Jasmine Tea - Change of Blog Name and Address

As of today, I will be changing the name of this blog from Babooblah to Jasmine Tea and the blog address will be moving to:

 http://www.jasmineteablog.com 

The old nameis meant to be a spontaneous creation without much thoughts, and just for the fun of stepping into the blogger world to take a peek. Now, after 6 posts, I think I love what I've been doing and I should give the blog a better name. Jasmine tea is one of my favorite tea which has a mild fragrant and soothing flavor that can accompany any meals or desserts, and it is just as good by itself. I hope this blog can be just like that. I will also be communicating using my name, Grace, instead of Baboo. If there are any questions, please email me at jasmineteablog@yahoo.com.  Thank you.

Green Beans with Cumin and Fennel

This blog has been renamed and moved.  The new name is Jasmine Tea.  Please visit this post at http://www.jasmineteablog.com/2010/03/green-beans-with-cumin-and-fennel.html

I like learning how to make Indian dishes because I like playing around with spices.  I feel like a witch using magic ingredients to make potion. This simple vegetable dish is very similar to Chinese stir-fry.  You put the aromatics in, then the veggies, then the seasoning, some liquids, cover and wait, and then there it is, a magic potion for me to revitalize my day.  I need veggies everyday.

Kitchen notes:  I did not change much about the recipe since this is such a simple one.  I did increase the turmeric by a small amount because I like the smell of it. I also substituted parsley with cilantro because I did not have cilantro on hand.  But please do use cilantro. It gives a nice touch to the dish.

magic ingredients

Recipes:  Green Beans with Cumin and Fennel

Adapted from World Vegetarian by Madhur Jaffrey

Ingredients:

3     Tbsp canola oil

1     tsp whole cumin seeds

1     tsp whole fennel seeds

2     good-sized shallots or 1 small onion, peeled and cut into fine slices

1     garlic clove, peeled and cut into fine slices

1    1" piece of fresh ginger, peeled and cut into very fine slivers

1    lb green beans, cut into 1" pieces

1    tsp ground coriander

1    tsp ground cumin

1/4 tsp ground turmeric

1/4 tsp cayenne

1/2 cup water

3/4 tsp salt

1    small tomato, chopped

3    Tbsp fresh cilantro, minced

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a large saute pan over medium high heat.  When the oil is very hot but not smoking, add the whole cumin and fennel seeds.  Stir for a few seconds and then add the shallots, garlic and ginger.  Stir for a minute or until lightly browned.
2. Add the beans and stir for another 2 mins.
3. Add the coriander, cumin, turmeric and cayenne and stir for a few seconds.
4. Add water and salt and bring it to simmer. Stir and cover.  Turn the heat down to low and let it simmer for 5 mins.
5. Add the tomato and cilantro. Stir and cover.  Cook for another 4 to 5 mins oruntil the green beans are tender.

Chocolate Hazelnut Biscotti

This blog has been moved and renamed. The new name is Jasmine Tea. Please visit this post at http://www.jasmineteablog.com/2010/03/chocolate-hazelnut-biscotti.html

Have you ever dreamt of owning a coffee shop? Aside from being a musician, a photographer, a journalist, owning a coffee shop has been one of my dreams in my adult life.  The warm cozy decor, the earthy aroma of coffee, the sweet treats, the chit chatting with customers, there is just something irresistible about a nice family run coffee shop in your neighborhood.  This afternoon, after the baking in the morning, I made myself a nice cup of coffee, sitting on the patio, served with these delectable chocolate biscotti, watching Yogi, our dog, running around in the yard, I let my dream took over me again. After quitting my job for over ten years in the corporate world, what is my next step? Is there a possibility to realize my dream?

If I have a coffee shop, these biscotti will definitely be on the menu. The chocolate coatings make them a special treats. But it is still delicious even without the coatings.  They are easy to make. All you have to do is to mix the wet ingredients and then dump the dry ingredients into the wet ones and mix them together. Then you have to wait for them to bake twice under low temperature. It is always tempted to try a few pieces after the first bake is done. The most difficult part of the recipe is to peel the hazelnuts. Please see my kitchen notes below . 

Recipe:  Chocolate-Hazelnut Biscotti

Adapted from Williams-Sonoma website 

Ingredients:

4         oz   semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

1         cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1 3/4   cup unbleached all-purpose flour

1/3      cup unsweetened cocoa, preferably Dutch process

1 1/2   Tbsp instant espresso powder

1         tsp baking soda

1/4      tsp salt

3         eggs

1 1/4   tsp vanilla extract

1/2      tsp almond extract

1         cup hazelnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped

For the chocolate coatings:

4         oz semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped*

1         tsp. vegetable shortening*

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 300ºF. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper/wax paper/silpat. 
2. In a food processor fitted with the metal blade, combine the chocolate and brown sugar and process until the chocolate is very fine; set aside. 
3. Sift together the flour, cocoa, expresso powder, baking soda and salt into a bowl; set aside. 
4. Add eggs, vanilla extract and almond extract in the workbowl of an electric mixer. Beat the egg mixture on medium speed until blend.
5. Add sugar, beat until blend.
6. Reduce speed to low, add flour mixture, mix until a stiff dough forms, adding the hazelnuts when the dough is about half mixed.
7. On a floured surface, divide the dough in half. Form each half into a log 12 inches long. Transfer the logs to the prepared baking sheet, spacing them well apart, and pat to even the shapes. Bake until almost firm to the touch, about 50 minutes (logs will spread during baking). Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes. Leave the oven set at 300ºF. 
8. Using a spatula, carefully transfer the logs to a work surface. Using a serrated knife, cut logs on the diagonal into slices 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick. Arrange the slices, cut side down, on the baking sheet. Bake for 25 minutes.*
9. Turn the slices over and bake until crisp and dry, about 25 minutes more. Turn off the oven and let the biscotti cool completely in the oven with the door slightly ajar.

For the chocolate coatings:*

1. Combine the chocolate and shortening in a microwave safe bowl.  Microwave at 80% power for 30 sec. Take out and stir with a wooden spoon. Microwave for another 30 sec at 80% power.  Take out and stir.  Depend on the power of your microwave oven, if large chunks of chocolate remains, you can keep melting the chocolate at 50% to 80% power for 10-15sec for 2 to 3 times more. But each time, give it a good stir and let the heat retained in the mixture to do the job of melting first before putting in the microwave again.  For 4 oz chocolate, it takes me about three 15sec rounds in the microwave and enough heat is retained in the mixture to melt all the chocolate completely. Be careful, do not over heat the chocolate.
2. Holding one tip of the cooled cookie, using a wooden spoon to coat another tip end of the cookie with the hot chocolate. Let it set on a cooling rack on top of a baking sheet. Refrigerate until set. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. 

 * See kitchen notes

 Kitchen notes:

• How to peel hazelnuts? To peel the hazelnuts, toast them at 350ºF for 10 to 12 mins.  Wrap them in a tea towel and wait for the hazelnuts to cool down. Then, you can either rub the hazelnuts with the tea towel or rub them between your palms. You should work closely to a sink so that you can blow away the skin easily. This is not a perfect way. Some skins may still attached to the nuts but they do not affect the taste and texture of the cookies at all. There is another way to peel them by blanching the nuts with baking soda before toasting.  I have not tested that before.  If you have tried that or if you have other better ways, please let me know.   
• The dough is quite sticky.  Use a wooden spoon instead of a spatula to scrape the dough out from the mixing bowl to the work surface. 
• The work surface and your hands have to be heavily floured (but don't be excessive) in order to work the dough easily. 
• The original recipe uses 8 oz of chocolate for the coatings and applies the coatings to one side of the cookie instead of the tip end of both sides.  It is your preference to decide how much coating and where you want it to apply.
• These are the more crispy and crunchy biscotti made without butter. Therefore, be forewarned that they are quite hard in texture. You can slide it thinner to do the second bake. 1/2" is a good thickness.

   

Simple Chili with Kidney Beans

This blog has been moved and renamed. The new name is Jasmine Tea.  Please visit this post at http://www.jasmineteablog.com/2010/03/simple-chili-with-kidney-beans.html

When I first learnt how to make chili on Bebob's request, I always thought that I had accomplished a great deal since this was the first real Mexican food that I made.  But I was wrong, according to Wiki and History and Legends of Chili, Chili Corn Carne, chili is not Mexican food at all.  Although the real origin cannot be known for certain, there is no doubt that it evolved and got popular in Southwestern American, in particular Texas where chili is the official state food.

No matters where it came from, a bowl of rich and lush chili is always a soothing meal. This recipe of simple chili is adapted from the The Best Recipe by Cook's Illustrated. It is so simple and easy to make by using stable available in supermarket and yet the flavor it produces is deep and complex.

Recipe: Simple Beef Chili with Kidney Beans

Adapted from The Best Recipe by Cook's Illustrated

Ingredients:

2    tbsp vegetable or corn oil

2    mediums onions, chopped fine (about 2 cups)

1    red bell pepper, cut into 1/2" cubes

6    medium garlic cloves, minced (about 2 tbsp)

1/4 cup chili powder

1    tbsp ground cumin

2    tsp ground coriander

1    tsp red pepper flakes

1    tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (add more if you like to increase the heat)

1    lb lean ground beef*

1    lb ground chicken breast*

2    cans (16oz. each) dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1    can (28 oz) diced tomatoes, with juice*

1    can (28 oz) whole tomatoes, pureed in blender*

      Salt

* See kitchen notes

Directions:

1. Cook veggies with spices - Heat oil in large Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering but not smoking, about 3 to 4 mins.  Add onions, bell pepper, garlic, chili powder, cumin, coriander, pepper flakes, oregano, and cayenne. Saute until veggies are softened and started to brown, about 10 mins.
2. Cook meat with veggies - Turn heat to medium high and add chicken to the veggies.  Cook until chicken is no longer pink, about 3 to 4 mins.  Add beef and cook until it is no longer pink, another 3 to 4 mins.  Breaking up large clumps of chicken or beef with wooden spoon during cooking.
3. Add beans, tomatoes, tomatoes pureer and 1/2 tsp salt; bring to boil and then reduce heat to low for simmering, covered and stirred occasionally, for 1 hour.
4. Remove cover and let it continue to simmer, stirring occasionally, for another hour or so, until the meat is tender and the chili is slightly thickened. Taste it and adjust seasoning with salt. Serve with lime wedges and other condiments, such as diced avocado, chopped red onion, sour cream and shredded Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese. 

Kitchen notes:

• Original recipe is made with all beef.  To make it a bit leaner, I substituted half of the beef with chicken.  I have tried the recipe with all extra lean ground beef but the result was unsatisfactorily. With half of the chicken, the rich beefy taste is still there.
• Original recipe is made with 1 can diced tomatoes with all the juice and 1 can tomatoes puree. I do not usually keep tomatoes puree in my pantry, so I made my own with whole tomatoes. Sometimes I use crushed tomatoes.  No matter what you use, just watch out for the amount of liquid.  If it seems to be too runny, just reduce the amount of juice from the diced tomatoes added to the pot.

Stir Fried Celery and Carrots with Dried Tofu

This blog has been renamed and moved.  The new name is Jasmine Tea Please visit this post at http://www.jasmineteablog.com/2010/03/stir-fried-celery-and-carrots-with.html

Spring is on its way.  Pretty soon, the grass will be greener, the cherry blossom will be blooming; the dog will be happier since we will take him out more with nicer weather. This is just an anticipation.  The gloomy sky out there says nothing about spring.  To keep my hope alive, I need some spring colors.  Here is a simple stir-fry dish with lovely colors.

Kitchen notes:  

• The dried tofu is an extra firm tofu without much moisture. They usually come with different flavors and five spice is one of the most popular flavors. There are usually 4 pieces in a package. You can get it from most of the Chinese grocers. 
• To remove the strings of the celery, place the inside (the hollow side) of the celery stalk upward.  Cut the bottom white part close to the root slightly, not all the way through. Then bend the cut portion outward and pull towards the top of the stalk with the strings.  

Recipe:  Stir Fried Celery and Carrots with Dried Tofu

Serves 2 (double the recipe to serve more)

Ingredients:
1     Tbsp canola oil 
2     ribs of celery, cut into matchstick, around 1 1/2" long
1     small carrot, cut into match stick, around 1 1/2" long 
1     piece of five spice dried tofu, cut into match stick, around 1 1/2" long
1     Tbsp chicken or vegetable stock or water
1/4  Tsp salt
1     Tsp Chinese cooking wine (optional)
1     Tsp sesame oil

Directions: 

Heat the oil in a medium saute pan over medium heat.  Add the celery, stir fry for 2 mins.  Add the carrots, chicken stock and salt.  The moisture from the stock help the veggies to cook faster.  But too much moisture may steam the veggies instead. So avoid putting too much in. Stir fry until the veges start to soften, about 2 more mins.  Add the dried tofu and the cooking wine (optional). Toss everything together and stir-fry for another 2 to 3 mins or until the vegetables are tender.  You can add a little bit more chicken stock, one Tbsp at a time, if the pan is too dry and the veges start to brown. To finish off, add the sesame oil and stir fry for a few second.  Serve immediately.      

Mini Chicken Pot Pie

mini chicken pot pie

This blog has been renamed and moved. The new name is Jasmine Tea.  Please visit this post at http://www.jasmineteablog.com/2010/03/mini-chicken-pot-pie.html

Going hungry can prolong life?  Just read an article on the recent Time Magazine discussing the research on restricting calories and living longer.  That seems to make sense.  The body of a human beings was originally built to conduct enormous physical activities for hunting and gathering food and to withstand the hardships caused by scarcity of food.  Abundance causes all sorts of problems.  Even my mom, a traditional health conscious Chinese woman who does not care much about western medicine, has always been telling my dad and everybody not to eat to a full stomach, 80% is sufficient. I think that is the Chinese attitude towards everything in life and I follow it as well. Moderation is the key. 

And here is the way to enjoy all the yummy food that you can have: portion control. Specially made for my hubby, N, is this mini chicken pot pie, hoping that he will adopt the principle of moderation. This is a recipe from The Best Recipe by the Cooks Illustrated Magazine. 

Kitchen notes:  I have made this several times with a big baking pan.  This time, I made the individual portion size.  I only used up half of the ingredients for making four mini pies.  The rest of the pie dough and fillings are in the freezer.  I will see how they hold up.  As for the pie dough,  Since unsalted butter is used in the fillings, quite a bit of salt has to be added.  Please taste the fillings and adjust to your personal taste. This is a pretty basic recipe.  You can vary the types of vegetables such as adding mushrooms or herbs to suit you own taste.  The white wine (I don't have dry sherry) really enhances the flavor.  Don't skip it!   

Chicken Pot Pie

Serves 6 to 8

Adapted from The Best Recipe by the Cooks Illustrated Magazine

Pie Dough
1 1/2	Cups unbleached all purpose flour
1/2	tsp salt
8	tbsp unsalted butter (1/4 pound), chilled and cut into 1/4-inch pieces
4	tbsp vegetable shortening , chilled
Chicken Pot Pie
1 1/2	lb boneless skinless chicken breast or boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1	can low sodium chicken broth, with water added to equal 2 cups (or use 2 cups homemade chicken broth)
1 1/2	tbsp vegetable oil
1	large onion , chopped fine
3	medium carrots , peeled and cut crosswise 1/4-inch thick
2	small ribs celery , cut crosswise 1/4-inch thick
4	tbsp unsalted butter
1/2	cup unbleached all purpose flour
1 1/2	cups milk
1/2	teaspoon dried thyme
4	tbsp white wine or dry sherry
3/4	cup frozen peas, thawed
3	tbsp minced fresh parsley leaves

Directions:

To make the pie dough: 

1. Mix flour and salt, put mixture in food processor.
2. Scatter butter pieces over flour mixture, tossing to coat butter with a little of the flour. Cut butter into flour with five one-second pulses. 
3. Add shortening; continue cutting in until flour is pale yellow and resembles coarse cornmeal, keeping some butter bits the size of small peas, about four more one-second pulses. Turn mixture into medium bowl.
4. Sprinkle 3 tbsp ice-cold water over mixture. Using rubber spatula, fold water into flour mixture. Then press down on dough mixture with broad side of spatula until dough begins to stick together. Test the dough with your finger by squeezing a small portion between your finger.  If the dough is moist and comes together, then pour the dough onto a floured work surface. If not, add 1 to 2 more Tbsp of ice cold water.
5. On the work surface, gather the half crumbled dough together and shape it into a ball and then flatten into 4" wide disk.  Wrap in plastic and refrigerate 30mins or longer while preparing pie filling. 

To make the pie filling:

1. Adjust oven rack to low-center position; heat oven to 400 degrees. 
2. Cook chicken with broth - Put chicken and broth in medium size pot over medium heat. Cover, bring to simmer; simmer until chicken is just done, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer meat to large bowl, reserving broth in measuring cup.
3. Cook veggies - Increase heat to medium-high; heat oil in now-empty pan. Add onions, carrots, and celery; sauté until just tender, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. 
4. Shred meat - While vegetables are sautéing, shred meat into bite-sized pieces. Transfer cooked vegetables to bowl with chicken; set aside.
5. Make sauce - Heat butter over medium heat in again-empty skillet. When foaming subsides, add flour; cook about 1 minute. Whisk in chicken broth, milk, any accumulated chicken juices, and thyme. Bring to simmer, then continue to simmer until sauce fully thickens, about 1 minute. Season to taste with salt and pepper; stir in wine.
6. Pour sauce over chicken mixture; stir to combine. Stir in peas and parsley. Adjust seasonings.  Fillings can be made ahead and refrigerated.

To assemble:

1. Roll dough on floured surface to approximately 1/8-inch thick.. Put individual ramekins upside down on dough. Using a pair of scissors, cut dough rounds about 1/2" to 3/4" larger than the size of the ramekins. Depending on the size of the ramekins, you should be able to get 6 to 8 rounds.
2. Pour chicken mixture into each ramekin. Lay dough round over pot pie filling. Press overhanging dough against the edge of the ramekins to seal it. Cut four 1/2" vent holes of one1-inch vent hole on the dough topping.
3. Bake until pastry is golden brown and filling is bubbly, about 25 to 30 minutes for smaller pies. Serve hot.

Novice

singapore vermicelli

This blog has been renamed and moved.  The new name is  Jasmine Tea.  Please visit this post at http://www.jasmineteablog.com/2010/03/novice.html

It's a new beginning, a new endeavor.  No matters how much ideas I have in my mind all the time, I usually do not put them into actions.  That applies to a lot of aspects in my life.  But I really can't help myself this time.  I got to try out taking food pictures.  Quickly I went to the "blackhole" where I store all my junks in the house and found some recycling gift wrap tissue paper, cardboard, unused placemats;  pulled out some dinning ware that I don't use that often; found a spot in the house with a bit of natural light; and took a million of pictures of last night's leftover.  Here are the two that do not show any obvious mistakes, except some dust on the placemats which I was too lazy to remove with photoshop.

       

Kitchen notes:

This recipe of Singapore Stir Fried Vermicelli is adapted from Fine Cooking Magazine and can also be found on Rasa Malaysia, one of my favorite Asian cooking blog.  I had some failures cooking this dish before. It was either too soggy or the taste was not right. One of the key is the type of noodle used.  It has to be made with rice and water only and it is the fine and round rice noodle, not the big flat ones. After some research, I also found out that some Chinese chefs put in a litter bit of ketchup to round out the flavor. The dish turned out to be great this time! 

Singapore Stir Fried Vermicelli (星州炒米)

adapted from Fine Cooking Magazine 

Ingredients

For the noodle:

8 oz rice vermicelli* 

2 Tbsp vegetable oil 10 pcs medium size shrimp, peeled and devined

1/2 tsp salt 

1/2 lb. char siu (Chinese barbecued pork)l, cut into matchsticks

2 cloves garlic, minced

2/3 Tbsp ginger, minced

1 small yellow onion, thinly sliced

1 chili pepper (I used the potent red Thai chili pepper), thinly sliced cross-wise

2/3 cup bean sprouts, rinsed and drained

4 green onions, root end trimmed, cut into 2-inch pieces

5 fresh shitake mushrooms 
1 Tbsp ketchup

For the sauce:

2 Tbsp Madras (hot) curry powder1 1/2 cloves of garlic, minced

2/3 Tbsp ginger, minced

2/3 cup chicken broth

3 Tbsp soy sauce

2 tsp granlulated sugar

1/2 tsp sambal (or your choice of chili paste)

1/2 tsp salt

1 Tbsp oyster sauce

1 Tbsp vegetable oil

Directions:

1.  Soak the noodle - Soak vermicelli in hot tap water for 8 to 10 minutes (or according to package instruction) until soften. Drain noodle and set aside. 
2. Make the sauce - Put 1 Tbsp oil in a small saucepan over medium heat.  Add the curry powder, minced garlic and sauté for 20 sec.or until fragrant. Add the broth, soy sauce, sugar, sambal, and salt. Cover and cook for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside. 
3. Stir fry shrimp and bbq pork - Heat a large wok or saute pan over high heat, add 1 Tbsp oil. When the oil is hot, add the shrimp, sprinkle 1/2 tsp salt on the shrimp, and stir-fry until just cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the barbecued pork; toss well. Put the shrimp and bbq pork aside. 
4. Stir fry vegetable - Add the remaining Tbsp of the oil the the wok. When hot, add the garlic and the ginger. Stir-fry until the garlic is golden, 10 to 20 seconds. Add the onion, chili pepper, bean sprouts, scallions, and mushrooms. Stir-fry until crisp-tender, 2 to 3 minutes. 
5. Add in bbq pork and shrimp, toss to combine. Add in noodles, sauces and ketup. Mix and toss everything together thoroughly and to coat noodles with the sauce. Serve immediately