Fruit Flan

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups milk
• 2 beaten eggs
• 4 ounces cream cheese
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 large sponge cake flan
• 3 tablespoons cognac
• assorted fresh fruits
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 3/4 cups orange juice

Method

In large saucepan stir together 1/2 cup sugar, 1/4 cup cornstarch and salt.
Gradually stir in milk. Stirring constantly, bring to boil over medium
heat, boil 2 min. Gradually stir about 1/2 cup hot mixture into eggs, then
stir eggs into hot mixture. Stirring constantly boil 2 min. Add cream
cheese and vanilla; mix until smooth. Sprinkle cognac over flan shell,
pour filling into shell. Chill 2 hours until firm.
Arrange fruit over filling. In small saucepan, stir together 2 tablespoon
sugar and 1 tablespoon cornstarch. Gradually stir in orange juice stirring
constantly bring to boil over medium heat and boil 1 min. Spoon evenly
over fruit. Chill until firm.

Servings: 8
Source: Lilien Borg Bathet

Minestrone Alla Napoletana

“A typical minestrone from the Campania region of Italy”

Ingredients

• 100 g pasta (ditali)
• 500 g diced pumpkin
• 200 g diced potato
• 400 g drained kidney beans
• 2 diced zucchini
• 1 diced large carrot
• 1 finely chopped stalk celery
• 100 g finely chopped pancetta
• 1 finely chopped sprig fresh rosemary
• 300 g peas
• 30 g finely chopped parsley
• 1 finely chopped onion
• fresh basil
• fresh marjoram
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 5 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
• salt and pepper
• 1 litre hot water

Method

Prepare the onion, pancetta, parsley, basil, celery and rosemary and cook in the olive oil until the onion is soft and the pancetta is cooked. Add the carrot, pumkin and the potato and continue to cook for 7 minutes.
Add the hot water and slow boil for 30 minutes. Add the drained kidney beans.
Continue boiling for an other 30 minutes. Add the zucchini and the peas, stirring and finish cooking.
Add the pasta and cook over medium heat. ( Add a little hot water if required ). Add a pinch of marjoram, salt and pepper and a tablespoon of grated cheese. Serve with the remaining cheese.
Minestrone could be served hot or cold.

Source: Primi Piatti – Page 457
Preparation Time: 4:00
Keywords: soups, vegetables, italian
Servings: 4

Spaghetti Alle Vongole In Bianco

Ingredients

• 3 kg clams
• 100 ml olive oil
• 150 ml dry white wine
• 3 peeled and sliced garlic cloves
• 3 crumbled small dried chillies
• 250 g spaghetti
• 3 tablespoons chopped parsley
• salt and pepper

Method

Heat 1/3 of the oil in a large saucepan with a lid.
Add 1/2 the wine, 1 garlic clove and 1 chilli.
Add 1/2 the clams, cover, and cook over high heat until they open.
Remove the clams to a large bowl together with their juices.
Repeat with the remainder of the clams.
Chop the remaining garlic and chilli, and fry until light brown.
Add the clams and their juices and remove from heat immediately.
Cook the spaghetti, drain, place in the clam pan, coat and add the parsley
and black pepper.

Source: The River Cafe Cookbook – Page 87
Keywords: pasta, seafood, italian
Servings: 6

Russian Fish Pie

Ingredients:

knob of butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
150 grams chestnut mudrooms, chopped
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
100 grams freshly cooked basmati rice
bunch of fresh dill, chopped
bunch of fresh parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon capers, rinsed and chopped
zest of one lemon
2 large hard boiled eggs, chopped plus one beaten egg for glazing
plain flour for dusting
2 X 500 grams fresh puff pastry
800 grams salmon tail fillet

Method:

Heat the butter and oil over low heat and cook onion for 5 to 6 minutes, stir in the turmeric and cook for 1 minute, then add rice, herbs, capers zest and the chopped egg. Season and cool.
On a floured board, roll out one piece of pastry to a 3 millimeter thickness and trim to a 30 centimeter by 20 centimeter rectangle. Place pastry on a large baking sheet and place the salmon in the center of the pastry. Season and place the rice mixture on top of the salmon. Brush the pastry edges with the beaten egg and place the rolled out second piece of pastry on top. Trim leaving a 2 centimeter border, press the pastry to seal, using the trimming to decorate the top.
Brush the top with the beaten egg and bake in a preheated 200 C oven and bake for 35 to 40 minutes.

Serves: 6 to 8
Source: deliciousmagazine.co.uk

Wild Mushroom and Potato Gratin

Ingredients:

600 grams potatoes
350 milliliters full-fat milk
350 milliliters double cream
1 large garlic clove, smashed
1 bay leaf
thyme sprigs plus a few extra leaves for sprinkling
50 grams butter
300 grams mixed wild mushrooms, cleaned and roughly sliced if large
50 grams Comte or Gruyere cheese

Method:

Slice the potatoes no thicker than 2 millimeters using a mandolin. Bring the milk, cream, garlic herbs and some seasonings to a boil in a large saucepan, turn down the heat and simmer for a few minutes.
Put the potatoes into the hot milk and simmer until just cooked about 10 minutes.
Drain in a colander into a bowl to catch the liquid, reserve.
While the potatoes were simmering, heat half the butter in a frying pan until foaming. Fry the mushrooms for 2 minutes until just wilted, season with salt and pepper and set aside.
Rub a medium sized gratin dish with the remaining butter, spinkle over the thyme leaves abd grate over some cheese. Fill the dish halfway with the potato slices, moisten with a little milk and grate over more cheese. Fill up the dishes with potato slices, add enough milk to cover, them top with the mushrooms and the rest of the cheese. Cook in a preheated oven 200C for 25-30 minutes.

Serves 4
Source – Gordon Ramsay – BBC Good Food – December 2010

Buttered Peas and Leeks

Ingredients:

4 leeks, very finely sliced
25 grams butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
400 milliliters vegetable stock
500 grams frozen peas
4 spring onions, finely sliced

Method:

Gently soften the leeks and oil in a large pan for 15 to 2o minutes until meltingly soft.
Stir in the stock, bring to a simmer and cook stirring occasionally for 5 minutes, stir in the peas and the spring onions and cook for another 3-5 minutes, until the peas are defrosted and cooked through, season and serve.

Serves 8

Source: BBC Good Food – December 2010

Baby Potatoes with Rosemary

Ingredients:

1.5 kilos unpeeled new small potatoes, about 40
3 tablespoons olive oil
40+ small rosemary sprigs

Method:

Boil the potatoes for 10 minutes until tender then drain>
Heat the oven to 200C. Drizzle half the oil on an oven tray, using a potato masher, press a rosemary sprig into each potato, so the masher leaves its mark and the potato splits around the edges.
Drizzle the rest of the oil over the potatoes and season with sea salt, roast for 50 minutes or until golden around the edges.

Serves 8

Source BBC Good Food – December 2010

Creamy Potato and Shallot Gratin

Ingredients:

25 grams butter
400 grams shallots
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
500 milliliters double cream
grated nutmeg, to season
small pinch of cayenne pepper
1 kilo Desiree potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced

Method:

Heat most of the butter in a shallow pan, add the shallots, bay leaf and thyme, and cook until soft, golden and sticky.
Pour the cream and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat, season with the nutmeg and cayenne and leave to infuse.
Preheat the oven to 200C. Place the potatoes in a pan of cold water, bring to a boil and then drain.
Butter a large gratin dish, layer the potatoes and cream, finishing with a good ladleful of cream and shallots. Press down with a fish slicer.
Bake for 40 minutes until golden and the shallots are starting to crisp.

Serves 8

Source: BBC Good Food – December 2010

Baharat Spice Mix

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons coriander seeds
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon whole cloves
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1/2 stick cinnamon
1 teaspoon cardamom pods, seed only
good grating nutmeg
2 tablespoons paprika, not smoked

Method:

Put the whole spices in a small pan and heat until fragrant, stirring so they will not burn. Cool, then grind in a spice grinder.
Stir in the remaining spices and store in an airtight jar.

Source; Olive Magazine

Beef Meatballs with Broad Beans and Lemon

Ingredients:

4 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
350 grams broad beans, fresh or frozen
4 whole thyme sprigs
6 garlic cloves, sliced
8 spring onions, cut on an angle into 2 centimeter lengths.
2 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
500 milliliters chicken stock
salt and freshly ground black pepper
MEATBALLS:
300 grams minced beef
150 grams minced lamb
1 medium onion, finely chopped
120 grams breadcrumbs
2 tablespoon each chopped, parsley, mint, dill and coriander, plus extra 1/2 tablespoon of each for garnish.
2 large garlic cloves, crushed
1 tablespoon baharat spice mix, see recipe
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 teaspoon capers, chopped
1 egg, beaten

Method:

Place all the meatball ingredients in a large bowl, season with 3/4 teaspoon of salt and plenty of black pepper, mix well with your hands.
Form meatballs about the size of a ping-pong ball. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large frying pan for which you have a lid.
Sear half the meatballs over medium heat, until brown all over, about 5 minutes. Remove add 1/2 a tablespoon of oil and repeat with the rest of the meatballs. Remove the meatballs from the pan and wipe it clean.
Place the broad beans in a pot of salted boiling water and blanch for 2 minutes, drain and refresh under cold water. Remove the shells from half the beans and discard the shells.
Heat the remaining oil in the same pan in which you seared the meatballs. Add the thyme, garlic and spring onions and sauté over medium heat for 3 minutes. Add the unshelled beans, 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice, 80 milliliters of the stock, 1/4 teaspoon of salt and plenty of black pepper. The beans should be almost covered with liquid. Cover the pan and cook over low heat for 10 minutes.
Return the meatballs to the pan with the broad beans, add the remaining stock, cover, and simmer gently for 25 minutes. Remove from heat until ready to serve.
Just before serving, reheat the meatballs and add a little water, if needed, to get enough sauce. Add the remaining herbs and a tablespoon of lemon juice, the shelled broad beans and stir very gently. Serve immediately.

Serves: 4 – Makes about 20 meatballs

Source: Jerusalem by Yotem Ottolenghi

Chicken stuffed with Spinach and Dates

Ingredients:

1 onion, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, sliced
olive oil
4 dates, finely chopped
200 grams spinach, chopped
2 teaspoons ground cumin
4 skinless, boneless, chicken breasts
2 tablespoons pomegranate syrup or honey
green beans to serve

Method:

Preheat the oven to 200C
Cook the onion and garlic in a non-stick frying pan with a splash of oil for 5 minutes, season well, then add the dates, spinach and half the cumin. Cook for another 2 minutes.
Cut a large pocket in each of the chicken breast and divide the stuffing between the breasts, place in a shallow baking dish, rub the remaining cumin over the breasts and season. Drizzle with the pomegranate syrup or honey then bake for 20 minutes.
Serve with green beans.

Serves: 4.

Source: Olive – January 2010 – page 23

Chewy Oat and Apricot Bars

Ingredients:

300 grams porridge oats
100 grams sunflower seeds
50 grams desiccated coconut
50 grams plain flour
200 grams butter
200 grams golden syrup
150 grams soft brown sugar
150 grams dried apricots, chopped
125 grams crunchy peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Method:

Preheat the oven to 160C. Line a Swiss roll tin with non-stick baking paper, leaving a little hanging over for easy removal later.
Place the oats, seeds, cocnut and flour in a large bowl and mix together.
Melt the butter with the golden syrup in a saucepan, then mix in the sugar, chopped apricots, peanut butter and vanilla extract, pour into the dry ingredients and mix until combined.
Press into the tin and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden and slightly firm.
cool in the tin, then cut into 18 bars.

Makes 18 bars.

Source: deliciousmagazine.co.uk

Tiramisu Cheesecake

An outrageously rich cheesecake!

Ingredients:

275 grams amaretti biscuits, crushed
75 grams unsalted butter, melted
700 grams mascarpone, at room temperature
150 grams caster sugar
3 large eggs, separated
45 milliliters dark rum
30 grams plain flour
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
175 grams plain chocolate, chopped
1 tablespoon finely ground espresso coffee powder
3 tablespoons coffee liqueur, eg Tia Maria
Icing sugar for dusting

Method:

Stir the biscuit crumbs into the melted butter, then spoon into a 23 centimeter springform cake tin. Press evenly over the base and 4 centimeters up the sides with the back of a spoon. Chill for at least 30 minutes or until firm.
Preheat the oven to 200C. Put the mascarpone in a bowl and beat until smooth. Beat in the sugar, then the yolks. Divide between two bowls. Stir in the rum, flour and vanilla into one of the bowls.
Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a small pan of simmering water, stir until smooth. Cool slightly, then stir in the espresso powder and liqueur. Stir into the second bowl.
Put the egg whites in a clean, grease free bowl, whisk until soft peaks form, then fold half into each cheese mixture. Spoon alternative mounds of cheese mixture onto the biscuit base. Swirl together gently with an knife to ‘marble’
Bake for 45 minutes to one hour, until golden brown, but still soft in the center. Turn the oven off, then leave in the oven with the door ajar to cool.
When cold, chill for several hours, Serve dusted with icing sugar.

Source: deliciousmagazineco.uk

Serves: 8 to 10