This 'n' That Cake

I tend to use what I have in the cupboard, hence the name! 

(This cake has raisins, mixed peel, almond slices, walnuts and a teaspoon of aniseeds in it, and I only managed 200g instead of 300g). 

I've made it in the past with a ready assorted snack bag of Tropical Mix fruit and nuts, which was lovely, and also with mixed glace fruit, finely chopped, and added with almonds. It really is a very versatile and forgiving cake...

Makes an 18 cm (7") cake

200g self-raising flour

pinch of salt

1 heaped tsp ground mixed spice

1 tsp ground cardamom (or ginger, if you fancy)

75g margarine

100g soft brown sugar

300g mixed dried fruit/nuts of your choice

1 medium egg, lightly beaten

125 ml ± milk
Icing sugar to dust

1.  Preheat the oven to 190ºC and well grease an 18 cm (7") cake tin, lining the bottom with greased greaseproof paper.

2.  Sieve together the flour, salt and spices into a large mixing bowl.

3.  Rub the margarine into the flour until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.

4.  Stir in the sugar and mixed fruit/nuts with a wooden spoon.

5.  Stir in the egg and sufficient milk* so that the mixture will drop from the spoon when shaken. Turn into the prepared tin.

6.  Bake in the oven for 50-60 mins, or until the cake is golden and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Leave in the tin for 5 mins, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool (the one above is a little well done because I forgot about it!).

7.  Dust top with icing sugar.

* How much milk you need depends on the mix of fruit and nuts you use. Add it slowly until you have the right consistency - you may find you need more or less.

Creamy Roasted Onion & Garlic Soup

Caramelised onion & garlic give this soup a wonderfully rich flavour.

Serves 4

3 large Spanish onions, peeled and sliced into 1cm slices

1 bulb of garlic, cloves separated and peeled

1 pt chicken stock

1 heaped tsp dried thyme

25g butter

200 ml milk

1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Natural yoghurt to finish

1.  Preheat the oven to 180ºC.

2.  Put the onion slices and garlic cloves in a large casserole dish and add ¾ pt of the stock. Season, sprinkle with thyme, dot with the butter.

3.  Cover the casserole dish with tin foil and its lid to give a tight seal. Roast in the oven for 1½ hours, stirring halfway through.

4.  Remove the casserole from the oven and allow to cool.

5.  Add the remaining stock and blend in a blender or with a stick blender until smooth.

6.  Pour into a saucepan, add the milk and parsley and season to taste. Heat gently for 5 minutes, without boiling, and serve with a swirl of natural yoghurt, if desired.

Armenian-style Beef Pie

1. Based on Mante, an Armenian Lamb Pie, this is a wonderfully different kind of pie and well worth the effort; the butter and chicken stock really boost the flavour.

Serves 6 - 8

1. Pastry:
2. 2 cup plain flour
3. 1/2 tsp salt

1. 1/4 cup olive or sunflower oil
2. 1/2 cup cold water
3. Filling:
4. 500 g finely ground beef
5. 1 small onion, finely chopped
6. 1 tbsp olive or sunflower oil
7. 2 tbsp finely chopped parsley
8. Salt & freshly ground black pepper
9. To finish:
10. 100 g butter, melted
11. 1 cup hot chicken stock

1. 1. Sift the flour and salt into a mixing bowl, add oil & rub in. Add water, mix to a soft dough and knead lightly until smooth. Cover with clingfilm and rest in the fridge for 30 mins.
3. 2. Place ground beef in a mixing bowl. Gently fry onion in oil and add to beef with parsley. Add salt and pepper to taste.
5. 3. Roll out the pastry thinly and cut into 4 cm squares*. Place a teaspoon of meat filling in the centre of each square, fold up sides and press to seal. Finished pastries will look like miniature canoes with the meat filling showing. Preheat oven to 180°C.
7. 4. Place pastries side by side in rows in a well-buttered baking dish, 25 x 30 cm. Brush with melted butter.
9. 5. Bake in oven for 30-40 mins. Pour hot chicken stock over pastries and return to oven for further 10-15 minutes until most of the stock is absorbed.
11. 6. Cut into squares and serve.

1. * I found this all a bit fiddly and time consuming, so for the second dish (I didn't have one big one) I cut 7cm squares and put in about a dessertspoonful of filling. Both dishes were delicious - I would decide size depending on how much time I had to make them.

Frankfurter, Garlic & Chilli Spaghetti

1. A twist on the Italian Spaghetti Aglio, Olio e Peperoncino (Garlic, Olive Oil and Chilli), with the addition of frankfurters and peas, this is a speedy dish with simple but gorgeous flavours.
2. 
   

Serves 2

1. 200 g Dried spaghetti
2. 400 g Frankfurter sausages, sliced
3. 6 Dried whole chillies, or according to taste

1. 1 Head of garlic, cloves peeled & sliced
2. 60 ml Extra virgin olive oil
3. 250 g Tinned garden peas
4. Sea salt & freshly ground black pepper

1.  Cook the spaghetti in plenty of salted boiling water until al dente. Drain and cool.

2.  Warm the olive oil, sliced garlic and whole dried chillies in a wok or large frying pan over a low heat, stirring, until the  garlic softens. 

3.  Increase the heat and add the sliced sausage. Cook, stirring, until the sausage starts to brown slightly. 

4.  Add cooked spaghetti, tinned peas and a good pinch of salt, stirring until everything is piping hot.

5.  Season well with black pepper and serve immediately.

This is the only time I use tinned peas. Use fresh or frozen as you like, I just like the flavour of tinned in this recipe.

Pan de Calatrava (Bread Pudding from Murcia)

This delicious pudding is best made the day before.

for the caramel:

125g sugar

4 tbsp water

for the pudding:

3 eggs

½ ltr milk

1 cup of sugar

about 2 cups of day-old bread, crust removed, chopped
zest of half a lemon
good pinch of nutmeg
good pinch of cinnamon
pinch of salt

1.  Firstly, make the caramel. Put the sugar and water into a small saucepan and heat slowly, shaking the pan only until the sugar dissolves. Watch the mixture carefully and remove from heat once it turns a nice reddish-brown.

2.  Immediately pour the caramel into a loaf tin and tilt to cover base and halfway up the sides. Allow to cool.

3.  Preheat the oven to 190ºC. In a large bowl, beat the eggs, milk and sugar for the pudding. Add the bread and let it soak in the mixture for 5 minutes. Blend the mixture in a blender or food processor so the bread mixes in well.

4.  Stir in the lemon zest, nutmeg, cinnamon and salt and pour the pudding mixture into the loaf tin on top of the caramel. 

5.  Put the loaf tin into a baking dish slightly larger, and fill the baking dish with boiling water so it comes about 2.5 cm up the sides of the loaf tin.

6.  Transfer the pans to the oven and bake for about 45 minutes, or until the custard is set.

7.  Allow to cool overnight in the fridge before removing from the tin, spreading any remaining caramel over the top.

Serve cold, sliced, with a dollop of whipped cream.

Easy Olive Oil Wholemeal Pastry

This makes a lovely, crisp flan case.

Makes enough to line two 23 cm (9") flan tins

(about 410g pastry)

250g wholemeal flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp thyme

60 ml olive oil (not extra virgin)

120 ml cold water

1.  Add the flour, salt and herbs together in a food processor and pulse several times to mix.

2.  Add the oil and process until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs or couscous.

3.  Add the water and process until the dough just comes together in a ball.

4.  Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll out firmly to avoid overworking the dough. 

5.  Line your flan tin(s), trim the edges and refrigerate for half an hour.

6.  Prick base with a fork and bake blind at 200°C for 10 minutes (allow to cool fully before adding filling).

NB: If you don't have a food processor, steps 1 - 3 can be done by hand.

Today, my filling is egg, yoghurt, grated courgette, cheddar cheese and leftover ravioli filling of chicken, chorizo, leeks & Parmesan spread in the base.

Alternative recipe here olive oil pastry

Dark Chocolate Coconut Torte

A wonderfully moist, moreish slice of yumminess!

3 eggs, separated

125g dark chocolate, broken into chunks

125g virgin coconut oil

125g caster sugar

3 tbsp dessicated coconut, plus extra to sprinkle

cocoa powder to sprinkle

1. Heat the oven to 180ºC. Whisk the egg yolks with the sugar in a bowl until pale, light and fluffy.

2. Meanwhile, melt the coconut oil and chocolate in a bowl over a saucepan of hot water.

3. Add the melted coconut oil and chocolate gradually into the egg and sugar mixture and whisk in. Stir in the dessicated coconut.

4. Whisk the egg whites in a clean, dry bowl until they form soft peaks. Tip into the chocolate mixture and fold in gently.

5. Pour into a 21cm diameter cake tin, either lined with silicone baking paper, or lightly oiled and dusted with cocoa powder.

6. Bake for 20 minutes. Allow to cool for 10 minutes in the tin, then remove and cool on a rack (be careful, it is quite light and flexible when warm).

7. When cool, sprinkle with dessicated coconut and cocoa powder.

Now, stuff your face... 

Mediterranean Chicken Rissoles

Makes 6 - 8 rissoles

400g raw chicken and/or turkey mince

1 egg, lightly beaten

3 garlic cloves, crushed

50g fresh, wholemeal breadcrumbs

2 tbsp freshly torn basil leaves

1 tsp finely grated lemon zest

2 tbsp caper berries

30g finely grated parmesan cheese

plain flour for dusting

1 tbsp olive oil for frying

1.  Combine the mince, egg, garlic, breadcrumbs, basil, lemon zest, capers and parmesan in a bowl, or pulse to mix in a food processor.

2.  Flour your hands and shape the mixture into 6 or 8 rissoles, coating them with flour. Place on a lightly floured plate and cover with clingfilm.  Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

3.  Preheat the oven to 180ºC. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and cook rissoles on medium heat for a couple of minutes until browned on both sides.  Transfer to an oiled baking tray and bake in the oven for about 10 minutes or until cooked through.

Chicken, Mushroom & Chorizo Yoghurt Quiche

Using yoghurt instead of cream in this recipe makes it slightly healthier!

Makes two quiches (I freeze one)

for which you need two 23 cm (9") flan tins

600g shortcrust pasty

1 tbsp chilli olive oil/olive oil

1 medium onion, sliced

250g mushrooms, sliced

250g cooked chicken, diced

75g chorizo, diced

250 ml natural yoghurt

6 large eggs

Good pinch of cinnamon

Good grate of nutmeg

Salt and black pepper

1.  Preheat the oven to 180°C (355°F).

2.  Divide the pastry into two equal halves and roll each half out to fit a 23 cm (9") flan tin. Prick the base of the pastry with a fork, then line with tin foil and baking beans and bake blind for 10 minutes. Remove from oven, trim off excess pastry, allow to cool. Do not remove from flan tins.

3.  In the meantime, heat the oil in a frying pan and gently fry the onion for a couple of minutes, then add the mushrooms and fry for a further few minutes until cooked through. Remove to a sieve or colander to drain. Lower the heat and add the chorizo to the pan. Allow to heat slowly to sweat out any excess fat and brown lightly. Remove from the pan and drain on kitchen paper. 

4.  Whisk the eggs together well in a large bowl, then mix in the yoghurt. Finally, stir in the cooled onion, mushroom and chorizo together with the diced chicken, cinnamon and nutmeg. Season with salt and black pepper. Divide the mixture equally between the two pastry cases.

5.  Bake in the centre of the oven for 30 - 40 minutes, just until the middle of the quiche is not wobbly and the pastry is golden.

Serve either warm or cold.

Today, I had cooked chicken, mushrooms and chorizo in the fridge to be used up, but it's up to you what you use in your quiche. Just make sure whatever you use, it is well drained and not wet, otherwise you will end up with a soggy, wet quiche. A metal flan tin and baking the pastry case blind will also help reduce the risk of soggy pastry.

Garlicky Prawn, Spinach & Mushroom Flatbread Pizzas

Serves 4

Easy Flatbread dough (see Link)

FOR THE SAUCE

1 tbsp butter or margarine
4 rounded tsp plain flour
scant ¼ tsp dried mustard powder
scant ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
¼ tsp salt

1 cup milk

¼ cup finely grated parmesan cheese

2 cloves garlic, minced

FOR THE TOPPING

1 tbsp olive oil

1 cup fresh sliced mushrooms

3-4 cups fresh baby spinach

2 cloves garlic, minced

200g cooked, frozen prawns, defrosted

Sliced Light Havarti cheese, or similar

Dried oregano

1.  Make the flatbread dough, making into four rounds (add a couple of finely sliced garlic cloves instead of the green chilli). Cook as per instructions.

2.  For the sauce, melt butter or margarine in a small saucepan. Add flour, mustard, pepper and salt, and cook until bubbling. Add milk and garlic and cook, stirring continuously, until thickened. Remove from heat and add the parmesan cheese, stirring until cheese is melted. Spread the sauce over the pizza bases.

3.  For the topping, fry the mushrooms and garlic in olive oil over medium heat for two minutes. Add the spinach, cooking until it wilts. Remove from heat and spread over the sauce. Add prawns, and top with Havarti cheese. Sprinkle with dried oregano.

4.  Bake in the oven, preheated to 220ºC, for 10-15 minutes or until cheese is melted and golden.

Moroccan Zaalouk of Cauliflower & Moroccan Aubergine Salad

Zaalouk of Cauliflower, left, and Aubergine Salad, right

Each recipe serves 6 as a side dish

ZAALOUK OF CAULIFLOWER

1 large head of cauliflower

2 ripe tomatoes, chopped

6 cloves garlic, crushed

¼ cup olive oil

2 tbsp each of chopped fresh parsley and coriander

2 tsp cumin

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp salt

½ tsp crushed black pepper

2 tbsp lemon juice

1.  Break the cauliflower into small florets, boil in water until tender enough to mash. Drain, return to saucepan and mash with a potato masher.

2.  Cook the tomatoes with half the olive oil in a frying pan on a medium heat for about 10 minutes, until the tomatoes are very soft. Mash the tomatoes with a wooden spoon and add the garlic, cooking for another minute or so.

3.  Transfer the tomatoes and garlic to the saucepan and mix with the cauliflower, together with the remaining olive oil, parsley, coriander, spices and lemon juice.

4.  Cook on a low heat, stirring, for 10 minutes, or until any juices have been absorbed. Check seasoning.

Serve warm drizzled with extra virgin olive oil.

MOROCCAN AUBERGINE SALAD

1 kg aubergines

5 cloves of garlic, crushed

1½ tsp cumin

1 tsp salt

1 tsp paprika

½ tsp cayenne pepper

3 tbsp olive oil

½ cup water

2 tbsp each of chopped fresh parsley and coriander

3 tbsp lemon juice

1.  Peel and chop the aubergine into 1 cm cubes. Place in a saucepan with the garlic, spices, olive oil and water. Cover and cook on a medium heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, adding a little water if necessary.

2.  Mash the aubergine with a potato masher, then add the parsley, coriander and lemon juice. Cook for a few minutes to reduce any liquids, then remove from the heat.

3.  Serve at room temperature or chilled.

These dishes can be served together as a vegetarian main course with couscous, or as side dishes to Moroccan Tagine. They are delicious eaten as dips with flatbread.

A Collection of Herb/Spice Blends

TANDOORI MARINADE

½ pint natural yoghurt

½ tbsp cumin powder

½ tbsp garam masala

½ tsp coriander powder

½ tsp turmeric

½ tsp chilli powder

Juice of ½ lemon

4 cloves of garlic, crushed
½ inch ginger root, grated

½ tsp red food colouring

Mix everything together well. For Chicken Tikka, marinade chicken breast cubes for minimum 2 hours. Shake off excess sauce, place on a baking tray and cook in oven/under grill for 15-20 minutes, or until meat juices run clear.

ASIAN CHILLI PASTE

1 cup fresh red chillis, stems removed

Third of a cup vinegar
8 cloves garlic, chopped

3 tbsp vegetable oil

Salt & pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a blender and purée, adding enough water to form into a thick paste. Keep for up to 3 months in fridge, or freeze in icecube trays.

CAJUN SPICE SEASONING MIX

¾ cup salt

¼ cup ground cayenne pepper

2 tbsp ground white pepper

2 tbsp ground black pepper

2 tbsp paprika

2 tbsp onion powder

2 tbsp garlic powder

Mix everything together well in a jam jar. Use a tablespoonful of mix as a marinade or rub.

ZA'ATAR LEBANESE HERB BLEND

1 tbsp dried oregano

1 tbsp dried thyme

1 tbsp ground sumac (I can't get this in Spain, so substitute with ½ tbsp lemon pepper & 1 tsp paprika for colour)

½ tbsp white sesame seeds

Salt to taste

Grind the oregano and thyme in a spice grinder or blender. Mix everything together well in a jam jar. Use as marinade or rub on fish or meat.

CREOLE SEASONING

2½ tbsp paprika

2 tbsp salt

2 tbsp garlic powder

1 tbsp black pepper

1 tbsp onion powder

1 tbsp cayenne pepper

1 tbsp dried oregano

1 tbsp dried thyme

Mix everything together well in a jam jar. Use a tablespoonful of mix as a marinade or rub.

Also see previous posts for:
Sweet Chilli Sauce and Madras Curry Paste

Turkey Noodles

Serves 2

1 turkey breast fillet, approx 350g, cut into bite-size cubes

1 large onion, diced

1 chicken stock cube, dissolved in 150 ml boiling water

1 tbsp Madras curry paste, see previous blog post

1 tin coconut milk

2 dried Kaffir lime leaves

300 g button mushrooms, cleaned & quartered

small bunch spring onions, finely sliced

Sunflower oil for frying

2 portions Chinese egg noodles

1.  Fry the onion gently in a wok or large saucepan until soft and translucent.

2.  Add the turkey and fry, stirring, until coloured on all sides.

3.  Stir in the curry paste and cook for a couple of minutes until a nice aroma comes from the pan.

4.  Add the chicken stock and coconut milk, bring to the boil, then reduce heat, add the lime leaves and simmer for about 10 minutes.

5.  Add the mushrooms and simmer for a further 5 minutes.

6.  Break the dried noodles into the pan, stir them in, making sure they are immersed in the stock.  Sprinkle over the spring onion and simmer for about 5 minutes until the noodles are cooked.

Enjoy!

Madras Curry Paste

2½ tbsp coriander seeds, dry-roasted and ground*

1 tbsp cumin seeds, dry-roasted and ground*

1 tsp black mustard seeds

½ tsp cracked black peppercorns

1 tsp chilli power

1 tsp ground turmeric

2 crushed garlic cloves

2 tsp grated fresh (or lazy) ginger

3-4 tbsp white wine vinegar (or more as necessary)

1.  Put all ingredients except vinegar into a small bowl and mix well.

2.  Add enough vinegar, a tablespoonful at a time, to mix to a smooth paste.

3.  Keep for up to 1 month in an airtight container in the fridge.

* I use a small electric coffee bean grinder, but use a pestle and mortar if you like.

Balsamic Vinegar Pearls

These are so easy and delicious, not to mention impressive!

75 ml balsamic vinegar

1 sachet powdered gelatine

olive oil (enough to fill a tall glass tumbler)

a syringe (I used a plastic one from the chemist)

1.  Pour enough olive oil to fill a tall glass tumbler and put in the freezer for at least 30 minutes.

2.  Dissolve the gelatine in the vinegar over a medium heat, stirring. Bring just to the boil, then remove from heat. Allow to cool for five minutes, stirring occasionally.

3.  Fill the syringe with the balsamic and gelatine mixture. 

4.  When the oil is well chilled (you can stand it in a jug of iced water to keep it cool), drip the balsamic mixture into it, drop by drop. The drops should slowly sink to the bottom and the cold oil will set the gelatine.  

5.  Once all the balsamic mixture has been dripped in, slowly pour the pearls out into a strainer. Keep the olive oil to use in cooking (pass it through a coffee filter paper in a funnel if it has small bits of jelly in it).

6.  Store the balsamic vinegar pearls in a sterilised jam jar in the fridge.

Use to decorate salads, cold tapas, etc. (The gelatine in the pearls will melt if you put them on hot food)