Mango & Nata De Coco Konnyaku Jelly

Recipe and picture from http://babeinthecitykl.blogspot.com

1. Follow directions on the pack of konnyaku jelly powder. Substitute some of the water for mango juice that came with the nata de coco. Adjust sweetness by reducing the sugar asked for in the directions.
2. Cube some mangoes and drained nata de coco. Place these into individual jelly moulds.
3. Add in the konnyaku into the moulds.
4. Allow the jellies to cool down before refrigerating them.
5. To serve, use a sharp knife and give it a gentle slide on the side to remove them from the moulds.

Vegan Lemon Cheesecake

Recipe and picture from http://bakingsheet.blogspot.com

Ingredients
1-14 oz package firm silken tofu
1-8 oz package Better than Cream Cheese
2/3 cup sugar
¼ cup lemon juice
½ tsp almond extract
2 tbsp cornstarch
1-9 inch pie crust

Method
1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Place silken tofu and vegan cream cheese in the food processor. Process for 1 minute, then add sugar. Process until smooth and no sugar granules remain, 3-5 minutes.
3. In a small bowl, combine lemon juice and almond extract. Whisk in cornstarch. Pour mixture into the food processor and process until very smooth. Pour into prepared crust and bake for 45 minutes.
4. Allow to cool at room temperature for 2 hours, then refrigerate overnight.
Serves 10

Double-Layer Pumpkin Cheesecake

Recipe and picture from http://blog.fatfreevegan.com

Ingredients
8 ounces Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese
12 ounces light firm silken tofu (or extra-firm)
1/2 cup agave nectar (or sugar)
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup pumpkin puree (canned, not pumpkin pie mix)
2 teaspoons rum (optional)
3 tablespoons brown sugar or natural sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon grated fresh nutmeg (please!)

1 pre-made 8-inch graham cracker crust

Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 350F.
2. Put the first set of ingredients (toffuti through vanilla) in a food processor and puree until completely smooth. It should be silky smooth--not chalky or lumpy.
3. Remove a cup of this mixture from the processor and spread it in the bottom of the crust.
4. Add the next set of ingredients (pumpkin through nutmeg) to the ingredients remaining in the food processor and process until well blended. Smooth it carefully over the white layer in the crust, heaping it slightly in the middle. Bake until the center is almost set, about 45-55 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Refrigerate until completely chilled, at least 3 hours.

Agar-Agar Santan

Recipe and picture from http://feedmeimhungry.blogspot.com

Ingredients:
30g agar-agar powder
250ml water
750ml hot water (in a large saucepan)
300g sugar
3 screwpine (pandan) leaves, knotted*
180ml thick coconut milk
1/4 tsp any colour (food colouring)

Combine agar-agar powder with 250ml water. Stir to dissolve, then pour into the hot water. (If the agar-agar does not dissolve well, use a balloon whisk and whisk the mixture in the saucepan until smooth) Add sugar and screwpine leaves and bring to a boil for 10–15 minutes over a medium heat. Stir occasionally while cooking. Divide agar-agar into three portions. Add colouring to the two-thirds portion and pour into individual moulds or a large mould.

Bring the remaining one-thirds liquid to a gentle simmer, then add thick coconut milk. When it begins to boil, remove from the heat at once. Test the firmness of the coloured portion. It should be about set. Gently pour spoonfuls of coconut milk agar-agar mixture over the coloured jelly(take care not to break through the surface of the coloured jelly). Leave to set completely. Chill in the refrigerator before serving.

*Screwpine leaves or pandan leaves can be found in the frozen section of your local asian grocery. Alternatively, you may substitute with 1 tbsp of rose water/rose essence.

Coconut Pudding Triangles

Recipe and picture from http://find.myrecipes.com

Coconut pudding, or haupia, is a traditional Hawaiian sweet usually cut into small squares. It shows up at just about every potluck on the islands.

Prep and Cook Time: about 10 minutes, plus 1 hour to chill.

Ingredients
1/2 cup sweetened flaked coconut
Vegetable oil for oiling baking dish
1 can (14 oz.) coconut milk
6 tablespoons cornstarch
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/8 teaspoon salt

Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 325°. Spread flaked coconut on a baking sheet and bake until golden brown, 6 to 8 minutes.
2. Oil an 8-in.-square baking dish. In a small bowl, stir together 1/2 cup coconut milk and cornstarch until smooth.
3. In a medium nonstick saucepan, combine 1 1/2 cups coconut milk (if you don't have enough, augment with water) and sugar. Stir over medium heat until sugar has dissolved. Drizzle cornstarch mixture slowly into saucepan, whisking, and whisk in vanilla and salt. Cook, whisking vigorously (do not allow to boil), until mixture is very thick, pulling away from pan, and no longer tastes floury, 4 to 6 minutes. Pour into prepared dish and spread evenly. Let cool briefly, then cover with plastic wrap and chill until set, at least 1 hour.

4. Cut haupia into 22 to 24 triangles and sprinkle each with a pinch of toasted coconut.

Makes 22 to 24 triangles

Yam Cake (Wu Tau Kou)

Recipe and picture from http://chinneeq.files.wordpress.com

Ingredients
1 yam, diced (about 250g)
5 cloves garlic

(A) Mix Well
1 packet blended rice flour (about 125g rice flour)
2 tbsp tapioca flour
1 cup water

Seasoning – salt, 5 spice powder, sugar to taste

Garnishing – shallot crisp, dried prawns crisps

Method
1. Heat oil and sauté shallots and dried prawns (separately) till crisp. Dish out and set aside.
2. Saute garlic with remaining oil, add in yam and stir-fry till fragrant. Mix in water and bring to boil.
3. Add in mixture (A) and seasoning, cook until batter becomes thick. Pour out batter into a greased tray to steam (30minutes).

Once yam cake is cooled, add garnishing and serve with your favourite sauce (I use sweet black sauce from the market).

Coconut Black Rice Pudding

Recipe and picture from http://blog.fatfreevegan.com

Ingredients
2 cups black rice (black glutinous rice or forbidden rice)
3/4 cups sugar
6 1/2 cups water
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cinnamon sticks, broken
5 cardamom pods, lightly crushed
3 cloves
1/2 cup grated fresh coconut (or dried flaked coconut)

Method:
1. Rinse the rice a couple of times, and check it for pebbles or other impurities. Put the water, rice, and salt in the pressure cooker, and begin heating it. Add the sugar and stir until dissolved.
2. Place the cinnamon, cardamom pods, and cloves into a bag formed of cheesecloth, tie it, and place it into the pot.
3. Over high heat, bring the cooker to high pressure; lower heat to maintain high pressure and cook for 35 minutes.
4. Allow the pressure to come down naturally. Open the cooker and stir the rice. Add the coconut, and continue cooking over medium-low heat, stirring regularly, until rice is completely cooked and the liquid has become a thick syrup. How long this takes may depend on your rice. (Mine took a lot longer than I expected, about 45 minutes.) The longer you cook, the thicker this will become, so cook it as long as you can.
5. Remove the spice bag, and spoon the rice into serving dishes. You may serve this warm, at room temperature, or, how I like it, cold. This is particularly good topped with fresh mango. Serves 6-8 (unless the cook is home alone with it all day; then anyone else is lucky to get any!)

According to the original recipe, you can make this without a pressure cooker. Soak the rice for 24 hours before cooking. Simmer in a heavy pot, adding water as needed, for at least 90 minutes or until the rice is done and the pudding is thick.

Time consuming? Yes. Worth it? Absolutely!

Classic White Bread

Recipe and picture from www.bakingbites.com

Ingredients
2 1/2 cups warm water (105-115F)
1 package active dry yeast (.25 oz)
1 tbsp sugar
6-7 cups all purpose flour
1 tbsp salt
4 tbsp butter, softened

Method
1. Combine 1/2 cup water, yeast and sugar in a large bowl and let stand until foamy - about 10 minutes. Add remaining water, flour and salt to yeast mixture and mix with a wooden spoon (or in a mixer) until dough cleanly away from the sides of the bowl. Knead in butter until dough is smooth and not sticky. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and continue kneading for an additional minute or two. Shape dough into a ball and place in a lightly oiled bowl to rise until doubled, about 1- 1 1/2 hours.
2. Butter two 8×4 inch loaf pans and set aside. Place dough on a lightly floured surface and divide in two equal portions. Shape as described above and place seam side down into prepared loaf pans. Cover loaf pans lightly with oiled plastic wrap and allow to rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour. Dough will rise above the lip of the pan.
3. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375F.
4. Place loaves in oven and bake for 35-40 minutes. After 35 minutes, use an instant read thermometer to check the internal temperature of the bread. It will read 200F when the loaves are done. If you do not have an instant read themometer (meat thermometer), simply cook the loaves for 40 minutes and keep an eye on your oven thermometer to make sure the temperature remains constant.
5. Remove loaves from pans immediately and let cool completely (2-3 hours) before slicing.

Makes 2 loaves

Bubur Lambuk

Recipe from www.mamafami.blogspot.com

Ingredients
Shallots ~ pounded
Garlic ~ pounded
Ginger (just a bit) ~ pounded
Minced meat Kurma powder
fried grated coconut (kerisik)
Salt to taste
Carrots ~ diced
Potato ~ cleaned and diced
Rice
Enough water

To garnish :
Spring onions ~ chopped
Crispy fried onions

Method :

1. Heat oil and add in the pounded ingredients. Fry till fragrant.
2. Add in minced meat and stir.
3. Add in the kurma powder and fried grated coconut (kerisik). Stir well.
4. Wash rice and put enough water like how you prepare porridge.
5. Pour (3) into (4) and stir to mix.
6. Let it boil and add in the diced carrot and potato and leave to cook.
7. Before serving, garnish with spring onions and crisp fried onion.

Note :

1. I added green beans cut to small pieces just for the color.
2. Before removing the pot from heat, I heat up a little bit of oil and add in some sliced onion. Fry till fragrant and golden brown, then pour all of them into the porridge and stir to mix. My mom said, this method is called tumis darat.

Bubur Kacang Hijau

Recipe and picture from www.penangfaces.chanlilian.net

Ingredients
200 gms green bean
100 gms glutinious rice
1 liter water

1 block gula melaka or palm sugar
100 gms sago pearls (soak in water before cooking)
300-400 mls coconut milk
a few pandan leaves
a pinch of salt

Method
1. Ideally, you have a the slow cooker to cook this because it is tricky business to slow boil the green beans without getting a burnt pot. Use very, very low fire.
2. Boil the green bean, glutionious rice, water and gula melaka for several hours. It will cook faster if you have soaked the green beans and glutinous rice overnight. I left the bean, rice and sugar to cook overnight in the slow cooker.
3. When the beans and rice are soft and mushy, add in coconut milk, sago, pandan and pinch of salt.

Be prepared to give away a big portion to friends and neighbours because even with this little quantity, I still end up with a big pot. Note that the husk of the mungbean may cause a gassy tummy to some people, so don’t overeat! It is fattening too.

Black Glutinous Rice Porridge

Recipe from www.kuali.com

also known as Bubur Pulut Hitam
Recipe by Amy Beh

Ingredients
300g black glutinous rice
5 litres water
100g castor sugar
100g palm sugar
75g dried longans, rinsed
2–3 pandan leaves, knotted

Combine:
2 tbsp corn flour
3 tbsp water
thick milk from 1 coconut
1/2 tsp salt

Method
1. Wash glutinous rice thoroughly and soak in water for several hours. Put rice and water into a pot and cook over medium heat until rice is soft and almost creamy. When rice has reached the desired consistency, add dried longans and pandan leaves.
2. Add both types of sugar and simmer for a further 10–15 minutes over gentle heat. (Never add sugar to the glutinous rice at the start or you’ll have difficulty cooking it.)
3. Add thickening to the glutinous rice and bring to a boil, then remove from heat.

To serve: put two to three tablespoons of thick coconut milk into each bowl of glutinous rice porridge.

Turkish Pizza (Vegetarian)

Recipe and picture from www.taste.com.au

Ingredients (serves 4)
1/4 cup (60ml) olive oil
2 garlic cloves, crushed
300g baby spinach
Grated rind and juice of 1 large lemon, plus lemon wedges to serve
1 round Turkish bread or half a rectangle of Turkish bread, halved sideways through the centre
1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
1 cup crumbled feta cheese

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 190°C.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a frypan, then add the garlic, spinach, lemon rind and half the juice. Toss over low heat until the spinach is just wilted. Allow the spinach to cool, then squeeze out excess liquid.
3. Arrange the spinach mixture over bread base, squeeze over remaining lemon juice, then top with cheeses and season with pepper. Top with the other bread half and drizzle with remaining oil. Wrap completely in foil and place on a baking sheet. To flatten, place a heavy baking tray on top and bake for 10 minutes. To serve, unwrap and serve with lemon wedges.

Super Moist Pumpkin Bread

Recipe and picture from www.allrecipes.com

"This is an incredible bread. Its moistness comes from the addition of an unusual ingredient: coconut milk! If sweetened coconut is used, reduce white sugar to 1/2 cup."

Original recipe yield: 2 - 8x4 inch loaves

INGREDIENTS
1 cup (120g) chopped walnuts
3 1/2 cups (440g) all-purpose flour
2 cups (440g) packed dark brown sugar
2/3 cup (135g) white sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 cups (490g) pumpkin puree
1 cup vegetable oil
2/3 cup (160ml) coconut milk
2/3 cup (50g) flaked coconut

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour two 8x4 inch loaf pans.
2. Spread walnuts in a single layer on an ungreased baking sheet. Toast in the preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes, or until lightly browned. Set aside to cool.
3. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, brown sugar, white sugar, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Add the pumpkin puree, oil, and coconut milk, and mix until all of the flour is absorbed. Fold in the flaked coconut and toasted walnuts. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans.
4. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven, and cover loaves tightly with foil. Allow to steam for 10 minutes. Remove foil, and turn out onto a cooling rack. Tent loosely with the foil, and allow to cool completely.

Quick Pizza Dough

Recipe and picture from www.taste.com.au

Makes 2

Ingredients
2 cups plain flour
8g sachet instant dry yeast
1/2 teaspoon caster sugar
3/4 cup warm water
2 tablespoons olive oil

Method
1. Sift flour into a large bowl. Add yeast, sugar and a pinch of salt. Combine warm water and oil. Add to flour mixture. Mix until dough comes together.
2. Turn onto a lightly-floured surface. Knead for 8 minutes, adding more flour if necessary, or until elastic (when you press the top it should bounce back and leave no indentation). Cut dough in half.
3. Notes & tips
4. The pizza dough can be made to the end of step 2 and frozen. Wrap in plastic wrap and freeze for up to 6 months. Thaw in the fridge then bring to room temperature before rolling out.

Egg-Free Breakfast Scramble

Recipe and picture from www.exploreveg.org

Ingredients
1 14-ounce package extra-firm tofu, drained
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
¼ teaspoon turmeric
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
½ cup nutritional yeast
salt and pepper, to taste
½ pound mushrooms, chopped (optional)
1 green onion, finely chopped (optional)
1 bell pepper, finely chopped (optional)

Method
Using a fork or potato masher, crumble the tofu into small pieces and then sauté in oil in a frying pan. After a few minutes, add the remaining ingredients, turmeric through bell pepper, if used. Lightly toss in the pan until well-cooked. Serve warm.

Creamy Potato Salad

Recipe and picture from www.exploreveg.org

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients
6 medium potatoes
½ cup eggless mayonnaise (try Nayonaise or Veganaise)
4 tablespoon yellow mustard
2 tablespoon distilled white vinegar
½ onion, chopped
½ cup chopped celery
Salt and pepper, to taste
Paprika (optional)

Method
Cut the potatoes into cubes and cook in boiling water for 20 minutes. Drain and let cool completely. In a large bowl, combine the potatoes with the remaining ingredients. Sprinkle paprika on top, if desired.

Classic Tomato Pizza Sauce

Recipe and picture from www.taste.com.au

Makes 1 1/3 cups

Ingredients
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 small brown onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
400g can whole peeled tomatoes
pinch white sugar
1 teaspoon dried oregano

Method
1. Heat oil in a non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic. Cook for 5 minutes or until tender. Add tomatoes, sugar, a good pinch of salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring with a wooden spoon to break up tomatoes, for 7 minutes or until sauce comes to the boil.
2. Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer for 10 minutes or until sauce thickens. Spoon into a food processor and process until smooth. Stir in oregano.

Freckle Sandwiches

Recipe and picture from www.taste.com.au

Makes 32

Ingredients
2 loaves thick-sliced white bread
125g unsalted butter, softened
Strawberry jam, to spread
Nutella, to spread
1 cup 100s and 1000s
1 cup chocolate sprinkles

Method
1. Butter 1 loaf of bread. Spread half the slices with strawberry jam, then top each slice with remaining slices to make sandwiches.
2. Butter the remaining loaf of bread.
3. Spread half the slices with Nutella, then top with remaining slices.
4. Remove the crusts from all the sandwiches, then cut each into 4 triangles. Lay the sandwiches on two separate platters long-edge down to form 2 long pyramids.
5. Spread the remaining butter along one side of each pyramid. Sprinkle the buttered-side of the jam sandwiches with the 100s and 1000s and the chocolate sandwiches with the chocolate sprinkles.

Chocolate Tofu Pie

Recipe and picture from www.exploreveg.org

Ingredients
1 12-ounce bag non-dairy chocolate chips (about 2 cups)
1 8- or 10-ounce package of soft silken tofu
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 vegan graham cracker crust, such as Keebler’s Graham Cracker Ready Crust
1 cup sliced strawberries or whole berries (optional topping)

Method
1. Melt the chocolate chips in a double boiler, saucepan, or microwave.
2. Blend the silken tofu in a food processor or high-powered blender until creamy. Add the melted chocolate chips and vanilla extract, blending well.
3. Pour the filling into a graham cracker crust, top with fresh fruit (if desired), and refrigerate for 2 hours.

Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Recipe and picture from www.exploreveg.org

Makes 25 to 30 cookies

Ingredients
1 cup of softened soy margarine
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup soy milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/4 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
12 ounces chocolate chips

Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 350oF.
2. In a large bowl, mix the margarine, sugar, and brown sugar until it's light and fluffy. Slowly stir in the soy milk then add the vanilla to make a creamy mixture.
3. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, salt, and baking soda. Add this dry mixture to the creamy mixture and stir well. Then fold in the chocolate chips.
4. Drop small spoonfuls onto non-stick cookie sheets and bake for 8 to 10 minutes.