My Recipe

Banana with Coconut Sauce

Ingredients:

4 Large banana
2 cups Coconut milk
2-1/2 Tbsp Sugar
1/8 tsp Salt
3/4 to 1 oz Galangal
8 Tbsp or to taste Medium Coconut (Unsweetened) or Sweetened shredded coconut (toasted)
Mint leaves for garnish (optional)

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degree F. Spread the coconut onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and toast until the outside edges have browned. Toss the browned coconut with the white and cool.
2. Wash and rinse galangal. Cut into 1/8″ thick slices.
3. Choose banana that are just ripe but not over ripe. Peel and slice diagonally into 1/2″ thick pieces.
4. In a heavy-duty stainless steel saucepan, add coconut milk, galangal, sugar and salt. Cover and bring to boil on medium heat. Simmer for about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally until slightly thickened. Add banana. Return to the boil. Simmer for about 1 minute. Discard galangal.
5. Serve banana with sauce, sprinkled with toasted coconut. Garnish with mint leaf if desired.

Got a Sweet Tooth? It May be Your Gene

The substance ghrelin plays an important role in various addictions, such as alcoholism and binge-eating. It also impacts on sugar consumption, which is due, in part, to genetic factors, reveals new research from the Sahlgrenska Academy.

Ghrelin is a neuropeptide that both activates the brain’s reward system and increases appetite. This means that when we are hungry, levels of ghrelin increase, activating the brain’s reward system, and this, in turn, increases our motivation to look for food. Previous research from the Sahlgrenska Academy has linked ghrelin to the development of various dependencies, such as drug addiction and alcoholism.

The new study, published online the journal PlosOne, found that people with certain changes in the ghrelin gene consume more sugar than their peers who do not have these changes. This link was also seen in people who consumed large amounts of both sugar and alcohol.

Read more ….

A Taiwanese Appetizer

Ingredients

300 g All-purposed flour
½ cup Hot water
½ cup Ice water
Pinch of Salt
4 tbsp Chopped spring onion
2 tsp Sesame oil
2 tbsp Roasted sesame seed
3 tbsp Oil

Method

1. Sieve the flour into a mixing bowl, then mix well with some salt.
2. Pour in hot water and mix well with the flour. Leave for a few minutes.
3. Add ice water into the flour mixture. Knead to form a dough.
4. Cover the dough with cling wrap, leave for 15-20 minutes.
5. Divide the dough into 10 portion.
6. Press the dough into round shape.
7. Brush with sesame oil.
8. Sprinkle with some spring onion and sesame seed, roll it into a stick.
9. Roll the stick-dough into a spiral, then press flat.
10. Heat oil in a pan, fry cake until both sides turn golden brown and crispy, ready to serve.

Source: Hong Kong TV Times