Category Archives: Recipes

Marmalade sponge sandwich

May 31, 2014 Hortense 1 Comment

Ingredients for 5 portions:

Tesco values sponge mix
100g dark chocolate tablet
20ml vegetable oil (or hazelnut oil)
1 orange
150g marmalade
1 egg
Butter for greasing

Method:

Carefully follow the instructions on the sponge mix package to prepare the two halves of the sandwich. Before pouring the mix to bake, grate and mix in the zest of 1 orange.

Once the haves are baked, leave to cool for few minutes and turn both of them upside down.

Score the base of both cakes and evenly spread the jam on them making sure that it is well absorbed. Now put both cakes on top of each other on the jammed side. Set aside.

Preparing the chocolate covering. Break the tablet of chocolate in small pieces and place them in a heat-proof bowl. Add the 20ml of oil. Now, in a small sauce pan, boil 300ml of water and place the bowl containing the chocolate pieces in it while it is still simmering.

Gently stir the contents of the bowl until all the pieces of chocolate are melted and all what is left is a very smooth, rich and glossy chocolate sauce.

Now place the sponge sandwich on a rack or a plate, then pour the chocolate sauce on it making sure to cover all the top and the sides of the cake too. One single layer of the sauce is just enough to keep it light. Decorate the cake before placing it in the fridge to allow the chocolate to harden. 30 minutes to 1 hours should be enough depending on the thickness of the chocolate covering.

The cake above was decorated with heart shapes filled with white chocolate shavings on the outer and poppy seeds in the inner heart. The fresh orange piece were lightly dipped in caramel before being placed on the edges of the cake. Make sure to decorate your cake before placing it the fridge to harden.

This would be a great birthday cake or one to offer to friends.

Hot dishes, Recipes

Couscous

May 29, 2014 Hortense 1 Comment

La ratatouille et du couscous

Ingredients for 6 portions:

1/2 medium aubergine
1 red and 1 green pepper
250g chickpeas (300g)
1 tin vegetable soup (400g)
1 medium onion
Garlic granules
1 vegetable stock
Vegetable oil

Method:

This dish is meatless so, roughly cut the aubergine, peppers and onion in big pieces and set aside. Rise the chickpeas and open the vegetable soup. Set aside ready to use.

In a deep sauce pan, heat 3 tablespoons of sunflower oil, then, soften and brown the aubergines and onions together with a pinch of dry thyme (2-3 minutes).

Now add the peppers and chickpeas and cover the lot with 500ml of vegetable stock. Cover and leave to simmer for 15 minutes on medium heat. After the 15 minutes, empty the contents of the tinned soup in the pot with garlic, salt black pepper. Stir, cover and leave to simmer for another 10 minutes on medium heat still, making sure to stir occasionally to avoid burns.

Meanwhile prepare the couscous. Put 250g of couscous in a deep pan with a 25g knob of butter or 2 table spoons of oil and a pinch of salt. Place the pan on medium heat to brown the couscous a bit. This should take only about 5 minutes do not leave this unattended as the couscous burns very quick. Stir constantly for the whole 5 minutes. What we are looking for is a nuttier taste to the couscous. So, when this is done, remove from the hob and pour on it 250ml of boiled water. Stir to make sure that water has covered every single grain, then cover the pan with its lid. Leave to rest for about 10 minutes, the time for the couscous to absorb the water and double in volume.

Using a fork, fluff the couscous which by now should not be wet. Serve as suggested.

Bon appetit!

Hot dishes, Recipes, Uncategorized, Vegan

Vegan Stir fried rice

May 28, 2014 Hortense Leave a comment

Ingredients for 4 portions:

250g white rice
250g broccoli
100g aubergine
50g leek
50g celery
1 and half fresh tomato
1 onion
Garlic granules
1 chilli pepper (optional)
Soy sauce
Vegetable oil
Dry lemongrass powder
Salt

Method:

Precook the rice following the instructions on the package.

Floret the broccoli, cut the aubergines and tomatoes, cut the celery and leek, dice the onion, set all that aside.

In a wok, heat 3 tablespoons of oil, then fry onions, aubergine, Leek and celery at once for 4 minutes stirring continuously. Now add the tomatoes, broccoli, chilli and lemon grass. Stir, then add the precooked rice and 2 tablespoons of dark soy sauce. Mix well, adjust the seasoning, stir from bottom to top of the wok for 5 minutes. Take away from the heat and serve. Enjoy.

Hot dishes, Recipes

Potatoes, leek and tuna frittata

May 27, 2014 Hortense Leave a comment

Ingredients for 4 portions:

6 small potatoes
2 medium fresh tomatoes
Fresh parsley & celery
1 small onion
Salt & pepper
Garlic granules
3 eggs
Tuna chunks (150g drained)
Vegetable oil
Dry chilli pepper

Method:

Peel the potatoes and slice them very thinly like on the picture below. Cut the tomatoes in the same way. Chop the parsley and celery thinly and set them aside. Do the same for the onion.

Flake the tuna, then, beat the 3 eggs with salt, garlic & pepper granules and black pepper. Add tuna to the mix, set aside.

In a large frying pan, heat 3 tablespoons of oil and brown the chopped onions for 2 minutes. Add the slices of potatoes and allow to brown and soften for 2 minutes on each side, then add the celery, stir for 1 minute. Now, lay the slices of tomatoes on top of the mix, spread the chopped parsley on top of the tomato. Then, evenly distribute the beaten eggs and tuna mixture in the pan.

Slightly shake the pan to make sure that the eggs reach the bottom. Allow two minutes for the omelette to form at the bottom. Using another pan or a large plate, cover the frying pan and turn the contents upside down. Place the pan back on the hob for another two minutes to allow the other side of the frittata to cook through. Allow 1 or 2 more minutes each side if you do not like your eggs runny.

Your frittata is ready to serve. Enjoy it on its own or with a little green salad.

Hot dishes, Recipes

Baked beans lunch

May 25, 2014 Hortense Leave a comment

Ingredients for 2 portions:

Baked beans 150g (small tin)
50g onion – thinly cut
50g leek – thinly cut
Handful of sliced mushrooms (tin)
Vegetables oil
Salt
4 slices of bread

Method:

Thinly cut the onion, leek and mushrooms to the same size.

In a small frying pan, heat 1 table spoon of sunflower oil and fry the onion and leek together for 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms to the mix, stir for one minute, then add the baked beans. Stir for 2 minutes the time for the beans to soak in the flavours and heat up. Adjust the seasoning then serve on lightly toasted brown slices.

I'd eat that... for lunch and dinner... oh and breakfast with a runny egg :-) — I’d eat that… for lunch and dinner… oh and breakfast with a runny egg 🙂

This is a great way to stretch baked beans and make a tin go further. Enjoy.

Cold dishes, Sweet

Rice pudding Ice cream

May 24, 2014 Hortense Leave a comment

Ice cream with chocolate shavings or crushed biscuits

Ingredients for 1 litre:

190g rice pudding
300g peach slices – drained
1 teaspoon of vanilla essence
500g natural yogurt
20g sugar
Shavings of white & dark chocolate
Crushed ginger biscuits

Method:

In a mixing bowl, pour the natural yogurt and the sugar mix until the sugar has melted.

In a separate mixing bowl place the peach slices and the rice pudding then blend until really smooth.

Gently fold in the yogurt and sugar mix.

Now, pour the mix in a tub and place in the middle section of the freezer for minimum 4 hours.

Take the ice cream out of the freezer about 30 minutes before dishing.

Crushed biscuit option

Once it is ready, serve with chocolate shavings or the crushed ginger biscuits.

Chocolate shavings option

This is a great recipe to create with children. Get them involved. They’ll have fun.

Hot dishes, Recipes, Vegan

Split peas and parsnip chips

May 23, 2014 Hortense Leave a comment

Ingredients for 3 portions:

200g split peas (green & yellow mix)
1/2 red pepper, 1/2 green pepper
2 parsnips
10g fresh ginger
1 small onion
Garlic granules
Paprika
Vegetable oil
Salt

Method:

Soak the peas for 2 hours before the cooking.

Chop the onions and pepper, grate the ginger. Peel and cut the parsnip into chips. Set aside.

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil and brown the onions for 2 minutes, then add the peas, ginger, salt, garlic and 200ml of water cover and leave the peas to soften for 20 minutes. Don’t forget to stir from time to time. After the 20 minutes, add the peppers, 1/2 teaspoon of paprika, 200ml water, adjust the seasoning and cover for another 8-10 minutes on medium heat.

Now on to the parsnips chip. They are to be treated the same as potatoes chips, so feel free to use your regular chip pan. Frying for 5 to 7 minutes suffice to have them cooked through from raw. Add a slice of onion in the chip oil to add more taste to the chips.

Once the chips are ready, salt and serve.

Remember. The colder the chips get before serving, wrinklier they get become. Enjoy

Hot dishes, Recipes

Sausage fried rice

May 22, 2014 Hortense Leave a comment

Ingredients for 4 portions:

350g rice
3 tinned hotdogs – Sliced
3 medium carrots – chopped
1 medium onion – thinly cut
Salt & pepper
Garlic granules
Fresh Parsley – chopped
Vegetable oil
1 stock cube

Start by peeling, chopping and cutting everything that needs to be prepped before starting.

Method:

Rinse the rice and place it in a deep pan with 350ml water, a bit of salt and a table spoon of vegetable oil. Cover the pot and leave to cook for 8 minutes. Once the water has evaporated, stir the rice, cover it and turn the heat right down to allow it to finish cooking with steam alone for another 10 minutes.

Once the rice is ready and the other ingredients prepared, heat 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a wok or a large frying pan. Fry the onions for 2 minutes. Add the cut hotdogs and fry until brown with crisp edges.

Now add the carrots, a dust of garlic granules and salt. Stir well and cover for 1 minute to soften the carrots. Now, fold in the rice with 1 crushed vegetable stock cube, black pepper and 50ml of water. Stir and cover. Cook on medium heat for 5 minutes to allow all liquid to evaporate and the rice to absorb the flavours. Remove from the heat and add in the finely chopped parsley before serving.

Recipes, Sweet, Uncategorized, Vegan

Golden coconut thins

May 21, 2014 Hortense Leave a comment

Ingredients:

100g desiccated coconut
150g sugar
10 hazelnut – roasted and crushed
Salt

Method:

Spray a bit of oil on the flat tray that will be used to cool down the thins. The light spread of oil will prevent the thin from sticking to the used surface.

Mix the crushed hazelnuts to the coconut.

Melt the sugar on high heat, then stir until it becomes golden and really clear.

Add a pinch of salt to the melted sugar, then put in the coconut and hazelnut. Mix very quickly with a spatula until the sugar is completely absorbed. This process should take 1 minute max… it has to be done very quickly.

Remove from the hob and lay the mix very flat on a dish prepared for it. Using a rolling pin or the back of the spatula, continue to flatten the mix, then create tracks as above on the picture.

The best ones to bite are the ones that are not compact

The tracks you have created will allow you to easily break off the thins once the mix has cooled down and hardened.

If you rather make balls and have a high heat tolerance. You will have to move very quickly as the mix can cool down and harden within a minute… The balls can only be rolled by hand.

…And here is what I made few months earlier… in the dark

Note: melted sugar can be really painful if not handled with care. No children should be around when you are doing these thins.

Adding salt to the melted sugar breaks down its sweetness.

Hot dishes, Recipes

Fusilli in mushroom cream

May 20, 2014 Hortense 3 Comments

Ingredients for 5 portions:

500g fusilli – Precooked
300g bacon
2 carrots
1 medium onion – Finely chopped
Salt & pepper
3 garlic cloves – Finely chopped
Vegetables oil

Method:

Peel both carrots, cut one like carrot sticks (julienne), cut the other one length way paper-thin (you can use a potato peeler for this). Keep them separately.

Cut the bacon as on the picture to the size of carrot sticks, set aside. Your pasta should be precooked by this time. Now time to combine all the ingredients.

In a large sauce pan, heat 3 table spoons of sunflower oil. Fry the bacon for 5 to 7 minutes until crisp. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Without cleaning the pan, fry the chopped onions, with the garlic and carrot sticks. Stir for 3 minutes, then, pour in the whole tin of cream of Mushroom soup. Add black pepper and leave to simmer for 3-5 minutes until the soup becomes much creamier and begins to stick to the sides of the sauce pan. Don’t forget to stir.

Add the bacon back in the now creamier mushroom soup and stir for another 2 minutes to allow the bacon absorb a bit of the mushrooms.

Now fold in the precooked pasta, mix well, to make sure that the cream has covered the pasta, adjust the seasoning, cover and leave on medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes. If you’ve got some cheddar in the fridge, this will be the time to grate some and add to the mix.

Now remove from heat and gently mix in the paper-thin carrots slices. Cover the pan and allow another 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy.

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	Hortense on Apricot crumble with golden de…
	The future is food b… on Download The Bank Cook booklet
	Bruce Wigand on Apricot crumble with golden de…
	Hortense on Herbs and garlic potatoes
	marita on Herbs and garlic potatoes

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Category Archives: Recipes

Marmalade sponge sandwich

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Couscous

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Vegan Stir fried rice

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Potatoes, leek and tuna frittata

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Baked beans lunch

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Rice pudding Ice cream

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Split peas and parsnip chips

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Sausage fried rice

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Golden coconut thins

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Fusilli in mushroom cream

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I may not have much, but, I am Royalty.