Amalfi Lemon Polenta Cake

Sunshine on a rainy day...

Its Spring, a rainy Sunday morning. The weather forecast promises sunny spells this afternoon but I can't wait for the yellow disc to appear in the sky, so this morning I am making Amalfi lemon polenta cake. It's in the oven now and I can smell its lemony sweetness.

Italy's Amalfi lemons are only available in Preston for a couple of months each year but they are worth getting hold of. Larger than normal lemons and more nobbly looking, Amalfi lemons are sweeter and have distinctly more lemoniness about them. They grow as weeds along the Naples coast down and around into the Amalfi Coast. I holidayed in Sorrento a few years ago and they were everywhere. There is a hidden Lemon Grove in the heart of city - a cool shady (hang on a minute the beepers gone off CAKE IS READY) oasis where they sell Limoncello made from the lemons in the grove which are grown organically, delicious. Italians drink a small shot as as a digestif. Back to cake-

This recipe is one of Nigella's but she doesn't specify Amalfi Lemons, but if you can get them a lovely cake becomes an amazing one.

Ingredients:

200g butter softened
200g caster sugar
200g ground almonds
100g fine polenta(cornmeal)
3 large eggs
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
 2 Amalfi lemons or 2/3 lemons depending on size
4tbsp icing sugar

Method:
Preheat oven to 180degC/160degC fan/ gas 4. Grease and line a 23/24cm cake tin.
Mix butter and sugar in a mixer with a paddle attachment or a hand held electric mixer add the almonds, eggs, polenta, baking powder and the zest of the lemons (save the lemons for juicing later) mix well until everything is incorporated.
Scrape the cake mix into the tin, level and bake in the preheated oven for about  40mins. A cocktail stick should come out clean when inserted into the centre.
Whilst the cake is cooking, make lemon syrup by heating the juice of lemons with the icing sugar in a pan until the sugar has dissolved.
When the cake is ready leave it in its tin and place on a cooling rack. prick all over with a cocktail stick and drizzle over the lemon syrup covering the whole surface of the cake. Leave to cool......then remove from the tin onto a plate. Serve with a dollop of mascarpone and berry fruits for an indulgent treat, with creme fraiche, or just on its own.... a yellow disc of sunshine cake evoking memories of blue sky and warm radiant heat.

Roast Butternut Squash and Chorizo Soup

Ingredients

1 Butternut Squash

1 med onion diced

500ml chicken stock

30g chorizo sausage v finely diced

Sprig of Rosemary

Salt n Pepper

I tablespoon olive oil

Method

I usually make this if the oven is already on cooking something else. The squash is roasted whole in the lower part of the oven at 150-180 degrees C for 40-60mins.

You can leave this to cool and keep in the fridge until you are ready to make the soup or use straight away.

Cut the squash in half lengthways and scoop out the seeds and discard. 

In a medium to large pan fry the onion in the oil until soft and then add the butternut squash flesh. Add the stock and bring to the boil. Leave to simmer for about 15 mins while you fry the chorizo in a small pan. Heat the chorizo on a medium heat and it will exude its flavoured oil. Add some chopped up rosemary and remove from the heat.

The soup should be ready to blend to a smooth consistency now. Add some boiling water if you want it thinner. Finally stir in the chorizo and season to taste.

Quick Fruit Cake

Ingredients

4oz soft butter or margarine

4oz soft brown sugar

2 eggs

8oz self raising flour

1tsp baking powder

8oz dried fruit ( raisins, currants and sultanas)

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

2tbsp milk

Method

Preheat oven to 150 degC fan/ 165

Grease and line a 7" round cake tin

Put all the ingredients except the fruit into a mixer and beat until smooth. Add the fruit and stir until incorporated. Pour the mix into the cake tin and bake for about an hour- check with a wooden skewer, cook for longer if required. Mine was ready after an hour. Turn out and cool on a wire rack.

Quick Quesadillas

This my favourite Monday lunch at the moment. It's very quick and easy to prepare and so versatile you can fill them with whatever takes your fancy.

Ingredients

2 tortillas or wraps of whichever type you like

Handful of grated cheese

1/4 sliced pepper chopped or sliced

Chipotle paste- widely available in supermarkets

Method

Heat a frying pan that your tortilla will fit in flat

Smear a small amount of chipotle paste on both tortillas

Put one chipotle paste side up in the pan, sprinkle the cheese and the peppers on top. Place the other tortilla paste side down on top and press down gently. Flip over to toast the other tortilla. Serve into a plate once cheese is melted and tortilla is crispy.

There are countless fillings you could use- even sweet like bananas and chocolate spread! 

Be adventurous! Let me know your flavour combos 😃

Celeriac, Apple and Bacon Soup

I have made plain celeriac soup before but I didn't find it too moreish. So when I received another celeriac in my veg bag I had to think of something else to do with it. So here we are -the addition of bacon and apple makes such a difference!

Ingredients

1 large Celeriac, peeled and chopped into large chunks

2 onions, diced

2 Apples, chopped 

4 rashers smoky bacon, chopped

1 litre vegetable stock

1 tbsp olive oil

Method

In a large saucepan, fry the onion and the bacon in the oil until soft. Add the celeriac, apple and stock. Bring the soup up to the boil then simmer until the celeriac is soft. Blend and add a liitle milk or water if needed for desired consistency. Heat to serve.

And for those unfamiliar with celeriac this is what it looks like... Not the prettiest looking vegetable. It's widely available in the winter months so give it a try.

Creamy Polenta Recipe

This is great as an alternative to pasta with Italian dishes.

200g Polenta 

800ml cold water

Knob of butter or splash of olive oil

Handful of grated parmesan cheese

Salt and pepper

Put polenta, water and butter into a saucepan and bring up to the boil whisking continuously. As the mixture heats it thickens. Reduce the heat to low once it boils. Be careful as it spits. It should be thick and creamy like mashed potato. Turn off the heat and whisk in cheese and season to taste.

Luscious Lemon Victoria Sandwich

A lemon version of the classic

Ingredients
6oz self raising flour- sieved
6oz softened butter or margarine
6oz caster sugar
3eggs
I heaped tsp baking powder
1 lemon- zest and juice
1 tbsp of icing sugar
Whipping- or double cream whipped to soft peaks
Lemon curd

These quantities are ideal for an 18cm diameter cake.

Method
Grease and line 2 18cm sandwich tins. Preheat the oven to 180deg (fan) or 200deg.

If you have an electric mixer (hand held or freestanding) you can use all in one method-In a large mixing bowl combine all the ingredients and the zest of the lemon plus a tbsp of its juice. Save the rest if the juice.

If you mixing by hand then start by mixing the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy- needs some elbow grease! Then add one egg at a time and don't worry if the mixture looks like its curdled. Next add the flour a little at a time until its all combined. Then add the lemonzest and 1 tbsp of the juice.

Divide the cake mix between the 2 tins and bake on the middle shelf for about 20-25 mins.

Whilst the cakes are baking heat the remaining lemon juice in a small pan with the icing sugar.

Check if the cake is cooked by inserting a wooden skewer or cocktail stick into the centre if the cake- if it comes out without any liquid batter stuck to it then the cakes are cooked.

Whilst the cakes are still in the tin. Make a few holes in the surface with a cocktail stick and spoon/drizzle the lemon syrup over. This isn't essential but adds to the lemonyness of the cake. Leave the cakes to cool in the tins for about 20mins.

Turn out the cakes and when completely cooled spread one with whipped cream and the other with lemon curd. Flip one on top and there you have it - your luscious lemon cake. You can sieve some icing sugar on top to give it extra lusciousness :)