honey, walnut and cardamon baklava cake

An interesting combination of honey, walnut and cardamon in a polenta cake drizzled with a citrusy, sticky syrup.  Delicious :)  This recipe is inspired by the combination of baklava (a middle eastern/Mediterranean sweet) and a Jewish honey cake which is traditionally served at Rosh Hashanah.  This cake would make a great after dinner sweet with a black coffee (however I have also had it for breakfast -  all in the name of recipe testing....?!)


preparation time: 15-20 minutes
cooking time: 20-25 minutes

cake ingredients:
1 stick butter (at room temperature)
1 cup soft brown sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 cup crushed walnuts (this recipe would also work well with crushed pistachios, almonds, or hazelnuts)
1 vanilla pod/1 tsp vanilla essence
2 cups fine cornmeal/polenta
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
12 cardamon pods (seeds removed and crushed- about 1 tsp of seeds)
pinch of salt

syrup ingredients:
1 cup sugar
2 tbs honey
1 cup water (or mix of water and orange/lemon juice)
vanilla pod (left over from removing the seeds for the cake mixture)

• add the sugar and butter to a bowl and beat with an electric whisk for about 3-4 minutes - until it is lighter in colour and well combined

• add eggs and milk and whisk until combined - it may curdle but don't worry as that will change when you add the polenta/corn meal

• fold in the cornmeal/polenta, baking powder, baking soda, vanilla, crushed walnuts, crushed cardamon seeds and a pinch of salt - mix until just combined - you don't want to over mix as this will produce a heavy cake.

• pour the cake batter into a greased/lined baking dish/tin.  I used a rectangular dish approx 10x14 inches.

• smooth over the top of the cake and bake for about 20 minutes until it is golden and feels firm to the touch

• while the cake is baking add all the syrup ingredients together and bring to the boil for about 1 minute - or until the sugar is dissolved.  Be careful - hot sugar syrup splashing onto skin NOT good! Carefully take off the heat and leave to one side until the cake is done.   
• when cake is removed from oven carefully pour syrup all over the cake then leave to cool before slicing into squares.

how to make my ultimate hot and sweet chilli garlic and ginger jam

 

I am slightly addicted to chilli and eat it on as many foods as possible. This is a spicy and sweet chilli jam with garlic and ginger. I think it has a bit of a spicy kick but it is not mouth burning, and you can still taste all the individual flavours. You can make it less hot by deseeding or using a milder chilli. I hope you enjoy. This makes a great gift - especially good for the Christmas/holiday season :) I love this sauce on noodles or rice dishes - but it's also great in a cheese sandwich! It's also good to add into pasta sauces or stews while cooking to add a little chilli hit to your recipes.

ingredients:

225g chilli peppers (I used small green Thai/finger chillies but any would work - you can de-seed them if you want but I did not as wanted the extra heat)

400g red/bell pepper - cleaned, deseeded and roughly chopped

600g onion - chopped

400g tin chopped tomatoes

1.5kg sugar

750ml white/red wine vinegar (cider vinegar is also good)

50g ginger

1 head garlic - cloves peeled

1 tbs sea salt

preparation time: 20 minutes

cooking time: 45-60 minutes (depending on pan size/heat)

• clean your peppers and chillies well and de-stalk the chillies - you may want to wear rubber gloves while doing this to protect your hands - and remember don't touch any sensitive body parts after handling chillies!!!!!!
• add the cleaned and prepared chillies, peppers, onions, garlic and ginger to a large pan with the vinegar and salt and blend with a hand blender (or in an electric blender before putting in the pan if you don't have one) until well mixed together - keep your eyes out of the way as any splashes would be very painful!
• add the cleaned and prepared chillies, peppers, onions, garlic and ginger to a large pan with the vinegar and salt and blend with a hand blender (or in an electric blender before putting in the pan if you don't have one) until well mixed together - keep your eyes out of the way as any splashes would be very painful!

• add the sugar, stir with a wooden spoon and bring to a rolling boil for about 45-60 minutes until thickened and the wooden spoon leaves a trail when stirred in the bottom on the pan

• skim off any 'scum' that rises to the surface.

• while the jam is boiling away sterilize your jars (when you have about 30 minutes to go). You will need enough jars for about 1500 -1750ml of finished product. (I used a combination of 1/2 litre kilner jars and small preserving jars with lids)
• you can use your preferred method of sterilization but what I did was cleaned jars and lids well in very hot soapy water, rinsed in clean, hot running water, then put on baking trays in an oven preheated to 180C for 25-30 minutes.
• when the jars are sterilized and the jam is cooked, carefully add the jam to the prepared jars - remember you must add hot jam to the hot jars - otherwise the end product will not be sterilized and also the jars may crack. Seal the jars immediately and leave to cool before storing in a cool, dark place.

• the jam is ready to eat the next day but will also keep for at least 1 month unopened. Once opened store in the fridge.
• I hope you enjoy - let me know how you get on......

http://www.punkdomestics.com/content/hot-and-sweet-chilli-garlic-and-ginger-jam

I am also entering this recipe onto: Four Seasons Food hosted by Delicieux and Chezfoti to go with their BBQ and BBQ sides theme.

claudia roden's middle eastern orange and almond cake

 

 

 

 

 

This is one of my favourite cakes - so fresh, moist and with a huge hit of orange citrus flavour.  It is a recipe from the brilliant cookery writer Claudia Roden- one of my food heroes.  This recipe was first published in A Book of Middle Eastern Food in 1968.  I have only altered the recipe here slightly by swapping 1 of the oranges in the original recipe for 4 clementines (just because that's what I had in the house). 

I urge you to try this recipe and buy the book - you won't regret it.  You will learn a lot about the cultural influences on food and how recipes change and evolve over time and place.

I have made this "half pudding, half cake" as Ms Roden puts it numerous times and it never fails.  Delicious!  I hope you love it as much as I do. 

2 large oranges (I used 1 orange and 4 clementines)
6 eggs
8oz ground almonds
8 oz sugar
1 tsp baking powder

• preheat the oven to 200C and grease and line a cake tin - I used a 9 inch diameter tin. 
• wash the oranges/clementines well then place in a pan with a little water and boil for about 2 hours - until the fruit is soft. 

• let the oranges cool, cut them open and remove the pips and then blend or pass through a sieve if you don't have a blender. 

• in a separate large bowl beat the eggs for a minute or two then add all the other ingredients and mix thoroughly

• pour the mixture into the prepared tin and bake for 50-60 minutes.  A skewer will come out clean when it is done.  This is a very moist cake but if it is too wet after the time leave it in for a few minutes longer.  The surface should be set and slightly 'springy' to the touch. 

• leave to cool in the tin before turning out and cutting into slices.  

• good with a strong black coffee in the middle of the day as or as an after dinner dessert served with thick yogurt, cream or ice cream. 

sweet potato, banana and hazelnut bread

A lovely moist spiced loaf made with bananas, sweet potato and hazelnuts. Sort of like banana bread but with added goodies!  This is great for breakfast and also for an afternoon snack.  Another way of using up over ripe bananas. 

 

preparation time:  15-45 minutes (depending on whether you are cooking the sweet potato first)

cooking time:  30-40 minutes

 

 

 

 

 

ingredients:

 

2 medium sweet potatoes (leftover cooked sweet potato would be great here but I cooked from fresh for this recipe)

2 over ripe bananas

2 eggs

1/4 cup sunflower/vegetable oil

1/2 cup whole hazelnuts

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 cup plain flour

1 tsp baking soda

11/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp allspice (pimento)

 

 

 

 

• preheat oven to 190C and grease a loaf tin
• if you are cooking the sweet potato, wash and either bake in the oven for about 30 minutes or in the microwave for 5-10 minutes until soft.
• when cool enough to handle scoop out sweet potato, mash and leave to cool for about 5-10 minutes.

• when the the potato is cool add to a bowl with the bananas, sugar, oil, eggs and mix together with a wooden spoon or an electric whisk for a few minutes until well combined

 

 

• sift in the flour, baking powder and soda, and spices and mix briefly until combined

 

• stir in the hazelnuts and then pour mixture into the prepared tin

 

 

 

 

• bake for 30-40 minutes - the bread is cooked when a skewer comes out clean.
• leave to cool in the tin for a few minutes before leaving on a rack to cool. 

 

• leave until completetly cool before cutting into slices - I hope you enjoy :)

 

 

 

za'atar roast potatoes

 

 

I have been intending to cook with za'atar for sometime now, but wasn't sure where to start.  This is a really simple but effective recipe with loads of flavour. This can be served with your usual Sunday roast to spice it up, or with a stew or casserole. I served it recently with my tomato and coconut lentil dhal curry which worked really well. 

Za'atar is a Middle Eastern spice mixture.  Although there are many variations it will usually contain sumac (a citrussy red berry), sesame seeds and herbs.  The mix I use in this recipe contains sesame seeds, sumac, thyme, cumin, coriander, fennel and salt.

serves 2-3 as a side dish
preparation time:  5 minutes
cooking time:  30-45 minutes


ingredients:

500g potatoes
2 tbs za'atar
3-4 whole garlic cloves peeled
3 tbs oil

• preheat oven to 200C

• clean and chop potatoes into wedges

• add oil, potato wedges and garlic cloves to a roasting tin and stir until well coated

 

• add to preheated oven.

• about half way through (about 15-20 minutes) remove the potatoes from the oven and add the za'atar to the potatoes.  Mix thoroughly and continue cooking.

 

• the potatoes are done when cooked through and nice and crispy on the outside.