Strawberry Cheesecake

There are so many flavours of cheesecake and many variety of ways to make them.
So today, i just happen to use this combination of ingredients.
However, it is a very simply cheesecake to make and you can add whatever kind of flavour you prefer.......I am using strawberries in this.
As it is the weekend tomorrow, now is the perfect time to make it and leave to set overnight for a delicious weekend dessert.

Video recipe from my you tube channel:
(Written recipe below)

1. For the base, crush 350g Chocolate Digestive Biscuits to crumbs.  I use a seal sandwich bag - pop the biscuits into the bag and crush using a rolling pin.  Toss the crumbs into 50g melted butter and coat thoroughly.  Topple the mix into your prepared spring form tin, greased and base lined with greaseproof paper.  Press the mix down into the base of tin making an even smooth layer.  Chill for at least 1hr.
2. For the filling, beat together 600g cream cheese; 100g icing sugar and a few drops of vanilla extract until smooth.  To this add 285ml double cream and 1/2 cup mashed strawberries.  Beat mix again until mix is combined and thick.
3. Using a spatula, topple the filling mix on to the set biscuit base, leveling and smoothing the top.  Cover with cling film and leave in the fridge to set, preferably overnight.
   Serve with some fresh strawberries on top.  And enjoy!

ALDI - Why i love it & what's new

I tend to do the bulk of my shopping weekly in ALDI and get the brand items that i may need then in another supermarket.I personally find ALDI great for many reasons:

1. Great Value - Most produce is of excellent quality and for less money than other brand.  I tend to find you can get alot more for your money. 
2. New products - You will always find something new and exciting to try out but with all your favourites still available. 
3. Specials - I love having a wander around while doing my shopping (on a quite week day morning i may add!).  They always have something different in electrical or gardening or household or sports......and at great prices. Again, i find the quality, most of the time, brilliant. 
4. Relevant - They always keep up with calender events or seasonal where relevant.
   For example, they will stock school wear; sports wear; holiday items like Xmas, halloween and St Patrick's day etc. 
5. Efficiency - Everything is always stocked well, the store is always spotless and the staff are quick, very very efficient but yet helpful, friendly and professional.  They are so hard working in there and never slack off.  You will never see them chit chatting or "too busy" gossiping to help you out, like other places i have been!

GLUTEN FREE:

At the moment, i am impressed with the range of Gluten Free products they have.  And at very reasonable prices  .99c - €2.99  

• Brownie bars
• Chocolate cake mix
• Chocolate
• Protein bars 
• Soup Pouches 
• Biscuits

This is in addition to their usual Gluten Free range that they stock like their cakes; breads and flours etc. 

Another item i found ALDI  are stocking in different ranges at the moments are

SEEDS and mixes - mostly Chia seeds.  But they have various types and flavours.  

And amazing value at €2.39 and €2.49 - considering you can pay nearly €10 for them elsewhere.

COCONUT OIL is all the rage a the moment.  I have been using this quite a bit myself in cooking.

A tiny knob - not even a half a teaspoon - is all that's needed in cooking.  And no need to add more throughout cooking.  It's amazing.  

I have read quite a bit about coconut oil one thing being it is a great beauty product to have for uses like in face masks.

Another being coconut oil is the only oil you should be cooking with.

And another is that it should always be in a glass jar.  

Has anyone else heard of this?  There are plastic jars and glass jars on the market.  

And ALDI are stocking it in a glass jar for....wait for it.....€3.99 !!  

I mean, come on! Amazing.

One final thing i want to share with you is their cheese range. There is such a wide range available

including Brie; Roquefort; Gorgonzola; Mozzarella; Halloumi; Camembert; Cheddars and more.

They have grated bags of cheddar also for handy use on pizzas and sambos.

The parmesan is fab too - in whole blocks or grated, easy use for sprinkling for pastas and cooking.

And also their spreadable cheese' and cream cheese' are so reasonable.

So, definitely a great range for your every need, whether it be for tapas; cheesecakes; pastas; salads or sambos - they've got it all.  

No need to pay the big prices elsewhere. 

FINALLY:

Now, when it comes to the term "shop local" i have mixed opinions on this!

Yes, i completely agree, we should do more to support our local business' and i will.  I love going to Farmer's markets or food festivals and finding out about new and delicious local yummies. I will always tend to pick them up in supermarkets too. 

However when it comes to shopping for a family on a weekly budget, you gotta do what suits the budget.  

And.....i find ALDI ticks the majority of the boxes for us.

NOTE:

Best time to shop in there for me is mornings first thing as it is quite (perhaps mon, tue, wed morns, first thing.  Also sat and sun evenings).  

I don't find it a comfortable and pleasurable shopping experience when it's very busy!
It proves difficult getting around as the aisles are small enough. 

However, this seems to be my only con i have with the ALDI experience!

So there you have it.  

Just a few reasons why i love to shop at ALDI and continue to be excited by their products and prices.

Keep up the good work ALDI!

Chocolate Fudge Cake

I made this CHOCOLATE FUDGE CAKE at the weekend for some friends and it was certainly a hit.



I have to admit, this is my first attempt at a Chocolate Fudge cake. 
I followed a recipe from a book called "Chocolate - 500 Classic Recipes", a book by editor Felicity Forster.  
I added and omitted one or 2 things and my results were absolutely delicious -  
Exactly as a Chocolate fudge cake should taste like - gooey; chocolatey; moist.
Just the way i like it!




It is a very simple cake recipe to follow with very little hassle! And delicious for an occassion.... it's one i will make again!

(serving suggestion: Warmed; dusted icing sugar; vanilla ice-cream)

1. Preheat oven to 160 degrees C.  Grease a spring tin and line base with greaseproof sheet.
2. For chocolate cake mix: In the mixer, sift 275g self raising flour; 50g cocoa powder; 3tbsp baking powder and combine. With mix on low to med now, add in 225g caster sugar with few drops of vanilla extract and mix.  Gradually beat in 135ml sunflower oil.  Now with the constant beat on, gradually add in 350ml water.  It seems alot but trust me, it is the correct measurement here. Pour into prepared tin.
3. Bake for about 45 mins or until skewer inserted comes out clean.  Leave to cool in tin for few mins then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.  Once cooled, turn the cake on its side and shave the top of your cake to level it.  Then cut the cake into 2 equal halves.
4. To make the Chocolate fudge, place 50g margarine and just 3tbsp water into a saucepan and gently heat on lowish heat until butter is melted.  Remove from the heat and add into a clean mixer bowl.  To this add 250g icing sugar and 2 tbsp cocoa powder and beat until mix is shiny.  Add more hot water if you need to make a spreadable mix.  
5. Set aside to cool before spreading some between your cake layers and over top also. I use about 1/3 to sandwich the layers and then 2/3 for the top.  I let the fudge kind of flop over the sides.  But you can use the mix to whatever ratio you want. You can also top with chopped nuts and a dusting of cocoa powder or icing sugar.  

Lasagna with Gluten Free pasta sheets

LASAGNA is loved in our house!
My sister has told me, this is definitely my signature dish.
And there's nothing more yummy than home made!
There are a few steps to this. The prep cooking takes most of the time.  But it is so worth it with the end result.
I have tried and tasted and amended and added and substituted and omitted to this dish.........
continuing to perfect it.  But that's the best thing about it!
Far from dry, this recipe will help you achieve a mouth watering tasty, moist, lasagna dish.

TOP TIP HERE? Don't rush !

I'm using Gluten Free lasagna sheets today.  For me personally, it just means i get to enjoy my favourite foods without all that sluggishness.  Italian being one - pasta.
I also add cornflour to my bechamel sauce instead of flour, therefore this dish can be made as a gluten free dish.

Ensure you read the pasta sheet packet before cooking.  Some require pre soaking.  I find these better, as they soften before adding them to the cooking process.

I am using coconut oil today. It's healthier than other oils, especially olive oil.
Everyone is gone made on this lately!  And in all fairness, i can understand why.
Now, don't get me wrong, i will not live without my olive oil.  But i am always trying new things.  Olive oil i will still use and i love especially in salad dressings, Italian/Spanish cuisine and things like drizzling over fresh juicy tomatoes.
But i have to admit, Coconut oil is an amazing buy..... a great all round product, not just for cooking, but for health and beauty too!
A very small amount only is needed, no need to add more during cooking.& here's how i add it in:

BOLOGNESE MIX:

1. Add 1 tsp Coconut oil to a skillet on high heat. When melted, add 620g minced beef meat, season with sea salt and black pepper and brown off. With a slotted, remove browned mince and set aside.
   
2. Keeping the juices and fats in the skillet, add chopped veg - carrot; pepper; onion and garlic. Cook until juices have been absorbed, stirring making sure veg doesn't stick.  Then, add seasonings of sea salt; black pepper; cayenne pepper; all spice meat seasoning; dried oregano handful of fresh basil & parsley, stirring all to combine. Return meat to pot. 
   
   
3. Add 3tbsp tomato puree, stirring to combine and cook for about a minute.  To this, add 1tbsp vegetable bouillon powder and combine.  
4. Next, a tin of chopped tomatoes.  Then fill that tin with boiling water and add to the pot.  Leave to simmer for 30 minutes on low - medium heat.  Stir occasionally.  
5. Finally add fresh basil and parsley before assembling.  And of course taste test for seasoning.  
   
    

BECHAMEL SAUCE: 

1. Add 1tbsp butter to small saucepan over medium heat.  
2. Once melted, add 2tbsp cornflour, whisking well to combine until smooth. Continue to cook for about 5 mins - until it becomes light in colour.
3. Bit by bit, add in milk, whisking constantly.  Let sauce thicken, adding more milk if neccessary.  This is now your roux.
   
   This is a great sauce to know as you can use it for:
   - Parsley sauce: simply add fresh parsley and add to Bacon
   - Cheese sauce: simply add grated cheese and add to pasta
   - Fish pie: simply add some type of fortified wine like vermouth, pour over fish for baking and top with mash potato

ASSEMBLING:
(Get all your pots ready for assembling to make life easier for you and assembling easy.)

NOTE: don't feel you need to pile the bolognese mix in between the layers.  Lasagna is nicer with many layers of pasta sheets.  So, use the bolognese mix sparingly.  It will turn out juicy and yummy, don't fret.

1. Start with a spoon of bolognese mix and spread it around the base of your lasagna dish.  
2. Grate cheese (optional) over.
3. Add pasta sheets - don't worry if you've gaps - change around your layer position on each layer.
4. Spoon some bechamel sauce over the pasta sheets making sure to cover all inches of sheet. 
5. And repeat, finishing with Bolognese mix on top and an optional grating of cheese.
   
   It doesn't have to look neat and perfect! That's the great thing about it! 

BAKE:

1. Bake in pre-heated 200 degree oven until lasagna sheets and easily sliced through - cook for about 25 minutes.  If you find your dish will overflow, place on top of a baking tray.  
2. Serve with your favourite sides - garlic bread; potato chips or wedges; large side salad.

AND ENJOY xx