Banana Dessert

First thing's first, I apologise for not posting up recipes for the past two months. I've been super busy working 6 days a week and juggling uni assignments and exams. After that, I had a whole bunch of drama happening and I basically was too depressed to even cook! But I'm back and I'm going to start on a sweet sweet note!

I had super ripe bananas and at first I was thinking of making banana muffins... then I got lazy :p Plus I wanted to try something new so I surfed around the web and found a recipe for caramelised bananas. Click to view the recipe I got my inspiration from :)

From the photographs you can see that my recipe and the one I gained inspiration from are very different. I used similar ingredients. So here it is!

Ingredients:

Butter (2 tablespoon)

2 Ripe Banana (mine were really really soft)

Light Brown Sugar (3 tsp or more if you want it sweeter)

A pinch of cinnamon

• Step 1, melt the butter in a pot 
• Step 2, add in the sugar and stir till melted and well combined
• Step 3, add in the banana and mix till all bananas are coated
• Step 4, continue to stir the mixture till warm (to ensure the bottom doesn't burn)
• Step 5, move the mixture into a bowl and add in the pinch of cinnamon and mix 
• Step 6, DONE!

I haven't been cooking much and today was my first day cooking proper meals again. I gobbled this dessert up in 5 minutes. It's a great way to use up ripe bananas. Another recipe I was thinking of doing was making goreng pisang which is basically deep fried bananas. However I don't often deep fry because of the busy clean up and the need to store the excess oil. So if you're thinking of using ripe bananas for a quick dessert, you could give this recipe a go :) 

 Hugs for everyone~ Go bananas!

Spiced Basmati Rice

I don't have a photograph for this recipe because all you're going to see is white rice. This recipe is simple recipe that I absolutely love doing because you can't really go wrong with it.

Ingredients:

2 Cups of Basmati Rice 

Around 2.5 cups of Chicken Broth

1 Cinnamon Stick

4-6 Bayleaves

1 Tablespoon of Cumin seeds 

Some recipes usually require oil or butter, which will make sure that your rice has a nice gloss and it won't stick to your pot. I usually watch over the rice, stir it every few minutes and I used a non-stick pot so I don't usually have a problem. Feel free to just add in a tablespoon or two of oil if you feel that it's easier.

• Step 1, rinse the rice over clear water. 

• Step 2, in a pot, add everything in. Rice, broth, spices. 
• Step 3, place over high heat till it starts to boil
• Step 4, turn the heat down and cover the pot. 

• Step 5, when the liquid is all absorbed and the rice is soft. Mix/Fluff the rice to ensure even cooking has taken place

If you feel there is need for more liquid, add in clear water or more broth

• Step 6, cover the pot and remove from heat. Leave the rice undisturbed for around 5minutes.
• Step 7, Fluff the rice again and serve :)

Usually when I say wash the rice, instead of rinse... until one incident where I told my friend to wash the rice and she took the detergent and started to soak the rice in soapy water. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. So yes, lesson learnt, always be clear when giving instructions. 

I know that in many recipes they just state that when the rice is soft to remove it from heat. But I like to stir my rice constantly just to check. Especially when I use a soup pot instead of my normal wide pan. To ensure even cooking I have to constantly mix the top and bottom if not I end up with burnt rice. 

Some recipes also use much more spices such as cardamom and cloves but since those are spices that I hardly have around the house, I don't go out of my way just to get them. The joy of cooking is looking at what I have to work with and creating something I never thought I would make. 

Hugs for everyone!! Spice up your life :)