Going crackers!

A few weeks ago a friend of mine gave me a simple recipe for crackers made with nuts and seeds. The minute I baked them, the crackers vanished, so it seemed only natural to bake them again :)  This time, I added some chopped fresh garlic and sprinkled it over the crackers before baking.  Feel free to top with chilli flakes, chopped fresh rosemary or even dried dill.

Here is what you need to make around 10 large crackers (slightly smaller than a Ryvita)

Before Baking

50g almonds (raw with skin on)

50g sunflower seeds

50g linseeds

50g pumpkin or courgette seeds

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1 egg

1 to 2 tablespoons of olive oil

Chop the almonds as finely as you prefer.  I leave mine quite large (around a quarter of an nut). Next chop the pumpkin seeds. Add all the nuts, seeds to a bowl and stir in the egg.  I do not chop the sunflower seeds or the linseeds!

Add the oil a tablespoon at a time, making sure that the mixture is not too liquidy.  The amount of oil you need will depend on the size of the egg you use.

Once your mixture is stirred well, spread it on a baking sheet lined with baking paper.

Using a spatula or the back of a spoon shape it into crackers.  I suggest that the size is not too big as they will easily crumble otherwise.  Also make sure to have a thin layer of mixture as if the cracker is too thick, your cracker you will not have a crunchy bite to them.

Bake at 180C for about 10 to 15 minutes but this really depends on your oven.  A good indication is that the almonds have taken a golden hue.  It is normal to have some "foam" ooze out of the crackers whilst baking. Also note that the crackers will harden on cooling, so don't worry if they are still soft when you take them out of the oven.  

After Baking

Baking in Belgium on Instagram

Falafel from scratch

Oh no, don't turn away! It's not as complicated as it sounds.

Falafel always fascinated me and whenever I found the opportunity I always ordered them. Sometimes I was very happy with my choice whilst others I was confronted with a soppy, oil soaked, flavourless patty.  But not this time.

I was reading an article on Food 52 which explained how easy it was to make Falafel at home from scratch, so with all the list ingredients ready at hand, I tried it out this weekend.

I am at the stage where lots of weekend cooking and preparation saves me precious time during the week, so this recipe was prepared and cooked on Sunday in preparation for the week ahead. Surprisingly though, when we all had a taste of the first patty to make it out of the pan, my carnivorous family where all willing to ditch the roast in favour of these delicious "burgers".

No need to worry, the animal did not die in vain; the roast was devoured minutes later!

So here what you need to buy to make falafel

2 cup of dried chickpeas (which is just under 500g)

1 small onion

A handful of fresh mint

A bunch of fresh flat-leaved parsley

2 cloves of garlic

A generous pinch of salt

½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

2 teaspoons ras el hanut (this is a North-African spice mixture)

2 lemons, juiced

And here is what you need to do:

The night before you plan on preparing these little flavoursome parcels, soak the chickpeas in a large bowl.  Make sure there is enough water in the bowl as they will absorb quite a lot.

The next day, whenever that suits you, place all the above ingredients, except the chickpeas into a blender and blitz for a few seconds.

Now drain the chickpeas and add them to the blender. Blend until all turns into one nice big spicy smooth paste. Make sure that it is really smooth as there is nothing else to bind the patties together except the consistency of the paste itself.

Using your hands, turn the paste into patties. The size depends on how you want to serve them. If you are making burgers then portion them into burger-sized patties but if you will be serving them in pitta pockets then I suggest you make them smaller. This way you'll be able to fit a few in and get the lovely flavours with every bite.  

As an indication, these quantities make around 18 burger-size patties. If you think that's too much I suggest that you still go with these amounts and just freeze any leftover falafel; they will be a true life saver when you're too hungry or tired to cook!

Savory Broccoli Cake

Broccoli might not be everyone's favourite veggie but here is an easy way you can add them to your diet. 
This recipe was passed on by a friend of mine and I must admit that it is truely yummy and super quick! Took me less than 1 hour from start to finish (as in baked!)

 

So here is what you will need:

250 gr self raising flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

8-10 small broccoli florets or about half a large head
1 small spring onion
4 eggs

75 ml olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste
Grated cheese such as Gruyere

 

 

Before you start the preparation, pre-heat oven to 180 degrees Celcius.

Place the flour, baking powder, spring onion and the raw broccoli florets in the blender and whizz for about 30 seconds until the broccoli is chopped into small pieces.

Now, measure the oil and crack the 4 eggs into the same container.
Add the liquid to the flour and whizz again.
Finally season with salt, pepper or some herbs such as thyme.

The mixture should resemble that of a stodgy cake mixture and should not be as flowing as cake batter would usually be. 
Place the batter into your prepared cake tin or loaf tin.
I used a 1.5L loaf tin.

Sprinkle the top with some grated Gruyere and bake for about 20 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.

.....and there you have it!

You might also want to add about 100g of lardon or bacon bits to the mixture before baking.
If you do this, then I suggest you stir them in by hand as the blender would chop them too finely.

 

The 'd' word

February has started so hopefully magazines and blogs will stop inundating us with the avalanche of health tips and diet plans! Not that I would refuse any healthy advice, but enough is enough!
2013 had a few diet plans proposed; the Ducan diet, 5 + 2 or the Paleo.
Fancy fasting for 2 days out of 7 or eating like humans did in Paleo times? Well that is exactly what these diets are. I have still to come up with my own opinion on these diets, mainly by sticking to them for a few days then seeing the results (or lack of them).

In the meantime, here are a few links you might want to refer to:

5:2 book review - www.london-unattached.com
5:2 fasting days recipe ideas - http://www.tinnedtomatoes.com/
www.lavenderandlovage.com
The Fast diet - http://thefastdiet.co.uk/



Paleo - http://thepaleodiet.com/

Barley Soup

Cold weather makes me want to snuggle up on the sofa with some of my books, biscuits and mug of tea or hot chocolate! Alas, over the past weeks this was not possible! The hot chocolate and biscuit part I mean. 

Winter makes us pile on the pounds so easily that you barely notice! Cold weather is conducive to eating as this makes us feel warmer!

Warming up however does not necessarily mean fatty food, so here is a low carb, low GI recipe.   Barley soup can be prepared ahead of time and heated in portions which is very handy for mid-week meals.

Barley is mostly produced for the agricultural industry but is also used for malting and is a key ingredient in beer and whiskey production. Barley has a fibrous inedible outer hull which needs to be removed before it can be eaten. Once this is removed, the grain still has its bran and germs, and hence is still considered a whole grain. Pearl barley or pearled barley is hulled barley which has been processed further to remove the bran.

Barley also has a low Glycemic Index (GI) which means that it has a low effect on the blood sugar levels after consumption. 

This is what you need to make enough soup for 4 portions.

2 medium onions,
2 medium carrots,
2 slices of bacon,
2 marrows,
1 chicken cube,
60g barley,
Hot water.

Cut the vegetables into cubes, preferably of the same size. Place the onion in a pot and cook it over low heat adding a tablespoon of water so that the onion does not stick to the pot. Once the onions start to cook, add bacon which also needs to be cut into cubes. Add another tablespoon or more of water if required.

Next add the carrots and marrows. Now add enough water to cover the vegetables. Add the stock cube and bring to the boil. Now add barley and mix until it the soup starts to return back to boiling. This will avoid your barley from sticking to the bottom of the pot. Cook for about 10 to 15 minutes and then turn the heat off.

Allow the soup to set for a further 30 minutes at least so that the barley may absorb the liquid.
Make sure that the barley you are using is not a quick-cook barley. If this is the case, keep an eye on the soup once the barley is added as it will be ready in 10-15 mins.

Breakfast Muffins

With the cold weather fast approaching I am trying to give my girls a warm breakfast before they head out for the day.  Last week it was nut filled rolls, the week before it was oregano flatbreads and this week it will be savoury muffins.

I must admit that the rolls and the flat bread were easy to warm up as I would toast them literally whilst they were putting on their shoes.

Still haven't decided whether I should toast the muffins, microwave them or leave them simply at room temperature.

Having 2 girls, I try and bake in even number so there are no arguments on who will be gobbling up the last one and I managed quite well with this batch as I made 16. Here is what you will need:


For the basic Muffin recipe 
250g Wholemeal flour
150g Plain flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 pinch of salt
100 ml sunflower seed oil
2 eggs
250 ml buttermilk*

Veggies

1 small tin of sweetcorn (rinsed and drained)

1 handful of shredded carrots

3 frozen squares of spinach leaves (defrosted)

1 teaspoon dried thyme

100g sunflower seeds or sesame seeds or poppy seeds

You can really choose any veggies that you fancy but these are usually readily available and hence my choice. No need for mixers!

Place your basic recipe ingredients together in a bowl. Stick to the above order and mix well, using a wooden spoon or a knife after every addition. Next add the vegetables. You can substitute any vegetables you wish. you may want to add chickpeas or beans instead of the sweetcorn. It is really up to you and what you fancy!

Once all the ingredients have been properly mixed through, you should have a soft, smooth mixture that just falls back down when scooped up. If this is what you have then carry on, if not you will need to check your ingredients.

Scoop the mixture into a 12 deep hole muffin tin, sprinkle your seeds on top and bake at 170C for about 15minutes.

*Buttermilk is a sour milk-like dairy product. If you cannot find it then dilute natural yoghurt with enough milk to turn it into a drink. It should have the consistency of runny cream.

Mushroom Orzotto

There is really no excuse for not updating my blog for so long!... except for the fact that I am back to a full-time job, making it VERY difficult to find a slot in my day to actually sit down and write!  But this weekend I sit all alone in my kitchen (which doubles-up as my office when I am writing) and I just had to update!

Over the past few weeks we have done a fair bit of travelling - food-focused trips of course! We've been to the Alsace region in France and Germany and if that is not enough incentive to write then what is?

The delicacies are just too many to mention, let alone try them all out (not that we didn't give it a try!) The food is so good and varied that you really wish you do have enough stomach space to sample it all, but alas I didn't.

Once we settled back home and into our normal routine, I must admit that I did do an effort to cook leaner meals to hopefully regain some health balance within oneself. Whether it worked or not is another post in itself!  

One of the detox recipes I used is this one, Mushroom Orzotto as it looks fatty enough for us not to go cold turkey!  The prepared dish is posh enough to make the to make it onto any dinner-party menu but it is healthy and quick enough to go on my after-work mid-week menu!

The first time I attempted an orzotto I must admin that I was slightly nervous about the consistency of the plate.  I was used to using barley in soups but did realise that the addition of barley makes the soup thicker and creamer. So here goes:

This is what you need to serve 4 as a starter or 2 very large plates.

200g barley (try not to buy the pearled type as that has the bran removed)

about 300g mushrooms

1 medium onion - finely chopped

1 tsp dried oregano or thyme

1 tsp paprika

Start off by soaking the barley in enough water to cover it all plus an little bit extra on top.  Stir it slightly so as to allow any flakes to rise to the top and throw the water out.

In a pot or a wok, cook the onion in a little but of oil, butter or wine. Make sure that your onion is chopped very finely.  Next add about half the mushrooms which also need to be chopped finely.

Once the onions and the mushroom start to sizzle and cook, add the barley and a little bit of water.  If you cook the mushrooms enough, there is no need to use stock as the mushrooms will make the stock of the Orzotto.  

Keep on stirring the pot until all the water in absorbed, then add a bit more water.  This part of the recipe is similar to making a risotto.  Once you feel that the barley has softened enough, add the remaining mushrooms, the herbs and the paprika.  Season with salt and pepper if you wish.

The cooking time should be around 25 to 30 minutes.  Orzotto is not as delicate as risotto and will not overcook as quickly making it ideal for your dinner parties.  Always make sure to add the water in small doses and to taste the barley to check whether it is cooked or not.  It should be soft on the outside but with a slight bite at the end.

For the difference between pearled barley and barley click here 

Bigilla

Bigilla is a traditional Maltese bean dip. Being so healthy Bigilla can be included in our daily diets in more ways than one. Bigilla can be used as a spread with Hobz biz-zejt or as an accompaniment to stuffed artichokes or simply as a dip served with warm ftira or some crudités.

I have gone back to making this dish from scratch after tasting some of the versions on sale. There is some good quality Bigilla on sale, however the home-made version always tastes better. 1 packet of 250g of beans will give you a large bowl of Bigilla to store in your fridge for a couple of days or to add to your summer buffet table.

No need for busy people to panic, I prepare this dish in a couple of minutes. The only thing you need to think about is to soak the beans in cold water, preferably from the night before.
Preparation (if you can call it that) actually takes longer than the actual process of cooking it. What you need to buy is the dried brown small beans known as Ful ta’ Girba.

Once you soak the beans, it is best to change the water as often as possible. This does not mean every 5 to 10 minutes but every 4 hours or when you notice the water turning a dirty brown.
Once the soaking is complete, drain the beans from their water and rinse under running water.

To cook the beans it is best to use a pressure cooker as this reduces the cooking time to 30minutes. Alternatively, you can boil the bean in a normal pot. In this case, the beans will need to be cooked for close to 1 hour. The duration of the boiling also varies according to your soaking process. If you have soaked them for less than 8 hours, then you will need to increase your cooking times. The best test to check if the beans are cooked is to squash a bean slightly with your fingers.

Cooking time is complete when the beans appear to start melting and the water would have taken the dark brownish colour. Should you be using a pressure cooker, stick to the exact cooking time given above.

Next, with the beans still warm, blend the beans in a food processor adding enough cooking water to have a liquid consistency. At this point, the Bigilla should look like the mixture of an un-cooked cake.

Add the following to the beans whilst you are blending. These amounts are correct for 1 packet of 250g dried beans.
1 heaped teaspoon of Maltese sea salt
1 whole garlic clove
1 red chilli pepper (or some dashes of Tobasco)
A large handful of parsley (about 1 cup)
About 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil.

Place the mixture into a tray or plate, spread it out evenly and allow it to cool. It is very important that the Bigilla is quite liquid when it is still warm as once it starts to cool the beans paste will harden up.

Now chop some more fresh garlic and parsley very finely and spread them over the dish. Drizzle a generous helping of olive oil and serve. This dish can be stored in the fridge of weeks if kept in an air tight container.

Bigilla can also be made with the large type of dried bean however the smaller ones are used in the original recipe. It is important to buy your dried beans in small amounts since the beans will double in size once soaked. Just as a rough indication, 200gr of dried beans will give you up to 6 portions of dip. Enjoy !

This recipe has been previously published in the Best Buy Supplement, out monthly with The Times.

No fuss food

Over the past weeks I've had to adapt my recipes at home. Portions are smaller and the food preparation is more on the spare-of-the-moment, rather than a planned meal!

Yesterday I had some chicken breast which had been defrosting and was not in the mood of grilling the chicken then cooking some vegetables or some salad, so I opted for a 1 "pot" meal.

So here is what I used -

1 chicken breast - Fresh or simply defrosted
2 medium onions
4 new potatoes - or you can use 2 medium sized potatoes

1 tsp dried oregano

1/2 lemon, grated
1/2 tangerine, grated. - if these are not in season, you can substitute with an orange
1 cup of water

At this point, put your oven on and set it at 160C

Place the peeled, sliced onions at the bottom of a non-stick oven dish.  Next wash the potatoes and slice them. I like to keep the skin on, but if you prefer you can peel the potatoes before slicing them.  

Next place the chicken breast over the potatoes. You can cut the breast into portions - you should be able to get 4 portions out of each whole breast, or you can leave it whole.

Finally season the chicken with the herbs and the lemon and tangerine zest. you can also add some fresh pepper if you prefer. Pour the water into the roasting dish, try and find a corner where there is no chicken to pour your water so that you do not remove any of the dressing. Cover the pan tightly with some baking paper or some foil and cook in a pre-heated oven at 160C for about 20 minutes.

Baked Curry

I was looking for something easy to prepare with a packet of 500g minced beef. I wanted something simple to prepare and yet delicious; something that is low in fat, low in Glycemic index and at the same time something warming for these cold winter days.

As I searched through my stash of recipes I came across a curry recipe there was no turning back. A little tweak here and there and this is the end result.

As I write this article I'm sampling it and I can assure you that if you love curry and have little time to cook your mid-week supper, then this dish is for you. Here is what you need to make enough for 2 to 3 or to make a dish for 1 which you can eat over 2 days.

500g minced beef

1 large onion – finely chopped

3 garlic cloves

2 tablespoons curry paste – medium

2 tablespoons of mango chutney

1 teaspoon cinnamon powder

1 teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon mustard powder

Fresh ground pepper

1 teaspoon rock salt

½ cup sultanas

1 cup oats

2 eggs

1 cup milk

4 beef tomatoes - sliced

Cook the onion and the garlic in a pot and once they start to soften, add the minced beef. Make sure to mix the mince whilst it's cooking so that it will not clump up.

Now add the curry paste and cook for about 2 minutes before adding the mango chutney and the dried herbs and spices.

Lastly add the sultanas and remove the pot from the heat. Stir in the oats and place the mixture into a baking dish about 20cm x 15cm. Arrange the cut tomato slices over the mixture.

Now in a separate bowl, mix the milk and the eggs together and pour the mixture over the tomatoes.

You can bake it at this point or else you can allow it to rest for about 1 hour and bake later.

Once you are ready to bake, preheat your ovens to 160C and bake until the top custard has hardened and is nice a golden.

Leek and Cauliflower Omelette

I hope you all managed to have a happy Easter! With the amount of chocolates and figolli eaten over the weekend, it was no wonder that Gyms and fitness clubs were all jam packed!

This week I'm giving you a recipe which is very low in carbohydrates and is also excellent for those of you who are watching their fat intake.

This leek and cauliflower omelette makes a delicious meal for one but can also be doubled in quantity and served as a vegetarian main course or as a crustless pie!

Here is what you will need:

1 medium leek - sliced

half a small cauliflower cut into tiny florets

2 eggs

2 tablespoons milk

salt and pepper

grated cheese (optional)

In a non-stick pan, place a little butter and cook the leeks until they are just about to start softening. Next add the tiny florets and cook for about 3 minutes.

Now, in a small bowl, beat the eggs lightly with a fork and season with the salt, pepper and the cheese.

Pour the egg mixture over the vegetables and cover the pan. Cook the omlette for about 5 minutes over medium heat until the egg is cooked through.

Serve this omelette with some rocket salad and some grilled mushrooms!

Sugar Free Figolla

I'm sure that most of you will be baking your figolli this week. So here is something for you to prepare for your diabetic family members!

For those of you who are diabetic and would like to try this recipe make sure that the chocolate and sugar substitute you buy are suitable for diabetic. It is not good enough to read “sugar free” and definitely not suitable is there is “no added sugar” on the labels. These two labels do not make the product suitable for diabetics.

The sugar substitute I use is called Fibre Sweet and is available from Cilia Products in Hamrun, right next to the Parish Church.

Here is what you need to make around 5 large figolli. You can also make these using normal sized cookie cutters and serve them as a dessert!

300g plain flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
100g butter
200g ground almonds
100g sugar substitute
2 – 3 eggs depending on the size, so add them one at a time
200g blanched almonds

To decorate
150g sugar free chocolate
100g flaked almonds

Sieve together the flour and baking powder in a bowl and add the butter. Rub the butter in with your hands and when all the butter has been worked in add the sugar substitute and ground almonds. The sugar here is not just for taste but it is require for consistency.

Next add the eggs one at a time to form a dough. Once the dough is hard enough to be rolled out but not too hard, take it out of the bowl and place it on a lightly floured working top. To check your dough, you should be able to leave a finger make when you press the dough.

Once you are ready to make your Figolli, pre-heat your oven to 160C. Roll the pastry to about 1cm in thickness and cut using the large Figolli cutters. If you are not planning on coating them with chocolate you could brush them with a beaten egg before baking, if you will be covering with chocolate there is no need for this. Press the blanched almonds into the pastry and bake your figolla in a pre-heated oven at 170C for about 10 minutes.

Once your Figolli are baked to a light golden colour, take them out of the oven and cool on a cooling rack.

Now, to cover your Figolli, melt the chocolate in a bowl over simmering water. If you are preparing this recipe for someone who is diabetic, make sure that the chocolate you use is suitable for diabetics. Cover the Figolli with the chocolate and whilst the chocolate is still runny sprinkle your flaked almonds all over it.

I wish you and your family a relaxing long weekend and a Happy Easter filled with Figolli, chocolates and on a healthier note, Flowers!!

Spinach Soup

Temperatures will drop quite low this weekend and what better way to warm up than with some hearty soups!

Spinach soup is very easy to prepare and now that fresh spinach is in season, you can use that. If you prepare this out of season, you can opt for frozen spinach instead.

I must admit, before I start, that with regards to presentation, this soup leaves much to be desired. The colour is a dark green, but the taste is delicious. Here is what you need to make enough soup for 4 persons.

Ingredients
1 large onion, sliced
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 chicken cube – for those of you who suffer from high blood pressure, you can opt for the reduced salt variety
700 ml of boiling water
500 g cleaned spinach
Pinch of oregano
1 tablespoon plain yogurt.

Start off by placing the onion and garlic in a warm pot. Stir continuously to avoid burning. Once the onions start to soften add the chicken cube and a little of the water, just enough to cover the onions. Keep on cooking until the onions are cooked through.

Now add the spinach and the rest of the water. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about half-an-hour. Once the spinach is cooked take the pot off the stove and give it a good whiz with your hand blender or any other liquidiser.

Once you are ready to serve, place 2 ladles of soup in a bowl and to improve on your plate presentation, place a tablespoon of plain yogurt in the middle of your soup. Now with a tooth pick drag strands of the yogurt into the soup and some of the soup back into the yogurt. This will have a spider web effect.

Pasta Bean Soup (Pasta e Fagioli)

Now that we have finally finished our drinks, gatherings and dinners, we can all relax to some serious hearty food.

I love post festive meals because they tend to be the simplest and warmest during the year. The cold weather we have been having over the past days has surely helped inspire me to make some soups and piping hot meals!

So this week, here is a delicious soup which doubles up as a whole meal in itself. This soup is also low in GI since in includes and good amount of beans. Here is what you will need to make enough soup for 4

100g dried canellini beans
100g pasta (ditali / zibbeg)
1 x 400g tinned tomatoes (polpa)
2 medium carrots
1 medium onion
2 celery sticks
3 cloves of garlic

Start off by soaking the beans the night before you want to prepare the soup. Then, once you are ready to start, place the beans in a pot and cover with water. Use clean water and not the one the beans were soaking in the night before. Allow the beans to cook for about 1 ½ hours.

Should there be some white foam accumulated at the top, remove it with a spoon. Make sure to keep the water well topped up so that there is constant rumbling boil for the beans to cook in.

Once the beans are cooked, add the carrots, onions and celery which has to be cut into small cubes around 0.5cm x 0.5 cm allow them to cook for 10 minutes then add the tomatoes, garlic and top up with enough water for the pasta to cook. Now cover the pot and allow your water to boil. Once the water is boiling well, add the pasta and switch the heat off.

Cover the pot and allow it to rest for about 20minutes or until you are ready to serve.

Once plated, drizzle some olive oil in each plate and serve with some Maltese bread.

Quick Apple Pie

This week has finally seen the start of some winter weather. This is good news for people, who like me, love to bake. Working with a hot oven in a cold day has a special feel to it!

Next week, 11th November is St. Martin’s day so make sure you keep this local tradition alive by preparing the Traditional Borza ta’ San Martin for your little ones. A tiny cloth bag with a draw string at the top containing nuts, figs, 1 orange and 1 apple and if available 1 pomegranate.

This bag used to be carried around during the feast of St. Martins and children used to play “ zewg jew fart” meaning even or odd. Through this game you could win more nuts from other children’s bags or lose their own little stash!

So, if you are planning a St. Martin’s picnic this weekend or simply want something quick to enjoy with your afternoon teas, here is a recipe for a super fast apple pie. The pie is as easily adaptable for your weekend dinner parties so don’t treat this apple pie as inferior dessert simply because it is easy to make!

Here is what you need to make this week’s quick apple pie.
400g Sweet pastry.
2 apples
2 eggs
½ cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence
60g ground almonds

Start off by rolling out the pastry and place it in a flan dish to rest. In the mean time prepare the filling. Peel one of the apple – no need to core it. Grate the apple and place it in a bowl together with the eggs, almonds and vanilla.

Now go back to your flan dish. The pastry would have relaxed by now and you will be able to remove any extra trimming from the side. Once that is done, spread the filling over the base. Now wash your second apple cut it in half and keeping the skin on, slice it into thin slices. Now place the slices around the edge of the pie leaving a hole in the middle where the filling is still showing.

Bake the apple pie at 160C for about 20 mins. I’m sure you will never manage to do a dessert in less time than this!

Low fat loaded potato

When watching my food intake, I sometimes feel fed up of tuna salads for lunch! With summer over, we now start gearing up for Christmas and even though we won’t be in our bikinis, most of us will still want to look our best on this occasion.

This week I shall be giving you the recipe for a delicious and healthy loaded potato. One of those you see in shops full of cream and dripping from the sides…but without all that saturated fat!

So here is what you need to make 2 potatoes

2 medium sized potatoes, washed
1 pot of plain yoghurt
4 rashers of bacon

Start off by draining the plain yoghurt. Place a piece on muslin over a bowl, hold it down with some pegs and pour the yoghurt in. Allow it to drip for at least 1 hour. Alternatively, you can buy some greek yoghurt.

Now, once you are ready to serve your plate, place potato in the microwave and cook it for about 7 minutes or until your potato is done. You can check this by inserting a knife, if it is soft on the inside, then your potato is done.

Now, if you have a grill option on your microwave, change the setting to grill and cook it for another 3 to 4 minutes.

Make diagonal cuts against each other on the top of the potato to form a V and remove part of the top. Once removed this will look like a triangle, set it aside and keep.

Now grill your bacon and cut it into small cubes and mix it with the yoghurt. Place the mixture on top of the potato and cover it with the triangle you have removed and serve.

Marrow & Feta Cakes

The marrows in my garden are taking it somewhat easy this year! I’ve been having lots of flowers and very few marrows. Marrows will grow in your gardens or pots quite easily. All you need are some seeds and plenty of water and sun. Marrows however, are quite cheap and abundant at this time of year in most green grocers.

Having had my dose of BBQs and carbs this month, I decided to try something different for dinner. Here are my marrow and feta cakes, they are delicious as a snack, in a sandwich or as a main course accompanied by a nice salad.

Here is what you need to make about 10 little cakes
500g marrows – grated
200g feta cheese - chopped
Extra Virgin Olive oil
Fresh mint leaves
Black olives – Optional
1 egg

Start off by draining the grated marrows. Place them in a colander and sprinkle some salt over them, now allow them to drip for at least 30 minutes.

Once the marrows are drained, place them in a bowl together with the feta cheese, mix them together using a fork so that you can mash the feta cheese when needed.

Add the other ingredients one at a time mixing well after each addition.

You can dry fry these cakes in a non-stick pan or else fry them in a little oil.

Serve these warm as part of a meal or cold as a snack. These cakes can also be prepared ahead and stored in the fridge till you are ready to use them. Consume within 3 days.

Fresh Basil Pesto

Over this weekend I was getting a warm fuzzy feeling that tricked me into thinking that I am not in the middle of August but in some splendid March sunny day, when the days just start warming up but you still can stand being in the sun for more than 15 minutes.

As with most things, my state of mind will effect my cooking and so this week I started adding some baked dishes in my lunch/supper menu. Being nice and breezy gives me the peace of mind that I can spend some extra time in the kitchen and not cook the quickest simplest dish to get out of the firey heat.

So this week, I prepared one of my daughter’s favorite pasta sauces, fresh pesto. Pesto is an Italian sauce which is prepared differently in the different regions. The variations on the basic recipe all depend on what is abundant in that region. Pesto Siciliano for example has tomatoes whilst pesto Genovese has lots of basil.

Pesto Genovese is probably the most know and the most consumed, now produced in large amounts commercially, most of us just keep a handy jar in the store cupboard (which keeps for months) for that quick plate of pasta!

There is more that one can use pesto for besides as a pasta condiment, my husband uses it as part of his secret chicken marinade, you can also use it as part of your salad dressings.

The basil in my garden is pretty abundant at the moment so preparing this sauce came pretty easy. Basil grows easily in pot or window boxes and can be grown from seeds. You can also buy little seedlings from most garden nurseries and replant at home into a larger pot.

The proper Genovese Pesto is made with pine nuts, however these are pretty expensive locally. If you wish to substitute the pine nuts, I suggest using walnuts or even almonds. Don’t forget pesto is a thick sauce so a little bit of sauce will take you a long way. Here is what you need

200 gr. Pine nuts
1 large bunch of fresh basil leaves – remove all stalks
Extra Virgin Olive Oil – the best you can afford
Grated Parmesan Cheese.

Place the basil leaves and nuts in a food processor and with the motor running drizzle enough olive oil to create a paste. Add the cheese and taste. Do not add any salt or pepper, however, if required, add some more cheese. It is important to blend well after each addition. If you have made too much pesto to consume all in one go, place the extra amount in a sterilized jar and top with more olive oil so that all the pesto is covered with oil.

Pesto will keep for 1 week but is best consumed fresh.

Chickpea, Bean & Carrot Soup

Weather still hasn’t settled and with the heat-wave we had last week, I’m sure most of you thought that summer was here. Well for those of you who still need to get in shape for the beach, there is still time!

This week I am giving you a recipe for a delicious soup that is also low in GI. The beans and chickpeas help you feel fuller for longer so add them liberally to your dishes!

Here is what you need to serve 4
50g dried Butter beans or cannelini
50g dried chickpeas
1Kg carrots
1 large onion
1 tablespoon Kunserva – Maltese tomato paste
1 teaspoon chicken stock granules

Start off by soaking the chickpeas and the beans for (if possible) a couple of hours before you start cooking. Should you be preparing this dish in the evening try to soak the beans at least in the morning or even the night before. Soaking will drastically reduce your cooking time. Make sure that you use a large bowl and add a lot of water for the bean and chickpeas to absorb.

To make the soup, place the onions and a little oil or some water if you want a fat free soup in a pot and allow the onions to cook. Once the onions have softened, add enough water to fill your pot about three-quarters full. Add the beans and the chickpeas and slice in the carrots. Place the kunserva and the stock granules and bring the pot to a boil.

Simmer the soup for about 1 hour until the beans and the chickpeas can be squashed when pressed between your fingers.

Blend the soup in a liquidizer and serve warm.

Should you like to contact me, please do so on concita@demicoli.com