Taiwanese Sausage Fried Rice

One of my best friends has been asking me to post some more easy "everyday" recipes to help her cope with having to cook for herself. This is definitely one of those lazy week night recipes because you don't have to run to the grocery store. I think you can make fried rice with just about anything in your fridge, as long as you have some eggs and some rice! In fact, I always like using old refrigerated rice because fresh rice tends to be too sticky and also the cold rice really picks up on all the oils and flavors as it slowly heats up. For this fried rice I decided to go with some taiwanese sausage, but only because we had a bunch in our fridge... I've done the same thing with chicken, hot dogs, frozen shrimp... and just about anything, stay tuned if you're interested in the kimchi fried rice version! Anyway, here is the recipe!

Ingredients:
5 Eggs
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dashi (optional)
4 cups of day old rice (2 cups uncooked) *
5 Taiwanese sausages cut into slices
2 Tbs cooking oil
2 tsp salt
green onion (optional)


Directions:

1. Heat oil in a wok on high heat. While the oil is being heated, beat five eggs with 1/2 tsp salt and dashi. *Be sure to beat it in an upward motion rather than stirring... think of how you wrap a string around a yo-yo but double time speed! It makes your eggs fluffier* 
2. Check if the oil is ready by dropping a dash of egg mixture in the oil, if it immediately bubbles up then you're ready to go. Pour the egg mixture in the heated wok and let it settle for 30 seconds before scrambling the eggs. Once the eggs are no longer runny, remove and set aside. (I prefer dragging the eggs from one side to another and allowing the uncooked portions to run and cook up, it gives you big chucks on egg that you can later break up). 
3. Place all the sliced taiwanese sausage in the pan and stir occasionally without adding any more oil, the sausages will let out plenty of oil on their own. 
4. After you begin to smell the fragrant scent of the oily sausage, add the rice to the wok and stir fry the rice with the sausage. Cook the rice until it is fully reheated and season with 2tsp salt.
5. Using low heat, add the eggs and do a thorough mix! 
6. (optional) Garnish with green onion

Cinnamon Raisin Bagels

This morning while I was getting my mom and my breakfast ready, I came across a minor dilemma.... Only one bagel.... who should it go to? Well, in the end I gave it to mama Hsu and opted for frozen wheat toast... and that's when I decided I would make a batch of homemade bagels! As soon as she was off to work, I was off to work on my homemade bagels and found a recipe on smitten kitchen! Many people have mentioned that it's simply not worth it to make bagels at home when it's ridiculously cheap to buy at the store but I always like to see if there is a homemade difference. The results? Less stale, springiness, ability to customize chewiness/size/flavor and just as tasty as store bought! While I have vowed never to make croissants and pumpkin pie by scratch ever again because it's just not cost/time efficient, I think I will continue making bagels because it was actually oodles of fun! 

Cinnamon Raisin BagelsAdapted from The Bread Baker’s ApprenticeYield: 12 super large, 16 regularly large or 24 miniature bagels
**this is a 2 part project or... 2 day for optimal results

Sponge1 teaspoon instant yeast
4 cups unbleached high-gluten or bread flour
2 1/2 cups water, room temperature
Dough1 teaspoon instant yeast
3 3/4 cups unbleached high-gluten or bread flour
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
5 tablespoons sugar
2 3/4 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons malt powder or 1 tablespoon dark or light malt syrup, honey, or brown sugar
2 cups loosely packed raisins, rinsed with warm water to remove surfact sugar, acid, and natural wild yeast
To Finish1 tablespoon baking soda
Cornmeal or semolina flour for dusting (I used Almond Flour)
Egg Wash for brushing (optional)
Cinnamon sugar for sprinkling (optional)

Directions:

1. Part 1: To make the sponge, stir the yeast into the flour in a 4-quart mixing bowl. Add the water, whisking or stirring only until it forms a smooth, sticky batter (like pancake batter). Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature for approximately 2 hours, or until the mixture becomes very foamy and bubbly. It should swell to nearly double in size and collapse when the bowl is tapped on the countertop.
2. To make the dough, in the same mixing bowl (or in the bowl of an electric mixer), add the additional yeast to the sponge and stir. Then add 3 cups of the flour, cinnamon, sugar, salt and malt. Stir (or mix on low speed with the dough hook) until the ingredients form a ball, slowly working in the remaining 3/4 cup flour to stiffen the dough. In the last two minutes of mixing, add the raisins. (I ended up adding a bit of flour with them, as mine were still wet and made the dough a little sticky.)
3. Transfer the dough to the counter and knead for at least 10 minutes (or for 6 minutes by machine). The dough should be firm, stiffer than French bread dough, but still pliable and smooth. There should be no raw flour – all ingredients should be hydrated. The dough should 77 to 71°F. If the dough seems too dry and rips, add a few drops of water and continue kneading. If the dough seems tacky or sticky, add more flour to achieve the stiffness required. The kneaded dough should feel satiny and pliable but not be tacky.
4. Immediately divide the dough into 12 (4 1/2 ounce) pieces for super sized bagels, 16 (3.375 ounce) regular-sized bagels, or 24 (2.25 ounce) perfectly smaller bagels. Form the pieces into rolls. (I did this by cutting it in half... making a ball and cutting it into 1/8ths like a pie)
5. Cover the rolls with a damp towel and allow them to rest for approximately 20 minutes.
6. Line 2 sheet pans with baking parchment and mist lightly with spray oil. Poke a hole in a ball of bagel dough and gently rotate your thumb around the inside of the hole to widen it to approximately 2 inches in diameter for a supersized bagel, one and a half inches for a large one or just slightly more than one inch for a miniature. The dough should be as evenly stretched as possible. ** I rolled each piece into a tight ball, then pressed a my thumb and middle finger together in the center and slowly stretched out the hole by rotating the "ring")
7. Place each of the shaped pieces two inches apart on the pans. Mist the bagels very lightly with the spray oil and slip each pan into a food-grade plastic bag, or cover loosely with plastic wrap. Let the pans sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes.
8. Check to see if the bagels are ready to be retarded in the refrigerator by using the “float test”. Fill a small bowl with cool or room-temperature water. The bagels are ready to be retarded when they float within 10 seconds of being dropped into the water. Take one bagel and test it. If it floats, immediately return the tester bagel to the pan, pat it dry, cover the pan, and place it in the refrigerator overnight (it can stay in the refrigerator for up to 2 days). If the bagel does not float. Return it to the pan and continue to proof the dough at room temperature, checking back every 10 to 20 minutes or so until a tester floats. The time needed to accomplish the float will vary, depending on the ambient temperature and the stiffness of the dough.
9. Part 2 (after 3-4 hours or 1 day), preheat the oven to 500°F with the two racks set in the middle of the oven. Bring a large pot of water to a boil (the wider the pot the better), and add the baking soda. Have a slotted spoon or skimmer nearby.
10. Remove the bagels from the refrigerator and gently drop them into the water, boiling only as many as comfortably fit (they should float within 10 seconds). After 1 minute, flip them over and boil for another minute. If you like very chewy bagels, you can extend the boiling to 2 minutes per side. While the bagels are boiling, sprinkle the same parchment-lined sheet pans with almond flour.
11. Brush with egg wash and sprinkle cinnamon on top.
12. When all the bagels have been boiled, place the pans on two middle shelves in the oven. Bake for approximately five minutes, then rotate the pans, switching shelves and giving the pans a 180-degree rotation. (If you are baking only one pan, keep it on the center shelf but still rotate 180 degrees.) After the rotation, lower the oven setting to 450°F and continue baking for about 5 minutes, or until the bagels turn light golden brown. You may bake them darker if you prefer.
13. Remove the pans from the oven and let the bagels cool on a rack for 15 minutes or longer before serving. 

For those who LOVE Cilantro!

For dinner today I had a light zucchini and cilantro pancake. I know that not everyone loves cilantro, but variations of this recipe can be made (ie. substitute green onion for cilantro or adding some seafood in the mix). Growing up I would have it sweet instead of salty... tasted sorta like a crepe. Anyway, its a great base recipe for you to experiment with and its perfect for days when you just want something simple and light! 

Zucchini and Cilantro Pancake

Serving Size 1

Ingredients:

1 egg

1/4 cup of flour

1/3 cup of water

1 tsp salt

half zucchini shredded

handful of cilantro chopped

olive oil

Directions:

1. Combine all the ingredients in a medium size mixing bowl and beat the mixture for around a minute. It should look like cake batter or... thick clam chowder ( I had lots of that this past weekend).
2. Heat oil in a non stick flat pan on high
3. Pour mixture in the center of the pan. After 30 seconds, using a rubber spatula slowly spread the mixture outwards in an attempt to cover the entire pan with a thin layer. (careful not to make holes)
4. After about a minute, shake the pan to ensure the pancake did not stick then flip it to cook/toast the other side. ** sometimes I slip it onto a plate and then cover the plate with the frying pan and flip it that way... 

Minced Pork Rice

I apologize for the blogging hiatus. I blame part of it on my trip to asia! I understand that only explains one month of absence... and I probably could have posted all the "sees"to balance out the taste aspect of this blog. I BLAME HUNGER GAMES for the rest! Anyway, I'm back now and I'm going to give blogging another shot!

So today I have my own recipe for Lu Rou Fan (Minced Pork Rice) for you.  This is one of my FAVORITE things to eat in Taiwan and I had lots and lots of it during my two week there. I think the reason why I like it so much is that I hardly let myself have it... I rarely order it at restaurants in the states because... well the meat is usually REALLY fatty and the sauce makes it extremely hard not to down an entire bowl of white rice... Anyway, this is a low fat version of the traditional lu rou fan! And the best part about this recipe is that you keep it in your fridge for roughly 2-3 weeks and use it as topping on rice, noodles and/or sautéed/boiled veggies!

Low Fat Lu Ruo Fan (Minced Pork Rice)
serves 8

Ingredients:
2 Shallots Minced
8 Shitake Mushrooms Minced (I used dried because it gives a great mushroom flavor)**
Olive Oil
1 lb 97% fat free Ground Pork
3 tsp Michiu (rice wine)
2 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Dashi
6 oz Low Sodium Soy Sauce
1 1/2 tsp Sugar
2 cups of Water (I used the water from my boiled mushrooms)

**boil dried mushrooms in 2 cups of water until soft, keep the boiled water for later use**

Directions:

1. Season pork with 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp of michiu then set aside.
2. Heat olive oil in a non-stick saucer and add minced shallots and cook using medium heat until shallots are caramelized and brown. Then switch to low heat and add mushrooms.
3. Add ground pork and turn the heat to medium high to brown the meat.
4. After most of the pork is browned add the soy sauce,  michiu, salt, dashi and sugar, stir well. 
5. Then add the mushroom water half cup at a time to reduce. Then cook on low heat for 2 hours... or garnish with cilantro and eat right away :) (the sauce gets better with time)
6. I added hard boiled eggs after step 5

If you love Oreo Mcflurrys and Cookies-n-Cream Ice Cream

You'll love these! I've been on a cookie craze lately so I busted out my list of all the cookie recipes I've wanted to try. I let one of my good friends choose for me since I was going to bring them to a group event and chances are that my friends would end up eating most of them. Unfortunately, when I pulled them out of the oven... I couldn't help but eat.. Not one... Not two.. But three.. Almost immediately.. But in my defense they were the less perfectly circular ones :)

Cookies and Cream Cookies adapted from Erica's Sweet Tooth

Makes 28 cookies

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter, at room temperature

6 tbsp sugar

6 tbsp brown sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

1-1/4 cup flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

12 Oreo's, broken up into small pieces (I used a ziploc bag and pounded the cookies with my fist :)...)

Directions

1. Preheat the over to 350 degrees.

2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy

3. Add egg and vanilla and beat until well mixed.

4. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt.

5. With the mixer on low, slowly add the dry ingredients into the wet until just combined.

6. Gently fold in Oreo pieces.

7. Scoop 1 inch dough balls onto an ungreased cookie sheet about 2 inches apart.

- Bake for 8-10 minutes, until the edges barely start to brown. Cool on baking sheet for a few minutes and they'll flatten and become beautiful.

Mint Chip Cookies!

My aunt is visiting from Taiwan and she was telling me about this mint/chocolate cake from Singapore that was the best thing she ever ate...and after hearing her say that, I thought to myself as Barney Stinson would say, "challenge accepted!" However since I'm heading to Tahoe for a weekend snowboardng trip I figured I would make cookies instead as they are easier to transport to NorCal. These are your average cholocated cookie with the addition of mint chopped mint chocolate. I had Hershey mint truffles but go ahead and use andres. These cookies taste like a softer version of thin mints.. Pop them in the freezer for a cool treat!

Mint Chip Cookies
Makes 30 cookies

Ingredients
1 stick and 2 tbs butter softened
1 cups white sugar
1 eggs
1 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup unsweetened Hershey cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped min chocolate

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy
3. Then beat the egg and add the vanilla into the sugar mixture
4. In a separate bowl, mix flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt
5. Gradually combine dry ingredients into the creamed mixture.
6. Fold in chocolate chips.
7. Scoop with a tablespoon and roll into a ball shape 1 inch in diameter. Slightly flatten before baking for 8-10 mins.

Cranberry Lemon Scones

This past weekend I hosted four young sisters from my church for a winter break bible school thing and I figured it would be a great opportunity to bust out the stand mixer! I had a can of whole cranberries on my shelf since thanksgiving so I decided to put them to use. I've been ridiculously busy and haven't had much time to bake so it was nice heating up the oven again... so nice that I also baked some bread and cookies.. Anyway, back to the scones. I am a huge blog fan of smitten kitchen and found this recipe on there. The scones were wonderfully light and creamy and tasted awesome out of the oven with some fresh whipped cream. Unfortunately, the dough was really moist and hard to work with according to the recipe. I dropped a blob on a baking sheet and baked it to see whether adding flour to dry up the dough would make a difference in the end product. I added approximately 1 cup of extra flour and it allowed me to work with the dough, rolling it into a ball and flattening it so i could make scone wedges. In the end, with the extra flour or without the scones still tasted the same. I'm going to continue experimenting with scone recipes but this recipe will get the job done when you've got a craving!

Ingredients

1 1/2 tablespoons freshly grated lemon zest (from about 2 lemons; preferably Meyer)
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar plus 3 tablespoons additional if using fresh cranberries
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter, cut into bits
1 1/4 cups fresh cranberries, chopped coarse, or 1 1/4 cups dried cranberries, if you insist
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 cup heavy cream
Accompaniment: whipped cream
Directions:

Preheat oven to 400°F. and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

1. With a vegetable peeler remove the zest from lemons and chop fine, reserving lemons for another use.
2. In a food processor pulse flour, 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder, salt, butter and zest until mixture resembles coarse meal and transfer to a large bowl.
3. In a small bowl toss together fresh cranberries and 3 tablespoons sugar and stir into flour mixture. If using dried fruit, add to flour mixture.
4. In another small bowl lightly beat egg and yolk and stir in cream. Add egg mixture to flour mixture and stir until just combined.
5. On a well-floured surface with floured hands pat dough into a 1-inch-thick round, cut into 6 wedges.