Green Tea Cupcakes

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup white sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup creme (or half/half)
2 teaspoons matcha green tea powder



Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 farenheit (175 celcius).

Cream together butter (softened), vegetable oil, sugar and eggs. Mix in flour, vanilla, and baking powder. Mix in creme and matcha green tea powder.

Fill paper cup cake cups (or greased cup cake tin) 3/4 of the way full until mix is gone (should make about a dozen). Place in oven to cook about 20 minutes.

Serve warm or cold (photographed with black sesame ice cream).

Watermelon Lime Refresca

Ingredients:
3 cups seedless watermelon
2 limes
2 tablespoons lime juice
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 liter (1.5 quarts) sparkling water












Directions:
Place watermelon in a food processor and puree. Using a strainer, strain the watermelon juice into a pitcher that is large enough to hold about 1.5 liters. The pulp can be thrown out.

Cut limes into 1/6 wedges and add to the watermelon juice. Add sugar, salt and lime juice and stir well until mixed. Gently pour in sparkling water and mix well with watermelon/lime mixture.

Serve immediately over ice.

Carmelized Carrots and Zucchini

Ingredients:
4 Carrots
1 medium Zucchini
1 tablespoon brown sugar (or cane sugar)
1 tablespoon butter (or margarine)








Directions:
Cut, wash and peel the carrots. Cut the carrots in half and then slice diagonal. Your slices should be relatively thin so that the carrots cut quickly.

Wash the zucchini. Cut the zucchini in half and the slice diagonal. Your slices should be relatively thin so the zucchini cooks quickly.

Heat a pan on a medium high heat and place butter to melt. Once the butter is melted and the pan is hot, place the carrots in the pan and saute them for 3 minutes. Add in the zucchini and saute with the carrots for another 3 minutes.

When the zucchini and carrots begin to get the nice brown edges from the saute add in the sugar and mix well. Cook for another 3-5 minutes while the sugar carmelizes.

Serve hot.

Rhubarb and Rasberry Confit Parfait

Ingredients:
1 cup (approx. 130 grams) chopped Rhubarb
1 cup (approx. 130 grams) Raspberries
3 tablespoons (50 ml) white sugar
3/4 (175 ml) cup water
creme patissiere, custard or vanilla pudding







Directions:
Chop rhubarb and place in a sauce pan with water and sugar. Make a rhubarb reduction by boiling the mixture over high heat until the majority of the water is evaporated. Reduce the heat and stir frequently as the remaining water evaporates. The mixture should be the same consistency as a pancake batter. Remove from heat.

Smash the raspberries with a fork until they are the same consistency as the rhubarb reduction. Mix the raspberries and rhubarb together and let cool.

Prepare creme patissiere, custard or vanilla pudding according to the directions.

In a dessert cup add a layer of cream, custard or pudding. Then add a generous spoonful of the rhubarb/raspberry confit on top of the cream, custard, or pudding. Spread evenly and then add another layer of creme, custard, or pudding.

Chill in the refrigerator for an hour. Serve with fresh fruit on top.

Roasted Roma Tomatoes

Ingredients:
4-6 Roma Tomatoes
Olive Oil
Balsamic Vinegar
Thyme
Basil







Directions:
Preheat oven to 300 degrees farenheit (150 celcius). Cut Roma tomatoes in half length wise and organize them with the flat side up into an oven safe glass dish. Add a dash of salt and pepper to the tomatoes. Lightly sprinkle the tomatoes with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Roughly chop the thyme and basil leaves and place on top of tomatoes. Place dish in oven and allow tomatoes to roast 2 hours (no need to stir or turn the tomatoes).

Remove after about 2 hours and serve warm.

Virgin Sangria

Ingredients:
1 quart (1 liter) natural red grape juice (no sugar added)
1 cup (250 ml) natural unfiltered apple juice (no sugar added)
1 cup (250 ml) carbonated water
1 teaspoon lemon juice (5 ml)
6 strawberries
1 orange (blood orange preferred)
1 cinnamon stick
2-3 cardamom pods












Directions:
Combine grape juice, apple juice, lemon juice and carbonated water and mix well. Cut strawberries in half and add to juice mixture. Slice orange and add slices to juice. Add whole cinnamon and cardamom to juice. Mix well and let the juice sit for 5-8 hours with the fruits and spices.

Remove spices and serve over ice.

Roasted Aubergine Crisps with Goat Cheese and Honey

Ingredients:
1 medium sized Aubergine (Eggplant)
Goat Cheese
Olive Oil
Balsamic Vinegar
Honey







Directions:
Slice aubergine in 1/2 inch (1 centimeter) slices. Sprinkle aubergine slices with corse sea salt and let them sit for a hour. This process will help draw out the water so that the aubergine are crispy after baking. After an hour wash the aubergine thoroughly to remove all the salt and pat dry. Place aubergine on oven safe glass pan add pepper then brush lightly with olive oil.

Place into a preheated over at 375 farenheit (200 celcius) for 30 minutes. Then remove and flip the aubergine and place back in preheated oven for another 30 minutes.

Once the aubergine have cooked for an hour, remove from over and place about a table spoon of goat cheese on each aubergine slice and spread evenly. Drizzle the goat cheese on each aubergine with about a 1/2 teaspoon honey. Place in oven for 10-15 minutes or un
til the goat cheese is turning golden on top.

Remove from oven and sprinkle lightly with balsamic vinegar prior to eating (I suggest using a fig or other fruit infused balsamic).