My Twist on Spinach Salad

Ingredients:

1 Packet of baby Spinach
1 can Beetroot, round slices
1 red onion
2 Avocados, ripe
1/2 cup of frozen edamame, beans only
Handful of parsley, roughly chopped
Toasted shredded almonds
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 cup white vinegar

Dressing:

1/4 tsp Honey
1/4 tsp Dijon Mustard
1 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
2 tbsp Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper

Method:

- Clean and wash the baby spinach
- Cut beetroot rounds into halves, discard the liquid
- Cut the red onion into thin slices, julienned, then place in a bowl and pour the vinegar on top of it. set it side until assembling the salad.
- Cut the avocado into cubes and cover them with lemon juice to avoid them going brown
- In a big bowl arrange the salad ingredients by starting with the spinach leaves on the bottom, topped with the beetroot.
- Add the onions without the vinegar.
- Add the avocado, then the frozen edamame.
top the salad with the chopped parsley and toasted almonds.
- Add the dressing when serving and mix.

Beetroot Cake with Lemon Icing..

Beetroot.. this magical vegetable.. contains high sources of vitamin C, A, & Beta carotene. It's high in minerals such as, calcium, magnesium, potassium and Amino Acids. 
This Antioxidant does wonders for your cholesterol and the health of your skin.. 
So.. enough said.. it's time for our healthy yummy dessert recipe...


Cake Ingredients:
225g Self-raising flour
1/2 tsp Baking soda
1 tsp Baking powder
1 tsp Cinnamon
180ml Vegetable oil
225g Brown sugar
3 Eggs, separated - Yolks separated from the whites
1/4 tsp Vanilla extract
150g Raw beetroot, grated
1/2 lemon, juiced
75g Sultanas - Raisins 
75g Hazelnuts, Chopped



Icing Ingredients:
10 tbsp Icing sugar, sifted
1-2 tbsp Boiling water
a few drops of lemon juice
some lemon rind


Method:
- Set the oven on 180c.
- Greece the loaf tin with butter and then cover it lightly with flour to avoid the cake from sticking or line the loaf tin with baking paper.
- Sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder, & cinnamon.
- In a mixer, beat the oil & sugar together then add the egg yolks one by one while mixing well between each addition ans add the vanilla extract.
- Fold the beetroot into the mixture and add the lemon juice, raisins, and hazelnuts. 
- Fold the dry ingredients into the mixture and mix them well.
- In the mixture, place the egg whites and beat until almost stiff then fold hem into the previous mixture using a metal spoon - do not use a wooden spoon because it won't allow the air to go through.
- Pour the mixture into the loaf tin and bake for 50 minutes at least - it could need more than 50 minutes depending on the oven used.
- Half way through cooking the cake, place a foil on top it prevent it from browning too much while the inside is not fully cooked.
- While the cake is in the oven, prepare the icing by mixing the sifted icing sugar, the lemon juice & rind and using enough boiling water to create a sticky shiny icing to smooth it on top of the cake.


Yum!
Enjoy...

My Choc-Caramel Turtle Madness

Cake Batter Ingredients:

2 Cups flour
2 Cups Sugar
3/4 Cup Cocoa
2 Teaspoons Baking Soda
2 Eggs
1 Teaspoon Salt
1 Cup Buttermilk (Leban)
1 Cup Oil
1&1/2 Teaspoons Vanilla
1 Cup Boiling Water

Caramel pecan mixture:
1 bag of caramels pieces
1/2 cup evaporated milk (Carnation)
1 cup chopped pecans

Plus:

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips


Method:

- Preheat Oven at 350 degrees.
- Greese & flour a springform baking dish
- Place all the cake batter ingredients in a mixing bowl, mix on medium to high speed and make sure to scrap the bowl occasionally until all ingredients are blended and smooth.
- pour half of the batter into baking dish. Bake for 25 minutes.
- Meanwhile, prepare the caramel pecan mix by heating the caramels and evaporated milk over medium heat and stir constantly until caramels are melted, then stir in the pecans.
- Pour the caramel mixture over the cake from the oven and sprinkle with chocolate chips.
- Pour over the remaining batter and bake for another 28 minutes until the cake is fully cooked.
- Cool the cake for 30 minutes and serve with either ice cream, or more caramel & pecans topping.

Enjoy...

My Happy Carrot Cake Cupcakes.

Just last night I baked those lovely and heavenly tasting cupcakes, everyone raved about them and the process of making them was so easy.
The ingredients below make around 1 dozen cupcakes, so double the ingredients if you want more !!

Ingredients:

3 or 4 large carrots, peeled and grated finely
1/2 cup ground walnuts - or chopped to small pieces & toasted
2 medium size eggs
1/4 Leban or buttermilk
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup oil
1/2 teaspoon baking soda ( found in sultan center - Arm & Hammer is the one I use)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
zest of one orange
1&1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoons ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon

& for the frosting:  

1/2 stick butter (unsalted)
1 cup cream cheese (Philadelphia)
3/4 cup powdered sugar

Method:

- You start off by preheating the oven at 180C.
- In a bowl, place the carrots, eggs, leban (buttermilk), sugar, oil, orange zest & vanilla and whisk well.
- Then seperetly, in a different bowl whisk your dry ingredients: flour, baking soda & powder, salt, ground cardamom & cinnamon.
- mix both the dry ingredients & the carrot mixture together gently to incorporate.
- add the toasted walnuts, folding them in gently.
- Using cupcake pan (regular size) and paper baking cups, scoop 3/4 of the mixture into each paper cup.
- Bake for 28 minutes at 180C.
- While the cupcakes are baking, prepare the frosting by combining 1/2 stick of butter, 1 cup of cream cheese (Philadelphia cream cheese) and 3/4 cup powdered sugar beat until well combined. set aside.
- Remove cupcakes from oven when done. Allowing them to cool for about 5 minutes.
- Take them out of the pan and on to a wire rack.
- When fully cooled, spread the cupcakes with the frosting

Enjoy...

Chocolate Strudel

Ingredients:

1/4 lbs. butter - melted, clarified
4 sheets filo dough
1/3 cup ground almonds
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoon sugar
8oz. semi-sweet chocolate - coarsely chopped
3/4 cup almonds - toasted, slivered


Method:

- Preheat oven to 375°F. Melt and clarify butter. Set aside. Have filo sheets unrolled and covered with a damp cloth.

- Mix ground almonds, cinnamon and sugar together. In another small bowl, combine chopped chocolate and toasted almonds.

- Lay out one sheet of filo. Brush generously with melted butter. Sprinkle on some of the ground almond mixture. Lay another filo sheet on top. Brush with butter and proceed as with the first sheet.

- Once on top layer, brush again with butter. Place chocolate/almond mixture on the lower third of the stacked filo sheets. Lift the pastry gently over the chocolate to cover it. Fold in the left and right edges of the filo about 2 inches towards the center.

- Roll from the bottom in jellyroll fashion. Place seam side down on a lightly greased baking sheet. Bake 35-40 minutes until lightly browned.

- Let cool before slicing. Use a serrated knife. Dust with icing sugar before serving, if desired. Cool thoroughly.

Enjoy...

Butter Chicken ~ Indian Cuisine

Ingredients:

150ml natural yogurt
50g ground almonds
1&1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1/4 teaspoon crushed bay leaves
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon garam masala
4 green cardamom pods
1 teaspoon ginger pulp
1 teaspoon garlic pulp
400g can tomatoes
1&1/4 teaspoon salt
1kg chicken, skinned, boned and cubed
75g butter
1 tablespoon corn oil
2 medium onions, sliced
2 tablespoon fresh coriander, chopped
4 tablespoon cream


Method:

- Place the yogurt, ground almonds, all the dry spices, ginger, garlic, tomatoes and salt in a mixing bowl and blend together thoroughly.

- Put the chicken into a large mixing bowl and pour over the yogurt mixture.
Set aside.

- Melt together the butter and oil in a medium pot, wok or frying pan. Add the onions and fry for about 3 minutes. Add the chicken mixture and stir-fry for about 7 to 10 minutes.

- Stir in about half of the coriander and mix well. Pour over the cream and stir in well. Bring to the boil.

- When serving, garnish the indian butter chicken with the remaining chopped coriander.


Enjoy...

Emeril's Asparagus Salad with Vinaigrette

This Recipe is courtesy of Emeril Lagasse...I love this recipe..


Ingredients:

1/4 cup white vinegar
1 tablespoon minced shallot
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
3/4 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup walnut oil
2 pounds asparagus, trimmed and steamed until just tender
1/3 cup toasted, chopped walnuts
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper


Method:

- In a large bowl whisk together the vinegar, shallot, mustard, salt and pepper. While continuing to whisk, add the vegetable oil in a very thin stream, whisking constantly. Whisk in the walnut oil.

- Place asparagus on platter and pour dressing over asparagus. Garnish with walnuts and parsley. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Serve immediately.

Enjoy..

Banana Bread Recipe # 1 - Banana Nut Bread

Ingredients:

3-4 over-ripe bananas
2&1/4 cups Flour
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
3/4 cup vegatable oil
1/4 cup milk
1&1/3 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup finely chopped walnuts (or nuts of your choice)


Method:

- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

- Combine flour, sugar, salt then add eggs and oil. Dissolve baking soda in milk and add to mixture.

- In a separate bowl, mash bananas well, then add to mixture and blend well.

- Add nuts and vanilla.

- Pour mixture into 2 greased loaf pans.

- Bake for 50-60 minutes until golden brown and the tops of the loaves crack open a bit.

- Cool in pans until pan can be handled, remove from pan and continue to cool.


Bon apetit..

Torta Alla Gianduia (Nutella Cake) ~ NL

I finely got this book that I ordered two and a half months ago, Nigella Lawson's "How to be a Domestic Goddess". I chose this recipe because my mom loves hazelnuts, it's quite easy to make and tastes and looks fantabilous !!
on our regular gathering last Wednesday I baked it and had great reviews. Tyr it.

Serves 8

for the cake:

6 large eggs, separated
pinch of salt
1/2 cup soft unsalted butter
400g nutella (1 large jar)
1 tablespoon water
1/2 cup ground hazelnuts
100g dark chocolate, melted (i use Baker's unsweetened chocolate from Sultan Center)

for the icing:

100g hazelnuts, pealed
1/2 cup heavy cream (double cream)
1 tablespoon water
125g dark chocolate

Method:

Preheat oven to 350-degrees.

Prepare a 9-inch springform pan: grease and line with parchment or wax paper.
In a large bowl, whisk the eggs whites and salt until stiff but not dry (this means that they will hold their peaks, yet still appear glossy and smooth).

In a separate bowl, beat the butter and Nutella together, then add the water, egg yolks, and ground hazelnuts.

Fold in the cooled, melted chocolate, then lighten the mixture with a dollop of egg white, which you can beat in as roughly as you want, before gently folding the rest of them in a third at a time.

Pour into the prepared pan and cook for 40 minutes or until the cake's beginning to come away at the sides, then let cool on rack.
Toast the hazelnuts in a dry frying pan until the aroma wafts upward and the nuts are golden brown in parts: keep shaking the pan so they don't burn on one side and stay too pallid on others.
Transfer to a plate and let cool.

In a heavy-bottomed sauce pan, add the cream, water, and chopped chocolate and heat gently. Once the chocolate's melted, take the pan off the heat and whisk until it reaches the right consistency to ice just the top of the cake.

Unmold the cooled cake carefully, leaving it on the base as it will be too difficult to get such a damp cake off in one piece. Ice the top with the chocolate icing, and dot thickly with the whole, toasted hazelnuts.

I'm a chocolate lover and I give it:

Baked baguettes in honey-pecan sauce

This recipe is described as " puffed Clouds of Ecstacy"



It's prepared a day ahead with baguettes saturated over night with eggs & cream, puffing up to a golden sticky ecstacy in the morning's hot oven.


Ingredients:

4 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup half&half
1/2 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 thick slices french bread
1/2 stick butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup chopped pecans



Combine the eggs, half&half, vanilla & 1/2 tablespoon of brown sugar in a small bowl. Pour half the mixture into a baking pan.
Place the bread into another pan and top with the other half of the mixtue. Refrigerate, covered, overnight.
the next morning, melt the butter in a baking dish and stir in the 1/4 cup of brown sugar, honey, maple syrup and pecans. Add the soaked slices of baguettes.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes until puffed and brown.

Serve it immediately.

Enjoy...



Tip of the day:

When measuring honey, coat the measuring cup with non-stick cooking spray or vegetable oil before adding the honey. The honey will slide right out.

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Note:

This recipe calls for 3/4 cup of half-and-half, use 1/3 cup whole milk and 1/3 cup single cream.

Honey~drenched figs

"Warm, juicy, drippy and slicky"

Ingredients:

8 figs
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons finely chopped pecans

Grill figs over a low heat until heated through, turning occasionally.
Warm the honey. Place figs on individual serving plates, drizzle with enough honey to lightly coat figs, and top with pecans.


A little "optional" tip: you can always add french vanilla icecream.

Enjoy....