Birthday Blueberry Cheesecake

Almost everyone has had cake for their birthday right? I say almost because I have met people who don't celebrate birthdays. I had a friend in elementary school once who didn't celebrate holidays. Not one. I totally respect that though. What she wants to do is her own choice. It wasn't like this made her abnormal or anything. In fact, she was one of my best friends.
Anyways, back to birthday cake. So it was my grandma's birthday the other day (happy 68th birthday grandma!) and I wanted to make the birthday "treat." She has tried cake many times so I did something different this year. I made birthday cheesecake.

Like the roses?

It was AMAZING :)

Chicken Pot Pie

Chicken Pot Pie. Those three words bring fear into the hearts of almost every dietitian. It's no wonder with all the butter oozing from the crust and the rich, fatty gravy lurking in the center. Although it is a wonderful way to clog your arteries, there are healthy spins to put on it. Some include a crust only on the top and using lean meat instead. I tried to make this a while ago and I'm proud to say it turned out quite well. As you can see, I used chicken breast as my protein and had a biscuit topping. I think that the sauce was made out of evaporated milk as well. This was scrumptious :) What's your take on the classic chicken pot pie? Cheers to chicken!

Yummy, yummy, creamy, rich goodness ;)

Hearts <3's

Xin Yi Chen

Coconut Bread!

Okay, I'll admit. I have an obsession. With coconut bread that is! My mom and I always pick up a loaf on our grocery trips. It's so popular that when we get there, it's almost always gone. I used to just have to have it for breakfast(just one of those teen phases). It was soft white bread sprinkled with a buttery yellow coconut flake concoction. Well what do you know, I just happen to have a slice right here! Now wasn't that convenient! *Giggles* Anyways, I became determined to make my own bread ever since. I've failed  many times but so far this was my closest replica.

Totally different look (and slightly burnt) but who cares? It is after all, the inside that counts. Are you ready to bake? Too late! 3, 2, 1...bake!

Coconut Bread:

Ingredients:

For the dough:
2¾ cups of all-purpose flour
¼ cup of granulated sugar
2¼ tsp.of yeast(instant or activated regular are both fine)
½ tsp. of salt
4 tbsp. of unsalted butter
1/3 cup of milk
¼ cup of water
1 tsp.of vanilla extract
2 large eggs

For the filling: 
4 tbsp. unsalted butter
1 cup of sweetened coconut flakes

Directions:

1. Using the dough ingredients, combine the flour, sugar, yeast and salt in the bowl of a mixer with a dough hook.  Kneading with your arms is okay too :)
2. Combine the butter and milk in a small saucepan and heat until the butter is melted.  Set aside and let it cool, until the mixture registers 115-125˚ F on an instant-read thermometer.
3. Add the milk mixture, water, vanilla and eggs to the mixing bowl.  Mix on low speed until a cohesive dough forms.  Continue to knead until elastic and smooth, adding additional flour as needed (1 tablespoon at a time) until the dough clears the sides of the bowl and is tacky but not sticky.  Knead about 3-5 minutes.  4.Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, turning once to coat, and cover.  Let it rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about an hour.  (After the dough has doubled, it can be wrapped in plastic wrap and refrigerated overnight.  If so, let it stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before proceeding.)

5.While the dough rises, add the filling butter to a small saucepan and melt until browned.  Set aside.
6. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and gently deflate.

7. Roll it into a ball, cover with a clean towel and let it rest for 5 minutes.
8. Roll the dough out into an approximately 12 by 20-inch rectangle.
9. Brush the dough with the browned butter.  Sprinkle the coconut flakes over the dough in an even layer.
10. Stack the strips on top of each other and again cut again into 6 equal slices.
11. Stack all the squares on top of each other and set into the prepared loaf pan.  Cover loosely with a kitchen towel and let rise in a warm place, 30-45 minutes.
12. Preheat the oven to 350˚ F.  Transfer the loaf to the oven and bake 30-35 minutes, until the top is golden brown.  (If the top seems to be browning too quickly, cover loosely with foil near the end of baking.)
13. Remove from the oven and let rest in the pan 20-30 minutes.
14. Run a knife around the edges of the pan to loosen and carefully turn the loaf out, transferring to a serving plate.  Serve warm or toasted.

Hearts <3's,

Xin Yi 

 

Yummy! Coconut Lime Pie :)

I usually don't like cream. At all. That includes icings. Things like buttercream or cream cheese frosting? Makes me gag. And yet this guilty pleasure I stumbled upon in Flour's cookbook melted in my mouth like cheese on a hamburger. Wow, strange analogy :) Anyways, here are some pictures! I haven't posted anything in quite a while because I'm so busy now. As of today, I've decided that if you'd like the recipe, just add a comment below requesting it and I'll post it. Cheers and coconuts!

The new close-up of bliss ;)

Some of the crust broke off but who really cares? It ends up in the stomach no matter what!

 Hearts <3's,

Xin Yi

Japanese Yokan

Hey fellow readers! So a reader sent me an email requesting a recipe for "Japanese Yokan." At first sight I was like, "what?" but eventually after looking it up, I found out it was sort of a red bean jello type dessert. I realized that I had it before and was eager to make it. Looking up recipes, I found a few that I liked.

The ingredients are simple. Nothing is too exotic except for the agar agar which can be found in Asian groceries.Are you excited to try this? I was! Ready, set...cook!

Japanese Yokan

Ingredients:

First group:
1 cup of red adzuki beans soaked overnight
cold water
1 cup of sugar ( a little less is okay too)
1 teaspoon of salt

Second group:
1 1" x 1" x 11" stick of agar-agar
2 cups of cold water
1 1/4 cups of sugar ( a little less is okay too)
1/2 tsp of salt

Procedure:

1.To create the first group of ingredients, drain the water off of the beans and put them in a deep heavy-bottomed saucepan. Fill the pan 3/4 of the way full with cold water.
2. Turn up the heat to high and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for approximately 1-1/2 hours or until the bean shells break open and become soft. If too much water boils away or is absorbed by the beans, add more water.
3. Drain the beans in a colander and mash the beans lightly. Put the mixture back into the saucepan and add the salt. Add the sugar gradually and mix well.
4.Set the saucepan over medium heat and cook, stirring constantly, until the paste becomes thick and leaves the sides of the pan clean when you stir. Remove pan from the heat.
5. To create the second group of ingredients, pour the cold water into a clean saucepan. Break the agar-agar stick into the pan and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. When the agar-agar has melted, add the sugar and stir.
6. Pour through a fine strainer into another saucepan. Add the salt and the bean paste and stir until smooth. Set over medium heat and cook, stirring every minute or two, for approximately 20 minutes or until the mixture becomes thickened and has the shade of chocolate pudding.
7. Pour cooked mixture into baking pan and allow to sit until completely cool. Cut into 1-1/2" squares.

Thanks for reading and keep suggesting recipes :) Enjoy!

Hearts <3,

Xin Yi

Caramalized Apples and Crepes, Oh My!

Recently, I went to see "Snow White and the Huntsman." It was quite a good movie. The special effects were believable and the actors were well played. I'd rate it an 9 on a scale of 10. Really, it was just a teensy bit serious for my taste. That said, I would watch it again. Anyways you're probably wondering why I'd say all that. Well of course in EVERY  Snow White story, no matter what version there is always, always the poison apple. It inspired me to create a caramelized apple filling for these crepes I had just made. Obviously these apples aren't poisonous ;)

Seriously, I could've eaten the whole thing alone in one sitting. The flavors melted together like apple pie, minus the crust of course.Sealing it into the crepe topped with some syrup and powdered sugar and you've got dream on a plate.

Looks amazing right? Go ahead and try it yourself:

Basic Dessert Crepe

Makes 20

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons butter, melted
2 cups  milk
3 eggs 
1 1/4 cup buckwheat flour or all purpose flour
2 teaspoon sugar*
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 tsp vanilla* 

Procedure:

1. Place all the wet ingredients in a blender.
2. Sift the dry ingredients onto a paper plate.Add the dry ingredients and Pulse for 10 seconds or until the mixture is smooth. Let the batter rest for an hour.
3. Warm a nonstick skillet over medium heat, then coat with butter or cooking spray.
4. Pour 1/4 cup of batter into the pan, then swirl to coat entire bottom of pan. Run a spatula around the edges of the crepe. Carefully lift the crepe and flip with fingers or spatula. Cook for 30 seconds on the first side and 10 on the second.
5.Repeat with the remaining crepes.
*If you want to make savory crepes, add only one teaspoon of sugar and omit the vanilla.*

 

Caramelized Apples

Adapted from Annie's Eats

Ingredients:

3 tbsp. unsalted butter
6 Fuji apples, peeled, cored and cut into thin slices
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. cornstarch
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp. salt
2 tsp. vanilla extract

Procedure:

1. In a skillet over medium-high heat, melt 3 tablespoons butter. 
2. Add the apple slices, sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.  
3. Mix until apples are evenly coated.   
4. Cook for about 18 minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally.  
5. Remove the skillet from heat and stir in vanilla. 
6. Take a crepe and gently fold in the desire amount of  filling. Top with whipped cream, syrup or use a sieve to dust on some powdered sugar.


Not in the mood for apples? No problem! Try an orange filling instead. Just take a peeled orange and divide it in half. Toss the segments from one half into a skillet with the juice from the other half. Bring to a simmer. Then perform step six from the caramelized apple recipe.

Enjoy the crepes!

Hearts <3,

Xin Yi

Hamburgers

Gak! It's been so long! You'd think I would've posted something by now :) It's been so busy. I even missed Mother's Day! Happy belated Mother's Day to all those mom's out there. I made hamburgers for my mother on Mother's Day. I think I grilled them for a little too long. I made 4 oz patties but they seemed TINY compared to the onion hamburger buns I bought. Nevertheless, they tasted way better than the ones you'd get in McDonald's. Way better. Take a look:

What did you make for Mother's day?

Hamburgers (with an Asian twist):

Ingredients:

16 oz of beef
2 slices of toasted sandwich bread, without crust, torn to pieces
3 tablespoons of hoisin sauce
1-2 scallions/ green onions, trimmed and sliced
1 tablespoon of minced ginger
2 cloves of garlic
1/2 teaspoon of salt
4 tablespoons shredded plus 4 slices of your favorite cheese
4 hamburger buns

Procedure:

1. Preheat grill to medium-high.
2. Place bread into a food processor and pulse into fine crumbs. Place in a large bowl. Add ground beef, hoisin, scallions, ginger, garlic and salt. Mix well. 
3. With dampened hands, form the mixture into 4 oz portions. Punch a hole in the middle. Add one tablespoon of cheese into each one. Press into a patty with your hands then make a indention in the middle to avoid steaming while grilling.
4. Oil the grill rack. Do not use oil spray on a hot grill. Brush the patties with sesame oil. Grill until browned and no longer pink in the center, about 7 minutes per side.

Enjoy!

Hearts <3,

Xin Yi