Mini Hummingbird Bundt Cake

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Hummingbird Cake
Hummingbird cake is a banana pineapple spice cake with a cream cheese frosting from the United States. I have no idea why it is called Hummingbird cake and no one does? The recipe was published by Mrs. Wiggin in Southern Living Magazine in 1978 and was elected the magazine’s favorite recipe in 1990. Some say that the cake is so delicious it makes you hum with happiness while others think the cake is named because it’s sweet enough for hummingbirds (hummingbirds will select only the sweetest of nectar to drink). The first one sounds good to me 🙂 I made little changes to the traditional recipe using coconut oil instead of vegetable oil, reducing the amount of sugar (hummingbirds might not like this), using coconut sugar instead of brown sugar, using flaxseed meal instead of eggs and cottage cheese for frosting. It is similar to making a carrot cake, simply mixing all wet ingredients and dry ingredients, no stand mixer needed. Either making with the traditional recipe or making changes like me, it is lovely using fruits and veggies in baking, a little healthier I guess. And the house smelled incredible while it was being baked in the oven. Beautiful moist flavoursome cake! Try today or weekend…

Hummingbird Cake1Ingredients

150g self-raising flour
50g fine dessicated coconut
50g coconut sugar
1 grated carrot
1 mashed ripe banana
1/4 cup chopped pineapple
1/4 grounded walnut
1 tbsp of coconut oil
1 tsp of molasses
1 tsp of vanilla bean powder
1 tsp of cinnamon powder
1 tsp of coriander ground
1 tsp of baking powder
1/2 tsp of baking soda
100g milk
10g flaxseed meal
a pinch of Himalayan salt

For frosting
1 tbsp of low fat cottage cheese
1 tbsp of raw honey
a handful of walnuts

Preheat the oven to 180. To make flax “eggs”, mix flaxseed meal and milk in a bowl and set aside. Combine grated carrot, mashed banana, coconut oil, coconut sugar and molasses in a separate bowl and then mix with flax “eggs”. Add all dry ingredients (sifted flour and spices) into the wet mixture. Stir to combine with a spatula. Pour the mixture into a prepared baking tin and bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes until cooked. Cool it down and spread frosting on top.

Posted in: Baking, Breakfast, Dessert, My recipes, Snack, Vegetarian

Carrot Muffins, Mediterranean Pasta Salad, Summer Green Salad

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LunchI had one of my friends over for lunch today. I was cooking like a storm, multitasking in the kitchen, which thankfully worked out okay today. She works at the bakery, from 3am to 10am, a bit odd shift. She says she is used to it now though it must be hard getting up that early to go to work when everyone else is still sound asleep. Well I sometimes get up that time and enjoy that hours of quietness, but not for work. She came quite hungry because she had a piece of bread since she got up this morning. Yes, I need to cook some nice food and feed her. I made carrot muffins, Mediterranean pasta salad and Summer green salad for her. We had chit-chats over lunch and coffee for about 4-5 hours. You just lose a track of time when you are with girl friends 🙂

Tiny little seeds are loads of energy-packed nutrition. Flaxseeds among them are one of the best sources of omega-3 fatty acids and lignans. To get the full health benefits, it must be grounded before eating. You can either buy a bag of flaxseed meal which is what I do or you can grind yourself at home.

Flaxseed meal has a rich nutty flavour and numerous health benefits including fighting against inflammation, protecting against heart disease, cancer and diabetes, controlling blood pressure and cholesterol and providing more dietary fibre.

It is also a great egg replacement in vegan baking, called flax “eggs“. A flax seed egg has half the calories of a large chicken egg and much less fat. It is not going to be exactly same as using eggs, but combining flax seeds and water (or non-dairy milk or juice) 1:2 ration will form into a gel, which helps to combine other ingredients together. Use in baking as you would one egg. You can also make a big batch and store in the fridge for up to a week. I made carrot muffins today using flaxseed meal. Recipes follow…
Lunch2Healthy Carrot Muffins

Ingredients

2 grated carrots
2 tablespoons flaxseed meal
100g milk
150g self-raising flour
1/2 cup of oats
50g brown sugar
1 tsp of cinnamon powder
1 tsp of baking powder
a pinch of salt
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 tsp of molasses
1 tsp vanilla extract

Mix all wet ingredients in a bowl and let it sit for 10 minutes to all flax “eggs” to set. Then add grated carrots and dry ingredients and stir. Spoon the batter into the muffin tray and bake in the preheated oven (180) for 20-30 minutes.

Mediterranean Pasta Salad

Ingredients

100g cooked pasta
1/2 cup of chopped spinach
1/2 cup of chopped sun-dried tomato
1/2 cup of chopped green olives
1 tsp of rinsed capers
1/2 cup of lettuce
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp e.v.o.o
salt and pepper to taste

Summer Green Salad

Ingredients

1 cup of cooked lentils
1/2 cup of peas
1 bunch of broccolini
1 bok-choy
strawberries
1 tsp of tahini paste
1 tsp of apple cider vinegar
1 tsp of maple syrup
salt and pepper to taste

Cook French lentils in hot boiling water for 20-30 minutes. Rinse and drain once it’s cooked. Steam peas, broccolini and bok-choy until they are cooked al dente. Place lentils and vegetables on the plate. Arrange halved strawberries on top. Drizzle a tahini dressing over the salad.

Posted in: Baking, Dinner, Lunch, My recipes, salads

Home Made Granola

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GranolaI used to be obsessed with oats for breakfast. Granola with milk or yogurt, quick oat porridge, oat muffins, etc. It is whole grains and healthy, gives you energy in the morning, yeah! Oats may contain gluten though so if you are gluten-sensitive like me, you need to look for gluten-free oats. Granola is baked rolled oats cereal with nuts and dried fruits. My hubby has a bowl of granola with milk for breakfast, and I normally pick on it when I feel like snacking during the day (Yes, I have been getting my hands on his jar during the day. Sorry Daniel!). Store-bought granola can be loaded with sugar and oil. It is best to make your granola at home to limit the amount of sugar and fat contents. Or look for low-fat granola if you choose to buy from the shops.

Granola has a number of health benefits – fibre, healthy fats, vitamins and minerals. Main ingredients of granola, oats, bran and nuts, contain a good amount of fibre which helps to regulate digestion and prevent constipation. It also controls your blood sugar level and keeps you feel full longer. Good fats from nuts, seeds and coconut oil helps to lower cholesterol, blood pressure and reduce inflammation. Omega-3 fatty acids, a type of polyunsaturated fatty acid, in granola are essential for proper brain function. Granola also contains vitamin E which acts as antioxidant, thiamin and folate which helps energy metabolism and nerve function. Essential minerals such as magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, copper, manganese and selenium are also found in granola.

The recipe is so versatile. You can pretty much add any of your favorite nuts, seeds and dried fruits in the home made granola. Easy, and way cheaper than the store bought kinds!

Granola1
Ingredients

3 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup dessicated coconut
1/4 cup wheat bran
1/4 cup pepitas
1/4 cup dried pineapples
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup coconut oil
1 tbsp molasses
1 tbsp ground cinnamon
1 tbsp cacao powder
1 tsp fine sea salt

In a large mixing bowl, mix together the oats, coconut and wheat bran. Add the wet ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat and stir well. Add the wet mixture (while still warm) to the dry mixture and stir making sure that all of the dry ingredients are fully coated with the wet ingredients. Spread onto a pan lined with baking paper and bake in the oven (180) for 45 minutes. Remove the pan from oven every 10 minutes and stir for even baking and crispiness. Cool granola before pouring into a bowl and adding dried fruits. It will crisp up as it cools.

Posted in: Baking, Breakfast, My recipes, Snack, Vegetarian

Chocolate Bark with Candied Honey Bacon and Pepitas

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Bacon ChocolateHave you had bacon in sweets? I was surprised how many sweets you can create with bacon. Bacon pretzels, bacon ice cream, chocolate bacon, bacon brownie, cupcakes topped with candied bacon… Wow they all sound quirky and amazing! I remember a friend of mine ordered the bacon on waffles with maple syrup when we had brunch together, which I thought it was a very odd combination. Then another time when Daniel and I went to his friend’s BBQ, Michelle made a bacon ice cream. It even made me a bit squeamish, how is that edible? So I had to experiment this bacon in chocolate today. Verdict? Surprisingly I don’t mind it. If you love bacon, if you love chocolate and if you love salty-sweet combination, give it a go. Maybe I can try it in brownies next time? Poor Daniel.. my ginny pig 🙂

Ingredients

4 pieces of rindless bacon
200g dark chocolate buttons
1 tbsp of honey
1/2 cup of pepitas
1 tsp of Himalayan salt
1/2 cup of coconut oil

Place bacon on a baking sheet and drizzle honey all over. Put it in the preheated oven (180) for 30-40 minutes until caramelised. Turn the bacon over about half way and add pepitas last 10 minutes. Cool it down until crisp. Melt the chocolate buttons and coconut oil either in microwave or in double-boiler until it’s all melted and smooth. Cut the bacon into pieces and arrange on a baking paper. Pour the chocolate mixture over the bacon and sprinkle toasted pepitas and salt. Place in the freezer for an hour or more to set.Once the bark is firm, break into pieces and store in the air-tight container in the fridge.

Bacon Chocolate2

Posted in: Baking, Dessert, Gluten Free, My recipes, Snack

Beets and Caramelised Onion Tartlets

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When Daniel went to Korea with me for the first time, I’m sure he had a bit of cultural food shock. My family, especially my mum, tried to give him Korean stamina foods since that’s what we do for the quests. She even cooked a big piece of steak for his breakfast. My uncle gave him a root of ginseng dipped in honey >.< I find we have quite a variety of stamina foods in Korean cuisine such as ginseng chicken soup, grilled eel, fresh oysters, rice and mollusc soup, octopus dishes and herbal medicine. Since then, Korean food must have grown on him. He became a fan of a ginseng chicken soup and fresh oysters, which he never tried and disliked before. Yes, they are quite different to Western stamina foods. But the common thing is that all stamina foods contain complex carbs, good quality of protein, iron and vitamins. Complex carbs produce glucose providing your body energy. Protein is important for growth and development, repair of the muscles and body tissue. Iron for the energy and vitamins for the strong immune system. There is a list of stamina foods in Western world that is oatmeal, beans, coffee, green leafy vegetables, bananas, lean meat, peanut butter, beetroot, red grapes and quinoa. Beetroot! Red dirt earthy taste bomb! I love it so much both in raw and cooked dishes. Studies show regular consumption of beetroot lowers blood pressure,  slows cancer growth, promotes digestive and colon health and boosts stamina. Amazing. So include more beetroots in your diet.

  • Add grated raw beets in your salad for extra crunch and bright red colour
  • Make home made pickles with beets
  • Add grated beets in your chocolate cake for a hint of beetroot flavour, intense colour and moist cake
  • Add into your soup either chunky or pureed
  • Make vegetarian patty burger with grated beetroot
  • Make a nice dip
  • Caramelise in the oven with balsamic and honey for a beautiful side dish
  • Make fresh beetroot juice
  • Make beetroot chutney
  • Any more ideas????

Enjoy health benefits of beetroot!

Beetroot tartIngredients (for 3 little tarts)

For the filling
1 grated beetroot
1 sliced white onion
1 table spoon of balsamic vinegar
1 table spoon of molasses
1 table spoon of pink peppercorn

For the crust
75g rye flour
25g wholemeal spelt flour
1 egg
a bit of cold water
a pinch of salt

Add ingredients for the filling into the deep skillet and cook for 20-30 minutes until they are caramelised. Let it cool aside. For the tart, combine flour and egg. Add water a little by little to get a dough. Divide the dough into three balls. Roll out and put the filling in the middle. Fold the edges around and put it in the preheated oven (180) for 15-20 minutes until crust is cooked. Serve with goat cheese and thyme sprigs on top.

Posted in: Baking, Gluten Free, Lunch, My recipes, Vegetarian