CHESTNUT AND CHOCOLATE ICECREAM

INGREDIENTS:
CHESTNUT ICECREAM:
3 eggs
1 tablespoon sugar
250g chestnut spread
300ml whipped cream

CHOCOLATE ICECREAM:
185g dark cooking chocolate
2 eggs
2 tablespoon sugar
300ml whipped cream

RASPBERRY SAUCE:
375g frozen or fresh raspberries
1/4 cup sugar

METHOD:
Beat eggs and sugar in small bowl of electric mixer until thick and creamy.
Add chestnut spread, beat until well combined.
Fold whipped cream into chestnut mixture.
Pour mixture into cake tin and freeze.
When frozen, break up mixture with folk, place in bowl of electric mixer and beat until smooth.
Line base and sides of loaf tin with aluminum foil to come 5cm over edge of tin.
Pour half the chestnut icecream over base of tin , freeze.
Return remaining icecream to cake tin, freeze.
When chestnut layer in the loaf tin is firm , pour half the Chocolate icecream on top of the chestnut layer and freeze.
Repeat layers and freeze.
Serve with raspberry sauce.

CHOCOLATE ICECREAM:
Melt chocolate over hot water, cool.
Beat eggs and sugar until thick and creamy, add chocolate and beat until combined.
Fold whipped cream into chocolate mixture.
Pour mixture into cake tin and freeze.
When frozen, break up mixture with folk and beat on mixer until smooth.

RASPBERRY SAUCE:
Thaw berries, combine with sugar.
Push mixture through sieve, discard seeds.
Refrigerate sauce until required.

APRICOT ICECREAM

INGREDIENTS:
250g dried apricots
5cm piece lemon rind
1 tablespoon lemon juice
4 egg yolks
2/3 cup caster sugar
2 x 300ml thickened cream

METHOD:
Place apricots and lemon rind in pan, cover with cold water, bring to boil, simmer covered 15 minutes or until tender, drain, discard lemon rind.
Make apricot puree in food processor or push through sieve, add lemon juice.
Combine egg yolks and sugar in bowl, beat until thick.
Warm cream in pan, whisk in egg mixture, whisk constantly over heat until slightly thickened, do not boil.
Remove from heat, fold in apricot puree.
Pour mixture into loaf tin, cover with aluminum foil, freeze, when partly frozen, beat well with mixer, then refreeze.

(Remember to keep icecream covered while freezing to help prevent crystals forming.)

LEMON SORBET

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup lemon juice
1 egg white

METHOD:
Combine water and sugar in small pan, stir over heat until sugar is dissolved, bring to boil, reduce heat, simmer uncovered 10 minutes, cool.
Combine lemon juice and sugar syrup, pour into shallow tray, freeze until firm.
Place mixture in chilled bowl, beat until smooth with wooden spoon.
Fold in stiffly beaten egg white, return to tray, freeze until firm.

(keep sorbet covered while in the freezer)

MINTED ICECREAM

INGREDIENTS:
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1 cup fresh mint leaves
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 egg yolks
1/4 cup sugar, extra
300ml jar thickened cream

METHOD:
Place sugar and water in pan, stir over low heat until sugar is dissolved.
Bring to boil, boil rapidly 1 minute.
Remove from heat, add chopped mint leaves, stand 20 minutes.
Strain leaves pressing firmly to extract juices, discard leaves.
Add lemon juice to syrup, mix well.
Combine egg yolks and extra sugar in pan, stir over low heat until slightly thickened, do not boil, cool.
Beat cream until soft peaks form, gently fold in cold egg yolk mixture and syrup.
Pour into mold or loaf tin, cover with aluminum foil, freeze overnight or until set

(Remember to keep icecream covered while freezing to help prevent crystals forming.)

TWO-BERRY ICECREAM

INGREDIENTS:
250g frozen or fresh raspberries
250g frozen or fresh strawberries
4 egg yolks
1 cup sugar
2 x 300ml jar thickened cream
1 tablespoon lemon juice

METHOD:
Thaw berries to room temperature.
Push berries through sieve, discard seeds.
Beat half the egg yolks and half the sugar in small basin of electric mixer until thick and creamy.
Heat half the cream in pan to just below boiling point, add egg yolk mixture to pan , whisk over low heat until thickened. Do not boil. Remove from heat, cool slightly, add raspberry puree.
Pour mixture into 1 liter mold, cover with aluminum foil, freeze.
Push strawberries through sieve, discard seeds.
Beat remaining egg yolks and sugar until thick and creamy, as above.
Heat remaining cream in pan to just below boiling point, add egg yolk mixture to pan , whisk over low heat until thickened. Do not boil. Remove from heat, cool few minutes, stir in lemon juice and strawberry puree.
Pour mixture over frozen raspberry mixture, cover with foil, freeze.
Turn on to plate, decorate with strawberries if desired.

Remember to keep them covered while freezing to help prevent crystals forming.

WALNUT COFFEE CAKE

INGREDIENTS:
125g butter
125g walnuts
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup caster sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup sour cream
3/4 cup plain flour
2 tablespoons self-raising flour
1 tablespoon caster sugar, extra
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

METHOD:
Beat butter, vanilla, sugar and egg until light and fluffy, stir in sour cream, then sifted flours in two batches.
Spread half the mixture over base of loaf tin (base measures 9cm x 22cm) which has base lined with greased greaseproof paper, sprinkle evenly with half the combined chopped walnuts, extra sugar and cinnamon.
Spread remaining cake mixture on top, sprinkle with remaining walnut mixture.
Bake in moderate hot oven 45 minutes.
Stand few minutes before turning onto wire rack to cool.

PRAWN TEMPURA WITH CHILLI GARLIC SAUCE ( in my style)

INGREDIENTS:
1kg uncooked king prawns
1 cup plain flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons soya sauce
2 egg
salt and pepper as taste
oil for deep frying
cold water as required

CHILLI GARLIC SAUCE:
5 tablespoons chilli garlic sauce
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 pinch oregano
2 pinches thyme
1 pinch dried rosemary leaves
1 pinch ajinomoto (chinese salt)

METHOD:
Shell and devein prawns, leaving tails intact.
Combine prawns and soya sauce in bowl. Stand 10 minutes.
Combine plain flour, baking soda, eggs, salt, pepper and cold water, mix well and make a smooth batter. Allow batter to stand for few minutes.
Heat oil in a wok.
Dip prawns into the mixture until coated then deep fry in very hot oil until lightly golden.
Put onto kitchen towels to drain excess oil then serve with chilli garlic sauce.

CHILLI GARLIC SAUCE:
Combine all ingredients in bowl, mix well.

TOMATO AND CHEESE PATTIES

INGREDIENTS:
1kg old potatoes
15g butter
2 tablespoon chopped parsley
salt, pepper as taste
4 small tomatoes
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
125g mozzarella cheese
flour
2 eggs
breadcrumbs
oil for deep frying

METHOD:
Boil or steam potatoes until tender. Drain, mash well with butter, parsley, salt and pepper.
Slice tomatoes ( you'll need 16 slices), sprinkle salt, pepper and basil over tomato slices.
Slice mozzarella cheese ( you'll need 8 cheese slices).
Place 1 slice of mozzarella cheese in between 2 slices of tomatoes.
Mould warm potato around to seal the tomato and cheese completely, shape into patties.
Coat lightly with flour, dip in lightly beaten eggs, then breadcrumbs.
Repeat the egg and breadcrumbs process.
Deep fry in hot oil until golden brown.

“Prawns Biryani”

To Marinate Prawns:

• 1 cup yogurt
• Juice of 1 lime/ lemon
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 2 tbsps garlic paste
• 1 tbsp ginger paste
• Salt to taste

To Fry:

• 4 large onions sliced thinly (divided into 3 equal portions)
• 3 large tomatoes chopped finely

For Dry Spices Mix:

• 4 tbsp coriander seeds
• 2 tbsp cumin seeds
• 1 tbsp saunf/ aniseed/ fennel seeds
• 1 tbsp khus khus/ poppy seeds
• 2″ piece of cinnamon
• 5 cloves
• 5 pods green cardamom
• 10-12 black peppercorns
• 2 dry red chillies

For Wet Spices:

• 2 green chillies
• 1/2 cup fresh coriander leaves
• 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves

To Garnish:

• 1 tbsp saffron strands
• 3 tbsps warm milk
• 3-4 tbsps fresh chopped coriander
• 4-5 tbsps cooking oil

Preparation:

• Wash the rice. Soak it in warm water for 30 minutes.
• Cook the rice till amost done. Drain remaining water (if any) and keep aside.
• Marinate the prawns in the ingredients mentioned under “To marinate prawns”.
• Heat a griddle or flat pan on a medium flame and gently roast all ingredients mentioned under “For dry masala/ spice mix” till they start to become slightly darker and give off a faint aroma.
• Peel the cardamom pods and remove seeds. Throw skins away. Now grind all the roasted ingredients to a fine powder in a clean, dry coffee grinder.
• Grind the ingredients mentioned under “For wet masala”, to a smooth paste in a food processor.
• Heat the cooking oil in a deep pan till hot and then fry 1 of the 3 portions of sliced onions till crispy and golden. When done, drain and remove from the oil and keep aside on paper towels to garnish biryani later.
• In the same oil, add the remaining sliced onions and fry till soft. Now add the tomatoes and fry till soft.
• Add all the dry and wet masala ingredients prepared earlier and fry till the oil begins to separate from the whole mix.
• Now add the prawns and all the marinade to this spice mix. Stir and allow to cook till the prawns are done. Do not overcook as the prawns will get rubbery in texture. Season with salt if required. Remove from fire.
• Soak the saffron strands in 2-3 tbsps of warm milk.
• Take a large, deep baking dish/ ovenproof dish (it MUST have its own cover) and grease lightly with cooking oil. Layer the rice and prawn as follows: rice – prawn – rice. End with a layer of rice.
• Pour the saffron infused milk all over the top of the last layer of rice.
• Garnish with the crispy fried onions, chopped corainder leaves. Cover the dish and seal tightly.
• Bake in a hot oven for 30 minutes.
• Serve hot with a raita and green salad of your choice.