Well it seems my technical skills (or lack thereof) may mean there are a few glitches as my new blog-look comes to life. I think the problem may be with text wrapping and alignment – which got a little skewed when viewed in IE (but not Firefox) – so hopefully I can fix things. Starting with this post? For this is a post I’ve been meaning to share with you for a while now. Our crab cakes – served as one of the dishes at our annual Good Friday Brunch / lunch. I found this recipe online – and was so glad that I did! 
I ran out of time to get to the fishmonger, so opted for pre ‘shelled; crab meat – which truth be told I was rather pleased about for it saved me the fiddly task of pulling apart crab meat. 
Basically, I whisked together mayonnaise, egg, fish sauce, onions, ginger, coriander, chilli, lime zest and sesame oil – before adding the crab meat and some panko crumbs. 
Shaped into 14 little crab cakes, then covered and placed in the fridge overnight. 
The next day, all we had to do was fry them for a couple minutes each side in a little oil, and top with a slice of cucumber, some store-bought mango chutney (another cheat!) and a few coriander leaves. And….voila! 
A tasty little appetiser – that was packed with Thai flavours. I cant help but feel this would be a lovely dish to serve at a party! What about you? Are you a fan of crab? ps. Let me know if you have any issues viewing these posts!
Goats cheese, prosciutto and pear bruschetta
The fun didn’t end when we crossed the finish line of the Color Run on Sunday. No, after a much needed shower to de-colour and warm up – we headed straight out to a post-run / birthday party – where the cocktails were flowing. Knowing that I would have little time to prepare a dish to contribute, I went in search of something savoury that wasn’t too difficult, and could be prepared relatively quickly. And I’m pleased to report that this goats cheese, prosciutto and pear “bruschetta” worked just beautifully. 
I bought some thinly sliced Italian bread, that I drizzled with oil and then toasted in the oven for 3 or 4 minutes. Topped with goats cheese (to which I had added a splash of milk to aid with spreading), sliced pear, prosciutto and a few sprigs of fresh oregano. 
Then right before serving, I added a little drizzle of caramelised onion balsamic vinegar, and our party platter was complete! 
Definitely a “bring a plate” that I will be making again! What about you? Have a favourite bruschetta topping?
Curry ‘samosa’ puffs
In addition to my dessert contribution to our recent Indian feast, I wanted to make something savoury too. Cue this plate of curry samosa puffs, that seemed to work well with the Indian theme. 
It was 38C outside, and not exactly perfect pastry making weather, so I opted to use some pre-made puff pastry instead (needless to say this caused its own set of challenges when it thawed pretty much instantaneously). 
I found this recipe online, which seemed to have the flavours and method I was looking for. Not to mention being a tasty ‘almost-Samosa’ addition to the dinner table. 
I changed it up a bit – using tikka curry paste (that’s all I had), and grating the carrot instead. 
I had to work quickly to encase the mince mixture in the rapidly thawing pastry – using some beaten egg as ‘glue’ and crimping the edges with a fork. 
The result being a tray of rather rustic parcels – but rustic can be good no? 
Baked for 20 minutes, and all pastry-dramas were forgive. For when I opened the oven, I was met with crispy golden brown puffs. 
I soon realised that a dipping ‘sauce would work well – so I made a raita-style sauce with yoghurt, mint, cucumber, garlic, allspice and a sprinkle of paprika. 
Even Charlotte ate 3 of these – so I’m calling them a win! Fiddly, yes, but I’m sure they would become easier with practice (and cooler temperatures outside). 
What about you? Are you a fan of curry puffs like these?
Sundried tomato hummus
Yep. Still here, still blogging, and still eating for two 
Baby BBB continues to thrive in utero, extremely well, and at our appointment today there was no indication that she is coming early. Rather, the race is now on as I found out my doctor is away as of next Tuesday, so fingers crossed she at least makes her appearance before then. I continue see a lot of walking and spicy food in my future. Last weekend we had what we thought might be our last dinner with friends as a couple (although it could very possibly be that we now have this weekend as well!) A simple BBQ was on the menu, and with the main course being taken care of by our friends, I decided to make a dip to share beforehand. A sundried tomato hummus. 
And it really could not have been simpler. Just chickpeas, garlic, paprika, tahini, lemon juice, oil, water and of course, the sundried tomatoes. 
Processed until smooth and creamy. 
Sprinkled with a little paprika… 
And an extra splash of olive oil… 
Loaded with rice crackers… 
And the sundried tomato dip was done. 
Doesn’t get much quicker or simpler than that 
But now, time for a walk and some curry Sundried tomato hummus
- 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1.5 tbs tahini
- 100g sundried tomatoes
- 1 tbs lemon juice
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1-2 tbs olive oil + extra
- 1-2 tbs water
- 1 tsp paprika + extra
- Process all ingredients in a food processor until smooth and creamy. Add more oil / water if needed in order to reach desired consistency.
- Transfer to a serving bowl, and sprinkle with extra paprika and olive oil.
What about you? Are you a fan of flavoured hummus?