Coca Cola Pound Cake

Evening Rendezvous

A cake made out of coca cola and yoghurt.   A sexy chocolate cake that has more sex appeal than a Victoria Secret model.  I love to work my magic on cakes with interesting ideas.  Nobody does it like me.

This recipe was adapted from Taste of Home Magazine (Reiman Home Inc, 2011).

 

Ingredients:

76g butter, 192g caster sugar, 3 eggs, 1 1/2 tsps vanilla extract, 192g plain flour, 30g cocoa powder, 1/4 tsp baking soda, 100g plain yoghurt, 100ml coca cola.

Method:

1. Beat the butter and caster sugar together until well combined.
2. Add each egg mixing well each time.
3. Add the flour and cocoa powder.
4. Combine the yoghurt.
5. Pre heat the oven to 180 degrees C.
6. Add the baking soda and coca cola and quickly mix in while it fizzes.
7. Prepare a 20inch cake tin.
8. Pour the mixture into the cake tin quickly and place in the oven.
9. Bake for an hour.  The cake should be well risen and springy to the touch.
10.  Cool on a wire rack completely before decorating.

Spicy Chicken Tacos

My Shield

I have always had a shield up when it comes to my most personal thoughts even around those closest to me.  I hate telling loved ones what is going on in my head because I fear they will think the worst of me.  I have come to realize that I need to let go of my shield sometimes.  Resistance is not always the best form of protection.  I find that meal times are a great way to break the ice.  A great way to just be comfortable.  Not only are these chicken tacos incredible but the heat is enough to make any person speak up.

This recipe was adapted from Tacos, Quesadillas & Burritos (Ryland & Peters, 2009).

Ingredients:

1 tbsp sunflower oil, 300g chicken breast strips (washed and prepared), 2 garlic cloves (peeled and chopped), 1 onion (finely peeled and chopped), 1 tbsp light soy sauce, 1 tbsp tomato puree, 2 tsps chili flakes, 100ml chicken stock, 2 tbsps jalepenos, 200g grated cheese, tortilla wraps, tomato salsa and sour cream (to serve).

Method:

1. Heat the oil in a wok.
2. Fry and seal the chicken breasts.
3. Add the onion and garlic.
4. When softened add the soy sauce, puree and chili flakes.
5. Add the chicken stock after 10 minutes.
6. When chicken has been cooked through and the sauce has reduced after about 40 minutes, chop into bite size pieces.
7. Arrange your tacos by placing a mixture of your ingredients into the centre of the tortilla.

Mixed Vegetable Tacos

Armadillo

This taco was inspired by a fictional Mexican gangsta called Armadillo who had his face grilled by a police officer.  I grilled my vegetables and this is a Mexican dish.  Close enough.  This is a really simple vegetarian taco which tastes absolutely delicious.

This recipe was adapted from Tacos, Quesadillas and Burritos (Ryland Peters & Small).

Ingredients:

1/2 aubergine (chopped), baby tomatoes (leave whole and off the vine), 1/2 courgette (chopped), 1/4 red pepper (de seeded and sliced), salt and pepper, mixed tomato salsa, grated red Leicester cheese, tortillas, sour cream (to serve).

Method:

1. Pre heat the grill to a medium setting.
2. Season the vegetables with salt and pepper.
3. Mix the salsa over the vegetables.
4. Grill until cooked through.
5. Before serving heat the tortillas in the microwave for about 30 seconds.
6. Create your tacos by placing your ingredients into the centre of the tortilla.

Tropical Fruit Salad

Fruit Delight

Fruit, glorious fruit!  I cannot go a day without eating fruit! And if I do then it is likely I was sick.  Here is a recipe for the fruit lovers.  It is literally just fruit piled on top of more fruit. Best. Snack. Ever.

This recipe was adapted from Levi Roots’ Reggae Reggae Cookbook (Harper Collins Publishers, 2008).

Ingredients:

Diced mango, diced peaches, diced coconut, diced pineapple, pomegranate seeds, 1 tsp lime juice.

Method:

1. Peel your fruits, the un peeled coconut is decorative.
2. Pile dem fruits in a bowl and enjoy!

Baked Raspberry Cheesecake with Pomegranate seeds

Sweetened Quiche

This cheesecake is quite unique.  Gordan Ramsey explains that it is more like a quiche and I agree.  This was not my favourite cheesecake but it tasted nice.  I would not make this for people who are not fond of eggy textures, it holds well and gives a very appealing colour.  My favourite elements of the cheesecake were the lovely fresh flavours of the fruit and crunch from the pomegranate seeds and the darkened cheesecake edge.

This recipe was adapted from Gordan Ramsey’s Ultimate Cookery Course (Hodder & Staughton, 2012).

Ingredients:

Butter (for greasing), 550g cream cheese, 160g caster sugar, 3 eggs, 2 tbsp plain flour, finely grated zest of 1 lemon, 175g raspberries, pomegranate seeds.

Method:

1. Butter a 23cm springform cake tin.
2. Beat together the cream cheese and sugar.
3. Beat in the eggs.
4. Add the flour, lemon zest and then fold in the raspberries.
5. Spoon the mixture into the prepared cake tin.
6. Pre heat the oven to 180 degrees C.
7. Bake in the oven for 35 minutes.
8.  When the cheesecake has set and there is a  slight wobble in the middle leave to cool.
9. When cooled remove from the tin and scatter pomegranate seeds over the top before slicing.

Mince and Potato Hotpot

“So…the economy”

This dish is fantastic for saving money in today’s economic climate.  It is tasty, healthy, filling and allows you to save the pennies for those much needed holidays.  Quorn mince is not very popular.  This is understandable because it tastes quite bland.  I enjoyed learning how to make a rich quorn based style casserole dish.  If i were to change anything I would have possibly added a dash of red wine as part of the reduction.

This recipe was taken from 101 Cheap Eats (BBC Books, 2003).

Ingredients:

1 tbsp olive oil, 1 onion (peeled & chopped), 2 garlic cloves (peeled and chopped), 350g quorn mince, 250ml vegetable stock, 1 tbsp dried rosemary, 2 tsps dried thyme, 2 tbsps Worcestershire Sauce, 4 tbsps tomato puree, 500g potatoes (peeled), 25g butter, mixed vegetables (to serve).

Method:

1. Heat a medium pan of salted boiling water.
2. Put the potatoes in the water.
3. In another medium pan on a medium heat add the olive oil.
4. Add the onion and garlic.
5. When soft add the quorn mince and vegetable stock.
6. Mix in the flour, tomato puree, sauce and seasoning.
7. As the quorn thickens stir occasionally then leave to simmer.
8. In the meantime check the potatoes.  When the potatoes are soft drain.
9. Slice the potatoes.
10. After 30 minutes remove the quorn from the heat.
11. Pour half the quorn into a casserole dish then layer with potato.
12. Repeat this and then top with more potato.
13. Dot some butter on top of the potato.
14. Bake the dish for an hour.
15. Serve the hotpot with some steamed vegetables.

Sweet and Spicy Pizza

Love Pizza Love Life

Pizza is so good and so time consuming to eat, all the more reason to love it more.  Making your own pizza toppings means you can be as healthy or ridiculous as you like.  I love to experiment with new flavours although it is important to get the classics right.  I mixed sweet and spicy flavours, the sun dried tomatoes and red cheese with jalepenos and hot barbeque sauce. 

This recipe was adapted from Levi Roots’ Reggae Reggae Cookbook (Harper Collins Publishers, 2008). 

Ingredients:

Ready – made pizza base, 4 tbsps spicy tomato ketchup, 30g grated mozzarella, 90g red Leicester cheese,  2 tbsps barbeque sauce, a handful of ready chopped jalapenos. 

Method:

1. Pre heat the oven  to 240 degrees C.
2. First mix the two sauces and spread over the base.
3. Scatter the rest of the toppings over the pizza base. 
4. Put the pizza in the oven. 
5. After 25 – 30 minutes when the base is crispy remove from the oven and let the pizza cool. 

Hot Sugar Cane Bananas

Black ‘n’ Sweet

Always remember this rule for bananas “the blacker the sweeter”.  Hot sugared bananas are a gorgeous treat and can be eaten after dinner, during studying, after a umm passionate rendezvous, whenever you like.  Pay over £5 for an expensive treat or less than £1 for something , healthy, satisfying and ridiculously easy to make.  It’s a no brainer!

This recipe was inspired by Levi Roots’ Reggae Reggae Cookbook (Harper Collins Publishers LTD, 2008).

Ingredients:

Bananas, granulated brown sugar, plain yoghurt.

Method:

1. Slit the bananas down the middle without cutting right through.
2. Preheat the grill  to a high temperature.
3. Sprinkle a tsp of sugar in each banana.
4. Grill bananas until the skin turns black.
5. Scoop out the banana and serve with a dollop of plain yoghurt.

Fresh Ginger Sponge Cake

Light & Even 

If you can make a light and even sponge then you should be very proud of yourself.  Sponge cake is probably the most common cake ever made but very easy to mess up.  Open the oven too early and it collapses, bake it at too high a temperature and the inside remains runny.  You have to keep practicing and make sure your technique and measurements are right.  You also have to have a good instinct.  From my Gran Gran’s grace I find it easy to know when to stop whisking or loosening, the more practice the better you will be.  I made a classic sponge but for the first time made a ginger cream filling rather than vanilla and topped it with chocolate.

This recipe was taken from Gordan Ramsey’s Ultimate Cookery Course (Hodder & Staughton, 2012).

Ingredients:

225g butter, 175g caster sugar, 3 eggs, 175g plain flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp vanilla extract, skimmed milk, 600ml double cream, 3 tsp ground ginger, 2 tsps icing sugar, 200g plain chocolate, 2 tbsps golden syrup.

Method:

1. Beat 175g of butter and the sugar together until thick and creamy.
2. Beat in the eggs beating well after each addition.
3. Sift in the plain flour and baking powder.
4. Add the vanilla extract.
5. Add a splash of milk to loosen the mixture.
6. Prepare a 20cm cake tin.
7. Pre heat the oven to 180 degrees C.
8. Pour the mixture into the tin.
9. Bake the cake for 25 – 30 minutes.  Remove the cake when a skewer is clean after having been inserted into the centre.  The cake should be browned and springy to the touch.  Do Not Prod At It!
10. Remove the cake from the tin and allow it to cool on a wire rack.
11. Whisk together 300ml double cream, the ginger and icing sugar until thick. Set aside.
12. Melt the chocolate and 50g butter in a heat proof bowl over a pot of simmering water.
13. Remove the bowl from the heat and mix in the golden syrup.
14. When the chocolate mix has cooled mix in the rest of the double cream.
15. Place the cooled cake on a plate and horizontally cut through the centre.
16. Spread ginger cream in the centre.
17. Layer on the other half of the cake.
18. Spread the chocolate icing around the outside.

Banana Guava Smoothie

Squat ’till you drop

I have been doing this squat challenge and I am actually starting to feel something.  At a glimpse the workout seemed pretty straight forward and easy but low and behold on day 4 I was feeling the burn.  Here is a sweet refreshing drink that will help to recover and cool down.

Ingredients:

1 big over ripe banana, 10ml guava juice, 2 tsps runny honey, 4 tbsps plain low fat Greek yoghurt, 2 tsps flaxseed,

Method:

1. Mix everything in a blender.