Carrot Cake

Very tasty Carrot cake, only my frosting was too runny. I might put less lemon in it next time or maybe just use it as a sauce :)

Here's how it looks on website where I found this delicious recipe:

And very soon I will upload my cake which did not look as great as i expected it to..

Ingredients

Cake

• 300 ml flour
• 2 level teaspoons baking powder
• 1/3 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/3 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 250 ml brown sugar
• 150 ml sunflower oil
• 3 carrot shreds
• 175 ml walnut pieces

Frosting

•  Half lime
• 250 ml mascarpone
• 90 ml butter
• 175 ml powdered sugar
• juice of half lemon

Directions

Cake
Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Butter two cake pans. Blend the flour and baking powder together into a large bowl, then mix in the spices.
Using an electric mixer, mix the muscovado sugar, sunflower oil, and eggs until smooth. Fold in the grated carrots and walnut pieces, then add the dry ingredients until evenly combined.
Spoon the mixture into buttered pans and bake until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean, about 25 minutes.

Frosting
Juice the lime and lemon, then mix the mascarpone, butter, sugar, and the juices. Sandwich the cake layers together with 1/3 of the frosting. Spread frosting over the top of the cake and smooth it down the sides to cover completely.

Enjoy!

Beef Stroganoff

Ingredients

• 675g / 1 ½ lb beef fillet
• 1 large onion, thinly sliced
• 350g button mushrooms, sliced
• 65g 2 ½ oz butter
• 3 tablespoons sunflower oil
• 300 ml / 1 ¼ cups soured cream
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• salt and pepper
• small bunch parsley, washed and chopped fine.

Preparation

Cut the fillet across the grain into thin slices about 1cm / ½ inch wide or less.
In a large frying pan, melt the butter and cook the onion with the paprika over a low heat until soft and translucent. Add the mushrooms and continue to cook gently for about three minutes more. Using a slotted spoon remove the onions and mushrooms to a plate.
Use the same pan to heat 1 ½ tablespoons of sunflower oil until hot. Quickly fry half the beef fillet strips, turning and adding salt and pepper as you cook for about one minute. Remove to another plate and fry the rest of the strips in the remaining oil. Transfer this batch of meat to the plate.
Return the onions and mushrooms to the pan and pour in the cream. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for one minute until it thickens slightly. Return the beef fillet strips to the pan and heat gently for one more minute, without letting the mixture boil.
Stir in the lemon juice and chopped parsley, then serve immediately.
bunch parsley, washed and chopped fine.

Rosemary Focaccia Bread

Ingredients

• 300g high protein flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp castor sugar
• 6g easy blend dried yeast
• 200ml water
• 1½ tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1¼ tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp dried rosemary
• 1 tsp sea salt

Method

Sift flour into the bowl of an electric mixer and stir in salt, sugar and yeast. Add water and olive oil and beat on medium low speed using the dough hook for 5 minutes or until dough is smooth. Add black pepper and oregano. Remove dough from the bowl onto a lightly floured surface and knead with your hands until dough is no longer sticky. Cover with a damp tea towel and leave aside to rise for 40 minutes or until doubled in bulk. Divide dough into equal portions and shape each piece into a smooth ball. Leave aside to rest for 12-15 minutes. Use a rolling pin, roll out each piece to 0.5cm thick and arrange 3 pieces on a greased baking tray. Allow to rise for 30-35 minutes. Brush each piece of bread with a little olive oil. Press the surface lightly with your fingertips to create a few shallow indentations all over the dough, then sprinkle with a little dried rosemary and sea salt. Bake in a preheated oven at 200-210°C or until golden brown.

 

Jalapeño guacamole

Ingredients

• 4 medium ripe Hass avocados
• ½ red onion, finely diced
• 1 pickled or fresh, grilled jalapeño pepper, seeds removed, finely diced
• 1½ limes, juice only
• small bunch (about 10g) fresh coriander, chopped
• 1 tsp salt

Method

1. Cut the avocadoes in half lengthways and remove the stones. Use a spoon to scoop the flesh into a bowl.
2. Use a stick blender or rolling pin to blend or mash the avocadoes to a chunky paste.
3. Stir in all of the remaining ingredients. Adjust the ingredients to suit your taste and serve.

 

Chilli con carne

Ingredients

• 2 large onions
• 700 g lean stewing beef, fat removed and cut into 1-2cm cubes
• 5 cloves garlic, crushed
• 800 g canned chopped tomatoes
• 2 green peppers, sliced
• 3 green or red chillies, chopped, seeds left in if you like your chillies fiery
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tinned red kidney beans, 400g
• 1 tsp brown sugar

To serve

• 125 ml soured cream
• 2 tbsp coriander leaves, chopped
• 4 tbsp cheddar cheese, grated

Method

Heat the olive oil in a casserole,or saucepan and fry the meat until it changes colour - about 5-7 minutes. Add the onion and garlic and stir for a minute or so before tipping in the tinned tomatoes,chopped chillies, peppers, and a good pinch of salt.

Cover the pan and simmer for about an hour, until the meat is tender and the liquid reduced to a thick sauce. If it gets too dry during cooking, pour in a little more water.

Add the cumin, kidney beans (and a little of the bean liquid,if you like)and the brown sugar. Simmer for a further 10 mins before serving with rice, a spoonful of sour cream, grated cheddar cheese and and coriander leaves as a garnish.  For added spicy kick, serve this dish with hot chilli sauce.

Ranch eggs with sourdough toast

Ingredients

• 100 g bacon lardons
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 red pepper, seeds removed, finely chopped
• 1 green pepper, seeds removed, finely chopped
• 1 courgette, finely chopped
• 8 cherry tomatoes, finely chopped
• 1 small Thai bird's eye chillies, finely chopped
• 1 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2-3 tbsp butter
• 4 eggs
• olive oil
• 4 slices sourdough bread
• 1 tbsp coriander leaves
• hot chilli sauce, to taste

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. In a frying pan, fry the bacon until crisp. Add the onion, red and green peppers, courgette, tomatoes, chilli and garlic and cook for 1 minute.

2. Grease a baking tray with butter and sit four 10cm chefs’ rings on it. Spoon the fried vegetables into the rings. Make a well in the centre of each ring of vegetables, add a small knob of butter and crack an egg into each. Cover with foil and bake for 3 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, put a griddle pan over a medium heat. Cut 10cm diameter circles out of the bread, brush them with oil and griddle for 2 minutes on each side.

4. Put the griddled bread on serving plates and top each toast with a ring of egg and vegetables. Remove the ring, garnish with the coriander and drizzle with hot chilli sauce.

This recipe is by Simon Rimmer. Yummy!

Raw salsa

• 250g fresh tomatoes, finely chopped
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 3 mild chillies, finely chopped
• bunch coriander, finely chopped
• salt, to taste
• lime juice, to taste
• 1 tbsp water

To make the salsa, combine all the ingredients together in a bowl and serve immediately.

Rice and Beef Burritos

Ingredients:
•  250 g extra lean ground beef

•  250 g minced onion

•  1 teaspoon (5 ml) ancho chilli powder*

•  1/2 teaspoon (2 ml) ground cumin

•  540 ml can black beans, rinsed well and drained

•  1-1/2 cups (375 ml) salsa (mild, medium or hot)

•  1 cup (250 ml) frozen corn kernels •  3 cups (750 ml) cooked white or brown short or long grain rice

•  6 10-inch whole grain tortillas •  3 cups (750 ml) chopped romaine lettuce •  1 cup (250 ml) shredded Monterey Jack cheese

•  12 thin slices, ripe avocados from Mexico

Directions:
In a large skillet, cook ground beef over medium-high heat until no pink remains, about 10 minutes. Drain any fat, crumble and return meat to skillet. Add onion, ancho chili powder and cumin. Cook, stirring often, until onions are slightly softened for about 5 minutes. Stir in beans and salsa. Cook until heated through, about 5 minutes. Stir in corn (do not need to thaw) and rice until well combined.

To serve: Spoon about 1 cup (250 mL) of the rice mixture in the center of each tortilla. Top with 1/2 cup (125 mL) lettuce and 1/4 cup (50 mL) of cheese and two pieces of avocado. Add a sprig of cilantro, a squeeze of lime and dollop of sour cream/yogurt if desired. Fold bottom edge, then sides; roll up.

Can be served cold, at room temperature or warmed in the microwave if desired.
* Substitute chili powder if ancho chili powder is not available

Rustic guacamole

• 2 very ripe avocados
• 1-2 fresh red chillies, finely chopped
• a few sprigs fresh coriander, finely sliced
• ½ a red onion, peeled and finely chopped (or handful finely chopped spring onions)
• 1 tomato, chopped
• juice of 2 limes

• 2-3 deseeded tomatoes, finely chopped (optional)

Squeeze the avocados out of their skins into a bowl, removing the stones. Add most of the chilli and coriander, the onion, tomato and lime juice. Mix everything up with a spoon, hacking up any bigger bits of avocado as you go. Have a taste to check the balance, and season with salt and pepper if needed.

Sour Cream or Plain Yoghurt
Lime Wedges
Jelapeno Peppers
Grated Cheddar Cheese
Garlic Mayo Grated Carrots
Red Onion Sliced
Lettuce

Tagine of Lamb, Chickpeas and Potatoes

14oz (400gr) lamb, shoulder or leg, cut into large pieces
2 medium potatoes, (10oz, 300gr), cut into quarters
1 red onion, thickly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups chickpeas (15oz (400gr), rinsed
1/3 cup green olives
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp ginger
1/2 cup chicken stock 
pinch of saffron threads, crushed
2 tbs parsley
1 tbs olive oil

Heat oil in tagine.  Add lamb and brown well.  Remove to a plate.  Add onion, garlic, spices, and sauté until onion is tender and starting to brown.  Return lamb to tagine, add stock, reduce heat and braise for 30 minutes. 
Stir in saffron.  Tuck potatoes in, cover and braise 20 minutes longer.  
Add chickpeas, olives, parsley and braise 10 minutes longer. 
Uncover, admire for a few moments, inhale the aroma, serve.

Peanut Butter Cookies

Ingredients

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar                                                                  

1/2 cup butter, room temperature

1/2 cup peanut butter

1 egg

1 1/4 cup flour

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

Method

1 Cream the butter for 2 minutes. Add the sugars, cream for 2 more minutes. Mix in the peanut butter and egg. Mix together the dry ingredients - flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Stir into the sugar butter mixture.

2 Wrap dough in plastic and refrigerate at least 3 hours.

3 Preheat oven to 190°C. Shape dough into 1 1/4 inch balls. Place about 3 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten in crisscross pattern with a fork. Bake until light brown, 9 to 10 minutes. Cool on baking sheets for a minute; transfer to rack to cool completely.

Makes about 2 dozen cookies.

For chewier cookies, bake at 150°C for 15 minutes.