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Showing posts from December, 2011

Chocolate Cake With Icing

Well, as we prepare to bid farewell to 2011, I’d like to end this year with this post, the classic Chocolate Cake With Icing recipe. The cake is slightly dense, chocolaty, and it’s perfect for chocolate lovers. Try a big slice with your favorite cuppa, be it tea or coffee. To all my readers, a very happy, healthy, and prosperous New Year 2012! Wishing all of you a fantastic new year ahead! Cheers! Recipe adapted from Apples For Jam By Tessa Kiros (pg 311) Chocolate Cake With Icing Ingredients 180 g/6 ½ oz Unsalted Butter 50 g/1 ¾ oz Semi-Sweet Chocolate, broken up 30 g/1 oz Unsweetened Cocoa Powder 3 Large Eggs, separated 180 g/6 ½ oz Caster Sugar 125 g/4 ½ oz All-Purpose Flour 1 ½ tsp Baking Powder Pinch of Sea Salt 1 tsp Vanilla Extract 3 Tbsp Milk Icing 80 g/ 2 ¾ oz Unsalted Butter, softened at room temperature 60 g/ 2 ¼ oz Icing Sugar 30 g/ 1 oz Unsweetened Cocoa Powder 2 Tbsp Milk 2 Generous tsp Golden Syrup Method Preheat oven to 350˚F/180˚C. Butter and flour a 9 ½ inches/24 cm ...

Bacon Toasts

Bacon Toasts are great for dipping into soup, soft-boiled eggs, and as a snack by itself. Try making it! Bacon Toasts Ingredients 6-1 ½ inches thick Baguette toast (from 1/3 of a Baguette/about 5 to 6 inches lengthwise) 6 Rashers of Thinly Sliced Smoked Bacon Method Preheat oven to 425˚F. Wrap the bacon over each toast and place on a baking tray and bake for about 20 to 25 minutes. Turn the bacon toast at least once and bake until the bacon is slightly crispy and the toast is golden brown in color. Serves 2

Roasted Eggplant Soup

Wishing all my readers a very Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! Trust you are all having a great time with your family and love ones :-) This Roasted Eggplant Soup is just the perfect hot fix for a cold winter evening. It's creamy, satisfying and simple to make. I like to serve this soup with a couple of crispy and slightly salty Bacon Toasts. I will post the bacon toast recipe next. Roasted Eggplant Soup Ingredients 2 (About 950 g) Medium Eggplants, cubed (1 inch) 1/2 tsp Ground Cumin ¼ tsp Sea Salt
 4 Tbsp Olive Oil 
1 Large Yellow Onions, peeled and finely shopped 2 Cloves Garlic, peeled and chopped

 1 Large Potato, peeled and diced
 2 Tins/Cans (794/28 oz)) Diced/Chopped Tomatoes 
4 Cups Chicken or Vegetable Stock A handful Fresh Coriander, chopped
 1 tsp Ground Cumin
 ¼ tsp Smoked Paprika
Sea Salt
 Freshly Ground Black Pepper 

 Method

 Preheat the oven to 450˚F.

 Toss the eggplants with ½ tsp cumin, sea salt, and 2 Tbsp of olive oil in a large baking tray. Roast in the o...

Garlic Cheese Bread

This Garlic Cheese Bread is another ideal accompaniment that goes very well with many starters, such as soups and salads. Garlic Cheese Bread Ingredients 1 (14 inches) Baguette 1 (200 g) Fresh Mozzarella, halved and thinly sliced 3 Tbsp Garlic Butter, softened at room temperature 1 Tbsp Chopped Basil Leaves Sea Salt Freshly Ground Black Pepper Aluminum Foil Method Preheat oven to 400˚F/205˚C. In a small bowl, mix garlic butter, basil, and season with salt and pepper. Put the baguette on a chopping board, start from one end, and, cut almost all the way through, at about 1 inch intervals. 


 Spread the garlic butter mixture and insert cheese in between the slits. Then sprinkle some sea salt and freshly ground black pepper on top of the bread. Wrap the bread in an aluminum foil and place it on a baking tray. 
Bake the bread for about 22 to 25 minutes or until the bread turn slightly crispy and the cheese is melted. Serve warm. Serves 4

Roasted Vegetable Quesadillas

I love this fantastic Roasted Vegetable Quesadillas. It's packed with nutrients, smothered with pan roasted tomato salsa, and topped off with cheese. You can prepare the vegetables and salsa ahead of time. Just cook the quesadilla before serving. Try these simple fajitas and enjoy. Roasted Vegetable Quesadillas Ingredients Roasted Vegetables 8 (6 to 7”) Flour Tortillas or any variety 1 Pack (380 g) Shredded Tex-Mex Cheese Blend Pan Roasted Tomato Salsa Lime wedges Roasted Vegetables 2 Patty Pan Squash, diced~about ¾ inch 
1 Green Color Zucchini, peeled and diced~about ¾ inch 1 Yellow Onion, peeled and diced 1 Red Bell Pepper, seeded and diced ~about ¾ inch 2 Scallions, roughly chopped 10 Small Button Mushrooms, quartered ½ tsp Chili Flakes
 1 ½ Tbsp Olive Oil 
Sea Salt To Taste

 Freshly Ground Black Pepper



 Method



 Preheat the oven to 450˚F. In a large roasting pan, combine patty pan squash, zucchini, onion, pepper, scallions, mushrooms, chili flakes, olive oil, salt and pep...

Pan Roasted Tomato Salsa

Pan Roasted Tomato Salsa is a great dip. It's packed with the wonderful aromatic flavors. Made with fresh ingredients, namely, tomatoes, Ancho chili, onion and seasoned with lots of chop coriander, and freshly squeezed lime juice. Yummy! Pan Roasted Tomato Salsa Ingredients 3 Dried Ancho Chilies, washed and dried 4 Ripe Tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and quartered 2 Cloves Garlic, peeled 1 Yellow Onion, peeled and quartered 2 Tbsp Olive Oil 3 Tbsp Chopped Fresh Coriander Seasoning Freshly squeezed Lime Juice (about ½ lime) ¼ tsp Ground Cumin ¼ tsp Smoked Paprika Sea Salt, to taste Freshly Ground Black Pepper Method Heat the olive oil in a large cast-iron pan on medium to high heat and roast the chilies, tomatoes, garlic, and onion until golden brown in color, about 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool slightly and mix in the coriander and blend to a coarse puree. Season the salsa with lime juice, cumin, paprika, sea salt and pepper.

Banana French Toast

This healthy Banana French Toast is made with multi-grain bread, mashed bananas, eggs, cinnamon and soy milk. There's no sugar added for this recipe. Just try to use very ripe bananas. These decadent toasts are a great way to get your kids to eat multi-grain bread. They won't even notice it! Banana French Toast Ingredients 2 Ripe Organic Bananas, peeled 2 Large Organic or Free-Range Eggs 1 /4 tsp Ground Cinnamon Pinch of Sea Salt ½ tsp Vanilla Paste 2 Tbsp Organic & Unsweetened Soy Milk 4 Slices Bread (preferably multi or country grain) 1 ½ Tbsp of Coconut Oil or Butter Maple Syrup, optional Berries, optional Method In a large plate, mash the bananas and whisk in the eggs with a fork. Then add cinnamon, salt, vanilla paste, soymilk and whisk until well combined. Dip the bread slice, one at a time, turning once, for 1 to 2 minutes. Then transfer the bread to a plate. Repeat with the remaining bread and egg mixture. 

In a skillet over medium to high heat, melt about ¾ Tbsp o...

Baked Potato With Cheese And Bacon

The good old Baked Potato With Cheese And Bacon, it's an irresistible comfort food for me. Topped with extra crisp bacon and everyone will just love it! Serve it up for brunch or as a side dish for dinner, just remember to warm it up before serving. Baked Potato With Cheese And Bacon Ingredients 4 (700 g) Medium Yellow Potatoes, peeled and cubed, about ¾ inches
 1 Large Yellow Onion, peeled and chopped 2 Cloves Garlic, peeled and chopped 6 Streaks Smoked Bacon, diced ½ Cup Chicken Stock 250 g Shredded Cheese (such as, Applewood Smoked Cheddar) ¼ tsp Smoke Paprika Freshly Ground Black Pepper Sea Salt to taste 
Method


 Place the potatoes in a large saucepan, cover with cold water, a little salt, and bring it to a boil. Let it boil for about 9 to 11 minutes, then drain and set aside. Preheat the oven to 400˚F (205˚C). Lightly oil or butter a baking dish. In a large saucepan, cook the bacon until the fat is rendered, until slightly crisp. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon, and se...

Chocolate Marshmallows

We all know that kids everywhere just love marshmallows. However, this kiddie snack elevates into a fantastic festive treat for everyone when dipped into melted chocolate and rolled with crushed roasted nuts. For the upcoming holidays, these Chocolate Marshmallows makes an impressive gift too! Chocolate Marshmallows Ingredients 200 g (about 12 to 14 pieces) Marshmallows (any shape) 1 Bag (250 g) Bittersweet Chocolate Chips 200 g Roasted Nuts (such as Hazelnut or Pecan), crushed Method Line a tray or large flat plate with parchment paper. Spread the crushed nuts on a flat plate. Melt the chocolate in the top of a double boiler, making sure that the water doesn’t touch the top bowl. Remove from the heat and let the chocolate cool for a few minutes. Drop the marshmallow in one at a time, turning them around so that they are completely covered. Remove with a skewer roll in crushed nuts to coat evenly. 
Return them to the lined tray, and let them set completely in the fridge for about an h...

Sausage Roll Bites

Try making these Sausage Roll Bites this holiday season. Tasty snack made with chicken, smoked bacon, roasted peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, basil, and diced mozzarella ball. Absolutely delicious and best when served warm. Pretty sure everyone will love it! Sausage Roll Bites Ingredients 2 (400 g x 2) (12 x 15 inches) Pre-rolled Puff Pastry 2 (about 550 g) Skinless and Boneless Chicken Breast, diced 4 Streak Smoked Bacon, diced 3 Sun-dried Tomatoes, chopped 2 Roasted Red Peppers, diced 2 Sprigs (10 leaves) Fresh Basil, julienned ½ tsp Sea Salt Generous amount of freshly ground Black Pepper 1 Large Mozzarella Ball, small diced 2 Egg Yolks, whisked (egg wash) Sesame Seeds, for sprinkling Method Preheat oven to 425˚F. Line a large baking pan with parchment paper. Combine chicken breast and bacon and process in a food processor. Mix in the tomatoes, peppers, basil, sea salt, and pepper. Give a quick pulse and make sure all the ingredients are well combine. Divide the ...

Vegetable Chow Mein

This is my favorite home-style Vegetable Chow Mein or fried noodles recipe. Delicious stir-fry noodles with cabbage and bean sprouts, tossed with some seasonings. All ready to be enjoyed in less than 20 minutes! Another simple fried noodles dish that's just a perfect quick lunch time meal. Enjoy. Vegetable Chow Mein Ingredients 1 Packet/300g Chinese-Style Noodles blanched and drain in a colander 2- 3 Tbsp Peanut Oil 2 Cloves Garlic, chopped ½ (about 4 cups) of a Small Cabbage, shredded 1 Packet/454g/16oz/1 lb Bean Sprouts, washed and drained
 2 Tbsp Light Soy Sauce
 1 Tbsp Dark Soy Sauce, preferably Dark Caramel
 1 Tbsp Oyster Sauce 1 tsp Sugar or Maggi-brand Seasoning 2 to 3 Tbsp Water 1 tsp Sesame Oil Freshly Ground White Pepper
 Sea Salt to taste

 Method In a large wok over medium heat, mix in the oil and cook the garlic until light golden in color. Toss in the noodles, cabbage, and give it a good stir. Then add soy sauce, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, su...

Pineapple Energy Balls

I have another fantastic energy food to share with you today, Pineapple Energy Balls. They are slightly sweeter than my other energy bar recipes. However, there's no added sugar because the dried pineapple itself had been sweetened with organic cane sugar. Tastes so good and my kids just love them, even took some to school to share with their friends! Pineapple Energy Balls Ingredients 6 Large (110 g) Medjool Dates, pitted and chopped 1 ½ Cups (240 g) Dried Pineapples, chopped 1 Cup (80 g) Unsweetened Shredded Coconuts 1 Cup (120 g) Raw Almonds (without skin) 1-Cup (140 g) Raw Cashew Nuts A Pinch of Sea Salt 2 Tbsp Orange Juice Method Combine chopped dates, pineapples, coconuts, cashews, almonds, and sea salt in a food processor. Pulse and process all the ingredients together until the texture is coarse. Then add the orange juice, a quick pulse, or until it reaches a dry but moist dough consistency. Scrape the dough mixture into a clean bowl, roll slightly heaped teaspoonfuls of...