All The More Reasons To Cook!

All Beef Asian Feast!!!

2010-10-29T17:54:00.001-07:00

This is an older post that I just got around to finalizing...sorry! The lucky ingredient this time is beef.

Here are the recipes. I did not include everything that I made, though I'd be happy to tell you if you like. Also, due to the deliciousness of the meal, I only managed to take one picture at the encouragement of my friend.

Course One:   Vietnamese Beef Spring Rolls with Pickled Vegetables Dipping Sauce
Ingredients:
4 sheets Vietnamese Rice Paper (large found ones)
1 oz           Rice Vermicelli Noodles
9 sprigs      Cilantro

4 oz          Flank Steak (thinly sliced)
3 tbsp       Brown Sugar
1/4 tsp      Dark Soy Sauce (or 1/4 tsp of regular soy sauce)
1/8 tsp      Black Pepper
1 tsp Olive Oil

5-6    Baby Carrots (julienne or cut into small sticks)
1/3           Cucumber (julienne or cut into small sticks without the seeds)
1/6           Yellow Onion (thinly sliced)
2 cups      White Vinegar
3/4 cup    Sugar
1/2 tsp     Vietnamese Chilli Sauce

Directions:
1) Prepared the night before: Heat the vinegar and sugar in a non-stick pot to boiling. Stir to dissolve sugar. Placed the carrots, cucumber and onion in a glass container. Poured the vinegar-sugar mixture on to the vegetables. Let the pickled vegetables cool to room temperature, covered and then refrigerate overnight.

2) Prepared the night before: Cook vermicelli in boiling water according to instruction. If no instructions are given (as such is the curse of some Asian packaging), then cook them for about 5-6 minutes until al dante. Put them spread out on a plate and loosely covered with plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight.

3) Marinate the steak with the brown sugar, oil, soy sauce and black pepper for at least 30 minutes. Either grill the steak slices over a stove-top grill, or broil them in the oven for 4 minutes on one side and 1 minute on the other. The meat should come out almost jerky-like. Make sure you do not overlap them when you cook them. Let cool to room temperature.

4) Soak two slices of rice paper at a time in cold water for 10 seconds until it is soft enough to fold without cracking but still slightly firm to the touch. Avoid over-soaking.

5) Place the two slices of softened rice paper one on top of the other and spread out on a piece of wax paper. On one end, place half the beef slices, half the vermicelli, 4 sprigs of cilantro, and 1/3 of the pickled vegetables. Rolled up carefully like you would a burrito.

6) Repeat steps 4-5 with the second roll.

7) Wrapped both rolled loosely with wax paper and refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hr.

8) For the dipping sauce: Combined the last 1/3 of the pickled vegetables with 1 sprig of cilantro (broken into pieces). Mix in the chili sauce and keep chilled until use.

---------------
Course Two:   Chinese Beef and Broccoli Stir-Fry (served with white rice)
Ingredients:
1/2 lb          Broccoli Crowns (cut into pieces)

5 oz            Flank Steak (sliced into 1/4 inch thick)
1 tsp           Olive Oil
1 tbsp         Oyster Sauce
1 tsp           Sugar
1 tsp           Soy Sauce
1 tsp           Corn Starch
1/4 tsp        Black Pepper

4 cloves      Garlic (minced)
1 tsp Sugar
1 1/2 tbsp   Oyster Sauce
1 tbsp         Olive Oil
1/4 cup       Water
1 tsp           Corn Starch

Directions:
1) May be prepared the night before: Marinate the beef slices with the oil, oyster sauce, soy sauce, corn starch and black pepper (in the amount listed with the second set of ingredients). Cover and chill for at least 30 minutes to over night.

2) Boiled broccoli until just tender. Do not over cook!

3) Working with the third set of ingredients, heat the olive oil using high heat in a non-stick skillet or wok. Add the garlic and heat until the garlic is slightly golden (about 2 minutes). Add the beef slices and cook until the outside is brown (about 3 -4 minutes), stirring occasionally. Add the broccoli and stir to mix.

4) In a separate bowl, combine the water, corn starch and sugar. Add the mixture to the skillet/wok and mix immediately. Reduce to medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until the sauce thicken. If it gets too thick, add more water (1 tsp at a time).

5) Serve immediately with jasmine rice.

-----------
Course Three:      Korean Beef Dumplings or Gyoza with Sweet Soy Dipping Sauce
Ingredients:
1 pkg           Gyoza wrapper (round)

3 stalks        Green onion (chopped into small pieces)
1 lb              Ground beef (85% lean)
1 tsp            Black pepper
1 tbsp          Salt

1 large         Egg yolk
1/2 tsp         Water

2 tbsp         Soy Sauce
2 tbsp         Rice wine vinegar
1 tsp Water
1 tsp           Sugar
1 stalk        Green onion (chopped into small pieces)
1/4 tsp    Crushed red pepper flakes or chili paste

Directions:
1) May be prepared the night before: Mix the ground beef with salt, pepper, and green onion. Cover and chilled for at least 30 minutes to overnight.

2) May be prepared the night before:   Mix the soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, sugar, water and crushed red pepper flakes or chili paste. Heat for 20 seconds in the microwave to warm. Mix to dissolve the sugar completely. May be chilled over night. Add the chopped green onions before serving.

3) Beat the egg yolk together with the water to make an egg wash.

4) Place about 1 tbsp of ground beef mixture onto the center of the gyoza wrapper. Using your fingertip or a small spoon, moisten the edges of the top side of the wrapper with the egg wash. Fold the wrapper in half, encasing the meat. Pinch the edges to seal. (See http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2146/2130036870_3f9afee31b_o.jpg for illustration). Moisten the top of the half-moon edges with egg wash, and make several folds of the edges (See http://z.about.com/d/japanesefood/1/0/L/H/makinggyoza-step5.jpg for illustration). Place the finished produce on a lightly floured parchment paper or cookie rack.

5) Heat a pot of water to boiling. Reduce heat to medium-high. Place 5-6 gyoza at a time into the hot water and cook until it floats to the top (about 5 minutes). Remove with a slotted spoon.

6) Serve the gyoza with kimchi and the dipping sauce.

Happy Cooking!!

Easy Cake Mix Transformations!!

2010-10-29T15:20:00.003-07:00

Here are a few easy fixes to fancy up your cake mix creations! (WARNING: May not be diet friendly! But then again, it's getting colder outside....)

Almond Blueberry White Cake with Strawberry Swirls

Ingredients:

1 box of white cake mix
1/3 cup melted butter (in place of the 1/3 cup oil called for in the box)

1 tbsp almond extract

16 oz of fresh blueberries (frozen overnight; do not wash before freezing)

1 cup of strawberry jam (not sugar free)

2 tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp lemon zest

Directions:

Mix strawberry jam with lemon juice and zest.
Combine cake mix ingredients (replacing vegetable oil with butter) and almond extract according to directions. Using electic hand mixer, beat the batter on high for 5 minutes or until batter almost doubles in volume.
Rinse frozen blueberries. Fold berries into batter gently.
Pour batter into prepared pan.
Dab the jam on top of the batter in small portions, evenly across batter.
Using a spatula or a spoon, gently swirl jam into batter in a zigzag fashion. Do not mix the jam into the batter fully.
Bake according to instructions or until toothpick comes out without wet batter. ~ 30 minues.
Let cool and serve!

Milk Honey Spiced Cake

Ingredients:

1 box yellow cake mix

1 tsp pumpkin spice

1/4 tsp chili powder

1 cup milk

3 tbsp honey

Directions:

Combine ingredients for cake mix, along with pumpkin spice and chili powder, according to instructions.
Whisk on low for 30 sections, then on medium for no more than 2 minutes. Batter should be thick and dense.
Bake according to instructions in a square pan.
In a sauce pan, heat milk slowly until steamy but not boiling. Turn off heat and stir in honey until evenly mixed.
Take cake out when done. With a fork or a toothpick, poke holes all over the cake.
Pour milk/honey mixture on cake.
Let cool and serve, or refrigerate overnight.

Easy Mint Chocolate Cake

Ingredients:

1 box devil's cake mix

1 10 oz bag Andes mint chocolate chips

1/2 cup chocolate syrup

1 pint whipping cream

1 tsp mint extract

1 cup powder sugar

Directions:

Combine ingredients for cake mix, along with chocolate syrup, according to instructions.
Whisk on low for 30 sections, then on high for about 4 minutes. Batter should be thick and but fairly light.
Fold in chocolate chips until evenly scattered in batter.
Bake according to instructions in round or square pan.
In a bowl, combine whipping cream, mint extract and powder sugar. Whisk until thick and foamy (we're making whipped cream!). It should form and hold peaks.
Let cake cool and serve with mint whipped cream!

Other Ideas:

Mexican Chocolate Cake - Add nutmeg, cayenne pepper powder, and cinnamon to cake mix.

Strawberry/Peach/Orange and Cream - Take one cup of strawberry/peach/orange preserve or marmalade and mix with 2 tbsp of lemon juice and 1 tsp of lemon zest. Dab small portions evenly over white cake batter. Swirl gently into batter, but not mix or blend into batter. You should just see mostly white with ribbons of color. Also, use whole milk or half-and-half instead of water for the batter.

Happy Cooking!!!

Summer Salads Variety

2010-07-17T15:07:00.003-07:00

It's summertime and the fruits are in season. I tend to like adding fruits in my salads because it gives it a healthy and tasty kick! Here are a few good varieties with homemade dressings. (I am still working on improving the recipe for the dressing... ^_^) All of them under 350 calories per serving!! Now that's summer lovin'!

Note: Any of these salads can be combined with any of the dressings, if you wish. I noted my suggestions for salad/dressing combination below. I am going to list all the salads first, then the dressings separately.

~*~*~*~*~*~*Salads*~*~*~*~*~*~

Cantaloupe-Blueberry and Candied-Walnut Salad with Bleu Cheese Crumbles

Servings: 1
Calories per Serving:
282 cal. without dressing
349 cal. with dressing

(best with Blueberry-Apple Vinaigrette)

Ingredients:
6 large       romaine lettuce leaves (rinsed and cut into thick strips)
1/2 med.    vine-tomato (sliced into 8 half-slices)
1/2 cup    cucumber slices
1/6 med.    white or yellow onion (sliced thin)
7 sticks      baby carrots (cut into sticks or slices)
1/4 med.    cantaloupe (cut into chunks)
1/3 cup      fresh blueberries
1/8 cup     candied walnuts (smashed or crushed into smaller, sprinkling-sized pieces)
2 tbsp       bleu-cheese crumbles

Directions:

Line the plate with lettuce.
Layer on the tomatoes, onions, carrots and cucumbers. Scatter evenly.
Top with cantaloupe chunks and blueberries.
Sprinkled with candied walnuts and bleu-cheese crumbles.
Drizzled on 1/4 cup of dressing (recommended: Blueberry-Apple Vinaigrette)

Turkey-Pear-Swiss Herb Salad

Servings: 1

Calories per Serving:
        273 cal. without dressing
        341 cal. with dressing

(best with Honey-Mustard Dressing)

Ingredients:
2 cups     Spring Mix Bag Salad
4 leaves   Fresh mint leaves (cut into strips)
1/8 cup    Fresh cilantro (coarsely chopped)
1/8 cup    Fresh parsley (coarsly chopped)
3 oz         Roasted turkey breast (the real kind ... not deli-sliced....cut into small chunks)
1/2 of a fresh pear (bosc, barlett, asian, etc.), sliced thin or into small cubes
1 slice      Sargento swiss cheese (cut in half, then into thin strips)

Directions:

In a large mixing bowl, lightly toss together the spring mix salad greens, mint leaves, cilantro and parsley.
Place salad mix on the plate and scatter pear slices or cubes on top.
Add turkey cubes and then topped with cheese strips.
Drizzle 1/4 cup of dressing on top. (recommended with Honey-Mustard dressing)

Tropical Fruit-Yogurt Salad with Grilled Shrimp

Serving size: 1
Calories per Serving:
       285 cal. without dressing
       336 cal. with dressing

(best with Lemon-Honey Vinaigrette)

Ingredients:
1/2 cup       pineapple chunks
1/2 cup       papaya chunks
1/2 medium mango (sliced or chunks)
1 tbsp         sweet shredded coconut
4 leaves      fresh mint (cut into thin strips)
6 leaves      romaine heart lettuce (coarsely chopped into chunks)
9 large        shrimp
1 pinch       salt
1 pinch       black pepper
1/4 cup       Trader-Joe's greek-style non-fat plain yogurt
2-3 bamboo skewers
non-stick cooking spray

Directions:

Soak bamboo skewers in warm water for at least 2 hrs. Preheat grill.
Peel and skewer shrimp (4-5 shrimp per skewer).
Spray non-stick spray on both sides of the shrimps.
Season both sides of the shrimps with salt and pepper.
Grill shrimps for 2-3 minutes on each side, until pink and no longer translucent. Set aside.
Line plate with lettuce.
Scattered over the lettuce with pineapple, mango, papaya, and mint leaves.
Remove shrimp from skewer and scatter shrimp over the salad.
Sprinkle the coconut on top.
Drizzle 1/4 cup of dressing on top of salad and serve yogurt in a small bowl on the side (to be poured over salad). (Recommended with Lemon-Honey Vinaigrette.)

~*~*~*~*~*Dressing*~*~*~*~*~

Blueberry-Apple Vinaigrette (makes 1 cup)
      67 cal. per 1/4 cup

Ingredients:
1/4 cup     blueberry jam/preserve
1/8 cup     apple cider vinegar
3/4 cup     unsweeten apple juice
1/2 tbsp    corn starch
1/8 tsp      black pepper
1/8 tsp      salt

Directions:

Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl.
Heat in a small sauce pan until clear and thicken. Stir constantly.
OR you can heat in the microwave for 30 sec, stir, then heat again in 10 sec increments until thick and clear.
Let cool then drizzle over salad!

Lemon-Honey Vinaigrette (makes 1/4 cup)
51 cal. per 1/4 cup

Ingredients:
1 lemon (freshly squeezed all the juice)
1 tbsp pure honey
1/4 cup water
1/2 tbsp    corn starch
1/2 tbsp    apple cider vinegar
1/8 tsp      black pepper
1/8 tsp      ground ginger

Directions:

Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl.
Heat in a small sauce pan until clear and thicken. Stir constantly.
OR you can heat in the microwave for 30 sec, stir, then heat again in 10 sec increments until thick and clear.
Let cool then drizzle over salad!

Honey-Mustard Dressing (makes 1/4 cup)
   68 cal. per 1/4 cup

Ingredients:
1 tbsp    spicy mustard
1 tbsp     pure honey
1/4 cup water
1/2 tbsp      corn starch
1/8 tsp        black pepper
1/8 tsp        salt

Directions:

Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl.
Heat in a small sauce pan until clear and thicken. Stir constantly.
OR you can heat in the microwave for 30 sec, stir, then heat again in 10 sec increments until thick and clear.
Let cool then drizzle over salad!

Healthy Chicken Parmagiana Dinner

2010-07-09T15:52:00.000-07:00

A healthier twist on a classic, hearty dish! I used less pasta because the main dish is the chicken. Portion control is a must!! Do NOT expect to use up all the bread crumbs. There should be at least 1/2 the bread crumbs left at the end of breading. I start out with more because it is easier to coat, without intending to use all of it. Also, I used mustard instead of an egg wash. Less messy and close to no calories! Isn't life grand?

Servings:    2
Calories: 425 cal / serving

Ingredients:
2        4 oz piece of boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 cup     plain bread crumbs
1 tsp    salt
1 tsp      Italian seasoning
1/8 tsp   black pepper
1 tsp      garlic powder
1/2 tsp   crushed red pepper flakes
2 tbsp    spicy mustard
1/4 cup low-moisture part-skimmed shredded mozzarella cheese

1           16 oz can tomato puree
1/4     medium onion (finely chopped)
1/2 tsp olive oil
1 tbsp    sugar
1/2 tsp   garlic powder
1/8 tsp   black pepper
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 tsp    Italian seasoning

1/4 box whole wheat thin spaghetti
1/2 tsp   salt

2 cups   broccoli florets
1/4 tsp salt

Directions:

Chicken

Preheat oven to BROIL. Line a broiler-safe pan or a small metal cookie sheet (no non-stick) with foil and spray on a thin layer of cooking oil spray.
In a large bowl, mix bread crumbs, garlic powder, salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes and Italian seasoning together, and set aside.
Brush both sides of chicken breast with spicy mustard (only a thin coat is needed).
Toss the chicken in the bread crumbs mixture until coated on both sides. Discard excess bread crumbs mixture.
Place coated chicken on the pan or cookie sheet and broil for 7 min on each side. If the bread crumbs start to brown too quickly, either lower the rack away from the broiling element or cover lightly with foil.
Top each chicken with 1/8 cup of mozzarella cheese and return to broiler for another minute. After the first minute, heat in 30 sec increments until cheese is melted and slightly brown on top.
If not serving right away, lower oven temperature to 200 F and keep chicken lightly covered with foil in the oven. (Don't forget to take it out of the broiler into the oven if your broiler is in a separate compartment!)

Pasta

In a large pot, heat half a pot of water till boiling.
Once water boils, add salt and pasta.
For firm pasta, cook for 5 min.
For medium firm pasta, cook for 6 min.
For soft pasta, cook for 8min.
Drain pasta and set aside (if not used immediately).

Marinara Sauce

In a sauce pot/pan, heat oil in high heat for 1 min.
Add onions to the pan and cook for 1-2 min. until translucent and soft.
Add garlic powder, black pepper, red pepper flakes and Italian seasoning, stir to mix.
Lower heat to medium-low. Add tomato puree and sugar.
Simmer the sauce for 10 minutes, covered. Stirring occasionally. If the sauce gets too thick, add some water. If it gets too bubbly, lower the heat.
If not using right away, keep sauce heated covered and under the lowest heat possible. Check occasionally to make sure it is not too dry or bubbly.

Broccoli

Heat up 1/2 pot of water in a large pot until boiling.
Once boiling, add salt and broccoli florets. Cook for 5-6 minutes for large stalks, or 3-4 minutes for small florets.
Drain and covered until it is ready to be served.
**** If using frozen florets, simply put the vegetables in a large microwavable bowl. Add water till the broccoli is just covered. Heat for 4-5 minutes using HIGH setting. Drain and serve.

Serving the Dish

Measure out 1 cup of pasta with a liquid measuring cup. Divide into two equal portions.
Place a piece of chicken either next to or on top of the pasta.
Pour sauce over chicken and pasta.
Place broccoli on the side.
Serve immediately.

I hope this works for you! Happy Cooking!! =D

Kick the Yucky, Boring Diet Foods OUT!!

2010-07-09T15:02:00.001-07:00

So, I've been back on a diet and exercise plan since law school has once again expanded my waistline. However, I love food too much to just be eating boring diet food. So, here's the change to my blog. I will now be posting food with calories count. These next few posts (unless otherwise noted) will be all diet-friendly foods. Have fun!!

Yummy Blueberry Muffins!

2010-04-05T09:58:00.000-07:00

I made these for General Conference weekend. You can refrigerate the batter in a air tight container overnight if you want. I used fresh blueberries that I froze. I would suggest just freezing the whole box without washing them first. If you wash they, they will freeze together and will get smashed when they thaw. I prefer using frozen fresh berries instead of the frozen berries from the freezer section of the supermarket. Those tend to be tiny and smashed by the time they thaw out. Either that or they freeze into a hopeless block of ice. Anyway, enough about blueberries...on to the recipe!

Blueberry Muffins (makes 10-12 muffins)
Ingredients:
Dry Ingredients:
     1 3/4 cup      flour
   1/2 cup         granulated sugar
     1/4 tsp          salt
     2 tbsp           baking powder
     1 tbsp           lemon zest
   1 cup    frozen fresh blueberries

Wet Ingredients:
   1 large egg
     1 tsp            vanilla
     5 tbsp          melted butter
     3/4 cup        milk

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 F and grease a 12 muffin baking pan.
Mix dry ingredients together and set aside.
Mix wet ingredients together until blended.
Add to dry ingredients all at once and mix with wooden spoon until just blended, but not overly so.
Let sit for 10 minutes.
Distribute evenly to the greased muffin pan cups.
Bake for 12-15 minutes, until the knife comes out clean.

Enjoy! Happy Cooking!

Let's Celebrate!

2010-01-06T12:20:00.003-07:00

The Holidays are over. The tree is put away. The house is once again clean, but depressing and gloomy. I don't think I've ever gotten the post-holiday blues before. Somehow, this year, I felt it. So to cheer myself up, I decided to remind myself why I love living in the southern part of the country where the sun shines almost year round: fresh, tropical fruits are always in season. Therefore, on Monday morning, I visited my neighborhood market and bought whatever they have in season. Here's what I came up with:

Steak and Mango Salad with Lime-Honey Dressing

Ingredients:

1 ripe red mango (pitted, cut into chunks)

1 bag of Classic Romaine Salad from any brand

1 large avocado (pitted, peeled, cut into chunks)

1 large Roma Tomato (cut into chunks)

A few thin slices of yellow onion

1/4 cup Feta cheese

1/2 tsp lime zest

1 pinch of salt

1 pinch of black pepper

1/4 cup of Lo Mein noodles

1 boneless sirloin steak (6 oz)

Juice of 1 lime

1 1/2 tbsp pure honey

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1/8 tsp of black pepper

1 pinch of salt

Directions:

1.Cook the steak (seasoned with salt and pepper) either on a pan or broil it in the oven. Cook to desired level. I preferred mine medium. Let steak cool for 10 minutes, and then cut into chunks.

2. Toss the tomato, avocado, mango, onion, salad mix, salt, pepper, and lime zest together.

3. In a separate bowl, combine lime juice and honey. Mix until the honey is blended into the juice. Add salt and pepper. Slowly, add the olive oil while mixing vigorously.

4. Add the dressing to the salad mix and toss.

5. Sprinkle the top of the salad with Feta cheese, Lo Mein noodles, and steak cubes.

6. Refrigerate for up to 1 hr or serve immediately.

Happy Cooking!

---------
Oh, and here's the birthday cake that I made myself. I will not bore you with the details of making it. Just tantalize you with the picture of it. =P

Happy Cooking!

What To Do With Leftover Ham...

2009-12-27T12:59:00.002-07:00

Another holiday meal favorite that usually results in leftovers is ham. I am not a fan of having leftovers for days. So I usually try to get rid of it as soon as possible. That could mean having it for brunch and for dinner. My favorite brunch food with ham is "ham and cheese croissant". You can freeze the extras. You can make it the night before. It takes very little time to bake and with very good results. Here's the recipe that I used last night for an amazing croissant.

Ham and Cheese Croissant

Ingredients:
1 cup        Butter (softened)
1/4 cup     Flour
1 1/2 tsp   Salt
2 tbsp       Sugar

3/4 cup     Milk (warmed)
1/2 cup     Water (warm to about 110 F)
4 1/2 tsp   Active dry yeast (or 2 packages)

3 cups      Flour

3 cups    Leftover ham cut into strands
2 cups    Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

1 large     Egg yolk
1/4 cup    Milk

3 tbsp    Oregano (dried)

Directions:
1. Using a wooden spoon or a hand mixer (lowest setting), cream the butter with the salt, sugar and flour until evenly blended.

2. Spoon the mixture on to a large piece of wax paper, cover with another large piece of wax paper. Roll the butter into a thin, flat sheet (12 x 6 inches) with a rolling pin. (It is better to use a cold stainless steel or ceramic rolling pin if you have one.)

3. Place the thinned out butter on a cookie sheet and refrigerate for at least 1 hr.

4. Mix the warm water and yeast together until dissolved. Add warm milk. Slowly add the flour 1 cup and a time and mix until evenly blended using a wooden spoon.

5. On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough until smooth (adding a little bit of flour if needed). About 10 minutes. Let the dough rise (covered) in a warm (80 F), draft free place until double (about 1 hr).

6. Roll the dough out into a large square (14 x 14 inches). Place the sheet butter on to one half of the dough, remove the wax papers. Fold the dough in half, covering the butter, and pinch the edges to seal.

7. Roll the dough into a 20 x 8 inches rectangle. Starting from the short side, fold the dough in thirds like a letter. Seal edges and wrap dough in wax paper. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

8. Repeat step 7 four more times.

9. Cut the dough into quarters. Working with one quarter at a time, roll the dough out into a 20 x 8 rectangle.

10. With a sharp knife or a pastry knife, cut the dough into thirds. Place about 1/4 cup of ham and a small handful of cheese at the end of each thirds. Fold the corners closest to the ham over the ham mixture. Roll in the edges and fold in the corners of the other end. Roll the ham mixture in tightly.Repeat with the rest of the dough quarters.

11. Place the croissants on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet. Let rise for 1 hour in a warm, draft free place. Cover with a clean cloth.

12. Beat the egg yolk with the milk. Brush over croissants. Sprinkle oregano over the top.

13. Preheat oven to 425 F. Bake croissants for 5 minutes. Reduce heat to 375 F and bake for another 15 - 20 minutes, or until golden.

14. Cool for 5 minutes and serve!

Happy Cooking!!

Leftover Headaches...GONE!

2009-12-19T19:56:00.010-07:00

So right after finals, I went from cooking deprived to cooking overload. I woke up at 6 am the next morning after finals are over. When others were still sleeping, I was up cooking. I made 8 dozens gingerbread cookies, a 15 lb turkey, stuffing. gravy, and baked an apple pie (all from scratch, of course!) Needless to say, that was me taking on more than I could handle because I forgot I only have a half-size oven. However, 12 hours later, the cookies were done with none burned, the pie was beautiful, the stuffing and gravy were delicious, and the turkey was succulent. We had so much fun eating and caroling with friends! Then I was faced with what most people love and dread ... leftovers.

Leftovers are wonderful. You don't have to cook the next day. Your family is happy eating and remember the wonderful night from before....for about two meals. If you're like me, you always make too much food. I was left with enough turkey for 4 meals! First, we had turkey sandwiches, then turkey casserole... then we're out of ideas. I mean, you can always reincarnate the turkey, but what about the left over gravy and veggies?

So I decided to whip up something fun by putting a twist at the traditional way to recycle the leftover turkey. I made Turkey Hot Pockets. It's really easy and really fun! I used a home made crust. But if you are lazy, you can opt for a store bought crust as well.

Turkey Hot Pockets (6 servings)

Ingredients:
1 package    Pillsbury® Rolled Refrigerated Pie Crusts(2 per package)

4 cups          Leftover turkey meat (cut into small chunks)
2 cups          Leftover gravy
1 cup           Frozen mixed vegetables (or left over vegetables that you like, cut into small chunks)
1/2              Yellow onion (diced)
2 tbsp        Heavy cream
1/4 tsp         Black pepper
1/4 tsp         Salt (more to taste)
1/4 tsp         Sugar
1/4 tsp         Thyme (dried)
1/4 tsp         Sage (ground)
1 tbsp    Flour (optional; see directions)

1 large Egg white, beaten

Directions:
1. Thaw the pie crusts. Cut each crust into thirds. Reshaped to form 6 small disks and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

2. Preheat the oven to 400 F.

3. Mix the turkey, veggies, onion, heavy cream, gravy, salt, pepper, sugar, thyme, and sage in a large bowl. Add some flour if the gravy is thin. You should get a thick mixture that is thick enough to hold its shape when you spoon it on to a surface.

4. Refrigerate the mixture for 30 minutes.

5. Grease a large cookie sheet.

6. Take out the pie crust, one at a time. Spoon the turkey mixture on the one half of the pie crust, leaving at least a 1/2 inch edge on that half.

7. Fold the other half over the mixture. Seal the crust using a fork. (see here for an image of how it should look by now... http://www.recipegirl.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/cherries81.jpg)

8. Using a sharp knife, make two venting slits on the top crust.

9. Repeat steps 6-8 with remaining crusts.

10. Brush each hot pocket with the beaten egg whites. Bake for 30 minutes or until the top is golden brown.

Happy Cooking!

Taking the Pinwheel for a Spin During Finals Week!

2009-12-11T12:13:00.006-07:00

It's been way too long since I've had a few minutes to post anything. This is finals week. As much as I would love to be able to bake all day to relieve stress, it has been proven impossible this semester. I somehow find myself living in the library (practically there from 7 am to midnight when they throw me out kicking and screaming....) I think there's a permanent butt print in the chair that I sit in every day. The place is gloomy with no decorations, concrete staircase that squeaks every time someone walks on it, and not to mention endless piles of dusty law books that are in desperate need of updating. You get the idea. Therefore, my having to be there from sunrise to way past sun-down is making me highly irritable.

The good news is that it is at time like this when my strange child-like side comes out. First, I decided to buy a blanket-like shawl so I feel like I'm snuggling in my chair at home (kind-of). Then, I bought a table top Christmas tree. Yes....a Christmas tree. It's about 2 feet tall. I got it at Big Lots for $4. I also got the lights and the garland with the decorations for $1 each at Dollar Tree. It's wonderful. About $7 later, there is a tree in the library on the desk that I study. Every time someone walks by, they smile. Love spreading the joy around! Not to mention I suddenly find myself with many new friends attracted to the tree, including those that I've seen around the school but never spoken to and those who I simply did not know existed. I love it! Here's a picture of my tree:

After about a week and half of studying, I finally got a one day break. At the end of the second final exam, I threw my arms in the air, waved them around a little, and said "I'm going home, taking a nap, and watching TV!" So I went home .... bought lunch .... watched TV ... and (you guessed it!) no nap. Why would I ever want to nap now that I have a few hours to play in the kitchen!! (BTW, it got fixed. No more giant hole in my ceiling and choking, toxic particles floating in the air. Woohoo!) I was recently at a buffet where they served this wonderful puff pastry pinwheel with curried veggies in it. (Loved the puff pastry but wished they were less stingy on the veggies...) So with only a few hours to get this done, I decided to make my own spin on this. Alas! The Pinwheel Biscuit with Curried Fillings was born! Here's a picture of it (sorry for the quality):

It took me about 2 hours to make it while dancing to Christmas music and enjoying my new Gingerbread Cookie scented candle. But, nonetheless, here's the recipe....enjoy!

Pinwheel Biscuit with Curried Fillings

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups            all purpose flour (more as needed - see directions)
1 stick (8 tbsp)     very cold unsalted butter (cut into very small pieces)
2 tsp                     baking powder
1/2 tsp                  baking soda
2 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp                  salt
3/4 cup very cold milk (2% or whole)
1/4 cup                 very cold (not frozen) sour cream

1 1/2 cups    frozen mixed veggies (or any fresh veggies you want to use - diced to small pieces)
1/2 piece              boneless, skinless chicken breast (diced into very small pieces)
3/4 lb                   extra large shrimp (de-veined and de-shelled) - cut into 3-4 pieces per shrimp
2 tsp                    curry powder
1 tbsp    extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup                water
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Add the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, sugar and butter together. Blend evenly into course crumbs using two knives or a pastry blender. (I find that a metal-wired potato masher works well too!) If butter begins to soften, put the mixture in the fridge for 15 minutes, then resume.

2. Add the sour cream and 1/3 of the milk to the dry ingredients and blend with a spoon. Continue adding the milk in small batches until the flour all stick together and slightly moist. (But not sticky and wet). If you need to, add more milk or more flour to get the right consistency.

3. On a lightly floured surface, rolled the dough out into a large rectangle. Dust the top lightly with flour.

4. Fold the dough in third like you would a letter.

5. Dust the top of the dough lightly with flour and turn it over. Dust lightly with flour on the new "top-side" again.

6. Rolled the dough into a large rectangle again.

7. Repeat steps 4 - 6 about three more times. (if the dough ever begin to get too soft and sticky, then put it in the fridge (wrapped in wax paper) for 15 minutes.)

8. Line a large cookie sheet with wax paper.

9. Put a piece of wax paper on top of the dough (make sure the paper is large enough to cover the dough).

10. Fold the dough with the wax paper into thirds like you would a letter. This way the layers are separate by the wax paper. Put the dough in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. You can wrap the dough in wax paper and refrigerate overnight if you want.

11. In a pan or a small pot, put in the water, olive oil, veggies and curry powder. Heat until simmering under medium heat. Stir occasionally.

12. Add the chicken. Cook under medium heat until the chicken is all white. (about 5 - 6 minutes) Add some water if needed to keep the ingredients from burning or sticking to the bottom of the pan.

13. Add the shrimp. Cook under medium heat until the shrimp is white but slightly translucent. Stirring constantly. (about 3 - 4 minutes) Add some water if needed to keep the ingredients from burning or sticking to the bottom of the pan.

14. Add salt and pepper to taste.

15. Drain the liquid from the fillings and spread into a thin layer on a large plate. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes until the mixture is cool to the touch.

16. Preheat the oven to 500 F. Placed the cold dough on a lightly floured surface with the short edge facing you.

17. Spread the fillings evenly over the entire dough, leaving about a 1/2 inch room at the edge.

18. Rolled tightly like a jelly roll. Pinch the two ends as you roll so the fillings won't come out.

19. Wet the top edge with a little water and seal it on to the side of the roll when you're done.

20. Cut the roll into 3-inch pieces with a very sharp and thin knife. (You can also try using the unscented dental floss method. I have not tried that.)

21. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper (or grease the pan well). Refrigerate for 10 minutes. (You can also refrigerate for up to a few hours if you want to make it later.)

22. Lower the oven temperature to 450 F. Bake the pinwheels for 10 minutes. Turn the pan 180 degrees and bake for another 10 minutes until golden brown.

23. Let cool for 5 minutes and serve as is. Or you can serve it with buerre blanc sauce (see below).

Beurre Blanc Sauce:
This is a French white butter sauce that goes well with most seafood and poultry. Here's a basic recipe for it: http://culinaryarts.about.com/od/buttersauces/r/beurreblanc.htm

I took out the wine (don't have any in the house), and added a little bit of black pepper. I also did not strain the shallot.

Happy Cooking!!! Happy Holidays!!

My Inspiration from "Ratatouille"

2009-11-24T10:09:00.003-07:00

There are times when I'm stressed so I cook. But then, there are times when I'm so stressed, that even cooking isn't an option. That is especially true right now because I cannot cook in my own kitchen. To put it simply:

The ceiling of the apartment next to us fell down two nights ago because the water main broke. We had no water that next morning. The idiot from upstairs, after realizing the water was turned off, left the faucet on with his drain clogged and flooded his apartment and into ours. We have now moved our bed, clothes, sofa and TV next door. I go in the other apt to wash up and cook, but the mold is starting to getting to me. My husband couldn't be in there for more than five min before he start to cough like mad. The hole in our ceiling is the size of a small table-top. They told us they won't get around to it for another week, possibly two.

So now, I have to cook in a kitchen that is filthy. It took me 15 minutes just to cleaned of the counter top (not including the rest of the place). I have to keep running outside because I had to hold my breath half the time.

For a day, I was exhausted, stressed to the max (finals time), and ready to order take out (gasp!!). Luckily, we went to a friend's house last night and watched Ratatouille. Not that the move is about cooking in a horrible place. But the motto "Anyone can cook" and the description of how different flavors can come together to create a symphony reignite my fire. Needless to say, I held my breath, ran into my house, grabbed the stuff I needed and brought it next door. Waiting for me, happily bubbling at home, is a large pot of elk.

Yes, elk. Some people are afraid of elk. Not because it is a huge animal that might kill you before you manage to shoot it. More that it is an acquired taste. When you get one, you get a LOT of it. It takes up your entire ice-box and sits there with no one to take it away from you. After the 3rd meal, you run out of ideas of what to do with it. Stew usually comes to mind, but the usual style of tomatoes, potatoes, celery and carrots simply gets boring. So, in my rushed attempt to raid my kitchen before I die of suffocation, I came up with following recipe....enjoy!!

Tropical Elk Stew

Equipment:

1 regular size crock pot.

1 large non-stick frying pan

Ingredients:

1-1/2 lb Elk roast (cut into large chunks)

1/4 cup Candied ginger (available in Asian markets) ... don't mistaken them with ginger candy.

1/2 Fresh pineapple with juice (or you can substitute with one 16 oz can of pineapple slices with juice)

3 to 4 Roma tomatoes (do NOT use the canned ones)

1 White or yellow onion (medium size) - cut into squares

2 tbsp Olive oil

1 tbsp Worchestershire sauce

1 tsp Salt (more to taste)

1/2 tbsp Pepper (more to taste)

1 tsp Dried thyme

1 tsp Dried basil

1/4 tsp Ginger powder

1 tbsp Garlic (minced)

2 tbsp Light brown sugar

5 tbsp Butter (unsalted)

5 tbsp Flour

1 to 2 cups water
1 tsp Lemon juice.

Directions:

1) Turn the crock pot to "HI", add olive oil, Worchestershire sauce, salt, pepper, thyme, basil, ginger powder, garlic and brown sugar. Stirred to make sure they are mixed and dispersed.

2) Cut the candied ginger in to small pieces and add to the pot.

3) Cut the pineapples and tomatoes into large chunks, set aside.

4) Coat the elk pieces with flour and tossed until there's a thin layer of flour covering each piece.

5) Melt butter in medium heat in a non-stick pan, turn heat up to "MED-HI" until butter starts to brown.

6) Add elk and cook until it starts to turn brown on the outside, turning the pieces to make sure all sides are cooked evenly, about 3 -4 minutes.

7) Drain the elk on a piece of paper towel, then add to the crock pot.

8) Add the pineapple (with juice), tomatoes, and onions to the crock pot. Stir to make sure everything is well-mixed. Make sure the spices at the bottom gets evenly mixed with the other ingredients.

9) Add 1 to 2 cups of water (enough that the water covers up about 3/4 of the ingredients). Do not add water till it is covering all the ingredients because it will be too soupy. Some of the ingredients will produce water as they cook.

10) Add lemon juice.

11) Cover and let cook for at least 4 hours on "HI" in the crock pot. If you make this overnight, then turn the crock pot to "LOW" and let it cook for up to 9 hours.

12) At the end, make sure you taste it to see if it needs more sugar, salt, pepper to your liking.

13) You can also make a roux by melting 3 tbsp of butter and adding 4 tbsp of flour under medium heat in a non-stick pan. Then slowly add some of the broth from the stew (a little at a time), to thin out the roux until it is thick, but creamy. Add the roux to the stew and mix immediately.

**I would serve it with rice or fresh bread. Absolute with some steamed veggies on the side too.

As I said before, I always have trouble writing exact recipe. I don't cook with exact measurements. But I hope that this is a good estimate. You can tweak it to your liking. Happy Cooking!!

My Many Reasons to Cook...

2009-11-14T14:51:00.005-07:00

My husband always gets very excited when finals time rolls around. He knows that I will be stressed out. I will get tired. Then, I will cook.

To me, cooking is like meditation. It is the only activity in which I can full drown myself. When I cook, all the worries in the world melt away into sweet smell of apple pie and smooth, creamy roasted garlic Alfredo sauce. When I cook, I think of nothing but the task at hand. The feeling of soft, pillow-y dough simply makes me giggle with joy. I know that even if everything I do fail, this is something I have more control over. Now, that is not to say that I don't ever fail at making something. But I know I can always throw it away (hoping no one was looking), dispose of the evidence into a trash can, and start over. I wish life is as lovely as cooking...

So, why start this blog? Mostly, it is for me to finally record all my improv recipes. I know that one day future kids will ask me to compile it and I will be overwhelmed.

But the other reason is to share my joy with my friends. Anyone who knows me well, or has carried on a decent length conversation with me, will know that all conversations with Joedy inevitably end up around food. Whether it's how to cook something, or what we ate at the latest restaurant outing, or even reminiscing the old days....it's always about food.

So that's what this blog is about: Food, cooking, eating, and more food.

I can't guarantee that my recipes are reproducible in others' hands. I tend to measure by the eye. I don't do well writing recipe. Still, I will do my best to share with you what I love.

Happy Cooking!!