What a year it has been-2015 in review

Well, as I write a wrap up for the year and review how it has impacted on my life I really can’t believe how quickly it has gone.

2015 was the year that I started this blog and did my first post.

It was also the year I decided to write a cookbook and I started developing recipes for this little adventure and I must say that most have been really good and I only had one or two that won’t make the list.

I made my very first Christmas pudding for Christmas day and I must say it was delicious and enjoyed by all who had a piece.

2015 was a year with a lot of sorrow in the news but we have to try to remember the good that happened as well.

For me, 2015 was a wonderful and brilliant year. It was a year which saw me facing fears, healing old wounds and letting go of a lot of toxic people, things, friends and embracing those in my life that make my heart smile and love me. And it was the year I said to God: ‘Yes I trust again-thank you.’

As I get ready to sit back and watch the fireworks with my husband and say goodbye to 2015 I am filled with happiness and anticipation for the New Year ahead. So many more blogs, so many more recipes, so many more lunches and dinners catching up with family and friends.

I feel like I am the luckiest woman in the world, married to the most wonderful man. We have the most beautiful daughter of whom we are so proud and we love her beyond words. I have friends who are worth their weight in gold. I am lucky to still have my mum in my life and never take it for granted. I still have my Aunty and also a friend who is also like an Aunt, and with my mum I feel blessed to have these three older people in my life.

I am so glad that this year ends for me with happiness and gratitude and, even though it hasn’t all been perfect, it has been wonderful…. And I wouldn’t change a thing.

                                     See you all in 2016

                                             Blessings

Deck the halls - week Four

Well there are two days until Christmas and I am super excited. Yesterday I spent the day cooking my Christmas cake and Christmas pudding. This will be the first Christmas pudding I have made for Christmas day, the first time sharing it with family, and I am really looking forward to everyone trying it.

I have pretty much got everything organised but there are the last minute things to do like buying food on Christmas Eve. For me, Christmas Eve is the most magical night. Don’t get me wrong, I love Christmas day and love giving presents and cooking and sharing with people but the magic of Christmas Eve has always been pretty special. I love tradition and love going to sing carols at a Christmas Eve service. I love getting back home with the family and cutting up Christmas cake and fruits and other treats and putting it all ready on the coffee table and for us all to watch Carols by Candlelight. I love scurrying around just before midnight, checking all the things that need to be ready or done first thing in the morning.

This Christmas Eve I will be putting the cake and fruit out on the coffee table as usual but I will also make the delicious summer sorbet surprise dessert I made for my friends last week at our Christmas lunch – and as promised I am sharing the recipe with you. It is super simple and really tasty and a great dessert to make for family or friends who un-expectantly drop by.

Summer sorbet surprise

Makes as many as you want

Ingredients:

4 small ramekins

1 good scoop of Weiss mango sorbet. You can also use the Weiss mango & ice cream bars as I did as the supermarket ran out of the mango sorbet. If using the sorbet bars cut them in half as you will use half in each ramekin.

1 good scoop  of Weiss berry sorbet

1 good scoop of Bulla full cream vanilla ice cream gluten free (you can use any vanilla ice cream)

2 dessert spoons of desiccated coconut

Fresh mango slices

Fresh raspberries to decorate

Method:

In the ramekin place a good full scoop of the mango sorbet to cover bottom. If using sorbet bar cut in half and place in the bottom of ramekin and break up with a fork.

Place sliced mango on top

If you are making dessert for four people place four good scoops of ice cream in a separate mixing bowl and mix and soften a little with a spoon and then add the coconut and mix in well.

Place a scoop of the coconut ice cream on top of the mango

Then place a good scoop of the berry sorbet on top of the coconut ice cream.

Finish with a few ripe and plump raspberries

Enjoy

Deck the halls – week three

Not sure about you but my calendar is getting pretty chockers, due to it being the festive season. Now I am not complaining as I love catching up with friends and family and cooking and celebrating and more cooking, but there are times when I look at my calendar and smile and cry at the same time. Because I think: how on earth will I fit everything in, how will I do this? I end up taking stock and realising I may not be able to do everything, but there is no harm in saying yes and seeing if I am up to it and if not, then that is o.k.

Usually this time of the year there will be loads of sweet recipes floating around to help you celebrate the festive season but I thought I would share with you a savoury recipe today.

I am sharing with you my festive Scarborough Fair stuffing, it is sublime and actually, you can have it anytime of the year. I love using this stuffing in a nice free range chicken but it is also lovely rolled up inside chicken breast ( Chicken Involtini or roulade ), in a turkey or in a turkey breast for Christmas.

The recipe below will usually be enough to stuff a #15 free range chicken. If you buy a bigger chicken or a turkey, just double the amount.

festive Scarborough Fair stuffing

Ingredients:

Half a loaf (about 5 or 6 slices) of bread. I use a good quality gluten free bread (Pure Bread) but you can use any bread you like.

100 grams salt reduced butter melted

½ bunch of chives chopped fine

1 or 2 grinds of Himalayan pink sea salt

Herbs- Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme if fresh ¼ of a bunch of each. If dried ¼ of a teaspoon of each dried herb.

½ cup of dried cranberries (also called craison’s)

Zest from half an orange (finely zested)

1-2 tablespoons of fresh orange juice (use the orange you zested)

Chicken stock- approx- ¼- ½ a cup. You will need to add a little at a time but not too much as you don’t want your stuffing to be to soggy.

Method

Tear bread into pieces and place in a food processor or kitchen wiz and process until you have fresh breadcrumbs.

Place fresh breadcrumbs in to a large bowl (I use a large stainless steel bowl).

Place herbs and melted butter in bowl and mix well. If using fresh herbs make sure you remove the stalks and chop fine.

Now add orange juice and zest and cranberries, salt and pepper and mix well.

Add a little stock and mix in stuffing mixture and keep adding until mixture is moist but not sloppy. It should not be too wet but does need to be moist (like a very moist cake but slightly wetter).

Now when all ingredients are mixed well, start stuffing it into your chicken by adding spoonful’s at a time.

Or you can butterfly a chicken breast or turkey breast and press the stuffing over the meat and roll up, you may need to secure with toothpicks or cooking twine.

Note this recipe is gluten free but you can use any bread you like.

Cook your meat to your required taste and enjoy!

Deck the halls - week two

          

                                
Well as Christmas draws nearer I can’t stop thinking about the things I like to make and give as gifts to people. Last week I shared with you both of my shortbread recipes and this week I thought I would share my rocky road recipe. Rocky road makes a lovely delicious gift and I haven’t met anyone yet who doesn’t like it. Now my rocky road is not as traditional as it doesn’t have glace' cherries in it as I am not keen on them so I improvise with a few surprises, which work really well.

Remember to keep the rocky road in the fridge until your ready to gift it to someone and remember to tell them to keep it in the fridge as well (if there are any leftovers but I think there won’t be).

Christmas Rocky Road

Grease and line a slice tin

Ingredients:

400 grams dark chocolate (you can use milk but I like dark)

200 grams white and pink marshmallows chopped (I used gluten free)

¼ cup desiccated coconut

½ cup chopped pistachio nuts or chopped macadamia nuts (or half of each)

½ cup dried cranberries

Method:

Melt chocolate in a bain-marie or what I used which was a stainless steel bowl sitting over a pot of simmering water.

While chocolate is melting chop marshmallows in to medium chunks and also chop up nuts.

When chocolate has melted place all the chopped nuts, marshmallows and cranberries in to the stainless steel bowl and mix well.

Pour out on to greased and lined slice tin and spread out evenly and place in the fridge for 2-3 hours and when set cut up into chunks and if you are giving as a gift place in cellophane bags and tie with ribbon.

Enjoy.

Note: Allergen advice- this recipe does have nuts and coconut

© Lisa Maree van der Draay 2015. Except as provided by the Copyright Act 1968, no part of this publication may be reproduced, communicated to the public without the prior written permission of the publisher.