Yoghurt, Orange and Pistachio Cake

This cake is perfect as a tea cake.  I felt like making a cake that is not too sweet and had a middle eastern style and therefore I made it using semolina.

Yoghurt, Orange and Pistachio Cake

Ingredients

-       100g whole pistachios

-       75g self raising flour

-       1 ¼ cups fine semolina

-       1 teaspoon bicarbonate soda

-       ¼ cup white sugar

-       ¾ cup plain yoghurt

-       3 eggs

-       2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

-       zest of 1 small orange

-       ½ cup orange juice

-       1 cup water

-       1 cup white sugar

-       orange peel of 2 oranges

Method

1.     Preheat oven to 180°C.  In a large bowl, add pistachios and sift flour, semolina, bicarbonate soda and sugar.  Mix.

2.     In a separate bowl add yoghurt, eggs and oil.  Beat for 3-5 minutes.

3.     Add orange zest and orange juice to the egg mixture and mix

4.     While stirring the flour mixture, slowly add the yoghurt mixture until combined.  Let it rest for 5 minutes.

5.     Butter the cake tin.  Pour in cake mixture. Place in oven for 30 minutes.

6.     Cover the cake with foil and place in oven for another 15 minutes.

7.     Whilst the cake is baking julienne the orange peel.  Add the sugar and water to a pot.  Dissolve the sugar in the water over medium heat.  Add the orange peel and cook for 20 minutes.

8.     Remove cake from tin.  Poke holes in the top of the cake.  Slowly drizzle the syrup over the top of the cake.  (Do this very slowly to allow the cake to absorb the syrup).

9.     Decorate with the candied orange peel.

Breakfast Smoothie

This is just one way you can make a breakfast smoothie, play around with it depending on what ingredients you have on hand - as long as it includes fruit, yoghurt and rolled oats.

Breakfast Smoothie

Ingredients

¾ cup mixed berries

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon rolled oats

1 tablespoon LSA (ground linseed, sunflower and almond)

1 teaspoon sunflower kernels

1 teaspoon chia seeds

1 tablespoon raw sugar or honey

½ cup plain yoghurt

¾ cup milk/ soy milk

Method

Place all ingredients in a blender and pulse for 3 minutes.

Apple, Cinnamon and Yoghurt Cake

A perfect winter cake which is light and moist and simple to make.  You can substitute the apple with pear.

Apple, Cinnamon and Yoghurt Cake

Ingredients

-       60g butter (at room temperature)

-       300g plain flour

-       230g brown sugar

-       50g white sugar

-       2 eggs

-       1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence

-       pinch of salt

-       1 teaspoon bicarb soda

-       1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

-       1 cup plain yoghurt

-       2 Granny Smith apples

 Method

1.  Preheat oven to 180°C

2.  Beat butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla essence with an electric hand beater until creamy.

3.  Add cinnamon and salt and mix with wooden spoon.

4.  Sift in flour and bicarb soda and mix with a wooden spoon.

5.  Add yoghurt and mix till homogenous mixture forms.

6.  Peel apple and cut into 1cm cubes and add to the cake batter and mix OR slice apples into thin slices and place on top of the batter once it is in the tin. 

7.  Butter individual ramekins or a large cake tin.  Add cake batter.  Sprinkle the top with a thin layer of white sugar and cinnamon.  Place into oven on lower shelf.  The cooking time will vary depending on the container used.  Individual ramekins will cook in about 40 minutes and a large cake tin should take about 60 minutes.  However check, using a skewer whether the cake is fully cooked inside.

8.  Serve warm with fresh cream :)

Middle Eastern Lamb and Yoghurt Stuffed Zucchini

Middle Eastern Lamb and Yoghurt Stuffed Zucchini or Eggplant

Ingredients

-       500g lamb mince

-       3 teaspoon ground allspice

-       2 teaspoon cinnamon

-       4 teaspoons dried mint

-       salt

-       pepper

-       6 small zucchinis or 2 eggplants

-       2 onions, diced finely

-       2 cloves garlic, crushed

-       4 tablespoons plain yoghurt

-       2-3 tablespoons pine nuts

-       plain yoghurt, to serve

-       Fresh mint leaves, to serve

Method

1.       Heat a pan on medium-high heat with a little olive oil.  Add the lamb, allspice, cinnamon, mint, salt and pepper.  Break up the lamb to avoid any clumps.  Fry until the lamb is just browned.

2.     Take the lamb off the heat and place in a sieve.

3.      Sauté the onion and garlic until they are translucent and just beginning to brown.

4.       Place the lamb in a bowl and add the fried onions.

5.      Brown the pine nuts in the pan.  Add to the lamb mixture

6.      Add the yoghurt to the lamb and mix

7.      If using zucchini - cut the ends off the zucchini and slice lengthways in half.  Using a teaspoon, remove the pulp of the zucchini.Steam the zucchini skins for 15-20 minutes
If using eggplant - cut the end off and grill for 20 minutes under hot grill, turning every 5 minutes.  Cut the eggplants in half and remove half of the flesh - you can add this flesh to the lamb mixture or discard.

8.     Arrange zucchinis/ eggplants on a serving dish, fill with lamb mixture.  Place under hot grill for 5 minutes.  Drizzle with a generous amount of plain yoghurt and garnish with fresh mint leaves.

Yoghurt, Feta and Herb Dip

A refreshing, yummy and very easy dip.  (As it's exam time I won't be able to write too much before the recipes I post)

Yoghurt, Feta and Herb Dip
Ingredients
 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
 - 200grams feta (preferably low salt)
 - 1/2 cup plain yoghurt
 - 1/3 cup of fresh herbs (continental parsley, coriander and dill)

Method
1.  Place butter, feta and herbs into a blender.  Pulse until smooth consistency forms.
2.  Transfer the mixture into a bowl.  Add yoghurt and stir.
      Serve with your favourite vegetables or biscuits.

Rhubarb and Cinnamon Cake

A delicious moist cake, perfect for winter.


Rhubarb and Cinnamon Cake
Ingredients
 - 60g butter (at room temperature)
 - 300g plain flour
 - 350g brown sugar
 - 2 eggs
 - 1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence
 - pinch of salt
 - 1 teaspoon bicarb soda
 - 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
 - zest of 1 lemon
 - 1 cup creme fraiche/sour cream (or 1/2 cup sour cream and 1/2 cup cream)
 - 3-4 sticks of rhubarb

 Method
1.  Preheat oven to 180°C
2.  Beat butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla essence with an electric hand beater until creamy.
3.  Add cinnamon and salt and mix with wooden spoon.
4.  Sift in flour and bicarb soda and mix with a wooden spoon.
5.  Add creme fraiche (or substitute) and lemon zest and mix till homogenous mixture.
6.  Wash and cut rhubarb into small pieces and add to the cake batter and mix.
7.  Butter individual ramekins or a large cake tin.  Add cake batter.  Sprinkle the top with a layer of white sugar and cinnamon.  Place into oven on lower shelf.  The cooking time will vary depending on the container used.  Individual ramekins will cook in about 40 minutes and a large cake tin should take about 70 minutes.  However check, using a skewer whether the cake is fully cooked inside.
8.  Serve warm with fresh cream :)