Greek Green Beans

This dish was made for me by an old friend and I fell in love with it instantly. Vegetarian and healthy, it's simple, delicious and extremely versatile. It's one of those dishes that you can make and keep in the fridge for days, picking at it in between meals or as a quick weeknight meal. It's also great as a side dish. It's best served on crusty bread and topped with crumbled feta, and is delicious served cold.

Ingredients
2 onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 large potatoes, cut into large chunks and parboiled
1/2 cup olive oil
1 kg green beans, topped
3 tins chopped tomatoes
1/2 tsp sugar
salt and pepper
fresh parsley, chopped

Method

1. Fry onions and garlic in a little olive oil until transparent (about 4 minutes)
2. Add beans and fry for a few minutes whilst turning to coat in the oil
3. Add tomatoes and enough water to cover beans
4. Add sugar, salt and plenty of pepper, the remainder of the oil and parsley
5. Cover and simmer for about 40 minutes and then add potatoes, and cook for a further 20 minutes with lid off, until cooked through and the sauce evaporates a little.

Chocolate Mud Cupcakes

These cupcakes make a great alternative to a birthday cake. Each morsel is a bite of heaven; a dense chocolate cake that sticks to the walls of your mouth and a decadent white chocolate ganache that washes it away. A good mud cake recipe is essential to any collection and I think this is it!

Ingredients

180g unsalted butter
180g dark chocolate
1 cup brown sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup plain flour
2 tbsp cocoa
1/4 cup milk

For Ganache
300g white chocolate
150g double cream

Method

1. line muffin tins with cup cake cases
2. melt butter and chocolate over a double boiler
3. stir in sugar, eggs and vanilla and beat well
4. sift in flour and cocoa and then stir in milk
5. bake at 180 degrees for 20 - 25 minutes (depending on how small the cupcakes are).

To make ganache, melt chocolate and cream over a double boiler until just combined. Leave to cool and them put in the fridge until it becomes thick and dense enough to pipe over the cupcakes (about an hour).

Welcome to My Life as a Cook

I have set up this blog to record my recipes, love of food and lifelong cooking journey. Being a compulsive cookbook/recipe collector, my collection of favourite recipes are slowly taking over my home. My Life as a Cook will be their new home, and I think they'll be happy here. I am pleased to share it all with you and hopefully ignite your passion for food and cooking.

Bon apetite!