3-4 pears 6-8 dates 50g walnuts 100g gorgonzola/blue cheese, broken up into chunks 150g rocket leaves
Dressing: half a red onion, very finely chopped 15ml red wine vinegar 15ml Dijon mustard 15ml cold water 45ml olive oil
Slice the pears into 3-4mm thick slices and arrange them on a serving platter, overlapping slightly. Cut the dates into quarters and scatter evenly over the pears. Scatter the walnuts over as well as the blue cheese. Top the salad with the rocket leaves.
For the dressing: Add the onion, vinegar, mustard and water to a small bowl and whisk together. Drizzle in the olive oil while whisking continuously until all is incorporated and the dressing is amalgamated.
about 9 small aubergines 125ml flour 5ml salt and a few groundings of black pepper 125ml water 100g all bran breakfast cereal
Preheat your oven to 190℃ and line a baking sheet with aluminium foil. Place the aubergine on the prepared baking sheet and prick the skin and flesh all over with a fork. Place in the oven and bake for 40 minutes, remove and allow to cool completely. Carefully peel off the skins and place the aubergines back on the tray. Squash the flesh with a fork so that the flesh spreads out to an even thickness. Set aside. Add the flour, salt, black pepper and water to a bowl and stir to make a thin batter. Add the all bran flakes to a food processor and blitz to rough crumbs. Pour the cereal in a shallow bowl. Now dip an aubergine in the batter, covering both sides and allow the excess batter to drip off. Place the aubergine in the cereal and coat on both sides. Place a pan on medium-high heat and add some vegetable oil to it. Wait for the oil to heat up and fry the aubergine for 2 minutes per side until golden and crispy. Serve warm.
This recipe is a guide with a few must-do steps and a whole lot of optionals where you get to choose according to your preference!!
vegetables of your choice e.g. cucumber, red onion, baby onion, carrot, cauliflower, green beans flavourants such as fresh rosemary, fresh thyme, black or red pepper, mustard seeds, chilli flakes, pimento, all spice, garlic
Pickling liquid: 500ml white vinegar 500ml water 30ml salt 30ml sugar
Wash, rinse and dry your glass containers. Clean and peel your vegetable of choice and cut it into pieces. Tightly pack the vegetable into the jar and add your flavouring – I add about half a teaspoon of all the above spices as I like a punchy pickle. Add the vinegar, water, salt and sugar to a small saucepan and place it on medium-high heat while stirring to dissolve the salt. Remove from the heat as soon as tiny bubbles break the surface. Pour the hot liquid onto the vegetables, covering it completely. Secure the lid of the container and set aside to cool. Place the container in the refrigerator for a minimum of three days. Enjoy your pickles with a cheese/charcuterie board, on a sandwich, as a garnish/side with roasted meat or on its own as a snack.
Marinade: 250ml greek yoghurt 3 cloves of garlic, minced 15ml ground ginger 15ml smoked paprika 15ml garam masala 5ml ground coriander 5ml ground cumin 5ml salt 15ml lemon juice
6 chicken breasts
Add all the ingredients for the marinade to a large mixing bowl and mix together. Add the chicken pieces and cover them in the marinade. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour or overnight. Preheat your oven to 240℃ and line a baking sheet with aluminium foil. Place a metal wire rack on the tray and arrange the chicken pieces on it. Cook in the oven for 25 minutes until blistered. Remove the chicken from the oven and serve with a fresh side or salad.
Vinaigrette: 45ml lemon juice 5ml sesame oil 40ml olive oil a pinch of salt 15ml thyme leaves, chopped
350-400g green beans 10ml sesame seeds, roasted 1 lemon, zest cut into fine strips
Rinse the beans under running water and trim off the ends. Place a large saucepan on the heat, fill it with water and bring to a boil. Add the trimmed beans and cook for exactly 3 minutes. Drain the beans and once again run cold water over it to stop the cooking process. Shake the beans dry and pat with a clean dish towel. Arrange on a serving platter.
For the vinaigrette: Add the lemon juice, sesame oil, olive oil, salt and thyme leaves to a bowl and whisk together.
Drizzle the vinaigrette over the beans and garnish with lemon zest, lemon slices and a sprinkling of the sesame seeds.
Place a large pan on medium-high heat, add 30ml butter, a dash of cooking and the mushrooms. Cook until golden, spoon into a bowl and set aside. Add the bacon pieces to the same pan and cook until crispy on the edges. Spoon into a bowl and set aside. Add the other 30ml butter and onion to the pan and cook until soft. Add the garlic and stir-fry for one minute. Pour the orzo and stock into the pan, turn the heat down to medium and simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring every now and then to prevent the pasta from sticking to the bottom of the pan. You want a cooked orzo that has absorbed most of the water. Add the parsley, thyme and cream and stir through. Now add the mushroom and bacon back into the pan and warm through while stirring. Sprinkle over the parmesan, add a few grindings of black pepper and serve immediately.
250ml uncooked lentils 1 onion, chopped 2 large aubergines, cut into small dice 4 cloves of garlic, minced 15ml chopped parsley 200g white bread (about 5 slices) 30g parmesan cheese, grated 10ml salt 2 x 400g tins chopped tomato 5ml salt 45ml sugar 30ml Worcestershire sauce a handful of basil leaves, chopped
Cook the lentils according to packet instructions, drain and set aside to cool. Preheat your oven to 200℃ and line a baking sheet with baking paper. Place a saucepan on medium heat and add some olive oil to it. Add the chopped onion and cook until soft. Add the diced aubergine, a pinch of salt and another drizzle of olive and stir-fry until really soft. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Take the mixture from the heat and allow to cool slightly. Break the bread into chunks and add it to a food processor. Whizz to crumbs. Remove 125ml of the crumbs and set aside. Pour the rest of the crumbs into a large mixing bowl. Add the aubergine mixture, lentils, parmesan, parsley, salt and a few grindings of black pepper to the food processor and whizz to a paste. Taste the mixture and adjust the seasoning. Roll into 18-22 balls, place on the prepared baking sheet and drizzle with some olive oil. Bake in the oven for 40 minutes until crisp. Add the chopped tomato to a saucepan and add the salt, sugar and Worcestershire sauce. Simmer until reduced – about 15 minutes. Turn your oven onto the grill setting. Pour the tomato sauce into an ovenproof dish, place the aubergine balls on top and sprinkle over the reserved bread crumbs. Drizzle with olive oil and grill in the oven for 5 minutes. Sprinkle over the chopped basil and serve on steamed rice.
3 pears 100g blue cheese 50g walnuts 1 x 400g roll of puff pastry egg wash: 1 egg yolk + 15ml water whisked together 60ml mixed fruit jam 45ml boiling water a handful of basil leaves, chopped
Preheat your oven to 200℃ and line a baking sheet with baking paper. Wash the pears and dry them. Cut a slice from the bottom of each pear so that you have a stable, flat surface. Scoop out the core with a melon baller and set aside. Cut the blue cheese into small pieces and add it to a bowl with the walnuts. Mix together until you have a sticky, messy consistency! Divide the mixture in 3 and stuff it into the pears. Place the pastry on a work surface and cut 3 rounds, more or less the size of the bottom of the pears. Place the pastry over the stuffed opening and then place the pears on the prepared baking sheet. Cut 1cm wide strips from the pastry. Start at the stalk of the pear and wrap the fruit in the pastry strips. Brush with egg wash and bake in the oven until golden – about 20 minutes. Add the fruit jam, boiling water and chopped basil to a small bowl and stir until the jam breaks up into a thin sauce. Serve the pears warm with the sauce on the side.
Preheat your oven to 200℃ and line a baking sheet with baking paper. Place the pastry on a work surface and cut 12 circles with a 7cm diameter biscuit cutter. Place 6 of the circles on the prepared baking sheet. Cut out the centres of the other six circles with a 6cm diameter cutter, wet the edges of the pastry and place on top of the pastry circles. Prick the bottom of the pastry with a fork and brush the elevated edges with egg wash. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Cut strips (15cm by 0,5cm) from the remaining pastry and braid three strips together. (You should have 6 of these). Place the braids on the baking sheet and shape them so that they resemble the arch of a baskets handle. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes, remove and allow to cool.
For the cream patisserie: Add the corn flour to a large mixing bowl and stir in the 50ml milk. Add the egg yolks and 50g of sugar and whisk together. Set aside. Pour the 450ml milk into a small saucepan and add the other 50g caster sugar to it. Place the saucepan over medium heat and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Take it from the heat as tiny bubbles start to appear around the edges. Drizzle the warm milk mixture onto the egg mixture while whisking vigorously. Now pour the mixture back into the saucepan and place it on medium-low heat. Stir continuously until thick. Allow to cook for 30 seconds before removing from the heat. Add the vanilla and stir through. Pour the mixture on a dinner plate and then place plastic wrap directly on its surface. Allow to cool completely.
Pipe or spoon the cream patisserie into the pastry baskets and place a few speckled eggs on top. Now dip the handles into the white chocolate and position it on the baskets so that it resembles a handle. Allow to dry/cool before serving.
Preheat your oven to 200℃ and line a baking sheet with baking paper. Cut an extra piece of baking paper of the same size and keep aside. Lay the pastry on a work surface and cut 7cm diameter circles from it with a biscuit cutter. Place the pastry circles on the baking sheet, cover with the extra sheet of baking paper and place another baking sheet on top. Bake for 15 minutes, remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
For the royal icing: Add the egg white to a mixing bowl and whisk to a froth. Add the sifted icing sugar one spoonful at a time, stirring really well to incorporate. Keep going: add one spoonful of icing, stir for at least 30 seconds, add another spoonful, etc., until all the icing is incorporated or until you have a very stiff mixture. Spoon the royal icing into a piping bag fitted with a 4mm nozzle and pipe a border on each of the pastry discs. Set aside to dry and set. Add a few drops of water to the royal icing – literally two drops at a time -and stir to thin it down to a very thick but spreadable consistency. Drop a teaspoonful into each icing border and spread it out with the back of a teaspoon. Decorate the discs with edible flowers/petals before it sets. Put aside to dry completely.
Add the whipping cream and caster sugar to a large mixing bowl and whisk until it forms soft peaks. Add the mascarpone and vanilla and whisk until thick – BE CAREFUL NOT TO OVER-WHIP as the mixture will split. Add the raspberries to the mascarpone cream and mix through with a wooden spoon, crushing some of the berries to release the juices.
Spoon the mascarpone cream onto a serving plate and place a pastry disc on top to serve.
My Whisk and I 