Punchy Tomato Tart

Punchy Tomato Tart

2 sheets frozen pastry
100g cream cheese (I used garlic and herb flavoured), room temperature
350g mixed tomatoes
100g blue cheese
egg-wash: one egg yolk whisked with 15ml water
a handful of basil leaves, chopped

Preheat your oven to 200℃ and line a baking sheet with baking paper.
Place one sheet of pastry on the baking sheet and trim it neatly into a square or rectangle.
Cut 1cm wide strips, the length of the other pastry and place them neatly on the outer borders so that it forms a frame.
Spread the cream cheese on the inside section of the “frame” and spread it out evenly.
Slice the tomato into thick slices and arrange a layer on the cream cheese. Season with salt and pepper.
Break up the blue cheese and arrange pieces of it all over the tomato.
Finally add another layer of tomato and drizzle over some olive oil.
Brush the outside edges of the pastry with the egg wash.
Bake in the oven for 20 minutes, until golden.
Remove the tomato tart from the oven and drizzle with some more olive oil.
Sprinkle the basil over when you are ready to serve.

Kale and Quinoa Salad

Kale and Quinoa Salad

125ml uncooked quinoa, prepared according to the packet instructions and cooled down
250ml thinly sliced kale
250ml thinly sliced baby spinach
2 red apples, cut into sticks/julienned
100g goat cheese, crumbled
60ml flaked almonds

Dressing:
60ml apple cider vinegar
30ml honey
15ml Dijon mustard
60ml olive oil

Add the quinoa, kale, spinach, apple, goat cheese and almonds to a large salad bowl and set aside.
Add the apple cider vinegar, honey and mustard to a small bowl and drizzle in the oil while whisking continuously.
Pour the dressing over the salad and mix through to serve.

Coconut-Banana Scrambled Eggs

Coconut-Banana Scrambled Eggs

2 bananas
30ml butter
2 eggs
30ml coconut cream
15ml coconut oil
15ml coconut flakes
15ml almond slivers

Peel the bananas and mash the one in a bowl. Set aside.
Slice the second banana into thick slices.
Place a pan on medium-high heat and add the butter.
Fry the banana slices until caramelised and golden. Remove from the pan and set aside.
Add the eggs and coconut cream to the mashed banana and stir through.
Add the coconut oil to the same frying pan, turn the heat down to medium-low and pour in the banana mixture.
Season with salt and black pepper.
Stir/move the egg and banana around in the pan until it is set to your liking. Ideally you should start to smell the banana as it starts giving off its natural sweetness.
Spoon into a bowl and place the fried banana on top.
Scatter over the coconut flakes and almond slivers to serve.

Curried Eggs

Curried Eggs

8 eggs
60ml vegetable oil
10ml mustard seeds
7 cardamom pods, cracked
5ml fennel seeds
4 cloves of garlic, minced
10ml minced ginger
1 red chilli, finely sliced
2 red onions, chopped
12 curry leaves
30ml ground coriander
10ml chilli powder
5ml turmeric
30ml sugar
15ml salt
1 x 400g tin of chopped tomato
300ml coconut milk
chilli oil, to garnish
coriander leaves

Fill a saucepan with water and place it over high heat. Add the eggs once the water boils and cook for 6 minutes. Plunge the eggs into cold water. Peel and keep on the side.
Pour the vegetable oil into a pan set over medium-high heat and add the mustard seeds. Wait for the seeds to start spluttering.
Add the cardamom, fennel seeds, garlic, ginger, chilli, onions and curry leaves.
Cook for 2-3 minutes.
Now add the coriander, chilli powder, turmeric, sugar and salt and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
Add the tomato and cook on medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring every now and then.
Pour in the coconut milk and taste the sauce – adjust the seasoning to your taste.
Place the eggs in the sauce and heat through.
Serve the eggs on rice with lashings of sauce, a drizzle of chilli oil and fresh coriander leaves.

Poached Pear on Yoghurt

Poached Pear on Yoghurt

1,5litres water
60ml lemon juice
a small bunch of thyme, tied together with string
6 small pears
500ml greek yoghurt
200ml honey
a handful of pistachio nuts, chopped

Prepare your poaching liquid by adding the water, lemon juice and thyme to a saucepan that is just big enough for the pears to fit in.
Peel the pears and place them, standing upright, into the liquid. Add more water if the pears are not immersed in the liquid.
Bring the poaching liquid to a boil and reduce the heat to a low simmer.
Cover the saucepan with a lid and simmer for 20 minutes.
Turn off the heat and stand the pears in the liquid for another 20 minutes.
Scoop the yoghurt onto 6 plates/bowls and place a pear on top.
Drizzle the honey over each fruit and scatter the pistachio on top.
Serve warm or cold.

Parmesan Eggs

Parmesan Eggs

6 eggs
30ml butter
salt, pepper, smoked sweet paprika
250ml grated parmesan cheese

Boil the eggs for 5 minutes, peel and half them.
Melt the butter in a pan set over medium heat and place the eggs cut-side down into the butter.
Season with salt, pepper and a generous amount of sweet paprika.
Cover the eggs with the grated parmesan and place a lid on the pan. 
Cook just until the cheese has melted.
Serve immediately.

Potato Curls

Potato Curls

potato
vegetable oil
salt

Peel the potato.
Now slice the potato with a vegetable peeler as though you are peeling an apple. Try and keep the strips as long as possible.
Place the strips in a large bowl and fill it with cold water. Soak for 30 minutes.
Drain and dry the strips on kitchen paper.
Heat some oil in a saucepan and deep-fry the potato until golden.
Sprinkle with salt and serve.

Chai Overnight Oats

Chai Overnight Oats

1 sachet ov chai flavoured, tea latté or 180ml chai tea
50g banana
50g oats
20g peanut butter
Toppings: sliced banana, chai seeds, almond slivers

Dissolve the sachet of powder in 180ml of boiling water and set aside.
Mash the banana with a fork.
Add the banana, oats, peanut butter, a pinch of salt and the tea to a glass jar and mix through.
Cover the jar with a lid and refrigerate overnight.
Serve your overnight oats as is or topped with sliced banana, chai seeds and almond slivers.

Sicilian Milk Pudding/Biancomangiare

Sicilian Milk Pudding/Biancomangiare

Yields 4 small portions.

60ml cornstarch
125ml + 375ml milk
125ml sugar
1 lemon
ground cinnamon
crushed biscuit, to serve

Add the cornstarch to a small saucepan.
Pour in the 125ml milk and whisk the mixture until there are no lumps and it is completely smooth.
Now add the sugar and whisk again.
Add the 375ml milk once you are sure there are no lumps.
Cut two or three strips of zest from the lemon and add it to the mixture.
Place the saucepan over medium heat and stir continuously for 3-4 minutes until it thickens.
Stir and cook the mixture for another 2 minutes after the first bubbles appear.
Turn off the heat and remove the lemon zest.
Wet your moulds under running water and shake out any excess water.
Pour the not milk mixture into the moulds and refrigerate for 4-6 hours.
Unmould the puddings onto serving plates.
Sprinkle a pinch of ground cinnamon on the crushed biscuit and spoon over each pudding to serve.

Lime Mousse

Lime Mousse

8 eggs
250ml + 60ml sugar
2,5ml salt
juice and grated zest of 4 limes
250ml whipping cream
5ml vanilla extract

Separate 4 eggs into two bowls.
Add four whole eggs to another bowl and add the egg yolks to it.
Add 250ml sugar and whisk together until incorporated.
Pour this mixture into a small saucepan.
Add the salt, lime juice and finely grated zest and stir through.
Place the saucepan over low heat and stir continuously until the curd thickens. About 10 minutes or so.
Take the mixture off the heat and strain it through a sieve.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator until chilled.
Whisk the four egg whites to stiff peaks.
Add the 60ml sugar a little at a time while whisking continuously. Keep going until all the sugar is incorporated and you are left with a stiff, glossy meringue mixture.
Add this mixture to the chilled lime curd and fold through.
Whisk the cream and vanilla in a separate bowl until stiff and fold it into the curd mixture.
Spoon the mousse into serving cups and chill until needed.