Flourless Nutella Cake

Flourless Nutella Cake
via http://www.msadventuresinitaly.com/blog/2011/02/05/flourless-nutella-chocolate-cake-recipe-for-world-nutella-day-2011/

This cake is really really good! Now that I’m eating gluten free it’s a great dessert that I can make to take to gatherings or when I host a gathering that I can enjoy as well as others. They won’t even know it’s gluten free so don’t tell them!

My notes:
*Don’t add anything extra. I’ve tried adding extra chocolate but it’s too creamy. Stick to the measurements in the recipe.
*You can also make it in an 8″ cake pan and even double the recipe for a 13×9 but it takes a little longer to cook so turn the temp down a bit so it doesn’t burn the outside.
*One more thing, I used the Starbucks Via instant coffee.

FLOURLESS NUTELLA CHOCOLATE CAKE RECIPE

Note: Below the recipe is a pic showing how the batter looked during various points of preparration. Getting an electronic scale is one of the best investments you can make for your kitchen. In case you don’t have one, you can convert the grams in this recipe to ounces with Google. Credit where credit’s due: David Lebovitz’s Chocolate Cake heavily inspired me.

Note: the better the quality of ingredients you use, the better the cake will be. Organic, cage free, etc.

200g unsalted butter, cut into chunks (this is all of two 8oz sticks minus about 1.5 tsps. Use that portion to grease the pan with.
200g dark chocolate
200g Nutella (just under 1 cup)
100g white sugar (just under 1/2 cup)
6 eggs, separated
1 t. instant coffee or espresso powder

1. Butter a 9″ springform pan. Preheat the oven to 350F / 175C, and move your baking rack to the lowest rung in the oven.
2. Cut the butter into chunks and the dark chocolate as well, and melt in a double boiler or in the microwave until smooth. If melting in a microwave, take out to stir every 30 seconds or so until smooth.
3. Remove from heat/microwave and add the Nutella to the still-warm chocolate mix and mix well, until incorporated completely with a small whisk or fork. Add the instant coffee/espresso powder as well and mix.
4. Separate the egg whites and egg yolks into two separate bowls. Add the white sugar to the yolks and beat for a minute or two with a hand mixer or a whisk.
5. Add the chocolate mixture to the egg yolks and mix thoroughly.
6. Whisk/beat the egg whites until peaks start to form, tending toward stiffer peaks rather than just soft peaks.
7. Add the beaten egg whites to the chocolate mixture, folding gently with a whisk or spatula until fully incorporated (this may take a few minutes).
8. Pour the mixture into the springform pan and place into the oven. Bake for 20-30 minutes (mine was done closer to 30 minutes). Test after 20 minutes how jiggly the center of the cake still is – you don’t want the cake to be completely solid when finished but the center should not sway when moved. Stick a toothpick in a few places to make sure it’s cooked through and the toothpick comes out clean.
9. Let cool (the cake will probably deflate quite a bit) at least 30 minutes before serving, and garnish with chopped hazelnuts or hazelnut halves.

 

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Tom Kha Gai

Tom Kha Gai (chicken and coconut soup)

submitted by: Andrea Stunz from Jenny M.

I got this Thai recipe from a friend from South Africa who I met in Singapore who lives in Vietnam. How’s that for breaking cultural barriers? 🙂 It’s “zero spicy” as they say in Singapore, if you don’t add the chilies, that is.

It’s really easy and has the Thai flavor that I love so much without the heat. You just HAVE to try it!

3-4″ peeled fresh ginger (cut into  pieces large enough to remove before serving or eat around). Can use ginger powder in a pinch. If you use ground ginger, start with 1/2 tsp and taste as you go. Ginger powder is not consistent in flavor and pungency.

4-5 fresh kaffir lime leaves. Because I love the flavor of these, I use a whole jar of the dried leaves (.09 ounce Thai Kitchen) that I buy from on Amazon.com. Fresh were so easy to find in Singapore but I can’t find them here. The dried leaves don’t have as much flavor as the fresh so it will take more.

2 cans of good coconut milk. I prefer Arroy D brand and Thai Kitchen because they have a little of the cream on top and it doesn’t have chemicals or preservatives in it. But there are several good brands out there. Just check the ingredients before you buy.

2 cups of chicken stock (I use organic, free range, hormone free, etc.)

3 large (or 4 if you want it more meaty) boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into chunks or thin slices. (I usually cook up extra chicken when I’m cooking chicken and slice it up and freeze it.)

1 cup sliced white button mushrooms (if desired)

1-2 tsp finely chopped red chilies (if desired). Another option for heat seekers is to have these or dried red chilies on the side.

2-4 Tbsp fish sauce Start with 2 and add more to taste. Too much of this will ruin your whole pot.

2 tsp brown sugar, coconut palm sugar or rock sugar

1-2 tsp sea salt (to taste)

2 stalks lemongrass Cut into 3-4″ pieces and pound with the butt of your knife to release the juices. The soup will work ok without this if you can’t find it. I now buy a lot of it when I go to the Asian market and cut it up and freeze it.

3-4 Tbsp lime juice (juice of about 3 of the limes)

chopped cilantro for garnish

chopped green onion for garnish

Time saving tip from my Thai friend: Chop up a lot of cilantro and green onion and mix together and freeze it.

1. Combine ginger, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, coconut milk and stock in a pan, bring slowly to the boil and simmer uncovered over low heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2.  Add chicken pieces, mushrooms and chilies and simmer until chicken is done, about 20 minutes.

3.  Stir in fish sauce, brown sugar, and lime juice.

4. Taste. If it needs a little something, add a little bit more fish sauce or maybe more lime. That’ll probably do the trick.

4.  Remove lemongrass, kaffir leaves and ginger if desired. You can tell your guests to eat around them – that’s what they do in Thailand. 🙂

5.  Sprinkle with cilantro and green onion.

Serve immediately, with steamed jasmine rice (wash 3 times before steaming the rice)

I LOVE Coffee Creamer!

Update: Since this posting we have begun a healthier eating lifestyle. I have come up with a healthier coffee cream that is super delicious and MUCH better for our bodies. Try it and enjoy! Coconut Milk Coffee Cream 2.0

I love coffee creamer! Probably even more than the coffee itself. My husband jokingly asks me if I want coffee with my cream. 🙂

For the first year and a half we lived in Singapore I tried various ways to enjoy my beloved morning coffee without having to buy my favorite liquid at the store. Black is just not an option. I’ve tried. It’s gross. At $11sgd for a small bottle of Coffee Mate liquid creamer, it puts a hurtin’ on our grocery budget. I used up all of my flavored powders that we had brought over with us, or threw them out because the humidity took it’s toll. I bought flavored syrups, also expensive, and added milk. I bought flavored powder from a local coffee shop. Nothing was as satisfying as my $11/bottle Coffee Mate Vanilla or Hazelnut liquid creamer. I actually requested a bottle of it for my birthday the first year we were here. It was a luxury!

After all of that time of not really enjoying my coffee, I broke down and just decided it was worth it. So, when I could find the creamer, I’d buy as much as I could carry. The expiration dates are unusually months out so it lasts for a while. Which probably is perfect example of how packed with preservatives it is. Vanilla is my favorite and it seems to be the one that always hides from me. I’m sure someone else in Singapore shares my love for it and buys them all before I can get to them.

Well, they can have it because I FINALLY, after 2.5 years of searching have found a homemade creamer I can live with and one that won’t break our budget. It’ll be like we’re getting a raise!!

Play around with the recipe. I had to use regular sweetened condensed milk because I had it but I will be on the lookout for non fat. Hey, every little bit helps. But add more SCM or less depending on how sweet you like it. Add more or less vanilla or another flavor. When vanilla and hazelnut or that awful amaretto are the only pricey options we have here in Singapore, with this recipe, the options are endless!

I love that it’s SO easy!! I love that all of the THREE ingredients are readily available pretty much anywhere in the world. I also love that it’s real dairy because I know I don’t drink enough milk. But you could make it with soy milk or almond milk or whatever milk substitute you like and have access to.

$11 sgd

$3 or $4 sgd

So here’s the recipe (taken from Food.com)

Homemade Coffee Creamer 
(submitted by Andrea)

1 (300 ml) can low fat or regular sweetened condensed milk

1 1/2 cups nonfat milk or whatever milk or milk substitute you like

1 tablespoon vanilla (I added more of my yummy Mexican vanilla!)

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in  jar or whatever you will use to store it in. Then put lid on it and shake like crazy! Store in the fridge. Shake before use. Will keep for approximately two weeks or as long as your milk is good for. (You can see from my photo that I used my tupperware shaker. Works great!!)

Variations:

a) Add 1 Tbsp cocoa and 1 tsp almond extract for a chocolate almond flavor.

b) Add 1 tsp almond extract and 1/2 tsp orange extract for cappuccino.

c) Add 1/2 tsp cinnamon and 1 tsp almond extract for amaretto.

d) Add specialty flavor syrups (from specialty coffee shops and the like) as needed for additional flavors.

Please note that so far I’ve only tried the vanilla – and it’s wonderful!

Enjoy!

Lamb Shanks

Lamb Shanks
submitted by Andrea

My friend, who happened to be  the lady who did my nails in Singapore, Annette, gave me this recipe while she was doing my nails one day. It has become a family favorite and it’s always mouth-watering and delicious.

Part 1
4 lbs lamb shanks, boneless leg of lamb or lamb chops (although chops are a bit tedious due to their size and small bones to pick around)

6 finely chopped garlic cloves

1 finely chopped onion

2 TBSP total of mixed Italian herbs (oregano, parsley, sage, thyme, rosemary, basil, whatever you have on hand)

salt  & pepper (don’t add too much, you can always add more but you can’t take it out)

Part 2
2 cups Chicken Stock

1-2 cups Red Wine

1 can diced tomatoes

1 can tomato sauce

4-6 fresh tomatoes (in large chunks)

2 Bay Leaves

Part 3

2 cups diced celery

4 medium peeled, chunked sweet potatoes

1 can garbanzo beans (chic peas)

Part 1 – Sear the lamb in a large frying pan with the chopped garlic, onion and olive oil. Sprinkle salt to taste and Italian Seasoning on the shank. Sear on each side until browned to seal in the juices. About 15 minutes total time.

Part 2 – Place the lamb in a large crock pot or stock pot. Add the tomatoes and tomato sauce. Pour in chicken stock and about 1 cup of red wine to cover. Cook on high in a crock pot or on medium flame in stock pot for about 2 hours.

Part 3 – Add in the sweet potatoes, celery and garbanzo beans. Cook until the meat is tender and sweet potatoes are cooked. Another 2 hours or so.

It sounds like a process but it’s really easy, just takes a while to cook. Lamb has to cook long and slow for it to be tender. Don’t rush it or it won’t be as good.

It’s a stand alone dish with all the components of a balanced meal but you could serve with rice, quinoa, cous cous and/or warm rolls. Enjoy!

Spice Cookies and Pumpkin Dip

These are definitely one our of family’s holiday favorites! One batch of the dough makes like a billion bite-sized cookies so you will have plenty in your holiday cookie jar and plenty to share.

Note: This recipe can be made gluten-free by simply substituting the flour with all-purpose gluten free flour.

Spice Cookies and Pumpkin Dip
submitted by Andrea Stunz (recipe from a friend, Teresa W.)

1 1/2 cups butter or margarine (softened) – conversion chart if you need it for grams

2 cups granulated sugar

2 eggs

1/2 cup molasses

4 cups all-purpose flour (or substitute all-purpose gluten-free flour)

4 teaspoons baking soda

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp each ground ginger and cloves

1 tsp salt

additional sugar

PUMPKIN DIP (I don’t advise doubling. Even though it’s delicious, the cookies always disappear faster than the dip)

1 pkg 8 oz Cream Cheese (softened)

1 can pumpkin pie mix (18 oz)

2 cups conf. sugar

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground ginger

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add molasses and other ingredients; mix well. Chill overnight. Shape into 1/4 inch balls; roll in sugar or cinnamon sugar. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit (190 Celsius) for about 6 minutes or until edges begin to brown. Cool for 2 minutes before removing to wire rack.

For dip, beat softened cream cheese till smooth. Add pumpkin pie mix; beat well with electric mixer. Add sugar, cinnamon, and ginger; beat till smooth. Serve with cookies. Store leftover dip in the refrigerator.

Makes about 20 dozen cookies and 3 cups dip.

ENJOY!!!!!

 

Note: These amazing little dough balls can be made ahead and frozen or kept in the fridge for a while until you need them for a party or gathering.

Thai Cashew Chicken

This recipe is a combo of several different recipes I found so I guess I don’t really have to give credit to any one person. But I did take the original recipe from my friend Jennifer and then changed and added ingredients in it to make it like one that I like to eat out in Singapore. Often, when you order cashew chicken, the chicken is breaded. This one is not and I like it better that way. Makes it easier and healthier too!

The picture above was my first attempt. I used raw cashews and even with the wok roasting, they turned out too soft. I also would have added bell peppers and sauce so I included them in the recipe below. Just imagine they’re in there.

Here is a picture of a later version with the bell peppers in it. They weren’t completely cooked yet so they will lose a little bit of the vibrant colors once it’s finished cooking. This pictures shows about a triple-sized recipe. I was making some for us and some to take to friends.

Thai Cashew Chicken – submitted by Andrea Stunz (and friends)

All of the ingredients are easy to find at most Singapore grocery stores but I bought most of mine at The Golden Mile Complex. In the US, you can find the ingredients in most stores as well.

Note: If you want more of any ingredient then customize it to your taste. I like more cashews and chicken and I usually add a little more sesame oil for flavor. If you add more meat, nuts and veggies, you’ll probably need to add a bit more of the sauces as well.

1/3 cup vegetable oil (I use coconut oil with a little bit of sesame oil)

1/2 cup roasted unsalted cashews (raw cashews tend to turn out too soft)

1 tbsp chopped garlic

2 diced large chicken breasts (5-6 chicken tenders)

2 TBSP soy sauce (I use gluten free coconut aminos or Tamari)

2 TBSP fish sauce

2 TBSP oyster sauce (I use Thai Kitchen brand gluten free)

4 diced dried red chili peppers (or less if you don’t want it spicy)

2 tsp sugar

1/2 bunch green onions, diced

3 bell peppers, red, green, yellow, sliced (not too small)

Whole purple onion chopped in quarters

Add fresh diced red chili peppers on top for more heat. I add just a little bit for flavor but not heat. Those who want it spicy can add more to their own plate.

In a wok,  heat oil and add diced garlic and onions.  Saute’ for a few minutes and then add chicken. When chicken is cooked, add soy sauce, oyster sauce, fish sauce, sugar, and chili peppers.  Add roasted cashews, bell peppers and green onions.  Taste.  You might want to add a bit more sugar and/or soy sauce if the fish sauce taste is too much for you.  This recipe doesn’t make it very saucy so if you want more sauce, add a little chicken broth, water and corn starch if you want to thicken it up. Taste it again to make sure you don’t need more soy, fish or oyster sauce.

Feeds about 4-5 people.

Serve it with steamed Thai Fragrant Rice  or Sticky Rice (not sweet) and Thai Sweet Chili Sauce.

As I was typing up this recipe, my friend, Jennifer, that I mentioned above emailed me this link. She just made it and said she didn’t change a thing. It is really alot like what I have above but in a much neater package with better pictures. 🙂

Thai Cashew Chicken – sans bell peppers

Fish Sauce – A little goes a long way!

Glutinous Rice/Sticky Rice

Thai Yellow Bean Soy Sauce and Oyster Sauce

Make a little extra sticky rice and cook up some coconut cream/sugar syrup for dessert with maybe a little roasted coconut on top. Yum!! Or just some sliced mango