When Life Takes Over | Lemony Coconut & Cranberry Macaroons

Wow! Its been about a minute since my last post. Hard to believe how times flies, but sometimes it just can't be helped - especially when life takes over. And in the time I have been AWOL, this blog marked its first anniversary.
In my last blog post, in what seems to feel like a lifetime ago - I confessed how the lovely change in season seems to be an undoing of my self-discipline.
Never mind though, my time away wasn't all about lazing about, but also working on some things that will be shared to all in due course. Watch this space ☺.
The fun part of every changing season, for any foodie, is the thrill of playing on the creativity with seasonal ingredients. So I have returned with a recipe for a quick and easy treat - Macaroons.
This is my version which I have fine tuned from different variations, so feel free to also make something else out of this, if you will.

Ingredients

• 130g Caster Sugar
• 2 Eggs (Whites only)
• 75g Dried Cranberries (roughly chopped)
• 1 tbsp Vanilla Extract
• 225g Desiccated Coconut
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• Zest of 1 Lemon (finely grated)

Method

• Preheat oven to 180 degrees C
• Line baking tray with baking sheet
• In a large mixing bowl add sugar, egg whites, cranberries, lemon zest, vanilla extract, and salt, and them mix together
• Add in desiccated coconut and mix together until well coated
• Using your finger tips heap a table spoon size of the mixture
• Mould it into a pointed triangular/pyramid mounds
• Arrange the mounds on the lined baking tray - leaving enough space between each 
• Place in preheated oven and bake for 15 minutes until the edges are golden brown
• Remove from oven and transfer on to a cooling rack

Makes 44 macaroons

Tip: Can be stored in air tight container for up to a week

Fridge Clearout Recipe | Spicy Prawns Rice Mix

There were two reasons to how I came about with this recipe:

1. It was time for my fridge clearout. I sometimes refer to this as a cleanse
2. I needed something hot and spicy to shift a head cold that suspiciously also feels like hay fever. #Springishere. 

Predictability of the Food Blogger | Raspberry Rooibos Jam

Raspberry Rooibos Jam

It recently occurred to me - as a food blogger - how predictable gifts from loved ones have suddenly become. I mean opening up last Christmas presents almost felt like a walk through John Lewis' kitchen department....all foods, gadgets and utensils. I really appreciated them all and still working my way through them. Don't misunderstand what I am trying to say as some form of ingratitude, but just me wondering if this is how it's going to be henceforth. And my answer to myself was "I don't mind at all!!!".

Roselle (Sorrel) + Strawberry Jam

Jams have always been a hard sell for me, mainly due to my reservations about the preservatives in most of the shop bought varieties and my indecisiveness in settling for a flavour preference with the home made ones I have tried. Hence I have always had it in the back of my mind to find that one flavour that would finally "hit the spot" with me.
Now enter in today's offering; which is a no-brainer really.
This is the third time that roselle has come up on this blog. So I decided to try out using the roselle I had left in my stock to try out this idea.

Easy Courgette Crisps

So while now gradually truding further into February, I am beginning to realise that the pace with which I started the year was on full blast. In hindsight, January was such a busy month for me as I had alot going on on my plate at the same time. Thankfully, I am able to now pause, even if for a moment, to appreciate, take stock and slow down a little.
Therefore in the spirit of all things slowed down , my culinary foray has been a translation of my recent laid back approach.

Christmas Dinner 2013

Wow! It feels like I have been gone for about a minute.
I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas? I know I did! It was definitely time well spent with family and friends.
Being Christmas, the food was the absolute highlight. Amazing! This year the decision was made to veer off from the mainstream.The food this year was a reflection of  heritage and culture, which will be familiar to a select demographic of readers, but a new terrain for many others.

Fried Rice, Seafood Salad, Moi-Moi & Stewed Chicken & Beef