FRUIT CAKE
INGREDIENTS
Four cups of long grain rice(soaked for 15 to 20 minutes), 3 tablespoons of oil, 2 tablespoons of chopped spring onions, 1 tablespoon each of ginger/ garlic paste, 1cubed capsicum(or you can chop a little from each colour), 2grated carrots, 2 tablespoons of sweet corn, salt to taste, soya sauce and 5 cups of hot water.
INSTRUCTION
Heat the oil in a deep pan. Add onions, followed by ginger garlic, then the carrots. Stir-fry for a while, then add the capsicum and the sweet corn. Add the drained rice and stir-fry for a couple of minutes, then add the hot water and salt. Let it cook on medium heat until rice is almost cooked and not much water left. Splash some soya sauce, cover and put in oven for about 10 minutes. Serve with soup or sauce of your choice
This rice dish also complements greatly with pepper steak. The beautiful and colourful light fruit cake is perfect for any occasion.
One and half cups of plain/all-purpose flour(180gm), 1/2 cup of powdered almonds, 170gm of butter or margarine (or a combination of the two, softenedapprox 3/4 cup), 1/2 cup of sugar(grinded to a powder), 4eggs at room temperature, 1 cup of dried fruits and candied peel(if you are not using candied peel, add the zest of 1 lemon), 1/2 cup of chopped cherries (it could be a combination of red and green), 2 tablespoons of vanilla essence, 1 and 1/2 tablespoons of baking powder, 1/4 cup of milk, 1/4 tablespoon of salt, almond flakes for decorating the top.
Make sure all the ingredients are at room temperature before you begin.
Preheat oven at 170c. Grease the line of the loaf pan, then dust it with flour. Recommended size is a 9x5x3 inch pan.
Remove 1 tablespoon from the flour and sprinkle it over the dried fruits and mix. This will help ensure that they do not sink to the bottom of the pan during baking. Set aside. Add the vanilla essence in the milk. Set aside. Sieve/sift the rest of the flour with the baking powder and salt. Then add the powdered almonds and stir well. Set aside. Beat the butter/ margarine with the powdered sugar in a big bowl until light and fluffy. Be sure to beat them well because this cake requires very little baking powder. This stage is crucial in ensuring you have a light and fluffy cake.
Once the butter and sugar are light and creamy, add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl occasionally. Add the flour and milk/vanilla in three instalments, combining gently between each addition, starting with the flour, then the milk and ending with the flour again. Make sure not to over-mix the batter at this stage.
Finally, add the dried fruits and chopped cherries and gently stir with a spatula. Pour this batter into your prepared loaf pan. Sprinkle the almond flakes over the cake and bake in the preheated oven at 170c for about 45 minutes to an hour, or until skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean. During baking, if you find that the top is colouring too quickly, you can cover the cake lightly with a piece of foil midway through baking. Place the loaf pan on a wire to cool slightly, then turn the cake out of the pan and allow it to cool completely before slicing. The loaf will keep well in an airtight container for up to 3 days, and longer if refrigerated. SUNDAY,JULY 3,2016