Summer Cake, Simple Lunch

Sacrificing virgin coconut oil. With my apartment’s thin windows chilling the kitchen, my coconut oil was in the solid phase. To utilize it for a summer-inspired Bahama cake, I let her toast ‘er bottom on my stovetop, very briefly. Anyone who’s ever had a bowl of pyrex [or multiple glass kettles] explode on the burner knows very well how to monitor things like this. Otherwise, wear goggles.

Yes! Flour turnover! After having half a box of cake flour [Softasilk] sit in the cupboard since I 2009’s father’s day cake [here], it was time to cut my dwindling all-purpose flour with some of its fine graininess. I added more of this flour mixture than advised in the recipe, given the texture difference.

I buy a bunch of bananas… sometimes to create fruit flies, sometimes to mash in breads, muffins and pancakes but seemingly never to eat completely. Freshdirect does not let you buy half a bunch and the size of their nanners varies with no rhyme or reason. Lesson learned. Buy the bananas buy the piece from the guys on the street. Here I made the recipe into a layer cake by layering half the batter with banana slices.

On top of layer one, some unsweetened coconut I’ve been hoping to use. May have to make some cookies next week as I have 1/4 of a bag left.

Baking time was way off from recipe in light of my layers and flour substitution. I also poured some pineapple juice into the batter because I just happened to be drinking it and thought it fitting. Here is the messy, delicious outcome. The bananas inside were steamed beautiful pink as the layers around them baked. Like Khao Tom Mad, my beloved treat from Thailand.

My sweet treat for the week is done!

For the week’s lunch, I broke the awesome tofu press I got for Christmas and gave the brick a good squeeze. This thing is a real investment for tofu lovers. It also helps you marinate. Did I blog about this gadget in the past? I can’t remember. Anyway, it’s the TofuXpress.

A simple lasagna for the week: 4 portions because I eat Thai every Monday. No fake meat, no fake cheese– just whole wheat noodles, marinara and a zesty basil tofu ricotta. Lasagna reheats so well that I want to flash-forward to Thursday. Ok, that’s not the only reason I want to flash-forward to Thursday! Happy Monday to all!