Linda Lomelino's No Bake Strawberry cheesecake

I Love the Swedish way of life, always at one with nature and of course thinking practically. Swedes always have a simple solution to everything, whether it is organisation, kitchen gadgets, homewares etc, I always feel like they are one step ahead of us Brits. I remember my mother bringing home a cheese slicer from Sweden when I was just a tot because they simply did not sell them in England, now they are everywhere, I digress, the point I am trying to make is that style and practicality is a trait that comes naturally to Swedes. I love getting inspiration from fellow foodies but I have to admit that I am tough to please, I am always the worst critic, mainly because I am such a perfectionist when it comes to my own food, but sometimes I need to give respect where it is due and without a doubt Linda Lomelino is a true master. Her stunning cakes and desserts almost look too pretty to eat ALMOST! Each recipe she had created looks so effortless but always very chic, the decorations that she uses are always a natural visual enhancer to the concept of her recipes. 
 Incase you are wondering if it is style over substance I can assure you it is not, I first made her "No-bake cheesecake" exactly as the recipe stated, but if you are a regular reader you will know that I am always tweaking recipes but only very slightly, the original recipe called for a traditional cheesecake base of digestives and butter but I decided to use shortbread and substitute butter for White chocolate, strawberries and shortbread are a natural pairing and the white chocolate binds the biscuit crumbs whilst adding sweetness and vanillary goodness to the base. SUCCESS!! I urge you to look her up.
http://call-me-cupcake.blogspot.co.uk/

For the base:
Ingredients:
340g of short bread fingers
100g of green and blacks white chocolate (melted)
1 tsp of vanilla bean paste

For the filling:
400ml of double cream
300g of soft cream cheese
250g of mascarpone cheese
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
200g of fresh strawberries
190g of caster sugar
1 tbsp of runny honey
the zest of one lime
the juice of two limes

You will need an eight inch spring form cake tin, grease and line the bottom of the tin with greaseproof or baking parchment.
Crush the biscuits until they are crumbs, you can either do this in a food processor or place the biscuits in a plastic bag, tie the top of the bag so that the biscuits do not come out and lightly bash with a rolling pin until fine. 
 Place the biscuit crumbs in a bowl and add the melted chocolate and vanilla, mix well until all the crumbs are coated and then press it into the bottom of the cake tin until you have an even covering.

Next blend the strawberries, lime juice, zest and sugar in a food processor or with a hand blender until fully smooth. In a Large bowl mix the double cream, cream cheese, mascarpone, honey and vanilla in a bowl, whisk until light and fluffy then whisk in the strawberry puree mixture until fully incorporated. 

Pour the filling into the cake tin and place in the freezer for at least five hours or until fully set, remove from the freezer 20-30 minutes before serving. Decorate with seasonal fruits and flowers.

Meen Pollichathu (fish wrapped in banana leaf)

I have made no secret of my love for Indian food, it's an obsession that is ever growing. Indian food in England is not a true representation of the real food that is available in India itself, the variety of food available due to seasonal diversity throughout the country is staggering. One of the most amazing places that I have ever been to and will always have a place in my heart is Varkala in Kerala, a cliff top hippy hide away, populated by keralans, tiebtans and of course back packers. It's a hard life watching the sun rise in a stunning location, yoga in the mornings, ayurverdic massage for lunch followed by a dip in the stunning coconut fringed sea but hey someone has to do it. The absolute highlight of my day, and the highlight of my trip in India was always when night fell, the fishermen would bring in their daily catch and it would be displayed on a table in front of each restaurant, you have to get there early for the best and freshest fish. One particular dish that I found myself eating repeatedly was Meen Pollichathu, which is a spiced fish wrapped in a banana leaf, when the fish cooks the juices and the spices combine to make a delicious sauce inside the parcel. I suspect that when I had this dish, it was usually made with shark, tilapia or tuna but I think it can work with most fish, especially white fish. Insanely easy to make with maximum flavour results.

You will need (for the fish marinade):

500g of haddock fillet
1 tsp of turmeric powder
1/2 tsp of indian pepper powder (trust me it's totally different)
4 tsp of garlic and ginger paste
1 tbsp of lemon juice
2 tsp of maldon sea salt
2 tsp of kashmiri chilli powder

Firstly place the sea salt into a pestle and mortar with the garlic and ginger and pound until it is a paste. Add the lemon juice and spices and then spread this all over the fish, allow this to marinate for at least an hour.

Mean while make the curry sauce.

You will need:
150g of chopped indian onions (or use shallots)
2 tsp of grated ginger
3 chopped green chillies
15 curry leaves
1/2 tsp of turmeric
1 cup of thick coconut milk
1 tsp of maldon sea salt
2 tbsp of coconut oil
3 tsp of jaggery (indian sugar)

Firstly fry the onions in the coconut oil until the onions start to turn golden brown, add the curry leaves, chilli powder and turmeric, fry this for a further five minutes, then add the ginger and chillies, fry for five more minutes, then add the coconut milk, salt and sugar, cook the sauce until it starts to split, this is when then oil returns to the dish and is usually an indicator in Indian cooking that it is done, this should only take 5 to ten minutes on a high heat. 

 Mean while take two large banana leaves and soften them over the gas flame until they turn a vivid green and become soft to handle, this way they will not break when you wrap the fish.

In a frying pan fry the fish on either side for a couple of minutes in coconut oil, it does not need to be cooked through. Place one banana leaf horizontally and place another on top vertically so that it looks like a cross, place half of the curry sauce in the centre of the banana leaf cross and then add the fish on top of the sauce and then the remaining half of the sauce on top of the fish, wrap the fish up in the leaves and then secure the parcel with cocktail sticks. 

Cook in the oven for 10-15 minutes at 180 degrees c.
Heavenly with fluffy pilau rice and an indian salad.

Epic Chocolate cake

 I have always made it my mission in life to make the perfect chocolate cake, a catalyst for this is probably the film Matilda, when Miss Trunchbull made a little boy eat the most delicious looking giant chocolate cake. I have made a fair few chocolate cakes over the years, and I think that I have come very close to making the perfect chocolate cake a few times but have still continued on my mission of cake excellence. I have tried Ina Garten's famous "Beattys chocolate cake" but I found it slightly dry and I did not like the frosting, it wasn't the rich chocolate taste I was hoping for. I tried Martha Stewart's chocolate cake but unlike Ina's it was moist but lacked the flavour of the beattys chocolate cake sponge. I think there has to be the right balance of light moist rich chocolaty sponge, but the frosting has to be outrageously chocolaty. I have discovered a few little tricks on my mission to chocolate Elysium so of course I will share my calorific cake. This is most definitely the ultimate cake for chocoholics, but possibly a nightmare for dieters, it is most definitely worth treating yourself every once in a while. I have to say my little son knows how to eat a good cake, diving into it head first like Tom Daley.

Mission complete!

You will need:(for the sponge)
300g of plain flour
275g of caster sugar
175g of muscovado sugar
90g of good quality cocoa powder
1 tsp of baking powder
2 tsp of bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp of sea salt
240ml of buttermilk
160ml of vegetable oil
2 extra large eggs or three medium
1 tsp of vanilla extract
240ml of hot brewed coffee
1 tbsp of black treacle
1 tbsp of malt extract

For the frosting:
You will need:
600ml of double cream
400g of good quality dark chocolate
200g of tinned caramel
2 tsp of maldon sea salt or 1 tsp of regular sea salt
150g of icing sugar
1 tbsp of malt extract

For the cooked sponges:
100ml of dark rum
100ml of coca cola

Preheat the oven to 170 degrees c. 

Grease, line the bottom and lightly flour three 8 inch sandwich tins (make sure they have a fixed bottom).
I a stand mixer or in a bowl whisk the eggs, sugars, buttermilk, vegetable oil, vanilla, treacle, malt extract and salt together until the sugars almost dissolve into the batter and all lumps are well mixed in. Sift the flour, bicarb, cocoa powder,and baking powder together so they are thoroughly combined, then fold this into the buttermilk mixture, do this until the flour is just incorporated, if you mix it any more it will toughen the sponge. Lastly add the hot coffee and mix until just combined. Divide the batter between the three tins and then place in the oven straight away for 30-40 mins (depending on if you have a fan assisted oven, they are a little quicker) until you can insert a toothpick and it comes out clean, the sponges at the top of the oven may cook faster so you just have to keep your eye on the sponges.
Allow the cakes to cool thoroughly in their tins.
Meanwhile place a sauce pan onto a medium heat and add the cream and chocolate, stir and heat them together until fully melted and mixed well, add the caramel, salt, malt and sieved icing sugar and then whisk until fully incorporated. Remove from the heat and allow to cool or decant into a bowl and refrigerate until it hardens a little and is a spreadable consistency.
To assemble the cake, place one of the sponges (remove the grease proof on the base of the cake) on your chosen cake plate or platter. Slide four pieces of grease proof under the sponge so that it covers the plate edges to protect it from mess, but can be easily pulled away once the cake is frosted.
Mix the coca cola and rum together and brush the first sponge well so that it is very moist, then spread the chocolate frosting over the first sponge, then top with the second layer, repeat the brushing with the rum and coke and then spread with more frosting. Lastly top with the final sponge and spread the frosting over the top and the sides with a palate knife, this can be as rough or and neat as you can muster. Remove the greaseproof sheets from under the cake to reveal a clean plate YAY!!

 Allow the cake to set for an hour and then dive it.

Swedish meatballs

 This is one post I could not resist to share with you, Swedish meatballs, especially since Tonight the Euro vision song contest is not only held in Sweden but is held in Malmo where all my family are from.

I have wanted to share my very very old family recipe for Swedish meatballs for quite sometime but thought that this was the perfect opportunity to do so.

 In Sweden it is not only a family favourite but also a fast food.   Meatballs are served as fast food in kiosks all over the country, after a heavy night out you may be tucking into a greasy burger or kebab whilst Swedes munch on this spherical goodness and are always served in the same format, meatballs, mash, gravy and lingon berry sauce, NOT CHIPS!!!! Sorry to ruin the illusion that the famous furniture flat packer has bestowed upon you but meatballs and mash belong together. Do not think in anyway shape or form that these are any thing like Ikea meatballs, for one thing they are packed with far more flavour and are totally horse free, I kid of course. The thing is about meatballs is that they are not only a celebratory dish or a home cooked meal, they are served cold in sandwiches. It is fair to say that in Sweden the meatball is King. 

 I grew up knowing that as least once or twice a week I would have meatballs and mash for my supper. Such a love has developed for the spherical meaty goodness that the English side of my family demand meatballs must be served alongside the turkey on Christmas day, that’s right my friends, such is the power of the ball that it has found its way onto our table and into our hearts. 

 This recipe is the genuine article, this was my great grandmother’s recipe that has been passed from generation to generation until finally the meaty torch has been passed to me. Fortunately for you I cannot keep a secret. Each person who has come into contact with the holy grail of meatballs has put their own twist on it to make the recipe their own. For instance my mother uses half pork and half beef, my grandmother would sometimes use veal mince, but I prefer all beef and lots of chopped dill, also the way that I make the meatballs is a little less complicated. I do think that this is the quintessential Swedish recipe and is synonymous with Sweden, as well as beautiful blond women, Abba, and naughty videos.  There is absolutely no point in making a small batch, this is a dish to be shared with family and friends and always served with lingon berry sauce.

You will need:

For the meat balls:

1.25kg of beef mince (not lean because you need the fat)

150g of fresh white breadcrumbs

1/2 tsp of all spice

325g of  white onions blended in the food processor 

5 tbsp of freshly chopped dill

2 large eggs

4 tsp of swedish piffi Krydda or 3 tsp of all purpose seasoning

50g of butter

1 tsp of cracked black pepper

1 tsp of dijon mustard

Firstly preheat the oven to 180 degrees c and line a couple of baking trays with foil. Blend the white onions in the food processor until it is almost a paste, place half of the paste into a bowl, and the other half into a frying pan with the butter. Fry the onions in a frying pan with the butter and 5 tbsp of chopped dill, fry until the onions are soft and are starting to colour, set aside to cool. In a very large bowl mix the minced beef, eggs, breadcrumbs, raw onion paste, all spice, black pepper, piffi krydda or all purpose seasoning, dijon and the cooled onion and dill paste, mix by hand until throughly combined.

Roll the meatballs into ping pong sized balls and place onto the prepared baking trays leaving a little space between them. I have found this is the easiest way to cook them whilst retaining all of the flavour. My mother usually fries the meatballs in butter in batches, I find this very time consuming and makes the balls fattier than they have to be. Bake the meat balls for twenty minutes until throughly cooked through. When they are cooked place them to one side.

For the Sauce:

500ml of beef stock (you can use gel stock pots)

300ml of double cream

50g of butter

50g of flour

1 tbsp of worcestershire sauce

3 tbsp of chopped dill

2 tsp of piffi krydda or all purpose seasoning

2 heaped tsp of  white sugar

1 tbsp of honey dijon

maldon sea salt to taste

cracked black pepper to taste

The cooking juice from the meatballs

 On a medium heat melt the butter in a large sauce pan and add the flour, stir it until is becomes a paste and the flour is cooked out and then add the beef stock little by little whisking as you go to create a smooth sauce. When the sauce is smooth add the cream, honey dijon, piffi krydda, sugar, worcestershire sauce, and the cooking juice from the meatballs, whisk together until the sauce is slightly thick and can coat the back of a spoon. Add the dill and then taste the sauce for seasoning, I would at this point season with salt and pepper. Add the cooked meatballs to the large sauce pan and heat through. Simply perfect.

South Indian Coconut Chutney

There is no better Chutney for Samosas, Dosas or Vada (lentil patties) than South Indian coconut chutney. If you love Indian food this is an absolute must to make. At one stage in Kerala I think I was eating more chutney than curry because I became that obsessed with it. There are many variations of coconut chutney, but this is the one that I love, spicy, sour, sweet, creamy and earthy with roast chana dal. Heavenly!

You will need:
(to grind)


50g of roasted chickpeas
2 green chillies
1 1/2 tsp of maldon sea salt
75g of freshly grated coconut
7 tbsp of natural yogurt
1 tsp of sugar

(for the tempering)

1 tbsp of coconut oil
1/2 tsp of asafoetida
1/2 tsp of mustard seed
10 curry leaves
2 dries red chillies split in half

Firstly soak the roasted chickpeas for about an hour and then drain. Combine the chickpeas, coconut, green chillies, sea salt, yogurt and sugar in a food processor and blend until smooth. meanwhile in a sauce pan heat the coconut oil and then add the black mustard seed, curry leaves, asafoetida, and red chillies and cook then together until the mustard seeds pop and the curry leaves begin to infuse the air with their aroma, take it off the heat and then decant the coconut mixture from the processor and combine the tempered oil and yogurt mixture. 

Parippu vada (lentil Patties)

 Train journeys throughout India are not for the faint hearted, if you are expecting air conditioned plush carriages you will be sadly dissapointed. I know that british trains are very comfortable and clean but in all honesty I would prefer to be on an Indian train any day of the week, yes they are hot, smoggy, terribly dirty, and a western face usually attracts a crowd of deep brown eyes to become fixated on you, but the food is possibly some of the best indian food I have ever tasted, whats more is that it costs pence.

 On British trains you are lucky if you get a half filled undercooked bacon sandwich, so to get a full meal and snacks, and an amazing tasting meal at that on an Indian train was over whelming. I travelled from Goa to Cochin in Kerala and feeling particularly peckish I bought some snacks, I was given a newspaper parcel which costed 10p, when I opened the parcel I saw what looked like six large fritters, I had never seen them before or heard of them but I will never forget the taste as long as I live, lightly spiced lentil patties with a crisp sandy crumb and smooth fragrant interior. If this is the quality of food you can get on an Indian train that quite frankly didn't even have toilet paper, then why cant British trains pull their fingers out and get some decent food onboard? This is the perfect picnic snack, and tastes far more complicated than it actually is to make. I urge you to try it. Serve with my coconut chutney

You will need:

100g split chana dal
1 finely diced red onion
3 chopped green chillies (birds eye will be perfect)
1 1/2 tbsp of finely chopped ginger
1/2 tsp of asafetida
1 1/4 tsp of maldon sea salt
10 finely chopped fresh curry leaves (don't even think about using dried)
1/2 tsp of fennel seed
Vegetable oil for deep frying

Soak the dal in cold water for at least 2 hours. Drain the soaked dal onto kitchen paper and dry it as much as possible. Place the Dal in a food processor and blend until it is a course paste, not a smooth paste. Remove the blended dal from the processor and decant it into a bowl, add all of the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Form the dough into five patties or ten small patties and then deep fry until golden brown. Drain onto kitchen paper and serve immediately.

Osso Bucco (with a twist)

  

                           

Like most italian food Osso Bucco is simple to prepare, complex in its flavour. I love the philosophy behind Italian food, if you use great quality, fantastically fresh produce then why do you need to mess about with it? Italian food and indian food for me share something in common, the ability to extract maximum flavour from so few ingredients.
 This is a true milanese speciality, Osso Bucco means bone with a hole (a lovely marrow filled bone), this refers to the cross section of the veal shank that is traditionally used in the dish, which is slow braised with celery, carrots, onions, herbs, garlic, tomatoes and white wine.

 Now I have called this Osso bucco with a twist, I have not veered too left field of the classic in fear that I may have some very angry italians to answer to, I have however used beef shin instead of veal, purely because it much easier to source, also I have asked the butcher to give me the Shank whole, only because a whole shank is a show stopper and also because I love long strands of slow braised meat, it's irresistible to me.          

Traditionally Osso Bucco is served with risotto alla Milanese with is a saffron based risotto, I have decided to serve mine with wet polenta, I have to say it worked really well, the absolute kicker for this whole dish was the gremolata, this for me is what brings the dish to life, finely chopped raw garlic, lemon zest and parsley added just for that last minute touch, it brings all the flavours together.  We are not as fortunate as italians in the respect that english tomatoes are pretty tasteless at this time of year so I have added a little sugar to my Osso Bucco, if you can source lovely sweet tomatoes then just omit the sugar. I urge you to try this for your next dinner party, trust me silent guests is a good sign.

Buon appetito!

For the Osso bucco you will need:
a 2kg piece of shin of beef
4 sticks of celery (diced)
1 very large carrot of two smaller carrots (peeled and diced)
1 very large red onion(diced)
1 fennel bulb (diced)
2 tbsp of olive oil
100g of chopped pancetta

25g of butter
2 tbsp of flour seasoned with salt and pepper
50g chopped garlic
1 rosemary sprig
3 sprigs of fresh oregano
2 sprigs of thyme
2 bay leaves
600g of fresh tomatoes (quartered and deseeded)
300ml of white wine
400ml of water
1x tin of chopped tomatoes (400g)
1 tbsp of sugar

1 1/2 tablespoons of maldon sea salt
2 tsp of  cracked black pepper

Preheat the oven to 160 degrees c. Dry the shin of beef and then coat it in the seasoned flour. Place a large casserole pan (preferably cast iron) onto a high heat and begin to melt the butter and olive oil together, brown the meat on all sides in the pan and then remove it and set it aside for later.

 In the same pan add all of the diced vegetables, garlic and pancetta and cook until they are all translucent. Add the herbs, fresh tomatoes, and wine and begin to scrape all the good stuff of the bottom of the pan. Add the tinned tomatoes, salt, pepper, sugar and water to the pan and stir well until combined, then add the beef back into the pan and place in the oven for 4 1/2 hours to 5 hours, you should be able to pull the meat off the bone with ease. 

For the wet Polenta you will need:

700ml of whole milk
200ml of water
250g of polenta (fine is best)
1 tbsp of salt
2 tsp of chicken stock powder
50g of butter
100g of grated parmesan
1 tsp of sugar
1 tsp of  freshly grated nutmeg
1 tsp of cracked black pepper

In a large saucepan place the milk, salt, nutmeg, water, stock powder, sugar Polenta and black pepper onto the heat. Using a whisk, whisk the polenta until it begins to thicken , this should take no more than five minutes with quick cook polenta, when the polenta texture is as runny and a Yorkshire pudding batter remove it from the heat because it will continue to thicken, add the butter and parmesan and continue to whisk like crazy until smooth and as thick as loose mash potato.

Gremolata

2 Large garlic cloves 
a handful of flat leaf parsley
the zest of a large lemon

All of the above needs to be finely chopped together and sprinkled over the plated dish.