The Month of Love Edition

The Month Of Love How will you spend your Valentine’s Day?

Valentine’s Special

Recipes and Delicious cakes for a Special Day

Editor’s Note A New Year and another year to celebrate Valentine’s Day. This is the month of love and let’s all be willing to share it with everyone, whether it be family, friends or your other half , this is a perfect time to celebrate love.

Signature S.O bring you Red Velvet cakes, Mozzarella and shrimp recipes, Truffles, and a cosy restaurant for you to enjoy.

Red Velvet cakes are the cakes you want to indulge in on Valentine’s Day. With the delicious cream on top to finish it off or try out some delicious dairy free, homemade truffles, a nice Dark Chocolate with a Coconut twist.

The succulent tastes of these desserts will leave your mind blown away. Just remember don’t get too carried away now!

But if you choose to get swept up by an exquisite menu, then by all means get in the kitchen and fire away. A very light menu that can keep you going but something for you to enjoy and put your own twist on it. If you need help putting your own twist on it, Our head cook Sheila Ocen is always on board to give you cooking classes to perfect your skills.

Website: www.signatureso.com Editor Facebook: www.facebook.com/SignatureSO

Cheyenne Dwyer-McDowall

Blog: http://signatureso.blogspot.co.uk

In This Issue

Valentine’s Day Velvet Cakes

Chocolate Truffles

By Larry Idowu

By Thembe Mvula

Valentine’s Day Recipe

The Medlar Restaurant & Cooking Classes

By Ayat Abdurahman

By Cheyenne Dwyer-McDowall

Red Velvet Valen1ne Red has been the colour of Valentine’s Day for quite some time now, and most people are interested in the colour of these delicious cupcakes. However I’m more drawn to the decadence of it all, a lovely chocolate flavoured cake smothered in a beautiful cream cheese frosting…

Ingredients Unsalted Butter (60g) Caster Sugar (150g) Egg (1) Cocoa Powder (18g) Plain Flour (150g) Vanilla Essence (1 tsp) Buttermilk (120ml) Red Food Colouring (40ml) Bicarbonate of Soda (1 ½ tsp) White Vinegar (1 ½ tsp)

Method Preheat oven to 170 degrees Celsius and line cupcake tin Sift flour and cocoa powder, set aside Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, then mix in egg and vanilla extract until combined In a measuring jug mix buttermilk with red food colouring, then alternately add buttermilk mixture and flour mixture into the butter mixture.

In a small cup, combine vinegar and bicarbonate of soda in a small cup. Allow to fizz and pour into the mixture.

Fill the cupcake cases up to half way and bake for 20-25 mins.

Frosting Cream Cheese (90g) Mascarpone (90g) Vanilla Essence (1/4 tsp) Double Cream (135ml) Icing Sugar (45g)

Serves 12 cupcakes! Enjoy your valentines Treat

By Larry Idowu Check out and support Chef Larry on Facebook: @Chef Larry Cooking blog: elgranjefedecocina.tumblr.com

Delicious, Dairy-­‐Free Homemade Chocolate Truffles If you have a sweet-tooth like me, you’ll enjoy these coconut flavoured homemade truffles, boasting of irresistible chocolaty chewiness. The recipe is so simple to follow and you’ll find the results are totally worth spending the little bit of time preparing. The most challenging part is only controlling how many you eat at once. Consisting of no dairy products, these are a great alternative to regular milk chocolate truffles and you won’t even recognize the difference.

Whether you wish to surprise your girlfriend or make a special family treat, these will definitely bring a smile to your loved ones face.

Ingredients: ¾ cup coconut cream 1 cup dark chocolate chips or flakes 1 tbsp vanilla extract ½ tsp kosher salt 1 tbsp honey or maple syrup 1 cup coconut flakes ¼ cup cocoa powder

Method: Melt the dark chocolate in a saucepan on the lowest possible heat and stir frequently. Add the coconut cream and whisk to maintain a smooth texture.

Pour in the vanilla extract, salt and honey, continuing to whisk out any lumps. Once smooth and well mixed together, remove from heat and add coconut flakes.

After mixing in the coconut flakes, scoop the mixture into a bowl and place in a freezer for about 45 minutes until firm. Stir any hardened spots with a spoon.

Once firm, shape the mixture with your fingers (use plastic gloves to avoid sticky hands) into small balls. Roll into cocoa powder and repeat for the rest.

Store in the fridge until ready to use.

By Thembe Mvula

Mozzarella & Rice Stuffed Peppers Start your meal with a light yet succulent roasted red peppers, stuffed with a flavoursome mixture, infused with olive oil and topped off with melted mozzarella.

Ingredients

Method

1 cup brown rice 2 cups of water 2 red whole peppers 1 Red onion Sun-blushed tomatoes Handful of black olives Handful of parsley Half a lemon Pinch of sea salt Pinch of Cumin Pinch of turmeric Extra virgin olive oil

Pre-heat the oven to 180°C , pour 2 cups of water in a pan and bring to boil for 40 minutes Slice the peppers in half, remove the seeds carefully. Place peppers onto a baking tray, generously drizzle olive oil onto the peppers. Sprinkle salt according to taste.

Bake peppers for about 10 minutes Peel and chop red onions, remove stem and chop the parsley, cut olives in half.

Add the sun-blushed tomatoes, olives, red onions, parsley into a bowl Drain rice and add into bowl with other ingredients.

Mix ingredients together, sprinkle cumin and turmeric into the mix. Drizzle more olive oil and squeeze lemon juice, then mix.

Spoon mixture into the red peppers, add mozzarella slices on top and return peppers into the oven for an extra 5 minutes and your all done.

By Ayat Abdurahman

Shrimp Pad Thai An authentic dish, combines a sweet and sour to create a mouth-watering union with tasty noodles. A fresh and succulent meal, garnished with crunchy and light assortments.

Ingredients 300g dried wide (pad thai) rice noodles 3 tbs fish sauce 3 tbsp prepared tamarind paste 3 tbsp palm sugar 3 tbsp water 2 large eggs 2 tbsp vegetable or groundnut oil 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped 2 Thai or regular shallots, finely chopped 1-2 tsp chilli flakes 2 handfuls beansprouts Bunch of spring onions, shredded roughly chopped Bunch of fresh coriander, leaves roughly chopped Half a cup of unsalted peanuts 2 limes, cut into wedges

By Ayat Abdurahman

Method Place rice noodles in a owl of warm water, let it soak for 15-20 minutes, until noodles are soft.Place dried shrimp in another bowl of water for 20 minutes Turn on stove to medium heat and add water and palm sugar. Stir sugar with to loosen up, allowing it to melt. Add tamarind paste and fish sauce and mix.

Add vegetable oil to heated pan, then add garlic, shallots, chili flakes and shrimps. Stir the mixture together for 2-3 minutes, allowing the shrimps to cook through. Add the drained noodles, fusing it with the mixture and allow it to stir-fry for a couple of minutes. Push noodles aside, crack two eggs and scramble it with the noodles.

Pour the sweet-source sauce onto noodles, toss noodles to soak up sauce.

Mix beansprouts, peanuts and spring onions with the noodles Transfer the noodles onto a plate, garnish with coriander, peanuts and squeeze lemon.

Vanilla Cheesecake And of course, save the best to last. This cheesecake is creamy and smooth, yet posses a light crunchiness.

The sweet cherry sauce fuses will with the vanilla, adding a hint of refreshment to your dish.

Ingredients For the cheesecake 150 g unsalted butter, melted, plus extra for greasing 250 g digestive biscuits, crushed 115 g caster sugar 3 tablespoons cornflour 900 g full-fat cream cheese, at room temperature 2 large free-range eggs 115 ml double cream 1 vanilla pod, scored lengthways and seeds removed, or ½ teaspoon vanilla extract zest of 1 lemon zest of 1 orange For the cherry compote 400 g stoned cherries 3 heaped tablespoons caster sugar icing sugar, for dusting

By Ayat Abdurahman

Method Cheesecake base Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/gas 4, and grease and line the bottom and sides of a 24cm spring form cake tin.

Crush biscuits into a bowl, breaking it well. Add melted butter, mix well for it to combine.

Place the mixture into a cake tin, pressing down on it softly so that it covers the base. Place in the oven for 10 minutes, then remove it to cool down. Oven should be 200ºC/400ºF/gas 6.

Cheesecake filling Add the sugar. corn flour and the cream cheese and beat, well to form a smooth texture. Add and beat the eggs, add the cream whilst beating the mixture. Eventually add vanilla pods( or extract) alongside orange zest.

Pour mixture into the biscuit base, making sure it is covered completely. Place it into the centre of the oven, allowing it to bake for 40-45 minutes.

Cherry Compete Clean and chop cherries, placing it in a pan with sugar and water. Bring to boil, then reduce heat to medium and allow it to simmer.

Cool the compete and drizzle it over the cheesecake.

The Medlar Restaurant

Address: 438 King’s Road, London, SW10 0LJ

Monday – Sunday 12:00pm – 3:00pm; 6:30pm – 10:30pm

Contact: 020 7349 1900 (Make a reserva1on: toptable.co.uk – you waste less 1me!)

438 King's Rd is the place to be! A low-­‐key restaurant where you can enjoy the perfect meal for two or a group if you choose. The restaurant can be on the high side, however, smart chocies such as the 3 course dinner and/or lunch can cut the price down by quite a few but as reviews have suggested, it is worth the price!

The restaurant is a good value for money and the reason for this is the standards of the food match the price! So you are paying for what you get, bargain right? I definitely think so. From Crab Ravioli to Monkfish PanceWa, you cannot go wrong this Valen1ne’s Day. The good thing also is that they give you the op1on of calling before hand for any dietary or allergy requirements that they are happy to adjust for you, showing the mindful aYtude they have towards their customers.

It says it all in the descrip1on, they want to make food from the Bri1sh Isles and Europe accurate and simple. With a French based style and tastes and inspira1on from all over you will find yourself dazzled by the effortless meals on offer to you. To give your food that extra edge, there is an extensive wine and champagne list available. From the rich and fruity Côtes du Rhône to Madeira, the choices are endless. A nice in1mate lunch or dinner at Medlar will make your day! Enjoy

By Cheyenne Dwyer-McDowall

Cooking Classes If you need help cooking at home with your partner or a group of friends, be sure to ask our head cook, Sheila Ocen for some 1ps for any special night this month. Do not hesitate to contact her for a taste of some of her culinary delights. The aWen1on she pays to detail and her special hand, Sheila Ocen will prepare a 3 course meal which can be made in 4 hours.

This will also give you the chance to ask her any ques1ons on different types of food styles, inspira1on and a chance to even have Sheila cook in your kitchen again to perfect your cooking skills. Signature S.O brings excellence and diversity, seYng the perfect tone for a delighmul night!

Contact via Facebook: www.facebook.com/SignatureSO

Email: sheila.ocen@signatureso.com

By Cheyenne Dwyer-McDowall