no knead rosemary bread

You know when you attempt something new and each time, something’s just off? That was the case for this recipe. This original recipe was first featured in the New York Times and people were so excited to try it out as it took minimal effort for homemade bread that often tastes better than the store bought kind and beautiful (has an artisan look).

I’m too prideful to post my failures (props to bloggers who share theirs) but this simple recipe perplexed me… until I bought an instant read thermometer. See the notes below to get the full story. I am proud to present my very own no knead rosemary bread!  After several failed attempts, I finally got it right!. I look forward to baking more of these (including some other variations) and I have to say, I like the bit the herb flavor that fresh rosemary gives in this simple bread recipe. Hope you’ll try it. Sounds complicated, but it’s very doable.

no knead rosemary bread (adapted from Steamy Kitchen – awesome step-by-step pics)

ingredients

3 cups all purpose flour

2 tsp kosher salt (or 1 1/4 tsp table salt)

1/4 tsp dry active yeast (packets found in baking aisle)

1 1/3 cup warm water

1. In a medium bowl, mix together salt, flour, and yeast. Pour in the warm water into flour mixture and mix with a wooden spoon or your hands until all the flour is incorporated and it looks shaggy. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and leave it on the kitchen counter next to the refrigerator or in a warm spot.

2. Allow the dough to rest overnight or for 8 to 12 hours.

3. Take a clean mixing bowl and pour 1 tsp of oil. Rub the oil to cover the entire bottom and sides of the bowl. Lightly wet your hands to scoop out the dough mixture (should have a bubbly look before you scoop it out and smell like yeast) and place it in the bowl. Cover with a towel and stick it in your oven for 1 hour with just the oven light on.

4. After one hour, take it out. Dough should have doubled in size. If not, put it back in for another 30 minutes or until it’s doubled in size (with oven light on).

5. Turn oven on to 450F and set a timer for 10 minutes. Place an empty stock pot (about 3 quarts or bigger) into the oven to preheat it.

6. After 10 minutes, remove pot from oven and carefully place dough into the pot. Bake for 30 minutes covered with a piece of foil covering the top or a lid (as long as it doesn’t have a plastic knob).

7. After 30 minutes, remove foil or lid and bake for another 30 minutes.

8. Insert an instant thermometer to reach 210F* on the top or side for the bread to be ready.

9. Remove pot from oven and carefully remove bread to allow it to cool for 10 minutes or so. I placed mine on a wooden cutting board and placed 2 wooden spoons under each side to allow the it space to cool on its bottom side (makeshift cooling rack – easy tip I learned watching David Chang)

*Note: I really struggled with this recipe initially because my oven wasn’t actually reaching 450F. It was off by about 15 degrees. In baking, that’s huge! I highly recommend purchasing an instant read thermometer if you want to get this right (the 1st or at least the 2nd time after making adjustments). I bought mine at Smart & Final for $4. Don’t worry about buying a fancy electronic one… not necessary unless you really want to.  

Btw, here are some peaches that are growing from my mom’s tree. How cute are they? Hope that the birds don’t get to them before we do this season… the few I tried last summer were so sweet and juicy!

I want to leave you with one last image. This is Duncan, my sister’s rabbit. He was staying with   my parents (instead of his dad/owner) for a few weeks. What a cutie… hard to resist that face. I tease him (more like my sister) and call him Dunkin’ Donuts (photo credit to my sister). Yes, that blue bin is a litter box which he mostly uses to do his business.

homemade face mask

My face has been so dry with this weather we’ve been having. My mom introduced this idea of homemade masks. Just mix these 3 ingredients in a small bowl (1 tsp each) and apply to your skin. Let it sit for 10 minutes.

Run a washcloth under warm water (wring out until damp). Lay it over your face for a few minutes and gently remove some of the mask. Let it continue to moisturize your face overnight. Your skin will feel soft in the morning.

I love this all natural, easy, and inexpensive home facial. I’ve also been experimenting with green tea leaves too.

This would be a fun pampering/bonding experience with your mom this weekend with Mother’s Day on Sunday. Try it and let me know what you think!

Iron Chef, challenge pork tenderloin

Over the weekend, our church’s young adult ministry had an Iron Chef competition where 4 teams of 2-3 people had just one hour to cook a winning dish using the following ingredients:

- pork tenderloin

- strawberries

- brussel sprouts

- spicy brown mustard

- frozen tater tots

Here’s what the teams made:

And the judges that critiqued us

Doesn’t one judge look particularly intense?

Team Sandra and Min came out the winners (bottom right plate) as their food was the best. I loved their brussel sprout slaw with green apple and Parmesan cheese.. addicting. Their mustard apricot sauce for the pork was beautiful and tasty. Their dessert was not only beautiful but light and flavorful with the addition of vanilla bean seeds.. seriously gourmet stuff.

Winning 2nd place, our food (top left) left an impression with the way we mashed up the tater tots like a hash brown to make it nice and crisp. Unfortunately, we didn’t have time to make a dessert but nonetheless, stood by our food.

Team Fred and Owen won the kids’ votes (bottom left) with their tonkatsu and bacon fried rice (mmm..bacon). We were all impressed with their homemade katsu sauce!

Team Jack and Dave’s signature item was their 2 kinds of chimichurri to go with the pork. Pastor Joel was so funny. He didn’t know how to spell it and wrote it out in Korean on his comment form.

Overall, it was a fun experience despite slicing part of a fingernail off with 2 minutes left in the competition (thanks GL for being the medic). I’m proud of our team! It was funny seeing everyone looking exhausted (and relieved it was over) at church the next day.

thinking outside the cubicle: hiking!

For those of us who sit at a desk 40+ hours a week, it takes a toll, both on the mind and body. By Thursday, I get this urge to get a change of scenery and get as far away from a desk/computer as possible. For the past month, I’ve been enjoying new hiking adventures including:

Runyon Canyon Park in the Hollywood area. Great workout, close to the city, finding parking was difficult (but not impossible).

Holy Jim Falls trail in Trabuco Canyon. Beautiful, lush scenery but expect a jumpy ride getting to the dirt road (think Indiana Jones’ ride) to reach the trailhead.

You know what’s the best part of a hike, eating good food afterwards sans guilt! A few places in OC I recommend:

Fukada in Irvine. Their fried squid legs were awesome! Try their seafood salad w/seared tuna and salmon combo w/spicy tuna don (get the brown rice). Their ingredients are very high quality at an affordable price (combos are about 11 bucks and with generous portions. well worth the wait time).

Capriotti’s in Tustin. Try their pastrami (has coleslaw in it) or the Bobbie.

What do you do to recharge on the weekends? I’ve been itching to hit the beach with the warm weather we’ve been having here in SoCal. It’s starting to feel like summer in April (yay!).

Have an awesome week and thanks for checking out my blog.

meyer lemon pound cake

I was browsing the aisles of Trader Joe’s and came across a bag of Meyer lemons. I’ve never cooked or baked with them before and had heard that they’re the sweeter, less sour than plain ‘ole lemons. This also led me to discover a blog dedicated to beautiful and simple Japanese food. The beautiful photograph and inspiration to experiment with this unfamiliar ingredient resulted in this lovely pound cake. I usually stick to tried and true bread recipes like banana bread but this one really took me by surprise. It’s less fattening for one, but also less sweet which works for the Asian dessert palate (you know, you’ve tried the cakes w/lightly whipped frosting).

I made it once for my coworkers (one raved it was the best thing I’ve ever brought in) and once for my parents (my picky mom raved about it too!). It has just enough of the lemony flavor w/o cloying sweetness or greasiness of gobs of butter. SCORE! I later read online that Meyer lemons are in season in the winter but I’m sure to pick make this cake any time I come across these beauties. I almost wish I had a meyer lemon tree so I would have easy access rather than relying on TJ’s or supermarkets to carry them.

Meyer Lemon Pound Cake (adapted from this blog; makes 1 loaf)

For the cake

½ TB butter for greasing

1 TB AP flour for dusting

1 ½ cups of AP flour

½ tsp baking powder

¼ tsp baking soda

¼ tsp salt

zest of 2 meyer lemons

¼ cup unsalted butter, softened/room temperature

3/4 cup granulated (white) sugar

1 egg

½ tsp vanilla extract

¼ cup plain fat free yogurt (I used Greek yogurt, tasted fine)

¾ cup low fat buttermilk (see note below about substituting w/milk)

For the glaze

½ cup powdered sugar

juice of ½ meyer lemon

zest of 1 meyer lemon

1. Place a rack at the center of the oven and preheat to 350F. Butter the loaf pan and dust AP flour to avoid from sticking).
2. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
3. Place sugar and Meyer lemon zest in a separate bowl, combine by mixing (you can pulse in a food processor but I just did it manually).
4. Cream the butter and lemon-sugar mixture until light and fluffy. Then, add egg and vanilla extract.
5. Combine the yogurt and buttermilk in a small bowl.
6. Add half the flour mixture to the bowl w/butter-sugar and combine. Add yogurt mixture, combine, and add the remaining flour to the bowl. Mix everything until incorporated.
7. Pour batter into the loaf pan and ensure a smooth top. Bake for 50 minutes or until the center comes out clean when a toothpick is inserted (original recipe calls for 60 minutes but mine was done around 52 minutes; ovens vary, so check after 50 mins).
8. Let the pound cake rest for 10 mins in the loaf pan before removing it. Allow it to cool completely on a cutting board or wire rack. Prepare the glaze while you’re waiting.
9. Mix powdered sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Drizzle over cooled cake and let set before serving. Store leftovers (if there’s any) in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Notes: Online, I learned you can substitute ¾ cup of buttermilk for 3/4 TB of white vinegar and 3/4 cup of milk. Let it sit for 5 mins in a bowl before adding to the yogurt in the recipe). Tasted fine to me!

Israeli Coucous Salad – getting out of a rut

I’ve been in a salad rut. Knowing it’s an easy way to incorporate veggies into my diet, I usually make a kale or an orzo pasta salad for packed lunches. Both delicious but after consuming it on a regular basis, my palate is bored. I came across this recipe while browsing through the aisles of Trader Joe’s. I love Israeli couscous because of its chewy texture (although it’s still pasta like, made from semolina wheat). What piqued my interest in this recipe was the use of cinnamon. Such an earthy spice and very Middle Eastern. Here’s an extra nudge–you may actually have a lot of these ingredients in your fridge/pantry, so give this EASY recipe try   Note: In the picture, I used Trader Joe’s Harvest Blend which includes orzo, red quinoa, Israeli couscous, and garbanzo beans or you can find a box of Israeli Couscous (see below). Use the one you like. Both are great. For the frozen beans, I found frozen mukimame beans at Ralphs (can find them at Target too) and they look like edamame beans. Adds a nutty flavor and protein to the salad. Israeli Coucous salad (adapted from Trader Joe’s box recipe) Serves 4 (for lunch or as dinner side)   2 TB butter, divided 1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted 1/2 cup green onions, sliced 1 1/2 cup (8 oz) Israeli couscous (dried) 1 cinnamon stick 1 3/4 cup of water or chicken broth 1/2 tsp salt 1 cup mukimame beans (frozen; similar to edamame) 1/4 cup cilantro or parsley, minced juice and zest of 1 lemon 1/4 cup golden raisins or dried cranberries black pepper Toast pine nuts over low heat until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. In a small pot, boil 2 cups of water. When water is boiling, add frozen beans and simmer until the color turns bright green (about a minute). Drain and set aside. Melt 2 TB of butter in a small pot. Add couscous, cinnamon stick, and stir often until couscous slightly browns. Add water or broth and salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until liquid is absorbed and couscous is tender. Remove from heat and stir in parsley or cilantro, green onions, pine nuts, raisins, mukimame beans, lemon juice, and zest. Season with black pepper and more salt if needed. Add olive oil if necessary. This salad works great for a packed lunch or for dinner coupled with grilled chicken or fish. Hope you enjoy it!

hello spring! it’s frittata time

Spring is here! I love seeing the change at the farmers markets of asparagus, peas, berries. I started seeing beautiful bunches of asparagus and inspired me to make a frittata. They’re easy, nutritious and an unexpected brunch or lunch (or dinner) coupled with a bright salad (like this one) and a crisp white wine. There’s not a whole lot of cooking (or wait time for that matter!) so give this one a try and tell me what you think.

If you don’t have the exact veggies mentioned below, improvise and use what’s in your fridge. Onions, other green veggies (like spinach, kale, broccoli) would all work nicely. When I cook food, I like thinking about the flavor combinations but also the colors. Green, red, white (colors of Italy) always pair well together.

spring frittata (adapted from Giada de Laurentis)

6 large eggs
1 TB milk
1/2 tsp salt, plus a pinch
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 TB olive oil
1 TB butter
12 ounces asparagus (2/3 of a bunch), trimmed, cut into 1/4 to 1/2-inch pieces
12 ounces cherry or grape tomatoes, halved

handful of mushrooms, sliced (I used baby bella)
3 ounces Fontina, diced (or another type of cheese; I used Swiss)

Directions
Preheat the broiler. Whisk the eggs, milk, 1/2 tsp salt, and pepper in a medium bowl to blend. Set aside. Heat the oil and butter in a 9 1/2-inch-diameter nonstick ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Add the asparagus and saute until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Raise the heat to medium-high. Add the tomatoes and mushrooms and a pinch of salt and saute 3 minutes longer or when mushrooms are slightly browned.

Pour the egg mixture over the asparagus mixture and cook for a few minutes until the eggs start to set. Sprinkle with cheese. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook until the frittata is almost set but the top is still runny, about 2 minutes. Place the skillet under the broiler. Broil until the top is set and golden brown on top, about 5 minutes. Be careful not to let it burn! Watch it closely.

Let the frittata stand 2 minutes. Using a rubber spatula, loosen the frittata from skillet and slide the frittata onto a plate.