Quick and Easy Strawberry Shortcake

Well it’s that time of the year again. That’s right summer. When fruits are in abundance and the sweltering heat is overabundance. Strawberries galore is happening at my house right now and I need to use them before they go bad. Since I really wanted to skip out on baking and/or cooking because of the oppressing heat of the summer I figured a cold dessert was needed. Something that didn’t require too much time and there was no need to even go near the stove.

So I went to the grocery in the early morning. Wandering around to see what would inspire me. Walking down the frozen dessert aisle I spotted some frozen cakes. Now when I was in elementary school my mother use to buy the Sara Lee Pound Cake and I would have a slice of it with her on the weekends. That always entertained me for the day, as I would savor that one slice while trying to distract myself with a film on television.

Now that got me thinking. The cake was always partially frozen and it kept me cool in the house. So I figured I could get a small loaf. Now from there I was able to think of combining the cake with the massive amount of strawberries that I had just received earlier that week. There was also a bowl full of freshly whipped cream in the refrigerator. That was my ticket to a quick an easy dessert without the hassle of ovens or stoves.

Now that I think about it these would be perfect for Mother’s Day or even Valentine’s Day.

Here are the ingredients needed for this recipe:

• 2 slices of Sara Lee Pound Cake, thawed
• 1/2 cup whole strawberries, washed and hulled
• 1 cup sweetened whipped cream
• 1-2 tsp. sugar

Step 1: In a small bowl, gently combine the strawberries and sugar until strawberries are lightly coated in the sugar. Set aside.

Step 2: Take a cookie cutter and cut out rounds from the pound cake slices. (Optional: I used 1-3/4 inch cutter. I also cut the small disc in half)

Step 3: Slice the strawberries in a fan-like slices. (How to fan strawberries)

Step 4: Place one cake round on a plate.

Step 5: Fan out 1-2 strawberries on top of the cake slice.

Step 6: Top it with whipped cream and repeat with remaining cake rounds.

Step 7: Garnish with strawberry fanned out.

If you didn’t want to cut out the rounds here is the non-cut version:

Simple and Tasty Appetizer

After finishing up a busy day I felt pretty hungry, but super lazy as well. While scouring the kitchen I came upon ingredients that I have used to make my Turkey Artichoke Panini. Well with a slight difference of bread and without any turkey. But anyways I really did not feel like spending time on pressing pans down and such. So instead I opted to make an open-faced type of sandwich. Which turned into an appetizer-like dish instead.

So for ingredients:

• 1 Roma tomato, thinly sliced rounds
• 1/2 cup spinach artichoke dip, heated until hot
• 1/2 baguette, sliced at an angle

Step 1: Toast the bread slices until golden brown around the edges.

Step 2: Take bread out and generously top with the spinach artichoke dip

Step 3: Top with a fresh slice of tomato

Tteokbokki

Tteokbokki, also known as ddeokbokki or topokki,is a popular Korean snack food which is commonly purchased from street vendors or Pojangmacha. Originally it was called tteok jjim (떡찜), and was a braised dish of sliced rice cake, meat, eggs, and seasoning.

So while I was completely and utterly sick from a head cold for a good week I ended up watching some Korean dramas online and I stumbled upon one called Gourmet. This drama was all about the traditional foods of Korea and of course the drama of the characters’ lives, but anyways I got really into the food shown on it. This has led me to wanting to make some of the dishes. Well at least the ones that I can kind of manage with the limited supplies on hand in my town.

So today, finally after getting over the nasty cold, I will show you how to make topokki. Well a version that I am able to make right now. After looking over dozens of food blogs and videos I have come up with my own version. Let’s hope it’s not too spicy to eat. As an added bonus you can add instant ramen to the mix as well and it’s really tasty.

Here are the ingredients needed for this recipe:

• 1lb. rice cake sticks (there are different types, the smaller they are the less time it takes to cook them, so be careful when cooking them, try not to overcook them.)
• 4 oz. fish cake, thinly sliced
• 4 oz. cabbage (optional)
• 1/2 medium carrot, thinly sliced (optional)
• 1 green onion, cut into 2-inch pieces (I had tiny ones from the market so I used 3 of them)
• 4 boiled eggs (optional)
• 8 oz. fish meat balls (optional)

Sauce

• 2 Tbsp. gochujang (hot pepper paste) I’ll be using a milder version (Korean Bean Paste [green container])
• 1 tsp. red pepper powder (paprika for my taste)
• 1 tsp. garlic, minced
• 1/2 Tbsp. mirin
• 1 Tbsp. corn syrup
• 1 Tbsp. soy sauce
• 2 Tbsp. sugar
• 3 cups anchovy stock, vegetable stock, water, or in this case dashi
• 1 Tbsp. ketchup (optional)

Step 1: Prepare the rice cakes as indicated by the packaging.

Step 2: In a large saucepan, add stock or water, pepper paste, sugar, corn syrup, pepper powder, and garlic and bring to a boil. (When you add in the pepper paste make sure you press it in, cause it doesn’t like to dissolve easily)

Step 3: Add in the rice cakes, cabbage, carrot, and fish cake. (Add the instant ramen)

Step 4: Turn heat down to low and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Step 5: Add in remaining ingredients.

Step 6: Keep stirring until rice cakes are cooked through, or soft. (I removed everything but the sauce so that I could thicken the sauce without overcooking everything else.)

Step 7: Serve hot and garnish if desired with sesame seeds and sliced green onion.

Reblog: Is Tea the new coffee??

Reblogged from keshiablogs:

I am a coffee drinker and a coffee snob; I admit that and I own it. But unlike some die hard coffee drinkers, I like tea too. When counting calories, Weight Watcher points,  or I just want to relax, I enjoy a nice cup of Celestial Seasonings: Sleepytime Tea (This sounds like a commercial or product placement---but I really do hoard this stuff and I buy it with my own loot).

Read more… 178 more words

Creme Egg Filled Brownie Mug Cake Thing

So Easter is just around the corner and there are rows upon rows of Easter themed candies in the markets now. I decided to pick up some mini creme eggs for old times sake. I used to eat these all the time as a child and I have now noticed that there are many different filled versions as well. I bought the fondant filled and caramel filled ones. Eating them straight up was alright, but I figured I could make them into something even better. I give you Easter Creme Egg Filled Brownie Mug Cake. Make sure you have a microwavable 1 cup container.

Here are the ingredients needed for this recipe:

• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 Tbsp. packed brown sugar
• 2 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
• 3 Tbsp. milk, coffee or water
• 1-2 mini-sized Easter Creme Eggs (or 1 full-sized Creme Egg)

Step 1: In a heatproof mug or ramekin, stir together the flour, brown sugar, cocoa powder, and salt until no lumps remain.

Step 2: Stir in the oil and milk until you have a thick paste. (If you mixed it all in a bowl, spoon it into a ramekin or mug.)

Step 3: Unwrap the Easter Creme Egg and press it into the middle, pushing it down so that only about the top third is exposed.

Step 4: Microwave on high for 1-2 minutes, checking it after 30 seconds (microwaves vary) – it will be done when it’s springy on top but still a bit gooey – like the very best brownie.

Step 5: Eat warm. (I like to add a dollop of fresh whipped cream on top or even a small scoop of ice cream)

Simple Crème Brûlée

While rummaging around the refrigerator I noticed the leftover container of heavy whipping cream and the massive amount of eggs. Figuring I could make something with these simple ingredients with the added sugar and maybe vanilla from the cupboards. So a custard was the first thing that came to mind. But no I just had to up the difficulty by wanting to make crème brûlée. It’s a pretty easy recipe and you can substitute the portable kitchen blow torch with a broiler. So an inexpensive, but such a decadent dessert that seems super expensive. I should have done this for Valentine’s Day. Oh well.

Here are the ingredients needed for this recipe:

• 1 1/3 cups heavy whipping cream
• 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 4 large egg yolks, room temperature
• 1/4 cup sugar
• (Optional: 1 tsp. lemon or orange zest, 1 tsp. flavored liqueurs, and etc.)
• 4 Tbsp. superfine sugar (or Turbinado/raw sugar)

Step 1: Preheat the over to 300°F and boil some water.

Step 2: In a medium saucepan, over medium-high heat, bring the cream and vanilla to scalding point. (small bubbles will be forming around the edges) (you can also add the optional ingredient)

Step 3: Remove the pan from the heat.

Step 4: In a heat-proof bowl, beat the egg yolks and sugar until thick and pale.

Step 5: Gradually pour in the hot cream into the egg mixture, while whisking constantly.

Step 6: Strain mixture into a large measuring cup or small pitcher.

Step 7: Evenly pour the mixture into 4 ramekins.

Step 8: Place the ramekins into a baking dish

Step 9: Place the baking pan in the oven and carefully pour the boiled water into the baking pan without getting any water in the ramekins. (Fill to halfway up the ramekins)

Step 10: Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until the custards are set. (There will be a slight wobble when gently moved) (The timing will depend on the amount of custard in the ramekins, how hot the water is, and how thick the ramekins are.)

Step 11: Immediately remove the ramekins onto a cooling rack and allow them to come to room temperature. (1 hour)

Step 12: Refrigerate uncovered for 4 hours, or until cold and firm. (You can store them for 3 days covered)

Step 13: To serve, remove custard from the refrigerator, sprinkle 1 Tbsp of superfine sugar evenly over the top of the custard.

Step 14: Place under a very hot preheated broiler. (Or you could use a portable kitchen torch, just keep it 2-inches, at an angle, over the custard and keep moving the torch around until the sugar melts and caramelizes.)

Step 15: Caramelize the sugar until golden brown and bubbly. (May need to turn ramekin around to evenly brown.)

Step 16: Allow custard to sit a few minutes for the sugar to harden, or place into the refrigerator for a couple of seconds.

Step 17: Once sugar has harden serve imminently. (I think I’ll have to allow the custard to bake longer next time it doesn’t look like it set to much and give the broiler a little long to heat up)

Side Not: After placing in the refrigerator for a few minutes it set right back. So with that in mind I do believe it became all liquidy inside because of the heat from the boiler which caused the ramekin to be way to warm for the delicate custard.

Honey Ginger Noodles

I know I haven’t posted in a month or so, but I’ve been super busy with life. So while I was taking a break from life and going out for dinner I came across something called “Soy Sauce Noodles”. I was intrigued and when I tasted it…YUM!! Wanting to remake it though was a whole other story. Some of the ingredients were a bit hard to come by in my small town. So I improvised instead and “MacGyvered” my own version of the recipe that is so much simpler and cheaper to make.

Here are the ingredients needed for this recipe:

• 2 Tbsp. soy sauce
• 1/4 cup mirin
• 1/2 tsp. sesame oil
• 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes (preferably Korean, but I didn’t have any, if you have ground use only 1/4 tsp I didn’t and it was way to spicy.)
• 1/2 tsp. sesame seeds (I didn’t have any)
• 1 Tbsp. minced garlic (3 cloves)
• 1/2 Tbsp. honey
• 1/2 Tbsp. fresh ginger, finely minced
• 1 (6oz.) pkg. chow mein noodles
• 2 stalks of green onion, chopped (save 1/4 for garnish)
• 1 Tbsp. red vinegar (optional)

Step 1: In a medium bowl, combine the soy sauce, mirin, sesame oil, red pepper flakes, sesame seeds, minced garlic, and honey. Taste to adjust.

Step 2: In a medium pot of boiling water, blanch the chow mein noodles for 30-40 seconds.

Step 3: Drain the noodles well and set aside. (Make sure you do this or else the noodles will stick to the pan)

Step 4: In a large pan, heat up some oil over high heat. (Canola or vegetable oil)

Step 5: Add the drained chow mein noodles and ginger into the pan. (I didn’t drain the noodles enough so they stuck to the pan)

Step 6: Stir-fry for a 3-4 minutes.

Step 7: Add in the green onion and cook for 30 seconds.

Step 8: Add in the sauce mixture and continue to stir-fry for 1-2 minutes. (The sauce will help loosen the stuck noodles)

Step 9: Serve immediately with a quick garnish of the leftover green onion.