Guacamole

Guacamole used to be my default evening meal, generally with some grated sharp cheddar cheese scooped up by smoky potato wedges. I don’t know exactly when I stopped making it all the time but this evening I felt it was time to reprise my lost love.

I don’t just use it as a dip for tortilla chips or crudités, I adore it in the morning on tasty for a zingy breakfast or slapped between two pieces of rye bread for an earthy and wholesome lunchtime sandwich. Carbs are a friend to guacamole, something starchy and bland to compliment the assault on your taste buds from the cooling yet spiky sauce, rice is a yes, pasta is a no – this should be obvious but I’m sure guacamole pasta has been attempted in some student households and adventurous novice cooks.

I don’t often go in for the whole nutrition info thing as if you want to know that you’d probably be reading another blog however, all the ingredients are super good for you and there is no guilt in the fat from avocados – it’s good fat. I know some people dislike how quickly the avocado discolours and thus does not keep for long but using lime juice instead of lemon preserves the green colour for longer, I’m not aware of the science behind it, merely trial and error of my own.

Add coriander if you want, I can’t abide the stuff.

Guacamole

2 ripe avocados

1 large ripe tomato

juice of 1 lime

1 chilli (or more if you're feeling spicy)

Sea salt and black peper

Half, de-stone and skin the avocados, place in a bowl and squeeze the lime juice over.

Add peeled garlic clove, de-seeded chilli and pinch sea salt to pestle and mortar and pound to a paste.

Mix paste with avocados and mash with a fork until smooth.

Add chopped tomato and a good grind of black pepper.

Leave the flavours to marry for an hour or two and eat greedily with or without carbs.

LIME MARMALADE DRIZZLE TYPE-CAKE

I'm Washing Up This Evening.....

From the chaos of unpacked bags and boxes I’m starting my food blogging.

The first thing i did after moving my stuff into mine and Squirrelface’s new Peckham flat was sort out the kitchen. Chaos isn’t chaos when the kitchen is in order.

I like baking with fruits and vegetables – they give a naughty treat a slightly healthy hue – and this evening I’m making a lime marmalade drizzle type cake.

I’m not much of a recipe follower when it come to savoury things, I like to let my instincts kick in  but when it comes to baking I know it’s science as much as it is art. When I adapt, I tweak flavours, not measurements. I’ve had enough cakeccidents being gung-ho and have learned my lesson.

This cake can, I imagine, be made with any other kind of marmalade and citrus fruit combo you like, mix and match etc. I’m not prescriptive, I would encourage you not to be either. Lime marmalade is evocative of my maternal grandparents and triggers happy culinary memories, the heady citrus tang of the fruit itself is possibly my favourite flavour, savoury or sweet. The Chinese don’t have the monopoly on sweet and sour.

I particularly love a thick shred marmalade, which adds an emerald glisten to the top of the cake, not unlike candied peel.

LIME MARMALADE DRIZZLE-TYPE CAKE

• 125g full-fat Greek-style yoghurt
• 50ml vegetable oil
• zest of 3 limes
• 3 free-range eggs
• 125g caster sugar
• 200g plain flour
• 2 tsp baking powder

DRIZZLE

• 75g lime marmalade
• juice of 3 limes
• 2 tbsp icing sugar

Preheat oven 180C/Gas 4. Grease and line a loaf tin.

Beat together the yoghurt, vegetable oil, lime zest, caster sugar and eggs until well combined and glossy.. Sift the flour and baking powder in and mix until no lumps are visible..

With the help of a spatula, pour the mixture into the loaf tin and bake for about 45 minutes. Do the skewer test to check it comes out clean.

Whilst the cake is baking warm the marmalade, lime juice and icing sugar until the marmalade melts.

Take out of the oven, use the skewer to poke holes in the top of the cake and leave in the tin. Drizzle the marmalade mixture over the cake and set aside to cool completely.

Remove the cake from the tin and eat with friends (or in my case, Squirrelface).