Orange and Polenta Sponge Cake

This cake is soft, spongy, and has a little bit of a texture because of the polenta, making it a great cake to have with tea. I used less sugar but you could add more if you prefer things sugary sweet.

You'll need:

1 cup butter, melted

3/4 cup golden caster sugar

4 eggs

1 cup flour (I used Brown Rice flour, but regular flour would do as well)

1 cup finely ground polenta

2 tsp baking powder

Zest & Juice of 2 oranges (I used canned oranges, so used the syrup instead)

Orange slices for topping (optional)

Beat the butter and sugar till light.

Add eggs and mix well.

Sift in the flour and baking powder, then mix in the polenta.

Add the orange zest and juice at the end and make sure everything's incorporated well.

Put in a greased pan and into an oven preheated at 170 deg C. It takes about 40 minutes to cook.

It made 6 cupcakes and one 8-inch cake.

I used a convection microwave. On the convection setting, it took 20 minutes for the cupcakes to cook and 25 minutes for the cake. It has a nice toasty top and I preferred to eat it warm.

Once the cake cools, top it with orange segments

Grilled Polenta with Caramelised Onions & Stir-fried Mushrooms

The polenta cakes turned out to be very versatile. I'm looking forward to trying out some desserts with it. Meanwhile, I tried a different topping for the left overs I had from the previous post.

For the polenta recipe see previous post

For the caramelised onions
2 tbsp olive oil
2 red onions sliced thinly
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp brown sugar

On medium heat, stir fry the onions till they start to brown. Add the vinegar and sugar and cook till all the liquids have absorbed. Remove from heat.

For the Mushroom topping:
A few sprigs of mint 
1 tbsp olive oil
1 cup mushrooms, chopped
1/2 cup red pepper chopped
2 tbsp of ginger, garlic and chilli paste (1/2 inch ginger, 2-3 garlic pods, and 1 red chilli)
Seasoning

In a pan, heat the oil and add the paste. Shortly after, add the mushroom and salt and let it cook for 2 minutes till all the liquids have been absorbed. Add the red peppers and cook for another 30 seconds. Remove from heat.

Assemble with the onions at the bottom, then the mushrooms, and top it with the mint.

Grilled Polenta Crostinis with Aubergines and Pepper

I've been holding on to a packet of polenta for a while now because I was wary of trying something new with the limited spare time I had the last few months. But I decided I shall finally inaugurate the packet and to my relief, found it the simplest thing to make. It's healthy and tastes delicious.

For the polenta:
1 cup polenta
5 cups water
1 tbsp salt
Few sprigs of rosemary
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
1-2 tbsp Oil to grill

In a large saucepan, bring water to a boil with the salt and stir in the polenta. Keep stirring till it's thoroughly mixed to prevent lumps. Add in the rosemary and garlic.

Turn the heat down to medium to low and let it cook for about 5 minutes. (The packets have their own cooking times and directions, but even though mine said cook for 30 minutes, it was done in 5)

Check to see if it's cooked - it should not be gritty. Remove from heat.

Add the cheese and spread it on to a 14-inch oiled/Teflon-coated baking tray. The thickness should be about 3/4 of an inch. Let it cool. It sets at room temperature in about 30-40 minutes. You could put it in the fridge to speed it up.

Once cool and set, cut into cubes (or any other shape you prefer). It makes about 20 squares and can be kept in the fridge for a few days to be used later.

Before serving, grill it on both sides with the oil till it turns slightly brown. Serve with toppings.

For the topping:
Red Pepper cut in rings
1 tsp oil
1 red onion diced
2 cloves of garlic
1 tsp chilli flakes
1 tbsp butter
1/2 cup of chopped aubergine or mushroom or zucchini
Seasoning
A few leaves of basil or coriander/parsley chopped finely

Grill the red pepper rings with the oil and set aside.

In a saucepan on medium heat, put in the butter and once it starts to melt, add the onions. Cook till soft.

Add the garlic and chilli flakes and cook for another 2 minutes making sure the onion browns but doesn't burn.

Add the vegetable of choice with the salt and pepper and keep on medium heat till it's cooked and the juices absorbed.

To assemble, place the polenta crostinis on a plate, put a single ring of red pepper on each. Fill the centre of the ring with the vegetables, and top it up with the chopped greens.

Bombay Bruschetta

This is a mix of a classic bruschetta and a Bombay sandwich. The chutney base can be made and stored for a few days so it's also a good quick breakfast option.

For the chutney:
1 bunch of coriander
1-2 green chillies
2-3 garlic cloves
Juice of 1 lemon
Seasoning
1/2 cup water

Wash and dry the coriander leaves properly. Mix all ingredients in a blender and add water according to desired consistency. It should not be too watery else it'll get the bread soggy.

For the assembly:
Bread (hard bread like ciabatta or baguette)
1 finely chopped tomato
1 finely chopped onion
1/2 cup finely chopped mint leaves (optional)
Seasoning
1 tbsp olive oil to drizzle

Mix the tomato, onion, and seasoning in a bowl. You can either add the oil to it now or drizzle on top after assembling the bruschetta.

On sliced bread, spread the chutney and top it up with the salad mix. Drizzle the olive oil and add crushed pepper on top.

Serve immediately.

Plum & Cherry Juice

The brilliant red of both the fruits are such a delight to see in the summers. Unfortunately though if they haven't ripened fully or are not as sweet, especially plums, they are difficult to enjoy.
I had a box of plums that were a little sour so I thought it better to make something I would enjoy out of it. If I had a de-seeder I might have baked something with it. But the seeds are difficult to remove without wasting a part of the fruit. So juicing was the best option. I added cherries for some extra flavour.

You'll need:
7-8 small plums
Handfull of cherries
4-5 tbsp sugar (according to taste)
Water to boil

Wash the fruits and remove the stems. Put them in a saucepan. Take enough water to just cover the fruits in the saucepan and add the sugar. Boil till the fruits are soft enough to remove the seeds.

Don't throw the water it was boiled in.

If it is easy to remove the skin then just remove it through a sieve and add the pulp to the water.
If the skin doesn't come off easily, especially for the cherries, then mix it in a blender and sieve it.

Once it cools down, put it in the fridge to chill. It will serve as a concentrate. Add some cold water in equal parts before serving.

Prawn Dill Masala

This is a quick and easy recipe for when you want to get out of the kitchen quick. It is not spicy as it looks - just adjust the levels of chilli powder to taste. It's a good summer eat.

You'll need:
1 large onion
250 gms prawns
3 cloves garlic
1 tsp turmeric
Salt to taste
1 large tomato
1 tsp grated ginger
1 tsp chilli powder
Juice of 1 lemon
Few sprigs of dill finely chopped
Oil

To temper:
2 tbsp oil
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp coriander seeds
1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds
A sprig of curry leaves
2 green chillies, split


In some oil, fry the onions and keep aside.
In the same pan, add some garlic to 1 tsp oil and stir fry the prawns for a minute. Add salt and turmeric. Keep aside.
Using the same pan again, add 2 tbsp oil and starting with cumin, add the tempering ingredients.
Once they start to splutter, add the tomatoes, chilli powder, and lime juice.
Stir fry for about a minute then add the prawns and onion. Add 2-3 tbsp water to let the prawn cook, and add salt to taste.
Garnish with chopped dill.
Serve hot with parathas or steamed rice.

Pesto Pea Soup

I had some freshly-shelled peas during the season and wanted to make the most of it, and just happened to watch a cooking show that shared this recipe. It is easy, yet delicious.

You'll need:
2-3 cups shelled peas (frozen would do as well, but I find fresh ones have a better taste)
*1 tbsp Pesto sauce
Vegetable stock (just enough to cover the peas while boiling. Water will also suffice if you don't have stock)
Seasoning
1 tbsp cream (optional)

*If you don't have pesto on hand, then just add these directly with the peas
2 cloves garlic
4-5 cashew nuts or walnuts
5-6 leaves of basil
2 tbsp olive oil

Boil the peas with some salt till they're soft, for around 5 minutes.
Put the peas along with the water used to boil it in a blender.
Add the pesto (or the pesto ingredients) and blend till it's smooth.
Do not put it through a sieve - the slight texture adds to the flavour.
Add more water or seasoning to preference.
Top it with some crushed black pepper or cream.