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Baked brie with sorrel jam
#starter

Baked brie with sorrel jam

Sorrel jam instructions Combine sugar, sorrel, lemon zest, water in a medium sized pot. Bring to a boil as petal becomes soft Reduce heat, and cook until thickened. Let it rest before using on brie Baked brie instructions You can slice the brie in half to create a sandwich-like effect. Or you can leave the brie wheel intact and just trim the top rind of the wheel. Add a generous portion of jam to the top of the wheel, or one side of the sandwich Roll dough out with a rolling pin on a floured surface Trim excess dough. You can also use it to decorate . Wrap the pastry up around the sides and over the top of cheese wheel, wrapping completely and pressing the edges of dough together to form a tightly sealed package. Carefully flip the dough-wrapped cheese over, so that the gathered dough is on the bottom.Place the package, seam side down, on a baking sheet sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. The brie can be prepared up to this point and refrigerated for 2 days before baking. Be sure to bring the brie to room temperature before baking. Preheat the oven to 400° F. Combine the egg and water and brush the mixture over the top and sides of the pastry. Add design from leftover dough if you'd like, and brush with egg mixture You can use leftover sorrel pulp from your juice to make the jam. It will be a little less acidic and the color will be a brighter red instead of darker red. Make my jam a day ahead, so I don’t feel rushed and the jam will have time to settle. Add the jam to the center of the brie by slicing the brie in half and having the jam as a filler. Next time, I’ll use a larger pot, so that I don’t need to add water frequently to tenderize the sorrel.

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Clam chowder
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Clam chowder

Rinse the clams in several changes of cold water and drain well. Tip the clams into a large pan with 500ml of water. Cover, bring to the boil and simmer for 2 mins until the clams have just opened. Tip the contents of the pan into a colander over a bowl to catch the clam stock. When cool enough to handle, remove the clams from their shells – reserving a handful of empty shells for presentation if you want. Strain the clam stock into a jug, leaving any grit in the bottom of the bowl. You should have around 800ml stock. Heat the butter in the same pan and sizzle the bacon for 3-4 mins until it starts to brown. Stir in the onion, thyme and bay and cook everything gently for 10 mins until the onion is soft and golden. Scatter over the flour and stir in to make a sandy paste, cook for 2 mins more, then gradually stir in the clam stock then the milk and the cream. Throw in the potatoes, bring everything to a simmer and leave to bubble away gently for 10 mins or until the potatoes are cooked. Use a fork to crush a few of the potato chunks against the side of the pan to help thicken – you still want lots of defined chunks though. Stir through the clam meat and the few clam shells, if you've gone down that route, and simmer for a minute to reheat. Season with plenty of black pepper and a little salt, if needed, then stir through the parsley just before ladling into bowls or hollowed-out crusty rolls.

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Colombian Style Stuffed Potatoes
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Colombian Style Stuffed Potatoes

Peel the potatoes and cut them into chunks, put them in a medium pot and cover with water and ¼ teaspoon of salt. Bring the potatoes to a boil over medium high heat, then reduce the heat to medium and cook until fork tender about 20 minutes. Drain the potatoes and mash with a fork or masher and set aside. Filling: In a large sauce pan, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat and add the onion, tomato, scallions, garlic, cumin, azafran, pepper and salt. Cook for 5 minutes or until the onions are translucent, add the beef and cook stirring occasionally about 10 – 15 minutes. Set aside to cool. To make the batter: In a medium bowl place all the batter ingredients and whisk until smooth and set aside. To Form the Stuffed Potatoes Divide the potato mash into 10 equal sized portions, about ⅓ cup each, and form each portion into a ball by rolling between the palms of your hands. Flatten into patties and place 1 ½ tablespoons of the filling in the center of each one. Shape the potato mixture with the filling into balls to enclose the filling completely. Fill a large heavy pot with vegetable oil and heat over medium-high heat to 360° F. Dip the stuffed potato into the batter and carefully place them in the hot oil and fry for about 4 minutes or until golden, turning over halfway through. Remove the potatoes from the oil using a slotted spoon and drain in a plate with paper towels. Transfer to a serving plate and serve with Ají. Notes For a vegetarian version:Use the same ingredients in the meat filling except the beef and add 1 cup frozen carrots and peas

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Cream Cheese Tart
#tart#savory

Cream Cheese Tart

Crust: make a dough from 250g flour (I like mixing different flours like plain and wholegrain spelt flour), 125g butter, 1 egg and a pinch of salt, press it into a tart form and place it in the fridge. Filling: stir 300g cream cheese and 100ml milk until smooth, add in 3 eggs, 100g grated parmesan cheese and season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Take the crust out of the fridge and prick the bottom with a fork. Pour in the filling and bake at 175 degrees C for about 25 minutes. Cover the tart with some aluminium foil after half the time. In the mean time, slice about 350g mini tomatoes. In a small pan heat 3tbsp olive oil, 3tbsp white vinegar, 1 tbsp honey, salt and pepper and combine well. Pour over the tomato slices and mix well. With a spoon, place the tomato slices on the tart, avoiding too much liquid on it. Decorate with basil leaves and enjoy

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Creamy Tomato Soup
#baking

Creamy Tomato Soup

Put the oil, onions, celery, carrots, potatoes and bay leaves in a big casserole dish, or two saucepans. Fry gently until the onions are softened – about 10-15 mins. Fill the kettle and boil it. Stir in the tomato purée, sugar, vinegar, chopped tomatoes and passata, then crumble in the stock cubes. Add 1 litre boiling water and bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer for 15 mins until the potato is tender, then remove the bay leaves. Purée with a stick blender (or ladle into a blender in batches) until very smooth. Season to taste and add a pinch more sugar if it needs it. The soup can now be cooled and chilled for up to 2 days, or frozen for up to 3 months. To serve, reheat the soup, stirring in the milk – try not to let it boil. Serve in small bowls with cheesy sausage rolls.

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Mantu Afghan Dumpling
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Mantu Afghan Dumpling

1. To prepare the dough, sift the flour with 1tsp of salt into a mixing bowl. Slowly mix in as much of the water is required, until a stiff dough is formed. Knead on a clean work surface for 5-10 minutes, until the dough is elastic and shiny. Cover with a damp cloth and set aside for about an hour. 2. Put the chopped lamb, onions, chilli, 1 tsp salt, ground pepper and spices in a bowl and mix thoroughly. 3. Divide the dough into 4 small balls, and roll out to a thickness of 1.5mm, cutting into 10cm squares. Into each square, place 1 heaped teaspoon of the lamb mixture. 4. Take two opposite corners and bring them to join in the centre by nipping together firmly between your fingers, and then bring together to other two corners in the same manner. Note that the mantu should not be entirely closed, as the steam has to be penetrate and cook the filling! 5. Using fat to grease the shelves of the steamer, place your mantu so that there is a small space between each one. Steam for 30-45 minutes over a medium heat. 6. Meanwhile, make the tomato sauce. Heat the oil in a pan, add tomato puree, and bring to the boil. Stir and simmer on a low heat until the mantu are ready. 7. Remove the mantu carefully from the steamer and place on a large, warm dish. Spoon the tomato sauce over the top, followed by the strained yoghurt, and sprinkle with chopped coriander to garnish.

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