Mascarpone and Strawberry fake Flan

A super easy and delicious recipe all invented by me, your alternative to Jamie Oliver. Lol...

Recipe Ingredients:

• 2 x pkts strawberry Jelly (I used Castello brand 135grs each)
• 1 x pkt of mascarpone (250grs)
• 3 soup spoons of sugar
  
• 1 X punnet of fresh ripe strawberries around 250grs

A very easy to prepare and even easier to eat dessert. Make the two jellies as indicated on the back of the packet. After the jelly dissolved and fully mixed with the water you must let these ones cool until almost cold. While that is happening, wash the strawberries and remove green bits and them chop them into fine slices, place them on a little pan with the sugar and boil them for around 1-2 minutes, set it aside and let it cool completely, (I even put in the fridge to get this done faster as I didn't want the jelly to start solidifying.

Them mix the strawberries with the jelly and whisk them, once well mixed add the mascarpone and whisk come more, until well mixed place in a jelly mould and refrigerate until well solid. To remove run warm water on the sides of the mould until the jelly comes away from the walls then flip it onto a dishing plate ...it tastes great with a little mint.

To get to Know me Better Questionaire

Questionaire passed to me by, Natasha
and I believe I need to pass it to other 4 bloggers:


Now, on to the questionnaire.

Diamonds or pearls?
diamonds.

What is the last film you saw?
X Men Wolvarine Origins

Your favorite series?
SVU

What kind of breakfast do you have usually?
Milky Coffee and a ham and cheese toastie.

Second given name?
Emanuel

Which kind of food can't you stand?
Leeks yuck...

Favorite name (at the moment)?
Rico

Which car do you drive?
Mitsbishi Space Star, Equipe 1.6L.

Which trait or character don't you like?
users, (peole that use others just because they can taking advantage of good will)

Favorite clothes?
Any nice confortable ones, (preferred materials, cotton and linnen)

If you could take the aeroplane to go somewhere, where would you go?
Brazil.

Where would you want to live when you are retired?
Somewhere hot, not sure yet.

Which birthday do you remember the most?
My darling wife and mine.

Your birthday?
27 Dec

If you were a color, which one would you be?
Black

Chocolate or vanilla?
vanilla

Coffee or tea?
Coffee (of course, unless the tea is herbal, but still coffee)

The last person you had on the phone?
sales from India, of some charity firm.

Sweet or savory?
both...can't choose really.

The day of the week you prefer?
Saturday's

I choose:

Donna-FFW
5 Star Foodie
Chef E
Tangled Noodle

Tagliatelli a la Rico

Recipe Ingredients: (enough for 4 or 3 very hungry ones)

• 400grs mixed tagliatelle egg and spinach
  
• 1/2 can of black olives (cut in halves) roughly 120gr +or-
• 12 cherry tomatoes (cut in halves) with skin
  
• 1 courgette (cut in small cubes)
• 4 spring onions (cut in slices)
• 1 garlic clove minced
  
• 1 lid of nice balsamic vinegar
  
• 1/4 fresh cream
  
• 2 soup spoons of grated cheddar cheese
• 1 coriander bunch (finely chopped)
• sufficient, salt, black pepper and olive oil
  

From beginning to end it only took me 15 minutes to complete this meal. Put a pan with boiling water on the stove + a little salt and oil (tip, the oil prevents water from foaming up as well as it keeps pasta separated after cooked, rather than clumping up, I learnt this from the age of 9) in there put the pasta cooking.

Wile the pasta is cooking put a Wok on the stove, and in it add a little olive oil enough to cover the bottom, heat it up and as soon as fumes start coming out of it, add in there the following vegetables, courgette, spring onion and garlic + seasoning (salt and B pepper). Let these ones cook for around 3 minutes, stirring regularly, then add the tomatoes and onion + a the balsamic vinegar, and continue to stir for a further 3 minutes.

To that now you add the fresh cream and the cheese, and stir for a further 2 minutes, add to it now the drained tagliatelli, give it a few more turns, than switch the fire of on the stove and throw in the coriander, giving it a few more turns to mix it in well, then serve and (optional) you can add extra B pepper and or Grated dried parmesan cheese...And have a nice quick healthy cheap meal.

Almond filled Sponge Cake (was Anniversary Cake for my Twins on the 16May)

Ingredients: (for the cake)

• 200g butter
  
• 200g self raising flour
  
• 200g sugar
  
• 4 eggs

Preparation:
Mix the butter (soft) with the sugar, mixing it well with the mixer (or hand mixer)for enough time for the mixture to become a whitish cream, at this stage mix the eggs in a little at the time until they are all blended with the mixture, as you want this cream to be as airy as possible. Next is the flour, but this one you can fold in using maybe a spatula, as you want to preserve all that air you knocked in with the mixer, divide this cream into two pre-greased and floured baking tins, and goes in the oven at 180c for 20 minutes (do the toothpick check) just to ensure they are well cooked, let them cool a little then remove them from the baking tin and place them on a cooling rack.

Ingredients: (for the filling)

• 50g caster sugar
  
• 15g corn starch
  
• 2g salt
  
• 235ml milk
• 30g grated almond
  
• 2 eggs
• 2 tea spoons of almond essence
  
• 1 Vodka lid
  

Preparation:

Mix all the dry ingredients well, place all the wet ingredients in a small pan (minus the Vodka), now add all the dry ingredients to the wet ones in the pan, and put it on a medium heat and whisk it continuously as soon as it starts to thicken up reduce the heat to nearly minimum, otherwise will thicken too quick and will get lumpy, you want a smooth cream. After is thickened and will thicken no more cook for a further 2 minutes, then remove from the heat, add the vodka let it cool completely before using it you can even refrigerate.
(this almond cream is also excellent for profiteroles, croissants and much more)

Ingredients: (cake topping)

• 1 glass of double cream
  
• 3 soup spoons of powdered sugar
  
• 1 tea spoon of vanilla essence
  
• 1 hand full of hand chopped almonds (with the skin preferable)
  

Preparation:

Whip the double cream to make the whip, once whipping is about half way through add the vanilla essence and when is two thirds from being done add then 1 soup spoon of the powdered sugar and when is completed add the other 2 soup spoons of powdered sugar whisk a little more just enough to mix it and it is done to cover the cake.
Cover the cake with the aid of a spatula and then spread the hand chopped almonds over it.

Knife chopped almonds ...yum!!

Cake assembly:

decide which disc is going to be the base then level it by cutting it's top (see picture), this will aid in the filling adhering better and soaking in a little, also securing better the other disc.
So you then assemble it as follows, after cutting the base spread the filling around one centimetre thick all over the base, then place the second disc on top, then cover the whole cake with the whip and spread the almonds on top, the refrigerate at least half an hour before serving, more time even better, absolutely lovely with a nice strong coffee, there is something magical when coffee and almond flavours meet in your mouth.

I received these awards from Nina's Recipes and was very happy to have them, there are no rules written, so I assume one has to pass them along to about 7 other blogs as that is how many Nina passed.
Nominees please pass the awards bellow to 7 nominees (or more) of your choice, linking them to the award + linking on your post who nominated you, these are the simple rules

I am please to nominate for the above awards:
5 Star Foodie
My Kitchen Treasures
Chef E
Ninas Recipes
Duo dishes
Tangled Noodle
Sophie

And this award was given to me by Sophie a long standing foodie friend here in my blog, which makes me very honoured to accept such a nice award.

In keeping with the tradition of passing this award forward, here are the rules. The Sisterhood Award is an award from bloggers to bloggers in recognition of a blog spot which shows attitude and/or gratitude.

1. Put the logo on your blog or post.

2. Nominate up to 10 blogs which show great attitude and/or gratitude

3. Be sure to link to your nominees within your post.

4. Let them know that they have received this award by commenting on their blog, or sending them an email.

5. Remember to link to the person from whom you received your award.

I am please to nominate:
5 Star Foodie
My Kitchen Treasures
Left over Queen
Chef E
Ninas Recipes
Coffee and Vanilla
Duo dishes
My Tasty Treasures
Tangled Noodle
Food and Travel