I come back home absolutely wiped out each evening. Which means, I rarely have time to even think about dinner much less spend hours making it. Yet, I want to engage with my food and not rush through the motions. Most days, I still manage to cook fresh meals; meals that are nourishing and interesting.

I have discovered that the trick is to keep it simple. Few ingredients. Best quality I can afford. Seasonal, as much as possible. Slow cookers. Quick sautés. A few roasts. All, so I spend less time in making the meal and more time relishing it.

What I love about such a dish is that everything is usually always around in your pantry. If you don't have the exact ingredients, it is really easy to substitute with what you do have. No cilantro? Throw in parsley or a bunch of basil. No spagetti? Throw in whatever pasta you have or even better make your own with some flour, water and oil and, maybe, an egg, although I would not be particular.

You will have to bear with my story (oh yes! today, I have one) because at the end of it... There is CAKE!! But, more importantly, also Custard, or, if you want to be fancy, Crème Anglaise (English cream). The latter is important because that is the crux of this story that spirals out like Arabian Nights in sequence. So, rewind to Saturday evening.... {Read the story from the link below}

Now about that cake. This would be my go to chocolate cake. It is simple. Flour, cocoa powder, egg, milk, raw sugar, butter or oil. Typically, I would make it with regular flour but since my wheat allergy, I have been playing pantry with gluten free stuff.

This is a simple chocolate cake. I mix olive oil and butter in equal parts for the fat part. Oil makes it moister and the butter tastier. But you can equivalent volume of one or the other. I like eating it right from the cake pan (hence the missing chunk in the photos). But you can just easily, frost it or serve with custard. Pretty much do what you want with it. It is a basic recipe.

NOURISHED BLOG

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More Cake? With Custard! Or when to draw the line...