Weekend dinner - 21/11/2015

Banana thyme cake for afternoon tea

Pork cheeks braised in cider and mustard
(one of the best pork dishes I've made)

Potato wedges roasted in duck fat

Stir-fry cabbage and carrot slivers

Chocolate and sour cherry slice
(Mine turned out quite crumbly even with less baking time, but the taste is good)

Yes I continue to make bagels (flax seeds and spelt bagels)

I make - Banana Thyme Cake

This is one of the most elegant banana cakes I've tasted. The addition of fresh thyme leaves gives the homey banana cake a flare of mystery. Perfect for an afternoon tea party.

Banana Thyme Cake
adapted from Ruby Tandoh's Banana Thyme Cake with A Lemon Drizzle

2 medium ripe bananas, mashed
100g unsalted butter, softened
100-125g caster sugar
2 medium eggs
2-3 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
Zest of ½ lemon

150g self-raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt

Mash bananas with a tablespoon of rum. Rum is optional. If you don't have it, just skip it.

Beat softened butter with caster sugar for three minutes. Add one egg to the butter mixture and beat thoroughly before adding the other one. Stir in mashed bananas, thyme leaves and lemon zest.

Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into the butter mixture. Fold gently with a rubber spatula until everything is combined.

Bake at 180C in a 20-cm round cake tin for 30-35 minutes or a muffin tin (I got 9) for 20-25 minutes.

Weekend dinner - 07/11/2015

I cannot believe I can make bagels!

My short rib stew was very flavourful but let me tell you, I was actually wowed by my polenta tonight.

Creme fraiche polenta with parsley

1 cup of fine cornmeal

4 cups of water

1 teaspoon of stock powder

2 tablespoons of cream cheese

2 tablespoons of creme fraiche

5-10 stalks of parsley

Prepare polenta by mixing cornmeal, water and stock powder. Cook until it's thickened for 15 minutes.

Stir in cream cheese, creme fraiche and parsley. Blend everything together with an immersion blender. A great side dish for a rich stew.

Party!

Party of four 31/10/2015

Who: 

Me, resident food critique, our Greek neighbours

Place: 

Chez nous

Menu:

To start: 

Oysters and lemons,
Blini with smoked salmon and creme fraiche mixed with horseradish, roasted pepper and cream cheese with chives

Platter of olives, roasted artichoke hearts, roasted pepper, lemon-dressed rocket leaves with parmesan slivers

Main:

Seafood paella

Salad of beetroot, carrots and apples in Dijon mustard vinaigrette

Dessert:

Homemade chocolate cake from our lovely neighbors