Happy Thanksgiving Day

I would like to take this opportunity to wish all my beloved family, friends and followers....a very Happy Thanksgiving Day!!!
Below are my favorite Thanksgiving dishes which I cooked every year:

Pecan Sweet Potato Casserole

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Pomegranate

Italian Roasted Turkey with Herbes de Provence

JAPANESE SPINACH TAMAGOYAKI & POTATO SALAD

I have been making bento / lunch for my youngest son for quite a long time. It really take times to learn to make a beautiful, cute and yummy bento / lunch for kids. So far, my son love it and still sometimes asking me to make more for him.

I love this recipe that really suit the kids and adults as well. The potato salad you can make it day ahead and cool it in the refrigerator for for flavor. You could find all ideas of making a cute bento for kids at my page at this link BENTO

Japanese Potato Salad

INGREDIENTS :

3 medium russet potatoes, peeled and cut into pieces
1/2 English cucumber
1/2 large carrot, peeled and cut into small bite-sized
4 cherry tomatoes, cut into small bite-sized
1/4 cup sweet corns, boiled and drained
3/4 cup Japanese mayonnaise
1 tsp vinegar
2 tsp sugar
Salt and pepper to taste


METHODS :

1. Boil the potatoes for 10-15 minutes until tender in lightly salted water. Drain and lightly mashed them. Let it cool on aside.

2. Sliced the cucumber thinly and lightly seasoned with salt.

3. Sliced the carrot thinly and boil for a minute until medium soft. Drained, let it cool and set aside.

4. In a large bowl, mix the mashed potato, cucumber, carrot, cherry tomatoes, sweet corn, mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper to taste.

5. Refrigerate the potato salad at least 3 hours or overnight for the best results.

Japanese Spinach Tamagoyaki

INGREDIENTS :

4 large eggs
1/4 cup luke warm water
1/4 tsp dried dashi powder (picture as shown below, u can get it from Asian or Japanese Store)
1/2 tsp shoyu (light soy sauce)
1 tsp mirin (sweet cooking wine)
1/4 tsp sugar
1 cup frozen spinach, thawed and drained (squeeze excess water from spinach)

Hon-Dashi (Dried Dashi Powder)

METHODS :

1. Mix luke warm water and dried dashi powder in a medium bowl. Add soy sauce, mirin and sugar. Mix well. Then add eggs and gently mix using chopsticks. Try not to create too many bubbles. Stir in the spinach into the egg mixture.

2. Heat a medium frying pan over medium heat and spray with non-stick cooking spray. Pour a layer of egg mixture into the pan and lower the heat to medium-low. Lay a this layer of spinach onto the egg mixture. Allow the bottom of the egg to cook and become firm enough to fold over, about 3 minutes.

3. Gently fold over the egg from one end and keep going until you reach the end of the pan. With each fold, allow the egg to cook a little bit.

4. Remove tamagoyaki from the pan and rest it on a cutting board and let it cool. Repeat with the rest of egg mixture and spinach. Once the tamagoyaki is cool, sliced to desired thickness and serve.

HEAVY SKILLET RED POTATO HASHBROWN WITH EGGS

This morning I have make this delicious breakfast for my boys.....Heavy Skillet Red Potato Hashbrown with Eggs.  I only cook this kind of breakfast once in a week, especially on Sunday morning. 

The hashbrown that been cooked in the skillet have a little crunchy texture like been toasted in the oven. Here's the recipe I would like to share and Enjoy !!!

INGREDIENTS :

3 tbsp unsalted butter

1-1/2 pounds red skinned potatoes, diced

1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

2 large cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

8 large eggs

METHODS :

1. Melt the butter in a large, well-seasoned cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add the potatoes and cook, stirring occasionally until tender and brown, about 20 minutes or more.

2. Stir in the chopped parsley, garlic, salt and pepper. Stir occasionally for about 3 minutes.

3. Push the potatoes aside to make 4 evenly spaced shallow nests and break 2 eggs into each. Cook the eggs covered with a lid until the egg whites are cooked and the yolks are still runny, about 5 minutes.

4. On the individual serving platter, placed the hashbrown and eggs and sprinkle with some chopped parsley. Serve immediately with some bacon or as it is.

WHITE-BEAN SOUP SHOOTERS WITH BACON

I would like to share with all of you this recipe that I make it last year for my Neighborhood Christmas Party. This soup is so yummy and rich with the white beans and perfect for cold weather. I poured the soup into individual party size shot glass and decorated it with some goat cheese, toasted croutons and some freshly grounded black pepper.....and VOILA!!! I wanna take this opportunity to share this recipe, so all of you could try it on this coming Thanksgiving Party or Christmas Party. Believe me.....everyone will WOW on this soup.....ENJOY!!!!

Recipe Courtesy : Ted Allen for Food Network Magazine

Preparation Time : 26 minutes
Cook Time : 24 minutes
Level : Easy



INGREDIENTS :

1/2 strip bacon, diced
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 tbsp unsalted butter
2 shallots, chopped
2 (15 oz) cans cannellini or other white beans, drained and rinsed
6 leaves fresh sage, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
Kosher salt
3 slices crusty bread, toasted
2 ounces goat cheese, at room temperature
Freshly ground black pepper


METHODS :

1. Fry the bacon in a medium saucepan over medium heat until halfway done, about 3 minutes. Add the olive oil, butter and shallots and saute until soft, about 6 minutes. Add beans, sage, garlic and broth, bring to a simmer and cook 15 more minutes.

2. Transfer the mixture to a blender or food processor in three batches and puree until smooth. (Be careful-hot liquids are prone to explode when whipped) Return the pureed soup to the pan and add the cream, cayenne, and salt to taste. Keep warm.

3. Cut the toasted bread into 3/4-inch croutons.

4. To serve, ladle the soup into shot glasses, top with goat cheese, croutons and sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper.

POACHED EGGS WITH SWEET POTATO PANCAKES

This is a healthy breakfast which I adapted from the TV Show....The Chew at ABC Channel. This recipe was introduced by Dr. Oz daughter, Daphne Oz. Daphne whipped up this simple and tasty breakfast with ingredients she found in Feeding America pantry.

I love the sweet potato pancakes because is so light and crunchy without a guilt in every bites. This recipe is great to be kept in the kitchen and here's the recipe I would like to share.




INGREDIENTS :

1 - 2 tbsp vinegar
2/3 cup olive oil
1/2 sweet onion, grated
1 carrot, grated
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 sweet potato, peeled and grated
1/2 green apple, grated
1/2 tsp salt
2 egg whites, lightly beaten
5 large eggs



METHODS :

1. In a wide 3-quart heavy saucepan, fill in 1/2 way with water and add 1 to 2 tbsp vinegar and bring to a simmer.

2. Break 1 egg into a small bowl or cup. Make a quick stir in the pot to make a swirl and slide the egg into the swirling water. Repeat with each remaining egg, spacing them evenly in the saucepan, and poach at a bare simmer until whites are firm and yolks are still runny, about 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer eggs as cooked to paper towels using a slotted spoon.

3. On the cheese cloth or paper towel, squeezed out the juices of the grated sweet potatoes, onion, apple and carrot together to ensure the pancakes won't be soggy.

4. Then in a large bowl, mix the grated sweet potatoes, grated onion, grated apple, grated carrot, egg whites and flour. Then add the salt and pepper. Mix well.

5. In a medium-sized skillet, heat 1/3 cup olive oil to medium-high heat. Drop enough pancake batter into the hot oil to make about 3-inches pancakes. Add more oil, as needed, and fry the pancakes in batches until golden brown on each side.

6. On the individual serving platter, placed the poached egg and sweet potato pancakes. Served immediately with your favorite hot sauce, tomato ketchup or as it is.

PECAN PIE WITH CANDIED GINGER & RUM

This dessert will be perfectly served on this coming Thanksgiving Day and also Christmas Day. I got this idea from my store brought magazine, Food & Wine November 2012. When I turned the pages, I discovered this special recipe that's of DIY Pie Crust-Perfectly Flaky Yogurt-Butter Pie Dough which is much flakier. For the flakier crust, it required all the ingredients to be cold when using. The other tip for flakier crust is having the flour and cold chuck butter in the bowl and using your two hand rubbed it into a coarse flakes. All the below pictures of step by step making the pie dough is all courtesy of Food & Wines.

After my baking and cooling the pie, it's time for my family and me to taste. Gosh...the pie crust was so flakier and the pecan filing is yummy too. It's my first time making pecan pie with candied ginger and rum and I love the every bites of the hint of ginger and sweet. Like me I don't like so sweet so I had decreased the amount of brown sugar to 1/2 cup. I know my crust don't look perfectly twisted but will make more improvement for next time. Anyway....hereby I would like to share the recipe with you'll....ENJOY!!!

TO MAKE THE CRUST

PERFECTLY FLAKY YOGURT-BUTTER PIE DOUGH

INGREDIENTS :

1-1/2 cups bleached all-purpose flour
1 stick cold unsalted butter - 5 tbsp cut into 1/4-inch dice, the rest left whole
1/4 cup cold plain whole yogurt ( not Greek-style )
1/2 tsp salt


METHODS :

1. Measure the flour into a glass or ceramic bowl and freeze for 15 minutes. Freeze the 3 tbsp of whole chuck butter for 15 minutes. Put the 5 tbsp diced butter on the plate and refrigerate for 15 minutes. In a glass measuring cup, combine the yogurt and salt with 1 tbsp of cold water and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
NOTES : Keep all ingredients in freeze or refrigerator until is ready to use step by step.

2. After the 15 minutes, bring out the cold flour and refrigerated cold diced butter. Using your hands, rub the cold diced butter and cold flour between your hands until all of the fat is evenly distributed and the mixture resembles fine oat flakes. Then bring out the freeze butter chunk and using a sharp knife or a cheese plane, very thinly slice the remaining butter onto the flour mixture. Freeze it for another 5 minutes.

3. Then gently toss to separate the slices and cut once or twice to combine them with the flour mixture; the slices should remain cold and intact. Bring out the cold yogurt mixture from the refrigerator and drizzle it into the flour mixture, using a spatula to stir and toss as you drizzle.Continue tossing the dough with your hands, scraping any off the spatula and the side of the bowl, until it is crumbly and evenly moistened. Press the dough into a 6-inch disk and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate the dough for at least 2 hours or overnight, or freeze for 1 month.




FOR THE FILLING

INGREDIENTS :

2 cups pecan halved
1 cup lightly packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 tsp salt
3 large eggs
2 tbsp rum
1/4 cup finely chopped crystallized ginger


METHODS :

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degree Fahrenheit. Spread the pecan in a pie plate and toast for about 8 minutes, until fragrant. Let it cool.

2. Increase the oven temperature to 400 degree Fahrenheit. On a floured work surface, roll out the dough to a 13-inch round; patch any cracks. Fold the round in quarters and transfer to a 9-inch glass pie dish; unfold the pastry and gently press it into the pie plate.

3. Using scissors, trim the overhanging dough to 1/2-inch. Tuck the edge of the dough under itself and crimp decoratively. Line the dough with foil, shinny side down, and prick all over with a fork, piercing the foil and pie dough. Freeze for 15 minutes.

4. Fill the pie with pie weights or dried beans and bake in the lower third of the oven for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and weights. Return the crust to the oven and bake until lightly browned, about 12 minutes.

5. Meanwhile, in the heatproof bowl, combine the brown sugar, corn syrup, butter and salt. Set the bowl over a saucepan filled with 1-inch of simmering water and whisk in the eggs, one at a time. Cook, whisking gently, until the filling is warm to the touch. Remove from the heat and whisk in the rum and set aside.

6. Arrange the toasted pecans in the pie shell and scatter the chopped crystallized ginger on top. Gently pour the filling mixture over the pecans. Bake for about 25 minutes, until the filing is jiggly but not cracked; cover the edge of the crust with strips of foil halfway through baking to prevent over-browning.

7. Let the pie cool on a wire rack. Cut into wedges and serve.