Greek Quinoa Salad

Recently I came across some recipes using Quinoa and how the grains are the best source of protein for vegetarians, I went ahead and bought me a box.  Went through couple of recipes and finally thinking how bad it could taste, I cooked it according to the package and added some vegetable....It was so good that even my kids went for it. My daughter even said it looked like fish eggs..I wonder how she got that idea.  The cooked quinoa can be kept in the refrigerator for about 5 days.

Ingredients

4 cups romaine lettuce
1 cup cooked quinoa
8 ounces grape tomatoes, halved
1 red onion, sliced thin
4 ounces feta cheese (optional)
1/2 cup kalamata olives, pitted
3 T red wine vinegar
1 T lemon juice (fresh)
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp dried oregano
1/3 cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Method

Add one part quinoa to one and a quarter parts liquid.  As always, choose the liquid that best suits the dish you are making.  Depending on the ad ins you are using, you may or may not use a bit more liquid.  Bring to a simmer and then reduce to low.  Cover and cook for between 30 and 35 minutes.  Remove and fluff.

Chop romaine lettuce and combine with quinoa, tomatoes, and red onion.

Make dressing by combining vinegar, lemon juice, garlic and oregano. Add oil and whisk until emulsified. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Toss desired amount of dressing with salad and top with cheese (if using) and olives

Coconut Butterscotch Brownie

Actually today is a sad day, my neighbor had passed away. I could hear his daughter crying from behind my door. I could not believe myself that  after knowing my neighbor had passed, I was really shaken up and kept thinking of the times when we would just say hello whenever he would pick his mail up. I know that I just had to get my mind off from thinking about him and I may seem crazy but I just went to the kitchen and baked me some brownie and sat on the couch and ate almost half of it. As you can see, the pictures look horrible but I had to put it up.  On the other hand, this brownie is a winner; or so I say because I love love coconut...

Ingredients

2/3 cup (135 grams) granulated white sugar
1/3 cup (75 grams) soft natural buttery spread*
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 large egg
1/3 cup (45 grams) all-purpose flour
1/3 cup (35 grams) Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup (60 ml) light sour cream
1/4 cup of butterscotch chips, optional
4 tbsp sweetened coconut, toasted

Method

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) and place the rack in the center of the oven. Spray an 8 inch (20 cm) square pan with a nonstick vegetable cooking spray.
In the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the sugar and buttery spread until smooth. Beat in the vanilla extract and egg.
In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, and baking powder. Fold this flour mixture into the sugar and buttery spread mixture. Stir in the sour cream.
Pour into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Sprinkle the coconut and butterscotch chips. Bake for about 15 - 20 minutes, or until the edges start to pull away from the sides of the pan and the center of the brownies is still slightly soft. (Do not over bake or the brownies will be too dry.)
Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool. These brownies can be frozen for a month or two ( In my case, the brownie never stays for more than a day)

Pineapple Zucchini Bread

My picture not so good since I only finish baking it about 10pm, lighting very bad :[

I went to the farmer's market this weekend and bought couple of zucchini since it was pretty cheap.  This time I made the zucchini bread with a touch of tropical; pineapple. Yes, I absolutely love pineapple in my bread.  I should have added some raisins but was running out of it.  This time, even my picky eater ate it...yummm.

Source: Allrecipes

Ingredients

3 egg
2 cups finely shredded zucchini
1 cup vegetable oil ( I substituted applesauce for the oil)
1 can (8 ounces) crushed pineapple, drained
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar ( original recipe says 2 cup but I just halved it since I did not want it to be too sweet)
1  teaspoons baking soda
1/2  teaspoons baking powder
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup chopped nuts
1 cup raisins, optional

Method

• In a large bowl, combine the eggs, zucchini, oil, pineapple and vanilla. Combine the dry ingredients; stir into egg mixture just until moistened.
•  Fold in nuts and raisins if desired.
• Pour into two greased 8-in. x 4-in. loaf pans. Bake at 350° for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.
• Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool.

Vegetarian spicy Mutton

Another addition to my vegetarian dinner. Bought this dried tofu, which acts as a meat replacement.  Its is soaked with little salt for about couple of minutes in hot water and squeezed.  The faux meat is then ready to be cooked just like an ordinary meat.

Ingredients

1/2 cup vegetarian meat, soaked in hot water and salt, then squeeze off the liquid.

2 tsp chili powder

pinch of salt

1 tsp ginger garlic paste

2 shallot, sliced

1 sprig of curry leaf

1 cinnamon stick

3 cloves

1 star anise

1 tomato, cubed

1 potato, cubed

1 tbsp curry powder

Method

• Marinate the squeezed meat with pinch of salt and 1 tsp chili powder.  In a frying pan, add some oil and fry the meat lightly and set aside.
• Add little bit more oil if needed and put in the cinnamon stick, cloves, star anise, curry leaf  and shallots.  Stir fry till the onion are slightly limp. 
• Add the ginger garlic paste, tomato and potato. Stir fry for a bit then add some water. Let it cook till the potatoes are fork tender.
• Now add the curry powder, chili powder and the meat. Adjust seasoning.
• Stir well till everything is coated with the gravy. Cook on slow heat for about 10 minutes.  Serve.

It looks like small marbles, once soaked it will expand

Rainbow Chiffon Cake

This is not exactly 7 rainbow shades but still pleasing to the eyes. Its quite tedious to divide the batter into portions...I just used 3 colours.  Of course if you have the patience you could use more colors. I added strawberry paste instead of red colouring in the pink layer, the cake has a slight trace of strawberry flavour and for the chocolate layer, I used chocolate emulco.

Ingredients

6 eggs, separate

130gm sugar

4 tbsp corn oil

4 tbsp milk

1 tsp vanilla essence

110gm cake flour

1/4 tsp cream of tartar

red (I used 1/4 tsp strawberry paste) , green, chocolate food colouring

Method

• Beat egg yolk & 50gm sugar until smooth. Stir in corn oil, milk & vanilla essence.
• Sift in cake flour and mix to form batter.
• Divide into 3 portions, approx. 90gm each. Add in colours into individual portion.
• In a clean & dry mixing bowl, beat egg whites & cream of tartar until foamy. Add in balance sugar gradually and beat on high speed till stiff peak formed.
• Divide egg white foam into 3 portions, approx. 75gm each. Gently fold into individual coloured batter.
• Pour in each batter in sequence into a 9" ungreased tube pan. Tap the pan on the table top each time before adding the next coloured batter. Bake in preheated oven at 350 degrees for 40 mins.
• Remove from oven and immediately invert the tube pan on table top. Cool completely before unmoulding.

Vegetarian Sweet Sour Fish

My niece came by this weekend and brought me this wonderful vegetarian fish and since she is a vegetarian I thought it would be a treat for her to have this for dinner.  The fish itself tastes almost like any other fish. 

Ingredients

1 vegetarian fish

1/2 inch ginger, sliced thinly

1 shallot, sliced thinly

1 garlic, minced

1 tomato, cubed

1 zucchini, cubed

1 red bell pepper, cubed

1 tbsp ketchup

1 tsp vegetarian stir fry sauce

1/4 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp sweet chili sauce

salt

sesame oil and vegetable oil

Method

In a non stick frying pan, add about 1/2 tsp of sesame oil and 4 tbsp of vegetable oil.  Pan fry lightly the fish till it crisps slightly and turn to fry the other side.  Take out and set aside.

In the same pan, add more oil if needed; saute the shallot, garlic, ginger till its fragrant, then add the tomatoes, zucchini, bell pepper and the sauces.  Stir fry and taste for seasoning.  Add extra sugar to cut the acidity of the tomato ketchup if needed or use 1 tbsp more of stir fry sauce to suit the taste. Add about 1/4 cup water and slide in the fish.  Taste for seasoning and dish out.  Serve with hot jasmine rice.

The vegetarian fish !

Orange Swiss Rolls

This uses the same method as the earlier post as I feel the texture of the rolls are really soft.  I flavored it with orange rind and filled with whipped chocolate cream.  The combination of orange and chocolate is like no other pair....they are made for each other. Simply scrumptious.

Ingredients

4 Egg Yolk 

40gm Olive Oil 

110gm Cake Flour 

80gm Orange Juice 

Orange zest (optional)

5 Egg White 

50gm Castor Sugar  (add more if u like sweet)

1/2 tsp Lemon juice 

Method

• Combine Ingredient 1 - 5 until well blended, leave aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Beat egg whites with electric beater till frothy, add sugar and lemon juice. Continue to beat till stiff peaks are formed.
• Mix 1/3 of egg white into egg yolk batter, and then FOLD in remaining egg white foam into batter with a whisk.
• Pour batter into a  11 by 11 inch baking sheet and bang the tin to release the bubbles.
• Bake at oven 350 degrees for 35 minutes or till cooked.

Rainbow Swiss Roll

I am submitting this to Aspiring Bakers #9 – Swiss Rolling Good Times!(Jul 2011) hosted by Obsessedly Involved with Food .

This method is the same as chiffon cake, the egg whites are beaten to stiff peak and then slowly mixed into the yolk mixture.

Ingredients

Egg Yolk -  4 

Olive Oil -  40g

Cake Flour -  110g

Water - 60g

Egg White - 5

Castor Sugar - 40g (add more if u like sweet)

Lemon Juice 1/2  tsp

4 colors

Filling- whipping cream

Method

• Combine Ingredient 1 - 4 until well blended, leave aside. 
• Beat egg whites with electric beater till frothy, add in sugar and lemon juice, then continue to beat till stiff peaks are formed.
• Mix 1/3 of egg white into egg yolk batter, and then FOLD in remaining egg white foam into batter with a whisk. Divide batter equally to 4 bowl and color them with your choice.
• Pour batter into tray and bang the tray to release the bubbles.
• Bake 350 degrees  for 17 minutes or till cooked.
• Remove from oven, let it cool with a damp towel on top.
• Spread whip cream on top and roll tightly.  Store for about 1/2 hour before serving.

Vegetarian Meat with Tofu

Being vegetarian actually gives me new ideas to try out things that I usually never thought of cooking.  I bought some vegetarian meat crumbles and paired it with pan fried tofu and seasoned with jalapeno and chili powder.  A little spicy but really wonderful with hot rice.

Ingredients

2 shallots, sliced
1 garlic, minced
1 jalapeno, sliced
Tofu, about 1/2 cup ( diced and pan fried with some olive oil)
Vegetarian Meat Crumble, 1/4 cup
Chili powder, 1 tsp
Cumin powder, 1/2 tsp
Salt

Method

In a medium heat, lightly oil a pan and saute the onion, garlic and jalapeno.  Once the onion is slightly browned add the meat crumbles, chili powder, salt and cumin powder. Stir fry for about 5 minutes and add the tofu and little bit of water.  Cook for another 10 to 15 minutes in low heat.   Taste for seasoning.  Add more chili or jalapeno if you want it to be more spicy.

Coconut Crepe ( Kuih Dadar)

Tea time....I am so hungry and needed something to munch when I came across this wonderful tea time snack which is super easy.  Its made just like any crepe except that you add some pandan paste to get the beautiful green coloring and smell.  Inside is coconut filling with brown sugar.

Source: Asian Cakes and Desserts

Ingredients

1 1/4 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg
2/3 cup thin coconut milk ( I used soy milk)
3/4 cup water
1 tsp pandan paste
1 tbsp vegetable oil

Method

• Sift flour and salt into a medium sized mixing bowl.  In a another bowl, whisk the egg, milk, water and pandan paste together.  Slowly add the liquid to the dried ingredients.  Whisk well so there are no lumps.
• If you feel the batter is too thick, feel free to add more liquid.
• Heat a small nonstick pan over medium heat. Spray with cooking spray.  Stir batter and pour about 3 tablespoon of batter and rotate the pan immediately so that it covers the pan in a thin circle.  Allow batter to set and just begin to brown. Flip the crepe over and allow the other side to cook, just for few seconds.
• Turn the pancake over to a plate and place a spoonful of filling in the centre of the crepe and fold both sides towards the middle and roll the crepe away from you, just like a swiss roll.

Coconut Filling

2/3 cup palm sugar or brown sugar
1/4 cup + 1 tbsp water
1 pandan leaf, knotted
1 cup grated coconut


Method

• Place palm sugar and water in a pan and cook until sugar dissolves. Simmer for 10 min until liquid starts to thicken and become syrupy.
• Add the pandan leaf and grated coconut and continue cooking over low heat for 10 to 15 min until the coconut filling is thick and glossy. Most of the liquid should have evaporated. Cool and use as desired. Keep well if stored in a covered container in the fridge