Portuguese Bean Soup

Winter is the perfect time to cook up a batch up piping hot soup like this Portuguese Bean Soup recipe. It's very important to use smoked ham hocks for the broth and you want to make sure give yourself plenty of time for this slow cooking process.  This recipe is so simple; it's guaranteed fool-proof!

Portuguese Bean Soup
10-12 servings

Ingredients:
2-3 smoked ham hocks
bay leaf
1 bunch cilantro, reserve some chopped cilantro for garnish
1 large Portuguese sausage, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 cans kidney beans
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 large carrots, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
1 large onion, diced
2 medium potatoes, cubed
1/2 cabbage, roughly chopped (optional)
1 cup elbow pasta, cooked al dente (optional)
1 14 oz. can stewed tomatoes
2-3 T Worcestershire sauce
tomato paste (optional)
salt
pepper

Directions:
Put ham hocks, 1 bay leaf and cilantro in a pot and add enough water to cover the ham hocks. Bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer for about 2 1/2 to 3 hours, covered to prevent evaporation. Cook Portuguese sausage in frying pan until slightly browned, then place on paper towel to drain oil.

Remove ham hocks and cilantro from the pot; discard cilantro. Let the ham hocks cook and remove the meat from the bone, cutting into smaller pieces.  Into the pot, add the ham hock meat, Portuguese sausage, kidney beans, garlic, onions, carrots, celery, cabbage, potatoes, stewed tomatoes and Worcestershire sauce.  Let simmer and stir occasionally until potatoes are cooked. Adjust to taste with salt and pepper. You may add tomato paste at this time for thickness, if desired. Add cooked macaroni at the end and turn off heat.  Garnish bowls with cilantro and serve immediately.

Tea Leaf Eggs

Chinese tea leaf eggs are so easy to make at home.  Eggs were on sale so I decided to make a batch of slowly simmered flavored eggs to share them with my family.  My kitchen was filled with a wonderful aroma of spices after cooking them in slow cooker for 2-3 hours.

Tea Leaf Eggs

Adapted from here and there

Ingredients:

6-8 large eggs

2 T loose black tea leaves or 2 black tea leaves bags

2 star anise

1 cinnamon stick

2-3 cloves

1 tsp five spice powder

1 tsp sugar 

4 tbsp soy sauce 

Roughly 2 cups water

Directions:

1.  Prepare hard boiled eggs in a saucepan.

2.  Carefully tap the eggshells with the back of a spoon to let the flavors seep through the eggs and to create a marbled like appearance when cooked.

3.  Arrange eggs in one layer at the bottom of the slow cooker then add just enough water to cover the eggs along with the rest of the ingredients.  Set the slow cooker on high and let simmer for about 2-3 hours. 

You can cut the eggs in half and serve it with the brew or eat as is.  Enjoy

Dan Dan Noodles

After one year since my unsuccessful attempt at making dan dan noodles, I decided to give it another try.  Dan Dan Noodles  (担担面) is a Chinese Sichuan dish consisting of a spicy sauce with minced pork and preserved vegetables served over noodles.  All the recipes I found were so different so I just adapted to several recipes into one.  This home-made version satisfied my dan dan noodle cravings for now. 


Dan Dan Noodles  
Serves 4

Ingredients:

Cooking oil
1 lb. ground pork
1/2 T low-sodium soy sauce
2 tsp Shaoxing rice wine
1 tsp sesame oil
1/2 onion, diced
3 T garlic, minced
2 T ginger, minced
2 T peanut butter
1 1/2 T light soy sauce
1/2 T dark soy sauce
2 T chili oil
1 T Sichuan peppercorns (toasted & ground)
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 pound noodles

Garnish:
Crushed roasted peanuts
Chopped green onions

Directions:
1. Mix pork, soy sauce, rice wine and sesame oil.  Set aside and let marinade for 15 minutes.
2. Heat a large wok or skillet on medium high heat. Add oil and brown until no longer pink then set aside.
3. Return wok to heat, add oil and saute onions until tender.
4. Add the garlic and ginger and saute until fragrant.
5. Add the peanut butter, soy sauce, chili oil, chili sauce, sesame oil, Sichuan peppercorns and chicken stock and simmer for 5-7 minutes.
6. Add the pork and remove from the heat.
7. Prepare the noodles according to package instructions. Place noodles on a plate and pour some of the pork  mixture over the noodles.
8. Garnish with chopped peanuts and green onions, and serve.

Sources:
Closet Cooking
World Foodie Guide
Smoky Wok
Appetite for China

Labour Day, Vancouver, B.C.

Hubby and I went to Vancouver, B.C. over the Labor Day weekend for a foodie getaway. We headed straight to Motomachi Shokudo for some yummy ramen after checking into our hotel. It turns out Kintaro Ramen was only a few doors down from Motomachi.  Luckily, our wait at Motomachi was less than 5 minutes compared to the long line snaking out the door from Kintaro.  I ordered the New Generation Miso Ramen with bean sprouts, menma, onions, Japanese leek (lots of it), corn, BBQ pork, and green onions.  The soup was very tasty and the pork was very good with a nice grilled flavor. Hubby ordered their specialty Bamboo Charcoal Ramen with soft poached egg, menma, Japanese leek, BBQ pork, and green onions. The broth was mixed in with bamboo charcoal powder which explains the black color and claims to be healthy for you.

We really enjoyed the ramen at Motomachi and can't wait to go back. We took a stroll along Robson after dinner and stumbled upon Guu on Thurlow.  They were open late so we decided to try some izakaya dishes before heading back to the hotel.  They even make their own beer called Guuu'd Ale. One bottle costs $8.50!  We skipped the drinks and just ordered a few dishes to nibble. We had the takoyaki, tako wasabi, karaage and pork intestine. The takoyaki could have used a bit more octopus, otherwise, the food was okay.

Since we were surrounded by Chinese restaurants in Richmond we decided to grab dim sum for breakfast the following day.  We went to Fisherman's Terrace in Aberdeen Center and were one of the few early birds there. The service was very efficient and attentive. As soon as we were seated, we looked through the menu and marked what we wanted on the order sheet (they didn't push carts around like most dim sum restaurants typically do). The food was good but I don't think I would make a special trip back there next time we're in the area.  Hubby said he would go back just for the sticky rice.

After breakfast, we went back to the hotel to check out and decided to get some xiao long bao (soup dumplings) from Shanghai River. I was craving soup dumplings very badly but we were turned away when we got to the restaurant. Apparently, reservations are required in order to eat there. :(

Our failed attempt to eat at Shanghai River set us back on time. We originally planned to tandem bike around Stanley Park after breakfast, grab a late lunch and get gelato before heading back home. We had to forgo biking and went to eat lunch instead at Miura Waffle Milk Bar. What can I say, I love my waffles!  Since we wanted to save room for gelato, we decided to share a savory waffle sando (short for "sandowichhi," Japanese for sandwich). We ordered the bulgogi with beef, egg sauce, kimchi and bulgogi sauce. I wished the waffle was crispier but the sandwich itself was good. I would like to try tiramisu waffle sando next time.

We couldn't have picked a better day to go to Vancouver. The weather was beautiful and so perfect for a nice cold treat at Yaletown Gelato. We ordered a piccolo size consisting of two scoops gelato - blood orange and hazelnut. And that concludes our 24 hour food adventure.  

Parmesan Garlic Pita Chips with Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

It's starting to feel chilly around here and I don't like it one bit. I'm not ready to say goodbye to summer! I want to do more BBQ's and picnics. The photo above was taken in July when we had our first and only picnic this year at Discovery Park in Magnolia. I believe the park is the largest in Seattle. We didn't explore much due to time constraints (we got there at 7pm), but we did manage to find a nice spot overlooking Puget Sound to have our picnic. I made pita chips and hummus to accompany our sandwiches and they were so addictive. Who needs to buy pita chips when you can make it at home yourself?  You just need pita bread and a few basic ingredients. Same with the hummus and they go so well together. 

Parmesan Garlic Pita Chips

Ingredients
4 whole wheat pitas
2-4 T olive oil
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp Italian seasoning
Grated parmesan cheese

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400° F. Cut the pita rounds into 8 wedges. Toss the pitas with olive oil, parmesan, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper if desired, and place on baking sheet. Bake until golden brown and crisp, about 8-10 minutes. Monitor the pita chips in the oven because they burn easily. Remove from oven and let cool.

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

Adapted from All Recipes

Ingredients:
1 can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
1 (4 oz) jar roasted red peppers
3 T  lemon juice
1 1/2 T tahini
1 T olive oil
2 clove garlic
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp salt


In a food processor, puree the chickpeas, red peppers, lemon juice, tahini, olive oil, garlic, cumin, cayenne, and salt. Process, using long pulses, until the mixture is smooth. Make sure to scrape the mixture off the sides of the food processor in between pulses. Transfer to a serving bowl and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Blueberry Cream Chese Scones

Blueberries remind me of my favorite scones from Diamond Head Market & Grill in Kapahulu.  I can finally savor these scones when I go back to Hawaii in less than three months!  In the meantime, I made some homemade version of these with the abundance of blueberries I've picked this summer. It was a sticky mess to make but it was well worth it. These are best eaten warm after they're baked. You can refrigerate the rest and reheat it in the microwave for about 15-20 seconds.

Blueberry Cream Cheese Scones
Makes 8 scones

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 T baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
6 T cold unsalted butter, cut in pieces (I grated the butter)
1 1/2 cups frozen blueberries
1/3 cup buttermilk
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 oz. cream cheese, cut into little pieces

Method:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees, with rack in center. Combine butter, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a bowl and cut with a pastry blender or two butter knives until crumbly. In a separate bowl, stir egg and buttermilk until well combined. Make a well in the center of dry ingredients, and stir in cream mixture until dough forms into ball. Gently fold in blueberries and cream cheese. Spoon mounds of dough onto ungreased baking sheet, and press lightly to flatten. Tuck in berries and cream cheese as much as possible. Bake until golden brown, 18-20 minutes. Transfer scones to wire racks to cool.

Adapted from here and there.

Blueberry Almond Coffeecake

I went blueberry picking this past weekend and picked over six pounds of blueberries!  Lucky me, I live close to two blueberry farms only a few miles away.  At only $1.25 per pound, it was totally worth the labor.  Blueberries keeps well in the freezer so I stored some in Ziploc bags and froze them for future uses.

Hubby found a blueberry muffin recipe and decided to bake us some goodies! We didn't have enough butter so we halved the recipe.  Also, we didn't have a stand mixer and the hand-held mixer worked just fine.  These were perfect for Monday morning breakfast!

Everlasting Blueberry Almond Coffeecake
From Hungry Rabbit

Yields 12 individual coffeecakes

Streusel Ingredients:
1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 cup slivered almond
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
2 T granulated sugar
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp table salt
4 T unsalted butter (1/2 stick), cut into 8 pieces, softened

Cake Ingredients:
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup almond flour
1-1/2 tsp baking powder
10 T unsalted butter (1-1/4 stick), softened but still cool
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tsp table salt
1 tsp grated lemon zest
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp almond extract
2 large eggs, room temperature
4 cups fresh blueberries

Directions:
1. For the streusel: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, combine flour, almond, sugars, cinnamon, and salt on low speed until well combined and no large brown sugar lumps remain, about 45 seconds. Add butter and mix on low until mixture resembles wet sand and no large butter pieces remain, about 2-1/2 minutes. Spread streusel out onto a small tray (do not press to compact) and freeze for 30 min. Wipe bowl clean for cake preparation.

2. For the cakes: Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position; heat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard muffin pan with paper liners.

3. Whisk flours and baking powder in small bowl to combine; set aside. In the stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter, sugar, salt, and lemon zest at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes; scrape down bowl. Beat in vanilla and almond extracts until combined, about 30 seconds. With mixer running at medium speed, add eggs one at a time; beat until partially incorporated, then scrape down bowl and continue to beat until fully incorporated (mixture will appear broken).

4.With mixer running on low speed, gradually add flour mixture; beat until flour is almost fully incorporated, about 20 seconds. Stir batter manually with rubber spatula, scraping bottom and sides of bowl, until no flour pockets remain and batter is homogenous; batter will be thick.  Gently fold in blueberries with rubber spatula until evenly distributed.

5. Transfer batter to prepared muffin cups; with small off-set spatula or spoon, spread batter evenly to cup edges, gently pushing in to fill all gaps. Remove streusel from freezer, break up in to small chunks with hand and sprinkle streusel evenly over batter. Bake until deep golden brown and toothpick or wooden skewer inserted into center of cake comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Cool until just warm or to room temperature, about 1 hour.