renh's blog

January 28, 2009

chiffon cupcakes

Ingredients
5 1/4 ounces cake flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
5 large eggs, separated
6 ounces sugar, divided
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
5/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
irections
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Place paper liners into 2 (12-cup) muffin tins and set aside. If you prefer, set 12 ovenproof coffee mugs on a half sheet pan and set aside.

In a medium mixing bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

Place the egg yolks and 5 ounces of the sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer and whisk on high for 2 minutes or until the mixture becomes pale yellow and 'ribbons' when lifted. Add the water, vegetable oil and vanilla and whisk to combine. Add the dry ingredients and whisk just to combine. Transfer the batter to a mixing bowl while you whisk the egg whites.

Place the egg whites and cream of tartar into a clean bowl and whisk on high using the whisk attachment, until it becomes foamy. Decrease the speed to low and gradually add the remaining ounce of sugar. Increase speed to high and continue whisking until stiff peaks form, approximately 2 minutes.

Transfer 1/3 of the egg whites to the batter and whisk until well combined. Add the remaining egg whites and fold in gently. Transfer batter into prepared muffin tins or coffee mugs, evenly dividing the batter between the cups. Place both muffin tins on the middle rack of the oven or, if using mugs, place all of them on a half sheet pan and set on the bottom rack of the oven. Bake for 30 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean or the cupcakes reach an internal temperature of 205 to 210 degrees F. Remove from the oven to a cooling rack and allow to cool completely before frosting.
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Note: .25 oz is approximately 1 and 1/4 cups flour 6 oz is approximately 2/3 cups sugar

Posted by renh at 11:55 PM | Comments (0)

January 27, 2009

jicama

Recently I found a new favourite - jicama.
Good eating raw or mix with asian chicken salad (sold by Hillers).

Posted by renh at 03:54 PM | Comments (0)

yam sticky rice ball

原料：

1个红薯
2杯糯米粉（或者根据实际需要决定）
1/4杯红糖
1/4杯熟黄豆粉
1/2杯红豆沙馅
水适量

做法：

红薯蒸熟，去皮，将红薯肉压成泥，加入糯米粉和红糖，揉成面团。
将红薯面团分成约直径约1.5厘米的小块，分别包入豆沙馅。
锅里加水，烧开，下包好的小丸子，水再度烧开后接着煮约2分钟，或者到丸子们浮上水面即可。
丸子捞出锅后控干水，滚上熟黄豆粉，香香软软的小丸子就做好啦！

Posted by renh at 03:53 PM | Comments (0)

October 05, 2008

nourishing soup

material:
silver wood ear
Dried longan
dried goji berries
honey preserved Chinese dates
crystal sugar (rock-like)

stew on low heat for several hours until the wood ear is softened.

Posted by renh at 12:04 AM | Comments (0)

October 04, 2008

sea cucumber stew

It's ugly, it's frozen, it's pricey, it's disgusting, it's troublesome to prepare, yet it's tasty. It's sea cucumber!
A stew made of sea cucumber slices, scallops, shiitake mushroom, bamboo shoot is pretty darn good. I say it is worth the trouble to prep the sea cucumbers.

Posted by renh at 11:58 PM | Comments (0)

September 17, 2008

peanut butter cookie

I always like peanut butter flavor, especially the fresh kind from wholefood.
I am happy to find this recipe.
�??料 Ingredients：

1个蛋 one egg, beaten

1/2 �?�白糖 1/2 cup sugar

1/2�?�红糖 1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2茶匙�? 1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2茶匙�?打 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2茶匙香�?�精 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1�?�花生酱 1 cup peanut butter

1/2 �?�奶油 1/2 cup butter, melt

1�?�或1�?��?��?�粉 1 or 11/2 cup flour

�?�法 directions:

烤炉加热至375 �?��?度 Pre-heat oven 375 F.

加热溶解1/2�?�奶油 Heat up 1/2 cup butter until melt

�?次加入以上�??料并�?�拌�?�匀 Add gradually and blend the above the ingredients in order

用�?�团�?��?�?圆�?� Roll the dough into small balls

将圆�?�放在喷过油的甜饼盘上 Place them on a greased cookie sheet

用�?��?将圆�?�压平（�?�?用太大劲压）Press flat with a fork

烤10到12分钟 Bake into 10 to 12 minutes.

Posted by renh at 10:21 PM | Comments (0)

香辣酱

from yankitchen.com
原料：

2�?�色拉油
1/4�?�花生，粗粗的切一切
1/4�?�豆豉，洗干净，晾干
2大勺白�?麻
2/3�?�干红辣椒，剪碎
4大勺酱油
2大勺白糖
1大勺�?/或根�?�个人�?�味添加
2大勺干培根粒

�?�法：

把油用中�?�?�烧热，加入花生，略微呈金黄色的时候，加入剩下的所有�??料，慢慢熬大概8到12分钟就�?�以了。
�?�以用�?�拌凉�?�，下�?��?�和炒�?�，都很香呢�?

Posted by renh at 10:08 PM | Comments (0)

September 14, 2008

non-bake cheesecake

Transcript: Japanese Rare Cheesecake (Natasha Levitan)

Japanese Rare Cheesecake Ingredients

You'll need:
3/4 cup cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup and 2 tbsp plain yogurt
1/3 cup sugar
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp powder gelatin
1/4 cup water
1 package of graham crackers
3 tbsp butter
You'll also need a rolling pin and a plastic bag.
Make the Graham Cracker Crust

Take a package of graham crackers and place it in a plastic bag. Roll over it with a rolling pin mashing it into the crumbs. Melt the butter in a microwave. In a medium bowl, add your freshly made graham cracker crumbs, melted butter and a tablespoon of sugar and mix it together. Press the crumbs into the bottom of a round cake pan (8 inch).
Make the Cheesecake Filling

Mix powder gelatin and water in a small cup and set aside. Stir cream cheese in a bowl until softened. Put water and gelatin mixture into microwave and heat for a minute. Add yogurt, sugar, lemon juice, and gelatin into softened cream cheese and mix well. Pour the filling into the crust and spread evenly. Refrigerate for 3 hours.
Serving Japanese Rare Cheesecake

If your pan has a removable bottom, place it on a large can, and pull down the sides. Slide the cake into a serving platter and cut it into wedges. Serve with your favorite fruit or jam.

Posted by renh at 04:52 PM | Comments (0)

sushi

Transcript: How to Prepare Perfect Sushi Rice (Chef John Mitzewich for About.com.)

Prep the Sushi Rice

And the first ingredient is of course sushi rice. A special medium-grain rice, it's beautifully pearlescent. We're going to need 2 cups of that. Very important we're going to rinse that in a strainer very well for a few minutes, and then we're going to let that drain and dry for 1 hour.
Cook the Sushi Rice

After an hour pour, the rice in a heavy bottomed pot with a lid, and add 2 1/4 cups water. Bring that to a simmer and set you timer for 10 minutes. So we're going to cook that covered for 10 minutes on low heat.
Mix the Rice Vinegar

While we're waiting I'm going to get the rice vinegar ready. I have 1/4 cup of seasoned rice vinegar. You can make your own by using a 1/4 cup of regular rice vinegar, 1 1/2 tbsp of sugar, and 1 tsp of salt. Mix it until it dissolves.
Cool the Sushi Rice

So when the timer rings, turn off the heat and let it sit covered for 10 minutes. All right we're going to need something to fan the rice with. I just use this folder. After the 10 minutes pour it on a tray and drizzle over the rice vinegar a few teaspoons at a time. We're going to use 4 tablespoons all together.

Using the tip of a fork, we're going to fan and fluff, and fan and fluff so all the grains kind of dry and cool. They should be sticky, but separate. I'm going to drizzle over the rest of the rice vinegar. The fanning also gives the grains a cool shine, and a perfect texture if done correctly.
Sushi Rice Texture

Once that's been fanned and cooled, it's ready to work with. Now here's the key to how you know you have perfect sushi rice. You can form it into any shape you want, but when you go to bite into it, it just collapses.

So you want it to hold a shape for when you are making something like a California roll like I have here. You want it to hold together so you can eat it, pick it up with chopsticks, but when you bite into it you want it to just crumble, so it has that nice light airy texture.

And that it! Sushi rice - so easy to make. By the way, sushi is the name of the rice preparation. Sushi is not raw fish. Raw fish is what you put on sushi. I'm glad we got that cleared up. I hope you give this a try. Roll some sushi, and enjoy.

Thanks for watching. To learn more, visit About.com.

Posted by renh at 04:46 PM | Comments (0)

ponzu sauce

Ingredients:

1/3 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar
1/3 cup dashi

Posted by renh at 04:40 PM | Comments (0)

tapas

Tapas (IPA: [ˈtapˌas]) is the name of a wide variety of appetizers in Spanish cuisine. They may be cold (such as mixed olives and cheese) or warm (such as puntillitas, which are battered, fried baby squid).

Vinology-

Blue cheese stuff ed Medjool dates, house made chorizo 8
Sherry, St Julian Cream, Michigan 5
Chickpea pancake stuff ed with wilted greens, Indian spiced tomato sauce 8
Prosecco, Adami, Veneto, ITA 7
Seared scallops, roasted corn puree, chili oil* 12
Viognier/Chardonnay, Qupe Cuvee Bien Nacido, CA 12
Grilled " ai spiced melon and cucumber salad, poached shrimp 11
Rose of Nerello Moscalese, Cusumano, Sicily ITA 8
Local greens salad with fresh herbs, parmesan tuile, roasted shallot vinaigrette 7
Shady Lane Estate Brut, Leelanau Peninsula, MI 11
Grilled baby octopus with Mediterranean eggplant, tomato salad, pumpernickel crouton 10
Vermentino, Argiolas “Costamolino,�? Sardegna, ITA 8
Roasted green bean and new potato salad, aged country style ham 11
Verdehlo/Chardonnay/Riesling, Langhorne Crossing, Langhorne Creek, AUS 8
Heirloom tomato salad, Four Corners Creamery mozzarella, creamy chive dressing 9
Semillon, Peter Lehmann, Barossa Valley, AUS 8
Heirloom tomato gazpacho, crab cucumber salad 13
Riesling, Dr. Burklin-Wolf Estate (slightly off -dry) Mosel, GER 11
Vinology mini burgers, trio of house made ketchups* 10
Cabernet Sauvignon, Michael Pozzan “Annabella�? Napa Valley, CA 8
Roasted corn chowder, house smoked bacon 6
Marsanne, Tahbilk, Victoria, AUS 8

Posted by renh at 02:13 AM | Comments (0)

September 12, 2008

mamool and moon cake

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup quick-cooking farina
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
Dash ground cloves
1 cup butter or margarine, softened
2 Tbs. water
1/4 tsp. orange blossom water
1/4 cup chopped walnuts (or pistachios, almonds or dates)
1 Tbs. sugar
Powdered sugar
Stir together flour, farina, nutmeg and cloves. In large mixer bowl, beat butter or margarine on medium speed of electric mixer for 30 seconds. Add half of the flour mixture to butter; beat on low speed of electric mixer till well mixed. Add remaining flour mixture, water, and orange blossom water alternately to beaten mixture; beat till mixture is well mixed. Divide dough into 12 pieces.

On a lightly floured surface, pat each piece to a circle 2-1/2 inches in diameter. Combine walnuts and sugar. Place about 1 teaspoon of the nut mixture in center of each circle. Fold over and press edges together to seal. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake in a 350° oven for 30 to 35 minutes or till done. Cool on wire rack for 10 minutes. Roll in powdered sugar. Makes 12.
-------------------------------
Mamool or Ma'amoul
SUBMITTED BY: MARIEMEM PHOTO BY: Anj P.

"Ma'amoul means filled in Arabic. These are very popular in Lebanon but can be found throughout the Middle East and North Africa. They are traditionally shaped as crescents or as pressed cookies and have several variations for the fillings. This one has a walnut filling, but you can use almonds or pistachios too."
INGREDIENTS (Nutrition)
2 cups semolina flour
1 1/2 cups shortening
1 cup boiling water

3/4 cup white sugar
2 cups ground walnuts
1 teaspoon rose water
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar for dusting (optional)
DIRECTIONS
Place the semolina flour into a medium bowl, and cut in shortening using a pastry blender or a fork. Pour in boiling water, and mix to form a solid dough. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead for a minute or two to be sure the dough is well blended. Cover dough and let stand for at least one hour, or as long as overnight.
In a medium bowl, mix together the sugar, ground nuts, and rose water so that the mixture is uniform. Set aside.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets, or line with parchment paper. Knead dough again briefly, and form into walnut sized balls. Make a hole in the center using your finger. Fill the hole with the nut mixture, and seal the dough up over it. Gently form into balls or crescents, or make designs into the dough using a fork. Place cookies at least 1 inch apart onto the prepared cookie sheets.
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven, or until lightly browned. Dust with confectioners sugar while still warm if desired.
FOOTNOTES
Almonds or unsalted pistachios may be used for filling also. If rose water is not available in your area, you can use 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon for flavoring.
There are many variations for shaping these cookies including rectangles rolled into mini jelly rolls, or shape 3 inch rounds from balls, place filling in the center, and fold the sides over to cover, and seal.
-------------
"There are two main types of semolina sold on the general market. Durum semolina, made from hard wheat and soft wheat semolina, also known as farina"
----------
from gourmetsleuth.com
Mamoul, maamoul, mamool (Lebanese Filled Cookies)
Mamoul are Middle Eastern cookies served typically for special holidays such as Pascha. The cookies have three traditional fillings including walnut, pistachio and date. Each is formed in a specific designed wooden mold. The design on the cookie lets you know what the filling is inside.

To make the cookie the mold is floured, then round, filled, balls of dough are packed into the mold. The mold is rapped on the work surface to remove the cookie. Cookies are then baked, cooled and coated in powdered (confectioner's) sugar.

We have not found any historical reference yet but the recipe and the mold are very similar to Chinese moon cakes.
I N G R E D I E N T S
1/2 cup solid shortening
8 tablespoons or 4 ounces butter
1 cup flour, all purpose
2 cups semolina
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking power
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon rose flower water and
1 tablespoon orange flower water
7 tablespoons water
walnut, pistachio or date filling (recipes this page)
confectioners sugar

I N S T R U C T I O N S
Do not expect the dough to be cohesive but it will be damp enough to form into balls to pack into the cookie molds. This recipe needs to be started a day ahead.

Melt shortening and butter together or use all butter if you wish a richer cookie. cool slightly. Mix flour, semolina, salt, baking powder and sugar together. Rub melted shortening into dough with fingertips until it is like fine soft meal.

Cover bowl and let it rest overnight. Combine flower waters with 7 tablespoons water and sprinkle over the dough. Toss lightly with a fork to distribute liquid evenly. Mix until just combined, like pie dough. (another person says to knead the dough well).

Dust maamoul molds well with flour. Invert and tap gently to remove excess flour. Estimate the amount of dough need to fill maamoul mold and make a ball of dough. Flatten it out slightly and place a good tablespoon of filling in center. Close dough around filling to cover it. Pack ball into mold. Level off cookie even with the lip of the mold. Be sure you have not revealed filling or it will stick to the pan as it bakes.

Tap cookies out onto the work area with a sharp firm hit to the top of the mold. Transfer cookies to baking sheet with a spatula. Bake at 300 to 325deg F about 12 minutes, until barely colored.
Cool.

Sprinkle with confectioners sugar before serving.

Walnut or Pistachio Filling
1 1/2 cups finely chopped walnuts or pistachios
2 Tablespoons orange or rose flower water
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Mix well together.

Date Filling
1 1/2 cups chopped dates
6 tablespoons butter

Cook dates with butter over low heat for 15-20 minutes. Mash occasionally until dates are completely pureed. Cool before filling.

-----------------
�?�?月饼Recipe
1. 外皮 -- 混�?� 高筋�?�粉 2.5cup + half cup 水 + half cup �?�油
2. 油酥 -- 混�?� 普通�?�粉1.5cup + half cup �?�油
3. 将外皮擀�?皮状，油酥包在里�?�，擀�?皮，�?�??�?折�?�4次擀�?皮。
4. 将最终擀好的皮，�?�匀地切�?大�?相等的20-24片。
5. 将喜欢的豆沙，莲蓉，或腊肉等包入其中。
6. 入烤箱350�?��?烤15分钟。
7. �?�出，刷上蛋黄液，撒上�?麻。
8. �?在broil�?�上烤8分钟，至表�?�金黄。
---------------------------------
蓮蓉餡

�??料：　（�?�?約1400g）
乾蓮�?450g，砂糖300 ml，熟花生油300 ml，太白粉或是澄粉1大匙。
工具：　
濾網，果�?機/粉碎機（blender）。
�?�法：　
1. 燒開一�?�水，水滾後放入蓮�?，煮約5分�?�時熄�?�，撈出蓮�?�?乾，一一檢查是�?�已去除蓮心（這時蓮�?�?微變軟，比較容易打開），如果沒有，就把蓮�?挑開�?去除蓮心。
2. 將蓮�?回�?�，加水約8~9�?�，繼續煮至蓮�?熟爛，用手指輕觸就會散碎的程度。把蓮�?放入果�?機（粉碎機）中打�?泥狀，用濾網把蓮蓉壓濾一�??，並撇棄無法�?�濾的粗渣，將�?�濾好的蓮蓉倒入�?沾�?�裡，然後轉大�?�繼續煮直到湯�?收乾。
3. 然後加入砂糖，以中�?�炒至產生�?性，�?將油分數次一點一點加入（�?次都�?確定完全�?�收了�?加），最後�?篩入澄粉炒勻，放涼�?��?�。
愛廚注：　
1. 乾蓮�?�?�?泡冷水，水滾之後直接煮。泡�?�冷水的蓮�?�??而煮�?爛。
2. 加入的油脂最好�?�擇�?�?�味的油，�?�?會蓋�?�蓮蓉本身的清香味。奶油（butter）味�?�較�?，�?太�?��?�用在蓮蓉餡裡。拌油入餡時�?一邊加熱一邊分次加入拌勻，確定油都�?入餡料中�?�?�以，�?�則很難包餡整形，也影響�?�感。如果用來�?�廣�?月餅，建議�?�?�?減少油�?，這個�?方的蓮蓉餡比起市售月餅已經很�?油了，�?�則油份太少會影響餅皮回油的效果。
3. 熟花生油：把花生油到入�?�中，加熱至滾燙但是�?冒煙的程度，轉�?�?�，加熱5分�?�，熄�?�冷�?��?��?�。

製作�?�程圖請�?�考附圖A，�?�?號分別是：
1. 剛用blender打好的蓮蓉。
2. 炒乾的蓮蓉。
3. 加了油之後，炒乾的樣�?。
4. 加了澄粉炒�?�的�?�?。
備註：　
1�?� = 240 c.c. = 240 ml
1大匙 = 1 tablespoon = 15 c.c. = 15 ml
1�?匙 = 1 teaspoon = 5 c.c. = 5 ml
* 如果份�?標示為“少許�?，�?�?�少於1/8�?匙 ﹔至於份�?�?��?個人喜好增減或�?�?�?影響�?大的，則標示為“�?��?�?。
--------------------------
棗泥餡

�??料：　（�?�?約300g）
乾燥去核紅棗�?�磅（225g），水3�?�，黃砂糖1/4�?�，熟花生油3大匙，太白粉或是澄粉1大匙。
�?�法：　
1. �?�?�裡放入紅棗與水，中�?�煮30分�?�至紅棗熟軟。�?涼時，�?�?葡�?�皮一樣，把�?顆紅棗的表皮�?掉。
2. 將去皮之後的棗肉放回�?�裡，繼續拌煮約20分�?�至湯水收乾，加入黃砂糖煮化，分數次加入花生油拌勻（一定�?�?次都拌勻了�?繼續加花生油，一次約加1大匙的份�?），感覺湯�?差�?多收乾�?棗泥�?�以�?團的時候，篩入太白粉或澄粉拌勻，放涼�?��?�。
愛廚注：　
1. 棗泥餡和一般豆餡�?�?�，�?�的時候�?需�?�?�濾或打泥，這樣�?�以�?留棗肉的纖維。
2. 自製的棗泥餡�?�常好�?�，�?怕麻煩的朋�?��?��?��?�?錯�?�喔!! �?證比市售的好�?�。:)
3. 熟花生油：把花生油到入�?�中，加熱至滾燙但是�?冒煙的程度，轉�?�?�，加熱5分�?�，熄�?�冷�?��?��?�。
4. 附圖A：煮�?�的棗�?VS�?完皮的棗肉。

備註：　
1�?� = 240 c.c. = 240 ml
1大匙 = 1 tablespoon = 15 c.c. = 15 ml
1�?匙 = 1 teaspoon = 5 c.c. = 5 ml
* 如果份�?標示為“少許�?，�?�?�少於1/8�?匙 ﹔至於份�?�?��?個人喜好增減或�?�?�?影響�?大的，則標示為“�?��?�?。
附圖A：　
----------------------
http://web.wenxuecity.com/BBSView.php?SubID=cooking&MsgID=472418
------------------------------
原料：

4根红薯
1/2�?�红糖
2大勺低筋�?�粉
1/2�?�色拉油
�?�法：
红薯加水煮至软烂，去皮，�?�薯肉，入�?粘锅翻炒，分三四次加入红糖和色拉油，炒至粘稠，最�?�加入�?�粉，翻炒�?�匀，起锅，待冷�?�，便�?��?��?薯泥�?团�?馅。

料：
1/2�?�花生，切碎
1/4�?�白�?麻
1/2�?��??�?，切碎
1/4�?�核桃�?，切碎
1/4�?�瓜�?�?
1�?�1/2�?�低筋�?�粉
1/2�?�色拉油
1/4�?�水（或根�?�实际情况而定）
�?�法：
五�?果�?先分别炒香，加入�?�粉，油和水，�?��?�?�团，�?��?五�?�?团�?�?��?�。

原料：
200克干红豆
2/3�?�红糖
2/3�?�色拉油
�?�法：
红豆用水泡2�?时�?�，加水煮到软烂，用�?�拌器打�?稀糊，然�?�倒入�?粘锅翻炒，中间分几次加入红糖和油，一直炒到豆沙粘稠为止。 起锅，待晾�?�?�，�?��?豆沙丸�?馅儿。

Posted by renh at 11:59 PM | Comments (0)

September 05, 2008

豆渣蛋糕

豆渣蛋糕 (revised)
倒完豆浆�?�剩下�?�的豆渣（大概一�?�的样�?，比较稀; from 1/3 cup of dry soybean to begin with），1 3/4 cup �?�粉，�?��?�糖，1/4 teaspoon salt，1 teaspoon baking soda, palmful craisin, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, about 2 tablespoons of milk

grease the pan with butter,
mix everything together,
375C 1h

serve with maple syrup

Posted by renh at 10:10 PM | Comments (0)

September 03, 2008

pepper chicken

Sweet banana peppers from farmers market
cooked chicken from Wholefood hot food bar
sliced red onion

stir fry together with garlic and ginger

Posted by renh at 02:45 PM | Comments (0)

August 23, 2008

fresh tomato basil sauce

Crush 2 cloves of garlic, mince.
heat up the sauce pan, add EVOO and garlic.
Add fresh tomato (chopped).
add salt and cover to simmer.
when it's soft, add coarsely chopped basil.
simmer for a little while.

I put some onto the sunny-side-up egg. Nothing beat the fragrance of this homemade sauce. Happy.

Posted by renh at 11:33 AM | Comments (0)

August 19, 2008

豆浆

I will try these recipes

黄豆�?�豆浆豆渣�?�点心全攻略

from yankitchen.com
�?�法：干黄豆一�?把。还是wholefood 的有机黄豆，�??正我没觉得跟一般黄豆有啥区别。加水泡七八个�?时，
放blender里，加水打，我一般用mileshake 那一档。打完�?�放锅里煮。以�?都是过滤了�?煮，�?��?�觉得太
麻烦，给�?了。

煮到快开的时候转�?�?�，能看到豆浆在锅里微微的沸腾但�?��?会溢出�?�。沸腾五六分钟�?�关�?�，晾凉，装�?�
�?放冰箱。�?我用的这�?高高的�?��?，豆渣会沉底，�?的时候轻轻地倒出�?�就好。剩下的豆渣�?用扔，�?�以
用�?��?��?�康点心。

豆渣�?蛋糕
�?�法：倒完豆浆�?�剩下�?�的豆渣（大概一�?�的样�?，比较稀），三个鸡蛋，三�?��?�粉，�?��?�糖，1/4�?�色
拉油，�?�个柠檬�?，3/4 teaspoon baking powder, ? teaspoon baking soda.

把鸡蛋和糖放在一个大碗里，打蛋器中速打�?�，�??分钟的样�?。一直到三个鸡蛋打�?这样的一�?盆。加油，
柠檬�?和豆渣，�?�外把�?�粉和baking powder 和baking soda 一起过筛。加到蛋糊里，用打蛋器打匀，倒入
事先抹了油的烤盘里。�?入烤箱，375F,大概烤30到35分钟。�?�家烤箱�?一样，时间�?�能会�?微长一点或短
一点，以牙签�?�入�?沾为好。

出炉啦�?很香，完全没有豆腥味。唯一的缺点是表�?�有一点点硬，下回�?想办法解决这个问题。

豆渣�?�糕
这个是仿了鸡蛋糕的�?�法。一份豆渣（一�?�的样�?），一�?�白�?�，�?��?包酵�?yeast，�?��?�糖，1/2茶勺泡
打粉，一个鸡蛋，�?��?�油，�?��?�温开水。所有的�??料在大碗里混�?��?�匀，放烤箱里�?�酵一两个�?时，视烤
箱内温度而定。

�?�酵好之�?�，�?�以看到�?�糊里有很多�?泡泡。倒入抹好油的盘�?，开水上屉蒸12到15分钟就好了。

豆渣葱油饼
这个很简�?�，往豆渣里�?�加一�?勺�?，加�?�粉直到�?�以调�?糊糊为止。注�?啊，我的豆渣是很稀的，�?是
干干的豆渣的�?，是�?加点儿水的。撒一大把葱花，�?�匀。

锅里放油，一勺豆渣�?�，�?煎�?�饼那样�?�?�慢慢煎，煎到两�?�金黄就好了。很香的，也�?�康。

Posted by renh at 11:51 PM | Comments (0)

August 18, 2008

驴打滚- donkey roll

I researched several recipes on the internet. Some of them don't give exact amount of each ingredient, while others use certain ingredients that I don't know. So, I tried to make this traditional Chinese dessert my version.
While researching for this recipe, I came across a website yankitchen..com. I read the statement of this website and was deeply moved. I share the girl's passion of cooking and certainly cherished the movie moment when Eagle first tasted ratatouille made by Remy. Donkey roll is available in Asian grocery stores. I think it is more fun to make it and I take great pride to refine the traditional recipe. Whoever might try this recipe, I wish you enjoy it as much as I do.

ingredients:
1 package glutinous rice flour (500g or 17.64oz)
red bean paste (homemade is preferred)
2 cups of water
plenty of saran wrap
0.27 lb soy flour (why this odd number? Because I got if from wholefood.)
powdered sugar (for dipping)

mix rice flour with water, stir well to achieve smooth consistency.
Take half of the mixture and put into a bowl. steam for 25min.
During steaming, fry the soy flour using dry heat in a big pan and stir constantly, until the color is yellowish. Takes about 15min of me. Low heat. Do not burn.
once the steamed rice flour dough is cooled to warm temperature, take half of the dough. cover the other half with saran wrap to keep the top soft.
line the cutting board with saran wrap. dust the wrap with fried soy flour. roll the dough on top of that. The dough is really sticky. Cover the top with another piece of saran wrap to prevent the dough sticking to the rolling pin. dust more flour during rolling when necessary. roll the dough to 8x4 inch square.
spread red bean paste evenly on top of that. roll up to make a 8-inch long stick.
cut the rolled stick into half-inch thick pieces. dip one end of one piece into powered sugar then into the soy flour. you can cover the whole piece with soy flour. But I like leave the top exposed to show the spiral.
Put the piece on the bottom of a container lined with saran wrap. Make sure the end covered with soy flour sit at the bottom. Once the container is full, fold the extra wrap over on top to cover the entire layer. Several layers can be stacked on top of one another. close the lid of the container tightly. put into fridge. The texture can be hard after refrigeration. Heat with microwave briefly (<30s) before serving.

Homemade red bean paste
one cup of red bean in water (add sugar), boil on stove top. add water when it is dry. after several hours, add a little baking soda. stop adding water after this. stir constantly and mash the beans with fork if they are soft. continue to stir to evaporate the water in order to achieve consistency.

Posted by renh at 10:53 PM | Comments (0)

August 02, 2008

frittata

Fritatta with red peppers and peas.

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 bunches scallions, trimmed and cut in thin slices

1 large red bell pepper, seeded and diced

1 to 2 plump garlic cloves (to taste), minced

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1 cup frozen peas, thawed (you can do this by covering with boiling water for 10 minutes, then draining)

10 large or extra-large eggs

3 tablespoons low-fat milk

2 tablespoons minced flat-leaf parsley

1. Heat one tablespoon of the olive oil in a 12-inch nonstick frying pan over medium heat and add the scallions and red pepper*. Cook, stirring often, until the scallions are tender and the red pepper beginning to soften. Add the garlic, salt (about 1/2 teaspoon), and a few twists of the pepper mill, and continue to cook until the pepper is tender, another 3 to 5 minutes. Stir often. Remove from the heat and scrape into a bowl. Rinse and dry the pan.

2. Beat the eggs in a large bowl. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon salt, some freshly ground pepper, the milk, peas, parsley, and the cooked scallions and red pepper.

3. Heat the remaining olive oil over medium-high heat in the 12-inch nonstick skillet. Hold your hand above it; it should feel hot. Drop a bit of egg into the pan and if it sizzles and cooks at once, the pan is ready. Pour in the egg mixture. Swirl the pan to distribute the eggs and filling evenly over the surface. Shake the pan gently, tilting it slightly with one hand while lifting up the edges of the frittata with the spatula in your other hand, to let the eggs run underneath during the first few minutes of cooking.

4. Turn the heat down to low, cover (use a pizza pan if you don’t have a lid that will fit your skillet), and cook 10 minutes. From time to time remove the lid and loosen the bottom of the frittata with a wooden spatula, tilting the pan, so that the bottom doesn’t burn. It will however turn a deep golden brown. The eggs should be just about set; cook a few minutes longer if they’re not. Meanwhile, light the broiler.

5. Finish the frittata under the broiler for 1 to 3 minutes, watching very carefully to make sure the top doesn’t burn (at most, it should brown very slightly, and it will puff under the broiler). Remove from the heat, shake the pan to make sure the frittata isn’t sticking, and allow it to cool for at least 5 minutes and for up to 15. Loosen the edges with a wooden or plastic spatula. Carefully slide from the pan onto a large round platter. Cut into wedges or into smaller bite-size diamonds. Serve warm, at room temperature, or cold.

*If using jarred red peppers, drain, rinse, pat dry and dice. They do not need to be cooked with the scallions.

Advance preparation: The filling can be made a day or two before making the frittata and held in a covered bowl in the refrigerator. The frittata can be made several hours ahead of serving, or a day ahead if serving cold. It does not reheat well.

Yield: Makes one 10-inch frittata, serving 6 as a main dish, 12 as a starter
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Posted by renh at 09:41 PM | Comments (0)

August 01, 2008

chicken wing

Roasted Asian Chicken Wings
Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse
See this recipe on air Monday Aug. 25 at 10:30 AM ET/PT.
Show: The Essence of Emeril
Episode: Tastes Like Chicken
5 pounds chicken wings, separated at the joints, wing tips reserved for another use
1 tablespoon Emeril's Asian Essence
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
2 cups fresh orange juice
1 cup canned pineapple juice
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup mirin
2 tablespoons orange zest
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
2 tablespoons minced green onions
1 tablespoon sesame oil
3/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
2 tablespoons diagonally sliced green onions, for garnish
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F and line a baking sheet with 1-inch sides with aluminum foil.
In a large bowl, season the chicken wings with the Essence, salt and pepper, tossing to coat well. Spread the seasoned wings in the prepared roasting pan evenly and bake until browned, about 35 minutes.

While the wings are baking, in a large skillet, combine the remaining ingredients set over medium-high heat, except the sesame seeds and green onions. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is dissolved and the liquid has reduced to a syrup, 7 to 8 minutes. Remove from the heat and cover to keep warm until ready to use.

Remove the wings from the oven and reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F.

Place the wings in a large, heat-proof bowl. Drizzle half the prepared sauce over the wings, reserving the other half, tossing to coat well. Sprinkle the sesame seeds over the wings and toss again. Place a wire cooling rack inside a large baking sheet lined with aluminum foil and arrange the coated wings on top of the rack. Return the pan to the oven and bake an additional 20 to 25 minutes, or until cooked through and crispy.

Arrange the wings on a large serving platter and top with sliced green onions. Serve immediately with the remaining sauce passed on the side for dipping.

Posted by renh at 10:54 PM | Comments (0)

orzo

Orzo with Roasted Vegetables
Copyright 2001 Barefoot Contessa Parties!, All rights reserved
Show: Barefoot Contessa
Episode: Anniversary Dinner
This recipe is available for a limited time only. Why?
This recipe is a slight variation of a wonderful summer dish invented by Sarah Leah Chase in her book, The Open House Cookbook.
1 small eggplant, peeled and 3/4-inch diced
1 red bell pepper, 1-inch diced
1 yellow bell pepper, 1-inch diced
1 red onion, peeled and 1-inch diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup good olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 pound orzo or rice-shaped pasta
For the dressing:
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
1/3 cup good olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

To assemble:
4 scallions, minced (white and green parts)
1/4 cup pignolis (pine nuts), toasted
3/4 pound good feta, 1/2-inch diced (not crumbled)
15 fresh basil leaves, cut into julienne

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Toss the eggplant, bell peppers, onion, and garlic with the olive oil, salt, and pepper on a large sheet pan. Roast for 40 minutes, until browned, turning once with a spatula.

Meanwhile, cook the orzo in boiling salted water for 7 to 9 minutes, until tender. Drain and transfer to a large serving bowl. Add the roasted vegetables to the pasta, scraping all the liquid and seasonings from the roasting pan into the pasta bowl.

For the dressing, combine the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper and pour on the pasta and vegetables. Let cool to room temperature, then add the scallions, pignolis, feta, and basil. Check the seasonings, and serve at room temperature.
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Grilled Meats and Vegetables over Saffron Orzo
Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis
Show: Everyday Italian
Episode: Mixed Grill

For marinade:
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup fresh lemon juice, from about 5 lemons
2 cups extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons smoked salt, or kosher salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
For grill:
3 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1/2 pound medium shrimp, shelled and deveined
2 ears corn, husked and cut into thirds
1/2 pound cremini mushrooms, wiped clean
1 red bell pepper, halved and cored
1 yellow bell pepper, halved and cored
1 orange bell pepper, halved and cored

Saffron Orzo, recipe follows

In a medium bowl, combine the marinade ingredients.
In a large bowl, combine half the marinade with the chicken breasts, chicken thighs, and shrimp. Toss to combine. Cover and let marinate for at least 1 hour. If marinating for longer than 1 hour, make sure to refrigerate.

Place a grill pan over medium-high heat or preheat a gas or charcoal grill. Brush the corn with reserved unused marinade and wrap in foil. Toss the mushrooms with 1/4 cup of the reserved unused marinade. Grill the chicken breasts and thighs to an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, about 7 minutes a side. Grill the corn inside the foil, for about 5 minutes a side. Grill the peppers for about 5 minutes a side. Grill the shrimp and the mushrooms, about 2 minutes a side. Brush the grilled peppers with the last of the reserved unused marinade. Slice the peppers and mushrooms before serving, if desired.

Arrange grilled meats and vegetables over the saffron orzo on a large platter and serve immediately.

Saffron Orzo:
4 cups chicken stock
1 teaspoon saffron threads
1 pound dried orzo
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
In a large pot, bring the chicken stock to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low, bringing the stock to a simmer. Add the saffron, stir, and allow the saffron to bloom, about 5 minutes. Return the heat to medium and the stock to a boil, then add the orzo and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain orzo and transfer to a large bowl. Add the olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and parsley. Toss to combine.
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Greek Orzo and Grilled Shrimp Salad with Mustard-Dill Vinaigrette
Recipe courtesy Bobby Flay
Show: Boy Meets Grill
Episode: Urban Picnic
3/4 pound orzo, cooked al dente
1 large cucumber, seeded, quartered lengthwise, and sliced
3 green onions, thinly sliced
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill, plus extra for garnish
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/2 cup olive oil, plus additional for brushing shrimp
Salt and freshly ground pepper
3/4 pound feta cheese, crumbled
16 medium shrimp, peeled and de-veined
Combine orzo, cucumber, green onions, and tomatoes in a large bowl. Place dill, vinegar, and mustard in a blender and blend until smooth. With the motor running, slowly add the olive oil and blend until emulsified. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Pour the vinaigrette over the orzo mixture and stir well to combine. Gently fold in the feta cheese.
Heat grill to high. Brush shrimp with oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill for approximately 2 minutes per side or until just cooked through. Divide orzo salad among 4 take-out containers or plates and top with 4 shrimp. Garnish with additional dill.
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Crispy Rice Treats
2008, Ellie Krieger, All rights reserved
Show: Healthy Appetite with Ellie Krieger
Episode: Yes Can Do

1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup natural chunky-style peanut butter
6 cups crispy brown rice cereal
2/3 cup chopped dried cherries (3 ounces)
Cooking spray
Combine honey and peanut butter in a large pot and heat over medium-low heat until melted, about 2-3 minutes. Add brown rice cereal and cherries and stir to combine until mixture is sticky. Press into a 9 by 13-inch pan sprayed with cooking spray. Let cool, then chill in refrigerator for 30 minutes. Cut into 15 (2 1/2 by 3-inch) squares.

Posted by renh at 04:56 PM | Comments (0)

potato salad

Potato Salad
Copyright, 2006, Ina Garten, All Rights Reserved
See this recipe on air Monday Aug. 04 at 5:00 PM ET/PT.
Show: Barefoot Contessa
Episode: Pooch Party

3 pounds small white potatoes
Kosher salt
1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard
1/2 cup chopped fresh dill
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped red onion
Place the potatoes and 2 tablespoons of salt in a large pot of water. Bring the water to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, until the potatoes are barely tender when pierced with a knife. Drain the potatoes in a colander, then place the colander with the potatoes over the empty pot and cover with a clean, dry kitchen towel. Allow the potatoes to steam for 15 to 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, buttermilk, Dijon mustard, whole grain mustard, dill, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Set aside.

When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, cut them in quarters or in half, depending on their size. Place the cut potatoes in a large bowl. While the potatoes are still warm, pour enough dressing over them to moisten. Add the celery and red onion, 2 teaspoons of salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Toss well, cover, and refrigerate for a few hours to allow the flavors to blend. Serve cold or at room temperature.

Posted by renh at 04:42 PM | Comments (0)

barbecued chicken

Barbecued Chicken
Copyright, 1999, The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook, All Rights Reserved
Show: Barefoot Contessa
Episode: Sunshine Food
This recipe is available for a limited time only. Why?
2 chickens (2 1/2 to 3 pounds each), quartered, with backs removed
1 recipe Barbecue Sauce, recipe follows
Marinate the chickens in 2/3 of the barbecue sauce for a few hours or overnight in the refrigerator.
Heat the coals in a charcoal grill. Spread the bottom of the grill with a single layer of hot coals and then add a few more coals 5 minutes before cooking, which will keep the fire going longer. Place the chicken quarters on the grill, skin side down, and cook for about 45 minutes, turning once or twice to cook evenly on both sides. Brush with the marinade as needed. The chicken quarters are done when you insert a knife between a leg and thigh and the juices run clear. Discard any unused marinade.

Serve with extra barbecue sauce on the side.

Barbecue Sauce:
1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onion (1 large onion)
1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup tomato paste (10 ounces)
1 cup cider vinegar
1 cup honey
1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
1 cup Dijon mustard
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 cup hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1/2 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes
In a large saucepan on low heat, saute the onions and garlic with the vegetable oil for 10 to 15 minutes, until the onions are translucent but not browned. Add the tomato paste, vinegar, honey, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, chili powder, cumin, and red pepper flakes. Simmer uncovered on low heat for 30 minutes. Use immediately or store in the refrigerator.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Barbecue Chicken
Recipe courtesy The Neelys
Show: Down Home with the Neelys
Episode: The Man Can Cook

2 chickens (or 4 whole bone-in chicken breasts) halved lengthwise
1 1/2 cups Italian dressing, recipe follows
1/4 cup Neelys Barbecue Seasoning, recipe follows
1 cup Neelys Barbecue Sauce, recipe follows
Rinse chicken halves in cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Place chicken in a large bowl or baking dish, coat with Italian dressing and evenly season with Neelys seasoning. For best results, allow the chicken to marinate in the refrigerator overnight.
If Cooking Inside:
Take the chicken out of the refrigerator and brush chicken with Neelys Barbeque Sauce.
Place into a preheated 350 degree F oven for 45 minutes.
If Grilling Outside:
Thirty minutes before you're ready to cook, take the chicken out of the refrigerator and allow it to come to room temperature. Preheat the grill to a medium temperature, about 275 degrees F preferably over hickory and charcoal.
Place the chicken halves on grill, meat side down. Cover grill and cook for about 50 minutes. Flip chicken over and let it brown until the chicken becomes golden, about 15 to 20 minutes. The wing and the drumstick should become very tender and will easily pull away at the joints. Brush the chicken with Neelys Barbecue sauce during the last 5 minutes of cooking.

Neely Italian Dressing:
2 tablespoons ground mustard
2 garlic cloves, smashed
1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons Neelys Barbecue Seasoning
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1 cup canola oil
Salt and pepper
Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl, except the oil and salt and pepper. Slowly whisk in the oil and season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Yield: 1 1/2 cups

Neelys BBQ Seasoning:
1 1/2 cups paprika
3/4 cup sugar
3 3/4 tablespoons onion powder
Add all ingredients to a bowl and stir until combined. Keep in an airtight container for up to 6 months.
Neelys BBQ Sauce

2 cups ketchup
1 cup water
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
5 tablespoons light brown sugar
5 tablespoons sugar
1/2 tablespoon fresh ground black pepper
1/2 tablespoon onion powder
1/2 tablespoon ground mustard
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
In a large saucepan, combine all ingredients. Bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer. Cook uncovered, stirring frequently, for 1 hour 15 minutes.
Yield: 3 1/2 cups

Posted by renh at 04:34 PM | Comments (0)

July 27, 2008

healthy recipes

Egg, Ham and Spinach Pizza
2008, Ellie Krieger, All rights reserved
See this recipe on air Friday Aug. 01 at 1:30 PM ET/PT.
Show: Healthy Appetite with Ellie Krieger
Episode: Yes Can Do

1 store-bought baked thin-crust pizza shell, preferably whole-wheat, such as Boboli
4 cups (about 4 ounces) baby spinach leaves, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons olive oil
3 ounces prosciutto di Parma, thinly sliced
1/2 cup grated Parmesan (1 1/2 ounces)
3 cloves thinly sliced garlic
4 eggs
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Place the pizza shell on a cookie sheet. Scatter spinach all over crust. Drizzle with oil. Evenly distribute prosciutto, Parmesan and garlic on top of spinach. Crack eggs onto pizza, roughly positioning 1 yolk on each pizza quarter. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until spinach is wilted and egg whites are just fully cooked. Cut into 4 large slices.
Per Serving:
Calories 385; Total Fat 16 g; (Sat Fat 6 g, Mono Fat 5.5 g, Poly Fat 1 g) ; Protein 25 g; Carb 39 g; Fiber 7 g; Cholesterol 240 mg; Sodium 1190 mg
Excellent source of: Protein, Vitamin A, Vitamin K, Calcium, Iron
Good source of: Fiber, Vitamin C, Folate, Manganese
-----------------------------------------
Pulled BBQ Chicken Sandwiches
2008, Ellie Krieger, All rights reserved
See this recipe on air Friday Aug. 01 at 1:30 PM ET/PT.
Show: Healthy Appetite with Ellie Krieger
Episode: Yes Can Do

1 tablespoon canola oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 (14-ounce) can low-sodium tomato sauce
1/4 cup tomato paste
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
5 tablespoons molasses
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke
1 whole rotisserie chicken, skin removed, meat shredded into thin strips (about 4 to 4 1/2 cups)
6 whole-wheat hamburger rolls
6 large green lettuce leaves

Heat the oil in a large saute pan over a medium heat. Add the onions and cook until they are soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Add tomato sauce, tomato paste, water, vinegar, molasses, pepper and liquid smoke and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 15 minutes. Add chopped chicken, return to a simmer, and cook an additional 10 minutes.
Split rolls. Place a leaf of lettuce on each roll, then pile on 3/4 cup of the chicken mixture onto the roll.

--------------------------------------
Crispy Rice Treats
2008, Ellie Krieger, All rights reserved
See this recipe on air Friday Aug. 01 at 1:30 PM ET/PT.
Show: Healthy Appetite with Ellie Krieger
Episode: Yes Can Do

1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup natural chunky-style peanut butter
6 cups crispy brown rice cereal
2/3 cup chopped dried cherries (3 ounces)
Cooking spray
Combine honey and peanut butter in a large pot and heat over medium-low heat until melted, about 2-3 minutes. Add brown rice cereal and cherries and stir to combine until mixture is sticky. Press into a 9 by 13-inch pan sprayed with cooking spray. Let cool, then chill in refrigerator for 30 minutes. Cut into 15 (2 1/2 by 3-inch) squares.

Posted by renh at 01:37 PM | Comments (0)

AB sushi

Sushi Rice
Recipe courtesy Alton Brown, 2005
See this recipe on air Tuesday Jul. 29 at 11:00 PM ET/PT.
Show: Good Eats
Episode: Wake Up Little Sushi
2 cups sushi or short grain rice
2 cups water, plus extra for rinsing rice
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon kosher salt
Place the rice into a mixing bowl and cover with cool water. Swirl the rice in the water, pour off and repeat 2 to 3 times or until the water is clear.

Place the rice and 2 cups of water into a medium saucepan and place over high heat. Bring to a boil, uncovered. Once it begins to boil, reduce the heat to the lowest setting and cover. Cook for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand, covered, for 10 minutes.

Combine the rice vinegar, sugar and salt in a small bowl and heat in the microwave on high for 30 to 45 seconds. Transfer the rice into a large wooden or glass mixing bowl and add the vinegar mixture. Fold thoroughly to combine and coat each grain of rice with the mixture. Allow to cool to room temperature before using to make sushi or sashimi.
--------------------------------------
California Roll
Recipe courtesy Alton Brown, 2005
See this recipe on air Tuesday Jul. 29 at 11:00 PM ET/PT.
Show: Good Eats
Episode: Wake Up Little Sushi
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 medium avocado, peeled, pitted, and sliced into 1/4-inch thick pieces
4 sheets nori
1/2 batch sushi rice, recipe follows
1/3 cup sesame seeds, toasted
1 small cucumber, peeled, seeded, and cut into matchstick-size pieces
4 crabsticks, torn into pieces
Pickled ginger, for serving
Wasabi, for serving
Soy sauce, for serving

Squeeze the lemon juice over the avocado to prevent browning.

Cover a bamboo rolling mat with plastic wrap. Cut nori sheets in half crosswise. Lay 1 sheet of nori, shiny side down, on the plastic covered mat. Wet your fingers with water and spread about 1/2 cup of the rice evenly onto the nori. Sprinkle the rice with sesame seeds. Turn the sheet of nori over so that the rice side is down. Place 1/8 of the cucumber, avocado and crab sticks in the center of the sheet. Grab the edge of the mat closest to you, keeping the fillings in place with your fingers, and roll it into a tight cylinder, using the mat to shape the cylinder. Pull away the mat and set aside. Cover with a damp cloth. Repeat until all of the rice has been used. Cut each roll into 6 pieces. Serve with pickled ginger, wasabi and soy sauce.

Posted by renh at 01:28 PM | Comments (0)

AB recipes

Split Pea Burgers
Recipe courtesy Alton Brown, 2005
See this recipe on air Tuesday Aug. 05 at 11:00 PM ET/PT.
Show: Good Eats
Episode: Give Peas a Chance
1 tablespoon olive oil, plus 1 to 2 additional tablespoons for sauteing
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped bell pepper
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons minced garlic
4 ounces mushrooms, sliced
3 cups vegetable broth
1 cup dry split peas, picked and rinsed
1/2 cup dry brown rice
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
3/4 cup plain dry bread crumbs, plus 1/4 cup for coating
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large (4 to 6-quart) saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and bell pepper along with a generous pinch of salt. Sweat for 5 minutes or until the onions are soft. Add the garlic and mushrooms and continue to cook for another 4 minutes.
Add the broth, peas, rice, coriander and cumin. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. Decrease heat to low, cover and cook at a simmer for 1 hour or until the rice and peas are tender.

Remove from the heat and gently pour the mixture into the bowl of a food processor and process until just combined.* Do not puree. Pour this mixture into a bowl and stir in the 3/4 cup of bread crumbs. Season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground pepper. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Shape the mixture into patties and dredge on each side in the remaining 1/4 cup of bread crumbs. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a medium saute pan over medium heat. Add 2 burgers at a time and saute until brown on each side, approximately 3 to 4 minutes per side. To grill, cook on high for 3 to 4 minutes per side as well. Serve immediately.

*When blending hot liquids: Remove liquid from the heat and allow to cool for at least 5 minutes. Transfer liquid to a blender or food processor and fill it no more than halfway. If using a blender, release one corner of the lid. This prevents the vacuum effect that creates heat explosions. Place a towel over the top of the machine, pulse a few times then process on high speed until smooth.
--------------------------------------------------------
Curried Split Pea Soup
Recipe courtesy Alton Brown, 2005
See this recipe on air Tuesday Aug. 05 at 11:00 PM ET/PT.
Show: Good Eats
Episode: Give Peas a Chance
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup chopped onion
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
12 ounces dried green or yellow split peas, picked over and rinsed
5 cups chicken broth
1 tablespoon curry powder
Place the butter into a large (4 to 6-quart) saucepan over medium-low heat. Once melted, add the onion and a generous pinch of salt and sweat for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the garlic and continue to sweat for an additional 1 to 2 minutes, making certain not to allow onions or garlic to brown.
Add the peas, chicken broth and curry powder. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook at a simmer until the peas are tender and not holding their shape any longer, approximately 45 to 50 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Using care and a stick blender, puree the soup until the desired consistency. Watch out for hot splatters.
---------------------------------------------------------
Red Snapper en Papillote
Recipe courtesy Alton Brown
Show: Good Eats
Episode: The Pouch Principle

1 cup couscous
1 (2-pound) whole red snapper, cleaned, head on
2 teaspoons salt, plus pinch for couscous
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 small bunch fresh oregano
1 small bunch fresh parsley
1 whole lemon, thinly sliced
1 cup thinly sliced red onion
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 cup halved grape tomatoes
1 cup drained and quartered artichoke hearts
1/2 cup white wine
1 tablespoon butter
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Rinse couscous in fine mesh strainer, under cold water, lay out on parchment lined baking sheet and sprinkle with pinch of salt. Set aside. Cut parchment paper into 15 by 48-inch sheet. Fold in 1/2 and lay on baking/cookie sheet. Unfold and lay snapper diagonally on sheet pan on top of 1 layer of parchment. Salt and pepper fish, inside and out. Place herbs inside cavity of fish along with 1/2 of lemon, and 1/2 of red onion. Arrange couscous next to fish on all sides. Put garlic, and remaining lemon and red onion on fish and lay tomatoes and artichoke hearts around outside of couscous, creating somewhat of a wall. Pour wine over fish and dot with butter. Fold over edges of parchment paper, stapling if necessary, to create and almost airtight seal. Bake in oven for 30 minutes. Carefully open and serve (be aware of bones in the fish).
------------------------------------
Salmon Fillet en Papillote with Julienne Vegetable
Recipe courtesy Alton Brown
Show: Good Eats
Episode: The Pouch Principle

1/3 cup julienned fennel bulb
1/3 cup julienned leeks, white part only
1/3 cup julienned carrots
1/3 cup julienned snow peas
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon whole coriander seed, ground fine
1 (8-ounce) salmon fillet, pin bones removed
1 orange cut into wedges with white, pithy membrane removed
1 tablespoon dry vermouth
Take a 15 by 36-inch piece of parchment paper and fold in 1/2 like a book. Draw a large 1/2 heart on paper with fold of paper being the center of the heart. Cut out heart and open. Lay fennel, leeks, carrots, and snow peas on parchment in center to 1 side of fold. Mix together salt, pepper, and ground coriander. Sprinkle vegetables with 1/2 of salt, pepper, and coriander. Lay salmon on top of vegetables and season with remaining salt, pepper and coriander. Top with the orange wedges and sprinkle with vermouth. Fold other side of heart over fish and starting at top of heart shape, fold up both edges of parchment, overlapping folds as you move along. Once you reach the end tip, twist several times to secure tightly. Place on microwave safe plate and cook for 4 minutes, on high in microwave, or until fish reaches 131 degrees. Open parchment carefully and serve for a complete meal.
-----------------------------------
Avocado Compound Butter
Recipe courtesy Alton Brown, 2005
Show: Good Eats
Episode: Curious Yet Tasty Avocado Experiment
6 ounces ripe avocado meat, approximately 2 small avocados
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 ounces unsalted butter, softened
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon freshly chopped cilantro leaves
2 teaspoons ground cumin
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Peel and pit the avocados. Place all ingredients into the bowl of a food processor and process until well combined. Place mixture onto a sheet of parchment paper and shape into a log. Place in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 hours. Slice and serve with grilled fish or chicken.
--------------------------
Baked Barley
Recipe courtesy Alton Brown, 2006
See this recipe on air Thursday Aug. 07 at 11:00 PM ET/PT.
Show: Good Eats
Episode: Just Barley
1 cup hulled barley
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 cups boiling water
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Place the barley into a 1 1/2-quart ceramic or glass baking dish (with a lid) and add the butter, salt and boiling water. Stir to combine. Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil and place the lid on top of the foil. Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 1 hour.

After 1 hour, remove the cover, fluff with a fork and serve immediately.
-------------------------------------------
Barley and Lamb Stew
Recipe courtesy Alton Brown, 2006
See this recipe on air Thursday Aug. 07 at 11:00 PM ET/PT.
Show: Good Eats
Episode: Just Barley
2 pounds boneless lamb shoulder, trimmed of fat and cut into bite-size pieces
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
3 medium carrots, cut into 1/4-inch rounds
1 cup barley grits
4 cups chicken broth
2 teaspoons freshly chopped oregano
In a medium mixing bowl, toss the lamb with the salt, pepper and flour.
Heat 1/2 tablespoon olive oil in a 4 to 5-quart Dutch oven set over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Add half of the lamb, and brown on all sides, approximately 7 to 8 minutes total. Remove the lamb to a bowl and repeat with the remaining oil and lamb. Remove the second batch of lamb to the bowl and add the carrots to the pot. Saute the carrots for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Return all of the lamb to the pot along with the grits and stir to combine. Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Once boiling, decrease the heat to low, cover and simmer for 30 to 45 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed and the lamb and grits are tender. Five minutes before the stew is finished, add the oregano. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper as desired. Serve in bowls.

Posted by renh at 01:03 PM | Comments (0)

July 25, 2008

fresh tomato sauce

This is a quick, simple marinara sauce that will only be good if your tomatoes are ripe. If you have a food mill, you don’t have to peel and seed the tomatoes; you can just quarter them and put the sauce through the mill.

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

2 to 3 garlic cloves, minced or thinly sliced (to taste)

3 pounds ripe tomatoes, quartered if you have a food mill, peeled, seeded, and diced if you don’t

1/8 teaspoon sugar

2 sprigs of fresh basil, or 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves

Salt

1 tablespoon slivered fresh basil

Freshly ground pepper

1. In a wide, nonstick frying pan, or in a 3-quart saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat and add the garlic. Cook, stirring, just until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, sugar, basil or thyme sprig, and salt (begin with 1/2 teaspoon and add more later), and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer, stirring often, until thick. Pulpy tomatoes like romas will usually take 20 to 30 minutes. However, if the tomatoes are very juicy, it will take longer for them to cook down. The longer you cook the sauce, the sweeter it will be. You can speed up the process by turning up the heat, but stir often so the sauce doesn’t scorch. Towards the end of cooking, stir in the slivered fresh basil and some freshly ground pepper. Taste and adjust seasonings.

2. If using quartered tomatoes, put through the medium blade of a food mill. If you used peeled seeded tomatoes but want a sauce with a smooth, even texture, remove the basil sprigs and discard. Pulse the sauce in a food processor fitted with the steel blade.

Yield: Makes about 2 1/2 cups, enough for 8 generous pasta servings

Posted by renh at 07:17 PM | Comments (0)

July 01, 2008

pie

Papaya Pie with Shortbread Crust
Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, 2002
Show: Emeril Live
Episode: Unusual Pies

3 cups chopped fresh, seeded papaya
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup pineapple juice
1/2 cup orange juice
1/3 cup cornstarch
1/3 cup water
1 teaspoon lime zest
1 teaspoon orange zest
1 tablespoon butter
Shortbread Crust, recipe follows
1/2 cup lightly toasted sweetened coconut flakes
6 slices lime
Sweetened Rum Whipped Cream:
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
4 1/2 teaspoons confectioner's sugar
4 1/2 teaspoons coconut-flavored rum

In a bowl, combine the papaya and lime juice. In a small saucepan, combine the sugar, pineapple juice, and orange juice and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring, until the sugar dissolves. Add the marinated papaya and simmer until tender, about 7 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer the papaya to a bowl and set aside.
In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch and water, stirring to dissolve. Add to the simmering juices and whisk. Add the lime and orange zests, and cook over low heat whisking until the mixture thickens, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and add the papaya. Add the butter and stir until melted. Let cool. Pour into the prebaked shell. Refrigerate until set, about 2 hours.

In a medium bowl, whip the cream and sugar until soft peaks form. Add the rum and whip until stiff peaks form, being careful not to overwhip. Top with whipped cream and sprinkle with the toasted coconut. Arrange the lime slices in a decorative pattern and serve. Refrigerate any leftover pie.

Shortbread Pie Crust:
7 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces, room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
1 large egg yolk
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
In a bowl, combine the butter and sugar and blend to make a paste. Add the yolk and blend thoroughly. Add the flour and using your fingers, blend to make a crumbly dough, being careful not to overwork. Pat firmly into a 9-inch pie pan and let rest in the refrigerator at least 2 hours or overnight. Remove from the refrigerator and prick the bottom of the crust with the tines of a fork. Place a sheet of parchment or foil in the pie tin and fill with pie weights, dried beans or rice and blind bake the crust in a preheated 400 degree oven for 10 minutes. Remove the pie weights and foil and bake for another 5 minutes or until light golden brown.

Posted by renh at 10:37 PM | Comments (0)

June 28, 2008

chinese cake etc

奶黄馅�??料：鸡蛋1个2�?澄粉20克3�?�?�士粉2�?勺4�?牛奶45ml5�?糖50克6�?黄油20克
奶黄馅制作：
　　1．先将黄油打散

　　2．分三次放入糖，分别�?�拌�?�匀

　　3．次放入鸡蛋，也�?�?�拌�?�匀，最�?�倒入牛奶�?��?放入澄粉�?�?�士粉

　　4．将调好的�?�糊隔水蒸，�?隔10分钟�?�拌一下，直到有结�?�的感觉，一定�?�?�拌�?�匀

　　5．边蒸边�?�拌，30分钟左�?�便好了
----------------------------------
蘇法(輕)乳酪蛋糕

�??料:
a 奶油乳酪creamcheese 350g
b 低筋麵粉 30g
c 玉米粉 corn starch 40g
d 牛奶 40g(室溫)
e 蛋黃 3個
f 無鹽奶油 40g(隔水或微波加熱�?液狀. 放置一�?�?微�?溫. �?�?太熱)
g 細砂糖 40g
h 鹽 1�?撮(less than 1/8�?匙)
i 檸檬�? 1/2個檸檬份�?

j 蛋白 3個
k 砂糖 100g (若�?�?太甜. 或表�?�刷上果膠. �?�減為80g)
l �?��?�果膠 少許(�?��?略)

�?�法: (烤箱�?熱 150度c. 烤盤底部�?�四周鋪上烤盤紙. 燒一壺熱水備用)
1. 將奶油乳酪�?�復室溫軟化. 或用微波�?加熱1~2分�?�軟化. 放在缸盆中用電動攪拌器攪拌至乳狀.(若太硬. 缸盆底部�?�隔�?�一個�?熱水的盆�?)

2. 加入蛋黃. 攪拌�?�勻. 慢慢(分次)倒入微溫的奶油液. 倒入一點點之後攪拌�?�勻�?加入下一部分.

3. 將g糖加入(2). 用打蛋器攪拌至�?�?�.

4. 混�?�bc. �?�篩後一次加入(3)中. 用打蛋器攪拌�?�勻. (用橡皮刀將邊緣的粉括下. 將底部麵糊�?上挖. �?��?底部沒攪勻)

5. 慢慢倒入牛奶拌勻. �?加入鹽�?�檸檬�?拌勻. (加入液體時一次倒一些些. 攪拌�?微�?�勻後�?倒一些些).

6. �?打蛋白】將蛋白打至看�?見黃色液體之後. 將糖分三~四次加入打發�?光滑潔白的�?�?動蛋白泡. (缸盆倒翻�?會掉. 用攪拌器勾起蛋白泡.尖端是彎曲的). 蛋白泡打太發的話烘焙時容易膨脹太高而裂開.

7. 將1/3的蛋白泡加入(5)中用攪拌器攪拌�?�勻. �?將剩餘麵糊分兩次加入. 用橡皮刀拌勻. (�?記得將底部的麵糊往上翻拌. 拌�?�勻)

8. 將麵糊倒入已鋪烤盤紙的烤模. 將表�?�抹平.(�?�用8"*8"方型烤模或是7�?�圓型模). 隔水加熱的盆�?上墊一�?乾淨抹布. 注入一些熱水. 放上乳酪蛋糕烤模. �?注入一些熱水. 隔水加熱烘烤約1�?時. �?�出. �?熱抹上�?��?�果膠. 待涼後�?放冰箱冷�?. 冰涼後�?�脫模切塊食用. (若紙高度較高�?�用�??的將蛋糕�??起�?��?�脫模)

KO註:
1. 若無烤盤紙. �?�先抹奶油在烤模內�?�. �?�?�些麵粉. 將烤模翻倒倒出餘粉. 脫模時先用熱水泡一下邊緣�?�底部. 用倒的倒出蛋糕.
2. �?熱時�?�多�?熱20~30度c. 等入模�?調至150度c. 這樣烤盤入烤箱之後溫度回�?�較快.
----------------------------------------------
蛋塔�?蛋塔�?滑溜溜```
✈�??料：
1.5cup水，1/2cup糖，1/3cup牛奶（因为是自己�?�，我爱香香的奶味，就也用奶代替了水），
4�?�鸡蛋

✈方法：
1。鸡蛋先打匀，加糖，奶�?打匀
2。蛋液�?�置15min，去掉气泡。
3。用勺�?把蛋液舀入塔皮中，7，8分满就好。
4。塔皮在�?�大超市都有�?�（就是俗称的�?�被�?），现�?的皮比自己�?�的�?�匀很多。
5。预热烤箱220度，烤15min。既�?�出炉。
--------------
西安最有�??的腊�?肉当数樊记。其特点是色泽红润，嫩烂香甘。腊�?肉选皮薄�?硬肋�?�优质猪肉作为主料，在烹制方法上也很考究，�?�法是将肉切�?二至三斤的�?��?，用清水刮洗干净，拔尽皮上余毛，投入腊�?锅中，肉皮�?上，摆放整�?，加上适�?酒�?食�?�?冰糖�?生姜�?葱节，然�?�将装有�?�果�?蔻�?�?�?香�?桂皮�?大香�?花椒等二�??余�?调料的纱袋放入锅内，上压�?篦，以大�?�烧开，转文�?�焖煮，使锅�?开�?翻浪，去浮沫。两�?时�?�，将肉翻转，三四�?时�?��??出剔骨�?��?。�?�好的腊�?肉色红�?晶莹光亮，食之肥而�?腻，肉瘦无渣，食罢浓香�?久�?散。

Posted by renh at 05:46 PM | Comments (0)

Ropa and black bean

Shredded Steak with Peppers, Onions and Tomatoes (Ropa Vieja)
Recipe courtesy Ingrid Hoffman, 2008
Show: Simply Delicioso with Ingrid Hoffmann
Episode: Miami Nights

6 pounds flank steak
3/4 cup Delicioso Adobo seasoning, recipe follows
1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
6 bottles beer
1/2 cup canola oil
2 medium yellow onions, chopped
2 red bell peppers, cored, seeded, ribbed and chopped
2 green bell peppers, cored, seeded, ribbed and chopped
6 scallions, white and light green parts only, chopped
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Cut the flank steak into large pieces and place them in a large bowl. In a small bowl, combine the adobo and the Worcestershire sauce to make a paste. Rub the paste into the meat, add the beer, and let marinate for 15 minutes in the refrigerator.
Transfer the meat, as well as the marinade to a large pot and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until the meat is tender, about 3 hours.
Remove the meat from the pot and reserve the cooking liquid. Using 2 forks, shred the meat and set it aside.
Heat the oil in a large deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions, peppers, scallions, and tomatoes and cook until they are soft, 10 minutes. Add the tomato paste and meat to the pan along with 2 cups of the reserved cooking liquid. Cover and simmer until the juices cook down, about 15 minutes.

Delicioso Adobo:
2 tablespoons garlic powder
2 tablespoons onion powder
2 tablespoons dried oregano
2 tablespoons lemon pepper
2 tablespoons parsley flakes
2 tablespoons achoite powder from annatto seed
1 tablespoon cumin powder
Combine all ingredients.
-----------------------

Black Beans
From Food Network Kitchens

1 1/4 cups black beans (about 1/2 pound)
12 cups water
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and chopped
10 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 tablespoons red wine vinegar, plus more for the table
1 tablespoon kosher salt
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Freshly ground black pepper
Serving suggestion: YELLOW RICE, recipe follows
Put the beans in a large saucepan, add the water and bay leaf, and bring to a boil. Set aside, covered, for 1 hour.
Return the beans to a boil, lower the heat to a simmer, cook uncovered, for 1 1/2 hours.
Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and peppers and cook, stirring, until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, cumin, oregano, and coriander and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute more. Add the onion mixture to the beans and continue simmering until the beans are very tender and the liquid has thickened, about 1 1/2 hours more.
If the beans seem too thick, adjust the consistency with a little bit of water. Stir in the vinegar, season with the salt, cayenne, and pepper to taste. Serve with the yellow rice if desired.
YELLOW RICE
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 teaspoon ground annatto seed
1 1/2 cups long-grain rice
2 1/2 cups water
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 bay leaf
Heat the oil in a medium saucepan, with a tight-fitting lid, over medium-high heat. Add the onion, pepper, and annatto and cook, stirring, until somewhat soft, about 2 minutes. Add the rice and cook, stirring, until toasted, about 2 minutes more. Add water, salt, and bay leaf and bring to a boil. Wrap the lid tightly with a kitchen towel. Cover the rice, lower the heat to a simmer, and cook for 20 minutes.
Remove the rice from the heat and set aside, covered, for 10 minutes. Remove the lid and fluff the rice with a fork.
Yield: about 4 side dish servings.
Copyright 2001 Television Food Network, G.P. All rights reserved

Posted by renh at 05:04 PM | Comments (0)

salad

Saffron Chicken, Boiled Lemon and Green Bean Salad
2007, Ellie Krieger, All rights reserved
Show: Healthy Appetite with Ellie Krieger
Episode: Cool Summer

1 lemon, preferably unwaxed
1 1/4 teaspoons salt, plus more to taste, divided
Pinch saffron
2 tablespoons finely chopped mint leaves
1 clove garlic, minced
3 tablespoons lemon juice, divided
1/4 cup olive oil, divided
1 1/4 pound skinless boneless chicken breast, pounded to 1/2-inch thick
1 pound green beans, washed and trimmed
Cooking spray
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 tablespoon honey
Freshly ground black pepper
Prick the lemon in 3 or 4 places with a fork and place in a small pot with 1 teaspoon of salt and cover with water. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for about 50 minutes or until the lemon is very tender. Drain and set aside to cool.
In the meantime, mix the saffron, mint, garlic, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 1/4 teaspoon of salt in a small bowl. Pour the marinade into a sealable plastic bag, add the chicken and let it marinate while you prepare the other ingredients.

Steam the green beans for 4 minutes and set aside to cool. Cut into 1/2-inch pieces.

Preheat a large skillet or grill pan which has been sprayed with cooking spray. Cook the chicken for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, or until cooked through. Set aside to cool. Cut into bite-sized chunks.

Slice the ends off of the lemon and slice it in half lengthwise. Scoop out the pulp. Slice the peel thinly and then again into 1/4-inch pieces.

In a large bowl, combine the chicken, lemon, green beans and thyme. In a small bowl combine the rest of the lemon juice and the honey, whisk in the remainder of the olive oil, and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to combine.
----------------------------------------------------------
Orange-Pistachio Wild Rice Salad
2007 Ellie Krieger, All rights reserved
Show: Healthy Appetite with Ellie Krieger
Episode: Cool Summer

2/3 cup brown rice
2/3 cup wild rice
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 orange, peel and pith removed, segmented and sliced (about 2/3 cup)
10 large basil leaves, sliced into ribbons (about 1/3 cup)
1/4 cup minced red onion
3 tablespoons chopped pistachios, lightly toasted
1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
For the dressing:
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon orange juice
1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon honey
1/4 teaspoon salt

Combine brown rice, wild rice and chicken broth in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to a simmer and cook until all water is evaporated and rice is fully cooked, about 45 to 55 minutes. Remove from heat and cool completely.
When rice is cool, add orange slices, basil, red onion, pistachios and orange zest; mix to incorporate.

For the dressing:
Combine the red wine vinegar, olive oil, orange juice, mustard, honey and salt in a metal bowl and whisk to incorporate.
Pour over rice mixture and toss to incorporate.
-----------------------------------------
Peaches with Balsamic Cherries
, 2007, Ellie Krieger, All rights reserved
Show: Healthy Appetite with Ellie Krieger
Episode: Cool Summer

1/2 pound cherries, halved and pitted
2 tablespoons sugar, plus more to taste
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 pound peaches, sliced
In a small saucepan, stir together the cherries, sugar and balsamic vinegar, and place over a medium heat. Bring to a boil and continue to cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
In a medium bowl toss the warm cherries and syrup with the sliced peaches, add more sugar to taste and serve.
----------------------------------------
Herbed Toasted Pita Salad
2007 Ellie Krieger, All rights reserved
Show: Healthy Appetite with Ellie Krieger
Episode: Cool Summer

3 (6-inch) whole-wheat pita breads with pockets
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 large head romaine lettuce, torn into bite-sized pieces (about 6 cups)
1 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup sliced scallions
1/2 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
1 English cucumber, cored, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Split each pita into 2 rounds and toast on a baking sheet in the middle of the oven until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Allow pitas to cool and break into bite-sized pieces. Set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, zest, salt and pepper. Add the oil and whisk to incorporate.

Toss the lettuce, parsley, scallions, mint, cucumber, and tomatoes together in a large bowl.

Right before serving, add the pita and dressing to the salad. Toss well to coat.

Posted by renh at 04:45 PM | Comments (0)

dinner menu

appetizer: cheese platter (kiwi slices, red grape halves, roast unsalted peanut halves, brie, swiss cheese ball, parmesan cheese ball, cracker)
drink: chai tea (simple syrup recipe from foodnetwork)
side: roasted asparagus with parmesan
main: flounder with orange mustard sause
dessert: fruit flan (from bello vino)
fruit: watermelon cubes

Posted by renh at 10:39 AM | Comments (0)

June 15, 2008

sticky bun - bun

I am afraid it's going to be too sweet. So, I decided to make the sticky bun without the sticky part, ie just the bun.

Sticky Buns
Recipe courtesy Bobby Flay, 2007
See this recipe on air Tuesday Jun. 17 at 12:00 PM ET/PT.
Show: Throwdown with Bobby Flay
Episode: Sticky Buns

Softened butter, for bowls and baking pan
For the glaze:
1 cup light muscavado sugar
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1 orange, finely grated zest
1 cup sliced almonds, lightly toasted

For the dough:
1 package yeast
1 cup warm milk (about 110 degrees F)
1/4 cup plus a pinch granulated sugar, divided
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 large egg yolk
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt

For the filling:
8 tablespoons softened butter
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

Butter a 9 by 13-inch baking pan.
For the glaze:
Combine sugar, butter, honey, orange juice and zest in a saucepan and bring to a boil; boil until slightly thickened. Pour the glaze into the prepared pan, and scatter the nuts over the top.

For the dough:
Sprinkle yeast over warm milk with a pinch of the granulated sugar; set aside until foamy, about 5 minutes. Melt 1/4 cup butter and whisk into yeast with vanilla and egg yolk.

Whisk flour, 1/4 cup sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Stir in yeast mixture to make a sticky dough. Knead dough on floured work surface until soft and elastic, 6 to 8 minutes (Dough will be soft and elastic, but not terribly sticky). Shape into a ball, brush with a little melted butter. Place in bowl, cover and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.

Knead dough; re-form into ball. Return to the bowl. Cover with buttered plastic wrap, refrigerate for 4 hours.

For the filling:
Roll dough into 10 by 18-inch rectangle with a long edge facing you. Spread soft butter over the surface. Whisk 1/3 cup sugar and cinnamon together, scatter over butter. Roll into a long tight cylinder; pinch long edge to seal. Cut into 1 1/2-inch rolls with string or dental floss. Evenly space rolls in pan. Cover, let rise at room temperature until doubled, about 1 1/2 hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Bake until golden, 30 to 35 minutes. Rest at room temperature 10 minutes, unmold, and serve warm.
--------------------------------------
Joanne Chang's Sticky Buns
Recipe courtesy Joanne Chang
See this recipe on air Saturday Jun. 14 at 4:00 PM ET/PT.
Show: Throwdown with Bobby Flay
Episode: Sticky Buns

1 recipe Brioche dough, recipe follows
2 cups brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup pecans, toasted and chopped
Goo, recipe follows
On a floured work surface, roll out the brioche dough into a rectangle that is approximately 1/4-inch thick. Combine the brown sugar, cinnamon, and pecans and sprinkle evenly on the brioche. Roll up the brioche jelly roll-style and slice the roll into buns about 1-inch thick. Spread the Goo on the bottom of a roasting pan and place buns evenly spaced in the pan. Cover and allow to rise for 2 to 3 hours in a warm place.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Place buns in the oven and bake until golden brown, about 45 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes and then invert onto a serving platter.

Serve with Cafe au Lait.

Brioche Dough:
2 1/2 cups high-gluten flour
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1-ounce yeast
1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 cup ice water
5 eggs
11 ounces butter, softened
In a large bowl of a stand mixer, combine all the ingredients, except the butter and beat on low with dough hook for 10 minutes.

Add the softened butter and knead for another 20 minutes until dough slaps on the side of the bowl.

Place in a container and cover well.

Proof in refrigerator for at least 6 hours.

Shape, cover, proof for several hours at warm room temperature.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Egg wash and bake in preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes, until golden brown.

Goo:
1/2 pound butter
15 ounces brown sugar
5 ounces honey
1/2 cup cream
1/2 cup water

In a saucepan over medium heat, melt together the butter and brown sugar. Remove from heat, let cool, and whisk in the honey, cream, and water. Set aside.
-------------------------------------
Hot Cross Buns
From Food Network Kitchens

1/2 cup water
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup sugar
4 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast (2 (1/4 ounce) packages)
1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted, plus as needed
1 large egg yolk
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour (13 ounces)
3/4 teaspoon fine salt
1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 cup currants, plumped in the microwave and cooled
1 egg beaten, for brushing
For the icing/glaze:
2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
2 tablespoons milk
1/4 teaspoon finely gated lemon zest
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Combine the water and milk in a medium saucepan and warm over low heat until about 100 degrees F (but no more than 110 degrees). Remove from heat and sprinkle the yeast and a pinch of sugar and flour over the surface of the liquid. Set aside without stirring, until foamy and rising up the sides of the pan, about 30 minutes.
Whisk the butter, egg yolk and vanilla into the yeast mixture.
Whisk the flour, the remaining sugar, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon and ginger in a large bowl. Make a well in the center of the flour and stir in the yeast mixture with a wooden spoon to make a thick, shaggy, and slightly sticky dough. Stir in currants. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead until soft and elastic, about 8 minutes. Shape into a ball.
Brush the inside of a large bowl with butter. Put dough in bowl, turning to coat lightly with butter. Cover with plastic wrap. Let rise at room temperature until doubled in size, about 1 hour 30 minutes. (If you have a marker, trace a circle the size of the dough on the plastic, and note the time to help you keep track.)
To form the rolls: Butter a 9 by 14-inch baking pan. Turn the dough out of the bowl and pat into a rectangle about 16 by 8 inches. Divide the dough into 12 equal portions, about 2 ounces each, with a pizza wheel or bench scraper. (If you don't have a scale, divide the dough in half lengthwise, then in half crosswise. Cut each of those four sections into 3 equal-sized rolls.)
Tuck the edges of the dough under to make round rolls and place them seam-side down in the prepared pan, leaving a little space in between each roll. Cover the pan with buttered plastic wrap and set aside in a warm place until the rolls rise almost to the rim of the pan and have more than doubled in size, about 45 minutes.
Meanwhile, position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees F.
Remove the plastic wrap and brush the tops of the buns with beaten egg. Bake rolls until golden brown and puffy, and an instant read thermometer inserted into the center of the rolls registers 190 degrees F, about 25 minutes.
For the glaze: Stir together confectioners' sugar, milk, lemon zest and vanilla until smooth. Transfer icing to a zip bag or pastry bag, and make a small cut in the corner of the bag. Ice buns in a thick cross shape over the top of the warm buns.

Posted by renh at 11:45 AM | Comments (0)

June 07, 2008

Maple-Mustard Chicken Thighs
2007 Ellie Krieger, All rights reserved
See this recipe on air Saturday Jun. 07 at 1:00 PM ET/PT.
Show: Healthy Appetite with Ellie Krieger
Episode: Secret Weapons

4 large bone-in chicken thighs, skins removed (about 1 1/2 pounds)
2 tablespoons grainy French mustard
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 clove minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
2 tablespoons maple syrup
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Rinse chicken and pat dry. Combine mustard, garlic, marjoram and maple syrup in a small bowl. Spread about 1 1/2 tablespoons mustard mixture evenly on top of each chicken thigh, being careful to cover as much of the surface as possible to form a "crust." Arrange chicken in a glass baking dish. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until mustard mixture has formed a crust and is slightly hardened, and juices run clear when the chicken is pierced.

Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Orange Essence
, 2007, Ellie Krieger, All rights reserved
See this recipe on air Saturday Jun. 07 at 1:00 PM ET/PT.
Show: Healthy Appetite with Ellie Krieger
Episode: Secret Weapons

4 medium sweet potatoes (about 8 ounces each), peeled and cut into a large dice
1/4 cup buttermilk, warmed slightly
1/4 cup orange juice
2 teaspoons orange zest
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, optional
Steam the potatoes in a large covered pan fitted with a steamer basket until they are tender, about 8 minutes.
In a large bowl mash the potatoes with the buttermilk and orange juice. Stir in the zest, salt, and nutmeg. Serve the potatoes topped with the butter, if desired.
Recipe Analysis Note: Ingredients without discrete measurements such as "Salt, to taste" or "Ice cream, optional" are omitted from analysis. This is because amounts can be highly variable and difficult to determine.

"Lunchbag" Swordfish with Mediterranean Tomato Sauce and Linguini
Recipe courtesy Michael Chiarello
Show: Easy Entertaining with Michael Chiarello
Episode: My First Dinner Party

The recipe makes more tomato sauce than you will need for the fish. It is delicious as a pasta sauce, a topping for bruschetta, or a sauce or side dish for grilled poultry or meat. For the best flavor, use garden fresh tomatoes.
3 cups vine-ripened plum (Roma) tomatoes, cored and cut into thin wedges
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh oregano leaves, or 1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/4 cup (1 small) minced red onion
2 tablespoons rinsed, drained, and roughly chopped capers
1/2 cup roasted red or yellow bell peppers, coarsely chopped
12 pitted and sliced Greek olives (such as kalamata or Gaeta olives)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons pepper olive oil or 1/2 teaspoon dried chili flakes
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 pound dried linguini
4 brown paper lunch bags or 4 large sheets parchment paper or waxed paper (see note)
4 (6-ounce) swordfish steaks
Put tomatoes in a large bowl and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Add oregano, parsley, garlic, onion, capers, peppers, olives, lemon juice, pepper oil, and 4 tablespoons of the extra-virgin olive oil. Stir gently just to mix and set aside at least 1 hour. Adjust seasonings, if desired. Mixture will become more liquid and sauce-like over time.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook linguini until al dente. Drain and toss with remaining 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil. Reserve.

To cook the fish: (See Chef's Note below if using waxed paper.) Place a small square of parchment or waxed paper at the bottom of each paper bag. Place small pile of linguini in each of the bags. Top with a spoonful of tomato sauce, making sure to moisten the linguini with the juices. Lay a piece of fish on top and arrange with another spoonful of sauce. Moisten again with juices from the sauce and season with salt and pepper.

Fold over the tops of the bags, place them on a baking sheet, and bake for 15 minutes.

To serve, transfer the bags to 4 dinner plates and let each diner cut open the package to enjoy the aromas.

*Chef's Note: To make waxed or parchment paper "bags": Fold 4 large sheets of paper in half. With the fold as the spine, cut a large semicircle (about an 8-inch radius) with one end more pointed than the other (opened out, the shape resembles a heart). Open the circles. Layers the ingredients in the center of the paper as instructed above. Leave a 1-inch border of paper clear.

Close the parchment over the fish. Starting at the flatter end of the semicircle, firmly fold the edge inwards. Fold entire edge into a series of tight, flat, overlapping pleats to enclose the fish. Fold the last pleat several times and tuck it under the bag. Put the bags on a baking sheet and bake in the oven 12 to 15 minutes. The bags will puff up and brown. Waxed paper is a nice touch to make the cooking bags because you can see the colors of the sauce through it.

Tri-Colore Salad with Frico Crackers and Caesar "Vinaigrette"
Recipe courtesy Michael Chiarello
Show: Easy Entertaining with Michael Chiarello
Episode: My First Dinner Party

Cooking Notes: Make the dressing a day ahead and keep it in the refrigerator. It likes to sit, so the garlic and anchovy flavors can bloom. You can also make the frico crackers a day ahead and keep them at room temperature wrapped in plastic.
For the dressing:
3 medium garlic cloves
6 oil-packed anchovy fillets, minced
1/4 teaspoon finely ground sea salt, preferably gray salt
1 tablespoon Champagne vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 dash hot sauce (recommended: Tabasco)
1/2 teaspoon fresh coarsely ground black pepper
1/2 cup pure olive oil
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
For the crackers:
2 1/2 cups freshly grated Parmesan

3 heads endive, cored and separated into whole leaves
1 head radicchio, separated into whole leaves
3 cups lightly packed arugula, stems removed
1 tablespoon freshly grated Parmesan

To make the dressing: Chop and smear the garlic with the anchovies and salt until you create a smooth paste. Add the paste to a small bowl. Add the vinegar, mustard, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and lots of pepper. Mix well. Whisk in the olive oil gradually. Add the cheese and whisk again. Set the dressing aside for 1 hour or longer (if overnight, refrigerate the dressing and bring it to room temperature about 1 hour before serving). Makes about 1 cup. (You can put all of the ingredients into a jar, cover tightly with a lid and shake to blend. This is a great way to store the dressing.)
To make the crackers: Heat an 8-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Sprinkle 6 tablespoons of the cheese into the pan so it forms a lace-thin layer that fills the bottom of the skillet. The cheese will bubble in the pan. When the top side of the cheese has reached a pale gold color, after 3 to 4 minutes, remove the pan from the heat and allow the cheese to firm up for 1 minute. Carefully turn the cheese over with a spatula, return to heat, and cook until cheese is golden on both sides, about 1 more minute. Remove the cracker and drain it on paper towels to absorb any excess fat. Wipe the skillet clean with paper towels and repeat the process 5 more times with the remaining cheese.

In a large bowl combine the endive, radicchio, and arugula. Drizzle enough dressing over the top to lightly coat the leaves (you may not need all the dressing). Toss to coat the leaves evenly. Arrange the leaves on serving plates. Sprinkle a bit of Parmesan over each salad. Split each cracker into 2 or 3 pieces and garnish the salads with them. Serve immediately.

Posted by renh at 01:44 PM | Comments (0)

June 05, 2008

Panna Cotta with Honey

Panna Cotta with Honey
Recipe courtesy Michael Chiarello
Show: Easy Entertaining with Michael Chiarello
Episode: My First Dinner Party

3 cups heavy cream
1 vanilla bean
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 1/2 gelatin leaves, soaked in cold water for about 4 minutes
1/2 cup honey
Ground and toasted hazelnuts, optional
Place the cream, vanilla bean, and sugar in a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Remove from the heat.
Remove the vanilla bean and split lengthwise. Scrape the vanilla beans into the cream.
Squeeze the gelatin leaves to remove any excess water, then add them to the pan, stirring constantly about 30 seconds, or until the gelatin is melted.

Drizzle about 2 teaspoons honey into the bottom of 6 (4-ounce) molds. Ladle the cream mixture into each. Refrigerate for several hours, until thoroughly chilled.

To remove from the mold: Dip the bottom of the mold into a pot of hot water to loosen the panna cotta. Slide a knife around the edge, then carefully turn over onto a serving plate. Drizzle with the remaining honey and garnish with hazelnuts, if desired.

Posted by renh at 02:14 PM | Comments (0)

May 25, 2008

Pistachio Mixed Herb Pesto
Recipe courtesy Alton Brown, 2003
Show: Good Eats
Episode: Sometimes You Feel Like A Nut

1/2 to 1 clove garlic, peeled
2 cups packed flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons fresh lemon thyme leaves
2 tablespoons fresh tarragon leaves
1 tablespoon fresh sage leaves
1 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
3/4 cup roasted pistachios
Salt and pepper
2/3 cup olive oil
Into a blender with the motor running, add the garlic and pulse until finely chopped. Add all of the herbs, cheese, pistachios, salt, and pepper to the blender, and blend until finely chopped. With the blender running, add the olive oil in a steady stream until the mixture becomes creamy and emulsified.
Serve over pasta or use as topping for bruschetta.
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Macadamia Nut Crusted Mahi Mahi
Recipe courtesy Alton Brown, 2003
Show: Good Eats
Episode: Sometimes You Feel Like A Nut

5 ounces (about 1 1/4 cups) coarsely ground, roasted macadamia nuts
1/2 cup panko (Japanese-style bread crumbs)
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup butter, melted
Vegetable oil, for brushing foil
4 (6 to 8-ounce) mahi mahi fillets
Kosher salt and pepper
2 tablespoons coconut milk
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. In a medium bowl, stir together the nuts, panko, flour, and butter. Set aside.
Place a piece of aluminum foil on a baking sheet and brush it liberally with vegetable oil. Place the mahi mahi on the foil and sprinkle each fillet with salt and pepper on both sides. Bake for 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and brush each fillet with the coconut milk. Divide the nut mixture among the tops of the 4 fillets, patting the mixture to spread and adhere to the fillets. Return to the oven and bake for 5 to 10 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown.

Remove from the oven and allow to stand 10 minutes before serving.
-----------------------------------
Macadamia Nut Crust
Recipe courtesy Alton Brown, 2003
Show: Good Eats
Episode: Sometimes You Feel Like A Nut

5 ounces (approximately 1 1/4 cups) roasted macadamia nuts, ground
1/2 cup panko (Japanese-style bread crumbs)
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons butter, melted
In a medium mixing bowl, combine the nuts, panko, sugar, flour, and salt. Add the melted butter and stir to combine.

Press the mixture into the bottom of a 9 or 10-inch cake, pie, or springform pan as a crust for a cheesecake or cream pie. Bake according to instructions for cheesecake or pie. If baking for a precooked pie filling, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Place on the center rack of the oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes

Posted by renh at 03:43 PM | Comments (0)

May 19, 2008

smoothie

Yummy Wake-Up Smoothie
Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse
Show: The Essence of Emeril
Episode: Cooking with Kids

1 large ripe banana, peeled and sliced
1 cup hulled strawberries
1/2 cup raspberries, or peeled and sliced kiwi (about 2)
1 cup plain yogurt
1/4 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons honey
Place all the ingredients in the blender and process on high speed until smooth, about 30 to 45 seconds.

Pour into glasses and serve.

Posted by renh at 04:54 PM | Comments (0)

May 18, 2008

Re: cookie

kitchen sink cookies still are a little too sweet. Cut down the sugar part.

Emeril's oatmeal cookies are good. I made the changes based the reviews from FN. 1) add half cup flour and half cup oatmeal; 2) cut sugar down to half cup each; 3) use half a stick of butter, half cup of oil and one cup of apple sauce; 4) use 1 cup of currant instead of raisins.

Posted by renh at 03:30 PM | Comments (0)

May 12, 2008

kitchen sink cookie

Kitchen Sink Cookies
Copyright 2007, Ellie Krieger, All rights reserved
Show: Healthy Appetite with Ellie Krieger
Episode: Secret Weapons
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2 tablespoons canola oil
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup applesauce
1 egg white
1 teaspoon vanilla
2/3 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup oatmeal
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup chopped dried cherries
1/4 cup chopped dried apricots
1/4 cup lightly toasted walnuts
2 ounces dark chocolate, cut into chunks
Cooking spray
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Combine butter, oil and brown sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix on high speed, stopping occasionally to scrape down bowl, until mixture is light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add applesauce, egg white and vanilla and mix to combine. Add flour, oatmeal, salt and cinnamon and mix just until just combined. Add cherries, apricots, walnuts and chocolate and mix to combine.

Spray 1 baking sheet with cooking spray. Using 1 tablespoon cookie dough at a time, roll into balls and place 2-inches apart on baking sheet. Press cookies down with the palm of your hand to flatten slightly, as cookies will not spread as much as cookies with more butter. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, or until lightly browned but still soft. Remove from oven and cool on racks.
Recipe Analysis Note: Ingredients without discrete measurements such as "Salt, to taste" or "Ice cream, optional" are omitted from analysis. This is because amounts can be highly variable and difficult to determine.

--------------------------
Twisted Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Recipe courtesy D.J. Dykes
Show: Emeril Live
Episode: Emeril's Cookie Contest

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
3/4 cups white sugar
3/4 brown sugar
2 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups oatmeal
1 teaspoon hot water
1 cup raisins
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a cookie sheet.
First, add the butter and sugars into a mixing bowl and cream with mixer. Add the eggs and mix well. With a large spoon mix in the flour, salt, cinnamon, baking soda, and the oatmeal, mix well.

Add the water, raisins, and vanilla. Flour a workspace and with a rolling pin or your hands make a "snake" with the dough and cut it into several pieces or in a pretzel shape. Place on the prepared cookie sheet.

Bake for 10 to 15 minutes (depending on how thick you snakes are). Let them sit and cool on the stove.

Serve on a plate and a glass of milk; garnish with something that you can BAM! with.
------------------------
Couscous with Pine Nuts
2006, Barefoot Contessa at Home, All Rights Reserved
Show: Barefoot Contessa
Episode: Friends of Friends

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
3/4 cup chopped shallots (3 to 4 shallots)
3 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups couscous
1/2 cup toasted pine nuts (pignolis)
1/4 cup dried currants
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Add the shallots and cook them over medium-low heat for 3 minutes, until translucent. Add the chicken stock, salt, and pepper and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat. Stir in the couscous, cover the pan, and set aside for 10 minutes. Add the pine nuts, currants, and parsley and fluff with a fork to combine. Serve hot.

Posted by renh at 10:57 PM | Comments (0)

May 02, 2008

Sugar Free Vegan cookie

sugar-free vegan cookie, sounds intimidating? well, I'll give it a try.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Authored By: Polly Pitchford, Full Spectrum Health™

Ingredients:
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
1 cup natural malt sweetened chocolate chips or Carob chips
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup applesauce
1 teapsoon vanilla

Serves: 12

Cooking Time: Any

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the flour, oats, salt, and baking soda. Stir in the walnuts and chocolate chips. In another bowl, mix the syrup, oil, applesauce, vanilla, and water. Stir the wet mixture into the dry ingredients just until the flour is absorbed. The batter will be fairly thick. Drop by heaping teaspoons onto 2 non-stick cookie sheets about 1" apart. Flatten with your fingers to a thickness of about 1/4" Bake until lightly browned on the bottom, about 12-15 minutes. Cool on wire rack. Carob chips are used in the nutrition analysis.

Posted by renh at 02:16 PM | Comments (0)

April 08, 2008

custard

Refrigerator Pie
Recipe courtesy Alton Brown
Show: Good Eats
Episode: Egg Files II: Man with a Flan

1 cup heavy cream or half-and-half
2 eggs
2 pinches kosher salt
Freshly grated nutmeg
For 1 Refrigerator Pie:
1 frozen 9-inch pie crust

Any one of the following combinations:
Cooked spinach, cheddar cheese, cubed cooked ham
Bacon, Sauteed leeks, and Gruyere cheese
Cooked spinach, canned artichoke hearts, and Parmesan cheese
Roasted chicken, goat cheese, and sun-dried tomatoes
Blanched asparagus and smoked salmon
Port Salut and Spam

In a nonreactive, stainless steel bowl, combine the cream or half-and-half and the eggs. Whisk until combined thoroughly. Add the salt and the nutmeg. Whisk to combine.
Refrigerator Pie Rules: Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Evenly distribute the pie fillings in the pie crust. Do not overfill the crust with the filling ingredients. Do not pour too much royale into the crust. The eggs will expand upon cooking. Bake the pie until it is firm to the touch like set Jell-O, about 45 minutes. Cool the pie for at least 15 minutes before slicing.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Flandango
Courtesy Alton Brown
Show: Good Eats
Episode: Egg Files II: Man with a Flan

Software:
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1 cup half-and- half
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup sugar
An assortment of jams, preserves, or dessert sauces such as:
Blueberry jam
Apricot preserves
Butterscotch ice cream topping
Hot fudge ice cream topping
6 eggs

Hardware:
Roasting pan large enough to accommodate 8 custard cups with at least 1-inch to spare around
8 custard cups
Glass or stainless steel bowl with a spout
Fine mesh strainer
Small nonreactive saucepan
A kettle boiling water
Whisk

Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
In the saucepan, combine the milk, half-and-half, vanilla, and sugar. Bring to a bare simmer over medium-low heat.

Next, place 1 to 2 tablespoons of each topping into each of the custard cups. The topping should come a few millimeters up the side of the custard cup.

Separate 3 of the eggs using the slotted spoon. Reserve the whites. (Note: Freeze the whites in ice trays. After the whites are frozen, place the frozen cubes into zip-top freezer bags. The frozen whites can be frozen up to a year.)

Place a mixing bowl on a rubber pad or a wet towel to prevent the bowl from spinning out of control. In a mixing bowl, combine the remaining whole eggs and the yolks. Whip the eggs with a whisk until slightly thickened and lightened in color. While whisking the eggs, drizzle in about a quarter of the hot milk. Now whisk the tempered eggs back into the saucepan with the remaining milk mixture.

Place a fine mesh strainer over a glass or stainless steel bowl with a spout. Pour the egg mixture through the strainer in order to catch any curdled egg bits or particles that may be in the mixture.

Place the custard cups into the roasting pan. Evenly distribute the custard into the custard cups, going short on the first pass. Place the pan on the middle rack of the oven and pour boiling water into the pan just under the level of the custard.

Cook the flans for about 40 minutes, or until they wobble slightly when the pan is wiggled, about 40 minutes. You can also insert a paring knife midway between the edge and the center. If it comes out clean, the flans are done. Using tongs, remove the cups from the pan to a towel-lined sheet pan. Allow the water in the roasting pan to cool before discarding. Cool, cover and chill.

Posted by renh at 05:52 PM | Comments (0)

March 28, 2008

spring salad

spring mix from bello vino $1.40
champagne vinaigrette dressing (whisk champagne vinegar, dijon mustard, maple syrup, and EVOO together)
half a package of goat cheese
slices of strawberry (use the smaller ones with more intense flavors)

yum

Posted by renh at 11:54 AM | Comments (0)

March 16, 2008

weekend treat

1. Braised lamb

Recipe follows. I bought the much less expensive lamb necks, because I wasn't sure about the quality of meat. It turned out as perfect. Next time, lamb shanks! The Bordeaux isn't cheap. It's already sweet enough, so leave the apricot and olive out. Next time, I'll use lamb necks for clear broth Chinese style and lamb shanks for the braised recipe. Actually one braised lamb dish is very popular in my hometown. I'll try to ask mom about it.

2. cracker addiction continued
spread french brie (the type with pepper on the crust) on cabaret crackers, also with grape and roasted peanuts. The taste reminded me of the movie ratatouille.

3. TT's original spring pasta
half a package of organic tri-color vegetable radiatore (from trader-joe),
3/4 - 1 cup julienned sun-dried tomatoes (from sparrow/kerry town)
thin sliced sweet onion (half, oso-sweet from bello vino)
four pineapple-teriyaki meatballs (aidells) sliced
fresh parsley leaves
four cloves of garlic
fresh mozzarella sliced
tomato sliced
pesto (from sparrow/kerry town)
boil pasta. saute garlic and sun-dried tomatoes with EVOO. season with kosher salt, black pepper and italian seasonings. Add sweet onion and meatballs. Finally add the finely chopped parsley (fresh basil would be good, but unfortunately wasn't around). toss pasta with pesto and combine with the sautéed mixture. when serving top with mozzarella slices and tomato slices.
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Braised Lamb Shanks With Green Olives And Apricots
Recipe Courtesy Tyler Florence
Show: Food 911
Episode: Wine and Dine

4 lamb shanks, about 8 ounces each
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 sprigs fresh thyme, plus 2 sprigs
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
1 lemon, zested in big strips
2 garlic cloves, halved
1/2 teaspoon whole cloves
2 cinnamon sticks, plus 2 sticks
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon sugar
1 bottle full-bodied red wine, such as Cabernet Sauvignon
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups lamb or chicken stock
1 cup pearl onions, peeled
3 carrots, coarsely chopped
12 large green Spanish olives
12 dried apricots
First off, you want to marinate the lamb shanks for a few hours to really penetrate the deep flavor; the wine also tenderizes the meat. Put the shanks in a large glass bowl and season with salt and pepper. Break up the thyme and rosemary with your hands to release the oils and toss them on top of the lamb. Add the lemon peel, garlic, cloves, cinnamon, peppercorns, bay leaves, and sugar. Pour in the bottle of wine, cover and refrigerate for 4 to 6 hours.
Line a few layers of paper towels on the counter. Pull the lamb shanks out of the wine marinade (reserving it for later), and lay them out on the paper towels, cover with more paper towels and pat the meat dry really well. Put the flour in a large shallow platter and season it with a fair amount of salt and pepper. Dredge the lamb shanks in the seasoned flour; tapping off the excess.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place a large Dutch oven or other heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat and add the oil. Sear the lamb shanks, turning carefully with tongs, so all sides are a brown caramel color. Drizzle with a little more oil if needed. Do this in batches if the shanks are big and look crowded in the pot. Strain marinade reserving the wine. Add the wine, remaining 2 sticks of cinnamon, remaining 2 sprigs of thyme and the stuff from the marinade. Cook until slightly reduced, about 5 minutes. Pour in the stock and add the onions, carrots, olives, and apricots; bring to a boil. Cover the pot. Place in the oven for 2 1/2 to 3 hours.
Transfer the lamb shanks to a large platter. Spoon the onions, olives, and apricots over them. Strain the braising juices and season with salt and pepper. Pour the sauce over the platter and serve with some crusty bread.

Posted by renh at 10:28 PM | Comments (0)

March 08, 2008

dinner

1. steamed pork and cabbage bum
3/4 lb ground pork, half small cabbage, 1 egg
mince garlic, ginger and green onion. combine with pork. season with salt, sugar, soy sauce, oyster sauce, chicken essence, and sesame oil. set aside. finely chop cabbage. combine pork with cabbage, add one egg to improve consistency. season with more salt. 2 cups of flour. yield about 28 bums.

2. 粉蒸肉
half a rack of baby back ribs, ask the butcher to cut it length-wise in half and individually along each bone. 2 packages of 蒸肉粉. one yam. marinade ribs in sugar, salt, soy sauce and cooking rice wine for at least 45min in fridge. coat with 蒸肉粉 and steam with yam slices on the bottom of the bowl for 40min.

3. butternut squash and sticky rice cake
I prefer small squashes with dark red flesh, which tastes best. Peel the skin off, slice the squash. bake the slices in glass container with foil covered at 400 degree for 40 min, mash with a fork. add 1/4 cup of brown suger. combine with 1 lb of sticky rice powder. add 1/2 cup fresh squeezed OJ (from 2 juice oranges), 1/2 cup milk, and 1/4 cup vegetable oil. finally add chopped dates (9 big dates). bake 350 degree for at least one hour. I prefer smooth and chewy texture, so I didn't add baking soda or powder; if more texture is favored, egg and baking soda/powder can be added.

Posted by renh at 10:24 PM | Comments (0)

guacamole

Guacamole
Copyright, 1999 The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook
Show: Barefoot Contessa
Episode: Tex Mex
This recipe is available for a limited time only. Why?

4 ripe Haas avocados
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (1 lemon)
8 dashes hot pepper sauce
1/2 cup small-diced red onion (1 small onion)
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 medium tomato, seeded, and small-diced
Cut the avocados in 1/2, remove the pits, and scoop the flesh out of their shells into a large bowl. (I use my hands.) Immediately add the lemon juice, hot pepper sauce, onion, garlic, salt, and pepper and toss well. Using a sharp knife, slice through the avocados in the bowl until they are finely diced. Add the tomatoes. Mix well and taste for salt and pepper.

Posted by renh at 01:23 PM | Comments (0)

March 04, 2008

appetizer

cabaret crisp and creamy crackers
spread with kaukauna parmesan ranch cheese
layer with one slice of strawberry (or with one slice of kiwi for more color)

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arctic clam (frozen) cleaned
with chinese herb stewed peanuts (or plus some crispy celery for more color)

Posted by renh at 12:00 AM | Comments (0)

March 03, 2008

herb potato

cut Fingerling Potatoes into pieces (not too small) and put on a foil
sprinkle with salt, suger, minced garlic, italian seasoning, and extra virgin olive oil. toss to coat potato evenly.
seal the potato inside the foil.
bake 425 degree for 1 hour.

Posted by renh at 11:54 PM | Comments (0)

March 02, 2008

sunday lunch

I just made flounder with orange-shallot sauce. I probably put too much black pepper in the flour. The taste is pungent. Otherwise, the OJ, shallot and mustard go beautifully together. I especially like the crispy crust on the fish. Yum.
I think the reason for my previous failure on flounder lies probably in my laziness. I didn't thaw the fish before I cooked them. Today I have to coat the fish with seasoned flour, so I thawed the fish first. When I pull the fish out of the vacuum sealed bag, it left quite some water in the bag.

Another dish is andouille sausage stir fry.

2 links of Aidells Cajun Style Andouille Sausage (fully cooked), cut in half and sliced.
9 mini-sweet peppers (3 yellow, 3 red, and 3 orange), julienned.
one pack of mushroom (8oz, white button mushroom), halved or quartered.
saute 4 cloves of garlic with EVOO, salt and sugar. add mushroom with italian seasoning and black pepper, stir until it is cooked and gives off water. add sausage, cook until it renders some fat. add peppers in the end. add a little bit of oyster sauce and teriyaki barbecue sauce for more taste. finally add the chopped fresh parsley.

Posted by renh at 02:16 PM | Comments (0)

March 01, 2008

classic marinade

make a marinade!

an effective way to reduce the formation of cancer-causing compounds in grilled meats, poultry, game and fish is to marinate foods before grilling. In fact, studies have shown that even briefly marinating foods is effective in reducing the amount of HCA's (heterocyclic amines) as much as 92-99%.

A marinade may act as a "barrier", keeping flames from directly touching the meat. The protective powders may lie in the ingredients which are common in typical marinade: vinegar, citrus juice, herbs, spinces, olive and safflower oil. Approximately a half-cup of marinade is required for every pound of food, so that all surfaces will be in contact with the marinade long enough to achieve a benefit.

Instructions
Ingredients:
1/2 cup rice or white wine vinegar
1 Tbsp. canola oil
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 small bay leaf
2 sprigs fresh rosemary, thyme or oregano (or 1/2 tsp. dried)
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/2 tsp. fresh ground black pepper

1. For grilling: assorted vegetables, sliced into thick rounds (eggplant, zucchini, summer squash, bell peppers, mushrooms or red onion); lean meat, skinless poultry, fish or firm tofu cut into 2-inch cubes or chunks.
2. In bowl, combine marinade ingredients until well blended. Add food to be grilled and turn several times until all sides are coated.
3. cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, occasionally turning food so that marinade is evenly distributed.
4. Drain and discard marinade. Thread skewers with vegetables, meat or tofu.
5. Grill, turning often to prevent charring. If desired, make additional marinade for basting. Do not baste with used marinade.

Posted by renh at 10:55 PM | Comments (0)

Aidells Red Beans And Rice

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 links Aidells Cajun Style Andouille Sausage, chopped
1 teaspoon cajun seasoning (or thyme)
1 small onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1/4 cup roasted red peppers or pimentos, chopped
1 15-ounce can of red beans or kidney beans
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1/2 cup chicken stock
4 cups cooked long grain white rice

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet and saute the sausage, Cajun seasoning, onion, celery and garlic over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add the red peppers, beans, tomato sauce and chicken stock. Simmer 10 minutes. Serves.

Posted by renh at 10:48 PM | Comments (0)

flounder

I bought some flounder from Sam's club. I guess I want some change from tilapia, which has been consistently great. This one is more tender and easy to shrink after cooking. I tried to sautee it but wasn't satisfied with the taste. I found some recipes and plan to try them.

Tomato and Basil Flounder Recipe courtesy Jill Horner
Show: FoodNation With Bobby Flay
Episode: Atlantic City, NJ





Make sure fish is fresh! If you are buying a whole fish it should be firm to the touch and should come back up if you push on it. Eyes should be clear. Smell before you buy! Fresh Fish should not smell fishy or like ammonia

Olive oil, for sauteing
1/2 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 red bell pepper, cut in strips
1 green bell pepper, cut in strips
6 plum tomatoes, diced
1/4 cup water
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons dry oregano, plus more for seasoning
2 to 3 big leaves fresh basil
12 asparagus stalks
4 (1/4 pound) medium flounder fillets
Garlic powder
Chopped parsley, for garnish

Coat a large saute pan with oil.
Saute, over medium heat, onion and garlic until onions are translucent. Add peppers. Cook approx. 2 minutes. Then add tomatoes and 1/4 cup water. Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Add oregano and basil. Cook for approximately 10 minutes, contents should be juicy. Add asparagus. Cook another 5 minutes.

Rinse fish in cold water. Season with a pinch of salt, black pepper, oregano, and garlic powder. Separate ingredients in saute pan. Push all solid ingredients to one side. Gently lay fish in hot liquid, try not to let fillets overlap. Cover. Cook 5 to 10 minutes depending on thickness of fillets.

When fillets become a milky white, they are done. Garnish with parsley.

This recipe was provided by professional chefs and has been scaled down from a bulk recipe provided by a restaurant. The FN chefs have not tested this recipe, in the proportions indicated, and therefore, we cannot make any representation as to the results.

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Baked Stuffed Flounder Recipe courtesy Alton Brown, 2005
Show: Good Eats
Episode: Flat is Beautiful III - Flounder





2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus extra for the sweat and for seasoning fillets
1 clove garlic, minced
1 (10-ounce package) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 lemon, zested
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus extra for seasoning fillets
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup white wine
10 ounces grated Cheddar
1 1/2 to 2 pounds flounder fillets
3 cups leftover cooked rice

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
In a medium saute pan over low heat, melt the butter; add the onion and a pinch of salt and sweat until translucent. Add the garlic and continue to cook for another minute. Add the spinach and lemon zest and cook until just heated through. Season with the salt and pepper, add the parsley, and stir to combine. Remove from the heat and keep warm.

Place the heavy cream and wine into a saucepan over medium heat. Once the mixture begins to simmer, gradually add the cheese and stir until melted. Set aside and keep warm.

If the fillets are large, cut in half. Season each filet on both sides with salt and pepper. Divide the spinach mixture evenly among the fillets and roll the fish around the mixture. Place the rice into a 2 1/2-quart casserole dish and spread evenly. Place each roll on top of the rice, seam side down. Pour over the cheese sauce and place in the oven for 25 minutes. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving.
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Sauteed Flounder with Orange-Shallot Sauce Recipe courtesy EatingWell.com

Look for Pacific Flounder. Its delicate flavor is wonderfully balanced by the sweet and savory combination of orange, shallot and mustard. A large nonstick skillet is highly recommended. Otherwise, cook the fillets in two batches, using 1 1/2 teaspoons oil per batch.

1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
Freshly ground pepper to taste
1 pound flounder, sole or haddock fillets
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 large shallot, finely chopped (about 1/3 cup)
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
2 heaping teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons butter
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Mix flour, salt and pepper in a shallow dish. Thoroughly dredge fish fillets in the mixture.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering but not smoking (see Tip). Add the fish and cook until lightly browned and just opaque in the center, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and cover loosely with foil.

Add shallot to the pan and cook over medium-high heat, stirring often, until softened and beginning to brown, about 3 minutes. Add wine and bring to a simmer, scraping up any browned bits. Cook until most of the liquid has evaporated, 1 to 2 minutes. Add orange juice and mustard; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer until the sauce thickens a bit, about 5 minutes. Add butter and parsley; stir until the butter has melted. Transfer fish to individual plates, top with sauce and serve.

A large nonstick skillet is highly recommended. Otherwise, cook the fillets in two batches, using 1 1/2 teaspoons oil per batch.
At the Fish Counter
When buying fish, trust your instincts. Look for red gills, bright reflective skin, firm flesh, an undamaged layer of scales and no browning anywhere. The smell should be sweet, like a morning on the beach. The best whole fish look alive, as if they just came out of the water.

Posted by renh at 06:36 PM | Comments (0)

brunch

Smoked Salmon and Cream Cheese Frittata From Food Network Kitchens
Show: How To Boil Water
Episode: Break an Egg
6 large eggs
2 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons chopped chives
2 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 ounces smoked salmon, chopped
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
Serving suggestion: Crispy potatoes and mesclun salad

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees F.
Whisk the eggs, milk, dill, salt, pepper, and chives together in a bowl. Using two spoons or your fingers, separate the cream cheese into small clumps. Fold the cream cheese and salmon into the egg mixture.

Heat the oil in a medium non-stick skillet over medium-low heat. Pour the egg mixture into the skillet, and stir lightly to make sure the fillings are evenly arranged in the pan. Cook until the bottom is set, but not brown, about 2 minutes. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake until the top is set, about 8 minutes. Remove from the oven, cover, and set aside for 5 minutes.

Invert the frittata onto a large plate. Cut into wedges and serve warm or at room temperature.

Copyright 2002 Television Food Network, G.P. All rights reserved

Posted by renh at 05:41 PM | Comments (0)

February 17, 2008

creme brulee

Creme Brulee
Recipe courtesy Alton Brown, 2005
Show: Good Eats
Episode: My Pod

1 quart heavy cream
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
1 cup vanilla sugar, divided
6 large egg yolks
2 quarts hot water
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
Place the cream, vanilla bean and its pulp into a medium saucepan set over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat, cover and allow to sit for 15 minutes. Remove the vanilla bean and reserve for another use.

In a medium bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup sugar and the egg yolks until well blended and it just starts to lighten in color. Add the cream a little at a time, stirring continually. Pour the liquid into 6 (7 to 8-ounce) ramekins. Place the ramekins into a large cake pan or roasting pan. Pour enough hot water into the pan to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake just until the creme brulee is set, but still trembling in the center, approximately 40 to 45 minutes. Remove the ramekins from the roasting pan and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 3 days.

Remove the creme brulee from the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes prior to browning the sugar on top. Divide the remaining 1/2 cup vanilla sugar equally among the 6 dishes and spread evenly on top. Using a torch, melt the sugar and form a crispy top. Allow the creme brulee to sit for at least 5 minutes before serving.

Posted by renh at 09:37 PM | Comments (0)

February 02, 2008

stir fry

4-5 cloves of garlic minced
several slices of ginger
dry shiitake mushroom 8-10 small caps (soaked and thin sliced)
2 frozen winter bamboo shoot halves (sliced)
some deveined salad shrimp (cleaned)
chicken stock
0.89 lb baby bok choi

saute garlic, ginger, and mushroom together. add suger and salt. add cleaned bok choi (drain off the excess water), add a splash of chick stock. put the lid on. when the bok choi is half cooked, layer the bamboo shoots and shrimp on top. put the lid back on. several minutes later, stir to mix. add oyster sauce and 鸡精. add corn starch water, combine to thicken the sauce.

Posted by renh at 11:39 PM | Comments (0)

January 24, 2008

Cook's illustrated video podcast

I like this podcast. It's more like the good eats' style, not just "cheap cheat" kind of thing.

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If you cannot find superfine sugar, you can obtain a close approximation by processing regular granulated sugar in a food processor for about 20 seconds. If desired, the cookies can be finished with sprinkles or other decorations immediately after glazing.
INGREDIENTS

Butter Cookie Dough
2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (12 1/2 ounces)
3/4 cup superfine sugar (5 1/2 ounces)
1/4 teaspoon table salt
16 tablespoons unsalted butter , ( 2 sticks) cut into sixteen 1/2-inch pieces, at cool room temperature (about 65 degrees)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons cream cheese , at room temperature

Glaze
1 tablespoon cream cheese , at room temperature
3 tablespoons milk
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar (6 ounces)

1. FOR THE COOKIES: In bowl of standing mixer fitted with flat beater, mix flour, sugar, and salt on low speed until combined, about 5 seconds. With mixer running on low, add butter 1 piece at a time; continue to mix until mixture looks crumbly and slightly wet, about 1 minute longer. Add vanilla and cream cheese and mix on low until dough just begins to form large clumps, about 30 seconds.
2. Remove bowl from mixer; knead dough by hand in bowl for 2 to 3 turns to form large cohesive mass. Turn out dough onto countertop; divide in half, pat into two 4-inch disks, wrap each in plastic, and refrigerate until they begin to firm up, 20 to 30 minutes. (Can be refrigerated up to 3 days or frozen up to 2 weeks; defrost in refrigerator before using.)
3. Adjust oven rack to middle position; heat oven to 375 degrees. Roll out 1 dough disk to even 1/8-inch thickness between 2 large sheets parchment paper; slide rolled dough on parchment onto baking sheet and chill until firm, about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, repeat with second disk.
4. Working with first portion of rolled dough, cut into desired shapes using cookie cutter(s) and place shapes on parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing them about 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake until light golden brown, about 10 minutes, rotating baking sheet halfway through baking time. Repeat with second portion of rolled dough. (Dough scraps can be patted together, chilled, and re-rolled once.) Cool cookies on wire rack to room temperature.
5. FOR THE GLAZE: Whisk cream cheese and 2 tablespoons milk in medium bowl until combined and no lumps remain. Whisk in confectioners' sugar until smooth, adding remaining milk as needed until glaze is thin enough to spread easily. Drizzle or spread scant teaspoon glaze with back of spoon onto each cooled cookie, as desired.
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Shelling out hundreds of dollars for a Dutch oven is less necessary than ever. We put two new low-cost models, one from Tramontina ($39.86) and another from Lodge ($49.86), to the test and liked what we found. We were impressed by the significantly cheaper Round Enameled Cast Iron Casserole with Lid by Chefmate for Target ($39.99).
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An enameled cast-iron Dutch oven with a tight-fitting lid yields best results, but the recipe also works in a regular cast-iron Dutch oven or heavy stockpot. (See the related information in "Making Your Dutch Oven Safe for High-Heat Baking" for information on converting Dutch oven handles to work safely in a hot oven.) Use a mild-flavored lager, such as Budweiser (mild non-alcoholic lager also works). The bread is best eaten the day it is baked but can be wrapped in aluminum foil and stored in a cool, dry place for up to 2 days.
INGREDIENTS
3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (15 ounces), plus additional for dusting work surface
1/4 teaspoon instant or rapid-rise yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons table salt
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons water (7 ounces), at room temperature
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons mild-flavored lager (3 ounces)
1 tablespoon white vinegar

See Illustrations Below: Almost No-Knead Bread

1. Whisk flour, yeast, and salt in large bowl. Add water, beer, and vinegar. Using rubber spatula, fold mixture, scraping up dry flour from bottom of bowl until shaggy ball forms. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 8 to 18 hours.
2. Lay 12- by 18-inch sheet of parchment paper inside 10-inch skillet and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Transfer dough to lightly floured work surface and knead 10 to 15 times. Shape dough into ball by pulling edges into middle. Transfer dough, seam-side down, to parchment-lined skillet and spray surface of dough with nonstick cooking spray. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until dough has doubled in size and does not readily spring back when poked with finger, about 2 hours.
3. About 30 minutes before baking, adjust oven rack to lowest position, place 6- to 8-quart heavy-bottomed Dutch oven (with lid) on rack, and heat oven to 500 degrees. Lightly flour top of dough and, using razor blade or sharp knife, make one 6-inch-long, 1/2-inch-deep slit along top of dough. Carefully remove pot from oven and remove lid. Pick up dough by lifting parchment overhang and lower into pot (let any excess parchment hang over pot edge). Cover pot and place in oven. Reduce oven temperature to 425 degrees and bake covered for 30 minutes. Remove lid and continue to bake until loaf is deep brown and instant-read thermometer inserted into center registers 210 degrees, 20 to 30 minutes longer. Carefully remove bread from pot; transfer to wire rack and cool to room temperature, about 2 hours.
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Quicker Beef Vegetable Soup

We found a faster path to a full-flavored soup.
The Problem: Given enough meat, bones, and time, a great beef soup isn't all that hard to make. But can you make an equally great soup without spending that much time and energy?

The Goal: We wanted to make beef and vegetable soup in just an hour, without sacrificing the intense flavor of a long-simmered homemade beef stock.

The Solution: We first needed to find a cut of meat with the right texture. After testing nearly a dozen samples, we settled on sirloin tip steak—its shredded texture fooled tasters into thinking the meat had cooked for hours. To keep to our time limit, we had to use store-bought broth but knew it would need some serious doctoring. After analyzing the flavor components in beef broth, we tested a group of foods that contained glutamates—naturally occurring flavor compounds that accentuate beefy flavors. We chose cremini mushrooms, tomato paste, soy sauce, and red wine. Finally, we wanted to recreate the richness developed in long-simmered soup that is a result of collagen (tough proteins in the meat and bones) breaking down into gelatin. Adding a tablespoon of gelatin softened in cold water provided the missing viscosity.

Beef and Vegetable Soup
Choose whole sirloin tip steaks over ones that have been cut into small pieces for stir-fries. If sirloin tip steaks are unavailable, substitute blade or flank steak, removing any hard gristle or excess fat. Button mushrooms can be used in place of the cremini mushrooms, with some trade-off in flavor. Our preferred brand of beef broth is Pacific. If you like, add 1 cup of frozen peas, frozen corn, or frozen cut green beans during the last 5 minutes of cooking. For a heartier soup, add 10 ounces of red-skinned potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (2 cups), during the last 15 minutes of cooking.

Serves 6
1 pound sirloin tip steaks , trimmed of excess fat and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (see note above)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 pound cremini mushrooms , stems trimmed, caps wiped clean and quartered
1 large onion , chopped medium (about 1 1/2 cups)
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 medium garlic clove , minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 1 teaspoon)
1/2 cup red wine
4 cups beef broth (see note above)
1 3/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
4 medium carrots , peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 2 cups)
2 medium ribs celery , cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 3/4 cup)
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon unflavored gelatin (powdered)
1/2 cup cold water
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
Table salt and ground black pepper

1. Combine beef and soy sauce in medium bowl; set aside for 15 minutes.

2. Heat oil in large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add mushrooms and onion; cook, stirring frequently, until onion pieces are brown and dark bits form on pan bottom, 8 to 12 minutes. Transfer vegetables to bowl.

3. Add beef and cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid evaporates and meat starts to brown, 6 to 10 minutes. Add tomato paste and garlic; cook, stirring constantly, until aromatic, about 30 seconds. Add red wine, scraping bottom of pot with wooden spoon to loosen browned bits, and cook until syrupy, 1 to 2 minutes.

4. Add beef broth, chicken broth, carrots, celery, bay leaf, and browned mushrooms and onion; bring to boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until vegetables and meat are tender, 25 to 30 minutes. While soup is simmering, sprinkle gelatin over cold water and let stand.

5. When soup is finished, turn off heat. Remove bay leaf. Add gelatin mixture and stir until completely dissolved. Stir in parsley; adjust seasonings with salt and pepper, and serve.
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Reconsidering Cast Iron—Cast-Iron Skillets
Centuries before DuPont invented Teflon in 1938, people were cooking with cast iron. Over the past 30 years, nonstick skillets have taken the place of cast iron in most homes. But with disturbing reports about the effects of nonstick coatings on the environment and our health, we decided to take another look at cast iron to see if it is worth bringing back into the kitchen.

Cast iron has always been known to have a few advantages over other types of cookware. Its material and weight give it excellent heat retention for high-heat cooking techniques such as frying and searing. You can use it on the stovetop or bake with it in the oven. Its durability is legendary-many people are still cooking with cast-iron pans handed down for generations. Unlike most consumer products, cast-iron pans actually improve with time and heavy use.

Cast iron also has disadvantages. It's heavy and needs special care. It must be seasoned to prevent it from rusting or reacting with the foods you cook. Until its seasoning is well established, food will stick to it. You shouldn't use soap or steel wool on it, lest you strip off the seasoning.

When we went shopping for cast-iron pans to test, we noticed that although you can still find traditional cast iron, manufacturers have been tweaking the design and materials to maintain its principal benefits while diminishing some of the downside. They have begun coating the surface with a variety of materials to either begin the seasoning process for you or render it unnecessary. In some cases, new coatings bonded onto the cast iron make soap and even the dishwasher no longer off-limits.

One thing that didn't always get better with innovation is price: Traditional unseasoned cast-iron skillets are a true bargain, costing between $11 and $20. Most preseasoned pans are also fairly cheap, at $15 to $30, but we found fancier pans that hovered around the $100 mark.

Seasoned Wisdom
"Seasoning" is a word you hear a lot around cast iron. It might sound mysterious, but it's just oil and carbon residue from cooking that polymerize when heated and bond to the cast iron, forming a smooth surface. You build up seasoning over time simply by cooking in the pan and doing routine maintenance (see "Taking Care of Cast Iron," below). Until recently, all cast-iron pans were purchased unseasoned. For our testing, we bought eight skillets, all about 12 inches in diameter: three factory-seasoned pans, three traditional unseasoned pans, and two with innovative finishes that required no seasoning. Le Creuset's skillet has a matte-textured black enamel interior, rather than the glossy cream-colored finish found inside the company's Dutch ovens. Newcomer Olvida offered the most unusual finish of all: nickel plating that made the pan shiny silver. The nickel finish is designed to be nonreactive and safe with metal utensils, soap, and the dishwasher. We followed manufacturer directions to prepare the unseasoned pans for cooking.

Our first goal was to see how the cast-iron pans stacked up against our favorite nonstick skillet, the All-Clad Nonstick 12-Inch Skillet ($159.95), and our favorite stainless-steel skillet, the All-Clad Stainless 12-Inch Skillet ($134.95), in a battery of cooking tasks.

One of the primary reasons to own a nonstick skillet is to cook eggs, so we started by rating each pan for sticking and ease of cleaning when cooking scrambled eggs. Next, we baked corn bread to test evenness of browning and oven performance. We pan-seared steak to test searing ability and made tomato-caper pan sauce with the resulting fond to see whether the cast iron would react with the acid in the sauce. We also shallow-fried breaded chicken cutlets while wiring the pans with a thermocouple to measure their responsiveness, conductivity, and heat retention—all reflecting their ability to evenly and crisply fry chicken.

In the egg test, the nonstick skillet was the runaway winner; the performance of the cast-iron pans ranged from mediocre to poor. The cast-iron pans were clearly superior in the corn bread tests, producing the brownest, crispest crust. They were on par with the stainless-steel pan in the steak and chicken tests. Though not unexpected, the results were somewhat disappointing.

However, we noticed that most of the cast-iron pans improved their ability to release food as our testing progressed. The seasoning (whether done by the manufacturer or us) was becoming thicker and more reliable. We decided to try the egg test again and were surprised by the dramatic improvement. Pans that had performed poorly in the first egg test did a decent job, and the preseasoned pans were now nearly as good as the nonstick pan in this test. Given such dramatic improvement over just a few weeks, we were not surprised when the cast-iron pans continued to become more "nonstick" with time.

At this point, we concluded that a cast-iron pan can combine the best traits of both nonstick and traditional cookware: You could make eggs and sear steak in the same pan. However, this endorsement comes with two important caveats—you must choose the right pan, and you must be willing to care for it.

Casting Call
So which of these eight cast-iron pans is our favorite? There were several factors that distinguished the high-ranked models. First, they were seasoned by the manufacturer. Seasoning new pans in the oven creates oily fumes and a mess as shortening drips off the pan. What's more, the unseasoned pans lagged behind the factory-seasoned pans in nonstick performance throughout our testing. Their lighter hue also produced lighter browning on the corn bread than the solidly black preseasoned pans. This year, Lodge discontinued selling unseasoned cast iron, stating that customers preferred the preseasoned pans by a wide margin. According to Lodge spokesperson Mark Kelly, the factory seasoning is "equivalent to seasoning it yourself 20 times." We think this leg up is well worth a few extra dollars.

Second, evenness of cooking without hot spots or heat surges was very important. We wanted a pan that wouldn't cool off too much when food was added and would quickly climb back to the desired temperature. The Bayou Classic skillet had trouble maintaining steady heat, a major flaw for this type of pan. When we weighed the pans and measured the thickness of their bottoms, we discovered that the Bayou was the thinnest. Our top-ranked pans were up to twice as thick and all demonstrated more even distribution and retention of heat.

A third key factor was the diameter of the interior cooking surface, which made a difference when trying to
accommodate multiple chicken breasts or steaks without crowding or steaming. Despite averaging 12 inches from rim to rim, the interior cooking surfaces of the pans ranged from 9 1/4 inches to 10 3/4 inches. We have a strong preference for the larger pans.

Weight was a thorny issue. While we preferred the bigger pans, they tended to be heavy and difficult for a smaller cook to manipulate in tasks such as swirling melting butter, pouring off a pan sauce, and flipping to release corn bread. Good handle design can help offset the problem. Our top-ranked pans all featured helper handles opposite the main handle. Two pans (Le Creuset and Lodge Pro-Logic) also featured larger main handles, which made the pans easier for smaller cooks to use.

Durability is one of the biggest virtues of cast iron. And while the Le Creuset pan performed very well, the enameled bottom of the pan also became chipped and scratched with routine use during testing. (You also can't use metal utensils with this pan or stack other pans inside it.) If you want a kitchen workhorse, this isn't it. The nickel finish on the Olvida pan was durable and worked as described, but it didn't offer significant enough advantage over preseasoned cast iron to warrant spending nearly $100. While we often find that you get what you pay for, in the case of cast iron, you don't need to spend more to get more.

In the end, we preferred the classic design-with straight (rather than sloped) sides-and roomy interior of the preseasoned Lodge Logic Skillet ($26.95). It performed well in all our cooking tests, its surface gained seasoning in the course of testing, and it will last for generations. If you are strong and don't mind a truly heavy pan, the
preseasoned Camp Chef skillet is a solid performer for only $17.99. It's our Best Buy.

TAKING CARE OF CAST IRON
Routine Maintenance
If you buy a preseasoned pan (and you should), you can use the pan with little fuss.
Don't wash the pan with soap or leave it in the sink to soak. Rinse it out under hot running water, scrubbing with a brush to remove traces of food. (This is easiest if done while the pan is still warm.)
(Dry the pan thoroughly and put it back on the burner on low heat until all traces of moisture disappear (this keeps rusting at bay). Put a few drops of vegetable oil in the warm, dry pan and wipe the interior with a wad of paper towels until it is lightly covered with oil. Then, using fresh paper towels, rub more firmly to burnish the surface and remove all excess oil. The pan shouldn't look or feel oily to the touch. Turn off the heat and allow the pan to cool before putting it away.

Heavy-Duty Cleaning
If you have stuck-on food or you've inherited a pan that is rusty or gummy, scrub it with kosher salt.
Pour in
vegetable oil to a depth of 1/4 inch, then place the pan on a stove set to medium-low for 5 minutes. Remove pan from heat and add 1/4 cup kosher salt. Using potholder to grip hot handle, use thick cushion of paper towels to scrub pan. Warm oil will loosen food or rust, and kosher salt will have abrading effect. Rinse pan under hot running water, dry well, and repeat, if necessary.

Reseasoning
If cooking acidic foods or improper cleaning has removed the seasoning from your pan, it will look dull, patchy, and dry instead of a smooth, rich black. You need to restore the seasoning. We have found this stovetop method (rather than the usual oven method) to be the most effective way to season a cast-iron pan.
Heat pan over medium-high heat until drop of water evaporates on contact. Wipe inside with wad of paper towels dipped in
vegetable oil (hold towels with tongs to protect yourself). Wipe out excess oil and repeat as needed until pan is
slick.

CAST IRON HISTORY
Cast-iron cookware is formed by pouring molten iron into a mold made of sand, which is used only once, making each pan unique. The process originated in China in the 6th century B.C. and has been mostly unchanged for centuries, with the exception of machines that now pour the hot metal into the molds. Cast iron was the material of choice for cookware in America until the early 20th century, when aluminum became affordable. At one time, there were dozens of American companies making cast-iron cookware. Today, there are just two, Lodge and American Culinary (which sells pans under the Wagner label). Most of the pans we tested are made in China.
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This dish is best when prepared with whole-milk yogurt, but low-fat yogurt can be substituted. For a spicier dish, do not remove the ribs and seeds from the chile. If you prefer, substitute 2 teaspoons ground coriander, 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom, 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, and 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper for the garam masala. The sauce can be made ahead, refrigerated for up to 4 days in an airtight container, and gently reheated before adding the hot chicken. Serve with basmati rice.
INGREDIENTS

Chicken Tikka
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon table salt
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts , trimmed of fat
1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt (see note above)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 medium garlic cloves , minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

Masala Sauce
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium onion , diced fine (about 1 1/4 cups)
2 medium garlic cloves , minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
1 fresh serrano chile , ribs and seeds removed, flesh minced (see note above)
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon garam masala (see note above)
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon table salt
2/3 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves

See Illustrations Below: Chicken Tikka Masala

1. FOR THE CHICKEN: Combine cumin, coriander, cayenne, and salt in small bowl. Sprinkle both sides of chicken with spice mixture, pressing gently so mixture adheres. Place chicken on plate, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 to 60 minutes. In large bowl, whisk together yogurt, oil, garlic, and ginger; set aside.
2. FOR THE SAUCE: Heat oil in large Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and cook, stirring frequently, until light golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Add garlic, ginger, chile, tomato paste, and garam masala; cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add crushed tomatoes, sugar, and salt; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in cream and return to simmer. Remove pan from heat and cover to keep warm.
3. While sauce simmers, adjust oven rack to upper-middle position (about 6 inches from heating element) and heat broiler. Using tongs, dip chicken into yogurt mixture (chicken should be coated with thick layer of yogurt) and arrange on wire rack set in foil-lined rimmed baking sheet or broiler pan. Discard excess yogurt mixture. Broil chicken until thickest parts register 160 degrees on instant-read thermometer and exterior is lightly charred in spots, 10 to 18 minutes, flipping chicken halfway through cooking.
4. Let chicken rest 5 minutes, then cut into 1-inch chunks and stir into warm sauce (do not simmer chicken in sauce). Stir in cilantro, adjust seasoning with salt, and serve.

Posted by renh at 11:16 PM | Comments (0)

January 23, 2008

show

I like anthony bourdain's show no reservation on the travel channel. But I couldn't help but notice his distain for RR. Just checked the imdb website and found someone had the same notion. I have to say that I have to agree with quite a few comments regarding this issue. Quick-and-easy is good, but sometime nothing can substitute the meals made out of freshness, effort, and patience. for example, simply putting fruit on the store-bought pudding doesn't equal to a fruit tart. Yes, it may only take you 10 min. But just eating pudding as pudding and fruit as fruit would take you even less time. I like alton brown's show and ina's recipe, on the contrary to RR and SL.

Posted by renh at 02:42 PM | Comments (0)

January 20, 2008

Lemon Curd Tart

For the tart shell:
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, plus more for greasing, at room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
Pinch salt
For the lemon curd:
4 lemons, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
4 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1/8 teaspoon salt

For the tart shell:
Mix the butter and sugar together in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment until they are just combined. Add the vanilla. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour and salt, then add them to the butter-and-sugar mixture. Mix on low speed until the dough starts to come together. Dump onto a surface dusted with flour and shape into a flat disk. Press the dough into a 10-inch-round or 9-inch-square false-bottom tart pan, making sure that the finished edge is flat. Chill until firm.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Butter 1 side of a square of aluminum foil to fit inside the chilled tart and place it, buttered side down, on the pastry. Fill with beans or rice. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and beans, prick the tart all over with the tines of a fork, and bake again for 20 to 25 minutes more, or until lightly browned. Allow to cool to room temperature.

For the lemon curd:
Remove the zest of the lemons with a vegetable peeler or zester, being careful to avoid the white pith. Squeeze the lemons to make 1/2 cup of juice and set the juice aside. Put the zest in a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Add the sugar and process for 2 to 3 minutes, until the zest is very finely minced. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter with the sugar and lemon zest. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, and then add the lemon juice and salt. Mix until combined.

Pour the mixture into a 2-quart saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 10 minutes. The lemon curd will thicken at about 175 degrees F, or just below a simmer. Remove from the heat.

Fill the tart shell with warm lemon curd and allow to set at room temperature.

Strawberry Tarts
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) cold unsalted butter, diced
2 tablespoons cold shortening (recommended: Crisco)
1/4 cup ice water
2 cups Pastry Cream, recipe follows
2 pints whole strawberries, hulled and halved
1/3 cup apricot jelly
3 tablespoons shelled pistachios, halved, optional
Combine the flour, sugar, and salt in a small bowl and place in the freezer for 30 minutes. Put the flour mixture in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Add the butter and shortening and pulse about 10 times, or until the butter is in the size of peas. Add the ice water and process until the dough comes together. Dump on a well-floured board and form into a disk. Wrap in plastic and chill for at least 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Roll out the dough and fit into 4 (4 1/2-inch) tart pans with removable sides. Don't stretch the dough when placing it in the pans or it will shrink during baking. Cut off the excess by rolling the pin across the top of each pan. Line the tart shells with a piece of buttered aluminum foil, butter side down, and fill them with dried beans or rice. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove the beans and foil, prick the bottom of the shells all over with a fork, and bake for another 15 to 20 minutes until lightly browned. Set aside to cool.

Before serving, fill the tart shells with the pastry cream. Arrange the berries decoratively on top of the cream. Melt the apricot jelly with 1 teaspoon of water and brush the top of the tarts. Sprinkle with pistachios, if using, and serve.

Pastry Cream:
5 extra-large egg yolks, room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 1/2 cups scalded milk
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon Cognac
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon heavy cream
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the egg yolks and sugar on medium-high speed for 4 minutes, or until very thick. Reduce to low speed, and add the cornstarch.

With the mixer still on low, slowly pour the hot milk into the egg mixture. Pour the mixture into a medium saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the mixture thickens, 5 to 7 minutes. Don't be alarmed when the custard comes to a boil and appears to curdle; switch to a whisk and beat vigorously. Cook, whisking constantly, for another 2 minutes; the custard will come together and become very thick, like pudding. Stir in the vanilla, Cognac, butter, and heavy cream. Pour the custard through a sieve into a bowl. Place plastic wrap directly on the custard and refrigerate until cold.

Yield: 2 cups

Posted by renh at 09:54 PM | Comments (0)

January 19, 2008

pineapple bread pudding

5 extra-large whole eggs
2 cups coconut milk (1 can)
1 can dole pineapple tidbits (in pineapple juice not syrup) (drained)
2 teaspoons orange zest (2 oranges)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the whole eggs, coconut milk, pineapple orange zest, and salt. Set aside.

tear stale bread into pieces. Pour the egg mixture over the bread and allow to soak for 15 minutes, pressing down gently.

Bake for 55 to 60 minutes or until the pudding puffs up and the custard is set. Remove from the oven and cool slightly before serving.

Posted by renh at 11:27 PM | Comments (0)

Caramelized Shallots
Copyright, 2004, Barefoot in Paris, All Rights Reserved
See this recipe on air Saturday Jan. 26 at 6:00 PM ET/PT.
Show: Barefoot Contessa
Episode: Barefoot in Paris
This recipe is available for a limited time only. Why?

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter
2 pounds fresh shallots, peeled, with roots intact
3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons good red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Melt the butter in a 12-inch ovenproof saute pan, add the shallots and sugar, and toss to coat. Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, tossing occasionally, until the shallots start to brown. Add the vinegar, salt, and pepper and toss well.

Place the saute pan in the oven and roast for 15 to 30 minutes, depending on the size of the shallots, until they are tender. Season, to taste, sprinkle with parsley, and serve hot.

Endive, Pear, and Roquefort Salad
Copyright, 2004, Barefoot in Paris, All Rights Reserved
See this recipe on air Saturday Jan. 26 at 6:00 PM ET/PT.
Show: Barefoot Contessa
Episode: Barefoot in Paris
This recipe is available for a limited time only. Why?

4 to 6 heads of Belgian endive
1 1/2 tablespoons Champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar
3/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 egg yolk*, at room temperature
3/4 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6 tablespoons good olive oil
2 ripe Bartlett pears, halved, cored, and sliced
1/4 pound good Roquefort cheese
1/2 cup toasted walnut halves
Trim off the core end of each head of endive and slice it in half lengthwise. Cut out the cores, separate the leaves, and place 1 1/2 to 2 heads of endive on each plate.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the vinegar, mustard, egg yolk, salt, and pepper. Slowly whisk in the olive oil to make an emulsion. Toss the pears with some vinaigrette and place on the endive. Drizzle the remaining vinaigrette over the endive leaves to moisten them. Crumble the Roquefort onto the endive. Sprinkle with walnuts and serve at room temperature.
*RAW EGG WARNING
Food Network Kitchens suggest caution in consuming raw and lightly-cooked eggs due to the slight risk of Salmonella or other food-borne illness. To reduce this risk, we recommend you use only fresh, properly-refrigerated, clean, grade A or AA eggs with intact shells, and avoid contact between the yolks or whites and the shell.
Profiteroles
Copyright, 2004, Barefoot in Paris, All Rights Reserved
See this recipe on air Saturday Jan. 26 at 6:00 PM ET/PT.
Show: Barefoot Contessa
Episode: Barefoot in Paris
This recipe is available for a limited time only. Why?

1 cup milk
1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter
Pinch kosher salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
4 extra-large eggs
1/2 cup heavy cream
12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons prepared coffee
Good vanilla ice cream (recommended: Haagen-Dazs), for serving
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Heat the milk, butter, and salt over medium heat until scalded. When the butter is melted, add the flour all at once and beat it with a wooden spoon until the mixture comes together and forms a dough. Cook, stirring constantly, over low heat for 2 minutes. The flour will begin to coat the bottom of the pan. Dump the hot mixture into the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Add the eggs and pulse until the eggs are incorporated into the dough and the mixture is thick.

Spoon the mixture into a pastry bag fitted with a large plain round tip. Pipe in mounds 1 1/2 inches wide and 1-inch high onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. You should have about 18 puffs. With a wet finger, lightly press down the swirl at the top of each puff. (You can also use 2 spoons to scoop out the mixture and shape the puffs with damp fingers.) Bake for 20 minutes, or until lightly browned, then turn off the oven and allow them to sit for another 10 minutes, until they sound hollow when tapped on the bottom. Make a small slit in the side of each puff to allow the steam to escape. Set aside to cool.

For the chocolate sauce, place the cream and chocolate chips in a bowl set over simmering water and stir just until the chocolate melts. Add the honey and coffee and stir until smooth. Set aside.

For serving, cut each profiterole in half crosswise, fill with a small scoop of ice cream, replace the top, and drizzle with slightly warm chocolate sauce.

Tapenade
Copyright, 2004, Ina Garten, All Rights Reserved
See this recipe on air Saturday Jan. 26 at 6:00 PM ET/PT.
Show: Barefoot Contessa
Episode: Barefoot in Paris
This recipe is available for a limited time only. Why?

1/2 pound good black olives, such as kalamata, pitted and diced
3 tablespoons capers, drained
8 anchovy fillets
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 cup good olive oil
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves
1 baguette, sliced and toasted
Combine the olives, capers, anchovies and garlic in a food processor fitted with a steel blade, and pulse 3 times. Add the olive oil, lemon juice, mustard, thyme and parsley and process until chunky.
Serve on toasts.

Posted by renh at 11:16 PM | Comments (0)

January 13, 2008

shrimp scampi

Vegetable oil
Kosher salt
3/4 pound linguine
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 1/2 tablespoons good olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic (4 cloves)
1 pound large shrimp (about 16 shrimp), peeled and deveined
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
1/2 lemon, zest grated
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
1/4 lemon, thinly sliced in half-rounds
1/8 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
Drizzle some oil in a large pot of boiling salted water, add 1 tablespoon of salt and the linguine, and cook for 7 to 10 minutes, or according to the directions on the package.
Meanwhile, in another large (12-inch), heavy-bottomed pan, melt the butter and olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the garlic. Saute for 1 minute. Be careful, the garlic burns easily! Add the shrimp, 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt, and the pepper and saute until the shrimp have just turned pink, about 5 minutes, stirring often. Remove from the heat, add the parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice, lemon slices, and red pepper flakes. Toss to combine.

When the pasta is done, drain the cooked linguine and then put it back in the pot. Immediately add the shrimp and sauce, toss well, and serve.
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increase the amount of shallots. saute garlic, shallots, and red pepper flakes together with dry parsley with EVOO and butter. add shrimp. stir constantly. add sliced red bell pepper. l left out the lemon stuff. Maybe a little would help to ease the greasy feeling, but I simply didn't want to overpower the dish with too much lemony flavor.

Posted by renh at 03:09 PM | Comments (0)

week recipe

breakfast- egg omelet
finely chop half a medium red onion, chop 4 medium portabella mushrooms, mince garlic, slice shallots, sautee with EVOO, season with salt and pepper. I threw in some chopped boar's head hard salami. Low heat! beat 6 eggs mix with teared broccoli floret. pour the mixture into the same sauce pan. cover. finally sprinkle parmesan cheese and some black pepper on top.

lunch - shrimp dumpling

dinner - chicken wild rice soup

Posted by renh at 02:20 PM | Comments (0)

pancake

Pancake mix:
4 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons sugar
Pancake batter:
1 egg
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon melted butter

For the pancake mix:
Mix the above ingredients together and store in a jar.
For the pancake batter:
For each 1 cup pancake mix, add 1 egg, 1 cup milk, and 1 tablespoon melted butter. Do not overmix.

Heat a flat griddle or pan over medium-high heat.

Spoon drops of 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons of batter onto the hot griddle and when bubbles appear on the surface of the little pancakes, flip them over to make them golden brown on both sides. A minute or so a side should do it.

Posted by renh at 02:19 PM | Comments (0)

January 06, 2008

cardamom

During the process of make mango lassi, I actually find out an enchanting spice - cardamom. It's very fragrant. I think it is the major special taste of chai that I like.

Posted by renh at 08:42 PM | Comments (0)

January 03, 2008

mango lassi

Mango Lassi
From Food Network Kitchens

1/2 chopped ripe mango
1 cup low-fat plain yogurt
1/4 cup freshly-squeezed orange juice
2 tablespoons Spiced Simple Syrup, recipe follows
Pinch fine salt
Puree all ingredients in a blender until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Copyright © 2004 Television Food Network, G.P., All Rights Reserved.

Spiced Simple Syrup:
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup water
4 green cardamom pods, cracked
2 allspice berries
1 cinnamon stick
1 whole clove
Put all the ingredients in a small sauce pan, and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. When sugar is dissolved, remove from heat. Cool, strain, and refrigerate.
---------------------------------------------
1 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup milk
1 cup chopped mango (peeled and stone removed)
4 teaspoons sugar, to taste
A dash of ground cardamom (optional)

Put mango, yogurt, milk, sugar and cardamom into a blender and blend for 2 minutes, then pour into individual glasses, and serve. Can sprinkle with a little cardamom.

The lassi can be kept refrigerated for up to 24 hours.

Makes about 2 cups.

Posted by renh at 11:55 PM | Comments (0)

January 01, 2008

breakfast

Deli Stuffed Eggwiches
Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray, 2007
Show: 30 Minute Meals
Episode: All Day Eggcellence
3 eggs
Splash milk or cream
Splash hot sauce
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 slices white or wheat bread
4 rounded tablespoons apricot or raspberry preserves
4 rounded tablespoons grainy Dijon mustard
4 slices ham
4 slices Swiss cheese
4 slices herb roast turkey
2 tablespoons butter
Beat eggs, milk or cream and hot sauce with salt and pepper. Mix together the preserves and mustard. Spread the mixture on 1 side of each slice of bread. Face the coated sides in and make sandwiches of ham, cheese and turkey, folding meat and cheese to fit the bread.
Heat a skillet with butter over medium heat. Coat sandwiches in egg and cook 3 minutes on each side until deeply golden and warmed through. Cut sandwiches from corner to corner and serve.

Deviled Frittata and Heavenly Angel Hair Pasta
Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray
See this recipe on air Tuesday Jan. 01 at 3:00 PM ET/PT.
Show: 30 Minute Meals
Episode: Belly Up to Brunch
This pairs a mayo-free, warm, spicy take on deviled eggs with a pasta favorite from Trattoria Garga in Florence. The original "Pasta Magnifico" is richer with more cream and liquor rather than wine. This lighter version is molto bene for brunch or a late night bite. Your pick - it's always brunch somewhere.
1 pound angel hair pasta
Salt
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 ribs celery and greens from the heart, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/4 cup green olives and pimiento, finely chopped
1 teaspoon paprika, plus more for garnish
Black pepper
2 rounded teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon hot sauce
12 large eggs
3/4 cup cream
A handful of flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
2 shallots, thinly sliced
1 orange, zested
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon lemon zest
1/2 cup white wine
1/3 cup Pecorino Romano, a very generous handful
10 to 12 basil leaves, torn or shredded
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. When it comes to a boil, salt the water and cook angel hair pasta to al dente, 5 minutes.

Heat 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 3 turns of the pan, in a large nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Add onions and gently cook 5 minutes. Do not caramelize the onions just let them get translucent and sweet. Add celery, garlic and olives and season with paprika, salt, and pepper. Stir in mustard and hot sauce. Beat together the eggs and 1/4 cup of the cream (eyeball it) and pour into the pan. Stir in the parsley and let the eggs settle and form a foundation, as you would for an omelet. Transfer the pan to the oven and bake until golden, 12 minutes or so. Garnish with the paprika after you remove the frittata from the oven.

Heat the remaining extra-virgin olive oil in a deep skillet over medium heat, 2 turns of the pan. Add shallots and cook 5 minutes. Add zest and wine then reduce a minute or so more. Add the remaining 1/2 cup cream, reduce 2 minutes. Add 2 ladles of starchy cooking water from the pasta to the sauce pot just before draining. Toss pasta with cheese and season with salt and pepper. Transfer pasta to a bowl and garnish with a large amount of fresh basil. Yum-o!

Breakfast Bread Pudding
5 extra-large whole eggs
2 extra-large egg yolks
2 1/2 cups half-and-half
1/3 cup honey
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 teaspoons orange zest (2 oranges)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Brioche loaf
1/2 cup golden raisins
Maple syrup, to serve
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the whole eggs, egg yolks, half-and-half, honey, vanilla, orange zest, and salt. Set aside.

Slice the brioche loaf into 6 (1-inch) thick pieces. Lay half brioche slices flat in a 9 by 14 by 2-inch oval baking dish. Spread the raisins on top of the brioche slices, and place the remaining slices on top. Make sure that the raisins are between the layers of brioche or they will burn while baking. Pour the egg mixture over the bread and allow to soak for 15 minutes, pressing down gently.

Bake for 55 to 60 minutes or until the pudding puffs up and the custard is set. Remove from the oven and cool slightly before serving.

Posted by renh at 03:26 PM | Comments (0)

December 31, 2007

naan

Learn to Make Naan Bread.
Recipe makes 6 Naans
2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon active dry yeast
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
Pinch of baking soda
2 tablespoons oil
21/2 tablespoons yogurt
3/4cup look warm water
allow 3h to rise to double volume
500 degree oven, bake on a pizza stone for 3min, brush with ghee
1 teaspoon clear butter or ghee
1/4 cup all purpose flour for rolling
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very good and tasty.
did not use pizza stone, the cookie tray turned out OK,
rubbing hands with oil definitely helped with handling the dough
careful do NOT oil the baking foil or the dough too much, it'll burn and be less bubbly

Posted by renh at 11:44 PM | Comments (0)

December 14, 2007

Potato Hash with Baked Eggs

Potato Hash with Baked Eggs
Recipe courtesy Michael Chiarello
Show: Easy Entertaining with Michael Chiarello
Episode: Breakfast for Dinner

4 large Russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup chopped onion
8 eggs
2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano leaves
6 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan, Asiago or other aged cheese
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Bring a pot of well-salted water to a boil. Add the potatoes and boil until about 3/4's of the way done, about 4 minutes. Drain well and spread out on a baking sheet to cool.

Heat a large ovenproof skillet over high heat. When hot, add the olive oil, and then add the potatoes in a single layer. Lower the heat to medium and cook, tossing occasionally, until the potatoes are crusty and browned, 10 to 12 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add the onion and cook until the onions brown slightly, about 2 minutes

Off the heat, make 8 small evenly-spaced wells in the hash and pour a small bit of olive oil in each well. Break an egg into each well. Sprinkle the eggs with salt and pepper. Scatter the oregano and the cheese over the hash.

Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake until the eggs are cooked to your taste, about 5 minutes for firm whites and soft yolks. Serve immediately.

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Ham and Spinach Hash with Fried Eggs
Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray
Show: 30 Minute Meals
Episode: Brunch in a Crunch

This is a B, L or D: Breakfast, Lunch or Dinner recipe. The portions can easily be adjusted, up or down in number. The fresh spinach and basil can be swapped for pesto and frozen spinach, defrosted, making the recipe more versatile. You could keep all of the ingredients easily on hand, keeping you ever-prepared for a brunch in a crunch!
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan
4 tablespoons butter, divided
8 small red potatoes
Salt and pepper
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 medium red onion, chopped
1 large ham steak, finely chopped
4 extra-large eggs
2 cups baby spinach leaves, chopped or, 1 box, 10 ounces, defrosted frozen chopped spinach, wrung dry in a kitchen towel
10 leaves fresh basil, chopped or torn, a few rounded spoonfuls of prepared store bought pesto may be substituted
2 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, a couple of generous handfuls
Preheat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat with 2 turns of the pan of extra-virgin olive oil, about 2 tablespoons, and 2 tablespoons of butter. While the pan is getting hot and the butter is melting, cut the potatoes in half and then thinly slice them, add to the hot skillet and season with salt, pepper, thyme and the crushed red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring every now and then, for about 10 minutes or, until potatoes have browned and are tender. Add the onion and the ham and continue to cook for 3 to 4 minutes
Preheat another skillet over medium high heat with 2 tablespoons of butter. Once the butter has melted and the bubbles have subsided, crack extra-large eggs into the pan, season with salt and pepper and fry to desired doneness.

While the eggs are frying, finish off the hash by adding the roughly chopped spinach and basil to the potatoes. (Defrosted frozen spinach and some pesto would be added in at the same point if using substitutions.) Toss to wilt and warm the spinach. Sprinkle the hash with tomatoes and cheese and remove from the heat. Transfer the ham and spinach hash to plates. Top each portion with a single fried egg or arrange the fried eggs evenly over the platter.

Posted by renh at 08:15 PM | Comments (0)

December 10, 2007

banana bread

modified for low calories

1 3/4 cups of flour
1/2 cup of sugar
3/4 teaspoon of baking soda
1/4 teaspoon of salt
put in a plastic bag and shake to mix

peel 4 bananas and put into another bag, squeeze and mash

beat 2 eggs, add 1 tablespoon of veggie oil, plus 4 tablespoon of milk, mix well

mix these ingredients together,
pour into a greased pan
bake 350 degree for 1h

Posted by renh at 08:41 PM | Comments (0)

December 05, 2007

cookies

Jam Thumbprints
3/4 pound (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 1/2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash
7 ounces sweetened flaked coconut
Raspberry and/or apricot jam
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar until just combined, and then add the vanilla. Separately, sift together the flour and salt. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture to the creamed butter and sugar. Mix until the dough starts to come together. Dump on a floured board and roll together into a flat disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes.

Roll the dough into 1 1/4-inch balls. (If you have a scale, they should each weigh 1-ounce.) Dip each ball into the egg wash and then roll it in coconut. Place the balls on an ungreased cookie sheet and press a light indentation into the top of each with your finger. Drop 1/4 teaspoon of jam into each indentation. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the coconut is a golden brown. Cool and serve.

coconut macaroon
14 ounces sweetened shredded coconut
14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 extra-large egg whites, at room temperature
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
Combine the coconut, condensed milk, and vanilla in a large bowl. Whip the egg whites and salt on high speed in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment until they make medium-firm peaks. Carefully fold the egg whites into the coconut mixture.

Drop the batter onto sheet pans lined with parchment paper using either a 1 3/4-inch diameter ice cream scoop, or 2 teaspoons. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden brown. Cool and serve.

sugar cookies

3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 tablespoon milk
Powdered sugar, for rolling out dough
Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. Place butter and sugar in large bowl of electric stand mixer and beat until light in color. Add egg and milk and beat to combine. Put mixer on low speed, gradually add flour, and beat until mixture pulls away from the side of the bowl. Divide the dough in half, wrap in waxed paper, and refrigerate for 2 hours.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Sprinkle surface where you will roll out dough with powdered sugar. Remove 1 wrapped pack of dough from refrigerator at a time, sprinkle rolling pin with powdered sugar, and roll out dough to 1/4-inch thick. Move the dough around and check underneath frequently to make sure it is not sticking. If dough has warmed during rolling, place cold cookie sheet on top for 10 minutes to chill. Cut into desired shape, place at least 1-inch apart on greased baking sheet, parchment, or silicone baking mat, and bake for 7 to 9 minutes or until cookies are just beginning to turn brown around the edges, rotating cookie sheet halfway through baking time. Let sit on baking sheet for 2 minutes after removal from oven and then move to complete cooling on wire rack. Serve as is or ice as desired. Store in airtight container for up to 1 week.

Orange and Nut Squares
1 package store bought sugar cookie dough
1 cup orange marmalade
1 1/2 cups assorted nuts, toasted and chopped (try hazelnuts, almonds, and walnuts)
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips or chopped chocolate
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Spread the cookie dough out on a cookie sheet to 1/4-inch thickness (about 9 inches by 12 inches) using your fingertips. Bake for 25 minutes. Let cool.

Spread the marmalade over the cookie. Sprinkle with nuts.

In a double boiler over very lightly simmering water, melt the chocolate. Dip a spoon in the melted chocolate and drizzle on top of the cookie. Let cool. Cut the cookie into 12 bars or squares. Serve or store in an airtight container.

Pistachio Biscotti
1 1/2 cups pistachios
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Lay the pistachios on a cookie sheet in a single layer. Bake for 10 minutes or until the nuts are lightly toasted. Remove from the oven.

In an electric mixer, beat the butter until light and fluffy. With the mixer running, gradually add the eggs, sugar, and vanilla; mix until creamed. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix the dough until smooth. Using a wooden spoon, mix in the pistachios until evenly distributed.

Put the dough on a lightly floured surface and cut in half. Roll each half into a log, each 12 inches long by 1-inch high. Place the logs on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 35 minutes or until the bottoms are lightly brown. Let the logs cool for 5 minutes and then place on a cutting board. Slice each log on a diagonal into 12 1-inch thick pieces. Put the cookies back on the cookie sheet and bake 5 minutes. Turn the cookies over and bake the other side for another 5 minutes. Store cookies in an airtight container.

Paula's Loaded Oatmeal Cookies
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
2 1/2 cups quick-cooking oatmeal
1 cup raisins
1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Brown Butter Icing, recipe follows
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Grease 1 or more cookie sheets. Using an electric mixer, cream together butter, shortening, and sugar in a bowl until fluffy. Add eggs and beat until mixture is light in color. Add buttermilk. Sift together flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder, ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, and allspice; stir into creamed mixture. Fold in oatmeal, raisins, walnuts, and vanilla, blending well. Drop by rounded teaspoons onto cookie sheet. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes. Drizzle with Brown Butter Icing.

Brown Butter Icing:
1/2 cup butter
3 cups sifted powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 to 4 tablespoons water
In a small saucepan heat the butter over medium heat until golden brown, stirring occasionally. Remove saucepan from heat; stir in 3 cups sifted powdered sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Stir in enough water (3 to 4 tablespoons) to make an icing of drizzling consistency. Drizzle on warm cookies.

Yield: enough to ice 5 dozen cookies
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Ease of preparation: Easy

Hazelnut Chocolate Chip Cookies
Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis
Show: Everyday Italian
Episode: Tree Trimming Party

1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup (packed) light brown sugar
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
4 ounces English toffee candy (recommended: Heath or Skor bar), finely chopped
1 cup hazelnuts, toasted, husked, and chopped
1 (12-ounce) bag semisweet chocolate chips
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
Line 2 heavy large baking sheets with parchment paper. Finely chop the oats in a food processor. Transfer the oats to a medium bowl. Mix in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugars in a large bowl until fluffy. Beat in the eggs and vanilla. Add the flour mixture and stir just until blended. Stir in the toffee, hazelnuts, and chocolate chips.

For each cookie, drop 1 rounded tablespoonful of dough onto sheet, spacing 1-inch apart (do not flatten dough). Bake until the cookies are golden (cookies will flatten slightly), about 15 minutes. Cool the cookies on the baking sheets for 5 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack and cool completely. (The cookies can be prepared 1 day ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.)

Mexican Wedding Cookies
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar, plus more for coating baked cookies
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting hands
1 cup pecans, chopped into very small pieces
Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F. Line cookies sheets with parchment paper.
Using an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar at low speed until it is smooth. Beat in the vanilla. At low speed gradually add the flour. Mix in the pecans with a spatula. With floured hands, take out about 1 tablespoon of dough and shape into a crescent. Continue to dust hands with flour as you make more cookies. Place onto prepared cookie sheets. Bake for 40 minutes. When cool enough to handle but still warm, roll in additional confectioners' sugar. Cool on wire racks.

White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Bark2 cups semisweet chocolate morsels
2 cups white morsels (recommended: Guittard Choc-Au-Lait)
2/3 cup toasted macadamia nuts or toasted almonds, coarsely chopped
Line a 13 by 9-inch cookie sheet with waxed paper, allowing 2 inches of paper to hang over sides. Melt all but 1/4 cup of semisweet chocolate morsels in microwave on medium power for 2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds, or until smooth. Pour chocolate onto prepared sheet and spread to cover entire surface and form 1 even layer. Melt all but 1/4 cup of white chips in microwave on medium power for 2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds, or until smooth. Drizzle melted white chocolate over semisweet chocolate layer. Using a toothpick or skewer, swirl the melted chocolates together, creating a marbled effect.
Place nuts in a plastic bag and crush, using a rolling pin. Sprinkle chocolate with nuts and remaining semisweet and white morsels. Gently press toppings into melted chocolates. Refrigerate for 30 minutes, or until chocolate is firm. Remove waxed paper from chocolate. Cut or break chocolate into bite-size pieces.

Posted by renh at 11:11 AM | Comments (0)

December 01, 2007

Salmon with Puff Pastry and Pesto

4 pieces of purchased puff pastry, each cut to be just larger than a piece of salmon
4 (4 to 6-ounce) pieces salmon
1/4 cup sliced almonds
1/4 cup purchased pesto
2 tomatoes, sliced
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
On a foil-lined baking sheet, place the 4 pieces of puff pastry. Also place the 4 pieces of salmon, being careful to make sure they are not touching. Sprinkle each piece of salmon with 1 tablespoon of the sliced almonds. Bake for 10 minutes.

To serve, place each piece of puff pastry on a plate. Top each puff pastry with 1 tablespoon of pesto. Top the pesto with 2 slices of tomatoes each. Top the tomatoes with the salmon and serve.

Posted by renh at 03:00 PM | Comments (0)

November 27, 2007

the fate of six rotisserie chicken drumsticks

I. two disappeared the night they arrived at my place. They became part of my nice dinner. appetizer - onion rings; soup - hearty ham and veggie; ciabetta bread; steamed french green beans; two drumsticks with extra Italian seasoning; dissert - cannoli; drink - milk.
II. I used two drumsticks for lunch. I teared and shred the meat. julienne 10 mini sweet peppers (5 green, 2 orange and 3 red ones). stir fry green onion, ginger and chicken in pan with island teriyaki sauce (plus a little bit soy sauce and cooking wine). I run out of garlic, otherwise it wouldn't be a bad idea to put some in. finally add the peppers and season with fresh ground black peppers.
III. I plan to use the last two for the chicken pasta (recipe posted before).

Posted by renh at 11:20 PM | Comments (0)

hazelnut cookie

cup husked hazelnuts
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, room temperature
1/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 ounces good-quality semisweet chocolate
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Place hazelnuts on baking sheet. Bake until they're a shade darker and fragrant, about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.

Lower oven to 325 degrees F.

Place hazelnuts in blender or food processor and pulse to coarse bits; set aside. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt to blend; set aside.

Beat butter and sugar together with a wooden spoon until smooth. Beat in egg. Gradually beat the flour mixture into the butter mixture. Add the chopped hazelnuts and mix until distributed evenly throughout.

Form into finger sized logs, about 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons dough each, and place on greased cookie sheets. Bake until firm, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven and cool on racks.

In a saucepan over lowest heat or in a double boiler, melt chocolate. Dip 1 end of cooled cookies into melted chocolate. Place back on cookie sheet to harden.

Posted by renh at 03:49 PM | Comments (0)

November 24, 2007

Russian Cherry Teacakes

1 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar, plus more for rolling
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup finely chopped pecans
1/2 cup candied glace cherries, chopped
Cream the butter, sugar, and vanilla thoroughly. Sift together the flour and salt, add to the butter, and mix. Fold in the nuts and cherries and chill the dough for 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Roll the dough into 1-inch balls and place on an ungreased cookie sheet (they do not spread as they bake). Bake until set but do not brown, about 10 minutes.

While still warm but set, roll the cookies in confectioners' sugar and cool. Roll in confectioners' sugar again and bake again for 10 to 12 minutes.

Posted by renh at 11:52 AM | Comments (0)

almond shortbreads

1/2 cup raw almonds with skins, plus about 18 whole almonds for decorating
2/3 cup sugar, plus more for top
14 tablespoons unsalted butter (7 ounces, 1 3/4 sticks), softened, cut into pieces
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 large egg white, beaten
Special equipment: 9-inch tart fluted pan with a removable bottom

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
Blend and pulse the 1/2 cup nuts in a food processor with the sugar until mixture resembles coarse sand. (If there are a couple small chunks of nuts that is fine.) Add the butter, vanilla and almond extracts, and the salt, and pulse until creamy. Add the flour and continue to pulse to make a soft dough.

Turn the dough out into a 9-inch tart pan and spread it out evenly with an off-set spatula. Dip the spatula in a little warm water to help smooth and even the surface of the shortbread. Cover and freeze until firm, about 20 minutes.

Put the tart pan on a baking sheet and dock (prick) the dough all over with a fork. Generously sprinkle the top of the shortbread with sugar. Toss the remaining whole almonds in the egg white; evenly arrange and press the nuts into the dough around the edge of the pan. Bake until golden brown and set, about 1 hour and 10 minutes.

Cool the short bread in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes. Carefully remove the tart ring and cut the shortbread with a sharp knife into wedges, each with a nut. Cool shortbreads on a rack completely. (Alternatively present the shortbread as 1 large cookie. Cool the shortbread in the pan completely and remove the tart ring. Cut the shortbread into wedges as desired.)

Serve. Store in a tightly sealed container for up to 5 days.

Posted by renh at 11:51 AM | Comments (0)

celery and shrimp dumpling

4 dried shiitake mushroom rehydrated, small diced/minced
about 1 cup of cooked cocktail shrimp, minced
some minced ginger
mix these together,
season with salt, sugar, vegetarian oyster sauce, sesame oil, a little bit seafood seasoning and 鸡精.

prepare about 2 cups of small diced/minced celery stalks

make dumpling dough and wrap

combine celery with shrimp mixture, and use as filling

Posted by renh at 11:28 AM | Comments (0)

Butter and Jam Thumbprints

3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), softened
2/3 cup sugar, plus more for rolling
1 large egg
1/2 vanilla bean, seeds scraped from pod, or 1/8 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/3 cup raspberry, cherry or strawberry jam
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together in a bowl.

In another bowl, whip the butter and the sugar with a hand-held mixer until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in the egg and vanilla until just combined. Slowly beat in the dry ingredients in 2 additions, mixing just until incorporated.

Scoop the dough into 1-inch balls with a cookie or ice cream scoop and roll in sugar. Place about 2-inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Press a thumbprint into the center of each ball, about 1/2-inch deep. Fill each indentation with about 3/4 teaspoon jam.

Bake cookies until the edges are golden, about 15 minutes. (For even color, rotate the pans from top to bottom about halfway through baking.) Cool cookies on the baking sheets. Serve.

Store cookies in a tightly sealed container for up to 5 days.

-------------------------------

I just made the cookies. I altered the recipe. I melted the butter and did not use the mixer. the butter and sugar mixture did not turn out as fluffy. I used the black currant preserve. I use 1/2 cup extra flour. the taste was good. I might have added too much baking soda. I feel like more flour might help to improve the shape of the cookie in the future. all in all, not bad.

Posted by renh at 11:28 AM | Comments (0)

November 12, 2007

california roll

3 1/3 cups rice
5 1/3 tablespoons vinegar
5 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons salt
10 sheets seaweed, halved
1/2 pound imitation crab, cut into long, thin pieces
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and julienne
1 avocado, peeled, seeded, and cut into long, thin pieces
Sesame seeds
Wash the rice until the water rinses clear. Drain the rice in a colander and let it stand for 30 minutes. Place the rice in a pot or rice cooker, and add 4 cups of water or follow the instructions on a rice cooker. Bring the water to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cover the pot. Cook for 15 minutes. Remove the cover, place a damp towel over the rice, and let cool for 10 minutes.
You can find sushi vinegar prepared at a grocery story or you can easily make it by pouring the vinegar, sugar and salt into a pan under low heat until the sugar and salt are dissolved. If you like sweeter vinegar, just add more sugar.

Pour sushi vinegar over cooked rice and mix it gently. You can do this in a wooden bowl for making sushi rice or in your rice cooker by turning off the cooker and pouring the vinegar and mixing gently and evenly and leaving it until it cools down to room temperature. The lid should remain open.

Cover a makisu (sushi rolling mat) with plastic wrap. Place half of a sheet of the seaweed over the plastic on the mat. Place a handful of rice across the seaweed and spread it evenly over the seaweed. Toss the imitation crab with the mayonnaise in a small bowl. Place some of the imitation crab meat meat along the center of the rice. Add some cucumber and avocado along the center of the rice. Using the mat and plastic wrap, roll the rice around the filling and press lightly to seal. Remove the mat and plastic wrap and sprinkle the roll with sesame seeds. Cut the sushi roll into bite sized pieces. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.

Posted by renh at 12:36 AM | Comments (0)

November 11, 2007

shrimp scampi

Linguine with Shrimp Scampi

Vegetable oil
1 tablespoon kosher salt plus 1 1/2 teaspoons
3/4 pound linguine
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 1/2 tablespoons good olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic (4 cloves)
1 pound large shrimp (about 16 shrimp), peeled and deveined
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
1/2 lemon, zest grated
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
1/4 lemon, thinly sliced in half-rounds
1/8 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
Drizzle some oil in a large pot of boiling salted water, add 1 tablespoon of salt and the linguine, and cook for 7 to 10 minutes, or according to the directions on the package.
Meanwhile, in another large (12-inch), heavy-bottomed pan, melt the butter and olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the garlic. Saute for 1 minute. Be careful, the garlic burns easily! Add the shrimp, 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt, and the pepper and saute until the shrimp have just turned pink, about 5 minutes, stirring often. Remove from the heat, add the parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice, lemon slices, and red pepper flakes. Toss to combine.

When the pasta is done, drain the cooked linguine and then put it back in the pot. Immediately add the shrimp and sauce, toss well, and serve.

Posted by renh at 10:44 PM | Comments (0)

steamed coconut custard

14 ounce coconut milk
2 tablespoons sugar
3 eggs, beaten
4 ripe bananas
salt

beat eggs
stir eggs, milk, and suggar together (with a pinch of salt)
put in chopped bananas (small pieces)
tear and put in 3 pieces of stale whole wheat bread
put in some frozen blueberries
on top put some orange zest
steam the dish with foil cover for one hour

I love the aroma from this dish when it's just out of the steamer. I left out the cellophane noodles, because it is utterly bizzare for me to have cellophane noodles in desserts.

Posted by renh at 12:54 AM | Comments (0)

November 02, 2007

I made this before

I remember that I made this before. And I got the recipe by reading her cookbook at Borders.

Parmesan Chicken Sticks

1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts (3 to 4)
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 extra-large eggs
1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
Unsalted butter
Good olive oil
Bamboo skewers (6 to 10 inches long) or ice-cream sticks
Lay the chicken breasts on a cutting board and slice each diagonally into 4 or 5 large strips.
Combine the flour, salt, and pepper on a dinner plate. Beat the eggs with 1 tablespoon of water on a second plate. Combine the breadcrumbs and Parmesan on a third plate. Dredge the chicken breasts on both sides in the flour mixture, then dip both sides into the egg mixture and roll in the bread-crumb mixture, pressing lightly to coat.
Heat 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large saute pan and cook the chicken strips on medium-low heat for about 3 minutes on each side, until just cooked through. Don't crowd the pan. Add more butter and oil and cook the rest of the chicken breasts. Serve each strip on a skewer or stick.

You can keep the chicken breasts warm for about 15 minutes on a sheet pan in a preheated 200 degree F oven.
------------------------------------------

I'll try this later.
Broccoli and Bow Ties

Kosher salt
8 cups broccoli florets (4 heads)
1/2 pound farfalle (bow tie) pasta
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons good olive oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 lemon, zested
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup toasted pignoli (pine) nuts
Freshly grated Parmesan, optional
Cook the broccoli for 3 minutes in a large pot of boiling salted water. Remove the broccoli from the water with a slotted spoon or sieve. Place in a large bowl and set aside.
In the same water, cook the bow-tie pasta according to the package directions, about 12 minutes. Drain well and add to the broccoli.

Meanwhile, in a small saute pan, heat the butter and oil and cook the garlic and lemon zest over medium-low heat for 1 minute. Off the heat, add 2 teaspoons salt, the pepper, and lemon juice and pour this over the broccoli and pasta. Toss well. Season to taste, sprinkle with the pignolis and cheese, if using, and serve.

To toast pignolis, place them in a dry saute pan over medium-low heat and cook, tossing often, for about 5 minutes, until light brown.
------------------
1/4 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
1/4 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves
1/4 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary leaves
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
1 tablespoon freshly grated Parmesan
6 extra-large eggs
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Toasted French bread or brioche, for serving
Preheat the broiler for 5 minutes and place the oven rack 6 inches below the heat.
Combine the garlic, thyme, rosemary, parsley, and Parmesan and set aside. Carefully crack 3 eggs into each of 2 small bowls or teacups (you won't be baking them in these) without breaking the yolks. (It's very important to have all the eggs ready to go before you start cooking.)
Place 2 individual gratin dishes on a baking sheet. Place 1 tablespoon of cream and 1/2 tablespoon of butter in each dish and place under the broiler for about 3 minutes, until hot and bubbly. Quickly, but carefully, pour 3 eggs into each gratin dish and sprinkle evenly with the herb mixture, then sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Place back under the broiler for 5 to 6 minutes, until the whites of the eggs are almost cooked. (Rotate the baking sheet once if they aren't cooking evenly.) The eggs will continue to cook after you take them out of the oven. Allow to set for 60 seconds and serve hot with toasted bread.
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3 pounds small white potatoes
Kosher salt
1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard
1/2 cup chopped fresh dill
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped red onion
Place the potatoes and 2 tablespoons of salt in a large pot of water. Bring the water to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, until the potatoes are barely tender when pierced with a knife. Drain the potatoes in a colander, then place the colander with the potatoes over the empty pot and cover with a clean, dry kitchen towel. Allow the potatoes to steam for 15 to 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, buttermilk, Dijon mustard, whole grain mustard, dill, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Set aside.

When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, cut them in quarters or in half, depending on their size. Place the cut potatoes in a large bowl. While the potatoes are still warm, pour enough dressing over them to moisten. Add the celery and red onion, 2 teaspoons of salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Toss well, cover, and refrigerate for a few hours to allow the flavors to blend. Serve cold or at room temperature.
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2 split (1 whole) chicken breasts, bone in, skin on
Good olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 ounces thinly sliced pancetta
1 large garlic clove, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 1/2 teaspoons anchovy paste
1 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup good mayonnaise
1 large ciabatta bread
2 ounces baby arugula, washed and spun dry
12 sun-dried tomatoes, in oil
2 to 3 ounces Parmesan, shaved
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Place the chicken breasts on a sheet pan skin side up. Rub the chicken with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until cooked through. Cool slightly, discard the skin and bones, and slice the meat thickly. Set aside.

Meanwhile, place the pancetta on another sheet pan in a single layer. Roast for 10 to 15 minutes, until crisp. Set aside to drain on paper towels.

Place the garlic and parsley in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade and process until minced. Add the anchovy paste, mustard, lemon juice, and mayonnaise and process again to make a smooth dressing. (Refrigerate the Caesar dressing if not using it immediately.)

Slice the ciabatta in half horizontally and separate the top from the bottom. Toast the bread in the oven, cut side up, for 5 to 7 minutes; cool slightly. Spread the cut sides of each piece with the Caesar dressing. Place half the arugula on the bottom piece of bread and then layer in order: the sun-dried tomatoes, shaved Parmesan, crispy pancetta, and sliced chicken. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and finish with another layer of arugula. Place the top slice of ciabatta on top and cut in thirds crosswise. Serve at room temperature.

Posted by renh at 11:34 PM | Comments (0)

breakfast sandwich

2 pieces of wheat bread, toasted;

1)spread black currant preserve on one piece,
spread cashewbutter on the other piece.

2)spread fresh ground peanut butter on one piece,
place slices of banana on the other piece.

Toasted two pieces of white bread;
place slices of banana on one piece,
place slices of strawberry on the other piece

Posted by renh at 08:46 PM | Comments (0)

November 01, 2007

pumpkin continued

1) pumpkin cookie from Jackie
2) pumpkin carrot oatmeal
shred pumpkin and carrot, mix with flour and egg, add sugar and honey, slightly fry in the pan, do not brown the mixture, the texture should remain soft and gooey.
boil oatmeal in the small sauce pan with crasin, add the pumkin mixture.
serve hot with milk, or cream, or brown sugar.
3)pumpkin pancake
shred pumpkin and carrot (or zuccini), mix with salt, chopped green onion, egg and a little five spice powder. sear in the pan with butter or EVOO. the end product look like corn fritters.

Posted by renh at 06:24 PM | Comments (0)

October 27, 2007

more cheesecake

honey ricotta cheesecake

8 ounces purchased biscotti
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1 (12-ounce) container fresh whole milk ricotta, drained
2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup orange blossom or clover honey
1 tablespoon orange zest
4 large eggs

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Wrap the outside of a 9-inch springform pan with 2 3/4-inch-high sides with 2 layers of heavy-duty foil. Finely grind the biscotti in a food processor. Add the melted butter and process until the crumbs are moistened. Press the crumb mixture over the bottom (not the sides) of the prepared pan. Bake until the crust is golden, about 15 minutes. Cool the crust completely on a cooling rack.

Blend the ricotta in a clean food processor until smooth. Add the cream cheese and sugar and blend well, stopping the machine occasionally and scraping down the sides of the work bowl. Blend in the honey and orange zest. Add the eggs and pulse just until blended.

Pour the cheese mixture over the crust in the pan. Place the springform pan in a large roasting pan. Pour enough hot water into the roasting pan to come halfway up the sides of the springform pan. Bake until the cheesecake is golden and the center of the cake moves slightly when the pan is gently shaken, about 1 hour and 5 minutes (the cake will become firm when it is cold).

Transfer the cake to a rack and cool 1 hour. Refrigerate until the cheesecake is cold, at least 8 hours and up to 2 days. Cut the cake into wedges and serve.

Posted by renh at 03:59 PM | Comments (0)

mango cheesecake

recipe from foodnetwork.
the original one has basil lemon syrup. I think the combination of fresh basil with mango cheesecake seems rather bizarre to me. I'll leave that part out.

Mango Cheesecake:
8 ounces biscotti
3/4 cup butter, melted
2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese, room temperature
2 cups mango puree
4 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar

Special equipment: 9-inch springform pan

For the Mango Cheesecake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Wrap the outside of a 9-inch springform pan with 2 3/4-inch-high sides with 2 layers of heavy-duty foil. Finely grind the biscotti in a food processor. Add the melted butter and process until the crumbs are moistened. Press the crumb mixture over the bottom (not the sides) of the prepared pan. Bake until the crust is golden, about 15 minutes. Cool the crust completely on a cooling rack.

Blend the cream cheese and ricotta in a food processor. Add the mango puree, eggs, and sugar and pulse until the mixture is smooth.

Pour the mango mixture over the crust in the pan. Place the springform pan in a large roasting pan. Pour enough hot water into the roasting pan to come halfway up the sides of the springform pan. Bake until the cheesecake is firm and moves slightly when the pan is gently shaken, about 1 hour 30 minutes. Transfer the cake to a cooling rack to cool for 30 minutes. Place in the refrigerator and cool completely, at least 8 hours and up to 2 days.

Posted by renh at 03:51 PM | Comments (0)

October 26, 2007

cabbage soup

choose the tender part of the chinese cabbage, coarsely chop it into big pieces.
thoroughly rinse the dried shrimp.
cut the soft tofu into small cubes.
put everything into the water to boil.
the shrimp is salty, so just add half a package of "seafood seasoning".
for decoration purpose, add some wakame seaweed.

subtle and fresh flavor.

Posted by renh at 02:10 PM | Comments (0)

October 24, 2007

between omelet and scrambled egg

This is a dish that I find hard to name.
mix 5 eggs with 1 package of masago fish eggs,
maybe too much fish eggs, the color turned orange, but I thought it's lovely.
I always like colorful dishes,
so put teared tiny bits of broccoli floret into the mixture.
white button mushroom quartered,
red bell pepper diced,
green banana pepper diced,
green onion finely chopped,
sautee together with EVOO,
I accidentally put slices of semi-dried gouda cheese in it,
season with salt, pepper, basil and italian seasoning.
Pour the egg mixture into a small shallow sauce pan with EVOO,
turn down the flame, cook covered.
once cooked, try to cut it into small pieces with wooden spoon.
put into big glass bowl, mix the basil pesto.
put cooked veggie into the same bowl.
dust parmesan on top.

Maybe, it's the sort of thing Remy would make. :)

Note: It's the exactly my taste. I think the accidental gouda turned out really well. My initial plan to have the cheese to melt in the pot, because I like the creamy flavor from gouda. Maybe the cheese is too dry or it simply doesn't melt that easily, I end up with cheese slices in the dish. I put the the cheese slices together with the rest of the dish into the pita pocket bread. Yum! Another thing to keep in mind is that the fish egg is already seasoned, so less salt should be put into the veggies.

Posted by renh at 10:40 PM | Comments (0)

October 22, 2007

raisin banana breadpudding

1/3 cup raisins
3 Tbsp. dark rum
1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
2 medium bananas, halved lengthwise, sliced crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces
4 Tbsp. dark brown sugar
1 1/2 cups 1 percent milk
2 large eggs
3 Tbsp. granulated sugar
1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon
4 cups 1/2-inch cubed French bread

In a small bowl, combine raisins and rum and let stand 10 minutes. Drain, reserving rum and raisins separately.

In a medium nonstick skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat. When frothy, add banana slices and cook, stirring frequently, until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and add brown sugar and reserved rum. Return skillet to heat and cook until rum evaporates, about 30 seconds. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, whisk milk, eggs, granulated sugar, and cinnamon until blended. Stir in bread cubes. Let mixture stand 15 minutes, gently stirring a few times.

Spray four 8-ounce ramekins with cooking spray. Stir raisins into bread mixture. Spoon half of bread mixture among ramekins. Spoon half of bananas over top. Repeat with remaining bread mixture and bananas. Bake until puffed and golden, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool; serve warm or at room temperature.

Nutritional information per serving: 259 calories (35% from fat); 5.5 g fat (2.5 g saturated, 1.5 g monounsaturated, 1.5 g polyunsaturated); 7 g protein; 43 g carbohydrates; 2 g fiber; 79 mg cholesterol; 114 mg calcium

Posted by renh at 11:31 AM | Comments (0)

September 13, 2007

thick red curry shrimp - thai

stirr fry one or two spoons of red curry paste with small amount of oil until fragrance can be smelled,
combine with half can of coconut milk,
stirr often, do not burn,
add shrimp, stirr until it turns pink,
add julienned green and red peppers,
garnish with thai basil

quick and easy, love the creamy texture, yum

Posted by renh at 10:43 PM | Comments (0)

August 16, 2007

weekend treats

#1. steamed pork rib
half a rack of babyback ribs, ask the butcher to cut both across and along individual bones. marinate the meat with soy sauce, cooking wine, salt, suger, prickly pepper, and a little bit five spice powder. refrigerate half an hour and room temprature half an hour. put 蒸肉粉 in a bag, shake the meat in the bag to coat evenly. peel a couple potatoes and slice (not too thin). put potato slices at the bottom and ribs on top, steam for 45min.

#2. veggie curry
small dice onion, saute with EVOO until transluscent. Add cut celery, carrot and potato, continue to saute. add water to boil. add curry cubes and stir well while boiling.

Posted by renh at 11:28 AM | Comments (0)

tilapia soup #2

I tried the lemongrass tilapia soup several times. The taste became less impressive to me, maybe it is because I have it everyday. So yesterday, I tried something new.

I have some lemongrass stalk used for the soup once, which I took out from the boiling soup and stored in the refrigerator. boil water with used lemongrass, fish filet, ginger, fresh basil, and fresh thyme. add salt and 鸡精in the end. add vinegar and sesame oil in the bowl. instead of the subtle flavor of the lemongrass soup, this one gave off a very aromatic fragrance, strong but not overwhelming. Very nice for a change of taste.

Posted by renh at 11:17 AM | Comments (0)

August 01, 2007

lemon grass soup

After searching the foodnetwork for recipes containing lemon grass, I decided not to use any of those. because there are quite a few ingredients that I don't have right now.

Cut one lemon grass (the white part) open and add to boiling water together with some tomato.
Add a tilapia filet with some fresh ginger.
Add cilantro and 鸡精 just after turning off the heat.

The aroma from ginger andn lemon grass cured my headache instantly. Very nice, I'll definitely make this again.

Posted by renh at 03:39 PM | Comments (0)

July 30, 2007

lemon grass

Udon Noodles with Lemon Grass Clam Broth
Recipe Courtesy of Ming Tsai
Show: East Meets West With Ming Tsai
Episode: Noodles

Canola oil
2 pounds manila or little neck clams, cleaned
6 stalks lemon grass, sliced, white part only
4 slices ginger
2 Thai bird chiles
1 white onion sliced
1/3 cup mirin
4 cups chicken stock
2 packages udon noodles
1/2 pound spinach leaves
1 tablespoon butter (optional, but really good)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Salt and white pepper to taste
In a very hot stock pot, add 1 tablespoon oil, add clams and stir for 2 minutes. Add lemon grass, ginger, chiles and onion and stir for 2 more minutes. Season. Deglaze with mirin and reduce liquid by 80 per cent. Add chicken stock and turn heat down to simmer. When clams are open, remove and continue slowly simmering the broth. Check for seasoning. Reduce broth by 20 per cent, which should take about 30 minutes, then strain. Bring broth back to a boil; add udon, spinach, clams and butter. Add lemon juice and serve in large bowls.

Shrimp in a Coconut, Ginger, and Lemongrass Broth
Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, 2001
Show: The Essence of Emeril
Episode: Ginger

1 quart shrimp or fish stock
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons minced shallots
1 stalk lemon grass, finely sliced crosswise
1/4 cup julienned ginger
6 kaffir lime leaves, julienned
2 tablespoons Thai fish sauce (nam pla)*
2 tablespoons Thai hot chile sauce (sriracha)*
3 tablespoons light brown sugar
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 (14-ounce) can unsweetened coconut milk
1 teaspoon salt
1 pound small peeled shrimp
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons minced green onions
*Available at specialty Asian markets.
Place all of the ingredients except shrimp, cilantro, and green onions in a medium pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes. Strain and return to the pot. Bring to a boil, add the shrimp and cook until the shrimp are firm and pink, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the cilantro and green onions, and serve.

Posted by renh at 12:18 PM | Comments (0)

July 14, 2007

potato salad

Potato Salad Copyright, 2006, Ina Garten, All Rights Reserved
Show: Barefoot Contessa
Episode: Pooch Party







3 pounds small white potatoes
Kosher salt
1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard
1/2 cup chopped fresh dill
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped red onion

Place the potatoes and 2 tablespoons of salt in a large pot of water. Bring the water to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, until the potatoes are barely tender when pierced with a knife. Drain the potatoes in a colander, then place the colander with the potatoes over the empty pot and cover with a clean, dry kitchen towel. Allow the potatoes to steam for 15 to 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, buttermilk, Dijon mustard, whole grain mustard, dill, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Set aside.

When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, cut them in quarters or in half, depending on their size. Place the cut potatoes in a large bowl. While the potatoes are still warm, pour enough dressing over them to moisten. Add the celery and red onion, 2 teaspoons of salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Toss well, cover, and refrigerate for a few hours to allow the flavors to blend. Serve cold or at room temperature.

Posted by renh at 11:28 AM | Comments (0)

June 13, 2007

cheese straw

Recipe Summary - cheese straw

Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 15 minutes Yield: 22 to 24 cheese straws

2 sheets (1 box) frozen puff pastry (such as Pepperidge Farm), defrosted overnight in the
refrigerator Flour, for dusting 1 extra-large egg 1 tablespoon water 1/2 cup freshly
grated Parmesan 1 cup finely grated Gruyère cheese 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves 1
teaspoon kosher salt Freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Roll out each sheet of puff pastry on a lightly floured board until it is 10- by
12-inches. Beat the egg with 1 tablespoon of water and brush the surface of the pastry.
Sprinkle each sheet evenly with 1?4 cup of the Parmesan, 1?2 cup of the Gruyère, 1?2
teaspoon of the thyme, 1?2 teaspoon of the salt, and some pepper. With the rolling pin,
lightly press the flavorings into the puff pastry. Cut each sheet crosswise with a
floured knife or pizza wheel into 11 or 12 strips. Twist each strip and lay on baking
sheets lined with parchment paper.

Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until lightly browned and puffed. Turn each straw and bake
for another 2 minutes. Don't over bake or the cheese will burn. Cool and serve at room
temperature.

Posted by renh at 12:04 PM | Comments (0)

May 27, 2007

sentimental dish - dad's pasta

for some reason, i felt sentimental at the kerrytown market. the shell pasta reminded me of a dish my dad used to make for me when i was a kid. i decided to make it by myself this time.

boil one cup of shell pasta for 7 min. it's not necessary to season with salt at this time.
some chicken breast from a roasted chicken (this is another good way to use up the roasted chicken meat in the freezer). cut the chicken breast really fine (it's easier when it's frozen). dice some garlic, ginger, and green onion. sautee ggg, add in the chicken, soy sauce, italian seasoning and black pepper. combine with pasta.

in dad's original recipe, the chicken was organic/very lean; and there was no italian seasoning and black pepper.

the smell brought me back to my childhood.

Posted by renh at 05:38 PM | Comments (0)

May 14, 2007

pumpkin cookie - from Jackie

1 cup butter
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp all-spice
1 cup sugar 1 cup pumpkin 2 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
(optional: 1 cup raisins)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Then mix together the wet ingredients
(butter, egg, vanilla). Mix in sugar and spices. Then mix in the flour, baking soda, and
baking powder. Mix raisins in last if you use them. Bake for 10-15 minutes. I usually
bake for about 10 minutes so that they are fluffy.

If you don't have all-spice, nutmeg also goes well in these sort of cookies.

Posted by renh at 01:26 PM | Comments (0)

May 09, 2007

summer dishes

1. peanuts with celery
boil peanuts (without shell) in "seasoned water" (salt, soy sauce, chinese spices - clove, cumen, prickly pepper, etc) and marinate at least overnight. drain it and mix with par boiled celery cubes.

2. tofu thin slices with green onion
soak the dried tofu skin with boiling hot water until it's soft. thinly slice it to make long strips. mix with finely chopped green onion. season with seaseme oil, salt, suger, vinegar and soy sauce.

3. egg and smoked salmon
scramble three large eggs; mix it with smoked salson (need to break into pieces). put in fresh chopped cilantro. season with salt and pepper.

4. wheatberry-fruit salad
modify wheatberry salad recipe, leave out the fresh onion, put in extra mango, apple, grape, carrot.

5. mint tea
mix fresh mint with suger, try to mince the two ingredients together to bruise the mint and bring out it flavor. put into green tea.

Posted by renh at 07:56 PM | Comments (0)

April 29, 2007

berry strada

I tried berry strada.
omg, it is that tasty. I will make this again.

some notes on the ingredients:
i do not use OJ, because i don't have it.
i used ciabetta bread. fresh not stale.
i used frozen blueberry, blackberry and grapes as the berry. just to clean up the frizer.
i used half a pound of fresh ricotta.
others stay the same as giada's recipe.

Posted by renh at 02:18 PM | Comments (0)

April 25, 2007

goat cheese salad & chicken wild rice soup

goat cheese salad (ultimate version)

1.thin slice fresh white mushroom (very thin), soak with sparkling wine.
2.combine spring mix from sam's club (including baby spinach, arugula, lettuce...) with raspberry vinaigrette dressing.
3. heat up sauce pan and toast coarsely chopped walnuts. when the nuts are hot, coat with sugar. toast almond slices in oven.
4. lay the veggie on the plate, top with crumbled goat cheese, crasins, mushroom with sparkling wine and warm nuts.

I tried to add smoked salmon. it did not turn out as good as i expected.

chicken wild rice soup

I bought a roasted chicken from the grocery store. and i found it hard to consume the whole chicken by myself. i made up this recipe to finish up the chicken.

1. cut the chicken breast into cubes. sautee with good evoo and italian seasoning (sam's club). set aside.
2. use the same sauce pan. sautee celery, carrot and portabella mushroom cubes. set aside.
3. continue with the same sauce pan. add the wild rice, give it a quick stir, then add water to boil. (need about 40min)
4. important: the left-over chicken has been in the refrigerator overnight. scrape up the gel like stuff at the bottom of the container for the chicken, which came with the chicken from the store. cut some skin with good seasoning on it. put these into the boiling rice for flavor. after a while for take the skin part out.
5. add the chicken and veggie to the boiling rice. continue to boil, until ready.

Posted by renh at 10:14 AM | Comments (0)

April 21, 2007

berry strata

will try in the near future:

Berry Strata
Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis
See this recipe on air Saturday Apr. 28 at 7:30 AM ET/PT.
Show: Everyday Italian
Episode: Giada's Kitchen Basics

2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons honey
4 large eggs
1/2 cup whole milk ricotta
3 tablespoons sugar
1 cup whole milk
1/4 cup orange juice
4 slices of bread, torn into 1-inch pieces (about 4 cups)
1 (10-ounce) bag frozen mixed berries, thawed and drained
Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Turn off the heat, add the honey, and stir to combine.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl combine the eggs, ricotta, and sugar. Using a fork, mix to combine and beat the eggs. Add the milk, orange juice, butter and honey mixture, and bread. Stir to combine. Gently fold in the berries.

Place the ingredients in a 10-inch round (2-quart) baking dish. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours and up to 12 hours.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Bake the strata until golden on top and baked through, about 40 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving. Spoon into dishes and serve.

Posted by renh at 09:16 PM | Comments (0)

April 11, 2007

good eats - basil

fresh basil No. 1 - italian flag
sliced tomato, fresh mozzarella slices, put fresh basil stripes on top. sprinkle with balsamic vinegar.

fresh basil No. 2 - wheatberry salad modified version
1 cup of wheatberry boiled for about 45 min, drained and set aside to cool down. small dice 1 large red bell pepper, small dice/mince half of a red onion, combine with the wheatberry. add salt, suger, black pepper, champaign vinegar, balsamic vinegar, and evoo to taste. dice two apples (crunchy ones), chop fresh parsley (more) and basil (less). sautee the other half of the diced red onion with good evoo, flavor with italian seasoning, until the onion is transluscent. combine the cooked onion with the mixture.

I modified ina garten's recipe, because I like my salad to be on the fruity and sweet side.

For the monday lunch box, i put slices of avocado on top of the salad.

fresh basil No. 3 - penne pesto modified version
1 cup of penne pasta (from Trader Joe's). season with salt when boiling. mix evoo and basil pesto with the pasta. add chopped fresh basil and thin sliced strips of ham (boar's head rosemary and sun-dried tomato flavor).

i made these on ester sunday. there is something special about fresh basil. the aroma and taste brought spring to me.

Posted by renh at 12:30 PM | Comments (0)

February 19, 2007

Hongxia's fancy omelet

I forgot how to cook omelet. So I tried a new way to cook it, and enjoyed it very much.

Add EVOO to the saucepan, sautee chopped green onion and small diced red bell peper,
beat two eggs and mix with masago (seasoned capelin roe),
make sure the two ingredients mix well and no lumps,
pour this into the pan, cook it like scrambled egg.
finally, add freshly ground pepper and shredded cheese,
I tried parmesan and sharp cheddar, both tasted good.

Important, no salt needed, esp with parmesan.

Posted by renh at 01:13 PM | Comments (0)

January 22, 2007

Chinese bun

I made some bun tonight. For the filling, I start with scrambled eggs and chopped them down. Then I sauteed sliced bokchoy and diced rehydrated mushrooms with garlic and minced shrimp. After I mixed all the ingredient together, I added salt, sesame oil, five spice powder and fresh grounded black pepper.

After 20min steaming, the buns are ready to eat. Very nice! This is the first time I cooked buns after Mom left. Not bad at all. For the filling left, I used it to cook dumplings.

Posted by renh at 12:18 AM | Comments (0)

December 12, 2006

butternut squash cake

1 butternut squash peeled and cut into slices. spread out in tin-foil and bake in the oven 400 degree for 30min or until fork tender. mash the baked squash with fork and stir until it's homogenized. Add some milk, a little maple syrup and sugar (eg 4 spoons). A little nutmeg is suggested but depending on personal taste. Add crasin (cranberry raisin) and chopped pecan. Keep stirring during this process. Add sticky rice flour in batches while stirring. Continue to add flour untile the texture is very very thick.
grease the baking pan with butter and put in the batter. Bake until ready.

Posted by renh at 08:45 PM | Comments (1)

bowtie pasta

small dice and saute sweet onion (or red onion) with EVOO. add salt and pepper to taste. Add cut carrot and mushroom and zucchini. Add diced ham (eg Boar's head maple and honey glazed ham), and add diced and seeded tomato.
Combine cooked pasta with cooked veggie mix.

Posted by renh at 08:39 PM | Comments (4)

November 23, 2006

Thanksgiving evening menu

1. fried turbot (traditional Chinese style).
2. yellow croaker soup
3. tri-flavored salmon (lemon&dill, teriyaki, and miso)
4. celery and seansoned fried tofu
5. appetizer dish (roasted asparagus wrapped with prosciutto, smoked sockeye salmon, and blanched bean sprout)
6. barbecued ribs (from Sam's)
7. shrimp scampi with linguini pasta
8. baked pumpkin spread (with hint of nutmeg and maple syrup)

Posted by renh at 11:46 PM | Comments (0)

November 12, 2006

good eats

good eats today
Shrimp Scampi with liguini pasta (for recipe see foodnetwork)
Butternut squash soup- top healthy choice. Purree the oven roasted squash. Add water (or chicken broth), minced fresh thyme, a little sugar, salt, fresh ground black pepper, parmesan cheese. It's quick fix and super healthy. :)

Posted by renh at 08:28 PM | Comments (0)

June 14, 2006

It's Pita day!

Today is Pita day! Did not feel like cooking last night, but had to prepare lunch and breadfast. So I decided why not pita bread.
Breakfast:
Scambled eggs (3 medium eggs), shredded italian cheese mix, and ham (cut into strips). A little Kosher salt, black pepper and italian seasoning. Shovel into the pocket bread, and DONE!
Lunch:
Cut the pita bread open, layer with lettuce, ham, swiss cheese, sliced mushroom, sliced olive, italian seasoning, black pepper. Finished in 5 min.
9AM lab meeting time, in a hurry, I grabbed one tinfoil wrapped package hoping it was the breakfast pita. But, it turned out to be the sandwich. Well, then pita sanwich for breakfast - weird!

Posted by renh at 05:23 PM | Comments (0)

June 11, 2006

Shrimp scampi (low fat recipe)

As I always do, I never ever faithfully follow the recipe. This is the same. I got it from foodnetwork, but it is modified to my version.
small dice half of a sweet onion, and saute it with a table spoon of buffer plus EVOO, do not forget Kosher salt. Add italian seasoning and fresh grounded pepper to the taste. Put a pinch of diced red bell pepper to saute with the onion. Add the shrimps (better deveined but still in shell), as soon as the shrimps turn pink, add some lemon juice. Finally put the finely chopped flat leaf parsley to the saute pan. For the pasta, I use linguine. Garnish with fresh parsley for the finishing touch.

New word today: antipasto. I just learned that it has nothing to do with pasta. It's from italian, means out of the menu (appetizer kind of thing, something before the main course).

Posted by renh at 08:37 PM | Comments (0)