fan of the Self Propulsion Prunes, if that is your case, perhaps try it with raisins or dried apricots?

From BBC Good Food:

Feel Good Muffins

• 175g self raising flour
• 50g porridge oats
• 140g light muscovado sugar
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1 egg, beaten
• 150ml ¼ pint buttermilk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 6 tbsp sunflower oil
• 175g stoned prunes, chopped
• 85g pecans

Preheat the oven to 200C/gas 6/fan 180C. Butter 6-8 muffin tins or line them with muffin cases. Put the flour, oats, sugar, cinnamon and bicarbonate of soda in a large bowl, then rub everything through your fingers, as if making pastry, to ensure the ingredients are evenly blended.

Beat the egg, then stir in the buttermilk, vanilla and oil. Lightly stir the egg mix into the flour.

Fold the prunes and nuts into the mixture.

Divide between the tins, filling the cases to the brim, then bake for 20-25 minutes until risen and golden. Serve warm or cold.

recipe's from Mrs Falk's cookbook - jelly roll and honey bee cookies

Well, well. We're heading down to New York after Easter and we will be popping by to visit the Falks. So excited! Will be so much fun :o) That brings us to the cookbook Mrs Falk gave to the girlies: where would we be without Honey Bee Cookies and Jelly Roll? Perhaps that is a rhetorical question? Nevertheless, in my opinion, they are an integral part of cooking in the Kurozweki kitchen :o) Mary once turned this into a chocolate roll, adding cocoa powder and then filled it with vanilla custard, and also made the vanilla version and stuffed it with chocolate custard... trivia: what was the occasion??? Andrew's first communion.
As for the honey bee cookies, they are bestest :o) Love them. I think supermodel Jimsy would agree.

Jelly Roll

· 3 eggs

· 1 c granulated sugar

· 1/3 c water

· 1 tsp vanilla

· 3/4 flour

· 1 tsp baking powder

· 1/4 tsp salt

· jam/pudding

· icing sugar

Heat oven to 375F.

Line a jelly roll pan with aluminum foil, then grease it.

Beat eggs in large bowl until think and lemon colour.

Gradually beat in sugar

Beat in water and vanilla on low speed.

Gradually beat in flour baking powder and salt until smooth.

Pour into pan, spread to corners, and bake 12-15 minutes until wooden pick comes out clean.

Generously sprinkle powdered sugar on a clean dish towel.

Immediately loosen cake from pan and turn over onto towel and carefully remove foil.

While hot, carefully roll cake and towel.

Let cool on wire rack at least 30 minutes.

Unroll cake and remove towel, spread jam over cake.

Roll up cake and sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Honey Bee Cookies

· 1/2 c margarine

· 1/2 c packed brown sugar

· 1/2 honey

· 1 egg

· 1 1/2 c flour

· 1/2 tsp baking soda

· 1/2 tsp salt

· 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Heat over to 375 F

Beat butter, brown sugar, honey and egg until smooth.

Stir in remaining ingredients.

Drop dough by spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake 7-9 minutes.

Let stand 3-5 minutes before removing from the trays.

Cool on wire rack.

kookie monster kristin, hehehe :o)

Poor little me! I just got a paper cut on my right index finger... talk about a bummer! Well, at least I had some really cool Curious George bandaids... but it's making typing and scrolling on the mousepad a tedious experience.
It's around 0 degrees today, a battle between snow and rain and Fredrik is off to Sweden for the next week. Conclusion, this is an indication for cookie making, or perhaps I should just keep to thinking and writing about them :o)
I still think the bestest is choc chip cookies and a glass of very cold milk, or also, an ice cream sandwich... yum yum yum.

The first restipe is the classic Nestle Toll House one... The BIG SECRET is (or are): I always used heaped tsp measures of baking soda and salt, just a few grams more to give it a little more sweet and salty contrast. Also, it always helps to put the dough in the fridge after it's done, it makes it easier to roll into balls and they also don't spread as much. NEVER grease the baking sheet, feel free to use less choc chips, cook until the edges are golden then remove from oven (9-11 mins, depending on oven), let them cool 2 minutes before scraping them off unto a drying rack AND to keep them chewy, store them with a couple pieces fresh bread.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

· 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

· 1 tsp baking soda

· 1 tsp salt

· 1 c/200 g butter, softened

· 3/4 c white sugar

· 3/4 c packed brown sugar

· 1 tsp vanilla extract

· 2 eggs

· 2 c chocolate chips (maybe 1/2 c less, if it’s dark chocolate)

Combine flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla in large mixer bowl. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition; gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.

BAKE in preheated 375-degree Fahrenheit oven for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely

Next recipe is also bestest. Always successful at parties.

Chocolate White Chocolate Chip Cookies

• 1/2 c butter, softened
• 1/2 c light brown sugar
• 1/4 c white sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 c flour
• 1/4 c unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 c white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 F / 150 C

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs and stir in the vanilla. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt; stir into the creamed mixture. Fold in the white chocolate chips. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, until cookies are set. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

chickens go in, piaaahs come out! hahaha - few chicken restipies

One thing for sure, put a starving Popiel in front a veiny chicken leg or chicken-à-la-king and the food will be left untouched. Ergo, the next couple recipes deal with clean and lean chicken breasts.

This stir-fried chicken restipy comes from the Joy for Cooking. The first time Mom made this was for Mormor's and Morfar's wedding anniversary party the summer they came to Canada. I remember I hated it, especially the water chestnuts, but everyone else really enjoyed it, and I really like the recipe now :o)

Stir Fried Chicken

Cut:

• 3 whole chicken breasts into strips

Mix the chicken strips with:

• 2 tsp cornstarch
• 1 tbsp dry sherry or Chinese rice wine
• 1 lightly beaten egg white

Have ready:

• 1/2 c sliced onions
• 1 c shredded green or red pepper
• 1/2 c diced water chestnuts
• 1/2 c diagonally sliced celery

Pour into large skillet over medium high heat:

• 2 tbsp peanut or vegetable oil

When hot, add half the chicken and briskly stir about 1 min. The meat will turn white when done. Push to one side and cook the rest of the chicken, adding more oil if necessary. Add the vegetables and:

• 1/2 c chicken stock

Cover about 2 mins. Combine in a bowl:

• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• 3/4 c chicken stock

and stir into chicken and vegetable mixture. Heat and stir about 1 min until sauce is slightly thickened.

Serve over rice.

Next, honey-mustard chicken. So easy and tasty. I usually keep a few chicken breasts in the freezer either to grill for a salad or to use in this type of recipe. Serve with mashed potatoes or pasta and a good salad. You definitely do not need 6 chicken breasts, 2 or 3 is perfect, and you get more sauce!

Baked Honey Mustard Chicken

• 6 skinless boneless chicken breast halves
• salt & pepper
• 1/2 c honey
• 1/2 c mustard
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp dried parsley

Preheat oven to 175 C / 350 F.

Sprinkle chicken breasts with salt and pepper to taste and place in 9’x13’ baking dish.

In small bowl, combine the remaining ingredients. Mix well. Pour 1/2 of this mixture over the chicken and brush to cover.

Bake in the preheated oven for 30 mins. Turn chicken pieces over and brush with the remaining honey mustard mixture.

Bake for an additional 10-15 mins or until the chicken is no longer pink and the juices run clear.

Let cool 10 mins before serving.

keep your freezer stocked - spaghetti bolognese

This is a must have in your freezer especially if you're expecting one of the boys to visit... I had such a fun time making God knows how many kilos of this stuff with Mom and Xmas :o)
This is the restipy from the Italian cookbook at home. It's worth it to get some wine as it really does bring out the taste. I usually add a bay leaf and a few squirts of ketchup, sometimes some fresh thyme or whatever is around. If you like, add Champignons de Paris added at the end, they are bestest!

Spaghetti Bolognese

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 carrot, peeled and chopped
• 1 stick celery, chopped
• 50g pancetta or streaky bacon, diced
• 350 g lean minced beef
• 1x400g can chopped tomatoes
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• 125 ml red wine
• 2 tbsp tomato purée
• salt & pepper
• spaghetti

Heat the oil in a large frying pan. Add the onions and cook for 3 mins.

Add the garlic, carrot, celery, and pancetta and sauté for 3-4 or until just beginning to brown.

Add the beef and cook over a high heat for another 3 minutes or until all of the meat is brown.

Stir in the tomatoes, oregano, and red wine and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and leave to simmer for 45 mins.

Stir in the tomato purée and season with salt and pepper.

Cook the spaghetti according to instructions on the packet.

cheap, vegetarian and yummy - israeli couscous

Here are a couple recipes using Israeli couscous. I tasted it for the first time when Fredrik took me out for our 2 year anniversary :o), and I really enjoyed it. Apparently there is something called fregula, from Sardinia which is similar, but just go to the Kosher part of the supermarket and you are bound to find it.
The first recipe is perfect for a rainy winter afternoon, it's so warming and filling, (and perfect if you are on a budget)- add some good chili and top it with cheese and your tummy will be smiling :o)


Israeli Couscous with Braised Butternut Squash and Tomatoes

• olive oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• salt & pepper
  
• pinch or two cayenne or chili powder, I used a couple little red chilies
  
• 2 cloves garlic, smooshed and chopped
  
• 1 big (28 oz) can of plum tomatoes, blended - or buy already blended, or use old ripe fresh tomatoes that are too mushy for salad
  
• 2 cups diced butternut squash (just use a whole medium size squash, 2x2 cm cubes)
• 1-2 c veg or chicken stock
• bay leaf
  
• 1 1/2 c couscous
• 1 bunch chives

1. Heat olive oil in LARGE saucepan (this is a big recipe with a lot of fluid). Add onion and sprinkle with salt and chili powder.
2. Cook the onions for about 5 mins until translucent and aromatic.
3. Add the garlic and fry for another minute.
4. Add the tomato purée.
   
5. Half fill the tomato can with water and add to the pan, and bring to a simmer for 10 mins until it has reduced a little. This makes a lot of fluid but it is needed to cook the squash and the couscous later.
6. Add the squash, stock and bay leaf, taste for seasoning, add salt, pepper or more spice if needed.
7. Cook until the squash is cooked through and most of the water is absorbed, about 30 mins.
8. While waiting for the squash to cook, boil up a pot of salt water, and cook the couscous according to instructions on the pack.
9. Once cooked, add the couscous to the squash mixture. It is fine if this mixture is still a little runny, as the couscous will absorb the rest. If it is too thick, add some more fluid.
10. Stir in chives or some chopped spring onion. Let sit a couple minutes before serving.

The following recipe from the Food Network is perfect for a pot-luck or if you want to bring a packed lunch to eat at the library. It is such a fresh dish! It uses a lot of herbs, best swing by a market as it will probably be cheaper.


Israeli Couscous with Apples, Cranberries and Herbs

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 c Israeli couscous (or barley or orzo)
• 4 c chicken broth
• 1/4 c fresh parsley, chopped
  
• 1 1/2 tbsp fresh rosemary leaves, chopped
• 1 tsp fresh thyme
• 1 medium green apple, peeled and diced
• 1 c dried cranberries
• 1/2 c slivered almonds, toasted

• 1/4 c apple cider vinegar
• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• 1 tbsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground pepper
• 1/4 c olive oil

1. In a medium saucepan, heat olive oil on medium heat. (You want to have even heat all over the bottom of the pan, so aim for something that is not too large.)
   
2. Add the couscous, and cook, stirring until slightly browned and aromatic, about 3-5 minutes, make sure not to burn it!
3. Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil.
4. Simmer or 10-12 mins or until the liquid has evaporated Once cooked, transfer the couscous to a large bowl.
5. Add the parsley, rosemary, thyme, apple, dried cranberries and almonds. (It is really worth it to roast these, they add the perfect crunch!)
6. For the vinaigrette, combine the vinegar, maple syrup, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Whisk in the olive oil until smooth. Pour the vinaigrette over the couscous and toss to coat evenly.
7. Enjoy!
   

mon grand-père avait trois cochons... - sorry kids, the big bad wolf got them in the end

I'm a little pressed for time today, so I'm going to try to make this short! This blog page is impossible to work with when it comes to layout, and font/size but I have no intention to learn html... so, sorry about the funny format!

The next few recipes deal with the poor 3 Little Pigs. I think that it was on Mythbusters that they tested The 3 Little Pigs tale and they tried to blow down straw, wood and brick houses and ultimately, with a massive vortex gun, they managed. Ergo, those 3 pigs, well, they became bacon.

The next recipe is very Canadian and very yummy. It's simply marinated in maple syrup and pan fried, so you will need a nice thin-ish filet, or whatever dimension that isn't too big to fry in 10 minutes. Think of preparing this 12-24 hrs prior to eating it. On the other hand, I only had a couple hours and it tasted great.


Pork Filet Marinated in Maple Syrup and Balsamic Vinegar

• 1/4 c/ 60 ml maple syrup
• 1/4 c/ 60 ml balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 c/ 60 ml olive oil
• 2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 fat garlic clove, smushed
  
• 1 tsp dried rosemary or a couple sprigs of fresh
• black pepper

1. Mix all ingredients in the bowl you wish to marinate the meat in. You want the marinade to cover the meat completely, so something with a small base and straight tall sides works great.
2. Place the meat into marinade and make sure it is fully coated. Cover and put into the fridge for up to 24 hrs. You may want to poke around a little in there in order to mix it up.
3. In the ideal world, you would have beautiful sunshine and a fully equipped porch and bbq on which to grill this, but you can always pretend and fire up your stove and heat a good pan until very warm. Seal the ends, and fry the fillet, turning it and basting it with the marinade while cooking. It should take no more than 15 mins.
4. Once it's done, put it to rest covered with foil.
5. Put the remaining marinade into a saucepan and bring it to a boil for a couple minutes to reduce it.
6. Cut the meat into thick slices, and cover it with the marinade/sauce.
7. Serve with smashed potatoes, broccoli, asparagus, brussels sprouts or all at once...

I think the second pig became a roast, I'll dig up a recipe and post it later once I have mastered one I like. In general, I find, find a piece of roast on sale at the store and pick up a bunch of fresh rosemary. I have made this recipe from BBC Good Food http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1350/roast-pork-with-apples-cider-vinegar-and-rosemary before and it made a regular Monday evening feel like Sunday lunch :o) The apple sauce really adds the edge, serve with steamy potatoes, yummy!

What happened to the smarty-pants pig? He was made into the classic Joy of Cooking Sweet and Sour Pork recipe. I always loved this recipe. To (psychologically) make up for all the sugary pineapple, serve it on a bed of wild rice and perhaps some boiled pekinga (I have no idea how to spell that, but you know what I mean :o)) cabbage.

Sweet and Sour Pork

• 2 lb lean boneless pork loin or shoulder
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil

Cut the pork into 1/2 inch strips, 2 inches long.

Brown the meat in a wok/skillet in the hot oil.

Drain the meat on paper toweling.

Cook the following sauce until thickened and clear:

• 1 c pineapple juice
• 1/2 c water or chicken stock
• 1/3 c vinegar
• 1/4 c packed brown sugar
• 2 tbsp corn starch
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

Add the meat and simmer, covered for about 1 hour or until tender.

Add:

• 1 1/2 c pineapple chunks
• 1 small diced green pepper
• 1/4 c onion slices

Cook uncovered for about 10 mins. Serve over boiled rice.

old bread and breadcrumbs - the how-to guide

I give up on the formatting of this page - sorry it looks like a mess...

Old bread - thank God for the goats in Kurozweki or most of it would reach it's demise in the bin. So in case you were wishing you had some means to dispose of your bread without feeling bad about the millions of starving kids, here are a few ways to recycle it. (In my opinion, boycott Starbucks, and you're already well on your way to stop exploitation and poverty, AND you get to avoid the morons that tend to swarm about there and raise your blood pressure....)

Reminds me of a comedian who was once discussing the benefits of recycled toilet paper. He was talking about how the pieces of toilet paper that were used to blow one's nose felt superior to the ones used for its intended purpose... but then, it was a different story when they went through recycling again and met their watery end... ok, that is starting to sound like a Paul conversation. But check this out, low and behold, the Japanese have come up, yet again, with a brilliant invention dubbed "The White Goat", pretty smart! http://www.geekwithlaptop.com/japanese-gadget-turns-waste-paper-into-toilet-paper With that price tag however, I wonder how many years it would take to pay for itself? One of Fredrik's friends calculated that it would take 8 millions years... Perhaps more useful in a public facility with a female clientèle? And how energy efficient is it really?

So for Restipy 1: Veggie Burgers

• 500g thawed frozen spinach, extra water removed - I usually cut a small hole in one of the bottom corners of the bag and let it unfreeze in a colander in the sink so it drips out on its own, and then you can give it a final squeeze before using it
  
• can borlotti or red beans or whatever you can find, drained
  
• can corn, drained
  
• onions, 2 medium, chopped
  
• garlic, 2 cloves, crushed or chopped
  
• 1 cube bouillon
• salt & pepper
• 1-2 tbsp herbes de provence (to taste)
  
• 250 g breadcrumbs (just pass your old bread in the food processor)
• oil

1. Preheat oven to 175 C or 350 F.
   
2. Heat oil in pan, add onions and cook until soft and transparent. Add garlic, herbes de Provence, pepper and crumbled bouillon cube and cook/stir until it looks homogeneous.
3. In a large bowl, put the spinach, the onion and herb mix, the corn and the beans and give it a good mix - works best with your hand.
4. Then start adding the breadcrumbs, you want it to bind the whole mixture, I usually use a couple cups or 250g. You can taste it and add more salt and pepper if needed.
   
5. Once it sticks together nicely, start forming them into burgers and place them on a foiled baking tray.
6. Bake for 30 mins or until the sides become golden and crispy. Let them cool before removing them.
7. You can store them for a few days in the fridge in a tupperware or are great to freeze and reheat in the microwave. Nice with some salad and lots of ketchup :o).

Next recipe is really nice on a cold day. We had some old white bread lying around yesterday, as well as a bag of bought onion soup and a chunk of cheddar that was about to crawl out of the fridge. Combine them all, and it makes a great starter. As George Stroumboulopoulos said in The Hour - Mart you will get to know this guy once you get here - "in the winter months, Canada should be called Soupistan".

I made the soup at Christmas to try to make a dent in the onion swimming pool in the back room. I took 2 minutes and tasted good. If you are on your own, perhaps make half a batch, because it makes a lot. Also, avoid red onions, they make the soup look like psychedelic magic potion.

Restipe 2: French Onion Soup

• 50g butter
• 1kg brown onions, thinly sliced
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 tbsp thyme, fresh or dry
• 3 tbsp dry sherry, or martini, or glass white wine, sure vodka would work too
• beef or chicken/veg stock fresh, cube or concentrate made up to 1.2 litres
• bay leaf
• salt & pepper

• bread
• cheese, grated
  
• garlic, optional
• oven proof bowls
  

1. Heat the butter in a large pan and gently cook the onion and thyme until the onion is softened but not browned - about 20 minutes. Add garlic and increase the heat slightly and cook for 15 minutes, until the onion becomes dark golden, sticky and caramelised, stirring now and again to stop it catching. Or cook it as long as you have patience...
   
2. Add the booze and simmer for 2-3 minutes until evaporated, then add the stock and bay leaf, and bring to the boil. Add salt & pepper to taste. Simmer for 10 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, you can rub the bread with garlic, not advised if you plan to go out afterwards, cut it into large cubes.
4. Put the oven on "grill" setting.
5. Pour soup into OVENPROOF bowl, dump in the bread cubes, grate cheese over it and place under the grill. It should only take a couple minutes until the cheese is crispy and bubbly.

   

For the next recipe... it's a variant of the classic home dish of meatloaf, mushroom sauce, smashed potatoes and broccoli trees usually with a Ketchup Red Sea. I had a couple pounds of minced meat in the fridge and I wanted to make something freezable for Fredrik to bring for lunch at work so I tried this recipe. I had some old garlic-flavoured croutons to use up and also grinded up some old bread. I think it's too spicy to make a whole meatloaf out of it, but we made hamburgers and lots of meatballs and it tastes great! Just pick up some fresh buns on the way home and take a couple burgers from the freezer, fry up some onions and add some lettuce and cheese and you have a really nice dinner - wash some extra lettuce to make a side salad if you feel healthily-inclined. As for the meatballs, either boil up some pasta with pesto and add them in, they are very tasty on their own. Or else, make some tomato sauce: fry some onions and garlic until soft, add a can of chopped tomatoes or pasata (or old fresh tomatoes, just chop them), season with salt, pepper, oregano, basil or whatever you want. Depending on the taste, I usually add some tomato paste or dash of balsamic vinegar for acidity, and to bring out the taste, a teaspoon of sugar or a squirt of ketchup do the trick.      Restipy 3: Spicy Burgers and Meatballs

• 175g garlic-flavoured croutons, old dry bread, or just normal breadcrumbs
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (or less if you don’t like spice)
• 1 tsp chili powder (or less if you don’t like spice)
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 carrot, peeled and cut into 3 (it has to fit in food processor)
• 3 cloves garlic, use a couple more if not using garlic flavoured croutons
• 1/2 red bell pepper
• 1 1/2 tsp salt & dash pepper
• 1kg minced meat

1. In a food processor bowl, combine croutons/bread/breadcrumbs, black pepper, cayenne pepper, chili powder, and thyme. Pulse until the mixture is of a fine texture. Place this mixture into a LARGE bowl.
2. Combine the onion, carrot, garlic, and red pepper in the food processor bowl. Pulse until the mixture is finely chopped, but not pureed.
3. Combine the vegetable mixture and minced meat with the bread crumb mixture. Season the meat mixture with salt and pepper. Add the egg and mix well – best use your hands.
4. Shape the mix into burgers or meatballs. Eat some and freeze the rest once it has cooled down.

     

This wouldn't be complete without a quick mention of Wiener Schnitzel. I know perhaps Fish & Chips should figure on this page, but I have a great recipe that uses a corn flour batter instead of breadcrumbs so it will come later, but it's the same idea.       Restipy 4: Wiener Schnitzel

• veal filets, pork, chicken or whatever tickles you pickle, you can hammer them if you want them very tender and paper thin
• salt & pepper, herbs if wanted (try tarragon with chicken or sage with turkey)
• flour
• egg, beaten, in wide bowl
• bread crumbs, in a bag
  

1. Dip washed meat in flour mixed with salt, pepper (and herbs if wanted).
2. Coat meat with beaten egg and then toss in breadcrumbs.
3. Fry in very hot oil for a couple minutes.
4. Place on paper towels to get rid of some of the oil and to prevent it from getting too soggy.
5. Serve with lemon slices. If it's pork, it reminds me of Pani Helena's butter buraki mix, but I have no idea how to make that :o)

   

I've just been out jogging with Fredrik, he had early meetings with Sweden today so has been working from home :o) It's sunny and just below 0, perfect day! For the last recipe, don't say "yuk" before you have made it and tasted it. If you asked me to describe Bread Pudding in 3 words, I will say: boarding school, icky custard, stale-smelling, and I could go on ad infinitum. However, I tasted this version of Bread Pudding at a Cajun restaurant here in Montreal and then Fredrik and I made it for a New Year's Eve party, and it was quite a hit! It makes a decent amount, so you might want to halve it or make it for a dinner party. If you want to go all out, make a shrimp etouffé as a main and have this for desert. Just be warned, the more Bourbon/Whiskey you put in this, the better it gets, but it may get pricey... so we used some Famous Grouse instead and it turned out perfect. It's a three part process. First you make the bread pudding, then the sugary syrup to put on top to make it nice and moist, and then the whiskey sauce with which it is served.  Restipy 5: Bread Pudding Bread Pudding

• 1/4 cup raisins
• 2 tbsp bourbon
• 1 1/4 cup milk
• 1/2 cup sugar, white or nice golden organic sugar cane
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground nutmeg
• dash of salt
• 4 medium eggs lightly beaten
• 4 1/2 cup cubed bread (approx. 250g)

1. In a small dish combine the raisins and 2 tbsp booze. Let this stand for 30 minutes. Drain the mixture but reserve the liquid.
2. Break the bread in small pieces and set aside.
3. In a large bowl whisk together the reserved liquid, milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and eggs.
4. Add the bread to the mixture, tossing gently to coat all the bread. Spoon the mixture into an 8 inch square baking dish coated with butter.
5. Sprinkle the raisins evenly on top, pressing them gently into the bread mixture. Cover with foil and refrigerate 30 minutes or up to 4 hours.
6. Preheat oven to 175 C/ 350 F
7. Bake covered for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake 10 more minutes.
8. Remove and leave to cool (and store ahead of time) or serve immediately. If cool, make sure you heat it a little before serving and pour the warm syrup unto it.
   

 

Syrup 

• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup corn syrup/golden syrup or whatever you can find
• 1/8 cup butter
• 1/4 cup bourbon

1. In a small pan, combine the sugar, corn syrup and butter over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, cook 1 minute stirring constantly.
2. Remove from heat and stir in the bourbon. Pour this on top of the warm bread pudding.

 

Whiskey Sauce

• 1 cup cream (the heavier the tastier, not too sure about cardiovascular benefits)
• 1 1/2 tsp cornstarch
• 1 tbsp water (or more, add enough to dissolve the starch)
• 3 tbsp sugar
• 1/4 c bourbon whiskey

1. Whisk cornstarch and water together.
2. Place the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil. Add cornstarch mixture to cream and continue whisking until it returns to the boil.
3. Whisk and let simmer for a few seconds, taking care not to burn the mixture on the bottom. Remove from heat.
4. Stir in the sugar and the bourbon. Add more sugar and/or bourbon to taste.
5. Cool to room temperature. Serve over syrup-drenched bread pudding.