Red Velvet Cake using Devil's Food Mix with Meringue Cream Cheese Buttercream

Ingredients
1 box       Devils Food Cake Mix
3              Eggs
1 1/3 cup  Buttermilk
1/2 cup     Vegetable Oil
1 tsp         Vinegar
2 oz (4Tbsp)  Red Coloring

Method:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Farenheit. Lightly oil & flour cake pans (two 9-inch round pan)
1) Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl
2) Beat for 3 minutes at medium speed
3) Divide evenly into two pans, and bake for 25 to 30 minutes
4) Remove cake from cake pans, and place on cooling rack to cool
5) Frost cake once cake is cool

Meringue Cream Cheese Buttercream
Adapted from KitchenSidecar

Ingredients:
6 Tbsp     Meringue Powder
1/2 cup     Corn Syrup
1/4 cup     Warm Water
2 sticks     Butter, softened and cubed
1 block     Cream Cheese, softened and cubed
1 tsp         Vanilla Extract

Methods:
1) Combine meringue powder, corn syrup, and warm water.
2) Beat/whisk until shiny and glossy. About 5 minutes.
3) Add cubed butter and continue beating. Mixture might look like cottage cheese, but keep on beating until well-blended. It may take 10 minutes.
4) Add cream cheese and continue beating. Mixture might look like cottage cheese again, but keep on beating until well-blended. It may take 10 minutes.
5) Beat until mixture is light and fluffy like butter cream. Add vanilla extract and combine until blended.

Link to original The Silver Linings Saga blogpost referring to this dish:

Four-Day Weekend Full of Cooking Shortcuts posted on 11/28/2010

Greek Lemon Chicken Soup (Avgolemono)

Adapted from Whole Foods Market

Ingredients:
6 cups      Homemade Chicken/Turkey Broth
1 cups      Shredded Chicken/Turkey
2 cups      Cooked Brown Rice
2 eggs      Eggs
1/4 cup    Lemon Juice (or juice from 1 lemon)
Herbs (1 Bay leaf or 1/4 tsp Herb de Provence)
Salt & Pepper

Methods:
1) Add Brown Rice and Herbs to Chicken Broth and bring to boil.
2) Let is simmer for 20 minutes
3) Add Shredded Chicken and simmer for 5 more minutes
4) Whisk eggs in a clean bowl
5) Add lemon to the eggs and whisk until blended.
6) Add a cup of soup to the egg mixture and keep whisking it
7) Add another cup of soup to the egg mixture and whisk the mixture
8) Turn the heat off and add egg mixture to the soup
9) Salt and pepper to taste, if needed

Link to original The Silver Linings Saga blogpost referring to this dish:

Four-Day Weekend Full of Cooking Shortcuts posted on 11/28/2010

Pumpkin Mousse

Adapted from Food Network

Ingredients:

1 can (15oz)   Pumpkin

3/4 cup          Sugar

1 cup             Heavy Cream

1/2 tsp           Pumpkin Spice

2 tub (8oz)     Whipped Topping (i.e. Cool Whip)

*If you have 29oz canned pumpkin, you can double the recipe above to make a very large batch.

Methods:

1) Combine pumpkin, sugar, heavy cream, pumpkin spice in a pot and cook over medium heat for 5 to 10 minutes.

2) Remove from heat and let mixture cool.

3) Put cooled pumpkin mixture in a big bowl and fold whipped topping into the mixture.

3) Serve in individual bowl and garnish with nutmeg

Link to original The Silver Linings Saga blogpost referring to this dish:

Four-Day Weekend Full of Cooking Shortcuts posted on 11/28/2010

Pineapple Tart with Cream Cheese Dough

Ingredients:

Dough:
1 block      (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
2 1/2 stick (10oz) butter, softened
1 1/3 cup   (9.5 oz/ 271 grams) Sugar
4 1/3 cup   (1 lb 3oz/ 542 grams) All-Purpose Flour
A pinch      Salt

Filling:
1 part       Pureed Pineapple (fresh or canned)  - (I used 1 1/2 fresh pineapple)
1 p)art       Sugar
1 stick      Cinnamon
4              Cloves

For Dough:
1) Cream butter, cream cheese, and sugar together
2) Add flour and salt into the butter mixture and mix well
3) Roll dough and cut into squares
4) Place filling in the middle of each square, close the opening, shape into balls
5) Bake for 25-30 min in 300F oven
6) Take cookies out and glaze with eggwash and cook for another 5-10minutes or until golden.

For Filling:
1) Put everything together in a pot
2) Cook on medium heat until the filling thickened and dry. Keep stirring to avoid burns. It took an hour or two the last time I made it.
3) Let it cool before use

Link to original The Silver Linings Saga blogpost referring to this dish:
Kuih Raya (Eid Celebration Cookies) posted on 9/9/2010

Cornflakes Madu (Honeyed Cornflakes)

Serves about 90 mini baking cups

Ingredients:
2 sticks Butter
1 cup    Sugar
5 Tbsp  Honey
1 (12oz) Box Cornflakes

Method:
1) Preheat oven to 325F.
2) In a large pan/stock pot, melt butter on medium heat.
3) Add sugar and honey to the butter. Cook until everything sugar is dissolved.
4) Turn the heat off. Add the cornflakes to the mixture and mix well.
5) Place mixture into mini baking cups.
6) Bake in the oven for 7 minutes
7) Let it cools before eating. It hardens as it cools.

Link to original The Silver Linings Saga blogpost referring to this dish:
Kuih Raya (Eid Celebration Cookies) posted on 9/9/2010

Shrimp in Spicy Mango Sauce

Ingredients:
2 tbsp          olive oil
1 medium     onions, diced or sliced thinly
6 cloves       garlic, finely chopped
1 tbsp          Sambal Oelek (optional, or use very little, the dish is very spicy otherwise)
1 inch           ginger
1 stalk          lemon grass, dotted or cut in half
1 (28 oz) large can diced tomatoes
1/2 medium  lime 
1/2 cup        frozen peas
1/2 cup        frozen corn
1/2 packet (16 oz) medium raw shrimp (about 25 shrimp), deveined
1 medium    mango (diced)
Salt to taste
1 tbsp Agave nectar/Sugar (or to taste)

Method:
1) Heat olive oil on medium heat.
2) Sautee onion and garlic until fragrant.
3) Add ginger, diced tomatoes, Sambal Oelek, lemon grass, juice from half a lime, and Agave Nectar
4) Let it cook on medium heat for about 15 minutes
5) Add frozen peas, frozen corn, and mango. Let it cook for another 5 minutes or so until the frozen vegetable look cooked
6) Add shrimp and cook about 3-5 minutes until the shrimp turned pink, cook it for another minute or so to ensure the shrimp is fully cooked. To be fully sure, take one of the shrimp and eat it.
7) Add salt to taste, and serve on top of steamed tofu or any grains.

Link to original The Silver Linings Saga blogpost referring to this dish:
Shrimp in Spicy Mango Sauce posted on 5/24/2010

Naked Ravioli (Malfatti)

Ingredients:
1 tub(16 oz)  Ricotta Cheese
1 (10 oz)       Frozen Spinach
2                   Eggs
1/2 cup         Quick Cooking Oats
1/4 cup         Wheat Bran
1/4 cup         Fresh Mozzarella, cubed into tiny pieces
1/2 tbsp        Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
Salt & Pepper to taste

Method:

*Bring water to boil, while waiting for water to boil proceed with the follwing
1) Place Ricotta Cheese on a cheese cloth squeeze as much water as possible.
2) Transfer ricotta cheese to a big bowl, and mix it with the two eggs
3) Thaw frozen spinach (4 minutes in microwave on high), let it cool a little bit
4) Transfer frozen spinach to cheese cloth, and squeeze as much water as possible
5) Add spinach to the ricotta cheese mixture
6) Add Quick Cooking Oats, Wheat Bran, and Fresh Mozzarella, salt & pepper to the spinach & ricotta cheese mixture. Blends everything well.
7) Shape the mixture into balls (Freeze any leftover balls. They can be cooked the same way as the fresh ones, just a little longer The frozen ones didn't hold their shapes when boiled :-(
8) Once the water is boiling, add the balls into the water.
9) They are ready once they are floating; remove and serve with pasta sauce immediately

Link to original The Silver Linings Saga blogpost refering to this dish:

• Naked! posted on 4/22/2010

Simple Poached Salmon with Simple Tomato Vegetable Sauce

Poached Salmon
Ingredients:
2     Salmon Fillet
1/2  Lemon
10   Peppercorn, cracked
Water
Sprinkle of dried Herb de Provence or French Herbs
Salt to taste

Method:

1. Place water 3/4 full in a large skillet.
2. Add lemon, cracked peppercorn, Herb de Provence, and salt to water
3. Bring water to boil.
4. Slide salmon fillets into poaching liquid and bring the heat down to slow boil
5. Cook until the flesh is firm (turn it once during cooking if the poaching liquid doesn't cover the whole fillet)

Simple Vegetable Tomato Vegetable Sauce
Ingredients:
1 Tbsp  Olive Oil
1 Medium Onion, thinly sliced or cubed
3 Cloves Garlic, crushed, thinly sliced, or finely chopped
1/2 tsp    Crushed Red Pepper
1 Can     Diced Tomato
1/2cup    Frozen Peas
1/2cup    Frozen Corn
4 sprigs   Parsley, chopped
Sprinkle of dried Herb de Provence or French Herbs

Salt to taste

Method:

1. Heat skillet to medium high
2. Pour olive oil on the skillet and sautee onion, garlic, and crushed red pepper in olive oil until fragrant
3. Add diced tomato, frozen peas, and frozen corn
4. Stir the vegetable from time to time
5. Once the frozen vegetables are cooked through, add parsley, Herb de Provence, and salt
6. Cook for another couple of minutes before serving

Link to original The Silver Linings Saga blogpost refering to this dish:

• Weeknight Dinner: Jim Lahey's No-Knead Stirato (Italian baguette) and Poached Salmon posted on 4/19/2010

Karipap

Ingredients:
2cup        Flour
1/2cup     Vegetable oil
1/4cup     Water
1tsp         Salt
Any filling as needed

Direction:
Preheat oven to 375F
1) Mix Flour and salt in a bowl
2) Heat the oil for a couple of minutes
3) Pour the heated oil into the flour
4) Mix them until they crumble resembling breadcrumbs
5) Add water and mix until a stiff dough is formed
6) Divide into 16 balls and let it rest for 10 minutes
7) Flatten the balls and roll them into circle. The dough would be more or less around 1/4 inch thick
8) Place the filling in the center, fold it in half, and crimp with fork or fingers. Continue, until all of the disks are used.
9) Place them on the baking tray, and baked for 20 minutes or until golden.

*Note: Unbaked karipap can be frozen for future use.

Link to original The Silver Linings Saga blogpost refering to this dish:

• So, I didn't make Pasta this Week

Whole wheat Rolls with Water Roux

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp        Whole Wheat Flour
1/2 cup       Water

1cup            Water + Pineapple Juice (I used 6oz canned pineapple juice in this case)
4Tbsp          Canola Oil
2Tbsp          Agave Nectar
1tsp             Sea salt

3 1/2cup      Whole Wheat Flour
3/4cup         Dried Mashed Potato Flakes
1/4cup         Skim milk powder
1 1/2Tbsp   Vital Wheat Gluten
1Tbsp         Wheat Germ
2tsp            Bread Machine Yeast

Direction:
1) Prepare water roux by heating up the top 2 ingredients until thickened. The ideal temparature would be around 49F/65C and the mixture will reduced to be around 2 Tbsp. Bring to room temparature.

2) Mix everything together (including the water roux) and start kneading. In other words, place everything in the bread maker :-)

3) If not using breadmaker, after mixing & kneading, let the dough proof until the size is about 1 1/2 the original size

4) Once proofed, sprinkle some flour on the workspace and put the dough on the work space

5) Divide the dough into 12-16, and shape them into balls or whatever shape you want

6) Place dough on baking sheet lined with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 350F

7) Cover the dough, and let it proof until 1 1/2 it size about 45 minutes to an hour

8) Bake in the 350F oven for 12 minutes.

Light Oatmeal Rolls

Ingredients:

1 ½ cup Bread Flour
1 ½ cup Whole Wheat Flour
½ cup Quick Cooking Oats or Old-Fashioned Oats
1 cup Water
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
3 Tbsp Honey
1 Whole Egg
1 tsp Salt
1 ½ Bread Machine Yeast/ Quick-Rise Yeast


Methods:

1) Using a bread machine, place all of the ingredients according to manufacturer’s instruction.
2) Select Dough cycle setting
3) Take the dough out after the cycle is done
4) Divide and shape dough into 16 balls
5) Place dough on baking pan and cover with kitchen towel
6) Let the dough rise and double in size
7) Glaze the dough with egg wash, milk, or water (that's what I always do) and top the dough with oats
8) Bake for 15 min in 350F preheated oven
Tips & Tweaks:
1) Measure the olive oil first before measuring the honey, so the honey doesn't stick to the measuring spoon
2) Olive oil can be substituted with butter, margerine, or other vegetable oil
3) Honey can be substituted with brown or white sugar
4) 1 ½ Bread Machine Yeast can be substitute with a pack of Active Dry Yeast
5) Today, I substituted 1/4 cup sour cream for eggs
 
Link to original The Silver Linings Saga blogpost refering to this dish:

• Light Oatmeal Rolls posted on 2/17/2010

Sardines on Sliced Cucumber

Ingredients:
1/2 Medium onion, diced
1tsp Crushed garlic
1can Canned Sardines in oil, Sardines in Tomato Sauce, or Canned Salmon
1/2 - 1cup Pasta Sauce, or Canned tomato sauce (omit if using Sardines in Tomato Sauce)
1/4tsp Cayenne Pepper (optional)
Spices, seasoning, salt, and pepper to taste
Sliced Cucumber
Pickled Sliced Hot Banana Pepper
Sliced tomato

Method:
1) Sautee onion and garlic until fragrant
2) Add sardines, pasta sauce, and paprika
3) Mix well and cooked for a few minutes until it is slighly dry, add more sauce if needed
4) Season with salt and pepper to taste
5) To construct, scoop some of the sardine mixture on top of sliced cucumber
6) Top it with sliced tomato or banana pepper
7) Repeat till you're done.
 
Link to original The Silver Linings Saga blogpost refering to this dish:

• Guilty Pleasure: Sardines posted on 3/17/2010

Warm Kamut & Shrimp Salad

Ingredient:

1 cup Kamut (soaked overnight)
3 cups Water
2Tbsp Olive Oil
1/2 Red Onion, cubed
2 Tomato, sliced
1tsp Garlic
1 cup Raw Shrimp
1 cup Frozen Peas & Corn
1/4tsp Cayenne Pepper
1tsp Paprika
2Tbsp Parsley, chopped
1/4 Cucumber, sliced
1/8 cup Roasted Almond, slivered
2Tbsp Cider Vinegar
1Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
Salt to taste

Method:
1) Place drained soaked Kamut and 3 cups of water in rice cooker. Turn the rice cooker on.
2) Heat olive oil on a medium high heat, add onion and cook until it sweats
3) Add tomatoes and garlic and cook until the tomatoes are slightly soft
4) Add shrimp, frozen peas & corn, paprika, and cayenne
5) Stir constantly until everything is cooked through
6) Add the rest of the ingredient and turn the heat off
7) Season to taste, and enjoy!

Link to original The Silver Linings Saga blogpost refering to this dish:

• Mission Whole Grain: Muligrain Struan & Kamut posted on 3/14/2010

Roll-Up Spinach Lasagna

Ingredients:
10 sheet         Lasagna Sheet (or as needed)
1 (15oz) tub   Ricotta Cheese
1 large           Egg
1(10oz) pack Frozen Spinach
1/2cup           Shredded Mozzarella Cheese (or as needed for filling)
1/2cup           Shredded Mozzarella Cheese (or as needed for topping)
2 cups           Pasta Sauce/Tomato Sauce (or as needed)

Optional add-ins:
Chopped Parsley
Chopped Basil
Dried Herbs
Red Pepper Flakes
Horseradish
Salt to taste

Methods:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees
1)Boil water with some salt in a large pot
2) Add lasagna sheet once the water is boiled
3) Stir lasagna sheets to make sure they don't stick and Cook for 8 minutes
4) Drain Lasagna sheet

5) Unwrap the frozen spinach and place it on a microwavable dish
6) Defrost the spinach by cooking it on High for 3-4 minutes
7) Cool the spinach for awhile and drain the spinach by squeezing it

8) Mix ricotta cheese and egg until well-blended
9) Mix Spinach and 1/2 cup of Shredded Mozzarella cheese into the ricotta cheese mixture

10) Spread a layer of pasta sauce in the bottom of oven-proof casserolle dish
11) Spread cheese mixture on lasagna sheet. Roll up the lasagna sheet and place in the casserolle dish.
12) Repeat previous step until all of lasagna sheets are used
13) Cover the lasagna with pasta sauce
14) Sprinkle the remaining Mozzarella cheese on top
15) Bake covered for 50 minutes or 30 minutes uncovered

Link to original The Silver Linings Saga blogpost refering to this dish:

•  Comfort Food posted on 3/22/2010

Avocado Smoothies

Easy Avocado Berries Smoothies
1/2         Medium Avocado
1            Berries/Fruit Yogurt
1/2cup   Frozen Berries
1/2 cup  Milk/Fruit Juice (or as needed)
Sweetner (honey, agave nectar, maple syrup) as needed, especially when not using fruit yogurt

Vegan Avocado Berries Smoothies
1/2        Medium Avocado
1           Berries/Fruit Soy Yogurt
1/2cup  Frozen Berries
1/2 cup Soy Milk/Fruit Juice (or as needed)
Sweetner (honey, agave nectar, maple syrup) as needed, especially when not using fruit soy yogurt

Vegan Avocado Mango Smoothies

1        Medium Avocado

2        Mangoes

1/2 cup Soy Milk, add more as needed

Method:
1) Using blender, mix everything together until smooth
2) Add more liquid (milk/fruit juice/soy milk) for a less thick shakes
3) Continue blending and adding more liquid until the preferred consistency is reached