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