I some days regret having learned the super-easy way to have yummy moist cake in 5 minutes whenever I have a craving, as I often do. I cannot resist pulling out a mug and helping myself, to some chocolate cake whenever I NEED to. I do practice a lot of self-restraint so this is not too often, worry not. There are tonnes of variations of recipes on the internet and each variation, based on the scrumptious photos, yields different results in terms of consistency and moisture content. So here is my take on this yumminess:
You will need:
3 Tablespoons of sugar
3 Tablespoons of flour
3 Tablespoons of milk
2 Tablespoons of vegetable oil
2 Tablespoons of cocoa powder
1/4 Teaspoon baking powder
A pinch of salt
Instructions:
1. Put all your dry ingredients into a mug and mix 2. Add the oil and the milk and beat with a fork until you have a nice consistent mixture with no lumps and no dry cocoa in the bottom of your mug 3. Put your mug in the microwave on high for 2 mins 4. Check to see if it is cooked all the way through. If not pop it back in for 10 sec at a time until it is cooked. 5. You can eat it in your mug, tip it on to a plate, add some fruit, dessert cream, chocolate syrup, dust it with icing sugar, drown it in custard… The options are endless, the only requirement is that you Enjoy It!!!
There is something about living in the tropics that I still can not get over, the abundant supply of fresh fruit.
I first had this salad on a hot summer afternoon at a restaurant called Bistro 1245 after a full day in the studio during my time in college in Gainesville Florida. It was a summer special on their menu and so I dug in, and it has since become one of my favourite lunches, plus its really easy to put together and always satisfies. I also recently learned that Bistro has since been closed down, so I make this salad as an ode to the “good old days”.
You will need:
Watermelon
Slices of feta cheese
Fresh basil or mint leaves
Ground black pepper
Course ground salt
Olive oil (optional)
Directions:
Cut your watermelon and cheese into wedges or cubes
Dice your herbs.
Toss everything into a bowl
Sprinkle the salt, black pepper, and olive oil on to your salad
Enjoy your marvelous creation!
It really is that simple.
If you want a bit more of a filling salad, you can put all of the above ingredients on to a bed of lettuce and drizzle with some balsamic vinaigrette to give it a bit more body. Feel free to toss in some pine nuts or seeds to add some crunch and extra nutrition.
Gareth gifted me the most luxurious set of pots I have ever owned and I have been ogling over them since. He then, unfortunately, came down with the stomach flu so I decided to cook him up some homemade butternut soup as my way of saying “Thank You” for the lovely gift. However, do not be discouraged, this recipe still tastes yummy if made in old pots too…
Servings: 4-6 people Prep Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 30 Minutes Total Time: 45 Minutes
What You Will Need:
Pot of water (for boiling butternut)
2 teaspoons salt (for boiling water)
2 Medium butternut squash
1 Green bell pepper, roughly chopped
2 cloves chopped garlic
5 cups water (or vegetable stock)
2 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon salt 1 tablespoon nutmeg
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 cup fresh cream
What You Need To Do:
Peel and cube the butternut and add to boiling salted water.
Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
While the butternut is boiling, chop the onions, peppers, and garlic.
Drain the boiled butternut and saute the onions, peppers, and garlic using the butter.
Add the salt and spices and butternut to the pot and saute for about 3 minutes.
Add 5 cups of water and allow the vegetables to all soften.
Using a hand-held immersion blender, purée the soup until silky smooth. (Alternatively, you may cool the soup slightly, then purée it in a blender in batches, with the lid of the blender open)
