Current  |  1:  Getting Started  |  2:  Cheese  |  3:  Veggie BBQ  |  4:  Summer Drinks

Moving on from Massey presents many challenges, not the least of which is saying goodbye to the delicious and nutritious meals the kitchen staff have faithfully prepared for us. But don't despair! Your days of grape cake and Limping Susan are not over! Check this space for old favourites and new, easy recipes that will help ease the pain and provide you with the essential vitamins and nutrients so necessary to a happy life. Enjoy and Bon Appetit!

#1:  Getting Started

Grape Cake with Almond Topping


Not quite the same as the unique Massey grape cake...but equally delightful.


Cake ingredients:

1/2 cup softened butter
3/4 cup sugar
3 eggs -- divided into yolks and whites
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp lemon zest
1 1/4 cup sifted flour
1 tsp cinnamon or nutmeg
1 1/3 cup grapes

Topping:

1/4 cup softened butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup almonds, sliced
1 tbsp cream
A tiny pinch of salt

1. Cream together the butter and a ¼ cup of the sugar. Stir in vanilla. Add egg yolks, one at a time and beat well. Stir in lemon zest.
2. In another bowl, beat egg whites until they form soft peaks. Add the remaining ½ cup of sugar, a little bit at a time. Beat the mixture until stiff peaks are formed.
3. In a third bowl, combine flour and cinnamon.
4. Combine yolk and white mixtures by folding the whites into the yolks. Add flour mixture, folding in a bit at a time.
5. Fold in 1 cup of the grapes.
6. Pour batter into an 8-inch greased cake pan.  Pat remaining grapes into the top of the batter. Bake at 350 F for 35 minutes.
7. While the cake is cooling, turn the oven to broil and prepare the almond topping.
8. Combine butter, sugar, almonds, cream and salt. Mix and then spread over the top of the cake after it has cooled slightly.
9. Broil for a few minutes – keeping an eye on it so it does not scorch.
10. Remove cake to cooling rack.

This cake also works nicely with plums, peaches or other soft fruit.

Peach and Blueberry Cobbler

This easy recipe is a great way to use delicious summer fruit. You can substitute the peaches and blueberries with whatever fruit you like.

Ingredients:

4 ripe peaches, small to medium in size
1 cup fresh blueberries
2 eggs
1/4 cup milk
1 cup white sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup butter, cut into small chunks, plus some to grease baking pan
Breadcrumbs, about a 1/4 cup

Spicy Lentils with Brown Basmati Rice

This can be a vegetarian main dish, or a nice accompaniment to an Indian meal. Irena and I served it at a dinner party to much acclaim.

Ingredients:

For rice

3 cups vegetable broth
2 green onions, chopped, plus additional for garnish
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
1 big pinch of garam masala
1 pinch of turmeric
Dash cayenne pepper
1 cup brown  basmati rice (use white basmati, or plain old rice if you can’t find brown basmati)

 
For lentils

1 1/2 tbsp butter
12 white button mushrooms, chopped
5 cloves garlic chopped
1/2 green pepper, chopped
1/2 red pepper, chopped
1 tsp garam masala
Pinch turmeric
Cayenne pepper to taste
1/2 cup dry red lentils
1 cup veg broth
1/4 cup slivered almonds
A bunch cilantro, or to taste – or parsley, it you are still off cilantro from your Massey days.

1.  Bring 3 cups veg broth to boil in a large pot. Add green onions and peas. Season with garam masala, turmeric and cayenne pepper. Add salt, if desired. Stir in rice and reduce heat to low. Simmer until rice barely cooked and still firm, about 20 minutes.
2.  Melt butter in a large, deep pan over med-high heat. When bubbly, add mushrooms and garlic and stir until golden. Add green and red peppers. Season with garam masala, turmeric and cayenne pepper. Stir in lentils, and veg broth. Reduce heat to low and simmer 20 minutes, stirring occasionally until lentils are tender.
3.  Toast almonds in pan over medium heat, until lightly browned.  Set aside.
4.  Increase heat in lentil pan to med-high and stir in the rice mixture.  Cook, stirring every minute or so, until liquid has evaporated.
5.  Garnish with almonds, reserved green onion slices and chopped fresh cilantro or parsley.

Snakes on a Plate – variations

What could make a dinner party more fun than a whimsical nod to today’s floppiest movie? The recipes below provide a full meal – appetizer, main and dessert. A sure crowd pleaser, unless someone in the crowd is afraid of our reptilian friends…

Re. this trio of dishes:  I would like to thank Davin Lengyel for the initial inspiration. 

No. 1 – snakes on a salad plate

This salad represents the teeming snake pit – cucumber, watermelon and white onion fall over each other in hissing deliciousness.

Julienne one peeled cucumber.  Use a mandoline slicer if you have one, if not, simply slice thinly to make long, noodly shapes with a sharp knife. Thinly slice one small Vidalia onion and mix into the cucumber. Arrange in the centre of plate. Ring cucumber with balls of watermelon shaped using a melon-baller. Dress salad with mixture of one tablespoon white vinegar and two tablespoons of olive oil, a teaspoon of grated ginger and a pinch each of sugar, salt, pepper, and mustard powder. If you are not allergic to sesame seeds, throw some of those on top, too.

No. 2 – baked snakes

Stuff manicotti pasta with whatever you feel like eating – my fave is Italian sausage taken out of its casing mixed with equal parts Parmesan and ricotta cheese, spinach and a little tomato sauce. Bake as directed on your manicotti pasta package. The snaky-ness is in the serving – present your manicotti two at a time, lined up end-to-end on a plate. Make a snake head out of a small tomato, or large mushroom. These can be roasted in the oven with a little olive oil.  A sprig of Italian parsley makes a nice tail.

No. 3 – sweet snakes on a plate

This recipe is available on the backs of most boxes of Kellogg’s Rice Krispies cereal.

Ingredients:

6 cups Rice Krispies cereal
40 large marshmallows
1/4 c. butter or margarine melted
Extra butter or margarine
1 tsp vanilla
Green food colouring (optional)

 
Topping and decoration: 4 dried cranberries, ¼ peanut butter, ¼ cup chocolate chips or more, 1 piece of red licorice.
 

Microwave the marshmallows in a large bowl until enormous (about 2 mins). Stir in Rice Krispies, butter and vanilla. If using green food colouring, add it to the marshmallows and stir prior to stirring in the Rice Krispies. Allow the mixture to cool and become a bit more solid. In the meantime, prepare your work surface (have a tray ready for your snakes) and get your hands good and greasy using the extra butter. This Rice Krispies mixture can be difficult to work with – don’t apply too much pressure and keep your hands greasy.

Create the snake by patting balls of Rice Krispies together on the presentation tray, to form a sort of tube. Make it as smooth as you can, and make sure it twists and coils for true snaky-ness. Taper the tail and make a convincing head shape. This recipe will make two substantial snakes. To decorate: Use the cranberries for eyes – they glow red, just like in real snakes! Glaze your snakes using peanut butter melted in a microwave for 40 seconds. Drizzle it over, or paint it on the snake with a pastry brush. Melt the chocolate chips and use to make designs on the snake. Use the licorice to fashion a forked tongue. Use your imagination!

Yield: 2 snakes.

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