Chocolate Mud Cake

 

20 cm round cake pan lined with Parchment Paper

2 cups self raising Flour

½ cup Cocoa Powder

½ teaspoon Salt 

¾ cup Water 

250 grams Butter 

½ cup Milk 

4 Eggs 

2¾ cup Sugar 

220 grams Dark Chocolate chopped 

2 tablespoon Instant Coffee Powder 

2 tablespoon Oil 

Preheat oven to 150 degree C. Line the base and sides of a 20 cm deep round pan with parchment paper. Make sure the parchment comes above the pan, since it will rise so much. ▢ Now time to make the batter. Take water in a sauce pan, Add in coffee, butter, dark chocolate and heat it gently till it is melted. Add in sugar and whisk well till it is completely melted. Pour this in a bowl and set aside to cool down a bit. ▢ Now sieve flour, cocoa, and salt. Set aside. ▢ Now add in milk to the cooled chocolate mix, along with oil. Add in one egg at a time and whisk it well. Add in the sifted flour mix in and mix well to a smooth batter. ▢ Pour this in the prepared pan and pop it in oven for 1.45 hours to 2 hours. Now remove it from oven and let it cool completely. ▢ Now un mould from tin and cut the top with a serrated knife. Spoon the ganache on top and spread on all sides. Decorate as you wish. Chill in fridge for couple of hours. Serve.

Ganache:

1 ¼ cup Chocolate Chips 

½ cup Cream 

1 tablespoon Honey 

Take chocolate chips in a clean dry bowl. ▢ Take cream in a sauce pan and bring it to a simmer. ▢ Now pour this over chocolate and let it sit for 2 to 3 mins. ▢ Now use a spoon to stir gently. ▢ Now the chocolate is smooth. ▢ Add in honey and mix gently. Now ganache is done. ▢ Let it sit till it is cooled. ▢ Use this to spread over cakes..

Chocolate Brownies

Recipe from Tin Eats

200g butter 

200 g dark chocolate chips

1 cup brown sugar, loosely packed

3 eggs, lightly beaten

1 tsp vanilla extract 

1/2 cup plain flour

1/4 cup cocoa powder 

Pinch of salt 

1.5 cups roughly chopped walnuts 

Preheat oven to 180°C.  Line an 8" square tin with baking/parchment paper. Place butter and chocolate chips in a heatproof bowl, microwave in 30 second bursts (takes me 1m 30 sec) until melted. Stir until smooth. Add sugar and vanilla, mix, then add eggs and mix well until smooth and molten. Add flour, cocoa and salt and stir until smooth. Stir in chopped walnuts, pour into pan. Bake 24 minutes for really gooey in the centre, 28 minutes for fudgey but still very moist or 32 minutes for moist fudge-cake-like.

Rest for 10 mins before taking out of the pan.  Wait at least 20 mins before cutting.

Berry Crisp

2 cups fresh berries

Dessert spoon white sugar 

1 cup all-purpose flour 

1 cups rolled oats 

3/4 cups packed brown sugar 

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 

3/4 cups cold butter, cubed 

Gently toss together berries and white sugar in a large bowl; set aside. 

Combine flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, in a separate large bowl. Add cubed butter and rub in until crumble mixture resembles coarse crumbs. 

Press 1/2 of the crumble into the bottom of a small baking tray.

Cover with berry mixture. 

Sprinkle remaining crumble over berries. 

Bake @ 170C until fruit is bubbly and the top is golden brown, 20-30 mins

Serve with cream or ice-cream.

One Pot Chicken and Rice

From Sivan's Kitchen

¼ cup olive oil

1 large onion, chopped 

650gm boneless chicken (breast or thigh), cubed

2 carrots, freshly grated 

1 cup basmati rice, rinsed 

2 cups water 

1 tsp turmeric

1 tsp curry powder

1 tsp salt 

1/2 tsp black pepper 

In a large nonstick pot, heat olive oil. Add onions and sauté until soft and golden.

Stir in grated carrots and cubed chicken. Cook for 3–4 minutes.

Add turmeric, curry, salt, and pepper. Mix well. 

Add rinsed rice and water. Bring to a boil uncovered. 

Once water reduces to rice level, stir, cover, and reduce to low. Simmer for 12–15 minutes, until rice is tender. Fluff rice, serve warm.

Braised Steak with Onions, Carrot, Garlic

 

Two steaks

1 Onion, peeled and chopped

2 Cloves Garlic, peeled and finely chopped 

1 Carrot, peeled and chopped 

25 g (1/6 cups) plain flour 

300 ml (1.25 cups) Beef stock, made from a cube is fine 

1.5 tbsp Dark soy sauce, 

Preheat the oven to 160C/320F. Heat the oil in a large, deep, lidded frying pan (a sauté pan) over a high heat. Pat the steaks dry with kitchen roll and gently put them in the pan. Fry on both sides for about 5 minutes until they are a golden colour. Lift the steaks out to a plate and set aside. 

Reduce the heat to medium and add the onions, garlic and carrots, fry for 5-10 minutes until just starting to soften and colour. Sprinkle over the flour and stir to coat the vegetables. Add the steak back into the pan. Pour over the stock, soy sauce and plenty of salt and pepper. Put the lid on and put in the oven for 1.5-2 hours.

Cabbage and Corn Fritters

 

2 eggs

1/4 cabbage, shredded 

1 cup self raising flour 

1 brown onion, diced 

1 cup corn kernels 

1 cup milk

Add cabbage, self raising flour, onion, corn kernels, eggs and milk in a large mixing bowl. Stir to combine. Add more milk if too dry. Allow to sit for about 10 mins. Add oil to fry pan and place about a tablespoon of mixture for each fritter. Brown on each side. Add salt once cooked if desired

Pesach Hazelnut Cookies

 

200g ground hazelnuts

200g caster sugar 

2 egg whites 

1 lemon, grated zest 

Preheat the oven to 170C and line a baking tray with baking parchment. 

In a bowl mix the sugar, the ground hazelnuts and the lemon zest. 

In a separate bowl beat the egg whites with electric beaters until very stiff. 

Gently fold the nut and sugar mixture into the egg whites until you have a smooth sticky paste. 

Use a teaspoon to place spoonfuls of mixture in circles on the baking tray approximately 2.5 cm apart. 

If you want to decorate and add extra flavor, place a whole hazelnut on top of each biscuit. 

Bake for 18- 20 minutes until light brown. Store

Store in an air tight container in a cool room.

Meat Loaf

500g beef mince

1 onion, finely chopped

1 egg

3/4 cup tomato sauce

3/4 cup cornflake crumbs

1 tablespoon garlic powder

salt and pepper

Saute onion until translucent and allow to cool slightly.

Mix all ingredients together, form into a rough loaf shape and place on baking tray.  

Bake in moderate oven for 45 minutes.

Israeli Purple Cabbage Salad

 

1 small head red cabbage, shredded 

3 tablespoons mayonnaise 

2 tablespoons white sugar, or to taste 

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon salt

Cabbage Soup

 

1 medium head of cabbage, chopped 

1 large onion, chopped 

2 large carrots, sliced 

3 celery stalks, chopped 

1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes 

6 cups vegetable broth 

1-2 cloves garlic, minced 

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric (optional, for added health benefits) 

1/2 teaspoon black pepper 

1 tablespoon lemon juice (optional, for a bright flavor) 

Salt, to taste

Lo Mein Vegetables

 

Sauce 

1/4 cup vegetable broth 

3 tbsp soy sauce 

2 tbsp brown sugar 

1 tbsp sesame oil 

 

8 oz Lo Mein or Hokkien noodles (cooked according to package instructions) 

1 large carrot julienne 

1 cup broccoli chopped 

1 large red bell pepper sliced 

1 medium onion sliced 

 4 garlic cloves 

1 tbsp oil for frying 

 

In a bowl combine together broth, brown sugar, sesame oil and soy sauce. Whisk until everything comes together. Set aside. 

In a preheated skillet with oil, fry carrots until golden brown. Remove and set aside. Repeat this with onions, broccoli and bell peppers. Cooking veggies separately creates the best flavors.  Add all vegetables back to the skillet. Press garlic into the vegetables and toss everything together.

Add noodles and sauce. Toss together and let cook for 3-5 minutes. Remove from the heat and serve right away.

Angel Hair Pasta and Red Cabbage Salad

 

1 box angel hair pasta 

Thinly sliced red cabbage  

A few spring onions finely sliced

Toasted sesame seeds to sprinkle over the top 

Dressing: 

2/3 Cup oil 

1/2 Cup vinegar 

1/3 Cup sugar or sweetener

1 teaspoon salt 

1/2 teaspoon pepper