The MyDish Blog - Cooking, Recipes, News & Views

Scrumptious Spring Menu – menu #28

admin — Sat, 12 May 2012 09:28:57 +0000

I have kept up the South African theme for this weekend’s dinner party menu. I have chosen a menu from one of our members Scrumptious who has shared 57 recipes. I am putting all of our dinner party menus on our diner party page for easy reference so you can have the full years selection of menus for inspiration.

Scrumptious Dinner Party Menu

Starter

Tomato Soup and Croutons

Main Course

Marinated Salmon

Roast Potatoes

Garlic Mayonnaise

Crunchy Coleslaw Salad

Dessert

Raspberry Pudding

Using ripe tomatoes on the vine – place on a baking tray with garlic cloves, drizzle with olive oil and roast. Meanwhile in a saucepan fry onions and add balsamic vinegar cooking to reduce. Then add in everything on the baking tray and stir in to the onions – liquidise to a rustic consistency and serve with creme friache , some basil leaves and coutons.

The main course of salmon roast potatoes and salads is an easy and light main to prepare. The salmon is all about the soy and sesame dressing which is put together and drizzled over the salmon – best to do this at least 12 hours before cooking (ideally leave it to marinate overnight) to really let the juices sink into the salmon.

The crunchy noodles and the flaked almonds make this coleslaw a really interesting and tasty salad.

For dessert this raspberry pudding involves whisking the eggs and sugar and then stiring in the salt, flour and milk. Put half of this mixture into your pudding bowl and cook for 15 minutes and then add all the raspberries and top with the rest of the mixture and then put it back in the oven for a further 30 minutes. To serve sprinkle with caster sugar and serve with cream or ice cream.

Don’t forget to tell us your favourite dinner party menu for a chance to win a cooking holiday for 2 and more importantly to add to our dinner party menu collection to provide and share and gain inspiration for your next dinner party.

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Judy’s Springtime Dinner Party – MyDish Menu #27

admin — Thu, 03 May 2012 21:48:05 +0000

This dinner party menu is dedicated to Moody Judy as although the main course is under her husbands profile (Ivor) it was originally Judy’s and she chosen these recipes and put them together.

Pineapple and melon with mint

The duck salad is made using a quarter of duck roasted – best as leftover if you are ever having roast duck – or just make some extra for the weekend salad! Shred the duck and scatter it on a bed of herb leaves (basil, corriander, parsley and mint leaves). Then throw some cashew nuts on top and died watermelon. The sauce is based on a Thai dressing called Green Nahmjim – only becareful you dont pour it all on as it is VERY spicy.

The key to the main course is to marinate the lamb the night before or early in the morning leaving the juices to infuse for a good few hours. Shoulder or lamb shank is a good cut to use as after it has been cooking slowly for 4 hours it just falls apart and is so delicious and tender. This is served with roast potatoes, Judy chose Nicola Greek potatoes just to keep with the Greek theme and the flavours complimented each other really well. Then for those warm muggy evenings (remember them?) a selection of salads -

If you have room to move dessert is a slice of lemon meringue pie – tangy, sweet and very moorish – and for those guests who don’t do puddings after such a delicious meal – a platter of cubed melon mixed with pineapple and topped with a springly of mint and sugar pummeled together with a touch of rum for good measure to make a mojito salad.

Experimentation to find the Best Chocolate Cupcake Recipe – has finally paid off!

admin — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 16:59:11 +0000

I have tried and tried to get a really good chocolate cupcake recipe but either they are too dry, too bitter or too stodgy. You’ll be pleased to know I have found it and now I just need to get the best icing to go on top.

I think the best recipe I have tried for vanilla cupcake is from The gourmet cupcake company – Her recipe for easy vanilla cupcakes is definitely a never fail recipe – always light and fluffy and just right for a plain cupcake.

After many attempts at the chocolate variety, which i tried varying the basic recipe and replacing 30g of flour with 30g of coca but it wasnt quite right. So last weekend I made my Devils food cupcake which really after many attempts wins our family’s taste test competition.

I experimented with different toppings and the general consensus was that the cream cheeses frosting was the best for a rich but light chocolate cupcake. The chocolate topping I made with melted chocolate and caramel just made the experience a little too rich and my boys couldn’t even finish a cupcake! I will try a version of the chocolate topping with milk rather than dark chocolate to see if this makes it a little less rich but would be happy to take any suggestions here!

The only problem is that I am the one tasting all these different varieties and obsessed with getting it right. Meanwhile my waist is definitely getting thicker!