Parmesan Croutons

Ingredients

Break cubes                 4 cups

Butter                          3 tablespoon

Garlic salt                    ½ teaspoon

Dried basil                   ½ teaspoon

Parmesan, grated          2 tablespoon

Directions:

1. Preheat oven 350°F/180°C. Line a flat baking sheet with foil 

2. Toss all the ingredients in a big mixing bowl, spread evenly onto the baking sheet.  Bake in the oven for 10 minutes, then flip and bread cubes a bit, bake an additional 8-10 minutes. 

3. Remove from oven and let cool completely before store in air tight containers.

Serving: 4 cups

Pear and Gorgonzola Pizza

I. Pizza dough

Ingredients

Warm water             ¼ cup

Active dry yeast          2 ¼ teaspoon

Water                          1 cup

Olive oil                   3 tablespoon

Bread flour       3 ¼ cups

Salt                   1 ½ teaspoon

Directions:

1. Pour the warm water and active dry yeast into a big mixing bowl, let rest 5-10 minutes.

2. Add water and olive into the bowl, then slowly incorporate the flour and salt into the wet ingredients.  When all the ingredients barely comes together into a ball, cover the mixing bowl with a damp towel, let the dough rest for 20 minutes. 

3. After resting for 20 minutes, knead the dough for 5 minutes until it’s smooth and elastic. 

4. Brush the inside of a large mixing bowl with extra olive oil.  Place the dough into the bowl, turn once to coat both side with olive oil.  Let rise till doubled, around 45-60 minutes. 

5. Remove the pizza dough from the bowl, punch down the dough to remove the big air bubbles.  Shape the dough into desired pizza shape.  Wrap extra pizza dough in a plastic bag and store in freezer for future use. 

II. Pear and gorgonzola filling

A Ingredients

Heavy whipping cream                  1 cup

Sour Cream                                     2 tablespoon

Parmesan cheese, shredded           ½ cup

Olive oil                                           2 tablespoon

Onion, shredded                              2 heads

D’Anjou pears, sliced                      1 head

Gorgonzola cheese, chunks             1 cup

Salt and pepper                                   to taste

B Ingredients
Olive oil                  1 tablespoon

Directions:

1. Reduce the heavy whipping cream in a small sauce pan with medium low heat, stir constantly until the cream is reduced in half, around 10-15 minutes.  Then add the sour cream and shredded Parmesan cheese.  Remove from heat once the cheese melts and incorporated into the cream.

2. Meanwhile, heat up the olive oil from A ingredients in a medium frying pan, add the shredded onion to cook until caramelized, around 10-15 minutes, salt and pepper to taste.

3. Shape the pizza dough into desired shape, spread with cheese sauce, place the sliced pear, sprinkle with caramelized onion, then top with gorgonzola cheese chunks.  Then add a bit of salt and pepper to the top of the pizza. 

4. Brush the Olive oil in B ingredients onto the pizza crust.  Bake in the oven 375°F/190°C for about 15-18 minutes, until the crust is golden brown.  Wait 3-5 minutes after removing from oven to slice the pizza into serving pieces, this will allow the cheese to cool down a bit. 

Servings: 12 inch pizza x 2

Multi-Grain Tea Cookies

Lately there’s been so many news about the benefits of multi-grains and fiber.  So I’ve invented this cookie for this holiday season.  It’s super crispy and tasty, perfect as a family treat or gifts from the kitchen.  The seeds can be changed into other left over seeds from your pantry.  Package these cookies in clear jars or cello bags and tie a ribbon to make the most delicious gifts ever.  Enjoy!!

A Ingredients

Butter, room temp        150 g

Brown sugar                 115 g

B Ingredients

Egg                              1 piece

All-Purpose flour     200 g

Black sesame               1 tablespoon

White sesame               1 tablespoon

Flax seeds                    1 teaspoon

Raw sugar                    1 tablespoon

Directions:

1. Beat A ingredients together until fluffy, then beat in the egg.  Using a rubber spatula, fold in the flour and all 3 seeds.  Using hands, form the mixture into a dough, wrap with plastic wrap and chill in refrigerator for 1 hour. 

2. Preheat oven to 375°F/190°C, line the baking sheets with parchment paper.

3. Slice the dough into ¼ inch thin slices, place onto baking sheets, sprinkle with raw sugar on top. 

4. Bake in the oven for around 13 minutes until golden brown, let cool a few minutes before removing the cookies with a spatula to a wire rack to cool completely.  Store in air tight containers. 

Serving: 2 dozen

Crispy Rotisserie Chicken

A Ingredients

Chicken, whole                          1 head

B Ingredients

Rosemary, minced                      2 tablespoon (or 2 teaspoon dried)

Oregano, minced                         2 tablespoon (or 2 teaspoon dried)

Orange zest                              1 ½ teaspoon

Lemon zest                               1 ½ teaspoon

Salt                                                1 teaspoon

Onion powder                               1 teaspoon

Garlic powder                               1 teaspoon

Ground black pepper                    1 teaspoon

Olive oil                                       ¼ cup

C Ingredients

White or Red wine                     ½ cup

Flour                                           1 tablespoon

Orange marmalade                     2 tablespoon

Salt and pepper                          to taste

Directions:

1. Place all the B ingredients in a mixing bowl to make a rub. 

2. Rinse the chicken under water and pat dry.  Rub the herb rub evenly onto the chicken.  Then place the chicken onto a baking pan with wire racks.  Tie the chicken with kitchen twine to make it more presentable.  Quarter the lemon and orange used for zest, place into the baking pan with the chicken. 

3. A rotisserie chicken should be baked at 350 for 15-20 minutes per pound.  Baste the chicken with pan dropping every thirty minutes. 

4. Place the baking pan back onto the stove, pick out the food debris.  Turn the stove on to medium low, add the wine to deglaze the pan, cook until the alcohol is evaporated.  Drain the pan sauce into another bowl. 

5. In a separate sauce pan, add one tablespoon of the sauce, add the flour when it’s sizzling.  Sauté the flour until the raw taste is gone, then add the rest of the pan sauce while stirring.  When it’s incorporated, add the orange marmalade to melt. If the sauce is too thick, add more chicken stock or water.  Salt and pepper to taste. 

Serving: 6-8

Sapphire Dream

Half way through cleaning the kitchen with roommate Peter, I decided to reward ourselves with a cocktail.  What with no ice and no club soda, I needed to get creative.  I found a blue bottle of gin in the cupboards, added some Sprite from the frig, mint and lemon from the garden.  This cocktail I made was so good.  It hit all the right notes and taste buds.  There I was thinking…maybe I have a career as a bartender, too….
Sitting down at dinner celebrating my aunt Julie’s homecoming.  She mentioned a blue bottle of gin that she brought back from Paris 10 years ago.  OMG…how much is that bottle worth now? Wait, so it wasn’t me, the good bartender??  Indeed it was the 10 years aged Dry Gin of Bombay Sapphire from Paris.  Good thing my aunt wasn’t too mad, maybe the spotless house and kitchen helped! 

Ingredients

Bombay Sapphire                ¼ cup

Mint leaves                         4 pieces

Sprit, icy                            ½ cup

Lemon                               ½ head

Directions:

1. Pour the Gin and mint leaves into a glasses, muddle with a muddler or a rolling pin to release the minty flavor.  Scoop out the muddled mint and discard.

2. Pour the icy Sprit into the glasses, squeeze the juice of half a lemon into the cup, mix.

3. Garnish with a slice of lemon and fresh mint leaves. 

Serving: 1

Cheddar Cheese Dip

This is the most popular chip and dip at any American parties.  Don’t make it out of a can, try making it fresh from ingredients you have in your frig.  It’s worth it. 

A Ingredients

Tortilla chips                           5 cups

Sour cream                              ¼ cup

Pico de gallo                            2 tablespoon (optional)

Scallion, chopped                    1 tablespoon

Onion, chopped                       1 teaspoon

Chili pepper powder                1 pinch

B Ingredients

Butter                                      1 tablespoon

Flour                                         1 tablespoon

Milk                                          ½ cup

Cheddar cheese, shredded       ½ cup

Rotel chili tomato                     2 tablespoon

Salt and pepper                            to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325°F/160°C. Spread the tortilla chips onto a cookie sheet, bake 10 minutes in the oven. 

2. Melt the butter in a small sauce pan, then stir in the flour, cook until the flour doesn’t smell raw, then slowly whisk in the milk to make a roux.  When it’s incorporated, add the shredded cheddar cheese, Rotel chili tomato sauce(optional).  Salt and pepper to taste.  Place the lid on to keep warm while preparing chips. 

3. Pour the chips into a big platter, place the bowl with the cheese sauce in the middle.  Then decorate with sour cream, Pico de Gallo, chopped onion, chopped scallion, and chili pepper powder. 

Serving: 6