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Cinammon, coconut, apple cake

This cake combines so many things I love: crunchy cinammon topping, icing glaze, moist cake and coconut-flavours.

Easily a dessert if served with whipped cream/sour cream/ice-cream….or just delicious on its own with a cup of tea!

Cake Ingredients:

1 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup almond flour

1/2 cup dessicated coconut

1 pink lady apple, 1/2 roughly chopped and 1/2 cut into,thin slices

3/4 cup white sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

2 eggs

1/2 cup plain yoghurt

1/2 cup coconut oil or any vegetable oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cinnamon topping:

1.5 tablespoon butter melted

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 tablespoons white sugar

Icing Sugar Glaze:

1/2 cup icing sugar

2 tablespoons milk

Method:

1. Preheat oven 180 degrees Celsius, line an 8 inch cake tin with baking paper.

2.in one large bowl whisk together flours, baking powder, baking soda sugar, salt and dessicated coconut (all dry ingredients), add chopped apple and mix gently through.

3. In another bowl whisk eggs, then add oil, yoghurt and vanilla extract.

4. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix together until just combined, do not over mix.

5. Melt butter, add to brown sugar, white sugar and cinnamon mixture until just combined

6. Pour batter into cake tin, place sliced apples creatively on top of cake, cover apples with cinnamon topping.

7. Bake in oven for 30-35 minutes until firm and skewer comes out clean.

8. Allow to cool totally, mix milk with icing sugar to create glaze. Drizzle cake with glaze, then sprinkle liberally with extra icing sugar.

9. Serve with or without cream or sour cream.enjoy!

June 23, 2024June 23, 2024

ShanthiniLeave a comment

Risi e Bisi e Gamberi #rice #peas #prawns

This recipe is a Venetian classic, based on an Elizabeth David classic recipe with some delicious twists contributed by word of mouth by some very well known Sydney chefs who my husband Adrian hangs out with.

Here’s the Elizabeth David recipe:

The big difference of course is using frozen peas which don’t take as long to cook, so to recreate a bit more pea flavour, I added some of the frozen peas to the onion mixture and cook along with the rice, in addition to adding peas towards the end as well.

Adding seafood to this dish is optional but makes for a lovely meal in itself. The sweetness of the peas and the creamy texture along with prawns and calamari flavours is delish!

For 2 people as a main course:

Ingredients:

1/2 onion finely diced

50-60g fatty pancetta diced

50g butter

1 cup Arborio or carnali rice (round rice)

500ml chicken stock

250ml water

3 cloves of garlic

1.5 cup frozen peas

6-8 raw peeled and deveined prawns

150g thinly sliced calamari rings

Grated Parmesan

Method:

1. Melt 40g butter along with pancetta and cook gently in flat bottomed pot until pancetta fat starts to melt.

2. Add onion, garlic and cook until starting to soften, add half a cup of frozen peas and cook until peas and 1/2 cup stock and cook until pea “start to absorb the stock, fat and butter”. Smash peas with the back of a wooden spoon or fork to release pea flavour into the cooking liquid, simmer until liquid evaporates and butter/fat is “evident” again.

3. Add 1 cup rice and mix gently to cover grains of rice in butter fat mixture, then add 1.5 cups stock and simmer without stirring much until liquid just starts to disappear, stir and add then add 1 cup of water and simmer again.

4. Check rice to see if just cooked, add more water if necessary, then add rest of the peas, prawns and calamari and simmer for 5-6 minutes until peas and prawns just cooked through.

5. stir through the rest of the butter and half a cup of grated parmesan cheese, and serve either wedge of lemon, and extra parmesan, pepper on the side.

April 20, 2024April 21, 2024

Shanthini1 Comment

Rendang and Rawon rock at Waroeng Bernadette #penastanan #ubud

We were so excited to hear that a new Waroeng Bernadette had opened earlier this year in Penstanan, just on the outskirts of Ubud central.

Having visited their original establishments, in Mas and then in Ubud central in the past, we knew already from friends who live in Penastanan that the new restaurant is living up to high expectations from diners.

Serving authentic Javanese specialities, Warung Bernadette will definitely be giving one of our other old favourites Warung Mendez a run for its money! (But Mendez does have a wider range of dishes in their menu)?

We started with crispy Indonesian sweetcorn fritters, followed by beef rendang and beef rawon.

The slow cooked beef rendang is melt in the mouth and served with pickled vegetables, tofu, tempe, greens in a delicious coconut sauce. Crackers and rice.

The beef Rawon soup was redolent of the unique flavour of the keluak nuts which give it the trademark almost black colour. One of the best Rawon soups I’ve tasted, served with preserved egg and crackers.

Beautifully designed interiors, great service and just down the road from our villa in Penastanan.

March 10, 2024January 9, 2025

ShanthiniLeave a comment

Grilled figs, Burrata and rocket salad

This was a delicious combo …drizzle honey with over figs and grill until slightly caramelised then combined with rocket, Burrata and sprinkle of balsamic vinegar, sea salt and black pepper.

Lovely salad with our bbq tonight.

March 2, 2024March 2, 2024

ShanthiniLeave a comment

Almost Vegee Thai Fried Rice

I’m always surprised when I remember that Thai Fried Rice has tomato sauce in it! But it does make it quick an easy to make. This version is completely vegetarian except for the addition of some chopped bacon (because I had some).

It’s a great way to use up leftover rice and is a satisfying and yummy dish in it’s own right.

Ingredients:

1 onion finely diced

1 carrot diced

Handful of green beans chopped

1/4 cup corn kernels

1 tomato cut into sixths

1/2 cucumber cut into half moon pieces

1 beaten egg

2 rashers bacon, rind removed and diced (optional)

1.5-2 cups cooked rice, preferably chilled from fridge (jasmine best, but any leftover rice will do)

2 tablespoons tomato sauce

1 teaspoon Thai red curry paste

1/2 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Coriander to garnish

Lime to serve

Method:

1. Heat oil in a wok or frying pan, fry curry paste until fragrant, add onion, carrot and bacon if using and cook until carrot is cooked. Add green beans and cook for a minute.

2. Mix tomato sauce and soy sauce together and add to carrot mixture.

3. Move vegetable mixture to side of pan , add beaten egg and scramble before mixing through rice.

4. Add rice, then corn, tomato and heat through until green beans are softened and rice is warm.

5. Garnish with cucumber and coriander. You can also throw in some shredded baby spinach leaves if you want to up the green content. Eat with a squeeze of lime! Leftovers are great for lunch too.