Whole Orange, Chocolate & Almond Cake
Another big gap between new recipes - my apologies! I just went back to New Zealand for mid-year break and finally got the chance to create more, starting with this whole orange, chocolate and almond cake in collaboration with Vitamix. It's fudgey, rich and not too sweet, perfumed with whole oranges boiled until your kitchen smells like summer. Olive oil and melted dark chocolate add richness, and a layer of honey caramelised almonds on top gives extra texture. It's easy to blitz all the ingredients together with minimal dishes (I use and love the Vitamix Ascent), and is also gluten and dairy free if you are baking for anyone with intolerances. Get the recipe here.
Currently cooking:
Ottolenghi's spicy baked beans: incredibly easy and incredibly delicious. Especially with big slabs of warm butter sourdough. Also makes great leftovers.
Pea pesto & salmon pasta: another quick recipe, substituting summer basil with lots of peas and mint. The salmon is poached too - a really easy and mess-free way of cooking it.
Josh Emett's zucchini frittata and other behind the scenes recipes: I was recently recommended Josh Emett's instagram account, and need to pass that on. There's lots of behind the scenes video recipes saved to the highlights - I made his frittata the other day, full of golden zucchini, parmesan and basil, all caramelised around the edges.
Tahini & Rye Chocolate Chip Cookies by Ed Kimber of The Boy Who Bakes: one of the best cookie recipes I've tried in a while - the combination of tahini and both rye and wholemeal flour gives these a unique nuttiness.
Tahini, Walnut & Dark Chocolate Banana Bread: a classic, and a crowd pleaser. What else are you going to do with those spotty bananas?
Everything from Ripe Deli's third cookbook! If you haven't gotten your hands on a copy, I would thoroughly recommend. The salads are legendary, as is the baking.
Currently reading:
Anthony Bourdain's Kitchen Confidential
Do No Harm: Stories of Life, Death and Brain Surgery by Henry Marsh. A scary but fascinating insight into the realities of a British neurosurgeon and the NHS.
Currently listening to: Love Stories by Dolly Alderton - I have just enjoyed the episode with Ruby Tandoh (a food writer and cookbook author from the UK - read more about her here). If you haven't read her book (Everything I Know About Love), it's another to add to the list!