A taste of childhood

This beautiful mess is a family favourite recipe from my childhood. Fond memories of this one.

Oatmeal Cake

Ingredients
1 cup oats or oatmeal
1 1/2 cup boiling water
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup caster sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/3 cups self-raising flour
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon bicarb soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Icing
1/2 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons cream (I used natural yoghurt)
1 teaspoon vanilla 
1/2 cup chopped nuts (I used roasted walnuts)
1/2 cup shredded coconut

Method
Pre-heat oven to 160C.

If you're using whole oats, then blitz them in a processor or blender to make oatmeal. 

Place them in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Leave aside to cool.

Cream butter and sugars, adding eggs one at a time until well mixed. Add vanilla and oat mixture, stir well.

Sift in the flour, spices and bi-carb and add salt, stirring to combine. 

Pour into a lined cake tin (about 22cm) and bake for 40 minutes.

When cool, make the icing by placing the butter, sugar and cream in a saucepan and bring to the boil.

Remove from heat and add vanilla, coconut and nuts, mixing well. 

Ice on cooled cake (more like pour over the top and watch the deliciousness dribble down the sides).

Enjoy! 

Citrus

This recipe comes courtesy of Liz Brennan from Moora Citrus.  

Liz tells me that this is a Brennan family favourite for Christmas lunch, using their beautiful late season seedless Valencias.

You don’t have to wait until then though, as there are an abundance of juicy Navel oranges in season right now which would work just as well, especially when teamed with local WA pork, olive oil and fortified wine.

Not surprisingly, supporting local producers can be quite a tasty and rewarding exercise!

Spicy Citrus Pork

Ingredients

1kg Linley Valley pork loin on the bone, skin scored

Juice of 8 Moora Citrus oranges

1/4 cup (60ml) Olive Farms Tawny

2 tbs Dandaragn Estate extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)

8 garlic cloves

1 tbs dried oregano

1 tbs ground cumin

1 tbs ground allspice

1 dried chilli

1 tsp ground nutmeg

1 tbs black peppercorns

1 tbs sea salt

Steamed rice and greens to serve

Method

1. The night before place garlic, oregano, cumin, allspice, chilli, nutmeg, peppercorns and sea salt in a small food processor and whiz into a paste. Transfer to a non-metallic bowl and stir in the Dandaragan Estate EVOO and half the Moora Citrus orange juice. Add the Linley Valley pork to the bowl and rub the marinade into the meat. Cover with plastic wrap and chill overnight to marinate.

2. The next day, preheat the oven to 240C. Remove the meat from the fridge, take it out of the marinade and transfer to a roasting pan, add about 1/3 cup (80ml) cold water to the pan. Spoon half the marinade over the top of the pork and roast for 15 minutes. Reduce the over to 180C and roast the pork, basting frequently with the remaining marinade for a further 30-45 minutes until tender and cooked through. Once cooked, transfer the pork to a board and rest, covered with foil, for 15 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, make the sauce. Place the roasting pan over high heat. Add the remaining Moora Citrus orange juice, 1/4 cup (60ml) of the Olive Farms Tawny and any leftover marinade liquid. Cook, stirring, for 8-10 minutes until slightly thickened. Transfer sauce to a serving bowl.

4. Slice the Linley Valley pork loin and serve it on a platter with rice and greens, with the spicy citrus sauce on the side.

Photo courtesy Liz Brennan, Moora Citrus