RECIPE | Veggie and fruit ‘treats’

Cheesy veg gratin

Ingredients:

1 cauliflower broken into florets, leaves reserved

I small broccoli, broken into florets

200g baby leaf spinach

70g unsalted butter

70g plain flour

900ml whole milk

2 tsp English mustard

150g mature cheddar

½ bunch of chives, finely chopped

Method:

Heat the oven to 220°C. Bring a pan of lightly salted water to the boil and cook the cauliflower florets for 3 mins. Add the broccoli and cook for further 2 mins. Drain in a colander and set aside.

Tip the baby spinach leaves into a large saucepan, add 2 tbsp water and cook with the lid on over a low heat for 2-3 mins until wilted, then tip into a sieve and press out the excess moisture with the back of a wooden spoon. Set aside.

Melt the butter in a saucepan over a low heat until foaming, then stir in the flour to create a thick paste.

Cook for 2 mins, remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the milk in several additions until lump-free.

Return to the heat and whisk until thickened. Whisk in the mustard, most of the cheese and the chives. Season to taste.

Arrange the vegetables, including the cauliflower leaves, in a medium ovenproof dish.

Pour over the sauce, then sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Bake for 25-30 mins or until golden and bubbling.

Apricot and blueberry cake

Ingredients:

170g unsalted butter, at room temperature

165g dark brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp baking powder

2 large eggs

175g all-purpose flour 

110g almond flour 

½ tsp kosher salt

Pinch of ground nutmeg

2 tbsp milk

3 apricots, chopped*

170g blueberries, plus more for garnishing

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Lightly spray a 20cm springform pan with cooking oil.

Place a round piece of parchment paper at the bottom of the pan and set the pan on a rimmed baking sheet.

Place the butter, sugar, vanilla and baking powder in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment.

Cream the ingredients together on medium speed until the mixture looks light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

Add the eggs one at a time, beating until the first egg is incorporated before adding the second one.

The batter will most likely look “broken” but don’t worry about it, as it will come together when you add the other dry ingredients.

Scrape down the sides with a spatula. Add both flours as well as the salt and nutmeg to the batter and mix on low speed until the dry ingredients are absorbed.

Add the milk and beat until all combined. Scrape down the sides and then add the apricots and blueberries.

Using a spatula, gently fold the fruit into the batter. Pour the batter into the pan and spread evenly with a spatula.

Bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.

Let it cool in the cake tin for 10 minutes before removing and placing on a cooling rack for a further 10-15 minutes.

Decorate the top with fresh blueberries, slice and serve.

* If you don’t have fresh apricots, you can use 6-8 dried apricots, chopped. — Capsicum Culinary Studio

Weekender