Fuji apple spice cake with cream cheese frosting

Apples are the Cinderella of fruits.

They are often overlooked and under appreciated, lying forgotten in the fruit bowl; they aren't flashy or exotic and are most often neglected or passed over. However, given a chance, they shine when baked into sweets or when paired with meats and salads. Give them a chance and you will be rewarded, trust me. I was guilty of being an ugly stepsister, labeling apples boring and not interesting enough for my trolley. Everything changed once I baked them into my first apple crumble, since then they have become the jewel in my fruit bowl.

It is no secret that I have more than a mere fondness for the acid green Granny Smith with its luscious tartness to rival any amount of sugary sweetness.

Oh no, I've done it again.

I guess I have forgotten my lesson and been quite snobbish to other apple varieties that should also be deserving of my attention. It might be a little late, but at least I can rectify the error of my ways and give some other apples a go, who knows, there might be an apple dearer to my heart than my lovely Granny Smith.

Today it's Fuji's day to shine, let's hope this cake allows it to.


ease: 4/5.
prep time: 25mins.
cooking time: 1 hour (includes 15mins cooling time)
total:1 hour & 25mins.

taste: 3/5. Surprisingly this wasn't very moist. I was also wishing for more apple chunks as no one realised it was an apple cake by taste alone.
The spices were too subtle and the cream cheese frosting super sweet. It was like carrot cake's ugly stepsister. Poor Fuji got locked in the cellar :).

would I make it again: No.

recipe: Fuji apple spice cake with cream cheese frosting

Chamomile, peach & ginger smoothie

Spring cleaning for me means emptying fridges and flipping mattresses, for some family members it means overhauling their diet most likely beginning with a detox for a 'kick start'.

As I mentioned a while back I had a yukky bout of gastritis which my doctor hypothesised might have been due to my highly acidic diet (read: sweets, grains & starches). In my attempt to try to eat more alkaline I discovered that my father and my father-in-law were both attempting to also eat alkaline (albeit to a much higher extent than I - sugar and flour, we shall never part).

For them this included a mother load of vegetables, fruits, green drinks, certain minerals and tonics. Maybe in the future I might show their devotion to truly 'cleanse' my body, but in the mean time, I will stick to eating fewer sweets, and attempt to implement healthy meals/drinks such as this smoothie.
ease: 5/5.
prep time: 5mins.
total: 5mins.

taste: 3/5. As the smoothie was hot from the tea I added some ice cubes to cool it down quickly and it made it a little watery so hubby didn't like it at all.
If you have time I suggest putting it in the fridge to cool rather than using ice cubes so you don't lose the flavour and texture.
The chamomile is the main flavour in this followed by the subtle peach before the strong ginger comes through. It was nice, but too much like a tonic than a smoothie for me (plus Ryan won't drink it again).

would I make it again: No.

recipe: Chamomile, peach & ginger smoothie - from delicious. - February 2005, Page 62

Chewy ginger cookies

Strange things were happenin' last week down under.

Firstly we had the September equinox and I was inundated with girlfriends telling me they all had a 'weird feeling' and were afraid to trust their own judgments.

The next morning people in Sydney (and then Queensland) woke up to eerie vermilion skies, unable to see anything, locked indoors fearing it was 'Judgement Day'. The Bureau of Meterology claimed, "An event like this is extremely rare," Mr Hanstrum said. "It's one of the worst, if not the worst." Comforting stuff...

Ont he other hand in Melbourne, our weather has been quite tame, we may have had more rain this past week than we did most of Winter, but nothing out of the ordinary really.

My phone has gone back to hibernating, common sense has returned to my girlfriends and the red dust storm has cleared to glorious blue skies that bring a sense of safety and familiarity. All of this normalcy gets my fingers twitching for a nice cookie dough.

Cookies, as you may already know, wouldn't make the 'favourites' list on my mobile phone. Their number is rarely dialed, but once in a while, I will think of them and pick up the phone. The family member I call most would be ginger - my favourite type of cookie is laden with ginger, warm spices and more often chewy than crumbly. I am still on the search for the 'perfect' ginger cookie and this family recipe looks promising.


ease: 5/5.
prep time: 15mins for two trays.
cooking time: 8mins.
total: 23mins for 24 cookies - additional 8mins per two trays.

taste: 4/5. This batter made over 100 cookies for me - huge amount!
These are really buttery and chewy with a hint of spice. For some reason I had two jars of golden syrup when I thought I had one jar of molasses and one of syrup,so I had to use golden syrup instead - my cookies were lighter and probably didn't have that depth that molasses has.
I would have definitely loved these spicier and would double the amount of spice for next time.

would I make it again: Yes - with more spices and molasses, but I would halve the recipe.

recipe: Chewy ginger molasses cookies

Grilled vegetable burger

Short post today as I have too many other things to cook!

Grilled vegetable burger
adapted from Donna Hay Magazine
change amounts to suit serving size

eggplant slices (I bought some pre-grilled from a deli)
tomatoes (I used semi dried tomatoes)
haloumi
onion, sliced
olive oil
baby spinach
burger buns
1tbs harissa paste
4tbs mayonnaise

Heat oil in pan and cook sliced onion over medium heat until caramelised put semi dried tomatoes and eggplant sliced in pan to warm up. Set aside. Brush haloumi with olive oil and fry in pan until golden, should only take a few minutes.
Meanwhile, brush split burger buns with oil and place under griller until browned on top.
Mix harissa paste and mayonnaise together until combined, spread over burger buns. Top one bun with baby spinach, grilled eggplant, semi dried tomatoes, haloumi and caramelised onions then top with other half of bun. Serve with extra baby spinach drizzled with balsamic vinegar.

ease: 5/5.
prep time: 20mins to do onions and assemble burger (if you grill your eggplant and roast your tomatoes it may take longer).
total: 20mins.

taste: 4.5/5. Super tasty, Ryan even loved it despite the lack of meat. Great flavours.

would I make it again: Yes.

Sicilian orange cake

Only tinkling tweets from happy birds and guttural whines from my furry boy bounced through the house today. It seems that my husband brought the boisterous atmosphere, and without him the house is very still, almost meditative. I find that I seem to echo the house's mood, and without someone else's energy to affect my own, I am quite chilled and un-hurried.

Of course, I did stop by the shop to bring my husband a burger for lunch as well as a slice of cake to brighten his day and satisfy his tummy. Apart from that I have been home, furiously cleaning with some baking in between. It has been a productive, peaceful and pleasant day - I am quite pleased with myself. There was a tiny part of me that predicted nothing but moping on the couch, eating ice cream and popcorn, bored out of my brain waiting for my husband to come home. I did miss him terribly but I also managed to find some energy to start the mammoth task of Spring cleaning the home. I am about 1/3 of the way through the house, another two days and I should have it sparkling and singing with pride.

As I have said before, there is no nicer ending to a hard day's work than a nice slice of something sweet.


ease: 5/5.
prep time: 10mins.
cooking time: 1 hour.
total: 1 hour & 10mins.

taste: 4/5. This was a slight disaster for me - my cake looked more like a fallen souffle on top. It took an extra 15mins to cook at which stage the top had risen and then deflated upon being taken out. It was also super dense and soft (which I didn't mind) - perhaps my eggs were too big? Aside from the fact that it looked nothing like the recipe it still tasted nice, but more like lemon than orange. I used Seville oranges and I felt that I could only taste them slightly in the icing. I would have loved a more concentrated orange taste.

would I make it again: No - might try my luck with another recipe.

recipe: Sicilian Orange Cake

Harissa chicken & sweet potato with baby spinach & tzatziki

Short and sweet today as I am absolutely exhausted from moving all weekend. Good news is that my husband only has a few boxes left to sort on Monday, but other than that everything is ready for running the store come Monday.


Harissa chicken & sweet potato with baby spinach & tzatziki
adapted from Donna Hay No Time To Cook
serves 2

4 chicken thighs, de-boned
1 sweet potato, sliced to around 3mm thick
2 handfuls baby spinach leaves
3tbs harissa paste
3tbs olive oil
2 tsp sea salt

Combine chicken thighs with 1tbs harissa paste, 1tbs olive oil and 1tsp salt.
Combine sweet potato with 2tbs harissa, 2tbs olive oil and 1tsp salt
Heat grill and grill chicken 15mins or until cooked through and sweet potato around 4mins per side or until semi-soft.
Scatter spinach leaves unto plate and top with chicken and sweet potato, serve with a dollop of tzatziki.

ease: 5/5. prep time: 5mins.
cooking time: 15mins.
total: 20mins.

taste: 4.5/5. Great flavour for a super easy and quick meal. The slightly wilted spinach leaves give way to sweet but spicy sweet potato and succulent chicken, the heat is then soothed by the tangy, creamy tzatiki. The simple, clean flavours go together beautifully in this healthy dinner.

would I make it again: Yes.

Goulash

As bright as the sun might be, in all its glorious splendour, there hangs a dark cloud today.
Unfortunately I am no stranger to funerals. I have attended four of my family members and each time was more painful than before. I am not the strong type who is able to keep it together. I fall apart like flour from an unclenched fist, scattering into a million particles that I am never able to completely piece together again. My husband on the other hand, has never attended a funeral as he has only his parents and sister in this country. He never understood why the pain is still so raw for me whenever he mentions my deceased loved ones, or why I cry whenever I see a funeral scene in a movie. It's hard to understand if you have never been around that kind of powerful, soul wrenching grief.

Today he will be attending the funeral of an old school friend. What pulls at my heart is that I will not be able to stand with him, clenching his hand, supporting him - I have to be here for work, as it is still only the two of us. It doesn't feel right, and I'm not sure how he will be upon experiencing this sad moment. My thoughts will be with him, and with those who lost their dear friend and daughter, and I shall be here, arms open wide, when he returns safely home to me.

It's jarring to realise that we are all human, and therefore only shortly on this Earth. No matter how hard I try there times where I fall prey to daily life and partake in trivial arguments, not appreciating the greater value in the person with whom I am arguing. Although this week, with its dark cloud, has been a little silent, we found ourselves being more affectionate and slow to anger, taking the time to appreciate each other and those we love whom are still with us.

The author of this recipe had it handed down from her father, which I thought made it all the more precious.

ease: 5/5.
prep time: 2mins.
cooking time: 25mins.
total: 27mins.

taste: 4/5. Overall Ryan enjoyed this dish although he found the meat a bit chewy (I used beef shin). He said that the sour cream is absolutely necessary for super enjoyment. It has a tiny kick which is offset by the cream and fresh herbs with a mellow tomato base. I made the following adaptations:

• I quartered the recipe (used a little less stock though and upped the meat to 200g)
• I cooked the onions for 5mins
• I browned the beef in the same pan as the onions for 2mins
• Once everything was added I cooked it for a total 20mins rather than 1 & 1/2 as stated

would I make it again: Yes - this is the second time I have made it. The first time I halved the recipe and it worked out a little better.

recipe: Goulash

Walnut & Armagnac tart

Doorbells frighten me.

The shrill, penetrating racket of a doorbell makes my spine tingle. It might seem like a weird phobia to you, but to me a doorbell signals that someone is actually standing on my doorstep, most likely peering in through whatever crack they can in their efforts to spot a moving figure.

I was 14 years old when I discovered my phobia. 'Why so old?' you might ask. Well before that particular age, to even get to my front door you first had to be let in through the steel door on our 7ft tall solid concrete fence. The doorbell, which was connected to a video monitor that allowed you to see who exactly was on the street, ringing your bell, merely signified that I had to press a button, whilst still indoors, to unlock the street door. After that they had to walk up 10 large steps to get to our actual front door which I would then unlock and open. If someone I didn't know rang our doorbell, I would be able to see them, via monitor, without them seeing me at all, and I could easily ignore it and go on with what I was doing, happily knowing that there were TWO doors separating us. I felt safe and I was phobia free.

Then we ended up moving (which we did frequently during my teenage years) and we no longer had a fort-knox style house that kept people comfortably away. The first time I was home alone and the doorbell rang I almost gave myself a heart attack. I couldn't get to the door to see who it was, without the person at the door seeing me (there was an extremely large rectangular window beside the door which never got a blind *thank you mum and dad for mocking my phobia*). Thus I would try to crawl to another room (and yes I actually crawled) which allowed me to sneak a peak through a window to see who was there.

I still do this whenever the doorbell rings when I am not expecting anyone; I stealthily creep towards it like a cat to a mouse, and then try to catch a glimpse undetected before unlocking the door. Even when I am expecting someone, I will wait by the front window so that I can see them coming and open the door before they arrive. Doorbells = panic attacks.

I only realised today that with my husband at work all day, should the doorbell ring, I will have to answer it everytime. Maybe I will get used to the sharp, piercing sound and not feel like hiding under my blankets. And perhaps I will learn to not be as shy (which is where this phobia probably stems from), as it does hinder me somewhat socially.

As you know, I have been spoiling my husband this week, I tell him it is simply because I love him, but truthfully, I want him to realise how wonderful it is being around me 24/7 so that he won't want to stay back at work; being at home = yummy food (and awesome company :). Today I used some of the Armagnac that was purchased for yesterday's Chicken dish to make a simple tart to go with creamy vanilla ice cream.


ease: 4.5/5.
prep time: 1 hour & 40mins (to blind baking stage).
cooking time: 30mins.
total: 2 hours & 10mins.

taste: 3.5/5. The Armagnac really stars in this tart. The first taste you get is that deep, alcohol which eventually evaporates to the crunchy walnuts, plump raisins (substitute for muscatels) and slightly chocolate-y crust. You don't really taste the custard-like filling which is really weird .
I made one tart rather than 6 individual ones and I did not have enough filling, even when I added 40ml Armagnac to the filling mixture (which may have increased the Armagnac taste further).
I didn't make the ice cream to go with it, but I have a feeling it may have improved the overall taste of the tart. It does seem a little 'lacking' on its own.

would I make it again: No.

recipe: Walnut & Armagnac tart

Chicken with shallots, prunes, & Armagnac

This week is the final week that my husband will be working from home.

Monday sees him off during the hours of 10am-6pm Monday through Friday with a couple of hours on Saturdays. I'm excited for the possibilities the new change will afford us, but I am also a little sad as we won't be together. Perhaps it is because we have only been together for 5 years, and that we are still young, but I have a little separation anxiety (or maybe a lot) when it comes to being without loved ones, especially my husband.

Time will no doubt get me accustomed to the change, but in the meanwhile I am trying to savour every minute I can with him and as a result I am spoiling him rotten (and overfeeding him) with meals and snacks. I can't help that I show love by cooking, but I think his belly may not appreciate the inevitable expansion from this week long feasting.

My husband seems to have a taste for French chicken recipes, so I thought I'd give another one a try as it's always nicer when a new meal is liked, rather than disliked, and as I've tried to tell him, I can never tell which ones will transfer well from recipe to reality as it's all in the eating. Tonight's dish is that little bit special due to some Armagnac, not something I'd use often.


ease: 5/5.
prep time: 20mins.
cooking time: 20mins.
total: 40mins.

taste: 5/5. Hubby absolutely loved this - 'I would pay $50 for this'. I ummed and ahed over whether to use a regular Brandy or go out and purchase the Armagnac, after looking at some comparisons on the internet I decided that I would get the Armagnac (and find some other recipes to put it to good use since we aren't drinkers). I am glad I bought it, I'm not sure how big a part it played in the overall enjoyment of the dish, but I wouldn't make this dish again without it. The chicken was succulent, Ryan particularly liked the shallots, and the prunes added a nice gritty texture. He could taste the alcohol and felt it brought everything together.

would I make it again: Yes.

recipe: Chicken with Shallots, Prunes, and Armagnac

Savory Parmesan pain perdu with poached egg & greens

Results are in: I had gastritis and low iron. Good news is my voracious appetite is back and my tummy no longer hurts when I eat. So of course I have lined up some tempting sweets for this week, but I shall start off with a savoury, filling breakfast.


ease: 4.5/5.
prep time: 20mins to soak.
cooking time: 25mins.
total: 45mins.

taste: 3.5/5. The egg was at the forefront in terms of taste. The runny yolk gave way to bitey, acidic vinegar with bitter greens, whilst the crunchy and soft cheesy bread came in last. Overall this was nice, nothing super special though, but nothing wrong with it.

would I make it again: No.

recipe: Savoury parmesan pain perdu with poached eggs