French pastry recipes

With basic cooking techniques and a little practice, you can begin enjoying famous French pastry recipes in your own kitchen in no time!

Strawberry pie
Ingredients:

CRUST:

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 ¼ cups powdered sugar
• ½ cup finely ground almonds
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup cold butter
• 1 egg, lightly beaten

FILLING:

• Vanilla Pastry Cream
• Fresh Strawberries
• Red Apricot Glaze

Preparation:

In a small bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, almonds, and salt. Using a pastry cutter, large-tined fork, or a food processor on pulse setting, cut the chilled butter into the flour until it resembles coarse sand with a few pea-sized pieces of butter still visible. Stir the egg into the mixture and toss gently a few times, just until it forms a ball that holds together.
Pour the filling into the pie crust.
Bake in oven for about 30 minutes at 425 deg. F.

There is nothing like

Classic Fresh Baked

Pastry recipes (I)

Most people adore pastry in spite of that it is high-calorie food. But some pastry recipes are even very good for particular zodiac signs. This recipe of pastry especial fits for Gemini. Because lemon in recipe it contributes some butter in pastry and piece of pie would like any gourmet.

FRENCH LEMON PIE

Ingredients:
CRUST

3/4 cup wheat flour

1/4 lb butter

2 tbsp water

FILLING

1 lemon

4 tbsp butter

1 egg

1/2 cup sugar

Directions:
(1) Preheat the oven to 425 deg. F.
(2) Crust: Mix flour and butter in a food processor. Add water and form a dough. Press into a pie pan.
(3) Filling: Grate the lemon peel. Press the juice out of the lemon.
(4) Melt the butter.
(5) Beat the egg with sugar, the melted butter, lemon juice and lemon peel.
(6) Pour the filling into the pie crust.
(7) Bake in oven for about 30 minutes at 425 deg. F.
(8) Let the pie cool down.
This recipe of pastry is very easy making even your are not very big cooker. Enjoy!

Romantic dinner for Leo

Remember that Leo like absolute best of everything including food. Leo people enjoy the good life, and eating well is part of this. They like rich food and fine wine. Fortunately young Leos have strong stomachs, good circulation, and keep in shape because they are active. However, time does catch up with them, and you must learn to eat correctly and cut down on fatty foods.
Leo is a King so he needs a meat. Take it in mind when cook romantic dinner for Leo.

NGREDIENTS

1 leg of lamb, about 4 lbs.

3 pounds potatoes, about 5 oz. each

lemon, may be doubled

honey

olive oil

butter

rosemary, thyme and oregano

DIRECTIONS

Leg of lamb put into a large roasting pan. Cut the leaves of 2 or 3 sprigs of rosemary and sprinkle them over the meat. Add plenty of pepper and 1 tablespoon honey. Rub the mixture into the meat with your hands. Then rub half a lemon over the joint, squeezing the juice on to the meat as you do so. Do not add any salt! Leave to marinate for 4 to 24 hours.
Peel and quarter the potatoes, then arrange them in a single layer round the lamb. Squeeze lemon juice over the potatoes -- use at least half a lemon, or up to one and a half lemons for a strong citrus flavour. Carefully pour 1/4 pint water into a corner of the roasting pan, then sprinkle over the potatoes and lamb about 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary, at least 1 teaspoon each fresh chopped thyme and oregano, and some salt and pepper. Drizzle on 1-1/2 teaspoons honey and 1 tablespoon olive oil, then dot with 1 oz butter. Bake at 425 F (220 C) gas mark 6 for a further 1 to 1-1/4 hours. The ingredients will become gilded and will burnish to a rich brown in places. Lift the meat and turn the potatoes occasionally, and if necessary, add a little boiling water to the pan to prevent drying out.

Recipe for Cancer

Cancer is a homester and looking for comfort food. Cancer is an excellent cook and loves to show how she or he cares through food. Cancerians are susceptible to gaining weight in later years. Tension, anxiety, and emotional stress are the leading causes of illness among Cancerians.Starches, sugar, and salt should be avoided.

Cancerians need to watch their diets very carefully in order to keep their digestive systems healthy and their weight under control.

SATAY STYLE BEEF WITH BROCCOLI

4 Servings

1 pound beef sirloin steak, fillet, or New York steak

MARINADE

2 teaspoons dark soy sauce

1 teaspoon Shrimp paste

2 teaspoons rice wine

2 teaspoons cornstarch

1 pound Chinese broccoli

1 cup peanut oil, for deep-frying

SAUCE

1/2 teaspoon paste, Shrimp paste

1 cup chicken stock

2 teaspoons chili bean sauce, or 1/2 tsp. Satay Sauce

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon dark soy sauce

2 teaspoons rice wine

1/2 teaspoon cornstarch, mixed with 1/2 teaspoon water

PLACE THE STEAK IN THE FREEZER for about 20 minutes or until it is firm to the touch. Cut it, against the grain, into thin slices. Place the meat in a medium-sized bowl with all the marinade ingredients and refrigerate for 20 minutes. Separate the Chinese broccoli leaves and stalks, and cut the leaves into 2-inch pieces. Peel the stalks and cut them into thin, diagonal slices. Wash well in several changes of water. Blanch the broccoli for 2 minutes in a large pot of salted, boiling water. Drain well and arrange on a serving platter. Set aside in a warm spot. Heat a wok or large skillet until it is very hot and add the oil. When the oil is very hot, add the meat and stir for 2 minutes. Drain the contents of the wok into a colander set inside a stainless steel bowl, reserving some of the oil. Return 1 tablespoon of the drained oil to the wok and reheat. Add the shrimp paste and 3 tablespoons of the chicken stock and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Add the remaining stock and the rest of the sauce ingredients and cook for another 30 seconds. When the sauce has thickened, return the meat to the wok and stir to mix well. Serve with the warm broccoli.

CONFETTI CRAB SALAD

6 Servings

1 pound crab meat, pick over to remove shells & cartiladge

1/2 cup radishes, Finely chopped

1/2 cup mayonnaise

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley