~ORANGE CAKE~

I love oranges...especially in cakes and biscuits...and even more so with chocolate....

Here's a lovely Orange Cake...

Found in this edition of The Australian Women's Weekly Old-fashioned Favourites

Very tasty and very mooorish!!!

Recipe to follow...and of course I used White Wings Gluten Free Self Raising Flour...

~ RECIPE ~

~  Preheat oven to 180c/160c fan forced

~ Grease deep 20cm round cake pan

~  150g butter, softened

~  1T finely grated orange rind

~ 2/3C (150g) caster sugar

~ 3 eggs

~ 1 and a 1/2C (225g) gluten free self raising flour

~ 1/4C (60ml) milk

~ 3/4C (120g) icing sugar

~ 1 and a 1/2T orange juice

~ Beat butter, rind, caster sugar, eggs, flour and milk in medium bowl with electric mixer at low speed until just combined.  Increase speed to medium, beat about 3 minutes or until mixture is smooth

~ Spread mixture into pan:  bake about 40m.  

~ Stand cake 5 m;  turn, top-side up, onto wire rack to cool

~  Combine sifted icing sugar and juice in small bowl;  spread over cake

~ Can be stored in air-tight container for up to 4 days

The recipe can also be found over here on the Australian Womens Weekly site

Bon Appetit...Dzintra

Muffin Magic...Blueberry Muffins!!!

Muffin Magic the title said...

intrigued I read through the list...

• there were Cheese and Bacon
• Tomato and Fetta
• Vanilla and Choc Chip...

and the one that caught my eye was Mixed Berry!!!

All in this fab Good Food magazine...Issue August 2011

Having blueberries on hand I used those along with Rapadura Sugar which gives a soft brown colour...

Rapadura is less processed and retains some nutritional value...

for more on this sugar check out the link above...

A real quick and easy treat for morning coffee on a Sunday!!!

~Blueberry Muffins~

Oven 180c/160 fan

~ 2 C gluten free self raising flour 

~ 2/3C rapadura sugar

~100g melted butter

~1 egg

~1C milk

~1C berries

~  Whisk together flour, sugar, butter, egg and milk in bowl until just combined (do not overbeat)

~ Fold through berries

~ Spoon into prepared pan

~ Bake 18-20m until skewer comes out clean

~ Cool on a wired rack

Nice'n easy!!!

Bon Appetit...Dzintra

Cook Up With Donna Hay...

My latest Cook Up with Vicki from Donna Hay magazine...

Menu was...Spiced Lemon Chicken

Creamed Corn Polenta

Sticky Date Pudding (adapted using gluten free self raising flour and rapadura sugar)

Creamed Corn Polenta from this issue...

Sticky Date Pudding from this issue...

Rapadura Sugar and Butter melting...

Pudding cooked...

Texture and colour using the Rapadura...I don't think the colour is much different to using other sugars...

The sauce was delicious...topped with a 'blob' of cream...YUM YUM YUM!!!

Especially since I can rarely buy Sticky Date Pudding gluten free even though it is all over the place in cafes and restaurants!!!

Bon Appetit...Dzintra 

Cook Up with Donna Hay No 15...Pork Belly with Garlic, Caramelized Onion and Quince Sauce

Another delicious Cook Up with Vicki  has happened here from Donna Hay magazine Issue 60 Dec/Jan 2012...

Menu tonight is:

Spiced Carrot Dip

Pork Belly with Garlic, Caramelized Onion and Quince Sauce

Roasted Baby Vegetable Salad

Mini Strawberry Tarte Tatins

Cumin and coriander seeds roasting for dip...

Add carrots, cayenne pepper, honey and chicken stock...

and the most delicious dip is ready after a little while...yummy...

The recipe called for malt vinegar (not gluten free) so after some research for a substitute I bought Red Wine Vinegar...

Pork Belly ready for oven...with our thyme on it...

And out of the oven...

Roasted vegies...beetroot, parsnip, carrot and kipfler potatoes...

There was even a heart shaped potato!!!

This meal was full of flavour...we thoroughly enjoyed it!!!

Patchwork placemats and table runner bought at my local Needlework Group...

These were made by a lady who cannot sew anymore...

Butter, sugar, water and vanilla bean for dessert...

Strawberry Tarte Tatin out of the oven...

recipe for these over here...

looks a bit of a jumble but this sure packed a punch...so very very tasty!!!

Now I'm looking forward to the next Cook Up...

Bon Appetit......Dzintra

Easy Pear Tea Cake...

This would have to be one of the easiest cakes around to make...

I found this on Lorraine's blog, Not Quite Nigella a little while ago...

Being gluten free I substituted soy flour for the wholemeal flour and used gluten free self raising flour...

I sprinkled rapadura sugar on top...

Rapadura is one natural alternative to white sugar that has a distinct caramel flavor and grainy texture...

It is considered to be a healthier option because it is less refined...

As it less processed rapadura retains a natural, caramel flavour...

It can be substituted for refined white sugar, which I am doing more and more...

Going into the oven...

Being a last minute cake I used tinned pears...how easy is that!!!

All out...

I even used store bought custard...easy peasy!!!

For the original recipe go over here...

My variation of Not Quite Nigella's Easy Pear Tea Cake...

    3/4 soy flour

   3/4C gluten free SR flour

  3/4C caster sugar

   1 egg, at room temperature

   125g unsalted melted butter

1t vanilla

  400g tinned pears, diced

   2T rapadura sugar

   icing sugar to serve

Oven at 180c

20cm springform tin, greased and lined

• Mix the 2 flours, sugar, butter, egg and vanilla in a bowl
• Press 3/4 of the mix into the base of the tin, it will be like a sticky, buttery dough.  Scatter the diced pears on top.  Then place small pieces of the dough on it in a patchwork pattern so that the pear is not entirely covered up.
• Sprinkle with the rapadura and bake for 40-50m.  Sieve some icing sugar on top.

Easy, easy...easy...I love it...Thanks so much Lorraine for this!!!

Passionfruit Slice...delicious!!!

Here is a delicious slice I came across at Inner Pickle......Passionfruit Slice!!!

Lemon Zest...

About to go into the oven......I used White Wings Gluten Free Flour

All done...

and absolutely delicious!!!

Recipe below...

PASSIONFRUIT SLICE

INGREDIENTS......

1C White Wings Gluten Free Flour

1C coconut

1/2C white sugar

125g butter......melted

1t vanilla

395g condensed milk

1lemon

2 fresh passionfruit (I used tinned pulp)

METHOD......

Mix flour, coconut, sugar, vanilla and melted butter together and press into greased slice tin

Bake in 180c oven and allow to cool

Mix condensed milk, zest and juice of lemon and passionfruit together

Spread on cooled base and bake in slow oven......120c for 10 mins

Allow to cool......and all done!!!

Crunchy base...creamy filling...sensational zingy topping...

Quick and easy!!!

Need I say more...

Bon Appetit...Dzintra

Red Cabbage Latvian Style and a delicious Cauliflower Cheese!!!

Going back to my roots a little here...

From the book Latvian Cooking bought many years ago...

Published by the Ladies Auxiliary of the Latvian Relief Society of Canada, Inc...

comes Sauteed Red Cabbage....absolutely delicious!!! 

Served with some Pork Spare Ribs, Mashed Garlic Potato and Peas...

can't get much easier than this!!!

To see a little more of Latvian Cuisine...go over here and here

SAUTEED RED CABBAGE

~ 1 head red cabbage, shredded

~ 1 large apple, peeled and grated

~1 onion, finely sliced

~1/2t caraway seeds

~1/2 cup wine

~ bacon fat (I used oil)

~ salt and brown sugar, to taste

~ In a large pot, fry onion in bacon fat/oil with caraway seeds

~Add cabbage and apples, mix well

~ Stir in wine

~ Heat up then simmer for at least 1/2  hour (or to your liking, sometimes the longer the better)

~ Add salt and sugar (to taste)

~ Simmer until tender

Next recipe is from the Australian Gourmet Traveller magazine...and wow, inside the best ever Cauliflower and Cheese recipe...perfect on a cold night...or any time you're in need of comfort food!!!

All set for the oven...

Just out...

and ready to go!!!

CAULIFLOWER AND CHEESE

~ 1 large cauliflower broken into florets

~50gm butter

~50gm (1/3 Cup) gluten free plain flour (I find White Wings works well)

~500ml (1/2 C) milk

~100gm Tilsit cheese (I used a tasty one)

~100gm Racette cheese (again I used a tasty one)

~35gm fresh white breadcrumbs

~1/4 C flat leaf parsley, finely chopped

~1 garlic clove, finely chopped

~Oven temp 200c

~28cm x 20cm baking dish

~ Blanch cauliflower until tender (2-3mins)

~Drain well, transfer to dish

~Melt butter in saucepan...add flour...stir till golden (3-5 mins)

~Gradually add milk, stirring well after each addition until thick and smooth

~Add cheese...stir until melted...season to taste

~Pour sauce over cauliflower

~Combine breadcrumbs, parsley and garlic in a bowl...season to taste

~Scatter over cauliflower

~Bake until golden and bubbly (15-20mins)

Enjoy, Bon Appetit...Dzintra