amarula flavoured meringue

I'm used to making the traditional meringue which is just egg whites, sugar and corn flour but today decided on something different. I am a renowned lover of Amarula which I use in most of my baking now sometimes to substitute vanilla extract. The result was a pavlova to die for as the amarulla gave it this exotic taste. Hmmm.

meringue nests ready for the oven

Finished product

You Need
3 free range egg whites
175g caster sugar
50g icing sugar
1tsp amarulla (opt) or vanilla extract

You will also need a clean baking tray, baking parchment and clean stainless steel bowl
Preheat oven to 150 degrees Celcius

How
In a clean bowl, place the egg whites and whisk until eggs are stiff with firm peaks ( ready when the egg whites do not fall off when you tip bowl upside down).
Add sugar 1tbs at a time and whisking for a few seconds before the next sugar
Add the icing sugar and continue nje whisking then whisk in the amarulla of using.
Meringue should be stiff, with firm peaks and not fall of when you lift the whisk.

Apply a small amount of meringue to the corners of the parchment paper and fix to the tray
Scoop meringue into the middle of the tray and spread into a nest (you can do this by placing a round plate onto the paper and drawing a circle around it as a guide)

Place meringue into the preheated oven and bake for 60minutes.

Decorate meringue with whipped cream and choice of soft fruits preferably berries and finish off with a berry coulis or compote.

Ultimately brilliant beef stroganoff

Last night I had beef for my Sunday dinner, the wing rib was so big I decided to divide it and leave some for another day. So today I decided to use my now 30 matured beef and boy did I enjoy it. I usually buy 28day matured beef for my Sunday roasts and then left it in the fridge for a further 24 hours before using. It helps to tenderise the meat and bringing out its deeper colour with the marbled lines coming through.

Extra matured beef

400g sirloin or rump steak thinly sliced, 150g chestnut mushrooms (quartered), 1 large echalion shallot chopped, 1 clove garlic crushed, 2tbs butter, 2tsp tomato purée, 1 tsp Dijon mustard, 4tbs white wine, 1tbs white wine vinegar, 150mls chicken stock 1/4tsp freshly ground pepper and some salt to taste. 150mls double cream or Creme fraiche 

Beef stroganoff served with rice and steamed asparagus 

Put a tablespoon of butter in the hot pan and slide in the beef and fry for about 5minutes. Remove the beef from pan and set aside.
Using same pan, pour in the oil and add remaining butter in the pan, add the shallot and sauté for 3minutes, add the mushrooms and garlic and cook for a further 3minutes until the mushrooms are tender.
Add the White wine vinegar, followed by the wine then the purée and mustard, reduce heat and simmer for a few minutes before putting back the meat. Add the cream and simmer for a further 5 minutes to allow the sauce to thicken.

Serve immediately with mashed potatoes, pasta or rice.

Asparagus and Hollandaise sauce

Today I decided to have asparagus as a start to my evening meal. My children were expecting quail eggs so to find a balance and please everyone I decided to save the eggs into the asparagus AND IT WORKED!

I am going to share with you the recipe for my hollandaise sauce which is a take on the classic recipe and Delia Smith's foamy sauce. It's dead simple you will be left wondering why you have never tried this before.

2 egg yolks, 2 bay leaves, 3 peppercorns, 1tbs White wine vinegar, 1tbs lemon juice and 2 egg whites. You also need 100g salted butter melted and cooled. Simmer the vinegar, lemon juice, peppercorns and bay leaves together until liquid has reduced to one tablespoon. Blend the egg yolks in a food processor for a few seconds then pour in the vinegar mixture in a slow steady stream while the blender is still running. Do the same with the melted butter until mixture starts to thicken.

Whisk the eg whites until they form soft peaks, fold in egg white into hollandaise sauce a tablespoon at a time until all is incorporated and sauce is foamy, light and airy yet smooth.

Chill until ready to use and serve with asparagus or quail eggs or in this case both. 

Easy peasy pizza recipe

There is nothing satisfying and fulfilling as making your own pizza from scratch and when you eat it, it tastes ten times more than those delivered stuff that come in cardboard boxes. The best part is that you get to use up all the tiny bits of meats you have been throwing in the bottom of the freezer.

My pizza base is easy to make and will give you that thin Italian base, top it up with an already veg loaded passata and you are good to go.

225g plain flour, 2tsp yeast, 2tsp sugar, 11/2tsp salt, 150ml tepid water and olive oil for greasing. Mix all the dry ingredients and make a well in the centre and then add the water and mix to a rough dough. Place dough onto a floured surface and knead for 10minutes till dough is elastic and soft.

Oil the palms of hands with oil and massage the dough and oil the bowl also. Place dough in the bowl  and cover with cling film before placing in a warm place for about one hour. Dough should rise and double as in above pic. 

Divide dough into four equal balls

Grease the pizza stones, roll out the balls and place in thee stones. Put 2tbs of passata onto each pizza and spread all over pizza with back of spoon. Add your toppings and bake till the meats are cooked

Beef and chicken, chicken and prawns, chicken and sausage pizzas accompanied by beer battered prawns and calamari. 

Ultimate Beef Burger

Tonight I wanted something simple and fun, I did not want to spend much time labouring in the kitchen therefore chose to have my ultimate beef burger for dinner.

 So I took out my ribeye steak and put it into my food processor, 2 slices of bread blitzed
Few basil leaves and freshly picked thyme leaves.
3 large potatoes peeled and cut lengthwise into medium sized chips.

400g minced ribeye steak with 2 tbs fresh breadcrumbs, 1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper, same amount crushed chilli and salt. Handful basil leaves and 2 tsp fresh thyme leaves. Mix all ingredients well.

Divide the ground beef into six balls and shape into burgers or or press down using large press rings. Allow to rest before grilling for about ten minutes  at 200deg Celcius.

Fry some chestnut mushrooms and one sliced red onion until tender and soft, sprinkle with a teaspoon of sugar and set aside.

Par boil some medium cut potatoes for 3minutes, then deep fry for 8 minutes. Assemble your burger, add some salad and dinner is served. Easy Peasy.

Pappardelle pasta: Easy mid week dinner

Simple easy pasta dinner, ready in 10minutes just serve with some crusty bread and you all set for the evening.

Pappardelle pasta with baby spinach in tomato and  sweet garlic sauce?

200g pappardelle pasta
200g tomato and garlic sauce
1 small zucchini
Handful baby spinach leaves

400g chicken breast cubed.
2 knorr chicken stock cubes
1tbs olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Crush the chicken stock and use it to coat the chicken
Heat pan on moderate heat, add oil and fry the chicken for 3minutes till well browned.
Add about 200mls water and reduce heat and simmer chicken for 15minutes till cooked through and set side.

Boil pasta in salted water on medium heat for 3minutes
Add the chopped zucchini and boil for a further 2minutes
Add the the spinach for the remaining 3minutes then drain off all the water and set your pasta aside.

In a pan, heat up the sauce for 3 minutes then add to the pasta and mix, top with some shaved zucchini, add chicken then sprinkle with grated parmigiana cheese.
Serve immediately with some crusty bread

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Tuile cones

Tuile cones filled with lemon curd and whipped cream, raspberries and raspberry coulis.

3 large egg whites

150g caster sugar

100g melted and cooled butter

100g plain flour

1tsp vanilla extract

Whisk egg whites
lightly then add the sugar and whisk well

Add the butter and whisk until smooth and mixture is well combined

Add the flour and vanilla extract and whisk again, batter should be smooth with no lumps and not foamy.

Most recipes would ask you to chill your batter at this time but I always work on time and I find that the results are still the same whether I have chilled the batter for 20 minutes or 4hours.

Drop a tablespoon of the batter onto the Teflon and spread round thinly with the back of the spoon. Make 2 to 3 biscuits at a time 

Bake in middle shelf for 10minutes

When done remove from oven and shape as desired whilst still hot.

Repeat process ensuring that Teflon is cold before putting the next batch to void melting the batter.