Oranges and Lemons …

Here are a few recipes with, not surprisingly, oranges and lemons!

First up, my favourite cake, tried and tested and a flourless recipe – it stands wonderfully on it's own and is equally a perfect celebration cake with extra bits.

You wouldn't normally serve a cake as a dinner party dessert I hear you say, the following may change your mind.

Gateau a l'Orange

(Orange Cake)

Serves 12

2 oranges

6 large eggs

250g sugar

2 tbsp orange blossom water

1 tsp baking powder

250g ground almonds

Wash the oranges and boil them whole for 1 – 1½ hours or until they are very soft.

Beat the eggs with the sugar. Add the orange blossom water, baking powder and almonds and mix well. *Cut open the oranges, remove the pips and purée in a food processor. Mix thoroughly with the egg and almond mixture and pour into a 23cm cake tin – lined with baking parchment, preferably non-stick and with a removable base. Bake in a pre-heated oven 170fan/190c/Gas 5 for an hour. Let it cool before turning out.

Believe me when I say that I stared at this recipe for years. What put me off baking this cake was the boiling of the oranges for the time allotted, an hour and a half is too long for me watching oranges and it's so easy to become distracted - before you know it you have a burnt saucepan and the rest, as they say, is history.

To bring it up to date - instead of boiling the oranges, microwave them for 8 minutes on high.

Pierce the oranges with a paring knife – carefully and microwave for 4 minutes then turn and repeat. Make sure your fruits are in a covered vented microwave container. Leave to cool. Continue with the recipe marked *.

A useful tip. Microwave the oranges ahead of making the cake so that they can cool, it will be much easier and safer to prep them, ready to pulverise.

You could enjoy this cake on its own but … hold that thought …

Nasi with all things fishy …

… I hope you enjoy this variation of the original recipe – some might say “if it ain't broke don't fix it” - in the interests of those who don't eat meat I rest my case!

Here it is :

Nasi with all things fishy

4 tbsp vegetable oil

2 onions, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, crushed or garlic paste

half tsp chilli powder or sambal paste

8oz (225g) cooked rice

6oz (175g) cooked salmon fillet, flaked

6oz (175g) smoked salmon, finely sliced

6oz (175g) peeled prawns, defrosted if frozen

120ml Kecap Manis (sweet soy sauce)

60ml dark soy sauce

4-6 hard boiled eggs, quartered

black pepper

Serves 4-6

Add the vegetable oil to a wok and heat gently. Add the onions, garlic and chilli powder and fry until lightly browned. Add the rice and cook for a few seconds then stir in the salmon and prawns.

Mix the kecap manis and soy sauce together, stir into the rice mixture, then season to taste with pepper.

Add the eggs, folding in gently, serve immediately, straight from the wok.

You can adjust the amounts of fish/seafood to your own personal taste – bearing in mind that you have two elements to replace from the original recipe – chicken and ham – 175g each plus 175g of prawns. You are adding hard boiled eggs and although these are a garnish they are definitely an integral part of the dish since the sauce is quite punchy and the fish quite salty so they play an important part in the balance.

Once again though, make it your own – adjust to suit yourself, if you want more prawns then adjust the amount of salmon accordingly. The great thing about this recipe is that it is a “leftovers” dish i.e. everything in it, apart from the onion, garlic and chilli and the sauce, is already cooked.

Optional sides :

Add a dish of chopped honey roasted cashews

Add bowls of soy and Kecap Manis for extra drizzle

Add a stack of small thin wraps – small wraps are easier

to control for little fingers

Add a stack of Little Gem lettuce cups – ideal for

filling with the Nasi and devouring – you'll save on

cutlery too!

a perfect “dive in dish”

Me thinks it's a perfect Saturday night treat.

The original Nasi Goreng ..

… Nasi Goreng is Indonesian and began life as a breakfast dish using up leftover rice from the previous evening but has evolved into a popular street food choice, right up to being served in posh restaurants. It can be spicy or not depending on your taste.

Here is the original with some alternative choices underlined :

Nasi Goreng

Serves 4-6

3 eggs

1 tbsp water

1 tbsp oil

4 tbsp vegetable oil

2 onions, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, crushed or garlic paste

half tsp chilli powder – instead of using chilli

powder use ½ tsp of sambal paste *

8oz (225g) cooked rice – instead of using plain rice, use bags

of frozen rice with added veggies *

6oz (175g) cooked chicken or turkey meat, diced

6oz (175g) peeled prawns, defrosted if frozen

2 tbsp dark soy sauce

1 tsp soft light brown sugar

1 tbsp lemon juice

instead of using soy, sugar and lemon juice use

60ml of soy sauce and 120ml of Kecap Manis *

6oz (175g) cooked wafer ham, thinly sliced

instead of using cooked wafer ham use cooked

shredded ham hock *

black pepper

Beat the egg lightly with the 1 tbsp water. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a wok or frying pan. Pour in the egg and cook until set underneath, flip it and repeat. Slide the omelette out of the pan on to a board, roll up into a cigar shape and slice into strips – set aside.

Add the vegetable oil to the wok and heat gently. Add the onions, garlic and chilli powder* and fry until lightly browned. Add the rice* and cook for a few seconds then stir in the chicken and prawns. Cook for 2/3 minutes.

Mix the soy sauce, sugar and lemon juice* together, then stir thoroughly into the rice mixture. Stir in the ham* then season to taste with pepper. Spoon the mixture into a serving bowl and garnish with the omelette strips as shown in the photo to follow.

Whichever variation of The Gorengs you choose the principle is the same – it's the perfect vehicle for using leftovers and adding treats like prawns and ham hock. It's quick and easy to produce and so satisfying to place a large wok full of deliciousness on the table!

Now for the simplified fish version ...

Mornay Fish Pie

Before I move on to other stuff, here's the next level in fish pie, zhuzing with a mornay sauce - simple and delicious, especially if you're a fish pie fan.

This recipe uses my usual “plan ahead” strategy!

Mornay Fish Pie

Serves 4

2 large baking potatoes – stab carefully with a

paring knife, wrap in foil and bake for 1 hour at

180fan/200c/Gas 6

Set aside to cool then slice thinly – skin on or

off – personal choice

Whilst your potatoes are baking wrap 400g/14oz of fresh

fish in foil and bake for the last 15 minutes of your

potato baking time – use a timer!

Set the fish and potatoes aside to cool until ready to assemble

Your fish can be a mixture of whatever you choose – for example, smoked haddock or cod with salmon and prawns – it's whatever floats your boat – pardon the pun. If you're using cooked peeled prawns as part of your 400g/14oz of fish don't add them until you're assembling your pie. You can buy bags of mixed pieces of fish designed for a pie if you don't want to make up your own.

Now for your therapy – the mornay sauce.

Mornay sauce is French – usually enriched with egg yolks. My version is without the egg yolks. I realise this is not for the purists but I haven't received any complaints.

Mornay Sauce

Serves 4-6

40g unsalted butter

40g plain flour

600ml of milk – I use semi skimmed

150g mature Cheddar cheese

(or a combination of Cheddar and gruyere)

salt and black pepper

½ tsp Dijon mustard - optional

Melt the butter in a pan and stir in the flour. Cook gently for a minute, stirring – make sure you don't brown the mixture. Gradually add the milk whisking constantly and eventually bring to the boil, whisking until it's smooth and thick. Lower the heat and simmer for 2 minutes, then add the cheese, mustard and season. I'd taste before you add salt – there's salt in the cheese – adjust accordingly.

You can make the sauce ahead, cool, box and fridge. You can freeze it too if that's more convenient.

Assembly

When you're ready to assemble, preheat your oven 180fan/200c/Gas 6.

As you know I use foil trays – in this case 24x24cms/9½x9½ inches – otherwise a square casserole.

Open up your foiled fish and tip it into a large mixing bowl. Break the fish into chunks, gently, then season with black pepper. If you're using cooked, peeled prawns, now is the time to add them. There will be jelly from the cooked fish – discard or include – it's all flavour and will combine with the sauce you've made. If you've not used any smoked fish then you may want to add a sprinkle of salt. Add your Mornay sauce and fold to mix, gently.

Tip the mixture into your tray or casserole.

Add the sliced cooked potatoes, add a knob or two of butter and ground black pepper. If you're feeling really decadent then sprinkle grated Parmesan over the top.

Bake for 25 minutes until golden brown.

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, you can make each element when convenient for you. All you have to remember is to take the sauce out of the freezer!

Last but by no means least it's Indonesian ...

Fishcake foto guide

You can make the fishcakes as small or as large as you like, depending on how you're going to serve them. May be as a starter or a main – the choice is yours!

But first a moment ... I'd like to think that I only recommend kit that I know is worth the dosh and, more to the point, has a useful purpose. In other words it will not find its way to that happy hunting ground for cast aside, useless and expensive dusty kitchen stuff in the sky.

Say hello to the ricer – you don't have to spend a fortune – price range from £4 to £40 and all points in between.

Here's a foto of mine and a simple guide to making the fishcakes and the different sizes you can make!

Ricer

Fluffy mashed potato, riced

The ingredients, ready to form into cakes

The cakes before flouring and frying

The cakes fried, ready to bake

Three different sizes of cake

The appetiser size of cake with rendang sauce

and topped with mango chutney

A size to suit every occasion!

Fab fishcakes ...

… a fishcake is a fishcake – boring! It's not true, try this recipe and you will change your mind when you discover how scrumptious they are, not to mention simple, quick and easy!

I cannot take the credit, hence the title – it's a little gem and you'll never use any other recipe.

The Ivy Fishcakes

(makes 8 – freeze what you don't use)

800g dry mashed potato, no cream or butter added

650g salmon fillet poached in fish stock and flaked

2 tbsp tomato ketchup

2 tsp anchovy essence

3 tsp English mustard

salt and black pepper

Plain flour for coating

Mix together the potato, half the salmon, the ketchup, anchovy essence, mustard and seasoning until smooth. Fold in the rest of the salmon. Mould the mixture into 8 round cakes and refrigerate.

When you're ready to serve preheat the oven 180fan/200c/gas 6. Lightly flour the fishcakes and fry them until they are coloured on both sides. Bake for 10/15 minutes.

From “The Ivy The Restaurant and its Recipes by the late AA Gill”.

These are so versatile and perfect for the freezer!

Foto guide to follow and yet another use for the Rendang curry sauce ...

Faff free fotos!

… the Kedgeree

It's easy peasy, you'll see :

Onions and spices

Mixed rice

Served in a bowl with a jug of curry sauce

The smoked fish and the sweetness in the

curry sauce is a perfect combination.

Lunch box anyone?

The joy of this recipe is that each element is quick and easy and can be prepped ahead – it's a win, win.

Delicious!

Coming up … fab fishcakes