Berry and lemon pound cake

I know it has been an age since I last blogged but to tell you the truth, I haven't really felt like the last dozen meals we've eaten to be blog worthy. I'm in a rut you see. I seem to be on auto pilot making the 'no brainer' family meals and not being to impressed with the out come.

I mean they taste fine, it's just that I think I can do better, what I really need to do is get over this hump and start making interesting and delicious family meals again!

What better way to start my new food week with a delicious family favourite- the pound cake. 

It has been the first Sunday in a very long time that all four of us have been at home together.....for the whole day none the less. A game of Monopoly was on the cards. But before we started playing I decided to bake a cake so there was something to look forward to when the stakes were high and we started bulldozing one another. On this occasion we were all crushed by Nic. Max was the first to bail out while Alex kept on making money hand over fist while running around the lounge room pretending to be  Han Solo in his spare time and screaming at us to 'pay up' when we landed on his property (if he can only keep this skill when he is out in the real world!). 

I managed to hold on for a few more rounds until hotels went up on every corner......he got me bad. We only play Monopoly once in a blue moon and it always ends with one of us destroying the other three, to say we are a little competitive would be putting it mildly! The cake went down a treat and prevented tears of displeasure when knocked off the board.

Anyway here is to a new week with yummy meals and the Monopoly board packed away for another day.

Berry and lemon pound cake

175 grams (6oz) unsalted butter

1 cup castor sugar

3 eggs

1teaspoon vanilla essence

zest of one lemon

2 cups plain flour (all purpose) 

2 teaspoons baking powder 

2 tablespoon milk

1 cup mixed berries (fresh or frozen)

Preheat oven to 180 degree (350)

Cream butter and sugar then add eggs one at a time, beating well between each egg.

Add vanilla essence and lemon zest.

Fold through sifted flour and baking powder, followed by the milk.

Once just combined, place into a cake tin (approx 6 inch tin) and pour on mixed berries, slightly pushing into batter.

Pop in the oven for 45-50 minutes or until skewer comes out clean.

Cool and serve.

Dinner via the blogophere

I wasn't quite sure what we were having for dinner tonight. The boys had swimming which means we are always home later than usual. I started dinner hoping the rest would follow.
 Putting on a saucepan and adding olive oil, onion and garlic usually gets my senses going, then nine times out of ten the rest seems to come. By the time the onions were ready I had decided to make a quick black bean and corn saute, then serve it with the beef flank I saw in the fridge.
With my beans, tomato, corn, coriander and vinegar slowly melding together in the pot I thought I'd hop on line and see what my other fave bloggers have been up to seeing as I hadn't been on for a few days (due to a fabulous weekend away in Melbourne with my hubby to celebrate 10 years of wedded life- which meant loads of napping, movie watching and cocktail hour beginning right after lunch and wearing 'good' clothes during the day light hours).
Nic came home in the middle of me drooling over TKW's shrimp and sesame post and also to let me know that whatever was on the stove, it was sticking and what would I like him to do with it?
Thank god for water is all I can say. With the beans saved I went to get the flank out of the fridge only to find it was still frozen...bugger! I some how made my way over to the computer again only to pray for summer so I could make my own frozen tomato bowls and preserved lemons.
What's this I see on Bryan's blog, breakfast Chilaquiles, ooh they look good. Nic saw the picture too and agreed they looked yummy. This is where my quandary over dinner ended. With my beans already simmering and smelling fabulous I thought I could only do the next best thing and steal Bryan's idea (does that make me a bad blogger?)

Anyway super quick dinner, I poured my bean mix into an oven safe dish, cracked a few eggs in without cracking them (thanks for that tip Bryan), then covered it all with shredded cheddar and popped it in the oven while I steamed up some broccoli.

Dinner was ready in 10 minutes and it looked fabulous. I successfully made another vegetarian meal Max hoovered down before I finished piling pickled jalapenos on my plate!
Thank the heavens I live in the blogging world, otherwise it might of been a very different dinner and with loads more drama.

Rick Stein's coconut chicken.....the family friendly version

  

I'm sure you have all heard of Rick Stein. If not, he is a fantastic chef who is well renowned for his seafood cooking. Anyway, Rick had a documentary on telly a month or two ago about his trip around Asia. I was checking out one of my favourite kitchen shops the other week when I came across his book Rick Stein's far eastern odyssey. After flipping through it I just had to own it. The book is full of wonderful recipes that were on his show and a few extras for people like me who just want more!

After bringing the book home and drooling over the pages I came across a dish I thought I'd make for dinner. I had a whole chicken in the fridge, most of the ingredients needed and a lot of enthusiasm for anything delicious.

When I tell you I have most of the ingredients, what I should really say is I have a few of the ingredients that are similar to the ones asked for, and then a few I know I need but also know I can't use due to Alex and Max sharing the meal....that's right, the 2-3 tablespoons of three different chillies required were never going into this dish, so I figured I'd follow the recipe with what I had.
Another reason why I love buying and reading books from great chefs who really just care about flavour and happiness. Stein gives you two to three examples of other household ingredients you can substitute to get a great flavour instead of insisting you go and buy everything from a specialist shop. As a parent and working person, this is something I really appreciate!

So here is my interpretation of Rick Steins coconut chicken that is suitable for toddlers as well as grown ups and I have to say I didn't even reach for the chilli jar. I just loved the flavour this dish produced all on it's own. I defiantly recommend this dish to anyone who LOVES a flavour packed family meal.....

Recipe
Balinese spice paste (mild version)
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
1 heaped tablespoon salted peanuts
1 teaspoon sesame seeds
3 spring onions, sliced
4cm piece ginger, peeled and sliced
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
bottom 2 inches of  lemongrass, roughly sliced
2 garlic cloves
1 teaspoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
juice of half lime
Put peppercorns, nuts and sesame seeds into a spice grinder or mortor and pestel and grind to a fine powder.
Place into a large jug with remaining ingredients and blend with a stick blender until it turns into a very smooth paste.
Reserve until needed.

For the chicken
4 chicken thigh with bone in
2 drumstick and 1 breast cut into 3 pieces
1 quantity above spice paste
400ml coconut milk
1 lemon grass stalk, lightly bruised and knotted ( I used the remaining top piece of my lemongrass as I only had one)

Sprinkle the pieces of chicken with salt on both sides and let rest for 20 minutes
Put the spice mixture into a medium sized saucepan and add coconut milk, lemongrass stalk and 1 teaspoon salt.

Bring to the boil slowly, then add chicken pieces and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally for one hour or until the chicken is cooked and tender and sauce has thickened.

Serve with steamed rice, fresh bean shoots and slices of cucumber drizzled in salt, lime juice and a splash of fish sauce.

I tell not a lie, my kids asked for seconds after they tasted it....when they first saw it, there were the usual noises of "dear god what is this green stuff mum?" but I told them it was this or bed...I think they would agree with me that they chose well and even got dessert!

Lemon slice....the best you've ever tasted

OK people, I have 25 minutes before my pilates class begins, so I'll be quick.
My mother-in-law gave me this recipe months ago, could even be a year by now, anyway. I know I asked for it, so I obviously tasted it, loved it and wanted to make it at home......this was before I decided to own two businesses and keep myself extremely busy!

It has been way to long since I baked anything for my family, so I thought I'd whip it up and see if I enjoyed it as much as I thought I did.

I was NOT disappointed!!

Firstly the preparation for this dish is very quick and easy, secondly it smells fantabulous when baking and thirdly- tastes like a bit of lemon heaven! I love lemon, the kids love lemon and Nic is also crazy about the stuff so when I pulled this little number off on Sunday I knew it wouldn't see us through the week.
I'll stop raving, load up some pics, write out the recipe and let you see for yourself. If there is one sweet treat you want to try....let it be this one, the lemon lover in you will not be disappointed, nor will your friends and/or family.

 Grammie Pam's Lemon Slice


pastry:
180g butter
1 1/2 cups plain flour (all purpose)
3/4 cup icing sugar (powdered sugar)

Lemon curd:
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups caster sugar (super fine)
1 tablespoon plain flour
Juice of three lemons
grated zest of one lemon

finish:
1/4 cup icing sugar (powdered sugar)

Method:
Mix the pastry ingredients together with your fingers to get a smooth dough.
Press into rectangular baking pan (approx 23 x 28 cm) and bake in 190 oven for 20 min, or very lightly brown.

Meanwhile, beat together the eggs, caster sugar, flour, juice and zest (I put in the blender).
Pour over the hot pastry and return to the oven for 30 minutes more.
Remove from the oven, lightly sprinkle with half the icing sugar then cool thoroughly.
Cut into slices.