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!!

Chicken breast in sherry sauce

1 large chicken breast
2 spring onions
2 cloves garlic
3 tablespoons dry sherry
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon chicken powder
1 glass water
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons oil
Salt & Pepper

Cut chicken into bite size pieces. Drizzle 1 tablespoon oil and season with salt and grated fresh pepper. Shallow fry in the remaining oil for 2 minutes(do not overcook). Lift the chicken from pan and put in a colander. In the same pan add chopped onions and garlic and fry gently. Deglaze the pan with sherry, add water and chicken powder ( it would be ideal to use home made chicken stock). Reduce by half, add butter and stir. Add mustard and stir well. Add chicken pieces and cook for 1 minute until it is heated through. Serve with fresh crusted bread.

Creamed Broccoli

2 small broccoli cut into little florets
500ml milk
1 tablespoon butter
3 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoon flour
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Grated fresh nutmeg

Bring a large pan of salted water to boil. Blanche broccoli for 1 minute and drain. Arrange in an oven proof dish. Heat butter in a pan add flour and stir for 2 minutes to cook the roux. Add milk and whisk until béchamel cooks and thickens. Remove from heat, add Parmesan cheese, Dijon mustard and a little grate of nutmeg and stir well till mixture is smooth and silky. Spoon mixture on broccoli and bake in a medium oven for 20 minutes until top becomes golden brown. Serve as condiment to fish chicken or meat.

Best ever Seafood Pasta

As I live in the beautiful island of Malta right in the centre of the Mediterranean I am spoilt for choice when it comes to cooking with fish and seafood. As much as I love the traditional Sunday roasts nothing beats this bountiful plate of pasta!
portion quantities are enough to feed 4 hungry people!

3 small Lobsters
800g cleaned fresh mussels
2 tablespoons sea urchin roe
500g cleaned squid
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves of garlic finely chopped
2 spring onions chopped
1 glass white wine
1 tablespoon chopped fresh marjoram
2 tablespoons chopped pancetta
1 small chili deseeded and finely chopped
Ground fresh pepper
600g linguini or spaghetti

Bring to boil large pan of salted water plunge in the lobsters after 5 mins lift and transfer to iced water. In the same water boil pasta until al dente. Drain add a drizzle of olive oil and leave in colander.
In a large pan fry the onion garlic and pancetta in 2 tablespoons olive oil add squid and stir fry for 1 minute on high heat. Remove squid with slotted spoon and set aside. Add mussels, chili, white wine and cover pan for two minutes or until mussels just open. Cut lobsters in two. Add pasta to pan,squid, herbs and sea urchin roe and stir. Put lobsters on top cover pan for 1 minute to heat through grind some fresh pepper and serve.

Wholemeal Biscuits

250g Plain Flour

250g Whole meal Flour
1tsp cumin seeds
1/4 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
150g unsalted butter
2 tbsp water

Put all ingredients except water in a food processor and pulse for a few times until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.  add water and process until dough forms.  Do not over work the dough.

Divide the dough into two pieces and roll into two rolls approx 4cm thick.  Wrap in cling film and freeze for half an hour.
Take out from freezer, unwrap and using a sharp knife cut into two millimetre slices.  Put on baking tray, prick with fork two times and sprinkle with some extra salt.  Bake in a 190c oven for 1/2 hour until golden.

Boozy Cranberry Sauce

340g Cranberries
200g Sugar
1/2 cup Port
2 Tablespoons Dry Sherry

Wash cranberries and put in a jam pan with port.  Bring to the boil and cook on medium heat for 5 minutes until cranberries are soft.  Add sugar and cook on high heat for further 10 minutes.  Add sherry and stir.  Put in sterelized jars.  These quantities makes 2x250ml jars.  Will keep for 1 year but if opened you must refrigerate.
Serve with cold meats cheese and biscuits.

Rosy Swirl Cup Cakes with Lemoncello frost

Very Easy to do cup cakes, to be enjoyed with a good cup of tea!

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup Self raising Flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 eggs
125g butter
1/2 cup milk
1 cup sugar
Rose food colour
vanilla essence

For the Icing
1 cup Icing Sugar
1 tablespoon butter softened
1 tablespoon lemoncello
1 tablespoon water

Put Butter, sugar and milk in a mixer and mix on low speed for 1 minute.  Butter will not incorporate in milk but sugar will melt.  Add flour eggs and baking powder and continue to beat for 2 minutes until mixture is smooth.  Use 2/3 of the mixture to half fill paper cup cakes, add colour to the remaining mixture mix thoroughly so that  colour incorporates well.  Add tablespoon on top of each cupcake with the pink mixture and using a small knife give one swirl.  Bake in a 180 c oven for 20minutes or until firm to the touch. Leave cup cakes to cool on wire rack.

Make the lemoncello ice by whisking all ingredients in a small bowl add more icing if necessary to produce a thick holding paste consistency.

Pipe the icing in circles using a star nozzle and decorate with some sugar candies.