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Three Delicious Frozen Yoghurt Recipes

Nectarine and flat peach frozen yoghurt

It’s an ice-cream time of the year, and my kids seem to want some every single day at the moment – one of those side effects of living in a sea side town too: whenever we go to the beach, they think they’re in for a treat. It’s hard to say no too, when all around us holiday-makers are enjoying one of the rich and creamy Isle of Wight ice creams.

I decided it was time to break out the ice lollies again, and get some yoghurt made up. My girls are perfectly happy with frozen yoghurt as ‘ice cream’ so it works out well for all of us – they could even have them for breakfast.

I have these NUK ice lollies that I use for the kids because they take about two tablespoons of yoghurt, which makes a perfectly sized ice lolly. After one, they’re satisfied, making it an all round healthier treat than anything from a box or even a normally bigger than they they can eat soft serve.

The flavours are forgiving – you can pretty much do anything you like, but here are some of our favourites.

Mint & Chocolate Chip is always a good flavour combination, you can add cacao or cocoa to make it a chocolate flavoured frozen yoghurt, but even without that, it’s tasty, and by the time the fro-yo has frozen, the mint permeates through. Delicious. A few hits of choc-chips throughout and there’s nothing not to love.

Mint and choc chip frozen yoghurtSee how good these look? But they’re only two tablespoons worth of yoghurt and yet sufficient to end a craving.

I thought the mint and chocolate might settle at the bottom, but was pleasantly surprised that it didn’t.

Mint Chocolate Chip Froyo
Recipe Type: Dessert, Ice Cream, Frozen Yoghurt, Dairy
Author: Luschka
Prep time:
Total time:
Serves: 330g
5g of mint leaves is a lot – on a TM31 it doesn’t even register – hence the ingredients say up to 5g. It’s a pretty forgiving recipe, so if you need to add a bit more or less of any ingredient, it won’t cause any problems.
Ingredients
  • Up To 5g Mint Leaves
  • 25g Chocolate Chips
  • 300g [url href=”https://www.keeperofthekitchen.com/2014/01/20/thick-yoghurt-recipe/” title=”Thick Yoghurt Recipe”]Natural Yoghurt[/url]
Instructions
Regular Instructions
  1. g Mint leaves equals a large handful, roughly.
  2. Crush the mint leaves and add to a bowl.
  3. Add the chocolate chips and the yoghurt and mix well.
  4. Transfer into icepop moulds or into a shallow dish, wait till it’s frozen, then serve.
Thermomix Instructions
  1. Add up to 5g mint leaves to the Thermomix bowl and mix speed 5/10seconds.
  2. Add the butterfly, the chocolate chips and the yoghurt and mix 30 seconds, speed 3, scraping down the sides if necessary.
  3. Transfer into icepop moulds or into a shallow dish, wait till it’s frozen, then serve.

Saturn Peach Fro-yo

These flat peaches were incredibly juicy. The flavour from them was exceptional, but the problem with that is that they have a higher water content, which makes them freeze a little more ‘icy’ rather than ‘creamy’ which is what you’d get from a higher fat content in the yoghurt. In a ice pop it (like in the moulds above) it doesn’t really make much of a difference, but if you were hoping for a cone-style scoop it needs a longer thaw time.

Nectarine and Flat Peach Frozen Yoghurt

The recipe for a hard fruit – apples, hard nectarines, and anything else that you would normally have to bake first – is the same as for a soft fruit, with the difference that you’d have to sauté the hard fruit first.

While honey makes the frozen yoghurt sweeter, especially if you’ve opted for natural yoghurt, it also helps emulsify it a little.

Hard Fruit Frozen Yoghurt Recipes
Recipe Type: Dessert, Yoghurt, Frozen Yoghurt
Author: Luschka
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 400g
My nectarines were still hard even though the skin was going wrinkly. I decided to saute them for a few minutes in some honey, which made all the difference. This works for all hard fruits, like apples.
Ingredients
  • 3 Hard Nectarines (or other fruit)
  • 1tbs (15g) Honey
  • 300g Natural Yoghurt
Instructions
Regular Instructions
  1. Chop the nectarines roughly, making sure to remove the pip.
  2. Place in a pot on the stove with the honey and saute for 5 – 10 mins until it’s soft.
  3. If you want the fruit chunky, leave it as is, but if you want it smoother, mash or purée the fruit.
  4. Add the yoghurt and stir to combine.
  5. Transfer into icepop moulds or into a shallow dish, wait till it’s frozen.
  6. You’ll need to leave the fro-yo for a few minutes to soften up before serving.
Thermomix Instructions
  1. Add the nectarines to the Thermomix, making sure to remove the pip.
  2. Add the honey and sauté for 3 mins/ Speed 2/ Varoma until it’s soft.
  3. If you want the fruit chunky, leave it as is, but if you want it smoother, mix Speed 5/30 seconds.
  4. Add the yoghurt and the butterfly and stir to combine (speed 3/20 seconds)
  5. Transfer into icepop moulds or into a shallow dish, wait till it’s frozen.
  6. You’ll need to leave the fro-yo for a few minutes to soften up before serving.

We serve these in one of three ways:

  1. Either in an ice lolly like in the first picture
  2. Or in a flat container you can scoop from. We live the chocolate covered waffles for serving too.
  3. Or mix two flavours together by pouring the first ‘batch’ into a container and putting it in the freezer for 10 minutes while preparing the second batch, then pouring it over or creating a swirl. It’s a really tasty way to enjoy two flavours together.
Soft Fruit Frozen Yoghurt Recipes
Recipe Type: Dessert, Ice Cream, Frozen Yoghurt
Author: Luschka
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 400g
It’s hard to give exact figures here, since the recipe is very forgiving, and since the point of it is to use up extra fruit and avoid wastage. Cook time is freezing time, but obviously depends on the size of your container.
Ingredients
  • 3 Soft Fruits (the amount of fruit doesn’t ‘really’ matter. Add what you have.)
  • 1tbs (15g) Honey
  • 300g Natural Yoghurt
Instructions
Regular Instructions
  1. Chop the nectarines roughly, making sure to remove the pip.
  2. Place in a pot on the stove with the honey and saute for 5 – 10 mins until it’s soft.
  3. If you want the fruit chunky, leave it as is, but if you want it smoother, mash or purée the fruit.
  4. Add the yoghurt and stir to combine.
  5. Transfer into icepop moulds or into a shallow dish, wait till it’s frozen.
  6. You’ll need to leave the fro-yo for a few minutes to soften up before serving.
Thermomix Instructions
  1. Add the fruit to the Thermomix, making sure to remove any pips. Chop speed 4/10 seconds.
  2. If it’s very juicy, reduce some of the juice.
  3. If you want the fruit chunky, leave it as is, but if you want it smoother, mix Speed 5/30 seconds.
  4. Add the yoghurt and the butterfly and stir to combine (speed 3/20 seconds)
  5. Transfer into icepop moulds or into a shallow dish, wait till it’s frozen.
  6. You’ll need to leave the fro-yo for a few minutes to soften up before serving if you want it scoop-able.

Play around with the flavours and see what your favourite combinations are!

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Watermelon And Rosewater Granita Recipe

Granita, despite my children calling it ice cream, is actually a semi-frozen dessert made from sugar, water and various flavourings. It is related to sorbet and Italian ice; but in Sicily it has a coarser, more crystalline texture – a bit like this recipe below. Watermelon & Rosewater Granita

Watermelon is a childhood memory for me. It reminds me of hot days, living in a hot, hot place, and my mother deciding to to make dinner, because who wants to cook when it’s 42C outside?! It reminds me of sweet sticky nectar running down my arms, of getting hosed down in the garden. It’s a good memory, and while we now live on – quite literally – the opposite side of the world, and the watermelons are round and have softer skins, but I love that I’m able to pass this same memory on to my own little girls now too. Watermelon & Rosewater Granita

When there’s left over watermelon – and sometimes there is – I like to make a watermelon and rose water granita. It keeps the watermelon going for a few days more and it is just so refreshing. 

I hope you’ll love it as much as I do!

Watermelon & Rosewater Granita
Recipe Type: Summer, Ice Cream, Dessert
Cuisine: Italian
Author: Luschka
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 800g
Granita is light, easy and refreshing!
Ingredients
  • 80g caster sugar
  • 125 ml water
  • 600g watermelon
  • 1 teaspoon rose water
Instructions
Regular Instructions
  1. Add 80g caster sugar to a saucepan with 125ml water and bring it to boil. Allow it to boil for 3 minutes, then put aside to cool down completely.
  2. Liquidise the watermelon – a couple of minutes in a food processor should do it – and add the rose water. Place in the fridge.
  3. Once the sugar syrup is cool, mix the two together and place in the freezer. I use a metal bowl.
  4. Remove from the freezer every 30 mins to stir, making sure to break up all the lumps. After 90 minutes and three stirs, the granita should be ready to eat.
  5. Decorate with washed rose petals if you have any, and enjoy.
Thermomix Instructions
  1. Add 80g sugar to the Thermomix and pulse 3 or 4 times.
  2. Add water and boil Varoma/Speed 2/3 mins.
  3. Put aside to cool down completely.
  4. Add the watermelon to the Thermomix and add the rose water, then speed 5/2 mins.
  5. Once the sugar syrup is cool, mix the two together and place in the freezer. I use the ThermoServer.
  6. Remove from the freezer every 30 mins to stir, making sure to break up all the lumps. After 90 minutes and three stirs, the granita should be ready to eat.
  7. Decorate with washed rose petals if you have any, and enjoy.

 

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No-Bake Marshmallow Cheesecake Recipe

There are a lot of sweet-teeth in my family, so when Father’s day rolled around, it seemed fitting to make a delicious cheesecake filled with a family favourite – marshmallows. I mean, what could possibly go wrong, right!

In retrospect I should have cut the marshmallows in halves or quarters, just to make them more bite-sized, but it didn’t make it taste any the worse.
nobake marshmallow cheesecake

I love that this cake is no-bake, I love that you can make it a day ahead for the best firmness, and I love that it’s delicious!

Not sure about marshmallows? How about Nutella? It’s so good!

Marshmallow Cheesecake Recipe
Recipe Type: Desert, Special Occasion, Make Ahead
Author: Luschka
Prep time:
Total time:
Serves: 8 servings
This is a very forgiving recipe. So long as you don’t over whip the cream. It’s really easy with two bowls, but I only have one and it’s not a huge faff – just make sure to clean the bowl properly before adding the cream.
Ingredients
  • 10 – 15 Marshmallows (1 cup mini marshmallows)
  • 250g Digestive Biscuits
  • 75g Soft Butter
  • 400g Double Cream
  • 500g Cream Cheese (at room temperature)
  • 100g icing sugar
Instructions
  1. As compared to the picture above, chop the marshmallows into chunks. A regular marshmallow in four pieces or so would be fine. Alternatively, pop them in the Thermomix and chop on speed 4 for 5 seconds.
  2. Clean out the bowl (doesn’t need to be washed)
  3. Add the biscuits and the butter to the bowl and mix till it resembles wet sand. (30 seconds speed 5)
  4. Sprinkle over the base of a cake tray, and press down so that it creates a firm and solid base for your cheesecake.
  5. Put it in the fridge for a couple of hours and make sure to wash and properly dry the bowl.
  6. When the base is ready, whip the double cream to stiff peaks. Keep an eye on it so it doesn’t turn to butter. Add the cream cheese and icing sugar and mix (with the butterfly) (speed 2, 30 seconds).
  7. Put the marshmallows on the base of the cheesecake, then pour over the cheese mix. (If you have a deep dish layer marshmallows, cheese, marshmallows, cheese).
  8. Smooth the top and put in the fridge till you’re ready to serve. You can eat this same day, but next day is even better!
  9. I use a springform tin, gliding a knife around the edges to loosen first, then releasing and serving on the base.
  10. Once released, decorate the top and serve.

 

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Balsamic Onion Pastries Recipe

Oh, I love puff pastry. I know I could make it, but I really love having a few boxes of it in the fridge because it makes the whole ‘quick dinner’ thing really easy.

Balsamic Onion Pastries

To make these pastries, cut the raw product into squares, then once the filling is in take the corners and fold them to the centre. Don’t press them down just leave them loose and pop some filling on top. That way the filling is inside and outside. Lovely.

Balsamic Onion Pastries Recipe
Recipe Type: Snack, Pastry
Author: Luschka
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 8
A pretty forgiving recipe, and while beginning to end it’ll take about an hour, your hands on time is very little, especially if you’re using a bought or premade puff pastry.
Ingredients
  • 1 Portion of puff pastry
  • 600 grams onions
  • 20 grams olive oil
  • 40 grams balsamic vinegar
  • 75 grams brown sugar
Instructions
  1. Roll out your pastry into a large square
  2. Cut into 8 squares
  3. Peel the onions and chop 3 seconds speed 5
  4. Add olive oil, balsamic vinegar and brown sugar
  5. Cook for 30 minutes, Varoma Speed 1 with measuring cup off.
  6. Spoon onto the pastry squares and fold the corners in towards each other. Add a tablespoon of the caramelised onion to the centre of the folded pastry.
  7. Bake for 20-30 minutes at 180C

 

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Leftover Couscous Balls Or Patties

We often eat couscous as an alternative to pasta. While I know I do better on a grain free diet, life circumstances dictate that grains make up a big part of our diet – they just cost less than the better-f0r-me stuff! Sad but true. So, we eat a lot of grains. One of the fantastic things about couscous is that you can make completely different meals by adapting the sauce, seasoning and add-ons in your couscous salad.

Sometimes we also end up with a left over couscous – not enough for another meal, but too much to bin in good conscience. So I tried frying it arancini-style. Because the leftover couscous was already so flavourful, I wasn’t all that fussed with additions, but we could have put mozzarella balls or even flavoured cream cheese in the centre. I didn’t miss it though.

Fried Couscous Balls

Obviously these aren’t perfectly round as sticky rice arancini would be, but it really makes no difference to the flavour. They make great little patties too.

The couscous on the outside forms a crispy layer outside the softer insides, so it provides a great variety of texture from the standard couscous salad too.

Fried Couscous Balls This recipe is just a starting point. You can adapt it to pretty much anything. Be careful with wet ingredients that it doesn’t get too wet and fall apart – start with less and add more as needed. Also, you don’t need to use egg, but it’s more fragile without the egg.

Another delicious flavour combination is couscous with shredded chicken in tomato and basil sauce. Add feta to the centre of the balls, and follow the instructions for cooking!

Tip: Plan to make a few more than you need as some will break and fall apart. They still taste great, and can be eaten anyway, but not ideal if you’re looking for presentation brownie-points.

Fried Couscous Balls Or Patties
Author: Luschka
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 10 balls
I use a basic formula when I make couscous salad, and no two are ever the same. It’s quite simple: 1 part meat, equal amounts vegetables, and herbs & spices to taste. For the leftovers, I simply mix in an egg. Done. It couldn’t really be simpler! It’s hard to give an exact recipe though, as that kind of negates the point of using the leftovers – just play around with it. It’s worth it!
Ingredients
  • For the couscous
  • 300g dry couscous
  • 200g pancetta or diced bacon, cooked
  • 2 spring onion
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 10g (2 tsp) [url href=”http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00NGU3DIW/?tag=diaofafirchi-21″ target=”_blank”]Ras el hanout[/url] or other favourite spice mix. (Chinese 5 spices, BBQ etc)
  • For the balls/patties
  • 300g prepared couscous (roughly)
  • 1 egg, whisked
Instructions
If making couscous especially for this recipe
  1. Bring 500g water (2 cups in a kettle) or stock to the boil.
  2. Switch off the heat and stir in 300g couscous and spices.
  3. Add a tablespoon of butter if you used a water based stock. If you used a meat stock you are unlikely to need the extra fat.
  4. Chop cooked bacon, spring onions, garlic finely. (10 seconds, speed 4 in Thermomix) and add to couscous.
  5. Leave to cool.
If using leftover couscous
  1. Once cool, whisk an egg and add to the mixture to help it stick together. You don’t have to use an egg, but they are a lot more fragile without it.
  2. Form either balls or patties in the palm of your hand.
  3. Meanwhile heat a frying pan to medium heat with a small amount of oil. Add the balls to the frying pan and leave for 2 – 3 minutes until they become golden and crispy. Turn over, remembering that they are more fragile than e.g. meatballs. The browner and crisper the outer layer, the better they will hold together. Everything in the patties that needs to be cooked, like the pancetta or bacon, is already cooked so you’re just trying to crisp it up.
  4. Once golden on all sides, remove to a serving dish and serve immediately as a snack or as a side dish to meat, salad or similar.

 

 

link
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Cinnamon Raisin Sourdough Bread

I enjoy my sourdough. I like sourdough bread. I feed my sourdough every day, like a good parent. But sometimes, I just don’t fancy a straight up sourdough bread.

One thing I really love is cinnamon. I have about 8 supermarket spice jars and a 1kg bag in the store cupboard! That’s some good stuff, cinnamon.

I decided to sweeten the bread with cinnamon sugar left over from making pancakes, and threw in a cup full of raisins, and see what happens. It was so good! My daughters love it, and it’s a favourite here now.Sourdough Bread

This is quite a dense bread, unless you leave it to rise for ages – it’s one of those sourdoughs that does better for a 12 hour rise.

It also makes a huge batch – two regular sized loaves. The Thermomix TM31 copes with it, but just. The T5 should be better with the bigger capacity bowl. You can split the ingredients in two and just do the Thermomix bit in two batches.

I hope you like this bread. We love it!Cinnamon Raisin Sourdough

Cinnamon Raisin Sourdough Bread
Recipe Type: Bread, Baking
Author: Luschka
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 2 loaves
Ingredients
  • 750g strong white bread flour
  • 400g lukewarm water
  • 40g olive oil
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 200g sourdough starter
  • 100g sugar
  • 10g cinnamon
  • 150g raisins
Instructions
  1. Add all the ingredients to the Thermomix bowl
  2. Mix on speed 6 for 10 seconds to combine everything
  3. Then knead for 3 minutes on the dough setting (wheat sheaf)
  4. Meanwhile, oil or butter your loaf tin.
  5. Note: This makes a HUGE loaf, so if you’re using a standard loaf tin, you’ll need to separate the dough into two.
  6. Remove from Thermomix and place on a tray. Halve the dough now if you’re going to.
  7. You need to ‘fold’ it into a ball. Essentially treat it like a sheet you’re tucking in to a mattress – take one side and fold it under, then the other, and fold it under, then the final two, till it’s a ‘ball’.
  8. Place in the bread tin, then cut deep slits along the top – this is to prevent the sides of the bread splitting apparently.
  9. Now here things get tricky. There are as many instructions for making sourdough bread as there are recipes, so here’s what I did.
  10. Leave the dough to rest for six hours, in a warm, but not hot place.
  11. Heat the oven to 200C and cook for 30 – 40 minutes. Test to see if it’s ready by knocking on the crust. If it sounds hollow it’s ready.
  12. Leave the bread to cool slightly before cutting.

 

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Puff Pastry Cheese Sticks Recipe

It’s that time of year where I start thinking about snack box fillers for days out, picnics and camping weekends, and one snack type that we all like is a puff pastry cheese stick. Now, you can buy these pretty cheaply, but they’ve been in a box for weeks and have an almost human-lifespan shelf life, in some cases! They are so quick to make, and they are delicious. Kept in an airtight container they also last well – if you hide them away so no one can eat them, that is.

Cheese Twists

Now, I’d like to be all pious and tell you I made the pastry myself, and for budget reasons, I’d make large batches, but actually when I’m doing quick snacks, bought pastry is perfect. If you buy a roll of pastry, go for the most expensive one you can find. An all-butter pastry is delicious, whereas the cheaper ones with oil can have a bitter after taste.

You can vary and adapt the filling to your heart’s desire. Remember a lot of it will fall out when you’re twisting, so make sure to have a bowl or something you can ‘mess’ into so you can reuse it again.

Tip: It’s also useful to fill and slice the pastry on the tray you’ll put in the oven. It just cuts down on the spillage.
Cheese Twists

For this recipe I’ve used parmesan and smoked paprika. You can also use a combination of herbs, and a melting cheese. Great flavour combinations are:

  • Cheddar and chives
  • Parmesan, rosemary & thyme
  • Cheddar & Onion Salt
  • Parmesan and Smoked Paprika
Puff Pastry Cheese Sticks Recipe
Recipe Type: Snacks, Picnic, Lunch box
Author: Luschka
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 12
Ingredients
  • 1 Roll Puff Pastry
  • 40g Parmesan Cheese
  • 2 tsp Smoked Paprika
Instructions
  1. Roll out puff pastry
  2. In the Thermomix (or using a cheese grater) finely chop the parmesan (speed 10, 30 seconds) and add the seasoning – in this case smoked paprika. Mix speed 5 for a couple of seconds to combine.
  3. Sprinkle the cheese mixture over one half of the puff pastry, then fold the unsprinkled side over the sprinkled side so that it covers itself completely (like folding a page in half, basically!)
  4. Use a sharp knife to cut slits through from one side to the other, about 10 -12 all in.
  5. Take an end in each hand and twist in opposite directions and place on a baking tray.
  6. Bake at 180C for 20 – 30 mins till it’s golden brown and delicious

 

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Vietnamese Cashew Pineapple Chicken

I love this dish. It just looks summery and fresh and inviting. Serve it with rice, or if you’re sharing, add a hearty meaty dish with it.

Vietnamese Cashew Pineapple Chicken This recipe is originally from The Essential Asian Cookbook*, but adapted for serving two children and using a Thermomix – but you can use a knife as most of the cooking is done in a wok. I do think all of this could be done in the Thermomix to some extent. You could saute the cashews and coconut in the bowl, steam the chicken in the Varoma, and then combine all the ingredients at about 90C in the bowl before serving, but if I don’t have to and do have access to the wok, I’d do it that way.

Vietnamese Cashew Pineapple Chicken
Recipe Type: Main
Cuisine: Vietnamese,Asian,
Author: Adapted by Luschka
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 4
A good stand alone, or perfect as part of a shared meal.
Ingredients
  • 30g (2tbs) shredded coconut
  • 80g (1/2 cup) raw cashews
  • 30g (2tbs) oil
  • 1 large onion
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 2 chopped red chillies (optional – I do it without)
  • 350g chicken thigh fillets, diced
  • 1 red pepper
  • 1 green pepper
  • 1 tbs fish sauce (nam plah)
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 320g (2 cups) chopped pineapple (fresh is good, but tinned and drained is fine)
  • 3 spring onions
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 150C (300F) and spread the coconut evenly onto a tray. Toast the coconut for 10 minutes until golden. Remove from the tray immediately to prevent burning and set aside.
  2. Increase the heat to 180C (350F) and roast the cashews for 15 minutes until deep golden.
  3. In a wok, pour the oil to heat up.
  4. Drop the onion and garlic (and chillies if using) onto a running Thermomix at speed 4, about 5 seconds.
  5. Stir fry for 2 minutes, then remove from the pan.
  6. Meanwhile, put the peppers into the Thermomix and chop speed 4 about 10 seconds or until it’s the size you want.
  7. Add the chicken and the peppers to the wok, and cook until the chicken is light brown. Add the onion back in to the wok, then add the fish sauce, sugar and pineapple and heat through for about 2 minutes.
  8. Blitz the spring onion on Turbo to chop.
  9. Toss the cashews through the food in the wok, then serve and scatter the toasted coconut and spring onion over the top.
  10. Serve with rice or Asian vegetables.
Regular Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 150C (300F) and spread the coconut evenly onto a tray. Toast the coconut for 10 minutes until golden. Remove from the tray immediately to prevent burning and set aside.
  2. Increase the heat to 180C (350F) and roast the cashews for 15 minutes until deep golden.
  3. In a wok, pour the oil to heat up.
  4. Chop the onions, garlic and chillies. While you’re at it, chop the peppers roughly and spring onions finely. Make sure the chicken is evenly diced.
  5. Add the onion, garlic and chillies if using to the wok.
  6. Stir fry for 2 minutes, then remove from the pan.
  7. Add the chicken and the peppers to the wok, and cook until the chicken is light brown. Add the onion back in to the wok, then add the fish sauce, sugar and pineapple and heat through for about 2 minutes.
  8. Toss the cashews through the food in the wok, then serve and scatter the toasted coconut and spring onion over the top.
  9. Serve with rice or Asian vegetables.
Calories: 2082
Notes
serves 4[br]521 calories per serve (doesn’t include rice)

 

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Sri Lankan Devilled Pork Recipe

I’m not a fan of spicy food, and put a stack of take away fliers down in front of me and I’ll never go for the Indian or similarly spiced option. That said, whenever I’ve made anything vaguely curry-ish in nature, I’ve really enjoyed it. Strange, isn’t it.

This recipe is fantastic. Honestly, the richness of flavours is out of this world. Specially since it’s not a spice combination I’m accustomed to. And I don’t even like strong tomato flavours. But this, I enjoy! Sri Lankan Mild Devilled Pork“Devilled” is the generally given adjective for when something is highly spiced – which I’ve come to realise doesn’t have to mean hot. Traditionally this recipe would have some chilies added to it. If you like chilies, go wild. I don’t like hot food, and I’m feeding a five and a three year old too, so we don’t add chilies.

I find food like this so hard to photograph. I look at this picture and see a symphony of flavour, but without having eaten it, it probably looks a bit weird. Sorry about that. It’s fantastically flavorsome though. Take my word for it!

 

Sri Lankan Mild Devilled Pork Serve this with Baharat Spiced Meatballs with yoghurt and garlic butter to cut the spices a little. It makes a nice shared meal.

 

Sri Lankan Devilled Pork
Recipe Type: Meat
Cuisine: Sri Lankan
Author: Luschka
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 4
A forgiving recipe that lets you adjust the seasoning and flavours to your preference. Sri Lankan curry is a blend of coriander seeds, cumin seeds, fennel seeds, cassia bark, fenugreek seeds, cloves, cardamon, mustard seeds, black peppercorns, kashmiri chilli & turmeric – buy one ready made or mix your own before starting this recipe.
Ingredients
  • Marinade
  • 1 tbs cider vinegar
  • 1 tbs soy sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon sugar
  • 500g pork
  • 1 large onion
  • 320g (can) tomatoes
  • 4 – 6 garlic cloves
  • 3 tsp [url href=”http://www.spicekitchenuk.com/products/8-spice-blends” target=”_blank”]Sri Lankan Curry Powder[/url]
  • Lemon rind
Instructions
Thermomix Instructions
  1. Cut Pork into 1′ chunks
  2. Place marinade ingredients in the Thermomix bowl, and mix, speed 5/10 seconds. Add chopped meat and mix speed 1/15 seconds
  3. Set aside to marinate for at least 45 minutes
  4. (Don’t worry about cleaning the bowl)
  5. In the Thermomix, drop the onion over running blades (speed 4).
  6. Heat a pan to medium heat. and add the marinated pork with the marinade. Cook until the juices have reduced to a thick gravy. Add the tomatoes, onion and garlic. Also add salt & Sri Lankan Curry Powder to taste.
  7. Stir to prevent burning, till all the liquid is gone.
  8. In the meantime, fill the Thermomix with water, and cook rice per the usual method. You can add your choice of Asian vegetables to the Varoma at this point too.
  9. Sprinkle with grated lemon rind
  10. Serve the rice with soy sauce and Sri Lankan Devilled Pork.
Regular Instructions
  1. Cut Pork into 1′ chunks
  2. Place marinade ingredients in a bowl, and mix together.. Add chopped meat and stir till it’s all covered.
  3. Set aside to marinate for at least 45 minutes
  4. Slice the onion finely.
  5. Heat a pan to medium heat, and add the marinated pork with the marinade. Cook until the juices have reduced to a thick gravy. Add the tomatoes, onion and garlic. Also add salt & Sri Lankan Curry Powder to taste.
  6. Stir to prevent burning, till all the liquid is gone.
  7. In the meantime cook rice per your usual method.
  8. Sprinkle with grated lemon rind
  9. Serve the rice with soy sauce and Sri Lankan Devilled Pork.
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Pastel De Nata – Portuguese Custard Tarts Recipe

Our family had some pretty amazing travel plans for this year, and if things hadn’t gone as  they did, we’d be setting off from Sintra near Lisbon in Portugal roundabout now, for Spain. One of the things I remember from a previous visit to Portugal is Pastel de Nata – Custard Tarts – which are delicious sweet baked custard tarts in a puff pastry shell.Pastel de nata - Portuguese Custard Tarts If you’re a fan of the Nando’s restaurant chain, you may recognise these as one of the only desert options on the menu, but I’ve never been a fan of them! There’s nothing quite like fresh, home made tarts. It just wins out. No surprises there, I suppose.

Pastel de nata - Portuguese Custard Tarts

I’d like to be all holier-than-though, but I actually bought this puff pastry, because as Lorraine Pascale, James Martin and Jamie Oliver all say – there’s no reason not to! Especially if you buy the all butter pastry. It’s about £1 more than the ‘normal’ one, but it’s so much better, with a much nicer taste and no bitter aftertaste. It’s well worth paying that bit extra.

If you are going to make it, have a look at this easy puff pastry recipe from Jane at Why Is There Air?

Pastel de nata - Portuguese Custard Tarts

Sprinkle the icing sugar before you’re going to serve, as it will be absorbed and you won’t see it and if you keep adding sugar it becomes terribly sweet. My five year old was the icing sugar distributor in these photos and she was, shall we say, liberal in her application 😉

Portuguese Custard Tarts Recipe
Recipe Type: Desert
Cuisine: Portuguese, European
Author: Luschka
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 12 pies
The cooking time here does not include the cooling time once the custard is cooked before it is baked. Add at least another 30 – 50 minutes depending on your temperature. If you cover the custard with plastic while it’s cooling it shouldn’t form a skin, but if it does just mix it up – you won’t notice it in the final product.
Ingredients
  • 115g White Sugar
  • 1 Egg
  • 2 Egg Yolks
  • 10g Cornflour
  • 400g Full Fat Milk
  • 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
  • 300g All Butter Puff Pastry
Instructions
Thermomix Recipe
  1. Weigh out the milk and set aside.
  2. Place the white sugar into the Thermomix Bowl and mix at Speed 5 / 10 Seconds
  3. Add one egg and two yolks to the bowl. (don’t bang against the Thermomix bowl as that tends to upset the scales)
  4. Add 10g cornflour and mix it all together, Speed 5 / 2 Seconds
  5. Set the Thermomix to 90C/Speed 5/ 7 minutes and start it running
  6. Add the milk slowly in a steady stream – it should take about 30 seconds to add.
  7. When it’s finished, add the vanilla extract and do a quick speed 5/ 1 second to mix it in.
  8. Remove the lid and leave to cool.
  9. If you’re making the pastry, now’s a good time to do that. Role out the pastry and use a cutter to cut 12 circles big enough to cover your muffin pans.
  10. Spray the pans, add the pastry and press down to make the ‘cases’.
  11. Once the custard is cooled all the way down, heat the oven to about 180C
  12. Add a tablespoon or two of the custard to each muffin case – don’t fill it all the way to the top.
  13. Cook for 20 – 25 minutes. The custard will puff up and look pillowy and like it’s going to overflow but when you take it out of the oven it’ll collapse down again.
  14. Bake until the tops are brown – I don’t like them blackened, but I’ll leave it to your personal preferences on that.
  15. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool down thoroughly. They can be eaten warm, but are just as delicious cold.
  16. Sprinkle with icing sugar before serving.