A dish and dessert to impress hubby or lover

One of the very nicest things about life is the way we must regularly stop whatever it is we are doing and devote our attention to eating.

Not sure if this fish is Nemo's cousin!

If you want to cook an elegant dish without the effort, then try making fish wrapped in banana leaves. This dish looks professional and hard to make, but it requires little effort. The most complicated part about making this dish involves making the marinade to add flavor.

Banana leaves not only good for wrapping fish, whatever.... but........

Banana leaves help create a package to hold the marinade and fish together to ensure that the marinade soaks well into the fish. Although you can use aluminum foil to cook fish in the same fashion, banana leaves add a natural fragrance and appearance to any dish.

This traditional method for grilling fish uses a banana leaf to hold the fish together, steam it to perfection, while allowing the great smoke flavor to gently soak into the package. This is a great way of grilling fish that is delicate because the banana leaf holds it all together and lets you add anything you want to the packet.

Grilled Fish In Banana Leaves
1 white snapper 500gm -scaled and gutted
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tbsp curry powder
2 stalk lemon grass - cut into 2 inch and pound it slightly
few slices of ginger
1/2 lemon - slice thinly
1 tbsp vegetable oil
banana leaves

Garnishing
1/2 onion - slice thinly
2 bird eyes chilli or 1 red chilli
Coriander leaves
Lemon

1/  Clean and pat dry the snapper with a paper towel. Remove any hard fins that might poke you later at the dining table.
2/   Rub salt, pepper and curry powder over the surface and inside of the fish. Massage the fish with 1 tbsp oil. Stuff the fish with lemongrass, ginger and  lemon. Dress up the fish with few slices of ginger and 3 slices of lemon. Chill in the fridge for 3 to 4 hours.

3/  Preheat grill. Take a banana leaf large enough to wrap the fish (you can cut up the fish if you can't find a large enough leaf) and wash it thoroughly.
4/  Blanch the banana leaf in hot water for a few seconds to soften it. Dry the banana leave with kitchen towel.  Brush vegetable oil over the part of the leaf that will be in contact with the fish.

5/  Place the fish on the banana leaf and fold leaf to completely enclose the fish. Secure with toothpicks or skewers.
6/  Place the package on a medium hot grill and cook on each side for about 8 to 10 minutes depend on the fish size. Best to use out door BBQ pit to grill the fish.

7/  Watch carefully to prevent the banana leaf from burning. It will blacken in parts but it shouldn't be allowed to burn through.

8/  After about 10 minutes remove the packet from the grill  and gently open enough to test the fish for doneness.
9/  The fish should flake easy with a fork and have an opaque appearance through to the center. If the fish isn't done, secure the package and return to the grill.
10/  When the fish is done transfer it to a serving platter and serve. Garnish with slice onion,  fresh chilli and coriander leaves. Drizzle the chilli lime sauce just before serving.

Chilli Lime Sauce
1 bunch coriander leaves - chopped
3 red chillies - remove seed
2 cloves garlic
1/2 cup lime juice
2 tbsp water
1 tsp salt or to taste
1 tsp sugar or to taste

1/ Combine coriander leaves, chillies, garlic, lime juice and blend into a paste.
2/ Add salt & sugar to taste,  mix well.

Something interesting about bananas. The origins of banana.
Archeologists have focused on the Kuk valley of New Guinea around 8,000 BCE (Before Common Era) as the area where humans first domesticated the banana. Additionally, though this is the first known location of banana domestication, other spontaneous domestication projects may have occurred throughout the Southeast Asia and the South Pacific. Therefore, Kuk is the first known instance of banana domestication, but it is probably not the cradle from which all other domesticated species sprang.

From New Guinea, the Kuk domesticated variety appears to have spread to the Philippines, and then radiated widely across the tropics. In general, however, it can be said that bananas originated in Southeast Asia and the South Pacific around 8,000 to 5,000 BCE. From New Guinea and the Philippines, bananas dispersed far and wide across the tropics, in all directions.

Huli tribe people of Papua New Guinea. Might be tricky having a husband with that nose ornament in bed.

It is probable that bananas arrived in India, Indonesia, Australia, and Malaysia, within the first two millennia after domestication. Buddhist literature notes the existence of the banana in 600 BCE, and when Alexander the Great’s expeditions led him to India in 327 BCE, he stumbled across the fruit.

Thai floating market, selling fried banana

Perhaps most surprising, the banana may have arrived in South America well ahead of Europeans, as early as 200 BCE, carried by sailors of Southeast Asian origin. By the 15th and 16th century, Portuguese sailors were establishing the crop throughout Brazil, where it likely spread to the sugar plantation economies of the New World and the Caribbean.

Location is important when doing business.

And now for dessert............

Deep-fried Banana
6 pieces ripe banana
3/4 cup self raising flour
1/4 cup corn flour
1 tbsp rice flour
2 tbsp grated coconut
1/2 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
1/8 tsp slaked lime ( optional )
170mls cold water

 Crispy fried banana

Coating
1/2 cup rice flour
2 tbsp grated coconut

1/  Sift self raising flour, corn flour, rice flour and baking powder together.
2/  Add grated coconut, salt, slaked lime and water, mix into a smooth batter.
3/  Mix the 1/2 cup coating rice flour with 2 tbsp grated coconut to resemble bread crumb. Keep aside.
4/  Peel and slice the banana into half.

Serve ice cream with canned lychee and fried banana. One of the most awesome combination.

Lychee tree

Lychee fruits

5/  Heat oil in the wok or pot until very hot.
6/  Dip the banana in the batter and then gently coat them on the rice flour-coconut mixture. Carefully slide the coated banana into the hot oil.
7/  Fry the banana using medium heat to prevent burning.
8/  Fry till golden brown, remove from heat and drain on the kitchen towel.

Pink vanilla ice cream
Ingredients
1 cup milk
2 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar
2 cup whip cream
2 tsp vanilla extract ( I use homemade)
1 stick vanilla bean
few drop of pink coloring

Life is like a scoop of ice cream. Even the last drop of ice cream is sweet and enjoyed by one who really likes and loves it.

Method
1/ Split open the vanilla bean, scrape out the tiny seeds, keep aside.
2/ Mix the milk, and sugar cook in medium flame until sugar melt.
3/ Cook until you see small bubbles at the side, turn fire to low but don't let it boil.
4/ Use a hand whisk to beat the eggs lightly. Take 1 cup of the hot milk mixture and add it to the eggs, whisking all the time to prevent the eggs curdle.

5/ Then pour the entire egg mixture to the milk mixture. Add the vanilla seed and vanilla pod. Continue cooking until the mixture thicken and coats the back of the ladle.
6/ Remove from stove and let it cool. Add vanilla extract and whip cream, stir till well blend. Remove the vanilla pod.
7/ Cover the ice cream mixture with cling wrap and leave in the fridge overnight or at least 4 hours.
8/ Making ice cream can be done without the use of ice cream maker. An electric mixer or food processor can be used to break up the ice crystals during the freezing process.

Dip the fried banana with half melted ice cream, wooooweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee..............LOL

 9/  After 4 hours, beat the ice cream mixture with electric mixer/ processor for 5 mins until thick and smooth. Cover with cling wrap and chill in the freezer for 2 hours.
10/  Remove from freezer and beat the ice cream mixture again for 5 mins, chill in freezer again. Repeat step 9 and 10 for 3 times in order to obtain a smooth and creamy  texture.

Underwater bedroom

11/ The ice cream should be thick but soft to scoop. If not thick enough return to freezer for additional freezing time and beat the mixture again.
12/ Once ice cream thickened properly, stir in any condiment of your choice and mix well.
13/ Pour the ice cream mixture in air tight container and freeze till set.

Give a man a fish and he has food for a day. Teach him how to fish and you can get rid of him for the entire weekend.
Have a wonderful week ahead, enjoy.

A famous Malacca chicken dish........

The origins.... Malacca (in Malaysia) for 130 years (1511–1641), was a Portuguese colony. The Portuguese first came to trade, then many later stayed back instead of returning to Portugal.

The Portuguese came to trade in their sailing ships

The men married local girls, and thus how a lot of Malacca food has it's Portuguese origins. The chicken tempra among one of them.

This chicken tempra is well known among the straights born Chinese of Malacca.

This chicken tempra recipe with the compliments of my Canadian friend Lee.

Chicken Tempra
Ingredients: ( Serve 6 to 8 )
2 tbsp soya sauce
400 gm onion - slice thinly
30 gm fresh red chillies - slice finely
1.2kg chicken - cut into bite size
1 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp black soya sauce
salt to taste
4 tbsp calamansi / lime juice
250 mls water

 Best to serve this chicken tempra with rice. I add cardamon, cinnamon stick, star anise to cook the rice.

1/  Marinate the chicken with soya sauce and black soya sauce, chill in the fridge for 2 to 3 hours.
2/  In a non stick frying pan or wok, heat about 2 tbsp oil over moderate heat and fry onion and chillies for 2 minutes.  ( If using non stick pan, put less oil. )

3/  Add chicken pieces and stir fry for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally and add sugar and fry for 2 minutes.
4/  Add the water and salt, simmer until chicken is tender and the sauce slightly thicken.
5/  Stir in the calamansi juice, mix well and remove from heat. Adjust the sweetness and sourish taste to your preference. 

A squirt of calamansi juice can lifts the soya sauce gravy to mouthwatering heights. One spoon and it might make you forget your mother's name.

The Porta De Santiago. The remants of an old Portuguese fort in Malacca. Malacca is 210Km from Johor Bahru city, about 2 hours drive.

 The view of Porta De Santiago from St. Paul hill.

The old cannon from the 16th century.

Mr previous trip was in November 2012. Interior of the St. Paul church, it was built in year 1521.

Old Portuguese tombstones in the St. Paul church.

Twist a lime on it for the light tangy taste.

Clams have long been staple in the culinary world. They have been prepared many ways including steamed, fried or smoked. Clams preserved well and were often dried. Clams noodles is a delicious and healthy one pot meal.

Clams Noodles
Ingredients ( serve 2 )
2 eggs
100gm clams without shells
100gm clear noodles
100mls water
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp white pepper
Chopped spring onion or coriander leaves
 

Dried clear noodles

Method:-
1/ Soak the clear noodles until soft, drain off the water.
2/ Blanch the clams in boiling hot water until clam smiling at you. Drain off the hot water, remove the clam shells.  Season the blanched clams meat with pepper and keep aside.

3/ Beat the eggs lightly, make sure don't break your wrist.
4/ Add salt and water to the egg and  beat lightly.

Children digging for clams.

5/  In a serving bowl or deep dish, line the bottom with softened clear noodles. Then add the clams meat on top. Next pour the egg mixture on top.
6/  Steam on medium high heat for 6 to 8 minutes. Garnishes with spring onion or coriander leaves. Ready to serve.

Pearls have been occasionally found in clams. So if you bite on something hard, check it out......
it might be a pearl. Never can tell, you know.

 Your lucky day!

Well, you know what you can do with that pearl..... give to your girlfriend or wife. And if  you like, well.... you know where to find me.
 
1/  More Iron than Beef
Clams are surprisingly high in iron. So high, in fact, that t-bone steaks and beef liver don't compare. A three-ounce serving of cooked clams, or about nine small clams, has about 24 milligrams of iron. That's more iron than recommended each day for most adults (iron RDA is 18 milligrams per day for pre-menopausal women and eight milligrams per day for adult men and post-menopausal women.) Some individuals, especially women, have a difficult time getting enough iron each day, resulting in anemia if not treated. If you suffer from low iron, eating clams occasionally will help maintain your iron stores.

2/ Heart-Healthy Fats
Clams contain about 140 milligrams of omega-3 fatty acids per 100 grams (about 3 1/2 ounces.) How does that compare with recommendations? There are no formal dietary recommendations for omega-3 intake, but studies have shown that 250 to 500 milligrams per day may be useful in achieving optimal heart health. If you are getting tired of eating oily fish each week to meet recommendations, add clams to your recipe rotation a few times a month.

Whats his name checking out any clams on the beach.

3/ Better Than Chicken?
Clams qualify as a lean protein at more than 20 grams of protein and less than two grams of fat in a three-ounce serving. Clams have more protein than oysters and scallops, but roughly the same protein and fat content as chicken. There are major differences, however, in the nutrient profile of clams and chicken. Clams contain significantly more of most vitamins and minerals than chicken. It makes nutritional sense to choose clam chowder over cream of chicken soup!

4/ What About Cholesterol?
Clams contain fair amounts of cholesterol. There is nothing special about the cholesterol found in seafood like clams and shrimp. The reason seafood isn't prohibited for people with high cholesterol has more to do with the low fat and saturated-fat content of seafood like clams. Eating a low saturated-fat diet is much more important in maintaining healthy blood cholesterol than eating a low-cholesterol diet.
 

Sweet sour clams.  Heat up oil and fry garlic until golden brown. Add clams and fresh chillies, stir fry for 1 to 2 mins. Add water, vinegar, sugar, salt to taste. When cook stir in 1 beaten egg to thicken the gravy. Ready to serve.

 Enjoy. Happy Mother's Day. Cheers!