Crème Brûlée

 

This classic Crème Brûlée is a very chic dessert to have in your entertaining food repertoire. Donna Hay's recipe was the one I used, but I added a couple of modifications to it which worked beautifully. A silky and rich custard has a topping of thin caramelised crunchy toffee. It's an absolute delight to crack through the toffee layer with a spoon to discover the rich vanilla infused custard waiting below. 

Orange and Lemon Syrup Cake

 

A luscious orange syrup drizzled cake is perfect just served with a dollop of thick yoghurt. The sweet, sour, and refreshing flavour of fresh citrus fruits absolutely infuses this cake.  These are the flavours of our Summer and will brighten up any Winter blues in the Northern Hemisphere as well. This cake is happiness on a plate. Why not bake it this weekend?

In My Kitchen February 2024

January has flown by, and now I am mentally collecting inspiration for cooking events for February. We are still experiencing the peak of the tropical heat of Summer here, and this determines a lot of what I am preparing and cooking. However, let's start on a sweet note and there a few recipes in this post that I haven't yet shared with you. 

Lemon and Blueberry Yoghurt cake

 Lemon and blueberry yoghurt loaf cake can be the sweet and tangy ending to a meal, served warm with yoghurt, blueberries and a drizzle of honey, or served as the sweet component of a morning or afternoon tea with lemon icing or a dusting of icing sugar. It's versatile and delicious.

Eggplant (aubergine), chickpea, and tomato bake (Musaqa'a)

Do you have eggplants growing at home in your hot Summer garden? If you do, this is the Mediterranean recipe for you. If you also have some tomatoes growing, well you are really on a winner. Otherwise, buy the vegetables all preferably at the local market to guarantee freshness, and then this is the perfect vegetarian dish, or serve it as a delicious side with the meat of your choice. To my friends in the Northern Hemisphere, this is a very comforting Mediterranean style dish to enjoy in the middle of your Winter. It is a cinch to  make.

One Pan Salmon Kedgeree

Kedgeree can be served for breakfast, brunch, lunch or for an easy dinner. Because it can be eaten cold, it's also perfect for on-the-go lunches. Most of the ingredients in this recipe are staple items in every pantry. If you have a can of fish or some poached salmon, an onion, curry powder, cooked rice, and eggs, a simple version of this recipe can be made.  Or replace fish with roasted pumpkin, a vegetarian option. 

Chicken and Apricot Tagine

 It's hard to beat a Moroccan style tagine or casserole for flavour and nutritional benefits. This recipe is great for the busy home cook, as once the chicken and onions are browned on the stovetop, all the ingredients are tumbled into a large casserole dish and the meal cooks itself in the oven. It can be served in a beautiful tagine utensil if you own one, or straight from your casserole dish or cast iron utensil, with a light garnish of attractive green herbs.