5 Fingerlicking Recipes To Try This Season

Cranberry and Mincemeat Filo Tarts

INGREDIENTS:

• 270g packet (6 sheets) filo pastry
• 45g (11/2oz) butter, melted
• 410g jar mincemeat
• 125g (4oz) fresh or frozen cranberries
• 2 teaspoons icing sugar
• 8 x 7.5cm (3in) Yorkshire pudding tins, brushed with butter

METHOD:

1. Set the oven to Gas Mark 6 or 200°C. Cut the stack of filo pastry sheets into 10cm (4in) squares. Cover with cling film while you work with them.
2. Layer up four filo pastry squares in the base of a tin, brushing each layer with butter and arranging the pastry at alternate angles, like the points of a star. Repeat with the rest of the pastry to make eight tarts. Bake for 10 minutes until crisp and golden.
3. Spoon mincemeat into the tarts and push cranberries into each one. Bake for five minutes, until the cranberries soften slightly. Dust with icing sugar to serve.

Mushroom Risotto

Ingredients
Mirepoix:

• Garlic - 1 tsp
• Onion – half
• Celery - 1 stem
• Carrots - 1
• Leek - 1 stem
• Quinoa – 1 cup
• Fresh mushrooms
• Dry mushrooms (Porcini mushrooms soaked in hot water)
• Stock – 2 cups
• Mixed herbs – For garnish
• Salt and pepper – To taste
• Parmesean / cream cheese / feta cheese – 1 tbsp
• Micro herbs – For garnish

Method

1. In a pan, sautee the Mirepoix for a minute. 
2. Add the quinoa and sautee for another minute.
3. Keep adding stock laddle by laddle till al dente. 
4. Add both types of mushrooms to the quinoa.
5. Cook for two-three minutes and season well with the mixed herbs, salt and pepper. 
6. Lastly, add the cream cheese and switch off the gas.
7. Serve the Risotto pipping hot along with the garnish of some micro herbs. You can also make Parmesan crisps for garnishing. 

Nasi Goreng

Ingredients

• Brown basmati rice, 200 g 
• Sesame oil, 4 tsp
• 3 Eggs
• Fresh shrimp, 150 g
• Green onion, 120 g 
• Sweet soy sauce / kecap manis, 6 tsp
• Garlic cloves, 60 g
• Fresh red chili, 60 g
• Onion, 40 g
• Shrimp paste, 3 tsp
• Cherry tomato, 40g 
• Shaved cucumbers, 40g 
• Red radish slices, a few 

 Method

1. Wash and soak brown rice in cold water for three hours.
2. Cook it in a rice cooker and keep it in warm mode.
3. Heat oil in a large skillet or wok.
4. Add chili and garlic, stir for a minute approximately. 
5. Add onion and cook for another minute. 
6. Add shrimp and cook for another two minutes. 
7. Add sweet soy or kecap manis and cook till shrimps are cooked through and a bit caramelised.
8. Add rice and shrimp paste and stir constantly on a high heat. 
9. Add chopped green onion.
10. Break an egg in a bowl and carefully shallow fry it on a non stick pan to make a fried egg.
11. Fry shrimp cracker in hot oil till it becomes crisp.
12. Slice red radish in mandolin.
13. Cut cherry tomato into half.
14. Place rice in the centre and fried egg on top of it.
15. Arrange crisp crackers, cherry tomato, red radish and shaved cucumbers on the side.

Veg-Packed Version of Mac & Cheese

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 small cauliflower, cut into florets
• 1 broccoli, cut into florets
• 6 sundried tomatoes, plus 1 tbsp of reserved oil
• 100g breadcrumbs
• 250g macaroni pasta (or any shapes)
• 100g frozen peas
• 75g butter
• 75g flour
• 750ml milk
• 2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 250g lighter cheddar cheese, grated

METHOD:

1. Preheat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan/gas mark 7.
2. Place the cauliflower and broccoli on to a baking tray, drizzle over 1 tbsp of the oil from the sundried tomatoes, toss together, and roast in the oven for 20-25 minutes until the veggies begin to char and are cooked through.
3. Meanwhile, to make the crumb topping, finely chop the sundried tomatoes and mix in a bowl with the breadcrumbs.
4. Cook the pasta in a pan of boiling salted water according to packet instructions. Add the peas for the final three minutes, before draining and setting aside.
5. While the pasta is cooking, make the sauce. Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the flour and stir constantly for two minutes until you have a paste. Then gradually pour in the milk, whisking constantly until you have a smooth sauce.
6. Once all the milk is added, add the mustard and salt and pepper, simmer for a few minutes, still stirring, then add the cheese and stir until melted.
7. Remove the sauce from the heat, add the cooked pasta, peas, cauliflower and broccoli and stir until everything is evenly coated.
8. Transfer to an ovenproof dish, evenly scatter over the crumb topping and pop under a hot, preheated grill for a few minutes until golden and bubbling.

Spicy Satay Beef Skewers

Serves: 4

INGREDIENTS
FOR THE MARINADE

• 1 tbsp ginger, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 2 tbsp ketjap manis — Indonesian sweet soy sauce
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• Sea salt and black pepper
• 700g beef rump steak, sliced into strips

FOR THE SATAY SAUCE

• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 shallots, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger, finely chopped
• 3/4 cup crunchy peanut butter
• 2 tbsp sambal oelek
• 1/2 cup coconut milk
• 1 tsp fish sauce Juice of 1/2 a lemon
• 1 tbsp tomato sauce
• Sea salt and black pepper
• Fresh lime wedges
• Banana leaves
• Red chilli, chopped

METHOD

1. Place the ginger, garlic, lemon juice, ketjap manis and oil in a bowl. Season, stir to combine and add meat. Allow to stand for 30 minutes and thread onto kebab sticks.
2. For the satay sauce: Heat the oil in a small pan, add the shallots and ginger and sauté until translucent, stir in the peanut butter, sambal oelek and coconut milk, and simmer for 4 minutes (add a little hot water, if necessary, to thin the sauce). Add fish sauce, lemon juice and tomato sauce. Stir to combine and season to taste.
3. Heat a griddle pan and cook the beef kebabs until cooked through.
4. Place on a platter lined with banana leaves, garnish with red chillies and serve with satay sauce and limes.

Images and recipe words: Rex