Smooth Creamy Broccoli Cheese Soup

At Quizon's Hubby goes for the Prime Rib Mushroom Swiss Sub with Garlic Aoli on Rosemary Parmesan Bread each time while son loves to experiment with Mesquite/Baja/Honey Bourbon Chicken Subs or the Chipotle Prime Rib. As for me, I can't get enough of the Broccoli Cheese Soup! Sometimes though it's too thick and lumpy.  I often wish the soup were smoother and creamier.  I found this recipe in  the "New New Orleans Cooking", by Emeril Lagasse and Jessie Tirsch.  To make the soup velvety smooth my secret is to use Wondra flour instead of all purpose flour in making the roux. Try it next time you make any creamy soup.

Smooth and Creamy Broccoil and Cheese Soup

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus 2 tablespoons cold unsalted butterd
1 cup yellow onions or sliced leeks (white parts only)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper 
Pinch of nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour (I used Wondra flour)
3 cups chicken broth
1 (16-ounce) package frozen broccoli, thawed and separated
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 1/4 cups shredded medium cheddar

Melt the 3 tablespoons butter over medium-high heat. Add the onions, salt, pepper, and nutmeg and cook, stirring, until soft, 3 minutes. Add the garlic and thyme cook, stirring, until fragrant, for 20 seconds. Add the flour and cook, stirring until the mixture is well blended and smells fragrant, 2 minutes. Slowly add the chicken stock, whisking constantly, and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat and simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes. Add the broccoli and cook, stirring, until tender, for 10 minutes.

Remove the pot from the heat and puree with a hand-held  immersion blender.

Add the cream and simmer to heat through. Add the cheese and cook over low heat, stirring, until melted. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons cold butter, stirring to blend.

Remove from the heat and ladle the soup into bowls and serve immediately.

Firey Habanero Baked Tofu

 Credits: Chili framed art from CSN. Their wall art and decor is a good starting place to get cool decor like this chili framed art for "fire-eater" friends and family.

My sister is a fire eater...well almost... she eats habaneros every day!   No meal is complete without a chili or two. She grows habaneros and bird's eye chili in her bedroom, even in the dead of winter!  The chilis are so pretty.  Bright red and orange fruits look like fairy lights amid the lush green leaves.  Charming but deadly hot!  A thin slice of habanero is all I can handle. But not her...see the slivers of orange habaneros in this tofu?  It looks like art to me but this is one of her firey creations.... tofu studded with habaneros! 

Firey Habanero Baked Tofu 

      1 block medium soft tofu

      2 habaneros

      salt and pepper

      sweet chili sauce

Slice the tofu. Make incisions and insert slivers of habanero.  Sprinkle kosher salt and pepper.  Spray Pam cooking spray over the tofu.  Broil at 350 F till tofu is crispy at the margins.  Serve with sweet chili sauce.  WARNING: This is really hot!  I tried a small piece of the tofu as far away from the habanero slices and my mouth was on fire for an hour!

Irish Cream Mango Smoothie

It's been so hot lately, it feels like it's almost summer.  I remember the smoothies of my youth made with luscious, sweet and slightly tart, ripe, golden-yellow mangoes.  Unripe green mango smoothies are unusual but surprisingly delicious too.

Today, I was so lucky to find some ripe, yellow Alphonse mangoes at Walmart among  the reddish-green Kent variety of mangoes in the produce section.  Kent mangoes are great in fresh mango salsa.  But Alphonse mangoes are the best eaten fresh or for smoothies, salads, dips, desserts, cakes, etc.

Any time is a good time for refreshing fruit smoothies so here is my  Mango Smoothie 5 star Makeover using Irish Cream. 

Irish Cream Mango Smoothie

Ingredients:

flesh of two Alphonse mangoes or 1/2 cup canned mango puree (if you can find it)
3-4 Tbsp sugar
8 ice cubes (using more ice cubes make the smoothies thicker)
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 tsp Irish Cream (you can add more if you wish)

Mix first three ingredients together in your blender and puree till smooth. Pour in the heavy cream mixed with Irish cream. That's it...enjoy!!!

Garlic Porcini Mushroom Pasta

 

Sometime ago, I received dried porcini mushrooms from MarxFoods and tried it with bow tie pasta.  I like bow tie pasta for it's pretty shape and texture when cooked al dente.  Porcini mushroom is often used in risotto and soups but I prefer it sauteed in butter, garlic and shallots then added to pasta.  It's meaty, nutty flavor blends well with these ingredients. For me lemon juice and fresh cilantro adds a brightness to the dish but if you are partial to parsley, you can use that too. So, here is my jazzed up version of olive oil-garlic pasta. If you opt to add cream or cheese, make sure you adjust your seasonings.

1 Tbsp canola oil
2 Tbsp salted butter
1 Tbsp minced garlic
¼ cup dried porcini mushrooms, soaked in warm water, strained, finely chopped
1 shallot, finely minced
1 Tbsp minced fresh cilantro (parsley or another herb, if you prefer)
a squeeze of lemon (depends on how acidic you want it)
salt and pepper to taste
1- 2 cups cooked bow tie pasta

Heat the canola oil and butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook till golden brown.  Add the mushrooms, the water it was soaked in and shallots. Cook about 5 minutes then add the cilantro and turn off heat.  Squeeze some lemon juice and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.  Mix in cooked bow tie pasta and serve. Grated cheese on top is delicious too.

Did you know?
1. Mushrooms are rich in dietary fiber, antioxidant, vitamins and minerals.

2. All parts of the cilantro plant can be used for cooking. The fresh leaves are used in soups and are indispensable in salsa. The roots have an intense flavor and are used in Thai cuisine.The dry seeds of cilantro are known as coriander seeds.

3. Although I love cilantro in my food, some people dislike its taste.  Cilantro is very popular in American Southwest cuisine but not in Europe and in some part of Asia.  Some people seem to detect a "soapy" flavor or an faint odor, similar to "bedbugs".  What do you think?  Some say there is a genetic basis for this perception, but there is no firm evidence. In my family, my son and hubby don't care for cilantro.  Do you use cilantro in your dishes?  What flavors goes well it?

Fried Chicken with Watercress Apple Salad in Ginger Miso Dressing

 

Lately, I've been rediscovering the simplicity and beauty of flavoring meats by placing them in brine.  I remember my grandma never breaded her fried chicken.  She would brine chicken thighs for 2 hours then rinse them briefly.  After patting them dry, she fried the chicken in a skillet till they were golden brown and cooked through. They don't become soggy even a day later.  I tried her method but I let the chicken sit in the fridge overnight instead of 2 hours. When my son had a taste of the fried chicken, he declared that it was one of  the best fried chicken he's had! It was a first time for him-- fried chicken without any breading!  Paired with watercress apple salad, it's a keeper.

Here is grandma's easy fried chicken that I served with watercress salad with ginger miso dressing:

4 chicken thighs
1/3 cup kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/3 cup water
canola oil for frying
1 bunch of watercress
1 apple, cut into wedges
1 tsp ginger (you can add more if you wish)
2-3 Tbsp seasoned rice vinegar
3 Tbsp miso
3 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup chicken stock
soy sauce

Combine the salt, water, pepper and chicken in a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and keep in the fridge overnight. Next day, rinse the chicken pieces briefly and pat dry.   Place canola oil in a cast iron skillet and set over medium heat.  When the oil is hot enough, add the chicken and cover the skillet.  Fry the chicken till cooked through.  Serve with watercress apple salad with ginger miso dressing and soy sauce on the side if you wish.

To prepare ginger miso dressing, combine ginger, miso, rice vinegar, sugar, and chicken stock. You can adjust the ratio of sugar to vinegar to suit your taste. Combine watercress and apple wedges and drizzle dressing over it.

Roasted Lamb with Mixed Berry Sauce and Extension of Fruit Fast Giveaway Deadline

 

I wanted to prepare roasted leg of lamb or roasted lamb shanks for dinner but Food Pyramid and Walmart were already sold out.  My eye was drawn to a package of Cedars Spring Split Lamb Breast on the shelf.  It was not very fatty and the ribs were visible so it looked like I could cut the meat into convenient "riblets" and it would cost me a only a couple of dollars.  When I arrived home I decided to go ahead and roast the split lamb breast but make a savory mixed berry sauce instead of the traditional Greek roasted lamb recipe I use. 

*****Just a reminder:  I am extending the deadline for the Fruit Fast Giveaway (see the announcement at the bottom of the post).******

Here's my roasted lamb split breast recipe:

1 package Split Lamb Breast

1 tsp canola oil

 kosher salt and pepper

1/4 cup Cabernet Sauvignon

1/2 cup beef broth

1/2 tsp Fruit Fast Mixed Berry Liquid (adding more than this is overpowering)

2 tsp rice vinegar

2 tsp brown sugar

salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Brush the lamb split breast with oil and season liberally with kosher salt and pepper. Place it in a roasting pan with the ribs facing down. Roast the lamb for about 1-1/2 hours.  Remove the lamb from the pan and let it rest for about10 minutes. While the meat is resting, prepare the sauce.

Pour out some of the excess fat and juices from the pan and put it over medium-high heat. Deglaze the pan with Cabernet Sauvignon and beef broth.  Add the mixed berry liquid, rice vinegar and brown sugar and let it come to a boil while stirring. Turn off the heat. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Serve warm roast with the mixed berry sauce. Yum!

Extension of Giveaway Deadline

If you still have not joined this Fruit Fast Giveaway, there is still time.  I'm extending the deadline to March 28, 2010.  To get a chance to win this great giveaway, see details in the post here.  If you don't have a blog, you can still win --you don't have to place your email address in the comments--send it to momgateway@gmail.com to keep your privacy.  Good luck to everyone!

Super Fruits and Fruit Sushi: Cherry Coconut Cream Gelee and a GIVEAWAY

Certain red and purple colored fruits like cherries, blueberries, black plums, blackberries, raspberries and pomegranate are called super fruits as they are rich in substances known as antioxidants.  Antioxidants protect our cells from damaging effects of free radicals. Flavonoids, beta-carotene, lutein, lycopene, selenium, vitamins A, C and E are examples of antioxidants in fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts, meats and fish. WebMd talks about antioxidants, their sources and how to get more of these in a healthy diet. You might want to check it out. 

Another health food is agar (agar-agar/ kanten).  It is a vegetarian gelatin substitute from seaweed extract and it contains about 84% fiber.  In Japan where nearly everyone thinks "thin is beautiful", the kanten diet is getting a lot of attention as a potential weight loss agent. When eaten as part of a meal, agar triples in size and readily absorbs water so a person feels full quickly and becomes less prone to overeat!

I've been trying to be creative in getting more super fruits in our meals. So today I'm sharing a recipe using 

FruitFast---a liquid fruit supplement. Each teaspoon of FruitFast contains 100-200 mg of anthocyanins (a flavonoid antioxidant).  FruitFast products are made from Michigan red tart cherries, pomegranates, wild blueberries and the fruit pastes are placed into yummy snack bars, fruit goos and liquid fruit supplements.  The process maintains the fruits' original composition so it is not a fruit extract or a powder. Scroll down to the bottom of the page to enter the FruitFast giveaway.

To create this fruit sushi, I used FruitFast Cherry Flex derived from 100% Montmorency Tart Cherries.  I made two kinds of gelee -- cherry and coconut cream---and let them set in separate containers.  The base of my fruit sushi was a layer of cherry gelee.  Over this, I placed coconut cream gelee and another layer of cherry gelee.  On top this stack I had a slice of fresh, ripe mango and kiwi. The tartness and intensity of cherry is beautifully balanced by the delicate flavor of the creamy coconut gelee and the sweetness of ripe mangoes and kiwi. If you like to try a new dessert, here's the recipe:

Cherry Gelee

1 cup water
2 Tbsp Fruit Fast Cherry Flex
3 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp agar
Mix everything in a saucepan.  Make sure the agar is completely dissolved then turn on the heat. Let simmer for a couple of minutes till all the sugar and agar granules are in solution. Pour into a rectangular mold and place in the refrigerator to set for about 2 hours.

Coconut Cream Gelee

1/2 cup water
1/4 cup coconut milk
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 tsp sugar
1.5 tsp agar
Mix everything in a saucepan.  Make sure the agar is completely dissolved then turn on the heat. Let simmer for a couple of minutes till all the sugar and agar granules are in solution. Pour into a rectangular mold and place in the refrigerator to set for about 2 hours.

Assemble the fruit sushi and cut to serving sizes. Enjoy!

GIVEAWAY ANNOUNCEMENT

You have a chance to try FruitFast products!  FruitFast is giving away fruit bars and liquid supplements to one of my readers.  Their Montmorency Dried Tart Cherries and fruit supplement bars are amazing but they have a variety of products you can choose from so if you want to enter the giveaway, visit their website and tell me (in the comments section) which three products you'd like to try by March 21.  They will ship it to the winner directly.  If you don't have a blog, you can still win --you don't have to place your email address in the comments--send it to momgateway@gmail.com to keep your privacy.  Good luck to everyone!

Shawarma: Lebanese Treat

Shawarma is a Lebanese-style sandwich, an Arabic version of the Turkish döner kebap. It's very similar to the Greek gyros in the way a stack of marinated slices of beef, lamb or chicken is cooked on a rotating vertical spit.  The tower of meat is topped with fat, a whole tomato and onion that drip oil and juices over the meat, keeping it moist and flavorful. 

Gyros and shawarma differ in sauce, ingredients and garnishes. Gyros sandwich has tzatziki sauce, tomato, onion and fried potatoes added to the meat.  Tahini sauce (sometimes hummus or a garlic aoli) is used in shawarma then tomato, onion, lettuce, parsley, pickled turnips and in some countries, french fries and cheese are added. 

I've been looking for a perfect Shawarma recipe but  none of the  recipes I've tried in the past from cookbooks and blogs have been very successful.  That is until I found one from Monique Zaarour's The Lebanese Kitchen (available at the momgateway store).  It is the best so far, not yet perfect but pretty good.  Monique tailors it for the Western kitchen by pre-cutting the meat and using a regular oven as it's almost impossible to have a counter top shawarma oven in North America. 

Ingredients
2 lbs beef sirloin, cut into strips (or beef+lamb or chicken)
3 Tbsp oil
4 Tbsp red wine vinegar or lemon juice
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp allspice (I added a more of this)
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp cardamom
1/4 tsp mastic, crushed
1/4 tsp nutmeg

Tahini sauce
5 Tbsp tahini
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup water
2 garlic cloves crushed
5 Tbsp lemon juice

Garnishes
thinly sliced onions
sumac
thinly sliced tomatoes
finely chopped parsley

• Mix the seasonings and rub into the steak strips. Marinade the beef for six hours, stirring every hour.
• Place the seasoned meat in a rimmed baking dish then cover with foil and bake in a preheated oven (475 F) for about 40 minutes.
• Combine tahini sauce ingredients in a food processor and set aside. Pour tahini sauce over the meat and serve on a plate or as a sandwich with shredded letttuce, onions, tomato and parsley. Enjoy! This was part of my guest post last week for OuR KrAzY kitChEn. 
  
  
• NOTE: My son prefers cheese with his shawarma so I add it even if it is not authentic Lebanese.
  

Singaporean Hainanese Chicken

 

Hainanese Chicken is a Singapore classic made with fresh/ chilled whole chicken.  Copious amounts of salt is rubbed into the skin and in the body cavity to remove impurities.  It is then rinsed in water and the salting- rinsing process is repeated to ensure that the chicken is very clean. The chicken is blotted dry then gently poached several times in chicken stock to infuse the delicate ginger-scallion-sesame flavor.  The resulting poached chicken is very tender and delicate. It is served with three dipping sauces to complement the flavor of the chicken.  Often jasmine rice is added to the stock used for poaching then served as Chicken Rice.

For this dish, I adapted the Hainanese Chicken Rice recipe from The Food Of Singapore.  Since I did not prepare the Chinese chicken stock myself, I added ginger, sesame oil, scallions and salt to enhance the flavor. 

Here's the modified recipe:
1 fresh chicken/ 4 chicken breasts or thighs (deboned but skin on)
4 cups chicken stock
1 tsp sesame oil 
3 slices of ginger
2 scallions
1-2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp light soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil

For the Chicken Rice:
2 cups jasmine rice
2 cups chicken stock used to poach chicken
salt and white pepper to taste

Three kinds of dipping sauces:

Kecap manis (sweet soy sauce)

Sambal olek

Ginger scallion sauce (made by mixing finely minced ginger, scallions, salt, sesame oil, canola oil and chicken broth)

Clean and dry the chicken.  Boil chicken stock, sesame oil, ginger, scallions, salt then put in the chicken.  Cover the pot, let the stock come to a boil again for 1 minute then turn off the heat and let the chicken steep for 15 minutes. Remove chicken from the pot, plunge in iced water and drain.

Bring the stock back to a boil, add the chicken and repeat the steeping process.  Plunge chicken in iced water and drain.  Repeat the whole process twice so that the chicken has steeped in the chicken stock for a total of 60 minutes.  The chicken will be lightly cooked, not at all dried out and with no traces of blood.  Cut into serving pieces, sprinkle with soy sauce and sesame oil, and set aside. Make sure you adjust the amount of seasoning depending on the size of chicken you use.

Wash jasmine rice and cook it in a rice cooker.  Place the dipping sauce in separate dishes.  Serve Hainanese Chicken with hot Chicken Rice and the three dipping sauces. Enjoy!

Garlic Chicken Stir-fry in Tamarind Sauce

Too tired of soy sauce based stir-fried chicken? Here's a dish that is hot, sweet, salty and tangy. The key ingredients are fish sauce and tamarind concentrate. Tamarind has a deep flavor both sour and sweet but leaning more on the sour side. It's robust and distinctive flavor melds well with the saltiness of fish sauce and the sweetness of brown sugar. I used tamarind sauce left over from my Thai Son-in-law Eggs recipe. This Chicken Stir-fry recipe is a keeper!


Garlic Chicken Stir-Fry in Tamarind Sauce


2 chicken breasts, cut up
1/4 tsp garlic salt
1/2 c tempura flour
1/2 c water
1/4 c celery
1/4 c yellow squash
1/4 c red bell pepper
1 Tbsp canola oil
1 garlic, minced
1 bird's eye chili, minced
1/4c-1/2 c tamarind sauce

Season chicken pieces with garlic salt. In a bowl, combine tempura flour and water. Stir till there are no lumps. Add chicken into the bowl. Deep-fry chicken in oil. Drain fried chicken on paper towel and set aside.

Heat canola oil in a wok. Add minced garlic and gently fry till golden brown. Over high heat, stir-fry yellow squash, celery and red peppers. Add chicken pieces, minced chili and half the tamarind sauce. Gently stir for 1 minute for the sauce to lightly coat chicken pieces. Chicken should still be crispy. Serve with steamed rice and extra tamarind sauce on the side. Delicious!

I am submitting this to Weekend Wokking: Tamarind, hosted this month by Palachinka. 

Thai Son-in-law Eggs

This fascinating name comes from a story about a prospective bridegroom in Thailand who wanted to impress his future in-laws. It is said that he created this dish based on the only dish he knew how to make: boiled eggs!!!

Thai Son-in-law eggs are so easy to prepare. I prefer them over deviled eggs anytime--they are prettier, more flavorful and not as perishable (no mayo). The eggs, shallot mixture and sauce can be prepared ahead of time, stored separately and combined just before serving. How easy is that!

You can make this as a side dish (first photo) or as finger food (second photo) or over salad greens.

If you don't have time to prepare the shallot mixture or if you prefer not to add it, just the eggs with the tamarind sauce is wonderful! We like it this way too. As appetizer, it's finger-licking good!

This is my version:

6 hard-boiled eggs, shelled
Oil for frying
1/4 cup cilantro for garnish (If you don't have this, use minced green onions)

Shallot mixture:
1 tbsp canola oil
4 shallots, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves
1 bird's eye chili, minced

Tamarind sauce:
5-6 Tbsp muscovado/ light brown sugar
3 Tbsp fish sauce
4 Tbsp tamarind concentrate (I use Tamarind sour soup base instead of messing with tamarind paste that has to be dissolved in hot water and mushed to extract the juice!)

Fry hard-boiled eggs in oil for 3-5 minutes, until golden brown. You do not have to use a deep fryer. Just move the eggs in the hot oil till it is evenly golden brown. Remove and drain on paper towel. Set aside.

Prepare sauce by combining sugar, fish sauce and tamarind concentrate. Taste the mixture and add more sugar, fish sauce or tamarind sauce if needed. Place in the microwave and zap till sugar is dissolved. This is my shortcut instead of boiling the mixture in a sauce pot. If the sauce is too thick for you, dilute it with a tablespoon or so of water.

Prepare shallot mixture by heating oil and frying shallots, garlic and chili for 3 minutes. Set aside.

To serve, cut fried eggs into half or quarters. Drizzle with tamarind sauce and sprinkle shallot mixture. Garnish with cilantro sprigs or green onions. Yum!


I am submitting this to Weekend Wokking: Tamarind hosted this month by Palachinka. 

Steamed Buns with Teriyaki Turkey

Kiddo prefers home lunch over school cafeteria food. His favorite is onigiri or japanese rice balls. Sushi and steamed buns with various fillings comes a close second and third.

After Thanksgiving, how do I deal with leftover turkey? I make Steamed Buns with Teriyaki Turkey! It's my Japanese spin on Turkey leftovers for the 5 Star Makeover--Turkey Leftovers.

To my wonderful friends, Mindy and Michelle W., maybe you'll like this easy recipe. Make it with turkey, chicken or beef teriyaki filling.

Bun Dough
1 -1/4 cup flour
2 tsp white sugar
2 tsp baking powder
5 Tbsp + 1 tsp warm milk

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar and baking powder. Slowly pour warm milk while stirring. Knead dough until it is soft and pliable (around 5 minutes). Be careful not to overhandle the dough. Cover dough with plastic wrap and set aside while preparing the teriyaki turkey filling. Double the dough recipe if you are making more than 8 dimsum sized buns.

Teriyaki Turkey Filling
1 cup shredded leftover turkey
1 Tbsp rice wine
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp mirin
1-1/2 Tbsp brown sugar
1/4 tsp grated ginger
1/2 tsp cornstarch

In a small saucepan, mix rice wine, soy sauce, mirin, brown sugar, grated ginger and cornstarch. Adjust the sweetness of the filling by adding more or less sugar. Let the mixture simmer and thicken. Stir in leftover turkey, remove from the heat and cool. You will have more filling than needed for 8 buns.


Assembly:
Divide the dough into 8 balls. Flatten dough balls and place about a teaspoonful of filling in the center. Gather the dough to the top to seal the filling in. Make sure the filling does not leak out. Place filled buns seam side down in a steamer. Steam over high heat for 15-20 minutes. Yum!

Flank Steak With Fennel, Pear, Ginger, Mushrooms and Peppers

I had a flank steak in the fridge last night and I was thinking of a making a steak dinner that was easy but incorporated the ingredients we love plus some new ones we've never tried. Hubby enjoys steaks with mushrooms, Mom loves pears, Teen wants lots of peppers, and I like to cook with new ingredients.
When Mom and I went shopping at Food Pyramid, we were enticed by the fresh, gorgeous-looking fennel bulbs. I've never cooked with fennel before so this was going to be exciting. They also had various kinds of pears at the produce section so Mom picked out a couple of Japanese nashi, Korean Shingo pear, Bartlett pears and Apple pears. Shingo pear is similar to Nashi pear but is sweeter and jucier. Korean sceintists believe that pears keep cancer at bay by helping flush out carcinogens from the body.
I found some baby Portabellas, candied ginger, Fresno red peppers and Anahaeim for Hubby and Teen. I thought the best way to cook all of these together was to marinade the veggies and fruits in zesty Italian dressing spiked with chipotle and ginger powder and season the huge slab of flank steak with salt, pepper and liberal amounts of chipotle seasoning. That's exactly what I did and the result was DELICIOUS! The steak was perfectly grilled, the combination of candied ginger and pears was delightfully sweet and contrasted with the savory, spiciness of the steak and peppers. One of the biggest revelation was the fennel. It was so good grilled and got me all excited ----I'm sure I will be cooking more with this ingredient!

If you want to try this, here's the list of ingredients:
2 lbs flank steak
1 Tbsp canola oil to coat the steaks
chipotle seasoning, salt, pepper to taste (for the steak)
2 bulbs of fennel
2 pears (combination of Bartlett and Korean pear or Japanese Nashi and Apple pear)
5 slices of candied ginger
1 pck Baby Portabellas, sliced
2 Fresno red peppers, sliced
1 Anaheim pepper, sliced
1/3 cup Kraft Zesty Italian Dressing
1/2 tsp ginger powder
1 tsp chipotle powder

Coat the steak with canola oil and season with salt, pepper and chipotle seasoning. Cut cup the fennel bulb and pears lengthwise and combine with the candied ginger, Fresno red peppers and Anaheim Pepper. Mix ginger powder and chipotle powder with the Italian dressing. Pour dressing over the veggies and fruits. Marinade for about 15 minutes. Grill steak, pears, fennel, candied ginger, mushrooms and peppers. ENJOY!

This is my entry to the Leftover Queen Royal Food Joust.

http://www.foodista.com/food/PTT77YW5/food/widgets?src=bo_2_a

Asian-Inspired Thanksgiving Chicken

We will be spending Thanksgiving with my brother's family in Dallas so I decided to have a Mini Thanksgiving with an Asian-Inspired Thanksgiving Bird. I did not wish to mess with a whole turkey before the big day. That would spoil my appetite for the Fried Cajun Turkey feast. At first I wanted to use duck but we did not get the chance to go to the city this weekend. So, instead I used chicken. I made this delicious, super-moist Thanksgiving Chicken with Snow Peas, Carrots and Yellow Squash. Here's the recipe for both:

Asian-Inspired Thanksgiving Chicken
1/2 tsp Five-spice powder
1 Tbsp kosher salt
1 Tbsp soybean paste (optional)
1 tsp sesame oil
2 Tbsp honey
1/4 cup hot water (to help dissolve the honey)
1-1/2 Tbsp vinegar ( I used Chinese black vinegar)
1-1/2 Tbsp cooking wine/ sherry
1 3.5 lb whole chicken

Cut the bird in half lengthwise. Combine Five-spice powder, salt and soybean paste. If you don't have soybean paste substitute with 1/2 Tbsp kosher salt. Rub the chicken with the spice mix and set it aside for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, combine sesame oil, honey, water, vinegar and cooking wine. Make sure the honey is completely mixed in. Pour this over each chicken half (skin side up) and baste the chicken three times at 10 minute intervals. Set the chicken in the fridge (skin side up) uncovered overnight to let the skin dry out. This is important if you wish the skin to be extra crispy. Alternatively, you may cover the chicken but when you are about ready to bake it, baste chicken skin with the honey vinegar mix and let the skin dry out in front of an electric fan! Preheat oven to 350 C. Bake chicken till skin is crispy and browned. This will take about 40-60 minutes. Check for doneness. Enjoy this delightfully moist chicken! Next year, I plan to try this recipe on turkey!!!

P.S. If you want a stronger flavor, double the Five-spice, salt and soybean paste mixture.




Stir-fried Snow Peas, Carrots and Yellow Squash
1 Tbsp canola oil
1 tsp garlic minced
1/2 of a small onion minced
1 big pack snow peas (cut into half if they are too large)
2 cups carrot, sliced
2 cups yellow squash, sliced
1/2 Tbsp chicken powder
salt and pepper to taste
1 /4 cup water
1 tsp cornstarch

Mix water and cornstarch and set aside. Heat oil and saute garlic and onion. Add snow peas, carrots, yellow squash, chicken flavoring, salt and pepper. Stir-fry veggies then add cornstarch slurry. Cook till slurry thickens and serve right away. Enjoy!

Autumn Candied Kabocha Fruit Parfait with Cola Syrup

Autumn Candied Kabocha Fruit Parfait with Cola Syrup


Autumn is the time to enjoy lots of kabocha squash and persimmons! The best kabocha is sold in late fall and winter. It's flesh is firm, dense and sweet. In the summer, most of the kabocha in the market is almost dried out. I use kabocha for tempura, stew and dessert. Personally, I like candied kabocha better than sweetened yams.

One of my favorite fruits is persimmon. Most of the time, I like the Fuyu variety better than the heart-shaped, very astringent Hayachi variety. Fuyu persimmons are ready to eat right away even when it's still a bit firm and crunchy. I prefer to let it ripen a couple days till it's sweet but not mushy. The Hayachi variety is rich in tannins and tastes real nasty if eaten before it's completely ripe. But, if you let it sit at room temperature till it's completely soft, then it slowly becomes unbelievably delicious and sweet with an amazingly smooth texture just perfect for a parfait.

In this recipe, I'm combining two of my favorite autumn fruits into a dessert topped with ricotta cheese and cola syrup. Hope you like it. This is my entry to Royal Foodie Joust at the Leftover Queen Forum.

Ingredients:
candied kabocha*
cola syrup**
1 cup ricotta cheese
1/4 cup dried prunes, chopped
2 very, very ripe, almost mushy Hayachi persimmon (This is important!!)
1/4 cup cooked elbow macaroni
1/4 cup granola (optional)

Prepare candied kabocha and cola syrup (see recipes below). Scoop out the mushy, soft and sweet flesh of Hayachi persimmon. Use a parfait glass or wine glass for this dessert. To assemble the parfait, place alternating layers of persimmon pulp followed by a layer of cooked elbow macaroni then some dried prunes and candied kabocha squash. Add the ricotta cheese last and top this dessert with cola syrup. The macaroni gives an interesting texture and the ricotta is mild to balance the sweetness of the candied squash and cola syrup. Optional: I did not have granola but adding it over the dessert gives it some crunch and texture.

Candied kabocha squash:
1 cup water
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 lb kabocha squash, cut up

Combine water and brown sugar in a small saucepan. Allow to boil and reduce by half then add the kabocha squash. Reduce heat and simmer till squash is partly cooked and still a bit firm and the syrup coats the squash. Turn off the heat and remove saucepan from the stove. The squash will continue to cook as it cools down. Set aside.

Cola syrup:
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 c Coke or A&W Root Beer
1 Tbsp dark corn syrup
1 tsp vanilla
In a saucepan combine sugar, cola, and corn syrup and boil over medium heat, stirring constantly till thick and syrupy, then add vanilla and let cool.





I am also excited to participate in the Macaroni and Cheese 5 Star Makeover.

Cabbage Wonton Soup

Cabbage Wonton Soup

I made some beef gyoza last night and had leftover filling that I used to to make wonton soup. The gyoza recipe is loosely adapted from Rachel Ray. Wontons were boiled in chicken stock seasoned with salt, pepper, a little sesame oil, garlic and green onions. The result was quick but soothing light soup.


Erbe is hosting Weekend Wokking for November. This is my entry for the month.

Peaches and Cream Two Ways: Doughball and Tempura

Here's a Peaches and Cream Makeover using sour cream, brown sugar and canned peaches. I'm sending this in to 5 Star Peaches and Cream Makeover . For the Dough ball version, I used Pillsbury butter biscuits flattened with a rolling pin to about 2 mm thickness. Canned peaches were mixed with sour cream and brown sugar and frozen for 30 minutes. This was wrapped in the flattened dough and shaped into a ball (see photo) and frozen till hard. The second version is the same filling but the peaches-sour cream-brown sugar mix was dipped in tempura batter and frozen hard. It was more difficult to handle than the dough ball. Both were fried briefly in very hot oil to brown and just crisp up the dough and tempura batter. The result is a desert that is warm on the outside but cold and sweet inside. Very interesting textures and flavor!

Single Serve Mini Pavlovas

I was mulling about vinegar, the secret ingredient for Weekend Wokking hosted by Blazing Hot Wok. Then, I recalled this light and airy dessert topped with strawberry and kiwi that I tasted at my friend’s house years back. The origin of this light meringue dessert is highly controversial with both New Zealand and Australia claiming it as their own. What is known is it was created to honor the ballerina Anna Pavlova on one of her tours to Australia and New Zealand in the early 1920's.

In the past, the pavolva recipe by Gale Gand worked well for me. My only problem was it was messy to cut up and serve. So this time I made single serve mini pavlovas instead of a huge dessert. I also replaced the whipped cream with sour cream to cut the sweetness of the meringue.

Here's my recipe loosely adapted from Gale Gand:

• 4 egg whites, at room temperature
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar
  
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups sour cream
• 2 kiwi fruits, peeled and thinly sliced
  
• 10 strawberries, green parts trimmed off, thinly sliced
  

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Using a hand mixer, whip the egg whites, granulated sugar, cream of tartar and salt in a clean, dry bowl until foamy. Slowly add the cornstarch, vinegar, and vanilla and continue whipping until stiff peaks form and the surface is smooth and glossy.

Spoon the egg whites onto a silicon mat/ silicon baking cups. The silicon mat works better as it makes it easier to remove the crispy meringues. In my experience, silicon baking cups may distort some so you won't have perfectly shaped rounds but the texture of the meringue will be similar to marshmallows.

Bake in the center of the oven for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 300 degrees and bake until the meringue has puffed up and the surface is lightly browned ~ about 45 minutes more. Turn off the oven, crack the oven door open and let the pavlova cool in the oven at least 30 minutes, to room temperature. I actually let it sit in the oven overnight so that it cools gradually to protect the delicate meringue.

Spoon the sour cream in the center of the cooled mini pavlovas. Arrange slices of kiwi and strawberry on top of the sour cream. Serve right away. Delicious.

Pavlova is relatively easy to make but the final product looks so elegant. What do you think?

Kimchi for GYO #35

I asked a Korean student to teach me to make Kimchi. He said, "Oh, that's very difficult, only Korean moms know how to make good Kimchi. It should be fermented in a clay jar and buried in the ground for the flavors to develop just right. We usually buy our Kimchi in Korea, it's delicious and more convenient than making your own. In America, I've never tasted good kimchi even when I buy from Korean stores."

Oh, well. I guess that's what I get for asking a young man who is a college kid! That's how desperate I have become about making real Kimchi.

I learned to make real Kimchi, about ten years ago. We were living at an apartment complex across the University. There were a lot of Korean students staying there too. Every night, I'd hear thumping coming from the floor above and beneath us. There was thumping too next door. At first I thought there were repairs being done but it went on every night, just after dinner, like clockwork. Finally, my curiosity got the best of me. I asked our Korean neighbor what was going on. She laughed and showed me what it was all about. She was making the Kimchi spice mix by pounding the ginger, garlic and hot pepper flakes using a mortar and pestle. So was every other Korean in the building! That explains all the after dinner thumping!

She taught me how to make Kimchi using hot pepper flakes which came directly from Korea. There was no Korean store where we lived but about this time, I had a Korean student who took my class the previous semester. He frequently visited home. It is a custom in most Asian countries to bring back souvenirs/presents to friends and family and he knew I loved Kimchi so he always had a huge bag of Korean pepper flakes for me. That's how my family got into loving Kimchi.

Fast forward, here in the Midwest, my Kimchi lesson is just a vague memory. My past 5 attempts have been hit or miss. More misses, actually. So I've resorted to a short cut.

I know how to make Kimchi the easy way -- by using a Kimchi base. When Michelle W. and I were at the Asian store, I even encouraged her to buy a bottle. I did not bother checking the ingredients since in the past it just said: garlic, vinegar, ginger, salt and sugar. Guess what, the Kimchi base I was using before had changed ingredients. Now it had raw oyster and squid extract, Yikes!!! I had to give away my expensive bottle of Kimchi base. Lucky for Mike M.! So I'm left with no option but to make Kimchi from scratch.

Hubby and Teen have been begging me to make Kimchi whenever I make them a Korean dinner. So I got out my favorite Taekyung Chung recipe for Kimchi.

KIMCHI
1 medium head of napa cabbage, cut up into small pieces
1 cup water
1 Tbsp kosher salt
1/2 bunch green onions
5 Tbsp kimchi paste (recipe below)
In a glass bowl, add water and salt. Add napa cabbage and let soak for 2 hours. Drain water and squeeze out excess. Add kimchi paste to cabbage and mix in along with green onions.
Place raw kimchi into 2 gallon ziploc bag and squeeze/press out all the air. The recipe says store the raw Kimchi for 1 day and transfer to airtight container in the fridge. I think it is important to let it become acidic before placing it in the fridge, otherwise the Kimchi becomes slimy or non-lactic acid bacteria will proliferate.

Kimchi paste
1/4 c Korean hot pepper flakes
2 Tbsp water
1 Tbsp fresh garlic, minced
1/2 tsp fresh ginger, minced
1 tsp kosher salt
2 tsp sugar
3 Tbsp fish sauce ( the recipe says 2 Tbsp fish sauce + 2 tsp oyster
sauce so I just used 3 Tbsp fish sauce)
Mix together in a bowl till you have a smooth paste.


This is my Grow Your Own submission to for Sept 15, 2009. I'm using green onions from my garden in this Kimchi. The host this month is masalaheaven.

Round-Up Weekend Wokking: Ginger

Here it is--- this month’s Round-Up for Weekend Wokking: Ginger!



Eat Travel Eat of Southern California made a quick and easy Sesame Glutinous Rice Balls with Sweet Potato and Ginger Soup with store-bought sesame glutinous rice balls, freshly grated ginger, brown candy and baked sweet potato.

Darlene of Blazing Hot Wok brought out her ice cream maker to create a dessert, Ginger Ice Cream with Raisin Sauce topped with toasted sliced almonds. It’s delicious and kid-approved!!

Graziana of Erbe in Cucina in Italy made a spicy blend of ginger, cinnamon, cloves and Earl Grey Tea for a warm and inviting Spiced Tea sweetened with cane sugar.

Sweatha of TastyCurryLeaf from Bangalore, India was dreaming of chocolate and candied ginger when she decided to make Chocolate Chip Ginger Muffins.

Leena of Leena’s Kitchen marinated sirloin strips in soy sauce and cornstarch then created her all time favorite stir-fry dish—Ginger Beef loaded with lots of julienned ginger.

Yasmeen of Healthy Nut made Pineapple Ginger Chutney that is excellent as dip or topping for chips or crackers and can also be mixed in with rice.

Wandering Chopsticks, creator of Weekend Wokking made Vietnamese Steamed Fish with Ginger and Scallions, a healthy dish that brings out the delicate flavor of fresh fish.

Finally, for this month's Weekend Wokking event I prepared a sweet and savory, spicy hot Kabocha Coconut Stew that is rich in beta-carotene and deliciously comforting!


Thanks to all who participated in this fun blogging event! Next month's Weekend Wokking will be hosted by Blazing HotWok and for the secret ingredient, I have chosen : VINEGAR. There is so much variety to choose from so please join us. Send in entries by 11:59 p.m., Sunday, October 4 to blazinghotwok@gmail.com.