Flawless Chocolate & Orange Mousse Cake
- 200g stoned prunes
- 200ml orange juice which should be the juice two oranges
- 125g coconut oil
- 200g dark chocolate
- 6 eggs, separated
(8 slices)
Preheat oven to 160°C
You’ll need a 20cm springform tin, which you line with parchment paper and set aside. Cook the prunes in the orange juice until they form a thick syrup which you then blitz with a blender till smooth. Meanwhile, melt the chocolate and the coconut oil in a bowl over a saucepan of hot water, taking care to ensure the bowl never touches the water. When it’s melted, add to the prune mix and blitz once more. Next, whisk the egg yolks until thick, pale and moussey. Fold this into the chocolate/prune mixture. Then whisk the eggs whites till stiff and fold gently into the mixture. Pour into the tin, bake for 25 minutes and then remove from oven, let it cool and then chill it for 24 hours before serving. Garnish with some twists of orange rind.
Granola Bars
Makes 12 bars
Preheat oven to 150 Deg C
- 300g pitted dates
- pinch bicarbonate of soda
- 2 plums, stoned and chopped
- 120ml coconut or olive oil (I used coconut)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 500g rolled oats
- 200g seeds (chia, sunflower, pumpkin etc.) and nuts
- 2 bananas, smushed. I used over-ripe ones from the freezer.
- 1 tsp cinnamon
Put the dates in a saucepan, add the bicarbonate of soda and enough water to cover the dates and cook until sticky and mushy – about 20 minutes. A chemical reaction occurs which means you'll see green froth bubbling up, but just ignore it. When the mixture is ready, add the plums, coconut/olive oil and vanilla extract and mushy bananas, and blitz the lot in a blender until smooth. Next, take this sloppy mixture and in a large bowl, mix it with the cinnamon, oats and seeds. Line a baking tray with parchment paper and spread the mixture out on it, pressing it into the corners. Bake for 20-30 minutes, then cool, slice and freeze. These babies thaw out in no time, so are handy to stash in batches and snatched at your hearts content.
Pork fillet with prunes and cream sauce
This is a hearty and comforting dish that is quick enough to prepare, using classic techniques and a little flair.
Serves 4
- 12 soft prunes, chopped into quarters
- 250 ml white wine
- 600 g pork tenderloin (usually one big one)
- 2 leeks, finely sliced
- 1 tbsp flour
- Salt and pepper
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- Knob butter
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
- 250 ml cream
- Bunch tarragon
Soak the prunes in the wine while you get everything else sorted. Cut the pork into 1 cm thick slices and dust with the flour and season well. Heat up the olive oil until just about smoking and fry the pork until golden brown on both sides. Remove the pork into a bowl and then add a knob of butter and fry the leeks until the ay are soft. Add the garlic and then the wine and prunes which will also help deglaze the pan. Reduce the liquid significantly, then add the cream and the pork. Mix well and cook through for about 5 minutes. Then add the tarragon and check the seasoning. Simple but very tasty.
