Leftover Recipe 4: Maltese Pudding

Maltese bread pudding

Method

Tear some bread slices into pieces;  you may also add some pieces of dry cake/cupcakes etc which you might have left-over.  

Add 4 tbs cocoa, 200g sultanas, 3 tbs brown sugar or to taste,lemon and orange zest, 1tsp ground cinnamon, 1 tsp ground cloves, 1 tbs mixed spice, 100g candied lemon peel, 100g glace cherries, 100g pure ground almonds, some pitted dates.  

Mix well and add one cup strong coffee, 3 beaten eggs, 50g melted butter, 2 mugfuls warm water, one glass dry Martini.  Mix well and put mixture in a greased dish and level out.  Add some walnuts on top and sprinkle more cinnamon on top.  Bake in a moderate oven (fan electric 170) for about 45 minutes.  

Once cool add one more dash of Martini.

Leftover Recipe 3 - Courgette and Orange Cake

Courgette and Orange Cake

Ingredients

350g whole courgettes, 200g soft brown sugar, 125ml sunflower oil

3 large eggs lightly beaten, grated zest of 1 orange,1 tsp vanilla extract

100g sultanas, 300g self raising flour, 1 tsp baking powder

for the frosting: 200g full-fat cream cheese, 100g icing sugar sifted, good grating of orange zest

Method

Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Lightly oil and line a 1kg loaf tin with a strip of baking parchment. Finely grate the courgettes, then squeeze out as much liquid as you can with your hands (too much will make the cake soggy). Stir the courgettes with the sugar, sunflower oil, eggs, orange zest, vanilla and sultanas, then fold in the flour and baking powder until they disappear, but don’t overmix. Scrape the mixture into the tin and bake for 50 mins until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean. Remove from the tin and cool on a wire rack. Meanwhile, beat the cream cheese with the icing sugar (don’t overbeat as this can make the mixture too soft), then chill. Spread over the cooled cake, scatter with the zest and chill until ready to serve. Will keep for a week in the fridge.

Leftover Recipe 2: Tomatoe Cake

Tomatoe Cake

Ingredients

1 cup dark brown sugar, 1/2 cup shortening, 2 eggs

3 cups all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder,

1 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp nutmeg, 1 tsp salt, 2 cups peeled, seeded, and chopped ripe tomatoes, 1 cup nut mix.

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 180 F. Grease and flour a 13x9-inch baking pan. In a large bowl, combine the sugar and shortening and mix until creamy. Add the eggs, beating after each. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, and salt. Sift the dry ingredients into the creamed mixture and stir to blend. Add the tomatoes, nuts, dates, and raisins and stir thoroughly. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.

Bake for 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Cool.

 

The final result - fluffy sweet cake perfect with afternoon tea!
Many thanks to Crumbs Bakes who cooked this for us :) 

Leftover Recipe 1: Red Wine Biscuits

Red Wine Biscuits Recipe

  

Probably our most loved sweets this Fresher's! Got some leftover cooking wine? Why not try these biscuits! We made them for a mini-campaign on Food Waste which is a huge issue in Malta. These sweets lean over more towards the savory side and have a tangy, spicy taste. These biscuits were done in collaboration with the amazing Crumbs Bakes, who specialize in sustainable but economical food made from fair trade, local and seasonal ingredients!  Check them out on facebook. Enjoy!

Red Wine Biscuits bring all the Freshers to the stand.

Makes 2-1/2 to 3 dozen

Ingredients

2-1/2 cups all purpose flour, 

1/3 cup sugar

1 tbsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1-1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup dry red wine

coconut oil 

sugar to sprinkle on top

Preparation
In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and pepper. Make a well in the center and add the vegetable oil and wine. Mix thoroughly and refrigerate for about 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 180°C.

To form the biscuits, pinch off 1-inch balls of dough and gently roll into a small log about 1/2-inch in diameter. Bring the ends together to form a circle and pinch to close.

Place the formed biscuits on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush with the coconut oil and sprinkle with sugar on top. Bake for 20 - 30 minutes until solid and slightly crisp on the outside. Note: These cookies do not really brown, so test them after about 15 minutes and time them according to your personal taste.

Cool on wire racks and store in an airtight container.

Greenhouse Malta Opposes Development in ODZ Areas

Greenhouse Malta would like to make it clear that it does not oppose the investment in education. Education is the backbone of any society, and it is essential for the functioning and the prosperity of society. Any investment in education is and will always be welcome.

However the current development at Zonqor point is going to annihilate a grand total of 90,000 square metres. Ecologically speaking, the site hosts different habitats including, garigue, coastal areas and agricultural areas. Furthermore it is home to many different species of flora and fauna, including several birds. Such a development would destroy the little habitat that these species live in.

Another point which has not been stressed enough is that the area of Zonqor point is mostly inaccessible. This means that such a development would also have to include various road networks which would link the University to other areas. This would of course increase the impact of such a project.

The above mentioned factors show that development in Zonqor Point in the form of a University is not sustainable. We expect that this project is held at an alternative site which poses a much smaller harm to the environment.

We are proud to announce that we will be supporting and taking part in a National Protest on the matter on the 20th of June, 10am in Valletta. We urge our members and followers to attend in full force. Mark your attendance and share here.

Youth's Right To Vote No

I would like to voice my opinion on the issue of the youth vote being omitted from voting for the referendum, while 16+ youths can vote for the local councils for the first time.

I had to ask myself, why is that?

Recently KSU (kunsill student universitarji) issued a statement : after issuing a professional poll and taking an internal vote, KSU took a stand against spring hunting, while in full respect of entities that are in favour. This was met by an uproar amongst several (seemingly older) individuals on social media and on online newspaper comments along the lines of ‘Who are you to say so? What do students know about spring hunting?  Did you see these birds while you were in Paceville?’

This is sadly the general attitude towards youth. Even if you possess a Degree, Masters or even PHd, your youth will overshadow your knowledge to the effect of ‘but you do not have enough experience’.

Malta’s literacy rate for youths is among the lowest in Europe. Why is that? Does this mean that youths do not foresee a more favourable future by continuing their education? That is exactly what it looks like to me. If, after graduating, the possibility of a fulfilling, stable paid job is low, what could encourage youths to continue their education, I wonder? And if, after graduating, they are met with scorn when applying for said jobs, and offered acceptable, but uninspiring alternatives, I wonder further.

These are struggles of youth today. They call us the ‘lost generation’ for a reason.

So, what are young people doing exactly that merits respect? Look around you!  What are we doing?

There are so many ways youths are taking an active part in society. The number of youth groups is on the increase, tackling issues such as environment, animal welfare, social issues, gender, politics, arts, music, literature and a myriad of other interests. Active youth are no longer the exception in this society, we are all interested in making a change, meeting people with the same interests, and finding support in a group of like-minded individuals.

Youth is rising above all that is dragging us down in the mundane day to day world we live in.

After a long, 40 hour week of work, what do most young people do in the weekend? Go out in the countryside! Yes, a few minutes of scrolling through your homepage on any Sunday afternoon and you will see Maltese youth flocking to any speck of natural beauty we have, and luckily for us we have a plenty of beautiful spots to choose from.

Getting away from it all and sitting quietly for a picnic, listening to the chirp of birds and feeling the warm sunshine on your face, now where are all your worries?

And you are surprised that youths are on the increase, supporting the SHout campaign with all they’ve got! We are not willing to have the pleasure of a weekly escape into nature, taken away from us, even if for a few weeks.

What about the shooting down of migrating birds on their way to breed? Are all young people vegetarians? Of course not. Different young students will tackle this in different ways:

Most science students are backing the SHout campaign of course. Why is that? Is it because they have no notion of Maltese natural issues? Or is it because their lives revolve around a course designed to teach them about sustainability, ecology and community?

What do the psychology students know about our society, the positive effects that vitamin D and animal companionship have on our psyche?

What do the law students know about Maltese and EU legislation?

What do the history students know about our past in Malta?

What do the medical students know about the effects of lead in our food?

Do the Maltese youth deserve to vote in the upcoming referendum? I’d say they are the ones this issue counts on. The responsibility bears squarely on our shoulders to break the idea of indifference, apathy and laissez-faire of youth, and show the nation that we really are a useful and active part of our society.

We can still do this, even though 16+ students are not allowed to vote in the referendum.

I am positive that on the 11^th April, the youths in Malta will not let us down. They will vote, and they will vote NO.

Elena 

Why No?

During the past few weeks we have witnessed the birth of both the No and Yes campaigns, against and in favour of spring hunting in Malta. Among a multitude of facebook posts, arguments and lively discussions, there is one point which is a bone of contention:

Why is saying ‘NO’ labeled as negative phrasing?

Perhaps it takes you back to childhood, when the people using the word were your teachers and parents. They said No to you when you were doing something wrong. No was the answer of un-cooperation, unwillingness, or lack of.

However growing up as a female in a male-dominated, traditionalist society, NO to me was always a tool of empowerment.

You said NO if something was not ok, if something was making you uncomfortable. No is not the easy way out. No is not for the complacent, sheepish or mindless. It is a willful decision to oppose something that should not be done, to you or to anyone.

And that is exactly how I feel saying NO to spring hunting. It is not out of hatred, arm twisting or sheer pigheadedness…. for me it is a willful decision to oppose something that is NOT OK.

It is NOT OK to shoot migrating birds on their way to breed

It is NOT OK  to bully others into accommodating your selfish wants

It is NOT OK to spread misinformation and fear

It is NOT OK to threaten and ridicule others, while playing the victim

It is NOT OK to hide the truth, because the truth is not pretty

On the 11^th April, you decide what to vote. It is your right, empower yourself, now!

Elena