Monday, March 15, 2010

Pan-fried Butter Beans & Savoy Cabbage (VEG)














Ingredients:

Savoy Cabbage 1/2 bunch (170 g)
Butter Beans 1can
Extra virgin olive oil 2 tablespoons
Sea salt
walnuts, lightly toasted 45 g
garlic, minced 1 clove
grated nutmeg
fresh lemon juice 1 tablespoon
zest of 1 lemon

Instructions:
Finely chop the cabbage, wash it, and shake off as much water as you can.
Heat the olive oil in a pan then add the beans in a single layer. Stir to coat the beans, and then let them sit long enough to brown on one side, about 3 or 4 minutes, before turning to brown the other side, also about 3 or 4 minutes. The beans should be golden and a bit crunchy on the outside.
Add the cabbage and salt to the pan and cook for 4 minute, just long enough for the cabbage to lose a bit of its structure. Stir in the walnuts and garlic for a minute, then stir in the nutmeg. Wait ten seconds and stir in the lemon juice and zest. Remove from heat and serve it.

Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Half blondie, half brownie

Ingredients:
Plain chocolate 100gr
White chocolate 50gr
Cream cheese 300gr
Eggs 4
Caster sugar 200gr
Vanilla essence 1 ½ tsp
Walnuts 100gr
Plain flour 100gr

Instruction:
Preheat the oven to 180`c (Gaz 4).
Break up the plain chocolate and melted over a pan of steam water. Remove the bowl from the pan and leave it to cool. Melt the white chocolate in the same way and leave it to cool.
Put the cream cheese into the bowl of an electric mixer or food processor. Add the sugar and beat until smooth. Beat in the eggs and vanilla, one at a time. Work in the flour on low speed.
Transfer half the mixture to another bowl. Add the melted plain chocolate to one portion and mix thoroughly. Mix the melted white chocolate into the other portion. The plain chocolate mixture will be stiffer than the white.
Using a tablespoon, drop spoonfuls of the plain chocolate mixture into the prepared tin, spacing them evenly apart, with gaps between the blobs. Pour the white chocolate mixture over the top to fill the spaces. Scatter the nuts over the top. Use the end of a chopstick and swirl the two mixtures together.
Bake fro 25 to 30min. then leave it to cool before moving from the tin and cutting into several pieces.

Old fashioned brownies

Ingredients:

Walnuts 100gr

Caster sugar 300gr

Eggs 4

Unsalted butter, melted 140gr

Vanilla essences 1tsp

Plain flour 140gr

Cocoa powder 75gr

Instruction:

Preheat oven to 170`c.

Lightly toast walnuts in the oven. Remove from oven and leave it to cool.

Mix the eggs into a mixing bowl by hand held electric mixer to whisk until frothy then add the sugar and continue mixing. Add the butter and vanilla and whisk for a minute.

Sieve the flour and cocoa into the bowl and stir in with a wooden spoon. When thoroughly combined stir in the nuts. Transfer the mixture to the prepared tin and spread evenly.

Bake in the oven for about 25min until a skewer inserted halfway between the sides and the center comes out just clean. Leave it to cool completely before removing from the tin and cutting into several pieces.

Sunday, August 17, 2008

Walnut brownies:


Ingredients:

Plain chocolate 100gr
Plain flour 100gr

Cocoa powder 2tbsp
Walnut pieces 150gr
Unsalted butter 110gr

Vanilla essence 1tsp
Caster sugar 180gr
Eggs lightly bea
ten 2
Ingredients for icing:
Plain chocolate 50gr
Unsalted butter 50gr
Milk 4tbsp
Cocoa powder 2tbsp
Icing sugar 100gr
Walnut 50gr
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 180’c. Break up the chocolate and put it in a heatproof mixing bowl with the butter. Set the bowl over a pan of steaming water and melt gently, stirring frequently
.
Remove the bowl from the pan and stir in the sugar and vanilla. Add the eggs and beat well with wooden spoon until the mixture comes together as a smooth batter.
Sift the flour and cocoa powder into the bowl and stir in. Then combined stir in the walnuts. Pour the mixture to the prepared tin and spread evenly.
Bake in the preheated oven for 15min or until just firm to the touch. Remove the tin from the oven, and leave to cool completely then carefully remove the brownie from tin.

Meanwhile make the icing: melt the chocolate and butter as above. Remove the bowl from the pan and stir in the milk. Sift the cocoa with icing sugar into the bowl and stir in. When thick and smooth stir in the nuts. Spread the icing over the cooled, bakes brownie.
Once the topping is firm, cut the brownie into 20 pieces.

Cardamom hot chocolate: (4)


Ingredients:
Milk 900ml
Cardamom 3pods
Plain chocolate, broken into pieces 200gr
Instructions:
Put the milk in a pan with the cardamom pods and bring to the boil. Add the chocolate and whisk until melted.
Using a slotted spoon, remove the cardamom pods and discard. Pour the hot chocolate into heatproof glasses, mugs and serve with whipped cream

Thursday, July 03, 2008

Tabouleh:


Ingredients:
Couscous 250gr
Olive oil 5tbsp
Juice of lemon 1
Salt and pepper
Fresh mint, parsley chopped
Chopped cucumber 100gr
Chopped tomatoes 2
Chopped green and red pepper 1
Chopped spring onions 2
Tomatoes ketchup 3tbsp
Instructions:
Prepare the couscous following pack instruction.
Mix olive oil, lemon juice and seasoning.
Add the herbs, cucumber and mixture to the couscous.
For sauce:
Boiling the water, blanch the peppers, onions and tomatoes then mix all together plus tomatoes ketchup, salt and pepper.

Lime and pepper chicken wraps:




Ingredients:
Skinless chicken breasts, each cut into 6 strips 4
Zest and juice of limes 2
Tortilla wraps 8
Sunflower oil 2tbsp
Gem lettuce, shredded 1
Low fat yogurt 150ml
Salt and pepper
Guacamole 200gr

Ingredients for guacamole:
Ripe avocado 1
Chopped tomatoes 2
Hot chilli powder 1 ½ tsp
Juice of lime 1
Instructions:
Toss the chicken with the lime zest and juice, pepper, oil and salt. Cook on a grilled pan or barbecue for 8min, turning until evenly cooked and nicely browned.

For Guacamole: mash the avocado in a bowl with a fork. Add tomatoes, chilli powder, lime juice and a little salt and pepper. Stir everything together.
Heat the tortillas, spread a little guacamole over each tortilla, top with some lettuce and chicken, and then drizzle over the yogurt. Roll up and enjoy.

Monday, June 16, 2008

Vanilla Pannacotta:



Vanilla Pannacotta:

Ingredients:
Milk 600ml
Vanilla pod 1
Caster sugar 125gr
Gelatine leaf 4 sheets
Natural yoghurt 200ml

Instruction:

Pour the milk into a saucepan and add the sugar and vanilla pot, stirring until the sugar dissolved. Then bring to a simmer, meanwhile soak the gelatine leaves in cold water for a few minutes to soften them.

As soon as the milk begins to bubble, remove the pan from the heat. Drain the gelatine leaves and squeeze out excess water, then add to the hot milk. Stir to dissolve, and then leave to cool.

Add the yoghurt to the infused milk. Pour the mixture into pannacotta dish or dariole moulds and set them on a tray. Cover with a large piece of cling film and chill for a few hours until set.

To unmould each pannacotta, dip the mould in a bowl of warm water for few seconds, then invert onto a plate and give it a gentle shake to release.

Sunday, February 24, 2008

Chocolate muffins:


Ingredients:

Flour 260g
Cocoa powder 60gr
Dark chocolate chopped 150gr
Baking powder 1½ tsp
Sugar 100gr

Walnuts 80g
Melted butter 120ml
Milk 240ml
Egg, lightly beaten 1
Vanilla 1 ½ tsp

Instructions:

Pre-heated oven to 190°C.

Sift the flour, baking powder, sugar and cocoa into a bowl.

Add the chocolate and walnuts then form a well in the centre. Pour the butter, milk, egg and vanilla into this and stir until just combined. Spoon the mixture into greased muffin tins until 3/4 of the way up the well.

Place in an oven and bake for 20 minutes, or until done.

Tuesday, February 12, 2008

White chocolate torte:

Ingredients:

Melted butter 100gr

Amaretto biscuits 300gr finely crushed

Whipping cream 600ml

White chocolate 300gr

Instructions:

Add the butter into biscuits and mix well. Place the biscuits into a loose based round tin and press it with back of a spoon. Freeze until cold.

Melt the chocolate in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Once the chocolate has melted, leave to cool.

Whip the cream. If the cream is very cold, leave it to warm up a little. Add the cream into the chocolate and mix well. Pour into the tin and chill until firm.