Update! Chocolate plum cake with cinnamon...autumn, here we come!

Update!  Since writing this post a couple of days ago I have noticed that the cake has dried out really quickly despite being wrapped in foil and kept in a special cake container.  Very disappointing indeed!  Maybe it would have been better to let the fruit juices seep into the cake after all rather than using the suggested ground almonds.  I thought I'd let you know!
I guess I will use any leftovers to make something my baker uncle used to do when he had spare cake...I will write more about these naughty little treats next week in a new post.  In the meantime, have a good weekend!


Temperatures here have dropped by quite a bit but with the sun still out, it's been a lovely couple of days.

With autumn in the air I was very excited to find a recipe for a lovely chocolate plum cake.  I amended this slightly and added some cinnamon which I think goes very well with both the fruit and chocolate and also with this time of the year.  I could imagine this cake with apricots, peaches or maybe cherries instead of the plums - yum!

I also learned a new trick when I made this - the recipe suggested sprinkling ground almonds onto the dough before putting the fruit on top.  That way the cake doesn't end up soggy with the fruit juice seeping from the plums during baking - great idea I think and it would work well with other cakes too.  I'll have to remember this.

Chocolate plum cake with cinnamon

Creamy chicken soup...winter warmers

Lovely socks

It's slowly getting colder here and so I was very excited to receive a parcel from my mum with a pair of socks she had knitted for me.  Her socks are simply the best and keep me nice and warm - I am sure it's because of the love she knits into them :-)  They will come in handy on the long dog walks and for snuggling up on the sofa.

Just as warm and comforting is the dish I cooked for lunch today: creamy chicken soup with rice.  This is so easy to make, doesn't cost the earth and is filling and comforting.  And using a couple of shortcuts makes this a very quick meal to put together - what more does one need on a cold or rainy day?

Creamy chicken soup with rice

Cheesy herb bread - no need for kneading

I spent some time at the weekend looking for new recipes to try.  It's one of my favourite things to do and this time I got so excited about a bread recipe I found that not only did I have to make some straightaway but I was also back in the kitchen at 6:30am this morning to try another variation.  The result, a cheesy herb bread, will go perfectly with soup and is also great for sharing with family and friends.  The secret ingredient in this is beer!  Yes - I couldn't believe it either but it does work very well and doesn't taste the slightest bit beer-y (although I must say I found it a bit difficult to smell beer that early in the morning...brrrr).

How to make cheesy herb bread

The original recipe was for a cheesy garlic version of the bread which I baked in a loaf tin - even quicker to make and slightly less messy (given that the dough is rather sticky).  It made for a delicious toasted sandwich for my lunch today - filled with pesto, slices of chicken breast, lettuce and tomato.  Yum!  I guess that's my lunches sorted for this week, although I will be putting some of both breads into the freezer.

Pizza? Quesadilla? Pizzadilla!

Pizzadilla

I love pizza and I also love Mexican food, so when I came across this idea on Pinterest, I simply had to give it a go: pizzadilla.  If like me you prefer a thin crust pizza to a deep pan one, than this will definitely be up your street.  It's a sort of pizza quesadilla or tortilla pizza and absolutely delicious!

The idea of filling a tortilla bread with pizza ingredients is great but I also love that you can make it into a healthier meal by adjusting the amount of cheese you'd normally use on a pizza.  It'll still taste full of cheesy yummy goodness but by adding most of the filling to only one half of the tortilla and then folding it over, you save on calories and fat but definitely not on taste. It's totally up to you what you want to put inside this lovely snack food...perfect! (I topped my tomato base with spinach, cooked chicken breast, bits of bell pepper and some grated cheddar cheese - yum!).

Have a lovely weekend!

Mushroom egg cups - a lovely breakfast idea

I've been exercising a lot these last few weeks - it's great fun, I have heaps more energy and feel stronger.  I am also quite hungry a lot of the time, especially after doing resistance (weights) exercises and therefore always on the lookout for tasty recipes that won't break the calorie bank.  After all, I don't want to undo all my hard work :-)

Portobello mushroom egg cup

That's where this little recipe idea comes in: portobello mushroom egg cups.  I came across this a few days ago and just love the simplicity of it.  Simply cut the stem out of a portobello mushroom and crack an egg into it.  Season with salt and pepper and bake in the oven at 220 C for 10 - 15 minutes (depending on whether you want your yolk runny or not).  Serve hot on top of a slice of toasted bread (or have it without the bread).  You can also line the mushroom with a few spinach leaves like I have done or a slice of ham before adding the egg. 

This recipe takes a little longer than just scrambling an egg but is a cute breakfast idea that is also nutritious.  Enjoy!

Spicy prawn pasta

Prawn pasta in tomato sauce

It's Tuesday evening and I am sitting here with a cup of tea and a belly full of dinner - not a bad place to be, if you ask me. 

I've been really hungry all day and had to eat much earlier than normal this evening - and it had to be quick.  Luckily, I had some penne pasta in the freezer from last week which could be warmed up very quickly.  With a spicy tomato sauce and king prawns it made for pretty much instant food - tasty and healthy. 

I can't believe I used to buy pasta sauce jars when they are so easy and quick to make.  Simply fry a little onion and garlic, add tomato puree and water, season with salt, pepper and dried herbs (basil, oregano) - it couldn't be easier.  With this one I added a few dried chilli flakes, threw in the prawns and pasta and dinner was on my plate in minutes.

Ideal midweek supper, I'd say.

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!