Chocolate crazy cake (no milk, butter or eggs)

I'm I've always been one to bake a cake with all the well known ingredients to creating a light fluffy sponge. Until I came across an old fashioned recipe online the contained no milk, butter or eggs! 

At first thought I began thinking how on earth can you create a fluffy sponge without the usual egg milk and butter?!?!

Curious to know if Infact this would work I tried it out and I have to say was my far the best cake I have ever made! Delicious, light and fluffy! So I would like to share the recipe with you. Perfect for anyone looking for a dairy free cake recipe! 

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup of sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp white vinegar

1 cup water

3 tbsp cacao or unsweetened cocoa powder.

5 tbsp vegetable oil

Icing ingredients:

1/2 cup icing sugar

1 tsp coca powder

Approx 2 tsp of water

Method:

Mix all dry ingredients together with a whisk to loosen any lumps and combined  them.  Make a well in the centre of the dry mix and add all your wet ingredients and stir together until it forms a smooth mixture. Transfer into a square baking tin approx 8". 

Baking in preheated oven of 200C for about 35 minutes or until the sides come away from the tin and when proded with a  toothpick comes out clean. 

Allow to cool completely then Mix your icing sugar, coca powder together with a small amount of water. Until you create a thick paste like icing. Then smooth over the top of your sponge with a palette knife to finish. 

Bacon carbonara

Portioned for 2.

Ingredients:

150g fettuccine pasta

2 rashers smoked bacon or can use lardons

125ml cream

1 garlic clove

20g cheese

75ml White wine (optional)

1/4 thinly sliced and diced onion

Fresh parsley

Method:

Bring a pan of water to the boil and add a good pinch of salt.

Add your fettuccine and cook for approximately 10 minutes until al dente. Then place your pasta into cold water to refresh. 

Sauté your bacon or lardons in a little oil and add your chopped garlic. Once your meat is cooked add the White wine and reduce by half. When you have achieved this add in your cream and allow to simmer gently. 

Place your pasta back into boiling water once it has begun to heat through drain and add in your cream mixture to the pasta. 

Add in your parsley gently stir then serve.

Garnish with parsley and ribbons of cheese  

Food trip to Liverpool's Almost Famous Burgers.

When it comes to dining out I like to try different food establishments each and everytime. So when it came to planning an evening out I was stuck for any places I haven't already been. Until a relative of mine mentioned a place called Almost Famous in Liverpool. Quoting he had the best burgers ever from there...Now I was curious.

Located on Parr street Liverpool only a few minutes walk from the hustle and bustle of the city centre. When travelling to Almost Famous I initially walked straight past! As a newbie to this place I had no idea of their logo! And spent a few minutes walking the wrong way up the street. No name signifying the establishment on the outside of the building. Which I later noticed a few customers did scan the outside to see if they were in fact at the right place. Maybe this could be a future plan for the company. 

My first thoughts on the layout was very colourful! Plenty of staff attending to other customers with plenty of smiles on their faces! Nice to see!

After sitting down and viewing the menu I loved how minimal it was! Not too spoilt for choice but well varied to suit different tastes with pretty reasonable prices. I eventually decided to order a River Phoenix burger and pig n waffle fries! 

Once decided on the food I would be consuming, ordering at the bar, staff where very pleasant and helpful whilst deciding upon drinks to accompany my meal. The room began to fill up rather quickly considering it was close to dinnertime. Hungry faces swarmed in as others where tucking into their delicious looking food that where placed infront of them. Quoting a gentlemans comment of absolutely lovely! I looked forward to devouring mine! 

From order to serving  it took 10 minutes! I was very impressed! At first sight of the meal put before me I felt like I was in an episode of Man vs Food!!! 

River Phoenix burger contained:

Double 100% freshly ground beef steak pattys, Cheese, Bacon, Bbq fried onions, frazzles, chipotle ketchup, bacconaise, bbq sass and fresh chillies. 

Pig 'n' waffle fries contained:

Waffle fries, pulled pork, redneck bbq and bleu cheese sauce, jalapeño and onions.

I know! Not a meal for any diet goer!

But what a delicious meal this was! Dripping in sauce and succulent beef a perfect burger! Colourful, flavoursome and packed with different textures. I thoroughly enjoyed my dining experience at Almost Famous Burgers! 

Will most definitely be dining there again!

Theredheadchef x

 

Fish tapas

For a different take on regular tapas we are served today. This dish consists of plaice goujons, tuna fish balls and tempura prawns. Show off culinary skill for friends and family. 

Ingredients:

1/2 hake fillet

1 egg

75g flour

75g breadcrumbs 

2 tiger prawns

65ml soda water 

1/2 beaten egg 

30g plain flour

1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda

Tuna pieces 

1 tbsp olive oil 

Chopped flat leaf parsley

1tbsp breadcrumbs

8g onion, finely diced

1/4 tsp grated lemon rind

1/2 tbsp milk

Method:

Cut the fillet into strips and pané in flour, egg and breadcrumbs and set aside in the fridge until required. 

For your tempura batter put soda water into the freezer until it comes ice cold but not frozen. 

Run a sharp knife down the back of each prawn and rinse. Pulling away the dark cord, pat dry and put into the fridge to chilled until required for deep frying. 

Place your tuna, onion and garlic onto the chopping board and chop into a coarse paste. Mix in the breadcrumbs, flour and lemon rind until well combined.

Add the egg, parsley, salt and pepper to taste. With moist hands shape your mixture into walnut size balls. Toss into some flour and shallow fry until cooked. 

For the prawns mix together the soda water water, bicarb, flour and beaten egg. Dip prawn into the batter then deep fry until prawns are pink and float to the top of the oil. For goujons cook Until coating is golden brown and float the same as the tempura prawns.

 Serve either hot or cold. 

Pork cordon bleu with tagliatelle

Ingredients:

1 pork fillet

4 slices of honey roasted ham

4 slices of mature cheddar cheese

Breadcrumbs

Salt and pepper to taste

1 egg, beaten

Large knob of butter

Vegetable oil

Method:

Cut your fillet lengthways and into 4 equal pieces. Lay one piece in between two sheets of cling film and using a rolling pin, bash the pork so that it flattens out not too thin though. Set it aside and repeat with the remaining pork.

With each piece of flattened pork lay the ham followed by the cheese and seasoning to taste. Fold over just short of half way and enclose  Press down firmly. 

Carefully with each escalope dip into the beaten egg then drain excess and the press into your breadcrumbs.

Cover and chill until required.

Preheat the oven to 190 C / Gas 5.

Heat two frying pans with a little butter and oil for frying. 

 2 escalopes per pan and gently brown on each side. 

 Add more oil if needed. 

After about 5 minutes remove and place on a baking tray.

Bake in the oven for 30 minutes or until cooked through. Serve immediately with freshly cooked tagliatelle.

Cannellini bean curry

Ingredients:

1 onion, finely sliced

2cm of fresh ginger, grated

Pinch of dried chilli flakes

1 garlic clove

2 tbsp curry powder or paste, mild

400g cannellini beans

5 tbsp of homemade tomato sauce or bottled ketchup is fine

Juice of Half a lemon

Handful of fresh coriander, roughly chopped

Method: 

Heat a little oil in a frying pan over a medium to low heat. Add your onion and sweat for around 8 minutes until translucent without colour.

Stir is your ginger, garlic, chilli flakes and curry powder and fry to release the aromas for approximately 1-2 minutes.

Add you cannellini beans, tomato sauce and enough water to loosen and stir to combine all ingredients. (Will eventually thicken throughout cooking).

Simmer gently until beans become tender and sauce has reduced.

5 minutes before serving add you lemon juice.

Serve with a sprinkling of coriander.

Braised Rice (to accompany chilli con carne)

Ingredients:

25g butter
15g onion, finely chopped
50g long grain rice 
100ml vegetable stock
Sheet of greaseproof paper 

Method:
Prepare you ingredients and cut a circle put of your greaseproof paper to fit into the inner part of your saute pan and grease with a little butter. Set aside till needed.

Place 1\2 the butter into a small saute pan allow to melt without colouring.
Add your onion cook gently without colouring for 2-3 minutes, add your rice again cook for 2-3 mjnutes. 

Add twice the amount of stock to rice. Season, cover with your buttered paper and being to the boil.

Place in a hot oven for approximately 15 minutes. Remove immediately into a cool bowl and add remaining butter.

Season and serve with chilli con carne.