Fish Pie- Kristine Kawi

Make a paste by mixing one fish cube with a little double cream. Put in a pan with 225 ml of double cream. Whisk and bring to the boil.

Boil 675 g of potatoes. Slice one leek and blanch in hot water for 60 sec.

Place about 500 g of filleted fish in the bottom of a large ovenproof dish. Pour over the boiled cream. Put 2 sliced hard boiled eggs over it. Spread about 50 g of grated cheddar cheese and the leek.

Mash the potatoes and mix in 2 egg yolks to give a lovely brown crust. Spoon in the mash and put in a very hot oven at 200c fan. Cook for 15 min.

Pancakes Filled with Cheesy Spinach

those melted grated cheddar cheese look like chinese writing, lol. should have used gruyere...seriously though, this tastes better than it looks.

Gratin Dauphinois

Ingredients (Serves 4-6)

4 med Desiree or Belle de Fontenay, weighing about 450 g in total
300 ml full fat milk
100 ml double cream
Lots of nutmeg
100 g Gruyere
2 garlic cloves, peeled
S&P (preferably white pepper)

Preheat the oven to 120 C/100C fan/250 F

Prepare the potatoes:

Peel the potatoes and slice them with a mandolin. Do not wash the potato slices, as you need to keep the starch in them to help thicken the cream.

On a medium heat, in a medium saucepan, bring the milk and cream to the boil. Add the sliced potatoes and stir to coat them with the cream. Season with lots of nutmeg, 5 pinches of salt, and 2 pinches of pepper.

Lower the heat and simmer for 8-10 min, stirring every 2 min to prevent the mixture sticking to the base of the pan and to distribute the heat throughout the potatoes. Stir in the grated cheese and then remove the pan from the heat.

Bake the gratin:

Rub a 20 cm (8 in) gratin dish with the garlic. With a spatula, spread the potato mixture out evenly in the dish. Place in the oven and bake for 35 min; there should be tiny bubbles on the surface of the dish.

Preheat the grill about 10 min before the gratin is cooked.

The gratin is cooked when the tip of a sharp knife cuts into it with little resistance (you shouldn't feel the layers).

To brown the top, place under a hot grill for 2-3 min. (Optional)

Leave to rest for 5 min before serving.

Butternut Squash and Chorizo Tart

Ingredients:

Pate Brisee good for 25 cm quiche tin
2 eggs
1 egg yolk+1 more for sealing the pastry
300 ml milk
10-15 pcs chorizo rounds
450 g butternut squash, cubed to 1cm squares.
One quarter each of red and green pepper
1 red onion, sliced
S&P

Preheat the oven to 200c/180c fan

The Pate Brisee

Make a Pate Brisee enough for a 25 cm flan tin. Let rest for 30 min.

Roast the Vegetables:

Lay the squash, peppers, and red onion on to a roasting dish. Drizzle with olive oil and season. Roast for about 30 min.

Roll out Pate Brisee and Bake Blind

Roll out the Pate Brisee over a lightly floured surface, thicker than sweet pastries. Cut out a circle large enough to line a 25 cm flan tin. Use the rolling pin to lift the pastry into the tin, pushing down the sides. Trim off any excess.

Line the pastry case with baking paper and fill with baking beans. Bake blind for 10-15 min or until just about golden brown. Remove the baking beans and baking paper. Brush the surface of the pastry to seal. Return the pastry to bake for a further 10 min.

Reduce the oven to 180c/160cfan

Make the filling and Assemble

In a measuring jug, beat the eggs and 1 egg yolk. Add the milk and stir well.

Scatter the chorizo and the roasted vegetables over the base of the tart, then pour the egg mixture and grind over some black pepper. Check the seasoning.

Bake for 20-30 min or until the egg mixture is set.

Bake the quiche for 20 min or until the filling is set and golden brown. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Cauliflower Cheese

Quiche Lorraine

Ingredients:

Pate Brisee good for 25 cm quiche tin
5 eggs
1 egg yolk
250 ml full fat milk
250 ml double cream
200 g gruyere cheese
250 g rindless smoked bacon, roughly chopped
Black pepper

Preheat the oven to 200c/180c fan

The Pate Brisee

Roll out the Pate Brisee over a lightly floured surface. Cut out a circle large enough to line a 25 cm quiche tin. Use the rolling pin to lift the pastry into the tin, pushing down the sides. Trim off any excess.

Bake Blind

Line the pastry case with baking paper and fill with baking beans. Bake blind for 10-15 min or until just about golden brown. Remove the baking beans and baking paper.

Reduce the oven to 180c/160cfan

Make the filling

In a bowl, mix together the eggs, the egg yolk, milk, and cream, and stir in the grated cheese. Scatter the bacon over the base of the tart then pour the egg mixture over the bacon and grind over some black pepper. Check the seasoning.

Bake

Bake the quiche for 20 min or until the filling is set and golden brown. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Beef Empanadas and Mince Beef in Pitta Bread

Beef Empanadas (below)



But if you don't have time to make a dough, you could use pitta bread or tacos. Here, I used mini pittas packed with the same filling. My children loved it!