Turtles all the way down.

Vertigo: the best thing out of New Zealand 

This is sooo nice. 

Courgette, pea & pesto soup!

For the soup, you will need:

• A bit of oil
• 1 garlic clove
• 500g of courgette
• 200g of peas
• 400g of cannellini beans
• 1 litre of vegetable stock
• 2 tbsp of basil pesto
• pinch of thyme
• pinch of oregano
• pinch of parsley

Add the oil to a saucepan, add the chopped garlic. Leave for twenty seconds and add the courgette and simmer for three minutes until it starts to soften. Add the peas and beans and the stock, and leave to simmer for another few minutes. Stir through the pesto and add the seasoning. ENJOY!

This is quite small meal in itself so you could always add rice, pasta or noodles to make it a bit more filling.

(Source: foodblogfood)

(Source: tina-bo-bina)

foodblogfood:

Red Velvet Cake (✪㉨✪)

•     2 1/2 cups (250 grams) sifted cake flour
•     1/2 teaspoon salt
•     2 tablespoons (15 grams) regular or Dutch-processed cocoa powder
•     1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
•     1 1/2 cups (300 grams) granulated white sugar
•     2 large eggs
•     1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
•     1 cup (240 ml) buttermilk
•     2 tablespoons liquid red food coloring
•     1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar
•     1 teaspoon baking soda

Cream Cheese Frosting:

•     1 - 8 ounce (227 grams) cream cheese, room temperature
•     1 - 8 ounce (227 grams) tub of Mascarpone cheese, room temperature
•     1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
•     1 cup (115 grams) confectioners’ (icing or powdered) sugar, sifted
•     1 1/2 (360 ml) cups cold heavy whipping cream (double cream) (35-40% butterfat)

Red Velvet Cake:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven. Butter two - 9 inch (23 cm) round cake pans and line the bottoms of the pans with parchment paper. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl sift together the flour, salt, and cocoa powder. Set aside.

In bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the butter until soft (about 1-2 minutes). Add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes). Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the vanilla extract and beat until combined.

In a measuring cup whisk the buttermilk with the red food coloring. With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and buttermilk to the butter mixture, in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour.

In a small cup combine the vinegar and baking soda. Allow the mixture to fizz and then quickly fold into the cake batter.

Working quickly, divide the batter evenly between the two prepared pans and smooth the tops with an offset spatula or the back of a spoon. Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 25 - 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean. Cool the cakes in their pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Place a wire rack on top of the cake pan and invert, lifting off the pan. Once the cakes have completely cooled, wrap in plastic and place the cake layers in the refrigerator for at least an hour (or overnight). (This is done to make filling and frosting the cakes easier.)

Cream Cheese Frosting:

In the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese and mascarpone cheese until smooth. Add the vanilla and confectioners sugar and beat until smooth. Using the whisk attachment, gradually add the heavy cream and whip until the frosting is thick enough to spread. Add more sugar or cream as needed to get the right consistency.

Assemble: With a serrated knife, cut each cake layer in half, horizontally. You will now have four cake layers. Place one of the cake layers, top of the cake facing down, onto your serving platter. Spread the cake layer with a layer of frosting.  Place another layer of cake on top of the frosting and continue to frost and stack the cake layers. Frost the top and sides of the cake. Can garnish the cake with sweetened or unsweetened coconut.

Sourced from: Joy of Baking

HOT MADRAS CHICKEN CURRY

One can definitely make this completely vegetarian by replacing meat with cauliflower and aubergines, or also chickpeas along with the potatoes and carrots.

Ingredients:

1 kilo chicken thighs (salt and pepper to season/marinade chicken)

1/4 cup canola oil (2 tablespoons for pan-searing the chicken, 2 tablespoons to saute aromatics)

1 head garlic, minced

2 large white onions, chopped

1 tablespoon ginger, chopped fine

4 cups chicken stock (or vegetable stock)

1 cup tomato puree

2 tablespoons hot Madras curry mix

2 large potatoes, large dice

2 carrots, large dice

- Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper and pan-sear in canola oil until lightly golden and meat is caramelized. Place on a dish. And add the remaining canola oil in the pan.

- Saute ginger, onions and garlic then add the hot Madras curry powder mix.

- Put back the seared chicken thighs. Add the potatoes, carrots, tomato puree and chicken stock. Bring to a boil then lower heat to simmer the stew for 45 minutes or until root vegetables are tender and stew is thickened. Season with salt to taste.

- Serve with plain boiled rice, Indian chapatis or Naan.

Makes 6-7 servings

(Source: goddessofscrumptiousness)

Feel sorry for the postman… 

(Source: morningwanderer)

(Source: jessica4847)

ahhlecx:

Crater of Mt. Pinatubo, Philippines.