TherMe: Black Sesame 'Chiffon' Cake

Credits to Isabel for teaching this yummy cake during one of the meetings & my cooking kaki for her notes <3

Ingredients:

List A

100g black sesame

100g unbleached plain flour

100g yogurt

60g organic raw sugar

40g cooking oil

7 egg yolks

5g sesame oil

1 tsp baking powder

List B

70g organic raw sugar

7 egg whites

1/2 tsp cream of tartar (will personally prefer to replace with 1 tsp of lemon juice)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 160°C. Pour sesame into mixing bowl & grind 1min / Speed 10 (accidentally poured in the sesame oil too so blended both together..luckily it turned out alright..hee).

2. Add in remaining ingredients in List A then blend at 30s / Speed 6. Transfer to big bowl (skip this step if u've an extra mixing bowl).

3. Wash mixing bowl & dry thoroughly or use another mixing bowl if u've. Insert 'butterfly' whisk b4 putting List B's ingredients in to whip for 4mins / 37°C / Speed 4. Transfer to another big bowl.

(Note: added another 1min / Speed 4 to get a better whipped texture. Can try increasing 1/2 - 1min each time till u achieve stiff peaks if u prefer a fluffier chiffon)

4. Fold A's batter into B's egg white mixture in 3 batches & transfer to a chiffon tin.

5. Bake for 45mins or until a cake tester skewer or toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the centre of the cake. 

6. Invert the tin immediately on a cooling rack then let it cool completely. Remove tin, cut & serve.

For non-Thermomix readers, you can still follow the steps & pictures to grind the sesame using your normal blender & beat ur batter in a normal mixer but u may need to allow for additional preparation time accordingly.

(Note: Do check if ur blender is able to grind dry ingredients. If it can't, you may blend it together with the sesame oil but the sesame may not be ground as finely, depending on the power of ur blender.) 

Simply love the fragrant of this cake <3 Even though the texture differs slightly from normal chiffon cakes, the moistness of it more than compensates for that! 

TherMe: Healthier Wholemeal Butter Cake

Adapted from Butter Cake recipe in 'Perfection with Thermomix in 7 Days'

The "blur sotong" me thought I still had an unopened pack of butter but when I checked the fridge, I realised I was wrong. As I was already all set to bake, I decided to still go ahead. I managed to do some Googling & DIY-ed my own self-raising flour too ~.<

Ingredients:

125g butter, softened (leave it at room temperature for 30mins) & cut into cubes

120g organic wholemeal flour

1 1/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp pink salt

3 kampong eggs

80g organic raw sugar

25ml of fresh milk

1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract (double strength)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 170°C. Lightly grease & line a round tin with baking paper then set aside.

2. Mix flour, baking powder & salt together evenly.

3. Insert 'butterfly' whisk followed by butter & sugar into mixing bowl. Beat for 1.5min / S3.5.

4. Mix 40s / S3.5, adding vanilla extract, and one egg at a time & fresh milk thru the hole in the mixing bowl's lid onto the rotating blades to beat the mixture into a smooth batter.

5. Add flour mixture, mix 30s / S3.5 then transfer cake mixture into prepared cake tin. 

6. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 170°C for 20mins or until a cake tester skewer or toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the centre of the cake.

7. Allow to cool in cake tin for 10mins b4 transferring to a serving plate & cool completely. Cut & serve.

For non-Thermomix readers, you can still follow the steps & pictures to beat ur batter in a normal mixer but you may need to allow for additional preparation time accordingly.

This is my first bake using Thermomix & am loving it <3 It's so convenient with the in-built weighing scale & the batter only took less than 3mins to beat!!! Despite tweaking the original recipe, am glad it turned out successful, tasting as gd as it looks ^.^

Tomatoes Beefy Rice with Eggs

Previously, this was a very popular 1 pot dish for LOs. The reason is simple. Fast to cook & good to eat. Furthermore, the variations for this dish is endless as long as you add in the main lead, which is of course TOMATOES. Since I happened to have 2 big tomatoes in the fridge so decided to cook it again today. Here's my version ;)

Ingredients (serve 1 toddler + 1 adult):

2 medium-sized tomatoes, top & bottom slitted

1/2 cup organic brown rice, washed

100ml of water

100g of minced organic beef (can replace with pork too)

8 organic French beans, diced

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1/2 tbsp of sesame oil

1/2 tbsp of Bob's Red Mill All Natural Cornstarch

1/8 tsp of freshly grounded black pepper

Directions:

1. Marinate beef with sesame oil, cornstarch & pepper for at least 15 minutes.

2. Mix beef into rice & water, top with tomato & steam for 20 minutes (I used my Techno 3-Tiers Electric Steamer but can use rice cooker alternatively).

3. Add French beans & continue steaming for another 15 minutes..

4. Once rice is cooked, add in eggs & mix evenly, mashing up the tomatoes simultaneously. Optional: remove the tomatoes' skins then add more sesame oil & black pepper. Serve immediately.

Such a hassle-free meal yet so healthy & satisfying..I especially love the moist & juicy rice <3 BURP!!!

One Pan Whole Wheat Spaghetti in Homemade Creamy Carbonara Sauce

What would you do when you've got a craving for creamy sauce pasta but yet there's no cream at home? The answer is "Do-It-Yourself!" & that's exactly what I did >.~ 

Ingredients (serves 1 toddler & 1 adult):

150g of organic sliced beef

5 mini portobello mushrooms, sliced

4 small red onions, sliced

1 garlic, sliced

1 big Japanese cucumber, diced

150g of Alce Nero organic whole wheat spaghetti

300ml of fresh milk

300ml of water

2 tbsps of organic extra virgin coconut oil (EVCO)

1/8 teaspoon of dried basil

1/8 teaspoon of dried oregano

1/8 teaspoon of freshly grounded black pepper

2 kampong eggs

4 tbsps of frozen self grated organic cheddar cheese

Directions:

1. Heat up a pan & add VCO followed by beef slices to stir fry till they brown then scoop them out.

2. Add in the garlic. Once it starts to brown, add in the onions & stir fry with medium fire till they soften slightly.

3. Next, pour in mushrooms, basil, oregano & pepper. Stir-fry till the mushrooms are shrivelled & 'sweat', then pour in the milk & water.

4. Put in the pasta once the mixture start to boil & top with cucumbers.

5. Simmer for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally till pasta is almost cooked.

6. Break the eggs, top with cheese then switch off the fire immediately. The remaining heat will cook the eggs. 

7. Plate the pasta, top with beef slices & some more cheese. Serve warm.

The end product? Even though the recipe uses milk instead of cream, it tastes almost exactly like the usual cream sauce pasta which I usually cook, but yet healthier. Cucumber seems like an odd ingredient in pasta but it happens to be one of the few vegetables that BB likes. He actually asked me to cut some for him to munch on when he saw me take it out from the fridge..lolz! You'll be pleasantly surprised to find that it complements a cream based sauce as its light flavour helps to combat against the richness of the sauce. 

Mummies or Daddies who've been following my blog, did you also notice something different in this recipe? Yes, you're right! To save time, I'm actually cooking the pasta in the sauce itself instead of cooking it separately. Just have to add extra water to your usual sauce (tomato, mushroom etc) so that by the time your pasta is cooked, the sauce would have reduced to a nice, thick sauce.

Beneficial Combination:

Garlic + Onion = Detoxification & anti-cancer effects

Egg + Milk =  Enhance the brain's memory function

Superb Cheesy Avocado Egg Rolls

Inspiration came as I was prepping a simple lunch for BB. Instead of the Open Faced Sandwich with Avocado & Cheddar Cheese Scrambled Egg which I intended to replicate again, I decided at the eleventh hour to change the method to pan-frying the egg since I was kinda craving for it. The image of an egg-roll immediately appeared in my mind so that's how the end product came about ;)

Ingredients (serve 1 toddler & 1 adult):

4 kampong eggs

1 avocado, slightly mashed

1 tbsp of grated organic cheddar cheese (can double the amount if you prefer it to be more cheesy)

1 tbsp of organic virgin coconut oil (EVCO)

1/8 tsp of freshly grounded black pepper

Directions:

1. Mix 1/2 tbsp of cheese into eggs & beat well. Combine the remaining cheese with the mashed avocado.

2. Heat pan till hot then pour in the EVCO & turn to medium heat to prevent it from smoking. Once the oil starts to 'ripple' very slightly, pour in the egg mixture.

3. Once the egg is almost fully cooked, spread the avocado mixture & sprinkle the pepper over it. 

4. Off the fire & let it cool down slightly before using a spatula to carefully loosen the egg from the pan. 

5. With the help of the spatula & a pair of chopsticks, carefully roll it up from one side to the other. 

6. Transfer to a chopping board (for cooked food / fruits) & cut into 3cm pieces.

I'm quite thrilled with the outcome of my first attempt at an egg roll. As my boy was snacking on some cheese when I was busy grating it, I used cheese sparingly to ensure he doesn't consume too much sodium within the day. I'll definitely add more the next time to up the cheesy factor! BB did like it too but he 'complained' that it was spicy & was thus more interested in another of his fave, tomatoes, instead. My  other 'boy', on the hand, told me that it looks super yummy & asked me to cook it for him soon..hee >.~

In addition, I can't help but mention that I'm getting better at cooking with my WMF stainless steel pan. Practice really makes perfect! At least I don' have to worry about toxic materials being emitted at high temperatures or due to scratches in non-stick pans. So, Mummies or Daddies who feel that you can't cook well, persevere & one day I'm sure you can do it too..keep fighting!!!

Burgers with Homemade Beefy Patties & Portobello Mushrooms with Buttered Peas

This meal turned out totally differently from what I had planned initially..lolz! I chanced upon organic miso the day before so I bought some & had wanted to cook a soba in miso soup. However, I saw the bread buns that we had purchased supposedly for breakfast which I'd almost completely forgotten about. As usual, my lil' bread lover got so excited upon overhearing me muttered the word 'bread'. Thus, with the new turn of events, I asked if he wanted a burger to which few kids would be able to resist that temptation, right?

Ingredients (supposedly for 1 toddler but my boy couldn't finish so I ate 1 too):

50g of organic minced beef

1 tsp of sesame oil

1 tsp of Bob's Red Mill All Natural Cornstarch

1 egg, white separated

A dash of basil

A dash of oregano

2 big portobello mushrooms 

1 tsp of organic VCO

2 tbsps of freshly grated organic cheddar cheese

2 big handfuls of Watties frozen garden peas

2 tbsps of water

1 tsp of unsalted butter

2 burger buns (I used the sesame loaf from Green Pumpkin Japanese Bakery at Nex)

Directions:

1. Marinate beef with sesame oil, cornstarch, egg white, basil & oregano for at least 15 minutes.

2. Preheat oven under Grill setting, max temperature (260°C) for 5 minutes.

3. Drizzle the underside of the mushrooms with the VCO & grill for 5 minutes. 

4. Half the beef & use a spoon to form 2 circular patties. Grill for around 10 minutes till they turn slightly brown on the surface.

5. Cut the buns into half, without seperating them. Lightly beat the egg yolk & spread it over the insides of the buns & grill for 2-3 minutes till the egg is cooked & bread lightly toasted.

6. Top the mushrooms with 1 tbsp of cheddar cheese each & bake for another 10 minutes.

7. Add 2 tbsps of water to the peas then also grill for 2-3 minutes till softened & cooked. Drain the water then melt the butter over the hot peas & mix well.

8. Assemble the burger by putting the beef patty on the bun then cap on the mushroom with cheese. Lastly, top with the bun & serve warm with the buttered peas.

I couldn't help but mention the most hilarious thing that happened while I was prepping lunch. My boy was so elated & grateful for his upcoming meal that he repeatedly thanked me for it..hahaha!! His impromptu luncheon turned out yummilicious!!! I remembered my first attempt at homemade patties weren't quite as successful as I found them too dense with oats added. Yet, this time round, I didn't even have time to do any research & simply jumped right into the preparations with just my gut feel. I was still kinda worried initially as i had pre-marinated the beef with sesame oil which is more commonly used for Chinese cuisines. To my surprise, the patty was quite tender with a faint fragrance from the herbs plus the juice from the portobello mushrooms complemented it nicely. Furthermore, the crispy toasted bread had a slight sweetness to it so all the flavours just seemed to come together in a perfect symphony in my mouth. No wonder BB devoured his in no time at all..lolz! I'm so going to replicate this again for my other 'boy' soon ~.<

Open Faced Sandwich with Avocado & Cheddar Cheese Scrambled Egg

I was brain-storming as to what I could do for breakfast with the remaining few slices of my bread. When I came across the ripe avocado on my countertop, this idea came to me instanteously!

Ingredients (serve 1 toddler & 1 adult):

3 slices of homemade purple sweet potato bread

3 kampong eggs

3 tbsps (for eggs) + 1 tbsp (topping) of shredded organic cheddar cheese

1 avocado, pitted & mashed

1/2 tsp of lemon juice

A dash of freshly ground black pepper

Some organic extra virgin coconut oil (EVCO)

Directions: 

1. Add lemon juice to the avocado & mix well. Spread generously onto 2 pieces of bread (may lightly toast the bread if desired) & set aside.

2. Beat eggs with the cheese. 

3. Heat up some EVCO till hot. Pour in the eggs & lower the fire to lowest heat. Use a spatula and push inwards to the centre from around the edges. Switch off the fire when the eggs are softly set but yet slightly runny & scoop out the adult's portion. Continue to stir fry the remaining eggs till fully cooked for BB. 

4. Scoop on top of the avocado spread, top with some more cheese & pepper then serve immediately. 

BB finished his with a dollop of plain yogurt & some organic raisins in no time at all. It was a blessing in disguise that BB was having a bit of running nose & I decided not to let him drink the fresh milk which is supposed to create more mucus.

(Note: best not to consume milk with this meal. Refer to 'Harmful Combination' below) 

Healthy & delicious homecooked breakfasts always make the start of our days a better one...I hope they'd have the same greatness on you too! Enjoy!

Beneficial Combination:

Egg + Milk = Improve memory skills

Harmful Combination:

Lemon + Milk = Can affect gastrointestinal function

Sweet Corn Omelette

Another recipe imparted by my dear Chef Mummy! Super simple yet, super yummy ;p"

Ingredients:

1/2 of a cob of corn, shredded & liquid slightly strained off using hands

2 eggs

Organic extra virgin coconut oil (EVCO)

Directions:

1. Heat up the pan till its sizzling hot (drop some water on the pan & the water will sizzle). 

2. Pour in some EVCO & swirl it around to coat the entire bottom of the pan. 

3. Mix the corn & eggs together then pour into the pan. Lower the fire & let it cook till the underside has turned slightly golden. Flip it over & cook till the eggs are fully cooked.

My boy loves it, most likely due to the sweetness in this corn omelette. Good to pair with rice or can be eaten alone as breakfast too =)

Organic Pasta with Amaranth & Egg Drop in Salmon Broth

Till date, I've always prepared BB's meals fresh on a daily basis. Many mummies, especially those who are working & thus face time constraints, would prepare purees / stocks typically once a week and store them by freezing and use them only when they need to cook for their little ones. 

"One final word of caution: All vegetables tend to form nitrates after cooking & during storage. These nitrates can transform into strong carcinogens in the intestines, so it is best to avoid refrigerating & re-heating vegetables, particularly leafy, green vegetables which concentrate nitrates when grown commercially." quoted from Sarah, TheHealthyHomeEconomist.com.

I've also heard from close relatives of cancer patients that their oncologists have advised against eating refrigerated & overnight vegetables, even rice as these are potentially cancer-causing. In conclusion, I'll recommend only doing pure meat stocks without the addition of any vegetables. 

I've came to know about "Song Fish" from another mummy on Facebook & even made a trip down to their Chinatown Point outlet previously. However, i was hesitant to purchase as we'd take quite a while to finish their whole fresh salmon when one is only allowed 2 portions per week. After sharing with my Mummy about it, she expressed her interest too. Thus, I bought a pack to share with her. Priced at $20 per kg, it is much cheaper than those fillets sold in NTUC outlets (either $28 or $40 per kg). Furthermore, it consists of individually packed bags of salmon head, bones & 6 fillets for convenience. The best part is it is actually sashimi grade! Given this, it may even be more value-for-money than "Fassler Gourmet", another popular seafood shop which also sells fresh salmon. Point to note is that you'll have to slice it yourself if you purchase from "Song Fish". There's absolutely no turning back for salmon fillets sold between $9 to $12 per piece..lolz!

Ingredients:

1.5 litres of water

220g of salmon fish bones

Directions:

1. Put bones into the water & bring to boil then simmer for 2 hours. Remove bones & cool totally then pour into milk bags or containers to be put into freezer for freezing.

2. Transfer to chiller the night before you want to use it & it'll have thawed nicely by the next day.

With the ready stock, I use it to cook a simple luncheon.

Ingredients:

750ml of salmon stock

Salmon flesh from bones

3 slices of ginger

3 tbsps of organic pasta

50g of organic red amaranth

1 kampong egg

A dash of freshly ground pepper

Directions:

1. Transfer 750ml of stock to another smaller pot. Add ginger slices as well as pasta & cook for about 8 minutes. Meanwhile, remove salmon flesh from the bones.

2. Add in amaranth & cook for another 3 minutes.

3. Pour egg in a slow & steady stream. Let it cook a while before stirring slowly to create the ribbon-like egg flower.

4. Mix in the flaked salmon, top with pepper & serve warm.

Note: Please be careful when you add pasta to the stock as it actually boiled over the rim instantaneously when I did that. This actually left me with only half the amount of stock I started with :/

Beneficial Combination:

Amaranth + Egg = Enhance immunity

Tomato Cheesy Omelette

If you've been following me for a while now, you probably would remember that I always had problems frying omelettes with my WMF pan after being too accustomed to using non-stick pans. I finally nailed it this time as practice indeed really makes perfect! Of course, this feat was nevertheless accomplished with the help of some pointers from another experienced cook (none other than my dearest eldest sister). Behold . . . The strategy for achieving perfect omelette, as shared below ^.~

Ingredients:

12 organic cherry tomatoes, cut into quarters

2 eggs, beaten

Parmesan cheese, grated

Organic extra virgin coconut oil (EVCO)

Directions:

1. Heat up the pan till its sizzling hot (drop some water on the pan & the water will sizzle). 

2. Pour in some EVCO & swirl it around to coat the entire bottom of the pan. 

3. Mix the tomatoes & eggs together then pour into the pan. Lower the fire & let it cook for a minute or two.

4. Sprinkle cheese over the omelette when it starts to firm up with still some raw parts on top. Then, use your spatula to carefully ease around the edge of it then fold it over in half. Cook till the eggs are fully cooked.

My small boy seemed to sense that Mummy was preparing something yummy for him as he ran up to his high chair, kept pointing fervently at it whilst making 'ummm' sounds, indicating with all his effort that he wanted to be carried & secured upon his culinary throne...lolz!

Organic Rolled Oats Porridge with Garoupa + Organic Pumpkin & Zucchini

We decided quite last minute that we would go out straight after our usual Sunday lunch at my Mum's, instead of coming home to prepare dinner before heading out again. Thus, I had to cook a double portion of oats porridge instead of preparing 2 different menus for lunch & dinner which I do when time permits.

Ingredients (2 toddlers serving):

500ml of water

6 tbsps of organic rolled oats

1 piece of garoupa

100g of organic pumpkin, diced

1 medium sized organic zucchini, diced

1 egg (omitted this time round as we had an 'overdose' off eggs the previous day), beaten

Directions:

1. Bring the water to boil then add the fish in & cook for 10 minutes.

2. Remove fish to cool slightly & to check for bones. Add pumpkin, zucchini & oats in then cook for another 5 minutes (will usually cook the pumpkin & zucchini for 10 minutes before adding the oats but as I would be transferring the porridge to a thermal flask to bring out, they would continue to 'cook' inside it.)

3. Add in egg, stir evenly & simmer till it's fully cooked.

4. Remove from fire, add in the flaked fish & mix well. Serve warm.

Beneficial Combination:

Egg + Zuchhini = Effectively relieve pain

Dinner of Pappardelle Mushroom Carbonara for 3

Special request of pappardelle from Daddy-O after we watched MasterChef Junior Season 3. So, I whipped up a mushroom carbonara with the leftover parmesan cheese from our X'mas dinner. It has been more than 10 years since I last did this sauce so l was keeping my fingers crossed that it would turn out alright.

Ingredients (serve 2 adults + 1 toddler):

1 pack of 250g of pappardelle

160g of fresh emperor shiitake mushrooms (bought directly from Mycofarm), sliced

1 cup of freshly grated parmesan cheese

3 eggs, beaten

1 clove of garlic, finely chopped

1 tsp of dried basil

A dash of freshly ground black pepper

Extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

1. Bring water to boil for pasta. Add cheese (reserve some as toppings for later) to eggs, mix well & put aside.

2. Heat up some EVOO in a pan & add garlic. When it starts to brown, pour in the mushrooms, black pepper & basil then saute till soft. Throw the pasta in the water to cook simultaneously.

3. As soon as pasta is ready, drain & reserve 1/2 to 3/4 cup of pasta water. Immediately add the pasta to the pan, toss with the mushrooms to coat & remove from heat.

4. Pour the cheese & egg mixture over the pasta & immediately stir evenly (pasta must be hot enough in order for the eggs to be cooked). Add some pasta water to make it creamier. 

5. Top with more cheese & serve immediately for the adults' portion. As for the portion for BB, I put it back onto the stove to cook for a while more to ensure the eggs are thoroughly cooked.

The taste is good although we found it a tad too dry, as it had probably dried up slightly after my phototaking session..lolz! Anyway, I'll definitely increase the amount of the cheese & egg mixture as well as add in more of the pasta water in future.