Oh brownies I do love a brownie, good, bad or even mediocre. I’m even prepared to eat slightly burnt ones that have fallen on the floor. Now don’t get me wrong I love the luxury of an out and out decadent brownie which is stuffed to the brim with melted chocolate and butter like this one. But sometimes my fridge is bare of butter and chocolate. That’s where a box mix fix comes in. I will always pick them up if I see them on sale but rarely seems to happen these days. However I just found out you can make them for virtually nothing at home. If you get your chocolate chips for free on i-herb like I do then you are laughing. Just measure out your ingredients, chuck them in a zip-lock bag and just put add eggs and oil when you are ready to go. I decided to be a little more fancy and store mine in jars because a) I didn’t have any zip-lock bags b) jars are cool and c) I have a lot of jars which I went mad buying after first discovering Pinterest then subsequently never used. It’s suggested to give away these cuties as gifts, I’d probably have to adjust the size of the recipe and not eat them myself but a good idea in theory.

So you may have noticed that my brownie is a little rustic this week, mainly because I dropped it on the floor. Did I have a little cry about this, yes, yes I did. I have made brownies for the past 3 weeks in a row intending to write a post about it but the first one I burnt beyond repair (but still ate), the second one got eaten before a picture was procured and this one was dropped and slightly burnt, but I decided to suck it up and show it to you anyway as we all make mistakes and it doesn’t make me a bad person. It just means that the damn temperature gauge on my oven is broken and I drop things sometimes.

Ingredients

65g of flour

45g of cocoa powder

200g of white sugar

1/4 teaspoon of salt

1/4 teaspoon of baking powder

100g of chocolate chips

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

2 eggs

1/2 a cup of oil

Directions

1. Weigh out all your dry ingredients and put them in a mixing bowl or store them in a zip-lock bag or jar for later.

2. Preheat your oven to 170 degrees Celsius and line a baking tray with baking paper or skip this if you have decent bake wear.

3. Measure the oil and add the eggs and vanilla extract and whisk. Then add to the dry ingredients and mix until the mixture is combined. No need to over mix here. You can also add in any extras at this point, for ideas see my note at the bottom.  Then pour into your tin and bake for 20-30 minutes (depending on how you like it) or until a tooth pick comes out clean(ish).

When your brownie is done leave to cool for ten minutes before removing from the pan. Under no circumstances drop the brownie on the floor and have a tantrum like I did. It’s seriously not cool past the age of 27.

This is a quick and easy brownie recipe that you can whip up in minutes with minimum effort when you are in the mood for a treat. It’s not the kind of brownie I’d try to make if I wanted to impress other bakers. Don’t get me wrong it’s still yummy just not amazing. You can pimp it up in various ways, add nuts, a couple of spoons of peanut butter, some white chocolate chips, or my latest favourite is to add a teaspoon of the orange extract that I bought on i-Herb. Can’t beat orange and chocolate goodness. You could also use this brownie base for a variety of other desserts like my Chocolate Trifle or Peanut Butter Brownie Cheesecake.

I love pavlova, it’s one of my absolute favourite desserts. I always make it back home in England, but here in Korea I have never made it as my oven was too small. However, now I have the king of toaster ovens, there’s more than enough room. So I thought it was about time I had a bash at this quick and easy favourite. It turned out perfectly and now I cant see why I waited so long.  I filled my pavlova with Nutella because, let’s be honest, there aren’t enough desserts in the world that have Nutella in them.

Ingredients

300g of caster sugar

6 egg whites

1 table-spoon of cornflour

1 teaspoon of white wine vinegar

Nutella Ganache

3 large tablespoons of nutella

100g of dark chocolate

4 tablespoons of cream

1-2 cups of whipped cream for the filling

Chopped nuts

Directions

Separate your eggs (whites only) and whisk them to stiff peaks in a clean mixing bowl. I would recommend an electric whisk unless you are very strong.You need the egg whites to be as stiff as possible as they will only get softer as you beat in the sugar. An old trick is to beat them stiff enough so they are able to stay in the bowl when held upside down. Beat in the caster sugar a bit at time until it has been incorporated into the egg whites so they form soft peaks. Stir in the cornflour and vinegar to help them hold their shape and give them some extra gloss.

Line a baking tray with a piece of grease-proof paper. Draw a circle on the grease-proof paper and fill it in with a layer of the meringue. Then build up the edges by spooning or piping blobs around the outside until it forms the pavlova shape. Bake in an oven set to 150 degrees Celcius for about an hour until the meringue has set. Turn off the oven and leave the meringue inside to dry out for a few hours, ideally overnight.

To make the ganache, melt the chocolate in a glass or metal bowl over a pan of simmering water. Stir in the cream and Nutella until it has all melted and made a thick luxurious sauce.

Pavlovas should be assembled at the last moment, so wait until you are ready to serve before adding the ganache and whipped cream. I decided to have a little chocolate surprise hiding under the cream so put a layer of my Nutella ganache on first.

Then I topped with the whipped cream and drizzled on the rest of the Nutella ganache and sprinkled with chopped nuts. It was every bit as good as it looks.  Voilà naughty nutella pavlova.

Another day, another dip. I am very into bread and dips at the moment. I have been going through them by the bucket-load. It’s so hot, that I am trying to limit my cooking to every other day. Some bread and dip is all I need to satisfy me on a hot summers eve. Once again I picked up some beetroot cheap and was looking for another interesting way to use them. This dip is easy and tasty and it’s bright pink!!! What more could you ask for? Feta was the ideal thing to pair it with but you could easily use Greek yoghurt or sour cream instead. I found a jar of feta cubes in my local store which I used but I believe they have real feta at Homeplus and the foreign food mart in Itaewon. If you are vegan then just skip the dairy completely, the roasted beet tastes great on it’s own.

I also decided it was about time I learned to make real pita bread. My flat bread recipe is awesome, but I wanted to take it to the next level. I scoured pinterest and found this recipe. It is by far and away the best recipe I have ever come across for pita bread and my most successful to date. They puffed up beautifully when rising. Sadly they did not get as big as the ones on the site, but  I have since discovered that is because the top heating element on my oven has broken, so they are rather on the pale side and not as golden brown as they could be. But they still tasted wonderful. I will definitely be making more the second my new oven arrives.

Ingredients

Beetroot dip

2 beetroots

2 – 3 cloves of garlic

50g of feta (I used about 10 small cubes)

A squeeze of lemon juice

Salt and pepper

Pita Bread

1 tablespoon yeast (I used instant)

1 1/4 cups of warm water

1 teaspoon of salt

31/2 cups of flour (450g)
Directions

To make the pita bread dissolve yeast in water for about 5 minutes in the bowl of an electric mixer. Add salt and 1 ½ cups flour and with the dough hook or with a whisk, beat to make a batter. Add additional flour until a rough, shaggy mass is formed. Knead  with your hands for 8 minutes until dough is smooth and elastic. Add more flour if it is too sticky.

Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide into six pieces for large pitas or ten for smaller. I make all sorts of sizes to suit different snacks and meals. Form dough into balls, then flatten with a rolling pin into ¼ inch thick discs. Try and keep an even thickness as this is what helps them ‘puff’.

Let rest on the floured surface 30-40 minutes until slightly puffed.

Preheat oven to 425F.
With a large spatula, flip the rounds of dough upside down on to a baking sheet. Bake 10-15 minutes until light golden. Stick around for the first five minutes of baking when the pitas perform their magic and puff up from flat pancakes to proud, four inch high pitas.

These store for up to two days well wrapped or frozen for three weeks.

To make the dip, you need to roast the beetroots for about an hour at 185 degrees Celsius until they are soft in the middle. If they are small to medium you can keep them whole, if they are large cut them in half. If you like you can drizzle a little olive oil on the beetroot first to stop it drying out, but its not 100 % necessary if you are looking to keep the calorie count down. When the beetroots have roasted they should be easy enough to peel, be mindful of pink hands though! Chop the beetroot into pieces and put it in the blender and blend with the garlic. You can roast the garlic first to take the edge off of it or keep it raw, it’s up to you. When you have a beautiful beetroot paste crumble in the feta and blend again. Add salt, pepper, and lemon juice to taste and maybe a little more feta. Voilà roast beetroot and feta dip with home-made pita bread.

People often tell me that too many of my recipes involve an oven, which a lot of your lovely people are without. This can be remedied by a quick shop on Gmarket on which you can pick one up from 30-60,000. But for those of you that need every penny you have for more exciting things like beer and soju, I offer you this recipe instead. You shouldn’t have to suffer because you have trouble managing your budget.

Lasagne is one of those truly comforting meals that we all seem to miss while living away. I don’t know whether it’s the pasta, the cheese, or the beef, It just hits the spot every time. I often make a big one in the oven, but I was intrigued by the idea of doing one in the frying pan.  I was skeptical if it would work at first, but it turns out it does. I made a very simple version of my usual one without a bechamel sauce, but you could easily add one. I also broke my lasagne sheets into pieces but I think if you removed the meat sauce from the pan, you could layer it up the same as a traditional lasagne. I think next time I will try the full monty, but for now this is quick simple and easy lasagne cooked in a frying pan.

Ingredients

400g of minced beef

1 onion

3 cloves of garlic

1 red pepper

1 green pepper

1 tin of tomatoes or 6 large fresh ones

2 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons of ketchup

1 tablespoon of mixed herbs

1 cup of tomato juice

5 sheets of lasagne (foreign food mart/ iHerb)

200g of grated Cheese (i used a mix of cheddar and mozzarella

Directions

Finely chop the onions and garlic and fry off in a little oil over a medium heat for a few minutes until translucent. Add the beef to the pan and fry until its browned. Then add the Worcestershire sauce and the herbs and mix. Roughly chop the peppers, mushrooms, and tomatoes and put into the pan too. Cook for a further 5 minutes until the tomatoes start to break down, then season with salt and pepper. Add the ketchup and cup of tomato juice  then cook until it looks more like bolognaise. If you have a glass of red wine handy add that in too. The sauce needs to have quite a bit of liquid, as the pasta will soak it all up as it cook. Break the lasagne sheets into pieces and mix in with the sauce, finishing with a final layer on the top. Reduce the heat and leave to cook for about 10 minutes. You may need to add more water or tomato juice if the pan is getting a little dry. After 10 minutes check the pasta, it should be a few minutes away from being done. If it’s still hard keep cooking. Once the pasta is almost done, top with cheese and cook for five more minutes until the cheese has melted. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and turn off the heat. You need to give it about 10 minutes to set a little. Whip up a quick side salad, have a nice glass of wine, or possibly a cold shower to cool you down from all that heat in the kitchen. Cut a slice, serve, and enjoy. There you have it frying pan lasagne. No need to suffer without your favourite dish, just because you live an ovenless life.

I have been making and devouring this cake for ages now but have only just got around to posting it. It was another pinterest find. The second I saw it I knew it had to be mine. I love chocolate éclairs, can’t get enough of them, so I was intrigued by a cake that shared the same name but that was made with graham crackers. How could it possibly be like a delicious, delicious éclair? Turns out I was wrong and the texture was very similar. I have changed the recipe a bit as the original called for vanilla pudding and cool whip. I used good old custard and regular cream and it went down a storm. It is possibly one of my new favourite desserts. The only bad bit is that you have to refrigerate it for at least 12-24 hours before you can eat it.

Ingredients

custard

6 egg yolks

1 egg

75g white sugar

25g of flour

4 teaspoons of corn flour / cornstarch (I got mine at the bakery mart)

500ml of milk

1 tablespoon of Vanilla syrup

A few drops of vanilla extract (you can use the extract, the syrup or a vanilla pod)

Graham crackers (Itaewon foreign food mart)

150g of milk or dark chocolate (I just used Dove or Ghana)

100ml of milk

200ml of cream

Directions

To make the custard whisk your egg yolks and egg with the sugar until it has become a very pale yellow. Whisk in the flour and corn flour until it has combined then set aside. Heat the milk and vanilla on a low heat until it has just started to boil then take it off the heat and whisk for 30 seconds. Slowly mix the hot milk into the yolk and flour mixture until it has combined then pour it into a saucepan. Put the custard on a very low heat and whisk it continuously until it begins to thicken. This will happen all at once so make sure you keep an eye on it or it will curdle. Once its thickened into custard you can remove from the heat. Sprinkle icing sugar on the top to stop a skin forming as you wait for it to cool.

Whip the cream until it is stiff then fold into the cooled custard.

To assemble the dessert put a layer of Graham crackers onto the bottom of your dish. Top with a third of the custard and cream mixture then put on another layer of the Graham crackers. Top with the second third of custard then another layer of Graham crackers. Top with the final third of custard and the fourth layer of Graham crackers.

In a clean metal or glass bowl melt the chocolate and milk over a bowl of simmering water. Once the chocolate has melted you should have a nice glossy chocolate sauce. Pour this over the top layer of Graham crackers and spread it over to make sure it’s even. Put the dessert in the fridge for at least 12-24 hours. Overnight is best, as this makes the Graham crackers soft and éclair-pastry like. Voilà, éclair cake, the easy way to make a chocolate éclair.

Last week I bought myself a chicken fully intending to make us a roast dinner. However when I woke up the sun was shining and it was a gloriously warm day. The idea of sweating away in hot kitchen making roast potatoes and stuffing suddenly lost its appeal. I decided that something a little bit different was in need. A quick rifle through the fridge and cupboards and I came up with this Spanish inspired meal. I bunged the chicken in the oven, the rice and veg in the rice cooker and went outside to enjoy the sunshine. When I returned the dinner was cooked and the house smelled delicious. Some may be put off by the appearance of the very dark brown chicken but the flavour is amazing. So I will certainly be making this again.

Ingredients 

chicken

1 whole chicken

2 tablespoons of mexican spice

A handful of coriander (cilantro)

2 tablespoons of olive oil

1 tablespoon of lemon or lime juice

Rice

450g of rice

800ml of chicken stock

1 red pepper

1 green pepper

1 onion

5 cloves of garlic

1/3 of a courgette

1 tablespoon of turmeric

1 1/2 tablespoons of paprika

1 tablespoon of mexican seasoning

A pinch of salt and pepper

Directions

To make the chicken marinade, put the coriander, (cilantro) lemon juice, Mexican seasoning, and olive oil into a blender and pulse until it resembles a dark green smooth paste. Rub your paste all over the chicken, you can even push some under the skin and all over the breasts as I did. Put the chicken on a tray, cover with foil and cook in the oven for about an hour on 185 degrees. After an hour take the chicken and out and stab the thickest past of the thigh with a knife. If the juices are running clear, it’s done, if there is still blood cover back over and cook for another 20-30 minutes, checking every 10 minutes or so. Once the chicken juices run clear, remove the foil and cook for another 15 minutes to crisp up the skin.

To make the rice, chop the onion, garlic, peppers, and courgettes into medium sized pieces. Measure out your rice, I used 450g which is equal to one the containers I have, then I put in twice as much chicken stock, so 2 containers worth. Add in the spices and the vegetables and mix. Then set the rice cooker to cook. The rice should be done when the rice cooker finishes its cycle. Serve on a large platter and sprinkle with freshly chopped coriander and top with the chicken. Voilà Spanish style chicken, the perfect summer alternative to a Sunday roast.

I do love a good brunch. It is swifly becoming one of my favourite meals of the day. In an effort to save money over the last few weeks I have been making my own rather than going out. My fridge is always well stocked with appropriate ingredients and I always have a steady supply of vodka for making Bloody Mary’s, so it seems churlish to venture outside when there is so much goodness at home. This weeks choice was a Spanish omelette. Quick and easy to make. I don’t own a metal skillet that is capable of fitting in my tiny toaster oven so I used a round cake tin I bought from Daiso. It came out great and I’m sure it will now be a regular feature for weekend brunch from now on.

Ingredients

7 eggs

1 red pepper

1 green pepper

2 potatoes

1 onion

3 cloves of garlic

A small bunch of spinach

1 tablespoon of freshly chopped coriander (cilantro)

1 tablespoon of freshly choped parsley

1/2 teaspoon of paprika

1/2 teaspoon of rosemary

A glug of olive oil

Directions

Thinly slice the potatoes and fry them in a little olive oil for about 5 minutes on each side until they are golden brown and cooked right through. Remove them from the pan and set to the side. Next slice the onions, garlic, and green and red peppers and fry for about 5 minutes until softened. Roughly chop the spinach and add to the pan until it had wilted then remove from the heat. In a separate bowl, break and beat the eggs together with a dash of salt, pepper, paprika, and rosemary. Finely chop the fresh parsley and coriander and add that to the egg mixture too. Next take the potatoes and add them to the egg mixture in the bowl. Then fold in the onion, garlic, peppers and spinach. Make sure it is mixed thoroughly then pour into a cake pan. Pop the the mixture into the oven and cook for about 15-20 minutes at 175 degrees Celsius. Its done when a knife inserted into the middle comes out clean. You may also want to cover the top with foil after the first 10 minutes to stop it over browning. To remove put a plate over the pan and flip it. Cut the omelette into wedges and serve with a side salad. Voilà Spanish style omelette.

I am a bit of a chicken wing addict and I have been eating a bag a week lately. I found an awesome little supermarket near my house which sells 1kg bags for 10,000. They are so quick easy and cheap to make at home that I have been saving myself a whole lot of cash. Just make up your favorite marinade, chuck it on and bung them in the oven. They are a great snack to share with your friends or to eat by the plate-load by yourself.

Ingredients

Spicy Wings

500g of chicken wings or as many as you want

2 tablespoons of Cajun seasoning

BBQ Wings

500g of chicken wings

5 tablespoons of BBQ sauce

1 tablespoon of  brown sugar

1 teaspoon of soy  sauce

Directions

Mix the marinade ingredients together for which ever variety you are making. Coat and toss the wings in the sauce. If you can bear to wait to eat them, then leave for up to an hour for the flavours to soak in. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes. They are done when they are golden brown and the chicken is well cooked and piping hot in the middle. Voilà easy tasty wings.

Cauliflower popcorn is a major food trend at the moment. Its all over Pintrest so I thought I would give it a go. I’m also always looking for ways to make my veggies more tasty so I was very intrigued to try this. They are so good that they have now become my latest food obsession. The best part is that they are so simple and easy to make. I could definitely eat a bucketful of these babies instead of a large bag of crisps and not feel deprived. I used Cajun seasoning for mine but feel free to use whichever spices you like to jazz it up.

Ingredients

1 head of cauliflower

2 tablespoons of olive oil

1 teaspoon of Cajun seasoning

A pinch of salt and pepper

Directions

Cut the cauliflower into florets. Put the florets into a bowl with the oil, spices and salt and pepper and coat evenly. Then bake in the oven for about 25-40 minutes until they are golden brown. Voilà the perfect healthy snack!

As promised here is my recipe for the second rice cooker cake. Its very much the same as the first one, except instead of using chocolate and coffee I’m using lemon. This makes a much fresher and lighter alternative. I think this one is actually my favourite, as I’m madly obsessed with lemon these days. I also added a layer of lemon curd in the middle as well as the cream cheese frosting to make it extra special. You can omit this step if you like though.

Ingredients

Cake

200g of butter

2o0g of white sugar

200g of all purpose flour (I use the buksul one for noodles and dumplings)

3 eggs

1 teaspoon of baking powder

1 lemon (zest and juice)

Creamcheese  frosting

130g of butter (1 stick)

200g of cream cheese (softened)

400g of icing sugar (sugar powder)

1/2 lemon (zest and juice)

Lemon Curd

3 lemons (zest and juice)

100g of white sugar

4 egg yolks

2 tablespoons of corn flour

85g of butter

100ml orange juice

100ml of water

Directions

Cream together the sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs. Stir in the lemon juice and zest then mix well. In a separate bowl sift the flour, baking powder. Fold into the lemon mixture. Take your rice cooker pan and line it with a piece of parchment paper. Then put the cake mixture inside. Press the cook setting and then continue to keep checking it every time it pops up. You may have to go though several cycles depending on the make and model of your rice cooker. However you will get there in the end so hang in there. You can tell when it’s done when the top is spongy to the touch. Remove the cake from the pan and leave to cool for a couple of hours.

To make the frosting let the butter and cream cheese get to room temperature then beat together  add the lemon juice and zest and mix. Finally beat in the sugar powder until it has all been fully combined. If it a little dry you can add more lemon juice or some milk.

To make the lemon curd put the corn flour, sugar, lemon zest and juice into a saucepan and stir. Add the orange juice and water then turn on to a medium heat. Continue stirring, until it starts to bubble. Turn off the heat and add the butter. Continue to stir until the butter has melted, then whisk in the egg yolks one at a time. When the mixture has completely combined, turn the heat back on to low and stir continuously until the mixture begins to thicken and bubble. Let the curd cool completely before using it in the cake. This recipe will make about a pint of lemon curd which you will not need for the cake. You can halve or quarter the recipe if you wish or use the remaining curd to make lemon bars like I did, recipe coming soon!

Slice you cake in half one it has cooled and fill the middle with one half of the frosting and a layer of lemon curd. Sandwich the two pieces together then top the cake with the other half of the frosting. Decorate with a dusting of icing sugar or lemon zest. Voilà the tastiest lemon cake that was ever made in a rice cooker!