Flop-Proof-And-Proved Chocolate Cake!

Not a very elegant title I know, and we all have our own "flop-proof" chocolate cake recipe, but since I also didn't have any butter in the house yesterday and needed something to serve guests, this one really did come up trumps! I have no idea where it came from as it's hand-written in my own recipe book!

Ingredients
250ml boiling water;     125ml oil (sunflower, vegetable I don't know whether it'll make a difference!);     125ml cocoa powder;     375ml sugar;     1ml salt (is there a 1ml measure available?! A dash is good enough!);     3 eggs;     15ml baking powder;     5ml vanilla essence;     450ml plain flour.

Method
1.  Mix boiling water, oil and cocoa and bring back to the boil, then leave to cool.
2.  Beat the sugar and eggs with a hand mixer to make it nice and light.
3.  Add the flour, baking powder and salt to the sugar mixture, fold in and mix well.
4.  Add the essence to the water-oil-cocoa mix then add this to the flour mixture - it doesn't need to be totally cold, it will have had time to cool down while you were beating eggs etc. Mix well.
5. Pour into 'something' - whether it's cup-cake cases, a round tin, two round tins, a square tin - and bake at 180C. The length of time probably depends on how deep it is - cup-cakes or one square or round tin. I did it in a 20cm square tin 8cm deep (8" square 3" deep).  The 'original' recipe says to bake for 25-30minutes. On a previous occasion I'd crossed out the 25, but this time it needed 35minutes! Also depends on your oven of course!
6.  Ice as you like! I cut the square cake into squares then dribbled plain water icing over each individual one.

Many years ago I remember reading that Peppermint Essence goes well with Chocolate Cake, and I have tried it; gives it that 'Oooh' factor!

A Little History!

I'm not a cook! I don't love to cook or bake and I don't follow any of the TV cooking programmes celebrity or otherwise!  I don't recall ever following a recipe as it was written; I've always been short of one ingredient, or just haven't liked the quantities and reduced them drastically! So the finished product is always different to the written recipe and it usually looks quite different too!

So I thought I'd do a blog on what I cook and really see what I come up with. I'm sure if I published them all, they'd make a decent recipe book and even if it was a book that ended up on a charity shop shelf, someone would probably pick it up for a quid or two!

But starting from the beginning - I failed what was then called 'domestic science' in school when I was about 14 years old!  Of course I dropped the subject and took up 'commercial maths' which I think was probably like accounting, which I hated, so I had to go back to the newly named 'Home Economics' and I did pass - just!

As a newly-wed I was working from 8-5 in the city an hour's train journey from home, which meant I had to be at the station before 7am and would only get home after 6pm. So I devised a method to help in the planning of what to cook for my darling new hubby every night: I planned a week's worth of main meals, shopped to a list, and removed the meat from the freezer in the morning before work and it would be ready to cook when I got home!  This plan worked so well I still use it today, over 30 years later, even though I'm not working at the moment!  At times it was fun going through magazines and recipe books finding new recipes and trying them out, or asking the children what they'd like for supper during the week, and with the plan magnetised to the fridge there was no whining What's for supper?!!

This is how the plan looks:

Sunday          Pork & Pasta Stew
                      Blue pg 2

Monday         Cheeseburger Pie
                      (freezer)

Tuesday         Fish & mash

Wednesday   Chicken with Sweet onions
                      101 pg 98

Thursday        Pancake tuna lasagne
                       Blue pg 13

Friday            Toad in the hole

The references underneath are of course, the recipe books to find them in and maybe I'll do a separate blog on the recipe books I've used!

Not everything goes to plan though! For example on the Sunday I suddenly didn't feel like Pasta so substituted mashed potato!

And on Tuesday I discovered we'd eaten the fish when we had a surprise visitor on Sunday so Tuesday had to be a quick-fix dinner from what we had in the cupboard (I'll have to add that recipe in to another blog, I just need to find a name for it!)

Saturdays have always been a lazy, help-yourself, off-the-cuff light suppers and meals - we don't often get take-aways or go out to eat. Chips for Saturday lunch has been carried forward as a family tradition from when I was a teenager! And Saturday suppers can be toasted cheese, or snackwiches, or if Megan's offering to make, pancakes with cinnamon sugar or butter and sugar or orange or lemon juice or cheese etc. etc!

Another 'tradition' for want of a better word, carried forward from when I was at home and we were on a tight budget, was not to have meat every night, but to alternate with another protein like fish or cheese. So in a typical week we'll have three meat meals, one fish meal and one cheese meal or a vegetarian type meal.

It's worked like a charm for over 30 years and no-one's complained!

Pork & Mango Curry vs Pork & Apricot Curry

 I’m not a curry lover; I like to enjoy my food not sweat over it or in it or have to eat or drink anti-dotes to stop or prevent it murdering my mouth!  But my hubby likes curry so every now and then I treat him to a mild curry!  

Pork & Mango Curry
Ingredients :
750g pork fillet cut into 2.5cm cubes;     25g plain flour to coat cubes;     2T oil;     1 Spanish onion, peeled & thickly sliced;     2 small green or red peppers, cored, seeded & sliced;     1t turmeric;     2t salt;     1T garam masala or curry powder;     1t ground cumin;     1t ground ginger;     1/2 t chilli seasoning;     5 medium tomatoes peeled, seeded & chopped;     2t tomato puree;     450ml light meat stock;     750g small new potatoes, scrubbed or peeled;     1 x 425g can mano slices, drained or 2 large margoes peeled, stoned & sliced.

Method :
1.  Toss the pork in the flour to coat.
2.  Heat the oil in a flameproof casserole.
3.  Add the pork and fry for about 5 minutes until golden.
4.  Add the onion and peppers and cook for a further 3 minutes.
5.  Add the turmeric, salt, garam masala or curry powder, cumin, ginger & chilli seasoning. Cook 1 minute stirring constantly.
6.  Add the tomatoes, tomato puree & stock, blending well.
7.  Add the potatoes, cover and cook for 15 minutes over a gentle heat stirring occasionally.
8.  Add the mango slices and cook for a further 5 minutes until the potatoes are tender.
9.  Serve the pork and mango curry alone or with a selection of accompaniments such as boiled rice, sliced bananas dipped in lemon juice, desiccated coconut, mango chutney, poppadums, chopped cucumber in plain unsweetened yoghurt or a crisp green salad.

This can go in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator or for 6-8 hours at room temperature. Reheat gently for about 10-15 minutes.

Vs

Pork & Apricot Curry  I don't like mangoes!

Ingredients :

500g Pork loin steaks cut into rough cubes or any piece of pork pieces;     flour, seasoning and a packet of cup-of-soup powder to coat the pork;     Oil (to stop the meat sticking to the pan);     Onion - Spanish, Chinese, British, American, it really doesn't matter, but I only ever use a quarter or less in any one dish!;     Red & Green Pepper (I didn't see the  or originally!) I've never used a whole pepper in any one dish, just a 'slice' - maybe my quantities have something to do with the quantity I cook for - 2!;     1t turmeric (got that right!);     about 1 1/2t garam masala (I didn't know it was interchangeable with curry powder!);     abt 6 Cumin Seeds (that's all I had left!);  1 t ground ginger;     1/2 t curry powder (I didn't have chilli seasoning!);     4 large cherry tomatoes cut in half;     a good squeeze of tomato paste from the tube;     450ml Knorr Lamb stock from cube but any stock would do - vegetable, Oxo, chicken;     about 8-10 small new potatoes (I like potatoes in a stew!) or ordinary potatoes cut into quarters;     3/4 tin Apricot halves (save the rest for dessert with a bit of cream!)

Method :

1.  Shake the pork in the bag of seasoned flour.

2.  Heat the oil in the pot and fry the pork for 10-20 minutes until brown.

3.  Add the onion and peppers and cook a little longer while reading what to do next and lining up the spices!

4.  Add the turmeric, salt, garam masala, cumin, ginger and curry powder and stir.

5.  Add the tomatoes, tomato paste and stock mixing well.

6.  Add potatoes, cover, and cook for about 15 minutes until the potatoes are done, stirring occasionally to ensure it doesn't stick to bottom of the pan.

7.  Add the apricot halves and mix in to allow fruit to warm through.

8.  Serve the pork and apricot curry alone or with a selection of accompaniements such as:  boiled rice (curry should always go with rice!), sliced bananas (really adds a special something to a curry!), desiccated coconut (he had I didn't!), mango chutney (where is Mrs Ball's chutney when you need it!),  Poppadoms are a nice authentic addition, chopped cucumber in plain unsweetened yoghurt (if you're serving guests, this would look good), or a crisp green salad.

IF there's anything left over it can be used for lunch on toast the next day, but guaranteed there won't be enough to freeze, unless you're cooking in bulk!

A really good curry; not too spicy, fruity and yummy!

(Original recipe from St Michael Suppers and Snacks by Carol Bowen)

Mediterranean Shepherd's Pie vs Shepherd Pie Mountains!

Mediterranean Shepherd's Pie
Ingredients:
2 onions;     2 Carrots;     1 Celery stick;     500g pack mince, such as turkey;     100g smoked bacon, chopped;     2t plain flour;     284ml carton vegetable or other stock;     150ml red wine;     700g potatoes peeled;     knob of butter;     4T red pesto;     25g parmesan, grated.

Method:
1.  Preheat the oven to 200C/Gas 6/fan oven 180C from cold. chop the onions, carrots and celery in a food processor. In a pan over a low heat, cook the mince until the juices start to run, stirring.  Add the vegetables adn bacon and cook for 15 minutes until browned. Sprinkle over the flour and cook for 1 minute, still stirring. Stir in the stock and wine and cook, covered, for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2.  Meanwhile,  cut the potatoes into chunks and boil for 10minutes. Drain well, and return to the pan. Stir in the butter. Season.
3.  Stir the pesto into the meat, season and spoon into a shallow ovenproof dish. Spoon the potatoe pieces on top, sprinkle over the cheese and bake for 30 minutes until golden. Serve immediately.

Vs

Shepherd Pie Mountains

Ingredients :

1/4 Onion (Unless I'm using pickling onions, there's no way I'd use even a whole onion in one meal!);     1/2 Carrot (depending of course on the size of your carrots!);     1 celery stick;     Mince (it doesn't matter whether it's lamb, steak, beef or turkey, and you are the best judge of how much mince you use in a dish for your family!);     Bacon (I used the last 4 rashers in the pack and as a matter of interest and for this blog, I weighed it and it was just over 100g!);      2t flour - oh! I've just noticed it's two teaspoons, I put 2 tablespoons! Plus I didn't have plain flour so I just used what I had - self-raising flour! (maybe that's what made it taste extra good?!);     1 vegetable stock cube (or you could use an Oxo cube, or chicken cube or lamb cube!);      Potatoes - I have a farmer provider and normally only use half of his gigantic potatoes, but I used a whole one for this!;     Knob of butter - 'one cooks knob is another cook's door'!!!;      Italian Grated Grana Padano, apparantly it's just like Parmesan just made in a different part of Italy! 

I missed out the wine, because I don't usually cook with wine, but I have a vague memory of someone suggesting using orange juice instead! So add to the ingredient list : 150ml orange juice with about a tablespoon of vinegar!

Method :

1. Preheat oven.

2. Put the mince in a saucepan, usually no extra oil should be needed, and cook until it changes colour.

3.  If you're not chopping the vegetables while the mince is doing, peel and chop the potatoes and put in a pot to start boiling. They only need to be par-boiled.

4. It's not necessary to chop the carrot, onion and celery in a food processor (more washing-up to do!), but I did it once and it may just add a little different texture to just chopping with a knife! Anyway, chop it all up, and add to the mince together with the bacon pieces. Cook for 10-15 minutes.

5.  Stir in the flour well before adding the stock, orange juice and vinegar. (I use South African grape vinegar as it is milder to the nose than malt vinegar!) Leave to cook while sorting out the potatoes.

6.  Drain the potatoes, then return to the pan and shake with the knob of butter and add seasoning.

7.  Pour the mince mixture into an ovenproof dish and top with the potatoe pieces (the 'Mountains'!)

8.   Sprinkle as much Parmesan/Grana Padano or whatever grated cheese you like, over the top, a good sprinkling certainly makes a difference to the crispiness of the potatoes!

9.  Bake for 30 minutes and serve with a green vegetable or salad.

(Original recipe from GoodFood magazine, BBC Books, 101 Cheap Eats, Tried-and-Tested recipes)





Chicken with Sweet Onions vs Chicken in Apple Juice

Chicken with Sweet Onions: 
Ingredients :
1T Olive oil;     25g/1oz butter;     3 onions thinly sliced;     2 garlic cloves, finely chopped;     2T plain flour;     8 skinless chicken thighs;     300ml unsweetened apple juice;     1T tomato puree;     mashed potatoes or rice to serve.

Method:
1.  Heat oil and butter in large frying pan. Add the onions and stir well. Reduce the heat and cook gently for about 15 minutes until they are softened adn dark golden. Add the garlic for the last 5 minutes of cooking time.
2.  Transfer the onions and garlic to a plate. Season the flour. Dust the chicken with the flour, shaking off any excess. Cook in the pan for 10 minutes, turning halfway through.
3.  Pour in the apple juice and add the tomato puree. Stir well, scraping the bottom of the pan. Return the onions to the pan, cover with a lid and cook for 20-25 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce has thickened. Serve with mashed potatoes or rice.

Vs 

And now to 'personalise' and create something entirely new for the very logical reasons given below!:

Chicken in Apple Juice
Ingredients :
1T Sunflower oil (didn't read recipe properly!);     25g butter (more or less a good 'knob');     Onions (Seriously 3 onions??!! If they're pickling onions yes, but .....!! I use about 1/4 an onion at most in any one dish!);     No garlic cloves available!;      Seasoned flour for dusting (I have a bag of seasoned flour ready and it's probably got a cup-of-soup mixture added with it!);     "515g boneless Chicken thigh fillets" (that's what the packet says, with 6 pieces - and they are skinless, pity 'cos I like chicken skin!);     300ml Apple Juice (not unsweetened! in fact the nutrition label says "11.4g sugars per 100ml!);    Squeeze of Tomato Puree (near enough 1T);     Mashed potato or rice to serve (well at least I can get that one right, it's good with either!)

Method:
1. Heat the oil in a saucepan (frying pan is far too shallow), and add onions until they start going brown (15minutes is a long time to cook onions!)
2.  Coat the chicken with the seasoned flour - just put the pieces into a plastic bag with the  flour, seal and shake a little - then brown in the pan with the onions.
3.  Pour in the apple juice and tomato puree, cover and leave to cook for 20-25 minutes. (During this time you prepare the mashed potatoes or rice.)  The 'sauce' boils away rather than thickens, so keep checking to make sure nothing is sticking to the pan.

It really is a delicious dish!

('Original' recipe taken from Good Food Magazine, BBC Books, 101 Cheap Eats, Tried-and-Tested Recipes)