Poppy Macarons
Sunday, December 06, 2009I am sending this post to participate the event Think Spice Think Poppy hosted by both Radhika Vasanth@Food for 7 Stages of Life and Sunita@Sunitabhuyan.
Poppy seed is used as an ingredient in many foods and to make poppyseed oil. The tiny kidney-shaped seeds are harvested from seed pods of the opium poppy (Papaver somniferum), and have been cultivated by various civilizations for thousands of years. They are used whole or ground, often as a topping or filling in various baked goods. Wikipedia
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- In a mixing bowl whisk together the finely ground almond, poppy and powdered sugar until completely blended. Line 3 baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In your stand mixer fitted with the whisk, beat the egg whites and pinch of salt until foamy, gradually add the sugar and continue beating until soft peaks appear.
- Fold in the poppy mixture in two additions until your get a slow moving batter. Fill a pastry bag with the batter and pipe small amounts of batter 3 cm in diameter, 2 cm apart. Leave to rest for 1 hour. Preheat the oven to 170C/340F and bake for 15 minutes. Remove and cool completely on rack. Spread the poppy fix on one shell and sandwich with another one.
Yogurt Coconut Rounds
Friday, December 04, 2009A simple, delicious and moist sweet coconut treat!
Bottom | Topping |
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- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Line a 30x40cm baking tray with paper. Sift the flour and baking powder into a mixing bowl. Add in yogurt, dulce de leche, and oil. Mix all the ingredients with a hand mixer fitted with dough hooks for 1 minute on high speed. Don’t over stir the dough or it will become sticky.
- Place the dough onto the prepared tray and roll it out. Brush with melted butter all over the surface of the dough. Combine the coconut shreds and sugar. Scatter the mixture evenly onto the dough. Bake on the upper rack of the hot oven for about 20 minutes until golden crispy. Remove and cool slightly. Use a cookie cutter to cut out the rounds.
Chinese Cold Sesame Noodles
Tuesday, December 01, 2009This is a cold noodle dish consisting of vegetables (usually bean sprouts or cucumber) and pasta (I love to use spaghetti) topped with sesame sauce. It is unbelievably easy to prepare and tastes very good.
Dressing | Noodle |
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- Add enough water to fill 3/4 of a pot and bring to a rapid boil. Add in salt. Put in the noddles and cook until al dente, about 7 minutes. Rinse under the running cold water quickly and drain. Put the noodles and cooked oil in a large mixing bowl and toss until the noodles are well coated. Combine all the ingredients for the dressing in a bowl.
- Thinly shred the cucumber, carrot, apple and spring onion. Rinse the arugula, drain and pat them dry. Crush the peanuts lightly. Spoon the dressing over and toss to mix. To serve, arrange the shredded vegetables over the noodles and garnish with crushed peanuts.
Potato Tomato Pizza
Monday, November 30, 2009This super easy tray pizza is made with very thinly sliced potatoes and tomatoes. Try to slice the potatoes with consistent thickness, to do so is to ensure they cook evenly.
Recipe source: Dr. Oetker A-Z Backen
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- Preheat the oven to 220C/440F. Peel, rinse and thinly slice the potatoes. Pat the potato slices dry with kitchen papers. Rinse and pat dry the tomatoes.
- Dice the beer sausage into 1cm pieces. Heat a skillet with olive oil, and stir in diced beer sausage. Add in sliced potatoes and stir for 5 minutes. Slice the tomatoes and add into the potatoes.
- Spread the mixture onto a greased baking tray, and sprinkle the top with oregano, parsley, garlic salt and black pepper. Finally scatter the grated cheese all over the top. Bake for about 25 minutes.
Chinese Sweet Roasted Chestnuts
Thursday, November 26, 2009Chestnuts offer high fiber, mineral and cholesterol-free benefits of tree nuts, without the calories and fat content. And they are gluten free! They also are the only nut that contains a significant amount of vitamin C. Like all plant foods, chestnuts contain no cholesterol. So why not "go nuts"?
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- Using a small sharp knife, carefully score chestnuts by making a single, 1/8-inch deep slit across the center on the rounded side of the nut, to keep them from exploding during cooking. Rinse and soak in the water for 10 minutes. Drain.
- Place the pan filled with salt and drained chestnuts on medium heat. Stir fry the chestnuts until the salt has turn lightly browned, drizzle the sugar syrup over while keep stirring. Continue stirring until the shells open up and look dark brown.
Lamb’s Lettuce Salad with Mango and Avocado
Tuesday, November 24, 2009Lamb’s Lettuce, (Feldsalat auf Deutsch), also sometimes called field or corn salad, has a slightly nutty, tangy flavor. (My husband can't stand it because it's too green;) The name 'lamb's lettuce' appears to stem from the fact that it tastes best during lambing season, and some people also call it 'lamb's tongue', because the leaves resemble small tongues.
Like many zesty-flavored foraged greens, lamb's lettuce has a high nutritional value. It typically provides several vital minerals and nutrients, including vitamins C, E, and B9, along with beta carotene and essential fatty acids. Commercially cultivated lamb's lettuce may not be as nutritionally rich, depending on farming practices, but it is generally more beneficial than conventional lettuce.
Salad | Dressing |
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- Peel and pit the mango, cutting the flesh into 5mm cubes. Place the mango cubes in a large salad bowl. Tear the lettuce leaves into bite-sized pieces and add to the salad bowl with the lamb’s lettuce, and onion.
- To make the dressing, in a clean jar, combine the oils and vinegar. Add the parsley, garlic, shallot, honey, salt and pepper. Close the lid and shake furiously until well combined. Pour just enough dressing over the salad to moisten it, then toss to coat evenly. Garnish with the avocado slices and serve.
Dulce de Leche Cheesecake
Sunday, November 22, 2009This recipe is inspired by Reeni and Moon-sweet Kitchen Cat@Cinnamon Spice & Everything Nice and DULCE DE LECHE "San Ignacio" CHEESECAKE (The easy way)
Dulce de Leche, differing from caramel, which is made with sugar, corn syrup, milk or cream, and butter, is simply sweetened condensed milk boiled down to a thickened sauce. It is especially popular in South American countries.
Crust | Filling |
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- Toss the cookie crumbs into the melted butter in a mixing bowl. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the mixture for the topping. Press the rest of the mixture onto the bottom and up 3cm high of a greased 24cm spring form pan. Chill until it’s ready for use.
- Using electric mixer beat balance cream cheese and sugar in a large mixing bowl until smooth. Add yogurt and eggs, beating until just blended. Stir in cornstarch, dulce de leche, lemon juice and zest until blended.
- Pour the mixture into the crust and sprinkle the top with reserved cookie crumbs. Drizzle some milk caramel over if desired. Steamed bake the cheesecake at 165C/330F for 65 minutes until almost set. Turn oven off. Leave the cake with the oven door ajar for 1 hour. Cool completely and chill at least 4 hours or overnight until firm.
Dry-Fried Shredded Chicken And Bamboo Shoots 干煸鸡丝
Wednesday, November 18, 2009Dry-frying (干煸 gān biān), one of six uniquely Szechuan cooking techniques, means food cut into thin sticks stirred continually in a wok with a very small amount of oil over a medium high flame until the food is dried out slightly, browned.
Sichuan cuisine is a style of Chinese cuisine originating in Sichuan Province of southwestern China is famed for bold flavors, particularly the spiciness resulting from liberal use of chilis and "numb" or "tingling" flavor of the Sichuan peppercorn.
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- Shred the chicken, bamboo shoots and dried chillies. Combine together maggi sauce, rice wine and salt in a small bowl. Heat some oil in the skillet until hot. Add in shredded dried chillies and fry until fragrant. Remove the dried chillies and reserve for the later use. Add in shredded chicken and cook until the chicken have released the oil. Add in the prepared sauce and shredded bamboo shoots.
- Continue stir-frying 1-2 minutes. Return the fried chillies, and season the mixture with pinch of chicken bouillon. Toss until well combined. Sprinkle the spring onions over and transfer to a serving plate.