Lemon Poppy Seed Cake

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Lemon poppyseed cakeWhen I caught up with my dearest friend from Singapore, she told me that it is illegal to take poppy seeds to their country. I was so surprised. Why??? The reason being is that every gram of seeds has about 33 micrograms of morphine and 14 micrograms of codeine. So…they are happy seeds? 🙂 That’s not enough to cause any ill effects from their use in baked goods, but it is enough to show up as a false positive result in drug tests. These seeds contain several vital minerals like zinc, calcium, magnesium, which is essential for the functioning of your body. They are an excellent source of carbs for energy and omega-3 fatty acids for healthy heart as well.

I just like looking at this cake – little dots of poppy seeds, moist inside and nicely browned outside of the loaf. Plus, it has the nuttiness, the crunchiness and the very distinct flavour from poppy seeds. Toasting these guys creates a nutty and sweet flavour. I think it needs more zingy lemon flavour and sweetness though. So if you have a sweet tooth, definitely add more sweetener or drizzle lemony icing on top. I packed a half of the loaf for my friend to take home. I’ve done so much baking recently and they are not disappearing quickly enough. Cakes, anyone? 🙂

Ingredients

200g self-raising flour
6 eggs
50g brown sugar
1 tbsp of honey
50g olive oil
1 lemon zest and juice
50g of poppy seeds
a pinch of salt

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees and line a loaf pan with a baking paper. Toast poppy seeds in a pan for a couple of minutes until fragrant. Take it off the heat and set aside. Lightly beat the eggs in a mixing bowl. Add all ingredients in and stir to combine. Then pour the mixture into the pan and bake in the oven for 40-50 minutes or until cooked or a skewer comes out clean. Turn onto a wire rack to cool.

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

Chocolate Cake For Weekend Breakfast

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Chocolate CakeFrench press, or plunger, is an easy and consistent way to brew coffee at home. Here is what we do.

  • For one and a bit cups, you’ll need 20 grams (about two tablespoons of beans/ground coffee) and 300ml of boiled water.
  • Drop your freshly ground coffee (6-8g) into your plunger pot.
  • Let the boiling water stand for 1 minute – pouring boiling water over the coffee could burn it, which would give you a cup of coffee with a bitter taste.
  • Pour the boiling water into your coffee cup as well to warm it up.
  • Add the boiled water vigorously (or stir quickly) to wet all the grounds. Let it brew for three minutes. Use a timer or clock if you’re a perfectionist!
  • Plunge it down carefully. If you push the plunger down too quickly, the grains can come up the sides.
  • If you can’t push the plunger down with two fingers then you have ground your coffee too fine, and it may not taste as desired.
  • Pour the brewed coffee into the pre-warmed coffee cup and enjoy!

Chocolate Cake1Ingredients

1/3 cup melted coconut oil
3 tablespoons cacao powder
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup almond meal
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup coconut sugar or brown sugar
1 egg
a pinch of sea salt

Add all wet ingredients in a large bowl. Sift dry ingredients and add into wet ingredients. Stir and combine well with a spatula. Pour the mixture into a cake tin and bake in the preheated oven (180) for 30 minutes or until cooked. Let it cool before you remove from the tin.

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

Corn Fritters with Fancy Sardines

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Corn fritters You often see corn fritters on breakfast menus. There is no rule here. It is good not only for beautiful breakfast menu but also great for lunch or dinner depending on what you serve with. I, in fact, made this for my hubby’s lunch box for tomorrow.

Corn is in season at the moment, packed with full of fibre, vitamin A, B and E. It is sweet and dancing in your mouth. Now onto sardines. Some might dislike its fishy taste and little visible bones in them, but you should be friends with them because they are an amazing nutritional punch. Sardines have a good amount of protein, healthy omega-3 fatty acids, calcium, iron and potassium. They are low on oceanic food chain which means low amount of mercury. Rich in vitamin D, yes, good for your bone health. So eat the sardines! It is great as a whole or smashed on fritters or toast. I made a balsamic onion relish and beetroot horseradish cream to go with the sardines so that they are not too fishy. Adding lemon, balsamic vinegar and olive oil can do a trick.

Ingredients

1 can of sardines in spring water
1/2 cup of buckwheat flour
1 egg
milk
1/2 cup of cooked corn
chopped sun-dried tomatoes
1 tbsp of nutritional yeast
1 tsp of marjoram
1 tsp of all spice
1/2 tsp of curry powder
1/2 tsp of smoked paprika
2 tbsp of coconut oil
1 tsp of olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Mix all of the ingredients in a large bowl and stir well to combine. Heat a pan on medium heat and drizzle with coconut oil. Add a heap tablespoon of batter into a pan and cook 1-2 minute each side until golden. I made four fritters with this batter. Serve sardines, balsamic onion relish and beetroot horseradish on the fritters. Drizzle olive oil and serve with green salad.

Posted in: Breakfast, Gluten Free, Lunch, My recipes

Acai Bowl

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Acai BowlAcai berry is an inch-long reddish, purple fruit from Central and South America. Its combination of antioxidants, amino acids and omega fatty acids all help slow the aging process by boosting immune and metabolic function and removing destructive free radicals from our bodies. Acai contains anthocyanin, a powerful antioxidant, which is also common in red and purple colour fruits such as grapes and blueberries. Acai’s ORAC level (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity) is over 3,500, which is hundreds of times higher than your average fruits like apples and bananas – Amazing! Also, the little Acai berry packs more grams of protein than an egg, and when combined with its host of omega 3, 6 and 9 fatty acids, which helps to improve the quality of your hair, skin and nails. You beauty!

I made this breakfast bowl for Daniel this morning. It contains quinoa flakes, milk, Acai powder and honey topped with goji berries, cacao nibs, buckwheat, bee pollen and coconut. He is going to look so glowing and beautiful after this 🙂 You can also add a teaspoon of Acai berry powder into your drink, smoothies, cereal, muffins and cakes for an antioxidant boost. Have a good weekend, everyone x

Posted in: Breakfast, Gluten Free, My recipes, Vegetarian

Broiled Grapefruit with Cinnamon Cottage Cheese

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It can be quite warm or cold in March being a transition from summer to autumn in Perth. One day it is 30+ degrees, next day it drops down to 20. How crazy is that? I took advantage of the cool morning making these broiled grapefruit beauties for a snack. I never made or tasted it before, so was curious about how it would turn out. It is simple to make though I was so impressed with its bittersweet flavour and radiant pink colour. Perfect brunch or snack for chilly weather when it’s served warm with a bit of cheese or yogurt. Highly recommended!

Broiled GrapefruitIngredients

1 Grapefruit
1 tsp of maple syrup or agave or honey
1/2 tsp vanilla bean powder
1 tsp of cinnamon powder
100g cottage cheese

Wash the grapefruit and cut it in half. Cut around the outside of the grapefruit to loosen them. Drizzle maple syrup. Broil for about 3-5 minutes until caramelised on top (don’t burn!). Serve warm with cottage cheese and sprinkle of cinnamon and vanilla. Other serving options? with yogurt, granola, breakfast muffin.

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