1/2 cup coconut flour (do not substitute for other flours as coconut flour behaves quite differently)
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 handful of chocolate chips (optional)
1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius
2. Grease a square baking tin 8 X 8 inches and line it with two pieces of baking paper, cut to fit 8 inches in width but longer in length so it hangs out the sides, and place the two pieces in a cross over each other. Clip the tops of each side with metal clips if you like or just fold it over. This method makes it easy to remove the brownie.
3. Remove the flesh of the avocado and blitz together the avocado, coconut oil, maple syrup and vanilla. You can use a blender or food processor, or even a hand blender. But it has to be very very smooth with no lumps.
4. Scrape off the avocado goodness into a mixing bowl and beat in the eggs.
5. Add the coconut flour, cocoa powder, salt and baking soda. Mix.
6. Add chocolate chips and fold them in.
7. Pour the batter into the prepared tin and bake for 25 minutes. 2-3 minutes less for fudgy, 2-3 minutes more for cakey. (Personally don't like cakey brownies... If you do then you might as well make a chocolate cake?)
8. Allow to cool for 30 minutes or longer before removing it from the tin.
9. Cut into nine squares. These can be stored in the fridge or freezer.
For the frosting:
1 270ml can of coconut cream (it has to be 100% natural with no gums or stabilizers)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the muffins:
5 ripe bananas or 10 small bananas (I prefer the small ones as they're sweeter)
1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce
3 tablespoons coconut oil, melted at room temperature
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup wholemeal flour
3/4 cup oat flour (make your own by grinding oats to a fine powder, then measure 3/4 cup)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
A pinch of nutmeg
A pinch of ground cloves
1. Prepare a day in advance the can of coconut cream and place it in the fridge overnight. Do not shake the can!
2. The next day..... Preheat the oven to 190 degrees Celsius.
3. In a mixing bowl, mash the bananas and add the unsweetened applesauce, coconut oil and vanilla extract.
4. Add the baking soda and mix well with a whisk.
5. Sift in the wholemeal and oat flour, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves into the banana mixture.
6. Mix with a fork lightly but don't over mix. Scrape the sides with a spatula too.
7. Line the muffin tray with liners or grease with some coconut oil and bake for 20-25 minutes till a skewer comes out clean. This could take longer for the jumbo sized ones.
8. Let them cool completely before removing from the tray to frost.
9. Place a mixing bowl in the freezer for 5 minutes. Take the coconut cream can from the fridge and turn it upside down. Use a can opener to open the bottom. You'll find there's a layer of coconut water. Pour it out into a cup and you can use this for smoothies! You only want the cream that's left behind. Scrape the cream into the frozen mixing bowl and beat it with an electric mixer till it's like whipped cream. Add about 1/2 teaspoon vanilla and beat again.
10. With a offset spatula or butter knife, frost the cooled cupcakes. And decorate as you wish!
Baked these for my baby's first birthday and also whenever I have leftover bananas. He absolutely loves them as a snack without the frosting too. This recipe was adapted from fitmamarealfood.
1/2 cup of pumpkin puree, (Unsweetened. You can make your own, or get it from a can. See below to make your own)
1/2 cup of honey
2 eggs
Chopped walnuts and almonds, and maple syrup for topping (Optional)
1. Preheat the over to 180 degrees Celsius.
2. Mix the ground almonds, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ground ginger and salt.
3. In another bowl, mix the pumpkin puree (make sure you pack it well into the measuring cup), honey and eggs. Whisk until you get a smooth paste.
(*Note: I left my pumpkin puree in the fridge so it hardened a little. You can use a hand blender to puree these three ingredients if you can't achieve it with a whisk)
4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix.
(*Note: You can also take the hand blender to this if you think the ground almonds are not fine enough. I did a few blitzes but don't go crazy!!!!)
5. Line a cake tin with baking paper. Grease it if you wish with oil or butter. Pour the mixture in and bake for 35 mins or until a skewer comes out clean.
6. Leave to cool, remove and place on serving plate.
7. Optional: Mix some chopped walnuts and almonds with some maple syrup and scatter over the top.
If using fresh pumpkin puree:
1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius.
2. Cut your pumpkin in half and dig out the seeds ( you can save and roast these!)
3. Sprinkle some salt on the flesh side and place them flesh side down on baking paper.
4. Bake for 30 minutes or until it's tender and soft when poked with a paring knife.
5. Let it cool and scoop out the flesh. Mash with masher or hand blender.
If you're using this just for the cake above, you'll be left with A LOT of mash. Suggest saving 1/2 cup for the cake (make sure to pack the cup tightly) And use the rest for a pumpkin mash as a side dinner dish (just add a bit of milk, knob of butter, salt & pepper.)
I used a local pumpkin (I'm guessing "local" means grown in Malaysia as I can't see Singapore having the space to grow them!). It's cheaper than the imported ones such as the butternut pumpkin/squash. Feel free to use other pumpkins other than the "local" ones!
1 whole chicken, chopped into 1.5 - 2 inch pieces (make sure all are the same size!)
One handful of dried black fungus (you can also use wood ear mushrooms)
4 dried shitake mushrooms
2 inch knob of ginger
4 - 5 whole garlic cloves
3 tablespoons oyster sauce
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons sesame oil
2 tablespoons Tsao Tsing wine (optional)
Approx. 2 inches of a cup of water with a teaspoon of chicken powder (you can just use water)
Dash of finely ground white pepper
Coriander leaves and sliced chillies to garnish (Optional)
1. Pour boiling water over the black fungus and shitake mushrooms till they're covered. Let them steep for at least 20 minutes.
2. Cut your chicken up into pieces and add them to the dish you'll be steaming it in.
3. Peel and slice ginger, and peel and smash the garlic. Add them to the chicken whole.
4. Once the mushrooms have finished steeping, remove the hard stems. If using woodear mushrooms, you may need to cut into bit sized pieces.
5. Slice the shitake mushrooms.
6. Drain the water and add the fungus and mushrooms to the chicken.
7. Add in the oyster sauce, soy sauce, sesame oil, Tsao Tsing wine, chicken powder dissolved in water and white pepper.
8. Mix and marinade in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. 1 hour is better. More than 4 hours is best.
9. Remove from the fridge and steam on high heat for 20 minutes. (15 minutes if you have a smaller chicken)
4 chicken breasts with bone on
Chicken bones/chicken feet (Optional)
2 red tomatoes, cut into wedges
4 onions, cut into wedges
5 whole cloves garlic, peeled
2 waxy potatoes, cut into chunks
2 carrots, cut into chunks
1 ear of corn, cut into 4 - 5 pieces
1 - 2 inches Yunan ham, sliced into thick chunks (optional)
Enough water to cover ingredients
Salt, to taste
1. Boil some water and place the chicken feet, breast and carcass for one minute. Strain and rinse with tap water.
2. Chop tomatoes, onions, potatoes, carrots and sweet corn.
3. Place all ingredients in the pot and bring to a boil. Skim the scum off the top.
4. Once it boils, reduce to the lowest heat, cover and simmer for 2.5 to 3 hours.
5. Remove all the bones and serve hot.
* You can choose to serve with chicken feet – looks icky but packed with collagen (good for your complexion!). If you don’t like to eat, throw it away. I usually fish them out, pour some soy sauce, sesame oil and finely ground white pepper over it, and eat them! (They're always fought for in our family!)
Why is it called ABC Soup? The reasons are unclear but some say it's because you're getting all the Vitamins A, B and C from this soup. Or, that this soup is as easy as ABC to make! It is really so easy there's no reason not to try it!
It's also really a one pot meal. Just steam some white rice, spoon the rice into a bowl and the soup on top, garnish with some spring onions and soy sauce - it's a meal!
20 fresh whole prawns (the shells and heads have to be saved)
1 big fish cake, cut into slices
4 cups bean sprouts
4 large handfuls fresh egg noodles For the stock:
About 550g prawn heads and shells
(use the ones from the fresh 20 and ones you've collected in the freezer from previous meals)
Pig's tails or pork ribs (about 600g), chopped into chunks
1 handful ikan billis (dried anchovies), washed and strained
1 handful of dried prawns, washed and strained
1 large carrot, cut into chunks
2 red onion, cut into wedges
8-10 cloves garlic
5 slices ginger
1 pot of boiling water (water should be enough for 4 bowls, plus 2 extra bowls)
* Optional tsao tsing wine
To taste:
4 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
Salt & pepper
To garnish:
Spring onions, chopped
Fried garlic ( you can make yourself or buy from a jar)
Chili powder
1. Peel the 20 prawns and reserve the heads and shells. (Works out to about 5 prawns each)
2. Bring a pot of water to a boil and add in the pig's tails. Boil for about 2 minutes and discard the water and rinse the tails in cold water, removing any dirt.
3. Fry the dried shrimps, ikan billis in some oil till fragrant, then add the garlic, ginger and onions. Stir fry for a while and then dump in the fresh prawn heads and shells, plus the others that you've reserved in the freezer.
4. Take your time to fry the shells, they will take a while before they all turn slightly brown and fragrant. Once it turns slightly brown and the shells have reduced in size, add a splash of tsao tsing wine (optional). Be sure not to burn them because that will leave a really horrible taste in the soup. Note: Open all your windows and turn on the fans while doing this process!
5. Add the boiling water and pig's tails and carrots, and bring to a boil. While boiling, keep removing the scum. Once that subsides, turn the heat down to low on the smallest flame possible and simmer for 1 hour, covered.
6. After 1 hour, drain the stock to another pot through a sieve. Pick out the pigs tails and put them back into that drained stock. Try to squish as much stock out of the prawns as possible through the sieve. Discard the shells.
7. Add in the sugar, soy, salt and pepper to your own taste and simmer on low for another 1 hour, covered.
8. Boil the bean sprouts in water and a bit of salt till it's still crunchy but tender. Drain and set aside.
9. To serve, bring a separate large pot of water to a boil with some salt. Boil the fresh noodles for about 2-3 minutes. Drain and immediately immerse in cold water. Drain again.
10. With a strainer or a kitchen spider, cook the prawns and fish cake in the stock for about 2 minutes. Remove and set on a plate.
11. With a strainer or spider, quickly blanch the noodles in the stock to give it flavour. Drain and divide into 4 bowls.
12. Arrange the prawns, fish cake and bean sprouts on top of the noodles and pour over the hot stock.
13. Garnish with spring onions and fried garlic. Chili powder is optional.You can serve this with a fresh sliced red chilies in soy sauce for dipping the prawns and fish cake into.
14. Also, reserve the pigs tails or pork ribs and serve those up if you like. Some people love to eat the tails (I do!) If you can't stomach them, discard them!
* This is my own recipe. I've made this about 10 times in my life and almost all of them have tasted different, but this time is by far the best. You really do need the pig's tail. In Singapore they can be found in most wet markets, but I'm sure in the west your local butcher will be able to give them to you - maybe even for free!!
4 chicken leg quaters (thighs & drumsticks attached)
4 stalks spring onions, white part minced (reserve green parts for sauce)
2-3 large clove garlic, minced
2 teaspoon five spice powder
6 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoon tsao tsing wine
2 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon finely ground pepper
For basting:
3 teaspoon honey
2 teaspoon vinegar
(Reserve the chicken marinade for this)
Dipping sauce No.1:
Soy sauce (I like the Vietnamese one type as it's got a lot of different notes, but you can use normal soy)
Finely chopped garlic (use however much you like. I used about 2-3 cloves)
Sliced red chilies (use as much as you like as well. I liked mine spicy so I used 5 chili padi)
Dipping sauce No.2:
Spring onion (green parts)
1/2 a knob of ginger, finely grated
Sugar
Salt
4-5 teaspoons vegetable oil
1. Wash and pat dry the chicken and poke it in several places with a sharp paring knife. This helps the marinade to get into the meat.
2. In a ziplock bag, combine the white part of minced spring onions, garlic, five-spice powder, soy sauce, sugar, salt, pepper and stir well.
3. Dump the chicken into the bag and shake well to distribute the marinade. Let it sit in the fridge for at least 1 hour or over night.
4. Preheat oven to 180°C.
5. Remove the chicken from the bag and reserve the marinade. Place chicken, skin side facing down, on a baking pan lined with aluminum foil. Bake for 20 minutes.
6. While it's in the oven, pour the reserved marinade into a saucepan and turn the heat to high. Reduce till it's syrupy and sticky. Turn off the heat.
7. Mix the reduction with honey and vinegar.
8. After baking chicken for 20 minutes, turn it over and brush the honey vinegar mixture all over the skin. Bake for another 20 minutes.
10. While it's roasting again, make Dipping sauce No.1.
11. Make Dipping Sauce No.2 by placing the green parts of the chopped spring onions and grated ginger in a small bowl, add a large pinch of salt and a large pinch of sugar, vegetable oil, and microwave for 10-20 seconds.
12. Remove the chicken and baste the chicken with the rest of the baste (if any), and change the setting to grill on super high. Grill till the skin is slightly charred - watch it very carefully as it will brown very quickly.
13. Remove the chicken and allow it to rest for a few minutes. Pour the juices (if any) into a serving bowl as a dipping sauce.
14. Serve with steamed rice and three dipping sauces - chicken juices, spring onion and ginger oil, chili garlic soy.
15. Slice some cucumber and tomatoes as a side.
* This was adapted from Helen's Recipes on YouTube and her website. I love Vietnamese food and her recipes are the easiest to follow! Tastes amazing too!
1 fillet salmon, cubed and skin removed.
1 fillet white snapper, cubed and skin removed
2 large tomatoes, cubed
1 Thai honey mango, cubed
1/2 a medium bulb red onion, finely chopped
1 small clove garlic, grated
6 stalks spring onions, sliced
1 handful coriander, chopped
2 red chili padi, very finely chopped with seeds
6-8 calamansi, juiced
sliced avocado to garnish (optional)
2 pinches salt
fresh ground black pepper Optional: flour tortillas for the basket.
1. Mix ingredients (except fish skin) together and leave in fridge for 10 mins.
2. Optional: Drizzle olive oil, salt and pepper on the skins on both sides and leave on the grill to let the fat drain about 10 -15 minutes snapper skin takes slightly longer.
3. Optional tortilla bowl: Preheat oven to 190 celsius. Invert your muffin tin and nestle one tortilla in between four cups. Bake for about 15 minutes until golden brown. Remove and cool. Spoon ceviche in the bowls and serve.
2 large ripe avocados
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup cocoa powder
3 tablespoons coconut oil
1/2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon salt
Handful chopped walnuts
1. Scoop out the flesh from the avocados and cut into chunks.
2. Add other ingredients and blitz till smooth. Taste. If it's not sweet enough add a bit more syrup.
3. Transfer to serving dish and garnish with walnuts.
4. Chill in fridge or eat immediately.
* This recipe is from Laura Miller and it's awesome. Her recipe calls for nama shoyu, but I haven't really looked hard enough for it, so I just used normal light soy sauce. Neither could I find agave syrup. Maple syrup (it has to be the real stuff!) turned out super. I added in the walnuts for some texture.
1 pot of boiling water
3 fat garlic cloves, smashed
1 white onion, cut into wedges
1-2 large stalks spring onions, chopped and whites and greens separated
4 bunches coriander, roots and stems chopped, and leaves whole
4-5 slices ginger
3-4 kaffir lime leaves, roughly bruised or torn
1-2 stalks lemongrass, bashed and chopped into large chunks
3 large red chilis (and a few small chili padis, or birds eye chili for those who can take the heat)
1 - 2 tsp sugar
Soy or fish sauce to taste
1 chicken stock cube, or 2 dessert spoons chicken stock concentrate dissolved in some water
Juice of 1 lime or half a big lime
1 bowl of assorted mushrooms - oyster, shitake, enoki, straw etc
Use whatever meat you like, e.g fish, prawns, chicken, mussels, squid, or chicken. (I used prawns and crayfish in the picture above)
1. Bring water to the boil. Add garlic, white onion, stalks & roots of coriander, white parts of spring onions, ginger, lime leaves,lemongrass and red chilis. Boil for 10 mins.
2. Add the chicken stock cubes, sugar, soy/fish sauce, and lime. Taste and make sure there are the 4 Ss - Sweet, Sour, Salty and Spicy.
3. Add the mushrooms.
4. Add the meats that take longer to cook first. E.g chicken or mussels. Prawns and squid only take a minute or two in boiling water.
5. Serve with torn pieces of coriander and chopped green onion.
*Note: If you have clear home made chicken stock, all the better. Replace that with the water and chicken stock cube/concentrate.
