Peanut Butter Cookies - RECIPE

Peanut Butter Cookies are a quick and economical alternative to expensive store bought cookies / biscuits. They take no effort to put together and cook in minutes - give them a try!

INGREDIENTS IN THIS DISH:

1/2 Cup of Margerine / Soft Butter

1/2 Cup of Peanut Butter

3/4 Cup of White Sugar

1-2 Teaspoons of Vanilla Essense

1 1/4 Cups of Self Raising Flour (or Plain Flour + 1 Teaspoon of Baking Powder)

1 Egg

1/4 Cup of Water

Preperation Time: 5 minutes

Cooking Time: 25-30 mins

Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge - RECIPE

INGREDIENTS IN THIS DISH:

375g Milk Chocolate Buttons / Chips

125g Unsalted Butter

150g Smooth Peanut Butter

12 Sweet Biscuits / Cookies (or 1/2 Cup of Crushed Nuts)

Preparation Time: 5 minutes

Chilling Time: 20 minutes

Macaroni and Cheese

(American pasta with cheese)

4-6 servings

INGREDIENTS

Macaroni                                                                               230 gr

Butter                                                                                    30 gr

Flour                                                                                      30 gr

Milk                                                                                       470 ml

Sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded                                         450 gr or 680 gr

Salt and white pepper                                                                       to taste

METHOD OF PREPARATION

1. Mise en place

1.      Cook the macaroni according to package directions. Drain, toss with a little butter and set aside.

2.      Preheat oven to 175ºC. In a medium saucepan melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and let it cook and bubble for 1 or 2 minutes. Do not brown or burn.

3.      Whisk in the cold milk all at once, beating out any lumps. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer until thickened, 10 to 15 minutes.

4.      Remove the sauce from heat and stir in the cheese until melted. Season to taste with salt and white pepper.

5.      In a large bowl, mix together the cheese sauce and the cooked macaroni. Pour into a buttered baking dish and bake, uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes to heat through and brown the top.

Variations

·         Try using a mixture of cheeses — Cheddar, Jack, Parmesan, Gouda. Some cooks swear by Velveeta.

·         Top with extra shredded cheese before baking if you like.

·         Substitute half the milk with half-and-half for a creamier result.

·         For a crispy, gratinéed result, top the macaroni and cheese with about 110 gr of fresh bread crumbs dot with 15 gr of butter and bake. Or use crumbled potato chips.

·         Use different varieties of pasta for a texture change.

·         Stir in some chopped ham, chopped tomatoes or minced herbs (parsley, thyme) before baking. Sprinkle the top with a little paprika. Add a splash of Worcestershire sauce or 10 gr of dried ground mustard. Use your imagination

·         Stir in 50 ml mayonnaise before baking to add creaminess.

Caramel Apples

(American caramel-covered apples)

6 servings

INGREDIENTS

Apples                                                                                               6 each

Chopsticks                                                                                        6 each

Heavy cream                                                                                     470 ml

Brown sugar                                                                                     450 gr

Unsalted butter                                                                                 55 gr

Dark corn syrup                                                                                120 ml

METHOD OF PREPARATION

1. Mise en place

2.      Wash and stem the apples. Insert sticks into the stem end of each apple to form a handle. Grease a baking sheet with butter or line it with parchment paper and set aside.

3.      Add the cream, sugar, butter and corn syrup to a heavy-bottomed saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Insert a candy thermometer into the mixture and continue to boil, stirring frequently, until the temperature reaches 118°C, about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the saucepan from heat and set aside to cool somewhat, continuing to stir.

4.      Dip each apple into the caramel, twirling it and using a spoon to cover all sides. As you finish each apple, set them on the greased or parchment-lined baking sheet. When finished with all apples, chill them in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to set the caramel.

Variations

After dipping the apples in the caramel, they can be rolled in chopped peanuts, chopped walnuts, crushed toffee or little cinnamon candies. Melted white chocolate is often dripped over the finished apples.

Cod Fish with Creamy Mushroom Sauce

Cod fish with creamy mushroom sauce (served with grilled mini portebello mushrooms and tomatoes on vine)

This is a very simple and satisfying dinner. To me, it’s looks harder than it is to prepare this meal, for this really is a very easy recipe. I thought about making a creamy sauce because I had leftover cream from making my creamy spaghetti. The quantities for the broth, cream and cheese are based on my preferences and I didn’t really document it during cooking, but I think it’s still all right for me to post it because this is a really flexible recipe. Just adjust the amount of stock for the consistency, as well as the parmesan cheese & cream for the thickness to suit your preference. Start with smaller quantities so that you can always add more if you need, instead of the other way round.

Ingredients

(serves 2)

- 2 pieces of cod fillets

- olive oil

- sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper

- a small knob of butter

- 80g hon shimeiji mushrooms, bottoms trimmed

- ¼ cup broth/water

- 1 tbsp white wine (optional)

- 1 to 2 tbsp fresh cream

- 1 to 2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese

- ½ tsp dried chopped dill (more if using fresh)

Directions

1. Season the cod fish lightly with salt (rub) & black pepper.

2. Melt a knob of butter and spread it evenly on the saucepan (or use olive oil). Pan fry the fish, for a few minutes each side over medium fire till lightly browned, slightly flakey & surface slightly crisp. Set aside the fish.

3. To prepare the creamy mushroom sauce, melt butter in pan, saute the mushrooms for about 1-2 minutes. Then add some stock/water & white wine. Add fresh cream and grated parmesan cheese to get the consistency you want. Then add chopped dill and stir evenly. Pour the sauce over the cooked fish and serve immediately.

Note: For the side dish, I had tomatoes on vine and mini portebello mushrooms. I seasoned the mushrooms (stems removed) with salt and pepper, and cooked everything on the grill (for the mushrooms; both sides, for the tomatoes; just the bottom) for a few minutes.

Adding parmesan cheese to thicken the sauce (instead of just fresh cream alone) adds additional flavour to the sauce. I’m sharing my plate with Weekend Wokking (current theme: cheese) which is hosted by Health Nut this month.