Slovenian Sweet Omelet / Pahorje

Slovenian Sweet Omelet / Pahorje

A sweet omelet may be a strange/unusual idea but this traditional omelet with vanilla and fresh berries will surprise and delight your tastebuds!

3 eggs, separated
30ml + 30ml sugar
1ml + 1ml salt
45ml flour
125ml cream
2,5ml vanilla
80ml strawberry/raspberry jam
fresh berries
icing sugar, for dusting

Preheat your oven to 220℃ and line the base of a 22cm loose-bottom cake tin with baking paper. Spray with cooking spray and set aside.
Add the egg whites to a mixing bowl and beat with an electric whisk until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
Add the egg yolks, 30ml sugar and 1ml salt to a separate mixing bowl.
Beat on high speed for 2-3 minutes until you have a very thick, very pale mixture that falls from the whisk in ribbons.
Fold a third of the egg whites into the mixture, add the rest and fold in until just combined.
Sift the flour over and fold in with a metal spoon until smooth.
Spoon the mixture into the prepared baking tin and gently smooth the top.
Bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes. The omelet should be fluffy and golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the centre should come out clean.
Add the cream, vanilla, 30ml sugar and 1ml salt to a mixing bowl and whisk until medium-stiff peaks form. Refrigerate until needed.
Remove the omelet from the oven and remove the ring of the cake tin.
Invert the omelet onto a plate and gently peel off the baking paper.
Allow to cool to room temperature.
Spread the jam on half the omelet.
Spread the cream over the jam and sprinkle over the fresh berries.
Gently fold the omelet over.
Dust with icing sugar to serve.

Nut-Butter Hummus

Nut-Butter Hummus

If you dont like the slightly bitter aftertaste of tahini paste in hummus, this is the recipe for you. Made from macadamia nut-butter (any nut-butter is good) it produces a buttery, soft hummus with a delicious umami taste.

1 x 400g can chickpeas
60ml nut butter (I use the Babylonstoren Macadamia nut butter but you may use any variation that appeals to you)
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
30ml lemon juice
2,5ml salt

Drain the chickpeas and place in a liquidiser/cup of a stick blender.
Add the nut butter, garlic, lemon juice and salt.
Blitz together until smooth.
Serve as a dip with crispy vegetable sticks or simply slosh it onto a cracker or fresh slice of bread.
PS: I sprinkled sunflower and chia seeds on the hummus to add another layer of taste.

Melon and Feta Salad (with Basil Dressing)

Melon and Feta Salad (with Basil Dressing)

150ml olive oil
250ml tightly packed basil leaves
1 clove garlic, minced
2,5ml salt
15ml lemon juice
15ml apple cider vinegar

cos lettuce
1 small melon
200g feta cheese
3 tomatoes

For the dressing:
Add all the ingredients to a blender and blitz at high speed for one minute. Set aside.

Arrange some lettuce leaves on a serving platter.
Slice the melon in half and take out the seeds.
Cut the melon into slices and then cut the flesh out of the skin,
Scoop a few melon balls from the flesh if you have a melon scoop.
Arrange the melon on the lettuce.
Slice the feta and tomato into slices and add it to the melon and lettuce.
Drizzle the basil dressing over the salad and serve.

Fish Parcels

Fish Parcels

4 portions of hake
2 sweet peppers, sliced
100g green olives, pitted
30ml capers, roughly chopped
60ml peppadews, chopped
2 lemons, quartered

Preheat your oven to 200℃.
Cut 4 pieces of baking paper to more or less 30cm x 30cm.
Place a portion of hake in the centre of each paper square and season with salt and pepper.
Add the sweet peppers, olives, capers and peppadews to a small bowl and mix through. Divide the mixture equally and spoon onto the fish.
Squeeze the juice of a quartered lemon over.
Bring the two opposite sides of the paper together and fold over twice.
Now twist the ends to enclose the filling.
Place on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes.
Serve the fish in its paper parcel.

Potato-Cheese Flatbread

Potato-Cheese Flatbread

Yields two flatbreads

3 potatoes, cooked (about 250 – 350ml cooked potato)
60ml butter
250ml cheese, grated (I use parmesan and cheddar)
5ml salt
5ml garlic salt
15ml chives, chopped
250ml yoghurt
375ml self-raising flour
butter

Mash the cooked potato while it is still warm and mix in the butter, cheese, salt, garlic salt and chives. Set aside to cool.
Add the yoghurt and flour to a bowl and combine.
Knead until you have a smooth ball of dough – add a small amount of flour if the dough is too sticky.
Divide the dough in two balls.
Roll out into a circle of 1cm thickness.
Add half the potato mixture, flatten into a smaller circle and gather the edges of the dough around the filling. Pinch together the dough to seal the potato filling.
Flip the filled dough and gently roll it out to a disk shape that will fit your pan.
Pan-fry on both sides on medium heat, until golden, brushing with melted butter.
Serve the bread warm.

Coconut-Bran Muffins

Coconut-Bran Muffins

Makes 12 muffins but can be doubled.

375ml bran
125ml boiling water
60ml butter, melted
190ml brown sugar
1 egg, beaten
50ml + 200ml buttermilk
6ml bicarbonate of soda
160ml flour
160ml wholewheat flour
2ml salt
250ml desiccated coconut

Preheat your oven to 220℃ and line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper cups.
Add the bran to a mixing bowl and pour the boiling water over. Stir through.
Pour the 50ml buttermilk into a small bowl and sprinkle the bicarbonate of soda over. Stir through and set aside.
Add the melted butter to the bran and stir again.
Now add the sugar, egg and 200ml buttermilk.
Pour the bicarb and buttermilk into the mixture and mix through.
Add the flour, wholewheat flour, salt and coconut and stir until just mixed.
Divide the batter among the paper cases and bake for 20 minutes.
Remove the muffins from the oven and from the muffin tin and cool them on a cooling rack.

Miso Cauliflower

Miso Cauliflower

1 large cauliflower
olive oil and spices of your choice
2 cans black beans
2 cloves garlic, minced

Miso-Cheese Sauce:
15ml butter
15ml flour
15ml miso paste
500ml milk
15 ml sirachia sauce
50g cheddar cheese, grated

Preheat your oven to 180℃ and line a baking sheet with baking paper.
Cut the cauliflower into steaks and place on the prepared tray.
Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and spices of your choice and bake in the oven for 20 minutes.
Drain the black beans in a small saucepan, add the garlic and place over a medium-low heat until warm.
Blitz the mixture to a smooth pureé.
Season with salt and pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice.

Miso-Cheese Sauce:
Set a small saucepan over medium-high heat and add the butter and flour.
Stir until the butter has melted and you have a paste.
Add the miso paste and stir to mix.
Drizzle in the milk while whisking and cook for 3 minutes while stirring.
Turn the heat down to low and add the sirachia sauce and grated cheese.
Stir until the cheese has melted.

Spoon the black bean pureé on to a serving plate and arrange the roasted cauliflower on top.
Drizzle the miso sauce over and add a few micro greens to serve.

Banana Flower Curry

Banana Flower Curry

30ml vegetable oil
1 small onion, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, minced
10ml ginger powder
15ml garam masala
10ml curry powder
10ml ground cumin
5ml ground coriander
5ml smoked paprika
2,5ml turmeric
5ml salt
15ml sugar
250ml vegetable stock
1 x 400g can coconut milk
2 x 400g cans chopped tomato
3-4 handfuls of baby spinach
2 x cans Banana Blossoms

Place a saucepan on medium-high heat and add the vegetable oil and onion.
Stir-fry until the onion is soft, add the garlic and cook for another minute.
Add the ginger, garam masala, curry powder, cumin, coriander, paprika, turmeric, salt and sugar and stir-fry for a minute or so.
Now add the stock and the coconut milk and stir together.
Add the chopped tomato and turn the heat down slightly. Allow the curry sauce to simmer for 5 minutes or so – you want it to become slightly thicker.
Add the banana blossoms and baby spinach and stir.
Simmer lightly for 10 minutes.
Serve on a fragrant rice.

Matcha Fudge

Matcha Fudge

170ml condensed milk
30ml matcha powder
360g white chocolate, chopped
2,5ml salt
2,5ml vanilla

Prepare a 20cm x 20cm baking tin by lining it with baking paper.
Pour the condensed milk into a small saucepan and sift the matcha powder over it.
Place the saucepan on a low heat and stir until the mixture is hot.
Add the white chocolate, salt and vanilla.
Turn the heat down to the lowest setting and stir continuously until the chocolate has melted completely.
Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and leave to cool completely.
Refrigerate the fudge for 3 hours or longer.
Slice the fudge and sift over some matcha powder.

3-Ingredient Banana Flapjacks

3-Ingredient Banana Flapjacks

This recipe is for one portion flapjacks = 3-4 average sized flapjacks.

1 very ripe banana, mashed
30ml self-raising flour
1 egg

Add the mashed banana, flour and egg to a small mixing bowl and whisk together with a fork.
Place a frying pan on medium-high heat and add a dash of vegetable oil.
Spoon the batter into the pan, about three flapjacks at a time and cook until tiny bubbles appear.
Flip over and cook for another minute or two.
Serve the flapjacks warm with honey and added fruit.