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Showing posts from April, 2011

Chicken Parmigiana With Penne Pasta

This fantastic Chicken Parmigiana With Penne Pasta recipe was inspired by Patsy's Classic Italian Cookbook . As usual, I made a couple of little modifications to the recipe which worked out well. For instance, instead of serving the chicken in a whole piece, I had it sliced into bite-sized pieces and tossed together with the pasta, parsley, pasta sauce, and season with sea salt and pepper. Then, I topped the pasta mixture with lots of cheese and baked it in the oven until golden in color. Yummy! Chicken Parmigiana With Penne Pasta Ingredients 2 (400g) Skinless & Boneless Chicken Breast, pounded thinly and season lightly with salt and pepper ¼ Cup Flour 1 Large Eggs, beaten 1/3-Cup Bread Crumbs 3 to 4 Tbsp Olive Oil 400 g Penne Pasta 1 Jar (709 ml) Any Favorite Pasta Sauce (tomato based) 3 Tbsp Finely Chopped Flat-Leaf Parsley Sea Salt Freshly Ground Black Pepper 350 g Mozzarella Cheese 3 Tbsp Grated Parmesan Cheese Method Preheat the oven to 400˚F/205˚C.

Malaysian Style Hamburger

A few weeks ago, I posted an interesting Japanese style hot dog recipe from Vancouver. It was very well received by all my readers. So, I thought I should share this localized recipe on another American all-time favorite. This is the Malaysian Style Hamburger! As I have not seen hamburgers being decked this way anywhere else, I am convinced this recipe is uniquely Malaysian and Singaporean. There are slight variations on how it's packaged; but, the key "extra" ingredients like the fried egg, cucumber, chili sauce are always present. In this recipe, the grilled meat patty is placed on a thinly fried omelette and topped with cheese, sweet chili sauce, mayonnaise, and seasoned with pepper. Simply wrap the patty with the egg when the cheese melts, and sandwich it on a toasted sesame bun with lettuce, cucumber slices, and some caramelized onions. This is a super good burger. I hope you will give it a try. Enjoy! Malaysian Style Hamburger Ingredients Meat Patties 1 lb Ground Be

Orange Chiffon Cake~New

Orange Chiffon Cake~New Ingredients 

4 Large Egg Yolks

 15 g Sugar 
50 g/ml Canola or Corn Oil
 50 g/ml Freshly Squeezed Orange Juice 1 tsp Vanilla Extract 
70 g Pastry Flour, sifted 
Zest of 2 Oranges Meringue
 80g Sugar 8 g Corn Flour/Starch

 4 Large Egg Whites
 Equipment: 7 inches Chiffon/Angel Tube Pan Baking Sheet

 Method

 Position the rack on lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 325˚F/160˚C. 



Place the egg yolks and sugar in a large bowl, and beat well. Add oil, orange juice, and vanilla extract and stir to incorporate with a whisk. Add flour and orange zest; mix well, until the batter becomes sticky. 



Make the meringue: Combine sugar and corn flour. Beat the egg whites until foamy. Add half the sugar and continue beating for a few minutes, then add remaining sugar and beat until egg whites are glossy and stiff peaks form.

 Add one-third of meringue into the egg yolk mixture and fold in lightly, then add remaining meringue and fold to incorporate completely

Black Bean Salsa With Chilies, Corn, and Tomatoes

Black Bean Salsa With Chilies, Corn, and Tomatoes Ingredients 1 Anaheim Chili 2 Jalapenos 2 Ears Fresh Corn, husked, silk removed and steamed 1 Can (15oz/425g) Organic Black Bean, rinsed and drained 4 Medium Tomatoes, diced ¼ Red Onion, finely diced 2 Scallions, green part only, sliced A handful of Coriander, chopped Juice of 1 Lime Sea Salt Freshly Ground Black Pepper Grilled Prawns (optional) 1 lb Prawns, shelled, tail intact, and deveined 1 tsp Chili Flakes Sea Salt Black Pepper 2 Tbsp Olive Oil Method Preheat the broiler. Roast the Anaheim chili and Jalapeno until blackened. Place the chilies in a bowl and cover with a microwave safe saran wrap. Let it stand for 15 minutes. Peel of the skin and discard the seeds and finely dice. Using a large, sharp knife carefully cut the kernels off the corncobs. In a large bowl, combine chilies, corn kernels, black beans, tomatoes, onion, scallions, and coriander. Season the salsa with lime juice, sea salt and pepper. Refrigerate the salsa mixtu

Chocolate Almond Spread

You will be surprised how easy it is to churn up this decadent and yet healthy Chocolate Almond Spread. Best of all, there’s no cooking involved here. Just use your trusted blender or food processor to process all the ingredients until it reaches your preferred consistency. The original recipe was posted by Viviane from Chocolate Chilli Mango blog. The only change I made was I used store-bought organic crunchy almond butter instead of roasted almond. The result was fantastic and I couldn't agree more with Viviane that it does taste better than any other sweet chocolate and hazelnut spread. Do check out the original recipe from Chocolate Chilli Mango . Chocolate Almond Spread Ingredients 1 Jar (340 g) Crunchy Almond Butter 2 tsp Vanilla Paste 3 to 4 Tbsp Coconut Sugar 4 Tbsp Raw Cacao or 100% Cocoa Powder 2 Tbsp Vanilla Protein Powder (optional) Water (adjust the consistency accordingly) Method Combine almond butter, vanilla paste, coconut sugar, cocoa powder, and vanilla protein

Bittersweet Chocolate Chips With Dulce De Leche Matzos Crunch

Bittersweet Chocolate Chips With Dulce De Leche Matzos Crunch Ingredients 2 Pcs (16 x 17 inches) Matzos (I used Yehuda Matzos) or water crackers 1 Tbsp Unsalted Butter, melted 100 g Bittersweet Chocolate Chips 10 to 12 Tbsp Homemade Dulce de Leche , warmed Toasted Almond Baking Sheet, lined with parchment paper Method Preheat oven to 375˚F. Place the matzos on a baking sheet and brush the top with melted butter. Bake in the oven for about 7 to 8 minutes, or until the matzos is slightly darker at the edges and toasted. Remove the matzos from the oven and scattered with chocolate chips. Return to the oven and bake for another 2 minutes, or until the chocolate has melted. Spread the melted chocolate chips over the matzos surface with an offset spatula, or with the back of a spoon. Transfer the matzos on a rack and leave it to cool and then refrigerate it until the chocolate is set. Spread a layer Dulce de Leche on top of the chocolate. Sprinkle with toasted slivered almonds, and chilled

Purple Sweet Potato Chiffon Cupcakes

Fresh from the recent success of baking the chiffon cake recipe, I got a little ambitious and started experimenting with several different flavors for this cake. I was pleased with all the outcome, as the flavoring and texture of the cakes were surprisingly good. Like all things, there was one that really stood out and it was the Purple Sweet Potato Chiffon Cupcakes. I had frosted the cake with some crème fraiche as well and the result was just outstanding! The frozen grated purple sweet potato or also known as purple yam can be found at your local Asian grocer. Give this recipe a try, I think you will like it. Have a great week ahead and happy cooking! Purple Sweet Potato Chiffon Cupcakes Ingredients 4 Large Egg Yolks
 15 g Sugar 50 g/ml Canola or Corn Oil 50 g/ml Unsweetened Soy Milk or Whole Milk 100 g Frozen Grated Purple Sweet Potato
 (I used Buenas brand), thawed 65 g Pastry Flour, sifted 1 ½ tsp Lemon Juice 

Meringue 55 to 65 g Sugar (adjust accordingly to the

Bacon And Egg Tea Sandwiches

Bacon And Egg Tea Sandwiches Ingredients 6 Large Hard-Boiled Eggs 6 to 7 Tbsp Mayonnaise 3 to 4 Stalk Scallions, finely sliced 6 to 8 Strips Cooked Crispy Bacon, chopped Sea Salt to taste Some Freshly Ground Black Pepper 12 Slices of Bread Method In a medium bowl, mash eggs and add the mayonnaise, scallions, crispy bacon, and season with salt and pepper. To serve, spread some egg filling over the bread and top with another piece of bread. Trim the crusts off and cut into 3 pieces. Serve immediately. Makes 6 Sandwiches or 12 to 18 Tea Sandwiches

Dulce de Leche

Dulce de Leche is the quintessential Argentine sweet caramel treat. It's made of milk and sugar that's been reduced to a creamy thick sauce. The Dulce de Leche is such a versatile spread, it goes with almost anything. You can spread the luscious caramel on cookies, bread, fruits or any type of pastries. If you have a couple of hours to spare, then you ought to try making the Dulce de Leche from scratch. It’s really easy to make and tastes really good too.
 Recipe adapted from Chewy Gooey Crispy Crunchy by Alice Medrich {pg 337} Dulce de Leche Ingredients 1 Quart /32 Fl Oz/950 ml Whole Milk ½ Cup (3.5 oz) Sugar (I used ¼ Sugar & ¼ Cup Coconut Sugar) ½ tsp Baking Soda Pinch of Sea Salt Method Combine the milk, sugar, baking soda, and salt in a large saucepan. Bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring frequently. The milk will thicken a little; then it will curdle. It will eventually smooth out again as you cook it. Continue to cook, stirring and scraping the sides and corners a

Japanese Beef Rolls With Scallion, Asparagus, And Enoki Mushrooms~Negimaki

This is one of my favorite appetizers, the Japanese Beef Rolls With Scallion, Asparagus, And Enoki Mushrooms. The combination of fresh veggies wrapped in a thinly sliced cooked beef is just so mouth watering. Several methods to cook this, oven baked (which I posted earlier ), grilled, or just on a skillet over the kitchen stove top, a'la Teppanyaki? :) I find this method allows you to control the temperature better, and it's easier to cook and baste the thinly sliced beef. A little tip, before slicing the beef, just place it in the freezer for about 25 to 30 minutes and this will make the effort so much easier! Try it! Japanese Beef Rolls With Scallion, Asparagus, And Enoki Mushrooms~Negimaki Ingredients 1 Piece (about 400 g/1 ½ inches thick) Rib Eye or Sirloin Steak, trimmed of fat 10 Stalks Asparagus, trimmed 5 Stalks Scallions, trimmed and halved 120 to 150 Enoki Mushrooms 4 Tbsp Japanese Soy Sauce 4 Tbsp Mirin 1 Tbsp Cooking Oil Toothpicks or Wooden Skewers Method In a smal

Japanese Style Mayonnaise

This lightly sweetened mayonnaise is a great accompaniment to many Asian styles grilled meat, hot dogs, and seafood.

Matcha~Green Tea Dacquoise

Recipe adapted from Okashi by Keiko Ishida Matcha Dacquoise~Green Tea Dacquoise Ingredients Biscuit Dacquoise 180 g Ground Almonds 80 g Confectioner’s Sugar 10 g Matcha /Green Tea Powder 40 g Caster Sugar 2 g Egg White Powder 200 g (5 large eggs) Whites Matcha Cream 100g Unsalted Butter, at room temperature 35 g (1 Large Egg) Whites 35 g Confectioner’s Sugar 5 g Matcha/Green Tea Powder Method Preheat the oven to 350˚F/180˚C. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Sift ground almonds, confectioner’s sugar and matcha with a coarse sieve twice. Set aside. Meringue: Combine castor sugar and egg white powder. Beat the egg whites until foamy. Add sugar and egg white powder mixture and beat until egg whites are glossy, with stiff peaks. Add sifted almond mixture to the meringue and fold gently to make the dacquoise batter. Transfer batter into a piping bag fitted with piping tip. Pipe out small discs (about3.5 cm in diameter) onto parchment paper. Dust with confectioner’s sugar twice and b

Hiyayakko~Chilled Tofu

Hiyayakko~Chilled Tofu Ingredients 1 Block Silken Tofu (about 400 g) 2 Stalk Scallions, finely chopped 1 tsp Grated Ginger 2 Tbsp Bonito Flakes 3 Tbsp Light Soy Sauce Method Cut the tofu in half. Drain on a dishcloth or paper towel. Set aside in two serving bowls and chill well. Top the chilled tofu with scallions, ginger, and Bonito flakes. Season the tofu with soy sauce just before serving. Serves 2

Beef Terimayo~Japanese Style Hot Dog and Bake for the Quake

When the recent catastrophe happened in Japan, one of my blogger friends, Melody of Gourmetfury , decided to team up with Joy of Gourmeted for a collective bake sale to raise funds for the Japanese earthquake and tsunami relief. All the proceeds went directly to Doctors without Borders. If you are either a talented baker in the Lower Mainland in Vancouver or a kind sponsor, this will be an opportunity for you to contribute towards this good cause. Please check out Gourmetfury website for more details. I'd like to thank all my readers in advance for contributing to this worthy cause and have a great week ahead!
 
 In line with this fund raising effort for Japan, I will be posting Japanese inspired recipes for this week. I will start with a uniquely Vancouver hot dog called Beef Terimayo. This is my take on the popular Japadog, the hot dog street vendor in Vancouver with Japanese flair toppings. The best selling item on their menu is the Beef Terimayo. It’s made of a beef hot dog,

Crispy Tortillas Filled With Chocolate And Bananas

These are scrumptiously decadent Crispy Tortillas Filled With Chocolate And Bananas. I made this snack during the recent school holidays, and it has quickly become one of our favorites. Do try this recipe as I think you will like it too! Crispy Tortillas Filled With Chocolate And Bananas Ingredients About 1/2 tsp of Unsalted Butter, divided 2 (8”) Flour Tortillas 40 g Bittersweet Chocolate Chips, divided 40 g Milk Chocolate Chips, divided 1 Large Banana, sliced Method Heat a large non-stick pan over medium heat and add in the butter. Gently tilt the pan to distribute the melted butter evenly. Then scatter one side of the tortilla with a layer of chocolate chips, sprinkle with a small pinch of sea salt, and top with another layer of banana slices. Fold the tortilla in half and then carefully flip over. Continue cooking, pressing down lightly with a spatula, until its other side is golden brown, crispy, and the chocolate has melted. Slide the tortilla onto a plate lined with greased proo

Blackberry Fool

Recipe adapted from Williams-Sonoma Food made Fast Series Blackberry Fool Ingredients 2 ½ Cups Fresh Blackberries 2 Cups Whipping Cream, chilled ¼ Cup Confectioners’ Sugar 1 Tbsp Brandy 1 tsp Vanilla Extract Method In a blender or food processor, puree 1 ½ cup of the blackberries. Using a rubber spatula, press the puree through a fine-mesh sieve into a small bowl. Discard the seeds. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat together the cream, sugar, brandy and vanilla until firm peaks form. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the blackberry puree and the remaining whole blackberries into the whipped cream. Spoon the fool into glass and serve immediately. Serves 8