Baked lemon cheesecake

 Source: https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/lemon-cheesecake-recipe/

Ingredients

CRUST

210 g digestive biscuits

71 g unsalted butter

50 g sugar

CHEESECAKE FILLING

250 g sugar

1 tbsp lemon zest (about one lemon)

904 g plain cream cheese

120 ml fresh lemon juice (3-4 lemons)

80 g plain yoghurt (can use Greek yoghurt or sour cream)

1 tsp vanilla extract

3 eggs

LEMON CURD

4 egg yolks

134 g sugar

1 tbsp lemon zest (about one lemon)

80 ml lemon juice (2-3 lemons)

1/8 tsp salt

85g unsalted butter, softened to room temperature, cut into 6 pieces

Instructions

1) Preheat oven to 180 degrees.

2) FOR THE CRUST: Blend the biscuits into fine crumbs. Mix with sugar, then stir in melted butter until the mixture forms a sandy texture. Press firmly onto the bottom and slightly up the sides of a pregreased 22cm baking pan (springform i.e. with removable sides if possible) with baking paper on the bottom if you so wish. Put in the oven and prebake for 10 minutes. Take out of the oven and wrap the bottom of the springform pan in tinfoil (double wrapped), as this will then go into a water bath to bake the cake later. 

3) LEMON SUGAR: Put the sugar for the filling in a food processor, add lemon zest, blend together. 

4) FILLING: Using a hand beater, beat lemon sugar from previous step together with cream cheese until smooth and creamy. Add lemon juice, sour cream/yoghurt, and vanilla extract and beat together. Add eggs one at a time, beating in each egg before adding the next one. Once all the eggs are beaten in, stop mixing. Avoid overmixing the batter.

5) Pour the batter into the warm crust. Smooth over the top with a spatula.

6) WATER BATH: Boil a kettle and pour into a large roasting pan. Put the springform tin into the bath. There should be around 2.5 cm of water. DON'T POUR THE WATER INTO THE CAKE.

7) Bake the cheesecake for 55-70 minutes, until the centre is almost set. 

8) LEMON CURD: Make the curd while the rest of the cake is cooking. Boil a pot with about 5cm of water in it. Once it comes to the boil, reduce the heat and put a heatproof bowl over the simmering water. Place the egg yolks, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice and salt into the top pot and whisk until completely blended, then continue whisking as it cooks. Whisk and cook for about 10 minutes until it thickens and resembles hollandaise sauce. Temperature should reach 77 degrees. If it isn't thickening, turn up heat and continue whisking. 

9) Remove from heat and add in the sliced butter directly. Whisk in the butter until it melts into the mixture. Pour the curd into a jar or bowl and place a piece of clingwrap on the top, touching the curd, so that it doesn't form a skin. Leave to cool. Can be stored for ten days. 

10) COOLING: Switch off the oven and leave the cake and bath in the oven with the door ajar for about an hour. Then, remove the cake from the oven and the bath and leave to cool for another hour at room temperature. 

11) TOP WITH LEMON CURD: Once cooled entirely, spread 3/4 cup of the curd (half the recipe quantity) over the top with a spatula. 

12) Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. 

13) Can be served with whipped cream, berries, or lemon slices. 

Gaenor's chutney

 Source: https://pinotbretzelsandcathedrals.com/2020/05/31/not-mrs-balls/

Ingredients: 

1.5kg apricots (with stones removed

3 large onions

1tbsp ginger

1/2tsp dried chilli (can add fresh chilli if desired)

500g raisins

750ml vinegar (wine or malt)

750g sugar

1 tbsp salt

Finely chop the onions, quarter the apricots, put in a big pot with the rest of the ingredients.

Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer for an hour or two depending on the ripeness of the apricots. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking.

While the chutney is cooking, sterilise jars - wash thoroughly, then put in the oven at 100 degrees C for at least 20 minutes. Boil the lids and ladle and tongs to sterilise.

Once the chutney is cooked, carefully pour into the jars until almost full (leave about 0.5 cm space at the top of the jar) and close the jar with one of your sterilised lids. 

Once cool, tighten the lid. Can be stored in the basement for at least a year.

Vinegar šašlõkk

Original recipe in Estonian here 

1kg pork shoulder, cut up into roughly equal-sized chunks (4x4x1.5cm is the recommendation from the original recipe)

112 ml 8% vinegar (or 30 ml 30% vinegar - you should have 9ml of acetic acid, if I calculated correctly. You can do the conversions based on that volume, depending on the concentration of your vinegar)

4-5 large onions, cut into thin rings

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

1 tsp sugar

Add everything into the same bowl. Mix and massage the vinegar into the meat for around 15 minutes, then leave to marinade in fridge overnight. 

Thread meat and onions onto skewers, cook on the braai, and enjoy.

Vindaloo (original style)

Amazingly brilliant. I've not changed anything from this recipe:

75ml cider vinegar
700g pork shoulder, cut into 3cm chunks
4 tbsp ghee, neutral or coconut oil
500g onions, finely sliced (about 4 medium onions)
60g tamarind pulp
10 garlic cloves, finely sliced
5cm thick length of ginger, cut into slim matchsticks
4 ripe tomatoes, diced
2-4 small green chillies
10 curry leaves (optional)
1 tbsp jaggery or soft brown sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black mustard seeds

For the masala
2 tbsp Kashmiri chilli powder or paprika
Seeds of 8 cardamom pods
1 tsp black peppercorns
8 cloves
1 tsp cumin seeds
½ tsp coriander seeds
½ tsp turmeric
5cm cinnamon stick

Grind masala ingredients, then add in the vinegar. Rub into the pork and leave to marinade for 3 to 4 hours. 

Heat the ghee in a large pot, then fry the onions over a medium-low heat until soft and golden. Meanwhile, soak tamarind pulp in 120ml of hot water for 15 minutes, then gently rub off pulp from seeds, then strain off the liquid and set aside, and discard the solids. 

Add garlic and ginger to the onions and stir in, cook for another 5 minutes, then add tomatoes, chillies and curry leaves and cook until tomatoes start to break down.

Add the pork and marinade, turn up heat to medium-high, mix in jaggery (sugar), salt and mustard seeds, and then add tamarind liquid. Bring to simmer, turn heat down, cover and cook for an hour. 

After an hour, remove the lid and thicken on a low heat for another 30 minutes. Serve with rice, naan or whatever.

Royal potato salad a l'Ottolenghi

800 g new potatoes, washed 

150 g frozen peas

20 g parsley leaves

20 g basil leaves

60 g pine seeds

60 g parmesan

2 cloves garlic

200 ml olive oil

1 tsp white wine vinegar

handful of mint leaves

5 boiled eggs (or 15 quail's eggs)

salt and pepper

Wash the potatoes, boil for around 20 minutes until soft but firm. Boil the eggs until ready (I reckon about 4 minutes is enough), then refresh in cold water. Blanche the peas for 30 seconds in boiling water, then rinse and refresh in cold water.

While the potatoes are boiling, add the parsley, basil, pine seeds, garlic and parmesan to a food processor and blend. Add in olive oil bit by bit until you have a runny pesto. 

When the potatoes are cooked and have cooled enough to handle, cut them in half or quarters, then mix in with the pesto, mint leaves and vinegar. Season with plenty of salt and pepper.

Peel and quarter the eggs, mix in gently with the potatoes, and serve. Add extra mint or parsley as garnish if you want.

French onion soup

Slow-cooker special to make a French classic. The original recipe I used (available here) doesn't require caramelising the onions. However, I think it would be that much better (and it was excellent when we made it in the winter) if you do take the extra effort to caramelise them. Here's my adaptation of a French classic.

Will serve lots. Recipe designed for a 5.7-litre slow cooker:

1.5 kg onions, thinly sliced (use a mandolin if you have one)
100g butter for frying
2 tbsp sugar
6 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
1.5-2 l beef stock
1/2 cup sherry (or use wine vinegar)

Salt and pepper to taste

Baguette, sliced lengthwise

2 cups grated cheese (Gruyère or something similar)

Caramelise the onions in a big pan or two for about 30-45 minutes. To do this, slice the onions into rings or half-rings. Put a big pan on a medium heat with butter, thyme and bay leaves, then leave to cook, occasionally stirring. After 10 minutes, add the sugar and sprinkle salt over the top. (This step can also be done directly in the slow cooker, in which case at everything at the start and leave the onions ot cook for 6-8 hours, stirring occasionally).

Next, move everything into a slow cooker. Add the onion mix, stock and sherry, season with salt and pepper, cook for an additional 2-3 hours, stirring occasionally. At the end, discard the bay leaves and thyme. 

Switch on the grill in the oven. Put the baguette under the grill and cook for 1-2 minutes either side. 

Dish up some soup into an oven-proof bowl, top with a baguette slice or two, then top the bread with cheese. Put back into the oven and grill for around 2 minutes until the cheese has melted and is cooked.

Kohupiima pannkoogid (Curd pancakes)

• 100 ml flour
• 2 egg yolks
• 2 tablespoons sugar (or to taste)
• 500g kohupiim / milk curds
• Pinch of salt

Mix all the ingredients together. Fry with a bit of vegetable oil, serve with jam or other sweet toppings.