Coffee and cashew streusel cake

Ingredients:
For the cashew streusel:
100g digestive biscuits (crushed)
50g FairPrice Roasted Cashew Nuts
50g light brown sugar
5g instant coffee powder
50g butter, cold

For the cake:
2 cups plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp coffee powder
2/3 cup sugar
2 tbsp finely grated orange zest
113g unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup strong coffee, cooled
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Method:
1. To make the streusel, place the digestive biscuits, light brown sugar, cashew nuts and instant coffee powder in a plastic bag. Then use a rolling pin to pound it all up into a rough rubble.
2. Turn it into a bowl and rub the cold butter into the mixture until it’s crumbly. Set aside.
3. Preheat oven to 200 deg C.
4. Whisk the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and coffee powder in a large bowl.
5. Add the sugar and orange zest and whisk to blend.
6. Put the remaining ingredients in another bowl and whisk to blend.
7. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry and stir to mix (do not beat). Stir only till you get an evenly moistened batter.
8. Scrape the batter into your prepared pan and top with an even layer of the streusel. Pat the crumbs very gently into the batter.
9. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the cake has risen.
10. Transfer to a cooling rack.
11. Cut the cake in the pan, rather than removing it first, as you will lose quite a few crumbs if you do.

Tips:
Recipe uses FairPrice’s Festive Snacks Roasted Cashew Nuts (480g, $10 per bottle) available at all FairPrice supermarkets.

Recipe source: Today newspaper (20 Nov 2008)

Bell peppers stuffed with rice, raisins and pine nuts

Pine nuts - Part 3.

A rich, aromatic meal in a cup.

Ingredients (serves 6):
6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
250g short-grain or risotto rice
450ml vegetable or chicken stock
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tsp sugar
3 tbsp pine nuts
3 tbsp raisins
1 tomato, peeled and chopped
1 tsp ground allspice
1 tsp ground cinnamon
Juice of 1 lemon
Handful each of chopped mint, dill and flat leaf parsley
6 red or yellow peppers, washed and patted dry
250g plain yogurt

Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 190 deg C. Heat 3 tbsp of oil in a wok and fry the onions till soft. Add the rice and stir-fry until translucent.
2. Add the stock, salt, pepper and sugar. Cook for 15 minutes, or until the stock has been absorbed and the rice is slightly undercooked.
3. Add the pine nuts, raisins, tomatoes, allspice, cinnamon, lemon juice, and the rest of the oil. Mix well, then turn off heat. Add 3/4 of the herb mix.
4. Cut off the stalk of the peppers, and set aside. Remove the core and seeds and fill with the rice mixture. Replace the caps.
5. Put the peppers in a shallow baking tray, pour in 1cm of water, and bake for 45 to 55 minutes.
6. Serve cold with yogurt and remaining herbs.

Tips:
Use large and firm tomatoes in place of bell peppers. Bake at 180 deg C for 20 to 30 minutes.

Recipe source: Simply Her magazine (Jun 2008)

Prawn and coriander pesto soba

Pine nuts - Part 2.

A fusion of Italian and Japanese flavours.

Ingredients (serves 4):
300g medium prawns, shelled and de-veined
1/4 cup pine nuts
4 bunches of coriander
1 clove garlic
1/2 tsp salt
3 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 packet soba
A little hot water

Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 150 deg C. Cook prawns in boiling water, then remove and set aside.
2. In a skillet, toast the pine nuts for 7 minutes, tossing every minute so they don't burn. Place the toasted pine nuts, coriander, garlic, salt and parmesan cheese in a food processor and process for 1 minute.
3. Add the olive oil and process for another minute until you get a smooth paste. Set aside.
4. Cook the soba in boiling water for 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain and set aside.
5. In a large bowl, combine the coriander pesto and soba, and toss. Add hot water as you toss to coat the noodles evenly.
6. Top noodles with prawns, and serve.

Tips:
For a classic Italian pesto, use basil instead of coriander, and serve with spaghetti.

Recipe source: Simply Her magazine (Jun 2008)

Chicken and pine nuts stir-fry

The main ingredient in Italian pesto sauce, they add a mild nutty flavour to Asian salads and even cooked dishes.

Keep pine nuts fresh by storing in airtight containers - they last up to a month in the fridge, and up to three months in the freezer.

To bring out the flavour, roast the nuts in the oven or toast in a heavy skillet, stirring constantly until they turn golden.

The high oil content in pine nut turn them rancid quickly. So always smell and taste them before buying, to ensure they are fresh.


Pine nuts - Part 1.

Sweet, spicy and crunchy.

Ingredients (serves 2 to 4):
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup pine nuts
4 dried red chillies
2 cloves garlic, crushed
3 spring onions, cut into 5cm strips
400g chicken thigh or breast, sliced into pieces
2 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp kecap manis

Method:
1. Heat the oil in a wok till it starts to simmer. Fry the pine nuts for 20 seconds, remove and drain on kitchen towels. Fry the dried chillies for 20 seconds, then remove and drain.
2. Turn off the heat, remove some oil, leaving about 3 tbsp in the wok. Heat the oil until it starts to smoke. Add the garlic, spring onions and chicken, and stir-fry for 4 minutes, or until the chicken is nearly cooked.
3. Add the pine nuts, dried chillies, fish sauce and kecap manis, and stir-fry for another minute. Remove from the wok and serve hot with steamed rice.

Tips:
For a spicy kick, add fresh red chillies at the last step of cooking.

Recipe source: Simply Her magazine (Jun 2008)

Sear-roasted maple salmon

Ingredients (serves 2):
2 salmon fillets
1 tsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp chopped garlic
1 tbsp vegetable oil
2-3 tbsp maple syrup
Parsley and toasted sesame seeds, to garnish

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 250 deg C. Rub salmon with olive oil, salt and garlic and leave to marinate for 5 to 10 minutes.
2. Heat oil in an oven-safe skillet until it starts to smoke. Cook the salmon, skin side up, for 1 minute, or until nicely browned. Flip it over and place the skillet in the oven for 7 to 9 minutes, until the fillets are cooked through.
3. Remove from oven, drizzle with maple syrup. Garnish with parsley and toasted sesame seeds before serving.

Recipe source: Simply Her magazine (Jun 2008)

Molten chocolate cake

Forget store-bought desserts - just whip up this decadent confection in a few easy steps.

Ingredients (makes 6):
125g butter
2 tsp plain flour, plus extra to coat ramekins
110g dark chocolate couverture or dark chocolate chips
2 eggs
2 egg yolks
1/4 cup sugar
6 scoops vanilla ice cream

Method:
1. Pre-heat oven to 180 deg C. Grease 6 ramekins with butter and dust them with flour. Tap to remove excess flour.
2. Put the butter and chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Set in a saucepan quarter-filled with water over low heat. Stir occasionally until the mixture melts. Set aside to cool.
3. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs, egg yolks and sugar until light and fluffy.
4. Combine the cooled chocolate mixture with the egg mixture, and mix well.
5. Add the flour and mix well.
6. Pour the batter into the ramekins, until 3/4 full. Bake for 6 minutes. Gently unmould them and serve with vanilla ice cream.

Tips:
Use milk chocolate in place of dark chocolate couverture and serve with fresh berries to cut through the sweetness.

Recipe source: Simply Her magazine (Jun 2008)

Duck and pineapple curry

Whip up this sweet, sour and spicy dish in a jiffy.

Ingredients (serves 4):
1 tbsp cooking oil
1 packet Dancing Chef Red Curry Paste
1/2 roasted duck, cut into pieces
6 baby corn
500ml Harmuni coconut milk
1/2 cup Knorr chicken stock
1 can Del Monte pineapple chunks, drained
4 kaffir lime leaves, torn into pieces
2 red chillies, sliced

Method:
1. Heat the oil in a wok over medium heat. Add the curry paste and fry for 2 minutes.
2. Add the roasted duck and baby corn. Stir to coat them with the curry paste.
3. Add the coconut milk and chicken stock, and turn up the heat. When it starts to bubble, lower the heat and add the pineapple chunks.
4. Simmer for 10 minutes and garnish with kaffir lime leaves and chillies before serving.

Tips:
Use canned lychees instead of pineapple chunks.

Recipe source: Simply Her magazine (Jun 2008)