Gyoza dumplings

I can't believe it's Saturday already!  How did that happen?  And I can believe even less how quickly summer has turned into autumn here!  I even have to put the lights on when I get up in the morning which is a sure sign that we are moving into the latter part of the year.  Mind you, I love all the seasons for different reasons (quite the poet today :-)) - now I'm looking forward to wooly jumpers and eating stews by the fireplace.

Before I get to more winter warmers though, I should write about the gyoza dumplings we had recently.  Now, if you can lay your hands on some ready-made wonton wrappers, these will be done sooo quickly and easily.  Stuffed with minced chicken, ginger, spices etc they are finger-licking good with a simple dipping sauce  - you could also fill them with crab meat, veggie mince or tofu.  I believe that traditionally they are fried on one side and then steamed but we actually preferred them fried on both sides - it made them nice and crispy on the outside yet soft in the middle.

I couldn't get any wonton wrappers, so made the dough from scratch - it was worth it though, especially since I made enough to pop some leftover gyozas in the freezer for another time.  In fact, I think we'll have those tomorrow :-)

Sesame chicken for an easy midweek supper

After a wonderful few days with my friend, it is now back to reality.  But not without a smile on my face because we just had the most lovely time.  It's funny, isn't it - when you have really good friends, it's just easy to spend time together and it doesn't matter when you last saw each other...you just pick up where you left off.  Lots of chatting, dog walking, laughing and relaxing...and of course eating - just tasty stuff like fish pie (see the recipe link here) and roast dinners, prepared together.  Perfect :-)

Sesame chicken

But now, I better had caught up on posting a few recipes .  How about this one: sesame chicken. 

Mr Happy Larder and I had this as part of our anniversary dinner the other day and with a few tweaks we turned it into a quick and simple yet tasty meal.  Served on rice and veggies, this is not just for special occasions but can easily be made as a midweek meal for the family when you need to feed everyone quickly.

The trick with this is to dust the meat with cornflour prior to frying - this keeps it incredibly soft.  I do this with all types of meat in stir-fries or casseroles and it always works a treat (added bonus: the cornflour also thickens the sauce).

I hope you'll enjoy this one! xx

Simple fish cakes using up leftovers

Gosh, where have the last two days gone?  I've been meaning to write a post and then never got round to it as there was too much going on.  We had a lovely anniversary dinner on Friday and I'll write more on those recipes later this week - just to tickle your taste buds: we had gyoza dumplings with a dipping sauce, followed by sesame chicken...yum!

Anyway, it's been a busy few days which has meant that food had to be quick, especially at lunchtime.  And what better way to use some simple ingredients from the larder and some leftovers than to make some fish cakes?   

Crab cakes using leftover mash

We had some leftover mash potato which needed using up and was ideal for these.  For the sweet potato version, I quickly boiled and mashed one large potato - they seem to cook so much faster than "normal" potatoes.  The rest is really easy:  take a tin of crab meat or tuna, mix with the mash and add the spices/seasoning you would like.  I went for spicy cakes, using cumin, turmeric and a bit of chilli as well as some grated ginger and finely chopped spring onions.  Job done!  You can add a little beaten egg to bind everything together but I don't think it's strictly necessary.  Form the cakes and bake in a moderately hot oven on a baking sheet for ca. 25 minutes.  One tin of fish and 200g potato made seven smallish fish cakes.

Tuna sweet potato cakes

The great thing with these is that you can just use what you have - chuck in a bit of leftover sweetcorn, chop up a little bell pepper...whatever you have to hand.  Oh, and you can fry them if you prefer.

Serve with a simple salad or this easy yogurt dipping sauce - plain yogurt, coriander/cilantro and a bit of salt.  Oh, and if you don't like fish, you can make  vegetarian cakes by simply omitting the fish and adding a few more veggies.

Right, off to take the dog out for his morning walk and then I need to prep a cake - we have a very dear friend visiting for a few days and I think that calls for a sweet treat :-)

Raspberry Cheesecake Brownies

It's our 5th wedding anniversary today :-)  We will be celebrating with a lovely meal tonight - I have a couple of great ideas in mind for a yummy starter and main course and will share the recipes next week.  I hope they come out well!

Raspberry cheesecake brownie

In the meantime, since it is Friday and almost the weekend, it must be treat time, mustn't it?  I don't know about you but I find it really difficult to make the choice between chocolate cake and cheesecake or the healthy option of fruit.  Well, how about having all rolled into one finger-licking cake: a raspberry cheesecake brownie?  This one has the added bonus of a good swig of Amarula liqueur but you could use any cream liqueur or none at all.  With a handful of fresh raspberries giving a good contrast to the rich cake, I think this is just yummy.

Have a lovely weekend!

Adzuki Bean Falafel with Tahini dressing

I had a good work out this morning which I am pleased about - the only thing is that I am now really hungry and will be wanting to eat everything I can lay my hands on.  I'll try not to undo all the good work :-)

Falafel wrap

Just as well that I made a batch of falafel yesterday which made for a very tasty and healthy choice for lunch today. 

Stuffed in a tortilla bread (shock, horror - this one was shop-bought :-)) and drizzled with a tahini dressing, these little bean balls were delicious.  Instead of the usual chick peas I opted for tinned adzuki beans because that's all I had - I reckon you can use pretty much any type of canned bean such as kidney, black,...  As with so many things, the secret is in the seasoning - I found that ground cumin was essential in this recipe and if you are using beans canned in just water (rather than salt water), remember to add a bit more salt.

Most recipes suggest using a food processor to mash up the beans but to be honest, I found that a good old potato masher or large fork and a bowl work equally well (easier to clean afterwards as well).  The falafel can be eaten hot or cold and would make a great addition to any lunchbox.

Luckily, I have a few of these leftover in case I get the munchies later on.... :-)

Delicious pasta bake

Sometimes I find a new recipe and I can almost feel my arteries clogging up as I read it - heaps of butter, cream, cheese, more cheese.  Now, I like rich food and could quite easily munch my way through a whole baked Camembert cheese but I know that these can only be occasional treats in an otherwise balanced diet.

Salmon & broccoli pasta bake

I came across a salmon & broccoli pasta bake that I loved the sound of - but with much less of the suggested fat added to it.  I cooked my version of it last night and it was delicious (even if I say so myself :-)) - creamy but not over the top. 

I guess that's the beauty with cooking - you can always change the recipe into something you'd prefer to eat, so please feel free to play with this one.

Right, I guess I had better updated the much-neglected recipe index - I am still trying to find a better way of listing all the recipes in a more user-friendly way.

Quinoa patties - a quick & healthy lunch option

Not impressed

Keith the dog wasn't too impressed with me when I took him out for his walk in the pouring rain.  For a water-loving spaniel it is quite remarkable just how much he hates the rain :-)

We've had a relaxing weekend with long walks on the beach and plenty of yummy food - one of our new favourites is the Malaysian curry I wrote about a little while ago, so we had that on Saturday night.  I'll be making up another batch of curry paste later today to pop into the freezer - it's the ultimate fast food and healthy, especially when made with reduced fat coconut milk and plenty of vegetables.

Quinoa patties

Another healthy recipe that would make a nice change for lunch is for these quinoa patties. One of the latest foods to be labelled a "superfood", quinoa is surprisingly high in protein, magnesium and other nutrients compared to other grains (although apparently it's not really a grain as such).  It's easy to cook and very versatile - a great alternative to rice.  You can even get in precooked in a pouch which might be a good option if you are trying it for the first time and don't want to buy a whole bag of the stuff.  Always nice to try something different, so maybe these little patties will find their way into your lunch box one day.

Easy tray bake recipe

Isn't it funny how some conversations can give you energy and others leave you feeling drained?  I have had lots of lovely chats this week - with family, Mr Happy Larder but also with people I don't know or at least not very well.  And with the great comments here on the blog there is a real feeling of community which I love, so thank you to everyone who has made my week special - I hope I have been able to return the favour :-)

Talking of things that make me smile, how about this easy to prepare jam tray bake I made for the weekend?  I came across this recipe on Pinterest and simply had to try it - the original recipe can be found on Marie's fabulous blog "The English Kitchen".

This is a simple but very tasty cake and it'll definitely be featuring on our plates again :-)  I made half a tray's worth and froze a few pieces - just to stop us from gobbling up the lot.

Have a lovely weekend!

Easy chicken burger recipe with a twist

Minding his own business

Doesn't he look cute, our cheeky dog?  No mishaps on this morning's walk, I am happy to say.

It's still quite warm and sunny here - the last few summer days.  I fancied something for my dinner yesterday that would somehow match the weather and made these lovely chicken avocado burgers.

Chicken burger

Packed with minced chicken, cubes of creamy avocado and crunchy tortilla chips, they had an additional kick from a squeeze of lime juice, a handful of coriander (cilantro) and  a bit of chilli.  Such an easy burger recipe but a nice change from the usual.
I think they would also work well with a bit of sweetcorn or black beans added to the mix, so I might try that next time.

Fluffy white sandwich bread

Isn't it great when your dog manages to completely embarrass you? :-)  Keith the dog decided to interrupt someone's personal training session in the park this morning by running off with some of the equipment they were using.  Luckily, I got it back relatively quickly but not without having everyone concerned in stitches with laughter.  Thanks Keith :-)

Soft white bread

Now, back to the recipe I promised to share for a fluffy white sandwich loaf.  It's probably my best attempt at making this type of bread so far.  I used a technique I hadn't heard of before but came across in my search for the ultimate white bread.  The unusual ingredient or technique is called "tangzhong" and is used in Japanese milk bread recipes.

Basically, it's a mix of water (and/or milk) and flour which gets heated to a custard-like consistency (like a roux but more liquid), then cooled and added to the bread dough.  I am not 100% sure why it works so well but it is helping to keep the dough moist and results in a fabulous texture.  I have since made a wholemeal version of this and it worked equally well, although it was slightly denser (but not much).  You could easily make this into soft rolls for burgers or a sweet cinnamon or raisin bread.  Yummy!