Ingredients (Makes 12)
½ Cup Oats
30 ml Milk
3 Ripe Bananas
240gms Self Raising Flour
1 Tspn Baking Powder
1/3 Cup Brown Sugar
1 Tspn Cinnamon
3 Tblsp Honey
1 Egg
85gms Crushed Walnuts

Method
In a small bowl soak the oats in the milk.

In a separate bowl mash the bananas and set aside.

Sift the flour, baking powder and cinnamon into a large mixing bowl. Add sugar, honey and eggs and mix well. Add the mashed banana, walnuts and oats, including the milk. Mix well.

Pour mixture into a greased muffin tray. Cook in a moderate oven for approximately 20 minutes.

Simon Turner

Article originally published on Marquette Turner Luxury Homes

RECIPE: Banana Walnut Muffins

INGREDIENTS
- 250g peeled and diced desiree potatoes
- 1 litre vegetable stock
- 150g peeled, diced white onion
- 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and diced
- 4 spring onions
- 2 bay leaves
- 8 white peppercorns
- 1/2 bunch chives chopped
- 100g pancetta sliced wafer thick (omit if serving as vegetarian option)
- 200ml cream
- 100ml truffle oil
- Salt and pepper to taste

METHOD
Preheat oven to 180 degrees.

Sweat onions, add garlic.

Add stock, thyme, bay leaves, peppercorns and bring to the boil.

Add potatoes and simmer until softened or for 20 to 30 minutes.

Remove thyme and bay leaves.

Blend with cream and pour through chinoise (sieve) to strain any excess grain.

Season to taste. Check consistency is not too thick. Let stand.

Bake pancetta in oven for 5-8 minutes or until crispy. The pancetta should be crisp and light in colour.

Add pancetta to the soup, drizzle with truffle oil.

Serve in individual bowls, sprinkle with chives.

Article originally published on Marquette Turner Luxury Homes

RECIPE: Potato Truffle Soup

INGREDIENTS

400 grams of unbleached all-purpose flour (plus additional for dusting)

4 eggs

4 tablespoons of dry white whine

Pinch of salt

METHOD

To make the perfect homemade pasta, mound flour on a work surface, preferably wooden, and make a well in centre.  Break the eggs into the well and then add wine and salt.

With a fork, gently beat eggs and wine until combined.  In a circular motion, gradually stir in enough flour to form a paste, puling in flour closest to egg mixture and being careful not to make an opening in outer wall of well.  Knead remaining flour into mixture with your hands to form a dough.

With the heel of your hand, knead the dough by pushing it down and away, turning repeatedly with a dough scraper.  Continue at least 8-10 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic.  Sprinkle with flour if it sticks to the surface during this process.  Gather dough into a ball and place in a bowl.  Cover and let sit for 60-90 minutes.

Use a pasta machine to shape into lasagna, tagliatelle, ravioli or other varieties.

Both fresh and dried pasta should be cooked al dente, tender but chewy.  Use a large enough pot to let the pasta float freely during cooking.  Bring the water to a full boil, add salt and then add pasta.  When the water returns to a boil, start timing and stir continuously.  THe time will vary depending on the pasta but generally fresh pasta should take 2-4 minutes and dried pasta should take 8-12 minutes.

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Simon Turner

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Article originally published on Marquette Turner Luxury Homes

RECIPE: Pasta Fresca

INGREDIENTS

2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1 brown onion, sliced
4 garlic cloves, crushed
2 small red chillies, chopped
1 tablespoon finely grated ginger
3 cups tomato puree
1 cup fish stock
¼ malt vinegar
¼ cup caster sugar
Sea salt & cracked pepper
1 kg (raw) prawns, peeled
Coriander leaves,
Extra chopped chilli
Steamed rice

METHOD

Heat oil in a large, deep-sided frying pan over high heat.

Add the onion, garlic, chilli & ginger and cook for 2-3 minutes.

Add the tomato puree, stock, vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper and cook for 8-10 minutes or until thickened.

Add the prawns and cook for 3-4 minutes or until cooked through.

Sprinkle with coriander and extra chilli and serve with rice.

Serves 4.

Article originally published on Marquette Turner Luxury Homes

RECIPE: Spicy Tomato Prawns

Soffritto (literally “sub-friend” in Italian) forms the base of many common Italian dishes. It consists of aromatic ingredients sauteed with cooking oil.

INGREDIENTS
4 pieces of Osso Buco (veal shanks)
2 red onions, chopped
1 stalk of celery, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1 can of stewed tomatoes (approximately 400 grams)
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup of veal or beef stock
1 cup of dry white wine
40 grams of butter
6 tablespoons of olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

METHOD
Add olive oil, butter and chopped vegetables to a deep saute pan and cook uncovered over low heat for about 15 minutes. Remove the soffritto and set aside in a bowl.

Flour the osso buco and using the same pan, braise on both sides.

Add the soffritto and white wine, stirring frequently. Let evaporate.

Add salt, pepper and tomatoes, and continue to cook over low heat for about 2 hours until very tender. Check every 20-30 minutes and as sauce reduces, add veal stock as needed.

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Simon Turner

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Article originally published on Marquette Turner Luxury Homes

RECIPE: Osso Buco in Soffritto

FOR PANNA COTTA

1 litre of liquid cream

4 tablespoons of sugar

1 teaspoon of vanilla

4 small sheets of gelatin

1/4 cup of warm water

FOR CHOCOLATE SAUCE:

200 grams of dark chocolate, chopped

15 grams of butter

1.5 cups milk

DIRECTION

Panna Cotta:  Sprinkle gelatin over water in a small bowl and let stand to soften.

While the gelatin softens, combine cream, sugar and villa and warm over low heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved.  Remove from heat and add gelatin mixture, stirring until dissolved.

Pour mixture into molds and chill, covered, until firm, at least 8 hours.

Chocolate Sauce:  Mix chocolate and butter in a double boiler until melted into a smooth liquid consistency.  Slowly add milk, stirring continuously until blended and smooth.  Cool slightly before pouring over panna cotta.

Unmold and Serve:  Run thin, sharp knife around inside edge of each ramekin to loosen.  Dip bottom of ramekin in bowl of very warm water for about 6 seconds.  Put plate over ramekin, then invert panna cotta onto p late, gently lifting off ramekin.  Repeat to unmold remaining panna cottas.  Top each with Chocolate Sauce and serve.

Enjoy!

Castello di Casole: To read more articles on Castello di Casole, including the properties and recipes, click here or on the image below:

Simon Turner

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Article originally published on Marquette Turner Luxury Homes

RECIPE: Panna Cotta with Chocolate Sauce

Ingredients (serves 4)

350g Snow Peas
1 Onion, finely diced
1 Potato, chopped
1 Tbspn Olive Oil
1 Litre Chicken Stock
2 Tbspn chopped fresh Coriander
2 Tbspn low fat Yoghurt

Method

Cut the ends off and remove the string from the snow peas. Heat oil in large saucepan and cook onions until they are soft. Add snow peas, potato and stock. Bring to the boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes or until snow peas are soft.

Remove from heat and cool. Blend with a stab blender. Return to the stove and bring the boil. Remove from heat and add coriander and yoghurt. Store in the fridge until ready to eat.

Christine Watson

Article originally published on Marquette Turner Luxury Homes

RECIPE: Chilled Summer Soup

Both are favourites of mine for summer and even more so at Christmas:

Ingredients for my Vodka Cocktail

Vodka

Ruby Red Grapefruit Juice

Lots of Freshly Squeezed Limes

Ingredients for my Non Alcoholic Punch

1 Large Bottle of Mixed Juice (eg Pineapple & Orange)

1 Bottle of Lemonade

1 Bottle of Dry Ginger Ale

Lots of chopped fruits – strawberries, oranges, lemons, pineapple etc

To Spice it Up – Add – Vokda!!

Christine Watson

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Article originally published on Marquette Turner Luxury Homes

RECIPE: Alcoholic and Non Alcoholic Christmas Cocktails

Recently in Vail, Colorado when attending the Who’s Who in Luxury Real Estate Conference at The Ritz Carlton, Bachelor Gulch I was served one of their delicious cocktails. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Ingredients

3 oz Huckleberry-infused Colorado 14 Vodka

Juice of ½ Lemon

Huckleberries, sugarcane skewer and mint for garnish (NOTE: If Huckleberries are not available – use Blueberries)

Method

To Infuse vodka, add a handful of berries to bottle and let stand for 24 hours.  Then strain and remove berries.

Combine vodka and lemon juice in a shaker with ice.

Strain into a sugar rimmed martini glass.

Garnish with berries on a sugarcane skewer and a sprig of mint.

Christine Watson

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Article originally published on Marquette Turner Luxury Homes

Mountain Berry Cocktail Recipe

A delicious dessert that can be whipped together in minutes and will impress all who try it.

Ingredients

1 Cup Brown Sugar

1 Pre-baked Pastry Case

2 Eggs

1 Cup Milk

1 Tbsp Butter – melted

1 Tbsp Plain Flour

1 Tsp Vanilla

1 Tbsp Icing Sugar

Method

Pre heat oven to moderate. Separate eggs, keeping egg whites and yolks in separate bowls until needed.

Place sugar and flour in a saucepan. On a low heat, mix to a paste with a little of the milk. Continue stirring and add butter, egg yolks and remaining milk.

Stir over a low heat until the caramel commences to thicken. Stir vanilla into mixture.

Place mixture in the pastry case and top with beaten egg whites and a little sugar.

Place in a moderate over for approximately 20 minutes, until the top has browned.

Prior to serving dust with sifted icing sugar. Serve with whipped cream and/or ice cream.

Christine Watson

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Article originally published on Marquette Turner Luxury Homes

Recipe: Caramel Tart Dessert