Salmon Fishcakes

Salmon fishcakes. Living in the country has meant that whatever seafood we purchase it is never going to be the freshest. The closest beach to us is at least 3 hours drive away. In any case, these salmon fishcakes use canned tins of salmon and still taste delicious! (If I do say so myself). They are super easy and people who are gluten free can enjoy them too. They are really yummy with paprika aioli but even just plain whole egg mayonnaise will do the trick.

Ingredients:

• 500g potatoes (such as pontiac or desiree), peeled
• 440g can red salmon
• 1 small onion, peeled, grated
• 2 celery sticks, finely chopped
• 1 tbs chopped fresh dill
• 1 tsp grated lemon rind
• 20ml (1 tbs) lemon juice
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 40ml (2 tbs) milk
• 1/2 cup plain flour
• 2 cups fresh breadcrumbs
• Sunflower (or similar) oil, to fry
• Mayonnaise, to serve

Method:

1. Cut the potatoes into rough chunks. Boil or steam until tender, then mash until smooth. Transfer to a large bowl to cool.
2. In a fry pan, heat oil and fry the onions for 2-3minutes until softened and lightly browned. (this is just to take the raw taste out of the onions)
3. Drain the salmon and remove any bones. Add to the potatoes with the onion, celery, dill and lemon rind and juice. Season with salt and pepper. Mix well together, then use your hands to form into 8 patties. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
4. Beat together the eggs and milk in a bowl. Place flour and breadcrumbs in separate bowls. Dip each patty in the flour, then in the egg mixture and lastly in the breadcrumbs. Heat the oil in a heavy-based saucepan over medium-high heat. Add patties (in batches) and fry both sides until golden brown. Serve with a dollop of mayonnaise and the cucumber salad.

Chicken and Mushroom Risotto

I can relate to all of the Italian food lovers out there. From fettacine marinara to spaghetti cabonnara to beef lasagne to marguarita pizza to saffron risotto to tiramasu to chocolate gelato, Italian food makes one of my favourite cuisines. It's simple, easy and delicious. I'm blessed to have a mother with a wonderful ability to cook, especially Italian food. So I have grown up with fantastic rich tomato pasta sauces. An italian tip: always add salt when boiling water for pasta. The water boils quicker at a higher temperature and it gives extra flavour to the pasta.
Leaving that aside, one of my favourite things to cook would have to be... risotto. Here's a neat recipe that goes down a treat. Serves 8 persons.

Ingredients:

• 4 cups (880g) risotto rice
• 2.5L chicken stock
• 500g chicken thigh fillets
• 2 brown onions (diced)
• 1/2 cup (125ml) dry white wine
• 100g button mushrooms (cut into quarters)
• 4 rashers of bacon (cut into thin strips)
• 1 1/2 tbs thyme leaves (dried or fresh)
• 40g butter
• 125ml olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese

Method:

1. Put the stock on to boil
2. In a separate fry pan, fry up the onions with the garlic for a few minutes before adding the chicken thighs and cook until the chicken has turned white. (just ensure that you start to cook the garlic a few minutes after you put the onions in as garlic cooks much quicker then onion and is more likely to burn)
3. Add in the mushrooms and bacon and continue frying for 3 more minutes
4. Season with salt and pepper
5. Add the risotto rice and fry for 2 minutes more
6. Pour in the wine
7. Slowly add ladles of boiling stock to the pan. Wait for all the stock to absorb into the rice after each ladle before adding the next. Continue until all of the stock is gone
8. Add the thyme, butter and cheese. Stir throughout
9. Take off the heat and serve immediately

If you like, you can always add peas to this recipe. Just stir in a cup of peas 5 minutes before the end of the cooking time.

Crepes

Earlier on this year, I spent a chunk of 6 months in the beautiful country of Switzerland where I learnt to speak, eat and live in the unique swiss-french culture. Having lived with a french housemate, one of the "tricks of the trade" that I picked up along my way was the art of making crepes. mmm..mmm! I havn't met a person yet who does not enjoy that tastey sweet or savoury filled paper thin pancake. Classically eaten with a sprinkling of sugar and a squeeze of lemon juice, sweet crepes are destined to delight any persons taste-buds. Or what about a savoury crepe with gruyère cheese, ham, mushrooms and egg for dinner. Anyone? Personally, a generous spread of nutella will always go down well.
We cooked these in a crepe pan: a circular pan designed to evenly distribute the heat which has smaller edges to support flipping action (but personally I always flip by hand with a spatula).
Here's the recipe that I received from my french housemate and used successfully at many a crepe party. I remember it as the 4-3-2-1 crepe recipe.

Ingredients:

• 4 cups of milk
• 3 eggs
• 2 cups of plain flour
• 1 pinch of salt

Makes approximately 12 crepes.

Method:

1. Pour the milk and eggs into a mixing bowl and whisk together.
2. Add the salt and small amounts of the flour slowly whilst whisking. Continue whisking until all the lumps are eliminated and the batter is smooth.
3. Grease the crepe pan by rubbing oil over it's surface with a piece of paper toweling.
4. Heat the crepe pan on medium-high heat on the stove.
5. Using a ladle, pour one ladle of crepe batter evenly over the crepe pan. You need to work quickly at this stage swirling the pan in order for the batter to cover the entire area (this takes a bit of practice to get right). Leave to cook for several minutes.
6. When the edges begin to curl upwards, flip the crepe over (I recommend using a spatula) and continue cooking for several more minutes. The crepe should be slightly browned and set. Remove from pan with a spatula and leave aside to cool.
7. Repeat the process until all the crepe batter is finished, ensuring that you re-grease the pan before use each time.

Savoury variation:
 
Once one side of the crepe is cooked, flip it over. Crack an egg on the cooked side, sprinkle on gruyère cheese and ripped pieces of ham. Wait for the egg to cook to satisfaction. Fold the edges of the crepe in on itself and remove from the heat.
 

Other ideas:

• Ham, Swiss cheese, egg and spinach (ensure that you fry up the spinach in a separate pan before adding to the crepe)
• Ham, Swiss cheese, egg and mushroom (ensure that you fry up the mushrooms with herbs and onion before adding to the crepe)
• Nutella, banana and walnuts
• Nutella and strawberries
• Strawberry, fig or orange confiture
• Sugar and a squeeze of lemon

Improvising with a not-exactly-crepe-pan pan

The ingredients

The lazy way to whisk. I love technology.

So... practice makes perfect hey!

Bon appetit!

Mini Homemade Pies

Ever wanted to try your hand at mini baking ? Here's a tasty recipe for mini cherry pies !

Or any pie in that matter. The trick is to bake them in mini muffin tins. Experiment with different flavours and try your hand at these designs !

Credits go to not martha for the recipe!

Ingredients:

• Standard refrigerated Pillsbury pie crusts
• biscuit cutter
• Apple mini slices
• Blueberry filling
• Canned pie Cherry filling
• sugar
• lemon zest
• cinnamon

Method:

1. Cut out round shapes from the pie crusts using a biscuit cutter
2. Place cut outs into muffin tin moulds
3. Cut up fillings into tiny pieces and fill crusts
4. Add sugar, lemon and cinnamon 
5. Bake at 375 degrees for 12minutes (take out when tops get brown and cover with foil and bake for 3-5 more minutes until bubbly)

Tips:

• Taste amazing with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream!
• Poke the pie with a skewer to indicate whether or not the apple is cooked

Cake Pops

Here's a fun idea to bake when there is a large number of guests that want to be impressed !
Experiment with different designs, colours and sizes to get the ideal cake pop design for you. whether it be for a birthday party, a baby shower or a christmas get together . It's good for every occasion !


Recipe from Divas can cook

Ingredients:

• Chocolate Cake, prepared (I used ½ of a 9×13 devils food box cake)
• Chocolate Frosting (amount depends on moistness of cake. I used two big spoonfuls)
• 2 boxes Premium white chocolate
• Cake pop sticks
• Sprinkles
• Candy melts dye for coloring frosting

Method:

1. Add cake to a large bowl.
2. Crumble until it resembles fine crumbs
3. Add in frosting a little bit at a time until cake is moist and can hold a ball shape, yet still slightly crumbly.
4. Use your hands to incorporate the frosting into the cake crumbs.
5. Use a mini ice cream scoop and scoop out two balls of cake mixture.
6. Roll the mixture into a tight ball and place on a plate.
7. Repeat until all the cake mixture has been rolled into balls.
8. Melt 2-4 ounces of white chocolate in the microwave.
9. Dip the tip of the cake pop sticks into the white chocolate and insert into the cake balls about half-way.
10. Freeze for about 20 minutes.
11. Meanwhile prepare all of your decorating supplies.
12. Melt the remaining chocolate in a large cup. Make sure you have enough chocolate to completely submerge the cake ball.
13. Remove cake balls from freezer.
14. Dip cake balls carefully into the chocolate until covered.
15. Let the excess chocolate drip off. Swirl and tap gently if needed.
16. Add the sprinkles while the chocolate is still wet. It will harden quickly.
17. Stick the decorated cake pop into a styrofoam block to finish setting.
18. Place into the freezer to speed up setting time.
19. Cover with a clear treat bag & ribbon for gift giving, if desired.
20. Store in a single layer, in an airtight container.

Tips:

Want to use food coloring? I’d suggest using the candy melts instead of white chocolate for the coating. I wasn’t impressed with how the white chocolate took the food coloring. It made the chocolate thicker.I purchased all of my ingredients including the cake pop sticks and sprinkles at Target. The styrofoam I had already, but you can get a block of styrofoam at crafts stores or Walmart. The recipe (using only ½ of a 9 X 13 cake) makes about 13 medium sized cake balls. Feel free to change up the cake, frosting and coating. Red velvet cake, with cream cheese frosting and white chocolate coconut coating is really good! You can also use homemade cake and homemade frosting but I seriously can’t tell the difference in taste.

Go EASY On The Frosting: What a lot of folks failed to mention in the cake pop tutorials that I was following was to ONLY ADD A LITTLE BIT OF FROSTING. That is super important!!  Most cakes are already moist. Too much frosting and it’s ruined in my opinion, not unless you add more cake.

Use Your Hands To Mix:It really helps to mix it up with your hands so that you can get the feel of it. When I used a spoon to mix it up, it looked as if I wasn’t putting in enough frosting but it  turned out that it was way too much when I went to make a ball. The cake should still be a bit crumbly even when the frosting is mixed in.

Mini Ice Cream Scoop Works Great: Use an ice cream scoop to scoop out the “dough” so that you will have equal portions.

No Need To Keep Refreezing-I only placed these in the freezer once. Twice if you plan on bagging them or you want to speed up the final setting time.

Use A Deep, Narrow Cup For Dipping:  The melted chocolate/candy coating should be deep enough to submerge the cake ball completely to avoid having to twirl it around.

Box Cake Is Just Fine-  If you’re not against the ingredients, make it easy for yourself and just purchase a boxed cake and a can of ready-made frosting. I seriously couldn’t even taste a difference when I made these using homemade cake and frosting.

Use A Styrofoam Holder-A block of Styrofoam makes a really great holder to stick the cake pops in while they are drying and it’s cheap.

Some alternative designs

Panda Bread

Feel like making something creative and delicious ? Something that looks plain on the outside but suprises people when sliced open?
This bread is easy to share and is recommended for open buffets or banquets where lots of people can see and share the slices.
I found this great recipe from tablespoon where the author 'girlversusdough' inspired me to recreate this awesome loaf of bread!

Ingredients:

• 3 cups Gold Medal unbleached all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 tbsp sugar
• 1 cup milk w/ 1 egg yolk (both should total 1 cup together)
• 3/4 tbsp salt
• 1 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
• 3 1/2 tsp cocoa powder mixed w/ 1 1/2 tsp hot water
• 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
• 
  

Flavour:

1 tbsp green tea (matcha) powder mised w/2 tsp hot water or green food colouring

Method:

1. 1. In a small bowl, microwave milk and egg yolk for about 30 seconds. Set aside.
2. 
   2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine flour, sugar and yeast.
3. 
   3. Add in butter, salt and milk mixture, stirring on low speed with the dough hook attachment.
4. 
   4. Increase speed to medium and knead until dough comes together and pulls away from the sides, about 5-10 minutes. If the dough is sticky, add a tbsp-ful of flour at a time until it is smooth and elastic.
5. 
   5. Divide dough into three pieces, two about equal and one about 1/3 the size of the other two.
6. 
   6. Place one of the large pieces in the stand mixer bowl and mix with green tea/water mixture OR green tea food coloring until desired color is reached.
7. 
   7. Remove dough from bowl and place in a lightly greased bowl, covered, to rise until doubled.
8. 
   8. Clean stand mixer bowl, then place smallest piece of dough in stand mixer and combine with cocoa powder/water mixture until color is blended through. Remove dough from bowl and place in a separate, lightly greased bowl, covered, to rise until doubled.
9. 
   9. Place plain piece of dough in a separate, lightly greased bowl, covered, to rise until doubled. All pieces should double in about an hour.
10. 
    10. Once dough is risen, on a floured surface, divide plain dough in thirds, with one piece being half the size of the other two (as you did before). Use one of the larger pieces to form the face. Divide the cocoa dough in quarters and use two quarters to form the eyes.
11. 
    11. Quickly place the smallest piece of plain dough between the eyes to keep them in place. Stretch remaining piece of plain dough over the whole bread to lock everything in place.
12. 
    12. Take last two quarters of cocoa dough and form the ears.
13. 
    13. Divide green dough in two pieces, one twice the size of the other. Take the small piece to fill in the space between the ears. Take the larger piece of green dough and stretch over the whole bread to lock everything in place.
14. 
    14. Place dough in a lightly greased loaf pan, cover and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.
15. 
    15. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
16. 
    16. Once dough is risen, bake for about 30 minutes or until golden brown on the outside (the inside should register 190 degrees F). Allow to cool completely on a cooling rack before slicing or serving.
17. 
    

Tips :

If your bread didn't turn out, try these things: 

• Make sure that your liquids are not hotter than 100-110 F, or you will kill your yeast (and then your bread will not rise).
• If the water feels hot to you, it is too warm. However, if it's too cold, the yeast won't activate. 
• If it is still not working out, try using a kitchen scale. 
• Here's the measurements from a different recipe: 230 g bread flour, 70 g all-purpose flour, 30 g sugar, 210 g egg yolk plus warm milk, 4.5 g salt, 18 g unsalted butter (it has to be unsalted), 4 g dry yeast, 8 g green tea powder/maccha powder mixed with 10 g water, 8 g cocoa powder mixed with 8 g water. 
• Kitchen scales are cheap, and when you're making bread, it usually turns out better and the results are the same time after time when you weigh because the measurements are more accurate, and more consistent.

Marshmallow Cake

Got too many marshmallows left over now that the cooler season is over and you won't be needing those hot chocolates anymore?

Here's an incredibly simple and yummy way to get rid of them all at once! There's no baking involved, doesn't take long and can be done perfectly even for beginners. Best of all, it tastes like really light and fluffy vanilla ice cream!

I first came across this ingenious dessert years ago from a great food blog- BakingMum, while looking for a quick dessert recipe and it has been my favourite go-to cake recipe ever since (also known as my "signature dish" among friends)!

(Credits to Baking Mum for the recipe!)

Ingredients:

Base

• 200 gm digestive biscuits
• 80 gm melted butter

Marshmallow filling:

• 150 gm marshmallow
• 300 ml milk
• 200 ml whip cream
• 2 tsp of gelatine powder

Jello topping:

• 1/2 pkt strawberry Jello (any flavour jelly can be used)
• 200 ml water
• 2 tsp gelatine powder

Additional topping:

• Canned peach slices

Steps:

1. (Base) Crushed digestive biscuits and mix well with melted butter. Press into a 8” tin. Refrigerate for later use.
2. (Filling) Put all the ingredients into a pot. Boil over small fire until gelatine is dissolved. (Do not allow to bubble)
3. (Jello topping) Boil all ingredients until dissolved.
4. Pour marshmallow filling into the prepared baking tin with biscuit base.
5. Put in freezer until slightly harden but not totally frozen.
6. Take it out and arrange canned peach slices. (Press down slightly to set the peach slices in place)
7. Put it back to freezer to harden a little.
8. When slightly harden take it out and pour the slightly cool or cool Jello on it.
9. Put in fridge to chill.
10. Cut into small pieces to serve.

Variations:

• You can also arrange some sliced fresh strawberries on the biscuit base just before pouring in the marshmallow filling.
• Substitue strawberries for other fruits such as canned fresh starwberry slices or kiwi.
• Use different flavour Jello (e.g. lime) for more variety. 

Tips:

1. Match fruits that complement the flavour of the Jello, for example Lime Jello and Kiwi.
2. Any sort of jelly besides Jello can be used. Make jelly according to the packet instructions, then add 2 tso gelatine powder.
3. Sieve the marshmallow filling while pouring into the base to get rid of bubbles for a smooth texture.
4. Wrap the bottom of the tin tightly with clingwrap to prevent marshmallow filling from seeping out.
5. In Step 6: If marshmallow filling has hardened too much or not enough, the fruit slices might either not stay in place or sink into the filling.
6. Keep cool as the cake melts easily in warm temperatures.
7. For parties or events, an alternate method of serving is to make several mini marshmallow cakes in short, wide glasses/mugs instead of a whole large cake. They're more work, but look cute and is a lot easier to eat (scoop up like pudding) especially if it starts melting a little!

Lime & Kiwi Mini Marshmallow Cake!

Now go impress everyone with this recipe!