Chicken Parmigiana With Penne Pasta

This fantastic Chicken Parmigiana With Penne Pasta recipe was inspired by Patsy's Classic Italian Cookbook. As usual, I made a couple of little modifications to the recipe which worked out well. For instance, instead of serving the chicken in a whole piece, I had it sliced into bite-sized pieces and tossed together with the pasta, parsley, pasta sauce, and season with sea salt and pepper. Then, I topped the pasta mixture with lots of cheese and baked it in the oven until golden in color. Yummy!


Chicken Parmigiana With Penne Pasta

Ingredients

2 (400g) Skinless & Boneless Chicken Breast, pounded thinly and season lightly with salt and pepper
¼ Cup Flour
1 Large Eggs, beaten
1/3-Cup Bread Crumbs
3 to 4 Tbsp Olive Oil
400 g Penne Pasta
1 Jar (709 ml) Any Favorite Pasta Sauce (tomato based)
3 Tbsp Finely Chopped Flat-Leaf Parsley
Sea Salt
Freshly Ground Black Pepper
350 g Mozzarella Cheese
3 Tbsp Grated Parmesan Cheese

Method

Preheat the oven to 400˚F/205˚C.

Spread the flour on a large plate, place the egg in a shallow bowl, and spread the breadcrumbs on a second large plate. Coat each chicken in the flour, then the egg, and the breadcrumbs, patting with the palm of your hand to ensure adhesion.

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, drizzle with olive oil, add the chicken, and turn them several times so that both sides are coated with the oil. Bake in the oven for about 15 minutes, turn the chicken and continue to bake for another 10 minutes. Remove the chicken from the oven, let cool slightly, and cut into bite-sized pieces.

While the chicken is in the oven, cook pasta as per manufacturer’s instructions. Drain the pasta, and mix in the parsley, pasta sauce, and toss in the chicken pieces. Season the pasta mixture with sea salt and some freshly ground black pepper.

Pour the pasta mixture into a large baking dish, and top with mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Bake in the oven for about 18 minutes, or until all the ingredients are heated through and the cheese has melted, and golden in color.

Malaysian Style Hamburger

A few weeks ago, I posted an interesting Japanese style hot dog recipe from Vancouver. It was very well received by all my readers. So, I thought I should share this localized recipe on another American all-time favorite. This is the Malaysian Style Hamburger! As I have not seen hamburgers being decked this way anywhere else, I am convinced this recipe is uniquely Malaysian and Singaporean. There are slight variations on how it's packaged; but, the key "extra" ingredients like the fried egg, cucumber, chili sauce are always present. In this recipe, the grilled meat patty is placed on a thinly fried omelette and topped with cheese, sweet chili sauce, mayonnaise, and seasoned with pepper. Simply wrap the patty with the egg when the cheese melts, and sandwich it on a toasted sesame bun with lettuce, cucumber slices, and some caramelized onions. This is a super good burger. I hope you will give it a try. Enjoy!


Malaysian Style Hamburger

Ingredients

Meat Patties
1 lb Ground Beef Sirloin
½ lb Ground Beef Chuck
½ tsp Sea Salt
¼ to ½ tsp Freshly Ground Black Pepper
1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce

Caramelized Onion
1 Tbsp Peanut or Vegetable Oil
1 Large White or Yellow Onion, peeled, halved, and sliced
Sea Salt
Black Pepper
A few dashes of Worcestershire Sauce

Omelette
9 Large Eggs (1 ½ eggs = 1 Hamburger)
A Pinch of Sea Salt
Freshly Ground Black Pepper
Peanut or Vegetable Oil

6 Slices of White Cheddar Cheese
Malaysian Style Chili Sauce (Maggi or Kimball brand)
Mayonnaise
6 Sesame Seed Hamburger Buns
Lettuce leaves, washed and dried
Cucumber, thinly sliced

Method

Combine the ground beef and season with sea salt, black pepper, and Worcestershire sauce. Divide the meat into 6 equal patties. Shape the patties to about the size of the burger buns.

Caramelized Onion: In a medium skillet over moderate to high heat, sauté the onion with peanut oil until the onion is caramelized. Then drizzle with Worcestershire sauce and season lightly with sea salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, make the omelette. In a large mixing bowl, combine the eggs, sea salt and pepper, and lightly beat the eggs with a fork. Using a large non-stick pan, add about 1 12 tsp of oil over medium heat. Pour the egg mixtures onto the pan. Let the egg mixtures cook for about 2 minutes, or until the eggs are set. Turn, and cook the other side of the eggs.

Prepare the grill or a large cast iron pan over high heat. Grill the patties to desired doneness, turning only once. Set aside the cooked patties. Place an omelette on the pan, follow by grilled meat patty and top with cheese, sweet chili sauce, mayonnaise, and seasoned with pepper. When the cheese has melted, wrap the patty with the egg, and sandwich it on a toasted sesame bun with lettuce, cucumber slices, and some caramelized onions.

Makes 6 Malaysian Style Hamburger

Orange Chiffon Cake~New

Orange Chiffon Cake~New

Ingredients



4 Large Egg Yolks


15 g Sugar

50 g/ml Canola or Corn Oil

50 g/ml Freshly Squeezed Orange Juice
1 tsp Vanilla Extract

70 g Pastry Flour, sifted

Zest of 2 Oranges

Meringue

80g Sugar
8 g Corn Flour/Starch


4 Large Egg Whites


Equipment: 7 inches Chiffon/Angel Tube Pan
Baking Sheet



Method



Position the rack on lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 325˚F/160˚C.





Place the egg yolks and sugar in a large bowl, and beat well. Add oil, orange juice, and vanilla extract and stir to incorporate with a whisk. Add flour and orange zest; mix well, until the batter becomes sticky.





Make the meringue: Combine sugar and corn flour. Beat the egg whites until foamy. Add half the sugar and continue beating for a few minutes, then add remaining sugar and beat until egg whites are glossy and stiff peaks form.



Add one-third of meringue into the egg yolk mixture and fold in lightly, then add remaining meringue and fold to incorporate completely.


Pour batter into an ungreased angel cake tube pan. Bake for 50 to 55 minutes. When cake is done, remove from the oven and turn it over, leaving it to cool for about an hour. Once the cake is cool completely, carefully run a knife or spatula around the sides of the cake to loosen it before inverting onto a wire rack.

Black Bean Salsa With Chilies, Corn, and Tomatoes

Black Bean Salsa With Chilies, Corn, and Tomatoes

Ingredients

1 Anaheim Chili
2 Jalapenos
2 Ears Fresh Corn, husked, silk removed and steamed
1 Can (15oz/425g) Organic Black Bean, rinsed and drained
4 Medium Tomatoes, diced
¼ Red Onion, finely diced
2 Scallions, green part only, sliced
A handful of Coriander, chopped
Juice of 1 Lime
Sea Salt
Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Grilled Prawns (optional)
1 lb Prawns, shelled, tail intact, and deveined
1 tsp Chili Flakes
Sea Salt
Black Pepper
2 Tbsp Olive Oil

Method

Preheat the broiler. Roast the Anaheim chili and Jalapeno until blackened. Place the chilies in a bowl and cover with a microwave safe saran wrap. Let it stand for 15 minutes. Peel of the skin and discard the seeds and finely dice.

Using a large, sharp knife carefully cut the kernels off the corncobs.

In a large bowl, combine chilies, corn kernels, black beans, tomatoes, onion, scallions, and coriander. Season the salsa with lime juice, sea salt and pepper. Refrigerate the salsa mixture until ready to serve.

Optional: In a large bowl, mix the shrimps with chili flakes, sea salt and black pepper, and olive oil. Heat the grill on high and grill the shrimps for about 2 to 3 minutes per side.

Chocolate Almond Spread

You will be surprised how easy it is to churn up this decadent and yet healthy Chocolate Almond Spread. Best of all, there’s no cooking involved here. Just use your trusted blender or food processor to process all the ingredients until it reaches your preferred consistency. The original recipe was posted by Viviane from Chocolate Chilli Mango blog. The only change I made was I used store-bought organic crunchy almond butter instead of roasted almond. The result was fantastic and I couldn't agree more with Viviane that it does taste better than any other sweet chocolate and hazelnut spread. Do check out the original recipe from Chocolate Chilli Mango.


Chocolate Almond Spread

Ingredients

1 Jar (340 g) Crunchy Almond Butter
2 tsp Vanilla Paste
3 to 4 Tbsp Coconut Sugar
4 Tbsp Raw Cacao or 100% Cocoa Powder
2 Tbsp Vanilla Protein Powder (optional)
Water (adjust the consistency accordingly)

Method

Combine almond butter, vanilla paste, coconut sugar, cocoa powder, and vanilla protein powder in a food processor or a blender. Whizz all the ingredients together by adding a little water at a time until it reaches your preferred consistency. Scrape the chocolate almond spread into a clean jar and store in the refrigerator.

Bittersweet Chocolate Chips With Dulce De Leche Matzos Crunch

Bittersweet Chocolate Chips With Dulce De Leche Matzos Crunch

Ingredients

2 Pcs (16 x 17 inches) Matzos (I used Yehuda Matzos) or water crackers
1 Tbsp Unsalted Butter, melted
100 g Bittersweet Chocolate Chips
10 to 12 Tbsp Homemade Dulce de Leche, warmed
Toasted Almond

Baking Sheet, lined with parchment paper

Method

Preheat oven to 375˚F.

Place the matzos on a baking sheet and brush the top with melted butter. Bake in the oven for about 7 to 8 minutes, or until the matzos is slightly darker at the edges and toasted.

Remove the matzos from the oven and scattered with chocolate chips. Return to the oven and bake for another 2 minutes, or until the chocolate has melted. Spread the melted chocolate chips over the matzos surface with an offset spatula, or with the back of a spoon. Transfer the matzos on a rack and leave it to cool and then refrigerate it until the chocolate is set.

Spread a layer Dulce de Leche on top of the chocolate. Sprinkle with toasted slivered almonds, and chilled for about 1 hour. Cut the matzos into desired size.

Purple Sweet Potato Chiffon Cupcakes

Fresh from the recent success of baking the chiffon cake recipe, I got a little ambitious and started experimenting with several different flavors for this cake. I was pleased with all the outcome, as the flavoring and texture of the cakes were surprisingly good. Like all things, there was one that really stood out and it was the Purple Sweet Potato Chiffon Cupcakes. I had frosted the cake with some crème fraiche as well and the result was just outstanding! The frozen grated purple sweet potato or also known as purple yam can be found at your local Asian grocer. Give this recipe a try, I think you will like it. Have a great week ahead and happy cooking!


Purple Sweet Potato Chiffon Cupcakes

Ingredients

4 Large Egg Yolks

15 g Sugar
50 g/ml Canola or Corn Oil
50 g/ml Unsweetened Soy Milk or Whole Milk
100 g Frozen Grated Purple Sweet Potato
 (I used Buenas brand), thawed
65 g Pastry Flour, sifted
1 ½ tsp Lemon Juice



Meringue
55 to 65 g Sugar (adjust accordingly to the sweetness of sweet potato)

8 g Corn Flour/Starch

4 Large Egg Whites

Equipment: Regular size muffin/cupcake pans, lined with paper cups
Baking Sheet


Crème Fraiche Frosting
2 Tbsp Granulated Sugar

1 Cup Crème Fraiche

1/3 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream

½ tsp Vanilla Extract

Method

Position the rack on lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 325˚F/160˚C.



Place the egg yolks and sugar in a large bowl, and beat well. Add oil, soy milk, and grated sweet potato and stir to incorporate with a whisk. Add flour and lemon juice; mix well, until the batter becomes sticky.



Make the meringue: Combine sugar and corn flour. Beat the egg whites until foamy. Add half the sugar and continue beating for a few minutes, then add remaining sugar and beat until egg whites are glossy and stiff peaks form.

Add one-third of meringue into the egg yolk mixture and fold in lightly, then add remaining meringue and fold to incorporate completely.

Carefully spoon the batter into the cupcake liners, filling them almost full. Bake for 16-17 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cupcake comes out clean. 

When cake is done, remove from the oven and leaving it to cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.

For the Crème Fraiche frosting: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the crème fraiche, cream, vanilla and 2 Tbsp granulated sugar. Whip on medium-high speed until soft peaks form and the cream hold its shape.

Note: For 7 inches Chiffon/Angel Tube Pan
Pour batter into an ungreased angel cake tube pan. Bake for 50 to 55 minutes.

When cake is done, remove from the oven and turn it over, leaving it to cool for about an hour.

Once the cake is cool completely, carefully run a knife or spatula around the sides of the cake to loosen it before inverting onto a wire rack.

Makes 16 Regular Size Cupcakes or One 7 inches Chiffon Cake

Bacon And Egg Tea Sandwiches

Bacon And Egg Tea Sandwiches

Ingredients

6 Large Hard-Boiled Eggs
6 to 7 Tbsp Mayonnaise
3 to 4 Stalk Scallions, finely sliced
6 to 8 Strips Cooked Crispy Bacon, chopped
Sea Salt to taste
Some Freshly Ground Black Pepper
12 Slices of Bread

Method

In a medium bowl, mash eggs and add the mayonnaise, scallions, crispy bacon, and season with salt and pepper.
To serve, spread some egg filling over the bread and top with another piece of bread. Trim the crusts off and cut into 3 pieces. Serve immediately.

Makes 6 Sandwiches or 12 to 18 Tea Sandwiches

Dulce de Leche

Dulce de Leche is the quintessential Argentine sweet caramel treat. It's made of milk and sugar that's been reduced to a creamy thick sauce. The Dulce de Leche is such a versatile spread, it goes with almost anything. You can spread the luscious caramel on cookies, bread, fruits or any type of pastries. If you have a couple of hours to spare, then you ought to try making the Dulce de Leche from scratch. It’s really easy to make and tastes really good too.



Recipe adapted from Chewy Gooey Crispy Crunchy by Alice Medrich {pg 337}

Dulce de Leche

Ingredients

1 Quart /32 Fl Oz/950 ml Whole Milk
½ Cup (3.5 oz) Sugar (I used ¼ Sugar & ¼ Cup Coconut Sugar)
½ tsp Baking Soda
Pinch of Sea Salt

Method

Combine the milk, sugar, baking soda, and salt in a large saucepan. Bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring frequently. The milk will thicken a little; then it will curdle. It will eventually smooth out again as you cook it.

Continue to cook, stirring and scraping the sides and corners and all over the bottom of the pot frequently, until the mixture thickens, like thick caramel sauce. This may take another 40 to 60 minutes. The mixtures become especially foamy in the last stages of cooking. Scrape the mixture into a heatproof bowl or jar. Cool slightly, then taste and adjust with salt, if desired. May kept in the refrigerator for at least 1 month.

Makes 1 Cup

Japanese Beef Rolls With Scallion, Asparagus, And Enoki Mushrooms~Negimaki

This is one of my favorite appetizers, the Japanese Beef Rolls With Scallion, Asparagus, And Enoki Mushrooms. The combination of fresh veggies wrapped in a thinly sliced cooked beef is just so mouth watering. Several methods to cook this, oven baked (which I posted earlier), grilled, or just on a skillet over the kitchen stove top, a'la Teppanyaki? :) I find this method allows you to control the temperature better, and it's easier to cook and baste the thinly sliced beef. A little tip, before slicing the beef, just place it in the freezer for about 25 to 30 minutes and this will make the effort so much easier! Try it!


Japanese Beef Rolls With Scallion, Asparagus, And Enoki Mushrooms~Negimaki

Ingredients

1 Piece (about 400 g/1 ½ inches thick) Rib Eye or Sirloin Steak, trimmed of fat
10 Stalks Asparagus, trimmed
5 Stalks Scallions, trimmed and halved
120 to 150 Enoki Mushrooms
4 Tbsp Japanese Soy Sauce
4 Tbsp Mirin
1 Tbsp Cooking Oil

Toothpicks or Wooden Skewers

Method

In a small bowl, mix together the soy sauce and Mirin. Set aside.

With a sharp knife, cut the beef into half. Then cut each piece of the beef into five thin slices. Spread the beef on a cutting board and pound lightly with a meat mallet to an even thinness.

Brush both sides of the meat slices with the soy sauce and Mirin mixture. Top each slice of beef with asparagus, scallion, and Enoki mushrooms. Roll up tightly and secure with a toothpick.

Heat a large skillet over high heat and coat with oil. Arrange the rolls with the seam side down and sear on both sides. (At this point, you may remove the toothpicks) Then reduce the heat to medium and brush the beef rolls with the soy and Mirin mixture, shaking the pan until the beef is cooked and brown in color. Remove the beef rolls from the skillet. Cut into bite-sized pieces. Serve immediately.

Japanese Style Mayonnaise

This lightly sweetened mayonnaise is a great accompaniment to many Asian styles grilled meat, hot dogs, and seafood.

Matcha~Green Tea Dacquoise

Recipe adapted from Okashi by Keiko Ishida

Matcha Dacquoise~Green Tea Dacquoise

Ingredients

Biscuit Dacquoise
180 g Ground Almonds
80 g Confectioner’s Sugar
10 g Matcha /Green Tea Powder
40 g Caster Sugar
2 g Egg White Powder
200 g (5 large eggs) Whites

Matcha Cream
100g Unsalted Butter, at room temperature
35 g (1 Large Egg) Whites
35 g Confectioner’s Sugar
5 g Matcha/Green Tea Powder

Method

Preheat the oven to 350˚F/180˚C. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Sift ground almonds, confectioner’s sugar and matcha with a coarse sieve twice. Set aside.

Meringue: Combine castor sugar and egg white powder. Beat the egg whites until foamy. Add sugar and egg white powder mixture and beat until egg whites are glossy, with stiff peaks.

Add sifted almond mixture to the meringue and fold gently to make the dacquoise batter.

Transfer batter into a piping bag fitted with piping tip. Pipe out small discs (about3.5 cm in diameter) onto parchment paper. Dust with confectioner’s sugar twice and bake for 15 to 20 minutes until dacquoise rises up completely and surface becomes dry.

Matcha Cream: Beat the butter until pale and creamy. With a clean bowl, beat egg whites until foamy. Add half the sugar and continue beating. When egg whites have achieved some volume, add remaining sugar and continue to beat until glossy and stiff peaks form.

Add meringue to butter and mix thoroughly. Add matcha and fold well.

Transfer the matcha cream into a piping bag fitted with piping tip. Pipe cream onto flat side of the dacquoise discs. Top with another disc, flat side down.

For best results, make dacquoises and assemble them the day before serving and let chill in the refrigerator. They can be kept for up to 3 days.

Makes 16 to 18 Dacquoises

Hiyayakko~Chilled Tofu

Hiyayakko~Chilled Tofu

Ingredients

1 Block Silken Tofu (about 400 g)
2 Stalk Scallions, finely chopped
1 tsp Grated Ginger
2 Tbsp Bonito Flakes
3 Tbsp Light Soy Sauce

Method

Cut the tofu in half. Drain on a dishcloth or paper towel. Set aside in two serving bowls and chill well. Top the chilled tofu with scallions, ginger, and Bonito flakes. Season the tofu with soy sauce just before serving.

Serves 2

Beef Terimayo~Japanese Style Hot Dog and Bake for the Quake

When the recent catastrophe happened in Japan, one of my blogger friends, Melody of Gourmetfury, decided to team up with Joy of Gourmeted for a collective bake sale to raise funds for the Japanese earthquake and tsunami relief. All the proceeds went directly to Doctors without Borders. If you are either a talented baker in the Lower Mainland in Vancouver or a kind sponsor, this will be an opportunity for you to contribute towards this good cause. Please check out Gourmetfury website for more details. I'd like to thank all my readers in advance for contributing to this worthy cause and have a great week ahead!
 


In line with this fund raising effort for Japan, I will be posting Japanese inspired recipes for this week. I will start with a uniquely Vancouver hot dog called Beef Terimayo. This is my take on the popular Japadog, the hot dog street vendor in Vancouver with Japanese flair toppings. The best selling item on their menu is the Beef Terimayo. It’s made of a beef hot dog, topped with teriyaki sauce, fried onion, Japanese mayonnaise, and sprinkled with crispy Nori strips. It’s an interesting combination indeed and yet, it works well with the tangier and slightly sweeter mayonnaise. Try making it!


Beef Terimayo-Japanese Style Hot Dog

Ingredients

6 Beef Hot Dogs, cooked as per packaged instructions
6 Hot Dog Buns, lightly toasted (if desired)
Teriyaki Sauce
1 Large White Onion, halved and sliced
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
A Pinch Of Sea Salt
Japanese Mayonnaise
Shredded Nori or Nori Strips

Method

Sauté onion on medium to high heat with olive oil and a pinch of salt until soften and golden in color. Set aside.

Place the hot dog in the bun, top with Teriyaki sauce, fried onion, mayonnaise, and some Nori strips.

Crispy Tortillas Filled With Chocolate And Bananas

These are scrumptiously decadent Crispy Tortillas Filled With Chocolate And Bananas. I made this snack during the recent school holidays, and it has quickly become one of our favorites. Do try this recipe as I think you will like it too!


Crispy Tortillas Filled With Chocolate And Bananas

Ingredients

About 1/2 tsp of Unsalted Butter, divided
2 (8”) Flour Tortillas
40 g Bittersweet Chocolate Chips, divided
40 g Milk Chocolate Chips, divided
1 Large Banana, sliced

Method

Heat a large non-stick pan over medium heat and add in the butter. Gently tilt the pan to distribute the melted butter evenly. Then scatter one side of the tortilla with a layer of chocolate chips, sprinkle with a small pinch of sea salt, and top with another layer of banana slices.

Fold the tortilla in half and then carefully flip over. Continue cooking, pressing down lightly with a spatula, until its other side is golden brown, crispy, and the chocolate has melted.

Slide the tortilla onto a plate lined with greased proof paper or paper towel, and repeat with the remaining butter, tortilla, chocolate chips, sea salt, and banana.

To serve, cut each quesadilla into 2 or 4 wedges.

Blackberry Fool

Recipe adapted from Williams-Sonoma Food made Fast Series

Blackberry Fool

Ingredients

2 ½ Cups Fresh Blackberries
2 Cups Whipping Cream, chilled
¼ Cup Confectioners’ Sugar
1 Tbsp Brandy
1 tsp Vanilla Extract

Method

In a blender or food processor, puree 1 ½ cup of the blackberries. Using a rubber spatula, press the puree through a fine-mesh sieve into a small bowl. Discard the seeds.

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat together the cream, sugar, brandy and vanilla until firm peaks form.

Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the blackberry puree and the remaining whole blackberries into the whipped cream. Spoon the fool into glass and serve immediately.

Serves 8