Hot spiced chocolate pudding

This recipe is borrowed and adapted from my favourite food blogger in Paris David Lebovitz . Its a great winter pudding and its gluten free which is handy if you are that way inclined. Unfortunately its not particularly healthy so one must exercise restraint.
This recipe serves 4 but you can easily halve it or double it depending on your numbers.

Ingredients:

90g butter
150 g dark chocolate

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp chilli powder

2 eggs
6 tbsp sugar


Melt butter and chocolate together in a bowl. You can do this in a double broiler over the stove or if you are lazy like me then in the microwave. Melt in 1 min bursts, mixing in between until butter and choc are soft and then mix to melt down and combine without burning either- the hot butter will quickly melt the chocolate. Add the spices to the mixture.

In a separate bowl mix eggs and sugar with an electric beater on high for 5 mins until the mix becomes really fluffy and voluminous Pour 1/3 of egg mix into the choc mixture and fold until you have a solid lighter brown colour. Then pour this mixture into the the rest of the egg mixture and fold until just combined and you have a solid colour. Its important to fold and not mix as this is what gives the pudding height.

Pour into 4 ramekins or teacups and place on a baking tray.
Bake in an oven heated to 190 degrees for 20 mins. You should have a cracked crispy top but the side should still be gooey.
  

Courgette, Feta and Sundried Tomato Calzones

Pizza pies!!!

Courgette, Feta and Sundried Tomato Calzones
Makes 4.

Pizza dough*:
2 c pizza** or high grade white flour.
1/2 tsp salt
1tsp sugar
2tsp yeast
2 tbsp oil
1c warm water

Combine dry ingredients in a bowl. Make a well in the middle, add warm water and oil and mix. Add more flour or water as you need to make a firm dough consistency.
Turn out onto a flour surface and knead for 10 mins.
Leave to rise for min 30 mins. If you want the dough to be really chewy you can leave it for up to 12 hours in the fridge to slow rise. Just before you roll it out give it one final knead to really get those glutens stretching.

*This can also be made in a bread make under the pizza setting.

**Using a pizza flour which is high protein will make your dough just like your favourite pizza place's. You can buy pizza four grade 0 or 00 from most Mediterranean food stores. (unless you;re into dominoes, in which case this is all wasted on you)

When the dough is ready, cut into 4 balls, and roll into circles.

Filling:
2 courgettes grated
100 g feta
1/4 c sundried tomatoes sliced
1/2 c regular cheese
pinch of salt and lots of pepper

Combine filling ingredients in a bowl and put in fridge until dough is ready.

Spoon the mixture onto one side of the dough leaving 2 cm from the edge clear. wet your finger with water and run it along this edge border, to help the edges stick.  Fold over the dough to make a crescent shape and press edges down witha fork. Stab the top 4-5 times with a fork so air can get out and your calzones won't explode!

Preheat oven to 220 degrees celsius  If you have a pizza stone, you can place it in the oven during preheat- this will give the bottom a nice crispiness. Otherwise you can use a baking tray.

When the oven is hot, drop your calzones on the heated stone or tray.
Bake for 10 min or until bottom is solid- use a wooden spatula to lift them and check.

Let sit for 2 mins or so once you of oven so fillings can set and you don't burn yourself when you eagerly bite into it!!!

Roasted Pumpkin and Feta Pasta

This is a quick and easy dish that exemplifies the silver lining of winter- winter vege!

2 c 1 cm cubed pumpkin
6 cloves garlic
1 tbsp rosemary
Oil
Salt and pepper
100g feta cheese
1/4 c chopped almonds or walnuts

2c pasta

Put pasta on to boil as per instructions on package.

pour pumpkin into a baking dish, add roughly chopped cloves of garlic and cover in oil. sprinkle rosemary, salt and pepper and mix it all so everything is covered in herbs and oil.
Grill at 200 degrees celsius until pumpkin is soft, should take about 15 min. Check every 5 min to prevent burning and give the pumpkin and mix so every side gets cooked. when the mix is almost done thrown in crumbled feta and the nuts, and let grill for another 5 min. This will soften the feta and make it like a creamy sauce.
When its done, pour into the pot with the drained pasta and mix. This should end up coating the pasta but still have chunks of pumpkin.

Quick and easy and delicious!

Grilled Vege Risoni Salad

Risoni or Orzo is tiny rice shaped pasta. Its kinda a mind-fuck cause you think it will be ricey but its actually pasta. But it makes for delicious salads! This one has grilled vege and basil for a Mediterranean flavour.


1.5 c risoni
4 c water
Salt or vege stock

1 large courgette
1 large red pepper
2 tomatoes

olive oil
salt and pepper
10 basil leaves

1/4c almonds
50g shaved parmesan


Boil water and add salt or stock (I use stock for more flavour but salt is fine too). Add risoni once boiling and boil like pasta. Should be al dente within 7-9 minutes, stir occasionally to stop them sticking to the bottom of the pot. When done pour into a seize and let them drain over the pot.

Meanwhile, chop veges into 1 cm sized pieces. (I cut the tomatoes into 8ths, and the courgettes into 1 cm slices and then cut those in half)
Lay in a baking dish and douse in oil, salt and pepper. Grill until the veges are slightly charred.

Pour risoni into a medium salad bowl and add grilled veges and any juices that are in the pan. Sliced basil into strips and add to the salad. Roughly chop the almonds and sprinkle them in. Add shaved parmesan. Add a little more olive oil, lots of pepper and salt if needed and mix.

Voila! Quick easy and tasty salad that can be a meal in itself!

Blueberry and Lemon Buttermilk Pancakes

I'm on holiday this week and since I have a nice sunny flat I've been having heaps of people around for lunch!

Today a good friend is in town for the week and I've invited him for brunch. On the menu is lemon and blueberry pancakes.

I've started always putting lemon rind in my pancakes after a woman we stayed ith in Kenya did it. Its so subtle but makes them just that little bit more luxurious!

A friend who came for lunch earlier in the week brought me blueberries (Fresh and delicious!) so I'm working with what I've got.

You can always use frozen berries or any other fruit you have in the house. I prefer to keep my toppings simple, usually lemon and sugar or maple syrup (today I'm using golden syrup- a kiwi fav) and then stuff my pancakes full of fruit.

I'll also include a vegan option for this recipe.

Ingredients:

2 eggs

1c buttermilk**

2c flour

1/2c sugar

1tsp baking powder

1 lemon- juice and rind

Handful of blueberries (or other fruit)

Extra milk if needed

Butter or margarine for frying. 

**If you don't have buttermilk you can make it by pouring into a measuring jug 1 tsp of white vingar and topping it up to the 1 cup mark with regular milk. Leave for 5 mins and then use.

Method:

In a mixing bowl beat together the two eggs and add the buttermilk. Sift in the flour, sugar and baking powder and combine. Add milk until thin enough that it flows freely from your whisk or spatular but still retains a thick batter consistency.

Add lemon juice, rind and berries and fold through. 

Gently heat a frying pan, using a knob of butter for each pancake fry until bubbles appear then flip and fry until bottom no longer sticks.

First one is often a dud, as the pan is often not hot enough, so best to make it quite small.

The mixture can be made the night before and left covered in the fridge for best consistency.

It can also be stored in an airtight container and used over the course of a few days.

Vegan option: Swap eggs for 1 ripe mashed banana and buttermilk for soymilk (or almond, oat,rice etc). Swap the lemon for vanilla essence. 

Bon appetite!