Thursday 6 May 2010

Ukrainian Honey Cake

Ingredients:

3 large eggs
150g/5oz Sugar
225g/8oz Honey
125ml/4fl oz Sunflower oil
1/2 Orange, juice and zest of
2 tbsp Plain yoghurt
450g/1lb Plain flour
1 level tsp Baking powder
1 level tsp Baking soda
1 level tsp Ground cinnamon
2 level tsp Ground ginger

Preheat the oven to 160C/325F/Gas Mark 3. Break the eggs into a mixing bowl and add the sugar, honey, oil, orange juice, zest and finally the yoghurt. Using a hand mixer on a low speed, beat together until smooth. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinammon and ginger, beat slowly until they form a creamy batter. Pour the batter equally into two 900g/2lbs load tins lined with greaseproof cases and place in the centre of the oven.

Bake for about 30-40 minutes or until well risen. Press the top of the cakes, if firm the cakes are cooked, if not turn down the temperature to 140C/275F/Gas Mark 1 or until the top feels firm when gently pressed. Turn the cake out onto a wire rack to cool.

Wednesday 5 May 2010

Roasted Summer Vegetable Salad with a Chilli & Rosemary Dressing

Serves 4-6

FOR THE DRESSING:
1 Sprig of fresh rosemary leaves, finely chopped
1 Red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
1 Clove garlic, peeled and finely chopped
120ml Rapeseed oil
55ml Balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp Runny Lincolnshire honey
Sea salt and black pepper

FOR THE SALAD:
4 tbsp Rapeseed oil
2 Courgettes, cut lengthways into 2mm thick slices
2 Red peppers, deseeded and cut into large chunks
2 Yellow peppers, deseeded and cut into large chunks
2 Red onions, peeled and sliced
1 Bunch of spring onions, trimmed and cut in half
200g Small broccoli florets
Sea salt and black pepper

Prepare the dressing by mixing all of the ingredients together in a bowl and season to taste. For the salad, heat a heavy based frying pan or griddle pan with half the rapeseed oil and sear the courgettes on both sides until well charred and slightly soft. Remove from the pan and place in a bowl to cool then repeat with the red onion, red and yellow peppers and then again with the broccoli and spring onions. Season the vegetables as you cook them and add the rest of the oil to the pan as you need it.

Leave the vegetables to cool, then toss the cooked vegetables with a little of the dressing and season to taste with sea salt and black pepper.

Transfer to a salad bowl and drizzle with the remaining dressing, garnish with a spring of fresh rosemary. Ideally served with BBQ meats on a sunny evening!