Lemon-Poppyseed Rusks

Lemon-Poppyseed Rusks

Yields about 60 rusks.

250g butter, room temperature, cubed
300g sugar
6 eggs
4-5 lemons, 80ml of finely grated zest
4 x 250ml self-raising flour
5ml salt
80ml poppyseeds
500ml cultured buttermilk

Preheat your oven to 180℃ and line two 23cm loaf tins with baking paper.
Add the butter and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on high speed until creamy.
Add the eggs one at a time and beat well to incorporate. Scrape the mixture down once or twice.
Add the lemon zest and mix through.
Now add the flour, salt and poppyseeds to another mixing bowl and stir through.
Alternatively add a few spoonfuls of flour and buttermilk, starting and ending with the flour mixture.
Mix on high speed for one minute.
Spoon the mixture into the loaf tins and bake for one hour.
Remove from the baking tins and cool on a cooling rack.
Cut the loaf into slices about 2 cm thick and then cut each slice into three pieces.
Space the rusks evenly on a baking sheet and dry in the oven at 100℃ for 3-4 hours.
Cool completely and store in a glass container.

Breakfast Puffs

Breakfast Puffs

140g flour
12,5ml baking powder
1,2ml salt
a pinch of smoked paprika
100g mature cheddar cheese, grated
250ml milk
1 egg

Preheat your oven to 200℃ and spray a 12-hole muffin tin with cooking spray.
Sift the flour, baking powder, salt and paprika into a mixing bowl.
Add the grated cheddar and mix through.
Add the milk and egg to a jug and whisk together.
Add the milk mixture to the flour mixture and mix together to form a batter.
Spoon the batter into the muffin tin and bake for 15 minutes.
Serve warm or at room temperature.

Chicken Spiedini

Chicken Spiedini

30ml olive oil
30ml rosemary
15ml thyme
1 lemon, zest finely grated
5ml salt
1 kg chicken breast, skin and bone removed
190ml panko breadcrumbs
80ml parmesan cheese, finely grated

Warm dressing:
125ml olive oil
60ml butter
3 cloves of garlic, minced
60ml lemon juice
30ml parsley, chopped
2,5ml salt

wooden skewers

Pour the olive oil into a large bowl and add the rosemary, thyme, lemon zest and salt and stir through.
Cut the chicken breasts into large chunks (about 4 pieces of chicken should go on to one skewer).
Add the chicken pieces to the bowl and mix through with your hands so that all the chicken get coated.
Sprinkle the breadcrumbs and parmesan over and mix again.
Skewer about 4 pieces of chicken on to a skewer.
Place a heavy-bottom pan on medium-high heat and wait for it to warm up.
Grill 4 – 5 skewers at a time for 4 minutes, flip them over and cook for another 4 minutes.
Keep the cooked chicken warm.

For the warm dressing:
Add the olive oil, butter, garlic, lemon juice, parsley and salt to a small saucepan.
Place on the heat and simmer the sauce, stirring every now and then for 3-4 minutes.
Remove from the heat.
Place the chicken on a serving platter and drizzle over the warm sauce to serve.

Confit Garlic Mayonnaise

Confit Garlic Mayonnaise

250m vegetable oil
15 cloves of garlic, peeled
1 bay leaf
a few sprigs of rosemary
a few sprigs of thyme
2 egg yolks
5ml English mustard
juice of half a lemon
5ml salt

Pour the vegetable oil into a small saucepan and place over medium heat.
Add the garlic, bay leaf, rosemary and thyme and wait for the oil to start simmering.
Turn the heat down so that you have the lowest simmer possible.
Simmer for 40 minutes, remove from the heat and set aside for 20 minutes.
Remove the garlic cloves and strain the oil. Set the oil aside to cool completely.
Place the garlic on a chopping board and cream it by pushing the flat side of the blade of a utility knife onto it. Lift the blade, push down and drag. Repeat until you have no lumps and the garlic is smooth.
Add the egg yolks, mustard, lemon juice, salt and garlic to a small bowl.
Blitz together with a stick blender.
Drizzle the cold oil into the bowl with the stick blender running.
Keep drizzling and blitzing until all the oil has been added and you have a thick mayonnaise.
Spoon the mayo into a pretty bowl and serve with potato chips or wedges.

Coffee Cupcakes

Coffee Cupcakes

125ml vegetable oil
2 eggs
125ml buttermilk
10ml vanilla
250ml brown sugar
80ml cocoa powder, sifted
15ml instant coffee granules
250ml flour
5ml baking powder
2,5ml bicarbonate of soda
1,2ml salt

Frosting:
125g butter, room temperature
10ml vanilla
30ml instant coffee granules
500ml icing sugar, sifted
30ml milk

Preheat your oven to 180℃ and line a cupcake baking tin with paper cups.
Add the vegetable oil, eggs, buttermilk and vanilla to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix to combine.
Add the sugar and mix at high speed for 2 minutes.
Turn the mixer to a low speed and add the cocoa powder and coffee.
Add the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt to a separate bowl and stir to mix.
Turn the mixer to a low speed and add spoonfuls of the flour mixture, waiting for it to be incorporated before adding more.
Spoon the batter in the paper cups, filling each three-quarter-full.
Bake the cupcakes for 22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the centre of one, comes out clean.
Cool on a cooling rack.

For the frosting:
Add the butter, vanilla and coffee granules to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix on high speed.
Add the sifted icing sugar in three batches and then drizzle in the milk.
Mix at high speed for 2 minutes.
Spoon the frosting into a piping bag and pipe on to the cupcakes.

Onion Pie

Onion Pie

1 packet frozen puff pastry
30ml olive oil
2 large onions, thinly sliced
5 eggs
125ml milk
125ml cream
5ml salt
15ml onion seeds
250ml grated mature cheddar cheese

Preheat your oven to 190℃ and spray a deep pie dish (or a loose-bottom cake tin) with cooking spray.
Line the pie dish with the pastry. The sides should come up 4cm.
Pour the olive oil into a saucepan set over medium-high heat and add the onions.
Cook until soft, remove from the saucepan and set aside to cool.
Add the eggs, milk, cream, salt and onion seeds to a large jug and whisk together.
Add the grated cheddar to the cooled onions and mix through.
Spoon the onion mixture into the pastry lined baking tin.
Pour the egg mixture over and bake for one hour.
Serve the pie warm with a salad on the side.

Fluffy Passionfruit Cheesecake

Fluffy Passionfruit Cheesecake

250g cream cheese, room temperature
90g butter, room temperature
120g flour
5 eggs, separated
125ml milk, room temperature
60ml passionfruit pulp
110g caster sugar
icing sugar, to dust

Preheat your oven to 140℃ and line a 22cm cake tin with baking paper. If you are using a loose-bottom tin you have to wrap the bottom and sides with tin foil to waterproof it.
Add the cream cheese and butter to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
Cream together on a high speed and scrape down in between mixing.
Add the flour and mix on low speed until combined.
Add the egg yolks and mix again.
Drizzle in the milk with the mixer running.
Now do the same with the passionfruit pulp.
Set the mixture aside.
Add the egg whites to a large bowl and whisk to soft peaks.
Add the caster sugar a spoonful at a time until all is incorporated.
Now for the whites into the batter in three batches, with a spatula.
Spoon the batter into the prepared cake tin and place it in a roasting tin.
Pour very hot water into the roasting tin so that it comes 2-3 cm up the sides.
Place in the oven and bake for 90 minutes.
Turn off the oven , open the oven door and stand the cake in the oven for 15 minutes.
Remove the cake from the roasting tin and cool on a cooling rack until warm.
Remove the cheesecake from the tin by inverting it on to a plate.
Remove the baking paper and invert back onto a serving plate.
Leave the cake to cool completely.
Dust the cake with icing sugar and slice to serve.


Mediterranean Orzo

Mediterranean Orzo

200g chorizo sausage
30ml olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 x 400g tin of whole cherry tomato
10ml sugar
5ml salt
400g orzo pasta
400ml vegetable stock
a handful of basil leaves, chopped
parmesan cheese

Place a large pan on medium-high heat and add the olive oil and onion to it.
Fry the onion until just soft.
Add the garlic and stir-fry for one minute.
Add the tomatoes, sugar, salt and a few grindings of black pepper.
Cook for 5 minutes or so, stirring every now and then.
Add the orzo and stir through.
Pour in the vegetable stock and cook for about 10 minutes. The liquid has to reduce and the orzo should be tender when you taste it.
Scatter over three quarters of the basil and turn off the heat.
Stir through and serve with grated parmesan cheese and the rest of the basil scattered over.

Roasted Broccoli

Roasted Broccoli

one head of broccoli
60ml olive oil
60ml dried breadcrumbs
150ml finely grated parmesan/ementhal cheese
5ml garlic powder
2,5ml salt

Preheat your oven to 220℃ and line a baking sheet with baking paper.
Break/cut the broccoli into florets and add it to a bowl.
Drizzle over the olive oil and toss with your hands to coat the broccoli.
Sprinkle over the breadcrumbs, half the parmesan, garlic powder, salt and a few grindings of black pepper.
Mix together, rubbing slightly in order to make the flavourings stick to the broccoli.
Spread the florets in an even layer on the baking sheet, sprinkle over the rest of the parmesan and roast in the oven for 15 minutes.
Stir and flip the florets and bake another 10 minutes.
Serve immediately.

Quick Beetroot Salad

Quick Beetroot Salad

4 beets, cooked, peeled and cubed
30ml olive oil
30ml balsamic vinegar
1 small red onion, cut into thin slices
a pinch of salt
30ml chopped chives
a handful of walnut halves
50g feta cheese

Add the cubed beetroot, olive oil, balsamic, red onion and pinch of salt to a bowl and mix together.
Spoon onto a serving platter and scatter over the chives and walnuts.
Top the salad by crumbing the feta over.