Mini Mandarin and Almond Cakes

Autumn & Winter is the time that citrus fruit is at its most bountiful and delicious. 

I had a slightly unwell little person at home with me today (He was coughing and running a slight temp & he didn't complain when I said that a sick day meant time in bed! I think he needed a Mental Health Day) and we splurged after dropping off his sister at school with a coffee and a cupcake. The cupcake was a Gluten Free Mandarin cake & little Mr and I shared it & he LOVED it. He wanted to know if we could make it & I told him that I had made them previously, so I would hunt out the recipe & we could make them (after he had a big sleep).

Mini Mandarin & Almond Cakes

Ingredients

·            3 seedless mandarins, skin on

·            1 cup caster sugar

·            1 cinnamon sticks

·            125g butter, softened

·            3 eggs

·            1 1/2 cups almond meal (ground almonds)

·            1/3 cup plain flour (or for Gluten Free option, use Corn Flour or Gluten Free Plain Flour)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C fan-forced. Place liners in a 12 hole muffin pan.
2. Combine mandarins, 1/2 cup sugar, cinnamon and 2 cups cold water in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until sugar dissolves. Bring to the boil. Boil, covered, for 15 minutes or until mandarin skin is tender. Remove mandarin and process in a food processor until mandarin is almost smooth. Cool.
3. In an electric mixer, beat butter and ½ cup sugar until pale and creamy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in almond meal, flour and mandarin purée. Spoon mixture into prepared cases. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean.

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Apple Muffins

Autumn is the time when new season apples appear in store. They are very affordable, and deliciously crisp.

This recipe makes 12 regular or 6 regular and 8 mini muffins

Ingredients

300g organic plain flour
1 tbs baking powder
2 tsp Herbies Cassia (baker’s cinnamon)
150g firmly packed brown sugar
2 medium Granny Smith or Red Delicious apples, cored, peeled and finely chopped
125g sultanas
125g butter melted and cooled
2 free-range eggs, lightly whisked
185mls (3/4 cup) milk

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease the muffin pans with olive oil spray or a little melted butter, or use paper cases.

2. Sift the plain flour, baking powder and cassia together into a large bowl. Stir in the brown sugar, apples and sultanas until well combined.

3. Whisk together the butter, eggs and milk until well combined.

4. Add the liquid mixture to the flour mixture and stir with a large spoon until just combined. DO NOT over mix. If the mixture is over-mixed, the cooked muffins will come out tough.

5. Spoon the mixture evenly into the muffin pans.

6. Bake the muffins in preheated oven for 20 minutes or until golden and cooked through. To test if they are cooked, insert a skewer into the centre of one - if it comes out clean, it is ready, if not, bake for a little longer before testing again. 

7. When cooked, remove from oven and stand for 2-3 minutes before turning onto a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 day. Or freeze wrapped individually for a sweet treat.

Watermelon and Fetta Salad

It's been so hot that the thought of turning on the oven, or going outside to turn on the BBQ is just horrendous. I find when it's hot that my appetite disappears and all I want is something light to eat. Therefore tonight's dinner had to be something light, cooling, easy, with minimal cooking required.

Ingredients (Serves 2)

1/4 fresh, juicy watermelon

1/3 jar (100-150g) of Binnorie Marinated Fetta

1/4 cup fresh basil leaves

2 tbs fresh mint leaves

1/4 cup walnuts

Method

1. Toast the walnuts in a dry frypan for 2-5 mins, tossing continually. Allow to cool.
2. Cube the watermelon. Place in salad bowl.
3. Crumble fetta over the top of the watermelon.
4. Ball up the basil leaves and shred with a sharp knife, repeat with the mint leaves, reserving a few for presentation. Sprinkle herbs over the fetta and melon.
5. Roughly chop the cooled walnuts and sprinkle over the salad.
Serve immediately.

Mango, Macadamia Chicken Salad

Summer means salad & summer means mangoes, so combining the two of these makes sense. The best part about this salad is that you can add or subtract the ingredients you do or don't like. This is my recipe, but I must admit that I don't really measure anything for this dish, I just throw it together (or plate it up!!)

Ingredients (Serves 2-4)
1 chicken breast, cut into strips
1 large or 2 small mangoes, cut into strips
1 large avocado, cubed
2-4 cups of mixed lettuce leaves, washed, dried & torn
1/2 lebanese cucumber, diced
2 sticks celery, diced
8-12 cherry tomatoes, quartered
1/4 cup roasted macadamias, chopped
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Juice of 1/2 lime
2-4 tbs of Vegetali Caramelised Garlice & Lime Aioli

Method
1. Fill a large saucepan with enough water to cover your chicken breasts. Bring to the boil, when water is boiling add sliced chicken breast, poach for 2 minutes, reduce heat & simmer for 5 minutes. When 5 minutes is reached, check that the chicken is cooked through by removing a piece & checking the meat at the thickest part is opaque. When cooked remove from the poaching liquid & drain on paper towel.
2. Arrange lettuce leaves, celery, cucumber, tomatoes, mango & avocado in bowls.
3. Divide chicken between serving bowls, scatter chopped macadamias over the top of each bowl, drizzle with combined lemon & lime juice & then dollop a tablespoon of aioli on each bowl.

Great with a chilled Rose or a crisp Chardonnay.
Enjoy!

Lemon Ricotta Pudding

Local lemons are cheap & plentiful at the moment, and the evenings are still cool enough to enjoy baking & eating this simple, but delicious dessert.

Ingredients
From The Fresh Ingredient
200g Perfect Italiano Original Ricotta
2 lemons, rind finely grated, juiced
2 free-range eggs
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons pistachios, roughly chopped
From the pantry
1/2 cup caster sugar
1 cup self-raising flour, sifted

Method
Preheat oven to 190°C. Grease a 3-cup capacity ovenproof dish.
Place ricotta, lemon rind, 1/4 cup lemon juice, eggs and 1/3 cup sugar in a bowl. Using a balloon whisk, whisk until smooth. Using a wooden spoon, stir in flour. Mix well to combine. Spoon batter into prepared dish. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
Preheat grill on medium. Sprinkle remaining 1 tablespoon sugar over surface of pudding. Place under grill and cook for 1 minute or until golden. Drizzle with honey, sprinkle with pistachios and serve with good quality ice-cream.
I suggest Bravo Gelato Pistachio, or Maggie Beer Lemon Curd (both available from The Fresh Ingredient)

Banana Loaf

Over summer the bananas at "The Fresh Ingredient" were ripening incredibly quickly. We decided that every now & again we would put a box of these super ripe bananas on the bench outside the shop with a sign saying"free to a good home".
Naturally most of these bananas went off to good homes. This recipe was left by a friendly customer alongside the box of bananas.
I haven't had a chance to make the Banana Loaf until today, it will now go into my regular repertoire.
It is simple, tasty, economical & fast....what more could you ask for. I prefer to use organic flour and milk & free-range eggs, but this isn't necessary.

Ingredients
1 cup self raising flour
1 cup dessicated coconut
1/2 cup caster sugar
1/2 cup milk
2 bananas (mashed)

Method
1. Pre-heat oven to 180C.
2. Grease & line a loaf tin.
3. Sift flour into a large bowl, add remaining ingredients & mix until combined - do not over mix.
4. Bake for approx. 40 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.
5. Cool in pan for 5 minutes then turn out onto cooling rack.
6. When cool slice using a bread knife, serve with butter if required.

Banana Delicious

This is a fast & yummy dessert the whole family will enjoy.

Ingredients

4 bananas
2 free range eggs
2 tblsp caster sugar
Juice of 1 lemon
1 cup dessicated coconut
2 tblsp apricot jam


Method

1. Pre-heat oven to 180C.
2. Slice bananas & layer in a baking dish.
3. Cover the sliced bananas with lemon juice.
4. Beat egg and caster sugar together until creamy.
5. Add coconut and apricot jam to the egg and sugar bowl and mix well.
6. Spread the mixture over the sliced bananas.
7. Bake for 25 minutes or until top is golden.

Serve with good quality ice-cream.

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The Fresh Ingredient is a fruit & vegetable and gourmet food store owned by Peter & Mary. We love good food, good wine and are concerned about the corporatisation of food. We enjoy sharing food, talking about food and being around food - we hope that you will join us in our online food world.