Garlic and Rosemary Focaccia Bread

Garlic and Rosemary Focaccia Bread

Ingredients

400 g strong white bread flour or all purpose flour, plus extra for dusting

2 tablespoons rosemary

3-4 flakes garlic, minced

1 sachet dried yeast

½ tablespoon granulated sugar

300 ml lukewarm water

2 tablespoons olive oil

¼ cup olive oil, to finish

¼ cup water

Directions

Place the flour and ½ tablespoon of sea salt into a large bowl, and make a well in the middle. Add the yeast and sugar to the lukewarm water, and mix with a fork. Leave this for a few minutes and, when it starts to foam, slowly pour it into the well, mixing with a fork as you go.

As soon as all the ingredients come together, which may take a minute or so, knead vigorously for around 5 minutes until you have a smooth, springy, soft dough. I used a mixer with a dough handle attached. Add some olive oil while mixing the dough.

Lightly oil a large bowl with some olive oil and transfer the dough to the bowl. Dust with a little extra flour, cover with a tea towel and leave to prove in a warm place for 30 minutes until doubled in size.

Using a garlic presser, press the flakes of garlic and keep aside. If you don’t have one, finely mince the garlic with a knife.

When the dough has risen, pound it, then place on a baking tray and spread it out to cover the tray. Push down roughly on top of the dough like a piano to make lots of rough dips and wells. Leave it to prove for another half an hour. When the dough has risen, sprinkle rosemary all over the bread and the minced garlic. Finish with a good sprinkling of sea salt.

Preheat your oven to 220°C/425°F/gas 7.

In a bowl mix the ¼ cup olive oil along with the ¼ cup water, whisk well. Pour this evenly over the focaccia bread and bake for 20 minutes, until golden on top and soft in the middle. Remove from oven and let it cool. While it is still slightly warm, cut into squares and serve. You can slice it from the middle horizontally and stuff any filling of your choice. Makes a lovely sandwich.

Kachori (Potato Balls with coconut filling)

Kachori 

"Kachori's are small potato balls stuffed with a sweet and savoury coconut filling and often had with sweet yogurt. It is a snack originating from the Indian district of Maharashtra and is a popular street snack."

Ingredients

For the potato balls

4 medium sized potatoes (about 500g)

Salt to taste

3 tablespoons corn flour or more

250 ml of ghee or oil for frying or 
Non-stick cooking spray if using an airfryer 

For the filling

1 cup freshly grated coconut

1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 teaspoon sesame seeds

1 tsp poppy seeds

2 teaspoons lime juice – around juice of one lime

A bunch of finely chopped coriander leaves

10-12 raisins, chopped

¼ cup cashew nuts, broken into bits

1 green chilli, finely chopped

¼ cup sugar

Salt to taste

Yogurt sauce

2 cups full cream yogurt

A pinch of salt

4 teaspoons or more sugar

Directions

Whisk yogurt, salt and sugar and keep aside.

Cover potatoes with water in a saucepan and bring to boil.  Boil potatoes uncovered for 20 minutes or until soft. Test with a knife. Allow to cool, peel and mash with a masher or a ricer. Don’t overcook the potatoes, because if skins break, and the potatoes absorb water, they will get soft and soggy. Add cornflour and salt to taste and knead till you get a doughy consistency. Cover and keep aside till you make the filling

For the filling, in a bowl mix the grated coconut along with the rest of the ingredients. Check seasoning, if you like it sweeter, add more sugar. Keep aside.

Make equal portions of the potato dough, about 1.5 to 2 inches each. Roll a ball in the palms of you hand and flatten. Add a tablespoon of the coconut filling and gather all the edges of the dough carefully from all sides. Seal any edges that open up with the potato. Smoothen the ball on the palm of your hands and continue making the kachoris till all the potato balls and filling is used.

In a pan heat some oil and shallow fry the kachori, only 4 at a time, until golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel. I used an airfryer by spraying the kachoris with a non-stick cooking spray. The kachoris were soft inside and crispy on the outside. Serve warm with sweet yogurt. 

Sweet & Sour Fish

Sweet & Sour Fish

Ingredients

3 pieces Basa fish fillets, cut in bite size pieces
2 green bell peppers cubed
3 spring onions, chopped
2 flakes garlic, sliced
3-4 rings pineapple (canned), cut into pieces
1 tsp tomato ketchup
1 tsp white vinegar
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
1/2 tsp black pepper powder
3 tablespoons corn flour
some cooking oil
few drops of sesame oil

Directions:

Pat the fish pieces dry with a paper tower. Add some cornflour, about a tablespoon and 1 tsp soy sauce to the fish. Mix and fry lightly on both sides in a shallow frying pan. Remove and set aside. Mix the remaining corn flour with some water and set aside. In a wok heat some cooking oil and add the sliced garlic and white part of the spring onions. Add the bell pepper and stir fry for a few minutes. Add the fish, remaining soy sauce, corn flour, black pepper powder, pineapple pieces, ketchup and vinegar and stir fry gently, taking care not the break the fish. Sprinkle some sesame oil, check seasoning and top with the green onions. Serve hot with steamed rice.

Ginger Chicken with Tofu

Ginger Chicken with Tofu

Ingredients

3 chicken breasts cut into cubes or thin slices
3 spring onions, chopped
1 packet firm tofu, cut in cubes
2" piece ginger, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
2 tablespoon corn starch
1 tsp white pepper powder
1/4 tsp ajino moto (optional)
1 tsp white vinegar
4 tablespoons cooking oil
a few drops of sesame oil

Directions:

Apply 1 tablespoon cornstarch and a few drops of soy sauce to the chicken. Mix the remaining corn starch to a small amount of water in a bowl and set aside. In a wok, heat cooking oil and stir fry the chicken pieces till light brown. Remove from heat and set aside. In the same wok add some more oil and stir fry ginger for a few minutes, then add the white part of the spring onions and stir fry quickly, add the tofu, soy sauce, ajino moto, vinegar, pepper powder and stir fry but gently, taking care not to break the tofu. Add chicken and mix gently. Add the remaining corn starch that was mixed in water. Stir fry gently for 1 minute and check seasoning. Sprinkle some sesame oil and top with the remaining spring onions. Serve hot with fried rice.

Chocolate Banana Muffins

Chocolate Banana Muffins

Ingredients

Peanut Filling

½ cup (125 ml) peanut butter, melted in a microwave and cooled

Muffins

1 ½ cups (375 ml) mashed ripe banana (3-4 bananas)

¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar

½ cup (115 g) unsalted butter, melted

2 large eggs

1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extract

2 cups (260 g) cake and pastry flour

2 tsp (6 g) baking powder

½ tsp (2.5 g) baking soda

½ tsp (2.5 g) salt

180 grams dark chocolate, melted in a microwave or bain marie

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 ºF (180 ºC) and line a muffin tin with paper liners.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk the mashed banana, sugar and melted butter and then whisk in the eggs and vanilla. In a separate bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together. Add this to the banana mixture and stir until blended. Stir in the melted chocolate. Spoon enough batter to into each muffin cup two-thirds of the way. Spoon the cooled melted peanut mixture into each muffin cup and then top with the remaining muffin batter (don’t worry if some of the peanut paste is still exposed). Bake the muffins for 20-25 minutes, until a tester inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Cool the muffins in the tin for 10 minutes and then tip out to cool completely.

Yema Chiffon Cake

Yema Chiffon Cake

"Yema Cake is a Filipino dessert cake made with a filling of egg yolks and condensed milk. I have made a Yema cake earlier using cream cheese. This time I tried a different recipe, which is a chiffon cake."

Ingredients

For the Chiffon Cake:

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 tbsp corn starch

1 ½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

6 tbsp granulated white sugar (for egg yolks)

6 tbsp granulated white sugar (for egg whites)

¼ cup vegetable oil (except olive oil)

4 eggs, separated, at room temperature

1/3 cup water

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

½ teaspoon lemon or lime extract

¼ teaspoon cream of tartar

For the Yema filling & frosting:

1 can condensed milk

6 egg yolks

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp lemon extract (or almond)

¼ cup butter

½ cup or more finely grated processed cheese for topping

Directions:

For the Chiffon Cake:

Preheat oven to 350 degree F or 180 degree C and line the bottom of a 8″ x 3″ (or two 8″ x 2″) aluminium round pan with parchment paper. Do not grease the sides of the pan.

Combine flour and corn starch. Sift 3 times.

In a bowl, separate the eggs. In the bowl of your stand mixer, add egg yolks and the rest of the ingredients, except the sugar (6 tbsp) for egg whites and cream of tartar. Beat on high until combined. Remove the mixture and set aside in a bowl.

With your mixer turned on, mix your egg whites on low until bubbles form then add cream of tartar. Set your mixer to high and beat until frothy, gradually add sugar by tablespoon until stiff (but not dry) peaks are formed.

Gently fold in the egg whites into egg yolk mixture.

Pour the batter in the baking pan. Bake for 40-45 minutes for 8″ x 3″ (20 to 23 minutes for 8″ x 2″ pans) until the top springs back when lightly touched. Invert pan immediately and cool completely in wire rack.

To release the cake from pan, gently run a thin knife or spatula around the edges, then invert.

For the Yema:

In a non-stick pan, combine the milk and the egg yolks and cook over low heat while stirring constantly until it thickens enough to spread. Turn off heat and add the extracts, stir, then add butter then stir until well combined. Set aside to cool completely.

To assemble the cake:

Divide the cake into two (if using the 3″ high pan), add some filling. Cover with the remaining half. Cover the entire cake with the remaining yema then top with grated cheese.

Hungry Jack Biscuits

Hungry Jack Biscuits

“Sometimes you are craving a quick snack and you’re looking for something available in the pantry – these quick and easy biscuits made with Hungry Jack Pancake mix is the ultimate snack or a side to go with any leftover gravy or some fried chicken. I glazed it with honey and paprika which gives it a slightly sweet & spicy taste. “

Ingredients

No-Stick Cooking Spray

½ cup sour cream

1 tablespoon water

1 cup Hungry Jack Complete Buttermilk Pancake & Waffle Mix (Just Add Water)

2 tablespoons butter, melted

For the glaze

1 tablespoon honey

2 tablespoons water

Pinch of paprika

Directions

Pre-heat oven to 180°C. Spray cookie sheet with no-stick cooking spray. In a small bowl mix honey and paprika with water and keep aside. Mix sour cream and water in medium bowl until well combined. Add pancake mix. Stir just until dry ingredients are moistened. Drop by rounded tablespoons or an ice cream scoop onto prepared cookie sheet, making 8 biscuits. Bake for 9-11 minutes or until lightly browned. Brush with melted butter; then spread the honey glaze with a brush.

Serve warm.

For Cheddar Garlic Biscuits: ADD 2/3 cup shredded Cheddar cheese and 1 teaspoon minced garlic

to dough before baking. Bake at 185°C for 8-10 minutes.

Korean Seafood Pancakes (Haemul Pajeon)

Korean Seafood Pancakes (Haemul Pajeon) 

Serves 4 people

Ingredients:

Dipping Sauce:

4 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon sweet sauce

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

1 tablespoon gochugaru (Korean chillie flakes) or regular red chillie flakes

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1 tablespoon sesame seeds

1 spring onion or scallion, finely diced

For the batter:

1 1/3 cups (300 millilitres) cold water

2/3 cup (100 grams) rice flour (makes pancakes crispy)

1 cup all-purpose flour

3 large eggs

1 packet fresh or frozen prawns, cleaned, deveined and halved

1 packet crab sticks, sliced into pieces

3 spring onions or scallions, chopped finely

1 tsp black pepper powder

Salt to taste

Vegetable oil for frying

Directions:

For the dipping sauce: In a small bowl, mix together the sauces, vinegar, chillie flakes, sesame oil, sesame seeds and spring onions and set aside.

For the batter: In a large bowl, gently whisk together the eggs, rice flour, all-purpose flour, black pepper and salt until smooth, adding the water gradually. Add the prawns, spring onions, crab sticks, and mix to coat well and evenly. Heat 3 tablespoons vegetable oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium high heat. Once hot, spoon in one-third of the batter and spread out evenly to make a small circular pancake measuring about 3-4 inches. Fry until golden brown and crispy on the bottom, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip over carefully and cook until the other side is golden, another 3-4 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Working in batches, make 3 more pancakes, drizzling in more oil as necessary, about 2 to 3 tablespoons per pancake, and adjusting the heat down as needed. Serve immediately with the dipping sauce.

Biko (Rice Pudding)

Biko (Rice Pudding)

“Biko is a classic Filipino rice pudding and is deliciously sweet, creamy and chewy made of glutinous rice, coconut milk, and brown sugar. It is usually made with light brown sugar, however I have used dark brown sugar as I had it in the pantry and was craving something sweet, hence the dark brown colour.”

Serves 12

Ingredients

1 cup peanuts, roasted and crushed to a coarse powder

3 cups coconut milk

2 cups glutinous rice

1 cup water

1 cup dark brown sugar

½ teaspoon salt

Directions

Grease bottom and sides of a 5 x 8-inch baking dish with some butter or cooking spray. Set aside.

Wash glutinous rice a few times or until water runs almost clear. Drain well.

In a thick bottom pot, combine rice, water and salt. Over medium heat, bring to a boil. Lower heat, cover, and cook until liquid is absorbed. Allow to cool to touch and fluff with a fork to separate grains. I cooked this in a rice cooker.

In a wide non-stick skillet over medium heat, combine coconut milk and brown sugar. Stir until blended and bring to a boil. Lower heat and continue to cook until slightly reduced and thickened.

Add rice, gently stirring to evenly distribute. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes or until mixture is very thick, sticky, and pulls away from the sides of the pan.

Spoon Biko into the prepared baking dish and pat down with a lightly greased spatula to even out. Let the Biko cool completely. Cut into portions, and top with coarsely crushed peanuts. *If you want to make a smaller quantity, halve the ingredients and use a smaller baking dish.

Hyderabadi Mirchi Ka Salan

Hyderabadi Mirchi Ka Salan

Hyderabadi Mirchi Ka Salan

Serves 2-3

Ingredients

6-7 green chillies, large variety, medium sized

½ cup peanuts

2 tablespoons sesame seeds

2 tablespoons coconut

2 onions, sliced

1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste

2-4 flakes garlic, crushed

4-5 dry red chillies

¼ tsp Nigella seeds

¼ tsp fenugreek seeds

1 tsp mustard seeds

½ tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp cumin seeds

6-8 curry leaves

½ tsp coriander powder

2 tablespoons tamarind pulp or lemon juice

Salt to taste

½ cup cooking oil

Directions:

In a pan add peanuts and roast for a few minutes. Add sesame seeds, coconut and roast for a few minutest till light brown in colour. Remove and keep aside in a bowl. In the same pan, add some oil and sauté onions till light brown in colour. Remove and transfer the onions and the roasted sesame, peanut-coconut mixture to a blender and grind to a fine paste with a little water. Keep aside. Wash and wipe the green chillies dry. Slit the green chillies and remove seeds, taking care not to break them. In a deep pan or wok heat some oil and fry the chillies for 2-3 minutes. Remove and keep aside. Add some more oil and add crushed garlic, dry red chillies, nigella seeds, mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds and curry leaves and sauté for a few minutes. Add turmeric, cumin seeds and ginger garlic paste and fry for a few seconds. Add coriander powder and then the blended mixture. Add salt to taste and mix well. Add the tamarind pulp or lemon juice. Add the fried green chillies, mix and simmer for 3-4 minutes. Check seasoning and turn off the heat. Serve hot with any flatbread or rice.

Khandvi

Khandvi 

“Khandvi is an Indian savoury snack originating from the region of Gujarat. They are soft chickpea flour rolls garnished with freshly grated coconut and a tempering of curry leaves. They are a melt in the mouth snack and are easy to make once you master the technique of the consistency of the batter.”

Serves 4

Ingredients

 For the rolls:

1 cup chick pea flour (known as besan in India)

1” piece ginger

2 pinches salt

½ teaspoon powdered turmeric

1 pinch asafoetida

1 cup yogurt

2 cups buttermilk

2 green chillies

3 tablespoon refined oil

For garnishing:

2 teaspoon grated coconut

1/4 bunch coriander leaves

1 teaspoon mustard seeds

A pinch of asafoetida

Directions:

Remove the seeds of green chillies and prepare a paste of ginger and green chillies. In a bowl sieve the chick pea flour. Add yogurt, the ginger-green chilli paste, salt, turmeric powder. Add buttermilk gradually and whisk it so that there are no lumps in the batter.

On a clean counter spread some oil. Keep a pastry cutter or a flat spatula ready. This is to spread the cooked chick pea batter once it’s ready.

In a thick bottomed saucepan, cook the mixture stirring continuously, till it becomes a smooth thick batter. It takes a few minutes to get this ready. It took me 17 minutes to get the right consistency. You can do a test by putting a teaspoon of the batter on the oiled counter top and spread it. Try to roll it. If the batter rolls, it is ready. Quickly spread portions of the mixture over the oiled surface counter top with a pastry cutter as thinly as possible, while the batter is still very hot. Allow this batter to cool for a few minutes.

When cool, cut into strips two inches wide and roll them tightly,  but gently taking care so that you don’t break them. Place the Khandvi rolls on a serving tray. Heat two tablespoons of oil and add a pinch of asafoetida, curry leaves and mustard seeds. When they crackle/ splutter, pour over the rolls. Enjoy with a cup of tea.

Cook’s note: A perfect Khandvi would be rolls of thin layers and this is achieved by getting the right consistency when cooking the batter. If you cook the batter more the consistency thickens and spreading the Khandvi mixture becomes difficult and what you get are thick layers.

Another important point is that you have to be quick in spreading the cooked Khandvi batter. If you delay, the batter thickens as it cools and becomes lumpy while spreading.

Gizzada

Gizzada

"Gizzada is a Jamaican coconut pastry tart. The tart is contained in a small, crisp pastry shell with a pinched crust and filled with a sweet and spiced coconut filling."

Ingredients

For the pastry tart:

2 cups all-purpose flour

Ice water

1 teaspoon shortening

1 tablespoon butter

½ teaspoon salt

For the filling:

1 cup water

1 ½ cups freshly grated coconut

1 ½ cups brown sugar

¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg

1 oz. butter

Directions:

To prepare the filling - Boil water and sugar together to make syrup on ow heat. Add the grated coconut and nutmeg to the syrup. Stir the ingredients so it does not thicken. Boil for 15 minutes, the add the butter. Stir ingredients for another 6 minutes. Be sure the butter is not visible in the filling. Allow the filling to cool.

To prepare the pastry: Sift flour and salt together. Cut the butter and shortening in to small pieces, add to the flour along with the cold water. Knead into a dough. Place the pastry into a cling wrap and refrigerate for ½ an hour. Remove the pastry from the fridge and using a rolling pin to roll the pastry on a cutting board or counter to a ¼ inch thickness. (Flour the board first). Cut circles in the pastry using an 8-oz cup/glass. (You can also use a cookie cutter). Cut 16 circles from it, crimping (pinching) each of the pastry circles to form a casing. It will be holder for the filling, like little baskets. Crimp in a uniform pattern as this will give the decorated effect. Place the casings on a greased tray and part-bake in the oven (at about 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes). Remove it from the oven and then add the filling to the baked pastry. Bake the gizzadas for another 20 minutes. Remove them from the oven allow to cool. Serve with hot tea or coffee.

Egg Curry

Egg Curry

Ingredients

6 hard boiled eggs peeled and halved

1 large red onion, roughly sliced
2 tomatoes, roughly chopped

4 flakes garlic

2” piece ginger

2 tbsp tomato paste

3 tbsp mild curry powder

1 tsp red chilli powder

2 green chilies sliced at an angle

8-10 cashews

½ glass of water

5-6 tbsp oil

Salt to taste
4 tbsp cooking cream

Chopped coriander leaves for garnishing

Directions

In a deep pan heat some cooking oil and sauté the onions for a few minutes. Add the tomatoes and sauté for 3-4 minutes. Next add ginger and garlic and sauté for a few more minutes. Then add the cashews and sauté for a further 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and leave to cool for a bit. Transfer this to a blender and grind it to a fine paste. You can add some water if needed. In a pot heat some oil and add the green chilies and fry for a few minutes. Remove and transfer to a small bowl.  Add the ground mixture to the remaining oil and fry this for a few minutes or until the mixture changes to a darker colour. Add the curry powder and fry for a few minutes. Add salt to taste and half a cup of water. Simmer for a few minutes. The gravy should be thick. Now add the halved boiled eggs and cream. Stir gently. and check seasoning. Turn off the heat. Transfer to a serving bowl. Garnish with the fried green chilies and chopped fresh coriander. Service with hot white rice or naan. 

Gyros

Gyros

“Gyros is a popular Greek street food and is available almost everywhere in Athens. I tasted my first Gyros during my trip to Greece in Athens and simply loved it. The flat bread is crispy and soft in every bite. It can be made with a pork or chicken filling. In this recipe I used a roast pork filling which you can make a day before”.

Makes 10 Gyros (to make a smaller quantity, simply halve the ingredients)

Ingredients

For the flatbread:

6 levelled cups for the dough, plus more for bailing the dough later

2 teaspoons salt

2 cup water, lukewarm

2 tablespoons sugar

4 teaspoons active dry yeast

1 cup milk, lukewarm

1 cup plain yogurt

6 tablespoons vegetable oil or olive oil

Some butter for basting the breads

For the filling:

1 full rotisserie or grilled chicken shredded in big pieces or roast pork slices.

2 tomatoes sliced in rounds

1 large onion sliced in rings

Some chopped parsley

Tzatziki sauce (please see here how to make Tzatziki)

Directions:

To make the dough: In a small bowl heat ½ cup of water in the microwave for 35 seconds, remove, add sugar and mx. Add the dry instant yeast, mix and leave to foam up. You will know the yeast is activated when it’s all bubbly and frothy on top. In the bowl of your stand mixer add the flour and salt and mix. Add the yeast mixture, yoghurt and with the dough attachment of your mixer start mixing. As the dough is mixing, add the lukewarm milk gradually as required till the dough is smooth but not sticky. Remove the dough onto your cleaned counter and knead into a ball using some oil. Place dough in the bowl of your mixer and cover with a cling wrap. Keep in a warm place for the dough to rise. If it’s cold where you live, pre-heat your oven for few minutes and then turn it off. Then place your dough inside the oven (remember the oven should be off!). After around 90 minutes, the dough will be more than double in size. Punch the dough lightly to release the air.

Divide the dough into 10 equal parts using a pastry cutter or knife (do not pull the dough as it will break the gluten strands). If the dough is sticky, oil your hands while dividing the dough. Cover the dough balls with a kitchen towel. Take a ball and roll it a bit, using some dry flour, bail the dough into a large flatbread, about 9-10 inches. Repeat the process until you’ve bailed all the flatbread.

In a flat non-stick pan, place one flatbread, on low heat. When you see small bubbles, turn the flatbread and brush with some butter on top. Turn the flatbread again and brush with butter. They should be golden brown on both sides. Repeat until all the flat breads are done. In a plate arrange one Gyro flatbread. Top it with shredded chicken or pork slices. Place a couple of tomato roundels, some onion rings, drizzle with some Tzatziki and some chopped parsley. You can cover each Gyro with butter paper, however here I used a toothpick to hold it together.

Tzatziki

Tzatziki

Ingredients

1 medium cucumber

250 grams Greek yogurt*

2 cloves garlic

¼ tsp oregano

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Salt to taste

Juice of ½ lemon

Some chopped dill (optional)

Directions

Whisk the Greek yogurt and set aside. *If you don’t have Greek yoghurt, put full fat yoghurt in a strainer for an hour and discard the whey that collects below. Slice the cucumber in half and scrape out the seeds and discard. Chop cucumber very finely. Add it to the whisked yoghurt along with the other ingredients. Garnish with some olive oil on top. Use this as a dip with pita bread or as a sauce in Gyros.

Date and Walnut Cake

Date and Walnut Cake

Ingredients

150 gms all-purpose flour

150 gms unsalted butter, softened

150 gms granulated sugar

3 eggs, beaten

1 tsp baking powder

50 gms medium dried dates, de-seeded and chopped

50 gms walnuts, roughly chopped

Directions

Preheat oven to 180 deg C. Grease a bundt pan with butter. In a bowl, with the help of an electric hand mixer, cream the butter and sugar for 5 minutes until white and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Sift the flour and baking powder and mix with the butter and sugar. Add the dates and walnuts and fold into the cake mixture.

Spoon the mixture into the cake tin and smooth over the top. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out dry.

Allow to cool and then invert the cake. Serve with tea or coffee. Enjoy!

Mujadara: Lentils and Rice with Crispy Onions

Mujadara

"Mujadara (mujaddara) is a signature Middle Eastern dish of lentils and rice garnished with crispy onions. I have tweaked the original recipe a bit and added a few ingredients for extra flavour."

Serves 4-5 persons

Ingredients

2 cups long-grain white rice, washed and then drained

1 cup black lentils (I used flat brown lentils known as masoor), sorted and rinsed (use the same cup for exact measurements).

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (I used ghee) more for later

3 large onions sliced and fried till golden brown and crispy

1 tsp salt, more to taste

1 bouillon cube

1 tsp cumin powder

1 tsp coriander powder

½ tsp black pepper

½ tsp red chilli powder

½ tsp turmeric powder

4 ½ cups water, divided (use the same cup that was used to measure rice for exact measurements).

Chopped parsley for garnish

Directions

Place the lentils in a small saucepan with some water. Add a pinch of salt, bring the water to a boil over high heat, and then reduce the heat and simmer, cover until the lentils are par-boiled (10-12 minutes). Remove from the heat, drain the lentils and set them aside. Reserve the liquid. Measure to see how many cups you have.

In a large sauté pan with a lid, heat the oil/ghee over medium-high heat. Add the sliced onions and cook until the onions are dark golden brown, darker than typical caramelized onions (about 40 minutes), sprinkle the onions with a teaspoon of salt as they cook. Drain from oil and keep aside.

In the remaining oil, add the powdered spices and stir. Add the washed rice and fry for a few minutes. Carefully pour 3 cups of water, salt to taste, bouillon cube, bring the water to a boil over high heat, and then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 2 minutes. When the rice is just done, add the cooked lentils and the reserved water (in total it should be 4 ½ cups of water). Cover and bring back to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until the liquid has been absorbed and the rice and lentils are both cooked through (about 20 minutes). Remove from the heat and stir in half the crispy onions. Serve the Mujadara hot or at room temperature with the remaining crispy onions on top, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and parsley garnish, if you like.

Add a side of salad like fattoush, if you like. Enjoy!

Hot Cross Buns

Hot Cross Buns

"Traditionally these spiced buns are made during Lent on Good Friday, but they can also be enjoyed throughout the year. This recipe is taken from Dusty's Food Adventures."

Ingredients:

3 heaped cups all purpose flour, plus extra for dusting

200 ml milk + 50 ml water

¼  cup unsalted butter

1 tablespoon yeast

1 teaspoon salt

¼  cup caster sugar

1 teaspoon mixed spice (see mixed spice recipe below)

1 teaspoon cinnamon

¼  teaspoon nutmeg

1 egg

1/2 cup candied ginger, mixed dry fruit and peel

2 - 3 tablespoon all purpose flour (for the cross)

2 - 3 tablespoon honey (for the glaze)

Directions:

1. Prep your ingredients before you begin to save time while cooking.

2. Combine the milk and water, and warm it in a pan or microwave until it is just warmer than room temperature. Add the yeast to the mix and stir it in. Set aside.

3. Warm up the butter until it melts and beat the egg in a separate bowl. Set aside.

4. Combine all the dry ingredients in a large bowl.

5. Add the butter, yeast mixture and egg to the bowl.

6. Combine the wet and dry ingredients together.

7. Knead the dough for around 10 minutes until it is smooth and pliable.

8. Cover and place in a warm place to proof for around an hour or until doubled in size. I place the mixing bowl in my oven with just the oven light on.

9. After an hour, add the mixed dry fruit and peel to the dough mix.

10. Knead for 1 - 2 minutes.

11. Divide the dough into 10 - 12 equal parts (use a knife or pastry cutter; do not tear the dough as it will break the gluten strands) and roll them into balls. Place the balls on a greased and lined baking tray. Place the tray back into the oven for a further 30 minutes. Here's a quick video that will show you how to go about shaping the dough: How to shape dough - King Arthur Flour.

12. In a small bowl combine the flour for the cross with equal parts of water. The mix should be thick enough to pipe. It's better to be a bit on the dry side, because if too runny, the crosses will disappear when baked.

13. Once the 30 minutes are up, add the flour mixture into a piping bag, or into a zip lock bag with the corner cut off, and pipe a cross across the top of the dough balls.

14. Turn on your oven and pre-heat it to 375F (190C). Place the tray into the oven and bake the buns for 20 minutes or until they brown.

15. Once done, remove from oven and place on a cooling rack.

16. Add a tablespoon or two of water to the honey, and mix it to form a thin mix.

17. Brush the honey mix over the tops of the bun, and repeat again if necessary.

18. Serve warm with salted butter and/or your favourite jam.

Mixed Spice Recipe:

1 Tablespoon ground allspice

1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon

1 Tablespoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground Ginger

Mix all the spices together, and store in a sealed jar away from light. You can use this spice powder to make other types of sweet bread rolls/buns. 

Beignets

Beignets

"The word Beignet in French is "fritter" or "doughnut". The country of origin is France but they are very popular in New Orleans, Beignets are doughnut-like fried dough that are dusted with powdered sugar. 

Ingredients

1 ½ cups lukewarm water

½ cup granulated sugar

1 envelope active dry yeast

2 eggs, slightly beaten

1 ¼ teaspoons salt

1 cup evaporated milk

7 cups bread flour

¼ cup shortening

Vegetable oil

3 cups confectioners' sugar

Directions:

Mix water, sugar, and yeast in a large bowl and let sit 10 minutes.

In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, salt, and evaporated milk together.

Add egg mixture to yeast mixture and mix.

Stir in 3 cups of bread flour. (A wooden spoon is good for stirring.)

Add shortening and stir it in. Stir in remaining flour.

Note: The video above shows melted shortening being used, but there is no need to melt the shortening. It will mix in just fine in solid form.

Place dough on a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth.

Coat a large bowl with oil, place dough in bowl and cover with plastic wrap.

Let rise at least 2 hours or place in refrigerator overnight.

Pour about 3 inches of oil in a Dutch oven and heat to 350 degrees.

Roll dough to 1/4-inch thickness and cut 2-inch squares. (This is easy to do with a pizza cutter.)

Working about 4 at a time, place in oil and fry, flipping continuously until they are golden brown.

Test one to make sure it is cooked through. Drain on paper towels and coat with powdered sugar.

Serradura (Sawdust Pudding)

Serradurra

"Serradura (Sawdust Pudding) is a Portuguese dessert which consists of a combination of sweetened whipped cream and powdered tea biscuits. Serradura in Portuguese means sawdust, and the sawdust in this dessert is powdered tea biscuits. The biscuits are powdered to super fine and resemble sawdust."

Makes: 5 dessert bowls (depends on size of bowl)

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

15-20 Marie biscuits or any tea butter biscuits

¼ cup sweetened condensed milk

½ tsp vanilla essence

1 cup whipping cream or thick cream

Directions:

Powder or crush the biscuits using a food processor.

Whip the cream to soft peaks. Add condensed milk and vanilla essence and whip again till stiff peaks are formed. Do not over whip else you will end up with butter. I recommend using a blender here.

In a bowl, first put a layer of Marie biscuits powder.

Add a layer of cream. Repeat with further layers of Marie biscuits and cream.  (make sure that  the Marie biscuits layer is very thin as you want it to be softened by the whipped cream)

The last layer should be a very thin layer of biscuits.

Place in freezer for 2-3 hours. Take it out 15 minutes before serving.