~ Hot & Sour Soup ~

It seems hard to find a really good Hot & Sour soup at the various restaurants that offer. As such, I was a bit nervous when I finally settled on the idea of whipping some up from scratch. Fortunately, it turned out to be a raging success! It's a good thing I decided on a double batch.. some people went back for thirds!

The most time consuming part of this recipe is the prep. The two meats and various veggies are matchsticked, meaning you slice everything into thin slivers. Although you can buy the bamboo shoots already matchsticked (Sun Luck calls it "Strip Bamboo Shoots"), everything else must be done by hand. Once everything is prepped the soup goes very fast.


Items to Matchstick

6             Shitake mushrooms or black fungi, stem removed
1/4 lbs    Pork, lean & boneless
1/2 lbs    Chicken breasts
1/2 c       Bamboo shoots, canned

Soup

                Dry sherry (can be cheap cooking sherry)

Once everything is in slivers, set the chicken and pork aside in a compact bowl. Add enough dry sherry to lightly coat the meat. Let soak for about 10 mins.

3              14.5 oz cans chicken broth, low sodium

In a soup pot, bring chicken broth to a boil. Add mushrooms, bamboo shoots and the pork/chicken mixture. Stir several times then reduce heat to a simmer. Let cook about 5 mins.

1/2 lbs    Tofu, extra firm, cut into 1/2 in cubes
2 T          White wine vinegar
5 T          Soy Sauce

Add to pot. Simmer for another minute or so.

2 T         Cornstarch
1/4 c       Cold water

Mix cornstarch in water until completely dissolved. Add to soup, stirring constantly, and let simmer until slightly thickened. If you like a thicker broth, you can double the cornstarch. Never add the cornstarch directly to the soup before mixing it with cold water. Instead of thickening your soup it will simply form nasty clumps.

1/2 tsp   White pepper, heaping
1 tsp       Sesame oil

Add to soup and stir in well. Turn off heat.

1             Egg, lightly beaten

Turn off the heat, but do not remove the pot from the warm burner. Stirring continuously, slowly add the beaten egg to the soup. You will see thin, wispy strands of white instantly appear as the egg cooks.

Serve immediately and enjoy!

~ Mini Rum Cakes ~

My family and I have always been a fan of Tortuga Rum Cakes. Last year I began a quest to find a recipe that could produce a sister to those delicious, but expensive little buggers. This recipe is the closest I have come and represent a marriage of multiple recipes discovered during the year long quest.

The key to a good rum cake is selecting the right rum. After many trials and tribulations, I have settled on Sailor Jerry Spiced Caribbean Rum. It is a smooth recipe of rich vanilla spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg. If Sailor Jerry can not be found, substitute in Whaler's Vanille Rum.

*** Chef's Note **********************************************
There are ways to cut down the time and work on this recipe. It won't come out quite the same, but they are still tasty little treats. As I usually only make these on holidays, I tend not to take any shortcuts. However, if you are in a pinch see the end of the recipe for time shaving tips.
****************************************************************

Special items you will need:

     2     Bundt cupcake pans, lightly greased. I do not recommend cooking spray if the pan is fluted as it will well up at the bottom of the cupcake slots.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C)

Batter

• 1/2 c      salted sweet cream butter, softened
• 3 Tbs     vegetable oil
• 2 c         Pillsbury Softasilk cake flour
• 1 1/2 c   white sugar
• 4 tsp     baking powder
• 1 tsp      salt

 1)   Combine in a large mixing bowl until well blended and crumbly. Transfer to separate bowl and set aside.

• 4            eggs
• 1/2 c      milk
• 1 tsp      real vanilla extract
• 1/2 c      rum
• 1/2 c      vegetable oil
• 1            (3.5 oz) pkg instant vanilla pudding mix

2)   Combine on medium speed until mixture is lump free. A good way to do this is to combine the first five ingredients then slowly blend in the pudding mix.

3)   Gradually add the crumbly mixture to the batter. Blend well.

4)   Fill the individual cupcake slots about 2/3rds full. You might have a little batter left over. Resist the urge to top off the cupcake slots!

5)   Bake for 20-25 minutes or until cakes are golden brown. Set pan on a baking rack to cool.

Glaze              

• 1/2 c      salted sweet cream butter
• 1/4 c      water
• 1 c          white sugar

6)   While the cakes are cooling, melt the butter in a small saucepan. Add the water and white sugar and bring to a light boil, stirring constantly, for 4-5 minutes. The result should be thin and syrupy.

• 1/2 c      rum

7)   Remove the saucepan from heat. Gradually stir in the rum. The mixture will bubble briefly then calm down. Keep the glaze gently warmed to maintain the thin, syrupy consistency.

8)   Pop the cupcakes out of the cake pans. Use a paper towel to gently clean out the cupcake slots of any crumbs. Add a tablespoon of the glaze to each newly cleaned cupcake slot.

9)   Using a toothpick, poke several holes in the tops of the cupcakes then reinsert them into the cupcake slots.

10)   Poke more holes in the bottom of the cupcakes.

11)   Spread a layer of glaze a tablespoon at a time over the bottom of the cupcakes. Once one cupcake is evenly coated, move to the next. Repeat this for each cupcake, allowing the previously coated cakes to absorb the liquid as you make your round. Once all the cupcakes have been coated, go back to the first and start the process again. Keep the coating thin and even to allow proper absorption. Each cake should receive three or four turns before the glaze runs out.

12)   Cover the cakes with a paper towel and allow to sit for at least a day. The day you are going to serve the cakes, place a layer of wax paper over the top of the pan and flip the pans right side up. Allow them to sit a few hours, right-side up, before removing the cakes from the pans.

Enjoy!

*** Time Shaving Tips ***

Instead of making the batter entirely from scratch, you can substitute an 18.25 ox package of yellow cake mix for most of the ingredients. Here's how:

Tip 1)   Combine the cake mix and vanilla pudding mix. Add the eggs, rum, a 1/2 c water and a 1/2 c vegetable oil. Blend well. Fill the cupcake slots with this mixture and continue with the rest of the recipe.

Tip 2)   Instead cooling the cupcakes and removing them from the pan, you can make the glaze about 10 mins before the cakes finish baking then administer the glaze while the cakes are cooling in the pan. This saves time, but the cakes might be more difficult to remove from the pan when you pull them out to serve. Remember, even if you are using this time saving tip, you still want to take the glaze little by little in turns with each cupcake.

~ Slow Cooker: Barbacoa Beef ~

Slow cooker Saturday!

This is wonderfully spicy shredded beef is amazing in burritos, tacos, fajitas.. you name it!

On a scale of 1 - 10, I have been told this ranks close to a 7 in spiciness. If you need a tamer meal, just add a bit more chicken broth to the sauce. If you want extra spice, add some of the sauce from the canned chipotle peppers into the mix before blending.

Sauce

3-4 T        Lime juice
4-5           Chipotle peppers, canned
4-5           Cloves garlic
4 tsp         Cumin
2 tsp         Oregano
1 1/2 tsp    Salt
1 1/2 tsp    Pepper ((I use white))
1/2 tsp      Clove, ground
1/3 c          Apple cider vinegar
3/4 c         Chicken broth

Combine ingredients in a food processor or blender and blend well.

3                Bay leaves, broken into medium sized pieces

Add to the sauce, but do not blend further. Just stir them in.

3-4 lbs      Beef Roast, trimmed

After trimming off the excess fat, slice the roast in half, then chop into about 6 pieces total. They should be large chunks. In a small skillet sear each piece on each side for a few seconds on high heat. This should leave the chunks browned on the outside but still very red in the center. Toss the meat into the slow cooker.

Pour the sauce mixture evenly over the beef, taking care to coat each piece nicely. Cook on low for 4 hours. If possible, turn the beef chunks once every hour or so to ensure each side gets simmer time in the sauce.

Uncover the crockpot and cook another 2 hours, still turning the chunks occasionally. Shred or slice the chunks of roast then return the meat to the cooker. Allow the shredded beef to simmer in the sauce at least another 15 mins or until ready to serve, whichever is longer.

If you care for a sauce, drain the juices from the beef into a small pot. Mix a Tbs or so of cornstarch with a small amount of water and stir into the pot. Bring the liquid to a boil for a few minutes, then let sit to thicken.
You can continue to add the cornstarch/cold water mixture and repeat until the sauce reaches the desired thickness.

Combine with black beans, Lime Cilantro Rice and a bit of Corn Salsa for a real treat!

Enjoy!

~ Mint Chocolate Cookies ~

Last week I had a baking day with my mother-in-law. Although we made several different types, this mint chocolate cookie was decidedly the favorite of the lot! If you are a huge chocolate fan, you can add more chocolate chips (up to double) without changing the recipe.

3/4 c        Salted, sweet cream butter

2 T            Water

1 1/2 c       Dark brown sugar, packed
1 c             Milk chocolate chips

Over low heat, melt butter completely. Add water and sugar and stir until dissolved. Stirring slowly but continually, add chips to mixture and heat until melting. Turn off the heat and continue to stir until mixture is lump free. Transfer the mixture to a mixing dish and set aside, allowing the mixture to cool for at least 5 mins.

2 1/2 c      All purpose flour

1 1/4 t       Baking soda
1/2 t          Salt

Sift together and set aside.

2               Eggs

Add eggs to the chocolate mixture and blend, taking care not to over beat the eggs. Gradually add sifted ingredients and mix well.

2 c             Mint flavoured chips (I use Andes)

With a wooden spoon, stir chips into dough. Cover mixing bowl with saran wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 45 min - 1 hour.

Once chilled, preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 C)

Cover a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Roll dough into balls and place about 2 inches (5 cm) apart. Bake cookies for about 10 minutes. Allow to cool for 10 mins on cookie sheet, then move to a cooling rack.

Enjoy!

~ Sweet & Savory Salmon ~

As anyone who lives in the Pacific Northwest can testify, salmon is a popular dish around here. That being said, I have to confess that no one in my household likes salmon. We are not big fish eaters in general. I am allergic to shellfish ((Grrr!!)) and both of the boys have had bad experience with fishy foods in the past. You can therefore imagine my conundrum when one of our neighbors offered us some salmon that he had caught himself. The gesture was terribly sweet and we really haven't gotten a chance to get to know them yet, thus I found myself cheerfully accepting his offer. Only later did I realise that I now had this lovely fillet of salmon.. and no idea what to do with it.

I knew I had to find a real winner with this one or no one would like it and our neighbor's generosity would have gone to waste. After searching dozens of recipes and even more reviews, I finally embarked on my first salmon adventure.

And I have to say, it turned out amazing! Everyone loved it. The best compliment for a cook is when you watch people go back for seconds.. or when they pick at the crumbs on the dish when they think no one is looking. Tonight I received both. It was such a hit that as we were cleaning up my husband turned to me and said "Post it". So here it is. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

Rub

1 1/2 lbs    Salmon Fillets, skinned and deboned
                  Lemon Pepper
                  Garlic Powder

Lay the fillets out side by side and sprinkle liberally with the lemon pepper then lightly coat with the garlic powder. Rub the spices in good, making sure to work them into the cracks. Flip the fillets over and repeat.

Marinade

2/3 c         Soy Sauce
2/3 c         Brown Sugar
2/3 c         Water

Mix together in a sealable plastic container until the sugar is completely dissolved.

1/4 c         Vegetable Oil

Add to marinade and mix well.

Stab each fillet several times with a fork then dip the underside of the fillet in the marinade. Flip the fillet over and stab a few more times with the fork. Lay the fillets, flake side down, in the marinade and seal the container. Refrigerate and marinade overnight.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (218 degrees C)

Create small foil envelopes to house the fillets. Insert a fillet in each then spoon a tablespoon or two of the marinade into the packet before sealing it up. Cover a cookie sheet with foil, then place the sealed packs on a cookie sheet, side by side. This will keep the juices from spilling onto the cookie sheet. I am a strong proponent of less dishes to wash.

Bake for 15 - 19 mins, depending on the thickness of the fillets. The salmon will be ready when it flakes apart easily. Serve over steamed rice.

~ Sides: Lime Cilantro Rice ~

This is a fun way to spruce up rice for those spicy dishes.

3 c        White rice, cooked

2-3 T    Lime juice

              Cilantro, dried

Add the lime juice to the cooked rice and mix well, occasionally sprinkling the cilantro in as you stir.

Add a bit of cooked frozen corn for colour and a bit of sweetness!

~ Grilled Cajun Chicken ~

This is one of the easiest, and tastiest, ways to enjoy a fantastic healthy meal on a budget!

We use a George Foreman grill to make these, but any grill would work. They could also be made in a skillet on the stove. Use a cast iron skillet if you like your Cajun chicken blackened.

*Note: If you are worried the chicken will be too spicy for your picky eaters, just use less of the rub. Experiment with a few pieces before you decide on the main serving. It only takes a few minutes to make!

Cajun Rub

1 tsp         Salt
2 tsp        Cayenne pepper
2 tsp        Cumin, ground
2 tsp        Thyme
1 tsp         White pepper
1 tsp         Onion powder
1 T            Paprika, heaping

Mix together in a shaker or by tossing the blend in a ziplock bag. Ziplock bags are handy if you do not have a shaker because you can save any rub leftover. It won't expire.

2-3 lbs    Chicken breasts, sliced tender style
                 Pam or other cooking spray

Lay the chicken out on a plastic cutting board or large plate. Spray with Pam. Don't be stingy!

Liberally season the chicken with the rub, then use the flat of a fork to press the seasoning in. Flip the chicken tenders over and repeat. Grill or cook in the skillet on a high temperature for  a few minutes on each side. The actual cooking time will depend on how thick your tenders are.

There are so many ways to serve these! Here are just a few ideas:

• Atop a bed of salad with blue cheese or honey mustard dressing
• With mashed potatoes and corn
• Over rice ~ especially Lime Cilantro Rice!

Enjoy!