Mango, Pineapple & Prawn Salad

Ingredients:

pineapple chunks
mango cubes
cucumber slices
cherry tomatos - halved
fresh coriander (or mint leaves)
basil
cooked prawns - chilled


Dressing: 

2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp grated palm sugar
1 tbsp pineapple juice

• Add dressing to the prawns and salad and toss well.

Tiramisu Cheesecake

Ingredients:

185g plain biscuits
100g butter, melted
zest of 1 lemon
375g Mascarpone cheese or Philadelphia cream cheese
2/3 cup lemonade
15g gelatin
1 tbsp lemon zest
1 tsp lemon juice
1 cup cream - whipped
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup espresso coffee + 50ml Kahlua, Tia Maria or Marsala
10 Savoiardi biscuits (or sponge fingers)


Method:

• Process biscuits until finely crushed, add butter and lemon zest and mix well.
• Press biscuits mixture into the base of a greased and lined 20cm springform pan.
• Refrigerate for 15 minutes.
• In a saucepan, combine lemonade, sugar and gelatin; stir over medium heat until dissolved.  Cool.
• Beat cream cheese until smooth.  Add in lemon zest and juice. Then add in gelatin mixture.  Beat well.
• Refrigerate until partly set.
• Fold in whipped cream.
• Pour half of the cream cheese mixture into the pan.  
• Dip Savoiardi biscuits one at a time in a bowl of cooled espresso coffee mixture and then lay them side by side on the layer of the cream cheese mixture.
• Pour the rest of the cream cheese mixture over the biscuits.  Chill overnight.
• Dust with sifted cocoa powder to serve.

Cheesy Baked Rice With Prawns & Bacon

 I've heard so much about the Hong Kong style Cheese Baked Rice but yet to try it.  Sounds like Western-Asian fusion food, and reminds me of Tuna Mornay too.  So,  I  decided to experiment this one-meal dish - my version of course, since I have no idea how the authentic Cheese Baked Rice would taste like.  

Ingredients: 

1½ cups rice, cooked rice

10 prawns, shelled and deveined

2 pieces bacon, cut into small pieces

3 cloves garlic, minced 

1/2 onion, chopped

a handful of french beans, cut into 2 cm length 

2 small tomato, cubed

1/4 cup white wine (or chicken stock)

salt & pepper

1 cup grated parmesan and cheddar cheese (or mozzarella)

1/2 cup cream (or milk)

1 tbsp plain flour

2 tbsp butter (approx)

• Preheat oven to 200 degrees C.
• Heat oil in a frying pan.  Saute the onion and garlic.  Add in prawns and fry until 3/4 cooked.  Dish out the prawns.
• Add in bacon and fry until it is browned,  then pour in wine, stir well.   Toss in beans and tomato and cook for about 2 minutes.  Turn off heat.
• Pour the white sauce and prawns into the pan and season with salt and pepper.  Stir to combine.
• Fluff up the cooked rice and place in a casserole dish.  Then pour the prawns and bacon mixture over the rice and mix well.  
• Top the rice with a layer of grated cheese. 
• Bake for about 10 minutes or until cheese turns golden brown.
• Serve hot.

 

White Sauce (or Béchamel):

• In a small saucepan, melt butter over low heat.  Add in flour and cook, stirring for a minute or until mixture bubbles and begins to come away from the side of the pan.  
• Gradually whisk in the cream until combined. 
• Continue cooking until the sauce boils and thickens.  Remove from heat.

Yellow Butter Cake

This moist, buttery yellow cake recipe was taken from JoyofBaking.  The difference between a yellow and a white butter cake is that a yellow cake contains just the egg yolks whereas a white cake contains whole eggs (although both cakes do contain butter, sugar, flour and milk).  This yellow cake makes an ideal birthday cake where you can fill and frost the layers with a rich and creamy chocolate butter frosting or any frosting of your choice.  

Ingredients:

6 large egg yolks

240ml milk

2 tsp vanilla extract

300g self-raising flour, sifted

240g caster sugar

170g butter, softened

• Preheat oven at 160 degrees C.  Grease a 21cm Bundt pan with butter and flour mixture.
• In a medium bowl, lightly combine egg yolks, 1/4 cup of  milk and vanilla extract.
• In a large mixing bowl, combined flour and sugar. Mix on low speed for about 30 seconds or until blended.
• Add in butter and the remaining 3/4 cup of milk.  Mix on low speed until the dry ingredients are moistened.  Increase to medium speed.  Beat for about 2 minutes to aerate and develop the cake's structure.  Scrape down the bowl.  Gradually add in egg mixture in 3 additions, beating about 30 seconds after each addition to incorporate the eggs.
• Transfer the batter into the prepared Bundt pan.  
• Bake for about 45 minutes or until cake is done.
• Cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before inverting the cake on a rack.  

Chocolate Ganache

150g dark chocolate, chopped

1/2 cup cream

• Melt chocolate and cream in a medium heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, stirring occasionally, until smooth.  If too thick, add a little bit more boiling water to adjust the consistency.
• Drizzle Ganache over cold cake.

Chocolate Banana Cake

Ingredients:

1 cup mashed bananas
1/4 cup cream or sour cream or yoghurt
175g butter, softened
170g caster sugar
2 large eggs, lighted beaten
310g plain flour
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup cocoa powder
3 tbsp boiling water

• Preheat oven to 160 degrees C.
• Grease a 21cm bundt pan with melted butter mixed with a little flour.
• Combine mashed bananas with cream until blended.  Set aside.
• Sift flour, baking powder and baking soda into a bowl and whisk to blend.
• Mix cocoa powder and boiling water into a paste.
• In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy (this will take about 4 -5 minutes).  Then gradually add in eggs in 3 additions.  Beat until combined.
• Stir in 1/3 of the flour mixture with half the combined cream and banana mixture.  Repeat the process, ending with the flour mixture.  
• Place half of the mixture into a separate bowl, stir in cocoa paste.
• Drop alternate spoonfuls of mixture into the prepared pan, run a knife through the mixture to give marbled effect.  
• Bake for about 55 minutes or until cake is done.

Mango Cheesecake

Ingredients:

Base:

185g biscuits
90g butter, melted

• Process biscuits in a food processor; add the melted butter and mix to combine.
• Pour biscuit crumbs into a 21cm round springform pan and press crumbs over  the base of pan  to form a crust. Chill in the fridge while preparing the filling.

Filling:

2/3 cup lemonade
15g gelatine
1 tbsp lemon zest
1 tsp lemon juice
2 mangoes, diced
1 cup cream (whipped)
1/2 cup sugar
375g cream cheese (at room temperature)

• In a saucepan, combine lemonade, sugar and gelatine; stir over medium heat until dissolved.  Cool.
• Beat cream cheese until smooth.  Add in lemon rind and juice. Then add in gelatin mixture.  Beat well.
• Refrigerate until partly set.
• Fold in whipped cream and diced mangoes.
• Pour into the pan and chill overnight.