Decadent Chocolate Pudding Cake

Cake Ingredients

2 cups flour

2 cups sugar

125g margarine

1/2 cup oil

2 tbs cocoa

1 cup water

2 beaten eggs

1 tsp bicarb

1 tsp vanilla essence

1/2 cup buttermilk

Icing Ingredients

2 tbs cocoa

2 tbs buttermilk

4 tbs margarine

2 cups icing sugar

1 tsp vanilla

250ml Cream and flake (optional)

Cake Preparation

- Preheat the oven to 180

- Mix 2 cups flour and 2 cups sugar

- Boil margarine, oil, cocoa and water

- Add the boiled mixture to flour and sugar mixture

- Mix in the eggs, bicarb, vanilla and buttermilk

- Pour into a greased oven dish and bake for 20 mins

Icing Preparation

- Boil the cocoa, buttermilk and margarine

- Remove from heat and add icing sugar and vanilla

- Beat until smooth

- Ice the cake while hot

Pour over cream and crumbled flake when warm and serve :)

Bacon-wrapped Mushrooms

Even mushroom haters will be eating this dish! Serves 4.

Ingredients

1/2 cup sundried tomatoes in oil, drained

1/4 cup coarsely grated parmesan cheese

1 clove garlic, chopped

16 button mushrooms

8 slices bacon

Preparation

- Blend the tomatoes, parmesan and garlic until pureed

- Carefully remove and discard stems from the mushrooms

- Gently fill the mushrooms with tomato mixture

- Halve the bacon slices lengthways

- Wrap 1 bacon strip around each mushroom

- Cook under a heated grill, turning once, until the bacon is crisp and mushrooms are browned all over.

Homemade Hummus

Source: www.cookingclassy.com/2014/03/hummus/

Ingredients:

1/4 cup tahini

1/4 cup lemon juice

2 tbsp olive oil

1 crushed garlic clove
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 can of chickpeas
2-3 tbsp of chickpea liquid

Paprika (for serving) - optional

Preparation:

1. Blend the Tahini and Lemon Juice together in a food processor for 1 minute 30 seconds (stopping every 30 seconds to scrape down the sides and bottom of processor)

2. Add olive oil, garlic, salt and cumin and pulse mixture for 1 minute (scraping down the sides after 30seconds)

3. Drain the chickpeas over a bowl to retain the liquid

4. Add 1/2the tin of chickpeas to the processed and blend for 1 minute

5. Scrape the sides again and then add the rest of the chickpeas and process for 2 minutes

6. Then add 2-3 tbsp of chickpea liquid (depends on desired consistency)

7. Plate the hummus and sprinkle with paprika if desired

Grilled Balsamic-Garlic Crusted Pork Tenderloin

This recipe was a hit with the whole family and uses only a few ingredients, making it a simple winner of a dish!

Ingredients:

4-5 crushed garlic cloves

2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar

2.5 tsp. coarse salt

0.5 tsp. freshly ground pepper

2 tbsp. olive oil

2 pork tenderloins (we used a pork fillet)

2 tbsp. canola oil

Preparation:

1. Stir together garlic, balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper and olive oil in a small bowl.

2. Rub the paste over the pork and marinade over night or for a few hours if possible. (We marinated for 3 hours).

3. Preheat the oven to 200 C

4. Heat the canola oil in a large heavy pan over medium-high heat. Working in batches if necessary, add pork and brown all over for 4 minutes

5. Transfer the pork to the oven and roast for 20 minutes (turning occasionally)

6. Transfer the pork to a cutting board and try let it rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

This recipe is compliments of pinterest and credit goes to Kitchen Confidante

Come Dine With Me

I’m sure most of you - if not all of you - have watched or even heard of the show “Come Dine with me”. It is known for its eccentric characters and dramatic voice over, but there are also fun food ideas and good laughs that come from this show.

My family and I decided to have our own “Come Dine with me” weekend during our holiday in Cape St Francis and it was such fun! We divided ourselves into 3 pairs and decided to choose 2 courses per night.

My partner and I paired up and planned an evening with a “homely” theme. I mean, what’s better than a Sunday Roast and Warm Chocolate Cake?

My dad and mom paired up for a “fine-dining” experience with Bacon-Wrapped mushrooms and my dad’s signature Potjie dish.

My 11 year old sister, Jenna and 20 year old brother, Christopher, teamed up for a night of fiesta in “Mexico”.

We were certain the Mexican fiesta was going to be a disaster considering my sister is 11 and my brother, well- he has never had to cook a day in his life. But we were pleasantly surprised. VERY surprised actually. 

The games began with a revealing of menu’s on day 1.

Night #1

The 4 guests of the night walked around the outside of the house and to the front door. We rang the doorbell and “introduced” ourselves to the hosts- who greeted us with champagne, wine, beer and smiles plastered on their faces.

My mom had lit candles and decorated the table beautifully and we all chatted around the table while the starters warmed up in the oven. We were served Bacon Wrapped Mushrooms stuffed with Sundried Tomato Pesto and Cheese. One of the most phenomenal starters I have ever had.

My brother, sister and boyfriend, all “anti-mushroomists” (no this word does not exist) ate their mushrooms without even a moments hesitation. This is the beauty of bacon: wrap anything in this heavenly strip of saltiness and you will have everyone on board.

We then waited and drank and waited and chatted and waited some more, until our main was (finally) served. I’m sure you’ve picked up that timing wasn’t their strong point- so they were slightly penalised ;)

We were then finally served Lamb Potjie and Homemade Rosemary and Olive Bread. It was delicious and they got 10/10 for presentation. They had baked the bread in muffin tins so that we each received our own savoury muffin with our dinner. It was a brilliant idea but unfortunately the olive flavour was a bit over powering and was not a hit with us guests.

Overall, the night was a success and thoroughly enjoyed by everyone. My parents had set the bar high and we were all excited for the rest of the week.

Night #2

Our theme was "Touch of Home". I think the preparation that went into hosting the night and planning the meal blew my boyfriend away! We spent the whole day either in the kitchen or at the shops. The entire day - no exaggeration! It was loads of fun though. I absolutely loved experimenting in the kitchen and we had such a good time cooking and baking.

We decided on a main course and a dessert. Our main course was Grilled Balsamic-Garlic Pork (recipe compliments of Pinterest – another “hobby” of mine) and our dessert was Warm Chocolate Cake covered in cream. We also cut up some crudités and placed chips in a bowl which was served as welcome snacks with our very own homemade hummus. Delicious!

The night was a great success and such fun! We began by serving the welcome snacks with drinks, followed by our main course of Pork, Creamy Potato Bake and Fresh Salad. The food went down well and everyone complimented us! We then played our traditional family card game "Kings & Idiots" before we tucked into the most delectable Chocolate Cake anyone has ever eaten (if I say so myself). My dad is the biggest fan of Chocolate Cake and I knew this recipe would steal his heart! The cake was warm, moist and according to dad: "hands down the best cake  ever!”

Night #3

The final night of our "Come Dine With Me” experience - a night in "Mexico". We were all sure that the night would end in takeaways, but Chris & Jenna proved us wrong. They set up a dining area in the lounge, on the floor and placed cacti on the table along with Mexican beer - Corona.

We each had Mexican name tags on our place mats that had been carefully thought out, as well as stick-on moustaches. This evening was light-hearted, fun and full of surprises. My brother served us nachos off a sombrero and they were delicious!

They had underestimated the quantity of food and had catered for an army! We ate nachos for 3 days afterwards. They then served us the “mystery moustaches” which were so cute! They had made brownies with kit-kat fingers in the middle and cut them out in the shape of moustaches! They were heavenly and needless to say- we over indulged in chocolate!

The entire weekend was such a blast and a great idea! It gave my mom time to relax, with a few days out the kitchen and it allowed us to all have some fun and experiment. It also created family bonding time! I recommend it to anyone going on a holiday with a crowd, but remember, even with family, competition is fierce.

The final scores were close but James and I stole the glory and won overall!

Slumtown Treasures

Living far away from home has made me appreciate all the "goldmines" in my home town, East London. Yes, Cape Town is "the place to be" and has everything to offer one- in terms of dining out and coffee dates. BUT my home town still holds a few treasures that I long for!

If any of you have the chance to pass through or stay in East London, otherwise known as "Slumtown", then I recommend my 4 favourite spots:

1. Friesland Milk Bar
2. Sanook
3. Lavender Blue
4. Roxys

Friesland is a milkshake bar that was established in 1924. It is undoubtedly what makes East London known. Friesland originally operated in the suburb known as Quigney and can now also be found in the Hemingways mall. Friesland is known for the most delicious milkshakes and ice cream. No doubt about it. 

When moving to Cape Town, I experienced "Friesland fomo" and started a milkshake scout. Nothing has come close to my hometown treasure. My two favourite Friesland flavours are Milo and Coffee and I highly recommend a visit to this milk bar. This milk bar has been putting smiles on faces for nearly a century and is an East London MUST.

Sanook opened in 2013 and is now the best burger and pizza joint in East London. This restaurant offers an assortment of gourmet burgers and pizzas and I often refer to it as a "mini-Hudsons". It offers the same vibe as Hudson's burger joint in Cape Town with sides such as sweet potato skins, side salad or fries.

Apart from burgers and pizza, it also offers ribs, sandwiches and salads. Recently Sanook has brought out a banting pizza and have joined the "real meal revolution". My favourite meal at Sanook is "the sexy chick"- an ostrich burger served with homemade tomato sauce. Accompanying this I love their side salad or sweet potato skins and a glass of light Montino wine. Sanook is situated in Chamberlain road, Vincent and is preparing to open a second restaurant in Beacon Bay. This restaurant offers great food, an amazing atmosphere and superb service!

Lavender Blue is found on the outskirts of East London and offers a farmstyle experience. This restaurant is situated near a pond with a big outdoor area and play equipment for children. They offer an assortment of breakfasts and lunches. They also have their own market on the weekend. Lavender Blue is the perfect restaurant for farmstyle breakfasts consisting of eggs, tomato relish, bacon, sausages and homemade bread. They also serve amazing open sandwiches and salads at lunch time. They cater for everyone and are a family friendly restaurant with lovely staff and divine coffee.

Roxy's coffee shop, run by three sisters-  Cheryl, Marcia and Margot - is a great place to meet up with friends. It is my go-to when I'm home and I absolutely love their signature cabbage salad. To satisfy the sweet tooth, one has to try the chocolate cake which is a slice of rich, dark chocolate cake covered in a saucy icing. They also offer a sweet potato cake, my personal favourite, with the most delicious cream cheese frosting. Roxy's  is a well established coffee shop situated in Chamberlain Square in Berea. This coffee shop offers a great atmosphere and the most delectable food. Another East London MUST.

I personally believe a visit to East London is incomplete without a visit to these 4 treasures!!