Pomegranate

My "Pomegranate" photo has been selected for a contest at the Color Photo Award group on flickr. It was taken with a Sony Cybershot DSC-P72 in Nov 2007.

Love it? Vote here: #8 :-)

Contest: FRUITS & BERRIES - VOTE NOW through 17 MAY 2009

Orangy Sponge Cake - Photo Recipe!

click each photo to view large

Ingredients:

1 lemon , 1 orange , 3 clementines, 8 eggs, 500gr sugar, 300 gr flour (or you can make half recipe)

The secret for this cake is weighting the eggs = weight of sugar and 1/2 of that weight of flour - you will need a scale for that

8 XL eggs = 500 gr sugar = 250 gr flour (+ 50 gr in case you add some orange juice)

4 XL eggs = 250 gr sugar = 125 gr flour (+25 gr if you add juice)

Preparation:

Pre-heat the oven - 150o/180o C

Wash the lemon, the orange and clementines and zest them. In a large bowl mix the sugar with the zests, 4 eggs, 4 yolks and mix.

Reserve the other 4 egg whites and beat them with a mixer untill they are fluffy. Keep them in the fridge while you mix the eggs+sugar+zest.

When the batter is nice and bubbly, then it's time to add 1 clementine juice (or 2 if they're small). Mix well. Now add the flour and mix.

Time to add the egg whites, gently folding... watch the video

Take 2 baking pans (or just 1 if you make 1/2 recipe), grease them and cover them with baking paper and pour the mix.

Cook each cake for about 25 minutes. You may test it with a toothpick - if the cake is done the toothpick will be nice and clean!

Take the cake out of the heat and turn the baking pan upside down on a "sugar bed" and let the cake cool down. Once it's cooled you may cut it into little squares. Enjoy!

ApplePear Pizza

Ingredients:

Pizza dough left overs, apples, pears, honey (4 table spoons), cinnamon

(2 apples + 1 pear = 2 medium pizzas)

Preparation:

Chop your apples and pears. Then dust your rolling pin with flour and roll the dough out to a circle that is big enough to cover the baking sheet or ceramic plate. Then finish stretching it out with your hands, working from the centre and using the flat of your fingers to push the dough out. Spread the apple and pear cubes, and after that, scatter some honey and cinnamon. Bake it on a high shelf for 10-15 minutes, until it is golden brown and smells wonderful!

Fada Moranga's Carnival Surprise Chocolate Cake

Ingredients:

300gr Chocolate, 150gr Butter, 150gr Sugar, 5 Eggs, 50gr self raising Flour

For the frosting: 100ml double Cream, 100gr dark chocolate

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 150ºC. Line a 30 cm cake pan with greaseproof or other non-stick paper (or grease a 30cm round ceramic container). Melt the chocolate and the butter in a saucepan. Remove from heat and, in a bowl, combine the sugar, the egg yolks (one at a time, mix well between each egg) and the flour. Beat the egg whites and add them to the chocolate mixture. Bake at 150ºC for about 45 minutes. The top must be crunchy and the interior should stay moisty. Leave it to cool. For the frosting - Heat the cream. Then remove it from heat and add the chocolate. Mix it well. Let it cool and spread over the cake.

Another option – Chocolate custard icing

1 full tablespoon of flour Maizena or other corn starch
1 full tablespoon of butter
1 teaspoon (or 1 sachet) of coffee powder other coffee flavoured cereal mix
1 full tablespoon of sugar
100gr chocolate
3dl milk

Combine the milk and the corn starch in a saucepan. Warm gently but do not let the liquid boil, stirring constantly . Add butter and the coffee powder. When it thickens, add the sugar and stir. Finally add the chocolate and stir until creamy. Let it cool a bit and spread it over the cake while it is still warm. You can make swirls in the icing with a fork.

Just before serving you may add some M&Ms for colour... :-)))

Note: the cake will be better off the fridge.

Fada Moranga's Courgette Pasta

Fada Moranga's WarmSalad

Fada Moranga's PumpkinPasta

Fada Moranga's Fishy Soup

* more photos here *

Ingredients: (in order of appearance)
1 dl olive oil, 3 cloves of garlic, 1 onion, 2 red tomatoes, coriander, sea salt, 1 lt fish broth (stock recipe here), 1dl rose wine or Port, 2 grilled squid or other cooked fish, 1or 2 tablespoons of miniature pasta (alphabet, stars...)

Preparation:
Chop the tomatoes, the onion, the coriander, the garlic and the squid. Pour the olive oil into a pan ans add the garlic. 30 seconds later add the onion and let it golden (it takes about 5 minutes). Then add the tomatoes, the coriander and salt it. Slowly cook this for about 10 minutes and add the fish broth (another recipe here) and the wine. Let it boil for 10 minutes and then add the miniature pasta and the squid. Cook it for about 5 to 7 minutes and the soup is ready.