My love of coffee...
It looks like an underbaked cannelé. That's because I tried making cannelés in a silicone "pan" and it was a disaster. So, I whipped up a plain vanilla-orange sponge cake and baked it in the same mould.
Other than cake baking, it's fairly simple to prepare:
- zest a bit of lemon
- segment the oranges
- strain raspberries with melted apricot (or apple) jam
All that's left to do is pile that deliciousness on a plate.
Richly flavourful, this dish packs lots of energy and fibre. Although mung beans are generally available at most Asian grocers, they're not the most common legume. They are, however, a delicious base for this curry-like recipe.
Start by rinsing the beans and adding equal portions of mung bean and water to a large saucepan and set on the heat. Salt the water gently - season it, but remember that it will need to be adjusted near the end of the cooking process, so don't go wild with the salt. While waiting for the beans to start boiling, prepare the curry. Ginger is the dominant flavour. To round out the curry flavour profile, you'll need a bit of garlic, chili pepper(s) and a medium tomato. Place these ingredients in a blender with a can of coconut milk. Blend until smooth.
Once the beans have started boiling, add the curry to the pan. Return the mix to a boil before reducing the heat to a simmer.
While the curried beans are simmering away, prepare the rice as directed by the packaging. Simply, add a bit of salt and a half-handful of shredded unsweetened coconut when the rice starts cooking. So easy! There are a couple different types of black rice. I used Forbidden Rice for this meal.
When the beans are tender, they're done cooking. Be sure to season with salt according to your taste.
A tasty sweet that's gluten free and vegan.
I started with the walnut-oat pastry dough that I typically use for crackers and pie crust. Roll, cut and place in a spring-form pan. I pre-baked the crust at 375F for ~20 minuted. In the mean time, I prepared the filling: equal parts water and cashews, nutritional yeast, salt, brown sugar and vanilla. Then, peel and slice the pears.
Fill the pans with the custardy mixture and arrange the pears. Resume baking for another 20 minutes. Allow them to cool and brush with pastry glaze - strained apricot jam. Complete the dish with raspberries and sliced almonds.
It's got a good taste, but it's really heavy. I think it would take on a new, lighter dimension by replacing some water with a bit of raw pear in the custard.
A quick and easy way to make sprouts delicious.
First, halve the sprouts and remove the scruffy outer leaves. Then, mix coconut milk, curry powder and salt. This imparts a spicy richness to the dish. Pour the mix over the Brussles sprouts and arrange on a baking tray. Make it easy to tidy up by lining the tray with parchment paper. I like to put these cabbage-wannabes in a cold oven and preheat to 400F - this cooks them quickly and browns the sprouts.
Serve with ginger coconut rice. Simply add ginger, unsweetened coconut flake and a smidgen of coconut milk to rice and prepare as normal.
Happy 2014! Two years ago, jLAmode started as a two-year-commitment personal blog. It quickly grew into an artistic endeavour. It's a stout challenge to create something new every week, but it's been a very edifying process. Recently, I found this quote by Saul Bass - an icon in the design world - and it defines the essence of jLAmode: "I want to make beautiful things, even if nobody cares."
The things we create are extensions of our soul. This makes artists particularly vulnerable - we present, not our works for critique, but fragments of our souls. This in mind, it's easy to expect everyone to notice, eagerly anticipate and, invariably, swoon over each new thing we make.
The reality is, everyone is busy making their own thing. And often, since beauty is indeed in the eye of the beholder, the things we esteem so greatly attract little interest of others. I think Saul Bass was well acquainted with this scenario; I think it inspired his statement. For really, even if nobody cares about the beautiful things we create, it doesn't stop them from being beautiful things.
Happy New Year from jLAmode.
Make beautiful things.
j
A bright coloured dessert for celebrating the New Year. Whipped cream and angel food cake provide a visual contrast and taste complement for the pomegranate.
- I started with a pack mix cake - because it's easy, and making one from scratch requires a dozen egg whites. Once the cake cools, remove the crust.
- Make a simple sauce of sugar, a small bit of cornstarch and pomegranate juice. Bring to a boil, but remove from heat promptly.
- Whip the cream with a bit of sugar, vanilla bean and a few drops of Fiori di Sicilia.
- Extract the pomegranate arils and the zest of lemon (and/or orange, tangerine, lime).
- Add a bit of sauce to the glass and pile in the cream, cake and fruit.
For a richer dessert, use a chocolate sauce (melted chocolate and cream - or non-dairy milk).
Start with fresh pomegranate and extract the juice. I used a ricer: Good Grips Ricer
Serve chilled. Sweet citrus flavours are an excellent complement to the raspberries.
The crust is made from ground almonds, walnuts, pecans and oats. Add in a bit of cocoa powder and sugar to make it delightful.
Press the crust into a tarte pan and bake for half an hour. Allow to cool while preparing the filling.
Melt the chocolate - non-dairy dark chocolate - and add a slash of milk and coconut oil. Once melted, stir in an assortment of roasted nuts. I used cashews, pecans, pistachios and hazelnuts. Finally top it with select nuts, coconut flakes and Himalayan pink salt.
Once it's chilled, it's ready to devour!
This amazingly creamy, yet vegan, soup is the perfect thing for a cold winter's day.
First, remove the woody ends of the asparagus; slice the shallots, the leek and crush the garlic. Since it's all getting blended, precision isn't essential. Beth Le Manach, an inspirational chef, shares her secret for ultra creamy soup - a medium-large potato.
Saute the shallots, garlic and leek, giving them a bit of colour. Then, add in water, the potato and bring to a boil. After 5 minutes of ferocious boiling, add in the chopped asparagus stems, reserving several of the tips for garnish. Boil another 5 minutes, or until the potatoes and asparagus is completely tender. Blend it up and flavour with a squeeze of lemon.
I first tested with an immersion blender. The results were alright. But, the soup wasn't super creamy until I sent it through the Vitamix. Afterwords, it was ultra smooth, with a there-has-to-be-heavy-cream-in-this mouth feel:
First, make a pastry crust. This is whole wheat flour, pecans and coconut oil - just enough ice water to make it stick together. It's a thick, hearty and rustic crust.
Then press into a spring form pan, fill with sliced apples and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Bake at 350F until the apples are tender.
When done (~one hour), remove from oven and brush with a pastry glaze (prepared from apricot jam).
Serve with (vegan) ice cream or froyo.
The perfect weekend food - breakfast wraps. Full of veg, egg scramble and hashed browned 'taters, these wraps start your day off right!
First, start the tater tots, or any hashed potatoes, baking. Make sure they're crispy to give a satisfying crunch. Then sauteing mixed vegetables: zucchini, onions, tomatoes, peppers and carrots. Once they're tender, set aside and keep warm. In the same pan, add beaten eggs and a hearty spice blend: sriracha, onion powder, smoky paprika, turmeric and salt. Some fresh spinach completes the dish, but any lettuce will do.
Wrap it up and enjoy!
Peanut butter cookies with a twist. The childhood treat of a peanut butter and honey sandwich is translated into these tasty treats. Grinding the wheat gives a hearty, yet pleasing, whole grain flavour. Using coconut oil, instead of butter makes this treat enjoyable for those with dairy allergy/intolerance.
They're a delight without embellishment, but the addition of peanut halves and fleur de sel just before baking creates a complex, salty-sweet taste sensation.
Egg white genoise with youghurt and figs.
A light cake with fresh fruit is always a delight. This sponge is made with egg whites and coconut oil instead of the traditional whole eggs and butter. It bakes nicely and plates attractively with an apricot glaze.
The sky's the limit, but fresh figs are irresistible. A light youghurt, instead of heavy cream, brightens the flavour.
Although it was a tasty composition, it lacked the desired sweetness. Next time it should be prepared with extra honey and vanilla in the youghurt and, perhaps a sprinkle of sugar on the figs.
Often the stri-fry premix seasonings contain gluten or wheat ingredients. Mixing the spices individually and using tamari (gluten free soy sauce), gluten can be eliminated from this delicious dish. Deep frying tofu and marinating it overnight allows it to have a pleasant texture and full taste (which is a rare trait for tofu).
Classic flavours compose the seasoning: sesame, soy, onion, garlic, turmeric, chili and ginger. Mixing Jasmine and black Forbidden rice yield a uniquely hued rice side-dish.
The perfect thing for leftover pumpkin! Roasted pumpkin soup, served with panfried pumpkin strips, morel mushrooms and a drizzle of olive oil.
First, wash, peel and slice the pumpkin and beet root. Add the pumpkin and beet to a baking dish with a chopped onion, a few bay leaves and a drizzle of olive oil. Cover with foil and roast at 350F until the everything is tender. Then, remove the bay leaves and puree the mix - adding water as necessary. Season with salt and simmer to allow the flavours to develop.
This handy peeler is fairly amazing: Update International Pro-Grip Carbon Steel Peeler