Merida.

Merida. 

This is a joint effort with the girls. We think Merida, being Scottish, should be represented by Scottish shortbread. Her curly, wild and fiery hair is reflected by the orange ice cream. The ice cream also signifies the freezing temperatures of the highlands. We are very proud of this interpretation.

My younger daughter made the Merida paper doll😍.

     Shortbread.

Use an electric mixer, beat

-250g butter, at room temperature, with

-110g caster sugar 

-350g plain flour 

-2tsp vanilla,

-pinch of salt.

Beat well to combine.

Tip the mixture onto a floured work surface. Bring the mixture together with your hands.

Roll out to 1cm in thickness.

Use 7.5cm cookie cutter to stamp out 20 discs.

Place on 2 baking trays, lined with baking paper.

Prick the biscuits with a fork.

Bake in 180c oven for 12-15 minutes.

Cool completely on a cooling rack.

      Vanilla ice-cream.

In a large heatproof bowl, put in,

-6 egg yolks,

-180g caster sugar,

-vanilla bean paste,

-pinch of salt.

Whisk to combine. Leave aside.

In a large saucepan, put in

-400ml double cream,

-300ml full fat milk.

Bring to almost boiling on gentle heat.

Add

-1/2 cup of hot milk to 

-egg yolk mixture.

You need to be whisking all the time. Continue to add hot milk this way until at least 2 cups of milk have been used. This is to stop the egg mixture curdling. Then add the liquid, all at once.

Return the mixture to the saucepan, cook on low heat for 10 minutes or until the mixture has thickened.

Leave the custard to cool down in the sink filled with cold water.

Then transfer into the prepared dish. 

Freeze for 2 hours.

After 2 hours,

Use an electric mixer, to beat

-vanilla ice cream to get rid of the ice crystals. Stir through.

-juice and zest of 2 oranges.

Spoon into the prepared tin.

Freeze overnight.

Sandwich the shortbread with the orange ice cream to serve.

Elsa and Anna.

Elsa and Anna.

The meringues serve a couple of purposes, they represent the Snow Queen, Elsa and Arendelle's eternal winter. Elsa's ice palace is portrayed by the meringue tower. Ana is not forgotten, her purple cloak is depicted by the raspberry cream.

Use an electric mixer, beat

-8 egg whites, until soft peaks form, add

-400g caster sugar, mixed with 

-good pinch of salt,

-1tsp cream of tartar.

Add the sugar mixture a tablespoon at a time.

Stop beating when the egg white mixture is stiff enough that you can, or want to, hold it over your head.

130c fan forced.

Spoon 4 moulds of around 15cm wide meringues on a large baking tray lined with baking paper.

Bake 45 minutes.

Leave to cool completely in the oven.

Cream Filling.

Use an electric mixer beat,

-400ml double cream, with

-300g mascarpone cheese, 

-2tbsp icing sugar,

-1tsp vanilla bean paste.

   Raspberry Sauce.

In a saucepan, put in 

-350g frozen raspberries, 

-1tbsp water,

-3tbsp caster sugar.

Cook, stirring on low heat until the fruits have broken down. Pass through a sieve and leave aside.

   To assemble.

Place the first layer of meringue on a serving platter.

Spoon on the cream.

Drizzle on some raspberry sauce.

Repeat until all the layers are used.

Mix the remaining cream with the raspberry sauce.

Place the raspberry cream on the side of the meringue tower, to represent Anna's journey to the ice palace.

Stir Fried Black Pepper Pork หมูผัดพริกไทยดำ

Stir Fried Black Pepper Pork หมูผัดพริกไทยดำ

My black pepper monkfish was very popular, so I thought I would try the same recipe using a more accessible ingredient, pork.

In a large bowl, add

-700g sliced pork fillet, with

-2tbsp light soy sauce,

-2tbsp oyster sauce,

-1tbsp Shaoxing rice wine (anything alcoholic should be fine)

-1tsp cornflour.

Mix well and leave to marinade for a couple of hours.

When you are ready.

In a large wok, on high heat, stir fry

-1 onion, cut into large chunks,

-2 cloves chopped garlic,

Cook, stirring for a couple of minutes to soften the vegetables slightly, add

-pork.

Stir frying until the pork is almost cooked through, add

-1 pepper, cut into large chunks, add

-1tbsp black pepper,

-2 sliced chillies,

-2 sliced spring onions.

Stir frying until the pork is cooked through.

Adjust seasoning. You may need more soy and oyster sauce.

Serve with rice.

Note: this version was also very delicious.

Chicken and Cheese Quesadillas.

Chicken and Cheese Quesadillas.

Another easy lunch recipe. These toasties are made almost entirely from last night's leftovers, with the additions of the tortillas and cheese.

Serves 2.

In a large bowl, add

-roughly 100g left over tomato sauce,

-roughly 180g left over chicken breast, sliced.

Mix well to combine. Divide into 2 equal portions.

Place 2 frying pans on low heat, add

-1tbsp butter to each, add

-1 tortilla to each, add

-25g grated cheese, add

-chicken filling, add

-25g grated cheese, top with,

-tortilla.

Cook, on low heat for around 5 minutes on each side.

Blueberry Muffins.

Blueberry Muffins.

Our muffin cases are exceptionally small, so this recipe would probably yield 12.

A quick, fun and delicious recipe to make with the girls.

Equipment:

Muffin tins lined with muffin cases.

Make 18.

    Dry ingredients.

In a large bowl, put in

-200g caster sugar,

-250g self raising flour,

-2tsp baking powder,

-pinch of salt.

Mix well to combine.

    Wet ingredients.

In a separate bowl, put in

-200ml milk,

-4tbsp vegetable oil,

-3 eggs, 

-1tsp vanilla bean paste.

Whisk to combine.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Stir well to combine.

Gently stir through 150g blueberries.

Oven 180c fan forced. 

Spoon the muffin mixture into the prepared tins.

Bake 20-25 minutes, skewer should come out clean.

Cool on rack.

Cheese and Tomato Stuffed Chicken Breast.

Cheese and Tomato Stuffed Chicken Breast.

Something easy and a little bit different to spice up your pasta.

Serves 4.

     Tomato sauce.

In a large saucepan, fry

-50g sliced Chorizo, with

-1 onion, finely chopped.

Cook, stirring until the onions have softened, add

-2tbsp tomato purée,

-salt/pepper.

-2tbsp chopped parsley,

-2x400g tinned plum tomatoes,

-100g olives,

-400ml water.

Leave to simmer for around 30 minutes.

Split the chicken breast lengthways without cutting all the way through. Open it up like a book.

Place the chicken breasts between 2 pieces of cling film. Use a rolling pin to gently bash the breasts until they're around 1/2cm thick.

Line 4 pieces of cling film with 2 rashes of bacon, each.

Place each chicken breast on the bacon lined cling film.

Spoon on 1tbsp tomato sauce.

Add 30g grated cheese.

Roll up to seal.

Brown in the frying pan to slightly crisp the bacon,

Bake in 210c fan forced oven for 20-25 minutes.

Leave to rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing.

Serve with pasta or potatoes.

Beauty and the Blue(berries).

Beauty and the Blue(berries).

This is our version of Beauty and the Beast. I used the blueberries to recreate Beast's Tuxedo. Beauty's yellow dress is represented by the vanilla custard. The red raspberry coulis is meant to be the rose that got Maurice in trouble. The red coulis also signifies the ticking time bomb rose, which would doom the Beast as a beast for life if he hasn't learnt to love and be loved in return.

Hope you'll like this adaptation. One of my prettiest creations.

Equipment:

2litre capacity loaf tin lined with cling film.

In large saucepan, put in,

-400ml water.

Bring it up to a gentle simmer.

       Use an electric mixer beat,

-3 eggs + 3 egg yolks, with

-180g caster sugar,

-1tsp vanilla bean paste.

Beat until light and frothy.

Transfer into a heatproof bowl.

Place on the pan of simmering water.

Use a balloon whisk to whisk the mixture over simmering water. Whisk continuously for 5 minutes. Take off the heat, leave aside and get on with the next bit.

    In a large saucepan, put in

-380g frozen blueberries, with

-80g caster sugar,

-1tsp vanilla bean paste,

-pinch of salt.

Cook, stirring on low heat until the fruits have broken down.

Pass though a sieve. Leave aside until needed.

Use an electric mixer, to beat,

-2x250g mascarpone cheese,

-300ml double cream.

-4tbsp icing sugar,

-1tsp vanilla bean paste.

Beat until the cream just holds its shape, stir through,

-slightly cooled egg mixture.

Spoon 1/3 of the mixture into a separate bowl. Add

-100ml double cream to loosen the texture. Refrigerate until needed.

Add blueberry sauce to the remaining mixture. Stir well to combine.

Pour 1/2 blueberry cream mixture into the prepared tin.

Freeze for 2 hours or until set.

Pour over the plain cream mixture.

Freeze for 2 hours or until set.

Pour on the remaining blueberry cream mixture.

Freeze overnight.

    Raspberry Coulis.

In a small saucepan, put in

-100g frozen raspberries, with

-1tbsp caster sugar,

-1tsp arrowroot,

-2tbsp water.

Cook,stirring on low heat until the fruits have broken down.

Leave aside until needed.

To serve.

Invert the Semifreddo on to a serving platter.

Spoon on the raspberry coulis.

Cut into slices to serve.