12 oz. skinless boneless chicken breast/thigh, cut into small pieces
oil (enough for deep-frying, about 2″)
1 tablespoon oil for frying garlic
2 cloves garlic (minced)
4 tablespoons bottled sweet chili sauce (you can also use your favourite Asian sauce like lemon sauce or sweet and sour sauce or even plum sauce)
1 teaspoon lime juice (optional)
1 pinch salt
Frying Batter:
1 egg white
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup corn starch
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon cooking oil
1/2 cup water (ice cold)
1 pinch salt
Directions:
Put all the batter ingredients into a bowl along with the chicken
Put frying oil into a wok or pan to a depth of at least 2″
Heat oil till oil begins to simmer, do not overheat. You can test oil by putting a wooden skewer in oil and bubbles form. If bubbling hard, oil is too hot.
Gently place the battered chicken into the oil and deep-fry until the chicken is golden brown
Transfer the cooked chicken to a plate lined with a paper towel to absorb excess oil.
Heat another pan over medium heat and add the oil for the garlic. Fry until fragrant and add the chicken to the pan along with sweet chili sauce, lime juice and salt. Continue to toss until chicken is coated with sauce.
Yes, that’s right no need to try to figure out how many of this and how many of that. You only use a cup to measure the ingredients…easy breezy to remember
Ingredients
1 cup of all purpose flour
1 cup of milk
1 cup of eggs (just keep cracking those eggs till they fill up the cup)
2 tbsp of shortening or lard or beef drippings
Directions
Preheat oven to 450°F (230°C)
Whisk all ingredients together and let stand for 5 minutes
In a large muffin tin or 8″x8″ square pan put in lard and then put into the preheated oven.
Pour batter into smoking hot muffin tins or pan
Bake in hot oven and let puddings dry about 10 minutes
Temperatures and Cooking Times:
First bake at 450°F (230°C) – 15 minutes
Then lower temperature to 350°F (180°C) 10-15 minutes
Then turn off and let bake for 10 minutes in oven
Finally remove from oven and let them sit for 5 minutes
1 cup Buttermilk (or make your own by adding 1 tbsp of lemon juice or white vinegar and enough milk to make a cup. Let stand for 5 min., use immediately)
½ cup Oil (vegetable or canola oil)
2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
1 cup Boiling Water
For the Coconut Frosting:
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup butter
3 large egg yolks
3/4 cup evaporated milk (NOT CONDENSED MILK)
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup shredded sweetened coconut
For the Chocolate Frosting:
1/2 cup butter
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup evaporated milk (add more if needed)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions:
German Chocolate Cake:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease two 8 or 9 inch round baking pans. (I prefer spring form pans). You can line the bottoms with parchment or wax paper to make the cakes come out easier.
Mix all the dry ingredients together, sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Then in another bowl combine wet ingredients, the eggs, buttermilk (or substitute), oil and vanilla and mix well. Combine the wet and dry ingredients together mixing well, then carefully add the boiling water, a bit at a time to warm batter and prevent eggs from cooking, (the batter will be very thin). Pour batter into pans.
Bake for 25 – 35 minutes, depending on your cake pan size. An 8” pan takes less time to bake or test for doneness by inserting a toothpick in center and it comes out clean, . Allow to cool 5 minutes in the pan and then invert onto wire racks to cool completely.
German Chocolate Frosting:
Add brown sugar, granulated sugar, butter, egg yolks, and evaporated milk to a medium size saucepan. Mix ingredients together, stirring constantly and bring to a low boil over medium heat. Continue to stir constantly for several minutes or until the mixture begins to thicken.
Remove from heat and add vanilla, nuts and coconut, stir together. Allow frosting to cool completely before layering it on the cooled cake.
Chocolate Buttercream Frosting:
Melt butter and add to bowl, then stir in cocoa powder. Alternate add a little powdered sugar and milk, beating till creamy. If needed add a small amount additional milk, to thin out the frosting, or a little extra powder, until you reach your desired consistency. Finish by stirring in the vanilla.
To Assemble The Cake:
Place a cake round on your serving stand or plate.
Apply a thin layer of chocolate frosting over the layer, and then spread half the coconut frosting on top, making sure to leave a ½ inch from the filling and edge of cake.
Place the second cake on top of the first and add chocolate frosting over the entire cake including the sides.
Add the remaining coconut frosting on top of the cake and spread out.
You can also make it a rolled cake
Notes
Make Ahead Instructions: Both frostings (coconut and chocolate) may be put in a covered container and placed in the fridge. The coconut frosting will keep for 1-2 weeks, depending on the freshness of the ingredients used. The chocolate frosting will keep for 2-3 weeks. When ready to use, remove frostings from fridge at least an hour before you’re ready to frost the cake.
Freezing Instructions: After the layers are allow to cool completely, wrap them in plastic wrap and stick each layer in a ziplock freezer bag. Freeze for up to three months. Frost the cakes when they are frozen–they are much easier to frost this way!
You can also also freeze the assembled cake for 2-3 months. Allow to come to room temperature before serving.
½ cup coffee liqueur, or ½ cup strong black coffee (You can also make an instant coffee)
Zest and juice of 2 oranges or a combination of oranges and lemons
1 cup chopped glace cherries
1 cup candied citrus peel or pineapple, mango or papaya (I use a combination of each)
1 1/2 cups pecans (7 oz), roughly chopped
2 tsp allspice
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp powdered ginger
1/2 tsp cloves
1 tsp nutmeg
3 tbsp cocoa (Yes cocoa) it melds well with the coffee but doesn’t taste chocolatey)
3 eggs
1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
½ cup ground hazelnuts or slivered almonds or walnuts
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
Note: This cake is a combination of all your favourite fruits and nuts, so substitute as you wish.
Prepare pans: I use 2 loaf pans. lightly butter the pans and then line with parchment paper. You can cut two pieces and line up then down then up the other side. Then use the remaining piece to line the bottom and up the sides in the other direction.
If you use a round springform pan, lightly butter sides and bottom. Line bottom with parchment paper then the sides with a strip of parchment paper.
Directions
Melt butter over medium heat, add the dates, currents, prunes, raisins, molasses, brown sugar, spices, coffee or coffee liqueur, orange zest and orange juice in a large saucepan.
Bring everything to a low boil and simmer for about 10 minutes.
Remove from heat and allow to cool down (about an hour). This is so when you add the eggs they will not become cooked eggs
When cool, add in beaten eggs
Sift in cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and flour
Add all the ground nuts and the cooled boiled mixture
Fold in the cherries, citrus peel and candied fruit
Pour into the prepared baking pans.
Decorate with pecan halves and candied cherries.
Bake at 300 degrees F. for about 1 1/2 hours. depending on the pan size.
Test for doneness with a tooth pick. This is a challenge due to the fruit sticking to the tooth pick.
Remove from oven and allow to completely cool.
Note: If your candied fruit are too dry, add them while cooking the prunes, raisins etc. This will add back the moisture.
Options:
You can spread some of your favourite marmalade over top when the cake is still warm.
Or poke small holes in the top and bottom and pour about 4 oz of your favourite alcohol such as a flavoured brandy, rum or whiskey. Half on top and half on the bottom. Wrap several layers of alcohol socked cheesecloth.
Or soak your fruit in alcohol instead. Here is a link to show you how. Use the fruit above and soak according to directions in video.
Wrap cake in several layers of plastic wrap and store in a cool place
If you’re finding yeast a hard commodity during this pandemic, think of this technique of stretching your existing bread yeast to last and last.
Technique
If you have started making bread (try my recipe for no kneed bread), allow the dough to rise the first time. Then before the second rise, take a good pinch (about a heaping tablespoon) and put it in a clean container with a top.
Add 1/2 cup of flour and 1/2 cup of lukewarm water
Mix very, very well and put it in the fridge with a lid on (can be stored for up to 2 weeks). Make sure there is no mold development otherwise you have to discard it.
When you are ready to make another loaf add the mixture to the batter instead of adding dry yeast.
Let it rise as usual and repeat procedure (1) as taking a pinch of bread dough and putting in a container with equal amounts of flour and water, then store in the fridge.
NOTE: If you find your bread does not rise as high as you’d like, you can give a little boost to the yeast, just add 1/8th to 1/4 tsp to your bread batter after you have added this starter.
Step 1: Dough that has risen overnight (first rise)
Step 2: Take out a walnut size (heaping tablespoon) and put it in 1/2 cup each of water and flour
Step 3: Mix all into a slurry (If not required put in the fridge)
Step 4: Add slurry to your new loaf and following your bread directions
Step 5: Enjoy your new loaf of bread (repeat procedure each time you make a new loaf by saving some risen dough in the fridge
You can either use your Instapot (Pressure Cooker) or you can use a slow cooker to make this flavourful soup. It’s so easy and so tasty
Ingredients
1 cup diced smoked ham
1 Tablespoon of butter or oil
1 Large carrot – diced
1 Large onion – diced
2 Large stalks of celery
1 pound (454g) dry split pea (yellow or green) – not pre-soaked
6 cups of low sodium chicken stock
1/8-1/4 tsp of dried thyme
6 cloves of garlic (minced)
2 Bay leaves
Directions if using Instapot
Use the Sauté function and add the butter or oil along with the diced onions
Sauté onions til transparent, turn off pot
Add the garlic, ham, thyme, carrots, celery and bay leaves
Pour in a little of the chicken stock to deglaze the pot
Once the pot has been deglazed add the dry split peas
Add the remainder of the chicken stock
Set Instapot to manual and cook at high pressure for 15 minutes (or use the soup feature)
Once the 15 minutes let the pressure release naturally for an additional 10 minutes or until the silver button (float valve) drops down
Open the pot and remove the bay leaves
Stirring will thicken the soup
Serve and enjoy
If using a Slow Cooker
Use can use the same recipe in a slow cooker. Instead of using an Instapot, sauté the onions in a pan and add them to the slow cooker along with all the other ingredients. Then set slow cooker for 5-6 hours on high or 8-10 hours on low
2-3 tbsp of flour and equal amounts of chicken broth as thickening mixture
For dumplings:
1/2 cup crème fraiche or yogurt
1/2 cup milk
2 eggs
2 tsp fresh chopped thyme leaves or 1/2 tsp of dry thyme
2 cups self-rising flour (or 2 cups of regular flour plus 3 teaspoons of baking powder and 1 teaspoon of fine table salt)
Directions
Place whole chicken and 1/2 tsp poultry seasoning to a Dutch oven along with onions, carrots and celery and 3 cups of water
Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to simmer for 1 hour
Once chicken is cooked remove and cool. Then separate meat from carcass
Add meat and potatoes to broth mixture
Combine the 2-3 tbsp of flour with equal amounts of chicken broth and add to the liquid
Season stock with salt and paper to taste.
Add frozen peas
Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 15-20 minutes with dumplings
To Make dumplings
Add 1/2 cups of crème fraiche or yogurt (I use plain Greek yogurt)
Whisk 1/2 cups of milk with 2 eggs along with 2 tsp of thyme leaves or 1/2 tsp of dry thyme.
Add 2 cups of self-rising flour (or 2 cups of regular flour plus 3 teaspoons of baking powder and 1 teaspoon of fine table salt). Do not overmix.
drop 1 tablespoon at a time of the mixture into the chicken broth mixture and cook for 15 minutes or until dumplings appear light and fluffy, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
If you’re finding yeast a hard commodity during this pandemic, think of this technique of stretching your existing bread yeast to last and last.
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