Heart-Healthy Brownies

It was a beautiful day today- the weather and everything. Loma Linda Chinese Church had their annual health fair that was held in conjunciton with the 25th Silver anniversary celebration!

Eric and I did scripture reading :
Psalm 84:10-12
"Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked. For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless. O LORD Almighty, blessed is the man who trusts in you."

Some of the highlights... String Ensemble conducted by Jeff Hwang

25th anniversary Choir

Our "Did You Know?" health booths!!


We gave out samples of Heart-Healthy Brownies

Ingredients:
6T cocoa powder, unsweetened
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup spelnda
.5t vanilla extract
1/4t salt
1/2 cup all purpose wheat flour, self raising
1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup water
3T water
2T flax seed meal
6 T water
Directions:
Preheat oven to 325F In a small bowl, mix flaxseed meal with the water ( 6TBsp). Set aside Dump all other ingredients into the mixing bowl then add flaxseed/water mixture. Stir all ingredients together until well blended. Pour batter into a greased 8 x 8 pan. Bake for 35-40 minutes.
kilocalories: 236.5 kcal protein: 4.4 g Fat: 16g cholesterol: 0 saturated fat: 3g Sodium: 176mg vitamin A: 17.6 RE citamin C: 1.2 mg Iron 1.9 mg Dietary fiber: 3.3 g

Know the sugar content in food or drinks? You'll be surprised at the amount of sugar you're consuming in your regular food items!

Hidden sodium found in common foods!

Effects of Fats on cholesterol levels

Effects of Caffeine section

Loma Linda Mayor came to officiate the event.

On Saturday night, it was Steve's surprise birthday...

and I made mini stacked tiered banana cakes coated with chocolate ganache, decorated with yellow and blue candy dots or fondant cut-outs. :)

Tofu Cabbage Rolls

It is one of those days where I want a quick, nutritious and of course delicious meal. This tofu cabbage roll is not only easy to make, nutritious and yummy, it brings back nostalgia feelings of mummy's home cooked meals. :)

There are many ways to cook cabbage. Since it has a beautiful bowl-like shape when carefully peeled, it would make a good 'skin' to wrap tofu. This veggie can be kept for a long time and hence, I had no choice but to cook it today as it's been sitting in the fridge for eons. ;p

Ingredients:
1/2 box of firm tofu (7.5 oz)
4 Chinese dry mushrooms - soaked and minced (reserve water for making gravy)
1/2 carrot, diced
green onions, chopped finely
5 cabbage leaves
1 egg
corn starch mixture
Seasonings for tofu mixture include salt, pepper, mushroom seasoning, onion and garlic powder

Method:Mash tofu. Add minced Chinese dry mushrooms, diced carrots, minced green onions, seasonings and egg. Mix well.
Rinse cabbage, trim the stem and blanch in boiling water for a few seconds until tender. Fill each cabbage leaf with enough filling and roll up. Steam for 10-15 minutes.

For the gravy, boil the mushroom stock. Add seasonings like vegetarian mushroom oyster sauce, Maggi seasoning and pepper. Add cornstarch mixture and allow the heat to thicken the mixture. Pour gravy over rolls and garnish as desired.

the Jacksons!

I met Dr.Thomas and La Verne Jackson about 9 years ago when they came to Singapore to give some health lectures. They were the first people who kindered my passion for health and spirituality. Hence, it was wonderful to get reacquainted and hear their seminars again after so many years. Somehow I just feel that God is calling me towards a higher standard...He is stirring something in my heart.

Many natural remedies were shared and here is one good one...

If you are you CONSTIPATED, drink -- Smooth move:--

1 cup pitted prunes, 2T flax seed (golden and freshly ground), 2-3 cups unsweetened prunes.

Blend the above ingredients together. Take 1 cup everyday.

I love the vegan and tasty recipes that were shared during the cooking session! Some of the demos include: Sunburger, Mac & Cheese and Carob Chewies...

Sunburger:

Ingredients: 6c brown rice (cooked), 3C ground sunflower seeds, 1/4 tsp garlic powder, 3T flour, 1 1/2 C secret sauce*, 3T Loma Linda chicken style seasoning, 4T Bragg's

Directions: Mix all ingredients together, form into burgers. Place on baking sheets. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes. Spread thin layer of secret sauce on top. Turn oven down to 325 and cook for 15 mins more.

*Secret sauce: 1c cashew (washed), 128 oz can of whole tomato juice, 1/4 c lemon juice, 2 1/4 tsp salt, 1 1/2 T onion powder

~ Blend thoroughly on high for 3-4 minutes, then chill.

Baked MAC and Cheese Casserole

Cook 1 lb of whole wheat, spinach of Jerusalem artichoke macaroni according to instructions. Drain in colander and mix with the following cheese sauce:

Whiz in blender: 1 c cashew, 1 c water, 1/3 c fresh lemon juice, 2T sesame seeds, 4T nutritional yeast, 1T honey, 1 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 c oil, added slowly, 1 tsp onion powder, pinch of garlic powder.

Then add and blend until very smooth 4 oz jar pimentos

If you want the cheesy texture found in real Mac and Cheese, the above "vegan gourmet" brand is a good substitute for the real one. Cut some slices and place it on top of the casserole to give a "stringy" texture.

CAROB CHEWIES~

Carob is a good substitute for chocolate and you can't differentiate between the two in this recipe. *yum*

Ingredients: 2 cup Brazil nuts, chopped or blended finely, 1/2 cup tahini, 1/2 cup honey, 1/3 cup carob powder, 1/2 tsp salt, 1T vanilla, few drops peppermint flavor.

Directions: Stir everything together. Roll into balls and place onto cookie sheet. Place in the freezer for about an hour for it to set.

ENJOY~~

BTW, if you want to hear his talks, go to: audioverse.org and click, " Thomas Jackson"

steamed egg cake

This steamed egg cake is similar to the Fatt kueh except that it does not require the yeast dough mixture. Since orange juice is one of the ingredients, the cake has a unique fruity taste that is absolutely delightful + the cake is super soft because of SP. Light cream in color, they look beautiful when they open up in quadrates on the top with swirls of raspberry.
Ingredients:

Eggs, 3

Sugar, 185g

Hong kong flour, 400g

Orange juice plus water, 190g

Orange zest, 2 Tbsp

double action baking powder, 1 dsp

S.P., 20g

Method:

1. Add the egg and sugar into the mixer ( use an wire whisk). Mix for approximately 2 minutes on medium speed. Add S.P. Sift Hong Kong flour and baking powder together. Fold it into the batter.

2. Add half the amount of water into the batter, beat before adding the rest of the liquid.

3. Continue to beat for 10 seconds until the batter is smooth.Remove from mixer.

4. Line steamer with greaseproof paper. Pour cake mixture in. Use an oiled spatula to cut a "x" on the top. Add raspberry coloring on top. Swirl. Steam over high heat for 25 minutes. Makes 18.

*extra tips:*

1. Use Ice cream soda or orange flavored sprite drink instead of water. It depends on your taste preference. You can also use orange juice for the whole liquid portion.

2. Must use Hong kong flour, not plain flour because yeast dough mixture is not used.

3.It can be baked in a bigger tin instead of small mufin cups.

Huat kueh -pumpkin, durian, sweet potato

Ever heard of---> Huat Kueh ~ Fatt Koh ~ Prosperity Cake?
Healthy steamed Oriental style fatt kuehs filled with the goodness of steamed pumpkins, durian, yam and sweet potato flesh. High in natural fibres, they are definitely nutritious little snacks for all at home that will bring you health and wealth!


Basically, it is the Chinese version of cupcakes. Most Singaporean or Malaysian Chinese must have had the experience of eating Huat Kueh at some point or another since it is commonly sold everywhere. ( I have never seen these sold in the US). It is usually eaten steaming hot, dipped into sugar (the orange flavored one). It's can also be eaten with fresh shredded coconut. When making this, it is important for the fatt koh to "SMILE" which means that the top has to open or bloom as much as possible. The bigger the smile, the more prosperous or "fa" one will be!

For the all the flavors- sweet potato/yam/durian/ pumpkin, use this basic yeast dough:

A) Yeast dough:
Plain flour 50g
Water 50g
Yeast, 1tsp (7.5gm)
Method:
Mix yeast dough (A) ingredient together. Leave aside for ½ hr until it has proofed.

Sweet potato Fatt cake
(From the picture above, you can tell that my Fatt kueh is smiling real wide!!! It is always exciting to lift up the lid to see how the fatt kuehs turn out. For this sweet potato fatt kueh, I'm surprised at the intense bright orange color because I didn't add any coloring. Maybe it's the sugar. I must say that it taste really good and natural- better than store-bought ones.( The ones sold outside do not use fresh blended ingredients but red/yellow/green coloring to give it a colored look. )

B) Sweet potato (steamed), 200g
Coconut milk, 120g
Water, 40g
Orange sugar, 140g
Egg, 1
Plain flour, 200g
Double acting baking powder, 1dsp

Durian Fatt kueh

( my dad's favorite of the lot. but my mum prefers the pumpkin and sweet potato flavor ;p)
Durian flesh ,200g
Coconut milk, 140g
Water, 40g
Sugar, 150g
Egg, 1
Plain flour( sift), 200g
Double acting baking powder, 1 dsp
Coloring (opt)
B) Pumpkin Fatt Kueh
Pumpkin (steamed), 200g
Coconut milk, 100g
Water, 50g
gula melaka, 140g
Egg, 1
Plain flour, sift, 320g
Double acting baking powder, 1 dsp

Method:
Combine pumpkin/sweet potato/durian, sugar, egg, coconut milk, water together and blend it. Add in flour, double acting baking powder, yeast dough and mix evenly. Pour mixture over cups. Dip a spatula in oil and make an “X” across the batter. Leave it aside to proof for 10 minutes. Steam over high heat for 15 minutes.

*some extra tips: ***

1. Use a rattan basket to steam the fatt kueh as it will cook better.

2. When adding in flour, double acting baking powder and yeast dough into blended batter, do it quick, in one direction, with spread out fingers. Once flour is mixed, stop- do not over mix the batter.

3. Hong kong flour can be used, although unnecessary as it is more expensive.

4. If durian is wet, add in extra 40 g of flour into the batter.

5. Makes about 9-10 fatt kueh for each recipe.

6. It is important to dip the spatula in oil before cutting it deep down into the batter to form an "x".

7. Never remove the lid while the fatt kuehs are being steamed. It might cause them to "not-smile."

***Check out my next post for the similar steamed egg cake recipe....

longan konnyaku

It was great meeting up with primary school friends Jingying and Xuefang! I can't believe how quickly time flies and how much we've all grown. From immature lil' girls wearing yellow uniforms in an all-girls' school to grown-up ladies. I wonder how we'll be like 10 years from now. lol. *_^ Xuefang said Jing ying won many hearts with her longan konnyaku........ Of course I had to give her recipe a go! ^_____* What is Konnyaku? Wikipedia says it’s a tuber valued for its starchy corm, which leaves me bewilded because of its flavor. The flour derived from this Japanese root is the key ingredient in Konnyaku jelly, giving this much loved snack its signature chewy texture and nutritional value.
~~~~::~~~~::~~~~::~~~~
Basically this recipe can be modified to suit whatever kind of fruits and flavor you want. Check out Phoon Huat & Co for the original recipe and video demonstration.
**For the one I made, I reduced the sugar by half since longan water is sweet. Empty out the longan water and add enough water to make 950gm.
Ingredients:
Konnyaku jelly powder, 10 gm ( 1 packet) Caster sugar, 100g
Water, 615g
longan water, 335g
Citric acid or malic acid, 1/8 tsp
longan, 1 can, finely diced ( she said she experimented with many types of brands and HOSEN is the best)
Method:
1.Mix the Konnyaku Powder and Caster Sugar together. Mix well.
2.Pour the Konnyaku Powder and Caster Sugar mixture into longan water/water gradually and stir till boiling.

Important: must constantly stir, without stopping at all!
Food for thought:Learn the art of patience. Apply discipline to your thoughts when they become anxious over the outcome of a goal. Impatience breeds anxiety, fear, discouragement and failure. Patience creates confidence, decisiveness, and a rational outlook, which eventually leads to success. --Brian Adams

3.Turn off the flame and keep stirring for about 5 minutes, till the bubble dissipates and the Konnyaku Jelly solution becomes clear.
4.Add Citric Acid or Malic Acid.
5.put the pieces of cut longan in the moulds, then pour the Konnyaku solution into the moulds for 3 times, every time pour 1/3 of the mould.
6.Chill to set the moulded Jelly solution in the refrigerator for 3 hours before serve. Makes 24 pieces

Black Forest cake

Besides this Black Forest cake, check out the Fresh Fruit roll..... Ingredients:
4 eggs + 1 egg yolk
100g sugar
90g plain flour (sift)
10g chocolate powder
100g butter, melted
Topping ingredients:
300g fresh cream
250g dark sweet pitted cherries ( use fresh ones!!! the "fake" ones taste horrible) @__@ )
chocolate shaving
2 tsp rum flavor ( opt)
200g chocolate cream

Method 1:
1. Preheat oven to 160C. Grease and line a deep 9 in round baking tin with paper
2. Whisk eggs and sugar at maximum speed for 5-6 minutes until stiff
3. Fold in sifted flour and chocolate by hand, using an upward circulating motion. Add in warm melted butter and mix well until batter is shiny.
4. Pour into baking tin and bake for about 35 minutes. Turn cake out from baking tin and leave to cool. Cut cake into 3 layers. Remove top thin layer too.
5. Whisk the fresh cream until stiff and add half of the whipped cream to the chocolate cream and rum flavor.
6. Spread a thin layer of chocolate fresh cream on one cake layer and pipe a round of the cream on the edge. Put the pitted cherries in the center and cover them with a thin layer of the cream. Continue creaming with the second layer of cake. Spread the final layer of cake with white whipped cream ( opt: with rum flavor added).
7. Pipe 12 rosettes using a star nozzle and place the stem cherry to decorate. Cover the center and sides of the cake with chocolate flakes.
ENJOY!! ^_________^

Fresh Roll cake

As you can tell from my previous posts, I've been posting up many cake recipes! Well, I'm concentrating on "mastering" it now and hence, signed up for some cake classes. Richard Goh, who teaches at many community centers in Singapore is superb! I'm so glad I'm learning it from him. :DWhat we learnt this time ::::Black Forest Cake and Fresh roll cake! ^__^
Ingredients:
4 eggs + 1 egg yolk
100g sugar
100g plain flour
100g butter, melted ( use corn oil)
Decoration: fresh cream, 150-200g, strawberries, kiwi, peaches, pineapple slices, chocolate rice
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 180C
2. Grease and line a shallow 11 inches square baking tray with paper
3. Whisk eggs vanilla essence and sugar at maximum speed for about 5-6 minutes until stiff.
4. Fold in sifted flour by HAND, using an upward circulating motion. Add flour slowly, but by bit but not until completely mixed before adding the next batch of flour.
5. Add in warm melted butter and mix well, until batter is shiny. Pour into baking tray and bake for about 13-15 minutes. Turn cake out from baking tray and leave to cool. If cake is not removed from the tray, the cake will shrink. And if batter sinks fast, the cake is not beaten up well.

6. Whisk fresh cream at medium speed until stiff. Spread whipped cream + mango puree or lemon jam ( whatever you like) over the cooled cake and roll up with the aid of a piece of paper. Place a piece of damp cloth beneath the paper to prevent slipping when rolling up cake. Freeze roll for 15 minutes.
***If you want the roll to be very rounded, slice the side of the cake diagonally, and place it at the other end of the cake. Look at the illustration below>>>>
7. Coat the roll with fresh cream and/or chocolate rice. Cut into pieces of 1 inch thick.
8. Spread whipped cream on top and decorate with fresh fruits and glaze with agar agar.
Preparation for agar agar:
150g water
30g sugar
1/2 tbsp agar agar powder
Boil all ingredients together.
OR to get a better and clearer look, use >>>
APRICOT GEL ( 100g) + 80 ml water,
Boil until dissolved, use a whisk to stir.

Longan cake

If I had to choose between the 2 cakes - Custard fruity cake or Longan cake, I would choose the longan cake. Both are good but longan cake has a special twist of exotic taste that I fancy. :) Besides I love longan.^_^ And so, here's how it's made!!!
Ingredients:

sponge cake4", 4

4" cake ring, 4

Ingredient A:

water, 100g
longan (cut into pieces), 80g, remove 80g longan juice)

sugar, 10g

fresh milk, 50g

instant jelly, 1/2 tsp

agar agar powder, 5g

Ingredient B:
Fresh cream, 160g

Method:

1. Cut 80g longan into small pieces

2. Bring ingredients 1 to a boil. Once boiled, remove from heat and immediately start on the whipped cream.

3.Whip fresh cream until very stiff. Add mixture 1 ( while it is still hot) into the beater and mix well, about 10 seconds.

4. Pour the mixture on top of the sponge cake, sandwich it with another piece of sponge cake. Pour the remaining filling over.

5. Arrange longan and fruits on top immediately, while the mixture is warm! 6. Boil topping ingredients together.
Topping ingredient:

water, 150g
sugar, 20g
instant jelly, 10g

Boil these together. Cool it for 3 minutes before pouring it over the cake. Keep refrigerated for at least 2 hours before serving.