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.