Intoxicating Non-Alcoholic Cocktails

Infused syrups, muddled fruit, zippy garnishes, stylish glassware. Why should drinks made with a shot of the hard stuff have all the fun? Move over, Shirley Temple. “Soft” cocktails are growing up!
Whether it's iced teas, lemonades or punches, festive non-alcoholic drinks are great for entertaining or just for sipping on when you're relaxing at home.

Why don't you give one or all of these delicious cocktails a try and let me know what you think!

Sparkling Raspberry Tea

Ingredients:

2 cups cold brewed tea

2 cups chilled raspberry or cranberry-raspberry juice

2 cups chilled sparkling water

Raspberries, lime slices or lemon slices, if desired

Fresh mint leaves, if desired

Method:

1. In large pitcher, mix tea, juice and sparking water.
2. Serve tea over ice. Garnish with raspberries and mint leaves.

Non-Alcoholic Sangria

Ingredients:

4 cups passion fruit juice

8 cups sparkling water or ginger ale

1 fresh kiwi, sliced

1 orange, sliced

1 star fruit, sliced

1 lime, sliced

1/2 cup fresh cranberries

Method:

1. Fill a large pitcher with ice. Add the juice and sparkling water or ginger ale.
2. Toss in the fruit slices.
3. Store in the fridge until ready to serve, or serve immediately.

Watermelon Lemonade with Kiwi Splash

Ingredients:

4 kiwifruit, peeled and cut into fourths

1 tablespoon sugar

8 cups cubed seedless watermelon

2 cans (12 ounces each) frozen lemonade concentrate

4 cups water

Method:

1. Place kiwifruit and sugar in blender. Cover and blend on medium speed just until smooth. Freeze 1 to 2 hours or until firm.
2. Place watermelon in blender or food processor (blender will be full until blended). Cover and blend on medium speed until smooth. Place frozen lemonade concentrate and water in large pitcher. Add watermelon mixture; mix well.
3. Pour watermelon lemonade into glasses. Spoon dollop of frozen kiwifruit on top. Serve immediately.

Decadent Desserts

 

It's nice to finish your meal on a sweet note, whether its with cakes, bakes, pastry, puddings or ice cream. But just bear these tips in mind:

• If you're on a special diet for something like diabetes, consult your doctor or dietician about which guidelines to follow.
• Add fruits to your desserts to sneak in some health benefits.
• Monitor your portion sizes, they can still be satisfying even if they're little.
• Don't make caloric desserts an everyday thing. 
• If you just can't say no to the extra, make an agreement with yourself that you will exercise it off afterward.

Now that we've got that settled let's get to those desserts!

First up we have Chunky Cheesecake Brownies

Next let's enjoy some fruit in a Raspberry  Pudding

Your Poll Results Are In!

Well the results are in and most off you selected Italian as your favorite type of food!

Italian food is more than just pizza and spaghetti. There’s a wide range of ingredients, flavors, and dishes to experiment with in your own home. 

“Italian food is bold and satisfying without being heavy.  It’s rich and textural and uses a whole palette of flavors,”says Michael Chiarello, the chef and owner of Bottega, in California’s Napa Valley. From that initial crescendo to the last savored bite, every authentic Italian dish is built upon the most basic yet most flavorful ingredients. Italian cuisine follows the Mediterranean pattern of eating—it focuses on simple, natural ingredients, such as tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, dark leafy greens and whole grains, making it one of the world’s healthiest diets. 

Here are two simple shrimp pasta dishes for you to experiment with.

Firstly, a Spicy Seafood Pasta with linguine, shrimp and scallops.

Next we have a creamy Shrimp Fettuccine Alfredo

Mary had a Little.....

Lamb, which comes from sheep less than a year old, is a lean, tender meat with delicate flavor. It is a great source of protein, vitamins and minerals, but just be sure to choose leaner cuts on most occasions, reserving the fattier pieces for weekend treats.

Common cuts include lamb chops (which come in loin, rib and shoulder varieties), leg of lamb, shoulder, top round and ground lamb. The loin offers the most expensive and tender cuts, and is leaner than meat from the rack. The leg also offers large, lean cuts that can be quite tender, like those from the sirloin, or less tender from the shank half.

This guide can  help you understand more about the different cuts of lamb available.

In this recipe we see how to prepare  Roast Leg of Lamb with Rosemary.

                                                                    

For a  different flavor you could do Asian Lamb Cutlets with Peanut Sauce.

Ingredients:

 8 lamb cutlets, trimmed

 1/4 cup teriyaki sauce

 2 teaspoons peanut oil

 1/2 onion, chopped

 1 garlic clove, crushed

 1/2 teaspoon finely grated ginger

 1 teaspoon ground cumin

 1 teaspoon ground coriander

 Pinch chilli powder (optional)

 2 teaspoons teriyaki sauce, extra

 1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter

 1 cup water

 Carrot and celery sticks, to serve

 Blanched green beans, to serve

Method:

1. Place the lamb in a large non-metallic bowl and add teriyaki sauce. Toss to coat, then cover and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 3-4 minutes or until softened and light golden. Add the garlic, ginger, cumin, coriander and chilli (if using) and cook for 1 minute. Stir in extra teriyaki sauce, peanut butter and water.
3. Reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring regularly, for 5 minutes or until well combined and slightly thickened. Remove from heat, set aside and keep warm.
4. Heat a grill or barbecue to high heat. Remove the lamb from the marinade. Grill lamb in batches for 2-3 minutes each side or until cooked to your liking.
5. Place lamb on serving plates and serve with peanut sauce and carrot, celery and green beans.

Quinoa, the Healthy Alternative

Quinoa, pronounced “keen-wah” is broadly referred to as a grain, although technically, it isn’t one. Quinoa is what one would call a “pseudo-cereal,” because it is eaten and cooked like a grain and has similar nutritive properties. However, the quinoa plant is actually in the same family as beets, Swiss chard, and spinach. Quinoa may be having an identity crisis, but its remarkable nutrient density puts many grains to shame, specifically in terms of protein, fat, and mineral content. 

Quinoa is native to the Andes mountains regions of South America and is considered a valuable superfood. It looks a bit like couscous and is as versatile as rice, but quinoa has a richer, nuttier flavor than either of them. 

Quinoa can be eaten on its own as a side dish, with a bit of butter or oil, salt and pepper, or other seasonings. It also makes a great breakfast dish mixed with dried fruit, cinnamon, milk, and maple syrup or honey. Paired with chili, stir-fries, beans or curries, quinoa is a healthy substitute for rice, and it also makes a tasty pilaf. As a main course, use it to make meat-free burgers, mix it into stews or toss it into salads. Quinoa works as a baking grain as well, and makes for delicious and nutritious breads and muffins.

Here's how to cook Quinoa as a simple Side Dish.

Or try Quinoa and Black Beans as an alternative to Rice and Black Beans.

Maybe you'd just like to have this Kale, Quinoa and Avocado Salad instead.

Your Brief Guide to Steak

Steaks are basically any piece of meat that falls under the category of "fast-cooking" cuts - cuts that have a relatively smaller amount of connective tissue so that they don't require the long cooking times that "slow-cooking" cuts require. The difference between a steak and roast essentially comes down to size. Any good roast can be cut into individual steaks.

The tenderness of a steak is inversely related to the amount of work that a muscle does during the steer's lifetime. Hence, while cheaper cuts like sirloin, flank, and skirt are becoming increasingly popular and available these days, the kings of the steakhouse are still the filet mignon or tenderloin. the strip, T-bone and ribeye. They are by far the tenderest pieces of meat on the steer. That, coupled with their small size make them the most expensive cuts at the butcher. 

In this video we get a demonstration of how to cook the perfect steak in a skillet on the stove top.

 

Or if you prefer to do an oven roast you can try this delicious recipe.

Mustard and Herb Crusted Beef

Ingredients:

1 tbs. olive oil

800g-1kg fillet of beef roast, centre cut

3 tbs. parsley, finely chopped

3 tbs. tarragon, finely chopped

2 tsp. thyme, finely chopped

1 clove of garlic

1/s tsp cajun pepper

20g butter, softened

4 tbs. Dijon mustard

1 cup fresh breadcrumbs made with 2 day old bread

2 tbs. Parmesan

Salt and pepper

Method:

1. Pre heat your oven to 180C. Remove the meat from the fridge 30 minutes before cooking. Drizzle with a little oil and season with salt and pepper. In a stove-safe roasting pan, brown the meat all over. Remove and rest on a tray. 
2. In a mini food processor, blitz the 2 tbs. parsley and tarragon and 1 tsp. of thyme add mixture to the breadcrumbs and add Parmesan. To make the garlic butter, in the same food processor, add some more herbs, dijon, butter and garlic.
3. Using a pastry brush or a spoon, spread the butter, Dijon and garlic paste over the meat. Press the breadcrumb mix over the butter. Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes for medium rare. The internal temperature should be around 51C. If you would like it cook it to medium, leave in the oven for a further 5-10 minutes. 
4. Rest uncovered for 10 minutes before slicing into thick medallions. Serve with your favourite roasted potatoes and a green salad.

Couscous, A Taste of North Africa

Despite popular belief, couscous is a pasta, not a grain. It has a rice-like appearance, but is actually made of semolina and wheat flour that is steamed. Couscous is a staple in North African cooking and several variations and recipes exist that infuse a host of ingredients. It is most popular in the Maghreb, a region of North Africa that includes Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, and Libya. Fruit, vegetables, and meats are all used in couscous, making it an excellent main or side dish that can please just about any palette! 

Cooking Tip: always remember to use an equal volume of couscous to liquid.

Lamb kofta with couscous

Ingredients:

1 small brown onion, chopped                                  Salt and pepper, to season                            

1 garlic clove, halved                                                1 tablespoon olive oil

2/3 cup natural sliced almonds, toasted                    1 1/2 cups CousCous

2/3 cup mint leaves                                                   1 1/2 cups  vegetable stock

2 teaspoons ground cumin                                        1/2 cup sultanas

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon                                   100g feta cheese, crumbled

1/4 teaspoon ground chilli                                       

500g lamb mince

Method:

1. Process the onion and garlic in a processor until finely chopped. Add half the almonds and process until a coarse paste. Add half the mint and the spices and process for 10 seconds until the mint is finely chopped. Transfer to a large bowl. Add the lamb mince and season with salt and pepper. Using hands, mix until well combined.
2. Divide the lamb mixture into 8 portions, shape each portion around a medium metal skewer.
3. Heat the oil in a large frying pan or chargrill pan over medium-high heat. Cook the skewers for 8-10 minutes or until browned and cooked through.
4. Meanwhile, place the couscous in a large heatproof bowl. Add 1½ cups boiling stock and sultanas. Stir with a fork until liquid is moistly absorbed. Cover and stand for 5 minutes. Fluff up the couscous with a fork to separate the grains. Stir through the remaining almonds and mint leaves. Serve topped with kofta, feta and yogurt.

Couscous & herb stuffed vegetables

Ingredients:

2 teaspoon olive oil

 1 onion, finely chopped

 2 garlic cloves, crushed

 2 tablespoons  tomato paste

 2 x 400g cans diced tomatoes

 60ml (1⁄4 cup) water

 190g (1 cup) couscous

 250ml (1 cup) boiling water

 2  tomatoes, chopped

 1/4 cup chopped fresh chives and parsley

 1 tsp garam masala

 2 tablespoons currants

 50g feta, crumbled

 4 (about 850g) zucchini, halved lengthways

 2 large red bell peppers, halved, deseeded

 Baby herbs, to serve

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180C/160C fan forced. Heat oil in saucepan over medium heat. Cook onion, stirring, for 5 minutes or until soft. Add garlic. Cook for 30 seconds or until aromatic. Add tomato paste. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Stir in chopped tomato and water. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to low. Simmer for 10 minutes or until thickened. Season. Spread over a baking dish
2. Place couscous in a heatproof bowl. Add boiling water. Stir. Cover with plastic wrap. Set aside for 4 minutes to absorb. Fluff with a fork. Add diced tomato, herbs, garam masala,  currants and feta. Stir to combine.
3. Scoop out zucchini flesh, leaving 1cm shell. Fill zucchini and bell pepper with couscous mixture. Place in dish. Cover with foil. Bake for 30 minutes or until vegies are almost tender. Remove foil. Bake for 5-10 minutes or until light golden. Sprinkle with herbs.

Flavorful, Light & Creamy Soups

Soups are great on their own or as the perfect starter for a gourmet meal or holiday occasion. Many are quick and easy to prepare, calling for fresh, raw, or cooked ingredients. Some require a bit of basic prep and the slow cooker does the rest. However, the essential ingredient in most good soups is an authentic stock. This can always be done beforehand and stored in the freezer. 

Why don't you give these two flavorful, light and creamy soups a try!

 Spiced Carrot and Lentil Soup

Ingredients:

2 tsp cumin seeds
pinch chilli flakes
2 tbsp olive oil
600g carrots, washed and coarsely grated
140g split red lentils
1L hot vegetable stock
125ml milk
plain yogurt
naan bread, to serve

Method:

1. Heat a large saucepan and dry-fry the cumin seeds and chilli flakes for 1 min, or until they start to jump around the pan and release their aromas. Scoop out about half of the seeds with a spoon and set aside. Add the oil, carrot, lentils, stock and milk to the pan and bring to the boil. Simmer for 15 mins until the lentils have swollen and softened.
2. Whizz the soup with a stick blender or in a food processor until smooth (or leave it chunky if you prefer). Season to taste and finish with a dollop of yogurt and a sprinkling of the reserved toasted spices. Serve with warmed naan breads.

Pea and Watercress Soup

Ingredients:

1 onion, peeled and chopped

2 sticks celery, trimmed and chopped

1 medium potato, peeled and cubed

2 litres chicken or vegetable stock

500g fresh peas, podded

200g watercress, washed and spun dry

sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

142ml soured cream

extra virgin olive oil

Method:

1. Heat a large saucepan and pour in a little olive oil. Throw in the chopped onion and celery. Turn the heat down and cook very gently with the lid on for 10 minutes, or until the onion has softened, but not browned.
2. Add the potato and stock and bring to the boil. Simmer for 10 minutes or until the potato is cooked. Next, drop in the peas and watercress and simmer for a further 5 minutes until the peas are cooked.
3. Remove the pan from the heat. Whiz the soup with a hand blender, or in a liquidizer, until smooth. Taste, then season with salt and pepper.
4. Serve the soup with a spoonful of soured cream swirled in, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and some crusty bread and butter.
5. Tip: You can use frozen peas – just simmer them in the stock a couple of minutes

Not sure how to make your own stock? Check out this video.

Appetizers or Hors d'oeuvres?

 Whether we call them finger foods, starters, appetizers or hors d'oeuvres, to most of us it all means the same thing. However, there is a subtle difference between hors d'oeuvres and appetizers.

The French term hors d'œuvre (pronounced "or-derves"), which translates to "outside the meal," is a one-bite item that's either stationary or passed and served separate from or prior to a meal. This means an hors d'oeuvre is typically finger food and might refer to, among other items, canapés, deviled eggs and bruschetta. 

Appetizers, on the other hand, appear as the first courses when seated at the table. They're often slightly larger and composed in a way that complements the entrée and dessert courses to follow.

Whatever your preference, here are two easy recipes for you to try at home.

Firstly, the fancy, simple appetizer recipe you must know: Bruschetta

  

and Mouth-watering Stuffed Mushrooms

Cooking with Wendy

  

 

Wendy Rahamut is a Trinidadian author, television personality and chef. She has published a number of cookbooks where she emphasizes the importance of using indigenous ingredients to create a "fresher, tastier, spicy and delicious cuisine".

She also holds cooking classes at her school, Wendy Rahamut School of Cooking, in San Fernando, Trinidad  on Saturdays (Tel: (868) 357-0927).
Website: https://www.facebook.com/wendy-rahamut-caribbean-gourmet

Her newest show "Trini Flavors on a Budget" would be aired soon on C TV.

Here's her delightful recipe for Stuffed Eggplant.

Ingredients:

1 medium sized eggplant

1/4  cup olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 small onion, minced

1 cup cooked rice

1 tomato (diced)

1 green sweet pepper diced

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp paprika

1/2 cup chopped fresh mint

Or 1 teaspoon dried

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Method:

• Cut the eggplant lengthwise and scoop out the meat leaving about 1/2-inch meat around the shell.
• Dice the eggplant meat.
• Place the eggplant shells cut side down in a large skillet with about 1/2-inch boiling, salted water.
• Cover and steam for about 3 minutes. Drain and reserve. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a sauté pan, add garlic and onion, sauté until fragrant. 
• Add eggplant and sauté.
• Add tomatoes, and sweet pepper, cinnamon and paprika.
•  Add cooked rice and stir to combine.
• Add salt and black pepper. Stir in mint and taste and adjust seasonings.
• Divide mixture into two and stuff into eggplant shells.
• Drizzle with remaining olive oil.
• Place in a heatproof casserole dish; add about 1/4 inch water. Bake in preheated 350F oven and for about 20 minutes until shells are tender.
• Serves 2 to 4

Grilled Shrimp Caesar Salad

Salads can be healthy, satisfying meals on their own or perfect accompaniments to main dishes. Making a gourmet salad at home is easy if you follow a few simple guidelines.

• Keep it simple. Pick a few key ingredients and showcase them.
• Be sure to have a balance of flavors. You'll want sweet, acidic and savory in each bite (depending on the salad).
• Pair different textures. Textures are what make your salads interesting.
• Eat the rainbow. A good variety of greens, root vegetables, and colorful vinaigrettes make a salad reach restaurant stature.

 In this video, featuring once again our Trini chef Jason Peru, we see how to make a Grilled Shrimp Caesar Salad. The key to a great Caesar salad is a great Caesar dressing. Though most people buy Caesar salad dressing in a bottle, homemade is incredibly easy to make and tastes so much better than store bought and chef Jason demonstrates how to do just that!

The Perfect Salmon Frittata

Frittata, which translates to "fried" in Italian, is an egg-based classic brunch dish which is equally delicious at breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Frittatas are cooked in a cast iron pan or oven-safe skillet because they are started on the stove top and then finished in the oven. Unlike omelets, frittata fillings are mixed in with the eggs in the pan rather than folded in the center.

To make a frittata, well-beaten eggs are cooked on the stove in a hot skillet, along with the fillings, for a few minutes until the outer edges are set. The pan is then transferred to the oven where the eggs finish cooking.


While omelets are typically made to serve just one, frittatas can serve one or many, and can also be eaten hot or at room temperature. Large frittatas are cut in slices and served.

In this video, Trini chef Jason Peru demonstrates how to make the perfect Salmon Frittata with dill, sour cream and cucumber sauce.

Love those Veggies

Broccoli

Quick Steamed Broccoli

•  Heat 1 inch water with 1/2 teaspoon salt and bring to a boil,
• add bite-size florets, cover and cook for 4 minutes,
• drain and toss with melted butter or enjoy plain.

Blanching

• This refers to cooking something in boiling water until it is less than perfectly cooked.
• Blanching and shocking (cooling in cold water) helps green vegetables retain their bright green color.

Your blanched broccoli can then be used to make a yummy Cheesy Broccoli (Broccoli Au Gratin)!

Here's how to make that bechamel (white) sauce for your Cheesy Broccoli.

Cauliflower

Roast Cauliflower to bring out its sweetness.

• Toss bite-size florets with olive oil,
• lay in an even layer on a baking dish,
• sprinkle with salt,
• roast at 375 F until soft and golden (25 minutes).

You can also steam your cauliflower and use it to make delicious Garlic Mashed Cauliflower, a low-carb alternative to mashed potatoes!

Delicious Pan Roasted Chicken

Roasting

• Crisping chicken skin in a hot skillet before transferring it (skillet ad all) to the oven, creates perfectly browned skin together with tender roasted meat. 
• The direct heat of the skillet is needed to make the skin as crispy as it can be.
• The indirect heat of the oven is required to cook chicken all the way through especially when it is on the bone. The cold bone makes it difficult to cook evenly in a pan.

Gravy

• Pan roasting chicken provides plenty of drippings for a quick pan gravy.
• Remove the cooked meat and heat the pan over medium-high heat. Add 1 cup broth and a sprig of dried thyme and cook, scraping the bottom of the pan to remove bits.
• Simmer liquid for 5 minutes to concentrate flavors. Remove from heat and swirl in 2 tablespoons butter until melted and season with salt and a dash of vinegar to brighten.

For a classy spin on this you could do Stuffed Chicken Breasts and this video shows you how to do the perfect butterfly cut!

Easy Breakfast/Brunch Recipe

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, so why not make it special! Here's an easy recipe to start your day off in style.

Baked Eggs with Spinach and Tomatoes

Serves 4
Hands-on Time 10 min
Total Time        35 min

Ingredients
1  tablespoon olive oil
1  clove garlic, finely chopped
3  tomatoes, diced
    salt (kosher) and pepper
2  bunches spinach, trimmed
8  eggs, separated (yolks kept whole, if possible)
4  ounces cream cheese (optional)



Directions

1. Heat oven to 400° F. Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
2. Add the tomatoes, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper and simmer for 3 minutes.
3. Add the spinach and cook until it begins to wilt, 1 minute. Transfer to a 2-quart baking dish.
4. Beat the egg whites until foamy, about 30 seconds, then pour them over the spinach mixture. Carefully place the whole yolks over the top.
5. Bake until the whites are set, 20 to 22 minutes.
6. Divide among plates. Add dollops of the cream cheese, if desired.