Basic Bechamel - La Béchamel

Here is a recipe on how to make a basic Béchamel sauce. You can use this sauce in a large number of dishes such as lasagne, macaroni cheese etc. For best results you have to stir constantly and always make sure that you do not burn the roux [flour and butter mixture]. Here is what how to do it and what you will need...

Makes about 1 litre of sauce

• 50g butter
• 50g plain flour
• 1 litre whole milk, at room temperature
• Pinch of grated nutmeg
• Ground black pepper, to taste

How to...

1. Start by warming the milk with the nutmeg and pepper in a separate pan. Do not overheat and/or boil as the sauce will curdle. Set aside.
2. Melt the butter and add the flour on low heat. Stir constantly until you get a golden but not brown roux.
3. Now, start adding the milk to the roux gradually, make sure you keep stirring all the time so as not to get any lumps. Keep stirring until you use all the milk and until you get a thick silky sauce. 
4. Use in any recipe!

R&A

Asparagi alla Milanese - Asparagus Milan Style

This dish is so good that you will need some bread to make sure you swipe clean the plate. It is so easy and quick to prepare. Here in England it is asparagus season and currently you can find purple tip asparagus at very cheap prices. Purple tip asparagus have a slightly better taste than the green ones but any one of them will do. Enjoy this as a quick snack, breakfast, or as a starter to a main meal. So to prepare this dish for 2 people you will need...

• A bunch of asparagus
• 2 eggs
• Generous knob of butter
• Grated parmesan cheese

Method

1. Firstly, to remove the woody part of the asparagus, take one asparagus and bend it slowly until it snaps from the lower end. The small bit left is the woody part. Discard it. Now take a knife and cut the same part for the rest of the asparagus.
2. Put the asparagus in a pan of boiling water and boil for about 5 minutes.
3. While the asparagus are boiling, melt the butter in the pan and when all the butter is melted and bubbly, slowly crack the eggs. Be ever so careful not to break the egg yolk.
4. Fry the eggs until egg white is set but yolk is still runny and bright yellow.
5. Put the asparagus on a thick piece of kitchen paper, so as they absorb excess water. 
6. Put the asparagus on the plate, slide an egg on top and sprinkle with the parmesan cheese.
7. Drizzle the remaining butter from the pan around the asparagus and enjoy!!!!

R&A

Ramanda's Chorizo & Chicken Frittata

I love egg dishes....in fact this is our second second frittata on this blog. The Frittata Primavera was a hit with you guys, so here is another creation of ours. The secret of egg dishes is to cook them possibly covered and on a low heat. We used spicy dry cured Chorizo Casero and fresh chicken breast in this dish which turned out to be delicious. Give this a go...this what you will need...

• 6 eggs, beaten
• 200g dry cured chorizo sausage, casing removed and diced
• 1 chicken breast, cut in half lengthwise
• 1 green pepper. finely diced
• Ground black pepper, to taste
• Pinch of dried marjoram
• Fresh chives, snipped
• 4 cherry tomatoes, diced
• Olive oil

Method

1. Start by seasoning the chicken breast with olive oil and ground black pepper and grill under a medium grill until cooked. When cooked, dice into small pieces. Set aside.
2. Preheat a large empty non-stick 28cm frying pan, when hot enough, add the chorizo and green pepper and cover. Cook for about 5-10 minutes on a medium heat until the pepper is soft and the chorizo has a nice deep red colour.
3. Add the chives, marjoram, tomatoes and chicken breast, stir well and add the beaten eggs slowly so you can cover all of the pan.
4. Cook covered on a low heat for about 10 minutes. When done, slowly slice onto a plate and serve.
5. If the top of the frittata is still a little runny, pop under a hot grill for a couple of minutes.

Enjoy!!
R&A

Broccoli & Stilton Soup

This soup is the wife's favourite and to be honest broccoli were never one of my favourite vegetables but as I grow older it is definitely becoming one of my favourites. The better quality Stilton cheese the better soup you get but if you do not find Stilton you can use you Danish Blue cheese. Get the best broccoli you can get, greenest and freshest ones possible. It is quite easy to prepare. You can serve it with buttered crusty bread, grated Parmesan cheese or a dollop of cream. For 6 to 8 servings you will need...

• 1kg broccoli, flowers separated and stalks peeled and chopped
• 200g Stilton cheese, cut into cubes
• 1 large onion, chopped
• Knob of butter
• 250ml whole milk
• 3 tbsp flour
• 2 litres of water
• 2 vegetable Knorr stock pots or cubes
• Salt & pepper to taste
• Crusty bread, to serve

How to...

1. Melt the butter and fry the onion until soft and transparent.
2. Add the broccoli, water and stock cubes and cook on a medium heat until the broccoli are tender stirring occasionally. When broccoli are tender add the cheese and stir again
3. In a small separate pan put the milk and flour and slowly bring to the boil stirring all the time vigorously until you get a thickened sauce. When it boils remove from the heat and add the broccoli mixture. Give it a good stir.
4. Turn off the heat and leave it to cool down a bit.
5. Blend the soup with a hand-held blender or into a standing blender in batches and serve with some buttered crusty bread.

Enjoy!!
R&A

Couscous à la Tunisienne - Tunisian Style Couscous

Here goes another favourite recipe of mine. My mother got this recipe from a Tunisian family during one of her  visits to Tunisia...it bursts with flavours...succulent lamb, aromatic spices, tasty vegetables...so genuine...the best part of it...you must eat this dish with your right hand's first three fingers to get the Arabic feeling!!!! According to Arab culture, if you use less than three fingers to eat you are showing arrogant manners, whereas if you use both hands that is an indicative of an overpowering greed. This is one of the reasons that the vegetables in this dish are cut into big chunks so as they can be picked up. Anyway, you can eat this with a fork as well mind you! :) Me being a massive xenophile [in love with different cultures] I just feel like I have to eat it like that. Oh and you definitely need a massive pot...we use a thick-bottomed 6L pot. 

You can do this dish for a dinner party or when you have friends over and you want to impress.  In this recipe I use shoulder of lamb but if you cannot find any, you can use lamb shanks that can be found everywhere. If you do not fancy lamb you can use chicken or if vegetarian you can omit the meat. Harissa paste is a chilli paste coming from Tunisia, this can be found in most supermarkets [It is very hot so be careful of the amount you put in] Click on the name in the ingredients list to see which one is it. You will see in the ingredients list that there is a long list of ingredients but most of it is vegetables, so do not give up. So come on, do give it a go!! You will need...

• 1kg bone-in shoulder of lamb, trimmed of all fat
• 500g pumpkin or butternut squash, cut into large pieces
• 1 large leek, cut into large pieces
• 2 green peppers. quartered
• 2 onions, quartered
• 3 gloves of garlic, crushed
• 5 small potatoes, cut in half
• 1 large marrow [like the one in the picture or 4 small ones], cut into large chunks
• 1 turnip, quartered
• 5 carrots, cut in half
• Olive oil
• 2 tbsp. tomato paste
• 1 tbsp harissa paste
• Salt & ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 tablespoons ground cumin
• 500ml water
• 1 tin chick peas
• 250g couscous

How to...

1. In a large pan, fry the lamb in olive oil, add the garlic, salt and pepper, stirring all the time until golden. 
2. Add the onions, tomato paste and harissa and stir well. Add a little water at a time. 
3. Add all the other vegetable chunks and sprinkle the cumin. Add the remaining water and cook until the meat is tender about 1½ hours covered but make sure you stir the pot every once in a while.
4. Add the chick peas and give the pot yet another good stir.
5. Remove the meat from the pot and add the couscous and some extra olive oil. Remove the pot from the heat and cover tightly and leave for 5 minutes.
6. Mix the pot well and serve hot.

Enjoy!!
R&A

Ħelwa tat-Tork bil-pistaċċi - Sesame & Sugar Confectionery with Pistachios

Ħelwa tat-Tork or Halvah hails from the Middle East but many many years back it was imported to Malta and ended up as one of the national confectionery must haves in all the sweet shops around the island. I remember my grandparents having a slice of Ħelwa tat-Tork and a piece of plain Maltese bread. My grandma used to say that is it just balances the sweetness of it all. I must say that when I had it with bread it did taste wonderfully good...although I think it must be Maltese bread or other rustic hard crusted bread. It is very easy to make as it consists only in 2 major ingredients...sugar & tahini [sesame paste]. All you need to get it right is a kitchen thermometer and a thick based pan as the temperature has to be perfect. It is usually served plain but feel free to add any roasted nuts to it....although best ones to use are pistachios. Almonds and hazelnuts are fine as well. So give it a try and always be careful when handling boiling sugar syrup....it is very very HOT!! You will need...

• 200g granulated sugar
• 260g Tahini [Sesame paste]
• 12 tbsp water
• Pistachios [not salted], roasted, shelled and skins removed
• 1 tsp vanilla essence

Method

1. In a thick bottomed saucepan put the sugar and the water over very slow heat until the sugar dissolves. Stir slowly until it boils. Do not stir while and after it boils.
2. Let it boil until the thermometer reaches a temperature of 140°C or 284°F.
3. Meanwhile in a heat proof container mix the tahini, pistachios [or any other nuts you might have used] and vanilla essence.
4. When the sugar mixture reaches the required temperature [140°C or 284°F], pour it onto the tahini mixture in a slow steady stream whilst mixing well.
5. When done just leave it cool until solidifies. When cool, you can store it in tins or cut it in slabs and wrap them in greaseproof paper.
6. After storing, some sesame oil may be found around the confection, this will not interfere with the taste. You can always pat it dry with some kitchen paper.
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8. Enjoy!!! [with some Maltese bread maybe!!]
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10. R&A
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The Brunch

I came up with this idea...when we felt like something light but filling for our brunch...keeping in mind that it was about 10 o'clock and no sign of breakfast for us yet!!! So I prepared this quick brunch for us. I started by thinly slicing a couple zucchine lengthwise [you always slice them in rounds if you please] and sauté them in a little butter or olive oil. Scramble a couple of eggs, a couple of grilled multi-seed bread, buttered and sprinkled with grated Grana Padano cheese and a nice salad dressed with Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar. You will definitely start the day by having in one plate your 5-a-day!! It may seem loads to do for a morning but believe me it is quick and easy. If it is still too much you also serve it as a light lunch :)....Give it a go....you will need [for 2 people]...

• 2 zucchine, thinly sliced lengthwise
• Pinch of dried mixed herbs
• Ground black pepper, to taste
• 4-5 eggs
• Olive oil
• 4 cherry tomatoes
• 4 slices bread [We used a multi-seeded bloomer]
• Grated Grana Padano cheese
• Half a bag of prepared salad [We used a beetroot and spinach leaf salad but any salad will do]
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil & Balsamic Vinegar, for the dressing

Method

1. Start by sautéing the zucchine in a couple tbsp of olive oil in a pan*[see note at the bottom]. Add the mixed herbs and ground black pepper, cover. Sauté the zucchine until soft.
2. While the zucchine are cooking, butter the bread and sprinkle with the grated Grana Padano cheese. Set aside.
3. When the zucchine are done put them on the plate and add a little butter to the same pan and crack the eggs and scramble them until cooked. You can add salt & pepper as well.
4. Put the bread under the grill until cheese is bubbly and  golden.
5. Plate the salad,tomatoes, eggs, bread and zucchine.
6. Dress the salad with some Balsamic Vinegar and Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

Enjoy!!

R&A

*[DO NOT PREHEAT THE OLIVE OIL AS IT HAS A LOW SMOKING POINT AND IT WILL EVAPORATE EASILY AND YOUR FOOD WILL BURN]

Moussaka - Μουσακάς (Greek Version)

Moussaka is a great recipe made in various ways. It hails from different areas of the Mediterranean area namely, Eastern Mediterranean, the Balkans and the Middle East, hence the different versions. My favourite version is definitely the Greek one which consists of aubergines, minced lamb and a nice thick white sauce. The meat is spiced with ground allspice and cinnamon which gives the meat a very tasty flavour. The aubergine slices are fried but if you want to go for a lighter version, you can always grill them! The best lamb cut for this recipe is the shoulder of lamb but if you want to use already minced lamb you can. If you opt for the shoulder of lamb, get your butcher to mince it for you. So try and give this one a go, it is so tasty...you will need...

• 700g shoulder of lamb, minced
• 700g aubergine, sliced into 1cm slices
• 1 large onions, finely chopped
• 1 can chopped tomatoes
• 1 tsp ground allspice
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tbsp chopped parsley
• 500ml Béchamel Sauce
• Freshly ground pepper
• 1 egg yolk, beaten
• Large pinch of ground nutmeg
• Grated Kefalotiri or Parmesan, to taste
• Olive oil, for frying

How to...

1. Put the sliced aubergines in a colander across each other and sprinkle with salt between the layers. Put the colander in a bowl or sink and leave covered with a plate for about 45 minutes to remove the bitter juices from the aubergines.
2. After the 45 minutes, wash the aubergines from the salt and pat them dry. 
3. Start to fry the aubergines in batches in the heated olive oil until golden, turning once, if necessary top up the oil between the batches, when all ready, set aside.
4. Drain the oil from the pan and leave just around 2 tbsp of oil. Heat again and fry the onion until browned.
5. Add the meat to the onion and fry until cooked.
6. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
7. Add the tomatoes, allspice, cinnamon, parsley and pepper and cook covered for about 25 minutes.
8. When everything is done, start by alternately layering the tomato & meat mixture and aubergine slices in a deep oven dish.
9. When all the tomato/meat mixture & aubergines are all used up, add the yolk and nutmeg to the béchamel sauce and stir well.
10. Now, pour the béchamel sauce over the dish and top with the grated cheese.
11. Baked into the preheated oven for about 25 minutes or until the top is melted and bubbly.

Enjoy!!

R&A

Smoked Salmon & Prawn Paupiettes

This particular dish here has been a staple dish on my mother's Christmas menu for years. She does it as a starter before the turkey. It is very easy to prepare...the trickiest part is when you roll it! Calmly and slowly you will master it though :) We fill ours with fresh prawns and great Marie Rose sauce. So if you need a starter for your meal or as a main course served with a crispy salad give this a go. You can prepare it in advance and put it in the fridge and before you serve it try slicing it :) You will need...

• 1 200g packet Smoked Salmon
• 300g cooked prawns
• 3 tbsp mayonnaise
• 1 tbsp ketchup
• pinch of sweet paprika
• A small glug of brandy
• few drops of Worcestershire sauce
• few drops of lemon juice
• Ground black pepper, to taste

Method

1. Prepare the Marie-Rose sauce by mixing in a bowl all the ingredients except the prawns and salmon.
2. Put the prawns in the sauce and blend well. 
3. Put a slice of smoked salmon on a large piece of cling film and spread some of the prawn mixture onto it (do not overdo it).
4. Now slowly lift the cling film with the salmon and start rolling the roulade until you get it like the one in the picture.
5. Wrap the roulade tightly in cling film and put aside.
6. Repeat steps 3, 4 & 5 until you use all the prawns and salmon.
7. If you want to slice them (we leave ours whole), before serving put them in the freezer for about 2 hours and slice into rounds and leave to stand for about 30 minutes before serving.
8. Serve with a wedge of lemon and some salad!

Enjoy!!

R&A

Torta Tal-Corned Beef - Corned Beef Pie Maltese Style

This pie has been in my family and possibly in loads more Maltese households since World War 2. Tinned Corned Beef (Bulu Bijf) used to be used as a substitute for fresh meat which was scarce during the war. It is a very straightforward recipe and we even used pre-prepared pastry as making puff-pastry takes loads of skill and time. My mother-in-law does her own pastry which makes this pie tastier, while my grandma used to send me to the Pastizzeria (Traditional Maltese pasty shop) to buy her pastry from there, oh what memories!. There is a secret to this recipe which is, using Tomato Paste (Kunserva) instead of any other tomatoes/tinned tomatoes. So here it goes...you will need...

• 2 large tins corned beef
• 1 small can kunserva [tomato paste] [about 120g]
• 4 large carrots, finely diced
• 1 large onion finely diced
• 8-10 very small potatoes, cooked and cut into 4 pieces
• A handful of frozen peas
• 2 packages ready-made puff or shortcrust pastry sheets
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil
• A little water

How to...

1. Heat the oil and add the carrots and onion and cook until carrots are soft. If necessary add a little water.
2. Preheat the oven at 180°C.
3. In the meantime cook the potatoes, do not cook them too much, you can boil, microwave or steam them. Cut them in 4 and set aside.
4. When carrots & onion are cooked, add the corned beef and tomato paste. Give it a good stir and simmer for a couple of minutes until the corned beef smashes down.Add the potatoes and peas and stir carefully again.
5. Turn off the heat. Set aside.
6. Roll the pastry sheets and put it onto an oiled/buttered 28cm round pie dish or a rectangular pie dish.
7. Add the corned beef filling and cover with the remainder of the pastry. Prick the top as well so excessive steam comes out of the pie.
8. Cook in the preheated oven for about 35 minutes or until pastry is golden.

Enjoy!!

R&A

Seafood Rice Salad

Summer is here and  there is nothing better than a delicious fresh rice salad. This is our favourite combination of ingredients. It tastes so fresh! We serve it with plain old fashioned salad cream!! You can use mayonnaise, more olive oil or even a vinaigrette. Give it a go...you can prepare this salad in advance and share it with your family and friends to a BBQ or party or even a picnic at the park or at the beach. It is very easy to prepare as the only cooking needed is cooking the rice. So, for 6-8 servings, you will need...

• 3 cups cold cooked rice [about 900g]
• 1 red or green pepper, diced
• 1 large tomato, deseeded and diced
• 2 spring onions, finely chopped
• 4 tbsp pitted green olives
• 120g smoked salmon, cut into small pieces
• 200g cooked prawns 
• 16 surimi sticks, sliced
• 175g cooked fresh mussels, without shell
• 1 tin (60g) anchovies, chopped (optional)
• Chopped fresh mint
• Chopped fresh coriander
• Half teaspoon dried marjoram
• Half teaspoon dried dill
• Some extra virgin olive oil
• Salad cream or mayonnaise, to serve
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

How to...

1. This has to be the easiest method ever.  Just put all the ingredients (apart from the salad cream or mayo) in a bowl.
2. Mix slowly with a plastic spoon.
3. Dress with the salad cream or mayonnaise.

Enjoy!!
R&A

Rum Bananas with Whipped Cream

Just three words can describe this dessert...TO DIE FOR!!!! :)) It is so easy and quick to do. I always keep a small bottle of rum in my cupboard just for this recipe as when we are craving for something sweet we usually end up doing this dessert! So give this a go and you will definitely keep repeating this recipe :) You will need...

• 2 ripe bananas, sliced in half lengthways
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• A knob of butter
• A tot of rum
• Whipped cream

Method

1. Melt the butter in a pan.
2. Add the sugar and when it starts bubbling add the bananas, turning carefully once to coat evenly in the sugar mixture.
3. Add the rum and if you feel comfortable, flambé the bananas.
4. Serve with the whipped cream.

Enjoy!!!

R&A

Ramanda's Cream of Leek & Potato Soup

This creamy soup is a classic but obviously we had to give it our touch here :) Use the freshest leeks and potatoes you can find on the market to end up with a very delicious soup. As the potatoes are quite bland I add some herbs and spices...as I always do...we had this soup with some very nice stone-baked rustic bread which we scrumptiously dunked in the warm creamy soup. Yum yum! Although it has cream in the name we do not use any cream in this recipe...we use milk and flour to thicken it up! Try and give this a go and hope you enjoy it!! You will need...

• 3 leeks, washed and sliced
• 8 medium potatoes, diced
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 litres water
• 2 stock cubes
• ¼ tsp dried marjoram
• ¼ tsp dried sage
• Pinch ground nutmeg
• Pinch sweet paprika
• 2 bay leaves
• Ground black pepper, to taste
• 2-3 tbsp flour, sifted
• 250ml milk
• 2 tbsp Vegetable oil
• Grated Parmigiano, to serve

Method

1. Cook the onion in the oil until transparent and add the leeks and potatoes and cook for a few minutes.
2. Add all the ingredients except the milk and flour and simmer on medium low heat for about 75 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
3. Then add the milk and flour and stir well instantly to avoid any flour bits.
4. Bring to the boil and simmer for a couple of minutes until slightly thickened.
5. Turn off the heat and leave it to settle for about 20 minutes.
6. Blend the soup in the blender until you get a velvety creamy texture.
7. Serve with grated cheese and/or bread.

Enjoy!!

R&A

Frittata Primavera

I just created this frittata this morning for our brunch. I opened the fridge and thought with what can I come up with and this is the result. :) The end result was delicious and I thought I'll share this creation with you guys. If fresh herbs are not available use a pinch of dried herbs instead. Also, if you would like to make this dish as a vegetarian meal just omit the ham and salami. So, this is basically what you will need...

• 5 eggs, beaten
• 1 red pepper, finely diced
• 1 courgette (zucchine), finely diced
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• 2 fresh basil leaves, finely chopped
• 4 mint leaves, finely chopped
• Fresh chives, finely chopped
• 50g Ham, chopped
• 50g German salami (or any other salami), chopped
• Pinch ground cumin
• Pinch cayenne pepper
• Ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 tbsp grated hard cheese (Parmigiano, Grana or Kefalotiri)
• Olive oil

Method

1. Heat the olive oil and add all the ingredients apart from the eggs and cheese.
2. Cover and cook until pepper and courgette are soft. Make sure you keep mixing frequently.
3. When veg is soft, distribute the mixture in the pan evenly.
4. Beat the eggs in a bowl and add the cheese and more black pepper. Mix well.
5. Add the egg mixture to the pan.
6. Lower the heat and cook covered until eggs set.
7. Serve with buttered wholemeal bread.

Enjoy!!!

R&A

Pasta & Aubergine Bake

Yet another favourite dish of the Farrugia's...bursting with Mediterranean flavours! Amanda found this recipe in one of our recipe books and it is a must on our menu now. The grilled peppers, the aubergines, the olive paste...wow! For the peppers, we either make our own grilled peppers in oil or when short of time, we use grilled peppers in oil (and not in brine or vinegar) from a jar. Regarding the olive paste we use either Rio Mare Paté alle olive or olive pâté found in main supermarkets but we sometimes make our own and it lasts for ages in the fridge [recipe here]. When it comes to the cheese if you do not find Taleggio you can use Fontina or Mozzarella instead. Also, always make sure that you remove the bitter juices from the aubergines before cooking by using the method described in step 1. This is a vegetarian dish and can be enjoyed by everyone. Hope you try it...this is what you will need...

• 1 Large aubergine (about 700g), diced in 2cm cubes
• 2 tsp coarse sea salt
• 1 jar of sliced mixed peppers in oil
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 500ml Tomato Passata
• 300ml [1pt] Vegetable stock [1-2 cubes in boiling water]
• 2 tsp Olive Paste
• 200g Cellentani, spirali or Fusilli Pasta
• 150g Taleggio or Fontina or Mozzarella cheese, diced in 1cm cubes
• 6-8 tomatoes, sliced & deseeded
• 1 egg
• 150ml Single/Fresh Cream

How to...

1. Put the aubergine cubes in a colander & sprinkle with the rock salt & leave for about 30 minutes until the bitter juices run out.

2. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Strain the oil off the jar of mixed peppers and reserve.

3. Pour 2 tbsp of the reserved oil into a large saucepan & add the onion & garlic. Fry over medium heat until onion is transparent but not brown.

4. Rinse the aubergine cubes & pat them dry with kitchen towels. Stir them into the onion and garlic mixture and fry for 10 minutes or until softened, adding more of the reserved oil if necessary.

5. Add the peppers, the passata & the vegetable stock and stir well to combine. Stir in the olive paste, then simmer on high heat until sauce reduces.

6. Remove the pan from the heat and add the pasta shapes. Mix well to separate the pieces. Then pour the mixture into an oven-proof dish. Dot with the cubes of taleggio/mozzarella, then layer the tomatoes over the top.

7. Lightly whisk the egg, then add the fresh cream and stir to combine. Pour the mixture over the pasta mixture, then bake for about 45 minutes or until pasta is cooked through.

Enjoy!!!
R&A

Delicious Sweet Sticky Chicken Wings

Wings are the cheapest joint from the chicken. They are so underrated. But when they are marinated in a proper marinade and grilled or baked they turn into scrumptious finger food, snack or why not have them for lunch or dinner!! You can serve them with some nice basmati rice, chips, roast potatoes...whatever suits you really!! 

In this particular recipe we used Kecap Manis Sedang as one of the main ingredients. Kecap Manis Sedang is the lighter version of Kecap Manis, an Indonesian sweet soy sauce which can be found in Asian food shops or Asian food aisle in supermarkets. If you cannot find it simply use dark soy sauce and add an extra tablespoon of brown sugar to the mixture. Well, enough words for now :)...here is what you will need...

• 1 kg Chicken Wings, cut into 2 pieces
• 4 tbsp Tomato Ketchup
• 4 tbsp Kecap Manis Sedang or Dark Soy Sauce
• 2 tbsp Sweet Chilli Sauce
• 3-4 tbsp Light Brown Sugar
• 4 Garlic Cloves, crushed

Method

1. Mix all the ingredients, except the wings, in a bowl.
2. Put the wings in a zip-lock bag and pour the marinade mixture in. Close the bag and shake well so as to coat every corner of the wings...or if you do not have a zip-lock bag you can always put the wings into the bowl and mix everything up.
3. Put them in the fridge overnight or longer. (If using the bowl make sure you cover the bowl with cling film).
4. When ready to cook, preheat oven to 180°C. 
5. Put the wing with the marinade in an oven tray and bake for about 45-60 minutes.
6. Serve in whatever way you deem fit :)

Enjoy!!

R&A

Surimi Sticks [Crab Sticks] Filled Rolls/Sandwiches

This is one of our favourite sandwich fillings...they are so good and tasty! Very easy and quick to prepare as well. You can fill whichever bread you like...buns, rolls, baps, sandwiches...and most of all you can prepare them in advance. We sometimes add tarragon instead of chives. You can take a couple of them with you at work for lunch or in your kids' lunch-boxes or take them in your picnic basket when you are off to the park or beach...here is what you will need...

• 2 packets Surimi sticks [Crab sticks], sliced into 1cm chunks
• 3 or 4 tbsp Mayonnaise 
• Snipped fresh chives [or 1 generous tsp of dried chives]
• Pinch of sweet paprika
• Ground white pepper, to taste
• Lettuce leaves, to serve (optional)
• 6-8 Rolls/Baps/Buns

1. Put them Surimi sticks, mayo, paprika, chives and white pepper in a bowl and mix gently, not to mash the surimi up.
2. Put a lettuce leaf (if using) and fill them up with the surimi mixture.
3. Serve!

Enjoy!!
R&A

Pumpkin & Courgette Lasagna

These delicious lasagne are made as the title obviously says with pumpkin and zucchine. Unfortunately during Halloween, pumpkins in the UK are just used for carving and the flesh discarded, which is a pity as they can be used in various recipes, from savoury to sweet. Here in the UK they mostly use the butternut squash which is similar to pumpkin. Well luckily, that said it was a very big advantage for us as we bought two massive pumpkins for just £1 each, chopped them into chunks and froze them in freezer bags as by the way they only appear during Halloween over here. Back to the lasagne, this is prepared with layers of grilled zucchine, sliced mozzarella, single cream and delicious pumpkin and bacon purée. The most time consuming procedure of this recipe is preparing and grilling the zucchine, which you can always prepare in advance if you like. If you do not have or you cannot find pumpkin you can do this with butternut squash. Also, if you want some delicious vegetarian lasagne just leave the bacon part out! If you omit the cream, the lasagne will end up very dry so do use it, you can use light cream or even milk thickened with flour instead. Anyhow here are the ingredients that you will need...

• 4 large zucchine/courgettes, sliced lengthwise
• 1.5 kg pumpkin, cut into large pieces
• 3 mozzarella balls [375g], sliced
• 100g streaky bacon, chopped into small pieces (optional)
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 150ml single cream
• 250g lasagne sheets
• Pinch ground nutmeg
• Salt & pepper, to taste
• Olive oil

How to...

1. Firstly prepare the zucchine. Start by brushing them with olive oil, then grill them until soft. [The thinner you slice them, the quicker they will cook]. When done put them on a plate with kitchen roll and set them aside.
2. Next fry the onion in 2 tbsp of olive oil until soft and transparent. When the onion is done, add the bacon and the garlic and cook until the bacon is golden. Set aside.
3. Preheat the oven to 220°C. Put the pumpkin in a large oven tray skin side up, add a small glass of water. Bake in the hot oven for about 30 minutes. When cooked, carefully peel the skin off or scoop the flesh with a teaspoon.
4. Next put the cooked pumpkin together with the onion/bacon mixture in a blender, add some olive oil and the nutmeg, season well with salt & pepper and blend until you get a smooth purée.
5. Preheat the oven to 200°C.
6. Now it is time to start layering the lasagne. Start by pouring some cream, then some pumpkin mixture, then lasagne sheets, then another layer of pumpkin purée, sliced zucchine, mozzarella slices, then start all over again and continue until you have used all of the ingredients. Be careful not to press the lasagne sheets too much, just put them loosely.
7. When done, put in the hot oven and bake until the top is brown and bubbly. Around 30 to 45 minutes.

Enjoy!!!!

R&A

Focaccia with Caprese Salad

This is Amanda's favourite food EVER!! She could eat it all day, every day!! :)) In fact when I prepare a good Focaccia for her, I always get extra hugs & kisses xx :)) It is one of the easiest recipes to do, Focaccia is very filling and tasty and you can serve it or even fill it with loads of different ingredients. You can put olives and press them in or even small rosemary sprigs. Our favourite is do a plain, just scattered with coarse sea salt and then serve it with a nice Caprese salad. I love to split it in half, drizzle some extra virgin olive oil and put layers of freshly sliced tomatoes, fresh basil leaves and slices of mozzarella....just writing about it is making my mouth water!!! Enjoy it fresh out of the oven....give this a go and you will not be sorry!! You will need...

For the Focaccia

• 600g Strong white flour ("00")
• 300ml lukewarm water
• Half teaspoon sugar
• 7g instant yeast (1 sachet)
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• Coarse sea salt, to taste

For the Caprese salad

• 4 large ripe tomatoes, sliced
• 3 mozzarella balls, sliced
• fresh basil leaves
• Extra virgin olive oil

How to...

1. Blend the yeast in a measuring jug with 300ml lukewarm water, sugar and the olive oil. Leave it to stand for 10 minutes.
2. Pile the flour into a volcano shaped heap on the working surface. Make a well in the centre and slowly pour in the liquid, start kneading with your hand and adding the yeast mixture until all the liquid has been incorporated.
3. Knead into a smooth dough. 
4. Roll the dough. Do not roll it too thin, leave it about 1cm thick.
5. Place it in a well-oiled, high edged dish, poke it with your finger tips in even places, scatter to taste with the coarse sea salt and cover with cling film and leave to rise for about an hour in warm place.
6. In the meantime preheat the oven to 180°C.
7. After the dough has risen well, drizzle with some extra virgin olive oil put into the hot oven and bake for 30 minutes until it is golden in colour.
8. Cut in squares and serve with the Caprese salad.

Enjoy!!! 

R&A

Arroz con chorizo, pimientos, cúrcuma y garbanzos - Turmeric rice with chorizo, red peppers & chickpeas

This is one of our favourite rice dishes. It tastes like Spain :) The flavours are so intense. The chorizo gives the dish a kick, the red peppers give it a beautiful colour and taste, the chickpeas give it a great crunch. Our secret in making this rice dish even more tasty is that we boil the rice in turmeric scented water. You just put a teaspoon of turmeric in the water before boiling and the rice will taste incredibly good and obviously it will have the turmeric's vivacious yellow colour. It is very easy to make...so go on...give it a go!

You will need...

• 200g Chorizo, peeled and chopped into cubes
• 1 medium red onion, finely sliced
• 2 small red peppers, sliced
• 200g cherry tomatoes
• 250g rice - (we use two 125g boil-in-bag rice bags)
• 1 can chickpeas, drained
• Olive oil
• 1 teaspoon turmeric

Method...

1. Start by boiling the rice in the turmeric water. (1 teaspoon of turmeric in the water)
2. Fry the onion in a little olive oil until soft.
3. Add the pepper and chorizo and stir well. Cook until the peppers are soft.
4. Check the rice...if ready set aside.
5. Add the cherry tomatoes and chickpeas to the chorizo/peppers mixture and simmer for a couple of minutes until tomatoes and chickpeas are warm.
6. Add the mixture to the rice and stir carefully again to mix all the ingredients. 
7. Serve with extra olive oil.

Enjoy!!

R & A

Kofta bil laban - Lamb Kofta with Yoghurt خروف كفتة مع اللبن

My passion for Arabic/Middle Eastern cuisine was never a secret. I always loved cooking with fragrant spices and enjoy the smell of them whilst cooking. Arabic/Middle Eastern certainly does not lack from spices and taste. Cumin, turmeric, ground coriander and cinnamon are the most used but they use more than those three in their cooking, definitely. Yesterday we made Kofta Bil Laban which basically are meat patties/ served in Pitta bread with yoghurt. They are so tasty and the yoghurt makes the whole eating experience so refreshing. They are no rocket science to make, so you definitely should give these a go!! You will need...

For the Kofta (Makes 10)

• 500g Lamb mince
• 500g Beef mince
• 2 medium onions, finely chopped
• 4 tablespoons dried parsley
• 1 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 2 tablespoons ground coriander
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground cardamom (optional)
• Ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 8 long bamboo sticks, soaked in water

For the yoghurt

• 300ml Natural plain yoghurt
• Ground black pepper, to taste
• Pinch sea salt
• Fresh chopped mint or 1 teaspoon dried mint

To serve

• 10 Pitta Bread
• Lettuce or salad leaves
• Ripe tomatoes, sliced
• Hummus
• Hot sauce (optional)
  

1. Fry the onion in the olive oil until soft and transparent.
2. When onion is done, put all Kofta ingredients in a bowl and mix in the ingredients well.
3. Shape the mixture into 10 sausage-like patties of about 100g each and insert a skewer in the patty. (See picture)
4. Fry, grill or BBQ the Kofta until they are cooked through, make sure you turn them occasionally so they are cooked from both sides. 
5. In the meantime, prepare the yoghurt by mixing the four ingredients very well.
6. When kofta are ready, grill or toast the Pitta bread under a medium grill for about a minute on each side. Cut sideways and spread the hummous inside of the bread. Put salad and tomato and a Kofta.
7. Drizzle some yoghurt and hot sauce, if using and tuck in!

Enjoy!!

R&A

Bruschetta

Bruschetta does not need any introduction whatsoever....it is a quick a brilliant way to start your meal. It originated in Central Italy and some think it dates back to the 15th century!! One of the best secrets of it is, that the more fresh the tomatoes are, the better the Bruschetta mixture. So here goes our version...just adjust the amount of ingredients to your liking. So go on try it as an appetizer, snack, starter...whatever....just dig in!!!!! You will need...

• 4 slices of crusty bread
• 3 ripe tomatoes [The best ones you can find], chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed or finely chopped
• 4 large fresh basil leaves, hand torn
• Ground black pepper, to taste
• Extra-virgin olive oil, to taste

1. Switch on your grill, whilst the grill is heating up, rub the garlic on the bread with your hand.
2. Grill the bread. While the bread is grilling, make the tomato mixture by combining the tomatoes, any remaining garlic, basil, pepper and olive oil in a bowl.
3. Mix thoroughly but gently until well mixed.
4. Put the mixture on the grilled bread and dress with more extra-virgin olive oil.

Enjoy!!!
R&A