High-Tea

A few weeks ago my Mother and Cousins went out for High-Tea at our favorite place to have High-Tea; Stonehenge Inn & Spa in Tyngsboro, MA. A beautiful place to be pampered and treated like a queen/king for a day.

The day we went for tea it was bitter cold outside and all we wanted was a nice pot of hot tea to warm us up. As it turned out we sat in the Lounge right next to the fireplace and we knew we were going to have a fantastic day together. It was such a good day I had to share it with all my readers. I waited till now to share this because Stonehenge Inn is one of the restaurants participating in Restaurant Week Boston which has come up upon us again. It does not say it on this link but on the Stonehenge Inn page it gives you information about "restaurant week tea."

Tea is something one must remember that it is NOT to be rushed, and should take a couple of hours to drink, eat and enjoy those with you.

This is what we ordered*:

Tea:

Finest Earl Grey, Black Tea
Ginger Lemon Herbal Tea
Crimson Berry Herbal Tea

Sencha (Japanese) Green Tea

Tea Sandwiches (choice of three):

Maine Lobster BLT on Brioche

Grilled Asparagus w/ Boursin & Prosciutto on White Bread

Fresh Mozzarella, Basil Pesto & Plum Tomato on Focaccia

Cucumber & Herb Cheese on Multi grain Bread

Smoked Salmon on Rye Bread w/ Herb Creme Fraice

Currant-Raisin Scones w/ Devonshire Cream & Fruit Preserves

Petite Pastries & Tea Cookies

* There are other Teas & Sandwiches to choose from on the menu, these are the ones we chose.

We ate and drank all this and it took about 2 and half hours, and was only $23.00

(Restaurant week $20.10)

It is such a nice "girly" thing to do, with your mother, daughter, sister or best friend ... I definitely have to say this is a must do for those who love to drink tea.

YUM!!!

Apple Cinnamon Strudel

I know this is a crazy time of year to be making apple pie, strudel, or anything apple but I seem to be doing a lot of it lately. The apple is such a versatile fruit which seems to be one everyone loves and eats. It is sweet and tart and cooks up very well. And with all the varieties of apples out there why not try them all in baking.

I am not one to follow a recipe to the tee, for I need to tweak everything I make to make it more mine than the one who came up with it. I say all this because I am a huge fan of the magazine Everyday-Food. Not only is it small and easy to keep in a kitchen cabinet for reference, but it has super easy recipes that anyone can make. It becomes a starting point for me and much of what I make. It is also very good at keeping up with the seasons and what you can get seasonally.

With that in mind a couple of years ago in September I fund this recipe and made it for a get together with friends. It comes out so beautiful, and looks like you slaved for hours in the kitchen when it really does not take too much time at all.

This is what I did ...

Apple Cinnamon Strudel

flour for rolling

1 sheet puff pastry

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

6 apples, peeled, cored and sliced

1/2 cup sugar, and more for dusting

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1 egg for wash

Preheat oven 400 degrees

Unfold pastry roll out to 12 x 14 and put on a cookie sheet and chill in fridge

In a large skillet melt butter, add apples, 1/2 cup sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and cook until liquid has evaporated. about 15 minutes and let cool.

Add filling to center of dough. Fold dough over the filling. "Glue" edges with egg wash. Turn over so the seam is on the bottom. Egg wash & sprinkle with sugar. With a paring knife cut out steam vents.

Bake until golden brown 35-40 minutes.

YUM!!!

I have made this so many times the only thing that makes this dessert better is a scoop of homemade vanilla ice cream. We perfect to go to Sully's Ice Cream, since it is walking distance from our house. But if you cannot get homemade ice cream and Ben & Jerry's vanilla will be just as good.

Apple Cranberry Popover Puff Pie

The past week had been a bit crazy here at my house for our family is in town for a BIG wedding!!! A very long anticipated wedding, that is one the entire family is looking for. Family is flying in from all over the world staying where ever there is an open place to sleep. With all these people come lots of meals to make and lots of time we are spending together.




Last night we had a family dinner and I was responsible for the dessert. But the BIG question last night was what was I going to make. I knew all I wanted to make was a pie, but what kind to make. Then it came to me ... A Popover Crusted Apple Pie. The recipe is from a Pampered Chef $1 cookbook. (Which is usually what I buy at those parties ... not really a fan of those "house" parties, too much pressure to buy something ... so I usually buy the cookbook and it stays on the bookshelf till years later.)



The one thing I would like to get out in the open while I am on this topic is those cookbooks sponsored or written but companies that sell either food or kitchen tools are NOT my type of cookbook. When someone tells me what tool I need to use to do the job or what processed food I need to cook with ... that takes all the fun out of the kitchen and more on commercialism.



Now that I got all that out of the way let's talk about this Pampered Chef Pie ...



Apple Cranberry Popover Puff Pie
Popover Puff Crust
3 tablespoons of butter
1 cup milk
6 eggs
1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt


Apple Cranberry Filling
1 orange
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1 package of vanilla pudding (not instant)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground clove
4 firm apples (2 Granny smith apples and 2 Macintosh apples)
1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted
powdered sugar for dusting


Preheat oven to 450 degrees.


Melt the butter, brush the bottom of a deep dish baking dish with one tablespoon of butter.

Whip the milk, egg and remaining butter with a wire whisk. In another bowl mix the dry ingredients; flour and salt. Add to the egg mix and whisk till smooth. Pour batter in baking dish and bake in oven 20 minutes, then reduce temperature to 350 degrees and cook another 10-15 minutes, till puffed and golden brown.


While crust is baking make the filling. Zest the orange, and squeeze the orange, add water to make 1 cup of juice. In a large bowl mix zest, juice, cranberries, pudding mix, and seasonings. Peel, core and slice apples, add to the pudding mix. Microwave on high for 4 minutes. stir gently and microwave again on high for 4 minutes until glaze is thickened. Apples should be evenly covered.


When crust is cooled, pour the filling in the crust. Sprinkle the edges with the almonds and shake powdered sugar over pie.

This is a nice alternative since the crust is more of an egg base than a butter flour mix.

YUM!!!

Steak Bombs

Steak Bombs are one of those yummy local sub shop finds that we all crave and love when they are cooked right but we know deep down that maybe it is not such a good idea when we are finished eating them.

A few years ago my husband bought me a griddle to go over my burners on my stove. Up until now we used it to make omelets, pancakes and french toast, but other than breakfast we really did not use it that much, until we found the shaved steak at the market. Shaved steak is very cheep at $2.99lb. and very good when cooked on a griddle. We thought why don't we make our own steak bombs at home.

This is what we do ...


Steak Bombs


1 lb. shaved steak
1/2 sliced bell pepper
1/2 sliced onion
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt n pepper to season


4 soft sub rolls
4 pieces of American cheese

Slice up the onions and the peppers and toss in olive oil and salt n pepper. Put on griddle and cook until fork tender. Remove the veggies from the griddle and cook the shaved steak in the oil and seasonings left over on the pan.

Slice rolls in half and line bottom of rolls with cheese. Add the meat to rolls while still hot so the meat melts the cheese. Top with veggies.

YUM!!!

The Gluten-Free version ... instead of using bread try taco shells.

Fish Tacos

When I met my husband I knew he spent some time living on the west coast. If you have been to the west coast either on business, pleasure or just moved there for a time understands that there are foodies you can get there that are very hard to find here on the east coast. One reason for that is the Mexican influence and migration to the US for better opportunities than their country. And with them comes their culture and cooking, which when you live next door to one .... the cooking really changes you. This is what happened to my husband ... his next door neighbor in CA was Mexican and would invite him over to dinner for true Mexican cuisine.

One thing my husband fell in love with was Fish Tacos. I personally had never heard of them ... other than the trips to CA, where they are about as common as a hamburger is here. This was going to be a challenge to find a good recipe to make for my husband, one that brought back the memories of CA.

Ironically, one day while my husband was reading the newspaper he found a recipe and cut it out so one day we could make it. The article was written by the chef at Game On! Boston ... (so the next time you are at Fenway Park for a game ... check them out). This is one of the only meals that my husband helps me with ... I usually do not like too much help in the kitchen but this is one he is good at since he loves fish tacos so much.

Fish Tacos

1 1/2 lb. skinless, boneless haddock
3 eggs
1 cup milk
1 cup flour (we used rice flour)
1/2 cup corn meal
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon pepper
1/2 cup vegetable oil

taco shells or soft taco shells
shredded lettuce
salsa
sliced green scallions
shredded Mexican cheese

Prepare three dishes, one with 1/2 cup flour seasoned with salt n pepper, one with well-mixed eggs and milk, and one with 1/2 cup flour and 1/2 cup corn meal.

Preheat vegetable oil to 350 degrees in a large skillet. Cut the haddock into long 1/2 inch thick strips. Dip into flour mix, egg wash, then cornmeal mix. Pan fry until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes.

Make tacos like you would a chicken or beef one but use the fish as your "meat."

YUM!!!

This is also the start of my Gluten Free cooking. My husband may have Celiac Disease and this is the only way to combat the illness. I will not sacrifice taste but adjust the way I cook so my husband can still enjoy all the yummy flavors of food.

Oatmeal Raspberry-Jam Bars

When I met my husband I learned from Day I that he was not a sweet eater nor did he like chocolate, and when he eats chocolate he gets ill. Whenever we look for a dessert I need to find something without chocolate in it, so we can both eat it. This also holds true for when i am making something at home, needs to have NO CHOCOLATE in it or he will not eat any of it.

On my quest to find a dessert that he would like I came across this recipe and thought it is sweet from the berries but not too sweet. But I took the recipe and tucked it away and forgot all about it for almost 5 years. The other day I was looking for something and came across this and knew it was time to make these.

This is what I did ...

Oatmeal Raspberry Jam Bars

1 3/4 cups

flour

1 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed

1/2 teaspoon backing soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup unsalted butter

1 1/2 cups quick oats

2 teaspoons lemon zest (i.e. zest from one lemon)

1 cup raspberry jam

1 small package of fresh raspberries

pinch ground nutmeg

pinch ground clove

1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preheat oven 350 degrees

Mix four, sugar, salt, baking soda, and butter in a bowl or food processor and pulse several times until the ingredients are combined and crumbly and a dough is starting to be formed. Ass the oats and lemon zest. Pulse quickly two tomes to combine.

Press 2/3 of the dough firmly into a greased 9 x 13 pan. Spread the jam evenly over the crust and even distribute the berries over the jam. Sprinkle the nutmeg, clove and cinnamon over the berries. Sprinkle the remaining dough over the jam, gently pressing down.

Bake until golden brown, approximately 40-45 minutes.

Cool completely, about 3 hours, cut into bars, store in an airtight container.

YUM!!!

These were such a success and so yummy. Perfect for with tea or a mid morning snack.

Pad Thai

The other day a friend of mine took me to the Super 88 market to go shopping for Asian groceries. I was picturing a small little place to pick up the rare Asian things you cannot find in your local market. I was so wrong. The Supper 88 Market is the size of a regular grocery store with some of the most unique produce I have enver seen and that is just the begining.

We went to get ingrediens for making Pad Thai, but as you guessed we got so much more. It took us about two hours to get through the entire store and we were the only "white" girls there. There is some great stuff there that any kitchen would love to have ... for instance they have and aisle dedicated to soy sauce, one to vinegar, and one to tea ...

Look at all the tea ...

And this was just part of the aisle ... there were so many teas it was tough to decide which one to try.

Back to the reason we went to the market was to make Pad Thai at home, this is what we did ...


• 8 ounces dried wide rice noodles
• 1/4 cup fish sauce (nam pla)
• 3 tablespoons tamarind juice
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 3 tablespoons peanut oil
• 1 1/2 pounds large shrimp, peeled with tails on
• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 shallots, sliced
• 1 fresh red chile, sliced
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1 cup fresh bean sprouts
• 1/2 cup chopped unsalted roasted peanuts
• 1 lime, cut into small wedges
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves



Directions
Soak the dried rice noodles in cool or lukewarm water for 30 minutes, or until they're limp but still firm to the touch; later cooking in the wok will soften them more. Drain the noodles thoroughly in a colander and set aside while preparing the other ingredients.


In a small bowl, mix the fish sauce, tamarind juice, and sugar; stir well to melt the sugar. Taste and adjust flavors to the desired combination of salty, sour, and sweet.


Heat a wok over medium-high heat until it is smoking hot. Add 1 tablespoon of the oil and quickly stir-fry the shrimp until they turn pink and are almost cooked through; 1 to 2 minutes. Remove the shrimp to a plate and cover to keep warm.


Add the remaining oil to the wok and toss in the garlic, shallots, and chile; stir-fry for 30 seconds. Push the garlic and shallots to 1 side of the wok and pour the egg into the center. Scramble the egg lightly until set, breaking it up into pieces with a spatula. Add the drained noodles to the wok, stirring and tossing quickly with 2 spatulas to separate the strands. Pour in the fish sauce mixture, tossing well to coat the noodles and keep them from sticking (if the noodles are still too firm, drizzle with 1 to 2 tablespoons of water to help them cook.)


When the noodles are in good shape, toss in 1/2 of the bean sprouts and peanuts; save the remaining for garnish. Continue to stir-fry, to combine. Return the shrimp to the wok and toss the pad thai together to warm everything through. Serve the pad thai on a platter, pile the remaining bean sprouts and peanuts on 1 side of the dish and garnish with the lime wedges and cilantro. Squeeze lime juice over each portion before eating.





YUM!!!