Banana Bread II

There are many banana bread recipes out there, and most of them are very easy to make. I have a few on my own, but this one here is very delicious – moist, tender, and with the hint of chocolate when one takes a bite. This is a good way to use up the overripe bananas.

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
3 overripe medium-size bananas
2 eggs
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup soft butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup chocolate chips
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup milk

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°. Grease a 9" x 4" loaf pan and set aside.
Using a potato masher, mash the bananas in a bowl and set aside.
In another bowl, combine flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda and whisk well and set aside.
In a mixing bowl, use a wooden spoon or spatula to mix sugar and soft butter mix until well combined. Whisk in eggs, milk, and vanilla. Stir in the flour mixture and mashed bananas with a folding motion until well mixed. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts. Whisk a few more strokes. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. While grasping each end, tap the bread pan a few times on the work surface to take some air out.

Bake in preheated oven for 40 to 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool for 15 minutes before serving.

 

 

Baked Fish with Sweet Soy-Vinegar

I am proud to share this often requested dish served in my family restaurant. I also remake this dish so that it will be simple to prepare in the home kitchen.

Ingredients;
1/2 lb, fish fillets (your choice), cut into big pieces
Marinade:
1 tbs cooking wine
1/2 tsp salt
Sauce:
3 tbs soy sauce
1 tbs black vinegar
1/4 cup chopped white onions
1/2 tsp each: sesame oil. sugar, minced garlic, and minced ginger
Garnish:
2 tbs chopped green onions
1 fresh hot pepper, sliced

Directions;
Preheat oven to 400°
Combine the marinade ingredients and place it with fish in a baking dish and marinate fish briefly.
Heat 1 tbs oil and then fry garlic, ginger, and chopped white onions until fragrant. Add the rest of the sauté to the pan and stir. Pour over fish and bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Garnish green onions and chopped hot chili in the last 2 minutes. Remove from oven and serve

Blackberry Coffee Cake

This cake more than just a dessert. It can be served at breakfast or paired with egg frittata to provide a good brunch for friends. It also makes a simple welcome gift for a new neighbor.

Ingredients:
Dry Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
Wet ingredients:
2 eggs
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup nonfat yogurt
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups fresh blackberries
Streusel topping:
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
2 tbs cold butter

Directions;
Preheat oven set to 350°. Grease and flour a bundt pan and set aside.

In a mixing bowl, mix the streusel topping with your fingers until crumbly.

Combine the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl and set aside

In a large mixing bowl using an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in eggs until smooth.

 Beat in nonfat yogurt and vanilla. Slowly in low speed add flour, mix until combine.

Spread half the batter in prepared pan.

 Add the blackberries. Pour the other half of the batter to cover all the blackberries. Sprinkle the

crumbs evenly over the covered blackberries. Bake for 40 minutes or until set and lightly browned

Zestty Chicken Carnitas

Carnitas, literally meaning "little meats", are fried and braised. Most people are familiar with pork carnitas, which are served over rice or wrapped in tortillas and all the condiments that come with it, such as salsa, sour cream, and refried beans. My chicken carnitas uses a slow cooker to prepare, which will keep the heat in the kitchen cool in the summer, and the cleanup is faster and easier. It is served with freshly cooked rice to complete a hearty-healthy meal.

Ingredients:
2 lbs chicken breasts and thighs, cut into big chunks
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tbs fresh oregano, chopped
2 tbs lime juice
2 tsp Mexican rub (recipe at bottom)
Salt and pepper
2 bay leaves
1/2 cup water
1 chicken bouillon cube
1 tbs chipotle chili
Garnish with chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:
Mix the Mexican rub with salt and pepper and coat the chicken completely.

 In a nonstick skillet over medium heat, add 2 tbs oil and brown the chicken.

 Add fresh chopped oregano.

 Remove and place the chicken in the bottom of a 4 qt slow cooker.
In the same skillet over medium heat, add onions, garlic, chipotle pepper and then sauté.' Let cook until this mixture is fragrant.

Add lime juice, chicken bouillon cube, and water and bring to boil. Use a spatula to scrape off all the brown bits still stuck at the bottom of the skillet.

Pour over chicken in the slow cooker and add bay leaves.

Cover and cook on low setting for 3-1/2 to 4 hours or until the meat can be easily separated with a fork. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve over rice.

Mexican Spice mix:
1/4 cup chili powder
1/4 cup sweet paprika
2 tbs garlic powder
2 tbs onion powder
2 tbs cumin
2 tbs cayene
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
2 tsp dried oregano
Mix all the ingredients and place in the glass jar with lid. Store in cool place.

Vietnamese Shimp Paste (Cha Tom Hue)

I had been busy the past few days away from my blog and my kitchen. Also, I had to replace a defective router for my home so my laptop computer was off-line. Well, I am back and this recipe should please almost everyone. This shrimp paste recipe comes from Hue in the central part of Vietnam. 100 years ago, Hue was the imperial capital of Vietnam. Traditionally, this dish is made with pork fat and is served as an appetizer, finger food, or wrapped in rice paper with lettuce, cucumbers and carrot-daikon pickles. It could easily be a delicious stuffing inside baguettes to make sandwiches. Also, shrimp paste served with spicy beef noodle soup (Bun Bo Hue) is one of the popular noodle soups in Vietnam. Shrimp paste is a pleaser to meat eaters and all health-conscious eaters.

Ingredients:
1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
6 oz crab meat
1/2 lb. Ground turkey
1 tbs vegetable shortening
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 shallots. minced or use white part of scallion, chopped
1 tsp sugar
2 tsp rice powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 tsp fish sauce
2 tsp baking powder
5 tbs water
3 tbs cornstarch
2 drops of yellow food color
1 egg yolk, beaten

Directions:
In a small bowl, combine water, cornstarch, baking powder, salt, sugar, fish sauce and food color. Mix well
Dry the shrimp with a paper towel and set aside.
Combine shrimp, crab meat, ground turkey, garlic, shallots, vegetable shortening and rice powder in a container with lid. Pour the water-baking powder mixture on the shrimp-crab mixture and mix well. Cover with lid and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight.

Place the refrigerated shrimp mixture into the food processor. Start the machine and let it chop until the shrimp mixture become a paste.

 Heat 1 tsp of the mixture in microwave and then taste it to see if the mixture needs more salt or fish sauce. Adjust the seasoning before the final process.
Cover the all interior surfaces of a baking dish with a large sheet of plastic wrap that overlaps the sides and pack the shrimp paste into the dish.

Fold overlapping plastic wrap and cover the shrimp paste.

 Place the shrimp paste into the steamer over high heat and steam for 20 to 25 minutes. In the last five minutes, remove the plastic warp.

Brush the entire surface of the shrimp paste with egg yolk and continue to steam the shrimp paste without the plastic wrap cover for a few more minutes.

Cut and serve

Corn Crabmeat Soup

This modernized preparation of Asian soup is a simple way without compromising the original taste. This soup is served in most of Chinese restaurants as an appetizer. Many people are reluctant to cook Chinese food because they think it is complicated and time-consuming. The purpose of my cooking is to simplify, and this soup's preparation demonstrates this method.

Ingredients:
3 cups of vegetable-kelp broth (posted on January,02,2012)
2 cups of chicken broth
1 can of creamed mushrooms
1 cup white corn (Costco brand)
1 tbs sake or cooking wine
1/2 tsp salt
One 6 oz crab
2 cup imitation crab meat
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup frozen pea
Thickener:
2 tbs cornstarch
3 tbs water

Garnish with sliced green onions

Direction:
In a Magic Bullet® or other blender, blend creamed mushrooms and corn until well mixed.
Bring kelp broth, chicken broth, salt, wine, and creamed corn to boil. Add crab and crab meat and bring to boil again. In a small bowl, whisk the thickener solution and add to the soup. Reduce heat to low. Gradually pour egg into soup and stir clockwise until egg is cooked (about 1 minute); add pea. Adjust to taste and cook for another minute before turning heat off. Ladle soup into serving bowl and sprinkle with green onions on top.

Easy Popovers

Popovers are easy quick bread. These little darling breads are served for breakfast or as a side dish for any occasion. The trick to cause this bread to pop as its name indicates is to heat the oil until hot. I learned this trick from the "Semi-Homemade" cook, Sandra Lee, and it worked. To fully appreciate their tasty texture, popovers should be eaten hot out of the oven.


Ingredients:
Batter:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup nonfat milk
2 eggs
1/2 tsp salt
1 clove garlic or 1 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp pepper
6 tbs oil

Directions:
Heat oven set to 400°. Place 1 tbs oil into 6 large muffin tins. Bake the prepared muffin tins in the oven until hot about 5 minutes.

In a Magic Bullet® machine or other blender, combine the rest of the ingredients and blend well. Let the batter rest at the room temperature for 30 to 40 minutes.

 Fill each of the muffin tins about 1/2 way up.

Place in the oven and bake for 15 minutes, and then lower the oven to 350° and bake for an additional 15 minutes. Serve warm.

Add some chives or left over ham to it (your choice)

Tilapia En Papillote with Cilantro Lemongrass

Tilapia with cilantro-lemongrass dressing, wrapped in parchment paper, will surely deliver dinner for busy moms in 20 minutes. Also, the clean up is one less thing to worry about.
Ingredients:
Two 6 oz tilapia fillets
1/4 cup cilantro-lemongrass dressing (recipe follows)
2 green onion, cut into 2 inch
1/4 cup thinly sliced white onions
2 sheets of 12" x 8" parchment paper

Directions:
Fold each parchment paper in half. Place fish in the middle of the paper. Top with green onions and white onions and pour the dressing over the top.

Fold the paper to enclose the fish. Place the pockets onto a baking pan. Bake in a preheated oven set to 375° for 15 minutes.

Cut the parchment paper and serve.

To make the cilantro-lemongrass dressing:
1/2 cup chopped lemongrass
1 cup cilantro leave
1/2 cup mints
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tbs paprika
1 tbs wine rice vinegar
1 tbs lemon juice
1 tsp salt
1 tbs soy sauce
1 tbs honey
2 jalapenos, chopped
1 cup olive oil

Directions:
In a blender or food processor, combine all the ingredients and blend until all are well mixed. Pour into a glass jar with lid and refrigerate (will keep fresh for months).

Breakfast Potato Pancake

Potato pancakes are a form of thin-fried, grated, or ground fresh potato with flour, eggs, and seasoned with garlic or chopped onions. Potato pancakes are often topped with a variety of savory items, such as with sour cream, bacon, sausages or sweet items, such as apple sauce or jams. It is commonly associated with German, Jewish, Polish or Australian cuisines. The traditional potato pancakes sometime require a lot of oil for deep frying, such as latkes, which are eaten by Jews during Hanukkah. The traditional Australian potato pancakes are combined with flour and eggs and made into small patties and then deep fried. I make my potato pancakes with the idea of being somewhat between the hash brown and omelet and use very little oil to make them less fattening. Breaking an egg in the middle of the potato pancake will complete the healthy breakfast.

Ingredients:
2 medium potatoes, peeled and grated
2 eggs
1/4 tsp salt
4 green onions, thinly sliced
2 tsp butter
2 tsp olive oil

Directions:
Squeeze as much water as possible from a grated potato. Add salt and mix well.

In a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, add butter and oil. Heat until the butter is foaming.

 Add grated potatoes into a very thin layer. Sprinkle with green onions.

 Make a hole in the center of the potato pancake and turn the heat down to low.

 Fry the pancake for 5 to 7 minutes or until the pancake appears to Brown. Flip the pancake to cook the other side.

Cook for a few minutes. Carefully break an egg into a hole in the center of the pancake and continue to fry at very low heat until crispy. Remove the pancake and place onto a serving plate. Garnish with some chopped cilantro.

Vietnamese Omelet with Dill and Scallion

Egg is one of my favorite protein foods for breakfast. I love hard boil eggs, scrambled eggs, sunny side up eggs, etc., but the omelet is my dish because it reminds me about my childhood. In Vietnam the whole family, 4 to 10 people, shared 3 eggs per meal and that is why the omelet was the only dish made. The sunny side up egg was the reward that my mother made for us if we got a good grade in school. When making the omelet, my mother always spent her time to whisk the eggs until they were foaming and airy because that made more volume for the eggs when she fried them. Also, she added scallions and dill to flavor the dish and sometimes threw in some tomatoes. Living in America, the eggs are so affordable. I still want to make the eggs the way my mother did because it is a sweet memory that I shared with my mother.  
Ingredients:
2 eggs
2 tbs oil
2 tbs fresh dill, chopped
1 scallion, sliced or  cut into 1/2 inch lengths
1 hot chili, chopped
1 shallot, sliced
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/2 cup fresh tomato, seeded and chopped
1 tbs fish sauce
Pinch of salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

Directions:
Beat eggs in a bowl until foaming (about 3 minutes).

 Stir in dill, scallion, chili, fish sauce, salt, and black pepper.

In a nonstick skillet, heat 1 tbs vegetable oil. Add shallot and garlic and cook over moderately high heat until softened (about 2 minutes). Add the remaining oil. When it is hot, pour in the egg mixture. Turn down the heat and cook undisturbed. Distribute the tomatoes on top.

 Run a heatproof plastic spatula around the edge to loosen the omelet and cook until golden brown on the bottom (about 1 minute). Invert the omelet onto a plate and serve.