No-Frills Recipes ... cooking, baking & excerpts on travel

These muffins with a tropical flavour of lemon and coconut are very soft and moist.  They stay fresh till the next day, kept in a container.






Coconut Lemon Muffins  ~椰子柠檬玛芬 
Ingredients
210 gm plain flour80 gm caster sugar1 cup plain yoghurt1 'L' egg1/3 cup vegetable oil1 tsp baking powder3/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda1/4 tsp salt1 Tbsp lime juice25 gm dessicated coconutRaw sugar to sprinkle on top (optional)Method Sift the flour with baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, salt, whisk in the sugar.Beat yoghurt, egg, oil and lime juice till smooth.  Stir this into the dry ingredients just till moistened.Fold in the dessicated coconut.Using an ice cream scoop, fill up paper lined muffin pan 2/3 full.  Sprinkle on some raw sugar.Bake in a preheated oven @ 200deg.C for 18 to 22 mins. till golden brown.  Test with a skewer till it comes out clean.Serve warm or cool to room  temperature.Yield :  10 muffins.

These fudgy and gooey brownie squares are not only pretty to look at with swirls of peanut butter but they are delicious as well.  This is a healthy brownie recipe as I've replaced butter with avocado and used wholemeal flour instead.








Avocado Chocolate Brownies  ~   鳄梨巧克力布朗尼
Ingredients

2 medium size ripe avocados, cubed2 eggs150 ml honey75 gm wholemeal flour30 gm cocoa powder1 tsp baking powder1 tsp vanilla2 Tbsp peanut butterMethod In a blender or food processor, combine avocado, eggs, honey and vanilla till smooth.Whisk wholemeal flour with baking powder and cocoa powder.Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until a batter forms.  Pour the the batter into a parchment lined 8 x 8 inch baking pan.  Soften the peanut butter in the microwave for a few seconds, then drop dollops on the batter and swirl.Bake in a preheated oven @ 180 deg.C for 20 to 30 mins.Press the top and if it bounces back when you gently touch it with your finger, then it is set.  Also test with a skewe…

I think it is more appropriate to name this cake just as 'Topo map cake' for the layers in this cake really look like a map.  Layering this cake can be quite challenging as a great deal of patience is required.  But patience and endurance do pay and after the cake is baked and once you sliced it up, you'll be so pleased to see the pretty layers and the colour combination.  Not only does it look awesome, the texture is good too, soft and moist.




Topo Map Cake  ~   地图蛋糕 (adapted from 'here')

A)  250 gm salted butter
      100 gm caster sugar
      4 large egg yolks
      200 gm self-raising flour
      60 ml milk
      1 Tbsp matcha powder, sifted
      1 tsp vanilla
      Cocoa powder for dusting
B)  4 large egg whites
      50 gm caster sugar

Method

Beat butter, sugar and vanilla till creamy, add in egg yolks one at a time.Fold in sifted flour alternating with milk till well incorporated.Divide into two portions.  Leave one portion plain but sift in matcha powder into…

These succulent pork ribs are meaty and tender and they go very well with white rice.  They are delicious and finger licking good!


Vietnamese Braised Pork Ribs ~ 越南排骨
Ingredients
1 kg pork ribs2 lemon grass, lightly smashed and finely chopped, about 2 Tbsp1.1/2 Tbsp soy sauce1/2 Tbsp fish sauce1 tsp salt1 Tbsp brown sugar1/2 Tbsp garlic, chopped or grated1 tsp Chinese 5 spice powder1 Tbsp finely chopped gingerMethod Marinate the pork ribs overnight with all the above ingredients.Reserve the marinade. Cook the ribs in a non-stick pan, add in 2 cups water and continue to cook till the ribs are tender and the sauce has been reduced.Fine tune to taste. Dish out.Cook the marinade with a bit of cornflour to thicken.Pour the marinade over the ribs before serving.

A gluten free cake using only almond meal instead of flour.  Texture is moist, soft, dense but not heavy.  You can serve this with a dollop of mascarpone cheese, fresh berries or a light dusting of icing sugar.  Be patient, let the cake sit overnight and it tastes much better the next day.   A moreish treat and a keeper recipe for sure!







Flourless Orange Almond Cake/Torte  ~  没有面粉橙子杏仁蛋糕
Ingredients



450 gm orange (about 2) big ones6 large eggs1 tsp vanilla220 gm caster sugar1 tsp baking powder1/4 tsp salt250 gm almond meal
Method Grease and line the base of a 9 inch springform pan.  Grease and dust the sides with flour.Cover the oranges with cold water, bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and let simmer for 2 hours till very soft.  Drain off the water.Once the oranges are cooled,  cut into small pieces, remove seeds.  Put in a food processor to blend.Add in eggs one @ a time and continue to blend till smooth.Whisk sugar, baking powder, salt and almond meal till well combined.Add mixture to the dr…

This is an easy peasy recipe where no mixer is required.  Method is more or less like making muffins.  The texture of this banana loaf is soft, moist and there is a perfect blend between the aromatic bananas and chocolate chips.








Chocolate chip banana bread   ~    香蕉巧克力蛋糕
Ingredients
1/4 cup oil100 gm caster sugar1 tsp lemon/orange zest2 large eggs, lightly beaten1/2 cup choc chips188 gm plain flour1 tsp bicarbonate of soda1/2 tsp salt1 cup (about 300 gm) over-ripe bananas, mashed (about 3)1/2 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped (optional)Extra choc chips to sprinkleMethod Grease and flour a 8.1/2" x 4.1/2" loaf pan.Whisk flour, bicarbonate soda, salt and sugar.  Set aside.Mash the bananas and mix in oil and beaten eggs.Pour the wet ingredients into the flour mixture.Stir in choc chips.  Do not overmix.Spoon batter into the loaf pan.  Level the surface and sprinkle on some choc chips.Bake in a preheated oven @ 180 deg.C for about 45 to 50 mins. Test with a skewer till it comes out cle…

This is a quick and easy recipe made with store bought puff pastry.   Delicious with fresh apples and sheets of puff pastry.  Serve them for dessert with a scoop of ice cream or just drizzle on some cream.


Apple Puff Pastries  ~   简易苹果派          

Ingredients

1.1/2 sheets of 8 inch sq rough puff pastry (store-bought)2 crunchy red apples2 tsp cinnamon3 tsp sugar1 egg lightly beatenicing sugar for dustingMethod Thaw the pastry and cut into 6 pieces.Cut apples into half, remove the core and slice into 4 mm thick slices.Arrange the pastries on a parchment lined baking tray.Prick the pastry with a fork and brush with beaten egg.Sprinkle cinnamon sugar on the pastry.Arrange apple slices on top and sprinkle more cinnamon sugar.  Bake in a preheated oven @ 200 deg.C for 20 to 25 mins.Let cool and dust with icing sugar.Yield :  6 puff pastries.