Quick Fix Meals : Durian Dessert

Durian Dessert Recipe

Green beans
Durian flesh
Pandan leaves
Coconut milk
Gula melaka
Salt to taste

1. Soak green beans in a pot for minimum half an hour. The longer they are soaked, the shorter the cooking time as the beans have softened a bit.

 

2. Pound the gula melaka (from the outside) to break the chunks into smaller pieces so they will dissolve faster. Alternatively, you can also cut the gula melaka into smaller pieces with a knife but i find it takes longer this way. Good quality gula melaka will not take too long (or too hard) to cut or pound. In a separate pot, boil water and add the gula melaka pieces. Allow them to dissolve completely and sift out any debris floating on the surface of that gula melaka syrup.

 

3. Put in the washed pandan leaves (you can cut into shorter pieces or just tie up a few) and also the pre-soaked green beans into the syrup, under medium flame and when the beans are half cooked add in the coconut milk (i used two smallest boxes of KARA) and stir occasionally.

4. Add in the durian flesh when the green beans are almost 3/4 cooked and switch to slow fire. This enables the soup to take in the aroma and the flavour of the creamy durians. It works for non-creamy durians as well so don't put to waste those less creamy durians that you may have or those thicker / bland ones.

 

5. Keep coming back to stir occasionally. The aroma is unmistakable when the flavours are all blended in together. It is ready when you say it is, because the texture of the beans (soft/extremly soft/crunchy) is a subjective preference as to how you like your beans done. Add salt to taste to balance out the sweetness of the gula melaka.

Thinking it'd be more value for money, I bought one value pack green beans and it ended up like a LOT! Like one huge pot!  Luckily, there was more than enough durian flesh to put into the pot.

So I had to ta bao one container full for my folks, (my daddie's favourite ), for a friend of mine as well and still have some extra for us at home plus a bit more to freeze.

6. Dish up! 

Whether you prefer it eaten hot or cold....... they're just scrummiliciously goooooood. 

Quick Fix Meal : Spicy Chilli Fish Pasta

And here is the quick recipe!  

My choice of pasta here is penne. 

Bring to a boil a small pot of water. 

Add a teaspoon of oil and a teaspoon of salt. 

Add pasta choice into boiling water and let it 

be for 8mins to 10mins, stirring occasionally. 

Drain and cool the cooked pasta. 

 

I like this brand of tuna from AYAM BRAND when 

used for this simple pasta treat. Thick fish bits and blends nicely with the sauce. 

 

Then for the quick fix mommas who can't find 

time to make their own pasta sauce, i find this one from PREGO (Traditional Sauce) is definitely a quick fix pasta base sauce. 

 

I'm quite the spice girl so i like mine with the (optional) chilli padi. Shhlurgghp!  

So... give the tuna and pasta sauce a good even mix / stir and dunk those super spicy baby chillies for x-tra oooommph! Yumz! 

 

For the added herbs I use Master Foods Italian 

Herbs and I still add the Mc Cormick's Crushed 

Red Peppers for my personal serving of extra 

spicy-ness. Yaah.. I am that spicy.   

 

Finally pasta won't feel right without cheese so a dash of parmesan's for me for the added carbs to those love handles..  ... 

and ready to serve. 

 

As with all food, presentation makes it seems more scrumptious than it is. So, when serving meals for my family I make it a point to prepare the table nicely as it does perk 

up the appetite.  

Since we don't dine out in hotels and fancy restaurants that often, the dining area can 

be transformed into a hotel-like atmosphere with a little bit of effort. 

Meals won't seem right without that cool glass of Coca Cola. (For us lah.. ) 

So, darling...  ... 

this is what's for dinner tonight.  

Quick Fix Meals : Sweet & Sour Fish Fillet

How to make the fish fillet

 

I used this brand corn flour.. 

about 7 scoops/heaps using this IKEA ladle.

  

Crack an egg. Then, add a few dashes of pepper.. and about one small cup of water..

 

Give everything a good mix/whisk 

with fork or whisk.

The fish; I bought from Giant at Sembawang Shopping Centre. Frozen Sutchi Fillet.

I will keep the pack in the freezer if not planning to cook it immediately. 

I cut the slices evenly when it is
half-thawed. I try not to leave it
to thaw till it's watery.

Never soak the pack or the fish in water.
It ends up being really unsightly.. soft
and slimy.. like almost not fresh..
and more difficult to handle.

 

Texture should not be really drippy like
water drippy but slightly heavier.

If you want your fishto have some colour,
you can add some turmeric powder.

 

Can pan fry with little oil or if you want more crumbs or for a more crumby effect, 

use more oil or fry in a deep fryer. 

If your batter is too watery, it won't stick (like the odd one out in the pan I intentionally did for you ).. 

 

But if they are just right, the batter will wrap around the fish nicely and when fried 

it will come out like a banana fritter 

(goreng pisang), especially if you cut 

the slices along the length of the fish.

 

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For the boys, I separated the non-spicy fish fillet (pan fried : less oil). The girls can take the sauce/gravy but sometimes they are also jealous of their brother's plain fish fillet portions with crumbs... so i just normally fry a little extra for them as well.

This is how the sutchi fillet will look when they were pan fried using less oil, after it was soaked in simple batter of corn flour, water, salt and an egg.

 

Simple veggies in soup dish - cooked in oyster sauce like this can pair up the sweet and sour fish fillet dish nicely. This my friends, is easy peasy quick fix meal my family of 6 can enjoy within or under an hour. 

Next time, I will share how to make the sweet and sour sauce so you can serve your fish fillet like this.

Quick Fix Meals : Pizza & Mediterranean Open-faced Sandwiches

Remember my sharing on the quick  

Chicken Salad Pita fix?

Guess what? The same ingredients cooked up back there are great for two other quick fix meals down here. Read on...

We found this pizza base/crust at Cold Storage being the cheapest one around the other day, while shopping for the ingredients to make 
our pizza lunch. 

The verdict : If like us, you like your pizzas thin and crispy on the outside yet nicely soft when you bite into it, this should be your quick pick-up as well at the supermarket.

This same preps went great with my pizzas... we slap on the Prego Traditional as base 

for the pizzas then grate the 

mozarella cheese over that.

Taken before it was popped into the oven...

This one taken after the DING of the oven! 

......and the same ingredients are also fabulous for making the 

Open-faced Mediterranean Focaccia Sandwiches.

From outside the pack, you can already somewhat sniff the bursting fragrance from the herbs used to make this heavenly focaccia, but when you finally open the packaging, it reveals awesome goodness of the most delectable kinda bread you've ever tasted. 

Because it was kinda big, it can be cut 

into quarters to make the open-faced sandwiches.

Same base sauce used with the pizzas, 

before we pile on the toppings/ingredients. 

Just like how it's done for my pizza base. 

You can put as much filling or topping depending on which staple you use for it. 

By the way, those open-faced sandwiches...
Ours were this thick. 

Yup, size does matter. 

Plus they were topped with ultra happiness boosters called mozarella cheese. 

All grated with love. 

Quick Fix Meals : Banana Dessert/Snack

Not feeling like having anything heavy today? Perhaps feel like whipping up a quick sweet snack for yourself? I have one to share today. It's a banana dessert or snack that you can easily prepare in mere minutes with ready-made pizza crust, instant roti prata or even just sliced bread.

This version is somewhat like those from Pastamania. I have done up once with instant prata with raving feedback from the children. I will try with pizza next time when I get a chance to get a pack.

Ingredients

Banana (small ones called pisang mas)
Butter
Sugar
Cheese (if you like)
Chocolate shavings

The base : Instant prata.. prepared pizza crust.. normal sliced bread also no problemo.

Spread butter over the pan till it sizzles slightly and place the base of your choice over it. Place sliced bananas over the butter and sprinkle the sugar (to taste). 

If you have an oven or toaster, scrap the pan thingy... just pop it into the oven. If not you can choose to flip your dessert over to caramelize the bananas (or not - up to you). If you have Happy Call no issues.  

Sprinkle grated cheese and chocolate shavings, (you can just grate them if you have these in chunks or whatever is in the fridge). If you have ice cream, can always add a scoop for happiness.