Hungarian Poppyseed Walnut Cake

Recipe by Fast Ed

300g poppy seeds
100g walnuts
200g cake crumbs
2 Tbsp instant coffee powder
250g unsalted butter, softened
80g icing sugar
1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
1 lemon, zested and juiced
7 eggs, separated
½ tsp cream of tartar
140g caster sugar
200g apricot jam

1 Preheat oven to 180°C. Grind the poppy seeds and walnuts in a blender until they thicken and begin to stick to one another. Mix with the cake crumbs and coffee powder, then set aside.

2 Combine the butter, icing sugar, cinnamon and lemon zest in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat on high speed for 3 minutes, until light and creamy. Beat in the egg yolks one at a time, until smooth.

3 Whisk the egg whites to soft peak with the cream of tartar, adding the caster sugar in four stages. Fold half the meringue into the butter mixture, then alternate the remaining meringue with the poppy seed mixture. To finish, fold in the lemon juice. Spoon into a lined 24cm cake tin, then bake for 40 minutes, until firm to touch.

4 Invert the cake onto a wire rack to cool. Spoon the jam into a small saucepan and set over a medium heat. Brush over the cooled cake, then cool until set. Slice with a warm knife, then serve.

Tuna Pasta Bake

1/2 cup (70g) uncooked spiral pasta
20g butter or margarine
2 tablespoons plain flour
1 1/2 cups (375ml) milk
2 cups (230g) grated cheddar cheese
1 cup (185g) frozen green peas
1 cup (185g) frozen corn kernels
1 (425g) tin tuna, drained
1 pinch salt
1/2 cup (60g) breadcrumbs

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C. Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until tender, about 8 minutes. Drain.

2. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the flour until smooth. Gradually mix in milk so that no lumps form. Stir constantly until the mixture boils, then mix in half of the cheese. Add the peas, corn and macaroni. Drain the tuna, leaving a small amount of liquid to keep it moist. Flake with a fork and stir into the cheese mixture. Transfer to a casserole dish and top with the remaining cheese. Sprinkle breadcrumbs over the cheese.

3. Bake for 20 minutes in the preheated oven, until sauce is bubbly and cheese is browned.

Moroccan Fish Stew

One and a half kilos fresh white fish
One can coconut milk
Parsley
2 onions, quartered
3 large cloves of garlic, peeled and whole.
1 can chopped tomatoes
4 medium potatoes, thickly sliced
3 carrots, quartered vertically
1/4 tsp. turmeric and 1/4 tsp. cumin
1 Tblsp. paprika
salt and pepper
1/3 cup olive oil
Juice of one lime [or lemon]

Place a small amount of olive oil in the base of a pot.

Place the vegetables in the pot and sprinkle with the dry spices.

Add olive oil and lime juice and a can of coconut milk. The ingredients will release their juices and form a thin, but rich sauce.

Cover the pot and set it over a medium flame. Add the fish after about 20 minutes of simmering. Cook for a further 20 minutes until the fish is done.

Serve it hot, with lemon wedges.

Beef Bourguignon Pot Pie

1 kg beef, cut into small cubes
Flour, for dusting
1 carrot, grated
1 celery stick, finely diced
500ml beef stock
500ml red wine
1 x brown onion finely diced
500g mushrooms cut into small quarters
1 clove of garlic
2 sheets of frozen puff pastry
1 egg
1 tbs water

Roll the beef cubes in flour and place in large pan with some olive oil to seal the meat -   use a high heat until nicely browned. Remove from pan and place on a plate.

In the same pot, fry diced onion and garlic until soft and golden.

Now, add the meat back to the onion. Add mushrooms and the red wine. Bring to the boil and then turn the heat down to simmer for ten minutes.

Now add the stock and let simmer for one hour. The sauce should be thick and rich in consistency. If it is not, combine a little cornflour and water in a bowl and stir into the stew until the right thickness. Let the stew cool slightly.

Heat the oven to 200C. Place the bourguignon in bowls and cover with the defrosted puff pastry - [first make a collar for the bowls with large strips of pastry, using eggwash to stick to pot.  Put a double layered circle of puff pastry as the lid.   Cut a slit in the centre of the pastry and firmly seal around the edges with the back of a fork. Brush with egg wash.

Bake for 30-40 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown.

[Another option is to use mashed potato instead of puff pastry - which will turn it into a Shepherd's Pie]

Lime Curd Tart

Ingredients:

4 limes at room temperature

1-1/2 cups sugar

120 grams unsalted butter

4 extra-large eggs at room temperature

1/8 teaspoon salt

25cm baked tart shell

Thickened cream

Method:

Remove the zest of 4 limes with a zester or citrus plane, being careful to avoid the pith. Roll the limes on the counter with the palm of your hand, then microwave each one for 20 seconds. 

Halve and squeeze the limes to make 1/2 cup of juice and set the juice aside.

Finely mince the zest. Cream the butter with the sugar and lime zest. Add the eggs, one at a time, and then add the lime juice and salt. Mix until combined.

Pour the mixture into a saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until thickened (about 10 minutes). Remove from the heat and set aside.

Fill the tart shell with lime curd and allow to set at room temperature. Before serving, softly whip more cream than you think you will need. Each slice of tart should have a generous drift of whipped cream.

Broccoli Kugel

Cornflake crumbs - or matza meal if making for Pesach

500g broccoli, chopped into small pieces [or use frozen broccoli- 500g]
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 onions, diced
4 eggs
1 cup mayonnaise
salt and pepper to taste


Preheat an oven to 375 degrees F (180 degrees C). Grease large baking dish with oil and coat with cornflake crumbs or matza meal.  Shake to distribute evenly, including the sides of the pan.

Cook broccoli in salted water for about 5 mins.  Mash the cooked broccoli.

If using frozen broccoli, defrost and chop into smaller pieces, drain all water.

Sautee onion until translucent, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low, and continue cooking and stirring until the onion is caramelised. Set aside.
Beat eggs with mayonnaise, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Stir in broccoli and onion. Pour into the prepared baking dish, and sprinkle generously with cornflake crumbs or matza meal. 

Bake in the preheated oven for about 40 mins, test with a skewer.

Broccoli Salad

2 heads broccoli
3/4 cup craisins [dried cranberries]
3/4 cup sunflower seeds and/or
3/4 cup cashews
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
pepper

Cut broccoli into small pieces. In a large bowl, combine the shredded broccoli, craisins, red onion, and almonds.

Whisk together the mayonnaise, lemon juice, vinegar, sugar, salt, and a few grinds of fresh pepper. Pour the dressing over the broccoli mixture and stir to combine.  Allow to sit for 30 minutes [or an hour in the fridge] so the flavors can mingle.

Poached salmon with dill and horseradish cream

Salmon fillets
1 large red onion, quartered
a few black peppercorns
one lemon, quartered
Some fennel, chopped
Carrot, chopped
celery heads with leaves
dill

Dill and horseradish cream
150g extra-light sour cream
21/2 tbs fresh lemon juice
11/2 tbs horseradish cream
1 tbs finely chopped fresh dill
Salt and freshly ground black pepper


Place onion, fennel, carrot and any other aromatics you like, into a pot, cover with water, bring to boil. Reduce heat, add salmon and allow to simmer very gently until done.

To make the dill and horseradish cream, combine the sour cream, lemon juice, horseradish and dill in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Stir until well combined. Place in a serving jug and cover with plastic wrap. Store in the fridge until required.

Potato and cauliflower dauphinois

250ml cream
250ml full cream milk
4 cloves garlic, finely sliced
Knob of butter
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
600g potato, sliced
Half a large cauliflower, sliced
Thyme (fresh is good, but dried is okay too)
Handful of grated Parmesan

Preheat the oven to 200C. Simmer milk, cream, garlic for five minutes. Remove from heat, then season with salt and pepper.

Butter an earthenware dish. Put a layer of potatoes on the bottom, sprinkle with thyme, and add a layer of cauliflower. Repeat, and finish with a layer of potatoes.

Pour over the infused milk and cream. Oil one side of a a piece of aluminum foil and cover the dish, oil-side down. Cook in oven for 1 hour, until potatoes are soft.

Remove foil. Sprinkle over the Parmesan. Return to oven, and cook for another 10 - 20 minutes until golden brown. You can keep this in the oven (turn to low) until you are ready to serve.

Lemon Syrup Cake

125g butter
1 tblspn grated lemon rind
2 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1.5 cups SR flour
1/2 cup milk

Syrup:
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup caster sugar
Stir together until sugar is dissolved.

Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Line base of 20cm round cake tin.
Mix all cake ingredients together in large bowl.  If too dry add more milk.
Spread mixture into cake tin.  Bake for 35-40 mins or until skewer comes out clean.
Leave cake in tin and prick with a fork or skewer all over.
Gently spoon syrup over cake.
Allow to stand until completely cold before turning out.

Pesto Pasta, Salmon and Avocado Salad

This was so yum........  I hope I've got the ingredients right:

Pasta shells - cook as per instructions on packet, allow to cool

Pesto sauce [make it or buy it]: [olive oil, pine nuts, basil].

Smoked salmon - cut into very thin strips

Avocado - diced into small cubes

Fresh salmon [just a small piece] - cook it any way you like, and allow to cool, flake into very small pieces

Feta cheese - flaked - optional

Green beans - blanched and cooled - optional



Mix all ingredients together, gently.