Valentine's Passion, Passion Fruit Cheesecake

It's Valentines Day! The day of love and couples rekindling their passion for each other.

These days, so many of us are watching our weight, and if we have eaten a heavy romantic dinner, we may be looking for something lighter and more refreshing to sweeten our palatte.

The first time I had passionfruit cheesecake was in Australia, where passionfruit is abundant in the summertime. It was very light, packed full of flavour, and rather unique.

Since this is the time of year for "passion", I thought I'd present this recipe for you and wish you a most passionate Valentine's Day with the one you love.

Happy Valentines Day!!!

Happy Cooking, Happy Eating!

Ingredients:
6 shortbread cookies (to fit base of ramekin - Scottish shortbread is best)
1 cup cream cheese, broken up
1 cup ricotta cheese
2 eggs
1/2 cup caster sugar
2 TBSP lime juice
2/3 cup passionfruit pulp
1 TBSP sweet, unsalted butter (for greasing)



Topping:
1 cup passion fruit juice
1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
1 1/2 teaspoons powdered unflavored gelatin
2 tablespoons sugar
Pulp and seeds from a fresh passion fruit

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 325*F
2. Grease each ramekin with sweet unsalted butter.
3. Place 1 shortbread round in each ramekin. If shortbread biscuit does not fit ramekin exactly, break off some biscuit pieces from another shortbread and fill space until base is covered.
4. In a food processor, mix together cream cheese, ricotta, eggs, sugar and lime juice until the mixture becomes smooth.
5. Stir through the fresh passionfruit pulp until evenly dispersed.
6. Spoon mixture into each ramekin dish - enough to fill the dish. The mixture won't rise.
7. Bake in oven for 12-15 minutes.
8. Cool and then set in the refrigerator until cooled completely. Bring to room temperature and then gently remove cakes from ramekins and place right side up with the shortcake biscuit on the bottom. Replace back in the fridge.

Topping Method:
1. Put half the passion fruit juice and all the lime juice in a medium bowl and sprinkle the gelatin over the surface. Don't stir. Set aside until the gelatin "blooms", about 1 minute.
2. Boil the remaining passion fruit juice and all of the sugar in a small saucepan until the sugar dissolves. Whisk the hot juice into the gelatin mixture until smooth. Refrigerate until just begins to set, about 20 minutes.
3. Stir in the fresh passion fruit pulp and seeds and spoon over the top of the cooled cheesecake. Refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight.

HAPPY 

DAY!!!

Cabbage and Mince Meat

Growing up, my Mum used to make a particular dish that the family has enjoyed and which could easily be termed as "comfort food". It is a recipe that was shared to her by a Singaporean lady many years ago.

For many years Mum would say that she made it because it was the easiest thing to make and fast also. Often times, Mum would come home later from shopping or afternoon tea with her girlfriend, and making this dish was fast and easy. But I also think that she knew that it was so well loved by all of us, and she knew that it was the best way to get me to eat veggies as a kid.

I still make this dish when I am pressed for time, and... When I am in desperate need of comforting memories of home.

In the UK, Australia, and Hong Kong, we refer to ground beef as mince meat, and is not to be confused with the fruit minced meat that is used at Christmas-time in minced pies.


Cabbage and Mince Meat (Ground Beef)

1 head cabbage, sliced very thinly (middle hard “stalk” removed)

 1lb ground beef

1 onion, sliced thinly

3 cloves garlic, sliced (on the round)

1 TBSP Maggie Seasoning
½ tsp Chicken Powder
1/16 cup of water
1 TBSP vegetable oil
2 tsp Sesame Oil
1 tsp black pepper

Method:

1.    Heat oil in a pan until smoking hot, add the onions and cook until glassy, then add the garlic and cook until the fragrance of the garlic is released

2.    Add a handful of shredded/sliced cabbage and cook until wilted, pull the cabbage mix to one side of the pot and add another handful of cabbage to the other side of pan, pull the cooked/wilted cabbage over top of the fresh cabbage and add another handful of cabbage to the open area; there should be enough cooked/wilted cabbage to “pull” the new fresh cabbage under so that it’ll cook. Keep this method up until all the cabbage is in the pot

3.    Pull the cabbage to one side of pot, leaving a space to add some of the beef. Push the cooked cabbage over the beef, and create another space, add more beef. Go to the side of the pot and create a space adding the last of the beef.

4.    In a bowl, add the chicken powder and water and mix, add to the cabbage and beef mix and mix together very well.

5.    Add the Maggie and pepper and mix the pot until the beef is well combined and cooking well.

6.    Add the sesame oil and cover and cook for about 15-20 minutes on low-medium heat

Serve with steamed rice

TIP: My Mum often fried an “omelet” and laid it over the top of each serving as an added bonus.



Omelete

2 large eggs
1 tsp light soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tbsp water
¼ tsp chicken powder
1 tsp toasted sesame seeds
1 green onion, sliced
½ tsp grated fresh ginger

1.    In a bowl, beat eggs with all ingredients very well until the egg mix is frothy
2.    Heat oil in a pan until smoky and then add the egg mix, to make an omelet (do not fold over), but turn over when underside is golden brown

Serve over cabbage and minced meat

Middle Eastern Style Meat Pie

Part of my heritage is Turkish, and growing up in Hong Kong, my family always made food a HUGE priority and eating different foods from around the world was a big thing in our family.

I have also strong ties with Australia, and anyone who has lived/been there, would know about the Aussie Four 'N' Twenty meat pies, eaten with tomato sauce (ketchup for those who are not familiar with the Aussie terminologies); a favourite to eat on a cool day at the footy match burning our fingers and tongue on the ooey gooey goodness that is inside.


















So what I decided to do was marry up the two ideas of meat pie and Middle East and created this Middle Eastern-style meat pie.

The "crust" is very unique as there is no flour, but it has a really nice floured texture to it.

So try it out, and let me know what you think and how you like it.

1lb ground beef
2 cups #2 Bulgar wheat (washed and soaked)
1 cup cilantro
½ cup mint leaves
1 green onion
1 lemon, juiced
½ cup vegetable oil
6 cloves garlic
3 TBSP ground cumin
2 TBSP sumac
2 tsp Salt
Dash Pepper

3 TBSP of the mix above
¼ cup vegetable oil
½ cup tahini sauce
1 tsp salt


1. Chop the cilantro, mint and green onion coarsely and pop into Magic Bullet; add garlic, lemon juice, oil, cumin, sumac, salt, pepper – blend together
2. In a bowl, put in the Bulgar wheat, beef, and the sauce (reserve 3 TBSP in the Magic Bullet cup) – mix together with hand until very well blended together
3. Put the meat mixture into an oven proof dish (with a lid) and spread till the top is nicely even, set aside
4. Add to the reserved sauce the ¼ cup vegetable oil, ½ cup tahini sauce, and salt; blend together until it comes together in a mayonnaise consistency
5. Spread this all over the top of the meat and spread to make top nice and even on top, place lid on
6. Cook in a 450*F oven for 45 minutes – the top will become very crusty. Let sit for 5 minutes and then cut into wedges and serve with a nice cucumber and tomato salad (dressing recipe to follow)

Cucumber Tomato Salad

½ cup extra virgin olive oil (or vegetable oil)
Juice from one lemon
1 tsp honey
2 tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
2 Persian cucumbers, sliced (or diced depending on desire)
1 tomato, diced

Place first five ingredients into Magic Bullet and blend until creamy. Add to a bowl and add the vegetables and toss until well coated