Sunday Salivations

Inspired by other blogger's recipe roundups of other blogger's posts I thought it would be grand to join the fun. Starting today I will be linking FIVE tempting creations you may have missed from them, every Sunday. Enjoy!

Persimmon Spice Tea Cake

Butter Chicken

Katie's Patata Bravas with ham and eggs

Cranberry and Almond Upside Down Cakes

Honey Cake with Fig, Pistachios and Hazelnuts

Sweet potato pancakes with spiced pecans & peach butter

Short and sweet today as my little one is teething and finds solace only within my warm embrace.

ease: 4/5.
prep time: 2hours to overnight.
cooking time: 10mins.
total: 2hours & 10mins.

taste: 4/5.  Razzle dazzle pancakes.

I won't lie, these pancakes take a lot of preparation, but if you are organised enough you can do it all the night before for an easy peasy morning that's worth the work. I was a touch worried these would be too sweet for me but alas they were just the right level of sweetness. The potato makes the pancakes deliciously moist with pizazz from the warming spices. The pecans add crunch and kick with the peach butter bringing a blast of summer tang. I would definitely recommend serving the pancakes with the peach butter as they make the dish.

I halved the amount of butter and subtracted a tablespoon of sugar as I wanted more peach, and I would do the same the next time around.

would I make it again: Yes.

recipe: http://www.ezrapoundcake.com/archives/15698

French nectarine cake

With sunset coloured skin a firm nectarine is a sight to behold.

A peach with a 'Brazilian' (or as some say, shaved or fuzz-free) the nectarine does not get the quantity of poems or songs written about it as the typical peach inspires. I am one of the few who turn their nose up at the furry peach and instead would rather sink their teeth into a nectarine's smooth flesh. I am also one of the even fewer who prefer their nectarines as hard as the stones that lie at their heart. I adore tearing out chunks and crunching audibly beneath the shade of leafy tree, no ambrosia juices flowing down my chin please...

If a nectarine strays too far into the realm of softness I scurry to find other culinary uses and in the past have found few. Thanks to the internet and food bloggers in particular who are always finding ways to salvage fruit whose toes are edging past ripeness I stumbled upon this beauty which instead of burying my stone fruit, redefines it as a baked good triumph. Now I can happily buy more nectarines than my mouth can eat knowing, should they become as soft as my daughter's cheek, they will not go to waste, instead being reborn into something scrumptious.

ease: 4.5/5.
prep time: 15mins.
cooking time: 50mins.
total: 1hour & 5mins.

taste: 4/5. Buttery, bright sweetness.

Nectarines are my favourite fruit so rarely do they last long in my home. With baby however I have been ordering my shopping online which means someone else has been picking my fruit. I prefer my rosy-blushed orbs to be extra crunchy, so when a bag arrived with extremely ripe, juicy nectarines I had to find a recipe to use them up pronto. At first I was dubious about nectarines working in a cake, but let me tell you, they WORKED IT, big time.
The cake itself is a buttery delight and sweet with a gorgeous crumb. The nectarines work their magic by adding fresh tartness and making the cake a perfect sunny afternoon treat.

The original recipe uses 4 small nectarines, I would use 5 or 6 as I wanted more pockets of delectable tanginess. I also used half a lemon zest as my lemon was rather large and I wanted the nectarines to shine.

would I make it again: Yes.

recipe: http://www.mygermankitchen.com/2011/09/gateau-fondant-aux-nectarines-moist.html

French onion soup

In Spring I glimpse the year.
Some days are cloaked in Winter's frosty chill, and others bask in Summer's skin-tingling warmth or mild Autumn breezes; and then there is the typical Spring day of humid heat with drizzles of both clear sunshine and warm rain. All of these days can be found within Spring's domain.
This week has had me reaching for porcelain bowls to ladle luscious, steaming soups into their snow-white bellies. Sometimes a soup may feel a little sylphlike and need a some added heartiness. For me, thick slices of fluffy bread smothered in bubbling golden-edged cheese do just that.

ease: 4/5.
prep time: 15mins.
cooking time: 1hour & 20mins.
total: 1hour & 35mins.

taste: 4/5. Great for warming the coldest cockles.

I love a hearty soup so I let this simmer down until it became like a drizzling caramel in thickness. The onion bring a savoury sweetness that is mellowed beautifully by the salty, gooey cheese and subtle bread. DO NOT skip the cheese toasts, it truly is what harmonises this simple soup.

My soup took longer than 20mins to reduce to my desired level of thickness, I also used vegetable stock rather and doubled the butter. The original recipe is linked below.
*Gluten-free if you use a gluten-free bread

would I make it again: Yes.


recipe: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/French-Onion-Soup-1858

Egg in the basket

Some mornings find me with fresh eyes and a spring in my step, others have to beat through the cobweb of sleep with fists of savage sunshine and splashes of water so cold that I can feel each pore contract with a shiver. Today I was not only woken by sharp rays of light but also by my child's tiny hands as they kindly, and exuberantly, slapped me awake...and then slapped me some more for good measure. It's days like these I need a 'pick-me-up' breakfast; something cheerful, filling and most of all EASY.

My great-grandmother hailed from Britain, and this meal was something she made for my mother, and in turn, what my mother made for me. We refer to it as Egg in the basket, but I think it's more commonly known as Egg in a hole. I attempted to use my artistic licence by creating a heart-shaped hole, however my generously sized eggs overflowed and hid the heart beneath their egg-white hems.

To make this simple dish a little more 'top drawer', I sprinkled it with truffle salt which is, in my opinion, truly meant to be paired with the humble egg.

(For a gluten-free dish use gluten-free bread, pictured above is wholemeal sourdough spelt).

ANZAC biscuits & a happy birthday to moi

They went with songs to the battle, they were young.

Straight of limb, true of eyes, steady and aglow.

They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted,

They fell with their faces to the foe.

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:

Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.

At the going down of the sun and in the morning,

We will remember them.

I've always felt fortunate to have been born on this date.

In honor of the fallen, Lest We Forget... 

Zucchini with herbs & goat's cheese

Too many moons have passed since my last post, and this time a tiny child is not to blame. After two faithful years my trusty laptop began to struggle with the vigorous tasks of photo and video editing. Programs like Photoshop and Vimeo became too much to bear so I had to say my farewell and welcome a new addition to my life. Whilst I was methodically searching the online marketplace my darling husband was doing the same and surprised me with an early birthday gift. To his credit my new black beauty (yes, I decided to name it after my favourite dessert, la bete noire) not only satisfied my 'specs' criteria but actually exceeded them, and despite its heaviness (just over 4kg, but with my newly acquired mummy arm-strength, it's fine with me) I am head over heels in love with it. What sold me? I was running actions that would cause my former-laptop to crash in one second! Click and hey presto, action complete. Ah, twas love at first edit...

So once again I will hopefully be back to my regular weekly posts. I am also contemplating spending more time on the photography-styling aspect, but of course, that depends on whether baby permits. In the mean time, please enjoy this easy, summer side dish in which the humble zucchini stars. I forgot to measure whilst throwing it together so the recipe is more like a 'guideline', feel free to ad lib :)

ease: 4.5/5.
prep time: 8mins.
cooking time: 10mins.
total: 18mins.

taste: 4/5. Best way to get zucchini into the husband.

The zucchini in this dish is a mere whisper on a breeze, so even those who object to its subtle taste should find no reason to grumble here. The creamy goat's cheese offers tangy-ness to the sweetness of the garlic, coolness of the mint and grassy anise of the dill. Hubby actually requests this side dish.
If you'd like some crunch I recommend adding toasted pine nuts.

would I make it again: Yes.

Cherry tomato pizza margherita

and her smile brings light to even the darkest corner...

I have become a 'collector' of sorts; not of winged creatures nor paper stamps, but of my child's smiles. Their worth is un-quantifiable and their effect undeniably enigmatic, as somehow, despite even the roughest colic-riddled night, one brief grin from her in the morning when I awake seems to pale every frustration in comparison. I fear, I truly would forgive her anything for the price of a single smile.

My days literally revolve around my daughter, she has become the Sun to my Earth and I have barely a moment betwixt to do anything other than cater to her whims. I did however find myself with the tiniest slice and relished the chance to visit my lonely kitchen covered in a dust of neglect. I can't tell you how wonderful it felt to be dicing tomatoes and plucking leaves of emerald basil whilst fragments of spring sunshine fell upon my shoulders. And as this recipe only took ten minutes of my time I soon had my little one back in my arms, bestowing upon me more of those precious smiles.

ease: 5/5.
prep time: 10mins.
cooking time: 15 (I used a storebought base).
total: 25mins.

taste: 4/5. Best margherita I have had.
I love pizza. And just like the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles my favourite pizza is a cheese pizza (or as we call them down under, Margheritas). To me, nothing beats cheese and tomatoes with a hint of herb on a bread base. This recipe takes it up a notch.

The tart sweetness of the cherry tomatoes and garlic (which I cooked with the tomatoes to soften its bite) works beautifully with the gorgeous aniseed-hit from the fennel seed, fiery chili pepper, fragrant basil and finally the salty, stringy cheese. I served mine atop a gluten-free base (storebought to save time), but I imagine it would be even better on a homemade one. I loved this so much I was death-staring my husband like a hungry dog whilst he was eating his last piece.

I only had 250g of cherry tomatoes and it wasn't enough, the recipe calls for 350g which sounds about right. I would double the garlic though.

would I make it again: Yes.


recipe: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Cherry-Tomato-Pizza-Margherita-357889

S'mores chocolate pots

It is astonishing how quickly one learns to adapt to being one-armed.

As my little bundle seems to wake every time I try to lay her down I have had to complete errands one-handed whilst she happily sleeps in the other. Granted, this rules out quite a few tasks, but some, such as stirring a pot, are very do-able; typing this post with only my left-hand is another.

Having reached the point where all my nightly dreams revolved around the consumption of epic portions of every kind of dessert imaginable I knew I had to make something before I'd wake up to a half eaten pillow...

The moment I saw this recipe I knew it was the one to break my dessert-sabbatical. There was something about whipping the eggwhites into satiny peaks that felt like slipping into a pair of comfy jeans. As I ran a fingertip through its billowing clouds and licked my 'snowcapped' finger I thought to myself -  'it's good to be back.'

ease: 4/5.
prep time: 30mins.
chilling time: 2hours.
total: 2 hours & 30mins.

taste: 4.5/5. Like a campfire at home.

These pots of silken chocolate laced with espresso topped with fluffy, sweet meringue kissed by the flame are incredibly delicious. The sweet meringue truly is reminiscent of creamy soda-ish marshmallows and balances out the seductively dark smooth chocolate; the touch of smokiness from the scorching tops it off perfectly. Eat beneath a woolly blanket, in front of a fireplace, under a full moon's light for the indoor-campfire experience.

I would skip coffee next time as I used a 70% chocolate which when paired with the coffee added a bit too much bitterness for me.

Because of bubs I didn't have enough time to make the graham cracker -  next time!

This made 4 servings.

would I make it again: Yes.

recipe: http://www.raspberricupcakes.com/2011/03/smore-chocolate-pots.html#comment-form

Mushroom, spinach & feta pies

As the gossamer morning light drapes over me I find tiny hands sprawled across my chest as eyes the colour of the Milky Way, and just as vast in their depth, slowly open to stare into my mine. The silence between us is filled with wonder and curiosity; I kiss the tips of her fingers whilst the flickers of light and shadow catch her eye, transfixing her to their fluttering dance. I do not know for how many ticks of the clock we lie silently together, as we are both content to exist in our stillness. Time has lost all linear structure and instead falls together in pieces. Moments of sleep. Moments of play. Moments of nourishment. Each moment its own individual world. And each just as precious.

Although my body has mended enough to allow me freedom of movement, I find it harder to gather enough minutes together to be able to cook or bake. It seems even in her sleep, my Valentine notices my absence and wakes from her slumber to call for me. I could swaddle her in a sling close to my chest whilst I cook, but I don't feel comfortable having her so close to open flames and scalding water, so instead I am choosing meals with short preps or steps that can be paused to allow for cuddles or feeds in between until I can find larger blocks of time to spend solo in the kitchen.

ease: 4.5/5.

prep time: 20mins.

cooking time: 25mins.

total: 45mins.

taste: 4/5. Moorishly good.

These golden puffed and flaky parcels with their belly of meaty, flavoursome mushrooms, creamily salty feta and mineral-esque spinach satisfy even the canine tooth of a carnivore. I practically inhaled two within minutes. Simple yet suitably satisfying.

I increased the feta to 100g.

would I make it again: Yes, quick and tasty.

recipe: http://www.ledelicieux.com/2011/04/13/mushroom-spinach-feta-pie/