ΕΝΑ ΑΛΛΙΩΤΙΚΟ ΜΠΙΣΚΟΤΟΓΛΥΚΟ

Είναι μια ωραία παραλλαγή του κλασσικού μπισκοτογλυκου...μου τράβηξε την προσοχή γιατί δεν έχει πολλές θερμίδες και λιπαρά....αρκεί βέβαια να το τρώμε με μέτρο!!!!!

 Υλικά:
2 πακέτα πτι-μπερ

1 λίτρο γάλα

1 κουτί κάστερ πάουντερ(custard powder)

250γρ. κουβερτούρα

4κ.σ ζάχαρη

2κ.σ μαργαρίνη

1 κουτί φυτική σαντιγύ

Εκτέλεση:

Βάζουμε σε μια κατσαρόλα τα 3/4 από το γάλα να ζεσταθεί αρκετά(όχι να βράσει) προσθέτουμε την κουβερτούρα,την μαργαρίνη και την ζάχαρη.Ανακατεύουμε μέχρι να λιώσει η κουβερτούρα και να ενωθούν τα υλικά. Στο μεταξύ διαλυουμε πολύ καλά στο υπόλοιπο κρύο γάλα την καστερ παουντερ και την προσθέτουμε στο ζεστό μιγμα της σοκολάτας. Ανακατεύουμε συνεχώς για να μην "πιάσει". Mόλις το μιγμα αρχίζει να πήζει προσθέτουμε τα μπισκότα,τα οποία έχουμε σπάσει στα τέσσερα,ανακατεύομαι απαλά και αδειάζουμε σε πυρέξ ή σε τσέρκι ή σε ατομικά μπαλάκια.Αφού κρυώσει γαρνίρουμε με φυτική σαντιγυ και ότι αλλο θέλετε..απλά αφήστε την φαντασία σας να "οργιάσει"....Καλή επιτυχία!!!

Mixed chocolate and vanilla tea cake

After my friend Frosso requested for a simple vanilla cake recipe,here it is. If you are craving for something sweet and easy to make with ingredients that we all have, try this cake!

Ingredients:

400gr self raising flour

1 ½ cup of butter

2 cups of sugar

4 eggs

4 tablespoons of cocoa powder(non sweet)

1 1/4 cup fresh orange juice

1 vanilla extract or orange zest

Preparation:

In a mixer bowl first beat the butter for a couple of minutes until it becomes fluffy. Add the sugar to the butter and continue beating. Next add the eggs one at a time beating well after each addition.. Keep beating that for at least 3 minutes. Add the orange zest. Sift flour and add it to the egg mixture alternately with the orange juice. Take 15 tablespoons of this mixture into another mixing bowl add the cocoa powder give that a good stir. In a cake baking pan first add half of the white mixture on top of that add the cocoa mixture and finish with the other half of the white mixture.

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees and bake the cake for an hour.

*If you like to cover your cake with a glaze like I did here is the recipe. The other solution I have for you which is easier, take a ready hazelnut praline paste warm it up on a bain marie and spread it on your cake. Yummy!!!!

Chocolate glaze:

2 tablespoons butter

1/3 cup water

½ cup sugar

1 ½ cup Custer sugar

1/3 cup cocoa(non sweet)

A pinch of salt

In a bowl sift the Custer sugar and the cocoa. Add the salt and mix that up. In a sauce pan u add the sugar the water and the butter in medium temperature u stir them until they melt, without bring them into a boil. Add the liquid mixture into the solid mixture and mix them all together until u get a fine mixture. It's going to look like a liquid chocolate cream sauce. You let it cool down a bit and then u apply it onto the cake. Note that the cake must be lukewarm. 

Chicken with orange and lemon juice!

Simple, easy, quick to prepare, and delicious! Well you know what they say...the simple stuff in life are the best!

Ingredients:

1 chicken cut into portions

4 – 5 potatoes

3 garlic cloves or more if you like

1-2 tablespoons mustard

The juice from 3 oranges

The juice of a lemon

Half a cup of olive oil

1 -2 glasses of water

Salt, pepper, coriander, curry, and last but not least oregano

Preparation:

In a baking tin place the portion of the chicken and cut the potatoes in medium pieces...Add salt pepper, coriander, curry and the mustard. Use your hands to mix up all the spices in order to make sure that the spices are everywhere, chicken and potatoes. Squeeze the 3 oranges and one lemon and add the juice on the baking tin with the chicken. Add the olive oil, the garlic, the water(make sure that water covers your potatoes) and the oregano and off to the oven.

Cook it for about 1 and a half hour in 200 degrees.

Tip: don't pill off the garlic. Just wash it and use it with the skin. Don't try to use bottle orange juice ...big mistake!!!! The combination of the fresh orange and lemon juice and garlic makes the food so special and tasty! Also you need to slow cook the chicken in order to become tender and juicy. Good luck! and Bon appetite!

"Good painting is like good cooking; it can be tasted, but not explained."
Maurice de Vlaminck

Happy Valentine's Day to all of you.

To touch the soul of another human being is to walk on holy ground.

A yogurt dessert

A very fresh and low fat dessert. I couldn't find fresh strawberries so instead I used the jelly on top of the sweet, but on summer I use fresh strawberries and peaches and it is sooooo delicious. If you don't like yogurt this dessert might actually help you to overcome it!!!!!!

400gr yogurt( I used low fat)

400gr wiped cream

1 can of peaches( use fresh if u have)

100gr strawberry jelly

1 package of butter biscuits

1-2 cups of milk

vanilla extract

Blend the wiped cream with the yogurt. Cut the peach in small pieces and add them in the mixture.. Dissolve the jelly in one glass of hot water. Let it cool for a while and then add it in the yogurt mixture. Blend them. Deep the butter biscuits in the milk, in which you have add it the vanilla extract, and place them on the bottom and on the sides of a springform pan. Take the yogurt-wiped cream mixture and add it on top of the biscuits. Now if you have fresh strawberries, or any other fruit u like cut them in half and place them on top of the mixture. I usually leave it on the fridge for a day but if you can't wait that long leave it to cool for at least 5 to 6 hours.

Avoid to use pineapple it will make the mixture too watery. Good luck and don't forget......make it with LOVE.

Aphrodisiac Foods

There are foods that boost energy, sharpen memory,improve your health e.t.c. But these aphrodisiac snacks have an effect on the libido and they a serve purpose: They improve your sex life....or so they promise. Since Valentine's Day is approaching I thought I should give you guys something to think about.

Red Hot Chilies 

Capsaicin, a chemical found in fiery peppers, increases circulation to get blood pumping and stimulates nerve endings so you'll feel more turned on.

Asparagus and Avocados

The vitamin E in these green eats helps your body churn out hormones like testosterone, estrogen, and progesterone, which circulate in your bloodstream and stimulate sexual responses like clitoral swelling and vaginal lubrication.

Bananas

Another reason to think about sex when you wrap your lips around this phallus-shaped fruit: Chiquitas deliver potassium, a nutrient key to muscle strength. So when you orgasm, the contractions will be superintense.

Chocolate

Cocoa contains the chemical phenylethylamine, a stimulant that conjures just the sort of subtle feelings of well-being and excitement that make sex seem like a great idea.

Oysters

I know, I know: Oysters as an aphrodisiac sounds so clichéd, but they really can spark randiness. These shellfish are brimming with zinc, a mineral that cranks up the production of testosterone, which has been linked to a higher sex drive.

Pomegranates

The pom owes its passion power to antioxidants, which protect the lining of blood vessels, allowing more blood to course through them. The upshot? Increased genital sensitivity.

Red Wine

Besides relaxing you faster than a neck rub can, red wine contains resveratrol, an antioxidant that helps boost blood flow and improves circulation before and during intercourse.

Salmon and Walnuts

They're packed with omega-3 fatty acids, which keep sex-hormone production at its peak. Pumpkin seeds and flaxseeds also contain the good stuff.

Vanilla

Postdinner, devour ice cream flavored with this sweet bean. It mildly stimulates nerves, making sexual sensations feel even better.

Watermelon

Make your partner a watermelon martini. The juicy fruit contains the phytonutrient citrulline, which leads to an uptick in the amount of nitric oxide in your body. That spike causes blood vessels to relax and speeds up circulation. As a result, you'll get more aroused in less time.

~ There is no love sincerer than the love of food. ~

George Bernard Shaw

Chicken wings with my special marinate!

You find roasted chicken wings boring?....try this recipe then

Ingredients:

2 packages of chicken wings

5- 6 pieces of sun dried tomatoes

2 tablespoons of mustard

2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar

3 tablespoons of sweet soya sauce*

4 -5 tablespoons of olive oil

Preparation:

Put all the ingredients,except the chicken wings, in a blender and make a nice paste. Leave it aside.

Place your chicken wings in a baking tin add, salt, pepper, sweet paprica, and curry. Take the lovely paste you made earlier and put it on top of your chicken wings. Use your hands to rub it all over .When u do that think of something nice..... ;)

Place the wings in a medium heated oven for about 1 and a half hour!!!! Raise the temperature of the oven at the last 15 minutes. The chicken wings must have a dark brown color and you must let them cooked until they become crispy.

I used the same marinate on a lamb sooooo yummy also...What makes this marinate so special is the sun dried tomatoes so don't skip them...Good luck!!!

*If u can't find sweet soya replace it with 3 tablespoons of regular soya and 1-2(depends on how sweet you want it) tablespoons of honey*

Wise Words:

“Everyone eats and drinks, but few appreciate taste.”
Confucius (551-479 BC)


 

"The discovery of a new dish confers more happiness on humanity, than the discovery of a new star." 

Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin

~ There is no love sincerer than the love of food. ~

George Bernard Shaw


"Good painting is like good cooking; it can be tasted, but not explained."
Maurice de Vlaminck

Quiche Lorraine

How about making some tart today or else a Quiche Lorraine ..excuse my french.....!!!!!

If I can make that, then you can make it as well. So go get the ingredients and let's get started.

Ingredients:

1 layer frozen pastry dough ( you can make your own pastry as well but ….let's make it the easy way today)

3 colored peppers ( yellow, red, orange)

a couple of mushrooms preferably fresh

200gr yogurt

1 tablespoon of mustard

1 or 2 eggs( it depends on how big they are)

a variety of cheese ( I used parmezan, kaseri, graviera..the last 2 are Greek, but u can use any cheese you like as along as it melts) I also recommend not too salty ones and try to include a cheese that it's kind of sweet...gouda for example.

100gr of ham

black pepper, sweet paprica, nutmeg

olive oil

Preparation:

Place the frozen pastry  in a pie plate. Poke the bottom and sides with a fork to prevent puffing during baking. Cover the tart with baking paper and put a cup of beans on top of it.(we use the beans also to prevent puffing).  Put it to the oven, in a medium temperature, and bake blind for 10-15 minutes. Remove the beans and the baking paper and put the tart to the oven to bake for a further 3-5 minutes. Let it cool outside the oven.

Meanwhile add 4-5 tablespons of olive oil in a fry pan, let it warm up a little, and put some black peper, some paprica and nutmeg. Toss them for a while and then add the peppers (yellow,orange,red), the mushrooms, the mustard and the ham .Saute those for 5 minutes. Remove the mixture from the fire and  place it into a mixing bowl. Add into the mixing bowl the eggs, the variety of cheese,the yogurt and a pinch of salt. Mix that up and place it to the baked pastry base. Cook it for 20 to 30 minutes, until the top of the quiche is browned.

 

The reason I used the spice's first on the fry pan is because that way you allow all the flavours and the taste of your spice's to be more intense.

This recipe is so adaptable! Like I said you can change the type of cheese, according to what you have on hand. Leave out the ham,  use bacon as well. Instead of yogurt you can use fresh cream or even a compination of those two.You can also add other sauted vegetables too. Use shrimp, or chicken, or sausage. Just let your imagination go wild have fun with it. But don't forget to use the most important ingredient and that is LOVE.

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Little Tips:

-Use one tablespoon of butter, add about the same amount of flour or cornstarch, mix that up until you get a fine mixture. This works quickly, and it's a good choice for correcting sauces or soups at the last minute. I actually tried that on watery red sauce and it was great!!!

-Garlic paste. Take one or two garlic heads, pill them off and add them in a blender with half a teaspoon of salt and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Blend them all together until you get a nice paste!! Store the garlic paste in a glass jar and keep it on the fridge. That way the taste of the garlic will be more mild and not so intense!!! try it you will love it!

Ideas For Leftovers

So i'll tell you what i cooked today!!!! I have one word for you leftovers!!! what do you do with them? Throw them in the bin?NO go creative and so did i !!!! i had pasta with minced meat from the previous day so today when i woke up i said to my self let's go crazy with this pasta. I mixed the pasta with the minced meat in a baking tin add a variety of cheese you like i put feta cheese...feta is salty and with pasta goes real good... Next step make a bechamel sause put it on top of your mixure of pasta minced meat and cheese and off to the oven for about half an hour in high temperature...that food actually is greek it's called pastitsio.If u don't like the bechamel sause add some cream fresh on top of the pasta mixture cover with lots of grated cheese and off to the oven...yummy it was figer licking.

My cooking philosophy

So what i will do through this blog is give u guys some cooking ideas...cause i have plenty of those so i need to share them with all of you and make cooking more fun.See to me cooking is creative it's not just making food to fill the stomach...it's giving love through your food to the ones you love. There nothing more fullfilling than to cook for people you care...your children, your husband/wife, your boyfriend/girlfriend, your best friends, your mum or dad...and it's not about the food guys, i mean you can cook a omellete or plain pasta or whatever, it;s about the effort you made to go into the kitchen for the ones you love and cook because you want to please them that will make you feel content. Remember cook with love and good emotions and i promise you won't regret it...you will see smiling faces on your beloved ones plus you will feel happy and satisfied, even if your feet and back is killing from being up all those hours trying to make everything right.Your reward is the pleasure they tasted through your cooking. So gather your friends or family have a glass of wine(just one though) and get started....make them happy! That's pretty much my philosophy of cooking!!!!

hi everyone welcome to my blog! I'm Maria and i looove to cook.....among other things!!!!But the reason i made this blog is because i like to share!!!So ladies and gentleman feel free to join me...You can all write your favourite recipes, give new ideas,make suggestions.... in general let's have fun!!!!!