© Ajith Perera. All rights reserved.
Aubergine and Courgette Bake
© Ajith Perera. All rights reserved.
INGREDIENTS
500g fresh spinach (washed and drained)
200g leeks (washed and sliced)
50g parsley (washed and chopped roughly)
3 garlic cloves (chopped)
200g ricotta cheese
75g Parmesan cheese (grated)
3 tbs olive oil
Salt and black pepper
Ingredients for Pancakes
200g plain flour
2 eggs (beaten)
3 tbs olive oil
200ml coconut milk
1 tsp dry herbs (oregano or thyme)
1/2 tsp baking powder
Salt
Method
Mix eggs, milk and olive oil together
In another bowl, mix flour, herbs, baking powder and salt
Beat both mixtures together until a thick puree without lumps
Keep on one side
For the béchamel
100g butter
75g flour
350ml milk
100ml white wine
1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1 tsp mustard powder or paste
Salt
Method
Melt the butter in a saucepan then add flour, cook until nutty brown
Remove from the heat, add the milk and mix until silky pure without lumps, then add wine
Add mustard and nutmeg, and check the seasoning
METHOD
Heat the oven 180*
Heat a pan with olive oil, add the garlic and leeks and cook for around 7 minutes
Add spinach and parsley, remove from the heat and mix well
Let it cool down then add the ricotta cheese and check the seasoning
Start making thin pancakes with a nonstick pan
Sprinkle the spinach mixture in each pancake and roll it up
Arrange the pancakes in a ovenproof dish
Finish with the béchamel, sprinkle with parmesan and flaked almonds
Bake in the oven until golden brown and the pancakes have crisped slightly
Here is another of my healthy lockdown creations, made with a surprising ingredient – oats! Oats are a gluten-free whole grain and a great source of important vitamins, minerals, fibre and antioxidants. Studies show that oats and oatmeal have many health benefits, including weight loss, lower blood sugar levels and a reduced risk of heart disease. I use oats as a breakfast dish for lots of customers at the hotel, but they make a very tasty and satisfying addition to these croquettes. They make a great snack or appetiser, and also work well as finger food.
This is my own recipe for orange and chocolate cake. It is soft and has amazing flavours.
INGREDIENTS
175g soft butter
3 eggs
2 tbs milk
3 tbs fresh orange juice
1 tbs orange zest
1 tbs cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
200g self-raising flour
175g light muscovado sugar
For the filling
350g double cream
50g sugar
100g unsweetened chocolate (melted in a double boiler)
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
2 tbs orange liqueur or Cointreau
70g roasted cashew nuts
METHOD
Preheat the oven 180*C/ 350F. Line a round cake tin with baking paper. Mix together cocoa powder, baking powder, flour and orange zest in bowl. In a separate bowl mix together the other ingredients until there are no lumps. Add the dry ingredients in three batches to the wet ingredients, folding together until smooth. Pour the cake mixture in to the cake tin, bake for 30 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool down.
To make the filling – add the double cream and sugar to a bowl and beat with an electric mixer until you get a smooth paste. Fold the cream mixture into the melted chocolate and mix well. Mix orange juice with the liqueur.
To assemble – cut the cake into two layers and sprinkle with the orange juice mixture. Spread the cream mixture, stacking together carefully. Finish the cake as you like.
Vegetable pakora is a pure vegetarian dish, which everyone seems to love. There are lots of different versions of this recipe, this one is my very own (popular because of its crunch). Why buy the frozen ones when this is so easy to make at home?