Guacamole

I am back from my trip to Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo in Mexico....and did I eat!! The resort was all inclusive so I had a chance to sample lots of food! However, I did eat the best guacamole ever so I asked the chef for his recipe. It was so simple! I wasn't given the exact proportions but here is what I was told. Ah yes, I agreed to post the chef's picture too!!

Guacamole
4 avocados, get the best quality you can find.
Mash with a spoon.
add:
1/2 a small red onion finely chopped
2 firm yet ripe tomatoes, peeled, de-seeded and chopped finely
1tsp fresh lime juice
1 tsp fresh cilantro very finely chopped
salt and pepper to taste.
Add to the mashed avocado and mix well

Serve with nachos.

Here are a few pictures of Club Med Ixtapa. You really should try out Club med! E mail me if you want details and a great bargain!

The sailing shack - I sailed (no wind though!) and went for a kayak ride.

Another view of the beach.

View of the beach from the reception

My room, and this is the most basic...you should see the suites!

I am off to Seattle now so I hope I will get some good recipes from there! Keep reading!

Chocolate Souffle

A souffle can be difficult to make, but in this recipe it is foolproof. The traditional bechamel requires constant stirring and instead, this recipe used sweetened condensed milk. Instead of buttering and sugaring the ramekins, I coat them with non stick spray. The chocolate chips eliminate the chopping and they melt quickly in the microwave instead of a bain marie. The result, however, is just as impressive!
Its is impirtant not to open the oven until they are ready or the souffles will deflate. Also, if serving as a dessert, plan the cooking time as they should be served immediately.

Ingredients
1 cup bitter sweet chocolate chips
1/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
3 egges, separated
2 tbs icing (confectioners) sugar.

Method.
Pre-heat oven to 375F
Coat 4 ramekins with non stick spray with flour
In a microwave safe bowl, heat chocolate chips in 20 second bursts, stirring until just melted - about 1-2 mins.
Remove from microwave and whisk in the condensed milk.
Add 2 egg yolks until blended (save other yolk for another use)
In another bowl, using an electric mixer, whisk the 3 egg whites until very stiff.
Add 1/3 of the mixture to the chocolate mixture and whisk gently untill incorporated.
With a rubber spatula, gently fold in the remaining egg white mixture until just incorporated.
Divide among the ramekins.
Sift icing sugar on top
Bake for 11-13 minutes or until the top rises about an inch over the rim.
DO NOT OPEN THE OVEN UNTIL READY!
Serve immediately.

Swiss Fondue

Now that the weather is getting cooler, there is nothing more sociable than a pot of Swiss Fondue.( for the Swiss, fondue is ALWAYS made of cheese) There is a game assoicated with the dish : If someone loses their piece of bread of the fork they have to pay a penalty! What that will be is up to you!
The trick to a successful fondue  is to ensure that the cheese  sauce stays smooth. Cheese has a propensity to get stringy or to "seize up" into clumps, the fat separating from the proteins. Do not over heat as cheese tends to ball up at higher temperatures and if possible use a fondue pot. Don't let the cheese cool down too much before serving, as it tends to get stringier and tougher as it cools. Don't over stir the cheese, doing so will encourage stringiness.. so many don'ts!!
When we lived in the Ticino, we would use Grappa instead of kirsh.

Ingredients

1/2 pound (Real) Swiss cheese such as Jarlsberg or Emmenthaler, shredded  (or try Vacherin Fribourgeois)
1/2 pound Gruyere cheese, shredded ( aged about 8 months is best)
2 tablespoons cornstarch *
1 garlic clove, peeled, halved crosswise
1 cup dry white wine like a Sauvignon Blanc
1/4 cup kirsh
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Pinch nutmeg
*The cornstarch helps stabilize the sauce
Crusty bread, cubed, for dipping (can be a day old as it does not need to be super fresh - in fact a bit old is better!)When you cut the bread, try make sure that each piece had a bit of crust.

Method

1 Place the shredded cheese and cornstarch in a plastic bag. Seal, shake to coat the cheese with cornstarch. Set aside.

2 Rub the inside of a 4-quart pot with the garlic, then discard. Over medium heat, add the wine and lemon juice and bring to a gentle simmer. Gradually stir the cheese into the wine. Stir constantly in a zig-zag pattern to prevent the cheese from seizing and balling up. Cook until the cheese is just melted and creamy. Do not let boil. Once smooth, stir in the kirsh and  nutmeg.
3 Transfer the cheese to a fondue serving pot, set over a flame to keep warm.
4. Spear the bread cubes with a fondue fork, dip in mixture till coated in cheese, and EAT!!!

Serves 4.

NB: As the cheese gets less and less, scrape the sides with your bread.When almost all the cheese is gone, lower the flame under the fondue pot.The last bit of cheese will be all toasty and yummy!

Wiener Schnitzel

This is by far my favourite veal recipe. Veal is very easy to find in Europe - no that much in the USA it seems. You could substitute pork fillet - that would be the closest to veal. This is a really great dish!!

Wiener Schnitzel is originally made with veal. The meat is coated in breadcrumbs and fried in a pan. Schnitzel is found on all the menus in Germany and is a popular dish to be made at home.
You can also use this recipe to make a pork Schnitzel or a chicken Schnitzel if preferred.

A Wiener Schnitzel is only original when made from veal. When made with pork (Schweineschnitzel) is known as "Schnitzel Wiener Art".
Wiener Schnitzel is served with lemon slices that  you squeeze over the meat. Anchovies and capers can also be served.

Ingredients
4 veal fillets (approx each 200g) or use veal rib eye if fillet is unavailable
salt and pepper
1 cup flour
3 eggs
150g breadbrumbs preferably made from stale French or Italian bread
Butter or lard (clarified butter* is actually the best here)

Method
Flatten the meat with a rolling pin or meat hammer. It is very important that the meat is almost paper thin.It's best to have the butcher pound the meat thinly for you, but if you want or need to do it yourself, position the 5-ounce piece of veal between 2 sheets of wax paper or parchment paper. Gently at first, then more forcefully, use a flat-bladed meat pounder to pound the veal into a fairly round shape 7 to 8 inches in diameter.
First coat the seasoned meat in flour, then dip into beaten egg. Lastly coat in breadcrumbs.
The schnitzels can be covered and left for 1 to 2 hours at a cool room temperature before cooking.
Heat oil in a pan and then fry the Schnitzel on both sides until brown and the meat is cooked through. Use enough butter or lard.During cooking, press the Schnitzel lightly with the back of a spoon. Cook for aprox. 2-4 mins on both sides.
Once cooked serve straight away.

*To clarify a pound of butter, heat it slowly over low heat in a medium saucepan. After it has melted, let it stand for 10 minutes, then use a spoon to skim off the foamy solids on the top. Pour off the clarified butter, leaving the watery residue in the pan (a fat-separator cup can be helpful for this). Pour the cooled butter into a plastic container, cover and refrigerate. The butter may be used a second time after frying a batch of schnitzel: Pass it through a fine-mesh strainer to eliminate any solids, then cover and refrigerate as above. Use within 1 month.

Gnudi with tomato sauce

Gnudi?? what a weird name! Nudo means 'nude' in italian and these are basically ravioli without the pastry wrappers! They can be considered a cousin of  gnocchi but made with ricotta rather than potato.

I would suggest using fresh ricotta from a cheese store rather than supermarket ricotta. Make sure the ricotta is will drained but putting it in a sieve lined with cheesecloth and leave in the fridge until it stops dripping.

Whats so great about this recipe is that you can add spinach, different herbs, well its up to your imagination. The sauce can also be anything you like and a simple as butter and sage.

This recipe is similar to one i posted a while ago for Malfatti.

Ingredients:
1 cup flour
1 lb ricotta
2 eggs
1 egg yolk
1/2 tsp nutmeg
 2 1/2 cups grated parmesan
sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
2/3 cup fresh tomato sauce ( or cheat here and used canned!)

Method
Fill a pan with water, add some salt and bring to the boil.
In a food processor, mix the eggs, ricotta, egg yolk, 2 cups of the cheese, the nutmeg, add salt and pepper to taste.
Mix until you get a smooth paste.
Sprinkle the flour onto a plate.
Divide the mixture into manageable pieces and roll into strips about 1 1/2 inch wide. They should look like snakes!
Cut slices of about 3/4 inch thick and roll them lightly in the flour.
Make sure the water in the pan is boiling and and add to the pan but don't over crowd.
Let boil for about 2 mins then remove with a slotted spoon. Repeat untill they are all cooked,
(At this point, you can let them cool down and refridgerate for later use. Covered, they can keep for about a day).
If you are eating them immediately, pre-heat the oven to 400F, put the gnudi in a baking dish, drizzle with the tomato sauce, add the remaining cheese and bake until lightly browned (about 15 mins)
Should serve 4!