Portuguese Chicken Wraps

Ingredients

2 (400g) chicken breast fillets
1 teaspoon Portuguese chicken seasoning
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1/3 cup whole-egg mayonnaise
1 tablespoon sweet chilli sauce
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh coriander leaves
1 baby cos lettuce heart, leaves washed, shredded
1 Lebanese cucumber, cut into sticks
250g grape tomatoes, halved
8 mini flour tortillas

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C fanforced. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Place chicken, in a single layer, in a shallow ceramic dish. Combine seasoning, lemon juice and 1 tablespoon oil in a jug. Pour over chicken. Turn to coat. Cover. Refrigerate for 20 minutes.

2. Heat remaining oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Cook chicken for 1 to 2 minutes each side or until golden. Transfer chicken to prepared tray. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until cooked through.

3. Meanwhile, combine mayonnaise, sweet chilli sauce and coriander in a bowl. Place lettuce, cucumber and tomato in bowls.

4.Heat tortillas in microwave, following packet directions. Thinly slice chicken. Place in bowl. Serve chicken with lettuce, tomato, cucumber, tortillas and mayonnaise mixture.

Nigella Lawson Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake

 

Ingredients

• Ingredients should be at room temperature before you start.

For the base:

• 200g digestive biscuits
• 50g salted peanuts
• 100g dark chocolate chips
• 50g soft unsalted butter

For the filling:

• 500g cream cheese
• 3 eggs
• 3 egg yolks (freeze the whites to
• make the meringues on p.262)
• 200g caster sugar
• 125ml sour cream
• 250g smooth peanut butter

For the topping:

• 250ml sour cream
• 100g milk chocolate chips
• 30g soft brown sugar
• 1 x 23cm springform tin

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 170°C, then process the biscuits, peanuts, dark chocolate chips and butter for the base in a food processor. Once it comes together in a clump, turn it out into a springform tin and press into the bottom and up the sides to make the crunchy crust. Put in the fridge while you make the filling.
2. Process the filling in the cleaned or wiped-out processor bowl, putting in the cream cheese, eggs and egg yolks, sugar, sour cream and peanut butter and whizzing to a smooth mixture.
3. Pour and scrape the filling into the base in the chilled springform tin and cook for 1 hour, though check after 50 minutes. The top – only – should feel set and dry.
4. Take the cheesecake out of the oven while you make the topping. Warm the sour cream and chocolate with the brown sugar gently in a small saucepan over a low heat, whisking to blend in the chocolate as it melts, and then take off the heat.
5. Spoon and spread the topping very gently over the top of the cheesecake, being as careful as you can in case you break the surface of the cheesecake. (Not that anything bad will happen; you’ll just have chocolate marbling the cake a bit.) Put it back in the oven for a final 10 minutes.
6. Once out of the oven, let the cheesecake cool in its tin and then cover and put into the fridge overnight. When you are ready to eat the cheesecake, take it out of the fridge, just to take the chill off: this will make it easier to spring from the tin.
7. Don’t let it get too warm, though, as it will become a bit gooey and be hard to slice.

 

Raspberry Tart

Ingredients

450ml thickened cream
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
¼ cup icing sugar, plus extra, to serve
3-4 punnets fresh raspberries

Sweet shortcrust pastry
2¼ cups plain flour
1/4 cup icing sugar
125g unsalted butter, softened
2 x 59g eggs

Serves 8

Method

1. For sweet shortcrust pastry, combine flour and icing sugar in food processor, process to combine. Add butter and process to fine crumbly texture. Add eggs and process until pastry comes together. Knead lightly on floured surface until base is smooth, pat the top to flatten slightly then wrap in baking paper and refrigerate 20 minutes or until firm enough to roll out.

2. Preheat oven to 200°C (180°C fan forced).

3. Roll out dough on a lightly floured work surface, use pastry to line base and side of 3cm deep, 24cm loose-based tart tin. Trim off any excess pastry, prick the base all over with a fork, then refrigerate for 10 minutes.

4. Place sheet of baking paper over the pastry and three-quarters fill with raw rice or beans. Bake blind for 15 minutes or until edges are light golden. Remove paper and rice and bake further 10 minutes or until base is dry and pastry golden. Set aside to cool in tin. Transfer pastry case to serving plate.

5. Whip the cream, vanilla and icing sugar together until thick. Spoon whipped cream into pastry case, then spread evenly. Scatter with raspberries and sprinkle with icing sugar

Chocolate Fudge Cake

Ingredients
100g chocolate
100g unsalted butter
3 eggs, separated
150g castor sugar
50g plain flour, sifted
50g pistachio nuts, finely chopped
1 dozen fresh raspberries to serve

Chocolate Ganache

100ml cream

125g chocolate, grated

Rose Water Cream

100ml cream

2 tbsp rose water

Serves 2



Method
1. Preheat oven to 160C.
2. Grease and line a medium sized baking tray.
3. Over a double boiler, melt chocolate and butter together. When cool, mix in flour.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together egg yolks and half the sugar.
5. Whisk egg whites in a separate bowl. When you have reached the soft peak stage, whisk in remaining sugar.
6. Fold egg whites into chocolate mixture.
7. Pour into baking tray and cover the top with baking paper to prevent a skin from forming.
8. Bake in oven for 30 minutes with a water bath on the tray below to keep the cake moist.
9. Turn cake out onto a cooling rack and let cool to room temperature.
10. To make chocolate ganache: bring cream to a simmer and pour over chocolate. Mix to combine.
11. To make rose water cream: whip cream to soft peaks and then mix in rose water.
12. To serve, top cake with chocolate ganache, chopped pistachio nuts and rose water cream. Serve with raspberries.

Date and Lemon Scones

Ingredients

150ml-175ml milk
150ml cream
1 egg
3 cups self-raising flour
2 tbs caster sugar
1 cup chopped, dried dates
Finely grated rind 1 lemon
Cream & jam, to serve

Method

Makes 12
1. Preheat oven 200°C fan forced. Line large flat oven tray with baking paper.

2. Whisk 150ml milk, cream and egg together until well combined. Combine flour, sugar, dates and lemon rind in a large bowl. Add milk mixture and stir gently to a soft dough, adding remaining milk if necessary. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently until dough comes together.

3. Press dough out to 2cm-thick. Cut scones from dough and place onto tray flat-side up. Press dough together gently and repeat using the remaining dough. Brush the tops with milk and sprinkle with a little sugar. Bake 12-15 minutes until golden and well risen. Serve hot with jam and cream.

Fish Cake

 

ingredients

•300 gms potatoes
• 100 gms salmon fillet, skin on and no scales on the skin, all bones removed
• A small handful of fresh parsley
• 1 egg
• 1 lemon
• Olive oil
• 1 tablespoon plain flour (extra for dusting)

method

Not only do homemade fish cakes taste miles better than shop-bought ones, but if you make your own you know exactly what goes in them; the cheap factory-made ones can often be filled with rubbish. This recipe is so tasty that it’s a really good idea to double or triple the quantities and freeze batches for another day – just make sure you defrost them thoroughly before using, then follow the cooking instructions below.To prepare your fishcakesBring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Peel your potatoes, chop them into even sized chunks (or use the left over potatoes from your baked potatoes – scoop out the potato and discard the skin), add the potatoes to the boiling water and bring back to the boil. Rub the salmon fillet all over with a little olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. When your potatoes have half way cooked, place the salmon into a colander, then cover this with foil, and place the colander over the pot of boiling potatoes. Turn the heat down and cook for 8-10 minutes, until the salmon and potatoes are both cooked. Remove the fish from the colander and put to one side. Drain the potatoes in the same colander, then return them to the pot and let them steam dry for a minute. Pick the parsley leaves and finely chop them, discarding the stalks. Mash the potatoes, spreading the mash round the sides of the pan to help it cool down quickly. Remove any skin from the salmon. When the potatoes are cooled, put it into a bowl and flake the fish into it with 1 tablespoon of flour. Add the egg and chopped parsley with a really good pinch of salt and pepper. Finely grate over the lemon zest, then mash and mix it up really well.To Make Your FishcakesDust a plate with a little of the extra flour. Divide your fish cakes into 4, lightly shape and pat into circles about 2cm thick, dusting them with flour as you go. Put them onto a clean plate also dusted with a little flour. – If you are going to freeze them at this point, wrap them in clingfilm and put them into the freezer. Otherwise simply pop them into the fridge for an hour before cooking – this will allow them to firm up slightly.To Cook Your FishcakesPut a large fry pan on a medium heat and add a couple of lugs of olive oil. When the oil is nice and hot, add your fishcakes and cook for about 3 – 4 minutes on each side or until crisp and golden – you may need to cook them in two batches. Serve straight away, with lemon halves for squeezing over, serve with lovely vege or a cool crisp salad. These fish cakes also go really is you use tuna instead of the salmon. Not only do homemade fish cakes taste miles better than shop-bought ones, but if you make your own you know exactly what goes in them; the cheap factory-made ones can often be filled with rubbish. This recipe is so tasty that it’s a really good idea to double or triple the quantities and freeze batches for another day – just make sure you defrost them thoroughly before using, then follow the cooking instructions below.

To prepare your fishcakes
Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Peel your potatoes, chop them into even sized chunks (or use the left over potatoes from your baked potatoes – scoop out the potato and discard the skin), add the potatoes to the boiling water and bring back to the boil. Rub the salmon fillet all over with a little olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. When your potatoes have half way cooked, place the salmon into a colander, then cover this with foil, and place the colander over the pot of boiling potatoes. Turn the heat down and cook for 8-10 minutes, until the salmon and potatoes are both cooked. Remove the fish from the colander and put to one side. Drain the potatoes in the same colander, then return them to the pot and let them steam dry for a minute. Pick the parsley leaves and finely chop them, discarding the stalks. Mash the potatoes, spreading the mash round the sides of the pan to help it cool down quickly. Remove any skin from the salmon. When the potatoes are cooled, put it into a bowl and flake the fish into it with 1 tablespoon of flour. Add the egg and chopped parsley with a really good pinch of salt and pepper. Finely grate over the lemon zest, then mash and mix it up really well.

To Make Your Fishcakes
Dust a plate with a little of the extra flour. Divide your fish cakes into 4, lightly shape and pat into circles about 2cm thick, dusting them with flour as you go. Put them onto a clean plate also dusted with a little flour. – If you are going to freeze them at this point, wrap them in clingfilm and put them into the freezer. Otherwise simply pop them into the fridge for an hour before cooking – this will allow them to firm up slightly.

To Cook Your Fishcakes
Put a large fry pan on a medium heat and add a couple of lugs of olive oil. When the oil is nice and hot, add your fishcakes and cook for about 3 – 4 minutes on each side or until crisp and golden – you may need to cook them in two batches. Serve straight away, with lemon halves for squeezing over, serve with lovely vege or a cool crisp salad. These fish cakes also go really is you use tuna instead of the salmon.

Macaroni Cheese

 

Ingredients

• 500g/1lb 2oz good-quality macaroni
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• a knob of butter
a small bunch of fresh marjoram or oregano, leaves picked
• 100g/3½oz Parmesan cheese, freshly grated, plus extra for grating
• 100g/3½oz fontina or taleggio cheese, roughly torn
• 100g/3½oz mascarpone cheese
• ¼ of a nutmeg
a small ball of buffalo mozzarella cheese

Method

This is my twist on the old-school frumpy Anglicized dish of macaroni cheese. Using these four different cheeses together, each one with its own characteristics, works really well. For the classic finish, it has to be popped under the grill to crisp up and go brown on top – lovely. Once you see how quick it is, you won’t be making any bechamels or claggy old sauces for a long time.Preheat your oven to 200ºC/400ºF/gas 6. Cook the macaroni in a pan of salted boiling water 2 minutes short of the timing on the packet instructions, then drain in a colander and reserve a little of the cooking water. Heat the butter in a large heavy-based frying pan. When it starts to foam, add the marjoram or oregano and fry for a minute until it starts to crisp up, then turn off the heat. Add your cooked pasta to the marjoram or oregano butter, along with a couple of spoonfuls of the reserved cooking water and the Parmesan, fontina or taleggio and mascarpone. Return to a medium heat and toss and stir around until most of the cheese has melted and you have a lovely gooey sauce – you may need to add a little more of the reserved cooking water. Season to taste, then tip it all into an earthenware dish. Grate over the nutmeg, tear over the mozzarella and sprinkle over the extra Parmesan. Bake the macaroni cheese in the preheated oven for about 10 minutes, finishing up with a quick whack under the grill, until golden brown and crispy on top.• from Cook With Jamie This is my twist on the old-school frumpy Anglicized dish of macaroni cheese. Using these four different cheeses together, each one with its own characteristics, works really well. For the classic finish, it has to be popped under the grill to crisp up and go brown on top – lovely. Once you see how quick it is, you won’t be making any bechamels or claggy old sauces for a long time.

Preheat your oven to 200ºC/400ºF/gas 6. Cook the macaroni in a pan of salted boiling water 2 minutes short of the timing on the packet instructions, then drain in a colander and reserve a little of the cooking water. Heat the butter in a large heavy-based frying pan. When it starts to foam, add the marjoram or oregano and fry for a minute until it starts to crisp up, then turn off the heat. Add your cooked pasta to the marjoram or oregano butter, along with a couple of spoonfuls of the reserved cooking water and the Parmesan, fontina or taleggio and mascarpone. Return to a medium heat and toss and stir around until most of the cheese has melted and you have a lovely gooey sauce – you may need to add a little more of the reserved cooking water. Season to taste, then tip it all into an earthenware dish. Grate over the nutmeg, tear over the mozzarella and sprinkle over the extra Parmesan. Bake the macaroni cheese in the preheated oven for about 10 minutes, finishing up with a quick whack under the grill, until golden brown and crispy on top.