Best cupcakes

These are from cake decorating class I took.

http://thecocoabox.blogspot.com

Cupcakes cases vary in size.  Try to get a ‘deep’ case and if in doubt use a muffin case.

Oven temp

-        most ovens have hot spots so turn the baking tray half way through cooking.

Ingredients

Use the best quality to fit your budget.

All ingredients should be at room temperature.

Wash your eggs (don’t know where they came from)

If you want a flat cake, use margarine (good for fondant). Butter rises, will make them have a dome/peaked shape (good for buttercream).

Basic recipe

150g margarine

150g flour SR

150g caster sugar

2 eggs

½ teaspoon of vanilla extract (NEVER use vanilla essence) or one vanilla pod

*For chocolate substitute 25g flour for 25g cocoa powder

Preheat oven to 160/200C.

Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy and pale in colour.  This should take about 3-5 minutes.

Slowly add the egg.  To avoid curdling add 2-3 Tb of flour.  Always sieve.

Add sieved flour to the mixture.

Mixture should be dropping consistency.

Filling the cases

Pipe mixture into cupcake cases.  Use a piping bag without a nozzle.  Try not to get any mixture on the sides or top of case as it will burn.  Aim to fill the cake mixture just over half full in order to allow for fondant topping.

Place in oven for 11/12 minutes.  Turn then leave for 8/10 mins.  You may find you need more or less depending on the oven.

Buttercream

250g unsalted butter

300g icing sugar

5ml vanilla extract

chocolate buttercream

250g butter

300g icing sugar

125g melted dark chocolate – 70% solids

Method

Add all ingredients together and mix until light and fluffy.  This will take up to ten minutes.  You are looking for a light consistency.  Add milk if the mixture is thick.

Fondant icing

You can use a pre made packet mix or you can make your own using Tate and Lyle icing sugar.

Banoffee Pie!

Made this Banoffee Pie for a dinner party held by all the LLM crew where you do a pot luck type thing.  It was really yum and pretty easy too - big hit!

397g (or thereabouts) can condensed milk
1 large pack granitas/digestives (250g)
125g butter
600ml whipping cream**(see note below - substitute for thickened cream)**
about 6 bananas
pecans sugared up (fry in pan with sugar to crust them)
cinnamon

Put the tin of condensed milk in water.  Bring to the boil and then turn down to a simmer for about 2 hours. Keep checking on it because it needs to be covered and the water may evapourate out.  Also your kitchen may end up like a sauna so watch out!
Whizz the digestives in the blender, add the butter and mix it up.  Line a 20cm springform cake tin with paper.  Press the biscuit mix into the base, and about 4cm up the sides (I did it messy and it was fine, don't be too precious about it).  Put in the fridge.
Once the condensed milk has boiled for a good 2 hours let it cool, then take the lid off.  You will have a nice thick caramel.  Spread over the biscuit base and put back in the fridge.
Close to serving time whip up the cream.  Stir in about 5 of the bananas, sliced.  (It's good to have lots of banana as the rest of the dessert is so sweet, I would almost suggest the cream is just full of bananas).
Pop the base out of the pan and put on a plate.  Spread the cream over the caramel, then top with the rest of the sliced bananas, sprinkle with cinnamon and scatter with pecans.
Delicious!

ROUND 2: Made Banoffee again last night (27 Feb).  It wasn't as good this time I think it's a little too creamy.
Next time I make it I'm going to do it in individual cups (also easier to serve etc - don't need to slice the pie! pretty clever!!).  Instead of whipping cream I'm going to just use a dollop of thickened cream with some vanilla mixed in.
So:

• layer of biscuit base
• layer of caramel
• layer of sliced bananas
• dollop of cream with chopped bananas mixed through
• dust with cinnamon or shaved dark chocolate

Using small cups is also way easier when cooking for only a few people - you could easily half the recipe for 4 people.  I would only cook the big pie when serving for a really large group.

Jamie's delicious dessert

I want to copy this dish from Jamie's restaurant.
It's basically a biscuit base, with lemon curd, then marscapone, strawberries and crushed pistachios.  Mmmmmm so simple and so delicious.

Beef vindaloo AND chicken saag

Dan and Georgie made this delicious curry for us with veges and stuff they picked up at the Borough markets.  It was fantastic!

1 Tbsp cumin seeds
4 dried red chillies
1 tsp black peppercorns
5 green cardammon pods
1 tsp fenugreek seeds
1 tsp black mustard seeds
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp Demerara sugar
4 Tbsp white wine vinegar
4 Tbsp oil
1 large onion finely chopped
900g stewing beef diced
2.5th piece Ginger grated
1 garlic clove crushed
2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground turmeric

Grind cumin, chillies, peppercorns, cardamom pods, fenugreek seeds and mustard seeds.
Add salt, sugar, and vinegar.
Heat half of the oil and fry the onions for 10 min.   Blend this with the spice mix.
Heat the remaining oil and fry the meat until it is browned. Remove and set aside.
Add Ginger and garlic and fry 2 min. Stir in ground coriander and tumeric and fry 2 min.
Add spice paste and fry for 5 min.
Add meat. Add 1/2 pint water. Cover and Cook 1-1.5 hours until meat tender



Chicken saag
225g spinach washed not dried
2.5cm piece Ginger grated
2 garliccloves crushed
1green chilling rough chop
200ml water
30ml oil
2 bay leaves
1/4 tsp peppercorns
1 onion chopped
4 tomatoes, skinned and finely chopped
2 tsp curry powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp chilly powder
3 Tbsp natural yoghurt
8 chicken thighs

Cook spinach without water in tightly covered sUcepN for 5 min
Blend spinach garlic Ginger chilli and 50ml water
Heat oil. Add bay leaves and peppercorns. Fry 2 mins. Add onion fry till browned.
Add Tom and simmer 5 min
Add curry, chilli, salt. Cook 2 min
Add purée and 150ml water. Simmer 5 min.
Add yoghurt 1 Tbsp at a time and simmer 5 min.
Add chicken. Cover and cook 25-30 min.

Nettle Soup

I learnt this recipe from a fellow forager when I randomly took a foraging tour in the heath (hampstead heath) one Saturday afternoon.  I haven't tried it yet.  BUt I did get stung by a nettle!

1 bag nettle (pick the nice fresh leaves at the top, and none of the flowery ones, pick the lighter green growing tips)
1 onion

Cook for 10 minutes.
Blend.
Olive oil and salt to serve.

food i love to cook and eat - kazi style

- bread with hommus, roasted red peppers and haloumi

- fruit salad with yoghurt, walnuts and honey

- pork souvlaki, tzatziki, pitta and greek salad

Soup in Angel

Just had the best soup at a little cafe on Cross Street, Angel.
It was a minestrone with diamond shaped pasta, pancetta and rosemary.  Served with parmesan on top and a couple of pieces of soft, fresh white bread.

Locanda Ottoemezzo

Closest tube: Kensington High Street
Went with Felipe, Peggy and Anna Paula (Felipe's brazilian friend).

Pasta was fantastic - homemade, squid ink pasta with cherry tomatoes and rocket.

I had a saffron and asparagus risotto which they brought to the table in a giant parmesan rind.  They then scraped the parmesan from the rind, stirring it through the warm risotto and essentially cooking the parmesan into the risotto.  Delicious!

18 pound for a pasta, 24 for meat.

Felipe had the beef and it looked perfect.

food glorious food

Paris food blew us away.

1. yum yum steak with mash and bernaise

2. delicious salad with chevre pockets 'brick le chevre'

3. chris' fave - steak with green sauce

4. joy salad with foie gras, salmon etc.  dan had steak + potatoes 

5. cassoulet

6. duck + chips

Pea and Ham Soup

Pea and ham soup is so yummy and perfect when it is getting cold.   This recipe is from Taste but I added some bacon bones for extra flavour and because more meat and fat will come off these.

1 x 500g pkt green split peas
1 Tbs olive oil
2 brown onions, coarsely chopped
3 carrots, peeled, coarsely chopped
3 celery sticks, ends trimmed, coarsely chopped
1 large (about 750g) ham hock (see note)

2 bacon bones
2.75L (11 cups) water

3 sprigs fresh thyme
2 dried bay leaves
4 black peppercorns

Place the split peas in a really large bowl and cover with cold water (note they soak up heaaaps of water so put in a big bowl with more water than you think necessary). Set aside for 6 hours or overnight to soak. Drain.

Wrap some unwaxed kitchen string/cotton string around the thyme and bay leaves to secure (that way you can pull them out at the end).

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot and celery and cook, uncovered, stirring often, for 10 minutes or until the onion is soft. Add the split peas, herbs, peppercorns, ham hock and water. Cover and bring to the boil.

Reduce the heat to medium and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 1 3/4 hours to 2 hours or until the ham begins to fall off the bone and the soup thickens. Remove the pan from the heat.

Use tongs to remove the ham hock from the pan. Set aside until cool enough to handle. Use your hands to pull the ham off the bone. Discard the bone. Shred the ham. Return the ham to the soup. 

Stir the soup over low heat for 4-5 minutes or until heated through. Serve with buttery toast.

More quickies with eggs - pad thai omelet!

This is from "quickies in the kitchen" and looks so yum and easy.

60gms flat rice stick noodles
¼ cup peanut oil
6 to 8 shelled and cleaned prawns
1 teaspoon ginger minced
1 teaspoon garlic minced
1 teaspoon chilli minced
1/3 cup spring onions sliced
2 Tbs crushed peanuts
1 dash sweet soy (kecap manis)
1 dash oyster sauce
Squeeze of lemon juice
Handful of Bean shoots
1 cup of coriander chopped
4 large free range eggs, whisked
Butter for frying
Salt and pepper

Cook noodles in boiling water for a few mins and then rinse in cold water
Whisk eggs with salt & pepper to have it ready.
Heat oil in a wok.
Add prawns and fry for about 1 minute. Then add ginger, garlic and chilli and cook for another minute, being careful not to burn.
Add spring onions and peanuts and fry for another minute
Add soy, oyster, lemon juice, noodles, bean shoots, and coriander and toss to heat through
Melt butter in large pan and pour in beaten eggs and swirl the pan till the eggs evenly reach the edges. Cook over medium heat for about 1 min, until lightly golden underneath.
Spoon Pad Thai mixture into middle of omelette and fold omelette over.
Seal together. Serve omelette drizzled with kecap manis.

Remember with wok cooking it's best to have all your ingredients ready to go so do the prep before.

Quick and easy frittata

I love love love eggs and am thinking a frittata is a really quick lunch or dinner...The cool thing is you can mix up the ingredients to suit your taste or what is in the fridge.  Here is a recipe I found on taste and would like to try

Serves 2
30g unsalted butter
200g button mushrooms, thickly sliced
2 vine-ripened tomatoes, cut into wedges
4 eggs
75g mature cheddar, coarsely grated
1/2 cup parsley

Preheat the grill to high.

Melt 20g of the butter in a non-stick frypan over medium heat. Add the sliced mushrooms and tomato wedges, and cook, stirring, for 3-4 minutes until tomato is just softened.

Lightly beat eggs with 1 tablespoon water in a large bowl. Stir in cheese, parsley, and the mushroom and tomato mixture. Season with salt and pepper.

Melt remaining butter in the frypan over medium-low heat. Add the egg mixture, stir briefly, then cook for 5-6 minutes until golden underneath and nearly set. Place pan under hot grill for 3-4 minutes or until just set and top is golden. Slide onto a board, cut in half.

Drunken and Bruised

This is a recipe from Masterchef contestant Alvin. I thought it looked yummy and easy and a good vessel for chilli.

Serves 4

Stock
1L shaoxing (Chinese rice wine)
500ml mirin
1-2L water, or enough to cover chicken
80g gula melaka (Malaysian palm sugar)
1 whole chicken
4-6cm ginger, thickly sliced

Salad3 garlic cloves, peeled
1 tbs roasted peanuts
1 tbs dried shrimp, soaked, drained
2 bird's eye chillies
2 lime cheeks
6 cherry tomatoes, quartered
6 snake beans, cut into 4cm lengths
2 Lebanese cucumbers, peeled, cut into matchsticks
1 tsp sesame oil

Sauce
2 tbs very finely chopped gula melaka (Malaysian palm sugar)
Juice of 2 limes
2-3 tbs fish sauce

Place the shaoxing, mirin, water and palm sugar in a large saucepan and bring to the boil. Add the chicken and ginger, then cover and simmer gently for 45-60 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and allow the chicken to cool in the poaching liquid.

For the bruised salad, place the garlic, peanuts and dried shrimp in a mortar and pestle and pound to a coarse paste. Add the chillies and bruise gently - the amount of heat you want from this salad depends on how hard you bruise the chillies. Add the lime cheeks and bruise to release some juice. Add the cherry tomatoes, beans and cucumber and mix through gently with a spoon.

For the dressing, place the palm sugar and lime juice in a bowl and whisk to dissolve the sugar. Add fish sauce to taste and whisk to combine.


To serve, add enough dressing to coat the salad and then taste - it should be a good balance of sweet, salty and sour. Add sesame oil and mix to combine. Pile the salad onto a plate and drizzle with sesame oil.

Remove the chicken from the broth and place on a chopping board. Cut off the legs (thigh and drumstick), then chop off the end of the drumstick and trim the end so it is free of skin. Cut the legs into 2 pieces through the joint. Slice the breasts off the carcass and cut each one cut into 5 thick slices. Place the pieces of chicken in a shallow bowl, pour over a little broth and serve with the bruised salad.

Link to masterchef recipe site: http://www.masterchef.com.au/drunken-chicken-with-bruised-salad.htm

Rhubarb Upside-down cake

I really want to cook this but as I have no time to cook at the moment I'll just add it to my long wish list.

5 egg whites
1.5 cups (180g) almond meal
3/4 cup (120g) icing sugar
3/4 cup (105g) SR flour
75g butter, melted
1/2 cup (110g) caster sugar
8-10 rhubarb stalks, cut into 19cm lengths

Set oven to 180C
Mix egg whites, almond meal, icing sugar, flour and butter.
Grease a 20cm square cake tin. Sprinkle generously with caster sugar.
Arrange rhubarb in the base of the tin.
Pour mixture over the top.
Bake in oven for 40-45 minutes.  Easy peasy!!!
Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or cream on a cold winters night.

golden rule of pastry: 3-2-1

i haven't tried this but apparently that's the rule:

300g flour
200g butter
100g sugar
+ 1 egg

will have to give it a go

easy tuesday vietnamese chicken

1 chicken thigh per person

Salad ingredients
Cucumber chopped into ribbons
250g vermicelli noodles
Mint
Chilli

Marinade/dressing
3 Tb fish sauce
2 tsp sugar
2 chopped chillies (add more if you like it hot)
3 cloves garlic
Whisk together and reserve half for the dressing

Marinate the chicken for 20 minutes.  Heat oil in a pan and cook chicken until it's brown and crispy.  You can put a pan on top to weigh the chicken down and make it extra crispy.

Soak vermicelli noodles (250g) in boiling water.  Add cucumber, mint, chilli and dressing.

Slice chicken to serve.

delicious zucchini soup Stefanie's mum made

2 shallots
400g zucchini
30g Parmesan cheese
1 sp olive oil
.8 L chicken stock
2 eggs

Fry shallots
Add zucchini
Pulse
Add stock
Beat eggs with cheese and add

Jamie's Fish Steamed with Couscous

2 people, 15 minutes, easy peasy and delicious!

The fish is steamed on top of the couscous in this dish so all the lovely cooking juices are soaked up making the couscous extra tasty.

1 handful couscous
1/2 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, sliced
2 red chiles, seeds removed, 1 chopped and 1 finely sliced
Extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
1 by 2.5cm (1-inch) piece cinnamon
Knob unsalted butter
1 large bunch fresh coriander, leaves picked, stalks finely sliced
Handful of clams
Enough fish for 2 people - use a firm white fish eg swordfish, cut into chunks
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 lemons, 1 cut in 1/2 and 1 cut into wedges, for serving
3 tablespoons creme fraiche


Put the couscous in a bowl and cover with boiling water. It will soften and double in size.

Heat a medium-sized saucepan on a low heat, and saute the onion, garlic and chopped chiles in oil. Pound in the mortar the salt, fennel and cumin seeds, coriander seeds and cinnamon. Add to the onion with the butter, then once melted add the finely sliced coriander stalks and the couscous. Break it up with your spoon.

Turn the heat down to a very low heat, and add the fish, skin side up. Drizzle with olive oil, a bit of salt and pepper and throw in the lemon, cut in halves. Cover with some wet greaseproof paper, and cook for 15 minutes.

To serve, sprinkle with the coriander leaves and sliced chile; squeeze the lemon halves, dollop on some creme fraiche and drizzle with olive oil.

Have you ever looked a beetroot in the eye?

I have never cooked beetroot before...but I do love it in a burger. (actually that is a big fat lie I have roasted them in the oven)

But today I tried a new method - baking in the oven.  Rub beetroot with oil and salt and wrap in foil.  Bake in 200 degree C oven for 45 mins.  Take out, peel and slice. Salt and pepper and serve hot or cold.

Easy peasy yummy thai chicken skewers

Mix in a bowl:
100g yoghurt
tsp crushed coriander seeds
chopped fresh coriander
juice of 1 lime
salt

Slice 4 chicken breasts and marinate in the above mixture for around 4 hours.

Thread onto skewers and cook on the bbq.

Yum! The yoghurt keeps the chicken deliciously moist mmmm

Hannah's Birthday Butter Cream Cupcakes

We made 24 minis and 26 bigs

• 200g butter, softened
• 1 3/4 cups (370g) caster sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla bean paste
• 4 eggs
• 2 3/4 cups (405g) self-raising flour
• 1 cup (250ml) milk

• Butter frosting

• 200g butter, softened
• 6 cups (900g) icing sugar mixture
• 1/2 cup (125ml) milk

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Line 24 1/3 cup (80ml) muffin pans with patty cases.
2. Cream the butter, sugar and vanilla bean paste with an electric mixer. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat until just combined. Add the flour and milk in alternate batches and stir with a wooden spoon until just combined.
3. Spoon mixture evenly among the patty cases. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until cooked through. Remove from oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
4. For the frosting, use an electric mixer to beat the butter until very pale. Gradually add the icing sugar while beating. Add the milk and beat until well combined.
5. Divide frosting into small bowls and colour. Use a small palette knife or round-bladed knife to spread the icing.

tapas and wine

more tapas and wine....little place in granada

nothing like a 19 euro steak

this was the most beautiful steak - it is the item on the menu 'solomillo'. dan asked for his medium and strangely they cut it into 3 pieces so he didn't get a beautiful round like i did...he kept asking to try mine hehehehehehee

we actually went to the restaurant because it's in the top floor of this building dan wanted to see and we could only get up there if we had lunch. well, if it's educational...

but check out the building - it is incredible - no beams! and so so skinny. and beautiful beautiful views

cheese blocks

Stephen Hill uses these little wood blocks when he is making his guitars...i like them because they look like cheese

juicer

brekky in la herradura

yum love the breakfasts here

for 80 cents you get a 'tostada con tomate' - half a baguette, toasted, served with a little bowl of muddled fresh tomato and olive oil. spread it on, drizzle with a little extra oil and enjoy with a cafe con leche

Alpendre, Alfama

Dessert...mmm

The BEST seafood risotto

DJ

Alpendre - in Alfama district, Lisbon
Rua augusto rosa, 32/4
Phone: 218 862 421

Dan and i have been 2 nights in a row. first night we had arroz de marisco - seafood risotto - filled with prawns, crab, fish, clams mmm

Last night we had the mixed grill for 2 - all kinds of delicious meat - pork, steaks etc

Bill is usually around 25 euro for all you can eat and drink including dessert

Lunch at Snoopys, Porto

Across the road from Casa da Musica. Delicious meat falling apart on your fork, melt in your mouth! Grand total of about 12 euro for the meal plus a bottle of wine

Breakfast at the Pastelaria in Cordoba

yummy pies filled with chicken and roast veges...mmm. washed down with a cafe con leche

The Medieval festival, Cordoba

More winners from Taberna coloniales, Seville

Manjar blanco - chicken with bacon, cheese and almond sauce. This is, as you can see, a HUGE dish and only cost about 2.90 euros. Crazy!

My favourite - Crujiente de brerejas con salmorejo = eggplant with salmorejo - salmorejo is a delicious light tomato sauce/puree.

One of the daily specials - a stack of potato, tomato, cheese, prawns etc mmmm

Another winner from Bar Alfalfa, Seville

Yum! Cheese, pesto, tomato, rocket, drizzled with olive oil. The goods!

Chocolate y churros!

Taberna Coloniales, Seville

DELICIOUS tapas and lots of fun to sit at the bar.

Tortilla de camarones - tortilla with shrimp

Huevos de cordoniz con jamon - delicious little bites of toast with quail eggs and serrano ham

Punta de solomillo a la castellana - prime cut meat with castellana - a sort of gravy with onions, served with potatoes

MORE Magnums!!!

In Spain they have heaps of Magnums we don't get. Here is the strawberry white choc mmmm mum would love this! My favourite is Stracciatella Sandwich - it's half giant sandwich, half choc-chip magnum - genius!

Bar Alfalfa, Seville

Check out the bowl of melted cheese!!! mmmmm

La Bodega, Seville

chorizo picante y crema de queso - delicious roll with spicy chorizo and creamiest goats cheese, toasted

espinacas con garbanzos = spinach and chickpeas

fabe = white beans, bacon and sausage

Casinha do Petisco, Lagos

Stuffed squid

O'Sobreiro, Evora

• Migras a Alentejana - regional bread - a weird massive plate of breadcrumbs with pork meat
• Delicious chick peas with lemon, cod and garlic

hard rock burgers - always a winner!