Thai Style sea bass with coconut rice

Ingredients:

2 large bunches fresh coriander , leaves picked and stalks reserved
2 thumb-sized pieces fresh ginger , peeled
3 cloves garlic , peeled
2 fresh red chillies , halved and deseeded
1 tablespoon of fishsauce
2 teaspoons sesame oil
6 tablespoons soy sauce
2 limes , juice and zest of

Use a pestle and mortar to reduce the above to a fragrant paste and set aside.

For the fish:

Score the sea bass on both sides at 2cm intervals, cutting roughly 1cm deep, Sprinkle the inside and both sides of the fish lightly with sea salt.then place into a tray or pan with little water and cover with tin foil.

For the rice:

1 can of coconut mill

1 can full of basmati or long grain rice

1 cup of water. 

Christmas Gammon joint

Place the gammon joint into a large lidded saucepan, cover with cold water and bring to the boil over a high heat. Drain the water from the saucepan, add fresh cold water, add the onions, carrots, celery, bay leaves and peppercorns and bring to the boil once more. Reduce the heat, cover with a lid and simmer the gammon and vegetables gently for twenty minutes per 500g/1lb 2oz. (If your pan is not quite large enough to cover the joint completely, turn the gammon over halfway through the cooking time.)

1. Remove the gammon from the water and set aside to cool for fifteen minutes. (The cooking liquid can be strained and reserved for making soup for another time.)
2. Pre-heat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6 and line a large roasting tin with aluminium foil.
3. Use a small knife to remove the rind from the gammon joint, leaving as much of the fat intact as possible. Score the fat in a diamond pattern, and push a clove into the centre of each 'X'.
4. Place the gammon into the foil-lined roasting tray, ensuring that the sides of the foil come half way up the joint to contain any roasting juices.
5. For the glaze, mix the honey and mustard together and brush half of it evenly over the gammon, including one side of the joint. Roast in the centre of the oven for ten minutes, then take the joint out and brush the top and remaining side with the rest of the glaze. Return the gammon to the oven for a further 10-15 minutes, rotating the roasting tin so that the opposite side of the gammon faces the back of the oven.
6. The gammon is ready when the fat on top is glossy and golden brown. Cover loosely with foil if the top begins to look too brown. Remove the gammon from the oven and set aside to rest for 15 minutes before carving.
7. Pour any juices that have collected in the aluminium foil into a small pan, and warm through gently.
8. Carve the gammon, serve on a large platter and spoon over the warmed juices .

Baked Camembert with honey and rosemary

A yummilicious, oozy gastro-pub favourite for those who are not afraid to pile up on calories!
Best served on a wooden board of nicely arranged charcuterie, crusty artisan bread (poppy seed, sourdough etc), figs chutney, grapes and pickled gherkins.
All I needed was:

1 whole Camembert (about 350gr)
2 sprigs of fresh rosemary
1 pinch of chili flakes

1 clove of garlic
Honey or Extravirgin olive oil to drizzle
Sea salt flakes and black pepper, to taste

I Scored a deep cross on the top rind of the cheese and inserted the 2 sprigs of rosemary and the garlic clove, thinly sliced.
Sprinkled with chili flakes, seasoned with salt and pepper to taste and drizzled olive oil.
Had the Camembert sit nicely in its small ceramic baking pot.
Baked in a preheated oven to 180C/360F (oven fan 160C) for 15-20 mins.
Removed from the oven, and poured a drizzle of Manuka honey on top, just before serving.

Banana Bread

I still have to come across a better banana bread than the one sampled in Tamarama beach cafe', Sydney. Tried all variants of it, including what they call Banana Cake here in the Uk, which is nice-ish but nowhere near the real deal. I believe this is due to the fact that in Oz they don't sneak in the occasional raisin or extra sugar.
I usually play around with the banana-sugar ratio as I prefer my recipe to be more banana-y and less sugary.


Recipe makes 1 loaf:
200g plain flour
100g caster sugar
50g butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 egg
4 very ripe bananas
100 g pistacchios (optional)
honey (optional)

Preheat oven to 180 C / Gas 4. Grease and flour a 13x23cm loaf tin.
Mix Wet Ingredients with a blender stick: Mashed bananas, vanilla, egg, butter
In a separate bowl Mix Dry Ingredients: flour,sugar, baking powder, bicarbonate soda, crushed pistacchios and mix well. (Reserve some pistacchios for the garnish)
Join the dry mix into the wet mix.  Pour into loaf tin and push some banana's thin slices right through the mix but not too deep.
Bake at 180 C / Gas 4 for 50 to 60 minutes or until skewer inserted into centre of cake comes out clean.
Let the cake cool in a rack (no-ones like soggy bottoms!) - At the same time, spread some honey on the top of the cake and add a handful of crushed pistacchios.

Vietnamese Fresh Rolls (Gỏi cuốn) and Mini Pimms cocktails

Learnt at Miss Ng's kitchen table and practiced with auntie Moni...Therefore this version of the Goi Cuon is the result of Chinese, Malaysian and Italian combined taste! These fresh rolls make great appetizers and look pretty impressive too - but most importantly they are way much lighter than their deep-fried Thai or Chinese counterpart po̍h-piáⁿ (薄餅)
Just keep in mind the following rules before venturing into making fresh rolls:

1) dont over-wet the rice paper! just make sure its wet all over but do not wait until it softens under water.
2) dont over-cook your rice noodle!

That being said, here's what you need for MY version of the rolls :
Rice noodles, round rice paper, iceberg lettuce (chopped), fresh mint, carrot (shredded), chicken breast (shredded, ideally roas chicken leftovers), fish sauce and lemon juice .

Quickly wet 1 piece of rice paper and lay it down on a cutting board. Start filling the roll by laying the lettuce at the end of the ric
e paper. Then add a handful of rice noodles, shredded carrots and chicken and the fresh mint. Season the mix with a dash of lemon juice and fish sauce and start rolling the paper by searing the two left and right edges. Try not to over-stuff your rolls as that will make it more difficult to roll it close. :)

Dipping sauce? Uhmm..Traditional Goi Cuon should be served with Nuoc Mam Cham which can be made fresh by mixing together white vinegar, fish sauce, sugar, lime juice and red pepper flakes, but there are arguibly many variants. I admit I very rarely make my sauces from scratch and asian grocery stores offer a plethora of ready made products.
Vietnamese people might object, but I love my fresh rolls with sweet chili and lime sauce!

Perfect Summer Treat on a hot day: Serve your Fresh Rolls with Mini Pimm's - just chop off some strawberries, cucumber and fresh mint, mix in some crushed ice or lemon slush and add 1/2 part Pimm's 1/2 soda.

wine braised pork shoulder

Brasing is my newly found love. I have learnt that several different braising techniques co-exists: but I like to stick with what works best for me.
Basically the trick is searing off the meat gently on a fry pan in order to trap all the juices inside, and then proceed to slow cook either in the oven (ideally with a cast iron braiser or a dutch oven). I also had brilliant results with a slow cooker (crockpot).

Here's my recipe for 4 servings:
400gr pork shoulder
vegetable stock
1 garlic clove (crushed)
1/2 litre of red wine
mixed dry herbs
pinch of flour
olive oil or butter
Freshly ground black pepper

Marinate the meat overnight in the refrigerator, soaking it in red wine and garlic.
Thye following day filter the wine and set aside.
Pat dry and meat and gently massage it with either olive oil or butter, then rub in the herbs and black pepper.
Sprinkle a little flour throughout the pork shoulder, this will help thickening the edges for better searing.
Heat the olive oil in a fry pan and brown the meat each side. Be careful not to burn it! The better the searing the tender the meat will be, so this is worth the extra care :)
Add the vegetable stock and the wine you had set aside and remember NOT TO cover the meat with the liquid as it needs to poach gently.
Cook on low for 20 mins then transfer everything in the crockpot for about 3 hours on high.

The meat will be so tender and the wine gravy will have thickened by then.
Once cooked, let the pork rest on a cutting board before carving...

I normally served this dish with polenta patties, crunchy veggie and roast potatos..

Prawn, ginger and lemongrass stir-fry

One of my old favourites when I find myself in my beloved Malaysia and enjoy the local free markets. I cannot believe how much would I normally spend in London whenever I shop for Kaffir Lime leaves! Such a rip-off! Say £2,00 at Waitrose of a tuny handful of leaves vs. 3.00 Malaysian Ringgits for the whole bunch!
Well I hope you are luckier than me and if in lack of Lime leaves I have used grated Lime zest. Not perfect but it dies the trick.
Back to the recipe, here's what you need for 4 servings:

3-4 tbsp vegetable oil, 2 tbsp finely sliced or grated fresh ginger, 1 tbsp finely chopped lemon grass, 5 Lime leaves, 2 garlic cloves, finely sliced, 500g peeled green prawns, 2 tbsp fish sauce, 2 tbsp palm sugar, 1 tbsp water, 3 handfuls thai or sweet basil

Heat oil in a wok. Once oil is shimmering add ginger, lemon grass, lime leaves and garlic and fry on high for 2-3 minutes. Be careful not tu brown the garlic!

Add prawns and fry for 2 minutes. Add fish sauce, palm sugar and water and simmer for 1 minute. Remove from heat, toss through basil and serve with rice or noodles of your choice. 

Singaporean/Vietnamese Steamboat

This little trick saved me heaps from my local Vietnamese haunt: For an impromptu dinner I used my old my rice cooker instead of the portable gas stove but it worked great!
Steamboats refer to a variety of soup dishes in East Asia - It is quite easy to prepare and a lot of fun to eat with a communal pot, with a similar approach of the French cheese fondue!
Your ingredients will be slowly simmering into a flavoursome broth and your guests can choose what they'd like to poach in it!  My choice was the following:

ASIAN GREENS: 
Japanese Enokitake Mushrooms,
Baby Bok Choy,
Tang Oh,
Fresh Coriander,
Thai Sweet Basil,
Fresh Egg Noodles,

BROTH:
1½ litres good-quality chicken stock
3 lemongrass stalks, bruised
3 cloves garlic, crushed
3cm piece ginger, sliced
2 spring onions, thinly sliced on the diagonal


MEAT AND FISH OPTIONS:
I always use shabu shabu or sukiyaki cuts of pork and beef, which is a Japanese style of thinly sliced meats which are perfect for steamboat. The meat is cut by machine so finely that it will be cooked within seconds of dipping in hot broth. 
Suitable fish include blue eye, snapper, halibut and sea bass.I also like to toss some cuttlefish (Sotong) balls - Which I can easily source from my local Asian grocery store.

Once you've got all the ingredients sorted and in a nice display, start by making the stock, then add in the spring onions, garlic, ginger and lemongrass and simmer uncovered for about 20 minutes. Turn off the heat and set aside.

When you and your guests are ready to dine, place the steamboat (electric rice cooker in my case!) ideally in the centre of the table and invite your guests to choose their own meat, fish and veggies to cook in the simmering stock. 
Noodles are to be added to the pot towards the end of the meal for a full-flavoured stock.

Thai Chicken Satay

One of my favourite Thai appetizers ever!

FOR THE MEAT:

1 or 2 thick chicken breasts, cut into strips 1 package wooden skewers
SATAY MARINADE:1/4 cup minced lemongrass, fresh or frozen1 garlic clove, mincedpinch of chili flakes (dried)1 thumb-size piece of ginger, grated2 Tbsp. ground coriander2 Tbsp. teryaki saucepinch of brown sugar

Preparation:

1. If using wooden skewers, soak them in water while you prepare the meat (to prevent from burning). 

1. Cut chicken into thin strips and place in a bowl.

1. Place all marinade ingredients in a food processor or chopper. Process well.

1. Taste-test the marinade - you will taste sweet, spicy, and salty. The strongest tastes should be SWEET and SALTY in order for the finished satay to taste its best. Add more sugar or more teryaki sauce (in place of salt) to adjust the taste. You can also add more chili if you want it spicier.

1. Pour the marinade over the meat and stir well to combine. Allow at least 1 hour for marinating, or longer (ideally up to 24 hours).

1. When ready to cook, thread meat onto the skewers. Tip: Fill up to 3/4 of the skewer, leaving the lower half empty so that the person grilling has a "handle" to easily turn the satay during cooking.

1. Grill the satay on your BBQ, OR on an indoor grill, basting the first time you time it with a little of the leftover marinade from the bottom of the bowl. 

For the Dipping Sauce:1 cup fresh-tasting dry roasted peanuts, unsalted1/3 cup water1 clove of garlic, minced1/2 tsp. teryaki sauce2 tsp. sesame oil2 Tbsp. brown sugar 1/2 Tbsp. lime juice1 tsp. Thai chili sauce (more or less to taste)1/3 cup coconut milkPreparation:

1. Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor. Blend or process until sauce is smooth. If you prefer a runnier peanut sauce, add a little more water or coconut milk.

1. Do a taste test, adding more teryaki sauce if not salty enough, If too salty, add a squeeze of fresh lime juice. If you'd prefer it sweeter, add a little more sugar.

Hainanese chicken rice to celebrate 2012

2012 is the year of the Water Dragon, the mightiest of all signs and as a Dragon girl myself I'd like to share this recipe with you to celebrate the new year! 

Hainanese Chicken Rice is a dish of Chinese origin based on a well-known Hainanese dish called Wenchang chicken. However, as time passed, modifications were made to the recipe to suit the preferences of the locals.

Right, here's what you need for a mouth watering super-exotic dish:

For the rice
3 cups long grain rice
2 tablespoons chicken fat , with skin (I know its terribly fattening but it makes the rice taste incredibly nice)
2 tablespoons water
2 -3 cm ginger , grated
3 -4 garlic cloves , grated or mashed
1 -2 teaspoon salt (to taste)
3 1/2 cups chicken stock , according to rice package instructions (or more, reserved from chicken that you will boil)

for the chicken
1 whole chicken preferably organic
water , enough for boiling chicken
chicken stock
1 piece thumb sized ginger , smashed
a few scallions to stuff the cavity of the chicken

Ginger sauce for dipping
75 g ginger
6 garlic cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon lime juice
2 tablespoons chicken stock (again stock from the boiled chicken)
Sauce for chicken
1 tablespoon garlic oil
1 teaspoon sesame oil
5 tablespoons light soya sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar (to taste)
3 tablespoons chicken broth (from boiled chicken)

First of all wash the rice then place it on to a tea towel or colander to dry. Then, prepare the chicken.Bring enough water to boil in a large pot. Stuff the chicken cavity with fresh scallions and ginger pieces. Once boil, add in the stock and dip the stuffed chicken a few times in the boiling water. This trick will tighten the skin and prevent it from breaking it. Submerge the chicken in water breast down, making sure the water level just covers the extremity of the chicken: you want your chicken to poach slowly, not to boil! Lower the heat and cook chicken for about 20 - 25 minutes, uncovered. It is very important to boil the chicken very slowly over low flame.Turn of flame and cover the pot. Allow the chicken to steep inside for another 20-25 minutes. Remove chicken and immerse it into a basin of cold water for 5-6 minutes.Take chicken out and drain in a colander to drip dry before cutting it into serving pieces.

While the chicken is drip drying, prepare the rice.Heat up wok and add in the chicken fat and water.Bring to a low simmering boil until oil is released from the fat. Add in the ginger and garlic and fry well (without burning the garlic) Remove and discard the chicken fat and skin. Add in the rice that has been dried and salt and stir fry briskly about 1 - 2 minutes.Transfer rice into an electric rice cooker or pot. Add in the chicken broth from the boiled chicken together with the screwpine leaves if using. If cooking in a pot, cook over low flame stirring occasionally so as not to let the bottom of the rice burn.Boil until rice is cook.

While the rice is cooking, you can prepare the chilli garlic sauce. Just add all ingredients into a blender or food processor, and give it a good whizz, until ingredients are well blended. Adjust the seasoning with more salt or sugar to taste.The chili garlic sauce can be kept in the refrigerator for about 2-3 days only.

To prepare the ginger sauce is the same.give the ingredients a good whiz in the blender.What gives the extra oomph for the sauces is the stock from the chicken broth -- so, do not omit this ingredient.

Lastly combine all the ingredients for the chicken sauce and pour it all over the cut up chicken. You can add more soya sauce and chicken broth to the chicken if you prefer. Just adjust the taste of the sauce with soya sauce and chicken broth.If you do not have garlic oil,you can fry a few cloves of garlic in oil for few minutes then take out oil and garlic pour it into a jar, and let the garlic steep inside the oil.

Finally, garnish the chicken with the coriander leaves, spring onions and cucumbers.










Enjoy meal with the rice and dipping sauces!

stuffed chicken: a last minute deal

presentation could have been better, but my roast was a success!

Right. I’ve got a whole bird, some veggies, dry fruit and breadcrumbs. Perhaps if I go through my pantry I will find some sauces for the glazing and I will make another scrumptious dinner out of leftovers, basically! So here’s what I have on my table so far.

ooooh curries!

Making Massaman Curry and lentil dahl (my style) 

Ooooh curries! There’s nothing better that that fragrant smell of spices in the kitchen. I tend to prefer thai-style curries to Indian ones because are more delicate and a touch sweeter, and, I am totally in love with that final touch of toasted cashews and fresh coriander right before serving a meal. Pure bliss.

Today I am making some slight variations to the recipe. I have run out of coriander so I am using basil leaves from my plant, and I have some bok choy leftovers as well: I am sweating the chunky bits together with the aromatic ginger, the onions and chillies and will be adding the softer leaves toward the end of cooking time. Whatever variations I make to curries, my kitchen always smell lovely! Right, here’s my ingredients list:

dim sum to touch your heart :)

from top left clockwise: it takes ages...but the flavour........

From the Japanese Gyoza to the Cantonese Dim Sum and their northern counterpart Baozi, Jiaozi, Tang bao…the choice is endless. Learning how to make dumplings from scratch it has been a challenge to me. Too  thin, too thick, too sticky, too big, too small – but I’ve eventually nailed it. My dumplings may not be 100% authentic but they look terrific and my friends love it, which is good enough to me. Another good reason to learn to make your own dumplings is saving money. When I checked the price of the frozen pack at my local Asian grocery I nearly hit the roof. GBP13,00 for a handful of dumplings (5 har gao + 5 xiu mai)!!  If you want to venture into the lovely world of dim sum get yourself a couple of good bamboo steamers and let’s rock the kitchen!  Today I am making some boiled pork dumplings and some fusion-style steam fried chicken gyoza. Here's what you need: 

my summer fish pie

 Inspired by a Jamie Oliver lighter version of the fish pie, I decided to experiment in the kitchen today. Did not know what to expect since this was my very first attempt to bake a savoury pie with no puff pastry, but judging by mr D’s face I’d say the experiment went well!   From the originally recipe I preferred to ditch the onions (I believe it overwhelms the fish’s flavour), and double cream (too many calories!)  And since I had some vegetarian curry leftovers I soaked the fish in that rather than the milk. Feeling inspired? Here’s my recipe for 4-6 serves. I like to cook in bulk so I can stack the freezer for those lazy days…

I Baci di Alice (Alice's kisses)

In a society that privileges adolescence over adulthood, "girls"in their thirties when feel alone adopt different techniques to cheer themselves up : Some go shopping, some chat with her girlfriends..some other bake cookies!

Ingredients : (makes about 50 bite-size cookies)
130 gr butter (a bit more than a stick)
3/4 cup flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 small bag (10 gr) Vanilla sugar
2 tablespoons organic oats
1/4 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup sugar

In a large bowl, cream together the butter, sugar and vanilla until smooth.
In another bowl mix together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt - then transfer the mix into the butter cream and keep stirring until a good consistency is reached and the vanilla-cocoa aroma will come out.
At the beginning the mix will appear too powdery but don't worry, it takes a bit of energetic stirring with a wooden spoon and the right consistency will soon come out.
Once you are done with the stirring, you can add the organic oats first and then the chocolate chips.
Pre-heat the oven at 170 degrees Celsius.
Place a baking sheet (ungreased) into a tray. Shape cookies with your hand forming small balls (size is up to you, but I prefer my cookies to be bite-size and small)

Place chocolate ball-shaped cookies into tray. As dough will flatten and spread with the heat, carefully place the cookies about 2 inches apart for each other.
Flatten the cookies slightly with fingertips and bake for about 8 minutes. Don't over-bake!
When ready, the cookies will still be very soft and fragile. Allow them to cool for about 10 minutes before touching.

Australian sausage rolls

A really popular Aussie fingerfood which turns up at parties.

If you are familiar with sushi, you won't have problems in rolling the puff pastry.

Ingredients (makes 24 small bite-size pieces)

6 pre-rolled puff pastry sheet (halved)

1 kg Italian seasoned sausage (ground) - Alternatively you can use minced beef.
1 cup breadcrumbs
1 medium onion (chopped)
1/2 cup milk
salt and pepper
1 egg
2 tablespoons milk

seasoning herbs

Pre-heat the oven to 220c.

Lay the puff pastry on your countertop. Pastry sheet usually come interleaved with plastic, which you will leave on at this stage.

Divide the pastry sheet in a half.

Mix together the meat, breadcrumbs, onion, milk and salt and pepper.

Whisk the egg and 2 tablespoons of milk together in a small bowl.

Using your hands, mold out a long line of meat mix down the long edge of the pastry-about 1/2 an inch in from that edge. Roll up, peeling the plastic away as you roll.

Seal the inner edge with a little of the egg mix and cut each roll in a half.

Prick each roll a couple of times with a fork and brush the tops of the rolls with the egg mix, then sprinkle some seasoning herbs on the rolls.

Place in the oven and cook for 5 minutes then reduce heat to 200c and keep cooking for other 20 mins.

Tempura king prawns with sweet chili & lime dipping sauce

There's something so sexy about pulling something warm out of the kitchen. Especially on a first date. Stilettos and frilly apron optional....

Ingredients (makes 25 praws)
vegetable oil for deep frying
25 king prawns, peeled with shells intact and deveined

For the tempura batter:
2 egg yolks
1 1/2 cups ice soda water (seltzer)
1 3/4 cups flour, sifted
salt and white pepper
For the dipping sauce :
fresh coriander
1 cup sweet-chili thai sauce
1 fresh lime (juice)

Using cold water (about 40F) is a must. This keeps the batter from becoming sticky.
Sticky batter results in oily tempura!

Beat the egg and mix with water gradually and stir possibly using chopsticks.
Add flour, stir briefly; that is well enough to coat but leave the lumps and bumps. Season with salt and pepper.
Dip prawns into the batter and deep fry (max 3 at a time) until they turn curl and golden. To fry, use a large pan with a half-inch oil (or more if necessary) and heat on high.
Drain on paper towels.

Magic touch :
serve the prawns on a platter folded by banana leaves (normally available in Asian grocery stores)

Pasta Sfoglia Ripiena (Stuffed puff pastry)

Easy, quick and perfect for the "carnivorous". It can be served with some crunchy steamed vegetable on a side or with mash potatos.
Ingredients:

2 pre-rolled puff pastry sheets
1 Kg ground seasoned italian sausage

olive oil
1/2 onion, finely chopped

1 cup ground Provola (or gouda cheese)

1 cup ragout sauce (your own recipe)
salt and pepper

Pre-heat the oven 180 degrees celsius.

Golden the onion in olive oil and stir fry with the sausage, adjusting with salt and pepper.

Add ragout sauce, let the mix thicken, cool down and set aside.

Unroll the lower layer of pastry out on a baking tray (usually pastry comes interleaved with plastic, which I leave on as baking sheet.)*

Spread ground sausage mixture on pastry to form a flat rectangle, then sprinkle the ground provola cheese on top, leaving some room for the folding edges of pastry.

Unroll the upper layer of pastry and place on top of the ground sausage mixture.

Trim and seal edges carefully.

Bake at 180 degrees celsius for 20 minutes.

Let cool and cut in large squared portions. Best served warm

* Beware that puff pastry needs to be kept refrigerated and unrolled chilled. By doing so, you will prevent excessive softening of the texture.

Crema di ricotta al caffe' (ricotta and coffee cream)

One of the easiest desserts to make, this delicious combination of ricotta and coffee takes just minutes in the food processor. It may be made a day ahead. (In fact, it tastes even better once the flavors have mellowed.)

Ingredients : (seves 6-8)
1/4 cup very strong espresso
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons sugar
1 pound high-quality whole-milk ricotta
1/3 cup sugar
unsweetened chocolate powder and coffee beans for decorations

In a food processor or blender combine the ricotta, coffee or espresso and sugar.Process for 2 minutes untill the mix appears smooth.
When done, spoon the ricotta mousse into 6-8 small glass goblets or dessert bowls, cover with cling-wrap and refrigerate 8 to 24 hours.
Before serving the cream, sprinkle with some chocolate powder and decorate each bowl with 1 or 2 coffee beans.

frittata ortolana (ovened omelette w potato and zucchini)

An easy and tasty way to use up leftover boiled potatoes, zucchini, leeks or other vegetables.

A frittata can be prepared ahead of time and is good for picnics or fingerfood. Makes a wonderful meal with crusty Italian bread and a tomato salad.

Can be served warm or at room temperature.

Ingredients: (serves 2-4)
1/2 minced onion
3 tablespoons full cream milk
1 cup peeled diced potatoes
1 medium-sized zucchini, cubed small
1 Tablespoon Olive oil
4 eggs, light beaten
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
aromatic herbes (french-provencal mix)
Salt and pepper to taste

peel and dice the potatoes. Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil, and cook the potatoes until soft but firm. Drain. Or use leftover, cooked potatoes, diced.

In another pan, golden the onion, then add diced zucchini and diced potatos. Adjust with salt and pepper.

In a bowl, beat the eggs with salt, pepper, olive oil,grated cheese and milk.

Join potatos and zucchini with the egg and transfer the mix in a squared baking tray, previously folded with baking paper. (no greasing is needed)

Bake at 180 degrees celsius for 15-20 mins.

Let cool and cut in squared dices.