250g smoked bacon 125ml yoghurt 125ml mayonnaise a squeeze of lemon juice 45ml olive oil 80ml milk 100g + 100g feta cheese 3 cos lettuce (or other crunchy lettuce) 125g sugar snaps 250ml frozen peas, thawed 1 avocado pear, sliced
Dice the bacon and cook until done and slightly crispy on the edges. Set aside to cool. Add the yoghurt, mayonnaise, lemon juice, olive oil, milk and 100g of feta cheese to a blender and blitz on high speed until smooth. Set aside. Arrange the lettuce on a serving plate. Scatter over the sugar snaps, peas, avocado pear and bacon. Spoon/drizzle the dressing over the salad. Crumb the remaining 100g feta on top, add a few grindings of black pepper and serve.
50g butter, melted 140g chocolate, chopped 30ml sour cream 10ml vanilla 4 eggs, separated 2 egg whites a pinch of cream of tartar a pinch of salt 45ml sugar
Preheat your oven to 200℃. Place 6 ramekins on a baking sheet, brush the insides evenly with the melted butter and dust with some sugar, making sure you cover the bottom and sides of each ramekin. Set aside. Add the chocolate to a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water and allow to melt. Take the bowl from the heat, add the sour cream and stir through. Add the vanilla and stir through. Now add the egg yolks, one at a time and stir to combine. Set aside. Add the 4 + 2 egg whites to a clean mixing bowl, sprinkle the cream of tartar and salt over and whisk until soft peaks form. Add the sugar a teaspoonful at a time while whisking continuously. Fold a third of the egg white mixture into the chocolate with a metal spoon. Now add the rest and gently for into the chocolate mixture. Do not over mix but do get rid of white streaks in the mixture. Fill each ramekin. Gently run your thumb around the inside of the ramekin to create a small well. Bake the soufflés for 12 minutes. Dust with icing sugar and serve immediately.
1 x 385g can of condensed milk 60g butter, softened 190ml sugar 10ml vanilla 2 eggs 125ml flour 125ml cocoa powder, sifted 1,2ml salt 80g dark chocolate, finely chopped 80g dark chocolate, chopped a handful of pistachio nuts
Preheat your oven to 180℃ and line a 20cm x 20cm baking tin with baking paper. Add the condensed milk, butter and sugar to a large mixing bowl and cream together with a hand-held mixer, until smooth. Add the vanilla and eggs and mix for another minute. Now add the flour, cocoa powder and salt and mix again on low speed. Add the chopped chocolate and stir through with a spatula. Pour the batter into the prepared baking tin and bake for 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool in the baking tin. Add the 80g chocolate to a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan with simmering water and allow to melt. Drizzle the chocolate over the brownies and sprinkle the pistachio nuts on top. Slice and serve.
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.
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.
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.
There are shops in Greece devoted entirely to serving Bougatsa, called Bougatsazidika. They open from 4 a.m. until lunchtime and you will often see people queueing outside in the very early hours, to get their slice of happiness…
Preheat your oven to 240℃. Add the egg yolks and 150g sugar to a mixing bowl and whisk together. Add the semolina and cornflour and whisk until smooth. Add the vanilla, lemon and orange zest and whisk again. Set aside. Pour the milk and 150g sugar into a saucepan and place it over medium-high heat. Bring the mixture to a boil while stirring to dissolve the sugar. Drizzle the milk onto the egg mixture in a very thin stream while whisking continuously. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and place over medium heat. Whisk the mixture until it is thick and starts to bubble. Take the saucepan from the heat and set aside. Brush a 27cm x 37cm x 5cm roasting tray with the melted butter. Lay a sheet of phyllo pastry in the tray and brush the top of the pastry with butter. Lay down two more sheets, brushing each with butter. Pour in the custard mixture and spread it out evenly. Cover the filling with another three phyllo sheets, again brushing each with melted butter. Fold in the overhanging pastry around the edges of the roasting tin and make it look like a sealed parcel. Brush the top with melted butter and bake for 12 minutes, until golden. Remove the bougatsa from the oven and cut into portions. Dust with plenty of icing sugar and serve slightly warm or at room temperature.
250ml orzo pasta 6 sweet peppers 200ml olive oil 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 onions, finely chopped 4 zucchini, diced 50g pine nuts, toasted 50g feta cheese, crumbled 50g black olives, pitted and chopped 250ml chopped tomato
Preheat your oven to 180℃. Cook the orzo pasta according to packet instructions and keep aside. Cut the tops off the peppers so that you have a “lid”. Scoop out the insides with a teaspoon and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place the peppers in an ovenproof dish and set aside. Heat 100ml olive oil in a frying pan, add the garlic, onion and zucchini and cook gently for 10 minutes. Add the cooked orzo, pine nuts, feta cheese, olives and tomatoes and stir through. Spoon the mixture into the peppers and pour over the remaining olive oil. You may place the tops which you cut off onto the peppers. Bake in the oven for 35 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.
1,5kg lamb ribs 15ml dried origanum 10ml ground cumin grated zest of 1 lemon 2,5ml salt 30ml olive oil
Yoghurt Sauce: 250ml yoghurt 100g feta cheese, finely crumbled a handful of mint leaves, chopped 2 cloves of garlic, minced 2,5ml salt
Preheat your oven to 160℃. Add the origanum, cumin, lemon zest, salt and olive oil to a small bowl and mix together. Cut the ribs into individual pieces. Rub the spice mixture over the ribs and space evenly in a baking tray. Cook in the oven for 90 minutes.
For the yoghurt sauce: Mix the ingredients together and stand for at least an hour to allow the flavours to develop.
My Whisk and I 