Chocolate Chip Cookies

 

Before we take a look at the recipe of these chocolate chip cookies, let me tell you first and foremost that I don't bake. I gotta say that I enjoy cooking more than baking, perhaps because I'm not a sweet tooth. But once in awhile I do bake, for the sake of my children! So yes, today was one of those days. Without further ado, here's the recipe that you may want to keep for years and years to come :)

 

Ingredients:

- 2 cups minus to 2 tbsp Cake flour

- 1 2/3 cup Bread flour

- 1 1/4 tsp  Baking soda

- 1 1/2 tsp  Baking powder

- 1 1/2 tsp  Coarse salt

- 1 1/4 cups (2 1/2 butter) Unsalted butter

- 1 1/4 cups Light brown sugar

- 1 cups plus 2 tbsp Granulated sugar

- 2 Large eggs

- 2 tsp  Natural vanilla extract

- 1 1/4 lbs  Bittersweet chocolate at least 60 percent cacao content

- Sea salt for garnish

 

Directions:

1. Sift flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Set aside.

2. Using a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars together until very light, about 5 minutes.

3. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla. Reduce speed to low, add dry ingredients and mix until just combined, 5 to 10 seconds.

4. Drop chocolate pieces in and incorporate them without breaking them.

5. Press plastic wrap against dough and refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours. Dough may be used in batches, and can be refrigerated for up to 72 hours. 

6. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat. Set aside. 

7. Scoop 6 3 ½ -ounce mounds of dough (the size of generous golf balls) onto baking sheet, making sure to turn horizontally any chocolate pieces that are poking up; it will make for a more attractive cookie. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt and bake until golden brown but still soft, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer sheet to a wire rack for 10 minutes, then slip cookies onto another rack to cool a bit more. Repeat with remaining dough, or reserve dough, refrigerated, for baking remaining batches the next day. Eat warm, with a big napkin and enjoy! :)

Sausage, Onion and Fennel Pizza

 

Everyone in my family is crazy about pizzas. We eat pizza like you won't believe, which is why I make it an official pizza day every weekend. I put different toppings each time, depending on the requests from family members. This time, they want sausage and onion on it. I seriously think peppers will be good to add as well, but I added fennel instead, and it tasted awesome. Dig in, y'all!

 

Ingredients:

 

To make pizza dough:

- 3 1/2 to 4 cups bread flour, plus more for rolling

- 1 tsp. sugar

- 1 envelope instant dry yeast

- 2 tsp. salt

- 1 1/2 cups water, 110 degrees F

- 2 tbsp. olive oil, p lus 2 tsp.

 

Toppings:

- 1 lb pork sausage

- 2 tbsp. olive oil

- 1 cup sliced onion

- 1 cup thinly sliced fennel bulb

- 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

- 1 cup caramelized onion and roasted garlic tomato pasta sauce

- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

- 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

- 1 tsp chopped fresh oregano leaves

 

Directions:

 

1. Combine the bread flour, sugar, yeast and kosher salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and combine. While the mixer is running, add the water and 2 tablespoons of the oil and beat until the dough forms into a ball. If the dough is sticky, add additional flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough comes together in a solid ball. If the dough is too dry, add additional water, 1 tablespoon at a time. Scrape the dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead into a smooth, firm ball.

2. Grease a large bowl with the remaining 2 teaspoons olive oil, add the dough, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and put it in a warm area to let it double in size, about 1 hour. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide it into 2 equal pieces. Cover each with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap and let them rest for 10 minutes.

3. Heat oven to 450°F. Spray cookie sheet with cooking spray.

4. In 12-inch skillet, cook sausage over medium-high heat 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until no longer pink; drain. With slotted spoon, remove sausage; set aside. Add oil to drippings in skillet; add onion and fennel. Cook over medium heat 15 minutes, stirring frequently, until golden brown. Remove from heat. Stir in pepper.

5. Unroll dough on cookie sheet. Starting at center, press out dough to 16x13-inch rectangle. Prick crust generously with fork. Bake 5 minutes.

6. Spread pasta sauce over partially baked crust. Top with onion mixture, sausage and cheeses. Bake on lower oven rack 10 to 12 minutes or until cheese is golden brown. Sprinkle with oregano.

Purple Cabbage Coleslaw

 

I love coleslaw, and you know what I love even more? A summery, colorful coleslaw! Though it's not Summer yet here, but the weather is getting nicer and the temperature is getting warmer each day; which is why this coleslaw is perfect to accompany your dishes. Without further ado, here's simple steps you can follow to make one yourself.

 

Ingredients:

- 1 large purple cabbage, finely shredded

- 2 large carrots, grated or peeled

- 1 Granny Smith apple, julienned

- 4 tbsp. (Grapeseed, Canola, or Olive) oil

- 2 tbsp. Dijon mustard

- 2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar

- 2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice

- 2 tbsp. honey

- Dash of salt & pepper

 

Directions:

1. Prepare vegetables; finely slice cabbage, peel or grate carrots, julienne apple.

2. Place all vegetables in a large mixing bowl.

3. In a small mixing bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients. Stir until combined.

4. Lightly toss vinaigrette mixture into fresh vegetables until all are coated.

5. Cover & place in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, until flavors marry and salad chills.

6. Enjoy!! 

Spicy Miso Ramen

 

This morning I woke up with a crave for something salty, spicy, and flavorful; and you know what came in mind? Spicy Miso Ramen... yum! I mean, who can ever resist a bowl of this goodness? Unfortunately, I did not have that extra time & patience to make the broth just like they do in Japan, so I adapted a little bit of my own version and call it 'express' ramen. I gotta say, I'm quite satisfied with the result! If you would like to give it a try, feel free to do it.

 

 

Ingredients:

 

SPICY MISO PASTE:

- 1/2cup of white miso paste

- 1/2cup of red miso paste

- 1/3cup of sichuan douban chili paste

- 1 small onion, cut into chunks

- 6 cloves of garlic, smashed

- 2" of ginger, cut into chunks

- 3 tbsp of mirin (Japanese sweet rice wine)

- 2 tbsp vegetable oil

- 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil

- 1 tbsp dashi granules

- 2 tsp of sesame paste (if Asian brands are unavailable, use tahini)

 

 SHOYU SOFT-BOILED EGGS:

- 4 large free-range eggs

- 3tbsp soy sauce

- 2 tbsp dark brown sugar

- 1tbsp water

 

GARLIC AND TOGARASHI OI:

- 2 small shallots, finely minced

- 2 cloves of garlic, finely minced

- 1/2 tsp sesame seeds

- 1/4cup vegetable oil

- 2 1/2 tbsp Japanese seven spice (shichimi togarashi)

 

1. TO MAKE THE SPICY MISO PASTE:

Combine all of the ingredients in a blender and blend until smoothly pureed. You may need to stop and scrape the blender a few times to get it going in the beginning. Transfer the mixture into a pot and set over medium heat. Bring to a low simmer and keep cooking/stirring for another 5 min. Let it cool completely and store in an air-tight container in the fridge until needed.

 

2. TO MAKE THE SHOYU SOFT-BOILED EGGS:

Gently place the eggs in a small pot and fill it with water until the eggs are covered by 1" and bring the water to a bare simmer on medium-high heat, then immediately lower the heat down to low (only enough heat to keep it at a bare simmer/or if you want to be anal, 212ºF/100ºC). The second the water reached the right temperature, set the timer at 4:30 min. Gently move the eggs around a few times during cooking. Once the timer goes off, immediately transfer the eggs into cold water and leave them to cool completely. Combine soy sauce, dark brown sugar and water in a small sauce pot. Warm up the mixture just enough to melt the sugar, then set aside. Peel the eggs then submerge them in the soy sauce-mixture. Turning them occasionally while marinating for 2~3 hours.

 

3. TO MAKE THE GARLIC & TOGARASHI OIL:

  Combine minced shallots, minced garlic, sesame seeds, salt and vegetable oil in a small pot and set over low heat. Slowly cook/stir until the garlics are crispy and lightly browned, approx 5~6 min. Turn off the heat and add the Japanese chili powder/togarashi. Give the mixture a stir and let it sit for a few hours or overnight.

 

 

Ingredients for Spicy Miso Ramen:

- 7.7ounces (220 grams) of fatty ground pork

- 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil

- 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

- 1 tbsp dried shitake mushrooms

- 2 cups of unsalted chicken or pork stock

- 1 cup of unsweetened, unflavoured soy milk (Asian brands preferred but if unavailable, American brands is ok, too)

- 1/2cup + 1/4 cup of spicy miso paste

- 2 servings of fresh ramen noodles

- 4 tbsp finely diced scallions

- 1 sheet of nori/Japanese sushi seaweed, cut into rectangular sheets

Directions:

1.  Rinse the dried shitake mushrooms to get rid of any sand/dirt. Finely chop them and set aside (without soaking). In a large soup pot, heat up 1 tbsp of toasted sesame oil on high heat and start browning the fatty ground pork with ground black pepper. Once the pork has broken up, browned, and released its fat, add 1/4 cup of the spicy miso paste and cook for another min until fragrant. Add the chopped shitake, unsalted stock and unsweetened soy milk and bring to a simmer. Place 1/2 cup spicy miso paste on top of a very fine sieve. Lower the sieve half-way into the simmering soup and use a spoon to slowly dissolve the paste into the soup (it may seem very thick and troublesome in the beginning but be patient, it’ll dissolve eventually). You’d be surprised at how much “solids” within the paste will remain on top of the sieve, which if dumped directly into the soup, will make the soup very thick and “sauce-like”.

 

2. Discard the “solids” in the sieve and let the soup simmer for another 5 min. If the soup tastes quite salty at this point, that is correct. It’s Japanese ramen… It is salty. Cook the fresh ramen noodles according to package instructions, and drain well. Divide the noodles into two large bowl and ladle the soup on top (you may have a bit more than needed). For each serving, place 1 shoyu egg (cut into half), 2 tbsp of finely diced scallions, 3 rectangular nori sheets, and 2 tsp of garlic and togarashi oil. Slurp away! 

Honey Mustard Bacon Wrapped Chicken Tenders

 

 

I have a love and hate relationship with bacon, I gotta tell you it's my ultimate guilty pleasure! The fat, the grease, the crunch, and all that just makes everything seem better! Honestly, anything is good with bacon, but these chicken tenders are my children's favorite. If you are as crazy as I am about bacon, you should definitely try making these.

 

Ingredients:

- 1 lb chicken tenders

- 1 lb bacon

- ½ cup honey

- 2 tsp spicy mustard powder or ¼ cup prepared mustard

- ½ tsp garlic powder

- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar

- salt and fresh cracked pepper

 

 

Directions:

1. Whisk together the honey, mustard, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, and rice wine vinegar. Add salt and pepper to taste.

2. Marinade the chicken tenders in half of the honey mustard for 30 minutes.

3. Remove chicken from marinade and wrap each piece with bacon. Place on a jelly roll sheet. Brush with the honey mustard marinade, crack pepper over each piece and bake for 10-12 minutes on 375.

4. After 10-12 minutes, flip each chicken over and brush again with the honey mustard. Bake another 10-12 minutes, until bacon is brown and crisp



Cheong Fun (Rice Noodle Rolls with Shrimp)

 

Today I'm in the mood for some tasty Har Cheong Fun (Rice Noodle Rolls with Prawns), don't ask me why I just am. You usually can get these at any Chinese restaurant that serves Dim Sum, however, I decided to make my own. If you're feeling like cooking today, maybe you should try this at home yourself!

 

Ingredients:

 

- 150 grams rice flour

- 3 tbsp wheat starch

- 2 tbsp tapioca starch

- 1 tbsp vegetable oil

- 200 ml cold water

- 300 ml hot (boiling) water

- 1/2 tsp salt

- 20 to 30 fresh prawns or large shrimp, peeled and deveined

- sweet soy sauce (Chinese rock sugar simple syrup mixed with soy sauce to taste and diluted with water if desired)

 

 

Directions:

 

1. Whisk together the rice flour, wheat starch, tapioca starch and salt in a large bowl.  Stir in the cold water and mix well.  Then stir in the hot water and mix well.  Add the oil and stir well until you have a smooth, thin batter.  Let the batter rest for 20 minutes at room temperature.

2. Set up your steaming equipment.  I set a rack in a wok of water.  Bring the water to a boil over high heat.  Meanwhile, prepare a bowl of cold water that’s large enough to put your pan in – this will be the cold water bath.  Then lightly grease as many non stick, round cake pans as you own (I use 9 inch round pans).  When the water is boiling, ladle enough batter into your cake pan to spread a thin layer across the bottom that reaches the edges of the pan.  Place the pan on the rack, cover the wok with the lid, and steam for 3 minutes over high heat.  Scatter 2 or 3 prawns in the pan and steam for 2 more minutes.  Do not overcook the prawns. 

3. Remove the tray from the steamer and set it in the cold water bath.  While it’s cooling, pour the batter into the next prepared pan and repeat this process.  You may need to re-grease your pans between uses.  When the steamed rice noodle is cool enough to handle, run a rubber spatula around the pan to release the edges of the rice noodle.  Then gently peel the rice noodle from the pan as you fold it over itself a few times to get a flat roll. 

4. Set the flat roll aside on a clean plate and tuck in the ends.  Repeat the process until you have used up all of the batter.  Pour sweet soy sauce over the rolls and serve warm.



Seafood & French Beans With XO Sauce

 

As much as I love spending a lot of time in the kitchen cooking all kinds of dishes, there are just some busy days when I have to come up with something really quick & simple so I can do all the house chores in time. Well, today is one of those days. So without further ado, this is a really simple dish that I could fix in less than 15 minutes.. Served with steamed jasmine rice, my tummy is happy.

 

Ingredients:

- 200g French beans, cut into half

- 200g large shrimp, peeled & deveined

- 150g bay scallops

- 4 cloves garlic, minced

- 1 heaping tbsp. XO sauce

- 2 tbsp. Shao Xing Wine

 

Directions:

1. Heat up a saucepan till very hot. Add 1 heaping tbsp. of XO sauce, with the oil in it and all. Stir fry for about 30 seconds till fragrant.

2. Add the minced garlic, stir fry until fragrant.

3. Add the French beans, cook till they start to turn to a darker green.

4. Add the Shao Xing wine and continue to stir fry. When the beans are 70% cooked, add the shrimp & scallops.

5. Toss well together in the saucepan, and then cover and let it simmer for about 30 seconds.

6. When the shrimp has turned pink and the beans have turned a dark green shade & softened, the dish is done. Garnish with sliced chili & serve with steamed white rice.