Is Caramelized Banana Really Delicious ?

Banana is the common name of herbaceous plants of the genus Musa and for the fruit they produce. They are lots of variety of sizes and colors when ripe, including purple, red and the typical yellow color of the banana. For popular culture "banana" usually refers to soft, sweet dessert bananas. The banana plant is the largest flowering plan. The plants are normally tall and fairly sturdy and are often mistaken for trees, but their main or upright stem is actually a pseudostem that grows 6 to 8 meter or 20 to 25 ft tall. Each stem can produce a single bunch of bananas. I still remember way back in grade school and high school when I would race down to the canteen after I hear the recess bell ring just to be able to get a banana turon because they sell really fast. Meaning, it is not just my favorite alone, but others also find it really delicious and satisfying. And apart from being delicious, they really come in cheap that most students can afford buying one or two turons during snacktime. And now that I am already a mom, I prepare turon for my son who loves it as much as I do.

The good news does not stop there, however. Bananas help build muscles and synthesize protein even as it reduces the risk of hypertension, stroke and other cardiovascular illnesses. Sucrose, fructose and glucose are present in bananas which gives individuals an added boost of energy. It also helps in the formation of antibodies in the immune system even as it enhances normal central nervous system functioning. While most everyone loves to eat a ripe banana as is, turning them into great smoothies is another alternative to making the most of this tropical fruit. Even overripe bananas can still be frozen to make great smoothies that your children will love. Put in the sugar or honey, milk, yogurt and ice into the blender or smoothie maker and blend well until no ice chunks remain. Add the banana and the vanilla extract and blend some more to the desired consistency. Pour in a tall glass and drink immediately.

The menu is different together with well-made dishes which may have own them a steady patronage from the city diners. Most of the offerings will be not familiar to first timers but also the staff will be at any time helpful in suggestions and explanations. You can sample these kinds of fare as lotus root salad, a 'shaking' Kobe beef and steamed sea bass in a banana leaf parcel. Their nuoc cham sauce is actually common amongst diners and adds a complete body of taste to many of their dishes. They often ate fresh from their gardens, organic, no preservatives or added chemicals....eating foods that are as close to their natural states as possible. I remember my grandmother making custard with snow! Examples of clean foods include fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grain bread, lentils, avocados, egg whites, salmon, nuts, good fats such as olive oil, and boneless, skinless chicken breasts.

Potatoes Can Make A Variety Of Dishes

Different types of potato can lend a wide variety of texture to soups and stews. Try peeling small waxy new potatoes and cut into 1/4 cubes. Rinse off the residual starch, and then add to simmering broth until just done. Starchier baking potatoes, like Russets, can be peeled, boiled and pureed into a rich, silky liquid with the cooking water and milk or cream. Leftover baked potato can be peeled, cut into bite-sized chunks and added in the last-minute of cooking a Tuscan influenced kale and sausage soup. For a different twist on croutons or crackers, top a spicy tomato bisque with crushed potato chips.Hard winter squash and pumpkin pair delightfully with potato to create hearty stews. Cheese soups are a natural for the addition of potatoes, from mild blends of mozzarella and provolone to assertive blue and goat cheese flavors.

Where water would simply thin out the texture as well as the flavor, potato starch makes a stodgy soup more velvety and adds a layer of complexity to the flavor. Another legume not usually considered is the peanut, which adds protein as well as a rich, savory element to a creamy potato soup. For a creamy comforting meal, potato soup is a delicious answer.Almost every family serves the classic dish during the cold autumn and winter days. However, in addition to the original version of this food, many different variants have been developed.

Potato soup has lots of distinct textures, as well as flavors. Adding sausage or meat is a popular style to prepare this delicacy, as it enhances the taste and makes the soup more appealing. Furthermore, there are plenty of ways to turn a simple recipe into a gourmet dish.Vegetable stock has, compared to chicken broth, a more natural, relaxed flavor and is rich in vitamins and minerals. A vegetable stock can be prepared by slow cooking with carrots, garlic, parsley, onion, celery, leek, bay leaf, mushrooms, salt, pepper, thyme and potatoes.Additionally, they are high in Vitamin C and manganese, and also contain dietary fiber, potassium, iron, copper, and Vitamin B-6. Vitamin C, Vitamin A, and beta carotene are all extremely potent antioxidants that help to protect the body's cells and cell membranes from harmful free radicals. Nutrients like these, due to their protective qualities, are capable of helping in the prevention of cardiovascular disease and cancer of the colon.

An interesting delicious soup

ABC Soup which is essentially a combination of cubed potatoes, carrots, tomatoes and onions cooked in meat stock (usually pork or chicken). After my posting on Hot and Sour Szechuan Vegetable Soup recently, Tummythoz, girlgirl and tekko informed me that they add carrots and even corn into the soup. That was new to me.
So, when I went home to my mum’s place last night, I was most surprised to see a bowl of Szechuan Vegetable Soup which has carrots, onions and potatoes in it! It is indeed a marriage of the Hot and Spicy Szechuan Vegetable Soup with the famed ABC Soup! And true enough, it has the hot and sourness of the szechuan vegetables and the sweetness of the ABC soup. I shall call it the A B C D Soup then!
It is another one of those simple-to-cook yet appetising and nutritious soup which is great on a cold weathered day!
This is the recipe for A B C D Soup.
Ingredients
        200 to 300 grammes of meat (pork ribs or suitable cuts or chicken parts)
　　2 medium sized potatoes (washed, skin removed and cubed in big chunks)
　　1 carrot (cut in big pieces)
　　2 large tomatoes (quartered)
　　2 large onions (quartered)
　　1 piece szechuan vegetable (washed and sliced)
　　2 bowls of water (approximately 800 ml to 1 litre)
Method
　　Bring water to boil. Add meat and let water reboil. Remove layer of scum from surface of water.
　　Add the rest of the ingredients, bring to boil again for 5 minutes and then lower heat to simmer for at least 1 hour or longer.You don’t really need to add any seasoning to this soup as the various ingredients will impart its taste.

Shredded Chicken Porridge

　　Shredded Chicken Porridge is sold by many hawkers in Malaysia, usually by those who also sell Pork Porridge. Oh, by the way, in Malaysia we call congee as porridge. I understand that in the West, porridge refers more to soft food made by boiling oatmeal or other grains. Here, rice is used instead.
　　The usual condiments to Shredded Chicken Porridge are ginger, chopped spring onions and fried shallots. Just sprinkle them liberally and add a drop or two of sesame oil and you will get a really nice and homely tasting porridge. By the way, if you prefer to have a smooth consistency, I would suggest that you first soak the rice for 15 minutes and drain before cooking it. Once cooked, and before adding anything else into the porridge, switch off the flame and allow the porridge to cool down for about 15 minutes. Then add some water and reboil whilst stirring. You should get really smooth porridge then.
　　Ingredients
　　1/2 rice bowl measure of rice (rinsed and soaked in water for 15 minutes)
　　1 leg of chicken
　　3 cm ginger (julienned – slice as thinly as you can)
　　chopped spring onions
　　4 shallots (sliced thinly)
　　1.5 litres chicken stock
　　Seasoning
　　1 1/2 teaspoons salt or to taste
　　2 teaspoons light soya sauce
　　White pepper powder to taste
　　A few drops of sesame oil per serving bowl
　　Method
　　Bring chicken stock to boil. Add leg of chicken and allow to cook until just done. Don’t over cook the chicken or the meat will become tough. Remove leg of chicken and set aside to cool. Shred the meat with finger tips.
　　Place rice in pot. Add chicken stock and bring to boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to simmer and stir occasionally until rice grains are cooked (puffed up or broken). Switch off heat and close lid and allow to stand for 15 minutes.
　　Meanwhile, fry the shallots till golden brown and set aside the fried shallots.
　　Reheat porridge and add some water whilst stirring. Bring to boil until you get a smooth consistency. Add light soya sauce and salt to taste.
　　Pour onto serving bowls, top up with white pepper powder, sesame oil, some shredded chicken, ginger, spring onions and fried shallots. Serve hot.

Slow Cooker Pot Roast

Cooking is a holy art. 
Slow cooking makes the most tender, flavorful pot roast ever! This is a recipe that I took from a magazine many years ago and then added and changed things along the way. I rarely have leftovers! The best thing is after a little browning of the meat, you just throw everything in the cooker and walk away, it even makes it’s own gravy
You’ll need:
3 lb beef roast (your favorite cut, I usually just buy whatever is on sale)
flour for dredging
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil
baby carrots
baby red potatoes
1 can of golden mushroom or cream of mushroom soup
1 package of onion soup mix
1 cup water
1/2 cup dry white wine
Heat just enough oil to cover the bottom of a large pan. Salt and pepper the roast and rub in well, then dredge it in flour lightly, covering all sides. Place in hot oil and brown on all sides. This just seals in the juices and also gives the meat a nice brown crust. Add the soups, wine and water to the cooker, stir well. Now add the meat and vegetables, scattering the veggies all around. Spoon some of the soup mixture over the top. Add a little more salt and pepper, if desired and cover. Set the cooker to low if you want it ready in 8 to 10 hours or on high if you need it in 4 to 6, keeping in mind that the longer it cooks the more tender and flavorful it will be. If you like your veggies a little more on the crisp side and you have the time, add them halfway through cooking. I prefer them over done in this.
This is so easy and so good!! Just serve along with a big green salad and some rolls and you’re good to go!