Salami-Tuna Pizza

Pizza Dough

Ingredients:  Makes 160g dough - enough for one 30cm pizza

1 tsp dried active yeast

1 tsp salt

1 tsp sugar

100ml warm water

2 tsp olive oil

160g OO strong flour, sifted

• Put yeast, salt, sugar and warm water in a small bowl and whisk until combined.
• Gradually whisk in the olive oil, then leave in a warm place for 10 minutes, or until the mixture starts to bubble.
• Place flour into the bowl of an electric mixer with the dough hook attached.  Turn mixer on to low speed and add in yeast mixture.  Mix for about 5 - 6  minutes until the dough becomes smooth and elastic.
• Rub the inside of a large bowl with olive oil.  Roll the dough around the bowl to coat it with oil, then place in the bowl.  Cover with a clean cloth and leave to rise until doubled in size (it will take about 1 - 1 1/2 hours).
• Punch down the dough to expel trapped air.  **
• Place the dough on a baking tray, cover and set aside for 15 minutes, or until risen by half again.  
• The dough is now ready to use.

** At this stage, the dough can be covered in plastic wrap and refrigerated overnight or frozen.  Bring back to room temperature before continuing.

Ingredients for toppings:

semolina (for dusting) or you can use flour

garlic oil (enough for brushing the pizza base)

150g thinly sliced hot salami, cut into strips
1 can sweet chilli tuna, drained

grated mozzarella cheese

grated parmesan cheese
fresh rosemary sprigs

• Place a pizza stone in the oven and preheat oven to 200 degrees C.
• Lightly dust your workbench with semolina, then roll out the dough into a 30cm round.  
• Place pizza on a tray and prick all over with a fork.  Spread garlic oil over the base and scatter with parmesan cheese, tuna and salami, mozzarella cheese and rosemary sprigs,  in that order.
• Place the pizza on the preheated stone and cook for about 6 minutes or until the base is golden and crisp.
• Remove from the oven, and cut into 8 wedges.  

Homemade Egg Noodles

My first attempt at making egg noodles -

 

Ingredients:

300g  'OO'  flour
4 egg yolks
1 egg
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp water

• In a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, mix flour and salt together.  Then add  in egg and yolks, oil and water.  Knead until the dough is smooth.
• Cover dough and let it rest for about 30 minutes.  
• Cut dough into 6 pieces and using a pasta machine, roll and cut into noodles.
• Hang the noodles on a suspended dowel or chopsticks to dry until ready to cook.

Prawns and Pork Balls

A very simple home-style fried prawns and pork balls -

Ingredients:

300g minced pork
250g prawns, peeled and deveined - chopped into small chunks or minced
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sesame oil
2 tbsp chopped coriander (optional)

• Mix everything together in a  mixing bowl until quite 'glue-y'.
• Oiled your hands before shaping the meat and prawns mixture into balls.  Press them slightly.
• Heat a couple tablespoon of oil in a frying pan and shallow fry the meatballs until golden brown. 
• Serve hot with chilli sauce.

Pumpkin Crumble Cake

This beautiful vibrant orange coloured pumpkin cake is moist and delicious.  The walnut in the crumble produce a nice crunch with a hint of cinnamon flavour - this one is a keeper! 

Adapted from the recipe in 2002  AWW magazine

Ingredients:

200g butter, softened
180g caster sugar
300g self-raising flour
4 eggs (215g)
1 tbsp cognac (optional)
1 cup butternut pumpkin puree
125ml almond milk
1/2 tbsp lemon juice

Crumble:  
75g walnuts, toasted
65g brown sugar
50g butter, chilled
1 tsp ground cinnamon
3 tbsp plain flour

• To make Crumble:  Blitz everything together in the food processor until it resembles breadcrumbs. Set aside.
• Preheat oven to 170 deg C.  Line a 22cm round cake tin with baking paper.
• Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add in eggs, one at a time.
• Beat in pumpkin puree, cognac and lemon juice.  
• Fold in flour alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour.  Stir until batter is smooth.
• Pour batter into prepared tin.  Smooth the top.
• Sprinkle crumble all over the top and bake for 1 hr.

To make 1 cup of pumpkin puree you will need 350g of pumpkin.  Cut the pumpkin into chunks (with skin on) and steam until flesh is soft.  Scoop out the flesh  and push through a sieve or puree in a food processor.

Tiramisu

Adapted from Anne Burrell's Tiramisu recipe on  Food Network

Ingredients:

15 sponge fingers
250 mascarpone cheese (or cream cheese)
300ml thickened cream
1 egg
120g caster sugar
1 cup espresso coffee + 2 tbsp caster sugar
1/4 cup marsala / kahlua / tia maria liqueur
cocoa powder

• In a metal bowl, combine the egg and caster sugar.  Beat well to combine.  Place the bowl over a pot of simmering water (ensure that the bowl does not touch the water).  Beat the egg until thick and pale.
• Remove bowl from the double boiler and continue beating until the bottom of the bowl feels cool.
• Add in the mascarpone and beat until combined or smooth.  
• In a separate bowl, whip thickened cream until stiff peaks form.  Gently fold into the mascarpone mixture. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
• Combine espresso coffee and the liqueur.  Stir until sugar has dissolved.  Set aside to cool.
• Dip the sponge fingers in the coffee and line the bottom of a baking dish.  Spread one third of the chilled mascarpone mixture over the sponge fingers.  
• Repeat this process and finishing with a layer of mascarpone mixture.  
• Cover with clingwrap and refrigerate for several hours or overnight. 
• Before serving, dust  cocoa powder over the top.

Stir-fried Brussels Sprouts with Ikan Bilis

Do you know that Brussels sprouts were voted the most hated vegetable in Britain in a  2002 survey?  And it top the list of detested vegetables for many people although these sprouts are a good source of Vitamins A and C, Folic Acid and also rich in iron. 

It is important not to overcook these miniature cabbages as they will emit an unpleasant smell if overcooked.  

 

Ingredients:

200g brussels sprouts
a handful of ikan bilis, washed and drained
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tbsp of shredded ginger
1 tbsp white wine (or Chinese cooking wine)
salt, sugar & pepper
red chili, sliced
1 tsp sesame oil
cooking oil

• Remove loose leaves and wash sprouts in cold water.
• Trim the base of each sprout and cut sprouts into halves.
• Cook sprouts, uncovered,  in salted boiling water for about 1 minute.  Drain.
• Heat some cooking oil in a frying pan and stir-fry ikan bilis until crispy.  Transfer onto a plate.  Set aside.
• In the same pan, add more oil and saute ginger, garlic and chili until aromatic.
• Toss in sprouts and add in sesame oil and wine.  Season well.  
• Stir-fry sprouts until they are bright green and tender crisp. 
• Dish out the brussels sprouts and top with the fried ikan bilis.  

Sweet and Sour Spare Ribs

Ingredients:

600g pork spare ribs
3 cloves garlic, minced
a small knob of ginger, minced
cooking oil
1 tsp sesame oil
chili (optional)
spring onion for garnishing
salt & pepper

Sauce:
1/2 cup water
2 tbsp brown sugar

1 tbsp dark soy sauce
3 tbsp light soy sauce
2 tbsp Chinese cooking wine
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp tomato sauce

• Blanch spare ribs and drain. Set aside.
• With some cooking oil, saute ginger and garlic until aromatic. Add in sesame oil.
• Pour in sauce and bring to the boil.  Season with salt and pepper.  Add in spare ribs and stir well, making sure that ribs are coated with sauce.
• Reduce heat; cover and let simmer until spare ribs are tender.  

Chocolate-Dried Cranberry Cookies

Adapted from Rachel Allen's scrumptious little oat cookies -   

Ingredients:

120g butter
100g brown sugar
150g plain flour
1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/4 tsp salt
50g dried cranberries
50g rolled oats
90g dark & white chocolates, chopped into small chunks
50g LSA (ground Linseed, Almond & Sunflower seeds)
20g dessicated coconut
20g dark Chia seed
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 egg yolks

• Preheat oven to 180 degrees C.
• Melt butter.  Allow to cool. 
• Sift flour, bicarbonate of soda and salt together into a big mixing bowl.
• Add in brown sugar, LSA, oats, cranberries, dessicated coconut, chocolate and Chia seed.
• Lightly beat egg yolks and add into melted butter.  
• Pour butter and egg mixture into dry ingredients and stir well to combine.
• Shape dough into walnut-sized balls and then gently flatten. 
• Place cookies on lined baking tray and bake for about 9 - 10 minutes or until cookies are lightly golden.