Prawn Balls | Book of Elsa

I’m not going to pretend this is work of mere moments, however with some planning and music playing it really isn’t hard. 

Ingredients

800 g raw peeled king prawns

4 garlic cloves, peeled

4 cm piece fresh root ginger, peeled

4 spring onions, trimmed and roughly chopped

4 tsp. soy sauce

2 large eggs

150 g fresh white breadcrumbs

50 g plain flour

100 g sesame seeds

Vegetable oil, to fry

Turmeric & Lemon Loaf | Chetna Makan

Ingredients:

150g room temperature unsalted butter in cubes

150g caster sugar

150g plain flour 

3 large eggs

3 tsp baking powder

1 tsp turmeric powder

zest of a lemon

1 tbsp lemon juice

pinch of salt

2 tbsp black poppyseed <optional>

Icing:

50g icing sugar

2 tbsp lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 180℃. Grease and line a 900g loaf tin having said that: I use a disposable liner.

Put the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl fitted with a paddle attachement and mix until it resembles softened ice cream. 

Add all other cake ingredients and  mix for 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix for a futher minute.

Pour the batter into the prepared loaf tin and bake for 40 minutes or until a skewer/uncooked spaghetti/knife comes out clean. 

Leave the cake to cool in the tin for 5 mintues before removing it.

Combine the icing sugar and lemon juice in a small bowl and pour onto the cake whilst it is still warm.

Serve warm or cold.

Near Instant Lentil and Franks Soup | Book of Elsa

Apple and Berry Pie | Book of Elsa

This is a weekender recipe, I don't apologise for it either. There is no way I would make this unless I had time to seriously devote to it. I give a recipe for sweet shortcrust pastry because it's worth making your own in this case. But, if you don't feel that way inclined for any reason then good all buter shop bought is fine. I would say to make the pastry dough the day before.

Lemonade | Sort of | Book of Elsa

This recipe originated from the great Nigella Lawson, as always I've fiddled and here it is.

If you're lucky enough to have an almost grand-father in law with a garden full of mint, this is for you.

large bunch of mint 

100g caster sugar

1 lemon

2 easy peelers <or any other citrus>

625ml ≅water

In a small saucepan, put 125ml of water with the sugar, mint and and zest from the fruit. I use a potato peeler to keep the zest in large pieces. 

Place on high heat, once it's boiling turn then heat down to the lowest it can go and simmer for 5 minutes, take off the heat and let cool completely.

In the meantime, juice the fruit to give about 100ml then make up to 500ml with water.

Once the syrup is cool, strain both the diluted juice and syrup into a jug. Serve over ice.

It occurs to me that a glug or two of rum/vodka wouldn't be a bad thing.... 

  

Fish Tacos | Book of Elsa

Look, I'm not going to pretend I am mexican <or even that I have been to mexico> but these taste delish. Just what you want in a warm soft tortilla, spiky sauce and crunchy salad.

If you happen to be flush with cash, replace the fish with raw prawns and proceed as per.

Don't be daunted by the list of ingredients: it really is a chop <get him to do it> and assemble job.

Chilli 'JELLY' Jam | Book of Elsa

Lemon Cake | Book of Elsa

• Ingredients:
• Finely grated zest of 3 large lemons mixed with 3 tablespoons lemon juice 
• 350g Plain Flour
• 1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• 225g Unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 400g Caster Sugar
• 3 Large Eggs
• 200ml Buttermilk or Whole Milk with a table juice of lemon juice added

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180℃. 

Grease and flour your choice of baking tin. Or line a tin with parchment paper.

In a stand mixer using a paddle attachment whisk the butter until fluffy. 

Add the sugar and mix until it resembles soft ice cream.

Add all other ingredients except the zest and juice mixture and mix into a smooth batter.

Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the zest mixture and mix for another few seconds.

Pour batter into a prepared tin and bake for 1 hour to 1 hour and half. 

Cake is done when a skewer comes out clean.

place on a wire rack to cool completely.

https://youtu.be/PxVLWt3fF4M

Barbecued Chicken & Aubergine Salad | Book of Elsa

This chicken taste best if left to marinade overnight but at least 30 minutes is just fine. 

aubergine salad

don't mind the throw away bbq

smells so good

marinaded chicken ready to go!

Gluten Free Clementine Cake | Book of Elsa

This is a cake more convincing as a pudding for a dinner party, it keeps well due to the high moisture content and taste better the next day. It happens to be gluten free and you could turn it vegan by substituting the eggs for mashed ripe bananas! Which I imagine would be a delicious hybrid, not to mention 'of the moment'.

Sweet Saffron Bread with Cranberries | Book of Elsa

Sweet Saffron Bread with Cranberries

Happy New Year 2019 | Pandoro Cake | Book of Elsa

This started life as a Galette des Rois that flopped quite literally because I cannot make very thick custard (no matter the recipe I always end up with a puddle of loose yellow cream). I wanted to try again making the puddle work for me so to speak. So here is a part cake, part trifle but wholly delicious dessert.