Terrine

1 kg pork and veal mince
7 crushed juniper berries
10 lightly crushed black peppercorns
1⁄4 tsp mixed spice
1⁄4 tsp dried thyme
1 sprig rosemary, chopped finely
12 pistachios, chopped
4 chopped prunes
1⁄2 espresso cup dry white wine
2 tbsp brandy
50g chopped onions
1 clove chopped garlic
11⁄2 tsp salt
3 short-cut rashers of bacon, chopped

Sprinkle the chopped prunes with a small amount of the wine and brandy. Set the prunes and chopped bacon aside. Now mix together everything except the reserved chopped prunes and bacon. Leave the mixture in a covered basin in the fridge for at least two hours for the flavours to be absorbed in the terrine.
Place half the mixture in an unbuttered terrine. Now sprinkle the bacon and prunes on top of this to form another layer. Finally place another layer of terrine mixture in the dish.
Place the terrine in a baking dish filled with water and cook at 150°C (310°F) for 11⁄4 to 11⁄2 hours. The terrine is cooked when it comes away from the side of the dish.

Fromage Frais

Fromage frais is sold in France alongside yoghurt. Elsewhere in the world it seems to be more difficult to obtain. Here is a recipe which I have often used and which makes a very acceptable fromage frais.  Like yoghurt fromage frais is made using a culture but with some some rennett to firm the cheese up.

It is advisable to sanitise the chux and the container. The easiest way to do this is to use Milton anti-bacterial tablets as per the intructions on the Milton's box. Milton's anti-bacterial tablets are available in the baby section of supermarkets.  Wring out excess liquid from the chux by hand before using it to strain the cheese.

2 litres full cream unhomogenized organic milk
Mesophilic DVI cheese culture (obtainable from a cheesemaker supply company)
2 - 3 drops of rennet in 5 tbsp cooled boiled water
1 sanitised "chux" or similar
Salt and pepper to taste

Note that the rennett will only work in unhomogenized milk.

Place the milk in a sanitised 2 litre plastic container and microwave for about 4 minutes on high. Alternatively heat the milk on the stove to around 21°C in a sanitized saucepan.  Stir 1 tbsp of rennet solution and a very small amount of culture into the milk (enough to fit on the end of a skewer). Leave stand in a container at room temperature until the curd is solid (about 12 hours).

Drain the cheese through a chux lining a plastic colander for about 1½ - 2 hours in a cool place. If desired, gently work in the salt and pepper although I prefer fromage frais without either of these. The final consistency of the fromage frais should be rather like a thick yoghurt. Store in a covered container in the fridge.

Chinese Spicy Eggplant and Chicken

This is one of my favourite recipes
 
INGREDIENTS
2 largish eggplants
salt
2 garlic cloves
1 knob ginger, peeled
12 spring onions
oil for shallow frying
750g chicken mince
2 tbsp chilli bean paste
4 tbsp soy sauce
5 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine (or substitute dry sherry)
1 tsp sesame oil
½ cup water

METHOD
Cut an eggplant into 1.5 cm cubes and then put about one eggplant at a time into boiling water in a large saucepan. When each eggplant is soft, remove with a slotted spoon to a colander to drain and add the next eggplant to the boining water. Continue until the eggplants are cooked.

Meanwhile in a food processor, blitz the garlic, ginger and four spring onions into a paste. Slice the other spring onions into 5cm lengths. Set aside.

Heat a pan with with some oil oil and when hot, add the garlic paste and chicken mince. Stirfry for 5 minutes on high until the chicken is cooked, then add all the remaining ingredients, including the sliced spring onions. Cook for a few minutes until the flavours have melded together and add the cooked eggplant.

Season to taste.  Serve with boiled rice.

Serves 4

Chicken Curry

1 chicken cut into pieces
1 onion sliced
2 garlic cloves chopped
2 tablespoons tomato sauce (or 1 tablespoon tomato paste)
2 tablespoons milk
3 cups water
juice of ½ lemon or 1 tablespoon of lemon grass
1 - 3 tablespoons of curry powder (preferably Singapore or Malaysian)
1 sliced potato
Additions
100 g green peas
4 whole potatoes, peeled and cut into quarters
Method
Heat cup of oil in the pot. When the oil is heated, add sliced onions and fry for 2 - 3 minutes, then add garlic and fry for a further 1 minute. Add curry powder made into a paste by mixing with some water and stir for 2 minutes. Add milk and tomato paste and cook for 3 minutes. Add 3 cups water and let simmer for 3 minutes – to boil. Then add chicken pieces, cover, and cook until tender (about 15 minutes). Then add potatoes and cook. Add frozen green peas near end of cooking.

Fast Tuna Patties

These patties are easy and fast to make, have a low glycemic load and unlike many similar recipes, do not contain mashed potatoes. If the patties are rolled very firmly, they stay intact during the cooking process. Also, putting them in the fridge if time permits will help this also. Adjust flavorings to taste.

Ingredients

425 g can tuna in springwater, drained
1 onion
handful of parsley
1 egg
3 slices bread
1⁄4 cup sweet chilli sauce, or 1 tablespoon chilli bean paste
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Salt and pepper, to taste
Oil for shallow-frying
Method
1.Blitz the onion and parsley using a cutting blade. Now blitz the bread slices without removing the onion.
2.Change the blade to a plastic one.
3.Add the tuna, egg and chilli sauce. Blitz until smooth.
4.Firmly roll mixture into balls or patties, and refrigerate for 1 hour.
5.Shallow fry until browned and heated through.

Serve with lemon juice.

Curried Watermelon

This dish is great to have with pre-dinner drinks. It may be made several hours before using.
Serve with individual forks or toothpicks.
It is very good to have with with sparkling wine. It is low calorie and has a low glycemic load.

Watermelon
Lemon or lime
Keens curry powder
Fresh Vietnamese hot mint (or plain mint)
Chilli flakes (optional)

• Cube several slices of seedless watermelon and place in a bowl.
• Squeeze half a large lemon or whole small one (lime is even better) and mix into the lemon juice and 1 teaspoon of Keens curry.
• Shred some mint.
• Tip the lemon/curry mix, mint and chilli flakes onto the watermelon and gently coat.

Zarzuela de Mariscos

Zarzuela de Mariscos is a great Spanish dish. This is a quick and simplified version based on the Marinara Mix which most fishmongers sell. Of course other seafood ingredients may be added to give a better end result such as opened mussels, prawns, clams and scallops.
750g of Marinara Mix from the market, use any other suitable mix from your fishmonger
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp brandy
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1 small garlic clove, peeled, and sliced
1 small red pepper, diced
1 tomato, peeled and chopped (or just use some tomato from a can)
1 tbsp ground almonds
1/2 sachet of Spanish saffron powder
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 tbsp minced parsley
Sauté the red pepper in the olive oil in a pan. When it is softening add onion, garlic and tomato. Cook until very soft. Add the brandy, almonds and saffron. Cook briefly and then add the wine and marinara mix. Simmer until the seafood is cooked. To serve, add the chopped parsley and serve with either rice or cous cous.

Chocolate Espresso Cake

 This recipe is one of my favourites and is based on Elizabeth David's recipe in "Mastering the Art of French Provincial Cooking". It uses no flour and is therefore is very good for celiacs and diabetics since, for a cake, it has a comparatively low glycemic load. It is excellent with a cappucino.

100g of bitter chocolate
75g each of butter, caster sugar and ground almonds
3 eggs
1 tablespoon each of rum or brandy and black coffee.

Break the chocolate into small pieces; put them with the rum and coffee to melt in a cool oven. Stir the mixture well, put it with the butter, sugar and ground almonds in a saucepan and stir over a low fire for a few minutes until all the ingredients are blended smoothly together. Off the fire, stir in the well-beaten egg yolks, and then fold in the stiffly-whipped whites. Turn into a lightly-buttered shallow sponge-cake tin of about 20cm diameter, or a tart tin with a removable base of the same size. Stand the tin on a baking sheet and cook in a very low oven,150°C., for about 45 minutes. This cake, owing to the total absence of flour, is rather fragile, so turn it out,when it is coolvery carefully. It can either be served as it is, or covered with lightly whipped and sweetened cream. It is a cake which is equally good for dessert or for tea-time.