Pear Tart (cake)

This cake can be made using other fruit such as apples, plums or peaches. I didnt have one big pan so I used two smaller sandwich tins greased with baking paper. It's really easy to make, light and tasty.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) softened, unsalted butter, plus more for greasing pan
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg 
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 pound pears (Concorde or Anjou), (I used 1 ½ pounds pears)
• Juice of ½ lemon, divided 
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions

1. Butter a 9-inch springform pan.
2. With an electric mixer, cream ½ cup butter and 1 cup sugar on medium until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in eggs one at a time, then baking powder, salt, vanilla, and nutmeg (if using).
3. Beat in flour on low until batter just comes together. Spread in pan. Place in refrigerator and chill for at least 20 minutes.
4. Heat oven to 375°F/ 190C.
5. While crust is chilling, core and slice pears into 1/2-inch slices. Toss them with half the lemon juice, so they don’t turn brown. Set aside to wait for crust to finish chilling.
6. Remove crust from refrigerator, and arrange pears in tight concentric circles on top of dough. Squeeze remaining lemon juice evenly over pears.
7. In a bowl, mix 2 tablespoons sugar  with cinnamon. Sprinkle over pears. Bake for 45-55 minutes (mine were in smaller tins so it took a lot less time maybe 25 min) or until edges are golden and center is set. It will puff up quite a bit in the oven, but settle back down as it cools.
8. Cool tart in pan for 10 minutes. Run a sharp knife around edge. Remove sides of pan.
9. Serves 8.

An Amazing Aubergine South Indian Curry

Serves 4-6
4 tbsp vegetable oil
½ cinnamon stick
1 tsp fennel seeds
8 curry leaves - or 2 teaspoons of garam malasa powder as I can't find curry leaves
2 large onions, chopped
1½ tsp chopped garlic
2-3 dried whole red chillies, crushed
3 tbsp toasted coriander seeds, crushed
2 aubergines, cut into 4 lengthways
3 medium potatoes, cut into wedges ( I recommend blanching the potatoes for 3-4 minutes first to speed up the cooking)
400ml coconut milk
1 large tomato, cut into wedges

one box/bottle of tomato passata sauce2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves

1 Heat the oil in a frying pan then add the cinnamon stick, fennel seeds and curry leaves, cooking until fragrant.

2 Add the onion and garlic and fry until golden, then add the crushed chilli, coriander, and garam malasa if needed. Cook for a minute then add the aubergines and potatoes, frying until the aubergines have softened.

3 Add the coconut milk, tomato and passata sauce then simmer for around 20 minutes, adding water as you go along if necessart until the vegetables are cooked through. When the sauce thickens, remove from the heat, garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve.

Brussels Sprouts, Potato and Bacon Hash

I've been left to fend for myself brunch-wise since Jamil's departure, but this one definitely works as the best substitute - same I dont have my brunch friends and mamosas to enjoy it with!

Serves 4 for breakfast with bread

• 1 stalk rosemary
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 1 red onion, peeled and sliced (I used a white onion)
• 75g/2.65 ozs bacon, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, peeled and chopped
• 150g/5ozs Brussels Sprouts, sliced thinly
• 150g/5ozs potatoes, coarsely grated
• 1/2 small lemon
• salt and pepper
• 4 eggs

Step 1 - Heat the oil in a large skillet on medium heat and fry the rosemary until the leaves turn golden. Remove from the pan and set aside to cool. Add the onion to the pan and cook until soft and golden. Add the bacon and cook until starting to crisp. Then add the garlic and saute for a minute.

Step 2 - Turn up the heat to medium high and add the potatoes and rosemary and cook for about five minutes. Then add the Brussels sprouts and stir turning the vegetables so that they are evenly cooked. Drizzle the vegetables with lemon juice and season with salt and pepper.

Step 3- With a large spoon make four depressions in the vegetables and crack the eggs into depressions. Cover the skillet with a lid and cook until the whites are set or however you like your eggs done. Serve with bread.

No hot sauce or black beans even required!

Guiness and Chocolate Cake

Ingredients

for the cake

• 1 cup guinness
• 9 oz unsalted butter
• ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa
• 2 cups superfine sugar
• ¾ cup sour cream
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 ½ teaspoons baking soda

for the topping

• 8 oz cream cheese
• 1 ¼ cups confectioners' sugar
• ½ cup heavy cream (or whipping cream)

1. Preheat the oven to gas mark 4/180°C/350ºF, and butter and line a 23cm / 9 inch springform tin.
2. Pour the Guinness into a large wide saucepan, add the butter - in spoons or slices - and heat until the butter's melted, at which time you should whisk in the cocoa and sugar. Beat the sour cream with the eggs and vanilla and then pour into the brown, buttery, beery pan and finally whisk in the flour and bicarb.
3. Pour the cake batter into the greased and lined tin and bake for 45 minutes to an hour. Leave to cool completely in the tin on a cooling rack, as it is quite a damp cake.
4. When the cake's cold, sit it on a flat platter or cake stand and get on with the icing. Lightly whip the cream cheese until smooth, sieve over the confectioners' sugar and then beat them both together. Or do this in a processor, putting the unsieved confectioners' sugar in first and blitz to remove lumps before adding the cheese.
5. Add the cream and beat again until it makes a spreadable consistency. Ice the top of the black cake so that it resembles the frothy top of the famous pint.

I used two tins and sandwiched the cakes together cooking the cakes for less time until a knife comes out clean of the cake.

Chorizo and Butter Bean Stew

Ingredients (serves four as a starter or two as a main)

200g chorizo, sliced
• 2 red onions, sliced
• 3 garlic cloves, sliced
• Olive oil
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 x 400g tin tomatoes
• 1 x 400g tin butter beans
. a sprig of thyme

1. In a medium saucepan over a medium heat, cook the chorizo, onion and garlic in a little olive oil for 5 minutes. 
2.Add in the paprika, tomatoes and beans, then reduce the heat, cover and cook for 20 minutes. 
3.Remove the lid in the last few minutes to thicken stew, if desired. 

Serve with slices of crusty bread or steamed potatoes, and a nice glass of red wine.

bhindi masala

2 cups okra, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 1/2 teaspoons of olive oil

1/3 teaspoon of cumin seed

half an onion chopped

one large tomato diced

one chilli, deseeded diced

1/2 curry powder

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1. Place the okra in a large, microwave-safe dish; cook in microwave on High for 6 minutes or steam until nearly soft about 3-4 minutes
2. Heat the olive oil and cumin seeds together in a large skillet over medium heat until the cumin seeds swell and turn golden brown. Fry the onions in the heated oil for 3 minutes. Add the chilli and tomatoes to the mixture and cook another 3 minutes. Stir the okra into the mixture; season with the curry powder and salt. Cook and stir the mixture until hot, about 3 minutes more. Serve hot.

serves 2 people - good as a side or served among two or three other dishes like the daal

yellow split pea (lentil) daal

Ingredients:

• 1 cup yellow split peas, uncooked
• 2 cups water or vegetable broth
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1/4 tsp cayenne
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 1/2 tsp cumin, whole seeds or ground
• 2 whole cloves
• dash pepper, to taste

Preparation:

In a large pot, place the peas and water or vegetable broth, and bring to a slow simmer. Add the turmeric, cayenne and salt, and cover. Allow to cook for at least 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

In a large skillet or frying pan, heat the onion, cumin and clove in the margarine. I added a dessert spoon of grated ginger as well. Cook for 4 to 6 minutes, until onion is soft. Add the onion and spices to the split peas, and allow to simmer for at least 5 more minutes.

Add a dash of pepper and more salt, if desired, and serve hot with rice or alone in a soup bowl with a big drop of yogart and chopped coriander