Polenta, Orange & Blueberry Loaf

This was my first time making anything with polenta, and I feel deeply Italian for having done so. This cake is crumbly and moist and extremely flavoursome. It's also insanely summery, which, in early spring, can only be a good thing.
Preheat the oven to 140C.
In a food processor combine:
100 grams of polenta
200 grams of self-raising flour
140 grams of caster sugar
1/2 teaspoons of bicarb
140 grams of soft butter
zest of one orange
Blitz until you have a sandy mixture. Add two tablespoons of orange juice and one large egg and blitz until a ball of dough forms. Push half the mixture into your lined loaf tin, sprinkle 100 grams of blueberries over the dough and repeat this process once more. Bake for 1 hour, maybe a little longer, until a skewer comes out clean.

Blood Oranges

Vanilla Macarons Filled With Dark Chocolate Cream

First combine 280 grams of icing sugar with 160 grams of ground almonds.
Beat 4 egg whites with a pinch of salt and 60 grams of vanilla sugar until stiff peaks form. Fold half of the icing sugar and almond mixture through the egg whites. When combined, fold in the rest. You want to end up with a mixture that, though sticky and gunky, is still slightly runny. When you squeeze dollops onto a baking sheet (using a piping bag) you want them to settle and form nice thick disks. Bake these in a preheated, 150C oven for about twenty minutes or until they feel firm. Let them cool on the baking tray for a few minutes before transferring to a rack to cool completely.
To make the filling bring 80 ml whipping cream to the boil and pour this over 100 grams of dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids), broken into chunks. Stir until the chocolate has melted. Leave to cool at room temperature for five to ten minutes, until the mixture has thickened and is easy to spread on the macarons. Then it's time to start an assembly line and try to find the two halves that make a whole.

Hygge

Rödbetssallad

To make this wonderful, Scandinavian dish, combine:
2 tablespoons of good mayonnaise
1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon of cider vinegar
1 teaspoon of sugar
A squeeze of lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste

Dice the cooked beetroot, stir in the dressing and refrigerate for at least twenty minutes before serving.

Baci Della Mamma

Puff Pastry Tarts

Again this is one of those go with the flow type recipes that allow you to make it as easy as you want it to be and use whatever you've got lying around.
The base for these tarts is onions, so caramelise one yellow and one red onion in some butter. Add some Madeira if you want (I always do).
Cut some store bought puff pastry to the desired size and start with a thick layer of the soft, sweet onions. Then add whatever you like. I made one with some beautiful Italian sausage and one with smoked ham. I also added some cherry tomatoes and fresh oregano. Be creative with what you've got, that's the fun part.
Brush the edges with some beaten egg and bake for about twenty minutes in a pre heated, 210C oven.

Nigella's Vanilla Shortbread

It Takes All Kinds

Crunchy Chicory, Apple & Pecan Salad

First caramelise 100 grams of caster sugar with one tablespoon of water. When golden, add 100 grams of pecan nuts, make sure the nuts are coated and place on a piece of baking parchment to cool.

Remove whole leaves of two heads of chicory and place in a bowl. Cut two hard apples, one green one red, into small dice and add those to the bowl. Chop the cooled, caramelised nuts into rough chunks and add those as well.

Now make a quick honey mustard vinaigrette by combining:
1 tablespoon of smooth Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon of grainy Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon of honey
1 teaspoon of mayonnaise
1,5 teaspoon of white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon of freshly squeezed orange juice
1 teaspoon of olive oil
Scoop the vinaigrette into the bowl and toss until the salad is covered with a nice mustardy sheen.
Very simple, very awesome.