Prince's Table

Roasted Tomato Frittata

You will need:

8 eggs
5 plum tomatoes, halved
8 oz boccancini
1/3 cup half&half cream
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp salt for eggs
1 garlic clove, minced
Salt and pepper for the tomatoes
Fresh torn basil for garnish

Preheat oven to 450 F. Line a baking tray with foil, toss the tomato halves with 2 tbsp of olive oil, the basil, oregano, salt and pepper. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes until softened and beginning to caramelize. Let cool and remove the skins, then half again.

Whisk the eggs, half&half, 1 tsp salt and some pepper together until combined.
Preheat oven to 400 F.
Heat remaining tbsp olive oil in an oven proof pan over medium heat, saute garlic until fragrant about 30 seconds, then add the eggs. Place evenly the tomatoes and boccancini. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes until edges start to firm, then cook in the oven for 10 to 12 minutes until the centre is set. Sprinkle with fresh torn basil leaves and leave for 5 minutes to cool before slicing and serving.

Scotch Broth

You will need:

1 medium carrot, grated
1 medium onion, diced
1 celery stalk, diced
2 yellow or white flesh potatoes, 1 grated, 1 cubed
1/2 cup split peas, rinsed
1/2 cup lentils, rinsed
1/2 pearl barley, rinsed
Broth
1 strip bacon
1 thyme sprig
Salt&pepper
Choice of protein- pick a favorite or whats on hand, a whole chicken carcass&wings, chicken thighs, ham hock, beef bones with meat, etc.

Today I'll be using a left over chicken carcass from an oven roasted supper I made previously.

Put the carcass and wings in a large pot and fill the pot til almost covering it with water. Add in 2 dried bovril stock packets, bring to a boil then turn down the heat and simmer, partly covered, for 30 minutes.
Remove the carcass and set aside.
Add in the rinsed peas, lentils and barley, thyme sprig and bacon, simmer covered for 30 minutes until they start to plump and soften.
Add in the carrot, both potatoes, celery and onion, top up the liquid with extra stock or water if the soup is too thick.
Simmer for several hours covered on a low heat.
Meanwhile, pick clean all the meat from the bones and set aside.
Before serving, remove the bacon and thyme sprig, season with salt and pepper and add in the reserved chicken, taste and adjust as needed.

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

You will need:

For filling-
3 1/2 cups rhubarb stalks cut into 1/2 inch pieces (trim away and discard the leaves which are poisonous; trim ends.)
2 cups stemmed and sliced strawberries
3/4 cup to 1 cup sugar; less for more tart, more for sweet
4 tbsp quick cooking tapioca
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp orange zest

For pie crust-
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
2 tsp of sugar
2 sticks unsalted butter (1 cup, 8 ounces, 225 g) cubed
1/2 cup sour cream

Whisk together the flour, salt and sugar in a bowl.
Cut in your cubed softened butter, mix by hand until it resembles coarse meal with a few visible pieces of butter.
Add in the sour cream and mix with a fork until the dough comes together. Using your hands, form a ball then flatten into a disc. Split in half, roll into two balls, then flatten into discs. Flour both sides of the discs and wrap in plastic wrap, set aside in fridge to firm up for 1 hour. One will be the bottom, the other the top.

Meanwhile, combine the rhubarb, strawberries, sugar, salt, tapioca and orange zest. Let marry until needed, tossing occasionally.

To fit a 9 inch pie dish, roll the dough out to a 12 to 14 inch circle, lay in the centre of the dish by hand, using a rolling pin or a large cake lifter. Press the dough into the corners, trim the excess overhanging the sides to a 1/2 inch from the edge to fold later.

Roll out the other half of the dough into a disc, enough to meet the edges of the 1/2 inch overhang made. Place it on hope and fold over the edges and crimp to seal.
Cut air slits into the top of the pie to let steam out during cooking.
In a small bowl, whisk 1 tbsp of heavy cream with an egg, brush over the top of the pie crust.

Bake in the centre rack of a preheated 400 F oven for 20 minutes with a tray on a lower rack incase the filling bubbles out.
Turn down the heat to 350 F and bake for another 40 to 50 minutes, until the crust is browned and crisp and the filling bubbling in the air slits.
Let cool completely on a rack before cutting to avoid the filling spilling out.

Greek Almond Shortbread

Yields 40 to 50

You will need:

1/2 cup unblanched or slivered almonds
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup butter, softened
1 egg yolk
1 tbsp brandy or whiskey
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup icing sugar

In a skillet, toast the almonds over medium heat until lightly golden brown, then remove from pan to cool.
Once cool, place in a food processor with 1/4 cup of the sugar, process until fine.
In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat the butter with the remaining 1/4 cup sugar and the almon sugar mixture until fluffy.
Now add the yolk brandy and vanilla and beat again.
In separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together, then mix into the butter mixture, half at a time.

Prepare baking trays by lining with parchment paper.
Using a tbsp, measure out the dough one at a time and roll into balls, place them 1 inch apart on the trays. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 325 F, then bake the shortbread for about 20 minutes, until golden and slightly dark on the bottoms.
Cool on the pans for 5 minutes.

Prepare a tray with half the icing sugar, place the shortbread on the icing, then sprinkle the remaining half of the icing sugar over top.
Let cool completely and enjoy.

Split-pea and Ham soup

You will need:

1 1/2 cups dry yellow split peas
2 1/2 cups water
2 10oz cans chicken broth
2 cups cooked ham, chopped, or a ham hock
1 cup carrot, shredded
1 cup onion, chopped
1 cup celery, chopped
2 tbsp butter
Salt & pepper to taste
3 cups milk

Wash the peas, then place in a large pot, add the water and chicken broth and 1 cup of the ham, then add the carrots, onion, celery, butter, and some salt(1/2 tsp).
Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and cover and simmer for 3 hours.
Stir in the remain ham and the milk, season with salt and pepper to taste.

Baked Macaroni and Cheese

You will need:

3 cups macaroni
2 cups cheddar cheese, grated
2 cups milk
4 tbsp butter
4 tbsp flour
1/4 tsp mustard powder
Salt&pepper to taste

For the topping:
1/2 cup fresh fine bread crumbs
2 tbsp butter
4tbsp cheddar cheese, grated
Parmesan, for dusting
Paprika, for dusting

Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil, cook the pasta as directed, aboutm12 minutes.
Preheat oven to 375 F.
Grease a casserole dish with butter and set aside.
While the pasta is boiling, melt the butter in a saucepot, make a rue by adding the flour and whisk constantly until bubbling.
Gradually add the milk and whisk constantly until thickened.
Add the mustard powder, salt and pepper and the cheese, whisking until melted and combined completely.
Drain the pasta then return to pot, combine with cheese sauce, then pour into the prepared casserole dish.
Using your fingers, combine the breadcrumbs and butter for the topping, sprinkle evenly across the top of the casserole. Sprinkle the cheese over top, then the paprika.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until the top is browned. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.