fresh apple cake

I made this kind of on a whim, and it was sticky-caramelized-sweet on the edges.

fresh apple raisin cake
makes 1 loaf 

1 cup flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/8-1/4 cup milk
2 cups apple, peeled, cored and chopped
1/2 cup raisins or dates

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour an 8"x4" loaf pan.

In a small bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, mix together the sugar, egg and oil. Stir in the flour mixture just until combined. Batter will be dry and paste-like, add milk gradually until batter resembles something like banana bread consistency.

Fold in the apples, nuts and raisins.

Bake for 55-60 mins in the preheated oven or until knife inserted comes out clean.

korean beef bulgogi

I made this on a whim - yum! I looked over at Linus' bowl to see if he was eating his lunch, and he had scraped it completely clean!

korean beef bulgogi
serves 12

4 lbs beef bottom roast
salt and pepper
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 cup beef broth (I only had chicken, so used that)
1/2 cup soy sauce 
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp ginger, minced
1 pear or granny smith apple, peeled and chopped
juice of one large orange or 2 small

Garnishes:
cilantro, chopped
green onions, sliced
sesame seeds


Season the cubed roast liberally with salt and pepper.

Heat Instant Pot to saute. Once the pan is hot, coat the pan with the oil and in batches, brown the meat on all sides. Transfer meat to a plate.

De-glaze the pan with the broth, scraping up all the browned bits.

Pour in the soy sauce and stir to combine.

Return the meat back to the pan and then place the garlic, ginger and apple/pear on top of the meat, stirring lightly to slightly combine.

Finally, add in the orange juice.

Place lid on your Instant Pot and use the manual button on high pressure, set to 45 minutes. Make sure the valve is closed.

Once the pot is done, release the steam and shred the meet using a fork.

Mix in chopped cilantro, green onions, and sesame seeds, if desired.

**To make this recipe in the slow cooker follow all the steps 1-7. Slow cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6-7 hours.

roasted sweet potatoes

the bottoms were nice and caramelized.

roasted sweet potatoes
serves 8

5 sweet potatoes, sliced into 1 cm thick moons
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 tsp fresh herbs (rosemary or thyme)
olive oil
salt

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Toss ingredients together.

Place in 1 layer on a baking sheet.

Bake on top rack for 30 mins.

Broil for another 5-10 mins.

cauliflower alfredo

I found this in a Cooking Light magazine, and it was a huge hit with the kids. M's eaten this for either lunch or dinner now for more than a week! The cooked cauliflower makes for a more luscious, healthier, but still creamy alfredo sauce.

cauliflower alfredo
makes 8 servings

1 lb uncooked fettucine (or spaghetti/linguine)
6 cups chopped broccoli
6 cups chopped cauliflower, divided
2 tbsp flour
2 cups chicken stock or broth
6 garlic cloves
1 1/3 cup milk
3 tbsp unsalted butter
2 tsp freshly ground pepper
2 tsp grated lemon rind
2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp salt
4 oz Parmigiano Reggiano cheese (divided, about 1 cup)

Cook pasta according to package directions. Add broccoli and 2 cups cauliflower during the last two minutes of cooking, drain.

Place flour in a large saucepan. Gradually add stock, stirring constantly with a whisk until blended. Bring to a boil over medium heat; cook 2 minutes or until thick, stirring constantly. Add remaining 4 cups cauliflower and garlic. Bring to a boil, cook 15 mins or until very tender.

Place cauliflower mixture in a blender (or use an immersion blender). Return cauliflower mixture to pan. Add milk, butter, pepper, juice, salt and 2 oz cheese. Reduce the heat to low and add pasta mixture and lemon rind; toss well to coat noddles. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Asian cabbage salad

something to make when you don't want to do too much work, but still want a scrumptious "Asian" salad.

asian cabbage salad
serves 12
 
1/2 head of cabbage, sliced thinly
3 green onions, sliced on bias
1/4 cup chow mein noodles
1/4 cup sliced almonds

For sesame miso vinaigrette
(makes 1 cup)

1 tbsp sesame seeds
2 tbsp white miso
2 tbsp toasted sesame oil
1/2 cup rice vinegar, preferably seasoned
6 tbsp (1/4 cup + 1/8 cup) neutral vegetable oil (like canola)
2-3 tsp honey
dash of soy sauce

Sprinkle the sesame seeds into a small skillet over medium heat. Cook, shaking the pan frequently, until the sesame seeds have darkened and become fragrant, just a few minutes. Immediately transfer them to a plate to cool; if you leave them to cool in the pan, they can burn.

Use a fork to whisk the miso and sesame oil in a small jar fitted with a lid until smooth. Add the vinegar, vegetable oil, sesame seeds, honey and soy sauce. Close lid tightly and vigorously shake to emulsify the dressing. Store it in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Toss the cabbage with 1/4-1/2 cup of the dressing until evenly coated. Sprinkle green onions, chow mein noodles and sliced almonds on top. (No need to mix, as you serve the salad, the smaller pieces will naturally get mixed in; otherwise they all end up on the bottom.)

vietnamese pork noodles (bun)

My latest craving is nothing but Vietnamese food, so this was my attempt at making it at home. So yummy!

Vietnamese Cold Pork Chop Noodles (bun)
serves 4

For pickled carrots/daikon:
1 cup distilled white vinegar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 small carrots, peeled and cut into matchsticks
1 small daikon radish, peeled and cut into matchsticks
1 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
1 thai chile pepper, seeded and chopped (optional)

For pork chops:
1 small shallot, finely chopped
1/3 cup (packed) light brown sugar
1/4 cup fish sauce
2 tbsp unseasoned rice vinegar
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper (optional)
4 1" thick-cut bone-in pork chops, (2.5 lbs total)
1 tbsp vegetable oil
kosher salt

For nuoc cham sauce:
6 tbsp fresh lime juice (3 limes)
3 tbsp fish sauce
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup warm water
1 garlic clove, forced through a garlic press or smashed, and finely minced
2 small, thin fresh red or green chiles, seeded and chopped (optional)

For noodles:
1/2 head lettuce, sliced thinly
1/2 cucumber, sliced
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
1/2 bunch scallions, chopped
1/2 cup peanuts, chopped
8 oz. white vermicelli noodles (rice sticks)

Prepare pickled vegetables: Heat vinegar and sugar in saucepan over low heat until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and refrigerate to cool. Place daikon and carrot in glass jar with the cilantro and optional chile peppers. Pour the cooled vinegar mixture over, submerging the vegetables. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight.

Prepare pork chops:
Whisk shallot, brown sugar, fish sauce, vinegar and pepper in a shallow dish. Using a fork, pierce pork chops all over (to allow marinade to penetrate faster) and add in marinade in dish. Turn to coat. Cover and let pork chops marinate at room temperature, turning occasionally, for 20 mins, or refrigerate if not cooking until later.

Prepare nuoc cham sauce: Combine all ingredients in a jar until sugar is dissolved.

Cook pork chops: 
Remove pork chops from marinade, scraping off excess. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Lightly season pork chops with salt. Cook until browned and cooked through, about 4 mins per side. Let pork chops rest 10 minutes before serving. Slice into thin pieces to place on top of noodles.

Cook noodles:
Boil 3 quarts of water, add noodles and cook for 3 mins. Drain and rinse with cold water.

Assemble noodle bowl: Place toppings, slices of pork chop, and pickled vegetables on top of noodles. Pour 1-2 tbsp of nuoc cham sauce over, and mix to combine. Enjoy!

 

red bean nien gao (mochi cake)

happy chinese new year. This is about the only thing my family ever did/does to celebrate :)

red bean nien gao
makes one 9x13 pan, or 2 loaves

1 lb sweet glutinous rice flour (e.g. Mochiko, or the bag with the green text in Asian stores)
3 eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 cups milk or water
1 cup sugar
1 can sweetened red bean
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9x13 pan or 2 loaf pans with oil. Sprinkle some of the rice flour on the pan(s) as well.

Mix together all the ingredients except the red bean paste.

Stir in the red bean paste and walnuts, if using.

Pour into pan(s) and bake for 45-60 mins. Cake is done when you can insert a knife cleanly.

Slice into squares or rectanges (like a lemon bar) and serve. Best warm or at room temperature. Great to toast in the oven in the morning, too!