What's everyone eating this week?

[strictlysalsaclare Profile]

How do you do the apple flavour sponge Strictly? do you use puree in the mix? I'm intrigued - I can't remember when I last made a Victoria - used to love it tho' with a cup of tea.

Hi LusciousLush

I just peeled, cored and grated a Bramley apple, then folded it into the cake batter. I used my old faithful all-in-one recipe (although this was an all-in-two one!), and swapped the caster sugar for light soft brown sugar to get a toffeeish flavour. It worked rather well, especially with the raspberry jam in the middle, which surprised Mr Strictly in a good way!

[Lusciouslush Profile]

Ah! That makes sense Strictly - grating the apple in would keep the batter light - what a good idea, sounds lovely.

[jeral Profile]

Lovely food, strictlysalsaclare, and well for done for keeping OH equally happy

I'm curious though; how did you guess how much apple to add and did you take anything out to compensate or just add it to a standard Vic sponge mix?

As an aside, Bramley apple is used in some vegan recipes as an egg replacer. Grating is better as in carrot or courgette cakes, and a lot quicker than the "cook until fallen then drain whilst cooling" method used for smoother mixes.

[Alexandria Profile]

Sunday Lunch:

Our last day in the Cádiz Capital, and our vote for Japanese triumphed over all other cuisines .. So Japanese it was ..

We had several Sashimi, Nigriri & Sushi boats delivered to our tables ..

Truly an astonishingly amazing surprise, meriting top quality and excellence.


Restaurant Sakura
www.restaurantsakura.es/

Have a lovely day ..

[Lusciouslush Profile]

F/R chicken breasts in pepper sauce tonight with green beans and orzo or blk rice - not yet decided.

[strictlysalsaclare Profile]

Lovely food, strictlysalsaclare, and well for done for keeping OH equally happy

I'm curious though; how did you guess how much apple to add and did you take anything out to compensate or just add it to a standard Vic sponge mix?

As an aside, Bramley apple is used in some vegan recipes as an egg replacer. Grating is better as in carrot or courgette cakes, and a lot quicker than the "cook until fallen then drain whilst cooling" method used for smoother mixes.

Hi jeral, and thank you!

As I used a standard 3 egg mix which ended up a bit stiffer than usual, I had a hunch that the smallest bramley in the pack would be sufficient. It was a medium sized one though. As I used light soft brown sugar instead of caster, and not for the first time in a Vicky sponge, I felt that just the normal amount of sugar would do. Also, the raspberry jam I made last weekend that sandwiched the cake together was a lowish sugar one, and a lemon (juice and rind) provided the pectin. As you probably know, us Strictlies don't do 'sickly sweet' when it comes to puds etc., so the sweetness level was just right for us. It seems to have improved overnight too.

[strictlysalsaclare Profile]

Ah! That makes sense Strictly - grating the apple in would keep the batter light - what a good idea, sounds lovely.

Ah yes, apple cake can be a bit heavy on the palate. Luckily, this one isn't.

[Alexandria Profile]

Monday the 17th ..

Already have checked into my Hotel in The Madrid Capital and my Dear and I have a reservation for Ristorante Da Giuseppina, Italian Restaurant for lunch. It is the best Italian & Sardinian Restaurant & Italian Gourmet Deli in the country ..


Have a lovely day .. Off to do our Retail Therapy for autumn / early winter ..

[karadekoolaid Profile]

Mung dal with broccoli and a good dose of fresh green chiles, plus Baingan ka Salan - a Hyderabad aubergine dish with a fascinating combination of spices, ginger, peanuts and coconut. Plus home-made chapattis. Yum!

[Sakkarin Profile]

Some recent meals:
Samosas from scratch, back to an old Madhur Jaffrey recipe.
Green Curry with Pork
Beef Massaman Curry
Garlic chives from my Loon Fung trip: Garlic Chives with Chicken

Two of those could be in the Potato thread, the Samosas and the Massaman.

[Gillthepainter Profile Website]

Clive, do you add oil to your chapattis?
And can I ask how you made your broccoli mung dahl. I'm due an Indian session.

Good God!
Your meals look amazing, Sakkers. Particularly the garlic chive chicken dish - but maybe that's only because it's less familiar.


Nice apple tip, Stricters.
I'll incorporate that next time I bake a cake.

[Alexandria Profile]

Sakkarin,

Wow ! How wonderfully appetising ..

Lovely photographs too ..

Speaking of photographs, I am truly as techi as a peanut ..

Was able to get the fresh veggies on but not the uncultivated white mushrooms !

Thanks so much in advance ..

[Sakkarin Profile]

Today's supper, Vietnamese Bun Bo, beef salad with lemongrass and vermicelli. Should have crushed peanuts, but I ate them all yesterday, and bean sprouts but Tesco were all out of them. Still good though.

[Alexandria Profile]

Sakkarin,

I really like your Garlic, Chive Chicken ..

Looks wonderful ..

[karadekoolaid Profile]

Clive, do you add oil to your chapattis?
And can I ask how you made your broccoli mung dahl. I'm due an Indian session.

Just posted a reply and it disappeared into cyberspace Never mind!
Gill: I added just a nut of butter to the dough last time I made them. Then kneaded for about 5-10 minutes. Result - glorious, silky chapattis.
The Mung Dal - I was going to make it as per usual, but then decided " NO onion!" Fried a handful of minced garlic and grated ginger, then added a pinch of asafoetida and a tsp of turmeric. 1 stir, added mung beans. Covered in water, brought to a boil. Cooked for about 30 minutes, then added the blanched broccoli, a tsp of garam masala and a tbps of chopped coriander. Ate. With gusto!

[Gillthepainter Profile Website]

Thanks, Clive. I'll give it a go later, and post the results for you.
Of course I've got all those spices in.

Noice! Your salad looks wonderful, Sakkarin.

Simple stuffed chicken rosemary and mushrooms tonight.
I'll prep the cremini on the egg slicer again, and see if it feels as satisfying.

[Alexandria Profile]

Thursday 20th .. From the Madrid Capital ..

We had lunch twice since our arrival at Da Giuseppina, as it is the best Italian on the Iberian Peninsula ..

Yesterday was Risotto al Gamberi Rossi ( Risotto with red prawns ) .. On Monday, I had, Spaghetti di Mare ( with shellfish ) ..

So, today we are headed for Japanese, another fave ..

Tapas and wine pairing are our standard dinner ..

Tomorrow ( Friday ), shall be a traditional Galician Seafood Restaurant known for it shellfish ..

We shall be taking the High Speed Train ( Ave) home to Barcelona on Monday morning at 7.30am ( 2 hours and 20 minutes more or less ) ..

Have a lovely weekend ..

[Gillthepainter Profile Website]

I was given some cooking apples last Friday.
We've just come to the end of our apple pie, not long before we are due to take a walking tour round the Isle of Wight = walk it off.

The apples went pink and fizzy in the cooking which was rather lovely. Hint of vanilla added.
My pastry was quite crumbly too, I like it when that happens.

[Alexandria Profile]

Since our arrival home on Monday mid-morning, we picked up our usual salad greens from our Italian Distributor and from The Le Mercat de La Boqueria (Rucola, Radicchio, Red Oak Leaf Lettuce and Endives) .. Of course, tomatoes .. Scallions .. Fresh Herbs ..


So it has been basically salads as we have had alot of catching up to do at Office with Paper Work (emails, invoices, answering enquiries, telephone messages etcetra .. )


We have gone out for dinner however, have had salads for lunch .. We had bought some fresh wild langostinos ( extra large prawns ) and wild salmon and wild Navarran trout. So lunches have been at home ( good feelings to spend a bit of time at home since all our travelling ) ..


Having 3 tapas actually, 1 large bowl of wild prawns today with a salad (starter) and some "magenta & green" patterned Runner Beans, served as a 2nd starter ..

That is it for today ..

Tonite we shall go for Greek or Lebanese Mezze ..

[Joanbunting Profile]

Tonight we are having plaice - simply done meuniere with courgette and potato pancakes.

Ive just made a apple and sultana compote with calvados for afterwars.

I made a golden soup fro lunch today and there is enough left for tomorrow.

Supper tomorrow will depend on what we fancy at the butchers tomorrow.

Sunday we have guests and I have planned
Smoked eel on rye bread with a horseradish cream and beetroot and balsamic salad.

Main will be duck confit with Sarladaise potatoes and sauteed ceps

Cheese then Bakewell tart and clotted cream