Coconut & Mango Yoghurt Cake

Rukmini Iyer's 'Roasting Tin' series has been a huge success so the sweet-toothed among you will be thrilled that there's now a book devoted to desserts and cakes - The Sweet Roasting Tin. I chose this recipe on the grounds that it would double as either. I reckon it would be a particularly good finale to a curry night.

Rukmini writes: I" ate three slices of this cake standing up at the counter the first time it came out of the oven – it’s that good. The yogurt, along with the desiccated coconut, makes this a wonderfully light sponge under the roasted mango; I’d consider serving it for breakfast."

Serves: 8

Prep: 15 minutes

Cook: 30–35 minutes

120g natural full-fat yogurt

50ml coconut oil, melted

150g soft light brown sugar

3 medium free-range eggs

120g desiccated coconut

50g plain flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 ripe mango, chopped into 1cm chunks

Preheat the oven to 160C fan/180C/gas 4. Whisk the yogurt, coconut oil and sugar together until pale and fluffy, then beat in the eggs one at a time.

Gently fold in the desiccated coconut, plain flour and baking powder, taking care not to overmix. Spoon the batter into a lined 20cm x 26cm roasting tin.

Scatter the chopped mango all over the batter – don’t worry if it looks like a bit too much for the cake, the cake will rise up around it.

Transfer to the oven for 30–35 minutes, until firm to the touch and a skewer inserted into a non-mango bit comes out clean.

Leave the cake in the tin for 5 minutes, then gently lift it out on to a wire rack and leave to cool briefly before serving warm or at room temperature.

Any leftovers should be stored in the fridge: you can gently warm the slices in the microwave as needed.

FOR GLUTEN-FREE: substitute the plain flour for a good brand of gluten-free blended flour (I like Freee self-raising flour from Doves Farm).

FOR DIABETICS: substitute the soft light brown sugar with 75g xylitol.

What to drink: If you're feeling indulgent a glass of Sauternes or similar sweet Bordeaux would be delicious with this. Or, a late harvest sauvignon blanc. See also The best wine pairings for mangoes and mango desserts

Extracted from: The Sweet Roasting Tin (One Tin Cakes, Cookies & Bakes) by Rukmini Iyer (Square Peg) September 2021, £18.99. Photography by David Loftus

Curried cauliflower cheese filo pie

Nothing is as exciting as a new Ottolenghi cookbook but I particularly love the approach of Shelf Love on which he’s collaborated with Noor Murad and the Ottolenghi Test Kitchen team. It's the first in a series of OTK books which are designed to be easy and versatile (they recommend alternative ingredients if you don't have the ones in the recipe)

I’ve already had the chance to taste a couple of recipes friends have made but this cauliflower cheese filo pie has my name all over it. Yours too, hopefully!

Curried cauliflower cheese filo pie

Cauliflower cheese, but make it pie. This dish was once described as ‘molten-hot-cheese-lava’ and we think that’s pretty fitting for the ultimate comfort of comfort foods.

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 1 hour 45 minutes

Serves 4, generously

1 large cauliflower, trimmed and cut into bite-size florets (700g)

2 tsp mild curry powder

3 tbsp olive oil

100g unsalted butter, 50g cut into roughly 3cm cubes and 50g melted

75g plain flour

675ml whole milk

2 garlic cloves, crushed

11/2 tbsp English mustard

150g mature cheddar, roughly grated

6 sheets of good-quality filo pastry (we use feuilles de filo)

salt and black pepper

1 tbsp roughly chopped parsley, to serve

11/2 tsp lemon zest, to serve

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C fan. Line the bottom and sides of a 23cm springform cake tin with baking parchment.

2. Put the cauliflower on a large, parchment-lined baking tray and toss with the curry powder, half the oil, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and a good grind of pepper. Roast for about 20 minutes, until cooked through and lightly coloured. Set aside, and turn the oven temperature down to 170°C fan.

3. Meanwhile, make the béchamel. Put the cubed butter into a medium saucepan on a medium-high heat and, once melted, whisk in the flour and cook for 1–2 minutes – it should start to smell nutty (like popcorn). Turn the heat down to medium and slowly add the milk a little at a time, whisking continuously to prevent any lumps, until incorporated and the sauce is smooth. Cook, whisking often, for about 7 minutes, until thickened slightly. Off the heat, stir in the garlic, mustard, cheese and 1/4 teaspoon of salt until the cheese has melted.

4. Keep your filo sheets under a damp tea towel to prevent them from drying out. In a bowl, combine the melted butter and the remaining 11/2 tablespoons of oil and keep to one side.

5. Working one sheet at a time, brush the exposed side of the filo with the butter mixture and drape it into your prepared tin (buttered side up), pushing it down gently to fit. Continue in this way with the next filo sheet, brushing it with butter and then laying it over the bottom sheet, rotating it slightly so the overhang drapes over the sides at a different angle. Do this with all six sheets. (There's a really good step by step series of pictures illustrating this in the book)

6. Spoon half the béchamel into the base and top with the roasted cauliflower florets. Spoon over the remaining béchamel, then crimp up the overhang so that it creates a messy ‘scrunched-up’ border around the edges, leaving the centre of the pie exposed.

7. Brush the top of the filo border with the remaining butter mixture, then transfer the tin to a baking tray and bake for 30 minutes.

8. Using a tea towel to help you, carefully release the outer circle of the springform tin and return the pie to the oven for another 20–25 minutes, or until the sides are nicely coloured and everything is golden and bubbling. Leave to settle for 15 minutes.

9. Top the pie with the parsley and lemon zest and serve warm.

What to drink: I’d go for a crisp Italian white wine like a Falanghina with this though a not-too-fruity dry Alsace, Austrian or German riesling would work well too.

Extracted from Ottolenghi Test Kitchen: Shelf Love by Noor Murad and Yotam Ottolenghi (Ebury Press, £25) All photography by Elena Heatherwick

Pizza 'claminara'

Shellfish topped pizzas or pizzette have been right on trend recently and here's a great version from Mitch Tonks fab new cookbook Rockfish (which has a whole load of other recipes I want to cook).

Mitch writes: "There is nothing not to like about this dish and it can be easily made at home. Garlic, crisp bread and a creamy topping of sweet clams.

The method was inspired by Pizza Pilgrims, the best pizza guys in London. During the lockdown of 2020 they launched an at-home pizza kit that fascinated me, and I watched their video on how to make a delicious pizza in a frying pan. It was genius and it works!

Take the time to make this dish. It’s super. If you like folded pizza, just fold it over before cooking and enjoy a ‘clamzoni’.

MAKES 4

For the dough

a 7g sachet of fast-action dried yeast

500g strong white flour

325ml tepid water

1 tablespoon olive oil

5g salt

5g caster sugar

For the sauce

1kg live clams

100ml white wine

1 bay leaf

1 peperoncini – hot red chilli

20g butter

20g plain flour

200ml milk

2 garlic cloves, grated

a handful of chopped curly parsley

To finish

1 tablespoon grated Parmesan

1 mozzarella ball (about 125g), roughly torn

Make the dough by mixing together the yeast, flour, water, olive oil, salt and sugar. Knead on a floured surface for about 5 minutes to make a nice elastic dough. Place in a bowl, cover with a tea towel or clingfilm and leave to rise until doubled in size. This will take 1–1. hours depending on room temperature. Knock the dough back, then divide into 4 portions. Pinch and shape each into a ball and leave under the cover of a towel to prove for 30 minutes.

To make the sauce, prepare the clams. First check that all the shells are undamaged and tightly shut (or close when tapped). Rinse under cold running water to remove any grit or sand, then put the clams in a pan with the wine, bay and chilli. Cover and steam the clams until they open, about 2 minutes. When cooled, remove the clams from their shells, keeping the meat and the liquid; discard the shells and any clams that didn’t open as well as the bay leaf and chilli.

Melt the butter in a smaller pan and stir in the flour. Cook for a couple of minutes to make a roux. Mix the clam cooking liquid and the milk together and pour gradually into the roux, stirring or whisking to make a smooth white sauce. Add the garlic and parsley and simmer for 3–4 minutes. The sauce should be creamy and quite thick. Add the clam meat and stir through. Set aside.

Shape each ball of dough into a disc to fit the pan you are going to use. Push up a raised rim all around.

Preheat the grill. Heat your ovenproof frying pan over a high heat and, when hot, place one of the pizza dough discs in it. Spread a quarter of the clam sauce over the pizza, up to the raised rim. Sprinkle with a little Parmesan and dot some mozzarella liberally all over the pizza. Cook for 4–5 minutes or until the bottom of the pizza is crisp and the edges are starting to rise.

Place the pan under the hot grill to finish cooking – the edges will rise and blister and the cheese will melt and brown. Once the pizza looks full of appeal, take it out and serve, then repeat with the remaining pizza dough discs and topping.

What to drink: I definitely fancy an Italian white wine with this - most likely vermentino but other Italian whites like verdicchio would work too.

From The Rockfish Cookbook by Mitch Tonks available from therockfish.co.uk or the restaurants and Amazon. Photograph © Chris Terry

Beetroot and pinot noir risotto

Beets are everywhere at the moment but have you ever thought of using them in a risotto? And adding a dash of pinot noir?

This is one of my favourite recipes from my book Wine Lover's Kitchen which is perfect for this time of year. The sweetness of pinot chimes in beautifully with the earthy flavour of the beetroot/ beets. Use the freshest possible ones you can find for the deepest colour and flavour. (It’s worth wearing a pair of disposable plastic gloves when you cut them up so you don’t stain your hands!)

Vegetarian

Serves 4

3 tbsp olive oil

200g/7oz red onion, roughly chopped

3-4 fresh beetroot (about 450g) ideally with their leaves

I clove of garlic, crushed

225g arborio (1 1/8 cups) or other risotto rice

150ml (2/3 cup) inexpensive fruity pinot noir e.g. from Chile

1 litre (4 cups) hot miso stock made with miso bouillon powder

100g/3 1/2 oz mild, crumbly goat's cheese

a few sprigs of fresh dill or a handful of chives, chopped

Heat the oil in a large frying plan and fry the onion over a moderate heat for 5 minutes. Peel the beetroot/beets and cut into small cubes, add to the pan, season with salt and pepper and cook for another 10 minutes.

Add the crushed garlic, cook for a minute then tip in the rice and cook, stirring for 2-3 minutes. Pour in the pinot noir and let it evaporate. Add the hot stock, about 50ml/3 tbsp at a time, stirring occasionally and letting each addition absorb before adding the next.

Once the rice is cooked (about 20 minutes), add a little extra stock or water, check the seasoning and leave for 5 minutes. Warm your serving bowls. Wash the beet leaves if you have some, strip from the stalks and cook down in a saucepan without any extra water. Place a few leaves in each bowl, spoon in the risotto, top with crumbled goats cheese and sprinkle with chopped dill or chives

What to drink: The pinot noir you used in the recipe. For other risotto pairings see

White or red wine: what's the best pairing for risotto?

And for other beetroot dishes The best wines to pair with beetroot

Extracted from Wine Lover's Kitchen by Fiona Beckett published by Ryland, Peters & Small. Photograph ©Mowie Kay