Why I burnt my arm today

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We haven’t been to many picnics this summer. Too many hot days with strong sun makes me stay in the house more with air-conditioning on. Totally opposite to other people who enjoy the sun and swim at the beach. I get sunburn pretty easily. Even walking around with sleeveless top during the day does enough for me. I remember when we did a walking tour for a few hours in Sydney, no matter how much I tried to hide from the sun and stayed in the shade, I got sunburn on my shoulders and neck. Ah so painful when you have a shower and put the clothes on >.<

Zebra cakeMy dear friend who has two little boys always takes them to either a swimming pool or the beach on the weekend so that kids can play in the water. Daniel and I decided to join them to Mettam’s pool beach tomorrow morning. I was thinking of making some snacks for the boys (always hard to come up with something for kids since they are fussy eaters). I’ve seen some photos of Zebra Cake on the internet before. I thought it would be perfect for them cause it looks fun as well as tastes good. Zebra patterns might look a little daunting and hard to make, but trust me, they are not at all.

Ingredients
100g Self-raising flour
1 teaspoon of baking powder
50g brown sugar
1 table-spoon of coconut oil
150g milk
2 eggs
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
2 teaspoons of cacao powder

Firstly beat eggs and sugar until the mixture is pale in colour. Add milk and coconut oil and continue beating. Then add sifted flour, baking powder, vanilla extract into the mixture. The batter should be soft and runny otherwise add more milk or flour to get the right consistency. Divide the mixture to two portions. Add cacao powder to one portion. Now a fun bit starts! Put two table spoons of batter into the centre of the baking pan, alternating vanilla batter and cacao batter on top of each other. The batter will spread itself to the edge of the pan and create nice rings. Bake in the preheated oven (180) for 40-50 minutes.

Chocolate Beet Cake

Then my second baking started to make something for my morning/afternoon snack. My choice is GF Chocolate Beet Cake! There is no technique required in this cake. Just mix all ingredients and bake in the oven. I already finished a slice with a cup of tea – delicious!

Ingredients
1 cup grated beetroot
4 eggs
1/2 cup of maple syrup
100g coconut flour
1 teaspoon of cinnamon powder
1 teaspoon of ginger powder
a teaspoon of vanilla extract
a pinch of salt

Back to the title… I was busy baking all the cakes this morning. About an hour of baking I was taking the cake out of the oven for a final check. Yes, I was wearing a mitten but somehow I managed to burn my arm. Ouch! Quickly had some cold water running on my arm and put a papaw cream on, but it looks like I’m going to get blisters and probably a nice oven scar. Oh well, it’s not the first time. I think I need a bigger oven?! 🙂

Posted in: Baking, My recipes, Snack

GF Berry Pancakes

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Fotor020575144Beautiful Summer morning. I woke up craving for some sweet breakfast this morning. My usual breakfast muffin didn’t seem that sweet enough for some reason. I can be like that (blame my hormones whenever I have a sweet tooth >.<) So I decided to make some pancakes. Crack one egg, pour a bit of almond milk, add 100g buckwheat flour and a splash of soda water as you whisk. Same as when you make batter for fried food, this bubbly water adds a lightness to the dish. To satisfy my sweet tooth, I filled and topped with honey, frozen berries and nectarine compote that I made last week. It is quite handy to have a jar of home-made fruit compote in your fridge so you can use on desserts and baking or….just straight out of the jar. I boiled and simmered nectarines with honey, chia seeds and acai powder in a pot with a bit of water. After fruits lose their shape, use a stick blender to whiz up until smooth. Taste to see if you need additional honey. Pour into a steralised jar and keep refrigerated. You can use seasonal fruits – nectarines, apples, plums, berries, figs, etc. I like adding something like ginger, cinnamon or cardamom to spice it up. Yum! I was thinking a dollop of yogurt would be nice on the side. Great for breakfast or dessert! Happy tummy now..
Pancakes2

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

Banana Muffins

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eggs2I bought a few bananas a few days ago and kept in a fruit bowl with green apples >.< My mistake..I realised this morning they had black spots all over – ripened too quick!

To keep bananas fresh for longer, you can

  • pull bananas apart from the bunch: apparently they stay yellow longer when stored apart.
  • cover ends of the bunches with aluminum foil or plastic wrap: bananas like many fruits release ethylene gas at the stem naturally which browns and ripens fruits.
  • keep them in a warm location, not in the fridge.

Having bananas on daily basis has an array of health benefits.

  • assists in weight loss because it’s naturally sweet and so curb your sweet tooth. Great morning or afternoon snack!
  • helps with digestion and bowel regularity. Pectin in bananas aids digestion and also insoluble fibre travels through digestive tracts and sweeps off all waste.
  • supports your heart function. Bananas help to sustain blood sugar and lower blood pressure because they are high in potassium and low in salt.
  • makes you happy because of the natural mood enhancer tryptophan.
  • Did you know? You can also use inside of banana skin to polish your leather shoes or handbag too. Nothing gets wasted!

Banana muffinThey are so good for you. Though, personally I’m not a big fan of sweet fruits like ripe bananas, well most tropical fruits. So I decided to use them to make some banana muffins. Ripe bananas create beautiful sweetness in muffins and bread. I mashed one ripe banana with a fork and added one egg, 1 heap spoon of honey, 150g spelt flour, 1tsp baking powder, 1tsp of cinnamon powder and a pinch of Himalayan salt. Ah, I also grounded toasted hazelnuts and almonds and mixed through for more nuttiness and crunchiness. Then put them in 4 muffin cups and baked in the preheated oven (180) for about 30 minutes. Cool them down and enjoy!

Posted in: Baking, Breakfast, My recipes, Snack

My Weekend Lunch

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Tofu lunch

My weekend comfort food is tofu just by itself. I know some people will frown on me, but I don’t care I like them so much. What I’m about to write is the reason why I try to indulge myself with tofu only on the weekend. I’ve written health benefits of having soy in blog before. I don’t want to confuse you, however, there are some bad news. There is some evidence showing that isoflavones in soy can interfere with your endocrine system and hormone balance. It can possibly reduce fertility in women, contribute to premature puberty, link to some cancers when consumed in large amounts. Don’t worry I’m not talking about fresh tofu and the fermented ones like miso, tempeh and tamari. I am talking about more packaged and processed soy products that you consume even without knowing such as protein bars, cereals, soy milk, vegan substitute products, etc. These bad guys have high phytic acid which can interfere with mineral absorption. The bottom line is that soy has a good source of plant-based protein and fibre. So enjoy in moderation and avoid processed soy products.

My lunch was steamed tofu and bok choy with home-made chili capsicum chutney. It looks seriously red and spicy, but the sweetness from red capsicum actually calms down the heat of the chillies. I made a big batch and put it in a sterilised jar which can last up to weeks. You can adjust how hot you want your chutney to be. My ingredients are red capsicum, birds eye chillies ( I used five!!!), garlic, ginger, maple syrup, cinnamon powder, ground nutmeg, coconut oil and balsamic vinegar. I could use some more cayenne pepper for a challenge >.< You need to cook them until all ingredients are softened and sticky. Then whiz up in a food processor. I left all the skin of chillies and capsicum for a source of fibre, but get rid of them if you don’t like that texture. This chutney comes really handy for me as a chilli lover. A great addition to melted cheese, warm soup, steak for Daniel, stir-fry, or even on raw veggie sticks. Enjoy x

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

Roasted Pepitas

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Roasted pepitas

A delicious healthy snack is here – spicy roasted pepitas! I like sprinkling nuts in my salads for a nice crunch and nutty flavour. I’ve been using raw hulled pepitas so far. But OMG! after I toasted pepitas in the oven today, I’m definitely going to use roasted ones from now on. It is so addictive I cannot stop snacking on them.

Pepitas are amazing because…
– they are high in magnesium good for your blood pressure and heart
– zinc in pepitas supports your immune system, sleep, mood, eye and skin health, insulin regulation and male sexual function
– they are one of the best sources of plant-based omega-3 fats
– healthy fats, antioxidants and fibres in them may provide benefits for your heart and liver health
– pepitas are rich in tryptophan which converts to serotonin, which in turn converts to melatonin “sleep hormone”. Eating pepitas before bed may help with a better night’s sleep.
– their anti-inflammatory effects may help with arthritis

I coated raw hulled pepitas with cinnamon, cayenne pepper, smoked paprika, maple syrup, coconut oil and Himalayan salt in a mixing bowl. Then spread well on baking paper in a single layer. Roast in the preheated oven (170-180) for 10-15 minutes or until browned. Stir them every 5 minutes because spices can burn. Let cool before transferring into the jar. You can use any spices or sauce of your choice  for example tamari, chili and lime, cacao powder, curry powder, honey and ginger, etc. It is super easy to make, a great snack (beer snack?) as well as beautiful addition to your salad. Seriously good 🙂

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