Saturday, November 26, 2011

JAPANESE OMURICE (OMELETTE RICE)

A few weeks ago I tried making omelette rice for the first time because my family really had nothing to eat. Others told me it was simple, but I was so afraid mine would just come out badly. BUT it did NOT come out badly, but was actually pretty good for my first try (as told by the "others"). I actually found this recipe from a Japanese manga based on cooking. Who knew it'd come out so well?



OMURICE:
1-3 onions (white/red)
60g chicken
1 bell pepper
1-2 tbp ketchup
salt & pepper (to taste)
1C cooked white rice/sticky rice
1 egg
1/2 tsp potato starch powder
1 slice ham
ketchup (for finishing touches)
2 tsp vegetable oil

Extra Ingredients:
3 carrots, diced
2-3 potatoes, diced

1. Dice the carrots and potatoes. Dice the onions and bell pepper into small pieces. cut the chicken up into 1cm-sized cubes.
2. Add oil to a frying pan, and once it has reached a high enough temperature, add the carrots and potatoes first. When almost cooked, add the onions, bell pepper and chicken; fry. Add salt and pepper to taste.
3. Once the vegetables are almost cooked, add the rice. Stir it quickly with a wooden spatula and fry until fully cooked.
4. Once mixed, add the ketchup; add more if preferred.
5. In a bowl whip up the egg and add one tsp of water with the potato starch dissolved in it.
6. On a medium heat in another frying pan (small), add a small amount of vegetable oil (enough to cover whole pan). Carefully pour the egg mixture in.
7. It should spread out fully into the pan, and once the edges are dry, carefully turn it over. Let if cook and when done, take it out.
8. On a wooden chopping board lay some clingflim/plastic wrap on top. Put the omelette on top of it, then add the rice to the top of the omelette.
9. Squeeze and twist the clingfilm on both sides, turn it over and put it onto the plate. Carefully remove the wrap.
10. Squeeze ketchup for finishing touches; serve warm.


Tips:

-I forgot to add the chicken, but this recipe is fine vegetarian.

-You can add any other ingredients to your taste. I added potatoes and carrots, but vegetables such a tomatoes, zucchini, beef, etc.

-I have a bad habit of ending up with more than 2 times the normal proportion sizes of normal cooking recipes, so I simply double the ingredients. Comes out fine.

Asian Bakery We Visited 11/11/11 at 11:11pm






The waffles were really good, but they were also EXTREMELY expensive. Most Korean bakeries are though. After we visited this bakery, we just went straight to the Korean grocery store Galleria and got snacks there instead that were cheaper all together than the waffles.

CINNAMON CRUMBLE COFFEE CAKE

My family visited Panera Bread a few days ago and we bought a delicious cinnamon crumble coffee cake. Unfortunately, it was devoured too soon and my younger sibling was insisting for more. So I decided to make the same cake for her. I have not tried this recipe out yet, but reviews show it comes out great. :)


CINNAMON CRUMBLE COFFEE CAKE:

Coffeecake Ingredients:
3/4 cup sugar
¼ cup softened butter
1 egg
½ cup milk
1½ cups flour
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder

Cinnamon Crumble Ingredients:
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons flour
1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
2 tablespoons melted butter



1. Heat oven to 350.

2. Cream butter and sugar, and mix in egg and milk.

3. Combine dry ingredients in a small bowl.

4. Gently mix dry ingredients into wet ingredients just until moistened, and spread into a greased 8×8-inch baking pan.

5. Combine cinnamon crumble ingredients and sprinkle atop coffeecake dough. Using a fork, swirl cinnamon mixture through dough.

6. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 25-30 minutes.


Links:

Cinnamon crumble coffee cake: http://www.thefrugalgirl.com/2010/01/wednesday-baking-cinnamon-crumble-coffee-cake/

Thursday, September 1, 2011

FRENCH TOAST

I'm going to have a series of breakfast foods now. I'll be putting up at least 4 by the end of this week. I absolutely ADORE "traditional" food. Like when you prepare something and it HAS to look like how's it's arranged on TV. :P



FRENCH TOAST:

1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
1 pinch salt
3 eggs
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon white sugar
12 thick slices bread



1. Measure flour into a large mixing bowl. Slowly whisk in the milk. Whisk in the salt, eggs, cinnamon, vanilla extract and sugar until smooth.

2. Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium heat.

3. Soak bread slices in mixture until saturated. Cook bread on each side until golden brown. Serve hot.



TIPS:

-You have to constantly stir the mixture because ingredients such as flour tend to drop to the bottom frequently.

-Some people like to sprinkle cinnamon on top of a soaked pieced of bread, and then fry it.



Links:

French toast: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/fluffy-french-toast/detail.aspx

Wednesday, August 31, 2011

CARROT CAKE

Last week my family and friends went camping. I HAD planned on making my "ultimate cake design", but things got in the way so I was only left with a simple cake. Carrot cake is one of those "simple" recipes. I found this new one before and I hadn't make carrot cake for at least 3 years. This one had added ingredients such as pineapple and apple sauce. I don't usually put these "extras" but I was like, "well, hell with it." :P

CARROT CAKE:

4 eggs 1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
2 cups white sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3 cups grated carrots
1 cup chopped pecans

Extra Ingredient Tips:
1C white sugar and 1C brown sugar (substitute)
Extra tsp of vanilla
Add one 8oz. can of pineapples (squeezed and blended)
1/4 nutmeg
Extra 1tsp of cinnamon
3/4 C canola oil and 1/2 C apple sauce (substitute)
Any nuts (ex: walnuts, almonds, etc)



1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan.

2. In a large bowl, beat together eggs, oil, apple sauce, white sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla. Mix in flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Stir in carrots and pineapples. Fold in nuts. Pour into prepared pan.

3.Bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.

4. To Make Frosting: In a medium bowl, combine butter, cream cheese, confectioners' sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Stir in chopped nuts. Frost the cooled cake.



Tips:

-I didn't have Canola oil so I simply used normal vegetable oil. Worked out fine.

-Don't over-beat the mixture or it'll become hard.

-I used tinfoil bread pans so they took a little longer to bake. Most people just use round cake pans.

-Of course, the cake goes better with a cream cheese frosting. :)


Links:

Carrot cake: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/carrot-cake-iii/detail.aspx

Monday, August 8, 2011

Scones/Biscuits

This recipe I found online is when buying scones from Tim Hortons was a little too pricy. When I made this, it was SUPER EASY. And its fairly quick. I like to but raisins in my scones, but u can add dried fruits, nuts and cheese.


SCONES

2 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
3 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup shortening (reviews say that using half butter and half shortening tastes much better)
1 egg
2/3 cup milk


1. In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. Cut in shortening until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Beat egg with milk; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened.

2. Turn onto a well-floured surface; knead 20 times. Roll to 3/4-in. thickness; cut with a floured 2-1/2-in. biscuit cutter. Place on a lightly greased baking sheet. Bake at 450 degrees F for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm.


TIPS:

-If you don't have the tools to create coarse crumbs, using two butter knives work well too.

-For a golden touch, spread milk on top of the biscuit dough right before putting it in the oven, OR beat an egg with a little bit of water and spread that on the dough instead.



LINKS:

Biscuits: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Fluffy-Biscuits/Detail.aspx

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Here is the recipe for chocolate chip cookies. I have found my recipes for this but this one comes out nice and soft and chewy. It simply is better than other ones I have tried. Enjoy. :)


CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips


1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets or line with parchment paper.

2. Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.

3. In a medium bowl, cream together the melted butter, brown sugar and white sugar until well blended. Beat in the vanilla, egg, and egg yolk until light and creamy. Mix in the sifted ingredients until just blended. Stir in the chocolate chips by hand using a wooden spoon. Drop cookie dough 1/4 cup at a time onto the prepared cookie sheets. Cookies should be about 3 inches apart.

4. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the edges are lightly toasted. Cool on baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.


TIPS:

-make sure to completely cool the cookies to keep them chewy (unless you eat them right away)

-MELT the butter, DON'T FORGET THE EGG YOLK, and DON'T OVER BEAT YOUR EGGS

-if you find the cookies too sticky before putting into the oven, you can refrigerate for an hour.

-I find the cookies a little sweet so I cut back on the sugar by half a cup.



LINKS:

Chocolate chip cookies: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Best-Big-Fat-Chewy-Chocolate-Chip-Cookie/Detail.aspx

CORN MUFFINS

Today my friend is sleeping over so we're going to make corn muffins, raisin scones, and chocolate chip cookies. I will put up the other recipes along with this one. I've tried other corn muffin recipes before but none of them were great. They always turned out stiff or rough. So I now always depend on the corn recipe I got when I took a cooking/baking class in middle school.


CORN MUFFINS:

- 1 1/2 C flour
- 3/4 C cornmeal
- 1C sugar
- 1 tbp & 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla
- dash of lemon zest (1/2 tsp)
- 1 C milk
- 1 egg, slightly beaten
- 1/4 C oil
- 2 tbp sugar (for garnish)
- 1 C fresh or frozen berries (optional)


1. Sift dry ingredients into large mixer bowl.

2. Whisk together milk, vanilla and lemon zest.

3. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

4. Fold wet ingredients (including egg) into dry ingredients. (OPTIONAL)Gently fold in berries until all dry ingredients look moistened.

5. Line muffin pan with paper cups until 3/4 full. Pour batter into cups and sprinkle with a dash of sugar.

6. Place in oven for 18-20 minutes.


TIPS:

-DO NOT MIX THE INGREDIENTS TOGETHER FOR TOO LONG. Doing so may thicken the batter too much and the muffins will become hard.

Saturday, July 30, 2011

RAINBOW JELLY



Yesterday I made Rainbow Jelly with my cousins and my family friends. Well, actually the real recipe for Rainbow Jelly is with 8 different layers of jelly in one cup. Since doing that would take hours to do, I stuck with 2 different layers. I don't like jelly, but when I make it with JUICE, it comes out so good. :)


Rainbow Jelly:

  • Packets of flavored jelly or non-flavored jelly (assorted to match the taste of the juice)
  • 1C water (for each packet of jelly)
  • 1C juice (for each packet of jelly), and as many different juices as you want with each layer. (thicker and/or deeper juices like orange or grape are best)
  • Clear cups (to show off the colors)

(These instructions may also be written on the jello box.)

  1. Pour 1C of water into a pot and wait until boiling.
  2. Take your first jello packet and pour it all into the water; mix until fully dissolved.
  3. Turn off the heat then pour the 1C of juice in (the one that matches the jelly flavor).
  4. Cool it until lukewarm then begin to divide the mix into cups (if you want to use the flavor again for another layer, make sure to save at least half).
  5. Refrigerate at least 1hr or until the jelly layer if firm enough (poke it with your finger).
  6. After firm, take it out and repeat steps 1-5 again. Do these steps for every layer you put until satisfied.
  7. Serve fresh after every layer is firm, or leave overnight. Garnish and serve.

TIPS

  • You can add different fresh fruits into the jelly layers. Cut into small pieces and add to the jelly mixture. I used raspberries, but other common ones are blueberries, strawberries, grapes, canned peaches, etc.
  • Garnishing includes whipped cream, mint leaves, flavored syrup, etc.
  • Make sure each layer if FIRM ENOUGH before putting another layer. If it isn't, it can mix with the bottom layer (that has happened to me and it tasted bad).

Thursday, July 28, 2011

COMING SOON




THIS IS A COMING SOON DESIGN. My friend's birthday is coming up in August in 2 weeks and my little cousins birthday is also in the same 2 weeks. And also my friend is moving to a new house half hr away from her old house (which is 5 min by car from my house). To celebrate all this, I decided I wanted to bake a cake.

It's been a LONG time since I've baked something other than pie. And the design is a bit complicated so it's a new challenge for me too. This will probably be a little costly and I hope my mom can put up with the payments. I'll finally be buying permanent icing bags and more tips and, obviously, along with more food coloring.

I'll be making the cake in about 2 weeks. Since I started baking in the past few years, the taste of my delicacies are now always delicious. Now I want to focus on making my treats look PRETTY. Of course that means more Youtube baking tutorials and more baking tools. For the cake I've learned how to make different types of icing flowers off of Youtube. You all should check them out too, there are TONS of videos to help you. :)