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

Back to Base

Seems like it's been ages ago, but the time is ripe.
I'm just back from Malta and still very keen on eating Maltese foods and using Maltese ingredients. I must admit they are VERY hard to come by in Belgium, but with the help of my family, I do keep a constant supply of a number of items including kunserva, pastizzi and of course twistees !

This summer I tried to see what was new on the market and new Maltese products seemed to be sprouting. New cheese spreads, new brands packing bigilla and of course gbejniet.


My girls gave me a butter churner last Christmas which was put to good use a few days later when the local supermarket was trying to get rid of a large amount of soon-to-expire cream. We made butter, which we ate, froze and even made bread with the buttermilk.

They also gave me a book about cheeses and butter which I must admit I have not really used except for the part where it explains how to make butter.

Having come back from Malta though, I was keen to try my hand at making Gbejniet.  These are little cheeselets made from goat's or sheep's milk and do not taste anything like the goats cheese we find here, chèvre.



I have found a recipe from Marlene Zammit who lives in Australia and runs Maltese Mouthful. Her recipe for gbejniet seems very authentic however, the ratio of milk to rennet varies completely to the once published by Pippa Mattei.  I just need to source the fresh goat's or sheep's milk and try the recipes out! 

Look out for more updates on my Instagram or Twitter accounts !

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.

Gorgonzola & Pear Canapé

Start off your Christmas meal with something different this year. Pears are in season and i managed to find some nice firm ones which were still sweet on the inside. Mixing pears with blue cheese is aperfect combination as the freshness of the pears will clean your palate from the rich blue cheese flavour.

You can buy some vol-au-vent cases for this recipe or simply use puff-pastry. Some brands of puff pastry are also sold ready rolled out, so all you have to do is cut the circles and bake!

200g puff pastry

200g gorgonzola

2 fresh large pears

1 tablespoon honey

To make the pastry base, just roll the pastry out and cut into neat squares or circles. Make sure to keep the sizes of your pastry base small as these canapé need to be held comfortably in one hand whilst holding your drink with the other.

Once the pastry is cut, place it on a baking tray and cook in a preheated oven at 160C.

Whilst the pastry is still warm, place a small piece of gorgonzola cheese on top, about the size of a teaspoon. Drizzle a bit of the honey and then top with thin slices of pears.

These canapé can be served warm or cold.

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

Canape for your Festive Meal

With only a few weeks left to Christmas, here are some ideas for to prepare for your festive meal. But before I start this week’s recipe, I would like to remind you about the Christmas Market which is on this Sunday, 23rd November, at San Anton School Imelliet, L/O Mgarr.

You’ll find everything you want for the perfect Christmas, from traditional decorations, to gift wrapping, home-made jams as well as stocking fillers to impress your family and friends. Whilst you shop, the children can meet Santa or take part in one of the numerous activities such as story telling or Christmas crafts. The market is open all day from 10.30am till 8pm.

And now back to our recipe. When preparing your festive meal this year, why not start off with some impressive canapé . These delicious nibbles will keep your guest’s appetites at bay and at the same time it is an opportunity to get the conversation going.

And whilst they are chatting about the weather, you are comfortably left with some extra time for the final arrangements before greeting them and inviting everyone to have a seat!
These canapé can be prepared in advance and assembled on the morning.

You will need 1 long baguette - possibly a day or 2 old!
The day before, cut the baguette into slices. Cut slightly on the diagonal to make larger slices. Grill the bread on both sides until it has toasted, possibly under an oven grill. Once the slices have cooled, place them in an air-tight container and keep until you are ready to use them.

Crabmeat pate
1 tin x 400g crab meat
2 tablespoons good quality mayonnaise
Half a lemon grated
Freshly ground pepper

Place the crab meat into a bowl and mash it with a fork. Add the lemon zest and the pepper, then stir in the mayonnaise. Now taste the pate and season according to your taste buds. The pate should drop once scooped with a spoon but it should not be too runny. Place the pate in the fridge.

Mushroom and blue cheese
200g fresh mushrooms finely chopped
2 garlic cloves
50g blue cheese

Chop mushrooms and garlic finely and cook over a medium heat until the mushrooms are done and all the liquid has been absorbed. Now place the mushrooms in a bowl and allow them to cool completely. One the mushrooms are cold, add the blue cheese which also needs to be chopped finely. Place the pate into a bowl and refrigerate until you are ready to use.

When you are ready to serve the canapé, place a small amount of pate on one end of the baguette slice. Mix the different pates on the same plate so that you will serve a selection. This selection of canapé will take just minutes to assemble on the day.

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

Moroccan Style Couscous

Couscous is North Africa’s answer to pasta. A staple food in these countries that requires very little preparation and not a lot of utensils to have it cooked. In view of this, couscous had become the ideal food for the nomadic people but was also prepared by other tribes.

With in increase in different grains being introduced in our diets, couscous found it’s way in our European dishes along side others like quinoa, barley and various kinds of rice. But unlike many of these, couscous is very easy to prepare and is now available in most supermarkets and on various restaurant menus.

Couscous can be used as a substitute to potatoes, as a side-dish or as a plate on it’s own.

Couscous is very versatile as it can be eaten plain or mixed with various spices, meats and sauces.

In morocco, where couscous is a daily staple, this is never served cold but it is served with stews and other hot dishes. Also, there are number of households that still prepare their couscous from scratch this takes hours of preparation. We are used to the instant couscous that is ready in 5 minutes or less and this is one of the main reasons why couscous has become so popular in meals today.

Here is what you need to make this morrocan style couscous which can be eaten as a meal or served as part of a buffet.
250g Couscous
2 teaspoons Coriander paste
200ml Chicken stock – warmed
1 tin Chickpeas
2 small marrows – diced
Walnut oil
Walnut Pieces

Start off by placing the couscous in a large bowl. Now add the hot stock and cover the bowl with a plate. Let the couscous rest until the stock has been absorbed.

Now using a fork and NOT a spoon, stir the couscous until it fluffs up. Next add the coriander and again mix it in using a fork. Now stir in the marrows which are raw and the chickpeas.
Should you be serving the couscous in a different bowl, change your bowl at this stage. Now drizzle a generous helping of walnut oil and top with walnut pieces. Walnut oil can be found in Marks & Spencer food section.

This dish can be served warm or cold as part of a summer buffet.

Spaghetti with fresh lampuki

This is a new way of using the Lampuki fish that are in season. Lampuki, (Dolphin fish or Mahi-mahi) are mainly fried into chunks locally or made into a pie. Click here for my Lampuki Pie recipe
This week I am giving you a different recipe for your lampuki, Pasta with lampuki. This pasta is easy to prepare and also very healthy.
You can also try this dish with swordfish should lampuki not be in season. This is what you will need to make enough sauce for 500g of pasta:

1 large lampuka just under 1Kg
olive oil
4 cloves of garlic
fresh herbs, parsley, thyme, mint, basil
4 large plum tomatoes (tadam cat)
500 grms cooked pasta

This sauce will be ready by the time you cook your pasta so place a pot of salted water over the cooker and in the meantime start preparing the sauce.

Start off by cleaning the fish and cooking it slightly under the grill or steam it. Once the fish has softened slightly and are nearly cooked cut the fish into fillets. The easiest way to do this is to use 2 spoons; remove the head, tail and spines and chop the fish into bite size cubes.

Make sure that the fish isn’t too small otherwise it will crumble on cooking.
Now heat some olive oil in a pan and add the garlic which needs to be chopped finely. Next add the chopped herbs and the peeled chopped fresh tomatoes.

Simmer for about 5 to 10 minutes and once the pasta is nearly done, add the lampuki chunks.
Stir the cooked spaghetti into the sauce and serve immediately.

Tomato Pie

Pies are the ultimate home-made take-away. Since most pies can be prepared ahead of time and eaten warm or cold, this convenience food is ideal to pack away for school or and office packed lunch.

With busy winter schedules just around the corner, over the next couple of weeks I shall be giving you some recipes for you to enjoy. And even if your days are still not busy, you can prepare these pies to take with you on the beach or a picnic.

For the pastry
150g flour
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup of water
Pinch of salt
Pinch of sugar

For the Filling
1 kg tomatoes
Fresh Basil leaves
Olive oil
1 teaspoon sugar

Start off by making the pastry. Place the flour, sugar, salt and olive oil in a blender and pulse until the oil is properly mixed into the flour. Now, with the machine running add the water, a little at a time, until your flour turns into dough.

Topple the dough on a lightly floured surface and knead into a ball. Allow the pastry to rest for about 30 minutes at room temperature.

In the mean time, wash your tomatoes and slice them into 0.5cm slices.

Roll your pasty out and place it in a round baking dish of about 23cm. Blind bake your pastry in a preheated oven for about 10 minutes at 160C. Place piece of foil, shinny side down, on the pastry and weigh it down with baking beans of some coins. Spread them evenly so that your pastry will not rise.

Once your pastry is cooked, switch the cooker onto the grill setting.
Take the pastry out of the oven and keeping it still in the dish place the tomatoes in it. Sprinkle the tomatoes with the sugar and some freshly ground pepper and grill for 8 minutes or until your tomatoes start to crunch up.

Remove the pie from under the grill and drizzle with a generous helping of olive oil and fresh basil leaves.

Mushroom Risotto - Risotto ai funghi porcini

Rice is cultivated commercially in the Po Valley, the northern part of Italy where it has the perfect environment and climate: flat lands, abundance of water, and humidity. Risotto is an Italian dish and is quite popular all over Italy with the different regions having their own specialties.

Risotto Milanese, very popular in Milan (as the name suggests) and the rest of the Lombardia region, is said to go as far back as 1574 when the Duomo di Milano was being built. The stained glass window paint seemed to have been tainted with saffron to obtain a more brilliant color. So much fuss was made about the colour that in one of the banquets, saffron was added to the rice to make it look like the stained glass. The rice was so good that the saffron became a staple addition.

I like preparing risotto for dinner since it is a one-pot dish. All you need to do is prepare your ingredients and add them at the right time! Here is what you need to make risotto ai funghi porcini:

250g Italian Risotto Rice such as Arborio or carnaroli
About 50g of dried Porcini Mushrooms
1 ½ cups full bodied Italian Red wine, chicken Stock
1 medium onion - sliced
1 handful of fresh parsley – chopped
2 tablespoons of Olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Start off by soaking the funghi in some hot water and let them soak until the mushrooms have softened.

Now, in a pot or a wok, fry the onion in the olive oil and once it has softened, add the rice (raw) and stir. Coat the rice with the oil and start adding the stock a little at a time until the rice starts to soften, it is best to use a ladle or a little jug to calculate how much stock you are adding. It is important that the stock is completely absorbed before adding any more.

Add the wine to the rice and once the rice is nearly done, add the drained mushrooms.

When you are draining the mushrooms, reserve the water and straining it through a fine sieve and add the water to the rice. Again it is important that any liquid is absorbed before adding any more.

Finely add the chopped parsley and serve immediately.

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.

Baked Tortellini

Thank god for 1Kg packets of tortellini; it makes this dish so much more convenient! Baked tortellini can be very filling so make sure to serve these when you are really hungry or if you are planning a special dinner or lunch. There is a wide variety of tortellini available on the market and you can choose any filling you prefer.

I like using the meat ones for this dish as they are easier to find and come in large packs. If you are using fresh tortellini, then I suggest that you boil them for very little as they would have cooked too much by the time they come out of the oven.
In fact it is best to use the dried variety for this dish!

Here is what you need to serve 4
700g tortellini
1 x 400g Tinned chopped tomatoes
2 garlic cloves
150g cheese
200g mushrooms
200g cream
1/2 cup milk
1 egg
Salt & pepper

Start off by boiling the tortellini for 5 minutes. They should be taken off from the heat and drained as soon as the 5 minutes are up.

In the meantime, place the garlic which needs to be chopped finely into a pan with a little bit of oil and fry slightly. Add the tomatoes and 1 cup of water and cook over a gentle heat.

When the tortellini are ready, drain them and place them back into the pot. Now add the tomatoes which must have not dried up, the cream and the mushrooms.

Now, chop or grate the cheese (I like placing it in a blender). The cheese must not be grated cheese; you can mix some cheddar, Romano and some other cheese. You can also clear up your fridge from any ends left!

Leave about 50g aside and mix the rest of the cheese into the tortellini. Add the milk and the egg and spread it into an oiled baking dish.

Cook the tortellini for about 10 or 15 minutes at 150C. It is best to let them rest for at least 10 minutes before serving.

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

Pasta with fresh artichokes

Artichokes are well in season now and prices have dropped making them very affordable and ideal as part of your weekly supper. Even though most of us are only used to eating these stuffed with a tuna paste, there are various ways of enjoying this delicious vegetable. Artichokes roughly carry around 76 KCalories per 100g. They contain NO fat, cholesterol or sodium. Artichokes are a good source of Iron.
This week I shall be giving you the recipe for pasta with fresh artichokes and fresh tomatoes. This dish takes very little time to cook and can be prepared whilst waiting for your water to boil and your pasta to cook. Here is what you need to serve 2:
4 small fresh globe artichokes
1 large can of tuna
2 tomatoes
fresh parsley
fresh thyme
olive oil
spring onions
vegetable stock
Start off by removing the outer leaves from the artichokes. Cut the artichokes into quarters and slice off the top part of the remaining leaves. Now, place your spring onions in a pan with a little olive oil and add the artichoke hearts. Should fresh artichokes not be in season, you can always substitute with tinned or frozen ones. Now add some vegetable stock, fresh or a diluted stock cube and allow the artichokes to cook through.
Should you be using the tinned ones, then very little stock is required since these are already cooked.
Once the artichokes have softened and are cooked through, add the tuna and tomatoes. Make sure you deseed the tomatoes and cut them into smallish chunks. Next add the fresh herbs and a little more stock if required.
Once your pasta is cooked, drain it well and stir into the sauce. Once you plate the dish, drizzle a little olive oil on each plate.
Should you like to contact me, please do so on mailto:cooktalk@di-ve.com

Recipe - Gnocchi filled with Ricotta

During lent, there are a number of households over the island which try and avoid eating meat as well as sweets on Wednesdays and Fridays. As happens in most cases when sticking to a particular menu over a period of time, inspiration runs out. So give your menu a change, here is the recipe for gnocchi filled with ricotta.

The great thing about this dish is that you can prepare it in advance and then just cook it at the last minute. Cooking only takes 20 minutes!

Here is what you will need to serve a family of 4
500g Pasta Shells, also know as pasta gnocchi
400g Ricotta
Fresh parsley
2 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon kunserva (tomato concentrate)
1 large tin aprox 400 g tomato polpa (chopped tomatoes)
grated cheese
2 litres milk

Start off by making your sauce. Fry your garlic in a little oil until it has softened, then add the kunserva and sprinkle a teaspoon of sugar over it. Once it has fried, add the tomatoes and simmer for about 10 minutes over a medium heat. Should you like, you can also add a teaspoon of butter or margarine to make the sauce creamier. Once the sauce is ready, set aside and allow it to cool.

Now for the gnocchi; mash the ricotta with a fork and add a little hot water if it is too thick. This will soften your cheese and make it better to work with. Add a little chopped parsley and mix well. Now using a teaspoon fill the pasta shells with the ricotta. Should you have a piping bag, using a wide nozzle, filling your shells will be easier and quicker. Whilst you are filling your shells place them in a baking dish. Do not worry if your shells end up upside down, the ricotta will not run out. Once all the shells have been filled and your dish is full, pour enough milk until all the shells have been completely covered. Depending on the size and shape of your dish you might need just under 2 litres. You can use any type of milk be it UHT, fresh, skimmed or whole milk.

Now spread the tomato sauce on top, sprinkle a little grated cheese and place in the fridge, always covered, over night. This will soften your pasta and reduce your baking time.

When you are ready to eat, bake your pasta in a 150C oven for about 20 minutes.