Banana & Raisin Pancakes

Ingredients:

Batter:
3 tbsp plain flour
1 tbsp corn flour
1½ tbsp rice flour
3 tbsp caster sugar
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp vanilla essence
100ml fresh milk
180ml water

Topping:
4 eggs (lightly beaten)
3 bananas (sliced)
2 tbsp raisins
2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
some butter for pan frying pancake

Method:

1. Combine all ingredients for batter and stir until smooth. Set aside for 10- minutes.
2. Melt butter in a heating pan, pour in some batter and spread into a round shape. Fry on medium low heat for about 2 minutes. Arrange sliced banana and raisins on top and pour over 2 tbsp beaten eggs. Cover with lid and cook for 2 minutes.
3. Open the lid, turn over to fry the other side of pancake until cooked and golden brown.
4. Dish up, sprinkle toasted sesame seeds on top and serve. Use the same method to finish up batter and topping.

Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 10 minutes per pancake

Egg Foo Yong

Ingredients:

3 large eggs, at room temperature
2 oz bean sprouts
2 oz ground chicken
4 medium-sized shrimp, peeled and cut into small pieces
1 scallion, cut into small rings
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon Shaoxing wine, optional
1 teaspoon oyster sauce
2 teaspoons soy sauce
Pinch of sugar
3 dashes white pepper
3 tablespoons oil

Method:

1. Crack the eggs into a bowl, beat with a fork. Add the rest of the ingredients into the egg mixture, stir to combine well. Make sure the oyster sauce is fully dissolved in the egg mixture.
2. Heat up a wok or a pan on high heat. Add the oil. When the oil is fully heated, ladle the egg mixture into the pan. Make sure that you keep the diameter of the omelet to about 4-5 inches wide. Use a pair of chopsticks to transfer the beansprouts and other ingredients to the middle of the omelet. The omelet should be thicker in the center. Let the omelet set, for about 3 minutes before flipping it over. Fry the omelet until both sides are golden brown and nicely puffed up. Repeat the same and use the remaining egg mixture to make a total of 3 omelets.

Penang Asam Laksa

Ingredients:

1 lb Mackerel fish
8 cups water
5 pieces assam keping (peeled tamarind)
1 pack dried laksa noodles

Spice Paste:
12 dried red chilies (seeded)
5 fresh red chilies (seeded)
8 small shallots
2 teaspoons belacan
1 stalk lemon grass (use only the white part, about 6 inches)

Tamarind Juice:
Tamarind (about golf ball size)
1/2 cup water (repeat 3-4 times)

Seasonings:
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon fish sauce

Garnishing:
1 cucumber (julienned)
1 bunch mint leaves (use only the leaves)
1 bunch polygonum leaves/Vietnamese mint leaves (daun kesom/daun laksa)
1 bungan kantan (cut into small pieces)
1 red onion (sliced thinly)
1 lettuce (thinly cut)
1 red chili/3-4 bird’s eye chilies (cut into small slices)
1 small pineapple (cut into short strips)

Condiment:
Heh Ko/Prawn Paste

Method:
Clean the fish, remove scales and guts. In a pot, bring 8 cups of water to boil. Add in the fish and boil for about 10 minutes. Transfer the cooked fish out into a bowl and let cool. Strain the fish stock, then add in the peeled tamarind, and the polygonum leaves and continue to boil in low heat.
Wet your hands constantly with a bowl of water, pick the flesh out of all the fish and discard the bones. Break the fish meat into tiny pieces and put the fish back into the stock, cover the lid, and lower the heat.
Using a mini food processor, grind the spice paste until fine. Heat up a wok and saute the spice paste with cooking oil for about 6-8 minutes or until it smells aromatic and spicy. Transfer the spice paste into the boiling stock.
Extract the tamarind juice and add it into the stock. Strain the tamarind juice and keep the seed. Repeat it 3-4 times with 1/2 cup of water each time to make sure you extract all the essence from the tamarind. Continue to taste your Assam Laksa stock to make sure it’s sour and to your liking. For seasoning, add sugar, salt, and fish sauce.
Prepare the laksa noodles by following the packaging instructions. In a serving bowl, add in the laksa noodles and garnish all vegetables on top. Pour the Assam Laksa soup into the bowl and serve immediately with a spoonful of Heh Ko/prawn paste.

Cook’s Notes:
Canned sardines DO NOT make good Penang Assam Laksa. They make the soup base fishy and unappetizing. There is no shortcut to making great Assam Laksa, you just have to find certain freshest fish and make it from scratch

Curry Mee

Ingredients:

Stock
3 Tbsp oil
1/2 pack (120g) Malaysian instant curry paste
2 cups chicken stock
2 cups water
2 stalks lemongrass (white part only, pounded)
5 kaffir lime leaves (optional)
10 tofu puffs, cut into pieces
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1/2 cup coconut milk
Salt to taste

Other Ingredients
Yellow noodles
Vermicelli
Bean sprouts
10 shrimp, peeled, deveined, and cooked
3 hard-boiled eggs, quartered
Fish cakes, cut into pieces

Method:

1. In a stockpot, add the oil and sauté the instant curry paste until aromatic.
2. Add the chicken broth, water, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, tofu puffs and bring the stock to boil.
3. Lower the heat to simmer. Add the coconut milk and evaporated milk. Add salt to taste. Keep the stock on simmer.
4. Rinse the yellow noodles, drained and set aside. Soak the dry vermicelli with some warm water until soft, drained and set aside.
5. To assemble a bowl of laksa for serving, bring to boil some yellow noodles, vermicelli, and a handful of bean sprouts. Drain the noodles and transfer to a serving bowl.
6. Top the noodles with 2-3 shrimp, a few pieces of fish cake, and 1-2 egg quarters.
7. Using a ladle, pour the laksa broth and a few pieces of tofu puffs on top of the noodles.
8. Serve immediately.

Sweet Potato Salad

Ingredients:

1 medium sweet potato
6 cloves of garlic, skin on

50 ml extra virgin olive oil
1 small packet 80g wild rice
1 large pomegranate
75g thick Greek yoghurt
1tbsp organic tahini
juice & zest of 1 lemon
¼ clove garlic, crushed
flaked salt
cracked white pepper
pinch of sumac
¼ bunch dill
¼ bunch mint leaves

Method:

1. Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees. Wash and dry the sweet potato, cut into thick chunks and pop into a roasting tray along with the garlic. Drizzle with a little olive oil and season with salt, pepper and sumac. Place into the oven and roast for 40 minutes turning once or twice to ensure they cook evenly and turn a nice golden brown.
2. Meanwhile place the wild rice in a small pot and cover generously with water, add a pinch of salt and bring to the boil over a moderate heat. Simmer and cook until the grains are tender approximately 40 minutes. Drain, cool and set aside.
3. Place yoghurt into a small bowl and mix in the tahini, lemon zest and juice and a pinch of pepper, sumac and salt. Cut the pomegranate in half, place the cut side into your palm over a medium sized bowl. Using a wooden spoon tap the top of the pomegranate with enough force to loosen and remove the seeds.
4. Spoon a little of the tahini sauce into a wide salad bowl and place the warm sweet potatoes on top. Sprinkle with the rice & herbs, add the pomegranate seeds and a good pinch of sumac. Add a drizzle of olive oil just before serving.

Coleslaw

Ingredients:

1 (16 ounce) package coleslaw mix
2 Tbsp minced onion
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 Tbsp white wine vinegar
2 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice

Method:

1. Combine the coleslaw and onion in a large bowl.
2. In a separate bowl, combine the sugar, salt, pepper, milk, mayonnaise, buttermilk, vinegar and lemon juice; mix until smooth. Pour mixture over the coleslaw and onion; stir well and chill for 1 hour.

Lamb Shakshuka

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp ras el hanout OR:
1 tsp chili powder (mild)
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp paprika
pinch of cayenne pepper
pinch of sugar (to taste)

3 Tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely diced
1 clove garlic, finely minced
1 knob ginger, finely minced
500g lamb mince
1 x 400g can of crushed tomatoes
3 jalapeños, stemmed, seeded, and finely chopped

4 free-range eggs
Kosher salt, to taste
1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled
4 sprigs coriander

Method:

1. Pre heat the oven to 180C.
2. Heat oil in a large oven-safe pot. Add onion, garlic, ginger & jalapeños & sweat off until soft and translucent. 
3. Now add the ras el hanout and cook for a few minutes until fragrant. Now add the mince and cook until browned. Add the tomatoes and bring to the boil. Turn the heat down and simmer for 20 minutes.
4. Once thick and fragrant make four indents into the meat sauce and crack the eggs. Place in the oven and cook 10 minutes or until the eggs are set.
5. Remove from the oven and garnish with coriander & crumbled feta cheese. Serve with fresh Lebanese bread.

Time: 45 minutes
Serves: 4

Apple Praline Bread

Ingredients:

1 cup sour cream or yogurt
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups baking apples or 2 small-medium ones (sweet-tart variety is great for this), peeled and finely chopped
1 cup nuts (walnut or pecan or a combo), divided

For the praline sauce:
¼-1/2 cup brown sugar
¼-1/2 cup butter

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Lightly grease a 9x5x3-inch loaf pan. Set aside.
3. Using an electric mixer, beat together the sour cream/yogurt, sugar, eggs and vanilla on low speed for a couple of minutes until well blended.
4. Stop the mixer and then add in the flour, leavening agents and salt. Continue to beat on low until well combined.
5. Fold in the apples and half the nuts into the batter. 
6. Transfer the batter into the greased loaf pan.
7. Sprinkle the rest of the nuts on top and then press them lightly into the batter. 
8. Bake for about 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. 
9. Cool in the loaf pan for about 20-30 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. So it doesn't get too dark, I suggest using a light colored loaf pan.

For the praline sauce:

1. In a small sauce pan, place the butter and brown sugar. Using medium heat, bring to a boil. 
2. Lower the heat and then simmer lightly for about one minute, stirring constantly until the sauce thickens. 
3. Remove from heat and then drizzle over the bread. Cool completely.