Lemon Coconut Loaf

 

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Coconut and lemon are a match made in heaven, and when that match is a dense crumbed, delicious and butter-less lemon loaf, well you may as well skip the rest of this and head straight to the recipe. But before you do, let me just point out that this is one of those cakes you need to have in your repertoire of baking. A slight variation on an otherwise very simple lemon yoghurt cake, the coconut and honey add a surprisingly decadent flavour and the ground almonds give the cake the perfectly dense texture similar to a pound cake ladened with butter…except there is none, so you can eat another piece, right?

Make this cake ahead and it stores well in the fridge for a couple of days but like many baked goods, it’s best moments are when it’s pulled straight from the oven, slathered with soft butter and served with a cup of tea.

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Ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup ground almonds
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup sugar
2 tbsp honey
2 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest
1 tbsp lemon juice
3/4 cup whole-milk Greek yogurt
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup sweetened desiccated coconut

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  • Preheat oven to 350/180C. Line a nonstick loaf pan with parchment paper
  • In a bowl combine flour, ground almonds, baking powder and salt. Whisk to combine.
  • In a separate bowl combine sugar and lemon zest, rubbing the mixture together. Add yogurt, honey, lemon juice, vegetable oil, and vanilla. Add eggs, one at a time, whisking to combine.
  • Fold the dry ingredients into the egg mixture, finishing with the coconut.
  • Pour into the loaf tin and bake for 45-50 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. If you find it’s browning too quickly, tent with tin foil. Remove from the tin and allow to cool slightly before digging in.

 

 

Green Curry Chicken and Ginger Quinoa

Processed with VSCOcam with c1 presetBusy schedules often leave little time for cooking, and when we do have a moment to spare we like to try and keep it simple. There is nothing more simple than a protein packed dinner of quinoa and chicken, both of which can be prepared ahead of time. The best thing about this recipe is the marinade for the chicken. Spicy green curry with creamy coconut and Thai basil imparts the most flavour if it sits overnight. Paired with zesty quinoa that’s packed with fresh herbs and citrus yogurt, the simplicity and freshness of this dish makes it the perfect midweek meal.

Serve together with our Best Asian Slaw

Green Curry Chicken Skewers with Ginger Quinoa
Serves 4

Chicken Marinade:
4 (150g) skinless chicken breasts, sliced
50 mL coconut cream
2 tbsp. green curry paste
1 tbsp. Thai basil, roughly chopped
1 tbsp. fresh mint, roughly chopped
½ lime, juiced
Salt and pepper
1 package of bamboo skewers, soaked in water for 30 minutes

Quinoa
380 g (2 cups) quinoa
500 mL (2 cups) water or chicken stock
1 tbsp. coconut oil
1 tbsp. fresh ginger, finely grated
1 lime, juiced
2 tsp. honey
2 tbsp. good quality extra virgin olive oil
1 avocado, cut into cubes
2 tbsp. fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
2 tbsp. fresh mint, roughly chopped
1 tbsp. Thai basil, roughly chopped
Salt and pepper

Lime Yoghurt
125 g (½ cup) plain Greek yoghurt
1 lime, juiced
½ lime zest
Salt and pepper

Preparation: Chicken marinade and Quinoa can both be made one day ahead.

Chicken

  • Combine the coconut cream; curry paste, Thai basil, mint, lime juice and chicken filets. Season with salt and pepper, cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight
  • Preheat oven to a hot grill (broil) and prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper. Skewer each slice of chicken and arrange them on the baking tray, place in the oven and cook for 5-7 minutes, until the flesh is no longer pink.

Quinoa

  • Rinse the quinoa in a colander to remove excess starches
  • Place the quinoa and water in a medium sized pot, bring to the boil, cover and reduce to a simmer.
  • Cook for 12-14 minutes until the water has absorbed. Place a cloth over the pot and cover with the lid for 2-3 minutes to absorb excess water. Fluff with a fork
  • Add the coconut oil, honey, ginger, salt and pepper to taste, allow to cool slightly
  • *Toss with fresh herbs and avocado, drizzle with olive oil before serving

Yoghurt

  • Place all ingredients in a bowl, whisk to combine and refrigerate until ready to use

*If making the quinoa a day ahead, keep the avocado out until ready to serve as it will oxidize and brown quickly