Ingredients

• 2 cups water
• 3 sachets Four O’Clock Lychee Ginger White Tea
• 6 firm Asian, Barlett or Bosc pears
• ¾ cup sugar
• One 2-inch piece of fresh ginger, thinly sliced
• Peel of half lemon and half orange
• 1 cup whipping cream
• 2 sachets Four O’Clock Chocolate Spice Tea
• 1 tsp maple syrup
• ½ cup low fat French vanilla yogurt (optional)

Instructions

1. In a saucepan bring the water to a boil.
2. Move from heat, add the Four O’Clock Lychee Ginger White Tea sachets and steep for 5 minutes.
3. Peel the pears.
4. Place the tea, sugar, ginger and peels into a saucepan large enough to hold the pears in a single layer.
5. Over medium heat bring the mixture to boiling point, or until the sugar has dissolved.
6. Reduce heat to simmer, add the pears and cook for about 20 to 30 minutes, turning occasionally to evenly cook.
7. Remove from heat and allow pears to cool in syrup.
8. Cover and refrigerate.
9. To make infused cream, in a small saucepan, add the whipping cream and bring to boiling point.
10. Remove from heat and add the Four O’Clock Chocolate Spice tea sachets and steep for 10 to 15 minutes or until fragrant.
11. Squeeze out sachets and discard.
12. Cover and refrigerate until cold. Pour into a chilled mixing bowl, add maple syrup and whip until stiff peaks. Fold in yogurt, if using, until well mixed.
13. To assemble, remove pears from poaching liquid, drain well, and place one in a chilled serving dish.
14. Drizzle each with some of the poaching liquid and garnish with dollops of the cream.
15. Alternate option: the poaching liquid can be reduced by simmering to make a thicker syrup

Ingredients

• 300 g of pasta
• 1 scoop of powdered saffron
• 1 handful of arugula
• 12 shrimp
• 12 cherry tomatoes
• 5 dried sweet apricots
• 1 grapefruit
• 1 tablespoon olive oil (or chives)
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
• Salt and pepper

Cooking directions

Bring a large volume of water to a boil, pour the scoop of saffron and add salt. Cook pasta according to package directions, preferably “al dente”. Drain the pasta … and move them quickly in cold water to refresh them. be careful not to let them too long in cold water as they would quickly become mushy.

Shell the shrimps, cut the tomatoes in two, detail the apricots into small pieces and get the highest grapefruit.

Prepare the dressing by mixing 3 tablespoons of oil with 1 tablespoon of vinegar, salt and pepper (may add 1 teaspoon of mustard or cottage cheese for something more creamy).

In a bowl, combine pasta with arugula, tomatoes, shrimp, apricots and grapefruit, pour the sauce and serve well chilled.

Ingredients:

(serves 6 – 8)

560 g spinach

30 g butter, plus extra for greasing

4 eggs, separated

pinch of grated nutmeg

1 tbsp finely grated Parmesan cheese

Filling:

15 g butter

250 g button mushrooms, sliced

juice of ½ lemon

salt and black pepper, to taste

200 ml crème fraîche

2 tbsp chopped parsley

33 x 23 cm Swiss roll tin

Preparation:

Make the filling first: melt the butter in the pan, add the mushrooms, lemon juice, and salt and ground black pepper to taste. Cook for 3 minutes until just softened. Leave to cool.

Wash the spinach and put into a saucepan with only the water reamining on the leaves. Cook over a gentle heat for 1 – 2 minutes until the spinach has just wilted. Drain well, squeezing to remove  excess water.

Butter the tin and line with baking parchment. Butter the parchment too.

Coarsely chop the spinach, turn into a large bowl, and beat in the butter, egg yolks, nutmeg, and salt and black pepper to taste. In another bowl, whisk the egg whites until firm but not dry., then fold gently into the spinach mixture.

Pour the spinach mixture into the Swiss roll tin and bake in preheated oven at 220°C / 425°F / Gas 7 for 10 – 12 minutes until firm.

Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese onto a sheet of baking parchment. Turn the roulade out onto the cheese, leave to cool for 5 – 10 minutes, then peel off the lining paper. Trim.

Drain the mushrooms, reserving some of the cooking liquid. Put them into a bowl, add the crème fraîche, parsley and season to taste. Add the little of the reserved liquid if too thick. Spread the filling over the roulade, leaving a 2.5 cm border. Roll up from the long side. Cover and chill for 30 minutes. Cut into slices to serve.

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups (250g) of wheat flour
• 3 1/2 ounces (100g) of walnuts
• 4 1/2 tbsp (65mL) of olive oil
• Some vegetable milk
• 1 1/2 ounces (40g) rapadura
• Cinnamon
• 1 pinch of salt
• 2 large apples
• 4 tbsp applesauce

Cooking instructions:

1. In a bowl, combine flour, 1 ounce (30g) sugar, cinnamon, salt and 2 ounces (60g) of crushed walnuts. Add the olive oil, mix with your fingertips. Add a little milk to form a ball. Spread the dough in a pie pan or on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

2. Cut halved apples into slices. Sprinkle the dough with applesauce, then place the apples.

3. Mix 10g of sugar with a little cinnamon and sprinkle over apples.

4. Bake in preheated oven at 360°F  (180°c) for about 30 minutes. Your apple tart is ready!

Ingredients

Ingredients

• 1 large butternut squash (about 3 lb)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• sea salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 head radicchio, sliced into wide ribbons
• 2 garlic cloves
• a big handful of parsley leaves
• 12 or more large sage leaves
• 1 lb pumpkin gnocchi (or potato gnocchi, cheese ravioli, mushroom tortellini, etc.)
• freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400. Dice squash into 1/2-inch cubes. Arrange on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  Spray with cooking spray and sprinkle with salt.  Roast for 30-40 minutes or until tender.
2. Heat 2 tbsp of the remaining oil in a wide skillet.  Add the radicchio, season with salt, and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until wilted and tender and no longer red, about 8 minutes.  Chop the garlic, parsley and sage together.  Add to the radicchio and saute for 1 minute more.  Toss the radicchio/herb mix with the squash in a large bowl.
3. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil.  Cook the gnocchi until they start to float, about 2-3 minutes. Toss with the squash and radicchio.  Serve topped with the parmesan cheese.

Ingredients:

4 young (but not baby) leeks, trimmed

12 scallops, roes on or off

1 tbsp olive oil

For the butter:

250 g butter, softened

1 red chilli, seeded and finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, crushed

2 lemon zest

1 bunch of fresh parsley leaves, chopped, plus extra to garnish

Preparation:

Beat the butter ingredients together, spoon onto a large sheet of cling film, wrap tightly in a sausage shape, than freeze.

Set up a pan  with a steamer or suspend a metal colander over a pan. Cut the leeks in a half lengthways, then slice into long strips, about the tickness of tagliatelle. Cover, then steam for 6 minutes. Season, then set aside.

Dry the scallops and season then. Heat a heavy-based pan, then add the oil. Once hot, sizzle the scallops for 2 minutes until caramelized.  Turn, fry for 1 minute more, then take the lemon and chilli butter from the freezer and add a good few slices to the pan off the heat, spooning it over the scallops.

Ingredients

• 2 large egg whites, at room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1 cup confectioners sugar

• 1/4 teaspoon flavored extract, such as lemon, peppermint, orange, or almond
• 2 tablespoons colored sugar or edible glitter

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 200º. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar until frothy, about 3 minutes. Set the mixer speed to high and beat another 3 minutes or so until the eggs whites are fluffy.
2. Add the confectioners sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, and continue beating until the egg whites are stiff and glossy, about 5 minutes. Then beat in the extract.
3. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Use a pencil to draw snowflake patterns on the paper. The meringues will not spread, so they can be drawn fairly close together. Turn the papers printed-side down and stick them to the baking sheets by dabbing a little meringue in each corner.
4. Spoon the meringue into a large pastry bag fitted with a 1/4-inch round tip and pipe it, erring on the thick side so the snowflakes will be less fragile, onto the paper-lined sheets following the patterns. Sprinkle the meringues with colored sugar or edible glitter.
5. Bake the snowflakes until dry but not browned, about 1 hour. Carefully slide the parchment paper from the baking sheets to wire racks and let the meringues cool completely.
6. Using scissors, cut the paper between the meringues to separate them. Then gently peel away the paper from each one, keeping one hand under the snowflake to support the edges. The meringues will stay crisp for up to 2 weeks if stored in an airtight container at room temperature (do not refrigerate them). Makes about 20.

INGREDIENTS

• 24 squash blossoms, washed and prepared as below
• Canola oil for frying

• 1 cup ground pork
• 1 Tablespoon garlic, minced finely
• 1 Tablespoon shallots, minced finely
• 2 Tablespoons oyster sauce
• 1 Tablespoon thin soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon white ground pepper

• 1/2 cup rice flour
• 1 cup water
• 1 Tablespoon baking powder

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Gently wash and dry the squash blossoms. Snap the stem off directly below the flower and then using kitchen scissors, cut the stamen/pistil out of the center of the flower and remove.
2. Heat canola oil in a frying pan to medium heat.
3. Combine all ingredients for the pork filling and mix well.
4. Stuff the prepared squash blossoms with a small amount (~1 teaspoon) of the pork filling.
5. Combine all ingredients for the batter and mix well.
6. Dip the stuffed squash blossoms in the batter and then gently place the stuffed-blossom in the hot oil. Let fry for ~5 minutes until the pork is cooked through and the blossom is golden and crispy.
7. Enjoy immediately, either alone or with some chili dipping sauce!

Ingredients:

1 cup castor sugar (or plain white sugar)
1 tsp white vinegar
1 tsp vanilla essence
2 tbsp boiling water
1 egg white
1 tsp baking powder

Method:

1. Mix all ingredients together except baking powder.
2. Beat for 10-15 minutes until stiff and then fold in one teaspoon baking powder.
3. Bake at 125°C for one hour, then let cool for one hour.