Figolli

Traditional Maltese Figolli made for Easter :) They are made with shortcrust pastry filled with an almond mixture, then decorated with chocolate or royal icing. It is important to use the filling immediately or the mixture might harden. It is important to leave the figolli to cool well after taking them out of the oven, or it might break.

Ingredients:
Makes about 5 small (hand sized)

• Sweet Shortcrust Pastry
• 300g ground almonds
• 200g caster sugar (or granulated sugar)
• 3 egg whites
• 1 lemon zest
• 5 half easter eggs
• Soft Flooding icing
• Royal icing

Directions:
Mix the almonds, sugar, egg whites and zest together.

Roll out the pastry to about 4 mm thickness. Put the shape of your figolla cutter and press lightly on the pastry. Fill the shape with the filling mixture, then go around the border with a finger dipped in water to help seal the edges. Cover with another pastry layer. Press around the mixture lightly to put out any air bubbles and then cut with the figolla cutter.   

Bake in a 180 degree C pre-heated oven for 35 minutes until golden. Cool throughly then cover with the flooding icing. Once dry, decorate with the royal icing by piping designs over the figolla. Stick half an easter egg on each figolla.

Happy Easter!

Soft Flooding Icing

Icing which dries hard enough to the touch, but does not crack your teeth when eating. It also tastes good! Great to flood cookies.  

Ingredients:
Makes about 2 cups

• 3 cups icing sugar 
• 3 tbsp milk
• 1 1/2 tbsp + 1 1/2 tsp golden syrup
• 1/2 tsp almond extract
• food coloring

Directions:
In a small bowl, stir together the powdered sugar and milk until smooth. Beat in golden syrup and almond extract until icing is smooth and glossy. If icing is too thick, add more milk, very little at a time. Stir in food coloring to desired intensity. Paint, spread, or dip cookies with icing, and allow to set. 

Royal Icing

Icing which dries hard; great to decorate and pipe thinly. 

Ingredients:
Makes about 1 1/2 cups

• 1 medium egg white 
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice 
• 1 1/2 cups icing sugar, sifted 

Directions:
In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat the egg white with the lemon juice until combined. Add the sifted powdered sugar and beat on low speed until combined and smooth. The right consistency is when you lift the beater, the ribbon of icing that falls back into the bowl remains on the surface and does not disappear. 

The icing needs to be used immediately or transferred to an airtight container as royal icing hardens when exposed to air. Cover with plastic wrap when not in use. 

Adapted from Original Recipe

Sweet Shortcrust Pastry

When making shortcrust pastry it is important that you remember these tips: 

• All ingredients and utensils should be as cool as possible. This keeps the margarine hard. If it becomes at all warm it will start to make the fingers oily and then it becomes difficult to wrap it into the flour. When that happens the mixture becomes very heavy instead of light and airy.    
• If you will be using egg yolks to bind the pastry there will be no need for you to add water. If you use too much liquid the pastry becomes tough.

Ingredients:

• 480g plain flour 
• 300g margarine 
• 120g sugar 
• 1 egg yolk 
• grated rind of 1 lemon 
• 1/2 tsp vanilla essence

Directions:
Sieve the flour into a large bowl, holding the sieve as high as possible, so that the flour gets a really good airing. 

Add the margarine, cut into smallish lumps, then begin to rub it into the flour using your fingertips only and being as light as possible. As you gently rub the fat into the flour, lift it up high and let it fall back into the bowl, which again means that all the time air is being incorporated, but do this just long enough to make the mixture crumbly with a few odd lumps here and there. 

In a separate bowl mix together the sugar, egg yolk, vanilla essence and lemon rind. Mix well. Add this mixture to the flour mixture. Work into a dough. The pastry should leave the bowl fairly clean. Do not overwork the pastry because the end result will be a tough pastry. The pastry must be of a rollable consistency. 

Place the pastry in a polythene bag and leave it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to rest. You can prepare it overnight and leave it in the fridge. 

Tagliatelle with Artichokes

Walnuts complement the artichokes in the sauce perfectly in this recipe. 

Ingredients:
Serves 4

• 6 large canned or frozen artichoke hearts
• 5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 shallots, finely chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 3 tbsp dry white wine
• salt and pepper
• leaves from 1 small bunch of parsley, chopped
• 45g walnut halves, roughly chopped
• 30g grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:
Thickly slice the artichoke hearts. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan. Add the shallots and garlic and sauté gently for about 1 minute until soft but not brown. Add the artichokes and white wine and simmer for 2-3 minutes. Season to taste. Stir only very gently, to avoid breaking up the artichokes. 

Drain and add the tagliatelle to the pan of artichoke mixture and toss over moderate heat until the pasta is hot and evenly coated with olive oil. Pile the pasta on to a warmed serving dish and sprinkle evenly with the parsley and walnuts. Finish by sprinkling with most of the Parmesan cheese. 

Original Recipe from 'Cook step by step'. 

Honey Sesame Chicken

Spicy asian-style chicken. If you prefer less spicy dishes halve the amount of chilli as this dish has quite a kick. Serve with noodles.

Ingredients:
Serves 4

• 4 chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized cubes
• 2 tsp cornflour
• Peanut/vegetable oil for stir-frying (about 2 tbsp)
• 1/2 tsp red chilli flakes
• 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 1 tbsp honey
• 2 tbsp white sesame seeds

Ingredients:  

• 1 tbsp white wine
• 1 1/2 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 1 tsp red chili flakes
• 3 tbsp honey
• 2 tsp oyster sauce
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp cracked black pepper

Directions:
Marinate the chicken cubes with the wine, soy sauce, chilli flakes, honey, oyster sauce, sea salt, and pepper for about 2 hours. Then discard some of the marinade liquid and mix in the corn flour. Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a large wok or cast iron pan until hot. Add chicken cubes and stir briefly.

When the chicken is sizzling and fragrant, add the chili flakes, dark soy sauce, honey, sesame seeds and stir vigorously, switch off the heat, and serve immediately.

Original Recipe

Quick and Easy Pizza Crust

By far, the BEST pizza dough in my opinion! Soft, yet with a crunchy outside. What's more? It is made in less than 30 minutes! If you can't find bread flour, all purpose flour will do just fine. 

Ingredients:
Makes 1 large base

• 2 1/2 cups bread flour
• 1 cup warm water
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 7g active dry yeast
• 1 tsp white sugar
• 1 tsp salt

Directions:
Preheat oven to 230 degrees C. In a medium bowl, dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes. 

Stir in flour, salt and oil. Beat until smooth, then let rest for 5 minutes. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and pat or roll into a round. Transfer crust to a lightly greased pizza pan. Spread with desired toppings and bake in preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Let baked pizza cool for 5 minutes before serving. 

Original Recipe

Turkey Balls with Couscous

Turkey balls with melted cheese centres.

Ingredients:
Serves 4

• 1 slice stale bread, torn into chunks 
• 250g turkey mince 
• 2 green onions (shallots), finely chopped 
• 1/8 cup chopped coriander 
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten (separate) 
• 2 tbsp olive oil 
• 75 grams cheddar, cut into cubes
• 100g panko breadcrumbs
• couscous, to serve 

Directions:
Place bread in a small bowl and cover with water. Set aside to soak for 5 minutes, then drain and squeeze dry. Place in a large bowl with the turkey mince, chopped green onion, coriander and 1 egg. Mix thoroughly and season.

Using wet hands, take about 1/4 cup of the mixture and form into a bowl shape. Put a cheddar cube in the middle, then add another 1/4 cup of the mixture and shape into a ball. The mixture makes about 12 balls. 

Dip each ball into the other beaten egg, then coat in the breadcrumbs. Bake into a180 degree C pre-heated oven for about 30 minutes, until the breadcrumbs are browned and the turkey is done through. Serve with a side of couscous. 

Adapted from Original Recipe

Garden Vegetable Soup

A delicious vegetable soup. Does require some chopping up work to do, but it's well worth the work. 

Ingredients:
Serves 6

• 4 tbsp olive oil 
• 2 cups leeks, chopped (white part only from approximately 3 medium leeks) 
• 2 tbsp garlic,  finely minced 
• salt 
• 2 cups carrots, peeled and chopped into rounds (approximately 2 medium) 
• 2 cups potatoes, peeled and diced 
• 2 cups fresh green beans, broken or cut into 3/4-inch pieces 
• 1.9 lt chicken or vegetable broth 
• 4 cups tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped 
• 1 small tin corn 
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper 
• 1/4 cup packed, chopped fresh parsley leaves 
• 1 to 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Directions:
Heat the olive oil in large, heavy-bottomed stockpot over medium-low heat. Once hot, add the leeks, garlic, and a pinch of salt and sweat until they begin to soften, approximately 7 to 8 minutes. Add the carrots, potatoes, and green beans and continue to cook for 4 to 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally. 

Add the stock, increase the heat to high, and bring to a simmer. Once simmering, add the tomatoes, corn, and pepper. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until the vegetables are fork tender, approximately 25 to 30 minutes. 

Remove from heat and add the parsley and lemon juice. Season to taste. 

Nutrition Facts:
Calories (kcal): 255
Fat: 12g
Saturated fat: 1g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Fiber: 0.1mg
Sodium: 1385mg
Carbohydrates: 33g
Protein: 6g

Original Recipe

Quiche Lorraine

I had some quiche pastry in the freezer, about 300g, and I decided it would make a good lunch :) It's not your usual bacon quiche, but it does taste great!

Ingredients:
Makes 1, 7 inch quiche

• 1/4 cup peas, frozen
• 1 egg
• 3 tbsp shredded mixed cheese
• 4 mushrooms, sliced
• 3 sausages, diced
• 1/4 cup milk
• seasoning to taste

Directions:

Open the pastry and line a greased, 7 inch dish. Prick the bottom with a fork and cut excess pastry, being careful to still leave some pastry hanging over the side. Put into the freezer for 10 minutes. This will prevent the pastry from melting down the sides once but in the oven. Put into a preheated oven at 200 degrees C for 10 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 180 degrees C. Bake the pastry until lightly golden. 

Once out of the oven, while still hot, brush the pastry with egg white. This helps seal the pastry so that it doesn't get soggy with the filling while baking. 

While the pastry is baking, in a pan covered in non-stick spray, fry the mushrooms and peas for about 5 minutes, or until the mushrooms look done. In a bowl, whisk the egg and add the shredded cheese and milk. 

When the pastry is done, mix the mushrooms, peas and sausage with the egg mix and pour over the quiche shell. Bake in the oven (still at 180 degrees C) until the filling is set and quiche is golden brown, about 30 minutes. 

Stuffed Artichokes

A traditional Maltese dish to which many variations exist, one of which is to stuff the artichokes with rice. This recipe however is the way my mother does it :)  

Ingredients:
Serves 2

• 4 artichokes
• 6 baby potatoes
• 2 large slices of crusty bread, preferably a day stale
• 1/2 cup black olives, chopped roughly
• 6 anchovy fillets, chopped
• 2 tbsp capers
• 1 large tin tuna in oil
• 2 green garlic shoots, chopped
• seasoning to taste

Directions:
Tear the bread down into little pieces, whilst removing the crust. Put into a bowl along with the olives, anchovies, capers, tuna (with its oil) and green garlic. Season and mix well. 

Clean the artichokes and open them from the middle so that there is a wide enough space to put in the filling. Divide the bread mixture between the artichokes. 

Place the artichokes standing upwards in a deep pan or pot. Halve the baby potatoes and put in the space between the artichokes. Fill the pan with water until the potatoes are just covered. Simmer covered for about 3/4 hour or 1 hour.

Creamy Chicken Pasta

A light, creamy sauce.  

Ingredients:
Serves 4

• 1/2 cup peas, frozen
• 1 medium chicken breast (about 175g), diced.
• 125g mushrooms, sliced
• 1 onion, chopped
• bechamel sauce
• salt
• pepper
• garlic powder
• paprika
• chili powder

Directions:
Heat some oil in a pan. Add the onion and cook until soft, about 3-4 minutes. Add the mushrooms and peas cook for a further 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate. 

In the same saucepan add a little oil, and fry the chicken until cooked through. Put the onion mixture in with the chicken, season to taste and cook for 2 minutes. Add the bechamel sauce and leave to heat through. 

Toss with pasta and serve immediately. 

Bechamel Sauce

Classic bechamel sauce, a great base with a lot of uses.   

Ingredients:
Makes about 1 cup

• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1 cup milk

Directions:
In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Add flour and stir until the butter and flour are well combined. Pour in milk, stirring constantly as it thickens. Add more milk depending on desired consistency. Skimmed milk can be used for this recipe. 


Nutrition Facts:
Calories (kcal): 48
Fat: 3.5g
Cholesterol: 10mg
Fiber: 0.1mg
Sodium: 33mg
Carbohydrates: 2.9mg
Protein: 1.2mg

Original Recipe

Ragù Bolognese

Classic creamy bolognese sauce.   

Ingredients:
Serves 4

• 200g minced beef
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 celery stick, chopped
• 1 large carrot, shredded
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup red wine
• 250ml beef stock
• 2 tbsp tomato concentrate
• 1 bay leaf
• nutmeg
• salt
• pepper

Directions:
Heat the oil and butter in a large pan. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes, then add the onion, carrots and celery and cook until soft, about 7-8 minutes. Put in the beef mince and cook for for 8 minutes more. Add the wine and bay leaf and simmer until wine is reduced. 

Meanwhile, melt the tomato concentrate with some beef stock and add to pan after wine is reduced. Add the milk and simmer for about 20 minutes, adding the leftover broth little by little, as the liquid is reduced. Note that if you're not in a hurry, the more you leave to simmer the better, even an hour and a half or two. 

Simmer until reduced, and season to taste. Don't forget to remove the bay leaf. Serve with grated parmesan. 

Adapted from Original Recipe

Spinach Pie

Delicious Maltese-style spinach pie.   

Ingredients:
Serves 4

• 500g frozen spinach, boiled and well-drained
• 50 g black olives, chopped
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 tin anchovies, chopped
• 1 big tin tuna,
• salt, pepper, paprika to season
• sesame seeds to top the pie
• Pie pastry

Directions:
Heat some oil in a saucepan, add the onion. Fry for 3 minutes until softened. Add the olives, tuna, anchovies and spinach and mix well. Make sure that the spinach is drained well after boiling, as otherwise it would wetten the pastry. Season to taste. 

Grease a baking dish and line with the pastry. Put in the filling and cover. Brush with egg or oil and sprinkle with sesame seeds. 

Bake in a pre-heated oven at 190 degrees C until pastry is golden brown.  

Pie Pastry

Classic savoury pie pastry.    

Ingredients:
Serves 4

• 420g plain flour
• 180g margarine
• 112g water
• pinch of salt

Directions:
Sieve the flour in a large bowl. Rub-in the butter in the flour until you have a course texture, similar to breadcrumbs. Add the salt and mix well. 

Add the water little by little until you have a soft dough, knead softly then leave to prove for not less than an hour, covered in plastic wrap. 

Original Recipe