Apple Compote

This voluptuous four ingredient compote is effortless and in its simplicity it can be used as a puff pastry or tart filling, served a la mode with ice cream, sweetly adorn pancakes and French toast and a can also be a fruity filling wonderfully nestled in cinnamon rolls or buns for something different. Regardless, on how you consume it, it's familiarity compliments and comforts.   

Apple Compote

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3 cups diced apples (approximately 6 apples)

2 teaspoons cinnamon

4 tablespoons butter

4 tablespoons dark brown sugar

Wash and dry apples throughly. Core and roughly dice apples.

In a medium bowl add the diced apples and pour the cinnamon over top and stir. Set aside.

Melt the butter in a large sauce over medium heat. Add the brown sugar and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Add the diced cinnamon apples. Stir to combine. Let the mixture simmer for about 15 minutes or until the apples are soft.

Allow to cool before storing in a contain in the refrigerator for up to a week.  

  

Breezy Tomato Salad

 

With warm spring... summer like temperatures, some say, the season of salads is upon us, honestly, I think they never left. Forego the leafy greens and a salad can change according to seasons, ingredients, your own personal taste and what's available at the grocery store. Grilled, tossed, marinated, grained, pastafied or noodleious even the most modest of salads can be reimagined. This vibrant four ingredient salad is fresh yet simple and savoury and is a breeze to make in advance. 

Breezy Tomato Salad

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half a cucumber

1 small pint (approximately 15 to 20) grape tomatoes

2 green onions

mozzarella cheese

4 to 6 tablespoons Greek salad dressing

fresh basil leaves, optional 

Wash and pat dry vegetables throughly.

Slice the cucumber into thick slices and chop those slices into pieces, place in a large bowl. Cut the tomatoes in half, then add to the bowl with the cucumber. Chop the green onions and add to the cucumber and tomatoes.

Cut thick slices of mozzarella cheese into cubes. Add to the to the vegetable mixture. 

Make a Greek salad dressing, or any herbed oil and vinegar dressing you wish, you may also use a ready made dressing, if you have that on hand. Pour the dressing over the vegetables and toss to combine and coat evenly. Allow to mellow in the fridge for and hour. Serve with fresh basil leaves.

Earl Grey and Lavender Loaf

 

Casual weekends are meant to relax and unwind with a good book, a cup of tea and a slice of this golden tea cake. Essence of Earl Grey tea and lavender delightfully bask in the sunny biscuity nature of this cake and is all the springtime warmth you need. 

Earl Grey & Lavender Loaf 

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1 1/2 cups golden raisins 

3/4 cup strong Earl Grey tea

1 teaspoon dried culinary lavender buds

1 tablespoon white sugar

1 2/3 cups self raising flour

Generous 3/4 cup dark brown sugar

1 large egg, slightly beaten

Glaze Icing 

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1 cup icing sugar

1 tablespoon cooled Earl Grey Tea or water

1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

In a bowl combine the icing sugar, cooled tea and lemon juice. Whisk together until a thin icing forms. If the icing is still thick add a bit more of the cooled tea until the desired consistency has been reached. 

  

Soak the raisins in the tea overnight. 

The next day, preheat the oven to 325ºF (170ºC) and grease and line a 2 lb. loaf pan.

Using a mortar and pestle grind the dried culinary lavender buds and the white sugar together until finely ground, or you may also use a spice grinder to do this. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and add the flour and dark brown sugar and mix well. Create a well in the centre of the fragrant flour mixture. Tip the fruit and remaining tea into the well and then add the beaten egg, simply stir everything together until it is nicely combined and moist. 

Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake for about 1 hour or until a knife or skewer comes out cleanly. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Once the loaf has cooled, make the glaze icing and drizzle icing over the loaf and scatter edible lavender buds over top.

 

 

Carrot Coleslaw

 

A zesty carrot coleslaw with just a hint of sweetness and a subtle kick to keep the tastebuds piqued. Although this recipe uses mayonnaise it's not overtly creamy or heavy however still retains its coleslaw status merely by ingredients. I have made another version of this carrot coleslaw using other ingredients such as sesame oil, horseradish, rice vinegar, honey, crushed chilis, sesame seeds, pickle juice and radishes. It's a playful recipe that can adapt and add a bit of colourful zing to any spring or summertime meal.  

Carrot Coleslaw

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3 carrots 

2 1/2 cups thinly sliced or shredded cabbage

4 spring onions

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

2 tablespoons mayonaise

2 tablespoons honey

1 teaspoon dijon mustard

1 tablespoon lemon juice

salt and pepper to taste

Grate the carrots and grate or thinly slice the cabbage. You could also use ready made shredded cabbage.    

Place the grated carrot and cabbage into a large mixing bowl. Thinly slice the spring onions and add to the carrot and cabbage mixture. Toss together.

In a smaller bowl whisk together the olive oil, apple cider vinegar, mayonnaise, honey, dijon mustard and lemon juice. Add salt and pepper to taste. Pour the dressing over the top of the carrot cabbage mixture. Toss making sure the vegetables get well coated with the dressing.  

Blackberry Sauce

 

This has more to do with a voluminous berry sauce than anything else. Although lavishly spread on top of a cheesecake has its advantages. With fairly minimal effort, requiring a close eye and a certain amount of stirring, it can not only be used for topping cakes but as a filling to sandwich in-between layers of cake as well, poured over ice cream or used when making homemade ice cream to create a summery berry flavour, drizzled over your morning oatmeal or spread over toast in a jam like fashion. It seems, there is nothing this blackberry sauce can't touch or be used for. I have included the recipe for the cheesecake just in case you feel the urge to whip up something special this weekend. 

 Blackberry Sauce

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3 cups blackberries

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1/2 cup sugar

1 tablespoon cornstarch

2 tablespoons water

Place the blackberries, lemon juice and sugar in a large saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently until it comes to a boil.

Continue to boil and stir for 10 minutes.

If you desire a thicker sauce make a slurry of the cornstarch and water and add to boiling berries and cook until thickened. 

Classic Cheesecake

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1 - 1/4 cups graham crumbs

1/4 cup butter, melted

3 packages (250 g each) Philadelphia Brick Cream Cheese

3/4 cup sugar

3 eggs 

Heat oven to 350ºF (180ºC).

1. Mix graham crumbs and butter together; press onto bottom of a 9 - inch springform pan. 

2. Beat cream cheese and sugar together in a large bowl with an electric mixer until blended. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing on low speed after each just until blended. Pour over crust.

3. Bake 35 to 45 minutes or until centre is almost set. Run knife around the rim of pan to loosen cake; cool completely before removing rim. Refrigerate cheesecake 4 hours. 

Gin and Pink Grapefruit Tonic Cake

 

You don't have to be a King or Queen... or royalty to revel with a slice of this fragrant jubilant cake. However, if you are celebrating the coronation of King Charles III; this is an exceptionally bubbly luscious nod to not only toast such a regal occasion, but for any special occasion you wish.   

Gin and Pink Grapefruit Tonic Cake

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200 g (7 oz) unsalted butter, softened, plus extra to grease

200 g (7oz) caster sugar

4 medium eggs, beaten

few drops of pink or red food colouring

200g (7 oz) self raising flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

finely grated zest of 1 pink grapefruit

75ml (3 fl. oz) gin

FOR THE SYRUP:

75g (3 oz) caster sugar

75ml (3 fl. oz) pink grapefruit tonic water, such as Fentimens Pink Tonic Water

3 tablespoons gin

FOR THE DRIZZLE ICING:

100g (3 1/2 oz) icing sugar, sifted

1 and 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed grapefruit juice

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF (180ºC, 160ºC Fan, Gas Mark 4). Grease and line base and sides of a 900g (2 lbs) loaf tin with baking parchment. making sure that the parchment comes up about 4 cm (1 1/2 inch) higher than th sides of the tin.

2. In a large bowl beat butter and sugar with a handheld electric whisk until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Gradually add the eggs, beating well, after each addition. Use a cocktail stick to add a very small amount of food colouring to the batter, to tinge it a pale pink, repeat if necessary until you get the desired shade. 

3. Fold in the flour, baking powder and grapefruit zest (reserve remaining grapefruit for later), followed by the gin. Spoon onto the prepared tin and bake for 55 minutes to 1 hour or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.

4. Meanwhile make the sugar syrup. Half the grapefruit and squeeze the juice from one half only. Gently heat the caster sugar and tonic water in a small pan, stirring often, until the sugar dissolves. Turn up the heat and boil for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and mix in the gin and 1 tablespoon of grapefruit. 

5. When the loaf comes out of the oven, poke holes all over the top with a skewer and slowly drizzle over half the gin syrup mixture. Leave to soak on for 10 minutes, then drizzle with the remaining syrup. Leave to cool in the tin on a wire rack.

6. Cut the remaining half of the grapefruit in half again. Then slice a couple of thin half moons from one of the halves. Lay the slices flat on a board, cut along the segments lines into small triangle shapes. Put the triangles on a kitchen paper to dry.

7. Gently remove the cake from the tin, peel off the parchment and place back on the wire rack. Mix the icing sugar with enough grapefruit juice, about 1 and 1/2 tablespoons, to make a slight thick but pourable icing. Spoon icing over the cake and decorate with the grapefruit triangles. 

 

Wookiee Cookies

Usually I make Bossk Brownies for May the 4th, Star Wars Day. This year I decided to make Wookiee Cookies and who wouldn't enjoy these crisp golden brown cookies that are chewy, no pun intended, on the inside, with a tall galactic glass of milk. May the 4th be with you all! 

Wookiee Cookies

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makes about 3 dozen cookies

2 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup milk chocolate chips 

1 cup semi-sweet dark chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 375ºF.

2. Put the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a mixing bowl. Stir with a wooden spoon until well mixed. Set aside.

3. Put the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar in another mixing bowl. Using the electric mixer set on high speed, beat together until well blended and creamy, about 3 minutes. (You can do this with a wooden spoon, but it will take longer.) Beat in the eggs and vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture and stir with the wooden spoon until blended. Stir in the chocolate chips.

4. Scoop up a rounded tablespoonful of the dough and drop onto a baking sheet. Repeat until you have used up all the dough. Be sure to leave about 1 inch between the cookies because they do spread as they bake.

5. Using pot holders, put the baking sheets in the oven. Bake until golden brown, about 10 minutes.

6. Again, using pot holders, remove the baking sheets from the oven. Lift the cookies from the baking sheets with a spatula, and place on cooling racks. Let cool completely.

Curried Chicken with Mango

 

Pantry staples that ease into a superb midweek meal, that is sweetly spiced and brimming with aromatic flavour. This is one meal that is a pleasure to make, mostly due to the recipe being relaxed in such a straighforward flavoursome way. 

Curry Chicken with Mango

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Serves 4 - 6

2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil

2 lbs (900 g) boneless chicken breast (about 6 to 8 pieces) 

1 1/2 cups (375 ml) diced onions (about 1 large onion)

4 cloves garlic, crushed

1 tablespoon (15 ml) finely minced ginger

2 - 4 tablespoons (30 - 60 ml) curry powder

1 can (400 ml) coconut milk

1/2 - 1 teaspoon (2 - 5 ml) salt

3 cups (300 g) frozen mango chunks 

1/2 cup (125ml) chopped cilantro, optional

DIRECTIONS:

1. Dice onion, mince the garlic and ginger and set aside.

2. Cut the chicken into bite-size pieces.

3. In a large heavy skillet, heat oil over medium high heat. Add chicken pieces in small batches and cook until lightly browned. As each batch is browned, remove from pan and set aside in a bowl.

4. When chicken is done, add more oil to the pan, if needed and add onion, garlic and ginger. Sauté, stirring frequently, over medium low heat until onion is translucent but not brown, about 6 -8 minutes.

5. Stir in the curry powder and salt, sauté for 1 minute more.

6. Stir in chicken with accumulated juices and coconut milk, bring to a boil.

7. Cover and simmer for 15 - 20 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings.

8. Stir in frozen mango chunks and the cilantro, if desired.

9. Serve with steamed rice.