Coffee Guide via Jamie Oliver

My go-to drinks are cappuccino and mocha. more details at JamieOliver

Banana Bread

Over the years, I have been trying to recreate the banana bread that I love to eat back home. My mother buys them at the weekly night market and we'd finish it a loaf in one sitting! Although it is called bread, to me it eats like a cake more than bread.  This recipe is nearest to what I remember. The difference perhaps is due different type of banana available here. Anyway, I am more than happy to use this as my go-to recipe going forward.

Banana Bread
via PanlasangPinoy

Ingredients

1½ cups all purpose flour

1 cup sugar

1 tsp teaspoon salt

1 tsp baking soda

1 cup banana, mashed

1 cup sugar2 raw eggs

½ cup cooking oil

1 tsp vanilla extract

Method

1. Combine all the dry ingredients starting with the flour, sugar, salt, and baking soda.
2. Mix the dry ingredients thoroughly until everything is evenly distributed.
3. Add the other ingredients (eggs, mashed bananas, cooking oil, vanilla extract ) then mix well with the dry ingredients until a batter is formed.
4. Grease the loaf pan and pour-in the mixture.
5. Preheat oven at 180˙c then bake the mixture for around an hour.
6. Remove from loaf pan from the oven then allow to cool down.
7. serve warm or room temperature.

Native American Fried Bread

This fried-bread looks very much like the Hungarian Lángos. However, the Hungarian version is leaven using yeast. While this Native American version uses baking powder ; which makes the process faster. Of course, there are difference in taste too.

For testing purposes, I have reduced the ingredients to a third of the original.

Native American Fried-Bread
via The Pioneer Woman

1 cup All-Purpose Flour
a pinch of salt
1 tsp Baking powder (slightly rounded tsp)
1/4 cup milk
water as needed
Lard or shortening , for frying (I used vegetable oil, will try lard the next round)

Instructions

Stir together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Stir with a fork as you pour in the milk; keep stirring for a bit to get it to come together as much as possible. Add just enough water to get it to come together. Cover the bowl with a dish towel and let it sit for 35 to 45 minutes to rest.

When you're ready to fry the bread, heat about 1 to 2 inches shortening/lard in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Grab a plum-sized piece of dough (or larger if you want larger fry bread) and press it into a circle with your fingers: place it on a clean surface and begin pressing in the center and work your way out, stretching it as you go.

When the circle is about 4 to 7 inches (however big you want it) carefully drape it into the skillet. Allow it to fry on one side until golden brown, about 1 minute, then carefully flip it to the other side using tongs. Fry it for another 30 to 45 seconds.

Remove the fry bread to a paper towel-lined plate and allow it to drain while you fry the other pieces.

Serve warm!

Coleslaw

I have never checked a coleslaw recipe before preparing this post just to compare my ingredient list with what is the norm. It's good to know it is not far off.

Coleslaw

Ingredients
Equal quantity of Cabbage and Carrot, shredded or cubed
Spring onion, slice thinly
salt, to taste
sugar, to taste
ground black pepper
Mayonnaise, to taste
2 tsp of sour cream
a little water

Method :
1) Rinse cabbage and carrot before shredding or cubing
2) In a salad bowl, put in the thinly sliced spring onion follow by salt, sugar and ground black pepper
3) Put in half the vegetables, drizzle with some mayonnaise and a teaspoon of sour cream. Place the remaining vegetables and again drizzle on some mayonnaise and another teaspoon of sour cream.
4) Mix well and let it chill in the fridge for minimum 30 mins.

Roasted Radish

It is common to eat radish raw. However, in Chinese cuisine, radish is also cooked in soups and also sun-dried. I much preferred the taste of sun-dried radish than raw. Since I am not so adventurous to sun dry radishes myself, I tried roasting them in the oven. The results is quite similar to dried ones but with enhanced sweetness and milder peppery taste.

Roasted Radish
Radishes
salt
oil

1) Pre-heat oven at 170˙c
2) Slice radishes into rounds. Place on oven-proofed dish, drizzle with some cooking oil and sprinkle with salt.
3) Bake for 30mins. until slightly brown.

raw radishes

Baked sweet potatoes

The humble sweet potatoes are a luxury over at this part of the world. With the rising food prices, we only buy certain foods when on sale. The sweet potatoes is one of them. Back home, sweet pototoes are either eaten steamed, barbeque, fried or cooked in a sweet ginger soup. This time I've decided to bake it. Though not crispy, it was very good accompanying the stuffed pork.

Baked Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients
Sweet potatoes, as many as you like
drizzle of oil
salt
black pepper

Method
1) Pre-heat oven at 180˙c  at least 20 mins. before baking
2) Peel the sweet potatoes. Then either cut into 1-cm thick match stick, into wedges, or rings.
3)  Drizzle some oil onto baking dish. Lay the sweet potatoes into 1 layer, do not overlap. drizzle a little more oil. Sprinkle the salt and black pepper all over.
4) Put baking dish in oven and bake for 15 mins. after 15 mins. take out and turn over the potatoes to the other side and bake for another 15 mins. or until cooked.
5) Serve immediately.

Baked Honey mustard chicken wings

One of my go-to chicken wings flavours is honey mustard. It's quick and perfect as finger/party food.

Baked Honey Mustard Chicken Wings


Ingredients
Chicken wings
Honey
Mustard
Ketchup
Soy sauce
Garlic powder
Salt
Pepper

Method
1) Pre-heat oven at 190-200˙c
2) In a zip-lock bag, place chicken wings, sprinkle salt, pepper and garlic powder all over chicken wings or to taste. Next drizzle honey, ketchup, mustard and soy sauce all over. Close the bag, massage the bag to combine the wings with seasoning and spices. Let it sit in the fridge for min. 30 mins.
3) After 30 mins. line a baking tray with baking sheet, place chicken wings one by one on to tray sans marinade. Bake for 20 mins. brush each wings with marinade, sprinkle on the sesame seeds and bake for another 15 mins. or until fully cooked.
4) Serve immediately.