Stir Fry Chicken with Asparagus

Ingredients:

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 2 breasts)

2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (2-inch) piece peeled fresh ginger, cut into thin matchsticks
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch plus 1 teaspoon
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon dry sherry
3/4 cup chicken broth, low-sodium canned, or homemade or water
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 bunches medium asparagus (about 2 pounds), woody stems trimmed, sliced into 1-inch pieces
1 bunch scallions (white and green parts), thinly sliced

Directions:

Freeze the chicken breasts for 20 to 30 minutes and then thinly slice the chicken against the grain into strips. Toss the strips with about half the garlic and ginger, the soy sauce, sugar, 1 teaspoon of the cornstarch, 1 teaspoon of the salt, and the sherry in a bowl. Marinate at room temperature for 15 minutes. Mix the remaining cornstarch with the broth.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil a large nonstick skillet over high heat. Add the asparagus, scallions, remaining garlic, ginger, 1/4 cup of water, and season with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Stir-fry until the asparagus is bright green but still crisp, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.

Heat the same skillet until very hot, then add remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Add the chicken and stir-fry until it loses its raw color and gets a little brown, about 3 minutes. Return the asparagus to the pan and toss to heat through. Stir in the reserved cornstarch mixture and bring to a full boil to thicken. Sprinkle roasted nuts to garnish (optional).

Recipe by: Food Network Kitchens

Gỏi Cuốn (Spring Rolls)

Spring rolls are a common appetizer ordered in a Vietnamese restaurant. Bundles of vermicelli, herbs, veggies, shrimp and pork wrapped in softened rice paper served with a hoisin dipping sauce. My Dad has the best technique in creating these delicate rolls of deliciousness. And he's taught me that it's important not too have too much of any one ingredient, otherwise the roll will rip and fall apart as you eat. Traditionally, spring rolls are made with boiled shrimp and pork, sliced thinly. With leftover roasted chicken on hand, I decided to put a little twist on these rolls.

Spring Rolls

8 1/2 in. rice paper (bánh tráng)- I think the Three Ladies Brand has the most forgiveness when making these spring rolls, but of course any other brand will do
vermicelli, cooked
shredded roasted chicken
romaine lettuce leaves
cucumber, peeled and julienne
bean sprouts
mint leaves
cilantro leaves
hoisin dipping sauce (recipe below)

Directions:

Have all the ingredients laid out and prepped for rolling. Pour warm water into a large shallow dish or bowl to dip the rice paper as you roll.

Dip a sheet of rice paper in the water until it softens, then lay it flat on a plate. To assemble, in the middle of the rice paper and about 1 1/2 inches from the bottom, place a small leaf of lettuce. On top, add some vermicelli, shredded chicken, two pieces of cucumber, a few bean sprouts, mint leaves, and cilantro leaves. To form the roll, first fold the bottom of the paper over the ingredients, then snugly fold the sides towards the center. Continue by rolling from bottom to top to form a tight roll. I recommend placing a warm water soaked paper towel over the rolls while you assemble and/or you're not serving the rolls immediately.

Serve with a side of hoisin dipping sauce.

Hoisin Dipping Sauce

1/2 C hoisin sauce
1/4 C warm water
juice 1 lime
1/2 T chili paste
roasted peanuts
shredded carrots

Combine hoisin sauce, water, lime and chili paste. Top with roasted peanuts and shredded carrots. The sauce can last up to 1 week in the refrigerator.

Pesto Pasta

Ingredients

4 cups basil leaves
2 garlic cloves, peeled
3 tablespoons pine nuts
1/2 cup Romano or parmesan cheese, grated
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Toast the pine nuts in a small skillet until lightly browned (2-3 minutes).

Place basil, garlic, toasted pine nuts and olive oil in a food processor. Once all ingredients are well blended into a paste, stir in cheese.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Belgian Sweets

Munich, Germany

Baked Stuffed Eggplant

Ingredients:

1 large eggplant
1 medium onion
1 lb lean ground beef
½ c tomato paste (or more if needed)
½ c shredded Swiss cheese
salt & pepper (optional garlic salt)

Wash eggplant and cut in half lengthwise. Remove the pulp leaving ½ inch of the outer shell. Using cooking brush, apply olive oil on eggplant skin. Dice the pulp. Saute the onions, seasonings and meat in olive oil. Stir in the eggplant pulp and tomatoe paste. Cook until meat is slightly done. Spoon meat mixture into eggplant shell and sprinkle cheese on the mixture. Place stuffed eggplant in oven proof dish and bake at 350 C degree for 20 minutes.

Apple Cake

Ingredients:

3/4 cup (75 grams) chopped walnuts or pecans
1 pound (454 grams) apples
1-2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 1/2 cup (195 grams) all purpose flour
3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons (85 grams) unsalted butter, melted
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons milk
1/3 cup (50 grams) raisins

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) and place rack in the center of the oven. Butter or spray with a non stick cooking spray, an 8 inch (20 cm) square baking pan and then line with parchment paper or wax paper.

Place the nuts on a baking sheet and bake for about 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly brown and fragrant. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack and then coarsely chop.

Peel, core, and coarsely chop the apples.

Toss with 1 - 2 tablespoons of lemon juice.
In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, ground cinnamon, and salt. Add the melted butter, eggs, and vanilla extract and beat until fully incorporated. Fold in the chopped nuts, raisins, and chopped apples. If the batter is thick, stir in the milk.

Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake in preheated oven for about 35 - 45 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool.

Serve with softly whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. Cover and refrigerate leftovers. Reheat before serving.

Makes 6-8 servings.

Recipe by Joy of Baking

Antipasti: Grilled Eggplant with Mozzarella

Ingredients
12 slices of eggplant (about 1/4-inch thick)
Drizzle of olive oil
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
12 fresh basil leaves
6 cherry tomatoes
12 slices of fresh Mozzarella, about 1/8-inch thick
1/2 cup of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/4 cup Balsamic

Directions

Preheat the grill.

Season both sides of the eggplant slices with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Grill the eggplant for 2 minutes on each side.

Lay a slice of cheese on top of grilled eggplant and carefully roll up the eggplant. Lay 1 fresh basil leave and half cherry tomato on top of eggplant. Secure the roll with a toothpicks. Repeat the above process with the remaining grilled eggplant.

In a mixing bowl, add extra-virgin olive oil and balsamic, salt, and pepper. Set aside. Arrange the eggplant on the platter.

Drizzle the entire platter with the Balsamic Dressing. Sprinkle fresh grated parmesan cheese on eggplant (optional)

Chocolate Chunk with Cranberries Cookies

My daugther's been asking to bake cookies all week. Finally, it's Friday and we decided to make one of her favorite....Chocolate Chunk with Cranberries. I prefer to use good quality dark chocolate bar instead of chocolate chips. These cookies are crispy on the edges and soft and chewy in the center!

Ingredients:

2 cups (260 grams) all purpose flour

1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup (170 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature

2/3 cup (130 grams) granulated white sugar

2/3 cup (140 grams) firmly packed light brown sugar

1 large egg

1 large egg yolk

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups (210 grams) chocolate chunks
1 cup cranberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C). Place one oven rack in the top third of the oven, and one oven rack in the bottom third of the oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat the butter and sugars until light and fluffy (about 2 - 3 minutes). Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the egg and egg yolk, beating until well combined. Beat in the vanilla extract.

Gradually add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture and beat just until incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Stir in the chocolate chunks and cranberries.
Form dough into balls, using 1/4 cup (55 grams) for each cookie. Place six balls of dough on each baking sheet. Gently flatten each ball of dough into a 2 1/2 inch (6.5 cm) round.

Bake the cookies for about 15-17 minutes, rotating the baking sheets halfway through the baking time. The cookies are done when they are light golden brown in color and just set. They will still seem a little soft but they will firm up as they cool. Remove from oven and let the cookies cool a few minutes on the baking sheet before transferring them to a wire rack to cool.

Makes about 18 large cookies.

Adapted by Joy of Baking

Hot Chocolate!

My favorite Greek restaurant in Germany

Mykonos Tavern

Tzatziki with lots of garlic!

Borough Market, London

Baked Cheesecake with Sour Cream

Prep Time: 30 minutes, plus chilling
Cooking Time: 50 minutes
Serves 8-10

250 g (8 oz) plain sweet biscuits
1 teaspoon mixed spice
100 g (3 1/2) oz) unsalted butter, melted

Filling
500 g ( 1 lb) cream cheese, softened
2/3 cup ( 160 g/5 1/2 oz) caster sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1 tablespoon lemon juice
4 eggs

Topping
1 cup (250g/8 oz) sour cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence
3 teaspoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon caster sugar
nutmeg, for sprinkling

Lightly grease a 20 cm (8 inch) diameter springform tin and line the base with baking paper. Finely crush the biscuits in a food processor or place them in a sealed plastic bag and crush them with a rolling pin. Transfer to a bowl, add the spice and butter and stir until the crumbs are all moistened. Press firmly over the base and up the side of the tin to create an even shell. Refrigerate for 2o minutes, or until firm. Preheat the oven to moderate 180 C (350 F).

To make the filling, beat the cream cheese with electric beaters, until smooth. Add the sugar, vanilla essence and lemon juice, then beat until smooth. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Pour carefully over the crumbs and bake for 45 minutes, or until just firm to touch.

To make the topping, combine the sour cream, vanilla essence, lemon juice and sugar in a bowl. Spread over the hot cheesecake. Sprinkle with nutmeg and return to the oven for another 7 minutes. Turn off the oven and leave to cool with the door ajar. When cool, refrigerate until firm. Can be decorated with strawberries.

Blueberry Streusel Muffins

1 cup (240 ml) milk
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon pure vanillaextract
3 cups (420 grams) all-purpose flour
1 cup (200 grams) granulated white sugar
1 tablespoon (12 grams) baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
2 cups (260 grams) fresh or frozen blueberries
1/2 tablespoongrated lemon zest
2 tablespoons (28 grams) unsalted butter, melted

Lemon Zest - The yellow outer rind of the lemon that contains the fruit's flavor and perfume. The rind being the outer skin of the lemon which consists of both the yellow zest and white membrane (pith).

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C). Place rack in middle of oven. Line muffin pans with paper liners or spray with a vegetable spray.

In a small measuring cup mix together the milk, eggs, and vanilla extract. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Cut the butter into small pieces and blend into the flour mixture with a pastry blender or two knives. The mixture should look like coarse crumbs. Remove 1 cup of the mixture and place in a small bowl to make a streusel topping later. Gently fold in the blueberries and lemon zest. Add the milk and egg mixture to the flour mixture. Stir until just combined. Do not over mix this mixture or the muffins will be tough when baked.

Fill each muffin cup almost full with the batter, using two spoons or an ice cream scoop. Fill any unused muffins cups with water to prevent the pan from warping.

For streusel topping:

Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons (28 grams) butter and drizzle over the reserved 1 cup of streusel topping. Mix together with a fork until it is crumbly and looks like coarse meal. Sprinkle a couple of teaspoons of the streusel over the top of each muffin. Place in the oven and bake until very lightly browned and firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 18 - 20 minutes. Place on a wire rack to cool.

Makes 12 - 14 regular-sized muffins.

Note: Frozen blueberries can be used instead of fresh. Do not thaw the berries before using them. Make sure you do not overmix the batter after you add the blueberries or the batter will turn blue.

Recipe by Joy of Baking

Apple Pie

PREP: 45 min; BAKE: 50 min

Make 8 servings

Pastry for Two-Crust Pie (see below)

1/3 to 2/3 cup sugar

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Dash of salt

8 cups thinly sliced peeled tart apple (8 medium)

2 tablespoons margarine or butter

1. Heat oven to 425 C. Prepare pastry.

2. Mix sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in large bowl. Stir in apples. Turn into pastry-lined pie plate. Dot with margarine. Cover with top pastry that has slits cut in it; seal and flute. Cover edge with 3-inch strip of aluminum foil to prevent excessive browning. Remove foil during the last 15 minutes of baking.

3. Bake 40 to 50 minutes or until crust is brown and juice begins to bubble through slits in crust. Cool in pie plate on wire rack. Serve warm if desired.