Roast Pork with Spicy Caramel Apples

Ingredients...
- 2 kg pork belly; the meat will shrink, so don't be intimated by the size.
- 2 tbsp salt; don't cut this down as salt makes the skin dry and crispy.
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tsp five spice powder
- 2 clove garlic minced



Marinating...
1. Score the skin with a pen knife, you can also use a pricking tool if you have one.
2. Rub salt all over the skin. Mix the remaining ingredients together and rub it on the meat side only.
3. Leave it uncovered in the fridge overnight to marinate.



The Next Day...
- 2 tbsp oil; any oil is fine, don't have to use expensive ones
- 2 tbsp salt; salt is important as it makes the skin crispy
- 2 cloves of garlic crushed
- 1 star anise
- 1 quill cinnamon bark
- 1 yellow onion, coarsely chopped
- 1 unskinned carrot, coarsely chopped
- Water

Cooking it...
1. Remove the pork from the fridge and let it sit at room temperature for at least 30mins (fridge very cold). Rub the oil and salt into the skin.

2.Use a deep roasting tray or oven proof container that fit the belly almost exactly. Add the onion, garlic, carrots, star anise and cinnamon to the tray. Place the pork on top and add enough water until the meat is covered, be careful not to cover the skin and fat layer.

3. Roast at 200°C for 90 mins. Depending on the size of the meat, it may need another 30 minutes. Let the meat rest for 10 to 15 minutes before carving.



Spicy Caramel Apples:
- 5 green apples, cut into wedges. Green apples are tart which is great with the sweet caramel
- ¼ cup butter
- 1 cup brown sugar

Melt the butter with the sugar, adding a few drops of water if necessary. Add the apple wedges and cook on moderately high fire until the sauce thickens, about 15 miutes. Be sure to stir occasionally otherwise will be overcooked.

Perfect Chocolate Fondants

Ingredients...

- 200g good dark chocolate, between 70%-80% cocoa, chopped into pieces
- 200g butter, cut into small pieces
- 50g melted butter, for brushing
- 6 tbsp cocoa powder, for dusting
- 4 large eggs
- 4 yolks
- 200g golden castor sugar
- 200g sifted plain flour
- 12 (125ml) muffin moulds



How to...

1. Get the chocolate sauce ready. Place a bowl over a pot of simmering water and melt the chocolate and butter together, stirring until smooth and incorporated. Once combined, leave the chocolate aside to cool for at least 10minutes.

2. Prepare the moulds. Start by brushing 6 moulds with melted butter in a upstroke motion before placing them in the freezer. Repeat for the remaining 6. Retrieve the first set of mould when the second set goes in.

3. Brush moulds with a second coat of butter before dusting with cocoa powder. Hold the mould at an angle above the bowl of butter and spoon on cocoa powder as you rotate the tin. Shake off excess cocoa into the bowl.

4. Using an electric whisk, whisk eggs, extra yolks and sugar until thick and pale for about 7minutes.

5. Add flour and beat until incorporated, about 10 seconds.

6. Pour melted chocolate into the batter slowly. Mix batter until it forms a loose consistency, then pour fondant batter into a jug. Divide the batter equally.

7. Preheat oven to 200C and bake on middle rack for 7 mins.

Apple Walnut Cake with Caramel Butter Frosting

Ingredients...

- 3 cups all-purpose flour (can replace 1 cup white flour with wheat flour)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon allspice
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup brown sugar, tightly packed
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 medium baking apples, peeled, cored, and chopped (about 2 cups)
- 1 cup chopped walnuts



How to...

1. Spray two 9" cake pans with nonstick pan spray and set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. In a medium-size mixing bowl, combine flour, baking soda and baking powder, spices, and salt; set aside.

3. In a large mixing bowl, combine oil, sugars, eggs, vanilla, apples, and walnuts; stir to combine. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, stirring with a wooden spoon or large spatula to incorporate all dry ingredients.

4.Transfer batter to prepared pans and bake for approximately 30 minutes or until tops are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center tests clean. Remove pans to rack for 10 minutes; de-pan cakes and let cool completely before frosting or freezing.



Caramel Butter Frosting

-1 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 stick (4 oz) butter
- ¼ cup milk, cream, or half-and-half
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 to 1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar

1. Combine brown sugar, butter, and milk or cream in a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil and let cook for 2 minutes or until thickened and bubbly. Remove pan from heat and stir in vanilla. Let cool until the caramel is just slightly warm.

2.Using a hand mixer on medium speed, beat in confectioners’ sugar ½ cup at a time until desired consistency is reached. Frost cake layer(s) with a small offset spatula, swirling frosting in a smooth motion. If frosting hardens too quickly, place over low heat on stove (or in microwave for a few seconds) until it softens.

If desired, add sprinkles or decorations immediately after spreading as this frosting will set up quickly.

Low-Fat Carroty Cake!

Ingredients...

- 1 medium orange
- 140g raisins
- 125ml sunflower oil
- 2 eggs
- 115g plain wholemeal (or plain) flour
- 115g self-raising flour
- 1 tsp baking powder, plus a pinch
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 2rounded tsp ground cinnamon
- 140g dark muscovado sugar
- 280g finely grated carrots (about 375-400g carrots before peeling)



How to...

1.Heat oven to 160C/fan 140C/gas 3. For the cake, finely grate the zest from the orange and squeeze 3 tbsp of juice. Pour the juice over the raisins in a bowl, stir in zest, then leave to soak while you make the cake. Lightly oil and line the base of a deep 20cm square cake tin. Mix the flours with 1 tsp baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and cinnamon.

2.Separate one of the eggs. Put the white in a small bowl and the yolk in a large one. Break the remaining whole egg in with the yolk, then tip in the sugar. Whisk together for 1-2 mins until thick and foamy. Slowly pour in the oil and continue to whisk on a low speed until well mixed. Tip in the flour mix, half at a time, and gently stir it into the egg mixture with a rubber spatula or big spoon. The mix will be quite stiff. Put the extra pinch of baking powder in with the egg white and whisk to soft peaks.

3.Fold the carrot, raisins (and any liquid) into the flour mixture. Gently fold in the whisked egg white, then pour into the tin. Jiggle the tin to level the mixture. Bake for 1 hr until risen and firm or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tin 5 mins, turn out onto a wire rack, peel off the paper, then leave until cold.



well.. i made a few boohoos.
first, i COMPLETELY forgot about the plain flour. =(
then, i forgot to whisk the egg white till soft peak and dumped it all into the mixture. =((

the flu making me buggy with mistakes.
*bleah!!*

Lays Stax Chedder + Water

potato chips are always my best friend and foe.

aarrgghhh ~~ how the eff am i suppose to drop my numbers when i just polished off a brand new bottle of chips!!

tried cut fruits salad with low fat mango yogurt and it didn't help with the "mouth itchy illness".
wanted to open a bag of natural mixed nuts, but grabbed the wrong one.
*it ain't my fault! they were placed side by side and quite identical!!*

only redemption for me now is to drink water, more water and load up on water.
perhaps that 10kg is due to water retention?