Wholemeal Banana Date Loaf

 Ingredients:

1 1/2  cup wholemeal self-raising flour
1 cup oats (blended in food processor)
1/4 cup raw sugar
1 cup dates, chopped
125g butter, melted
1 1/4 cups milk
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup mashed banana
zest of an orange

• Preheat oven to 160 degrees C.
• Grease a loaf pan, line base with paper.
• Sift flour into a large mixing bowl, mix in oats, sugar and dates.
• Stir in butter, milk, eggs, orange zest and mashed banana.
• Pour into the prepared pan.
• Bake for about 1 1/4 hour or until cooked.
• Stand 5 minutes before turning onto a wire rack to cool.

Beef Rendang

Ingredients:

1 kg chuck steak - cut into cubes
1 cup shallots
1/2 cup garlic
1/4 cup candlenuts
2 slices ginger
2 slices galangal
2 stalks lemon grass
1 pc cinnamon stick
3 pcs cloves
3 star anise
3 tbsp chilli powder
sugar/palm sugar to taste
salt to taste
1 tsp tamarind paste (optional)
1 tbsp soy sauce
cooking oil
1/2 cup dessicated coconut
200ml  coconut cream
1 cup water
kaffir lime leaves (about 3 - 4)

• Pound the shallots, garlic, candlenuts, ginger, galangal and lemon grass into a fine paste.
• Fry dessicated coconut in a pan without oil over a low flame until light brown.  Remove and pound until fine.
• Heat oil in a saucepan over medium flame and fry the pounded ingredients, cinnamon stick, cloves , star anise and chilli powder until fragrant.
• Add meat and fry for about 1 minute. Season with sugar, salt, soy sauce, tamarind paste and dessicated coconut.  Add in water and kaffir lime leaves and simmer until meat is almost tender. Stir occasionally.
• Lastly, add in coconut cream and cook until meat is tender and gravy has almost dried up.
• Serve hot with rice.