Chocolate Pudding Take Two

They are so easy to make I'd be sorry if I had not given them a fair trial. Unlike my previous recipe, these two recipes require only cocoa powder. The best part: they can be ready in 5 minutes (minus the chilling time). Chocolate Avocado is interesting because it requires no heating at all! However, our votes go to the Vegan Coconut Chocolate Pudding - coconut milk rocks!

Chocolate Avocado

(makes 2 large servings)

• 1 ripe banana
• 1/4-1/3 cup raw honey
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 avocados, mashed
• 1/4 cup, plus 2 Tbsp. dark cocoa powder
• 1/4 cup water

1. Process banana, raw honey, vanilla in a blender till smooth.
   
2. Add the avocados, cocoa powder and process till creamy. Scrape down the sides a few times with a rubber spatula. Add the water and process briefly.
   
3. Store in a sealed container. It will keep for three days in the fridge or two weeks in the freezer.
4. Serve chilled or at room temp.

Vegan Coconut Chocolate Pudding

(makes 2 servings)

• 3/4 C brown sugar
• 3 TBS cornstarch
• 1/3 C Dark Cocoa Powder
• 2 Cups coconut milk
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
  

1. Sift brown sugar, cornstarch and cocoa powder into a medium bowl, mixing thoroughly.
2. Fold in coconut milk and stir to mix well.
3. Heat the mixture over medium heat. Stirring constantly.
4. Remove from heat when the mixture thicken and becomes shiny. Stir in vanilla extract. Cover and refrigerate to chill.
   

Warm Potato Salad with Mustard Dressing

Easy to make and ready when the Broccoli and Cheddar Mini Quiche is being baked in the oven. I served it on a bed of lettuces and cherry tomatoes.

Ingredients

• 1 large potato, cut into 2" cubes
  
• 1 tbsp wholegrain Dijon mustard
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp mayonnaise
• 2 tsp agave nectar
  
• 4 spring onions, finely sliced
• Salt and pepper, to taste

1. Place the new potatoes in a pan of lightly salted boiling water. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until tender then drain and return to the pan.
2. Mix remaining ingredients together and stir into the hot potatoes. Allow to cool slightly.
3. Season to taste and serve warm.

Back with a VENGEANCE

I just love that quote from Pee Wee :)

This Sunday, we had Broccoli Cheddar Mini Quiche, Warm Potato Salad with Mustard Dressing and Cut Fruits with Homemade Yogurt for brunch.

Be creative with your choice of cut fruits. Simply swirl the juice of one lime into the yogurt and drizzle with agave nectar for a twist.

Broccoli and Cheddar Mini Quiche

Ingredients:

(makes 8 muffins)

• 2 cups broccoli florets
• 1 cup milk
  
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 large eggs plus 2 large egg yolks
• 1 cup grated Cheddar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1. Preheat oven to 175C and grease 8 cups in a 12-cup muffin tin and set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together milk, cream, eggs and egg yolks. Stir in cheese, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Add chopped broccoli.
3. Put muffin tin on baking sheet, then ladle egg mixture into prepared muffin cups, filling each cup. Bake until lightly browned and no longer jiggly in center, about 25 minutes.
   
4. Let cool slightly, then run a knife around each quiche. Put a clean baking sheet on top of muffin pan and invert to unmold quiches. Serve warm or at room temperature

Tofu Steak with Red Pepper and Walnut Sauce

"It's almost like salmon steak" said Adrian.

The herb-flecked marinade also serves as the base of a delicious Mediterranean-style dipping sauce. You can serve it with couscous or toasted bread to enjoy all of the sauce

Ingredients:
(serves 2)

• 2 packages extra-firm tofu
• 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
  
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
  
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
  
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 8 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 cup wholemeal flour
  
• 1 egg, beaten
  
• 1 cups panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
• Coconut oil for frying
  
• 2 tablespoons chopped walnuts, toasted
• 2 red bell pepper for roasting (see Roasted Red Pepper Puree or buy one)
  

1. Place tofu slices on several layers of paper towels; cover with additional paper towels. Let stand 30 minutes, pressing down occasionally.

2. Combine basil and next 8 ingredients (through garlic) in a large zip-top plastic bag. Add tofu to bag; seal. Marinate in refrigerator 1 hour, turning bag occasionally.

3. Place flour in a shallow dish. Place egg substitute in another shallow dish. Place panko in another shallow dish.

4. Remove tofu from marinade, reserving remaining marinade. Working with one tofu piece at a time, dredge tofu in flour, shaking off excess. Dip tofu in egg substitute, allowing excess to drip off. Coat tofu completely with panko, pressing lightly to adhere. Set aside. Repeat procedure with remaining tofu, flour, egg substitute, and panko.

5. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add coconut oil to pan, swirling to coat. Add tofu to pan; reduce heat to medium, and cook for 4 minutes on each side or until browned. Remove tofu from pan, and keep warm.

6. Combine reserved marinade, walnuts, and bell peppers in a blender; process until smooth (about 2 minutes). Pour bell pepper mixture into pan; cook over medium-high heat 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Serve with tofu.

Spicy Broccoli Mango Salad

I wish I have better description for this salad: It's a perfect blend of smooth and sweet from the dressing and mangoes, crunch from the broccoli and a little heat from the sweet-hot pecans.
When I saw the fresh peaches, I simply couldn't resist its succulence. I figured given the similar texture and sweet-tartness, peaches should work just as good as mangoes would in this salad. I'm glad I was right.

I also sprinkled the salad with more ground red pepper just to spice things up. Adrian and I give this dish a two-thumb up :) Try it with the Tofu Steak!

Ingredients:
(serves 3 cups)

SWEET-HOT PECANS:
2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 cup pecan, coarsely chopped

DRESSING:
6oz natural passion fruit yogurt
1/6 cup mayonnaise
1/1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
pinch of salt

SALAD:
2 1/2 cup fresh broccoli florets and cut up stems
1 medium mango, peeled and diced
1 tablespoon red onion, finely chopped.

1. Lightly oil a skillet. Add sugar and red pepper; mix well. Stir in pecans. Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar mixture is melted and pecans are coated. Remove from heat; set aside on a plate to cool.
2. In a small bowl, mix all dressing ingredients with a wire whisk until smooth.
3. In a large bowl, combine all salad ingredients.
4. Add dressing to salad; toss gently to mix. Store in the refrigerator and sprinkle in hot pecan just before serving.
   

Baked Coconut French Toast with Tropical Fruit Compote

The French toast is plain and easy, just like the many other you can find easily. What's special lies with the fruit compote. The tart sweetness of the marinade is perfect for the tropical fruits, not to mention the crispy coconut flakes. I also sprinkled some almond flakes to the French toast prior to baking. Feel free to experiment with other fruits such as papaya for a more colorful display.

For a balanced morning breakfast, I served up a Scrambled Egg with spinach, sun dried tomato and goat cheese with sprinkle of chopped thyme.

Ingredients:

(makes 2)
Fruit Compote:

• 1/4 cup chopped fresh pineapple
• 1/4 cup chopped peeled mango
• 1/4 cup chopped dragon fruits
  
• 1/4 cup chopped peeled kiwifruit
• handful of dried blueberry and raisins (option)
  
• 1 tablespoons agave nectar (or honey/ maple syrup/ sugar)
  
• 1 tablespoons fresh lime juice

French toast:

• 4 (1-inch-thick) slices diagonally cut French bread baguette
  
• Coconut oil
  
• 1/2 cup coconut milk
• 1 egg
• 2 Tablespoon maple syrup
  
• 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• pinches of cinnamon powder and nutmeg (option)
  
• 1/4 cup flaked sweetened coconut

1. To prepare compote, combine all ingredients. Cover and chill overnight.
2. To prepare the French toast, arrange bread in a single layer in a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Combine coconut milk, egg, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg (if using) stirring with a whisk, and pour evenly over bread. Turn the bread over to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight.
3. Preheat oven to 175°C.
4. Remove bread mixture from refrigerator, and uncover. Turn bread slices over, and sprinkle evenly with flaked coconut. Let stand at room temperature 15 minutes. Bake, uncovered, at 175ºC for 30 minutes or until coconut is golden. Serve warm with fruit compote.

Lemon Broccoli Soup

Ingredients:
(serves 2)

• 1/2 onion, finely chopped
• 1 cloves garlic, crushed
• 200g broccolini, coarsely chopped
• 2 cups vegetable stock
• 50g spinach leaves
• 120mL heavy cream
• 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
• salt and ground black pepper
• sour cream to serve (1 tablespoon lemon juice + 1 Cup cream)

1. Sautee onion and garlic with a pinch of salt. Stirring, until the onion is tender. Add broccoli and stir to coat. Add the stock, bring to the boil and cook for 8-10 minutes or until the broccolin is tender. Add spinach and cook for a further 1-2 minutes.
   
2. Pour mixture into a blender to blend the soup until smooth. Stir in the cream, lemon juice, salt and pepper.
3. Ladle into bowl, top with about 1 tablespoon sour cream, sprinkle some freshly ground black pepper over and serve.

Grilled Goat Cheese and Eggplant Salad

"Eggplant is the most sexy food women can have" says Yogi Bhajan in Food as Medicine. What in the world does that mean? I remember reading a email saying eggplant is good for women because it resembles female womb. Hmmm.....To be more precise, and less woo-hoo, I turned to Google.

The above mentioned may have its root in traditional medicine, where eggplant is commonly used to improve kidney function and sexual libido in both men and women. Besides regulating body fluid, Traditional Chinese Herbalists believe kidney also plays an important role in sexual desire and activity in both men and women. An unbalance yin and yang energy in kidney would thus cause overactive or abnormal functioning of the urinary secretion and sexual function.

I have always loved eggplant. However, it's not the case for Adrian - another childhood trauma/ influence from Ian, I presume. So when he proudly proclaimed he was slowly overcoming eggplant phobia, I took the liberty to push his bottom. Hey! At least there's the goat cheese and sun dried tomatoes that he LOVES.

In this recipe, savoury goat cheese is the main protagonist, but it’s aided and abetted by the wonderfully aromatic partnership of basil and thyme as well as the sweet delicacy of sun dried tomatoes. Combined they act as a perfect balance to the slight bitterness of the aubergine creating a medley of flavors. Then comes the real deal: the addition of raspberries to the salad. Its tart sweetness blend and twirl the ingredient's flavors together, giving a "wow" to the unsuspecting taste buds.

I complimented this SEXY (thanks Yogi Bhajan) and tasty salad with a relatively simple Lemon Broccoli Soup.


A side note: I found lettuces at Paragon Gourmet Market that were sold with their roots attached. There were plenty of tiny rocks and black soil sticking to the leaves and stem, too!! How exciting!!

Ingredients for Grilled Goat Cheese

• 1 large eggplant, quatered
  
• 8 sun-dried tomatoes
• 200g French goat’s cheese, sliced into 12
  
• 12 basil leaves, torn
  
• 2 tbsp fresh thyme
  
• salt and pepper

Ingredients for the Salad Dressing

• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• ½ tsp Dijon mustard
• 50 ml olive oil
• A pinch of sugar

Ingredients for the salad

• 100g of mixed lettuce leaves
• 6 cherry tomatoes halved
• 2 tbsp raspberries

1. Place the eggplant slices on a baking tray and brush with olive oil. Season each slice with ground pepper and salt.
2. Place under a hot grill for 7 minutes. Whilst the eggplant is grilling, whisk the olive oil with the apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard and sugar in a large bowl.
3. Season to suit personal tastes then add the mixed lettuce leaves and cherry tomatoes and toss thoroughly to coat. Arrange the salad leaves and cherry tomatoes in the centre of each plate then spoon over the raspberries.
   
4. Turn the eggplant slices over and brush the other side with olive oil and season as before. This time leave them under the grill for 5 minutes until charred.
5. Remove the grilled slices of eggplant and arrange them so that the slightly charred eggplant flesh is facing upwards on all slices.
6. Lay two sun dried tomatoes on each slice along with fresh thyme and basil leaves.
   
7. Place 3 slices of goat cheese on each herb and tomato bed and season with ground pepper.
8. Return to the grill for 2 to 3 minutes until the goat’s cheese has started to brown and bubble.
9. Serve on bed of lettuces
   

Maple-Grilled Salmon

It's been two months since I had any fish. Although I don't crave for it but I thought I would cook fish as my "return to kitchen" signature.

The method calls for grilling, which I don't have. If you do, good for you. Otherwise, do as I did:

1. Preheat oven to 200C.
2. Lightly oil baking sheet and place fillet skin side down. Put baking sheet to second top rack and let broil until the fish flake easily.
   
3. Remove from the oven and place on a hot skillet. Brush the fish with marinade and cook until it becomes a syrupy glaze.
   

I was going to garnish the salmon with orange slices but I can't find fresh oranges in the store and had to resort to fresh orange juice instead. What a bummer. It would have been pretty.

Ingredients:
(yields 2 servings)

• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
  
• 3 tablespoons maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
• 2 (6-ounce) salmon fillets, skinned
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1. Pour the first three ingredients into a large zip-lock bag. Add fish. Seal and marinate in the refrigerator for 3 hours.

2. Preheat oven to 200C.

3. Remove fish from bag, reserving the marinade. Pour marinade into a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Cook until reduced to 2 tablespoons (about 5 minutes).

4. Lightly oil the surface of a grill and place fish on top with the skin side down. Grill until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork, basting occasionally with marinade. Remove fish from the grill; sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Spinach Salad with Stone Fruits and Maple-spiced Walnuts

What is stone fruit? Its family includes cherries, plums, peaches, nectarines and prunes. They are also called drupes or summer fruits for they all arrive in the summer. Although being in SEA it only means paying high price for imports regardless of the seasons.

I wasn't sure if spinach was ok to be eaten raw and so I did a quick research on it: cooked or raw, they each have their advantages. While cooking reduces Vitamin C and folate level, at the same time it boosts beta-carotein and lutein bioavailability. I guess it's best to have it both way: raw in the lunch salad and cooked for evening dinner, for example.

There's also a very interesting fact about spinach: it has an undeserved reputation for being high in iron. Apparently in 1870, Dr E. Von Wolf mistakenly placed the decimal point for iron content in spinach. Hence the iron content was overstated for 10 fold. The mistake was uncovered 67 years later by a German chemist. However, to date, the myth of spinach being high in iron is still being wrongfully, and yet widely, circulated. Makes me wonder if Popeye was really eating spinach.

Anyway, if you don't have stone fruits on hand, I suspect papaya and mangoes would go well in the salad too. The maple syrup-roasted walnuts are great complement with the tartness of dressing and fruits. Feel free to substitute with chopped pecans.

Ingredients:

(yields 2 servings)

• 2 tablespoons chopped walnuts
  
• 1/3 cup plus 1/3 tablespoon maple syrup
• Pinches of salt and ground red pepper to taste
  
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
  
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon grated peeled fresh ginger
• 1/6 cup thinly sliced red onion
• 1 ripe peeled, sliced peaches
• 1 ripe peeled, sliced plums
• 2 cups baby spinach leaves

1. Preheat oven to 180°C.

2. Combine walnuts, 1/3 tablespoon maple syrup, pinch of salt and pepper in a medium bowl, tossing well to coat. Spread pecan mixture evenly onto a baking sheet coated with oil. Bake at 180° for 15 minutes, stirring after 5 minutes. Cool completely and break nuts into small pieces.

3. Combine remaining 1/3 cup maple syrup, pinches of salt and pepper, vinegar, mustard, and ginger in a small bowl. Stir with a whisk.

4. Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add vinegar mixture to pan; cook until hot. Add onion, peaches, and plums to pan; cook until warm.

5. Arrange 1 cup spinach on each plate; top each serving with fruit mixture and 1 tablespoon nut mixture. Serve immediately.

I'm BACK to the Kitchen

It's been two months since I cook. I almost forgot how tedious it could be researching for the right recipe. I got annoyed and frustrated at first, but it began to grow on me. There are two reasons why I chose what I did:

1. It's been two months since I had fish. I thought it would serve as a sort of "milestone" by cooking fish.
2. Pee Wee told me she's going to start eating fish again upon Andrew's request. Just thought I'd share it with her.

It's a relatively simple dinner in comparison to the many fancy ones I tend to go for. It's good to be reminded simplicity can be just as good.

• Maple-grilled Salmon
• Spinach Salad with Stone Fruits and Maple-spiced Walnuts.
  

Homemade Nutella

I assume no one needs introduction to Nutella. If you haven't heard of this hazelnut chocolate spread, I feel very sorry for you; you must have been deprived. The only thing you should do now is make one NOW! Seriously.

Nutella is one of those unhealthy "foods" that I shouldn't have but can't resist. I am obsessed with label reading but I tried to avoid Nutella's. But the truth remains. How unhealthy you ask? Well, let's take a look at it's ingredient list:

"sugar, modified palm oil, hazelnuts, cocoa, skim milk, reduced mineral whey (from milk), soy lecithin: a emulsifier, vanilin: an artificial flavor"

Food label reading 101: ingredient with the highest percentage comes top of the list. Everytime I get just a little too greedy for just that much little more of Nutella, I get a buzz (literally) up in my head - Too much sugar. Not to mention the use of "reduced",
"modified", and "artificial".

I make my own tahini, fruit jam and yogurt, why not Nutella? And so I did. It's so easy and involves so little ingredients and steps that it would seem silly not to give it a try. Besides, I tried it on a toast this morning and compared it with the commercial Nutella: I think I have successfully killed my desire for Nutella; it taste artificial in comparison.



Ingredients:
1/2 cup hazelnuts
2 tablespoon coca powder
3 tablespoon maple syrup
2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1. Roast hazelnuts at 200C for 10 minutes. Let cool and rub the skins off the nuts.
2. Grind hazelnuts in food processor to a butter consistency. Add the rest of the ingredient and continue to process till smooth.
3. Store in a jar and ENJOY!
   

That's all it takes for your very own healthy homemade Nutella. Depending on the capacity of your food processor, you may have to separate and grind in a few batches, as I did.