prawn chowder with mashed potato

• Cook 20 mins
• Prep 15 mins

Nutrition per serving

338 kcalories,

protein 21.0g,

carbohydrate 47.0g,

fat 9.0g,

saturated fat 2.0g,

fibre 4.0g,

salt 2.43g

 

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 14 oz can sweetcorn, drained
• 2 lb floury potatoes, cubed
• 2 tbsp milk
• 1 tbsp sunflower oil
• 1 bunch spring onions, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp tomato purée
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 pint vegetable stock
• 7 oz small peeled prawns, defrosted if frozen
• 4 rashers streaky bacon

Method

1. Tip the corn into a food processor and blend to a purée. Boil the potatoes in salted water until tender. Drain, mash with the milk and season to taste. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large pan, add most of the spring onions and fry for 2 mins until softened. Add the corn, tomato purée, paprika and stock. Bring to the boil, simmer for 5 mins, then stir in the prawns.
2. Grill the bacon until crisp. Divide the soup between 4 bowls and spoon the mash into the centre of each. Break up the bacon and scatter over the top with the remaining spring onions.

Roasted Cauliflower, Brussels Sprouts and Jerusalem Artichokes

Ingredients

• 1 head cauliflower, cut into bite-size florets
• 1 pint Brussels sprouts, cut in 1/2
• 1/2 pound Jerusalem artichokes, scrubbed and cut into 1-inch dice
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt
• 1/4 cup chopped chives

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
2. In a large bowl, combine all the vegetables, coat with olive oil and season generously with salt.
3. Spread the vegetables on a sheet tray in an even layer, don’t pile them up. The vegetables don’t need to be spread out but they need to be pretty much in a single even layer. If this is not the case, use 2 trays.
4. Put the vegetables in the preheated oven. 15 minutes into the cooking process, stir the vegetables so they have the chance to brown all over, and rotate the tray to insure even cooking. Repeat this process after another 15 minutes. Roast the vegetables for an additional 15 to 20 minutes, or until the vegetables are roasty brown and should smell almost like popcorn!. Check for doneness. This means taste some! If they aren’t very roasty brown, let them go for another few minutes until they are. Season with salt, if needed. Transfer to a serving dish, garnish with chives and serve immediately.

chicken and leek pie

Ingredients

• 3 sheets of frozen puff pastry
• 1 large leek
• 1 whole skinless chicken breast
• 60g of butter
• 1 tablespoon of butter extra
• 1 clove of garlic
• ¼ cup plain flour
• 1 teaspoon of chicken stock
• 500 mls of milk
• ½ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

Method

1. Preheat the Oven to 200 degrees
2. Remove the pastry from freezer and cover with damp tea towel whilst thawing to prevent drying out.
3. Dice chicken into cubes. Slice leek into rings and rinse thoroughly.
4. Melt the tablespoon of butter in a fry pan and add the black pepper and garlic for about 1 minute until fragrant.
5. Add the chicken and fry until browned, approx 5 min. Transfer to a mixing bowl.
6. Fry the leek until soft and add to the bowl.
7. In a saucepan melt 60g of butter then stir in the flour all at once. When the flour is mixed in pour in half the milk stirring briskly until it becomes very smooth. Stir in the other half of the milk and stir gradually until the mixture is once again smooth.
8. Add the teaspoon of chicken stock to the mixture and stir for about 1 minute.
9. Remove from the heat and pour into the mixing bowl.
10. Stir through all the ingrediants with the sauce.
11. Cut the thawed pastry into shapes that will either fit a small pie dish or use muffin tins.
12. Place into the bottom of the tins.
13. Fill with chicken mix to level.
14. Place in preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes

tingletini

Ingredients

• 45 ml Passionfruit Vodka
• Half lime, cubed, skin on
• Half orange, cubed, skin on
• 40 ml soda or
• 40 ml lemonade
• 1 tablespoon fruit tingles, crushed

Method

1. Rim the martini glass with lime and coat with the crushed tingles.
2. Muddle the Passionfruit Vodka, lime and orange together and add a scoop of ice and shake.
3. Strain the mix into the rimmed martini glass and top with soda or lemonade.

tripple chocolate brownies

Ingredients

• Ingredients
• 150 Grams of Butter
• 1 Cup of Cocoa
• 2 Cups of Brown Sugar
• 4 Large Eggs
• ¾ of a Cup of Plain Flour
• 1 Teaspoon of Vanilla Extract
• 1 Teaspoon of Baking Powder
• 1 cup of  chopped walnuts 

Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to 160 degrees (fan forced oven) and grease and line a slice tin with baking paper.
2. Melt the butter and stir in the cocoa. Allow mixture to cool slightly. In a separate container whisk the eggs and then mix them into the cocoa and butter mixture.
3. Mix in the sugar and the vanilla.
4. Sift flour and baking powder together into the mixture and stir until thoroughly mixed through.
5. Stir in chopped walnuts
6. Bake for 35-40 minutes (due to the differences in ovens it is best to check after 30 mins) or until just firm when pushed in the centre. Leave in the tin for twenty minutes to cool, and then lift out onto a cooling rack. When cold cut into slices.

shrimp, onion and capsicum enchiladas

Ingredients

• Enchilada Filling:
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 ½ pounds shrimp, peeled and de veined
• 1 medium red onion, diced
• 1 capsicum diced
• Pumpkin Sauce:
• 1 can pumpkin puree
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• ½ teaspoon cayenne powder
• 1 cup vegetable stock
• sea salt and black pepper to taste
• 12 whole wheat tortillas
• 1/3 cup of your choice of cheese

Method

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Pumpkin Sauce:
3. In a blender, puree pumpkin, garlic, and cayenne with vegetable stock. Season with sea salt and black pepper. Pour 1 cup of sauce in the bottom of a baking dish.
4. Enchilada:
5. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add shrimp and season with sea salt and black pepper. Sear for 3 minutes until barely cooked. Transfer shrimp to a large platter. Add onion, and capsicum to the hot pan and season with sea salt and black pepper. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes until vegetables begin to soften. Transfer vegetables to the shrimp platter.
6. Toast tortillas lightly. Lay tortillas on a work surface. Scoop shrimp and vegetables in the centre of each tortilla. Roll each one into a tight log and place, seam side down, over the pumpkin sauce in the baking dish. Once all enchiladas have been placed in the baking dish, pour the remaining sauce over top. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes. Serve with your choice of salsa.

orange olive oil cake

Ingredients

• 2 eggs
• 1 ¼ cups sugar
• ¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
• ¾ cup skim milk
• zest of 2 oranges or tangerines
• 1 cup + 2 Tbsp all purpose flour
• ¼ tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp baking soda
• dash salt
• icing sugar for dusting

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350 °F and butter and flour a 9-inch round cake pan.
2. In a large bowl, whisk eggs and sugar. Add olive oil, milk and orange zest and mix well. In a separate bowl, stir flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add to olive oil batter and stir just until smooth. Pour into prepared pan and bake for 40 to 50 minutes, until a tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
3. Let cake cool completely, then turn out onto a plate and dust with icing sugar.

coconut tart

Ingredients

Sweet shortcrust pastry

• 200g (7oz) plain flour, sifted
• 1 tbs icing sugar
• 100g (31/2oz) chilled butter, cubed
• 1/2–1 medium egg, beaten

Filling

• 3 eggs
• 225g (8oz) caster sugar
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 150g (5oz) desiccated coconut
• 125g (4 ½ oz) butter, melted
• Icing sugar, for dusting

Method

Sweet shortcrust pastry

1. Place the flour, sugar and butter in a food processor and whiz briefly. Add half the beaten egg and continue to whiz. You might add a little more egg, but not too much as the mixture should be just moist enough to come together. If making by hand, rub the butter into the flour (1) until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs (2) then, using your hands, add just enough egg to bring it together (3). With your hands, flatten out the ball of dough until it is about 2cm (3/4in) thick (4), then wrap in cling film or place in a plastic bag (5) and leave in the fridge for at least 30 minutes or, if you are pushed for time, in the freezer for 10–15 minutes.

Filling

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F), Gas mark 4. Line the tart tin (23cm (9in) diameter tart tin) and ‘bake blind’.
2. For the filling, whisk the eggs, sugar and cinnamon together in a bowl. Add the desiccated coconut and the melted butter and mix well. Pour the filling into the cooked pastry case and bake in the oven for 40–45 minutes or until it is golden brown and just set in the centre. (Sometimes I turn the oven down to 170°C (325°F), Gas mark 3 after about 30 minutes if it has already turned a good golden brown and I don’t want it any darker.)
3. Remove from the oven and allow to stand in the tin for about 10 minutes before carefully removing and allowing to cool on a wire rack. Dust the tart with icing sugar to serve.

 

 

chocolate slab cake

Ingredients

• 225 g good quality Dark Chocolate
• ½ cup/125ml Espresso Coffee
• 225 g unsalted butter cut into small pieces
• ¾ cup/155g sugar
• 4 Eggs lightly beaten

 

Method

1. Heat the oven to 350°F/175°C.
2. Grease and flour a 9-inch/23 -cm springform pan, wrapped with foil around the outside bottom to prevent leakage.
3. Put the chocolate and coffee in the top of a double boiler and heat to melt.
4. Stir smooth and add the butter, a few chunks at a time, until the mixture is smooth and glossy.
5. Beat in the sugar, and cook the mixture a minute or two until hot.
6. Beat the eggs in a bowl.
7. Slowly pour over the chocolate mixture, whisking constantly.
8. Pour the batter through a strainer into the pan.
9. Bake until the cake is cooked through, about 40 minutes.
10. Take it from the oven and cool in the pan 5 minutes, then run a knife around the edges and remove the sides of the pan.
11. Cool completely.
12. Wrap the cake very well in plastic and refrigerate overnight or up to two days.
13. Take the cake from the fridge, unwrap it, and set it on plate at room temperature about an hour before serving.

chocolate nemesis

Ingredients

• 340g Dark Chocolate – broken into small pieces.
• 5 whole Eggs.
• 290g Caster Sugar.
• 225g Unsalted Butter – softened

Method

1. Preheat oven to 160 C
2. Line a 20cm cake tin with baking paper. (Don’t use a springform tin)
3. Beat the eggs with a third of the sugar until the volume quadruples – this will take at least 10 mins with a hand held mixer or about 4 mns with a free-standing.
4. Heat the remaining sugar in a small pan with 125ml water until the sugar has completely dissolved to a syrup.
5. Place the chocolate and butter in the hot syrup and stir to combine.
6. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.
7. Add the warm syrup to the eggs and continue to beat more gently until completely combined – about 20 seconds and no more!
8. Pour into the cake tin and put that into a bigger cake tin or roasting pan.
9. Fill the second tin with water so it acts like a bain -marie.
10. Bake in the oven for 30 mins or until set.
11. Leave to cool in the tin before turning out.