Big Tree Farms Coconut Palm Sugar with Vanilla, 8.5-Ounce Boxes (Pack of 3)
Palm Sugar is naturally low on the Glycemic Index (GI = 35)
Big Tree Farms Coconut Palm Sugar with Vanilla, 8.5-Ounce Boxes (Pack of 3)
Kettle Corn
(minus the refined sugar)
Ok, so I really like kettle corn. But I’m trying not to eat refined sugar so I thought I’d try making it with coconut palm sugar instead—and it turned out PDG (pretty damn good).
Three tips:
Despite my stature, I am not a big dessert person but there is one dessert that I absolutely adore thanks to my time in Asia and that’s CHENDOL!!! The dessert’s basic ingredients consist of coconut milk, a green pandan leaf string jelly, red bean, shaved ice grass jelly, attap seeds and palm sugar. That final ingredient is the kicker, the “Gula Melaka” is a dark brown sugar syrup that tastes like gold - think of it as deep, caramel molasses.
CHENDOL has become a quintessential part of cuisine in Southeast Asia and is often sold by vendors at roadsides, hawker centers and food courts. Originally sold warm, it is possible that each country developed its own recipes once ice became readily available. Also, the affluence of Singapore, as well as Western influence, has given rise to different variations of CHENDOL. One can occasionally come across variants such as CHENDOL with vanilla ice-cream or CHENDOL topped with durian (no thanks). In Malaysia and Indonesia, CHENDOL is commonly sold on the roadside by vendors. It is even dessert fare in Singapore, found in dessert stalls, food centres, coffee shops and food courts.
Know, I know what you are thinking: Beans in dessert? What the hell is a pandan leaf? Why all that jelly? Trust me, it may sound off but it tastes amazing and it truly is the one dessert I can have over and over again. So if you are ever traveling through Indonesia, Malaysia or Singapore, do yourself a favor and grab a CHENDOL, you won’t be disappointed!
[Thanks to Wikipedia for some of the details]
Palm Sugar And Coconut Milk Jelly
Very young Cambodian palm sugar maker, plying her trade in Siem Reap, Cambodia
The big 29 is coming up next month and it will be my second birthday on a restricted diet. When you suffer from food intolerances it’s easy to accept that there are things you just can’t eat. Nobody likes to get sick, especially on their birthday. Finding gluten free products is much easier these days as more and more people are discovering an allergy to it or choosing to stay away from it for health reasons. However, finding products that are gluten, corn, dairy, yeast, xanthan gum and sugar free is just about impossible. This year I have decided to take on the challenge! And thanks to Alea and her blog at My Real Food Life, my hopes of having delicious baked goods have been restored! I have decided to start out with her Gluten Free Vegan Vanilla cupcakes. So, the concept is pretty simple- cupcake, lemon frosting, raspberry/strawberry filling. It’s worth a shot.
What freaks me out about, we’ll just call it, “restricted baking?”
stocking my cupboards-while it’s not exactly cheap to eat allergen free, gradually collecting the necessary items is definitely the way to go.
anything “complicated” - I like to keep things simple. Using unfamiliar ingredients can get a little overwhelming. I mean what is agar agar powder anyway? I like to think simplicity comes with practice. This was more than worth it.
how careful is corn-free careful? - can I really leaven my baked goods without corn? With a little Wiki research here’s what I found.
I decided to start out with the raspberry topping as the recipe explained reducing the fruit takes about 90 min. I actually pondered leaving this part out thinking that the lemon frosting would be enough to accent the cake. Boy am I glad I didn’t. Alea described the topping as a process that takes “aaaaages” of work. It wasn’t bad at all. The hardest part was removing the raspberry seeds and with a little bit of patience, this turned out to be, hands down, the best part of the cupcake.
Now I couldn’t have expected everything to go smoothly right? The lemon reduction seemed easy enough. 1 C fresh lemon juice at 30 min - an hour to reduce according to the recipe. I juiced my lemons…
…and got a bit distracted. Damn you Pixel Junk Monsters. Keep your eye on this one. Although I didn’t time the reduction, I am quite confident it took more like 15 min rather than 30-60. My poor lemons turned into a black eye burning char and actually fused to the bottom of my sauce pan! Needless to say I threw the entire thing away. My second try however was a success. And as far as lemons go, I counted 6-7 small ones to a cup of juice.
My favorite find of the day was palm sugar a much better alternative to regular cane sugar or agave. And so yummy!
Palm sugar can be found at your local Asian market in large one lb. cubes for about two bucks. Grating it is a bit of a job but who couldn’t use a little arm workout? This morning I used it in my tea. Mmmmmm……
The basic cupcake is super simple. I blended the wet ingredients in the blender before adding them to the dry, mixed things up in my trusty Kitchen Aid and spooned the batter into the pan. I decided to make mini cupcakes as a pre-birthday teaser I can share with everyone. I used baking cups for half and greased the pan for the other half. The results were a little odd. My cupcakes actually stuck to the baking cups more than the pan. Besides, peeling off the wrapper is a pain. Why go to the effort when you can just pop one in your mouth!
While the cupcakes were baking, I finished off the recipe with the lemon frosting and raspberry topping. Palm oil shortening is amazing. A simple way for us “diet restricted” to have a frosting that holds shape and tastes good. The recipe recommends using the blender but without enough wet ingredients the blades just spin away. Thank God for the Magic Bullet. I swear it really is magic.
There you have it. Gluten, corn, soy, dairy, xanthan, refined sugar free cupcakes. Take that allergies. Oh and if you’re allergic to nuts, Alea provides some alternatives to accommodate. I guess this proves it. We always have options. Thanks Alea. My hopes are fully restored.
Palm sugar ice cream.
Bedazzled by Palm Sugar
— I want to be a copywriter. Available for hire.
Mah Lai Goh @ Seafood Restaurant, Tai O
Another recipe for tofu larb/laab. Use vegetarian fish sauce.
Laab Tofu Recipe
Laab salads are a regular ingredient in many Thai diets, particularly as most Thai meals are made up of a mixture of dishes including a soup, a salad, a meat dish and a vegetable dish. Laabs fall into the “sep” category of Thai food which are characterised by sour and spicy flavours. Most laab salads are made with chicken or pork but we thought we’d share this vegetarian version which is not only extremely healthy but also extra tasty as the tofu readily absorbs the seasoning and literally bursts with flavour when bitten.
Ingredients (for four people)
1/3 cup fresh lime juice (about 3 limes)
2 tablespoons fish sauce
2 teaspoons Thai roasted chilli paste
1 tablespoon palm sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 x 14oz packs of extra firm tofu
3/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
3 cloves garlic (minced)
3 tablespoons minced fresh lemongrass
1 tablespoon thinly sliced Thai chillies
1 cup thinly sliced green onions
1/2 cup chopped fresh coriander leaves
1/3 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
1 - 3 tablespoons roasted rice powder (kao kua)*
Sesame oilMethod
Combine the first five ngredients, stirring until sugar dissolves; set aside.
Spread tofu in a single layer onto several layers of paper towels; cover with additional paper towels. Let stand for 15 minutes, pressing down occasionally.Heat sesame oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions, garlic, lemongrass and chillies; sauté for three minutes. Add tofu; cook for eight minutes or until lightly browned, stirring occasionally. Stir in juice mixture and roasted rice powder; cook for 1 minute or until heated through. Remove from heat; stir in coriander and mint. Serve in cabbage or lettuce leaves.
* If a Thai recipe calls for even a sprinkling of roasted rice powder, don’t be tempted to leave it out. Thai mothers cooking at home wouldn’t dream of skipping it as an ingredient as it not only adds a nutty, toasted flavour that defines certain dishes like laab salads, but also functions as a thickener much like modified starch. It’s best to make up a large batch and keep it in an air-tight container for future use. To make perfect roasted rice powder (kao kua) simply heat a skillet over medium heat and add a handful of Thai glutinous / sticky rice (NOT normal long grain rice) Cook rice until golden brown, for five to 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Transfer to a plate and once it’s cool transfer it to a spice grinder / blender and grind to a fine powder.
