sweet mung bean dessert soup

Mung bean dessert soup with sweet potatoes.

I have recently started working at a restaurant - hurrah for free food! - but this also means that it reduces the likelihood that I spend time and effort on preparing my own meals. I do still love cooking, however, so I try to make the most of it when I have some spare time.

Simon is fairly ambivalent about Asian-style dessert soups - but I grew up with them and they are my comfort food. So when I had a day off, recently, I made a nice batch of mung bean soup with sweet potatoes and a gentle hint of ginger to satisfy my cravings. This soup is wonderfully simple, and it can be enjoyed hot or cold. I like it any time of the day - for breakfast, as a snack in between meals, or as a dessert. As far as sweet things go, this one is reasonably wholesome, so give it a go and let me know what you think!

mung bean dessert soup (with sweet potatoes and a touch of ginger)
(serves 4)

1 cup dried mung beans (also referred to as "green beans" in Chinese)
225g / 1/2 pound sweet potato, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces
3cm / 1 inch ginger, peeled and roughly sliced
60g / 1/4 cup light palm sugar / brown sugar / raw sugar / Chinese yellow rock sugar

Soak the mung beans for about 2 hours.
Drain off the water, rinse the beans well, and place them in a saucepan with 4 cups of water, along with sweet potato chunks and ginger slices.
Bring the water to boil, and then reduce the heat to low. Let the mixture simmer, partially covered, for about 15 minutes.
Stir in sugar, and continue to cook the dessert soup for another 10 minutes or until the sugar completely dissolves and the texture of the beans and sweet potatoes are to your liking. Discard the ginger.
Serve your green bean soup warm, or allow it to cool down before covering it, chilling it in the fridge, and having it cold - it's delicious either way!

Note:
This dessert soup continues to thicken after cooking, and becomes almost porridge-like. If anything, this makes it more delightful!
Also, it should keep well in the fridge for 3 days or so.

Asian-style green bean dessert soup with sweet potatoes and a hint of ginger.

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cinnamon apple steel-cut oatmeal with raisins

Cinnamon apple oatmeal with raisins.

I have only recently gotten into steel-cut oats. It takes longer to cook compared to rolled oats, quick oats and instant oats, but the substantial, al dente texture is really rather lovely. I'm not going to say that it rocks my world or anything extreme like that, but it's a quietly pleasurable experience that, for me, is worth the extra cooking time.

I'm not breaking any new ground here by combining oatmeal with apple, cinnamon and raisins. But hey, it's a classic combination for a good reason. Feel free to make a bigger batch of this cinnamon-apple-raisin oatmeal, and keep the leftovers covered in the fridge, where it should be good for at least 3 days. Warm individual portions up in the microwave for a quick breakfast on subsequent mornings. Too easy!

cinnamon apple oatmeal with raisins
(makes 2 - 3 servings)

1 tablespoon butter
1 apple, diced
3 tablespoons sultanas / golden raisins
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
3/4 cup oats
2 + 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup milk

Melt the butter in a saucepan, and add the apple, sultanas/raisins, dark brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg.
Stir the mixture for about 2 minutes, then add the oats and water. Bring it to boil, and then reduce the heat.
Let the oats simmer, uncovered, for 15 - 20 minutes.
Pour in the milk, and cook the oats for another 10 minutes, stirring every now and then.
Add more dark brown sugar and spices, as well as a pinch of salt, if you wish. You can also use honey or maple syrup instead of sugar.

Note:
Alternatively, cook the apple-raisin mixture for a bit longer until the apples are perfectly tender. Retrieve the apple-raisin mixture from the saucepan, and set it aside in a bowl before proceeding with the other steps. Add the apple-raisin mixture to the oatmeal just before serving. This method works to retain more flavour and texture in the apple pieces.

Cinnamon apple and raisin oatmeal.

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coconut persimmon yoghurt bowl

Coconut persimmon yoghurt bowl (with a hint of mandarin).

I wasn't expecting to find persimmons in the thick of winter. But there they were, at the farmers' market, at $3 a kilogram. And these were seedless persimmons! I felt like I had hit the jackpot.

The persimmons were delicious on their own, and the more I allowed them to ripen on the counter, the sweeter they tasted. There is really no need to embellish the persimmons any further when they are gloriously, perfectly ripe, but one morning, I decided to make a full breakfast meal out of them by adding them to yoghurt and sprinkling them with toasted shredded coconut.

This simple persimmon yoghurt bowl looks pleasing to the eye, and it did a fine job of satiating my hunger, too - it fueled me for a few hours before I started to feel peckish again. I think I'm going to have to make yoghurt bowls for breakfast more often from now on!

Persimmon yoghurt bowl with toasted shredded coconut, a healthy breakfast dish.

coconut persimmon yoghurt bowl (serves 1) 

1 ripe persimmon
2/3 cup plain yogurt
1 tablespoon mandarin juice (or tangerine, tangelo or orange juice)
1 teaspoon honey
3 tablespoons shredded coconut
a pinch of chopped fresh rosemary, mint or thyme (optional)

Combine the yogurt with honey and mandarin juice in a bowl. Add more honey or mandarin juice if you like.
Gently toast shredded coconut in a pan over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until most of the coconut is golden brown.
Peel the persimmon, and cut the flesh into small cubes.Top the yogurt with the diced persimmon and the toasted coconut.
Drizzle on a bit more honey and mandarin juice along with a tiny sprinkling of herbs, if you wish.

Enjoy this coconut persimmon yoghurt breakfast bowl...

A simple textural delight with creamy yoghurt, tender persimmons, and crunchy coconut.

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quick pear and lime jam

Quick and easy lime and pear jam.

Overripe pears, almost wasting away in their basket, were the inspiration for this pear and lime jam. I enjoy soft, ripe pears, but these pears had softened to such a degree that they were no longer appealing, even to me. I tried slicing one up and using it in a salad. The pear slices broke up as I tossed the salad, so fragile they were.

Zesty lime and pear jam. Deliciously tangy.

I gave one of the pears to a bandicoot who hopped into our garden, and he ate it with gusto, but I did not feel the same enthusiasm that our cute little marsupial visitor displayed.

Cute bandicoot eating an overripe pear.

So there the pears were, languishing away. On a whim, I chopped them up and threw them into the saucepan, drizzled lime juice all over the pieces, mashed them up with a fork, covered them in sugar, and cooked them into a translucent jam. The taste of the pear is subtle, perhaps almost unnoticeable, but it gently tempers the dominant lime flavour. The delicious sourness, along with the pretty bits of lime zest, make this jam creation feel like a milder, less intense form of marmalade.

The gentle pear softens the sharp acidity of the lime, but this jam still packs a sour hit.

quick pear and lime jam
(makes only a cute tiny portion - feel free to multiply the recipe)

2 overripe medium to large pears (Williams/Bartlett pears or any soft, creamy, overripe pear will work)
1 medium to large lime, or at least 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice and 1 teaspoon lime zest or slightly more
1/4 - 1/3 cup granulated white or raw sugar

Peel and core the pears. Roughly chop the flesh and place the pieces in a saucepan.
Grate the zest of the lime. Set aside.
Thoroughly squeeze the juice from the lime into the saucepan. Using a fork, toss the pear chunks through the lime juice, then mash up the pear pieces. (This is why you need really soft, overripe pears for this recipe!) They do not need to be perfectly mashed; a little roughness can add interest to the texture of the jam.
Allow the mixture to bubble over medium-high heat, stirring frequently for about 10 minutes, or until it is thick and no longer runny. Test with a spoon by scooping up the jam - if it is done, it should form a glob that slowly slides off the spoon.
Remove the saucepan from heat and stir in lime zest. Since this is a tiny portion, you can just pour the jam into a small ramekin and allow it to cool completely. Cover securely with cling wrap and store it in the refrigerator. It can stay fresh for at least a week this way.
Feel free to multiply the recipe, and if you do, you may want to extend the life of the jam by keeping it in a sterilised glass jar with a secure lid.

Spread this marmalade-like jam on bread or toast... and enjoy!

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grape & yoghurt icy poles / popsicles

Grape & yoghurt icy poles.

It's summer in Australia, and it's hot, hot, HOT. Most of my time is spent indoors, trying to stay comfortable. And alive.

Frozen desserts seemed like a good idea, so when I bought a bucket of green grapes from the farmers' market recently, I soon put them to use, pairing them with honeyed yoghurt to create ice cream on a stick. You can use them fresh as well, but I decided to stew my grapes in coconut oil to soften them and concentrate their sweetness.

I indulged myself in these grape and yoghurt icy poles as an invigorating cold snack any time I felt like I needed a pick-me-up, and the truth is, they are so wholesome that you can eat them for breakfast and pat yourself on the back for a pretty tasty well-balanced start to the day.

grape & yoghurt icy poles / popsicles / ice pops
(makes around 5, depending on the size of your ice cream moulds)

1 cup grapes
1 teaspoon coconut oil or olive oil
1 cup unsweetened yoghurt (plain - natural or greek)
1 tablespoon honey 

Slice about a quarter of the grapes in half, leave the rest whole. Cook in coconut oil or olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes or until soft. Alternatively, you could roast them in the oven.
Mix yoghurt and honey together in a bowl.
You can either stir the grape compote directly into the honeyed yoghurt before spooning it into the ice cream moulds, as I did, or try alternating the mixtures by spooning in the yoghurt and the grapes in turns.
Freeze until solid - this usually takes several hours for me, and I tend to just let them do their thing overnight.
When you would like to eat your grape yoghurt icy poles, run some warm tap water over the moulds to loosen them and gently ease them out.

Yogurt popsicles, studded with grapes.

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chocolate tahini chia pudding

Chocolate tahini chia pudding, topped with blueberries.

I have noticed chia seed puddings around for a few years now, but have not felt compelled to try them.

The fact of the matter is, I think the world is divided into those who like the texture of chia seed gels - the foundation of chia puddings - and those who don't really care for it.

I had a feeling I would fall into the camp of those who don't care for it, and now that I have finally taken the leap, I can confirm my intuition was correct. The slippery water-logged chia seeds with their still-crunchy centres are an interesting study in texture, but not for me. Which is a bit of a shame, because the sweet chocolate-tahini combo, by itself, was spoon-lickin' good, so it all seemed like a waste.

However! It appears that Simon falls into the camp of those who enjoy chia puddings, so that worked out well. After I miserably attempted to endear myself to the pudding and failed, he took it away and happily finished the rest, proclaiming it to be delicious. Thus, despite my personal misgivings, I am reassured that this is still a chia seed pudding recipe worth sharing. If you're a chia pudding lover, try it and let me know what you think!

Chocolate chia pudding, with a touch of tahini.

chocolate tahini chia pudding
(serves 2)

1 heaped tablespoon unsweetened cacao powder
1 heaped tablespoon tahini
1 level tablespoon honey (or maple syrup)
1/4 cup warm water
3/4 cup milk (or oat milk, almond milk, rice milk, etc.)
1/4 cup chia seeds

toppings (optional): fresh fruit e.g. sliced bananas are a good choice, as are cherries, or any berry fruit such as blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, etc.

Mix cacao powder, tahini, and honey (or maple syrup) together to form a paste. Add in warm water and stir thoroughly to create a cohesive liquid. Add in milk and stir vigorously again to make sure everything is mixed well.
Place chia seeds in a bowl or container. Pour over the liquid mixture and stir everything together. Cover and refrigerate.
Give the mixture a brief stir after 30 minutes to encourage a uniform consistency throughout, then let it sit in the fridge again for another 2 hours, or until mixture is chilled and thickened to your liking.
Divide into little glasses, top with fresh fruit of your choice, and serve.

*To make this recipe vegan, use maple syrup and non-dairy milk.

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amazingly crunchy maple carob quinoa granola cereal

Amazingly crunchy maple carob quinoa granola cereal.

When I say amazingly crunchy, that is exactly what I mean.

These baked maple carob quinoa clusters were this crunchy: even after casting them into a bowl of milk, and spending a few too many minutes angling for the right pictures, they didn't turn soggy. There was simply no quiet way in which I could enjoy them, and my sister commented on the shattering sounds as I chomped on them merrily - it was like a scene out of a breakfast cereal commercial.

Oh, and this happens to be another one of my eczema-friendly recipe creations based on The Eczema Diet that my sister has been using as a guidance. But don't let that put you off if you're not into special diets - this maple carob quinoa granola cereal is awesome for anyone who likes a sweet, malty, crunchy snack.

The amazingly crunchy maple carob quinoa cereal retains its crunch, even in milk!

This is kind of like a clustered, gluten-free, allergy-friendly version of cocoa breakfast cereal. Sweet enough to be like dessert (can also add to ice cream, yoghurt, fruit etc) or have with milk (non-dairy if required) for breakfast or brunch, or by itself as a snack. I made it nut-free for my sister, in accordance to the eczema diet - however, you can add more ingredients to it if you like, nuts or dried fruits could be nice additions.

amazingly crunchy maple carob quinoa granola cereal
(makes a small portion, enough for 2 - 3 breakfasts with milk, feel free to multiply the recipe)

1/2 cup quinoa flakes
1/8 cup roasted carob powder
1/8 cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon rice bran oil
1 pinch of salt (optional)

Preheat oven to 140ºC (285ºF) fan-forced or 160ºC (320ºF) conventional.
Mix quinoa flakes and roasted carob powder together.
Mix maple syrup and rice bran oil together (with salt as well, if using), then add it to the quinoa flakes. Stir around until the mixture clumps into clusters.
Line a baking tray with baking paper. Spread the maple carob quinoa clusters onto the tray in one layer, so that they don't overlap each other.
Bake in the middle rack for 20 - 25 minutes, giving it a stir to turn them around at the halfway mark to help them bake evenly.
Allow your maple carob quinoa granola cereal to cool completely to achieve the amazing crunchiness.
Crunch away!

If you want to store this granola-cereal for later consumption, make sure they are completely dry and cool, and then they should keep in an airtight container for up to a few weeks.
Also, if you would like to reduce the sweetness in the recipe, instead of using all maple syrup, try substituting half of it with rice syrup. As rice syrup is quite thick, you may need to add a fraction more oil to thin out this syrup concoction a little for better mixing results.

Close-up shot of the amazingly crunchy maple carob quinoa granola.

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black sesame quinoa porridge for breakfast, or, alternatively, a quinoa pudding dessert

Quick black sesame quinoa porridge for breakfast.

I'm new to the quinoa porridge concept, at least in practice - I mean, I'd heard of it, but never made it myself, until recently. This packet of organic quinoa flakes my sister gave me had been sitting unassumingly in the cupboard, and all this time I haven't really been giving it much attention, other than sneakily adding it to my savoury rice porridge (i.e. congee) from time to time.

Finally, I decided to make a proper quinoa porridge with it. After all, there were basic instructions at the back of the packet, and it looked incredibly easy. I didn't end up following those instructions, but I did successfully create a quinoa porridge in the end with the quinoa flakes. One with lashings of black sesame powder that my parents bought for me, plus ginger, rice syrup, coconut milk, and a pinch of salt. It was not bad, actually. Be warned, though - this does leave you with black sesame residues on your teeth, so brush after eating!

Organic quinoa flakes.

quick black sesame quinoa porridge with ginger and coconut milk
(serves 1)

1/3 cup quinoa flakes
1/4 cup ground black sesame / black sesame powder
1/4 teaspoon finely grated ginger
1 cup water
3 tablespoons coconut milk
1 pinch salt
rice syrup, to taste (may be substituted with other sweeteners e.g. maple syrup, sugar, etc.)

Place quinoa flakes, black sesame powder, ginger and water into a saucepan and bring to boil, then turn down the heat slightly and let it bubble merrily till the quinoa flakes have absorbed the water and the mixture has thickened - this will take around 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, mix coconut milk with a pinch of salt.
When the gingered black sesame quinoa porridge is done, add rice syrup to taste. (I used 2 tablespoons - rice syrup is only about half as sweet as sugar, and this was a good amount for me to keep this dish just sweet enough while still being relatively healthy. You may use whatever sweetener you have on hand, to your liking.)
Scoop the quinoa porridge into a serving bowl, then ladle the lightly salted coconut milk over it.

I had this warm, but I suspect it would also be pleasant if chilled and served cold. Moreover, I would venture that one could turn this into sort of a quinoa pudding dessert simply by making it sweeter.

Quick black sesame quinoa porridge with ginger and coconut milk.

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easy cheesy spinach frittata (quick and simple)

Baked frittata. Easy, cheesy, spinachy.

Hello, frittata.

You're just so good, so easy. Delicious warm, but also cold. Suitable for all seasons: cool and convenient picnic fare for summer, warm and comforting at home in winter. I think I love you a little. Or a lot.

This can be as simple as anything. A bit of butter, a bit of garlic. Whisked eggs and yoghurt. Spinach and cheese. But of course, I can get fancy with you, too. I can stir in some basil, throw in some chopped sun-dried tomatoes. So many possibilities, so many variations of deliciousness.

I gleefully top you with cheese before putting you into the oven. Who doesn't like a cheesy crust, after all.

How my easy cheesy spinach frittata looked before it went into the oven. Just in case you're interested.

The hot oven worked its magic. You look nice, frittata. Oh yes, you do.

Easy cheesy spinach frittata, hot from the oven.

Cross-section of easy cheesy spinach frittata.

easy cheesy spinach frittata

1 tablespoon butter
1 clove garlic, minced
5 large eggs (around 55-60g/2oz each)
1 pinch salt, or to taste*
2 pinches black pepper, or to taste
1.5 cups baby spinach leaves, firmly packed
1/2 + 1/3 cup roughly grated/shredded cheddar, or other cheese*
1/4 cup sweet basil leaves (optional, but awesome)
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped (optional, but awesome)
1/4 cup unsweetened natural or greek yoghurt

Preheat oven to 220°C (425°F) fan-forced (200°C/390°F conventional).

In a 20cm/8" oven-safe pan, warm up the butter over low to medium heat and gently fry the garlic until soft and golden. Swirl to coat all inner surfaces of the pan with the melted butter, and spread out the garlic across the pan with a fork.

In a bowl, whisk eggs with salt and pepper until the whites and yolks blend together smoothly. Gradually trickle in yoghurt, whisking all the time. Stir through the spinach and 1/2 cup cheese, as well as the basil and sun-dried tomatoes, if using.

Pour the egg mixture into the pan. Scatter the top with the remaining 1/3 cup cheese. Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 15 minutes or a little longer, until a puffed golden with hints of brown.

Cool for at least 10 minutes before cutting. It will sink and shrink as it cools, and become easier to remove from the pan with time. Cut slices straight out from the pan, or if you're feeling brave, run a knife along the edges and flip it out. (Note: If attempting to do the latter, perhaps use more butter in the initial cooking process, and also wait longer for it to cool.)

Suitable for breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner, snacks, picnics, anytime really!

* I've made this frittata with both roughly or finely grated cheese. I've tried it with different cheeses -  cheddar, grana padano, parmesan / parmigiano-reggiano and pecorino romano. I've found that with a very salty cheese like pecorino, there was no need to add salt at all.

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pimm's lemon jasmine banana smoothie-cocktail (vegan, alcoholic, and stupendously delicious)

I made this, one experimental morning, and fell in love instantly. Like a fruity, floral breath of fresh air, it scintillated my senses and seduced my soul.

A spiked smoothie to leave me invigorated and glowing with health and happiness... in the short time since the idea was born, I've made this many times over, and it shall, if all goes according to plan, accompany me as I say goodbye to 2012, and ring in 2013.

pimm's lemon jasmine banana cocktail-smoothie.

So at this moment, your mind is either running through all sorts of gleeful alcoholic smoothie possibilities or you're thinking, "This lady be crazy."

And before you start to worry... no, I'm not becoming an alcoholic. In fact, one of the reasons this breakfast cocktail came about was because I still had nearly a full bottle of the Pimm's No. 1 that I purchased for last year's New Year's celebrations. Yeah, I wasn't kidding in that post when I said I was bad at drinking.

Honestly, though, if you want to start your celebrations early, like, oh, I don't know - first thing in the morning - I can think of nothing better than this smoothie, a thrillingly clean, joyful cocktail of lemon, banana and jasmine green tea, with splashes of liqueur. (But please, don't drink and drive. Or do anything potentially precarious, for that matter.)

I used Pimm's No.1 here, which is nice and subtle, but I imagine this will also go well with a coconut liqueur, a lychee liqueur, or a ginger liqueur, for example, depending on the flavour profile that delights you. I opted for just 30ml (1 fl.oz) of alcohol, which is barely discernible, but you can probably bump that up a little, depending on the type of liqueur you use, how intensely boozy you prefer it to be, and what you plan to be doing for the rest of the day...

(By the way, if you're trying to behave and abstain, I've even made a mocktail version without any alcohol whatsoever, and it tasted just as glorious, let that be known.)

A little prep in advance is required for this cocktail-smoothie recipe, but it's all tremendously easy. The banana needs to be peeled, the flesh broken into chunks and frozen. The jasmine green tea, too, is brewed with warm (but not boiling hot) water, then left to steep and cool. This is all preferably done overnight; however, I've also made this with only a few hours' notice, with the encouragement of friends, and the help of a few ice cubes. It was so well-received that I couldn't make enough: it was love at first taste for them, too.

Now, without further ado, here's the recipe. Be warned: it is dangerously easy to drink.

a healthy cocktail with lemon juice, jasmine tea, frozen banana, and pimm's no.1.

lemon jasmine banana smoothie-cocktail
(recipe makes 1, multiply to spread the happiness)

120ml brewed jasmine green tea (4 fl.oz / 1/2 cup), chilled
1 small ripe banana of about 12cm/5", flesh chopped and frozen
30ml lemon juice (1 fl.oz / 2 tablespoons / half a lemon's worth)
30ml Pimm's No. 1, or some other suitably complementary liqueur (1 fl.oz / 2 tablespoons)
grated lemon zest and/or nutmeg, to garnish (optional)

Blend jasmine green tea, frozen banana chunks, lemon juice and Pimm's No.1 (or other liqueur of your choice) together until smooth. Pour into glasses, and garnish with a little lemon zest or nutmeg, if you like. Serve immediately while it's deliciously cold.

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chargrilled tomatoes, smashed avocado

I have to confess, I haven't been feeling a lot of motivation lately to be productive. My free time is invariably consumed with net-surfing and the hours just insidiously creep by. Chores and errands are attended to with sloth-like urgency. I have occasional bursts of inspiration and energy, but they seem to be far and few between.

I hope this phase ends soon! Luckily, the making of lazy meals has always come easily to me, and today's brunch idea is no exception.

This is an accidentally vegan brunch that I cooked up one Friday, based on what I found at Simon's place. I guess in a way it's almost like a deconstructed guacamole, except I didn't have any red onion, nor coriander (aka cilantro to my North American readers). And I used lemon instead of lime, and dried chilli flakes instead of fresh, etcetera. You can keep these additional and alternative elements in mind if you make this. But I digress. Simple, yet full of flavour, this is an easy-to-prepare meal that highlights the natural goodness of the ingredients.

chargrilled tomatoes on smashed avocado.

char-grilled tomatoes, smashed avocado

1st step: making the smashed avocado

1 small avocado (approx. 150g or 1/3 lb), peeled and pitted
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 small clove garlic, minced
salt, chilli flakes and cracked black pepper, to taste

Mix avocado flesh, lemon juice and garlic together in a bowl. Mash with a fork to your preferred consistency. A smooth puree can be good but I like some little chunks of avocado remaining here and there for this dish - it gives a nice textural element to it.

2nd step: char-grilling the tomatoes

2 medium tomatoes, halved
1 tablespoon olive oil, or more

Fire up the char-grill pan so that it's hot before you add the tomatoes.
Toss tomatoes in olive oil, then place on the grill. I like to grill it on both sides and get them quite soft, but if you only do it one side, make it the cut-side down. I did mine on cut-side for about 5 minutes, then the rounded side for about 3 minutes, then back to the cut-side again for 1 minute. If you're doing a bit of flipping around, as I did, make sure the tomatoes, or the area of the grill they're placed on, remain well-oiled on subsequent flippings, so that the tomatoes don't stick on the grill.

3rd and final step: assembling

Swipe the smashed avocado onto a plate, and top with the chargrilled tomatoes. And there you go - hot, sizzling, juicy tomatoes on a bed of cool, creamy, smashed-up avocado. Tuck in.

hot, sizzling, juicy tomatoes on a bed of cool, creamy, smashed-up avocado.

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earl grey pear muffins

cross-section of an earl grey pear muffin.

The beauty of making do with what you have, and using up stuff in the pantry, is the surprisingly fancy combinations this frugal activity can inspire. The following recipe is a result of putting two and two together: cheap beurre bosc pears from the market and earl grey tea bags nearing their expiration date. My baking adventures suddenly sound that much more sophisticated.

Exhibit A:

Simon: What're you baking?
Me: Earl grey pear muffins.
Simon: Sounds a bit pretentious, doesn't it?

I rest my case.

Forget about winning prestige points on the name alone, though, the muffins did actually live up to my expectations. The pears, delicately infused with a buttery earl grey broth, radiate with a warm complexity. Likewise, the batter takes in soft, sensual hints of the bergamot, black tea, and pear flavours, then diffuses them gently to the muffin-eater.

Oh, and just in case you were wondering, Simon couldn't get enough of my pretentious muffins.

Exhibit B:

Simon (taking a bite): So how many did you make?
Me: Six.
Simon: So that means I can have six muffins, right? Do I get six muffins?

Again, I rest my case.

with their russet-and-gold appearance, beurre bosc pears exude romance and charm.

earl grey pear muffins
(makes 6)

3 earl grey tea bags, or 3 teaspoons loose leaf earl grey tea
1/2 cup freshly boiled hot water
2 pears (300g / 2/3lb total ±5%) peeled, cored, and chopped into 1.5cm / 0.5 inch cubes
1/4 cup salted butter, plus more for greasing
1/2 cup plain flour
1/2 cup wholemeal flour
1/4 cup raw sugar
1.5 teaspoons baking powder

Pre-heat oven to 180°C (360°F) fan-forced, or 200°C (390°F) regular.
Steep earl grey tea in freshly boiled hot water for at least 5 minutes. Once they are thoroughly steeped, remove the tea. If using tea bags, diligently squeeze the bags so you get as much of the tea infusion as possible.
Simmer pear cubes with earl grey tea and butter over a low medium heat for 5 minutes or until just tender. Let it cool slightly.
Set aside half the pear cubes, and puree the remaining mixture of pear cubes, earl grey and melted butter.
Stir together pear cubes and buttery earl grey pear puree.
Place flour, sugar and baking powder in a bowl and make a well in the centre.
Pour the pear mixture into the centre of the bowl and stir gently a few times until the wet and dry ingredients just combine to create a thick batter.
Divide batter evenly amongst 6 lightly greased muffin cases.
Bake in the oven for approximately 25 minutes or until a light earthy brown.
Let the muffins cool slightly for about 10 minutes, then serve. They're best eaten warm.

If you have a very fine-textured whole-wheat flour like atta flour, feel free to substitute 1 cup in lieu of the 1/2 cup plain, 1/2 cup wholemeal mix.
Substitute butter with a vegan spread e.g. Nuttelex, Earth Balance etc. for vegan muffins.

earl grey pear muffins, warm from the oven.

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egg, shallot & samphire salad with smoky lemon dressing

The slender, knobbly green fingers beckoned.

"Try us," they beseech. "You've never tried us before."

It's true, I hadn't. Oh, I knew of samphire, of course. I've heard about the languid foraging excursions undertaken by intrepid food-lovers; I've spied them on the slickly written menus in expensive restaurants. But they were so quaint and far removed from my regular life that for all I was concerned they could be a made-up ingredient from a fairy tale.

marsh samphire, also known as sea asparagus.

It turns out they are quite real, and I have finally met them in the flesh. The label on the packet instructs, slightly awkwardly: "This unique vegetable, to be used steamed. Yummy in stir-fries or blanched and used as a bed under seafood."

I broke off a small piece and ate it raw, to give myself an inkling of what I was getting into. So what did it taste like? Imagine a crunchy, hollow vegetable shaped like a spindly, rugged drinking straw that's absolutely zonked out on sea water, and that's pretty much what marsh samphire is. Given how briny it was, I decided to boil it, hoping to strip away some of the excess salt. This seemed to help a little, but it was still very salty, and I can see that this is one ingredient that could require a nifty balancing act.

So this is what I did, based on what I already have at home. I boiled four eggs until their yolks were just set, then peeled and sliced them, rejoicing at their creamy, vibrant orange goodness. For the dressing, I sloshed together some lemon juice with extra virgin olive oil, swirled through a sexy dose of smoked Spanish paprika, and then, spying a shallot on the counter, chopped that up, too, and flung it in. It's tangy, it's smoky, it's savoury - what's not to love?

These joined forces proved to be a good match for the samphire. The tart and spicy dressing tamed the excessive saltiness, and the eggs, in their simplicity, were calm and gentle amongst the veritable ocean of flavours. I would definitely make this again.

egg, shallot & samphire salad with a spicy, smoky, tangy lemon dressing.

egg, shallot & samphire salad with smoky lemon dressing
(makes 2 light serves)

50g marsh samphire / sea asparagus
1 shallot, finely chopped
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon Spanish hot smoked paprika (Pimenton de la Vera, Picante)*
4 large medium-boiled or hard-boiled eggs, sliced

Trim and discard the tough, fibrous stems near the root end of the samphire stalks. Roughly snip the samphire into shorter sections to make them more manageable when eating.
Bring a pot of water to boil, then throw in the samphire and let it cook for 2 - 3 minutes. Drain, then lightly rinse the samphire with cold water.
Mix shallot, extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice and Spanish hot smoked paprika to create a dressing.
Toss the samphire with half the dressing, then top with egg slices and drizzle with remaining dressing. No need to add salt!

You can have this salad for breakfast or brunch with some buttered toast - if you like, you can tear the toast into pieces and scatter them through the salad. This would work very, very well indeed. Alternatively, you could also serve it with any meal as a punchy little side dish.

*Pimenton de la Vera aka Spanish smoked paprika can usually be found at specialty and gourmet food stores, spice shops, or Spanish grocery stores. In lieu of the hot (Picante) version, you may use the mild, sweet version (Dulce) or medium, bittersweet version (Agridulce).

P.S. I love the dressing in this dish. It flavours the eggs beautifully, and if you don't have samphire, feel free to improvise with other vegetables - I imagine green beans, broccolini or asparagus would work well. The only difference is that you will probably want to season with a pinch of salt if using these substitutes.

I purchased my samphire from The Vegetable Connection in Fitzroy. The samphire is packaged by Outback Pride (please see their site for a list of other stockists in Australia). Note - they seem to pop up in the shops quite sporadically, so get ready to pounce if/when you see them!

egg, shallot & samphire salad with lemon, hot smoked paprika and extra virgin olive oil.

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a lime & fig compote... an existential crisis

I was having a bit of an existential crisis the other day.

You know, the sort where you know you're not getting any younger, and you feel like you haven't accomplished much.

The sort where you look back at the dreams you had, and how you fell short.

Despondent, I asked Simon what he thought made a successful life. "Enjoying it," he said simply.

Therein lies our differences. I have an ego, a hunger for approval, a slightly competitive streak, and yet I've never been able to stay passionate long enough to be exceptional at anything, invariably resulting in a self-flagellating sense of failure. He, on the other hand, is unburdened by the weight of covetous aspirations, and finds it almost bewildering.

Sometimes I feel so influenced by the world external to me that I no longer know what it is that I really want. What it is that will really make me happy. I wish, wistfully, for grand accomplishments, but I'm beginning to realise what I really need is to be at peace with myself.

sweet and sour... lime and fig compote.

So that brings us to this lime and fig compote. Basic techniques. Uncomplicated flavours. Stack it on some freshly toasted bread, and eat it while it's still blissfully warm. Not really a huge achievement, making this. And yet, in that quiet, fleeting moment, I found it unassumingly sublime. The rest didn't matter.

lime & fig compote

300g ripe figs (approximately 6 - 7 medium-sized figs, or 2/3 lb)
3 tablespoons raw sugar
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 teaspoon lime zest (optional)

Trim off the hard stems of the figs and discard. Slice the figs into eighths. I do this by vertically slicing them into quarters, then horizontally halving the quarters.
Simmer the chopped figs with the rest of the ingredients in a saucepan for 15 - 20 minutes until the figs are soft and the juices are reduced. I like to turn up the heat towards the last few minutes, partly to hasten the process, and partly to introduce a lovely thick hint of caramelisation.

If you're going for a compote that goes with some bread, as I was, aim for a final result that is moist and plump, but free from excess liquids. You want a compote that is dry enough to sit pretty on toast, yet still succulent enough so that the fleshy, almost jelly-like fig pieces burst with juices as you bite into them.

So serve this while it's still comfortingly warm, on slices of freshly toasted bread, and congratulate yourself on this little triumph: one of the many you can celebrate amidst the ups and downs of life.

lime and fig compote on toasted pane di casa.

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banana lime buckwheat pancakes (vegan & gluten-free)

vegan and gluten-free banana lime buckwheat pancakes.

Bananas are cheap again. It's funny, the way price affects how I treat my produce. Now that they don't cost a fortune, I'll buy a bunch and leave them lying around the counter for days, giving them nary a thought. Over time, they start softening, collapsing in a sweet surrender, the yellow skins darkening with an increasingly relentless influx of brown spots.

And then I look over one day and think, oops, perhaps I should start using them before they go bad.

So that was how it came to be that I made these vegan and gluten-free buckwheat banana-lime pancakes three times in a row. There are slight differences in the flavours and textures each time I make them, depending on how ripe the banana is, and how thoroughly I mash them. Invariably, however, they tend to end up tasting like juicy banana bread in pancake form, and you can't go wrong once you give them a good slosh of maple syrup - the magical finishing touch.

vegan and gluten-free buckwheat banana-lime pancakes
(serves 1 - 2)

1/2 cup buckwheat flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 overripe banana, approx. 15cm / 6 inches in length, peeled and chopped
1 tablespoon lime juice
pinch of lime zest (optional)
1/2 cup soy milk
1 teaspoon oil
more oil, for frying
maple syrup and wedges of lime

Mix buckwheat flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl, form a well in the middle, and set aside.
In another bowl, mash up banana flesh with lime juice (and zest, if using) with a fork until mushy, then stir in soy milk and oil. You could also use a blender or food processor for a smooth texture, but I like it the rustic way.
Pour the banana puree into the well of the first bowl, then stir gently with a wooden spoon until just combined - do not overmix. At this point, the batter should be thick but still pourable, with a slightly lumpy appearance, resembling a porridge.
Heat up a well-oiled frying pan over medium heat.
Drop 1/4 cup of the pancake batter into the frying pan and cook for approximately 1 minute and 30 seconds to 2 minutes, or until the edges set and bubbles pop on the surface. Turn and cook the other side for 30 seconds to 1 minute until golden, then flip onto a plate.
Repeat with the remaining batter. You should end up with 4 fat pancakes.
Serve with lashings of maple syrup and lime wedges to squeeze.

gluten-free and vegan buckwheat banana-lime pancakes in a sinful maple syrup bath.

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mango salad smoothie

mango salad smoothie.

Hello, everyone. I'm back! I had a wonderfully relaxing time in Byron Bay and Sydney... but it's all over now. Sniffle. I'm slowly adjusting to the daily grind and routine of work, errands, and other obligatory things I feel like I should do as A Responsible Adult.

I'm also still going through my photos and writing up my post about the trip, but in the meantime, with the mango season coming to an end in Australia, here's a quick smoothie idea while you can still find these succulent orange beauties in the markets.

This mango smoothie is creamy, fruity... and green. Yes, you will find not only dairy and fruit in this lush beverage, but also a sneaky handful of salad leaves. The appearance gives it away, but the taste is almost imperceptible, depending on how generous you are with that handful.

Easily whipped up in a matter of minutes, this smoothie makes a delightfully nutrient-rich breakfast. Protein? Check. Vitamins? Check. Minerals? Check. Deliciousness? Check!

mango salad smoothie, aka green mango smoothie

1 small ripe mango (approx. 300g / 2/3 lb), cold from the fridge - peeled, deseeded and roughly chopped
1 handful mixed salad leaves (1 loose cup)
1/4 cup plain natural yoghurt
1/4 cup cold milk
a few ice cubes, and sugar or honey to taste (optional - only if you want it colder and/or sweeter)

Blend all ingredients together and serve immediately. Enjoy while daydreaming about your next holiday.

a cool green mango smoothie. yes.

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green tea mochi, raspberry compote, lime yoghurt

December... the festive month. Are you a Christmas person?

I don't really regard myself as a Christmas person... I don't go to church, I don't go on a gift-giving frenzy, and I don't tend to go out of my way to eat traditional Christmas dishes - but I do enjoy the festive spirit, and the cheer in the air, at this time of the year.

I like that my colleagues and I have Christmas stockings hanging in our cubicle pods, and we leave candies, chocolates and cookies for each other, just as a token of appreciation, and just because it's Christmas.

I like the pretty decorations and the carols. These are not things I do, but to those of you who make the effort, thank you. You make my days brighter.

And I didn't know whether I would have my parents and my boyfriend with me in Melbourne for the holiday season this year, but it turns out I will most likely be spending Christmas with all of them, together. I like that very, very much.

I'm a lucky, sappy girl, am I not? Perhaps I'm a Christmas person after all.

green tea mochi, raspberry compote, lime yoghurt.

Whether you're a Christmas person or not, though, I'm hoping you'll like this dessert I whipped up recently.

For my just-in-time-for-Christmas recipe post, I wanted to create something natural (no artificial colours!) and delicious with those classic Christmas hues - a little green, a little red, a little white. I succeeded with this little dessert, and I am happy to be able to share it with you here.

I'll tell you a few things about this dessert.

1. It's probably one of the easiest things you can make consisting of green, red and white, while still adhering to the must-be-natural-and-delicious rule.

2. The combination of sweet-and-tart raspberry compote and luscious lime-infused Greek yoghurt is so, so lick-off-the-plate-worthy.

3. Cute little gluten-free green mochi dumplings are full of win. My round ones are fashioned with a nod to the upcoming Chinese winter solstice / Dongzhi festival (冬至) celebrations - this is when my family traditionally eats glutinous rice balls / tangyuan (汤圆).

4. Feel free to multiply the recipe so you can share it with loved ones. It's what I hope to do, now that I've ascertained that this dessert concept can be transferred successfully to reality...

just before cooking: green tea mochi balls, or tang yuan - glutinous rice dumplings made with matcha.

raspberry compote, green tea mochi, lime yoghurt
(serves 1 - 2)

You can make all these separate components hours ahead and keep in the fridge, then put them all together when ready to serve.

for the raspberry compote:

1 cup raspberries (125g), fresh or frozen
1/2 tablespoon raw sugar

Bring raspberries and sugar to boil in a saucepan, then simmer, uncovered, for 5 - 10 minutes until sweet and syrupy.

for the green tea mochi / tang yuan / glutinous rice balls:

1/4 cup glutinous rice flour + more for flouring/dusting
1 tablespoon fine sugar (I used raw sugar here, too)
3/4 teaspoon matcha (powdered green tea)

Combine glutinous rice flour, raw sugar and matcha in a bowl.
Boil some water and add the hot water very, very gradually to the dry ingredients, stopping once it reaches a kneadable consistency. You'll probably end up using less than 2 tablespoons of water. If you overdo it, you'll just have to make up for it by adding more of the dry ingredients again to the mix.
Prepare your hands and your working surface with a dusting of glutinous rice flour.
The final green tea dough should be soft and smooth. When you work with the dough, it shouldn't be so dry that it's cracking apart, and it shouldn't be so moist that it's leaving sticky bits in your hands.
Pull off small pieces of the dough and roll into little marble-sized balls.
Bring a pot of lightly salted water to boil, then throw in the green tea mochi balls one by one in rapid succession.
Scoop them up with a strainer when they start floating up to the top.
Carefully plonk them down onto a surface coated with more glutinous rice flour (with a bit of icing sugar if you like it sweet), and roll them around until they are lightly covered and no longer sticky. Gently brush off excess flour.

for the lime yoghurt:

1 teaspoon lime juice, and a pinch of zest if you have an organic lime
1 teaspoon honey - or a light, casual drizzle
1 cup Greek yoghurt

Whisk lime and honey into Greek yoghurt till well-combined.

to assemble:

Spoon Greek yoghurt onto a plate or into a bowl. Top with raspberry compote and green tea mochi balls. Voila, you have your very own red, green and white Christmas treat!

lime yoghurt, raspberry compote, green tea mochi.

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mint & pineapple milkshake-smoothie

When is a milkshake not a milkshake? And when is a smoothie not a smoothie? These are the important worldly questions I ponder as I bask in the afterglow of a recent creation, which blurs the lines and cheekily winks at me in the gray area between the two commonly accepted definitions.

I hesitate to call it a milkshake. It's full of healthy ingredients and you could totally work it for breakfast. Plus, it doesn't even contain milk or ice cream. Then again... it does involve cream. A lush, pure cream, whipped till thick and tantalising.

I hesitate to call it a smoothie. It doesn't contain yoghurt or soy milk. That luscious cream makes it just that little bit more sinful. You could totally work it for dessert. Then again... it does involve fruit, lots of it. And it just seems so GOOD for me.

You can understand my dilemma.

So I've decided to call it a milkshake-smoothie. Problem solved.

A minty pineapple milkshake-smoothie... or smoothie-milkshake. Creamy fruit frappe, cream smoothie, cream shake?

This recipe actually came about because I was whipping cream in the blender and there was too much of it stuck in there. I couldn't let it go to waste. Oh no. I also happened to have bought a whole pineapple recently, which I couldn't finish, so I cut it up into chunks and froze them for the right opportunity - this turned out to be that opportunity. They truly rock it here.

So, healthy milkshake or naughty smoothie? Your call. 

mint and pineapple milkshake-smoothie
(serves 1)

8 mint leaves
125g frozen pineapple chunks (2/3 - 1 cup depending on chunk size)
60ml whipped cream (1/4 cup)*
80ml water (1/3 cup)
sugar, to taste (optional)

Whiz all ingredients together in a blender. Depending on how thick you like your shakes/smoothies, you might want to add the water gradually so that you can adjust the amount to your liking. Taste, and, if it's not quite sweet enough for your liking, add sugar, then process again briefly. Ta-da, you now have your very own milkshake-smoothie!

*Home-whipped cream is the best! You may use cream as a substitute for whipped cream - but use a little less - say 2 - 3 tablespoons, so that it doesn't taste too heavy.

A relatively healthy indulgence: pineapple and mint and a bit of cream... a beautiful threesome.

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going green: lettuce pear salad smoothie

lettuce pear salad smoothie: green, but not too green.

Green smoothies. The concept just doesn't sit completely comfortably with me. It conjures up the traumatic days of my childhood, the days when my parents were in the fervent throes of the wheatgrass fad. They grew their own wheatgrass with diligence, harvested them with enthusiasm and every so often I will have a cup of freshly blended wheatgrass juice cheerily slotted into my hands. Bless them, my parents want only the best for my health. But that thin swampy-looking liquid that smelt and tasted like freshly mowed lawn... well, it just had zero appeal for me.

But I had an idea the other day, where I thought perhaps - just perhaps - I could introduce a little bit of green in my smoothies. Not dark green. Not even medium green. But just a little pale green - we are, after all, talking baby steps here - in the form of lettuce. I thought that could be alright. And I'm glad to report that it was... better than alright, actually. So it's not super green, but I've added vegetables to my smoothie - and enjoyed it! A small but worthy achievement, that.

pear salad smoothie for one

1 very ripe and soft large pear, chopped
2 cos lettuce leaves, torn in pieces
1/4 cup unsweetened natural or greek yoghurt
4 almonds, dry toasted in a pan
4 mint leaves
2 tablespoons orange juice
1/2 tablespoon honey
4 ice cubes

Blend all ingredients until smooth.

So imagine a light and healthy salad with fresh pears and lettuce, strewn through with mint leaves and toasted almonds, then drizzled with an orange, yoghurt and honey dressing. Then slightly shift your paradigm, and imagine that again, but in smoothie form. Are you feelin' it? Oh yeah, I'm feelin' it.

light and refreshing, fruity and nutty and just a little bit lettucey.

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