Ham Hock Soup

We call this Kawlata, which is basically, whatever vegetable you have available plus a good Ham Bone!  Ham Hock has enough salt so I suggest you taste before you add more seasonings.  For best result simmer soup on low heat for 1 hour so that all vegetable flavours mix well to the ham hock.

1 ham hock or 2 Ham Bones

3 cups Pumpkin Puree

1 potato

500g marrows

1 celery stick

1 large onion

1 tbsp tomato paste

100g French beans

50ml Fresh Cream

4 tbsp Quinoa Pearls 

1 tbsp olive oil

Freshly ground Pepper

Chop Potatoes, Marrows, Onion, Carrot and French beans into small cubes.

Heat a heavy based casserole, add olive oil and onions and fry gently.  Add the ham hock, then chopped vegetables, pumkin puree and 1 litre water. Add celery and 1 tbsp tomato paste.  Bring to boil, then cover and simmer for 1 hour.  Remove ham hock and celery stick,  then add quinoa pearls. Boil for two minutes then turn off heat. Add fresh cream and cover.  Let it stand for 15minutes till quinoa cooks right through.

For Pumpkin Puree, Cut pumpkin into large wedges, season with salt and pepper and drizzle with little oil.  Bake in the oven for 45 minutes at 200c.  Turn off heat and leave pumpkin inside till it turns cold.  Remove excess water , then process in a food processor.  Will keep for a week in the refrigerator.

Cream of Zucchini Soup with Quinoa Pearls

You can find Quinoa Pearls in good Asian food stores.  I prefer the pearls rather than the actual quinoa grains as they give a cleaner finish and thicken the soup.  The quinoa pearls are made from 95% quinoa and 5% water so the nutritional value is just as good.

 

1kg Zucchini or Green Marrows

100g Panchetta cubes (or bacon)

1 large onion

100ml Cream

4 tbsp Quinoa Pearls

Salt & Pepper

Snipped chives for garnish

Heat a medium heavy based casserole, add panchetta cubes and dry fry gently. Chop onions and add to bacon continue to  fry till soft. Chop zucchini into small dice, and add to onions.  Stir, then add 1.25ml water.  Bring to boil then lower heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes.  Season to taste then add quinoa pearls and stir.  Cook for just two minutes, stirring from time to time to avoid sticking to the bottom of the pan.  Finally add cream, give just one stir and turn off heat.  Cover and let the soup stand for 15 minutes before serving.  Quinoa pearls will continue to cook to the right texture.  Serve garnished with snipped chives.

 

Spaghetti with Lobster, Lemon and Dill Cream Sauce

This is a very special kind of Lobster, as it comes without claws.  In Maltese it is called Xkal, and if you are lucky and get the Female, the bright orange roe, is out of this world.  I used to think that Rizzi, (Sea Urchin ) roe is the best Sea Food taste, but this literally excels it.  Prepare the Sauce and add the lobster meat at the very end, and make sure that the Roe, is added after you turn off the heat.

1 Lobster or Mediterranean Xkal

500g Spaghetti

Small bunch Dill

250ml Cream

Salt & Pepper

1 onion finely chopped

2 cloves garlic crushed

1 tsp grated ginger

1 tsp grated lemon rind

1tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp butter

2 tsp flour

3 zucchini Flowers (optional)

1 tbsp finely chopped parsely.

Fill 2/3 of a large pot with water add 1 tbsp salt and bring to boil.  Carefully lower down the lobster and cover.  Boil for 3 minutes then lift and set aside. When cooled slightly, place on a working top on its belly, then insert a knife right behind the head and divide lengthways.  Remove flesh and chop.

Heat olive oil and butter in a large frying pan, add onions, garlic, grated lemon rind and grated ginger and fry

gently till onions are soft.  Add two teaspoons of flour and stir well for 1 minute.  Add 1 1/2 cups water and boil rapidly till sauce thickens.  Add Cream ,chopped dill and stir. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Bring a large pan of water and 1 tsp salt to boil and cook pasta till al dente.  Drain and transfer pasta to sauce, add lobster meat, and when in season tear three zucchini flowers ,  toss well on medium heat for just 1 minute.  Turn heat off, then add roe and toss again.  Serve garnished with chopped parseley.

Crunchy Peanut Cookies

These cookies are as light as a feather!  This is another quick recipe, and produce as much as 60 small cookies. Sugar content is very low compared to the amount of cookies you make from this recipe, so much that you can enjoy them with melted chocolate or soft Cheese

2 cups Self Raising Flour
1/2 tsp Bicarbonate of Soda
1 1/2 cup Ground Peanuts
3/4 cup sugar
1 tbsp Peanut Butter
75g Butter Melted
1 cup milk
2 eggs

1/2 cup Crushed Peanuts for topping

Pre heat oven to 200c.  Line two baking sheets with baking paper and set aside. Sift the flour and bicarbonate of soda in a  mixing bowl.  Add ground peanuts and sugar and mix well.  In another  bowl, add melted butter and peanut butter and heat a microwave for 20 seconds on high to melt the peanut butter.  Whisk together, then add milk, and eggs and whisk well.  Add mixture to dry ingredients and mix using a metal spoon till mixture is just combined.  Transfer mixture to a piping bag fitted with 1 cm plain nozzle,  and pipe mixture on lined baking trays into small cookies. Leave enough space from one another to spread. Sprinkle remaining crushed peanuts on top.  Bake in heated oven for 20 minutes or until well golden.  Turn to wire rack to cool.  Cookies can be frozen when cooked and completely cooled.

Spicy Pumpkin and Amaretti Biscuits

These Savoury biscuits are an inspiration from our favourite Italian Restaurant in Marsascala called Capo Tavola, and it's collection of 'Confettura', jam to you and me.  One of their delicacies, is Confettura di Zucca e Amaretti.  Amaretti are the light Italian, merengues made from bitter Almonds.  These biscuits are very light and freeze well when cooked and completely cold.  Serve with cheese and olives.

1 1/2 cup Pumpkin Mash 

2 cups flour

100g amaretti Biscuits

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1 tbsp skimmed milk powder

2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese

100g melted butter

1 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp chilli flakes

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp grated fresh ginger

1 egg
Salt for a final Sprinkle

Pre heat the oven to 200c. Sift the Flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and paprika in a mixing bowl. Crush the amaretti biscuits to fine crumbs and add to flour. Add the pumpkin mash, lightly beaten egg, melted butter, grated ginger, skimmed milk, parmesan cheese, chilli flakes, and salt and mix with a metal spoon till just combined.  Do not over mix. Spoon mixture into a piping bag fitted with 1cm plain nozzle.  Pipe small balls of mixture on a baking tray lined with baking paper, allowing enough space from one another to spread. Bake for 20 minutes until golden.  Take out from oven, lower oven temperature to 150c. Turn biscuits upside down, and cook for another 20 minutes until biscuits crisp up. Remove from oven and sprinkle fine salt all over while still warm.

Date and Walnut Stuffed Rabbit with Beans and Garlic

This recipe takes a little time and patience, as you need to bone the Rabbit, though it pays back when it comes to serving. As for the wine Joux, ensure to get a good wine reduction so that all tannins and acidity evaporates. Broad Beans are in season, so I chose them to accompany the rabbit. Broad Beans with garlic is an old Maltese dish and it was eaten regularly on Wednesdays and Fridays part of the fasting diet. Fresh or frozen beans are suitable, but you need to shell them from the second skin.

1 whole rabbit approx 1.5kg
10 Rashers streaky bacon
5 large Egyptian Dates
10 walnut halves
5 sage leaves
Salt & Pepper

For the Wine Joux
1/2 bottle Red wine
1 tbsp olive oil
1tsp worchestershire sauce
2 cups chicken stock
1 small head garlic
Bones from the rabbit
Sprig thyme
4 bay leaves
1 tablespoon tomato jam(or honey)

Beans and Garlic
350g shelled broad beans
3 cloves garlic crushed
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
1 tsp grated lemon rind
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Salt & pepper.

Bone the rabbit, try as much as possible to have one rectangular piece of meat. Reserve bones, livers and kidneys.

Layer 6 large pieces of Cling film on top of each other over your work top approx 45cmx45cm. Cut the streaky bacon in two and remove the rind. Layer bacon each one overlapping the other.  Arrange the rabbit meat on top, then layer the sage leaves along in the middle.  Season well with salt and black pepper.  Arrange the Rabbit livers and kidneys on top of the sage leaves.  

Slice the dates in two lengthways and arrange over the livers.  Place walnut halves along each date then pulling the cling film roll the rabbit over to form a long roll. Twist the sides and turn the roll towards you so that the cling film stretches and hold everything in shape.  Chill for 1/2 an hour or over night if you prepare this in advance.

Heat the oven to 200c, place the rabbit roll on a baking tray, and bake for 45 minutes.  Remove from oven and let it rest for 15 minutes.  Then using a pair of scissors remove the cling film and cut into 2cm portions.

Wine Joux

Heat olive oil in a large frying pan, add rabbit bones, thyme, bayleaves and roughly crushed garlic and fry till golden brown.  Add wine and boil rapidly to reduce by two thirds.  Add chicken stock cover and continue to boil till it reduce back to just 1 cup of sauce. Turn off heat and strain through a sieve.  Return sauce to a small saucepan, add tomato jam and worchestershire sauce and simmer till it thickens to a velvety sauce.

Beans and Garlic

Heat olive oil and butter in a casserole.  Add beans and garlic and fry gently. Add grated lemon rind and the lemon juice, season well and serve warm.

 

White chocolate and cherry muffins

These are no fuss cakes which I guarantee that you will do in just 15 minutes and that includes the washing up!

They keep well and moist in an airtight container for three days!

2 cups self raising flour
60g melted butter
3/4 cup milk
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
2/3 cup sugar
1 cup white chocolate melts
1 cup canned pitted cherries drained
1 egg

Pre heat oven to 200c. Sift the flour and bicarbonate of soda  in a large mixing bowl.  Add sugar, chocolate melts and mix together. In another bowl, beat the  egg lightly, add the milk and melted butter and stir well.  Add egg mixture to dry ingredients and scatter the pitted cherrie.  Mix everything together using a metal spoon.  Do not over mix!  Mixture will remain a bit lumpy.  Line muffin tray with muffin paper cases. Spoon mixture into each case leaving some space to rise.  Bake for 25 to 30minutes then turn on to wire rack to cool. Makes 9 large muffin.

Stuffed Marrows and Beef Broth

Look at Her how proudly she sits in the bowl,  like a Queen watching over the Reign! You cannot go Maltesier than this!! I've been eating stuffed marrows for 40 years and I crave for them when they come into season. Us Maltese have a life with Marrows, we bake them, fry them, make broth with them, shopping is not complete without the old marrow! This recipe is my mum's who passionately cooked regularly for 9 children! I adjusted the quantities to feed a family of four!

6 Medium sized Green Marrows
500g beef mince
100g ham finely chopped
1 medium onion finely chopped
2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
2 eggs
1 tbsp bread crumbs
Fresh ground black pepper
1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

 For the beef broth
500g stewing beef
1 small khol rabi finely chopped
1 carrot finely chopped
1 small zucchini finely chopped
1 tomato peeled and chopped
1 celery stick
1 tsp salt
100g pasta shells

Prepare the broth by adding all ingredients except pasta,  in a large stock pot, add 2 litres of water and bring to boil.  Cover and simmer while you prepare the marrows.

Wash marrows and trim the tops. Using a melon baller, scoop the inner flesh leaving just 5mm of skin. Chop roughly the inner flesh and set aside.  Heat oil in  a large frying pan, add onions and fry gently till translucent. Add the beef mince and  chopped ham and fry till golden stirring from time to time to avoid lumps.  Add the chopped marrow flesh,  cover and cook well till it nearly melts in the mixture.  Add the bread crumbs to absorb the liquids, and stir.  Lower heat, then add the lightly beaten eggs, parsely and grated parmesan cheese and stir well.  Turn off heat, grind the black pepper and give a final stir.

Using a teaspoon fill each marrow with the prepared stuffing, then place in the simmering broth.  Continue to simmer covered for 45 minutes.  

Cook pasta in boiling salted water for 10 minutes and drain.

Serve 1 stuffed marrow, two tablespoons cooked pasta and two ladles of broth per person.

Sawrella with Caper and Mustard Sauce

Sawrella is a cross between Mackarel and Tuna. It is commonly found in our waters from May to September. Make sure that you buy the freshest, and you will know that when the family comes home and no one notice you have fish for dinner.  Fresh fish has no smell at all!  

I bought this fish just few hours after it was cought and it weighed around 1.5Kg. Cleaned and filleted it had around 1kg of flesh and it was plenty for four persons.  Use Mackarel, Pilchards or Small sized Tuna if Sawrella is not around.  Ask your fishmonger to remove the skin and fillet them for you.

1kg Sawrella fillets (Mackarel or Tuna)
2 cloves garlic crushed
1 tsp grated fresh ginger
1 tsp grated lemon rind
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp plain flour
1 onion finely chopped
2 cups chicken stock
2 tbsp Capers in Vinegar
1 tsp Dijon Mustard
1 tbsp chopped fresh Marjoram
Salt & Fresh Black Pepper

Cut the fish fillets diagonally, to have 1 cm escalopes and set aside.

Heat olive oil and butter in a large frying pan, add onions ,garlic and crushed ginger and fry gently until translucent.  Add flour and cook stirring all the time for just 1 minute.  Add chicken stock and simmer for 10 minutes stirring frequently so that no lumps form.   When sauce cooks and thickens, add dijon mustard ,capers, lemon rind, lemon juice and chopped marjoram and stir. Arrange the fish fillets on sauce, be careful not to over-lap then cover with lid. Cook for just 1 minute on high heat then turn off heat and leave covered to steam for 5 minutes. Serve with Potato and Marrow bake.

Layered Zucchini & Potato Bake

This is a quick vegetable accompaniment to meat and fish.  Easy to prepare and while it cooks in the oven you will have enough time to prepare the main Protein!

2 large Potatoes thinly sliced
6 medium zucchini thinly sliced
100g panchetta or bacon cubed
2 cups Tomato Pulp
1 tsp sugar
1 clove garlic crushed
2 tbsp chopped black olives
1 tbsp chopped fresh oregano
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt & Pepper

Pre-heat the oven to 180c. Heat the oil in a heavy based pan or casserole,  add butter and when it melts down, layer the bottom with half the potato. Fry gently as you do so.  With the heat on low continue to build the dish by adding half the panchetta cubes.  Layer with half the zucchini slices.  Season with salt & pepper. Stir the Sugar in the tomato pulp and pour half of it over the zucchini. Sprinkle with chopped fresh oregano and chopped fresh olives. Layer the remaining zucchini on top and season again with salt and pepper. Pour over the remaining tomato pulp, then layer with the remaining potatoes.  Drizzle some olive oil on top, sprinkle with crushed garlic, and seson with salt and Pepper.  Remove from heat and continue to bake in the oven for 45minutes or until potatos are crisp and golden.

Paccheri with Sausage and Spring Vegetables

Paccheri are extra large tubes of pasta, though not as big as cannelloni.  They are traditionally made with eggs and flour. They cook as normal pasta, in plenty salted water, and may take a little longer.

500g Paccheri
3 green marrows (if possible with flours still attached)
1 small onion
1 small celery stick
1 small carrot
1/2 fennel bulb and some leaves
1 clove garlic
350g Sausage meat
1/2 tsp chopped fresh Rosemary
1 cup shelled broad beans
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp olive oil
1 cup chicken stock
1 tbsp flour
Salt &  Pepper
Grated Parmesan Cheese

Finely chop the onions, celery, carrots and fennel. Heat olive oil in a large frying pan. Add chopped onion, crushed garlic, fennel, carrots and celery and fry gently. Quickly add the flour then stir to cook.  Add sausage mince and rosemary and cook stirring so that it will not stick to pan.  Add chicken stock then simmer on low heat till liquids reduce by half. Season with Salt & Pepper
Slice green marrows and if you have the flowers tear them and set aside.
Add shelled beans to sauce and sliced marrows, stir  and cook for just five minutes.
Meanwhile bring a large pan of salted water to boil, add pasta and cook till al dente.  Drain, but reserve 1 cup of cooking liquid. Add pasta to sauce, add butter and green marrow flowers, and toss gently. Add the reserved pasta cooking liquid if the sauce is too dry.  Serve garnished with Parmesan Cheese

Tempura Battered Zucchini Flowers with Lemon Ricotta Filling

The zucchini flowers are heavenly good, but not all vegetarian food is healthy and this is a typical example. For crispness they must be deep fried and tempura absorbs loads of cooking oil.  I always use olive oil to deep fry then I drain well on kitchen paper.

10 zucchini flowers
250g Ricotta Cheese
1 egg
1 tsp grated lemon rind
2 tablespoons chopped shelled broad beans
Pinch Salt

Tempura batter
1 cup Flour
1 tbsp corn Flour
1 egg white
1 Cup Ice Cold Water

In a processor add ricotta, egg and lemon rind then pulse till smooth paste forms.  Add shelled broad beans and give few pulses so that beans become roughly chopped. Season with salt and transfer mixture to piping bag fitted with plain 1 cm nozzle.

Prepare tempura batter by putting all ingredients in a jug, then using a hand blender blend to a smooth paste.  leave to rest for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile fill zucchini flowers with ricotta mixture,  heat frying oil, then dip each flower in Tempura batter, and carefully lower into the oil.  Fry till lightly golden, then drain on kitchen paper. Serve with reduced balsamic vinegar.

Spider Man Chocolate Cup Cakes

A special request from my little one to treat his school mates on his 4th birthday.  Recipe makes 24 cup cakes, and can be made a day ahead.  Will keep well for about 3 days.

125g Softened Butter
3 eggs
1 3/4 cup Self Raising Flour
1 1/2 cup Castor Sugar
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of Soda
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 tbsp Tia Maria
1 short espresso
3/4 cup Milk

350g Icing Sugar
1 egg white
Juice of Half Lemon
Red and Blue Food Colour
75g Plain Chocolate

In a food mixer with K beater attached add butter, eggs, espresso, milk and Tia Maria, then sift in flour, cocoa and bicarbonate of soda.  Mix on low speed for 1 minute, then on high speed for 3 minutes or until mixture is smooth and even.  Arrange cup cake cases in muffin trays and  fill with cake mixture.  Do not fill right to the top, leave some space to rise.  Bake in 180c oven for 25 to 30 minutes until cooked through.  Take out from oven and leave to cool on wire rack.

Beat egg white till soft peaks form, then add sifted icing sugar and lemon juice and beat for 5 minutes till sugar dissolves.  Divide the mixture in two batches and colour with one with blue and the other with  red food colour.

Melt the chocolate over baine Marie or 45sec high  set in Microwave.  Put icing mixtures in separate piping bags, fitted with small star nozzle.  Put melted chocolate in a corner of a small plastic bag, then make a small hole at the tip.

Pipe icing over cakes to cover completely, then pipe circles with chocolate and using a tooth pick, press lines from inside to outside to make the web design.