Carrot & Walnuts Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting (蘿蔔合桃蛋糕)

It takes me a while to find the best recipe for a carrot cake.  I have tried recipe that used pineapple, sour cream and orange frosting.  Based on personal opinion, I think walnut and sultanas go the best with carrot cake and an layer of cream cheese icing simply making it irresistible.  This recipe comes from my old collection of magazine clipping.  It's one of the reader's all-time favourites and has become one of mine as well.

Carrot & Walnuts Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
3 eggs
1 cup sunflower oil
150g caster sugar
1 1/2 cups plain sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon bicarbonate soda
2 cups grated carrot
1/2 chopped walnuts
65g cream cheese, softened
15g butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence
3/4 cup icing sugar

Method:

1. Combine eggs, oil and sugar in a bowl.  Use an electrical mixer beats the ingredients until pale and creamy. 
2. Fold in sifted flour, cinnamon, baking powder and bicarbonate soda, then fold in carrot and walnuts.
3. Spread the cake mix into a grease-lined 20cmx30cm rectangular pan.  Bake at 150c for 30minutes or until cooked.  Turn onto a wire rack to cool.
4. Beat cream cheese, butter and vanilla essence in a bowl until well combined.  Add sifted icing sugar and beat until the icing become smooth and spreadable.  Spread over cooled cakes and decorate with extra chopped walnuts.  

Note:  If you are allergic to nuts, you can substitute walnuts to sultanas and decorate the cake with choc chip instead.

蘿蔔合桃蛋糕

材料：
雞蛋 3 隻
太陽花子油 1 杯
幼砂糖 150g
普通麵粉 1 1/2 杯
玉桂粉 2 茶匙
泡打發粉 1 茶匙
小蘇打粉 1 茶匙
紅蘿蔔絲 2 杯
合桃切碎半杯
忌廉芝士 65g, 放軟身
牛油 15g, 放軟身
雲尼那香精 半茶匙
糖花 3/4 杯

做法：

1. 把雞蛋、花子油和糖放入大盆，用電攪拌机攪至蛋糕糊成淡色忌廉。
2. 倒入篩過的麵粉、玉桂粉、泡打發粉和小蘇打粉。最後加入蘿蔔絲和合桃碎。
3. 把蛋糕糊倒入一個預先放好蛋糕紙的 20cmx30cm 長方式盆，用 150c 烘 30 分鐘。把蛋糕放在蛋糕架上待涼。
4. 把芝士和牛油攪和，再加入糖花和雲尼那香精，攪拌至成糊。用刀把芝士醬鋪上蛋糕，最後灑上合桃碎作裝飾。如果對合桃敏感可除去合桃，用匙子乾代替和用朱古力粒作裝飾。

Bruschetta - Greek Style

I went to have lunch in a Greek restaurant the other day.  I've only been there twice as I usually go to the restaurant across the road merely because I like the pasta there.  Unfortunately, the restaurant was closed down so I decided to have another go with the Greek's.  We order some bruschetta for entree.  When it came to the table, it looked a bit different to what we had in the other restaurant.  It had melted cheese on top and there was some thick brown sauce drizzling around the bread.  The taste was good, too.  It's sourness made it a good appetiser that you would want to eat more food.  Of course, we would not leave until we had our dessert.

I have got some old bread in the fridge and this is what happen to it ......

Bruschetta - Greek Style

1 Olive & Feta Panini
1 tomato, diced
1 teaspoon red onion, finely diced
1/2 teaspoon fresh basil leaves, finely chopped
3 tablespoons shredded parmesan cheese
balsamic glaze
butter
pinch of salt

Methods:

1. Cut the bread into halves, then cut each half into three.  You would end up with six small pieces.
2. Mix the tomato, onion, basil and salt together in a bowl.
3. Butter the bread, then spoon in the tomato mix onto the bread.  Drizzle with the balsamic glaze, top with the parmesan cheese.
4. Place the bread into a hot grill until the cheese melt and the edges turn golden brown.

Note: You can use french sticks and baguette or even bread rolls to make this bruschetta.   

Chicken Bagels with Green Salad in Balsamic Dressing

Bagel is an interesting looking bread.  It's ring shaped with a glossy surface.  Besides kneading and resting, it needs to be boil before baking in the oven.  This Jewish bread roll can be purchased in supermarket but they are not popular in cafes that hardly any of them has it in the menu.  I have not seen it selling in my local bakery either.  I would image a warm, fresh bagel would be crisp on the surface and soft in the centre.  Traditionally, it is served warm with cream cheese and smoked salmon.  The only way I have had it in a cafe is with roast chicken and gravy.  Occasionally I would make chicken bagel for lunch when I am in the mood.

Chicken Bagels with Green Salad in Balsamic Dressing      
Serve 4

Ingredients:
4 poppyseed bagels
meat from half of a roasted chicken, cut into pieces
butter
Green salad (Spinach, coral lettuce, red onion, beetroot and cucumber)
Instant gravy

Salad dressing:
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoon low-fat mayonnaise
1 teaspoon olive oil
extra balsamic glaze

Methods:

1. Split open the bagels into halves.  Place them onto a baking tray with the cut side up and butter them all.  Grill bagels under the grill on high heat until nicely toasted.
2. Mix the salad dressing ingredients until well combine.  Toss through the green salad.  Drizzle the salad with extra balsamic glaze if you wish.
3. Place chicken onto the base of the bagel and then drizzle some warm gravy over the chicken.  Top the other half over the bagel.  Serving with the green salad.

Chicken Panini Salad Rolls

I like bread as much as I like rice.  I like bread in different size and shape, white or wholemeal, sourdough or rye, fresh or toast....  Somehow I like panini the best because it is soft, the triangular shape is so different and I'm attracted to its white flouring surface.  Our local bakery used to sell it for everyone but it only cater for the cafes now.  When I was shopping in the nearby town the other day and found it from the delicatessen, I would not miss my chance and grabbed a packet home straight away.  The end result was making me very happy indeed.  This is a low sodium version, you can add a piece of fried bacon to make it a fuller meal if you wish.

Chicken Panini Salad Rolls
Make 2

Ingredients:
2 panini rolls
2 pieces of boneless Chicken thigh
2 pieces of 100% cheddar cheese
green leaf of lettuce & spinach
grated carrot
sliced tomato
sliced onion
sliced mushroom
thai sweet chilli sauce
butter
garlic, paprika and pepper for seasoning

Methods:

1. Slice the bread into two layers.  Butter the bottom halves.  Place the cut sides up and place cheddar cheese over the top halves. Place the bread on the baking tray and grill in the oven on high till the cheese is melted and the side of bread crisp.  This process does not take long so don't leave it unattended.
2. Marinate the chicken with garlic, paprika and pepper for 10-15 minutes.  Pan fry chicken fillets in a non-stick pan until cooked.  Meanwhile, cook onion and mushroom as well.
3. To assemble the roll: place tomato at the base of the bread, then carrot, green leaf, onion and mushroom.  Place chicken over the top of the salad and drizzle some sweet chilli sauce over the chicken.  Finally, place the top halves with melted cheese on top of the bread.  

Vegetables Soup

The weather in September is quite unpredictable.  It could be sunny and warm one day then it could be cool and windy the next day.  The rain keeps the garden growing very well.  My pansies are all smiling at me in the flower pots.  Even though the weather is getting warm, I still feel like having soup to keep me warm and to increase the fluid intake.  The western style soup is very different to the Asian's.  It is thick and chunky that can be serve as a meal whereas the Asian soup is usually very thin.  The first time I tasted the vegetable soup was at my friend's cafe many years ago.  It was located in a country tourist area where you could look over the farm view from the dinning area.  It made you feel very natural and relax by having something so simple and nice.  After a few trial and error, I create this recipe as my best vegetable soup.  I can fool my kids to eat the vegetables that they don't like.

3 Litres of water
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 small sweet potato, peeled and chopped
1 small zucchini, chopped
1 small carrot, peeled and chopped
2 small potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 stalk of celery, chopped
1/2 red capsicum, chopped
1/4 sugar loaf cabbage, chopped
kernels cut from a cob of corn
1/2 cup soup mix (red lentil, yellow spilt peas, green peas and barley)
1/4 cup brown rice
chives for garnish
bread rolls to serve

Method:

1. Wash and rinse the soup mix and the brown rice.
2. Boil water in a large saucepan.  Add the soup mix and brown rice.  Then add in the rest of the vegetables and boil for about 1 hour 30 minutes in moderate and slow heat.  Use the back of the soup laddle to mess some the chuck of the vegetables to get a thicker soup.  Garnish with chives and serve with bread rolls.  

Note: The left over soup may be a bit thick, simply add in some water to thinning it during reheat.

Strawberry Feast - Strawberry Jelly Slice and Strawberry Kebabs

We have a Strawberry Festival to celebrate the strawberry season in the area where I live in September.  Local school has a school fete to invite the locals to join the fun that kids enjoy merry-go-round, face paintings, dancing performance and most important of all, eating strawberries all day long.  Strawberry is not only a very delicious and nutritious fruit, it can be prepared in a variety of ways.  To name a few, there are strawberry and cream, strawberry jam and strawberry sponge cake.  It would not be perfect having chocolate fondue without strawberry.  I like to buy the biggest strawberry as it tastes the sweetest.    Let's celebrate the strawberry season with my strawberry jelly slice and strawberry kebab.  Recipe of the jelly slice is based on the recipe from Cakes & Slices Cookbook published by the Australian Women's Weekly.

Strawberry Jelly Slice

Ingredients:
Make about 10 slices

2 cups (250g) sweet biscuits
125g butter, melted
100g pink marshmallows
1 teaspoon gelatine
1/4 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon vanilla essence
2/3 cup Pauls low-fat thickened cream
5 strawberries, halved
2x100g packets strawberry jelly
2 cups boiling water

Methods:

1. Grease a 19cmx29cm lamington pan.
2. Process the biscuits into crumbs by an electric blender.  Combine crumbs and butter in a bowl, mix well.  Press evenly over base of the pan and put into the fridge for about 30 minutes or until firm.
3. Combine marshmallows, gelatine and milk in a saucepan, stir over low heat without boiling until marshmallows are melted.  Add in the vanilla essence.  Leave cool to room temperature.
4. Whip cream in a separate bowl until soft peaks form,  add the marshmallow mixture.  Pour over the biscuits base.  Refrigerate for another 30 minutes or until firm.
5. Dissolve jelly in boiling water, cool to room temperature.  Pour jelly over the marshmallow filling.
6. Push the halved strawberries into the semi-settle jelly and refrigerate until firm before cutting. 

Note: Pauls' low-fat thickened cream is the only brand that can be whipped.  It takes a bit longer to whip than the full cream one and it does not whip perfectly.  The gelatine helps the marshmallow filling to set.   I am trying to cut down as much fat as possible in this recipe.

Strawberry Kebabs

make 4 kebabs

Ingredients:

strawberries

white & pink marshmallows

50g dairy milk chocolate, melted

4 bamboo skewers

Method:
Simply skew the strawberries and marshmallows through the skewer and drizzle with warm melted chocolate.  Enjoy! 

Baklava

I finally decided to try making Baklava after watching the Australian Junior Masterchef.  When I went travelling in Melbourne years ago, many different types of Greek's sweet were selling in the Greek pastry shops.  Some were in a roll and some were in layers but they all look awfully sweet.  We bought a few for sampling and you couldn't eat too much as they were very rich.  It is a nice compliment to go along with a cup of coffee.  Anyway, we enjoy our trip and never forget the awesome looking of all the different varieties of Greek sweet.  I follow the kids in the Junior Masterchef to make the Baklava in a roll rather than in flat layer as stated in my recipe.  Oh, my goodness!  It's crispy, crunchy, buttery and not as sweet as the one I have tasted.  The honey-lemon syrup cuts into the saltiness of the pastry.  I take a big bite of it and thinking whether I should have a second piece.  It's never too old learning tricks from kids.  My Baklava is based on the recipe from Cooking Class Cookbook from the Australian Women's Weekly.

Baklava
Make 6 pieces

Ingredients:
15 sheets fillo pastry (about 23cmx23cm), thawed
2-3 tablespoons of butter, melted
1 cup walnut, finely chopped
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons sugar

Honey-lemon Syrup:
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons honey

Methods:

1. Line the non-stick baking paper onto the tray.  This will be your working station.
2. Place the first sheet of pastry onto the tray.  Brushing it with melted butter.  The fillo pastry I have is about 23cmx46cm, I cut it in half and work on the square shape.
3. Repeat the brushing process for each layer of pastry.  Fillo pastry is as fine as rice paper.  Try to patch it if it breaks rather than throwing the whole sheet away.  You don't notice it in the end product. 
4. Combine walnuts, cinnamon and sugar, sprinkle evenly over top layer. 
5. Fold the two ends of the pastry toward the middle.  Then fold it again so you have one end stacking on top of the other like a roll.  Brush the top and side of the roll with butter.
6. Bake in the pre-heat oven at 170C for about 30 minutes or until crisp and golden brown.
7. Combine sugar and water in a small saucepan pan, stir over low heat until sugar has dissolved.  Add in lemon juice and honey and boil until the syrup starts to thicken.
8. Trim the end of the roll, then cut the roll into 2cm thick pieces.  Drizzle hot syrup over the Baklava.