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Maltese Sausage and Potato Ftira

A Maltese style sandwich. Simple toppings, amazing flavour! If you do not have the peppered goat cheese you can substitute with a normal mild goat cheese. If you have a sandwich grill you can avoid cooking the potatoes in advance and just place them immediately to toast in the grill.

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Slow Cooker General Tso's Chicken

A sweet-spicy Chinese dish. I couldn't find hoisin sauce so I replaced it with a garlic teriyaki sauce. I must say the flavour was amazing!

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Mediterranean Hummus

A Mediterranean twist to the classic hummus dip.

Ingredients:
Makes about 2 cups

1 can (300g) chick peas
8 sun dried tomatoes
2 garlic cloves
2 tbsp tahini
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp harissa
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp paprika

Directions:
Put everything together in a container and blend until nearly smooth. To serve drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle some paprika.

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Sticky Toffee Pudding

These rich puddings are the perfect accompaniment to tea. They are also seriously easy to do. Serve them plain (with the toffee of course), with ice-cream or with whipped cream. The pudding and the toffee keep well in the fridge in (separate) air-tight containers for about a week. While I used a muffin pan with quite large holes, these puddings will be just as great baked in muffin or cupcake pans. Just make sure to adjust the cooking time accordingly.

Ingredients:
Makes 6, 8.5cm diameter puddings

The Cake:

170g dried, pitted dates
1 cup hot water
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
4 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Toffee Sauce:

1/3 cup unsalted butter
2/3 cup heavy cream
2/3 cup packed light-brown sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp salt

Directions:
Preheat oven to 220 degrees Celsius. Butter 6 wells of a pudding tin (or large muffin tin) and dust with flour, shaking out excess, set aside.

Add dates and water to a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat then add baking soda and boil, stirring occasionally, 1 minute longer. Remove from heat, cover saucepan with lid and rest 10 minutes, then puree (the water and dates) in a food processor or blender. Set aside to cool.

In a mixing bowl whisk together flour, baking powder and salt for 20 seconds, set aside. In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and brown sugar until mixture become lighter in shade. Mix in egg then mix in egg yolk and vanilla extract. With mixer set on low speed, add in half of the flour mixture and mix until combined, then mix in pureed date mixture and finish by mixing in remaining half of the flour mixture.

Divide mixture among prepared cupcake pan, filling each about 2/3 full. Bake in preheated oven for about 30-35 minutes, until a skewer inserted in the middle of a pudding comes out clean.

Meanwhile prepare toffee sauce (about halfway through the pudding cooking time so it's still warm for serving). In a small saucepan combine butter, cream and brown sugar. Heat mixture over medium-high heat stirring constantly until mixture reaches a boil, then allow to boil 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.

When done, cool the cakes in the pan for 5 minutes then run a butter knife around edges to loosen. Plate cakes, poke tops about 10 times with a toothpick then drizzle the warm toffee sauce over the tops.

If you are not serving them at once, store the puddings and the toffee sauce in air-tight containers in the fridge. Before serving, heat the puddings for about 30 seconds in the microwave until warm, and heat the toffee sauce until a bit runny.

Adapted from Original Recipe

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Prosciutto, Tomato, and Olive Pasta

A simple pasta dish which is very easy to prepare, but definitely does not lack the flavour! Perfect for a week-night dinner, and makes excellent left-overs for the next day.

Ingredients:
Makes 4 servings

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
5 garlic cloves, finely minced
2 shallots, finely minced
130 grams (about 1 cup) black olives, pitted (I used Kalamata olives)
3 to 4 tomatoes, diced
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 tbsp tomato paste or concentrate
1 tbsp unsalted butter
few tablespoons reserved pasta water (optional)
75 grams Parmesan cheese, finely grated
a handful of flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
200 g prosciutto di Parma

Directions:
Set a pan over medium heat with olive oil. When oil is hot, lower heat to medium-low and sauté garlic and shallots until fragrant, about 1 minute. Increase heat to medium again, add olives, and cook for 1 minute. Add the diced tomatoes and cook until soft, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add the wine and stir until the alcohol has evaporated, about 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in tomato paste and butter until dissolved. Put the pasta in the pot and gently mix until each strand is coated in the sauce. Add a couple of tablespoons of reserved pasta water if the sauce seems too dry. Toss with Parmesan cheese and sprinkle with chopped parsley. To serve garnish with prosciutto slices.