Banana and Apple Crumble

You can also use pear and peaches.

YOU NEED:
1/3 cup flour
1/3 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
4 T butter, sliced into small pieces
3 apples,skinned and sliced
2 banana
3 T orange marmalade or what ever jam you have
3 T orange juice
1.5 inch ginger root, grated
Cinnamon powder (optional)

DIRECTIONS:
Heat oven to 180 degrees. Rub or blend flour, oat, sugars and butter into crumbling breadcrumb consistency. Mix the remaining ingredients. Put onto greased 9 inch baking tin, topped with crumble. Baked for 15 minutes or till crumble is golden in color. Serve plain or with vanilla sauce or ice cream.

Kedgeree

An Anglo-Indian-Asian rice dish. Made this today for our buka puasa today. Also from Nigella's first. Tho not used in the original recipe, I added a bit of ginger and garlic to make the broth and left the boiled eggs as garnish. You can add that in if you like. The rest of the ingredients are as per the original recipe.

YOU NEED:
Enough water to poach fish and cook the rice
2 lime leaves
1 garlic clove
1 inch of young ginger
Salmon or John Dory fillets
2 teaspoon oil
1 onion, chopped finely
1/2 teas ground coriander
1/2 teas cumin
1/2 teas turmeric
Basmati rice
Chopped coriander leaves
Juice and zest from one lime or lemon
Fish sauce (Nam Plo) to taste.










DIRECTIONS:
Poach fish for about 12 minutes in water mix with lime leaves, ginger, garlic and a little bit of salt. Drain salmon and reserve the broth to cook the rice. Heat oil, soften the onion and the spices, keep cooking till onion is slightly translucent and infused with the spices. Add the rice and stir with the wooden spoon so that it's evenly coated. Pour in the reserve broth, it has to be exactly twice the amount of rice. Stir then cover. Cook rice gently over medium low heat for about 15 mintes. Remove the lid, cover the pan with tea towel. This will help absord any extra moisture from the rice and helps to keep it warm. Just before serving, flake the salmon with a fork. Mix it into the cooked rice, garnish with coriander, lime juice and drop or two of fish sauce (to taste). Serve in a big plate or small bowl for single serving or in the roasting dish, garnish with coriander.

Options:
You can have this plain or serve with steamed brocolli.

Pancakes

Thick American pancakes. Got this from Nigella's first.

You need:
225g flour
2 heap teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon sugar
Pinch of salt
2 T butter, melted and cool
300 ml milk
2 eggs


Directions:
Mix the dry ingredients. Measure the liquid and eggs with melted butter. Mix with dry ingredients and allow to set. Put a bit of butter onto a non stick pan. Put a 1/4 full cup of batter onto the hot surface. Flip when bubble starts to form and set at the side. For on each side for couple of minutes. Serve hot with maple syrup or pancakes drizzle with icing sugar and sprinkle with raspberries.

Sorbetto Al Limone

Almost the same.

You need:
200 gm sugar
200 ml water
200 ml lemon juice
Zest of 1 lemon
1 heap tbls mascarpone cheese

Directions:
Freeze container in a freezer. This will help the sorbet to freeze nicely. Boil water with sugar. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and cool for 15 minutes. Add lemon juice and lemon zest. Mix in mascarpone. Freeze mixture for one hour. Then take it out, scrap and freeze again. Repeat 3 times for next 3 hours and then freeze again. Serve within a day or two. Sorbetto is should be enjoyed while it is still fresh. It will crystallize to ice, so best that you don't keep it too long.

Note: For variation, you can serve it in whole lemon shell. Scrap out the pulp and fill it with lemon sorbet. You can do this after 2nd freezing and continue to freeze till it is ready to be served.

Pad Thai Noodles

We started fasting on the 5th of October this year. Other than being shivering cold in the office, it has been so far so good. We can start work early and go home early too. Precisely 330-400 or 430 depending on when you start. An opportunity which I execise whenever possible. Been going for lots of Thai food lately and decided to try few recipes at home. Three tried variations here.

Pad Thai 1
This recipe uses large prawns and serves four.

YOU NEED:
1 (8 ounce) package pad thai rice noodles or kway teow
1 1/2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 onion, diced
1 teaspoon minced garlic
12 medium fresh prawn, peeled and deveined
1 tablespoon soy sauce OR tomato ketchup
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon white sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 pound bean sprouts
1/2 cup unsalted dry-roasted peanuts, chopped

Garnish
1/4 pound bean sprouts
1 lemon, sliced
1/2 cup chopped peanuts
1/4 cup coarsely chopped cilantro

DIRECTIONS:
In a medium bowl, soak the noodles in cold water for 15 min; drain. Cover noodles with hot water, and soak for 15 minutes; drain. Rinse with cold water, drain, and set aside. Heat oil in a wok or large heavy skillet over medium heat. Saute onion and garlic until onion is soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add shrimp, and cook until pink. Stir in ketchup, fish sauce, sugar, lemon juice and vinegar. Pour in the beaten egg, and cook without stirring until egg is partially set. Add drained noodles, 1/4 pound bean sprouts, and 1/2 cup peanuts. Mix while cooking until noodles are tender. Transfer to a serving plate, and scatter noodles with 1/4 cup bean sprouts, lemon slices, 1/2 cup chopped peanuts and cilantro.

Note: You can fry the prawns and eggs with the rest by mixing them in a wok. Or you can cook fry them separately; prawn with the onions and garlic then mix with the seasoning sauce, fry - set them aside. Then make the eggs as omellette, set aside and serve with pad thai noodles.

Pad Thai 2
This recipe was given to me by an auntie. Can use beef or seafood for this recipe. Or chicken... Pretty tasty.

INGREDIENTS:
1 (12 ounce) package rice noodles
1 tbls olive oil (regular not virgin)
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut into bite-sized pieces
1/4 cup olive oil (regular not virgin)
4 eggs
2 tablespoon vinegar
4 tablespoons fish sauce
4 tablespoons white sugar
1/3 cup crushed red pepper
2 cups bean sprouts
1/4 cup crushed peanuts or peanut butter (optional)
3 green onions, chopped
1 lemon, cut into wedges

DIRECTIONS:
Soak rice noodles in cold water 30 to 50 minutes, or until soft. Drain, and set aside. Heat olive oil in a wok or large heavy skillet. Saute seafood, beef or chicken until tender. Remove, and set aside. Heat oil in wok over medium-high heat. Crack eggs into hot oil, and cook until firm. Stir in chicken, and cook for 5 minutes. Add softened noodles, and vinegar, fish sauce, sugar and red pepper. Adjust seasonings to taste. Mix while cooking, until noodles are tender. Add bean sprouts, and mix for 3 minutes.

Pad Thai 3
Also very good.

You need:
1/2 cup white sugar
1/3 cup distilled white vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons tamarind pulp
1 (12 ounce) package dried rice noodles
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
4 eggs
1 (12 ounce) package firm tofu, cut into 1/2 inch strips
1 1/2 tablespoons white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 cups ground peanuts (optional)
1 1/2 teaspoons ground, dried oriental radish
1/2 cup chopped fresh chives
1 tablespoon paprika
2 cups fresh bean sprouts
1 lime, cut into wedges

DIRECTIONS:
To prepare Pad Thai sauce: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, blend sugar, vinegar, soy sauce and tamarind pulp. To make Pad Thai: Soak rice noodles in cold water until soft; drain. In a large skillet or wok over medium heat, warm oil and add garlic and eggs; scramble the eggs. Add tofu and stir until well mixed; add noodles and stir until cooked. Stir in Pad Thai sauce, 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. Stir in peanuts and ground radish. Remove from heat and add chives and paprika. Serve with lime and bean sprouts on the side.

Note: If you like it hot, serve with cut Birdeye chili padi in soy sauce or with sugar mix with a little bit of vinegar.