The Corkless Mind

Tag: Lime

  • Olive oil, lime and coconut biscotti. 

    Olive oil, lime and coconut biscotti. 

    It’s been a while since I’ve baked anything, I find the process of baking quite calming and sort of a temporary escape from the real world in exchange for that a realm of whimsy and wonder. Now if only I could escape washing the dishes after the mess that ensues… With my olive oil purchase from Babylonstoren from the Olive workshop, thought I should do something a little out of the ordinary, instead to just use it primarily for cooking and drizzling over salads and luxurious homemade pastas. Whilst flipping through a stack of food magazines early this week, frantically searching for inspiration, I happily stumbled across a recipe for olive oil biscotti, and with zeal recreated the recipe with my own take and improvised here and there. This recipe is for an advertisement for the S.A Olive association, featured in the Fresh Living magazine. 

    The recipe is adapted from the recipe as mentioned above, and thus used as a guideline. I added dried cranberries, cashew nuts, coconut flakes, the zest and juice of two limes, this I find works complementary with the grassy peppery notes of the extra virgin olive oil. 

    Olive oil,lime and coconut biscotti. 


    Ingredients    : 
    1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil 

    250g sugar 

    330g cake flour 

    2 free-range eggs 

    1 tsp bicarbonate of soda 

    1 tbsp vanilla paste 

    1/2 cup dried cranberries 

    100g cashew nuts roughly chopped 

    50g coconut flakes roughly chopped 

    Zest and juice of 2 limes 

    A pinch of sea salt flakes 

    Method    : 
    Preheat oven to 180 degrees C. In a bowl or standmixer beat the oil, eggs, sugar and vanilla paste together. In a different bowl combine the flour and bicarbonate of soda and whisk till combined. Stir into the egg mixture to form a heavy dough. Divide the dough into two, form each piece into a log/roll, as long as your baking tray lengthways. Press down to a 13mm thickness. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool. Once cooled, slice the logs into 13mm slices. Place the slices cut side up and bake for a further 5-10 minutes on either side. Serve with a freshly brewed espresso. 

  • Coconut and Lime Panna Cotta.

    Coconut and Lime Panna Cotta.

    This week to compensate for no ‘unusual suspects’ installment, I’ve been fixated with coconut and lime, so very versatile, from sweet to savoury there’s no limit to what you could do with these beautiful tropical ingredients. Even though it’s full on winter, during the day the sun has been making quite an appearance however with a bitter cold snap lingering. With that in mind, my palate needed some relief from the wintery, hearty stews and rich soups. Inspired by the rich and creamy texture and earthy flavour of coconut and infatuated by the perfumed zesty flavour profile of Lime, I made a coconut and lime Panna Cotta.
    The recipe is a simple Panna cotta one, of which I borrowed off of Delicious. Possibly one of my favourite sites at the moment, so many ideas and inspiration that keeps changing on a weekly basis. I tweaked the recipe a bit to taste. That’s the best thing about recipes, they are mainly guidelines to which you can make it your own and experiment.

    I took these photos in two different sessions in the same day, so as to get an indication for when the best time for the best kind of light is (in winter that is)…  Respectively taken Early morning and late afternoon. I find I am still trying to figure out my style of shooting and styling, this may take some time together with experience.

    I used toasted coconut shavings, coconut milk and lime zest as a garnish.

    “What I’ve enjoyed most, though, is meeting people who have a real interest in food and sharing ideas with them. Good foodies a global thing and I find that there is always something new and amazing to learn . I love it!” – Jamie Oliver.