Category: Easy Recipes

Vanilla-Rum Cake

Everybody who has tried this moist vanilla-rum cake has loved it.  I keep meaning to freeze one loaf for later, but I like to give the people what they want, and more of this cake is what they want!

What you need:

For the cake:

  • 1 cup butter
  • 2 & 2/3 cups flour
  • 2 & 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • pinch of salt
  • 2 & 1/3 cups sugar
  • 6 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 & 1/2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
  • 2/3 cup whipping cream
  • 2 & 1/2 tablespoons dark rum

For the syrup:

  • 1/3 cup water
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup dark rum

What you do:

1.  Melt the butter and let it cool.

2.  Preheat the oven to 350F, then line the bottoms of two loaf pans with parchment paper. (wax paper works in a pinch)

3.  In one bowl stir together the flour, baking powder and salt.

4.  In another larger bowl measure the sugar.  Mix eggs in one at a time with a whisk.  Mix in vanilla extract, cream and rum.

5.  Add half the flour mixture and stir until just blended, then mix in half of the cooled (but still liquid) butter. Mix in the other half of the flour, then the butter just until it comes together with no lumps and no runny areas.

7.  Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pans, then place the pans on a baking sheet.

8.  Bake for 50 minutes, then have a look to make sure there’s no wobble to the cake. Check for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the centre; it should come out clean. If it is not done, bake for another 5 minutes and check again.

9.  Cool for 5 minutes, then run a sharp knife around the edge to loosen the cakes.  Invert the pans, but then place the cakes so their tops are facing up.

10.  While the cakes are cooling stir the water and sugar in a pot and bring to a boil.  Take off the heat and stir in the rum.

11.  Poke holes through the cakes while it is still warm, with a sharp knife or skewer.  Brush the cakes with the rum syrup until all the syrup has been absorbed.

12.  When the cake has cooled, slice and enjoy!

Yes, this cake has lots of butter and sugar in it – but it’s cake!  I see recipes for whole wheat brownies and prune-based cakes, and maybe they taste great.  But if figure: If you want a diet dessert, eat some fruit.  Or just eat a piece of cake, savour it, and make sure you’re eating a balanced diet.

Tofu Ricotta Pasta Filling – Dairy free

This dairy-free faux ricotta can be used in many pasta dishes – homemade tortellini, lasanga, stuffed shells… great to experiment with!   It’s a treat for people who can’t eat dairy, but I’ve also served it to the lactose tolerant to rave reviews.

What you need:

350 grams extra-firm tofu

3 cloves garlic, diced

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped

1 teaspoon salt

1 bunch fresh/box frozen spinach

2 tablespoons bread crumbs

1/4 cup vegan parmesan (or lactose free)

1/4 teaspoon pepper

What you do:

1.  Combine tofu, garlic, olive oil, chopped garlic, and salt in food processor and blend until the tofu is finely ground.

2.  If you are using fresh spinach, you can wilt it in a frying pan, let it cool, and squeeze out the excess moisture.  If you are using frozen it should be thawed, and then you can squeeze the moisture out.

3.  Add parmesan, bread crumbs and pepper to the tofu mixture, and mix in well.

4.  Add spinach and mix in well.

5.  Now you can adjust the seasonings to taste, and use it to fill your pasta.

I have used this to:

-fill large brown rice pasta shells, then cover with tomato sauce and bake

-use as a layer in a lasagna with tomato sauce and vegan pesto

-fill homemade tortellini and top with either parmesan or tomato sauce

-you can also use this recipe without the spinach, bread crumbs and cheese as a substitute for ricotta

Here’s what it look like if you puree the spinach rather than mixing it in at the end:

My Best Bran Muffins

These taste great, and they’ve got lots of fibre-rich bran.  I usually add raisins and pecans, but this time I substituted pumpkin seeds.  Dried cranberries are a great alternative to the raisins.

I mixed the dry ingredients the night before, so when I got up I just had to turn the oven on, add the liquids, and place the mix in muffin tins.  Fresh hot muffins in 20 minutes!

Makes one dozen, and freezes well.

You need:

1 cup flour

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 & 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 & 1/2 cups bran

1/2 cup raisins

1/2 cup chopped pecans

2 eggs

1 cup milk (soy is good too)

2 Tablespoons molasses

1/4 cup butter

What you do:

1.  Preheat the oven to 400F.

2.  Stir dry ingredients (flour to pecans) in a large bowl.  (If you are making it ahead for tomorrow, this is all you need to do for now.)

3.  Melt butter, then mix in the milk slowly, so the butter doesn’t harden when you add cold milk.  Add molasses.  Pour the liquids, along with the slightly beaten eggs, into the dry ingredients.  Mix only until the ingredients are combined; if you mix more you’ll get tough little muffins.

4.  Place mixture in muffin tins lined with paper baking cups.

5.  Bake at 400F for 20 minutes.  Take muffins out of tins and cool on a rack for a few minutes before eating.

6.  If you freeze them, make sure they’re completely cool.

Enjoying a muffin in the mountains!

Fresh and Healthy Quinoa Salad

This is a simple and healthy salad that works great for a lunch or picnic food.

Quinoa is a supergrain, originating in South America.  It is an excellent source of iron and fibre, and is a complete protein.  It is also gluten-free.

You need:

1 cup quinoa

1 can corn

1/4 red onion

1 jalapeno pepper

1 red pepper

1 orange pepper

juice of 1/2 lemon

juice of 1 lime

1/4 cup cilantro or parsley

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon hot sauce

What you do:

1.  Rinse the quinoa – this is important to rinse off the slightly bitter coating.  Place in a pot with 1 & 1/2 cups of water.  Bring to a boil, lower heat, cover pot and cook for 15 minutes.  Take the pot off the heat and let sit for 5 minutes.  Allow to cool.

2.  Dice onions and peppers and chop cilantro.  Chop jalapeno, removing the seeds if you don’t like it very spicy.  

3.  Mix the veggies in with the cooled quinoa,  along with lemon and lime juices, salt and hot sauce.  You can add the juice along with the canned corn. 

4.  Mix it all up and it’s ready to go, but I like it after a few hours, as the flavours come together and the onion mellows a bit.

Un-Deepfried Zucchini

This one is for those times when you’re craving something that’s bad for you.  This is a much healthier version of deep-fried zucchini – but oven-baked.  I can’t stop eating them, and neither can anyone I’ve made them for.

Yum.

It’s simple, you just need:

1 zucchini

1/2 ish cup of bread crumbs (whole wheat, if you really want to be healthy)

salt & pepper

1 egg

Now just:

1.  Preheat the oven to 400C.

2.  Slightly beat the egg in a bowl with a fork.

3.  Put bread crumbs, salt & pepper in another bowl and mix.

4.  Cut the zucchini into 2cm thick rounds.

5.  Dip each zucchini slice into the egg, then the bread crumbs.  It helps to press the crumbs on a bit.

6.  Place the slices on a baking sheet.  I don’t grease mine and they come off fine. 

7.  Bake for 12 minutes on each side.

I eat them just like that, but you could make a ranch dressing with yogurt to keep it healthy.

 

Prosciutto-wrapped Apple

I love entertaining, but sometimes I plan a dinner at a time that ends up being too busy, and I don’t have time to make something complicated.  This is a great recipe for those times when you’re really busy, so if you’re looking for a simple appetizer recipe to satisfy the sweet and salty cravings, then this one is for you!

Just head to the grocery store and pick up:

8 slices of prosciutto

one sweet-tart apple (I used a Jazz apple)

Now just cut the apple into 8 slices, peel off the skin, and wrap each slice with the prosciutto.  Place them on your favourite plate, and impress your friends!

Enjoy!

The Perfect Cup of Tea

Tea tastes best in a real china tea cup. I am lucky to have a few hand-me-downs from Omas and Tantes, but I have found a few treasures at thrift stores as well.

How to make the perfect cup of tea, according to me

you need:

a tea pot

strainer with lots of room for the tea leaves to expand

fresh water

loose leaf tea

tea cups

teaspoons

sugar – I’m using organic demerrera now

Here’s what you do:

1. heat the teapot with hot water from the tap

2. put tea leaves in the strainer, 1 teaspoon per cup

3. heat the water and as soon as it begins to boil, pour it over the tea leaves into the empty teapot

4. put a little of the boiling water into each cup to pre-heat so your tea stays hot for as long as possible

5. let the tea steep for a few minutes – some people like it dark, some like it light.  I like it medium, so I leave the leaves in for about 3 minutes. 

6. take the strainer with the leaves out of the pot – this is important because it will turn bitter if you leave it on for too long

7. pour tea into the tea cups and stir in a little sugar if you like

8. let the first sip remind you of all the times you’ve enjoyed a cup of tea with a good friend or in a moment of peace.  May this be another one of those times.