Best banana chocolate cake

1 cup (200g) caster sugar) - 3/4 cup (165g) if using semisweet chocolate for the ganache

1 cup (140g) plain flour

1/3 cup (35g) unsweetened cocoa powder

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 large egg (about 550g)

1 very large ripe banana, mashed

1/2 cup (120ml) warm water

1/4 cup (60ml) milk

1/4 cup (60ml) vegetable oil

3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Ganache:

140g semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips

1/3 cup (100ml) heavy whipping cream

1/2 tablespoon (7g) salted butter

Greased 20cm x 20cm square cake tin.

1. Preheat oven to 180 C.

2. In a large bowl, sift in flour, sugar, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Mix well.

3. In another bowl, add in mashed banana, egg, milk, warm water, oil and vanilla. Mix well.

4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry, mix until just combined. Do not over mix.

5. Pour into a greased cake tin and bake for 25 minutes or until skewer comes out clean. 

6. Cool cake in the tin on a wire rack. Remove from the tin.

7. Melt all ganache ingredients in a bowl over simmering water. Let it cool a little before spreading over cake. 

8. Top with chopped nuts ( I used pistachios) and let it set in fridge for at least 30 minutes.

Recipe from Bearnaked Food.

Easy Quiche

Pie crust

1 1/4 cup flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

7 tablespoons salted butter (very cold)

1-2 tablespoons ice water

Filling

3 eggs

3/4 cup cream

1 cup grated cheddar

1 cup chopped ham

Salt & pepper

1. Add flour, salt and butter to a food processor until it resembles breadcrumbs.

2. Add water and pulse a few times till it just comes together.

3. Pour into a board and combine into a disc. Do not knead. Chill for 1 hour.

4. Pre-heat oven to 200 C. 

5. Roll out pie dough and transfer to a 9 inch pie tin. Place baking paper over with pie weights or beans and bake for 12 - 14 mins. Remove the weights and paper and bake for another 8-10 mins.

6. Cool the pie crust. Combine all filling ingredients and pour into the pie crust.

7. Bake for 45 mins.

Banana Bread

1/2 cup salted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
3-4 ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat oven to 180 C

2. Grease and flour a loaf tin.

3. Cream butter and sugar.

4. Add eggs to the butter and sugar one at a time.

5. Add mashed banana and vanilla.

6. Sift in the flour, baking soda and salt.

7. Combine but do not over mix.

8. Pour into the loaf tin and bake for 1 hour.

Grilled tripe

Experimented with some lovely tripe on the BBQ. 

1. If the tripe is smelly, wash in some tamarind juice,

2. Cut into 2-3 inch pieces and boil in a stock of some carrots, onion, garlic and large green chilies and some chicken powder. Simmer for 2.5 - 3 hours, depending on how tender you like it.

3. Drain and pat dry the tripe.

4. Melt some better with crushed garlic, chopped spring onions, Korean red chili powder, sesame oil, and a bit of sugar and salt to balance.

5. Spoon over the marinade and leave it in the fridge for the butter to harden.

6. Sprinkle with some dry breadcrumbs.

7. Grill on the BBQ till slightly charred.

Banana Blossom Salad

1 banana blossom

Juice of 1 lemon and 1 teaspoon salt

1 handful of coarsely grated fresh coconut

Half a carrot, coarsely grated

1 bunch of fresh coriander leaves

1 handful of salted peanuts, roughly chopped

1 teaspoon sesame seeds

Deep fried crispy shallots

Salad Dressing

1.5 tablespoon dried shrimp, soaked in water (omit if vegetarian)

2 tablespoons tamarind juice

1 tablespoon lime juice

2 tablespoons sugar or grated palm sugar

2 tablespoons fish sauce (use soy sauce if vegetarian)

1 large clove garlic, minced finely

1cm piece of old ginger, peeled and finely grated

1 chili padi, chopped finely (optional)

1. Remove the outer red bracts of the banana blossom, and the little flowers in between. (You can use the red bracts as decoration, and deep fry the flowers, stamens removed, in some batter)

2. Juice the lemon and add it to a big bowl of water with the salt.

3. Thinly slice the banana blossom and immediately soak in the water with lemon juice and salt.

4. Make the salad dressing by combining all the ingredients.

5. Strain the sliced banana blossom and mix with all the other ingredients and toss with the salad dressing. 

Here's what I did with the little banana flowers. You must remove the inside stamens or they will be bitter. The batter was flour, egg, salt, water and some turmeric powder.

Otah Otah

Makes 12 pieces

30 g dried chilies seeds removed

30g lemongrass (bottom tender parts)

2 kaffir lime leaves

6 garlic cloves

250 g shallots

25g galangal

10 candlenuts

20g belacan

1 tablespoon ground turmeric

⅓ cup oil

1 tablespoon ground coriander

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon salt

400g mackerel or white fish

200g peeled fresh prawns

2 eggs

100 ml coconut milk

oil for greasing

12 banana leaves 26 cm by 18 cm

24 toothpicks

1. Soak the dried chilies in hot water for 30 minutes. Once they're soft, remove the seeds.

2. Thinly slice the lemongrass.

3. Finely chop the kaffir lime leaves.

4. Discard the soaking water for the chilies, and add to a food processor with the shallots, galangal, garlic, lemongrass, candlenuts, belacan and turmeric. Blitz to a paste.

5. In a wok or a pan, heat the oil and fry the paste till it becomes fragrant.

6. Add in the ground coriander, sugar and salt. Fry till the oil separates from the paste. Transfer to a bowl to cool.

7. Cut the fish into large chunks and add to the food processor along with the peeled prawns. Blitz to a paste.

8. Add the eggs, coconut milk, spice paste and lime leaves. Blend.

9. Brush the dull side of the banana leaves with oil. Add about 2 heaped tablespoons of the mixture and fold in the two sides. Secure both ends with toothpicks.

10. Grill on the BBQ about 5 minutes on each side. 

Adapted from The Meat Men

Crab bee hoon

Serves 4-6

Chicken stock
2 Chicken Carcasses
5-6 chicken feet
2 tablespoons dried soya beans
1 handful dried anchovies (Ikan Bilis), washed
1 white Onion, cut into wedges
5 - 6 garlic cloves, smashed
3 slices old ginger
Half a carrot, cut into chunks
About 1.5 litres water or enough to just cover all ingredients
(Optional: 2 teaspoons chicken powder)

2 large, fresh Sri Lankan crabs or 3-4 small to medium sized (or a combination!)
300g dried bee hoon vermicelli
2 tablespoons peanut oil
6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3 slices old ginger
2 tablespoons of tsao tsing cooking wine
Chicken stock (above)
1 - 2 tablespoons dried Sole fish powder (made from 3 - 4 pieces of dried Sole)
2 tablespoons salted butter, melted
1/4 to 1/2 cup Carnation full fat evaporated milk
1/2 - 1 tablespoon fish sauce or soy sauce
1 handful of chye sim, cut into 3 inch pieces
Finely ground white pepper

1. Make the chicken stock by adding all the stock ingredients to a large pot. Skim as much scum as possible. Bring to a boil and then cover and lower to a simmer for 2 hours. Strain and discard the ingredients.

2. Cut the pieces of dried Sole fish and fry in some oil till golden brown - do not fry till it's too dark brown! Remove and set on some paper towels to drain the oil. Pound in a mortar and pestle or in a spice grinder till a powder. There will be excess so you can keep this in an air tight container.

3. Soak the dried bee hoon in tap water for 10 minutes and strain.

4. You should dispatch the crab just before cooking, or no more than an hour kept in the fridge on ice.
Cut the crabs into pieces.

5. In a large wok, heat the oil and add the crab pieces. Toss a few times and add the ginger and garlic. Keep tossing for about 5 minutes. Less than 5 minutes if you're using small crabs.

6. Add in the stock, Sole fish powder, melted butter and evaporated milk. Start off with 1/4 cup first. You can add more later if you prefer it milky.

7. Bring to a boil and add the fish or soy sauce, and white pepper to taste.

8. Add the strained noodles and chye sim to a large claypot and transfer the crab and stock to it. Cover and cook on for another 5 minutes.

9. Give the stock a final taste. If you like it more milky, add more evaporated milk.

10. Turn off the fire and serve in the claypot. Garnish with coriander leaves if desired and serve with dipping sauce of sliced chilies in soy sauce.

Adapted from The Bonding Tool.