Blog

  • Seri muka kuih

    Seri muka kuih

    Category: Dessert

    Area: Malaysian

    Ingredients:

    • 400g Rice
    • 150ml Coconut Milk
    • 100ml Water
    • 1 tsp Salt
    • 5 tbs Corn Flour
    • 3 tbs Flour
    • 3 Eggs
    • 200ml Coconut Cream
    • 140g Sugar

    Instructions:

    Soak glutinous rice with water for at least 1 ½ hours prior to using. Drain.
    Prepare a 9-inch round or square cake pan and spray with cooking spray or line with plastic wrap.
    Mix coconut milk, water, salt and the rice. Pour it into cake pan, topped with the pandan knots.
    Steam for 30 minutes.
    After 30 minutes, fluff up the rice and remove pandan knots. Then, using a greased spatula, flatten the steamed rice. Make sure there are no holes/air bubbles and gaps in the rice, especially the sides.
    Steam for another 10 minutes.

    Combine pandan juice, coconut milk, all purpose flour, cornflour, and sugar. Mix well.
    Add eggs and whisk well then strain into a medium sized metal bowl or pot.
    Place pandan mixture over simmering water (double boiler or bain-marie)
    Stir continuously and cook till custard starts to thicken. (15 minutes)
    Pour pandan custard into glutinous rice layer, give it a little tap (for air bubbles) and continue to steam for 30 minutes.
    Remove kuih seri muka from the steamer and allow to cool completely before cutting into rectangles or diamond shapes.

  • Ham hock colcannon

    Ham hock colcannon

    Category: Pork

    Area: Irish

    Ingredients:

    • 800g Floury Potatoes
    • 50g Butter
    • 3 chopped Garlic Clove
    • 1 chopped Cabbage
    • 8 Spring Onions
    • 100ml Double Cream
    • 2 tbs Mustard
    • 180g Ham
    • 4 Eggs

    Instructions:

    STEP 1
    Peel and cut the potatoes into even, medium-sized chunks. Put in a large pan filled with cold salted water, bring to the boil and cook for 10-15 mins until a knife can be inserted into the potatoes easily.

    STEP 2
    Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large sauté pan over a medium heat. Add the garlic, cabbage, spring onions and some seasoning. Stir occasionally until the cabbage is wilted but still retains a little bite, then set aside.

    STEP 3
    Drain the potatoes, leave to steam-dry for a couple of mins, then mash with the cream, mustard and seasoning in the same saucepan. Stir in the cabbage and ham hock. Keep warm over a low heat.

    STEP 4
    Reheat the pan you used to cook the cabbage (no need to wash first), add a splash of oil, crack in the eggs and fry to your liking. To serve, divide the colcannon between bowls and top each with a fried egg.

  • Apam balik

    Apam balik

    Category: Dessert

    Area: Malaysian

    Ingredients:

    • 200ml Milk
    • 60ml Oil
    • 2 Eggs
    • 1600g Flour
    • 3 tsp Baking Powder
    • 1/2 tsp Salt
    • 25g Unsalted Butter
    • 45g Sugar
    • 3 tbs Peanut Butter

    Instructions:

    Mix milk, oil and egg together. Sift flour, baking powder and salt into the mixture. Stir well until all ingredients are combined evenly.

    Spread some batter onto the pan. Spread a thin layer of batter to the side of the pan. Cover the pan for 30-60 seconds until small air bubbles appear.

    Add butter, cream corn, crushed peanuts and sugar onto the pancake. Fold the pancake into half once the bottom surface is browned.

    Cut into wedges and best eaten when it is warm.

  • Spinach & Ricotta Cannelloni

    Spinach & Ricotta Cannelloni

    Category: Vegetarian

    Area: Italian

    Ingredients:

    • 3 tbsp Olive Oil
    • 8 cloves chopped Garlic
    • 3 tbsp Caster Sugar
    • 2 tblsp Red Wine Vinegar
    • 3 400g Cans Chopped Tomatoes
    • Bunch Basil Leaves
    • 2 tubs Mascarpone
    • 3 tbsp Milk
    • 85g Parmesan
    • 2 sliced Mozzarella
    • 1kg Spinach
    • 100g Parmesan
    • 3 tubs Ricotta
    • pinch Nutmeg
    • 400g Cannellini Beans

    Instructions:

    First make the tomato sauce. Heat the oil in a large pan and fry the garlic for 1 min. Add the sugar, vinegar, tomatoes and some seasoning and simmer for 20 mins, stirring occasionally, until thick. Add the basil and divide the sauce between 2 or more shallow ovenproof dishes (see Tips for freezing, below). Set aside. Make a sauce by beating the mascarpone with the milk until smooth, season, then set aside.

    Put the spinach in a large colander and pour over a kettle of boiling water to wilt it (you may need to do this in batches). When cool enough to handle squeeze out the excess water. Roughly chop the spinach and mix in a large bowl with 100g Parmesan and ricotta. Season well with salt, pepper and the nutmeg.

    Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Using a piping bag or plastic food bag with the corner snipped off, squeeze the filling into the cannelloni tubes. Lay the tubes, side by side, on top of the tomato sauce and spoon over the mascarpone sauce. Top with Parmesan and mozzarella. You can now freeze the cannelloni, uncooked, or you can cook it first and then freeze. Bake for 30-35 mins until golden and bubbling. Remove from oven and let stand for 5 mins before serving.

  • Madeira Cake

    Madeira Cake

    Category: Dessert

    Area: British

    Ingredients:

    • 175g Butter
    • 175g Caster Sugar
    • 3 Eggs
    • 250g Self-raising Flour
    • 3 tbs Milk
    • Zest of 1 Lemon
    • To Glaze Mixed Peel

    Instructions:

    Pre-heat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Grease an 18cm/7in round cake tin, line the base with greaseproof paper and grease the paper.
    Cream the butter and sugar together in a bowl until pale and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating the mixture well between each one and adding a tablespoon of the flour with the last egg to prevent the mixture curdling.
    Sift the flour and gently fold in, with enough milk to give a mixture that falls slowly from the spoon. Fold in the lemon zest.
    Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and lightly level the top. Bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 30-40 minutes, or until golden-brown on top and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
    Remove from the oven and set aside to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn it out on to a wire rack and leave to cool completely.
    To serve, decorate the cake with the candied peel.

  • Chickpea Fajitas

    Chickpea Fajitas

    Category: Vegetarian

    Area: Mexican

    Ingredients:

    • 400g Chickpeas
    • 1 tblsp Olive Oil
    • pinch Paprika
    • 2 small cut chunks Tomatoes
    • 1 finely sliced Red Onions
    • 2 tsp Red Wine Vinegar
    • 1 Avocado
    • Juice of 1 Lime
    • Chopped Lime
    • 100g Sour Cream
    • 2 tsp Harissa Spice
    • 4 Corn Tortillas
    • to serve Coriander

    Instructions:

    Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6 and line a baking tray with foil. Drain the chickpeas, pat dry and tip onto the prepared baking tray. Add the oil and paprika, toss to coat, then roast for 20-25 mins until browned and crisp, shaking halfway through cooking.

    Meanwhile, put the tomatoes and onion in a small bowl with the vinegar and set aside to pickle. Put the avocado in another bowl and mash with a fork, leaving some larger chunks. Stir in the lime juice and season well. Mix the soured cream with the harissa and set aside until ready to serve.

    Heat a griddle pan until nearly smoking. Add the tortillas , one at a time, charring each side until hot with griddle lines.

    Put everything on the table and build the fajitas : spread a little of the harissa cream over the tortilla, top with roasted chickpeas, guacamole, pickled salsa and coriander, if you like. Serve with the lime wedges for squeezing over.

  • Walnut Roll Gužvara

    Walnut Roll Gužvara

    Category: Dessert

    Area: Croatian

    Ingredients:

    • 450g Flour
    • 55g Caster Sugar
    • 2 parts Yeast
    • 1/2 tsp Salt
    • 6 oz Milk
    • 2 Beaten Eggs
    • 30g Butter
    • 140g Walnuts
    • 85g Butter
    • 85g Brown Sugar
    • 1 tsp Cinnamon
    • To Glaze Milk
    • To Glaze Icing Sugar

    Instructions:

    Mix all the ingredients for the dough together and knead well. Cover the dough and put to rise until doubled in size which should take about 2 hours. Knock back the dough and knead lightly.

    Divide the dough into two equal pieces; roll each piece into an oblong about 12 inches by 8 inches. Mix the filling ingredients together and divide between the dough, spreading over each piece. Roll up the oblongs as tightly as possible to give two 12 inch sausages. Place these side by side, touching each other, on a greased baking sheet. Cover and leave to rise for about 40 minutes. Heat oven to 200ºC (425ºF). Bake for 30-35 minutes until well risen and golden brown. Bread should sound hollow when the base is tapped.

    Remove from oven and brush the hot bread top with milk. Sift with a generous covering of icing sugar.

  • Pad See Ew

    Pad See Ew

    Category: Chicken

    Area: Thai

    Ingredients:

    • 6oz/180g rice stick noodles
    • 2 tbsp dark soy sauce
    • 2 tbsp oyster sauce
    • 2 tsp soy sauce
    • 2 tsp white vinegar
    • 2 tsp sugar
    • 2 tbsp water
    • 2 tbsp peanut oil
    • 2 cloves garlic
    • 1 cup Chicken
    • 1 Egg
    • 4 cups Chinese broccoli

    Instructions:

    Mix Sauce in small bowl.
    Mince garlic into wok with oil. Place over high heat, when hot, add chicken and Chinese broccoli stems, cook until chicken is light golden.
    Push to the side of the wok, crack egg in and scramble. Don't worry if it sticks to the bottom of the wok – it will char and which adds authentic flavour.
    Add noodles, Chinese broccoli leaves and sauce. Gently mix together until the noodles are stained dark and leaves are wilted. Serve immediately!

  • Eccles Cakes

    Eccles Cakes

    Category: Dessert

    Area: British

    Ingredients:

    • 250g Butter
    • 350g Plain Flour
    • Juice of 1/2 Lemon
    • 25g Butter
    • 200g Currants
    • 50g Mixed Peel
    • 100g Muscovado Sugar
    • 1 tsp Cinnamon
    • 1 tsp Ginger
    • 1 tsp Allspice
    • Zest of 1 Lemon
    • 1 beaten Eggs
    • spinkling Sugar

    Instructions:

    To make the pastry, dice the butter and put it in the freezer to go really hard. Tip flour into the bowl of a food processor with half the butter and pulse to the texture of breadcrumbs. Pour in the lemon juice and 100ml iced water, and pulse to a dough. Tip in the rest of the butter and pulse a few times until the dough is heavily flecked with butter. It is important that you don’t overdo this as the flecks of butter are what makes the pastry flaky.
    On a floured surface roll the pastry out to a neat rectangle about 20 x 30cm. Fold the two ends of the pastry into the middle (See picture 1), then fold in half (pic 2). Roll the pastry out again and refold the same way 3 more times resting the pastry for at least 15 mins each time between roll and fold, then leave to rest in the fridge for at least 30 mins before using.
    To make the filling, melt the butter in a large saucepan. Take it off the heat and stir in all the other ingredients until completely mixed, then set aside.
    To make the cakes, roll the pastry out until it’s just a little thicker than a £1 coin and cut out 8 rounds about 12cm across. Re-roll the trimming if needed. Place a good heaped tablespoon of mixture in the middle of each round, brush the edges of the rounds with water, then gather the pastry around the filling and squeeze it together (pic 3). Flip them over so the smooth top is upwards and pat them into a smooth round. Flatten each round with a rolling pin to an oval until the fruit just starts to poke through, then place on a baking tray. Cut 2 little slits in each Eccles cakes, brush generously with egg white and sprinkle with the sugar (pic 4).
    Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 8. Bake the Eccles cakes for 15-20 mins until just past golden brown and sticky. Leave to cool on a rack and enjoy while still warm or cold with a cup of tea. If you prefer, Eccles cakes also go really well served with a wedge of hard, tangy British cheese such as Lancashire or cheddar.

  • Honey Yogurt Cheesecake

    Honey Yogurt Cheesecake

    Category: Dessert

    Area: Greek

    Ingredients:

    • 100g Digestive Biscuits
    • 85g Almonds
    • 85g Butter
    • 250ml Greek Yogurt
    • 750g Mascarpone
    • 2 Eggs
    • Zest of 1 Lemon
    • Zest of 1 Orange
    • 250ml Honey
    • To serve Fruit Mix

    Instructions:

    Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Crush the biscuits and most of the almonds inside a plastic food bag using a rolling pin. Mix with the butter, then press into the bottom of a deep, oval, 23cm dish (or something similar in size – a roasting tin, baking dish or cake tin will work). Bake for 10 mins until crisp.

    Stir or mash together the yogurt and mascarpone, then whisk in the eggs, one at a time. Stir in the lemon and orange zests, then stir in most of the honey, reserving about 3 tbsp. Spread over the biscuit base, cover loosely with foil and cook for 1 hr. Remove the foil and cook for 15 mins more until lightly golden and the top is firm with just the slightest wobble in the middle. Leave to cool. Can be kept in the fridge for up to 2 days.

    To serve, scatter with almonds, drizzle over the remaining honey, and hand around fresh fruit to go with it.