Cooking Experience

Moved!

2009-10-27T08:51:00.000-07:00

Please visit my blog here: http://home.qpaulson.net/~julie/blog/

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2009-02-09T00:10:00.001-08:00

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2009-02-09T00:00:00.000-08:00

Pan fried mini layered cake

2006-12-19T21:27:00.000-08:00

This recipe looks simple and interesting, so we decided to give it a try.

We didn't follow the ingredients closely as all the measurements have to be converted from grams to mL. We also didn't follow the steps closely, but just threw everything together. And, I didn't think rolling takes any skills, but I was wrong. After the first test roll, we became more creative and add in some dark chocolate spread in between the layers.

Test roll:

Finished:

Gingerbread Cookies

2006-12-11T14:11:00.000-08:00

Makes about 24 six-inch gingerbread people

Ingredients:
6 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter,room temperature
1 cup dark-brown sugar,packed
4 teaspoons ground ginger
4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cloves
1 teaspoon finely ground black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 large eggs
1 cup unsulfured molasses

Steps:
1. In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Set aside.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Mix in spices and salt, then eggs and molasses. Add flour mixture; combine on low speed. Divide dough in thirds, and wrap in plastic. Chill for at least 1 hour.
3. Heat oven to 350°. Line baking sheets with Silpats (a French nonstick baking mat). Set aside. On a lightly floured work surface, roll dough 1/8-inch thick. Cut into gingerbread people shapes. Transfer to prepared baking sheets.
4. Cut out desired decorations and place on cookies. Press currants into dough to create eyes and buttons. To create hair, roll a piece of dough into a ball and pass through a clean garlic press. Attach hair to heads. Bake until crisp, but not darkened for about 20 minutes. Let cookies cool on wire racks.
5. Decorate with royal icing.

Note: When making very large cookies, use two spatulas to transfer cutout dough to baking sheets, or roll dough directly onto the baking sheet. Press cutter into the dough, and remove the excess before taking away the cutter.

Royal Icing

Makes about 2 1/2 cups

2 large egg whites, or more to thin icing
4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar, or more to thicken icing
Juice of 1 lemon

1. Beat the whites until stiff but not dry. Add sugar and lemon juice; beat for 1 minute more. If icing is too thick, add more egg whites; if it is too thin, add more sugar. The icing may be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Note: Raw eggs should not be used in food prepared for pregnant women, young children, or anyone whose health is compromised.

Chicken with Celery, Carrots and Cashew Nuts

2006-10-05T00:04:00.000-07:00

Ingredients: Chicken thighs, celery, carrots, cashew nuts
Steps:
1. Cut all ingredints in bite size.
2. Stir fry with soy sauce and oyster sauce.
3. Serve over rice.

Super Healthy Salad

2006-10-05T00:00:00.000-07:00

Ingredients: lettuce, cucumber, tomato, mandarin, shrimp and golden Italian dressing.
1. Cut all the ingredients in bite size.
2. Add golden Italian dressing and toss well.
3. Serve and enjoy!

Romantic Prime Rib Dinner with Chili Beans

2006-09-17T21:44:00.000-07:00

Prime rib steak was huge.

Chili beans were spicy.

Rosemount Shiraz Cabernet was tasty.

Candle light was romantic.

Having dinner with you was priceless.

Chinese Borsch

2006-09-08T23:57:00.000-07:00

Ingredients: 1 lb beef shank, 1/2 cabbage, 3 tomatoes, 4 carrots, 1 onion, 2 cans of chicken broth, garlic, ginger, salt, pepper, oil and water.

Steps:
1. Boil beef in water for 20 minutes. Rinse and cut into cubes.
2. Heat up oil and add garlic, onions, beef cubes, ginger, salt and pepper.
3. Add in chicken broth and water. (1:1)
4. Add in tomatoes and cook for 50 minutes at low heat.
5. Add in carrots and cabbage. Cook for another 20 minutes.
6. Ready to serve.

Beef Stew

2006-09-03T08:54:00.000-07:00

Ingredients: 2~3 lbs Beef Rib Finger (牛坑腩), 4 tomatoes, 2 onions, 5 carrots, garlic, ginger, soy sauce paste (醬油膏), cooking sugar (冰糖), cooking wine, water, oil, chili bean sauce and green onions.

Steps:
1. Boil beef rib finger in water for 20 minutes.
2. Rinse to clean and cut into 4 cm cubes.
3. Heat up some oil and add in garlic and 1 onion to stirfry.
4. Add ginger, beef cubes, soy sauce paste, cooking wine and chili bean sauce.
5. Stir fry until beef turns in nice brown colour.
6. Add in 3 cups of water or enough to cover the meat.
7. Add in tomatoes and cooking sugar.
8. Cook until it is boiling. Then, reduce to low heat and cook for 50 minutes.
9. Add 1 more onion and carrots. Cook for 20 more minutes.
10. Serve and garnish with green onions.

Baked Pork Chop Rice with Cheese

2006-08-25T00:23:00.000-07:00

Ingredients: pork chops, rice, eggs, shrimps, veggies, tomato sauce, chedder cheese, mozzarella cheese, garlic salt, pepper, sugar, soy sauce.

Steps:
1. Fry rice with eggs, shrimps, veggies with tomato sauce.
2. Marinate pork chops with garlic salt, sugar, soy sauce. Pan fry them with a bit of oil.
3. Put the rice in a glass container and then pork chops on top.
4. Cover the dish with shredded chedder and mozzarella cheese.
5. Bake for 15 min at 375 degrees until the cheese are golden brown.

Sausage Jambalaya

2006-08-24T00:04:00.000-07:00

Ingredients: 2 spicy chorizo sausages, 2 spicy Italian sausages, 1 onion, 1 zucchini, 5 mushrooms, 1 yellow bell pepper, 1 can of Hunt's stewed tomatoes, 2 cans of Campbells chicken broth, salt, pepper, garlic, oil, butter.

Step 1:
Chopped onions, zucchini, mushrooms, bell peppers in cubes and pan fry them with oil and butter. Add some salt and pepper for seasoning. Put it aside.

Step 2:
Cut the sausages in slices and pan fry them.

Step 3:
Add in all ingredients together and the can of stewed tomatoes. Stir fry everything until it's mixed well.

Step 4:
Add in 2 cups of rice and 2 cans of chicken broth. Bring it to boil first and then slow cook it on low heat for 20 min. Mix it to make sure it doesn't get burnt on the bottom.

Baked Chicken & Shrimp Alfredo Pasta

2006-08-16T01:08:00.000-07:00

Ingredients: chicken thigh, shrimps, rice pasta, alfredo sauce, 4 different kinds of fresh cheese.

Steps:
1. Cook pasta in boiling water.
2. Pan fry chicken cubes and shrimp with some oil.
3. Mix alfredo sauce and add in pasta, chicken and shrimps.
4. In a glass baking pan, put pasta, shredded cheese, more pasta and more cheese on top.
5. Bake it at 450 degrees for 10 min.

Curry Chicken Rice

2006-07-31T18:37:00.000-07:00

Ingredients: 6 chicken thigh, 2 carrots, 2 potatoes, 1 onion, 2 cloves of garlic, 500 mL water, 1 package of glico curry cubes.

Steps:
1. Cut all the ingredients in cubes.
2. Stir fry onions with butter, oil and garlic.
3. Add in carrots and chicken and stir fry until meat is golden brown.
4. Add potatos and water. Bring it to boil for 10 min.
5. Add in curry cubes and cook in medium heat for 30 minutes.
6. Serve over rice.

Oreo Ice Cream Cake

2006-07-27T22:08:00.000-07:00

Ingredients: 4L Tuxedo ice-cream, mini oreo cookies, chocolate frosting, 1 cup of oreo crumbs, 1/2 cup of butter

Steps:
1. Melt butter and mix in oreo crumbs for bottom layer.
2. Add Tuxedo ice-cream.
3. Add chocolate frosting and decorate it with mini oreo cookies.

Perogies in garlic bacon mushroom sauce

2006-07-23T12:51:00.000-07:00

Ingredients: perogies, bacon, can of garlic mushroom soup, milk, oil

Steps:
1. Broil the perogies and cut bacon into small pieces
2. Heat up the pan with oil and pan fry the periogies until one side turns golden brown.
3. Add in the bacon bits and the can of garlic mushroom soup with some milk.
4. Simmer the perogies in sauce and serve in perfection.

BBQ Ribs and Corn on the Cob

2006-07-21T15:49:00.000-07:00

Ingredients: babyback ribs, bbq sauce, garlic salt, ground pepper, corn on the cob, butter

Steps:
1. Apply BBQ sauce, garlic salt, ground pepper on ribs.
2. Bake it at 400 degrees for 1 hour.
3. Cook corn in water and spread butter and salt on it.

It tastes even better than last time I made ribs!!

Cinnimon Apple Wafer

2006-07-20T14:22:00.000-07:00

A healthy dessert recipe I learned from a friend.

Ingredients: green apple, ground cinnimon, sugar, triscuit crackers, marble chedder cheese

Steps:
1. Mix sugar and cinnamon in medium bowl. Add apples and toss to coat.
2. Place crackers on cookie sheet; top each cracker with 1 cheese slice and 1 apple slice.
3. Bake at 350°F for 4 to 5 minutes or until cheese is melted. Serve warm.

Oatmeal Cranberry White Chocolate Cookies

2006-07-12T19:48:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:
2/3 cup of butter
2/3 cup of brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups of old-fashion oats
1 1/2 cups of flour
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 1/4 cup of dried crangerries
2/3 cups of Hershey white chocolate chips

Steps:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
3. Add eggs and mix well.
4. Combine oats, flour, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl.
5. Add to butter mixture.
6. Stir in dried cranberries and white chocolate chips.
7. Bake for 10-12 minutes and cool on wire rack.

I've gone crazy and made about 50 cookies to celebrate my next project launch!!!

Chicken Alfredo Pasta

2006-07-08T13:46:00.000-07:00

Ingredients: egg noodles, chicken breast strips, alfredo sauce mix, basil, oregano, salt, pepper, milk, butter

Steps:
1. Cook pasta and drain it
2. Whisker alfredo sauce mix with milk and butter
3. Pan Fry chicken and add in sauce and pasta
4. Plate it with basil and oregano on top (if desired)

Banana Boat

2006-06-26T15:27:00.000-07:00

Stir Fry Water Spinach with Garlic (蒜炒空心菜)

2006-06-15T15:57:00.000-07:00

Ingredients: water spinach, garlic, salt, oil.

Steps:
1. Wash and cut the water spinach.
2. Heat up the pan and add oil and garlic.
3. Stir fry the vegetables and add in salt.

Steak Dinner

2006-06-13T09:52:00.000-07:00

Ingredients: beef tenderloin, mushrooms, pasta, baby carrots, lettuce, steak pepper, garlic salt, olive oil, butter.

Steps:
1. Cook pasta in water and pan fry it with olive oil, basil, oregano and garlic salt.
2. Slice mushrooms and fry them with butter, salt and pepper.
3. Wash lettuce and baby carrots.
4. Pan fry beef tenderloin with butter, olive oil, garlic salt and steak pepper.
5. Plate everything together!

6 Rules for Eating Wisely

2006-06-09T14:06:00.000-07:00

Rule #1. Don't eat anything your great-great-great grandmother wouldn't recognize as food. Eat food, not food products.

Rule #2. Avoid foods containing high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS). It's not just in cereals and soft drinks but also in ketchup and bologna, baked goods, soups and salad dressings.

Rule # 3. Spend more, eat less. All this "cheap food" is making us fat and sick. It's also bad for the health of the environment.

Rule #4. Pay no attention to nutrition label or the health claims on packages.

Rule # 5. Shop at the farmers' market. Eat foods in season, when they are at the peak of their nutritional value and flavor.

Rule # 6. How you eat is as important as what you eat. Eat moderate portions, don't go for seconds or snacks between meals, never eat alone. But perhaps most important, eat with pleasure, because eating with anxiety leads to poor digestion and bingeing.

Seafood Penne with Garlic basil cream sauce

2006-05-11T19:08:00.000-07:00

Ingredients: prawns, squid, garlic, basil, olive oil, pepper, penne, Knorr cream sauce mix, milk, butter.

Steps:
1. Marinate prawns and squid with oil, bazil, pepper, chopped garlic.
2. Stir fry item 1 and set it aside.
3. Cook penne in boiling salt water and drain it.
4. Make sauce with Knorr cream sauce mix, butter and milk.
5. Pan fry cooked penne with sauce and then add in cooked prawns and squid.