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

I had this simple French Toast for brunch recently and there's not much to be said with regards to the recipe.  For 4 slices of bread, I beat up 2 eggs, add a pinch of salt, dunk the bread into the egg mixture and pan-fry the bread.  Drizzle on some honey or maple syrup, add in some bananas or any fruits of your choice, throw in some nuts for crunch and good measure ....... and voila, enjoy!

This is a savoury swiss roll filled with peanut butter and chicken floss.  The airy and light sponge is delicious with this combination and it can be enjoyed for breakfast, as a snack at any time of the day. Chicken Floss Swiss Roll  ~  鸡肉松蛋糕卷 Ingredients  (A)  4 'L' egg yolks        30 gm caster sugar        30 ml vegetable oil        30 ml milk        50 gm plain flour   )  sifted        20 gm rice flour     ) (B)  4 'L' egg whites        40 gm caster sugar        1 tsp lemon/lime juice or vinegar (C)  Chicken floss and peanut butter for filling Method Line a 10 x 10 inch square pan with parchment paper. Whisk egg yolks, sugar, oil and milk till well incorporated.  Fold in sifted plain and rice flour.  Mix well. In a clean bowl, whis...

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 flour 80 gm caster sugar 1 cup plain yoghurt 1 'L' egg 1/3 cup vegetable oil 1 tsp baking powder 3/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda 1/4 tsp salt 1 Tbsp lime juice 25 gm dessicated coconut Raw 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 :...

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, cubed 2 eggs 150 ml honey 75 gm wholemeal flour 30 gm cocoa powder 1 tsp baking powder 1 tsp vanilla 2 Tbsp peanut butter Method 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 bounce...

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 ...

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 ribs 2 lemon grass, lightly smashed and finely chopped, about 2 Tbsp 1.1/2 Tbsp soy sauce 1/2 Tbsp fish sauce 1 tsp salt 1 Tbsp brown sugar 1/2 Tbsp garlic, chopped or grated 1 tsp Chinese 5 spice powder 1 Tbsp finely chopped ginger Method 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 ones 6 large eggs 1 tsp vanilla 220 gm caster sugar 1 tsp baking powder 1/4 tsp salt 250 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...

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 oil 100 gm caster sugar 1 tsp lemon/orange zest 2 large eggs, lightly beaten 1/2 cup choc chips 188 gm plain flour 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda 1/2 tsp salt 1 cup (about 300 gm) over-ripe bananas, mashed (about 3) 1/2 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped (optional) Extra choc chips to sprinkle Method 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. B...