New Orleans Coleslaw

INGREDIENTS
Serves: 6

• 1 white cabbage (about 1kg / 2lbs before trimming)
• 2 carrots
• 2 sticks celery
• 4 spring onions
• 200 grams mayonnaise (preferably organic)
• 4 tablespoons buttermilk
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 2 teaspoons cider vinegar
• 100 grams pecan nuts (fairly finely chopped)
• salt (to taste)
• pepper (to taste)

METHOD

1. Trim and shred the cabbage, either by hand or with a food processor.
2. Peel and grate the carrots, and finely slice the celery and spring onions.
3. Whisk together the mayonnaise, buttermilk, maple syrup and vinegar and coat the shredded vegetables with this dressing.
4. Season, and toss through the chopped nuts.

not mine.credit and owner: NIGELLA

Strawberry Meringue Layer Cake

INGREDIENTS
Serves: 8

• 125 grams plain flour
• 25 grams cornflour
• 1½ teaspoons baking powder
• 100 grams very soft unsalted butter
• 300 grams caster sugar
• 4 eggs
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 50 grams flaked almonds
• 375 millilitres double cream
• 250 grams strawberries

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/gas mark 6. Line, butter and flour 2 x 22cm Springform tins.
2. Weigh out the flour, cornflour and baking powder into a bowl.
3. Cream the butter and 100g of the caster sugar in another bowl until light and fluffy. Separate the eggs and beat the yolks into the butter and sugar, saving the whites to whisk later. Gently fold in the weighed-out dry ingredients, add the vanilla, and then stir in the milk to thin the batter. Divide the mixture between the two prepared Springform tins.
4. Whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form, then gradually add the remaining 200g caster sugar. Spread a layer of meringue on top of the sponge batter in each tin, and sprinkle the almonds evenly over.
5. Bake for 30–35 minutes, by which time the top of the almond-scattered meringues will be a dark gold. Let the cakes cool in their tins, then spring them open at the last minute when you are ready to assemble the cake.
6. Whip the double cream, and hull and slice the strawberries; that’s to say, the bigger ones can be sliced lengthways and the smaller ones halved. Invert one of the cakes on to a plate or cakestand so that the sponge is uppermost. Pile on the cream and stud with the strawberries, letting some of the berries subside into the whipped whiteness. Place the second cake on top, meringue upwards, and press down gently, just to secure it.
7. If you’ve got any more strawberries in the house, hull and halve them, and serve them in a dish on a table to eat alongside; it gives the cake a more after-lunch, less afternoon-tea kind of a feel, but it’s hardly obligatory.

not mine.credit and owner: NIGELLA

Chocolate Olive Oil Cake

INGREDIENTS
Makes: 8-12 slices

• 150 millilitres regular olive oil (plus more for greasing)
• 50 grams good-quality cocoa powder (sifted)
• 125 millilitres boiling water
• 2 teaspoons best vanilla extract
• 150 grams ground almonds (or 125g plain flour / 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour)
• ½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• 1 pinch of salt
• 200 grams caster sugar
• 3 large eggs

METHOD

1. Preheat your oven to 170°C/gas mark 3/325ºF. Grease a 22 or 23 cm/ 9inch springform tin with a little oil and line the base with baking parchment.
2. Measure and sift the cocoa powder into a bowl or jug and whisk in the boiling water until you have a smooth, chocolatey, still runny (but only just) paste. Whisk in the vanilla extract, then set aside to cool a little.
3. In another smallish bowl, combine the ground almonds (or flour) with the bicarbonate of soda and pinch of salt.
4. Put the sugar, olive oil and eggs into the bowl of a freestanding mixer with the paddle attachment (or other bowl and whisk arrangement of your choice) and beat together vigorously for about 3 minutes until you have a pale-primrose, aerated and thickened cream.
5. Turn the speed down a little and pour in the cocoa mixture, beating as you go, and when all is scraped in you can slowly tip in the ground almond (or flour) mixture.
6. Scrape down, and stir a little with a spatula, then pour this dark, liquid batter into the prepared tin. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until the sides are set and the very centre, on top, still looks slightly damp. A cake tester should come up mainly clean but with a few sticky chocolate crumbs clinging to it.
7. Let it cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack, still in its tin, and then ease the sides of the cake with a small metal spatula and spring it out of the tin. Leave to cool completely or eat while still warm with some ice cream, as a pudding.

not mine.credit and owner: NIGELLA

Jumbleberry Crumble

INGREDIENTS
Serves: 1


FOR THE CRUMBLE TOPPING

• 100 grams plain flour
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• 50 grams cold butter (cut into small cubes)
• 3 tablespoons demerara sugar

FOR THE FILLING

• 100 grams frozen summer fruits
• 1 teaspoon cornflour
• 2 teaspoons vanilla sugar (or regular sugar plus a drop of vanilla)

METHOD

You will need an ovenproof tea cup or ramekin of approx. 300ml / 1¼ cup capacity.

1. Put the flour and baking powder into a bowl and rub in the cubes of butter, using your fingers until you have a mixture like coarse sand.
2. This is such a small amount, it's not really worth getting out the heavy machinery.
3. Stir in the sugar and then put into a freezer bag to freeze. This mixture is enough to make 4 jumbleberry crumbles in the cups (as in the photo).
4. Preheat the oven to 220°C/gas mark 7/425ºF. Put the summer fruits in either a cup or ramekin and sprinkle the cornflour and sugar over the top. Stir around a little.
5. Sprinkle approx. 75g /½ cup of the frozen crumble topping over the fruit and bake the cup for 20 minutes.

not mine.credit and source: NIGELLA

Chocolate Pear Pudding

INGREDIENTS
Serves: 6-8

• 830 grams pear halves in juice (2 cans)
• 125 grams plain flour
• 25 grams cocoa powder
• 125 grams caster sugar
• 150 grams soft butter (plus extra for greasing)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/gas mark 6/400ºF and grease a 22cm / 8½ inch square ovenproof dish with butter.
2. Drain the pears and arrange them on the base of the dish.
3. Put all the remaining ingredients in a food processor and blitz until you have a batter with a soft dropping consistency.
4. Spread the brown batter over the pears, and bake in the oven for 30 minutes.
5. Let stand out of the oven for 5 or 10 minutes and then cut into slabs - I cut 2 down and 2 across to make 9 slices - and serve with chocolate sauce.

not mine.credit and source: NIGELLA

MARMALADE PUDDING CAKE

INGREDIENTS
Serves: 6-8

• 
  
• 250 grams soft unsalted butter (plus some for greasing)
• 75 grams caster sugar
• 75 grams light brown muscovado sugar
• 225 grams marmalade (75g of which for the glaze)
• 225 grams plain flour
• ½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 4 large eggs
• zest and juice of 1 orange ( reserve juice of ½ orange for glaze)

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4/350°F and butter a 24cm / 8inch square ovenproof dish. Put the 75g marmalade and juice of ½ orange into a small pan and set aside to make a glaze later.
2. Put all the other ingredients for the pudding batter into a food processor, process them and then pour and scrape the batter into the buttered dish, smoothing the top. If you’re not using a processor, cream the butter and both sugars by hand or in a freestanding mixer, beat in the marmalade followed by the dry ingredients, then the eggs and finally the orange zest and juice.
3. Put in the oven and cook for about 40 minutes – though give a first check after ½ hour – by which time the sponge mixture will have risen and a cake tester will come out cleanish. Remove from the oven and leave in the dish.
4. Warm the glaze mixture in the pan until melted together, then paint the top of the sponge, letting the chunks or slivers of peel be your sole, unglinting decoration on top of the mutely gleaming pudding-cake. Know that this sponge will keep its orange-scented warmth for quite a while once out of the oven, so you could make it before you sit down for the main course.
5. Use a large spoon or cake slice (or both) to serve, and put a jug of custard or cream on the table to eat with.

not mine.credit and owner: NIGELLA

MOONBLUSH TOMATOES

INGREDIENTS

• 500 grams cherry tomatoes (on the vine or other baby tomatoes)
• 2 teaspoons maldon salt (or 1 teaspoon table salt)
• ¼ teaspoon white sugar
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 220°C/gas mark 7/450ºF.
2. Cut the tomatoes in half and sit them cut side up in an ovenproof dish. Sprinkle with the salt, sugar, thyme and olive oil.
3. Put them in the oven, and immediately turn it off. Leave the tomatoes in the oven overnight or for a day without opening the door.

not mine.credit and source: NIGELLA

QUICK CALABRIAN LASAGNE

INGREDIENTS
Serves: 6-8

• 4 eggs
• 2 tablespoons olive oil (plus more for greasing)
• 1 small onion (peeled and chopped)
• 1 teaspoon sea salt flakes (or 1/2 teaspoon pouring salt, or to taste)
• 500 grams minced beef
• 60 millilitres red wine or vermouth
• 1 litres tomato passata (plus 1 litre / 1 quart water)
• 2 balls mozzarella (not buffalo) (each 125g / 4 oz drained weight)
• 500 grams lasagne sheets (dried not fresh)
• 350 grams cooked ham (thinly sliced)
• 4 tablespoons grated parmesan

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 200ºC/gas mark 6/400ºF. Put the eggs into a pan of water, bring to the boil and let it boil for 7 minutes, then pour off the water and sit the pan under an abundantly flowing cold tap; turn it off and leave the pan filled with cold water in the sink until the eggs are cool enough to peel.
2. Warm the oil in a large, heavy-based pan (that comes with a lid), then add the onion, sprinkle with salt, and let it cook for a few minutes until it begins to soften.
3. Add the meat and turn it in the pan just long enough for the raw red colour to turn brown.
4. Add the wine or vermouth, then the passata, pouring the water into the empty passata bottle or carton and swilling it out into the pan. Bring to a bubble, then put the lid on the pan and cook at a robust simmer for 5 minutes.
5. Peel and finely slice the eggs (which will crumble into a mess), and finely slice the mozzarella; then put a deep, greased lasagne dish, measuring approx 34 x 23 x 6cm / 9 x 13 x 2 inches, onto a baking sheet and get ready for the grand assembly.
6. First, put a ladleful or so of very runny meat sauce into the bottom of the lasagne dish, to line the base, then arrange a layer of lasagne sheets - using about a quarter of them - on top, to cover the sauce - don't worry about a bit of overlapping.
7. Add another ladleful of sauce, just to wet the sheets, then add a layer of ham slices, using up a third of them, before dotting with a third of the egg and of the mozzarella slices.
8. Now add a second layer of lasagne sheets, then a couple of ladlefuls of sauce, followed again by a third of the ham, then egg, then mozzarella slices.
9. Repeat with a further layer of lasagne sheets, another 2 ladlefuls of meat sauce, then the remaining ham, egg and mozzarella slices, before topping with a final layer of lasagne sheets.
10. Pour the remaining sauce over the top, sprinkle with the Parmesan and cover with foil - making sure the edges are sealed - and put in the oven still on the baking sheet, for 1 hour.
11. When the hour is up, remove the foil, to reveal the top layer runkled like a Shar Pei made of pasta, and push a knife point through the lasagne to check it is soft - if not, re-cover it and return to the oven for about 10 minutes - then let it stand uncovered, out of the oven, for 15-20 minutes (although I love this barely above room temperature if I can bear, or have time, to wait - for up to 2 hours) before slicing into hearty slabs and serving.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Should you wish to provide a vegetarian version, boost the number of hard-boiled eggs to 6, the mozzarella balls to 4 and dispense with the meat, stirring a couple of canfuls of chopped tomatoes into the passata instead. You could certainly increase the cheese content - perhaps adding a stronger-tasting cheese, too. Don't be tempted to use buffalo mozzarella: not only would it be a waste of money, but the less expensive regular mozzarella seems to melt less stringily.

not mine.credit and source: NIGELLA

LEMON MERINGUE CAKE

by Nigella

INGREDIENTS
Makes: 8 slices

• 125 grams very soft unsalted butter
• 4 large eggs (separated)
• 300 grams caster sugar (plus 1 teaspoon)
• 100 grams plain flour
• 25 grams cornflour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• zest of 1 lemon
• 4 teaspoons lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons milk
• ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
• 150 millilitres double cream (or whipping cream)
• 150 grams good quality lemon curd

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to gas mark 6/200°C/400ºF. Line and butter two 21cm / 8 inch sandwich tins.
2. Mix the egg yolks, 100g / ½ cup of the sugar, the butter, flour, cornflour, baking powder, bicarb, and lemon zest in a processor. Add the lemon juice and milk and process again.
3. Divide the mixture between the prepared tins. You will think you don't even have enough to cover the bottom of the tins, but don't panic. Spread calmly with a rubber spatula until smooth.
4. Whisk the egg whites and cream of tartar until peaks form and then slowly whisk in 200g / 1 cup of sugar. Divide the whisked whites between the two sponge-filled tins, pouring or, more accurately, spreading the meringue straight on top of the cake batter.
5. Smooth one flat with a metal spatula, and with the back of a spoon, peak the other and sprinkle 1 teaspoon sugar over the peaks. Put the tins into the oven for 20-25 minutes.
6. With a cake-tester, pierce the cake that has the flat meringue topping to check it's cooked all through. (It will have risen now but will fall back flattish later.) No sponge mixture should stick to the tester. Remove both cakes to a wire rack and let cool completely in the tins.
7. Unmould the flat-topped one on to a cake stand or plate, meringue side down.
8. Whisk the double cream until thick but not stiff and set aside. Spread the flat sponge surface of the first, waiting, cake with the lemon curd and than spatula over the cream and top with the remaining cake, bronze-peaked meringue uppermost.

not mine.credit and source: NIGELLA