Summer salad, Cambodian style

Summer salad, Cambodian style :)

This salad is inspired by a cabbage salad that is quite popular in Cambodia. The fun thing about making salad is you can throw in any vegetable you like. The ingredients below are just what I have in the fridge. I decided to throw them together and add some dressing (which is sweet, sour and a bit spicy). It is perfect for summer and can be served with any meat (e.g., pork, chicken, beef, or seafood) of your choice. To get the sweet and sour flavour, I used orange juice, lemon juice and some shredded Granny Smith (or green) apple.

Ingredients (4 serves):
-  1 cup shredded cabbage
-  1 cup shredded apple
-  1 cup shredded carrot
-  1 cup herbs (mint and coriander)
-  1/2 cup red onion

Shredded cabbage

Shredded carrot

Shredded apple

Fresh mint and coriander

Dressing:
-  3 cloves of garlic, chopped
-  1 red chilli, chopped
-  1 tbs fish sauce
-  1 lemon
- 1/2 orange

Method:
-Dressing: mash garlic and chilli by using a pestle and mortar (It also works fine if you just chop them up all very finely).

- Throw cabbage, apple, carrot and herbs into a salad bowl. Add the garlic and chili paste. And finally, just pour in lemon juice, orange juice and fish sauce. Toss them well or cover the bowl and give it a good shake :)

For my dinner, I add some pan fried tofu.

Triple Chocolate Cheesecake (No bake)

Triple Chocolate Cheesecake

Ingredients:
1st layer
- 200g plain chocolate biscuits
- 100g butter, melted
- 200g dark chocolate
- 200g white chocolate
- 500g cream cheese, softened (at room temperature)
- 1/5 cup milk
- 1/3 cup boiling water
- 5 tsp gelatine (about 20g)
- 1/5 cup caster sugar (about 100g)
- 300ml thickened cream  
- coco powder and chocolate to dust

Method:
- Grease and line the base and side of a 23cm (base measurement) springform pan.
- Crush biscuits in a food processor, or in a plastic bag with a rolling pin, or with a mortar and pestle. Transfer the crumb to a bowl and mix with melted butter. Place mixture in the prepared pan and press down firmly. Keep in the refrigerator to set.
- Mix gelatine with boiling water and stir until it dissolves.
- Meanwhile, place cream cheese in a bowl, add sugar and beat with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the cream and beat until smooth. Add gelatine mixture and stir until combined.
- Divide the cream cheese mixture between 2 bowls
- Melt the dark chocolate (See Notes below on how to melt the chocolate) and add into 1st bowl of cream cheese mixture and stir to combine. Pour into the prepared pan and smooth the surface with the back of a spoon. Keep in the freezer for 15 to 20 minutes until set. 
- Meanwhile, melt the white chocolate and add into the 2nd batch of cream cheese and stir to combine. Pour over the dark chocolate layer and smooth the surface. Keep in the fridge for 3 to 4 hours to set.

White chocolate layer

- Remove the cake out gently and carefully. Grate some chocolate and dust coco powder on top. Enjoy :)

Set cheese cake

Ready to serve

Notes: 
In order to melt the chocolate, you can either:
- Place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and stir through until chocolate metls, OR
- Microwave the chocolate in a microwave safe bowl: 30 secs & stir, 20 secs & stir, 10 secs & stir.

Jelly slice

Jelly slice

Ingredients:
Base
- 200g of biscuits (of your choice)
- 175g of butter, melted
Middle layer
- 1 can of sweet condensed milk (400g)
- 1 sachet of gelatine (about 10 or 12g)
-  1/2 cup of boiling water
Top layer
- 1 sachet of raspberry jelly crystal
- 1 1/2 cups of boiling water

Method:

- Grease (e.g., oil spray or butter) and line a 30cm x 20cm x 3cm tray with baking paper.
- Crush biscuits in a food processor, or in a plastic bag with a rolling pin, or in my case, I use mortar and pestle. Transfer the crumb to a bowl and mix with melted butter. Place mixture in the prepared tray and press down firmly. Keep in the refrigerator.

Biscuit base

- While the tray is in the refrigerator, pour condensed milk into a bowl. Dissolve gelatine in 1/cup of hot water. Combine gelatine with condensed milk and pour over biscuit base. Refrigerate until cool and set (Approximately for 30 minutes).

Condensed milk mixture and biscuit base

- Dissolve jelly in 1 1/2 cups of hot water. Place in the fridge until cool but not set.
- When condensed milk layer is set, pour cold jelly on top of slice and place in the refrigerator until set and firm.

Top layer - raspberry jelly crystal

- Once the slice is set, remove it out gently from the tray and slice it using a very thin and sharp knife.

All set and ready to slice :)

Notes:
 - The fun about making a slice is you can be creative and mix and match any color of your choice. You can also use a round tin and add a few more different color layers :)