Flourless Thermomix Cashew Bread

Ingredients:

1. 385gm cashew flour
2. 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
3. 1/2 teaspoon of salt
4. 3 eggs (yolks and whites separated)
    - egg whites beaten until stiff peaks are formed
5. 120gm plain yoghurt
6. 80gm apple juice

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1. Place salt, baking soda and cashew flour into TMX jug and set 5 seconds and set speed 6.5.

2. Add egg yolks, yoghurt and apple juice to the flour mixture. Knead for 30 seconds.

3. Fold the egg whites into the batter.

4. Bake 150C for an hour. (I added 10 mins at 180C to get the golden brown finishing touch.)

Bon appetit!

Home-Made Powder

Ingredients:

1. 10gm of corn flour
2. 10 gm of baking soda

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1. Mix both ingredients and pour into a bottle or container.

2. Use when needed.

Did You Know....

... That baking powder and baking soda are not the same?

Yes, they are both leavening agents. They are both added to baking goods BEFORE cooking to produce carbon dioxide for the goods to rise. But they play their roles in two different ways.

Baking Soda

Baking soda is sodium bicarbonate. When using baking soda in baking, it is combined with moisture and an acidic ingredient (buttermilk or honey) to create a chemical reaction that produces carbon dioxide for the baking goods to rise. Another reason to combine baking soda with an acidic ingredient is because of its alkalinity, it will produce a metallic taste when the chemical change happens. Baking soda also needs to be used at that very moment. It is not to be added and placed aside for awhile before baking as the good will fall flat!

Baking Powder

Baking powder has 3 ingredients. It has sodium bicarbonate, cream or tartar (an acidifying agent) and a drying agent (starch).

There are two types of baking powder. The single-acting (fast acting) and the double-acting (slow acting) baking powder. The single-acting baking powder is activated by moisture/room temperature. The baking good which requires this single-acting baking powder must be cooked immediately after mixing. The double-acting agent reacts in two phases. When the baking powder is added to the baking good, some gas is released at room temperature but the remaining of the gas is only released when in the hot oven while baking.

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You cannot substitute baking powder with baking soda when the recipe requires baking powder. However, you can make your own baking powder by mixing one part of baking soda and two parts of cream of tartar.

Gluten-Free Blueberry Muffins

Ingredients:

1. 2 cups of white rice flour
2. 1/2 cup of sweet rice flour
3. 250gm of butter (softened at room temperature)
4. 4 eggs
5. 1 teaspoon of vanilla
6. 1 cup of apple sauce (Click on LINK for recipe on how to make home-made apple sauce)
7. 1 teaspoon of baking soda
8. 1 teaspoon of baking powder
9. 1 cup of blueberries
10. 1 cup of milk (I used rice/quinoa milk)

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1. Cream the butter.

2. Add one egg at a time and continue stirring the batter.

3. Add the dry ingredients alternating with the applesauce and milk while continue stirring.

4. Lastly add the blueberries.

5. Preheat oven at 170C.

6. Line muffin baking trays with muffin paper casings and scoop the batter into them.

7. Bake for approximately 25 minutes.

8. Allow to cool slightly before eating. You can freeze the extras.

Bon appétit!

Gluten-Free Banana Cake

Ingredients:

1. 50gm of glutinous rice flour
2. 150gm of white rice flour
3. 25gm of brown rice flour
4. 1 teaspoon of baking soda
5. 4 eggs (room temperature) - beaten
6. 5 medium sized bananas (mashed)
7. 1/4 cup sugar
8. 1/2 cup of rice milk (for recipe, click on LINK)
9. 1/3 cup of sunflower oil
10. 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
11. 1/2 cup of sunflower seeds

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1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flours, baking soda and sunflower seeds.

2. In another mixing bowl, whisk the eggs, bananas, sugar, milk, oil and vanilla until combined.

3. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until all are mixed well.

4. Preheat oven to 170C.

5. Line baking tray with baking paper.

6. Pour mixture into baking tray and bake for approximately 20 minutes.

7. Allow to cool.

Bon appétit!

Gluten-Free Moist & Fluffy Butter Cake

Ingredients:

1. 250gm salted butter (melted butter)
2. 50gm of fine sugar
3. 50gm of sweet rice flour (this is also known as glutinous rice)
4. 250gm of white rice flour
5. 8-medium sized eggs
6. 1 teaspoon of baking powder
7. 1 teaspoon of baking soda
8. 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

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1. In a large mixing bowl, mix the butter and the sugar together. 

2. Separate the egg whites and yolks.

3. In a bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form.

4. In another bowl, beat the yolks.

5. Add the egg yolks into the butter/sugar mixture bit by bit while stirring continuously.

6. Then add in the egg whites into the mixture bit by bit while stirring continuously.

7. Add in the vanilla extract.

8. Fold in the flour, baking powder and baking soda little by little and mix with the spatula.

9. Preheat oven at 170C.

10. Line a cake tray with baking paper.

11. Pour mixture into it and bake for approximately 25 minutes or until golden brown.

12. Set aside to cool.

Bon appétit!

P.S: I'm beginning to get the hang of gluten-free cooking!

Cooking For Joel: Polenta Banana Muffins!

Ingredients:

1. 2 cups of gluten-free flour (you can buy this or make your very own gluten-free combo)
2. 1 cup of polenta
3. 1/2 cup of white rice flour
4. 4 medium sized bananas (mashed)
5. 2 teaspoons of baking powder
6. 1 teaspoon of baking soda
7. 1/4 teaspoon of salt
8. 1/2 cup of sunflower oil
9. 1 teaspoon of soft brown sugar
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1. Combine all dry ingredients in a mixing bowl.

2. In another mixing bowl, pour the sunflower oil and sugar. Stir them together for a few minutes.

3. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet mixture. Mix thoroughly.

4. Add the mashed bananas and mix until well combined.

5. Preheat oven at 180C.

6. Line muffin trays with baking muffin paper cups.

7. Fill the paper cups with the mixture.

8. Bake for approximately 20 minutes.

9. Allow to cool.

10. You can keep them in the freezer if you're unable to consume everything.

Bon appétit!

Baking Soda Rescued The Peas!

The green peas which I had bought from the organic shop were a pain in the ass. They refused to soften no matter what I did to them. I think if they were around during Jesus' time, he would have yelled at them, 'You stiff necked peas!' I think the peas were 1000 years old.

I had soaked them for almost 24 hours.

And then I boiled them for 2 hours.

And they were as hard as ever. I think they overdosed on Viagra.

And then it struck me!

Why not add some baking soda to the water?

I did!

And they softened within 15 minutes.

Haha!

Baking soda saved the peas!

Here's a link which I found after I experimented! Click on LINK.

Baking Soda & The Hard Boiled Egg

Don't you just hate it when you have hard boiled eggs and when you peel it, chunks of the egg is stuck to the shell and you get a really gross looking egg?

I found a solution on the internet!

The remedy? Baking soda!

Just add a teaspoon to the water when you are boiling the eggs.

And voila!

You have perfect, smooth as a baby's bottom hard boiled eggs!

Try it!

Moist Banana Cake

Ingredients:

1. 250gm salted butter (softened at room temperature)
2. 2 tablespoons of soft, brown sugar
3. 4 eggs
4. 1 teaspoon of vanilla essence
5. 4 tablespoons of milk (liquid)
6. 2 tablespoons of powdered milk (do not mix with water)
7. 6 to 7 medium sized bananas
8. 2 cups of organic plain flour
9. 1 teaspoon of baking soda
10. 1 teaspoon of baking powder

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1. Cream butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl.

2. Add in the eggs, one by one.

3. Add in the vanilla essence and milk (liquid) and mix throughly.

4. Add the mashed banana into the mixture and mix well.

5. Add the sifted flour, powdered milk, baking soda and baking powder bit by bit and mix thoroughly.

6. Preheat oven at 160C.

7. Pour the batter into a baking tin lined with baking paper.

8. Bake for 1 hour or until golden brown.

9. Allow to cool.

10. You can slice it and keep it in the fridge or the freezer (if you want to keep it longer).

Banana & Carrot Cake

Ingredients:

1. 3 medium sized eggs
2. 75gm soft brown sugar
3. 175gm of organic all-purpose flour (sifted twice)
4. 2 teaspoon of baking powder
5. 1 teaspoon of sea-salt
6. 1 teaspoon of baking soda
7. 175ml sunflower oil
8. 3 medium sized bananas (very ripe and mashed)
9. 175gm of grated carrots
10. 175gm of pumpkin seeds (OPTIONAL)

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1. In a large bowl, beat the eggs and sugar together until the mixture thickens.

2. Sift in the flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda.

3. Mix well and then add the oil.

4. Add pumpkin seeds. Mix thoroughly. (If you are not able to tolerate pumpkin seeds or any other seeds, omit step 4.)

5. Lastly add the grated carrots and mashed bananas.

6. Mix well.

7. Preheat oven to 170C.

8. Line a baking cake tin with removable base with baking paper.

9. Pour the mixture into the cake tin and bake for about 1 hour or until golden brown.

10. Once it is done, allow the cake to cool.

Bon appétit!

My 5 Uses of Baking Soda

Baking soda is powerful AND odourless. Apparently you can use it in 51 different ways!

Here are my 5 uses of baking soda:

1. Toothpaste

Mix the baking soda with a pinch of sea-salt and brush your teeth with it. Voila! You're good to go with white teeth and fresh breath.

2. Facial Scrub & Body Exfoliant

Mix baking soda with water until a paste is formed. Scrub your face with the paste. I use this two to three times a week. And I use it after washing my face.

3. Residue Cleanser

By mixing a small amount of baking soda to your shampoo, you're helping your hair greatly. It helps remove from your hair residue that the styling products leave behind. I do not use any styling products, but I find that it leaves my hair feeling really clean!

4. Refrigerator Deodorizer 

Place an open box of baking soda in the fridge to neutralize odours. Place the box at the back of the fridge.

5. Deodorize Containers

I soak containers which have lingering odours with baking soda and hot water overnight. If the odour does not disappear overnight, I leave it for a day more. Works like magic. I get fresh smelling containers!


Click here to read more.

Moist Banana Cake

Ingredients:

1. 250g butter
2. 1/2 cup brown sugar
3. 4 eggs (room temperature)
4. 1 teaspoon of vanilla essence
5. 1 cup of home-brewed soya milk
6. 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
7. 3 cups of self-raising flour (sieved twice)
8. 8 ripe bananas (mashed)
9. A teaspoon of oats

*Note: Bananas contain amines.

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1. Cream butter and sugar in large mixing bowl.

2. Gradually add the beaten eggs one at a time while continuously stirring the mixture.

3. Add mashed bananas into mixture bit by bit while stirring continuously.

4. Then add the sieved flour and soya milk alternately while mixing continuously until everything is thoroughly mixed.

5. Preheat oven at 190C.

6. Pour mixture into 2 round baking pans which are lined with baking paper.

7. Sprinkle some oats on the mixture before baking the cake.

8. Bake at 190C for 10 minutes. Then bake at 170C for about 20 minutes.

9. Allow to cool.

Bon appétit!

Before baking.

Fresh from the oven!

Rich Vanilla Butter Cake

Ingredients:

1. 250gm of softened butter (salted)
2. 2 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract
3. 6 eggs (room temperature)
4. 1 cup of soft, brown sugar
5. 3 cups of organic self-raising flour
6. 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
7. 1 1/2 cup of soya milk (room temperature)

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1. Preheat oven at 180C.

2. Pour all the ingredients into a large mixing bowl.

3. Beat ingredients until thoroughly mixed.

4. Pour the mixture into two round baking pans lined with baking paper.

5. Bake for about 15 minutes at 180C and then at 170C for 10 minutes.

Bon appétit!

I made 2 cakes. This cake is for my parents. The other one is undecorated. 

Classic Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients:

1. 1/2 cup of butter (softened at room temperature)
2. 1/2 cup of soft brown sugar
3. 1 teaspoon of baking soda
4. 2 eggs (room temperature)
5. 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla essence
6. 1 1/2 cups of organic all-purpose flour
7. 3 cups of rolled oats

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1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the butter, brown sugar, and baking soda. Mix until well blended.

2. Beat in the eggs and vanilla essence and mix until well blended.

3. Add in the flour and mix thoroughly.

4. Add in the oats and mix thoroughly.

5. Preheat oven at 190C.

6. Drop tablespoons of dough on a baking tray lined with baking paper.

7. Bake for about 10 to 15 minutes or until golden brown.

8. Allow to cool.

9. The cookies can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container.

Hassle-Free Moist Butter Cake

Ingredients:

1. 125gm of softened butter
2. 1 teaspoon of vanilla essence
3. 3/4 cups of soft, brown sugar
4. 3 eggs (room temperature)
5. 1 1/2 cup of organic self-raising flour
6. 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda
7. 1/2 cup of soya milk (room temperature)

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1. Preheat oven at 180C.

2. In a large mixing bowl, beat all ingredients until just combined.

3. Pour the mixture in a baking tray lined with baking paper.

4. Bake for about 40 minutes.

Bon appétit!

Super Moist Chocolate Cake

My mom attended a gathering yesterday with her friends. I made a chocolate cake for them. Below is the recipe:

Ingredients:

1. 1 1/2 cups of milk
2. 100gm of butter
3. 1/4 cup of sunflower oil
4. 1/2 cup of cocoa powder
5. 1 cup of self-raising flour
6. 1 egg (beaten) - room temperature
7. 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
8. 100gm of brown sugar

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1. Heat milk, butter, oil and cocoa powder until the butter melts.

2. Set aside to cool.

3. In another bowl, add flour, baking soda, sugar and beaten egg to the cooled wet ingredients.

4. Preheat oven at 170C.

5. Beat/whisk until all ingredients are mixed well.

6. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes.

7. Remove from oven promptly once cake is done. Allow to cool.

8. Dust lightly with icing sugar.

Bon appétit!

Apple + Quinoa Cake

Ingredients:

1. 3 large Red Delicious apples (I could not find any Golden Delicious in any supermarket or market)
* Peel, core and dice the apples.
* Soak the apples in a bowl of salt water and place in the fridge before you start preparing the cake.
2. 3 large eggs
3. 1 cup of sunflower oil
4. 1/2 teaspoon sea-salt
5. 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
6. 2 1/2 cups of organic all-purpose flour
7. 1 teaspoon of baking soda
8. 1/2 cup of quinoa
9. 1 cup of soft brown sugar

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1. In a large mixing bowl, pour the sunflower oil and eggs and beat until creamy.

2. Add the sugar and vanilla and beat well.

3. Combine the flour, salt, baking soda into another bowl.

4. Add this mixture to the egg mixture slowly and mix until well combined. The batter will be very thick.

5. Drain the salt water from the apples and fold the apples and quinoa into the batter.

6. Preheat oven at 175C.

7. Prepare a baking tray with baking paper. Pour and spread the batter into the pan. Sprinkle the top of cake with a handful of quinoa.

8. Bake for approximately 45 minutes.

9. Allow cake to cool before serving.

Bon appétit!

Home-Made Granola Bars

The usual granola bars are packed with nuts and dried fruits. Being a salicylate sensitive person, nuts and dried fruits are out of the question. Below, is my own healthy, home-made granola bars recipe.

Ingredients:

1. 2 cups of organic rolled oats
2. 1 cup of quinoa
3. 2 tablespoons of soft, brown sugar
4. 1 cup of home-made sugar syrup
5. 1 egg
6. 1 teaspoon of baking soda
7. 1 cup of sunflower oil

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1. Pour the rolled oats, quinoa, soft brown sugar, baking soda into a large bowl. Mix them thoroughly.

2. In another bowl, pour the sunflower oil and egg together and whisk until thoroughly mixed.

3. Pour the liquid concoction onto the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly.

4. Preheat oven at 190C.

5. Pour the mixture into a baking pan.

6. Drizzle the home-made sugar syrup onto the mixture.

7. Bake for about 1/2 hour or until golden brown.

8. Once it is cooled, cut the whole chunk into bars.

9. Serve with warm drink.

Bon appétit!

Oat and quinoa granola bars!