Fabulous Christmas Cake- So Simple

 This delicious super simple fruit cake has been floating around for a good long while. I remember making it years ago & not being that impressed with it but when a friend shared it recently as a Christmas cake I decided to have another go. And oh my word- it's delicious!

The first one I made we took with us to Apiti on our 44th wedding anniversary.

The second one was an "Oh my goodness we just have to make another one for Christmas" impulse. Since there are no eggs, butter or added sugar this really is a clever treat.

Since I make very few cakes in a year I decided I should fossick through the old (non working) fridge out the back where we store our "dry goods", to see what dried fruits might need using up. 

It's this simple: just put together a kilo of various dried fruits, or use a packet of fruit cake mix, up to you.

Our mix this year included golden raisins, jumbo mixed raisins, Otago dried apricots, crystallized ginger, a few prunes, dried pineapple, peel & red & green cherries plus 1/2 cup of almond slithers or slices.  

Put all the fruit in to a large bowl.

To soak the fruit either make a tea with two fruity tea bags or

Simmer 1/2 cup of dried hawthorn berries & 1/2 cup of rose hips together in 1 litre of water for 20 minutes. 

Strain and pour over the fruit so that's it's just about covered in the liquid.

Add 1 tbsp cinnamon, 1 tbsp ground ginger, 1 tsp ground cardamom & a dsp of either mixed spice or garam marsala.

Next add a pinch of salt, a dsp vanilla essence and the zest and juice of an orange & leave to sit overnight to infuse and absorb the liquid.

Add 1/2 cup of slithered almonds or chopped walnuts, or both!

Now add 1 cup of ground almonds, 1/2 cup of flour and 2 tsps of baking powder.

Mix altogether and spoon in to a tin of your choice- make it fat or thin or make several small cakes.

Line the tin with baking paper and bake the cake in a moderate oven for around an hour.

It's that simple.

Really it's just like the old boiled sultana cakes that Granny used to make back in the day.

I haven't decorated ours. It's fine just as it is, but of course you could if you'd like to.

We liked the second one best with the ginger & the mostly ground almonds.

Thanks to Cath's Kitchen for the recipe.

Vege Lentil Bake

 I heard this recipe shared on Radio New Zealand in the winter of 2024, while I was driving somewhere. It sounded great, so when I got home I tracked it down and eventually we made it.

A Julie Biuso recipe called "Lentil Pie with Puffy Cheese Sauce". To be honest that's not the most inspiring name for such a delicious dish. And the cheese sauce isn't overly puffy. But I tell you what- it is so worth making.

I have discovered that there's loads of flexibility in this bake so just use what you have and go by your own taste and preferences.

Start with the vegetable base as in Julie's recipe:

• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 large onion, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
• 1 tsp chopped rosemary
• ¼ tsp fennel seed
• ½ tsp ground cumin
• 350g (3) carrots, peeled and grated
• 350g (3) zucchini trimmed and grated
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1 Tbsp standard flour
• 1 x 400g can lentils, drained
• 1 Tbsp tomato concentrate
• 1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 x 400g can cherry tomatoes in sauce (Mutti band)

And here's my alternative to the onion & garlic:

In a large pot saute:

2 leeks and a whole pile of onion weed

Other vege options: mushrooms, watercress, wild greens, spinach, red pepper, sweet corn and anything else you think might work.

Left-over chicken is also good.

Basic method is to saute all the first lot of ingredients, simmer until tender.

Then add the rest & gently fold together.

Pour in to a greased dish or two smaller ones.

The sauce part:

• 45g (3 Tbsp) butter
• 4 level Tbsp standard flour
• 400ml milk
• Salt
• Freshly grated nutmeg
• Freshly ground white pepper
• ¾ cup grated vintage cheddar cheese
• 1 medium (size 6) free-range egg
• 
  

 My additions: a dsp of whole grain mustard, a dsp of Ajva, much less cheese, possibly a little parmesan over the top. I used black pepper in the sauce too. This gives a bit more flavour.

Pour the sauce over the top of the vegetable base.

I gave the top a sprinkle of my own dried herb mix of rosemary, sage and thyme & a little paprika.

Bake for around 40 minutes in a moderate oven.

This was our last version of veges cooking.

Then with the addition of the lentils and the cherry tomatoes.

Such a light yet super tasty and satisfying dish that also keeps and reheats really well.

If I've been a bit confusing you can see the original recipe just here.

Catherine X

Wild Green Pancakes

 Well I'm not sure whether to call these pancakes, omelettes, tortillas or what, really?

Whatever you call them, they are the very best way to eat loads of greens without even noticing!

So simple & easy to make & actually pretty satisfying as a meal.

You'll need a good bowlful of greens. If you forage then wild greens or stuff gathered from the garden will be perfect. If you just have spinach & spring onions, they'll do just as well.

So you'll need a good lot of the green stuff: spinach, puha, dandelion leaves, nettles, perpetual spinach, nasturtium leaves, tender violet leaves, chickweed, tender fiddle or yellow dock leaves, NZ spinach, watercress, mallow etc

Wild perennial nettle- urtica dioica. 

Wild mallow- perhaps malva neglecta. Just check for rust under the leaves.

Then you'll need something oniony such as spring onions, chives or wild onion weed.

Sort & wash the greens you're going to use & put them in to a pot with a tiny bit of water. 

Cook gently until tender. Poor off any water & cool.

Add to the pot: salt, ground black pepper & a sprinkling of cumin seeds.

Then 2 eggs & a large rounded tbsp of cornflour, or tapioca flour.

Heat the pan that you'll cook the pancakes in, adding a little olive oil.

Add the onion weed (or whatever) to the pan & cook for a few minutes- add to the pot of cooled greens.

Use a stick blender to mix it all together until smooth.

Pour a generous amount of the green mix in to the hot pan & cook for 3 or 4 minutes each side.

Top with whatever you like or roll.

I made a mix of avocado, tomato, artichoke hearts, more onion weed & a spoonful of ajva, salt, pepper & a drizzle of olive oil.

The mix will make two or three large thick pancakes or lots of small ones that you can use like blinis or pikelets.

And then I found some of my other versions of these delicious green pancakes, so here they are below.

Catherine X

Gingerbread Oaty Bake

 What a great little recipe I found on Pinterest-  Gingerbread Baked Oatmeal With Walnut Streusel

You can find the original here.

In a bowl or jug add:

1 medium very ripe banana- mashed

2 1/2 cups of rolled oats

OR as I did:

1 cup rolled oats, 1 cup ground almonds & 1/2 cup of coconut either fine or thread

2 cups of milk

1/4 cup maple syrup

1 tbsp brown sugar

1 dsp molasses

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 large dsp ground ginger

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

1/2 tsp ground cardamom

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

1/4 tsp salt

Mix all together.

Sit for half an hour.

Add 1/2 tsp baking powder, stir & pour in to a slice tin lined with baking paper.

Topping mix together:

1/2 cup of walnut pieces

1/2 cup of chopped prunes (optional)

1/4- 1/3 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup rolled oats

1/4 cup coconut

1 tbsp of flour

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 cup melted butter or coconut oil

Mix together the sprinkle over the top of the oat mixture & press down lightly.

Bake for around 40 minutes in a moderate oven.

Catherine

Banana Peanut Butter Oaty Biscuits

 These biscuits are crazy weird but they work.

Better still they are delicious.

Ingredients:

1 very ripe large banana

1 rounded cupful of rolled oats

3 rounded tbsps of peanut butter

1 rounded tbsp of chia seeds

1 dsp honey & 1/2 tsp vanilla essence

Pinch of salt

1/2 cup of good chocolate chips

Extra addition- 1/3 cup of finely ground acorn flour.

Smoosh all the ingredients together in a bowl and leave to stand for 20 minutes.

Scoop out large tablespoonsful of the mix, shape then & flatten on to baking paper on a baking tra.y

Cook for 20 minutes at 160 degrees.

That's it!

Ah, now the acorn part. It just so happens that it's the time when you might come across acorns through June. The best ones to use are from evergreen oaks. Either the Holly Oak or Quercus Ilex. 

All you need to do then is to bake the acorns in a moderate oven for 15- 20 minutes and while they are still warm give them a soft tap with a little hammer, remove the shells and then grind them in a spice grinder. Give them a sieve to remove any larger bits that haven't ground finely enough.

They taste like toffee caramel- delicious!

So they are a great addition to these particular biscuits. 

You can read more about using evergreen oak acorns here.

Catherine

Cherry Guava Marshmallow

I grew up adoring cherry guavas- eating them off the tree in autumn and watching my grandmother make them in to exquisite jelly. The trees are really just shrubs and easily grown, bearing deep red fruit every autumn, that are simply laden with goodness.

The fruit ripens in batches so it's easy to gather up a bowlful at a time to make use of. 

By adding a little over a cupful of water to a pot of guavas and simmering the fruit until the colour has faded from them, you'll soon have a gloriously rich liquid- enough to make a little traditional jelly or even some marshmallow.

How to make guava marshmallow:

1 cup of liquid (as above) 

Add 3 tbsps of good gelatine (I like nutra organics natural gelatin that I buy at Bin Inn) and heat gently to dissolve.

That's a few minutes stirring over low heat in a pot, or 30-40 seconds in  the microwave.

Stir in 1/2 cup of honey and then pour into a bowl that you can use a beater in or use an electric beater if you have one.

Beat until the mixture is pale pink, fluffy and thick.

Pour in to a prepared container quite quickly.

I use a small square slice tin lined with baking paper.

The marshmallow sets fast so within 20 minutes or so you'll be able to turn it out and cut it.

I rub my hands with cornflour as I handle the pieces and then stack them in layers in an airtight container.

They will keep just fine out on the bench until you've eaten them all.

Sweet, but tangy such a delightful food/medicine treat.  

You can now press the cooked berries through a sieve or work them through a moulie disgarding the hard seeds.

You could make this in to guava ice cream, or sweeten and mix it in to some thick Greek yoghurt, or chia seeds and coconut milk to make guava chia pudding. Guava paste takes a bit of work but it is truly the Queen of pastes. You can find that recipe here. 

Catherine X

Feijoa Oatmeal Cake

 When we lived in Taranaki some 35 or so years ago I often made this delicious cake.

Back then there was no internet so we just thought of it as "our" cake that we'd shared amongst friends, but as I look up oatmeal cake now I realise that it's a tried & true old fashioned fave from way back further.

Our recipe has been stored in a handwritten cookbook all these years & I have just made it again for Rob's birthday. I don't think I'd change anything.

I have always preferred baking that was more "wholesome food" than a sweet treat, so in making a comparison with online recipes I had already halved the sugar content & it is more than sweet enough.

To make use of the feijoas of the season & to add interest & moistness to the cake I began adding the fruit to the mix. I'm sure apple would be good too.

Nice & simple:

In to a large bowl add:

1 cup rolled oats

1 cup of soft brown sugar

1 cup of boiling water

1/2 cup or around 100 grams butter

 a pinch of salt, 1 tsp vanilla essence

Stir together & leave to do it's thing for 20 minutes or so

Add 2 eggs- mix

1 cup of flour & 1 rounded tsp baking powder

1 cup dried fruit & 1 cup chopped feijoas

Mix & pour in to a lined or greased cake tin.

Mine was around about a 20 cm tin

Bake in a moderate oven for 50 minutes to an hour.

Do the old skewer test to make sure it's cooked in the middle.

While the cake is cooling make the topping. Such a tasty treat that makes all the difference to this cake.

Put 100 grams butter, 2 tbsps cream & 1/2 cup brown sugar in to a pot & cook stirring until it is golden & caramelized.

Add 1 1/2 cups of coconut. Fine coconut is good or a mix of fine & shredded. 

Stir & allow to cool. While it is still workable spread over the cake.

Some passionfruit pulp is a nice tangy edition to the topping if you have it.

Summary ingredients for the cake:

1 cup rolled oats

1 cup of soft brown sugar

1 cup of boiling water

1/2 cup or around 100 grams butter

Pinch of salt, 1 tsp vanilla essence, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp ginger

2 eggs

1 cup of flour & 1 rounded tsp baking powder

1 cup dried fruit

1 cup chopped feijoas or apple

Topping: 

100 grams butter

1/2 cup soft brown sugar

2 tbsps cream

1 1/2 cups coconut

Catherine X

Wild, Seedy Crackers

These wild seedy crackers are a great way to include wild weeds, seeds and fibre in to your diet.

A totally flexible recipe- so just use what you've got and make adjustments according to your own taste.

1 c organic wheat or spelt flour

1/2 c flour quick cook rolled oats

1 cup a mix of seeds &/or nuts:: black or white sesame, sunflower, walnuts etc

1/4 c psyllium husks 1/4 c chia seeds (1/4 c hemp hearts- optional).

OR 1/2 c psyllium, OR 1/2 c of chia seeds- psyllium or chia help the crackers to hold together.

1/2 c of wild seeds & spices: any mix of fennel seeds or dried flowers, black cumin, cumin, coriander, fathen, harakeke/flax seeds, nettle, wild mustard, ground dried Horopito, yellow dock seeds, wild carrot seeds (but not if you're pregnant) dried pineapple weed or calendula flowers.

1 tsp sea salt, ground black pepper, 1 dsp dried onion weed or 1/2 tsp onion powder

1/4 c olive oil, 1/2 c warm water

Mix all the dry ingredients together in a bowl, add the olive oil & water & work with a wooden spoon or your hands until it all comes together nicely. Add more water a little at a time if it's still a bit dry.

Tip out on to baking paper on a n oven tray (or just grease the tray) & roll out thinly- 3 mm or so.

Mark squares, rectangles with a knife.

Bake for around 20 minutes in a moderate oven- 160 degrees.

Cook until golden but not too brown. Store in an airtight container when cool.

 Mix of wild seeds

Mix of spices

All together, stir, add olive oil & water.

Rob thought he'd try the postage stamp effect but a simple knife cut works best.

They'll come out different every time but are sure to be delicious.

Next lot looked like this- Rob says he'll remember to roll them a little thinner through the middle another time. They still taste great.

Catherine