Banana Bread

Banana Bread
(modified from Donna Hay’s recipe)

You need:
130g soft butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
3 medium size bananas
1 ½ cups plain flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1 tablespoon of honey


How to:
Turn the oven to 160 C. Grease the inside of 30cm long X 7cm wide tin with butter (any tin on your pantry will do as well). Stick a large piece of baking paper on the inside. Put the rest of the butter, sugar and vanilla into big bowl. Beat until it’s pale brown and creamy. Slowly add the eggs and beat until well mixed.

Mash the banana with a fork and add to the batter.

Sift the flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda over the batter. Add honey. Beat until everything is mixed in.

Spoon the mixture into the long tin. Bake for 1 hour. Poke the cake with a skewer. If it comes out clean, it’s ready. If the skewer is sticky, bake it for a bit longer. Let the bread cool in the tin. Tip out bread. Slice and smear with butter.

Hoisin Beef Stir Fry on Rice Thin Noodle

Serves: 4

You need:
500gr beef sirloin steak or beef yakiniku
2 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 carrot, thinly sliced
1 red capsicum, thinly sliced
200g snow peas, trimmed
1 zucchini, thinly sliced
4 green spring onions, thinly sliced
500gr Rice-Thin Noodle, cook according the packaging

Marinated:
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
2cm piece fresh ginger, grated
¼ cup soy sauce
¼ cup hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar


To make marinade, combine all ingredients in a large bowl.

Trim fat and sinew from steaks, cut into 1cm wide strips. Add to marinade. Toss to combine. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30minutes (overnight will do better). Drain thoroughly. Reserve marinade.

Heat half of the oil in a non stick wok until very hot and smoking. Add beef in two batches. Stir-fry until almost cooked through. Remove from wok. Place in a bowl and cover to keep warm.

Heat remaining oil in same wok until hot and smoking. Add onion and carrot. Stir fry for about 2 minutes, or until almost tender. Add capsicum, snow peas and zucchini, stir fry for further 2 minutes. Return beef and juices to wok with reserved marinade. Stir fry for 1 minute. Add spring onion. Toss to combine.

Serve stir fry on top of Rice-Thin noodle that been cooked as packaging, and extra green spring onion if you wish.


You can always substitute vegetables used above with your own preference.

Fish Soup with Basil Leaves

In the bowl there's an explosion of flavours and textures that have you gasping for breath at every mouthful and wiping your eyes after every spoonful.

Ingredients

• 1 white-snapper fillet
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• 1/4 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
• 1/4 cup spring onion, thinly sliced

Soup stock

• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 3 shallots, sliced finely
• 2 lemongrass stalks, cut into 3cm lengths and crushed
• 6 cups of water or chicken stock
• 1 small chili, seeded and thinly sliced (optional)
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 2 tbsp fish sauce
• 2 tomatoes, seeded and cut into wedges
• pinch of sea salt
• pinch of freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup fresh lime juice
• Bunch of basil leaves, divided on to 2 portion (for garnish)
• 2 limes, cut into wedges

Method

Place fish fillet into a bowl with the fish sauce, pepper and spring onions. Allow to marinate in the fridge while you make the soup.

In a deep pot, heat the oil. Add the shallots and lemongrass. Saute for 3 minutes, then add the water or chicken stock and simmer for 20 minutes.



Pass this stock through a fine sieve into a deep pot. Bring to the boil and add chili, sugar and fish sauce.

Simmer on a low flame for 5 minutes, then drop in the marinated fish fillet, tomato wedges, salt and pepper.

Cook for a further 3-5 minutes or until fish is cooked. Pour in the lime juice and stir in bunch of basil leaves.

To serve

Serve in individual bowls with basil leaves and a wedge of lime.

Serves 6

Fish Soup with basil leaves

In the bowl there's an explosion of flavours and textures that have you gasping for breath at every mouthful and wiping your eyes after every spoonful.




Ingredients
1 white-snapper fillet
1 tbsp fish sauce
1/4 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
1/4 cup spring onion, thinly sliced

Soup stock
1 tbsp sesame oil
3 shallots, sliced finely
2 lemongrass stalks, cut into 3cm lengths and crushed
6 cups of water or chicken stock
1 small chili, seeded and thinly sliced (optional)
1 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp fish sauce
2 tomatoes, seeded and cut into wedges
pinch of sea salt
pinch of freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
Bunch of basil leaves, divided on to 2 portion (for garnish)
2 limes, cut into wedges

Method
Place fish fillet into a bowl with the fish sauce, pepper and spring onions. Allow to marinate in the fridge while you make the soup.

In a deep pot, heat the oil. Add the shallots and lemongrass. Saute for 3 minutes, then add the water or chicken stock and simmer for 20 minutes.Pass this stock through a fine sieve into a deep pot. Bring to the boil and add chili, sugar and fish sauce.

Simmer on a low flame for 5 minutes, then drop in the marinated fish fillet, tomato wedges, salt and pepper.
Cook for a further 3-5 minutes or until fish is cooked. Pour in the lime juice and stir in bunch of basil leaves.

To serve
Serve in individual bowls with basil leaves and a wedge of lime.
Serves 6

Pink Lemonade

Nothing better than cold drink on hot summer day...
Here is our favourite we happy to share...

For 2-3 serves, you need:
· Medium size water-jug
· 2can of soda water (approximately 330ml per can)
· 100ml of orange juice
· 25ml of granita syrup
· 1 lime
· Bunch of mint leaves
· Ice cubes, as desired

How to:
· Squezee juice of the lime on to water-jug, add syrup, mint leaves and orange juice. Stir evenly
· Add soda water, stir
· Add ice cubes
· Ready to serve

Invite your friend to come over, you’ll have your own party.

If serving for children, swap the soda water with sparkling water.

Enjoy

BoyBerry

Almost 11 pm…my mobile phone just beeping. A text message came from my friend. I opened it…

“You know what”…hmmm I smell gossip every time someone said this…”the Office-Boy in my office wants to buy Blackberry”. That was the sms.

I replied quickly “So what? Why bother? Anyway, it’s almost 11pm.”

It beeps again, just before I put my mobile back on my side. Gosh, this girl has an amazing speed when it comes to texting.

“It’s weird, you know. I don’t even own one. Everybody talked about it. An Office Boy with BB on his hand”

“It’s his money, right? Let him buy. Can’t understand why it become big problem”

“Did you sleep? It’s not a big problem, it’s huge! My boss wasn’t happy too about it”

“Can’t we talk tomorrow?” I turned my mobile off with conscience.

Instead of sleeping, I can’t close my eyes. Kept thinking about the short conversation I had with my girlfriend. If I had an employee own Blackberry, do I care? Will I feel it bit too much for my employee while I don’t own one?

(For the record, I don’t have BB, and I am ok –at least for now- with my old mobile phone. At the end, I just need my mobile for basic things like make a phone call or texting, never surfing on the internet –I found reading a book is more interesting than surfing the net using my mobile phone- nor taking pictures with it. So why own BB? I still can control my business without it, and I don’t feel embarrassed by appearance of my old mobile phone)

I tried to put the big picture on my head. If your boss doesn’t own one, so you can’t. Full stop. No reason. Or is there any reason? Your boss will feel embarrassed if you own something more than him/her, especially when you on the bottom of the pyramid; on a position that you have to serve your boss more than your parents. Even you had enough money, it’s still forbidden. Push your luck, everyone will talking about your move –on your face and behind your back- and resigned letter just merely about time to land on your hand.

Oh, what I life. I play with my imagination now, my girlfriend’s Office Boy making a secret phone call from his corner –looks like a pantry- with his new BB. Good on you, mate.

Wolverine VS Children

When we happened to have our schedule re-organize, made some room for sneaking into cinema for the first time since we moved here. What dragged us there is: X-Men; The Origin starred by Hugh Jackman. It wasn’t busy –noted that we choose mid-day session- ; I can clearly count less than 20people occupied the cinema.

Apart from Hugh Jackman act, the film itself is great, not that I’m unexpected but still, amaze me with all the act plus technology the put together.

One thing I really noting: From less than 20 people, half of those are children, age range 8-12 years old, accompany by adult –mostly their mum-. I understand it’s kind of holiday for those on primary school who don’t sit on last grades. It’s not an excuse though, to let them enjoying their holiday watched movie clearly inappropriate for their age, rate M(ature) yet ignored. I am a mother myself; I draw straight line for what my children are allowed to watch. Bring under 12 witnessing how easy people killing each other –I know it’s only on the movie- surely not one of many way to educate –or even to entertain- children. Even worst, using children as an excuse to watch movie mom wants too dearly, as if rating create just for nothing.

Not going to judge, everyone have their own view about this. Don’t be surprised if in the next 5 or 10 years they growing up, they more likely to solve any problem with guns or anything destructive. Just be preparing.