a cake for aquaman

I was under strict instructions not to make a fuss for Aquaman's 40th birthday, and I tried, really I did, but the opportunity to bake a cake and get out the teaspoon collection was too much to bare. It was just a little afternoon tea, with no candles or hoo-ha, and only one painfully sung line of happy birthday. The invited guests were instructed to drop in casually between 3pm and 4.30pm, so as to divert attention away from the notion that I had indeed orchestrated a forbidden event. 

The birthday cake was the first one I have baked this season as I don't have an oven, and the idea of attempting a chocolate cake in the camp oven under a midday sun was ludicrous. Instead, I was able to borrow Hildi's oven space. I sifted the dry ingredients into a large bowl, and packaged it up with the wet ingredients and cake tin into my bike basket and carefully cycled into town. Talk about the slow food movement. I had a minor mishap when the almost cooked cake slipped out of my hand and upturned into the oven, losing its tender middle.  Hildi reported the next time she lit the oven it caught fire and smelt suspiciously like burning chocolate. 

Once cooked, the cake was couriered by another friend on her motorbike back to the house. All this time, Tom was meant to be surfing macking six foot waves that I had especially dialled up for his birthday. Unfortunately for him, his nose and that of the board met on his first wave, and Tom came off a bloody second best.  He was quick to suspect a gathering of some ilk when I arranged more than two cups and plates on the table. It is impossible to hide party preparations in a one room shack. I think I was forgiven after the birthday boy polished of his second slab of cake and third donut. 

Happy birthday dear Tom, you are a inspiration and I am honoured to be sharing my days with you. xx 

One Bowl Wonder Chocolate Cake

2 cups plain flour

1 tsp bi-carb soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1 - 1 1/2 cups raw sugar (depending on how sweet you like your cake)

1 cup cocoa powder

1 1/2 cup milk (non-dairy or cow)

2/3 cup canola or coconut oil

1 tsp vanilla

2 mashed bananas plus juice one small lemon (or 2 eggs)

(optional: add half cup of almond meal for a denser cake)

Sift together flour, bi-carb, baking powder, cinnamon and cocoa. Add sugar and salt.

Combine milk, oil and vanilla.

Add bananas and lemon juice (or eggs if non-vegan)

Combine well.

Bake in 20cm round tin for 35-45 mins at 180 degrees until a skewer comes out clean.  

Cool, then turn out onto cake rack and decorate. 

I frosted the cake with a ganache made from coconut cream and melted 70% Lindt dark chocolate, then sprinkled on grated chocolate and smashed up Beng Beng bars (an Indo classic). 

tomato relish farm style

The markets are sporting tomatoes by the bucket full at a very low price, so I called upon my pioneering spirit and the Country Women's Association bible of cookery and household hints to make an old fashioned tomato relish. The aroma taps into my olfactory memory of delivering dad a packed lunch or dinner during seeding and harvest on the farm. Cheese, corned beef and tomato relish eaten beside the tractor; the  moist ground freshly tilled or a cloud of wheat dust hanging in the hot air.

Tomato Relish (No 2)

from page 318, 42nd Edition of CWA Cookbook

1 1/2 kilo ripe tomatoes

1 tablespoon sea salt

250 g raw sugar

500 g onions

1 tablespoon mustard

2 tablespoons plain flour

1 1/2 tablespooons curry powder

brown vinegar

Cut up tomatoes and onions finely and sprinkle with salt. Leave for 6 hours or overnight then drain well. 

Put into saucepan, add sugar and enough vinegar to just cover.  Boil for 5 minutes.

Mix flour, mustard and curry to a paste with a little vinegar.  Add to pan and stir well.

Simmer for 1 hour, or until desired thickness is reached. 

If  you like a sweeter pickle, simply add more sugar. 

Allow to cool, then bottle in clean jars. Refrigerate after opening.

joy of vegan baking

The next installment in my community vegan awareness program features a fool proof banana loaf and easy banana biscuits.  Just the solution for an oversupply of mushy bananas.  

banana oat bikkies

2        mashed bananas

1/2 C  honey

2 C     oats

1 C     plain flour

2 t      baking soda

1/3 C  chopped nuts & raisins

good shake of cinnamon

Sift flour and baking soda.  Add other ingredients & mix.

Drop teaspoons onto baking tray.

Bake at 180C for around 15 mins or until browned.

banana & lemon loaf

2 C     plain flour

1 ½ t  baking powder
1 t      bi carb soda
1/3 C  canola or coconut oil
¾ C    honey or agave
2/3 C  soy milk
¼ C    lemon juice
1 t      lemon zest
1 t      vanilla
2 t      apple cider vinegar

2        mashed bananas

2 T     sunflower seeds or poppy seeds

Sift flour, baking powder & bi carb soda.

Mix together remaining ingredients.

Add wet to dry and mix until combined.

Bake in loaf or cake tin at 180C for 20 mins or until skewer comes out clean.

 

gourmet food week

It isn't often the planets align to provide avocado, lemons and almonds at the same time. When they do, the situation calls for raw key lime pie, especially when we have American visitors to share it with.  Long John donated a packet of Arnotts water crackers, four tomatoes and a jar of pesto to the party, and declared "Gourmet Food Week" officially open. 

Served with my version of gingerale; made using the fresh juice from the lontar palm, ginger, lemon juice and ice.  Just the ticket for washing down lime pie on a warm afternoon.

raw key lime pie (simple island version)

Crust

2 C almond meal left over from making almond milk

2 T honey

2 T coconut oil

Combine all ingredients and press dough into tart pan and refridgerate until firm.

Filling

3 avocados

1/3 C honey

1/3 C coconut oil

about 1/4 C lime/lemon juice and zest 

Blend together, pour into tart shell and freeze until firm.

raw key lime pie (gourmet version)

Crust

2 1/4 C cashews, crushed

2 T honey/agave

1 T coconut oil

1 T date paste (dates soaked and pureed) 

Combine all ingredients and press dough into tart pan and refridgerate until firm.

Filling

3 C cashews, soaked for 1 hour

1 C lime/lemon juice

3/4 C honey/agave

3/4 C coconut oil

1 t vanilla extract

1/4 C lime zest

Blend all until smooth.  Fill crust and freeze until firm.

vegan bakeathon

I love baking.  LOVE it.  My motto used to be: “when in doubt, bake.” Some friends would argue that the hardest thing about adjusting to my raw lifestyle is the lack of baked goodies they receive!

The combination and transformation of individual ingredients into a new form, in a short amount of time, thrills the creative scanner within.   I like to tweak the formula; add my own style; play around with quantities and substitutions, especially when converting a traditional recipe to a vegan treat.

 Correct, these baked morsels are far from “whole, fresh, ripe and raw”; however they are vegan, so no animals have suffered in the making of this afternoon tea.  I see it as part of my "vegan baking awareness program" for our carnivorous friends.  Proof that you can make delicious cakes and biscuits without using animal products.

I brought the old kerosene oven out of retirement and braved the fumes and black soot to make three new recipes.  We had actually given the oven away to Bingin Mick and Long John, so I had to borrow it back with promise of returning it and some of the bounty.

I took half of the produce to the hotel for afternoon tea by the pool with Hildi, John, Bill and Jen.  The other half went to three very hungry and grateful surfers.

Notes :
For all of the recipes I used almond "meal" left over from making almond milk.
I used cold pressed coconut oil, but canola/vegetable oil would also work.
The original recipes had some sugar, which I omitted.  Sweet enough.
My cakes are a bit flat, because the kero oven doesn't get hot enough.

almond green tea cake (round cake in photo - missing a chunk thanks to Tom)

1 ½  cup plain flour
½  cup almond meal
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp bi-carb soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
¼  cup  brewed green tea
½ cup honey (or agave)
1/3 cup coconut oil
1 tbl apple cider vinegar
2 tsp vanilla extract
¼ cup dates/raisins/cranberries

1.  preheat oven to 180C. grease 9" springform pan.
2.  sift flour with baking powder & bi-carb soda
3.  mix flour, almond meal & cinnamon
4.  in another bowl, whisk together green tea, honey, coconut oil, vinegar, vanilla, and dried fruit.
5.  add the wet to dry and whisk until just combined. do not overmix.
6.  bake 50 min (or until skewer comes out clean). cool for 30 and remove from pan.

orange & almond cake (loaf tin in photo)

1 ¼ cups plain flour
1 ¼ cups almond meal
3 teaspoons baking powder
¾ cup light soft brown sugar (I used honey, worked fine)
½ cup soy milk
½ cup vegetable oil
juice of 1 orange & 1 lemon
zest of 1 orange & 1 lemon

1.  preheat the oven to 180C
2.  combine the flour, baking powder and almond meal in a large bowl.
3.  in a separate bowl, whisk together the sugar, soy milk, oil, juice and zest.
4.  add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix well.
5.  pour the mixture into a greased & lined cake  or loaf tin 

6.  bake for about 25-30 minutes, or until the cake browns very slightly on top and a skewer comes out clean.
7.  leave the cake in the the tin for around 10 minutes, then turn it out onto a cooling rack.

surfer's balls (or almond muesli bikkies if you prefer)

2 cups plain flour
½ cup muesli (or mix of seeds and dry fruit, I used sunflower seeds & cranberries)
½ cup almond meal

¼ cup shredded coconut (or coconut flour)
½ tsp baking soda
½ cup coconut oil
½ cup honey (or agave)
¼ cup water
3 tsp vanilla extract

1.  preheat oven to 180°C/350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with greaseproof/parchment paper.

2.  combine dry ingredients in a large bowl

3.  make a well in the dry ingredients, add all wet ingredients, and stir together.

4.  take roughly 1 tablespoon blobs of mix, roll into a ball & flatten into cookie shape on the paper. 

5.  bake for 15-20 minutes. cool on a wire rack.

forgive me for I have sinned

Forgive me father for I have sinned.  It has been 25 years since my last confession and I humbly admit that this afternoon I cracked and scoffed three vegan pancakes.   It was a premeditated sin, requiring me to bike ride to the shop for flour, sift and stir, ignite the gas and watch with glee as the batter bubbled like a crumpet. Some people snort coke or drink gin; I make pancakes.  

I drenched mine in lemon juice, honey and ginger marmalade.  Oh my, the sweet joys.  A lack of fruit drove me to this deviation.  The bananas and papaya we have are rock hard, and the only sweet things in the house are royal icing cake decorations!  After lunch I tried brushing my teeth, raking the yard, swimming; but still the burning desire for sugar remained.  The addicted monkey mind wouldn't let go.

 For the record, here is the recipe.  I substituted coconut cream & water for soy milk :


Fluffy Vegan Pancakes
2 C flour
1 t bi-carb soda
1 t baking powder
1 C coconut cream
1 C water
1 t lemon juice
1 T honey


Sift together flour, soda & baking powder. 
Combine coconut cream, water, honey and lemon juice.
Add wet mix to dry and whisk.
Cook in a non-stick pan to your desired size (makes 5 large pancakes)
Enjoy with a smile.

 

birthday muffins

Tomorrow is Tom’s birthday, and as I will be deserting him for a yoga retreat in Bali, we are having a birthday eve dinner with the “Aussie Parade” community. It is pot-luck (bring a plate), and I’m providing the “cake”. A sweet use for the humble carrot that is simple and delicious.

Raw Carrot Muffins
Makes 10-12

Ingredients
1 C almonds, soaked & ground in food processor
1 C almond pulp leftover from making almond milk (or extra ground almonds/walnuts).
½ C raisins
1 C carrot, grated
½ C oat flour (oat groats finely ground)
1 T coconut oil
2 T ground flax seed
½ t ground ginger
½ t ground cardamon
1 t ground cinnamon
1 C dates, soaked & blended with a little soak water to form a paste
¼ C agave syrup/honey
grated rind of an orange & 2 T orange juice
Optional ½ C grated coconut

Method
1. Combine all ingredients in large bowl. Mixture should be sticky, but not wet.
2. Spoon into muffin trays, lined with silicone moulds or cup-cake papers. Press down to firm.
3. Refridgerate 6 hours. (Will keep fresh in fridge for up to 2 days).
4. Decorate with fresh marigold petals or cashew nut “frosting” if desired.

besi bars

As almonds are a valuable imported product to our kitchen, I like to create new ways to use the pulp left over from our “power day smoothies.” This weeks experiment is a sweet number I have coined Besi Bars. Besi means iron in Bahasa Indonesia, a fitting title for these power packed morsels. Tom reckons they taste like old fashioned gingernut bikkies gone soft.

Ingredients
2 cups almond meal (left over from making almond milk)
1 cup oat flour (we only have rolled oats, which are not raw, if possible use steel cut oat groats)
1/2 cup dried goji berries, soaked
1/4 cup agave nectar or honey
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground ginger
2 tablespoon raw cacao powder

Method
1. Combine all ingredients.
2. Spread mixture evenly onto non-stick sheet. Dehydrate at 40ºC until firm (8 - 12 hrs). Flip over and cut into bars about 6 hours into the dehydrating time.

Alternatively, if you don’t want to dehydrate or can’t wait that long, roll mixture into balls, refrigerate and eat as Besi Balls.

curry crackers

A savoury recipe to use the leftover almond meal from our chocolate smoothies. Topped with cos lettuce from a neighbour's garden, cucumber, tomato and fresh alfalfa sprout, it makes for tasty post-surf fast food.

Ingredients
3 cups almond meal (left over from making almond milk)
1 cup oat flour (we only have rolled oats, which are not raw, if possible use steel cut oat groats)
1/2 cup ground flax seeds
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoons garam masala (curry powder)
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 teaspoons cumin & coriander seeds, coarsley ground
3 tomatoes, blended
2 cloves garlic, finely crushed

Method
1. Combine all ingredients. Add a little water if mixture isn't sticky enough.
2 Spread mixture on non-stick sheet. Dehydrate at 40ºC until firm (about 12 hrs). Flip over and cut into crackers half way into the dehydrating time.

baba ganoush

Market day again, and our plan is to split up and pounce early. I am after lemons and Tom is on the search for avocados and green bananas. We have success with lemons, oranges and bananas, but no avos. We ordered twenty to be sent over from the mainland; if, and in what condition they arrive is yet to be seen (note; they never arrived). Tom has bought a parang (machete) to begin coconut-opening lessons, and I lash out on four sarongs to cut up and sew into a mattress cover for our patio daybed. The mattress manufacturer’s taste in fabric is consistent with Indo kitch, and the bright nylon blue and yellow flower print has got to go.

Today is the third day without a phone signal and internet connection. Just when you get comfortable with something, an unknown force rips it away. Sweet demonstration of attachment causing suffering.

Finally, we manage to find someone keen enough to spend half a day scraping paint of our kitchen floor. We foolishly trusted the claim on the Indonesian cement paint that it would be “hard and long wearing.” Within a week, it was peeling off and looking like a crazy Picasso. The options were to hit it with a grinder, filling every orifice of house and self with cement dust, or find a patient local willing to scrape it off with a parang.

Tonight's raw gourmet delight is tempe open "sandwiches" with baba ganoush, salad and alfafa sprouts. For dessert I make a chocolate macaroon mixture from the almond milk meal and mush it up with bananas.

Raw Baba Ganoush

Ingredients
4 eggplant
apple cider vinegar
3/4 C tahini
4 cloves garlic
1/4 C lemon juice
1 T garam masala/curry powder

Method
1. Peel & chop eggplant into cubes
2. Cover with water and soak for 1 hour (asian eggplant do not require salting)
3. Drain off water, cover eggplant with apple cider vinegar and soak for 1 hour
4. Combine in food processor with tahini, garlic, lemon juice and garam masala

eggplant pickle

The power is still on at 6am, so I sneak in the opportunity to make a breakfast smoothie. Eggplant pickle is on my agenda this morning. Tom heads off for a surf, less than thrilled with the idea of returning hungry to a feed of pickles.

basic eggplant pickle
1. peel and grate eggplant, cover with water and soak for 2-3 hours.
Asian eggplants are not as bitter as Mediterranean varieties, so do not require salting.
2. drain and squeeze out excess water
3. add enough apple cider vinegar to cover eggplant
4. add crushed garlic and finely chopped shallots or onion
5. marinate for at least 2 hours
6. will keep in the fridge for up to a week, and continue to develop flavour

I combine the eggplant pickle with shredded cabbage, carrots and five dates from our precious stash. We have agreed to hold off from the “imported” ingredients until later in the season when we the cravings are busting down the door. The salad is tasty, but the quantity isn’t enough to refuel Tom after a four hour surf session. Our fresh supplies are reduced to garlic and ginger and neither of us is adept at climbing the coconut trees. Hunger drives Tom to raid the “poisonous box” coming out with couscous and tomato paste that he mixes with garlic, olive oil and mustard. His cooked food reflection is that couscous is bland and swells up in your stomach to twice the size.

Dinner time and Old Mother Hubbard’s cupboard is bare. In August last year the first warong (restaurant) opened in the village, and there are now four to choose from if you want a night out on the town. The menu is whatever they can scrape together, and there is no guarantee they have any food at all to offer. The best bet is “Johnny Generator’s”, run by the local generator repair man and his wife. We try and order something like a salad, but this falls on deaf ears. The local belief is that a meal without rice isn’t a real meal, and that one couldn’t possible be satisfied without a pile of gluey starch on the side. Our nasi goreng arrives, and even the cucumber is cooked.