Simple Chocolate Cake

Ingredients:

175g (6oz) margarine or softened butter

175g (6oz) caster sugar

3 large eggs

150g (5oz) self-rising flour, sifted

50g (1¾oz) of cocoa, sifted

1tsp baking powder

1tsp vanilla extract

Pinch of salt

For simple chocolate icing

100g (3½oz) of dark chocolate 100g (3½oz) of chopped butter

Method of Preparation:

Simple Chocolate

1.      Heat the oven to 180°C (gas mark 4). Lightly grease an 18cm (7in) round cake tin with a little extra butter or margarine and cut a piece of greaseproof paper or non-stick baking parchment to fit the base of the tin.

2.      Put all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl and beat with a wooden spoon or a hand-held mixer for 1 minute, or until just combined. It's important not to beat the batter too much – just long enough to make it smooth.

3.      Pour or spoon the mixture into the tin, smooth the top and bake on the middle shelf of the oven for about 45-50 minutes. The cake is cooked when it looks well risen and golden; the top should spring back when lightly touched with a fingertip. Another test is to insert a skewer into the centre of the cake - it should come out clean.

4.      Let the cake sit in the tin for 5 minutes, then gently run a knife around the edge and turn the cake out onto a wire rack to cool.


5.   For the icing, place the dark chocolate and chopped butter in a heatproof bowl and set over a saucepan of very hot water until melted. Cool for 15 minutes, and then spread over the top of the cooled cake.

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Healthy Recipes

These are few site for healthy recipes I recommend everybody to read.

1.10 foods that will save you a fortune
 http://uk.biz.yahoo.com/21102010/389/10-foods-save-fortune.html
2. Eat more oats
http://www.eatmoreoats.com/health.html
3. Oats (BBC Food - Recipe finder)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/search?keywords=%22oats%22
4. A whole chicken
http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/chicken-recipes/using-the-whole-chicken
5. Spanish Chicken Pot Roast
http://www.lovefood.com/guide/recipes/10135/spanish-pot-roast
6. Pulses
http://www.vegsoc.org/cordonvert/recipes/beansnuts.html
7. Leftovers! (I love it - 3 websites)
http://www.lovefoodhatewaste.com/
http://www.lovefood.com/guide/recipes/10124/ultimate-mushrooms-on-toast
http://www.lovefoodhatewaste.com/recipes
8. Egg
http://www.eggrecipes.co.uk/
9. Frugal Recipes
http://www.lovemoney.com/blog/frugalrecipes.aspx

Carrot Cake

Carrot Cake

Ingredients
300g plain flour (approx. 2 cups)

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp baking powder

½ tsp bicarbonate of soda

200g soft brown sugar (approx. 1 cup)

4 eggs

250ml oil

1 orange, zest

1 lemon, zest

200g carrots, finely grated

150g walnuts, chopped

227g tin pineapple pieces, well drained and chopped (optional)

Frosting

125g unsalted butter at room temperature

50g icing sugar

250g cream cheese

Serves 12

Preparation and cooking times
Prep 40 mins.
Cook min 1 hr 20 mins. plus cooling time

Method of Preparation: 

1. Heat the oven to 150C/fan 130C/gas 2. 
2. Line a 20cm, 10cm deep cake tin. 
3. Sift the flour, cinnamon, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda together and stir in the sugar. 
4. Beat the eggs with the oil and citrus zests.
5. Stir in the carrots and fold everything into the flour mixture. 
6. Fold in the walnuts and pineapple if using. 
7. Spoon the mixture into the tin and bake for 1 hour 20 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. 
8. Cool.

1. For the frosting, beat the butter and icing sugar together until soft and then beat in     the cream cheese. 

2. Chill the mixture until it's thick but spreadable. 

3. Spread a thick layer on top of the cake, making sure the side of the icing is flat and 

continues upwards from the side of the cake. 

 

Coconut Cake

Ingredients:

3 Eggs
1 Cup Sugar
½ Cup Oil
½ Rainbow Milk
1 Cup Flour
1 tsp. Baking Powder
½ Cup (125 ml.) Coconut Powder

Preparation:

1. Beat eggs with an electric mixer, add sugar & beat till it dissolves.
2. Add oil mix again, add rainbow milk.
3. Mix flour, baking powder & coconut powder in a separate bowl. Add this to the egg mixture.
4. Bake in a preheated Owen on low temperature for approximately for 45 min.

Pizza Base and Tomato Sauce for Pizza

Pizza Base

Ingredients:

3 Cups Flour (Big Puck Cheese Cup)
1 Cup Oil (Small Puck Cheese Cup)
1 tsp. Yeast
1 tsp. Sugar
1 tsp. Salt
7 tblsp. Milk Powder
1 ¼ Cup (Big Puck Cheese Cup) Luke warm water

Method of preparation:

1. Mix all the dry ingredients (Flour, Yeast, Sugar, Salt and Milk Powder) thoroughly.

2. Add oil and mix well with a Fork.

3. Add Luke warm water little by little and need it for smooth & soft dough.

4. Make a round out of it and cover it with cling film. Place it in warm place.

Tomato sauce for pizza

Ingredients:

1 small chopped onion to very small cubes (optional)
4 big sized tomatoes grated or pureed in the blender
3 – 4 tblsp. Tomato Ketchup
2 tblsp. Tomato paste
1 tsp. Vinegar
1 Maggi cube (chicken)
½ tsp. Pepper
1 Clove of garlic (optional)
1tblsp. Oil

Method of Preparation:

1. In a sauce pan, heat oil on slow flame.

2. Add onions (optional) fry it until it is tender, add tomato paste fry it for 20 sec.

3. Add tomato puree (grated tomatoes) fry it for 2 – 3 min. Add ketchup, pepper, maggi cube, vinegar and garlic (optional).

4. Cook it for 5 more minutes or until the oil is separated.