Double Choc Chip Cake

Double Choc Chip Cake MMMM!! This is one of the easiest cakes to make – all you need is a blender or a stick blender, its so easy that mini me’s will be making this tonight, and every time they have drop ins.

You can make this in a loaf tin (bakes in about 1 hour) or into 2 small sandwich tins to make it easier to ice and layer (this should take about 35-40 mins) depends on your oven and the size of the tin – should check cake after 35 mins.

1 1/3 Cups Self Raising Flour

1 1/3 Cups Caster Sugar

1/2 Tsp Bi-Carb Soda

1/2 Cup Coco Powder

6 oz (175g) unsalted Butter (soften)

80 ml Cream

1 Tsp Vanilla

2 Egg

1/3 cup Hot water

175g Dark Choc Chips

1.     Pre-heat oven at 170C

2.     Grease your tin and line bottom with baking paper as this will stick due to the melted choc chips.

3.     In a blender or a bowl (if using stick blender) put all ingredients except for the water and choc chips.

4.     Blend until combined, add the water (if it is too dry add a little more).

5.     Add Choc Chips and stir with a spoon

6.     Pour into pan (or pans if using sandwich tins)

7.     Bake for 1 hour for the loaf tin or about 35 – 45 mins for sandwich tin (keep checking after 35 mins by inserting a knife or skewer to check if cooked through.

8.     Cool in tin for 5 mins and invert on to a plate.

If you like you can make a icing of chocolate ganache or just have it as a loaf sliced with you cuppa.

Bil Hana we Shefa

Triple Chocolate Baked Cheesecake

I tried this recipe for my son’s birthday and was a hit, I now get orders for this from my family and friends - it’s a great cake to make for a party as it feeds 12 -16 people depending on the size of your slices. The different layers are very impressive and the taste is a silky smooth rich chocolate sensation.

1/4 cup Flaked blanched almonds, divided
120g milk chocolate, finely chopped
120g white chocolate, finely chopped
120g dark chocolate, finely chopped
1kg cream cheese, softened
1- 3/4 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature 

2 tsp Vanilla bean paste or extract
3/4 cup thickened cream
120g dark chocolate, finely chopped
1/2 cup thickened cream 

Chocolate curls or strawberries flaked almonds (decorating options) 

Preheat oven to 160C.

1. Remove the side from a 26” spring-form pan. Cover the spring-form bottom with a double piece of aluminium foil and then cut a piece of baking paper and put on top, leaving a piece of foil and baking paper overhang all the way around the edge. Carefully attach the side of the spring-form so as not to tear the foil or baking paper this will make it easy to remove from the pan. Wrap the foil overhang halfway up the side of the spring-form pan. Cut more foil and put on the bottom of the pan up the sides – as this will go into a water bath you don’t want any water to get in and have ready a roasting pan with high sides that will fit the spring- form pan and water for a bain-marie.
2. Generously butter the bottom and side of the prepared spring-form pan. Press the Almonds onto the bottom of the prepared pan crushing slightly. Refrigerate. 
3. Melt the milk, white and dark chocolates separately using a double boiler or in the microwave oven at 30 second intervals until just melted.
4. In the bowl of a heavy duty electric mixer using the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese for 3 to 5 minutes until smooth and creamy.
5. Beat in the sugar.
6. Reduce the speed to medium and one at a time beat in the eggs, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla.
7. Beat in the cream until well combined. 
8. Divide the cheesecake batter into 3 medium bowls.
9. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the milk chocolate just until combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
10. Fold the white chocolate into one the other bowl of batter and gently pour on top of the milk chocolate batter. Spread very carefully over the milk chocolate so that it sits on top – and doesn’t get mixed in.
11. Fold the dark chocolate into the remaining cheesecake batter and gently pour it on top of the white chocolate batter. Spread very carefully over the white chocolate so that it sits on top – and doesn’t get mixed in.
12. Place the cheesecake in a large pan on the centre rack of the oven. Pour boiling water into the roasting pan so that the water comes halfway up the side of the spring-form pan.
13. Bake the cheesecake for 1 hour and 45 minutes to 2 hours, or until set. Turn off the oven and let the cheesecake sit in the oven with the door closed for an additional hour. This will prevent the cake from cracking on top.
14. Remove the cheesecake from the oven and cool to room temperature. 
15. Refrigerate the cheesecake overnight or for at least 5 hours, until firm. 
16. To make the glaze, place the chocolate and cream in a small saucepan over medium heat (or in the microwave for 1 – 2 mins at 30 second intervals stirring each time until chocolate has melted), stirring until chocolate has melted, take off heat and stir until you have a smooth mixture .
17. Allow to cool for 5 mins.
18. Pour the topping mixture onto the centre of the cheesecake. Spread the topping evenly over the top of the cheesecake. 
19. Refrigerate the cheesecake for 10 minutes to set the topping. 
20. Run a thin-blade knife around the edge of the cheesecake to loosen it from the side of the spring-form pan. Remove the side of the spring-form pan.
21. Decorate with chocolate curls or strawberries and extra Flaked almonds around the sides.
22. Transfer it to a serving platter. Cut the cheesecake with a sharp, thin-blade knife, dipping the blade in hot water and wiping it dry between each slice.

Bon Appetite!

Thai Beef Salad

This is a great summer dish, so tasty and very nutritious with a lot of herb and vegetables – I have added broccoli and asparagus, but you can add any vegetable you like that is crisp and fresh.

This will feed about 6 people

1 kg Flank or Rump steak (beef)

¼ Cup Fish Sauce

½  Cup Lemon or lime juice

3 Tbsp Kecap Manis (sweet soy sauce)

4 Garlic cloves (minced)

3 tbsp sesame oil

1 ½  tbsp chilli oil

2 chillies (finely sliced)

1 bunch Coriander (roughly chopped)

1 Cos Lettuce (sliced)

1 bunch mint (chopped)

1 bunch green onions (sliced)

2 Spanish onions (halved and sliced)

4 tomatoes (cut into mini Wedges)

2 cucumbers (halved and sliced)

1 red Capsicum (sliced into thin strips)

1 bunch Broccoli flowerets (blanched)

1 or 2 bundles of Asparagus (blanched and cut to bite size pieces)

1.     Pre-heat BBQ or grill

2.     Make the dressing by whisking together fish sauce, lemon juice, kecap manis, garlic, sesame oil, chilli oil and sliced chilli.

3.     You can use a little of this dressing to marinade the beef before BBQ.

4.     Grill beef until cooked to medium – well.

5.     Leave to rest and cool before slicing into thin bite size strips.

6.     In a large bowl, add the coriander, lettuce, mint, green onions, Spanish onion, tomatoes, cucumbers, capsicum, broccoli, and asparagus and mix in the sliced beef (and juices) and the marinade – toss together to coat.

Bon Apetit

The Making of Samna (Clarified Butter/ Ghee)

This is an important ingredient to have in the Egyptian kitchen and making it yourself is very satisfying.
The taste of your dishes will be enhanced - this Samna can be used in place of butter.

This is the main ingredient in all the biscuits and shortbreads that are made in all Egyptian homes, the
Unique taste of the Samna is the star of final product.

This is especially good to fry eggs in, as the flavour shines through.

All you need is good quality butter (salted or unsalted) and time (about 3 hours for 5 kg) –
the following method can be used for any amount of butter you are melting, but you may need to shorten the time if you are making a small amount.

1.     Place the blocks of butter in a large heavy based saucepan (big enough to take the amount you are melting) – I use Scanpan as it is a good non-stick pot.

2.     Put over a medium heat until the butter melts and starts to come to a boil.

3.     Turn down the heat and let it simmer

4.     It will create a foam on top, keep an eye on it at this stage as it could over boil as the milk solids come to the top)

5.     Stir the pot occasionally to ensure that nothing sticks to the bottom.

6.     The milk solids will drop to the bottom of the pot stir them every 15 mins to ensure its not sticking.

7.    Once the milk solids turn a deep golden colour (go as brown as possible without burning) and    the butter has become translucent – this is the cooking of the butter which develops the unique Egyptian taste, then its ready.

8.     Pour into your containers, discarding the brown solids in the bottom of the pot, and place lid on – leave to cool and set (if the weather is very hot you may need to put in the fridge to set then they can be stored in the pantry.

Middle Eastern Rice with Chicken, Nuts and Sultanas

I had this dish in Melbourne and just loved it – I wanted to share my experience with my family so I re-created it at home and adjusted the ingredients that I know my kids love, add a tossed salad or tabouli and a yogurt salad (recipe to follow) and you will have a complete meal.

This is also a great party or special dinner dish for a group of people – you can double it and make 2.

Serves 6

500 g chicken breast (Cut into 2 cm strips keeping the length of the breast) or tenderloin

1.5 litres chicken stock

50g butter

500 g minced beef or lamb

1 onion (finely chopped)

2 garlic cloves (minced)

2.5 Cups short grain rice

3 tsp 7 spice mix (boharat)

1 Cup slivered Almonds or Pine Nuts (toasted)

½ Cup Sultanas

Spring Onions (sliced)

2 Tomotoes thinly sliced

Salt & Pepper

1. Heat Chicken Stock until it comes to the boil, add chicken and simmer for 10 – 15 minutes or until cooked through.
2. Take out the chicken and reserve the stock for the rice.
3. In a saucepan, melt the butter and add the onion and garlic sauté until softened without colouring.
4. Add the mince meat and cook until brown, add salt & pepper to season.
5. Add 2 tsp of the spice mix. (reserve 1 tsp for the top of the final dish).
6. Add the rice and stir through until coated fry for a few minutes.
7. Add the stock until just covered above the rice mixture.
8. Bring to the boil (taste for seasoning as this is the last chance to adjust if needed) and turn down and simmer with the lid on for 15 mins or until the rice is cooked.
9. Half way through cooking (7 mins) add Sultanas and ¾ Cup of nuts (reserve ¼ Cup for the top) and Stir through rice, replace lid and continue cooking.
10. Line a large bowl with plastic.

    

    Line Bowl with plastic and layer chicken
    sprinkle some of the reserved nuts & spices

    
11. Sprinkle some of the reserved nuts, and line the bottom and half way up the sides of the bowl with the chicken.
12. When the rice is cooked, carefully spoon the rice into the bowl and pack it in until it fills the bowl.
13. Place a serving platter upside down on top of the bowl and carefully invert the dish onto the platter.
14. Sprinkle the rest of the nuts and spice mix on top of the inverted dish.
15. Decorate with the spring onions & tomatoes.

Bon Apatite , bil hana we shefa

Carefully spoon rice into bowl

Honey Soy & Chilli Chicken Drumetts

 

This recipe is a great party finger food, this is especially for my new son in-law who loves them so much he went home and tried to make them without asking for a recipe - let"s see how can I put this - it was a disaster!!

So JJ this is for you - OK let's get started with the chicken drummets.

This serves 6 as an entree/ starter

2 kg chicken drummetts
1/2 cup soy sauce or 1/4 cup soy and 1/4 cup ketsup manis (sweet thick soy)
3 tbsp oyster sauce
3 tbsp ketchup
2 tbsp chilli sauce (or more if you like it spicy)
8 cloves garlic crushed
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup oil

1. Put washed drummets in a bowl.

2. In another small bowl make the marinade with crushed Garlic, soy, oyster sauce, ketchup, chilli sauce, honey and Oil.

3. Mix together and pour marinade over chicken and coat thoroghly, cover and marinade over night or at least 3 hours.

4. after the marination period, place chicken on a paper lined baking tray and cook in moderate oven, about 170c for about 1 hour to 90 mins until chicken is cooked and sticky 

5. Half way through cooking time drain excess liquid and turn drummets so it browns all over, to make these extra hot - add extra chilli sauce on the wings half way through and return to oven to continue cooking and browning.

Enjoy and keep partying !!

Chicken Chorizo and Spinach Paella

This is a great mid week dinner as it is very quick to prepare and takes only 20 mins to cook.

The fundamentals of this dish are similar to a risotto without the intense laborious stirring and the results are a very tasty and healthy family meal.

This will become a family favourite that can be altered to add your favourite ingredients to the basis. Experiment with your cooking and you will be surprised with the results – just use ingredients you and your family like to eat and it will be a winner.

This will serve 6

500g Chicken tenderloins (cut in half)

2 Chorizo (sliced)

1 onion (finely chopped)

4 cloves garlic (crushed)

400g Arborio Rice or medium grain rice

1 red capsicum diced

3 tomatoes diced

3 shallots (sliced)

½ bunch coriander (chopped)

100g baby spinach

4 tbsp olive oil

2 tsp paprika

1L chicken stock or 2 chicken stock cubes

½ tsp Chilli powder (optional)

Salt & Pepper to taste

1. Put the sliced chorizo into a cold pan, and put over a low to medium flame until all the fragrant oils permeate the pan and the chorizo browns – take out of the pan leaving the oils in the pan.
2. Season the chicken with Paprika, Salt& Pepper
3. Add 2 tbsp olive oil to the pan, add the chicken and pan fry on both sides, add the capsicum and half the coriander and fry until capsicum is soft, and take out of the pan.
4. Add the rest of the olive oil to the pan and add the onions and garlic and sauté until translucent.
5. Add the rice and stir to coat with the oils.
6. Add the shallots and tomatoes, and stir for a few minutes.
7. Add the chicken stock or cubes and water to cover – season to taste (after it comes to the boil taste the liquid to check for seasoning as you cannot season properly once the rice absorbs the liquid)
8. Bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes.
9. Add the chicken mixture and chorizo to the pan and stir through, cover and keep cooking until rice is almost cooked through.
10. Add the spinach in the last 5 minutes of cooking – stir through.

Note: this can be made into a vegetarian dish by adding more vegetables and omitting the chicken and chorizo.

Bon Apetite we Bil hana we sheffa