Long time, no posts but lots of cooking.

It's been a very long time since I last posted. There are many reasons for that reasons being that I became qualified, been working long hours and still being cooking on the side. Writing/words and pretty any kind of communication has never been somthing I have been particually fond of or good at so here are some photos of what I have been up to this past year. Enjoy <3.

Maple and Pecan Toffee Cupcakes.

Green Tea Cupcakes.

Malteser Cupcakes.

Carrot Cupcakes.

Banana and Chia seed Cupcakes.

Cauliflour and two Cheese Risotto.

Brownie with Caramel sauce and home-made Icecream.

Poached egg on toast with Smashed Avocardo, Salsa and Persian Fetta.

Pistachio Dukkah crusted Trout with Cheesey Polenta.

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Icing.

Lemon Meringue Cupcakes.

Smoked Trout Pasta with Spring Vegtables.

Caramel Mudslide Cupcakes.

yes as it may appear Cupcakes are my passion beyond cooking. I love everything to do with cooking, and one day want to own my own little cupcake cafe. 

I will make sure to post more regually now.

Keep calm and cook on.

<3

Mushroom souffle

 Ingredents:

• 
  140g small button mushrooms , sliced
• 50g butter , plus extra for greasing
• 25g plain flour
• 325ml milk
• 85g Gruyère , finely grated, plus a little extra
• 3 large eggs, separated
• 6 tsp crème fraîche
• 
  
• 
  
• Method
  1. Fry the mushrooms in the butter for about 3 mins, then remove from the heat and reserve a good spoonful. Add the flour to the rest, then blend in the milk and return to the heat, stirring all the time to make a thick sauce. Stir in the cheese, season to taste, then leave to cool.Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Butter 8 x 150ml soufflé dishes and line the bases with baking paper.  
  2.      Stir the egg yolks into the soufflé mixture, then whisk the egg whites until stiff before folding in carefully. Spoon into the soufflé dishes and bake in a roasting tin, half-filled with cold water, for 15 mins until risen and golden. Leave to cool (they will sink, but they are meant to). You can make the soufflés up to this stage up to 2 days ahead. 
  3. Cover and chill.     When ready to serve, turn the soufflés out of their dishes, peel off the lining paper, then put them on a baking sheet lined with small squares of baking paper. Top each soufflé with 1 tsp crème fraîche and a little cheese, then scatter with the reserved mushrooms. Bake at 190C/fan 170C/gas 5 for 10-15 mins until slightly risen and warmed through. Sprinkle with chives and serve.

Coconut calamari with rocket and salsa.

Anyone who knows me well enough, know that I LOVE calamari. So here is a  recipe for you.

400g frozen calamari rings ( or more depending on how much you want to eat)
1c plain flour
1/2c desiccated coconut
4c rocket leaves
4 roma tomatoes, deseeded
1 spanish onion
1/2 bunch coriander
french salad dressing ( enough to serve to your liking)
375ml sun flour oil
salt and pepper
2tbs olive oil

Have the amount of calamari defrosted and ready to use before you begin.
Make the salsa by chopping up the tomatoes and onion into a fine dice, add the roughly chopped coriander, season with the salt and paper and drizzle with the olive oil, mix all together.
In a bowl mix the flour and coconut together.
In a medium sized saucepan heat up the oil ( you can test if it is hot enough by placing a wooden spoon handle in the oil and if bubble appear round the wooden spoon you know it's ready)
While the oil is heating place 1 cup of the rocket in the centre of each plate, drizzle lightly with the salad dressing.
Once the oil is ready toss the calamari in the coconut flour and fry in batches ( about 1-2 minutes, or until nicely golden) repeat with all the calamari and place on top of the rocket. Sprinkle  the salsa on
top! YUM!

Blueberry Pancakes

Pancakes are so easy to make, and adding blueberries make them even better!

150g plain flour
1tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
150ml milk
1 egg
30g caster sugar
125g fresh blueberries
30g unsalted butter
bananas for serving
maple syrup for serving

(this recipe makes about 8 pancakes, depending on the size)

Sieve the flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl and stir in the sugar. In a jug whisk the milk and egg together. Pour the milk and egg mix into the milk and beat together with a wooden spoon. Gently fold in the blueberries. Heat up a frypan and melt 1/4 of the butter, ladle two spoon of the mix into the frypan and cook for about 2 minutes on each side. continue with the rest of the mixture, and serve with some bananas and maple syrup, or whatever you like.

Poached eggs and avocado on toast

Yum.

Tomato and two cheese omelette.

I eat way too many of these, but really they are dead easy and you can put so much more/different
things in them!
But cheese and tomato, I find go so well with eggs that this is my omelette!

2 eggs
5 or so cherry tomatoes cut in half
salt and pepper
2 Tbs milk
1/4c Gruyere cheese
1/4c Parmesan cheese

Preheat your oven to 170 degrees, slightly warm the seasoned tomatoes off in the oven for about 2 minutes.
Crack the eggs into a small bowl and whisk together with the milk and some salt and pepper. using a small frypan(if you haven't got one use a normal one and flip your omelette in half) heat up a dash of oil  and pour the egg mix in stir it around for a few seconds then let it set. Once the bottom has cooked place the cherry tomatoes on the top and sprinkle with the two cheeses. place in the preheated oven and cook for about 7 minutes or until set.
Serve.

Lentils and tomato with coconut cream..and Naan bread

It has been a while since my last update as first my laptop died then I had holidays and then my laptop died again!
But now I'm back from my holidays and have a new laptop I have lots more recipes to come!

This lentil dish is one we made at school during our Indian lesson along with the naan bread and I really liked it so I thought I would share it with you.

naan bread


500g plain flour
5g salt
5g sugar
75ml milk
1/4tsp dry yeast
1 egg
225ml warm water
1tsp baking powder

In a large bowl dissolve yeast in the warm water, let stand for 3 minutes, stir in sugar, salt, milk, egg, baking powder and plain flour. knead into a soft dough until smooth place dough in a bowl and let rise for about 1 hour, or until it has double in volume.
Punch down dough and roll into golf sized balls (120g each) and let rise for another 30 minutes, preheat oven to 250 degree.
Roll the balls into thin oval shapes. place on hot oven trays and bake for 2-3 minutes brush both sides of naan bread with ghee.

Lentils and tomato with coconut cream
60g ghee
1medium onion chopped finely
2 cloves garlic finely chopped
1 Tbs fresh ginger grated
1 1/2 tsp black mustard seeds
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 1/2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp turmeric
150g brown lentils
150g red lentils
600g diced tomatoes
250ml water
160ml coconut cream
1/4 c fresh coriander chopped
2 tsp salt

Soak lentils overnight before you begin to cook.
Heat ghee in a large heavy based saucepan, cook onion till soft add garlic, ginger and mustard seeds make a paste with other spices by adding a tiny bit of water to it and add it to the onions.
cook stirring till fragrant.
add lentils, tomatoes and stock bring to the boil and add salt.  reduce heat and let simmer for about 25 minutes stirring occasionally until lentils are tender and mixture thickens. Just before serving add coconut cream and coriander and stir over low heat until heated through.
Serve with naan bread.