Zanzibari Orange and Clove Polenta Cake

 After watching a new cooking  program  on SBS (The spice trip), I had to try this Zanzibari cake with oranges and cloves.  
To me personally, cloves were overpowering.  Luckily, there is  someone in my family that like strong flavours and aromas, so whole cake was eaten  over the weekend. 
Next time, I will half the amount of cloves.

Ingredients: (adapted from original recipe)
Cake-
2 organic oranges, diced (whole)
125 g butter, softened
150 g sugar
3 large eggs
2 tsp ground cloves
2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tbs flour
140 g polenta
120 g ground almonds
2 peeled and sliced oranges , extra 
(to lay on the bottom of cake tin)
Syrup-
130 g sugar
1 orange , juice only
1 tsp cloves  
Method:
Switch oven to 180*C, prepare a cake tin, line with baking paper. Place slices of 2 oranges on bottom. 
Cook diced oranges in a little water. Take out and cool, then process or chop finely.
Meanwhile, cream butter and sugar; add eggs one by one. Mix in oranges (puree) and  all other ingredients. Pour cake batter over the sliced oranges. Place in oven and bake for 1 hour. 
Cook 130 g sugar with juice of 1 orange, until syrupy, add cloves. When cake is baked, turn over on a serving dish and pour syrup over it. Cool, then slice and enjoy!

Zanzibarski Palenta Kolač od Narandži i Karanfilića

Na jednom od Australijskih televizijskih programa (SBS), pocela je nova emisija o zacinima i kuhanju koja se zove 'Put zacina'. Nakon gledanja emisije o Zanzibaru i karanfilicima koji se tamo uzgajaju, morala sam isprobati ovaj kolac. Meni licno je bio previse aromatican, ali na srecu u mojoj kuci postoji neko ko voli jake arome,  tako da je cijeli kolac ipak bio pojeden za vikend. Sljedecu put cu sigurno umanjiti kolicinu karanfilica za pola!

Potrebno:
Kolac-
2 neprskane narandze, isjecene (cijele)
125 gr maslac, omeksalog
150 gr secera
3 veca jaja
2 k praha kakranfilica
2 k praska za pecivo
1 1/2 K brasna
140 gr palente
120 gr mljevenih badema
2 oguljene i izrezane narandze, dodatno 
(za postaviti na dno obruca)
Sirup-
130 gr secera
1 narandza, iscijedjen sok samo
1 k praha karanfilica
Nacin:
Ukljucite rernu na 180*c, pripremite obruc za kolace i prekrijte ga papirom za pecenje. Izrezite 2 oguljene narandze i postavite na dno obruca.
Skuhajte cijele (izrezane) narandze u malo vode; izvadite i prohladite. Isjeckajte u sjeckalici ili rucno (veoma fino).
Izmiksajte maslac sa secerom, dodajte jedno po jedno jaje, pire od narandzi i ostale sastojke. Uspite preko postavljenih narandzi i stavite peci oko 1 sat.
Skuhajte preostali secer sa sokom jedne narandze; treba da se malo zgusne. Kada je kolac pecen, okrenite ga na posluzavnik i prelijte ovim sirupom. Prohladite, onda rezite i uzivajte.

Mechoui - North African Style Lamb Roast

Recipe found in book called "The Butcher" (Leanne Kitchen). Mechoui is dish prepared in many countries of North Africa (Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, Western Sahara, Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Mauritania, and Libya). Absolutely delicious!
Happy Christmas to my Orthodox friends!

Ingredients:
2 kg(+) leg of lamb
50 g(+) butter, soft
3 garlic cloves, crushed
3 tsp coriander
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp paprika
1/2-1 tsp sea salt
1/2 cup water
Method:
Preheat oven to 220*C.
Make 1-2 cm incisions all over the lamb. Mix all the spices with butter; rub this past all over the lamb, pushing into incisions. Place lamb into a deep roasting pan; pour water into it. Roast for 10 min, baste with pan juices, then lower temperature to 160*C. Roast for another 3 hours, basting every 20 minutes. Take out of oven, let it rest 15 min before carving. Serve with spice mix of 1 tbs ground cumin and 1 tsp salt (optional) - for dipping.




Pečena jagnjetina na sjeverno-Afrički način

Srećan Božić mojim Pravoslavnim prijateljima!

Potrebno:
2kg (+) jagnjeci but
50 gr(+)maslaca, omeksalog
3 cena bijelog luka, isjeckanog / protisnutog
3 k korijander praha
2 k kima, prah
1 k paprike u prahu
1/2-1 k soli
1/2 solje vode
Nacin:
Zagrijte rernu na 220*C.
Napravite 1-2 cm ubode u mesu. Pomijesajte sve zacine sa maslacem. Natrljajte meso sa ovime, uguravajuci u ubode (kao špikovanje). Postavite jagnjetinu u dublju posudu za pecenje, zalijte vodom. Stavite u rernu na 10 min, zatim prelijte sokovima koji su se ocijedili, smanjite temp na 160*C i pecite jos 3 sata. Zalivajte meso sokovima od pecenja svakih 20 minuta. Kada je gotovo, izvadite meso i ostavite odmarati jos 15 minuta prije rezanja. Servirajte sa mjesavinom od 1 K kima u prahu i 1 k soli (po zelji)- za umakati / soliti.