Malaysian Pandan Chiffon Cake

Coconut milk and pandan (screwpine leaves) essence  are what make this cake deliciously aromatic and the secret to it is characteristic fluffy  texture comes from whipping the egg whites very well and not being too heavy handed when folding them in the end. As any chiffon cake, you must invert the pan immediately onto it's three "legs" once removed from the oven, so the sponge can stretch and retain it's airy volumn whilst cooling upside down. Don't worry the cake will stick and will not fall out !

Ingredients:

• 6 eggs, separate
• 170g & 90g sugar
• 50ml vegetable oil
• 100ml coconut milk
• 1 tsp pandan essence
• 150g plain flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cream of tartar

Method:

Prepare a clean & and grease-free 23cm chiffon/angel food tube pan.

Preheat oven  to 180ºC/160ºC for fan oven.

In a grease-free and dry mixing bowl, beat the egg whites with an electric mixer or a stand mixer with sifted cream of tartar and salt until frothy. Then slowly add in the 170g sugar. Continue to beat until a thick white meringue with soft peaks forms. To test, you should be able to turn the entire bowl upside down without the meringue falling out. Set the bowl aside.

In another mixing bowl, add 6 egg yolks and remaining 90g sugar. Whisk until the eggs is pale and thickened. Add in the vegetable oil, coconut milk and pandan essence. Mix well.

Sift in the flour and the baking powder. Fold until combined.

Fold 1/3 of the meringue into the pandan batter. Mix until well combine. Then add in ½ of the meringue in the pandan batter. This time you need to slowly fold in with the batter until combine. Add the remaining meringue and fold until well combine. Do not over mix so that you don't loose the air from the meringue.

Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour. Remove from oven and invert immediately upside down. Leave it to cool in this position and do not unmould cake until completely cold.

To remove, scrape all around the sides with a thin knife and let the cake slip out gently of the pan.Loosen the centre tube by running a knife around the tube. Scrape the bottom to remove the base/tube.

Cut the cake with a serrated knife. Enjoy with hot coffee or tea!

Rhubarb & Ginger Jam

This delicious jam is a perfect late winter pick-me -up combining seasonal forced rhubarb with health-boosting ginger.

Ingredients:

• 1kg pink rhubarb, trimmed weight
• 1kg jam sugar
• zest & juice 1 lemon
• 50g stem or crystallised ginger, finely chopped
• 4cm piece ginger, peeled

Method:

Wash the rhubarb under cold running water and slice into 2cm pieces. Tip into a large ceramic or plastic bowl and add jam sugar, lemon zest and juice, chopped stem ginger. Finely grate the peeled ginger directly over the rhubarb.

Stir the mixture thoroughly, cover loosely with cling film and leave to one side for about 2 hours to allow the sugar to dissolve into the rhubarb juices. You may need to stir the mixture occasionally to encourage this process along.

Pop a fw saucers in the freezer. Scoop the fruit al all the sugary juices into a preserving pan and set over a medium heat. Stir until the sugar has completely dissolved, and bring to the boil. Continue to cook at a fairly swift pace until the rhubarb is really tender and the conserve has reached setting point-this should take about 10-15 minutes.

To test for a set, drop ½ tsp of the jam onto a cold saucer, leave it for 30 seconds, then gently push it with the tip of your finger, if the jam wrinkles the setting point has been reached. If not, continue to cook for a further couple of minutes and test again.

Remove the pan from the heat and leave to one side for 2-3 minutes before pouring into a sterilised jars. Seal immediately and label with the date once completely cold.

Chickpea Vegan Meatloaf

This hearty vegan meatloaf is made from a base of seasoned chickpeas, baked up to a perfection and topped with flavorful maple glaze. It is not quiet a classic meatloaf. It's better !!!

Ingredients: 

• 3½ cups cooked chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 onions, diced
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 2 carrots, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, diced
• 2 cups panko breadcrumbs
• ½ cup soy or almond milk
• 3 tbsp vegan Worcester sauce
• 2 tbsp light soy sauce
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp ground flax ground seeds
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp liquid smoke, optional
• ¼ tsp black pepper

For Maple Glaze:

• ¼ cup tomato paste
• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tsp smoked paprika if not using liquid smoke or paprika if using liquid smoke

Method:

Preheat oven to 190ºC/170ºC for fan oven. Lightly oil a 9 inch loaf pan and arrange a strip of baking paper width-wise along the center, with just a bit hanging over the sides.

Working in batches if needed, place all meatloaf ingredients into food processor bowl and pulse until chickpeas are broken up and ingredients are well mixed, stopping to scrape down sides of bowl as needed. DO NOT OVER-BLEND. If working in batches, transfer each batch to a large mixing bowl when complete and then mix by hand.

Press mixture into prepared loaf pan and bake for 30 minutes.

While meatloaf bakes, stir glaze ingredients together in a small bowl.

Remove loaf from oven after 30 minutes and spoon glaze overtop of loaf. Bake another 20-25 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool at least 10 minutes before cutting.

Notes: The longer this sits, the firmer it gets. If it initially feels a bit soft for your liking, let it sit for a few minutes or prep it a day in advance and reheat the day serving

Pork & Shrimp Wonton with Nahm Jim Green Chilli Dipping Sauce

This the the chinese style wonton but I put a twist into it. I decided to make the dipping sauce using recipe from Marion Grasby. 

Usually wonton is served in a clear chicken soup or deep fried. I am serving this way for a dinner party.

Ingredients:

• 80g raw shrimps, devined
• 160g ground pork
• 1 garlic
• 1 tsp finelly minced or grated ginger
• 2 tbsp thinly sliced spring onions
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 2 tsp Shaoxing rice wine, or sweet sherry 
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• ½ tsp granulated sugar
• ¼ tsp salt
• a dash of white ground pepper
• frozen/fresh wonton skin

Nahm Jim Green Chilli Dipping Sauce:

• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 small green chilli, remove the seed. Add more chilli if prefer spicy
• 2 coriander roots
• ½ tsp salt
• 1½ tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• 2 tbsp lime juice

Crispy Garlic oil:

• ¼ cup vegetable oil
• 6 garlic cloves, roughly chopped

Method:

For wonton: Finely minced raw shrimp until they are almost the consistency of a paste. Mix the shrimp in a large bowl with the ground pork, garlic, ginger, spring onions, soy sauce, Shaoxing rice wine,sesame oil, sugar, salt and pepper. Combine using a fork or mixing chopsticks until the filling is fairly smooth and paste-like.

To fold the wonton, place a teaspoonful of filling onto a centre of each wonton wrapper as picture below

Using your finger or a pastry brush to dampen the top and right edges of the wrapper with water. Fold the bottom left corner over the filling to meet the top right corner, forming a triangle as the picture below. Press around the filling to remove any trapped air from the folded wonton.

To make the Nahm Jim dipping: Use a mortar and pestle to pound the garlic, chillies, corainder roots and salt to a fine paste. Stir through the sugar, fish sauce and lime juice. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside until ready to serve.

Simmer the wontons: When ready to serve, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the wontons to the pot in batches, gently stirring so they don't stick to the bottom and being sure not to crowd them (they need enough room to float) Simmer for 2-3 minutes, until the wrappers are transparent and the wontons float in the water. Drain and place on a serving plate. Drizzle with garlic oil.

Spoon over the Nahm Jim sauce and then scoop out some crispy garlic bits to sprinkle on top. 

Serve warm.

Celebration Chocolate Cake

Its a chocoholic dream. Bake this cake for my son 19th birthday and a close friend birthday. A 3 layer chocolate sponge filled with a rich chocolate ganache. It doesn't stop there! Coated with Matchstick and decorated with a smorgasbord of sweetie and chocolates favourites,  this cake would be a real treat to celebrate any occasion. 

Vegan Banoffee Cheesecake

A nutty biscuity oat and date base, the most creamy yet perfectly sliceable toffee cashew date cheesecake layer topped with lots of fresh banana slices and a generous drizzle of caramel sauce!

Ingredients:

Base:

• 100g almonds
• 75g oats
• pinch of salt
• 150g dates, pitted
• 2 tbsp coconut oil, melted
• 2 tbsp maple syrup

Caramel cheesecake layer:

• 200g cashew nuts
• 400g full fat coconut milk
• 100g coconut oil, melted
• 300g dates
• 5 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• pinch of salt
• 2 ripe bananas

Caramel drizzle:

• 100g dates
• 125ml soy milk
• 15g coconut oil, melted
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• pinch of salt

Method:

Fot the base: Toast the almonds on a medium heat in a frying pan (no oil or fats) Then place the almonds, oats, salt, dates, coconut oil and maple syrup in a food processor or blender and pulse until you have a sticky crumbly mixture that holds together if you pinch it between your fingers.

Firmly press the mixture into a round loose bottom cake tin and pop it in the fridge.

For the caramel cheesecake layer: Either soak the cashew nuts for at least 3 hours or over night or cook them in water for 5 minutes until they soften.

Place the cashew nuts, coconut oil, coconut milk, dates, lemon juice, vanilla extract and salt in the blender or food processor and blend until smooth and creamy. Depending on your blender you might have to scarp down the sides and stir the mixture a few times.

Pour the cheesecake mixture on top of the cake base and pop it back in the fridge and let the cake set overnight.

When the cheesecake has firmed up, make the caramel drizzle by adding the dates, soy milk, coconut oil, vanilla extract and salt to a blender and blitz until smooth and creamy.

Cut the bananas into slices and top the cake with the banana slices and generous drizzle of the caramel sauce. You can transfer the caramel sauce to a pipping bag or use a spoon.

Enjoy!!!