Indonesian Pork Satay

From Derrick Riches,
Your Guide to Barbecues & Grilling

These Asian inspired pork kebabs are marinated in a lime and brown sugar marinade, then grilled hot and fast. These not only make a great entrée but an excellent appetizer. You can get them ready ahead of time and grill them up in about 10 minutes.
INGREDIENTS:

* 3 pounds boneless pork loin, cut into 1 inch cubes
* 1 cup onions, thinly sliced
* 1/4 cup soy sauce
* 1/4 cup lime juice
* 1 tablespoon brown sugar
* 1 tablespoon ground coriander
* 1 tablespoon cumin seeds
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 teaspoon pepper
* 1/2 teaspoon ginger

PREPARATION:
Place pork cubes in a shallow baking dish. Combine other ingredients and mix well. Pour over pork, cover and let marinade for at least 4 hours. Drain and reserve marinade. Arrange pork cubes onto skewers, leaving about 1/4 inch space in between each cube.Brush marinade over meat and place on a hot grill. Cook for about 5 minutes over a medium fire then turn. Baste with more marinade and continue cooking for another 5 minutes. Continue cooking and turning until done.

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Hot Bananas in Coconut Milk

Ingredients:

* 2 large bananas
* 1 cup coconut milk
* 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
* 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preparation:
Peel the bananas and cut into bite-sized pieces.
In a medium saucepan, bring the coconut milk to a boil. Add the sugar and cinnamon, stirring to dissolve.
Add the bananas. Bring back to a boil, then turn down the heat and simmer for 3 - 5 minutes, until the bananas are tender but not mushy. Serve hot, sprinkling extra cinnamon on top if desired.
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Indonesian Salad Recipe - Gado Gado Salad

Ingredients:

* Salad:
* 3 hard boiled eggs, peeled and sliced
* 3/4 cup cabbage, shredded
* 3/4 cup green beans, sliced
* 3/4 cup carrots, sliced
* 3/4 cup cauliflower, chopped
* 1/2 cup mung bean sprouts
* 1/3 cup snow peas
* 1/2 cucumber, sliced
* 2 red potatoes, cut into wedges
* Peanut Dressing:
* 3/4 to 1 cup coconut milk (depending on whether you want a thicker or thinner sauce)
* 1/2 cup chunky peanut butter
* 1 teaspoon red curry paste or chile paste (or Tabasco sauce)
* 1 tablespoon brown sugar
* 1 tablespoon lime juice
* 2 teaspoons fish sauce (or substitute 1 tablespoon soy sauce)

Preparation:
Wash all the vegetables. Ideally, with the exception of the eggs and cucumber, all of the salad ingredients should be blanched or boiled in a large pot of boiling water. However, if you are pressed for time you can serve them raw with the exception of the potato, which has to be boiled. To blanch: plunge the vegetable briefly in the boiling water, then plunge into cold water. This leaves the vegetables nicely crisp and neither too firm or limp. Drain all the vegetables.

Arrange the vegetables on a serving platter, starting on the outside of the platter and work inwards, arranging the vegetables in a colorful pattern. Top with the chopped eggs.

To make the dressing: In a small saucepan, bring the coconut milk to a boil. Stir in the remaining ingredients and simmer for 5 minutes, until the peanut butter has melted and the mixture is thickened.

From about.com

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Indonesian Rendang Curry

From Darlene Schmidt,
Your Guide to Thai Food.

Indonesian cuisine has always been influential in Thai cooking. One of the more popular Indonesians dishes in Thailand and throughout Asia is Rendang Chicken or Beef Curry. Rendang is considered a "dry" curry, which means the sauce is simmered down to a minimum. Because it is so distilled, the sauce sticks to the meat, making this dish one of the most flavorful I have ever tried. And its wide variety of spices make it extremely healthy. If you like curry, you'll love Rendang - guarenteed!
INGREDIENTS:

* 1 whole chicken, cut into small to medium-size pieces (OR the equivalent of beef)
* SAUCE:
* 1/2 can good-quality coconut milk
* 2 Tbsp. healthy oil, like organic canola
* 1 onion, peeled and quartered
* 4 cloves garlic
* 1 thumb-size piece galangal (or ginger)
* 1-3 red chillies, depending on how hot you like your curry (de-seeded if less heat is desired) OR substitute chili sauce
* 3/4 Tbsp. tamarind paste
* 1 Tbsp. brown sugar
* 2 tsp. dark soy sauce
* 4 Tbsp. fish sauce
* 1/2 tsp. turmeric
* 1 heaping Tbsp. ground coriander seeds
* 1 Tbsp. ground cumin
* 1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
* 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
* 1/4 tsp. cloves
* 1 tsp. shrimp paste (available by the jar at Asian food stores) OR substitute 1 Tbsp. more fish sauce
* 2 whole star anise (use the Asian one, available at Asian food stores)
* GARNISH (optional):
* fresh coriander leaves
* dry shredded coconut

PREPARATION:

1. Place all sauce ingredients - except whole star anise - in a food processor. Process well to form a thick curry paste or sauce. If you don't have a food processor, simply chop onion and herbs finely and combine with the coconut milk, spices, and other ingredients.# These herbs and spices can also be ground together with a pestle & mortar.
# Do a taste test for salt and spice, adding more fish sauce if not salty enough. If not spicy enough, add more fresh chili, or chili sauce. If too sour, add a little more brown sugar.
# Place sauce in a wok or large, deep-sided frying pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken (or beef) pieces, plus the whole star anise, and stir well.
# Continue stirring occasionally as you bring the curry to a boil. Then reduce heat to a simmer. Do not cover the wok/frying pan, as you want the sauce to reduce and become thicker.
# Allow the curry to simmer (stirring occasionally) for up to one hour, or until meat is cooked and tender. The sauce will reduce, so that it is almost like a coating on the meat (plus there will be a little sauce leftover in the wok/pan).
# Serve directly from the wok/pan, or place the curry on a serving plate (with any extra sauce poured over). Garnish with a sprinkling of shredded coconut and fresh coriander (fresh chives work too, as in the picture). Serve hot with Thai jasmine-scented rice, or Easy Thai Coconut Rice.

from about.com

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Coffee: What Are The Health Benefits?

Coffee: What Are The Health Benefits?
by: Aaron Matthews Morgan


If you are a coffee drinker, you no doubt have asked yourself how much coffee is it safe for you to consume on a daily basis. This is not surprising since so much has been blamed on coffee. Heart disease, cancer, osteoporosis, you name it. At one time or another, coffee has been made to blame. Coffee has joined the ranks of red wine and chocolate as a guilty pleasure that may actually be good for you. As much as it is a great way to get that fix in the morning, recent studies have shown that coffee has been found to be rich in antioxidants and contains hundreds of pain-relieving and anti-bacterial compounds. Although one should not drink coffee with wild abandon, it's comforting to know that maybe that cup or two in the morning may be good for you. Here is a statistic to ponder: did you know that there are over 160 million coffee drinkers in the Unites States alone? In terms of consumption, the average American consumes 8.8 lbs. of coffee per year. But consider this: the world leader in terms of consumption is Finland which comes in at nearly 30 lbs per year. That's a lot of coffee!

Another statistic is that there have been well over 19,000 studies done to analyze the effects of coffee. Now, studies can often be skewed to show whatever the author wants, but here is what is generally agreed: consuming 2 to 3 cups of coffee per day is often considered more beneficial than harmful. Recent studies have shown that moderate coffee drinking can reduce the risk of colon cancer (due to it's ability to keep you regular), gallstones, cirrhosis of the liver and more, due to the fact the it is loaded with healthy antioxidants. So loaded, that studies have implied that coffee contains higher levels of antioxidants compared to other commonly consumed beverages, such as tea and fruit juice. Coffee has joined the ranks of red wine and chocolate as a guilty pleasure that may actually be good for you. As much as it is a great way to get that “fix” in the morning, recent studies have shown that coffee has been found to be rich in antioxidants and contains hundreds of pain-relieving and anti-bacterial compounds. Although one should not drink coffee with wild abandon, it's comforting to know that maybe that cup or two in the morning may be good for you. Several studies are also being conducted on Parkinson's and diabetic Patients. Research has shown that just one cup of coffee per day can halve your risk of Parkinson's, the brain disease that causes tremors and affects movement. Caffeine may protect the brain cells typically lost to Parkinson's disease. However, it has been noted that women on hormone therapy do not seem to benefit. It is felt that Estrogen may dilute the effectiveness of caffeine. It has also been found that if a woman drinks three cups of coffee a day, she can reduce her risk of Type 2 Diabetes by twenty to thirty percent. Coffee may help promote the delivery of insulin to the tissues. Experts believe that coffee's antioxidants, such as chlorogenic acid and caffeine acid, deserve the credit. There are also on going studies that are producing favorable reports on coffee helping to fight Alzheimer's due to the caffeine stimulating the cognitive area of the brain. This is just the tip of the ice berg.

People with asthma who drink coffee can have up to 25 percent fewer symptoms because one of the compounds in coffee - theophylline - acts as a bronchodilator. A recent Brazilian study showed that consumption of coffee promotes better sperm mobility - and now studies are in progress to determine whether caffeine can help infertile men. Coffee contains polyphenols, substances that may reduce the risk of cancer and coronary artery disease. Caffeinated coffee, as opposed to decaffeinated coffee, makes you a better thinker. Studies have shown that coffee keeps you focused, particularly when you are doing not-so-pleasant work. A researcher with the U.S. Army stated caffeine improved scores on a range of cognitive tasks, such as decision making, learning, and attention in the sleep-deprived. Coffee can also boost your mood, probably by making you feel more energetic. A little known fact is that coffee contains antioxidants which have been shown to imporve oveall health. Here is a short list of some benefits which have been shown to be present in coffee:

Reduce symptoms of Parkinson's Disease

Antibacterial ingredients

Reduce the risk of developing gallstones

Preserve mental accuity

Reduce risk of developing type 2 Diabetes (if you have diabetes, reduce your consumption

If you are free of hypertension, coffee will not likely produce it

Headache relief

Reduce the risk of some types of cancer

Improve physical endurance


About The Author
Aaron Matthews-Morgan is the owner of Heavenly Kona Coffee, an e-business that specializes in 100% Gourmet Kona Coffee from Hawaii. HeavenlyKonaCoffee.com is also a premier website for free information and resources, providing quality info and articles on everything related to coffee. Go to: http://www.heavenlykonacoffee.com

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Rendang

Rendang is a dish which originated from the Minangkabau ethnic group of Indonesia,[1] and is now commonly served across the country.[2] One of the characteristic foods of Minangkabau culture, it is served at ceremonial occasions and to honour guests.[3] Also popular in Malaysia and Singapore, rendang is traditionally prepared by the Malay community during festive occasions. Though rendang is sometimes described as being like a curry, and the name is sometimes applied to curried meat dishes in Malaysia, authentic rendang is nothing like a curry.[1]

Rendang is made from beef (or occasionally chicken, mutton, water buffalo meat, duck or vegetables like jackfruit or cassava) slowly cooked in coconut milk and spices for several hours until almost all the liquid is gone, leaving the meat coated in the spicy condiments. The cooking process changes from boiling to frying as the liquid evaporates. The slow cooking process allows the meat to absorb all the spices and to become tender. The spices may include ginger, galangal, turmeric leaf, lemon grass and chillies. Chicken or duck rendang also contains tamarind, and is usually not cooked for as long as beef rendang.[4]

There are two kinds of rendang: dried and wet. Dried rendang can be kept for 3–4 months, and it is for ceremonial occasions or to honour guests. Wet rendang, also known as kalio, can be found in Minangkabau restaurants and without refrigeration it should be consumed within a month.[3]

Rendang is often served with rice in Indonesia but in Malaysia it is also served with ketupat (a compressed rice cake) and lemang (glutinous rice barbecued in bamboo tubes).

From wikipedia

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Indonesian rice table

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An Indonesian rice table (in Dutch, rijsttafel) consists of rice accompanied by between twelve and thirty, often spicy, side dishes served in small portions. Popular side dishes include egg rolls, sambals, satay, fish, fruit, vegetables, pickles, and nuts. It is a Dutch colonial adaptation of the Indonesian dinner, and popular only in the Netherlands. However, a growing number of restaurants and hotels in the tourist areas in Indonesia serve rice table.

The number of side dishes depends mainly on the number of guests; in a restaurant, as many as two dozen side dishes may be served. In many restaurants, the side dishes are brought to the guests' table, covering the table with the many small plates

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Rice

Rice is a staple for all classes in contemporary Indonesia,[1] and it holds a central part in Indonesian culture: it shapes the landscape; is sold at markets; and is served in most meals as a savoury and sweet food. Rice is most often eaten as plain rice (nasi putih) with just a few protein and vegetable dishes as side dishes. It is also served, however, as ketupat (rice steamed in woven packets of coconut fronds), lontong (rice steamed in banana leaves), intip (rice crackers), desserts, noodles, brem (rice wine), and nasi goreng (fried rice).[2]

It was only incorporated, however, into diets as either the technology to grow it or the ability to buy it from elsewhere was gained. Evidence of wild rice on the island of Sulawesi dates from 3000 BCE. Evidence for the earliest cultivation, however, comes from eighth century stone inscriptions from the central island of Java, which show kings levied taxes in rice. Divisions of labour between men, women, and animals that are still in place in Indonesian rice cultivation, can be seen carved into the ninth-century Prambanan temples in Central Java: a buffalo attached to a plough; women planting seedlings and pounding grain; and a man carries sheaves of rice on each end of a pole across his shoulders. In the sixteenth century, Europeans visiting the Indonesian islands saw rice as a new prestige food served to the aristocracy during ceremonies and feasts.[1]

Rice production requires exposure to the sun. Rice production in Indonesian history is linked to the development of iron tools and the domestication of water buffalo for cultivation of fields and manure for fertilizer. Once covered in dense forest, much of the Indonesian landscape has been gradually cleared for permanent fields and settlements as rice cultivation developed over the last fifteen hundred years.[1]

by wikipedia

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