Pear, Hazelnut and Lime Salad
An Original Recipe by Lorraine Elliott/Not Quite Nigella
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 0 minutes
Serves 2
- 2 cups rocket
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- Pinch of salt
- 1 teaspoon honey
- Juice from half a lime
- Black pepper
- 1/2 clove garlic, thinly sliced
- 1/4 pear, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup hazelnuts, toasted and roughly chopped
Step 1 - Place the rocket in a bowl and add 2 tablespoons of oil and salt. Massage the rocket gently coating it in the oil. In a small jug or a cup, place the remaining 2 tablespoons oil, honey, lime juice, black pepper and garlic. Muddle the garlic in the jug. Taste for balance and if it needs more sweetness add honey.
Step 2 - Dress the salad with the dressing and add the pear and hazelnuts.
Seared Salmon with Green Papaya Salad
An Original Recipe by Lorraine Elliott/Not Quite Nigella
Preparation time: 10 minutes marinating time and 10 minutes prep time
Cooking time: 5 minutes
Serves 2
- 500g/1lb fillet of salmon, skin on or off, cut in half
- Oil for pan frying
- 1/8 cup kecap manis (Indonesian sweet soy sauce)
- 1/8 cup water
- 1 inch ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
- 1 clove garlic, peeled and bashed against the flat side of a knife
- 1/2 green papaya or mango (about 1kg in total weight)
- 1 large red chilli, sliced
- 2 garlic gloves peeled and finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 3 tablespoons lime juice
- 3 tablespoons fish sauce
- 3 teaspoons rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoons cashews
- 4 cherry tomatoes, quartered
- 1/4 cup finely chopped green spring onions
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
Step 1 - In a ziplock bag add the kecap manis, water, ginger and garlic. Marinate the salmon in this for 10 minutes.
Step 2 - Meanwhile make the salad dressing. Add the chilli, garlic, sugar, lime juice, fish sauce, rice vinegar and sesame oil and stir to dissolve the sugar. Set aside for the sugar to dissolve further.
Step 3 - Peel the green papaya or mango and grate the flesh into a bowl. When you're almost finished, turn on the stove and place a non stick pan onto medium to high heat. Add some oil to the pan and remove the salmon pieces from the marinade and cook them on both sides until done to your liking. I like them slightly pink in the middle.
Step 4 - Stir the dressing and dress the salad with it. Add tomatoes, cashews, green onions and toss. Place on a serving plate. Place salmon fillets on top and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Orange Blossom, Vanilla & Earl Grey Tiramisu
An Original Recipe by Lorraine Elliott/Not Quite Nigella
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 0 minutes
Serves 4
- 2 teaspoons loose leaf or 1 teabag of Earl Grey tea
- 1-2 teaspoons orange blossom water
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 250g/0.5lb mascarpone
- 2-3 tablespoons honey
- 1 mandarin
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 12 savoiardi (sponge finger) biscuits, cut in half horizontally*
*For some reason, the savoiardi biscuits that I bought for the first lot were thinner than the second bag I bought for the shoot so if they are too wide to fit in three, just add two of them.
Step 1 - Make a strong cup of tea and add orange blossom water and honey. Set aside to cool.
Step 2 - Whip the mascarpone with the honey and vanilla extract. Some mascarpones really vary in consistency; find a good Italian brand that is a little runnier as I found some are really thick like cream cheese. Taste for sweetness and add more honey if you want to (the biscuits are quite sweet already). Place into a piping bag with a plain tip (or just snip the end off a disposable piping bag).
Step 3 - Pipe a dollop of the mascarpone at the bottom and then dip three of the halved savoiardi biscuits in the tea soaking them well (but don't dip them for too long as we don't want them to disintegrate). Place the soaked biscuits upright in the mascarpone and spoon a tablespoon or more of the tea on top just to make sure that they soften. Pipe more mascarpone and repeat with the biscuits and tea and then top with the mascarpone.
Step 4 - Place a edible flower and a segment of mandarin on top.