Thermomix Figolli

Ingredients:

For the pastry:

175 grams caster sugar

400 grams plain flour, sifted

200 grams butter

Grated rind of 1 lemon

2 egg yolks, beaten

For the almond paste:

300 g caster or icing sugar

1 or 2 egg whites depending on size

Grated rind of 1 lemon

A few drops orange flower water

300 grams almonds, ground with the thermomix too

To finish:

Glacé icing or chocolate for covering

Royal icing for decoration

Small Easter eggs

Thermomix Kwarezimal

Ingredients:

100g of almonds

100g of plain flour

125g of caster sugar

a dash of orange-flower water

the grated rind of one orange, one tangerine and one lemon

one tablespoonful of cocoa

honey and almonds to decorate

Roasted Peppers with Anchovies

This is a delicious summer salad, on it's own, as a side or as a topping on toasted maltese bread. Can be also made for vegetarians by omitting the anchovies.

From when i was a little boy, every summer i remember my godfather roasting peppers on the naked flame and meticulously removing the charred skin to make this delicious salad. It always seemed like a very laborious process for a side but it was worth the effort.

I recently found this recipe which is very similar to what he used to do but with added anchovies... and an easier way to skin the roasted peppers... so i tried it and the result was delicious.

Date Diamonds - (Imqaret)

 

For the pastry:

400g flour

75g sugar

pinch baking powder

100g margarine

1 egg

For the filling:

400g dates

lemon zest

orange zest

some brandy or anisette

Method

Mix margerine, flour and baking powder together and work until smooth

Mix sugar and egg together, add the flour and work to a smooth dough.

Leave to rest for 2 hours.

Put the dates with two tablespoons of water in a small pan and heat for a few minutes.

Add zests and brandy and work the mixture with a fork.

Open the pastry into long strips about 10cms wide.  Brush the edges with water.

Put a little filling in the centre.  Fold pastry.

Press both edges to keep the filling in.

Using a ravioli cutter cut into large diamond shaped slices about 40cms long.

Cook in plenty of hot oil until golden brown or else bake at 200 degrees C for 15 minutes or until golden.

 

Butternut Squash & Bacon Risotto

Here's one of my latest healthy recipes using butternut squash / pumpkin.  Both marry superbly with bacon in this tasty risotto.  Enjoy!

Serves 2

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1-2 garlic cloves crushed
115g streaky bacon, chopped
1 butternut squash / pumpkin (about 900g, peeled, seeded and cut into small chunks)
1 cup arborio rice
750 ml chicken stock
40g freshly grated  Parmesan cheese.
1 tbsp fresh parsley
salt and pepper





Method



Heat the oil and fry the onion and garlic for about 3-4minutes, stirring frequently until beginning to soften.  Add the bacon and continue frying until both the onion and bacon are lightly golden.

Add the squash or pumpkin and stir-fry for a few minutes.  Add the rice and stir fry for about 2 minutes.

Gradually add the hot stock and simmer, stirring frequently.

Add a little of the stock and stir well.  Simmer, stirring frequently until the rice has absorbed almost all of the liquid.  The risotto should be bubble but not boil fiercely.

Add some more of the simmering stock and cook, stirring, until it is almost all absorbed.  Continue adding the stock in this way until the grains of rice are tender and the risotto is creamy but not runny.  Use smaller quantities of stock towards the end of cooking.  The risotto will take about 30 minutes to cook in total.
 
When the rice and squash are tender, season to taste with salt and pepper.  Stir in the grated Parmesan.  Sprinkle over the parsley and parmesan shavings and serve.

Pumpkin Pie Spice

This is very easy to do and use in all your delicious pumpkin concoctions, from pie to soup to pumpkin pie spice lattes...

Just mix the ingredients together and keep in a jar.

Creme Anglaise

Ingredients

2 Vanilla beans
250g heavy cream
125 g whole milk
50g sugar
113 egg yolk
4.5g salt


Method

Chop vanilla beans

Combine ingredients in a pot
Whisk by hand to incorporate.
 
Heat ingredients
On medium-high heat, heat to 180 °F / 82 °C, whisking constantly.

If you don't have a thermometer, simply check for consistency: The texture should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, and should hold its structure when you swipe your finger tip across it.
 
Strain; cool at room temperature
Pass the heated liquid through a sieve. Cool at room temperature.

Enjoy