Baklava recipe
Makes 18 pieces

Ingredients

560 g (2¼ cups) caster sugar
1½ teaspoons lemon zest
90 g (¼ cup) honey
60 ml (¼ cup) lemon juice
2 tablespoons orange blossom water 200 g (2 cups) walnuts, finely chopped
200 g (11/3 cups) shelled pistachio nuts, finely chopped
200 g (11/3 cups) almonds, finely chopped 2 tablespoons caster sugar, extra
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
375 g filo pastry
200 g unsalted butter, melted

Instructions

Put the sugar, lemon zest and 375 ml (1½ cups) water in a pan and stir over high heat until the sugar dissolves, then boil for 5 minutes. Reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.

Add the honey, lemon juice and orange blossom water and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and refrigerate.

Preheat the oven to 170°C (325°F/ Gas 3). Combine the nuts, extra sugar and cinnamon. Grease a 30 x 27 cm baking dish.

Cover the base with a single layer of filo pastry and brush lightly with melted butter, folding in any overhanging edges.

Continue to layer ten more sheets of filo in this manner. Store the remaining filo under a damp tea towel.

Sprinkle half the nuts over the pastry and pat down.

Repeat the layering and buttering of five more filo sheets, sprinkle with the rest of the nuts, then layer and butter the remaining filo, brushing the top with butter and pat down.

Score into large diamonds. Pour any remaining butter over the top.

Bake for 30 minutes, then reduce the heat to 150°C (300°F/Gas 2) and cook for 30 minutes. Immediately cut through the original diamond markings, then strain the syrup over the top.

Refrigerate before serving.

Read more

Coconut Chocolate Chip Nutella Zucchini Muffins Recipe

Ingredients

1 egg
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup white sugar
1 cup grated zucchini
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup flaked coconut
3 tablespoons Nutella
3/4 tablespoon cinnamon

instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour or line muffin tins.
In mixing bowl beat egg, oil, and sugar. Warm nutella a bit in the microwave to make is a softer consistency.

Stir in zucchini, nutella and vanilla.

In another bowl, measure flour, baking powder, soda, salt, cinnamon, and coconut. Stir to combine thoroughly. Pour all at once over batter in mixing bowl. Stir to moisten.

Spoon into muffin tins. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 20 - 25 minutes until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes. Turn out on rack.

Allow to cool a bit, and enjoy!

Read more

Perfect Alfredo recipe
6 servings

Ingredients

1 pound fettuccini pasta
1 tablespoon butter
1 pound cooked shrimp - peeled and deveined
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup half-and-half
6 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
salt to taste

Instructions

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
In a large skillet, cook and stir shrimp and garlic in the butter for about one minute. Pour in half and half; stir. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese in one tablespoon at a time, stirring constantly.

After all Parmesan is added, mix in parsley and salt. Stir frequently making sure it does not boil. Sauce will take a while to thicken.

When sauce has thickened, combine with cooked pasta noodles; serve hot.

Read more

Stroopwafels recipe

Ingredients

500 gram (1.1 lb) flour
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
150 gram (5.3 oz) sugar
125 grams (4.4 oz) unsalted butter
100 ml (3.4 fl oz) warm water
2 large eggs
Pinch of salt

Instructions

Mix the flour, yeast, cinnamon and sugar. Rub small pieces of butter in the flour until it resembles small peas. Slowly pour in the warm water, knead several times. Add the eggs one at a time. Finally add the pinch of salt and knead the dough for a minute or two to incorporate all the ingredients until they are well blended.
Wrap in plastic food film and rest for 30 minutes.

For the caramel

150 grams (5.3 oz) light brown sugar
125 gram (4.4 oz) unsalted butter
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
5 tablespoons pancake syrup
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Melt the sugar and the butter, stirring slowly over a low heat. Add the cinnamon and the pancake syrup and continue to stir until the caramel comes together and slowly bubbles. Make sure all the sugar has dissolved, then add the vanilla extract and stir it in. Keep the caramel warm.

Divide the dough into 20 equal pieces, and roll each one into a small ball. Cover and rest on the counter.
Heat your waffle cone machine or your pizzelle iron according to instructions. Place one dough

ball in the middle, press down the top lid and bake each waffle for approximately 40 seconds.
Now you have to work fast. As long as the waffle cookie is hot, it's pliable. The moment it cools, it will break on you so make sure you have all the items you need within reach.

With a sharp, serrated knife, slice the cookie horizontally in two. Place a generous size dollop of caramel in the middle, replace the top part and gently push down on it so that the caramel spreads. Place on a rack to cool.

Read more

Dutch endive stew recipe

Ingredients

600 gram (1.3 lb) potatoes
400 gram(14 oz) escarole endive
1 teaspoon salt
6 bacon strips

Instructions

Peel the potatoes and cut into regular sized chunks. Bring to a boil in a pan of water that barely covers the potatoes and add the salt. Lower the heat to medium and boil for about twenty minutes. In a skillet, fry the bacon. When ready, cut into small strips or chunks.

When the potatoes are easily pierced with a fork, pour off the remainder of the water saving about half a cup. Mash and add some potato water if the mashed potatoes are too dry.

Wash the escarole or other tender green vegetables of your choice, rinse and cut into half inch strips. Mix in with the mashed potatoes, and add the bacon. Taste and adjust salt, and add a pinch of pepper or nutmeg if desired.

Read more

Chicken Curry with fruit recipe

Ingredients


350 g chicken breast
4 ginger balls
2 apples
3 tbsp oil
2 onions, chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
½ tbsp grated ginger root
2 tbsp Curry
4 pineapple slices (canned), chopped 1 banana, sliced
100 g raisins
2 tbsp ginger juice
½ dl pineapple juice
1 tbsp soy sauce
salt and pepper (freshly ground)

Instructions

Cut the chicken into pieces of 3 cm. Cut the ginger balls. Peel the apples, remove the cores and cut them into pieces.

Heat the oil in the wok and stir fry the chicken around Brown. Add the onion, garlic, ginger root and Curry and stir fry everything about 4 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients and let it all simmer for 5 minutes. Bring the curry to taste with salt and pepper.
Spoon the curry in a big warm bowl and serve the Court directly. Serve with green beans and rice (basmati).

Read more