Easy Carrot Cake

This is a moist carrot cake that can be cooked in one large round, or two small round cake tins.   This is the easy, no fail recipe.

 

Make a cream cheese icing to finish it off if it is a special day, or just sprinkle with icing sugar if not. Use the cream cheese icing to sandwich cake together if making 2, and for a topping, simply make a dark caramel with about 1/2 a cup of sugar, pour it over some nuts.  Leave to cool and the process in the food processor, and sprinkle the top of the cake.

 

You can add candied ginger, nuts or dried fruit to the mixture (use about 1/4 cup) if you like.

 

Huli Huli Chicken.

So, I love HuliHuli Chicken in Hawaii, actually I love Hawaii!  Huli means to flip.   Here is an easy marinade for chicken anytime.  You only need to marinade for an hour or so, but as long as you like.  Best done on a BBQ, adjust the chili to our liking.

Mix the marinade:
1/3 cup tomatoe sauce
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup sherry - or white wine, or brandy, or whatever you have
2inches ginger grated
3 cloves garlic grated
chili sauce or chili flakes to your taste (try a few glugs of sauce first off)
juice of 1/2 lime

Marinate the chicken while the BBQ heats up.  While cooking, turn constantly and  brush chicken with extra sauce.
Serve with lime to squeeze over the top (this does make a difference!).

Allan's Yamba Seafood Chowder

A good friend of my husband, Allan, obtained this recipe from a restaurant in Yamba, NSW.  He was able to obtain the ingredients list, but not the actual quantities, so after quite a bit of experimentation he has perfected the recipe.  It is a lovely, smooth, creamy and turmeric broth stacked with lots of seafood - a delight to eat.  Allan added half a crayfish tail to our dinner recently, and it was delicious and very filling.

 

I am sure you could vary the seafood to your taste, so go ahead and experiment!  You could also vary the taste according to the curry powder you use, and the addition of ginger and chilli if you like it hot.

 

This recipe serves 4 as a main course, so it would probably serve 6 for an entrée at a swish dinner party.  When it says simmer it means SIMMER not boil!!  Boil seafood and it will be tough and horrible.  In fact, you do not boil anything in this recipe, even the mussels should be steamed rather than boiled to death!

 

 

BBQ Ribs

Yum, Yum,  these are really delish!  The recipe is adapted from one by Neil Perry - his recipes in the SMH on a Saturday are terrific, and although he is a great chef, they are really easily done at home.

Hummingbird Cake.

This recipie is adapted from Jamie Olivers' hummingbird cake, which was originally a Caribbean recipie.  It has a little more spice, and a little less sugar.  I have also added in some lime zest, it makes the cake a really Caribbean experience!  Essentially it is a very special banana cake.  Most American Hummingbird cakes have a LOT of icing, inside and out and that makes it way to sweet for my family, so this is simply a one level cake with a little icing on top.

Ice it with lime cream cheese icing. (ie, cream cheese icing with lime juice and zest added. 

Top the cake by making a toffee caramel, adding some pecans, and cool them on a sheet of baking paper.  Then just blitz them in the food processor.  Sprinkle over the top of the icing.

Another option is to make an icing flavoured with coconut and then dust with coconut flakes.