French Almond Cake

Nowadays as my weight is keep "upgrading", I try to reduce my intake of sweet stuff...and that, my friends, including cake with gluten. Sigh. In case you are wondering why I've been away from this blog lately, that because I'm trying hard not to eat cake, muffin and so on. It really is tough! I'm not a big fan of sweets, but I love cakes and muffins......And my main reason to bake myself cakes and muffins is so that I can control the ingredients. I always reduce the use of sugar on every recipe I make.

Gluten....another problem here. I don't have to talk long about this. I believe we all know the bad things caused by consuming gluten continuously. Been trying to use whole wheat flour, but my family doesn't enjoy it :( . So, to cut the gluten intake, I make schedule. Silly? I don't care, I'm doing this for my family's health. So, baking with gluten stuff, only twice a week. And that is maximal. Other than that, I make other things than gluten stuffs. Mostly Indonesian traditional food using glutinous rice flour, tapioca and so on. 

And for the first time ever, I begin to make cakes with ground almond! I don't use it entirely, tho. Still mix with flour. But this one is acceptable in my family's taste bud.

What I'm going to share is the recipe I found on one of my favorite blog. French almond cake. The taste is ohhhh so scrumptious and nutty. Of course you can not compare it with the soft texture of flour. But surprisingly, I loooove this cake. And for more, this recipe is incredibly simple to make. I mean simple SIMPLE. Though the recipe call for a hand mixer, I was too lazy to use it, so I use balloon whisker instead. And it turns out successful.

FRENCH ALMOND CAKE

source : Happy Home Baking

110g unsalted butter, cut into small cubes and leave to soften
120g caster sugar (If you are a sweet tooth, add the sugar to 150gr)
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
90g ground almonds (almond powder)
40g all purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

a pinch of salt

1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (optional)
1 tablespoon flaked almonds for sprinkling
some icing sugar for dusting

HOW TO:

1. Pre-heat oven at 160degC. Grease (with butter) and flour the sides and base of a 20cm pan, set aside.
2. Place butter, sugar and eggs in a mixing bowl, add almond powder, flour, milk, vanilla extract (optional) then beat with an electric mixer or whisk. When quite light and fluffy, 
3. Transfer to baking pan, spread evenly, then sprinkle the almond flakes.
4. Bake at 160 degC for 30-35mins, or until the sponge just springs back when pressed (mine took 40mins), or a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. 
5. Dust with icing sugar prior to serving. 

Mie Goreng Jawa

Noodle is quite famous all over the world. Easy to cook, doesn't required lotsa ingredients, yet taste good.

Indonesia, of course has so many noodle version. Each region, has different noodle recipe. Areas near the sea, mostly use seafood as main ingredients. Like Mee Belitong, I made this few times, tasty noodle with a thick seafood taste. 

Today I am making Mie Goreng Jawa/ Javanese Fried Noodle. It has sweet taste because the use of sweet soy sauce. This menu is loved and adored by so many Indonesians. Comfort food for many people, including myself. The fun thing is :  you can simply toss everything! I usually add chicken breast, meatball and egg for  the protein, and some vegetables. 

The most important thing is, do prepare all the ingredients first! You don't want to running around here and there just because you forget where you put the sweet soy sauce...this dish take longer to prepare than the cooking time itself.

INGREDIENTS:

3-4 tablespoon oil
100 gram chicken breast or Indonesian meatball, chopped
1 bunch of Chinese mustard green, chopped into bite size pieces
appx 100gr cabbage, shredded
2 eggs, lightly beaten
3 chilies, chopped

Grind the following into spice paste :
5 cloves garlic, minced
5 candle-nuts, pan fried until fragrant
1 tsp dried ebi, pan fried until fragrant

250 gr dried noodle or fresh noodle (cook the noodle based on the instructions)
1 bunch of scallion, finely chopped
4-5 tablespoon sweet soy sauce
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions :
1.Heat oil in a wok/frying pan on high heat and stir fry the spice paste for a minute or two. add in the chilies.
2. Add the chopped chicken breast or meatball, stir fry until done.
3. Add in the chinese mustard green and cabbage, stir fry for about 30 seconds. Push aside the stuff in the wok and pour the beaten egg. Quickly scramble the egg and break off any lumps, do this for 15-30 seconds until the egg is no longer runny. Toss lightly so the egg, the beef, and the mustard green are mixed well.
4. Add the scallion and cooked noodle, stir fry for another minute. Season with soy sauce, salt and pepper. Mix well.
5. Remove from the heat and serve immediately.

Green Tea Muffin

 Green tea never fails me. 

I have posted a matcha green tea muffin before, but this one is different kind of muffin, I use regular all purpose flour, and I don't use cream cheese filling. Just a simple, regular, humble muffin.

Still special tho, with the amount of green tea I use :D. Even when it still in the oven, I already taste the green tea on my taste bud. 

Ingredients :

200 gr all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3 tsp green tea powder *

*Matcha green tea powder has so many varieties, so the taste, color, and fragrant will be depending on which brand you choose. Some is more bitter, greener and flavourfull than the others. This also related to how much sugar you need to use.

125 gr plain yogurt
175 gr caster sugar
1 large egg
80 gr oil/butter, or mix the two to get both fragrant and moist texture.

HOW TO :
1. Mix all the dry ingredients. set aside
2. Mix all the wet ingredients, then add in the dry ingredients with flour strainer/shifter. Do not skip this stage, as green tea may have small lumps without fine shifter! Mix with balloon whisker just until the ingredients look well combined. Do not mix it too long, it will make the muffin though.
3. Spoon the mixture to muffin cups, bake at 180 degree C for about 20-30 minutes, depending on your oven.

Tuna Aglio e Olio

If you read every post, you must be aware that I write in almost every post that  “this food is my family’s favorite” “gone in a sec” and so on.  You see, one of my reason to make this blog, is to documented my family’s recipe. No more missing in action recipe! 

This simple pasta dish is my husband’s favorite. He could eat it for lunch, dinner and the next day breakfast. It is THAT good. The ingredients also very simple. Garlic and olive oil is the key ingredients here.  You can add almost everything you like here, I sometimes toss some smoked beef, smoked chicken and prawn. This time I am adding tuna chunks.

Ingredients : 

250 gr spaghetti, cook until aldente

Tuna chunks (I am using canned tuna)

5-6 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced

2 stacks of celery, thinly sliced

2-3 chilie

3 tbsp olive oil

Salt and black pepper

Grated parmesan

How to :

1. In a pan, heat the oil and sautee the sliced garlic until fragrant, and the color is golden brown.

2. Toss the sliced chilies, tuna chunks, stir. 

3. Add in the spaghetti, stir. Add the celery, salt and blackpepper. Stir well. Serve on a plate, and sprinkle some grated parmesan.

Fried Enoki Mushroom

Quick Post! 

This mushroom is one of my family’s favorite. Its crispy and crunchy! And it also stays crispy for a couple of hours.

You can eat it with chili or tomato sauce, or even with mayonnaise. 

The key for long lasting crispiness if to make sure that you pat dry the mushroom for removing  excess water. And make sure the oil is hot enough while deep frying.  Small heat is needed, you want the mushroom to be fully cooked but still with beautiful golden color.

Got the recipe from mba Nina’s instagram, with some modifications. Thanks mba Nina for the recipe.

Ingredients: 
1 pack of enoki mushroom cut the core, wash and drain. Pat with kitchen towels
150 gr all purpose flour
35 gr corn starch
15 gr white rice flour
½ tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
¾ tsp baking powder

For marinating :
1 egg
50 ml water
½ tsp salt
Ground pepper

Cooking oil for deep frying

How to :
Cut and separate each mushroom

Mix well  the flours, garlic powder, salt and baking powder

Soak the mushroom into the marinating liquid, then roll to the flours mix. Pat a little so the flour  stick to the mushroom

Deep fry with small heat

Moist Strawberry Muffin

Quick post!

I was away from this blog for quite sometimes. Been busy with this and that.

I believe I don’t need to say too much about muffin. Its easy-peasy! And with the yogurt addition, it makes super moist muffin. The taste is balance between sweet and a little sour from the strawberry. Here in Indonesia, it is difficult to find sweet strawberry. Oh btw, if you don’t have plain yogurt on hand, use buttermilk or uht plain milk.

Dry Ingredients :

1 and ½ cup all purpose flour

1 and ½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

Wet Ingredients :

½ cup of yogurt/buttermilk/uht plain

¾ cup sugar, please note that the amount of sugar should be based on how sweet/sour  your strawberry. Mine is sour.

1 large egg

½ cup vegetable oil

150-200 gr strawberry, wash clean, pat with kitchen towel and cut into slices or chunks

1 tsp vanilla paste

How to :

1. Heat your oven, 180 Celsius degree 

2. Mix the dry ingredients with whisker

3. In a large bowl, mix well the wet ingredients, and pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredient. Mix with balloon whisker, don’t mix too much, it will make the muffin  though.

4. Add ¾ strawberry,  fold gently

5. Pour the batter into muffin cups, sprinkle with the rest of the strawberries.

6. Baked for  20-30 minutes, or until a toothpicks inserted comes out clean