CONTENTS Bigilla Pg. 7
Spaghetti with Octopus Pg. 17
Froġa tat-Tarja - Vermicelli Omelette Pg. 9
Honey Ring Pg. 19
Widow’s Soup Pg. 11 Lampuki Pie Pg. 13 Baked Pasta Pg. 15
Kwareżimal Pg. 21 Bread Pudding Pg. 23 Almond Biscuits Pg. 25
Bigilla Ingredients: • • • • • • •
1 lb dried broad beans 2 sprigs parsley 1 head of garlic crushed 1 chilli pepper A dash of Tabasco 1 tbsp. of mixed marjoram & mint, finely chopped 2 tbsp. olive oil
Method: Soak beans overnight and replace water the next day when you are going to prepare the recipe. Bring to boil in salted water and keep simmering until beans are soft. Drain the beans and mash them lightly. Allow them to cool off a little and place them in a serving dish. Pour olive oil on top and mix well until you get a creamy sauce. Add other ingredients to taste.
Froġa tat-Tarja Vermicelli Omelette Ingredients: • • • • • •
300g Vermicelli Pasta 3 beaten eggs 5 tbsp. grated cheese Salt and Pepper Olive Oil Splash of milk (if needed)
Method: Beat the eggs into a big bowl, add the cheese and seasoning . Mix in with the cooked vermicelli Put a little olive oil in a frying pan, and spread the contents of the bowl in it. Fry on a low heat till its golden brown and crispy on both sides. Serve piping hot! Tips - be careful when turning over the omelette, if its not cooked enough it will end up breaking up when you turn it. If the omelette is very large, use a plate to help turn it over.
Widow’s Soup Ingredients: • • • • • • • • • • • •
1 onion diced 4 gloves garlic, crushed 2 potatoes chopped 2 carrots chopped 1 kohlrabi chopped 2 celerey sticks sliced 1 cup peas ½ cauliflower chopped ½ chopped parsley 1 ġbejna per person (Goat cheese) Vegetatable stock enough to cover vegetables 1 ½ tbsp. tomato paste
Method: Sauté garlic, onion and parsley in the butter and olive oil until soft. Add potatoes, carrot, kohlrabi, broad beans, celery, peas and cauliflower. Pour in the stock and tomato paste. Stir well and season with salt and pepper. Bring to boil and let simmer for about 15 to 29 minutes, until the vegetables are just cooked. Add goat cheese and press down lightly to submerge. Cover and cook for a few minutes to heat through. Garnish with parsley.
Lampuki Pie Ingredients: • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
750g Lampuki 250g chopped tomatoes 250g cauliflower chopped and diced 250g tomato paste 250g cut onions 150g peas 100g black olives 200g spinach Olive oil Mint ½ head garlic Salt & pepper Sesame seeds Puff pastry
Method: Clean the fish and debone it. In the olive oil cook the onion, add the peas, cauliflower, spinach, black olives, lemon rind, mint, salt and pepper, and cook for a while until onions are translucent. Add the fish and after that add the tomatoes. Open the pastry and place in a deep pan oven dish. Pour the ingredients into the dish and cover with the remaining pastry. Brush the pastry top with a beaten egg or milk and cover with sesame seeds and cook at medium heat for 50 minutes.
Baked Pasta Ingredients: • • • • • • • • • • • •
600g rigatoni 400g beef mince 200g pork mince 5 tbsp. tomato purée Tomatoes chopped 150g parmesan cheese 4 beaten eggs 3 garlic cloves Salt and pepper 1 tbsp. olive oil Cup of milk Chicken stock
Method: In a large casserole heat some oil and cook the onion and the garlic, add the beef and pork mince until you obtain some colour. Add the chicken stock and add the chopped tomatoes and purée, add salt and pepper to taste. In a separate casserole cook the rigatoni, drain and add the salt and pepper. In a separate saucepan mix the milk, beaten eggs and half the grated cheese. In an oven dish add all the ingredients and cook for 40 minutes at a medium to low temperature. When cooked add the rest of the grated cheese on top, let cool for 15 minutes and serve.
Spaghetti with Octopus Ingredients: • • • • • • • • • • • •
1 kilo octopus 250g onions 170g peas 250g tomato pulp 110g black olives 250ml red wine 700g spaghetti 80g tomato paste Mint & basil Lemon rind grated Olive oil Salt and pepper
Method: Fry the onions and the octopus cut into small pieces in some oil and water. Add the tomato paste, the tomato pulp and the herbs and continue to cook on medium heat for 20 minutes. Remove the octopus from the sauce and put aside. Add the sliced black olives and grated ring of a lemon to the sauce and continue to cook on low heat. Cook the spaghetti and when ready spread the octopus sauce on them.
Honey Ring Ingredients: Pastry: • • • •
600g flour 50g margarine 2 egg yolks A little water
Filling: • • • • • • •
600g dark brown Honey 150g sugar 75g jam 750ml water 250g semolina Lemon and orange rind Caraway seeds and crushed
Method: Put all the filling ingredients in a bowl except the semolina and let it boil, add the semolina a little at a time. When complete let the mixture cool. Mix the margarine with the flour and add the water and egg yolks. Form into a pastry and let it rest for 2 hours. Open the pastry in a long strip about 8cm x 15cm. Place some of the mixture along the length of the pastry. Fold the pastry and bring the end together to form a circle. Place some semolina on an oven tray and place the pastry in the oven at moderate heat for 30 minutes. Before you cook them cut some lines in the top with a knife.
Kwareżimal Ingredients: • • • • • • • • • • • • •
300g plain flour 1 tbsp. olive oil 300g ground almonds 1 tbsp. cocoa powder 1 tsp mixed spice 1 tsp ground cinnamon ½ tsp ground cloves 2 tbsp. orange flower water Grated rind of 1 lemon Grated rind of 1 orange 200ml water 2 tbsp. honey 2 tbsp. chopped roasted almonds
Method: Rub the flour and olive oil together. Add the ground almonds, sugar, cocoa powder, mixed spice, cinnamon, cloves, orange flower water, and the lemon and orange rinds. Make a well in the centre, pour in the water and knead gently to form a soft smooth dough. Dust slightly with the flour and allow to rest for 15 minutes. On a lightly floured board, gently roll out the pastry to 1cm thick and 15cm wide. Cut oblongs 8cm in width and place on a lightly floured baking sheet. Allow to sit for a few hours before baking. Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly. Brush with honey and sprinkle with the almonds to serve.
Bread Pudding Ingredients: • 500g stale bread • 200g sugar • 100g margarine • 3 eggs • 600ml milk • Lemon and orange rind • 40g cocoa powder • 100g raisins • 100g currants • Mixed spice • Ground nutmeg • Cinnamon • Vanilla essence • Coconut shavings
Method: In a bowl add the bread and pour in the milk allowing to soak for about 20 minutes, drain the bread from the milk well, and chop. In a separate bowl add the remaining ingredients and the bread and mix well. Pour in an oven dish and level out and cover with coconut shavings, cook at medium temperature for 45 minutes. Serve hot or cold.
Almond Biscuits Ingredients: • • • • •
400g ground almonds 400g castor sugar 4 egg whites (beaten) 25ml almond essence (small bottle) whole almonds
Method: Mix everything together, till the sugar disappears, and the mixture gets sticky. Roll into small balls, put on pan over rice paper (its edible paper, if you don’t have , doesn’t matter), then put 1/2 blanched almond or glace’ cherry on top. Bake at a temperature of 180C for 15 minutes. If you like them soft, (that’s how l do them ) if you want them harder cook longer.