Blog - Sugar et al

Raspberry, Watermelon and White Nectarine Popsicles

16|01|2015

Around Christmas, last year (Oh! that sounds so long ago though we’re talking less than a month really) we met a wonderful family. We had met only once before that during the twin’s orientation day at their new school. On that day we had excited parent-like conversations, shared anxieties and had the children pose for pictures together. Numbers were exchanged, totally oblivious to the fact that this was just the foundation to a robust, warm friendship. A bond that involved two generations of people. We met again and again and again and before the calender changed to 2015 we were like one big happy family. Random picnics and impromptu day trips weren’t such a bad idea suddenly. (If you are a parent to young kids, you know what I mean!) Home-made food found new homes and there were more reasons to bake cakes.

Amidst a kitchen full of delicious food, laughter and three children wildly racing around the house at midnight, we ushered in the New Year. ‘Let’s start a restaurant. Will there be takers?’ We giggled like school kids as the most amazing fireworks broke into the Sydney sky. A night resonating with the New Year that brought fresh hope, untold promises and an assurance that there were greater times ahead. A friendship sealed by fate and frozen in time.

So what else is frozen? 4 sweet summery treats in my freezer. There is no room for anything else and I am beaming at the thought of it. I can tell you I have made the most of our summer. Our produce is at it’s peak at the moment and though we have a little more than a month left, the stone fruits will start to dwindle. So before that happens, I am trying my best to incorporate them in my recipes. Well actually, I have been brainstorming recipes around them. You may already know this, Summer is my favorite time of the year. And I think I can paint a picture with the colors that are on display in the fruit markets right now.

These popsicles are like a pretty pink fruit smoothie on a stick. Lots of fruity goodness and quite simple to make. Feel free to replace with fruits of your choice. The raspberries I have used are frozen so you can make them even though they may not be in season where you are.

Raspberry, Watermelon and White Nectarine Popsicles
Makes 6 large Pops

1 cup frozen Raspberries
3 cup watermelon, seeded and roughly chopped
2 nectarines stoned, and roughly chopped
1/2 cup Greek Yogurt
1/2 cup castor sugar (or 3 tbsp honey/maple syrup)
1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

Place all the ingredients together in a blender or food processor and process till smooth. Strain into a jug, pressing with the back of a spoon to extract maximum liquid.
Pour into molds. Freeze for two hours before inserting a stick in the centre of each popsicle. Freeze overnight.

Cherry, Banana and Muesli Muffins

13|01|2015

I made these muffins yesterday in persuit of a few healthy and delicious lunchbox recipes that are going to frequent my kitchen soon. It involved quite a few good healthy ingredients so I was keen to find out if the recipe worked. More importantly, I hoped the little people for whom this was meant liked it. In our home, fortunately we have had very little issues with picky eating and such. So far so good! I’ve thought about it several times. Are my children any different than others?…maybe they are unable to voice out….maybe they are too sensitive to their Mum’s feelings…or maybe they haven’t yet explored too much outside my cooking…could I be such a versatile cook that my food appeals to two different palates at the same time? Actually, none of this is true. I try, like anybody else. I teach, by not being picky myself. We talk a lot about food and I encourage them to join me in the kitchen doing small chores and they always seem excited at the prospect.

I think the truth is that offset each other well. Could be to do with twin-hood. Children are inclined to do things in a group that they might not do as an individual. Since I have a sweet lover and another savory lover for children, it works in my favour. They probably eat everything because at least one of them would generally like what I put on the table. The other one follows. It will be interesting to see how things change (if they do…hopefully not) this year when they step into a slightly bigger world.

Coming back to the muffins, these are great. They are wholesome, filling, tasty and totally flexible. They are made of part wholemeal flour, part plain flour and part muesli. Then there is banana, yogurt and plenty of fruit inside. I used cherries which can be replaced with blueberries, strawberries, apples, peaches…basically all or any of your favourite fruits. I did not add nuts as the muesli I used had a bit of nuts and seeds in them but there is no harm in adding more. And there is a hint of spice (cinnamon) to elevate the flavours. They are moist inside and crunchy on top due to the addition of extra muesli like a streusel topping. The predominant flavour is of sweet bananas and juicy cherries. This would make a great on-the-go breakfast or snack for adults as well.

Cherry, Banana and Muesli Muffins (minimally adapted from here)
Makes 12 regular sized muffins

1 cup self-raising flour
3/4 cup wholemeal self-raising flour
1/2 cup caster sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 cups muesli (home made or store bought)
60 g butter, melted
1 large banana, mashed with a fork
1 cup Greek yogurt
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup cherries (pitted and roughly chopped)
1/2 cup extra muesli (for topping)
1 tablespoon honey

Preheat oven to 200 degrees C (18 degrees c for fan forced).
Grease or line a muffin pan (12-hole) muffin pan with paper liner.

Combine the flours, sugar, cinnamon muesli in a bowl. Make a well in the centre. Whisk butter, banana, yogurt and eggs together in a jug. Pour into well. Using a large metal spoon, stir until just combined (don’t over-mix). Fold in the cherries.

Spoon mixture into the prepared muffin pan. Combine honey and extra muesli in a bowl. Spread muesli mixture over muffins. Press on lightly to secure. Bake for 20 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre of 1 muffin comes out clean. Stand in pan for 5 minutes. Turn out onto a wire rack to cool. Serve.

Chia Seed Pudding With Maple Yogurt And Cinnamon Roasted Nectarines

9|01|2015

Easy and healthy Chia seed pudding that involves no cooking. Served with maple yogurt and cinnamon roasted nectarines.

So, I am jumping on the January bandwagon today. Meaning, the food that you guys love to eat in January. Clean, healthy, low-calorie, high-fiber, full of antioxidants…high on Omega-3. To be honest, I wouldn’t be able to explain half of those things to you. What tastes delicious to me is what I eat..what is hassle free to make is what I share! I certainly understand and respect the fact that a lot of people do need to follow dietary restrictions and who knows, I may be one of them at some stage in life. But for now, I am happy to create food that tastes great, super-food or not.

I have not had a lot of experience cooking with Chia seeds and the only recipe I’ve shared before are the Orange Chia Seed Friands. I have been meaning to make this pudding for as long as I came to know that it makes a quick, simple breakfast or on-the-go meal with zero cooking. Could not have been a better time to make this. Plus I had another opportunity to use my favourite almond milk in the recipe. This pudding is truely delicious. It reminds me a lot of a pearl tapioca pudding that I ate as a child. But what makes it for me is the simplicity of preparing it. All you do is mix a handful of ingredients in a mason jar or an air-tight container, store it in the refrigerator overnight and in the morning, breakfast is ready. To make it nutritional and exciting, add your choice of fruits and/or nuts.

You could use coconut milk instead of almond milk. For that matter, any milk that you like to drink. The thickness will however vary according to the consistency. To thicken up the mixture, I have added maple swirled yogurt. I roasted the Nectarines with Cinnamon and maple syrup and also served it with seasonal cherries. Because I was adding sweetened fruit, I dd not add a sweetner to my overnight Chia mixture. If you are using plain fruits, you may want to add 2 tbsps of maple syrup or honey along with the chia seeds. I gave the pudding to my boys to taste. One loved it and asked for more, the other one instantly denied from having another go. But if you are looking for a convenient, fuss free, healthy and tasty recipe, you will not be disappointed.

Chia Seed Pudding with Maple Yoghurt And Cinnamon Roasted Nectarines
Serves 2-3

1 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 cup Greek yogurt (1/2 cup to serve)
1/4 cup Chia seeds
1/8th tsp salt (optional)
2 tbsp maple syrup
3-4 Nectarines, stones discarded and cut into wedges
1/2 tsp cinnamon

In an air-tight container, gently whisk the almond milk, 1/2 cup yogurt and until just blended. Whisk in the chia seeds; let stand 30 minutes. Stir to distribute the seeds if they have settled. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

To make the roasted Nectarines, preheat oven to 180 degrees C (160 degrees for fan-forced ovens). Place the Nectarine wedges on to a tray lined with baking paper. Add the cinnamon, salt and 1 tbsp maple syrup. Toss to coat evenly. Arrange the wedges cut side up on the tray. Roast for 30 minutes (depending on the softness of the fruit) or until brown with a nice caramelisation.

To make the maple yogurt, add the remaining 1 tbsp maple syrup to the remaining 1/2 cup yogurt. Swirl gently.

To serve, spoon the chia seed pudding into serving bowls. Top with maple yogurt and cinnamon roasted Nectarines and/or any other fruit of your choice.

Ice Cream Cheesecake with Mixed Berry and Thyme

5|01|2015

This New Year is moving at a faster pace than I had anticipated. We are already 5 days down and I am writing my first post for 2015. I am excited that I have not had the time to look at the calender or worry about the day of the week. It has been relaxed sort of busy this side. I have spent a good amount of time playing with the boys and baking cakes to take to picnics and friend’s. I like it when a whole cake is consumed in a day and there are people to share it with. Time is precious. The boys start school at the end of the month. The date is suddenly so close. The 2015 of my imagination and once future plans is here and it gives me a firm nudge every time I say ‘Twenty Fifteen’ reminding me that a few days from now, I will be packing lunchboxes. Actually, eating lunch alone. And baking without my little helpers.

I am aware that this is just so normal and every Mum possibly has dealt with it and will be dealing every year. But I feel a little sad when I think about it. I guess, when the time comes, I will cope. And then there is this little cosy patch on the Internet to give me company. This year I made a resolution. To do all the things I want to do..say the things that are on my mind and say it without worrying whether I will be judged. To spend time with the people I care about. To just be..to not hold back! To not restrict myself…my ideas or creativity. On the recipe development front, I have ventured into new areas last year and it worked. This year, I hope to do the same with my photography and writing. That is when we move forward, we grow..we out do ourselves. How about you all..did you make resolutions?

Ice cream cakes and frozen desserts have been my go-to this summer. Christmas entertaining aka summer entertaining for us in Australia, just gets easier. Obviously they are all make-ahead which can simply life for up to a month in most cases. Even if if you are not in the Southern Hemisphere and probably drinking hot chocolate whilst being curled up in your favourite blanket on the couch, the prospect of eating ice cream does sound exciting at any point in the year, doesn’t it? I know it does for me.

The good news is that I have used frozen berries to flavour the cheesecake. It should not be difficult to get hold of some in your local supermarket. The puree had such an intense red-purplish colour, that I was fooled into thinking that the cake would tint into a brighter mauve or pink than it actually did. So if you are making this and want a brighter shade, double up on the quantity of mixed berries. When you strain the berry puree, what you will get is less than half the amount to be used for the cheesecake, so by all means add more if you like. Thyme leaves add an extra punch of flavour when simmered with the berries. Other than that, this is like any other no-bake cheesecake with the bonus of not having to whip up cream. Because, we are adding store bought vanilla ice cream to the cheesecake mixture. And so, one bowl less to clean. Yay!
As you can see, I have decorated the cake with fresh flowers and berries. I had the flowers at home and they seemed to complement the colour of the cheesecake so I added them. You could go with whichever berry you have at hand. With or without the flowers. The texture is soft, creamy with a mild taste of berries, thyme and vanilla.

You might be noticing a lot of berries in my recipes lately..I am just trying to make the most of our gorgeous Australian summer bounty. For me, summer is short with too many things on my list to make. This year, I hope to not have regrets and use every possible summer produce in my creations.

Ice cream Cheesecake with Mixed Berry and Thyme
Serves 8-10

180 g Butternut Snap cookies (oats and coconut cookies)
75 g unsalted butter, melted
11/2 cup frozen berries, thawed (strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries) (Increase quantities for more flavour and colour)
1/2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
3/4 cup castor sugar
500 g cream cheese, room temperature
500 ml vanilla ice-cream, softened (I used store bought)
Fresh Berries +Flowers to decorate

Line the base of a 19 cm round Spring-form pan with baking paper.
Place the cookies in a food processor. Process until fine crumbs. Add melted butter and mix to combine. Alternatively, you could crush the biscuits with a rolling pin inside a zip-lock bag. Using your fingertips, press biscuit mixture over base of prepared pan. Place in the freezer for 30 minutes or until required.

Meanwhile, place the frozen berries, thyme leaves and 2 tbsp of castor sugar (from the 3/4 cup sugar) in a saucepan over low heat. Cook, stirring, and using the back of a spoon to gently crush, for 2-3 minutes or until they break down and sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat. Strain through a fine sieve into a bowl, using the back of a spoon to push through as much pulp as possible. Set aside to cool.

Beat the cream cheese and remaining sugar in a large bowl (with a mixer or a whisk) until well blended. Add the ice cream and mix well. Gently fold in the mixed berry puree. Pour over the prepared crust. Freeze for 4 hours or until firm. Remove from freezer 10 minutes before serving.

A Year in Cakes and A very Happy New Year to You

30|12|2014

I remember sitting between boxes and cartons exactly a year ago with a cup of coffee in one hand and a plate of store bought cookies in the other, telling my husband ‘I hope this never happens again…it is that time of the year and I am not baking’ I had moved houses and I was not particularly happy that my baking trays and cake pans were packed away somewhere. It had affected me in some way that I never believed it could. My husband replied ‘Trust me! You will have plenty of opportunities to bake in the New Year’

And so it came true. I baked a lot. I experimented and shared. I learnt from my own mistakes. Sometimes I made the mistakes again because I forgot to take notes on paper. Then I got a notebook that was kept permanantly in the kitchen. Before I realised it was stained with chocolate and butter and made me smile every time I looked at it. And over and above everything else were/are those wonderful people who kept me on my toes..who made me feel inspired and valued and belonged. YOU. My dearest readers, followers…people who pin from my site…people who put their trust in me and make the recipes I develop. I want to thank each and every one of you for being there with me and supporting this space. To be honest, it has never been easy for me to maintain this blog or post at a regular pace. With two young kids to look after and very little free time, on many occasions it came down to making a choice between a little nap vs a blog post. We know who won and probably always will. But at times it did take it’s toll on my health. But I can tell you nothing has ever made me happier than to come back and share snippets of my life and creations here with you. I hope you liked it just as I did. I hope every time you came here, you found something that made you happy.

This has been the year of cakes for me. Though I did post quite a few savoury recipes that did amazingly well, the highlight has been the cakes. Here are some of your favourite cakes that have been my favourite too. Wishing you and your family the bestest New Year yet. I hope all your dreams come true this year and you look back with fond memories when it is over. Like I am doing today.

No Bake Caramelised White Chocolate Cheesecake

Ferrero Rocher Mousse Cake

Chocolate Raspberry Brownie Cake

No Bake Mocha Peppermint Cheesecake

Strawberry Almond Cake with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

Flourless Snickers Torte

White Chocolate Raspberry Cake with Orange Buttercream

Chocolate Beetroot Cake + Chocolate Sour Cream Frosting + Candied Beetroot Leaves

Ginger Cake with Meringue

Ferrero Rocher Ice Cream Cheesecake

Chocolate Fudge Cake with Red Berry Ganache

Thank you so much for stopping by-)

Tira-Mess. When Tiramisu met Eton Mess…

26|12|2014

This is the most decadent, delicious and to-die-for dessert I have made this year. The year is just about over so there is great scope that the statement will remain unchanged. I think the holiday eating has just started and before we move on to detox smoothies and leafy green salads, there’s enough reason to end the year on a sweet note. Yes?

This Tiramisu inspired dessert has the flavours of the Tiramisu combined with crispy meringue and vanilla ice cream making it the perfect ‘Mess-y’ treat that you can put together quickly and without having to worry about perfection. The perfection here is the ‘Mess’ that consists of Chocolate swirl coffee meringue, Mascarpone cheese, Vanilla Ice cream and Mocha sauce. All you do is just make the meringue and layer the ingredients in glasses. The taste is totally reminiscent of the Tiramisu. And I haven’t even come to the most amazing part…because we are replacing the sponge fingers with coffee meringues, it becomes a gluten free treat that you can make for friends and family who avoid flour.

If you have never made meringue before, worry not! We are not looking for perfect exteriors or beautifully piped swirls. You just whip the egg whites to stiff peaks (when the meringue peaks holds shape as you lift the beaters), gently fold in the coffee and chocolate and bake. This can be done up to a day in advance and stored in air tight containers. Our weather is really warm at the moment so I made it the same morning before assembling. The recipe is just so forgiving. Even if your meringues don’t turn out great and are more marshmallow-y than crispy (like my first batch turned out), it won’t make a difference in the taste at all.

Make yourself this little treat this year. I can tell you, you deserve it!

Tira-Mess
Serves 2

10 Chocolate Swirl Coffee Meringue, whole or crushed (recipe below)
3/4 cup Mascarpone Cheese, (room temperature) mixed with 2 tbsp castor sugar till smooth
3/4 cup vanilla ice cream
Mocha sauce (recipe below)

Place 2 of the meringues at the base of the serving glasses. Spoon half the Mascarpone over the meringues. Add half the vanilla ice cream. Pour some Mocha sauce. Repeat once more till you reach the top of the serving glass.

Chocolate Swirl Coffee Meringue (Makes approx 10)

2 large egg whites

1/2 cup castor sugar (superfine sugar)
1/4 tsp cream of tartar (optional)
1 tsp instant coffee powder
50 g dark chocolate, melted and cooled

Preheat oven to 160 degree C (140 degrees for fan-forced) . Line a baking tray with baking paper. Use an electric beater to beat the egg white and cream of tartar (if using) in a clean, dry bowl until firm peaks form. Gradually add the sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, whisking well after each addition, until the mixture is thick and glossy. Fold in the coffee powder.

Drizzle with chocolate sauce and gently scoop up meringue with a tablespoon and place them on the prepared tray, leaving space between each meringue.

Bake in oven for 30 minutes until crisp. Turn oven off. Leave meringues in the oven, with door ajar, for 1 hour to cool completely.

Mocha Sauce

100 g dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup single/pouring cream
1 tsp instant coffee powder

To make the mocha sauce, place the dark chocolate, thickened cream and coffee in a medium saucepan over low heat.

Use a metal spoon to stir until the chocolate melts and the mixture is smooth. Cool to room temparature. Store excess in refrigerator and warm up before serving.

Raspberry And Ginger Frangipane Tart

22|12|2014

I may need a few more Christmas-s in the southern hemisphere to reconcile with the fact that instead of sipping hot chocolate by the fireplace, I am actually filling up popsicle moulds in batches. And applying sunscreen before I hit the shops. We have barbecues and picnics planned all through the holidays Which does seem funny to me when I speak to my family at the other end of the world where my brother is going skiing instead.

The weather has been so warm this week that I haven’t enjoyed baking that much. But this tart has been worth it. I was literally waiting for berry season and now that it is here, I cannot have enough of them. A frangipane filling is my favourite filling in a tart. I added a spice component to the filling by adding including powdered and glace (crystallised) ginger. Nutty, spicy, buttery and very delicious. Combined with juicy red raspberries and pieces of finely chopped glace ginger, it provides a nice textural contrast to the tart. I used a store-bought sweet tart case as I was happy to avoid some of the heat in the kitchen. With the tart shell baking out of the way, this is a breeze to make.

Raspberry and Ginger Frangipane Tart
Serves 8

1 store bought tart case (18 cm)
100 g butter, softened
1/2 cup caster sugar
2 eggs
1 cup almond meal
2 tablespoons plain flour
1 tsp powdered ginger
1/4 cup glace ginger
1 cup raspberries (fresh or frozen)
1/4 cup flaked almonds

Preheat oven to 200 degrees C (180 degrees C for fan-forced).
Place 3/4 cup of raspberries on the base of the empty tart case.
Using an electric mixer or a whisk, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating until just combined. Stir in almond, flour, powdered ginger and glace ginger. Gently pour almond mixture into pastry case. Level top with a spatula. Top with remaining raspberries and flaked almonds.

Bake tart for 35 minutes or until golden. Cool in pan. Dust with icing sugar. Serve warm with ice-cream on the side.

White Chocolate And Raspberry Cake With Orange Buttercream

19|12|2014

I am pretty sure the question that is on most of our minds is “Where did this year go?’ And where is time flying now when there is so much left to do before it actually ends. Let me tell you where my year went. It went in breaking a few hundred eggs, melting a suitcase worth of chocolate (that’s right if I packed all the chocolate I melted this year in a suitcase, I wouldn’t be able to close it even if I sat on it. Err..is it only me or do you sit or half-stand on over-packed suitcases?) whisking, measuring cups of nut meals, layering, spreading, licking bowlfuls of sweet batter, sprinkling, drizzling, pouring and torching, cutting, slicing, eating and day dreaming of cakes and desserts. If I missed out on anything of pastry relevance, please feel free to add them because I have no doubt I would have done them all.

Did I do anything else? Apart from gaining those frightful calories? Yes, I brought myself a treadmill, ran a bit around the waterside near my previous house, ate salads and soups (other than cakes) and found people to eat my cakes. About 4 months in this year, I had family with me so I went on a cake baking/making spree. I could hear my cake pans weeping when they left.

Now since this was a year filled with cakes, the last one had to be a celebratory one…what do you think?

The cake is a simple moist, layer cake with an Orange Swiss Meringue Buttercream frosting. It has got a lovely flavour on account on the tart raspberries alongside sweet white chocolate. The citrus notes are the best as they tie the whole cake together. You can bake them in two pans as well..you will get two broader layers and you will need to adjust the baking time a bit (it will take longer to bake). Don’t worry about being neat with the frosting. The whole idea is to play around with the cake and flowers. I adapted the recipe for the cake from Good Food. The original recipe was for a two layered cake. I adjusted the measurements for the ingredients to make a cake with 3 layers. You can get the recipe for the Orange Swiss Meringue Butter Cream here.

White Chocolate And Raspberry Cake with Orange Butter Cream

Serves 8-10

300 g butter, chopped into small cubes, plus extra for greasing
150 g white chocolate, broken into pieces
6 large eggs
300 g caster sugar
300 g self-raising flour
175 g raspberries, fresh or frozen

Preheat oven to 180 degree C (160 degree fan-forced). Grease and line the bases of 3 x 18 cm round cake tins. Put the butter and chocolate in a heatproof mixing bowl, set over a pan of barely simmering water and allow to melt slowly, stirring occasionally.

When the butter and chocolate have melted, remove from the heat and allow to cool for 1-2 mins, then beat in the eggs and sugar with an electric whisk. Fold in the flour and raspberries.

Gently pour the mixture into the tins and bake for 20-25 mins or until golden brown and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Remove the cakes from the oven and allow to cool in the tins for 10 mins before turning out onto a wire rack. Once cooled, place a layer of cake on a cake stand or serving plate. Spread 1/3 of the frosting. Repeat with remaining layers and frosting. Spread frosting on the sides and top. Decorate with fresh flowers, berries or chocolate shavings. Frosting recipe here

Chocolate And Coconut Friands (Financiers)

17|12|2014

Friands are mini cakes made with a nut meal (almonds) and egg whites. These ones are flavored with chocolate and coconut and served with a dusting of icing sugar.

It’s been an emotional week for us, waking up to tragic news from home and around the world almost every day. Watching the horrific incident unfold on television, not very far away at Martin’s place (a place that is dear to every Sydneysider, a street on which, possibly every visitor to Sydney might have walked) made me think several times how much we take life for granted. I can only get a sense of the grief and pain, the families of the hostages might be feeling at this time for the loved ones who they won’t see or hear again. I was constantly praying and thinking about the three young children who might not even be able to assess why their Mum wouldn’t return home like any other day to put them to bed and kiss them goodnight. As if this was not disturbing enough, the barbaric killing of school children in Peshawar came in the News. Children? Young lives who have not even seen the world. Can so much hatred exist in an human heart? As a mother, I couldn’t stop the tears flowing from my eyes. I held my children close to me and shuddered.

This was otherwise meant to be a happy time for everyone. Sharing, caring, giving..receiving..spreading joy and gratitude. I made these friands during the weekend as a gift to a dear friend. They were delicious and simple to put together. I am a friand-oholic as you might already know by the number of recipes I have dedicated to them. If you walked in to my home, at different times in a month, you would probably find a different flavour each time. I was a muffin lover until I discovered ‘the friand’. Now if I come across a new flavour or recipe of muffin, I will instantly have this urge to make a friand with those flavours. They are so easy to incorporate new ingredients in to. I had not made chocolate friands before so I wanted to test out by adding cocoa and coconut to the batter. As I suspected they turned out great. They make a delicious gift too as they can remain in room temperature for 2-3 days (unless you are adding fresh fruit to it).

Friands are very Australian. There would barely be a cafe or a bakery in Australia where you would not find them. Sharing these today makes me feel one with my fellow countrymen at this time when we could all do with some festive cheer.

Chocolate And Coconut Friands (Financiers)
Makes 10

1 cup almond meal (ground almonds)
1 1/2 cups icing sugar, sifted
3/4 cup plain flour, sifted
1/2 teaspoon baking powder, sifted
5 egg whites
125 g butter, melted
1/4 cup dutch processed cocoa powder
1/4 cup dessicated coconut
Icing sugar/extra dessicated coconut, to dust.
Fresh red currants/berries, to serve

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C. Lightly grease a 12- capacity muffin pan or mini bundt cake pan. Place the almond meal, icing sugar, flour, baking powder, eggwhites, butter, cocoa powder and coconut in a bowl and whisk until combined. Spoon the mixture into the prepared pan and bake for 20–25 minutes or until the friands are golden and cooked through.
Remove from oven and release friands after 2 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Dust with icing sugar.

Lentil Salad With Golden Beets and Green Peas

15|12|2014

A filling, delicious and healthy warm lentil salad with golden beets, green peas, feta, basil and a orange mustard dressing.

There are a few places in Sydney that make my weekends delightful. I look forward to them all week. One among them are the farmer’s markets. In the few years that I have lived here I have attempted to visit a different one each time and found myself drawn more and more to them. How inspiring is it to cook with fresh local produce directly from the people who grow them and hear their amazing stories! I find it difficult to go on weekdays (though given a choice that is where I would like to do all my fresh produce shopping from) but Saturdays are market days for me. I like to eat breakfast at the markets. My meal planning for the week is kind of sorted out too with all the delicious things I bring back. One such place that I am totally in love with is the Everleigh market located in the city centre on Saturdays. It takes me a little while to get there but it is so worth it. I return with bagfuls of colourful fruits and vegetables, cheese, delicious brownies/slices, micro-herbs, fresh flowers, tea…basically as much as a girl can hold with two hands.

Last Saturday I bought heirloom, tomatoes, golden beetoot, green and purple basil and the juiciest strawberries I have tasted. When the vegetables are themselves so delicious, there isn’t much that needs to be done. With the beetroot, I made this lentil salad which makes a healthy and filling side or even a light lunch. I roasted the beetroot in the oven and used canned lentils and frozen peas to go with it so it came together quickly. The dressing is a orange mustard dressing that really complements the flavours of the sweet beetroot and earthy lentils. Feta is a must-have in my house and so is garlic infused extra-virgin olive oil. I tend to use them a lot in my cooking which you might have guessed by now. You can make this with regular beetroot as well. You can add nuts, substitute feta with ricotta or buffalo mozzarella.

Warm Lentil Salad with Golden Beets and Green Peas
Serves 4

4 nos. golden beetroot, trimmed
1 can (400 g) brown lentils, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup frozen (or fresh) peas, thawed (If using fresh, cook to your liking first)
15 g feta, crumbled
1/2 cup fresh basil, to garnish

For the dressing
1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
2 tbsp dijon mustard
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil (I use garlic infused oil. You could also chop 2 cloves of garlic and add to the dressing if using regular extra-virgin oilve oil)
salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 200 degrees C. (180 degreec C fan-forced ). Wrap each beetroot in foil. Place on a baking tray. Bake for 1 hour or until tender. Set aside to cool. Remove and discard foil. Peel the skin off. Cut into wedges.
Place the beetroot, lentils and peas in a large bowl.

On low heat, bring the orange juice, mustard, olive oil, salt and pepper to a slight boil. Remove from heat and pour over the bowl of beetroot. Toss to combine. Add the feta and fresh basil and toss gently. Serve warm.