Quick Kitchen: Butter-fried Banana

This is a simple snack that my mum used to make me. I was lucky to find this banana, which I don't know the exact name of, at Sydney Market. I initially saw another variant of banana that I had thought was suitable for frying. But, since I was a bit doubtful, I decided to ask the seller. She said the one that I first saw wasn't for frying and showed me another variant that was suitable. I only purchased one bunch to try, but now I regretted it because it turned out it's really nice and I want mooooorrreee!!!

The 'star' of the recipe

INGREDIENTS:

• Banana suitable for frying - increase the odds of finding this banana by visiting big Asian grocery shops, Cabramatta, or Sydney Market (Flemington); and don't forget to ask whether it's suitable for frying
• Blue Band margarine (preferred, but can be substituted with butter)
• Toppings: chocolate sprinkles (Dutch hagelslag), condensed milk (Carnation), and grated Kraft cheese (don't try using tasty or even parmesan)

HOW TO MAKE:

1. Heat margarine (or butter) in a skillet
2. Lay each banana slice on the skillet
3. Fry and turn ocassionally
4. Scoop out the banana slices once the surface has turned golden brown (or in my case a bit burnt)
5. Arrange the banana slices on a dessert plate. Top it off with chocolate sprinkles, grated cheese, and condensed milk

Quick Kitchen: Oliver Brown-Style Belgian Waffles

Ever since I tried Max Brenner's and Oliver Brown's Belgian waffle, I was constantly craving for it. It tastes sooo sooo sooo good! But the price is a bit heavy on the wallet, around $12-$14 per portion.

And then, when I was once shopping at Woolworths, I found a pack of pre-made Belgian waffles. I thought, "Wow, this is convenient! I can make my own at home and all I need to do is reheat the waffle and arrange the fruits and ice cream." So, when I was hosting a get-together at my house, I made this plate of goodness for my guests. I was surprised at how it turned out. It was so yummy and it tastes just like the Oliver Brown's one. Ok, enough introduction. Here's how you can make your own.

WHAT YOU NEED TO GET:

• A pack of Belgian waffles
• 1 milk chocolate block of your choice
• 2 punnets of strawberries (250gr each)
• 3-4 Bananas
• 1 container of vanilla ice cream of your choice

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Reheat the Belgian waffles according to the instructions on the packaging
2. Melt the chocolate on a double boiler. You do not want to try to melt it in the microwave - trust me.
3. Cut strawberries and bananas into small slices.
4. Once the Belgian waffles cooled down and chocolate is warm, arrange the waffle, strawberries, and bananas on a plate.
5. Scoop 1-2 scoops of ice cream and place it on the plate.
6. Drizzle the warm melted milk chocolate onto the waffle and ice cream. The chocolate will immediately hardened once it touches the ice cream (love this!).

The best thing about putting together your own Belgian waffle is that the price per plate comes down to only $3.37 per plate! That's a huge saving! Here's the detailed price breakdown for 8 portions:

• Waffle (@$5 per pack of 4): $10
• Strawberries (2 punnets): $6
• Bananas: $2.50
• Ice cream - Peter's vanilla: $5 (you can go for a more expensive one)
• Cadbury milk chocolate block: $3.5 (you can substitute with your favourite milk chocolate, Lindt perhaps?)

Quick Kitchen: Cheat Martabak Manis

Hello again to my Quick Kitchen series post!

This time around I discovered how to make a super easy yummy munchies that taste almost similar to martabak manis with only 3 ingredients!

What's martabak manis? Martabak manis is porous pancake which is halved and sandwiched with various toppings put in between e.g. cheese, meisjes, banana, condensed milk, peanuts, etc. You can find them easily at the street vendors in Indonesia. They are also known as "terang bulan" or "kue pinang bangka".

INGREDIENTS:

• Crumpets
• Butter
• Nutella
• Condensed milk, crushed peanuts, banana (optional)

HOW TO MAKE:

1. Heat crumpets on a pan until hot and crispy
2. Once it's crispy, serve the crumpet on a plate and spread with butter until it melts into the pores
3. Spread Nutella on top

This cheat martabak manis is great for breakfast or just snacking in the afternoon.

Quick Kitchen: Sausage and Corn Soup

Need a quick comfort food in winter or when you're sick? This is way too quick to make and it tastes so good!

INGREDIENTS:

• Chicken stock (or bullion cubes)
• Sausage frankfurters
• Frozen/canned corn
• 2 eggs, beat lightly
• White/black pepper
• Cornstarch
• Salt to taste

HOW TO MAKE:

1. Bring the stock to a boil
2. Add frozen or canned corn
3. Slowly pour in the eggs while stirring
4. Add the sausage
5. Mix cornstarch with water, and add into the soup and stir fast to make the soup thicker
6. Add white/black pepper and salt to taste
7. You can add boiled pasta as well (optional)