Zucchini Banana Cake

I don’t often see zucchinis in Japan and when I do they’re imported and so super expensive. Though recently, my local farmer’s market/shop has starting selling 3/4 zuchinnis for the equivalent of $2 which I think is really cheap. I wished I had one of those zoodle machines (the ones that make noodles out of carrots, cucumbers and zuchinnis) to make a fancy salad with rice noodles and peanuts but it’s okay because I turned my zucchinis into the most delicious cake.

To make the recipe free of gluten, simply use GF oats and GF flour.

2 free-range eggs
2 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp pure maple syrup
1 ripe banana
3/4 cup oat flour (oats made into flour using a blender or food processor)
1 tsp pure vanilla essence
2 tbsp wholewheat flour
1 tbsp almond powder
2 tsp baking powder
1 zucchini grated
granola to top (optional)

Preheat oven to 180C.

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients together.

Pour batter into a greased loaf tin.

Top with granola (optional)

Bake for 30 or so minutes.

Boiled Orange Cranberry And Chocolate Cake

2 whole ORGANIC oranges
2 and 1/4 cups ground almonds
1 cup coconut sugar 
4 free range eggs
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 tsp baking soda

1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup roughly chopped good quality dark chocolate

Place whole oranges in a large pot and cover with water. Bring to the boil and continue the boil for 1 hour.

Drain. Let cool (apparently patience is virtous)

Preheat oven to 160 C

Cut oranges in half and place in a food processor (skin, pith, flesh errythang) with ground almonds, coconut sugar, eggs, vanilla extract and baking soda then process until smooth.

Turn the food processor off, unless you want to die and using a spoon, gently mix in the cranberries and chocolate (leaving a handful behind for topping)

Pour batter into a baking-paper lined cake tin, top with remaining cranberries and chocolate and bake for 40-50 minutes or until a fork comes out clean when inserted.

Let cool completely before removing from tin.

Note: using organic oranges is vital here seeing as you’re going to be eating the whole thang. Also, the thinner the orange skin, the sweeter.

Enjoy! Let me know how it goes and don’t forget to tag me in your creations xx

Experimenting In Ze Kitchen

Most of the time I don’t follow a recipe. Instead, I experiment and end up pleasantly surprised (most of the time). Below are some of my recent creations. From top to bottom: gluten, refined-sugar and dairy-free walnut and mandarin cake which I made using the juice of two mandarins and which ended up tasting not a smidgen mandariney but still yum according to my mom (that rhymed). Wholemeal turmeric, sundried-tomato and parsley muffins, and today’s lunch: a green salad of broccoli, snap-peas and asparagus, all young and all blanched in hot water for 4 seconds then tossed with raw pumpkin seeds and pistachio nuts before being dressed in lemon juice, olive oil and salt and pepper.
Oishi katta (it was delicious).  They were delicious.

Date cake

Date cake. As in the fruit, not romance. Unless I’m having a date with a bear or a wild boar in which case, it could be that cos I’m pretty sure I saw a bear yesterday. Anyways, it’s free from gluten, dairy and refined sugar but not eggs. Because I love eggs. Free-range of course.

4 free-range eggs
1 cup chopped dates
1/4 cup of coconut oil (melted)
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 cup of ground almonds
1 cup of rice flour
1 tsp cinnamon

to decorate: walnuts and dark chocolate

Preheat oven to 160C

Blend eggs, dates, oil, baking soda and vinegar together (in a food processor or blender).

Transfer to a large bowl and fold in almonds, flour and cinnamon.

Pour mixture into a greased tin and top with walnuts and dark chocolate

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the fork comes out clean.

Enjoy hot or cold or in between.

PS I initially topped this cake with freeze-dried strawberries but they burnt in my toaster oven! So, I picked them off and shoved more walnuts in their place (hehe) hence the berry absence in the last picture.

Banana berry and coconut okara cake.

Cake:
3 free-range eggs
2 ripe bananas
1/4 cup melted coconut oil
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1/2 cup ground almonds
3/4 cup okara (soy pulp or any nut pulp left over from making nut milk will also work)
1 cup wholemeal flour (use GF variety if GF)
1/2 cup unsweetened desiccated coconut
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Topping:
1/4 cup mixed frozen berries

Preheat oven to 160C

Mix all cake ingredients together then pour into a greased cake tin

Top with berries

Bake for 35-40 min or until the fork comes out clean

PS What’s that in Emma’s hand? That’s right, my cake!

Fat free chips

What’s the bet this will become my most viewed post? Guess only time shall tell. Last week, I was given a bag full of sunchokes AKA Jerusalem artichokes from my friend and our local organic farmer, Gery. Sunchokes are knobby-looking tubers that grow underground. They are rich in vitamins and practically fat free. According to Gery-san, they grow all year round but are at their sweetest in winter. They are to be eaten like a potato, roasted, pureed into soup or last but not least, chipified. But, since I don’t eat fried food (lol), okay, you caught me, let’s try that again, since I don’t cook fried food, I baked my sunchokes. Baked em free of fat, salt or any additives at all.

Unlike most tubers, but in common with many other members of the Asteraceae (including the artichoke), sunchokes store the carbohydrate inulin (not to be confused with insulin) instead of starch. For this reason, sunchokes are the best “clean” potato substitute both for diabetics and the health conscious in general.

Ingredients:
Sunchokes.

Preheat toaster oven to 260C (don’t fret, I’m sure a regular oven will work too! You might just have to squat a few times outside of your gym schedule).

Wash sunchokes then slice em thin – best to use a slicer thingy (no need to peel, the extra fiber is good).

Rub between paper towels in order to draw out as much moisture as possible.

Place sunchoke slices on an oven tray and bake in small batches until crispy.
That’s it! Just watch them so they don’t burn by turning them often (hence the squatting/gym reference).

Nothing else, no oil, no spice, no salt. Just as is. You’ll be surprised at how naturally flavorful and sweet they are all nat-u-ral.

Enjoy as you would regular chips, with a movie, smothered in dip or at 3am in your lonesome bed. Nah, just kidding no one does that… so a more appropriate suggestion for this hashtagfitfam generation would be to mix them through your paleo salad.

Persian Wife Cake.

Cake:
pinch of saffron strands
50ml of almond milk
2 cups ground almonds
3 free range eggs
1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup extra virgin coconut oil
zest of 2 oranges
1/2 tsp cardamom powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup of shelled raw pistachios

Syrup:
1/2 cup almond milk
1/4 cup honey
pinch of saffron strands

Combine saffron and milk in a small glass and heat in the microwave for 1 minute. Let sit.

Preheat oven to 180C

Mix all remaining cake ingredients (except pistachios) together using a fork or a spoon or a food processor. Not your fingers.

At last, add heated saffron/milk mixture (should be yellow) to the batter. Mix well.

Pour batter into a round greased cake tin.

Top with pistachios.

Bake.

For 35-40 min or until the fork comes out clean.

To make the syrup, do as you did with the previous saffron/milk mixture. Combine milk, honey and saffron in a small glass and heat in the microwave for 1 minute. Let sit.

When cake is done, make a few pokes in it using a fork then pour the syrup in.

Let cool completely before inverting onto a plate.

Serve with yoghurt and love and yoghurt.

Carrot cake everything

My sister and brother-in-law arrive tomorrow! Today, with the help of my beautiful friend Mina, I made my carrot cake cupcakes and carrot cake truffles for them! Hope this shows how much I carrot about them <3

School numero dos

His mother’s blueberry muffins were his favorite

His mother’s blueberry muffins were his favorite
that is, until he tried mine
shhh don’t tell her
he leant in
I thought, for a kiss
but he just grabbed another
even so, my heart skipped
I’d badly wanted to please him
flash-forward 3 years
they rise in a much smaller oven
on a new continent
in a six slot tray not twelve
actually everything has changed
even my hair color
but I still remember
I hope I wont always
the blue of his eyes
the blue on his lips