Forget the gingerbread house. Your holiday dessert should be simple to prepare, so you can spend more time with your family (that is what Christmas is about, right?). Here’s a quick chocoalte mousse recipe from Nigella Lawson’s cookbook, Nigella Express: 130 Recipes for Good Food, Fast.

Nigella says that most mousses need to be made the day before, to allow the egg yolk to set. Here’s her “instant” alternative. She does away with eggs, which not only saves time but allows you to safely feed it to young children.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups mini marshmallows
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) soft butter
9 oz best-quality semisweet chocolate, chopped into small pieces
1/4 cup hot water from a recently boiled kettle
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Pour the marshmallows, butter, chocolate, and water in a heavy-bottomed saucepan.
2. Melt over gentle heat, stirring occassionally. Remove from heat and let cool.
3 Whip the cream with the vanilla until it’s got a thick consistency. Fold it into the cooled chocolate mixture.
4. Pour into individual dishes or cups and chill until ready to serve.

Watch Nigella’s regular TV show, Nigella Express on the BBC Channel for more recipes and tips.

Children love christmas time. Maybe it’s because of the joy in the air or maybe it’s because of the gift giving. They definitely enjoy the decorating that is done for this holiday.

The gingerbread house is a fun christmas tradition. It allows you and your kids to work together to be creative. It also makes a great item for your christmas decorating. You might want to buy extra bits of the ingredients as some might get nibbled before you finish making your gingerbread house.

The gingerbread house starts with the form. Most use a cardboard house as a base. You can usually buy these in stores if you don’t want to make your own or try creating your own template, it is really easy. Of course you can always print out guides from online.
For the rest of the gingerbread house, try this recipe from Chef Bobby Flay. He introduced this recipe on his show, Food Nation.

Ingredients:

• 5 1/2 cups flour
  
• 1 tablespoon ginger
  
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
  
• 1 cup solid vegetable shortening
  
• 1 cup granulated sugar
  
• 1 1/4 cups dark molasses
  
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
  
• Frosting, either store-bought or homemade
  
• Brightly colored candies such as gumdrops, licorice, peppermint sticks, etc.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix 5 cups of flour, the ginger and baking soda in a large bowl. Set aside.

Cream shortening and sugar in large bowl with mixer. Add molasses and lightly beaten eggs. Blend well. Gradually add dry ingredients. Knead in remaining flour, if necessary. Chill dough 1 hour for best rolling results.

Lightly grease cookie sheets. Roll out dough to 1/8-inch thick directly onto cookie sheets. Cut patterns, removing excess dough. Chill 10 minutes before baking. Bake for 5 to 8 minutes.

Let cookies cool.

Next, to assemble house, you will want to make a simple cardboard house to use as your base to help hold the house together. Begin applying cookies to the cardboard using your frosting as glue. Once cookies cover the entire house you can decorate with colorful candies such as gumdrops, peppermint sticks and licorice.

Technorati Tags: Christmas, recipe, Bobby Flay, gingerbread house, decorating

Art Smith is most known for being Oprah’s personal chef and his concoctions can grace our own tables during this season – thanks to Oprah’s web site. I found this roast chicken recipe by Art Smith which might prove to be a good alternative to turkey. Though Christmas is over, I am sure you still have a lot of meals to prepare. Why not try this out?

Ingredients:
Makes 8 servings
• 2 (4-pound) chickens
• 4 cloves garlic
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh marjoram
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1 lemon , halved
• 2 medium onions , chopped
• 2 medium carrots , chopped
• 2 ribs celery , chopped
• 2 cups homemade or canned low-sodium chicken broth

Position a rack in center of oven and preheat oven to 400°. Clean chickens inside and out with cold water and pat dry. Arrange on racks in a large roasting pan.

Chop garlic, then mash with salt to make a paste. Transfer to small bowl. Add oil, tarragon, basil, thyme, marjoram, oregano and pepper, and mix. Slip your fingers under the skin of each breast to loosen; rub as much herb paste as you can under skins. Rub remaining paste in body cavities, then place a lemon half in each cavity. If desired, tie chicken legs together with kitchen twine.

Place chickens, breast side up, on rack in large roasting pan. Roast 30 minutes, basting twice. Scatter onions, carrots and celery in pan. Roast about 20 to 30 minutes longer, basting once or twice, or until a meat thermometer inserted in thickest part of thigh, without touching a bone, reads 180°.

Transfer chickens to a platter. Pour pan juices into a small glass measuring cup. (Discard vegetables in roasting pan.) Let juices stand 5 minutes, then skim off any fat from surface. Place pan over high heat on stove. When pan is sizzling, pour in degreased juices and broth. Bring to a boil, stirring up browned bits on bottom of pan with a wooden spoon. Strain into a sauceboat. Carve chicken and serve with pan juices.

All those herbs are making my mouth water!

I was going to post something else but I just could not resist the drink that Art Smith presented in the same menu that I found the recipes for the chicken and the cake (see the two previous posts here and here.) Dubbed Vanilla Citrus Punch, the drink is a perfect end to a sumptuous dinner. Here, take a look:

Ingredients:
Makes 4–6 servings
• 3 cups fresh orange juice
• 1 orange , sliced
• 1 cup fresh or unsweetened canned pineapple juice
• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 whole vanilla bean
• 1 1/2 cups ginger ale or club soda , chilled

Combine all the juices in a large pitcher. Split the vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape the seeds into the juice. Stir with a whisk to separate the vanilla seeds. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, at least 2 hours or overnight.

Just before serving, add the ginger ale (or club soda). Serve in ice-filled glasses.

As you have probably noticed, the drink is HARMLESS! That was actually the first thing that I noticed – what? No alcohol??? Well, this version is for the kids. For those of you who are looking for a little more kick, just add a dash (or two, or three, or more!) of your favorite dark rum. I was actually thinking of using some coco rum. How does Malibu Rum sound? I think it’s perfect! I wonder if I would be ruining Art Smith’s creation if I used it?

I have been trying to eat healthy in the past month, and I have to say that I think my efforts are paying off! First thing I did was to quit eating so much fried food – believe it or not, I used to eat fried something every single day. Another thing was to buy more chicken and fish and less beef and pork. Of course, looking for easy but good recipes was the next step.

In the course of my search, I ran across a recipe from Rocco DiSpirito. It combines three of my favorite ingredients – chicken, beans, and parmesan. It also makes use of spinach, but I am thinking that if I don’t feel like it, it can be removed from the recipe.

Buy
FRESH: Boneless, skinless chicken breasts; basil; baby spinach; Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
STAPLES: Crushed red pepper; low-sodium chicken broth; salt and pepper
PACKAGED: Pasta sauce; cannellini beans

Ingredients
3 14-ounce cans low-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 cups plus 3 tablespoons tomato-and-basil pasta sauce
1 15-ounce can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
3/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced thin
Salt and pepper
6 ounces prewashed baby spinach
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
3/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

1. In a Dutch oven, bring chicken broth, pasta sauce, cannellini beans, and crushed red pepper to a simmer. Turn heat to low.
2. Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper; add to broth. Gently poach chicken, stirring occasionally, for about 2 minutes. (The broth should barely simmer.)
3. Stir in baby spinach. Continue cooking soup until spinach is wilted and chicken is just cooked through, about 2 minutes more.
4. Stir in basil; season with salt and pepper to taste. Ladle soup into bowls, and top with grated cheese.

Nutrition facts per serving: 407 calories, 43g protein, 36g carbohydrate, 10g fat (3g saturated), 10g fiber.

Makes 4 servings.

Recipe adapted from Rocco Gets Real by Rocco DiSpirito, Meredith Books, 2008.

Let’s go try it!

Recipe courtesy of Fitness Magazine

Giada DeLaurentiis may not be my favorite celebrity chef, but this recipe of hers warms my heart – and stomach. Many of you are probably enjoying your beautiful surroundings, courtesy of the snow that has fallen everywhere, but I am also sure that you cannot help but dislike the cold that it brings with it. The next time you go out into that cold winter day, make sure that you have some of this soup ready for you when you get back – you’ll forget your irritation for sure.

Hearty tomato soup with lemon and rosemary
Giada DeLaurentiis
Makes 6 to 8 servings

INGREDIENTS
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 onion, peeled and chopped
• 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 15-ounce can cannellini (white) beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2/3 cup heavy cream
• Zest of one lemon

DIRECTIONS
I made this for an après-ski menu on “Everyday Italian.” It is quite hearty and the beans give it nice body without making it too thick. The whipped cream garnish is beautiful and becomes even more fragrant as it slowly melts into the soup.

In a large soup pot, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrots, and garlic and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 4 minutes. Add the beans, tomatoes, broth, bay leaf, 1 teaspoon rosemary, and red pepper flakes. Bring the soup to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes, covered.
Puree the soup in a blender in batches, being careful to remove and discard the bay leaf. Return the soup to a soup pot and keep warm over low heat.

Season with salt and pepper.

In a medium bowl, whip the cream to soft peaks. Fold in the lemon zest and the remaining teaspoon of rosemary. To serve, ladle the soup into bowls and dollop each bowl with the lemon rosemary whipped cream. Serve immediately.

In the recipe provided by MSNBC, this soup is supposed to go excellently with panini. Visit the article for the panini recipe, or choose your own bread to go with the soup!

It goes without saying that the turkey is the “piece de resistance” of the Thanksgiving meal, the part of the meal that is most likely to succeed or fail. Therefore, it is imperative to have a fail-proof recipe which not only looks perfect (or close to it), but tastes fabulous as well.

But as with all things in life, nothing, not even the best recipe can guarantee an award-winning roast turkey, as components like your oven and indeed, the bird itself, matters greatly. But by all means, give this one a go and keep on trying until you find the best recipe that works for you.
First in line for what could be the “Best Turkey Recipes Ever” is Alton Brown‘s, which is a rather scientific method of what could be a foolproof way of making a good turkey roast.

1 (14 to 16 pound) frozen young turkey
For the brine:
1 cup kosher salt
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 gallon vegetable stock
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1/2 tablespoon allspice berries
1/2 tablespoon candied ginger
1 gallon iced water
For the aromatics:
1 red apple, sliced
1/2 onion, sliced
1 cinnamon stick
1 cup water
4 sprigs rosemary
6 leaves sage
Canola oil

Combine all brine ingredients, except ice water, in a stockpot, and bring to a boil. Stir to dissolve solids, then remove from heat, cool to room temperature, and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.

Early on the day of cooking, (or late the night before) combine the brine and ice water in a clean 5-gallon bucket. Place thawed turkey breast side down in brine, cover, and refrigerate or set in cool area (like a basement) for 6 hours. Turn turkey over once, half way through brining.

A few minutes before roasting, heat oven to 500 degrees. Combine the apple, onion, cinnamon stick, and cup of water in a microwave safe dish and microwave on high for 5 minutes.

Remove bird from brine and rinse inside and out with cold water. Discard brine.

Place bird on roasting rack inside wide, low pan and pat dry with paper towels. Add steeped aromatics to cavity along with rosemary and sage. Tuck back wings and coat whole bird liberally with canola (or other neutral) oil.

Roast on lowest level of the oven at 500 degrees F. for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and cover breast with double layer of aluminum foil, insert probe thermometer into thickest part of the breast and return to oven, reducing temperature to 350 degrees F. Set thermometer alarm (if available) to 161 degrees. A 14 to 16 pound bird should require a total of 2 to 2 1/2 hours of roasting. Let turkey rest, loosely covered for 15 minutes before carving.

Technorati Tags: Thanksgiving, Holidays, Celeb Chefs, Alton Brown, Roast Turkey, Thanksgiving recipe

With a dozen best-selling cookbooks tucked under his belt, Jeff Smith, is best known for hosting the popular American cooking show that began in Washington. The show was aired in PBS from 1988 to 1997.

Smith was a United Methodist who graduated at the University of Puget Sound in 1962 and Drew University in 1965. His first run at food ventures was the Chaplain’s Pantry where he held cooking classes to the public and stored deli and kitchen supplies as well.

Being in the celebrity status that he is in the world of cooking, Smith has had his share of controversies as well. Legal issues concerning sexual harassment in the 70s were just some of the trials that Smith had to go through.

Known to be the food genius that he is, Smith has authored several books under his wing including The Frugal Gourmet (1984), The Frugal Gourmet Cooks with Wine (1986), The Frugal Gourmet Cooks American (1987) and The Frugal Gourmet Cooks Three Ancient Cuisines: China, Greece, and Rome (1989).

Ainsley is known for his brilliant barbecue talents, so here’s one of his best-loved recipes, incredibly easy to make, although better if marinated the evening before to achieve full flavour.

This is from his book, Ainsley Harriott’s Barbecue Bible, which talks about the best barbecue techniques from around the world. Not just a recipe book, this comprehensive study on the evolution of the “Barbie” is a great source of information touching on style, equipment, and flavours. It is also a great guide to entertaining on the barbie ( after all, who fires up an outdoor grill for a lone meal?), with masses of tips to help you plan and execute a successful barbecue with simple ingreadients and a hassle-free, proven method.

Moroccan Spiced Lamb Kebabs

Preparation time over 2 hours

Cooking time 10 to 30 mins

Ingredients

900g/2lb boned shoulder or leg of lamb
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground turmeric
�tbsp paprika
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 tsp harissa paste
1 small red onion
1 small lemon
salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 x 30cm/12in flat metal skewers

Method

1. Trim any excess fat off the outside of the lamb and then cut it into roughly 5cm/2in chunks. Place it into a bowl with the olive oil, lemon juice, spices, garlic, harissa paste and some seasoning and mix together well. Cover and leave to marinate at room temperature for 2 hours or overnight in the fridge.

2. Peel the onion, leaving the root end in tact and then cut it into 8 wedges.

3. Thread the lamb, lemon and onion wedges alternately on to the skewers and barbecue over medium-hot coals for about 10-15 minutes, turning now and then, until they are nicely browned on the outside but still pink in the centre.

Technorati Tags: Ainsley Harriott, lamb recipe, couscous, moroccan recipe