Watermelon shake
Take a watermelon. Remove pips. Put in blender with a tray of ice. Blend.
OMG yum.
One watermelon normally makes two blenders full.
Hint: How to get pips out of watermelons
Use two bowls and a sieve. Scoop out the watermelon flesh into one of the bowls, then use your hands to grab out bits of flesh. The pips will come off easily. Use the sieve to collect the watermelon water at the bottom of the bowl while avoiding the pips.
Spinach, orange and apple shake
1 cup of fresh spinach leaves
2 oranges
1 apple, peeled
1 cup chilled water
4 cubes of ice
Peel and chop the apple and orange. Put all ingredients in the blender and blend! So fresh and energizing. Spinach love!
This is a sweet green drink with a slightly tart/bitter undertone. Very nice. Beware of the green moustache!
Got spinach?
For Bex, it’s always nice when a dinner guest asks for the recipe.
Makes 12 Servings
4 cups peeled, cored, and coarsely chopped Golden Delicious apples (about 4 medium).
1 ¾ cups sugar
½ teaspoon chopped dried lemon peel
½ cup canola or other mild vegetable oil
½ cup cup red currant jam, at room temperature
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
½ teaspoon almond extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped blanched almonds
Icing sugar (optional)
Preheat the oven to 175C (350F). Grease a 13 by 9 inch baking pan. In a large bowl, combine the apples, sugar, and lemon peel; let stand for 15 minutes.
Add the oil, jam, vanilla extract, and almond extract to the apple mixture; stir until the jam is well dissolved.
In another large bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Gradually stir into the apple mixture. Add the almonds, stirring well to combine. Pour into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes.
Let the cake cool n the pan on a wire rack. When completely cooled, sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar, if desired. Cut into squares and serve.
Advance Preparation
The completely cooled cake can be covered with foil and stored at room temperature for up to two days.
From The Mediterranean Vegan Kitchen by Donna Klein
I was reading the Indulgence section of The Dominion Post when a recipe for Crema Catalana Baked Apples caught my eye. I’d just been wondering what to do with the Granny Smith Apples sitting in our fruit bowl!
The baked apples were nice, pretty much what you’d expect from baked apples but the Cream Catalana (Spanish Custard) made me roll back my eyes in delight.
I think next time I’ll make twice as much custard and skip the apples altogether : -)
Crema Catalana Baked Apples
Serves Four.
Ingredients
- 10g (2 tsp) butter (softened)
- 4 medium-sized Granny Smith apples
- 250ml (1 cup) of water
- 100g (1/2 cup) of sugar
- Zest of one lemon
- Cinnamon quill
- Recipe Crema Catalana (below)
- 4 tsp sugar (for sprinkling)
Method
Preheat oven to 180C.
Grease ovenproof gratin dish generously with butter.
Preparing the Apples
Core apples, being careful not to cut through the bottoms. You could use an apple corer, or a small paring knife to carve out a cavity in the centre of the apples about 1cm – 2cm in diameter, and as close to the bottom as you can without piercing it. If necessary cut a tiny sliver of apple from the base to ensure the apple will sit flat.
Place apples in gratin, bottom down.
Preparing the Cooking Liquid
In a small pot set over a low heat, place water, sugar, lemon zest and cinnamon quill and stir to dissolve. Increase heat and bring to the boil. Remove from heat and pour in and over apples. Leave cinnamon quill and zest in the gratin with the apples.
Baking the Apples
Place gratin in the oven and bake uncovered, basting occasionally, for 25-35 minutes till apples are tender and the skin just begins to break. Baking time will depend on the size and ripeness of the apples.
Prepare Crema Catalana (below) while waiting for the apples to cook.
Remove from oven and leave to sit for about 10 minutes. Tip apples to pour off syrup from the apple cavities into the gratin.
To Serve
Fill cavity with Crema Catalana (below). Sprinkle with second measure of sugar and, using a chefs torch, brulee till dark brown, or place gratin under a very hot grill till sugar has turned dark brown.
Place an apple in each serving plate, drizzle with syrup and accompany with any remaining Crema Catalana.
And this is what a slightly overcooked apple looks like. Ooops.
Cream Catalana
Ingredients
- 150ml (1/2 cup + 1tbsp + 2 tsp) cream
- 150ml (1/2 cup + 1tbsp + 2tsp) milk
- 1/2 cinnamon stick
- Zest of one lemon
- 3 egg yolks
- 66g (1/3 cup) sugar
Method
In a medium, heavy-based saucepan set over a medium heat, place the cream, milk, cinnamon quill and lemon zest and heat to just below boiling point. Remove from the heat and cool.
Place egg yolk in a bowl and lightly whisk till just combined, but not frothy or foamy. Add sugar and combine. Pour cooled cream mixture into the egg mixture and stir to combine, aiming, once again, not to create froth or foam.
Wash the cream saucepan and pour the cream/egg mixture into the saucepan and place over low heat. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon till custard thickens and evenly coats the back of the spoon. Strain through a fine sieve to remove the cinnamon quill, zest and remaining particles of egg white.
Allow to cool slightly before pouring into the apples.
The Edmonds Cook Book
is a Kiwi Classic.
I remember being given one when I left home as most household have *at least one*.
I suspect the reason for its popularity is that the Edmonds does the basics. It’s hard to mess up its straight forward recipes.
Here is one of my favourite Edmonds recipes. I’ve made it with lots of different fruits but my favourite remains apple and plum.
Fruit Sponge
- 2 cups of stewed fruit – e.g. apples, boysenberries, apricots
- sugar
- 125g butter
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup of plain baking flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 tablespoons milk
Place stewed fruit in an ovenproof dish. Sweeten with sugar to taste. Cover and keep hot. Put butter, vanilla and measured sugar into a bowl. Beat until pale and creamy. Beat in eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Sift flour and baking powder together. Fold into creamed mixture. Add milk and mix to combine Spoon mixture over fruit. Bake at 190C for 40 minutes or until sponge springs back when touched. Serve hot with cream or dusted with icing sugar.