Rhubarb, Meringue and Almond Celebration cake

Just Sweet Talking about Rhubarb

My Rhubarb, Meringue and Almond cake just out of the oven

This is a really delicious cake with layers of rhubarb, ground almonds and meringue, and I urge you to bake it. Rhubarb, a very inconsequential yet colourful stalk before it is cooked, almost a red celery look alike, comes into its own in desserts, and when this cake is served by the slice, the rhubarb provides colour and it's wonderfully unique flavour. It comes in three layers comprising a light and delicious butter cake base, a tangy cooked rhubarb layer, topped with a textured, sweet, and nutty layer of meringue. Rhubarb is in season at the moment, so let's cook up a storm using rhubarb. This cake dusted with icing sugar, decorated with a few pretty flowers, and served with fresh cream or ice  cream would be worthy of any celebration. That photo is in the planning, I promise.

Mediterranean Vegetable Lasagne Recipe

 

This is a Mediterranean style vegetable lasagne, to my way of thinking anyway. Most of the ingredients are of Mediterranean origin, and can probably be found in your refrigerator and pantry right now. Except perhaps for the ricotta which needs to be purchased fresh. The Mediterranean flavours shine through. There are times when a vegetarian meal just ticks all the right boxes for me, especially when I need to really load up on vegetables,  however this lasagne can also be served with any meats of your choice if you wish. This meal is perfect for a no fuss Meat Free Monday, which I still try to abide by, and at the same time enjoy something really filling and comforting.

Budget Friendly and Loaded Sweet Potato Wedges

 

This nourishing dish is a simple, inexpensive mid-week meal with Middle Eastern flavours, or it can have more of a Mexican influence depending on what you substitute or add. It's a recipe that is extremely versatile and only limited by your imagination. I placed the mince filling on a bed of lettuce both for extra nutrition and appearance, however corn chips as a base, yes, I am thinking Mexican nachos now, would really bring this dish to another level if you are cooking for children or extra adults. Who doesn't love  a corn chip? If you are adding corn chips, add some drained sweet corn to the mince or add it separately, and layer it up. Hidden vegetables are very achievable here and always important for our health, I love them. Please see my notes below.

Very Smart Strawberry Streusel Cake

 

A highlight of my sweets baking recently is this very smart Nigella Lawson Strawberry Streusel cake, marbled with beautiful strawberry puree,  a combination of fresh strawberries and strawberry jam.  Why is this recipe very smart? Because besides the very easy strawberry layer, one dough does double the work, it becomes the cake batter and the streusel. This isn't the kind of cake that I would tackle at the end of a long day at the office. This cake requires a calm mind with my favourite music playing in the background, a clear head,  and plenty of time at my disposal. Cooler weather also helps to keep the butter chilled. Whilst strawberries are in season, this cake will be on rotation in my kitchen and will be quite simple to make next time. I can't wait. This recipe was also featured in the New York Times.

In My Kitchen - September, 2023

 Last month, much of the activity In My Kitchen was a celebration of the fresh and plentiful bounty of fruits and vegetables available at the markets and in the supermarkets, and at quite reasonable prices. This will change as the weather warms up, as Summer sets in with a vengeance on our beautiful sunburnt country, and the inevitability of the dreaded bushfires of the season have an impact on certain parts of the country. Let's hope the bushfires are averted by careful management practices. The following is in a nutshell what I created in my kitchen. This post is part of the In My Kitchen Link Party series hosted by Sherry at Sherry's Pickings. 

Prawn Curry - simply the best!

Curried prawns or curried shrimp, depending on where you live, is something of a comfort food classic in Tropical and Central Queensland, but it's a real treat that the whole family will love wherever you live. It can be the go-to for an easy mid-week meal to throw together when raw prawns are well priced like they are here right now. At $15 a kilo, it's a reasonably priced meal. Once the prawns are peeled and the preparation done, this meal can be on the table in less than 30 minutes. Or buy them already shelled, simple. It's Father's Day tomorrow, and unless the Dad or the Man in your house is allergic to prawns, he will feel very spoiled if this meal is cooked for him. A Prawn Curry really is a cinch to make for the whole family.