Cranberry Galette

Dried cranberry is so easy to get addicted to snack on but fresh cranberry is too tart to eat directly. I passed by this galette recipe one day when I was craving for some buttery sweets and it reminds me the bag of cranberry there in the freezer sitting for a long time. Perfect timing to use the fresh cranberry for something simple and satisfying. The recipe uses all the ingredients for one galette but I divided them into two because I know I will quickly eat the whole thing without giving a thought that it contains so much calorie. So I baked one last night, together with a spaghetti squash in the same oven. And I don't feel guilty to have a big piece for breakfast :)

9/29/2010

Brown rice mix, stir-fried red pepper and broccoli, shrimp, basil corn, canned beans, tomato, braised pork.

9/28/2010

Stir-fried red pepper and broccoli, sauteed corns, braised pork,

shiitake, canned beans, steamed white perch, brown rice mix.

I went fishing with friends last weekend and we got a lot fish, most of them are white perch. I spent hours cleaning them and because of my hard work, the fish tastes even better :) The only way I cook perch is steam, the same method my grandma and mom use. The heat of the steam quickly cook though the fish which keeps the meat juicy and tender. Steam is the best way to keep the original flavor of the food.

9/27/2010

Stir-fried broccoli and red pepper, pan fried egg, tomato, braised  rib, shiitake, brown rice mix (brown rice, mung bean, adzuki bean, black bean, and job's tear, ).

9/25/2010

These two bento boxes are almost twins. I am not working tomorrow, but gonna spend the entire day outdoors. It might be better to bring my own lunch instead of stopping at the McDonald's, in terms of both taste and health. Also, I volunteered to bring my friend a lunch box too, since I don't think she ever has a bento like this. It was fun to arrange the same food into two different boxes, my is more slim and the other is more for a regular lunch portion. I will see how my friend like it :)

Onigiri and Salmon Rolls

 

There was a time that I was so fascinated by onigiri and addicted to make sushi rolls. I could roll a full plate for lunch and when comes to dinner, made another plate with different fillings and ate them all. Also, I made a lot of onigiri (rice balls) for breakfast. Now the passion has faded away a bit but sometimes, I still like to make these for fun, after all, the presentation of sushi roll is pretty and the shape of onigiri is simply adorable. 

Broccoli Tart

Remember the storm we experienced early this year? This broccoli tart was made at that time. I was extremely happy to those falling snow and how thick they were accumulated on the ground because then, I could keep staying at home, no need to work. Everything went well as I thought, until I finally realized that, the same reason also made me stuck in the house for five days, nowhere to go for fun. I started to feel bored, very bored. Thought of cooking some restaurant level food to kill time, but the refrigerate was almost empty, no way to get out for grocery shopping. In the end, the only fresh veggie I had was the broccoli. That's why this tart was made.Actually the recipe was based on Swiss chard tart but I didn't have it at the moment. The broccoli version was good though, and this was the first time I made the tart crust!!

9/24/2010

Pan-fried swai fillet, stirfried cabbage with enokitake,
cherry tomato, steamed broccoli, carrot slices,
scrambled eggs, brown rice with job's tear.

I haven't cooked swai for a while, it used to be one of those fish I would have several times a week. I like to have it pan-fried rather than steamed, which is a the way we traditionally do for fish at home. However, not all fish are good for steam, swai is one of them. I figure out if pan-fry it through just cooked, the texture is perfect tender and juicy. And if brine it like I do, it tastes even better.

Falafel with Black Bean Hummus

It was the first time in my life making falafel, and might be the last one. It was delicious, but the process of making it is just too much. I try to avoid cooking method using deep fry, not only I don't know what to do with the leftover oil, but try to cut down the calorie intake.

I can't recall if there was a recipe I followed, the chance is bigger that I made this from scratch. I was and, am still trying to eat more beans by cooking them in different ways. I know soy protein is good but have never been a big bean eater since I was born. Some how I got the feeling that I am chocked by swallowing them through the throat. It's funny, isn't it?

Boeuf Bourguignon

I remember clearly that day after work, suddenly I had a strong craving for beef stew, which might because of the cold weather in the winter. Then I googled trying to find some simple recipe for boeuf bourguignon. And I got one, also that was how I found the website I keep following until now, for Chinese readers only though. After putting all the ingredients in the pot and let it sit on the stove top, the apartment was gradually filled with the warm smell, it was heaven! My memory of the childhood was awakened, and that night, vividly reminded me the days with the family.

Butternut Squash Lasagna

Lasagna does not have to be meat and tomato sauce. The taste of this vegetarian version of lasagna is superb and one of the dishes sitting on the top of my list. For me, lasagna is kind of dish that best to eat in cold days, and this one makes the perfect dish in terms of that. Especially in the winter, the cold weather makes the squash produce it's natural sweetness and creamy texture that can make this dish to wow the entire party. I used the no boil lasagna here, but it is much better to use the home-made fresh noodle, which absorb the liquid better and works perfect with the milk based cream sauce. 

Chocolate Banana Cake

This is again a recipe from the Joy of Baking. Usually I can snack on a quick bread for something sweet. But when it comes occasions that I crave real sweets, this is a quick one I can put together. Especially when there are too many over ripened bananas sitting on the kitchen count. And I am telling you I LOVE chocolate. I add chocolate to anything that might work well together or use recipes that use chocolate as the ingredient.

Oatmeal Cookie

I seems to remember this was supposed to be some healthy cookies because I planned to bake them and gave as a gift to a friend who was not supposed to intake too much calorie. Thought it had oatmeal as one of the ingredients, it ended up using tons of butter and became somehow shortbread like. Plus, there was melting chocolate drizzled on the top to make a nice presentation. It did taste very good but in terms of health, it was thumb down. I don't know if my friend ate all of them, he'd better share with others. I can't recall where the recipe came from.

Pineapple Upside-down Cake

This Pineapple Upside-down Cake is a twin to the cranberry upside-down cake, which I forgot to take a picture. Though the cake batter is the same, I prefer the cranberry version better. I like the tartness from the cranberry which works well with the sweet cake. Although I don't deny this pineapple version is good as well, especially the caramel pineapple on the top really brings up some lovely sweetness. If you have a big sweet teeth, this is your cake.

Chocolate Banana Bread

This recipe was got from one of my favorite websites-Joy of Baking. It is a great way to use the over ripened banana yet has a twist on the regular banana bread. The recipe calls for the Dutch processed coca powder but I don't have. The final product didn't turn out as reddish brown as it was supposed to be. But the flavor was still good. I brought it to the picnic and it was all gone.

Eggplant Gratin

Based on Ina's recipe. I have made this dish several times, every time it turns out beautifully and tastes delicious.

9/23/2010

Stirfried cabbage with enokitake, stirfried red pepper and broccoli,
Thai curry scrambled egg, veal chop, brown rice with job's tear.

I got some curry leftover from tonight's dinner. Since it's most curry liquid, instead of seasoning the egg with salt and pepper, I mixed into the curry and scrambled it. I tasted before put it into the bento. It is good!

9/22/2010

Stirfried cabbage with enokitake, veal chop, broccoli, stirfried noodle? stirfied red pepper with broccoli, brown rice with job's tear.

9/21/2010

Stirfried red pepper with broccoli, steamed broccoli, veal chop slices, pan-fried egg with black sesame, brown rice with job's tear.

9/20/2010

Brown rice with job's tear, pan fried veal chop and egg, tomato,

broccoli, some kind of noodle (leftover from a friend)

I have been a glutton these days. It doesn't mean I have eaten tons a lot, but it was more than what I am supposed to eat since I started eating less for dinner. Because the Moon Festival is coming next week, a lot of places have different events which all associated with food. Of course I attended those and, ate. I swear the amount of food I put on my plate was not huge, but my stomach just doesn't function since it shrinks a bit after I am on diet. I was very happy about that until it comes to occations that I do indulge myself to eat more, my stomach starts to fight against my will. And I still feel the uncomfortable fullness after 3.5 hours of eating :(

9/17/2010

stirfried red pepper and broccoli, meatballs, squid, chicken with celery, soba.

9/16/2010

sesame soba, stirfried cabbage with mushroom, sauted veal, cucumber slices, teriyaki meatball, stirfried red pepper, broccoli.

9/14/2010

Brown rice with job's tear, stirfried cabbage with mushroom, stirfried green pepper, pig feet, egg, terryaki meatball, tomato.

Blueberry Corn Muffins

9/10/2010

Budo mame with soba, stirfried cabbage, red pepper, meatball, broccoli, braised pork and egg.

9/8/2010

Soba, tamagoyaki, stirfried broccoli, meatballs, cucumber, red pepper, pig feet.

9/7/2010

Soba, stirfried cabbage with enokitake, stirfried red pepper, pig feet, meatball, shiitake and cucumber.

9/3/2010

Soba with cabbage, broccoli, budo mame, baked beets, meatball,

cucumber from backyard.

Last lunch box before the labor day weekend, yeh!! I am trying to clean the refrigerator since I like to buy more than needed, there is a lot food stored there for a while. I have to tell meself stop buying anything before finishing cooking what's already available. I am doing well so far. Good job, Ting! Next week, things should be back under control :)

9/2/2010

chicken, baby cabbage, budo mame, shitake, mini cabbage rolls,

tomato, soba.

Looks like I will keep eating soba until the end of this week. Somehow there wasn't too much fresh cooked dish everyday these days. Feels like there were always things here and there so I can't spend time cooking. Sigh...