Dandelion 'Honey', Marigold Mango Flapjacks

A little while back I mentioned that a work colleague gave me not one not two but three jars of her homemade golden Dandelion Honey  which also happened to be accidentally vegan.  

I have been loving the stuff and using it in place of bee honey and golden syrup. I've had it stirred simply in some herbal fruit teas as a  sweetener, used some to mustard glaze some vegetables and here in these Mango, Marigold and Dandelion Flapjacks that I made a while back

These Mango, Marigold and Dandelion Honey Flapjacks were made for breakfast.  I am terrible for eating breakfast in the morning, especially on a working day, so these suit me fine with a cup of coffee when I turn on the works computer to check e mails and such.  

I have used dried mango pieces in these flapjacks, but you can use any other dried fruit, but to keep it in the yellow fruit theme - golden raisins, apricots, peaches.

I have also made a fresh cranberry version, but did not get round to getting a picture of it, which is a shame as I loved how the fresh cranberries had burst and splattered into the oats.

Raw Vegan Butternut, Mango, Orange and Marigold Layer Cake

This is  not a cake 'cake' with a sponge, and its not a cheesecake though on first glance that is how it appears.

This is a Butternut, Mango and Orange Marigold Layer Cake,  which I have also pretentiously dubbed as Sunrise Cake.

The bottom is an almond crust, the middle Mango and butternut Squash filling is infused with Mango sweetness and then the topping finished off with a zingy zesty orange  jelly made with agar agar and then finished off with a light scattering of dried marigold flower petals - all depicting colours of the Sunrise. 

I was impressed with myself, though I have to admit the rice paper butterflies actually look a little out of place, here or maybe dare I say it tacky - I did like the scattering of the dried marigold petals.

This is not a very sweet cake, needs a squirt of (soya) cream to cut the richness of the butternut mango filling and the sharp twang from the orange topping.  Its also a very big cake, you can slice it in 8 pieces generously or in 14 slices.  I took some of it into work and shared it with my friends and some colleagues from omnivores to vegans and told them this Butternut, Mango and Orange Marigold Layer Cake was a Raw, vegan and gluten free cake. They were all very impressed and said they felt virtuous and quite light eating it.  

Turmeric Mango - Apricot Oat Flapjacks

These are British style flapjacks enhanced with turmeric, apricot and mango pieces. 

I don't have breakfast during the working week, so a banana, flapjack and coffee are what gets me to lunch on a working day and today was no different.  

I make flapjacks all the time and vary them wit different dried fruit or fresh seasonal fruit.  Recently its been strawberry flapjacks with strawberries from the garden, but I wanted to experiment a little.  
Turmeric seems to be trendy at the moment, so I thought I would chuck a teaspoon into my flapjacks just for a change.  Not only were the oats a golden autumn yellow, the turmeric also imparted its flavour and that was okay with me as I don't mind turmeric, but D was not overly keen on having these particular ones for his breakfast, saying that his preference was the other ones I usually make.  He thought these were more suited for a snack.

These Turmeric Flapjacks are so easy to make vegan, just replace the butter with a vegan alternative. Just be careful not to overcook them or under cook them.  

Mango, Pineapple and Coconut Irish Soda Bread

What is it with the British weather?!  I had plans for finishing weeding and digging up the garden, so that I could get started with some planting and growing, but the weather which has turned from being dry to drizzle in the last two days. So everything is on hold again.  

I am still recovering from being a bit unwell, so do not wish to venture very far especially in the rain, though we did drive into Abergavenny yesterday and spend a few hours there in the town centre. On the way back home, we stopped at The Secret Garden, a family run garden centre.  We did come home with some flowers, tomato plants and a bird feeder holder.  

Last week, my mother bestowed upon me some fresh mangoes from Sri Lanka, but while I was nestling them in my hands thinking of what to do with them, I was reminded of some dried mango and dried pineapple that I had in my cupboard.  So instead of using the fresh mango, I used the dried fruit for my Irish Soda Bread.  This was perhaps one of my favourite Soda Breads, even D enjoyed what he had.  He regretted not eating much of it as he was still recovering from being unwell.

So what became of the mangoes, they were enjoyed au naturale - all it sweet juices sucked straight from the mango, and squished to softness with my fingers to push out all its succulent golden fruit.  I am sharing this with Utterly Scrummy Food For Families who is hosting Bready Steady Go.  the theme is with bits in, next month the host will be Jen's Food. 

Meet Mangocheeks

Ah I bet you thought you'd be seeing a photograph of me.  Nope, I'm just teasing you with this Mango  Creme brûlée, though it would have been more appropriate had a I shown you a freshly sliced mango cheek!

On the subject of mangoes, a few weeks ago I was tagged by the beautiful LeLa of Touching the sky is easier for birds.  LeLa lives in Tartu, Estonia.  I've been reading Lela's blog for over a year now.  I can't remember exactly who found who, but I like frequenting her space and enjoying reading her views, and looking at the postcards she receives from around the world from fellow bloggers.

Lela would like me to share seven things about me. To be honest, I've been tagged before and found it quite difficult to share 7 things about me that others would find interesting.  I think I am very ordinary, and to be honest rather boring.  So I thought I'd give my readers the opportunity to ask me questions from which I will choose 6 to answer. 

For those of you wondering why I am still blogging as I had mentioned early in the week that we were going to be travelling down South.  Unfortunately, we have both had a stinky cold, so not to pass our germs onto friends and family, the trip to Essex via Wales has been postponed.  We still plan to go as D is eager to see his mother since the fracturing of her wrist, so as soon as we are both feeling much better, our trip will go ahead as originaly planned.  So fellow readers you have plenty of time to think about questions (please do keep them light hearted) and I will respond when I get back from my sojourn.

But I will get the ball rolling with one question that may have crossed your minds - Why Mangocheeks?

Gosh, I can't remember anymore, except that 'mangocheeks' was the affectionate name I gave to my youngest nephew because he was cute, sweet and had the smoothest kissable cheeks that only an Aunty could pull and kiss.  Its also a fruit that is very much part of my life.  My mother is a huge mango fan.  Every year she can't wait for the sweet mangoes to arrive on British shores.  It was also one of the first fruit I was given to eat, the way a ripe apple is given to a child by a mother in the West for teething, well the mango was perhaps the first fruit I really enjoyed eating - bite the mango, baby.

Funnily enough, a number of people have found my blogger name a little uncomfortable. They don't like referring to me as 'mangocheeks' as it conjured up particular images in their head. Had I given my blog name some deep consideration, this may have crossed my mind, but it had not and I was rather surprised and a little bewildered to see how such a innocent name could come mean something else.

And just in case you are wondering where the recipe is for this Mango Creme Brûlée.  Follow this link, it's the same recipe filling for the Creme Mango Lime Tart, but without the lime and the pastry.

Mango Pickle Lentil Pasta Bake

Not only has the fierce wind and rain been bashing parts of Scotland, we have also been warned that we may have the volcanic ash cloud to contend with from the recent Icelandic volcano eruption.

Well when everything seems a little grey and i don't mean just the weather, comfort yourself with food, in this case its a plate of 'Mango Pickled Lentil Pasta Bake'.  Really we should be indulging in early strawberries, zingy rhubarb and spring vegetables, but no we are still cooking with store cupboard ingredients and eating rib sticking food.

Please don't go 'Ugh - Lentil and Pasta - how boring'. I've made a Lentil Pasta before and the lentils lends itself wonderfully as a sleek sauce.  You can describe this Mango Lentil Pasta Bake as a Spiced up version of Macaroni Cheese.  I know the mango pickle sounds strange in a creamy cheesy dish, but take my word for it, it really works.  One of my absolute favourite recipes using Mango pickle is my Dads Achari Aloo (Mango Pickled Roast Potatoes).  The mango pickle is sharp and lifts the creamy element of the pasta which I would normally find just bland.  The cooked lentils also retained a little bite giving this pasta bake texture. I especially liked the golden topping and thoroughly enjoyed breaking into the crispy exterior with my fork.  You could just eat the Red Lentil Mango Dal as it is too,if you so wish.

I am submitting this to Presto Pasta Nights #215. PPN was founded by Ruth Daniels of Once Upon a Feast and each Friday night a different host posts a roundup of pasta dishes submitted by bloggers from around the world. This week PPN is being hosted by Trish of My Slap Happy Kitchen.

Mango Pickle Lentil Pasta Bake

Serves 4 - 6
Ingredients
For the Mango Dal - Red Lentil layer
2 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 onion, finely sliced
2 clove garlic, crushed
160g red lentils
1 x 400g can of tomatoes, chopped
1 tablespoon tomato puree
2 – 3 tablespoons mango pickle, drain the oil. If the pickle is chunky, chop it roughly (or mango chutney)
1 bay leaf
A few drops of hot sauce such as Tabasco to taste
Salt and pepper to taste
For the pasta topping
120g penne pasta
20g butter
20g plain flour
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Optional: 1 tablespoon dreid fenugreek
400ml milk
Salt and pepper to taste
160g Cheddar Cheese, grated
1 teaspoon dried breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon black, brown or yellow mustard seeds (or a mixture of all)
Method
First make the lentil layer: heat the oil in a saucepan and add the onion and garlic. Cover and cook over a low heat for about 5 minutes or until the onion is softened and transparent.
Add the lentils, tomatoes, tomato puree, mango pickle, bay leaf, hot sauce and season to taste. Bring to the boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 20 – 25 minutes until the lentils are cooked and the excess liquid has evaporated, leaving a thick but not dry mixture. Discard the bay leaf and transfer the tomato-lentil base to a deep ovenproof dish.

Preheat oven to gas mark 6.
Now make the past bake topping: bring a large pan of salted water to the boil, add the penne and cook according to packet instructions or until al dente. Drain and set aside.
Melt the butter in another saucepan and ad the flour and cayenne pepper and cook, stirring for a minute. Remove from the heat, add the optional fenugreek if using and then pour the milk in steadily and mix well. Return to the heat and stir until boiling, then lower the heat and simmer, stirring constantly for a couple of minutes.

Stir the cooked pasta into the sauce and season to taste with salt and pepper. Then stir in all but 2 tablespoons of the cheddar cheese. Then evenly spoon the pasta mixture on top of the tomato-lentil layer.

Mix the reserved cheese with the breadcrumbs and the mustard seeds and sprinkle evenly over the surface.

Bake in the oven for 25 – 30 minutes or until the cheese has melted and the topping is golden.

Mango and pecan waffles

I had some mango purée left over from the Crème Mango Lime tart. I'm not one to waste, so I decided to freeze it for future use and that time had come. I was hungry for a sweet Breakfast.

Actually it wasn't that sweet at all, the mango flavour was subtle. Still it was good. On the table we had honey, maple syrup and agave syrup to pour over, but neither of us used them. Instead we both chose to use our home-made Honeydew Melon and Chilli Jelly. Lovely. Licking my lips, I said to D had I made the 'mango and pecan waffles' around lunch time, I would have had them with a scoop or two of vanilla ice-cream.
This recipe makes enough for 4 people, but before you assume that D and me have eaten for them all, let me assure you as greedy as we both are, even we couldn't nosh on them all. The remaining waffles have been put in the fridge and may be reheated tomorrow morning; or maybe this evening, served with vanilla ice-cream, so my wishful thinking earlier may just come true.
Mango and Pecan Waffles*
Serves 4
Ingredients
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup mango purée
2 cups plain flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
Pinch of salt
Handful of pecans, roughly chopped
Method
In a bowl, mix the wet ingredients together.
In another bowl, stir together the dry ingredients except for the nuts. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and combine well. Then gently stir in the pecans.
Cook according to your waffle maker instructions.

*If you want to make a vegan variation of this recipe, please follow this link. This vegan version does not use mango purée, but mango juice and frozen mango chunks. Or follow PPKs recipe for Pumpkin waffles and just replace the pumpkin purée for mango purée .

Crème Mango Lime Tart

You may be interested to note that since starting this blog, I had never posted a recipe that echoes my pseudonym ‘mango cheeks’. Not for lack of wanting, when in season I’ve eaten a number of fresh and ripe mangoes straight from its smooth skin. Softening the fruit with my fingertips and then supping up the sweet puree from its golden yellow and red tinged skin. It is for this reason I’ve not used any mangoes for cooking - it is simply delicious fresh.

Well, finally here is a mango recipe. It is a Crème Mango Lime tart. Sadly it is not made with fresh mango as those I love are not in season yet. This mango recipe is made with tinned mango puree. The tinned mango puree has been sitting in my store cupboard for a little while waiting patiently for its turn to be transformed into something quite yummy; and it did not disappoint. This mango tart filling was sweet, soft and sublime, but there is a 'but'. The pastry base did not work well with the filling, for some reason it did not compliment the mango custardy filling.

When the mango tart came out the oven it was all puffed up. It reminded me more of a cheesecake, than a crème or creme brûlée. I know the pastry in the above image looks a bit messy, but please note I had yet to trim off the excess pastry.

Crème Mango Lime tart
Serves 6 – 8
Ingredients
Follow a reliable sweet shortcrust pastry recipe of your own

Blind bake sweet shortcrust pastry
For the Crème Mango Lime tart filling
200g caster sugar
4 medium eggs
200ml double cream
200ml canned mango purée
Freshly squeezed juice from 1 lime and 1 teaspoon freshly grated zest of unwaxed lime
Method
Preheat oven to Gas mark 4.
Put the sugar, eggs and cream in a bowl and beat with an electric beater. Stir in the mango puree, lime juice and zest. Pour into the pastry case and bake for 30 – 40 minutes or until the tart is just starting to set. Remove from the oven and let cool.
Optional: To take this recipe a step further, you can make this Crème Mango to a Mango Crème Brûlée tart. For this you will need to sprinkle 2 tablespoons of brown sugar over the top and put under a preheated grill or use a cook’s blowtorch to melt the sugar until it is molten and bubbling. Adapted from Jane Noraika New Vegetarian Entertaining.