Sticky Rice with Durian Sauce

Durian is my favourite fruits. Since I was born, I though my parents always providing us durian during its season. Durian is unique fruit, Unlike most fruits the durian is left to fall from the tree as this is a sign that it is ripe to eat. People in the local villages of South East Asia, where the durian is most common, call it "The King of Fruits," and they will clear the floor under the trees near to harvest time and then camp near them for up to two months just to make sure they get the fruit at its peak. This is a truly exceptional and healing fruit.
Health Benefits of Durian

Traditionally the durian fruit was seen as a powerful aphrodisiac, while women would eat the ashes from burnt durian skins to help them recover after child birth. But concoctions made from the leaves of the durian tree were also used to help reduce swelling and cure skin disease. More recently nutritionists have claimed that the durian fruit can help lower cholesterol and cleanse the blood as well as cure jaundice and alleviate fevers.

Experts even say that you can rid yourself of yeast infections such as thrush through eating the durian fruit. This is because of the durian's high iron content that helps the white blood cells in our body make specific chemicals that kill off the infection.

The durian is also packed with amino acids as well as Vitamins B, C and E and many people are even comparing the sweet custard like centre of the durian fruit to the goji berry for its high levels of anti oxidants. These anti oxidants help slow down the destruction of cells from free radicals such as pollution and smoking; in doing so, they decrease the effects of aging on the skin giving you a younger more refreshed look.

Among the amino acids found inside the durian is tryptophan. Tryptophan is essential for making and maintaining serotonin levels in the body. Serotonin is the hormone in the body that regulates our happiness. People with low serotonin levels tend to have short tempers, are often moody and suffer from depression. This means that not only will eating the durian fruit help keep your body running smoothly but it will also increase your general happiness and wellbeing.


I have one of my family recipe from my Mom, it call Ketan Kinca (Sticky rice with durian sauce).


Ingredients:

500 kg gluten rice (sticky rice)
1250 ml coconut milk
1 Pandan leaf
1 Durian fruit (whole)
250 kg palm sugar (if you need more sweet you put more because durian fruits already sweet).
1 tea spoon salt

Preparation:

1. Wash gluten rice and soak it for about one night. Until next morning you half cook it about 5 minutes with 250 ml coconut milk, pandan leaf and salt. Then steam it until well done cooked.

2. In large pan, boil 1 liter coconut milk with palm sugar and pandan leaf. When it boiling pour some durian fruit, if you put more durian fruit- the sauce will more sticky. Then cook it for another 5 minutes until durian fruit mix with coconut sauce. Don't over cook.

3. Serve steamed sticky rice with durian sauce.

Coco Crunch Biscuits

Ketiga anak saya sangat senang sarapan dengan sereal. Salah satu jenis cereal yang mereka sukai coco crunch. Menyambut Idul Fitri 1430 H tahun ini kami akan kedatangan tamu istimewa. Tamunya adalah penulis kondang Asma Nadia yang sudah menulis lebih dari 40 buku dan salah satu bukunya dijadikan film yang berjudul Emak Ingin Naik Haji.

Biskuit coco crunch ini resepnya dapat sumber dari Natural Cooking Club Mbak Fatmah Bahalwan yang pernah ketemu tahun 2008 lalu di radio Bahana. Kami berdua talk show bersama. Mbak Fatma membahas kue sus dan saya buku kedua Hidangan Favorit ala Mediterania.

Ini dia resep yang sudah saya modifikasikan sendiri.

Bahan:
250 gr Butter atau mentega
200 gr tepung terigu
satu sendok makan penuh coklat bubuk (yg saya pakai Hersey)
150 gr gula pasir
10 gr baking powder
5 gr vanili
125 gr coco crunch
1 telur

Cara membuatnya:

Kocok butter dan gula hingga putih. Lalu masukkan telur, kocok sampai mengembang.
Masukkan tepung coklat dan terigu yang sudah dicampur baking powder. Masukkan vanili dan aduk rata. Kemudian masukkan 100 gr coco crunh dalam adonan, diaduk hingga coco crunch tercampur rata dengan adonan.
Cetak bundar dan diatasnnya dihias dengan sisa 25 gr coco crunch.
Panggang dalam oven selama 25 menit dengan suhu 180 C.

Muffin Jagung

Selama musim panas di Yunani, banyak sekai ditemukan jagung segar.
Jagung segar di Yunani sama saja bentuknya dengan jagung manis yang kita temukan di supermarket di Indonesia.

Ramadhan pertama saya mencoba membuat bolu jagung. Karena kehabisan gula ahirnya saya ganti dengan molasses (gula tebu yang cair dan berwarna pekat kenal).

Bahan yang diperlukan untuk 20 mangkuk bolu.

3 butir telur
250 gram minyak zaitun atau minyak sayur (saya memakai minyak zaitun karena baik untuk kesehatan dan tidak mengandung kolesterol jahat).
250 gram tepung self raising (bisa diganti tepung segitiga biru ditambahkan baking powder atau pengembang).
Satu buah jagung segar
100ml molasses
Mangkuk kertas untuk cetakan.

Cara membuatnya:
1. Pipil jagung dengan cara menyayatnya tipis-tipis atau dua kali sayatan. Sisihkan
2. Kocok telur hingga mengembang
3. Masukkan gula molasses dan kocok rata
4. Masukkan tepung dan aduk rata dengan spatula
5. Kemudian masukkan jagung dan aduk rata sebentar
6. Masukkan adonan dalam cetakan mangkuk kertas.
Kemudian bakar di oven selama 15-20 menit dengan api 180 C.

PS: Minyak zaitun akan rusak jika dimasak diatas suhu 185 C.

Melitzanes/Eggplant Tomato Sauce

As we know that eggplant containts alot of vitamins and mineral.

Eggplant is low in calories and is a nonstarchy fruit that is cooked as a vegetable. It contains a large amount of water. It is good for balancing diets that are heavy in protein and starches.
Nutrients in one pound
Calories 111 Iron 1.6 mg
Protein 4.3 g Vitamin A 100 I.U.
Fat 0.8 g Thiamine 0.27 mg
Carbohydrates 21.7 g Riboflavin 0.22 mg
Calcium 59 mg Niacin 3.2 mg
Phosphorus 146 mg Ascorbic acid 19 mg


Here is the recipe of my favorite eggplant;

1 big eggplant(250 gr)
2 tomatoes riped and cut into big size
1 onion/shallot
1 garlic
2 spoons of olive oil for saute tomatoes and onion
salt

Preparations:
Cut eggplant into thin layers
Wash into water and pour some salt and sugar to avoid eggplant become bitter
Pour some olive oil for frying pan. Fry eggplant until golden brown.
Saute tomatoes and onion, garlic and pour some salt.
Serving on th eplate with tomatoes sauce on the top.

Nasi Uduk Majic Jar

Bahan:

Beras jasmine Thai sekilo
Santan Kara sekotak gadang
Cardamon (kardamungu) 8 buah
Daun salam 3 buah
Serai 2 batang
Buah pala ciek utuh
Buah cengkeh 2
Garam secukupnya

Cara Mambueknyo:

1. Cuci bareh hingga barasiah
2. keringkan air dari cucian nasi
3. Masak nasi dalam magic jar - pakai air santan kelapa kara nan sekotak gadang
4. Atas bareh dimasukkan semua bumbu
5. Masak hingga nasi di majic jar matang

PS: Biarkan nasi uduk di dalam majic jar jangan diangkat. Agar tidak mudah basi.
Kalau nan suko guriah buleah tambahkan kaldu sayuran

Banana Pie

I have 3 children, all of them love banana. They eat banana everyday as breakfast, sometimes mix with cereal.

This banana pie one of their favorite pie.

Ingredients:

For sweet pastry:
200 gr flour
70 gr butter or margarine
80 gr sugar
1 egg
1 tea spoon vanilla
1 teaspoon salt if using unsalted butter

For filling:
3 banana cut into small pieces
1 cup of water.
1 cup of sugar.
3 tablespoons of cornstarch.
2 table spoon honey

Preparation:
In bowl,mix together flour,sugar, and salt.Using a pastry blender cut in the butter until the consistency resembles fine crumbs with a few larger pieces.
In liquid measure,beat egg yolk with ice-water;drizzle over dry ingredients,stirring briskly with fork to form ragged dough.Press into disc shape.Wrap in plastic wrap;refrigerate until chilled;about 30 minutes. Then make pastry sheet by roll out dough into the size you want.

Filling:
Boil together the water, sugar, cornstarch and honey.

Cook until the mixture begins to thicken.
Mix banana with filling then pour into pastry sheet, cover on the top with pastry sheet.

Bake at 180 degree for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Blood Orange Truffles

Its been long time I didnt up date this blog.
Here is another my unique recipe for winter time.

I like the taste of blood orange which is origin from Sigonella Italy and Spain.

In Greece blood orange popular name is sanquini.

Here is the recipe for Blood orange truffles

1. 250 gr digestive biscuit or marie biscuit, blender until smooths.
2. 50 gram cocoa powder
3. 150 ml condensed milk
4.50ml blood orange juice

Preparation:

1. Blender biscuits in food processor until smooth almost like flour
2. Pour biscuit powder into big bowl and add cocoa powder. Mix until biscuit turn
to chocolate color.
3. Add condensed milk, stir with spoon until mix well.
4. Finallly add blood orange juice and keep stir with spoon then form into small
balls. Its little bit sticky when you form it no need to worry. Roll the balls into trufflle chocolate.