Chocolate and Date Easter Wreath

This year Easter is not in the school holidays and it's a welcome mini break for the children.  It's been a hot start to the year and with lots of changes happening, we are in definite need of some r & r.
My son Adam is playing basketball in the Easter Tournament, and in between that we will be out spending time with friends at the beach and paddling on a SUP and our kayak. And of course the kids will be indulging in an Easter egg or two!

I was completely inspired by the Easter wreath in April's  NZ House & Garden, what a great job guys. I love Manja's photography. Watch out for a special article in June's issue  (coming out in May) You might see someone you know!!!

Inspired by the Easter wreath I decided to create my own version, a date and chocolate scone one, It's the same recipe as my date & cinnamon scones but I added  some choc chips ,  I hope you love it, I do!  It's the perfect gift to take to family and friends for Easter.

 And I wish everyone a happy Easter break. x

3 Cups Plain Flour
6 Tsp Baking Powder
1/4 tsp salt
75g Butter
1-11/2 Cups Milk
1 Tbls sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 Cup choc chips

Icing
1/2  of an egg white
2 tsp lemon juice
1Cup Icing sugar

1. Sift flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl, cut butter into it until the consistency is like bread crumbs
2. Add the sugar and then the cinnamon, dates and choc chips
3. Add the milk and quickly mix into a soft dough
4. Knead a few times on a floured surface and then shape into a log roll (approx 30-35 cm)
5. Cut into 10-12 pieces and arrange on a baking tray, in a circle just touching
6. Bake at 200 for 10-12 min or until golden

Icing
Whisk egg white until frothy, add lemon juice and then the icing sugar, until you have a consistency that you can pour. Cool the wreath and decorate with Easter eggs. Perfect Easter gift.

 

Enjoy!   Till next Time 

 

Ashia xx

 

 

Shakshouka

I enjoy planning my meals for the week, but sometimes, I run out of ideas, after school I want to feed the children reasonably early ( dependent on what school activity is going on that particular day) and I don't really want to be cooking two different meals for them and then us.  And meals around the family table are not always possible.... I do try....but some days it is just an impossibility. 

I ponder over my favourite recipe books (of which I have many....that is another blog entry for another day!) or I resort to looking at my Ipad in the kitchen thinking of quick, nutritious meals that will justify everyone's need.  I turn, yet gain to my favourite ingredients - mince...any sort, lamb,beef or chicken, you can create wonders with mince. perfect for mid week quick dinners. I usually make a couple of Indian style dishes and then the usual spag boll, or moussaka or my children's favourite - chilli con carne.  So I was inspired by this North African dish, a lovely warming and spicy dish which is traditionally vegetarian, but I saw a meat version by Peter Gordan, so I decided to add other flavours like offal  which worked well. But feel free to omit as its is not to everyone's taste. I like liver and kidneys, but that's as far as i will go with offal meat.   Great with crusty bread.

500g minced lamb
1-2 kidneys (thoroughly cleaned and cut into small chunks) This is completely optional as it may not be to your liking
2 Tbl olive oil
1/2 tsp Cumin
1/2 tsp sesame seeds
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp paprika
1/2 -1 red chili finely chopped - or you can substitute for 1/4 tsp chili powder (depending on how spicy you like it)
1 clove crushed garlic
1/2 tsp salt
2 red and yellow capsicums -sliced
2 onions - sliced
4 fresh  tomatoes chopped
1/2 tin chopped tomatoes
1/2 Tbl tomato paste
4-6 eggs
handful of chopped coriander and mint

1. I cooked this in a large lidded frying pan, so that you can take it to the table and serve from it too. Heat the oil and add the cumin and sesame seeds, as soon as they start sizzling add the mince, stir until brown
2. Add the vegetables (not the tomatoes at this stage) and all the spices, and cook  for 4-5 min.
3. Add the tomatoes and the tomato paste, and cook for a further 8-10 min on a medium heat.
4 Make 'holes' in the mixture and break an egg into each hole, cover with the lid and cook until the eggs are set, the yolks should be a little runny

Add the chopped herbs and serve immediately with some crusty bread.

Traditionally its a dish eaten at breakfast (without the meat) but you can serve it anytime. And I think both vegetarian  and meat options work well.  For a vegetarian option you can also add some chopped spinach (1 cup) and some feta cheese cut into cubes.

Enjoy!

Till next time.

Ashia

Blueberry Bundt Cakes with Lemon Drizzle

We are off to Waiheke Island to see friends. I decided to make some cakes. I needed them to be moist and travel well. I also had blueberries in the freezer, so it's the same recipe as the strawberry bundts but using blueberries instead. There are so many offers around for blueberries, I just buy them and pop them in the freezer. You can use fresh or frozen, if you are using frozen berries don't let them thaw.

 

The blueberry ones worked really, well i think, they were better than my original strawberry ones, blueberries  work really well in baking, I also make some gorgeous blueberry muffins so look out for that over the next coupe of weeks.


Use baking paper to put under your wire rack to prevent a sticky mess when drizzling the lemon drizzle!

I found a  gorgeous vintage cake slice and some delightful plates when I went to a vintage fair before Christmas, perfect for little cakes, especially if you are serving high tea! Would love to do that one day, I love vintage style tea cups and plates.

 Perfect dainty blueberry bundt cake to go with your afternoon tea.  Nothing like a cup of English breakfast and cake.  Divine!!

 

Enjoy!

 

Till Next time

 

Ashia

Paw paw and avocado salad

I have neglected my blog, and feel awful for not posting.  It's been  a busy summer with lots of picnics and trips to some amazing beaches.  We are a real beachy family, the kids are water babies, and love spending time together, just chilling!  This summer,  in New  Zealand has been fabulous, but sometimes when it's very hot, you just don't feel like cooking.  Salads are a great way to enjoy fresh ingredients and are quick and easy to prepare.


This gorgeous salad, adapted from Annabel Langein, is a lovely fresh sensation of textures and tastes.  It requires paw paw, which I love, brings back memories of my childhood in Malawi, where it was abundant.  But if you don't have it or you don't like it you can replace it with mangoes.

250 g Halloumi Cheese
1 Paw paw
2 Avocados
Fresh fancy lettuce
oil ( to fry the halloumi)

For the dressing
Squeeze of lime juice
Olive oil
salt & pepper
1/4 tsp sugar

1. Cut the halloumi into 1-2 cm squares, heat the oil in a frying pan and quickly cook until golden, drain.
2. Peel the paw paw and take the black seeds out, again cut into 2 cm chunks, peel and cut the avocado, i diced it but you can slice it if you want.
3. Toss in a large bowl with the lettuce leaves.

You can dress it with the above ingredients, or you can use my chilli  and coriander dressing  (which is on the blog)  it  has a slight kick  to it and gives it a lovely flavour. 

Really simple using fresh ingredients, perfect with bbq meat, or as part of a picnic.

Enjoy!

Till next time

Ashia.

 

Zara's Birthday Party

Zara had wanted a butterfly birthday cake, so that is what she got! I love baking but Icing is not my forte. I would love to learn some new techniques, but in the meantime I found this amazing blog by a Canadian woman. Its called Sweetapolita! fabulous! Some great ideas, I got the 3 tone colour idea from her blog. I really enjoyed baking and icing Zara's  cake, it wasn't exactly how I had planned it, but Zara was  happy with it, and that was fine by me. I think sometimes as parents we try too hard, to make everything perfect, but actually, it really doesn't matter, as long as everyone is happy.

I had a  "sweets" table with the Birthday cake, some gorgeous meringues, some lovely cupcakes and gorgeous little red velvet and creme cheese cupcakes courtesy of Victoria Irons (thanks Tori)! The girls enjoyed ice cream and marshmallows as well!

What a fabulous day to have a party outside!  I had booked a surprise face painting artist, so the girls all had butterflies.  Just lovely!

                                                         Gorgeous Cup cakes

The cakes!

Great day had by all, and one very happy 8 year old!

Enjoy!

Till next Time!

Ashia

Pistachio and Cardamom Chocolate Puds

We dont have a huge tradition of Indian Desserts in our family. We have a small number of family favourites.  My sister Nish  makes this gorgeous chocolate mousse, which I have adapted to include a cardamom flavour. You would'nt normally think of putting chocolate and cardamom together, but this  works and then with a topping of mascarpone and pistachios, these are little chocolate gems!

300 ml Fresh cream
200g Dark chocolate ( I have used milk as I ran out of dark) coarsely  chopped up
2-3 cardomum pods (or powder if you dont have pods - I would use about a 1/4 tsp or less depending on how fragrant you want it)
Pinch of cinnamon
2 Egg yolks
200g  Mascarpone ( save a small amount  for a dallop on top for decorating)
Slivers of pistachios for sprinkling

You can replace with cinnamon or nutmeg and sprinkle with orange zest (especially over christmas)

1. Gently heat the cream in a saucepan over  low heat, when it starts simmering, remove it from the heat  and the chocolate, whisk until it has all melted

2. I f you are using the cardamom pods, crush them open and grind the black seeds, add them to cream and chocolate mixture and then the cinnamon.

3. Separate the egg yolks and whisk them into the mixture and then add the mascarpone, divide between 4-6 glasses, Decorate with a dollop of cream and pistachios.
 I used traditional Turkish tea glasses that I bought when we were in Olu deniz in Turkey to drink my apple tea out of.  You can use shot glasses too.  Place in the fridge for 6 hours.

Divine!

Enjoy!

Till Next time.

Ashia

 

 

 

Strawberry Bundt Cakes with Lemon Drizzle

So my last strawberry inspired recipe, I promise! These are gorgeously moist, perfect to take as part of your picnic or as thank you for a favour. Food makes a great present, as people appreciate the time and effort you have put in to say thanks, or get well or well done.

These are great with blueberries too or raspberries.

100g Butter (soft at room temp)
3/4 Cup Caster Sugar
11/4 Cups Plain Flour
1 Tsp Baking Powder
1/2 Tsp salt
2 Eggs
1/2 Cup Buttermilk
Grated zest of 1 lemon
1 Cup strawberries chopped and tossed in a little sugar

1. Preheat oven to 180 c. Beat the butter and sugar until light and pale. Add the eggs on at a time beating well between each.
2. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt and add to the mixture along with the butter milk and lemon zest ( I ran out of lemons so put a few drops of lemon juice -from Lemon Fresh NZ made in a handy pkt I store in the fridge)
3. Beat slowly until just combined, don't over beat the mixture or you will have heavy cakes.
4. Fold in the strawberries and divide the mixture between your bundt tins, I used 6 , 1 cup capacity tins, you only fill 3/4 of the way. If you are using smaller tins you will get 8 cakes.
5. place on a baking tray and bake for 18-20 min turning the tray  half way though for even cooking.
6. Leave in the tins for 5 min before turning out on to a wire rack to cool completely.

For the Lemon Drizzle

1 Cup Icing sugar
2-3 Tsp Lemon Juice
Strawberries for garnish if desired.

Stir through enough lemon juice into icing sugar to make a thick smooth icing. Place a sheet of baking paper under the wire rack (to avoid a sticky mess) Spoon the icing onto the centre and let it drizzle down the sides. The sweetness of the strawberries and the tang of the lemon is a perfect combination. Yum!

Enjoy!

Till next time.

Ashia