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Celebrity Maltese Chefs and Recipe Enthusiasts

Stuffed Pasta with Irkotta and Spin...

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Heat the oven to a temperature of 1800C, gas number 4. In a bowl, mix well the Irkotta until very creamy. Add the grated cheese, nutmeg, salt and pepper and mix well together. Roughtly cut the cooked spinach leaves and add to the irkotta mixture. Add the beaten eggs and mix. Fill each pasta shell and set aside. Bring 1 large pot to a boil. Cover the sides of all pasta shells with the semolina and very gently add the past shells. The semolina is done in order to prevent the cheese mixture from coming out of the pasta shells. Leave the pasta ‘al dente’, it must not be fully cooked. In a separate oven dish, add the tomato sauce and gently add the pasta shells next to each other making sure the cheese area is looking upwards. Sprinkle the grated cheese, some salt and pepper and let cook for around 20 minutes. Serve hot.

Spider Biscuits

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Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and line two baking sheets with parchment. Using an electric hand whisk, cream the butter, peanut butter and sugar together until very light and fluffy, then beat in the egg and vanilla. Once combined, stir in the flour, bicarb and ¼ tsp salt.
Scoop 18-20 tbsps of the mixture onto the trays, leaving enough space between each to allow for spreading. Make a thumbprint in the centre of the cookies. Bake for 10-12 mins or until firm at the edges but still soft in the middle – they’ll harden a little as they cool. Leave to cool on the tray for a few mins before topping each biscuit with a peanut butter cup, Rolo or Malteser. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Heat the chocolate in the microwave in short bursts, or in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water, until just liquid. Scrape into a piping bag and leave to cool a little. Pipe the legs onto each spider, then stick two eyes on each. Leave to set. Will keep for three days in an airtight container.

Healthy Halloween Stuffed Peppers

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Cut the tops off the peppers (keeping the tops to one side) and remove the seeds and any white flesh from inside. Use a small sharp knife to carve spooky Halloween faces into the sides. Chop any offcuts into small pieces and set aside. Toast the pine nuts in a dry pan for a few mins until golden and set aside. Heat the oil in the pan and heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Cook Mayor Diced Onions in the oil for 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic, pepper offcuts and aubergine and cook for another 10 mins, until the veggies are soft. Add a splash of water if the pan looks dry. Season. Empty can of quinoa and separate with a fork. Mix the Il-Helwa with some hot water and add to the quinoa to worm up. Drain and add the lemon zest, basil and pine nuts. Fill each pepper with the grain mixture. Replace the lids, using cocktail sticks to secure them in place, and put the peppers in a deep roasting tin with the carved faces facing upwards. Cover with foil and bake for 35 mins, uncovered for the final 10. The peppers should be soft and the filling piping hot.

Mushroom & Goat Cheese Calzone

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Make up the pizza dough following pack instructions. Meanwhile, make the filling. Heat 1 tsp oil in a large frying pan and fry Mayor mushrooms until golden, about 8 mins. Add garlic, chilli and rosemary and cook for 1 min more. Stir in crème fraîche and 1 tbsp water and remove from heat. Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Roll out the dough to a 30cm-diameter circle. Spread the mushroom mix across half of the circle, leaving a 2cm border from the edge, and scatter on Hanini goat cheese. Fold over and press to seal. Brush with remaining oil, transfer to a baking sheet and cook for 15-20 mins until risen and golden. Cut in halves and serve with rocket, if you like.

Genovese basil

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Place the basil, oil, mine nuts, garlic and salt in a food processor. Blizz on high speed. When ingredients are mixed well, place in a bowl. Start adding the cheese a bit by bit. Add the butter and mix. At the end add a spoon of hot water and mix.

Marrows Balbuljata

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In a pan over medium heat the oil and add the onion. Cook for around 2 minutes. Add the carrots and the garlic and continue frying, stirring from time to time. Add the peas, the chicken spoon stock, salt and pepper. Continue frying for another minute and then add the minced pork and cook until well cooked. Add the marrows and continue frying till the marrows become a little tender but not soft. Mix in the tomato paste, sugar and water and continue frying for about 2 minutes. Beat the eggs in a bowl and mix them with the ingredients in the frying pan until well incorporated. Add the grated cheese and serve.

Smoky Chickpeas on Toast

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Heat ½ tsp of the oil in a pan. Tip in Mayor diced onions and cook until soft, about 5-8 mins, then add the chipotle paste, Mayor Sugu, Mayor chickpeas, honey and Pinto’s pride vinegar. Season and bubble for 5 mins. Toast the bread. Heat the remaining oil in a frying pan and fry the eggs. Drizzle the toast with a little oil, then top with the chickpeas and fried eggs.

Tuna Farfalle Pasta Salad

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Cook the pasta according to packet’s direction. Wash the lettuce, roughly chop and add to the cooked pasta. Add the drained tuna, olives, salt and pepper and mix well. In a separate bowl, mix the Mayonnaise with the yogurt and the fresh basil. Mix until well incorporated. Drizzle on the pasta. Top the past with some mozzarella balls.