Lemon Cake with Citrus Glaze and Blueberry Sauce

Ingredients

Glaze
1.5 cups icing sugar
0.5 fresh lemon

Cake:
1/3 cup cornmeal
1.5 cups flour
0.75 cups sugar (with the glaze and sauce this cake is quite sweet, you may want to use a bit less sugar here)
3.5 tsp baking powder
0.5 tsp salt
1 cup buttermilk
2.5 eggs (yes, 2.5)
1 tablespoon lemon peel
1 tsp vanilla
0.5 cup unsalted butter

Blueberry Sauce:
2 cups blueberry
0.5 cup brown sugar
2 tsps lemon juice
0.5 tsp lemon peel
0.25 tsp salt


In a bowl add about 4 tablespoons of juice from the lemon to the icing sugar and mix. Add as much lemon juice as necessary to get the icing sugar into a nice glaze. But don't add too much- it should be fairly thick and not at all runny- somewhere in between liquid and solid. Set aside.


Mix the dry cake ingredients (cornmeal, salt, flour, baking powder and sugar) in one bowl. In a separate bowl mix together the eggs, buttermilk and vanilla. Beat well. Use a grater to collect the lemon peel (finely shredded), and add one tablespoon to the mix. Mix the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients, and add the melted butter. Do not beat together vigourously or you'll get lumps. Instead, use a spatula to gently integrate the two.

Pour the batter into a 2" deep circular cake pan of about 9" in diameter. Place in the oven (preheated to 350F). Bake for 20-30 mins until cooked through the center. Be absoloutely certain the center is properly cooked, but do so without burning the sides.

When cooked, gently remove the cake from the pan and place it rightside up on a wire rack. While the cake is still hot, add the glaze to the top. As the glaze melts you should be able to easily spread it around the top of the cake. Some of it will delightfully drip down the sides.

To make the blueberry sauce, add heat a cup of blueberrys to the brown sugar on a saucepan over medium heat. Throw in the salt, lemon juice and lemon peel. In about 5 mins the sugar should dissolve completely and the blueberrys should have softened into a purple mess. Add the other cup of blueberrys and let the mix simmer until you get the desired sauce consistency.

You can cool and reheat the sauce as desired. When ready to serve, pour over individual slice of cake. Some people find the sauce to add a bit too much sugar- the glazed cake is pretty good without the sauce.

Irio [Kenya]

Ingredients

3-4 medium white potatoes
2.5 cups fresh spinach
1 cup cooked sweet corn
0.33 cup peas
0.5 tsp minced garlic
3 tsp butter
salt to taste
a splash of milk

This is a great side straight from Kenya. It's basically the mashed potatoes and vegetables you find sitting next to a steak, all mixed together. With a touch of magic or something. It works beautifully.

Wash, peel and cut the potatoes into small cubes, and toss into a saucepan of boiling water. Let them sit until the potatoes are fully cooked and very soft.

Separately add the peas to a pot of water so the water just covers the peas. Boil until most of the water evaporates, then throw on the finely chopped spinach over low heat. Add in the minced garlic and one teaspoon of butter, and allow the spinach to cook until soft. This will take less than a minute.

When ready, add the potatoes to the saucepan and mash the potatoes, peas, and spinach together. Add the butter, salt and milk as necessary. When done, throw in the corn and mix well.

Irio is a Kenyan form of mashed potatoes, traditional among the Kikuyu. Irio is a staple, and quite literally means "food". There are lots of variations, some using pumpkin leaves instead of spinach, some using lima beans, some without milk, some with chicken broth. This is how I remember it- lots of butter, easy on the peas.

Raspberry White Chocolate Cheesecake With Chocolate Crumb Base

Ingredients:

For the Base:
1.25 cups chocolate cookie crumbs
2.5 tablespoons sugar
0.25 cup butter, melted

For the Filling:
3 x 250 gram packs of cream cheese
0.5 - 0.75 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla

2.25 cups white chocolate
0.5 cup half and half cream

For the Rasberry Swirl
2 packs of fresh raspberries
2 tsp cornstarch
2 tbsp sugar
0.5 cup water

To make the base, mix the crumbs, butter, and sugar together. Combine well. Press the filling into the base of a standard nine inch cheesecake pan (removable sides).

Meanwhile, add the raspberries, cornstarch, sugar and water into a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Use a spoon to smush the raspberries fully. Allow the sauce to sit for 5 mins on a high heat so as much liquid can be extracted from the fruit as possible. Use a strainer to strain and remove the seeds.

Heat a saucepan of water on the stove until simmering. Add white chocolate and cream to a metal bowl (or smaller saucepan) and place the bowl in the saucepan of hot water until the chocolate has melted. Mix well until you have a white chocolate sauce. Do not allow any water to seep in, or the oil and chocolate will separate.

In a mixer, add the cheese and sugar. Mix. Mix in one egg at a time, mixing in between.

Wilde Oscar says: Be sure to count the egg shells when you're done- if you have 5 halves instead of 6, your cake will have a little extra crunch. Gotta roll with it, perhaps you could introduce it as "mystery cheesecake", "lucky-surprise cheesecake", or "crunchy cheesecake"... anything really, aside from "Screwed-up-and-dropped-a-shell-in cheesecake". After all marketing is everything.

Add in vanilla and 3/4 of the white chocolate sauce. Combine until filling is smooth. Pour half of the filling into the crust. Add 3tsps of the raspberry sauce, then add the remaining filling. Add another three tsps of raspberry sauce to the top, and use a toothpick to create swirls.

Place in oven preheated at 180C for 50-60 mins. Remove, allow to cool, and place in fridge to set for at least 8 hours.

Slice, and drizzle remaining raspberry sauce and white chocolate on top of slices.

Coconut Corn Curry and Spicy Green Chutney [Indian]

Wilde Oscar says: This is a fantastically simple recipe that has a good amount of flavour and is one of a very small number of indian dishes on here. Be warned though, there is no fixed recipe; this dish is about tasting and experimenting. If you like it spicier, add more chillies; if you like it more fragrant, add more lemon; if you don't plan on getting close to anyone tonight, add more garlic.


Ingredients
3 stalks of fresh corn
2 cans of coconut milk
0.5 tsp cumin
0.25 tsp tumeric
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tomato
2-3 green chillies
2-3 tsp squeezed lemon
2 tsp corriander/cilantro leaves
3 tsp green chutney (see below)
salt to taste

Remove the corn husks, and use a sharp knife to cut each ear into thirds. Place the 9 pieces in a pot of boiling water until completely cooked and softened. Remove, drain, and set aside.

Meanwhile, add the two cans of coconut milk to a saucepan and heat over medium heat. Add the cumin, tumeric, ground chillies, green chutney, and a generous bit of salt and allow the mix to come to a low simmer. Puree the tomato and add it in with the garlic, cilantro, and lemon. Add the cooked corn back in, and allow the curry to simmer for about 10 more minutes. Stir every now and again to keep the coconut milk from separating.

Serve with long grain basmati rice.

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Spicy Green Chutney


This green chutney is a nice little number that goes well with rice, samosas, or just about anything you want to spice up a little.

Ingredients

0.5 tomato
0.5 bunch cilantro
2-4 green chillies
1 tsp olive oil
2 tsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
salt to taste

Throw everything in a very small food processor until you get a wicked green chutney. Very simple. Also, you can vary the proportions of lemon and chili depending on your tastes.

huh.

Bited Sized Pepperoni Pizza Puffs

*Recipe adapted from Noble Pig

Ingredients
0.75 cups flour
0.75 tsp baking powder
0.75 cups 2% milk
1 egg
1 cup mozzarella cheese (or 0.75 mozzarella + 0.25 fresh Parmesan for an extra strong flavour)
1 cup pepperoni (turkey and beef pepperoni can be found quite easily, it turns out)
0.5 cup Ragu sauce (or other pizza sauce)
1 leaf fresh sweet basil
2 brown mushrooms
1- 1.5 tsp salt (if you decide not to use pepperoni)

*Also note you will require a mini muffin baking pan for this.

Finely chop the mushrooms and throw them onto a small pan to heat until soft (~1 min).

Mix the flour, baking powder, milk and egg in a bowl and whisk. Shred the mozzarella cheese and mix in.

Wilde Oscar says: The key to success is good mozzarella. 

Chop the pepperoni into small squares. Add the mushrooms and pepperoni to the batter and gently mix in.

Wilde Oscar says: If you're not feeling up to being haram today, you can find turkey or beef pepperoni instead of the real stuff.

Spoon out the batter into the pre-greased mini muffin pan, and place in oven preheated to 160C. Allow to cook for about 20 mins. The insides will need to continue to cook after the outside has browned.

Adding sprinkle of dried oregano on top is a nice touch.

Finally, mix the basil into the Ragu sauce and serve as a dipping sauce.

Nutella Cupcakes

Ingredients

1.75 cups flour
0.5 tsp salt
2 tsps baking powder
170 g butter
0.75 cups white sugar
3 large eggs
2/3 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup of milk
nutella


Mix flour, salt and baking powder in a bowl and set aside. Cream together butter and sugar fully, and add in eggs one at a time. Add vanilla. Slowly mix in dry ingredients and milk. Mix until batter is consistent.

Spoon batter onto paper lined muffin/cupcake trays. Add a teaspoon of nutella on top of each cupcake and use toothpicks to swirl.

Place tray in oven preheated to 350 F, and bake until golden. Use a toothpick to check that insides are cooked, and remove to cool on wire rack.

Goes great with a glass of milk, coffee, or more nutella

Beef Barley Stew

*This soup is so good, even my father liked it. He's been a vegetarian for the last 15 years. 

Ingredients:

1 stalk celery, chopped
1 large carrot, cubed
2 cups tomatoes, diced
1 white onion, diced
1/4 cup white pearl barley
1 lb stewing beef, diced into 2cm cubes
6 cups chicken broth
1 clove garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
1 tbsp oil
a pinch of thyme
parsley
salt and pepper to taste
=================
1/4 cup lentils (optional)
1 cup cabbage (optional)
1/2 cup corn (optional)

In a large saucepan heat up a tablespoon of oil and add the beef to brown. Don't worry about cooking it through, just brown the surfaces. Drain off the fat and liquid. Add the chicken broth and barley (lentils too if you've decided to add them). Let the mix simmer for about 30 mins while you prepare the vegetables.

Slice the celery and onions, and cube the tomatoes and carrots. If you've decided to add cabbage, slice it into 2cm squares. Chop up the garlic.

Add the celery, carrots, tomatoes, onions, bay leaf, thyme, garlic and parsley to the soup and cover. Allow the soup to simmer for 1-1.5 hours. Stir every so often to ensure ingredients aren't sticking. Add water as necessary if liquid is evaporating too quickly.

Baked Sweet Potato Fries + Garlic Marinara Aioli

Ingredients

For the Fries:
1-2 large sweet potatoes
1 egg white
0.5 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp flour
a pinch of chili powder
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt and Pepper to taste
Curley parsley

For the Aioli:

0.3 cups light mayo
2 tbsp marinara sauce
1 tsp dried chilli flakes
minced garlic as necessary

Preheat the oven to 160C

Peel the sweet potatoes and cut them in half, then quarters. Chop them into fries- not too big. They should be about 1cm thick. Depending on how hard the potatoes are, you may find using a small meat clever useful.

Wilde Oscar says: Using the cleaver also helps if you've got a little left over frustration from outside the kitchen to work out. But watch your fingers.

Soak the fries in warm water for about 5-10 mins, then drain and pat dry.

Seperately whisk the egg white, add the flour and garlic and drizzle over the fries in a dry bowl. Mix well. Add the olive oil and salt and pepper and again, mix the fries around so they're equally coated. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray, and space the fries out so they're not touching. Sprinkle a bit of chili powder on the fries, and throw them in the oven.

Wilde Oscar says: A sprinkle of dried basil isn't too bad either, if you feel up to it.

Let the oven do it's thing for about 20mins, then pull out the fries, flip, and stick them back in for another 10 mins or so until cooked. When they're done, garnish with fresh chopped parlsey. Add salt if necessary.

Meanwhile, to prepare the aioli:

Mix the marinara sauce with the crushed chili flakes and mix in with the mayo. Add garlic as necessary. Place in the fridge to chill.

Chocolate Dipped Viennese Butter Cookies

Ingredients
80 grams icing sugar
270 grams butter
220 grams flour
75 grams corn flour (not corn starch or corn meal)
2 tsp vanilla
300 grams milk chocolate

*you'll need a piping tool fitted with 1.5-2 cm nozzle, a coupler, and a filling bag. The whole thing costs about $2.

In a bowl using a handmixer cream together the butter and sugar. Add in the 2 types of flour and mix until integrated. Add in the vanilla and transfer the batter into a piping bag set up with nozzle.

Pipe out onto a piece of parchment paper, and stick in an oven preheated to 170C for 15 mins or until golden brown. Remove, and allow to cool.

Wilde Oscar says: The cookies should have expanded to a good width. Thickness will depend on the type of nozzle you use. If they're too thin, the cookies'll be fragile and break when dipped in chocolate.

Use a double boiler (or if desperate, a microwave) to melt the chocolate. Let it cool a bit once melted, and dip cookies so that between a third and a half are coated. Remove and allow to cool.

Bruschetta with Roast Beef

Ingredients

2 red vine tomatoes
2 plum tomatoes
1.5 tsp crushed garlic
0.5 white onion (small)
0.5 tsp pesto
dried basil
salt
fresh ground pepper
ciabatta bread
sliced lean roast beef
aged white cheddar
margarine


Take the ciabatta bread, slice baguette diagonally to create angled round slices, place on stove top grill to toast. Set the stove at a low heat and flip the bread as necessary to allow bread to become brown and crunchy.

Wilde Oscar says: Even better if the bread is a bit stale- you can toast it to a more satisfying crunch this way. But remember: stale, not moldy.

Meanwhile, chop the tomatoes into small cubic pieces, finely dice the onion, and mix in a bowl. Add the pesto, garlic, and salt and pepper to taste. Add plenty of dried basil and mix liberally. Add a squirt of fresh lemon if desired.

Wilde Oscar says: The key to making a good tomato mix is using different types of tomatoes: the different varieties brings out more flavour and gives it a good kick. It also works best if you let the mix sit in the fridge for a few hours to infuse, then bring back to just below room temp.

Once browned, remove the bread and spread thin layer of margarine and slice of roast beef. Add the tomato mix. Top with aged white cheddar and freshly ground pepper.

Strawberry Rhubarb Empanadas [Mexico]

Strawberry and Rhubarb... a killer combination:




Okay, back to work.

To make the empanadas you'll have to first make the pastry.

Ingredients-

Pastry Dough:

3 cups flour
0.5 cup white sugar
1 cup butter
2 eggs
0.25 tsp salt
3-4 tbsp cold water

Strawberry Rhubarb Filling:

3 cups of rhubarb

3 cups strawberry

1 cup sugar

2 tbs apple juice (orange juice works too)

1 tbs cornstarch

1 egg

0.5 cup brown demerara sugar

In a bowl, mix the flour, sugar and salt. Add the butter and eggs (one at a time). Use a food processor on a low setting to mix the ingredients, and add the cold water as necessary. Knead until you get a moderately firm dough.

The dough'll be too soft at this point, so separate it into two batches, flatten, wrap in plastic, and stick in the fridge to chill for an hour or so. You may want to use this time to start on the filling (below).

When you're ready, bring the dough to a flat surface and use a rolling pin to roll the dough out. You want it to be reasonably thin- thin enough to fold, but not so thin as to tear when stuffed.

Wilde Oscar says: As it warms, the dough'll stick to everything so make sure the surface you're rolling on and the rolling pin are well coated with flour. This'll help keep the dough from sticking and making a mess.

Once you've got the dough flattened, use something with a round shape, 8-10 cm in diameter, to make circular rounds. If you haven't got a cookie cutter of the right size, a small bowl works well.

Wilde Oscar says: Letting the dough get too warm causes it to melt out of shape. It's not a bad idea to put the rounds back in the fridge to cool as soon as you've made them instead of letting them melt while you roll and re roll the dough.

To prepare the filling:

Chop the rhubarb and strawberries into small pieces. Toss them into a saucepan and add the cornstarch and apple juice. Mix well.

Optional: [to make sure rhubarb cooks] On low/medium heat, allow the filling mix to heat up, very slightly, for a minute or two. You really don't want to over do this.

Stick the mixture back into the fridge to cool completely- warm filling will melt the dough and make a mess. The filling must be cold when you start.

When you're convinced that the dough and filling have chilled, pull them out of the fridge. Line your baking pan with parchment paper, and lay the dough circles on it. Crack the egg and separate the white from the yellow. Whisk them both.

Brush the whites on the edges of the disk, pour a small amount of filling on the lower half, and fold. Use a fork to seal the edges.

Brush the whisked egg yellow onto the outside of the empanada to give it a nice shine.

Sprinkle the demerara sugar on top.

Wilde Oscar says: If you run out of filling before you run out of disks, be creative. White nectarines dipped in the run off liquid of rhubarb and strawberry makes a killer filling as well. Depending on the fruit, you may not need to heat the mix to soften. White nectarines were fine uncooked.

You can go ahead and place the finished empanadas into an oven preheated to 160C.

As the heat warms the filling faster than the dough cooks, you might find mini eruptions in the dough causing some spill out. This isn't a problem, but if you want them to come out without the little red volcanoes, put the empanadas back in the fridge for 30 mins to chill before you bake them.

Let them cook until they're a golden brown colour. About 10 minutes. Pull them out and eat them hot with loads of ice cream.

Empanadas actually are Spanish and Portugese in origin, but were carried down to Latin America where the stuffing, shape, size and glazes changed. The Mexicans got it right, I think, changing the filling from savory stuff like pork, fish, and vegetables, to fruity desserts. They also were the ones who decided to add whipped cream and serve them for breakfast. Brilliant