Recipes Courtesy by Sara Koshy
ZUCCHINI AND COTTAGE CHEESE QUICHE
Ingredients
For Pastry
100 gm chilled butter, diced
200 gm plain flour
½ tsp salt
Ice cold water
For Filling
2 tbsp butter
1 zucchini, sliced
150 gm diced cottage cheese
10 cherry tomatoes, halved
½ tsp chopped rosemary
3 eggs
180 ml cream
100 gm grated Cheddar cheese
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Method
- Sieve flour and salt into a mixing bowl.
- Rub in the butter till it resembles breadcrumbs.
- Add a tablespoon of iced water at a time and gather the crumbs into a ball.
- Wrap in cling film and chill in the fridge for about 30 minutes.
- Roll out the pastry and line a 9-inch flat tin with it.
- The pastry lined tin should be refrigerated while preparing the filling.
- Heat the butter in a skillet, toss in the zucchini and gently cook it for about 7 minutes or till all the water dries up.
- Add in the cottage cheese cubes, season to taste and remove when warm through. Stir in the rosemary.
- Cool to room temperature.
- Arrange the filling into the prepared pastry, place the tomato halves on top.
- Beat together the eggs and cream.
- Check the seasoning, pour carefully over the filling.
- Sprinkle the grated cheese on top.
- Bake in a preheated 190°C oven for about 40-50 minutes.
- Allow it to rest for about 20 minutes, slice and serve.
HERBED SEAFOOD PIE
INGREDIENTS
350 gm grey or black Pomfret, filleted and cut into cubes
350 gm large prawns, shelled and deveined
1 bay leaf
10 peppercorns
5 sprigs of parsley, separate the stalks and chop the leaves finely
1 tsp vinegar
5 sprigs of thyme
600 gm floury potatoes
50 gm soft butter
50 ml milk
30 gm butter
30 gm plain flour
200 gm milk
100 ml cream
Chopped parsley
Salt and freshly ground pepper
A little extra butter
2 tbsp breadcrumbs
METHOD
- Pour 150 ml water into a wide saucepan, place the fish in it.
- Also add in the bay leaf, peppercorns, parsley stalks, vinegar, thyme and a little salt.
- Bring the pan to the boil.
- Reduce the heat and allow it to simmer for about 7 minutes, add in the prawns and let it all cook for another 3 -4 minutes.
- Lift out the fish and prawns gently, strain and save the stock.
- Boil the potatoes and when cool enough to handle, peel and mash.
- Mix in the butter and milk, season to taste with salt and pepper, set aside.
- Heat butter in a skillet, add in the flour and stir with a whisk.
- Add in the milk, a little at a time and stir until it turns into a smooth sauce.
- Stir in the cream.
- Thin down the sauce with some of the poached fish liquid; gently mix in the fish and prawns.
- Mix through the chopped parsley, season with salt and plenty of freshly ground pepper.
- Place the seafood sauce in a greased 1 litre casserole and cover the top with the mashed potatoes.
- Place in a preheated 190°C oven and bake for about 20 minutes, remove and sprinkle over the breadcrumbs, dot with a little butter and return to the oven for another 20 minutes.
- When the top is golden brown and the breadcrumbs are crisp, remove the pie.
- Allow standing for 20 minutes before serving.
MINTY CHICKEN AND MUSHROOM BUNS
INGREDIENTS
For dough
500 gm plain flour
1 tsp gluten or bread-tex
50 gm sugar
2 tsp salt
2 tbsp milk powder
40 gm soft butter
2 tsp instant yeast
1 egg, beaten
200 ml water
For glaze
1 beaten egg
Sesame seeds
METHOD
- For the filling, marinate the chicken in lime juice for about 15 minutes.
- Heat the oil in a pan, sauté the onions and chilies till glassy.
- Add in the ginger garlic paste and when it is cooked, stir in the curry paste.
- At this stage, add in the chicken and salt and cook till tender.
- Add in the mushrooms and cook till most of the water has evaporated.
- Sprinkle over the gram masala, add in the mashed potatoes, mint and coriander leaves.
- Mix well, check the seasoning and leave to cool down to room temperature.
- For the dough, sieve flour into a mixing bowl, add in gluten or bread-tex, sugar, salt, milk powder, instant yeast and mix them together.
- Make a hollow in the centre of the ingredients and add in beaten egg and half the water.
- Mix into a dough and add in butter.
- Remove it onto a sturdy countertop and knead into soft dough, adding more water as needed.
- Place the dough into an oiled container with a lid and leave in a warm drawer for about 40 minutes or till doubled in size.
- Remove the dough, punch it down to expel all the air, knead briefly for a minute.
- Divide into 15 pieces, round each into a ball.
- Roll each piece of dough into a 5 inch circle and place some of the fillings in the middle.
- Wet the rim, gather into a ball and place on a greased or parchment lined baking sheet. Ensure the folds are placed on the base.
- Arrange the buns on the sheet, leaving 2 inches of space between them.
- Brush with egg and sprinkle some of the sesame seeds over.
- Leave to prove again for about 20 minutes or till doubled in size.
- Bake in a preheated 200°C oven for about 12 – 15 minutes or till golden.
- Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool.
FREE- FORM FOCACCIA
INGREDIENTS
For bread
250 gm plain flour
1 tsp yeast
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
½ tsp dried oregano
1 tbsp olive oil
¾ cup water
For topping
3 tbsp olive oil
½ onion, sliced
2 tbsp sliced olives in brine, rinsed
8 – 10 cherry tomatoes, halved
2 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped
Rosemary sprigs
3 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
¼ tsp salt
Method
- Sift flour into a mixing bowl, stir in the yeast, salt, sugar and oregano.
- Make a well in the centre, pour in the oil and most of the water and mix into a dough.
- Transfer onto a sturdy worktop and knead into soft dough, adding a little more water only if necessary.
- Place in a greased bowl, cover with a well-fitting lid and allow to cure for about 40 minutes or till doubled in size.
- Take the dough out of the bowl and punch it down to expel the air.
- Knead it briefly, roll out into a ½ inch thick rectangle and place on the back of a large baking sheet.
- Leave the dough undisturbed for about 10 minutes and then make well-spaced indentations with a finger.
- Brush oil over the dough, arrange the onion slices, olives, tomatoes, garlic and cheese over it.
- Push in tiny sprigs of rosemary, sprinkle salt and leave it for another 15 minutes.
- Bake in a preheated 200°C oven for about 15 – 20 minutes or till the bread rises and the skins of the tomatoes have shrivelled just a tiny bit.
- Remove from the oven, cool on a wire rack and slice into squares to serve.