Laħam Fuq il-Fwar (Steamed Meat)

(Image courtesy of Food Urichin and Where's My Pork Chop)

Look who's finally back from that whole business of organising a wedding, getting married, going off on a minimoon then crashing back to reality this week...Seriously, to everyone who sent their congratulations, I couldn't have asked for a better day, everything went smoothly. A special thanks has to go to the boys and girls at The Freemasons Arms who did a smashing job at cooking nearly 60 steaks to every one's different tastes, making sure everyone had enough to drink and looking after us in general since we took over the dining room and downstairs bar for an entire day! So back on to the important bit, the cooking.

After being invited to participate in Where's My Pork Chop? A concept by fellow food blogger Food Urchin, I decided to make Laħam Fuq il-Fwar, literally translated as Steamed Meat (you can find his write up here). It's not something I had often as a kid, (as Food Urchin discovered) because of the sheer amount of garlic and in my even in my recipe I cut it down from the amount my mum normally used and it was still a little too strong. So if you intend to cook this for yourself I highly recommend cutting it back further if you don't like your garlic too overpowering.

Like a lot of Maltese dishes, this can be a bit of a 2 in 1 meal, traditionally the meat is steamed over a pot of soup, usually Brodu (Maltese broth), where the broth is served as a first course, the potatoes fished out as served with the steamed meat as the main with bread.

Laħam Fuq il-Fwar (Steamed Meat)

Serves 2-3, roughly 310 cal per serving

Ingredients:

600g lean beef escalopes, or very thin slices of rump steak
2 tbsp chopped flat leaf parsley
100g bacon medallions
15g butter
1 tsp olive oil
3 garlic cloves
salt and pepper to taste

Method:

1. Bring a large pan of water to boil (better yet, broth rather than water), lower to the temperature to a gentle simmer.

2. Grease a heatproof soup plate (large enough to fit over the pan) with the olive oil, then layer the meat, garlic bacon and chopped parsley on top.

3. Dot the butter on top and season with the salt and pepper.

4. Cover with another plate or loosely with foil and steam over the water/broth for an hour and a half to two hours until the meat is tender.

Gluten and Dairy Free Lemon, Poppy-Seed and Cardamon Spiced cupcakes with a Lemon Drizzle

When it comes to baking, I'm more of a biscuit/fruit cake type person, and only really dig out the muffin cases if I'm making breakfast muffins. But tomorrow my work is having their summer party and as part of the whole "Summer Fete" theme, there's going to be a cupcake baking competition, with a few ladies from the Women's Institute judging.

So, for something very last minute (I wasn't going to enter in all honesty), and vaguely British Rajish I have made (gluten-free and dairy-free) Lemon, Poppy-Seed and Cardamon Spiced cupcakes with a Lemon Drizzle. So wish me luck tomorrow!

Lemon, Poppy-Seed and Cardamon Spiced cupcakes with a Lemon Drizzle
Makes 12 cup cakes

Ingredients:

For the cakes:

100g Gluten-free plain flour (as mentioned previously, I find Doves Farm the best)
1 tsp baking powder
100g golden caster sugar
50g dairy free magarine, softened
2 large free range eggs
2 tbsp soy milk
juice and zest of 1/2 a lemon
4 green cardamon pods, seeds removed and ground to a fine powder
2 tbsp poppy seeds
a few drops of yellow food colouring (optional)

For the lemon drizzle:

50g icing sugar
1/2 tbsp golden caster sugar
juice of 1/2 a lemon

Method (for the cupcakes):

1. Line a muffin tray with paper muffin cases and preheat the fan forced oven to 190 degrees celsius.

2. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, cardamon and sugar.

3. Add the margarine, eggs, milk, lemon juice and zest and food colouring (if adding), whisk together until creamy, then fold in the poppy seeds.

4. Divide the mixture between the paper muffin cases and bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes until they're golden coloured and firm to the touch. Transfer cupcakes to a wire rack.


Method (for the lemon drizzle):

1. In a small bowl, sift the icing sugar and caster sugar together.

2. Mix in the lemon juice until it forms a paste.


Method (to finish off):

1. While the cupcakes are still warm, prick a few small holes on top with a cocktail stick.

2. Drizzle the icing over the top of the cupcakes with a spoon and leave to finish cooling and for the icing to set.

Gluten-free yoghurt, pistachio, cranberry and orange blossom water cakes

Well, I say cakes, but these are half way between a cake and a scone - a bit of an experiment thanks to the yoghurt that the lovely people over at Total and Traffic Partners had sent me, if you remember from this post.

They're lovely on their own, but even better with a dollop of cream or some jam. I've used the full fat yoghurt for these, but I'm sure it would work with the 0% fat yoghurt too.

Obviously it doesn't have to be gluten-free, you can use normal flour if you want, but if you do, cut down the yoghurt amount by 2 tablespoons.

Gluten-free yoghurt, pistachio, cranberry and orange blossom water cakes

Makes roughly 16 cakes depending on the size of cutter you use (I used a tumbler glass).

Ingredients:
225g Gluten-free flour (I find the Doves Farm stuff to be the best)
1 tbsp baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground clove
60g unsalted butter
30g brown sugar
30g honey
40g chopped, unsalted pistachios
40g cranberries
2 tbsp orange blossom water
1 large egg
8 tbsp yoghurt

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius, and lightly grease a baking tray with butter.

2. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, salt and baking soda.

3. Rub the butter into the flour mixture, until it has the texture of small breadcrumbs.

4. Mix in the spices, pistachios, sugar, honey, orange blossom water and cranberries.

5. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg and yoghurt, quickly mix this into the cake mix – it should become a slightly wet dough.

6. On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough until cracks and bubbles disappear. Roll out so it is about a 1.5cm thick.

7. With your cookie cutter (or in my case a tumbler), press out rounds in the dough. Roll up the excess dough, roll out again and continue making rounds until there is no dough left.

8. Place the tray in the hot oven for a couple of minutes to melt the butter a little, take it out and lay your rounds out on it, sprinkling them with a little flour.

9. Bake in the oven for about 10 minutes, or until golden brown.

10. Let them cool a little, then serve with cream and jam.

Bigilla (Maltese Broad Bean Dip)

With my trip back home to the old country last week my taste for Bigilla, a traditional Maltese broad bean dip, was reawakened. It's incredibly tasty and a great alternative to hummus, usually served with Maltese water crackers called Galletti or on toasted sour dough bread. In Malta, people will either make their own or buy it by weight from markets – though these days you'll find them in ready made up tubs in the local shops.

Bigilla usually has red chilli added to it for a fiery kick, though some prefer to leave the chilli out, while others will add Tabasco for extra heat. Here, I'm giving the recipe my mother gave me, her recipe calls for the tyoe of dried broad bean that has skins, but unfortunately I could only get the skinless ones. If you can get a hold of them with the skins, it will give the Bigilla the authentic brown colour rather the "white" colour of the version I have made here. Both are equally tasty, though there is an earthy depth to the skin-on version.

With this recipe you can make it in advance and serve it cold (it will keep in the fridge for a few days, just add a little extra oil to preserve it), or eat it warm.

Take note that the beans are soaked overnight, please allow time for this. As well as a cooking time of about 1.5 hours.

Bigilla (Maltese Broad Bean Dip)

Ingredients:
250g Dried Broad Beans (available in most Middle Eastern shops)
2 – 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons parsley, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, crushed
salt and pepper
finely chopped chilli (optional, but highly recommended)

1. In a medium sized pan, soak the broad beans in cold water overnight.

2. Drain the broad beans and just cover with clean, fresh cold water and bring to boil over a medium heat.

3. Turn the heat down to the lowest setting and simmer for 1 - 1.5 hours. When the beans start going soft, mash with the back of a fork, keeping an eye on the water level, it shouldn't be sloppy, but a nice thick paste with a bit of texture from the broken up broad beans. Don't let it dry out!



4. Once all the broad beans have softened and mashed, gradually add the oil a tablespoon at a time, mixing in as you go. You want it to be smooth – too little oil will make it dry and floury, too much and you'll get a slick mess.

I was very lucky to receive a gift of Maltese olive oil made from
the remaining indigenous olives grown in Malta and have used it in my Bigilla.

5. Stir in the parsley and garlic, gradually add salt and pepper, tasting as you go. That's the key thing with Bigilla, is taste, taste, taste.

6. If you're adding chillis, again, do it gradually and taste as you go. In this version I have only added a heaped teaspoon worth of chilli to give it a little kick but keeping it mild. If I didn't have guests eating it, personally would have added another heaped teaspoon.



7. Serve with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkling of parsley on top – don't forget the crackers!

Braġjoli – Maltese Beef Olives

Beef olives are found all over Europe, the Maltese have their own variation called Braġjoli which is either baked or braised in a wine or tomato sauce. I made these last week and served them with the Patata fil Forn from my last post. It went down a treat with a very good friend asking if he could have the leftovers for his lunch (I have the Maltese tendency of cooking too much!).

My preferred way of cooking them is to brown them, then braise them in a wine, garlic and tomato sauce with lots of bay leaves and marjoram. They go fantastically well with Patata fil Forn and steamed veg (I served them with thickly cut carrots and broccoli florets here), as well as creamy mashed potato. You can prepare the beef olives ahead of time as they do need quite a bit of time to cook – this is very much a slow food dish.

Braġjoli – Maltese Beef Olives

Serves 4 - 6 (About 270 cal per beef olive)

Ingredients:

For the braġjoli:

30g breadcrumbs
100g lean bacon or thick cut ham, chopped into small pieces
200g extra lean beef mince
2 medium hard boiled eggs, chopped into small pieces
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 tbsp parsley, finely chopped
1 tsp each of salt and pepper
500g lean topside beef, cut into 8 thin slices (any cut with too much fat marbling won't stand up to being flattened out as it will tend to collapse)

For the sauce:

1 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion
3 cloves garlic
150ml red wine (the stronger, the better)
1 beef stock bullion, dissolved in 100ml boiled water
400g chopped tomatoes
1 teaspoon marjoram (dried is fine)
4 large bay leaves
1 tbsp chopped parsley
season to taste

Method for the Braġjoli:


1. In a large bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, bacon, mince, eggs, garlic, onion, parsley and seasoning, mixing thoroughly.



2. On a protected surface, take a slice of the topside and flatten out further by beating it out with a meat mallet (or a rolling pin) until it's about 3mm thick.



3. Take 1-2 heaped tablespoons of the stuffing and spoon onto the centre of the flattened out "steak". Roll up tightly by tucking the sides over the stuffing and rolling up. Secure with cocktail sticks.

4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 with the other slices. Set aside. If preparing ahead, wrap in clingfilm and refrigerate.

Method for the sauce:


1. In a large casserole dish or heavy-based saucepan, heat the oil over a medium heat and brown the braġjoli all over with the bay leaves, you may need to do this in a couple of batches. Set aside.



2. In the same oil, brown the onions and garlic. If it sticks, add a little of the wine to get at the crispy bits.


3. Pour in the rest of the wine, add the chopped tomatoes, stock and marjoram, stir and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a gentle simmer and carefully add the braġjoli, making sure they are well covered by the sauce.

4. Cover and simmer over a low heat for about an hour and a half to two hours, checking the moisture level. If need be, add a little water now and then.


5. Stir through the rest of the parsley at the end of cooking, check the seasoning and remove all the cocktail sticks before serving – this can be a little bit of a messy job, so take out the braġjoli first and do it on a separate plate before spooning over the sauce.

N.B. Any left over stuffing can be made into patties by beating an egg through it and dipping into breadcrumbs. Fry in a little olive oil in a non-stick frying pan until golden brown.

Patata fil Forn - Maltese Roast Potatoes

Maltese Roast Potatoes are quite different from the usual Sunday "roasties" we get here in the UK. For a start, the potatoes aren't par-boiled in large chunks, but sliced finely. These are incredibly popular and in our family we almost have to fight to the death for the last crunchy. Most of the time slices of thickly cut meat or chicken pieces will be laid underneath so that they poach along with the potatoes. Normally a lot of salt and pepper is used along with a little curry powder, but my mother's variation uses powdered vegetable stock, so I have omitted the salt here.

Patata fil Forn (Maltese Roast Potatoes) - Serves 4 large portions

Ingredients:

1 large onion, sliced in to rings
4 large potatoes, peeled and sliced, lengthways into 5mm rounds
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons powdered vegetable stock
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon curry powder
2 tablespoons of oil

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees celsius.

2. Layer the base of a baking dish with a layer of half the onions, over this layer half the potatoes. Sprinkle with half the garlic, stock, pepper, curry powder and drizzle a tablespoon of oil over the top.


3. Repeat with the second layer.

4. Slowly pour in some water to just come up with the bottom layer of the potatoes (about 5 - 10 mm).

5. Roast in the oven for about 45 minutes until the top layer is golden brown and most of the water has evaporated. Serve with your usual roast, stews, or even between a couple of slices of bread with your favourite chutney (great for when you have left overs!)

Bulgar wheat with broadbeans, tomatoes and ricotta

Perfect for a light lunch, either eaten cold as a salad, or can be heated up for a mock risotto. I usually make this the night before for my work lunches, I find it tastes better the next day. It's dead easy to make too. For a non-vegetarian variety you can add shredded pieces of roast chicken or grilled lamb.

Serves One (315 calories)

Ingredients:
40g dry bulgar wheat
100g broad beans (can use fresh or frozen)
100g cherry tomatoes, halved
50g ricotta cheese
juice of half a lemon
1 tsp finely chopped parsley
1/4 tsp sumac
salt and pepper to taste

Method:
1. Make up bulgar wheat according to packet instructions. Usually I just soak it in about 125ml just boiled water for 20-30 minutes.

2. Peel the outer skins the broad beans (as they can taste bitter). If using frozen, boil in a small pan of water for 1 minute, plunge into cold water to stop the cooking process, then peel the skins.

3. Stir the broad beans, tomatoes, ricotta, lemon juice, mint and sumac, season to taste and Serve.

Savoury porridge

With this whole new (ok, the last 5 months) fitness regime I must admit I've become a porridge addict. I actually go to bed looking forward more to breakfast than coming home from work to prepare an evening meal. So this has lead me to some experimentation and a bit of inspiration from some medieval recipes.

I've had almost every combination of sweet porridge imaginable, with ricotta, pistachios and honey, with almonds and sour cherries, with plain old honey or a few blueberries. Even getting my flavourist future mother-out-law to make up batches of essences and flavours for me so I can have perceived sweetness/alcohol flavours without the sugar or the alcohol (she's made me a cracking rose water and almond flavour - my current favourite, creme bruleé is next).

This soon led me on to researching porridge in other countries, like the awesome savoury rice porridge from Korea and other East Asian countries, polenta with syrup and nuts from Italy and semolina, thanks to my mum reminding me I used to scoff it when I was a kid.

So this morning I tried my hand at savoury porridge (I did have one failed experiment a year ago by mixing cheddar into a milk-based porridge - it was gross), inspired by a few medieval cooking books I came across recently. This time, it turned out fantastically and made me feel fuller despite the same calorie amount as the sweet porridges I'd normally make.

Ingredients:

35g Scottish oats
200ml water
5 slice of ham (I used pork loin since it's lower in fat and not boosted so much with water)
10g shaved parmesan cheese
pepper
1/2 tsp olive oil
A few raisins (optional)

Method

In a small saucepan, combine the oats and water, bring to boil and allow to simmer.

Tear the ham into chunks and add to the porridge and stir in the olive oil and pepper.
Stir in the cheese and if using (I find the sweet and salty combo is perfect with the pork loin ham), the raisins.

Once porridge is cooked through, serve.

You could probably throw in a few fresh herbs in too like a little sage or parsley. Totally up to you.

Pie Week

Was approached by Lurpak again for a recipe, this time to celebrate British Pie Week (1-7 March). I've sent them my mum's recipe for a tradition Maltese pie called an qassatat (the Q is silent, pronounced AHS-SAH-TAHT), it's kinda cross between a pastry and an open pie - basically street food in Malta. The easiest filling to do is ricotta the other is a beef and peas mixture (Mum's version included curry powder so it tastes a little like a samosa), there's also another traditional filling of spinach and anchovies - but I've never had a taste for hairy fish.

For the short crust pastry (or you can buy it ready made):

Ingredients:
1 lb plain flour
8 oz unsalted butter
2 eggs
pinch of salt
pepper to taste
Cold water if needed

Method:
Cream the butter, eggs, pepper and salt together, gradually add the flour, working it in until it turns into a dough, if the dough is too dry, add a little water, about a tablespoon at a time. Roll into a ball, cover in a damp tea towel and leave in the fridge for at least an hour.

For the ricotta filling:
1 lb ricotta
2 beaten eggs
1 tsp salt
a cup of finely chopped flat leaf parsley
Optional: fresh broad beans, but make sure to peel off the outer skins)
Optional: a couple of heaped tablespoons of parmesan cheese.

For the glaze:
A beaten egg mixed with a couple of tablespoons of milk


Method:
Mix the ricotta in with the parsley, salt and if adding it, broad beans and/or parmesan cheese. Gradually add the beaten eggs so the mixture is still firm, but not runny.

To make the pies:
Take a small ball of dough and roll it out so it's about 12cm in diameter and about 3mm thick - use a saucer as a cutting guide.

Drop a heaped tablespoon of filling into the centre and wet the edges of the pastry with a little water.

Gather the edges of the filling and pleat it around the filling by pinching the edge around it, but not seal the top so the filling still shows. (this takes a little practice, it should look a little like a deflated balloon, here's a picture I ganked off another site: http://emod-content.crmondemand.com/2e0bae65-1670-42cb-a792-bbf6b6ff879b/images/Qassatat.JPG).

Glaze the pastry with egg yolk and milk.

Place on a greased baking sheet and back in the oven for 30mins at 200 deg, then turn it down to 180 deg, continue baking until they're a golden brown.

Froġa tat-Tarja (Vermicelli Omelette)

Well, look at that you lucky people. 2 posts in one day! I truly have been kicked up the butt for being slack in posting lately.

Now here is one of my ultimate comfort foods - and stupidly easy and quick to make! My mother made this vermicelli omelette (Froġa tat-Tarja) for me as a child often, and eating it tonight made me feel about 7 years old again (and the fact I put ketchup on it, something my mum always seemed a bit dismayed at). There are plenty of variations on the recipe out there, I've made the most basic here, but you can add your own extra ingredients too. Popular additions in Malta are spinach and corned beef, but you can add chopped ham or tomatoes too and I've been suggested crumbling feta or goats cheese into the mix. It's really up to you.

Apologies for the poor picture quality, my camera batteries went flat, so I had to use my phone camera.

Froġa tat-Tarja (Vermicelli Omelette)

Serves 1-2 people (depending how hungry you are)

70g vermicelli (angel hair pasta)
10g parsely, finely chopped
2 eggs
1 heaped tbsp grated parmesean cheese (add more if you like)
salt and pepper to taste
1 tbsp olive oil


1. Cook the vermicelli in boiling water according to packet instructions (usually about 5 minutes).


2. Beat the eggs and parsely together.


3. Drain the vermicelli and mix into the egg and parsely.


4. Mix in the parmesean, salt and pepper.


5. Heat the oil in an non-stick frying pan, keep on a high heat and pour in the vermicelli and spread out in the pan a little.


6. Cook for about 2-3 minutes each side until golden.


If you can't finish it all, it's lovely eaten the next day, cold or warm and is perfect for picnics.

Qaghaq Tal-Zija Maria (Sesame biscuits)

Another Maltese biscuit recipe, this one in particular is my Great Aunt Maria's. It's a typical Maltese sweet since it features cloves, lemon and orange zest – they crop up a lot in desserts.

These are more commonly known as Qaghaq Tal-Gulglien (Sesame Rings), as they traditionally baked in a ring shape, but to honor my aunt, I've made them in a twist like she used to (I find them easier to dunk this way too!).

Qaghaq Tal-Zija Maria (Sesame biscuits)

Recipe makes about 2 dozen

210g self raising flour
340g plain flour
1 tsp ground cloves
110g sugar
zest of 1 lemon
zest of 1 orange
pinch of salt
3 teaspoons sesame seeds, plus extra for decorating
200g unsalted butter
2-3 medium eggs
1 tsp vanilla essence


Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees centigrade.

2. Mix together all dry ingredients.


3. Rub in butter until mixture resembles fine bread crumbs.


4. Beat in 2 eggs, if mixture is still a little dry, beat in the third, once mixed through it should resemble a doughy cookie mix.


5. On a floured surface, take roughly a small egg sized portion of mixture and roll out into a thin sausage.


6. Fold the 'sausage' in half and twist the ends to form a loose plait.


7. Lay finished biscuits on a tray covered in grease proof paper, sprinkle with extra sesame seeds, lightly patting them into the biscuits.


8. Bake in oven for 20-25 minutes until golden brown. When done allow to cool for 15 minutes before serving.

Eating Eurovision '09 and the coconut pastries

Thanks to fellow foodie and blogger, Andrew Webb of eyedropper.co.uk and of Channel 4's Big British Food Map fame, I've kick-started this blog again and will try to make it a much more regular thing.

It all started when Andrew added me on twitter asking for help in his quest of Maltese food for the Eating Eurovision '09 challenge – where "25 food bloggers eat the cuisine of the 25 Eurovision finalists in 25 hours all within the M25".

Malta, more famous for its beaches than its cuisine, proved to be a bit of a tough one to source in London. Even the Maltese themselves find it hard, with only very limited suppliers of food from back home available and none at all of certain products.

I was more than honored that Andrew asked for my help and jumped at it, trying to point him in the direction of others who could source Kinnie and pastizzi for him (a native soft drink and pastry snack) and agreed to let him borrow the only Maltese cookbook I could find in the UK that was in English.

What really surprised me was that he asked to interview me. I raced home to grab the book and finding a spare half an hour on my hands decided to make him pastini tal-coconut – a sweet coconut pastry. He has kindly reproduced the recipe on his blog here.

Here it is again, with step-by-step photographs:

Pastini Tal-Coconut (Coconut Pastries)

Makes roughly 4 dozen (in the photos I have halved the amounts)

250g plain white flour
250g butter (unsalted or salted is up to you, I like using salted since it gives that lovely salted caramel taste)
250g sugar (normally white, but I prefer brown)
500g desiccated coconut
a few drops of vanilla essence
4 eggs
Glacé cherries and/or almonds for decoration

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees centigrade.

2. Rub the flour and butter together until it resembles breadcrumbs.


3. Mix in the sugar and coconut.


4. Add the vanilla essence and whisk the eggs into the mixture, working it through all the dry ingredients. It might seem a small amount of egg, but once it's thoroughly mixed through it should resemble cookie dough.


5. Take about a heaped tablespoon and roll into balls.

6. Set out onto baking sheets, decorate with glacé cherries or almonds and bake for 10-15 minutes. Allow to cool a little before serving, makes a fantastic tea-time treat.