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Friday, April 10, 2020

Sake, Butter, Soy: Part 1

Who's been to a Japanese steak house? Who loves how they cook their fried rice, or vegetables, or their steak? Its one of the easiest "sauces" to make. But it's more of a way of preparation and cooking in the right order. So today we will focus on the steak cubes.
誰有去過日本店,吃過他們的鐵板燒牛排或者是雞排什麼都有。 其實這個做法來炒菜是很簡單。 在家裡有野個好的鍋子就好了。 最重要的是什麼時候放哪一個材料。今天我們就做牛排。

Hibachi Style Steak: 鐵板燒牛排
What will you need for this? 你需要的材料:

Your choice of steak: You are going to cook this to how you like it so the timing will change ever so slightly. But you want to cut this into 1" cubes ideally for all si
1 Tbsp  Canola Oil (Any kind of neutral oil*)
2 Tbsp  Butter
2 Tbsp  Sake
1 Tbsp  Soy Sauce
1 Tbsp  Mirin
MSG is optional but I like a pinch.
Salt
Pepper

你喜歡的牛排: 看你用哪一種牛排時間會差一點點。但是你切塊記得每一個要一樣大。
1大匙 沙拉油 (*什麼無味油就可以了)
2大匙 奶油
2大匙 日本米酒
1大匙 醬油
1大匙 味醂/料酒
½ 小匙 味精 (你如果不吃就不要放)

胡椒

你喜歡的牛排 (幾分熟)
1. Place a large skillet on high. If you're using a stainless steel pan, make sure you heat the pan fully first before you add the oil. If you're using a nonstick skillet you can add the canola oil at the beginning.
先用大火熱一個平底鍋。如果你用的鍋子會黏的話記得先等鍋子熱才油放下去。

2. Once the pan is hot, bring the heat back down to medium and place in your steak cubes and butter in the pan,  making sure you brown them evenly on 4 sides.
鍋子熱了,把火關到中火。 再放切好的牛肉還有奶油放下去。把每一邊煮到金黃色。

3. One browned on 4 sides, pour in the sake and allow the alcohol to cook out. Or... if you're like me and like fire, you can flambe the alcohol away.
如果你喜歡多點酒香,可以趁加入清酒的時候,讓它燃燒一下,香氣會更豐富。

4. When the flames are gone, and your eyebrows hopefully intact, you can add in the soy sauce and mirin and msg at this point.
沒火就可以加醬油還有味醂和味精。

5. Continue cooking until the remaining two sides are browned, and the steak cubes are cooked to your preference.
接著煮到你喜歡的熟度就可以起鍋了。

6. Serve with some rice and you're good to go!
搭配著飯大吃一頓吧!

*Neutral Oil is any type of oil that is flavorless like Avocado, Canola, Grapeseed, or Refined Coconut oil.

*不管你用哪一種油,沒有什麼味道的就可以了。想蘿莉油,沙拉油,葡萄籽油~都可以用。



Friday, March 27, 2020

For Right Now. 現在

I'm going to be doing something a little more different than usual. This will be in at least two languages and simulposted for anyone who needs it. But what do you guys want to read/ hear about? Cooking problems or questions you guys might want help in?
我最近會開始用至少兩個語言跟大家溝通。但是我要問,朋友們,你們想看什麼? 你們想學什麼?我這麼能幫你們?先跟你們說喔, 我國語不是什麼非常好我不是李白。但算起來還可以。
________
Right now everyone is wondering, what do I do? What do I cook? I hear a lot of, "I don't know how to cook" and "I don't like to cook" So I'm devising a plan to help everyone with these issues.
現在很多人在想說 ”我這麼辦?“ 我不會燒飯。” ”我不喜歡做菜。” “做菜好難哦”。 所以我想個辦法能幫比較多人。從小我們都有機會吃家人做的東西。不管是爸爸媽媽還是阿公阿嬤~現在是我們的機會給我們的下被吃我們用愛做的食物。
________
So I will start this conversation with you all~ and keep in mind that this is all subject to change and morph. Life has never been only one way, not now nor will it ever be. There are just too many variables in everyone's' lives.
所以讓我先開始跟你們聊天。還有這個我們開始安排簡單好吃的食物。這個安排表會變來變去的~應為大家的生活也在變。每天都不一樣。







Tuesday, March 24, 2020

Mustard

MUSTARD~!

OK so, it has been several years since I've done a blog post. So update... 

The world is on fire with COVID-19. That's all I'm going to say about that. 

I am resuming posting food posts and continuing on with pursuing my cookbook. So I'm going to attempt to pick up where I left off on this blog. After a little less than a decade (7 Years). I'm just going to go in. 

Spring 2020.3.24 

Mustard: such a versatile condiment. Mustard is super flavorful and can be used in a multitude of ways. You can make a rub, a vinaigrette, or as a condiment. Sure it was originally made to go on a hotdog, and don't get me wrong. It's delicious on a hotdog. But today, I want to talk about its use differently. I want to give you guys a great use for it as a marinade or a base for your rub... and I have a few to talk about.

Mustard is punchy and savory and spicy all in one and it doesn't take a lot to make its presence known. So for my first recipe, it is a wet marinade/ rub. All you have to do is mix it together, and rub it on, let it sit, and then bake it with some on/ over it.


Chianti Mustard Rub:


¼ Cup    Chianti
4 Tbsp.   Dijon Mustard
1 Tsp.     Paprika
1 Tsp.     Parsley
1 Tsp.     Dill
1 Tsp.     Salt and Pepper (less salt thank you think is needed)

For glass and aluminum baking pans, rub the bottom down with some butter... it adds great flavor and keeps the dish from sticking to your choice of protein or vegetable. This "rub" created a wonderful crust and a nice salty bite to whatever you're cooking. I adore putting this on fish, chicken and especially duck/ beef. 

This is a highly versatile rub and it goes great on fish, duck, chicken, beef, pork, asparagus, broccoli, it works and marries so well I want everyone in the world to try this.

The Second rub is:

Coriander Mustard Rub:
Simple and easy and also quick. Again, everything into a bowl, mix, slather and cook.

½ Cup.   Maille Mustard
1. Tbsp. Ground Coriander
1 Tsp.     Dill
1 Tsp.     Black Pepper
Salt to taste, but err on the side of less salt since mustard is salty already.

Again, this rub is so simple and packs a great flavor and punch. I love this one on fish in particular and chicken.

And the Last Rub is:

Dry Mustard BBQ Rub:


¾ Cup.  Mustard Powder (I use Coleman's)

½ Cup.  Paprika
¼ Cup.  Smoked Chili Powder
¼ Cup.  Garlic Powder
¼ Cup.  Onion Powder
⅓ Cup. Black Pepper
¾ Cup. Brown Sugar
2 Tbsp. Ground Coriander
2 Tbsp. Cumin
1 Tbsp. Turmeric
1 Tbsp. Salt
1 Tbsp. Dried Thyme
2 Tbsp. MSG

1 Whole chicken or Rack of Ribs 
½ Cup Mustard BBQ Rub 
½ Cup Dijon

Rub the inside and outside or top and sides really well with the dijon mustard. Then sprinkle on the rub evenly all over it.

The MSG is optional, but I love that extra zing it gives to food and since has disproved the old racist sayings of the past. So get over your fear of MSG.

Along with the above rub mixed really well and then stored in an airtight container... I use Maille Dijon or good ole Grey Poupon to adhere the rub mix to whatever protein of my choice. I adore this sweet and punchy rub on chicken but especially pork. This rub works so well with so many things... although I have yet to put it on fish... *see above recipe for the fish, I promise you, you will love it* but I'm sure if you want a mustardy and smokey,  sweet yet mellow, fish, that this would be right for you. I adore using this rub on pork or dark meat chicken thighs, or duck~


Until next post~ I hope everyone tries out one of these recipes and lets me know how it is. 








Sunday, September 22, 2013

MUSHROOMS!

Ahhh mushrooms. Some people hate them others, allergic.


Me…. I love them. So here are a couple of mushroom recipes that I wanted to share.


The first one is a dish I had in Taiwan cooked by my aunt and I really liked the simplicity of it.

King Oyster Mushrooms with Cucumber Stir-Fry

3-4 Oyster Mushrooms (Good sized) Cut into rolling wedges
3-4 Baby Cucumbers cut into rolling wedges
2 Tbsp Oyster Sauce
2 Tbsp Mirin
1 Hot pepper (optional)
1 Tsp finely chopped Ginger

To start off, place a good amount of oil in a hot pan and brown all sides of the oyster mushroom wedges.  Then throw in the cucumbers and the oyster sauce and hot pepper and ginger occasionally stirring.

This is such a great dish and it's really easy to cook. Obviously, it's vegetarian and also, you can throw in anything else you like with it. I hope you enjoy this recipe!

_______________________________



Bamboo Shoots with Shimeji, Shiitake, and Enoki Mushrooms

I first had this when I was really hungry and I didn't feel like defrosting any meat… nor did I feel like scrambled eggs. It ended up being one of my favorite comfort foods I make on a semi-regular basis. I normally use dried Shiitake mushrooms because of the wonderful flavors that it has but this recipe calls for all fresh mushrooms. 

Shimeji
 Enoki
 Shiitake

You can buy fresh, canned or even dried bamboo shoots. Any will work great for this recipe however I will not be going over how to prepare them. 

10-15 Fresh Shiitake Mushrooms -stems removed, cut into strips
1 Bundle of Shimeji Mushrooms- bottom roots removed, just break them up into a few pieces
1 Bundle of Enoki Mushrooms- bottom roots removed, break them up into a few pieces
1 Can/ Handful Bamboo Shoots- cut into strips
¼ C of Sake 
2 Tbsp Soy Sauce
1 Tsp Oyster Sauce
1 Pinch White Pepper Powder
1 Tsp Sugar
1 Tumb sized chunk of Ginger cut into matchsticks 





Monday, June 4, 2012

Summer Cooking #2 THUNDER STORMING!

Ah, summer thunderstorms…. or a flash storm if you are in my area…

So you're stuck inside without the grill again because of another flash thunderstorm, thats ok. I've got something up my sleeves for this. :)

This menu set is super light and also rather healthy. It gives you Omega-3's and is packed with flavor. I stumbled upon this when I was looking at my grandmother's old recipe book (it was in Japanese) and was sooooo simple, I over looked it for the longest time but it since I have tired the recipe, it has easily become one of my quickest and tastiest throw togethers.

Sesame Salmon

4 Salmon Fillets (3-4 oz each)
1 Tsp Salt
1 Tsp Pepper
1 Tsp 5 Spice Powder
1 Tbsp Mirin (Japanese Cooking Wine)
¼ Cup Sake
1 Tbsp Soy Sauce
1 Tsp Sugar
1 Tbsp Sesame Oil
1 Tbsp Cornstarch
1 Tbsp Cornstarch with ½ Cup of water (this is called a Slurry)
4 Pinches of Sesame Seeds

In a bowl place the salmon, salt, pepper, mirin, cornstarch, 5 spice powder, sugar, soy sauce, and a splash of sake and let it sit in a bowl for about 20 mins to marinate. Then in a heated skillet, wok, pan, whatever you have (just make sure it is properly oiled up) and place the salmon into it and let it sizzle away for about 4 mins on one side, then flip it over. Let it cook for about 4 more minutes before adding in the sake. Let the alcohol cook out and then cook the salmon covered for about 2 more minutes and test to see if it is done. If it is add in the slurry mixture AFTER you have taken out the salmon fillets. Sprinkle on some sesame seeds and eat up!


Summer Vegetables in Sake Demi-Glaze 

2 Zucchinis (Sliced into ½" disks)
1 Yellow Squash (Sliced into ½" disks)
1 Cucumber (Sliced into ½" disks)
1 Medium Onion (Sliced into ½ inch ribbons)
(Feel free to add any other vegetables to this)
½ lb FRESH FRESH FRESH Shiitake Mushrooms
1 Tsp Mushroom or Chicken stock powder
1 Tbsp Soy Sauce
3 Tbsp Sake
1 Tsp Sugar

In a VERY hot pan (wok works best) with enough oil to cover the bottom and sides, throw in all of the vegetables and let them sautee for about 3-4 minutes. Then add about ½ cup of water and throw in the rest of the ingredients and cook until done. THATS IT! Just serve it up with the salmon ontop for a wonderful presentation.

The slightly sweet flavors from the salmon compliment the more savory vegetables perfectly AND it will leave you feeling full but not bursting at the seams.

Enjoy!

-Sorian

Monday, May 28, 2012

Summer Cooking #1

I know I know, WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN!? Well, I've been taking care of my grandmother for the most part lately and also working about 100+ odd hours a week for the past um… 2 or so years, SO I AM BACK!

Quick-ish up dates on random things…. I have 2 dogs now Yuki (2 year old Chiba Inu) and Max (10 year old Corgi Beagle mix). The herb garden I started growing the year before last, has turned into a gigantic jungle of a hellion garden! The chives, rosemary and lavender are up to my hips! ITS AMAZING!

SOOOOOOO ON TO SOME COOKING NEEDS!

DRINKS!

Raspberry Tea (Adult Style) 

4 Cups of Chambord Dark Raspberry Liqueur
1 Pitcher of FRESHLY BREWED Iced Tea (Black tea is fine)
1 Cup of Sugar
1 Cup of Freshly washed Raspberries

Mix and serve with some ice and lime or lemon (personally, I pick the lime) slices in and drink up!

Chambord and Coke:
Ok first of all, if you know me, you know I rarely ever drink soda. HOWEVER In a cocktail, I sometimes will.

Simple:
2oz         Chambord Raspberry Liqueur
2-3oz      Coca-Cola (I think pepsi makes it too sweet) or You can use Sprite either or really.

APPETIZER!

So to go along with the Adult Raspberry Tea: Raspberry and Apricot Glazed Chicken Skewers 

This is perfect to grill or just fire up in an oven, especially on hot summer days when you really do not feel like cooking.

½         Cup Fresh Raspberries
½         Cup Dried Apricots (Soaked over night so they plump up, not required, then minced)
2-3       Boneless skinless chicken thighs (They hold up better, but you can use breasts as well)
1 Tsp   Salt
½ Tsp  Black Pepper
1 Tbsp Lemon Juice
1 Tsp Chives
½ Tsp Rosemary
¼ Cup Finely diced White Onion
4 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

First off cut up the chicken into nice sized 1-1½" chunks. And rub them all over with salt and pepper, lemon juice and herbs and toss with the raspberries (its better if some of them break!) and dried/ rehydrated apricots. Coat them evenly with the Extra Virgin Olive oil for at least 2 hours.

When you are ready to cook them, skewer those babies up and fire up the grill~! OR line a baking pan and cook them up in the oven/ broiler. 20 mins at 350ºF should do the job well. Let them rest about 5 minutes covered with aluminum foil then serve. (They are delicious hot or cold, honestly, I tend to just eat the leftovers from the fridge…. hahaha)

MAIN ENTREE!

This started off as a meditation…. yeah…. right… THIS actually started off as a scramble of me trying to get some kind of light (and lightning fast) dinner out because of some un expected guests… now, if your herb garden or stock of herbs is like mine…. (MASSIVE) here is a really quick way to use some of it up…. especially if your herb garden is spreading like wild fire. 

Herb Infused Curry Chicken with Pineapple Demi-Glaze : you will need

1-2 1' Long Sprig(s) of Tarragon
1    1' Long Sprig of Rosemary
4    1' Long Sprigs of flowering Lavender
1 Cup of Parsley (Flat leaf, chopped or not) 
1 Tsp chopped Parsley (Flat or curly, up to you) 
3 Cups of Pineapple (cubed) 
½ Cup of dried Cranberries
½ Cup of dried apricots
1 Tsp of Curry 
½ Cup Pineapple Juice
1 Tsp Salt and Pepper
½ Cup of Olive oil or Canola Oil
1 Cup of white wine or rum, (go with pineapple rum) 
8 BONE IN Chicken Thighs (Again you an use breasts) 

Before any of you start complaining, you will be roasting this, if you roast it well and correctly, those bones will slide out so fast you will be looking for it as your dogs fight over it. So don't worry, the bone is for flavor and also, to give you some body to hold on to while roasting.

ANYWAY, Rub the chicken with salt, pepper, curry powder and soak in the pineapple juice with the olive oil for about 1 hour. The pineapple juice will penetrate and tenderize the chicken and infuse the chicken with all of the other flavors. When you are ready to cook, in a large and deep roasting pan lay down your  bed of herbs. and then lay the chicken on op of them. ADD IN THE REST OF THE MARINADE! and also a cup of pineapple rum. If you are feeling adventurous add in a ½ a cup of Chambord to that pineapple rum. Roast away (basting at least twice throughout the cooking process to make sure that a demi-glaze is set on the skin of the chicken) 40 minutes at 325ºF will make this an excellent meal.  

This is great with a nice summer salad or just some heirloom tomatoes coated in balsamic vinaigrette and olive oil with slices of mozzarella cheese. 

Either way, I'm sure you will enjoy this delicious dinner… especially with this summer heat going on (at least… its here in Virginia.) 

More summer recipes to come. And back to once a week posts! EVEN IF IT KILLS ME!






Thursday, March 29, 2012

Mango Mousse Tart~

3 Ripe Mango's (Alphonso Mango's work the best for this recipe) diced/ cubed
½ C. Heavy Whipping Cream
2 Tbsp. Vanilla Sugar

You can use a pie crust/ or pie dough doesn't really matter for this recipe.

Whip up the heavy cream with the vanilla sugar until it forms stiff peaks and FOLD in ⅔ of the diced mangos.

Once that is done, place the mango mousse mix onto your precooked pie crust/ tart crust (even a graham cracker crust would work for this). And place it into a freezer for 30-40 mins until its set, or until you are ready to serve. Either way, before you serve just place the remaining ⅓ of the diced mango's on top of the mousse. Cut it up and serve away!