English Custard Pudding 
INGREDIENTS
1 Ounce Sugar
10 Ounces Boiling Milk
1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract
2 Large Egg Yolks
Beat the egg yolks in a small bowl. In a large bowl combine the sugar, vanilla and the beaten yolks. Pour in the boiling milk whisking while you pour. Put the custard into a saucepan and over LOW heat. Stir until the right consistency is obtained. DO NOT let the mixture boil or you will end up with scrambled eggs. Remove from heat and either serve immediately or allow to cool. Once cooled it should be covered and kept in the refrigerator for 2 days. Do not reheat once chilled. Serves 4
Tandoori Chicken
INGREDIENTS
1 Pound Boneless Chicken
2 Sliced Onions
2 Lemons
5 Whole Green Chilies
3 Tablespoons Onion Paste
½ Teaspoon Ginger Paste
½ Teaspoon Garlic Paste
1 Teaspoon Turmeric Powder
1 Teaspoon Red Chili Powder
1 Teaspoon Coriander Powder
1 Teaspoon Cumin Powder
½ Cup Plain Yogurt
¼ Teaspoon Salt
¼ Tablespoon Cinnamon Powder
¼ Tablespoon Clove Powder
2 Tablespoons Oil
Wash and pat dry the chicken pieces. Mix onion paste, ginger, garlic, turmeric, red chili powder, coriander, cumin, yogurt, salt, cinnamon, 1 tablespoon oil and clove powder into a medium sized bowl. Mix well. In a large bowl place all of the chicken pieces and pour the spice mixture over the chicken. I like to use the zip lock bags for marinating. Make certain that all of the chicken pieces are covered with the marinade. Chill in the refrigerator for 8 hours. When ready to cook preheat the oven to 450° F. Oil a large flat baking sheet. Place the chicken on prepared baking sheet one by one in a single layer. Bake for 45 minutes. Turn chicken pieces over and bake for another 5 minutes. Remove from oven and garnish with sliced onions and sliced lemons. Serves 4
Lamb Kebabs
INGREDIENTS
2 Pounds Boneless Lamb
1 Cup Yogurt
¼ Cup Lemon Juice
¼ Teaspoon Salt
To Be Ground Into Paste:
1 Cup Coriander Leaves
1 Cup Mint Leaves
3 Green Chilies
1 ½ Inches Ginger Piece
2 Garlic Cloves
1 Cup Raw Papaya
Grind the coriander leave, mint leaves, chilies, ginger, garlic and papaya into a paste either in a food processor or blender. Combine paste, yogurt, lemon juice and salt. Coat the lamb pieces with the sauce and marinate overnight or at least five hours. I like to marinate in a large zip lock bag. When you are ready to cook the lamb, remove from marinade and skewer these pieces through a kebab rod and grill over a fire such that they are evenly reddish brown. Serve with onion pieces, lemon wedges and naan. Serves 4
Crème Caramel
INGREDIENTS
Custard:
1 Quart Whole Milk
1 ¼ Cups Plus 3 Tablespoons Sugar
5 Jumbo Eggs
3 Jumbo Egg Yolks
2 ¼ Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
Caramel:
½ Cup Plus 1 Tablespoon Sugar
3 Tablespoons Light Corn Syrup
3 Tablespoons Water
First arrange 8 (1 Cup) ramekins in a large roasting pan and set aside. To make the caramel: in a small saucepan, bring the sugar, water and corn syrup to a simmer over medium heat. Stir lightly to dissolve the sugar. Simmer for 25 minutes or until a rich, amber caramel amber caramel forms. Pour an equal amount of hot caramel into each ramekin. If the caramel gets too hard, gently reheat it. Preheat the oven to 300° F. To make the custard: In a large saucepan, bring the milk and sugar just to a simmer over medium heat. Stir for 5 minutes to dissolve the sugar. Let cool until warm. In a large bowl, whisk the whole eggs with the yolks. Slowly whisk in the warm milk mixture and then the vanilla. Strain the custard and pour into the prepared ramekins. Add enough hot water to the roasting pan to reach halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Cover the pan with 2 layers of plastic wrap. Bake the custard for 1 hour or until they are set, but still slightly wiggle in the center. Remove the hot custards from the water bath and let them cool on a rack until they are room temperature. Cover and refrigerate the custards overnight. To serve pour 2 inches of extremely hot water into a small bowl. Dip the ramekin in the hot water for 10 seconds and then run a thin knife around the edge of the ramekin to loosen the custard. Invert the crème caramel onto a serving plate. Repeat with the remaining crème caramels and serve. Serves 8
Tilapia Ceviche
INGREDIENTS
2 Pounds Diced Tilapia Fillets
1 Cup Lime Juice
½ Cup Seeded Chopped Tomato
½ Peeled/Seeded & Finely Diced Cucumber
½ Cup Finely Chopped Onion
¼ Cup Chopped Fresh Cilantro Leaves
Salt & Freshly Ground Pepper
1 Tablespoon Hot Sauce
1 Serrano Chile
6 Grilled Tostadas
1 Halved/Pitted/Peeled & Thinly Sliced Avocado
1 Lime Cut Into Wedges
Put the tilapia in a medium sized bowl. Pour the lime juice (about 8 limes) over the fish and mix gently to combine. Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator until the fish is white throughout. This should take about 20 minutes.
Remove from the refrigerator and drain off the lime juice. Gently squeeze the fish with your hands and discard the lime juice. Add the tomato, cucumber, onion and cilantro. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the hot sauce and chile.
To grill the tortillas heat a grill or grill pan over medium heat. Put the tortillas on the grill or grill pan and let them dry out until they are crunchy. If you would rather used readymade tostadas you can do that as well.
Top the tostadas generously with the ceviche. Arrange the avocado slices on top of the ceviche and serve immediately with the lime wedges alongside. Serves 6
Beef Sliders
These mini-burgers are so very tasty. What meat eater can resist?!
INGREDIENTS
2 Pounds Ground Sirloin
½ Cup Dried Onion Flakes
¼ Teaspoon Fresh Ground Pepper
Cheddar Cheese (optional)
24 Mini Buns
Red Onion Slices (optional)
Lettuce (optional)
Condiments of Choice
Preheat the oven to 400° F. Evenly spread dried onion on the bottom of a 9×13 glass baking dish. Gently pat the ground sirloin on top of the onion flakes to form one large patty. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and top with cheese if desired. Return to the oven for 5 more minutes. Let stand for at least 5 minutes. Drain grease by tipping pan and pouring most of the grease out from one of the corners of the pan. Cut burgers into 24 portions (6” x 4”). Place mini-burgers on mini-buns and top with condiments of your choice. If you would rather make individual mini-burgers you can do that as well. Makes 24
Strawberry Tart
This is such an easy dessert recipe. Feel free to substitute the strawberries with your favorite berry.
INGREDIENTS
9 Inch Pie Crust
8 Ounces Softened Cream Cheese
1/3 Cup Sugar
2 Tablespoons Milk
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
3 Cups Washed & Hulled Whole Strawberries
Bake the pie crust until golden brown. If you are using a frozen pie crust then follow the package directions. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
In a mixing bowl, beat together cream cheese, sugar, milk and vanilla until smooth. Spoon the filling into the cooled pie crust. Spread the mixture evenly in the shell. Arrange the strawberries on top of the filling. Some people like to arrange the strawberries with the bottoms up, but arrange however you wish. Chill for 1 hour before serving. Serves 6
Baked Camembert
I discovered Baked Camembert while living in France. Baked Camembert is a great appetizer or can be eaten as a meal.
INGREDIENTS
One 9 Ounce Camembert (In Wooden Box)
1 Peeled and Sliced Garlic Clove
½ Teaspoon Fresh Thyme Leaves
1 Tablespoon Honey
1 Small Baguette (Cut into Slices)
2 Tablespoon Olive Oil
Extra Olive Oil For Brushing
Sea Salt
Preheat oven to 400° F. Remove the camembert from the box and throw away any wax paper packaging. Take a 10 inch square of foil and place in the wooden box. Place the camembert back inside the box. Pierce the top of the camembert with the tip of a knife and push in the slices of garlic along with thyme leaves. Drizzle with honey. Loosely scrunch the foil up over the cheese and set aside. Brush two 12 inch square sheets, the size of your baking sheet, of parchment paper with oil. Line the baking sheet with one of the oiled parchment sheets – oil side up. Spread the slices of baguette over the sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with crushed sea salt. Place the remaining sheet of parchment – oil side down – over the bread. Place in the oven with the camembert and cook both for 10 minutes or until the cheese has risen and the bread is crisp. Open up the foil and dip in the hot baguette. This is delicious! Serves 4
Dagwood Sandwich
The Dagwood sandwich has been around for quite awhile. It is a tall, multi-layered sandwich made with a variety of meats, cheeses and condiments. This mammoth sandwich was named after Dagwood Bumstead, a central character in the 1936 Blondie comic strip. Dagwood was frequently shown making enormous sandwiches. There is no set recipe for the Dagwood so feel free to be creative!
INGREDIENTS
10 Slices White Sandwich Bread
1/3 Cup Mayonnaise
2 Tablespoons Yellow Mustard
1 Teaspoon Minced Garlic
1 Pinch Cajun Seasoning
1 Tablespoon Horseradish
1 Tablespoon Pickle Relish
¼ Pound Thinly Sliced Swiss Cheese
¼ Pound Thinly Slice Provolone Cheese
¼ Pound Thinly Sliced Cheddar Cheese
¼ Pound Thinly Sliced Pepper Jack Cheese
¼ Pound Sliced Pepperoni
½ Pound Thinly Sliced Turkey Breast
½ Pound Thinly Sliced Ham
½ Pound Thinly Sliced Roast Beef
½ Pound Thinly Sliced Pastrami
½ Pound Thinly Sliced Salami
5 Pieces Cooked Crisp & Halved Thick Cut Bacon
1 Medium Thinly Sliced Red Onion
1 Medium Thinly Sliced Cucumber
1 Medium Thinly Sliced Tomato
10 Whole Leaf Lettuce Leaves (Washed & Dried)
3 Cherry Tomatoes
3 Small Pickle Slices
3 Long Metal Skewers
Combine mayonnaise, mustard, horseradish and pickle relish in a small bowl. Add the chopped garlic and Cajun seasoning to the mayonnaise mixture. Arrange 5 bread slices on a large cutting board. Spread 2 tablespoons of the mayonnaise mixture evenly on each slice. Layer the meat and cheeses evenly among the bread slices. Fold the meats so that the sandwiches will stack evenly on top of each other. Top each of the sandwiches with tomato slices and the remaining bread slices. Spread about 1 tablespoon of the mayonnaise mixture on top of each sandwich and lay 2 bacon halves on top of each sandwich. Place 1 cherry tomato and 1 pickle slice through each skewer. Carefully build the Dagwood sandwich by stacking all 5 sandwiches on top of each other. Separate the sandwiches by placing 2 lettuce leaves in between. To keep the sandwich tower from falling over, fit the skewers into the sandwich tower all the way through the center. To serve, pull off the desired amount of bread, meat and cheese. Serves a whole village!
Lemon Sugar Cookies
INGREDIENTS
1 Cup Softened Butter
1 Cup Sugar
1 Cup Confectioners’ Sugar
1 Cup Vegetable Oil
2 Eggs
1 Teaspoon Lemon Extract
4 ½ Cups Unbleached Flour
1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1 Teaspoon Cream of Tartar
Additional Sugar
In a large bowl, cream together the butter, sugars and oil. Beat in the eggs and extract. Combine the flour, baking soda and cream of tartar. Stir into the creamed mixture. The dough will be stiff. Roll the dough into 1 inch balls and place 2 inches apart on parchment lined baking sheet. Press the dough ball with the bottom of a glass that has been dipped in water and then in sugar. Bake at 350° F for 10 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned. Makes about 11 dozen cookies.
