Fried Banana

This is one of a very common and popular snack in Indonesia, delicious and healthy snack. We can buy this snack at the street vendor anywhere in Jakarta - capital city of Indonesia or we can make it our selves. Home made is always good. Indonesia has a variety of bananas (....... and you thought a banana was a banana was a banana......, well .... wrong ....), Indonesia has at least 5 kinds of banana but only 2 or 3 kinds make the best of fried bananas. We can fried the bananas with or without batter, they all good and tasty. Only one banana I could find here in Saskatoon similar to the banana I always used to fried, it is Plantain. I said similar because plantain is shorter than Pisang Tanduk, which is a bit longer than plantain, the taste also a bit different too. Plantain or Pisang Tanduk less sweet than regular banana, and even when they ripe the shape remain - not super soft like regular banana.

Inge's famous panekuk (pancake)

Another snack I usually make. This recipe is from my mom but I modified it a little here and there to make it perfect. The name of this snack is "Panekuk"came from Holland or Dutch word "pannekkoek". Panekuk or pancake (for english) is very easy to make, large quantity in one batter. I can make half portion from the recipe if I like to, but I never do that, I always make full recipe and the 3 of us - my husband, daughter and I can finish it within days - 4 days the most. I keep the rest of the batter in the fridge. This panekuk is very rich and use lots of butter (not margarine). I gave this recipe to my sister and she was surprise to find out how much butter I used to make this panekuk (pancake). Everybody knows butter make every baking taste better. I told my sister this is once in a while snack, so it is alright to make it and eat it. I always eat this panekuk without any toping at all, but my husband and daughter like to put jam on it .... it is absolutely OK ...., even with syrop if anybody likes it.

So you need to have :

250 gr sugar

6 eggs

1 can evaporate milk - carnation

450 gr of butter - melting (1 block of butter)

1 can water (use the evaporate milk can) for measurement

2 - 3 cups of all purpose flour - put more if the batter too runny.

1 tbsp vanilla

Preparation

In a pan melting butter - once melting turn of heat and let it cool

In large bowl (remember large quantity of batter) mixed sugar and egg - either use mixer or whisk - your choice - I always use whisk.

pour evaporate milk and water - mixed them well

put flour 1/3 portion at the time

pour melting butter in the mixed and mix them well

put vanilla

batter ready.

Warm up the frying pan in medium low

Pour the batter into the pan - enough to make large pancake.

Cook one side until golden brown and flip it, cook the other side the same, it is ready put it on the plate and ready to eat.

For me I like it really brown, until the edge crispy and crunchy.

Tips :

For anybody who likes a little bit sweeter, mix batter with melting sugar (mix sugar and a little bit of hot water). But the quantity of sugar in this recipe is sweet enough, not so sweet but sweet enough, I never add more sugar in it

This snack is good for breakfast or for snack in the evening while watching television/movie.

Enjoy it

Easy snack

Today I would like to share one of my favorite snack. I usually make this snack in the evening, when I am watching television or movie with my husband and daughter, or taking a break from my crafts making. This snack is very easy to make. I made this snack few days ago when my husband and I were watching movie, I felt a bit hungry, I do not want to eat something heavy because we had supper few hours before. So I told my husband I wanted to make my usual snack (he did not have a clue what it was and never try this kind of snack also). He asked me what it was and I said it was a grilled chocolate sandwich (mmmmm.... different isn't it), I am pretty sure Canadian never try a grilled chocolate sandwich before, so does my husband, I was interesting to find out if he likes it or not. He said he would like to try it, I said OK and asked him if he would like it with or without a slice of cheese, he said he would like with cheese,so I made two - one for him and one for me. The result quite surprising, he loved it - he liked it .... he said it was a good grilled chocolate sandwich and continue to say "why you never make this before?". I reply that I made it before, but you were upstair or anywhere around the house. I am glad that he likes the grilled sandwich and you know what he asked me to make it again last night (July 7). This chocolate grilled sandwich also a snack for most of Indonesian people.

Below is how to make this sandwich. You need,

Bread - your choice white or whole wheat/grain - 2 slices

Semi sweet chocolate bar - shaved

Cheese slice - 1 or half - your choice (option)

Margarine

Grill or regular pan

How to do it :

Take 2 slices of bread, spread both with margarine. Put the shaved semi sweet chocolate on the bread (one side only) and put the cheese slice (1 or 1/2) on top of chocolate. take the other slice of bread and put it together to make a sandwich.

Get a grill pan or regular pan warm it up, put heat in medium low, have to cook the sandwich slowly so the chocolate and cheese melting. Once the pan warm, get the sandwich spread a bit of margarine on each side of the sandwich and put it in the pan. Cook it until brown on each side. When both side of the bread turn brown and crispy, the chocolate and cheese inside already melting. Take it out, cut it in half and serve, eat while it hot.

Good and quick snack when you only a little bit hungry. Enjoy