Oh, I wish……….

So I'm not complaining… BUT my modern galley kitchen is a little small.

How I'd love the room to house mixers & food processors, blenders & juices and serve ware in all different shapes & sizes!?


Right now, as we're renting and have only just moved to Toronto, it's just the very BARE essentials for me.  Think college student basics.


Last month, to make a fancy puree to serve with proscuitto wrapped scallops, I actually pressed boiled sweet potato through a fine sieve for what seemed like forever.  Delicious result but not ideal...


What kinds of 'GENIUS' have you come up with in the kitchen when you're missing the crucial 'tools of the trade'?


Daisy Angela x

Follow my food styling inspirations & recipe ideas on

Pinterest http://pinterest.com/DaisyAngela/becauseagirlsgottaeat/

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* image courtesy of Pinterest - photography credits N/A

Celebrating +600 foodie pics on Pinterest

With over 600 pictures of Delicacies & Treats, 

Meals & Meats, 

Cakes & Tarts 

And presentation smarts, 

You'll LOVE visiting my Pinterest board http://pinterest.com/DaisyAngela/becauseagirlsgottaeat/

Ciao for now and have a delicious day, because a girl's gotta eat!

Daisy Angela x

* images courtesy of Pinterest - photography credits N/A

Lemon Crème Fraîche drizzled Buttermilk Pancakes

Now I must admit, AGAIN this is a cheaters recipe and uses Buttermilk pancake mix in lieu of making it from scratch… I use Bob’s Red Mill Organic Buttermilk Mix...

Thing is, I actually created this recipe last Sunday, when a burst of inspiration hit me.  I pulled together some pantry & fridge staples and VOILA!

Lemon Crème Fraîche drizzled Buttermilk Pancakes ( for 2 friends or lovers )

1 cup of Buttermilk Pancake Mix

1 tsp of oil

1 egg

¾ cup of cold milk

3 tbsp of crème fraîche

zest & juice of ½ a large lemon

2 tbsp of icing sugar

butter for fry pan

raspberries to garnish

icing sugar for dusting

In a mixing bowl, combine your Buttermilk Pancake mix, oil, egg & milk, beating until smooth.  It should be a thickish but well mixed consistency.  

Keeping whole at this point, grate the zest of ½ a lemon and place aside for the moment - it will add a touch of gorgeous as a garnish. 

In a separate bowl, add your crème fraîche, the juice of ½ your lemon & 2 tbsp of icing sugar and whisk until it starts to become fluffy.  Taste as you go to ensure you have a nice balance between sweet & sour.

Now it’s time to get your pancakes on!  

In a skillet/fry pan, on a medium heat, let a ½ tbsp of butter melt each time before you ladle your batter into the pan to create a 5”/13.5cm pancake.  You’ll know when it’s time to flip, as bubbles will rise to the surface and the underside will be golden.  Once cooked, add to a plate with a clean tea towel on it and cover to keep in the heat.  I’m able to make 4 large pancakes, then 2 mid sized and 2 minis from this amount of batter by rationing things out as I go.  

Once cooked, assemble 2 large, 1 mid & 1 mini pancake on your plate, squeezing a drizzle of lemon juice on top as you stack your pancakes from biggest to smallest.  Using a sieve, let a light cover of icing sugar dust your pancakes as if they’ve just survived a light snow storm!  Then, drizzle over your lemon crème fraîche, garnish with raspberries and let a sprinkling of lemon zest be your final touch.  

The end result is a lively yet light brunch option that won’t weigh you down.  The sour notes of the lemon crème fraîche perfectly compliment the buttermilk flavor of the pancakes and it all looks as pretty as a picture.

For lovers, I recommend cooking this semi-naked for fun theatrics; whether you go man's shirt + skimpy underwear or nude + apron for a ‘bunsy’ brunch.  Friends, unless this is a segway meal to something more, keep your kit on…  

ENJOY!

| SIMPLE | DELICIOUS | NO-FUSS | 

Try it and let me know what you think!

Daisy Angela x

Follow my food styling inspirations & recipe ideas on 

Pinterest http://pinterest.com/DaisyAngela/becauseagirlsgottaeat/ 

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Happy Valentine's Day

* image courtesy of Pinterest -  credits N/A

Apple Butter LOVE Cake

With Valentine's Day mere hours away, how's about a quick & easy tasty treat for your loverlover or BFF?! 

A cheats recipe (I'm kinda feeling guilty…) but a savior when time is of the essence and a nice twist on a classic apple tea cake.

                                                                                                             Apple Butter LOVE Cake

Betty Crocker Supermoist White Cake Mix

1 cup water

⅓ cup softened butter

3 eggs

⅓ cup apple butter

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 tsp ground cinnamon

Betty Crocker Fluffy White Whipped Frosting

3 tbsp apple butter

ground cinnamon & white sugar to garnish

flour for your cake tin

Start by heating the oven to 180°C / 350°F and greasing & flouring your cake tin.

Meanwhile, in large bowl beat cake mix, water, 1/3 cup butter and the eggs with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds. Beat on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Stir in 1/3 cup apple butter, vanilla extract & cinnamon.

Bake 40 to 50 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes then cool on a rack for about 30 minutes.  

In medium bowl, mix together ⅓ cup apple butter and Fluffy White frosting until combined.  Slice cake in two, frosting the bottom portion before placing the top on & frosting the top and sides.  

Next mix about 3 tbsp white sugar and 2 tsp cinnamon, and shake around the edges of your cake.  For added 'cheese' factor I also made a stencil of a heart with some parchment paper and sprinkle some of the cinnamon sugar over that to create the heart motif.  

Feel free to also paint yourself with some apple butter and sprinkle over any leftover sugar'n'spice, because you're oh so nice! 

ENJOY & HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

| SIMPLE | DELICIOUS | NO-FUSS | 

Try it and let me know what you think!

Daisy Angela x 

Follow my food styling inspirations & recipe ideas on 

Pinterest http://pinterest.com/DaisyAngela/becauseagirlsgottaeat/ 

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Thyme, Oregano & Lemon Zest Rubbed Chicken

At the supermarket I was ‘savings spotting’ and saw a bargain in these chicken hindquarters at about half price to normal.  The darker meat of the chicken has a richer flavour and is beautiful when infused with herbs & zest, then roasted.  In my pantry I always have some mini potatoes, baby spinach and a few lemons and the asparagus was so fresh it was hard to resist (but you could sub in steamed sugar snaps or green beans - you’re just after a fresh & healthy steamed veg add-in).

Thyme, Oregano & Lemon Zest Rubbed Chicken

4 chicken hindquarters

Fresh thyme & oregano

1 lemon

Olive oil

Seasoning

Bunch of asparagus

Fingerling potatoes

Baby spinach

Minced garlic

Knob of butter

To create your rub, simply chop your herbs, zest your lemon and add these to a small bowl with a good glug of olive oil, generous seasoning and the juice of half the lemon.  Combine & rub into your hindquarters to marinate for 1 hr in the fridge.

Preheat your oven to 180C/350F and drizzle a little oil into your roasting tray before adding your flavour-infused hindquarters.  Bake for 40-45 mins until you see the flesh begin to come away from the bone at the leg and you have a lovely golden glow through the skin.

In the mean time, get a pot of water on the boil and add your potatoes when there’s 20mins left on your timer until the chicken is ready.  Time for your obligatory glass of wine - try a sauvignon blanc.  Boil these for 5-10 mins then add your asparagus to the pot (dependent on how thick your spears are, cooking should be 5-10mins).  Drain potatoes and asparagus, keeping the asparagus to one side, and return your spuds to the pot where you’ll then add a knob of butter, ½ tsp of finely minced garlic (from a jar is A-OK), seasoning and four good handfuls of baby spinach.  Pop on the lid and give the pot a good shake then leave to one side while you serve up.

Plate up with the steamed potatoes & wilted spinach down first, then rest your hindquarter on top, with the asparagus resting to one side.  Be sure to lap up all of those delicious pan juices from the chicken and spoon over your chicken.

ENJOY! 

| SIMPLE | DELICIOUS | NO-FUSS | 

Try it and let me know what you think!  

Daisy Angela x

Follow my food styling inspirations & recipe ideas on 

Pinterest http://pinterest.com/DaisyAngela/becauseagirlsgottaeat/ 

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Because A Girl's Gotta Eat...

I’m a girl who LOVES to cook!

Growing up with my mother’s dinner parties, my grandparents ethnic delights and watching cooking shows since I was 10, I suppose I’m lucky to have been surrounded by such gorgeous food my whole life.  I’m now nearing 30 and find so much joy in cooking.

I approach cooking in several lights…

1. Am I out to impress?
Should there be a level of sophistication in terms of flavour & presentation OR am I recreating a hearty old time favourite in a modern way?  Finesse can be simple, but still impress.

2. Am I on a budget?
I’m so lucky that my years of cooking & paying attention to the menus of wonderful restaurants pay off when I’m on a budget!  Being able to shop smart, by choosing ingredients that are on special at the grocery store, means $$$ are saved.  If you need a little help with your inspiration, try typing in your key ingredient into the search function on http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/content/recipes/ Save the link on your mobile and search right from the supermarket! *the joys of technology

3. How involved do I want to be?
Sometimes you have the time to make a salsa from scratch and boy the fresh flavour is worth it.  But other times you have other priorities like getting stuff done around the house or catching up with your sweetheart!  For those times when you don’t want to be caught up at the stove, it’s so handy to have a few oven bake or slow cook options up your sleeve.

4. Is it a balanced meal?
I will ALWAYS try to sneak in some extra goodness, where ever I can.  I’ll add extra veg as much as possible BUT I do still appreciate the flavour beautiful, creamy butter brings to the table.

5. When was the last time I cooked this?
We all have favourites and dishes we finish and say ‘YES! I must do that again..’ But I promise that if you keep repeats to every 3 - 4 weeks, the more you cook with new inspiration, the more you’ll learn and then you’ll have a full repertoire of delicacies to dazzle your diners.

That pretty much summarizes my approach to cooking, aside from the fact that I LOVE a shortcut to make life easier.  I’ll share with you my own recipes, favourites by others and hopefully together we’ll have a lot of fun in the kitchen!

Bon Appetit - Daisy Angela x

Follow my food styling inspirations & recipe ideas on
Pinterest http://pinterest.com/DaisyAngela/becauseagirlsgottaeat/
Twitter http://twitter.com/deGirlsGottaEat

* image courtesy of Pinterest - photography credits N/A