As the sun sets and the hustle of the day winds down, the age-old question arises: what’s for dinner?
With the wild pace of modern life, many find themselves standing in the kitchen, staring blankly at the fridge and longing for something delectable yet simple to prepare.
Fear not, as we bring you two standout recipes that promise a delightful dinner experience without the stress and fuss.
Whether you're a seasoned chef or a casual home cook, these recipes from the team at Granny Mouse Country House & Spa provide delicious options that require minimal effort and boast bountiful flavours.
Mocha peanut butter baked Alaska
Ingredients
For the sponge
3 eggs, separated yolks and whites
150g castor sugar
2 whole eggs
60g corn flour
80g cake flour
1x double shot of espresso (instant coffee if you do not have a coffee machine)
For the ice cream
½ cup of liquid glucose
10g of gelatine, bloomed
2x double shot espresso
1 tbsp cocoa powder
1 litre of cream
1 tin of condensed milk
50g chocolate pieces or shavings
For the peanut butter meringue
5 egg whites
200g castor sugar
2 tbsp peanut butter
Method
For the sponge
In a mixer, add in your 3 egg whites together with 75g of castor sugar and whisk until a stiff meringue mixture is formed.
In another bowl, combine eggs, yolks and sugar. Add your cornmeal and cake flour and mix until incorporated. Lastly, you are going to add in your espresso and mix well.
Once the meringue is stiff, you are going to add it to the batter, using the folding method.
Add to a lined baking tray and bake at 180°C for 15-17 minutes.
Once baked, set aside to cool and then using a cutter, cut out your desired shapes.
For the ice cream
In a pan, melt together the base for your ice cream, which is your
liquid glucose, bloomed gelatine sheets, and the espresso. Once melted, add in your cocoa powder and set aside.
To a bowl, add cream and condensed milk and mix until incorporated.
Combine your base mixture with the sweetened cream mix and churn in your ice cream machine.
Should you not have an ice cream machine, stress not as you can still make this ice cream recipe at home by simply adding in one extra step. Instead of mixing your cream and condensed milk together, you can whip the cream and add that into your base for a nice light scoopable ice cream.
Once the ice cream is ready, layer and sprinkle your chocolate chips. Freeze until needed.
For the peanut butter meringue
Add all your ingredients to a bowl and whisk, on high, until stiff.
Presentation and plating: Place your cut-up shapes of sponge, preferably round, onto a plate. Scoop a generous helping of ice cream and place it on the sponge.
Place your meringue mix into a piping bag and pipe all over your dessert, starting from the bottom and working your way up as fast as possible. The last step is to torch your meringue.
Vegan Thai massaman curry with jasmine rice
Ingredients
4 cups of water
1 tsp fine salt
1 ½ cups Jasmine rice
100g massaman curry paste
1 tbsp olive oil
1 white onion, sliced
4g curry leaves
1 fresh bay leaf
20g fresh basil
1 whole carrot, peeled and sliced
1 sweet potato, peeled and cubed
15g cashews
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tin of coconut milk
1 cup veg stock
50g broccoli, cut into florets and blanched
50g cauliflower, cut into florets and blanched
30g yellow pepper, sliced
30g red pepper, sliced
Zest of 1 lemon
Method
Add water to a medium-sized pot and bring to the boil. Add in salt and rice and boil for approximately 15 minutes, making sure the rice does not soften too much.
Once the desired texture is achieved, strain the rice and rinse it off with cold water to stop the cooking process. Set aside.
To another pot, on medium heat, add the massaman curry paste, olive oil, onions, curry leaves, bay leaf, and chopped basil. Cook until the onions start to go slightly transparent.
Add in the carrots and sweet potatoes and stir occasionally until the veg becomes caramelised.
Add cashews and season. Now that your mix is coming together, add in the soy sauce followed by coconut milk and veg stock.
Simmer on low until the sauce begins to thicken and all the ingredients are well incorporated, absorbing all the different flavours.
Once the sauce has thickened up and the carrots are well cooked, add in the rest of the veg and the lemon zest, which will add a burst of aroma and freshness to the curry. Serve over the Jasmine rice and enjoy.