Gluten Free Coconut Pie

The past two months, I have been studying for the PhD qualifying exams: the first step of becoming a full fledge PhD. This exam consists of a review of all the topics covered in my undergraduate study in physics. I have to admit that it is not always easy to study and solve physics problems continuously throughout the whole day, and still manage to squeeze in some time for food blogging. I still have 5 days to prepare myself before the exam. Here is a picture of the books I have studying the past months.

I will leave you with this pie which will sure satisfy all my viewers. This dessert has only four ingredients: easy to make, requires no fancy or hard-to-find ingredients. You can think of this pie as an extended version of my gluten-free coconut macaroons.

Serves 8
Modified from Delicious WordFlux
Preparation Time: 10 mins
Baking Time: 25 mins
Printable Recipe

Ingredients

4 eggs
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 1/2 cups unsweetened coconut flakes
3 tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp lemon zest

Procedure

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a 9'' spring form pan with butter and coat with flour.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk eggs and add in condensed milk, coconut flakes, lemon juice and zest.

3. Pour mixture to the prepared pan. Bake for 25 mins until golden.

4.  Cool completely. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Serve.

Gluten Free Nutella Chocolate Cake

Did you know that February 5th is Nutella Day? I actually didn't know there were such event, it seems that it has been running successfully for 5 years. You can read about this event on World Nutella Day. I knew about Nutella Day because of the many tweets and blog posts spammed that day. I love the fact that they share their love for Nutella and the number of amazing desserts using Nutella as an ingredient.

I don't recall using Nutella as an ingredient, the last time was used as a frosting for the banana-reese cupcake or as a filling for crêpes. Looking through hundreds of Nutella recipes, one recipe title catches my eyes before reading the recipe in details: Flourless Nutella Chocolate Cake made by the host of Nutella Day, Sara of Ms. Adventures in Italy.

At first glance, I was questioning myself, how can this cake be made without flour? In fact, flour gives the structure, texture and shape to the cake, so without any flour, another ingredient must play its role. It is only when I was making this cake that Nutella is actually a good substitute because of its thick texture. I was very surprised of the results when I took the cake out of the oven. One bite is all it takes to blow your mind away. The texture is not like any dessert that I tried before. I can say that the texture is between a brownie and a mousse; it is rich, silky, chocolate-y, Nutella-ish and satisfying. 

Makes 1 cake
Adapted from Ms. Adventures in Italy
Preparation Time: 15 mins
Baking Time: 25-30 mins
Printable Recipe

Ingredients

3/4 cup butter
3 oz. bittersweet chocolate (Baker's Chocolate)
about 3/4 cup Nutella (or any hazelnut spread)
1/3 cup sugar (or a bit less)
5 eggs, separated
1 tsp instant espresso powder
1 pinch cream of tartar

Procedure

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Butter a 9-inch springform pan and lightly coated with cocoa powder.

2. Cut butter and chocolate into chunks. In a double boiler, melt butter and chocolate.

3. Add Nutella to the melted chocolate and stir until a mousse-like texture is reached.

4. In a large bowl, beat egg yolks and gradually whisk in the sugar until thick and pale. Using a rubber spatula, add chocolate mixture to egg yolks and stir until combined.

5. Mix in the espresso powder.

6. Using an electric mixer, beat egg whites until it starts to foam. Add in cream of tartar and beat until stiff peaks. As a test, the egg whites should not fall if you invert the bowl.

7. Incorporate 1/4 of the egg whites into the Nutella chocolate mixture. Fold in the remaining egg whites, 1/3 of egg whites at a time until incorporated.

8. Pour mixture to the prepared springform pan.

9. Bake for 25-30 until it passes the toothpick test. Let it cool for 10 mins. Release pan and serve.

Guacamole with Baked Tortilla Chips

What is your favorite Mexican dish? When it comes to Mexican night, there is no doubt that guacamole should be in the menu. Guacamole is so versatile that there is a million possible ways to make it.  It can be very spicy or mild, chunky or mashed, and made with lots or little seasoning. I guess that the best guacamole is the one personally made by you, the one that represents yourself. 

As an experimental physicist, I do enjoy playing with flavors and see whether or not they will satisfy my palette. Guacamole is one of these dishes that it is almost impossible to mess up as no cooking is required. It is all about combining fresh ingredients. 

Here is some general facts to remember in making a good guacamole. Always use ripe avocados. For ripeness check, avocado will yield when a gentle squeeze is applied. If not ready, one can quickly ripen the avocados by wrapping it in aluminium foil and place it in a dry and warm/hot spot (Mexican trick). The process can vary between 1-2 days. Tomatoes are essential to provide a fresh and juicy taste. I personally prefer white onion as it yields lots of flavors without overpowering the other ingredients. I don't really like spicy food so no chili peppers are added. Finally, salt is the key to enhance all these flavors.

For a healthier option, don't buy chips at your local supermarket, instead buy some flour tortillas and make your own homemade tortilla chips. Healthy and simple!

Serves 6

Preparation Time: 10 mins

Baking Time: 6-8 mins (tortilla chips)
Printable Recipe

Ingredients

8 flour tortillas, cut into 6 triangles

8 ripe avocados, seeded

1 medium tomatoes, diced

1 medium white onion, diced

1 lime, juiced

1 tsp salt

Procedure

1. Preheat oven to 375F. 

2. Line aluminum foil on a cookie sheet. Bake tortillas for 6-8 mins until golden brown and crispy.

3. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine avocados, tomatoes, white onion and lime juice. Mash it with a fork until desired texture. Add salt to taste.

4. Remove tortilla chips from the oven and cool for 1 min before serving.

No-Cream Creamy Broccoli Soup

Potatoes are a versatile ingredient to have in your pantry. Since it is considered as a starch (not a vegetable), you can use it as a thickener to give a creamy texture to the soup. This creamless broccoli soup can easily fool you and your guests for a cream of broccoli soup. This soup requires only three main ingredients, making it vegan, dairy-free and gluten-free. Tip: if the soup is too salty, add more steamed broccoli instead of water.

Serves 6
Preparation Time: 10 mins
Cooking time: 20 mins
Printable Recipe

Ingredients

1 large russet potato, peeled and cubed
3-4 broccolis, chopped
3 1/2 cups vegetable stock
Salt and Pepper to taste

Procedure

1. In a large pot, combine potatoes, broccolis and vegetable stock. Cover and bring it to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 20 mins or until potatoes are soft.

2. Purée mixture with an immersion blender. Season with salt and pepper. Serve.

Gluten Free Coconut Macaroons

When I heard about gluten-free products, I thought it was a way for food industry to make more money. Once I heard from someone who is gluten intolerance, it is very serious matter and I was surprised that 15% of the population is affected.

I received this recipe from a visiting Swiss couple who started their research recently in physics. I was glad that they shared this recipe because these best macaroons are the best without the use of flour. Usually, in macaroons, flour is a required ingredient. For those are who in a gluten-free diet, you can finally taste something that is baked. I'm usually the type who loves to share food to hard-working students when I make extras at home. Everyone enjoyed it. This recipe consists of simply 5 ingredients and I baked myself to make sure that it tastes good.

Makes 32 macaroons

Preparation Time : 10 mins

Baking Time : 15-20 mins
Printable Recipe

Ingredients

3 eggs

1/2 cup sugar

pinch of salt

3 tbsp lemon juice

250g sweetened shredded coconut (small or medium-sized)

Procedure

1. Preheat oven to 325F. Line a parchment paper on a 11'' x 17'' baking pan.

2. In a medium bowl, combine eggs, sugar and salt. Beat until foamy and all the sugar is dissolved.

3. Add in the shredded coconut and lemon juice. Let it soak for 10 mins. If using unsweetened shredded cocunut, add an additional 3 tbsp sugar.

4. Scoop a tablespoonful of soaked coconut and transfer it to the baking pan.

5. Bake for 15-20 mins or until golden.