Our Mushrooms in Garlic

A favourite with all mushroom lovers, it is now officially a favourite with Amanda as well [which usually is a mushroom loather] :) I was so surprised that she liked it...well actually she loved them!! They are very easy to prepare. We usually serve them with our Full English Breakfast but they can be served as a starter to any meal. The amount of mushrooms we used was for 2 people but mushrooms basically disappear whilst cooking so adapt the ingredients as you wish :) We also used White Closed Cap mushrooms but you can use white mushrooms or even Portobello mushrooms. Do not use Oyster or Enoki mushrooms as they are quite delicate and you will ruin their taste plus their texture will not be that pleasant. You will need...

• 350g white mushrooms, quartered
• 25g unsalted butter
• 2 small garlic cloves, finely chopped
• Handful of fresh parsley, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp Light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp brandy

How to...

1. Melt the butter in a pan and add the garlic and fry until fragrant & golden.
2. Add the quartered mushrooms, parsley , soy sauce and brandy. Give them a careful stir and put a lid on. Simmer for about 2 minutes on a medium heat.
3. Remove the lid and stir carefully again. Let simmer uncovered until sauce is reduced and mushrooms are cooked, about 10 minutes.
4. Plate and serve.

Enjoy!!

R&A

Cherry & Watermelon Salad

As summer is showing all the sun & heat, there is nothing better than a nice chilled fruit salad. A fruit salad is the easiest thing to do ever and you can use any fruit that is in season but these two particular summer fruits are two of my favourites. My personal touch are a couple of fresh basil leaves which give it a wonderful taste. Also if you fancy it a drop or two of balsamic vinegar. Yummm!!! You will need...

• 1 slice watermelon
• A handful of cherries
• 3 small fresh basil leaves
• Drop or two balsamic vinegar

Method

1. Remove all seeds from the watermelon and cut into bite-size pieces.
2. Wash the cherries and split them in half and remove the stones.
3. Put the fruit into a container and add the hand torn basil leaves and balsamic vinegar if using.
4. Slowly mix everything up. Cover the bowl and chill until ready to serve.

Enjoy!!!

R&A

Kohl mit Würstchen - Cabbage with Frankfurter Sausages

This is such a tasty dish that I have been enjoying for years as it was one of my mum's favourites. It is a classic German dish. Germans love their sausages and cabbage. This is my take on the dish. Very easy to prepare with few ingredients you will have a dish that you can serve as a main course, side or a snack. We served the cabbage and sausages with mashed potatoes and had it as a meal. Give it a go and you will surely do it again...

• 1 Savoy cabbage or normal cabbage
• 3 slices unsmoked back bacon
• 5 Frankfurter sausages
• Vegetable oil
• Salt & pepper

Method

1. Wash the cabbage and cut it in quarters. Remove the core and boil until cooked and soft. Drain and set aside.
2. Cut the bacon into strips. Heat the oil and fry the bacon until browned and crispy.
3. Add the sausages to the cooked bacon and cook for a few minutes. Add the cabbage to the pan and cook on high heat mixing well. Season with salt & pepper. Serve!!

Enjoy!!

R&A

Bigilla - Maltese Bean Dip

Bigilla is one Malta's favourite dips. It is very easy to prepare. I remember the Bigilla vendor in Malta with his tiny van running around the villages I grew up in...he always had his voice shouting ''Tajba u tgħali'' (Warm & delicious) on repeat on his cassette player! :) The most time consuming bit of the whole process boiling the beans. This dip is prepared with Ful Medames which hail from North Africa, originally Egypt although the beans used in the original old recipe where called Ful Ta' Ġirba [Djerba beans] which were very similar to Ful Medames but smaller and darker. They basically taste the same. This recipe is to make about half a kilo of Bigilla. You can freeze any extra Bigilla for future use...or, I use it as a spread to make one of my favourite sandwiches which is tomato paste, olive oil, bigilla & Maltese peppered cheeselets. Here is what you will need...

• 500g Ful Medames, soaked in water overnight
• 8 garlic cloves, each cut in 4 pieces
• Extra virgin olive oil, abundant
• Small bunch of fresh parsley
• 1 red chilli, chopped (optional)
• Chilli sauce, to taste (optional)

How to...

1. Put the soaked beans in a pan and cover with fresh cold water. Bring to the boil on high heat, lower the heat and simmer partially covered for an hour or until the beans are fairly soft. Drain and set aside to cool down.
2. Put the beans, parsley, garlic and chilli sauce (if using) in a food processor and blend well until smooth. While the processor is on add the olive oil until you get a smooth consistency. You can put as much olive oil as you want.
3. Serve in bowls with extra chilli sauce and olive oil. Serve with crackers, grissini (breadsticks) or spread on crusty bread.

Enjoy!!

R&A

Vanilla Panna Cotta with Mixed Berries Compote

Definitely Amanda's favourite dessert Panna Cotta actually means cooked cream in Italian. It is very easy to do and the secret is not to boil the cream whilst cooking it. You can serve panna cotta with a mixed berries compôte or even with honey or a nice caramel sauce. Panna cotta is not only famous in Italy but is also very popular everywhere all over the globe. Before gelatin became widely available commercially old Italian recipes used to use boiled fish bones instead of the gelatin for panna cotta but nowadays the gelatin that we buy are pork or beef gelatin. We used icing sugar as it dissolves quicker but you can use regular or caster sugar. We also used a vanilla pod but you can also use a tsp of vanilla essence if you do not have it. As berries are in season at the minute we bought some nice delicious fresh strawberries, blueberries and raspberries hence the mixed berries compôte. :) So here is what you will need...

For the panna cotta

• 500ml single cream/panna/fresh cream
• 150g icing sugar 
• 1 vanilla pod, cut in half lengthwise and seeds scraped
• 3 gelatin leaves

For the compôte

• 200g mixed berries (we used strawberries, blueberries & raspberries)
• 75g caster sugar

Method

1. Put the gelatin leaves in a bowl with cold water and leave to soak for about 5 minutes.
2. Put the cream, sugar and vanilla pod & seeds in a pan and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Keep heating until steam comes out, but do not boil. Take the gelatin leaves and squeeze the water out of them. Add them to the pan until dissolved.
3. Turn off the heat and strain the mixture through a fine sieve.
4. Pour the cream into 4 moulds or small glasses. Set aside so they cool down at room temperature. When cool put them in the fridge for at least 5 hours.
5. To prepare the compôte, put the berries and sugar in a pan and heat until the sugar dissolves and berries break down. Set aside and leave to cool.
6. To serve the panna cotta, carefully run a sharp knife around the mould/glass and tip upside down on a saucer and spoon some compôte on the panna cotta.  

Enjoy!!

R&A

Pizza Caponata

This is one of my favourite pizza toppings. I missed the tinned caponata from Malta so I got my parents to send me some. As soon as it arrived I put Pizza Caponata on the menu :) As for all pizza toppings use as much or little ingredients as you want. I was introduced to this pizza topping when I used to work at Ir-Rokna Restaurant & Pizzeria which in my honest opinion does the best pizzas on the island using the traditional wood burning stone oven. Well, this is my Pizza Caponata. If you are doing your own dough just click here and follow the making the pizza dough steps...any problems feel free to let us know :)) So this is what I put on my Pizza Caponata...

• Tomato sauce (not too much)
• Grated mozzarella
• Tuna chunks
• Hard boiled eggs
• Caponata
• Anchovies
• Green or black olives
• Dried oregano

How to...

1. Just spread a little tomato sauce, then the caponata followed by the anchovies, tuna, olives and eggs.
2. Sprinkle the grated mozzarella cheese and oregano.
3. Bake in a hot oven for about 15-20 minutes or until cheese is golden.

Enjoy!!

R&A

Pasta with Tomato & Mascarpone Sauce

One of our favourite sauces, this sauce is just exquisite. It's what you say, naughty but nice! The sauce's pink colour also gives the dish a wonderful look. Mascarpone cheese is a delicious sweet, soft, full fat cheese from Italy that is made from cream which is coagulated with citric acid. It is most commonly known as one of the main ingredients in the famous Italian dessert, Tiramisù. Do try this sauce and you will definitely impress your family as it tastes gorgeous. The Mascarpone cheese should be added at the end of the cooking until all cheese is melted and incorporated into the tomato sauce. The ingredients in this recipe are for approximately 3-4 servings but it is always up to you. You will need...

• 250g fusilli, penne or other short pasta
• 350ml thick passata
• 125g Mascarpone
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 200ml vegetable stock
• ¼ teaspoon dried basil
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon dried marjoram
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• ¼ teaspoon mixed spice
• ½ teaspoon brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt & pepper, to taste
• Grated Parmesan, to serve

1. Heat the oil and fry the onion until transparent. Add the garlic and fry for a few minutes. 
2. Add the passata, herbs and spices, sugar and stock and simmer on medium heat for about 15-20 minutes or until you get a bright red thick sauce. Make sure you stir occasionally.
3. Meanwhile cook the pasta and drain.
4. When the sauce is done, add the mascarpone and stir slowly into the tomato sauce until no chunks of cheese are left. Simmer on a low heat for a few minutes.
5. Mix the sauce with the cooked pasta and serve with grated Parmesan.

Enjoy!!

R&A

Dundari alla Minorese - Ricotta Gnocchi with Tomato & Basil Sauce

I must say we tried these for the first time and we loved them. We saw Gennaro Contaldo preparing this recipe on TV and we decided to try them out. Usually gnocchi are using floury potatoes although in this recipe that hails from the Italian region of Campania, potatoes are replaced with nice milky ricotta which makes them lighter. This is our take on this Italian dish that, as I said comes from the Amalfi coast of Italy, namely from Minori a town on between Salerno and Naples. It is a very simple dish to prepare and very filling not to say scrumptious. They are simply served with a delicious tasty tomato & basil sauce. Give them a go and you will love them :) You will need...

Serves 4

For the gnocchi

• 250g ricotta
• 200g plain flour, preferably ''00''
• 30g grated parmesan
• 3 egg yolks
• salt & pepper, to taste
• Pinch of grated nutmeg

For the sauce

• 2 large tins plum tomatoes, tomatoes cut in half
• 3 garlic cloves, sliced
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 2 small dried chillies, chopped
• small bunch of fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped

How to...

1. In a bowl, mix the ricotta, flour, yolks, nutmeg and seasoning until you get a soft dough.
2. Knead on a well floured surface for about 5 minutes.
3. Shape the dough into an inch wide sausage. Cut into slices about 1cm or less. To make sure they do not stick to surface, add extra flour to the surface and cover the edges with flour. Bring a large pan of slightly salted water to boil.
4. In the meantime make the sauce by heating the olive oil, then add the garlic and chilli. Cook until garlic is fragrant and golden. Remove the pan from the heat and add the tomatoes. Return the pan to the heat and simmer partially covered on a high heat for about 5-7 minutes. Turn off the heat and add the freshly torn basil leaves.
5. When the water boils, carefully throw in the gnocchi and cook until they start coming up to the water surface. About 3-4 minutes.
6. Remove the gnocchi with a slotted spoon and put them in the tomato sauce. Stir carefully to coat in the sauce and serve topped with grated Parmesan cheese.

Enjoy!!

R&A

Baked Salmon Fillets with Olives & Cherry Tomatoes

This recipe is very easy and this way of cooking fish can be used for every type of fish from tuna, sea bass, sea bream, lampuki etc etc. Just put the fish on a big piece of aluminium foil or greaseproof oven paper put the ingredients, wrap it up and bake for 15 minutes. This method is called al Cartoccio [Italian for paper bag]. It is a great way to cook fish as it is cooked in the steam generated in the package and with all the goodness of the juices coming out from the fresh ingredients. You can serve this dish with roast, baked, fried or mashed potatoes  and a nicely dressed greens'salad. You will need...

Serves 2

• 2 Salmon fillets
• 4 cherry tomatoes
• About 8 green olives, chopped or left whole
• 2 tsp capers [optional]
• Pinch dried mint
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• Extra virgin olive oil
• 2 large pieces of aluminium foil or greaseproof oven paper

Method

1. Spread the foil or paper and put some olive oil on them. Put the fillets skin side down.
2. Put some more olive oil and add about 4 olives, 1 tsp capers [if using], 2 cherry tomatoes, half of the garlic and a pinch of dried mint to each fillet.
3. Now close the foil to shape up as a parcel and close it up tightly but always leave some space from the fillet to the parcel top so as the steam can circulate around and cook the fish evenly.
4. Bake in a hot oven for about 15 min.
5. Serve with the potatoes and salad.

Enjoy!!

R&A

Threlfall's Mess

I had this version of Eton Mess last summer at Graham's farewell BBQ. I must say I do miss his treats that he used to bring at work....oh yeah by the way, I do miss him too!!!! :) It was an instant hit with Amanda and has been waiting to taste it again for a whole year, bless her! I was just waiting for the perfect strawberries of which the season has just begun and finally I got them. Wow!! Well worth the wait. Here is what you will need...

Makes 4

• 450g fresh strawberries
• 300ml double cream
• 8 small ready made meringues [or 3 large ones]
• 3 tbsp porridge oats
• 2 tsp whisky or brandy
• Pinch of sugar

1. Start by cutting the strawberries in quarters, setting aside 4 whole ones to garnish. Put them in a bowl and sprinkle with the pinch of sugar and the alcohol. Set aside.
2. Toast the oats in a dry pan for a few minutes on high heat until crisp.
3. Whip the cream in a large bowl until peaks are formed.
4. Now add the strawberries mixture and oats into the cream. Crumble the meringues with your hands into the mixture and fold all the ingredients.
5. Spoon into glasses and garnish with a whole strawberry.

Enjoy!!

R&A

Our new Facebook page!!

Hello all,

we just published our new Facebook page, please click on the link below, like and share. Recipes will be shared on this link as well. Hope you continue trying all the recipes and enjoying them as well.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ramandas-Spicy-Passion/133496050062068

Thanks for your continuous support

Regards

Ramanda

xx

Honey Glazed Gammon Steaks with Pineapple

Gammon steaks are one of our favourite pork steaks. Amanda adores them as they are salty and she loves salty food. To ease the saltiness and balance the flavours we honey glaze ours just before grilling. Exquisite!! I guess this post is not actually a recipe but a way to cook gammon steaks. So if you have never tried gammon with honey before you do not know what you're missing. Honey is one of my favourite ingredients and I tend to use it in loads of dishes from antipasti to desserts. :) If honey is not your thing, you can always grill the gammon steaks and serve them with a fried egg on top. We accompanied our steaks with some green beans, and chips. Feel free to serve it with whatever veg you want. You will need..

• 2 thick Gammon steaks [about 250g each]
• 4 tbsp runny honey
• 4 pineapple slices
• Ground black pepper

1. Using a basting brush, brush a tbsp of honey on each side of the steak. Season with the pepper and put under a medium hot grill for about 15-20 minutes turning the steaks occasionally.
2. 5 minutes before the end of cooking time put 2 pineapple rings on each steak and return to the gril for a further 4-5 minutes.
3. Serve with veg and chips.

Enjoy!!
R&A

Maltese Balbuljata [Tomatoes & Eggs]

This is another Maltese classic dish. It is very easy and quick to prepare. I love it and I could eat a whole Ħobża maltija [Maltese bread loaf] with this dish. That is how it is eaten in Malta. It is a very old dish and I can remember eating it everywhere...from my mum, to both of my nannas and also my mum-in-law. Eggs and tomatoes go very well together, in fact there are loads of dishes which consist from these two ingredients from the Tunisian dish Ojja to Huevos Rancheros which is a very famous dish in Spanish speaking countries. So here is what you will need...

• 4 eggs
• 1 large tin chopped tomatoes
• 1 small onion, chopped
• Salt & pepper
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• Crusty bread, to serve

How to...

1. Fry the onion in the oil for a few minutes until soft and transparent.
2. Add the tomatoes, sugar, salt & pepper and simmer covered for about 10 minutes on medium heat.
3. Turn the heat to low and crack the eggs in the pan and stir to combine the tomato sauce with the eggs until the eggs are set,
4. Serve with crusty bread.

Enjoy!!

R&A

Penne Spinaci e Gorgonzola - Pasta with Spinach & Gorgonzola

I just love spinach...not to mention Gorgonzola...one of my favourite from the blue cheese family. It is so delicate and light.  We found this recipe on the net but obviously we gave it our touch. Amanda is not a big fan of spinach and she had two helpings of this :)) So that says it all...it was delicious!! Very easy to prepare. We used baby spinach leaves but if you can use large spinach leaves instead. Makes a great starter or a even a main course...depends on the portion. For a vegetarian version just omit the bacon and add a dash of soy sauce. You will need...

• 300g Penne
• 150g Gorgonzola Dolce, cubed
• 200g Smoked Bacon, cut into small cubes
• 200ml vegetable or chicken stock, hot
• 250g baby spinach leaves or 100g frozen spinach (defrosted)
• 3 tbsp single cream
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp Vegetable oil
• Ground black pepper

1. Heat the oil in a large frying pan and fry the onion until transparent.
2. Add the bacon and cook for further 5 minutes until the bacon is browned. Add the stock and simmer until the stock has reduced a little.
3. Cook the pasta in lightly salted water.
4. Add the Gorgonzola and stir until partially melted. Throw in the spinach and cover for few seconds until it wilts down. If using frozen spinach make sure it is defrosted and all water squeezed out.
5. Stir the sauce into the spinach slowly and turn off the heat. Add the sauce to the pasta or vice-versa, add the cream and stir well.
6. Serve with loads of ground black pepper!!

Enjoy!!

R&A

Lebkuchen - German Gingerbread

Lebkuchen translates as gingerbread. Lebkuchen are usually made during Christmas in Germany but hey I felt like doing these this morning and nothing goes better with a good mug of coffee :) Oh the house smells so good this morning. They are very quick and easy to prepare and bake...and eat!!! You can decorate these with almond slivers, cover them with melted dark chocolate or even drizzle with an icing glaze but we like ours plain. Give them a go and I am sure you will bake them again!!! You will need...

• 250g plain flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ½ teaspoon ground cloves
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 85g butter
• 200ml clear honey

How to...

1. Put the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and spices in a bowl and combine.
2. Put the honey and butter in a medium pot and heat slowly until all butter is melted. Add the dry ingredients to the butter/honey mixture and stir well until you get a smooth stiff dough.
3. Put into a small bowl and set aside until cool.
4. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
5. After the dough has cooled down a bit, make 3cm across balls (about 45g each) and flatten them with your hand. Place the Lebkuchen on a greaseproof paper lined tray and bake in the oven for about 15 minutes until risen and brown.
6. Put them on a wire rack to cool down completely. This process will magically turn them into wonderful and delicious delights which crispy on the outside but with a very soft cake-like centre.
7. Serve with coffee or tea.

Enjoy!!

R&A

Tuna & Bean Salad

All you need when the weather is hot is a cool salad. This salad here is quick and easy to prepare as we use beans from a can. Obviously you can use dried beans but you will have to soak them for at least 8 hours. Like this you can prepare it very quickly. We like to serve it with three different condiments mayonnaise/salad cream, balsamic vinegar and loads of extra virgin olive oil. You can use any beans you want. Serves 4. You will need...

• 1 large can butter beans
• 1 large can pinto beans
• 1 large can borlotti beans
• 2 large cans tuna chunks
• 4 Hard boiled eggs
• Half red onion, sliced thinly
• 4 small beetroots
• 4 small potatoes
• Handful of cherry tomatoes
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Balsamic vinegar
• Mayonnaise or Salad cream

Method

1. Drain the beans, rinse them and put them into a bowl. Then drain the tuna and add it to the beans.
2. Add the sliced onion, potatoes, tomatoes and some olive oil. Mix slowly.
3. Plate the salad and garnish with the eggs and beetroots.
4. Dress with more olive oil, balsamic vinegar and maybe some mayo.

Enjoy!!

R&A

Penne alla Norma

This is one of our favourite pasta dishes. It is so good...our secret is to use good quality extra-virgin olive oil as it gives it such a great flavour. As you can see from our blog, aubergine is one of my favourite veggies around. Originally, this dish is served with grated ricotta salata [Salty dried ricotta cheese] which is a Sicilian regional speciality but since I cannot find it here, I used Feta cheese. It is nowhere close to the ricotta salata but at least it is a salty cheese. Although I will try and do my own ricotta salata in the near future. Now some history on the origins of this dish. This dish originated in the Sicilian city of Catania. It got its name from Vincenzo Bellini's opera Norma. Some of the actors where eating at a restaurant after a performance and one of them said after eating this aubergine dish...''ohh this is Norma''  So there you have it, pasta alla Norma was invented. Give it a go and will definitely have the Mediterranean on a plate :) You will need...

• 2 cans chopped tomatoes
• 500g Aubergine, thinly sliced
• 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
• 400g Penne pasta
• 175g Ricotta Salata or Feta cheese, crumbled
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Salt & Pepper

How to...

1. Put the aubergine slices in a colander and sprinkle with coarse salt. Leave to drain for about 30 minutes. This process is done so as to get rid of the aubergine’s bitter juices.
2. After 30 minutes, rinse the aubergine thoroughly and pat dry with kitchen towel.
3. Fry or grill the aubergines until soft.
4. In a pan put some olive oil and the crushed cloves of garlic.
5. Cook the garlic until golden, about 1 minute.
6. Add the chopped tomatoes and simmer on medium heat for about 30 minutes.
7. In the meantime cook the pasta.
8. When both the pasta and sauce are ready, mix everything in the sauce pan and toss the pasta into the sauce.
9. Serve and garnish with Ricotta Salata shavings or cubed Feta cheese.

Enjoy!!

R&A

Couscous & Aubergine Stuffed Peppers

Arabic/Middle Eastern cuisine is one of the best on the planet. It is so full of aromatic flavours and most all it smells so wonderful when you are cooking it. These peppers are stuffed with lots of flavours from very hot [harissa] to sweet [raisins]. We served them with some seasoned natural yoghurt. One of my tricks is to put all the spices in a small jar or small container with a lid and give them a good shake so as when you use them the spices are distributed evenly into the dish. You can call the spice mix Ras El Hanout [which literally means shopkeeper]. This term is used in North Africa [mostly Morocco] to define spice mixes sold in shops/market, every shop/seller has his own spice blend...hence the name! This dish is 100% vegetarian and will  make our vegetarian friends very happy...so please do give it a go. For 4/5 peppers you will need...

For the stuffing

• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 medium sized aubergine, diced into 1cm cubes
• 50g raisins
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon harissa
• Ras el Hanout spice mix *
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Extra water
• 200g couscous
• 200ml boiling water
• 4/5 Bell peppers, top taken off and deseeded

Ras el Hanout spice mix

* ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon turmeric powder, ½ teaspoon ground cumin, ½ teaspoon ground allspice, freshly ground black pepper, ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg, ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom, pinch ground ginger, pinch ground cloves, sea salt (to taste).

Laban dip

• 250ml natural yoghurt
• Freshly chopped mint [or 1 tablespoon dried mint]
• Ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil

How to...

1. Fry the onion in some oil until soft and transparent. Add the diced aubergine & garlic and cook covered for a further 5 minutes, stirring occasionally adding a little water if necessary. Now add tomato paste, harissa, raisins, Ras el Hanout spice mix and some more olive oil. Cook for a further 10 minutes on low heat.
2. Prepare the couscous by pouring 200ml boiling water on the couscous. Stir with a fork and cover for about 6 minutes. After 6 minutes, separate the grains with a fork and add some olive oil and stir well.
3. Add the couscous to the onion/aubergine mixture and mix well.
4. Put the peppers (with the pepper top) in the microwave for 5-6 minutes on high. Take peppers out and carefully stuff the peppers tightly. Put the stuffed peppers in the microwave again and cook for a further 10 minutes on high. 
5. Alternatively, put the peppers in an oven dish and add some water or tomato sauce at the bottom of the dish. Bake in a 200°C preheated oven for about 40-50 minutes.
6. Mix the laban ingredients together.
7. Serve with the yoghurt and pita bread.

Enjoy!!

R&A

Sweet Surprise Pie

This pie was absolutely gorgeous. I just made a couple of these and used two small silicon heart shaped moulds. I made my own pastry but feel free to use ready-made sweet shortcrust pastry. The recipe for the pastry yields a good amount of dough, so just wrap any dough that you do not use in cling film and freeze it. Although I made these mini pies you can adjust the ingredients to make a large one. Serve this pie warm with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. You will need...

For the dough

• 350g plain flour
• About 200ml water
• 3 egg yolks
• 3 tbsp sugar
• 100g unsalted butter, in cubes and soft

1. Put the flour and sugar into a bowl and rub the butter until the mixture looks like breadcrumbs.
2. Add the egg yolks and pour the water gradually until you get a very soft, pliable dough.
3. Knead well for a few minutes. 
4. Wrap in cling film and put into the fridge for about 20 minutes to set.
5. Any dough you do not use wrap it in cling film and freeze for future use.

For filling two pies

• 1 banana, sliced
• 2 tsp strawberry conserve or jam
• 2 tsp seedless raisins
• Honey
• Caster sugar, to decorate
• 2 small heart shaped pie moulds, although you can use any shape

1. Preheat the oven to 220°C. 
2. Line the bottom of the moulds with pastry.
3. Spread the bottom of the moulds with the strawberry conserve. Neatly lay half a banana in each mould, sprinkle 1 tsp of raisins on the banana pieces and drizzle with honey.
4. Cover the moulds with pastry and trim any excess. Make sure that you seal it well.
5. Pinch the top of the pie with scissors and sprinkle with the caster sugar.
6. Bake in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes or until done.
7. Serve warm with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Enjoy!!

R&A

The 4 Tablespoon Honey Mustard Chicken

A family favourite, this chicken dish is just tasty and delicious. This is my mum's recipe which I happily inherited :) When you are doing this recipe, the kitchen will smell fantastic. It consists of very few ingredients and to keep the balance between the American mustard and the honey you will have to use the same amounts of both. We use drumsticks and thighs mostly, but it will definitely do well any thighs or even chicken breast. We always serve with some nice freshly mashed potatoes and I naughtily finish all the sauce left in the plate [and sometimes the dish as well] with bread :) Make sure you only use american mustard in this recipe as other types of mustard are too strong and obviously if you use too much of it, it will ruin the dish. Go on, give it a go...you and your family will love it...so, you will need...

• 8 pieces of chicken [like drumsticks, wings or thighs]
• 4 large cloves garlic, crushed
• 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 4 tbsp honey
• 4 tbsp American mustard
• 250ml chicken stock
• 100ml (½ cup) single cream or crème fraiche
• Freshly ground black pepper, to serve

How to...

1. Make the sauce by mixing the honey, garlic, olive oil and mustard in a bowl and stir well.
2. Pour into a large skillet and heat until the mixture starts to bubble. Add the chicken pieces and on low heat brown on both sides, make sure it is on low heat as the honey/mustard mixture will burn. 
3. Add the stock, bring to the boil and simmer uncovered on a low/medium heat until the chicken is thoroughly cooked, about 20 minutes.
4. When cooked remove the chicken pieces from the skillet and set aside. Add the cream and reduce the sauce on a low heat until you get a thick creamy sauce. Return the chicken to the skillet and heat for a couple of minutes.
5. Serve hot with mashed potatoes.

Enjoy!!

R&A

Crab Mousse with Maltese Carob Liqueur

Saturday morning at the market, I could not resist the urge I had to buy fresh crabs from the fishmonger as soon as I saw the size of them, they looked awesome. So if you manage to get your hands on a fresh crab it would be great but if you cannot find it use canned crab meat instead. Obviously do not use surimi sticks which are erroneously called crab sticks. In this recipe you can see that I used light and dark crab meat, the light crab meat coming from the legs and claws of the crab whilst the dark crab meat comes from the body cavity of the crab. I also used a Maltese Carob Liqueur which gave this mousse a wonderful carob scent. If you do not have or cannot find it, you can use good quality sherry instead. It is a pretty easy recipe as all you need to is blend all the ingredients. So, here is what you will need...

• 60g light crab meat
• 60g dark crab meat
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 190ml double cream
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• Pinch of Cayenne Pepper
• 2 tsp Maltese Ħarruba (Carob) Liqueur or Sherry if not available
• Few leaves fresh thyme or a pinch of dried thyme

How to...

1. Lightly grease 3 ramekin dishes or small glass tumblers.
2. Preheat the oven to 190°C.
3. Blend all the ingredients in a blender until you get a smooth velvety mixture.
4. Pour the mixture into the ramekins/tumblers and place them into a deep oven dish.
5. Pour boiling water in the dish up to about ¾ of the outside of the ramekin/tumbler.
6. Place in the oven for about 25-30 minutes.
7. Serve with some wild rocket or salad of your choice and some crunchy grissini or Maltese galletti.

Enjoy!!

R&A

Ragù al Cioccolato Amaro - Pork Ragù with Dark Chocolate

Oh dear...what an explosion on your taste buds this pasta sauce is!! The secret of every ragù is to simmer it on a low heat for a long period of time, but this only takes an hour. I mean only because a proper ragù can take more than 3 hours. It is also very important that you use good quality dark bitter chocolate with at least 70% cocoa solids (I used Lindt 90% Dark Chocolate) because if you use any sweet/milk chocolate, it will ruin the sauce. So if you feel adventurous, as I always am give this a go, You will need...

• 300g pork mince
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste/puree
• 15g dark chocolate [minimum 70% cocoa solids]
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 200ml good red wine
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• Pinch ground cinnamon
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 200ml boiling water
• Sea salt & ground black pepper
• Grated parmesan, to serve [optional]

How to...

1. Fry the onion in the olive oil until soft and transparent. Add the minced pork and cook for about 15 minutes.
2. Add the wine, bit by bit, evaporating it all in the process. When all the wine is used, water down the tomato paste in the boiling water and add it to the meat & onion mixture. Add the sugar, cinnamon, chocolate and season with salt & pepper. Give it a good stir and cover the pan and simmer on a very low heat for about an hour, stirring occasionally. If needed add some boiling water to the sauce.
3. When the ragù is done, turn off the heat and add the chocolate, sugar and cinnamon.
4. Serve the ragù on the pasta or, alternatively mix the ragù with the pasta. Sprinkle with grated parmesan.

Enjoy!!

R&A

Ramanda's Cooking

Ramanda's Cooking, a set on Flickr.