ORANGE ALMOND CAKE

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• 4 oranges washes
• 100gm caster sugar
• 150 gm of egg whites
• 200 gm  almond meal 
• 1 tsp of baking powder
• icing sugar to dust 

1. Line cake tin with baking paper ( sandwich flan used for this one )
2. Boil the oranges til soft 
3. Blend oranges whole
4. Add egg whites to this mix
5. Combine almond meal, Baking powder and caster sugar and mix well 
6. Spread evening in your pan 
7. Bake moderate oven for about 30 minutes.
8. Tip out onto your cooking rack 
9. Dust with icing sugar 

Ready to serve. 

Disappearing fast. 

4 INGREDIENT FRUIT CAKE

INGREDIENTS 

1 kg dried mixed fruit 

2 cups of orange juice (or fruit juice of your choice)

1 tsp Mixed Spice or Cinnamon.

2 cups of self raising flour

Combine dried fruit, spice and juice and soak over night 

Mix in flour well 

Bake in a lined 20 cm tin 

150 degrees C for 1.5 hours

Enjoy

FAST FIX

Sardines are said to be packed with Omega 3 but also are an excellent source of B12, Vitamin D and other useful goodies.  This is a quick lunch option. I saw the idea of mashing canned sardines on one of those gourmet cooking shows. So I put it to the test.

One can of sardines with tomato sauce.

Some antipasto s mix from the deli counter: sundried tomato, olives( pitted) and artichoke)

Fresh lettuce.

One fresh bread roll

• Smash  sardines or wizz in your food processor to make it spread.
• Spread this mix in your roll.
• Add antipasto mix
• Top with torn lettuce leaves.

That’s it. Enjoy. 

SPINACH CHICK PEA PAKORAS

One of the great things about having spinach growing in my garden is I can make a batch of pakoras.

1 bunch of spinach shredded

2 potatoes grated ( you can leave skin on)

2 brown onions. finely slices

4 garlic cloves diced

1 small chilli de seeded and finely diced

I can of chick peas drained.

mint as desiredn 

spices: 

1 tsp. tumeric

1 tsp garam masala

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt.

1 cup potato flour

1 cup of dahl flour.

Combine the onions potato chick peas and spinach in a bowl 

Combine well with garlic, chilli , spices, baking soda and salt and flours.

You can add a little water too, but usually the moisture from the vegetables is enough. 

Press using a spoon into patties and fry in olive oil in hot pan.  After in the pan a few minutes, move the patty so it does on catch . Then flip to cook through. Drain on kitchen paper.

The mix will make a good quantity.

Serve with relish or raita.  Today I used some ripe mango mixed with some red salad onion. 

Garnish with mint

FIG FLAN

Yes it is a good while since my last recipe post. Life has become increasingly busy and cooking can become a bit routine when that happens.  I have been reminded by a few this week of the importance of yummy food without the high fat content.  Time spent baking is always appreciated and does not have to be a chore.

We are planning an evening out at a special event not far out of town. Opera On the Platform

at Beverley so I decided to bake for some supper. 

A friend gave us some figs from his tree this week. With those that were still in the fridge and some creative adjustment to another recipe this one went 

12-14 Figs stems and points removed and halved cross ways

1/4 cup sugar

1 cup of almond meal

1/4 cup of flour

1 tsp of baking powder

1/2 mixed spice ( I like to use baharat)

1/2 cup of egg white or equivalent egg replaced

2 tablespoons of honey

• Line the cake tin with baking paper
• Arrange to figs on the bottom of the cake tin.
• Mix almond meal, sugar, flour and spice in the blender and wizz
• Add egg  whites then honey to the mix. 
• Pour the batter over the figs
• Cook in moderate oven for 30 mins. 

Let it cool

So easy and yum

CAROB CAKE

Carob provides the cake with the rich dark colour you might expect with chocolate with some  health benefits  http://www.australiancarobs.com/health.php . This recipe was made especially for a friend who Like myself does not eat chocolate. We wanted to celebrate her little girl's first birthday. The cake was quite delicious and breaks with many of the traditional cake making ideas of first using butter and eggs.

3 cups of self-raising flour.

2/3 cups of carob powder

1 cup of castor sugar

I tsp of salt

2 cups of water

2/3 cup of canola oil

1 tsp of vanilla essence

• Sift flour and carob and combine with other dry ingredients.
• Mix the wet ingredients in a separate bowl and then combine with the dry ingredients beating until you have a smooth batter.
• Pour into a lined cake tin.
• Cook for 35-45 minutes in a moderate oven. Or until the cake will allow you to pull a skewer out without any mixture attached.

The batter is quite a wet batter (almost like a pancake batter). Do not be concerned as it will rise beautifully and provide you with a lovely moist cake. But there is a thought, I might try carob flavoured pancakes. Imagine that with strawberries and mango.

LIME CAKE WITH SYRUP

3/4 cup canola oil

2 cups self raising flour

1tsp baking powder

3/4 cup of castor sugar

4 egg whites

Grated rind of two limes

Juice of two limes

Syrup

Finely pared lime rind

Juice of two limes

1/2 cup of castor sugar

Preheat oven to 160degrees C

Line round cake tin

Sift flour and baking powder into a bowl Add castor sugar and combine well In another bowl combine egg whites, oil and juice and mix well Add the wet mix to the flour and beat until the mixture is smooth Pour mixture into cake tin Bake for about an hour ,until the cake is golden and an inserted skewer in the centre  of the cake comes out clean.

Meanwhile,mix the ingredients for the topping together As soon as the cake is removed from the oven,pour the topping evenly over the surface of the cake Leave the cake to cool in the tin before removing and serving.

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FRUIT SALAD

This is the ideal way to take advantage of seasonal fruit.

This combination:

1 mango cubed

2 Kiwi Fruit peeled and diced (keep your portions quite chunky)

5 to 6 slices of watermelon cubed

A handful of seedless grapes

A squeeze of lemon juice

Combine the ingredients and serve with Sorbet

LENTIL & VEGETABLE NUT ROAST

1/3 cup red lentils

½ cup green lentils

1 ½ cups of vegetable stock

1 bay leaf

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 onion finely chopped

1 stick of celery finely chopped

1 clove of garlic

2 teaspoons ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground cumin

125 g mushrooms

1 red capsicum de-seeded finely chopped

125 g (1 ½ cups) of whole grain breadcrumbs

55 g hazelnut meal

2 egg whites

2 tablespoons of coriander

Juice and zest of half a lemon

Salt and freshly ground pepper

45 g hazelnuts lightly toasted, skins removed & chopped

•      Wash lentils and place in a large saucepan with the stock and bay leaf.
•    Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes or until lentils are soft and the liquid is absorbed
•    Pre-heat oven at 108 C (350 F)
•       Line I litre loaf tin with baking paper.
•    Sauté onion and celery until softeneD
•    Add the garlic, ground coriander and cumin and cook for about a minute , until fragrant
•    Add mushrooms and capsicums and cook for a further 2 minutes
•    Remove the bay leaf from the lentils and add the lentils to the pan to combine with the vegetables
•    Add breadcrumbs, lemon zest and juice, hazel nut meal, egg whites chopped coriander  and season
•     Spoon the mixture into the loaf pan , sprinkle with chopped hazel nuts and bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until firm to touch and golden brown
•     Remove from oven and allow to cool in tin for about 10 minutes before turning out
•     Serve in slices hot or cold. With salsa

LIME & COKE

For a refreshing "sundowner" without the alcohol try this:
Fill a tall class with ice. Be generous with the ice.
Add the juice of one lime
Top up with coke.

PUMPKIN & POTATO STEW

4 small potatoes cut in quarter

3 serves of pumpkin peeled and diced.

1 small sweet potato

1 onion

2 cloves garlic finely diced.

1 teaspoon of ground ginger

1 teaspoon of ground turmeric

1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon.

2 cups of vegetable stock

Honey

olive oil

•  Sauté onion in oil.
• Add garlic, ginger, turmeric, cinnamon    
• Add stock and a drizzle of honey
• Add potato, sweet potato and pumpkin
• Cover and simmer 15 to 20 minutes