Baked amaretto custard stuffed apples

I actually made these a few months ago but neglected to post about them, however we're in the tail end of winter so last chance to enjoy all those delightful winter baked puddings before it's heading into summer swimsuit weather.

I love baked stuffed apples as they're delicious, easy and comforting in winter. I love using all sorts of weird and wacky things to stuff them but these are a winner for a dinner party as they're just so cute and really easy to do!

Baked amaretto custard stuffed apples

Ingredients:

4 apples
Lemon juice
250gm custard
Short sweet pastry(ready rolled)
15ml Amaretto
Sugar for sprinkling

 Method:

1. Pre heat oven to 180 degrees Celsius
2. Using a paring knife, remove the stalk end of the bottom of the apple and scoop out a hollow removing the core (saving the stalk), making sure that you don't cut all the way through as you ideally want the apple to be water tight. Squeeze a little lemon into the inside to stop the apple browning. Put to one side 
3. Mix custard and amaretto to taste. Scoop amaretto custard into the hollowed out apples
4. Use a round cookie cutter to cut circles from the ready rolled pastry. Cover the top of the apples creating a seal. If desired, add little apple leaves and the stalk. Sprinkle with a little sugar
5. Bake for approx. 30 mins in oven. Serve hot with more custard!

Birthday biscuits

Today's my Birthday, so I've got the day off and hanging out in a cafe and decided it was the perfect time to finally get around to updating my blog!

Birthday's to me are all about the food. Cake, a delicious dinner out and just generally spoiling yourself with all the things that you don't have every day. For instance last year for my 30th, 7 of us rented a cottage in the Bordeaux countryside and spent four days wine tasting and eating different varieties of melted cheese and bread. I'd never had Raclette before, but omg it's amazing (I strongly recommend trying it the next time you're in France)

We also have a birthday tradition at work around Birthdays which is that the Birthday person has to bring in baked goods for everyone. It's fantastic but also dangerous for the waistline when the treat table is right within your eyeline and if you're like me and lack self-control. Always makes me glad when it's chocolate cake cos I'm super weird and don't actually like chocolate cake.

I've actually been quite disappointed in the fact that pretty much everyone buys the biscuits, cake etc that they bring in so I decided that for my birthday I would make them. So I've made 3 different varieties of biscuit. (or to be precise, 2 different recipes but different variations of chocolate chip) It's also easter hence the micro easter egg variety of the chocolate chips.


Chocolate chip/ Easter egg biscuits 

• 125g butter 
• 1 cup   Brown Sugar (lightly packed) 
• ½ tsp vanilla essence 
• 1 egg 
• 1¾ cups flour 
• 2 tsp baking Powder
  ½ cup chocolate chunks or chips OR 1 bag/ 100gm Micro easter eggs (I got mine from Sainsbury's)

1. Preheat oven to 180°C conventional or 160ºC fan forced
2. Beat butter, sugars and vanilla until pale and creamy, add egg and beat until mixed.
3. Sift in flour and baking power, mix until combined before stirring in the chocolate chunks or micro easter eggs. Don't over mix.
4. Roll heaped teaspoon sized balls of mixture and place on tray, press down lightly with a floured fork. Bake for approx. 12 minutes. Serve warm with milk for deliciousness

The second choice of biscuit is an old standard with a slight twist. I always thought these were English until I moved over here and found out they were actually invented in New Zealand. The original recipe has white sugar and corn flakes but I find the brown sugar and bran flakes add more complexity and almost a caramel chocolate level to the flavour.

Afghan biscuits: 

• 200g butter, softened
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
•  1 ½ cups plain flour
• ¼ cup cocoa
• 2 cups Bran flakes, lightly crushed

Icing:
• 1 ½ cups Icing sugar
• ¼ cup cocoa
• 1 Tbsp butter (softened)
• 1-2 Tbsp boiling water

Method: 

1. Preheat oven to 180°C.
2. In a large bowl beat butter, sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy. Sift in flour and cocoa, stir thoroughly with the butter mixture until combined before stirring in the bran flakes.
3. Place heaped teaspoonfuls onto baking tray, squeeze mixture together gently if necessary then press lightly with a fork.
4.  Bake for 15-20 minutes. Cool on a wire rack before icing.

Icing: 

Mix cocoa, icing sugar, butter and 1 Tbsp boiling water at a time until combined, adding more hot water if necessary until icing is a spreadable consistency. Ice biscuits

 

Back in New Zealand and venison wraps

I'm currently back in New Zealand for a holiday and to catch up with people. Thankfully today the weather has decided to play ball and it's a wonderful Wellington day. There is definitely something to the saying that you can't beat Wellington on a good day.

 

 

Since my parents have a farm this means a lot of meat. Much more than I would normally eat and a little bit of the meat and potatoes style of eating.  This includes wild venison. To be honest, venison isn't it something that I'm a big fan of. It's a bit meaty for me. Other people seem to get excited about it but I can take it or leave it. It definitely isn't a meat that I would choose to get at a restaurant.

So when tasked by my mother to cook dinner using venison steak I did have to think hard about what I was going to cook. In the end I opted for wraps because they're delicious, easy, healthy and have the ability to obscure the meatiness with a good marinade and flavourings.

 

Operating in the absence of my normal pantry staples, I did have to get a little imaginative but hey that's when the best combos arise!

 

This is a delicious combination of sweet marinade, subtle taste of the meat, lifted by freshness of the cucumber. Best if you can leave the meat to marinade which does add to the overall time,  but total hands on prep/ cooking time of less than half an hour. 

 

Venison wraps:

 

Ingredients:

• 180gm venison steak
• 2x whole grain wraps
• 7 mushrooms sliced
• One onion finely chopped
• Half an avocado
• Sliced cucumber
• Handful of alfalfa sprouts

 

Marinade:

• 2 tbsp currant jelly (I used black currant but red currant would also work)
• 2 tbsp port
• 1 tbsp Worcester sauce
• A squeeze of lemon
• 2 cloves garlic finely chopped

 

Method:

1. Mix together marinade ingredients. Pour over the venison and leave to marinate  for a few hours.
2. Heat fry pan to high heat. Lightly sear the venison steak. Place marinade to one side. Leave venison to rest whilst you prepare the rest of the wrap.
3. Lower heat to medium.  Toss in onions, mushrooms and leftover marinade. Cook until onions and mushrooms are cooked ( about ten mins)
4. Layer slices of avocado and cucumber on to the bottom of a wrap. Slice venison thinly, layer onto wrap and top with mushroom mix and alfala sprouts.
5. Roll the wrap and serve with side salad.

Spinach, pomegranate and brown rice salad

Now it's almost beach weather  (I'm being positive and assuming that there will be a break in the rain to enjoy the summer this year...) and it's starting to get warm it's definitely summer time. Pomegranates seeds are something I've only just discovered but they provide a delicious summery sweetness to this salad as a contrast to the nutty brown rice. And don't even get me started on the delight that is fresh goats cheese - so much better than feta but still that delicious hint of saltiness.  The original inspiration for this salad came from Pinch of Yum but I mixed it up to create this healthy (and easy!) main.

Bonus - this is just as good the next day for left overs :)

Spinach, pomegranate and brown rice salad

Ingredients: 

For the salad:

• 1 pack of pomegranate seeds (about half a cup)
• 1 bag  spinach chopped (about three cups)
• 2 cups cooked brown rice (you can use leftover rice or buy the handy precooked)
• Handful of  walnuts
• 50 gm goats cheese cheese (fresh is best)

For the dressing:

• 1 onion or 4 garlic cloves
• 1 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoons water
• 1 tablespoons honey
• ½ tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 splash of lemon juice

Method: 

1. Finely chop onion or garlic and microwave for about a minute with the honey to remove the bite
2. In a jar add onion/ garlic and honey mix and all dressing ingredients. Shake well and set to one side. 
3. Prep salad ingredients, chop spinach and goats cheese and mix together with brown rice, pomegranate seeds and walnuts. 
4. Shake dressing again and drizzle over salad. 

Serve immediate. If desired you can add some roasted chicken for some extra protein. 

Easy Aubergine Tomato mince

Last week I managed to sprain my elbow whilst bouldering (it's rock climbing without ropes) It was silly as I landed badly on my arm after pushing myself too hard on the climbing. Feeling much better now but earlier in the week I was left with a very sore right arm and a whole new appreciation for how much I use my right arm and how useless my left one is.

Chopping was one of the activities that was completely out. At the best of times I'm uncoordinated meaning chopping veggies is normally hazardous but with my left arm it was down right dangerous. But feeling sorry for myself I had a craving for lasagne and so needed tomato mince to use as a base.  However, it needed tailoring to suit my limitations and some additional secret veggies.

Mince is great for bulking out with secret veggies that you hardly even notice. Grated carrot and zucchini are my standards and I often toss some soy mince in to absorb the extra liquid. This time inspired by a lasagne recipe in the latest Weight Watchers magazine, I went for roasted zucchini and aubergine.   I was a little hesitant about pre roasting the veggies (they normally get cooked in the mince) but it worked really well especially when I couldn't chop anything and so had to blend all the veggies up.

I ended up with enough tomato mince mix that I could chuck half of it into the freezer for another night. And a week on I've now got to the point where I can use my right arm again- no more typing with one hand for me!

Aubergine Tomato mince: 

Ingredients: 

1. 1 aubergine 
2. 1 zucchini 
3. 2 onions
4. 2 cloves garlic 
5. 1 tsp olive oil
6. 200gm beef mince
7. 1/4 cup red wine
8. 100gm soy mince
9. 2 cans chopped tomatoes
10. 1 tbsp marmite
11. 1/2 tsp sugar (to bring out the tomato)
12. basil and salt to taste

Method:

1. Roast the aubergine and zucchini until soft. Plunge into cold water and peel. 
2. Peel onions and garlic cloves. Add aubergine, zucchini, onions and garlic to a blender and pulse until chopped finely. 
3. In a fry pan, heat olive oil and add mince to brown. Stir red wine through mince to separate. 
4. Add pulsed veggies, tomatoes, marmite and sugar to pan
5. Simmer for about 20 mins until cooked through. 

Serve on pasta (or use as a base for lasagne!)

Mr Wolfe

Just a short shout out to Mr Wolfe, my fav cafe in Brighton where I sit and do most of my writing. It's a lovely sunny Saturday (well, mostly sunny with some cloud - this is England after all!) and I'm sitting in the window writing and watching people go by as I enjoy a latte and my new favourite cake - Pistachio and Elderflower.

I'm going to have to try and make the cake but then I'd be tempted to eat it all... maybe portion control with just one slice is best idea.

Flat bread with roast vegetables, goats cheese and balsamic vinegar.

When we were in Lewes the other weekend we went to Prezzo (the italian pizza chain) They had a flat bread salad 'pizza' which was light and tasty as a great summer alternative to the typical cheese laden pizza. I decided to try to replicate this culinary delight because who doesn't love bread with toppings? Very easy and very delicious. 

Flat bread with roast vegetables, goats cheese and balsamic vinegar

Ingredients:

1. 1 flatbread (I used Waitrose caramelised onion and goats cheese flatbread) 
2. 1/2 zucchini
3. 1 red capsicum
4. 20gm goats cheese 
5. Mushrooms 
6. Baby tomatoes
7. Fresh basil 
8. Rocket
9. Balsamic vinegar

Method:

1. Pre heat oven to 200c. Finely slice zucchini and capsicum, layer on a tray and grill until half cooked (about 15mins) 
2. Whilst the zucchini and capsicum are pre cooking, slice mushrooms, baby tomatoes and goats cheese. 
3. Layer mushrooms, pre cooked zucchini and capscium, baby tomatoes and goats cheese over flat bread. (any any other toppings you want!) 
4. Bake for about 15mins until cheese is melted and veggies are cooked. 
5. Sprinkle fresh basil and rocket over the top and finish with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar