Bacon-Wrapped Stuff Pork Tenderloin

Bacon-wrapped pork tenderloin stuffed with apples, onions and herbs. Fancy enough for a dinner party and easy to make !!

Everything is better with bacon, right? Instead of tying the stuffed tenderloin together with twine, just wrap it in bacon instead.

Butterfly the pork loin might sound tricky, but in fact just means cutting it down the length partway through. Just careful not to cut all the way through!

Open the butterflied pork loin like a book and then pound it with a meat tenderizer or a rolling pin until slightly flattened. This makes it easier to wrap the tenderloin around the stuffing and hold it closed while you wrap it with bacon.

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp cooking oil
• 1 small apple, peeled and cut into small dice
• ¼ medium onion, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
• 1 thick slice bread
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• ¼ tsp salt, or more to taste
• ¼ tsp pepper, or more to taste
• 1 pork tenderloin, about 450g to 600g
• 8 to 10 strips of bacon

Method:

Heat the oven to 230ºC/210ºC for fan assist oven.

Making the stuffing: In a skillet over a medium heat, heat the oil. Add apple, onion, rosemary and thyme, and cook for about 10 minutes, or until softened. 

Meanwhile, pulse the bread slices in a food processor until you have make a coarse crumbs. You should have about ½ cup of breadcrumbs

Remove the pan with the onions and apples from the heat. Stir in the breadcrumbs, mustard, salt and pepper. Set aside to cool briefly.

Butterfly the tenderloin, cut a deep lengthwise  silt down the centre of the tenderloin, stopping about ½  inch from the bottom of the roast. Open it up like a book. Cover with piece of plastic wrap, and with a mallet or rolling pin, gently pound it until it is an even thickness.

Spread the stuffing in  a line along the centre of the meat. Bring the edges of the meat together to return it to its original shape. Secure with toothpicks.

Lay out the bacon slices on a cutting board, overlapping them slightly. Place the tenderloin on top with the toothpicks facing up. Removing the toothpicks as you work, wrap the bacon slices around the pork to form a log. Place the tenderloin, bacon seam side down, on a baking sheet.

Roast the tenderloin for 25-30 minutes and the bacon is brown and crisp. If the roasts is ready before bacon browns, place the tenderloin under the grill for 3-5 minutes to brown the bacon.

Let the tenderloin rest for 10 minutes before cutting into slices. Serve with pan juices spooned over top if desired.

Chocolate Flower Cake

I love chocolate flower trend. Fondant flowers are fun, Buttercream flowers are classic. But chocolate flowers feel like a newer, fresher spin on floral desserts !! Chocolate flowers can be as simple or as complicated as you want them to be. I think I first saw them on a blog designed by Erin Gardner. 

The flowers are SO easy! You  will need melted candy coating, a small icing spatula or a clean paint brush and parchment paper to draw triangles in various sizes.

Found the template idea from Erin Gardner. Step by step photo is also courtesy from Erin Gardner. She uses 3 sets of petals fr 8 inch round cake, approximately 2,3, and 4 inches long. For 6 inch round cake she uses 2 sets of petals,size 2 and 3. I have bake an 8 inch and 6 inch round cakes and follows her method  and the cake looks amazing.

Melt candy melts in a small heatproof bowl

Use a small icing spatula or paint brush to spread melted chocolate onto the petal template. Work from the tip to the base of the triangle. Don't worry about getting the petals perfect. This will give you more of  a petaly look.

While the petal is still wet, place it into a bowl to give it shape. Use tape to hold the petal into place while it dries. Repeat with the rest of your petals. It's a good idea to make extra petals in case breakage.while assembling the flower.

Once petals are completely set, peel away the parchment paper. Place the largest petals in a circle on the top of a buttercream iced cake.

Fill a piping bag with a small amount of buttercream. Use the buttercream to attach a second layer of smaller petals on top of the first layer. Repeat with more layer of petals as desired.

Finally, after all the petals are arranges around the cake, finish them off with a bit of frosting and a pretty candy or sugar pearl in the center.

Vegan Nut Roast

A nut roast or roasted nut loaf is a rich and savoury vegetarian/vegan dish consisting of nuts and grains and seasonings formed into a firm loaf shape. Often eaten as alternative to British style roast dinner. This vegan nut roast , which is great served hot for Christmas dinner, or cold for your festive buffet table.

Ingredients:

• 300g mixed nuts, eg: almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, pecans or Brazil nuts
• 1 vegan vegetable stock cube
• 2 tbsp olive oil plus extra for greasing
• 1 onions, finely chopped
• 2 celery sticks, finely chopped
• 1 leek, trimmed and thinly sliced, about 100g
• 2 carrots, coarsely grated, about 150g
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 4 tbsp cashew butter**
• 180g cooked chestnut, broken into small pieces
• 75g dried cranberries
• 20g fresh parsley, finely chopped
• 1 lemon, finely grated zest only
• 4 tbsp soya or almond milk
• 1 tsp salt
• freshly ground black pepper

Method:

Put the nuts and stock cube into a food processor and blitz until chopped into small pieces but not fully ground. If you don't have a food processor, chop all the nuts as finely as you can.

Preheat the oven to 200ºC/180ºC for fan oven. Lightly oil and line the base of a 900g/2lb loaf tin with baking paper.

Heat the oil in a large frying pan and gently fry the onion, celery, leek and carrots for 5 minutes or until softened, stirring regularly. Add the garlic and cook for a few seconds more.

Tip into the mixing bowl and stir in the cashew nut butter**. Add the chopped nuts, chestnuts, cranberries, parsley, lemon zest, soya or almond milk and salt. Season with lots of ground black pepper and stir until thoroughly mixed.

Spoon the mixture into the prepared loaf tin. Press down with a spoon firmly to compact the mixture. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for further 20 minutes, or until the loaf is hot throughout and lightly browned.

Remove the tin carefully from the oven and cool for 5 minutes before loosening the edges of the loaf with a table knife and turning out onto a board or platter. Cut into thick slices and serve hot with vegan gravy.

**To make the cashew butter: 240g roasted lightly salted cashews and ½ tsp salt or to taste.

Add the cashews to a blender and blend low for 8-10 minutes or until creamy, scrapping down the sides with spatula as necessary. Add salt, and blend for another 20-30 seconds. Transfer to a jar or airtight container, and store in the fridge.

Moist Banana Cake aka Banana Bread

I always have one or two bananas in a bunch that get too ripe for my liking, so I leave them in anticipation of them getting really speckled. Moist Banana Cake aka Banana Bread should be made with overripe bananas, going black on the outside and soft inside. The more spotty bananas you have, the sweeter it is. 

Transform those overripe bananas into this great loaf cake. This homely and wholesome cake is also light and moist, with the natural sweetness of sticky bananas, the warm toastiness of nuts and tangy-sweet raisins.

Ingredients:

•  3 very ripe bananas
• 115g butter, softened at room temperature
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs, beaten lightly
• 1½ cups plain flour
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp banana essence, optional
• 1 cup walnuts
• ½ cup raisins

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180ºC/160ºC for fan assist oven. Grease a 2lb bread loaf and line the base with a baking paper. 

Lightly roasted walnuts on a pan, stirring continuously so that the walnuts is not burn. Coarsely chop and cool to room temperature.

In a mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until lightly and fluffy.

Mash bananas with fork until the consistency of the chunky applesauce and add them to the batter along with 2 eggs. Mix until blended. Add the vanilla extract and the banana essence. Blend to mix.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, bicarbonate of soda and salt. Add the dry ingredients, nuts and raisin to the wet ingredients.

Pour into the prepared loaf pan. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Let the banana cake rest for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool.

Easy Vegan Mayonnaise

Yes, only 6 ingredients! and ready in 2 minutes, is seriously the best mayo I have ever had-vegan or not-because it's made fresh! Once you have had vegan mayo made from scratch, you will  never want to buy store bought again. It's tasting healthy, thick, luscious  and SO easy to make. I hope you are going to LOVE this plant-based, eggless mayo too!

Ingredients:

• 1 box organic tofu, silken or soft
• 126ml sunflower/vegetable oil
• 1½ tbsp lemon juice
• 1½ tsp apple cider vinegar
• ¾ tsp salt, or more to taste
• ¼ tsp dijon mustard

Method:

Place all the ingredients into a jug  and using the immersion blender, blend for 1-2 minutes until creamy and smooth. Taste for flavour.

You also can use the regular blender. Store the vegan mayo in an airtight container/bottle for up to 1 week in the refrigerator. 

Vegan Ginger Cake With A Sticky Treacle Glaze

Vegan Ginger Cake...... moist,sticky and spicy loaf cake that is egg and dairy free. Perfect as dessert or paired with a cup of tea or coffee in the afternoon. This is really easy recipe. The glaze is what makes this cake really sticky and indulgent. Enjoy!!

Ingredients:

For the cake:

• 175g plain flour
• 1 tbsp ground ginger
• 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp mixed spice
• ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 120ml unsweetened soy milk, or other plant milk
• 75g black treacle
• 75g golden syrup
• 80g dairy free butter
• 2 tbsp flax seeds*
• pinch of salt

For the glaze:

• 30g dark brown sugar
• 2 tbsp golden syrup

Method:

Preheat oven to 180º/160ºC for fan oven assist. Line a loaf tin with baking proof paper.

Mix bicarbonate of soda with the plant milk and set aside.

Add the flax seeds with 5 tablespoons of cold water in a bowl and set aside for 5 to 10 minutes*

Sift the flour, spices and salt into a large mixing bowl.

Separately, heat the treacle, syrup, butter and brown sugar with 2 tbsp water in a pan over a low heat until melted, don't let it boil!, then remove from the heat.

Using a whisk, mix the syrup mixture into the flour until smooth. 

Add the flax seeds mixture and the bicarbonate/milk solution and mix well. The batter will be fairly runny.

Pour the batter into the lined tin and bake for approximately 1 to 1½ hours until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cover  the top with foil if it starts to get too dark.

While the cake is cooling, make the glaze by heating the syrup and sugar over a low heat until combined.

Prick the top of the cake with a skewer, and then brush with the glaze to allow it to sink into the cake.

Leave for a further 10 minutes until the cake is cooled, then turn out onto a wire rack.

Notes:

* flax seed serve as substitute for eggs in vegan baking. Adding water to the flax seeds will result in a thick consistency that bind your bakes together. Flax seeds come from flax plant and you should buy ground flax seeds and keep them in the fridge. 

Caramel Apple Bundt Cake

What make this Caramel Apple Bundt Cake work is the combination of juicy apples and a rich sweet caramel topping-it's the apple dessert of your dreams!

Ingredients:

• 375ml vegetable oil
• 200g granulated sugar
• 250g packed brown sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• ¼ tsp nutmeg
• 3 large eggs
• 400g plain flour
• 35g corn flour
• 1½ tsp baking bicarbonate soda
• ¼ tsp salt
• 400g chopped apples, peeled and chopped into ¼ inch dice

Caramel glaze:

• 55g unsalted butter
• 80g double cream
• 168g brown sugar
• ¼ tsp salt
• 200g icing sugar
• 35g pecans, chopped

Method:

Preheat oven to 160ºC/140ºC for the fan assist oven. Grease and flour the bundt pan. This is an essential step for properly removing the baked cake, so be sure to do a through job.

In a large mixing bowl whisk together the oil, sugars, vanilla extract and spices.

Whisk in the eggs, one at a time.

Whisk together the flour, corn flour, bicarbonate soda and salt and fold into the wet ingredients. Fold in the apples.

Turn into your prepared pan ans spread out if necessary.

Bake for 60-70 minutes, or until the skewer inserted in center comes out without wet batter clinging to it. The cake should be nicely browned, fully risen, with small cracks down the center.

Let the cake cool on a rack for 15 minutes, then carefully run a thin spreading knife around the edges to make sure they are loosened before turning out of the pan onto a serving plate. Let cool before frosting.

For the caramel frosting: Heat the butter, sugar and cream in a sauce pan, stirring constantly, until it comes to a boil.

Remove from the heat and whisk or blend in the icing sugar. Whisk or beat to remove any lumps. If the frosting is too thick you can add a small amount of cream, and if it's too thin you can add more sugar. Put it back on the heat to loosen it if stiffens too soon.

Immediately pour over the cake, working quickly to pour it over the entire top, letting it drip down the sides. Top with crushed pecans while the frosting is till soft.

Berry, Chocolate & Panettone Trifle

Perfect for Christmas dessert. Its soooooo good!

Ingredients:

• 450g pannettone, crust trimmed and cut into 3cm cubes
• 100ml Tia Maria or similar liqueur
• 300g frozen blueberries
• 500g frozen raspberries
• 250g cream cheese, at room temperature
• 2 cups thick vanilla custard, shop bought is fine
• 1/3 cup plus 1 tbsp icing sugar
• chocolate curls or coarsely grated dark chocolate, to serve

Method:

Place pannettone into a medium bowl. Drizzle with liqueur, stir to combine and stand for 10 minutes. Place frozen berries in another bowl. Sprinkle with 1 tbsp icing sugar and stir until well mixed. Set aside.

Meanwhile, place cream cheese in a medium bowl. Using electrical hand beaters, beat until smooth. Add custard and 1/3 cup icing sugar and beat for 4-5 minutes on high until smooth.

To assemble the trifle, arrange half the soaked pannettone into the base of a trifle bowl or dish. Spoon over half the custard mixture. Sprinkle with half the berries. Repeat layering finishing with berries.

Cover with a clingfilm and refrigerate for 4-5 hours.

To serve, top the trifle with chocolate curls or grated dark chocolate and serve.

Balinese Curry

This curry never fails to warm my heart with memories of my holidays in Bali.

Ingredients:

Spice paste:

• 4 candlenuts (buah keras)
• ½ tsp back pepper corns
• 1 tbsp coriander seeds
• 6 shallots, roughly chopped
• 4 cloves garlic
• 6 red chillies, seeded and roughly chopped
• 2 lemongrass stalks, white parts only, roughly sliced
• 3 tbsp chopped galangal
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh ginger
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tbsp grated palm sugar or brown sugar

• 5 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 lemongrass stalks, bruised
• 3-4 kaffir lime leaves
• 2 salam leaves, optional as not easy to find in UK
• 600g chicken cut into pieces
• 250ml water
• 2 tsp tamarind pulp
• salt to taste
• 250ml coconut milk
• fried shallots, to garnish

Method:

Put the spice paste ingredients into a food processor, blender or mortar and pound and blend into a paste, add a splash of water if needed.

In a wok, heat the oil and add the spice paste. Stir till fragrant, about a minute on high heat, turn down the heat, add the lemongrass, lime leaves, salam leaves and tamarind. Stir for a minute and add the chicken. Season with salt. Toss around for a couple of minutes before adding the water. Allow to cook for 20-30 minutes with the lid on, stirring once in a while.

Add the coconut milk and simmer for 3 minutes. Do another seasoning taste and serve with rice and fried shallots. Enjoy !

Lemon Bundt Cake

This Lemon Bundt Cake recipe is a dessert everyone will love....it is perfectly rich and buttery, and yet has a fluffy texture.

The sweet and tart lemon glaze is perfect final addition to create a dessert that simple, yet perfectly elegant and utterly delicious!! It's perfect to bring along to a pot-luck or summer BBQ, but pretty enough for a spring tea party.

I love this Lemon Bumdt Cake recipe because it's made with ingredients I usually have in my pantry, it can be made a bit in advance and doesn't need any last minute garnish.

A perfect rich and flavorful cake that is still fluffy ans delicate. The sweet and tart glaze is the perfect finishing touch!

Ingredients:

• 3 cups of plain flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt
• 230g butter, room temperature
• 2 cups sugar
• zest of 1 lemon
• 4 eggs
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• ½ cup milk
• ½ cup sour cream
• 1 tbsp lemon juice

Glaze:

• 30g butter
• 1 cup icing sugar
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Method:

Preheat oven to 160ºC/140ºC for fan assist oven.

Grease and flour the bundt pan. This is an essential step for properly removing the baked cake, so be sure to do a through job.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, blend the butter until fully smooth. Add sugar and bet on medium speed for 3-5 minutes. The mixture should be light and fluffy and fully blended.

Add lemon zest and blend. Wile still mixing, add the eggs, one at a time, with a few seconds of blending in between each eggs.

While slowly mixing, slowly, add about half of the flour mixture, then pour in the vanilla and milk. Add the second half of the flour and then the sour cream and lemon juice. Blend just until all the ingredients are well incorporated.

Pour or scoop batter into prepared pan, using spatula to smooth the top, as needed.

Bake for 60-70 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean, or with a few moist crumbs (but not wet batter).

Cool in the pan, sitting on a wire rack, until the pan is cool or just barely warm to touch, about 1 hour. Gently use a small spatula to loosen the cake around the center and edges of the pan. Invert the cake onto a plate, give the pan a good firm tab on the bottom, and then lift up pan.

Prepare the glaze: Melt the butter in a medium size bowl, then add icing sugar and use a small whisk to combine.

Add lemon juice and whisk. The glaze will thicken as it sits at room temperature, so you can play around with how thick you want it before pouring it over the cake

Happy Baking !!

Vegan Chocolate Cheesecake

This is the easiest vegan chocolate cheesecake you can make!! No-bake, the preparation takes less than 15 minutes and has an incredibly rich chocolate taste and mousse-like texture that melts in your mouth!!!. Give it a try!

Just 4 ingredients. YES. This is all you need to make this decadent vegan chocolate cheesecakes!. The cream is so rich, chocolatey and has an incredibly smooth, mousse-like texture. It simply melts in your mouth!

No baking required. Just mix some ingredients, put in the fridge for a couple of hours and that's it. Serve this spectacular vegan chocolate  cheesecakes and your guests will be impressed!

Ingredients:

• 150g oreo biscuits
• 45g vegan butter, melted
• 400ml coconut milk, refrigerate for few hours & scope up the thick cream
• 200g dark chocolate
• berries of choice, chocolate curls, pomegranates, whatever you like

Method:

Put the biscuits in a food processor or blender and pulse until they have the consistency of breadcrumbs. Pour in the melted butter or coconut oil and pulse again until all mix well.

In a large bowl, add the coconut milk. Mix well using a hand mixer, for about 5 minutes. Melt the  chocolate. You can simply melt by putting it into an oven-proof bowl and placing it into heated oven or microwave every 30 second until the chocolate melted.

Pour the melted chocolate over the coconut milk. Mix well.

Use some mini cake tins, metal rings or muffin cups like I did. Add 2-3 tablespoons of the Oreo crumb mixture into the muffin cup. Press it gently on the bottom.

Pour in the chocolate cream.

Place in the fridge for 1-2 hours, until it gets firm. Remove the muffin cup by tearing it off slowly and carefully. Place it on serving plate and decorate with strawberries, blueberries, pomegranates and chocolate curls on top

Gluten Free Homemade Plum Sauce

I know-plum sauce isn't anyone first choice of condiment. However I need to have the plum sauce to make a festival starter for Chinese New Year. I need a gluten-free plum sauce as one of the guest is a gluten intolerance. Shop locally & online, can't find any. Hence decided to search online & came across the recipe by Meghan Telpner. Bingo tick all my requitement !!!

Ingredients:

• 6 medium plums
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• ¼ cup red onions, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
• 2 tbsp gluten free light soy sauce/tamari
• 1 tsp chilli flakes
• sweetener of choice as needed, optional

Method:

Slice plums in half and discard pits. Cut each half into about 6 chunks. Add plums, garlic, onion, ginger, soy sauce and chilli flakes to a medium sauce pan and bring to s simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally.

Bring to a low simmer and continue to stir every 5-8 minutes or so to keep from burning the bottom. Continue for 30 minutes or until plums have broken down and sauce begins to thicken.

Using an immersion blender, or allow to cool and place in your blender or food processor, mix until smooth.

If using sweetener, add a little at a time and continue blending until you reach desired sweetness. The sauce will thicken slightly as it cools.

Pour into jars and keep in fridge for up to 6 days, or freezer for future use.