Gosh. More than a year has passed since my last post...
I won't bore you with excuses or throw "my my, how the time has flown" at you.
I'm just happy to be back! :-)
Watch this space...

Sweet potato and corn fritters

The only way to survive maternity leave with a stroppy toddler and a newborn, is to get out of the house as often as possible and preferably meet up with other parents who have the same approach to keeping their sanity in tact (here's to you, Ladies of Brunswick!). The past couple of weeks have finally brought some much longed for summer weather and with it the opportunity for picnics in the park. These little fritters are easy to make and even easier to eat while out and about. They can be prepared in advance and keep well in the fridge for a few days. Kasper loves them with lots of butter and perhaps a slice of cheddar cheese. I prefer them with a smear of honey and a cup of tea, after the kids have gone to bed.

Ingredients
2 cups / 500ml cooked sweet potato, mashed and drained
1 cup / 250ml cooked quinoa
kernels from 1 raw ear of corn
3 eggs, separated
1/2 cup / 125ml flour (I use gluten-free or spelt flour, but regular flour is fine too)
pinch of salt

1 tsp / 5ml baking powder

Method
1.  Mix together the sweet potato, quinoa, corn kernels and egg yolks.
2. Sift in the flour, salt and baking powder and gently fold it into the sweet potato mixture.
3. Beat the egg whites until soft peaks form and fold into the fritter mix.
4. Fry tablespoonfuls in a little butter or coconut oil and flip when golden (after a minute or so).

Ideas
- try replacing the sweet potato with mashed butternut squash or use half of each
- add ground toasted coriander and cumin seeds, and chopped fresh coriander to the batter for a more adult version
- omit the sweet corn, and instead add ground cinnamon and a cup of mashed banana

Blueberry lemon ice cream

I am very selective when it comes to new acquisitions for my kitchen. Not only is space limited, but it seems that most of my needs are met by my current stable of appliances sitting on the countertop (a Magimix food processor, a VitaMix high speed blender and an Excalibur dehydrator). There is one little luxury item I would recommend in a heartbeat, however: an ice cream maker. At the time of purchase, I did have niggling doubts about its usefulness and whether it would be a white elephant, enthusiastically tried out in the first few weeks, then relegated to a dusty cupboard corner thereafter.

Oh, how unnecessary these worries were! Ice creams and frozen desserts have become a favourite in our house, and unlike croissants and Baumkuchen, the home-made stuff really is worth the effort. It's as easy as pouring in your preferred organic flavoured yoghurt, or a fruit smoothie. Proper ice creams are a bit more time-consuming, but once you've had a taste of home-made mint choc chip, you will never look back.

This blueberry lemon ice cream we made a few weekends ago was a great mix between a refreshing sorbet and a velvety ice cream. Adjust the amount of berries, cream and sweetener to taste.

Ingredients

250ml natural live yoghurt

zest of 1 lemon

juice of 1/2 lemon

250g blueberries (fresh or frozen)

agave syrup to taste

200ml heavy cream

150g cream cheese

Method

1. Liquidize the yoghurt, lemon juice and zest, agave syrup and blueberries until blended well.

2. Then stir in the cream and cream cheese, mixing carefully until all the ingredients are incorporated.

3. Add more agave if necessary, then chill for at least 1 hour.

4. Follow the instructions for your specific ice cream maker and serve on a sugar or waffle cone, or with fresh berries.

Wild asparagus and samphire stir-fry

Shopping at a farmers' market seems to be de rigueur in almost every village, city and country these days. It is wonderful to see such growing support for local farmers and smaller producers of good quality food. We are fortunate enough to live quite close to London's famous Borough Market and we often spend our Saturday mornings there, selecting ingredients for the weekend meals, drinking in the intoxicating atmosphere (and excellent Monmouth coffee!), and tasting morsels of delicacies. According to the official website, London Bridge (which used to be a little village in itself) attracted traders selling grain, fish, vegetable and livestock as far back as the early 1000's. In the 13th century traders were relocated to Borough High Street and a market in some shape or another has existed in the area ever since. Parliament closed the market in the mid 1700's, but thankfully a group of local residents raised enough money to buy a patch of land (called "The Triangle") and re-opened it. This Triangle is still at the heart of the market today.

During a recent visit to Borough, we found some fluorescent dainty wild asparagus, and some early wild mushrooms. I also bought a big handful of succulent samphire - one of the ocean's many secret delights. I lightly steamed the wild (and a few spears of cultivated) asparagus and then added it to the pan of sauteed wild mushrooms, samphire, garlic and pepper. Topped with lashings of olive oil, it was absolutely delicious as a light Sunday evening meal. Remember to use very little salt, as the samphire truly does taste of seawater (and it only needs a couple of minutes in the pan!)

Sweet potato cake with avocado cream icing

The hype around the Royal Wedding and all the ancillary parties (street parties, "squeeze into your old wedding dress" parties, afternoon tea and fascinator parties...) that had been arranged, made me think about the eagerness with which most of us will use any old excuse to celebrate. I have to admit, though, that there was something quite uplifting and other-worldy about this wedding and its 2 protagonists, and hosting festivities in their honour seemed less like an excuse, than fulfilling ones patriotic duty.

Another very valid reason to celebrate, is the imminent arrival of a wee baby. In this case, Marianne and Matthew's. (These parents-to-be incidentally had quite a bit to do with the launch of my blog...) The baby shower was expertly organised by Erika, the doyenne of Austrian baking, and much fun was had over many delicious treats. My contribution was this fairly healthy sounding "Sweet potato and avocado cake". I came across the recipe in a South African cake tome I was recently given as a gift. It may sound strange, but it certainly is worth a try.

Ingredients

For the cake

235g (1 1/3 cups) unrefined sugar

125g butter, softened

2 eggs

1 cup pureed avocados (2 - 3 avocados)

1 cup tightly packed grated sweet potato (1 large sweet potato)

60g (1/2 cup) chopped dates (soak in filtered water for an hour beforehand)

60g (1/2 cup) chopped nuts (I used macadamia and brazil nuts)

1/3 cup (80ml) buttermilk or plain runny yoghurt

210g (1 1/2 cups) flour

1 1/2 tsp baking soda / bicarbonate of soda

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp ground allspice

1/2 tsp ground ginger

For the avocado cream

1 cup (250ml) heavy cream

zest of 1 lime

1 Tbsp of unrefined caster sugar

1 avocado

a little lime juice

Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180°C / 350°F / Gas Mark 4.

2. Grease and line a 23 cm cake pan.

3. In a bowl, cream the butter and the sugar until light and fluffy.

4. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing no longer than 20 seconds after each egg has been added.

5. Stir in the avocado, sweet potato, chopped dates and nuts, and butter milk.

6. Now sift in the dry ingredients. Quickly and carefully fold these into the batter.

7. Pour the mixture into the pan and bake on the middle shelf for 50 to 60 minutes.

8. Once it is ready (you can test this by inserting a skewer into the middle of the cake - if it comes out clean, the cake is cooked), let is cool down in the pan for about 15 minutes before turning it out.

9. Cool completely before decorating.

10. While the cake is baking, make the avocado cream icing.

11. Mash the avocado with a touch of lime juice (the acid will prevent it from discolouring) and set aside.

12. Now whisk the cream with the lime zest and a tablespoon of sugar until stiff peaks form.

13. Fold in the pureed avocado and refrigerate until you are ready to use it.

Oat biscuits

Some occasions call for a celebratory 4-course dinner. Or perhaps you would like to offer some indulgent cheeses after a light lunch. Whatever your motivation for making these oat biscuits, they will be a guaranteed hit with your table guests. Especially when served with some moreish chutneys and preserves.

Makes about 50 small or 30 medium biscuits.

Ingredients

1/4 cup/30g unrefined sugar
120g butter
1 3/4 cups/200g raw rolled oats, blitzed in a food processor
3/4 cups/115g wholegrain spelt flour
pinch of flour

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C / 350°F / Gas Mark 4.
2. Beat the butter and sugar until pale and creamy.
3. Mix in the oats and flour.
4. Knead briefly and then tip the dough onto a lightly floured board.
5. Roll the dough out thinly and use a cookie cutter to make biscuits.
6. Transfer the biscuits onto a cookie tray and bake for 15 minutes.
7. Let them cool on a cooling wire before serving with a wedge of cheese, some seasonal fruit, chunks of celery and delicious chutney and preserve.

"Welcome-home" tomato, pepper and pea pasta

Thank goodness the weather in London took a turn for the best this week. Our little family has just arrived back from a holiday in sunny South Africa and being a child born at the height of the African summer, I usually fall into a mild depression as soon as the plane touches down in London amidst thick fog and pouring rain.

There is one thing that excites me almost more than exploring foreign culinary customs (or savouring long-forgotten ones): the thought of my first home-cooked meal after many days on the road. The anticipation starts building long before I join other weary travellers in the slow-moving customs queue at Heathrow. Snaking inch-by-inch past sombre government officials, the inner debate about what exactly we will have, has already been going full swing for hours.

With a near-empty fridge awaiting me, and most grocery stores still (or already) closed, some creative cuisine with store cupboard basics and frozen food is required. In spite of these limitations, my “welcome home” meals have to comply with strict criteria. We’re usually ravenous by the time we unlock our front door, so speed and ease of preparation are essential. But after days of wolfing down 'not-to-be-missed' new delicacies, countless restaurant meals and many, many units of fermented beverages, I also usually crave something easily digestible and highly nutritious. This recipe is one of the few that meets all the requirements...



Ingredients

1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp grated ginger
1 tsp cumin seeds, dry roasted and ground
2 tins chopped tomatoes
pinch of unrefined sugar or to taste
150g red kidney beans or chickpea
freshly ground salt & pepper
2 - 3 Tbsp sun-dried tomato paste
frozen peas
cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil
wholewheat or spelt spaghetti or linguini

Method

1. Sweat the onion and garlic in a little oil.
2. Add the grated ginger, ground cumin, tinned tomatoes and sugar. Let it simmer for a little while at a relatively high temperature, to cook away some of the juices.
3. Add the kidney beans or chickpeas and simmer again for a little while.
4. Take the saucepan off the heat and stir in the sun-dried tomato paste. The paste is readily available in good supermarkets, but I have included a very simple recipe for home-made sun-dried tomato paste below.
5. Next, process the ingredients in a food processor until very smooth (a liquidiser such as the Vita-Mix will give you an even more refined sauce).
6. Season with salt and pepper, and perhaps a little more sugar.
7. Pour hot water over the peas until they are warmed up and add them to the sauce.
8. Serve the sauce with spelt or whole-wheat pasta, a few glugs of good olive oil and shavings of Parmesan cheese.

Sun-dried tomato paste

This recipe makes about 2 large jars of paste, which will keep well for a few weeks in the fridge and a few months in the freezer. A couple of spoons of this paste jazz up any tomato-based dish, so be sure to have some available at all times.

Ingredients

200g / 2 cups sun-dried tomatoes, soaked about 2 hours in filtered water
80-85g / 1/2 cup pine nuts, soaked for an hour or more in filtered water
1 clove garlic
pinch of unrefined sugar
2 Tbsp lemon juice (juice of one small lemon)
1 1/2 tsp nutritional yeast (or a pinch of freshly ground rock salt)
1 tsp dried origanum
large pinch of cayenne pepper
60ml / 1/4 cup olive oil

Method

1. Drain the tomatoes and pine nuts, retaining the draining liquid from the tomatoes.
2. Blend together all the ingredients apart from the olive oil in a food processor.
3. With the motor running, add enough of the draining liquid to ensure the paste has the right consistency (usually a little more than half a cup / 125ml).
4. Now add the olive oil in a slow trickle.
5. Spoon the paste into sterilised jars and refrigerate or freeze. You can sterilise jars by washing them in the dishwasher or boiling them. Be sure to use jars that can withstand the heat.

Winter salad with clementine dressing

Most people enjoy eating salads in summer, as it is a light and refreshing menu choice. I, however, am also a huge fan of winter salads. Watercress and chicory for example have a charm all of their own with their sharp bite and bitterness. Combined with creamy dressings they give hibernating tongues a delicious wake-up call. The use of winter fruit, like oranges, mandarins, apples and pears in winter salads is also one of the advantages of the colder months. This salad is quick to assemble and the dressing not only easy to make, but also perfect for storing in a glass jar in the fridge. Adjust the amounts of mustard and honey to our own taste.

Ingredients

For the dressing
one whole clementine, peeled
zest of 1 clementine
1/4 cup or 60ml apple cider vinegar
1 small garlic clove
1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons raw honey
pinch of ground rock salt
pinch of cayenne pepper
1/2 cup or 125ml rapeseed or other neutral cold-pressed seed oil
1/4 cup or 60ml mild extra-virgin olive oil

For the salad (per person)
mixed winter leaves
handful of pecan nuts and walnuts, roughly chopped
1 clementine, peeled and sliced
1 - 2 tablespoons crumbled blue cheese
1/2 a red pear, finely sliced


Method
1. Put all the ingredients for the dressing, apart from the oils, in a blender.
2. Start blending, and with the motor running, slowly add the two oils in a trickle.
3. Once the dressing is a thick, creamy texture, pour a few teaspoons over the salad leaves, nuts. cheese and clementine slices, and toss.
4. Serve the salad alongside the sliced red pear.

Choc-mint Mousse

Chocolate and mint. A divine combination however you choose to execute it. Keep this dessert dairy-free by using oat or rice milk.

Serves 4 (or 6 if you use small glasses)

Ingredients

500ml Oatley (or milk)

1 cup tightly packed mint leaves

3 - 4 Tbsp agave syrup

4 egg yolks

3 gelatine leaves

90g dark chocolate, finely chopped

150ml whipping cream (optional)

Method

1. In a saucepan bring the Oatley and mint leaves to just below boiling, then set aside to infuse for 1 hour. Don't worry if the Oatley separates - this is easily fixed by whisking it.

2. Whisk the egg yolks and agave syrup in a clean saucepan, then pour the cooled Oatley through a sieve into the egg yolk mixture, discarding the mint leaves.

3. Place the saucepan over a low heat and stir continuously with a wooden spoon until the mixture forms a custard that coats the back the spoon.

4. In the meantime, soak the gelatine leaves in cold water for 5 minutes, then squeeze out any excess liquid and add them to the custard. Stir until they dissolve.

5. Now pour the mixture into a clean bowl and put it in the fridge for an hour or so. When it has cooled sufficiently, stir in the chopped chocolate.

6. At this point, you can either spoon the custard into individual glasses or bowls and place them in the fridge, or you can whisk the whipping cream until it holds soft peaks, and fold this into the custard before spooning it into glasses and refrigerating. The end result is quite different, but both are delicious. The dairy-free mousse has a firmer consistency (you might want to reduce the amount of agave syrup and chopped chocolate) and the full-fat version has a lighter texture, but is obviously quite a bit richer. My husband prefers the former and I the latter.

7. To serve, decorate each glass with chocolate and mint leaves.