Marble Surprise Cake

The last two recipes on this blog were inspired by a friend of mine called Lucy Z.

 This is a photo of me and Lucy

                                      

For my birthday a couple of years back she baked me some cupcakes.

At first glance this is what they looked like... Delicious. 

Then you take a bite and this is what was inside

They were all the colours of the rainbow and just as exciting.

Obviously I am not quite up to rainbow standards yet but will progressively add more colours as my culinary skills grow.

Thanks Lucy (and Donna Hay) for the inspiration. 

Ingredients 

2 ½ cups plain flour

1 ½ tsp baking powder

1 ¾ cups caster sugar

250g unsalted butter, melted

4 eggs

1 ¼ cups milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

Pink food colouring

¼ cup cocoa powder, sifted

1 tbsp milk, extra

2 cups shredded coconut

For the icing

Icing sugar

Water

Pink food colouring

Preheat the oven the 160°C.

Place the flour, baking powder, sugar, butter, eggs, milk and vanilla in a large bowl and mix well to combine.

Divide the mixture into three equal portions.

Stir pink food colouring into the first. When using food colouring only use small amounts at a time to create a colour that will suite your taste.

Add the cocoa and extra milk to the second portion.

Leave third portion plain.

Drop alternative spoonfuls of pink, chocolate and plain cake mixture into a lightly greased 22cm round cake tin.

Gently swirl mixture with a butter knife to create a marble effect and bake for 1 ¼ hours or until cooked when tested with a skewer.

Cool in tin for 5 minutes then turn out onto a wire rack.

To make the pink icing place icing sugar in a bowl and add small amounts of water mixing thoroughly. Add tiny drops of food colouring in until you get the desired colour.

Spread icing over cake and coat with coconut.

By Donna Hay

Marble Cupcakes with Old Fashioned Fudge Icing

 

Ingredients

225g plain flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt, plus pinch for the egg whites

180g unsalted butter, room temperature

200g sugar

2 egg separated

80ml milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tbsp cocoa powder

For old fashioned fudge frosting

300g sugar

180ml milk

2 tbsp cocoa powder

Pinch of salt

1 tbsp unsalted butter

1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 180°C.

Mix dry ingredients in a bowl. Set aside

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

Add egg yolks and beat to blend.

Alternatively add dry ingredients and milk, beating well after each addition.

Divide batter into two separate bowls.

Mix vanilla into one of the batters and cocoa into the other.

Beat egg whites with a pinch of salt until they form stiff peaks.

Divide in half and gently fold into each of the batters.

Spoon batter into cupcake papers, filling cups about 2/3 full, 1 heaped tsp at a time, alternating batters.

They will appear not to mixed but will ‘marble’ when cooked.

Bake for 25 minutes or until a tester inserted into the centre comes out clean

Remove from oven and leave to cool.

To make the frosting mix sugar, milk, cocoa and salt in a medium saucepan. Cook slowly over a medium heat until mixture comes to the boil.

Continue cooking until mixture forms a soft ball when dropped into a glass of water. This make take 15 minutes.

Remove mixture from heat.

Add butter and vanilla and blend well.

Put pan in cold water and beat until mixture is of spreading consistency.

This could also take 15 minutes.

Spread on cup cakes immediately.

Keep a mug of hot water next to you while icing. The frosting may become hard before you have finished icing but if you dip your knife in the hot water between cupcakes, the hot metal makes the frosting malleable again

 By Gail Wagman from Cupcakes Galore.

Polenta Chips

Ingredients

1.25 litres water

2 tsp salt

250g polenta

75g Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving

Bring the water to the boil in a large, wide saucepan.

Add the salt, then sprinkle in the polenta, a handful at a time letting it fall through your fingers from a height.

Stir continuously, using a wooden spoon.

If you add the polenta too fast, it will form lumps (if this happens, fish them out because they will not break down during cooking).

Once all the polenta is added, turn the heat down low and cook, giving 3-4 good stirs every 20secounds or so, for 25 minutes.
Stir in the Parmesan cheese

Spread it out 1cm thick on a tray and leave to cool.


Once cool, cut the polenta into triangles and place on baking tray.
Drizzle over olive oil, salt and some rosemary and bake in preheated oven (220°C) until golden and crispy.

Polenta Pie with Puttanesca Sauce

Ingredients

1.25 litres water

2 tsp salt

250g polenta

75g parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving

50g butter

For the Puttanesca Sauce

75ml olive oil

2 cloves garlic

2 tiny chillies

800g canned tomatoes, mashed

1 tablespoon capers, drained

1 tsp dried oregano

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Roughly 10 black olives

Bring the water to the boil in a large, wide saucepan.

Add the salt, then sprinkle in the polenta, a handful at a time letting it fall through your fingers from a height.

Stir continuously, using a wooden spoon.

If you add the polenta too fast, it will form lumps (if this happens, fish them out because they will not break down during cooking).

Once all the polenta is added, turn the heat down low and cook, giving 3-4 good stirs every 20secounds or so, for 25 minutes.

Spread it out 1cm thick on a tray and leave to cool.

Put the olive oil in a heavy based saucepan, set it over a medium heat and drop in the garlic.

Sauté the garlic until it turns a pale biscuit colour, then stir in the chillies.

Carefully tip in the tomatoes, capers, oregano, a few large pinches of salt and black pepper.

Check the seasoning once sauce is cooked.

Bring the sauce to the boil, lower the heat and cook gently, string occasionally, for 25-30 minutes or until the tomatoes are pulpy.

Add the olives.

Cut the polenta into large diamond shapes.

Lightly butter a shallow oven proof dish, about 23cm in diameter, and put in a layer of slightly overlapping polenta shapes.

Pour over the sauce and sprinkle with less the half the parmesan cheese.

Form another layer of polenta shapes on the top, again slightly overlapping, and sprinkle on the rest of the cheese.

Melt the butter and drizzle a little over each peace of polenta.

The polenta pie can be prepared several hours in advance to this point. Cover with glad wrap and refrigerate, but bring to room temperature before baking.

Bake in an oven preheated to 220°C and allow the pie to heat through and brown on top (about 30 minutes)

Serve hot, with extra grated parmesan cheese.

As a side I used large helpings of spinach and broccoli.

By Julie Biuso’s Italian Cooking

Gnocci with Wild Mushroom and Rosemary Ragu

Ingredients

For gnocchi – I used pre-made gnocchi bought from the supermarket

600g floury potato

1 large egg

450g plain flour

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the ragu

Olive oil for frying

2 onions, finely chopped

2 carrots, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, crushed

400g canned tomaroes

500ml red wine

500ml stock

Fresh rosemary to taste

For topping

450g Portobello mushrooms

1 garlic clove

Freshly grated parmesan cheese, to serve

To make the gnocchi, boil the spuds for about 40mins until soft.

Drain, and when cool enough to handle peel and mash or pass through a ricer into a bowl

Make a well in the centre of the mash, add the egg and mix in, then add the flour and seasoning.

Mix to form a dough, then knead for a few minutes until dry to the touch.

Divide the potato dough into three and roll each out into 2cm diameter ropes, then cut off at 2cm intervals.

Press one side of the gnocchi with the back of a fork to form ‘grooves’ – this will give the sauce something to stick to.

Bring a pan of water to the boil and drop the gnocchi into the water.

When they rise, scoop out and refresh with ice cold water.

Drain well, then pat dry, toss in oil and chill until needed.

You can also freeze them at this stage

To make the ragu, heat some oil in a pan and gently fry the vegetables for 5 minutes until soft.

Add the tomatoes and cook for 7-8 minutes until a rich red

Add the wine, stock and rosemary, bring to the boil, then simmer for at least 40 minutes, but preferably a hour.

When ready to serve, cut the mushrooms into chunks and fry with the garlic in oil until soft, season well.

Warm the gnocchi in the ragu, spoon onto a plate and top with mushrooms and Parmesan.

By Simon Rimmer from The Accidental Vegetarian

Chocolate Mousse Cake

I made this cake without the two different kinds of chocolate using instead 400g of the 70% cocoa chocolate.

The mousse came out fairly bitter but when it is combined with the lovely sweet base it turns into a melt in your mouth sweetly rich experience. 

Ingredients

1 cup almond meal (ground almonds)

1 2/3 cups icing sugar, sifted

½ cup plain flour, sifted

¼ cup cocoa, sifted

½ tsp baking powder, sifted

5 egg whites

200g butter

For the mousse

400g dark chocolate, chopped

100g 70% dark chocolate, chopped

1 tsp vanilla essence

2 cups cream, whipped

Preheat the oven to 160°.

Place the almond meal, icing sugar, flour, cocoa, and baking powder in a bowl and stir to combine.

Add the egg whites and butter and stir to combine.

Pour the mixture into a lightly greased 22cm round springform cake tin.

Bake for 30-35minutes or until cake is springy to touch and comes away from the sides of the tin.

Turn out onto a wire rack to cool.

Line the tin with gladwrap and place the cooled cake back in the base of the tin. Set aside.

To make the chocolate mousse filling, place the chocolate and vanilla in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and stir until melted and smooth.

Set aside to cool slightly.

Fold the chocolate mixture through the cream until well combined.

Spoon the mousse over the cake base.

Refrigerate for two hours or until set.

Carefully remove the tin and plastic wrap to serve.

 Donna Hay magazine the 50^th Issue Birthday 

Spicy Potatoes

This recipe is fairly malleable, I am constantly changes quantities, and ingredients (for example instead of cashew nuts I often use peanuts and leave out the raisins altogether - although they are surprisingly nice in this dish) so make this according to your tastes. If you don't like cinnamon then just dont put it in. Easy as that.

Ingredients

8 potatoes

Oil or ghee (butter) for deep frying, plus 3 tbsp oil or 2 tbsp ghee (butter)

2 large tomatoes

2 tbsp natural yogurt

1 tbsp cashew nuts

1 tbsp raisins

100ml water

½ level tsp sugar

Salt

2 tbsp finely chopped fresh coriander leaves

For the paste

2.5cm cinnamon stick

Seeds of 2 cardamoms

3 cloves

6 black peppercorns

1 tsp coriander seeds

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp poppy seeds

1 cm piece of fresh ginger

3 garlic cloves, skinned

Par boil the potatoes in well salted water.

Heat oil or ghee in a frying pan and when hot, add the potatoes.

Cook until golden brown and crispy, remove with a slotted spoon and drain on absorbent kitchen paper.

Blend ingredients for the paste in a blender, food processor, or mortar and pestle with a little water

Heat the 3 tbsp oil or 2 tsp ghee in a large pan and fry the paste for 1-2minutes.

Add the tomato and yogurt and fry for 1 minute more, then add the cashew nuts and raisins and fry for 30 seconds.

Add potatoes to the pan with the water and cook for 3-4minutes.

Add the sugar and salt to taste.

Sprinkle coriander leaves on top and serve with rice.

By Tarla Dalal’s Indian Vegetarian Cookery

Cardamom Bread

This bread is very sweet. I'm not sure if it is meant to be sweet or if I just put too much caster sugar in. Anyway the point of this blurb is that don't try this if you don't like sweet bread. I also found out that the yeast I used was expired which explains why it didn't rise like it should have. May also explain why I found my mum sneaking it outside for the birds to eat... even they wouldn't eat it.

Ingredients

125ml water

75g butter

50g caster sugar, plus 1 tsp caster sugar

175ml warm water

1 ½ tsp dried yeast or 15g fresh yeast or 1x7g sachet fast-acting yeast

1 egg

½ tsp salt

1 tbsp freshly ground cardamom using the seeds from approximately 28 pods

600g plain flour, sifted

Butter or oil a baking tray.

Place the 125ml of water and butter in a saucepan and bring to the boil

Once the butter is melted, pour the mixture into a large bowl and allow to cool,

In a measuring jug, mix the teaspoon of caster sugar with 60ml of the warm water and yeast and allow to stand in a warm place for 5minutes until frothy.

Or if using fast acting yeast, they can go straight into the ingredients.

In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, the 50g caster sugar and the salt, then add the remaining warm water and whisk until blended

When the butter and water mixture has cooled but is still warm, add the yeast mixture, the egg mixture and the ground cardamom and stir until blended.

Add the flour and mix

Turn onto a floured surface and knead for about 10minutes until smooth and soft.

Add more flour if the dough is sticky.

Place the dough in a large oiled bowl, cover with gladwrap or a clean tea towel and allow to rise in a warm, draught-free place for about 2 hours or until doubled in size.

Pre heat the oven to 180°C . Knock back the dough in the bowl and then turn it onto a lightly floured work surface and knead for a few seconds.

Shape the dough into a plated or plain loaf and place on the prepared baking tray.

Cover with a clean tea towel and allow to rise for 20-30 minutes or until doubled in size.

Bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes or until it sounds hollow when tapped on the base.

Remove the load from the oven and transfer to a wire rack.

Rub loaf with some butter and dust with flour.

From Bake by Rachel Allen

Basil Roulade with Goat's Cheese and Sun-blushed Tomatoes, and Beetroot Caviar

Ingredients

65g butter plus extra for greasing

100g plain flour

425ml milk warmed

7 eggs separated

Big handful of basil leaves roughly chopped

75g freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Lettuce, to serve

For the filling

250g ricotta cheese

100g goat’s cheese, crumbled

Big handful of fresh basil leaves

Sprinkle of sun blushed tomatoes

For the beetroot caviar

25ml olive oil

2 shallots, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, crushed

4 lime leaves, shredded

6 cooked beetroots, peal and chopped

First make the roulade. Melt the butter in a pan and stir in the flour to make a rox.

Cook for 3 minutes, then add the milk, a little at a time, and stir until thickened.

Season well, then stir in the egg yolks.

Take off heat and leave to cool

Beat the egg whites until stiff, then gently and carefully fold into the cooled mixture, keeping in as much air as possible.

Then gently fold in basil

Pre-heat the oven to 200°C.

Grease and line a baking tray.

Spread the mixture onto the tray, top with parmesan and cook for 15minutes until springy and risen.

Turn out onto a piece of greaseproof paper, carefully remove the lining paper and leave to cool.

To make the filling, season the ricotta cheese and spread some on the cooled roulade base, leaving a gap at each end, then sprinkle on the goat’s cheese, basil and tomatoes.

Roll the roulade up from one long side, then wrap in greaseproof paper and foil and chill overnight.

(I did not do this but realised after eating the leftovers it tastes waaaay better the next day so do prepare a day a head)

When ready to serve, preheat the oven to 200°C.

Slice the roulade, allowing two wedges per person, and heat in the oven for about 10 minutes, then finish off under a hot grill to crisp slightly.

Transfer to serving plate with lettuce

Meanwhile, make the beetroot caviar.

Heat the oil in a pan and fry the shallots, garlic and lime leaves until soft, then add the beetroots and warm through.

Put into a food processor and pulse until broken down but still slightly chunky.

Serve with the roulade.

From The Accidental Vegetarian by Simon Rimmer

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

225g butter

¾ cup with sugar

¾ cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla

2 siz-7 eggs

2 ¼ cups flour

½ tsp salt

1 level tsp baking soda

300g chocolate chips

Preheat oven to180°C

Cream together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy

Add vanilla and eggs one at a time

Mix dry ingredients together and add, scraping down the sides to blend

Mix in the chocolate which should be cut into small chunks

Put large teaspoons onto a greased baking tray, allowing a little room for expansion

Bake at 180°C for 10 minutes.  After 5 minutes’ cooking, flatten the biscuits slightly with a fork or your fingers

The biscuits should be pale golden.  Remove to a rack to cool

From Annabel Langbein's Cookbook

Chocolate Melting Moments

Ingredients

125g butter, softened

2 tbsp icing sugar

¾ cup (110g) plain flour

2 tbsp cornflour

1 tbsp cocoa powder

¼ cup (85g) chocolate hazelnut spread (nutella)

Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C fan-forced.  Grease oven trays; line with baking paper

Beat butter and sifted icing sugar in small bowl with electric mixer until light and fluffy.  Stir in sifted dry ingredients

Roll 1 tsp mound of mixture into balls, press flat

Bake biscuits about 10 minutes.  Cool on trays

Sandwich biscuits with hazelnut spread.

From Women's Weekly Mix cakes, muffins, biscuits + puddings

Vanilla Butter Cake with Passionfruit Icing

125g butter, chopped

¾ cup milk

3 eggs

1 tbsp vanilla extract

1 cup caster sugar

1 ½ cups self raising flour

Preheat oven to 180°c and grease cake pan

Stir butter and milk in a small saucepan over heat until butter is melted.

Remove from heat and cool to room temperature

Beat eggs and extract in a small bowl with an electric mixer until thick and creamy.

Gradually add sugar, beating until sugar dissolves between each addition

Transfer mixture to a larger bowl and stur in sifted flour and butter mixture, in two batches.

Pour mixture into pan

Bake for about 45minutes.

Stand cake in pan for 5 minutes

Turn top-side up, onto a wire rack to cool

For passionfruit icing please refer to the Passionfruit butter yoyo bite recipe




From Women’s Weekly MIX. Cakes, muffins, biscuits and puddings

Passionfruit Butter Yoyo Bites

Yoyo Bites

250g butter, softened, chopped

1 tsp vanilla extract

½ cup icing sugar

1 ½ cups plain flour

½ cup cornflour

Passionfruit butter

80g butter, softened

2/3 cup icing sugar

1 tbsp passionfruit pulp

Preheat oven to 160°c and grease two oven trays

Beat butter, extract and sugar in a medium bowl with electric mixer until light and fluffy.

Stir in sifted dry ingredients, in two batches

Roll rounded teaspoons of mixture into balls; place on tray about 3cm apart.

Using fork dusted with a little flour; press tines gently onto each biscuit to flatten slightly.

Bake biscuits for about 12 minutes or until firm.

Stand on tray for 5 minutes then transfer to wire rack to cool

Meanwhile make the passionfruit butter by beating together butter and sugar in a small bowl with electric mixer until light and fluffy, then stirring in the passionfruit pulp.

Sandwich cool biscuits with passionfruit butter.

From Women’s Weekly MIX. Cakes, muffins, biscuits and puddings

Potato and Haloumi Frittata with a Tomato Salad

Ingredients fro Potato and Haloumi Frittata

700g potatoes, peeled and chopped into wedges

5 vegetarian sausages (original recipe calls for a chorizo sausage)

olive oil

8 eggs

1 ½ cup cream

200g haloumi

200g cup caramelised onion or onion jam

Preheat oven to 200°C. Place the potato, sausage and oil in a 12cup-capacity ovenproof dish and toss to coat.

Roast for 30-45mins or until golden.

Place the eggs and cream in a bowl and whisk until well combined.

Pour over the potato and sausage and top with the haloumi and caramelised onion.

Cook for 15-20 mins or until the egg is set and the top is golden.

By Donna Hay from the Weekend Herald - Canvas



Ingredients for Tomato Salad (all to your own taste)

Tomatoes

Fresh Basil

Balsamic Vinegar

Sugar

Salt

Cracked pepper

Slice the tomatoes into thin wheels.

Roughly chop the basil

Drizzle over the vinegar then sprinkle salt, sugar and cracked pepper over the top.

Rhubarb and Berry Shortcake

Ingredients

Fruit
3-4 stalks rhubarb
3 tbsp sugar
1 heaped cup of mixed berries

Shortcake
125g butter, softened
125g sugar
1 egg
225g standard flour
25g cornflour
1 tsp baking powder

To serve
icing sugar
lightly whipped cream

Preheat the oven 180ºC. Line the bottom of a 20-22cm shallow round non-stick cake tin with baking paper.

To prepare the fruit, trim and slice the rhubarb and put in a large non-stick frying pan with sugar.
Place over a low heat and shake the pan every now and then, until the fruit is almost tender.
Trim and slice the berry and add to the pan.
Give the pan another shake and set aside until the mixture is lukewarm.

To make the shortcake, put the softened butter and sugar in a mixing bowl and beat until light and fluffy, then beat in the egg.
Sift the flour, cornflour, and baking powder together and beat in until just thoroughly mixed.
Scoop two-thirds of the dough into the cake tins and press it evenly over the bottom and up the sides.
The remaining dough will be used for the topping.

Spread the warm fruit over the shortcake base, then grate the remaining dough over the top, allowing a little of  fruit to pep through.

Bake for about 30 mins, until the shortcake is a light biscuit brown,
Remove from the oven and allow to cool for a few minutes before upending on to a wire rack and then on to a plate

Serve warm, cool or cold, dusted with icing sugar and with lightly whipped cream on the side


By Lois Daish - A Treasury of New Zealand Baking

Chengdu Tofu

Ingredients

800g tofu (original recipe uses chicken so you can substitute back if you like)
2 tbsp light soy sauce
2 tbsp chinese cooking wine
1 tsp sesame oil
1/4 cup (60ml) peanut oil
300g spinach, trimmed, chopped coarsely (I used a mix of spinach and silverbeat)
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2cm piece of fresh ginger, grated
4 green onions, sliced thinly
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 tsp white sugar
2 tbsp sambal oelek (fresh chili)
1 tsp sichuan peppercorns, crushed (any peppercorns will do)

Combine tofu, half the soy sauce, half of the wine and half of the sesame oil in a large bowl.
Cover and refrigerate for 20 mins

Heat 1 tbsp of peanut oil in wok
Stir-fry spinach until just wilted
Remove from wok
Cover to keep warm

Heat half of the remaining peanut oil in wok
Stir-fry tofu mixture, until browned
Heat the remaining peanut oil in wok
Stir-fry garlic, ginger and onion until onion just softens

Return tofu and remaining sauce, wine and sesame oil to wok with vinegar, sugar, and sambal
Stir-fry tofu until cooked
Serve spinach topped with chicken and sprinkle with pepper



From The Complete Book of Modern Asian

Butter Beans with Baked Polenta

Ingredients

4 cups water
2 cups polenta
1 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 clove garlic
2 x 400g cans tomatoes
¾ cup vegetable stock
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 fresh chilli, seeded, chopped finely
2 x 400g butter beans rinsed, drained (any kind of beans can be substituted for canned beans, if preferred. Also I found the ratio of spinach to beans not quite right so added another can)
500g spinach, trimmed, chopped coarsely
1 tbsp finely shredded fresh basil
salt

Oil 23cm square cake pan.

Bring well salted water to the boil in a large sauce pan, gradually whisk in polenta.
Reduce heat; simmer while whisking for about 5 mins or until mixture thickens.
Stir in cheese

Smooth polenta mixture in prepared pan. Rest until firm. (Be patient when spreading polenta into prepared pan; it tends to move and slip about but if you oil the back of the spoon you are using or your hands it will spread more easily)
Turn polenta onto board and cut into triangles or what ever shape takes your fancy and put on baking tray. Pour a small amount of oil over and lots of salt

Cook polenta triangles in oven at 200 degrees Celsius until golden and crispy on both sides

Heat oil in medium saucepan; cook onion and garlic, stirring until onion is soft.
Add un-drained crushed tomatoes, stock, paste and chilli; bring to the boil.
Reduce heat; simmer uncovered for about 5 minutes or until thickened slightly.
Add beans, spinach and basil cook uncovered until spinach is wilted and beans are hot.

Serve with polenta triangles, sprinkle parmesan on top and a mesclun salad tossed in balsamic vinaigrette, if desired.

 


From Great Vegetarian Food by Womens Weekly

Thai Spiced Potato Cakes with Spicy Coleslaw

Ingredients
Plain flour, for rolling
2 eggs, beaten, for egg wash
150g fresh bread crumbs
Oil for frying
Freshly chopped coriander leaves and lime or lemon slices to serve

For the spicy coleslaw

100g cabbage, finely sliced
½ red onion, finley sliced
2 grated carrots
50g mayo
1 tbsp wasabi paste
3 lime leaves, shredded
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Put cabbage, onion and carrots into a large bowl and season well.
Add the mayo, wasabi and lime leaves and mix it up well

For this coleslaw I also added lightly toasted black sesame seeds. This is optional and you can also use white sesame seeds.


For the potato cakes

3 large potatoes, peeled, cooked and mashed
1 raw potato, peeled and grated
3 tbsp mayo
1 bunch of spring onions, finely chopped
2 small red chillies, deseeded and chopped
Freshly chopped coriander leaves
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 stalks of lemon grass, finely chopped
4 kaffir lime leaves, finely chopped
(I didn’t have any lemon grass or kaffir lime leaves so instead squeezed some lemon and lime juice in and a bit of rind from each)
2.5cm/1inch piece of fresh ginger, finely chopped
1 tsp cinnamon
1 onion or 2 shallots finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

First, make the potato cakes. Put the mashed and grated spuds in a large bowl, add all the other potato cake ingredients and season with salt and pepper

Mould the mixture into patties in what ever size you want.
Recipe says to pop them in the fridge for an hour but I didn’t and they turned out fine

Set up three plates or bowls: one with flour, one with egg wash and one with bread crumbs.
First roll the cakes in flour, dust of any excess, then roll them in the egg and finally in the bread crumbs

Don’t be fooled. This sounds simple but is the most time consuming process in the world.
You can shallow or deep fry then. If you shallow fry as I did, be careful not to burn them, cooking them for longer and on a low heat is best. Either way they are done when crisp and golden. This also takes a fair bit of time

Make a bed of coleslaw on your plate and sit potato cakes on top.

Sprinkle some chopped coriander over and add a wedge of lime or lemon on the side.



From The Accidental Vegetarian by Simon Rimmer

Sticky Rice and Peanut Balls

Ingredients

400g cooked jasmine rice
4 tbsp red Thai curry paste
Juice of 1 lime
150g roasted peanuts finely crushed
Vegetable oil for deep frying
Salt
Sweet chilli sauce for dipping

Blend half the rice in a food processor until it’s not quite a paste.
Turn out into a bowl and combine with the remaining rice, the curry paste, lime juice and salt to taste
Mix it up really well

Roll the mixture onto balls (small enough to pop into your mouth, but big enough to get a good mouth full)
Now roll the balls in the peanuts and deep fry in hot oil until golden.
Drain on kitchen paper and serve with chilli sauce.


My advice is to make your own curry paste. Anytime I have made these (admittedly its only been twice) I have tasted the potential but not truly enjoyed the flavour and I think thats because bought curry paste is yuck so make your own.

From The Accidental Vegetarian by Simon Rimmer

Frittelle de Spaghetti

Frittelle de Spaghetti is just a fancy Italian way to say Spaghetti Fritters. These bad boys and delicious and totally more-ish. Soft on the inside and crunchy on the outside and totally addictive

Ingredients
2 cloves garlic
a handful of finely chopped parsley
2 eggs
1 egg yolk
fresh grated parmesan cheese
Feta cheese (Jamie's recipe does not say use feta but I only had a small amount of parmesan and a block of feta so in it went)
1-2 dried chillies (to your tase, I didn’t have fresh chilli so I just chilli flakes and LOTS of it)
salt
200g dried spaghetti
olive oil

Put all your ingredients, apart from the spaghetti and olive oil, into a bowl and mix together.
Add your spaghetti to a pan of well salted, boiling water and cook according to the packet instructions.
Drain the pasta in a colander and rise under cold water to cool it down.
Once the pasta is cool, snip it with sissors into the pieces roughly 8cm inches long and add them to the bowl.
Mix everything together well.

Pour a little oil into a pan and place on the heat.
Then, using a fork, add piles (as big or as small as you like) of the spaghetti mixture onto the pan and fry until golden and crisp on both sides.

From Jamie Oliver’s Jamie’s Italy

Moroccan Spaghetti

300g dried spaghetti
100ml olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
8 tomatoes, finely chopped
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground cumin
pinch of tumeric
100g toasted, flaked almonds
100g cooked chickpeas, drained and rinsed is tinned
bunch each of fresh parsley, corrianderleave and mint, chopped
salt and fresh ground black pepper

Cook the spaghetti in well salted boiling water until al dente
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a pan and gently fry the onion and garlic until soft
Add the tomatoes, cinnamon, cumin and tumeric and cook over a medium heat for about 20 mins until the tomatoes break down
Season the sauce and then add the almonds and chickpeas
Drain the pasta and divide between four plates
Fold the herbs into the sauce and mix with the pasta.



From The Accidental Vegetarian by Simon Rimmer

Chocolate Sauce Pudding

About once a year I get a craving for this beastie, and only once a year because this recipe makes so much that you become completely sick of it by the time you have forced yourself to eat all over it... over a week or so.
So if you are ever having guests around or need to feed a lot of people then this is a lovely simple recipe for you.


2 cups flour
3/4 cups sugar
1 3/4 cups milk
60 g (2 oz) butter, melted
2 tsp baking powder
2 dsp cocoa powder
2 3/4 cups boiling water
1 cup sugar
2 dsp cocoa powder
1 tsp vanilla 
1/3 cup raisins (optional, I optioned to leave those out)


Combine the boiling water, 1 cup sugar, 2 dsp cocoa, vanilla and set aside. This constitutes the sauce.

Sift flour, baking powder, 2 dsp cocoa, 3/4 cup sugar, melted butter and milk, mixing until smooth, add raisins if you so desire.

Put into a large buttered oven ware dish.

Carefully pour the sauce over this mixture.

Bake uncovered in a 200°C oven for 35mins or until the sponge is cooked.

When serving, a thick chocolate sauce will be found under the chocolate sponge.

Tartalicious

The original recipe I had for a French Chocolate Tart failed. Miserably.
Unknown to me at the time, it was essential to get Valrhona Chocolate for the tart to actually set. Instead I went to New World and got Pam's dark chocolate for $3.00 a packet. Needless to say there were tears before bedtime.

Fortunately just as I was throwing my liquid tart out the window my mum came home and told me to stop the crying and fix it. To you this may sound like a lovely and supportive mother to have, but in reality she didn't want to do dads baking for the week and was counting on this tart to save her the hassle.

Anyway, after learning that French Cooking is temperamental and stupid I decided to go with the fool proof teachings of Jamie Oliver who saved the day once again. Sort of.

After fixing the filling to a point that I was fairly confidant that it would set, I managed to tip half of it all over the floor and through all the kitchen draws. That went down well.

So the following is the much modified and combined recipe from two different cookbooks

Note to reader: as you will soon see making pastry is time consuming and frustrating because it never ever turns out right. Mine tends to fall apart the moment I trying to transfer it from the work surface and into the case. When I do finally manage to get it in I tend to just tear off bits and pieces to fill in the holes and rips, and then the whole thing sags.
If you want to save yourself this hassle, by all means buy preprepared pastry. No one will judge you for it

Ingredients for Pastry

175g butter
120g icing sugar
1 egg
1 tsp lemon juice
300 g standard flour, sifted

To make the pastry, place the butter and icing sugar in a food processor and cream them.
Add the egg and lemon juice, mix until fully combined, then add the flour and pulse the machine until the flour is only just incorporated.
Tip the pastry out of the food processor on to a work surface and knead until it forms a smooth dough.
Wrap in gladwrap and place in fridge for 30 mins to rest

Preheat oven to 180°C
Grease a 22cm diameter tart case with a removable base with butter, and dust with flour.

Remove pastry from the fridge and knead gently to make the dough workable.
Lightly flour the work surface and roll the dough out to about 3mm in thickness.
Roll the pastry on to the rolling pin and drape over the tart case.
Using a small ball of excess dough, gently ease the dough into the tart case (This allows you to press the dough into that start case without tearing the dough; the heat from your hands can make the pastry delicate.
Trim some of the excess pastry from the tart case but leave a good 5cm overlap (This will help prevent shrinkage when baking blind)

Place the preprepared tart case into a baking tray, line it with baking paper and fill with baking beans.
Refrigerate for 20 mins

Place the tart case in the oven for 10 minutes, or until the edge of the tart has started to colour,
Remove from the oven, trip the excess pastry from around the edges and lift out the baking paper with the beans.
Return the tart case to the oven and cook for a further 10-15 minutes, or untill it is lightly golden.
Remove from heat and set aside.

Ingredients for Chocolate Filling

600g chopped chocolate
675 ml crean
225 ml milk
100 g sugar
5 eggs
1/2 cup caster sugar
1 tbsp honey
3 tbsp sour cream or yogurt (I used 1 tbsp yogurt, ran out, didn't have any sour cream so used cream cheese)
4 tbsp sifted flour

Bring cream, milk and sugar to the boil.
Remove from heat, add the chocolate, stirring for about 5 minutes, making sure all the chocolate had melted.

Whisk the 2 eggs together and stir into the chocolate mixture. Make sure you wait for the chocolate mixture to cool significantly down before putting in the eggs otherwise they will just scramble. Trust me, they do.

Run through your finest sieve.

(Up to this point it is the French Tart Recipe, after 2 hours in the oven and the filling still being the consistency of cream I had taken it out of the oven and was aiming for the window when mum came home. So the following is where Jamie Oliver comes in)

Whisk the last 3 eggs together with the caster sugar till frothy and slightly thick; add honey and yogurt/sour cream/cream cheese and whisk till combined.
Add chocolate mixture and whisk again
Sift flour and beat until just combined.

Bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes.
Cool Completely before removing for case and serving

With ice cream