Wednesday, August 13, 2014

Avocado Ice cream

After a short period of convincing Toni to get an ice cream machine, he finally agreed and got me a nice Cuisinart double bowl ice cream machine. Let's just say, we eat about 2 L of ice cream per week. Maybe lesser during the winter time, but it is definitely balanced during the summer time. So after a few tries, this is my favorite at the moment. Avocado ice cream! I wonder why this is not as exciting as strawberry ice cream to my EU friends. This is one of the most sought after ice cream in the Philippines. And I am just elated to have made such a thick, delicious, out-of-this-world creaminess!


I blended 3/4 cup granulated sugar and 1 ½ cup of whole milk until sugar is dissolved. To this I added 3 medium ripe avocados, a pinch of salt and 1 ½ tbsp of fresh lemon juice. I blended this until my blender is about to complain for its thickness. Then I added 1 and 1/4 cup of double cream, and blended it some more.
Freeze the mixture in the blender pitcher itself for about 1 hour. Then start pouring into the ice cream machine.

Five to ten minutes in the machine, gives you a gelato kind of ice cream, which to me, is just perfect. But if you want hard core ice cream, then freeze it for 2 more hours in the freezer or even overnight before serving.


Leeks and Chicken pie

Do you love leeks like I do? They look like fat spring onions, from which family they belong, together with garlic. I like the subtle onion taste of it without being too onion-y. The only set back for me is, they are only available in autumn. Well, at least in Finland. Of course I can find them frozen in the groceries all year. But its just not the same!
Here is my own Leeks and Chicken pie recipe. I hope you try it...


First, make the pastry. Mix together: 375 gms of flour, ½ tsp of salt and ½ tbsp. sugar. To this, you pinch in 250 gms. of cold, cubed butter, until it looks like small pebbles. Add 100 ml (or less) of cold milk. Incorporate until it forms a ball. Wrap in cling film and refrigerate.

* In a hot pan, medium heat, pour in 2 tbsp. olive oil, saute 1 tbsp. of chopped garlic and about 4 handfuls of chopped leeks. Give it at least 5 mins. or until the leeks have become a bit limp.
* Add 1 tsp. salt and about 800 gms. of cubed, raw chicken meat. (I used the boneless chicken legs) Saute this for at least 10 mins or until the chicken is cooked and the juices has dried out.
* While you wait on that, prepare the butter-flour mixture. You need 100 gms of very soft butter and 100 gms of flour. Mix these together to form a paste. Set aside.
* Back to your chicken; The bottom of your pan must have crusted by now. Pour in about 1/4 cup of white wine to the mixture plus 1 and ½ cups of chicken broth.
(If you are not using wine, just use 2 cups of hot chicken broth or hot water)
* Add 50 gms of cubed potatoes, 100 gms of green peas and 100 gms of cubed carrots and let the liquid boil.
* Add black pepper and adjust taste.
* Add the butter-flour mixture until the liquid thickens, then turn the heat off. Set aside.
* Turn on your oven to 200 degs. C.
* Roll out your dough thin enough for your pie crust, top and bottom. I used 2 pcs. of those deep dishes. 7 in. diameter and 2 inches thick. The dough is just enough. You could of course use a proper pie dish (12 in.) I just like it better when I can make the fillings thick and not get too much pastry from each bite.


* Line the dish with the pie dough and pour in the leek and chicken filling. Cover with the pie dough and seal it by pinching the edges together.

* Brush the top dough with beaten eggs. Bake the pie for 25 mins., middle rack, or until the crust is golden brown.
* Serve hot or cold, with chopped spring onions. Enjoy!