Mini upside down cakes

I had a 2 overly ripe pluots. Not quite enough for a full upside down cake recipe. I halved the ingredients from Butter + Cream, making 12 upside down cakes. In the future, I might use more batter, to avoid scrapping the bowl for every last bit!



Topping (for 12 mini-cakes, would use even less)
1 1/2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
2 plouts
9 cherries
1/2 banana

Cake
3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 teaspoons baking powder
pinch salt
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/3 granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg, at room temperature
1/4 cup rice milk, at room temperature


Prepare topping: Melt butter in saucepan, add brown sugar until incorporated. Line cupcake tin with liners, and spoon in sugar mixture. Add fruit: 2 slices pluot; 3 slices of banana; 3-4 cherry halves.


Prepare cake: Preheat oven to 350C. In a medium bowl, mix flour, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk butter and sugar until fluffy. Add vanilla and egg until incorporated. Add milk.

Spoon mixture into cake liners. Bake for 20-22 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes, then remove and let cool on racks.

Strawberry cream cake

Quite possibly the prettiest thing I've made.

Layered angel food cake with strawberries + vanilla pudding with fresh whipped cream + whipped cream.


Finished with a light layer of whipped cream.

Shrimp wonton soup

This soup was really easy to make, but a bit time consuming. Worth it!

The broth was prepared in a crock pot. Water, chicken bouillon, and pork bones at high for 2 hours then low for 3 hours.

Shrimp was run under cold water for 10 minutes, de-shelled, and de-veined. Chopped and mixed with scallions, ginger, 1 tsp sesame oil, 1 tsp fish sauce, salt and pepper. Cover and chill for at least 1 hour.



Place 3-4 pieces of shrimp onto a wonton, and gather corners to the top and twist. My wontons were made from spinach wraps, although I don't really taste a difference. Cook in boiling water until wontons float.



Serve with sliced cabbage, onions, cilantro, and scallions.

Salt toasted tofu

Drain water from tofu. Wrap with paper towels and a kitchen towel, then place a pan on top. Let sit for 20 minutes.

In a large bowl, add corn starch, 2 tsp garlic granules, 1 tsp ground ginger, and 1/2 tsp salt. Toss in cubed tofu. If needed, add more corn starch so the tofu is completely covered.

Heat pan at medium high with canola oil. Cook tofu in batches, not too crowded. Some recipes call for cooking on each side for a few minutes. I cooked one side for 4 minutes, then continually stirred until all sides were golden. Place in separate bowl.

Heat pan at medium high with olive oil. Cook onions and garlic until soft, then add tofu. Toss in scallions until soft. Season if desired.

Dressing up a burger

Toasted bun, organic tomatoes, avocado, and caramelized onions (instructions below).


Heat pan at medium high with a generous amount of olive oil. Add sliced onions and stir so all are covered in oil. Cook, stirring every 10 minutes for 30-40 minutes. I added some salt and sugar, but that is not necessary.

Potato flake crusted snapper

I was not able to capture this dinner in the image, you'll just have to trust it was delicious! Improved over first attempt.

Remove skin from snapper. Rub with olive oil and press instant potato flakes until well covered. Season with salt and pepper and cook on medium high, 3-4 minutes on each side.

Greens with raspberry vinaigrette:
In a bowl, add equal parts olive oil and balsamic vinegar with 1 tsp - 1 tbsp raspberry preserves. Whisk until thick. Cut a chunk of ginger and smash to expose juice. Add to dressing until ready to serve.

Herbed potatoes
Heat oven to 450 C. Toss cubed potatoes with olive oil, salt, pepper, and old bay. Cook for 20 minutes, flip, and cook for another 12-15 minutes.

Pan-seared herbed fish

Mix 2 tablespoons of dried garlic and ginger with 1 teaspoon of cumin, coriander, and paprika. Add 1 tablespoon at a time of water to form a paste. Spread over talapia fillets, both sides.

Heat olive oil at medium high, and cook both sides for about 3 minutes each. Season with salt and pepper.

Served on a bed on spinach with steamed broccoli and lime wedges.

Shrimp Tacos

De-shell shrimp and toss with menudo and taco seasonings. Cover and chill.


Stir fry onions until cooked, add green peppers and mushrooms. Add shrimp and cook until firm. Add cabbage and green onions. I was still lacking some flavor, so I added tomato and cilantro seasoning. Season with salt and pepper, served with jalepeno tortillas and lime slices.


My veggies were a little overcooked

French toast with berry sauce

Another french toast entry.

In a shallow dish, whisk 1 large egg with ~2/3 cup milk (I used rice milk). Add some cinnamon and 1/4 teaspoon vanilla. Place bread in mixture, about 5 minutes on each side.



Heat oil at medium high. Cook on each side for 2-3 minutes or until golden brown. I prefer mine cooked a little longer.

For the sauce, simply blend strawberries, blackberries, and blueberries with some lime juice until smooth.

Drizzle sauce over toast. Serve with fruit and prosciutto.

Raspberry Cornmeal Pancakes

The almond oil adds a great flavor to these cornbread cakes.

Modified from ReadyMade and Eat, Drink, and be Vegan

1/2 cup oat flour
1/4 cup cornmeal
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/3 tsp salt
> 3/4 cup hazelnut milk
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp maple syrup
1/4 tsp almond oil
1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup frozen raspberries

1. Stir dry ingredients

2. In a separate bowl, whisk milk, oils, syrup, and vinegar. Stir in to dry mixture until just combined. Lumps are ok, but DON'T OVERMIX! Add raspberries.

3. Coat pan with canola oil and heat at medium high. Pour in batter.

4. Cook for about 2-3 minutes, turning when edges brown.



These portions gave about 3 4-inch pancakes. Only one is shown in the picture - I still need to work on my flipping skills.

Enjoy!