Pastizzi ta' l-Irkotta - Cheese cakes

Pastizzi are traditional Maltese cheese cakes. You can buy them in every town or village at Pastizzerias across the island. There the oldest fast food on this island.

The result didn't look perfect but the taste was quite nice.

Ingredients:

• 300g ricotta
• 3 eggs
• Finely chopped parsley
• 50g grated cheese
• Pepper
• 600g puff pastry

Method:

1. Make an egg wash from 1 egg.
2. Mix the remaining eggs, ricotta, cheese and peppers.



3. Pre-heat the open at 180 degrees Celsius.
4. Divide the pastry in equal hand size balls.



5. Roll the pastry thinly into circles of 9cm in diameter.
6. Egg wash the edges.
7. Put some of the ricotta mixture on the pastry on the edge.



8. Fold the pastry circle in half and seal the edges.
9. Egg wash the top.
10. Place in the oven for half an hour or until the party is ready.
11. Serve while still warm.

If you're not a fan of ricotta you can try out the pea pastizzi.

Recipe origin: Malta Bulb

Baked rice with white sauce

This is another one of my mum's dishes. It's baked rice which is layered with minced meat, ham, eggs, cheese and a white bescamelle sauce.

Serves: 4 persons

Ingredients

• 400-450g rice
• 3 chicken cubes
• 4 boiled eggs
• 450g minced meat
• 1 onion
• 2 garlic heads
• 4-6 tomatoes without peel and deseeded
• ham
• cheese, something which is young and melts nicely in the oven such as Edam cheese.
• 400ml milk
• 1 spoon butter
• 2 tbsp cornflour
• white wine

Method

1. Cook the rice in water with 1 chicken cube
2. Place the rice in an oven proof dish with no more than 1 inch thickness

3. Sautee the minced onion and minced garlic
4. Add the minced meat and cook
5. Add the tomatoes and 1 chicken cube
6. Add some white wine
7. Season with pepper
8. Cook until the liquid evaporates
9. Layer the meat mixture on top of the rice

10. Add a layer of ham on the meat

11. Add the sliced boiled eggs on top of the ham

12. Add a layer of cheese on top

13. Heat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius
14. For the white sauce mix the milk, 1 chicken cube, 2 tbs cornflour and/or 1tbs butter in a pan
15. Bring the mix under the heat, stirring continously until the mixture is smooth and creamy

16. Put the white sauce on top of the cheese layer

17. Place the dish in the middle layer of the oven and cook for around 30-45minutes or until the white sauce reddens slightly.