Category Archives: Food

Food

Easy Coffee Bundt 

Sock-It-to-Me Cake 

Time2 hours

This vintage cake recipe is part basic pound cake, part coffee cake but with a crunchy brown sugar-pecan blend is inside the cake — rather than on top — for tidier eating and a better bite. It’s inviting on its own, and perfect for coffee or brunch, or dessert. Make it for a group of people you love, or people you’re just getting to know. They’re going to ask you all about the recipe.

Ingredients

12 to 16 servings

  • 3cups/344 grams cake flour, plus more for coating the pan
  • 1teaspoon baking powder
  • ½teaspoon baking soda
  • 1teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1cup/100 grams chopped pecans
  • ½cup/110 grams dark brown sugar
  • 2teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1½cups/340 grams unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 2½cups/525 grams granulated sugar
  • 5large eggs, at room temperature
  • 1tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1cup/250 milliliters sour cream, at room temperature
  • Nonstick cooking spray, for greasing the pan
  • 2cups/184 grams icing sugar, sifted
  • 2teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1½teaspoons milk, plus more as needed

Preparation

  1. Place a rack in the centre of the oven and heat the oven to 350F degrees.
  2. Sift together the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a medium bowl.
  3. In a small bowl, toss together the pecans, brown sugar and cinnamon.
  4. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, about 5 minutes, scraping down the sides as needed. Add the granulated sugar and mix until light and fluffy, another 2 minutes, scraping down the sides. Add eggs, one at a time, waiting until each is fully mixed in before adding the next. Add the vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture in 3 batches, alternating with half the sour cream, starting and ending with the flour mixture.
  5. Generously spray a 12-cup Bundt cake pan with nonstick cooking spray and coat lightly with some cake flour, tapping out any excess over the sink.
  6. Scoop half of the cake batter into the prepared pan, smoothing it out, and spread the pecan mixture evenly over the top. Top with the remaining cake batter, spreading it in an even layer, and tap the pan on the counter to release air.
  7. Bake until a skewer inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean, 50 minutes to 1 hour.
  8. Remove the cake from the oven and let cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Run a butter knife along the edges of the cake to make sure it isn’t sticking to the pan. The cake should naturally start pulling away within a few minutes of being out of the oven. Un-mould onto a rack set over a baking sheet, and let cool to room temperature.
  9. Make the glaze: To a medium bowl, add confectioners’ sugar, vanilla and milk, and stir until smooth. If the glaze is too thick, add more milk. You want it to be thin enough to coat the back of the spoon. Pour over the cooled cake and serve.
Food

Pear Chutney

Everyone seems to be handing over apples from their garden at the moment. It’s clearly past the point where they celebrated the arrival of first fruits and hit the “what do we do with them all?” stage.

As one of the early examples of late Victorian town planning, every house in my area was planted with either an apple or pear tree and such is the luck of the draw that we got the pear tree, an over large, under-fruited centennial. I’m guessing that most of the pear trees were taken out because they’ve never really been as practical, as useful as apples. Maybe we would swap it out if only it weren’t the most marvellous sight in the Spring with all of its blossom.

Given a choice of fruit tree, I’d prefer a plum tree. there are lots of good plum recipes, and who doesn’t love a good plum crumble or clafoutis.

Pears can be tricky.

But whether they’re over or under ripe, or that scarce resource, perfectly ripe (around 1 hour in a fortnight and then you can’t pick them all in time) a chutney works well with pears.

Initially I thought that this would be more of a sweet but bland chutney, the kind to pick up cheese on a cracker but in the end a heavy hand with the spices led to something else entirely. We used this as a substitute for mango chutney – a sweet chilli spice with a hint of aniseed.

Ingredients

  • 200g demerara sugar
  • 200ml cider vinegar
  • 100ml perry (pear cider)
  • 1 star anise
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 2 red onions, chopped
  • 1 tsp grated ginger
  • 10 firm pears, peeled and chopped into bite-sized pieces
  • 2 red chillies, halved (and deseeded if you prefer)
  • 50g sultanas

Method

  • STEP 1Put the sugar, cider vinegar, perry, star anise, cumin, red onions and ginger in a large saucepan and bring to the boil.
  • STEP 2Add the pears and chillies and simmer for 40 mins until the liquid is syrupy and the pears are just cooked. Stir in the sultanas, remove from the heat and leave to cool, then spoon into sterilised jars.
Food

Lemon Bundt Cake

This is the most lemony cake I could find to make and serve at a tennis match last night. Even so, I found myself regretting pouring off some of the drizzle – I should have left it for 5 minutes and come back to see whether it had already absorbed.

Using a Bundt (ring) tin takes most of the stress out of cake making. The middle can’t sink because it isn’t there. The sponge is already a bit more dense than usual so can soak up the lemon drizzled through. Modern spray oil means the cake will release easily from the tin.

And of course the pattern always looks impressive.

Without a bundt (and they are hideously expensive) use either two loaf tins or a normal ring tin.

Prep Time20 mins Cook Time45 mins

Ingredients

For the bundt cake:

  • 225 g butter, softened
  • 300 g caster sugar
  • 6 large eggs
  • 350 g self-raising flour
  • 250 ml plain full-fat yogurt
  • 3 lemons, zested

For the marinade:

  • 2½ lemons, juiced
  • 3 tablespoons caster sugar (45ml) 

For the icing:

  • ½ lemon, juiced
  • 75 g icing sugar

Instructions

Preparation

  • Put a baking sheet in the oven. Preheat the oven to 180°C/ 160°C fan/ gas mark 4/ 350°F
  • Grease the Bundt tin with the spray. Spray evenly over all the surfaces, right into every nook and cranny.If you have the non-spray version or are using oil, use kitchen paper and/or a pastry brush to get into all those crevices
  • Leave the tin upside down over the sink to stop the oil from accumulating in the bottom

For the bundt cake:

  • Put all the cake ingredients into the processor, mixer bowl or large mixing bowl and blitz until mixed(Butter, caster sugar, eggs, flour, yogurt, lemon zest)
  • Scrape down and mix again. Pour into your tin, using a spatula to get all the mixture into the tin and smooth the top
  • Place the tin on the pre-heated baking sheet and cook for 45-50 minutes. Check if it’s done by pushing a skewer in. If the skewer comes out clean, the cake is doneThe cake will be well-risen and golden

For the marinade:

  • Mix the lemon juice and sugar until the sugar has dissolved
  • Leave the cake to cool for 5 minutes, then push a thin skewer or cocktail stick into the cake all over and spoon half the lemon marinade over. Leave in the tin for about 25 more minutes
  • Gently push the cake away from the edges of the tin. If the cake has a domed top, you may want to level it off with a sharp knife so that it sits flat
  • Put a wire rack over the top of the cake and turn upside down. The cake should slide out of the tin
  • Use the skewer/cocktail stick to make more holes and spoon the rest of the marinade over the cake. Leave to cool
Food

Wacky Cake: Made-in-the-Pan Chocolate Cake

A vegan chocolate cake mixed and made in a single pan

Made-in-the-Pan Chocolate Cake

This surprisingly tender vegan chocolate cake is made entirely in an 8-by-8-inch baking pan: Just toss in the ingredients, stir until you don’t see any flour streaks, then bake. For flourish, add a small handful of chocolate chips before baking or sprinkle the finished cake with a little confectioners’ sugar. It’s an ideal snacking cake, or you could gussy it up with a simple ganache frosting. 

  • 9 to 12 servings
  • Time 45 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 ¼ cups/160 grams all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup/200 grams granulated sugar
  • ⅓ cup/30 grams unsweetened cocoa powder
  • ¾ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ⅓ cup/80 milliliters canola oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar or white vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons semisweet or vegan chocolate chips (optional)
  •  Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting on top (optional)

Preparation

  1. Heat oven to 325 degrees. Add the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt to an 8-by-8-inch square glass or metal baking dish. Whisk the mixture together until uniform in color. Use your fingers to break apart any lumps.
  2. Add 1 cup water along with the oil, vanilla extract and vinegar. Stir slowly with a fork or a whisk in small circles to blend. Mash, scrape and stir with a fork and spoon until the mixture becomes a smooth and uniform batter.
  3. Scrape the sides of the baking dish with a rubber spatula and spread the batter in an even layer. Sprinkle with chocolate chips, if using.
  4. Use a damp paper towel to wipe the edges of the baking dish clean. Carefully transfer the dish to the oven and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the batter comes out mostly clean, 28 to 33 minutes. (Instead of looking like you dipped the toothpick in chocolate frosting, it should look like it has some chocolate cake crumbs clinging to it.)
  5. Remove from the oven, let cool, then cut the cake into squares. If you’re feeling fancy, this tastes good (and looks pretty) with some confectioners’ sugar dusted on top.
Food, Home

Tahini Biscuits (2)

Baking these today – pretty much perfect everyday cookies and the best possible substitute for peanut cookies for those of us allergic to peanuts.

Makes around 20-24

  • 200g butter
  • 200g caster sugar
  • 3tbsp golden syrup, or honey
  • 125g tahini
  • 300g plain flour
  • 1tsp baking powder
  • 1tsp salt
  • sesame seeds for dipping

Pre-heat the over to 180C.

Cream the sugar and butter together in a food processor. Add in the syrup and tahini and mix thoroughly.

Tahini Biscuits

Combine all of the dry ingredients in a bowl and add to the creamed butter.

Form into small balls, dip into the sesame seeds and place onto a prepared baking tin. Use the tines of a fool to press the biscuit mix down somewhat.

Bake for 13-15 minutes before getting to one side to cool in the kitchen.

Tahini biscuits
Food

Crispy Tofu With Cashews and Blistered Snap Peas

Almost all tofu recipes that I have come with built in apologies for what they’re not, which is a shame because tofu is something unique that we should be celebrating.

Crispy Tofu With Cashews and Blistered Snap Peas

  • Yield 4 servings
  • Time 30 minutes

A ginger and coconut milk reduction can coat pretty much anything that browns nicely on its own. Here, it’s pieces of pan-seared tofu, but small morsels of chicken and pork will work just as well. The soy and the teaspoons of molasses give the sauce a little caramelization, and a little shine and gloss. For a fresh side, add some blistered snap peas, tossed with sliced scallions, a little mint and a splash of rice vinegar. Snow peas, green beans, broccoli or asparagus? If it’s fresh and green, it’ll work just fine.

Ingredients

  • 1 (14-ounce) block firm or extra-firm tofu, drained
  • 3 tablespoons neutral oil, such as grapeseed, vegetable or canola, plus more as needed
  •  Kosher salt and black pepper
  • ¾ pound snap peas, trimmed
  • 1 (2-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated (about 2 tablespoons)
  • 2 garlic cloves, grated
  • 1 (13-ounce) can unsweetened coconut milk (light or full-fat)
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 2 teaspoons molasses, dark brown sugar or honey
  • ½ cup toasted cashews
  • 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
  • 4 scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced
  • ¼ cup mint leaves, torn if large
  • ½ to 1 teaspoon red-pepper flakes (optional)
  •  Rice or any steamed grain, for serving

Preparation

  1. Slice the tofu in half horizontally, and leave on paper towels to dry any excess liquid.
  2. In a medium skillet or cast-iron pan, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high until it shimmers. Season both sides of the tofu with salt and black pepper, place in the pan and sear without moving until tofu is browned and golden on both sides, turning once halfway through, about 8 minutes total. Move the tofu to a plate.
  3. Add 1 tablespoon oil to the pan, and add the snap peas. Cook, stirring occasionally, until blistered and just tender, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and move to a bowl.
  4. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, add the ginger and garlic, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Pour in the coconut milk, soy sauce and molasses. Simmer, stirring frequently until the sauce reduces and its color deepens to a dark brown, about 6 to 8 minutes. It should coat a spoon without running right off. Stir in the cashews, break the tofu into 1-inch pieces and toss in the pan to coat with sauce. Remove from heat, and taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary.
  5. Toss the snap peas with the rice vinegar, scallions, mint and red-pepper flakes, if using. Divide among plates, along with the tofu and cashews. Serve with rice or any steamed grain.
Food

Ethiopian Lentil & Spinach

The star ingredient here is berbere, a mix of chilli, fenugreek, cardamom, coriander seeds and other spices. It is readily available online and in larger supermarkets, and is seriously good. You could use an alternative spice mix such as garam masala and have a very different (still good) outcome. You could also stick in some meat, sausage etc for a non-vegetarian alternative.

Thomasina Miers’ spicy Ethiopian lentil and spinach soup.

Prep 10 min
Cook 50 min
Serves 4-6

2 tbsp olive oil
25g butter
1 onion, peeled and chopped
Salt and pepper
2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
1 thumb ginger, peeled and finely chopped
1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
1 ½ tbsp berbere spice blend
250g split red lentils, rinsed
1 x 400g tinned plum tomatoes
275g potatoes, peeled and diced
250g baby spinach leaves

To serve
Greek yoghurt
1 lemon, cut into wedges

Warm the fats in a medium-sized pan over a medium heat, add the onion, and season with several large pinches of salt. Cook for 10 minutes, until the onion softens, then stir in the garlic, ginger and chilli, and fry for a further five minutes.

Add the berbere and cook for a minute before adding the lentils, tomatoes, potatoes and 800ml water. Season well, then bring to a boil and cook at a rapid simmer for 30-35 minutes, until the lentils are very soft and the potatoes are tender.

Stir in the spinach and continue to cook until just wilted – about a minute. Taste and adjust the seasoning, if necessary. The soup is even better when finished with a drizzle of clarified butter, an ingredient much used in Ethiopian cooking. Serve with Greek yoghurt and wedges of lemon.

Food

Blueberry Pie

If you fancy ringing the changes, freshly ground coriander adds something to the taste of blueberries.
Blueberry Pie

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE CRUST:

  • 2 ½ cups or 300 grams all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon or 3 grams kosher salt
  • 1 ¼ cups or 285 grams unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes
  • 8-10 tablespoons or 120 to 150 grams of ice water
  • 1 egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon or 15 grams of water

FOR THE FILLING:

  • 8 cups or 1.2 kilograms blueberries, picked over and washed
  • ½ cup or 140 grams raw sugar
  • 2 tablespoons or 30 grams orange or lemon juice
  • 2-3 tablespoons or 16 to 24 grams arrowroot flour, cornstarch or tapioca flour
  • ¼ teaspoon or 1.5 grams kosher salt

PREPARATION

  1. To make the crust, combine the flour and salt in a large bowl or food processor. Add the butter, and either use your fingers to rub the fat into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse meal or pulse the processor a few times to achieve a similar result. Gradually and lightly mix in ice water, a few tablespoons at a time, until the dough just comes together.
  2. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and gather into a ball. Divide the ball into two equal portions, and flatten each into a disc with the heel of your hand. Cover tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 2 days.
  3. Prebake the pie shell. Heat oven to 375. Roll out one of the discs of dough on a lightly floured surface, and fit into a 9-inch pie plate. Trim the dough so that there is a slight overhang at the top of the pie plate, then place the shell in the freezer for 20 minutes or so to chill. Remove the pie shell from the freezer, cover the dough with parchment paper and fill the shell with pie weights or dried beans. Place the shell into the oven, and bake until the bottom has just started to brown, approximately 20 to 25 minutes. Take the pie shell out of the oven, remove the parchment and pie weights and allow to cool.
  4. Make the filling. Separate 1 cup or 150 grams of the blueberries, and combine them in the bowl of a food processor or blender with the sugar, lemon juice, 2 tablespoons or 16 grams of the arrowroot flour or cornstarch and the salt, then pulse to purée. Put the blueberry mixture into a small pot set over medium-high heat, and cook, whisking constantly, until the liquid has just thickened, approximately 1 minute. Pour the thickened mixture over the remaining blueberries, and stir to combine.
  5. Bake the pie. Heat oven to 400. Mound the filling high in the center of the cooled pie shell, and apply the egg wash to the top edge of the cooked bottom crust. Roll out the second disc of dough, and place it over the top, gently crimping it onto the egg-washed edge of the bottom crust. Place the pie into the freezer to set, approximately 20 minutes, then cut vents into the top with a sharp knife, place the pie on a baking sheet and set it into the oven to bake for approximately 30 minutes. Then turn the pie, reduce heat to 350 and bake until the pie is golden and the filling has begun to bubble up through the vents, another 25 to 45 minutes. Allow pie to cool to room temperature before you cut into it.
Food

Apple Cake

This is the kind of recipe for n everyday sort of cake that comes in useful for all of those windfall apples your neighbours start to deliver. It’s based on a basic Dorset apple cake recipe and can be tweaked to fit in with whatever lies in the cupboard.

Perfect Dorset apple cake by Felicity Cloake.

(Makes one apple cake)

225g wholemeal or plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt
Grating of nutmeg or 1 tsp mixed spice or cinnamon if preferred
175g light muscovado sugar or some combination of caster with up to very dark
150g butter, melted
2 large eggs, beaten
4 medium apples, can be fairly tangy (I like Cox’s), diced or grated (it will disappear into the cake if grated)
Demerara or granulated sugar, to top if you want
2 tbsp flaked almonds

Heat the oven to 160C and grease a 20cm cake tin. Put the flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg and sugar in a large bowl and stir in the butter and eggs. Beat together for a minute or so until well combined.

Stir in the apples until well distributed, then spoon into the tin. Smooth the top and then sprinkle with the demerara. Bake for an hour, then add the almonds and bake for about 15-25 minutes more until coming away from the tin.

Allow to cool for 10 minutes in the tin then lift onto a rack to cool completely.

Food

Sri Lankan Dal With Coconut and Lime Kale

An easy comforting daal for the changing weather.Sri Lankan Dal With Coconut and Lime Kale

In this robust dish, quick-cooking red lentils form the base, deepening their flavour with fried green chiles, garlic and ginger. It’s not traditional to serve the kale on top, but it turns a simple dish into a luxurious, complete meal: Just add hot rice and a spoonful of yogurt on the side. —Tejal Rao

Ingredients

  1. 1 pound red lentils
  2. 3 green cardamom pods
  3. 3 tablespoons coconut oil
  4. 1 cinnamon stick
  5. 3 whole cloves
  6. 2 small white onions, thinly sliced
  7. 4 cloves garlic, crushed
  8. ¾ inch piece of ginger, peeled and grated (about 1 tablespoon)
  9. 2 green finger chiles or Serrano chiles, stemmed and finely sliced
  10.  Scant 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
  11. 1 large bunch kale (about 9 ounces)
  12. ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
  13. 2 tablespoons unsweetened shredded coconut
  14. 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  15. 1 lime, juiced
  16. 7 ounces (3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons) canned coconut milk
  17.  Yogurt, for serving
  18.  Rice, for serving

Preparation

  1. Wash the lentils in a strainer in cold water until the water runs clear, then place in a medium bowl, cover with water and set aside. Bash the cardamom pods with the side of a knife so they crack open.
  2. Put 2 tablespoons of the coconut oil into a large pot over medium heat. When hot, add the cardamom pods, cinnamon stick and cloves. Fry for a minute, then add the onions. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until the onions are browning and soft. Add the garlic, ginger and green chiles and stir-fry for 1 to 2 minutes, then remove a third of the mixture from the pot and set aside. (Leave the cinnamon stick behind.)
  3. Drain the lentils and add to the pot, along with the turmeric and 4 1/4 cups of hot water. Turn the heat to high and bring to a boil. Once they are boiling, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are soft and creamy.
  4. While the lentils are simmering, chop the kale into thin strips and discard the thicker stems. Put the remaining tablespoon of coconut oil into a lidded frying pan (keep the lid off for now) over medium heat and, when hot, add the mustard seeds. When the seeds begin to pop, add the reserved onion mixture and fry for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the kale, shredded coconut and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt. Stir-fry for 1 minute, add 1/4 cup of hot water and put the lid on to steam the kale for 2 minutes, or until soft and tender. Add the lime juice and stir.
  5. When the lentils are soft and creamy, add the coconut milk and remaining salt and simmer for 5 more minutes. Remove from the heat, and pick out and discard the cardamom pods and cinnamon stick. To serve, ladle into bowls and divide kale over the top. Serve with a side of yogurt and rice.