Chocolate Bacon "NOT Gingerbread" Cake House

Technically, this is not a Gingerbread House. It's a rustic looking ski lodge for Santa that is made from chocolate bacon cake with chocolate and maple frosting. It has a bacon thatch roof and the main door is made of pepperoni salami.

This crazy idea has been buzzing in my head after reading about the DON's competition from Nuffnang. It's inspired from the Chocolate Bacon Cupcakes recipe by Helen (Grab Your Fork) and Bacon Baskets recipe by Suze (Chocolatesuze).

Christmas Recipe - Chocolate Bacon "NOT Gingerbread" Cake House

Let me guide you through the constructions of this fun house:

Method

1. Bake a chocolate-bacon cake using a 18.5 x 11.5 cm loaf pan. I use the chocolate bacon cupcakes recipe from Grab Your Fork. Adjust the baking time to 40 minutes. Let it cool completely.
2. Make the maple frosting (Recipe available from HERE) and chocolate frosting (recipe available HERE).
3. Make the bacon thatch roof. Trim off all rind and fats from the bacon slices (this will prevent shrinkage and will give the roof a nice flat square shape). Cut the bacon into long thin strip (10 cm in length) and weave into a 9 x 9 cm square.
4. Place the bacon on a sheet of paper towel and cover it with another paper towel. Microwave it for 2-3 minutes or until the bacon is brown and crisp. Make 2.
5. Cut the cake loaf into two equal size pieces and trim each piece to a 9 x 9 cm square. Further trim one of the squares to a triangle. Spread a layer of chocolate frosting on the top of the square piece of cake and stack the triangle piece on top.
6. Spread chocolate frosting on all surfaces and attach the bacon roof.
7. DON's pepperoni salami has the perfect shape and texture to make the rustic main door.
8. Cut the salami as follow to make a 5 cm tall door.
9. Attach the salami door to the wall that is covered with chocolate frosting. Pipe a small dot of maple frosting and attach a silver cachous as the door knot. Attach a colourful chocolate candy on top of the salami door to reassemble the Christmas wreath.
10. I use chocolate coated liquorice to give this house a winter log cabin feel.
11. Attached the chocolate coated liquorice on all walls that has already been covered with chocolate frosting.
12. Pipe the maple frosting around the roof to decorate. Add silver cachous on maple frosting for more festive feel.
13. For the chimney, I use yogurt coated raspberry liquorice.
14. Slice the liquorice in an angle that will make it sitting well on the roof.
15. Pipe a little maple frosting on the sliced angle and attach it to the roof.
16. Pipe a little more maple frosting on the chimney and decorate it with more silver cachous.
17. Place a skiing Santa figure next to the newly completed ski lodge.

Gypsy Eggs (Huevos a la Flamenca)

Huevos a la Flamenca is a traditional Spanish dish. It's also known as baked eggs - Gypsy style. What's great about this dish is that you can throw in anything that is available in your pantry or fridge and whip it up for dinner in less than 15 minutes.

Gypsy Eggs (Huevos a la Flamenca)

Gypsy Eggs (Huevos a la Flamenca) (Serves 4)

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 4 slices prosciutto or jamon, cut into strips
• 1 chorizo, thinly sliced
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 x 400 g cans chopped tomatoes
• 300 ml chicken stock
• 1 tsp smoked paprika (pimenton)
• 1 cup (120 g) frozen peas, thawed
• 4 eggs
• 1 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves
• Grilled bread, to serve

Method

1. Heat the oil in a frypan over medium heat. Add the prosciutto and chorizo and cook for 2 minutes, stirring, until beginning to crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel.
2. Add the onion to the frypan and cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes until softened.
3. Add the garlic, tomatoes, stock, paprika and fried prosciutto and chorizo, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 15-20 minutes until the mixture has thickened. Season with salt and black pepper.
4. Add peas for final 2 minutes until just tender.
5. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180C.
6. Divide tomato mixture among four 300 ml baking dishes.
7. Make an indent in the centre of each dish, then crack an egg into the indent.
8. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes or until the egg white has set but yolks are still soft.
9. Sprinkle with parsley and serve immediately with bread.

Claypot Chicken Rice with Lap Cheong (Chinese Sausage)

I love a good rice dish cooked in a claypot. This is the second rice dish I have made using a claypot. I have posted the Tom Yum Prawns Claypot Rice recipe back in May.

Claypot Chicken Rice with Lap Cheong (Chinese Sausage)

Claypot rice dishes make easy and wonderful one-pot dinners. It's very popular in Malaysia and it's a must try whenever you visit Malaysia.

Two of the essential ingredients in the Claypot Chicken Rice are Shitake Mushrooms and Lap Cheong (Chinese Sausage ??).

Lap Cheong is a dried, hard sausage usually made from pork and a high content of fat. It is normally smoked, sweetened, and seasoned. When I was young, my mum used to steam the Lap Cheong and served it with plain rice for dinner. It's one of the best comfort food from my childhood.

Claypot Chicken Rice Recipe

(Adapted from My Kitchen Snippets)

Ingredients

• 1 Chinese sausage
• 4 chicken thighs – cut to bite size pieces
• 2 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 tbsp dark soy
• 2 tbsp light soy
• 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 1 tsp cornflour
• 2 tbsp of rice wine
• 1 inch ginger, julienned
• 1 tsp of salt
• ½ tsp of pepper
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 3 spring onions, chopped finely
• 5 dried shitake mushrooms, soaked in warm water for 20 minutes
• 2 cups rice
• 3 cups chicken stock

Method

1. Mix the chicken with all the ingredients except the rice, mushrooms, spring onions and stock. Leave to marinade for at least half an hour.
2. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a wok and stir-fry marinated chicken meat for 1 minutes. Add mushroom slices, sliced Chinese sausage. Dish out and put aside.
3. Put the rice and chicken stock in the cold claypot and place it over a medium heat with the lid on. Bring to the boil and immediately reduce the heat to a low simmer, then leave the rice to steam for 15 minutes. The rice should be nearly cooked, with little holes in the flat surface.
4. Spread the chicken mixture all over the top of the rice, and put the lid back on. Continue to steam over a low heat for another 15 minutes, until the chicken is white and cooked through. Give it a few stir and sprinkle the spring onions over the top and serve piping hot.

Spanish Chorizo Meatballs with Garlic Aioli

How gorgeous are these Spanish Chorizo Meatballs? You can serve them with garlic aoili or on their own, they are perfect for a cocktail party or a tapas dinner. Even better, you can make them under 10 minutes. Don't believe me? Take a look at the recipe:

Spanish Chorizo Meatballs with Garlic Aioli Recipe (Makes 20)

Spanish Chorizo Meatballs with Garlic Aioli

Ingredients

• 2 chorizo sausages, finely chopped
• 6 fresh spicy pork sausages (about 500 g total), skin removed
• Oil for pan-frying

Garlic Aioli:

• 1 garlic clove
• 1 tbs lemon juice
• 1 tbs extra virgin olive oil
• 3 tbsp good quality whole egg mayonnaise

Method

1. Place the chorizo and sausage meat in a bowl and mix with your hands until well combined.
2. Shape mixture into 20 balls.
3. Heat oil in fry pan. Fry the meatballs, turning them often until browned and cooked in the centre.
4. To make Garlic Aioli: Place the garlic, lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil and mayonnaise in a small bowl and mix until combined.

Chorizo Sausage, Mushroom and Green Pea Risotto

It's Autumn in Sydney. Chilly and windy today. My hubby Mr. J and my daughter Little Miss C have gone for her soccer (football) training in the evening. I quickly whipped up this quick and easy no fuss risotto. They gobbled up their plates of steaming hot risotto as soon as I served them up on the table! Perfect winter warmer. YUMMY!!

Chorizo Sausage, Mushroom and Green Pea Risotto Recipe (Serves 4)

Ingredients

• 2 cups Arborio rice
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, sliced
• 6 large button mushrooms
• 2 Chorizo sausages, sliced
• 1 cup green peas
• 6 cups hot chicken stock
• 6 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Additional Parmesan cheese to sprinkle on top

Method

1. Heat half the oil in a saucepan over moderate heat and pan fry Chorizo sausage until lightly browned 3-4 minutes. Remove from pan.
2. Reduce heat to medium and pan fry onions and mushrooms in remaining oil, 2 minutes. Add rice and cook for 2 minutes, stirring continuously.
3. Add 1 cup of stock at a time, stirring until absorbed before each new addition (about every 5 minutes). Continue until rice is tender, about 25-30 minutes. Stir in Chorizo sausage and peas in the last 5 minutes.
4. Stir in Parmesan cheese and season to taste. Serve immediately.