Jelly Roll Cake!

One thing I learned in school this past week was how to make jelly roll cakes.
They're so easy - too easy.

So I tried to make my own at home using home-made jam and chocolate sauce (couldn't find my dark chocolate bar for shaving) and I baked it a smidge too long!
So it isn't rolled up as nicely.  But it still tasted lovely!

At home - yeah it was threatening to break so I just flattened it because it wasn't flexible enough to roll properly or tightly.

School version - much more roll-y looking!

I got positive reviews of my piping skills of the whipped cream at school (photo below) until I started to run out of whipped cream and some pieces had too much cream.
"This isn't America D! We use a lot less cream!" she chastised me.
Naturally, having American friends over on Friday called for "American-style" whip cream.

At school all pretty.

So how easy is this?

Pre-heat your oven to 225*C

• 4 eggs
• 2 dl of sugar

Beat these with an electric mixer!  I used just a whisk and it wasn't beat well enough and I found the cake to be a smidge heavy.

Sift:

• 1 dl of potato flour
• 1 dl of all-purpose flour

Fold it into the wet ingredients and mix well (not with mixer with a spatula) and then pour into a baking-paper lined baking tray and bake for 5-8 minutes.

I try to aim for 7 but apparently nearly hit 10 with the one I made on Friday!

Remove from oven and have a second baking paper sheet on your surface sprinkled in sugar, powdered sugar, cocoa powder or whatever you want your cake dusted with on the outside.

Flip cake onto the 2nd sheet and slowly peel off the paper backing.

Spread a thin and even layer of filling all over the cake (but don't go over the edges!) - whether it be:

• jam
• Nutella
• marmalade
• whipped cream etc.

Carefully roll the cake horizontally from one side to the other and tightly as possible without breaking the cake.

Wrap tightly in baking paper and chill in the fridge until you're ready to serve it - then slice it up and enjoy!

This is a fantastic cake for your next handicraft meeting, book club meeting or little tea party!  It's dairy-free (unless you put the whipped cream or chocolate) - which will make your local lactose-intolerant/dairy-allergic friends very happy I'm sure.

D.

Surf & Turf Shish Kebabs

Sorry it's been a bit over a week - I've been secretly planning a pampering baby shower for my friend who was expecting kiddo #3 - and prior to that - another baby shower for another couple of friends!

Anyways, I'm back and I've been trying a few new things!
For the life of me, I couldn't find skewers (metal or wood!) in a shop downtown and didn't have a lot of time to spend - so I asked the cashier and she found me these metal wires with super sharp skewer tips and they were 2 in a pack for 13.95€ and I thought I'd try them out.

I don't know why I never think to even DO skewers - they're so easy and simple!  I suppose not having a barbecue and not being allowed to have one on my balcony has something to do with it too!
But I got motivated from school (where I'm studying cooking) and the student restaurant treated us to a fancier lunch and there was a chicken skewer.

School "fancy" lunch from the student restaurant where I study.

So it turned out last Friday (2 days ago), we had our guests over as usual and I found out through Facebook that my friend's birthday was on Saturday - so I wanted to make something a little more special and opted for those skewers/wires.

I had 5 minutes to marinade the beef and I just tossed them in soya sauce with roasted garlic spice and Chinese 5 Spice and pepper.  

I didn't thaw the shrimp all the way - so there was a bit of water in the pan when I pulled it out of the oven.

I do plan on doing this again as it was easy, a great motivator to eat more vegetables and I felt happy and full (without the need to switch to sweat pants) afterward.
I'd also try to put more thought into the marinade and maybe brush some extra on during half way (but was in a rush making dessert) of the cooking time - but otherwise it was a pleasant treat.

I used (already cut) chunks of beef, frozen shrimp, bell peppers, red onion and whole mushrooms.
I coated my wires with cooking spray before hand (so nothing would stick - just in case) and cooked them for about 30 minutes at 350*F (175*C).

In the bottom two, far-right photos - a filo pastry (puff pastry) covered in sliced pears with brie, crushed walnuts and pecans and dried cranberries with a drizzle of honey and shaved dark chocolate!

Sorry about the hideous filter - it looked better on my phone.

Off to bed for now!  Until next time!

D.

Chocolate Avocado "Pudding"

I tried 3 new recipes today as a spur of the moment but I'll try to spread them out (in case I don't make new things in the next couple of weeks! :) ).

Today I'm going to talk about a failure.

I had made egg-drop soup today and it was okay - there was something missing and I think now, I realize it was some sort of red Chinese vinegar that I normally ate with it and it should've been a tad thicker.  I'm letting it sit overnight with the hopes it thickens on its own some more.
But that wasn't the failure.  that was the could've been better.

I felt like dessert and I was trying to avoid devouring cookies and chips and whatever else - oh yes, chocolates from Christmas - as I'm actually trying to lose my chub buddy.

So I went on Pinterest.  I wanted something:

• Quick
• Quiet to make
• Healthy 
• But yes, also some sort of dessert-classified thing.

I came across this: Chocolate Avocado Pudding on Pinterest.
Perfect!! I actually had some leftover avocados I wanted to use up and they were still ripe and lovely.
I didn't use a blender because I didn't want to wake the kids up so I just used my hand mixer and it didn't do it for me in the end.  It was a bit chunky - despite me mashing it a bit more with a spatula and mixing it again with a mixer.

I tried drowning it in honey and extra coconut/almond milk and a bit more powder to make it darker and I was gagging as I scooped it down and into my throat as fast as I could.
Of course because it contained avocado I couldn't feed it to my dogs.

If I were to do this again I would:

• Use chocolate milk instead of a nut milk to liquidize it.  (Chocolate oat drink or something chocolate-y and vegan - dairy milk's been making me sick lately - even lactose-free!)
• Whipped cream on top - it honestly looks like crap in a glass.
• Add peanut butter or Nutella for more flavour.

Not all recipes will be winners and that's okay.

If I try it again - I'll let you know.
D.

Moose Burgers!

I am on a roll with new recipes!  Today's Sunday which is for me, the beginning of a new week although some go by a Monday as the marking of a new week.

Anyways, last week - I made moose burgers!

I bought minced moose meat frozen and took it out to thaw the morning of.

I started my bread machine to help me make the hamburger buns for me too.  Recipe can be found here.

I mixed 2 eggs (because I used a kilo of meat as we had guests over), various spices and the meat and formed them into patties.  I thought I had bread crumbs but apparently not - they still held their shape. I only flipped them once the meat was half-way cooked so they wouldn't crumble on me.

Fried in a pre-oiled pan (cooked the bacon first - bacon fat is lovely for everything!)  and also had the buns baked before I made the patties and served them with condiments like pickles, lettuce, ketchup, mustard and bacon.

I also had made hand-cut potato wedges which were simple enough.  I rinsed potatoes, sliced them as evenly as possible, tossed them in olive oil with salt and pepper and baked them at 225*C in my oven for 45 minutes while stirring them every 10-15 minutes.

Moose meat - is nice and light tasting to me - not super greasy and doesn't give me cramps or digestive issues like beef or pork can sometimes or that "heavy gut" feeling.

Until next time! :)

D.

Hi 2016!

Hi there!

I've decided to stick to the same New Year Resolution as last year and make/try a new recipe a week.
I was tired of eating the same things every week - sometimes multiple times within a week for the sake of convenience or laziness.
Then my friend who co-writes in this blog too - thought we should do a blog together - hence the 2 Hookers (we both crochet - although I do other crafts as well) and 2 Kitchens.

So last night to celebrate the new year - I decided to try my hand at a moose roast.
A friend/neighbour gifted me with a chunk of moose from her father's hunting group and I immediately got excited about the possibilities of what to do with it.

Please note - I have 0 professional cooking experience and am not educated in fancy-pants cooking.
I'm going to a home economics vocational school soon - but it's nothing incredibly fancy!  I'll be sure to keep you guys updated on my culinary skills I learn from there!

1. I took the moose roast out to thaw the night before.
2. I started the dough in the bread machine (my favourite machine in the kitchen right now!).
3. The morning of - actually - closer to 11am - I heated a frying pan and added 2 minced cloves of garlic and 1 small onion peeled and quartered into the pan with EVOO (extra virgin olive oil) and tossed in the roast as well to brown on all sides.
4. I tossed the moose roast into the slow cooker and included the lightly fried onions and garlic, favourite spices (i.e. pepper, onion spice mix, dried parsley) and added some fresh cut rosemary and chives.  
1. I rarely have fresh herbs on hand - I'm usually a bagged dried herbs and spices kind of person!  But I had it for something else on hand - so why not?
5. I added a mug full of red wine (0,4dl) and drizzled a bit more olive oil and a splash of water and turned it on "LOW" for 5 hours.
6. I flipped the meat only once to ensure the top part wouldn't dry out.
1. I also baked the dinner rolls at some point!
7. I mixed flour into the drippings in the slow cooker with a silicone whisk and made a gravy - it was lumpy AF - but still edible.

I ended up crashing for a nap some point during the day and it was too late to try making mashed potatoes - so I opted for rice with a bullion cube in the rice cooker (Tupperware one) and green beans. 

So there you have it!  I've never cooked with moose meat before (other than already pre-shaved and toss it in a stew from the frozen section) - and was happy with the result of the meal.

Tonight I'm making moose burgers with ground moose meat I got from the frozen section of the store (friends made them last week for us and I had to try it!) and will update you with my results/attempt in a few days!  (Or sooner if I manage!)

D.

PS Pictures may not be used without permission from me - but you may share this blog link!