New recipes for the New Year –

New recipes for the New Year –
For the chocolate lovers – from Chef John Byrne of Food Fanatics - looks fancy but doesn't take a lot of time to cook

Ingredients:
6oz Milk chocolate, chopped
6oz Bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1/2c Baileys
1/2c Heavy Cream
1/2t Vanilla
1/4c Sugar
5 Egg yolks
Whipped cream and chocolate shavings for garnish, if desired
1. Melt chocolate in stainless steel bowl.
2. In medium sized pan, bring the Baileys, heavy cream, and sugar to a boil until the sugar is dissolved. Place aside and cool for 10 minutes.
3. In a heat-proof bowl, whisk egg yolks, add in heavy cream gradually and cook over medium heat, stirring with a wooden spoon for about four minutes until the mix coats the back of the wooden spoon. (Do not scramble the mix with too much heat).
4. Pour the custard over the chocolate mix and let stand for two minutes.
5 Transfer to a blender and puree until smooth, pass through a fine strainer into eight 4oz ramekins and chill for two hours.


Roasted Root Vegetables with Lemon Thyme and Aged Balsamic

1pt Carrots, peeled, trimmed and cut into ¾ inch chunks
1pt Parsnips, peeled, trimmed and cut into ¾ inch chunks
1pt Turnips, peeled, trimmed and cut into ¾ inch chunks
1pt Rutabaga, peeled, trimmed and cut into ¾ inch chunks
1pt Golden Beets, peeled, trimmed and cut into ¾ inch chunks
1pt Celery Root, peeled, trimmed and cut into ¾ inch chunks
1cup Shallot, peeled, trimmed and cut into ½ inch slices
2oz Olive Oil
1T Salt, Kosher
3T Lemon Thyme, leaves stripped and stems discarded
3T aged Balsamic Vinegar
2T Parsley, chopped roughly
TT Salt and Pepper
Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Toss Carrots, Parsnips, Turnips, Rutabaga, Beets, Celery Root, Shallot, Olive Oil and Salt in a large bowl. Transfer to a large baking dish and ensure the vegetables are single layer and not stacked up on one another (use two baking dishes if necessary).
Place in the oven and roast for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, remove the dish and fold in the Lemon Thyme. Return to the oven and continue to roast for 10 minutes or until the vegetables are tender but not mushy.
Remove from the oven and gently fold in the Balsamic Vinegar. Taste one more time and adjust Salt and Pepper to your liking. Platter the Vegetables, sprinkle lightly with Parsley and serve.

Crusty White Blood Pudding Bites

Comments: Served along with a salad or green vegetables, this hot hors-d'oeuvre is perfect to begin a festive meal.
White blood pudding is a veal sausage that can easily be found at grocery stores.
Servings: 4

Ingredients Preparation
• 1 pound [454 g] flaky pastry dough
• 1 cup [250 mL] blueberry jam
• 1/2 teaspoon [2.5 mL] savory
• 4 pieces white blood pudding, halved into shorter pieces
• 1 egg, beaten
• Salt and pepper, to taste  Preheat oven to 425°F [220°C].
 Cover a baking sheet with greaseproof paper.
 Roll the cut flaky pastry dough into 8 equal parts.
 Brush dough with 3 tablespoons [45 mL] of blueberry jam.
 Sprinkle with savory; lightly salt and pepper.
 Top each part of dough with a piece of white blood pudding.
 Roll dough all around white blood pudding pieces.
 Brush dough with beaten egg.
 Arrange rolled bites, dough down, apart onto prepared baking sheet.
 Bake into preheated oven for approximately 25 minutes, until golden and really fluffy.
 Serve immediately, cut side up and a wooden pick in each piece of blood pudding, along with remaining blueberry into a small serving bowl to dip in.


Raisin Tarts

Comments: Tradition at its best that takes us back to the country side.
Servings: 6

Ingredients Preparation
• 1 cup [250 mL] molasses
• 1 cup [250 mL] water
• 1/2 cup [125 mL] brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon [1 mL] ground nutmeg
• 2 tablespoons [30 mL] cornstarch
• 1/4 cup [60 mL] cold water
• 2 tablespoons [30 g] butter
• 8 ounces [227 g] raisins
• 6 cooled baked tart shells  Into a casserole, bring together molasses, water, brown sugar and nutmeg to a boil.
 Lower heat to low.
 Dilute cornstarch in cold water.
 Mix into hot mixture stirring.
 Cook, whipping, until thick.
 Stir in butter and raisins.
 Evenly spoon mixture into tart crusts.
 Leave to cool at room temperature for 2 hours before serving.


Dried Fruits Stuffing

Comments: A stuffing made of rolled oats instead of bread, a contrasting texture to softened fruits thant can be baked on-the-side or inside the poultry.
Servings: 6

Ingredients Preparation
• 8 ounces [227 g] raisins
• 12 stoned dried prunes, halved
• 12 stoned dates, chopped
• 6 dried apricots, quartered
• 1 cup [250 mL] Cognac
• 3 tablespoons [45 g] butter
• 1 yellow sweet pepper, membranes removed and seeded, into strips
• 1 red sweet pepper, membranes removed and seeded, into strips
• 3 cups [750 mL] vegetable broth
• 2 tablespoons [30 mL] pumpkin seeds
• 1 1/2 cups [375 mL] rolled oats
• Salt and pepper, to taste  Into a bowl, mix together raisins, prune halves, chopped dates, dried apricot quarters and Cognac.
 Lightly salt, pepper generously and leave to soak.
 Preheat oven to 350°F [180°C].
 To bake the stuffing separately, butter a large shallow baking dish.
 Melt butter into large frypan over medium heat.
 Soften all sweet peppers strips stirring for 5 minutes.
 Pour in vegetables broth, add pumpkin seeds and bring to a boil.
 Leave to reduce by half.
 Add dried fruits along with soaking liquid; bring to a boil.
 Remove from heat.
 Transfer mixture into a large clean bowl.
 Mix in rolled oats.
 Evenly spoon stuffing into prepared baking dish, or stuff poultry.
 Cover dish with foil; bake stuffing into preheated oven for 40 minutes.
 Remove foil, mix and bake for 5 minutes more.
 Remove from oven, and serve.



Beets with Pistachio Nuts

Comments: Always spectacular, beets are a must at Christmas.
Servings: 4

Ingredients Preparation
• 4 ounces [113 g] butter
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 8 cooked medium beets, peeled then quartered
• 2 tablespoons [30 mL] brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon [1 mL] ground nutmeg
• 1 tablespoon [15 mL] red wine vinegar
• 4 ounces [113 g] shelled pistachio nuts, chopped
• Salt and pepper, to taste  Melt butter into a frypan.
 Really lightly brown chopped onion over medium heat, for approximately 5 minutes.
 Add beet pieces; fry for 3 minutes.
 Sprinkle all over with brown sugar and ground nutmeg.
 Pour in red wine vinegar; salt and pepper to taste.
 Transfer into a serving bowl.
 Sprinkle all over with chopped pistachio nuts, and serve.


Stuffed Pork Crown Roast

Comments: A spectacular piece of meat to serve when dining with friends.
Ask your butcher to tie the crown [some will even prepare the stuffing for you].
Serve along all kinds of desired side dishes.
Servings: 8

Ingredients Preparation
• 1 [8-rib] pork crown roast
• 2 cups [500 mL] orange juice
• 2 onions, halved
• 2 carrots, cut into medium pieces
• 2 celery stalks, cut into medium pieces
• Salt and pepper, to taste
Stuffing
• 6 slices white bread, crumbled
• 1/2 cup [125 mL] dry red wine
• 1 pound [454 g] sausage meat
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 3 celery stalks, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon [5 mL] finely chopped thyme
• 1 tablespoons [15 mL] finely chopped orange rind
• 8 drained canned apricot halves
• 2 eggs, beaten  Preheat oven to 425°F [220°C].
 Line a roasting pan with greaseproof paper.
 For the stuffing, transfer white bread crumbs into a large bowl.
 Pour in dry red wine; leave to soak for 5 minutes.
 Mix in sausage meat, chopped onion, garlic, celery, thyme, orange rind, apricot halves and beaten eggs.
 Delicately mix until well blended.
 Transfer pork crown roast into roasting pan; salt and pepper roast.
 Fill the middle of pork crown roast with stuffing.
 Baste with orange juice.
 Arrange onion halves, carrot pieces and celery pieces all around the meat.
 Roast into preheated oven for 30 minutes.
 Lower oven temperature to 375°F [190°C].
 Cover with foil and roast for approximately 1 hour more, until a meat thermometer inserted in the meat registers 140°F [60°C].
 Remove from oven; leave to rest for 10 minutes before serving.