Pineapple upside down cake

I do love a slice of pineapple cake and this one has a twist of chilli and lime syrup poured over the top which soaks into the cake giving it another depth in flavour.

Here is Ella my budding little baker learning from the expert Sophie.

INGREDIENTS

200g canned pineapple rings

110g caster sugar

110g butter

2 eggs

110g self raising flour 

1tsp baking powder 

1 fresh red chilli 

4 tbsp pineapple juice

4 tbsp of honey

zest and juice of a lime 

pre heat the oven to 180c

• Grease your tin or if like me use a fab tin that doesn't need greasing  
• Place 4 pineapple rings in the base of your tin
• Cream the butter and sugar, fold in the flour and whisked eggs and baking powder 
• cut up the rest of the pineapple and add to the cake mix
• Spoon the cake mix over the pineapple rings and cook for 25 mins or until if you put a knife in and it comes out clear.

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Making the syrup is easy add the pineapple juice, honey, chili and lime to a pan and simmer for 5 mins once the cake is out of the oven and tin and on the serving plate pour over the syrup.

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3 Rice salad

I love this salad its pretty much great with all sorts and nicer than a load of spuds on the side, i love the sweetness of the slow cooked fried onions along side the fresh herbs and the gentle heat of the chilli.

Ingedients
2 onions sliced
100g basmati
100g brown rice
75g wild rice
2 large salad onions sliced
1 - 2 red birdeye chillis depending on how hot you like it
50g or 1 pack of mint
50g or 1 pack of coriander
half a bag of rocket more if you want it
salt and pepper

Dressing ingredients
65ml lemon juice
30ml sesame oil
30ml thai fish sauce
35ml olive oil

• cook the sliced onions (not the salad) slowly for a good hour i cook mine in a bit of olive oil, butter and salt, allow to cool when soften and golden some maybe a little crisp that is ok
• cook the wild and brown rice together in a pan covered over with 3 times the amount of water to rice and simmer for 45 mins, once cooked run plenty of cold water to stop the cooking and drain
• cook the basmati in 400ml of water bring to the boil and simmer for 20 mins remove from the heat drain and allow to cool
• Once all the rice is cool add all the cut herbs and chilli all the onions salt and pepper to taste and toss together

when ready to serve whisk up the salad dressing and pour over and toss again

 

10 hour cooked chili

Gosh i haven't done a recipe in a while in fact i haven't done much cooking as this pregnancy is making me so poorly.  However i made a 10 hour chili which is a great dish to cook at breakfast and leave cooking all day long and eat at dinner time.  I find that cooking this dish long and slow gives the dish real depth in flavour.  I tend to cook this dish on about 100 for half the day then knock it down to 50 for the rest of the day, make sure the dish is covered so it does not dry out and give it stirs through the day as you walk past your cooker.

I don't use mince meat but use lumps of beef, as this is cooked long and slow stewing beef which is a cheaper cut can be good for this and will hold its shape due to any fat and grainier meat structure. A slightly better cut of beef can also be used but the cooking process really makes the meat tenderise so it could fall apart when eaten which is just as good and delicious.  I also use a bit of pork in my dish to give a difference in texture and flavour.   

Lumps of beef (not mince meat)

2 onions

strips of pork lion 

Tbsp Cumin toasted and ground

1/2 Tbsp Coriander seeds  toasted and ground

1/2 a stick Cinnamon toasted and ground
Chili powder to your taste
Medium strength fresh green chilies about 5
Fresh coriander
Wooster sauce
1/4 tub of Beef stock
3/4 bottle San Miguel large beer
Tin tomatoes
1 tin Kidney beans
1/2 tube tomato puree
1/2 bar of 70% chocolate

• Soften off the onions slowly and remove from the pan
• Cover and coat the beef, pork in flour cornflour salt and pepper and seal off in a large pan this helps to thicken the sauce
• When flour looks like it sealed onto the meat stir the meat and liberally covering in Wooster sauce still stirring let this seal in also
• Coat the meat in the toasted and grounded cumin, coriander and cinnamon meat and finally brown off
• Put the onions back in the pan 
• Add the beer and  beef stock de glaze the base of the pan.  
• Add the dried chili, tomatoes, puree, kidney beans
• Slice up the fresh green chilies add to mix seeds as well
• Add the chocolate
• Cook for min of 5 hours just before serving add chopped fresh coriander and serve with sour cream and rice.

Chilli jam curry

 Well i didn't know what to call this as its not really a curry but i suppose it depends on how much chilli you like.  This was made using the tomato-and-chilli-jam i made recently and it tasted really good fruity from the tomatoes but not tomatoey deep rich flavours and a bit sweet.

 I used chicken thighs as i think they are really tasty and good value when you have a family.  I marinated and then browned off the meat and also cooked a large onion.

 I punched up some of the original flavours from that were in the jam already and and added these into the pan with a smaller tub of the jam.  I then added a can of coconut milk and left to simmer for 1 hour so all the flavours got a chance to mingle and come together.  If i had fresh coriander i would have finished off the meal with this but i didn't have any but it still tasted superb.