Lemon Loaf, with Lavender or Otherwise (dairy-free)

Shhh, ignore the bad photography and aluminium pan... 

I've procrastinated on posting this recipe for a while because, let's face it, this isn't a very pretty loaf in pictures. I'd say it looks better in person, and also once I get a chance to explain why it's got all those green flecks in it- I use homemade lavender sugar, which contains more leaf than flower (both have the characteristic taste and aroma, and my mum puts the whole sprigs into the sugar).

I was actually worried when I made this that people would be too weirded out to try it, but fortunately nobody was- and it turned out to be extremely popular! I mostly came up with this recipe because I had a few odds and ends of baking supplies left before moving, and I wanted something to use them all up. Since I had lemons, coconut milk, pastry flour and my mother's homemade lavender sugar, I went for this loaf.

I think what really sold me on this recipe being a success is that I got requests for the recipe- always the best compliment to me! And really, it did turn out very good. It's moist, lemony, fluffy, aromatic, and lightly crusted in a glaze that is easy to make but was the subject of many compliments. The lack of special ingredients or equipment makes this a good anywhere-anytime recipe for the arsenal.

Lemon (Lavender) Loaf
Adapted from Allrecipes.com

1 1/2 C. Cake flour
1 1/2 Tsp. Baking powder
1/2 Tsp. Salt
1 C. Sugar
2-3 Tsp. Dried lavender flowers or finely chopped leaves, or another complimentary flavour of your choice (1/2 C. dried cranberries, shredded coconut, 1 C. fresh blueberries...)
1/3 C. Neutral cooking oil, such as canola
1/2 C. Full-fat coconut milk
2 Eggs
3 TBSP lemon juice
Zest of one lemon, or 1-2 Tsp. Lemon extract
1 Tsp. Vanilla extract

For the Glaze:
1/3 C. Powder sugar
1-2 TBSP Hot water
1 Tsp. Lemon extract, or zest

Preheat oven to 180 and grease a 8" x 4" loaf pan. 

Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Separately, beat together the sugar and oil, then add the eggs, coconut milk, lemon zest and juice, and vanilla. 

Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix until just combined, adding any additional flavourings of your choice at this point. Pour into the pan and bake for 1- 1 1/2 hours, or until a toothpick inserted deeply comes out clean. Remove from the pan after 10-15 minutes.

For the glaze, whisk the hot water into the sugar one spoonful at a time, along with the lemon extract/zest. Adjust until the thickness is about that of heavy cream. Pour half onto the cake after it has cooled for only 10 minutes, then the rest about 15 minutes after that to ensure you get a nice "shell" of glaze.

Forbidden Rice Porridge with Mung Beans, Coconut Milk and Ginger

I have a small reserve of the somewhat expensive forbidden rice in my pantry. Because of its price, I don't often use it- but recently I remembered it and thought to myself that it would be awful if I let it go stale because of that very stinginess. I decided to try making it into a porridge of sorts, since that's one of my favourite things to do when I've got extra coconut milk lying about as I did. I also had a small pot of ginger puree and a bag of organic mung beans- I already knew that combining a grain, a pulse, sugar and coconut milk was typically delicious. Why not try these together?

Needless to say, it worked. I think that to save time, I'd try soaking the rice and mung beans overnight next time, so that breakfast doesn't take an hour to cook. Still, the rice was just soft enough with a bit of bite remaining, and went well with the earthy mung beans, creamy coconut milk and bright ginger. I also added some peanuts for texture and another flavour layer, but I've got a feeling that some other toppings would be good, too- namely sliced finger bananas or toasted dried coconut.

I didn't sweeten the porridge too much, since it was intended to be breakfast rather than a dessert. Overall, it's got a good bit of nutrition in with the superb taste. Forbidden rice is a whole grain, and it pairs with the mung beans for optimal digestion. The debate on the health benefits versus antagonisms of coconut milk rages eternally, but it does contain a good amount of nutrients and beneficial fats, and is generally considered a good thing to consume in moderation, especially in the place of dairy cream.

Next time I find black glutinous rice, I'll try it in a similar fashion to compare the textural outcomes. So many kinds of rice, so little time!

Forbidden Rice Porridge

1/2 C. Forbidden rice
2 1/2 C. Water
Pinch of salt
2-3 TBSP Sugar, or 8-9 pieces of rock sugar
1/3 C. Hulled mung beans
2/3 C. Coconut milk, plus extra to top
1 Tsp. Ginger, Grated, or a large toonie-sized slice
Crushed peanuts to top, optional

Rinse the rice and bring it to a boil with the water, along with the salt. Cook for 20 minutes, covered.

Rinse the mung beans and add. Cook for another 15-20 minutes, covered, or until both ingredients are tender.

Uncover and add the sugar and coconut milk, along with the ginger coin if using. Cook for 5-10 minutes, or until some of the moisture is evaporated and the porridge is thickened. 

Add grated ginger, if using. Take off the heat and let sit, covered, for 10 minutes.

Serve in small bowls topped with coconut milk and peanuts, if desired.