Pizza Dough Balls

What's not to love about these delicious pull apart pizza dough balls. They're fun, they're fluffy, and so family friendly. I'll quite often make them on the weekend for a mid afternoon family snack, or if friends are coming over, they're such a lovely way for people to snack before hitting the dinner table.

They're stuffed...which means you can stuff them with anything. Go vege with simple roast garlic tomato, ricotta and loads of basil, or beef them up with a mix of bacon, salami, gooey mozarella cheese, and a heap of shredded oregano. I love to make garlic pizza balls and serve them with pesto or a simple tomato sauce. I haven't gone into details about the quantities you'll need in the filling, just mix the fillings together, taste and add ingredients to taste.

Pizza Dough Balls

For the dough

• 1 cup warm water
• 2 teaspoons dried yeast
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 3 tablespoons oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 and a half cups flour

Fillings................

Beef it up

• tomato sauce
• mozarella 
• chopped salami
• chopped and fried bacon
• fresh oregano chopped
• chopped garlic
• salt and pepper to taste

Vege time

• roasted garlic, chopped
• ricotta
• wilted spinach leaves
• chopped basil
• parmesan cheese
• salt and pepper to taste

Method

1. Combine the water, sugar and yeast, stir and stand for 5 minutes to froth.
2. In a bowl, mix flour, oil and salt. Add yeast mixture, mix well and knead for 10 minutes, or pop into a mixer and knead with a dough hook for 5 mins.
3. Pop into an oiled bowl and leave in a warm place to rise for 2 hours
4. Break the dough into large marble sized pizzas. Press flat into a circle, fill with your choice of toppings, pinch tops together and place upside down into a oven dish.
5. Repeat with all the dough, leaving a small gap between each pizza ball.
6. Leave to rise for 30 minutes and then top with grated parmesan cheese
7. Bake at 400 degrees fahrenheit (200 degrees celcius) for 10 to 15 minutes until well risen, golden brown and cooked through.
8. Serve with tomato or pesto dipping sauce and ENJOY!!

Steamed Prawn and Spring Onion Rice Rolls

Some days I wish I could pop out for Dim Sum, but the very few Chinese restaurant there are in Doha don't do Yum Char. One of my favourite dishes is steamed rice rolls - they come with various stuffings, beef and spring onion, pork and water chestnuts, and one of my favourites is quite simply prawns and spring onion with crispy pork skins on top. I've never made steamed rice rolls before so I thought I'd give it a go, after a couple of failed attempts, largely because I was using a glass tray, rather than tin or metal, they were easy to produce - incidentally the failed attempts tasted great, they just didn't look too pretty. The hero of the dish is the sauce, the rolls themselves provide the texture, the sauce packs a wollop of flavour, and the combination is sublime.

Steamed Prawn and Spring Onion Rice Rolls

• 140 grams Rice Flour
• 5 tablespoons Tapioca flour (or tapioca pearls, ground in a spice grinder)
• 2 1/2 tablespoons cornflour
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 cups water
• oil for greasing

for the filling

• 300 grams raw prawns, peeled, deveined, and chopped
• 4 spring onions, cleaned and chopped

for the sauce

• 50ml light soy sauce
• 50ml water
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 thai red chili chopped finely
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1cm thumb of ginger, julienned

Method

1.   Mix the flours together, and add oil. Use your hands to rub in the oil, so that it resembles breadcrumbs and gets rid of any lumps. Add water gradually, stirring with a whisk to remove the lumps. Let the batter rest for 15 minutes and whisk again.

2.   Combine all of the sauce ingredients in a pot, heat over a medium heat until the sugar has dissolved.

3.   Cook the prawns over a medium heat, stirring well until pink. Set aside.

4.  To make the rolls, brush a metal pan with oil (I used a disposable foil takeaway container), pop into the wok set over boiling water for 1 minute to allow the bottom to heat. Mix the batter again and ladle in a small amount, spreading as thinly as you can. Sprinkle on the cooked prawns and spring onions. Cover and steam for 3 to 4 minutes until the batter is opaque and firm. 

5.   Remove from the heat, and using a spatula, carefully roll the rolls up as you remove them. The photos below show a plain roll, no filling, to show the method. The filled ones need to be as thin as you can to ensure they roll easily.

6.   Serve the rolls hot with a generous amount of the sauce poured over top. Adding extra spring onion and chillies (optional) for a garnish.

Chicken and Prawn Jambalaya

I tend to head to South East Asia in my cooking when I'm looking for spice - this dish is one of my exceptions. Jambalaya is a cajun dish, originating from the Caribbean Islands, and very popular in the Southern States. The best jambalaya I have eaten was in a tiny little Creole cafe in New Orleans. Jambalaya is a lovely blend of spices and rice, and you can pretty much throw anything in there, traditionally it's a bit of a surf and turf number with prawns, chicken and spicy sausage. 

One of the things I love about this dish is that the devil is in the preparation, you feel like you're chopping for Africa, but once the ingredients are ready (which can be prepared earlier in the day), the dish takes 10 minutes to start the cooking process and another twenty or so to cook (all on it's own - isn't it clever?), and then you can sit down and enjoy it. 

Cajun Jambalaya

• 200 grams of chicken cut into strips
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 red onion, chopped finely
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 100 grams bacon, chopped
• 2 chorizo sausages, chopped into 1cm slices or cubes
• 1 green capsicum, diced
• 1 red capsicum, diced
• 1 red chile, finely chopped
• 3 teaspoons cajun spice mix
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 2 cups long grain rice
• 250ml lager  beer
• 400 grams of canned diced tomatoes, or 3 large tomatoes, chopped finely
• 3 cups chicken stock
• 1/2 teaspoon saffron threads, soaked in 3 tablespoons warm water (optional)
• 200 grams large prawns, peeled and deveined

Method

1.   Heat the oil in a deep wok or pan, and fry the chicken for a few minutes until lightly browned. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon.

2.   Add the onion to the pan and cook for a few minutes until softened, then add the bacon, sausage and garlic and cook for a few minutes until browned. Add capsicum, chile, paprika, and cajun spice and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.

3.   Add the rice, stir to coat and cook for a minute for the rice to absorb the spices. Add the beer and stir well. Stir in the stock, saffron and liquid and tomatoes. Simmer covered for 10 minutes.

4.   Add the chicken back in and the prawns and cook for a few minutes until prawns are pink and cooked through. Serve in bowls and enjoy!

Nana's Christmas Cake

I remember, as a child, the ritual of making the Christmas cake. I remember mum carefully measuring out the ingredients, I remember her preparing the tin and tying newspaper around it, I remember licking the bowl when the cake was in the oven, and I remember the heavenly Christmas smell that filled the house for the 4 hours the cake was cooking.

I've taken up the tradition of the Christmas cake, and determined to mimic mum's I rummaged through her tattered much loved recipe book and found this recipe. Handwritten in mum's handwriting, the mum in Mum's Xmas Cake is actually my grandmother. So this recipe has been through 3 generations and when my children are ready to cook their first Christmas cake, that will make four. I hope you enjoy it as much as our family do.

Nana's Christmas Cake

• 1 kilogram mixed fruit (I used currants, sultanas, and mixed peel)
• 180 grams butter
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon golden syrup
• 1 teaspoon mixed spice
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons brandy (or 1 teaspoon brandy essence)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
• grated rind of 1 lemon (or 1 teaspoon lemon essence)
• 3 eggs
• 2 1/2 cups plain flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 teaspoon baking soda

Method

1.   Soak fruit overnight in 1 cup hot water. Bring to boil and simmer for 10 minutes. 

2.   Remove from heat and add in the butter, sugar, golden syrup, spices, brandy, vanilla essence and lemon. Stir to melt butter then leave to cool. Heat oven to 130 degrees celcius (250 degrees fahrenheit).

3.   Beat eggs and add to the fruit mixture. Dissolve baking soda in milk and add, and finally add sifted flour and baking powder. Mix well and pour into well lined 8 inch cake tin. Wrap newspaper around the tin and tie with string (this insulates the cake to prevent the edges burning while the middle of the cake is cooking).

4.   Place the tin in the oven, on top of a magazine (to insulate the bottom) and cook slowly for 3 hours. Check to see if a skewer comes out clean, if not then cook for another hour. Test again. Turn the oven off and leave the cake in oven to dry out.

5.   Put the cake into a container with a good seal. Poke holes in the cake with a skewer, and gently pour a few teaspoons brandy into the holes. Repeat every week. Store in a dark cupboard until Christmas. Cake is best made 2 months before Christmas.

Chana Masala

I've been going through an Indian food phase recently, I love the combination of spices, which you can buy ready blended or in my case, I take such pleasure out of roasting the spices and grinding them together to create a wonderful curry powder. I bought a cheap as chips coffee grinder and it only gets used for spices, if you like using different spices, it's well worth buying as freshly ground is so muh tastier than pre-mixed powder.

Northern Asian food requires more time in the pan than SE Asian food. You need time to cook out the raw flavours in the spices, and time too for the flavours to develop and blend together into something that is greater than the individual spices that go into it. I'm also a big fan of using different kinds of protein, and one of my favourites is chick peas (garbanzo beans to the folks in the US).

Chana Masala

• 2 tablespoons chana masala powder
• 800 grams tinned chick peas
• 2 tablespoons oil (not olive)
• 1 cup finely chopped onions
• 1 inch thumb of ginger, grated
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 large tomato, chopped or 1/2 cup canned chopped tomatoes
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons freshly grated coconut (optional)
• 5 small shallots (optional)

Masala Powder

• 3 tablespoons coriander seeds
• 1 tablespoon cumin seeds
• 2 cardamon pods
• 6 whole cloves
• 2 dry red chillies
• 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
• 1 inch piece cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon powdered ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg powder

Method

1.   If making the masala powder, roast the whole spices in a dry pan individually as they all take differing amounts of time to cook. Grind together in a spice grinder, and then mix with the dry ginger and nutmeg.

2.   Heat the oil over a medium heat, and saute the onion, ginger and garlic until onion is soft, add in the curry powder and cook a further 5 minutes, stirring constantly.

3.   Add the tomato, chick peas, and 3 cups of water. Bring to the boil, and simmer gently for 25 minutes. Taste and add salt to taste. I added a large chopped potato at this stage as well as I love curried potatoes, so tend to pop them in curries that don't typically have them in there. Stir frequently and if it starts to get dry then add more water. The final curry will be fairly dry.

4.   Blend the coconut and shallots together into a paste and add to the cooked curry, cook for another 2 or 3 minutes and serve with Indian breads like paratha or dosa and rice.

Caramel Shortbread

I've posted a couple of recipes from my favourite chef, Peter Gordon - this is yet another of his. A delightfully light shortbread mixture topped with caramel and then topped with more of the shortbread mixture crumbled up.

The caramel mixture is quite simply a can of sweetened condensed milk, boiled for 2 hours and cooled - it's quite magical opening the tin and seeing caramel instead of white sticky condensed milk. I have no idea what the science behind it is, and why it works, but I enjoy the outcome and always boil 2 cans as it keeps in the fridge for about a month, and you can use the caramel in other recipes.

The only changes I make to his recipe is to use all of the tin of caramel (he uses two thirds of a tin) and to bake the shortbread base first, cool, spread on the caramel, crumble on the topping and bake again.

Caramel Shortbread

• 1 tin of condensed milk (397g)
• 250 grams unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 150 grams caster sugar
• 150 grams cornflour
• 300 grams plain flour

Method

1. To make the caramel, put the tin of condensed milk into a deep saucepan and cover with water, by at least 2 inches (I put a clean tea towel in the bottom of the pot to stop the incessant tin on tin noise when the water simmers). Bring to the boil, reduce the heat, pop the lid on and simmer for 2 hours, keeping it topped up with water if the level gets close to the level of the top of the can. Set aside to cool completely before opening.
2. Heat the oven to 170 degrees celsius (350 degrees F). Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Sift the two flours together and add to the butter mixture and mix lightly to form a dough. Press two thirds of the dough into a greased baking paper lined 20cm by 30cm tin. Bake for 15 minutes until firm, remove from the oven and cool slightly (about 5 minutes).
3. Spread the tin of caramel over the top of the shortbread base, and crumble the remaining dough over the top of the base. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes until the top is golden brown.

Cool for 5 minutes and then cut into 1 inch squares, or larger slices if you prefer. Let it cool completely in the tin. Once cooled, put the jug on, invite your friends round and enjoy.

Basil Pesto

 

It's hot! 45 degrees hot, that's really really hot! And my basil is dying, or was close to it, I revived it several times by drowning it in water 3 times a day, but the ambient heat had it wilting, so it's time to turn it into one of my favourite things - pesto!

I love the fragrant, fresh, earthy aroma and taste of basil pesto - used simply in a bowl of pasta, spread on pizza as an alternative to tomato sauce or dolloped elegantly onto a seafood canape, it enhances the most simple of ingredients.

Use this as a basic recipe, but if you prefer less garlic, or more cheese, simply add to taste. And you can freeze it, just pop it into ice cube containers, freeze, then pop cubes into a plastic freezer bags - it isn't as good as fresh pesto, but it's not far off.

Basil Pesto

• 3 cups loosely packed basil leaves
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped finely
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup pine nuts
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese

Method

1. Toast pine nuts over a low heat in a pan for a few minutes until just starting to colour.
2. Quite simply...pop all of the ingredients into a food processor and blend until well combined, but still a bit chunky.

Cheese Scones

There are a few recipes that I make so often, that they are scribbled out on post its and stuck to the fridge door - this is one of them. I got it from my mother's cookbook. She was an avid collector of recipes, she'd painstakingly cut them out of newspapers or magazines or jot them down on scraps of paper. Credit where credit's due, I think this recipe came from the monthly New Zealand Machine Knitters Society newsletter - always a treasure trove of tried and tested recipes.

The key to making a good light scone is not to handle the dough too much. When it comes time to add the liquid, do it swiftly and mix very lightly. This is a savoury scone, but you can make a sweet version by omitting the cheese, adding a tablespoon of sugar to the dry mixture, and then add dried ingredients of your choice. I like chopped dates and walnuts, or raisins and cinnamon with a pinch of mixed spice.


Cheese Scones

• 575 grams flour (about 4 and 3/5 cup)
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 100 grams butter, chopped finely or grated
• 300 grams grated cheese
• 450 mls milk 

Method

1.   Sift flour, salt and baking powder together.

2.   Rub in butter with finger tips until it resembles bread crumbs and mix in the grated cheese.

3.   Add in the milk and mix very briefly until it starts to come together.

4.   Tip onto the counter, and gently squeeze it together until it comes together into a dough.

5.   Press into a rectangle and cut into 12 equal pieces. Place onto a floured baking tray, and brush with milk.

6.   Bake at 200 degrees celsius for 12 to 15 minutes, until golden brown and cooked through.

Chiang Mai Noodles

Recently, I've spent a lot of time baking, this time though, I'm heading back to my savoury roots and sharing one of my favourite noodle recipes - Chiang Mai Noodles. Whilst the name suggests the Chiang Mai region in Thailand, the dish itself doesn't bear the traditional hallmarks of Northern Thai cuisine, for a start it uses copious quantities of coconut milk that isn't traditional in northern thai food, but regardless of it's authenticity, it is lovely, sweet, sour and creamy with a decent wollop of heat.

The recipe below should make 4 servings, but to be honest, I eat big when it comes to curries so I pop it into two big bowls, and work my way quite happily almost all the way through one. I've also added fried tofu (stop gagging) and beansprouts, which are not traditional in the dish, but add texture and taste to the dish - as with most of my recipes, play around with the flavours and ingredients you like.

Chiang Mai Noodles
2 large servings, or 4 smaller servings

• 250 grams fresh egg noodles
• 1 to 2 small red chillies, deseeded and chopped finely
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 6 asian shallots, chopped finely
• 2 tablespoons good quality red curry paste (home made if possible)
• 350 grams chicken breast, sliced finely into strips
• 1 tablespoon chopped palm sugar
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce (or to taste)
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 750mls coconut milk
• juice of half a lime
• small handful of chopped coriander leaves
• 4 medium green onions, chopped finely
• chopped red chillies for garnish
• packaged fried noodles to garnish

Method

1. Cook noodles for a few minutes in a pot of boiling water until cooked. Drain, drizzle with a little oil, toss and set aside.
2. In a mortar and pestle (or small food processor), pound the garlic, chillies, shallots and curry paste until a thick and chunky paste.
3. Heat a wok over medium to high heat, add a tablespoon or two of oil, stir in the paste mixture and stir constantly for a few minutes to cook out the raw taste of the paste, add the chicken and fry for a few minutes more until the outside of the chicken is cooked.
4. Add the palm sugar, fish sauce, chicken stock, coconut milk and lime juice and simmer over a low heat for 5 minutes until chicken is cooked through. (add tofu here if using). Taste and add extra sugar or lime juice if needed.
5. Place the noodles into individual bowls, scoop chicken pieces on top, and ladle curry soup on top. Garnish with spring onion, chillies, coriander and fried noodles. (add bean sprouts here if using).

Beef Pide

I've been to Turkey a couple of times, and I love grabbing a seat at a street side restaurant and ordering a Pide - the Turkish version of Pizza, combined with a bowl of ezme (spicy tomato salsa) it is serious comfort food. The dough is easy to make and lovely and crispy, and you can play around with the toppings, much like any other pizza. Traditionally the meat would be lamb, so use that if you like, I just fancied a beef pide this time round. The egg on top is optional, but delicious, it makes the Pide almost pie like, and for me adds both texture and taste.

You can also make the dough and bake it plain, with a few herbs and olive oil, to make bread for dipping.

Turkish Pide

For the dough

• 3 cups flour
• 50mls olive oil
• 1 cup warm water
• 3 teaspoons dried yeast
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt

For the meat mixture

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 500 grams minced beef, or minced lamb
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon dried chile flakes (optional)
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley
• 2 tablespoons chopped mint
• small squeeze of lemon juice
• salt and pepper to taste
• 4 eggs

Method

1.   Mix together the water, sugar and yeast and sit for 5 minutes until frothy. Put the flour, salt, and olive oil into a bowl and add the yeast mixture. Combine well, and knead for 5 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic. Put into an oiled bowl in a warm place for an hour to rise.

2.  Saute the onion and garlic over medium heat until the onion is soft and translucent. Add the beef, cumin, coriander, paprika and chile if using and stir until the meat is browned.  Add the tomatoes, and cook out the moisture. Remove from heat, add a squeeze of lemon juice and the parsley and mint, season with salt and pepper to taste and stir.

3.   Roll out the dough into 4 ovals, pinch the ends to create a boat like shape and place on a baking tray.

4.   Spread the filling onto the base, leaving about a centimetre around the edges, and fold the edges of the dough up to form a shelf around the pide.

5.   Carefully crack one egg onto each pide, breaking the yolk, and bake at 200 degrees celcius for 15 minutes until the egg is cooked and the dough is crispy and brown. Serve with a spicy tomato salsa.

Raspberry and White Chocolate Muffins

I love looking at the ingredients in my fridge, having a bit of time, and thinking about what I can cook. My main ingredient was raspberries, I tipped the Bacardi bottle upside down and it was sadly empty, so a Mojito was out of the question, I contemplated Creme Brulees, but thought the hours on the treadmill to burn them off wasn't worth it (I would quite happily eat them all), I'll save them for a dinner party. So....in comes muffins, the ultimate in share food, I could quality test one or two that afternoon with hubby, and take the rest into work the next day to share, not too generous though, as I needed two for breakfast (quality checking of course) before anyone else got a look in.

I used fresh raspberries, and love fresh raspberries, but this is a recipe that is great with frozen as well, and to be honest they hold their texture well.

Raspberry and White Chocolate Muffins

• 3 cups flour
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 cup caster sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 150 grams white chocolate (chopped) or chips if you can get them
• 225 mls milk
• 150 mls cream
• 125 grams butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
• 1 egg
• 250 grams raspberries, fresh or frozen (be gentle with fresh raspberries)

Method

1. Pop the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt into a bowl and whisk or stir to mix and aerate the ingredients.
2. Add in the milk, cream, butter, vanilla essence and egg and mix briefly.
3. Add in the chocolate and raspberries and stir very briefly to combine, but keeping a few of the raspberries whole.
4. Bake at 200 degrees celsius (380 degrees Fahrenheit) for 15 to 20 minutes until a skewer comes out of the muffin clean.

into the muffin tins

after baking

Stuffed Peppers (Biber Dolmasi)

Across the Middle Eastern and Mediterranean kitchens they stuff things, from vegetables to vine leaves to bread and pasta - they enhance the flavour by changing the texture and taste of the original ingredient to create something awesome.

There is something so refreshing about a whole pepper stuffed with a fragrant rice mixture, filled with crunchy pine nuts, succulent currants and finished with the clean flavours of lemon and mint, and a good glug or three of good quality olive oil. I've made a vegetarian version, but traditionally this is a meat dish, using ground beef or minced lamb. The filling can also be used to stuff other vegetables like eggplant and zucchini, or popped into vine leaves and steamed. 

Finally, don't be shy with the olive oil, I've used 3 tablespoons in cooking the rice, but added extra to the cooking dish.

Rice Stuffed Peppers

• 8 small peppers (capsicums)
• 1 cup rice
• 1 cup water or vegetable stock
• 2 medium onions, finely chopped
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 small fresh tomatoes, or 2 tomatoes from a can of tomatoes, chopped finely
• 1/3 cup pine nut, toasted
• 1/3 cup currants or sultanas
• 1 teaspoon all spice
• pinch cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 cup fresh mint chopped finely
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• juice of half a lemon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Method

1.   Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat and add the onion, cook for 10 minutes stirring until onion has softened and add the rice. Stir to coat the rice with the oil and add the water or stock.

2.   Cook until the liquid has been absorbed and then add the remaining ingredients. The mixture will be slightly uncooked.

3. Cut the top off the peppers, and carefully remove seeds and membrane, leaving the peppers whole. Stuff with the rice mixture and place the top of the pepper back on, or a slice of tomato (which is more traditional). Put them into a dish that allows you to stand them up so they don't topple over.

4.   Empty the juice from the canned tomatoes into the dish, squeeze the remaining lemon half on top and drizzle in some more olive oil. Cover and bake at 180 degrees Celsius (350 degrees Fahrenheit) for 30 to 40 minutes until rice is cooked. Alternatively, stand the peppers in a saucepan, add water to come one third up the peppers, drizzle with olive oil, a squeeze of lemon, cover and simmer gently for 20 minutes until cooked.

5.   Serve with fresh lemon, thick yoghurt and chopped mint.

Homemade Chorizo Sausage

I can't get decent chorizo sausage here in Doha, to be honest I can't get any chorizo sausage here, so I decided to make my own. I used pork mince, as I had some in the freezer but for all my Halal friends, you can make it with chicken mince instead.

Traditionally it's made with oregano and cumin, but you can use whatever herbs and spices you like, I had some smoked paprika so chucked that in as well. The recipe below makes a fairly mild chorizo, if you like it spicier, up the chillies or leave the seeds in, if you like it very mild, reduce them.

I made free form chorizo, basically the meat mixture without casings, so it's not a traditional sausage, but rather a mixture that can be used on a pizza, in a Mexican chili, wrapped in pastry or in this case, on a tortilla with the typical Mexican fixings like sour cream, salsa, and a dollop of habanero sauce. 

Mexican Chorizo Sausage Meat (in tortillas)

• 500 grams minced pork (or chicken)
• 10 large dried chillies, seeds and stems removed
• 2 large cloves of garlic, chopped roughly
• 1 medium red onion, chopped finely
• 1/2 cup cider vinegar, warmed in a pot
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
• to cook, olive oil and 1 teaspoon sugar, plus tortillas, salsa, sour cream, lettuce, red pepper and chili sauce

Method

1.   Place the chillies in a glass bowl, and put the onions and garlic on top. Pour on the warm vinegar and cover with plastic wrap, let sit until the vinegar cools to room temperature.

2.   Pop the mixture into a blender and blend until smooth.

3.   Put the pork mince, oregano, cumin, paprika, salt and pepper into a bowl and pour on the pureed chili mixture, Mix thoroughly with your hands until well combined. This is the basic chorizo mixture and can be frozen as it is ready to use in recipes (unless you started with frozen mince, then you should cook it before freezing).

4.   To cook the chorizo, heat some olive oil in a pan over medium to high heat and fry the meat mixture until cooked, taste and adjust seasoning - I added some ground black pepper, some sugar (to offset the vinegar), and some chili flakes. 

5.  Served spooned onto tortillas and add toppings to taste.

Lobster Risotto

The King of the crustaceans, lobster, is delicate and decadent, and when paired with very simple ingredients it transforms an ordinary meal into something glorious.

I was lucky enough to have a friend bring me some lobsters yesterday, and I knew instantly where a couple of them would end up. Lobster risotto is one of those divine dishes I rarely cook, and when I do, I tell myself I should cook it more often. The sweet, succulent lobster complements the slight chewiness and delicate flavours of the risotto rice so well, and flavoured with a hint of lemon and parsley, this risotto is just divine.

About here is where I usually tell you what other ingredients you can use (it's not like we all have a lobster or two hanging out in the freezer or fridge), but this time I'm not going to, if you can, please try and make this with lobster, it really is the king of the crustaceans.

Lobster Risotto

• 2 lobsters, about 400 grams each - I used frozen
• 2 cups arborio rice
• 5 cups vegetable or chicken stock, heated
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
• 1/2 lemon
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Method

1.   Bring a pot of salted water to the boil and pop the lobster in, cook for 8 to 10 minutes until the meat is white but still tender. Remove, cool under cold running water to stop the cooking.

2.   Remove the tail and cut in half with scissors, and carefully take out the meat. Chop roughly, keeping fairly large chunks, set aside.

3.   Put the stock into a pot on the stove and heat, keep on the stove while cooking the risotto, the stock needs to be hot as you add it to the rice.

4.   Heat the olive oil and butter over a medium to high heat and add the garlic and onion. Cook for a few minutes until the onion has softened, but not browned

5.   Add in the arborio rice and stir to coat then add in the white wine and stir until absorbed. Now stir in a ladle of hot stock and stir until it is absorbed. Keep adding the stock and stirring in between until the rice is cooked, it should be chewy and gooey, not to dry. Add in the lobster and stir through carefully, heat for 1 minute, to heat the lobster.

6.   Remove from heat, squeeze in the lemon and sprinkle on the parmesan and parsley. Season with salt and pepper and stir gently to combine. Serve.

Cinnamon Buns

 

A few weekends ago when the weather got colder and one of my New Year's resolutions had worn off, I had a serious craving for comfort food, so I made my favourite cinnamon buns. Served straight out of the oven and drizzled liberally with a sweet sticky icing, they are the ultimate in comfort food.

They do take a while but they really are worth every decadent bite, the time isn't in cooking or preparing, it's in proofing and raising. So they are a perfect weekend treat.

Cinnamon Buns

for the dough

• 2 teaspoons dried yeast
• 1/2 cup warm water
• 1/2 cup hot milk
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup butter
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg
• 3 and 3/4 cup flour

for the filling

• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup melted butter
• 2 tablespoons cinnamon

for the icing

• 60 grams butter, softened
• 2 cups icing sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
• 60 to 90 mls boiling water

Method

1.   Mix the yeast with the warm water and a pinch of sugar, let sit for 5 minutes until it bubbles up. Mix milk, sugar, butter, salt and egg. Add to 3 cups of flour and mix well, knead until soft and elastic, add more flour if the dough is sticky. Rest in a buttered bowl in a warm place for an hour and a half until doubled in size.

2.   Punch down, and then roll into a rough 40cm by 25cm rectangle. Mix the melted butter, sugar and cinnamon and spread on the dough.

3.   Beginning with the long side, roll the dough up, don't worry if it gets messy. Cut the roll into 12 to 15 pieces and lie flat side in a baking dish. Leave in a warm place to rise for 30 minutes. 

4.   Bake at 180 degrees celsius (350 degrees fahrenheit) for about 30 minutes until cooked. Try not to pick a piece off to taste (as I did). Doesn't look pretty right, wait until you add the icing!

5.   Make the glaze, mix the butter with the icing sugar and vanilla essence and add 3 tablespoons boiling water. Stir to combine. Add more water, 1 tablespoon at a time until icing is a pouring consistency. Drizzle onto the hot buns in the pan.

6.   Remove the buns from the pan and scoff warm - the remainder will keep for 2 days, and are best eaten warmed.

Mango and Passionfruit Pavlova

Happy Australia Day!

I'm off to an Australia Day barbie today, and looking forward to burgers loaded with beetroot, pineapple, bacon and egg - just like dad used to make. I'm not Australian! I'm a Kiwi! no not the fruit, nor the bird, but a born and bred New Zealander, and NZ's closest neighbours are Australians. We often argue, make bad jokes about each other and strive to beat each other on the sports field, but put us 14,611 kilometres away from home and we're best of friends. We share the same values, we think the same way, and by and large we eat the same food.

There are always discussions about whether Australia or New Zealand created the first Pavlova, regardless of where it came from, it is a dessert enjoyed by both Ozzies and Kiwis alike.

When I asked my favourite Australian sheila what I could bring to the barbie, there was no hesitation. PAV! she said, and I grinned...I love making a good Pav.

For those that haven't experienced the joy of a Pavlova, it is a meringue based dessert, crunchy and crispy on the outside and soft and marshmallowy in the middle and smothered in whipped cream and fruit of your choice. Strawberries are always a favourite, passion fruit are a nice touch, and in this case mangoes are a lovely option. I've saved my favourite fruit for last so that I can clarify a popular misnomer - the fruit is kiwifruit, k-i-w-i-F-R-U-I-T! did you get the emphasis on fruit, regardless of how they are labelled on your supermarket shelf, they are not KIWI's! A kiwi is a New Zealand flightless bird, that only exists in NZ and is one of our national icons. We can call ourselves Kiwis as a friendly colloquial term to emphasise our affinity with our home country, but we do not call kiwifruit Kiwis, unless they lay big fat eggs, run around in the dark, and squawk. Rant over.

Enjoy your Pav!

Pavlova

• 6 egg whites
• 1 1/4 cup caster sugar
• 1 tablespoon cornflour
• 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
• 1 teaspoon white vinegar
• 250 mls whipping cream
• 2 teaspoons caster sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla essence extra
• 1 very ripe mango, sliced
• pulp of 3 large passion fruit

Method

1.  Line a baking sheet with baking paper, mark out a 20cm circle on the paper. Turn the paper over so the pen or pencil doesn't get onto the meringue. Heat the oven to 100 degrees Celsius (200 degrees Fahrenheit).

2.  Whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form. Add in the caster sugar one spoon at a time. whisking well in between to dissolve the sugar. The final mixture shouldn't be gritty, if it is, beat until it is smooth. Add the cornflour, vinegar and vanilla essence and whisk to combine.

3.  Spread the meringue evenly on the baking paper to the edges of the circle. Fluff up the top to form peaks (these will crisp up).

4.  Bake for 1 1/2 to 2 hours until the meringue is crisp and not moist to touch. If the meringue starts to brown, turn the oven down to 80 degrees. Turn the oven off, leave the door ajar, and leave the Pavlova in the oven until the oven is cold.

5.  Beat the cream with the sugar and vanilla essence until soft peaks form. Spread onto the Pavlova and top with fruit of your choice.

Easy French Toast

Merry Christmas. We had a lazy hazy Christmas Day this year - hubby, me and the two little chefs. Traditionally our Christmas mornings start with opening the Santa sacks, followed by breakfast, followed by gift opening. I was allowed to open a present early this year. Can you guess why? 

That's right! the little chefs bought me a frying pan for Christmas, a heavy duty, cast iron, non stick coated frying pan with a metal handle (for days I feel like finished off an omelet under the grill). 

I have been moaning and groaning this year whenever I make pancakes or french toast that my frying pan is awful and that's why they never seem to turn out right. I know that's not the reason, but it always seemed a good excuse.

So armed with a new heavy duty frying pan, a scribbled out copy of Alton Brown's French Toast recipe, some milk, cream, eggs and a loaf of day old brioche, I made breakfast. And they turned out fairly well. The little chefs gobbled them down gleefully.

I usually serve french toast with bacon and banana or a load of mixed berries that have been sprinkled with sugar and left for half an hour to release their juices.

French Toast

• 2/3 cup milk (160mls)
• 2/3 cup cream (160mls)
• 4 large eggs
• 2 tablespoons warmed honey or 1 tablespoon agave syrup (my preference)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
• Loaf of day old bread
• good quality maple syrup to serve

Method

1.   Whisk the eggs slightly, add the milk, cream, salt, cinnamon and honey or agave syrup. Whisk well.

2.   Cut the bread (I like using brioche) into thick (1/2 to 3/4 inch slices).

3.   Soak the bread one slice at a time in the egg mixture for 30 seconds each side, remove and place on a rack inside a pan to catch the drips. This makes it less soggy.

4.   Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a heavy duty frying pan over a medium heat and add the bread, cooking for about 3 minutes each side until golden brown. Pop into an oven dish and place in a 150 degrees Celsius oven until the rest are cooked.

5.   Serve with good quality maple syrup.

Cranberry Chutney

I've said before that I was born in the wrong era, I love baking, but more than baking my favourite love is preserves (that and Asian fare). Turning a glut of fabulous fresh ingredients into a beautiful jar of tasty condiment that you can dollop on chicken or meat, served with an amazing cheese platter, or lift a burger from common to sublime makes me smile from ear to ear. This time of year gives me the perfect excuse to make one of my favourite chutneys - Cranberry.

I make it early, in November, so that my US and Canadian friends can enjoy it for Thanksgiving. It doesn't matter when I make it, it's always the same routine, I turn the Christmas music up loud, and dance my way around the kitchen while smelling the lovely Christmas spices in the chutney. Yum!

I bottle it like my mum used to, in sterilised jars in a water bath, but you don't have to, just pop the jars you're putting it into in the dishwasher and wash on a hot cycle, just store the finished chutney in the fridge and it will keep for at least 6 months and up to a year.

Serve it with cheese, on turkey or chicken, or both - my favourite way to use it is in Chicken, Cranberry and Brie Filos or Tarts.

Cranberry Chutney

• 360 gram pack of cranberries (give or take 40 grams)
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup cider or white vinegar (not malt, it's too strong)
• 1/2 cup raisins or sultanas
• 1/2 cup peeled, 1/2 cm diced apples
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

Method

1.   Bring the water and sugar to a slow boil in a large (and I do mean large) pot.

2.   Add remaining ingredients, return to boil and simmer for 20 minutes until apples are tender, cranberries have popped and squidged together and the sauce is fairly thick.

3. Pour into a dishwasher sterilised jar, pop the lid on and cool, then refrigerate.

Lamb Murtabak

 

I spent over a year living and travelling in Indonesia and Malaysia. I met some wonderful people, saw some fantastic sights, and ate the most amazing food. Malay cuisine is my favourite food ever. If I ever had to choose my last meal, it would be a toss up between a good laksa, a classic Malay chicken curry, Mee Goreng (fried noodles), or a great Murtabak, smothered in a rich coconutty curry gravy.

Murtabak (or Martabak in Indonesia) is a common Indian Malay street food. It can be made with chicken, or vegetables, but traditionally and most frequently it's made with mutton. It's served with a rich coconut gravy.

This is my version of Murtabak. Makan Makan!

Lamb Murtabak

(I haven't included the recipe for the curry gravy here, any Malaysian curry sauce will work, in this case, I just blended some good quality Malaysian curry powder with some garlic, ginger, chopped onion and a chili. I cooked this paste on a moderate heat in oil for 15 minutes to cook out the raw taste of the curry powder, added in some coconut milk, star anise and a cinnamon stick and cooked for another 10 minutes)

• 3 cups plan flour
• 20 grams ghee
• 1 cup warm water
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil

for the filling

• 30 grams ghee
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 3 clovers garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon sambal oelek (or 1 small red chili chopped finely)
• 1 tablespoon grated ginger
• 2 tablespoons mild curry powder (I use Madras)
• 1 tablespoon garam masala
• 500 grams minced lamb
• 2 tablespoons chopped coriander
• 2 tablespoons chopped mint
• 3 eggs, lightly beaten

Method

1. Rub the ghee into the flour, stir in the water and mix to a soft dough, add extra water if the dough is too dry, or doesn't come together well, knead for about 10 minutes until the dough is very smooth and elastic
2. Divide the dough into 12 pieces and pop into a bowl that has been greased with oil, cover and stand about 1 hour (traditionally the balls are covered with oil while resting - I just can't bring myself to add that much fat to the dough).
3. To make the filling, heat the ghee in a pan and add the onions, garlic, sambal oelek and ginger, and cook stirring until onion has softened. Stir in the spices and cook for a few minutes to cook out the rawness of them. Add the mince and cook, stirring until the mince is cooked well. Add in the herbs. Cool and then stir in the beaten eggs.
4. Spread a little oil over a smooth surface, press or roll out a ball of dough until a very thin square, about 25cm. Place 1/4 cup filling in the middle of the square, spread it out slightly, and fold the edges of the dough over to create a sealed parcel.
5. Heat some extra ghee in a pan over medium heat, and cook parcels until well browned on both sides. Serve with the curry sauce. (I tip the whole tub of sauce over the murtabak so it is swimming in it).

Tomato Chilli Jam

 

Peter Gordon is my all time favourite chef. He is the absolute King of Fusion, he  has the most amazing palate for mixing international flavours to create divine dishes. If you can get to Providores in London, or Dine in Auckland, do so, you'll be able to taste his wonderful blend of flavours. Here's his website to tempt your taste buds www.peter-gordon.net .

This Peter Gordon recipe is one I make often, and serve on most anything - it's great on burgers, with barbequed meats, or simply spread on thick sour dough toast and topped with fried egg. I love it with sweetcorn fritters, bacon and avocado, and 'watered' down with lime juice and water, it makes a great dipping sauce for Asian appetisers, like spring rolls or dumplings.

It's important that the tomatoes in this recipe are good quality with no blemishes, and ripe, but not too ripe. If they're too ripe, they'll lose their natural fruit pectic which helps to set the 'jam'. I also tend to make 3 or 4 times the recipe and bottle in nice jars, as it makes fabulous gifts.

I have a few jars hanging out on the bench if anyone wants any :)

Peter Gordon's Tomato Chilli Jam
makes 2 x 200ml jars

• 500 grams ripe tomatoes, cored and diced into 1cm cubes
• 4 red chillies, chopped
• 5 cloves garlic, peeled
• 6 cm thumb of ginger, peeled and grated
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 300 grams caster sugar
• 100mls red wine vinegar

Method

The Puree

 

After adding the extra tomatoes

The jam ready to bottle

 

1. Place half of the tomatoes, chillies, garlic, ginger and fish sauce into a blender or food processor and blitz to a puree
2. Pop into a pot with the sugar and red wine vinegar and heat slowly, stirring constantly until boiling.
3. Add in the remaining tomatoes, bring back to the boil, turn down to medium and cook for 25 to 30 minutes until thick and 'jam-like'. Sometimes I find this can take about 45 minutes to reduce down.
4. Pour into sterilised jars and seal. Just pop the jars into the dishwasher on a hot cycle, dry thoroughly, and if not using a water bath to seal then store the jars in the fridge, not the cupboard, the jam will last at least 6 months, unless like me....you scoff it in much less time.