mark – Page 3 – Mark's Recipes

Scotch Broth

Print Recipe

Course Soup

Cuisine Scottish

Ingredients

1½ lbs lamb shoulder or shanks or beef with bones
2 Tbsp quality lard or butter
1 medium yellow onion diced
3 cloves garlic minced
½ c pearl barley
⅓ c dried green split peas
4 sprigs thyme
2 bay leaves
1 tsp salt
6 c chicken broth
1 large carrot diced
1 turnip peeled and diced
1 rutabaga peeled and diced
1 parsnip peeled and diced
½ c shredded green cabbage
1 medium leek chopped, rinsed and drained
fresh chopped parsley for garnish

Instructions

Cook the onions and garlic in the lard or butter until softened, 4-6 minutes. Add the lamb, herbs, barley, split peas, salt and broth. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 2 hours. Skim off any foam. Add the carrot, turnip, rutabaga and parsnip. Simmer for another hour.
Remove the bay leaves and thyme sprigs. Remove the meat, shred it and discard the bones. Return the shredded meat to the pot along with the leek and cabbage. Simmer for another 30 minutes. Add salt to taste.
I like this soup on the thick side, almost a stew. If you prefer the soup a bit thinner, add some more broth.
Serve garnished with fresh chopped parsley.

English Pub Spread

Print Recipe

Course Appetizer

Ingredients

250 g cream cheese
250 g cold-pack cheddar cheese (usually Imperial brand)
50 ml butter softened, ¼ c
5 ml Worcestershire sauce 1 tsp
5 ml horseradish 1 tsp
2-3 drops Tobasco
1 ml black pepper ¼ tsp
50 ml ale brown ale preferred, ¼ c
2 ml garlic crushed, ½ tsp

Instructions

In a food processor, blend all ingredients together until smooth. Add more beer if the mixture seems too thick.
Pack in ceramic crock or bowl, garnish top with a sprinkle of paprika and some chopped walnuts, if desired.
Cover, and chill for at least an hour before serving.

Mark’s Chili Blends

Chili Powder Blends

I've experimented with these chili powders, and this is what I've come up with.

Print Recipe

Ingredients

Mild Blend

3 Tbsp paprika
1 Tbsp cumin
2 Tbsp oregano
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder

Chili Powder Blend

12 Tbsp Mild Blend (above x 2)
3 Tbsp cumin
3 Tbsp oregano
3 Tbsp garlic powder
2 Tbsp cayenne pepper
2 Tbsp salt (+/-, optional)

Blend #9

3 Tbsp paprika
1 Tbsp Ancho chili powder
1 Tbsp Chipotle chili powder
2 Tbsp Cayenne pepper
4 Tbsp cumin
2 Tbsp garlic powder
3/4 Tbsp onion powder
1 Tbsp oregano
1/2 tsp cloves

Cranachan

Print Recipe

Course Dessert

Cuisine Scottish

Ingredients

2 oz rolled oats
4 tsp clear honey
2 oz Scotch whisky
1/2 c double cream
4 oz fresh raspberries about 1/2 c
2 oz cream cheese or crowdie, if available
2 Tbsp clear honey for drizzling

Instructions

Toast oatmeal in oven until just browning. Let cool. Soak oatmeal in whisky and 4 tsp honey, and let sit overnight
Soften cream cheese, and mix in raspberries.
Beat cream until stiff, put a spoonful into a wine glass. Alternate with raspberry mixture, oatmeal, and cream, avoiding "layering" the desert. Top with drizzles of honey.

Lemon Curd

Print Recipe

Course Dessert

Ingredients

4 large egg yolks
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 Tbsp lemon zest about 1 lemon
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (about 2–3 lemons)
1/8 tsp salt
6 Tbsp unsalted butter softened to room temperature and cut into 6 pieces

Instructions

Fill the bottom pot of your double boiler with 1–2 inches of water. (Or use glass bowl over saucepan.) Place on high heat. Once the water begins to boil, reduce to low heat to keep the water at a simmer.
Place egg yolks, granulated sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and salt into the top pot of your double boiler. Using a silicone whisk, whisk until completely blended, then continue to whisk as the curd cooks. Constant whisking prevents the egg yolks from curdling. Whisk and cook until the mixture becomes thick, resembling the texture of hollandaise sauce, about 10 minutes. If you’d like to be precise and use a candy or instant-read thermometer, the temperature will rise to about 170°F. If curd isn’t thickening, turn up the heat and constantly whisk.
Remove pan from heat. Whisk the sliced butter into the curd. The butter will melt from the heat of the curd as you whisk. Pour curd into a jar or bowl and place a piece of plastic wrap directly on top so it is touching the top of the curd. (This prevents a skin from forming on top.) The curd will continue to thicken as it cools. Once cool, the plastic wrap can be removed.
Refrigerate the curd for up to about 10 days.

Notes

DO NOT cook or store lemon curd in a steel bowl; it will very quickly pick up the taste of metal.

Scottish Cranachan Cheesecake

Print Recipe

Course Dessert

Cuisine Scottish

Ingredients

Base

300 g Hobnobs or other oaty biscuits
100 g butter 7 tbsp

Cheesecake

400 g full fat cream cheese 1 and 2/3 cups
600 ml double cream 2.5 cups heavy cream in the US
7 tbsp runny honey or more to taste
7 tbsp whisky or more to taste
100 g oats approx 1 cup

Topping

400 g raspberries approx 4 cups and can be fresh/frozen or mix
3 tbsp icing sugar powdered sugar

Instructions

Grease the cake tin lightly with butter and set aside.
Using a pan on the top of the stove, or a tray in the oven, toast the oats until it starts to give off a nutty smell, then set aside to cool.
Crush the oaty biscuits either in a food processor or place them in a plastic bag and beat with a rolling pin.
Melt the butter and mix into the crushed biscuits
Press the mixture into the bottom of the cake tin using the back of a large spoon to make sure it’s smooth and compact. Put it in the fridge to set while you continue with the recipe.
Beat the cream cheese with a wooden spoon so it’s soft. Add the honey and whisky. Start with smaller amounts and you can then taste the mixture later and add more if necessary.
In another bowl use an electric whisk/beater to beat the cream to stiff peaks.
Fold the cream cheese mixture into the whipped cream, taking care not to take too much air out of the cream. You can now taste the mixture, and if necessary, add a little more whisky or honey and fold into the mixture.
Fold in the cooled oats carefully.
Put half of the mixture into the cake tin and make sure it’s smoothed right down into the bottom and to the edges so there are no air pockets. Add the other half on top and smooth out flat on top.
Put in the fridge to set for 6-8 hours minimum.
Just before you’re ready to serve you can make the raspberry mix for the top. We used a combination of frozen and fresh raspberries. Defrost the berries if frozen.
Take about half of the berries and crush them with a fork or masher. If you want a smooth sauce you’ll need to push the crushed mixture through a sieve to remove the pips, but we prefer the more rustic look, like Cranachan.
Add the other half of the berries whole.
Just before you’re ready to serve put the raspberry mixture on top of the middle of the cake, or keep it aside to spoon onto each piece. How you decorate it with the berry mixture is really up to you, as long as you have a decent amount per slice to get it that raspberry flavour, and make it a true Cranachan cheesecake!

Scottish Oat Cakes

a recipe from Grandma Gifford

Print Recipe

Course Dessert

Cuisine Scottish

Ingredients

3 c rolled oats
3 c flour
1 c sugar
2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 c shortening or lard
1/2 c cold water

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375°.
Cut shortening into the mixture of dry ingredients. Moisten with water – just enough to make the dough adhere.
Roll thin – about 1/4", and cut into squares. (Or use round cookie cutter.)
Bake in 375° oven for 15 minutes, or until just barely browned.

Without Fail Pancakes

A recipe from my childhood, and my children's childhood.

Print Recipe

Ingredients

4 eggs
3 c milk
3 c flour
2 tsp sugar
6 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 Tbsp shortening melted, or lard
1 tsp vanilla

Instructions

Beat eggs lightly, add milk.
Sift together dry ingredients, and add slowly to egg mixture.
Add melted shortening to batter. Add vanilla, mix lightly.
Cook, flip, cook, eat.

Whisky Peppercorn Sauce

Print Recipe

Ingredients

3 Tbsp butter
2 shallots, large finely chopped
1/4 c Whisky mid-range whisky or bourbon works well.
3/4 c beef stock
1/2 c heavy cream
2-4 tsp black peppercorns freshly crushed
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
salt to taste

Instructions

Prepare the peppercorns: Place the peppercorns in a resealable plastic bag and use a rolling pin or the bottom of a heavy pan to crush them. You want a coarse grind, not a fine powder.
Sauté the aromatics: Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the finely chopped shallots and cook for 3–4 minutes, or until soft and translucent.
Deglaze the pan: Remove the pan from the heat. Carefully pour in the whisky. Return the pan to medium-high heat and allow the alcohol to burn off and the whisky to reduce by half, about 1–2 minutes.
Add liquid and thicken: Stir in the beef stock, crushed peppercorns, and Worcestershire sauce. Bring the mixture to a simmer and let it reduce for about 5 minutes, allowing the sauce to thicken slightly.
Finish the sauce: Reduce the heat to low and whisk in the heavy cream. Simmer gently for 2–3 minutes, until the sauce reaches your desired thickness. Do not let it come to a full boil after adding the cream.
Enrich and season: Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the remaining tablespoon of butter. Taste and season with salt if needed.
Serve: Pour the sauce generously over your grilled steak, pork chops, or chicken.

Mark’s Chow Mein Sauce

a tweak of several recipes, for me. Chow mein for me.

Print Recipe

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Chinese

Ingredients

1/4 C oyster sauce or hoisin sauce
1/3 C low-sodium soy sauce
2 T sesame oil
1 T rice vinegar
1 t corn starch
1 t garlic chili sauce

Instructions

Whisk all ingredients together and let sit.
Make double the recipe, and keep in fridge.