Basic Pumpkin Pie

Ingredients
Dough:

* 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
* 2 teaspoons sugar
* 1/8 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 cup cold butter (1 stick), diced
* 1 large egg, lightly beaten
* Flour for rolling the dough

Filling:

* One 15-ounce can unsweetened pure pumpkin puree (about 2 cups)
* 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
* 3 eggs, lightly beaten
* 1 1/4 cups half-and-half
* 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
* 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
* 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg

Directions

Make the dough by hand. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt. Using your fingers, work the butter into the dry ingredients until it resembles yellow corn meal mixed with bean-sized bits of butter. (If the flour/butter mixture gets warm, refrigerate it for 10 minutes before proceeding.) Add the egg and stir the doughtogether with a fork or by hand in the bowl. If the dough is dry, sprinkle up to a tablespoon more of cold water over the mixture.

Alternatively, make the dough in a food processor. With the machine fitted with the metal blade, pulse the flour, sugar, and salt until combined. Add the butter and pulse until it resembles yellow corn meal mixed with bean-sized bits of butter, about 10 times. Add the egg and pulse 1 to 2 times; don't let the dough form into a ball in the machine. (If the dough is very dry add up to a tablespoon more of cold water.) Remove the bowl from the machine, remove the blade, and bring the dough together by hand.

Form the dough into a disk, wrap with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, at least 1 hour.

On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough with a rolling pin into a 12-inch circle about 1/8-inch thick. Transfer the dough to a 9-inch pie pan and trim the edges, leaving about an extra inch hanging over the edge. Tuck the overhanging dough underneath itself to form a thick edge that is even with the rim. Flute the edge as desired. Freeze the pie shell for 30 minutes.

Set separate racks in the center and lower third of oven and preheat to 400 degrees F. Put a piece of parchment paper or foil over the pie shell and fill with dried beans or pie weights. Bake on a baking sheet on the center rack until the dough is set, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and lift sides of the parchment paper to remove the beans. Continue baking until the pie shell is lightly golden brown, about 10 more minutes. Cool on a rack.

Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees F.

While the pie shell is cooling make the filling. In a large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, brown sugar, eggs, half-and-half, spices, and salt until smooth. Return the pie shell to the baking sheet and pour in the filling.

Bake on the lower oven rack until the edges of the filling are set but the center is still slightly loose, about 50 to 60 minutes. (If the edges get very dark, cover them with aluminum foil.) Cool on a rack. Serve room temperature or slightly warm.

* Copyright 2001 Television Food Network, GP. All rights reserved

Reference: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/pumpkin-pie-recipe/index.html

BEEF AND VEGE SALAD WITH ASIAN DRESSING

BEEF AND VEGE SALAD WITH ASIAN DRESSING



Serves 4
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 4 minutes

Dressing:
1 tbs fish sauce
1 tbs lime juice
1 tbs water
1 tbs oil
1 tbs sweet chilli sauce
2 tsp sugar
1 small clove garlic, crushed
2 small red chillies, finely chopped
1 tsp finely grated ginger

Salad:
1 tbs oil
500g beef scotch fillet steaks
1 small carrot, cut into thin straws
1 Lebanese cucumber, thinly sliced
11⁄2 cups snow peas
1⁄2 red capsicum, thinly sliced
1⁄2 cup finely sliced Spanish onions
1 avocado, sliced
11⁄2 cups snow pea sprouts
2 cups baby English spinach
1⁄2 cup coarsely chopped macadamias
1/3 cup chopped mint
1/3 cup chopped coriander

1. For the dressing: Combine all the ingredients in a jar and shake well.
2. For the salad: Heat the oil in a non-stick pan, add the steaks and cook on high for 2 minutes on each side or until cooked the way you like it.
Remove the steaks, allow to cool then slice thinly.
3. Combine the beef strips in a large bowl with the carrot, cucumber, peas, capsicum, onion, avocado, sprouts and spinach. Add the dressing and toss to combine.
3. Served sprinkled with the nuts, mint and coriander

THANKS TO: http://onmangrovemountain.blogspot.com/2009/11/local-food-recipes.html

Ranch Pasta Salad

INGREDIENTS (Nutrition)

• 16 ounces pasta
• 1 (6 ounce) can black olives, drained and chopped
• 1 (5 ounce) jar stuffed green olives, sliced
• 8 ounces shredded Cheddar cheese
• 8 ounces shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 2 1/2 tablespoons bacon bits
• 1 (16 ounce) bottle ranch-style salad dressing
• 1/2 cup chopped green onions
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain and reserve.
2. In a large bowl, combine black olives, green olives, Cheddar cheese, Monterey Jack cheese, bacon bits, dressing, onion, ground black pepper and pasta; mix well.
3. Cover bowl, refrigerate to chill for one hour, and serve.

SOURCE

Fruits and Crabstick Salad

Dressing:

1 pack(250 ml) all-purpose cream
1/4 cup grated cheese
4 tsp sugar

Salad:

1 cup cooked sago
1 can 850g fruit cocktail, drained and reserve syrup
1 cup canned kernel corn, drained
4 pcs (60g) crabsticks (kani), sliced into three then sredded

1. Prepare dressing and set aside.
2. Boil sago in fruit cocktail syrup with 1 tsp sugar for 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.
3. Combine with fruit cocktail, corn, and crabstick. Toss lightly.
4. Combine with dressing. Season with 1/4 tsp iodized salt. Chill until ready to serve.

FOOD THOUGHTS

"One cannot think well,
love well,
sleep well,
if one has not
dined well."
- Virginia Woolf, British Author

"The groundwork of all happiness is HEALTH."
- James Leigh Hunt, Essayist and Poet

Panna Cotta de Fruta

1 can 439 g Fruit Cocktail
1 pack all-purpose cream
1/2 c non-fat milk
3 1/2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 pack unflavored gelatine

1. Scald cream in a double boiler for 5 minutes. Add milk, sugar nad vanilla. Set aside.
2. Sprinkle gelatine over fruit cocktail syrup in a small saucepan. Heat over low fire until dissolved. Cool a bit then fold into cream mixture.
3. Arrange half of fruit cocktaiul in custard cups. Refrigerate other half. Portion cream mixture. Cover and refrigerate until set.
4. Top with remaining fruit cocktail just before serving.

Oatmeal Cookies ala Fruta

1 1/2 c all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
a/2 tsp iodized salt
1/2 c shortening
1/4 c margarine
1 1/2 c brown sugar
1 can fruit cocktail (reserve 2 tbsp syrup)
1 tsp vanilla
1 pc egg
3 c quick cooking oats

1. Preheat oven tp 35o degrees F. Grease baking sheet. Set aside.
2. Sift flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
3. Cream shortening, margarine, brown sugar, fruit cocktail syrup, vanilla, and egg.
4. Add flour mixture then add fruit cocktail and oatmeal.
5. Drop batter using a small scooper (1 1/2 tbsp) on baking sheet 2 inches apart. Flatten slightly. Bake for 15 minutes. Turn and bake for another 3-5 mins (lessen baking time for a chewier cookie). Cool on rack.
Makes 50 cookies.

EASY HEALTHY RECIPES

Yogurt Sip

1 10-oz. package frozen peach slices
1 c plain yogurt
1/4 c light rum
a tbsp honey
ground nutmeg

Let peaches stand at room temp for 10 minutes, Combine yogurt and rum and honey in a blender container. Add peaches and syrup. Cover. Blend until smooth. Pour int glasses topped with nutmeg. Makes 5 servings. Yummy!


Bahay Kubo Traditional Recipe

squash, cut into cubes
egg plants, cut into slices
ampalaya, cut into slices
okra, halved
ginger, sliced
onion, sliced
garlic, crushed

Saute ginger, onion, and garlic in cooking oil. Stir in the vegetables. Add a dash of salt. Voila!