Chocolate Orange Poppy Seed Cake

This is a variation of a very easy orange cake recipe on the ABC website.
Cooking Time

Preparation 20 min
Baking 30 min
Preheat oven at 180°C

Ingredients
125g butter
3/4 cups caster sugar
1 1/2 cups SR flour
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup poppy seeds
grated zest from one orange
juice from one orange
2 tablespoon cocoa
1 teaspoon vanilla essence

Recipe
1. Preheat oven at 180°C and soak poppy seeds in milk
2.Beat butter, sugar and flour together
3. Beat in eggs, orange juice, vanilla and milk
4. Separate mixture into two bowls mix in cocoa into one half and orange zest into the other half.
5. Spoon in chocolate and orange mix into greased 19cm square cake tray and gently mix to create a marble effect
6. Bake for about 30-40 min on 180°C.

Honey Soy Salmon (Pan fried)

Honey Soy Salmon

Cooking Time
Prep 10 min
Marinate 15 min
Cooking 5 min

Ingredients (Serves 2)
1 large salmon fillet cut into smaller pieces (I like it with the skin)
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 small red chillis slices
1 tablespoon grated ginger
1/2 tomato diced
1/2 tablespoon lemon juice

Recipe

1. Combine ingredients to make honey-soy sauce and marinate salmon pieces in it for 15 min.
2. Lightly oil frying pan and preheat to medium-high.
3. Pan fry salmon pieces on it making sure to drain as much of the sauce off before placing it on the frying pan. 
4. Turn salmon pieces from side to side till they are slightly browned. (Should only take a few minutes)
5. Once salmon has browned flip it so that the skin is facing the frying pan.
6. Pour in marinade and let it simmer for a minute.
7. Serve with rice.

Sri Lankan Lamb Curry

This is a family recipe, which uses a fair few spices to create a very fragrant curry.

Lamb Curry

Cooking Time
Preparation 15 min
Marinating 60 min
Cooking 30 min

Ingredients
500g of diced lamb
1 tablespoon Yogurt
Roasted Jaffna Curry Powder
1 tablespoon grated ginger
1 garlic cloves crushed
1 sprig of curry leaves
Ground Cumin Seeds
Cumin Seeds
Mustard Seeds
1 cinnamon log
5 cloves
1/2 onion diced
2 garlic cloves sliced
1 table spoon of sliced ginger
1/2 tomato diced
1 large green chilli sliced
2 tablsepoons evaporated milk
Oil

Recipe
1. Mix yoghurt, 1 teaspoon of Jaffna Roasted Curry Powder, grated ginger, crushed garlic, and sliced curry leaves  too make a paste and marinate lamb for 1 hour with paste.
2. Fry cumin seeds, mustard seeds, cinnamon, cloves, garlic, ginger and green chillis on medium low heat in a wok.
3. Once garlic starts browning add onions and turn heat to high.
4. Once onions start to brown and lamb and cook on high until its is changes color on all sides.
5. Lower heat to medium and add tomatoes, 1 teaspoon currypowder, some curry leaves and mix.
6. Once tomatoes soften lower heat to medium-low.
7. Cover wok with lid and cook meat until tender. Add water as required. (Stir regularly and feel free to add a few curry leaves every now and then)
7. Bring heat to high, add 1/2 teaspoon of roasted curry powder or 1/3 teaspoon ground cumin and add evaporated milk.
8. Once curry comes to the boil remove from the heat.
9. Garnish with curry leaves
10. Serve with rice or roti bread.

Notes
1. Roasted Jaffna Curry Powder can be bought in certain spice shops. This a recipe to try make it yourself. Alternatively, you can  use other curry powders but the taste will differ depending on what you use.
2. Vary the spices to create your own personal recipe.