Potato and Chorizo Bake

Potato and Chorizo Bake

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.

Caramel Banana Pull-Apart Bread

Caramel Banana Pull-Apart Bread

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.

Orzotto Alla Norma

Orzotto Alla Norma

This is my take on this classic Italian dish….!

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.