How To Make Pastry
You can line a flan dish with the pastry and bake it blind, you do this by putting a piece of cooking paper on to the base of the pastry and then covering the paper with baking beans or dried uncooked rice, add just enough to weight down the pastry so it doesn’t ‘rise’ up too much. Pop the flan into a pre-heated oven and bake until it just begins to colour.
Remove from the oven, remove the paper and beans/rice allow to cool then add the filling of your choice.
this mix can be used for sweet or savory fillings
the mix can be used as a pie crust – a topping only
the mix can be used for the base and the tip of a pie
Infact the uses are only restricted by your imagination!! ENJOY.
What You Will Need
250g Plain Flour
125g Butter
1 Egg (medium size)
Sprinkle of Caster Sugar
What To Do
Put the flour in a mound on a clean work surface, this would be better if it was marble as the coolness of the marble makes the pastry easier to handle. Make a well in the centre.
Break the butter into little pieces and pop them onto the well along with the egg and sugar.
This is the part I like:) Using your CLEAN fingertips, mix all the ingredients in the well together.
As you do this gradually collect the flour from the edges of the well, rubbing the mixture gently through your fingertips until everything is all mixed together and what you have resembles a sandy colour and looks rather like breadcrumbs. This is known as ‘rubbing in’
Now I REALLY like this part… Gradually add up to a total of 40mls of cold water. Now the secret is NOT to add it all at once, otherwise you could end up with a soggy mess.
Add it gradually as eggs are never uniform in size, and you may have under or over done the butter or flour measurements.
Be patient, add enough water to make the pastry in to a light, smooth ball that doesn’t stick to the work surface or your hands.
Now you have a traditional flan pastry mix
This traditional flan pastry can be used in several ways as mentioned above, an absolute must have skill for the kitchen.
Broccoli & Pasta Salad.
I love the colors in this salad, the richness of the green against the creaminess of the pasta.
And, of course, it tastes great, I have a passion for sautéed broccoli with fresh lime juice any day, so the citrus zing to this salad is right up my street.
What you will need:
300g Dried Pasta shapes.
1 head Broccoli, cut into florets.
¼ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
4 Garlic Cloves, crushed.
1 of each Capsicum: yellow & red, chopped.
3 Large Tomatoes, deseeded & chopped.
1 Tbsp Capers.
Juice of a Lemon.
Seasoning.
Toasted Pine nuts for garnish.
Balsamic Vinegar to sprinkle over as garnish.
Chopped Parsley for garnish.
What to do:
- Cook the pasta until al dente. Rinse well to remove the starch. Cool.
- Steam the broccoli, cool slightly then sauté gently in oil with the garlic.
- Toss everything together, before serving add lemon juice & seasoning & garnish.
Chicken Fattoush.
This is a simple Arab vegetarian salad and is a meal in itself. I first had this when I was sharing a flat with a Lebanese Doctor, I still think of those days when I eat my fattoush.
The delicate flavours of each ingredient complementing each other really makes it delightful on the tongue..
What you will need:
2 Lenanese Flatbreads.
6 Tbsp Olive Oil.
4 Chicken Breasts.
1 Garlic Clove, chopped.
4 Tomatoes, cut into wedges .
½ Cucumber, diced.
3 Spring Onions, sliced.
1 Red Chilli, sliced.
½ cup Kalamata Olives.
½ cup Parsley, chopped.
¼ cup Mint, chopped.
Zest & juice of a Lemon.
Olive oil for dressing.
What to do:
- Pre heat the oven to 200ï‚°C.
- Dice the flatbreads & toss in olive oil & seasoning, spread out on a roasting tray, pop into the oven for 10 mins until golden & crisp. Remove to cool.
- Roast the chicken breasts until golden. Cool & slice at an angle.
- Put everything into a large bowl, toss together with seasoning & leave for a short while to infuse the flavours then serve.
Apple Custard Cake.
This reminds me of my childhood.. Sunday teatime, when we always had sandwiches & cake.. if we were really lucky.. we had soft boiled eggs as a treat…
What you will need:
For the cake:
200g Butter.
¾ cup Brown Sugar.
2 Eggs.
2 cups Self Raising Flour.
½ cup Buttermilk.
2 large Apples.
20g Butter, melted.
2 tsp Caster Sugar.
½ tsp Ground Cinnamon.
For the custard:
2 Tbsp Custard Powder.
¼ cup Caster Sugar.
1 cup Milk.
20g Butter.
Vanilla Essence.
2 Apples, sliced.
What to do:
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Prepare the cake tin: line the base with baking paper, grease the sides.
To make the custard: Put the custard powder & sugar in a small saucepan, over a medium to low heat
Combine the milk & stir rapidly until the mixture thickens.
Remove from heat, stir in the butter & essence. Cool with plastic wrap over the surface.
To make the cake: Beat the butter & brown sugar until fluffy, add the eggs one at a time.
Mix in a little flour after each egg to prevent curdling.
With the beaters stir in the remaining flour & the buttermilk until combined.
Pop into the oven for about an hour until firm.
Shepard’s Pie
Good Old Traditional Shepard’s Pie.
This is a blast from the past, but still goes down well on a cold, dark evening, hugging your plate in front of the log fire.
What you will need:
1kg Minced Beef.
1 Tbsp seasoned Flour.
1 Onion, chopped.
2 Garlic cloves, chopped.
1 Carrot, chopped.
50g Peas.
2 Sticks Celery, chopped.
1 Tbsp Tomato Puree.
1 tin Tomatoes.
1kg Potatoes.
50g Butter.
Grated Cheese.
What to do:
- Pre heat the oven to 180°C.
- In a large frying pan, sauté the onions & garlic until soft, add the mince & with a fork separate the clumps allowing it to brown evenly.
- Add the vegetables, tomatoes, tomato puree & seasoning. Cook until tender, add flour and a little stock to make a sauce. Put into an oven proof dish.
Topping:
- Cook the potatoes until tender, mash roughly adding the butter. Spread out on top of the mince mixture, top with cheese.
- Pop into the oven until golden on the top, for about an hour.
How To Make Garlic Bread
When we think of garlic, the brain automatically thinks of hot garlic bread, fresh out of the oven. UMM!!
There are several ‘ready to go’ packets of garlic bread in the supermarket, but, even if I had all the money in the world, I wouldn’t spend it on a packet of ‘plastic’ bread with preserved garlic on a fatty goo.
No, for a little time and effort, you can have your very own hot garlic bread hot off the press and a thousand times better tasting.
Try it for yourself and if you don’t like it, I will give you your money back, as they say in the adverts!!!
What you will need:
1 Long Fresh French Loaf, now I make my own but you can buy yours, just make sure it’s fresh.
A good 25g of Real Butter, softened, don’t skimp on the butter and yes it has to be butter, it is better for you than margarine. And I believe everything in moderation is good for you. So there!!
1 large bulb of garlic, again make sure it is fresh, the little cloves should be firm to the touch and the skin (the papery bit) should be crisp to the touch.
1 bunch of fresh Parsley
What to do:
Pre-heat the oven or if you so desire you can cook this on the BBQ or open fire
Slice the french loaf into inch thick rounds
Soften the butter in a small bowl
Wash and chop the parsley:
I fold the bunch of parsley in one hand and chop roughly the first time, then, with the mound of parsley on the chopping board.
I hold the tip of the knife in one hand and work the handle of the blade in an up and down motion with the other, in a semi circle over the parsley.
Go backwards and forwards a few times and you will soon have finely chopped parsley
Add the chopped parsley to the butter, you don’t have to mix it in yet
Now to prepare the garlic:
Remove the outer layer of paper skin, and remove all the cloves from the white hard middle stalk.
Lie each clove on its flat side then with a large kitchen knife, held so the blade is horizontal to the chopping board. Lie the thickest part of the blade, thats near the handle, on top of the garlic clove and press down hard. You will feel the garlic, give way, this should be easy if the garlic is fresh.
Now just peel off the fine papery layer, and then repeat on all of the cloves. Remember this is garlic bread and you can never have enough garlic 
When all the cloves are peeled, just chop them again as you didi with the parsley.
Putting it all together:
Add the chopped garlic to the parsley and butter and give it a really good mix.
You can add seasoning at this stage, if you desire, but a word of caution, the fresh garlic will be quite ‘salty’ tasting, so easy does it
Spread liberally over both sides of the french bread rounds, and neatly stack them on their side, so the garlic butter mix touches, on a sheet of cooking foil, I put them on the shiny side.
When you have all the french loaf back together again, bring the edges of teh foil together and make a christmas cracker shape. Now cook for 10 -15 mins in the oven, on the BBQ or on the red coals of an open fire.
Ready to eat and enjoy.
BE CAREFUL OPENING THE FOIL PARCEL IT WILL BE VERY HOT
Chicken Casserole
This is a dish for a cold winters day, coming home from work, tired, cold and hungry. Open the door and a gorgeous aroma hits you. The heart warming smells of home cooking, if you are clever you will have put some slices potatoes, butter and herbs in a foil parcel in the oven with the casserole.
Just time to light the fire, put on your PJ’s and pour a glass of wine.
Like all casseroles its what you put in, you will get out, slow cooking is the key to release the flavours. Make more than you need & freeze it for another day.
What you will need:
2.5kg Chicken Pieces, thighs & legs are good.
50g seasoned Flour.
2 Tbsp Oil.
1 Tbsp Oregano.
1 Tbsp Parsley.
1 Tsp Tarragon.
2 Onions, chopped.
3 Carrots, chopped.
6 Sprouts, quartered.
2 sticks Celery, chopped.
½ Red Capsicum, chopped.
½ Green Capsicum, chopped.
25g Mushrooms, quartered.
2 Potatoes, diced.
1 Kumera, diced.
4 Garlic, crushed.
1 cup Red Wine.
1½L Stock.
2 Tbsp Tomato Puree.
1 tin Tomatoes.
** Make a selection of vegetables you like **
What to do:
Easy peasy…
Toss the chicken pieces in the seasoned flour, then put all the ingredients into the slow cooker, boiling the stock first then tipping over, leave to cook on slow all day, or pop into a low oven all day with the potatoes in a foil parcel.
En Papillote
Paper Bag Cooking!!!
This has to be tried, so simple yet it will leave your friends talking about it for ages. What I do is serve the paper bag on a warmed plate and let them open it, believe me the aromas just spill out and thats the secret!!
How To Make Paper Bag to cook in:
Folds must be made so that they overlap all the way around the outside rim…this makes it air tight and allows the pressure to build up like a pressure cooker…unique to this method of cooking.
Fold a piece of greaseproof paper- not waxed- in half lengthwise & cut into shape, either heart or semi-circle be sure to layer all the pieces of paper together to ensure uniform parcels.
Oil on both sides, the food is then placed on one half of the bag.. partially cooked or raw, presentation side down, herbs etc placed on top.
Then fold the empty portion of paper over this, twisting & folding to ensure a good seal.
Turn parcel over so folds are on underside. Then place in a moderate oven.
Chipotle & Sundried Tomato Salsa
Chipotle & Sundried Tomato Salsa.
I shared a flat in London with a Sri Lankan Guy, he was an amazing cook, as his home cuisine is based upon fresh chillies & their heat, I was treated to an fabulous aray of eyewatering dishes, many of which I still cook today..
Please do not make the mistake of over using chillies, their heat takes some getting used to & many a dish is spoiled by making it too hot to eat..
See the glossary page for the run down on the amazing chipotle & the web site page for stockists.
What you will need:
1-2 Dried Chipotle Chillies.
8 Whole Sundried Tomatoes.
2 Slices of Pineapple.
2 Red Capsicum.
1 cup Rocket.
3 Tbsp Palm Sugar or Brown Sugar.
½ tsp Salt.
3 Tbsp Olive Oil.
What to do:
ï‚· Soak the chillies & sundried tomatoes until soft.
ï‚· Put everything in a mortar & pestle or processor, mix until smooth.
** Keep in the refrigerator overnight to infuse flavours**
Twice – Baked Goat’s Cheese Soufflés.
My goodness, this really is HEAVEN!! Forget the rest of your family/guests and tuck in…quickly or it WILL all be gone!!
NOTE: These are not served in the dishes so use150ml capacity cups/moulds
Makes 6 – 8
What you will need:
60g Butter
½ cup Flour
350ml/ 1 ½ cups Warm Milk
75g Kapiti Sainte-Maure Goats Cheese
Parmigiano-Reggiano
Chopped Herbs
3 Egg Yokes
4 Egg Whites
2 cups Cream
What to do:
- Pre-heat oven 180°C.
- Melt 20g butter to grease moulds.
- Melt remaining butter, stir in flour cook out, and then add milk brings to boil then simmer for 5 min.
- Add cheeses & herbs, folding in egg yolks. Whisk whites till creamy fold into mixture. Pour into moulds.
- Lay tea towel in baking dish, stand in moulds add hot water 2/3rds deep, bake for 20 mins, until firm.
- Cool then run a knife around the inside of the moulds, turn out soufflés.
Before serving place in buttered dish, pour over cream to moisten thoroughly, return to oven for 15 min until swollen & golden.
Serve with rich tomato sauce
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