How can oils be healthy if they’re so fattening?

Oils may be “fattening” in the sense that they’re pretty high in calories compared with other foods. All oils have around 120 calories per Tbsp, so you can easily gain weight if you use too much. Even butter has fewer calories than oil (100 per Tbsp of butter) because of its water content.

What’s more, “whipped” butter sold in a tub has even fewer calories—about 60 to 70 per Tbsp, thanks to the air that’s been incorporated into the mix. And tub “light” margarine spreads have only 30 to 50 calories per Tbsp.

But since oils contain fats that are good for you, you’re better off getting that 120 calories from a healthy oil rather than stick or tub butter. By the way, if you’re inclined to cut out fats entirely, don’t: We do need some fat to be healthy. Without it, our bodies can’t absorb fat-soluble vitamins like A, D, E and K, and we miss out on fatty acids that are essential for the health of your skin, hair, heart and brain—and just about every other part of your body.

Spicy Fried Boiled Egg (Telur Bumbu ala Warteg)

1/2 kg of egg, boiled

Spices (blend)
5 shallots or 1 medium red onion
3 cloves of garlic
5 Candlenuts
1 tablespoon coriander
2 cm of ginger
2 cm of Kencur (optional)
2 bird's eyes chillies (optional)
3 or 4 big red chillies, seeded (optional)
1 teaspoon cumin
1 tablespoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon galangal powder (laos/lengkuas)
1 stalk of Sereh ( Fresh Lemon Grass )
3 fresh Kafir Lime Leafs
Salt and sugar to taste
100 ml water

Cook the eggs with boiling water, when it's done, peel the skin off.
Heat the oil and fry the egg so that the outer part turn into brown. Set aside.

Blend or grind all the ingredients for spice paste, except lemongrass and kaffir lime leafs.

Use the leftover oil, sauté the spice paste with lemongrass and kaffir lime. Add the water and the eggs inside, cook about 5 or 6 minutes until the water absorbed.

Roasted Tempe (Tempe Bakar Berbumbu)

3 pieces tempe medium size, cut into pieces (as desired)
300 ml water

Spices:
3 garlic clove, shred
2 cm galangale
8 small red onion, shred
1 tbsp tamarind juice
3 tbsp shaved brown sugar
3 tbsp soya sauce
1 tsp salt

mix the spices with water, boil
add tempe to the boiled water, cook and stirr once in a while till the water all gone
roast tempe, spread the spices residue to both side of tempe till aromatic, then remove and serve with steam rice.

Meatballs Soup (Bakso Kuah)

meatballs:
275 gram minced beef
2 white eggs
35 gram tapioca flour
75 gram crushed ice cube
2 tablespoons of fried garlic
2 tablespoons fried shallots
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
salt and pepper to taste

the broth:
250 gram Beef ribs
750 ml water
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3 cloves of garlic, crushed and fried
1 stalk onion spring, finely chopped
1 stalk celery leaf, finely chopped
Salt to taste

Other ingredients:
150 g dried egg noodles, cook and set aside
Any Green salad (and bean sprouts)
Fried shallots
Sweet soy sauce (kecap manis) and Chilli sauce (sambal)

Directions

Mix all ingredients for meatball and grind them in food processor until it's sticky. Then put in fridge for one hour.

Boil some water for cooking the meatball. Scoop with 2 tablespoons and make round ball and drop the meatballs into boiling water. When it's floating, it means it's done. Set aside.

the broth : boil the beef ribs into 750 ml water, add the salt, pepper and the rest of ingredients. Cook until it's boiling. Then add the meatballs inside.

To Serve: place the meatball with cooked egg noodle, green salad and bean sprouts, and garnish fried shallots. Add sweet soy sauce and sambal if you like. Then pour with the broth. Eat when it's hot or warm.

Medan Style Chicken Soup (Soto Medan)

2 chicken thighs
1 stalk of Lemongrass (Sereh)
3 fresh Kaffir Lime leafs (daun Jeruk Purut)
1 cm Galangal (Laos/Lengkuas), crushed
1 Salam leaf (you can substitute with bay leaf)

125 ml coconut milk
2 tablespoon of lime juice
1 litre of water

2 tablespoon of fried shallots
1 stalk of spring onion, chopped

Spice Pasta
4 shallots
2 cloves of garlic
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon coriander
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder (you can use fresh turmeric as well)
1 cm of ginger
2 Candlenuts (Kemiri), pan-broil
Salt and sugar to taste

Wash the chicken, and then pour the lime juice over it. Leave it for 10 minutes). Wash again.

Simmer chicken in 1 litre of water together with salt, salam leaf, lemongrass, lime kaffir leafs, and the galangal. Cook until the chicken is tender. Take it out from the stock and leave it to cool. Separate chicken meat from the bones and shred finely. Meanwhile keep cooking the stock with low heat.

Fry the chicken. Set aside.

With remaining oil, sauté the spice paste for a minute or two until fragrant. Put the fried spice paste into chicken stock. Cook until the spice is absorbed. Then add the coconut milk. Continue cooking.

Serve with plain rice (nasi putih), Perkedel (potato croquettes), cracker and garnish with fried shallot and spring onion.

Egg Pancake Roll with Coconut Filling (Dadar Gulung)

Coconut Filling:
250 g grated coconut
150 g palm or 100 g caster sugar
1-3 inch cinnamon stick
100 ml water
salt to taste

Pancake:
250 g plain flour
1 egg
250 ml coconut milk
100 ml water
1 teaspoon juice from Pandan leaves* (or few drops of pasta pandan)
salt to taste

*Blend the pandan leaves with 150 ml water, squeeze the pulp then sieve the water. If you use pandan paste or food colouring, skip this step.

Coconut Filling: Mix the grated coconut, sugar, cinnamon and salt. Fry the mixture in a dry pan over medium/low heat, add the water. Constantly stirred for approximately 5 minutes or until the mixture is dry. But don't get burn! Set aside and remove the cinnamon stick.

Pancake: combine the flour, egg, pandan paste, coconut milk, salt with the rest of water. Whisk them well into a smooth batter, just like you make pancake mixture. When it's ready, prepare non-stick frying pan (use 8-inch frying pan if you have) and pour 3 tablespoon of the batter into the pan. Make sure the pan is equally covered with the batter so it becomes a thin layer pancake. Fry for one minute, turn the pancake over and fry for another minute.

Place 2 teaspoons of coconut filling on the near edge of the pancake. Fold over once then tuck in the left and right sides and fold over once more then roll.

Savoury Crispy Pancake (Martabak Telor)

250 g minced beef
1 small leek, halved lengthwise and sliced
1 spring onion, finely sliced
3 eggs
4 gloves garlic, peeled and sliced
1 medium onion, peeled and sliced
2 tablespoons chopped celery leaf
1 tablespoon curry powder
salt and white pepper to taste

Dough
2 cups plain flour
3 tablespoons oil
3/4 cup water
pinch of salt

Prepare the dough by combining all ingredients and kneading them into an oily elastic dough. Cover and leave at room temperature for 2 hours. Divide into four and roll each piece into a ball. Pull out with lightly oiled hands on an oiled or marble surface to make a large thin circle.

Heat oil, saute garlic and onion for few seconds. Add the meat until the meat changes color. Add leek and celery and continue sauteing for 2 or 3 minutes. Add curry powder, mix well and cook for 3 minutes. Set aside.

To make martabak, take a bowl, put the filling, eggs spring onion, salt and pepper, mix well. Heat a frying pan, fill the center of each circle of dough with the mixture, fold in the sides and ends to completely enclose the filling envelope fashion. Fry it until golden brown on one side, turn and fry the other side.

When its done, cut into pieces. Best serve with vegetables pickles and sliced chillies.

Green Soybeans Porridge (Bubur Kacang Hijau)

250 gram green soybeans
750 ml water
300 ml coconut milk (substitute fresh milk)
100 gram sugar (or 100 gram brown sugar)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 Pandan leaf

Coconut Sauce
200 ml thick coconut milk
2 cm ginger, crushed
a pinch of salt

Clean green soy beans. Then cook with water until it’s soft. Add more water until the soybeans become porridge. Stir well while cooking.

When the green soya is ready, add coconut milk, vanilla and pandan leaf. By the time the coconut milk is half left, add sugars (or brown sugar) and salt. Keep stirring it.

Cook until it becomes thick like porridge. To prepare the coconut sauce, just by boiling all the ingredients.

Serve the green soybeans porridge (bubur kacang hijau) with the coconut sauce.

Cilantro, Soapy but has many Health Benefits

This herb, popular in Mexican and Asian dishes, is surprisingly divisive. There's even a website dedicated to cilantro-haters. The aldehydes give cilantro its fragrance and give off that soapy smell and flavor, but some people find it pleasing.

Want to make it more palatable? Crush up the leaves, which converts the aldehydes into a less noxious aroma, making it easier to eat.

On the other hand, Cilantro has many health benefits, such as:

Protects against the Salmonella bacteria
Reportedly works as a natural chelation treatment
Aids in digestion and helps settle the stomach and prevent flatulence
An anti-inflammatory that may alleviate symptoms of arthritis
Protects against urinary tract infections
Prevents nausea
Relieves intestinal gas
Lowers blood sugar
Lowers bad cholesterol (LDL) and raises good cholesteraol (HDL)
A good source of iron
A good source of magnesium
Rich in phytonutrients and flavonoids

Sweet ,Spicy, and Sour Fruits Salad (Rujak Buah)

Unripe Mango
Pineapple
Melon
Cucumber
Sweet potato
all fruits thinly sliced

Sauce :

100 g fried peanut
2-3 bird's eyes chillies (optional)
1/2 teaspoon dried shrimp paste
100 g palm sugar
1 teaspoon tamarind juice
100 ml water

Peel and Clean all fruits then sliced. Store in the fridge for 15 minutes
Grind and blend all ingredients for the sauce.

Serve fruits with sauce.

Fried Meatball (Bakso Goreng)

250 g Minced beef/Chicken/Prawn (or mixed meat)
35 g tapioca flour
75 g ice cube, crushed
2 white eggs
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
2 tablespoons fried shallots
2 tablespoons sesame oil (optional)
salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients for meatball (except spring roll wrapper) and grind them in food processor until it's sticky. Then put in fridge for 45 minutes to one hour.

Heat oil in deep fryer, and fry with medium heat until it is golden and cooked.
Serve with fresh chillies or chilli sauce.

Chicken Spring Roll (Lumpia Ayam)

For Filling

1 chicken breast, cook until tender, keep the stock.
Cut the meat into small pieces.
2 big carrots, thinned sliced
½ onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlics, chopped
1 tea spoon of pepper
½ tea spoon of sugar
A pinch of salt or, chicken seasoning

For wrapping
20 Spring Rolls Sheets

The filling : Heat 3 table spoon of oil, and stir fry the onion and garlic. Then add chicken meat and carrots. Pour some of the chicken stock, just enough to make the carrots tender. Add pepper, salt and sugar. Cook about 10 minutes or until the carrot is tender and water absorb.

Place the spring roll wrapper with one corner at the bottom so that it resembles a diamond. Brush the four edges of the wrapper with the beaten egg or water. Add the filling in the bottom part of the wrapper in a thin log shape, not touching the edges. Leave the bottom few cm clear. Lift the wrapper over the top and tuck it in under the filling. Fold over the left side, and then the right side and roll it up to form a tube. Brush a little more egg along the top part and seal the roll. Repeat until all the rolls are finished.

Once the oil is hot, deep fry the spring rolls until lightly brown, which should take only a minute or two. Put them on the toweled tray to let them drain. Serve your crispy spring rolls as an appetizer. serve with a sweet and sour sauce or chili sauce.

Unusual uses for vinegar: Remove stickers

If you’re just getting around to removing that Kerry/Edwards decal from your bumper, or trying to peel a price tag off a new purchase, you’ll never guess what magic ingredient is about to make your life a lot easier.

Warm a little bit of white vinegar on the stovetop or in the microwave and then dip a rag into it. Hold the rag over the sticker until it’s thoroughly saturated, and it will peel right off without leaving sticky residue behind. This trick also loosens wallpaper adhesive.

Sweet Marinated Bean Cake (Tempe Bacem)

250 g tempe, cut into 6-8 pieces
1 cm of galangal*
2 Salaam leaves (bay leaves)
250 ml thick coconut milk
250 ml water
*can be substituted with 1 tablespoon of galangal powder

Spice Paste
2 cloves of garlic
1 tsp of coriander
4 shallots or half medium red onion
1 tsp of tamarind (asem jawa)
2 tbsp of palm sugar/brown sugar
salt to taste

Grind or blend the spice paste.

Boil the coconut milk/coconut water together with tempe, galangal, Salaam leafs, and spice paste. Add the water and continue cooking until the spices and water are absorbed. Then cool them off.

Heat up 50 ml oil into deep frying pan and fry the tofu both sides, but don't do it too much (too dry/crunchy).

Health Benefits of Sage

Do you know that Sage may help Preserve memory, soothe sore throats? Herbalists recommend sipping sage tea for upset stomachs and sore throats, a remedy supported by one study that found spraying sore throats with a sage solution gave effective pain relief.

And preliminary research suggests the herb may improve some symptoms of early Alzheimer's disease by preventing a key enzyme from destroying acetylcholine, a brain chemical involved in memory and learning.

In another study, college students who took sage extracts in capsule form performed significantly better on memory tests, and their moods improved.

Warteg Style Omelete (Telur Dadar ala Warteg)

5 eggs
2 tablespoons rice flour
3 stalks spring onion

Spice paste
6 shallots
2 cloves garlic
2 red chillies
1 bird's eyes chilli (optional)
salt to taste

Whisk the eggs slowly with fork but do not foamy it.

Grind or blend the spice paste. Then put in a bowl and mix it with rice flour and spring onion (and grated coconut, optional).

Add the egg into the mixture.
Heat the oil in non-stick frying pan the fry the egg with low heat.

Cut into pieces and serve with steam rice.

Chile Peppers Boost Metabolism

Chile peppers add a much-appreciated heat to chilly-weather dishes, and they can also give a boost to your metabolism. Thank to capsaicin, the compound that gives fresh chiles, and spices including cayenne and chipotle, their kick.

Studies show that capsaicin can increase the body's metabolic rate (causing one to burn more calories) and may stimulate brain chemicals that help us feel less hungry. In fact, one study found that people ate 16 percent fewer calories at a meal if they'd sipped a hot-pepper-spiked tomato juice (vs. plain tomato juice) half an hour earlier.

Recent research found that capsinoids, similar but gentler chemicals found in milder chile hybrids, have the same effects-so even tamer sweet paprika packs a healthy punch. Capsaicin may also lower risk of ulcers by boosting the ability of stomach cells to resist infection by ulcer-causing bacteria and help the heart by keeping "bad" LDL cholesterol from turning into a more lethal, artery-clogging form.

Tofu Croquettes (Perkedel Tahu)

300 grams white tofu
200 grams small prawn, finely chopped

1 tbs fried shallots
1 1/2 tbs fried garlics
1 stalk of spring onion
1 stalk of celery leaf

1/2 tsp pepper
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar

150 grams flour
1 tsp Chicken seasoning powder

Blend all the ingredients (except spring onion and celery) using food processor until well mixed.

Add spring onion and celery, then shape the tofu mixture into a small square. Before you do it, taste if it's already salty.

Fry with deep frying pan until golden brown.
Serve.

Salty Coconut Ebi (Serundeng Ebi)

1/2 fresh coconut, shred
1 cup ebi (dry shrimp), rinse with water and fry without oil till dry
2 garlic clove
3 small red onion
1 tea spoon salt
3 table spoon grated brown sugar
2 laurel/bay leafs
1 tea spoon tamarind juice
2 fresh chili
1 table spoon cooking oil

Shatter the spices: chili, garlic, red onion, brown sugar, salt, and add tamarind juice

Heat cooking oil, add the spices, just mix it till aromatic, add the scraped coconut and ebi, mix all well till dry then remove.

Ready to serve.

Apple "diet" foods that make you hungrier

Yes, we all know that apples are great for you, particularly for those who are in diet. They contain lots of vitamins and fiber, but a single apple is not a balanced snack. If you don’t eat anything else with your afternoon apple, you may overeat at dinner.

Better choice: Apple with 5-10 almonds or a cheese stick. Spend a few more calories on your snack so you won’t be ravenous later.

Health Benefits of Turmeric

May help: Quell inflammation, inhibit tumors. Turmeric, the goldenrod-colored spice, is used in India to help wounds heal (it's applied as a paste); it's also made into a tea to relieve colds and respiratory problems.

Modern medicine confirms some solid-gold health benefits as well; most are associated with curcumin, a compound in turmeric that has potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Curcumin has been shown to help relieve pain of arthritis, injuries and dental procedures; it's also being studied for its potential in managing heart disease, diabetes and Alzheimer's disease.

Researcher Bharat Aggarwal is bullish on curcumin's potential as a cancer treatment, particularly in colon, prostate and breast cancers; preliminary studies have found that curcumin can inhibit tumor cell growth and suppress enzymes that activate carcinogens.

Smashed Fried Chicken (Ayam Penyet)

1 whole Chicken, cut into 4 or 8 pieces (or as desired)
300 ml of coconut milk
200 ml of water
1 Salaam leafs (or you can substitute with Bay leaf)
2 stalk of fresh Lemongrass (Sereh/Serai), bruised
Lime juice from 1 fresh lime

Spice Paste:
4 cloves of garlic
2 Candlenuts
1 tsp coriander
2 tsp salt

Sambal:
5 red chillies
4 bird's eyes chillies (or reduce to your taste)
3 shallots
1 cloves of garlic
1 tsp salt
1 tsp palm sugar

Grind or blend the spice paste.

Boil the Chicken with the spice paste, coconut milk, Salaam leafs, Lemongrass and water. Cook until it's tender and spice is absorbed.

When the chicken already cooks, leave it cold for a moment.

Heat the oil in non-stick frying pan, fry the chicken until it's brown and crispy. Smash the fried chicken with meat smasher. Set aside and serve.

Prepare the Sambal by grinding roughly all the ingredients. Then sauté with small amount of oil until it's fragrant for couple of minutes. When it's ready sprinkle with lime juice and then serve.

Galangal Fried Chicken (Ayam Goreng Lengkuas)

1 whole chicken, cut into 8 pieces (or as desired)
1 stalk of Lemongrass (Sereh/Serai)
2 Salaam leaves (Indian Bay Leaves)
4 tablespoons shredded Galangal

Spice Paste (blend)
3 cloves of Garlic
5 Shallots
3 Candlenuts (Kemiri), or substitute with 6 Almonds, pan-broil
2 teaspoon fresh Turmeric
1 teaspoon Tamarind (asam jawa) juice
Salt and sugar to taste

Grind or blend the spice paste, use to marinate the chicken together with shredded galangal.

Then take deep fry pan and use to cook the marinated chicken and add some water, salam leaves and lemongrass until chicken is cooked and sauce is almost dry. Leave to cool.

Fry the chicken and the spices into deep fry pan with lot of oil until crisp and golden brown. When it's done, use the tissue to absorb the oil.

Set aside and serve with the crumb from the spices.

Other Benefits of Ginger

It helps to Soothe an upset stomach, fight arthritis pain. Ginger has a well-deserved reputation for relieving an unsettled stomach. Studies show ginger extracts can help reduce nausea caused by morning sickness or following surgery or chemotherapy, though it's less effective for motion sickness.

But ginger is also packed with inflammation-fighting compounds, such as gingerols, which some experts believe may hold promise in fighting some cancers and may reduce the aches of osteoarthritis and soothe sore muscles. In a recent study, people who took ginger capsules daily for 11 days reported 25 percent less muscle pain when they performed exercises designed to strain their muscles (compared with a similar group taking placebo capsules).

Another study found that ginger-extract injections helped relieve osteoarthritis pain of the knee.

Traditional Chilli Paste (Sambal Bajak)

5 red chillies, seeded and sliced
5 red bird's-eye chillies*
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
6 shallots, peeled and sliced
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp chopped palm sugar
*add or reduce according to your taste

2 Salam leafs
2 Lemongrass (Sereh/Serai), bruised
1 cm Galangal (laos), peeled and sliced
2 tbs Tamarind (Asem Jawa) juice

Combine first six ingredients and grind or blend finely.

Heat oil and saute ground ingredients together with salam leafs, lemon grass and galangal, stirring until the mixture changes colour. Add tamarind juice and simmer for another minute, then leave to cool.

Remove salam leafs, lemon grass and galangal before serving.

Rice Cake (Lontong)

10 tablespoons of jasmine rice
alumunium foil (or banana leaf which is best)
750 ml water

Rinse and stir the rice very well under water until the resulting water becomes clear.

In a pan over medium heat, bring the water to a boil and add in the salt. Slowly stir in the rice then let it boil and cook until the rice become smooth (but not as smooth as porridge). Add more water if necessary.

When the rice is done, turn off the heat. Wait 5 minutes.

Take alumunium foil (or banana leaf is best), wrap the rice

Boil the water and put lontong to cook for 2,5 to 3 hours. When cooking, puncture the foil with toothpick so the water will go through inside and make it cook. Add some water while cooking.

Spicy Shredded Chicken (Ayam Suwir Pedas)

250 g chicken fillet
1 stalk of white part of lemon grass
1 Salaam leaves(Indian Bay Leaves)
2 fresh Kaffir Lime leaves
1 tbs Tamarind (asam jawa) juice
100 ml chicken stock
Half fresh tomato, chopped

Spice Paste:

3 shallots
2 cloves of garlic
3 red chillies
3 bird's eyes chillies (optional)
1/2 tsp of pepper
Salt and sugar to taste

Bring to boil the chicken. When it cooked, take out from the stock then shred. Set aside.

Grind or blend the spice paste.

Heat the oil, then sauté the spice paste until fragrant. Then add salam leaves, kaffir lime leaves, lemongrass, fresh tomato,tamarind juice and the chicken.

Mix them well for few minutes, and then give the chicken stock.
Cook until the water absorbed. Add sugar or salt to adjust the taste.

Butter or olive oil?

From a health standpoint, olive oil is the better choice. But butter still has its place. All oils are a mixture of fats including monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA), polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) and saturated fatty acids (SFA)—but in each oil (and in butter, too, which is basically a solidified oil), one type of fat dominates.

Olive oil is predominantly rich in heart-healthy monounsaturated fat, which decreases your risk for cardiovascular disease by lowering LDL cholesterol and increasing HDL cholesterol. On the other hand, butter is mostly saturated fat, which increases LDL cholesterol and causes inflammation in your body. So generally, it’s best to use olive oil.

However, the distinctive smell, flavor and consistency of butter works best in certain baked goods—including cakes, cookies and pastries—so it’s OK to make these occasionally and enjoy the butter. Another butter-vs.-oil difference: Because butter is solid at room temperature, you have more control over how much (or how little) of it you spread on bread; with olive oil, it’s difficult to gauge how much oil is absorbed. So dip lightly!

Tofu Omelet (Tahu Telor)

200 gram white tofu
2 eggs
1 stalk spring onion, finely chopped
1 stalk celery leaf, finely chopped
salt to taste

For Garnish
Bean sprout
Parsley
fried peanut

Peanut sauce
100 gram fried peanut ( or you can use peanut butter as a substitute )
3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
3 bird's eye chillies (optional)
2 tablespoons sweet soy sauce (kecap manis)
2 tablespoons fermented shrimp paste (petis udang) - optional

Cut the tofu into small cubes
Beat the eggs with salt and spring onion, celery leaf, then add tofu. Divide the mixture in two.

Heat the oil in non-stick frying pan, fry the mixture. Make it as a round omelette. Set aside.

peanut sauce : Fry the garlic and the chillies, remove and set aside. Then grind or blend the fried peanuts with garlic and chillies. Then add water, fermented shrimp paste (if you have it) and sweet soy sauce (kecap manis) and cook in very low heat until sauce is thick.

To serve : put the tofu omelet, bean sprout, fried peanut and parsley on a round platter and pour with peanut sauce. Garnish with fried peanut if desired.

Unusual uses for vinegar: Deter Ants

Got trails of tiny ants weaving their way around your home? These annoying insects aren’t big fans of vinegar, so spraying a 50/50 mixture of white vinegar and water anywhere you have seen them can help encourage them to move out.

The vinegar also erases the scent trails that they use to indicate sources of food to their brethren.

Green Chillies Sambal Padang Style (Sambal Ijo ala Resto Padang)

250 g green chillies roughly cut
3 tablespoons olive oil or vegetables oil
2 shallots or half of small red onion
1 cloves of garlic
1 green tomato

salt and sugar to taste
1/2 teaspoon lime juice
1 fresh kaffir lime leaf

Bring to steam green chillies, shallots, garlic and tomato for 5 minutes. Then grind or blend roughly.

Heat up the pan with olive oil and saute the mixture until fragrant. Add sugar, salt, lime juice and kaffir lime leaf. Continue cooking for couple of minutes.

How to Make a Perfect Scramble Eggs

For two eggs, add two tablespoons of water and two tablespoons of heavy cream, season with salt and fresh-cracked black pepper, and whip the hell out of them with a whisk until frothy.

Melt some butter over medium heat and cook the eggs, not touching them until they are partially set. Then start some light stirring until they're almost finished, and turn the heat off. They will finish cooking because the pan is still hot.

Bali style Minced Seafood Satay (Sate Lilit Bali)

500 g fish fillet, minced (you can use boneless snapper fillet)
200 g grated coconut (I used dry grated coconut in package)
Lemon grass or satay skewers

Spice Paste
10 shallots, peeled and sliced
5 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
3 red chillies, seeded and sliced
3-5 bird's eye chillies (you can skip this one if you want it less spicy)
2 cm galangal (Laos), peeled and sliced
2 cm kencur, peeled and sliced
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tbs coriander
1/2 tsp black peppercorn
3 candlenuts
A pinch of granted nutmeg
salt to taste
2 tablespoons oil

Grind or blend all spice paste ingredients except oil.

Heat oil and sauté spice paste for about 5 minutes. Cool it off

Then combine the spice with the fish, granted coconut and oil. I used food processor to blend them well.

Mould about 2 tablespoons on lemon grass or skewers and grill over hot charcoal until cooked and golden brown.

Fried Rice Noodles (Bihun Goreng)

250 gram dried rice vermicelli, cooked and set aside
150 gram prawns (or chicken)
1/2 onion, peeled and chopped
3 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 stalk spring onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons sweet soy sauce (kecap manis)
1 tablespoon oyster sauce (optional)
salt and pepper to taste
2 eggs, lightly beaten
Bean Sprouts (as desired)
1/2 medium red paprika, sliced diagonally (optional)

To make the rice noodle soft and tender, Place the noodles in a heatproof bowl and pour with boiling water. Drain.

Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a wok over medium-high heat. Make the scramble egg. Set aside.

Heat the remaining oil in the wok over a medium-high heat. Fry the prawns, but don't make them too dry. Set aside.

Stir with the remaining oil in same wok, fry the onion and garlic until fragrance. Then add spring onion, bean sprouts, red paprika and stir-fry for 1-2 minutes or until just tender. After that, add the rice noodles, sweet soy sauce, oyster sauce and stir-fry for 5 minutes. Then add the prawn and scrambled egg. Stir together.

Serve fried rice noodle while hot or warm.

The differences between regular olive oil, virgin and extra-virgin

Simply put, olive oil is made by crushing olives to make a paste that’s then put under a press. If the oil that comes out has a low acidity and a good taste and smell, it’s labeled extra-virgin or virgin. (Virgin is slightly lower quality than extra-virgin.) These types are ideal to use for bread dunking, drizzling on veggies and other foods, and making salad dressings, since their delicate flavor and aroma will be lost when heated (some chefs still prefer to use extra-virgin for cooking). The deeper the color, the more intense the olive flavor.

If the oil is highly acidic or not great quality, it’s refined and mixed with virgin or extra-virgin oil to make “regular” olive oil; this all-purpose oil is good for cooking.

The heart-health benefits of all types of olive oil are pretty much the same, although the virgin and extra-virgin ones have extra antioxidants.

Padang Style Eggs Curry (Kalio Telor)

10 eggs, boiled
250 g young jackfruit
150 g long beans (kacang panjang), cut into 4-5 cm
500 ml thick coconut milk
250 ml light coconut milk
1 stalk of lemongrass
3 kaffir lime leaves
1 turmeric leaf (optional)
1/2 teaspoon tamarind juice
Salt and sugar to taste

Spice Paste
8 shallots
1 1/2 tsp shredded fresh galangal
100 g big red chillies (seeded)
1 tsp coriander
2 tsp shredded fresh turmeric
2 tsp shredded fresh ginger

Grind or blend the spice paste. Then boil the coconut milk, spice paste, lemongrass, turmeric leaf, kaffir lime leaves and tamarind juice, stir occasionally.

When it's boiling, add the eggs and the young jackfruit. Give to taste with salt and sugar. Continue cooking. After 10 minutes, add the long beans.

Cook the curry over medium heat until the sauce is thicken.
Serve best with warm rice.

Oversalting Your Food

The best method to avoid oversalting is to taste your food that is before adding salt to your food. But even if you have taken these precautions and your food still tastes like a salt lick, there are a couple of things you can do to make your food seem less salty.

First, try to trick your tongue into thinking the food is less salty by adding acids like vinegar or lemon juice to your food. Another trick is to add a little sugar to your food. If you are making soups or broth, adding water will help. Do not bother trying to add potatoes to salty dishes because it does not work and picking potatoes out of your tomato sauce is not fun.

Fried Rice Noodles (Bihun Goreng)

250 gram dried rice vermicelli, cooked and set aside
150 gram small prawns

1/2 onion, peeled and chopped
3 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 stalk spring onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons sweet soy sauce (kecap manis)
1 tablespoon oyster sauce (optional)
salt and pepper to taste
2 eggs, lightly beaten
white cabbage, shredded
1/2 medium red paprika, sliced diagonally

To make the rice noodle soft and tender, Place the noodles in a heatproof bowl and pour with boiling water. Drain.

Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a wok over medium-high heat. Make the scramble egg. Set aside.

Heat the remaining oil in the wok over a medium-high heat. Fry the prawns, but don't make them too dry. Set aside.

Stirr with the remaining oil in same wok, fry the onion and garlic until fragrance. Then add spring onion, cabbage, red paprika and stir-fry for 1-2 minutes or until just tender. After that, add the rice noodles, sweet soy sauce, oyster sauce and stir-fry for 5 minutes. Then add the prawn and scrambled egg. Stir together.

Serve fried rice noodle while hot or warm.

Spicy Chicken Liver (Sambal Goreng Hati)

150 g chicken liver, cooked and chopped into small square
2 potatoes, peeled and chopped into small square
2 red/green chillies, thinly sliced
1 cm galangal (laos)
100 ml coconut milk
1 salam leaf

Spice paste :
3 shallots
2 cloves of garlic
2 candlenuts (substitute with 4 almonds)
1/2 fresh tomato
1 tsp brown sugar
1 cm of ginger
Salt to taste

Cooked the chicken liver for 10 minutes. Set aside and let it cold then cut into small square.
Heat the oil, and then fry the potatoes. Don't fry them too dry. Set aside

In remaining oil, sauté the spice paste, chillies, galangal and salam leaf until fragrant.

Then add the potatoes and the chicken liver. Stirring well and let the spices absorbed. Then add the coconut milk.

Cook until the sauce is thick. Don't stir too much because it would make the chicken liver falls apart.

How to Easily Remove Egg Shells Dropped into Eggs

It happens to all of us: You crack open an egg and a tiny piece of its shell falls into the bowl along with the raw egg. If you’ve tried to get it out with your finger or a spoon, you know the slippery dilemma you face.

Next time, wet your finger with water before attempting to fish it out. You’ll be shocked at how easily it can be grabbed and eliminated.

Sweet Marinited Tofu (Tahu Bacem)

250 g tahu/tofu, cut into 6 - 8 pieces
2 Salaam (Bay Leaves) leafs
1 cm of galangal or 1 tablespoon of galangal powder
250 ml thick coconut milk or 250 ml coconut water
250 ml water

Spice Paste:
4 shallots or half medium red onion
2 cloves of garlic
1 tsp of coriander
1 tsp of tamarind (asem jawa)
2 tsp of palm sugar/brown sugar
salt to taste

Grind or blend the spice paste.

Boil the coconut milk/coconut water together with tofu, galangal, salam leafs, and spice paste. Add the water and continue cooking until the spices and water are absorbed. Then cool them off.

Heat up 50 ml oil into deep frying pan and fry the tofu both sides, but don't do it too much (too dry/crunchy).

Serve with green bird's eyes chillies.

Fried Stuffed Tofu (Tahu Isi)

6 medium tofu *cut into triangle and fried half done

Filling
150 gram of minced beef/chicken/prawn
2 carrots cut into small cubes
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
pepper to taste
salt to taste or 1/2 beef seasoning cube

Flour Mixture
100 g of flour
3 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 tsp coriander, pan-broil
3 candlenuts
2 cm kaempferia galanga (kencur)
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
salt to taste
125 ml water

Heat the oil in deep wok and fry the tofu until brown in both sides. Set aside. When they are already cold, scoop out the middle part to make a hole for filling.

Make the filling: in remaining oil, stir fry the onion and garlic. Add the meat, stir well until brown. Then put carrots inside. Pour some water, just enough to make the carrots tender. Add salt and pepper to taste. When it is about to be done, mix corn flour with small water and pour it to the filling to make it thicker. Cook until about 10 minutes or until water is absorbed.

Take a spoon of it and stuff it into the hole of tofu one by one until all is done. Put it aside.

Make the flour mixture : In a small bowl mix all ingredients. Add a little water if necessary.

Dip the stuffed tofu into flour mixture before frying it (to get crunchy skin).

Deep fry stuffed tofu under medium heat until brownish.

Deep Fry Shrimp Cake (Peyek Udang Goreng)

250 grams small shrimp
3 garlic clove
1 teaspoon pepper powder
1 small red onion
100 grams rice flour (or wheat flour, or ready mix flour)
2 tablespoon wheat flour
water
1 teaspoon salt
cooking oil for deep frying

Shatter the garlic clove, small red onion, pepper, and salt
Mix the shattered spices with the shrimps, add rice flour, wheat flour, and water, mix them well (use water just to make the batter wet)

Take a table spoon of the shrimp batter then put it into the heating cooking oil. do it till all the batter used up.
Deep fry them till the colour become golden yellow brown.

Drain from oil, ready to serve.

Crisping Chicken Skin

This is how to get a crispy chicken skin. First peel the skin carefully from the thigh or breast, and use a knife to scrape most of the fat off the underside until the skin becomes somewhat translucent.

Then drape the skin back over the thigh or breast, and tuck it under the meat. When it cooks, the skin will become crisp.

Deep Fry Corn Cake (Perkedel Jagung Goreng Garing)

3 corn cob
2 small red onion
2 garlic clove
1/2 tea spoon pepper powder
1/2 tea spoon salt
1 egg
1 table spoon wheat flour (or ready mix flour)
1 stalk celery, shred
cooking oil for deep frying

Take corn cob, shred in the grain
shatter garlic clove, red onion, pepper powder, and salt, mix with the corn grain and celery

Add egg, mix well then add wheat flour, mix well again

Take one table spoon of the corn batter, put into the heating cooking oil. Do this untill all the batter used up.

Deep fry till the colour change to yellow brown, drain from oil. Ready to serve (serve with Indonesian Style Chili paste)

How to Cook a Lobster

Use water that's as close to seawater as it can be — extremely salty or, better yet, seawater itself. And don't use much: Put three or four inches in the pot, and when the water is steaming like mad, add the lobster.

A pound-and-a-quarter lobster takes about nine minutes. Afterward, don't shock it in ice water. That makes the meat tougher. Just let it cool down.

Cassava Leafs Saute (Tumis Daun Singkong)

2 bunches of cassava leafs
1 garlic clove
2 small red onion
1 stalk lemongrass, press a bit
1 table spoon salt
1/2 table spoon sugar
3 fresh chili (or to taste)
water
1 table spoon cooking oil

Clean the cassava leafs, knead with 1/2 tablespoon salt, boil with water till cooked, drain.

Heat cooking oil in a pan, add garlic and red onion, saute till aromatic.

Add cassava leafs, add a cup of water, then add lemongrass and chili, wait till boiled up.
Add salt and sugar, mix a while, remove and serve.

15 Who-Knew? Uses for Your Microwave

More than a popcorn popper, this versatile appliance was underutilized? until now.

1. Disinfect and Deodorize Sponges
Don't throw out the kitchen sponge that smells like last night's salmon. Soak it in water spiked with white vinegar or lemon juice, then heat it on high for 1 minute. (Use an oven mitt to remove it.) This will also disinfect any sponges you used to wipe up the juices from a raw chicken.

2. Cook an Entire Dinner in Under 10 Minutes
Not just the TV variety. We mean braised salmon with green beans and mashed potatoes. Use the microwave for any recipe that calls for braising, poaching, or steaming. Just subtract about three-quarters of the cooking time. Remember to stir liquids often to redistribute the heat, and always take the food out a minute or two before it's completely done, since it will continue to cook.

3. Disinfect Plastic Cutting Boards
Wash the board well, rub it with the cut side of a lemon, then heat for 1 minute.

4. Soften Brown Sugar
Keep the sugar in its plastic packaging, add a few drops of water, and heat on medium for 10 to 20 seconds.

5. Decrystalize Honey
Honey that has solidified can be brought back to liquid life by uncovering the jar and heating on medium power for 30 seconds to 1 minute.

6. Proof Yeast Doughs
Yeast doughs that normally take an hour or more to rise at room temperature can be proofed in the microwave in about 15 minutes. Place the dough in a very large bowl and cover with plastic. Place an 8-ounce cup of water in the back of the microwave with the bowl of dough in the center, and set the power as low as possible (10 percent power). Heat for 3 minutes, then let the dough rest in the microwave for 3 minutes. Heat for 3 minutes longer, then let rest for 6 minutes. The dough will double in bulk.

7. Heat up Health Aids
You use a microwave to reheat your coffee, so why not use it to heat and reheat gel packs for headaches? (Don't do this with a metal-wrapped pack.)

8. Warm Beauty Products
Warming up a hot-oil conditioning pack for your hair takes about 10 to 20 seconds and feels marvelous, as does briefly heating up a moisturizing facial mask. (Stir the mask and test the temperature with your finger before applying to your face.) And if hot wax hardens when you're only halfway up your calf, reheat it in the microwave. It's much less messy than using a double boiler.

9. Roast Garlic
It takes 45 minutes to roast garlic in the oven but less than 8 in the microwave. Slice off the top of the head to reveal all the cloves. Place the head in a small, deep dish, season with salt and pepper, and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of good olive oil. Spoon 2 tablespoons of water into the bottom of the dish, cover it with plastic wrap, and cook at medium power for 7 to 7½ minutes. Let stand for a few minutes before unwrapping.

10. Get More Juice From Citrus Fruits
A lemon or lime taken straight from the refrigerator is harder to juice than one left at room temperature or warmed slightly. To get the most juice, microwave citrus fruits for 20 seconds before squeezing.

11. Toast Bread Crumbs, and Coconut
The microwave toasts them in a quarter of the time it takes in a conventional oven. Spread them out on a plate and heat on high for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring every minute. Keep in mind that they will continue to toast for about a minute after removal.

12. Warm Tortillas
Wrap tortillas in a damp paper towel. Microwave on high (power level 10) for 40 seconds to 1 minute.

13. Toast Pine Nuts and Sliced Almonds
Spread nuts on a microwave-safe plate. Microwave on high (power level 10) in 1-minute intervals, tossing in between, until beginning to turn golden, 4 to 5 minutes.

14. Make Applesauce
In a microwave-safe bowl, combine 1 pound peeled and diced apples (Macintosh, Fuji, or Gala are best) with ¼ cup water, 2 teaspoons sugar, and ? teaspoon cinnamon. Cover and microwave on high (power level 10) until the apples are tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Mash with a fork or potato masher.

15. Make Homemade Popcorn
Place ½ cup popcorn kernels in a large microwave-safe bowl with 1 tablespoon olive or canola oil. Cover with a microwave-safe plate and microwave on high (power level 10) until the majority of the kernels have popped, 3 to 5 minutes.

Green Banana Dessert (Es Pisang Ijo)

1 bunch of bananas (plantain), steam, remove peel
300 grams wheat flour
1 egg, dough
1 table spoon pandan paste or another green paste to make the batter green
10 cup of water
a little bit butter or margarine

Gravy:
200 grams wheat flour
1 cup thick coconut milk
2 cup sugar
10 cup of water

Syrup
sweet thick milk
ice cube

Mix well wheat flour, water, egg, and Pandan paste. Heat butter in a pan, pour 1/2 cup of batter, wait till the surface cooked, remove (this will form a green omelet)

Take a green omelet while it's still hot, put as the rough side at top, put 1 banana, packed with omelet by rolling it, then twist both of the tips so all banana covered with green omelet. Do this till all the batter and banana used up

Gravy: mix all ingredients, cook till thick, remove

To serve: take one green banana, put into a bowl, add ice cubes, pour the gravy, then syrup and sweet thick milk.

How to Fulfill Your Daily Protein Requirement

The human body uses protein to repair damaged cells and to build new ones. Marion Nestle, professor of nutrition at NYU and author of What to Eat, estimates that the average adult man needs about 65 grams of protein a day and the average adult female needs about 55 grams. Some sources, such as the Centers for Disease Control and the World Health Organization say you can maintain a healthy diet with even less.

What does this actually mean in terms of food choices? The National Institutes of Health explains that most people can meet their daily protein requirement by eating two to three small servings of a protein-rich food a day.

Examples of a single serving of protein include:
1 egg
2 tablespoons of peanut butter
2-3 ounces of red meat, poultry, or fish (about the size of a deck of cards)
½ cup of cooked dried beans such as black beans or chickpeas

Whole grains, seeds, and some vegetables also contain protein, so consuming enough is not difficult even if you don’t eat meat. Vegetarians and vegans can easily get what they need by balancing complimentary proteins such as corn and beans or rice and tofu. Nutritionists used to recommend combining foods at the same meal, but research now shows that is unnecessary.

Spinach Saute with Fresh Garlic (Tumis Bayam Bawang Putih)

2 bunch of spinach, take the leaf
1 garlic clove, shred
2 small red onion, shred
salt to taste
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon cooking oil

Heat the cooking oil in a wok
Put the garlic and red onion shred, mix them till aromatic

Add the spinach leafs, mix it again, use a high heating
Add salt, sugar, and pepper, beat them about just 1 minute,

Remove from stove, serve.

Cooking Tips: Unevenly Grilled Meat

When you grill, pull your steaks [or other meat] out of the refrigerator one hour ahead of time so they can come to room temperature.

East Java Traditional Black Beef Soup (Sop Rawon)

600g Beef rump
20g Ginger roots
30g Turmeric roots
50g Garlic

100g Shallot
50g Candlenut
20g Red chili
5g Kaffir lime leafs
30g Lemon grass

200g Black Nut (Kluwek) use the meaty part
10g Coriander Powder
2g Bay leaf (Salam)
20g Galangal
3g Cumin

Salt to taste
White Sugar to taste
White Pepper Powder
Cooking oil

Clean the beef rump and cut into cubes.
Blend shallot, garlic, ginger, candlenut, turmeric, red chili and black nuts (kluwek) until smooth.

Heat pan and put all blended ingredients and saute until cooked and fregrance.
Add beef rump cubes and water to make the stock.
Put kaffir lime leafs, salam, galangal, lemon grass and boil until beef is tender.
Season with coriander powder, cumin, salt and sugar according to taste.

Serve this soup with steamed rice, salty egg, small beans sprout, and shrimp crackers.

More Brain-Boosting Foods

A good diet improves your health, but also boosts your energy. Create a shopping list of these must-have endurance foods recommended by Dr. Mike Moreno, author of The 17 Day Diet: A Doctor’s Plan Designed for Rapid Results.

Hot chilies: Contains the fiery-tasting chemical capsaicin. Capsaicin stimulates circulation, aids digestion, opens your nasal passages and, even better, sends a feeling of euphoria straight to your brain.

Legumes: Provide glucose to fuel the brain, and the fiber they contain slows the absorption of glucose, helping to maintain stable levels of energy and support alertness and concentration overtime.

Beef: Loaded with vitamin B1, which protects myelin, a fatty substance that helps facilitate communication among cells.

Romaine lettuce: High in folate, a B vitamin important for memory and nerve cell health.

Spinach: Packed with iron, which is involved memory, concentration, and mental functioning.

Tuna: Full of omega-3 fatty acids, which help build and maintain myelin.

Yogurt: A probiotic food that has been found in many studies to boost mental alertness.

Best Protein Choices for the Environment

Here are 5 Best Protein Choices for the Environment:

1. Milk
On the abbreviated top 10 list, milk came in with the lowest carbon footprint (lentils were lowest on the list of 20). However, the EWG looked at the carbon footprint of 4 ounces of milk—that’s only half a serving. So a full cup would be twice as high.

2. Beans
Beans are a smart protein choice. They give you fiber and healthy nutrients, such as folate and iron, and are very low in saturated fat. They’re also one of the best choices for the planet. Unlike animal-based proteins, beans have fewer carbon inputs and outputs (with animal proteins, growing crops just to feed the animals significantly adds to their carbon footprint).

3. Tofu
Tofu’s carbon footprint (roughly one-third that of beef) largely comes from growing the soybeans and then processing it into tofu. Please keep in mind that if the label doesn’t say it is 100% USDA Certified Organic or non-GMO, there is a good chance it was made from genetically modified soybeans.

4. Eggs
Feeding chickens, and the energy used on poultry farms, adds to the carbon footprint of eggs. But as far as animal proteins go, eggs’ carbon footprint is relatively low. In addition to protein, eggs give you some vitamin D and lutein and zeaxanthin, which are good for eye health. Although eggs contain some saturated fat and cholesterol, eating one a day shouldn’t raise your cholesterol levels.

5. Chicken
Chicken is the best meat choice, but on the full list of 20 foods, chicken ranks 6th meaning that its carbon footprint is still higher than plant foods and tuna. From an environmental and health perspective, though, eating chicken is better than eating beef.

Sundanese Salad (Karedok)

Vegetables :
100 g cucumber
100 g bean sprouts
3 cabbage leaves
100 g string beans
25 g basil leaves

Sauce :
200 g peanuts, roast
2 red chilies
1 cloves garlic
5 small chilies
1/2 tsp kencur
1 tbs tamarind juice
1 tbs palm sugar (or brown sugar)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp shrimp paste
* 1-2 tbs vinegar
* 150 cc hot water

Garnish :
Emping crackers

Boil beansprouts and string beans.
Slice cucumber, cut string beans into 3cm pieces, and chop cabbage leaves into thin slices.

Grind red chilies, garlic, small chilies, kencur, peanuts, palm sugar, salt shrimp paste and vinegar in a blender.

Add tamarind juice and hot water into above grinded spices , mix until smooth.

To serve, place all vegetables on a plate add emping crackers on top.

How long can you freeze food?

How long will that casserole or whole chicken last in the freezer? According to the Food Safety and Inspection Service, food stored in a freezer set at 0 degrees Fahrenheit will stay safe indefinitely. But that doesn't mean the taste and texture will remain the same.

Here is a guide to how long you can freeze foods before you sacrifice quality. Keep in mind that quality does deteriorate the longer food sits in your freezer, so aim to defrost sooner rather than later.

Bacon: 1 to 2 months
Breads: 2 to 3 months
Casseroles: 2 to 3 months
Cooked beef and pork: 2 to 3 months
Cooked poultry: 4 months
Cookie dough: 3 months
Fruit: 8 to 12 months
Frozen dinners: 3 to 4 months
Hot dogs: 1 to 2 months
Lunch meats: 1 to 2 months
Sausage: 1 to 2 months
Soups and stews: 2 to 3 months
Uncooked chicken (parts): 9 months
Uncooked chicken (whole): 1 year
Uncooked steaks, chops, or roasts: 4 to 12 months
Uncooked ground meat: 3 to 4 months
Vegetables: 8 to 12 months

Smashed Sweet Fried Beef (Empal Gepuk)

600 gr beef shanks, cut into 4 big pieces
4 dried bay leaves
1 stalk lemongrass, take the white part and bruise
650 ml coconut milk
2 1/2 tsp salt

spices (blend) :

7 cloves of shallots, sliced then sauteed
5 cloves of garlic, sliced then sauteed
5 candlenuts, toasted
1 cm ginger
2 cm fresh galangal
3 tsp corriander
60 gr brown sugar

Combine all the ingredients in "spices" together and process in a blender or food processor until smooth.
In a big pot, stir in beef shanks, coconut milk, blended spices, bay leaves, lemongrass, and salt.

Bring them to boil, then cook on low heat (simmer) until the beef is fully cooked and the liquid has decreased by half (about 2 hours)

Remove the pot from heat. Cut the beef chunks according to the meat pattern into 2 cm slices.

Heat oil in a sauteeing pan, then fry the beef with the remaining liquid until all the liquid is drained.

Try These 10 Brain-Boosting Foods

A good diet improves your health, but also boosts your energy. Create a shopping list of these must-have endurance foods recommended by Dr. Mike Moreno, author of The 17 Day Diet: A Doctor’s Plan Designed for Rapid Results.

1. Beef, extra lean: High in iron, a mineral that improves memory, alertness and attention span.

2. Beets: Contains phenylalanine, an amino acid that helps relay signals from one brain cell to another.

3. Blueberries: Excellent source of antioxidants and “anthocyanins,” compounds thought to help protect brain cells from toxins, improves use of glucose in the brain, and promotes communication between brain cells.

4. Broccoli: Packed with antioxidants and phytonutrients that help protect brain tissue from toxins.

5. Carrots: High in beta carotene and other natural substances that help protect brain tissue from toxins.

6. Chicken: High in tyrosine, an amino acid required for the production of the alertness chemicals dopamine, epinephrine and norepinephrine. When your brain is producing these, you think and react more quickly, and feel more motivated, attentive and mentally energetic.

7. Citrus fruits: Contain vitamin C and other antioxidants that help maintain sharp memory and help brain cells resist damage.

8. Edamame: Contains phenylalanine, an amino acid that helps relay signals from one brain cell to another.

9. Eggs: High in the B vitamin choline, which helps with memory.

10. Egg whites: High in protein, which can improve alertness by increasing levels of norepinephrine, which helps keep your brain at its sharpest.