Wrap of Lamb

Now that you've roasted a whole leg of lamb, how does one make the refrigerated leftovers look appetising again? Stick them in a wrap for lunch in a snap!

• roast lamb leftovers, sliced
• tzatziki, a few tablespoonfuls
• salad leaves or spinach, handful
• wholewheal wrap/s, as needed

1. If eating immediately (as opposed to packing a school or work lunch), the lamb may be heated gently in a 200C oven for 10-15 mins, in aluminium foil. When done, slice thinly
2. Prepare the wraps - spread tzatziki over the wrap
3. Dot with tabasco if desired, arrange salad leaves on top
4. Top with meat and roll up
5. As an alternative to the tzatziki, yoghurt may be used, flavoured with some fresh, chopped mint leaves and a squeeze of lemon juice

(All text and photos or images are copyright protected. Please do not reprint any stories, recipes or photographs without the author's permission.)

Oatmeal

I had taken oatmeal for granted until loads of friends began asking how to cook it 'from scratch' - as opposed to the ready-prepped packages with sugar thrown in. Well, here's how.

• rolled oats, 1/2 cup per person
• salt, pinch of
• milk or water, 3/4 cup per person
• cinnamon, sugar, etc - according to preference
• fruit - berries, bananas, raisins, as desired

1. The minimal-mess way to prepare oatmeal, I find, is to bung it in the microwave
2. Combine all the ingredients together in a bowl
3. Microwave on High for 2 mins 40 seconds if only preparing for one person, and about 3 mins 30 seconds for more people. Watch that it doesn't spill over ;)
4. Remove bowl from microwave and stir a couple of tablespoons of cold milk into oatmeal - this gives it a smooth, creamy texture
5. Add other flavourings at this point as desired
6. Slice fresh banana or throw a handful of berries over the top
7. Drizzle with honey or sprinkle brown sugar over.
8. Et voila - a healthy low-glycemic breakfast with fibre that could help lower cholesterol levels!

(All text and photos or images are copyright protected. Please do not reprint any stories, recipes or photographs without the author's permission.)

Peter Piper picked.. a Pita Pocket with Falafel

Not the tidiest looking of meals but certainly one of the speediest to put together - quicker, even, than a McDonald meal. This protein-packed pita pocket is delicious and will do one a lot more good than a production-line burger.

Falafel is a popular street food which hails from the Middle East. They are deep-fried veggie balls made of fava beans, chick peas (garbanzo beans) or a mixture of both.

• wholegrain pita pockets, 2 (to serve one)
• crisp romaine leaves, handful - torn or chopped
• falafel, 2 or 3 per pocket
• spicy tomato salsa, 1 generous tbsp
• tabasco sauce, a couple of drops
• hummus, 1 1/2-2 tbsp per pocket

1. Lightly toast pita pockets or zip in microwave a few seconds to warm them
2. Warm the falafels in the oven or microwave for 25-30 seconds on high
3. To assemble, spread hummus in a pita pocket, layer romaine on top
4. Add some salsa and stuff with falafel
5. A couple of dashes of tabasco (if you like the heat) and you're off!

(All text and photos or images are copyright protected. Please do not reprint any stories, recipes or photographs without the author's permission.)

Malaysian Curry Puffs

I get fits of nostalgia for Southeast Asian food. Once you've had a whiff of those spices, it's hard to go back! My mother used to make these at Christmas or for birthdays or sometimes when we nagged her to. While the original versions tend to be deep fried and nevertheless are exceedingly delicious, I have become a little obsessed with worries about clogged arteries, and so prefer to bake the patties. The end result is pretty much as tasty as what you'll find on Malaysian streets, with a lot more meat content and a whole barrel less grease!


For the pastry:

• butter, 250g of the real thing, cold and cubed
• plain flour, 500g
• salt, 1 to 1 1/2 tsp
• egg yolk, 1, beaten
• very cold water, a few tbsp

1. In a food processor, pulse the butter, salt and flour till it resembles bread crumbs
2. Add the egg yolk and pulse a few times
3. Add water by the tablespoonful until the pastry comes together
4. Remove from the processor, divide into two discs, wrap and refrigerate

For the filling:

• minced beef or chicken, 300g
• potatoes, 2 large
• onions, 3 medium
• chilli, 1 green, chopped finely
• ginger, 1 1/2 inches worth, minced finely
• garlic, 5 cloves, minced finely
• ground cloves, 1/4 tsp
• ground cummin, 1 tsp
• ground coriander, 1 tbsp
• ground chilli, 3/4 tsp
• coriander leaves, 1 large handful, chopped
• curry leaves, handful
• mustard seeds, 3/4 tsp
• 1 beaten egg, to brush pastries with

1. Preheat the oven to about 200C, 400F
2. Fry the onions, garlic, ginger, chili, along with the mustard seeds and curry leaves till fragrant
3. Add all the ground spices, saute for about five minutes
4. Add the minced beef or chicken, stir till everything is combined
5. Separately, boil the potatoes till almost done, cool, skin and cube
6. Add a little stock or water, cover and cook the meat for 10 mins, then add potatoes
7. Cook for a further 15 minutes, add coriander leaves, stir into the meat, allow to cool
8. Remove the pastry dough from the fridge after 20-30 mins and roll out
9. Cut into small rounds with a pastry cutter
10. Fill with the filling, bring the edges together and combine firmly (you may have to get creative here but you could twist the pastry in the style shown in the picture above)
11. At this stage, the pastries may be frozen for future use
12. Brush the top of the pastries with a mixture of beaten egg
13. Place them on a Pam-ed baking sheet lined with aluminium foil (to save on cleaning)
14. Bake for about 20-25 minutes. Enjoy!

(All text and photos or images are copyright protected. Please do not reprint any stories, recipes or photographs without the author's permission.)

Cheesy Shapes

This is an easy and healthy snack for kids which I've adapted from a recipe of Nigella Lawson's. Although it's definitely her creation and I clearly remember the picture that went with it (of cheesy feet!), I have guessed at the ingredients to produce these because I couldn't immediately locate the original recipe. Nevertheless, it's hard to go wrong with this one. Trust me!

• cheddar cheese or mix of cheeses, grated, 500g
• plain flour, 150g
• butter, softened, a couple of tablespoons of

1. Preheat the oven to about 175C, 390F
2. In a food processor, pulse the grated cheese with the flour
3. Add the butter and pulse further till the dough comes together
4. Divide it into managable rounded pieces, wrap and refrigerate
5. After 15 minutes, roll out each round and cut into whatever shape you fancy
6. Bake till golden brown, about 10 mins
7. Allow to cool and place in an airtight container
8. Serve whenever the kids are hungry!

(All text and photos or images are copyright protected. Please do not reprint any stories, recipes or photographs without the author's permission.)

Hazelnut and Blackberry Torte

The one that got away before I could photograph it. This is what's left of my new year's experiment - a hazelnut and blackberry torte, which everyone wanted seconds of.

Please enquire Indoors if you're interested in this classified recipe. It's my birthday so I can have my cake, and keep it too! :)

(All text and photos or images are copyright protected. Please do not reprint any stories, recipes or photographs without the author's permission.)

Easy as (Banoffee) Pie

There are three things about cooking that I enjoy - the doing of it, the satisfaction of seeing the end product and the vicarious pleasure of having everyone else eat it with gusto.

What better way to start off the new year than with a luscious, sweet banoffee pie. Easily put together (after the toffee is made), it vanishes quicker than you can say 'Banof..'

• heavy cream, 1 cup
• sugar, 2-3 tbsp
• vanilla, 3/4 tsp
• condensed milk, 2 cans
• readymade graham pie crust, 1
• bananas, ripe, 3-4

1. First, cover the two cans of condensed milk in a pan with boiling water and boil for two hours, topping up with fresh boiled water as needed. This is the easy, clean and miraculous way of making toffee
2. The safer alternative (in case you have a dud can or are worried about one) is to open the cans and pour the cream into a baking receptacle, cover with foil and bake at 180C for an hour or till caramelized (you will know when the milk's colour has turned a caramel golden brown
3. Then, assemble the pie: Slice the bananas directly onto the graham crust
4. Once cool, open the cans of toffee and pour over the bananas
5. Whip the cream till almost stiff, add vanilla and sugar, continue whipping till stiff
6. Plop over the toffee and smooth it or decorate as you please
7. For a final touch, grate some dark chocolate directly onto the cream
8. Refrigerate till needed

Happy new year!

(All text and photos or images are copyright protected. Please do not reprint any stories, recipes or photographs without the author's permission.)

Healthy Oatmeal Pancakes

Pancakes are without a doubt the top breakfast in our house. I try to vary the recipes for interest, but appear to have found an unexpected winner in a wholemeal-oatmeal combination. This pancake's popularity is a sum of how frequently the family demands it and the alacrity with which it disappears from their plates. The fact that I could make it half asleep, blindfolded, in my pajamas and sans fancy kitchen tools, is beside the point.

There have been numerous experiments with varying permutations and combinations of plain flour, wholemeal flour, soy flour, sugar, sweetener, milk, yoghurt, whole eggs, egg whites, bran and oatmeal, as well as the vacation flirtations with boxed pancake mixes.

The latter, I note with smug parental satisfaction, my children have left half eaten after the initial (almost insulting) enthusiasm. Needless to say the ingredients lists of the mixes were often unending and included copious amounts of sodium and sugar. It's also hard not to question the need for the canary-yellow food colouring.

• Oats, old fashioned and plain, 1 cup
• Wholemeal flour, 1 cup
• Eggs, 2, beaten
• Milk, about 2 cups
• Salt and sugar, pinch of, each
• 1/2 tsp baking soda

1. Combine all together with a whisk
2. Pour onto preheated nonstick pan by ladlefuls
3. Flip over when done or golden brown on one side
4. Serve immediately with fresh fruit or jam or maple syrup. Mmmm!

Roast Lamb with Rosemary and Mustard

Nothing like a nice roast leg of lamb to get one into the holiday spirit. This recipe is relatively hands off and leaves me room to bake pies (even, dare I say, alongside) the lamb, which turned out succulent, tender and full of rosemary-infused flavour. A definite crowd pleaser!

• whole leg of lamb, about 3.5kg or 8-9 lbs
• rosemary, many sprigs of
• seeded mustard, 2 heaped tbsp
• honey, 3-4 tbsp
• garlic cloves, 8, chopped
• lemon juice, 2 tbsp
• balsamic vinegar, 1/4 cup
• canola or olive oil, 3 tbsp
• coarse salt, 2 tsp
• pepper, many grinds of
• ground coriander, 1 heaped tsp
• ground cummin, 1 heaped tsp

1. The meat may be marinated overnight or cooked immediately (as I did with no sacrifice to its taste or texture)
2. Preheat the oven to 450F or 220C
3. Cut some shallow slits all over the top of the meat
   
4. Insert the rosemary sprigs into these little slits
5. Whisk the marinade ingredients together and pour over the lamb, using your hands to make sure everything gets everywhere
6. Make a foil tent for the lamb and cover the dish
7. Place in oven, roast for 20 mins at 450F
8. Turn the temperature down to 400F for a further hour, basting occasionally
   
9. Toward the last 15 mins, add some chopped up carrots around the roast
10. After the full hour, remove the foil tent, bake for another 15 mins
11. You may turn the oven off afterwards and let the lamb rest in there for 10 mins
12. Remove from the oven, allow to rest outside for 10-15 mins before serving
13. The roast lamb's juices may be used to make a gravy. Pour some into a pan with 1 tbsp corn flour mixed with 3 tbsp stock, a grate of lemon zest and fresh sprigs of rosemary. Whisk till it thickens, taste, season, sieve if needed, and serve with the meat
14. Serve with vegetables, latkes if you like, with blackberry-almond tart for dessert.
    

(All text and photos or images are copyright protected. Please do not reprint any stories, recipes or photographs without the author's permission.)

Almond and Blackberry Tarts

My favourite pastries seem to have ground almonds in them. This one is also buttery and bakes to picturesque perfection.

This recipe, dare I say, is rather too good to share with the entire world :D Those of you who are keen to know more may reach me through this blog. Happy Christmas!







(All text and photos or images are copyright protected. Please do not reprint any stories, recipes or photographs without the author's permission.)

Quick Fish Sandwich

We go through a small pond of fish every week in this household. One of the boys' favourite sandwiches is what they call a fish burger - basically some fish I've breaded, baked and thrown between a burger bun or wholemeal bread for them. An easy kiddy meal to put together ;)

• Fish fillet, 1 (tilapia, haddock, cod, salmon)
• Soy sauce, 2 tbsp
• Honey, 1 tbsp
• Egg, 1, whisked
  
• Breadcrumbs, 3/4 cup
• Wholemeal bread, 4 slices
• Baby spinach, handful, washed
• Mayonaise, as required

1. Preheat the oven to 220C
2. Whisk the honey and soy sauce together and dip the fish in it
3. Then dip in egg and finally, coat in breadcrumbs
4. Place on greased sheet, spritz with Pam and bake for 13 mins
5. Lightly toast the bread, spread with some mayo
6. Layer the spinach onto it, followed by the breaded fish
7. Luscious and delicious, what's not to like?
   

(All text and photos or images are copyright protected. Please do not reprint any stories, recipes or photographs without the author's permission.)

Latkes (Potato Pancakes)

I have scoured e-newspapers, websites and Jewish cook books to see if anyone has dared stray from the latke recipes handed down for, who knows, how many hundreds of years. The answer seems to be No.

The word 'latke,' for potato pancake, is Yiddish and it is thought that it originated from Russia or Germany. Before Jewish emigration to the US in the early 1900s, it is said that the latke's main ingredient was cheese and not potato, a relatively recent introduction to Europe. Rice was also said to have been used instead of cheese.

And so we come to this recipe. Being unable to follow the crowd, never having eaten a latke whose recipe I was curious to know and not being content that the plain flouring of grated potato is the best festive treatment for this vegetable, this is my version of the much-loved Hanukkah treat.


Tradition mandates that one eats lots of fried food during Hanukkah's eight days to commemmorate the Miracle of the Oil. If you're lucky, doughnuts might be on the menu later this week ;)

• potatoes, 3 large
• onions, 3 medium
• green chili, one, chopped finely
• ginger, 1 tsp
• garlic, 1 tsp
• cummin seeds, 1 1/2 tsp, toasted
• coriander leaves, 1 handful, chopped finely
• eggs, 2, beaten
• plain flour, 2-3 tbsp
• salt, about 2 tsp
• pepper, a few grinds of

1. Peel the potatoes, grate them and soak in very cold water
2. Change the water a few times, drain and keep aside to dry out
3. Peel the onions and chop or mince in a food processor
4. Fry the onions, garlic, ginger, chili and cummin in a pan. Keep aside
5. Combine flour, potato, onion mixture, eggs, salt, pepper and flour
6. Preheat a large pan of canola oil (filling about 1/3 of the pan)
7. Drop the potato mixture by tablespoonfuls into the oil, over medium heat
8. Cook the cakes about 3 minutes a side, or till golden brown
9. Remove with slotted spoon and place on kitchen paper to soak up excess oil
10. Serve immediately with sour cream or apple sauce. Or Thai chilli sauce if you like going against the grain!

(All text and photos or images are copyright protected. Please do not reprint any stories, recipes or photographs without the author's permission.)

Vanilla-White Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

My children were keen that I bake cupcakes and soon. Here's what we whipped up on this frosty, snowstormy afternoon.

• 250g butter, softened
• 250g castor sugar
• 250g plain flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp vanilla essence
• salt, pinch
• cream, 2-3 tbsp
• white chocolate chips, a handful
  

1. Preheat oven to 420F or 200C
2. Cream butter and sugar together till fluffy and white
3. Sift flour and baking soda into the mixture
4. Add all the other ingredients and whizz together till combined
5. Fold the white chocolate chips into the batter
   
6. Grease some paper cupcake liners in a muffin tray and drop the mixture into them, one icecream scoop at a time, till about 3/4s full
7. Bake for 13-14 mins
8. This amount yields about 24 cupcakes

For the icing:

• butter, softened, about 3/4 stick (90g)
• icing sugar, 2-3 heaped cups
• whipping cream, 2-3 tbsp
• vanilla essence, a few drops
• red gel food colouring, one drop

1. Cream all together till fluffy, thick and relatively stiff
2. Pipe into a bag with a round nozzle or jagged one and
3. Ice as you fancy. Enjoy!

(All text and photos or images are copyright protected. Please do not reprint any stories, recipes or photographs without the author's permission.)

Mince Pies

This is the second fiddly recipe in a row but I couldn't hold back - homemade mince pies are ever so yummy. I present a mini version because mincemeat is rather rich and they look sweet this way. These are a British festive offering, and the word 'meat' is reflective of the fact that traditionally, the filling contained suet, or raw beef or mutton fat.

Here, I don't use any fat at all in the filling (because I clean forgot the butter!) but it has turned out beautifully. Many mince pie recipes use raisins, apples and spices but I include other flavours that I adore (citrus elements, ginger, dates, almonds, molasses). I omit the traditional rum because Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa and New Year are almost upon us - I won't need the liquor to help these babies mature. In any case, they won't last more than a day in this household!






For the filling:

• raisins, 350g
• Granny Smith apples, 2, skinned and grated
• zest of 1 large orange
• rind of same orange, chopped and cooked in simple syrup for ten minutes
• candied lemon peel, 100g
• candied red cherries, handful of, chopped
• dried apricots, 80g, chopped
  
• dates, 100g, chopped
• ginger, fresh and grated, 3 tsp
• brown sugar, 3/4 cup
• molasses, 2 tbsp
• orange juice, 3/4 cup
• sliced almonds, 1/4 to 1/2 cup
• ground cinnamon, 2-4 tsp
• ground nutmeg, 2-3 tsp
• butter, 50g (or not as the case may be)
• rum, 2-3 tbsp (optional)
  

1. Bung them all into a large pan and cook for about 25 mins, stirring occasionally
2. The filling is done when the peels, apricot and raisins are soft and plumped up and everything has come together in a sticky, glossy mass
3. Preheat the oven to 425F or 190C

For the pastry:

• 500g plain flour
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 220-240g cold butter, cubed
• cold water, as needed

1. In a food processor, combine the flour and salt and pulse a few times
2. Add the cubed butter and pulse till it resembles fine breadcrumbs
3. Slowly add water by tablespoonfuls till pastry comes together
4. Remove from processor and pat by hand into three or four discs, encase in plastic wrap and allow to rest in fridge for 10-20 minutes
5. Remove the discs from the fridge and roll out on a floured clean surface till thin and pliable. I hardly needed flour as this dough isn't sticky
   
6. Use round, metal pastry cutters to cut out circles
7. Place these in a greased (mini) tart pan
8. Fill with mincemeat, then cut out stars or whatever shape you like for the tops
9. Brush with egg, sprinkle with sugar crystals (the bigger the more attractive)
10. Bake for 15 minutes till golden or slightly brown at the edges
11. Hide them from the family if necessary!
    

(All text and photos or images are copyright protected. Please do not reprint any stories, recipes or photographs without the author's permission.)

How to Make Thai Green Curry

That was a long wait for Part II, wasn't it? Any Thai curry, pungent in aroma and a cacophony of flavours, is usually worth it. Besides, that recipe for the curry paste was hanging about with no closure and I need to get it out of the way before the holiday items make their appearance. Accept my apologies please and don't be shy about licking that pan clean. That sounds ludicrous but it's exactly what one of our friends did during an infamous dinner party some years ago :)

• Garlic, 6 cloves, sliced
• Lime leaves, about 6
• Lemon grass, 2 sticks each cut in half (no ends)
• Thai holy basil, several stalks of
• Galangal, four or five thick slices of
• Fish sauce, 2 tbsp
• Brown sugar, 1-2 tsp
• Coconut cream, 1/2 cup
• Canola oil, 2 tbsp
• Chicken, fish or beef, diced, about 200g (2 fillets)
• Green curry paste (click on the title for details) - 1 tbsp
• Stock or water, 1/2 cup
• Green aubergines, small ones - three of them, cubed
• Lemon juice of about 1/3 lemon
• Optional - for added heat, add 2 chopped chillies

1. In a pan, saute the garlic till fragrant and add the curry paste
2. In a separate pan, warm up the coconut cream. Do not boil
3. Add the coconut cream to the curry paste mixture, stir till it thickens
4. Add fish sauce, galangal, lemon grass, sugar and allow to simmer
5. Throw in the diced chicken, fish or beef
6. Add lime leaves, basil, stock and aubergines
7. Take off the heat when the meat is cooked. If you're using fish, this will take just a few minutes.
8. For added richness, add a few tablespoons of cream!
9. Remove solid bits of lemon grass, galangal and unwieldy bits of herbs if necessary before serving
10. Further vegetables may be added when the meat goes in - try courgette/zucchinni, peas, pea aubergines, red or green peppers, sweet potatoes
11. This amount will feed 2-4 people
    

(All text and photos or images are copyright protected. Please do not reprint any stories, recipes or photographs without the author's permission.)

How to Make Thai Green Curry Paste

One of the joys of living in Southeast Asia is the astounding and mouthwatering variety of food it offers. The sights, sounds and scents (not all fragrant) of the street markets, the hustle and bustle of the wet markets and the availability of steamy, delicious and inexpensive meals just can't be replicated in the West.

After moving to London, I started to recreate all my favourite Southeast Asian dishes in my own kitchen, mostly out of desperation as I wasn't impressed with the Eastern offerings at many restaurants. The task usually involved lots of research, frantic phonecalls to aunts in foreign lands, a hunt for a well-stocked Asian grocer and lots of grinding of exotic spices and herbs (sometimes of teeth) afterwards.

This recipe is for a paste that will help you make (to the applause of your guests) your very own Thai green curry!

• 3 long, green chillies
• 10 small, green chillies (bird's eye)
• lemongrass, 1 stalk, with the white part chopped
• 3 shallots, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 inch galangal, chopped
• coriander roots, fistful
• Ground coriander, 1 tsp
• Ground white pepper, 1/2 tsp
• Ground cummin, 1/2 tsp
• Lime leaves, 1 tsp worth, chopped
• Salt, 1 tsp
• Fish sauce, 2 tsp

1. In a mini processor, add the chillies, lemongrass, shallots and garlic
2. Process in bursts til they are chopped finely
3. Add all the other ingredients and process to a smoothish paste
4. Be patient, I never said this was an easy assignment!
   
5. You may add some canola oil to ease the process
   
6. The paste may be wrapped in foil, in tablespoonfuls, and frozen.
   

(All text and photos or images are copyright protected. Please do not reprint any stories, recipes or photographs without the author's permission.)

Not Just Any Pumpkin Pie

I resisted baking pumpkin pies for many years because I found them too rich, too squashy or simply not worthy of plate licking. During our years in Canada, where a plethora of pumpkin varieties abounds in the fall, I decided to modify and build upon a basic 4-ingredient pie recipe (found on the back of a can of pureed pumpkin) and combined the result with an interesting crust for the popular winner here.

As the end result has proved excessively good, those keen to know more may contact me through this blog.

(All text and photos or images are copyright protected. Please do not reprint any stories, recipes or photographs without the author's permission.)

Keralan Fish Curry

Happily, I don't need to pretend to be an authority on food from Kerala because I know it intimately. Perhaps my love of fish comes from having descended from lakeside and seaside- dwelling folk who lived off the harvest of the sea on the idyllic coconut tree-lined southern west coast of India.

But I shouldn't need an excuse. This is a wonderful and aromatic curry, simple to prepare, delicious enough to spur repeat performances and perhaps, to convert the sworn carnivore.

Serve with rice or chapati (wholemeal flatbread) and dhal (lentil curry).

• Fish, firm-fleshed, cubed
• Coconut milk, 1/3 cup
• Onion, 1 medium, chopped
• Green chilli, 1, quartered
• Ginger, 1 cm worth, chopped finely
• Garlic, 1 clove, sliced
• Chilli powder, 1/2 tbsp
• Coriander, ground, 1/2 tbsp
• Turmeric, 1/2 tsp
• Fennel seeds, 2 pinches
• Mustard seeds, 1/2 tsp
• Curry leaves, about ten
• Stock, vegetable, about 1 cup
• Tamarind, 1 tsp soaked in 1/4 cup boiling water
  
• Salt and pepper, to taste

1. Cut the fish (salmon works, or any firm white-fleshed fish such as kingfish, haddock, cod, tilapia) into cubes
2. In a pan, add about 3 tbsp of canola oil over medium heat
3. Once the oil has warmed up, add mustard seeds and saute till they begin to pop
4. Add the onion and curry leaves, ground spices and fennel
5. On medium heat, stir gently till the spices are cooked. A sign of this is when the oil starts to gently seep through the spice and onion mixture
6. Add 1/2 cup of the stock and bring the gravy together
7. Prepare the tamarind by squeezing the pulp, which has been soaking in boiling water for a few minutes; strain and add the thick juice to the pan, using half the amount first, then adjusting the curry to how tart you like it
   
8. Add the fish but at this point, do not stir the curry any more, lifting the pan and swirling it around instead (to avoid breaking up the fish) to combine
   
9. Once the fish is done, about 5 minutes' time, add 1/3 cup of coconut milk and some stock to make the curry as thick or thin as you prefer
10. Taste and season to your own preferences
    

(All text and photos or images are copyright protected. Please do not reprint any stories, recipes or photographs without the author's permission.)

Banana Cake II - With Wholegrain Flour and Extra Fruit

I deliberately buy bananas and let them sit and ripen as an excuse to bake a banana cake. I do this so often the children have acquired a Pavlovian response of demanding a cake when they see the fruit lying around.

This is one of three banana cake recipes we enjoy, being moist, ludicrously easy, relatively healthy and so, so banana-rey. As it bakes it gets a slightly crunchy crust, which my children love topped with their favourite cream cheese icing which I present below.

• 3 eggs
• 1 stick plus 1 tablespoon butter (125g)
• 1 1/2 cups brown sugar (white is fine)
• 1 1/2 cups wholemeal flour, sifted with
• 1 heaped tsp baking soda and
• 1 tsp baking powder, plus
• 1 cup unbleached white flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 4 very ripe, large bananas, mashed with a fork at the last minute

1. Cream the eggs, butter and sugar together till pale and fluffy
2. Sift the flour/soda/powder/salt into the butter mixture
3. Process till well combined, add vanilla
4. Fold in the mashed bananas
5. Pour into pre-oiled baking tin
6. Bake at 175C or 360F for 40 minutes
7. Ice as desired

Cream cheese icing

In a small processor, add

• 3 tbsp cream cheese
• 2 cups icing sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 orange's zest
• 1 tbsp cream
• 1/2 stick butter

Blend all the above together till creamy, adding more icing sugar as needed I like to ice the cake while it's warm for a rustic, carelessly thrown-together look. Sprinkle with coconut shavings if desired.

(All text and photos or images are copyright protected. Please do not reprint any stories, recipes or photographs without the author's permission.)

I'm back! With Corn Bread

It's taken a while to settle in after moving to the US. I apologise for my absence, even as I vigorously resist replacing my s's with z's. 

Coming out of a 24-hour Yom Kippur fast, rather than avoid thoughts of food, I thought it appropriate to bake something sweet. Corn bread - which isn't traditional Jewish fair but seems a quintessentially American one to revive my blog with - was the first thing that came to mind.

I was after a simple recipe to start with, corn bread not being something I had a lot of practise with in my previous lives elsewhere. I didn't have to look far - Quaker had a handy one on their Yellow Corn Meal box which I present below. It's quick, turned out quite attractively with a crunchy crust and definitely hit my vast, food-deprived spot! 

For variety, add cranberries, or a honey-and-nut topping or make it lighter by adding whisked egg whites at the end as described below. It was gorgeous served warm with lots of butter.

• 1 1/4 cups plain flour
  
• 3/4 cup Quaker enriched corn meal
  
• 1/4 cup sugar
  
• 2 tsp baking powder
  
• 1/2 tsp salt
  
• 1 cup skim milk
  
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  
• 1 egg, beaten

1. Heat oven to 400F or 180C
   
2. Combine dry ingredients in a bowl
   
3. Whisk wet ones separately and pour into dry ingredients
   
4. Stir till just combined
   
5. Pour into 8 or 9-inch pan and bake for 20-25 mins or till a toothpick inserted comes out clean
6. For a lighter cornbread, leave out the beaten egg from the wet ingredients and instead, whisk two egg whites to peaks and carefully carve into the rest of the batter before pouring into a pan and baking. 

(All text and photos or images are copyright protected. Please do not reprint any stories, recipes or photographs without the author's permission.)