Victoria Sandwich Cake - For High Tea or Any Time!

When my bestmate was in town we hosted many "gatherings" :)  We held a Game of Thrones themed dinner party ( recipes here ), a full Irish brunch with homemade corned beef hash and a hollandaise scrambled egg on english muffins....not to mention tea and mimosas.     However, for me all are in the shadows of our High Tea!

We served amazing teas from Tea and Sympathy in NYC. We had jelly babies, Jammie Dodgers and my bestmate's Mother baked scones from the Tea & Sympathy cook book (which I own)....you could too! Order Cookbook here

When I was in NYC and enjoyed a meal at Tea & Sympathy, for dessert I had the Victoria Sandwich Cake and fell in love!  There is nothing like it :)  So, I attempted to recreate this for our high tea.  I ordered a Cake Pan Set for this event and couldn't wait to use it!

I followed this recipe to the "T"!  As I have stated before, I have spoken with Nikki, owner of Tea & Sympathy personally and she has assured me that I can't go wrong if I follow her recipes :)

Batter made and split into 2 cake pans

Baked until golden and fork has no residue upon insertion

cooling on a cooling rack before frosting and assembling

Assembled Cake with butter cream and raspberry preserves

Cake fit for a Queen!!

This was the easiest cake I have ever made!!  And oh so yummy!

~Happy Husband Approved~
~Ginger Princess Approved~
~High Tea Approved~

Game of Thrones Dinner Party - multiple recipes

A few weeks ago, I helped serve a Game of Thrones Dinner Party....just for fun.

The menu consisted of :
Honey Balsamic Chicken Legs - made by me
PopOvers - brought by a guest
Steamed Veggies - made by me
Multiple cheeses and wines - brought by guests
Elizabethan Honeycakes - made by me

I am going to give you a quick run down of the items I prepared for the feast. (Chicken and Honeycakes found via Pinterest)

Honey Balsamic Chicken

For this recipe I used chicken legs.  I always find it harder to cook meat on the bone, so I made the honey balsamic into a glaze and marinated the legs for a few hours.  I then baked the chicken legs at 375 degrees for 45 minutes.  When the chicken was done, I placed the legs (joint bone up) in a crock pot on medium and poured more of the honey balsamic glaze over them to continue cooking until it was time for the party.

Elizabethan Honeycakes

Now, I don't bake breads because for some reason I can't quite get it right, but I was willing to give this a try and though it wasn't perfect...it was fairly easy and super delicious.

Start by warming 1 bottle of ale ( I used a  Black Butte Porter by Deschutes Brewery).  I placed the beer in a microwave safe bowl and heated for about 45 seconds.  Then add one package of yeast, stir and set aside to froth.

The recipe says to grind sugar and almonds in a food processor.  I have almond flour on hand from making macaroons, so I just sifted my almond flour and sugar and added to the flour and salt.  Mix all dry ingredients together and make a well.  Pour your yeast/ale mixture into the well and slowly stir continuing to add dry ingredients into your mixture until all dry ingredients are combined.  My dough was super sticky.

I covered my bowl and left on top of the oven to rise, as I was cooking chicken and it was nice and warm.  Let rise until the dough has doubled in size, then knock it down and knead a few minutes before shaping buns.   Rather than shaping buns, I used my Muffin Pan.

 Let the buns rise for another 15 minutes

 and then bake for 10-20 minutes at 375 degrees, until slightly golden.

When buns are done, use a small paring knife to cut little holes in the top of the cakes, be careful not to cut all the way through the bottom of the cakes.  Drizzle honey into each hole, filling the space.  Let set so honey can soak in and continue to fill holes with honey multiple times to make sure your cakes are saturated. Sprinkle with a little powdered sugar for a fancy look and serve.

Steamed/Cooked Veggies:  This is not a recipe, just what I do for quick tasty veggies when it isn't grilling season.

In my Deep Covered Baker, I slice 1 small bag of baby red potatoes, 1 small bag of yukon gold potatoes, 1 red pepper, 6 cloves garlic, 1 onion, a package of mushrooms.....or any combination of veggies you prefer.  Drizzle with a little olive oil and a seasoning of choice, I prefer Chipotle.

Cover baker and place in microwave for 20 minutes!  PRESTO!  perfect potato and veggie mix :)





There you go!  3 recipes (and believe it or not...that isn't all I cooked that day!)

~Happy Husband Approved~

The honeycakes were ~Ginger Princess Approved~

Cauliflower Crust Pizza - My life is forever changed :)

I had heard stories of pizza being made with a cauliflower crust....my first thought was, THIS HAS GOT TO BE TERRIBLY DIFFICULT!!  The time couldn't be worth the result, I mean it is a veggie as a crust ?!

I looked into it, read multiple recipes, asked some other healthy eaters for their opinions and/or advice and after all that, decided I couldn't be judgmental if I didn't try it for myself.

This is the recipe I used as my guide:  Cauliflower Pizza Crust  via Pinterest


You have to start with "riced" cauliflower....to get "riced" cauliflower you will need to cut the florets off the head of cauliflower and food process until it looks similar to rice.....yep, "until it looks right" - my favorite recipe mantra.

Does it look like rice to you?

Then place the riced cauliflower in a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 5-8 minutes...DO NOT ADD WATER!!

1 head of cauliflower will produce about 3 cups of riced cauliflower.  I don't believe in waste, so I tripled the recipe and baked on a cookie sheet (makes about 15 slices)

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees.

Spray your cookie sheet with a non-stick spray

Combine your cauliflower, egg and cheese (dependent on the size batch you are making...I tripled mine)  Also add your Italian or other seasonings at this time.  It will be the consistency like meatloaf oddly.

Spread onto your pan...for a single recipe, spread in a small circle on your pan.  For a tripled recipe spread across your entire pan.  Softly patting the mixture into place.

Bake the cauliflower crust for 15-20 minutes, until golden and you do not see any wetness left.


At this point you can top as you wish.  We used spicy Italian sausage, basil and mushrooms along with a combination of our left over mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses.

Place under Broiler until cheese is melted and bubbly.

You get a nice thin crust and a delicious pizza!

~Happy Husband Approved~

~Ginger Princess Approved~

**Warning...this is delicious!  HOWEVER....yes there are less starchy carbs, but the high amount of cheese really only reduces calories by about 50 from a regular slice of pizza, as cheese has a high fat content.  STILL FREAKING DELICIOUS :)

Hot Artichoke and Spinach Dip - a party favorite

This is a recipe my friends ask me to bring to events, easy peasy!


Hot Artichoke and Spinach Dip - The Pampered Chef

I usually double the recipe (all photos below are of a doubled batch)

I use my Deep Covered Baker and make this, preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

I drain my can/jar of marinated artichoke hearts and chop in my Manual Food Processor

I use my Adjustable Course Grater to grate my fresh Parmesan cheese

Using 1 large (16+ ounce) package of spinach, I combine all my ingredients into my deep covered baker.

For the double batch I use 1/2 cup Mayo and Sour Cream...and don't forget some cloves of garlic :)

All ingredients before mixing

Once everything is evenly mixed, place lid on the baker and bake for 20-25 minutes.

You can serve with chips or crackers, but if you are feeling extra energetic....make Pita Chips.

Buy a package of pitas at the store, use a pizza cutter to slice into 8s.

Place on your pizza stone or a cookie sheet and place in over right when the dip comes out.

Cook 5-8 minutes on each side (until crispy) and serve with your hot dip!

~Happy Husband Approved~

~Potluck Approved~

Thai Peanut Tofu with Veggies

While my best mate was visiting, I promised 1 vegetarian meal for him and this is what I chose.

I usually  make this with chicken, but decided to try my hand at tofu.  I purchased some extra firm tofu from the local store.  I drained the tofu and placed it on a kitchen towel and pressed it dry to the best of my ability.  I then cut the tofu into strips and placed in a baking pan, pouring the Saigon Sizzle sauce (seen below in picture 2) over the tofu.  I used a knife to spread the sauce on, covered and placed in the fridge to marinate for 6-8 hours.


When I was ready to cook, I cut the tofu into squares and placed in a pan with olive oil and fried it up like I would chicken or beef chunks.  Stir occasionally so that it doesn't stick to your pan.  When the tofu is hot, place your stir fry veggies in the pan and continue to cook until veggies are tender.  I placed a lid on the pan every other time I stirred it.  I didn't want the steam to make the tofu mushy, but I also didn't want it to be dry and stick to the pan.

While the tofu/veggies are cooking, I worked on my Thai Peanut sauce:

I start with 2 Tbsp on Chucky Peanut Butter

Equal parts Soy sauce and Saigon Sizzle or Soy Vay - Veri Veri Teriyaki (choose a sauce you enjoy)

I then add Sriracha to taste - or red pepper flakes if you would rather.

Mix together

I plated the veggies and tofu and dolloped the Thai peanut sauce on top :)

My best mate really enjoyed it!  We mixed the left overs with eggs for breakfast the next morning....delicious.

~Best Mate Approved~
~Meat Eaters Approved~

Simple Summer Favorite - Caprese!

Ok, this is my recipe and it is simply divine and delicious.

 Serve as an appetizer or a meal (it is a meal in our home)

Caprese

1 loaf french bread

2-3 tomatoes

Fresh Basil (1/2 leaf per serving)

Mozzarella Cheese (ball or log)

Olive oil

Balsamic Vinegar


Preheat oven to 325 degrees

Slice 1/4 - 1/2 inch thick slices of french bread.  Lightly brush olive oil on both sides of bread and place on a cookie sheet.

Bake 10-15 minutes ( until bread is crunchy but not overly toasted)

During baking, slice your tomatoes, mozzarella and basil.


When bread is done, plate from the bottom up:

toast
tomato
mozzarella
sprinkle of salt (optional)
basil
drizzle of balsamic vinegar

My favorite !!

~Happy Husband Approved~

Breakfast cupcakes - Fancy and Fast!

I love a nice simple morning meal!

I tested this recipe out when we had house guests and it was a hit.

Breakfast Cupcakes - found via Pinterest

The recipe above is Paleo, I made some adjustments for our family :)

I purchased 1 lb. of smoked ham from the local deli, and a small wedge of smoked Gouda cheese.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

In my Muffin Pan, I placed 1 slice of ham to create a "crust".  After shredding all the cheese into a bowl, I placed a small pinch in the bottom of each crust and cracked 1 egg right on top.  I then sprinkled with salt and pepper.

notice the 3 on the far right have no yolk, as my husband wanted egg white only.

 Bake for 20 minutes - ( 15-16 minutes for less firm yolks )

Scoop out and serve with toast or hashbrowns!

~Happy Husband Approved~

~Ginger Princess Approved~

~Happy Husband's Best Guy Friends Approved~

~Hangover Approved~