Cassava Cake

A childhood friend just sent me a message asking for the recipe for Cassava cake we made when we were growing up.  This cake brings a lot of lovely childhood memories.  I remember fixing it with my girlfriends Joy, Gigi and Maita.  We had fun grating the cassava and making all kinds of mistakes in putting this recipe together.  

In the Philippines, we make everything from scratch.  You grate the cassava, squeeze the excess liquid and just use the cassava flesh. This is a very easy recipe (except for the grating part).  It is also gluten free.

This is also my brother's favorite dessert, along with another sweet dessert, Leche Flan.

Ingredients

Cake

4 c grated cassava (squeeze out all the liquid after grating )

2 eggs, beaten

2/3 c sugar

1 c evaporated milk

1 c fresh milk

1 can coconut cream (if using fresh coconut, this is the first extraction or “kakang gata”)

¼ c melted butter

1 cup coconut milk (second extraction), optional – only add if you want a less dense cake.

Topping/Custard

1 can condensed milk

2 tbsp corn starch

1 cup coconut cream

2 eggyolks, beaten

Grated cheese, optional

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F or 180 degrees C

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients.

Grease a 13 x 9 inch pan (some people just line it with aluminum foil).  Pour the mixture and bake for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted (in the middle, or thickest part of the cake) comes out clean.

Prepare the custard topping.

In a small bowl, dissolve the cornstarch in the condensed milk and set aside.

Combine condensed milk with cornstarch and coconut cream in a saucepan.  Bring to boil in medium low fire, stirring constantly.

Place beaten egg yolks in a small ball.  Slowly add custard mixture (one tablespoon at a time) to temper the eggs and not curdle it.  Add egg yolk mixture back to the saucepan stirring constantly.  Cook for 2 minutes.

Add the custard after the cake is done baking. You can add grated cheese on top if you desire.  Put it back in the oven and set the oven on “broil”.  Bake for another 10 minutes or until the custard turns slightly brown.

Let the cake cool down before slicing.

Tips

If you are using fresh cassava, make sure that you do not grate the hard stem in the middle.  Grate around it.

Squeeze out the liquid and discard it.  The liquid that is extracted is bitter and we don’t want it to affect the taste of our cake.

When you broil the custard, make sure you watch your oven.  Some ovens are too hot and it can burn your cake.  I leave my oven slightly open every time I set it on broil.

Shrimp with Lemony Couscous

This dish is one of those that my dear husband could fix by himself. We usually cook together.  One day he surprised me with this recipe that he saw in one of my magazines.  The very night he made it, I was so impressed and he was so proud of himself.  It is so nice to come home with dinner already on the table.

The different textures and flavors in this dish are very pleasing.  It is so flavorful but yet so light.

It is so simple, and quick to put together but yet so good!!!!  This dish could be done in under 30 minutes.  Give it a try.

For a vegetarian version, leave out the shrimp.

Ingredients

2/3 c couscous

3/4 c boiling seafood or vegetable broth (substitute - boiling water)

3 tbsps extra virgin olive oil, divided

1 lb. shelled and deveined medium shrimp

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper

2 tbsps unsalted butter

1 15-ounce can butter beans, rinsed and drained

2 tbsps capers

1 1/2 tbsps fresh lemon juice

1 tbsp chopped parsley

Directions

Preparing the Couscous

In a pot with lid, stir the couscous with the boiling liquid.  Cover with a lid and steam for 5 minutes.  Fluff with a fork.

Cooking the Shrimp

Heat 2 tbsp of the olive oil in a non-stick pan.

Make sure that your heat is on medium high. Add the shrimps and and crushed red pepper and cook until golden, around 3-4 minutes. Transfer shrimps to a plate.

Add butter to the pan.  Add the beans, capers and lemon juice and cook for 2 minutes.

Add the bean mixture, chopped parsley and the remaining olive oil to the couscous and mix.  Season with salt and pepper.

Top with shrimps and serve.

*Adapted from Food & Wine Magazine February 2013