brisket in three

The brisket is often deemed as a tough cut of meat as it's from the lower chest area of the cattle, where it gets quite a work out ~ but if given enough time in the cooking process, the results are just amazing: soft, succulent, tender pieces of meat that just melt in your mouth. So, they work best with slow-cooking such as smoking or braising.

 (normally, briskets come with a layer of fat, called the "fat cap," but the butcher got rid of it here -_-)

I'll show you how to make a fairly simple baked brisket in this post. Originally, this recipe called for it to be cooked in a slow cooker, but since I don't have one, I converted it for the oven. So, you can make this via the slow cooker, too... which yields even much more tender and juicy results.

This is a perfect dish for those lazy Sundays, when you don't really want to cook but have to anyway, since all all you have to do is put it in the oven and let the brisket do its thing for about 3 hours, without any need to check on it.


Baked Beef Brisket (adapted from allrecipes.com)

We'll need:

1x 1lb beef brisket
1 small onion
3 cloves of garlic
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbls ketchup
2 tsp oil (olive, vegetable... etc)
1/4 cup water

-for the sauce-
liquid from the cooked brisket
2 tsp ketchup
2~3 tsp cornstarch mixed with 2tbls of water


Utensils:
measuring spoons/cups
fork or a small whisk
baking dish
foil
kitchen knife
cutting board
slow cooker (if using)

~Wash and dry the brisket, trim off some of the fat, and set aside. Then thinly slice the onion. Crush the garlic with the side of the knife, sprinkle with the salt, and mince. The granules of salt will help grind the garlic into a finer texture.

~In the baking dish, combine the ketchup, oil and minced garlic with the fork (or whisk). Place the brisket in the dish and cover with the ketchup mixture and sprinkle with the sliced onions.

~Pour the water into the dish, cover loosely with foil and bake at 300F for about 3 hours or until tender. (If using the slow cooker, just place all the ingredients in the cooker (except for the ones for making the sauce) and let it cook on low for about 5hrs)

~When the brisket is done, remove the brisket and set aside, tenting (covering it loosely) it with the foil used during the baking process. (Be careful! It's super hot!) Then, pour the juices from the baking dish into a sauce pan set over medium heat, adding the ketchup and the cornstarch-water solution. Simmer until sauce thickens and pour over the brisket.

You can serve this in many ways, simply slicing it into pieces or pulling it apart with a fork and serving it between toasted dinner rolls, over rice, or over pasta... the possibilities are limitless~

Enjoy!

papaya smoothie

Smoothies~ I love making them as they're so simple, yet so satisfying. They're good for a quick breakfast, lunch, or even snack. All you have to do is put the ingredients you want into the blender and whir away. No stress, no mess... unless you forget to put the lid on the blender and uh.. yes. >__>;; Haha, so I'll be introducing the mom's favorite papaya smoothie today. I'm not really that into papaya, but even I'll drink this. ~____~;;

Papaya Smoothie

We'll need:

1 cup milk
1/2 cup papaya (seeded and cubed)
1/4 cup ice cream or frozen yogurt
1tsp sugar (optional)

Utensils:
a glass or two
a blender (or an immersion blender)

~Put all the ingredients into the blender.

~Blend until smooth. Then, pour into glasses and serve.

hk style french toast (西多士)

By request of a lovely friend, I spent a good while delving into the world of French toast, more specifically Hong Kong style French toast.They're usually served in Chinese style diners in hk, called 茶餐廳(Cha chaan teng). The literal meaning of the words is "tea restaurant." They usually serve foods that are a fusion of Chinese and Western cuisine. Cha chaan tengs are a wonderful place to have an inexpensive meal as the portions are large and the price small. Anywaay, back to the toast.

They're technically just sliced bread soaked in an egg mixture and fried in oil or butter, though in this recipe, I'm shallow-frying them for the sake of healthiness. The toast can also be filled with an array of fillings. In this post, I'll show you how to make both filled and unfilled versions.

French Toast (HK style)

We'll need:

-for the egg mixture-
3 eggs
1/4 cup milk or cream
1 1/2 tsp caster sugar
pinch of salt
1-2tbls butter for frying 

6 slices of bread (2 per serving)

-for the filling-
peanut butter and sweetened condensed milk
or
cream cheese and jam
or... anything you please, really.

Utensils:
a shallow bowl (wide enough to fit a piece of sliced bread)
whisk
measuring spoons/cups
frying pan
sturdy spatula for flipping the toast

~In a shallow bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, sugar, and salt. Set aside.

~Cut off the crust on the bread slices. (Optional)

~Spread your choice of filling(s) on each slice.

(cream cheese and strawberry jam)









(peanut butter and condensed milk. This is the traditional filling)







~Place two slices together and soak in the egg mixture (about 3secs per side).

~Melt the butter in a frying pan and fry the soaked bread until golden brown (2~3mins per side).

For the unfilled version, just soak the bread slices in the egg mixture and fry in the butter.

~Serve with a pat of butter and a drizzle of honey.

Hopefully this was of use to you... bocchan. I will gladly offer you further assistance if you require it.

tangy lobster rolls.

No pun intended. Seriously. Haha, it's quite a hassle having "Tang" for a last name... but it's fitting, maybe. >.<; Anyway, the family bought some lobsters and there were leftovers (omgsh, I know! leftover lobsters? Only in this house, only in this house). Soo, I decided to make lobster rolls because I've been yearning for some ever since my trip to the east coast last summer. The lobster rolls in Boston were just... awesome. Sweet tender chunks of lobster lightly covered in a creamy sauce stuffed into a soft buttery bun.

Aah... I've got to go back some day... when I can afford to. Anyway, here's my take on them.

Tangy Lobster Roll

We'll need:
1 1-0.5lb lobster (steamed and shelled)

2~3 dinner rolls

-for the sauce-
1tbls mayonaise
1/4 tsp yellow mustard
1/2 tsp sweet pickle juice (weird, I know... but that's what makes it. >w< You can substitute with relish)
1/2 tsp ketchup
1/4 stalk of scallion (optional)
a pinch of caster sugar
a pinch of salt














Utensils:
knife
a plate
a medium-sized bowl
a spoon


~Place the lobster meat on a plate and cut into bite-sized pieces. Set aside. In the bowl, mix in all of the ingredients for the sauce. If using scallions, now's the time to chop it up and add it to the mixture.

 













~Place the lobster meat into the sauce and toss gently. Split and toast the dinner rolls. Then fill generously with the lobster.

~Serve (=

petite cinnamon palmiers.

I was in quite a dilemma a few days back. It was the day before my friend's birthday and... and I was having second thoughts about the present I bought for said friend. A shawl.. really now. So, taking the suggestion from another lovely friend, I decided to concoct something from the kitchen to go in the shawl's stead. Whilst rummaging through the fridge, I came upon a box of puff pastry dough. The first thing that popped into my head was...
 
Palmiers~

Okay... no, it was more around the lines of "I seriously need to clean out the fridge."

Anyway, these flaky cookies are absolutely divine. Though elegant as they appear, Palmiers are quite simple to make.

Allow me to guide you through the process~ =)

Mini Cinnamon Palmiers

We'll need:

 

2tbls granulated sugar
1tsp cinnamon
1 sheet pre-made puff pastry sheet (thawed)

>>preheat over to 350F<<






Utensils:
baking pan
two sheets of parchment paper
measuring spoons
a small mixing bowl
fork or spoon
knife

~In the small mixing bowl, combine the sugar and cinnamon with fork (or spoon).

~Unfold the puff pastry on the parchment paper and sprinkle evenly with the cinnamon sugar. Next, roll one end of the pastry, stopping at the center. Repeat with the other side.

~With the knife, carefully slice into 1/2in pieces.

~Place the slices flat-side down on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake at 350F for about 25mins, until golden.(The palmiers will be soft and very pliable when they first come out of the oven. I'd let them cool for a good 3mins before removal, to prevent them from falling apart) Place on a cooling rack until they crisp up.

cake in a cup!

So I was just browsing the Japanese Yahoo one day after checking my mail, because I had nothing better to do x) , and came across this interesting recipe. One of the things I like about that Yahoo is that they have a section for culinary things~ whereas the American one doesn't. They also have cuter emotes, but that's another story. Anyway, anyway~~ what caught my attention was the simplicity of it (along with the fact that it makes just one serving, which is awesome because no one in the house likes sweet things except for moi): just a cup, an egg, pancake mix, water or milk, and cocoa powder.

So if you're craving some cake, but  don't want to go through the trouble of making a full-batch of something... this is it. Though I was a bit iffy at first because this cake is baked in the microwave rather than an oven... but it turned out fine in the end. o_o; Oddly. It was a tad dry, so I think moistening it with a bit of orange syrup (I'll provide a recipe here) would help.

(yay, step by step photos this time!)

Cake in a Cup (adapted from Yahoo!Japan)

What we'll need:














-for the cake-
1/4 cup pancake mix
2tsp cocoa powder
1tsp granulated sugar
1tbls unsalted butter (melted)
1 egg

-for the orange syrup-
1/4 cup orange juice
1tsp Grand Marnier (optional)
2tsp caster sugar

Utensils:
one or two microwave-safe cups
whisk
measuring spoons/cups
mixing bowl




~Whisk the pancake mix, cocoa powder, and sugar together in the bowl. Next, add the egg and melted butter to the dry ingredients and mix well. Then, fill the cup(s) half way with the cake batter.

~Place in the microwave and cook it on low for about 1.5 minutes at 30sec intervals. (If the cake looks done before the 1.5mins are up, just take it out) For the orange syrup, just put everything in a pan, mix, and boil until it thickens (about 3~5mins). Then, spoon the syrup over the warm cake. Dust with powdered sugar if you'd like and indulge~ =)

Dorayaki

ふわふわなどら焼きはいかがですか？ How about some dorayaki? These are always a joy to make (and munch on). I've tried the store-bought ones and they just don't satisfy. The cakes are always too dry and the filling a tad sweet for my taste. So, I've decided to just make my own, since that way I can alter the dorayaki as I like. Today, I'll show you how to make two types of dorayaki: your basic dorayaki and nama dora.

Eep, no step by step photos again... my apologies.  I will include them in my later recipes.

What we'll need:

-for the cake-

2 eggs

2 tbls caster sugar

2 tbls honey

3/4 cup + 2tbls all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/3 cup milk (or water)

oil for cooking the cakes

-for the filling-

a can of red bean paste (called "an" or you can use "anmitsu" which is just whole red beans in syrup-- you can drain and mash them to form a paste)

1 cup unsweetened whipped cream

Utensils:

measuring cups and spoons

two mixing bowls

whisk

trusty spatula

plastic wrap

frying pan or griddle

~ In a bowl, beat the eggs with a whisk, gradually adding the sugar and honey to it.

~ Sift the flour and baking powder into the egg mixture and combine.

~ Slowly stir in the milk (or water) to the egg and flour mixture.

~ Cover the batter with plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature for at least 30 mins.

~ Oil the frying pan (or griddle) and set the heat medium (or medium low). When the pan is hot and ready, pour 1/4 cup of batter for each cake onto the surface. When the tops of the cake batter begins to bubble (about 2~3 mins), flip the cake over and cook for another minute or so. Repeat until you've used up the batter.

~ Once you've a stack of the griddle cakes, pair them up so they match in size. Set them aside.

~ Spoon half the can of red bean paste into a bowl and gently fold the unsweetened whipped cream into it. Sandwich spoonfuls of the cream mixture between the pairs of cakes for nama-dora.

(nama dora)

~With the remaining bean paste, spread them between the cakes that are left, making dorayaki.

(dorayaki with sweet red bean filling and chestnuts)

Lemon Curd

That ethereal balance of sweet and tart paired with an equally divine smooth creamy texture... it just gives me the shivers. Haha. Lemon curd is quite versatile. You can put it on almost anything and it'll taste awesome. They are exceptionally good used as fillings for cakes during the summer, since the tartness will whet the appetite during the harsh heat. Hmm... it might also work as a fruit fool, where you whip up some unsweetened double cream and lightly fold in a bit of lemon curd, making a lovely light dessert after a heavy meal. As for me... I usually just eat it as is. Ssh. ;]

Lemon Curd ( Adapted from the Tartine cook book)

You'll need:
3 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup lemon juice ( I would stick with the real deal rather than the bottled juice, since lemon is the main part of this recipe)
1 tbls lemon zest
4 tbls unsalted butter (room temp)

Utensils:
heat-resistant bowl (aluminum would be best as it won't react with the acid of the lemon and compromise the flavor of the curd)
either a double-boiler (if using that, you can ignore the aforementioned bowl) or a large pot big enough to fit the bowl
whisk
measuring cups and spoons

*[If using a double-boiler skip to the next step] Fill the pot with water and bring to a light rolling boil. Place the heat-resistant bowl over the water. Using a thick kitchen towel, hold the bowl in place.

*In the bowl or double boiler, whisk together the eggs, sugar and lemon juice until well blended.

*Cook, stirring constantly until the egg mixture thickens or until it reaches 160F. This will take about 10 minutes.

*Turn of the heat and pour the mixture through a fine sieve, to remove any bits of curdled egg, into a ceramic bowl (or any other non-reactive bowl) .

*Cut the butter into small pieces and add to the lemon mixture 2~3 pieces at a time.

*Stir in the lemon zest.

*Place a piece of plastic wrap right on top of the curd, touching the surface (this will prevent a "skin" form forming), and chill in the fridge until thickened.

Use it for fillings or toppings for cakes, pies, and other baked goods.