Orange Polenta Cake

Orange Polenta Cake

Couverts8
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Ingredients

  • 10 regular or blood oranges
  • 250 g runny honey
  • 3 large eggs
  • 200 g ground almonds
  • 100 g fine polenta

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 160°C/325°F/gas 3.
  • Rub a 20cm springform cake tin with olive oil, then line the base with greaseproof paper and rub the paper with oil, too.
  • Squeeze the juice of 3 oranges (roughly 100ml) into a pan, add 100g of honey and simmer until thickened and reduced, then remove from the heat.
  • Meanwhile, in a free-standing mixer on a high speed, whisk 200ml of olive oil with the remaining 150g of honey for 2 minutes to combine.
  • Beat in the eggs for 2 minutes, while you finely grate and add the zest of 3 oranges.
  • Stop the mixer, then fold in the ground almonds, polenta, and the juice of 1 or 2 oranges (roughly 50ml).
  • Pour into the prepared tin and bake for 40 to 50 minutes, or until golden and cooked through.
  • Leave to cool for 10 minutes in the tin, loosening with a palette knife before releasing – be gentle with it.
  • To serve, quickly peel and slice the remaining oranges and dish up alongside the cake, drizzling the pretty syrup over everything before tucking in.
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Course; Cake / Fruit

Apple Crumble Cookies

Apple Crumble Cookies

Couverts24
Deel op Facebook Print Recipe

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas 6.
  • Line two trays with greaseproof paper and rub with olive oil.
  • Whiz the apple in a food processor until finely chopped, then add the flour, cubed butter, sugar and a pinch of sea salt.
  • Blitz to fine crumbs for 1 minute, then remove 3 tablespoons of the mix and set aside.
  • Pulse in the egg until combined, stopping to scrape down the sides, if needed.
  • Divide into 24 pieces, roll into balls, then press down lightly into 4cm rounds, lining them up on the trays as you go.
  • Sprinkle over the reserved mix, lightly pressing it into the cookies.
  • Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until lightly golden.
  • Leave to cool slightly, then transfer to a wire cooling rack.
  • Yum!
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Almond Pastry Puff

Almond Pastry Puff

Couverts6
Deel op Facebook Print Recipe

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 220°C/425°F/gas 7.
  • Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper.
  • Blitz the almonds in a food processor until nice and fine.
  • With the processor still running, add the cream, icing sugar, 1 egg and a pinch of sea salt until combined, stopping to scrape down the sides with a spatula, if needed.
  • Halve the pastry, shape into two rounds and, working quickly, dusting with icing sugar as you go to stop the pastry sticking, roll out between two sheets of greaseproof paper until they’re just under ½cm thick.
  • Place one round on the lined tray.
  • Spread the almond paste on top, leaving a 2cm gap at the edges.
  • Put the other round on top and gently push together.
  • Quickly seal the edges with the back of a fork.
  • Eggwash the top, then dust over an extra layer of sugar.
  • Gently push your finger into the middle of the pastry, then, with a sharp knife, very delicately make little lines from the centre to the outside.
  • Bake on the bottom of the oven for 12 to 15 minutes, or until puffed up and golden, dusting with a little extra icing sugar before dishing up.
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Course; Dessert / Nuts
Diets; Vegetarian

Cherry Chocolate Mousse

Cherry Chocolate Mousse

Couverts6
Deel op Facebook Print Recipe

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of gently simmering water, then remove to cool for 10 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, simmer the cherries and their syrup in a non-stick frying pan on a medium heat until thick, then remove.
  • Whip the cream to very soft peaks.
  • Separate the eggs, add the yolks to the cream with the sugar, and whisk to combine.
  • Add a pinch of sea salt to the whites and, with a clean whisk, beat until super-stiff.
  • Fold the cooled chocolate into the cream, then very gently fold that through the egg whites with a spatula.
  • Divvy up the mousse between six glasses or bowls, interspersing the cherries and syrup throughout, and finishing with a few nice cherries on top.
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Hoisin Pak Choi Rice

Hoisin Pak Choi Rice

Couverts2
Deel op Facebook Print Recipe

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Cook the rice in a pan of boiling salted water according to the packet instructions, then drain.
  • Meanwhile, trim and finely slice the spring onions, putting the white slices into a bowl.
  • Deseed and finely chop the chillies, add to the bowl with 1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar and a little sea salt and black pepper, and mix well to make a dressing.
  • Halve the pak choi lengthways and place in a large non-stick frying pan on a medium-high heat with 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
  • Once charred, toss in the green spring onion slices, then stir in the hoisin.
  • Let it glaze for 1 minute, then mix in the rice for 1 final minute.
  • Spoon over the chilli dressing, and serve up.
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Course; Rice
Diets; Vegan / Vegetarian

Ham & Egg Curried Noodles

Ham & Egg Curried Noodles

Couverts2
Deel op Facebook Print Recipe

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Cook the noodles in a pan of boiling salted water according to the packet instructions, then drain, reserving a mugful of cooking water.
  • Meanwhile, trim and finely slice the spring onions, and finely slice the ham.
  • Place the ham in a non-stick frying pan on a medium-high heat with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and the curry powder.
  • While it gets nicely golden, beat the eggs.
  • Pour them into the pan, moving them around with a rubber spatula until they start to cook, then stir in the noodles and most of the spring onions.
  • Toss over the heat for 2 minutes, then taste and season to perfection with sea salt and black pepper, loosening with a splash of reserved noodle water, if needed.
  • Dish up the noodles, scatter over the remaining spring onions and finish with 1 teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil.
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Course; Noodles

Italian Baked Rice

Italian Baked Rice

Couverts4
Deel op Facebook Print Recipe

Ingredients

  • 2 onions
  • 60 g fennel salami
  • 300 g Arborio risotto rice
  • 1 heaped tablespoon mascarpone cheese
  • 40 g Parmesan cheese

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4.
  • Place a large shallow casserole pan on a high heat.
  • Peel and quarter the onions and quickly break apart into petals straight into the pan.
  • Char for 4 minutes, tossing regularly.
  • Reduce to a medium heat and stir in 1 tablespoon of olive oil and the salami, then the rice, followed 1 minute later by 1.
  • 2 litres of boiling kettle water and the mascarpone.
  • Finely grate and stir in the Parmesan with a pinch of sea salt and black pepper.
  • Transfer the pan to the oven for 40 minutes, or until the rice has absorbed all the liquid and is just cooked through.
  • Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil and dish up, seasoning to perfection at the table.
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Course; Rice
Cuisine; European / Italian
Diets; Gluten-Free

Sesame Shiitake Egg Noodles

Sesame Shiitake Egg Noodles

Couverts2
Deel op Facebook Print Recipe

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Halve the mushrooms, then dry toast in a large non-stick frying pan on a medium-high heat for 8 minutes, or until golden and nutty, tossing occasionally.
  • Meanwhile, cook the noodles in a pan of boiling salted water according to the packet instructions, then drain, reserving a mugful of cooking water.
  • Peel and finely slice the garlic, add to the mushroom pan with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and cook for a further 2 minutes, tossing regularly.
  • Pound the sesame seeds until fine in a pestle and mortar, then toss into the pan with the noodles, kicap manis and a good splash of reserved noodle water until everything is well coated.
  • Taste, season to perfection with sea salt and black pepper, if needed, and dish right up.
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Course; Noodles
Diets; Vegetarian

Spiced Lentils & Rice

Spiced Lentils & Rice

Couverts2
Deel op Facebook Print Recipe

Ingredients

  • 75 g dried red split lentils
  • 2 onions
  • 2 heaped tablespoons balti curry paste
  • 200 g mixed-colour kale
  • 1 × 250g sachet of cooked brown basmati rice

Instructions

  • Cook the lentils in a pan of boiling salted water according to the packet instructions.
  • Meanwhile, peel and finely slice the onions, put them into a large shallow casserole pan on a medium heat with ½ a tablespoon of olive oil and the balti paste, and cook for 15 minutes, or until soft and golden, stirring regularly.
  • Tear in the kale (discarding any tough stalks), add a splash of lentil cooking water, cover and leave for 2 minutes.
  • Drain the lentils, toss into the casserole pan with the rice, cover again, and leave for a final 3 minutes.
  • Toss it all together, taste, season to perfection with sea salt and black pepper, and dish up.
  • Delicious.
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Course; Rice

Black Tahini Noodles

Black Tahini Noodles

Couverts2
Deel op Facebook Print Recipe

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Cook the noodles in boiling salted water according to the packet instructions, then drain, reserving a mugful of cooking water.
  • Meanwhile, finely grate the zest of 1 lime, snip the cress and put both aside.
  • Toast the sesame seeds in a dry non-stick frying pan on a high heat for 1 minute, tossing regularly.
  • Reserving one quarter of the seeds, pound the rest in a pestle and mortar until fairly fine, then muddle in the teriyaki and the juice of 1 lime.
  • Taste, season to perfection with sea salt and black pepper, and you’ve got a black tahini!
  • Toss the noodles and black tahini together, loosening with a splash of reserved noodle water.
  • Serve sprinkled with the lime zest, cress and reserved seeds, with lime wedges on the side, for squeezing over.
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Course; Noodles
Diets; Vegan / Vegetarian