Cottage Cheese Cheesecake

 This is something I made up based on several different ideas.

It is a very easy, reasonable facsimile of the custard part of the cheesecake.  Add a crust if you want something a little more traditional.  I think this is about as healthy as you can get for a cheesecake.  It’s basically cottage cheese that tastes like cheesecake.

Ingredients

1 small container of cottage cheese (1.5 lbs.). I used 4% milk fat.  Use low fat if you prefer.

2 Tbsp Lime juice (adjust to taste)

2 Tbsp sugar (I used fake sugar, but suit yourself and adjust to taste)

2 Tbsp vanilla essence (real or imitation as you prefer)

I envelope of unflavoured gelatin

1/2 cup boiling water

In a blender, blend the entire container of cottage cheese until it is liquid and smooth.  Add lime juice, sugar, and vanilla - maybe 1/2 of each first until integrated, then taste and adjust to your taste preference.  Add more until you get the flavour profile that appeals to you.

Put powdered gelatin in a small bowl and add 1/2 cup of boiling water.  Stir until dissolved.  The instructions for the gelatin say 1 cup of boiling water, but I wanted a set custard effect, so I used less water.  Add the gelatin mixture to the cottage cheese and blend until incorporated.  Pour your mixture into whatever final configuration you want - small ramekins, glasses, one big dish, or a pie plate with graham cracker crust.  Your preference.

You can add fruit to it at this stage if you want to integrate fruit, or wait until it sets to add fruit as a topping.

Set for a few hours in the fridge.

Easy, peasy.

Walnut Layer Cake

 Cake Ingredients

6 oz. Butter

6 oz. Castor/icing sugar

1/2 tsp. Vanilla essence

3 large eggs

6 oz. Self rising flour

2 oz chopped walnut

( plus some 1/2 walnuts for decoration)

Butter icing ingredients

4 oz. Icing sugar

1 tbsp coffee essence

Glacé ingredients

4 oz. Icing sugar

1 tsp coffee Spence

1/2 oz. Butter

1 tbsp water

Instructions 

Grease and flour three 7-inch round sandwich tins.  Cream butter with sugar and vanilla essence until soft and creamy.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating each in thoroughly.  Fold in the sifted flour and the chopped nuts.  Divide mixture between prepared tins and bake (375F) for 20 minutes, or until golden brown and firm to the touch.  Turn out on wire racks and allow to cool.

Sandwich cakes together with the coffee butter icing. Pipe small stars of plain butter icing round the sides and top edge of cake.  Pour coffee glacé ding smoothly over top and allow to set.  Decorate with walnuts.

To make butter icing

Beat butter with sifted icing sugar until light and creamy.  Reserve 3 tbsp.for piping, colour and flavour the rest with coffee essence.

To make glacé icing 

Sift icing sugar into pan, add coffee essence, butter, and water.  Heat slightly, beating with wooden until icing is thick and glossy.  Do not over-beat.  Use at once.

Canadian living tea biscuits

 Tea Biscuits

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tbsp granulated sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup cold butter, cubed
1 cup milk
1 egg, lightly beaten

In large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Using pastry blender or 2 knives, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Pour milk over top and stir with fork to form soft, slightly sticky ragged dough.

Turn out dough onto lightly floured surface. With lightly floured hands, knead gently 10 times. Gently pat out into 1/2-inch (1 cm) thick round. Using 2-inch (5 cm) floured cutter, cut out rounds. Place on ungreased baking sheet. Gather up scraps and repat dough; cut out more rounds, pressing remaining scraps into final biscuit.

Brush tops of biscuits with egg. Bake in 425 F oven for 12 to 15 minutes, or until golden. Let cool on pan on rack. (Make Ahead: Wrap individually in plastic wrap and freeze in airtight container for up to 2 weeks; thaw and reheat in 350 F oven for 10 minutes.)

Variation


Dried Fruit and Lemon Tea Biscuits: Add 1/2 cup raisins, dried currants, dried blueberries, dried cranberries, chopped dried cherries (not candied), apricots or prunes. Add 2 tsp grated lemon rind to dry mixture.


From: The Complete Canadian Living Cookbook, 2001

Another Tea Biscuit Recipe - not sure where this one is from - I might be an amalgam and I might already have posted it:

Tea Biscuits - plain, foundation recipe

You can customize this recipe in many ways - I’ve included some ideas, but the internet will overwhelm you with ideas as well.  I suggest trying it through once as is, then experimenting with additions.  This recipe is plain and will give you an idea of what you are working with.

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour *

2 tbsp granulated sugar**

1 tbsp baking powder***

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup cold butter, grated****

1 cup milk*****

1 egg, lightly beaten  (only if you are glazing the biscuits)

OPTIONAL INGREDIENTS******maybe about 1/2 cup?  Don’t overdo it the first time

Savoury

>Grated Cheese

>Tiny cubes of ham with the grated cheese

>Sun-dried tomatoes

Sweet

>Currants

>Dried fruit

—————————————

NOTES

* The method of measurement is important.  Spoon flour into your dry ingredient measuring cup and then level the top off.  Don’t scoop from the bag as this results in too much flour.

**The sugar is taste preference - use more or less in subsequent iterations as you adjust for your sweetness preference  This recipe is for a plain, sweet tea biscuit.  When you make a savoury version, leave the sugar out altogether.

***use fresh powder!  If it is a hard cake, relegate it to your cleaning supply stash and buy new powder.

****it must be cold, then grate it on a box grater.  If you only have room temperature butter, stick it in the freezer and wait.  It’s super important that the butter stays cold.

*****Full fat; 1/2 milk&half buttermilk;1/2 yogurt&1/2 milk - you can get a little creative here as long as it’s one cup of liquid dairy - even just whey.  But the first time through, start with something simple, like just milk.

Preheat oven to 425 F..  It is important that the oven is hot when the biscuits go in.

In large bowl, sift together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Stir a few times.

Using pastry blender or 2 knives, (or even cool, dry hands) cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Don’t be too precious here.  You don’t want the butter to warm up much.

******ADD OPTIONAL INGREDIENTS HERE ******

Pour milk over dry ingredients gradually as you stir with fork.  Ensure all flour is incorporated.  It should form a soft,  sticky ragged dough.

Drop spoonfuls of dough onto a lightly greased baking sheet, about 1 inch apart.    Use parchment paper or a silicone sheet it your baking sheet is old and in rough shape.

Brush tops of biscuits with egg (optional step). 

Bake in 425 F oven for 12 to 15 minutes, or until golden.  Watch carefully the first time you try this recipe because your oven likely isn’t accurately calibrated.  If your oven runs hot, they will need less time and the next time you’ll know to turn the temperature down a little bit.

 Let cool on pan on rack. 

Who am I kidding?  Crack a hot biscuit open with fork tongs, slather in butter, and sneak one for quality testing.  Still not sure, test another.  You did make a pot of tea already, didn’t you?

CBC award winning shortbread recipe

 Ingredients:

1 cup rice flour 

1 ½ cups regular or gluten-free flour

1/2 lb. butter 

½ cup berry sugar (not icing sugar)

Directions:

Mix flours, then mix with sugar.  

Cut in butter, then knead about 15 minutes, until mixture is soft and buttery (warm, strong hands really help).  

It should feel like warm, greasy pizza dough.  

Roll out onto floured surface (1/8" - ¼" thickness) and cut into shapes.  

Bake at 350 F for 20-25 minutes, until just golden brown. 

Careful — they burn easily!!

Pop them into an airtight container and refrigerate for 4-8 weeks.

"For best results, the cookies need to be kept in a sealed container in a cool place for a minimum of a month before being eaten.  This allows them to mature and become soft so that they melt in your mouth and have a truly buttery flavour," 

For Mum & Dad - these are both available for purchase (with the watermark removed)

 

Bigos recipe before it disappears

 Bigos Recipe before it disappears - from  Polska Foods website

There are so many recipes for bigos, it is hard to know what is best. Some bigos recipes add tomato paste, some do not. Some have mushrooms, others don't. Caramelized onion is not in all bigos recipes, but we think that is mandatory.  

 

One thing is certain: all bigos recipes will have sauerkraut and some form of meat--pork, beef, sausage, venison, bacon, or veal. The best is some form of smoked pork, hands down. If you can get a hold of smoked pulled pork and mix it with this recipe, then eat on top of sliced rye bread, you will never be the same person again.  Smoked kielbasa is equally as good and more traditional.  

 

The second most important part of this dish is GOOD sauerkraut.  That means it was not made with vinegar, but the old fashioned way--naturally fermented cabbage with just water and sea salt. Cheap sauerkraut in a jar with vinegar will ruin the taste, and it will end up tasting pretty bland and less complex. And, with good sauerkraut, you do not need to rinse it, just drain well. If you have a particularly sour batch of sauerkraut, just add more cabbage.  

 

You can heat this bigos recipe, freeze, heat again, refrigerate, heat again....the flavor only intensifies. In fact, don't even think of eating this the first day, give it a day in the fridge for the flavors to blend. You won't regret the wait.

 

The Best Polish Bigos Recipe 
 

This bigos recipe makes a dish for 8+ people:

• 4 slices of hickory smoked bacon
• 2 yellow onions, chopped
• 1 lb Polish Sausage, quartered
• 1 lb beef or pork stew meat (or double sausage)
• 2 cups mushrooms, sliced (wild is best)
• 4-5 large garlic cloves
• 3-4 medium carrots, diced
• 1.5 lb. drained sauerkraut (do not rinse)
• 5 cups cabbage, shredded
• 1.5 teaspoons dried thyme
• 1.5 teaspoons dried marjoram
• 1 teaspoon allspice
• 1 large bay leaf
• 2 tablespoons sweet paprika
• 1 teaspoon caraway seeds, crushed
• Pinch of cayenne
• salt & pepper to taste
• 1 cup dry red wine
• 4 cups beef stock
• 1 can diced tomatoes (optional)
• Mushroom powder (optional)
• Salt and Fresh Ground Pepper to taste
• 1 cup chopped prunes

BIGOS RECIPE DIRECTIONS

1.  CARAMELIZE ONIONS & MUSHROOMS WITH BACON.  Place chopped onions in large stock pot with chopped raw bacon on medium heat. COVER. Mix occasionally until the onions start to brown.  Add mushrooms and cook until soft. Do not make the bacon crispy.

2.  ADD MEAT. Add sausage and all meat, mixing and browning.  If you need more fat, add olive oil. You do not want to over cook the meat, just brown on the outside.  If you use good smoked Polish sausage, you do not need to brown very long.

4.  ADD REST OF INGREDIENTS. Put all ingredients together in your large pot, but not the prunes. If there is not enough room, add the cabbage first to reduce it a little. 

5.  SAUTÉ FOR 2 TO 3 HOURS ON LOW.  Cook until you reduce the liquid and it becomes more of a thick stew. Mix every 20 minutes or so and make sure it is not dry. You can add more red wine or broth if needed. Bigos should always be juicy. Taste, but it will not have the flavor until the next day.  But, you can add more paprika or pepper. 

6.  ADD PRUNES.  Mix thoroughly and heat with prunes for another 10 minutes--until soft.  Enjoy with Rye bread (if you can't wait), or store in fridge.  Really good with Potato Cheese pierogi too--and Cabbage, Mushroom, and Kraut.

Chutney, Pickles, - recovered recipes

 Recovering recipes before they disappear:

Chutney, Pickles, Pickled

Chutney, Pickles, Pickled

Apple Chutney

Ingredients

5 large cooking apples, 1 gill water, 4 small onions, 1 dessertspoon mustard, 1 1/2 cups raisins or sultanas, 1 dessertspoon salt, 1 1b. brown sugar, 1/4 teaspoon cayenne, 5 gills vinegar, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Method: Peel apples and onions and chop into small pieces. Add all other ingredients and cook very slowly for at least 2 hours. Bottle while still hot. Seal when cold.

Apple And Onion Ketchup

Ingredients

1 dozen cooking apples, 2 level teaspoons ground cinnamon, 2 medium sized onions, 1 small teaspoon salt, 1 level teaspoon mustard, 1 pint pure malt vinegar, 1 level teaspoon ground cloves, 6 oz. castor sugar

Method: Peel, quarter, and core apples. Peal and dice onions. Place in saucepan with sufficient water to cover and cook gently till soft. Rub through sieve. Add other ingredients to this pulp. Simmer gently for 1 hour. Bottle while hot. Seal when cold.

Fruit Chutney

Ingredients

4 1b. apples, 2 quarts vinegar, 2 1b. pears, 1 level teaspoon cayenne, 3 1b. tomatoes, 1 teaspoon cloves, 1 level teaspoon mace, 1 teaspoon peppercorn, 1 1b. seeded raisins, 2 tablespoons salt, 4 1b. sugar, 1 teaspoon ground ginger

Method: Peel apples and pears, remove cores and cut into small pieces. Skin tomatoes and add to apples and pears. Add remainder of ingredients. Cook 2 hours. Bottle while hot, seal when cold.

Indian Chutney

Ingredients

10 large apples, 1 pint vinegar, 5 small onions, 1 1b. brown sugar, 1 1b. dates, 4 oz. Salt, 4 oz. Raisins or sultanas, 1/2 oz. Cayenne, 2 oz. Ground ginger, 1 teaspoon mustard

Method: Wash, peel, and cut apples into small pieces, Peel and cut onions finely, place apples and onions into a saucepan with all other ingredients and cook very gently till tender and a good brown colour. Pour into clean heated bottles and when cold, seal and label.

Pear Chutney

Ingredients

4 1b. ripe tomatoes, 1/4 oz. Garlic or 1 onion, 6 1b. china pears, 1/4 oz. Salt, 6 1b. brown sugar, 1/2 oz. mixed spice, 1 1/2 1b. seeded raisins, 1 teaspoon cayenne, 1 1/4 oz. ground ginger, 1 1/2 quarts vinegar

Method: Wash and prepare vegetables, cutting them into small pieces. Add other ingredients and boil till thick, bottle while hot and seal when cold.

Prune Chutney

Ingredients

2 1b. prunes, 1 1b. brown sugar, 3 pints vinegar, 1/4 1b. salt, 1 1b. green tomatoes, 1 teaspoon mustard seed, 1 1b. onions, 1 teaspoon cayenne, 1 1b. green apples, 1 teaspoon powdered cloves, 1/2 1b. sultanas, 1/2 oz. ground ginger

Method: Wash prunes and soak in one pint of the vinegar overnight. Remove stones from prunes next day and remove skin from tomatoes, onions, and apples. Cut into fine pieces, stalk, wash, and dry sultanas. Place all ingredients in preserving pan. Cook slowly for 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Bottle and seal in usual way and keep 2 weeks before using.

Pickled Onions

Part 1

Ingredients for Pickling Vinegar

2 pints white vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg, 2 cups white sugar, 1 piece garlic or essence of vinegar, 1 oz. ginger, 1 oz. peppercorns, 1/2 oz. salt.

Method: Boil all ingredients gently with lid on for 10 minutes and strain when cold.

Part 2

Ingredients for Pickling Onions

6 1b. pickling onions, 1 quart boiling water, 1 1b. salt, 6 red chillies

Method: Remove outer skins from onions, Sprinkle with salt and allow to stand overnight. Strain and place onions in enamel saucepan and cover with boiling water. Cook gently for 5 minutes. Arrange tastefully with a red chilli in each jar. Fill to the top with the cold pickled vinegar and seal when cold.

Pickled Red Cabbage

Ingredients

2 good firm red cabbages, 1/2 oz. Peppercorns, 4 oz. Salt, 1 oz. Allspice, 2 quarts vinegar, 4 oz. Sugar

Method: Prepare cabbages, removing outer leaves, Cut each in four and remove stalks, Shred finely and place in earthenware bowl. Mix salt in freely and allow to stand overnight. Boil other ingredients together for 10 minutes, strain and allow to cool. Strain cabbage and place in wide necked jars. Add cold pickled vinegar.

Pickled Walnuts

Ingredients

2 oz. Peppercorns, 2 1b. shelled walnuts, 1/2 oz. Mace, Brine, 1/2 oz. Cloves, 1/2 gallon vinegar, 1/2 oz. Allspice, 4 tablespoons grated horse-radish, 1/2 oz. Ground ginger, 4 oz. Root ginger, 1 oz. Mustard seed, 1 teaspoon salt

Method: Pound peppercorns, mace, cloves, allspice, ground ginger, mustard seed, and slat together coarsely. Gather walnuts before the inside shell has formed (try 1 or 2 walnuts by inserting a darning of knitting needle in several directions and if no shell can be felt they are ripe for pickling). Scald them by putting in cold water and bringing to the boil. Drain and rub off the skin with a cloth, Put walnuts into a basin and cover them with brine strong enough to float an egg. Leave them for 9 days, stirring them twice daily and changing the brine every 3 days. Drain well and spread on trays in sun to turn black. Put in jars in layers with the pounded spices sprinkled between each layer. Boil vinegar with horseradish and bruised root ginger. When cold, strain this over the walnuts, seal and store.

Mustard Pickles

Ingredients

1 large cauliflower, 1 small cup golden syrup, 3 1b. small pickling onions, a few cloves, 4 gherkins, peppercorns, 1/2 1b. beans, mace, 1 large tablespoon salt, 1 tablespoon mustard, enough vinegar to cover vegetables, 1 tablespoon curry powder, 1/2 teaspoon spice, 1 tablespoon rice flour

Method: Wash and prepare vegetables, put them in a large colander, sprinkle with 1 large tablespoon salt, and stand overnight. Put vinegar, spice, and syrup on to boil, adding cloves, peppercorns, and mace tied in a muslin bag. Add vegetables and allow to boil 20 minutes or till crisp. Remove bag, add blended mustard, curry powder and rice flour. Simmer 10 minutes longer, bottle and seal in usual way.

Choko Or Melon Chutney

Ingredients

4 1b. melon or choko, 1 tablespoon salt, 2 oz. Garlic, 1 bottle vinegar or vinegar essence, 2 oz. Chillies, 1 1/2 1b. brown sugar, 2 oz. Whole ginger, 1/2 1b. raisins

Method: Cut melon into strips. Boil together everything except sugar till melon is tender. Add sugar and boil till clear. Bottle while hot, seal when cold.

Tomato Chutney

Ingredients

6 1b. firm tomatoes, 1/4 oz. Allspice, 1 1b. onions, 1/4 1b. salt, 3 1b. apples, 1 level teaspoon cayenne, 1 ½ 1b. sugar, 1/2 1b. sultanas or raisins, 1/4 oz. Cloves, 1 pint vinegar.

Method: Wash tomatoes, cut up roughly, and cook till tender, then rub through sieve. Peel onions and apples, cut up roughly, and add with the other ingredients to tomato puree. Cook gently about 3 hours, bottle while still hot and seal when cold.

Green Tomato Chutney

Ingredients

10 1b. green tomatoes, 1 tablespoon salt, 1 1b. onions, 2 tablespoons treacle, 2 small green apples, 1/2 1b. brown sugar, 2 peaches, 1 quart vinegar, 3 chillies, 1 oz. green vinegar, a little cayenne, 1 dessertspoon ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon cloves.

Method: Wash fruit and vegetables and cut into small pieces, add other ingredients and cook slowly till consistency of jam. bottle and seal in usual way.

Green Tomato Pickle No 1

Ingredients

1 ½ 1b. green tomatoes or 1 ½ 1b. cauliflower, or chokos, or a mixture of the last two, ½ 1b. onions, salt, 1 pint vinegar, 2 oz. sugar, 1 teaspoon cloves, 1 oz. ground ginger, ½ oz. allspice

Mustard Dressing: 2 level teaspoons flour, 1 tablespoon mustard, 1 level teaspoon turmeric, ½ cup vinegar, 1 cup sugar, 1 pint vinegar

Method: prepare vegetables, place in layers with salt, and stand overnight, strain off any liquid, place vegetables into preserving pan with vinegar and sugar, add flavourings tied in a bag, cook gently for 20 minutes then remove flavourings in bag. Make mustard dressing by mixing 2 level teaspoons flour, the mustard, and the turmeric to a smooth paste with the ½ cup vinegar, then add 1 cup sugar and 1 pint vinegar and cook 5 minutes. Add this dressing to the cooked vegetables, simmer gently another 10 minutes, and pour into hot jars, seal when cold.

Green Tomato Pickle No 2

Ingredients

10 1b. green tomatoes, salt, 1 ½ 1b. sliced onions, 2 1b. brown sugar, 2 quarts vinegar, ¼ oz. cloves, ¼ oz. cinnamon, ¼ oz. peppercorns, 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper.

Method: Slice tomatoes, sprinkle with salt, and leave overnight, pour off any liquid and place tomatoes in a large enamel-lined saucepan, add other ingredients and boil till tender, bottle and allow to cool before sealing, leave 2 weeks before using.

You must prepare the walnuts when they are still soft and green - late May or early June in Northern Europe,

Title: Pickled Walnuts    Yield: 1 Servings


Instructions

green walnuts 1/2 cup salt for every 5 cups water (for brine)

For spiced vinegar: for every 5 cups white vinegar, add 

2 Tbsp.peppercorns 

2 walnut sized pieces of dried ginger 

2 Tbsp. wholeallspice

Boil the water and pour in the salt to make the brine. Stir well to dissolve and cool before using. Wearing rubber gloves, prick the walnuts all over with a thin skewer or metal knitting needle. Put
them into a bowl and cover with brine. Put a plate on top of the walnuts to keep them under the surface and leave 5 -6 days in a cool place. 

Drain, cover again with fresh brine and leave for another week. 

Drain well, spread on a tray and leave in a warm room or, better still, in the sun. Turn them occasionally and leave for 2 - 3 days or until they turn black. 

For the spiced vinegar, crush the spices lightly to bruise them, tie in a piece of cheesecloth and add to the vinegar. Boil in a covered enamel or stainless steel pan for 10 minutes. Cool and remove the spices. 

Pack walnuts into dry jars, then cover with spiced vinegar, seal at once and leave 7 - 8 weeks
before using.

From: Grand Diplome Cooking Course #18 Shared By: Pat Stockett

Make this pickle in June, when the walnuts are still soft and green. Makes an unusual snack.

convert measurements
1.75 kg green walnuts
1.2 litres water
225 g salt
1.2 litres white vinegar
1 tsp mixed peppercorns
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tbsp mustard powder

1. Prick the green casing of the walnuts with a fork. Boil the water and salt together and pour over the walnuts. Leave to soak for 5 days. Then drain well.

2. Place walnuts on a wooden tray in the sun, and leave until they turn black (turn them frequently to help this).

3. Put the vinegar and mustard powder in a pan. Tie the peppercorns and mustard seed in a piece of muslin to form a bag and add this to the pan. Boil for 10 minutes.

4. Pack the walnuts into sterilized jars, remove the muslin bag and pour over the vinegar mixture. Seal tightly and store for 2 weeks before using.

 Pickled Walnuts Take 2lb soft green walnuts and prick them all over with a strong carpet needle. Wear rubber gloves to do this to safe your hands from staining. Place in a ceramic bowl. Dissolve a one third lb salt in a 1 pint water. Pour over the nuts and leave for 5 days, stiring twice daily. After 5 days drain and repeat the process for a further 5 days with another batch of brine. Drain and spread out in a single layer on a flat dish, and dry in the sun until they are black. Pack into sterilised wide necked jars until three quarters full, and pour in the spiced vinegar, ensuring that no air bubles are trapped in the jar. Seal and keep in a cool place for at least 6 weeks before consuming. Try to keep at least one jar for the Winter Holiday.

Spiced Vinegar
4 pints white vinegar,
10 cloves,
2 tablespoons coriander seeds,
1 tablespoon nmustard seeds,
5 dried red chillies, (optional but recommended),
2 teaspoons whole black peppercorns,
1 cinnamon stick,
1 tablespoon brown sugar.

*For the spiced vinegar – I adapted Oded Schwartz’s recipe for mild spiced European vinegar. used 500ml of white wine vinegar plus 1 tsp of black peppercorns, a small piece of blade mace, 1 tsp of celery seeds, 1 clove of garlic crushed, 1 small dried red chilli pepper (crumbled), I bay leaf, I tsp of juniper berries, 1 tsp of salt. Brought to the boil and simmered gently for 10 minutes and then strained through muslin.