Sweet Potato Cake

Ingredients

Milk 300ml

Sweet potatoes (white flesh sweet potatoes) 250g

Sugar 80g

Pancake Mix 50g

Butter 50g

2 eggs

Method

1. First, bake the potatoes. Preheat the oven to 70-80 degrees. Bake the potatoes for 45 minutes at 70-80 degrees. Increase the temperature to 170 degrees and bake for a further 20 minutes.

2. Carefully remove the potatoes. Once cooled down, peel the skin and put in the food processor. 

3. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.

4. Take an 18cm round cake tin. Rub a little oil/butter on it or onto a cooking sheet which you can place in the tin.

5. Put the rest of ingredients in the food processor and blend until you have a smooth paste.

6. Pour the blended mixture into the cake tin. Bake for 45-55mins in the preheated oven.

7. Once it is baked, leave to cool down and leave in the fridge for a while.

8. And it’s ready to eat!

Tips

·     You can change the quantity of sweet potatoes depending on your taste.

·     I would recommend white flesh sweet potatoes as they are sweeter than other potatoes. However, it’s your choice. 

·     It is quite soft and runny, so I recommend not using a cake tin with a separated base.

The power of aduki beans

Beans, pulses and grains are a vital part of a healthy diet. But they’re even better if you can eat them in a sweet cake…
 
In past blogs, we’ve mentioned the health benefits of green tea, well now it’s the turn of beans to get in on the act - specifically aduki beans. These popular sweet red beans (sometimes known as azuki) are best known as the filling in sweet bean buns. These desserts are a favourite across the whole of Asia. However, being a sweet treat, most people don’t realise that aduki beans (even mashed in a bun) are extremely healthy.
 
In the bean’s grain sprout, there is a nutrient called saponin, which has been reported to help lower cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease. In addition, it has been found that saponin also has anti-inflammatory qualities.
 
Aduki's skin contains numerous members of the Vitamin B family including Vitamin B1, which helps fight fatigue and joint stiffness. Vitamin B1 also contains a variety of minerals and dietary fibre, which can help in regulating your digestive system.
 
Finally, the grains are rich in polyphenols. These can help keep the skin young and radiant. The polyphenols in aduki beans have a powerful antioxidant effect, which can help slow the aging process.
 
So, how do you enjoy the benefits of this remarkable little bean? Well, here’s a recipe for sweet bean buns, that’s an excellent alternative to chocolate cakes or sticky buns. 
 
These buns are perfect with a cup of green tea served in an Iron Kitchen IWACHU teapots.

Sweet aduki bean buns

*** This recipe requires a breadmaker ***

For the buns
280g Strong bread flour
2 tbsp Skimmed milk  
2 tbsp Sugar
1 tbsp Salt
50g Unsalted butter
5g Honey
1 tsp Dry yeast

For the filling
Sweet red beans paste 250-300g (You can buy this in Japanese food stores/ alternatively read the bean paste recipe below)
1 pinch of Sesame seeds
1 beaten egg
 

PREPARATION INSTRUCTIONS

Method
 

1. Get your breadmaker ready
2. Put all the ingredients listed in ‘For the buns’ section above into the bread pan, except for the dry yeast. Please follow the instruction of your bread maker for dry yeast. (Some of the breadmakers might suggest you add dry yeast at the same time.) 
3. Set the breadmaker to Basic Dough programme.
4. When finished, put your finger into the dough and check. If no dough sticks to your finger, it’s ready. 
5. Divide the dough into 12 (around 43g each) shaped round rolls.
6. Leave them covered with a wet towel for 15 minutes.
7. When they are ready, flatten each one with your palm (not too thin). 
8. Measure out 20g of sweet red beans for each one. Place in the middle of the first flattened bun. 
9. Then seal the buns. Hold the edge, pull together and close. Roll around to make it round again.
10. Leave in a warm place (at approx. 40 degrees), covered with a wet towel to rise for 30-40 minutes or until the dough has doubled in size.
11. Coat the rolls with beaten egg using a brush. Also sprinkle some sesame seeds on top.
12. Now bake in a pre-heated oven at 180 degrees for 15 minutes.

 
Tips and points
 
If you put too much sweet red beans paste in the dough, it will burst, so start with 20g. If you are good at making rolls, try to put in more paste and make a really rich one.
 
If you don’t have a Japanese food store near your house and have difficulty getting sweet red bean paste, you can also make it. 
 
Make your own red bean paste:
 
Buy 400g tin of aduki beansin water (available at all large supermarkets)
Empty the beans into a pan, and add 3 tbsp of sugar and 150ml of water. 
Bring the water/bean combo to the boil
Once boiled, turn down to a low heat and simmer until all the water is gone. 
Add a bit of salt and leave it cool.
Then mash the beans down to paste as you like.

Recipe - Green Tea Bread

Delicious Green Tea Bread with used tea leaves

Green Tea Bread

 

After the festive season, you could be a bit a sick of turkey and your stomach could be in need of recovery. So, why not relax and enjoy our green tea bread with a lovely cup of green tea?

As well as tasting great and surprising your friends and relatives, eating green tea leaves helps provide vitamin E and catechins.
 

This dish is perfect with a cup of Sencha served in an Iron Kitchen SENBIKI Green teapot.

Water with used tea leaves together  210g
(Used tea leaves 120 ~ 150g)
 
Strong bread flour  280 g
Skimmed milk  2 tablespoons
Sugar  1 tablespoon
Salt  1 teaspoon
Butter (or olive oil) 10g
Dry yeast 2.7g

(Raisins for English tea bread - optional 120g)
 

Preparation
 
Strain the green tea and have your used tea leaves in Ziploc or plastic bag and keep in the freezer.
You can make bread with green tea only or mix of different kind of tea.


 Method

1. Defrost used tea leaves thoroughly.
2. Add all the ingredients in the bread pan, except dry yeast. Please follow the instruction of your bread maker. (Some of the Breadmakers might suggest you add dry yeast at the same time. You can also add raisins later)
3. Once ready, take the loaf out from the bread pan. Be careful the pan will be very hot! Please use thick towel or oven mit.
4. Leave the loaf until cool down for about 20minutes and slice.
5. Now enjoy the green tea bread. It will nice its own or with butter.

 

 Tips and points

Green tea bread is rich tea bread like with Matcha.
Mix bread such as English tea and herb tea to vary tastes. Try with cream cheese. It's gorgeous.
 You can, of course make bread with fresh unused tea leaves, but it's better with used tea leaves, so you can enjoy the tea twice!
 

Recipe - Spaghetti Chanovese (Spaghetti Genovese with Japanese Green tea)

Spaghetti Chanovese

(Spaghetti Genovese with Japanese Green tea)

Chocolate with chicken, pineapple on pizza, egg and bacon ice cream – culinary crimes or fantastical flights of foodie fancy? The more “experimental” (and yes, we think pineapple on pizza is a step too far) end of the food chain is always going to be divisive but we at Iron Kitchen have found a leftfield recipe we think you’ll love.

Spaghetti Chanovese is a twist on the traditional Italian dish spaghetti Genovese and features green tea pesto. That’s right, green tea pesto. So stow your sunblush tomatoes, can your kale and stash your spinach. And definitely banish your basil because we’re making Pes-tea (sorry!).

As well as tasting great and surprising your friends, eating green tea leaves helps provide Vitamin E and Catechins.

This dish is perfect with a cup of Sencha served in an Iron Kitchen Hikifune Green teapot.

 

Ingredients

Serving per person

Dried tea leaves (Sencha) 20g

Almonds 20g chopped finely

Grated Parmigiano Reggiano 20g

Garlic ½ clove, finely chopped

Olive Oil 50ml

Sunflower oil 10ml

Anchovy 2 fillets

Salt (to taste)

Pepper (to taste)

Bacon 15g chopped

Whole garlic clove

Spaghetti 100g

Grated Parmigiano Reggiano (optional)

 

Method

1. For the pesto, start by grinding 20g of tea with grinder or blender. The tea should be a fine powder.

2. Pour the chopped almonds, grated cheese, garlic, salt and pepper, olive oil, sunflower oil and anchovies into the blender and blend with the green tea until you have a thick paste. If paste is too thick, add a little more olive oil and continue to blend. The paste should be reasonably thick and not runny. Once made, scoop out the pesto, put in a bowl, stir and set aside.

3. Boil water and cook spaghetti as per instruction on the package.

4. While the spaghetti is cooking, fry the chopped bacon and a whole garlic clove in a little olive oil. Once the bacon is crisp (about 5-7 minutes), remove from the pan and drain any oil on a piece of kitchen paper. Discard the whole garlic clove – it’s done its job.

5. Once cooked, take the spaghetti off the boil and drain – reserve a little pasta water.

6. Mix the bacon with the spaghetti and stir. Put 100g of spaghetti/bacon mix on a plate and add 2-4 teaspoons of pesto the (depending on taste) and 1 tablespoon of the reserved pasta water.

7. Add a little grated parmesan (if you like) and you’re good to go