Staple2

Plum and vanilla cake 

TOPPING

ninety grams (3/4 cup) plain (all-purpose) flour

hundred grams unsalted butter, chopped into small pieces

ninety grams (1/3 cup) caster (superfine) sugar

CAKE

hundred and eighty grams unsalted butter, softened

two hundred and fifty grams (1 cup) caster (superfine) sugar

three eggs, lightly beaten

one teaspoon vanilla extract

one hundred and eighty five grams (1 1/2 cups) plain (all-purpose) flour

two teaspoons baking powder

five hundred grams fresh plums, halved and seeded

 

one/ Preheat the over to 180 celsius.

two/To make the topping, place the flour butter and sugar in a bowl and rub with your fingertips until crumbly. I prefer to do do this in a food processor! 

three/ To make the cake, cream the butter (melt it a bit in the microwave) and sugar together in a bowl until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in the vanilla extract. Sift the flour and baking powder in the bowl and fold into the mixture. Spread into a 24cm greased or non-stick springform cake tin.

four/ Top with the halved plums with the cut side up. Sprinkle with the topping and bake for one hour, or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. 

five/ Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the tin for ten minutes. 

Serves ten to twelve

Pan-fried fish with bok choy and lime butter

four thick white fish fillets

one tablespoon light flavoured oil

two heads bok choy, halved

lime butter (see recipe below) 

 

one/ Season the fish with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat until hot. Add the fish and cook for two minutes on each side or until the fish is cooked, turning just once.

two/ Blanch the bok choy in a large saucepan of lightly salted boiling water for two to three minutes until bright green and tender. Drain well.

three/ Serve dressed with the lime butter on top of the fish.

Serves four. 

 

Lime butter
 

fifty grams unsalted butter, softened

zest of half a lime

one tablespoon lime juice

half a teaspoon sea salt
 

one/ In a mixing boil, whisk together all the ingredients. Not all the lime juice will mix in with the butter, this is fine. 

Rhubarb and Hazelnut Cake

two hundred and fifty rhubarb, finely chopped

third of a cup of currants

third of a cup of brown sugar

one teaspoon of vanilla extract

three quarters of a cup caster sugar

two cups self raising flour

one cup hazelnut meal

half a cup milk

one/ Preheat oven to one hundred and eighty degrees. Place rhubarb, currants, brown sugar and vanilla in a bowl and mix to combine. Set aside.

two/ Place butter, caster sugar, flour, baking powder, hazelnut meal and milk in a bowl and stir to combine.

three/ Line the base of a twenty two centimetre springform tin with baking paper. Press half the cake mixture into the base of the tin and top with the rhubarb mixture. Then spread and press the remaining cake mixture over the top of the rhubarb.

four/ Bake for forty five minutes or until cooked and golden brown. Dust with icing sugar to serve.

Veal with balsamic, pine nuts and currants 

 eight veal scallopini

two tablespoons olive oil 

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to season

two tablespoons balsamic vinegar

three quarters cup chicken or veal stock 

one teaspoon caster sugar

twenty grams chilled butter, diced

two tablespoons toasted pine nuts 

two tablespoons currants, soaked in warm water for five minutes 

chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley , to serve 

rocket and pumpkin salad (see recipe below) 

one// Put the veal scallopini between two pieces of plastic wrap and flatten with a rolling pin until they are thin. Coat all over with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat and cook the veal, in batches if necessary, for two minutes, then turn and cook for one minute on the other side. Lift out onto a warm plate and cover with foil. 

two// Add the balsamic vinegar, stock and sugar to the frying pan. Bring to the boil, then turn the heat to medium-low and simmer for two-three minutes. Whisk in the butter, piece by piece, then add the pine nuts and drained currants. Pour over the veal and sprinkle with parsley. Serve with the rocket and pumpkin salad.

Rocket and pumpkin salad

five hundred grams pumpkin, peeled and diced

one red onion, diced

one teaspoon dried chili flakes

two tablespoons olive oil

sea salt, to season

hundred grams rocket 

balsamic vinegar, to drizzle

one// Preheat the oven to two hundred degrees. Put the pumpkin, onion, dried chili, olive oil and salt in a baking dish and toss together. Bake for twenty minutes, or until the pumpkin is browned. 

two// Toss the pumpkin in gently with the rocket and drizzle with balsamic vinegar to serve. 

Serves four.

 

Baked fish with sticky sauce

one kilo fish, such as sea bass, snapper, side fins trimmed

one lemon, sliced

two tablespoons light flavoured oil

three garlic cloves, thinly sliced

three cm piece ginger, peeled and julienned

three red chillies, thinly sliced

two tablespoons soft brown sugar 

four tablespoons fish sauce

hundred milliliter lime juice (about five limes) 

two spring onions, sliced

small handful fresh mixed basil and coriander

one// Preheat the oven to hundred and ninety degrees and brush a baking tray with oil. Make three deep slashes on either side of the fish, insert the lemon slices in the slashes and place on the tray. Bake for twenty five minutes.

two// Heat one tablespoon of the oil in a wok over high heat. Add the garlic, ginger and chili and stir-fry for one-two minutes. Add the sugar, fish sauce and lime juice and cook for five-six minutes or until syrupy.

Serve the fish on a platter. Drizzle over the sauce and finish with the spring onion and fresh herbs. 

Serves four. 

Chocolate-filled french toast

three eggs

three quarters of a cup milk  

one tablespoon caster sugar

a pinch of salt 

one tablespoon unsalted butter

eight slices white bread

hundred grams milk or dark chocolate, chopped

icing sugar, to serve (optional)

one// Whisk together the eggs, milk, caster sugar and salt in a flat dish. Heat the butter in a large frying pan over medium heat.

two// Dip two slices of the bread into the egg mixture, turning them over until they are completely coated. Put them in the frying pan and sprinkle each one with a quarter of the chopped chocolate. Soak another two slices of bread in the egg mixture and put on top of the chocolate bread in the pan to make sandwiches. Press lightly with a spatula to seal the edges. 

three// Cook for three minutes each side or until golden brown. Remove from the pan and serve immediately or keep warm while you make the other two sandwiches. Serve dusted with icing sugar.

Serves four. 

French Toast

three eggs

three quarters cup milk

eight thick slices good-quality brioche or panettone

thirty grams unsalted butter
 

one// Whisk the eggs and milk together in a bowl to combine. Place the brioche or panettone in a shallow dish and pour the milk mixture over the top. Allow the milk to soak in thoroughly, then turn the bread and soak the other side. (Panettone needs to soak longer as it is drier)

two// Heat a large non-stick frying pan over a medium to high heat and melt half of the butter. Add four slices of bread to the pan and fry for about one minute, until golden. Turn over and cook until the other side is golden. Repeat with the remaining bread.

Serve immediately with whatever berries you prefer, maple syrup and a sprinkling of icing sugar.

Serves four. 

Eggs benedict

four eggs

two English muffins (store-bought), cut in half and toasted

four slices leg ham (or twelve asparagus for a vegetarian version)

Hollandaise sauce

three egg yolks

one and a half tablespoons lemon juice

hundred and seventy-five grams unsalted butter, melted and kept warm

one// Make the hollandaise sauce first. Put the egg yolks, lemon juice and one tablespoon water in a food processor and blitz until smooth. With the motor running slowly add the warm butter and keep mixing until the sauce is thick and glossy. Season to taste with sea salt and white  pepper. 

two// Meanwhile, poach the four eggs. (check our earlier posted tutorial on the Staple2 blog on how to make the perfect poach) 

three// Place the toasted muffin halves on each plate, top with slice of ham or asparagus spears, and then a poached egg. Spoon hollandaise sauce over the egg and serve immediately. 

Serves four.  

Beetroot soup

two tablespoons olive oil (I used coconut oil)

one red onion, sliced

three garlic cloves, sliced

five centimeter piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely sliced

one teaspoon ground coriander

half of small red cabbage, sliced

six hundred grams beetroots, peeled and diced

six cups chicken stock

four hundred grams tin chopped tomatoes

one tablespoon honey

horseradish cream (see recipe below) and crusty bread, to serve

Horseradish cream

two hundred millilitre double cream

two tablespoons grated fresh horseradish

one tablespoon Dijon mustard

one teaspoon white wine vinegar

one// Whisk together all the ingredients with a little sea salt and white pepper until the cream just holds its shape. Refrigerate for a couple of hours to let the flavours develop.

Beetroot soup 

one// Make the horseradish cream first, as it needs a couple of hours in the fridge.

two// To make the soup, heat the oil in a large heavy-based saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and a pinch of sea salt and cook for ten minutes until softened. Add the garlic, ginger, coriander, cabbage and beetroot, then pour in the stock and stir in the tomatoes and honey. Bring to a simmer and cook for twenty five minutes.

three// Let the soup cool slightly and then puree in batches. Serve with a bit of horseradish cream and crusty bread.

Serves four-six. 

 

Stir-fried Chili Pork 

one tablespoon soy sauce

two tablespoons mirin

two tablespoons hoisin sauce

two teaspoons sesame oil

one teaspoon dried chili flakes

eight hundred grams pork fillet, cut into cubes

three tablespoonslight flavoured oil

four garlic cloves, crushed with the flat of a knife

three red chilies, cut in half lenghtways, stalks left on and de-seeded

six spring onions, halved

one tablespoon soy sauce

two tablespoons white sugar

two tablespoons roasted peanuts

one// Mix togetherthe soy sauce, mirin, hoisin sauce, sesame oil and chili flakes in a shallow dish. Add the pork, toss to coat and leave in the fridge to marinate for fifteen minutes.

two// Heat a wok over high heat and add one tablespoon of the oil. When smoking, add the pork and stir-fry for two minutes. Remove from the wok.

three// Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil and add the garlic, chillies, one tablespoon water and the onions. Stir-fry for three-four minutes, covering the wok for two minutes. Add the soy sauce and sugar and return the pork to the wok. Cook for one minute. Garnish with the roasted peanuts and serve with steamed rice.

Serves four.