Birthday Cake and Canola

Spring is around the corner, the days are getting slightly longer and warmer and the early buds are starting to show on the bravest of trees.

We took a trip through Swellendam on our way to visit my parents in Stilbaai and passed through the canola fields, which are in full bloom. Canola is an oilseed crop that is mainly grown in the Western Cape, and more specifically in the Overberg around Swellendam. 

Here are two pictures of the fields, taken just as the sun was rising.

As it was my birthday this week, I made myself a huge celebratory death by chocolate cake. It certainly is not for people who do not love chocolate.

Death by Chocolate Cake

 Death by Chocolate Cake

Step 1

Make a chocolate sponge cake. 

I used this recipe : click here

But you can use your favourite recipe or even a box cake will work well.

I used my VERY large cake tin (28cm diameter) so I only made one layer.

Step 2

Chocolate Mouse

• 1 Tablespoon unflavoured gelatin
• 2 tablespoon cold water
• 2 Tablespoons boiling water
•  ½ cup sugar
• ½ cup Cocoa
• 2 cup cold whipping cream
• ½ teaspoon chocolate extract

Sprinkle gelatin over cold water in small bowl; let stand 1 minute to soften. Add boiling water; stir until gelatin is completely dissolved and mixture is clear. Cool slightly.

2. Stir together sugar and cocoa in medium bowl; add whipping cream and chocolate extract. Beat on medium speed of electric mixer, scraping bottom of bowl occasionally, until mixture is stiff. Pour in gelatin mixture; beat until well blended.

Spread the mousse over the cooled sponge and leave to set.

I used a home made plastic cuff (made from strips of cut transparency sheets stuck together), to ensure a smoother edge.

Step 3

Chocolate Ganache

300g Melted 70% Chocolate

1 Cup of Cream

¼ Cup of Castor Sugar

10ml Orange Blossom Water

¼ Cup Roasted Walnuts chopped

Melt the chocolate and then add the cream, nuts and the sugar and stir to until the sugar is dissolved.

Add the Orange Blossom water and leave to cool until starting to thicken.

Pour over the set mousse and leave until the entire cake is set.

Remove the cuff carefully and add a final layer of flaked milk chocolate.

Eat in moderation!

American TV and Food

I like to watch TV, mostly crime and hospital programs. I cried at the end of ER (actually I cried every time one of my favourite cast members died - which happened often) and I held my breath for 6 months waiting to see what happened to the CSI :New York team after the bar shooting.

One thing I have noticed is the difference between American TV and British TV. American cops are normally sexy and dressed to kill, whereas the British are more real life, usually bordering on down right plain. The most puzzling difference to me,  is that on American shows they never eat their food.Why do they have scenes where people will sit down to eat and never touch a morsel? That and the fact that all TV numbers start with "555" (while I can understand that, it still makes me laugh).

So, in my TV travelling in America, I have found one dish that comes up quite regularly -Chilli! I don't know how true this is, but it would seem that there is a lot of chilli being eaten (although not on TV) in America.

I decided to make my version of TV chilli, which I am glad to say we ate and thoroughly enjoyed.

TV Chilli with Rice and Homemade Wraps

500g Minced Beef
4 Red Chillies - chopped fine
4 cloves Garlic - chopped fine
1 Onion Sliced
40ml Nomu Stir - Tomato and Chilli  (replace with a sachet tomato paste if unavailable)
1 teaspoon Crushed dried Chilli
30ml Chilli Jam (made here) - you can use 10ml sugar instead
10ml Paprika
Salt
Oil for Frying
Water
1 Tin Red Kidney Beans (washed and drained)


Fry the onions and the beef until browned.
Add the rest of the ingredients and a little water.
Simmer for 2-3 hours, adding water when it gets dry.
In the last ½ hour of cooking add the beans and leave to simmer until you are ready to serve.
Serve with slices of avocado and wraps.

The wraps were so easy to make. I know that most people find buying them easier, but I just find them so over priced. When you see how easy they are to make, I hope you'll give these gems a bash.

Homemade Wraps

1 Cup All Purpose Flour (Cake Flour in SA)
1 Cup Wholewheat Flour
30ml Cornstarch
15ml Olive Oil
10ml Salt
185ml Warm Water

Sift the dry ingredients in a bowl.
Add the water and the oil and knead together into a smooth dough.
You might need to add a little more liquid, depending on the flour, but don't add to much.
You do not want a sticky dough.
Wrap in cling wrap and leave to rest for about an hour
Cut the dough in 5-6 (depending on the size you want).
Roll out on a lightly floured surface.
Fry in a dry non-stick pan for about 1 minute on each side, until bubbling and cooked through.
Place in a tea towel to stay warm until finished frying and ready to serve.

Meat-free Day in Cape Town

Cape Town is the first African city, and one of seven progressive cities in the world, to officially endorse a Meat-free Day a week for the sake of animal welfare, human health and climate change.

The City’s Health Committee unanimously backed a call by the Compassion in World Farming organisation for Capetonians to pick one day of the week where they eliminate red meat from their diet and eat more fruit, vegetables and grains instead. (source City of Cape Town)


 When I heard this initiative announced on the radio, I believed that this was one of the most progressive health ideas our leaders have come up with. After the debarcle when  'Manto' Tshabalala-Msimang announced beetroot and garlic were more effective treatment of AIDS than antiretroviral medicines, heath advice from government have been met with much scepticism.

I have featured Meatless Monday before and I strongly endorse it, even though I can't always make it on a Monday, we still have at least one meatless meal per week. This not only make sense for our health, the environment but also on my purse!

 I have not been at a loss for ideas, which I often find when it comes to meaty meals. I really try to be more imaginative on the meatless days and I enjoy the challenge.

This weeks meal is so simple to make but will impress the fussiest carnivore.

Sweet and Sour Fish with Egg Fried Rice

Hake fillets (skin on and sliced into 1½" pieces)
1 Cup All purpose Flour (seasoned with Salt and White Pepper)
2 Eggs Beated
Oil for Deep Frying

Pre-heat the oil to about 185ºC (Medium Hot)
Dry the fish.
Dip the fish into the flour and then into the egg and then again into the flour.
Deep fry for 3-5 minutes until golden and cooked through.
Drain on kitchen paper.
Serve with Egg Fried Rice and sweet and sour sauce.

Egg Fried Rice

2 Cups Cooked Rice
2 Eggs Beaten (add the Soya Sauce below)
5ml Dark Soya Sauce
Onion cut into wedges and separated
½ cup of Cooked peas (optional)
Oil

Pre-heat your wok to smoking
Place 15 ml Oil in the wok.
Add the egg and allow to cook, omelette style.
Once the egg is crispy and cooked through on both sides remove from the wok - cut into small pieces.
Fry the onion pieces until they have some colour, but are still slightly crunchy.
Add the rice, the cut up egg, the peas and stir fry until the rice is hot.

Serve the fish with this sweet and sour sauce and egg fried rice.

Sweet and Sour Sauce

1 Cup Rice or Apple Cider Vinegar
1½ Cups of Sugar
2" Piece of Ginger, peeled and cut into fine dice
1 Green chilli left whole
½ teaspoon of Sea Salt
50g Tomato Paste
1 Star Anise (optional)
½ Red Pepper (seeded) sliced into thin strips

Boil the above at a simmer for about 1 hour, until reduced and thickened.
Strain and serve hot.

My Easy Cooking - Homemade Heaven Thai

I have been blogging for the last 2 years and 11 months (yes I'm counting) and it's been a journey of pleasure and learning. 

The first pleasure is when things go all my way, the lighting is perfect, the food is styled to look like it wants to jump off your screen and into your mouth and the story along with the recipe is not only grammatically correct, but well written.

The most lasting pleasure is the friends I have made. One of the first blog friends I made was Nina, from My Easy Cooking.  Nina is a blogger extraodinaire and I have blogged about her cooking, photographic and styling talents on many occasions. Nina can make a cheese and Marmite sandwich look so good, you'll offer your first born for a bite.

Other great thing about blogging are the "events". You get to make something, post about it and sometimes the organiser will offer prizes. Enter left stage Nina...with this challenge.

Click here for more details

What an incredible opportunity for me to get Keith out of his comfort zone (cheese and bread), spoil him with some fresh Thai inspired spring rolls for lunch.

Thai Inspired Spring Rolls

Rice Paper Spring Roll Wrappers (Soaked in warm water until pliable)
Carrot cut into julienne
Spring onions chopped fine
Rice Vermicelli Noodles cooked as per packet instructions
Avocardo cut into thin strips

Lay the pliable wrapper on a flat surface.
Place a little of the other ingredients in the middle of the wrapper.
Fold the wrapper in half.
Fold in the outer edges.
Roll the entire roll tightly into spring roll.

Thai Dipping Sauce

Freshly squeezed Lime Juice (SOUR)
Fish Sauce (SALTY)
Fresh Chopped Chilli (HOT)
Palm Sugar (SWEET)
Fresh Garlic Cloves
Fresh Chopped and Peeled Ginger

Starting with  half a  fresh chilli, 2 cloves of garlic, 1" piece ginger and 10ml of palm sugar - pound together.
Add the juice of 1 lime, 15ml of Fish Sauce and mix together.
Taste - adjust the first 4 ingredients until you have a flavour combination and quantity to suit your taste and needs.
Serve with the spring rolls.

This Little Piggy went to Market

In a life filled with work, family and more distractions than a fairground, being continually inspired to make fantastically delicious meals, which are styled to perfection is hard going.

I read a lot of magazines with advice on everything from "being more appreciated at work" to "keeping you brows shaped" - none of which help me at all when I am roaming the supermarket last thing Tuesday afternoon, together with 100 other women, frantically looking for something other than mince or box fish to cook for dinner.

I really admire those super women out there who manage to create a weekly menu (and shopping list) and  stick to it. I have tried it before and it really works but I  have the self discipline of heroin addict when it comes to sticking to lists. This being the case, I  often find myself in supermarkets searching for inspiration in the chocolate aisle!

Yesterday I found my self in this situation, but before I got to the chocolate aisle, I found a reasonably priced piece of roast pork belly and impulsively took it, thinking perhaps I could create a Chinese roast pork dish I've been thinking about and putting off for almost year.

Roast Pork Belly with Sweet and Sour Sauce

Crispy Roast Pork Belly

1 Pork Belly
4" Piece of Ginger cut roughly
2 Star Anise
1 teaspoon Whole Black Pepper corns

Boil the above in a large pot for about 20-30 minutes, depending on the size.
The meat should be cooked about 80% through.
Remove from the water, and leave to cool and dry out.
Score the fat diagonally in two directions.

Basting for the Belly

2 Green Chillies
2 teaspoons of Sugar
2 teaspoons of Sea Salt
3 Garlic Cloves

Preheat your oven to 220ºC
Pound the above into a smooth paste.
Run the paste into the flesh of the belly, avoiding getting any on the fat side.
Turn over and rub the fat side well with salt only.
Roast for about 20-30 minutes until the meat is cooked and the fat is crispy crackling.
Leave to rest for 5 minutes before serving with stir fry noodles and sweet and sour sauce.

Sweet and Sour Sauce

1 Cup Rice or Apple Cider Vinegar
1½ Cups of Sugar
2" Piece of Ginger, peeled and cut into fine dice
1 Green chilli left whole
½ teaspoon of Sea Salt
50g Tomato Paste
1 Star Anise (optional)
½ Red Pepper (seeded) sliced into thin strips

Boil the above at a simmer for about 1 hour, until reduced and thickened.
Take out the chilli and serve hot.