Lentil Soup

Here's to an ultimate soul food to warm the holidays. Lentil soup is nutritious and wholesome and full of flavor. It is low in saturated fats and high in protein, iron and a good source in dietary fiber. It is great served with toasted crusty bread.

Ingredients:
1 cup French lentils (packaged from Trader Joes)
1 small red onion, chopped finely
1 carrot, chopped finely
1 stalk celery, choped finely
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2-3 tsp. curry powder
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. thyme
3 cups organic chicken stock
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 green scallion, sliced
1 lemon, cut into wedges
Method:
1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion, carrot, celery and fry until onion is translucent, stirring to prevent sticking. Add garlic, cumin and thyme and fry for another 5 minutes. Stir in curry powder and fry for another minute, stir in stock (add more water/stock to thin to desired consistency)
2. Stir in curry powder, cumin and thyme and fry until fragrant. Add in the lentil and stock, salt and pepper to pot. Increase heat and bring to a boil, then simmer until lentils are tender. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
3.Serve warm with scallions onions, lemon wedges and crusty bread.
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Creamy Pumpkin Pie

What is Thanksgiving without this traditional dessert--it is the highlight of the occasion. This pie is my all-time favorite as it delicious and easy to prepare. An interesting article that I read while waiting in line for my appointment, was the smell of pumpkin increase sexual arousal in some men faster than in perfume. I am not sure what scientific evidence is it based upon--but it is really interesting to know how some food has certain characteristics to human behavior. So, readers any comments? 

Ingredients: (adapted from Paula Deen's)
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
2 cups canned pumpkin, mashed
1 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg plus 2 egg yolks, slightly beaten
1 cup half-and-half
¼ cup melted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
¼ tsp. ground ginger, optional
¼ tsp. ground allspice
1 piece pre-made pie dough
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Put the thawed pie crust onto the pie pan and pinch the edges to form a decorative pattern. Put the pie shell into the freezer for an hour to firm up. Remove and put a piece of aluminum foil to cover the inside of the shell and fill up with dried beans or pie weights.
3. Bake for 10 minutes, remove foil and pie weights and return to bake for another 10 minutes until crust is dried out and turn slightly brown.
4. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until soft. Add the pumpkin and beat until combined, then add sugar and beat until mixture is combined. Add the eggs, half-and-half, and melted butter, and beat until well. Lastly add in the vanilla, cinnamon, allspice and ginger, if using, and beat until incorporated.
5. Pour the filling into the warm prepared pie crust and bake for about an hour, or until the center is set and not wobbly. Place pie on a wire rack and cool to room temperature. Cut into slices and serve with whipped cream.
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Chestnut and Fennel Corn Bread Stuffing

What is Thanksgiving without it's stuffing! A friend sent me this recipe years ago and I've decided to give it a try. You can easily substitute chestnuts with these ones that I found in the Asian grocery market. It is quite good and convenient.

Ingredients:

1 medium fennel bulb, trimmed and cut into cubes

1 apple, cored and chopped into cubes
3 sticks celery, chopped into cubes
1 cloves garlic, minced finely

1 small red onion, minced finely

½ cup dried cranberries

½ cup raisins

½ stick of butter

1 cup chestnuts, chopped

1 cup organic chicken broth

1 package corn bread stuffing mix

2-3 uncooked sausage, chopped

some melted butter for greasing

salt and pepper
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a casserole dish or baking pan with melted butter. In a large skillet, brown sausage meat until cooked through and starts to brown. Drain excess fat and transfer sausage to a bowl.
2. Melt butter in skillet over medium heat, add onions and garlic, fennel, celery and cook in butter until tender, stirring occasionally. Add in apples and cook for another minute, then add in the cranberries, chestnuts, raisins and bread stuffing and stir to mix. Stir in sausage, broth and season to taste with salt and pepper. (add more water or broth if you like a moister stuffing)

3. Transfer to baking dish, cover with lid or tent with aluminum foil. Bake for about 20-35 minutes. Remove lids or foil and bake for another 15 minutes until thermometer reads 165°F and is lighty browned.

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Cornish Game Hen with Cumberland Sauce

Cornish Game Hen, or Poussin is a very young chicken. The meat is tender and juicy and takes less time to cook. This dish will be festive for any occasion!
Ingredients: (4 servings)
2 Cornish Game hens, cut into halves
2 large orange
¾ cup Port
4 Tbsps. red currant jelly
3 tsp. Dijon mustard
3 tsp. red wine vinegar
salt and pepper
1 baking tray

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 450°F. Slice enough peel from one orange with a vegetable peeler. Slice the other orange into half and slice into thin slices. Squeeze juice from remaining oranges to measure ½ cup, set aside.
2. In a small saucepan, combine Port, jelly and orange juice and peel. Bring mixture to a boil over medium-heat, stirring with a wooden spoon until jelly melts. Reduce heat to low and simmer for about 5-8 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in mustard and vinegar. Set aside to cool.
3. Wash and pat hen dry and insert slices of orange under the skin of each halves of hen. Season with salt and pepper on both sides. Arrange on baking tray and roast for about 15-20 minutes.
4. Brush the hen pieces with half of the sauce and continue to roast until the hen are cooked through and the skin is golden brown for another 20-30 minutes Note: Juice should run clear when pierced with a small knife and/or test with a cooking thermometer)
5. Remove and cover to keep warm. When cool enough to handle, cut into quarters and transfer pieces to individual warmed plates. Scrape drippings from pan and add into remaining sauce. Gently reheat sauce and spoon over hen pieces. Serve with fresh orange slices and other complimentary side dishes for the occasion.

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Brussels Sprouts, Squash with Vinaigrette Dressing

Brussels sprouts is a cultivar of the cruciferous family, which includes cabbage, collard greens, and kale. The leafy green buds, resembles miniature cabbages that offshoot from a single thick stalk is an interesting vegetable! It has a slightly bitter taste when it is overcooked. Instead of steaming or boiling it, I am going to pan roast them and serve it with a medley of fruits and vegetables for color.

Ingredients: (serves 2)
¾ lb Brussels sprouts, trimmed and cut in half
1 small squash, cubed
½ cup sliced pancetta or bacon, diced
1 small red onion, sliced
½ cup dried cranberries
pepper to taste
2 Tbsp. olive oil
¼ cup Vinaigrette dressing of your choice
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 425°F.
2. In a skillet, heat some oil over medium heat and fry pancetta or bacon until crisp and golden brown. Drain on kitchen towel. Add some more oil, and fry the onions until soft and slightly brown. Toss in Brussels sprouts and mix to combine for about 5 minutes, then add in the squash. Stir to mix.
3. Roast the vegetables until they are cooked through and golden.

4. Remove and toss in cranberries. Transfer to platter and dress the top with remaining pancetta or bacon. Serve warm with dressing on the side.

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Savory Herbed Glazed Nuts

During the holidays I like to prepare this snack as special treat for family and friends. It is crunchy with a sweet and peppery flavor. The ingredient, egg white coats the nuts beautifully and gives it a nice shine. You can use any variety of raw nuts and serve with some dried fruits for color. Better yet--share the joy with this heartfelt gift from the kitchen to your love ones. Bon Appétit!

Ingredients:
4 cups whole nuts (pecans, walnuts, cashew or almonds)
1 egg whites, mix with 2 tsp. water
1/2 cup sugar (or maple syrup)
1 tsp. chili powder (½ tsp. for less spicy)
2 tsp. thyme
2 tsp. tarragon
1 tsp. ground allspice
1 tsp. cumin
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Beat egg whites until white and frothy. Mix sugar, rest of spices ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Stir in egg white and nuts, mix well to coat nuts. Spread nuts evenly on a baking sheet(s).

2. Bake for 15 minutes, remove and stir to separate nuts to bake evenly. Return baking sheet to oven, reduce oven to 250°F. Bake for another 15 minutes until nuts are golden brown.

3. Remove from oven to cool completely. Store in airtight containers for up to a week.
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Rugelach

November is the perfect time for baking as the weather is getting cooler and the fall is fully upon us. The heat from the oven keeps the house warm and toasty and fills the room with the wonderful aroma of baking. This reminds me of making these delicious goodies for the holiday season. Rugelach means "little twist" in Yiddish. It is a Jewish pastry that is filled with nuts and rolled to resemble a crescent, like a croissant. A friend's mother who also shared my joy in these pastries gave me this recipe. Thank you, Rhonda!
Ingredients: (makes about 50)
6 oz cream cheese, soften at room temperature
2 sticks or 1 cup unsalted butter, soften
2½ cups all-purpose flour
¼ cup raspberry preserve (or any of your favorite preserve)
1 cup raisins or currants
½ cup ground walnuts or pecans

¾ cup sugar, mixed with 2 tsp. ground cinnamon, 1 tsp. ground nutmeg

baking sheet

parchment paper

 Method:

1) Preheat oven to 350°F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.

2) Beat butter and cream cheese with a mixer on medium speed unitl smooth. Gently add in flour, fold until mixture forms into a dough. Divide into 3 portions and flatten and to disk-shaped. Wrap in plastic and refrigerated for about 1 hour or until it is firm enough to roll. (Dough can be prepared weeks ahead)

3) Take one portion of the dough out on a floured board or work surface. Dust hands with flour and knead dough and lightly dust with flour on all sides. Dust rolling pin with some flour and roll dough out into a 13 to 14-inch circle.

4) Brush circle thinly with preserve leaving about ¼-inch border around. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar, raisins, and nuts.

5) Cut circle into 16 wedges using a pizza cutter. Separate each segment carefully and roll up from the wide end to the point, tucking point under (resembles the shape of a croissant). Note: I noticed that it is rather messy to handle the dough after it is cut into 16 wedges. The trick to not making a mess is to cut into 8 wedges and work each wedge individually, leaving the raisins to the last step. Remove wedge away from the circle, and cut into half with pizza cutter. Arrange raisins on top and roll up from the wide end to the point.

6) Sprinkle each rugelach with cinnamon sugar. Repeat with the remaining dough filling. Place them at least 2-inch apart on prepared cookie sheet.

7) Bake for 20-25 minutes until bottoms are lightly brown and tops golden. Remove to cool on wire racks. Store in airtight container or can be freeze for up to a month.

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Chocolate Biscotti

This cookie keeps well and is great with a cup of hot coffee or cocoa. You can use any variety of nuts of your choice or dipped ends with melted chocolate. It is delicious to the last crumb!
Ingredients:
1½ tsp. vanilla extract
1½ tsp. orange extract
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
¾ cup sugar
3 eggs, beaten
1 egg white, beaten
2 Tbsp. light corn syrup
3 cups flour
1½ cup walnuts, or pistachios (toasted and chop coarsely)
2 Tbsp. instant coffee powder
¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2½ tsp. baking powder
pinch of salt
handful of chocolate chips
Method:
1) Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly coat cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray if not using a non-stick cookie sheet.
2) Dissolve coffee in vanilla extracts. Beat butter and sugar in a mixing bowl until fluffy. Stir in eggs and egg white gently one at a time, beating on medium speed. Add in coffee mixture and corn syrup. Fold in the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt on low speed until mixture is well mixed, stir in the nuts and chocolate chips.
3) Divide dough into quarters on a clean floured board. Roll each portion into a log about 8-10" long and about 1½ inches wide. Place them on cookie sheet 2-inch. apart. Bake for ½ hour. Remove and transfer to cool on wire rack. When it is cool enough to handle, cut each log crosswise and diagonally in ½-inch thickness. Lay each slices flat on cookie sheet.
4) Return to oven to bake further for another 10-15 minutes until the pieces is firm when pressed. Remove and cool completely on wire racks. Store in airtight containers or freeze for up to 2 months.

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Mulligatawny Soup

Mulligatawny is an Indian-inspired curry flavoured soup, which literally means "pepper water" in Tamil. This is my version of a hearty soup, Enjoy!
Ingredients:
2 skinless chicken breast, cut into cubes
½ fennel bulb, diced
3 stalks celery, diced
1 small red onion, diced
1 carrot, diced
¼ cup butter
1¾ tsp. curry powder (2 Tbsp. for spicy)
5 cups chicken broth
1 apple, cored and diced
¼ cup barley, or ¼ cup white rice (rinse with water and drain)
1 bay leaf
pinch of thyme, tarragon
1 tsp. cumin
½ tsp. turmeric
1 tsp. cumin
salt and pepper
Method:
1. In a large pan, melt butter over medium heat. Saute onions until soft, add in carrots, celery, fennel and fry for about 5 minutes. Add in curry powder, bay leaf, thyme, tarragon, dried spices, barley or rice, chicken and stock. Stir to and bring to a boil for about 5 minutes. Lower heat and simmer for about ½ hour.
2. Add in apples and continue to simmer for another 20-25 minutes until rice or barley is cooked. Serve warm.
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Roasted Spicy Sweet Potatoes

This is a great dish to serve over the Thanksgiving holiday dinner. You can use garnet yams or sweet potatoes, but I prefer the Japanese sweet potatoes. Enjoy!
Ingredients:
2-3 lbs sweet potatoes or yam, scrubbed clean
2 tsp. coriander seeds
1 tsp. fennel seeds
1 tsp. dried oregano
1-2 tsp. paprika (use 1 tsp. for less spicy)
1½  tsp. sea salt
pepper to taste
3½ Tbsp. olive oil
Baking tray
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Coarsely grind corander and fennel seeds in a coffee grinder. Pour into a bowl and mix in the rest of the spices.
3. Dry the potatoes and cut them lengthwise into 1-inch wedges. Put into a large baking tray and toss potatoes wedges with oil and spices until well mixed.
4. Roast in the middle of the oven for about 15-20 minutes. Remove and turn wedges once or twice to cook through for another 15-20 minutes until tender and golden in color. Remove and serve warm.

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Chicken and Pear Sandwich

If you like pears, you will like this simple and quick meal with leftovers chicken. You can use either red or green pears, but I prefer Bartlett pear.
Ingredients:

1 pear, washed and thinly sliced

Baguette bread, toasted

A handful of arugula greens

5-6 Tbsp. balsamic vinaigrette (store bought)

Cooked or roasted chicken breast meat, sliced

Method:

1. In a bowl, mix arugula greens with half of the vinaigrette dressing. Season to taste and toss to mix. Split baguette lengthwise and toast bread with flat side down for about 4-5 minutes. Remove and drizzle both sides with vinaigrette dressing.

2. Layer greens on bottom half of baguette, followed with chicken and pear slices over chicken. Drizzle with remaining dressing and cover top with the other half of baguette. If using a long baguette bread, cut into 4 sandwiches. Serve immediately.

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Poached Fruits

I was at the local farmer's market and brought home enough fruits to last us for a week. Hence this simple recipe that is a great pairing with other dessert, such as ice cream or your favorite fruitcake.

Ingredients:

1 apple, washed and thinly sliced lengthwise
1 pear, washed and thinly sliced lengthwise

Juice of an orange

handful of dried cranberries or raisins (optional)

1 cup apple juice

¼ cup sugar

1 cinnamon stick

1 tsp. ground cloves

Method:

1. In a meduium saucepan combine apple and orange juice, sugar and spices to a boil.

2. Add in the dried cranberries or raisins (if used) and boil for another 2 minutes, then add in the sliced fruits. Covered and reduce simmer for about 2-3 minutes.

3. Remove from heat and let fruits steep in saucepan for about 5 minutes. The fruits should be just soft and not overcooked. Remove and cool at room temperature before serving.

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