Slow Cook Chicken Mole

I was in Spain when I had mole the first time.  Second time was in Texas when I was in a Mexican restaurant.  Since then I fall in love with mole sauce.  Before I was too lazy to make the sauce from scratch, so I would buy the pre-made sauce from the store, but actually mole sauce is very easy to make! Especially when you cook the chicken in a slow cooker, the chicken meat fall out from the bones and the meal is ready when you get home!

Ingredients 

* 1 whole chicken, cut into 12 pieces
* Coarse salt
* 1 can (28 ounces) whole tomatoes
* 1 medium yellow onion, roughly chopped
* 2 dried ancho chiles, stemmed
* 1 small can  chipotle chile in adobo sauce
* 1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted
* 1/4 cup raisins
* 3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped (1/2 cup)
* 3 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
* 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
* 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* Fresh cilantro leaves, for serving

Directions

1. Season chicken pieces with salt and place in a 5-to-6-quart slow cooker. In a blender, puree tomatoes, onion, ancho and chipotle chiles, almonds, raisins, chocolate, garlic, oil, cumin, and cinnamon until smooth.
   
2. Add tomato mixture to slow cooker, cover, and cook on high until chicken is tender, 4 hours (or 8 hours on low). Serve chicken and sauce topped with cilantro.
   

Mini Frangipane Tarts

This is the second recipe I make from Jamie Oliver's cookbook! See Quick Portuguese Tarts recipe here.
From the book, this recipe was asking for store bought pie shells, but since I have left over puff pastry from making quick Portuguese tarts, so I decided to substitute the pie shells to puff pastry shells and use the same technique to make the shells.  Another delicious dessert recipe!

Ingredients
*flour, for dusting
*1 large sheet puff pastry, thawed if frozen
*ground cinnamon
*1 egg
*1 cup almond meal (flour)
*7 tablespoons butter, soften
*1/2 cup sugar
*1 orange
*1 tablespoon vanilla extract
*3/4 cup jam
*1 cup creme fraiche

Directions
1. Turn the oven on to 400F. Dust a clean surface with flour. Unfold the sheet of pastry, sprinkle over a few good pinches of ground cinnamon, then roll the pastry into a jelly roll shape and cut into 6 rounds. Put these into 6 of the cups of a muffin pan, and use your thumbs to stretch and mold the pastry into the cups so the bottom is flat and the pastry comes up to the top. Put on the top shelf of the oven and cook for around 8-10 mins, or until lightly golden.

2. Make a frangipane mixture by cracking the egg into a mixing bowl and adding 1 cup almond meal, 7 tablespoons of butter, and 1/2 cup sugar. Grate over the zest of 1/2 an orange and add 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract. Use a spoon to mix everything together.

3. Spoon a small teaspoon of jam into each pastry base. Top with a teaspoon frangipoane, add another small teaspoon of jam, then finally another teaspoon of frangipane. Put the pan in the oven on the middle shalf and set the timer for 18 mins exactly.

4. When the little tarts are golden and cooked turn the oven off and take them out. serve them warm, with a tablespoon of creme fraiche on the side.

Pulled Pork Sandwich

A little trick to make the meat tasted like braised using a slow cooker, is to cook the meat on high for around 7-8 hours. The sauce will mostly be evaporated and the meat should be very tender and flavorful. If you want extra sauce, increase the sauce ingredients below, then simmer the sauce down to make homemade BBQ sauce.

Ingredients
*3 Tbs. canola or corn oil
*4 lb. boneless pork shoulder, cut into 3 equal pieces
*1 yellow onion, finely chopped
*3/4 cup cider vinegar
*3/4 cup tomato ketchup
*1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
*1/4 cup light molasses
*2 tsp. red pepper flakes
*1 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce
*1 tsp. dry mustard
*1 tsp. salt
*1 tsp. freshly ground pepper
*Soft sandwich rolls, split and toasted, for serving


Directions:
1.  In a large fry pan over medium-high heat, warm the oil. Add the pork pieces and brown well on all sides, about 12 minutes total. Transfer the pork to a slow cooker.


2. Pour off all but about 1 Tbs. of the fat from the fry pan and return the pan to medium-high heat. Add the onion and sauté until golden, about 5 minutes. Add the vinegar and deglaze the pan, stirring to scrape up the browned bits from the pan bottom. Stir in the ketchup, brown sugar, molasses, red pepper flakes, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, just until the mixture begins to bubble. Pour over the pork. Cover and cook for 8 hours on high.


3. Transfer the pork pieces to a platter. Using a pair of forks, shred each piece of pork, removing and discarding any large pieces of fat. Skim the excess fat off the sauce, return the pulled pork to the sauce and stir to combine. Serve the pork and sauce atop the sandwich rolls.

Quick Portuguese Tarts

I just got the Jamie Oliver's 'Meal in minutes' cookbook from the library yesterday. Saw the recipe for Portuguese tarts reminded me of the Portuguese tarts that I had in Hong Kong and I fell in love with them. This recipe is a little different from the Portuguese tart that I had before.  The crust is made from puff pastry, it was topped with caremel instead of burnt caramel top, and it has a hint of orange flavor. Even this recipe is different from what I had before, but it was delicious!

Ingredients
* All-purpose flour for dusting
* 1 large sheet all-butter puff pastry (14-ounce package), thawed if frozen
* Ground cinnamon
* 1/2 cup creme fraiche or heavy cream
* 1 egg
* 1 teaspoon vanilla paste or vanilla extract
* 5 tablespoons superfine sugar
* 1 orange

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Dust a clean surface with flour. Unfold the sheet of pastry. Sprinkle over a few good pinches of ground cinnamon, then roll the pastry into a jelly roll shape and cut into 6 rounds. Put these into 6 of the cups in a standard-size muffin pan, and use your thumbs to stretch and mold the pastry into the cups so the bottom is flat and the pastry comes up to the top. Put on the top shelf of the oven and cook for around 8 to 10 minutes, or until lightly golden.
2. Spoon creme fraiche or heavy cream into a small bowl. Add the egg, vanilla paste or extract, 1 tablespoon of superfine sugar, and the zest of 1 orange. Mix well.
3. Take the muffin pan out of the oven, and use a teaspoon to press the puffed-up pastry back to the sides to make room for the filling. Spoon the creme fraiche mixture into the tart cases, and return to the top shelf of the oven. Set the timer for 8 minutes.
4. Put a small saucepan on high heat. Squeeze in the juice from the zested orange and add 1/4 cup of superfine sugar. Stir and keep a good eye on it, but remember caramel can burn badly, so don’t touch or taste.
5. Remove the tarts from the oven. Pour some caramel over each tart (they’ll still be wobbly, but that’s good). Put aside to set. Then, serve.

Kimchi Fried Rice

I saw a Koren food truck another day, and on their menu they have Kimchi fried rice and was craving for some since then. It is very easy to make and the secret of making the best fried rice is to chill cooked rice overnight, so the rice will not be too sticky for stir frying.

Ingredients:

* 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

* 8 ounces medium shrimp, peeled, deveined, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces

* Kosher salt

* Freshly ground black pepper

* 1 1/4 cups Napa Cabbage Kimchi, drained and coarsely chopped

* 1 teaspoon Korean chile paste

* 4 cups steamed brown rice, chilled

* 1 tablespoon fish sauce

* 1 tablespoon soy sauce

* 2 large eggs, lightly beaten

* 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lime juice, plus more as needed

* 1/4 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

* 2 medium scallions, minced (white and light green parts only)

* 1 medium lime, cut into 6 wedges, for serving

Directions:

 1. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat until shimmering. Meanwhile, pat the shrimp dry with paper towels. Add the shrimp to the pan, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until pink and just cooked through, about 2 minutes. Remove to a plate; set aside.

2. Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the pan and heat until shimmering. Add the kimchi and chile paste and stir-fry until fragrant and heated through, about 1 minute. Add the rice, fish sauce, and soy sauce and season with salt. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture is heated through, about 3 to 4 minutes.

3. Push the rice mixture to one side of the pan, add the eggs, and cook, stirring occasionally with a rubber spatula, until almost set, about 2 minutes. Season the eggs with salt and pepper. Remove the pan from heat, fold the eggs into the rice mixture, add the reserved shrimp, measured lime juice, and sesame oil, and stir to combine. Taste and season with more salt and lime juice as needed. Sprinkle with the scallions and serve immediately with the lime wedges.

Pasta with almond pesto

A lot of us have very busy schedules. Sometimes it is nice to make food ahead of time, save them, and use them later.  The almond pesto is a perfect example. It is very easy to make and you can prepare it ahead of time. You can freeze it and use it whenever you want on a lazy night with delicious dinner.

Ingredients
* 1 pound spaghetti, cooked
* 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
*3/4 cup whole skinned almonds
*2 cloves garlic
*1-2 fresh red chiles, stalks removed
*2 large bunches of fresh basil
*4 anchovy fillets in oil
*3 cups cherry or grape tomatoes
*1/3 cup olive oil
 
Directions
Put the Parmesan, 3/4 cup almonds, 2 peeled cloves garlic and 1-2 chiles into a food provessor and whiz until fine.  while the processor is still running, add 1 1/2 bunches of basil , 4 anchovies, and two-thirds of cherry tomatoes. Whiz to a paste, then add olive oil. Taste and season if needed, then put aside. Halve or quarter the remaining tomatoes, then put aside. Add the paste to the cooked pasta when it is still hot, toss quickly, mix well to coat the pasta. Add a splash of water to make it silky and loose. Scatter the reserved cherry tomatoes and basil on top and take to the table.

Pork and Tofu Croquette

A healthier version of croquette that you see in a Japanese restaurant. You can skip the pork for vegetarian version.

Ingredients
* 1/2 cup ground pork
* 2 green onions, minced
* 1/2 cup carrots, grated
*1 tablespoon olive oil
*1 block tofu, drained, mashed
*1 egg
*4 tablespoons breadcrumbs
*1 teaspoon salt
*pepper to taste

Coating
*6 tablespoons flour
*1 egg, beaten
*1 cup panko breadcrumbs

Sauce
*3 tablespoons ketchup
*2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
*2 tablespoons water

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375F.  In a hot skillet, saute the ground pork, green onions, and carrots in oil. Transfer to a bowl and mix with the drained tofu, egg, breadcrumbs, soy sauce, salt and pepper. Divide this mixture into 8 portions and form into patties. Coat the patties with the flour, beaten egg, and breadcrumbs, in this order.

2. Spray oil on a baking sheet. Place the patties on a baking sheet. Bake for 25-30 mins and until internal temperature reached 160F.

3. Whisk the ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, and water in a bowl. Drizzle the sauce over croquettes or serve on the side.

Cauliflower Mac and Cheese

A lot of us like mac and cheese. In my opinion, homemade mac and cheese tasted better than preparing them from a box. Even better, this recipe added cauliflower, which blend very well with the mac and cheese . If you want a vegetarian version, you can skip the pancetta.

Ingredients
* 8 slices pancetta
*1 large head of cauliflower
*1 pound dried macaroni
*2 cups sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded
*4 thick slices of country bread
*a few sprigs of fresh rosemary
*2 cloves garlic, crushed
*1 cup creme fraiche
*Parmesan cheese, to serve

Directions
1. Preheat oven on to 425F.  Lay the pancetta in a dutch oven, uncovered, put on the top shelf of the oven.
2. Ged rid of any tatty outer leaves from the cauliflower, then trim off the tough base of the stalk and quarter the head. Put in a large saucepan, core downwards, with the pasta, on a high heat. Season with a pinch of salt, drizzle over a little olive oil, then stir and cook following the package instructions, cover the saucepan with lid.
3. In a food processor, fit the standard blade attachment, then get your pancetta out of the oven and blitz in the processor with the bread, rosemary, and a some olive oil until you have a coarse breadcrumb consistency.
4. Reserve 1-2 cups of hot pasta water. Drain the pasta and cauliflower. Pour into the dutch oven you cooked your pancetta in, and put over a low heat. Add the reserved pasta water. Add garlic, creme fraiche and sharp Cheddar cheese, gently breaking up the cauliflower with tongs or a potato masher. Have a taste and correct the seasoning. Spread out evenly and scatter over the breadcrumbs. Put on the top shelf of the oven for about 8 minutes, or until golden and bubbling. Serve the mac with Parmesan.

Homemade Granola

Have you read the ingredients from the granola or cereal packages and see ingredients that are not real food?  Store bought granola or cereal, they are consider as processed food.  A lot of times, they add preservatives to prolong shelf life. So it is a good idea to make your own breakfast so you know what the real ingredients are. It is very easy to make and you can put anything you want in it!

Ingredients
* 2 cups oats, old fashioned
* 1 1/2 cups nuts or seeds
* 1/3 cup olive oil 
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
* a pinch of nutmeg
* a pinch of ginger
*1/3 cup honey or maple syrup
* 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1/4 cup dried fruit



Directions
In a bowl combine the oats and nuts/seeds. Pour in oil and honey (or maple syrup) and stir to combine. Add in seasonings and vanilla and mix well. Spread out on a baking sheet covered in parchment paper and bake at 350 F for 25-30 minutes, stirring every 10 to make sure all pieces bake evenly. Add in dried fruit during the last 10 minutes of baking.

Coq Au Vin (Chicken in Red Wine)

Ingredients

* 1/2 lb bacon slices 
* 20 pearl onions, peeled, or 1 large yellow onion, sliced 
* 3 lbs chicken thighs and legs, excess fat trimmed, skin ON 
* 6 garlic cloves, peeled 
* Salt and pepper to taste 
* 2 cups chicken stock 
* 2 cups red wine (pinot noir, burgundy, or zinfandel) 
* 2 bay leaves 
* Several fresh thyme sprigs 
* Several fresh parsley sprigs 
* 1/2 lb button mushrooms, trimmed and roughly chopped 
* 2 Tbsp butter 
* Chopped fresh parsley for garnish

Directions:  

1. Blanch the bacon by adding it to a saucepan or deep skillet filled with enough water to cover the bacon, and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for five minutes.  Strain and pat dry with paper towels.  Cut the bacon into small pieces.  Brown the bacon for about ten minutes over medium heat in a dutch oven large enough to hold the chicken.  Remove the bacon and set aside, but leave the bacon grease in the pan.  Add the chicken skin side down to the dutch oven.   Add the onions.  Brown the chicken on all sides about ten minutes.  Add the garlic and salt about half way through the browning process.  Spoon off any excess fat.   Add the chicken stock, wine, and herbs.  Replace the bacon you removed earlier.  Lower the heat down to a simmer and cook covered for about twenty minutes until the chicken is tasty and tender.  

2.  Remove the chicken and onions and place them aside.   Remove all of the herbs and garlic and throw them away.   Add mushrooms to the remaining liquid and return to a boil.  Simmer the sauce until about 1/4 of the liquid remains.  Stir in the butter. Replace the chicken and onions and mix well, thoroughly coating with the sauce.  Garnish with parsley and serve with potatoes, or over egg noodles.

Choux de Bruxelles a la Milanaise (Brussels Sprouts Browned with Cheese)

Ingredients

* 1 1/2 quarts brussels sprouts 
* 1/2 cup grated Swiss Cheese mixed with 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese 
* 4 Tablespoons melted butter

Directions
1. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Blanched the brussels sprouts, transfer to a casserole or baking dish with heads up. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper, and then drizzle with half the melted butter.  Place a piece of wax paper over the brussels sprouts and then cover.  Cook on medium, to medium-high heat on the stove-top for a couple minutes until the veggies start to sizzle.  Remove from stove-top and place in the pre-heated oven for 10 minutes.  Remove from oven and place the sprouts aside in a bowl, or on a plate.

2. Increase the oven temperature to 425 degrees.  Sprinkle a little bit of the cheese mixture into the casserole dish (just enough to lightly coat the bottom and sides).  Return the sprouts to the casserole dish and sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top, coating all of the brussels sprouts evenly.  Drizzle with the remaining melted butter, and return to the oven for 10-15 minutes until the cheese is nicely browned.

French Onion Soup

Ingredients
* 5-6 Cups Yellow Onions, sliced thin
* 1/2 Yellow Onion, raw 
* Olive Oil, 4 Tbsp 
* French Bread, about 8 slices 
* Cogniac, 2-3 Tbsp (optional) 
* Parmesan Cheese, 4 ounces
* Swiss Cheese, Grated, about 12 ounces 
* Salt and Pepper 
* Sage, Ground, 1/2 tsp 
* Bay Leaf, 1 leaf 
* White Wine, 1 cup 
* Beef Stock, 6 cups 
* Flour, 3 Tbsp 
* Sugar, 1/2 tsp 
* Butter, 2 Tbsp 
* Cooking Oil, 1 Tbsp

Directions

1.  Heat a heavy, oven-safe, stock pot over medium-low heat and add the cooking oil once the pot is hot.  Melt the butter into the hot oil.  Stir the sliced onions into the oil/butter mix, ensuring they are evenly coated.  Cover the stock pot and cook for around 20 minutes checking to make sure they aren’t burning.  Onions should be clear and very tender once finished.   

2.  Turn up the heat to medium-high, and add the sugar and 1tsp salt.  Continue cooking while stirring until onions are thoroughly browned (caramelized).   Reduce heat to medium-low and stir in 3 Tbsp flour.  Cook 2-3 minutes until flour forms a thick paste (add more butter if needed).  Stir in 1 cup of beef stock, and stir heavily for a couple seconds.  Add the rest of the stock, wine, sage, and bay leaf.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.  

3.  Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees F.  Drizzle both sides of french bread slices with olive oil, and place on a baking sheet.  Cook the bread in the oven for 15 minutes on each side.  Taste soup, and add salt and pepper as needed, then remove the bay leaf.  Add cognac, and grate the 1/2 raw onion into the soup.  Add a little bit of the swiss cheese to the soup, preserving most of it for the top.  Cover the soup mixture with the bread, forming a single layer bread top.  Sprinkle the rest of the Swiss cheese over the top of the bread, forming a thick layer.  Drizzle melted butter or oil over the cheese, and place the pot into the oven uncovered.  Bake for around 30 minutes, or until cheese is melted.  Turn the broiler on and brown the cheese.  Remove pot from oven and let stand to cool.

Valentine's day French meal by Mr. S

It is the time of the year! The time for me to sit back and have Mr. S to surprise me. The past few years, he has been making some simple meals(of course with all his heart), and this year, he went all out and made me a fantastic meal for Valentine's day.  He wanted to make a meal with wine pairing and ended up looking up Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French cooking recipes. This meal was a total surprise and it was perfect! I am a very lucky girl!

*Click on the name for recipes.

Here is the menu:
1st course - Apéritif/Lillet

2nd course - Pâté

3rd course - French Onion Soup

4th course - Choux de Bruxelles a la Milanaise (Brussels Sprouts Browned with Cheese)

5th course -  Coq Au Vin (Chicken in Red Wine)

Dessert- French cheese dessert platter and dessert wine

Buddha's Delight

Kung Hei Fat Choy!! Happy Chinese New Year everyone! No surprise, Mr.S and I celebrated Chinese New Year with..... of course, FOOD!  Different family has different Chinese New Year dinner traditions, but usually a vegetarian dish is served among with other meat dishes.  Buddha's delight is one of them.  I love how easy it is to make and you can choose any vegetable that you like to add to this dish.

Ingredients
* 1 1/2 teaspoon soy suace
* 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
* 2 tablespoon oyster sauce 
* 1 tablespoon ginger, grated
* 1 cup shitaki mushroom (if use dry, then soaked and drained), sliced

* 2/3 cup water
* 1/2 cup cloud ear
* 1 cup fried tofu
* 1/2 cup fresh bamboo shoots
* 1/2 cup baby corn
* 2 cup snap peas
* 2 green onion, chopped

Directions
1. In a small bowl, mix 1 tablespoon oyster sauce, soy sauce, and sesame oil. Set aside.  Heat wok in medium high heat.  Drizzle oil to wok then add ginger and mushroom. Cook for 3 minutes, add 1 tablespoon oyster sauce and water then cook for 10 minutes.
2. Add cloud ear and cook for 5 mins. Stir in the rest of the ingredients and the sauce.  Sprinkle with green onion and serve hot.

Rum Balls

For the birthday dessert, I am thinking of making something small so we will not over eat but still can have some sweet at the end of the meal.  Instead of making a birthday cake, I decided to make rum balls. This recipe is also excellent for party snacks!

Ingredients
* Vegetable oil, cooking spray
* 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
* 6 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
* 3 large eggs
* 1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar
* 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
* 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
* 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
* 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons dark rum
* Coarse sanding sugar or chocolate sprinkles, for rolling

Directions
1) Preheat oven to 350. Coat a 12-by-17-inch rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray; set aside. Melt butter and chocolate in a small heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, stirring occasionally. Set aside.
2) Whisk together eggs, brown sugar, vanilla, and salt in a large bowl. Stir in chocolate mixture, then fold in flour. Pour batter into prepared baking sheet. Spread evenly with a rubber spatula. Bake until top is shiny and a cake tester inserted into center comes out with some crumbs attached, about 10 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack.
3) Break up brownie into small pieces; transfer to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. With machine on low speed, pour in rum, and mix until crumbs start to come together to form a ball.
4) Shape into 1-inch balls, and roll in sanding sugar to coat. Transfer to a baking sheet; refrigerate, uncovered, until cold, at least 2 hours. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Parmesan Zucchini Fries

 This is one of the best finger food.  Since we are eating crab during dinner, so it is good to have this on the side and eat with our fingers. This recipe is also a good idea for party food. Very easy to make and it is a delicious way to bring vegetables to the table.

Ingredients

* 1 1/2 pounds zucchini, trimmed

* 1/2 cup flour

* 2 teaspoons salt, divided

* 3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, divided

* 3 large eggs

* 1 1/2 cups panko or plain bread crumbs

* 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1) Preheat oven to 425°. Arrange an oven rack in the lower third of the oven and a second one in the center. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Cut zucchini into thick French-fry-size sticks, about 3 inches long.

2) Arrange 3 shallow, wide bowls or pie plates in a row. In the first bowl, stir together flour, 1 tsp. salt, and 1/2 tsp. pepper. In the second bowl, whisk together eggs, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. pepper. In the third bowl, combine panko, Parmesan, dill (if using), and 1/2 tsp. salt.

3) Working in batches, first dip zucchini in flour, shaking off excess. Transfer to egg mixture and toss until coated. Let excess egg run off, then coat zucchini in panko mixture.

4) Arrange zucchini, without crowding, in a single layer on the prepared pans. Bake 15 minutes and then rotate the pans. Continue to bake until panko coating is golden and crisp, 7 to 12 minutes more.

Steamed Dungeness Crab

The most important thing to serve the best seafood at home is to get your seafood from a good source, a place that you know they provide the freshest seafood. It is always good to know where your seafood is from.  I went to a neighborhood seafood place called Fresh Fish Co.  The staff are very knowledgeable and helpful, they also let you know the best way to cook seafood.  The dungeness crabs were already cooked when I got them so it was very easy to prepare them when I have other courses to take care of.

Ingredients
* 2 Dungeness crab
* 1/2 stick butter

Direction
1) Steam dungeness crab for 5 minutes
2) Melt butter and pour to butter warmer to keep warm. Enjoy the crab meat by dipping in melted butter.

Cauliflower Soup with Parmesan Crisps

I used to avoid to cook with cauliflower because I didn't think it's tasty.  Lately, I found out that cauliflower can be an excellent vegetable to cook with when using tasty spices.  This soup use very simple ingredients and the flavor was excellent! If you don't want your soup to be too creamy, you can  skip the Parmesan cheese and the soup still tasted very good.

Ingredients
Soup
* 1 head cauliflower
* 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
* 1 small onion, chopped
* 2 cloves garlic, minced
* 1 quart low-sodium chicken stock 
* 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan
* Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Crisps
* 1 cup shredded Parmesan
* Chopped chives, for garnish


Directions
Soup

1) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.


2) Remove the leaves and thick core from the cauliflower, coarsely chop, and reserve. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan or soup pot over medium heat and add the onion and garlic. Cook until softened, but not browned, about 5 minutes. Add the cauliflower and stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook until the cauliflower is very soft and falling apart, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and, using a hand held immersion blender, puree the soup, or puree in small batches in a blender and return it to the pot. Add the Parmesan and stir until smooth. Season, to taste, with salt and black pepper. Keep warm until ready to serve. 

Parmesan crisps

1) Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Spread the shredded cheese over the foil in 1 even thin layer. Bake about 10 minutes until golden brown and crisps. Remove from oven and let cool 5 minutes. Break sheet of crisp cheese into large pieces and garnish each soup bowl with a couple shards and a pinch of fresh chives.

Pear Salad with Goat Cheese and Tamari Pecan

 You can make the salad dressing in advance. The dressing is mostly sweet, if you want it more tangy, you can add more cider vinegar.

Ingredients 

* 3 cups pear juice or unsweetened filtered apple cider or pear cider 

* 2 tablespoons pear or cider vinegar  

* 1Salt and freshly ground pepper  

* 1 1/2 teaspoons tamari or soy sauce  

* 2 teaspoons molasses  

* Pinch cayenne pepper  

* 1/2 cup pecan halves  

* 6 cups mixed bitter salad greens  

* 1/4 cup chopped raisins  

* 1/4 cup goat cheese crumbs 
* 1/2 ripe pear, cored, peeled, and thinly sliced

Directions

1) Bring pear juice to a simmer and skim thick foam that rises to surface. Reduce heat to low and simmer very gently, skimming occasionally, 30 to 45 minutes, or until juice reduces to consistency of maple syrup. Cool to room temperature. In a small bowl, combine pear syrup and vinegar. Whisk in oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Set aside.

2) Preheat oven to 350°. In a shallow bowl, stir tamari and molasses, a pinch of salt, and cayenne until blended. Add nuts; toss until coated. Transfer to a double layer of paper towels; drain briefly. Spread pecans on a baking sheet on a wire rack; roast 10 minutes or until fairly dry and toasted. Remove from oven and let cool completely.

3) In a large bowl, combine greens, pecans, currants and cheese. Whisk vinaigrette again and drizzle it over salad. Toss gently and briefly. Serve pear salad with pear slices.

Shrimp Salad with Mango and Avocado

 This appetizer can be served as party snack as well. If you cannot find Belgian endive, you can use tortilla chips instead.

Ingredients

* 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
* Salt and freshly ground pepper
* 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
* 2 pounds cooked shrimp , diced
* 2 ripe avocados , seeded, peeled, and diced
* 1 mango, peeled and diced
* 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
* 6 heads Belgian endive (preferably 3 red and 3 white)
* Few sprigs cilantro , for garnish

Directions

1) In a small bowl, whisk together lemon juice and 1/2 teaspoon salt until salt dissolves. Slowly whisk in olive oil until well blended. Season with pepper.  
2) In a medium bowl, gently stir together lobster, avocados, mango, vinaigrette, tarragon, and cilantro.  
3) Remove bases of endives and separate leaves. Arrange lobster salad in the center of a large serving platter and place endive spears around the salad. Garnish platter with cilantro sprigs.

Thai Mussels

The first appetizer is Thai Mussel.  This can be a main course if you are making the same quantity as the recipe below.  We have about 3/4 of left over when we had it as an appetizer.  The red curry broth was very tasty and it matched very well with the mussels.  

Ingredients  
* 1 cup coconut milk
* 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
* 1 teaspoon red curry paste
* 2 teaspoons Thai fish sauce
* 2/3 cup sake
* 1 teaspoon minced garlic
* 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
* 1 teaspoon chopped fresh basil
* 2 pounds mussels, cleaned and debearded
* 2-4 basil sprigs (for garnish)

 Directions
1) In a large bowl, whisk together coconut milk, lime juice, curry paste, fish sauce, sake, garlic, ginger and basil.
2) Heat a heavy saucepan over high heat for about 30 seconds. Add mussels and broth. Bring to a boil and reduce heat. Cover and simmer for about 5 minutes, or until mussels fully open.
3) Divide mussels into bowls and serve with broth and plenty of crusty bread.

Mr. S Birthday Feast 2013

I have a seafood theme for Mr. S birthday feast this year.  We are fortunate that we live in a neighborhood that have a local fish market to provide us the freshest seafood.  I always try to avoid seafood from chain grocery stores, because a lot of times they are frozen and defrosted before putting out to the display. 

For those of you who are new to my blog, it is my own tradition to make a meal feast for Mr. S to celebrate his birthday. You can click here to see the previous feast: 
Mr. S Birthday Feast 2012 
Mr. S Birthday Feast 2011


Here is this year's menu: 
Thai Mussels
Shrimp Salad with Mango and Avocado
Pear Salad with Goat Cheese
Cauliflower soup
Steamed Dungeness Crab
Parmesan Zucchini Fries Recipe
Rum balls

I always plan ahead when I am cooking a big meal. To cook this meal smoothly, I made the salad dressing and the rum balls the day before.  On the day of the feast, I spent around 2-3 hours to prep and cook.  The results of the meal was fantastic! They are very easy recipe and they all tasted delicious!