2 1/2 cups shredded Monetery Jack cheese
6 oz. softened cream cheese
1/3 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tsp. chili powder
1/3 cup chopped, pitted olives
Beat Monetery Jack, 3 oz. cream cheese, onion, mayo and chili powder
until smooth. Mix in chopped olives. Shape into ball. Cover with plastic
wrap and refrigerate until firm (about two hours). Beat remaining cream
cheese until fluffy, beat in enough milk to make it a good spreading
consistency. Spread onto cheese ball. Refrigerate, loosely covered,
unitl just before serving time. Cut pieces of red pepper into starshapes
and some olives into crescent shapes and just before serving decorate
ball with these shapes. Serve with celestial crackers.
CELESTIAL CRACKERS
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup plus 1 tsp water, divided
1 egg white
toppings: seasame seeds, poppy seeds, garlic salt
supplies: 2" star and moon cookie cutters
Combine flour, baking powder, paprika and salt. Stir in 1/3 cup
water and all of oil to form dough. Preheat oven to 400*, grease
baking sheets. Roll dough onto floured surface to 14 x 12 inch
rectangle, cut dough using cutters and place on baking sheet.
Combine egg white and 1 tbls water, brush onto crackers, sprinkle
with toppings. Bake 8 to ten minutes or until edges begin to brown.
Remove to wire rack to cool.
HERBS SEASONING BLEND
1 T dried thyme
1 T dried oregano
2 t rubbed sage
1 t dried rosemary
1 t dried marjoram
1 t dried basil
1 t dried parsley flakes
Combine all ingredients; store in an airtight container.
Use in omelets and to season fish, vegetables, or chicken.
Yield: 1/4 cup.
Garlic-Herb Dressing
1 cup small curd creamed cottage cheese
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon dry tarragon or 1 teaspoon dill weed
1 garlic clove, minced or pressed
Stir cottage cheese with remaining ingredients until
well blended. Chill.
Makes about 1 1/4 cups.
Root Vegetable Crumble
Ingredients:
2 3/4 lbs of assorted root vegetables
2 onions
1 oz margarine
1 pint vegetable stock
2 tbsp tomato puree
1 tsp smooth french mustard
2 oz margarine
2 oz finely chopped walnuts
2 oz sesame seeds
2 oz wheatgerm
4 tbsp chopped mixed herbs (or 1 tbsp dried mixed herbs)
Method:
Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/GM4.
Chop the root vegetables into 1/2" cubes. Slice the onions thinly. Melt the 1 oz magarine in
a large pan, and stir in the vegetables. Cover and allow to sweat for 10 minutes. Pour on
the stock and bring to the boil. Stir in the tomato puree and mustard.
Put the mixture into a casserole dish, cover and cook in the oven for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile prepare the topping. Melt the margarine in a pan, and stir in the nuts, seeds,
herbs and wheatgerm.
When the 30 minutes are up, remove the lid from the casserole and spoon over the topping.
Bake uncovered for 30 minutes.
Pumpkin Sauce
Ingredients:
3 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
1 lb pumpkin flesh, peeled seeded and diced (use one pumpkin about 1 3/4 lb)
8 fl oz strong vegetable stock
2 tbsp parsley, or 1 tsp dried parsley
4 fl oz single cream
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
pinch of salt
pinch of ground black pepper
pasta, freshly cooked, to serve
Method:
Gently fry the garlic and onion in the oil for 3 or 4 minutes. Do not allow them to burn.
Add the pumpkin and vegetable stock and bring to the boil. Cover and simmer over a
medium heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the pumpkin is tender.
Break up the pumpkin by beating it with a wooden spoon, and stir in the parsley, cream,
nutmeg and seasoning. Cook for a further minute and add a little of the pasta cooking
water if the sauce is too thick. Pour over the pasta and serve immediately.
(Serves 3)
Herb Pasty
This is a traditional Cornish recipe. The meat and potato varieties of Cornish pasties are
the most well-known, but traditionally all sorts of fillings were put in pasties, including
vegetable ones.
Chop and scald a quantity of well-washed parsley, watercress and spinach. Cut up finely
either some shallots or leeks.
Make the pastry and roll it out until it is about a quarter of an inch thick. Cut it into rounds,
using a saucer or a small plate as a template.
Use the herb mixture for filling, placing an appropriate amount of filling on one half of each
circle of pastry. Put a knob of butter on top. Dampen the edges of the pastry with water,
then fold over the other half of the circle, to form a pasty shape. Press the edges together
with the fingers and crimping to seal, except at one point. Pour a little beaten egg in at this
point, then seal that bit too.
Make 2 or 3 ventilating slits in the top of the pasty, brush with milk or egg if you want a
glaze, and bake in a hot oven 450F until the pastry is pale brown, then reduce the heat to
medium (350F) for about 40 minutes.
Curried Parsnip Pie
Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 cup plain flour
salt and ground black pepper
1 tsp dried thyme or oregano
cold water, to mix
8 baby onions or shallots, peeled
2 large parsnips, thinly sliced
2 carrots, thinly sliced
2 tbsp butter or margarine
2 tbsp whole wheat flour
1 tbsp mild curry or tikka paste
1 1/4 cups milk
4 oz sharp cheese, grated
salt and gound black pepper
3 tbsp fresh coriander or parsley, chopped
1 egg yolk, beaten with 2 tsp water
Method:
Make the pastry by rubbing the butter or margarine into the four until it resembles fine
breadcrumbs. Season and stir in the thyme or oregano, then mix to a firm dough with cold
water.
Blanch the baby onions or shallots with the parsnips and carrots in just enough water to
cover, for about 5 minutes. Drain, reserving about 1 1/4 cups of the liquid.
In a clean pan, melt the butter or margarine, and stir in the flour and spice paste to make a
roux. Gradually whisk in the reserved stock and milk until smooth. Simmer for a minute or
two.
Take the pan off the heat, stir in the cheese, then mix into the vegetables with the
coriander or parsley. Pour into a pie dish, and allow to cool.
Roll out the pastry, large enough to fit the top of the pie dish. Re-roll the trimmings into
long strips. Brush the pastry edges with egg yolk wash and fit on the pastry strips. Brush
again with egg yolk wash. Using a rolling pin, lift the rolled out pastry over the pie top,
pressing down well onto the strips underneath.
Cut off the overhanging pastry and crimp the edges. Pinch holes in the top, brush all over
well with the remaining egg yolk wash and make decorations with the trimmings, glazing
them too.
Place the pie dish on a baking sheet and bake for 25 to 30 minutes at 400F, until golden
brown and crisp on top.
Golden Potato and Garlic Galette
Ingredients:
3 lb potatoes (not new potatoes)
2 oz butter
4 large cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
4 tbsp grated parmesan
salt and pepper
parsley, to garnish
Method:
Very thinly slice the potatoes (a food processor is useful!). Melt the butter and stir in the
garlic.
Layer the potato slices with a drizzling of the garlic butter, parmesan cheese and
seasoning, in a greased and lined 6" cake tin. Pour the remaining butter on the top.
Cover the tin with foil and bake in a preheated oven at 230C/475F/GM9 for 1 1/4 hours or
until the potato is tender when tested with a skewer.
Allow to stand for 5 minutes then turn the galette out onto a serving dish and keep warm,
uncovered. Garnish with chopped parsley.
Kutchi Stew
Don't use an aluminium pot for this dish.
Ingredients:
5 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4" dice
4 tbsp vegetable oil
6 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 tsp whole cumin seeds
5oz desiccated coconut
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
2 tsp ground cumin
a 450g-560g tin of italian tomatoes
2 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp wine vinegar
Method:
Heat the oil in a large saucepan, over a medium heat. When hot, add the garlic, stir, then
after 5 seconds, add the cumin seeds. Stir, then put in the coconut. Add the potatoes,
turmeric, ground cumin, tomatoes and their juice, salt and 12 fl oz of water. Bring to the
boil.
Cover, turn the heat to low, and simmer for about 45 minutes or until the potatoes are
tender. Stir gently occasionally during the cooking period.
Put in the sugar and vinegar, stir, and cook uncovered for a minute.
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