comfort food

it hasn't been much fun here lately..first my daughter got sick so i made her a nurturing chicken soup and a cinnamon tea cake..it's her childhood favourite..she got better and went back to work and then i succumbed to the same virus..so i made a curried carrot soup for myself and some passionfruit cupcakes..today for the first time in more than a week i can say i'm on the mend..

passionfruit cupcakes

adapted from 'favourite cake recipes' family circle

makes 15

ingredients cupcakes

2 cups self raising flour sifted
3/4 cup castor sugar
125 gms softened butter
1 teaspoon (tsp) grated lemon zest
strained juice of 3 passionfruit
3/4 cup milk
pinch salt
2 eggs

ingredients icing

2 tablespoons double cream
pulp of 1 passionfruit
1 tsp lemon rind
pure icing sugar

method

~ place dry ingredients into the bowl of a stand mixer and add remaining cupcake ingredients and beat on low speed for one minute
~ increase speed and beat for a further 2 minutes
~ divide the batter between paper case lined patty tins and bake at 200 deg c for 15 to 20 minutes or until cooked when tested with a skewer
~ make a firm but spreadable icing by mixing enough icing sugar with the cream, lemon rind and passionfruit and ice the cupcakes when cool

adaption notes: in the original recipe the passionfruit pulp was not strained but i prefer the texture of the cake without the seeds and i opted for a cream rather than a butter based icing

curried carrot soup

ingredients

1 kg carrots peeled and cut into large pieces
1 large onion cut into large chunks
1 thumb size piece of ginger finely grated
pinch of chilli flakes
2 1/2 litres stock (i used homemade)
2 tablespoons (tbs) organic coconut butter
1 1/2 to 2 tbs curry powder
1 teaspoon (tsp) cumin
2 tsp murray river salt

to serve per bowl

1 tbs lime juice
1/2 tsp finely grated lime zest
1/2 tsp finely grated ginger
3-4 small sprigs of coriander flowers
1/4 cup basmati rice cooked by the absorption method with the addition of coconut butter
extra salt
pepper

method

~ heat coconut butter in a large saucepan, add onion and cook gently until transparent
~ add carrot, ginger, curry powder, cumin, chilli flakes and salt, stir for a couple of minutes, add stock, bring to the boil and then lower heat and cook covered until the carrots are soft
~ puree the soup and adjust seasoning
~ place rice in serving bowl and ladle over hot soup
~ garnish with lime zest and juice, ginger, coriander flowers and salt and pepper to taste


i hope you're well and that you've had a relaxing weekend! x

vintage floral enamel

this lucky find was bought for $1 on the weekend!

i store my tea in this lidded pot..it's the perfect size for the one and a
half packets of tea i use to make my mix

i found this little lidded cup among my mother's things..
it fits perfectly in my bathroom cupboard  

if only i'd learned to like floral enamel earlier because unfortunately it's rare to find any these days

using up egg white

coconut chocolate macaroons
with decorative adaptations

go here for david lebovitzs' recipe

makes approximately 24

ingredients

4 egg whites 

1 1/4 cups sugar

2 1/2 cups unsweetened coconut

1 tablespoon (tbs) honey

1/4 cup of plain flour

1/2 teaspoon (tsp) vanilla

1/4 tsp salt 

30 gms dark chocolate

candied orange peel

method

~ place egg white, coconut, sugar, honey, flour and salt in a large shallow pan and cook over low to moderate heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture starts to just scorch on the bottom of the pan

~ remove from the heat and stir in vanilla

~ leave to cool

~ shape into walnut sized balls and cook at 180 deg c for about 20 minutes or until browned

~ melt the chocolate in a bowl over hot water

~ once the macaroons are cooled drop a half tsp of chocolate on the top of each macaroon and then top with a small baton of candied orange peel

if you like to use up egg whites too what do you make with them?

gratitude

flanders poppy picked from my garden

thinking of

 my paternal grandfather whom i never met who served as a chemist in the field ambulance corps on the western front in france during world war 1..during the war he developed depression and he committed suicide when my father was three months old 

remembering 

my father who, during world war 2, piloted four of the six survivors of the sandakan march in borneo to safety

grateful for

the sacrifices made by the forces

where's the bread and butter?

i bought these plates from an op shop this week for $5

royal albert

foley

duchess

swinnerton's staffordshire 'luxor vellum'

ridgeway potteries queen anne 

royal stafford 'blue bird'

aynsley

here's the bread..just out of the oven!

organic sourdough whey (from making ricotta) bread

and a slice cut, buttered and eaten before it's cooled

have a happy weekend x

raw chocolate date bites

my daughter katerina made these this afternoon

raw chocolate date bites

adapted from here

makes 32

ingredients

2 cups finely chopped medjool dates
2 cups finely chopped walnuts
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup dessicated coconut
4 tablespoons (tbs) organic cocoa powder
2 tbs organic coconut butter
extra shredded coconut

method

~ place all ingredients in a large bowl and mix together until the mixture forms a ball
~ roll walnut sized pieces in extra coconut

they went really well with a cup of tea after a few hours of work in the garden