Showing posts with label cooking for two. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cooking for two. Show all posts
Its not usual that I would share a cake with you two days in a row, but I just can't help myself. I really need to share my down sized version of Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake with you.
Anyone who has ever eaten a chocolate mayonnaise cake will tell you, they are the richest and moistest chocolate cakes!
Developed during the second world war they were designed so that people could still enjoy a delicious cake at a time when eggs, butter and shortening were rationed.
Mayonnaise can sound like a really strange ingredient . . . . but let me reassure you there is absolutely nothing "salady" about this cake!
It is a lovely moist cake with a delicious chocolate flavour. I used cocoa powder for this, which works perfectly.
The delicious Toffee Icing really caps it off beautifully! Its a very easy make, all in a saucepan.
The cake itself was baked in a 9 by 5 inch loaf tin, which I lined one of with these paper loaf tin liners that I got at Lakeland many moons ago.
They work just like a cupcake liner. You can also use just ordinary baking paper cut to size.
The cake itself goes together in a jiffy. You just sift together flour, cocoa powder, soda and baking powder.
There is no salt in the recipe. You don't need it because of the mayonnaise.
Mayonnaise and sugar are whisked together with a small quantity of water. This gets added to the flour mixture and everything stirred together until smooth.
This rich batter gets spread in the loaf tin and then baked. Once baked you leave it to cool completely in the tin.
I am not sure why, but that's just the way it has always been done.
I think it might actually help to contribute to the moistness of this cake.
Once the cake is completely cold you mix together a simple toffee fudge icing in a saucepan, which gets spread on top of the cake.
Oh, it is lovely. Rich and the toffee flavour goes beautifully with that rich and moist chocolate cake.
They are the perfect fit for each other!
This is the perfect sized snack cake for a smaller family, cutting into six perfect slices.
I do have a recipe for a full sized Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake here and just went to look for it so I could link you up to it, but alas I have never posted it on here for some reason!
Its basically the same cake, ingredients doubled and baked in a 9 inch square pan.
This cake however, is the perfect size for a family that is just two. Perfect for elevensies or after school, teatime or any other time you want a lovely bit of chocolate cake to snack on!
Yield: 6
Small Family Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake
This recipe makes a small loaf cake, 6 by 9 inches in size. Moist and chocolatey with a lush Brown Sugar Fudge Icing.
ingredients:
For the Cake:
- 140g plain flour (1 cup)
- 1 1/2 TBS cocoa powder, packed (not chocolate drinking powder)
- 3/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 110g full fat or low fat mayonnaise (not no-fat) (1/2 cup)
- 95g granulated sugar (1/2 cup)
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 120ml water (1/2 cup)
For the frosting:
- 2 TBS butter
- 50g soft light brown sugar (1/4 cup)
- 1 TBS milk
- 60g sifted icing sugar (1/2 cup)
instructions:
How to cook Small Family Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake
- Preheat the cake to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Butter a 9 by 5 inch loaf tin and line with baking paper. Set aside.
- Cream together the mayonnaise and sugar until smooth. Stir in the water and vanilla. Set aside.
- Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and soda. Stir this into the wet ingredients until well combined. Scrape into the prepared loaf tin. Bake in the preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Let cool completely in the pan.
- To make the icing, melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the brown sugar and bring to the boil. Boil until the mixture begins to thicken, about 1 1/2 minutes. Take off the heat and stir in the milk, carefully. Return to the heat and bring back to the boil. Rmove from the heat and cool until it is just warm. Stir in the icing sugar until smooth and then spread on top of the cake evenly. Store any leftovers in an airtight container.
Make sure you DON'T use NO-fat mayonnaise for this cake. You can use low fat with not much difference, but no fat will result in a rubbery cake which is much saltier than it should be. This recipe as written is absolutely perfect. Trust me on this.
I have a huge confession to make. I miss North American Chinese Food over here in the UK. I have yet to eat any Chinese dish that even remotely resembles what I am used to and what I loved from back home.
Oh sure, I know that the dishes we are presented in Chinese Food Establishments on both sides of the pond are nowhere near like the real thing at all . . . but I like what I like, and what I have had in my experience, is what I am used to and what I enjoy, and what I consider to be Chinese, so all of you purists out there, mum's the word.
The few times I have eaten Chinese food here in the UK, I have to confess I have not really enjoyed it all that much. I do like the chow mien from our local chippy, but for the most part, what I have experienced is not what I grew up with or what I crave.
Where's the Beef & Broccoli? The Egg Rolls? Won Tons? I haven't seen any yet and I love Beef & Broccoli. even more than sweet and sour. And a crisp Egg Roll with plum sauce is probably one of the most delicious things ever.
I tend to make my own Chinese dishes here at home and if I don't say so myself, I do a rather good job of it. I love my Beef and Broccoli.
I also love my Sweet & Sour Chicken Balls. My sauce is perfection. And of course, I have always loved my Fried Rice. I've cooked a lot of fried rice through the years. I learnt how to do it from my ex MIL. She learnt how to do it from one of her neighbours back when she was a young bride living in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Its fed a lot of people through the years.
Another dish I make which we really love is General Tso's Chicken. Spicy and garlicky, this is a favourite of ours and I have downsized it to feed two people perfectly.
Tender pieces of chicken breast lightly seasoned and coated in corn flour are fried until crisp and golden brown, and then coated in a wonderfully flavour filled sticky sweet garlicky spicy sauce.
It goes together quickly and easily. Especially if you get all of your ingredients in place and ready to go before you start cooking.
I serve it very simply with some rice and I had a salad on the side. I got some of that Oriental Chopped Salad mix last time we went to Costco which we both love and which goes fabulously with this.
When I was younger I could have very easily eaten this along with some beef and broccoli and an egg roll. Now I am older I just don't have the appetite that I used to have when I was younger. I could never eat all of that. I expect we are all the same. In any case I think you will enjoy this chicken dish and if you are more than two? Well . . . . just double up on everything.
General Tso's Chicken for Two
Yield: 2
Sweet and spicy. An oriental favourite, downsized for the smaller family. I like to serve it with some rice and some salad.
ingredients:
For the chicken:
- 2 medium boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 heaped TBS corn flour (cornstarch)
- oil for frying
- 1/2 TBS minced fresh ginger root
- 1/4 tsp red chili flakes
- 1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
- sesame seeds to garnish (optional)
For the Sauce:
- 1 1/2 TBS rice wine vinegar
- 1 1/2 TBS soy sauce
- 1 1/2 TBS sugar
- 2 TBS water
- 1 tsp Hoisin sauce
- 1/2 TBS corn flour (cornstarch)
instructions:
How to cook General Tso's Chicken for Two
- Whisk all of the sauce ingredients together in a small beaker until smooth. Set aside.
- Cut the chicken breasts into 1 inch cubes. Toss together with the salt and the cornflour. Let sit for about 5 minutes.
- Heat cooking oil to 1/2 inch depth in a skillet until it bubbles with you add a drop of water. Add the chicken pieces and cook until golden brown on all sides and the juices run clear, working in batches if necessary. Scoop out to a paper towel lined plate to drain. Set aside.
- Drain off all of the oil in the pan, with the exception of about 1/2 TBS. Add the garlic, minced ginger and chili flakes. Cook for about 3 seconds until the garlic becomes fragrant without browning. Return the chicken pieces to the pan, tossing them to coat them in the garlic mixture. Give the sauce ingredients a quick whisk and pour them into the pan. Cook and stir for 30 seconds to one minute until the sauce has thickened and turned glossy, making sure the chicken is coated well. Sprinkle with some sesame seeds if desired.
- Serve the chicken immediately.
I probably won't be posting tomorrow. Its Doreen's funeral and we will be busy with that. I do have something very tasty to share with you on Saturday however, so stay tuned!
Some people think that because I am a trained Chef that I cook fancy meals every night, that everything I put on our dinner table has to be something spectacular or stupendous. I don't mind pulling out the stops for special occasions, but on ordinary week days and weekends for that matter, I am just like everyone else. The food around here can be quite simple.
I have busy days also, even though I am retired. In fact I have days when I wonder how I ever got what I got done when I was working full time. I would cook at work and then come home and cook again at home. My husband always had a delicious cooked meal prepared by myself.
I think I am slowing down with old age because I am not sure that I could do that now. Cook all day at work and then come home and cook some more. Oh to be sure I can still pull out the stops when I really want to and when we have guests coming for dinner, and I can't wait until my kids are over here in April and I get to spoil them a bit.
Most of the time however. We do eat rather simply. And sometimes I get downright lazy. Sometimes . . . like today.
Cheesy Chili Jackets for Two. Over here in the UK they call baked potatoes Jacket Potatoes . . . meaning they are still wearing their outdoor clothes/skins. Jacket potatoes are big sellers at most cafes actually. I can remember my first meal here (20 odd years ago, right after I arrived) being a Jacket Potato at a Cafe at Euston Station while we were waiting for the train up to Chester.
I think I just had it with cheese, but to be honest I was so tired from having flown all night I can't quite remember . . . I remember only that I had a baked potato, and thought it most unsual that they had restaurants that served only baked potatoes.
You will see them served hot and loaded with cheese. Amazingly copious amounts of cheese. You will see them served hot and loaded with tuna mayonnaise with sweet corn as well. To be honest, that doesn't really appeal to me.
You will see them loaded up with baked beans . . . yes, from a tin, and sometimes you can get cheese on top of that. Interestingly enough, its quite good.
At Costco in the cafe you can buy them with chili ladled on top. Todd enjoys those. Today I thought I would do something similar at home, but I didn't have homemade chili to put on top, and I wanted something really quick so I used tinned chili.
Stag Chili with meat and beans . . . I quite like it actually, when I'm not making my own from scratch. Today was not a from scratch kind of a day. I do the potatoes in two steps.
I nuke them first in the microwave until they are soft and then I bang them into a hot oven while I am heating the chili so that the skins crisp up.
I spooned the hot chili over top and then some cheese and garnished with sour cream and chopped spring onion. It was hearty and filling and it tasted good and was on the table in about 20 minutes tops. Nobody complained.
Yield: 2
Cheesy Chili Jackets for Two
Quick, easy and delicious. You can't ask for more than that on a night when you are lacking in both time and inspiration but want a tasty meal on the table pronto.
ingredients:
- 2 large baking potatoes
- 1 (400g) tin of chili with beans (14 1/2 ounce tin)
- 4 TBS grated strong cheddar cheese
- 2 TBS sour Cream
- 1 spring onion, trimmed and chopped
instructions:
How to cook Cheesy Chili Jackets for Two
- Preheat the oven to 220*C/425*F/ gas mark 7.
- Wash your jacket/baking potatoes. Dry well and prick all over with a fork. Wrap up each one individually in paper towels. Microwave on high, one at a time, for 5 to 6 minutes, or until just soft. When you have done this to both of them, pop them into the preheated oven right onto the oven rack.
- Open your can of chili and heat it gently over medium/low heat for about 6 to 8 minutes until heated through and bubbling.
- Remove your jacket potatoes from the oven and place each one on a serving plate. Break open with a fork or knife and carefully push the sides to fluff up the insides. Divide the hot chili between each. Sprinkle each with 2 TBS of cheese. Let the cheese melt. Serve each with a dollop of sour cream and some chopped spring onion if desired.
A tossed salad goes well on the side to complete the meal and get in some veg. Guilty secret here . . . I love a baked potato with Caesar salad spooned over top, with croutons, bacon and plenty of Parmesan flakes. Its so good. I just love baked potatoes I guess. Just don't give me one with tuna and sweetcorn mayonnaise on it.
😝😝😝😝 Quadruple yuck.
I think of all the cookies and bars in the world Chocolate Chip bars have to be my absolute favourite! Golden brown and stogged full of semi sweet chocolate chips. So good with a glass of ice cold milk, or a cup of tea, a cup of coffee, or whatever beverage that floats your boat!
The cookie/bar part is beautifully crisp and buttery . . . those chocolate chips creamy and chocolaty . . . oh, they are so very delicious.
They are not something I have made really often, largely due to the fact that most recipes make far too many and we are only two, and to be honest, cookies and bars are at their very best on the day that they are baked.
Not that that has ever stopped me from enjoying my fill every day that I have them in my house. Therein lies my dilema. I just cannot be trusted with a full cookie jar. In my quest for smaller recipes for the smaller family, and to lessen my temptation, I present to you Small Batch Chocolate Chip Bars!
Small in size, but HUGE on flavour! These incredibly moreish bars lack none of the tastiness of their larger sized counterpart!
They bake to perfect golden crispness in a 9 by 5 inch loaf tin! Just the perfect size for only two!
I suppose you could cut them into squares or rectangles, but I like to add interest and cut them into wedges.
Beautifully crisp and buttery . . . not overly sweet. They are just sweet enough, with an almost shortbread-like texture!
I toyed with the idea of adding toasted pecans and perhaps some sultana raisins, but in the end I went old school with just the chocolate chips.
And now I am wondering how nice they might be with chopped cranberries and white chocolate chips. Oh boy, that would be tasty. I would add some grated orange zest in that case.
These however, are pretty perfect just as they are. They scratch the itch without going over the top. They fill that chocolate chip cookie bar gap.
This recipe is just the perfect size for us . . . a husband who can annoyingly eat whatever he wants without gaining an ounce . . .
And me who shouldn't be eating anything like this at all. Not at all . . . but at least with this recipe there is less temptation around to break my will.
They are incredibly temptingly delicious however . . . and I could not resist enjoying one.
And like a child I had it with a small glass of milk. Oh boy . . . some good.
Small Batch Chocolate Chip Bars
Yield: About 8 bars
An incredibly edibly moreish small batch bar recipe for the small family. Crisp and buttery and filled with lots of semi-sweet chocolate chips!
ingredients:
- 105g plain flour (3/4 cup)
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 60g softened butter (1/4 cup)
- 50g soft light brown sugar (1/4 cup)
- 2 TBS granulated sugar
- 1 large free range egg yolk
- 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 90g good quality chocolate chips (1/2 cup)
instructions:
How to cook Small Batch Chocolate Chip Bars
- Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Line a 9 by 5 inch loaf pan with baking paper. Set aside.
- Cream together both sugars and the butter until smooth and creamy. Beat in the egg yolk and the vanilla.
- Sift together the flour, salt, soda and baking powder. Stir into the creamed mixture. It will look quite crumbly. Stir in the chocolate chips and then press the dough evenly into the lined pan, pressing it down firmly.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 23 minutes, until puffed and golden brown. Remove from the oven and let sit in the pan for 15 minutes before lifting out and cutting into serving sized wedges. Store any leftovers in an airtight container.
If you are a smaller family and are looking for something incredibly tasty this might well be it. If you are a larger family and are wanting not a lot of temptation hanging about to cause you to go over board, this might still be it. Enjoy!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Social Icons