Chocolate Strawberry Mousse Cake

Layered cake with a brownie base, topped with creamy strawberry cheesecake mousse and a strawberry gelée

Ingredients:

Brownie layer

• 1 box of Betty Crocker brownie mix
• ¼ cup water
• 1/3 cup oil
• 1 egg

Strawberry Gelée

• ½ cup water
• 3 tsp powdered gelatin
• 450g strawberries
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1½  tsp lemon juice

Strawberry Cheesecake Mousse

•  1 cup white chocolate chips
• 225g cream cheese, softened
• 2 cup cool whipped*

Method:

Brownie layer: Line the bottom of an 8 inch springform pan with baking paper and cut a long rectangular to line the sides with. Preheat oven to 160°C.

Mix together the brownie mix with  ¼ cup water, oil and egg. Pour into an even layer in the springform pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.

Strawberry Gelée: Pour  ½ cup water into a small bowl and sprinkle gelatin over top. Set aside until ready to use.
Combine strawberries and sugar in a saucepan. Heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until mixture comes to a boil.Remove from heat and purée strawberries using a blender.
Press strawberry  purée through a fine mesh sieve into a large bowl, if you like to remove the seeds. Stir in gelatin and lemon juice.

Strawberry Cheeecake Mousse: Pour white chocolate chips and 2/3 cup strawberry purée into a saucepan and heat over low until melted.
Beat cream cheese until light and fluffy. Stir white chocolate mixture into cream cheese. Fold in the whipped topping*.

Assemble cake: Pour strawberry cheesecake mousse over top of the brownie and smooth outthe top surface. Freeze for 30 minutes while strawberry gelée cools.
Remove from the freezer and pour the strawberry gelée over top. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

Remove, unmold from pan, and cut into slices to serve

* Homemade Cool Whipped:

• 115g cream cheese, softened
• 1/3 cup icing sugar
• 1½ tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup double cream

Method: In a large bowl beat softened cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla extract until light and creamy. Set aside.

Add one cup of double cream to a mixing bowl and whip until soft peaks form. Add cream cheese mixture to the double cream  and beat just until stiff peaks form.

Slow Cooker Curried Vegetable and Chickpea Stew

This creamy coconut curried stew is a perennial favourite in the house. It's full of tender vegetables and chickpeas, along with warming flavours of  ginger and garlic- and it's vegan !!!!

• 1 tbsp cooking oil
• 1 meduim onion, diced
• 1 tbsp salt
• 2 medium potatoes, diced
• 1 tbsp curry powder
• 1 tbsp packed brown sugar
• 1 tbsp peeled and grated fresh ginger
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• ⅛ tsp cayenne pepper, optional
• 2 cups vegetable broth, divided
• 2 cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 medium green bell pepper, diced
• 1 medium red bell pepper, diced
• 1 medium cauliflower, cut into bite-sized florets
• I can chopped tomatoes
• ¼ tsp ground black pepper
• 1 bag (10 ounce) baby spinach
• 1 can coconut milk

 Method:

Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion, season with 1 tsp salt and sauté until translucent about 5 minutes. Add the potatoes and 1 tsp salt, and sauté until just translucent around the edges.

Stir in curry powder, brown sugar, ginger, garlic and cayenne  (if using) and cook until fragrant about 30 seconds. Pour in ¼ cup of vegetable broth and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Transfer this onion-potato mixture into the slow cooker.

Add the remaining 1¾ cups vegetable broth, chickpeas, bell peppers, cauliflower, chopped tomatoes, pepper and remaining 1 tsp salt. Stir to combine. The liquid should come about halfway up the sides of the bowl; add more vegetable broth when needed. Cover and cook for on HIGH setting for 4 hours.

Stir in the spinach and coconut milk. Cover and let sit for a few more minutes to allow the spinach to wilt. Taste and season with salt and other seasonings as needed. Serve on its own, or over cuscous or rice.

**Smaller slow cooker: Cut this recipes in half for a smaller slow cooker

Rich chocolate tart with salt flake

A super simple chocolate pudding

Ingredients:

• 300 ml double cream
• 2 tsp caster sugar
• a pinch of fine sea salt
• 50g unsalted butter, softened
• 200g 70% cocoa cook's chocolated, broken into small pieces
• 50 ml whole milk
• 375g ready-made shortcrust pastry
• sea salt flakes and creme fraíche or ice cream to serve

Method:

You can make the pastry for this, if you like but ready-made is easier. 

Preheat oven to 180℃/160℃ for fan oven. Roll out the pastry and use to line a 23cm greased tart tin. Cover with baking paper, fill with dried beans or rice  and bake blind for 10-15 minutes until golden.

Put the cream, sugar and salt in a pan and bring to boil. Remove as soon as the mixture boils up. Off the heat, add the butter and chocolate. Stir until blended.

Take a couple of minutes for a breather, then stir in the milk. Keep stirring till shinny. Pout into the tart shell and leave at room temperature for 2 hours to set.

Sprinkle salt flakes lightly all over, then serve with creme fraíche or ice cream