Cooking Made Easy

Anytime Cinnamon Buns

2013-05-19T19:44:00.000-07:00

This is a soft fluffy cinnamon rolls and not too heavy. I absolutely love the filling since it does not use too much sugar. The buns kept soft till the next day.

Ingredients

3 1/2 cups bread flour
2 teaspoons instant yeast
2 tablespoons instant potato flakes
2 tablespoons nonfat dry milk
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
4 tablespoons soft or room-temperature butter
2/3 cup lukewarm water
1/2 cup lukewarm milk

Filling
2 teaspoons cinnamon plus 1 tbsp brown sugar

Topping
2 tablespoons melted butter

Glaze
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
2 to 3 tablespoons milk

Method

Combine all of the dough ingredients in a large bowl, and mix and knead — using your hands, a stand mixer, or a bread machine set on the dough cycle — to make a soft, smooth dough. I used my bread machine to knead and let it rise. Once risen I took it out and shaped it and cut into 1in rolls.
Place the dough in a lightly greased container and allow the dough to rise for 60 to 90 minutes, until it's just about doubled in bulk.
Gently deflate the dough, and transfer it to a lightly greased work surface.
Roll the dough into a 20" long rectangle, about 12" wide.
Sprinkle 2 teaspoons cinnamon over the surface of the dough. A small sieve or tea strainer works well here.
Starting with a long side, roll the dough into a 24" log; it'll naturally stretch from its original 20" to about 24" as you roll. In order to make the neatest job of cutting out the buns, use a sharp knife to mark the log at 1 1/2" intervals.
Slice the dough into 1 1/2"-thick buns. The neatest way to do this, by far, is by looping a piece of dental floss underneath the dough where you want to cut it, then pulling the ends in opposite directions. The floss will cut the dough neatly, without squashing it.
Lightly grease two 8" round cake pans. Divide the buns between the two pans, spacing 8 in each pan.
Cover the pans, and allow the buns to rise till they're crowded against one another and quite puffy, about 60 to 90 minutes. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 350°F.
Uncover the buns, and bake them for 20 to 23 minutes, until they're golden brown on top and the edges of the center bun spring back lightly when you touch it.
To serve buns now: Just before the buns are done, stir together the confectioners' sugar, cinnamon, and cream or milk to make the glaze. Turn the hot buns out of the pan onto a rack, and brush with the melted butter. Spread with the glaze, and serve immediately.
To serve buns later: Turn the hot buns out of the pan onto a rack, and brush with the melted butter. Cool completely. Wrap airtight and store at room temperature for a couple of days; for longer storage, freeze. Just before serving, tent the buns lightly with foil, and rewarm in a preheated 350°F oven for 10 minutes (a bit longer, for frozen buns). Stir together the glaze, brush over the buns, and serve warm.

Cookies

2013-05-17T20:47:00.001-07:00

Cookies for my son's graduation party with his friends college initials.

Graduation Cake

2013-05-17T20:47:00.000-07:00

My son graduated from his high school. Made this cake for him and his friends. Its a almond sour cream cake with almond flavored buttercream. Inside the cake I made swirls of cocoa mixed with the cake.

Pandan Custard Buns

2013-05-16T12:59:00.000-07:00

I am going bun craze these past days. The top layer on the buns are made with custard flour, cooked and piped on top. The buns itself I used some pandan paste to flavor it. They are super soft and tastes really good. Again I used my Kitchenaid dough hook to mix up the dough.

Ingredients

Bread

350gm bread flour
200ml water
50gm sugar
1/2 tsp salt
3 tsp yeast
1 tsp bread improver, optional
20gm coconut powder
1 tbsp. milk powder
1 egg
30gm butter, softened
1 tsp pandan paste

Custard

1 tbsp. flour
4 tbsp. sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp. custard flour
250 ml milk
1 tbsp. butter

Method

Following the bread machine method, add the liquid, egg, sugar, dried ingredients, make a little hole on top of the flour and add the yeast. Using the dough hook of the kitchenaid mixer, mix the dough till soft but still a little sticky. Add additional flour by tablespoons till you get the right texture. I sometimes never use all the flour stated in the recipe. Mix for couple of minutes.

Grease a bowl, put the dough in it and cover. Let rise till double for about 60 minutes. Punch dough down and divide into small balls and put in a greased baking pan. I used my pyrex dish. Let rise for about 30 minutes.

Bake at a preheated oven for about 25 minutes.

Make the custard while the dough is rising the first time. In a pot, add the ingredients for the custard except butter, whisk and cook in low heat till it is thick. Take it off the heat and add the butter. Whisk really well. Let it cool. Put in a piping bag and pipe swirls on top before baking the buns.

Raspberry Muffins

2013-05-14T12:15:00.001-07:00

Ingredients

1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/3 cup shortening or butter
1 cup less 2 tbsp sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 to 2 cups fresh or frozen raspberries
Additional sugar

Method

Combine flour and baking powder; set aside. In a large bowl, cream shortening and sugar. Add eggs; mix well. Combine milk and vanilla; add to creamed mixture alternately with flour mixture. Fold in the raspberries.
Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full. Sprinkle with sugar.
Bake at 375° for 20-25 minutes or until center of muffin springs back when lightly touched.

Sweet Potato Rolls

2013-05-13T21:08:00.000-07:00

Once you try this sweet potato rolls, you will never likely to buy rolls from the store. They were pillow soft and you could just eat and eat....and not stopping. I have more leftover sweet potato and gonna make more for friends.

Ingredients

1 egg
½ cup mashed sweet potato
¼ cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
¼ cup butter, melted
⅔ cup warm milk
Dash of cinnamon
3 cups bread flour
2 teaspoons bread machine or instant yeast

Method

I made my rolls using the Kitchenaid dough hook.
Add the liquid first, then sugar, flour and lastly make a well in the center and add the yeast. Make sure all the liquids are warm. The egg should be at room temperature.
Remove dough from machine to a greased bowl and cover with a tea towel. Let rise till it doubles.
Form the dough into balls and bake at 350 degrees F for 12-15 minutes or until rolls are golden brown.
Remove from pan or cookie sheet to allow cooling. (If you leave them in the pan too long, they will get soggy on the bottom.)

To Make Balls

Divide dough in half, then half again making four sections. Divide each of these sections into 4 pieces of dough which should leave you with 16 little doughballs. Form into round balls.
Arrange balls into two round (or square) 8 or 9-inch greased pans.
Cover rolls loosely with tea towel to rise.

Babka

2013-05-05T12:49:00.001-07:00

If you do not know what a babka is.....its chocolate swirl bread which is almost like cinnamon raisin swirl bread. Instead of making bread, I opted to make small rolls. These babies were so deliciously yummy when eaten warm. The chocolate just oozes out of the rolls. A little extra work but worth it.

For the bread dough

1 package active dry yeast

1/2 cup warmed whole milk

1/4 cup white sugar

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

Dash of salt

2 tablespoons butter

For the filling

3 tablespoons melted butter

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 tablespoons cocoa powder

1 cup mini chocolate chips

Method

Dissolve the yeast in the warm milk and a dash of sugar. Let sit until foamy, about 5 minutes. Add egg and vanilla and whisk into the yeast mixture. Add flour and salt and stir until a dough forms. Put dough onto a floured surface.
Knead with your hands for about 8 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and elastic.
Grease a mixing bowl with oil. Add dough to the bowl and cover with greased plastic wrap. Place in a warm spot for about an hour, or until doubled in size. Gently punch down the dough and let rest for about 10 minutes. Once rested, place the dough onto a floured surface. Roll and spread the butter to the top of the dough with a spatula. Mix the filling together by whisking the brown sugar, cocoa powder and chocolate chips. Sprinkle the filling onto the melted butter covering the dough liberally.
Roll the dough into a 12-inch log (like a jelly roll). Then cut the dough in 1 in segments and place in a greased baking dish cut side up. Cover with foil and let rise again, about 45 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake rolls for about 15 minutes, or until golden brown. The chocolate filling will be oozing out. Serve warm with chocolate drizzle or icing.

Flower Shaped Sugar Cookie

2013-04-29T22:13:00.002-07:00

Again same recipe and the dough was so easy to work. Please go here for the recipe.

Sugar Cookies (Peggy Porshen)

2013-04-29T22:03:00.002-07:00

More cookies......I absolutely love these recipe. This time around I used orange zest to give these cookies the mild orange flavor.

Potato Rolls

2013-04-23T10:21:00.001-07:00

Love love this potato rolls. These guys are so fluffy and soft. I just cannot get enough of it. They are especially delicious right out of the oven and smoothered with butter. I preheat them in microwave the next day for breakfast and they were still as delicious.

I used my Kitchenaid mixer with dough hook for this. One thing about this rolls is that they brown up so nicely even without brushing it with egg wash. They smell and taste so divine. Stayed soft for 3 days in room temperature.

Source: Annie's Eat and The Boastful Baker

Ingredients

1 large russet potato, boil and mashed to get 1/2 cup ( RESERVE 1/4 cup of cooking liquid for the dough)

1/3 cup butter, melted

2 tbsp sugar

1 tbsp honey

1 1/4 tsp yeast

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup warm milk

1 egg

1/4 cup reserved cooking liquid from potato

1/2 cup mashed potato

2 1/2 - 3 cup bread flour

Method

In the mixer, add then ingredients following the manufacturers instructions for the machine. Let it knead for about 5 minutes. Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl and cover and set in a warm place. I placed my bowl in the oven. Let rise until doubled for about 1 hour. Take it out and punch down. Divide dough into small balls. I got about 18 good size rolls. Leave a space of 1 inch between them. Cover and let it rise again for about 30 to 45 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Sprinkle some flour on the rolls. This gives the rolls the rustic look and bake it for about 20 minutes till golden brown. Serve warm. Enjoy.

Sash 11th Birthday

2013-04-23T10:20:00.000-07:00

My son turned 11 and its hard to satisfy him since he is not too much into cartoon character or any too intensed decorated cakes. So I just opted to make him a fruit cake and also another cake with a small soccer ball on it since he loves playing soccer. The end result is the one that always counts.....he loves the cake.

White cake with buttercream frosting

Vanilla Chiffon with whipped cream frosting

Egg Custard Tart

2013-04-21T20:55:00.001-07:00

Ingredients of crust

225 gm plain flour
125 gm butter
55 gm icing sugar
1 egg, whisked
a dash vanilla extract

Ingredients of custard

3 eggs
110 gm caster sugar
225 gm hot water
85 gm evaporated milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

* This crust is more like a cookie crust

Method

Place butter at room temperature until softened. Cream the butter and sugar with an electric mixer over medium speed until the mixture is smooth, fluffy and light in color.
Add in whisked egg, half at a time, beat over low speed. Add vanilla extract, mix well.
Sift in flour in two batches, scraping down the sides of the bowl between additions with a spatula, and make sure all ingredients combine well. Knead into dough. (see picture)
Roll out the dough to a 1/2 cm thickness. Cut dough with a cookie cutter that is just a bit smaller than your tart tin in size. Line dough in the middle of tart tins, one by one. Lightly press the dough with your thumbs, starting from the bottom then up to the sides. While pressing the dough, turn the tart tin clockwise/anti-clockwise in order to make an even tart shell. Trim away any excess.
Method (making custard):
Add sugar into hot water, mix until completely dissolved.
Whisk egg with evaporated milk. Pour in sugar water. Mix well.
Sift egg mixture to get rid of any foam into a tea pot. Carefully pour egg mixture into each tart shell.
Method (baking tarts):
Preheat oven to 200C. Position rack in lower third of oven. Bake tarts for 10 to 15 minutes until the edges are lightly brown.
Lower the heat to 180C. Keep an eye on them. Once you see the custard being puffed up a bit, pull the oven door open about 2 to 3 inches. Bake for another 10 to 15 minutes until the custard is cooked through. Just insert a toothpick into the custard. If it stands on its own, it’s done.

Sweet Sour Pork

2013-04-19T21:32:00.004-07:00

My husband did his usual weekend cooking and this time was sweet sour pork. I think he did a pretty good job. We battered and fried the pork first and then added the bell peppers for the crunch.

Ingredients

1 green capsicum, cut into cubes
1 red chilli, seeded and cut into cubes
1 tomato, cubed
Some canned pineapple cubes
1 large onion – cut into cubes
1 cup cubed deseeded cucumber

Sauce ingredients:

2 cloves garlic, chopped
4 tbsp tomato sauce
2 tbsps white vinegar
2 tbsps soy sauce
1/2 cup pineapple syrup (from the can)
1 tsp sugar, 1/2 tsp salt, pepper
1/2 cup water
Cornstarch & water for thickening sauce

Method

Deep fry meat in hot oil. Dish out, drain well and set aside in a serving dish.
Heat wok with oil, saute chopped garlic and cubed big onions for 2 minutes.
Add in sauce ingredients (except cornstarch) and bring to a boil.
Add in the rest of the ingredients A and simmer for 2 minutes. Thicken gravy with cornstarch.
Pour sauce over meat and garnish before serving.

Tuxedo Cake

2013-04-08T20:09:00.000-07:00

I have seen this Tuxedo cake in many sites and have always wanted to do it and since its my sweetie's birthday, I thought of making this special cake for him. I used a chocolate cake recipe from Food Network and used whipped cream cheese frosting. The strawberries I just dipped them in white chocolate and use candy melts as the topping.

The only mistake I think I did was pour too much of chocolate on top and that made it overpour on the cake board but the most important thing is that my sweetie loved the cake and I am happy to make his birthday a wonderful day.

The chocolate cake stayed moist the next day in the refrigerator.

Chocolate Cake ( I used half the recipe and used 3 6in round cake pan)

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pans

2 cups sugar

3/4 cups good cocoa powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup freshly brewed hot coffee

Method

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter two 8-inch x 2-inch round cake pans. Line with parchment paper, then butter and flour the pans.

Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the bowl and mix with a whisk until combined. In another bowl, combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla. With the whisk add the wet ingredients to the dry until all combined. Lastly add the coffee and stir just to combine, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 30 minutes, then turn them out onto a cooling rack and cool completely.

Place 1 layer, flat side up, on a flat plate or cake pedestal. With a knife or offset spatula, spread the top with frosting. Place the second layer on top, rounded side up, and spread the frosting evenly on the top and sides of the cake.

Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting

8 oz package of cream cheese

1 cup sugar

1 1/2 cup of whipping cream

1 tsp Vanilla

1/8 tsp salt

Method

In a cold bowl, whip the whipping cream till stiff peaks form. Set aside.

In another bowl, combine the cream cheese, salt, sugar and vanilla. Beat will soft and fluffy. Slowly add the whipped cream and combine till all is well mixed.

Chocolate Topping

4 oz chocolate chip

1/2 cup whipping cream

Method

Simmer milk till hot and immediately pour onto the chocolate chip. Stir till the chocolate is melted. Set aside for a few minute and then pour onto the top of the frosting.

Peach Chiffon

2013-03-29T22:17:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

2 egg yolks

90gm canned peaches

20ml peach syrup

2 tbsp coooking oil

1 tbsp caster sugar

60gm All purpose flour

3 egg whites

1/4 tsp cream of tartar

40gm caster sugar

Method

For the egg yolk batter

Blend 80gm peaches with syrup until fine. Dice the rest of peach slices. Combine with the remaining ingredients in a mixing bowl until forms batter.

For the egg white

Beat egg whites and cream of tartar until mixture forms soft peaks. Gradually add in sugar, beating at high speed until frothy and stiff peaks form.
Gently fold beaten egg white foam into egg yolk batter until blended.
Pour batter into ungreased 6in tube pan. Bake in preheated oven at350 degrees for 35 minutes or until cooked.
Remove from oven, invert cake onto table until completely cool.

Walnut and Chocolate Chip Covered Chocolate Banana Bread

2013-03-28T20:10:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

1 cup all purpose flour
2 tbsp good quality unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup white sugar
1 stick butter, room temperature
1 egg
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 large banana, mashed
1/2 cup sour cream
5 oz dark chocolate, melted
1/4 cup mini chocolate chips
1/4 cup chopped walnut

Method

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x5" loaf pan with baking spray.
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together flours, cocoa powder, and baking soda.
In a larger mixing bowl, use a mixer to cream sugar and butter, add egg and vanilla.
Stir in mashed bananas, sour cream. Mix in dry ingredients by hand, just until combined. Fold in melted chocolate until evenly mixed.
Pour batter into the prepared loaf pan, then sprinkle mini chocolate chips and chopped walnuts onto batter, using the back of a spoon to lightly press them in.
Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before removing from pan and slicing.

Cranberry Lemon Shortbread Cookie

2013-03-10T20:18:00.003-07:00

These cookies are highly addictive and if you are looking for a cookie which is not too sweet and just the right amount of lemon flavor, then this is it. My kids just loved it and it was easy to prepare. The only thing is that it is advisable to refrigerate the cookies before baking.

Ingredients

1 cup unsalted butter, softened at room temperature

2/3 cup powdered sugar

2 egg yolks

1 tsp pure vanilla extract (almond works too)

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup dried cranberries

2 tsp lemon zest

1/4 cup fine granulated sugar

Method

In a large mixing bowl, beat butter with a handheld mixer until smooth. Add powdered sugar and continue mixing until smooth. Beat in egg yolks, dried cranberries, thyme and lemon zest. Gradually add flour and continue beating, just until flour is mixed in.
Form half of dough into a ball, then cover with plastic wrap. Repeat with remaining half and refrigerate dough balls for 30 minutes.
Roll each chilled dough ball into two uniform logs, roughly 1 1/2" thick and 12" long. Refrigerate for one hour (or until ready to bake).
When you are ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove logs from refrigerator and roll each in granulated sugar. Use a very sharp knife to slice each log into cookies 1/2" thick and place each cookie onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet (note: cookies do not spread very much during baking).

Vegetarian Noodle Soup

2013-03-04T20:15:00.000-08:00

Everyday preparing two sets of meal is a hassle. I prepare dishes with meat for the family and for me a vegetarian dish. Today I made vegetarian style noodle soup. I am telling you all the extra work was a payoff.

There is no hard or fast rules about this. No measurement. All is in your taste bud.

Here is the list of things I used to make this wonderfully delicious soup..

Ingredients

Taufu, cubed
Vegetarian Chicken strips
Mushroom
Yu choy or any green leafy vegetable, cut in big pieces
Rice Stick Noodles, soak in water till soft
Ginger, cut into thin strips
Garlic, minced
Shallot, minced
Vegetarian Bouillion
Onion leaf

I fried the taufu and set aside. Add little bit of oil and stir fry the garlic, ginger, shallot. Now add the chicken strips, mushroom and some water.
Season with vegetarian bouillion. Taste for seasoning. Once the liquid comes to a boil, add the vegetable and noodle.
Taste and garnish with onion leaf.

Chapati

2013-02-27T21:24:00.001-08:00

Ingredients

1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup lukewarm water (Use more as needed)
2 tbsp vegetable oil

2 teaspoons ghee or butter
1/4 cup whole-wheat flour for rolling

Method

Mix flour, salt, oil and water together to make a soft dough (add more water as needed).
Knead the dough on a lightly greased surface to make the dough smooth and pliable.
Set the dough aside and cover with a damp cloth. Let the dough rest for at least ten minutes or more.
Divide the dough into 8 equal parts.
Make smooth ball and press flat. Take 1 ball; press it in dry flour from both sides.
Roll in to a 5-inch circle. If the dough sticks to the rolling pin or rolling syrface, lightly dust the roti with dry flour. Tip: Use the dry flour just enough you need to roll the roti, too much use of flour will make the roti dry.
Heat the skillet on medium high heat. Note: An iron skillet works best. To know if the skillet is hot enough, sprinkle few drops of water on the skillet. If the water sizzles right away, the skillet is ready.
Place the roti over skillet.
After roti start changing color and start puffing in different places flip the roti over.
Flip again after a few seconds. Take a flat spatula and press lightly on the puffed parts of the roti. This will help the roti puff.
Flip the roti again. The roti should have light golden-brown spots on both sides.
Butter the roti, the side that is facing the skillet.
Keep the rotis in a container with a paper towel covering the bottom.
Roti can be kept outside for up to 2 days wrapped in aluminum foil or in a closed container. For later use, roti can be refrigerated for 5-6 days.

These roti/chapati can be served with potato and pea curry, chicken curry or lentils. My little one loves to eat them with sugar.

Cheesy Quinoa Mushroom Casserole

2013-02-26T21:25:00.001-08:00

This is sooo good. I made these for dinner yesterday and infact I baked it ahead of time and just reheated. Used some leftover cooked quinoa and vegetarian meat crumbles. This recipe is so easy but the flavor is so good. And one more thing..this casserole has no eggs...

Ingredients

Olive oil spray

3 cup cooked quinoa

8 ounces non-fat plain Greek Yogurt or sour cream

1/4 cup milk of choice

2 cups shredded cheddar or any vegan cheese

1 cup finely chopped onion

4 ounces chopped green chiles ( I used bell pepper)

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced, optional

1 teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon sea salt

¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

* I added some meatless meat crumbles to give extra flavor.

Method

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8 inch baking dish with olive oil spray.
In a large bowl combine yogurt and milk. Add all ingredients. Pour on to the prepared baking dish and top with remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Bake for 30 minutes.
Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until heated through.

Purple Yam / Ube Swiss Roll

2013-02-25T18:50:00.000-08:00

This is the second attempt I am using rice flour with cake flour for my swiss roll. The result was a super fluffy and soft rolls. The cake itself was easy to roll and stayed fresh in the refrigerator for 2 days.

Please refer here for the recipe.

This is the macapuno that I used. You can purchase this at the Asian grocery store.

Wild Rice and Mushroom Soup

2013-02-24T20:10:00.002-08:00

Wow, its been a week now since I am on vegetarian meal. I have been making soups lately and of course with the weather in Central here so unpredictable, I think soup is the woman's best friend. I cook constantly for my family and I have always wanted to try wild rice because my kids dont always enjoy the rice other than the usual jasmine. I purchased some wild rice from the health food store and I am so happy that I did it finally. They were so so good especially with a bread on the side. I also added some Gardein Soy Chicken cubes in it (vegetarian)....yummm.

The soup is super simple to make and it took me like about 30 minutes to complete a healthy meal.

Ingredients

1 tbsp. olive oil
1 lb. white or cremini mushrooms, sliced
1/2 c. carrots, chopped
1 medium shallot, chopped
1/4 cup cubed zuchini and squash, optional
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
salt + pepper to taste
1/3 c. white wine (optional)
1 tsp. dried thyme or oregano
1 1/2 c. vegetable broth
1 c. instant or cooked wild rice ( I cooked my wild rice then used the water for the soup)
1/4 c. reduced-fat sour cream

Method

Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add mushrooms, celery, carrots, and shallot and cook, stirring often, until softened (5-7 minutes). Stir in flour, salt, and pepper and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add white wine and thyme; increase heat to medium-high and cook 2 minutes more.
Add broth to Dutch oven and bring to a boil. If you're using instant rice, add it now and reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and cook until rice is tender, 5-7 minutes, then stir in sour cream and parsley. If you're using cooked rice, once soup has come to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer and stir in rice, sour cream, and parsley.

Quinoa, Kale, White Bean Soup

2013-02-21T19:14:00.003-08:00

This is my first time trying Kale. I have heard a lot about it and how healthy it is. Quinoa I have done quite a bit of cooking with it and I think its nice, no taste to it but even after cooking it has a little bite. For a cold winter or just as a comfort food..this is it. The kale has some crisp to it even after cooking but paired with tomatoes, white bean and quinoa, they are so yummilicious. I can be a vegetarian just by eating soup...

Ingredients

2 tsp olive oil
1/2 cup onion, diced
1 cup carrots, diced
6 sprigs fresh thyme or dried thyme
1/8 tsp crushed red pepper
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp oregano
1 – 14.5oz. can diced tomatoes
1/2 can tomato soup
4 cups vegetable broth
1/4 cup dry rainbow quinoa, washed
1 – 14.5oz. can white beans, drained & rinsed
1 bunch kale, roughly 3 packed cups ( you can keep half if its too much in a ziplock)
Salt and pepper to taste

I love mushroom so I add mushrooms too :)

Method

Heat oil in a large pot over medium high heat. When hot, but not smoking, add onion, carrots. Stir to coat and cook for about 8 minutes, until tender. Add thyme, crushed red pepper, garlic and oregano and cook for another minute.
Add diced tomatoes, tomato soup and chicken stock. Bring to a boil, stir and reduce heat to simmer for 25 minutes.
Add the uncooked quinoa, bring heat to a low boil again. Cook for 10-15 minutes, until quinoa is tender and transparent. Now add the canned white bean.
Add kale and stir to wilt. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Serve with a baguette or any toasted bread

Easy Coconut Filled Rolls

2013-02-20T12:00:00.001-08:00

This is a really easy recipe for me whenever my children are off from school and when I need a quick something for tea time. Got this frozen bread rolls and my kids love coconut filling, so I made some coconut filling with brown sugar and palm sugar. So good when just out of the oven or the next day microwaved.

The rolls itself was very soft and not too yeasty. The filling was simply delicious. Not too many ingredients used in this recipe except if you choose to make your own bread dough.

Ingredients

Frozen grated coconut, thawed

Palm sugar or brown sugar ( I added as I went according to taste)

Pinch of salt

Frozen Bread Rolls

Cook the coconut, sugar and salt on low heat. Let it all come together and dry slightly. Let cool.

Meanwhile thaw the frozen rolls. Flatten them and put about 1 tsp of filling. Roll it back up and place it on a glass baking dish. Set it aside for about 30 minutes. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes.

Orange Buttercake

2013-02-18T21:05:00.000-08:00

Used the same recipe as precious except that I mixed it with half of cake flour and all purpose flour.

Go here