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Baked Italian Cheesecake

Cakes, Desserts, Fruit

Ingredients

  • 300g digestive biscuits
  • 100g butter
  • 250g creme fraiche
  • 250g ricotta
  • 250g Greek yoghurt
  • 150g caster sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • Make Jam for the topping (or use a jar if you’re being lazy), or use fresh strawberries.

Method

  • Crush the biscuits.
  • Add the butter to the biscuits and mix with your hands.
  • Press the biscuit mixture into the bottom of your dish
  • Separate the eggs and keep the whites to one side
  • Add the sugar to the egg yolks and beat well. Add the creme fraiche, ricotta and yoghurt.
  • Whip the eggs to stiff peaks (you should be able to turn the bowl upside down without them falling out).
  • Mix in the cheese mixture
  • Spread the mixture on top of the biscuit base
  • Bake for 30-40mins on 180.
  • When the cake is cool, add the jam or strawberries (or whatever topping you like) to the top.

Strawberry Jam

Desserts, Fruit, Sides

Ingredients

  • 500g strawberries
  • 500g jam sugar (this is way too much in my opinion, I would use 300- 400g)
  • Knob of butter
  • Dash of lemon juice

Method

  • Take the tops off and middles out of the strawberries and place the good bits in a saucepan.
  • Put these on a low heat and when they soften a bit, add the sugar
  • Stir until the sugar dissolves and then add the butter
  • Turn the heat up and make it boil fast. You should not be able to control the bubbles by stirring.
  • When it gets to this point, time it for 4 minutes and then remove from the heat.

“Melt in the Middle” Chocolate Puddings

Cakes, Chocolate, Desserts

Chef’s Tip: I like to put the mixture in the fridge for at least an hour before cooking. This helps keep the middle molten when cooking, although you might have to add 1-2mins on.

Ingredients

  • 100g dark or plain chocolate
  • 100g butter
  • 150g soft brown sugar (light or dark)
  • 3 eggs
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 50g plain flour

Method

  • Put a saucepan on the hob on a medium heat with a bit of water in the bottom.
  • Place a bowl on top of the saucepan with the chocolate and butter in it. Melt the chocolate and butter until smooth.
  • Leave for 15mins to cool down.
  • Stir in the sugar.
  • Mix in each egg one by one.
  • Add the vanilla and finally the flour.
  • Divide the mixture into 4-6 ramekins.
  • At this point you can put them in the fridge for later, or cook them for 10-12 minutes on 200C.

 

Apple Sauce

Christmas, Sides

Chef’s Tip: You could also use a masher to smooth out lumps in your sauce.

Ingredients

  • 450g chopped cooking apples
  • 25g caster sugar
  • Dash of lemon juice
  • 2fl.oz. water
  • Pinch of cinnamon
  • Teaspoon of butter (maybe a little more)

Method

  • Chop the apples and put in a saucepan with all the ingredients
  • Cook on a medium heat for 15mins.
  • Then whisk to desired consistency – the more you whisk, the smoother the sauce.

 

Cranberry Sauce

Christmas, Sides

Ingredients

  • 200g sugar
  • 250ml water
  • 300g pack of fresh cranberries

Method

  • Bring water and sugar to a gentle boil.
  • Add cranberries and simmer for 10mins.
  • Add a dash of orange zest or orange juice/cinnamon.
  • Remove from heat and cool.

Yorkshire Puddings

Christmas, Sides

Makes: 8-10 yorkshires

Ingredients

  • 2 eggs
  • Milk (see below for amount)
  • 100g/4oz plain flour OR wholemeal flour
  • ½ teaspoon of salt
  • Enough oil for 3mm in each tin hole (just over half a tbsp usually works for me)
  • Cupcake baking trays

Method

  • Preheat the oven to 220C/200C Fan
  • Pour 3mm of oil into each cupcake hole. Heat the oil in the oven.
  • Crack eggs into jug and make the mixture up to 300ml with milk
  • Add the salt and flour and whisk until there are no lumps
  • Fill cupcake holes 2/3 of the way and cook for 20-25mins
  • DO NOT OPEN OVEN IN FIRST 10 MINS!

Shortbread

Christmas, Sweets and Biscuits

Makes: 20-24 biscuits

Ingredients

  • 125g (4oz) butter
  • 55g (2oz) caster sugar
  • 180g (6oz) plain flour

Method

  • Heat the oven to 190C/375F/Gas Mark 5
  • Beat the butter and sugar together until smooth
  • Stir in the flour to get a smooth paste
  • If it doesn’t come together smoothly, add a little water or milk to help bind it
  • Roll out the pastry to 1cm thick and cut into the shapes you want
  • Place on baking paper on a baking tray, make holes with a fork if you want and sprinkle with caster sugar
  • Bake for 15-20mins or until the biscuits are pale golden-brown

Bruschetta

Starters

Ingredients

  • Crusty loaf of bread
  • Red or green pesto (optional – depends what you like)
  • 1 red onion
  • 1 clove of garlic
  • Cherry tomatoes
  • Fresh basil
  • Mozzarella (optional)
  • Parmesan (optional)

Method

  • Heat your oven to 200C/180C fan
  • Slice the crusty bread, brush one side with oil and place oil side down on an oven tray. Bake for 5mins or until crunchy on top.
  • Chop the onion and garlic and very lightly fry for a couple of minutes to soften and sweeten the flavour. Take off the heat to cool.
  • Chop the tomatoes into small pieces and toss in a bowl with olive oil, salt, pepper and fresh basil.
  • Stir in the onion and garlic mixture.
  • If you’re using it, spread a thin layer of the pesto on the oiled side of the bread.
  • Layer with the topping mixture.
  • If you’re adding mozzarella, place it on top and melt it under the grill.
  • Sprinkle with black pepper and parmesan.

Sexy Time Steak

Beef, Mains

Chef’s tip: A great side dish is sweet potato wedges, broccoli and grilled tomato.

Ingredients

  • 2 fat steaks – rib eye/sirloin
  • 1 clove of garlic
  • Fresh rosemary
  • Butter

Equipment

  • Griddle pan
  • Oven dish
  • Space in the freezer for a rack

Method

  • 12-24hrs before you want to eat, take the steaks out of their packaging and place them on a plate. Cover one side with sea salt and leave in the fridge uncovered.
  • 90mins before you want to eat, take the steaks out of the fridge, wash them and dry them until they are as dry as possible.
  • Chop your garlic clove in half and rub each side of the steaks with it. Also sprinkle with salt and pepper.
  • Place the steaks on a raised surface like a grill rack and put the steaks in the freezer for 45mins.
  • At this point heat the oven to 90C and put your oven dish in it with a little bit of oil in the bottom
  • After 35mins, turn your hob on full whack and put the griddle pan on (and open the window – it’s going to get smokey!)
  • Put a tsp of butter in the griddle pan and take the steaks out of the freezer when they’ve had their 45mins.
  • Sear each steak for 1 minute on each side.
  • Lay sticks of rosemary in your oven dish and place the steaks on top
  • Cook in the middle of the oven for 30-35mins for medium steak.

 

Moroccan Couscous

Sides

Serves: 4 people

Ingredients

  • 200g couscous
  • 1 tbsp harissa paste
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds (crushed)
  • 1 red onion
  • 100g raisins
  • 200g courgette (grated)
  • 1 carrot (peeled and grated)
  • 1 pack of flat-leaf parsley

Method

  • Put the couscous in a large bowl with the harissa paste, half the crushed cumin seeds, the red onion and raisins. Pour over 325ml boiling water and cover with clingfilm/tea towel for 10mins. Fluff up with a fork and season with black pepper.
  • Stir in the courgette, carrot and half the parsley.
  • If you like, to heat up and soften the veg, cook covered with foil at 180C for about 15mins.