Second Sight Cookbook

We all like to cook so here is the Second Sight Cookbook.
ONE recipe per reply please.


Chocolate Banana Bread

Ingredients

250g plain (all-purpose) flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
125g (4 1/2 oz) unsalted butter, softened
4 ripe bananas, mashed
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
250g caster (superfine) sugar
175g good-quality dark or milk chocolate chips
Method

1. Heat the oven to 180�C (350�F). In a large bowl sift the baking powder and flour.

2. Using another bowl, Mix together the butter, sugar, banana, eggs, vanilla extract and choccy chips in. Add to the dry ingredients and stir well but be careful that you don’t over mix.

3. Pour the bread batter into a non-stick 19 x 11 cm loaf tin and bake in the oven for around 1 hr 15 mins.

4. Leave the bread to cool in the tin for around 5 mins. Then leave on a wire rack to cool further. Serve with butter.

Serves: 8-10 slices
Preparation time: 20 mins
Cooking time: 1hr 15 mins

I think you found the perfect item for my daughter Jade.

Bananas and Chocolate, cannot go wrong with that combination.

Quick lemon Cheesecake

Ingredients
2 digestive biscuits
10g soft Butter
1 tsp clear honey
juice and zest of ¼ lemon
100g Mascarpone
1 tbsp icing sugar
50ml raspberry sauce, to serve

To decorate:
50g small strawberries
mint sprig




Method

1. Crush the biscuits into small pieces and combine with the soft butter and honey. Place this mixture into one small metal egg poaching ring and press the mix evenly on the bottom of the mould.

2. Add the lemon juice and zest and icing sugar to the cheese, being sure not to over mix, as this will cause the mixture to split.

3. Spoon the mix into the ring and using a palette knife press the mix well into the mould to prevent air gaps. Remove the ring with a hot cloth or blowtorch.

4. Place the cheesecake onto a plate and decorate the top with the strawberries and a sprig of mint.

5. Spoon the sauce around the sides of the cheesecake and serve immediately.

Chili Suizas Bake

Ingredients
• 3 large poblano peppers
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan
• 2 pounds ground chicken
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 12 large or 16 medium to small tomatillos, peeled, rinsed and halved
• 1/4 cup cilantro, a handful
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 2 teaspoons honey
• Salt and pepper
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1/2 cup creme fraiche
• 3 cups lightly crushed tortilla chips --whole-grain tortilla chips, such as flax seed tortillas add a wonderful texture and flavor
• 1 cup shredded Swiss cheese, about 1/3 pound
• 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese, about 1/3 pound
Directions
Heat the broiler to high. Place the poblanos under hot broiler and char until blackened an all sides, 10 to 12 minutes. Leave the door of the oven cracked to allow the steam to escape. Place the peppers in a bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Allow the peppers to cool enough to handle.
While peppers char, heat extra-virgin olive oil in a high sided skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and lightly brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in onions, jalapeno and garlic and cook to soften onions about 5 minutes. While onions cook, place tomatillos and cilantro in the food processor and process until smooth. Pour the tomatillos into the chicken mixture and stir to combine. Stir in chicken stock and honey, season with salt and pepper and simmer chili 10 minutes.
When poblano peppers are cool enough to handle, remove seeds and chop, stir into chili. Remove chili pan from heat and stir in lime juice. Add dollops of creme fraiche on top of the chili, placing spoonfuls evenly across the pan. Cover the pan with a layer of crushed chips and top with Swiss and Monterey Jack cheeses. Place under broiler until brown and bubbly. Serve from hot skillet, spooning out chili into shallow dinner bowls. TOUCHDOWN!

*drooooool* and when are you guys coming to cook for me? sounds like shelly's got the main dish and rich can work on the desserts

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

1 large egg
40 ml cooking oil
40 ml milk
3 mashed ripe bananas
Preheat the oven to 200�C (gas mk 6, 400�F). Place the egg, oil, mashed bananas and milk in a large mixing bowl and beat together.

250 g flour
125 g granulated sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
100 g chocolate chips
In another bowl place the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and chocolate chips and mix. Pour in the liquid into the dry mix and stir until just blended.


Line a muffin tray with paper muffin cases, and then fill each case to just below the top with the muffin mixture. Bake the muffins for 20-25 minutes. They are cooked when a skewer inserted into one and then removed comes out clean (apart from any chocolate!).

This recipe makes approximately 12 muffins.

Chocolate chips can be plain chocolate, milk chocolate or even white chocolate.

Tasty Sausage Casserole

Tomato based sausage casserole, a healthy(ish!) cheap family meal.

Difficulty and servings
Easy

Serves 4

Method

1. Gently fry the sausage in a large pan (a wok is good) in the olive oil until cooked through and golden brown.
2. Remove sausage and keep to one side. Now, in the same pan fry the onions and garlic until softened. After 5 mins or so add the peppers, mushrooms and sundried tomatoes, cook for a further few mins then return the sausages to the pan.
3. turn the heat up high, add the red wine and cook for a few mins to reduce slightly.
4. Add the passata, sugar, basil and paprika and simmer for half an hour. (or as long as you want really the longer its left the better the taste its amazing reheated the next day!)
5. Season to taste if liked and serve with fluffy rice, crusty bread or with pasta. Try with any other veg in you like.

Snowball Cocktail

2 shots advocaat

1 shot Stones Ginger Wine

Twist lime(s)

lemonade

2-4 drops tabasco sauce

In a tall glass pour your advocaat, ginger wine and squeeze half a fresh lime, (and tabasco sauce if required). Top up to 1/2 pint with lemonade. Stir and enjoy (unless you like a thick strong finish).

Chocolate Banana Trifle

Ingredients

1 13x9 chocolate cake
4 ripe bananas, sliced
1 cup whipping cream
1/4 cup almonds, blanched, toasted & sliver, ed
1/4 cup maraschino cherries, halved

CHOCOLATE PUDDING

2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup granulated sugar
5 oz semi-sweet chocolate, grated
2 tbsp cornstarch
2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
4 tbsp water
2 eggs
4 egg yolks
2 tbsp vanilla


Directions

Prepare the chocolate pudding first. Place the milk, sugar and
chocolate in a medium saucepan. Cook, stirring, over medium heat
until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is on the verge of
boiling. Sift the cornstarch and cocoa powder together. Add water and
mix thoroughly. Stir the cornstarch mixture into the chocolate
mixture. Whisk in the whole eggs and the extra egg yolks. Cook until
thickened (about 5 minutes). Add the vanilla extract. Pour into a
bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and chill. Cut the chocolate cake into
3" squares. Layer half the pieces of chocolate cake in a large trifle
or other large glass bowl, cutting the pieces to fit. Arrange half of
the banana slices around the sides of the bowl and on top of the
cake. Spread half the chocolate pudding over the cake and around the
sides. Repeat the process with another layer of cake, more banana
slices and the rest of the chocolate pudding. Whip the whipping cream
and slather over the top of the topmost layer of chocolate pudding.
Sprinkle with slivered almonds and garnish with cherry halves. Chill.


Servings: 10 servings

"Sweet Earth" - Chocolate Mousse with Chocolate Cookie Crumbles (Tierrita Dulce)
Prep Time: 45 min
Inactive Prep Time: 24 hr 0 min
Serves: 8 servings
Ingredients
Mousse:
• 1 (12-ounce) bag bittersweet chocolate chips
• 1 1/2 tablespoons instant espresso powder
• 2 tablespoons dark rum
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Pinch salt
• 1/2 cup water
• 3 eggs, separated
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 2 packets chocolate cookies, crushed (recommended: Oreo Crisps)
• Edible flowers, with stems if possible
Directions
Mix chocolate, espresso powder, rum, vanilla, salt, and 1/2 cup water in a large heatproof bowl. Set over a pot of simmering water and whisk until melted. Set aside.
In a separate bowl, using a hand mixer, beat the egg yolks with 1/2 cup of the sugar until you can scrape the bottom of the bowl clean, about 2 minutes. Fold about 1/3 of the chocolate mixture into the yolks with a rubber spatula, then fold the egg mixture into the chocolate remaining in the bowl. Set aside.
Wash the beaters and bowl thoroughly and dry them. Whip the egg whites with the remaining 1/2 cup sugar until they hold soft peaks when the beaters are lifted. Fold 1/3 of the whites into the chocolate mixture with a rubber spatula. Once incorporated, fold the remaining whites.
In a clean bowl, beat the cream until it holds firm peaks. Fold the cream into the chocolate mixture 1/3 at a time using a rubber spatula. Divide the mousse among 8 dessert cups. Chill at least 2 hours or up to overnight.
Put the cookies in a heavy sealable plastic bag. Whack them with a rolling pin to break them up into coarse pieces, then crush them into fine crumbs.
Top each dish of mousse with crumbled chocolate cookies to resemble "soil". Finish with edible flowers. Standing them straight up by inserting the stems into the mousse.

Mushroom Lasagne

Preparation time over 2 hours

Cooking time 30 mins to 1 hour



Ingredients
For the pasta
300g/10½oz Italian '00' plain flour, plus extra for dusting
200g/7oz semolina flour, plus extra for dusting
flaked sea salt
4 medium free-range eggs
2-4 medium free-range egg yolks
For the filling
5 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
1kg/2lb 4oz mixed wild mushrooms, brushed and cleaned, larger varieties roughly chopped
1 tsp salt
3 garlic cloves, very finely chopped
3 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves only, finely chopped
1kg/2lb 4oz spinach
freshly grated nutmeg
50g/2oz parmesan, freshly grated, plus extra for topping
300g-350g/10½oz-12oz sheep's curd or soft fresh goats' cheese
freshly ground black pepper
50ml/2fl oz single cream

Method
1. Place the plain flour and semolina flour and a good pinch of salt into a food processor and blend to combine.
2. With the motor running, crack in the whole eggs, then the yolks, one by one. As soon as the crumbs start to come together you have added enough egg yolks.
3. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead to a crudely assembled mound. Knead the dough for 2-3 minutes, using the ball of your thumbs and palm of your hands to work it.
4. Mould the dough into a block, then wrap it in cling film and place it in the fridge to chill for 1-2 hours.
5. For the filling, heat three tablespoons of the olive oil in a frying pan over a high heat and when very hot add the mushrooms and the salt. Fry the mushrooms, stirring regularly, until golden-brown all over. Make sure any liquids that are released evaporate with the heat.
6. Add the garlic and thyme and cook for one minute. Transfer the mushroom mixture to a bowl and set aside.
7. Wipe the mushroom pan clean and add the remaining two tablespoons of olive oil. Place over a high heat, then add the spinach. Fry, stirring well, until the spinach has wilted down.
8. Grate over a little nutmeg and add a pinch of salt and stir well. Transfer the spinach to a colander and, using the back of a spoon, press out any excess water.
9. To roll out the pasta, fix the pasta machine firmly to the edge of the table. Sprinkle a clean work surface with semolina flour. Cut a playing card-sized slab of the dough and feed it through the pasta machine on its thickest setting. Fold the pasta end to end and, winding the folded end first, feed it through the machine again.
10. Repeat this process changing the pasta machine setting down by one each time, feeding through twice each time, until you have fed the pasta through the machine's thinnest setting.
11. Lay the pasta sheet out and cut it into sheets approximately 12cm/5in long. Set them side by side (not on top of each other).
12. Cut and roll some more dough and repeat the process, until all of the pasta dough has been turned into lasagne sheets.
13. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.
14. Bring a large pan of water to the boil. (The pan must be large to ensure the pieces of pasta are not crammed together in the water.)
15. Place the lasagne sheets into the boiling water and cook them for approximately 2-3 minutes, or until al dente. Drain the pasta, then refresh under running cold water. Drain again.
16. Place the lasagne sheets into a large bowl and drizzle with olive oil. Gently turn the lasagne to coat in the oil.
17. Grease a deep baking dish with some olive oil. Sprinkle over a layer of freshly grated parmesan (reserving some for later).
18. Place a few sheets of the pasta over the bottom, all slightly overlapping.
19. Spread some of the mushroom mixture over the lasagne, then sprinkle over some of the sheep's curd or goats' cheese, broken into lumps.
20. Add a layer of the cooked spinach, then drizzle over a little olive oil and grind over some black pepper. Repeat these layers until all of the lasagne sheets and fillings are used up - which should be three thick sections of these layers. (NB: The last layer should be pasta.)
21. Press down the top with a spatula to compress the layers slightly.
22. Pour the cream over the top of the lasagne and drizzle with a little olive oil.
23. Sprinkle with the remaining parmesan, then bake in the oven for around 30-40 minutes, or until cooked through and the top is golden-brown and bubbling

Cheese Scone

Makes 8-12 scones
Time to prepare: less than 30 minutes
Time to cook: 10 to 30 minutes

Ingredients
55g/2oz butter
225g/8oz self raising flour
a pinch of salt
25g/1oz mature cheddar cheese, grated
150ml/5fl oz milk

Cheese Scone Recipe

Instructions

Firstly heat the oven to 220C/425F/Gas 7. Next mix together the salt, flour and butter. Stir in the cheese and then the milk until you get soft dough. Turn the dough onto a floured work area and knead lightly. Pat out to a round 2cm/¾ inch thick. Using a 5cm/2in cutter, stamp out the rounds and place them on a lightly greased baking sheet. Knead together the rest of the dough and stamp out more scones to use up all of the mix. Brush the tops of the scones with a little milk. Bake for 12-15 minutes until well risen and golden. Cool on a wire rack and serve.

Nettle Soup Recipe
Ingredients

900 grams (2lb) young nettle tips
900 grams (2lb) spinach
850ml (1.5pt) chicken or vegetable stock
cold milk
4 cold cooked sausages (vegetarian sausages can also be used)
3tbs soured cream
3tbs flour
salt and pepper to taste

Method

Young nettles can still sting you so be carefull, a good pair of gardening gloves is your best bet. Wash the nettles and blanch with boiling water. Wash the spinach and add to the nettles. Pour the hot stock over the nettles and spinach in a saucepan. Season and simmer for 45 mins adding more stock if needed. Leave soup to cool and blend in blender. Mix the flour to a smooth paste with some cold milk. Add this to the soup and bring back to the boil, continuosly Chop the sausages into small rounds and add to the soup. Swirl in the sour cream just before serving.

Nettle Beer

This is an easy recipe to follow and creates a delightful, if not usual tasting beer. It is very cheap to make and follows a traditionally english recipe. Before hops were widely used in the 17th century all sorts of plant were used to flavor the ale including nettles.(Urtica dioica). It was also thought to help alleviate rheumatic pain, gout and asthma. Nettle beer can still be bought in the Czech republic and in the north of England where it is brewed with hops and is called internettle.
Ingredients

900grams (2lb) young nettle tops
3.8lts (1 gallon) of water
230 grams (8oz) of sugar, brown or demarrara sugar works best.
7.5 grams (0.25oz) of fresh yeast
small piece of toast
7.5 grams (0.25oz) of ground ginger

Method

Boil the nettle tops in the water for half an hour (you will need a very large pan for this or preferably a cauldron).

Keeping the mixture, strain and add sugar, stirring to dissolve. I mentioned keeping the mixture as the first time I did this I strained it and poured the liquid down the sink, so had to go out and pick more nettles. Also stir in the ginger. Pour mixture into a sterile container, ask at most home brew shops for details, if you don't have a home brew shop near you then a big branch of Boots should offer a Brewers bucket.

Spread the yeast onto the toast and float on the surface of the nettle liquid. Cover and leave for about 3 days at room temperature, do not allow the temperature to fluctuate too much as this will ruin the fermentation process.

Strain again and put into clean, strong screw top beer bottles, or sealable wine bottles (I used plastic bottles and it still worked). This can be drunk after about 2 days. Still not sure how alcoholic this beer is I have never drank more than one pint in a go, it does taste like it should be though.