Pork & Quinoa-Stuffed Peppers & Marrows

Qarabaghli Mimli, also known as stuffed marrows, a very typical dish on our little island of Malta. These are commonly home-cooked for the family and can be typically found in most traditional Maltese restaurants. 

I like to make these often as they always go down a treat. Recently however, I came across the below recipe which was originally for stuffed peppers. It sounded very similar to Qarabaghli Mimli which I knew I liked, so I decided to give it a go. It turned out delicious!!! 

Since then, I have made these stuffed peppers many a time. However, I have adapted the recipe slightly, adding a few more ingredients and also choosing to stuff marrows. Since my partner is allergic to peppers, I always stuff a couple of marrows as an alternative. Both vegetables work incredibly well with this recipe. 

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Ingredients: 

- 3 coloured peppers, halved, de-seeded and cores removed 

- 1 marrow, halved, core removed

- 1 tbsp olive oil 

- 1 onion, finely chopped

- 1 carrot, grated

- 200 g minced pork 

- 1 garlic clove, crushed 

- 2 tsp ground cumin 

- 1 tsp paprika 

- 50 g red quinoa

- 250ml vegetable stock

- 1 tsp parsley, finely chopped

- salt & pepper to season 

- 4 tbsp Greek yoghurt, to serve 

Method: 

Put the peppers and marrows, cut side down, on a tray and place in a heated oven at 180 degrees for 20 minutes or until cooked through. Leave the oven on. 

In a pan, fry the onions in the oil together with the grated carrots. Add the pork and fry, breaking up any lumps, until it starts to brown. Stir in the garlic and spices for 1 minute, then add the Quinoa and stock. Cover and simmer for 10 - 15 minutes until the quinoa is soft and transparent. 

Stir half the parsley into the mixture and season with salt & pepper. Stuff the mixture into the peppers and marrows on a baking sheet. Place in the oven and bake for 10 - 20 minutes or until golden brown. Sprinkle over with the remaining parsley, then serve with the yoghurt mixture. 

Note: Most typically, the Maltese traditional recipe would be to use beef mince instead of pork. However, I choose to use pork instead as I am not the biggest fan of red meat, though both work just as well. 

Chicken & Mushroom Pies

Since the beginning of my relationship with my partner pies have become common on the menu. Being British, he is extremely fond of pies. Moreover, my dad is a pastry lover and would eat pretty much anything that is wrapped in pastry. Although not the healthiest, pastry being rich in butter, every so often I like to surprise them both with a pie. 

Below is one of my favourite pie recipes. As you all may know, I pretty much live on chicken as I'm not very fond of meat. This recipe is quite simple and straightforward and easy to follow. 

For the pastry I usually make double or triple the amount and freeze what I don't use. That way, all I need to do the next time I make a pie is get some pastry out of the freezer a few hours before cooking and allow it to thaw. So convenient!

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Ingredients: 

For the pastry: 
- 300 g plain flour
- 1 tsp xanthan gum 
- 140 g butter, diced 
- 2 eggs, beaten separately 
- half tsp salt
- half a cup of water

For the mixture: 
- olive oil 
- 1 large onion, sliced
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
- diced chicken breast
- 150 g mushrooms, sliced
- half a cup of frozen peas 
- 1 cup chicken stock 
- salt & pepper 
- 1 cup single cream 
- 2 tsp corn flour
- pinch of nutmeg 
- half a teaspoon of parsley

Method: 

For the pastry, put the flour, gum, butter and salt in a good processor and whizz until there are no lumps left. Dribble one of the eggs into the processor while whizzing until the pastry starts to come together. Add 1 tablespoon of water at a time if it is too dry. Knead dough for a few minutes, wrap in cling film and chill for 30 minutes. 

In the meantime, fry the onions and garlic in the olive oil. Add the diced chicken breast and cook until the chicken begins to turn white. Add the chopped mushrooms and peas and cook for a further 2 minutes. Pour in the vegetable stock and leave to simmer until there is almost no liquid left. Pour in the cream and mix over a medium heat. Add the nutmeg, parsley and salt and pepper to season. Mix in the corn flour to thicken. Once thickened remove from heat. 

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Roll out your pastry on a lightly floured surface and transfer to a baking tin or foil tray. Press down the sides and trim. Spoon the chicken & mushroom mixture into the dish. Top with another layer of pastry and using a fork press down the edges. Make two or three slits in the top of the pie to allow the stem to escape then bake in the oven for 25 minutes or until golden brown on top. 

Sea Salt - Water Biscuits

On evening's like tonight, when entertaining friends, I always make my infamous dips, as previously mentioned in one of my other posts. Most of the time I make home-made foccaccia bread to use for dipping (recipe: http://www.my-glutenfree-kitchen.blogspot.com/2014/01/gluten-free-foccaccia.html). 

In Malta, we are accustomed to eating 'Galletti', usually eaten with any form of dip and typically served in cheese platters. Galletti are a type of cracker which can be found in different flavours such as cracked pepper, rosemary or onion. I don't believe I've ever been to a party or gathering at a friend's place when Galletti have not been served. 

Unlucky for me, Galletti contain flour. Although I have a recipe for the traditional Maltese Galletti (to follow soon), sometimes I like to use the below Sea Salt - Water Biscuit recipe. These too can be made in a variety of flavours according to your taste. They are really easy to make and I usually serve them as an accompaniment with dips when entertaining friends, although I always offer the alternative of the much-loved traditional Maltese Galletti. 

Ingredients: 

- 200 g plain flour, plus extra for dusting 
- 1 tsp xanthan gum 
- half a tsp baking powder 
- 50 g butter, cubed 
- 2 tsp flaked sea salt 
- herbs for flavouring 
- water

Method: 

Heat the oven to 180 degrees. Line two baking sheets with baking paper. Put the flour, xanthan gum, baking powder, butter and 1 tsp of salt in a food processor and whizz for a minute until the butter is completely mixed with the flour. Add 6 - 8 tablespoons of water and pulse until the dough comes together. If it still feels dry add a teaspoon more water and pulse until you have a soft but not sticky dough. 

Roll out the dough on a floured surface into a rectangle, as thin as possible. Brush with a little water and scatter over 1 tsp of sea salt. Press lightly and prick the dough all over with a fork. Cut into small squares and place on baking sheet. 

Bake for 20 minutes until the biscuits feel dry but are still pale- they may still feel soft to handle but they will harden up when cool. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. 

You may opt to sprinkle with herbs such as rosemary or thyme for extra flavour. You could even use garlic powder, onion flakes or any other seasonings. 

Will keep in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. 

Chorizo & Potato Omlette

As mentioned in one of my previous posts, my brother only ever wanted to eat pizza, egg or potatoes when growing up. Actually, he still pretty much lives on the same diet today, with a few other foods added in with extreme effort after he got married. 

As a result of this, my mother would often prepare Spanish Omlette for dinner. Although Spanish food was never really popular at home, this dish was one of my brothers favourites, and so we used to eat it quite often. Admittedly, I love this dish. It is simple and easy to prepare yet so delicious. Although my brother used to request the simplest version of this, with only egg and potato, I like to spice it up a bit by adding some chorizo, onion and herbs. 

Really and truly, you could add anything you like to it. Sometimes I add peppers or chillies, other times I add mushrooms. It's a case of personal taste really, however I find the below version to be my favourite! 

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Ingredients: 

- 1 tsp olive oil 
- ½ onion, sliced 
- 65 g Chorizo sausage, chopped 
- 150 g cooked sliced potatoes, cooked
- 1 tsp parsley, chopped 
- 3 eggs, beaten 
- chopped parsley
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- salt & pepper to season 

Method: 

Heat the olive oil in a frying pan. Add the sliced onion and fry for 3 to 4 minutes or until soft. Add the chopped chorizo sausage and fry a further 2 minutes until it begins to crisp. Stir in the cooked sliced potatoes and mix to combine and to prevent sticking. 

Beat the eggs together with the parsley, Parmesan and season well. Pour in the egg mixture and let cook for 2-3 minutes. Place under a hot grill and cook until golden brown. 

Turn out and serve cut into wedges.