Kaisa's Libro di Cucina

Travel Nacho's

2008-05-06T03:03:00.000-07:00

My office is often a cold place during winter, and in desperate need for something yummy and transportable. Thankfully we have a microwave.

Ingredients

1 kids lunch packet of corn chips
1 'pop top' tin of baked beans (barbeque is the nicest)
1 handful of cheese

Method

Put cornchips in the bottom of a microwavable bowl
Pour Beans on top
Place cheese on top
Place in Microwave for 1-2minutes until cheese is melted

You can put cheese then beans if you like tastes just as good. You can put salad or leftover vegies on top also if you want.

Home grown Recipe

Pizza Dough

2008-05-05T23:00:00.000-07:00

No one doesn't like pizza. Though sometimes I get tired of pre made pizza bases. Here is a recipe for pizza dough, add toppings for pizza, or wrap it around 'stuffing' for pide.

Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
- 1 1/2 cups warm water
- 3 1/2 cups white flour
- 1 tablespoon olive oil

Method

In a small bowl add 1 1/2 cups of warm water. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of yeast on the water and stir to dissolve. Set aside for about 10 minutes until the yeast starts forming bubbles.
Add 3 1/2 cups of white flour to a large bowl and shape to allow a depression in the center.
Once yeast is ready, add 1 tablespoon olive oil and a pinch of salt, then pour into the large bowl with the flour. The depression you made should contain it momentarily.
Stir the yeast mixture into the dough. Once somewhat mixed, knead with your hands. It may seem dry initially, but as you continue to knead it should become more sticky. Once well worked, form it into a ball.
Grease a medium-sized bowl with olive oil and set your dough ball inside. Score the top of the ball to allow for expansion.
Cover with a towel (you might want to dampen it slightly) and set aside for about an hour to rise. Someplace warm is best.
Once the dough has risen, punch it down and remove from bowl.
Form into a elongated shape, then cut into pieces. Cutting into quarters will result in 4 approximately 8" pizzas.
Spread a light coat of flour on your cutting board and rolling pin.
Take one of your dough lumps, center it on the board, and start rolling it out. The thickness is a personal preference. If your dough gets out of circular shape, tuck the offending section back in, and continue rolling.
Once you're happy with the thickness and shape, fold the edges over to form the crust. Press with your fingers to secure.

Recipe

Baby Pumpkin Pie

2008-05-05T22:28:00.000-07:00

Pumpkin pie /Grammah pie was my grandfathers favourite dessert when I was a child. I didn't like it then, but I have learned to enjoy it, and everything tastes great with a little side of ice cream.

Ingredients

2 cups of softened butter
2 cups of sugar
4 cups of flour
1 teaspoon of vanilla
A pumpkin, about 8" is usually a good size, that makes 3 cups
1 cup of sugar
1.5 tsp. ground cinnamon
18 oz. evaporated milk
4 large eggs
A few spices like nutmeg, ginger, etc

Method

Mix butter sugar flour and vanilla all together.
cook pumpkin (in a bowl with water on high in the microwave for 15 minutes should work)
Mix pumpkin (skin removed) with the rest of the ingredients.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F
Line muffin tins with dough
pour in pumpkin
cook for 10 minutes (done when a tooth pick comes out clean)
Can be served hot or cold

Recipe

Caramel Popcorn

2008-05-05T21:40:00.000-07:00

A very old favourite and still sickly sweet and yummy is caramel popcorn. Also looks easy peasy to make, though perhaps a little err.. sticky

Ingredients

about 4 onces of cream (15% works best)
about 2 cups of brown sugar
a bit less than 1/4 cup of butter
popcorn (equivalent of 1 microwavable bags)

Method

pop your popcorn
stir the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
as soon as the butter has melted, add your brown sugar.
Stir constantly, until the sugar is completely melted.
Add cream, stir.
stirring your caramel until it gently boils. Let it boil for 2 minutes
put the popcorn in a big bowl
Remove your caramel from the stove, quickly pour over popcorn and stir non-stop, to cover every popcorn.
Spread your popcorn on a sheet of non-stick paper for about 5-10 minutes

recipe

Peanut Butter Cookies

2008-05-05T19:39:00.000-07:00

If you have a loved one that loves peanut butter, chances are they will like these. Give them a whirl, it's not so hard.

Ingredients:

1 cup flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 cup crunchy peanut butter
1 stick (1/4 pound or 8 tbsp) butter, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 large egg
1/4 cup honey
6.oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips

Method

Stir dry ingredients (except chocolate) in a small bowl
Blend wet ingredients in a medium bowl
Mix all ingredients together - last add chocolate
Cover the bowl and put in the fridge for 30-40 minutes so it's easier to handle.
set oven to 350 Fahrenheit or 175 Celsius.
Roll dough into balls about 1.25" (3cm) wide.
Put them onto a buttered cookie tray.
Bake for 12 minutes.
Take them out after 12 minute (even if they don't look done) and put the whole pan out on the counter to cool.
Let them cool for 5 minutes

Recipe

Chocolate Chip Cookie for One

2008-05-05T18:48:00.000-07:00

Having been a student for a number of years and also someone who enjoys teaching children to cook in 'educational' type environments I can see many versatile uses for this recipe.

Ingredients

1 Tbsp. White granulated sugar
1 Tbsp. Brown sugar
1 Tbsp. Butter
1-2 Tbsp. Chocolate chips
1 Tbsp. Water
1/8 tsp. Vanilla
Pinch of salt
Pinch of baking soda
1/4 Cup Flour + 1 Tbsp. Flour

Meathod

Mix all of the ingredients in a cereal bowl with a fork.

Bake it. You have two options here: Bake one largish cookie, or split it up and make a few smaller ones. Bake at 350 degrees, for 12-13 minutes. if you bake one large cookie, it's wise to mush it down a bit before you bake it, rather than a large ball of dough. It will bake more evenly this way.

eating your cookie!

Recipe