Let's bake an apple pie

      You know what really puts me in a fall mood? Apple picking and of course bake an apple pie! The weather has been beautiful and it's a great time to be outside and pick your own apples. The best part of apple is not only just delicious pies or juices but has a lot of health benefits. I know that apples have surprising nutritional benefits that justify the "apple a day" adage.  Apples are good for your heart, reduce cholesterol, weight loss, and more. 

Let's bake an apple pie

Crust: I use Ina Garten's recipe. Here is the link http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/perfect-pie-crust-recipe.html

Filling: ingredients -1/2 cup unsalted butter, 3tbsp all-purpose flour, 1/4 cup water, 1/2 cup white sugar, 1/2 cup packed brown sugar, 8 Granny Smith apples - peeled, cored and sliced

Directions

1. Preheat oven 425 degrees F

2. Melt the butter, stir in flour, add water, white sugar, brown sugar, and bring to boil and let it simmer with a low heat. 

3. Place the bottom crust in the pan. Fill with sliced apples. Cover with a lattice work crust. Pour the butter&sugar liquid over the crust. 

4. Bake 15 mins in the preheat oven. Reduce the temperature to 350 degrees F. Continue baking for 35-45 mins until apples are soft

Sushi Rolls

   

     Today I'm sharing this quick and easy rolls recipe. If you are not familiar with the sushi rolling skills, I would say all these rolls I'm making today are easy to start. 

How to make Sushi Rice: 

- 2 cups of sushi rice, 2 cups of water, wash and rinse for a couple of times and soak it for an hour and cook the rice. I use a rice cooker

- Making rice vinegar: 1/3 cup of rice vinegar, 2 tbsp of white sugar, and 1/2 tsp of salt. Stir until salt and sugar are dissolved

- Pour the vinegar mixture on cooked rice and use a rice paddle to mix them

- Allow the rice cool down for 15 -20 mins

Ingredients: Roasted seaweed for sushi, cucumber, avacado, salmon, tuna, mayo, sriracha sauce, masago, and bamboo mat (covered with plastic wrap) 

You can make: california roll, salmon cucumber roll, spicy tuna roll, tuna avocado top with masago roll, and salmon&crab roll

Spicy Tuna: chopped the tuna into pieces and mix with 2tbsp of mayo and a 1tsp of sriracha sauce. 

Enjoy!

     

Beef Stew

Total time: 3 hours

Winter is officially here in East Coast. Are you guys looking for some dishes to warm you up? Here is a great beef stew recipe that's easy for all home cooks. 

Put the flour in a dish and season with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil and butter in a large pot. Add beef and brown on all sides over medium to high heat. Remove beef and add onion, garlic, and thyme leaves to the pan. (Optional:  add 1 big fresh tomato (dice) and 1 cup red wine) 

When onion is soft add tomato puree and beef stock. Return the beef to the pot and stir well to coat with the sauce. Cover and cook for 2 1/2 hours. 

Serve with egg noodle and steam veggies such as roasted Brussels Sprout or Broccoli.

Ingredients:

Happy New Year 2012!!

Happy New Year everyone!! How was your holidays? :)

My girlfriends and I went to Las Vegas. We had such an amazing time. Our stay at The Venetian was one of the highlights to our vacation. We are still talking about it and can't wait to go back.... 

Papaya salad (Som Tum)

Papaya Salad is a unique and flavor-filled dish that will make a great impression. It's also easy to make, low-caloric, and nutritious. The taste is a combination of hot chili, sour lime, sweetness added by palm sugar or brown sugar, and salty from fish sauce. BUT you can make it to suit your taste. I love it spicy so I always add a lot of chilies....

Ingredients: shredded green papaya and carrots, 1 clove of garlic, grape tomatoes, green beans, thai chili. 

Seasoning: Fish sauce (or salt), Lime juice, palm sugar (or brown sugar)

Place garlic and chili in mortar and pound with pestle. Add grape tomatoes and green beans keep pounding them. Season with fish sauce, lime juice, and palm sugar then add papaya and carrots, tossing everything together. 

Spaghetti Meat Sauce

I love making meat sauce, it's so easy and great for leftover! Serve with some stream broccoli or grilled eggplants. Mmmm... DELICIOUS!

"Meat Sauce"

  Minced 1 medium onion and minced 3 cloves of garlic. 2tbsp. Extra virgin olive oil. Heat the oil in the pot and add onion and garlic until soft. In a separate pan, cook ground beef (90% lean) and remove it into the pot with juices from the meat. Seasoning with dried oregano, dried parsley, ground black pepper, and salt. add some mushroom and can diced tomatoes. Cook in low heat for couple hours. It goes well with any kind of pasta. 

Fresh Spring Rolls

Looking for a great finger food or appetizer for parties, Check this out!

  This recipe is simple to put together. Chicken or Pork can be used as a meat substitute or can also be made vegetarian. Instead of being fired, like crispy spring rolls, this dish is served fresh. It is very healthy and low in calories. Serve with sweet red chili dipping sauce.

Ingredients: Rice wrapper, Boiled rice noodle, lettuce, Shrimp, chicken, or pork, cucumber, carrots and Basil leaves.

Fill large pot with warm water and put one rice wrapper into the water until its soft (approximately 30 seconds) Remove it to a clean surface. Start filling with those ingredients and roll it. Serve with sweet&sour sauce or peanut sauce.