Cold as ice: Any-weather iceblocks

This post has been a long time in the making.

I started it on a warm weekend that included my first time driving on a proper highway, falling asleep on a sunny stoop with a book in my hand, unexpected encounters with friends and stroopwafels for breakfast.

Now I’m finishing it on a week day in which I’m drinking soup, wrapped in a blanket, and wearing woollen socks (which aren’t helping, I think my feet may fall off).

There is no good excuse, I was just too lazy to finish writing it up. Another thing there is no good excuse for is not making iceblocks. The moulds cost about $2, they are super quick and easy and, despite what people say, there is no inappropriate weather for an iceblock.

Freeze time: at least 5 hours. Don’t, like me, wake up late on a day when you’ve told people to come round for iceblocks at 3pm then think you can just ‘whip some up’. Unless, like me, the freezer angel is looking out for you and you are prepared to work like a maniac to churn out 4 batches of different flavoured iceblocks in an hour.

Avocado and Lime iceblocks
1 avocado
1 lime
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
pepper to taste

Bring sugar and water to the boil until sugar is dissolved then allow to cool
Scoop out the avocado and blend in a food processor (or I mashed it by hand, still works great) along with lime juice, pepper and sugar syrup to taste
Scoop (pour is not an appropriate word in this case) into iceblock moulds and freeze

Watermelon, mint and gin iceblocks
1/2 watermelon, chopped into pieces
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1/2 lime
1/4 lemon
2 Tbsp chopped mint
Gin (not too much or they won’t freeze very well)

Bring sugar and water to the boil until sugar is dissolved then allow to cool
Mash/blend watermelon along with sugar syrup, lemon, lime, gin and mint (again add all ingredients to taste)
Pour into moulds and freeze

Mango, passionfruit and strawberry lassi iceblocks
1/2 mango
1 passionfruit
6 strawberries, chopped
1/2 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup yoghurt
pinch of cinammon

Mash mango with coconut milk and yoghurt, mix in strawberries, passionfruit pulp and cinammon (you know the drill, to taste, including if you think you need to add any sugar syrup)
Pour into moulds and freeze

Spiced hot chocolate iceblocks
2 cups milk
2 squares dark chocolate
1 Tbsp cocoa
1 Tbsp sugar
pinch nutmeg
pinch cinnamon
pinch salt
chili flakes

Heat milk and spices over a low heat until warm
Add chocolate (if you don’t have any just add more cocoa), cocoa, sugar and salt and heat till hot but not boiling, whisking continuously
Allow to cool
Pour into moulds and freeze

Advertisement

Snuggling under a blanket alone: Lavender hot chocolate

Tonight was the first night I have come straight home from work by myself and spent the night hanging out with myself in close to two months. I quite like to be alone once in a while, and two months is a long time so I celebrated by stealing lavender from my neighbours and working it into a tried and true recipe.

Lavender hot chocolate
1 mug of milk (use the one you’re drinking out of to measure)
1 Tbsp cocoa (try to use decent stuff) or to taste
1/2 Tbsp brown sugar (or if you like it sweeter match one for one)
2 sprigs lavender

heat the milk and lavender over a low heat
once warm add the cocoa and sugar
whisk till hot, but don’t let it boil

I don’t like floral tasting things very much but this was good, too good to stop and take a photo of. It has also been a great night, I suggest you take yourself on a date more often if this is something you don’t do enough.

Long weekend comfort food for one: Mexican hot chocolate and pork ribs

I’ve been wishing for a weekend of rain and miserable cold weather. Today I got my wish, however, I should have been more specific as I had in my head visions of sleeping in, watching movies and eating practically non-stop in a toasty warm house for 3 days. NOT of biking in the driving rain to get the ingredients for my perfect weekend.

But blessings sometimes come in watery, 10 degree celcius disguises as I finally managed to not only befriend one of the ladies at Casa Iberica (this is quite a feat as she has to be one of the toughest nuts to crack, even if you speak Spanish, and unless you count knowing the words ‘Caliente’ and ‘Hola’ as speaking Spanish I definitely do not come under this category) but also do an entire grocery shop without setting foot in a supermarket

When I finally I walked through the door at home, despite being rather soggy, with a good book and hot chocolate in the works the only way was up.

Mexican hot chocolate
*1/2 disc Ibarra hot chocolate (or Abuelita)
*1 cup (as in the cup you’ll be drinking from, not a measurement cup)

*Chop or crush the disc into small pieces and mix with the milk in a saucepan
*Heat over a low heat, whisking so it doesn’t burn and it gets nice and frothy, until completely combined
*Done!

What better way to top off a semi-productive day than with sweet and spicy pork ribs, homemade chips and a tamarind jarritos followed by toasted pineapple with coconut sugar?

Rainy day pork ribs
*1/3rd cup honey
*1/4 cup tomato sauce
*1/4 cup soy sauce
*1 Tbsp hoisin sauce
*2 tsp chilli flakes
*3 garlic cloves, crushed
*1 tsp olive oil

*Mix together all ingredients and coat pork ribs (I used 3 but for two people I would use 5 or 6 and double the marinade) in a bowl. Leave to marinate for as long as you can, overnight if possible, although I only marinated mine for an hour and they turned out fine
*Preheat oven to 200 degrees celcius
*Line a baking dish with foil then pour in about 2 cups of water, enough to cover the bottom and account for a little evaporation
*Oil a wire rack and place ribs on top, reserving the marinade
*Position the baking tray underneath the wire rack in the oven and bake ribs for about 45 minutes until cooked (make sure to account for size, I had to put one of the larger ribs in 15 mins earlier than the others), turning occasionally and basting with the leftover marinade
*Eat straight away, no cutlery allowed

Pineapple just needs to be toasted up as in my previous pineapple recipe except replace brown sugar with coconut sugar or (if you can’t buy it) a half-half mix of sugar and finely grated toasted coconut

Near perfect day: tick
House clean and tidy: hmmm best not to ask