Mongolian Beef

Mongolian Beef.

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons vegetable oil

1⁄2 teaspoon ginger, minced 1 tablespoon garlic, chopped 1⁄2 cup soy sauce 1⁄2 cup water 3⁄4 cup dark brown sugar vegetable oil, for frying (about 1 cup) 1lb flank steak 1⁄4 cup cornstarch 2 large green onions, sliced on the diagonal into one-inch lengths

Sesame seeds to sprinkle for garnish

DIRECTIONS

Make the sauce by heating 2 tsp of vegetable oil in a medium saucepan over med/low heat. Don't get the oil too hot. Add ginger and garlic to the pan and quickly add the soy sauce and water before the garlic scorches. Dissolve the brown sugar in the sauce, then raise the heat to about medium and boil the sauce for 2-3 minutes or until the sauce thickens. Remove it from the heat. Slice the flank steak against the grain into 1/4" thick bite-size slices (Tilt the blade of your knife at about a forty five degree angle to the top of the steak so that you get wider cuts). Dip the steak pieces into the cornstarch to apply a very thin dusting to both sides of each piece of beef. Let the beef sit for about 10 minutes so that the cornstarch sticks. As the beef sits, heat up one cup of oil in a wok (you may also use a skillet for this step as long as the beef will be mostly covered with oil). Heat the oil over medium heat until it's nice and hot, but not smoking. Add the beef to the oil and sauté for just two minutes, or until the beef just begins to darken on the edges. You don't need a thorough cooking here since the beef is going to go back on the heat later. Stir the meat around a little so that it cooks evenly. After a couple minutes, use a large slotted spoon to take the meat out and onto paper towels, then pour the oil out of the wok or skillet. Put the pan back over the heat, dump the meat back into it and simmer for one minute. Add the sauce, cook for one minute while stirring, then add all the green onions. Cook for one more minute, then remove the beef and onions with tongs or a slotted spoon to a serving plate. Garnish with sesame seeds. Enjoy! Leave the excess sauce behind in the pan if u prefer it dry.

Baked Sambousa

Baked Sambousa.

(Healthy version)

Ingredients:

3 cups whole wheat flour

1 egg

1/4 cup olive oil

pinch of salt

1 cup water

Method:

Mix everthing together and knead well.

Fill with filling of your choice, then brush with egg and milk. Sprinkle with sesame and flax seeds.

Bake till golden  brown.

Baked samosa (with Plain Flour)

Dough:

1 and 3/4 cup flour 1/4 cup semolina(fine) 125 grm butter 1/4 tsp salt 3/4 cup chilled water

Mix all the ingredients well. You might not need all the water. Knead well and cover with plastic and refrigerate for 1 hour. Then roll out thinly and fill with filling of ur choice. Bake for 30 mins or until golden brown.

Chicken Fritters

Chicken Fritters.

Ingredients:

Chicken ½ kg (boneless, cut into cubes) Gram flour 1 cup heaped Ginger garlic paste 1 tsp heaped Chili powder 1 tsp heaped Turmeric ¼ tsp Salt 1 tsp Red pepper 1 tsp (crushed) Coriander 1 tbsp (crushed) Soda by carb ½ tsp Coriander leaves 2 to 3 tbsp (chopped) Green chilies 2 (chopped) Spring onion 1 cup (finely chopped) Oil for deep frying

Method:

In bowl mix gram flour with all the seasoning and water to make a medium consistency batter. Dip chicken cubes to it. Heat oil and deep fry chicken pakora until golden and crisp.

Brownies

Brownies

Ingredients:

250 g unsalted butter 200 g good-quality dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids), broken up 50 g chopped nuts, optional 80 g cocoa powder, sifted 65 g plain flour, sifted 1 teaspoon baking powder 360 g caster sugar 4 large free-range eggs

Method:

Preheat your oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4. Line a 24cm square baking tin with greaseproof paper. In a large bowl over some simmering water, melt the butter and the chocolate and mix until smooth. Add the nuts, if you're using them, and stir together.

In a separate bowl, mix together the cocoa powder, flour, baking powder and sugar, then add this to the chocolate, nut mixture. Stir together well. Beat the eggs and mix in until you have a silky consistency.

Pour your brownie mix into the baking tray, and place in the oven for around 25 minutes. You don't want to overcook them so, unlike cakes, you don't want a skewer to come out all clean. The brownies should be slightly springy on the outside but still gooey in the middle.

Allow to cool in the tray, then carefully transfer to a large chopping board and cut into chunky squares. Enjoy!!

Garlic and Herb Potatoes

Garlic and Herb Potatoes.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds baby (small) or fingerling potatoes 1/4 cup olive oil 2 tablespoons melted butter 2 heads garlic, top trimmed 1/2 tablespoon chopped parsley leaves 1/2 lemon, cut into wedges 5-6 sprigs thymes

2 sprigs rosemary

Scant 1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper

Method:

Preheat oven to 350F. Slightly prick the potatoes with a fork. Place the potatoes in a roasting pan and brush with the olive oil and melted butter. Add the garlic, parsley, lemon and thyme and rosemary in the pan, in between the potatoes. Sprinkle with salt and black pepper.

Roast the potato for 1 hour, basting the oil mixture at 30 minute interval. Serve immediately after roasting.

**Note: Don’t discard the garlic, they are so delicious after the roasting. Eat the potato and follow with a clove of the garlic, heavenly!!

Cheese Samosa

Cheese Sambousa.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup crumbled French feta (less salt) 1/2 cup crumbled white cheese Handful of parsley chopped finely 5-6 sprigs of thyme 1 tbsp chopped dill leaves

Method:

Mix all ingredients together n fill up the samosas leaves/ dough . Fry or bake. Enjoy!!

Meat cubes and veggies in clay pot

Meat cubes in clay pot.

Ingredients:

500 gr lamb, cut in cubes 1 tbsp butter 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 1 tbsp all purpose flour 1 1/2 + 1/2 cup hot water 1-2 garlic cloves, mashed with salt 3-4 medium sized white potatoes, peeled, cut in medium sized chunks 12-14 pearl onions 14-15 baby carrots 2 medium tomatoes 3 tbsp tomato paste 1/2 tsp oregano 1 Bay leaf Salt Pepper 2 tbsp parsley, chopped

Method:

Lightly fry the lamb cubes with butter and olive oil in a medium sized pot over medium heat. Stir occasionally. Sprinkle the flour all over the lamb, toss and stir until they absorb the flour. Add 1 1/2 cups hot water, garlic, oregano, Bay leaf, salt and pepper. Transfer into the clay pot.

Add the potatoes, onions, tomatoes, carrots, tomato paste and 1/2 cup hot water. Seal the clay pot with dough. Cook in a preheated oven for an hour on 180 degrees.

After an hour transfer the clay pot on to a coals burning in a BBQ and cook for further 30 mins. (Optional, u can complete the cooking process in the oven too).

Note: beef and lamb cooking times may vary. Once done check the meat and veggies. Discard the Bay leaf. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Sprinkle some parsley over the top before serving the dish.

Serve with a side of rice or flat bread. Enjoy!!

Review of The Store Cafe

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Baked Cheesecake Recipe

Baked Cheesecake Recipe:

INGREDIENTS FOR THE BASE:

75g/3oz digestive biscuits

40g/1½oz butter

25g/1oz sugar

FOR THE FILLING:

50g/2oz butter, softened

175g/6oz caster sugar

450g/1lb cream cheese (full fat soft cheese)

25g/1oz plain flour
1 lemon, juice and finely grated rind
3 eggs, separated
150ml/5fl oz double cream, lightly whipped

FOR THE TOPPING:

150ml/5fl oz double cream, whipped

450g/1lb mixed fruits (blueberries, raspberries, red currants) or bag of frozen fruits.
a little icing sugar (optional)

Method: 

 Lightly grease a 23cm/9inch loose-bottomed round cake tin. Cut a strip of non-stick baking parchment to fit around the sides of the tin, fold the bottom edge of the strip up by about 2.5cm/1inch creasing it firmly, then open out the fold and cut slanting lines into this narrow strip at intervals. Fit this into the greased tin with the snipped edge in the base of the tin and put a circle of non-stick baking parchment on top. Preheat the oven to 160C/325F/Gas 3. Put the digestive biscuits into a polythene bag and crush the biscuits with a rolling pin. Melt the butter in a medium pan; add the crushed biscuits and sugar. Mix well, spread over the base of the tin and press firmly with the back of a metal spoon. Leave in a cool place to set whilst mixing the cheesecake. For the cheesecake, measure the butter, sugar, cheese, flour, lemon rind and juice and egg yolks into a large bowl and beat well until smooth. Fold the lightly whipped double cream into the mixture using a plastic spatula or large metal spoon. Whisk the egg whites with a hand held electric mixer until stiff but not dry and fold into the mixture. Pour on to the biscuit base and gently level the surface with a plastic spatula. Bake in the preheated oven for about 1/1¼ hours or until set. Turn off the oven and leave the cheesecake inside for a further one hour to cool. Run a small palette knife around the edge of the tin to loosen the cheesecake then push the base up through the cake tin. Remove the side paper and put the cheesecake on to a serving plate. Spread the lightly whipped cream in the dip of the cheesecake and scatter the fruits haphazardly on top. Lightly dust with icing sugar if wished

Enjoy!