Moist Carrot Cake Muffins

August 5, 2014 by TSJC Leave a Comment

It doesn’t matter what you call these, small cakes or muffins, just so long as you make them. Its a really simple recipe to achieve moist, dense, spicey carrot cake muffins.

Moist Spicy Carrot Cakes Muffins
Makes 1 cake / 12 muffins

Ingredients
– 200gms dark brown sugar (demererra works well)
– 180ml sunflower oil
– 60mls buttermilk
– 3 large eggs
– 10ml vanilla extract
– 100gms canned pineapple chunks, drained
– 200gms finely grated carrot, I use a microplane
– 1 tsp nutmeg
– 2 tsp cinnamon
– 1/2 tsp salt
– 250gms cake flour
– 1 tsp baking powder
– 100gms pecan pieces, roughly chopped

Cream Cheese Frosting
– 250gms full fat cream cheese, room temperature
– 2 cups icing sugar
– 100gms butter, room temperature
– 1 tsp vanilla essence
– 1 tbsp cream

To start preheat the oven to 180°C, and place the wrack in the middle of the oven. Grease 12 large muffin tins, or 1 22cm springform cake tin.

In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer add the sugar and oil – mix until combined about 30-seconds. Now with the mixer running add the buttermilk once combined begin adding the eggs 1 at a time until well combined. The mixture will still be gritty, unlike when you cream butter and sugar.

In a another bowl sieve together the flour, baking powder, spices and salt. Then add the flour mixture to the wet mixture, using a spatula stir until just combined – don’t be temped to overwork the mixture the muffins will become chewy. Once the flour is combined fold in the drained pineapple, carrots and pecan pieces. Stir until just combined.

Fill the muffin cups 2/3 full and bake in the centre of the oven for 18-24 minutes – or until the muffins are golden on top and a skewer inserted comes out clean. Don’t overbake the muffins or they will dry out, remove from the oven and allow to cool a few minutes before removing the muffins from the tray and allowing them to cool completely.

To make the cream cheese frosting, place the softened butter and cream cheese in the bowl of a mixer or in a large mixing bowl and blend until fluffy and combined. Once combined start adding the icing sugar in batches, blending thoroughly between additions. Now add the vanilla extract and milk and blend until the frosting is smooth and fluffy.

Savoury Mini Breakfast Pancakes

July 11, 2014 by TSJC Leave a Comment

These little pancakes are the perfect thing for a brunch with friends. You can prep the batter in advance, and it only takes a few minutes, then make a huge batch, which cook really quickly because they are so little. Then let your guests do the rest just provide them with some sliced parma ham, smoked salmon and a bowl of hot spicey mushrooms, depending on what they feel like they can assemble them themselves.

Savoury Breakfast Pancakes
Makes 24

Ingredients
– 200gms cake flour
– large pinch salt
– 2 level tsp baking powder
– 2 large free range eggs
– 250ml milk
– butter to fry

To make the batter, sieve the flour, salt and baking powder together. Whisk the eggs and milk together. Make a well in the centre and add the egg and milk mixture. Whisk together thoroughly – allow to stand for at least 10-minutes. Heat some butter in a heavy frying pan and add the mixture 1-tbsp at a time, once bubbles begin to appear, turn the pancake over and cook for a further minute until done. Stack the pancakes to help keep them warm and repeat until all the batter is finished.

If you have a small gas burner that won’t look out of place on a table you can make the pancakes with your guests so that they are always hot and fresh, plus its actually fun!

Bacon, Cheddar & Zucchini Muffins

June 20, 2014 by TSJC Leave a Comment

If you are going to make a breakfast muffin this has got to be the one. Packed with healthy, natural, free range or organic ingredients. These muffins will store in the freezer tightly sealed, but they are so quick to make why bother. Use this as a basic recipe for quick breakfast muffins.

Cheddar, Bacon & Zucchini Muffins
Makes 12

Ingredients

1 teaspoon olive oil
110gms bacon rasher,
1/2 cup grated zucchini
1/2 tsp fine salt
1 cup self-raising flour
1 cup plain flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup De Rustica Extra Virgin Olive oil, or other great quality oil
1 cup milk
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 tsp Mustard
1/2 cup grated tasty cheese

Preheat oven to 180°C/175°C fan-forced. Line a 12 hole 1/3 cup muffin tray or spray pan with non stick spray. In a pan fry the bacon until crispy, about 5-minutes. Remove from pan, allow to cool and then roughly chop. Now finely grate the zucchini and then carefully squeeze out all of its excess liquid. In a large mixing bowl, sift together flours, salt and baking powder into a bowl. Make a well in the centre. In a a smaller bowl, combine oil, mustard, milk, and egg. Add to the well in the centre of the dry ingredients and mix well. Fold in bacon, zucchini and cheese.

Finally spoon the mixture into a standard size muffin tin. Bake for 20 to 22 minutes or until golden and just firm to touch. Stand in pan for 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool, enjoy with farm fresh butter and . Enjoy!

Some deviations to the normal recipe above that I made today, just because I could. I made up the milk with half a cup of cream and half a cup of milk, it created a lighter more crumbly muffin. I used grated baby gems instead of zucchini and they were delicious but they have less skin so they added less green crunch.

Upscaling breakfast!

June 6, 2014 by TSJC Leave a Comment

Technically speaking these are leftovers, but practically speaking this is a delicious brunch meal. I was unsure about cabbage for breakfast, but by cooking it in some reserved fat from my meat ragu, the cabbage developed a delicious meaty flavour. The benefit of using good grass fed beef is that it contains a great balance of good quality fat to great tasting meat.

There is no recipe given here as this is more of a suggestion. I made a normal beef ragu using the grass fed beef for my dinner. Whilst the beef was cooking I had the idea for breakfast, so I removed 4 table spoons of the fat and reserved it. This morning I heated that fat and then slow cooked some cabbage until it was caramelised and filled with flavour. I topped that with the left over meat sauce and then a free range fried egg and a crack of black pepper. Left over? More like new beginning!

Quin-what?

June 3, 2014 by TSJC Leave a Comment

This little pseudo-cereal (its called that because it looks like grain but its actually a seed) is so popular in South America that the UN named 2013 Year of the Quinoa. This super seed is far higher than cereal in protein and also it is naturally gluten free. The high levels of naturally occurring flavanoids have been shown to have anti-inflammatory effects. Eaten either as a cereal or rice substitute, whilst it is used as a cereal substitute the plant actually belongs to the same family as spinach or chard.

It takes about 15-20 minutes to cook and it stores well once cooked. I made this breakfast recipe using milk instead of water but if you are planning on cooking a large batch for the week use water to prevent the milk from souring the quinoa.

I used these small ramekins to serve the quinoa in as part of a bigger health breakfast.

Caramelised Honey Pears & Spiced Quinoa
Serves 4

Ingredients
– 1,5 cups quinoa
– 3 cups milk (plus extra)
– large pinch cinnamon
– 1 star anise
– pinch salt
– 1 pear sliced
– 1 tsp butter
– 1 tsp honey

Start by bringing the quinoa, spices and milk to a boil. Lower the heat and keep on a gently simmer, stirring occasionally. If the milk all gets absorbed add a little more. Remember it is a porridge so you want it to have a nice silky consistency. Whilst the quinoa is cooking, heat the butter in a pan, add the pears and the honey. Allow to quickly carmelise, dont overcook them they should still be slightly firm to add some texture. Serve in ramekins drizzled with a little more honey and milk or a spoon of cream.

Banting Friendly Pancakes

May 28, 2014 by TSJC Leave a Comment

After 6 failed attempts to create a Banting Friendly pancake for breakfast the idea finally came to me, go simple and don’t try and be clever. The resulting mix was perfect, light and fluffy delicately vanilla and honey scented stuffed with full cream greek yoghurt. It was so good I fed it to a friend who ate it all without asking any questions, and was shocked to discover afterwards that it contained no flour or sugar.

Banting Pancakes
Makes 4-6

Ingredients
– 2 whole free range eggs
– 2 free range egg whites
– 1 tsp clear honey
– 3tbsp cream
– 1/2 tsp vanilla essence
– 1 tbsp butter melted

In a mixing bowl, whisk the whole eggs, honey, vanilla and cream, till well blended. In a second bowl whisk the egg whites till soft peaks form. Fold the egg whites into the whole egg mixture. Now in a non stick frying pan brushed with butter add a small amount of the mixture and spread it out with the spoon to create a thin pancake. Keep the heat low so that the pancake doesn’t brown too much, after about 1-2 minutes gently loosen the pancake and flip it. Allow 30-seconds before removing and placing on a plate. By placing the pancake on the plate you will trap some moisture underneath it helping keep its soft texture. The honey and vanilla worked brilliantly to keep the egg taste away and the texture was great.

Carb Free Cream Cheese & Salmon Savoury Crepes

May 20, 2014 by TSJC 1 Comment

These technically aren’t crepes they are a kind of omelets and a kind of crepes, but it doesn’t matter what you choose to call them, they are delicious, easy to make and versatile. I like to add loads of herbs to the egg crepe and make sure they are well seasoned to give them lots of taste. I filled these with a mixture of spinach and smoked salmon, but you could put almost anything into them, so long as the mixture isn’t too heavy as that will tear the crepes.

Spinach & Smoked Salmon Crepes

Serves 4Ingredients
– 4 large free range egg whites
– 4 whole eggs
– salt & pepper
– olive oil
– fresh herbs, finely chopped
– 80gms baby spinach, microwaved till tender
– 80gms smoked salmon
– 120gms cream cheese, well softened

Start by preparing the spinach and setting aside, I find it easiest to mix the cream cheese in with the spinach once it has cooled a bit, you can try and spread it on to the crepes, but the crepe is very delicate and tears easily. To prepare the egg mixture, whisk the egg whites until the soft peak stage, now whisk the whole eggs until well mixed. Fold the egg white mixture into whole egg mixture, do this lightly to prevent knocking out too much air.

Start by applying a thin layer of olive oil to a pan, then place on the heat. Pour a small amount of the egg mixture into the pan and spread it around with the back of a spoon to get a thin crepe. Once it has cooked, flip it over remove from the heat, now place a 1/4 the cream cheese, spinach and salmon into the middle of the crepe and then roll it up, set aside while you finish the rest of the crepes. Serve the crepe topped with more fresh herbs and a crack of pepper and salt.

If you are anything like me, any frying pan is a good frying pan, but be careful this mixture does catch quite easily, so non stick is best. If your non-stick pan, like some of mine has seen better days then apply a layer of non stick spray and then add the butter, works brilliantly and saves you broken crepes.

Crunchy Pecan Apple Honey Ripple

May 19, 2014 by TSJC 2 Comments

I loved this Boekenhout honey the moment I smelt it, its flavor is so buttery and creamy, and whilst it is sweet because it is honey, it isn’t sickly sweet, doesn’t make sense but taste it and you will see what I mean. If an apple a day can keep the doctor away, imagine what will happen if you add this incredible honey, pecan nuts and some creamy greek yoghurt. I don’t like to peel the apples because the skin adds to the fibre, but you can if you want to.

Crunchy Pecan Apple Honey Ripple
Makes 4-6 portions

Ingredients
– 4 green apples, cored and sliced
– 3 tbsp. creamy honey
– 120gms pecan nuts
– 80gms muesli
– 20gms butter + extra for apples
– 1tbsp brown sugar

Core the apples and then slice them into 0.5 cm thick slices, brush them very lightly with some melted butter. Heat a griddle pan (frying pan will do) till hot and then add your apples slices. Allow them to caramelize before turning them, they should soften slightly but not completely. While the apples are cooking add the butter and sugar to a small sauce pan. Once the butter has melted add the muesli and the chopped pecan nuts. Allow the mixture to begin to caramelise before taking it off the heat. To prepare the yoghurt mix the honey until it is softened and nice and loose, then stir it gently into the yoghurt. Don’t over work it, you want it to have a honey ripple effect, so that some mouthfuls will be filled with honey taste and some less.

To assemble place the pan fried apple in the bottom of individual glasses or bowls, then top them with a small sprinkle of the roasted nut mixture, before topping with the rippled yoghurt. Then sprinkle the balance of the nutty crunch over the top.

If you are making this for a lunch box treat the next day allow all the ingredients to cool completely before assembling it.

Grilled Honey Apples with French Toast

May 15, 2014 by TSJC 1 Comment

Simple apples get a make over with a few knobs of good butter and a drizzle of honey and spice. Served with a sweet brioche French toast and a dollop of The Gourmet Greeks yoghurt, it doesn’t take long to assemble but it is delicious.

Brioche French Toast with Honey Apples
Serves 4
– 3 extra large free range eggs
– 2/3 cup cream (or milk)
– 1/2 tsp vanilla (optional)
– 8 slices of brioche
– pinch of salt

– 4 apples peeled and cored
– 2 tbsp butter
– pinch of cinnamon
– 2 tbsp brown sugar + 1 tbsp for sprinkling

– 100mls full cream Greek Yoghurt

Add your apples, butter, spice and the 2 tbsp sugar to a small saucepan and put on a low heat. As the apples begin to lose their juice increase the heat. Cook the apples for about 6 minutes until the apples have started to soften and caramelise. Then set aside. Now whisk together the eggs, cream and pinch of salt. In a heavybased pan heat your butter until melted and hot, but not browned. Now dip the bread into the egg mixture on both sides before adding it to the pan. Cook till golden brown on both sides. Remove and place on paper towel. Serve the French toast topped with the grilled apples and a dollop of Greek yoghurt and another drizzle of honey.

Chewy Breakfast Bars

May 13, 2014 by TSJC Leave a Comment

I believe that these breakfast bars are so easy to make that with a little help even a 5-year old could prepare them in less than 10 minutes. They are unsweetened which makes them great for kids lunch boxes and because they are laoded with fibre they will keep you feeling full for longer. Make a batch over the weekend and enjoy them for mid morning snacks. The addition of chocolate is not really necessary, but then I figured that since the recipe has no sugar or added fat these really good for you bars could do a little naughtiness.

Breakfast Bars
Makes 18cm tin

Ingredients
– 1 cup muesli (preferably choose a nutty sugar free one)
– 1 1/2 cups oats
– 1 1/4 cups mashed very ripe banana
– pinch of salt
– 100g dark chocolate
– 1 tsp vanilla

Start by preheating the oven to 180°C. Then spray a square cake tin with non stick spray or grease it. Now mash the bananas until smooth, then add the vanilla and salt and mix it into the banana. Now add the muesli and oats and stir thorougly, before pressing into the baking dish. Place on the middle shelf of the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly, before tipping out and cutting into squares.

Place a glass bowl over a small saucepan make sure it doesn’t touch the water, now add the chocolate and place on the heat. Leave over the heat for a few minutes, don’t be tempted to stir it, just allow the chocolate to melt. After a few minutes check if all the chocolate is melted and then dip the tips of the bars into the chocolate, before placing on a sheet of wax paper.

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