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Brioche is a deliciously rich French bread which I make often. I have several versions & this is my latest one.

Makes 24 buns

INGREDIENTS:

Part 1:

• 14g dried fast action yeast
• 200 ml warm semi skimmed milk

Part 2:

• 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
• 2 ounces strong white bread flour

Part 3:

• 14 ounces strong white bread flour, PLUS about 1 cup extra
• 1  teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 4 ounces margarine
• 5-6 teaspoons vanilla flavouring

Part 4:

• 4 large eggs, beaten

Part 5:

• 1 egg beaten
• 2 tablespoons semi skimmed milk

DECORATION:

• 1/4 cup semi skimmed milk
• 1/4 -1/2 cup honey
• 3 tablespoons vanilla sugar

DIRECTIONS:

1. Mix the warm milk & yeast in a bowl. Leave to stand for a few minutes.
2. Sift the 2oz of flour into the milk & yeast mix, add the 2 tsp of sugar & mix well. Leave to stand in a warm place for 10 mins or until frothy (will look a little like mousse!).
3. While the starter is standing, sift the flour & salt into a mixing bowl. Add the sugar then rub in the butter. ( rub in method – rub the butter into the flour to create ‘bread crumbs’ – like you do with short crust pastry).
4. When the starter is frothy, whisk in the 4 eggs & the vanilla. When the eggs are fully incorporated, pour the mixture into mixing bowl & stir the ingredients until they come together to form a ball. You will need to add extra flour to this mix to achieve a soft, pliable dough – add a tablespoon at a time until you have a soft ball of dough to work with.
5. Remove the ball of dough & knead on a lightly floured surface for a minute or until no longer sticky.
6. Place the dough on a lightly floured dish or tray, cover & let rest in a warm place for around 90 minutes or until roughly doubled in size.
7. When doubled in size, knead the dough again for another minute – just to knock the air out a bit.
8. Dust a work surface with flour then divide the dough into 12 equal pieces ( cut dough into quarters then cut each quarter into thirds). Then cut each of those in half so you end up with 24 balls.
9. Lightly grease a large, round baking tin then place the balls inside - make sure there are small spaces in between the balls.
10. Brush the balls with the egg wash (pt 5) & place  in a preheated oven at 230 c for around 18 minutes. Start checking the brioche at 15 minutes, remove from oven when pale gold all over.
11. Brush the brioche with milk as soon as they come out of the oven. Once the milk has been absorbed, brush again – do this 3 times.
12. Finally give the brioche 2 coats of hot honey. Then sprinkle with vanilla sugar.
13. Store in an airtight container.

TIPS:

1. Try maple syrup instead of honey.
2. To eat the next day, warm the brioche over the toaster or in the microwave on high for 20 seconds,  for a soft fluffy bun.

Chinese broccoli (gai lan) is always sold flowering, though its buds are usually still closed.

Active time: 25 min Start to finish: 45 min

Makes 6 servings.

INGREDIENTS

• 2lb chinese broccoli, thick ends trimmedfor polenta
• 6cups water
• 1 1/2teaspoons salt
• 1 1/2cups polenta (not instant) or yellow cornmeal
• 3tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2cup heavy cream
• 2tablespoons finely grated parmesanfor sausage and garlic
• 2tablespoons olive oil
• 3/4lb hot italian sausage, casings removed
• 2garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1teaspoon salt
• 1/2teaspoon black pepper

DIRECTIONS Cook broccoli:
Cut broccoli stems diagonally into 1-inch pieces and coarsely chop leaves. Cook stems in a large pot of boiling salted wateruntil just tender, about4 minutes. Stir in leaves and cook 1 minute. Drain in a colander, then rinse under cold water to stop cooking. Do not squeeze out excess water.

Cook polenta:
Bring water with salt to a boil in a 3-quart heavy saucepan, then add polenta in a thin stream, whisking constantly. Cook over moderate heat, whisking, 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low and simmer polenta, covered, stirring for 1 minute after every 10 minutes of cooking, 45 minutes total. Stir in butter, cream, and cheese and remove from heat.

Sauté sausage and garlic while polenta cooks:
Heat oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté sausage, stirring and breaking up meat into large pieces with a spoon, until browned and cooked through, about 5 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a plate. Reduce heat to moderate, then cook garlic in skillet, stirring, until golden, about 2 minutes.

Add broccoli and cook, stirring and scraping up brown bits from bottom of skillet, 2 minutes. Return sausage to skillet and toss with greens, salt, and pepper. Serve over polenta.

Makes 6 (first-course) servings.

INGREDIENTS

• 2tablespoons olive oil
• 1small white onion, minced
• 1jalapeño chili, seeded, minced
• 3garlic cloves, minced4ripe avocados, peeled, pitted, chopped
• 2cups canned low-salt chicken broth
• 5tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2cups (or more) water
• 1teaspoon grated lemon peel8ounces cooked bay shrimp
• 1cucumber, peeled, seeded, diced
• 3tablespoons chopped fresh chives

DIRECTIONS Heat oil in medium skillet over medium-low heat. Add onion and jalapeño; sauté until tender, about 15 minutes. Add garlic; sauté 2 minutes. Season with salt. Remove from heat; cool.

Place avocados in blender. Add chicken broth, 4 tablespoons lemon juice and onion mixture. Puree until smooth. Transfer to large bowl. Stir in 2 cups water and lemon peel. Thin soup with more water, if desired. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate until well chilled, about 3 hours.

Meanwhile, mix shrimp, cucumber, chives, and 1 tablespoon lemon juice in medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Cover; refrigerate at least 1 hour and up to 3 hours.
Ladle soup into bowls. Top with shrimp.

Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 1 1/2 hr

Makes 8 to 10 servings.

INGREDIENTS

• for topping
• 2(1-lb) firm-ripe mangoes, peeled
• 1/2stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter
• 1/2cup packed light brown sugarfor cake batter
• 1 1/2cups all-purpose flour
• 1teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4teaspoon salt
• 1stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
• 1cup granulated sugar
• 3large eggs, 2 of them separated
• 1teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2cup mango nectar

DIRECTIONS Make topping:
Standing each mango upright, remove flesh from pit by cutting a thick lengthwise slice from each broad side. (Be careful: Peeled mango is slippery.) Put slices on a work surface and cut lengthwise into 3/8-inch-thick slices.

Melt butter in a small heavy saucepan over moderate heat, then stir in brown sugar. Simmer, stirring, until butter is incorporated, 1 to 2 minutes. Spread mixture in bottom of a buttered 9- by 2-inch round baking pan and arrange mango on top, overlapping slices.

Make batter:
Preheat oven to 350°F.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Beat together butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at high speed until light and fluffy, about 6 minutes. Add whole egg and yolks 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Add half of flour mixture and mix at low speed until just combined. Mix in mango nectar, then add remaining flour mixture, mixing until just combined.

Beat egg whites in another bowl with cleaned beaters until they just hold stiff peaks, then fold into batter gently but thoroughly.

Gently spoon batter over mango topping and spread evenly. Bake in middle of oven until golden brown and a tester comes out clean, 55 to 60 minutes. Cool cake in pan on a rack 10 minutes. Run a thin knife around inside edge of pan, then invert a plate over pan and invert cake onto plate. Cool completely on plate on rack.

Serve cake at room temperature.

Not your average carrot cake! This is a recipe that I devised when I acquired a lot fresh garden carrots. It’s much lighter in fat than any carrot cake I know of and as well as using Splenda I skipped the pineapple to reduce the sugar content as much as possible. The walnut amount in minimal and nuts have heart healthy fat. Using fizzy soda not only adds some flavor but also helps to leaven the cakes.

MAKES: 6

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 3/4 cup Splenda sugar substitute (can use up to a cup if you like it sweeter)
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2/3 cup chopped walnuts
• 2 cups grated carrot
• 1/4 cup walnut oil
• 1/2 cup egg whites (or 2 lg eggs)
• 3/4 cup Sprite Zero (or Diet 7-UP)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 325 F
2. In a small bowl mix baking soda and applesauce into a fluffy mixture, set aside.
3. In large bowl mix flour, Splenda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and salt, mix well with a spoon.
4. Stir into the dry mix the walnuts and carrots
5. Mix the eggs and oil together, blending very well with a fork.
6. Add to the bowl with the dry ingredients along with the applesauce mixture.
7. Stir well and add in the Sprite Zero.
8. Mix until evenly moistened.
9. Spoon mixture into mini angel food pans that have been sprayed with a non stick vegetable spray.
10. Bake at 325 degrees F for 30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
11. Cool in pans for 5 mins then carefully twist the cakes without lifting at all to loosen them. When they are all turning well carefully remove them to a cooling rack to finish cooling completely.