Jamaican Pasties
Ingredients:
PASTRY
250g flour
1 1/2tsps curry powder
pinch salt
100g cold butter, cubed
3tbsps cold water
FILLING
30g butter
450g beef mince
1 onion, diced
1tsp curry powder
1tsp dried thyme
1tsp salt
1tsp black pepper
125ml beef stock from a cube
50g breadcrumbs
1 egg, beaten
Method:
For the pastry:
Mix the dry ingredients and rub in the flour until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add the water and mix to form a dough. (I use the food processor to make pastry!) Form the dough into a flat round, wrap in cling film and chill.
For the filling:
Sauté the onion then add the beef and seasoning and cook until the mince is browned. Stir in the stock and breadcrumbs then simmer till the liquid is absorbed.
Leave to cool.
To assemble:
Preheat the oven to 180C.
Roll out the pastry very thinly and, using a 78mm scone cutter, cut out rounds, reforming and rolling as necessary. (I got around 35 out of it). Place a teaspoon of the cooled filling on one half of each round, fold over and crimp the edges to make a parcel.
Place the pasties on baking trays lined with baking parchment and brush each with the beaten egg.
Bake for 30 minutes or until the pastry is cooked and golden.
First made: 14th March 2014
PASTRY
250g flour
1 1/2tsps curry powder
pinch salt
100g cold butter, cubed
3tbsps cold water
FILLING
30g butter
450g beef mince
1 onion, diced
1tsp curry powder
1tsp dried thyme
1tsp salt
1tsp black pepper
125ml beef stock from a cube
50g breadcrumbs
1 egg, beaten
Method:
For the pastry:
Mix the dry ingredients and rub in the flour until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add the water and mix to form a dough. (I use the food processor to make pastry!) Form the dough into a flat round, wrap in cling film and chill.
For the filling:
Sauté the onion then add the beef and seasoning and cook until the mince is browned. Stir in the stock and breadcrumbs then simmer till the liquid is absorbed.
Leave to cool.
To assemble:
Preheat the oven to 180C.
Roll out the pastry very thinly and, using a 78mm scone cutter, cut out rounds, reforming and rolling as necessary. (I got around 35 out of it). Place a teaspoon of the cooled filling on one half of each round, fold over and crimp the edges to make a parcel.
Place the pasties on baking trays lined with baking parchment and brush each with the beaten egg.
Bake for 30 minutes or until the pastry is cooked and golden.
First made: 14th March 2014
Spiced Cheese Choux Bites
Ingredients:
75g chilli Gouda, grated
100ml water
45g butter
60g flour
2 eggs, beaten
pinch Cayenne pepper
pinch salt
Method:
Heat the oven to 180C.
Bring the water and butter to a simmer in a small saucepan. Take the pan off the heat and add the flour, beating vigourously; make sure the mixture is dry. Beat the egg in gradually. Add the cheese, mix well and season.
Fill a piping bag with the mixture and pipe walnut sized portions onto a baking tray lined with baking parchment. Bake for 30-40 minutes, opening the oven briefly after 30 minutes to all the steam to escape, until the buns are golden and crispy. Cool on a wire rack and pierce each bun with a skewer to let out the steam which will make sure the inside is not soggy.
First made: 22nd March 2014
75g chilli Gouda, grated
100ml water
45g butter
60g flour
2 eggs, beaten
pinch Cayenne pepper
pinch salt
Method:
Heat the oven to 180C.
Bring the water and butter to a simmer in a small saucepan. Take the pan off the heat and add the flour, beating vigourously; make sure the mixture is dry. Beat the egg in gradually. Add the cheese, mix well and season.
Fill a piping bag with the mixture and pipe walnut sized portions onto a baking tray lined with baking parchment. Bake for 30-40 minutes, opening the oven briefly after 30 minutes to all the steam to escape, until the buns are golden and crispy. Cool on a wire rack and pierce each bun with a skewer to let out the steam which will make sure the inside is not soggy.
First made: 22nd March 2014
Guacamole
Ingredients:
2 avocados, peeled and roughly chopped
1 large tomato, skinned and roughly chopped
1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
juice and zest of 1 lime
salt
freshly ground black pepper
Method:
Place all the ingredients in the food processor and pulse until the mixture is the consistency you want.
Serve with tortilla chips or my Sweet Chilli Baked Halibut (Recipes/Main Courses/Fish)
First made: Qatar 2006
2 avocados, peeled and roughly chopped
1 large tomato, skinned and roughly chopped
1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
juice and zest of 1 lime
salt
freshly ground black pepper
Method:
Place all the ingredients in the food processor and pulse until the mixture is the consistency you want.
Serve with tortilla chips or my Sweet Chilli Baked Halibut (Recipes/Main Courses/Fish)
First made: Qatar 2006
Oaty Bars
Ingredients:
500g oats
100g mixed seeds/nuts
100g mixed dried fruit
60g soft light brown sugar
125ml honey/maple syrup
200ml sunflower oil
Cooking instructions:
Mix the dry ingredients.
Dissolve the sugar in a small pan with the liquid ingredients.
Mix the two lots together then spread into a swiss roll tin lined with baking parchment.
Cook at 160C (fan) for 20 minutes.
Cut into slices before it's completely cool and store in an airtight container.
First made: June 2012
500g oats
100g mixed seeds/nuts
100g mixed dried fruit
60g soft light brown sugar
125ml honey/maple syrup
200ml sunflower oil
Cooking instructions:
Mix the dry ingredients.
Dissolve the sugar in a small pan with the liquid ingredients.
Mix the two lots together then spread into a swiss roll tin lined with baking parchment.
Cook at 160C (fan) for 20 minutes.
Cut into slices before it's completely cool and store in an airtight container.
First made: June 2012
Smoked Butterfish Pâté
Ingredients:
150g pack smoked butterfish - any somoked fish will do
1tbsp capers
2tbsp sour cream
11/2tbsp tartare sauce
freshly ground pepper
Method:
Put all the ingredients in the food processor and pulse till you get the consistency you want.
Transfer to a storage container and chill for a few hours.
Because there's no butter in this, it won't chill hard but be nice and spreadable.
Serve on tasty, thickly sliced brown bread.
First made: 28th April 2013
150g pack smoked butterfish - any somoked fish will do
1tbsp capers
2tbsp sour cream
11/2tbsp tartare sauce
freshly ground pepper
Method:
Put all the ingredients in the food processor and pulse till you get the consistency you want.
Transfer to a storage container and chill for a few hours.
Because there's no butter in this, it won't chill hard but be nice and spreadable.
Serve on tasty, thickly sliced brown bread.
First made: 28th April 2013
Mini Scotch Eggs
Ingredients:
450g sausage meat
12 quails' eggs
1 hen's egg-yolk
1/2tsp dried oregano
salt
freshly ground black pepper
For the paner:
1/2 cup flour
1 egg
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
Cooking Instructions:
Find a sieve that will sit comfortably in a pan of boiling water. Bring the pan of water to the boil with some salt and a splash of vinegar (the vinegar stops the egg-white in its tracks if one of the eggs happens to burst) then place the eggs in the sieve, lower it into the water and boil the eggs for 3 minutes. Cool the eggs immediately in cold running water to stop them cooking any more and set aside.
450g sausage meat
12 quails' eggs
1 hen's egg-yolk
1/2tsp dried oregano
salt
freshly ground black pepper
For the paner:
1/2 cup flour
1 egg
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
Cooking Instructions:
Find a sieve that will sit comfortably in a pan of boiling water. Bring the pan of water to the boil with some salt and a splash of vinegar (the vinegar stops the egg-white in its tracks if one of the eggs happens to burst) then place the eggs in the sieve, lower it into the water and boil the eggs for 3 minutes. Cool the eggs immediately in cold running water to stop them cooking any more and set aside.
Mix the sausage meat, egg yolk, herbs and seasoning in a bowl and combine thoroughly - get your hands dirty and give it a good squishing.
Carefully peel the eggs and dry them on a piece of kitchen paper.
Form the sausage meat into twelve balls - if you wet your hands in cold water while you are working with the meat, it won't stick - then make a hole in each, place a quail's egg in the centre and reform the sausage ball around it. Place on a baking tray lined with baking parchment and chill for 20 minutes or so, the longer the better.
Set up three shallow bowls, one each of seasoned flour, a whisked egg and the breadcrumbs: this is the paner. Roll each sausage ball in each bowl in this order: flour, egg, breadcrumbs and place back on the baking tray. Chill for another 20 minutes.
Shallow fry the Scotch Eggs in medium hot oil until they are golden all over and the sausage is cooked through.
Can be eaten right away but they are great for a picnic or packed lunch with chutney or a Marie Rose dipping sauce.
My favourite way of making a Marie Rose at the minute is to combine 2tbsps mayonnaise with 1tsp tomato purée and a twist each of salt and pepper. It's much more piquant than with ketchup.
First made: April 2012
Carefully peel the eggs and dry them on a piece of kitchen paper.
Form the sausage meat into twelve balls - if you wet your hands in cold water while you are working with the meat, it won't stick - then make a hole in each, place a quail's egg in the centre and reform the sausage ball around it. Place on a baking tray lined with baking parchment and chill for 20 minutes or so, the longer the better.
Set up three shallow bowls, one each of seasoned flour, a whisked egg and the breadcrumbs: this is the paner. Roll each sausage ball in each bowl in this order: flour, egg, breadcrumbs and place back on the baking tray. Chill for another 20 minutes.
Shallow fry the Scotch Eggs in medium hot oil until they are golden all over and the sausage is cooked through.
Can be eaten right away but they are great for a picnic or packed lunch with chutney or a Marie Rose dipping sauce.
My favourite way of making a Marie Rose at the minute is to combine 2tbsps mayonnaise with 1tsp tomato purée and a twist each of salt and pepper. It's much more piquant than with ketchup.
First made: April 2012
Honey Mustard Sausages
Ingredients:
500g cocktail sausages
4tbsp honey (or maple syrup)
2tbsps grainy mustard
Cooking Instructions:
Heat the oven to 180C.
Tip the sausages into a roasting tin.
Mix the honey and grainy mustard and pour over the sausages, give the sausages a stir to make sure they are all coated.
Cook for 30 minutes, turning every now and again, or until the sausages are cooked through and the honey/mustard mix is good and sticky.
Serve hot.
500g cocktail sausages
4tbsp honey (or maple syrup)
2tbsps grainy mustard
Cooking Instructions:
Heat the oven to 180C.
Tip the sausages into a roasting tin.
Mix the honey and grainy mustard and pour over the sausages, give the sausages a stir to make sure they are all coated.
Cook for 30 minutes, turning every now and again, or until the sausages are cooked through and the honey/mustard mix is good and sticky.
Serve hot.
Creamy Chutney Dip
Ingredients:
50ml cream
3tbsps chutney - your choice
3tbsps mayonnaise
Cooking Instructions:
Put everything in the food processor and whizz. Tip into a serving dish and serve with tortilla chips, crisps, peeled veggies cut into batons, etc.
50ml cream
3tbsps chutney - your choice
3tbsps mayonnaise
Cooking Instructions:
Put everything in the food processor and whizz. Tip into a serving dish and serve with tortilla chips, crisps, peeled veggies cut into batons, etc.