Mushroom Wellington

This tasty vegan Portobello Mushroom Wellington is perfect main for Christmas dinner!!!

Ingredients: 

• 4 portobello mushrooms
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp fresh thyme (leaves part)
• 1 tbsp fresh  rosemary, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• sprinkle of salt and pepper

Nut Roast:

• 1 large red onion, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped
• sprinkle of salt and pepper
• 1 cup white wine
• ½ tbsp brown sugar
• 2 cups chestnuts
• 2 cups pecan
• 2 slices seeded bread
• ½ cup vegetable stock

Wellington Case:

• 2 block short crust pastry
• ½ cup soy milk, for brushing and sticking

Method:

Put the portobello mushrooms in a baking tray and cover in a splash of olive oil.

Sprinkle the rosemary, thyme, salt, pepper and garlic over the top of the mushrooms.

Bake at 200°C for 15  minutes and once they are ready, set to one side to cool.

Put the red onion in a pan with olive oil and fry until it is translucent.

Add the rosemary, thyme, salt, pepper and cook them together until they are sticking. Add a cup of white wine and cook the alcohol off.

Add some brown sugar and mix it round so it caramelises, pour the mixture in a glass mixing bowl.

Put the chestnuts, pecans and bread in a food processor and whiz them all up into crumbs. Add the crumbly mixture into the glass bowl with the onions and gradually pour in the vegetable stock.

Stir the mixture round with a wooden spoon so it clumps up. Spread 1cm thick layer of the mixture onto a sheet of shortcrust pastry (laid out on a baking tray)

Mould the mixture with your hands into a large, thin, wide sausage shape.

Put the pre-cooked portobello mushrooms on top of the sausage.

Encase the mushrooms in the rest of the nutty mixture and smooth it out with your hands.  Carefully lay the second sheet of the shortcrust pastry over the top of the roast mould.

Push the pastry down with your fingers. Cut off the edges of the pastry with a pizza cutter or a sharp knife.  Remove the excess. Cut the excess into shapes to decorate the wellington.

Seal the edges with fork, take care here, make it look good.

Decorate your wellington with shapes you cut out of the excess pastry and fork in air holes.

Bake fir 200°C for 40 minutes, check after 30 minutes. f it looks ready, take it out from the oven.

Use a bread knife to carve the wellington into slices.

Serve with all the trimmings.

Blueberry Cake with Honey and Lemon

This delicious blueberry, honey and lemon cake is a proper teatime treat that is really simple to make. When it's fully cooked, it will have a crisp dark brown exterior which looks even  more appetising with a light dusting of icing sugar and a handful of fresh blueberries. It is best enjoyed fresh out the oven with a steaming pot of tea or coffee and a good company.

Ingredients:

• 150g butter, melted
• 175g castor sugar
• 50g honey
• 150g greek yogurt
• zest of 1 lemon
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 225g self raising flour
• 2 eggs
• 125g blueberries, plus extra to serve

Method:

Heat the oven to 150°C fab oven. Line a 25 x 12 cm loaf tin.

Whisk together the butter, sugar, honey, eggs and yogurt with the lemon and vanilla.

Fold in the flour and blueberries.

Spoon into the lined tin, level the surface and bake for 1 hour until cooked through. Test with a skewer and should come out clean. Serve with dusting of icing sugar and extra blueberries.

Baby shower cupcakes

These cute baby shower cupcakes are easy to make.  Celebrate with family and friends with these delightful little crowd pleasers! Can use any type of cupcakes for this.

The baby name has been picked and you have got the perfect gift to give to the mom-to-be at the baby shower. The party games are ready to go, so now it's time to consider one of the most important parts of any party: the cake, of course!

Steamed Bao Buns

These Asian Steamed Buns /bread will wow your friends and family. Also known as Bao, these buns are a blank canvas for whatever you'd like to fill them with.....preferably something savoury, sweet and spicy all at the same time.

Ingredients: 

• 2½ cups plain flour (use bleached flour if you want a complete white bubs)
• 1/3 cup (84ml) warm water
• ½ cup (125ml) warm milk
• 1 tbsp active dried yeast
• 4 tbsp sugar, divided half
• 2 tbsp sunflower oil
• ½tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp salt

Method:

Combine warm water, milk, active yeast, sugar and oil. Whisk to let the yeast and sugar dissolve then let it sit until yeast activate, about 5-10 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a stand mixer. You can mix this with your hand if you prefer.

Pour the wet ingredients to dry ingredients mixture. Start on a low speed to slowly incorporate all the ingredients together then on medium speed until it becomes dough shape. Keep kneed for 3-4 minutes on medium speed. The dough should be elastic and really soft but not stick to your fingers or on the mixing bowl.

Take the dough out from the hook and form a ball. Place back to the mixing bowl, cover with cling film and let it rise in a warm place until it becomes triple in size, about 2 hours. Let it sit longer if needed.

Place the raised dough on a working surface. Roll out the dough ¼ inch thick. Sprinkle flour is not necessary but if you do, use as minimal as possible. Cut the dough 3½ to 4 inch circle with a round cutter. This recipe makes about 13-16 baos.

                                                     

Lightly brush or spray oil on one surface of the baos and fold in half and place a piece of baking paper in the centre.

                             

                                                                        

Gently press each bao with a roller and place on a baking paper. Cover with a lid and let it rest for additional 30-40 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring water to a boil on wok or a steamer pot. Carefully place the steamer with the baos on top of the boiling water wok/pot. Make sure water is not touching the baos. Cover and steam for 8-12 minutes. When they are done cooking, tilt the lid a little for a slow air circulation about 2-3 minutes before opening the lid.

Prise open each bun and fill with pulled pork or pull jackfruit or any filling you fancy.

You can serve the baos as a side or make sandwiches!

Enjoy!