nom nom nom

some days you just don't feel like cooking and indulge with an unhealthy but i don't care because it's tasty, take away.  sometimes they hit the spot and other times you actually think about what it is you're eating. my last Chinese food craving of sweet and sour chicken brought these thoughts exactly and remembered our wonderful cooking class in Vietnam when we made it in a few minutes with fresh ingredients from the market, easy. couldn't remember the recipe just roughly the ingredients so had a look online and Mills and i had fun trying to recreate our meal with Lee in Vietnam.  it's such an easy recipe that I've already made it again. adjust measurements for the sauce to your liking, this was just my starting point. I've seen recipes which marinade the chicken but didn't seem to make much difference. will just have to try again!

We ended up with lots of veg and enjoyed a much tastier and healthier (because we knew what was in it) version! 

The ingredients

For the sweet & sour sauce 

1/4 c ketchup

1 tablespoon corn flour

2 tbsp soy sauce

1/4 c rice vinegar (or white wine) vinegar

2 tbsp brown sugar 

The preparation 

cut the chicken into cubes, dust with corn flour and fry with peanut or olive oil. add a splash of soy sauce. remove chicken once cooked and add veggies until softened. 

meanwhile, combine ingredients to make the sauce. start on medium heat then lower as it begins to thicken. 

once veggies have softened add chicken  again. pour sauce over the entire mixture or when serving.

easy alternative to egg fried rice:

cook rice as usual. whisk one egg into a saucepan and cook, slowly folding into thirds like an omelette.. or just scramble the egg if it doesn't go as planned! cut into strips and add to rice along with peas. 

enjoying our Vietnamese creations, at the market in Hanoi

back in London

peanut butter. yum.

i've been looking for mid day snack  recipe since going to the shop after school for a chocolate bar everyday doesn't seem to be doing me any good...just becoming more like a drug addict. at least it only costs £0.70 a day?! 

anyway, came across this recipe on foodnetwork.com and thought would be a nice alternative to PB cookies and accompaniment to coffee or granola alternative. basically if it has peanut butter i'm in. i didn't have the seeds or wheat germ on hand but did without and was just as good...but prob not as healthy. break it into mixed sizes so there's just a perfect slice for however much you fancy!

is that a mojito?

i've been curious and eager to make cocktail cupcakes for some time but just never got around to it. what better way to celebrate my sweet friend anna's bday than with a refreshing mojito cake bite. i added a bit of malibu too since i didn't have enough rum but for the next round would omit it and add more mint since it tasted more lime-y than i expected. was happy with the result and more importantly so was the birthday girl!

courtesy of browneyedbaker.com...

the ingredients:
for the cake
½ c buttermilk (if you don't have add 1 tbsp lemon juice to milk)
½ c mint leaves, bruised  + a bit more
1½ c plain flour, 192g
1½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
½ c unsalted butter, 113 grams
1c sugar, 200 g
2 eggs
zest and juice of 1½ limes
2 tbsp white rum
¼ tsp vanilla extract

for the glaze
2 tbsp white rum
2 sprigs fresh mint

the temperature: 325F, 160C for about 25 minutes

the preparation:
combine the buttermilk and mint leaves in a small saucepan over medium heat. warm until just starting to steam (do not simmer), then remove from the heat and cover. Let steep for 15 to 30 minutes. once finished, strain the milk into a bowl using a fine mesh sieve. the milk may appear curdled or clumpy, but don't worry, it will come back together. press on any milk solids and mint leaves to extract all the liquid possible, stir and set aside.

meanwhile...
whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.
in another bowl beat the butter and sugar together until pale, light, and fluffy (about 5 minutes) add the eggs one at at time, mixing thoroughly after each addition.  scrape the sides of the bowl and add the lime zest, lime juice, vanilla extract and rum. mix until combined and don't worry if it looks curdled it all comes together in the end!

add the dry ingredients in three batches, alternating with the buttermilk in two batches. mix only until just incorporated, using a rubber spatula to give it one last mix by hand.

divide the batter into 12 cupcake cases (it made exactly 12) and bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. poke holes in the cupcakes and pour the glaze on top while they cool.

glaze:
combine the rum and mint in a small saucepan and warm over medium heat until the rum is warm (not simmering)
remove from the heat and steep until cupcakes are out.

frosting
the ingredients:
1½ cups unsalted butter, 170g
4 cups sifted powdered sugar/ 500g icing sugar
1½ tbsp fresh lime juice
3 tbsp white rum

the preparation:
whip the butter using an electric mixer for about 5 min until light and fluffy. works just as well by hand but might be a tad longer than 5 min! sift the icing sugar into the butter, scraping the sides of the bowl until all is incorporated. give it another mix and then add the lime juice and rum and mix until incorporated and fluffy. if the frosting is too soft, add more sugar- if too thick add more lime juice.

birthday funday.

any American knows funfetti and birthdays go hand and hand (and Carvel ice cream cakes of course )i've been going on about this cake to the Brits who don't quite understand it, (probably like i don't get custard) but hey, it's pretty and fun and hits home with the kid in all of us.

as much as i like to bake a variety of treats, i realized i don't have a vanilla cake go-to. Martha has a plethora of recipes and for some reason went with this one because well, it was midnight and i had all ingredients on hand.

i thought it would be a lighter sponge due to the egg whites but it was pretty standard. my thoughts were a bit dry but others didn't think so. have a go and let me know!

courtesy of martha stewart.com...

the ingredents:

Unsalted butter, for pans

3/4 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for pans

3/4 cup cornstarch

6 large eggs, separated

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

3/4 cup plus 6 tablespoons sugar

1/4 teaspoon table salt

1/3 cup wax jimmie sprinkles (NB the ones available in UK stores will melt as they are not waxy and long enough. am still on t

the preparation:

preheat the oven to 180C/ 350 degrees F.

butter the pans and lightly flour. (you could also line the bottom of each pan with parchment paper, and butter again but i omitted this step and they still came out fine.) 

in a small bowl, sift together the flour and cornstarch; set aside.

in another bowl,  with or without a electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat egg yolks, vanilla, and 3/4 cup sugar on high until thick and pale, about 3 minutes. Transfer egg-yolk mixture to a large bowl. Wash and dry the mixer bowl and the whisk attachment.

combine the egg whites and salt in the mixer bowl, and beat on medium speed until soft peaks form, about 1 1/2 minutes. With the mixer running, slowly add the remaining 6 tablespoons sugar. continue beating until stiff and glossy, about 1 minute.

fold the egg-white mixture into the egg-yolk mixture. in three additions, fold the reserved flour mixture into the egg mixture. 

add 1/3 cup wax jimmie sprinkles.

fill the pans with the batter and bake until light golden brown and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 20 minutes.

transfer the pans to wire racks to cool; turn out the cakes, remove the parchment paper, and wrap in plastic wrap until ready to use.

the presentation:

cut off the top of one of the cakes and spread a generious amount of icing (personal preference) place the second cake on top, cover with frosting and decorate with more sprinkles!



plates of goodness.

as much as i love meat i've realized that when it comes to cooking for myself it tends to be a bit more vegetarian. most lunches work around quinoa salads but i've hit a point where i'm bored of the same combo rotations.  having cut dairy and carbs out as much as possible has opened me up to lots of fresh, hearty and yummy recipes, not to mention fast and easy. i love the idea of 'cooking' vegetables in lemon juice and vinegar as in the red cabbage slaw below and also softening the zucchini by sitting it in salt. the quinoa patties with panko bread crumbs can be prepared once and cooked or reheated when needed.  best of all, there's no rules. make it as you like with what you like and enjoy! what's your go-to recipe?

clockwise from top left: red cabbage and cannellini bean slaw with citrus vinaigrette, quinoa&spinach patty with poached egg, zucchini (courgette) chickpea and kale salad with feta, miso chicken noodle soup

a year in sweets

holy moly it's already june. i think i'm finally starting to feel old because time.is.flyin. six months into the  new year and my resolution (why do i keep making them?) of kick starting this blog hasn't quite happened but hey, no time like the present right?! have got lots to post because while i may not have been sharing in my virtual kitchen space i've had a few sweet things going on.

watch.this.space.! 

from top left: oreo and reeses cupcakes, red white blue olympic cupcakes, red velvet cupcakes, chocolate peanut butter cupcakes, mini pumpkin pies, french apple tart.

the best day of all.

i'm not sure when thanksgiving became one of my favorite holidays but i look forward to it so much now. probs something to do with living across the pond, but i love how my britties have embraced the holiday and enjoy it as much as i do. i was so pleased with this years turn out that i couldn't wait until november! i went with a 'big kids table' theme, fixed with bunting and all (how british of me). as i still haven't collected a complete set of cookware by now and the fact that i only cook for 12 people once a year, i went with what i had.  turns out cupcake tins is the only thing you need- perfect for individual servings of stuffing, macaroni and cheese and pies when your home made pastry fails you.