Raisin and Pecan Salad

Best salad ever.
Ingredients:

• Spinach
• Romaine
• Tomato
• Cucumber
• Red Onion
• Raisins
• Pecans
• Ranch Dressing
• Italian Dressing

Directions:
1) Remove the stems from the Spinach (it's better that way)
2) Slide the Romaine
3) Slice and de-seed the Tomatoes (it's better that way)
4) Slice and de-seed the Cucumber (it's better that way)
5) Slice the Onions
6) Mix it all together and eat with both dressings. Yes, both

Thanksgiving with Europeans

Celebrating Thanksgiving in Ireland with Spanish, French, and Germans.

 Stuffing from Germany

 Cranberry Sauce from France--everyone had to be told what to do with it and were told "just put it on everything. No, EVERYTHING"

 Mashed Potatoes from America

 Sweet Potatoes from America/Germany

 Broccoli Salad from Spain and Germany

 Carrots from France

 Salad from America

 Bread...from Germany?

 Pumpkin Soup from Germany

Pasta Salad from France

Pumpkin Pie

Thanksgiving would not be Thanksgiving without Pumpkin Pie

It also would not be Thanksgiving without food being eaten before it was possible to get a good picture...due to myself or other people eating it so fast!

Alton Brown recipe!
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/pumpkin-pie-recipe/index.html

Ingredients:
Crust:

• 6 oz gingersnap cookies
• 1 TBSP dark brown sugar
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 oz unsalted butter, melted 

Filling:

• 16 oz Pumpkin Puree, recipe follows
• 1 cup half-and-half
• 1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 3/4 cup dark brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 large egg yolk 

Directions:
1)Heat the oven to 350F/176C
2) Combine the gingersnaps, brown sugar, and ginger in the bowl of a food processor. Process until the cookies are fine crumbs (or bash them together with a mallet).
3) Drizzle the butter into the crumb mixture. Pulse 8 to 10 times to combine.
4) Press the gingersnap mixture into the bottom, up the sides, and just over the lip of a 9-inch glass pie dish.
5) Bake the crust for 10 to 12 minutes.
6) Cool crust at least 10 minutes before filling.
7) Bring the pumpkin puree to a simmer over medium heat in a 2-quart saucepan. Cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, 2 to 3 minutes.
8) Add the half-and-half, nutmeg, and salt. Stir and return the mixture to a simmer.
9) Remove the pumpkin mixture from the heat and cool for 10 minutes.
10) Whisk the brown sugar, eggs, and yolk until smooth in a large bowl.
11) Add the pumpkin mixture and whisk until thoroughly combined.
12) Pour the prepared filling into the warm pie crust and bake until the center jiggles slightly but the sides of the filling are set, 45 to 50 minutes.
13) Cool on a cooling rack or the refrigerator for at least 2 to 3 hours before slicing.

Peanut Butter Pie

It does not photograph well, but the name should say it all. I've had this since I was a kid, so I don't think its going to give you a heart attack, but everyone else says it will.

Ingredients:
Pie Crust:

• 1.5 cups flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1/2 cup oil (vegetable/canola/whatever)
• 2 tbsp milk

First Chocolate Layer

• 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate
• 2 TBSP margarine/butter
• 4-6 tsp water
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar

Peanut Butter Layer

• 1 cup margarine/butter
• 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1 cup peanut butter
• 12 oz frozen whipped topping (or whip your own cream)

Second Chocolate Layer

• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate
• 2 TBSP margarine/butter
• 4-6 tsp milk
• 1 1/2 tsp corn syrup

Topping

• Frozen whipped topping (or whip your own cream)
• Peanuts

Directions:

Pie Crust:
1) Preheat the oven at 425F (218C)
2) Mix dry ingredients
3) Add liquids & mix with fork
4) Pat into a 9 inch pan with fingers
5) Bake for 10-12 mins
6) Cool completely

 First Chocolate Layer
7) In a small saucepan over low heat, melt the chocolate, butter, and water and stir constantly until smooth
8) Stir in powdered sugar and blend until smooth
9) Add additional water if necessary for desired spreading consistency
10) Spread mixture over bottom and up the sides of the crust
11) Refrigerate

 Peanut Butter Layer
12) In a medium saucepan, combine butter/margarine and brown sugar
13) Cook over medium heat until margarine is melted and mixture is smooth, stirring frequently.
14) Refrigerate 10 minutes
15) In a large bowl, beat peanut butter and brown sugar mixture at a low speed.
16) Beat for 1 minute at medium/high speed
17) Add the whipped topping
18) Mix for another minute at low speed or until it is mixed completly
19) Poor over chocolate layer
20) Refrigerate
Second Chocolate Layer
21) In a small saucepan over low heat, melt the chocolate, butter, milk and corn syrup and stir constantly until smooth
22) Add additional milk if necessary for desired spreading consistency
24) Spread mixture over peanut butter layer
25) Refrigerate for at least 2 hours

 Topping
26) Garnish with whipped topping

You can also add peanuts on the top!











Side Note: The actual recipe is half of the chocolate amounts, but I always double it. Way better.

Did I mention that this recipe is in the cookbook I made when I was 14 to be able to go to Costa Rica? 

Potato, Chickpea and Cashew Curry

Still working my way though Veggie Feasts and this time it was curry! I had never had Indian food before college (that I can recall) which makes sense because when I said something about eating it a few months ago my Mom's response was 'ew, why?' Whatever, its DELICIOUS, but time consuming. Just to warn you.

Ingredients:

• 4 TBSP vegable oil
• 1 onion, sliced (put it in the freezer first so you don't cry! Only for 5 minutes or so)
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 tsp grated fresh root ginger
• 2 tsp ground coriander (cilantro)
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnimon
• 1/4 to 1/2 tsp chilli powder (mine was all gone....so I used chilli flakes)
• 4 tomatoes, chopped
• 300 ml water
• 500 g potatoes, cubed (they don't have to be cooked. I know, I was shocked too)
• 400 g canned chicpeas, drained
• 250g button mushrooms, trimmed
• 75g unsalted cashew nuts
• 2 TBSP chopped fresh corriander (cilantro)
• 150 ml natural yoghurt
• salt and pepper
• rice

Directions
1) Heat half the oil in a large saucepan
2) Add the onion, garlic, ginger, ground corriander, cumin, turmeric, cinnamon, chilli powder, salt and epper and cook over a low heat for 10 minutes






3) Add the tomatoes and water to the pan and bring to a boil, then reduce and simmer for 15 minutes







4) Add the potatoes and chickpeas and cook for 20 minutes








5) Heat the remaining oil in a frying pan
6) Add the mushrooms and cook for 3-4 minutes until browned







7) Start making the rice
8) Add the mushrooms to the curry with the cashews and fresh corriander and cook for 10 minutes
9) Add the yoghurt and heath through without boiling






10) Serve with the rice

Feta, Spinach and Onion Quiche

We had a running dinner on Thursday meaning that one apartment would make an appetizer, another the entree, and another the desert and you would 'run' from one apartment from another with different groups of people at each one. My flatmate and myself made a quiche and mimosa.

Find the pie crust recipe here: http://www.food.com/recipe/quick-n-easy-quiche-crust-18185
Ingredients:

• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup olive oil and a bit more
• 1/4 cup cold water
• 3 Garlic cloves
• Frozen spinach, defrosted
• Onion
• 5 eggs
• 100g feta
• Parmesan cheese
• Tomato

Directions:
1) Preheat the oven to 400F/204C
2) Mix the flour with salt.
3) Beat the water with the oil.
4) Pour the flour mix into the oil mix
5) Press into a 9 inch pie crust
6) Heat the oil in the pan
7) Mash the garlic and heat in the pan
8) Add the spinach and onion
9) Mix the eggs with the feta and add some Parmesan cheese
10) Add the egg mixture into the pan with the pie crust
11) Add slices of tomato and more Parmesan cheese
12) Bake for 40 minutes

Mimosas:
Orange juice and Champagne

Asparagus, Tomato, and Feta Frittata

Cooking my way through Veggie Feasts still. This time it was Asparagus, Tomato, and Feta Frittata. I'm pretty sure frittata just means crustless quiche, because I could not see a difference other than that. See further down for how to prepare leeks.
Ingredients:

• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 2 leeks, thinly sliced
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 250 g asparagus, trimmed
• 6 eggs
• 100g feta cheese, diced
• 4 tbsp Parmesan cheese, grated
• 175g cherry tomatoes
• salt and pepper

 Directions:

1) Heat the oil in a pan and the oven to 190C/375F

2) Add the leaks and garlic to the pan and cook for about 10 minutes. Leave to cool.

3) Cook the asparagus in a pan of lightly salted boiling water for 2 minutes. Drain, refresh under cold water and pat dry.
4) Oil a square baking dish and then line with nonstick baking paper.

5) Beat the eggs and add the leek mixture, asparagus, feta, half the Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. Add to the baking dish.

6) Top with the tomatoes and the rest of the Parmesan cheese.

7) Bake for 25-30 minutes, until puffed up and firm in the center
8) Leave to cool for 10 minutes.











How to prepare leeks:

1) Start

 2) Cut off the top, bottom and cut them in half

 3) Chop them up small

4) Add to a pot of water to get them to separate and the dirt out

5) Take the leeks out of the water, do not dump into the strainer because then the dirt gets all over them again. Pat dry.