Friday 6 November 2015

American evening

Are you hungry? Well if you are then  you are in the right place. Lots of photos to admire and tasty recipes.

Friday 23rd October I was off from college and I had a whole day to do nothing. I know let's make dinner. You know when you are on holiday and you feel a bit homesick so you rustle up something that brings you to home, such as fish 'n' chips. You can't beat fish 'n' chips near the seaside? With annoying seagulls trying to have some of your dinner when you are not looking.

Oh I do like to be near the seaside.

I was feeling holiday sick. (is that even a thing) Who else has good food than America?

Feeling patriotic? If not, then you soon will be. There's nothing like a heaping, greasy, and preferably processed glob of Americana to remind you of your roots. From savoury staples to classic confections, America's got something delicious for everyone — well, everyone who isn’t on a diet. Then again, every diet has its cheat day, and there’s nothing in the rules about salivating over yummy looking pictures. Loosen your belt a few notches and take a tour through of the most quintessentially American treats.

When you think of American food? The first thing that pops in your head is chesseburger. This is about as American as it gets. The concept of the hamburger originated sometime in the late 19th century, according to the L.A. Times. As the dish began to increase in popularity in the 1920s and 1930s, cheese seemed like a natural next step. The origins are widely disputed — of course they are — because who wouldn’t want to be credited with the cheeseburger that started it all? Nowadays, Americans eat nearly 50 billion burgers a year, according to The Huffington Post. That figure translates to three burgers a week for every person in the United States!

Or may peanut and jelly sandwich.

I'm afraid I to say, that was not my main course nor the desert.

In-fact I had Smoky pork & Boston beans one-pot and a yummy pumpkin pie.
 

Recipe's time

Smokey pork and Boston beans. My feet managed to get in the photo!!
 
 
Transform this American baked bean stew into a filling no-fuss meal with pork loin steaks and shredded ham hock - it saves on the washing up, too.

 Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 2 tablespoon smoked paprika
  • 500g pork lion steaks, cubed
  • 2 X 400g can of hot spicy beans (I don't actually know the ones my Mom had in the cupboard but cannellini beans will do)
  • 400g passata
  • 1 tablespoon of dark soft brown sugar
  • You can if you want put 500g ham hock (I didn't)
  • Cornbread if you want or make by four slices of crusty white bread will do

Method

  1. Put everything in the slow cooker for four hours on high.
  2. And enjoy.

Cornbread

Yummy!!!!


 

 Ingredients

Vegetable or sunflower oil, for greasing
65g self raising flour
2 tablespoons baking powder
1 tablespoon salt
220g fine ground polenta, or fine cornflour
2 tablespoons caster sugar
25g butter, melted
275ml milk
50ml plain full-fat yogurt
2 large eggs, beaten 
1 tablespoon dried chili flakes (optional)

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 200°C Fan/ Gas Mark 7. Grease a 20Cm square baking tin, line with non-stick baking paper and set aside. 
  2. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a large bow, add the polenta or cornflour and the sugar, and stir together well.
  3. Pour in the melted butter, milk and yogurt, and stir in well.
  4. Finally add the beaten eggs and stir to combine 
  5. Pour the batter into the preheated tin and bake for 18-22 minutes until it is lightly golden and springy to the touch.
  6. Leave to cool in the tin for 20 minutes to firm up, and then remove, cut into slices and enjoy while still warm.
  7. Enjoy the cornbread while it's still warm. If you have some left over the day after, you can put some lemon curd on it and it is very tasty. 

The best dessert ever


Pumpkin pie

Pumpkin pie is a traditional sweet dessert, often eaten during the fall and early winter. In the United States and Canada, it is usually prepared for Thanksgiving and Christmas, but it is also featured at Halloween. I served mine with ice cream and thick double cream, I couldn't decide what to have so I decided to have both.

 

Ingredients

*750g pumpkin or butternut squash, peeled, deseeded and cut into chunks
* 350g sweet short crust pastry (you can always make your own)
* plain flour, for dusting
* 140g caster sugar
* ½ teaspoon salt
* ½ teaspoon fresh nutmeg, grated
* 1 tsp cinnamon
* 2 eggs, beaten
* 25g butter, melted
* 175ml milk
* 1 tablespoon icing sugar
 

Method

  1. Place the pumpkin in a large saucepan, cover with water and bring to the boil. Cover with a lid and simmer for 15 minutes or until tender. Drain pumpkin; let cool.
  2. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface and use it to line a 22cm loose-bottomed tart tin. Chill for 15 minutes. Line the pastry with baking parchment and baking beans, then bake for 15 minutes. Remove the beans and paper, and cook for a further 10 minutes until the base is pale golden and biscuity. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly.
  3. Increase oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Push the cooled pumpkin through a sieve into a large bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the sugar, salt, nutmeg and half the cinnamon. Mix in the beaten eggs, melted butter and milk, then add to the pumpkin purée and stir to combine. Pour into the tart shell and cook for 10 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Continue to bake for 35-40 minutes until the filling has just set.
  4. Leave to cool, then remove the pie from the tin. Mix the remaining cinnamon with the icing sugar and dust over the pie. Serve chilled.

       
      

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