Lemon Poppy Seed Tea Cake

Lemon Poppy Seed Loaf

Yields 1 loaf

200 g plain flour

100 g caster sugar

1 tbs poppy seeds

½ tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)

1 tbs grated lemon zest

150 g plain yoghurt

75 g butter, melted

1 egg, beaten

1 egg yolk, beaten

 1 tsp vanilla extract

1.     Preheat the oven to 180 C°.  Prepared the loaf pan with butter

2.     In a bowl, combine the four, sugar, poppy seeds, bicarb and lemon zest

3.     With the remaining wet ingredients combine in another bowl.  Slowly stir in the dry ingredients until just moistened

4.     Spoon into the loaf pan and bake for 30-35 minutes.  To make sure its done use a skewer and insert it into the cake, if it comes out clean then the loaf is done.

5.     Cool for five minutes

For a wonderful glaze:

 Combine 8 tbs sugar with 1 tbs lemon juice, 1 tsp lemon zest, and 1 tsp vanilla extract.

Drizzle over the warm cake when it has cooled

Note: Next time I make this I am going to try doing this with orange zest and poppy seeds!
In this recipe I used my scale and let me tell you it makes a huge difference!

Recipe courtesy of Allrecipies.co.uk 

Fall is finally here!

Chocolate Covered Orange Peels

Yields about 25 pieces

2 oranges peeled (insides discarded)

3 cups Sugar

1 bar quality dark chocolate

1.     Chop the orange peels length wise into two inch pieces

2.     Place water and one cup sugar on medium heat, add the oranges

3.     Once the water comes to a simmer drain the water and blanch (put them in ice cold water for a minute)

4.     Repeat set 3 two more times.

5.     Lay the orange peel out to dry for four or five hours until they have become firm

6.     Melt the chocolate bar in the microwave

7.     Dip each orange peel into the chocolate and let cool

Squaternut Bash Lasagna

Squaternut Bash lasagna (Butternut Squash)

Serving size: 8 people

I box lasagna noodles

I butternut squash (peeled and cut into 1inch pieces)

1 ½ cups whole milk

1 cup all purpose flour

2 tablespoons nutmeg

1 tablespoon basil

2 cups mozzarella cheese

½ a cup of parmesan cheese

Salt and pepper

1.     Preheat the oven to 370 F°.  Place all the squash into a roasting pan with salt and pepper. Put in the oven for about 20-25 minutes

2.     While the squash is roasting, heat the butter over medium heat and slowly add the milk. Add the flour, nutmeg, basil and whisk the sauce.  Let it sit over medium low heat till the sauce thickens. Add salt and pepper to taste

3.     When the squash is tender transfer to another bowl and add a teaspoon of nutmeg and mash with a fork until there are only a few whole pieces left

4.     In a baking pan place layer of the white sauce followed by a layer of the lasagna noodles.  Next place a layer of the squash mixture over and add a good amount of cheese. Repeat, starting with the white sauce.

5.     End the layering with a think layer of both cheeses

6.     Place a piece of aluminum foil over the lasagna and put in the oven for about 45 minutes.  After 45 minutes take off the tin foil and let cook for another 15 minutes

7.     Let cool for ten minutes before serving

If there are leftovers feel free to freeze them in an airtight container to defrost later!

Back to school! Back to school, to prove to Dad that I'm not a fool! I got my lunch packed up, my boots tied tight, I hope I don't get in a fight

We had been dreading the start of class because we knew we would have less time to do what’s actually important - cooking! No just kidding everyone, school is very important and we are glad to take on the challenge! But this meant we had to get down to crunch time in the kitchen. (And crunch time for our abdominals was not overlooked either.) So that all in mind, we came up with some quick and easy recipes for those days of school that were not so quick and easy. 

Pesto Pasta with Mixed Mushrooms

Pesto Pasta with Mixed Mushrooms

Serving Size: 4 people

1 container button mushrooms

3 large portabella mushrooms

1 tablespoon sunflower oil

Salt & pepper

Whole-wheat pasta

2 tablespoons canned pesto

Shaved parmesan for topping

1.     Bring a pot of water to a boil and put a generous amount salt (it should taste like the ocean)

2.     While it is coming to a boil heat the sunflower oil in a sauté pan and add the mushrooms.  Let them sauté on medium heat until they have reduced in size by half and are dark brown in color

3.     Add the pasta to the water and wait till the noodles are ready.  Drain and return them to the pan.  Add the pesto and mushrooms and combine.  Season to taste with salt and pepper

4.     When serving top with the parmesan cheese

Roasted Veggie Wrap

Roasted Veggie Wrap

Serving size: 4 people

1 container button mushrooms

4 big carrots

1 onion

1 can chickpeas

Mozzarella cheese

4 tortillas

1.     Preheat the over to 345 F°

2.     Chop the mushrooms into thin one-inch slivers.  Peel and chop the carrots into thin one-inch slivers as well.  Peel the onion then dice the other half into small pieces

3.     In a buttered roasting pan add the vegetables and cook for 20 to 25 minutes until they are tender and translucent

4.     While the vegetables are roasting, drain and rinse the chickpeas.  Put them in a mixing bowl and begin to mash with a fork.  As you begin to mash them season with salt and pepper. Stop mashing after about five minutes; at this point the chickpeas should have a chunk consistency. 

5.     Putting together the wrap: on the tortilla spread on the chickpeas.  On top of that put the mixed veggies and finish it off with the mozzarella cheese.  Wrap up the wrap like a burrito.

Enjoy!

Mushroom Mania

If you have not yet noticed, we are mildly OBSESSED with mushrooms. You may say, ew mushrooms are a fungi. But a wonderfully delicious and healthful fungi they are. And if you don’t enjoy them, like my Daddy for example, you should think about bleu cheese, which is a mold. Both are edible and both are good food choices. that should be included in your diet, albeit their “fungus status”. So back to mushrooms, they include a plethora of nutrients including:
They are a prime exemplification of a food that can easily fancy up any dish. Making  pasta? Add mushrooms. An omelet? Add mushrooms. Making a  wrap? MUSHROOMS. How about a rice medley? Include some mushrooms. They are concrete to your recipes and you should have them in your fridge at any given time. YAY MUSHROOMS @!#$@*!!!!!