Crème de Menthe Parfait

A simple retro cocktail recipe that can double as dessert, this delicious parfait is made with vanilla bean ice cream, crème de menthe liqueur, whipped cream and is topped with a cherry or two! 

When I saw the theme for today’s Sunday Supper – Retro Recipes – I was delighted. I’ve got quite a few cookbooks and magazines that date back to the Good Old Days of Jello mold salads and meatloaves baked in tube pans, many older than I am. It’s always amusing to see what my foremothers must have thought was the cutting edge of what was new and fun to bake and cook back then.

I can never resist buying a cookbook put together for a fundraiser either! Among my collection, I have books published  - with proceeds going to charities - by Jakarta International School, the Association of British Women in Malaysia, the American Society of Rio, Maadi Women’s Guild (Egypt), the American Women’s Association of Indonesia and the British Women’s Association of Singapore, just to name a few that I can lay my hands on. These are full of what I would call retro recipes, even that one that was published in the Nineties, because back before the days of the World Wide Web in far-flung places, we cooked what we knew and those were the old recipes.

Just a few of a vast collection!

My mother has a beautiful frosted glass decanter, rather like this one, which she kept filled with bright green crème de menthe liqueur when I was a child. To my young mind, it was the height of sophistication to sip something out of the tiny glasses that matched the decanter and I loved when my parents entertained and the crème de menthe was served. How could I resist making a crème de menthe cocktail for Retro Recipes! Many thanks to our host, Heather from Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks for organizing this great event.

One thing that I’ve noticed about vintage cookbooks, is that quantities are often lacking and methods are not as complete as what we are used to now. Fortunately that doesn’t really matter when it comes to ice cream and whipped cream. This parfait recipe comes from a book published by Arrow Cordials in 1960 and I found it on Mid Century Menu, a blog that is all about retro food and vintage recipes.

Ingredients
1 oz or 30ml crème de menthe
Vanilla ice cream (I used Haagen-Daz Vanilla Bean.)
Whipped cream
Maraschino cherry or two

Optional to serve: drinking straws

Method
Scoop your ice cream into a pretty glass. Two or three balls will probably do. I don’t own parfait glasses so I used a Champagne flute. A brandy snifter would also work.

Pour crème de menthe over the ice cream.

Even the color is retro, don't you think?

Top with generous scoop of whipped cream and then a cherry. If you want to drizzle just the tiniest little bit more crème de menthe on the whipped cream, I would second that impulse. Stick a couple of plastic straws in, if desired.

Enjoy!

Let’s take a walk back in time together and check out all the groovy vintage recipes from my Sunday Supper group today!

Bodacious Breakfasts and Appetizers:

• Classic Chex Party Mix from Peanut Butter and Peppers
• Healthy Green Goddess Dip from Bobbi's Kozy Kitchen
• Homemade Donuts from Cosmopolitan Cornbread

Made in the Shade Main Dishes:

• Bacon Individual Meatloaf from The Girl In The Little Red Kitchen
• Chicken ala King from Recipes Food and Cooking
• Chicken and Rice Casserole from Curious Cuisiniere
• Chicken in a Basket from Cindy's Recipes and Writings
• Chicken Parisienne from Carrie's Experimental Kitchen
• Chicken Pot Pie from Whole Food | Real Families
• Creamed Chipped Beef on Toast from FoodieTots
• Creamy Baked Pork Chops from Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Individual Beef Wellingtons from Small Wallet, Big Appetite
• Mom's Chicken Pot Pie with Cheddar Biscuits from Simply Healthy Family
• Mom's Shepherd's Pie from Momma's Meals
• Ravioli di Magro from Manu's Menu
• Salisbury Steak with Onion Gravy from Webicurean
• Sweet and Sour Pork Meatballs from Palatable Pastime
• Tuna Noodle Casserole from Sew You Think You Can Cook
• Uptown Goulash from Family Foodie

Swell Side Dishes:

• Broccoli Cheese Casserole with Ritz Topping from NeighborFood
• Creamy Lime Gelatin Salad from Magnolia Days
• Harvard Beets from Take A Bite Out Of Boca
• Retro Crockpot Crabby Soup from Seduction in the Kitchen
• Seven Layer Salad from Lifestyle Food Artistry
• Wedge Salad from Our Good Life

Dreamy Desserts:

• Bananas Foster from The Redhead Baker
• Creamsicle Jello Mold from Cupcakes & Kale Chips
• Dream Balls from Wallflour Girl
• Hummingbird Cream Cheese Cookies from Dandelion Greens
• Jello Poke Cake from The Life and Loves of Grumpy's Honeybunch
• Mom's Heath Bar Cake from Kudos Kitchen by Renee
• Old Fashioned Banana Pudding from Pies and Plots
• One, Two, Three Jello from That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Original Mayonnaise Chocolate Cake with No Cook Fudge Frosting from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Pineapple Upside Down Cake from Eat, Drink and be Tracy
• Raspberry Crunch from Peaceful Cooking
• Tunnel of Fudge Cake from Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks

The Bee's Knees Beverages:

• Crème de Menthe Parfait from Food Lust People Love
• Side Car from Nosh My Way
• Vanilla Bean Old Fashioned from The Texan New Yorker

Classic Cassoulet

This classic cassoulet is a hearty, rich bowl of white beans with bacon, sausage and duck confit, the perfect dish on a cold winter's day.

When I started this blog, it quickly became both a place of experimentation and recording old favorites, a creative outlet where I could explore the food options as I moved from Kuala Lumpur to Cairo and then on to Dubai, even as I cooked and reminisced about family recipes. For all the things I missed when left behind, I discovered new options that had not been available to me. 

Two years ago, we were newly in Cairo and I wrote a post about butchering a whole duck, using the breasts for one meal, making confit out of the legs and thighs and then roasting and simmering the carcass for rich stock. Eventually, when my mother came to visit, that duck confit was turned into a classic cassoulet, one of the tastiest dishes ever concocted, but with some of the ugliest photos ever snapped so it never saw light of day in this space. I’ve since made it a couple of times but somehow never got around to posting those either.

When I saw that the theme for today’s Sunday Supper was Beantastic, I knew cassoulet would have to be revisited yet again. The photos still aren’t spectacular but I think the richness of the dish shines through. Cassoulet is meant to be peasant fare but, unless you have a duck you've hunted for yourself to make confit, that one ingredient is kind of expensive to buy. Let me say this, though, it’s totally worth it, not just for what it adds to the cassoulet but also for the extra duck fat you get that sits around the confit duck in the can or jar. Save that stuff! It’s fabulous!

Classic Cassoulet

Apparently the essential ingredients of a classic cassoulet are hotly debated and depend on the region of France. Although all will include beans, the meat that is added varies. Today’s tasty dish is in the Languedoc-style with confit duck and sausage and bacon. It's my favorite. 

Ingredients
1 lb or 450g dried white beans
1 medium onion
2 large onions
10 cloves garlic
7 oz or 200g slab bacon (I like smoked bacon. Some purists say it should be unsmoked. Pffft to them.)
2 bay leaves
Several fresh thyme sprigs
Olive oil
1 1/4 lbs or 540g fresh pork sausage
4 leg/thighs duck confit  - You can make your own. It’s not hard, just time consuming. Or buy the ones in a big can or jar. For this dish, I used these from Rougié.  <affiliate link
Salt
Black pepper

Method
Soak your dried beans overnight or cover amply with boiling water and leave to soak for one hour.

Meanwhile, cut your medium onion into quarters and cut your slab bacon into chunks.

Pour off the soaking water and put the beans into a large pot with the thyme sprigs, the quartered onion, the bacon chunks and one bay leaf. Cover with fresh water and cook until tender over a low fire. Stir the pot occasionally and add more water, if necessary. You do not want the beans drying out.

Drain the beans and bacon and reserve the cooking liquid. You can discard the thyme sprigs and bay leaf but the onion has probably melted away to almost nothing so I wouldn’t worry about it.

Scrape the fat off of the confit duck legs and thighs and save it in a clean jar in the refrigerator.

Slice your other two onions and your garlic and slowly caramelize them in a saucepan over a low heat, with a drizzle of olive oil or, better yet, some of the lovely duck fat you just saved.

If you are just sitting around, waiting on your beans to cook to tenderness, you can wait till the onions and garlic are caramelized and use the same pan to brown the sausage. Or use another pan and get on with it, if your beans are already ready.

When your onions/garlic are well caramelized, eyeball the pan (or the bowl into which you have transferred them to reuse the pan for the sausage) and mentally divide it into three major portions with a little leftover for the final topping.

Brown your sausage in a little olive oil or a little duck fat.

Preheat your oven to 350°F or 180°C.

In a cassole or casserole dish, start with a good drizzle olive oil or duck fat, then add almost one-third of the caramelized onions/garlic. Top with half of the cooked beans and tuck the browned sausage into the beans. Sprinkle with salt and few good grinds of fresh black pepper. Add on some more (perhaps almost one-third again) caramelized onions.

Now spoon on the rest of the beans, the boiled bacon chunks and season again with a sprinkle of salt and black pepper.

For the final layer, add almost all of the remaining caramelized onions and top with the confit duck and then the very last of the caramelized onions. Pour in some of the reserved bean cooking liquid to cover the beans and come half way up the duck. Not pictured here but you should: Tuck a bay leaf into the liquid.

Bake in your preheated oven for about an hour or until the duck is lovely, golden and crispy on the outside and the beans melt in your mouth.

Serve with a hearty red wine and some crusty bread to mop up the juices.

Enjoy!

Check out all the Beantastic recipes we have for you today!

Beantastic Beginners

• Avocado Hummus by Our Good Life
• Bean Ragoût and Crisped Mushrooms by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Black Bean Chili Nachos by Brunch with Joy
• Chickpea Fries (Panisse) by Curious Cuisiniere
• Five Layer Greek Hummus Dip by Food Done Light
• Pizza Roasted Chickpeas by A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures
• White Bean and Basil Spread by Peaceful Cooking

Bean-a-rific Soups and Stews

• Butternut Squash White Bean Soup by Magnolia Days
• Chickpea and Bean Soup by Momma's Meals
• Classic Cassoulet by Food Lust People Love
• Navy Bean & Kale Soup by An Appealing Plan
• Navy Bean Soup by The Messy Baker
• Slow Cooker Pork and Bean Stew by Nosh My Way
• Kielbasa and White Bean Soup by Cosmopolitan Cornbread
• Spicy Sausage, White Bean and Spinach Soup by Bobbi's Kozy Kitchen

Bean-a-licious Sides

• Bean and Cornbread Salad by MealDiva
• Clams with Black Beans by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Gluten Free Green Bean Casserole by Gluten Free Crumbley
• Gold Rush Baked Beans by Lifestyle Food Artistry
• Maple Brown Sugar Baked Beans by Carrie's Experimental Kitchen
• Pinto Beans With Cornbread Croutons by Nik Snacks
• Whiskey Bacon Baked Beans by Sew You Think You Can Cook

Incredi-bean Main Meals

• Arugula Tomato and Beans Flatbread by Family Foodie
• Bean and Bacon Tacos by Jane's Adventures in Dinner
• Beefy Lima Bean Casserole by Cindy's Recipes and Writings
• Colombian Red beans - Frisoles Antioquenos by Palatable Pastime
• Italian Beans and Greens by Simply Healthy Family
• Honey-Lime Black Bean and Sweet Potato Tacos by The Chunky Chef
• One Pot Tuscan Style Garlic Herb Pork Chops by Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks
• Orecchiette with White Beans and Swiss Chard by Delaware Girl Eats
• Skillet Black Beans and Pork by Cooking Chat
• Ultimate Chili Stuffed Sweet Potatoes by Pancake Warriors
• White Bean Ragout, Frisèe, and a Fried Egg by The Wimpy Vegetarian

Amaze-beans Sweet Endings

• Chocolate Covered Espresso Bean Bark by Love and Confections
• Flourless Almond Joy Cookie Dough Ball by Cupcakes & Kale Chips
• Flourless Mocha Brownies by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Gluten-Free Black Bean Brownies by Wallflour Girl
• Gluten-Free Donuts by NinjaBaker
• Pecan Praline Black Bean Brownies by Rhubarb and Honey
• Soy Awesome Cookies 2.0 by What Smells So Good?
• Strawberry Coco-Cacao Bean Smoothie by Dandelion Greens
• Sweet Bean Pie by Shockingly Delicious
• Vanilla Bean Creme Brulee by Noshing With The Nolands

Pin this Classic Cassoulet! 

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Baked Lemon Dessert

Fresh lemon zest and lemon juice are the stars of this tart, sweet baked lemon dessert spooned into a buttered casserole dish and baked until light and fluffy. The supporting role is played by the raspberries or whatever berry you can get your hands on this time of year.

 

Gin and bear it
Over the weekend, which regular readers might remember is Friday and Saturday here in the United Arab Emirates, we went out sailing offshore Abu Dhabi and then stayed over at a friend’s house on Friday night. 

Our friend is quite a collector of gin so it is not uncommon for the evening cocktail hour to start with a tasting of the new additions to his collection. One gin and tonic is mixed with each new gin and then we pass the glasses around, sipping the cocktails and discussing the attributes of the different gins. 

One in particular caught my fancy. It was made in Wales and contained an unusual ingredient: kelp or seaweed. After enjoying the gin and tonic and to extrapolate on the suggestion that we serve it in an oyster shell, we mixed a small shot of the Dà Mhìle seaweed gin with ice, a squeeze of fresh lemon and a sprinkle of sea salt, which really brought out the kelp. 

Which led to a discussion of whether Americans use the word kelp. Or do we just call it seaweed? I honestly could not remember so if anyone wants to weigh in, please leave me a comment. What do you call the green stuff on the seashore?

Pudding is dessert, pudding as dessert
As I straddle UK/US divide both in my home and with friends, I often lose track of whom uses which word for what but as a majority of my readers are US-based, I tend to name dishes in a way that they will understand. 

Way back in October, when I was trolling the internet and my cookbooks for a dessert to fit our budget friendly Sunday Supper theme, I came across a recipe on All Recipes UK. It was called lemon pudding in the British sense, meaning dessert. Because if they were actually making what we Americans call pudding, they’d call it custard and eat it for pudding. If you know what I mean. Anyway, I ended up making profiteroles for that occasion in October but this dish has been on my list of “things to make” every since, no matter what you want to call it.

Captivating Casseroles
Lemons are like eating a healthy dose of sunshine and while we get that almost every day here in Dubai, I know that there are a lot of folks in the northern hemisphere that could use some sunlight and warmth right about now. 

If you are trying to keep warm, may I suggest you turn the oven on to bake a casserole or two? Scroll on down to the Sunday Supper link list to see all the fabulous captivating casseroles we are sharing, along with our talented, over-achiever of a host, Alice from A Mama, Baby & Shar-pei in the Kitchen, who is in the middle of an international move but still stepped forward to host. You are a star, Alice!

Ingredients
4 eggs, at room temperature
6 tablespoons or 90ml fresh lemon juice
Zest 1 lemon
1/8 cup or 30g butter, softened, plus extra for buttering casserole
1 cup or 230g sugar
4 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons plain flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups or 350ml milk

Optional for serving: fresh berries and a sprig or three of mint

Method
Butter your casserole dish (about 8x8in or 20x20cm square – or equivalent volume in another shape) and preheat your oven to 350°F or 180°C.

Separate your eggs and put the whites in the bowl of your stand mixer or in one that is deep enough to use electric beaters. You can certainly whisk egg whites to stiff peaks by hand but it’s hard work!

In another mixing bowl, whisk together egg yolks, lemon juice, lemon zest and butter until well combined. If your eggs are too cold, the butter is going to break up into little pieces again rather than whisking in. If you’ve made this mistake, just keep whisking. Eventually it will all soften again and create a homogeneous mixture.

How you know your eggs were still too cold. Ugh.

In yet another bowl, combine the sugar, flour and salt then mix well.

Add about a third of the dry ingredients at a time to the yolk mixture, along with one third of the milk, whisking well after each addition, until all of the flour/sugar is incorporated.

Beat your egg whites until stiff.

Gently fold the egg whites into the yolk/milk mixture.

Pour into your prepared baking dish.

Put your baking dish into another larger baking pan and fill it with hot water (should not be boiling) halfway up the baking dish.

Carefully transfer the pan to the oven and bake for 40-45 or until set and puffy, but still jiggly when you shake it gently to check.

Remove from the oven and take the baking dish out of the baking pan.

This can be served hot, warm, room temperature or even cold.

Garnish with berries and mint if desired.

Enjoy!

It's kind of soufflé-like except then it's saucy on the bottom, which tastes pretty amazing, actually.

Check out all the lovely casseroles we have for you today!

Captivating Breakfast Casseroles

• Boozy Baked French Toast from Brunch with Joy
• Orange & Date Wife Saver Breakfast Casserole from A Mama, Baby & Shar-pei in the Kitchen
• Spinach, Sausage and Polenta Breakfast Casserole from The Redhead Baker

Appetizing Casserole Sides

• Baked Cauli-Tots Casserole from Cupcake and Kale Chips
• Savory Sweet Potato and Sausage Bread Pudding from Nik Snacks
• Shredded Brussels Sprouts Casserole from Take A Bite Out of Boca

Main Event Casseroles

• Artichoke and Spinach Macaroni and Cheese Casserole from Ruffles & Truffles
• Baked Penne with Roasted Cauliflower and Italian Sausage from Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks
• Bison Meatloaf Casserole from Jane's Adventures in Dinner
• Cheesy Chicken Corkscrew Casserole from Recipes Food and Cooking
• Cheesy, Creamy, Cauliflower and Sausage Casserole from Eating In Instead
• Chicken Enchiladas from Serena Bakes Simply From Scratch
• Chicken Parmesan Quinoa Bake from Alida's Kitchen
• Chicken Ramen Mini Casseroles from The Ninja Baker
• Chicken with Whole Grains Casserole from Cindy's Recipes and Writings
• Chinese Noodle Casserole from Momma's Meals
• Crab Casserole for Two from Magnolia Days
• Homemade Poppy Seed Chicken from Food Done Light
• Fully Loaded Tater Tot Casserole from Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• King Ranch Casserole from The Texan New Yorker
• King Ranch Mac and Cheese from The Weekend Gourmet
• Baked Ziti with Meatballs from Curious Cuisiniere
• Mexican Lasagna from MealDiva
• Mom's Taco Casserole from Lifestyle Food Artistry
• Moroccan Polenta Casserole from Pancake Warriors
• Moussaka from Nosh My Way
• Neeps & Tatties Casserole from Happy Baking Days
• Quick No Boil Tuna Pasta Bake from Mess Makes Food
• Sausage Peppers and Onion Pasta Casserole from Family Foodie
• Southwestern Spaghetti Pie from The Messy Baker
• Cheesy, Layered Italian Pasta Torta from La Bella Vita Cucina
• Stove-top Four Cheese Mac and Cheese from The Girl In The Little Red Kitchen
• Supreme Pizza Strata from A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures
• Sweet Corn and Green Chile Chicken Tamale Pie from Simply Healthy Family
• Taco Casserole from Peanut Butter and Peppers

Decadent Dessert and Sweet Casseroles

• Baked Lemon Dessert from Food Lust People Love
• The Best Homemade Cinnamon Rolls from Pies and Plots
• Butterscotch Bread Pudding from The Foodie Army Wife
• Classic Apple Crisp from That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Ultimate Deep Dish Brownies from Recipe for Perfection
• Vegan Oreo Rice Krispie Treats from Killer Bunnies, Inc

Pin this Baked Lemon Dessert! 

Fish Steamed with Spicy Couscous

For this fish steamed with spice couscous, the fish fillets are steamed on top of the couscous so all the lovely cooking juices are soaked up, making the already spicy, herby couscous even tastier.

 

This is one of my favorite dishes to make when entertaining guests. See easy instructions to adapt for a dinner party at the end of the recipe.*

Parlez-vous français? Yeah, I really didn't either.
To say that three years of high school French prepared me poorly for living in Paris would be an understatement. As much as Madame Reat taught me about La Belle France, including our occasional field trips to a nearby French café where we were supposed to order in French to justify the educational status of said excursion, I learned more useful things by reading signs and labels in grocery stores and recipes on my own. 

I now know weird but handy phrases like laissez gonfler - leave to swell -  and saupoudrer de chapelure – sprinkle with breadcrumbs - and napper en sauce – coat with sauce - that hardly ever come up in normal conversation. 

Not a culinary word, but one I am very proud of learning is autocollant. It means self-adhesive. Not useful you say? Try ordering stamps and imagine miming, "the ones I don't need to lick," at the post office. 

Probably more importantly, I learned that Ah, bon, despite containing the word for good, can be used to acknowledge good or bad things, a confirmation akin to “I hear you”  - or a question, depending on inflection: “Really?”

Répétez après moi: Le couscous est simple à préparer.

I am always on the lookout for new and different starches to add variety to our plates, outside the usual triumvirate rice/potatoes/pasta so I was delighted to come across couscous for the first time in France. It’s a staple there, I am guessing thanks to the North African influence from the former French colonies. 

It has since become essential in my cupboard as well and the instructions on that first box of couscous, graine moyenne or medium coarse, is the source for my pet phrase laissez gonfler, which I have managed to work into more conversations that you would imagine. 

This spicy dish is adapted from a Jamie Oliver recipe from a series called Oliver’s Twist. I’ve been making it regularly since 2003 when the episode Flash in the Pan first aired. It’s perfect for this week’s Sunday Supper theme of Lighten Up for the New Year, with lots of flavor from the spices and cilantro and very healthy steamed fish on top. Make sure to scroll down to see all the other lovely lightened up recipes the group has made for you today!

Ingredients
For the spice mix:
1 1/2 teaspoons flakey sea salt (I use Maldon.)
1 1/2 teaspoons fennel seeds
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
2 teaspoons coriander seeds
1 (2-inch or 2.5cm) piece cinnamon stick

For the dish:
2 cups or 370g wheat couscous – medium grain
1 small onion
2 cloves garlic
2 red chilies (Remove the seeds for less heat.)
1 large bunch cilantro or fresh coriander, leaves picked, stalks finely sliced
Four portion size filets of a relatively thin white fish like sole or flounder. Cod will do if it is not too thick.
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper for seasoning fish
Extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Couple of handfuls cherry tomatoes (more or less to your taste)
1 large lemon, cut in half at the equator
Optional: another lemon cut in wedges for serving.

Method
Put the couscous in a bowl with enough hot - but not quite boiling - water to cover it. Seal the top of the bowl with cling film and then drape a towel over the top and set aside for at least 10 minutes. Laissez gonfler!

 The couscous will soften and double in size. When it's done, fluff it with a fork and keep covered till needed.

Make your spice mix by pounding the salt, fennel and cumin seeds, coriander seeds and cinnamon together in your mortar.  (If you don’t have a mortar and pestle, you can use already ground spices.)

Mince your onion and one chili pepper. Slice the garlic and the other chili.

Cut the very tough bottom parts of your cilantro stems off and discard. Finely chop the rest of the stems up to the leafy part and then roughly chop the leaves. Some leaves are going to get in your stems and, of course, your leaf pile will have the most tender stems, and that’s okay.

Mostly leaves in front. Most stems in back.

Lay your fish out on a plate and season both sides with salt and pepper.

Heat a large saucepan on a low heat, and sauté the onion, garlic, cilantro stems and chopped chili in a good drizzle of olive oil.

Add the spice mix to the pan with another drizzle of olive oil.

Cook for a few minutes and then add the butter. Let it melt then add the couscous.

Mix thoroughly with the spices and sautéed seasonings. Stir in most of the cilantro leaves, reserving some for garnish when serving.

 Turn the stove down to a very low heat, and lay the fish fillets on top of the couscous. Drizzle with olive oil and tuck the lemon halves, cut side up, and the whole cherry tomatoes in the couscous.

Cover with some foil or a tight fitting lid, and cook for 15 minutes or until the fish is white through and flaky. You may need to add just a little bit of water so that the couscous doesn’t burn on the bottom, so do check it about halfway through. A very heavy pan or a diffuser will help with this problem.

Adding a few tablespoons of water about halfway through.

To serve, sprinkle with the remaining cilantro and sliced chili, squeeze the cooked lemon halves over everything and drizzle on some more olive oil. Divide the couscous between four plates and top each with a steamed fish fillet. Serve with additional wedges of lemon, if desired.

*Dinner party instructions
If you are having a dinner party for eight or 12, double or treble the ingredients and prepare as instructed up to the point where the couscous is ready. Allow it to cool then transfer to a greased baking pan (Make sure it is one that can go straight from refrigerator to oven) before adding the fish, the halved lemons cut side up, cherry tomatoes and drizzle with olive oil. If you want to get fancy, throw in some raw shrimp or prawns as well. Cover with foil and refrigerate if it’s going to be more that a half an hour till it’s cooked or if your kitchen is warm. Once the guests have arrived, bake your fish on couscous- still covered in the foil - in an oven preheated to 350°F or 180°C, allowing extra time for cooking the fish if the dish is chilled. Follow the same serving instructions above.

Enjoy!

If your New Year’s resolutions include eating more sensibly, I’ve got a great list of “lightened up” recipes for you this week. Many thanks to our great host T.R. from Gluten Free Crumbley!

Bright Beverages

• Almond Mocha Smoothie from Cosmopolitan Cornbread
• Chocolate-Covered Berries Green Smoothie from Cupcakes & Kale Chips
• Citrus DeTox Spa Water from La Bella Vita Cucina
• Peachilious Smoothie from Peanut Butter and Peppers

Blissful Breakfast Items

• Apple Crumble Smoothie Bowl from Try Anything Once Culinary
• Light Eggs Benedict from Rants From My Crazy Kitchen
• Multigrain Scones from The Texan New Yorker
• Norwegian Egg Benedict from Brunch with Joy
• Nutty Granola Bars from Pies and Plots
• Reduced Sugar Donuts from The Ninja Baker

Appetizing Starters

• Broccoli Pesto from Curried Cantaloupe
• Fava Bean and Avocado Guacamole from Pancake Warriors
• Homemade Snickerdoodle Peanut Butter from Wallflour Girl
• Roasted Pumpkin and Chevre Bruschetta from Jane's Adventures in Dinner
• Spicy Curried Lentil Spread with Winter Veggies from Lifestyle Food Artistry

Savory Soups and Sides

• Butternut Squash and Roasted Red Pepper Soup from Cindy's Recipes and Writings
• Detox Chicken Bok Choy Soup from Nosh My Way
• French Potato Leek Soup from Curious Cuisiniere
• Light Creamed Roasted Vegetable Soup from Kudos Kitchen by Renee
• Marinated Tomato and Mozzarella Salad from From Gate to Plate
• Quinoa Mango Pomegranate Spinach Salad with White Balsamic Vinaigrette from Serena Bakes Simply From Scratch
• Red Cabbage and Golden Raisin Salad from All Roads Lead to the Kitchen
• Shredded Brussels Sprouts and Endive Slaw with Champagne Vinaigrette from Take A Bite Out of Boca
• Spinach and Black Bean Ravioletti Soup from Big Bear's Wife

Marvelous Mains

• Black Pepper Tofu with Black Garlic Sauce from Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks
• Fish Steamed with Spicy Couscous from Food Lust People Love
• Greek Style Gyros with Tzatziki Sauce from Nik Snacks
• Kale Pesto with Squash Noodles from Ruffles & Truffles
• Mexican Turkey Cutlets from Magnolia Days
• Meyer Lemon Roasted Chicken Thighs, Fennel & Sweet Potato from The Girl In The Little Red Kitchen
• Portuguese Kale Soup from Recipes, Food and Cooking
• Salmon with Mushroom Sauce from Cooking Chat
• Skinny Chicken-Leek Pot Pie from The Weekend Gourmet
• Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Quinoa from Bobbi's Kosy Kitchen
• Slow Cooker Italian Barley & Sausage from Foxes Loves Lemons
• Tomato Basil Soup with Grilled Pimento Cheese Sandwiches from Food Done Light
• Tomato Goat Cheese Arugula Flatbread from Family Foodie

Delightful Desserts

• Easy Blackberry Crumble from Recipe for Perfection
• Easy to be Green Chocolate Chip Cookies from What Smells So Good?
• Fruit Parfait from Desserts Required
• Maple Pear Scones from Killer Bunnies, Inc

Rhubarb Fool Cocktail

A bright, refreshing drink that is just the right combination of tart and sweet, this rhubarb lovely is drizzled with a little cream and some tangerine or orange zest, and is guaranteed to get you in the holiday mood! 

The first time I ever saw rhubarb, perhaps in Sydney circa 1987, I had no idea what to do with it so I didn’t buy any. It looked like pink celery and that was odd. Was it a vegetable? Used for seasoning like celery was? I didn’t have a clue. Finally I bought one of the Australian Women’s Weekly magazines (This was, after all, way before I had internet access of any kind.) and all was revealed. Rhubarb is a fruit! Or at least it is used like a fruit, in compotes, pies and other baked goods. Technically, of course, it’s a vegetable.

Our favorite way to enjoy rhubarb, up till now, has been in an apple and rhubarb pie because the apples and rhubarb complement each other so nicely with the rhubarb breaking down completely and the apples still keeping a bit of their shape and bite.

Another favorite is the British classic rhubarb fool dessert made by folding stewed rhubarb through whipped cream.

But this drink, made with rhubarb syrup, may be my new favorite way to enjoy my tart pink friend. I mean, really, just look at that color!

This week my Sunday Supper group is gearing up for the holiday parties by bringing you a plethora of concoctions, some made to imbibe directly, others using alcohol as an ingredient or flavoring. Many thanks to DB from Crazy Foodie Stunts and Alice from A Mama, Baby & Shar-pei In The Kitchen for hosting this fun event. Make sure to scroll down to the bottom to see the whole link list of libation-full recipes.

Ingredients
1 1/2 oz or 40ml rhubarb syrup
2 oz or 60ml vodka
2 cups crushed ice
Couple of tablespoons lightly whipped cream
Orange zest

Method
Put the crushed ice into a cocktail shaker and add in the rhubarb syrup and vodka.

Shake well for a minute or so, allowing the ice to melt a bit.

Pour the liquid through the strainer into a martini glass. Garnish with a drizzle – or more – of the whipped cream and a few pieces of orange zest.

I put my whipped cream in a decorating bag for easy drizzling but you can just as easily pile the cream into the top of the glass.

Enjoy!

If you are feeling extra generous, let your helper lick the cream off your empty glass. 

We are set to PARTY this holiday season! Join us!

Libations

• Big Easy Milk Punch by The Weekend Gourmet
• Blue Sparkling Star Cocktail by Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks
• Boozy Iced Spanish Coffee by Nosh My Way
• Campari Mint Spritzer by eating in instead
• Cranberry Moscow Mule by Ruffles & Truffles
• Creamy, Loaded Eggnog by La Bella Vita Cucina
• Malibu Breeze by Peanut Butter and Peppers
• Merry Berry Spritz by Amee's Savory Dish
• Minty Lime Rum by A Mama, Baby & Shar-pei in the Kitchen
• Pomegranate Panache by Jane's Adventures in Dinner
• Rhubarb Fool Cocktail by Food Lust People Love
• Southern Pomegranate Sparkler by Noshing With The Nolands
• Sparkling Pomegranate Berry Punch by Serena Bakes Simply From Scratch
• Vanilla Baileys With A Twist by Momma's Meals

Savory and Sweet Libational Dishes

• Apple Bourbon Pulled Pork Sliders by Curious Cuisiniere
• Beerberry Pancakes by Brunch with Joy
• Beet Relish by What Smells So Good?
• Belgian Beef Stew with Belgian Ale by Cooking On The Ranch
• Brandied Triple Cheese Ball by Magnolia Days
• Champagne Chicken by Cindy's Recipes and Writings
• Cornish Game Hens with Sausage Red Wine Sauce over Polenta by The Texan New Yorker
• Craft Beer Jelly by Nik Snacks
• Eggnog Dutch Baby Pancakes with Cranberries by The Wimpy Vegetarian
• Hot Buttered Rum Balls by Bobbi's Kozy Kitchen
• Lentil Soup with Wine Braised Shallots by Pancake Warriors
• Red Wine Braised Short Ribs by Cooking Chat

Libational Desserts

• Amaretto Coconut Biscotti with Amaretto Salted Caramel Drizzle by Kudos Kitchen by Renee
• Amaretto Cranberry Swirled Cheesecake by The Life and Loves of Grumpy's Honeybunch
• Baked Pears with a Warm Tequila-Citrus Espuma by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Bourbon Cranberry Compote by Pies and Plots
• Caramelized Banana Upside-Down Rum Cake by Wallflour Girl
• Chocolate Stout Beer Brownies by The Perfect Brownie
• Dumante Frozen Espresso Creams by Seduction in the Kitchen
• Honey Chamomile Hot Toddy Tea Cake by The Girl In The Little Red Kitchen
• Kahlua Bundt Cake by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Red Wine Poached Pears with Ricotta and Balsamic Glaze by Crazy Foodie Stunts
• Rum Glazed Cookie Cream Buns by NinjaBaker
• Tiramisu Biscotti by The Redhead Baker

Brandy Truffles

Deep, dark and chocolatey, these easy-to-make truffles are spiked with heady brandy and rolled in cocoa. The addition of digestive biscuit crumbs makes them less sticky so they are easier to roll. 

This week my Sunday Supper group is bringing you some great gifts from the kitchen and nothing says Have the Merriest of Christmases like a gift of chocolate and booze! These pretty little truffles have both in spades. Make sure to scroll down to the bottom of my recipe to see all the other great gifts from the kitchen. Many thanks to my friend, Renee from Magnolia Days for hosting this special event.

Ingredients
7oz or 200g semi-sweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup or 175ml whipping cream
5 tablespoons brandy
1 1/4 cups or 100g cocoa powder
 8 3/4 oz or 250g digestive biscuits (Graham crackers can be substituted but since they are drier, you might not need as many.)

To serve or gift: small paper muffin cups

Method
Tip the chocolate chips into a heatproof bowl.  Heat the cream in the microwave or in a pot on the stove until it is just about to boil.

Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and stir until all the chips are melted.

Add in the brandy and stir well.

Pop the mixture in the refrigerator to cool. Set a timer for 20 minutes and stir the mixture when it goes off and put the bowl back in the refrigerator. Keep doing this until the mixture is completely cool.

Meanwhile, put your digestive biscuits in a plastic bag and use a rolling pin to crush them to a fine powder.

When the chocolate/cream mixture is cool, stir in the digestive biscuits a few spoonfuls at a time, until you reach a consistency firm enough to roll into balls and hold their shape. I used all the biscuit crumbs in mine.

Put your cocoa in a bowl and use a teaspoon to scoop out some of the truffle mixture. Roll it between your palms to create a smooth ball and set it in the cocoa. Shake the bowl gently to move the truffle around so it gets coated with the cocoa.

Remove the cocoa-coated truffle from the bowl and place in a small paper muffin cup. Continue rolling and coating until all the truffles are made.

A friend was helping me so she insisted on using gloves.

These are a great gift to take along for a holiday party, especially if arranged on a pretty Christmas plate.

Enjoy!

Do you need inspiration for more gifts from the kitchen? We’ve got you covered!

Beverages

• Cold Brew Coffee Concentrate by Supper for a Steal
• Cranberry Infused Vodka by The Redhead Baker
• Cranberry Pomegrante Vodka by Recipes, Food and Cooking
• Creamy Coconut Liqueur by Manu's Menu
• German Egg Liqueur (Eierlikör) by Magnolia Days
• Holiday Sangria Surprise by Momma's Meals
• Homemade Kahlua by Country Girl in the Village
• Homemade Organic Lavender Honey by An Appealing Plan

Bread

• Homemade Pumpernickel Bread by The Foodie Army Wife
• Pumpkin Beer Bread Gift Basket by The Girl in The Little Red Kitchen

Appetizers and Snacks

• Boozy Olives by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Cookie Butter Puppy Chow by Bobbi's Kozy Kitchen
• Reindeer Snack Mix by MealDiva

Condiments and Sauces

• Butterscotch Sauce {Low Carb} by Nosh My Way
• Cranberry Hatch Chile Salsa by The Texan New Yorker
• Ginger Jam by What Smells So Good?
• Lemon Ginger Marmalade by Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks
• Microwave Caramel Sauce by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Slow Cooker Apple Butter by Shockingly Delicious
• Sweet-Hot Red Pepper Jam by Delaware Girl Eats

Savory and Sweet Mixes

• Creole Jambalaya Mix by Nik Snacks
• Gingerbread Hot Chocolate Mix by Feed Me, Seymour
• Homemade Brownie Mix in a Jar by The Perfect Brownie
• Homemade Sazon Seasoning by The Little Ferraro Kitchen
• Skinny Mocha Latte Mix by Cindy's Recipes and Writings

Desserts and Sweets

• Assorted Macaroons by Take A Bite Out of Boca
• Bacon & Mixed Nuts Caramel Corn by Brunch with Joy
• Brandy Truffles by Food Lust People Love
• Carob Peanut Butter Cups by Pies and Plots
• Chocolate Cranberry Nut Candy by Peanut Butter and Peppers
• Cinnamon Candied Pecans by Noshing With The Nolands
• Coconut Oil White Chocolate + Chocolate Chip Cookies by Wallflour Girl
• Ho Ho Oreo Bark by Seduction in the Kitchen
• Homemade Marshmallows by Curious Cuisiniere
• Maple Chocolates by Jane's Adventures in Dinner
• Matcha Green Tea Holiday Wreath Cookies by NinjaBaker
• White Chocolate Lollipops by The Life and Loves of Grumpy's Honeybunch
• White Christmas Fudge by Rhubarb and Honey

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