nero di seppia

Just cooked this wonderful spagetti nero di seppia after buying fresh cuttlefish (seppia) from marsaxlokk.

anybody wants to know the recipie?

Cooking Tuna with a difference

Another video recipe of one of the most favourite Mediterranean fish (in Maltese)

Ingredients

2 tuna steaks of 250g each
2 garlic cloves
Mint
basil
half a glass of white wine
lemon
300g polenta
Olive oil

For decorations
4 king prawns
Soy sauce
2 Tbsp brown sugar
red capsicum
lemon juice

White sauce
Butter
2 Tsp flour
Fish stock
Glass of wine

Dark Sauce
Tomato pulp
mint
cuttlefish ink
Onion
garlic

Green Pea Pesto

A friend of mine gave me this recipe, which is a different take on the traditional pesto.  This is what I call a summer mediterranean dish.  Easy to prepare, very tasty, especially if you use very good olive oil.  Vegetarians, write this one down..

 Ingredients

500g penne
1 1/2 c  green peas fresh / frozen
3/4 c packed basil leaves
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp capers, drained
1/3 c extra virgin olive oil
1/2 c chopped walnuts, toasted
salt and pepper, to taste

Method

Bring a large stock pot of water to a boil and add penne. Cook until al dente. Drain and transfer to a serving bowl.

In a food processor or blender, blend the peas, basil, lemon juice and capers. Add the olive oil in a slow stream, and blend until combined. 

Add to serving bowl with pasta and mix well. Add walnuts and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Stuffed Calamari - (in Maltese)

Welcome to our first Video recipe in Maltese - Stuffed Klamari.  Please let us know how you like it by posting your comments below.  

Part 1

Part 2

For this recipe you will need the following ingredients:

Klamari

Gambli friski imqaxxrin

Rikotta

Tewm u Tursin

Bajda u ftit frak tal-ħobż

Bżar u melħ

Għaz-zalza

Żejt taż-Żebbuġa

Basal

Tadam

Ftit zokkor

Spaghetti

Peppered Tuna

If you like steak, you will love this black pepper-crusted tuna steak recipe. Best enjoyed medium-rare.  The spicy pepper crust is perfect with this meaty fish. 

Ingredients 

1 teaspoon basil, chopped
4 teaspoons thyme, chopped
4 tablespoons cracked black pepper
2 large tuna steak
6 Tbsp olive oil
1 teaspoons wasabi paste
1 cups fish stock
4 Tbsp soy sauce

Method

Mix the basil, thyme and the black pepper together. Season the tuna with the mixture. 

In a hot saute pan, add the olive oil and sear the tuna until cooked rare or to desired temperature. Remove the tuna. Then add the wasabi, fish stock and the soy sauce to the hot saute. Reduce the stock by half. 

Remove from heat and pour sauce on tuna.

Serve with roasted potato wedges.

Traditional Ice Cream

Today I relived my childhood days.  I remember my grandpa doing this really tasty and particular ice-cream which for some reason I have never tasted anywhere else.  I did enjoy some really good ice-creams especially in Sicily, but believe me, this is nothing like the others…it stands out.   A friend of mine gave me the recipe which he got from his grandmother and here it is for all of you to enjoy.  Try it out and let me know how you like it.

Ingredients

1 400g condensed milk

400 ml water

100gr sugar

1 cinnamon stick

4 whole cloves

1 lemon zest

A few drops of vanilla essence

Some grounded roasted almonds·        

Method:

In a sauce pan add the water, sugar, cinnamon stick, cloves and lemon zest. 

Bring to a  boil and simmer for 10 minutes

Let cool and strain through a sieve

Add the vanilla essence and milk

Transfer everything to a glass or stainless steel bowl and leave in freezer for an hour.

Break up the ice-cream using a fork and transfer to an ice-cream maker machine.  If you don’t have an ice cream maker machine return mixture to freezer and let stand until completely frozen. 

Add the grounded almonds on top of ice cream before serving

Watermelon Drink

I bought my first watermelon for this summer and decided to do something different.  This is a very refreshing drink.  Should you like an alcoholic version you can add some vodka.

4 cups chopped seedless watermelon (about 1 kg)

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 tablespoons sugar

1/4 cup vodka. (optional)

Method

1. Working in batches, puree in blender watermelon with lime juice and sugar until smooth. 
   
   
2. Transfer puree to a pitcher; add vodka, if desired. Cover, chill until ready to serve.
   
   
3. Stir, pour into tumblers, over ice. Garnish with mint.
   

Melanzane Parmiggiana

For all aubergine lovers, this is a must... a wonderful appetising starter.Whenever I buy aubergines, I always buy an extra one to prepare this way. It can be eaten as a starter, a snack or if you're hungry, with maltese bread.

Ingredients


1 aubergine (brungiel in Maltese) cut in 1/2 inch discs
400g Canned Tomatos
2 cloves garlic chopped
handful of basil shredded
olive oil
parmesan cheese grated



Method

Fry or roast the aubergine disc so that they are browned and tender.
In the meantime prepare the tomato sauce by frying the garlic, add the canned tomatoes and when it starts to sizzle, season with salt and pepper and add the basil.

In a roasting dish, lay down the aubergines next to to each other.

Cover each aubergine with a spoonful of the tomato sauce.

Sprinkle with grated parmesan.

Grill for a couple of minutes untill the cheese has melted.

Serve and enjoy.

Risotto with Mushrooms

A light but filling dish.  The addition of wild mushrooms gives this risotto a wonderful flavour.

Ingredients

15g dried mushrooms, preferably porcini

200g fresh mushrooms thinly sliced

Juice of ½ lemon

75g butter

2 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley.

900 ml simmering meat, chicken or vegetable stock (I prefer mushroom stock)

2 tbsp olive oil

1 small onion, finely chopped.

275 g Arborio rice

120 ml dry white wine

Grated Parmesan

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

Soak the dried mushrooms in a small bowl in 300ml warm water for 30 minutes.  Rinse mushrooms thoroughly.  Reserve water.

Toss the fresh mushrooms with the lemon juice.  In a large, pan melt a third of the butter.  Stir in the fresh mushrooms and cook until they begin to brown.  Add the fresh parsley, cook for some more seconds, then remove and set aside.

Place the stock in a saucepan.  Add the mushroom water and simmer gently until needed.

Heat another third of the butter with the olive oil in the pan the mushrooms were cooked in.  stir in the onion and cook until soft and golden.  Add the rice, stirring for 1-2 minutes to coat the grains.  Add the soaked and sautéed mushrooms and mix well

Pour in the wine and cook over moderate heat until it is absorbed.  Gradually add the hot stock.  Following steps 4-5 for making risotto.

Remove the risotto pan from the heat.  Stir in the remaining butter and the parmesan.  Season to taste.  Allow the risotto to rest for 3-4 minutes before serving.

Bragjoli

Ingredients:

Bragjoli

For the Bragjoli

12 thin slices of beef

small bunch of parsley chopped

6 slices of smoked ham or bacon

300 grams Edam cheese (divided in 12 pieces)

6 hard boiled eggs - peeled and quartered pepper

4 cloves garlic chopped

For the Sauce

4 bay leaves

1 tsp thyme

1 tsp oregano

3 tbsp finely chopped garlic

3 large onions

1 cup chopped carrots

1 large cup of frozen peas

1 litre of tomato polpa or passata

200 grams of tomato paste

1 glass wine

sea salt and pepper

oil for cooking

Method:

Preparation

Prepare the cut ham or bacon, quartered hard boiled eggs, sliced cheese and chopped garlic and parsley.

Place a slice of the thin pieces of beef on a clean surface.

Place a piece of ham or bacon onto the far end of the meat

Then place a piece of cheese, 2 quaters of hard boiled egg and sprinkle some minced garlic and parsley and season with salt and pepper.

Fold the sides of the meat to the center and roll over to form a parcel.

Close the extremities with a toothpick on each side. Set aside and repeat with the rest of the slices.

Cooking

In a heavy based sauce pan, heat some oil and add some of the garlic, bay leaves and herbs.

Add the 'bragjoli' in batches of 4 or 6 so you can cook properly and have space to move and turn them.

Brown for about 2 to 3 min on each side and repeat process till all  are cooked.

Place to the side. In the same pan, add the remaining garlic, herbs and onions and some more oil if needed.

Deglace pan with wine so that the  bits of meat that might have stuck to the pan will come off.

Cook together for about 10 min, then add the chopped carrots and peas.

Add some more wine, cook for another 10 min,  then add the tomato polpa and paste.

Season, bring to the boil and add the 'bragjoli' you would have half cooked earlier.

Cook on a medium flame for about 20 to 30 min

Reduce heat and cook for another hour.

Fried Vermicelli

We call this dish 'Tarja Moqlija'!   I usually have Tarja either for lunchtime or else as a quick dinner.  Feel free to add whatever left overs you have in your refrigerator.    This is the basic recipe.  I like cooking the vermicelli until crispy and crunchy.

Ingredients

(serves 2)

250g fine vermicelli

50g butter                    

3 eggs

25 grated cheese

3 cloves garlic crushed

100g bacon cut into small pieces

Method

Fry garlic and bacon adding mixed herbs, crushed black pepper and chili flakes.

Boil vermicelli in boiling water.  Strain.

Mix eggs and cheese.  Season.

Heat a knob of butter in a small pan and fry the mixture on both sides.

Fried rabbit with a spicy tangy sauce.

Love rabbit but want to try a different taste? With this sauce you will end up eating a lot of Maltese bread after you finish your rabbit... you will not even need to wash the plate... it's finger lickin' good

Ingredients:

1 rabbit cut

6 garlic cloves

4 bay leaves

1 tbs thyme

1 tsp ground cloves

1 tsp crushed chilies

4 cups red wine

2 tsp olive oil

2 shallots sliced

2 tbs flour

200ml beef stock

2 cups red wine

2 tbs balsamic vinegar

2 tbs sweet chilly sauce

salt and pepper

fresh parsley chopped

Method:

Place rabbit pieces in a bowl and add the garlic, bay leaves, thyme, ground cloves, crushed chilies and cover with red wine and leave to marinate overnight in the fridge.

Heat oil in frying pan.

Brown rabbit pieces in the oil together with the bay leaves and the garlic.

Add some of the marinade to the pan so that you always have some liquid in the pan.

 

When the rabbit pieces are cooked, remove from the pan and add the onions till soft.

If you have enough rabbit fat in the pan, just add the flower and make a roux until the mixture is dark brown. If you do not have enough fat, add some more olive oil.

Add the 2 glasses of wine and the stock to the mixture and stir until you have a smooth sauce.

Stir in the vinegar and sweet chillie. Taste and season accordingly.

Reheat the rabbit pieces in the sauce turning once to cover with sauce, add the fresh chopped parsley and serve.

You can serve the rabbit pieces covered with sauce with chips and/or Maltese bread. 

Don’t forget to put some sauce on the chips (as I did before i took the photo but I added mine after wards)… My kids end up eating bread with the sauce it’s delicious…

Try it and tell me what you think.

Bon apetit.

Rabbit with Rosemary and White wine

Rabbit is undoubtedly one of the typical dishes of the mediterranean region.  Not only here of course however in Malta we have villages such as Mgarr which specialize in this typical dish.  It is usually fried with garlic after being marinated in white wine.  Here's a different way of cooking rabbit.   A very tender and juicy rabbit is what you'll get.

serves 2

ingredients 

1kg rabbit
30ml olive oil
1 medium leek sliced thinkly
2 cloves garlic
30g plain flour
300 ml chicken stock
60ml dry white wine
3 tbps dijon mustard
1/2 tbsp fresh rosemary
150g button mushrooms
1 zucchini  sliced thinly


Method 
Clean and trim rabbits, cut into pieces.  rinse under cold water, pat dry.

Heat some of the oil in large frying pan.  Cook rabbit in batches until browned all over.  heat remaning oil in pan, cook leek and garlic.  At this point i like adding some rabbit seasoning if you manage to find that.

Stir in flour, stir until mixture is dry and grainy.  Remove pan from heat, gradually stir in stock, wine and mustard.  Stir over heat until mixture boils and thickens.  Return rabbit to pan, add rosemary.  simmer, covered about 90 minutes or until rabbit is tender.

Add vegetables, simmer covered 20 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Maltese Ftira / Pizza

I’m glad to share with you today the best pizza base ever and the most exquisite topping.  Of course you can always change the topping to your liking however the following are the typical ingredients:

For the pizza dough

2 tsp (7g) instant yeast

½ tsp salt

2 ½ cups (375g) plain flour

250ml warm water

1 tbsp olive oil                          

Basic tomato pizza sauce

1 tbsp olive oil

1 small onion finely chopped

2 cloves garlic crushed

425g canned tomatoes

1 tbsp tomato paste

1 tsp sugar

1 tbsp oregano

Topping

5 medium potatoes thinly sliced

1 large onion thinly sliced

2 large fresh tomatoes thinly sliced

150g mozzarella cheese

Shredded rucola

Black olives sliced

Anchovy

Olive oil

For the pizza dough: Combine yeast, salt and sifted flour in large bowl, mix well.  Gradually stir in the water and oil.  Knead on well floured surface about 10 minutes or until smooth and elastic.  Place dough in large oiled bowl; stand in warm place about 30 minutes or until dough doubles in size.  

For the pizza sauce:  Heat oil in medium frying pan; cook onion, stirring occasionally over low heat until soft and transparent.  Stir in garlic, undrained crushed tomatoes, paste, sugar and oregano.  Simmer, uncovered about 15 minutes or until texture thickens.

Method

Halve the pizza dough, roll out each half on lightly floured surface to form 30cm round.  Place on two oiled pizza trays.  Spread each with half of the basic pizza sauce.  Now add the tomato slices to cover pizza, onion slices, and tomato, add the anchovy pieces, olives and slices of mozzarella.  Add some shredded rucola and bake in 200C oven for 30 minutes or until pizza base is browned.  Before serving I like to add some more shredded rucola.