1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, sliced
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 in piece ginger, peeled and chopped
2 tbsp raw peanuts, roughly chopped
1 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp sumac
1/2 tsp dried chilli flakes
1 large bunch kale, washed and chopped
1 1/2 tbsp crunchy peanut butter, mixed with 1 tsp tamarind paste and thinned with water to a sauce-y consistency
Heat the oil in a large, high sided frying pan. Add the onion and saute, covered, til softened and starting to brown, adding the ginger and garlic part way through. Remove the lid and add the peanuts, cook for a few min more til they start to brown. Then add the cumin, chilli and sumac and cook for a minute or so, until they become fragrant. Add the kale and cover again. Cook for 2-3 minutes, until the kale is wilted. Remove the lid and take off the heat, then add the peanut butter-tamarind mixture and mix it all up.
I ate this with some freekeh, which is this green wheat stuff I just bought at the Armenian store. It looked similar to bulghur wheat, so I boiled it in water as I would for bulghur. It is good, texture like bulghur, taste a bit more green. I also bought some carob molasses and a loquat, both new to me and both pretty tasty.
Sunday, July 29, 2012
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
Strawberries with tahin pekmez
I bought some mulberry molasses (pekmez) from one of the Armenian grocers in Watertown a while back, because I thought it would be ambrosia, and I wasn't disappointed: it is sticky and rich and sweet, with a touch of tang but none of the sharpness of pomegranate molasses. I love it, but I didn't really know what to do with it. I was buying tahini in the (nearer, but not better) Turkish store in Allston a few months later and noticed they were selling containers divided in two with two spouts: one for tahini and one for mulberry molasses - aha! I love mixing tahini with anything sweet - I eat it off the spoon, half tahini, half honey, or strawberry jam, or anything like that (originally inspired by Seb telling me the Turkish Germans eat tahini with 'marmelade' (ie jam, but I thought he meant marmalade)) - it's like PB+J, but even more yummy. So I tried it and loved it. I've long been in the habit of applying my tahini-honey mixture to sliced fresh apple (I got more into this habit after celebrating Rosh Hashanah with Andrea), but the tahini-mulberry molasses mixture makes a perfect dip for fresh strawberries. I will figure out something more elegant to do with that combination eventually, for now it is just a wonderful snack:
1 tsp tahini and 1 tsp mulberry molasses, mixed til smooth in a puddle on a plate; a handful fresh strawberries, hulled and halved; dip and chew and smile.
1 tsp tahini and 1 tsp mulberry molasses, mixed til smooth in a puddle on a plate; a handful fresh strawberries, hulled and halved; dip and chew and smile.
Chard, caraway and pomegranate molasses
One way or another, we came by a lot of chard recently - from Ang+Brian's Yard Birds; from Alvin's CSA extras and generosity, from my balcony pot... My go-to, quick and tasty approach to any dark leafy greens (chard, spinach, beet greens etc) is to saute them with some garlic, but having gone through a few bunches like that I was feeling some variations. Caraway was calling (probably partly because of this recipe), and I was thinking of making a chard, caraway and rice filo package (similar to this one), but then thought 'hang on, that would mean switching on the oven, bad move, how about I just do the rice and chard and not bother with the filo or oven?'. So that's what I did. The pomegranate molasses was a last-minute thought - I feel like chard needs a hint of something sweet-tart to bring its flavour out (could also try tamarind, or lemon/lime juice, or balsamic vinegar).
1 medium onion, peeled and sliced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
1 bunch chard, stalks separated from leaves and both chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp caraway seeds
salt+pepper
2 tsp pomegranate molasses
1 tbsp toasted flaked almonds (optional)
Prep the vegetables then heat the oil in a large frying pan with a lid. Add the onion and chard stalks and cook at medium with the lid on for a few minutes until they start to soften, then add the garlic and caraway seeds and cook for a few more minutes, until it is all quite well softened. Remove the lid and cook for a minute or two more to brown a little. Then add the roughly chopped chard leaves and salt and pepper, cover again and cook for a few more minutes, removing the lid after the chard begins to wilt and continuing to cook until the chard is all wilted but still a good strong green colour. Finally, add the pomegranate molasses (and almonds) and taste for seasoning.
I made some basmati rice (1 cup) as I cooked the chard. I bunged some cumin and anise seeds into the rice as it cooked, because it sprang to mind how much I liked the cumin in the rice from the Indian take-out place we always go to in Concord NH when we are up there at Pete's. I also added a little (~2 tsp) coconut oil to the rice at the end of cooking. Both seeds and oil worked well, and the chard / caraway / pomegranate molasses / rice mixture was definitely a winner, flavour-wise. I did wonder if it could do with something a bit crunchy, so I'm thinking the filo package version could be bang on (almond addition also working on this).
1 medium onion, peeled and sliced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
1 bunch chard, stalks separated from leaves and both chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp caraway seeds
salt+pepper
2 tsp pomegranate molasses
1 tbsp toasted flaked almonds (optional)
Prep the vegetables then heat the oil in a large frying pan with a lid. Add the onion and chard stalks and cook at medium with the lid on for a few minutes until they start to soften, then add the garlic and caraway seeds and cook for a few more minutes, until it is all quite well softened. Remove the lid and cook for a minute or two more to brown a little. Then add the roughly chopped chard leaves and salt and pepper, cover again and cook for a few more minutes, removing the lid after the chard begins to wilt and continuing to cook until the chard is all wilted but still a good strong green colour. Finally, add the pomegranate molasses (and almonds) and taste for seasoning.
I made some basmati rice (1 cup) as I cooked the chard. I bunged some cumin and anise seeds into the rice as it cooked, because it sprang to mind how much I liked the cumin in the rice from the Indian take-out place we always go to in Concord NH when we are up there at Pete's. I also added a little (~2 tsp) coconut oil to the rice at the end of cooking. Both seeds and oil worked well, and the chard / caraway / pomegranate molasses / rice mixture was definitely a winner, flavour-wise. I did wonder if it could do with something a bit crunchy, so I'm thinking the filo package version could be bang on (almond addition also working on this).
Monday, July 23, 2012
Cocoa courgette muffins
The humidity relented and gave us beautiful weather at the weekend. Time slipped away oh-so-fast amid biking and swimming and gardening adventures (two different, awesome, bike-able swimming ponds! the first two tomatoes on my plants ripening!), and on Sunday night I decided to do some quick baking, before the hot ramps up again as no doubt it will. Using another one of my rooftop courgettes (harvested 10 1/2 so far!).
These muffins are another classic from the days of Liz and my allotment excesses; the recipe was originally from someone's muffin making book. I can't put my finger on why I like these so much, but I do: moist and spiced and chocolatey and ever-so-slightly green in flavour, with bursts of sweetness from the raisins - every ingredient is doing its bit to make them work.
10 oz (280 g) plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/2 tsp salt
1-2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tbsp cocoa powder
1 tbsp ground linseed plus 2 1/2 tbsp boiling water
5 oz (140g) brown sugar
12 oz (340g) courgette, grated
120 ml (4 fl oz) veg oil
60 ml (2 fl oz) fake milk mixed with 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
2 tsp vanilla essence
3 oz (85g) raisins (optional, but good)
Heat oven to 400F. Mix the flour, baking powder, bicarb, salt, cinnamon and cocoa in a large bowl with a fork. In a separate, medium-sized bowl mix the linseed and boiling water and leave for a minute to thicken. Then add the sugar, grated courgette, oil, milk (+vinegar) and vanilla and mix together. Add the wet mix to the dry mix and mix until just combined, adding the raisins in the last few strokes. Dollop the mixture into a prepared muffin tin (this was enough for 12 generous ones in my tin), then bake for ~25 min. Leave to cool for a few minutes then lift the muffins out onto a wire rack to finish cooling.
The recipe I used to use had an egg in it, but I subbed a flax egg and added a tsp of vinegar and these came out great - perfectly risen and indistinguishable from the original, to my tastebuds.
These muffins are another classic from the days of Liz and my allotment excesses; the recipe was originally from someone's muffin making book. I can't put my finger on why I like these so much, but I do: moist and spiced and chocolatey and ever-so-slightly green in flavour, with bursts of sweetness from the raisins - every ingredient is doing its bit to make them work.
10 oz (280 g) plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/2 tsp salt
1-2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tbsp cocoa powder
1 tbsp ground linseed plus 2 1/2 tbsp boiling water
5 oz (140g) brown sugar
12 oz (340g) courgette, grated
120 ml (4 fl oz) veg oil
60 ml (2 fl oz) fake milk mixed with 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
2 tsp vanilla essence
3 oz (85g) raisins (optional, but good)
Heat oven to 400F. Mix the flour, baking powder, bicarb, salt, cinnamon and cocoa in a large bowl with a fork. In a separate, medium-sized bowl mix the linseed and boiling water and leave for a minute to thicken. Then add the sugar, grated courgette, oil, milk (+vinegar) and vanilla and mix together. Add the wet mix to the dry mix and mix until just combined, adding the raisins in the last few strokes. Dollop the mixture into a prepared muffin tin (this was enough for 12 generous ones in my tin), then bake for ~25 min. Leave to cool for a few minutes then lift the muffins out onto a wire rack to finish cooling.
The recipe I used to use had an egg in it, but I subbed a flax egg and added a tsp of vinegar and these came out great - perfectly risen and indistinguishable from the original, to my tastebuds.
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
How to hard boil an egg
My trade with Sage came good and I became the proud owner of 3 eggs, fresh and direct from his hens in Roslindale. I was super excited having not had any eggs for ages, and dithered for some time about how to make the best of them. Finally I decided that I wanted to eat at least one of them straight up as a hardboiled egg, with salad. Then I realised I wasn't 100% sure how long to boil an egg to hard boil it - I only recently decided I actively liked hardboiled eggs, before then I just went in for softboiled eggs with toast soldiers for occasional comfort food.
A quick Google revealed loads of conflicting views. So I turned to Delia for the definitive line. What I ended up doing seemed to work well.
* Bring the eggs to room temperature before boiling (so the temperature change doesn't make them split).
* Put the egg(s) in a small saucepan and cover to 1/2 inch above with cold water. Add a pinch of salt.
* Bring the water to the boil. When it is boiling, time 7 minutes.
* After exactly 7 minutes remove from the heat and cool as fast as you can by running under the cold tap.
* This gave an egg with a slightly soft bit in the middle of the yolk, which was yum - to make a little harder perhaps go for 8 or 9 minutes.
A quick Google revealed loads of conflicting views. So I turned to Delia for the definitive line. What I ended up doing seemed to work well.
* Bring the eggs to room temperature before boiling (so the temperature change doesn't make them split).
* Put the egg(s) in a small saucepan and cover to 1/2 inch above with cold water. Add a pinch of salt.
* Bring the water to the boil. When it is boiling, time 7 minutes.
* After exactly 7 minutes remove from the heat and cool as fast as you can by running under the cold tap.
* This gave an egg with a slightly soft bit in the middle of the yolk, which was yum - to make a little harder perhaps go for 8 or 9 minutes.
Basic stir-fry
It's been killer-hot for a while now, so we've got a little tired of only eating bread and salad and have been running through our repertoire of quick-hob-cook, simple dinners. I used to do quick stir-fries like this often, don't know why I stopped, they're good:
(for 2 people)
2 portions of noodles or rice (any kind will do: have done with udon noodles or sorghum noodles recently - for a real quick-cook obviously noodles are quicker than rice)
1 1/2 tbsp veg oil plus 1/2 tbsp sesame oil
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 in piece of ginger, peeled and finely chopped
sesame seeds
firm tofu, ~1 cm dice
1 onion, finely sliced (or 3 spring onions, roughly chopped)
some combination of peppers, mushrooms, carrot, courgette, all finely sliced into matchsticks or so
spinach / chard, roughly chopped
beansprouts
fresh coriander, roughly chopped
soy sauce
sweet chilli sauce
lime juice
Really, anything goes on this one - all it takes is veggies and a pan. First, get the rice or noodles cooking - keep an eye on them and drain when done - do this in parallel to prepping and cooking the veg.
Heat the oils together over a med-high heat, then add the garlic and ginger. Stir fry a few minutes then add the onion and any harder veg like carrots; also add the sesame seeds. Fry a few more min then add softer veg like courgette, pepper or mushrooms; also add tofu. Next add the green stuff that cooks really quick - beansprouts, spinach, chard and stir fry for a few more minutes. At the last moment you can stir fry in an egg if you like: clear a space in the pan and break the egg into it, then move the egg around against the hot pan as it cooks to break it up and mix it into the veg. Turn off the heat and add the coriander, soy sauce, sweet chilli sauce and lime juice to taste (more can be added at the table).
Either serve the stir fry over the rice / noodles or mix the rice/noodles into the stir fry in the pan and re heat a little.
(for 2 people)
2 portions of noodles or rice (any kind will do: have done with udon noodles or sorghum noodles recently - for a real quick-cook obviously noodles are quicker than rice)
1 1/2 tbsp veg oil plus 1/2 tbsp sesame oil
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 in piece of ginger, peeled and finely chopped
sesame seeds
firm tofu, ~1 cm dice
1 onion, finely sliced (or 3 spring onions, roughly chopped)
some combination of peppers, mushrooms, carrot, courgette, all finely sliced into matchsticks or so
spinach / chard, roughly chopped
beansprouts
fresh coriander, roughly chopped
soy sauce
sweet chilli sauce
lime juice
Really, anything goes on this one - all it takes is veggies and a pan. First, get the rice or noodles cooking - keep an eye on them and drain when done - do this in parallel to prepping and cooking the veg.
Heat the oils together over a med-high heat, then add the garlic and ginger. Stir fry a few minutes then add the onion and any harder veg like carrots; also add the sesame seeds. Fry a few more min then add softer veg like courgette, pepper or mushrooms; also add tofu. Next add the green stuff that cooks really quick - beansprouts, spinach, chard and stir fry for a few more minutes. At the last moment you can stir fry in an egg if you like: clear a space in the pan and break the egg into it, then move the egg around against the hot pan as it cooks to break it up and mix it into the veg. Turn off the heat and add the coriander, soy sauce, sweet chilli sauce and lime juice to taste (more can be added at the table).
Either serve the stir fry over the rice / noodles or mix the rice/noodles into the stir fry in the pan and re heat a little.
Thursday, July 12, 2012
Summer rolls
The weather has eased off a bit these last few days, but it's still been hot. We've been eating a lot of salads (exciting salads, with lettuce from Mike and fried fresh garlic (from ECO), courgette (from my secret garden) and tempeh, and so forth, but still just salads), there have been a few nights late getting back from work / play and not feeling like cooking, and Monday we went for awesome dumplings and edamame/fresh tofu/mustard greens @ Gourmet Dumpling House in Chinatown after investing in a tent @ Hilton Tent City (both were wonderful places).
So anyway, Tuesday S bought a summer roll for lunch and we were like: these are really good, why haven't we made them for ages? And last night I got home and he'd started prepping them - yesssss. They are the soft, rice paper wrapped rolls often seen in Vietnamese food places, filled with fine white noodles, tofu and fresh herbs / veggies. I've seen them called fresh rolls as well, but 'summer rolls' seems really appropriate for right now.
(made about 8)
For the rolls:
8-10 circular rice noodle sheets
1 portion fine white rice (or bean) noodles, cooked until done (few minutes), drained and run under cold water to cool
1/4 cucumber, chopped into large matchsticks (or raw courgette)
1 medium carrot, peeled and chopped into large matchsticks, steamed until just tender
2 pieces dry or firm tofu, sliced into pieces similar to the veggies
beansprouts
lettuce
fresh coriander
fresh mint
For peanut dipping sauce:
2 tbsp peanut butter
1 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
1 in piece of fresh ginger, finely chopped
1 tsp tamarind paste
1-2 tsp soy sauce
To assemble the rolls, fill a large bowl with hot water. Take a rice noodle sheet and immerse in the water. Soak for a few seconds, until it is soft. It will become quite fragile, so remove it carefully and spread out on a flat board. Put a ~rectangular pile of noodles in the middle of the circle. Arrange cucumber, tofu, carrot, coriander, mint, lettuce and beansprouts in ~a line along the middle of the noodle pile (any combination will do really, at a minimum you probably want carrot, cucumber, tofu and coriander). Then roll it up: fold up one side, tuck in the ends, then roll and close as tightly as you can. The rice sheets will be a bit sticky and it should hold together reasonably well.
To make the dipping sauce, mix all the ingredients together in a small bowl until well combined, then add water until a good consistency is reached.
These were really good - exactly right for these warm nights, simple, quick, and just as good as any I've eaten anywhere. I packed some up in a box lined with lettuce leaves and that seemed to help stop them from sticking.
So anyway, Tuesday S bought a summer roll for lunch and we were like: these are really good, why haven't we made them for ages? And last night I got home and he'd started prepping them - yesssss. They are the soft, rice paper wrapped rolls often seen in Vietnamese food places, filled with fine white noodles, tofu and fresh herbs / veggies. I've seen them called fresh rolls as well, but 'summer rolls' seems really appropriate for right now.
(made about 8)
For the rolls:
8-10 circular rice noodle sheets
1 portion fine white rice (or bean) noodles, cooked until done (few minutes), drained and run under cold water to cool
1/4 cucumber, chopped into large matchsticks (or raw courgette)
1 medium carrot, peeled and chopped into large matchsticks, steamed until just tender
2 pieces dry or firm tofu, sliced into pieces similar to the veggies
beansprouts
lettuce
fresh coriander
fresh mint
For peanut dipping sauce:
2 tbsp peanut butter
1 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
1 in piece of fresh ginger, finely chopped
1 tsp tamarind paste
1-2 tsp soy sauce
To assemble the rolls, fill a large bowl with hot water. Take a rice noodle sheet and immerse in the water. Soak for a few seconds, until it is soft. It will become quite fragile, so remove it carefully and spread out on a flat board. Put a ~rectangular pile of noodles in the middle of the circle. Arrange cucumber, tofu, carrot, coriander, mint, lettuce and beansprouts in ~a line along the middle of the noodle pile (any combination will do really, at a minimum you probably want carrot, cucumber, tofu and coriander). Then roll it up: fold up one side, tuck in the ends, then roll and close as tightly as you can. The rice sheets will be a bit sticky and it should hold together reasonably well.
To make the dipping sauce, mix all the ingredients together in a small bowl until well combined, then add water until a good consistency is reached.
These were really good - exactly right for these warm nights, simple, quick, and just as good as any I've eaten anywhere. I packed some up in a box lined with lettuce leaves and that seemed to help stop them from sticking.
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
4th July: No-bake chocolate pie
Independence Day is another one of those American holidays we never really know what to do for - we just don't have the back-history with it. What I hear is you're supposed to have barbeques and eat pie and watch fireworks. We failed to go out as I have a crappo summer cold, but we had a barbeque on the balcony (featuring the awesome marinated tofu and courgette again, plus a few mushrooms and potatoes, and S toasted bread on the grill). And we did watch the fireworks from the Summit Park, which was hilarious: an awkward juxtaposition of middle-class families with pockets of super-drunk college students in Stars n Stripes bikini tops etc, all standing neatly organised in two long lines to see between the trees. A huge lightning / rain storm started up pretty much the exact same time as the fireworks, it was awesome (we had an umbrella).
And, I decided we should have pie. It had to be be a super simple pie, and should not involve switching on the oven, because it's still very hot and sticky, esp in our apartment under the heat-absorbing roof. So that meant a raw-style pie crust, which I was totally in the mood for anyway. And I felt like it should have fruit in it somewhere, although we didn't have much fruit in the house. I daydreamed about pie while looking back through recipes I made before and at ppk, and ended up doing this...
Note: Today I made enough crust for a mini pie plus a half quantity of filling as I just wanted a wee one for S and me to share. So quantities below haven't been fully tested, but should be about right for a full-size (8 in) pie. If just making the filling for a quickie pudding snack a half quantity should be plenty.
Crust:
1/2 cup pecan pieces
1/2 cup almond meal
3 tbsp linseed meal
pinch salt
1-3 tsp mulberry molasses
Filling:
3 cups fake milk
1/4 cup cornflour
1/3 cup sugar (half quantity = 2 tbsp)
3 tbsp cocoa powder
pinch salt
3 tbsp chocolate, chopped
1 tsp vanilla essence
good handful raspberries, fresh or frozen (or chopped fresh strawberries)
First, prep the crust: put the pecan pieces, almond meal, linseed meal and salt in a blender and grind til smooth. Add the mulberry molasses bit by bit and pulse til the crumbs are just starting to stick together. Empty out of the blender and then press the crust into a pie tin or dish lined with foil. Put in the fridge until needed.
(Note, the molasses is just to stick the nuts together and add sweetness, alternatives could be soft dates or frozen banana, or maple syrup. Be careful when adding not to add too much as it would become too soft and sticky and make the finished pie not come out of the tin properly).
Next, filling: put 1 cup of fake milk in a pan with the cornflour and whisk together until the cornflour is distributed and there are no lumps. Then add the cocoa, sugar, salt and the rest of the milk and whisk together. Bring to the boil, whisking constantly until it thickens. Remove from the heat, add the chocolate and mix until it is melted. Then add the vanilla and mix.
Assembly: take the prepared crust and sprinkle the raspberries evenly over the base. Then pour the chocolate mixture all over the raspberries and fill up the crust (any extra can just be poured in a separate bowl). Leave to cool, then transfer to the fridge and leave for a couple of hours or so.
I actually used both frozen banana and mulberry molasses as sticky stuff in the crust, and ended up with something a bit too sticky but very tasty. I went ahead and used it anyway - the pie didn't come out of the dish very easily but it still tasted good. So the quantities described above reflect what I was aiming for rather than what I actually did. The chocolate pudding mix was great - super easy, using stuff I always have in the cupboards / fridge, good just on its own as well as as a pie filling. It's a good alternative to the silken tofu based chocolate pudding I've made often, perhaps even a more pudding-y texture (and doesn't require silken tofu, which I don't have any of at the moment). Really into cornflour thickening in desserts right now - nice smooth texture with no flavour distraction. All in all the pie was really yummy - S had thirds - and with a little tweaking of the crust mix I think it could be awesome. Perfect for a hot day's pie craving!
And, I decided we should have pie. It had to be be a super simple pie, and should not involve switching on the oven, because it's still very hot and sticky, esp in our apartment under the heat-absorbing roof. So that meant a raw-style pie crust, which I was totally in the mood for anyway. And I felt like it should have fruit in it somewhere, although we didn't have much fruit in the house. I daydreamed about pie while looking back through recipes I made before and at ppk, and ended up doing this...
Note: Today I made enough crust for a mini pie plus a half quantity of filling as I just wanted a wee one for S and me to share. So quantities below haven't been fully tested, but should be about right for a full-size (8 in) pie. If just making the filling for a quickie pudding snack a half quantity should be plenty.
Crust:
1/2 cup pecan pieces
1/2 cup almond meal
3 tbsp linseed meal
pinch salt
1-3 tsp mulberry molasses
Filling:
3 cups fake milk
1/4 cup cornflour
1/3 cup sugar (half quantity = 2 tbsp)
3 tbsp cocoa powder
pinch salt
3 tbsp chocolate, chopped
1 tsp vanilla essence
good handful raspberries, fresh or frozen (or chopped fresh strawberries)
First, prep the crust: put the pecan pieces, almond meal, linseed meal and salt in a blender and grind til smooth. Add the mulberry molasses bit by bit and pulse til the crumbs are just starting to stick together. Empty out of the blender and then press the crust into a pie tin or dish lined with foil. Put in the fridge until needed.
(Note, the molasses is just to stick the nuts together and add sweetness, alternatives could be soft dates or frozen banana, or maple syrup. Be careful when adding not to add too much as it would become too soft and sticky and make the finished pie not come out of the tin properly).
Next, filling: put 1 cup of fake milk in a pan with the cornflour and whisk together until the cornflour is distributed and there are no lumps. Then add the cocoa, sugar, salt and the rest of the milk and whisk together. Bring to the boil, whisking constantly until it thickens. Remove from the heat, add the chocolate and mix until it is melted. Then add the vanilla and mix.
Assembly: take the prepared crust and sprinkle the raspberries evenly over the base. Then pour the chocolate mixture all over the raspberries and fill up the crust (any extra can just be poured in a separate bowl). Leave to cool, then transfer to the fridge and leave for a couple of hours or so.
I actually used both frozen banana and mulberry molasses as sticky stuff in the crust, and ended up with something a bit too sticky but very tasty. I went ahead and used it anyway - the pie didn't come out of the dish very easily but it still tasted good. So the quantities described above reflect what I was aiming for rather than what I actually did. The chocolate pudding mix was great - super easy, using stuff I always have in the cupboards / fridge, good just on its own as well as as a pie filling. It's a good alternative to the silken tofu based chocolate pudding I've made often, perhaps even a more pudding-y texture (and doesn't require silken tofu, which I don't have any of at the moment). Really into cornflour thickening in desserts right now - nice smooth texture with no flavour distraction. All in all the pie was really yummy - S had thirds - and with a little tweaking of the crust mix I think it could be awesome. Perfect for a hot day's pie craving!
Sunday, July 1, 2012
Coconut lime bread
This is adapted from a coconut bread recipe I got from Lizzie - we made it together once or twice and it is wonderful stuff, not quite like anything else - somewhere between sweet and savoury; between something you eat on its own and something to use as a vehicle for jam or spread; between bread and cake...
I seem to be in the mood for coconut and lime. I think this is partly because it is a fresh, hot, summery, Caribbean-island-evoking combination, and partly because my jar of coconut oil has transitioned from white solid to clear liquid in this warm weather - for some reason I find the state change really cool and fascinating (plus it makes the coconut oil super easy to work with for recipes like this one - for icing not so much...).
2 tbsp ground linseed mixed with 6 tbsp hot water
300 ml (10 fl oz) fake milk
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 tbsp lime juice
2 1/2 cups plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1 cup sugar
150 g (5 oz) desiccated coconut
grated zest of one lime
75g (2 1/2 oz) coconut oil, melted
Heat oven to 350F / 180C. Whisk the linseed mixture, fake milk, vanilla and lime juice together.
Mix the flour, baking powder and coconut together with a fork in a mixing bowl. Add sugar, desiccated coconut and lime zest and mix thoroughly. Add the linseed/milk mixture and stir til just combined, then add the coconut oil and mix til just smooth.
Pour the batter into a greased, floured loaf tin. Bake for 1 hour / until a skewer comes out clean. Allow to cool in the tin for 5 min, then move the coconut bread to a wire rack to finish cooling.
I seem to be in the mood for coconut and lime. I think this is partly because it is a fresh, hot, summery, Caribbean-island-evoking combination, and partly because my jar of coconut oil has transitioned from white solid to clear liquid in this warm weather - for some reason I find the state change really cool and fascinating (plus it makes the coconut oil super easy to work with for recipes like this one - for icing not so much...).
2 tbsp ground linseed mixed with 6 tbsp hot water
300 ml (10 fl oz) fake milk
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 tbsp lime juice
2 1/2 cups plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1 cup sugar
150 g (5 oz) desiccated coconut
grated zest of one lime
75g (2 1/2 oz) coconut oil, melted
Heat oven to 350F / 180C. Whisk the linseed mixture, fake milk, vanilla and lime juice together.
Mix the flour, baking powder and coconut together with a fork in a mixing bowl. Add sugar, desiccated coconut and lime zest and mix thoroughly. Add the linseed/milk mixture and stir til just combined, then add the coconut oil and mix til just smooth.
Pour the batter into a greased, floured loaf tin. Bake for 1 hour / until a skewer comes out clean. Allow to cool in the tin for 5 min, then move the coconut bread to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Breakfast scramble
We realised this morning that we hadn't had an out of the ordinary weekend breakfast any time recently. So I volunteered to make us a tofu scramble.
1 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, peeled and sliced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
1 small courgette, sliced
4 mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
2 spring onions, chopped
1/2 tsp dried chilli flakes
1 tsp dried red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
1 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
5 courgette flowers (male), bases and stamens removed, petals chopped
1 package extra firm tofu, drained and patted dry
1/4 tsp turmeric
1-2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp soy sauce
salt+pepper
Heat olive oil in a frying pan, then add the chopped onion and saute. Add the garlic and saute a few minutes. Then add the courgette and give it a few more minutes. Next add mushrooms, spring onions, chilli, red pepper flakes and thyme and cook a few more minutes. Then add the parsley, basil and courgette flowers and cook a little longer. Crumble in the tofu and add turmeric, cook a few more minutes to heat through. Finally, add balsamic vinegar, soy sauce and salt+pepper to taste.
This one was pretty good - S said it was the best tofu scramble he'd ever had (not that he's had all that many...).
1 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, peeled and sliced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
1 small courgette, sliced
4 mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
2 spring onions, chopped
1/2 tsp dried chilli flakes
1 tsp dried red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
1 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
5 courgette flowers (male), bases and stamens removed, petals chopped
1 package extra firm tofu, drained and patted dry
1/4 tsp turmeric
1-2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp soy sauce
salt+pepper
Heat olive oil in a frying pan, then add the chopped onion and saute. Add the garlic and saute a few minutes. Then add the courgette and give it a few more minutes. Next add mushrooms, spring onions, chilli, red pepper flakes and thyme and cook a few more minutes. Then add the parsley, basil and courgette flowers and cook a little longer. Crumble in the tofu and add turmeric, cook a few more minutes to heat through. Finally, add balsamic vinegar, soy sauce and salt+pepper to taste.
This one was pretty good - S said it was the best tofu scramble he'd ever had (not that he's had all that many...).
Coconut lime biscuits
These are a variant on these ones, using coconut oil and lime in place of olive oil and lemon.
(makes 12)
1 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/8 tsp salt
5 tbsp desiccated coconut
juice and zest of 1 lime
1/4 cup coconut oil
1-2 tbsp fake milk (if needed)
Heat oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with greaseproof paper. Mix flour, sugar, bicarb, salt and desiccated coconut in a medium bowl with a fork.
Mix the lime juice and zest with the coconut oil, then add to dry ingredients and mix to a smooth dough. Add fake milk as needed to get the required consistency.
Take lumps of the mixture and shape into ~1.5in diameter balls. Flatten slightly and place on baking sheet, leaving 1-2in between blobs as they may spread a little while cooking. Bake for 20-30 min, until slightly browned around the edges. Take out, cool for ~5min on the sheet, then move to a cooling rack.
I took these for Kokoro's birthday party. They were good, although I wasn't as excited about them as I was about the lemon-lavender ones - the tastes were less intense.
One thought, I read this somewhere, is that perhaps the biscuits need to be chilled before baking to get them to cook properly. Will try this next time.
(makes 12)
1 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/8 tsp salt
5 tbsp desiccated coconut
juice and zest of 1 lime
1/4 cup coconut oil
1-2 tbsp fake milk (if needed)
Heat oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with greaseproof paper. Mix flour, sugar, bicarb, salt and desiccated coconut in a medium bowl with a fork.
Mix the lime juice and zest with the coconut oil, then add to dry ingredients and mix to a smooth dough. Add fake milk as needed to get the required consistency.
Take lumps of the mixture and shape into ~1.5in diameter balls. Flatten slightly and place on baking sheet, leaving 1-2in between blobs as they may spread a little while cooking. Bake for 20-30 min, until slightly browned around the edges. Take out, cool for ~5min on the sheet, then move to a cooling rack.
I took these for Kokoro's birthday party. They were good, although I wasn't as excited about them as I was about the lemon-lavender ones - the tastes were less intense.
One thought, I read this somewhere, is that perhaps the biscuits need to be chilled before baking to get them to cook properly. Will try this next time.
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