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October 7, 2017

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Dessert, Recipes, Uncategorized

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Pear Tart

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Hello everyone! I just got back from vacation in Asia, where I basically ate non stop. However, this post isn’t about that haha. This is a recipe for a pear tart I made recently for people at work. There was a recent stretch where I was making a dessert a week for my colleagues, but that has stopped for now due to mounting expenses haha. I got the recipe from here and followed it pretty closely. The only thing that differed was how I laid out and designed my pears. This was my first try and overall it was a huge success!

Ingredients:

  • 3 tbsp butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 3/4 cup  flour
  • 1/3 cup finely chopped walnuts
  • 1 package (8 oz) reduced-fat cream cheese
  • 1/4 cup plus 1 tsp sugar, divided
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 4 Red pears, thinly sliced
  • 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

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Directions:

  • Preheat oven to 425º
  • In a bowl, beat butter, sugar, and cinnamon together until crumbly.
  • Beat in flour and walnuts into the mixture
  • Press into 9″ tart pan coated with cooking spray
  • For filling: beat cream cheese and 1/4 cup sugar until smooth, then beat in the egg and vanilla
  • Spread over the crust and arrange sliced pears
  • Mix sugar and cinnamon together and sprinkle over the tart
  • Bake 10 minutes, then reduce oven to 350º and bake another ~20 min
  • Let cool and refrigerate before eating
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August 13, 2017

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Meat, Recipes

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Grilled Flank Steak Rolls

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As I typed that title, I am not sure if I like it. It is fairly accurate to what this dish is, but something about it seems off. However, I cannot come up with anything better, so it is staying haha. This is a meal that I made on a whim and had no idea how it would turn out. I figured wrapping vegetables in meat can’t be bad, so I went for it and made a teriyaki sauce to go with it. Turns out it was pretty tasty, but I didn’t count for logistics and how to eat it, as it kind of fell apart as I cut into it. Still tasted good though!

Ingredients

  • Flank steak, pounded thin and cut into large strips
  • Salt and pepper
  • Carrots, peeled and cut into sticks
  • Asparagus
  • Green onions
  • 1/2 yellow onion, sliced
  • 1/2 cup Soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp honey
  • 2 tsp ground ginger
  • 3 tbsp rice vinegar
  • 2 tsp sesame oil
  • cornstarch
  • toothpicks

Directions

  • Salt and pepper the steak to taste
  • Blanch the carrots and asparagus in boiling water (~1-2 minutes)
  • Roll a carrot stick, asparagus stalk, and green onion in a flank steak strip and close with a toothpick
  • Do this with remaining steak strips and vegetables
  • On a grill pan (or grill, or large frying pan), cook the steak rolls (~2 min each side)
  • Let the steak rolls rest and grill onions
  • For the teriyaki sauce, in a small sauce pan, combine the soy sauce, honey, ginger, vinegar, and sesame oil on medium heat
  • Once combined and simmering, add mix of cornstarch and water to desired thickness
  • Brush the teriyaki sauce over the steak rolls and serve (I served over sautéed kale)

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July 22, 2017

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Meat, Recipes

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Santa Maria Tri Tip Roast

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With it being summer and all, that means it’s time to break out the grills and barbecue some meats. Now if you are like me, there is really nothing I look forward to more than some grilled or roasted huge chunks of meat. I’ve always wanted a smoker and the whole works, but alas if you are also like me and live in an apartment, that is probably not happening. Not only do I not have a smoker, but I don’t even have a bbq grill 😦 . Alas, I had to use my oven. But worry not! This recipe actually turned out great in the oven and still felt like a summer que!

Ingredients:

  • 2-3 lb tri tip, trimmed, but still want a good layer of fat
  • 2 tbsp finely ground coffee
  • 1 ½ tbsp kosher salt
  • 1 ½ tbsp granulated garlic
  • 2 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tbsp brown sugar
  • ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
  • ¼ tsp cinnamon

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Directions

  • Mix all the spices and sugar in a bag or bowl
  • Sprinkle the rub all over the meat and massage it into the meat
  • Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour
  • Remove from refrigerator an hour before cooking and let rest
  • Preheat oven to 350º
  • In a cast iron pan (or other oven proof pan) place a little oil over high heat
  • Sear the meat, fat side down, and then all sides (~3-4 min a side)
  • Place roast in the oven until internal temperature is 130º (~10 min per pound)
  • Pull roast out of the oven and let rest before serving

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June 23, 2017

Posted under

Fish, Recipes, Veggies

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Poached Cod

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So I always hear that poaching fish is a good and easy way to cook it (ok not always hear, maybe like a few times). Of course when I looked it up, it didn’t seem that hard, and all in all I’d say that it isn’t. However, if I am going to be honest, while it looks pretty in the broth and all the veggies, I probably prefer to pan sear my fish and eat it slightly crispy.  Not everything we make can always be freaking awesome you know? sometimes you strike out, and this doesn’t even qualify as striking out. There was a lot of good flavor in the broth, but I just felt that the fish was kind of bland and lacking. Maybe if I get venturous again I will give this one another shot in the future, but for now, here it is. If you change it up and it comes out tasting great, please let me know what you did differently. I would like hear!

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Ingredients:

  • 6 cups water
  • 1/4 cup dry white wine
  • potatoes, sliced
  • onions/shallots, sliced
  • carrot, sliced
  • 1/2 lemon sliced
  • salt and pepper
  • 4 cod filets
  • 2 bay leaves
  • parsley and/or cilantro

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Directions

  • Combine all ingredients other than the cod in a pot and bring to a boil on high heat
  • Reduce to a simmer on low heat
  • When liquid is lightly simmering, add cod filets, making sure to completely cover them in liquid
  • Poach until cod is opaque and flaky (~7min?)
  • Serve….so simple right?

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May 29, 2017

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Meat, Recipes

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Sous Vide Pork Rack

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As you know I got a sous vide as a gift, and I have been trying my hardest to use it as often as I can. Now I know it can be time consuming, but man does stuff come out good. Gone are the days of roasting things in the oven or frying things in a pan and having it dry out. Sous Vide reminds me of those “Set it and Forget it” commercials from back in the day. So I decided to sous vide a 4 bone pork rack (originally came in a rack of 8 bones, but I cut it in half, because who the heck is going to eat 8…). I made this before by roasting in the oven and it came out great, but this one came out better in my opinion. Also this recipe is not from anywhere, or based on anything, but just me experimenting, so feel free to mess around obviously. But you can try both and let me know!

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Ingredients

  • Rack of pork
  • Kosher Salt and pepper
  • 1/4 tbsp of dried oregano, thyme, rosemary
  • Olive oil

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Directions

  • Set sous vide water bath to 143º F (or oven to 350º)
  • Rinse and dry pork rack
  • Salt and pepper the pork, and add herbs as well
  • Place the pork rack into the bag, add some olive oil, and seal (alternatively place in roasting pan and drizzle oil)
  • Place in water bath for 90 minutes (or oven for 1hour)
  • Remove from water bath, pat dry, and sear in skillet over high heat for ~2-3 minutes a side (may need a little oil in the skillet)
    • if using the oven, skip this step
  • Let the pork rest, cut, serve, and enjoy!

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April 28, 2017

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Fish, Recipes

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Sous Vide Salmon

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Hello everyone! Long time no talk/post. I recently got an immersion cooker/sous vide from Jenn. Thank you! I gotta say that it is pretty sweet. I mean it takes some amount of time to prep and wait, but I have not had a bad meal yet. In my ever lasting, but ultimately failed, quest to eat healthier, here is a recipe for a sous vide salmon I made with roasted carrots and sautéed kale (never thought I’d say that).

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Ingredients:

  • Salmon filets
  • Salt and pepper
  • Dried thyme, parsley
  • 2 tbsp Olive oil
  • Vegetable oil

Directions:

  • Salt and pepper the salmon filets
  • Season lightly with thyme and parsley to taste
  • Place salmon filets in ziploc bag or vacuum seal
  • Add olive oil to the bags and gently squeeze around so that the filet is fairly coated with the oil
  • Seal bag and place in water bath at 110° F for 30-45 minutes
  • Take the filets out of the bag and sear in pan with vegetable oil over med-high heat, skin side down until crisp (1-2 min)
  • Flip the filet and sear for another 30 seconds
  • Blot excess oil and serve with sides (roasted carrots and sautéed kale)

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January 16, 2017

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Fish, Recipes

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Citrus Scallops and Quinoa Salad

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As I have been doing this blog (sparingly to be honest), it has made me venture into things that I normally would not eat or attempt. This is especially true in light of the fact that I am trying to eat healthier (venturing into baking isn’t awesome on your body when you live by yourself…). Thus my foray into the magical worlds of quinoa and kale (although there is no kale in this recipe). I bought some quinoa on a whim and decided to try and make it, but man is it boring. So I thought I’d try and spice it up a bit (or in this case, sweeten), by making it into more of a citrus salad. And because I need some kind of protein, I added some seared scallops to go along with it. The result was a really good, light meal that I did not feel guilty about eating. So give it a go and let me know how it turns out for you.

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Ingredients:

  • 1 cup quinoa, cooked to instructions
  • 1 lb large sea scallops, washed and dried
  • 1 grapefruit, cut into slices
  • 2 navel oranges, cut into slices
  • 1 large avocado, cut into cubes
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 lemon, juiced
  • 1/8 cup honey
  • salt and pepper to taste

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Instructions

  • Cook quinoa to instructions
  • Mix the olive oil, lemon juice, honey, salt and pepper in a small bowl
  • Wash and pat dry the scallops, salt and pepper to taste
  • Sear the scallops in a large pan over med-high heat
  • Mix the quinoa and the dressing, using a fork to combine
  • Add the avocado, grapefruit, and oranges and mix again
  • Add the scallops and in my case sautéed spinach as well
  • Eat and not feel guilty!
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October 30, 2016

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Appetizers, Meat, Recipes

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Lemon Chicken Skewers

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Today’s dish is a super simple and easy one. It is a product of being basically broke and wanting to eat healthier. I don’t think I realized that when I started all this, how expensive eating healthy can be. These skewers don’t require a lot of time, money, or preparation though, which is definitely a plus. You can make them if you are in a pinch, like me, and have little money AND little time to cook anymore. I find myself coming home from work super late and exhausted – making the prospect of cooking a daunting task. Fear not, just prep these the night before and pop em on the grill/grill pan and you are ready to go!

Ingredients

  • 2 chicken breasts, cut into large cubes
  • Ground pepper
  • Salt
  • 1 garlic clove, minced (or garlic powder)
  • Parsley, finely minced
  • 1 large lemon, juiced
  • Spinach
  • Cherry tomatoes

Directions

  • Season the chicken cubes with pepper, salt, garlic, and parsley
  • Place in a bag with lemon juice for 1 hour – overnight
  • Place chicken cubes on a skewer and grill until cooked
  • At the same time, lightly wilt some spinach with EVOO in a pan and add the cherry tomatoes and cook for a few minutes
  • Place the skewers over the bed of spinach and tomatoes and enjoy your gluten free, high protein meal!

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October 15, 2016

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Fish, Recipes

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Poke Bowl

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Hi everyone! Seriously, long time no talk/update, but that is most definitely on me. I keep meaning to update this thing or post something, and every time I thought about it, something came up, or I forgot, or I’m not sure really. Well as life update, I moved back to the Bay area for work and started about a month ago. It’s been crazy readjusting to life here and to the prices of everything…. But one thing I noticed was that there were TON of poke bowl places…basically Chipotle for us Asian people. So, I saw that ahi tuna was on sale at the market and decided to try and make a bowl for myself. Most of these ingredients are completely optional and you can make it however you want. It ended up being a really filling and refreshing/somewhat light meal.

Ingredients:

  • Ahi tuna, cut into small cubes
  • 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
  • green onion, finely chopped
  • Brown rice
  • Cilantro
  • Radishes, sliced
  • Cucumber, sliced
  • Avocado, sliced
  • Lettuce (I used spring mix)
  • Nori, cut into strips
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp sesame oil
  • 1 tsp chili paste (to taste)

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Directions:

  • Mix tuna, onion, green onion, soy sauce, sesame oil, and chili paste in a bowl and let sit in the refrigerator for ~1 hour
  • In a large bowl, arrange the brown rice, radishes, cucumbers, and avocados (or whatever ingredients you are using)
  • Put some of the poke into the bowl and sprinkle with chopped cilantro and nori strips
  • Enjoy a super easy and delicious meal!

 

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May 4, 2016

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Dessert, Recipes

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Nutella Chocolate Cake

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So back with another dessert post folks! My coworker really loves chocolate, and I mean LOVES.  She probably has it every day. The only thing she may enjoy more than chocolate is Nutella lol. So for her birthday, I decided to find a recipe for a Nutella Chocolate cake and I found a great one here.  I have not unlocked the baking achievement that allows me to make up my own stuff just yet, so I followed this one fairly closely and it turned out great. My pictures not so much because I did not put enough Nutella frosting on the inside, a big mistake both aesthetically and overall food consumption wise. However, it still tasted great and was a big success. Have fun!

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Ingredients:

  • 2 cups flour
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 3/4 cup cocoa powder
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
  • 1 cup boiling water
 Icing
  • 1 cup butter
  • 1/2 cup shortening
  • 1 cup Nutella
  • 4-5 cups powdered sugar
  • 3-4 tbsp milk
Ganache
  • 6 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

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Directions

  • Recipe calls for 4 8″ cake pans, but I used 3 9″ ones
  • Mix all the dry cake ingredients in a large bowl
  • Mix in eggs, buttermilk, and oil
  • Add vanilla to the boiling water and then add to the mixture
  • Pour into cake pans and bake at 300 degrees for ~25 minutes until done
  • Let cakes cool on racks
  • Make icing by beating shortening and butter till smooth
  • Add Nutella and beat till smooth
  • Add powdered sugar and milk, mix until smooth
  • Add icing to layers of the cake
  • To make the ganache, microwave whipping cream until almost boiling
  • Pour over chocolate chips in a bowl and whisk until smooth
  • Once thickened, pour over cake
  •  Pipe more icing on cake
  • Dig your face in it! or share, whatever you fancy

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