True, there’s a big difference between shop-bought and homemade mayonnaise - and some might say it’s never really going to the trouble of producing your own homemade version when shop-bought mayonnaise works just fine…
Choux pastry is not the easiest - be prepared for one or two false starts if you’re tackling it for the first time.
Choux pastry is prepared by boiling water and butter together, the only pastry prepared this way before baking. When the butter is melted and the mixture just begins to boil, the flour and salt are added in one go and then stirred continuously until it detaches from the sides of the pan to make a ball. It is then piped, using a forcing bag, into various shapes and baked.
Some dressings and vinaigrettes if you’re having a weightloss day…
Cucumber Dressing
1/2 cucumber (medium)
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons Splenda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 dash bottled hot pepper sauce
Halve the cucumber lengthwise, removing the seeds, and then cut the cucumber in pieces. Add to a blender container that contains all of the rest of the ingredients and blend until the cucumber is finely chopped. (When necessary, stop the blender and use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides.)
Makes 2 cups.
Sweet and Sour Dressing
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup wine vinegar
1/4 cup Splenda
salt and pepper to taste
2 cloves garlic, minced
fresh lemon or lime juice
Place oil in mixing bowl and pour in vinegar in a thin trickle, whisking continuously. This will thicken the dressing. Whisk in
Splenda until it has dissolved then add the remaining ingredients except lemon juice. Adjust tartness with lemon juice and sweetness with Splenda.
Chive And Lemon Vinaigrette
1 garlic clove
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
4 tablespoons lemon juice
finely grated rind of 1 lemon
1 1/2 teaspoons whole grain mustard
4 tablespoons virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped chives
Put the garlic and a dash of salt into a bowl. Crush together, then stir in the lemon juice, lemon rind, and mustard until smooth. Slowly pour in the oil, whisking constantly, until well-emulsified. Add the chives and season with the black pepper to taste.
Makes about 3/4 cup.
Using the Crockpot as a Oven: When the oven is full and all burners on the range are in use, (as in cooking a holiday dinner), pull out your crockpot. You can cook such things as bread, puddings, baked beans and custard in the crockpot.
Using the Crockpot as a Steamer: You can prepare steamed bread or pudding in a shaped molds or jars in the crockpot, too. Do not use shortening cans, coffee cans or vegetable cans for cooking in the crockpot. Most cans contain lead and are painted with or sealed with materials that give off toxic gases when heated. If you use jars, use only canning jars. They are tempered and will withstand the heat. Choose straight-sided canning jars with wide mouths because otherwise it’s more difficult to get the food out of the jars. To assure that the bake cake or bread will slip out easily, grease the inside of the jar and lie the bottom of the jar with waxed paper. Cover each jar with a piece of foil greased on one side. Place the greased side down and press the foil around the edges of the jar to seal tightly.
Vegetables intended for the crockpot should be cut into bite-size pieces not only for convenience in eating, but for better cooking, too. Surprisingly, vegetables can take longer to cook than meat in Crockpots. The vegetables will be more tender if you cut the veggies into pieces around 1/2 inch.
Beverages: When it’s cold and damp outside, you can simmer hot beverages which will stay at perfect sipping temp. And the aroma of spiced tea or punch will appeal to your family and/or guests. They can serve themselves from the crockpot.
Party Time: Dips and other appetizers will stay at the right temp. and consistency for several hours in the crockpot. You can buy crockpots up to a 6-quart size which are ideal.
More homemade dressings - with the emphasis on diet and lack of calories and carbs…
Russian Dressing
1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
4 tablespoons sugar free catsup
4 tablespoons chopped pickles
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 teaspoon grated fresh horseradish
few drops Tabasco sauce
Put the mayonnaise into a bowl and stir in the remaining ingredients thoroughly. Chill in the refrigerator before serving.
Makes about 2 cups.
Hot Bacon Dressing
8 slices bacon
1 1/2 cups granulated Splenda
3 teaspoons not/Starch
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup white vinegar
Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble and set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the Splenda, not/Starch and salt, and slowly pour in water and vinegar, whisking constantly.
In a medium skillet, add the crumbled bacon and pour the vinegar mixture over it. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens.
Japanese Ginger Salad Dressing
1 cup olive oil
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 lemon, juiced
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons minced fresh ginger root
1 teaspoon prepared Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons Brown Sugar Twin
ground black pepper (to taste)
In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, lemon juice, garlic, ginger, mustard, honey and pepper. Once these are thoroughly combined, add the oil in a steady stream, whisking constantly. When all of the oil is incorporated into the dressing, pour into a glass jar and chill until serving.
Makes 12 servings.
