23.03.10 - recipes new and recipes old

Chickpea cakes - for Cat and GZ

2 x 400gm tins chickpeas, drained
1 leek - roughly chopped (could substitute for spring onion)
goodly handful of parsley - chopped
generous teaspoon paprika
generous teaspoon ground coriander
generous teaspoon ground cumin
Salt and pepper to taste
a little oil to fry

Chuck all above ingredients into a whizz-type processor - of which I do not have, I use a hand held whizzy thing and it works just as well.
Whizz until most of the chickpeas form a paste.
Chuck out onto a floured surface and with floured hands (and in the case of 'cooking-with-children' = floured children)
Flatten to about 1cm-ish/1 inch (the chickpea stuff not the floured children)
Cut out little cakes - I used a biscuit cutter about 5cm across.

Fry said little chickpea cakes both sides until lightly brown then put on a baking tray and stick into a pre heated oven (200C or 400F) for about 10 minutes.

Watch them disappear like hot (chickpea) cakes!

The spices and seasonings are to our tastes, if you like it hotter or spicier then just chuck in more or less if you don't. Enjoy!

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Old Nick's Ginger and Apple Cake - for Sarah

Melt together -
6 oz dark brown sugar (any variety really - just darker the better)
4 oz black treacle (ooh getting darker by the moment)
4 oz syrup or honey (got to counter balance all that darkness with a bit of light!)

Cool, then add -
5 oz plain yoghurt
2 eggs - lightly beaten into the yoghurt first

Then add -
8 oz plain flour
1 heaped tablespoon ginger
1 heaped teaspoon mixed spice
1 level teaspoon ground coriander
1 level teaspoon ground cumin
1 level teaspoon baking powder

Stir well then -
grease your favourite baking tin
Chop one cooking apple into goodly chunks - I left the skin on - lay onto base of baking tin
pour on the ginger mix

Cook at -

150C /300F for approx 60 mins or so, check with a skewer (if it comes out clean - its ready)

Cool slightly then -
tip out onto a rack
lightly dust top of cake with icing sugar

When I made this cake, I doubled the mix (I had just bought a new cake tin and it is huge! it would be silly not to fill it :)  ) Hope you like as much as we did. 

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Now for something completely different.

An update on all crochet WIP (work in progress) and FOs (finished objects).......

Lil smiling tomato, a gaggle of guinea pigs, a cave man (complete with hairy chest and club) and a conference pear. (A gaggle of guinea pigs? maybe a giggle? or a gang, a glint? a ganglion? or a gathering - hmm, no sadly it's not as imaginative as that, it is a group of guinea pigs)

Aah, so my day has not been wasted.

I quite like the pear, think it needs more fruity friends  - hmm (reaches for crochet hook with thoughtful look on face..........)