VEGAN BANANA BREAD

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It’s been long time since the last time I am making this bread, because since arrive here in Madrid I don’t have any idea where to buy thing such as chia seed or flax seed to replace some of the ingredient, turn out flax seed have a different name in here, and this bread is my daughter favourite.

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I still remember when she saying, “Mom can I have this bread as much as I want, it is sugar free right mom?”, I am trying my best to introduce about sugar on body metabolism to my kids, in simpler way, I thanks God that they understand, even though right now, I struggling to set a limit on their candy addiction *sad face, even though they understand but still they can’t resist of candy temptation

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This Banana bread is super easy, you can do it without any kitchen gadget, and taste super delish, fudgy and moist. Definitely different density than normal Banana bread, but I prefer this version where the bread taste so intense. When I was still did baking good for my friends, this was one of their favourite, because they prefer vegan healthy version.

Shall we?

VEGAN BANANA BREAD

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 tbsp flax seed, ground (+ 3 tbsp water)
  • 5 medium sized bananas, mashed (1¾ cup mashed bananas) – Choose over ripe banana, it taste better and super fragrance
  • 1/3 cup maple syrup
  • ¼ cup coconut oil or light olive oil
  • 10 dates, mashed it (1/4 cup mashed dates)
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tbsp fresh squeeze lime or lemon juice
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • ½ tsp sea salt
  • 1½ tsp baking powder

1 fresh banana (not over ripe) cut in a half

DRY INGREDIENT

  • 1½ cup quick cooking or small flakes oats
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • 1 cup white whole wheat or spelt flour

 

HOW TO

  1. Preheat oven to 360F or 180C. Lightly oil a standard square baking or loaf pan with coconut oil or non-stick spray.
  2. In a small bowl, stir together flax seed and water. Set aside to thicken while mixing together other ingredients. This is your flax ‘egg’.
  3. In a large size bowl, mash bananas. Add the maple syrup, melted coconut oil, mashed dates, vanilla extract, , cinnamon, sea salt and baking powder to the banana mixture.
  4. Give the thickened flax egg an extra stir if it is not fully combined with water. Add to the wet ingredients.
  5. Whisk together with a hand or electric mixture until the ingredients are well combined.
  6. Add the quick cooking oats to the wet ingredients. Stir together. Add flour and baking soda to the banana bread batter. Combine the baking soda and flour together on top of the banana bread batter before folding it into the batter. With a spatula, fold the flour and baking soda into the banana bread batter until fully combined. Leave to thicken for a minute before adding it to the loaf pan.
  7. Add banana bread batter into the oiled loaf pan. Smooth out the top of the batter with the back of a cold spoon. Before going to the oven top the batter with half banana, push it gently
  8. Bake for 35 – 40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clear.
  9. Leave to cool down in pan
  10. voila your Banana bread is ready to be devoured and enjoyed!

BAKED SEA BASS IN INDONESIAN STYLE AND SAUTÉED SPINACH IN SESAME OIL

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I am on mission to make my family love fish, certain fish are good to have, even though these days we have to bit careful on our choice of fish, with polluted environment, mercury issue on fish are quite frightening, and also choose sustainable fish, ask the fishmonger where the fish come from. I feel sad with what people done to the environment *sad face, but we could make good start from ourself.

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Usually all the family member, exclude me, are love love fried fish, but not bake. While I love anything that juicy and moist they are quite the opposite. So I already tried quite some variant of fish to see the texture after baking, they like succulent well done texture of fish, and this Sea Bass is just perfect *they called it Lubina in Spanish

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I made some Indonesian traditional recipe for this fish, so it taste so much like home, and the whole family can easily adapt it *haha playing trick. Also this recipe is easy and quick, put all the seasoning in blender, and coat it into the fish, baked then you good to go. Good dishes for weekend, while you could also relax doing other thing, dance, play with kids, read a book or any interesting thing *hehe

This baked fish, I serve it with bake sweet potatoes that I just posted earlier and sautéed spinach in sesame oil, it is super delicious, enjoy it with some brown rice, yep yep brown rice for me *hehe. I also got some left over bake sweet potatoes, and I enjoy with other dishes in the next day, I love left over when the flavour are intensified.

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Here the recipe

BAKED SEA BASS IN INDONESIAN STYLE

INGREDIENT

  • 1 medium size sea bass, just choose not too big fish, which is more safe, from my point of view
  • 1 medium size tomatoes
  • 1 medium size french shallot
  • 3 clove of garlic
  • 1 red chilli, seed out
  • 3 candlenut (you can replace it with raw macadamia nut, 1 1/2 to replace each one of candle nut)
  • 1 tbs of lemon juice or lime juice
  • 2 tbs thick coconut milk (this is optional) but this coconut milk create thick, savoury and creamy chilli paste

HOW TO

  1. Heat the oven 180 Celsius
  2. While waiting for the oven, into the blender, blend all the ingredient, except the Fish *haha. Blend the ingredient into the texture you loved, actually I prefer rough, but my hand blender are broken,
  3. Put the aluminium foil on baking tray, put the fish in it and rub the fish with the chilli paste, ensure to coating all part include the inside part of the fish, close gently the foil
  4. Bake the fish for good 15 minute, after 15 minute taking it out from the oven, and change the oven into grill, open the upper part of the foil and grill the fish for 10 minute
  5. Take out from the grill and you good to go

 

SAUTÉED SPINACH IN SESAME OIL

INGREDIENT

  • 4 good handful of spinach (not baby spinach)
  • 3 clove of garlic, crush it and chop roughly
  • 1 onion spring, take the white part and slice it roughly
  • 1 tbs oyster sauce
  • 1 tbs light soy sauce, Tamari with reduce salt of you have in in hand
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • a Pinch of himalayan salt
  • 1-2 tbs light olive oil
  • Roasted almond and cashew for contrast texture, BUT this is just optional

HOW TO

  1. In medium heat, put fried pan and light olive oil, add the garlic and onion spring, watch over it, don’t burn the garlic, sautéed them until fragrance
  2. Put inside the spinach and the rest of the seasoning, cooked them quick, for 3-5 minute, otherwise the spinach would get mushy, which is not good
  3. Take from the heat after the spinach change in colour and quick put it in plate to stop cooking, for any minute longer in pan the spinach will continue to cooked
  4. Serve and sprinkle with roasted nut
  5. It is actually easy, just matter of timing

HUMBLE ROASTED SWEET POTATOES IN GARLIC AND HIMALAYAN SALT

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I love sweet potatoes, and so my kids too, the one we used to enjoy is whole roasted potatoes. Back in Indonesia, we have one variety that called Ubi Cilembu or honey sweet potatoes, it is called honey sweet potatoes because when you roasting it, it would produce such a melting liquid that so sweet as honey, it is so delicious. So basically, the way I enjoy sweet potatoes is on sweet tone, like on dessert or just eat it as it is.

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I have recipe, Indonesian traditional dessert , it is vegan friendly called “Biji Salak” it is like small dumpling from sweet potatoes cooked with tapioca flour so it is a deliciously chewy with coconut milk sauce, I promise you, would write the recipe later, I love to cooked it using purple sweet potatoes, it is so appealing and sexy *haha

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So this was the first time I enjoy sweet potatoes in savoury tone, my kids still weird to enjoy it, but I love it. I enjoy this dishes with mix match to random dishes I got in my kitchen, and it was beautifully versatile to match any dishes. I think any of you are get used to cooked roasted sweet potatoes and already have favourite recipe, but who know you want to tried mine *wink, muaach

Lets go with me?

HUMBLE ROASTED SWEET POTATOES IN GARLIC AND HIMALAYAN SALT

SERVE 1 plate generous portion

INGREDIENT

  • 2 medium size sweet potatoes (cut them as your preference, I got mine like french fries)
  • 1 tsp good quality garlic powder
  • 1 tsp dried parsley
  • 1/2 tsp Himalayan salt or sea salt
  • Generous amount of olive oil (I love extra virgin because of the flavour, it is create deep and edgy flavour)

HOW TO

  1. Heat the oven for 190 Celsius (bake mode)
  2. While waiting for heat of the oven, mix all the ingredient together, mix them really well and ensure all the sweet potatoes are coating well by the seasoning
  3. Bake the sweet potatoes for good 25 minute
  4. Change the mode into grill and bake them for another 15 minute, don’t forget to flip it in the half time of grilling, take out from the oven and let it cool
  5. Enjoyyy, it is so delicous

TURMERIC AND COCONUT MILK RICE

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This recipe is one of  recipe that I hold dearly into my heart, like warm childhood memories, my mother used to cook this dishes on special occasion, thing that my kids also  loving it mean so much to me. In fact anytime they need some comfort, they will request this rice, it is savoury and delicious, like warm blanket on cold-cold winter *well, now I am experience it hehe

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This recipe is so easy to make, but thing is, I cooked this rice on rice cooker. If you don’t have rice cooker, you have to keep an eye on it, and occasionally stir it, until all the liquid are absorb by the rice.

I enjoy this dishes with 2 previous recipe that I post earlier, and my kids usually enjoy it with gingery shredded chicken, I promise would write the recipe later, please stay with me. And if I have plenty of time in my hand, I would make this potatoes in chilli sauce, it is vegan friendly, fresh and delicious, the dishes is made from dice potatoes, fried them until soft and coated them with fresh tomatoes chilli sauce.

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Shall we?

TURMERIC AND COCONUT RICE

INGREDIENT

  • 2 Cup Basmati rice ( or any long grain rice)
  • 1 cup thick coconut milk
  • 2 cup water
  • 1 tsp sea salt ( I am using Himalayan salt)
  • 3 bay leaf ( in original recipe, we are using “Salam” Leaf, but I have difficulty to find it here, and after several tried, Bay leaf are work perfectly)
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric powder, if you could find fresh turmeric, it would be m0re beautiful. 1 thumb size then grated, perfecto
  • Roasted cashew to serve

HOW TO

  1. If you have rice cooker, mix all ingredient together and then cooked it, it will be automatically off when the liquid are all absorb
  2. If you want to cooked it used sauce pan, under medium heat, put all the ingredient together, stir it well. Keep an eye on it, when the liquid are almost all absorb, otherwise it could be burn, stir it well until all the liquid are absorb, stir it with fork, then leave it until warm and serve
  3. I serve it with the companion from my previous post and also roasted cashew, super yummy

 

CUCUMBER, DILL AND CHERRY TOMATOES SALAD

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This recipe is meant to companied my turmeric and coconut milk rice, to add some fresh relish into my spicy ginger torch sambal from earlier post. I like kind of food that have a lot of layer, flavour and texture, it is like symphony, like you noticing each instrument on good music, I love jazz in particular but I also listen to a lot of crap *haha.

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I still learning on make a good salad, I just playing safe so far, by just add ingredient that I well known, in this recipe I just create balancing flavour of sweet-salty and sour by adding some lemon, honey, himalayan salt and Spanish extra virgin olive oil, BTW Spanish olive oil is superb delicious, I ever read in some magazine that certainly hard to understand *in Spanish, mention to stick with local Spanish Virgin olive oil and I prove it work beautifully into this recipe, But you can add your virgin olive oil from your favourite brand. Back In Indonesia I have this addictiveness of garlic infuse olive oil, which so far I couldn’t find in here, I don’t know if that is real thing, but I just love the flavour, my kids too. I would just add that garlic infuse olive oil with crust garlic and parsley, throw some al dente angel hair pasta and my kids will be digging into that dishes until nothing left *keep focus Casey, Haha

Okay I will straight forward into the recipe, lets go with me

CUCUMBER, DILL AND CHERRY TOMATOES SALAD

INGREDIENT

  • 2 medium size cucumber, seed out, and dice it not too small
  • 2 stalk of dill, chop it
  • 4-5 cherry tomatoes, quarter it

DRESSING

  • 1 tbs honey
  • 2 tbs fresh lemon juice
  • pinch of sea salt ( I am using himalayan salt, I just love the taste)
  • 2 tbs extra virgin olive oil

HOW TO

  1. For the dressing, add all the ingredient in small jar, and shake it off, yea shake it off
  2. Add the rest ingredient in bowl, pour the dressing and mix it gently
  3. You done, it is super easy, you could also add chilli flake if you want to add some edge

GINGER TORCH SAMBAL

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Do you ever heard or even tasting any ginger torch in your meal? well I love love love this ingredient, sound hyperbolic but the unique texture, taste and it fragrance really capture me. SO far in Madrid I never found or seen it, I brought it from home and freeze it, I really obsessed with this herb, and hope will be find it later in Madrid.

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Any time I cooked this condiment, I need to stay away from my kitchen, other wise, I would non stop eating *haha. I enjoy it with warm brown rice and blanch veggies, I would be happy like a fool for the rest of the day.

I am really sorry if may this recipe maybe not applicable if you can’t find any ginger torch, but if you visit Indonesia, for easy example Bali, I think it would be easy for you to find any meal that have ginger torch in it ingredient, and you should try it. If you love layer upon layer taste and texture on food you would love the dishes.

I am here just want to share you, the existence of this recipe. Back in Indonesia, usually ginger torch are grown in a forest, it is like wild ginger that you could forage, this ingredient are usually quite pricey even in Indonesia, because it is grown wild.

If you ever find this ingredient and want to try my hot spicy condiment, here are the recipe, lets go with me

GINGER TORCH SAMBAL

INGREDIENT

  • 1 Ginger torch bud, slice it finely
  • 1 big size french shallot (or 10 asian shallot, it is smaller and sweeter,  french shallot are more savoury and spicy)
  • 3 garlic clove
  • 1 tsp shrimp paste (you can omit this ingredient for vegan version or if you don’t have it in hand but you can replace it with anchovies 3-4 pieces are perfect)
  • 1 medium size tomatoes
  • 5 red chilli, seed in
  • 10 bird eye chilli, yep yep it is fiery HOT
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • 1 1/2 tsp brown sugar
  • 1 tbs vegetable oil or light olive oil

HOW TO

  1. In hand blender put inside french shallot, garlic clove, shrimp paste, tomatoes, both chilli, salt and sugar, mashed them roughly.
  2. In medium heat, put medium pan and the oil, when sizzling hot put inside the sambal, cooked them well, when you are sneezing that is good sign that the sambal already cooked. I know it is like a torture to cooked this condiment *haha
  3. when the sambal are cooked, put inside the ginger torch, stir them well for at least good 5 minute
  4. You can serve it with any blanch veggies it would be perfect, with any salad leaf, if you have tofu or tempeh, ouuch that would be perfect don’t forget the brown rice or roasted sweet potatoes, YUM
  5. I really hope you can taste this condiment

THAI MANGO STICKY RICE

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This is recipe is one of my favourite, I remember the first time I taste this dessert, In Bangkok street food stall, It was just love at the first sight, the soft and sweet sticky rice, the fresh mango, just splendid, sometime simple thing could become so delicious and most thing I love usually just simple and easy.

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One thing that I love being an Asian is, I have obsession with food and trying being healthy, and Asian have so many range of dishes that could be easily convert into plant based food *yeay-yeay, also there are already abundant recipe that I could cooked which already plant based and deliciously good *I am on mission trying to cut any meat as much as possible, since I feel a lot more good and I just listen to my body.

Usually I will cooked two version of dishes in a day, one is for the rest of family and one is specific for me, it is a bit hassle for me, But I love that, this way of cooking encourage me to become more creative and efficient with my time.

Back to the recipe, in most traditional recipe usually there are several step, BUT I want to making it simple, since the taste also similar and there is no different, my twist for this recipe are, in original recipe it called for coconut milk, creamy coconut milk, BUT I replace it with almond milk, first reason, I don’t have it in my stock and second I want an experiment *haha I have child curious mind.

This recipe are my friends favourite I used to cooked for them a lot, but back then, I cooked it with coconut milk. Not surprisingly for me, this almond milk are turn delicious, with subtle nutty flavour, I haven’t tried using any other plant base milk, but if you used cow milk I bet it would be taste like rice pudding.

Lets go to the kitchen

THAI MANGO STICKY RICE

Serve 2 generous portion

INGREDIENT

  • 1 cup sticky rice, soaked them for 1-2 hour
  • 2 cup almond milk (if you have coconut milk you could also used it, as in original recipe)
  • 3 tbs of white sugar (I don’t really like sweet-sweet, but you could always add more)
  • 1 pandan leaf, knot it (you could find it, in most Asian grocery store, but please if you could don’t omit this ingredient or you can replace it with one vanilla pod or 1 tea spoon vanilla extract)
  • a pinch of sea salt
  • 1 tbs roasted sesame seed (black or white all are okay) to sprinkle on serving
  • 1 ripe mango, slice it

 

THE SAUCE

  • 100 ml almond milk (un-sweeten almond milk or coconut milk)
  • a pinch of sea salt
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract or 1 pod vanilla pod

HOW TO

  1. In medium heat, put medium size sauce pan. Put inside the almond milk, knot pandan leaf, sticky rice, sugar and salt
  2. Cooked the sticky rice until all the liquid are absorb beautifully. When the milk are all absorb the sticky rice will be soft and a bit chewy, if it still hard add just a bit more water 30-50 ml. Take them out from the heat and let it cool, when the sticky rice are already soft
  3. For the SAUCE: put all the ingredient together, cooked them until it boiled and it is done, leave it cool
  4. To serve, put the sticky rice in a serving plate and add several table spoon of the sauce, top them with slice of the mango then sprinkle with roasted sesame seed, simply super simple. I don’t pour the sauce for mine, just my preference *haha
  5. YUMM