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Posted on in Blog, Recipes

Kawlata – A Traditional Maltese Soup

This traditional Maltese vegetable soup is very popular especially when winter is approaching. It is a mouthful and deliciously combined with pork and sausage. It MUST go on your weekly winter menu!

Ingredients For Maltese Kawlata

  • pork shank (xikel)
  • maltese sausage
  • 1 medium onion, peeled and diced
  • 2 courgettes, diced
  • a wedge of pumpkin, peeled and diced
  • 1 large potato, peeled and diced
  • 2 medium carrots
  • 1/2 a small white cabbage, cut into squares
  • 1 vegetable stock cube
  • 1 tbsp tomato puree
  • dash of olive oil

Equipment

  • Large pot
  • Wooden spoon

Method

  1. Heat up a large pot on medium heat and add some olive oil. Add the onion, courgettes, pumpkin, carrots, potato and cabbage and give them a good stir. Cover the pot and leave vegetables to sweat for about 10 minutes.
  2. Fill up the pot half way with cold water, add the shank and sausage and continue to fill up the pot with water until it covers everything. Stir in a tbsp of tomato puree and add the vegetable stock cube. Give all a gentle stir.
  3. Cover the pot again and bring to the boil. Once boiling, uncover the pot, lower the heat and let it simmer for about 1.5 – 2 hrs. You can add water along the way if you think it is reducing a lot and you prefer it more watery.

Top tip: When serving, we like to give it some seasoning with sea salt and crushed black pepper corns plus some grated Parmesan cheese, oh yes please!

 

 

 

 

 

Posted on in Blog, Recipes

Fresh Fig and Avocado Salad with a Manuka Honey Dressing

Even though the weather is getting cooler, there is always an appetite for a healthy colourful salad. Being it the main dish or a side salad, it can be enjoyed at anytime of the day!

Ingredients

  • a bunch of fresh mixed lettuce leaves, we used a mix of rocket and purple leaf lettuce
  • half an avocado, stoned and sliced
  • 1 fresh fig, peeled and quartered
  • 1 fresh buffalo mozzarella cheese, drained well and sliced
  • drizzle of manuka honey dressing (see below for recipe)
  • some pomegranate seeds

Equipment

  • Salad bowl
  • Small bowl for dressing
  • Colander
  • Spoon

Method

Simply set the base of the salad with your lettuce and spread the other ingredients all over, finishing with a drizzle of the manuka honey dressing and scattered pomegranate seeds. You can also add some sunflower seeds for more nutritional value.

Top Tip: The easiest way to clean a pomegranate is to half it and with the back of a spoon, tap its outer shell so seeds will fall easily.
Manuka Honey Dressing 
Mix all together the following ingredients:
  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  • 3 teaspoons manuka honey
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 1⁄2 tsp lemon juice
  • 1⁄4 tsp dried mustard
  • salt and pepper

 

Posted on in Blog, Recipes

Christmas Pudding

Already?! Yes!!!

It’s that time of the year when we start preparing our delicious Christmas Pudding. The earlier you do this, the better, so the flavours of all the dried fruits baked together with the spices, eggs, flour, and butter have time to mature.

Ingredients

  • 150g currants
  • 150g sultanas
  • 150g prunes
  • 175ml sherry
  • 100g plain flour
  • 125g bread crumbs
  • 150g vegetable suet
  • 150g dark brown muscovado sugar
  • 1tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp ground cloves
  • 1tsp baking powder
  • grated zest of 1 lemon
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 medium cooking apple (grated)
  • 2 tbsp honey

Equipment

  • Steamer
  • Large mixing bowl
  • Heat-proof basin
  • Spoon

Other

  • Cling film
  • Foil
  • Baking paper

Method

  1. Mix currants, sultanas and prunes in a bowl. Add sherry, cover with cling film and leave to soak for a week. Give them a stir every now and then.
  2. After a week, butter a heat-proof basin and mix remaining ingredients. Add soaked fruits and press it down. Cover with foil and steam for 5 hrs. When ready and cooled, remove foil and replace with a baking paper and cling film on top. Leave on the side (we place it inside a kitchen cupboard or on top of the fridge) until Christmas day. In the meantime you can uncover every now and then to pour in more sherry if you wish and cover again.
  3. On Christmas day, steam for another 3 hrs and serve.
Posted on in Blog, Recipes

Veal Osso Buco

This recipe details how to prepare veal shanks for six servings. Begin by preheating the oven and preparing the veal by cutting its fat. Sear the veal in a hot, oiled frying pan until browned, then set aside. Prepare mirepoix with vegetables and herbs, add tomato puree, white wine, and stock cubes. Transfer everything to an oven-proof dish, cover tightly with foil, and cook for 1.5 to 2 hours. Finally, strain the gravy for a smooth jus to serve with the veal.

Ingredients  for Veal Osso Buco  Serves 6

  • 6 veal shanks with bone and marrow, about 250g each
  • 1 medium onion, peeled and roughly cut
  • 3 garlic cloves, peeled
  • 2 medium carrots, washed and roughly cut
  • 3 celery stalks, washed and roughly cut
  • 1 medium leek, washed and roughly cut
  • 4 bay leaves
  • Few sprigs of fresh thyme
  • Few sprigs of fresh rosemary
  • 142g tomato puree
  • 300ml white wine
  • 450ml hot water
  • 2 beef stock cubes
  • dash of oil
  • salt

Equipment 

  • Knife
  • Large non-stick frying pan
  • Oven proof dish
  • Pair of tongs

Other

  • Foil

Method

  1. Pre-heat oven on gas mark 3-4.
  2. Start making a few cuts along the fat lining of the veal by sliding the knife in gently. This is to prevent the veal from twisting upwards when cooking.
  3. Prepare a large frying pan on high heat, add some oil and salt.
  4. By the time the pan is getting hot, we can start preparing the mirepoix; roughly chop the carrots, onion, leek and celery. Add the bay leaf, thyme, rosemary and garlic as whole. Put all vegetables in a container and leave them on the side for now.
  5. Place the veal in the pan and leave to seal until it gets a nice brown colour. Turn the veal around and do the same for this side.
  6. Transfer the veal onto an oven proof dish and put it on the side for now. Leave the frying pan on the heat and add the mirepoix to cook for about 2-4 minutes.
  7. Give the vegetables a stir and add the tomato puree. Stir again and leave to cook as long as you can; the longer you cook it the more you reduce its acidity.
  8. Add the white wine and leave it to reduce by half.
  9. In the meantime prepare a deep oven proof dish and a large piece of foil, ready for later on
  10. Once the wine is reduced, add the stock cubes and the hot water. Give everything another gentle stir.
  11. Transfer the mirepoix to your prepared dish and start placing the veal on top of it. Cover the whole dish with foil and make sure it is covered tightly so no vapour can escape. Place dish in oven and leave to cook for 1.5 – 2hrs.
  12. After 2hrs you can remove the dish from oven, place the veal in another dish and strain the gravy so you’ll get a smooth jus out of your mirepoix.
Posted on in Blog, Recipes

Beer Butt Chicken

Probably the most tender roasted chicken you’ll ever get!

Ingredients

  • 1 whole chicken
  • 1 can of lager
  • 1 tsp fennel seeds
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds or ground cumin
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp brown sugar
  • olive oil

Equipment

  • Small bowl
  • Spoon
  • Large roasting tray

Method

  1. Preheat the oven on gas mark 6.
  2. In a small bowl, mix the fennel, cumin seeds and paprika, brown sugar and a pinch of sea salt and black pepper.
  3. Stir in 3 tbsp of oil until you get a paste, then drizzle all over the chicken, inside and out, using your hands to make sure it gets all over.
  4. Crack open the beer and pour half of it into a roasting tray (where you would have already prepared some sliced potatoes, carrots and onions and I also add some Maltese sausage), then lower the chicken’s cavity on to the top of the can so it looks as though the chicken is sitting on the can.
  5. Carefully sit the chicken in the roasting tray together with the vegetables.
    Drizzle some olive oil all over and add some water to the dish so you’ll have some nice gravy. You can also add some bacon on its ‘shoulders’ to give an extra taste.
  6. Place on the very bottom shelf of the oven and cook for 1 hour 10 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes, or until the meat pulls away from the bone and the juices run clear. 26195713_2149005958660259_2754374630378818510_n
Posted on in Blog, Recipes

Easy Chocolate and Coconut Cake

This recipe outlines the process for making a chocolate coconut cake. Ingredients include butter, cocoa powder, self-raising flour, baking powder, desiccated coconut, caster sugar, eggs, and milk. The method involves preheating the oven, preparing a cake tin, melting butter, combining ingredients, baking for one hour, and cooling the cake on a rack after allowing it to rest.

Ingredients

  • 250 g butter
  • 115g cocoa powder
  • 225g self-raising flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 90g desiccated coconut
  • 337g caster sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 180ml milk

Equipment

  • Round cake tin 20 cm
  • Large mixing bowl
  • Sieve
  • Wire cooling rack

Other

  • Baking paper

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 160℃ and line the base and sides of a 20cm round cake tin with baking paper.
  2. Melt butter. Sift cocoa, flour and baking powder into a large bowl and add the coconut, caster sugar, eggs, milk and melted butter. Mix to combine.
  3. Pour the mixture into the prepared cake tin and place in the oven to bake for 1 hour or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.
  4. Allow the cake to cook in the tin for 15 minutes before putting it on a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
Posted on in Blog, Recipes

Stewed Octopus

Ingredients

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  • 2 large octopus, cleaned and chopped
  • 1 onion, peeled and diced
  • 4 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
  • A handful of black olives, with pitts
  • 800g chopped tomatoes
  • 500g passata
  • 300ml cooking red wine
  • A handful of capers
  • Fresh mint leaves
  • Fresh thyme leaves
  • Sunflower oil
  • Sea salt &  crushed black pepper

Equipment

  • Large pot
  • Wooden spoon
  • Knife

Method

  1. Prepare a large pot on medium heat and add some oil. Add onions, garlic, mint and thyme. Give all a stir and leave to cook for about 5 minutes.
  2. Add the chopped tomatoes, passata and red wine. Fill the tomato tin with water, give it a swirl to wash away any left over and add it to the pot. Cover the pot and bring to the boil.
  3. Add the octopus (raw, as it is), the olives and capers to the pan. Lower the heat and leave it to simmer gently for about 1.5 hrs.

Suggestion:

Use the salsa to create a lovely pasta dish or to simply enjoy dipping in some fresh crusty bread.

Posted on in Blog, Recipes

Easy Lamb Stew | Lamb Stew Recipe

Ingredients for Easy Lamb Stew (serves 4)

  • 800g diced neck or shoulder or leg of lamb (we used the neck)
  • 2 medium onions, peeled and roughly chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, peeled and leave as whole
  • 4 medium carrots, washed, unpeeled and roughly chopped
  • 5 medium potatoes, washed/scrubbed, unpeeled and roughly chopped
  • 200g frozen peas
  • 300ml cooking red wine
  • 400g chopped tomatoes
  • 500g passata (tomato juice)
  • 140g tomato puree
  • 3 stalks of fresh rosemary
  • 6 bay leaves
  • Sea salt
  • Sunflower oil

Equipment

  • Deep non-stick frying pan
  • Wooden spoon
  • Knife

Method

  1. Prepare a deep frying pan on high heat and add some oil.
  2. Once the pan is very hot, add the lamb, rosemary, bay leaves and season with some salt. Leave the lamb to cook until it gets a nice golden colour. Give it a gentle stir as you go along.
  3. Add the onions, garlic and carrots to the pan and stir. Let it cook for another 4-5 minutes.
  4. Add the tomato puree and mix thoroughly. This will give us a nice colour and will help to thicken the stew. Make sure that you cook the tomato puree as much as you can, until it almost sticks to the bottom of the pan as this will help to reduce its acidity.
  5. Add the wine, give it a stir and let it reduce by half.
  6. Add the chopped tomatoes, passata and  potatoes. You can top it up with a little of water and give a good stir. Bring it to the boil and reduce the heat to leave it simmering gently for about 2hrs.
  7. Finally you can add the frozen peas, give it a stir, cover the pan and and after about 10 minutes you can serve.
Posted on in Blog, Recipes

Roasted Chicken Legs with Roasted Potatoes and Carrots

This recipe is for a hearty chicken and vegetable dish serving five. It includes chicken legs, potatoes, onions, carrots, garlic, and herbs, cooked in chicken stock. The preparation involves preheating the oven, boiling stock, mixing vegetables, placing the chicken on top, and then roasting for 1 hour and 15 to 30 minutes. Regular basting every 20 minutes is essential for achieving tender chicken with a golden crust. Enjoy this flavorful comfort food.

Ingredients (serves 5 people):

  • 5 Chicken legs
  • 5 Medium-large potatoes, washed and sliced (leave skin on)
  • 2 Chicken stock cubes with approx 1.5 ltrs of cold water
  • 2 Medium onions, peeled and sliced
  • 3 Garlic cloves, peeled (do not slice)
  • 5 Medium carrots, washed and roughly chopped (leave skin on)
  • 1 Bouquet Garni or 1 teaspoon of mixed dried herbs
  • Salt & pepper

Equipment

  • Small pot
  • Whisker
  • Large oven proof dish
  • Long serving spoon for basting

Method:

  1. Pre-heat oven on mark 7.
  2. Prepare a small pot with cold water, add the chicken stock cubes and heat until boiling, stirring as you go with a whisker.
  3. Prepare a large oven proof dish, add potatoes, carrots, onions and garlic. Add the bouquet garni or your mixed herbs and season with salt and pepper if you wish. Give all a gentle stir.
  4. Place chicken legs on top of the vegetable mix and pour the chicken stock all over.
  5.  Place dish in oven and cook for 1hr15mins-1hrs30mins.

Important note:

BASTING – To get a nice tender cooked chicken with a golden crusty skin, make sure you baste it. This is done every 20 mins throughout cooking time by pouring chicken juices from the dish all over the chicken legs so it can keep moist. Put the dish back in the oven. Watch how to do this in the video at 12:00.

Posted on in Blog, Recipes

Homemade Asparagus Soup

 

Aspargus soup is one of distinctive soup, if it is done correctly with some patience, you will end up with some amazing flavours, below is very simple recipe were we used only handful of ingredients as we left the ingredients to speak for themselves.

Ingredients for Asparagus Soup

 

  • 600g asparagus, end bit removed and sliced
  • 2 medium onions, peeled and roughly chopped
  • 40g butter
  • 60g plain flour
  • 2 ltr boiling water
  • 2 vegetable stock cubes
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 250ml milk
  • Salt & pepper for seasoning

Equipment

  • 2 medium sized pots
  • Whisker
  • Wooden spoon
  • Ladle
  • Hand blender

Method:

  1. Start by preparing the stock. Heat up 2 ltrs of water in a medium sized pot. Add the vegetable stock cubes and the lemon juice to the boiling water, cover pot and turn the hob on full heat. Turn off when boiling, give it a good stir with a whisk and leave it on the side. 
  2. Heat a separate pot on a medium to high heat and add butter. Add onions and asparagus to pot (leave 4 asparagus tips on the side for garnish later on). Mix thoroughly and let cook for around 1 minute. Add flour and leave to cook for about 45 seconds whilst stirring it. 
  3. Start adding the stock, ladle by ladle, and stir until the butter and flour are thoroughly dissolved. We do this so we prevent lumps forming in the soup. Once the flour and butter are dissolved, you can add all of your stock at one go. Bring it to the boil and leave it to simmer for around 20 minutes. 
  4. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper as you please. Add milk and blitz it. 

Tip: For the garnish, heat up some butter in a shallow frying pan and add the asparagus tips. Leave to cook for about 20 seconds whilst turning them so that butter touches all sides. Place in middle of plate and you can drizzle some butter from the pan to the plate (as seen on the main picture)