Happy New Year & 2012 Top Ten Recipes

Today is the last day of 2012 and it’s only appropriate I wish all my loyal readers a Happy and Prosperous New Year filled with peace, joy, happiness, and health. With that, I’d like to complete this year’s final post with a highlight of the ten most popular recipes in seasaltwithfood for 2012.

Parmesan, Herb, And Garlic Pull-Apart Bread

                  

Candied Bacon

Flavored Butter

I'm quite fond of making my own compound or Flavored Butter at home. It's a really versatile ingredient to have in your fridge. This butter works brilliantly with bread, chicken, seafood, or vegetables. You could also dot it over your steak, sweet corn, or grilled fish. Today, I am sharing two of my favorite Flavored Butter recipes with you. Over the next couple of days, I will share a few recipes which uses this butter.

Compound/Flavored Butter

Rosemary And Garlic
1 Small Whole Roasted Garlic
2 tsp Finely Chopped Fresh Rosemary
1/2 tsp Sea Salt
1/4 tsp Freshly Ground Black Pepper
1 Stick/1/2 Cup Unsalted Butter, softened at room temperature

Parsley, Chili, Garlic, And Lemon
4 Tbsp Finely Chopped Fresh Italian Flat-Leaf Parsley
1 tsp Chili Flakes
4 Cloves Garlic, finely chopped
Zest of 1 Lemon
1/2 tsp Coarsely Ground Black Pepper
1 Stick/1/2 Cup Unsalted Butter, softened at room temperature

Method

Put the butter with all the ingredients in a bowl, and mix with a rubber spatula until well combined. Transfer the butter onto the center of saran wrap or parchment paper. Roll it up, shape into neat rolls that measure about 4 to 5 inches long and tie the ends with kitchen strings. The flavored butter can be kept in your fridge for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 1 month.

How To Poach Eggs

I will share my method of making Poached Eggs in this post. I know there are so many ways to make simple beautiful poach eggs. I’ll admit I have tried many of the common methods before and have ended up with a lot of wasted eggs. So, I find this method easiest and it works for me every time without fail! It may not be the best looking poached eggs around; but, it works and is certainly good enough for me. Check out the video and please let me know what you think.




How to Poach Eggs

Ingredients

4 Eggs, at room temperature
Water
A big pinch of Sea Salt

A 9 to 10 inch Pan

Method

Fill about 1 inch water and a big pinch of sea salt in the pan and bring it to a boil.

Turn off the heat. Crack one egg at a time into the water and make sure they are side by side. Closed the lid and allow the eggs to set to the desired consistency. I like my egg yolk runny, so, 3 minutes would be perfect.

Using a slotted spoon or spatula, remove one egg at a time and shake off any excess water. Serve the eggs warm.

Stout-Braised Short Ribs

These hearty Irish Stout-Braised Short Ribs are filled with the rich flavors from the famous dark bittersweet beer. They can be cooked in a slow cooker or in an oven. So, I opted to use the oven method. I also added some beef stock to enhance the taste of the sauce. Anyway, do try making these great tasting ribs and the Colcannon, which I posted earlier. It’s a great tasting combination!


Recipe adapted from Williams-Sonoma Kitchen

Stout-Braised Short Ribs
(Printable Recipe)

Ingredients

4 lbs Beef Short Ribs
Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper, to taste
3 Tbsp Canola Oil
2 Yellow Onions, diced
3 Carrots, peeled and diced
2 Celery Stalks, diced
6 Garlic Cloves, sliced
2 Cups Stout
8 Fresh Flat-Leaf Parsley Sprigs (optional)

Method

Season the short ribs generously on all sides with salt and pepper. In a large fry pan over medium-high heat, warm the oil until almost smoking. Working in batches (do not overcrowd), brown the ribs on all sides, 5 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.

In the same pan over medium heat, add the onions, carrots, celery and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Season the mixture with salt and pepper.

Slow Cooker Method: Transfer the short ribs and vegetables to a slow cooker and add the stout. Cover and cook according to the manufacturer’s instructions until the meat is very tender, about 6 hours.

Oven Method: Preheat the oven to 300˚F. Transfer the short ribs and vegetables to a Dutch oven and add stout. Cover the pot with aluminum foil and place the lid on top. Transfer to the oven and bake until the meat is very tender, about 4 hours.

Transfer the ribs to a large bowl and cover with aluminum foil. Skim the fat of the sauce. Using an immersion blender, puree the sauce until smooth.

Transfer the ribs to individual bowls. Spoon the sauce on top and garnish each serving with a parsley sprig. Serve immediately.

Serves 8.

Colcannon

Next Wednesday is St Patrick’s Day and I thought it would be a good idea for me to post my two favorites Irish comfort food recipes. They are Stout Braised Short Ribs and Colcannon. Today, I am posting a recipe for Colcannon, which is mashed potatoes mixed with cream, butter, sautéed cabbage, kale, leeks, onions, garlic, and bacon. I like the combination of the creamy mash potatoes, the crunchiness of the bacon, and the tender-crisps vegetables in this recipe. Do try this recipe. The addition of vegetables to the usual mash potatoes does make this unique!


Recipe adapted from Williams-Sonoma Kitchen

Colcannon
(Printable Recipe)

Ingredients

2 ½ lb Russet Potatoes, peeled and quartered
Sea Salt and freshly Ground Black Pepper, to taste
8 Tbsp (1 Stick) Unsalted Butter
¾ Cup Milk
4 Bacon Slices, cut into ½ inch dice
4 Large Shallots, thinly sliced
1 Large Leek, white and light green portions, halved lengthwise, rinsed well and thinly sliced
1 Bunch Curly Kale, about ¾ lb, stemmed and coarsely chopped
1 Small Head Napa Cabbage, about 1 lb, cored and coarsely chopped (I used Savoy Cabbage)
1/8 tsp Mace or Freshly Grated Nutmeg

Method

Put the potatoes in a large pot, add water to cover the potatoes by 2 inches and generously salt the water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, reduce the heat to medium and cook until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife, about 15 minutes. Drain well in a colander.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan over low heat, combine the butter and milk and heat until the butter melts and the mixture is hot, 8 to 10 minutes.

Set a potato ricer over a large bowl and press the potatoes through in batches. Fold in the milk mixture in two additions. Season the mixture with salt and pepper. Cover the bowl with aluminum foil and set over a large saucepan of barely simmering water to keep warm.

Heat a heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium heat until hot. Add the bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned and crisp, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a paper tower-lined plate. Set aside.

Pour off all but 3 Tbsp of the fat from the pot. Return the pot to medium heat, add the shallots and leek and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the kale and toss just well wilted but still bright green, about 3 minutes. Add the cabbage and toss until tender-crisp, about 8 minutes. Sprinkle with the mace and the bacon, and season with salt and pepper. Stir the potatoes into the cabbage mixture and serve warm.

Serves 8.

Peanut Cookies

I think Peanut Cookies must be one of the easiest cookies to make. All you need is roasted peanuts, sugar, flour, peanut oil, a pinch of salt, and a couple of egg yolks to glaze the cookies. Sounds simple, right? Well, it is and I do hope you will give this recipe a try.


Peanut Cookies
(Printable Recipe)

Ingredients

300 g Roasted Peanuts, ground finely
150 g Sugar
350 g All-Purpose Flour
A pinch of Sea Salt
200 ml Peanut Oil
2 Egg Yolks, beaten (for glazing)

Method

Preheat the oven to 325˚F.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground peanut, sugar, flour and salt.

Add the oil to the dry mixture and mix well with a wooden spoon. Then combine the mixture with fingers to form crumbly dough.

Pinch about 15g of the dough and shape into cherry-sized balls. Then use a chopstick to make a shallow dent. Brush the dough with the beaten egg yolks.

Bake the cookies for about 22 to 25 minutes. Let cool completely before storing in an airtight container.

Makes about 90 pcs.

Pineapple Tarts-Pictorial & Video Guide-Bloggers Dinner at East Is East

Recently, I attended a bloggers dinner gathering organized by Sherman of Sherman’s Food Adventures. The gathering was pretty well received, more than 20 bloggers attended the dinner which was held at East Is East restaurant. Well done Sherman! Appreciate your invitation to join the event. I did not take any pictures that evening; but, if you are interested, please feel free to view some of the photos and a write-up about the event from Victoria (Victoria's Food Secrets), Kim ( I'm Only Here For The Food) , Jessica & Mark (Yum-O-Rama), Wilson (La Petite Vancouver), Kevin (604 Foodtography), Darina (Gratinee), Melody (Gourmet Fury), TS ([eatingclub] Vancouver), Joyce & Frank (Van Foodies), Anita (La Petite Foodie), Jenny (My Secret Garden), Jonathan (Food and Tell), and Mijune (Follow Me Foodie)

Well, the winter Olympic is just around the corner and if you are coming over to Vancouver, do consider checking out all the above bloggers’ blogs as they will definitely provide you with some great ideas to dining out in Vancouver. They have diligently scout through and reviewed all of the restaurants and eateries here in Vancouver!


Anyway, back to my Pineapple Tarts post. I posted this recipe about a year ago and received many emails asking me about the technique used to wrap and shape the tart into little pineapples. Well, here is the pictorial guide and for the first time, I am also including a video guide as well to guide you through this easy process.








Pineapple Tarts

Ingredients

Pineapple Jam
3 Large Ripe Pineapples, skin and cut into chunks
200 g to 350 g Sugar (adjust accordingly)
2 cloves
5 cm Cinnamon Stick
3 Pandanus leaves, cleaned and knotted
80 g Golden Syrup or Maltose

Method

Blend the pineapple chunks in a blender or a food processor. Then pour into a sieve and drain off some of the juice. Place the pineapple, sugar, cloves, cinnamon stick and pandanus leaves in a heavy bottom saucepan and cook over a low heat. Adjust the sugar accordingly. Stir frequently until the jams are slightly thick and add in the golden syrup. Then cook until the jam is thick and glossy. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool. Then roll the pineapple jam into a small cherry sized balls.

Pastry
500 g Unsalted Butter, softened
100 g Confectioner Sugar
1 tsp Sea Salt
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
4 Large Egg Yolks
700 g All-Purpose Flour, sifted
100 g Corn Flour, sifted
2 Large Egg Yolks, lightly beaten for egg wash
Extra Cloves for decorating

Method

Preheat the oven to 180˚C and line baking tray with parchment paper. In a large mixing bowl, combine the butter, sugar and salt. With a wooden spoon mix until they are well combined and add the egg yolks and vanilla extract. Then mix in all the sifted flours and knead lightly to form soft dough. To shape the tarts - Flatten a piece of dough (about 15 g) with lightly floured hand and place a piece of the prepared pineapple jam in the center, wrap and seal well. Roll the tart lightly into an oval shape and snip the surface of the pastry with a small scissors to form a spiky look. Then insert a clove into one end. Brush the pastry with the egg wash and bake for about 20 minutes or until they are light golden in color. Cool on the rack and place the pineapple tart in small baking cups and store in airtight cookie jar.

Dinner @ Nu With BC Blueberry Council

I was invited to attend a dinner event with the BC Blueberry council last week. It was a well organized fun-filled social and educating evening. For me, it was also a great opportunity to learn more about BC blueberries and to meet the key people who have done an outstanding job promoting awareness of BC Blueberries.

The dinner was held at Nu in downtown Vancouver. Chef de cuisine, Peter Burt prepared a delectable menu for the evening. Below are some of the pictures of his creations. Bravo to chef Peter Burt!

We were handed a bag of blueberries by the organizers at the end of the evening. I enjoyed the fresh blueberries and also used them in my pancakes, ice cream, salad, and baking. I will definitely share some of the recipes with you soon.

If you are keen to learn more about BC blueberries, please visit their website at BC Blueberry . The site have some great recipes using blueberries.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Kara Daugharty from BC Blueberry for inviting me to attend this special event.

UBC Blueberry Fest

To all readers in the Vancouver, BC area:

BC Blueberry Council in conjunction with UBC, is having their “First UBC Blueberry Fest” this month. If you love blueberries like I do, you may want to go check out the fest. It should be fun and will be a good way to learn more about BC Blueberries and it’s special place in the BC and Canada's economy. For instance, did you know that BC is the largest producer of highbush blueberries in Canada? Over 17,000 acres and almost 80 million pounds produced, makes BC the second largest blueberry producing region in the world and growing steadily. So, do come join the fest and learn more..

Here are the details:

UBC presents its first UBC Blueberry Fest!

When: Tuesday July 28, Wednesday July 29 & Thursday July 30 from 9AM-1PM each day (rain or shine)

Where: UBC Bookstore Plaza (6200 University Boulevard and East Mall)

Supported by the BC Blueberry Council and the UBC Bookstore

We will be promoting BC Blueberries with a fantastic supporting cast of events:
- Daily prize draw and free recipes
- UBC bookstore discounts
- Pancake breakfast, parfaits, blueberry muffins, scones, cakes, creme brulee, blintzes on the menu
- Blueberries from the farm

Maxfrut

Why am I posting about popsicles at this time of the year, you are probably asking? Well, this is no ordinary popsicles that you get from your local grocers fridge which I would like to share with you. These are gourmet fruitcicles by Maxfrut. All their products are made from 100% whole, real fruit and NO artificial coloring or flavoring. Best of all, they are only 70 calories per bar.

Now, I think you might be wondering how good are these fruitcicles then? The child in me had me bravely indulging on 7 varieties of Maxfrut's fruitcicles, namely pineapple, mango, lime, melon, raspberry, bumbleberry, and watermelon. The verdict? Simply delicious and the whole experience did not leave me feeling too guilty afterwards!

So, if you're around the North Shore, why not go check out their Flavor Lab for some fruitcicles. At the moment they are selling their products right at their lab, which is located on 127 Garden Ave, North Vancouver.

You can also browse their website for more detailed information on their products and the availability of their product in your area. Here are some pictures taken recently at their premises and a few taken at home. Enjoy.:-)

Açaí Energy Bowl

Okay, as promised earlier, here is my Açaí bowl recipe. I'm sure many of you must be wondering what is Açaí, right? In fact, I have received a few emails regarding the product. Well, you can learn more about Açaí from Sambazon. They have all the information, a few recipes and a blog too! Go check them out!



Açaí Energy Bowl



Ingredients



2 Packets (100 g) Original Açaí

1 Banana

2 Tbsp Natural Yogurt

2 or 3 Splash of Soy Milk

Extra 1/2 a Banana, sliced

A handful of your favorite Granola



Method



Blend the frozen Acai, banana, yogurt and soy milk. To serve, top with slices of bananas and granola.

Super Açaí Smoothies

I have heard so much good things about Açaí berry supplement, especially as a source of antioxidants and energy boosters, but I never thought much about it. So, recently I was invited by Ben and Suanne of Chowtimes to check out a new and fancy frozen yoghurt place called Qoola at Denman St, Vancouver. (They were invited for a soft opening at Qoola) The frozen yoghurt was good until the name "Açaí" was mentioned and Qoola açaí bowl was fantastic!

Okay, when I saw packets of frozen Açaí at Wholefoods, immediately I knew I have to try them. Today, I'm posting smoothies with blueberry recipe. I had one glass of it for lunch and they really fill me up! Btw, I'll be posting my Açaí Bowl recipe during the weekend.



Super Açaí Smoothies
(Printable Recipe)

Ingredients

1 Packet (100 g) Pure Açaí
1 Cup Organic Unsweetened Soy Milk
1 Cup Frozen Blueberries
1 Banana
1 Tbsp Honey
Some Fresh or Frozen Blueberries for garnish

Method

Mix all the ingredients and blend until smooth. Serve immediately.