1kg beef strips 3 leeks, sliced 2 cloves of garlic, minced 3 red sweet peppers, sliced into strips 83ml sugar 83ml apple cider vinegar 45ml pineapple juice, reserved from the tin of pineapple pieces 45ml tomato sauce/ketchup 15ml Worcestershire sauce 15ml soy sauce 20ml cornstarch 125ml water 1 x 400g tin of pineapple pieces a handful of sliced spring onions a handful of black sesame seeds
Place a saucepan onto medium-high heat and brown the beef strips in batches. Set aside. Add a splash of vegetable oil to the saucepan and add the leeks and garlic. Stir-fry until the leeks are soft. Add the red peppers and cook for another 3 minutes. Mix together the sugar, vinegar, pineapple juice, tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, soy, cornstarch and water and give it a good whisk. Add the sauce to the sauce pan and allow to come to a simmer. Now add the beef strips and pineapple pieces and cook for about 15 minutes while stirring every now and then. Sprinkle the spring onion and sesame seeds over and serve on rice.
For the biscuit base: Preheat your oven to 180℃ and line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper cups. Spray the paper cups with baking spray and set aside. Process the biscuits to crumbs. Whisk the egg white with a fork until just frothy and add to the crumbs. Add the melted butter and give everything a good mix. The mixture should resemble wet sand. Divide between the cupcake liners and press the mixture down firmly into the bottom of each cup. Bake in the oven for 5 minutes. Remove and allow to cool.
For the filling: Turn you oven temperature down to 160℃. Chop the chocolate into small pieces and place it in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan with simmering water. Allow to melt completely, remove from the heat and set aside to cool. Add the cream cheese, sugar and cocoa powder to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on low speed until combined, scraping down once or twice between mixing. Remove the mixing bowl from the mixer, add the melted chocolate and fold in until no streaks remain. Divide the batter evenly between the cupcake cups. Bake for 15 minutes or until just set in the centre. Turn off the oven and leave the cheesecakes inside with the door closed, for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool completely in the baking tin. Refrigerate the cheesecakes for 1 hour before adding the topping.
Marshmallow-Meringue Topping: Turn your oven to the grill setting and move the oven rack to the top position. If you are going to blow-torch your toppings you may leave your oven off. Add the egg whites and sugar to a heatproof bowl and place the bowl over a saucepan with simmering water. Whisk the mixture for about 3 minutes until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is very frothy. Remove from the heat and pour the mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Add the vanilla and cream of tartar. Beat on high speed for about 6 minutes, until very thick and glossy. Spoon or pipe the topping on the cheesecakes and either place under the grill to toast or blow-torch the topping.
1,5kg potatoes, peeled and cut into 2cm chunks 2 onions, chopped 2 cloves of garlic, minced 300g chorizo sausage, diced 200g cheddar cheese, grated 300ml cream 200ml milk
Preheat your oven to 200℃. Place the potato chunks in a large saucepan, pour in enough water to cover and bring to a boil. Cook the potato for 10-15 minutes, until a knife can easily be inserted, but not mushy. Drain the chunks and put it back into the same saucepan. Add the onion, garlic and chorizo to a large frying pan set over medium-high heat and stir-fry for about 10 minutes. Spoon the mixture into the saucepan with the potato chunks and mix through. Add the cheddar cheese and give it another mix. Spoon everything into a 28cm x 22cm ovenproof dish. Combine the cream and milk in a jug and season with salt and pepper. Pour the mixture over the potato. Place in the oven and bake for 40 minutes – check the casserole after 20 minutes or so and loosely cover with aluminium foil if it has browned enough. Serve warm with a fresh green salad.
62ml tepid water 10g instant yeast 250ml milk, warm 30ml sugar 7,5ml salt 5ml ground cinnamon 62ml butter, melted 2 eggs 4 x 250ml + 83ml flour 1 x can/portion Dulce de Leche or Caramel Treat 3 bananas, sliced
Pour the tepid water into a small mixing bowl and sprinkle over the yeast. Stir until dissolved and set aside. Add the milk, sugar, salt and cinnamon to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook and whisk together by hand. Stir in the butter, eggs and yeast mixture. Turn the mixer to a low speed and gradually add the flour. You are looking for a dough that is soft enough to handle. It is usually ready when it easily pulls away from the sides. Knead/mix for another 5 minutes. Rub a few drops of oil on the inside of a mixing bowl, place the dough in the bowl and cover with a tea towel. Allow to rise until double in size. (about 90 minutes) Punch the dough down and turn it out onto a work surface lightly dusted with flour. Roll the dough to a 0,5cm thickness and cut circles of dough with a biscuit cutter, about 8 cm in diameter. You need about 22 circles to make two small breads. Line two 11cm X 25cm loaf tins with baking paper. Spread a teaspoon of caramel on half of each circle and place 3 slices of banana on top. Fold the circle in half and place it in the prepared tin with the open ends facing up.
Continue until all the discs are in the loaf tin. Cover with a kitchen towel and allow to rise at room temperature for 40 minutes. Preheat your oven to 180℃. Bake the breads for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven, cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes and then remove from the baking tin. Serve the pull-apart bread warm or at room temperature.
2 aubergine olive oil 250g cherry tomatoes 1 red onion, chopped 3 cloves of garlic, minced 2 x 400g tins of chopped tomato 15ml thyme, chopped 300g orzo pasta 100g parmesan cheese, grated 1 burrata cheese or a few small mozzarella balls
Preheat your oven to 200℃ and line a baking sheet with baking paper. Slice the aubergine into discs about 5mm thick, spread them out on the prepared baking sheet and drizzle with a generous amount of olive oil. Scatter the cherry tomatoes over the aubergine slices and bake in the oven for about 25 minutes. Place a saucepan on medium-high heat and add some olive oil. Fry the onion and garlic until soft. Add the chopped tomato and thyme and season with salt and pepper. Simmer the sauce for 15 minutes while stirring occasionally. Cook the orzo according to packet instructions. Drain and add it to the tomato sauce. Add the grated parmesan and stir through. Spoon the orzo into a serving dish and top with the aubergine, roasted tomato and burrata.
Add all the ingredients, except the pork chops, to a mixing bowl and whisk together. Place the chops in a shallow baking dish and pour the mixture over. Leave to marinate for one hour, turning the chops once.
Preheat your oven to 180℃. Place a cast-iron pan (or any other oven-friendly pan) on high heat, and pour in some vegetable oil. Scrape most of the marinade off the meat and fry for 2 minutes before turning and frying another 2 minutes. Turn the heat down to medium and pour in the marinade sauce. Stir and cook for about 3-4 minutes and then place the pan in the oven and cook for 20 minutes. Serve the chops with fragrant rice or couscous.
Edible flowers (or fruits like berries) 45ml water 10ml powdered gelatine 45ml sugar 150ml hot water 75ml sparkling wine
Prepare your moulds/cups by lining them with plastic wrap. Place the flowers inside the moulds and set aside. Pour 45ml cold water into a small mixing bowl and sprinkle the gelatine over. Set aside to bloom for 5 minutes. Add the sugar to the gelatine and pour in the hot water. Stir to dissolve. Add the sparkling wine and mix well. Allow the liquid to cool to the point where it is cold but still completely runny. Pour into the moulds and refrigerate until set.
2 pears 30ml lemon juice 60ml brown sugar 2,5ml ground cinnamon 30g butter, cubed
For the oatmeal: 250ml rolled oats 250ml water 250ml milk a pinch of salt 1,2ml ground cinnamon honey a handful (or two) of almonds
For the pears: Preheat your oven to 180℃ and line a small baking tray with baking paper or aluminium foil. Halve the pears and remove the core. (I use a melon scoop for this) Place the pears, cut-side up, on the prepared baking tray and drizzle with the lemon juice. Sprinkle the sugar and cinnamon on the fruit and place a piece of cubed butter on each. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes, flip them over and bake for another 10 minutes.
For the oatmeal: Pour the oats, water, milk, salt and cinnamon into a saucepan and place on medium-high heat. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5-6 minutes, while stirring often.
Spoon the porridge into 2 bowls and place 2 pear half on top of each bowl. Drizzle the oatmeal with honey and a generous scattering of almonds and serve warm.
1,5kg lamb shoulder or leg, cut into 2cm cubes vegetable oil 10 whole cardamom pods 15ml mustard seeds 2 bay leaves 6 whole cloves 10 black peppercorns 1 stick cinnamon 2 onions, finely chopped 8 cloves of garlic, minced 5ml ground coriander 10ml ground cumin 20ml paprika 15ml ground ginger 5ml crushed dried chillies 5ml salt 2 red chillies, chopped 120ml yoghurt 2,5ml garam masala
Place a heavy-bottom saucepan on a medium-high heat and cover the base with vegetable oil. Brown the meat in batches and set aside in a bowl. Add the cardamom, bay leaves, cloves, peppercorns and cinnamon and stir the mixture for about 1 minute. Add the onion and fry for about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and fry for another minute. Now add the coriander, cumin, paprika, crushed chillies, salt and fresh chillies and stir-fry for another 30 seconds or so. Add the meat and stir through to cover with the spices. Add a spoonful of yoghurt and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Add the remaining yoghurt in the same way, so that the sauce does not split. Pour in 375ml of water and bring the curry to a boil. Turn the heat down to a slow simmer and cover the saucepan with a lid. Cook for 1 hour or until the lamb is tender, stirring frequently. Remove the lid and cook the curry for another 30 minutes, stirring and waiting for the sauce to become beautifully thick. Sprinkle over the garam masala, mix through and serve with fragrant rice.
3 cardamom pods 750ml red wine 1 orange, sliced 2,5ml allspice berries 2,5ml whole cloves 2 star anise 2 cinnamon quills/sticks 62ml brown sugar
Bruise the cardamom pods by placing them on a work surface. Place a saucepan on top and press down onto it to crack the pods. Add the pods, wine, orange, allspice, cloves, star anise and cinnamon to a saucepan set over medium heat. Heat the mixture but do not allow it to boil – you want the wine warm to the point before boiling. Remove the saucepan from the heat, add the sugar and stir to dissolve. Allow the wine and spices to sit for 30 minutes at room temperature so that it can infuse. Strain the Glühwein and serve warm with fresh orange slices.
My Whisk and I 