Banoffee Cheesecake

 This is possibly the greatest dessert ever invented. A crispy digestive biscuit base, a smooth and creamy banana-cream cheese mix and a sweet and sticky toffee sauce. The inspiration from this recipe came from this one by Delia Smith, however I have used different methods for the base and the sauce.

 The trick is to make sure the cheesecake doesn't get over cooked. To do this after about 25 minutes in the oven check the cake every five minutes or so - the cake is done when the centre of the cake still wobbles but the rest is set. Also, let the cheesecake cool down in the oven and reach room temperature before refrigerating it - this will stop the top from getting cracks. It is best to let the cheesecake set overnight, but it will be good to go after a couple of hours in the fridge.

Banoffee Cheesecake
Serves 6-8

Base

300g digestive biscuits
150g butter (melted)

Cheesecake Mix

3 bananas
1T lemon juice
3 eggs
350g cream cheese
200ml double cream
175g sugar

Toffee Sauce

100g brown sugar
100g unsalted butter
150ml double cream


Method

Using a rolling pin, smash the biscuits in to crumbs. (The easiest way is to put the biscuits in a zip lock bag and then smash them.)

Mix in the melted butter.

Spread the mix in to the base of a greased 8"/20cm cake pan. Ensure the mix is pressed down and then refrigerate for 15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 150C.

In the meantime mash the bananas together with the lemon juice and then mix in all other cheesecake mix ingredients until smooth.

Pour the cheesecake mix in to the cake pan and bake for 30-40 minutes, checking regularly to make sure the cake doesn't overcook.

Whilst the cake is baking make the toffee sauce - put all sauce ingredients together in a saucepan and cook on a low heat until the sugar has melted and the sauce has thickened with a rich toffee colour. Let cool.

Allow the cheesecake an hour or so to cool in the oven. Then pour over the toffee sauce. Refrigerate the cake for a few hours, ideally overnight.

Remove the cake from the cake tin and serve with any remaining toffee sauce and some fresh banana slices.

Chinese Take-Out Style Sweet and Sour Chicken Balls

Ironically one of the things we miss the most about the west is asian food, particularly chinese takeout. Whilst in Korea they have their own version of Sweet and Sour, nothing can compare to the western takeout's "radioactive red" sauce. The sauce is terrible for your health but is easy to make and tastes amazing. If you didn't know, the red colour comes from ketchup.

As for the chicken balls I recommend making a huge batch and freezing them in ziplock bags. This recipe freezes very well with the chicken reheating to a crisp after 15-20 minutes in a 200C oven. As a guide, allow for 150g of chicken per serving.

Chinese Take-Out Style Sweet and Sour Chicken Balls
Serves 4

Chicken Balls

Ingredients
600g chicken breast, cut in to bite size pieces
1.5 cups plain flour
5T Cornstarch
1.25t salt
5 eggs
3.5T water

Canola oil for frying

Method

Mix all ingredients together (except for chicken and oil) in a bowl. When well mixed add the chicken pieces.

Heat the oil in a wok to about 190C. Add chicken in batches and cook until golden (4-5 minutes)

Allow to drain on kitchen paper.

The chicken is now ready to be served, or can be frozen in ziplock bags. To reheat, cook from frozen for 15-20 mins in a 200C oven.

Sweet and Sour Sauce

Ingredients

0.5C tomato ketchup
1t soy sauce
0.3C white vinegar (or apple vinegar)
0.5C brown sugar
1C white sugar
2t thai red chili sauce (optional)

0.75C unsweetened pineapple juice
2T cornstarch (can be varied according to taste)

Method

Mix ketchup, soy sauce, vinegar, sugars and chili sauce (if using) together in a saucepan. Heat gently on a low heat until the sugar has completely melted.

In the meantime mix the pineapple juice and cornstarch. Add to the other ingredients and stir on a low heat until the sauce reaches your desired consistency.

Weeknight Pizza Dough

 We've slowly gone through all the different take-out pizza chains in Korea and found two things in common with all of them - they are overpriced and almost always disappoint on flavour. After a particularly disappointing experience we decided to experiment with our own pizzas and found this excellent (and quick) recipe for a pizza dough.

 Whilst the dough is better if you let it rest for an hour, it can be used straight away for good results too. It only takes 15 minutes to throw together so is perfect for a quick weeknight meal. Top with whatever you like. We made a basic cheese pizza in the recipe above using a block of fresh mozarella from Woori Mart.

Weeknight Pizza Dough
Makes two 12" thin crust pizza bases.

Ingredients

375g plain flour
1t salt
1T sugar
7g dried yeast
2T olive oil
225ml warm water (as close to 45°C as possible)


Method

Mix flour, salt, sugar and yeast in a large bowl. 

Make a well in the middle of the bowl and add the oil and water.

Mix everything together and then knead for five minutes.

If you have time, cover the dough with a damp kitchen towel and leave for one hour.

Roll the dough in to thin pizza-shaped discs and place in a greased pizza pan.

Add the toppings of your choice and bake in an oven at 220°C until cheese is melted and brown.

Kung Pao Chicken with Chow Mein

 I love Chinese food. Whilst there are plenty of Chinese restaurants here in Korea, they are all distinctly different to the brand of food we get in the west. Every now and then I like to cook a western style Chinese meal at home and last night I made two of my favourites - Kung Pao Chicken and Chicken Chow Mein.

 Kung Pao Chicken is a dish originating from Sichuan Province - a place notorious for its spicy food. Whilst my knowledge of the region was limited to having had an old university friend from Chengdu, I have since read Fuchsia Dunlop's excellent "Land of Plenty" in which the British born author teaches not only how to cook Sichuan food but also about the history and culture of the province. The Kung Pao recipe here is very spicy but tastes better than anything I've had back home.

 As for chow mein I like to make my own noodles, ideally you would use a pasta machine but if not you can just cut your dough in to thin, noodle sized strips. Feel free to throw in whatever vegetables you have, anything goes! The sauce given below really makes these noodles especially delicious.

Kung Pao Chicken
(Adapted from a recipe in Fuchsia Dunlop's "Land of Plenty")
Serves 2 as a main or 4 as part of a selection of dishes

Ingredients

2 boneless chicken breasts
3 cloves of garlic, finely sliced
1 inch piece of ginger, finely sliced
5 scallions, white parts only, sliced
10 red chilis, dried (add more or less depending on how spicy you'd like it)
1t sichuan pepper, whole (known as Chinese pepper in Korea and is available at the large supermarket chains)
2/3 cup cashew nuts

Marinade:
1/2t salt
2t light soy sauce
1t shaoxing rice wine or medium-dry sherry
2t cornstarch
1T water

Sauce:
3t sugar
1t cornstarch
1t dark soy sauce
1t light soy sauce
1T chinkiang or black chinese vinegar*
1t sesame oil
1T chicken stock

Method

Cut the chicken in to small cubes. Mix all the marinade ingredients together, add the chicken, and leave for 30 minutes.

Mix all the sauce ingredients together and set aside for later.

Add 2T of oil to the wok and when hot add the chilis and sichuan pepper. Stir fry briefly until fragrant, taking care not to burn.

Add the chicken followed by the ginger, garlic and scallions. Stir constantly.

Once the chicken is cooked add the sauce and cashew nuts and cook until the sauce has become thick and shiny. Serve immediately.

Chicken Chow Mein
Serves 2 as a main, 4 as a side

Ingredients

300g egg noodles (For homemade use 300g flour and 3 large eggs)
2 chicken breasts cut in to small cubes
Vegetables of your choice
1t garlic, thinly sliced
1t ginger, thinly sliced
4 scallions, white parts only, sliced

Marinade:
1/2t honey
1/2t sesame oil
1T soy sauce
1T oyster sauce
1T rice wine
1t cornflour

Sauce:
1/2t sesame oil
1T soy sauce
1T oyster sauce
1T rice wine
1t cornflour
50ml chicken stock
1/2t white pepper


Method

Mix together all marinade ingredients and add the chicken.

Meanwhile if you are making your own pasta, combine the flour and eggs in a bowl and then mix and knead until you get a dough like consistency.

Wrap in clingfilm and leave for thirty minutes.

Using a pasta machine, roll out to the desired thickness and then cut in to noodles.

Leave noodles to dry. When ready to cook, boil them in salted for water for 2 minutes before adding to the wok.

Mix the sauce ingredients together and set aside next to your stove.

Heat 2T oil in a wok and then add the chicken with its marinade. Stir until the chicken pieces have separated.

Add the garlic, ginger, scallions and vegetables. Stir fry until everything is almost cooked through.

Add the noodles and sauce. Stir fry for a further 2 minutes.

Serve immediately.

*Chinkiang is available at http://www.goldriver.cn

Ghanaian Peanut Soup

 I saw this peanut soup for the first time when watching an episode of BBC's "The Restaurant." A Ghanaian couple had set up a restaurant with this being the biggest hit on their West African menu.

Whilst this westernised version is no doubt a far cry from that which is eaten in Accra, the tomatoes, cayene pepper and peanut butter combine to create a delicious, substantial soup which with the addition of some chicken can even be made in to a main course.

The great thing about this recipe is that it is quick to make and you can adjust it to your taste. You can change the amount of tomato, pepper and peanut butter used as well as finish the soup with some fresh herbs such as basil or cilantro. Some roasted red peppers work well too. Just be careful when adding the peanut butter - it is easy to add too much and create a soup which is more like a paste than a liquid.

 This soup has been a hit with everyone who has tried it, especially my wife who requested it for her birthday dinner this year.

Ghanaian Peanut Soup
(Adapted from a recipe at http://www.allrecipes.com)
Serves 4 as a main or 6 as a starter

Ingredients

1T olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
400g canned tomatoes, with juice, chopped
1L vegetable stock
1/2t black pepper
1t cayenne pepper (or any other hot pepper powder)
1/4 cup brown rice, uncooked
1/3 cup peanut butter

Method

Heat the oil in a large saucepan.
Cook onions until soft and lightly browned, adding garlic just before the onion has finished browning.
Stir in all other ingredients except the peanut butter and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes.
Stir in peanut butter until well blended, and serve.

Onion Bhajis

 Onion bhajis are one of my all time favorite foods yet I've never been able to get them quite right.  Done well they are crisp, spicy and full of flavour but done badly they are greasy and disgusting.
I've tried lots of different recipes and techniques and last night finally managed to achieve a result I was happy with. These bhajis are tasty and have a slight kick to them.

Onion Bhajis
(adapted from Pat Chapman's "The New Curry Bible")
Makes 8-10 bhajis

Ingredients

225g onion, chopped
Oil for deep-frying

85g gram flour*
1 egg
60ml plain yoghurt
1T lemon juice
1t salt
2t garam masala*
2t fenugreek leaves*
1T chilli powder

Method

Mix together all ingredients in a bowl except for onion and oil.

Once well blended add the onions, mix well and the leave for 20 minutes.

Heat the oil in a deep fryer or wok to 190C/ 375F.

Scoop out enough mixture for one bhaji and add to the fryer. Repeat until all the mixture is in the fryer.

Deep fry for about 10 minutes, turning once. Serve immediately.

* Gram flour (besan), Garam Masala and Fenugreek leaves are all available at http://www.asia-mart.co.kr

Zucchini Mini-Pizzas

Zucchini Mini-Pizzas ready for their second round of baking
(photo taken by Bethany Carlson)

 We had 15 or so people come over for our daughter's first birthday and were looking for a simple dish that would be popular with everybody and suitable for vegetarians. With Zucchinis (courgettes) being cheap and plentiful right now we decided to make mini-pizzas using the vegetable as the main ingredient in the dough - the result was a delicious soft base made even better by the addition of parmesan cheese and fresh basil.

 The pizzas are easy to make, preparing the zucchini is perhaps the most time consuming part but is definitely well worth it.

Zucchini Mini-Pizzas
Makes enough dough for 24 pizzas.

Ingredients

7 cups grated zuccini (you will need 6-7 zucchinis)
3/4 cup bread flour
6 egg whites
1 1/2 cups parmesan cheese* (grated)
Chopped fresh basil* (to taste) 

Method

Lightly salt the zucchini in a bowl, leave for 20 minutes and then drain as much liquid as you can.

Mix in all other ingredients. The mixture will be much wetter than a normal pizza dough, don't worry about that.

Grease a baking pan and spoon on the dough mixture. Use about a tablespoon for each mini-pizza.

Bake at 350F / 175C for 15 minutes.

Remove from the oven and add the toppings of your choice. (We used mozzarella and cherry tomatoes before finishing with fresh basil after baking.)

Bake at 350F / 175C until cheese is melted and golden (about 10 mins).

* Parmesan cheese is available at http://www.52cheese.co.kr/ and http://www.nicedeli.com.
* Fresh basil is available at http://www.asia-mart.co.kr