Welsh Cakes - Pice Bach

Ingredients

1 lb Plain Flour
1 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Mixed Spice
4 oz Margarine
4 oz Lard
6 oz Caster Sugar
4 oz Currants
2 Eggs
Milk

Method

Sift the flour, baking powder, and mixed spice, rub in the margarine and lard.
Add the sugar, currants and beaten egg.
Mix in the milk to a stiff dough and roll out to a quarter inch thickness.
Cut into two inch rounds and bake on a hot griddle until golden brown, after about four minutes on each side.
Now you are ready to enjoy your Pice Bach on St David's Day!

Easy Chocolate Mousse

Servings: 4

Ingredients

4 ounces Bittersweet or Semi-Sweet Chocolate, chopped

25 g / 1 oz Butter

3 Eggs, separated

50 g / 2 oz Sugar

120 ml / 4 fl. oz Double Cream

1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract.

Method

Place a small saucepan over low heat add the butter and chocolate and cook for 5 minutes until the butter and chocolate are melted. Mix well whilst they are melting.

When melted, take the pan off the heat and whisk the mixture with a fork to incorporate air into the mix.

Transfer the chocolate mixture to a bowl, and beat in the egg yolks with a whisk. Place the bowl in a refrigerator.

Beat egg whites with half the sugar until they hold stiff peaks but are not dry. Set aside. Beat cream with the remaining sugar and vanilla until it holds soft peaks.

Stir a couple of spoonfuls of the whites into chocolate mixture to lighten it a bit, then fold in remaining whites thoroughly but gently. Fold in the cream, and refrigerate until chilled.

If you are in a hurry, divide mousse among six cups: it will chill much faster. Serve within a day or two of making it.

Nut Roast

Serves 4 This can be made 2 or 3 days before you want to eat it. Ingredients 1 medium Onion, very finely chopped 1 – 1 ½ tbs Olive Oil 125g vegetarian Halloumi Cheese, thinly sliced 50g Cashew Nuts 50g fresh Wholemeal Breadcrumbs 100g Walnuts 50g Ground Almonds 150g cooked Basmati Rice (about 75g uncooked weight), cooled 1 small Red Pepper, cut into small dice (about ½ cm) 2 – 3tbs chopped fresh Coriander 1 – 1 ½ tsp Fennel Seeds, ground 75ml hot light Stock (3 tsp light stock powder to 75ml water) 50g stoned black Olives, halved Salt and Pepper 2 large free range Eggs, beaten Method Preheat the oven to 180C / 375F / Gas mark 5. Grease a 450g loaf tin. Line the base and ends with a single strip of baking paper, leaving an overhang at each end. Gently sauté the onion in 1tbs olive oil in a frying pan until soft but not coloured. Remove from the pan and set aside. Using the remaining ½ tbs olive oil if necessary, turn up the heat and use the same pan to fry the halloumi cheese quickly until brown on both sides. Remove from the pan and set aside to cool, then cut into very small dice (about ½ cm). Grind the cashew nuts with half the walnuts until powdery and add the breadcrumbs. Put the remaining walnuts into a processor and process until very finely chopped. In a large bowl, mix all the nuts together with the onions and halloumi cheese and all the remaining ingredients except the eggs. Season to taste then add the beaten eggs and beat well. Press the mixture into the prepared loaf tin, with a slightly rounded top surface. Put into the a roasting tin containing 1" of waterbain marie* and bake in the preheated oven for about 40 minutes or until firm. Check after 30 minutes, and if it appears to be browning too fast, cover with foil. When cooked, remove from the oven and leave in the tin for 10 – 20 minutes before turning out. Slice with care using a sharp knife, and wiping the knife clean after each cut.

Fried Sea Bass with Rice and Salsa

Servings: 4

Ingredients

4 small Sea Bass

1 green Plantain, cut into 1cm pieces

1 tsp Lemon Juice

2-3 tbsp Olive Oil

handful Plain Flour

Ingredients for the Salsa de Cebolla

1 red onion, sliced

3 Lemons, juice only

handful curly Parsley, chopped

1 Plum Tomato, sliced, seeds removed and juice reserved

1 Green Pepper, sliced

Olive Oil

To serve

2 cups of Long Grain Rice

1 avocado, sliced

Lettuce

Method

Sprinkle the sea bass with salt and pepper and leave to stand while you prepare the other ingredients.
Wash the rice 3 times under cold running water to remove the starch. Place in a small saucepan, add around 400ml of water, a pinch of salt and the lemon juice.
Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and add 1 tablespoon of oil. Simmer for 5-8 minutes until the rice is tender and the water has been absorbed.
For the plantain: in a small frying pan, pour in oil to a depth of 2cm and heat. Add the plantain slices and when golden but not completely cooked through, remove the slices from the frying pan, press down on them with a metal spatula and return to the pan until completely cooked and crisp. Keep warm.
Coat the seasoned fish in the flour.
In another frying pan, heat 1- 2 tablespoons of oil and add the sea bass. Cover and cook until tender. Remove from the pan and keep warm.
For the salsa de cebolla (onion salsa): sprinkle the onion slices with the lemon juice and a little salt and allow to stand.
Mix the parsley with the sliced onions, tomato and pepper. Add a little oil and reserved tomato juice to make a lush salsa.
To serve: place the rice in a dish, arrange a layer of lettuce over the rice and place the fish on top. Spoon on the salsa. Slice the avocado putting a few pieces on each dish, along with some of the plantain slices.

Red Onion and Thyme Foccacia

Ingredients

450g/1lb Plain Flour

1 teasp Salt

7g sachet Dried Yeast

110mls/4 fl oz Olive Oil

300mls/11 fl oz warm water

5-6 Sprigs of Thyme

4 Small Red Onions, peeled and cut into 8 wedges

Method

Mix the flour, salt and yeast in a large mixing bowl.

Add the thyme, half the oil and all the water.

Mix with a spoon to a very soft dough, then knead with a dough hook for 3 minutes or by hand for 10 minutes, until it becomes smooth.

Oil a baking tin 30 x 18 cms/12 x 7” and spread the dough out in it, pressing it down evenly.

Cover and leave to rise at room temperature for 90 minutes.

Heat oven to 200C/gas mark 6.

Press down all over the dough with your fingertips, making dimples in it.

Toss the onions in 1 tbs of oil and drizzle the remaining oil all over the dough.

Arrange the onions over the top and sprinkle with sea salt flakes.

Bake for 25 minutes, until golden.

Cool in the tin covered with a tea towel to keep it soft.

Beetroot, Onion and Goat's Cheese Wellington

Ingredients

500g/1lb 2ozs Raw Beetroot

2tbs Olive Oil

1 Red Onion, peeled and finely sliced

1½ Tbs Mustard Seeds

1 Tbs Sherry Vinegar

Large Pinch Caster Sugar

3 Sprigs Thyme, torn

500g/1lb 2oz Puff Pastry

Plain Flour, for dusting

1½ tbs Clear Honey

150g/5½ oz Soft Goat’s Cheese

1 Egg, beaten

Method

Preheat the oven to 200C/Gas Mark 6.

Wash the beetroot and then place it in a roasting tin and cover tightly with foil.

Bake for 90 minutes.

Leave to cool, then slide skin off and cut into wedges.

Heat the oil in a frying pan over a low heat and add the onion and mustard seeds.

Cook, stirring occasionally for 10 minutes until softened.

Add the vinegar, thyme and sugar.

Increase the heat to high and cook for 10 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat and stir the contents into the beetroot.

Allow to cool and then cover and chill.

Then roll out the pastry into a rectangle about 3mm thick on a floured work surface.

Cut the rectangle into quarters and spread each quarter with the honey and goat’s cheese.

Put some of the beetroot mixture into the middle of each rectangle.

Join together the longer edges of the rectangles and pinch to seal.

Place the parcels on a non-stick baking sheet, seam side down.

Use any leftover pastry to decorate the tops of the parcels with leaves.

Preheat the oven to 200C/Gas mark 6.

Brush the parcels with the beaten egg and bake for 30 minutes until golden.

White Bean Bruschetta

Ingredients

1 x 420g can Butter Beans, drained
50g (20z) canned Red Peppers, drained and chopped
50g (2oz) canned Black Olives, drained and chopped
60ml (1/8 pint) Olive Oil
Juice of ½ a Lemon
1 tablespoon of Sunblush Tomato Paste
50g (2oz) Sunblush Tomatoes
Salt and pepper to taste
Ciabatta bread
Olive Oil

Method

Mash the butter beans roughly with the garlic and add enough olive oil to make a paste.
Stir in the lemon juice, red peppers, tomato paste, sunblush tomatoes, black olives and seasonings.
Slice the ciabatta bread and toast under the grill.
Drizzle with olive oil and serve topped with the butter bean mixture