Nish Whips Up A Dish

Sour Cherries Chocolate Muffins

2012-03-02T06:00:00.002Z

Sour Cherries Chocolate Muffins

Since starting my job as an Editor, and having to endure being stuck in traffic for almost an hour every morning, I have been on the look out for recipes which are suitable to be eaten on the go and fun and tasty (with a bit of chocolate to perk me up!)

Each muffin is chock full of cherries and chocolate!

When I came across this recipe on my favourite website BBC Good Food I knew I had to try this out as soon as I could! This recipe combines sour cherries and chocolate - both dark and white! I knew it was going to be a winner. It's only takes a matter of minutes to throw together and within 30-40 minutes you will have a batch of freshly baked muffins ready to be devoured.

Sour Cherries Chocolate Muffins

Adapted from BBC Good Food

Makes 12 muffins

Ingredients

250g self raising flour

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

140g dried sour cherries

100g white chocolate chunks

100g dark chocolate chunks

100g caster sugar

2 eggs, beaten

150ml plain yoghurt

100g butter, melted

Method

Pre-heat oven to 200C and line muffins with paper cases. Sift flour and bicarbonate of soda into a bowl.
Toss in the cherries, chocolate and sugar.
Add the beaten eggs, yoghurt and butter and stir to combine. The batter will look lumpy but it is important not to over-mix as the muffins will turn out tough.
Fill the paper cases and bake for 20-25 minutes until well risen and golden brown.
Especially delicious eaten warm!

Cheese and Onion Muffins

2012-02-29T07:00:00.000Z

Cheese and Onion Muffins

As mentioned here, this month’s Daring Baker’s challenge saw us experimenting with loaves and muffins. Having always made sweet muffins with ease, it was time to try something different and new.

Savoury muffins.

Figuring out the flavour profile was something of a challenge; I wanted the muffins to be vegetarian friendly but still be satisfying and moreish. Cheese was definitely the way forward. It so happened that onions were on offer at the supermarket, so that was that. Cheese and onion muffins were on the menu. Having never worked with marjoram before, I was curious as to how it flavours a dish so in it went into the muffin batter. Not surprisingly it worked well! The sweetness and delicate flavour of the marjoram worked really well with the cheddar and onions.

Some of the ingredients: onions, cheese, marjoram, black pepper and salt. Isn't Himalayan salt so pretty with its various tinges of pink?

The muffins turned out to be incredibly soft, moist and had a lovely crumb. The additional cheese on top gives it a nice crust while the black pepper imparts subtle heat. The muffins keep well in the fridge and for the past couple of days I’ve been enjoying this delight before work. There is nothing better than a warm muffin and a cup of coffee/tea first thing in the morning to get you going. Plus I am also under the illusion that this is a relatively healthy start to the day; of course you prefer it to be super healthy, just reduced the amount of cheese.

Gorgeous healthy muffins in the making

These muffins were so good that Rusky, my beloved cocker spaniel snuck into the kitchen and stole and greedily scoffed FOUR muffins in one go before anyone realised what had happened.

This is Rusky four muffins later. Contented beyond words.

Cheese and Onion Muffins

Yields 12 muffins

Ingredients

300g plain flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 large onions, chopped
2 eggs, beaten
225ml milk
1.5 tsp majoram
6 tbsp olive oil
100g cheddar, grated
Ground black pepper

Method

Pre-heat oven to 200C. Line muffin pan.
Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a pan and gently fry onions for 10-12 minutes until soft and translucent.
Combine flour, baking powder and salt and sieve.
In a separate bowl, mix eggs, milk, marjoram and remaining olive oil. Add a generous pinch of black pepper.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix. Stir in the onions and grated cheese and mix until just combined.
Spoon the mixture into the prepared muffin pan and sprinkle with remaining cheese and more black pepper.
Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown, firm to touch and well risen.

Daring Bakers February 2012 - Jaffa Drizzle Loaf

2012-02-27T02:00:00.000Z

Jaffa Drizzle Loaf in all its glory!

Another month is coming to an end so it means this month’s Daring Baker’s challenge is about to be unveiled. Can you believe we’ve gone through TWO months of 2012 already?

Anyway the Daring Bakers’ February 2012 host was – Lis Lisa stepped in last minute and challenged us to create a quick bread we could call our own. She supplied us with a base recipe and shared some recipes she loves from various websites and encouraged us to build upon them and create new flavour profiles. There were three rules we had to adhere to

No yeast is to be used
The process of making and baking cannot take more than 1.5 hours
Only loaves, muffins or popovers (Which I only just discovered is the American versions of Yorkshire Puddings)

So with these rules in mind I made

Jaffa inspired Orange Chocolate Drizzle Cake
Cheese and Onion Muffins
Sour Cherries and Chocolate Muffins

As you can tell I thoroughly enjoyed this challenge and I loved playing around with new flavours. I won’t be posting all the recipes today but will stagger it out throughout the week.

I’ll start off with my favourite out of the list: Orange Chocolate Drizzle Cake. I’m not sure what to say about this loaf...Just look at it in all its chocolatey orange goodness! If you have the ability to say no to a slice of this then you must be MAD!

It's so easy to throw together as well; add all the ingredients to a bowl, mix together and bake!

The interior of this loaf is moist and very flavourful thanks to the orange syrup that is the drizzled over it post-baking. The chocolate drizzle is slightly indulgent but by this point you wouldn’t care! I made an extra loaf for my friend, Adlin and her parents and they absolutely loved it. Even my mother, who is quite the critic, could not stop eating slices of it!

Chocolate and orange is a match made in heaven!

Also it is worth noting that the flavours develop over the days so it might be advisable to make this loaf a day before you intend on serving it. That's if you can resist not tucking into it straight away...!

Jaffa Drizzle Loaf

Adapted from BBC Good Food

Ingredients

Loaf

140g butter, softened

200g self raising flour

200g caster sugar

1.5 tsp baking powder

3 large eggs

6 tbsp cold milk

Finely grated zest of 1 orange

Topping

3 tbsp orange juice

50g caster sugar

50g dark chocolate, melted

Orange slices to decorate

Method

1. Butter and line a loaf tin. Pre-heat oven to 180C

2. Put all cake ingredients into a bowl and mix with a wooden spoon for 3-5 minutes until light and fluffy.

3. Spoon mixture into tin and even out the top.

4. Bake for 50 mins until golden brown and cooked on the inside.

5. While the loaf cools in the tin, heat orange juice and sugar in a pan to create a syrup. Bring to a boil.

6. Remove from heat and pour all over evenly. Don't worry if the syrup looks excessive as the loaf will absorb all the moisture.

7. Once the loaf has cooled significantly, melt chocolate and pour or drizzle all over the cake. If you want, you could cover the entire cake with melted chocolate.

8. Decorate with orange slices.

Lemon, Kumquat and Poppy Seed Cupcakes with Lemon Buttercream

2012-02-24T06:00:00.013Z

I came across these kumquats in the supermarket last week and I knew I had to take these gorgeous golden mini citrus fruits home. I was initially unsure how to incorporate this into a recipe. Plus there were so many routes I could take; kumquat preserves, puddings, loaf, tarts. In the end I went for a relatively simple recipe which I knew would highlight the sweet and citrus tones of the kumquat.

Lemon, Kumquat and Poppy Seed Cupcakes with Lemon Buttercream

The addition of chopped kumquats to the natural combination of lemons and poppy seeds gives this cupcake a beautiful citrus balance. The zesty-ness of a lemon cupcake is taken down a notch replaced with a slightly sweet undertone. The cupcake recipe itself produces an incredibly light, fluffy cake and when topped with a tangy lemon buttercream, it screams sunshine, beach and summer!

Can't get enough of these gorgeous colours!

So tell me, what is your favourite way of enjoying kumquats?

Lemon, Kumquat and Poppy Seed Cupcakes

Adapted from BBC Good Food

Yields 12 cupcakes

Ingredients

Cupcakes

225g self raising flour

175g caster sugar

Zest of two lemons

½ cup kumquats; de-seeded and chopped

2 tbsp poppy seeds, toasted

3 eggs

100g natural yoghurt

175g butter, melted and cooled

Buttercream

225g butter; softened

350-400g icing sugar; sifted

Juice of one lemon

Few drops of yellow colouring

Method

Lemon, Kumquat and Poppy Seed Cupcakes

Toast the poppy seeds over a low flame for 5-10 minutes until the seeds emit a nutty aroma.
Mix flour, caster sugar, lemon zest, poppy seeds and chopped kumquats in a large mixing bowl. Beat the eggs into the yoghurt and add to the dry ingredients together with melted butter.
Mix ingredients until incorporated and divide into cupcake cases. Bake in a preheated oven at 180C for 20-25 minutes. Use a skewer to check if cupcakes are done as the tops will remain quite pale.
Leave to cool completely before icing.

Lemon Buttercream

To make buttercream, beat butter until really soft. Gradually add the icing sugar and lemon juice.
Add a few drops of yellow colouring to give the buttercream a pale yellow tinge.
Pipe buttercream onto cupcakes using a star nozzle.

Dried Raspberries and White Chocolate Pancakes

2012-02-20T06:00:00.005Z

Pancake Day is celebrated with lots of enthusiasm in the UK every February and it’s a tradition I have come to love over the years of living in the UK.

In first year of University, I was assigned to live in a flat with 7 other girls. Four of the girls were older than the rest of us and were doing their second degrees. This meant that they were a bit more mature and serious about cleanliness, chores and being quiet compared to the 4 18/19 year olds who cared more about partying and laughing and doing ridiculously things in the kitchen, causing lots of noise and subsequently lots of arguments with the 4 older flatmates. When Pancake Day arrived, the 4 older girls got together and made lots of pancakes and did not offer any to us. So come midnight we thought it would be funny to ‘spike’ their leftover pancake batter with things like vinegar and lemon juice.

The next day we converged to the kitchen hoping that the batter would have gone off, instead the older girls commented how lovely the pancakes! Major fail on our part. And till today I have no idea how the pancake batter survived the huge lashings of vinegar and lemon juice!

In conjunction with Pancake Day I made these Dried Raspberries and White Chocolate Pancakes. I used my standard pancake recipe which yields fluffy, tasty American style pancakes and to make it special I added half cups of dried raspberries and white chocolate chips to the mixture.

This adaptation was a great hit as the sweetness from the chocolate chips was balanced by the tartness of the dried raspberries. I’ll definitely be making these again soon!

NB: Although the raspberries aren’t visible on the surface of the pancakes, rest assured that each mouthful is a laden filled with chocolate and chewy bits of fruit.

Dried Raspberries and White Chocolate Pancakes

Makes about 10 medium sized pancakes

Adapted from BBC Good Food

Ingredients

200g self raising flour

1 tsp baking powder

Pinch of salt

1 egg

300 ml milk

½ tbsp melted butter

½ cup white chocolate chips

½ cup dried raspberries

A little butter for cooking

Method

Mix together flour, baking powder and salt. In a separate bowl, mix egg and milk. Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour the egg mixture into it, whisking to create a thick batter.
Whisk in the melted butter until fully incorporated and gently stir in the chocolate chips and raspberries.
Heat a non stick pan with a small amount of butter. Drop a large tablespoon of pancake batter in the pan and cook for 2-3 mins until small bubbles appear on the surface. Flip and cook for a few more minutes. Pancakes should fluff up during cooking process.
Remove and keep warm by covering the pancakes with kitchen paper, while the rest of batter is used up.

Ciabatta

2012-02-17T06:00:00.014Z

Remember what I resolved after the Daring Baker's fiasco back in December? I made a resolution to conquer the much dreaded bread making and vowed to produce a stunning loaf by the end of 2012. I even spammed my brother, Suresh, with links of bread-making books on Amazon coercing him into buying me one for my birthday/Christmas. And he did, no surprise there!

Paul Hollywood's 100 Great Breads is a brilliant book with interesting and easy to follow recipes. Following his recipe I managed to bake myself an really good basic white loaf and things have really taken off since then.

Figuring that yeast/bread is no longer the enemy, I decided to jump right in and try out the ciabatta recipe. It turned out so much better than expected! Perfect crisp crust with a light, air-pocketed middle. It's even looks like a typical ciabatta loaf - broad and almost flat.

That same evening I talked Gavin through the recipe on Skype and even he made some pretty awesome ciabatta loaves. This recipe doesn't involve any kneading - just throw the ingredients into a bowl, give a good mix and leave it to rise. Tip the risen dough onto a heavily floured surface, coat it with more flour, cut it up into desired size, bung it in the oven and voila! Homemade ciabatta!

Like any rustic bread, ciabattas are so versatile and so I've been dunking it in soups, making bruschettas and plan to make sandwiches with it. So good!

I'm glad my perseverance is paying off; and who knows, before long I may even become some sort of bread connoisseur. Watch this space I tell ya!

Ciabatta

Makes 4 loaves ( 6-7 inches long)

Ingredients

500g strong white flour, plus extra for dusting

1½ tsp salt

15g dried yeast

400 ml tepid water

30 ml olive oil

Method

Place flour, salt, yeast and 300 ml water in a big bowl and mix with wooden spoon until ingredients come together. If using a mixer, mix ingredients with a dough hook on slow for 3 minutes.
Slowly begin to add the remaining water and mix for a further 5-8 minutes. The dough should now be wet and stretch easily when pulled.
Place the dough in a well oiled bowl and leave to rise for 1-2 hours, until doubled in size.
Tip the dough out onto a heavily floured surface and coat the top of the dough with flour.
Cut the dough lengthways and divide each piece into two. You will now have four pieces of dough.
Stretch a little and shape the dough into a rough rectangle. Place on a lined baking tray, ensuring there is ample space between each piece of dough.
Rest for a further 20 minutes.
Bake in a pre-heated oven at 220C for 25 minutes until golden brown.

Daring Cooks February 2012 - Flipping Fried Patties

2012-02-14T06:00:00.021Z

Thai Fish Cakes with a Cucumber Ribbon Salad

The Daring Cooks’ February 2012 challenge was hosted by Audax & Lis and they chose to present Patties for their ease of construction, ingredients and deliciousness! We were given several recipes, and learned the different types of binders and cooking methods to produce our own tasty patties!

A variety of healthy and colourful ingredients

The main intention of this challenge was for us to understand how to form, what binders to use and how to fry a patty to perfection. As we were given free rein on the type of patty to make I went for a recipe that is healthy yet which packs a punch flavour wise. I also wanted to make something simple as work is tiring me out at the moment.

I wish I had more time to experiment but for now Thai Fish Cakes with a Cucumber Ribbon Salad will have to do!

De-seed a cucumber by using a spoon to scrape out the seeds. Toss all ingredients to create a light salad.

I came across this recipe for Thai Fish Cakes a few months ago and have made it a number of times and have always been well received. Served with refreshing cucumber ribbon salad, this makes a perfect entrée or a main meal. The multitude of flavours combined is stunning; fresh and light with a slight heat from the chilli coming through. The cucumber salad is refreshing and adds a really nice touch. Honestly each mouthful is an explosion of flavours!

Top to bottom: Process fish, add wet ingredients, then the dry, finally shape the paste into patties.

These fish cakes are relatively easy to throw together – with the food processor doing most of the work. This recipe doesn’t require the use of any binders nor does it need to be coated. Plus this is a gluten-free recipe!

Thai Fish Cakes with a Cucumber Ribbon Salad

Serves 4 as an entree, or 2-3 as a main

Adapted from Thai Food

Ingredients

Fish Cakes

0.45 kg white-fleshed fish fillets (I used sole)

3 tbsp coconut milk

2 tbsp fish sauce

½ tsp shrimp paste

½ tbsp chilli powder

½ tsp turmeric powder (optional)

⅓ tsp cumin

¼ tsp ground coriander

½ tsp brown sugar

3 red onions, thinly sliced

1 thumb sized galangal or ginger, grated

3 cloves garlic, crushed

1 red chilli, sliced

6-7 kaffir lime leaves, thinly cut with a pair of scissors

Cucumber Ribbon Salad

1 cucumber, deseeded and ribboned

1 chilli, diced finely

1 lime, juiced

½ tsp sugar

Fresh coriander leaves

Method

Prepare the cucumber salad by de-seeding it and slicing it thinly by using a mandolin or a manual slicer to create a ribbon effect.
Add the chilli, lime juice and sugar to the cucumber ribbons and toss. Chill in the refrigerator.
Pat dry fish fillets and cut into chunks. Place in a food processor and process until fish chunks resemble a paste.
Mix the chilli powder, turmeric, cumin, coriander seeds, brown sugar, shrimp paste, fish sauce and coconut milk in a bowl. Add the mixture to the fish paste using a fork/spoon.
Add the remaining ingredients; kaffir lime leaves, chilli, onions, galangal and garlic. Pulse with fish until it forms a thick paste.
Pick a small amount of paste (about the size of a golf ball) and place in your palm. Shape it into a fish cake and place on a tray. Repeat until all remaining paste is used. It helps to constantly wet your palms to prevent the fish cakes from sticking. If paste is too wet, add a small amount of breadcrumbs or flour.
Set the cakes in refrigerator for 10-20 minutes to firm up.
Heat oil in a small frying pan (enough to shallow fry).
Place cakes in pan slowly. Allow cakes to cook halfway before flipping. Fry until both sides are golden brown and drain on paper towel.
Add coriander leaves to the cucumber salad and serve together with fish cakes immediately.

Double Chocolate Tartlettes

2012-02-12T16:12:00.000Z

With Valentine’s Day around the corner, it is only fitting that I share a decadent chocolate inspired recipe that is the perfect dessert if you’re looking to impress.

Valentine’s Day has never meant much to me over the years – and no I am not just saying that to justify the lack of Valentines cards and gifts received. No doubt it has become a gimmicky day where it is okay for the price of roses to sky rocket by 200% or where restaurants get so full that you’re literally sat on the same table with another couple, listening to all the sweet nothings the man is whispering to his lady. Cue gag reflex.

Nope, celebrating Valentine’s Day in public is definitely not my thing. If I had to, I’d rather spend it in the comforts of my own home, with a lovely home cooked meal, with my (or rather his) choice of music (because Westlife is just plain cheesy) and a bottle of wine that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg.

Chocolate shortcrust pastry

Yes I am cheap sometimes but you have to admit that sounds way more appealing than being stuck in an overcrowded restaurant with 50 other couples all under the pretense of being romantic.

Anyway back to main point - double chocolate tartlettes. Smooth creamy ganache surrounded by crumbly chocolate shortcrust pastry and topped with cocoa powder and lime zest, for a slight tang which cuts right through the richness of the chocolate. It takes a bit of preparation and waiting time but the end result is so worth it!

What are Gavin and I doing for this Valentine’s Day you ask? Well the last two Valentines were spent at Cider Festivals so instead of being predictable it is only fitting that this year we celebrate it by playing Resident Evil on the Xbox for 12 hours straight.

Told you I’m no romantic.

So what are you doing this Valentines?

Double Chocolate Tartlettes

Chocolate Shortcrust Pastry

From Pastry Cook book

Makes about 300g or sufficient for 8 tartlettes (3 inches in diameter)

Ingredients

115g plain flour

25g icing sugar

25g cocoa powder

75g chilled butter, diced

2 eggs

¼ tsp vanilla extract

Method

Sift the flour, icing sugar and cocoa powder into a mixing bowl. Rub butter into flour until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
Mix eggs with the vanilla extract and add to dry ingredients. Mix into the dough using a round-bladed knife.
Knead dough on a lightly floured surface until smooth.
Form into a ball and wrap in cling film and chill for 20-30 minutes before using.
Roll out the pastry lightly and evenly until it is about 3mm thick.
Line the tartelette tins and refridgerate for another 60 minutes to minimise shrinkage.
Line the pastry case with baking parchment and fill it with baking beans/rice/lentils to stop pastry from rising.
Blind bake the tarts at 200°C for 6-8 minutes then remove the parchment paper and baking beans and bake for a further 7-10 minutes.
Allow to cool before filling.

Chocolate Filling

Ingredients

160 ml double cream

1 tbsp caster sugar

Pinch of salt

60g butter, softened

230g dark chocolate, broken into pieces

50ml cold milk

Cocoa powder for dusting

Lime zest for decoration

Method

Place double cream, sugar and pinch of salt in a pan and bring to a boil. As soon as mixture has boiled, remove from heat and add in butter and chocolate.
Stir until it has melted completely. Allow mixture to cool slightly, stirring in milk until smooth and shiny. Allow to cool down a little bit more.
Sometimes the mixture might look like it’s split, just add a little more milk and whisk until smooth.
Pour mixture into pastry shells and leave to cool for around 2 hours.
Dust with cocoa powder and decorate sides with lime zest.
Filling should be smooth and should cut like butter.

Leibster Blog Award - And the Top 5 goes to...

2012-02-10T01:30:00.001Z

Liebster is German word that translates in English to

"dearest", "favourite", "sweet" and "lovely". It’s meant for up-and-coming

blogs with less than 200 followers."

I was so excited to be presented this award by Carmen from Carmen's Kitchen and one from A Culinary Education. Please stop by and check out their beautiful recipes!

Its such a great feeling when people recognise one's hard work and effort that goes into running a blog. So as per the Leibster Award rules, I have to now pick 5 of my favourite up and coming blogs with less than 200 followers :)

Here are the rules

1. Thank your Liebster Blog Award presenter on your blog.

2. Link back to the blogger who presented the award to you.

3. Copy and paste the blog award on your blog.

4. Present the Liebster Blog Award to 5 blogs of 200 followers or less who you feel deserve to be noticed. (Some say just 3 or more blogs of less than 200 followers each)

5. Let them know they have been chosen by leaving a comment at their blog.

My Liebster Blog Top 5!

1. Rebecca @ All-American Vegetarian

2. Barbara @ Barbara Cooks

3. Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche

4.Shelly @ In the Land of Spice

5.Becky @ The Baker Becky

Make sure you check these blogs out. These lovely ladies have some amazing and interesting recipe that's bound to get you drooling! Also thank you for all your comments, words of encouragement and support that's been readily dished out - it makes me really happy and am loving this journey I am on x

Simple Broccoli Soup

2012-02-07T10:05:00.001Z

Vibrant green fresh soup

We’re currently enjoying a 4 day weekend. I know right, 4 day weekend! What does one do with so much time off? Catch up on sleep, cook vast amounts of food and consume all that’s been cooked of course.

This extended weekend has been nothing short of glorious – relaxing and quiet, almost zen like.

Friday night was spent in the company of my best friends whom I haven’t seen since early December. We had a lovely dinner and a few drinks after which they surprised me with a belated birthday cake! They totally caught me off-guard seeing that my birthday was about 1.5 months ago but nevertheless it was a really nice gesture! <3

Birthday cake

The rest of the weekend was spent lounging around catching up on the latest episodes of my favourite series, skyping with Gavin, and reading. I think the laziness is rather contagious as even the parents kept suggesting we eat out in all attempts to avoid cooking! 3 days of eating out has taken its toll on me both weight wise and palate wise and today I woke up craving a simple meal. Not too many robust flavours, something light yet hearty.

A few simple ingredients creates a beautiful vibrant soup

This soup definitely ticks all the boxes. Requiring a small number of ingredients one generally has in the kitchen, not only is it quick and easy to throw together but it tastes delicious. This soup is definitely a winner in my books and was the perfect end to a lovely weekend.

Simple Broccoli Soup

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 large onion, roughly chopped

1 tbsp olive oil

2 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed

1 litre vegetable stock

400 g broccoli, roughly chopped

Salt

Freshly ground pepper

Fresh cream (optional)

Method

Fry the onion in olive oil in a large pan until soft and translucent.
Add the potato and stock and simmer until potato cubes are tender.
Add the broccoli and cook for 3-4 minutes until tender but still vibrant green. Add black pepper and salt to taste.
Blend.
Drizzle soup with cream and serve with crusty bread.

Spaghetti with Salmon, Scotch Bonnet Peppers and Spinach

2012-02-02T06:00:00.003Z

Scotch Bonnet Pepper?

This particular pepper has been the subject of an inside joke between Gav and I for the last two years. I’ve never cooked with it but have always been curious as it is known for its incredible heat properties. So when I came across these lovely coloured jewel like chillies in the supermarket, I knew it was time to experiment.

Aren’t they pretty

I decided to incorporate these peppers into a recipe introduced to me by my friend Adlin a couple of years ago. Since then it’s become of my go to pasta recipe as it’s not only simple to dish up but it’s flavourful, healthy and colourful. Usually I add normal chillies to this dish which gave a very subtle amount of heat, but surprisingly the scotch bonnets were a delightful addition. It wasn’t overpowering and the heat produced was quite satisfying. Mind you, I only used half a pepper for one portion.

Colourful ingredients makes a pretty dish

This dish makes use of basic ingredients; spaghetti, spinach, garlic, chillies and salmon. However if you prefer, these ingredients can be substituted with other types of pasta or fish.

There is nothing quite like fresh salmon

Just remember once you’ve handled scotch bonnet peppers, wash your hands and wash them again. And for the sake of your eyes, don’t rub them!

Spaghetti with Salmon, Scotch Bonnet Pepper and Spinach

Ingredients

1 piece of salmon

A portion of spaghetti

4 garlic cloves, chopped

½ scotch bonnet pepper, chopped

1 tbsp lemon juice

Zest of half a lemon

2 handfuls of fresh spinach leaves, washed

2 tbsp olive oil

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Method

Clean and wash the salmon fillet under cold water. Pat it dry and season with salt and black pepper.
Boil spaghetti according to instructions on the packet and set aside.
Heat ½ tsp olive oil in a frying pan and cook until medium rare, about 2-3 minutes per side, depending on the thickness of the fillet. Remove from pan.
In the same pan, add the remaining olive oil and add the chopped garlic, peppers and lemon zest. Toss in the spaghetti and season with salt and pepper. Finally pour the lemon juice over the pasta and take off the heat.
To serve, place the spinach on a plate as a base. Top with pasta and top the mound of pasta with the salmon. Serve immediately.

Green Tea Scones

2012-01-30T08:30:00.000Z

As mentioned in this month’s Daring Baker’s post, I made Green Tea scones.

Green tea scones?! Whaatt ?

Anyway this was the perfect excuse to finally get on with it as this recipe has been on my mind for months. My sheer laziness is the reason why I never got around to actually baking it!

I also have to be honest, as the end product initially got some strange reactions with Gavin even proclaiming that it looked mouldy. You may ask, why wreak a perfectly delicious scone. My answer would be because I have an insatiable addiction to green tea. Also in my defense, green tea seems to be everywhere these days, in cakes, mousses, ice-creams; so why not incorporate it into a traditionally British scone and see what happens.

Once again, my green tea addiction has been justified. These scone came out perfectly delicious, soft and light. The crumb texture was pretty much spot on and the earthy flavor of green tea powder was subtle but definitely distinctive. It’s not a sweet scone but pairs well with citrus jams or curds as well as sinful yet luscious clotted cream.

So go on, give this fusion scone a try today and be blown away.

Green Tea Scones

Adapted from BBC Good Food

Makes 7 scones

Ingredients

220g self raising flour

2 tsp green tea powder (matcha powder)

¼ tsp salt

50g salted butter, chopped into small pieces and chilled

50g caster sugar

125ml buttermilk

Jams/curd/clotted cream to serve

NB: To make buttermilk, add 1 tbsp of lemon juice to 1 cup of milk and set aside for 10 minutes.

Method

Pre-heat oven to 200C and line a baking tray with parchment paper. Measure flour, green tea powder and salt. Sieve 3 times into a large bowl.
Add the chopped butter and rub it into the flour using your fingers to create a medium sized crumb texture. When rubbing the butter into flour, lift it to aerate the mixture. Do not over-mix.
Stir in the sugar.
Make a well in the middle of the flour mixture with a butter knife and pour in ¾ of the buttermilk. Using the knife, mix the flour with the buttermilk until it starts to form a soft, slightly sticky dough. Add more buttermilk if necessary.
Turn the dough out on to a lightly floured surface and knead the mixture 3-4 times until the cracks have disappeared.
Pat the dough gently to a thickness of 2-2.5cm. Dip the cutter into a bowl of flour, to prevent sticking. To cut the scones, press the cutter down firmly and quickly into dough. Don’t twist the cutter. As you press the cutter down, you will hear the dough giving a big sigh.
Gather trimmings and repeat step no.6.
Brush tops of scones with milk/remaining buttermilk.
Bake for 10-12 minutes until risen and golden.
Serve immediately with jam, curd or clotted cream. Or all together!

Daring Bakers' January 2012 - Scones

2012-01-27T00:00:00.008Z

Scones, scones, scones. The quintessential English teatime treat usually served with clotted cream and jam. Having lived in Bath, cream teas were a common occurrence. Every time a friend visited, I’d find myself sitting in a quaint cafe, sipping on tea and slathering sinful amounts of clotted cream on my freshly made scone.

It is these times that I find myself missing the UK and especially Bath..

For the first Daring Bakers Challenge of 2012, Audax Artifex was our January 2012 Daring Bakers’ host. Aud worked tirelessly to master light and fluffy scones (a/k/a biscuits) to help us create delicious and perfect batches in our own kitchens!

To clear up any confusion our American friends call these biscuits, and are usually served as part of a main meal. Despite the various terminologies, it is a known fact that scones/biscuits incredibly cheap to make and takes hardly any time to make.

Scones can be sweet or savoury, with an endless possibility of flavour profiles. In fact in the spirit of the challenge I decided it was finally time to unveil the Green Tea Scones recipe that I have been developing. This recipe will be posted later this week.

We were given many handy tips to help us achieve perfect scones; light, fluffy with a perfect balance of flavours. These tips as well as the challenge recipe can be found here.

Top to bottom: Triple sifted flour, chopped & chilled butter, medium sized fat particles, incorporating the buttermilk into flour, cookie 'scone' cutter, scones fresh out of the oven.

I used my trusted buttermilk scones recipe in this instance as these scones never let me down. Plus there is no need for baking powder which can sometimes produce ‘powdery’ scones. Although I used a different recipe to what the challenge called for, I incorporated the various techniques shared to improve this recipe even further.

It seems that triple sifting flour, which permits plenty of air to the mixture which in turn creates a more light and fluffy scone. Also make sure that the dough remains sufficiently moist, as it creates a lighter scone.

With all scones, it’s important not to overwork the dough as it affects the texture, creating rock hard scones.

Buttermilk Scones

Adapted from BBC Good Food

Makes 7 scones

Ingredients

225g self raising flour + extra flour for dusting

¼ tsp salt

50g salted butter, chopped into small pieces and chilled

25g caster sugar

125ml buttermilk

Jams/curd/clotted cream to serve

NB: To make buttermilk, add 1 tbsp of lemon juice to 1 cup of milk and set aside for 10 minutes.

Method

Pre-heat oven to 200C and line a baking tray with parchment paper. Measure flour and salt and sieve 3 times into a large bowl.
Add the chopped butter and rub it into the flour using your fingers to create a medium sized crumb texture. When rubbing the butter into flour, lift it to aerate the mixture. Do not over-mix.
Stir in the sugar.
Make a well in the middle of the flour mixture with a butter knife and pour in ¾ of the buttermilk. Using the knife, mix the flour with the buttermilk until it starts to form a soft, slightly sticky dough. Add more buttermilk if necessary.
Turn the dough out on to a lightly floured surface and knead the mixture 3-4 times until the cracks have disappeared.
Pat the dough gently to a thickness of 2-2.5cm. Dip the cutter into a bowl of flour, to prevent sticking. To cut the scones, press the cutter down firmly and quickly into dough. Don’t twist the cutter. As you press the cutter down, you will hear the dough giving a big sigh.
Gather trimmings and repeat step no.6.
Brush milk/leftover buttermilk on top of scones.
Bake for 10-12 minutes until risen and golden.
Serve immediately with jam, curd or clotted cream. Or all together!

Chunky Mango Kerabu

2012-01-24T10:00:00.001Z

How are the resolutions coming along so far? I made some life changing decisions with regards with food and exercise in December and so far I’ve managed to keep to it. I am currently training for a half-marathon so it’s all systems go at the moment.

In an attempt to clean up my diet, salads have become a regular fixture and I’m always thinking of ways to spice up salads and this recipe is exactly what I’m talking about.

Mango Kerabu is a popular salad in Malaysia which will tantalise your tastebuds and excite your senses. Comprising of simple ingredients, this salad is perfect served cold. Think tangy, sweet, refreshing and spicy all combined in one colourful dish. This salad is usually served with rice and other side dishes but I quite enjoy it as a meal on its own.

The vegetables and fruit in an authentic Mango Kerabu is usually grated quite thinly unlike what I’ve done here. I sliced the mango and carrots into thick slices to make it feel like a substantial salad for lunch.

In this instance, I used a mango, carrots, shallots, ginger flower, fresh herbs and a couple birds’ eye chillies. Other times I’ve added cucumbers or slightly unripe papayas. Fresh herbs can range from coriander, mint and basil or mixture of all.

Topped with crunchy peanuts, the freshness of this salad is simply addictive. Don’t wait for the summer to try this delightful salad, do it today!

Chunky Mango Kerabu

Serves 1 as a main meal, or 2-3 as a side dish

Ingredients

Semi ripe mango, sliced thickly or shredded

Large carrot, sliced thickly or shredded

3 shallots, sliced thinly

Birds eye chillies (optional)

Fresh herbs; mint, coriander, basil

Ginger flower, sliced

Crushed peanuts

Dressing

Lime, juiced

2 tbsp sugar

1 tbsp fish sauce/ light soy sauce

1 tbsp sesame oil

Dash of pepper

Method

Combine all ingredients for dressing and set aside.

In a bowl, combine all salad ingredients and toss with salad dressing.

Serve immediately. If not, chill salad and seasoning separately until ready to serve.

Moules Marinière

2012-01-21T10:00:00.035Z

Moules Marinière is my favourite way of enjoying mussels. The French got it spot on by steaming mussels in a concoction of white wine, onions, garlic and cream. There is nothing better than tucking into a huge bowl of steaming mussels with a side of fresh crusty bread or chips (Belgium style) to dip into the sauce with.

Not only is this a delicious way of enjoying seafood but it’s sustainably sourced and rich in nutrients. Mussels are also incredibly cheap and low in calories. I’ve been told that a portion only contains 90 calories!

For a dish to impress, you only need fresh herbs, a few cloves of garlic, onion, white wine and double cream. Preparing mussels is takes hardly any time and if possible try and buy mussels that have been de-bearded. If not, the simple guide below should be helpful.

The beard of a mussel (as shown above) is a combination of many fibres which emerge from the mussel’s shell. De-bearding is a simply process, hold the mussel in one hand and pull the beard with the other, giving it a sharp yank. Discard the beard and put the cleaned mussel in a bowl of clean water.

Try it today, you won’t regret it!

Moules Marinière

Adapted from BBC Good Food

Serves 4

Ingredients

1kg mussels

3 garlic cloves, chopped

Half onion, chopped

15g butter

Bunch of fresh parsley, coarsely chopped

1 bay leaf

120ml white wine

120ml double cream

Freshly ground black pepper

Crusty bread, to serve

Method

Wash the mussels under plenty of cold, running water. Discard any opened mussels that won't close even after being lightly squeezed.
Pull out the fibrous beards that protrudes out of the tightly closed shells. Give the clean mussels another rinse in cold water to remove any remaining broken shells.
Soften the garlic and onions in a large pan with butter and parsley. Set aside a handful of the chopped parsley which will be used as a garnish. *The pan used should be large enough that it should be half full when the mussels are added.
Add the mussels and wine, turn up the heat and cover and the them steam in their own juices for 3-4 minutes. Give the pan a good shake every now and again.
Add the cream and a pinch of freshly ground black pepper.
Remove from heat and spoon mussels into large warmed bowls.
Top with remaining chopped parsley and serve with crusty bread.

Daring Bakers' December 2011 - Sourdough

2011-12-27T01:00:00.045Z

I seem to be able to bake everything well but bread. Even when Gav and I used the bread-maker, my loaves always turned out dense and almost cake like whereas his turned well. Eventually I gave up and let him take on the role of the bread-maker.

Our Daring Bakers Host for December 2011 was Jessica of My Recipe Project and she showed us how fun it is to create Sour Dough bread in our own kitchens! She provided us with Sour Dough recipes from Bread Matters by Andrew Whitley as well as delicious recipes to use our Sour Dough bread in from Tonia George’s Things on Toast and Canteen’s Great British Food!

Reading up on the sourdough making process got me thinking that it couldn’t be that hard and perhaps my lack of success in the bread making department will finally be overcome. I decided to use an Organic Rye Flour that I found in the local supermarket.

My first attempt proved to be unsuccessful, which yielded a dense loaf with a ‘gummy’ centre with no proper crust. The loaf was left to bake for almost two hours and refused to dry out. A quick SOS sent out to the forum helped me understand the possible reasons for the gumminess. I may have left the final dough to rise too long. So the next day I tried again.

The second loaf proved to be more of a success, the centre was baked thorough and the loaf had a proper crust.

I think I have a long way to go before I perfect bread-making, and so for Christmas (and my birthday) I have asked for book on bread making.

May 2012 be the year when I finally get the perfect loaf!

Sourdough Starter

Ingredients & Method

Day 1;

3 tbsp plus 1 teaspoon whole rye flour

¼ cup water

In a plastic container, mix the flour and water into a paste. Cover and leave the container somewhere warm. The dough should be sloppy and runny, which will bubble and ferment as it grows.

Day 2;

3 tbsp plus 1 teaspoon whole rye flour

¼ cup water

Stir the ingredients into the container. The dough start to emit a yeasty smell.

Day 3;

3 tbsp plus 1 teaspoon whole rye flour

¼ cup water

Stir the ingredients into the container. The yeast smell became stronger, almost sour. Bubbles started to form.

Day 4;

3 tbsp plus 1 teaspoon whole rye flour

¼ cup water

Stir the ingredients into the container. The dough became watery and a thin liquid layer formed on top.

Production Sourdough;

¼ cup less 2 tsp rye starter

1 cup plus 2 tsp rye flour

1¼ cups water

Mix everything into a sloppy dough. Cover and set aside for 12-24 hours, until bubbling.

Final Dough;

2 cups production sourdough

2 1/3 rye flour

0.5 tsp table salt

¾ cup plus 2 tsp water

Mix all ingredients together to form a soft dough. With wet hands, scoop the dough out and place it in a well-greased loaf tin. When greasing use hard fats such as butter.
Put the tin in a large plastic bag, blow it up to form a dome and tie tightly, ensuring the dome remains. This is essential so that the dough can proof.
The dough will be ready for baking anytime from 2-8 hours, depending on the temperature. For my first loaf, I left it to proof for 9 hours which proved to be far too long. The second loaf was only proofed for 5 hours. The dough will be ready to be baked when it doubles in size.
Pre-heat the oven to a very high temperature of 240C. Bake for 50-60 minutes. After 15 minutes, reduce the heat to 200C and continue baking for the remaining time.
Leave the bread to cool for a DAY before slicing.

The photo above shows the production sourdough from my initial attempt and my second attempt. There is a huge difference in the appearance namely the lack of bubbles in the first one.

2011-12-25T00:00:00.003Z

To all my readers, I hope you have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

May your holidays be filled with joy, love, family and lots of delicious food.

Lots of love, Nish xxx

Vietnamese Spring Rolls

2011-12-16T06:00:00.003Z

If you’re looking for a recipe that doesn’t take much effort but is guaranteed to impress then you’re in the right place.

Vietnamese spring rolls are always a must order in Vietnamese restaurants. Its fresh, colourful and a perfect substitute for a salad. Combine this with the spicy, tangy dipping sauce and you’ve got a starter that will leave everyone wanting more!

Putting together the spring rolls doesn’t take a lot of effort. Plus it is extremely versatile; rice paper, lettuce, carrots, prawns, shredded meat, cucumber, peanuts, vermicelli, basil, coriander, and mint. The possibilities are endless.

In this instance, I used vermicelli, sliced mangoes, carrots and crushed peanuts for my filling. The mango kept the spring rolls fresh and paired well with the dipping sauce. If you prefer using prawns, boiled until it turns pink and let cool before using.

One thing to keep in mind is that rice paper is very delicate and requires wet fingers to prevent tearing.

Vietnamese Spring Rolls

Filling

Rice paper

Lettuce

Carrots, finely sliced

Vermicelli

Fresh herbs; basil, mint, coriander

Mango, sliced

Sauce

2 garlic cloves, minced

1.5 tbsp lime juice

1 tbsp fish sauce * Use light soy sauce if you prefer to keep it vegetarian friendly.

1¼ tbsp sugar

3 tbsp warm water

2 bird’s eye chillies, sliced

Method

Soak vermicelli in a bowl of hot water until it becomes tender. Drain and set aside.
Soak rice paper in a bowl until it becomes soft. Remove and place on a flat surface. Start by placing a lettuce leaf as the base, which will also prevent the rice paper from tearing easily.
Continue filling with your desired ingredient. I placed the carrots and mangoes on top of the lettuce leaf followed by the vermicelli, herbs and crushed peanuts.
To fold, start from the bottom folding upwards, press down the sides to create a fold. Next fold the sides, until you have an envelope shape. Tightly roll the spring rolls away from you.
For dipping sauce, combine all the ingredients and place in a small bowl.
Slice the spring rolls and serve with dipping sauce.

Daring Cooks December 2011 - Char Siu & Char Siu Pau

2011-12-13T17:02:00.003Z

Char Siu Pau

Char Siu

The final Daring Cook’s Challenge for the year – my how time has flown by. In fairness, I haven’t been the best Daring Cook, failing to complete a number of the challenges due to travelling and other commitments.

By hey, I managed to this challenge cooked and plated before the reveal date! Yay me! To be completely honest, there was no way I was going to let this challenge go by without making an effort. Char Siu has always been close to my heart – my late grandmother introduced me to this dish a long time ago. Every time I came home from university, she’d insist that she buy me Char Siu Rice from the restaurant nearby. It’s the only place I know which sells the perfect Char Siu; perfectly charred meat on the outside yet tender and succulent on the inside.

Seeing what this month’s challenge was brought back many nostalgic memories and when the dish was complete, I wished so hard that my grandmother was still here to savour it as she would have definitely agreed that this Char Siu recipe came pretty damn close to the one from ‘our’ restaurant.

Our Daring Cooks’ December 2011 hostess is Sara from Belly Rumbles! Sara chose the awesome Char Siu Pau as our challenge, where we made the buns, Char Sui, and filling from scratch – delicious!

Char Siu also known as Cantonese BBQ Pork is widely available in Chinese restaurant and is used in many dishes such as in fried rice, noodles or even on its own. In Malaysia, we often have it with rice, a soy based sauce and some sliced cucumbers.

For the pork, we were given 3 cooking options to choose from; straight into the oven, seared on a hot pan then transferred into the oven or grilled on the BBQ.

For the paus/buns we have the option of either steaming or baking them. I have never taken a fancy to the steamed buns so naturally the baking option was my choice.

Sara also provided us with a vegetarian option – Mushroom Fillings for Baked Buns. The original Char Siu and vegetarian recipe can be found here.

Char Siu

Ingredients

1 pork loin

4 garlic cloves, crushed

1 tsp fresh ginger, grated

1 tbsp vegetable oil

1.5 tbsp maltose (or honey)

1 tbsp honey

2 tbsp hoisin suace

1 tbsp light soy sauce

1 tbsp dark soy sauce

1 tsp oyster sauce

1 tbsp Chinese cooking wine

½ tsp ground white pepper

Pinch of salt

½ tsp five spice powder

½ tsp sesame oil

½ tsp red food colouring (optional)

Method

Marinade

Place pork loin in a container that you will be marinating it in. If you prefer, cut the pork into smaller pieces as it allows for a more flavoursome Char Siu.
Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Pour the marinade over the pork and ensure that the pork is properly coated. Marinate for a minimum of 4 hours.

*I left mine in refrigerator to marinate for 48 hours.

Cooking

Pre heat oven to 180C. Cover a baking tray with foil or baking paper. Place a rack on top of the baking tray on which the pork will cook.
Place the pork in a hot pan and sear it quickly to seal the meat. Once the meat is sealed on every side, place the pork on the rack and baste it with the remaining marinade.
Continue to baste the meat once every 5 minutes.
Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes, depending on the size of your meat.
Let the meat rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

Char Siu Pau

Filling Ingredients

350g Char Siu, diced

2 spring onions/scallions, thinly sliced

½ tbsp vegetable oil

4-5 tbsp reserved marinade from Char Siu

1 tbsp Chinese cooking wine

Dough Ingredients

2½ tsp dried yeast

55g sugar

½ cup warm water

280g plain flour

1 egg, slightly beaten

3 tbsp oil

½ tsp salt

Egg wash: 1 egg, beaten with a few drops of water.

Method

Filling

Heat oil in a wok/ frying pan and add diced Char Siu. Stir and let cook for a minute. Add the spring onions and leave to cook for another minute.
Add the marinade and cooking wine and let it simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and leave to cool until ready to use.

Bun

Place the sugar and warm water in a bowl and mix until sugar is dissolved. Add the yeast and leave for 15 minutes.
Add flour into a large bowl and incorporate the egg, oil, salt and yeast mixture. Bring flour mixture together with your hands. Add more flour if the dough remains too sticky.
Place dough on a floured surface and continuously knead for 10 minutes. The dough should be smooth and elastic.
Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with a damp cloth. Leave to rise until doubled in size. This usually takes about 1-2 hours, depending on the weather condition.
Once the dough has doubled in size, knock it back and divide it into 12 portions. Shape each portion into round balls.
Roll out each ball into discs of about 3-4 inches in diameter. You can use a rolling pin or your hands.
Place a heaped tablespoon of filling in the middle of the disc and gather the edges to the middle and seal your bun.
Place the buns, sealed side down on a baking tray. Continue with the remaining balls of dough.
Brush the surface of the buns with egg wash and bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

Rich Chocolate Orange Cupcakes

2011-12-06T14:46:00.003Z

Mum has been asking me to bake these cupcakes for some time and I have been putting it off for various reasons. However as we were due to celebrate my uncle’s birthday, I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to whip these up. Plus it’s a perfect flavour combination which gets everyone in the Christmas spirit!

As always this delightful pairing never ceases to disappoint. The aroma that permeates questions whether one is eating a Jaffa Cake or Terry’s Chocolate Orange – neither. In fact it is a rich, (aptly named) dense, moist, chocolately orange cupcake that it paired with a lovely chocolate ganache, topped off with a slice of caramilised orange.

I’m so happy with the way they turned out just as I envisaged; classy and chic. Don’t they look like they belong in a dessert display stand in some fancy chic cafe?

Some of the ingredients

Rich Chocolate Orange Cupcakes

Yields 18 cupcakes

Ingredients

Cake

175g butter

250g castor sugar

6 eggs, separated

175g plain chocolate, melted

175g ground almonds

4 oranges, rind and juiced

225g self raising flour

25g cocoa powder

Ganache

115g plain chocolate

25g butter

45ml double cream

Method

Cake

1. Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

2. Gradually beat in egg yolks followed by melted chocolate.

3. Fold in almonds. Next add the rind and juice.

4. In a separate grease free bowl, whisk egg white until it forms soft peaks.

5. Fold egg whites into the chocolate mixture.

6. Sift flour and cocoa powder and add the to wet mixture slowly using a spatula.

7. Pour into cupcake liners and bake for 15-20 minutes at 170C, preheated oven.

Ganache

1. Melt chocolate, butter and cream in a bowl over a pot of water.

2. Cool and chill until it hardens and achieves a pipe-able consistency.

A step by step guide to the most mouthwatering cupcakes!

Nb: If you’re not a big fan of rind, I would suggest grating it much finer than seen in the photo.

I also found that the cupcake liners came off very easily which resulted in me removing all the liners for before serving. Not too sure why it does that though.

Mango, Pear and Ginger Crumble

2011-12-01T13:53:00.005Z

Happy December everyone!

Today marks the day where it is officially acceptable to listen/sing along to Christmas songs and have Love Actually and Home Alone on repeat! Plus it's also 24 sleeps to my birthday!

It also comes as no surprise that December is my favourite month of the year - its the month filled with festivity, hot chocolate, presents, excitement, mince pies, brandy butter, brussels sprouts, a winter chill, and joy.

To kick it all off, I wanted to make something special; Mango, Pear and Ginger Crumble. The name says it all.

The combination of flavours are delightful - sweet succulent pears, a slight tang from the partially unripe mango, and the earthy sharpness of the crystalised ginger slivers. And then there is the crumble; perfectly crumbly with a bite from the walnuts.

Serve it warm, cold, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, cream or even a dollop of brandy butter. Sighh

Some of the ingredients

Mango, Pear and Ginger Crumble

Adapted from BBC Good Food Magazine

Serves 4

Ingredients

Filling

450g ripe pears, cored and roughly chopped

1 tbsp muscovado sugar

2 mangoes, slightly unripened, peeled, stoned and chunked

4-8 pieces of crystalised ginger, sliced thinly

Crumble

175g plain flour

85g butter

85g muscovado sugar

85g walnuts/pecans roughly chopped

Method

Heat oven to 180C. Put pears into a pan with one tablespoon sugar and 4 tablespoons water. Cook over a gentle heat for 10 minutes, or until the pears are just tender.
Remove from heat and add the mangoes and ginger. Spoon mixture into desired baking dishes and leave to cool.
In the meanwhile, make the crumble. Rub butter into flour and stir in sugar and walnuts/pecans. Sprinkle generously over the fruit, then bake for 30 minutes until crumble is browned.

Nb. I found that by using semi ripened mangoes, it prevents the chunks of mangoes from turning into mushy pieces as well as giving the crumble a more robust, tangy flavour. The original recipe calls for stem ginger but crystalised ginger works just as well.

As with most crumbles, this can be made ahead. Wrap the uncooked crumble in cling film and freeze up to 1 month. To serve, bake from frozen at 180C for 50 minutes or until top is golden.

Mulligatawny Soup

2011-11-25T14:45:00.010Z

Mulligatawny is curry flavoured soup of Anglo-Indian origin. Translated literally from Tamil, it means ‘pepper water’. Don’t be deceived though; this soup is far from watery. Instead it is thick and hearty and takes on an almost curry-like texture.

It’s a lovely hearty soup for the winter, full of flavour with a subtle heat from the curry powder coming through.

I don’t think there is a hard and fast rule about what needs to be added to the soup as there are countless variations of the ingredients, some which include lamb, chicken, apples or rice. Lentils was my preferred choice this round as it not only gives the soup a creamy texture but also makes it quite substantial which is perfect for a main meal. We had this for dinner tonight, with a side of toasted foccacia and a dollop of tomato jam. Perfect.

Ingredients

Mulligatawny Soup

*Original recipe courtesy of We Are Never Full

Serves 6

Ingredients

2 onions, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1 can chopped tomatoes
1½ cup red lentils
2 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp black pepper
1 cinnamon stick
1 inch ginger, chopped
4 cloves garlic, peeled
1 tbsp turmeric
3 tbsp curry powder
6-8 cups vegetable/chicken stock
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
Juice of one lemon/lime
Optional: coriander leaves, yoghurt, cream

Method

Crush ginger and garlic using a pestle and mortar. Mix coriander seeds, cumin and black pepper and crush with pestle and mortar and set aside
Fry onions, carrots and celery in a large pot with a drizzle of olive oil for 5 minutes. Add garlic paste and fry for another 30 seconds. Add the mixed spice, cinnamon stick, turmeric and curry powder and coat vegetables evenly.
Add in the chopped tomatoes and lentils. Pour in 6 cups of stock, stir and let soup simmer for 40 minutes, or until lentils are soft.
Remember to remove cinnamon stick prior to blending the soup. If it is too thick, add stock or water until desired consistency is achieved.
Serve with a squeeze of lemon/lime, chopped coriander and cream/yoghurt.

Spicy, hearty soup ready, with a slice of lemon.

Tomato Jam

2011-11-23T15:05:00.004Z

Tomato jam has been on my mind for many months now since coming across it on Jennifer Perillo’s site. And as the family has requested that I make a few healthier dishes, this seemed like the perfect opportunity to test out my jam making skills! Because jam = healthy right?

Jennifer’s recipe is easy enough – chop the tomatoes, toss in all the remaining ingredients and let it simmer on a low heat for 3-4 hours. Halfway through the cooking process however, I found the jam too sweet and figured that by adding a whole sliced red chilli it would not only cut the sweetness but will also to add a bit more heat. As a result, the chilli worked perfectly and I may even consider adding a couple more for future batches. A note of caution; I am a self confessed spice addict!

Tomato jam is simply wonderful slathered on a piece of toast, or as an accompaniment to your cheese platter or even used to marinate or glaze a piece of ham. Bottled and labelled, it makes a perfect gift for the upcoming festive season.

So glad I finally gave it a go – definitely one of my favourite recipes of 2011.

Tomato Jam

Ingredients

1.6kg tomatoes, coarsely chopped

1 small red onion, diced

½ cup tart green apple, diced

1 red chilli, sliced

½ cup brown sugar

1½ cup sugar

1 tsp salt

½ tsp coriander seeds

¼ tsp cumin

¼ cup cider vinegar

Juice of one lemon

Method

Put all ingredients in a large pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to allow ingredients to simmer and leave to cook for 3-4 hours until it thickens and takes on a jam-like consistency.
To store, transfer jam into sterilised glass bottles and store in refrigerator for two weeks or for long term storage, use a hot water canning bath for 15minutes.

*The gorgeous jam jar labels are courtesy of Frugal Living

Sago Gula Melaka

2011-11-18T18:01:00.002Z

Sago Gula Melaka is a quintessential Malaysian dessert that originated from the port city of Malacca. This dessert comprises of three parts, the sago pudding, coconut milk (santan) and Gula Melaka.

The insipid sago when drenched with creamy coconut milk and a healthy drizzle of sweet caramel-like syrup becomes a wonderfully rich dessert you want to tuck into over and over again.

Sago is a form of starch extracted from the pith of sago palm stems which are now commercially produced in the shape of ‘pearls’. These pearls take the form of dry opaque balls not more than 2 mm in diameter. Boiling sago can be a messy affair as the excess starch tends to get everywhere and can be quite the nightmare to remove. Don’t let this put you off though because the end results is something that will definitely impress!

Gula Melaka is palm sugar which is extracted from the sap of the flower bud of a coconut tree which then boiled until thickened and packed into bamboo tubes forming its cylindrical shape. The colour varies from dark brown to a light golden colour. It is widely used in South East Asia to flavour desserts, salads and even curries.

Screwpine leaves, or pandan leaves as they are locally known is a fragrant plant used to infuse fragrance to dishes and also to add colour. I find that it is used in the same way vanilla is used in the West.

In terms of the availability of these products, it is not hard to find. I would recommend popping into your nearest Asian grocer or even the Asian isle of the bigger grocery stores. Living in the UK for the past number of years, I have always easily located these items.

Sago Gula Melaka

Yields 12 portions

Ingredients

300 grams small sago pearls

250 grams Gula Melaka (Palm sugar)

½ teaspoon granulated sugar

300 ml coconut milk/cream

3 pandan leaves

Water

Pinch of salt

Method

Sago

It is vital to use the biggest pot you have available as the more water used to boil the pearls, the less likely the pearls will stick to one another.
Heat a pot of water and bring it to a boil. In the meantime, soak the pearls in cold water for 15 minutes. Once the water is boiling, add the sago and stir frequently to prevents the pearls from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
When the pearls turn partially translucent, with the white centre remaining, remove the pot from heat, put the lid on and leave it for 5 minutes. The boiling process should take no more than 3-4 minutes, any longer and the pearls will turn mushy and into glue.
Pour half the water out, using a sieve at all times to catch the now translucent pearls. Rinse pearls with cold water 2-3 times to remove excessive starch.
Spoon sago pearls into muffin moulds. If you prefer to have your guests scoop up their own portions, use a casserole dish. Also a little tip, wet moulds allow for easy removal.
Refrigerate for 3-4 hours until sago pearls are set.

Gula Melaka

Melt the Gula Melaka with sugar, pandan leaves and half cup of water over a very low heat until a thin syrup is formed. If needed, add more water by the tablespoon until you get the consistency you want.
It may take a while to dissolve but don’t be tempted to turn up the heat. Sieve the syrup to remove impurities and set aside to cool.

Coconut milk

Heat up coconut milk/cream and add a pinch of salt, which brings out the sweetness of the palm sugar.

To assemble, put chilled sago into a bowl, drizzle Gula Melaka and coconut cream over it and serve.

Sago being boiled; Boiled sago

Cupcake tins are the perfect sago moulds

Pandan leaves, gula Melaka and a pinch of salt

Daring Bakers' October 2011 - Povitica

2011-10-26T17:20:00.003+01:00

After months of failing to manage my time efficiently, I finally got around to completing a Daring Baker’s challenge!

The Daring Baker’s October 2011 challenge was Povitica, hosted by Jenni of The Gingered Whisk. Povitica is a traditional Eastern European Dessert Bread that is as lovely to look at as it is to eat!

Povitica (poh-vee-TEET-sah) or Potica is a yeast based dough which is rolled around a variety of fillings, be in savoury or sweet.

It was my first encounter with such bread and reading through the Daring Kitchen forum got me excited thinking of the endless possibilities I could use as my filling. However when it came down to it, my creativity went straight out the window leaving me with only one option – chocolate.

It didn’t matter in the end for the loaf turned out beautiful, not only visually but taste-wise as well.

It was initially quite daunting to see pictures of perfectly rolled out dough from the other Daring Bakers, but my fear was unfounded as the dough was really easy to work with. There were a few tears in the dough along the way but I really think it’s the case of practice makes perfect!

I made a similar mistake, as I did for the Baklava challenge, of not spreading the filling to cover the entire surface of the dough which may have affected the pattern. Nevertheless I was pleased with the results, and even my parents commented on how nice the texture of the loaf was.

The original recipe given to us produces 4 loaves, however the recipe for a half batch and quarter batch was provided by the ever efficient Audax! The original recipe can be found here.

Povitica

Makes one loaf

Ingredients (Quarter Batch)

Yeast

½ teaspoon sugar

¼ teaspoon plain flour

2 tablespoons warm water

1.5 teaspoons dry yeast

Dough

½ cup milk

3 tablespoons sugar

¾ teaspoon salt

1 large egg

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted

2 cups plain flour, sifted.

Topping

2 tablespoons cold strong coffee

1.5 granulated sugar

1 tablespoon melted butter

Filling

¼ cup milk

¼ cup butter

1 egg yolk, beaten

¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

¼ teaspoon cinnamon

1.5 cup chocolate chips

Method

Making the dough and filling

To activate the yeast, stir the sugar, flour and yeast into the warm water and leave to stand for 5 minutes.
In a saucepan, heat the milk up to just below boiling (about 180°F/82°C), stirring constantly so that a film does not form on the top of the milk. You want it hot enough to scald you, but not boiling. Leave the milk to cool.
Once cooled, mix the milk, salt and sugar until combined and add the egg, yeast mixture, butter and 1 cup of flour.
Combine thoroughly and slowly add the remaining flour, mixing well until the dough starts pulling away from the edge of the bowl.
Transfer the dough to a clean surface and start kneading, adding small amounts of flour until the dough takes on a smooth surface.
Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl and leave to rise until doubled in size.
For the filling, mix the all the ingredients and heat until chocolate chips are partly melted. Set aside and leave to cool. The mixture has to take on a thick spreadable consistency. If it is too thick, add teaspoons of milk until desired consistency is achieved. If it is too runny, add more chocolate chips until it thickens up.

Assembling the dough

Sprinkle surface with flour sporadically. * The recipe recommended using a sheet or cloth over your rolling surface to ease removal of the rolled out dough.
Place dough on the floured surface and start rolling, using a rolling pin until the dough starts thinning. Ideally you want the dough to be thin enough to be able to see through to the surface. While doing this, spoon ½ teaspoons of melted butter on to the dough to keep the dough pliable and moist.
Jenni suggests that when you think it the dough is thin enough, try to get it a little thinner. It should be so thin that you can see the colour and perhaps the pattern of the sheet underneath.
Once ready, cover most of the surface of the dough with the filling, leaving 1 inch on all sides free from filling.
Lift the edge of the dough gently and start rolling. Once the dough is rolled up into a rope, carefully lift it up and place it into a greased bread pan in the shape of a ‘U’, with the ends meeting in the middle. It is this coiling effect which gives the bread its distinguishing feature when sliced.
Brush the top of the loaf with a mixture of cold strong coffee and sugar.
Leave the dough to rest for 15 minutes prior to baking.
Bake in a pre-heated oven at 350°F/180°C/gas mark 4.
Bake for 15 minutes then turn down the oven temperature to 300°F/150°C/gas mark 2 and bake for an additional 45 minutes or until done.
Remove bread from oven and brush with melted butter.
As it is a heavy bread, it is recommended to leave the bread in the pan until cooled.

Assembly in pictures