Posted in Oriental, tagged chicken, Chinese, dumpling, wonton on January 28, 2011 - 00:54 | 2 Comments »
I know, I know, traditional Chinese wontons should be made of minced (ground) pork. My mother always makes wontons with minced (ground) pork and prawns (shrimp). However, I wanted to try with chicken. Why? It’s not that we don’t dig on swine, it’s just because we don’t eat much pork these days.
The filling consists of minced (ground) chicken thighs, shiitake mushrooms, spring (green) onions, water chestnuts, Chinese leaf (napa cabbage) and seasonings. (more…)
Posted in Cakes, Candy, Christmas, Mediterranean, tagged cake, Christmas, Italian on January 25, 2011 - 15:05 | Leave a Comment »
Ahh… our Christmas cake… I’m not sure if we can really call it a cake, it’s more like a piece of chewy confectionery. It originates from Italy and is packed full of dried fruit, nuts and honey.
This cake is traditionally baked in a round cake tin (pan). However, I broke out of the norm this year and baked it in a loaf tin (pan). The cake was cut into 2.5 cm (1 inch) pieces, making them easier to enjoy, instead of gnawing a huge slice. (more…)
Posted in Breads, Breakfast, Christmas, German, Whole Wheat, tagged almond paste, bread, breakfast, Christmas, German, whole-wheat on January 23, 2011 - 14:05 | Leave a Comment »
The traditional German Christmas bread just got a little healthier! This version is made with 100% whole wheat flour, studded with plump fruit, and stuffed with almond paste. It’s perfect for breakfast or with a cup of tea or coffee.
It was in 2008 that I first tried my hand at stollen. This was because the varieties available in the shops grossed me out. The resulting loaf was a little bit of a disaster. 2009 was my first year of stollen success. This is a great recipe, however I wanted to try out Reinhart’s recipe and he did not disappoint. (more…)
Posted in Breads, Breakfast, Cakes, Dairy-Free, European, tagged breakfast, dairy-free, dutch, honey cake, honingkoek, low fat on January 21, 2011 - 01:04 | 3 Comments »
This delicious loaf is also known as breakfast cake. It’s suitable for dairy-free individuals. The texture is somewhat closer to bread than a cake, and is typically enjoyed with lashings of butter. It’s easy to make, chewy, lightly sweet, nicely spiced, low in fat, and the flavor only gets better with time.
It was J (not surprisingly) who introduced me to this cake. (more…)
Posted in Dessert, tagged lemon, lemon custard, pudding, self saucing pudding on January 19, 2011 - 23:16 | 2 Comments »
Saucy lemon soufflé pudding you say? Yep! I’ve been planning to blog about this delicious dessert for months! I tried it almost a year ago, but it was so good, that I didn’t get a chance to take any photographs.
The pudding is packed full of flavor and absolutely delicious. It’s light and fluffy on the top with a creamy lemon custard base. It’s a true delight for lemon lovers. (more…)
Posted in British, Dairy-Free, Dessert, tagged dairy-free, fruit trifle, trifle on January 18, 2011 - 16:54 | 2 Comments »
Ashamedly, the only homemade trifles I grew up with were made from the Bird’s strawberry trifle mix. The box contained a packet of jelly (jello) granules, custard powder, sponge fingers, instant “cream” and sprinkles. Believe it or not, it was a treat! The other trifles I enjoyed were from the locally run, East Midlands confectioner’s, known ironically as Bird’s. I miss that place – they sell the best cream cakes ever! We’re talking meringues, cream slices, apple puffs, cream buns, elephant feet, éclairs and more… ok, now I’m drooling.
As I grew up, my tastes (and budget) allowed me to spend more on my food. I started to buy the “luxury” fresh trifles (more…)
Posted in French, Pastries, Snacks, tagged butter, cinnamon sugar, French, palmiers, pastry, puff pastry on January 17, 2011 - 01:01 | 1 Comment »
I had a batch of puff pastry I made a while back, and it was time I needed to use it up. I decided to make delicious buttery palmiers with cinnamon sugar. They are quick and easy to make and everyone will love them.
Use store-bought, ready-rolled, butter puff pastry for a quick cheat. They are perfect for general snacking or afternoon tea. (more…)
Posted in Cakes, Dessert, tagged cake, cupcake, fat-free on January 16, 2011 - 11:10 | Leave a Comment »
I’m pretty sure that everyone has heard of devil’s food cake. It’s rich, chocolatey, and packed full of all the naughty stuff. Angel food cake on the other hand, is light and fat-free. Before I made these cupcakes, I’ve never made either, which must mean that I was in purgatory or something!
I had bags of frozen egg whites that needed to be used up. Instead of making the obvious choice of meringues or macaroons, I decided to try my hand at angel food cake. Instead of making it in a tube cake (Bundt) tin (pan), I decided to make them into cupcakes, and add a little strawberry jam on the bottom. You can of course, leave them plain or use your favorite jam or even apple sauce. (more…)
Posted in Oriental, Soups, tagged chicken, curry, soup, winter on January 15, 2011 - 18:10 | 1 Comment »
One of the best things about the passing of summer is the availability of pumpkins! I use the term pumpkins loosely here, I also mean winter squash. We love winter squash; we love homemade soup; we love coconut milk and we love Thai curry… so, this soup was born! It’s the perfect winter warmer.
Chicken is simmered with delicata squash (or kabocha) and potatoes (or rice) in a coconut curry soup base. It’s creamy, well-flavored and has all the major food groups. If you’re vegetarian, feel free to substitute the chicken for tofu. (more…)
Posted in Cakes, Dairy-Free, Dessert, Gluten-Free, Muffins, Snacks, Vegan, tagged baked, cake, dairy-free, dessert, gluten-free, muffins, vegan on January 13, 2011 - 21:25 | 4 Comments »
Five years ago, I would never have thought I could walk into a bakery and not buy anything. I love my cakes, muffins and pastries. The only problem is that I’m allergic to American dairy. Eating anything is a little bit of a risk for me. Although I can drool at the cakes, I rarely eat them and when I do, I take a very small bite.
It was time to try another recipe from the Flying Apron’s Gluten-Free and Vegan Baking book. I love this recipe book, but unfortunately it has a few editorial errors. (more…)
