Banana Coconut Bread for Breakfast

If you are viewing my cooking and baking blog, enjoyasimplelife.blogspot.com, for the first time or are a frequent viewer, I have not made many additional entries to the blog for quite some time.  The reason for this is that I have made a move to a new home, and the cooking arrangements are not quite ideal at this time. There are additional reasons that should be resolved soon. When this happens, I will gladly post additional easy-to-follow, photo-illustrated entries that I am certain you will enjoy preparing for yourself and others. In the meantime, I have already published more than 1500 recipes on this website that you can have access to now at no cost to you except for your time and your own desire to try something new. To search for something of your liking, simply enter a word or group of words, such as shrimp, chicken, egg rolls, or dipping sauce, etc., in the search box in the upper left-hand corner or the Search This Blog at the very bottom of this page. Then click the magnifying glass search symbol or the word Search to the right of the word(s). Immediately, all the recipes I have in my blog that contain the word or words just entered will appear in the order they were posted.

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Lan

Bread for breakfast is the kind of sweet bread more moist than ordinary bread. The sweet bread is often served on the buffet table in combination with many oversized muffins, some rolls, and zucchini bread. I like to make this bread for breakfast because morning baking can be one of life's most pleasurable, rewarding feelings. The simple preparation always wins out over elaborate staging, especially for guests in the house who can experience the warm smell from the kitchen. This easy one-bowl recipe is the kind of baking that I share in my blog most of the time because it is easy to make and to clean up afterward. The sugar in this recipe can be changed to suit each cook's personal taste. I use ripe bananas and raisins to add extra sweetness to the bread instead of more sugar. 

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup white sugar

1/2 cup coconut milk

1/3 cup melted coconut oil

3 eggs

3 ripe bananas

¼ cup nuts (optional, your choice)

½ cup raisins

1/4 tsp cinnamon powder

1 tsp vanilla

Equipment:

8” x 4” baking loaf pan

Parchment paper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°.

Cut parchment paper to fit the bottom of the loaf pan and brush with coconut oil.

Combine flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in a bowl and mix well. 

Peel bananas and mash them with a potato masher and place in a bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients into the bowl. Use a handheld beater to beat the mixture until well mixed. Add the flour mixture in small batches and beat well.

Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and bake for 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Tip: I have pandan leaves in my garden. I use 5 leaves and blend them in the blender with the coconut milk to extract the fragrance of the pandan leaves. Drain them and get rid of the solid parts. This is optional because not many people can get these fantastic leaves for baking. The bread will have a light green color as the photo shows.

Spicy Stir-Fried Tofu

When it comes to tofu, many people frown and reject it, but, in fact, this is a very good source of protein for good health, especially for women in perimenopause or menopause. In other , words, tofu is a source of protein that can reduce diseases such as rheumatism, heart disease, breast cancer, etc. This is also an easy dish to prepare because tofu has no taste at all. Tofu can be seasoned according to the taste of each family or each country in the world. When traveling to a different country, the recipes to make tofu is always changing, such as the tofu burger, bread, sushi tofu, etc. So many recipes are available to make tofu that suits your taste whether you want to go to plant based diet or simply just want to eat a healthy meal. By trying different ways of cooking tofu will make the dish with tofu more attractive. Today, I will now introduce a one pot meal with tofu as the main ingredient. The add-ons to this dish is up to each cook.

Ingredients:

16 oz. firm tofu

2 tbs cornstarch

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 knob of fresh ginger

1/2 red onion, diced

3 green onions, sliced

4 dried red chillies

Sauce ingredients:

1/2 cup vegetable broth

2 tbs soy sauce

2 tbs vinegar 

1/2 tsp salt

2 tbs mirin 

1 tbs honey or sugar

1 tsp Korean chili powder

1 tbs sriracha hot chili sauce

1 tbs cornstarch

Other ingredients:

Vegetable oil for pan frying the tofu

1 tsp sesame oil 

1 tsp roasted sesame seeds

Serve with cooked rice or noodles

Directions:

Remove the container of tofu and place some heavy object on top of the firm tofu to remove some excess water.

Cut tofu into bite-size pieces. Sprinkle tofu with salt, pepper, and cornstarch. Mix well. Be careful not to break the tofu.

In a small bowl, combine all the sauce ingredients and mix well. You can adjust the spiciness for your taste.

Peel the ginger and mince.

In a wok, add enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan. Add tofu in one layer and make sure they are not touching each other. 

You might have to pan fry tofu in batches. Fry the tofu until they are golden brown. Remove from wok.

Remove most of the oil in the pan. Add red onion, ginger, and garlic. Stirfry until fragrant (about 2 minutes). Add dried red chilies. Cook further for several minutes.

Add the sauce and bring to boil. Cook the sauce for 1 minute or until the sauce starts thickening. 

Then return tofu back to the pan.  Coat the tofu with sauce. 

Add green onions. Turn off the heat. Then add sesame oil and sesame seeds. This dish is now ready to serve.

Tip: for this stir-fried tofu, the add-on should be mushrooms, red or green bell pepper, broccoli, or any vegetables that are available to you. If you decide to use vegetables for this dish, blanch the vegetables and add the vegetables before returning tofu to the pan. Let the vegetables to absorb the sauce.

Braised Eggplant and Pineapple

Eggplant and pineapple have antioxidants like vitamins A and C. Both of them have a range of health benefits, which may include the ability to help build strong bones, reduce the symptoms of anemia, and increase cognition. Eggplant is also good for weight loss, managing diabetes, improving cardiovascular health and the digestive system, which helps protect your cells against damage. It may reduce your risk of cancer and boost immunity and suppress inflammation. Because both of them have so much nutrition to add into our diet, I want to share an easy recipe with just a few simple steps, you already have a vegetarian healthy eggplant dish to serve your loved ones.

Ingredients:

1 eggplant 

1/4 ripe pineapple, cut into bite-size pieces (about 2 cups)

1 carrot, peeled and cut into inch long pieces

Braised sauce ingredients:

8 oz.  coconut water

1 tbs soy sauce

1 tbs honey

1 tbs mushroom seasoning

1 tsp Korean chilli powder

Other ingredients:

2 garlic cloves, minced

3 scallions, sliced

2 tbs vegetable oil

Directions:

Wash eggplant. Cut lengthwise into 4 quarters. Then cut each quarter into 2 inch long pieces.

In a medium-size pan, add cooking oil evenly in the pan, sauté the pineapple and carrots until both sides are slightly browned and fragrant smelling.

 Add eggplant pieces and cook on both sides until slightly browned. Stir in garlic and the white part of the scallions.

Add the sauce and bring to boil. Cover the pan and simmer for 10 minutes.

Uncover the pan and season again to your liking. Turn off heat and sprinkle with the green part of scallions and enjoy.

Miso Kimchi Ramen Noodles Soup

When it comes to Kimchi and Miso, I would like to recommend a dish that if you ever have the opportunity to travel to Japan or Korea, then Ramen soup is always available everywhere with many different flavors. This is a soup that is considered an art form of these two countries. The taste changes for each bowl of Ramen soup when using seafood or meats, such as beef, chicken, and pork. However, although Kimchi always has the taste of dried shrimp, vegetarians or the many people who have become vegans cannot eat this dish. Kimchi has also been processed to suit this special soup.  Today, I would like to introduce the recipe to make this soup in your kitchen. For the Ramen noodles, it is up to each individual to make choices. The traditional Ramen noodles use wheat noodles or udon noodles. Instant noodles can be used if other noodles are not available. Kimchi can be bought in Korean or Japanese grocers, but most American grocers now also sell Kimchi as part of an Asian cuisine.

Ingredients:

1/2 tbs peanut oil

1/2 tsp sesame oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 ginger knob, peeled and minced

1/2 tsp Korean hot paste

1/2 tsp Korean chili powder

1/2 cup Kimchi (I used Kimchi sold in Costco)

2 cups water or vegetable broth

2 tbs Miso paste

Other seasonings: 

Salt, pepper, and sugar according to your taste

Ramen noodles or instant noodles 

The topping is up to the individual’s choice, such as egg, pork, chicken or beef

Green onions, chopped

Directions:

Cut Kimchi into bite-size pieces.

Cook noodles according to the directions on the outside of the package.

Heat both sesame oil and peanut oil in a Korean pot.

Add ginger and garlic. Cook until fragrant (about 1 minute). Stir in the Kimchi for a few minutes.

Add Korean chili powder and chili paste.

Add broth and bring to boil. Add Miso and start seasoning the broth.

When the broth is boiling, add noodles and green onions.

The soup is now ready.

If you want meat, add the meat when you add the broth.

Break an egg after adding noodles.

If you like white onion, you can add white onion as well. 

Tip:

If you enjoy this recipe, you should buy a Korean hot pot. There are different sizes – from a small one for individuals to the large one for large families. 

 

Vegetable Ragout

Lagu or French ragout is a dish from France, but today, when it comes to Vietnam, it has been Vietnamesed and has become a familiar dish on the tables as well as the daily meal of Vietnamese families. For a vegetarian cuisine, lagu is like a love song of vegetables. It is a combination of many types of vegetables and depending on the taste of each family, use whichever vegetables are appropriate. This dish can be served with vermicelli or rice, but it is especially suitable for bread. For this recipe, because I like white beans, I added them here to give this veggie some extra protein.

Ingredients: 

12 oz  bls of combination of fresh mushrooms 

baby Portebela mushrooms, button mushrooms, oyster mushrooms

5 dry shiitake mushrooms

Vegetables:

2 carrots

1/2 chayote

1/2 cup sweet peas

1/2 white onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

3 taro or potatoes (optional) 

Broth ingredients:

2 ripe tomatoes, chopped

1 cup tomato sauce

6 cups water or vegetable broth

2 cups cooked white beans

Seasonings:

Salt, sugar, mushroom seasoning, soy sauce, and black pepper

Garnish with chopped cilantro

Directions:

Soak dry mushrooms for 1 hour. Then drain. Cut into quarters.

Cut fresh mushrooms into quarters.

Peel carrots and chayote and cut into 1 inch thick chunks.

Peel potatoes, then cut into quarters and steam.

Put oil in the pan on the stove. Heat the pan for onions and garlic and fry until fragrant, then add the diced tomatoes and stir well.

When the tomatoes are soft, add the tomato sauce to the pan.  Start seasoning with adding 2 teaspoons of vegetarian seasoning + 2 teaspoons of soy sauce + 1.5 teaspoons of sugar to the pan.

Add 6 cups of water and some of the water that was used to cook the beans. Add carrots.

Bring to boil for 5 minutes and add the rest of vegetables and mushrooms. Bring back to boil; Adjust the seasoning to your liking.

Cook for 20 minutes, then add cooked beans and cooked potatoes or taro.

Turn off the heat.  The lagu is ready to serve. Ladle the ragu into a bowl and sprinkle with chopped cilantro.

Tips:

Carrots or any root vegetables can be cut to have the shape of flowers. Cut into pieces as you like. Sliced ​​​​potatoes can be cooked first.

If serving lagu with bread, then mix 1/4 cup cornstach with 1/4 cup water and add this thickening at the last minutes of cooking time. 

Greek Raisin Almond Cake

Are you looking for an easy cake recipe?  You have come to the right place because this is a blog that has many easy recipes for making cake for people that baking is not their strong suit. I am one of them, so I have been looking for easy recipes to make muffins, etc..that don't require professional skills but are still delicious and that will surely bring a lot of compliments.  If you already have yogurt and milk that are nearing their expiration dates, instead of having to throw them away, this recipe will solve this problem.

 Ingredients:

Wet ingredients:

2 eggs

1/2 cup nonfat Greek yogurt

1/3 cup oil

1/4 cup nonfat milk

3/4 cup to 1 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

Dry ingredients:

2 cups self-rising flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 cup raisins

1/3 cup sliced almonds

Directions:

Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit the bottom of an 8” x 8” baking dish and spray the paper with vegetable oil. 

Preheat oven to 350°.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine all the wet ingredients and use a handheld beater to beat them well.

Sift the flour and baking soda into the wet mixture and use the beater on low motion to combine them well.

Add the raisins and mix well.

Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan. Top with almond slices.

Bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

Let cool and enjoy.

Easy Soy Sauce Chicken

Chicken is one of the easiest foods to prepare; it can be combined with many spices and vegetables that can transform it into many delicious dishes, especially steamed chicken. Today, I will introduce you to a new recipe - steamed chicken with soy sauce and simple ingredients, but it is extremely easy to make. The steamed chicken is a Chinese dish that uses the whole chicken. However, the sauce, which is also called the master sauce, used to marinate the whole chicken will be reused many times in the Chinese restaurant. In the home kitchen, the soy sauce chicken should be much easier to prepare, so everyone can make it in a small kitchen. It is also fairly simple. Just marinate the chicken with soy sauce and then steam it to have a very attractive dish with tender meat and a rich taste for your family meal. However, to make it simpler, chicken thighs can be used as a substitute for a whole chicken for a small group of your family members. Even though, with a smaller version of this recipe, the results are also very delicious. This dish can be steamed, baked in the oven, or boiled in a small pot. Sauce after steaming or boiling can be used with this chicken as a dipping sauce.

Ingredients:

3 chicken thighs

1 tbs blackstrap molasses*

1 tsp salt

Sauce ingredients:

1 cup water

2 tbs sugar

1 tbs oyster sauce

1 tbs cooking wine

2 garlic cloves, sliced

1 small piece ginger, peeled and sliced

3 stalks of green onion, cut into 2 inch lengths

2 star anise

1 small cinnamon stick

2 bay leaves

Directions:

Wash and rinse the chicken well and pat dry.

Rub the chicken with salt and molasses and let the chicken marinate for 1 hour.

Combine the sauce ingredients in a bowl and set aside.

In a large sauce pan, grill the chicken on both sides (about 3 minutes on each side).

Then pour the sauce into the pan and bring to a boil. Turn the heat to simmer; cover the pan with the lid and cook for 30 minutes or until the chicken is done. 

You can try to poke a sharp knife into the meat, and a liquid should come out clear.

Serve with cooked rice.