Linguine with Prawn and Hazelnut Pesto

500g Linguine
200g Peeled tiger prawns
100g chopped bacon
1/2cup roasted hazelnuts
Large bunch fresh basil
2 clove garlic
2 tbsp grated pecorino cheese
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp olive oil
1 cup creme fraiche
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Bring a large pot with salted water to boil and boil pasta till al dente. Drain and reserve 1 cup from the cooking liquid 

In a food processor process hazelnuts and garlic till finely ground, add chopped basil leaves and process.  Add creme fraiche, lemon juice, pecorino cheese and olive oil and process again till a coarse paste is formed.

Heat a large pan add chopped bacon and fry till lightly golden.  Add roughly chopped prawns then two heaped tablespoons of hazelnut pesto and stir till mixture bubbles.  Add reserved pasta liquid to loosen the sauce.  Finally toss in pasta till sauce clings evenly.

Tip  Store remaining pesto covered with a drizzle of olive oil and keep covered with cling film refrigerated.  will keep 3-4days.

Saffron Baps with pistachio and sun dried tomato pesto swirl

800g Plain Flour
200g Wholemeal Flour
4 tsp Dried active Yeast
3/4 cup Milk
1 3/4 cup Water
Pinch Saffron
2 tbsp Olive Oil
2 tsp Salt
3 tsp Sugar
2 tbsp Sun Flower Seed Kernels
1 egg
1 tbsp Milk Extra

Sun Dried Tomatoes and Pistacchio Pesto
250g toasted Pistachio nuts
50g Sun Dried tomatoes
3 tbsp Olive Oil

Make pesto by adding pistacchio nuts to Food Processor and process till well ground, add chopped sun dried tomatoes and process again, add olive oil from tube little by little till a thick paste is formed.

In a small bowl add just 1 tbsp hot water to saffron, stir and leave to infuse for 5 minutes.

Add flour, yeast, milk, olive oil, salt and sugar in a Mixing bowl, and using the hook attachment start mixing on lowest speed.  Add saffron water then start adding water slowly till dough just holds its shape. Continue to mix for 5 more minutes, then lift the hook and cover to prove for 1 hour.  When the mixture doubles in bulk, lower back the hook and knead for another 5 minutes.  Turn the dough on to a floured surface and using a rolling pin, roll to a rectangle approx 50cms x 30cms and 1cms thick. Spread the pesto on top, then sprinkle with sun flower seeds.  Roll the pastry to form a long roll.  Cut into 2cms slices place on baking tray cut side down and press gently to flatten out. Allow enough room to prove from one bap to another.  Cover and let them prove till double in bulk.  Brush with beaten egg mixed with 1 tbsp milk and bake in a pre heated oven 210c for 15-20minutes till golden and sound hollow when tapped from the bottom. Serve with cream cheese or Ztaziki

Fresh Coconut Melt in the Mouth Cookies

3 Egg Whites
1 1/2 cups Castor Sugar
3 Cups Freshly Shredded Coconut
Juice and Grated Zest of 1 Lime
1 tbsp cornflour
1 tbsp rice flour

200g plain chocolate

Beat the egg whites till soft peaks form, add sugar slowly and beat till it dissolves.  Add lime juice, grated zest, cornflour, rice flour and shredded coconut and using a metal spoon, fold everything int the egg white mixture.  Try to have an airy mixture that holds its shape when spooned on a baking tray.

Heat the oven to 200c.

Line a baking tray with baking paper then using two spoons spoon mixture over the baking paper leaving enough space for them to spread.

Bake for 10minutes then lower heat to 160c and bake for further 20 minutes.  Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack. 

Melt the chocolate and brush the bottoms with chocolate and place on a grease proof paper.  Using a teaspoon, make brisk movement over the cookies with melted chocolate for the streaky effect.  Cookies keep well in an airtight container for 4-5days.  Makes approx 20 cookies

Lime and Coconut Merengue Pie

Normally butter is added to the tangy merengue filling, however in this recipe I took a twist and replaced it with coconut milk for a taste of paradise!

1/2 quantity Rich Short Pastry

Lime and Coconut Curd Filling
4 tbsp cornflour
2 tbsp plain flour
2 tbsp Malibu
3/4 cup coconut water (or water)
Juice and zest of 2 limes
150ml coconut milk
4 egg yolks
1 cup sugar

Merengue
4 egg Whites
3/4 cup Caster Sugar
1 tbsp water

Heat oven to 180c. Butter a 9 inch pie dish, roll out the pastry to 3mm thickness and line the pie dish with pastry.  Line the pastry with grease proof paper and fill with cooking beans.  Bake blind for 15 minutes then remove beans and baking paper and bake for an additional 5 minutes so that the pastry cooks and become golden.  Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack.  Remove pastry from pie dish and place on a baking tray.

Prepare the filling by mixing cornflour, plain flour Malibu, coconut water, sugar, juice and grated zest of two limes in a casserole.  Put on a medium heat and whisk continuously till mixture boils and thickens.  Boil slowly for 3 minutes then add coconut milk and stir till well combined and mixture boils again.  Turn off heat and let the mixture cool for about 10minutes.  Separate the eggs then add yolks to mixture and stir well.

Whisk egg whites and water till soft peaks form, then add sugar beating continuously till sugar dissolves and merengue is silky smooth.

Add lime and coconut curd filling to pie shell, then pipe merengue over.  Bake in a 180c oven for 20 minutes till merengue turns golden.  Remove from oven then chill in refregerator for at least 4 hours before serving.

Tip:  If you have extra merengue pipe on to a baking tray lined with baking paper and bake in a 180c oven for 10 minutes then lower the oven temperature to 150c and bake for an additonal 30 minutes.  Cover in chocolate and press over freshly shredded coconut.

Prickly Pear, Lime and Vanilla Jam

Prickly Pears or cactus figs are abundant on our island.  The fruit ripens towards the end of Summer giving us a very sweet and unique flavour.  They are a bit difficult to peel as they come covered with nasty thorns, however, these days, vendors take care of this chore and sell them peeled and  ready to eat.  I do not advise children or people suffering from intestine problems to eat these fruit raw as they are full of seeds, however, this jam can be enjoyed by everyone. 

2.5kg peeled cactus figs

5 limes

1/2 stick vanilla

1 kg sugar

Using a lemon zester, zest the rind from limes, then squeeze out the juice.

Put the pears, lime zest and lime juice in a large pot, turn on heat to medium and mash slightly using a potato masher.   Simmer for 20 minutes stirring frequently.  Turn off heat.  Strain mixture through a sieve pressing down with a metal spoon to extract juice as  much as possible.  Discard all seeds.  Transfer strained juice to a clean pot.  Split vanilla bean in two and scrape out the tiny seeds. Add seeds and pod to pan then add the sugar.  Put on a medium heat and stir till sugar dissolves.  Turn on heat to high and boil mixture rapidly for about 20 minutes till it reaches 105c - jam setting temperature. Lift the vanilla stick and cut into small pieces. Ladle jam into cleaned sterilised jars, adding a piece of vanilla stick in each jar.  Close securely with lid and put upside down for 2 minutes to sterilise the lid.  Turn jars upright again and leave to cool.  Jam will improve in 3 months and will keep for up to two years.

Bigilla - Tic Bean Dip

This is a traditional Maltese dried bean dip.  Till now vendors go about in the streets selling piping hot bigilla smeared with chopped chillies in vinegar!! Yum.  We eat it with crusty Maltese bread or Galletti, the traditonal Maltese Water biscuits. The best beans to use are dried "Gilba" beans or Tic beans, but dried Broad beans are a good alternative.

350g Dried Gilba or Tic beans

1 tsp sea salt

1 tsp ground black pepper

2 tbsp vinegar

1 small fresh chilli

2 cloves garlic crushed

1 tbsp chopped fresh parsely

2 tbsp olive oil

Extra chopped parsely and dried chilli flakes to garnish

Wash beans cover with cold water  and soak overnight.  The following day, wash beans again then put them in a pressure cooker and add enough water to have at least 1 inch over the beans.  Seal and turn heat on.  When the pressure starts leave on for 15 minutes then turn off.  Leave to cool so that the pressure goes down, then drain the beans reserving 1 1/2 cups of the cooking liquid.  

Add beans and reserved liquid to a food processor, add crushed garlic, chilli, vinegar salt and pepper and process till paste is formed.  Add parsely  and give more pulses to mix.  Paste will be a bit runny at this stage. Scrape mixture to a serving bowl, garnish with more parsely and chilli flakes and drizzle with olive oil.

Apple Tea Cake

Autumn just around the corner, and Apples are in season.  I know that Apple Pies are an old time favourite but with the limited time everybody  has the days,  I find this cake a good alternative using just a fraction of the time to prepare.  It taste wonderful and it is very easy to cut and serve.  It keeps well if refregerated for 3-4 days.  Serve it cold or warm and custard or vanilla ice cream are very good accompaniments.  Don't forget to make some tea!

1kg cooking Apples
5 cloves
1/2 lemon
800g Self Raising Flour
300g sugar
450g plain yoghurt
250g butter
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp ground cinnamon
few drops vanilla essence
6 eggs

Peel  apples and cut roughly into chunks add to a medium pan then cover with water, squeeze the half a lemon over and then add to squeezed lemon to apples, add cloves cover and bring to boil.  Simmer for 15minutes then turn off heat and drain.  Transfer apples to a clean bowl, make sure that you remove the cloves and lemon, then break slightly using a fork and leave to cool completely.

Butter a lamington dish and pre heat the oven to 180c.

Sift the flour and baking powder. Cut butter into small cubes then put them in a food processor fitted with blade.  Pulse for a few times till butter crumbles in the flour.  Add sugar, eggs, yoghurt, milk and vanilla essence, and process till a smooth cake mixture is formed.  Layer half the mixture in the prepared lamington dish, then top evenly with cooked apples. Dust a cinamon powder all over and cover with the remaining cake mix.  Even out with a spatula and bake for 35 to 40minutes till golden and a skewer comes clean when inserted in the middle.  Turn over to cool on a wire rack.  Serve with ice cream or warm custard sauce.