Rocky Road Cake

I was  searching for a cake for someone who likes chocolate cake and also like rocky road. After a search, I came across a cake recipe by Nadia Hussain. 

Ingredients:

For the cake:

• 225g plain flour, sifted
• 350g caster sugar
• 85g cocoa powder
• 1½ tsp baking powder
• 1½ tsp bicarbonate soda
• 250ml whole milk, room temperature
• 2 large eggs
• 125ml vegetable oil
• 250ml boiling water
• 2 tbsp instant coffee

For the rocky road:

• 250g dark chocolate, chopped
• 250g milk chocolate, chopped
• 100g butter
• 150g digestive biscuits, roughly broken
• 100g marshmallows
• 150g glace cherries, optional
• 2 tbsp icing sugar

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180ºC/160ºC for fan assist oven. Grease the base and sides of a 25cm round cake tin. Cut out two rounds of baking paper and use one to line the tin, putting the other one aside for later.

Put the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda into a large bowl and give it all a whisk.

Put the milk, eggs and oil into a jug and whisk until they are combined. Add to the dry mix and whisk to a smooth batter.

Using the same jug, measure out the boiling water and the coffee. Mix together and pour into the batter. You won't actually taste the coffee in the cake, but it enhances the flavour of the chocolate, so you should taste a lot of chocolate. This feels weird, and it seems the two will not mix together. But I promise that they will, so persevere and continue to mix until you get a smooth batter. But be careful- the water will be very hot.

Pour the batter into the prepared tin and bake on the middle shelf for 45-50 minutes, until the skewer inserted comes out clean. Leave to cool completely in the tin.

Meanwhile, prepare the rocky road by putting the two chocolates and the butter into a microwave bowl and melting in the microwave until the mixture is smooth. Do this in 30 second and then 10 second bursts, stirring in between bursts.

Now add the biscuits, marshmallows and glace cherries (if used), and mix well until everything is coated.

Pour the mixture all over the cooled cake, using the back of a spoon to help spread it out if needed. Now take the extra round of baking paper you cut out earlier, place it on top and press firmly to flatten. Place in the fridge for 2 hours.

Take the paper off the top and turn out on to a cake stand or serving plate.

Now take off the other piece of paper and dust with icing sugar before slicing

Apple Crumble Cheesecake

Stepping in to fall with this apple crumble cheesecake. This cheesecake is full of fall flavours. It has cinnamon cookie crust, cheesecake filling and topped with cinnamon sugar apples and lots of crumble. It is the perfect combination of an apple pie and cheesecake.

Each bite if this dessert delivers the perfect balance of creamy cheesecake and the warm flavours of baked apples with a crunchy crumb topping. It's a decadent twist on classic cheesecake that is sure to impress and perfect for all the fall season! It looks spectacular and taste even better, yet is surprisingly easy to make. 

The perfect marriage of cosy apple crumble and decadent rich cheesecake!

Ingredients:

For the base:

• 200g digestive biscuits
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• 75g butter

For the filling:

• 500g mascarpone, room temperature
• 400g full fat soft cheese, room temperature
• 150g castor sugar
• 3 tbsp cornflour
• 3 medium eggs
• 1½ tsp vanilla extract

For the topping:

• 3 Granny Smith apples
• ½ tbsp caster sugar
• ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
• 70g rolled oats
• 50g plain flour
• 40g light brown sugar
• 50g cold butter, diced
• salted caramel sauce, to serve

Method:

For the base: Preheat the oven to 180ºC or 160ºC for fan assist oven. Brush a 23cm diameter springform tin with oil or butter and line with baking paper. Blitz the digestives to a crumb in a food processor. Combine with the cinnamon and melted butter, stirring so the crumbs are well coated. Press evenly into the base of the tin. Bake for 10 minutes. Leave to cool while you continue. Reduce the oven to 160ºC or 140ºC for fan assist oven.

For the filling: Put all the ingredients in a large bowl. Beat with an electric whisk until smooth and thick. Set aside.

For the topping: peel, core and dice the apples into small chunks then toss with the caster sugar and cinnamon. For the crumble. mix the oats, flour, brown sugar and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Rub in the butter until the mixture forms small clumps.

To assemble, spoon the cheesecake mixture over the baked biscuit base in an even layer and place the tin on a baking tray. Scatter over the apples, followed by the crumble topping.

Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 25 minutes until golden brown and with a bit of a wobble in the centre; it will continue to firm up as it cools so take care not to overbake. Turn the oven off and leave the cake to cool inside the oven for at least 2 hours. Remove from the oven, cool to room temperature and chill for at least 4 hours, ideally overnight.

Release from the tin and drizzle over salted caramel sauce to serve.

Lentil Nut Roast

This roast is perfect for a Sunday roast and great for weekday meals too. This vegan roast pairs well with roast potatoes, sprouts, braised red cabbage or even steam broccolis.

This dish can be prepared ahead of time for convenience and served either hot or cold. It also freezes well. 

Ingredients:

• 1 onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp fresh chopped chilli
• 400g sweet potatoes, diced
• 400g tin chopped tomatoes
• 130g red lentils
• 3 tsp paprika
• 3tsp oregano
• 1 cube vegetable stock
• 100g cooked quinoa
• 100g chopped nuts
• 2 tbsp flax seeds
• 1 tbsp olive oil

Method:

Lightly roast or fry the onion, garlic, sweet potato and chilli in a little olive oil.

Add lentils, chopped tomatoes, paprika, oregano, sufficient vegetable stock to cover, season and stir.

Cook in a medium oven or over a low heat on the hob for about 30 minutes or until the lentils are cooked. Check regularly and add extra stock or water, a little at a time, as needed. Transfer to a large bowl.

Add the cooked quinoa and chopped nuts and mix

Add the flax seeds and mix again.

Line a 25cm long by 11 cm wide and 8cm deep loaf tin with a baking paper. Pack the mixture into the loaf tin and level the top with the back of a spoon. Loosely cover with foil.

Bake in the centre of the oven at 180ºC for about 30 minutes. Remove the foil and return to the oven until cooked. The loaf will be cooked when it is firm to touch over the whole surface.

Leave to cool in the loaf tin for 30 minutes and then turn out onto a serving plate or board.

Chickpea Coconut Curry Noodles Soup

This creamy Thai-inspired coconut noodle soup is the simplest weeknight dinner. Made with flavourful Thai curry paste, coconut milk, peanut butter, plenty of fresh herbs and lime juice. 

The broth is made with vegan stock and it is easily adaptable to non vegan i.e. using chicken or meat to your preference. It is packed with veggies and canned chickpeas. This soup is creamy, comforting, hearty and delicious!

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 onion, sliced
• 2 red pepper, sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp fresh minced ginger
• ½ tsp turmeric
• ¼ tsp pepper
• red pepper flakes, to taste
• 3 tbsp red curry paste
• 3 cups of vegetable stock, use chicken stock for non vegan
• 1 can coconut milk
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 3 tbsp peanut butter
• 1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 2 handfuls chopped kale
• 2 tbsp chopped coriander
• 1 lime juiced, plus some for serving
• dry linguine for 6 people

Method:

Heat the sesame oil in a stock pot over medium heat. Add the onions, bell peppers, garlic, ginger, turmeric, pepper and red pepper and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add the red curry paste and cook for another minute. Pour in the vegetable stock, coconut milk, soy sauce, peanut butter and chickpeas. Stir to combine and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes.

Meanwhile bring a pot of water to boil and cook the linguine according to the packet instruction. Drain and set aside.

Add the kale, chopped coriander leaves and lime juice to the soup and cook for a couple of minutes or until the kale is wilted. taste and adjust seasonings as needed.

To serve, add the noodles and soup to each bowl. Top with more chopped coriander leaves and serve with lime wedges.

Chicken And Broccoli With Brown Sauce

Chicken and Broccoli with brown sauce  is a a popular Chinese takeaway dish. Skip the takeaway and make this dish at home. It is easier to make than you might think, and tastes even better than your local restaurant or takeaway. This healthy version of takeaway favourite combines chicken, super healthy broccoli, garlic and ginger for a delicious, weeknight dinner. 

 Ingredients:

For the chicken:

• 350g skinless chicken breast or thighs
• 3 tbsp water
• 1 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 tsp cornflour
• 1½ tsp vegetable oil

For the sauce:

• 2/3 cup chicken stock
• 1½ tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tsp dark soy sauce
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• a pinch of white pepper
• 300g broccoli
• 3 tbsp cooking oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• ¼ tsp fresh grated ginger
• 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
• 2 tbsp cornflour, mixed with 2 tbsp water

Method:

Slice the chicken into bite-size pieces. In a bowl, add the sliced chicken, 3 tablespoon water, 1 tablespoon oyster sauce, t teaspoon cornflour and 1½ teaspoons vegetable oil. Rub the marinated ingredients into the chicken with your hands until all the liquid has been absorbed by the chicken. Set aside for 10 minutes.

Next, prepare the sauce mixture. In a small bowl or measuring cup, add the warm chicken stock, sugar, soy sauce, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil and white pepper. Stir everything together until well combined and set aside.

Boil water in your work and blanch the broccoli for 1 minute or 2 if you like your broccoli softer. Drain and set aside.

Clean and dry your wok. Place it over high heat until smoking. Add 2 tablespoons vegetable oil and sear the chicken until opaque on all sides (this should only take about 3 minutes). Turn off the heat, remove the chicken, and set aside. The chicken will be about 90% done, but will be cooked again at the end.

Without washing the wok, set the heat to medium high. Add another tablespoon of oil, along with the garlic and ginger. Stir the garlic and ginger for 5 seconds and add the Shaoxing wine around the perimeter of the wok. Then pour in the sauce mixture. use your wok spatula to stir the sauce around the sides of the wok to deglaze, and let it come to a simmer.

Stir up the cornflour and water and drizzle the mixture into the sauce while stirring occasionally. Allow the sauce to simmer for 10-15 seconds until thick and gravy-like.

Toss in the chicken and its juices and the blanched broccoli. Stir-fry until the chicken and broccoli is coated in the sauce.

At this point, you can make adjustments. If you like your brown sauce darker, add a dash more of dark sauce. Add  more cornflour if your sauce is too thin, or more chicken stock or water if the sauce is too thick. Serve with steamed rice.

                            

Easy Ginger Cake

This ginger cake is a traditional bake that is a deliciously spiced, sticky winter treat. The traybake is light in texture with a warming spice that improves over time. It's moist and light, and so flavourful, a perfect sweet treat for Bonfire Night or the Christmas season.

This time, a dessert that goes down a treat in Autumn and throughout the festive season. It's delicious blend of ginger and mixed spices are well balanced by the sweetness  of the black treacle and golden syrup.

The richness of the butter adds moisture and a depth of flavours, taking this gingerbread cake to the level of perfection. It is so simple to make, with ingredients that are easy to find, and bonus point, it is ready in about 40 minutes!

Ingredients:

• 225g self raising flour
• 1 tsp bicarbonate soda
• 2 tbsp ground ginger
• ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
• ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp ground cloves
• 100g butter
• 100g black treacle
• 100g golden syrup
• 80g brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 250ml milk

For serving (optional)

• caramel sauce; shop bought or homemade
• vanilla ice cream

Method:

Preheat oven to 180ºC or 160ºC for fan assist oven. Line and grease 9x12inch baking tray.

Start by sifting flour, bicarbonate soda, ground ginger, ground nutmeg, ground cinnamon and ground cloves into a medium-sized bowl. Mix until evenly combined and set aside.

Next, add butter, black treacle, golden syrup and brown sugar to saucepan. Heat the ingredients on low and mix until the butter has melted and the sugar has dissolved.

Combine the wet and dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add the egg and whisk well. Gradually stir in the milk until the batter is smooth. Pour the batter into a greased and lines baking tray. Bake for 35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Let the cake cool in the tray for 5 minutes. Then cut into equal squares and serve. Drizzle some caramel sauce and add a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream for extra indulgence.

Almond Slice

                                        

This perfect tea-time treat is much easier to make than what you'd possibly expected when looking at the end result. But trust me when I say they are a deceivingly easy bake, especially when you break each layer down into stages and tackle them each one at a time. 

There are three layers to this Almond Slice, starting with a sweet shortcrust pastry layer, followed by a layer of jam, then a layer of sponged topped  with some flaked almonds.

Ingredients:

Pastry:

• 200g plain flour
• 100g cold butter
• 30g castor sugar
• 4 tbsp cold water

Jam filling:

• 200g raspberry jam

Sponge:

• 200g butter
• 200g caster sugar
• 100g self raising flour
• 100g ground almonds
• 1tsp baking powder
• 3 eggs
• A handful  of flaked Almond
• 1 tsp Almond essence; optional

Method:

First you need to mix the flour and the cold butter together for the pastry. If you have a mixer you can use that to mix the flour and butter. If not, put the flour in a bowl and then cut the butter into the flour using a pastry blender, two butter knives, or rub with fingertips to create a breadcrumb-like texture.

Add the caster sugar and stir through.

Next, slowly add the tablespoons of water and stir it with a butter knife to bring it together. How much water you need depends on the flour so I suggest starting with 203 tablespoons and then adding more as needed.

Tip out the pastry onto a floured surface and gently bring together the pastry with your hands. Try not to knead it and handle it as little as possible. Then cover with clingfilm and rest in the fridge for 15 min utes. It can last up to 2 days if you want to make it in advance.

Meanwhile preheat the oven to 180ºC/160ºC for fan assist oven.

Lightly grease the tin with butter, taking care not to add too much. You want to grease rather than using baking paper to line it. The pastry has enough butter not to stick but you want to ensure the sides of the sponge don't stick.

Take the pastry from the fridge and roll it out on a floured surface until it is about ¼ inch thick. You want the shape to roughly fit your tin. Carefully lift the pastry and press into the bottom of the tin, cutting any excess so it's only covering the bottom and not stretching up the sides.

Prick the pastry with a fork, place baking paper over it and blind baking beans, or uncooked rice if you don't have any. Bake in the oven for 8-10 minutes, until lightly golden brown.

Raspberry Filling and Sponge:

Meanwhile, loosen up the jam by stirring it in a bowl so it will be easy to spread onto the pastry. I used approximately 200g but you may want a little more or less. Be generous! The jam layer really adds to the flavour.

Remove the pastry from the oven and allow it to cool for 5 minutes, then add the jam layer. Set aside.

Cream the butter and the sugar for the sponge in a large bowl. Add the essence if using, and beat in the eggs.

Add the flour, baking powder, and ground almond and gently mix together.

Pour or spoon over the jam-covered pastry, trying not to disturb your jam layer too much.

Top with a handful of flaked almonds(not toasted) and then put in the oven for 30-35 minutes. Keep checking it and once the sponge layer has risen and cooked through it is ready.

Take out and allow to cool, before removing from the tin to slice it or slice in the tin and remove individual pieces if you find it's easier.

Lamb Balti

 

This lamb balti curry is a great example of a homecooked  British Indian balti. It's fresh and tangy with plenty of aromatic spices and a good kick of chilli heat. This recipe made with fall apart tender lamb and delicious aromatic homemade curry sauce. If you love Indian restaurants curries, you will definitely enjoy this lamb curry.

This balti curry is one of the most popular British Indian Restaurant dishes and also known as Balti Gosht. Balti means bucket and Gosht means red meat, lamb, mutton or beef. Balti curry originated in Northern India and Pakistan and is recreated in Britain. 

Ingredients:

• 500g boneless lamb; lamb leg or shoulder
• 3-4 shallots
• 4 cloves garlic, pounded finely
• 1 tbsp finely pounded ginger
• 2-3 tomatoes, chopped
• 3 tbsp cooking oil
• 2 tsp salt, or to taste
• 1 cup water , add more if needed
• 3 tbsp yoghurt, full fat
• 3-4 green chili, cut half lengthways
• handful coriander leaves, roughly chopped
• ½ tsp garam masala, add in the finishing

Spices:

• 2-3 bay leaves
• 4-5 green cardamoms
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp chilli powder
• 1 tsp garam masala
•  ½ tsp coriander powder

Method:

Heat the large heavy-bottom pan into a medium heat, drizzle vegetable oil . Once the oil is hot, add the bay leaves, cardamoms, cumin seeds and sauté for a few seconds.

Add the onions and cook for 2-3 minutes until the onions are soft and translucent. Follow with the pounded garlic, ginger and stir well until the onions are slightly brown.

Next add the lamb pieces and continue stir until the meat is no longer pink.

Then add the spices, turmeric, chilli powder, garam masala, coriander powder and salt to taste.

Cook for another 1-2 minutes and add the chopped tomatoes. Continue to cook until the tomatoes are soft and reduced.

Next pour in the water and bring it to a simmer. Close with lid and cook on low-medium heat for 45 minutes to 1 hour until the lamb is soft and tender. Give a good stir occasionally. 

Now stir in the yoghurt and continue cooking for another 4-5 minutes. Turn off the heat and sprinkle ½ tsp of garam masala, chopped coriander and fresh green chillies. 

Limoncello & Raspberry Semifreddo

This Limoncello & Raspberry Semifreddo is good anytime of the year but it does suggest spring when Limoncello "is in season" Lemons and therefore limoncello suggest the freshness of spring.

Semifreddo needs at least 4 hours to set in the freezer.

Found this recipe on BBC Goodfood.

Ingredients:

• 100g fresh or frozen raspberry
• 85g golden caster sugar
• 284ml double cream
• 4 tbsp limencello
• 2x200ml crème fraiche

For the coulis:

• 225g fresh or frozen raspberry
• 2 tbsp golden caster sugar
• 2 tbsp limoncello
• extra raspberry for decorations

Method:

Line the base of a 1kg loaf tin with baking paper. For the semifreddo. mash the raspberries and half of the sugar in a bowl with a fork.

Whisk the cream, the rest of the sugar and the limoncello to soft peaks. Beat the crème fraiche briefly so it is in soft peaks like the cream. Gently fold the cream mixture and crème fraiche together.

Pour the mashed raspberries into the cream and give a few stirs only, just enough to swirl it through the creamy mix. Pour the mixture into the loaf tin and smooth the top.

For the coulis: Mash the raspberries, sugar and limoncello with a fork, then push through a sieve.

Open-freeze the semifreddo then cover with cling film and foil and freeze for up to 1 month. Pour the sieved coulis into a rigid container and freezer for up to 1 month.

To serve, thaw the coulis in the fridge overnight. Thaw the semifreddo in the fridge for 1 hour. Remove it from the tin and peel off the lining paper. Drizzle with a little of the coulis and scatter some raspberries over the top. Serve in slices with the rest of the coulis.

Prawn Masala

 This prawn curry is super simple to make and you will love this amazing Indian flavours. Prawns are cooked in spicy and fragrant masala made with onions, tomatoes, Indian spices and herbs. It goes well with plain steamed rice, dosa and flatbreads like naan, roti or chapati.

Ingredients:

• 20 raw king prawns
• 1 tsp fennel seeds 
• 10 curry leaves
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 1 cup chopped tomatoes
• 1 inch ginger, finely pounded
• 5 cloves garlic, finely pounded
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp red chili powder
• ½ tsp coriander powder
• ¼ cup water
• salt to taste
• 3 tbsp oil
• coriander leaves for garnishing

Method:

Heat the oil in a pan. Add fennel seeds and curry leaves. Let them sizzle a bit. Add the sliced onions and fry until fragrant.

Add the finely pounded ginger and garlic. Let them fry for a few minutes. Followed by chopped tomatoes and cook them until slightly soft.

Add turmeric powder, red chili powder and coriander powder. Sauté them over medium heat until the raw masala cooks. Fry until the oil separate to the sides of the pan.

Add the cleaned and deveined prawns to the masala. Cook until pink, add water and salt, cover with lid for a few minutes.

Remove lid and cook over medium high heat to thicken the masala. Moved from the heat and garnish with coriander leaves. 

Serve with rice as side.

Mint Raita

 This is a quick and easy mint raita that is perfect with papadums, onion bhaji, pakoras or almost everything!

Clean flavours, bright, tasty, super easy to make and versatile. There is not a lot not to like about this. 

Ingredients:

• 200g yogurt
• ½ cup fresh mint leaves
• 2-3 tsp water
• ¼ tsp red chili powder
• ¼ tsp roasted cumin powder
• ½ tsp chaat masala
• salt to taste

Method:

Take the yogurt in a mixing bowl. Whisk until smooth. Keep covered in the fridge until you make the mint leaves paste.

Rinse ½ cup of fresh mint leaves, then place them in a small grinder. Add 2-3 tsp water to grind to a fine or semi-fine paste.

Add the mint paste along with it's juices to the curd.

Add the spices powder; ¼ tsp red chilli powder, ¼ tsp roasted cumin powder and ½ tsp chaat masala. Also add salt to taste.

Mix everything very well. Then check the taste and add more spices or salt if needed.

Serve & enjoy!

Sweet Tamarind Chutney

 Tamarind chutney is a spiced, sweet and tangy sauce served with Indian chaat snacks or fried snacks like samosa, kachori or pakoda. This sweet and tangy tamarind chutney is extremely flavourful and tastes delicious. A well prepared Tamarind Chutney elevates the taste and flavour of chaats and snacks.

Ingredients:

• 70g seedless tamarind
• 2¼ cups water, divide
• 1 tsp oil
• ¼ tsp cumin seeds
• ¾ cup jaggery, if you don't have, can be replaced with brown sugar
• ½ tsp cumin powder
• ½ tsp kashmiri chili powder
• ½ tsp kala namal, or black salt
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp ginger powder
• ¼ tsp red chili powder

Method:

Add seedless tamarind in a pan and add 1½ cups water to it.

Put it on heat and bring to boil. As soon as it comes to boil, turn off heat, cover the pan with a plate and let it remain like that for 30 minutes.

Then transfer the mixture to a blender and blend to a fine paste.

Sieve the mixture using a strainer to get rid of all the fiber. Add additional ½ cup water while sieving the mixture.

Now heat the oil in a wok on medium heat. Add cumin seeds and let the cumin seeds splutter.

Add in the prepared tamarind paste and mix well.

Add jaggery, sugar and mix until the h=jaggery and sugar dissolve, around 2-3 minutes. Then add cumin powder, kashmiri red chili powder, kala namak, salt, ginger powder and red chili powder. Mix everything well.

Simmer the chutney on medium heat for around 6-7 minutes until the chutney thickens. Taste test and adjust sweetness accordingly. Also you can simmer more for thicker chutney. 

Let the chutney cool down and store in a airtight glass container in the refrigerator. Serve sweet tamarind chutney with samosa, chaats, etc.

One-Pot Tomato Chickpeas and Orzo

This is the perfect dish for a busy weeknight dinner, yet it is elegant enough for a relaxed weekend lunch, next to a bottle of wine. Either way, this is the kind of dish that's going to fill your body with so much goodness.

The main ingredients in this recipe is Orzo. If you are not familiar with orza, it is a type of pasta that looks like tice, but indeed it is a pasta that's made with drum wheat. Truly, one of the most versatile ingredients ever.

Orzo and a couple of cans of chickpeas are cooked together in a simple garlic and onion-infused tomato sauce until it results in a creamy dinner that is almost reminiscent of risotto yet firmly its own. The only thing left to do is top bowls with chopped basil and plenty of grated Parmesan and dig in .

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 2½ cups of orzo pasta
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• salt to taste
• freshly ground black pepper
• 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 can chopped tomatoes
• 2 cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• ½ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
• ¼ cup loosely packed chopped fresh basil leaves

Method:

Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven or pot over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the onion and sauté until softened and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add the orzo and garlic, season with salt and pepper, and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Stir in the broth, tomatoes and chickpeas and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce to a simmer, and cook, stirring frequently so that the orzo doesn't stick, until most if the liquid is absorbed and the pasta is al dente, about 15 minutes or according to package instructions. If the pasta isn't completely cooked at this point, add another splash or two of broth or water to the pot and continue to simmer until it has cook. Stir in the Parmesan cheese. taste and season with salt and pepper as needed. Garnish with the chopped basil and additional grated cheese, if desired.

Strawberry Rhubarb Cardamon

Has some home grown rhubarb and I was thinking of making something different from my usual which is a crumble. Decided to browse the web and came across this recipe. When I finished reading the recipes, thought why not give this recipe a go. Sounds easy and I have all the ingredients in my larder !

This recipe comes from: 

https://thelemonapron.com/strawberry-rhubarb-cardamom-louise-cake/

Ingredients:

Cake layer:

• 125g butter, room temperature
• 100g sugar
• zest of one lemon
• 3 large egg yolks,  whites will be used in the meringue
• 125g plain flour
• 1½ tsp baking powder
• 1½ tsp cardamom
• ¼ tsp salt
• 20g desiccated coconut
• 1/3 cup full fat milk
• 1 tsp vanilla

Fruit layer:

• 450g combination of chopped 1 inch lengths of rhubarb/quartered strawberries
• 2 tbsp granulated sugar
• 1 tsp cardamom
• ½ tsp vanilla extract

Meringue:

• 50g sliced almonds
• 3 large egg whites
• pinch of salt
• 185g granulated sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp white wine vinegar
• 1 tsp cornflour

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180ºC/160ºC for fan assist oven.

Spread the sliced almonds for the meringue onto a baking sheet and roast for 10 minutes, until light golden brown. Remove and set aside to cool.

For cake layer: Increase the oven to 190ºC/170ºC for fan assist oven. Line the base and sides of a high-sided 8 inch (20cm) square or a 9 inch (23cm) round springform pan with baking paper.

Cube the butter and place it into a bowl of a stand mixer, along with the sugar and lemon zest. Use the paddle attachment to beat on medium high until light and creamy. Add the egg yolks one at a time and beat till combined.

Sift the flour, baking powder, cardamom and salt together in a bowl. Add the coconut to  the mixture and stir through.

With the machine running on a low speed add the dry ingredients gradually, alternating with the milk and vanilla.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top and bake in the centre of the oven till fully cooked and a skewer comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Place the pan on a wire rack until ready to be filled. Check after 20 minutes, just in case your oven bakes things faster.

Reduce the heat to 180ºC/160ºC for fan assist oven.

For fruit layer: Combine the chopped fruit in a bowl with the sugar, cardamom and vanilla. Set this aside while you work on the meringue.

For the meringue layer: Place the egg whites and salt into a clean bowl. Use a whisk attachment to beat them on medium high speed for one minute. Soft peaks should have formed.

Add sugar, one tablespoon at a time and continue to beat on high speed until the egg whites are stiff and glossy. Add the vanilla extract, vinegar and cornflour, whisk them through. Finally, fold in the toasted almond slices.

Assemble: Spoon the fruit over the baked cake, close together.

Scrape the meringue over the fruit, and spread it out evenly. Swirl the top to get rough waves and peaks.

Place the pan on a baking sheet and place this into the oven. Bake until the meringue has formed a firm crust and is beginning to brown, about 35 minutes. Depending on your oven, this could take longer or shorter. If the meringue starts browning before baked through, cover with foil loosely over the pan towards the end.

Remove to a wire rack to cool. After 30 minutes you can remove the sides of the pan and peel away the baking paper. Let it cool a bit longer if necessary before serving.

This is best on day one, but can be stored in a sealed container for 2 days in the fridge.