Freddie Joss Kitchen

Nigella's Chocolate Lime Cheesecake

2010-12-20T08:49:00.001+01:00

Lately we are addicted to the cookery programme 'Nigella's Kitchen' on BBC. I used not to like her so much as what she did to her cooking is basically loads of butter and chocolate. But while paying more attention to her show, she actually tells you a lot of cooking technique and rationale behind using some ingredients. We have learned a lot from her show!

We made this delicious chocolate lime cheesecake - cheesecake with chocolate crust bottom - according to her recipe. It is so yummy and not as heavy as you would thought what Nigella would make.

Below is the recipe from Nigella Lawson that we thought worth sharing! Enjoy!

Ingredients (serve 8)

200g Double Choc cookies
75g unsalted butter
750g Phildelphia cream cheese
200g caster sugar
4 whole eggs
2 yolks juice of 4 limes
20-21cm springform cake tin kitchen foil

Method

Place a large overlapping piece of foil over the bottom of the springform tin, and then insert the pan ring over it. Fold the foil up and around the sides of the tin and place the whole thing on a second piece of foil, also folding it and pressing it securely up around the tin so that you have a water-tight covering. Actually, I sometimes find some water dribbles out from this supposedly secure casing on unwrapping, but it doesn't seem - as long as you unwrap the outer layer straightaway - to cause any sogginess.
Process the biscuits until they are like crumbs, then add the butter and pulse again. Line the bottom of the springform tin, pressing the biscuits in with your hands or the back of the spoon. Put the tin in the fridge to set, and preheat the oven to 180°C/ gas mark 4.
Beat the cream cheese gently until it's smooth, and then add the sugar. Beat in the eggs and egg yolks, then finally the lime juice. Put a full kettle on.
Pour the cream cheese filling onto the chilled biscuit base, place the tin in a roasting tray and pour hot water from the recently boiled kettle around the foil-wrapped cheesecake to come about halfway up the sides of the springform; don't overfill as you'll only spill it on the way to the oven. Transfer it as steadily as you can to the oven and cook for 1 hour or so, checking after 50 minutes. It should feel set, but not rigidly so. You want to be able to detect, below the skin, the slightest, sexiest hint of a quiver within.
Take the roasting tin out of the oven, then gingerly remove the springform from its water-filled tin, stand it on a rack, peel off the outer layer of foil, tear away the side bits of the first layer of foil and leave it to cool. When the cheesecake's cooled down completely, place it in the fridge and leave it there till 20 minutes or so before you want to eat it.
Transfer to the plate you're going to serve it on (it will need to be one without a lip, or a cakestand) and unclip. The underneath bit of the first layer of foil, along with the base of the tin, are going to have to stay in place, unless you like living really dangerously. I don't mind a bit of risk in the kitchen, but fiddling about with something as desirably lacking in solidity as this dreamlike cheesecake is beyond even my clumsily impatient foolhardiness.
It makes life easier if, when you cut it, you heat the knife and cake slicer (and I find I need to use both, the one to cut, the other to lift up and ferry slice to waiting plate) under a very hot tap first.

Try out as it's super easy and yummy!

Love
Joss

Spread the Deal to Your Friend and Family – Harry and David Online Coupons

2010-11-24T17:22:00.000+01:00

The concept of getting coupons online for online shopping has spread widely and quickly this year, even to the extend that checking online for coupons before buying something is a must-do action.

Before we kicked off our kitchen renovation project, of course we did check online coupons as well. (Well, sometimes you can get really good discounts!) We found an online coupon site which offers wide ranges of coupons for different products, including food & drink, party supplies and eco-friendly products.

From there you can get Harry and David coupon codes, which allows you to have free shipping deal for your online purchase, or some extra discounts. Like most online coupon sites, coupons are opened for a period for purchasing, but also there are coupons being opened for long extends.

If you still don't know what to get for your family or friends for Thanks-giving or Christmas, the Harry and David Gift Baskets are perfect for these special occassions.

This website is currently having a contest with Apple iPod Touch 4th Gen as the prize. Write and submit a review on your own experience in using Harry and David coupons and win the prize!

It's always nice and fun to shop with discounted deals. So don't miss the online deals there!

Our Kitchen-Warming Party!

2010-11-23T10:21:00.000+01:00

Since September, our kitchen went into renovation for 4 weeks and we were having a very limited space for cooking during the month. Now we are extremely glad with the new kitchen set as well as a whole completely new collection of cookware. Our 'kitchen' warming party took place last weekend.

For the party, we've made several versions of bruschetta, finger pizzas, chicory salmon salad as well as a modified version of the butter-free Japanese cheesecake.

Below is the recipe:

Preparation time: 20 mins
Baking time: 65 mins

Ingredients (for 4-6 persons)

Mascarpone 250g
Milk 170ml
Flour 30g
Corn flour 30g
4 Eggs (big ones, separate the yolk and white)
icing Sugar 90g

Steps:

1. Preheat your oven to 170C

2. Mix mascarpone with milk. I put the mixture in a bowl inside a bigger bowl of hot water to help mixing.
3. Sieve the flour and corn flour in the mixture and mix well.
4. Add the yolks to the mixture and mix well.
5. In another container, whisk the egg white and sugar together until they are stiffed. Fold it to the mixture in step 3.
6. When mixed, pour the mixture into the baking mold.
7. Place the baking mold on a tray filled with water.
8. Put the whole tray in the oven for 15 mins at 170C to form the golden surface, and then switch to 150C for another 40 mins. Switched off the oven and keep the cake there for 10 minutes.

What was changed?

I replaced normal sugar with icing sugar (actually since sugar were gone :p), but then the icing sugar actually gave it a even more delicate texture. The only challenge is that when you are mixing icing sugar with egg white, you need to do it bit by bit, otherwise it takes much longer to stiff the mixture up.

Our guests and ourselves enjoyed the party and had yummy food went down our throat !

Love
Joss

Home-made Flavoured Red Pepper Garlic Olive Oil

2010-07-07T11:41:00.000+02:00

Lately Freddie and I have been making home-made flavoured olive oils as birthday gift for friends. It's extremely easy and the result is much better than we expected. Of course it's also less pricy than getting a bottle from a special olive oil shop.

Another good thing is that you can really make it very personal, you can tune the amount of pepper or any other ingredients according to the taste of the person that gets the bottle.

Ingredients:

1-2 red peppers

1 glove of garlic, include skin

1 bottle of extra-virgin olive oil

1 nice bottle which has a shut/ closure

1 ribbon (for decoration only)

Steps:

1. Put 1 whole red pepper (left un-cut) and the 1 glove of garlic into the bottle.

2. Slice another red pepper and add to the bottle. If you are looking for less spicy oil, remove the seeds.

3. Pour the extra-virgin olive oil into the bottle

4. close the bottle and decorate with whatever you want

Tips:

1. Best to make this a week in advance before you give it out

2. The oil can be used for quite a long time, of cuz the longer you keep, the stronger the flavour

3. You can use the oil for making pasta, salad or as focaccia dipping together with salt and pepper

4. Besides red pepper, you can also use rosemary, garlic, oregano or any other kind of fragrant herbs to make flavoured olive oil

We hope you enjoy it!

New Inspirations - Foodie Blog Roll

2010-07-06T16:39:00.001+02:00

During a random search of new cooking inspirations, I found a blogroll called the Foodie Blog Roll where loads of recipes are available from different people all over the world.

It's extremely fascinating as you can find loads of recipes which are written by the real local people, instead of modified recipes (like BBC cooks teaching you to make Indian curry..)

It's such a great place to find inspirations. For those who are interested in finding original recipes, just check this Foodie Blog Roll out.

Cheers

Joss

Mixed Vegetables with Ginger Sesame honey sauce

2010-07-06T14:13:00.000+02:00

In China it's very selfdom that you would have mixed veggie as a dish at home or at restuarants. The usual combinations are more like a sort of meat frying together with a sort of veggie. But the very popular takeaway dish 'chap choy' literally means 'mixed veggie'. You can use any veggie that is in season to make this. Here is the menu for making your own fusioned chap choy.

Still no camera and therefore no foto :(

Ingredients (for 2 persons):

1. Half chinese cabbage

2. handful of long beans, chop in half

3. handful of beansprouts

4. half a courgette/ zucchini

5. 100 gm corn (from can)

6. 1 tablespoon fish sauce

7. 1 tablespoon honey

8. 2 slices of ginger, finely chopped

*You can also use ginger syrup to subsititute the honey and chopped ginger

9. a pinch of sesame

10. pinch of salt and pepper

Steps:

1. Boil a pan of water to cook the long beans for 4-5 minutes. If you are using broccoli or any other kind of veggie that takes longer time to cook, do this step.

2. Add little bit of sunflower oil or oilve oil in another pan, add courgette and fry until half soft

3. Add chinese cabbage and beanspounts until they sweat

4. Add the cooked long beans and corn to the pan

5. Add all the seasonings, and tune it to the favour that you'd like

6. serve, add sesame on top

Ready to eat!

Handheld TV - Rescue me from world cup

2010-07-05T12:20:00.003+02:00

World cup is definitely too long for me... As we have only one TV, the only possible show on our TV is football match and yet another football matches.
I'm so glad that I got a handheld TV from my friend who bought it for using in camping sites. Now I can at least have a say in which channels to watch rather than seeing man kicking the ball across the same green field.

Spring Roll with Chinese Cabbage, carrot and minced Pork

2010-07-05T12:07:00.000+02:00

Lately we have not been updating the site with recipes, mainly due to the fact that we've been travelling both for work and for fun quite a lot, but also because that our camera got wet and dead during a trip… now we do not have any camera to record what we cooked… We ordered one 4 weeks ago but it's still not in stock… Need to be bit patient.

Last night we have some wonderful guest came over for a dinner party. One of the things that we made is Spring Roll!

Ingredients: (for 4 persons)

- 1 Chinese cabbage, sliced

- 1 carrot, grated

- 300 gram minced pork

- 1 table spoon xiaoxin wine (chinese wine) or sherry

- pince of salt and pepper

- 200 ml chicken stock

- 1 table spoon corn starch

- 1 pack of spring roll skins

Steps:

1. mix the wine and starch with the minced pork and set aside

2. Cook the sliced chinese cabbage until they get soft

3. add the chicken stock with the chinese cabbage and let them cook for another 10 minutes

4. add the minced pork into the cabbage

5. add the grated carrot into the mixture

6. cook until the whole mixture get thick. Add corn starch to the mixture if it's too thin, or add water if the mixture is too thick. The right consistency is when the juice of the mixture can stick to the ingredients, that would make them stay ok with the spring roll skin.

7. Have the mixture get completely cool down. ( I have the ingredients done 1 day in advance when also helps to get the mixture more sticking with each other)

8. put the spring roll skin on a flat surface, and put a spoonful of the filling on top, roll it like a spring roll!

9. Use some water to close the end

10. when done, prepare a pan of oil which covers the surface of the pan

11. fry the spring rolls until both sides are brown

12. serve with chinese vinegar, soya sauce or sweet chili sauce!

Pity that we don't have camera to show you the real thing we made!

My Dear Luggage Tag

2010-07-04T09:50:00.000+02:00

Freddie and I are back from a fabulous vacation in Spain lately. The trip was wonderful yet we got a bit of hiccups when my suitcase was brought to another room of the hotel by the concierge.. Gladly I did use a luggage tag with my contact details on... this was how my luggage tag saved my vacation! Of cuz, Fred is always the calming element for me.

My 1tb Hard Drive Birthday Gift!!!

2010-07-03T22:21:00.000+02:00

This year I got a surprising birthday gift from Freddie! Usually he would buy me either handbags or accessories, this year he got me a 1tb hard drive to store all my music, photos, writings and basically everything! It’s such a handy gift! Love you sweetheart!

While Joss & Freddie are out

2010-03-19T10:19:00.000+01:00

Yes it's been a while, a long while. Both of us were so much engaged in everything, including a winter holiday of cuz.

Last night we had Green tea Pannacotta from Jamie Oliver's recipe which was sooooooo yum. Jamie never let us down.

Just to share very quickly:

http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/other-recipes/green-tea-and-vanilla-pannacotta-with-ch

Cheers
Joss

While Joss is out

2010-01-31T20:26:00.001+01:00

Sweet Joss is back home in HK for 3 weeks. Poor Freddie, he´s been left alone and misses her. One way to overcome the missing is to keep cooking as if Joss was still there to taste it.

One person meals must be quick and easy to make. Just pimp up any fast, but healthy, food like a pizza bottom, tortilla or, and that´s what I did, instant noodles.

Spicy Noodle Soup with Prawns, Mushroom and Chinese Cabbage

Cooking time: 10 minutes

Ingredients: ( 1 person)

1 package of your favorite spicy instant noodles
50 gram Chinese Cabbage, cut in stripes
1 glove of garlic, thin sliced
hand ful of mushrooms, cut in quarters
hand full of peeled prawns ( fresh or ready cooked)
2 table spoon of sweet soja sauce
1 tea spoon of Indian curry powder
1 table spoon of oil to fry

Steps:

Soak your noodles in cooked water for about 4 minutes ( or follow the instructions on the package)
In meantime... fry the garlic for 1 minute...don´t let it get brown!
Add the cabbage and mushrooms and fry for 1 minute
Add the soja sauce and cook fo another minutes
Add the prawns and the curry powder, fry for 2 minutes
Prepare your noodle soup by adding the flavors from the packages, together with cooked noodles and water
Add the Soja-Curry flavored veggies and prawns in the soup

Guys, take good care of yourself when she´s out.
Enjoy and think about her while eating, it will taste even better!

Don´t forget to send us your favorite Pimped fast food recepies.

Cheers.

Freddie

Chicken and Eggs in Sweet Soya Sauce

2010-01-20T21:32:00.000+01:00

This is an extremely simple dish that I have had since childhood.

Sweet sauce is a used quite a lot by my mum. It’s literally cooked sweet soya sauce. You can use it to ‘pouch’ chicken, pork meat or tofu. Usually I’d use the sauce the next day again for more eggs and tofu. Freddie also loves it now!

In the photo I have mixed veggies from the oven to serve with!

Cooking time: 55 mins

Ingredients: ( 2 persons)

200 gm chicken wings/ chicken drums/ whole small chicken
3-4 eggs
250 ml sweet soya sauce. The bottle that I use looks like this…

250ml water (1 bowl)
Skin of half a mandarin
Crystal rock sugar (can get from Chinese supermarket, otherwise use white sugar would also be fine)
2 Star Anise (from Chinese supermarket or in bigger supermarkets)

Steps:
1. both the eggs until it's hard boiled, get the shell off
2. use a spoon to scratch out the inner whitish part of the mandarin skin, as this part is bitter
3. Heat the sweet sauce up with water, add the mandarin skin, star anise and crystal rock sugar, until the rock sugar dissolved
4. Add chicken and eggs, keep medium heat and cover the lid partially
5. Let the chicken and eggs swim in the sauce for about 40 minutes
6. Serve with rice or noodle and the sweet soya sauce

Eet Smakelijk!
Joss

Piri-piri Chicken with Crème Spinach Trottole Pasta

2010-01-19T14:55:00.000+01:00

The combination of piri-piri does not sound like clicking with cream spinich, but surprisingly they are great partners. Sometimes we have to get out of the regular comfort zone in cooking to create new favours. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piri_piri#Piri-piri

Preparation time: 15 mins (marinate chicken 1 day before)
Cooking time: 25 mins

Ingredients:(for 2 persons)

150-200G Chicken filet, cut into strips
1 table spoon piri piri powder
1 onion, chopped
1 glove garlic, chopped
500G spinach
75 Crème fraiche
Some milk
1 nutmeg (only use a bit from grating)
1/2 table spoon flour/ corn flour
250G Pasta (I use Trottole this time)
Some parmasan cheese

Steps:

1. Do this preferably 1 day in advance, otherwise at least let the chicken marinate for an hour before cooking. Marinate the chicken with piri piri powder, pinch of salt and 1 table spoon olive oil. Mix well and save it in the fridge

For the pasta:
1. Cook the pasta in boiled water with salt (1 minute shorter than the suggested time on the package)

For the chicken:
1. Before frying the chicken, add 1/2 table spoon flour (or corn flour) to the marinating chicken and mix well. **This is a trick from my mum to keep the chicken's moist
2. Heat up a non-sticky pan with high heat. Pour a little bit of oilve oil and then the chicken in
3. Turn the heat into medium heat. Don't move the chicken until they are changed colour on 1 side
4. Flip the chicken and again, dun stir them. Keep the heat low to medium
5. When cooked, take them out and set aside for later use

For the sauce:
1. Heat up the pan in medium heat, fry onion and garlic with a pinch of salt until the onion is soft
2. Add spinach into the pan and fry until shrinked (just shrinked and not to cook for too long as we'll cook it with the sauce still)
3. Add crème fraiche to the pan and stir well, add a little bit milk.
4. Grate some nutmeg into the spinach cream sauce mix. Add salt and pepper to season
5. Now, if the sauce is too thin, you can add flour (already mixed with cold water on 1flour:2 water proportion) to thicken
Final ensemble:
1. Add the chicken and pasta into the spinach cream sauce until all are mixed and heat up again
2. Taste and add more seasoning if needed
3. Serve and sprinkle parmasan cheese on top

Love
Joss

Chicory/ Endive/ Witlof Pasta with Bacon and Lemon Herby Sauce

2010-01-18T20:19:00.000+01:00

In Dutch, this veggie is called Witlof, which I've never had in Hong Kong. According to Freddie, it's a very common veggie in Dutch household, usually serve with potatoes.

Witlof goes very well with lemon. This time we use both ingredients for a pasta dish.

Preparation time: 10 mins
Cooking time: 15 mins

Ingredients (for 2 persons)

2 Chicory/ Endive/ Witlof, cut off the end and sliced into 1cm slices
250G Bacon
4 -5 Black olives
Juice of half lemon
Some fresh oregano, rosemary and parsley chopped (or dry mixed herbs)
250G pasta
1 glove garlic, chopped
1 shallot, chopped
1 dollop butter

Steps:
1. Cook the pasta in boiled water with salt and pepper (according to the timing instruction on the package) or from your local Italian deli shop
2. heat up the pan with medium heat, put your bacon in (without using oil)
3. When the bacon is crisp, take it out from the pan

4. Keep the fire on, in the pan should have oil from the bacon, if not enough, add some olive oil, and then put garlic and shallot in. Cook until shallot is soft.

5. Add the sliced witlof into the pan, fry until soft

6. When witlof is done, take out from the pan

7. Add to the pan the dollop of butter and 1 table spoon extra virgin olive oil
8. Add the oregano and fry for 1 minute9. Add the cooked pasta, stir well in the sauce
10. Add bacon, witlof and black olives to the pasta and stir well. Season with salt and pepper (as bacon is already savory, you might need to add less salt to this)

Enjoy!

Joss

When Cooking Becomes Dancing...

2010-01-15T20:00:00.000+01:00

When it comes down to cooking Joss and myself have a different approach. Joss’ goal is to get something nice on the table as soon as possible, often works without any recipe at hand and keeps the kitchen pretty much clean.

So unlike me, who likes to take all the time of the world, enjoying the cutting of herbs and putting in small containers first, utilizing the full space of the kitchen, trying to stick to the recipe by reading it over and over again and ending up with a total kitchen mess, as if I was cooking for a whole school.

Truly amazing how all works so flawless when we cook 2gether. Mission and tasks are clear and we blind trust each other on our different skill set. Its like ballroom dancing in the kitchen, you should just see us! And so far the end result has never let us down.

Enjoy dancing 2gether!

Freddie

Joss' Finger Licking Prawns with Garlic and Soya Sauce

2010-01-13T20:29:00.000+01:00

Dear Joss

You know I'm a bit slower, so only here I am with my first post!

What a lovely initiative to publish our food adventures.

I enjoy eating and cooking with you so much, the world ought to know.

In our earlier days of living together in this potato country you impressed my family and me with a delicious dish from Hong Kong, which is now re-named after the thing that happened while eating it.

One question: The height of our kitchen does work for you, doesn't it?

Love
Freddie

Preparation time: 20 mins
Cooking time: 10 mins

Ingredients (for 2 persons)

10-12 mid-sized prawns. Whenever possible, please try to get prawns with shells still on, as that helps to keep the prawn inside still nice and soft.
4 - 5 gloves' garlic
A bunch of coriander
1 table spoon white sugar
3 table spoon soya sauce
4 table spoon flour or corn flour

Steps:
1. if you're using frozen prawns, defrost them.
2. if you're using whole prawns with shell, trim off the legs of the prawns with scissors
3. Use a toothpick to remove the greyish-black digestive organ (by sticking the toothpick into the 1st/ 2nd joint in the shell)
4. Cover the prawns with a thin layer of flour (sprinke the flour on a flat surface where to can roll the prawns on easily)
5. Heat up a pan with 2 table spoons oil
6. Put the prawns in, switch to medium heat. Don't move or turn them until you see half-way of the prawn turns orange
7. Turn the prawns so the raw side of the prawn can be fried, again do not move them for 2-3 mins
8. Add garlic, soya sauce and sugar and stir fry until you see all sauces are stick to the prawns. ** You might see that the prawns seem to be burnt, but that's ok. Just stir them very quickly.
9. Serve with coriander on top!

Tapas - Smoked Salmon with Capers & Lime (Bruschetta)

2010-01-12T19:50:00.000+01:00

Freddie made this several times for parties or as tapas in the weekend. It's so easy yet with stunning result!

Ingredients (for 2 persons)

Smoked salmon 200g
Juice of half lime
1 -2 teaspoons capers

Steps:
1. Lay out the smoked salmon on a flat plate
2. Sprinkle the juice on top evenly
3. Sprinkle the capers on top evenly
4. Put pinch of pepper on top the season

It's done!

Another variation, is to prepare sliced baguette and toast it to serve with the smoked salmon as bruschetta. You can have a plate of olive oil mixed with balsamic vinegar and salt, or some garlic butter, or even cream cheese to put on top of the baguette. Then you can put the smoked salmon on top to make smoked salmon buchetta!

Japanese Mascarpone Cheese Cake (butter-free)

2010-01-12T19:34:00.000+01:00

I found this recipe online and have been talking about it for the whole week. We ate it both warm and cold. It’s warm and soft when immediately served out from the oven. I put the rest in the fridge for 2 hours (such a test of patience…), the cheese taste is even stronger and extremely delicate and creamy cake :)

Preparation time: 20 mins
Baking time: 65 mins

Ingredients (for 4-6 persons)

Mascarpone 250g
Milk 170ml
Flour 30g
Corn flour 30g
4 Eggs (big ones, separate the yolk and white)
Sugar 90g

Steps:

1. Preheat your oven to 170C

First Japanese cheese cake for Freddie!!

Time to eat!

Love
Joss

Oven Scale Reference

2010-01-12T13:33:00.000+01:00

Just a handy oven scale to look up the conversions for different ovens:
Conversion of degree Fahrenheit (°F), degree Celsius (°C ) and gas mark.

Thai Mango Vermicelli Surimi (crab stick) with Sweet Chilli Lime Sauce

2010-01-11T20:35:00.000+01:00

Preparation time: 20 mins

Ingredients ( for 2 persons)

1 Mango, sliced
Vermicelli (white or transparent) 120-150g
A bunch of coriander, chopped
Half Cucumber, sliced
Some bean sprout
4 surimi/ crab stick

For the dressing:

3 table spoons Thai sweet chilli sauce
2 table spoon fish sauce
1 spring onion, chopped
Juice of half a lime

Steps:

1. Cook the Vermicelli according to the instruction on the package (for the transparent ones you'll need to soak it in cold water beforehead). Put it in cold water afterwards. Slightly cut them up with scissors

2. Soak the crab sticks in hot water for 3 minutes. When done, roughly tear them into slices. Set aside to cold down

3. mix all ingredients together. Leave some mango and coriander behind for garnishing

4. make the dressing by mixing Thai sweet chilli sauce, fish sauce, lime juice, season with salt and pepper

5. mix the dressing in the salad. serve and garnish with the reminding mango

Ready to Eat!

Joss

Pumpkin Risotto with Courgette and Panchetta in a Pumpkin

2010-01-11T20:10:00.000+01:00

I almost have drew a face on the pumpkin! It looks very nice and indeed very yummy! Of course you can skip the pumpkin and use other utensils…

Preparation time: 15 mins
Cooking time: 30 mins

Ingredients (for 2 persons):

Pumpkin (around 1kg)
Risotto rice 200g
Pancetta (or Serrano ham) 4-6 slices
Half a courgette, chop in cubs
1 onion, chopped
Half a glass white wine
1 dollop butter
Some parmasan cheese
1/2 table spoon coriander seed, smashed (or coriander seed powder)
1 fresh red chilli, chopped (or half table spoon red chilli pepper powder)
1 chicken broth tablet (dissolve it in 250 ml hot water or use 250ml any other chicken broth)

Steps:
1. Preheat oven to 190C
2. Cut a little bit at the bottom of the pumpkin so it can 'stand' still

3. Cut around 1/4 of the pumpkin from the top and spoon the seeds out

4. Season the inside of pumpkin with the mixed of coriander seed, red chilli and a pinch of salt

5. Put the whole pumpkin (including the top part) in the oven the top of the pumpkin for 30 mins.
6. (While the pumpkin is in the oven….) Heat up a pan, pour olive oil, cook the onion in slow heat until soft
7. Pour the rice in. Cook until turning a bit transparent
8. Pour the wine in, stir and let the rice totally absorb it

9. Pour in 1st scoop of chicken broth in the rice, let it cook and stir constantly until the rice absorb most of it.

10. Add courgette into the rice and then add another scoop and so forth until the rice are cooked. This will take around 20 mins.
11. Take the pumpkin out from the oven (timing wise it should be ready during the rice cooking)
12. Scoop out the pumpkin flesh, be careful not to break the outer layer as it should be quite soft

13. Put the scooped out pumpkin into the risotto and mix well

14. Add a dollop of butter and a bit parmasen to the risotto and mix well
15. Put the ready risotto back in the pumpkin, sprinkle parmasan
16. Lay the pancetta on top of the pumpkin.
17. Put the whole thing into the oven for 3-5 mins until the pancetta crisp up
18. chop the pancetta and put on top

Bon appetit!
Joss

Easy Tortilla Pizza with Cheese, Tomatoes, Champignons, Olives and Spring Onion

2010-01-11T19:26:00.000+01:00

I dunno why tortilla packages are always in the number of 8 here. For the 2 of us, very often there are leftovers. I then use it as a pizza base for lunch next day!

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 5-7 minutes

Ingredients (for 2 persons)

2 - 4 tortilla sheets
1 -2 tomatoes, sliced into 0.5cm thick
Some cheese (can use any cheese e.g. cheddar, that melts well)
Champignons 30-40g, sliced
Some olives, sliced
1 spring onion, chopped
Extra virgin olive oil

Steps:
1. Preheat oven to 180C

2. sprinkle cheese on the tortilla sheet

3. put tomatoes, champignons, olives and spring onion on top

4. drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, season with salt and pepper

5. put in the oven for 5-7 minutes

Enjoy!

Love

Joss

Ravioli in Tomato Gorgonzola Sauce with Pinenuts & Parsley

2010-01-09T21:03:00.000+01:00

This is one of my favourite quick meal after work!

Preparation time: 5 mins
Cooking time: 10 mins

Ingredients (for 2 persons)

Ravioli 250g (as always emphasize by Jamie Oliver (and personally I also agree), the fresher the ingredient the nicer the dish, but as a weekday dish, I usually used the fresh pre-packed ones from supermarket)
2 tomatoes, cut into wedges
1 Onion, chopped
Gorgonzola 50g (the quantity depends on how strong you want and how strong the cheese is, logical.. )
Crème fresh (skimmed)
Skimmed milk (a little bit, for thinning the sauce if necessary)
Pinenuts, toast on a pan until brown (without oil!)
Parsley (optional), chopped

Cook the ravioli:

1. Boil a pan of salted water
2. Meanwhile, in order to eat asap, please start with the sauce

3. When water is boiled, add the ravioli and cook about 3-5 mins (depends on the kind of ravioli you're using. Usually it states on the package if you're using packed ones)

4. When the ravioli is done, drain it from the water and put it into 2 plates

For the sauce:

1. Heat up the pan with little bit olive oil
2. Put the onion in and fry until soft in low heat
3. Put tomatoes in and cook for a minute
4. Pour Crème fresh in and heat up
5. Add gorgonzola and bring the mixture into simmer

6. Depends on how thick the sauce is, you can add milk to thinnen or flour (already mixed with cold water on 1flour:2 water proportion) to thicken

7. Add salt & pepper to season

8. Pour the sauce on top of ravioli

9. Sprinkle pinenuts & parsley on top

Enjoy!

Joss

Hello Freddie!

2010-01-09T17:17:00.000+01:00

Hello Freddie! Yo! You know that I wanted to jot down all our recipes but due to many reasons (or excuses like laziness), I haven’t done it yet. Now it’s our little own place to save them all..

Love
Joss