Banana Bread (Cake) 香蕉包

Banana Oatmeal Muffin 香蕉麥片小蛋糕

French Crepes 法國薄餅

Salted Cod and Potato Casserole (Bacalhau à Zé do Pipo) 薯蓉馬介休

Baked Rice Cake 紅豆烤年糕

Granola/Muesli 早餐格蘭諾拉麥片

Caldeirada de Peixe


Banana chocolate cake (Healthy brownie)

Ingredients:

Wet:

  • 3 very large or 4 medium bananas, ripen with black dots
  • 3 eggs
  • 80-100 g grass-fed unsalted butter (or coconut oil, avocado oil, camilla oil)

Dry:

  • 240 g all purpose flour, (prefer organic, whole wheat flour)
  • 50 g cocoa powder (alkalized = Dutch process)
  • 4 g baking powder
  • 2 g baking soda
  • 2 g salt

70-80 g walnut or pecan chopped
80-100 g dark chocolate bar, cut into small pieces
~12 large dates, cut into small pieces (serves as source of sugar)
1 orange zest (add orange aroma, optional)

Method:
– melted the butter (put it in a small bowl, let it sit in hot water, or in microwave with cover, lowest heat setting), or 80-100 ml of oil if not using butter.
– mashed the banana with a fork on a flat plate
– cracked 3 eggs into large bowl, add oil, mashed banana, beat n mixed well by hand
(break apart large pieces of banana if found)
– Turn on the oven (preheat), 175 C
– add dates, mix,
– add dry ingredients, mixed gently
– add 2/3 chopped walnut, mixed lightly n thoroughly, stop when no dry flour is found.
– transfer the cake batter to cake *container, spread evenly with a spatula
(* place a piece of parchment paper into the container)
– top with remaining walnut (finely chopped) onto the batter, pressed lightly to avoid getting burn
Baked at 175 C for 50-55 min.
Allow the brownie to cool, cut and serve :))


Baked Rice Cake

Ingredients

  •  4 eggs
  •  2 Tsp of virgin olive/coconut  oil
  •  5 Tsp of sugar
  •  2 1/2 Cup of whole milk (or 2% milk fat) = 600 ml
  •  1 tsp baking powder (optional)
  •  1 lb Sweet Rice flour (1 lb = 900 ml)
  •  1.5 cup of red bean paste (homemade is the best: boil the red bean with equal part of water till tender and partially broken, add sugar, aliquot and freezed)

Method:

– Grease the 13″x9″ Pyrex glass pan with oil, sprinkle 1 Tsp of regular flour. Shake to a even spread. Discard excess.

– Except the red bean paste, put all ingredients in a large bowl. Mix well with a hand held electric mixer for 3-4 min, use a spatula to run around the side and bottom.

– Pour the content into the 13″ x 9″ pan, use spatula to delivery all the batter.

– Prepare the red bean paste: Add ~1 tsp of olive oil, ~2 Tsp of the batter (from above), mash the red beans if desire, and mix well.

– Use a spoon to drop a small ball of red bean paste to the batter, six in a row, total of 4 rows, evenly. When finished, carefully scope the nearby batter and drop on the top of the visible red beans (i.e., to cover but without disturbing the red bean paste).

– Place a total of 24 pecans or walnuts evenly (6 x 4) on the top of the ‘submerged’ red bean paste.

– Bake at 325 C for 52-60 min, until it is light golden brown. (temp and time may varied due to the strength of the oven). Check after 52 min.

– Cool, cut into 24 pieces, each will house a yummy red bean paste

Note: one can replace the red bean paste with chestnut paste, coconut….etc.



Granola/Muesli

Ingredients – Group 1:

  • Rolled Oats – 3 cups
  • Maple Syrup – 2 Tsp (optional)
  • Oil – ~3 Tsp
  • Salt – 1/2 tsp
  • Brown sugar – 3 Tsp
  • Ground cinnamon – 1 or 2 tsp

Ingredients – Group 2:

  • Slivered Almonds – 1 cup
  • Cashews – 1 cup
  • Pumpkin seeds – 1 cup
  • Sunflower seeds – 1/4 cup
  • Walnuts – 1/2 cup

Ingredients – Group 3:

  • Raisin or dry cranberry – 1 cup
  • Pine nuts (Optional)

Method:

  1. Mix group 1 in a large bowl.  Mix well.  
  2. Pour onto baking sheet pan. Spread evenly. Bake for 30 min at 225 F.  While baking, cut/slice the nuts: whole almonds, cashews, walnuts into small pieces.
  3. Add group 2., Mix. Bake for 15 min.  
  4. Add Group 3., Mix. Bake for 15 min.  (Total cook time: 60 min) Optional: after 60 min, turn off the oven, add shredded coconut – 3/4 cup, let it seat for 8 min.
  5. Done. Cool at room temperature. Stored granular cereal in a tight glass container. Enjoy it with milk, soy milk, or yogurt.

(Note: In Europe, if one use raw rolled oaks, it is called muesli. Our version is between granular and muesli, see link for more information)



French Crepes 法國薄餅

French Crepes

Ingredients

  • 2 3/4 cups (350 g) of unbleached regular flour (ok to replace with 20-50% whole wheat flour)
  • 1 L of skim or whole milk
  • 5-6 eggs
  • 2 Tsp of oil (olive, coconut)
  • 2 Tsp of sugar
  • 1/2 tsp of salt

* To make a large batch Tsp = Table spoon tsp = tea spoon

Note: organic eggs carried less cholesterol (~25% less)

Method:

  1. Put all ingredients into a large bowl. Use manual or electric mixer to mix the ingredients on low speed (~5 min), stir the side and bottom of the bowl with a spatula to ensure no clumps.
  2. Let the batter sit for 2 hours or more in the refrigerator. This is an important step to ensure good texture. The batter can store in the refrigerator up to 24 hours.
  3. Use a flat round bottom, non-stick pan (9″ – 10″) over a medium heat. Try to avoid pans containing PFOA (such as Teflon coating). I use a steel pan (De Buyer brand) for many years. It works great.  
  4. Add 1/2 tsp of oil to grease the pan for the first crepe, no need to add oil thereafter.
  5. Mix the batter well with a ladle. Use medium heat. When the pan is hot, place one full ladle (adjust the fullness based on the pan and ladle size) and immediately swirl around to the rim of the pan so that the batter is evenly distributed before it settled.
  6. Cook ~1min, carefully lift a corner of crepe with chopstick with one hand, and slip a flat spatula underneath with the other hand, flip the crepe to cook the other side. With some practice you will be able to do it without breaking the crepe. Cook 10-20 sec., slide it onto a plate. 
  7. Repeat step 6-7. When you get the technique down, you can speed up the process by using two crepe pans at the same time.
  8. When cooking is done, the crepe can be eaten in two ways: sweet or savory.
    (a) Sweet – add honey, butter, jam, peanut butter, yogurt, fruits……. One of my favorites is to cut a ripe banana in half, lengthwise, use one half and wrapped it with a piece of crepe. Heat it in a microwave (to ‘melt’ the banana) for ~1 minute
    (
    b) Savory: assorted cheese, ham, eggs, meat or vegetables…… Bon Appetite!

材料:(可做約 28 塊)

  • 混合一半普通與全麥面粉, 口感好就不混全麥350g(= 2 3/4 柸,用標準量柸)
  • 1公升(1 liter) 全脂或半脂牛奶
  • 2 大匙糖,(不漂白, 最好用有機) ,如做咸的,不加糖, 多加點鹽
  • 2-3大匙油 (冷榨椰子油(首選)、橄欖油)
  • 1/2 小匙鹽
  • 6 只鷄蛋

做法:

  1. 把以上材料放進一大盛器, 用手:拿筷子或打蛋器攪拌,約5分鐘。
  2. 放進雪樻,最少二小時,或睡前準備,翌日隨時可做。可在雪樻存放一天。
  3. 用不沾鑊(最好用鐵鑊,如De Buyer牌,8吋),加少許油,用手指把油塗均鑊中。
  4. 用中火把鑊燒熱,加一湯勺粉糊,一面加一面在轉,要技巧地把材料復蓋整個鑊底,轉到它不再在鑊中走,把鑊放回電爐上。加太多糊,會厚;加太少,會復蓋不了…成不了圓形。
    * 注意:要調好火力,薄餅不程燒蕉顔色。
  1. 煎~30秒,用筷子小心地在沿邊掀起薄餅, 用防熱膠或木鑊鏟放進去,輕巧地反轉,煎另一面。
  2. 煎15-30秒後放進平的碟中…以後煎的粉糊不用再抹油。
    (a) 甜食:可以加花生醬,果醬, 香橙柑曼怡(Grand Marnier) 熟香蕉(捲起熱一下)⋯⋯
    (b) 咸食: 炒蛋,各式芝士,牛油果,火腿,各式肉類⋯⋯

** 中式咸食:在煎餅前加~2柸韮菜或葱花、~1柸蝦皮、鹽,攪拌均衡,用以上方法煎

如果技術熟練後,用二個鐵鑊一起做會更快!



Banana bread (cake)

Ingredients

  • 3-4 banana, ripened (380-430 g)
  • 1-2 tsp brown sugar
  • 1/3 cup (70-80 ml) coconut oil (or avocado oil, canola oil, salt free butter)
  • 2 eggs

Dry ingredients (sieve and mix in a bowl):

  • 2 cups, 300 g All purpose flour, (ok to replace with 20-80% whole wheat flour
  • 1/2 Tsp 4g baking powder
  • ¼ tsp 2g baking soda
  • ¼ tsp 2g salt

Other ingredient:

  • 1/2 cup (70 gm) walnut/pecan, chopped, save larger pieces for the top

Method:

  1. mash banana, add oil, sugar, eggs, mix well.
  2. add dry ingredients, mix lightly (粗略攪拌一下,差不多看不到乾粉就行)
  3. add walnut, mix gently.
  4. transfer the cake batter to a cake *tin, spread evenly with a spatula
    (*place a piece of parchment paper at the bottom)
  5. top with remaining walnut, 1 tsp brown sugar and oil.
  6. Baked at 175 C, ~55 min, with a tray of hot water in lower rack, to provide moisture during baking
  7. allow the cake to cool, cut into thick slices and serve.

Inspired by Ms. GAO cooking channel (小高姐 Magic Ingredients, 香蕉蛋糕): https://YouTube.be/CfKFiBhqP5U



Banana Oatmeal Muffin

Ingredients:

  • 3-4 bananas, ripened (~1.5 cup, 400-450g)
  • 3.5 cups rolled oaks (ok to replaced ~50% quick oak)
  • 1-2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1.5 tsp (6 g) baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tablespoons coconut/olive oil (optional)
  • 2 cups whole milk
  • 80-100 g chopped walnut/pecan, (ok to add blueberries, raisins, dates, etc.)
  • 50g (2oz) of dark chocolate (from a chocolate bar, ~70% cocoa)

Method:

  1. In a bowl, combine dry ingredients: oats, cinnamon, baking powder and salt.
  2. In a large bowl mashed the bananas, add eggs, oil and milk, mix well.
  3. Add dry oak mixture to banana mixture, mix well. Add chopped nuts and chocolate, mix.
  4. Preheat oven at 350F (180C)
  5. Use a 12 cup muffin tin, coat each cup with coconut/olive oil.
  6. Evenly divide the mixture among12 muffin cups.
  7. Bake for ~30 min or till cook through. Allow to cool.
  8. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.


Salted Cod and Potato Casserole (Bacalhau à Zé do Pipo) 薯蓉馬介休

Ingredients:

  • 1 desalted codfish lion (~400 g)
  • potatoes, ~2.5-3 lb
  • olive oil, 6 Tsp
  • cheese (e.g., provolone + Appenzeller/Parmesan ), 70-100 g
  • 6-8 large garlic cloves
  • 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of salt and pepper

Method:

  1. Boil or steam the potatoes till fully cooked (~30 min). Peel the skin, use a fork to mash well.
  2. Steam the desalted codfish for 15 min. Deboned, break into smaller pieces.
  3. Mince the garlic, heat the olive oil, add garlic till slightly brown. Turn off the heat. Add this garlic oil mixture to the mashed potatoes.
  4. Add 1/2 of the codfish flakes to the mashed potatoes, cheese (cut into pieces), salt and pepper, mix well.
  5. Place 1/2 of the potato mixture onto the baking pan, press and spread evenly.
  6. Layer the remaining codfish flakes, spread evenly, layer with the remaining potato mixture.
  7. Baked at 200 C for ~35 min.


Caldeirada de Peixe

Ingredientes:

  • 2 cebolas
  • 3 dentes de alho
  • 3 tomates maduros
  • ½ copo de vinho branco
  • 1 pimento vermelho
  • 1 pimento verde
  • 6 batatas (médias)
  • Diferentes tipos de peixe (pescada, salmão, etc.)
  • Camarão (opcional)
  • Azeite, q.b.
  • Sal, q.b.
  • Pimenta, q.b.
  • Coentros q.b.
  • 2 folhas de louro

Descasque as cebolas e os dentes de alho. Corte as cebolas às rodelas e pique o alho.Corte o tomate em pedaços pequenos e os pimentos em tiras. Descasque as batatas e corte-as às rodelas.

Numa panela larga, coloque a cebola a refogar em azeite. Junte o alho e, depois, o tomate. A seguir, junte o vinho, uma parte dos pimentos e as batatas. Junte um pouco de água, as folhas de louro e tempere com sal e pimenta.

Deixe cozinhar em lume brando durante cerca de 10 minutos (com a panela tapada).

Entretanto, tempere o peixe com sal e pimenta.

Coloque os pedaços de peixe também na panela e, por cima, coloque o resto dos pimentos. Deixe cozinhar mais uns 10 minutos (ou até às batatas estarem macias). Retifique os temperos e, se tiver, coloque também os camarões na panela.

Geralmente, este prato não se mexe, por isso deve cozinhar em lume brando/baixo.

Pique os coentros e salpique a caldeirada com esta erva aromática.

BOM PROVEITO!