Maltese Sausage

Maltese sausage is the very best sausage I ever tasted. We even eat it 'raw' spread on Maltese crusty bread, however I do not suggest you give it to children.

2kg pork mince
100g bacon minced
15g coriander seeds
85g sea salt
3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1 tbsp ground black pepper

Put all ingredients in a plastic bowl and mix using very clean hands until well mixed. Fill into sausage casing, then prick each sausage with tooth pick 10 times. Leave on a wire rack in refrigerator for 1 day before eating. You can leave it on grid in refrigerator or hang it in a very cool place to dry or freeze it fresh for later use.

Wholemeal Focaccia

This is one of the very best focaccia I ever made. So good with butter or oil and balsamic vinegar.


225g wholemeal flour
425g plain flour
17g dried yeast
2tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp brandy
1 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
1 cup Luke warm milk
1 cup Luke warm water
Tsp chopped fresh rosemary
1 tbsp olive oil extra
2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

Put flours yeast 2 tbsp oil slat sugar milk water and brandy in a mixing bowl and mix with hook attachment for 10 minutes on low speed. Remove hook, cover with kitchen cloth and leave to prove for 3/4 hour. Put back hook and knead for further 10 minutes. Lightly oil a baking tray of approx 30x45cm . Transfer dough to tray and drizzle the remaining oil on top. With your fingers open the dough to cover baking sheet completely and evenly. Indent the dough with the back of a wooden spoon making holes one next to another 2 cm apart. Sprinkle with cheese and chopped fresh rosemary. Put the Focaccia in cold oven and switch on light. Close oven door and leave to prove for 1 hour. Turn oven on to 220c leaving Focaccia inside. Bake for 35mins until a light brown crust forms on top and sounds hollow when tapped underneath. Focaccia can be cut into chunky slices and freeze well when completely cold wrapped in plastic bag.

Best Ever Spare Ribs

1kg spare ribs
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp teriyaki sauce
1 tbsp hoi sin sauce
1 inch grated ginger
1 tbsp orange marmalade
1 tsp chicken powder
1 tbsp soy
1 tsp olive oil
2 tbsp chopped fresh marjoram
Freshly ground black pepper

Mix marinating ingredients in a small bowl till well combined. Transfer ribs to a sealable bag, pour marinade, close the bag and shake. Refrigerate for 1 hour. Heat oven to 220c, transfer ribs to baking tray and chuck in the oven for 35-40 minutes till well cooked.

Peanutty Chicken wings

1kg chicken wings cut in two and tips removed
1 heaped tbsp smooth peanut butter
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 inch grated ginger
2 tsp paprika
2 cloves garlic crushed
1 tsp chicken powder

In a small bowl mix all marinading ingredients to a smooth paste. Puttee wings in a sealable bag and pour marinade on top. Seal bag and shake to distribute marinade evenly. Leave in fridge to marinade for 1 hour. Heat the oven to 220c transfer wings to baking tray and bake for 35 minutes. Garnish with chopped fresh coriander.

Sausage Palmier

1/2 quantity of short crust pastry
2 Maltese Sausages
1 egg

Roll out short pastry to approx 30x40cm.  Cut open sausages and distribute meat evenly on the pastry. Fold the top quarter of the pastry towards the centre, then do the same with the bottom quarter. fold the pastry in two encasing the sausage meat inside, then roll slightly.  Freeze roll for 10minutes.  Cut roll into 5mm rounds, place on an oven tray, press a little.  Brush with little egg and bake for 20minutes until golden.  Makes approx 24.  You can also freeze after cooked and use later by simply re heating (make sure they are completely cold before you freeze).

Dim Sum

If you buy ready made wonton/spring roll wrappers then the rest is very easy, however later on I will include the home made skins as they are simple to make and yet delicious.

For the filling:

200g fresh tiger prawns peeled and finely chopped
1 tsp cornflour
1 tsp fish sauce
1 tsp fresh grated ginger
1 tsp chicken powder
1 egg white

Sauce for dipping:
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp water
1 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
Chopped fresh coriander
Mix ingredients well and combine with beaten egg white. Fill each wrapper with 1/2 tsp mixture gather to form a small parcel. Or you can gather four points of square wonton wrapper to box in the filling. Always use a little water to wet the sides so that filling seals in. An other shape is by using round wrappers and fold in 1/2 tsp filling to form a crescent. You can use finely chopped pork instead of prawns to vary. Steam or deep fry and serve with soy sauce dip.

Sushi

Simple and delicious, low fat and truly entertaining.  Follow my easy steps to a successful Japanese delicacy!

2cups rice

3 tbsp rice vinegar

1 tbsp sugar

6 nori sheets

1 tsp wasabi

1 Steamed squid cut into slices

Few slices smoked salmon

6-8 Cooked king prawns

1 avocado

1 small carrot sliced into long match sticks

Nigella seed

Lumpfish caviar

For the dipping sauce

2 tablespoons soy

1 tablespoon water

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

1 tsp sugar

Chopped fresh chillies

Prepare the rice by washing thoroughly under cold running water. Cover in cold water and let it stand for 20mins. Drain well, add to 3 cups water in a pan and bring to boil. Reduce heat and cover. Simmer for 10mins until water has been absorbed. Remove from heat and transfer rice to shallow dish cool to room temperature as quick as possible. Mix rice vinegar and sugar and pour over rice mix with fork.(You can use a ready made mixture called Sushi Su, which is basically rice vinegar and sugar!)

Place 1 nori shiny side down on sushi mat. Take two heaped tablespoons rice and with wet hands distribute evenly over nori, leaving 1 inch clear from bottom and 2 inch clear from top. Take a pea size amount of wasabi on your forefinger and smudge it in the centre across the rice. Place evenly cut avocado slice and squid strips.

Run your finger with water across the top end and roll sushi with sushi mat. Press so that it is securely tight.

Cut into eight slices and decorate with nigella seeds or caviar. Serve with dipping sauce, pickled ginger and wasabi.

You can also fill with prawns, smoked salmon, crab sticks, just make sure that you cut everything evenly in a long sticks approx the width of a chop stick.

Croissants

750g Strong  flour
10g dried active yeast
150ml water
2 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
450ml  milk
250g chilled butter

1 egg for glazing

In a mixer put flour, yeast, warm water, warm milk, sugar and salt and mix on low speed for 3 minutes until dough is smooth and elastic. Remove dough from bowl on to a working surface. Roll out dough into an oblong approx 40cm x 60cm dot the butter all over then fold the dough into three enclosing the butter. Turn dough quarter turn and rollout again. Fold into three again and put on a plate. Cover with cling film and chill for 20 minutes. Repeat the folding process two more times resting 20 minutes between each time.

To make croissants, roll out dough to 5mm thick cut triangles of approx 10cmx10cmx10cm. Roll each triangle from base to point shape into crescents. Place in cold oven to prove. Leave door closed and turn light on. The heat of the bulb will help croissants prove. After tripled in volume, remove from oven, heat the oven to 220c give croissants an egg wash (egg mixed with little water)  and bake for approx 20 mins.

Qassatat (ricotta cheese pastries)

1 quantity short pastry ( 400g flour)
250g ricotta cheese
1 egg
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon semolina flour
1/4 cup milk

Mix all ingredients in a food processor until mixture resembles thick paste. Transfer mixture to piping bag fitted with plain nozzle 1 cm wide.

Roll pastry into a log approx 30cmx4cm. Cut into 1cm slices. Open each slice into 10th rounds, pipe approx two teaspoons mixture in the centre and gather sides crimping into rosettes as you go. Place on a non stick baking tray, brush with an egg wash and bake in a 200c oven for 25 minutes or until golden.

Short crust Pastry

400g Plain Flour
125g unsalted butter
Few drops lemon juice
1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons cold water
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
Pinch salt

For the method I always use food processor so that I do not heat dough with my hands. Put flour cream of tartar salt and diced butter into a food processor and pulse until mixture resembles fine bread crumbs. Add lemon drops yell and water and pulse until dough forms into little balls. Gather everything and give a light knead to form a ball. Wrap in cling film and chill for half an hour before use.

Lamb Meat Balls in Coconut curry

600g Lamb mince
2 onions finely chopped
2 tablespoons ground almonds
1 tablespoon chopped fresh coriander
1 egg
1 tablespoon oil
1teaspoon ground paprika
1 pinch saffron
500ml coconut cream
100ml chicken stock
6 dried apricots finely chopped
salt & pepper

For the Rice
500g basmati rice
4 cups water
4 cardamom pods

4 cloves

3inch piece lemon rind

In a bowl put lamb mince, 1 chopped onion, almonds, egg, coriander paprika salt & pepper.  Mix thoroughly and shape into 1 inch balls, place on an oven tray and bake in hot oven for 20 minutes. Gently fry the onions in a frying pan add saffron then add chicken stock and reduce by half.  Add coconut cream and dried apricots, season and simmer for 15 minutes until sauce thickens.  Add meatballs and cook further 5 minutes.  Serve hot with steamed basmati rice.

For a perfect rice, bring water to boil, add rice and stir just once. Add spices and lemon rind and cover.  cook for 15 minutes.  Turn off heat, remove lid, place kitchen cloth over pan and put back lid.  This will help to absorb excess moisture and steam the rice perfectly. Before serving remove spices and lemon rind.

Stewed Pinapple

This is an ideal barbeque food.  I am blessed with a wood oven and this recipe is a winner!

1 large pineapple
2 tablespoons sugar
1 vanilla pod
4 tablespoons brandy
fresh cream

Clean and cut pineapple into cubes and put in an ovenware dish or foil dish for bbq.  In a small bowl put sugar brandy. Cut the vanilla pod lengthways and slit open, scrape out the seed and mix with the brandy and sugar mixture.  Pour over pineapple put the vanilla pod on top and cover with foil completely.  Put on low coals or in a wood oven in a slow area.  Enjoy with luscious cream or ice cream.

Frangelico espresso Cup Cakes

No fancy techniques yet the results are simply scrumptious

250g butter
3 1/2 cups self raising flour
2 cups castor sugar
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
5 large eggs
1 1/4 cup milk
1 short espresso
2 tablespoons frangelico
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 180c. Cut butter in small cubes, sift flour and cocoa together and add to butter in a mixing bowl. Add remaining ingredients reserving two tablespoons chocolate chips. Mix on low speed for one minute then high speed for three minutes. Prepare cup cake tin with paper linings fill with two tablespoons or two thirds of each case with mixture sprinkle with remaining chocolate chips and bake for 25 minutes or until skewer comes clean when tested. Enjoy with a warm cuppa!!