Ginger and Walnut Carrot Cake from Nigella

This cake is a Nigella classic from her latest TV show, with a little update on the spice and topping from me.  You can vary the spice according to your taste (cardamon would be nice) but always use the ginger, and if you dont have time for caramel praline just top with chopped walnuts and ginger.

Impressive Mango Cheesecake for a crowd

I made this at Christmas when mangoes are at their peak.  Delicious, and not too heavy for summer.    Thank you Woolworths for the idea.  The cheesecake portion of this makes a light, simple summer dessert, so this is quite a versatile recipe.  Serves 12.

Green Tomato Relish

Recently one of my tomatoes was damaged in the wind, and I had a whole lot of green tomatoes.  This is also something that happens at the end of the season when the plants need to come out.  How to use them up?  Make a pickle, similar to the relishes used on hot dogs.  This is easy as anything to do.

The amount of capsicums you use can be varied, as also to onions.  If you want to keep it for  a long time leave out the garlic to avoid poisoning.  I used old pickle jars that I sterelised, but you can use canning jars also.

One pan Japanese Salmon

This is a recipe from Adam Liaw called Cancan Salmon and is an everyday Japanese dinner.  You can substitute the carrot for other veg such as asparagus, but if you want them not over cooked, add them with the salmon. This recipe serves 2.

Lebanese slow roasted lamb

Lamb: Trim the fat off a shoulder or leg of lamb that has been boned and butterflied.
Rub with a little olive oil, salt and 1 tablsepoon of sumac.  Set aside

Cook: In a large pan, (I use a wok) brown a large carrot, stick of celery, 1 red onion cut in half and 8 cloves of garlic, skin on.  Remove and then brown the lamb well, rendering any fat out that you can.

Heat 250 ml beef stock and 75 ml pomegranate molasses.

Now, decide how to cook the lamb
- for a slow cooker I put in the vegies, lamb and stock and cook overnight on low.
- In a pressure cooker place everything in and cook for 1 hr 45 mins.  Then finish in a hot oven 200C for 15 mins.
- In the oven place all in a large roasting dish, cover with foil and cook for 4-1/2 hours at 160C.  Then finish in a hot oven, 200C, for 15 mins.

Make a sauce with garlic, yoghurt, lemon, mint and salt.

Top the lamb on a serving dish with a mixture of chopped herbs and the seeds from 1/2 a pomegranate and broken up feta cheese.

Hazelnut and coffee freezer biscuits

These are great to have in the freezer for any time someone comes over and you something when friends drop in.  They make a crispy biscuit that is perfect with a cuppa.

 The nuts can easily be swapped for pecans, walnuts or whatever takes your fancy.  And you can change the coffee to dried cranberries or orange/lemon zest.  You can even make a desiccated coconut and lime zest version.  When using coffee, try using a mixture of coffee beans ground up and instant coffee, and the cinnamon and aniseed could be any spice you like. (try cardamom).

When freezing, I use a small ice cream scoop so that each one is the same size, but you could roll the mixture into two logs and cut off each biscuit roughly 1cm thick.

Pineapple and rum Christmas Cake

So perfect for Australian conditions, a tropical Christmas Cake  you can make well before hand, or just the day before.  Originally this came from a Coles recipe, but I have adjusted some things in it.

If you only have pineapple slices in the cupboard, just wizz them up in the food processor before using.  The quality of the rum will dictate the quality of the taste, so I used 1/2 cup cheap rum in the cooking and 1/2 cup really expensive rum to 'feed' the cake afterwards.

Lets talk tins - Use a round 20cm tin and cook for 3 hours, or use two smaller square tins, make two cakes and cook for less time.  Its up to you.  I prefer the two smaller tins myself.  Line each tin with several layers of newspaper on the bottom to prevent any burning, then line with at least 3 layers of baking paper (or several of newspaper and 1 of baking paper).  I often put a small tray of water in the oven at the bottom while the cake cooks.

Nuts - use whatever you like, pecans work well, or chopped walnuts or almonds, or a mixture, whatever your family enjoys.  Fruit - pop in whatever your family loves, extra cherries, some glace ginger, lots of glace peel etc.

Cooling the cake is important - cover the top of the cake with foil, then turn the whole thing upside down with the tin on top on a smooth surface.    This will flatten the top of the cake for you.  Alternatively, simply cover with foil and leave to cool.  That will keep the moisture in and continue to cook the cake to perfection.

Storing - Once the cake is cooled overnight, cover with a couple of layers of plastic wrap and put into a container in the fridge.  Or wrap in foil and store in the fridge.  This works well in Australia with lots of hot weather.  If that is not a factor, use the container method and store in a cool dry place.  You can also freeze this for up to 6 months.

Pineapple and Rum Christmas Cake

Rating-moderate

Ingredients:

1kg dried mixed fruit
440g canned crushed pineapple in juice
250g butter
1-1/4 cups dark brown sugar 
2 tablespoons golden syrup
1/2 cup rum
100g nuts - chopped a little
grated rind of one orange
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
2 teaspoons mixed spice
grind of fresh nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground ginger
4 eggs
1-1/2 cups plain flour  (225g)
1/2 cup self raising flour (75g)
1/2 cup of rum extra.

Method:

In a saucepan, heat fruit, rum, butter, golden syrup and 1/2 cup rum, stir over medium heat for about 10 minutes until everything is incorporated and dissolved.  Then boil for 2 minutes until all the fruit is plump and the syrup is thickened.  Set aside to cool completely for about 2 hours.
Line tin (see above) and put oven on 150C (not fam forced).
Add to the fruit mixture the nuts, orange rind and spices and mix.
Combine the eggs together and add to the fruit.
Combine the flours and add to the mixture. 
Fill tin(s) and tap the tins on the bench a couple of times to settle it down. 

Cover the top with foil with a large hole in the middle for the first hour of the cooking time.  Remember to take it off!!
Place in oven for 3 hours if using one tin, less if using smaller tins.
A skewer must come out of the cake cleanly to ensure it is cooked in the middle.

Once cooked, brush the top of the cake with the other 1/2 cup of rum and cool overnight (see instructions above).