crab zosui rice soup

my friend had a post thanksgiving crab feast at her place and we went home with one crab.  i decided to make a crab porridge with it that i had at a japanese restaurant.  ours was more of a porridge and less of a rice soup but delicious and satisfying anyways.  it was combination of this recipe and this recipe

• cup of short-grain Japonica rice
• 7 cups of dashi soup stock, or chicken stock (you can use cubes or granules for either)
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups of fresh spinach leaves, washed (you can substitute other greens, such as bok choi leaves, Swiss chard leaves, etc.)
• 1 cup of crabmeat, or cut-up chicken breast, or imitation crabsticks (optional)
• 1 handful of flatleaf parsley leaves, or chervil, or (if you can get it) mitsuba (a kind of Japanese herb), or fresh coriander (Note: coriander would make this taste very not-Japanese, but that's ok. Mitsuba would be the most Japanese-tasting but is hard to get unless you grow your own.)
• Salt, white pepper, soy sauce

Wash the rice following the instructions for plain rice. Put the rice in the stock, heat up and then cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the rice is tender.
In the meantime, blanch the greens in a pot of boiling water. (Blanching means to cook for a few seconds in the boiling water.)
Add the seafood or chicken to the rice soup, and stir until just cooked through. Add the blanched greens.
Whisk the eggs into the soup, stirring all the time. The eggs should form into sort of soft strings throughout the soup.
Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning with salt, pepper and soy sauce. You may wish to add some Japanese chili powder (Ichimi tohgarashi, or Shichimi tohgarashi - look for these at Japanese food stores).
Garnish with the herb leaves. Serve piping hot.

pumpkin blondie bars

at times this blondie from this recipe tastes more like a pumpkin bread but was a crowd pleaser in the end.  chewy, sweet, nutty

Pump­kin Blondies

Yield: 24 bars

Prep Time: 15 min­utes

Cook Time: 35 min­utes

Total Time: 50 min­utes

Gooey Pump­kin Blondies loaded with but­ter­scotch chips, white choco­late and pecans.
Ingre­di­ents:

2½ cups all-purpose flour
2½ tea­spoons ground cin­na­mon
¾ tea­spoon ground gin­ger
½ tea­spoon ground all­spice
½ tea­spoon ground nut­meg
1 tea­spoon bak­ing soda
½ tea­spoon salt
1 cup unsalt­ed but­ter, melt­ed and cooled to room tem­per­a­ture
1 cup dark brown sugar
½ cup gran­u­lat­ed sugar
1 egg
1 table­spoon vanil­la extract
1 (15-ounce) can pure pump­kin puree (about 2 cups)
1 cup but­ter­scotch chips
1 cup white choco­late chips
1 cup pecans, coarse­ly chopped

Direc­tions:

1. Pre­heat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9x13-inch bak­ing pan and line with parch­ment paper, with enough to hang over the sides; set aside.

2. In a medi­um bowl, whisk togeth­er the flour, cin­na­mon, gin­ger, all­spice, nut­meg, bak­ing soda and salt; set aside.

3. In a large bowl, whisk togeth­er the melt­ed but­ter and both sug­ars until com­plete­ly smooth and no lumps remain. Add the egg and vanil­la and whisk to incor­po­rate, mak­ing sure the egg has been com­plete­ly mixed in. Add the pump­kin and again whisk to fully incor­po­rate. Add the flour mix­ture to the bat­ter and, using a rub­ber spat­u­la, fold the mix­tur until com­bined and no pock­ets of flour remain. Fold in the but­ter­scotch chips, white choco­late chips and pecans. Pour the bat­ter into the pre­pared pan and smooth into an even layer.

4. Bake until a thin knife insert­ed into the cen­ter comes out clean, 35 to 40 min­utes. Set the pan on a wire rack to cool com­plete­ly, then use the parch­ment han­dles to lift the bars out of the pan and cut into squares. Store in an air­tight con­tain­er at room tem­per­a­ture for up to 5 days.

pumpkin burnt sugar shortbread bars

i had high hopes for this recipe but i couldnt really taste the burnt sugar. not sure if i didnt burn it enough.  overall not too bad

Pumpkin and Burnt Sugar Shortbread Bars
Makes 25 small squares
Inspired by these bars from Joe Pastry
For the filling:
1 1/2 cups (355 ml) whole milk
1 1/2 cups (350 grams) pure pumpkin purée*
1/3 cup (70 grams) sugar
1 teaspoon (4 grams) ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon (4 grams) ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon (2 grams) ground nutmeg
1 1/2 teaspoon (7 ml) vanilla
3 eggs
For the crust:
1 1/2 cups (187 grams) flour
1/2 cup (50 grams) powdered sugar
1/2 cup (63 grams) raw pecan halves, very finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon (2 grams) salt
1/2 cup (1 stick or 113 grams) butter, cold and cut into pieces
For the burnt sugar base:
3/4 cup (142 grams) sugar
3 tablespoons (45 ml) water
Caramel-making requires a bit of planning so prepare everything before you begin: Preheat oven to 350. Butter an 8 x 8 pan then line with two sheets of overlapping parchment and set aside. Measure out the milk and set aside. Whisk together pumpkin, sugar, spices and vanilla in a medium bowl and set aside. Whisk together eggs in a small bowl and set aside. Have a wire cooling rack at the ready.
Make the crust: In a medium bowl whisk together flour, powdered sugar, finely chopped pecans, and salt. Add the butter and use your fingers to rub the cubes into the flour mixture until a dough begins to form and the mixture holds together when pressed. You can also pulse together the flour, powdered sugar, whole pecans halves and salt in a food processor until the nuts are finely chopped, then add the butter and pulse until combined. Press the crumbs evenly over the bottom and up the sides of the prepared pan. It may be a little crumbly but don’t fret, it will hold together. Bake the crust for 15 minutes.
While the crust is baking make the filling: Combine the sugar and water in a large, heavy pot and tilt the pan until the sugar is wet. Heat the mixture over medium high heat, swirling occasionally. It will begin to bubble. Keep a close eye and swirl the pan often. It will begin to turn an amber color then quickly start to deepen. When you get to this point turn down the heat and remove the pan from the flame, grab a whisk, and prepare for the sputtering ahead!
Add a splash of the milk to the burnt sugar. It will sputter and splatter so be careful. Quickly whisk to combine then – continuing to whisk constantly – add the rest of the milk to the caramel. Return the pan to a medium low heat and whisk in the pumpkin mixture until smooth and stir until it has thickened slightly.
With one hand re-whisk the eggs and with the other, slowly pour a small amount of the warm pumpkin mixture into the eggs. This is called tempering and prevents the custard from turning to scrambled eggs. Add the tempered egg/pumpkin mixture back to pot and whisk until the filling is smooth and well-combined or about 2 minutes.
Bring it all together and assemble the bars: Somewhere along here your timer should have gone off to alert you about the crust, and it is just hanging out and cooling on the rack. Pour the filling over the warm crust and return to the oven. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the middle no longer jiggles. Let cool completely before removing from the pan, then slice and serve. Serve at chilled or at room-temperature, preferably with a dollop of bourbon whipped cream. Store bars in the refrigerator for several days.

cheesey creamed corn casserole

for thanksgiving with my sister and dad i made a simple creamed corn casserole.  we couldve done without the cheese i think but overall it was easy, simple, and delicious

INGREDIENTS:

1 (15¼-ounce) can sweet whole kernel corn, drained
1 (14¾-ounce) can sweet cream style golden corn
1 (8¼-ounce) package corn muffin mix
1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
½ cup (4 ounces) unsalted butter, melted
6 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded (about 1½ cups), divided

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9x13-inch casserole dish; set aside.

2. In a large bowl, use a rubber spatula to mix together the corn, muffin mix, sour cream, melted butter, and ½-cup of the cheese. Pour the mixture into the prepared casserole dish and spread into an even layer.

3. Bake for 45 minutes, or until the top is golden brown. Increase the oven temperature to 400 degrees F and sprinkle the top with the remaining cheddar cheese. Return to the oven and bake for an additional 5 to 10 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Allow the casserole to sit for at least 5 minutes before serving.

other things we made:
arugula, hazelnut, beet, parmesan salad

roasted asparagus with parmesan

brown butter brussel sprouts with bacon

apple crisp

roasted eggplant with miso dressing

i picked this as another dish to bring to the saturday potluck and i love it!  it is so simple and easy and tastes so delicious and fresh!  this recipe is from the family meal recipe book that we have. 

Ingredients:

• 2 small-to-medium whole eggplants (1 1/2 pounds total)
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 teaspoons dashi powder (see headnote)
• 1/2 teaspoon red miso paste
• 2 teaspoons soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons sunflower oil
• 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds (see NOTE)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Place the whole eggplants on the baking sheet. Roast for 45 minutes, turning them over halfway through. Cool on the baking sheet.
Meanwhile, combine the water, dashi powder, miso paste, soy sauce, toasted sesame oil and sunflower oil in a tall jar or pitcher. Use an immersion (stick) blender to puree until emulsified and thickened. (Alternatively, combine the ingredients in a jar with a tight-fitting lid. Seal and shake until emulsified.)
Peel the roasted eggplants and discard the skin. Cut the flesh into long, 1/2-inch-wide strips, then arrange the strips in a serving dish. If necessary, use the immersion blender to re-emulsify the dressing.
Spoon the dressing evenly over the eggplant. Sprinkle with the toasted sesame seeds.
NOTE: Toasted sesame seeds are available at Asian food markets, or you can toast the raw seeds in a small, dry skillet over low heat for 5 minutes.

pao de queijo

i first had these cheese breads at bossa nova in san francisco.  they were cheesy and chewy like mochi almost.  i found this recipe and it was decent.  they are better fresh than reheated.  as with all foods i guess.

Ingredients
1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups (10 ounces) tapioca flour or sour cassava flour
2 eggs
1 - 1 1/2 cups Parmesan cheese
Equipment
2-quart saucepan
Long-handled spoon
Standing mixer with paddle attachment (or mixing bowl and elbow grease)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 450°F. Line a baking pan with parchment and set aside.
1. Boil the Milk and Oil: Combine the milk, oil, and salt in the saucepan, and whisking occasionally, bring it to a gentle boil over medium heat. Remove from heat as soon as you see big bubbles coming through the milk.
2. Add the Tapioca Flour: Add all of the tapioca flour to the saucepan and stir until you see no more dry tapioca flour. The dough will be grainy and gelatinous at this point.
3. Cool the Dough: Transfer the dough to the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. (Alternatively, you can do the next few steps by hand. Be prepared for a work-out.) Beat the dough for a few minutes at medium speed until it smooths out and has cooled enough that you can hold your finger against the dough for several seconds.
4. Beat in the Eggs: Whisk the eggs together in a small bowl. With the mixer on medium, beat the eggs into the dough in two additions. Wait until the first addition has been fully incorporated into the dough before adding the second. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
5. Beat in the Cheese: With the mixer on medium, beat in the cheese until fully incorporated. The resulting dough will be very sticky, stretchy, and soft with a consistency between cake batter and cooke dough.
6. Portion the Puffs: Using an ice cream scoop, a tablespoon measure, or a dinner spoon, scoop rounded portions of the dough into mounds on the parchment-lined baking sheet. Space the mounds an inch or two apart. Dip your scoop in water to prevent sticking.
7. Bake the Puffs: Transfer the sheet with the puffs to the oven and immediately turn down the heat to 350°F. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the puffs have puffed, the outsides are dry, and they are just starting to color. Cool briefly and eat. Leftover puffs can be kept in an airtight container for up to a week and re-crisped in a warm oven or toaster oven.

cauliflower au gratin

for a potluck saturday i decided to bring cauliflower au gratin.  this recipe is not so cheesey and quite peppery.  i didnt notice that our gruyere went bad so i didnt use gruyere and just used parmesan.  that couldve made it more cheesy i think ...

Ingredients

• 1 (3-pound) head cauliflower, cut into large florets
• Kosher salt
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, divided
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 cups hot milk
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
• 3/4 cup freshly grated Gruyere, divided
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• 1/4 cup fresh bread crumbs

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Cook the cauliflower florets in a large pot of boiling salted water for 5 to 6 minutes, until tender but still firm. Drain.

Meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Add the flour, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon for 2 minutes. Pour the hot milk into the butter-flour mixture and stir until it comes to a boil. Boil, whisking constantly, for 1 minute, or until thickened. Off the heat, add 1 teaspoon of salt, the pepper, nutmeg, 1/2 cup of the Gruyere, and the Parmesan.

Pour 1/3 of the sauce on the bottom of an 8 by 11 by 2-inch baking dish. Place the drained cauliflower on top and then spread the rest of the sauce evenly on top. Combine the bread crumbs with the remaining 1/4 cup of Gruyere and sprinkle on top. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and drizzle over the gratin. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the top is browned. Serve hot or at room temperature.

cherry chocolate chunk oatmeal cookies

when i saw this recipe i knew i wanted to try it with dark chocolate chunks and cherries.  im not a huge fan of white chocolate and i love dark chocolate.

Ingredients:
* 2 cups old fashioned oats
* 1/4 cup water
* 1 1/4 cups (about 6 1/4 ounces) all purpose flour
* 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 16 tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter
* 1/2 cup (3 1/2 ounces) sugar
* 3/4 cup (about 6 ounces) light brown sugar
* 1 egg
* 1 cup dried cranberries
* 1 cup chopped white chocolate or white chocolate chips, put in the freezer for 20 minutes


Procedures:
1. In a small bowl, combine oats and water; set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt; set aside. In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. As soon as it's melted, remove from heat and stir in sugar and brown sugar. Add egg, stirring quickly until incorporated. Add flour mixture to the pan and stir to combine. Stir in oats, cranberries, and white chocolate. Cover dough with plastic wrap and let chill in refrigerator at least 2 hours and up to overnight.
2. Adjust oven rack to lower and upper middle positions and preheat oven to 350°F. Drop cookies by the rounded tablespoon onto prepared cookie sheets and bake until brown on top, 13 to 15 minutes. Let cool completely before moving.

roasted pears

i made this on a random weekday night.  it was delicious.  the caramel hadnt really formed a thick sauce though.  we just had it with ice cream. we also didnt have the cognac so i just whipped the cream with whiskey

Caramel Roasted Pears with Gingersnaps & Cognac Whipped Cream Recipe

Caramel Pears
4 T (60g) unsalted Butter
1 c (180g) packed Brown Sugar
4 firm but ripe Pears, halved & cored
Whipped Cream
2 c (470 ml) Heavy Whipping Cream
1 t (5ml) Vanilla Extract
2 T (30ml) Domaine de Canton (Ginger Cognac), or any cognac or brandy
2 T (15g) Powdered Sugar
3 T (45ml) Domaine de Canton (Ginger Cognac), or any cognac or brandy for topping finished pears
16-24 sm Gingersnap Cookies
Preheat oven to 400° F

1. Make Roasted Pears and Caramel Sauce. Melt butter in approx 9″x13″ baking dish in oven until butter begins to slightly brown and has a nutty aroma. Spread brown sugar over butter, then lay pears, cut side down, on top of the brown sugar. Return to oven and bake for approx. 30-40 min, or until pears are soft and sauce is thickened to coat the back of a spoon well. Set aside to cool to your desired serving temp. (Can be served still warm or room temp. – both are fantastic)

2. Make Whipped Cream. Combine whipped cream ingredients in a mixer and whisk on high speed until it reaches the soft peaks stage. Set aside in refrigerator until ready to serve.

3. Serving. Plate pears with a nice spooning of caramel sauce. Spoon the 3 T of Domaine de Canton over the pears, and serve with whipped cream and gingersnap cookies.

kalua chicken

this is a super simple recipe thats easy to prep but takes a while in the oven. you can use chicken for the pork which is what we did.  we used chicken thighs.  we also added cabbage at the end

Ingredients:

3 to 5 pound pork butt roast

3 teaspoons of salt

1/2 cup tamari soy sauce

2 teaspoons worcestershire sauce

5 garlic cloves, crushed

2 inch piece of ginger, crushed

2 teaspoons liquid smoke

Instructions:
Combine seasonings and rub all over pork, and marinate the pork for 1 hour. Wrap roast in leaves, then in heavy foil. Bake at 325 degrees farenheight for 4 or 5 hours. Drain off the fat and shred meat.