Longan Prawns Salad

Hello to all my friends and family members, say goodbye to year 2012 and welcome year 2013. Let the coming new year be better than all the others.
Wishing  all of you a New Year filled with new hope, new joy and new beginnings,
Keep the smiles, leave the tear.
Think of joy, forget the fear.
Hold the laughter, leaves the pain.
Be joyous cos it's New Year.

Longan

Dimocarpus longan, commonly know as longan is a tropical fruits. It's easily found in South Asia or Southeast Asia. The longan translate literally as "dragon eye" because it resembles an eye ball when it's fruit is shelled. The seed is small, round, hard and of an enamel-like, lacquered black.

The fruit is sweet and juicy apart from being eaten fresh, is also often used in East Asia soups, snacks, desserts and sweet & sour foods either fresh, dried or canned with syrup.

Dried longan are often used in Chinese cuisine and Chinese sweet dessert soups. In Chinese food therapy and herbal medicine, it's believe to have an effect on relaxation.

Health benefits of longan
Longan is used as remedy for stomach ache, insomnia, amnesia, and dropsy. The fruit is said to invigorate the heart and spleen, nourish the blood and have a calming effect on the nervous system.
The fruit contains a range of vitamins and minerals that include iron, magnesium, phosphorus and potassium as well as vitamin A & C.

Longan tree

Longans  are recommended as anti-depressants as they have a relaxing effects on the nervous system, they enhance nerve function, lower irritability and reduce fatigue. It help in enhancing complexion of skin, help in cracking and peeling of skin. It also has a positive  impact on vision and is helpful in reducing cataract formation and reducing the risk of age related macular degeneration and night blindness.

Longan Prawns Salad with Bean Sprout

A very refreshing and appetizing dish.

300gm prawns
100 gm canned longan- chilled
1 cup bean sprout
1 cucumber
1 small onion
1/4 piece carrot
Spring onion - chopped
Toasted sesame seed (optional)

Seasoning for prawns
2 tsp soya sauce
1 tsp rum ( For non muslim only )
Dash of pepper
Few drop of sesame oil
1/2 tsp corn flour
2 cloves garlic - chopped
2 tbsp oil
  
1/  Peel the prawn shell leave the tail intact, de-vine, wash and pat dry. Marinate with seasoning. Heat the oil in sauce pan, fry garlic till brown. Add prawns in single layer, cook till they begin to turn pink and curl about 30 to 60 seconds.
2/  Now flip them over, be careful make sure not flip till the prawns "fly out" from the frying pan.

3/  Cook the other side of the prawns till they're cook through. Remove from frying pan and keep aside.
4/  Remove the bean sprout tail, wash and blanch in hot water for 1 min. Toss dry and keep aside.
5/  Remove cucumber seed and slice thinly. Marinate with 1/8  tsp salt and chill in fridge till ready to use.
6/  Slice the onion thinly and marinate with pinch of salt, chill in fridge.
7/  Slice the red chilli/ bird eyes chili and carrot.

Chilli Lemon Dressing
1 tbsp chilies sauce or 2 bird  eyes chillies
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 tbsp soya sauce
1/4 inch thumb size ginger - slice thinly
1 tsp grated zest of 1 lemon
sugar, salt & pepper to taste

1/  Make dressing by combining all ingredients in bowl. Stir well.
2/  Mix all the salad ingredients together  in a mixing bowl.
3/  Drizzle the dressing sauce on top the salad and sprinkle with sesame seed and spring onion.
4/  Serve immediately with grilled rice. Enjoy!

Grilled Rice
1 bowl of cooked warm  rice
Soya sauce
1 tsp Butter

This grilled rice is crispy on the outside and inside is soft and moist.

1/  Wet your hand  and roll the rice into round ball, compact it and flatten the rice ball slightly.
2/  Brush the soya sauce on both side of the rice. ( I FORGOT THIS PART )
3/  Melt  the butter and pan fry both side of the rice ball till slightly brown. 
4/  Serve immediately with longan prawns salad.

This posting is link to Foodie Friends Friday Linky Party #26 host by A'lil Country Sugar  and   Foodie Friends Friday
Have a fabulous week ahead.  HAPPY NEW YEAR. CHEERS!

Guava Chiffon Cake

Merry Christmas to all my friends and family members. The glitter of bright decorations, the sound of joyous Christmas carols, the happy children and the cheerful " Merry Christmas" greetings.....do take this opportunity to tell your loves one how much they mean to you.

Forget the things that made us sad and remember those that made you glad. Forget the troubles that passed your way and remember the blessing that come each day!

I would rather have one little rose
from the garden of a friend,
Than to have the choicest flowers,
When my stay on earth must end.


I would rather have a pleasant word,
In kindness said to me,
Than flattery when my heart is still,
And life has ceased to be.

I would rather have a loving smile,
From friends I know are true,
Then tears shed round my casket,
When to this world I bid adieu.

Bring me all your flowers today,
Whether pink, or white, or red,
I'd rather have one blossom now,
Than a truck load when I'm dead.

Guava Chiffon Cake
By Dean Sensui

A Hawaii style guava chiffon cake is a fusion dessert.

The presentation of this cake is delectable, it carries a triple guava flavor punch.

Ingredients:  Make 2 x 8 inch cake ( 16 serving )
2 1/4 cups cake flour
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar, divided
4 tsp baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup guava juice concentrate
5 egg yolks, slightly beaten
2 to 3 drops red food coloring (optional)
8 egg whites, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

Moist and fluffy with a tropical twist, great for Hawaii style party!

An overdosed triple guava flavor, the topping sauce is luscious.

1/   Preheat oven to 180 deg c. Line the base of 2 x 8 inch baking pan with grease proof paper.
2/   Sift together the cake flour, 3/4 of the sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add vegetable oil, guava juice concentrate, beaten egg yolks, and food coloring (if desired).
3/   Beat at medium speed approximately 1 to 2 minutes or just until smooth and set aside.
4/   Wash and dry your beaters before proceeding  with the egg whites. In a large bowl, beat egg whites and cream of tartar until soft peaks form; add the remaining 1/2 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until stiff peaks form.

5/  Using a rubber spatula, gently fold 1/3 of the prepared cake mixture into the egg white mixture until just barely mixed.
6/  Fold in the remaining cake mixture just until incorporated. Do not overmix.
7/  Pour the cake batter into two (2) round cake pans, smooth top with a rubber spatula.
8/  Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

 9/  To prevent the cake from tumbling down, do not open the oven door until near the end of the minimum baking time.
10/  Remove from oven when done and immediately invert the cakes onto the prepared wire racks to cool completely (cool with pan in place - do not remove cake from cake pans).
11/  When the cakes are cool, gently remove from the pans.
12/  Place cakes in the refrigerator until well chilled.
13/  Slice each cake into half horizontally.

So glad that.... no dooms day celebration,  I'm still kicking and alive....and got the chance to enjoyed this exotic tropical cake. LOL

Guava Frosting
Ingredients
3 cup heavy cream
1 cup icing sugar, sift 2 times
1/2 cup frozen guava juice
2 to 3 drops red colouring
2 tsp vanilla extract

One spoonful in my mouth, I'm like the hummingbird flitted among the branches.

1/  Beat cream until soft peak, add icing sugar gradually.
2/  Blend in guava juice, coloring, vanilla extract and beat until stiff peak.
3/  Store in freezer until ready to spread on the cake.

While eating this piece of cake, I'm dreaming of a white Christmas.......LOL

4/  Place one cake layer onto a plate and spread with frosting and chill in freezer until set.
5/  When frosting set,  put the 2nd layer of cake and spread the top of cake with guava frosting. Chilled the cake in fridge until frosting set.  Repeat the same for the 2nd cake.
6/  You can spread the remaining frosting at the side of the cake.  This cream melt pretty fast so I didn't frost the side of cake. Store cake in refrigeration until serving time.
7/  Drizzle or pour but do not drown the cake with guava topping sauce  just before serving.

Guava Topping Sauce

This guava sauce is great for enhancing exotic fruits dessert, sorbets, ice creams and cakes.

Ingredients
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoon water
1 1/4 cups frozen guava juice

1/  In a small bowl, combine cornstarch and water until cornstarch is dissolved.
2/  In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, bring  guava juice just to a boil; reduce heat to low.
3/  Add cornstarch mixture and stir until mixture thickens to a sauce-like consistency.
4/  Remove from heat and let cool to lukewarm before spreading on top the cake.

Homemade Guava Leaves Tea

Many people are realizing the benefits of natural foods to their health and well being. The leave of the guava tree, however can be used in folk medicine to treat a variety of ailment.
Guava leaves tea contains vitamin C, favonoids and antioxidant. It's good for treating diarrhea, lowering cholesterol, preventing diabetic, improve skin condition, slimming, mouth ailments and infections. They can thus be used to help prevent and repair cell damage and to slow down the aging process.

1/  Harvest only the young leaves early in the morning before the sun's ray have touched them.
2/  Washed the leaves,  then lay the leaves loosely to dry under the sun.
3/  It'll take a few days or weeks  for the leaves to dry completely. Dry them fully until they feel dry to touch. Store in air tight container.
4/  Take 5 to 6 leaves and pour 2 cup of boiling hot water in small teapot. Let it steep for 15 to 2 mins.

Note of caution
Guava tea is not suitable for those with low blood sugar or heart condition who are on heart medication  due to it has a cardiac depressant effect.

Happy holiday and have a fabulous week ahead, Cheers!

Life is like a box of Prawns.You never know what you going to get.

Sugar cane is a coarse, tall and fibrous member of the grass family with high sugar content. Initially native to tropical south Asia, it is now cultivated in close to 100 countries with production at more than 1,743 million metric tons.

These sugar cane plantation is near where we live.

Brazil and India are the leading producers accounting for roughly 50 percent of worldwide production. The most important product of sugarcane is sucrose which is used in diverse food industries as well as in energy generation. Ethanol has been increasingly used as a clean fuel though this has divided opinion among policy wonks worldwide.

Sugar cane plantation

Spicy Sugar Cane Prawns Satay

 My Sunday comfort dinner ....Spicy Sugar Cane Prawns Satay

Ingredients
6 king prawns
1 -2 tbsp water
1/2 tablespoon chopped ginger
1/2 tablespoon garlic
1/2 tbsp curry powder
1 tbsp rum ( optional, for Muslim avoid this ingredient ) 
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground pepper
1/2 tbsp oil
3 Sugar cane  skewers

Simple but very flavorful grilled prawns.

The use of this sweet sugar cane skewer is quite common in many Asian country and they are know to impact the sweetness flavor of the sugar cane sugary sap to the food.

Serve grilled prawns with chilli sauce or BBQ sauce.

1/  Wash and peel prawns shell, keep the head, the last segment of shell and the tail tip . Make a slit at the back of prawns and de-vein. Rinse and pat dry.
2/  Mix  all the seasoning ingredients together except the sugar cane skewer. Season the prawns with the seasoning mixture.
3/ Cover with cling wrap and chill in fridge for at least 4 hours.

Fresh prawns  at the wet market.

4/  Cut a small slit in the middle section of the prawns. Thread the prawns with sugar cane skewer, 2 prawns on each skewer.
5/  Grill for 2 to 3 mins on each side or until cooked depend on the size of the prawns.

6/  You can use outdoor BBQ pit  or oven to grill the prawns.
7/  Serve with coconut rice and salad.  Garnish as  desire and serve together with rum coke.

Sugar Cane Skewer

1/ Wash and scrub the sugar cane stalk.

2/  Cut length wise into 4 pieces.
3/  Ensure sugarcane do not have cracks, blackened areas, brown or red flesh.
4/  Use your sugar cane skewers immediately and avoid storing them.

Orang Utan too enjoy chewing sugar canes.

I love biting into the sugar cane after the savory grilled prawns.

ASIAN CUCUMBER SALAD
1 Cucumber, diced
1 Red bell pepper, diced
1/2 tsp black sesame seed ( optional )
1/4 cup rice vinegar
3 tbsp white sugar
1/2 tsp salt

1/  Combine all ingredients together. For best results, allow to marinate overnight. Serve chilled.

STICKY COCONUT RICE
1 cup Jasmine/ fragrant rice
2 cups water
1/2 cup coconut cream
1/3 tsp salt

1/  Wash and rinse rice.
2/  Combine all ingredients in a rice steamer or similar cooking device and cook until the rice is slightly over cooked. Or you can steam the rice.
Note:  I reduce the water and coconut cream cos I wanted a more fluffy rice.

RUM COKE ( For Non Muslim only )

Half fill the glass with cracked ice, add 2oz Rum and  follow by 6 oz coke. Garnish with  a slice of lime. Relax with a glass of refreshing Rum cocktails.

Other uses on sugar Cane
Rum is produced from a base of sugarcane by products – particularly sugarcane juice and molasses – by fermenting and distilling them. Normally, the resulting liquid is then aged in oak barrels to enhance the taste, but the aging process differs widely depending on the type of rum.

Sugarcane And Rum, there is no doubt that rum owes its exotic palate appeal to the unassuming sugar cane plant. Alcohol distillers use molasses or fermented cane juice to produce rum. There are different factors which can affect the flavour and quality of rum.

The sugar content in molasses-which stands at 50 percent- can influence the flavour.
In addition, the fermentation recipe-what is commonly referred to as” wash”- and the use of wild or cultured yeast will determine the final outcome.

On average, it will take 24 hours to several weeks to produce light or heavy rums. Dark and golden rums will take anything from 3 to 12 years of aging. The color of rum is a function of barrel aging and the addition of caramel.

Rum aging in barrels

Have a fabulous week  ahead, best regards.