Getting organised

So in the process of trying to find a particular recipe, I realised that I have pieces of paper everywhere in my cook books, with notes and recipes all over them.

Consequently, I decided that I needed to get organised and bring them all together in one place.  I'm old fashioned, so while I know I could store them all electronically somewhere, I am going to right them up into a journal!  Insane I know and I'll probably regret it in about 15 minutes.  But here we go....

Lake Dinner with Summer Zucchini Galette

I recently had some vegetarian friends over for dinner and was a little stumped what to make other than the usual salads.  Then I came across this little gem.  Apart from having that wonderful artful appearance which I am passionate about, the galette was fabulous.  Really light but luscious and I can now imagine numerous variations on the theme for other occasions.  The dish goes with everything and is perfect even for meat eaters!!


Lake Dinner with Summer Zucchini Galette | Reluctant Entertainer

Spiced Apple Cake with Chocolate and Cream Cheese Icing

Now, this one comes courtesy of my Mother.  She tells me it is decadent and divine.  "I made if for the first time for our ladies morning tea in July and it was scrumptious...it has grated apples in it which gives it a nice moist texture.  It is very light when it comes out of the oven, so handle gently when going to join the cakes together.  I found there was plenty of icing to go over the whole cake.  The cream cheese in it makes it delicious and rich."

"Another suggestion I would make would be to put it into one deeper round time and even leave it uniced if you like, and just serve it as a dessert with cream or ice cream".

The recipe is attributed to Eddie from Better Homes and Gardens, Australia.

Ingredients

Cooking oil spray, for greasing

2 cups plain flour
2 Tbsp cocoa powder
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
250g unsalted butter, chopped, softened
2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
2 eggs
3 (600g) green apples,peeled, cored, coarsely grated

Icing sugar mixture, for dusting

Chocolate cream-cheese icing
250g cream cheese, chopped, softened
100g butter, chopped,softened
1 tsp milk
100g dark chocolate, melted,
at room temperature
2 cups icing sugar mixture
2 Tbsp cocoa powder

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 180°C or 356F.

2. Grease two 20cm round cake tins with cooking oil spray and line base and side of each with baking paper.

3. Sift flour, cocoa, bicarb, baking powder, cinnamon and ginger into a large bowl.

4. Put butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat on high, using paddle attachment, for 2 minutes or until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in apple. Add flour mixture, in 2 batches, stirring until combined. Divide batter evenly between prepared tins. Smooth surface.

5. Bake for 35 minutes or until cakes are cooked when tested with a skewer. Cool in tins for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

6. To make icing, put cheese and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat on low, using paddle attachment, for 2 minutes or until soft and fluffy. Add milk and chocolate. Sift in sugar and cocoa and beat on low until combined. Increase speed to high and beat for a further 2 minutes or until fluffy.

7. Invert 1 cake onto a serving plate or cake stand. Spoon 1 cup of the icing onto centre of cake and spread to edges using a palette knife. Sandwich with remaining cake, right side up. Spoon remaining icing on cake and spread to coat top. Dust with icing sugar to serve.

Enjoy with friends!!!

The Pleasure of Pasta

Making pasta can be one of the most pleasurable activities.  Its kind of cathartic in a lot of ways.  The whole process from making the dough, massaging it, then rolling it and creating your pasta style to the finishing touches of the sauce.  Its even better when prepared with someone else and a lot of love.  

Here we have two different pastas.  The first made with one of my beautiful nieces, has just a super simple marinara sauce with Italian sausage.  The second; basil infused fettucini with semi sun dried tomatoes and chirozo.  

Both perfect and simple.  Enjoy with a lovely red wine and crusty Italian bread and shavings of Parmesan.

Simplicity

I just love the simplicity of great food shared with fabulous friends.  And nothings better than doing that with various small bites in a rustic and casual setting.  I have spoken about tapas before and in truth, you can create all the same wonderful flavours and the atmosphere at home without fancy food or the expense.  Just think about what foods are your favourites and then simply 'shrink' them.





So tonight, we've thrown together roasted beetroot with cottage cheese, smoked salmon with horseradish cream, caprese salad, and lemony herbed potatoes.

All fabulous finger foods served with crusty Italian bread and great red wine!

Market Pottering

No matter where I travel, I love to seek out food markets.  I just love being in them and watching all the activity.  The colours, smells and sounds are food for the soul.  And its even better if its a market someplace that has produce unlike anything you would ordinarily get in your home town.  And I guess that is one of the best bits; the fact that markets can be found all over the world from tiny villages to the largest cities.  Often there will be speciality markets too, such as seafood or even cheese.  What is great is that the produce on offer is more often than not locally grown and crafted.

So if you are lucky to have a kitchen on hand, you can be assured that you are getting great quality and flavours.

One of my favourite markets is the Borough Market in London.  Not only does this market have fabulous produce for all over, its also a bustling marketplace choc full of activity with chefs demonstrating various recipes and entertainers busking.  Surrounding the market itself, are numerous outstanding restaurants and cafes, cheese shops, bakeries, and florists.  You won't go wanting here.  Its also located a short walk from the Thames and London Bridge.  So if you are visiting London, make this spot on of your 'must see' destinations!

Decadence

I have a couple of food vices.  Okay, I actually have heaps.  But I absolutely love chocolate, dried fruit and coffee.  I am not, however, a huge fan of sweets.  So when I came across this recipe, I unexpectedly fell in love.  This cake is extremely decadent and divine.  Its meant to be a Christmas Cake, but I think you could have it anytime.  The smells while cooking fill your home with an amazingly welcoming scent.   If you are anything like me, scents bring back so many memories for me of those festive occasions throughout the year when my extended family would all gather and our Mum's would all brew something truly amazing.

The original recipe comes from the divine Nigella Lawson.  But I have tinkered with it to suit myself and my taste bud's demands and I think anyone could do the same.

Decadence Chocolate Fruit Cake

Ingredients

1. 350g dried, soft prunes roughly chopped
2. 250g raisins
3. 125g of cranberries or dried blueberries
4. 75g almonds ground
5. 175g unsalted butter softened
6. 175g dark muscovado sugar
7. 175ml honey
8. 125ml coffee liqueur or strong coffee (espresso)
9. 2 oranges, juice and zest only
10. 1 teaspoon mixed spice
11. 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder
12. 3 eggs beaten
13. 150g of plain flour
14. 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
15. 1/2 teaspoon bicarb soda
16. Vanilla essence
17. 25g Dark chocolate covered coffee beans (for decoration)

Directions

Preheat the over to 300 F or 150 C.

Line the sides and bottom of a 20cm/9cm deep round loose-bottomed cake tin with a layer of baking paper.  Make sure the paper comes up twice the height of the tin as this sucker will rise!  You may need to cut the paper and fiddle around to get it right.

Put the fruit, butter, sugar, honey, coffee liqueur, orange juice and zest, mixed spice and cocoa into a large saucepan.  Heat this mixture up until it reaches a gentle boil, stirring the mixture as the butter melts.  Then let the mixture simmer for ten minutes.  After that, remove the saucepan from the heat and let it stand for 30 minutes to cool a little.

After cooling, add the eggs, flour, ground almonds, baking powder and bicarb.  Mix it all well until everything is combined.  I also pop in a good glug of vanilla essence (homemade of course) and a pinch of salt.

Pour the fruitcake mixture into your lined cake tin.  Transfer it over to the the oven and bake for 1 3/4 - 2 hours or until the cake is firm but has a shiny and sticky look.  Its important to note that if you insert a sharp knife or skewer into the cake, the cake should still be a little uncooked and sticky in the middle!!

Transfer the tin to a cooling rack.  Once its cooled, you can take the cake out of the tin (but not before).

Decorate it how you wish.  I love fresh raspberries or chocolate covered coffee beans.  But really anything that screams decadence can be used.

Serve with cream, ice-cream or even just with great coffee.  Then....enjoy

This cake does store well and refrigerate well.