Cocktail Hour: The Hugo

It’s been a while since I’ve featured a ‘Cocktail Hour’ on My Capital Plate, but that’s not to say we haven’t been enjoying the occasional cocktail when the mood strikes. And, with (hopefully) the warmer weather arriving soon, I can see many occasions on which we get a little creative with our weekend tipple.

We served this cocktail a while back at our Father’s Day Linner. Easy to prepare, and even easier to drink, it was made with a lovely blend of gin, elderflower cordial, lime and prosecco.

Elderflower cordial is one of those ingredients I’ve heard of but never actually used. I was delighted to find out that it added the most beautiful aroma to the cocktail – which in itself was very refreshing – and I’ve now used it on many occasions since mixed simply with soda water.

Try one for yourself!

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 Cocktail Hour: The Hugo
Servings
drink
Ingredients
Servings
drink
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. Pour the gin into a glass that is half filled with ice.
  2. Add the cordial and a squeeze of lime juice (then drop the lime wedge into the glass). Stir to combine.
  3. Top with equal parts prosecco and soda water, and tuck in a few mint leaves. Serve immediately.
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Slow Cooker Red Lentil Dahl

It’s been quiet in this little blog space of mine lately – but that is a clear indication that it has been anything but quiet in “real life”. The kids have their ever-growing array of school and after school / weekend activities and the hubs and my work schedules have been pretty jam-packed. So it’s probably no surprise that we feel as though we are always running from one thing to another.

Oh yeah, and then there was the big family trip  we took to Japan! But more on that in another post…

Needless to say, I have quite the growing backlog of recipes that I want to share (if not, at the very least, to remind me of some of the delicious eats we’ve had recently).

Take this Red Lentil Dahl (or is it Dal or Dhal?)for instance, that made its way to our dinner table a few months ago.

Back when the morning frosts were still going strong, and the daylight hours were short. I popped the ingredients in my slow cooker before I went to work, and was rewarded with not only a glorious aroma when I returned home later that day, but also the ability to get dinner on the table in a flash.  From memory – C & J had swimming after school on this particular day, so the hearty and belly-warming dahl was a welcomed hit when they walked in the door.

I served the dahl with rice and coriander, and although not pictured, I’m pretty confident I also added a dollop of natural yoghurt and a squeeze of lemon juice.

A perfect meal to warm us from the inside out (with leftovers for lunch the next day too!)

Print Recipe
 Slow Cooker Red Lentil Dahl
Course Main Dish
Servings
Ingredients
Course Main Dish
Servings
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. Place all ingredients (except for the toppings) into a slow cooker and stir to combine.
  2. Cover - and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours.
  3. Serve with steamed rice, coriander, a spoonful of yoghurt and a squeeze of lemon juice.
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Father’s Day 2019

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Sleep-ins, smiles, sunshine and food – yes those seem to be the recurrent themes of Father’s Day these past few years. For Canberra again gave us an almost Spring-like weather to celebrate the main Man in our lives – and the girls ensured that he was well and truly spoilt throughout the day!

There was breakfast in bed, lots of homemade cards and gifts, followed by a ‘leave pass’ to go and get a massage!

 Not to mention our usual Father’s Day Linner which was, of course, given an international theme. This year – it was all things German!

Nibbles to start, served with a rather refreshing “Hugo” cocktail – made with gin, elderflower cordial and prosecco.

Followed by the main event – featuring homemade soft pretzels with garlic butter, mushroom tartlets, schnitzel and a variety of sides – potato salad, kale salad, marinated red cabbage and a cucumber / dill salad.

All together now!

And for dessert? Well why have one dessert when you can have two!

Warm apple strudel straight from the oven(not pictured), along with a chocolate fix in the form of a black forest inspired chocolate ripple cake.

And before we knew it, the afternoon had turned into evening, as we shared a wonderful day with family celebrating the fathers in our lives. Not to mention adding another food “destination” to our annual Father’s Day celebration.

And just because I can’t resist a trip down memory lane…

2012

2013 – Chinese themed

2014 – Turkish themed

2015 – Mexican themed

2016 – Italian themed

2017 – Greek themed

2018 – Island themed

And finishing with 2019… German themed!

Choc Mint Layer Cake

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I do find it interesting to watch the girls’ palettes evolve as the years pass by.

Miss J used to love bananas and blueberries – but now finds both quite offensive. Her current food preference includes savoury crunchy foods, such as celery, carrots and cucumber, and although she loves chocolate (only plain chocolate)  she wouldn’t dream of trying lollies or sweets or juice.

Miss M, on the other hand, has a clear predilection to sweet foods. So much so that I have no doubt she would eat sugary foods all day long if I’d let her. Thankfully she also loves vegetables and yoghurt. Lots of yoghurt.

Then there is Miss C –  who is far more adventurous than her little sisters when it comes to food. She enjoys a variety of both savoury and sweet foods, with prawn dumplings, avocado, mango and pineapple pizza featuring at the top of her favourite foods list at the moment.

And, as I found out during a recent trip to the cinema, chocolate mint is her first pick when it comes to ice-cream flavours.

So when I asked her what sort of cake we should make for her Aunty’s birthday a little while ago,  I was in no way surprised when “choc mint” was her resounding response.

Being a little short on time, we decided to do a cake hack – thanks to some store-bought mudcakes from Woolies. We did, however, make our own mint-laced buttercream along with a dark chocolate “drip”.

True to form, Miss J and Miss M kept sneaking pieces of the chocolate I had set aside to create the drip, while Miss C was only too happy to lick the bowl after we whipped up the batch of vibrant minty buttercream.

When it was time to decorate – it was all hands on deck – with various mint treats being pushed and placed into position atop the cake. We used aero bars, mint choc balls, malteasers and mint slice, with extra buttercream piped on top and a sprinkle of peppermint crisp.

And while the finished product was not entirely “perfect”, we soon had before us an impressive birthday cake in all its minty glory!  A little over the top in appearance – but relatively simple from a flavour perspective.

Not to mention being actually quite easy to pull together. Assuming that the kids don’t steal all the chocolate decorations during the construction process, that is!

Farmyard Cupcake Toppers

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Working with fondant is far from my strong point when it comes to baking. But I have, over the years, being trying to improve my skills, which admittedly remain very basic.

When we settled on a Farmyard theme for Miss M’s recent birthday party, I decided to carry over the theme for a batch of cupcakes she would be taking to daycare. And while I was initially tempted to purchase the toppers (there are so many great cake decorators out there!) I figured that perhaps it was a good opportunity to work on my fondant skills.

Armed with fondant of various colours, – along with edible glue, eyes  and 3 little helpers who were more than eager to assist – we got to work.

First – the pigs!

I rolled out some pink fondant, then cut four large circles for the faces, four smaller circles for the nose, and four more circles that I cut in half and shaped into ears. Glued together with the edible glue, and finished with the pre-made edible eyes…

Next up – the chickens!

I rolled out yellow fondant, and cut four large circles for the bodies, and four small circles that were then cut in half to make the wings. I used red fondant cut into small triangles for the beaks, and again, edible eyes.

And finally, the cows!

These were probably the most fiddly. I used four circles of white fondant for the faces, four smaller pink circles for the noses, then shaped smaller black circles (again, cut in half) for the ears and the “spots”.

After a few hours of construction, we had ourselves some farmyard cupcake toppers! I let them sit out (uncovered) overnight, so that they could firm up a little, then attached them to cupcakes with a swirl of buttercream. And thanks to a cardboard cupcake box (purchased from Latorta), we were able to easily transfer them to daycare for the kids to enjoy!

I was so happy with how they turned out – and can’t wait to try my hand at another theme sometime soon! Using pre-coloured fondant (as opposed to colouring my own) was probably not the cheapest option, but it definitely saved me a bit of time – not to mention avoiding the inevitable staining of hands…

A Barnyard 2nd Birthday Party

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Long time readers of this blog will realise that this is not the first time we  transformed our backyard into a farmyard, of sorts. Miss M seemingly loves animals just as much as her biggest sister did at the same age (and truthfully, still does) so an animal themed party for her recent birthday seemed like the perfect theme!

We again invited a local petting zoo to set up outside, and before long – our backyard was transformed into a mini farm – complete with chickens, goats, sheep, rabbits and ducks.

I must admit I was a tad nervous about holding an outdoor party in July – knowing the Canberra Winter can be brutal. But we must have pleased the weather gods because the sun came out and the afternoon ended up being relatively mild (for Canberra, at least).

In advance of the party, Miss C declared herself no.1 party helper – so we spent the morning setting up the food table and an activity table for the kids topped with textas and bubbles. She even ran a scavenger hunt for the kiddies during the party, and helped them find plastic eggs that the “chickens” had hidden around the garden.

As for the food, well we had a lot of fun creating ‘barnyard’ themed party food – including mousse (topped with homemade fondant pigs), jelly, vegetables / hummus, savoury scrolls, wagon wheels and a bunch of other goodies.

In anticipation of a chilly afternoon, we also set up a hot chocolate bar – with hot chocolate made in the slow cooker – along with marshmallows and whipped cream.

As for the cake, I topped some store-made mud cakes with fondant – the bottom layer resembling cow print and the top being a little farmyard. Finished with some purchased cardboard barn and farm animal toppers.

Before we knew it, the sun began to set and it was time to say goodbye to our guests – both furry and human. I have no doubt that Miss Maggie loved being the centre of attention – although she was a little confused when she went outside the following day to find it devoid of animals.

How is it that she is TWO already though?!

Thai green pea soup

With soup featuring on our weekly meal plan with regularity (thanks Canberra Winter!) I am always on the look out for soup recipes that are a little different. Something a bit more adventurous than our usual go toes (pumpkin, vegetable….actually I think I mentioned that a little while ago.)

So when I came across a vibrant green soup in a recent edition of the Healthy Food Guide – and saw that it was packed with spice, peas and spinach – well I was immediately sold.

The fact I had all the necessary ingredients on hand (save for the spring onions) was a big plus too. Frozen peas, spring onions, coconut milk, spinach, mint, stock and green curry paste – blended in the food processor, then simmered until warmed through.

I loved the suggested toppings too – which took what might be considered a plain looking soup to one that was full of interest! Mint, chilli, fried onions and sesame seeds.

And although I have said this more than once recently – this soup is definitely a keeper! I particularly loved the spice hit from the curry paste, and the creaminess from the coconut milk.

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 Thai green pea soup
Course Soup
Servings
people
Ingredients
Course Soup
Servings
people
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. Place peas in a food processor with the spring onions and coconut milk. Process until well combined. Add the baby spinach, mint and half the stock, and continue to process until smooth.
  2. Heat the olive oil in a large pan over a medium heat. Add the curry paste and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds or until fragrant. Add the pea mixture and the remaining stock, and simmer for 10 minutes or until heated through.
  3. Divide the soup among serving bowls, and top with chopped mint leaves, chilli, fried onions and sesame seeds.
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Chocolate Banana Muffins

And so we have ourselves another long weekend! It really does feel as though we’ve had quite the run of them lately.

Unfortunately the weather has been a little drab, meaning outdoor adventures are not all that appealing. Instead, we’ve been making the most of having quiet time at home. Movies have been watched, artwork has been created, and games have been played. I even managed to finish another book (!) and gratefully ticked off some little admin tasks I’ve had on my ‘to do’ list for a while.

There has also been time spent in the kitchen. I cooked up a chicken tikka masala last night, and I’ve got some homemade vegetable stock currently bubbling away on the stove. And this morning, when I realised a couple of bananas had seemingly turned brown overnight, a batch of banana muffins was the solution!

I decided to add a chocolate spin to my regular recipe – for with the fog lingering outside – chocolate would surely add some cheer. Some were topped with walnuts, some without (school friendly). We enjoyed some of the muffins warm straight out of the oven for morning tea, with the rest being packaged away to be added to the lunchboxes during the week.

Not a bad way to spend a long weekend indeed!

Print Recipe
 Chocolate Banana Muffins
Course Baking
Keyword muffin
Servings
muffins
Ingredients
Course Baking
Keyword muffin
Servings
muffins
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 160C (fan forced). Line a 12-cup muffin tin with muffin cases.
  2. Cream butter and sugar in a mixer until pale and creamy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
  3. Add the banana and vanilla, and beat until combined.
  4. Sift in cocoa powder and flour, and add milk. Stir until just combined.
  5. Spoon into prepared cases, and top with walnuts (optional). Bake for 30 minutes (or until cooked through).
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Miso chicken salad

Do you ever get stuck in a cooking rut? Using the same recipes, same cooking methods?

For a long time, grilling was my cooking method of choice when it came to chicken. Or possibly even oven baking. But then I discovered poaching, and boy has it been a game changer. The meat is tender, there are no messy grills to clean, and there is usually enough leftover for sandwiches through the week.

It is also a great option to add to salads.

Sometimes I poach the chicken in stock, other times water – with a bunch of herbs, ginger and garlic.

On this occasion, I poached the chicken in stock with a little miso paste. I then shredded the chicken and used it to create a Japanese-inspired miso chicken salad. With wombok, cucumber and radish for crunch, drizzled with a miso / mirin / soy dressing, and finished with a sprinkle of sesame seeds.

We served this for dinner a little while back, and I’ve also had it for lunch on multiple occasions since then. I love that it can be thrown together easily, with minimal fuss, and that it is a little different than my regular salad styles.

Definitely a winner in my book…and a great reminder to get out of my comfort zone in the kitchen!

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 Miso Chicken Salad
Course Salad
Keyword salad
Servings
servings
Ingredients
Dressing
Course Salad
Keyword salad
Servings
servings
Ingredients
Dressing
Instructions
  1. Place stock and miso paste in a small saucepan. Add the chicken (adding some additional water if necessary to cover). Bring to the boil over a medium heat, then reduce to a simmer. Cook for 12 to 15 minutes, then cover and set aside in the poaching liquid. Allow to cool a little, then shred.
  2. Meanwhile, divide the salad ingredients amont two serving bowls. Top with shredded chicken.
  3. To make the dressing, whisk together the miso, mirin, soy and sesame in a small bowl. Drizzle over salad, and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
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Spicy lentil stew

It is rather appropriate that I am posting about a slow-cooked stew on a day where the temperature has not exceeded 8 degrees outside (although, if I’m completely honest, it feels more like 2 degrees).

I know this because I took my regular morning walk this morning, and despite wearing thermals, gloves and a beanie, I still returned home with chilled toes and a yearning for a warm bowl of something for lunch. Luckily, I had made a batch of this stew a few weeks back, with extra portions frozen for a later date. So today was definitely that ‘later date’!

Created on a Monday – which is now known as ‘slow cooker Monday’ in our house, this stew was so very easy to prepare. With one pot, lots of vegetables and the benefit of time – a delicious meal was brought to life with minimal effort on our part.

Today I kept it super simple, and served the stew with a side of greens and a sprinkle of parsley. But if you were wanting to make the meal even more substantial, I think a spoonful of yoghurt or sourcream, and a side of toasted flatbread or sourdough, would work just beautifully.


Print Recipe
 Spicy lentil stew
Course Main Dish
Servings
people
Ingredients
Course Main Dish
Servings
people
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. Put the vegetables and lentils in a slow cooker, along with the garlic, cumin, cayenne pepper and stock. Stir to combine.
  2. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. Just before serving, stir through the lemon juice and season to taste.
  3. Divide into bowls and top with parsley and sour cream / yoghurt to serve.
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