Dulce de Leche Macadamia Nut cheesecake

Got hit by the sweet tooth today... I look in my fridge and pantry and seem to find all the ingredients to make a yummy cheesecake, except that I only have 2 Philadelphia cream cheese sticks instead of 3 as required by the recipe... Oh well, I'll make do with whatever's available.
So here's the modified recipe...

For the Crust:

• 1-3/4 cups Graham Cracker crumbs
• 1 tablespoon sugar (I use Stevia as subsitute)
• 6 tablespoons butter, melted

For the Filling:

• 2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
• 3/4 cup sugar (I use Stevia as substitute)
• 3 tablespoons 2% milk
• 1-1/2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/2 can (about 6 oz) dulce de leche
• 1 cup Macadamia nuts

 

Directions

• Place a greased 9-in. springform pan on a double thickness of heavy-duty foil (about 18 in. square). Securely wrap foil around pan. In a large bowl, combine the Graham cracker crumbs, sugar,  and butter. Press onto the bottom and 2 in. up the sides of prepared pan.
• In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Beat in the milk, flour and vanilla. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until combined. Pour into crust.
• Pour dulce de leche into a microwave-safe bowl; microwave at 50% power until softened. Drop dulce de leche by tablespoonfuls over batter; cut through batter with a knife to swirl. Evenly sprinkle the Macadamia nuts.
• Place springform pan in a large baking pan; add 1 in. of hot water to larger pan. Bake at 350° for 60-70 minutes or until center is just set and top appears dull.
• Remove springform pan from water bath. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen; cool 1 hour long
• Refrigerate overnight. Remove sides of pan. Yield: 10-12 servings.

Stewed Duck Noodle Soup

For Christmas I hinted to my family that any kitchen appliance would be warmly welcome...
Actually I ended up getting more golf accessories - no complaints there - but I did get this wonderful pressure cooker which also doubles up as crockpot and saute pan...

Today, I'm trying out my new pressure cooker. First I marinade the duck legs with some soy sauce, then I fry them in a little hot oil just to brown the skin. The duck legs are placed inside the pressure cooker and I fill with water to cover them. Then I add a couple of star anises, 1 cinnamon stick, 4 pcs of licorice root, 2 pinches of tangerine peel, 1 clove, 1 tablespoon of Chinese cooking wine, 1 tablespoon of dark soy sauce,  1/2 teaspoon of salt, 3 pieces of palm sugar, fresh shitake mushrooms. I carefully close the pressure cooker cover and turn the valve, and set on high pressure for 30 mn.

Meanwhile, in a separate saucepan I boil some water, then add fresh egg noodles and washed vegetable (such as Chinese spinach or Chinese broccoli) and blanch for about 10 seconds. Then I drain both the noodles and vegetable and rinse with cold water, and arrange them in soup bowls.

When time is up, I release the steam from the pressure cooker before opening it, I taste the broth and adjust the seasoning, and it's just perfect!  I arrange the tender stewed duck leg on the bed of noodles and vegetable, add the hot soup, and sprinkle with spring onions... A perfect and satisfying dish for winter!

Christmas Eve Dinner

As usual, our family gathers at my home for the Christmas Eve dinner...
To start, I have prepared some appetizers: baked Cranberry Brie, Spinach & Artichoke baked toasts, Bacon & Mushroom rolls to enjoy with drinks.
The first course is Seared Scallops and Tiger Prawns served on a bed of kataifi
The main course is Beef Wellington with Asparagus Gratin and baked sweet potatoes.
It was a beautiful dinner, filled with joy, love and great food...

Christmas Cookies

Every year I bake a storm...
There's joy in giving home-made Christmas cookies to family, friends and neighbors...
I like to try new recipes... this year I made for the first time the chocolate gingerbread men, cranberry flavored palmiers, Macadamia nut & oatmeal cookies, caramel almond cookies... but there are always a couple of old time favorites like the buttery cappucino swirls and the Florentine cookies with dried apricots, mangoes and almond slivers...

Usually the cookies don't last long at our home, and this year's no exception...

Roasted Deboned Duck Stuffed with Sticky Rice

First, my sister taught me how to debone a chicken, (warning: this is not for squirmish people). Once I get the hang of it, I graduated to deboning a duck which is much harder and time consuming, in my humble opinion.

For the stuffing, I use about 4 cups of sticky rice, 3 pan fried and sliced Chinese sausages, sliced sauteed shitake mushrooms, and mix everything together and season with some Maggi sauce. Lastly, I add a cup of frozen edamame beans, and mix well. The edamame beans add some green color and crunch to the stuffing.

I carefully scoop the stuffing into the deboned duck until filled up, then I saw the duck opening together (using a light brown thread to match the color of the roasted skin), then I truss it with kitchen thread, tucking the wing tips and legs neatly under. Then I rub the duck skin with dark soy sauce, and put it in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F, and roast for about an hour and half. When ready to serve, I remove the trussing.

This dish is pretty labor intensive but is a real delicacy, and can be served warm or at room temperature. It's delicious and rich on its own, or you can add a dipping sauce. I prepared mine with plum sauce and soy sauce, and added some chopped cucumbers for crunch and minced coriander leaves.

Fresh Fish Springrolls with tamarind dipping sauce

This is a deliciously fresh dish to serve as appetizer... The rolls are made with fish fillets (I use halibut) flavored with fish sauce, sugar, turmeric and panfried with minced shallots. When the fish is cooked, I let it cool to room temperature and roll it with rice vermicelli, mint, basil leaves, coriander and lettuce, in rice wrappers.
The rolls are served with a dipping sauce made with tamarind juice, fish sauce, palm sugar and chopped chili.

Stewed Abalone served with chicken broth

I found some nice frozen abalones at the market and decided to make a soup. After rinsing and cleaning about 10 pieces of abalone, I put them in the slow cooker with a whole chicken, a piece of Virginia ham, a few slices of ginger, Chinese cooking wine, soy sauce and about 5 cups of water. After about 10 hours of slow cooking, I removed the abalones, and sliced them. To serve, I put the abalone pieces in a shot glass, and fill with the hot broth... It's a combination of delicate and complex layers of tastes...

Thanksgiving Dinner

This year, I serve the Turkey with roast vegetables, stuffing made with organic corn bread and crumbled sausages, and a Gratin Dauphinois...
(At Jeremy and Anthony's request, I have made a double portion of stuffing)
The sweet ending is a French pear tart with a dash of rhum...
After this satisfying meal we all have food coma!

Sauteed Tiger Prawns with Oyster Mushrooms and Garlic Noodles

This is one of Jeremy's favorite dish which is so easy and fast to prepare, and it's bursting with flavors!

It's kind of a fusion between Western and Asian ingredients.

After washing, shelling and deveining the prawns, I pat them dry and marinade them with 1/2 tsp each of salt, sugar, white pepper and garlic powder. After heating a little olive oil, I sautee the prawns till just cooked, and remove them and keep them warm. In the same pan, I melt 2 tablesppon butter over medium heat, add 1 teaspoon of minced garlic, and stir until golden but not brown.  Then I add the oyster mushrooms, some minced green onion and red pepper, and stir fry for a few minutes, then I add the fresh egg noodles, some sweet soy sauce, and when everything is hot, I put the prawns back in, with some grated cheese. and another tablespoon of butter., and gently mix To serve immediately with a sprinkling of green onions.

Tofu with bean sauce and thousand year eggs

This is one of my favorite tofu dish made with soft tofu. I steam the tofu first as it will render a lot of liquid which should be discarded so the tofu remains soft but not too watery. The sauce is prepared with hot bean paste fried with shallots and minced thousand year eggs, and a little soy sauce. To serve I sprinkle some vegetarian floss (made from soybean) and spring onions. It's very flavorful and bursts with different flavors...

Char Siu Low Mien

When we just want to curl up on the sofa and have a "TV Meal", I like to prepare an easy simple dish.

First I marinade the pork meat (for example pork butt is a good cut for this dish) with hoisin sauce, soy sauce, honey, brown sugar, then I put the meat in a preheated over to 350 degrees for about 30 mn, then I turn the pieces over for another 30 mn. Then I set the oven to broil or roast at 500 degrees, and golden brown (about 5 mn). Then the pork is thinly sliced. I like to make char siu at home as it's less greasy and salty than the store bought kind.

In the meantime, I blanch the rinsed and cut green vegetable (pak choy, Chinese broccoli or any green veggies) for about 10 seconds, then I add the egg noodles in the same pot of boiling water for about 10 seconds. Then I drain the noodles and vegetable and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking. I add a little oil in the same pan (after wiping it dry), and fry a minced shallot and a minced garlic, I add sliced shitake mushrooms and add a little soy sauce with a sprinkling of brown sugar and sautee for about 3 minutes. Then I add back the noodles and vegetables and stir to heat through.

To serve the noodles with the sliced char siu (roast pork).  It's a popular dish at home and usually everybody gets a second - or third - helping!

Boeuf Bourguignon

Once in a while my friends request me to prepare my Boeuf Bourguignon. It takes a bit of preparation but each morsel is flavorful and almost melts in your mouth... This recipe serves around 4 to 5 people.

First I sautee roughly cut 1 large onion and 1 large carrot in a little oil and butter for about 7 mn, add some flour (about couple teaspoons) and cook for about 2 mn.  Set aside.
Next I sautee sliced unsmoked bacon (lardons) till brown and crisp. Set aside. Pour off the rendered fat and keep about 2 table spoons in the pan. Saute about 2 lbs of cubed beef (I use a mixture of beef for stew and brisket) by batch not to overcrowd the pan and for the beef to brown evenly. Put back the onions, carrots, bacon in the pan. Pour some red wine to almost cover the meat & vegetable mixture, add about 2 tablespoons of tomato paste, season with salt and pepper, a little sugar to taste, add some thyme and laurel leaves, mix well and let boil, then cover and reduce heat to low and let simmer for about 2 to 2-1/2 hours. Stir once in a while.

Meanwhile sautee button mushrooms in butter, season with salt and pepper and set aside. Sautee peeled pearl onions in butter till caramelized, set aside. About 15 mn before dinner time, add the mushrooms and pearl onions into the beef stew, and heat till warm through, about 5 to10 mn.

If you wish, sprinkle with some parsley as garnish before serving piping hot.

This is delicious with warm French bread.

Beef Curry with Condiments

This is a simple beef curry dish served with grated coconut, fried shallots, dried cranberries (or raisins), chutney, diced tomatoes and brown rice.

It's really delicious and satisfying.
First, fry some onions and garlic, add the cubed beef and brown evenly, add a mixture of yellow curry powder and curry paste (available from most supermarkets or Asian food stores), a little beef stock to cover, cook and stir till beef becomes tender (about 1 to 1-1/2 hour), add some coconut milk if you wish, season to taste, and serve with the condiments and brown rice.

Lasagna - Light recipe

My family enjoys eating lasagna cooked the "healthy" way... First we prefer to use wholewheat lasagna pasta, then for cheese we like to use a mixture of light ricotta or cottage cheese (1 container) and shredded skim milk mozarella (1 package), and minced lean turkey instead of beef (2 regular packs from the supermarket)

First cook the lasagna as per package direction (about 8 sheet for this recipe). Drain.

Saute some minced onions and minced garlic, add the minced turkey, a can of cubed tomatoes, add 2 tablespoons of cider vinegar, couple pinches of oregano, season to taste with salt, pepper & brown sugar, simmer for about 30 to 40 mn.

Pour 1/3 of the meat sauce at the bottom of the pan, then spread the light ricotta or cottage cheese, sprinkle the mozarella, then add 1 layer of lasagna sheet (4 sheet), then repeat with 1/3 of meat sauce, cheese, and another layer of lasagna sheet (remaining 4 sheet), then another 1/3 layer of meat sauce, cheese (finish with the shredded mozarella on top). Bake in preheated over to 400 degrees F for about 25 mn till cheese is bubbly and brown at some spots.

Cut with a non stick spoon and serve piping hot with a green salad (you can also sprinkle chili flakes on top).

Sometimes we substitute the minced turkey with sliced vegetable such as spinach, eggplant, assorted mushrooms, sundried tomatoes, basil leaves and artichokes to make a vegetarian lasagna, it's just as delicious!

Grilled Spare Ribs with Mushrooms Brown Rice

BBQ baby back ribs are a classic favorite... But tonight I decide to prepare them the Asian way. First I marinate the ribs with some fish sauce, soy sauce and honey , minced shallots and lemongrass for about 30 mn. The ribs are then laid in a foil lined oven platter and into a preheated oven at around 300 degrees F for about couple hours. The slow cooking makes the pork really tender. Then I set the oven to broil (around 500 degrees F), until the pork is well browned, about 5 mn, then turn the ribs over to the other side for another 5 mn.  Remove the ribs from the oven and let them rest for about 10 mn before slicing into individual ribs.

In the meantime I saute assorted sliced mushrooms such as shitake, oyster, straw mushrooms in a little olive oil and garlic, then I mix them with the brown rice, and add water to cook in the rice cooker till ready and fragrant. It's a perfect accompaniment to the grilled spare ribs...

Tempura served with cold soba noodles

At the farmers market near home, I found some beautiful zucchini blossoms, they are delicious crisply fried and so I felt inspired to create a tempura menu, with prawns, scallops, shitake mushrooms, asparagus and Japanese shiso leaves. Here's the recipe for a fluffy and light batter (I had to double the ingredients for this meal). For the tempura sauce, it's best to grate yourself the turnip and ginger for a fresh taste, and add to the soy based dipping sauce....

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined, about 6 scallops, cleaned, and assorted vegetable (thickly sliced onions, shitake mushrooms, asparagus, zucchini blossoms etc.)
• 2 quarts oil for deep frying
• 1/4 cup self rising flour
• 1/4 cup corn starch
• 1/3 cup ice water
• 1 egg yolk
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon white sugar
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil

Directions

1. Heat oil in deep-fryer or large wok to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. In a medium bowl, mix together self rising flour, ice water, cornstarch, egg yolk, salt, white sugar, and sesame oil
3. One at a time, dip shrimp into the flour mixture to coat. Carefully place a few shrimp at a time in the hot oil. Deep fry until golden brown on all sides, about 1 1/2 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove from oil. Drain on paper towels. Repeat with the scallops and vegetable.

For the soba, cook as per package instruction. Serve with soba dipping sauce, and with minced scallions and sea weed, and a little wasabi on the side, so people could add to the sauce themselves according to their preference.

Whole wheat Pasta with Roasted Vegetable and Goat Cheese

 Home made pasta tastes so much fresher, and this is our favorite whole wheat recipe for a healthier twist.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
4 eggs
2 teaspoons olive oil
Directions

Stir together the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour and salt in a medium bowl. Make a well in the center, and pour in the olive oil. Break eggs into it one at a time, while mixing quickly with a fork until the dough is wet enough to come together. Knead on a lightly floured surface until the dough is stiff and elastic. Cover, and let stand for 30 minutes to relax.
Roll out dough by hand with a rolling pin, and put it through a pasta machine several times to achieve the desired thickness of noodles. Cut into linguine strips. Allow the pasta to air dry for at least 15 minutes to avoid having it clump together. Then blanch in salted boiling water till al dente.

Tonight I serve the pasta with sauteed mixed green vegetable, roasted red and yellow peppers,mushrooms, sliced heirloom tomatoes in a little olive oil, then add generous portion of goat cheese, parmesan cheese, salt & pepper, then a handful of fresh basil leaves. Delicious and wholesome...

Braised Duck Leg with Egg Noodles

At home we enjoy eating duck, it's more flavorful than chicken and it's hard to miss. Duck legs can easily be found in most Asian stores.  After cleaning, I brown the duck legs in a pan, without any oil, as the duck skin will sweat. When all the duck legs are evenly golden, drain off the fat. To add a splash of soy sauce, Chinese wine, Chinese vinegar, brown sugar, a piece of ginger, and braise over slow heat until tender (about 40 mn.). Meanwhile, boil some water and blanch the egg noodles as per package instructions till al dente and drain and rinse with cold water to stop cooking. Fry some minced shallots in a little oil till golden, not brown, and mix with the noodles. I usually serve this dish with blanched Chinese vegetable like pak choy, choy sum or broccoli. It's a simple and satisfying meal.

Lamb Shank Couscous

We love couscous, it's nutritious and less starchy than rice.  I like to make all kinds of couscous, vegetarian, chicken or lamb.  Today I found nice lamb shanks at the supermarket, which is not a commonly found cut. So it's the perfect occasion to serve them with couscous.

The easiest way is to use a slow cooker. First put a pack of frozen vegetable at the bottom of the slow cooker, lay the lamb shanks on top, cover with a can of stewed tomatoes, chicken broth, spices such as cinnamon, turmeric, cumin, anis seed, cayenne pepper, a little salt, and cook on slow for about 3 hours, add a can of chickpeas, cook on slow for another 30 mn. The lamb shank meat should be really tender by then, if not cook a bit longer.

I serve the delicious lamb shanks with couscous (I usually get the instant kind that can be ready in 5 mn by adding a knob of butter and boiling water).

English High Tea

As a child, I loved reading Agatha Christie's mystery novels and was fascinated by the traditional English high tea described in some of her books.  When I traveled to London for the first time at age 11, my father took me to English high tea, and since then I have been hooked. It's difficult to find a nice place in LA serving high tea, so this week end we decide to laze around at home watching the Oscars and enjoying our own home made English high tea with assorted finger sandwishes, mini croissants filled with parma ham and Swiss cheese, mini savory pastries, scones with clotted cream and strawberry jam, lemon bars... served with hot Earl Grey tea... This is the best indulgence!

Chicken Curry served with naan bread and coconut rice

It's a simple yet delicious dish - First I saute the chicken pieces in a little oil and set them aside.
Then in the same pan, I fry some minced garlic, sliced onions and sliced lemon grass in a little oil, over medium heat for about 3 minutes, then I add the Thai red curry paste (about 1 to 2 tablespoons), then put back the chicken in the pan, add quartered small potatoes, pour some chicken stock almost to cover the meat, season with salt, pepper, brown sugar, and cook till the chicken is tender, about 25 mn, add coconut milk, simmer for another 10 mn. Before serving, add a handful of fresh basil leaves.
Meanwhile fry some garlic and 1 cup raw rice in a little oil, then put in rice cooker with 1/2 cup coconut milk and 1/2 cup chicken broth.

Mango Crumble Cake

I bought a case of mangos from Costco, and I like to enjoy eating them fresh, but after a few days, I decide to bake a cake using these mangos before they get too ripe. This is the recipe:

Cake Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tbsp. lemon peel
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 - 3 mangoes, peeled, and cubed
  

Topping Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup butter, chilled

  Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease a springform pan
• In medium bowl, beat butter and sugar. Add eggs and beat.
• Blend flour, baking powder, and lemon peel together.
• Add flour mixture alternately with milk into butter mixture and mix well.
• Spread batter in greased pan.
• Arrange mango cubes on top of batter

To make Topping:

• In a small bowl, combine flour and sugar.
• Using 2 knives or a pastry blender cut in butter until mixture resembles large crumbs.
• Sprinkle over mangoes.
• Bake for 40 - 45 minutes. Check with wooden toothpick to see if it is done (should come out clean - no batter on toothpick).
• Cool in pan on a wire rack.
• Makes about 16 servings. Tastes great served with whipped cream!

Vegetable dish and Thit Kho

My nephew has a craving for Thit Kho which is Vietnamese caramelized stewed pork and hard boiled eggs, so I'm making it for dinner tonight but totally forget to take a photo of the dish. In any case, I have made this dish before and you can see the picture from my blog entry of Nov 24, 2010.
I also prepare a claypot of assorted sauteed mushrooms (I use shitake, oyster mushroom, straw mushroom and wood ear) and sauteed vegetable, in a light soy/Chinese wine sauce.

Home baked bread

Since my sister gave me a bread machine for Christmas, I have been using it very often to bake wholesome bread using natural ingredients, wholewheat, honey, flaxseed etc.  I set the machine to finish baking in time for breakfast and it's a delight to wake up to the smell of fresh baked bread...

Guido's Birthday Party

I have very little time to prepare and cook, as I fly back from a business trip to New York only 2 days before the party... So I plan a simple and hopefully appetizing menu, roast lamb marinated with rosemary, garlic, and rubbed with mustard, balsamic vinegar, salt & pepper, assorted roasted vegetable, chow kwai tew - which is a Malaysian style fried rice noodles with prawns and Chinese Sausage, scrambled eggs and bean sprouts, and last but not least, stewed spare ribs served with coconut rice.
My friends are bringing the appetizers and desserts, and to crown it all, Guido's birthday cake...

Dinner in New York

I'm in New York for couple of days filled with meetings... But we manage to relax and enjoy dinner at my sister's home one evening, I made 2 dishes: "Bo Luc Lac" which is the Vietnamese shaken beef cubes served with thinly sliced onions marinated in Japanese spiced vinegar, on a bed of fresh spinach and tomato slices, and stewed spare ribs with soy sauce and Chinese wine. My sister prepared a delicious salad with salmon, avocado and mango.