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Sweet pastry dough blueberry pie with oat streusel topping

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Ingredients:

Dough:

Makes about 18 ounces dough, enough for two 10-inch tarts, or the bottom and top crust for a 10-inch tart.

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour (spoon into a dry-measure cup and level off)
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 8 Tbsp (1 stick) unsalted butter, cold, cut into 10 pieces
  • 2 larges eggs

Blueberry Pie filling:

  • 8 cups blueberries
  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/3 cup brown sugar
  • 3-4 Tbsp all-purpose flour
  • 1 Tbsp honey
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/8 tsp salt

Oat Streusel:

  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup old-fashioned oats
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup light brown sugar
  • 1/8 tsp salt
  • 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) cold butter cut into cubes

Steps:

Dough:

  1. By hand, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl and stir well to combine.
  2. Cut each piece of butter into 4 or 5 smaller pieces and add all of them to the bowl.
  3. Use both hands, palms upward, to reach under the dry ingredients to the bottom of the bowl, and lift them up through the contents of the bowl several times to distribute the pieces of butter evenly among the dry ingredients (A).
  4. Use your fingertips to pinch the pieces of butter into smaller pieces, alternating with rubbing the mixture between the palms of your hands and occasionally repeating step 3. Continue rubbing in the butter until no visible pieces remain and the whole mixture is cool and powdery.
  5. Add the eggs and use a fork to break them up. Use one hand to move the bowl back and forth across the work surface in a straight line while you stir up from the bottom with the fork until the dough is almost completely mixed (B).
  6. Invert the dough to a floured work surface (C) and gently knead it into a consistent mass (D and E). Continue with step 10.
  7. To mix the dough in a food processor, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in the work bowl fitted with the metal blade. Pulse several times to mix.
  8. Add the butter and pulse repeatedly at 1s intervals until the butter is finely mixed into the dry ingredients.
  9. Add the eggs and pulse again until the dough forms a ball. Invert the dough to a floured work surface and carefully remove the blade.
  10. Divide the dough in half, then flatten each half into a disc. Use immediately or wrap in plastic and refrigerate for up to 3 days.

Pie filling:

  1. Preheat oven to 425F. Combine blueberries, granulated suager, brown sugar, 3 Tbsp flour, honey, cinnamon, ginger and salt in a large bowl. Toss to coat.
  2. Roll out pastry in an 11-inch circle on a floured surface. Line 9-inch pie plate, flute edge. Pour filling into crust; sprinkle with streusel.
  3. Bake for 15 min at 425F then reduce oven temp to 350F, loosely cover pie with aluminum foil, bake an additional 30 min or until filling is bubbly and crust golden brown. Let stand at least 30 min before slicing.

Oat Streusel:

Combine all the dry ingredients then add butter, mix with fingertips until mixture forms coarse crumbs.

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Fluffy Lemon-Ricotta Pancakes

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Ingredients:

  • 1.5 cups all-purpose flour (you can substitute 1/2 cup of all-purpose flour with flax seed flour)
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 cup low-fat buttermilk
  • 1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
  • 2 large eggs (separate yolks and whites)
  • 2 Tbsp sugar
  • 2 Tbsp lemon zest
  • 2 tsp canola oil

Steps:

  1. Set baking sheet on middle rack in oven and preheat to 200F.
  2. Whisk flour, baking soda and salt in a small bowl.
  3. Mix together buttermilk, egg yolks, sugar and lemon zest in a medium bowl until well blended.
  4. Using an electric mixer, whisk egg whites until frothy soft peaks are formed.
  5. With a rubber spatula gently add flour mixture into the buttermilk mixture until flour mixture is moistened.
  6. Fold in egg whites in two times until no white streaks are visible.
  7. Pour 1/4 cup of batter onto non stick griddle and cook until bubbles appear along the edges (around 3 min) turn pancake and allow to cook in the other side until lightly browned (additional 3 min). Transfer to baking sheet in oven to keep them warm.
  8. Top with fruits and syrup or even honey of your choice (featured are fresh berries and maple syrup coated pancakes).
  9. Side note: We cook them in the pancake plate of a Cuisineart waffle maker.
  10. This recipe makes 12 pancakes, 6 smartpoints per serving (2 pancakes/serving).

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Healthy Strawberry Muffin

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Ingredients:

  • 2 cups of fresh strawberries
  • 2.5 cups almond flour (you can substitute with coconut flour)
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • a pinch of salt
  • 4 ripe bananas
  • 2 Tbsp maple syrup
  • 2 Tbsp melted coconut oil
  • Vanilla extract
  • Nuts of your choice

Steps:

  1. Combine all dry ingredients in a bowl and mix well.
  2. In a separate bowl, mash bananas, add eggs, maple syrup, vanilla extract and diced strawberries (save some to add on top of muffins).
  3. Scoop batter using an ice-cream scoop in a greased muffin tray and add some diced strawberries on top.
  4. Extra topping: Sprinkle any crushed nuts of your choice for extra flavor and crunchiness (featured is macadamia nuts).
  5. Bake at 350F for 18-20 min until golden brown.
  6. Makes 12 muffins (USA pan 12 cups muffin tray).
  7. WW diet: 5 smartpoints/muffin.
  8. ENJOY!

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Crab cake and Quinoa salad with roasted carrots and sweet potatoes

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Ingredients:

For the crab cake:

  • 240g crab lumps
  • 2 bread slices softened in milk
  • 1 tsp of each: baking powder, seafood seasoning, mustard, Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 Tbsp mayonnaise
  • 1/2 egg (beaten)
  • Parsley
  • Celery
  • Salt and black pepper for seasoning

For the salad:

  • 3 carrots
  • 1 sweet potato
  • 1/2 beetroot
  • 1/2 red cabbage
  • 1 lemon
  • 200 g quinoa
  • Green leaves (arugula, watercress, spinach)
  • 2 Tbsp maple syrup
  • Olive oil
  • 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • Zatar seasoning

Steps:

Crab Cake

  1. Combine softened bread slices, baking powder, seafood seasoning, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, mayonnaise, egg, parsley and celery in a bowl.
  2. Add the crab lumps and mix without breaking the lumps.
  3. Shape into cakes.
  4. Cook in frying pan or broil in oven until golden brown.

Quinoa salad

  1. Roast carrots (cut in thick slices) and diced sweet potatoes at 400F for about 20 min, then toss in the maple syrup, and let roast for an additional 10 minutes until golden brown with crispy edges.
  2. While the veggies are being roasted, cook quinoa according to the package instructions and let cool.
  3. Slice red cabbage and pickle in apple cider vinegar.
  4. Grate the beetroot.
  5. Toss veggies, pickled red cabbage, grated beetroot in quinoa and stir in vinaigrette (4 Tbsp of olive oil and juice of one lemon, you can also add the lemon zest for extra taste and about 4 Tbsp of Zatar seasoning, shake in a jam jar).
  6. When ready to serve, add greens and crab cake.
  7. Bon appetit!

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Garam Masala

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Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp cumin seeds (pre-washed and sorted)
  • 1 tsp coriander seeds (pre-washed)
  • 7-8 pods of cardamon (pre-washed)
  • 3 cloves
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1 pinch of saffron

Method

  • Add the first six ingredients in a pan on low heat, let dry.
  • Add the saffron last and roast everything until fragrant.
  • Grind everything into a fine powder using a coffee grinder.
cookies1 ps

Oat Cookies (Sarah’s recipe)

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Ingredients

  • 75 g whole-wheat flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 75 g rolled oats
  • 50 g caster sugar
  • 75 g butter
  • 1 tbsp golden syrup/ maple syrup
  • 2 tbsp milk

Methods

  1. Pre-heat oven 180 deg C (fan) or 160 deg C (gas 4)
  2. Line a baking tray with baking parchment
  3. Sift flour into a bowl, mix in baking powder, oats and sugar.
  4. Melt the butter, syrup and milk in a small saucepan or microwave and stir. 
  5. Add the liquid mixture to the dry ingredients. Mix until well combined. 
  6. Spoon onto the baking tray or silicon mat shaping into flat rounds with a spoon. 
  7. Bake for 10-15 minutes until golden brown. 
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Chinese Chicken by Nazreen

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Ingredients:

  • Roughly 10 pieces of chicken (thighs and legs or legs only)
  • 2 red onions cut into quarters and each layer separated.
  • I carrot sliced
  • 4 bunches of Bok Choy (cut at the head to separate the stems and leaf)
  • 6 garlic cloves sliced
  • 1 red chili sliced
  • Black pepper
  • Soy sauces (dark and light) (about 3-4 tablespoons of light and 1 table spoon of dark).
  • Brown sugar to taste
  • Option 1 (1 level tablespoon of black bean soaked in water for 30 mins and crushed with sugar using a pestle and mortar + 1 tablespoon of chilli bean sauce)
  • Option 2 (1 teaspoon of hoisin sauce and 1 tablespoon of chilli bean sauce)
  • A glass of water (you may not need all of this)
  • 1½ teaspoon of cornflour mixed in a cup of water.

Have all your ingredients ready before starting to cook and this goes quick and it’s on a high heat, if they are not within reach, by the time you are going to the cupboard to find them, your mixture may start burning.

Steps:

1.       Wash the chicken and take the fat off.  Put the chicken in a colander so all the excess water drains out and pat dry with kitchen paper.  Rub some light soy sauce and some black pepper.  Heat a non stick pan on high heat, add 2 tablespoons of oil and brown the chicken pieces in batches (do not crowd the pan as otherwise the temperate in the pan will go down and the chicken will stew instead of browning).  Transfer the browned chicken pieces to a bowl.

2.       Put the sliced carrots and pak choi in a heat proof bowl.  Boil some water in your kettle and pour over the vegetables.  Add half a teaspoon of salt and sugar in that water and cover.  Let the Vegetables in that boiling water for about 15 mins, then drain.

3.       Heat a clean wok on high heat, and put your onions in first, followed by the chilli and garlic, keep stirring.  Next if you chose option 1 put in your black bean and chili bean, if option 2, put in your hoisin and chilli bean sauce, keep stirring.  If the mixture starts to catch, put in a few drops of water from the glass of water, stir. When the aroma is releasing, add in your soy sauces, brown sugar to taste and add some water so the sauce is a bit liquid (half a glass roughly). 

4.       Next put your chicken in the sauce and cover the wok, let the chicken boil in that sauce for about 12-15 mins so it cooks through.

5.       Next add your  cornflour mixture, let the sauce thickens for 3-5 mins.  When you are happy with the thickness of the sauce, add the veg and give everything a stir.  Towards the last minute you may wish to add some spring onions.

6.       Serve with boiled rice.

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Gulab Jamun or Rasgula (from M&S cookbook recipe)

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Syrup

  • 450 g sugar
  • 4-5 drops of rose water

Gulab Jamun

  • 100 g low-fat powdered milk
  • 2 tbsp self-raising flour
  • 2 tsp fine semolina
  • 2 tbsp ghee
  • 4 tbsp milk, to mix
  • 24 pistachio nuts (optional)
  • oil for deep frying

Makes 24

TO MAKE the syrup, put the sugar in a large heavy-base saucepan with 850 ml water. Stir over low heat to dissolve the sugar. Increase the heat and boil for 3 minutes to make a syrup. Stir in the rosewater and remove from the heat.

TO MAKE the gulab jamun, combine the powdered milk, flour, semolina and ghee in a bowl. Add enough milk to make a soft dough, mix until smooth, then divide into 24 portions. If using the pistachio nuts, press each piece of dough in the centre to make a hole, fill with pistachio, then roll into a ball. If not using pistachios, just roll each piece into a ball.

FILL a karhai or deep saucepan one-third full with oil. Heat the oil to 150 deg C/300 deg F (a cube of bread should brown in 30 seconds) and fry the balls over low heat until golden brown all over. Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to the syrup. When all the balls are in the syrup, bring the syrup to boiling point, then remove from the heat. Cool and serve the gulab jamun at room temperature.

banana tart featured2

Banana Tart by Nazreen

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Ingredients: 

· 30g almonds (ground) 

· 85g icing sugar 

· 325g plain flour 

· 225g butter cut into 16 pieces 

· 2 medium egg yolks 

· 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

· 10 bananas 

· 3 tablespoons sugar to cook down the bananas. 

· Toasted coconut (optional) 

(make sure all ingredients are cold) 

Steps:

· Combine the almonds and icing sugar in the bowl of the food processor and pulse until combined. 

· Add the flour and pulse a couple of times to mix. Add the butter and pulse repeatedly until no visible pieces remain. (the mixture should be sandy). 

· Add the egg yolks and vanilla and pulse until the dough forms a ball. (depending on the flour you are using, you may need to add a third egg yolk for the dough to form a ball but start off with two). 

· Turn the dough onto a floured surface and carefully remove the blade. Divide the dough into 2 equal pieces and wrap in cling film. Refrigerate for 1 hour. 

· To form a tart crust, remove one piece of dough from the fridge and allow it to soften at room temperature for 20 mins before rolling out. 

· Roll out onto a grease proof paper which is lightly floured and once rolled out to the size of the tin, lift the rolled out dough with the grease proof paper to line the tin. Carefully peel off the grease proof paper and prick the tart with a fork, leave in the fridge for several hours or overnight before baking. 

When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 180 degrees C and line the tin with grease proof paper and baking beans, bake the tart for about 10 mins. After 10 mins, remove the grease proof paper carefully. Bake for another 5 mins or so. 

· Fill this pre baked tart case with about 10 bananas which have been mashed up and cooked down with sugar and vanilla. You may add some toasted coconut to the mix. 

· Next roll out the second piece of dough and form a lattice pattern on top of the tart. Brush with egg yolk and bake for about 10-15 mins at 180 degrees C until golden. 

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