Vegan Chocolate Cake with Kiwi

My father demanded some cake yesterday. He has the world's biggest sweet tooth. The thing is I didn't have a lot of time for baking a decadent, rich and gorgeous looking cake when he came up with the idea. So I remembered the batter recipe from this vegan blog.

Just to make things clear, I am not vegan, nor vegetarian or what so ever. I love meat, sweets and other food that is not really healthy. And it is fine, I am perfectly healthy and feel great. But I like to eat a variety of food, even some vegan recipes are in my recipe book. And this cake batter is one of them.

For the batter (recipe from here):

180 grams flour

1 tea spoon baking soda

4 table spoons cocoa powder

½ tea spoon salt

2/3 cup sugar

1 1/2 tea spoon vanilla

1/3 cup oil

2 table spoons apple cider vinegar

¾ cup cold water

First put the flour, soda, cocoa, salt and sugar in a medium sized mixing bowl. Mix well with a whisk. Then add all of the wet ingredients and mix well, but not with a mixer. Use a fork or a whisk. Now pour the batter in a greased cake pan. Bake for 30 minutes on 190°C.

When baked, immediately pour 1/4 cup orange juice and 2 table spoons rum over the cake and let sit for a few minutes. 

Now arrange the kiwi slices ( 4-5 kiwis, peeled and sliced thin) all over the cake until everything is covered with kiwi. Now prepare the gelatine (1 sachet powdered gelatine) according to the instructions on the box (it depends on which gelatine you use) and pour the gelatine over it. Let cool.

Pasta Puttanesca

When I came home from my last exam in this semester I was starving. And when I'm starving I have to eat something that is prepared quick and easy. Seriously, I don't have the nerve to make a fancy dish when I just sweated my ass off during the exam. 

Pasta is the number one dish I can think of, when someone says easy and delicious main meal. So I made Puttanesca sauce, found here.

Lunch was ready in approximately ten minutes and it was to die for. If you, for some weird reason, haven't made Puttanesca sauce – make it. You'll fall in love with it.

1 can tomatoes

3 garlic cloves, cut small

½ cup olives, cut in half

1 tea spoon capers

2 table spoons anchovy fillets

In a pan, lightly saute the garlic until it starts to brown. Add the tomatoes and crush them with a fork. Stir for a minute or so. Then add the olives, capers and anchovy fillets. Cover with a lid and let lightly boil for a few minutes. Cook your favorite pasta (I love wholegrain Barilla Penne), drain and pour the sauce over it. Mix well and serve.

Rice Souffle

Don't let the fancy name of this dish fool you! It is not one of those recipes, that make you frustrated because it doesn't turn out as perfect as in the picture.

We make this souffle almost every two weeks because it has tradition in our house. I am not quite sure of the origin, it is certainly not a Slovene dish. It might be Hungarian  but I haven't really checked. 

My grandma used to make this souffle when I was a kid and I loved it. Every child loves sweet, baked rice with sprinkled sugar on top, right? This recipe is really easy and fun to do because you can add fruit or chocolate or whatever you like. The Nutella freak I am, I like to add some on top.

It is important that this souffle is puffy and eaten hot. Rice Souffle can be eaten for dinner, lunch or dessert. Whatever suits you. While I think it is more of a dessert, my mom argues with me that it is a full dinner. You decide.

250 grams white rice

1 liter milk

A pinch of salt

4 eggs

4 table spoons sugar

1 tea spoon vanilla

Put the rice and milk in a saucepan, season with salt and cook until soft. This may take approximately 25 minutes. Be careful that you don't burn the rice, stir occasionally. When cooked, set aside and let cool.

Now separate the egg yolks from the egg whites. Put the yolks in a big bowl and add the vanilla and sugar. Beat until fluffy. In another medium sized bowl whisk the egg whites until stiff. Now put the cooked rice to the sugar, yolk and vanilla mixture. Mix well. Next, carefully mix the egg whites to the rice. You have to make sure, that you don't over mix or you'll get a liquid mess. The mixture should be light and fluffy. Pour in a greased, round pan and bake on 180°C, for 25 minutes. When baked, remove from the oven and let sit for five minutes, then sprinkle some icing sugar on top.

Happy Valentines Day

Have a great day. Eat something good and sweet, be nice to each other and don't forget  - Valentines Day is not just a lovers holiday. You have to love yourself first, then you can love others. If you don't have a significant other, make sure your friends and family feel loved today.

Pizza Rolls

It is Carnival time in Slovenia right now! We call it Kurentovanje and it is known worldwide. I am that lucky to work in Ptuj, Slovenia's oldest city, and also the center place of Kurentovanje. In case you don't know what that means and how amazing it is, here is the link from Wikipedia  - Kurentovanje Carnival. I am not exagerating, it is truly breathtaking to see the whole city dressed up and being happy. It is similar to the Rio Carnival. I will post a few pictures from the Carnival on Sunday.

Since this week is rather important to us, we tend to make snacks that can be taken to friends and family. That is why I have to share this amazing recipe with you guys. It is so easy to make, with little ingredients and it is done in minutes. Everyone in our house loves pizza. I have already posted my Pizza Muffins recipe, but these fellas are just as delicious and awesome. 

My uncle made them for his birthday party and they were a huge success. Yes, they are that easy to do! 

1 package puff pastry sheets

1/2 cup ham, cut into thin slices

1/2 cup cheese (any kind your heart desires), cut into thin slices

1 egg, beaten

Roll out the puff pastry and  top with the ham slices and cheese. Roll the dough, starting with the longest end, and wrap it tightly. Slice the log into rolls, about 2 centimeters thick. Place the rolls on a baking sheet and brush with the beaten egg. Bake for 20 minutes on 190°C.

Green Monster Smoothie

I'm back from the dead folks! I am studying hard these days and don't have so much energy to bake every day. I know, it's kinda sad. After the exam period you better prepare for more awesome dessert recipes!

I am into smoothies right now. I don't know why I haven't posted a single smoothie recipe until now. Smoothies are perfect for any hour of the day. I love drinking one or two in the morning because it gives you that energy kick you need. I also love smoothies because you can throw any kind of fruit you like in the blender and you get a delicious smoothie.

For two glasses you need:

1 ripe banana

¼ cup spinach leaves

Juice of one orange

3 clementines

All you need to do is put everything in the blender and blend until smooth. Enjoy.

Broccoli Quiche

I am one of those people who really like vegetables. Seriously. As a kid I was uncertain about it, couldn't decide if I like veggies or not. Nowadays I really love almost any kind of vegetables (OK I really hate cauliflower), but broccoli is one of my favorites. My sis, who is really picky when it comes to food, ate this pie the other day and suggested I put it on the blog so it must be a good recipe. 

This pie requires little time and turns out perfect. You can make it in advance and store it in the fridge, which is great for any unannounced guests.

1 package puff pastry

1 cup broccoli florets

100 grams turkey ham, cut small

400 grams cheese wedges

3 eggs

125 ml milk

salt and pepper to taste

100 grams cheese of choice, grated

First roll the pastry out, so you get a round form for your pie dish. Put the pastry in the pie form and set aside. Wash the broccoli florets and put on the prepared pastry. Now add the cut turkey ham and set aside. Mix the cheese wedges with the eggs until smooth. Add salt and pepper and pour over the pie. Sprinkle the grated cheese (I used Gouda) on top and bake for 45 minutes on 190°C.