Smoked Salmon Cheesecake

I love smoked salmon, don’t you? One of my all-time favourite breakfast dishes is a warm, crunchy onion bagel coated in herb-packed cream cheese and topped with layers of delicate smoked salmon. This cheesecake almost tops that.

If you’re tempted to add more lemon juice or zest to this recipe – don’t! This amount is perfect to provide a zingy, sharp bite to the otherwise smooth and laid-back topping of the cheesecake. 

Ingredients

85g crackers

100g butter

3tbsp parsley

2 eggs

225g cream cheese

Zest and juice of ½ a lemon

180ml double cream

20g gelatine

170g chopped smoked salmon

Recipe

1. Grease a round cake tin and crush the crackers into breadcrumbs using a food processor or by placing them in a bag and bashing them with a rolling pin. 

2. Melt the butter in the microwave and pour into the crackers. Add the parsley and mix well. Press into the bottom of the cake tin and place in the fridge to set.

3. Separate the eggs and put the yolks in a bowl with the cream cheese, lemon zest and juice, salmon, and cream. Beat together until smooth.

4. Dissolve the gelatine in around 4tbsp of warm water before folding into the cheesecake mixture. 

5. Beat the egg whites separately until they form stiff peaks and gently fold into the filling. 

6. Pour this mixture onto the cheesecake base and smooth the top with a spatula. 

Place in the fridge for several hours before serving. 

Salami Pizza Muffins

These salami pizza muffins are incredibly easy to whip up as a quick snack or a last-minute meal. These are an ideal home-made fast-food because they can be made beforehand and placed in the freezer for months. To defrost, simply place in the oven at 180C for about 15 minutes, or until the muffins are golden and sizzling.

I kept these simply and only added oregano for seasoning. I would have preferred a 'deeper' taste with pepper, but Boyfriend detests pepper with a vengeance and would not have any of it. When I make these muffins again, I would also add another herb - such as basil - and a spice to give them a bit of a kick - maybe a touch of chilli powder. 

Ingredients

100g flour

1 tsp baking powder     

1 tbsp oregano

160ml milk

1 egg

100g mozzarella

100g another kind of cheese – I used Gouda

200g salami in chunks

Recipe

1. Preheat the oven to 180C and grease a 12 muffin pan. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, oregano.

2. Beat the egg and milk together. Add the cheese and salami before pouring into the flour mixture.

3. Divide the batter between the muffin cups and bake until golden – around 30 minutes.