RICE FLOUR CREPES

If you are unable to enjoy crepe with all purpose flour, here is an alternative.These Rice Flour Crepes  are  surprisingly  good,  gluten free, diary free and egg free. They passed the test with the gluten eaters in my family

Rice milk or almond milk are the best alternatives for coconut milk. You can serve  Rice Flour Crepes  either sweet or savory, whatever your family will enjoy.

FOCACCIA

I love flat bread with a good, slightly burnt edges crust that was crisp and chewy at the same time. This focaccia  is one of my favorite bread.

If you have mastered making your own pizza, definitely you won't encounter any problem baking  this focaccia.  You can expand this recipe by adding various toppings on the bread  and try a lot of different combinations. In my case, I have thrown in a handful of raisin to the dough. The raisin is added after proofing but you can also include them at the time of kneading, either way it  works but most importantly the raisin should not be exposed, you do not want them to be bitter and burnt.

The focaccia will keep at room temperature for 2 days and freeze well up to 1 month.

SESAME OAT BARS

This quick and easy bar slice is a snack favorite in our household.  These are egg free and freeze well also. They are great for those who want to embrace good health without costly expense.

It can be gobbled up immediately or stored in an airtight container up to 3 days. Their texture are great because they hold together perfectly to slice, yet are tender and tasty.

HEALTHY BREAKFAST BARS

Chewy  and wholesome, this Healthy Breakfast Bars make a super satisfying snack. They bake up in a snap without leaving home.

These bars were delicious and not too sweet. If you desire, you can add some brown sugar to sweeten them up a bit They were  perfect to my liking so it really didn't need to be any sweeter. It is  great for those  with food allergies since there is no wheat, butter  and egg  in the recipe.

Healthy Breakfast Bars tasted great and  you can't stop at one piece!

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SAVORY BREAD PUDDING

Savory bread pudding is a perfect comfort food. Not only it is versatile but it happens to be quite filling too.

Made with cubed sandwich bread or other type of crusty bread, soaked in milk to soften and adding fresh or cooked vegetables of your choice to the batter. Addition of green chili or black pepper gives this a distinctive taste to rather bland pudding.

This is a wonderful meal to share with your family and friend.

SAVORY BREAD PUDDING
Servings     :    6

250g bread 1-in cubed with crust
2  cup  milk
2 Tablespoon  cornflour
2 Tablespoon  oil
2 medium onion thinly sliced
1 tomato chopped
1/2  cup  carrot grated
2 green chili chopped
2 Tablespoon chopped cilantro
salt and black pepper to taste

DIRECTION

Combine 2 tablespoons of milk with cornflour, keep aside.

Heat the oil, add the onion, fry until soft but not brown,  remove from heat.

Place cubed bread into mixing bowl, pour in the remaining milk and let soak for  5 minutes.

Preheat oven @ 180C and grease  a shallow  6 x 10 in baking dish.

Add in salt and cornflour to the bread, stir well.

Reserve some of the onion, tomato and cilantro for topping, add the rest together with carrot, black pepper and  green chili. to the bread mixture. Combine well.

Pour the batter into prepared pan, bake for 30-40 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.

Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Linking to  Yeastspotting 12-23-11

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CORN & POTATO PARATHA

Paratha or unleavened flat bread is usually pan fried on griddle, stuffed with potato, leaf vegetables, cauliflower, lentil or paneer. It is so light yet filling. They  can be served during breakfast, lunch or at dinner time with chutney, pickle, yogurt, meat or any  vegetable curries.

For this recipe, had combined whole kernel corn with mashed potato. Green chili is added to improve the flavor of this nutritious paratha. They turned out so soft and best eaten hot immediately after you have cooked them.

BAKED BEIGNETS

Baked Beignets are sweet baked treat that are part bread, part doughnut. It was introduced by French families in Louisiana  during  mid 1700 along with their chicory coffee.

 Never baked beignets before but  when I saw them on the net, decided to bake them myself. There are two types of beignets - fried or baked. Of course my choice goes to healthier version and easy method.

Combination of  Baked Beignets and sweet coffee  are  so satisfying and filling too.  Start baking yours to enjoy this lovely bake!

PUMPKIN DINNER ROLLS

Adding a pumpkin to a dinner rolls will produce a bread that is slightly sweet and wonderfully rich.  So I looked for a recipe on the net, decided to bake the pumpkin rolls  from  scratch.  I halved the recipe and omitted the spices except  added only  ground cinnamon.

Pumpkin Dinner Rolls taste  amazing but incredibly sticky. Make sure you add a bit more flour if needed. For best result either steam or bake the pumpkin if you're making your own puree.

MASALA CHAPATI

Chapati is a thin flat unleavened bread popular in every Indian home. It is such a versatile meal that can be eaten with vegetarian or non vegetarian dishes.

They are countless variety of chapati you can try. Some adding lentil or vegetables to them but now I have added some spices to the dough and that also varies according to your taste.  Serve hot with your favorite gravy, this is really a light meal you can enjoy with your family.


MASALA CHAPATI
Servings    :     2

1  C  wheat flour
1/2 C  onion chopped
1 tsp  ginger and garlic paste
1/4 C  grated carrot
1/2 tsp  garam masala
1  green chili sliced
2 TB  mint leaves
4 TB  coriander leaves
1 tsp green chili paste
salt to taste
water to bind

METHOD

Combine flour, onion,  carrot, green chili, garam masala, ginger garlic, coriander leaves, mint leaves and salt in a mixing bowl.

Gradually add water to form into stiff dough. Divide into 4-5 balls. Dust your board with flour, roll out into round and place onto heated flat pan. Drizzle oil around the side, cook until it turns brown, flip and cook the other side.

Serve hot.

RAVA DOSA

This is a quick and easy dosa (South Indian crepe) done without grinding and fermentation. It uses semolina, rice flour and all purpose flour with addition of green chili, ginger and cumin.

The consistency of the batter must be watery, it is easily spreadable once your pour onto the pan. Normally I did not flip my dosa since it is so thin.. Make sure you stir up the batter before preparing to ensure even consistency. It should have holes if not add more water to make it very thin batter.

VEGAN BANANA PANCAKE

Vegan Banana Pancake  is a wonderful breakfast to start your day. By adding mashed banana to the ordinary pancake, you have created a flavorful and delicious meal. You can make perfectly good pancake without milk or even eggs.  Vegan Banana Pancake is adapted from here produces a light and fluffy pancakes. Originally it uses strawberry but I have substituted them with banana.

SAVORY POLI

Spicy poli is an Indian flat bread stuffed with savory filling  Normally it uses vegetable such as mushroom, potato, bean  or  carrot.  It is famous in a state of Gujarat and Maharashtra. They are best serve during breakfast as well  as a  mid afternoon snack.

When preparing the dough, it must has a right consistency that is very soft and pliable so shaping is so much easier using your hand.

SOURDOUGH ORANGE CAKE

Everyone loves a piece of yummy cake with a glass of milk or a cup of tea. As my sourdough pizza turned out really well., I like to adapt them with other variation. Made this cake using sourdough starter and fresh orange. This is an excellent choice, they are healthy and taste amazing. For sourdough starter click here.

Homemade sourdough gives this cake a uniquely delicious flavor and keeps it moist. This  Sourdough Orange Cake is a light cake, mildly sweetened and the orange lends a different taste altogether.

PASTA PANCAKE

This is created out of the leftover we had from cooking fried spaghetti. Instead of dumping them in a freezer I thought why don't we created another easy dish we could enjoy.

If you are not spicy person, you can easily removed the chili powder and green chili used, just sprinkle a bit of pepper will do the trick. They were surprisingly, really good! Such a perfect meal, I'll be making them often. .

PASTA PANCAKE

1 C boiled spaghetti/macaroni
1 Onion chopped
1 Tomato chopped
1 tsp chili powder or to taste
3 green chili chopped
1 tsp ginger paste
1 tsp garlic paste
1/4 C corn flour
1/4 C gram flour
salt to taste
milk to mix
oil for frying
2 T coriander leaves chopped

METHOD

*   Place pasta, onion, tomato, green chili, ginger, garlic and a tablespoon oil in a mixing bowl.

*   Mix corn flour, gram flour, salt and chili powder with small amount of milk, stir until well combined.

*   Add corn flour mixture to the pasta, mix well and forms into thick batter. The consistency is same as regular pancake batter.

*   Heat 1 teaspoon of oil, pour 2-3  tablespoons of batter into flat pan, fry until both side turn golden brown. Drizzle more oil if required.

*   Complete with the rest of the batter.

*   Serve warm with tomato/chili sauce. 

PASTA UPMA

Upma is a common breakfast dish or an evening tiffin in most South Indian homes. You can use rava, vermicelli or even bread for making this tasty upma. For added taste, some add vegetables like beans, carrots, potatoes or cauliflower and garnished with cashew nut, peanut or coconut..

It is fast to cook and taste yummy. Adding lemon juice is optional and it is really healthy and an excellent dish to start your day.

PASTA UPMA

100g pasta boiled until aldente
1 onion chopped
2 green chili sliced
1 tsp mustard seed
1 tsp urad dal
1 tsp bengal gram
1 sprig curry leaves
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
salt to taste
3 T tomato sauce
2 T cooking oil
lemon juice (optional)

METHOD

* Heat the oil, splutter mustard seed, add urad dal, bengal gram, curry leaves, onion and green chili, cook until fragrant.

* Add in 1/4 cup water, salt and tomato sauce and bring to boil.

* Pour in the cooked pasta and stir well. Remove from heat.

* Garnish with coriander leaves and serve immediately.

BREAD GRIDDLE CAKE

This is great if you have stale bread in you pantry. Instead of usual spread you can turn them into this super easy griddle cake. Experiment with what works best for you by adding raisin, chocolate chip or cheese.

Adding milk is depends on how wet the soaked bread is so adjust accordingly. I also sprinkles chocolate rice to some of the cake, it tasted great.

BREAD GRIDDLE CAKE
Serves 4

4 C bread torn into pieces
1/4 to 1/2 C milk
4 T sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 C all purpose flour
1 T melted butter
oil for frying

METHOD

* Place bread and milk  in a mixing bowl. Mash up the bread..

* Add sugar,  flour, salt and butter to the bread. Keep 15 minutes.

* Pour 1/4 cup of batter on greased  griddle,   fry until both sides turn golden brown.  Repeat with the rest of batter.

* Serve hot.

Linking to Yeastspotting 1-7-11

OATMEAL BREAKFAST BARS

If you need a healthy and easy breakfast or in between snack to start your day, you must try this recipe. It is  made of rolled oat, dried fruit ( you can use raisin, cherry, mixed peel, cranberries) and toasted chopped nuts ( almond, hazel, cashew, peanut). They're sweetened with condensed milk instead of sugar and contains minimal fat.

To make it easier you can press the dough into square greased tin then slice after it has been baked. You'll be amazed how this healthy  treat produces a chewy and not so sweet bar despite using condensed milk.

OATMEAL BREAKFAST BAR
Yield   14 bars

1/2 cup  plus 2 tablespoon  condensed milk
125 g (1 1/3 cup)  rolled oat
80 g   (1/2 cup) dried  fruit
80 g  (1/2 cup) chopped nuts

METHOD

* Heat the condensed milk in a microwave on High for a minute. Add in rolled oat and stir.

* Mix the rest of the ingredients and roll out into rectangle in between plastic sheet, cut into bar and place onto greased baking sheet.

* Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes or until light brown @ 130 C . Remove from pan after 5 minutes and transfer into rack to cool. Store in an airtight container.

* Enjoy your healthy bar fresh from the oven.

Thanks so much for your support and encouragement my friends, may this year brings better health and happiness to you and family. HAPPY NEW YEAR!

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OPEN POTATO TOAST

If you're bored taking bread with your usual butter and jam, you should try this one. It is fast and easy to prepare what you need is to boil and mash the potato then combine the rest of the ingredients. I have used bird's eye chili but do adjust according to your taste.

It is wonderfully tasty, my children already given a green light to make it again. I'm very sure this will be your favorite too if you try this.

OPEN POTATO TOAST

1 C mashed potato
8 bread slices
1 onion chopped
2-3 green chili chopped
chopped coriander leaves
salt to taste
water to bind
cooking oil/butter

METHOD

* Combine potato, green chili, coriander leaves and salt in a bowl. Add 1-2 tablespoons of water just to bind the potato, mix well.

* Spread the potato on the bread slices, place the bread, potato side down on a flat pan and drizzle some oil. Fry until light brown. Flip and cook the other side.

* Transfer onto plate and complete the rest of the bread slices.

* Serve hot.

Linking to  Yeastspotting 12-17-10

LONTONG GORENG

A popular South East Asian dish, made of lontong (compressed rice cake) either home made or store bought. The preparation is pretty similar to mee goreng (fried noodle). They are cubed and fried together with blended dry chili, onion and sauces. Prawn, chicken or mince meat are added together with eggs to further enhance its taste.

This dish is almost a complete meal by itself. The key to make this really fast is to get ready all the ingredients before your turn on the heat for cooking. The following merely a guide, you can substitute or add according to your preference..

LONTONG GORENG

500g lontong (rice cake) cubed
2-3 T chili paste
1 onion chopped
3 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp ginger paste
250g prawns shell removed
2 tomato chopped
2 T tomato sauce
1 T sweet soy sauce
2 T oyster sauce
2-4 eggs beat lightly
3 T cooking oil
Scallion for garnish

METHOD

* Heat oil, fry onion, garlic and ginger until fragrant. Add blended chili, tomato, salt and the sauces, stir for 2 minutes.

* Add the prawn and fry until prawn is cooked. Add the cubed rice cake.

* Push ingredients to the side of pan, add more oil if needed, pour the eggs into the middle and let eggs cook.

* Mix with the other ingredients, stir well. Remove from heat.

* Garnish with scallion at the time of service.

RAISIN BREAD

Since my previous attempts of making bread are successful, today I'd love to share with you another favorite recipe, Raisin Bread. Used to buy them from the bakery but now trying to bake it myself.

Baking bread is so exciting, such a challenging and rewarding task and you'll be proud of yourselves once you've baked them.

This is quite simple and the result is very satisfying, full of flavor and has great texture. This Raisin Bread  is really worth baking.

Soak the raisin for 30 minutes then drain before adding to the dough but some recipes called for adding the raisin directly without soaking, may be I'll try this method next time.