Apple and Pork pie. Ever since i first tasted a porky pie i’ve believed that a pie crust is a great place for a piglet to live.

One of my friends mentioned a pork and apple pie on facebook the other day and i simply HAD to try it.

I used salted pork chops and granny smith apples with some apple cider vinegar and maple syrup (yes, real Canadian). (and onions, salt, pepper, puff pastry.. yadda yadda yadda)

Washed it down with Blakes and Doyle apple cider.

had 15 min to make a dessert for a dinner. banged this together quick. I call it “i scream at sue”. It is an ice cream tiramisu.

finger biscuits soaked in coffee liquor on bottom of dish.
whipped 250ml cream
folded in 1 tub marscapone and 1litre ice cream with a squeeze of lemon juice.
poured half of it on top of the cookies.
grated a slab of dark choc on top
poured on other half and dusted cocoa powder on. froze for 5 more min and then rushed out to dinner.

carrot, orange and ginger juice with mint garnish to get rid of winter sniffles.

penne all’arrabiata

• pop pasta in water in a pot
• chop up a hand full of cherry tomatoes
• some olives - i think the black ones go nicely with the red
• some bird eye chillies - i had some in a bottle that has been soaking in vodka
• some bell peppers (or red peppers)
• cup or red wine
• splash of vinegar
• splash of oil
• sugar to offset the acidity
• stick in a pan on high for 10 min
• season with salt and fresh ground black pepper
• pasta and sauce take about the same time which is nice.

mcmuffin made with smoked mozzarella and black forest ham. (and over easy egg - i mean i get why micky dee doesn’t serve them this way but so much yummy)

Apple and cranberry pie.

one sheet of frozen puff pastry for the base.
5 apples + 2 pears peeled, cored and sliced to 5mm thick.
2T flour, 200ml treacle sugar, mixed spice, cinnamon and a handful of dried cranberries mixed together and dumped inside.
one more sheet puff for top.
pop in freezer for an hour or so.
230 deg C for 20 min and then turn down to 190 for another 30 (until it is nice and flaky)

Puff pastry likes flash heat so it is good to put a pan of water in the oven while preheating. the steam in the air makes the heat shock the shorting between the layers to boil and puff up extra high.

baked cheese cake. ppl always ask me for the recipe when i post stuff on fb but this is a problem cos the way i bake/cook is i look at a few recipes online and then i close my browser and make what i feel. so i gotta try remember what i did:

• crush the cookies with butter (one baker’s pack with about 2T butter) for the base… put it in the fridge while you get the rest done.
• then whisk 3 egg whites to soft peaks.
• cream the egg yolks with 3/4 cup of sugar
• add some vanilla essence and a tub of Philadelphia cream cheese (250ml, i think).
• add a 250ml sour cream (this makes it lighter)
• I added about 100 ml butter milk cos i had it in the fridge and the cats don’t like it anyway.
• once that is mixed properly add corn starch (maizina) … about 4-5 T until less runny (sorry… hard to explain)
• finely zested in one lemon rind and added about 30 ml of it’s juice
• fold in the egg whites
• pour on top of the cookie base
• bake at 200 deg C for like 45 min. It rises up really high and then when you take it out will fall and crack - this is good. you know it is ready when a toothpick comes out clean.

split pea and ham soup. six simple ingredients so as not to lose the pea flavour.

roots. carrot, beet and ginger juice. yum

silky warm homemade lemon curd on mini scones. i ♥ second breakfast!

scones - 1T sugar, cup and a halfish flour, 1T and a half baking powder, salt, cup o’ milk, 2T butter - 220 deg C for 10 min. (don’t over mix)

curd - like 2 eggs, third cup of sugar, 3T butter ,half cup of lemon juice, lemon zest, salt - cream the sugar and eggs and then add the softened butter. place in a small pot with lemon juice and zest and salt and heat on medium stirring continuously until thick and yummy. I put it in a jar in cold water to cool it down to warm and thicker.