Sunday, April 20, 2014

lemon velvet tart with white chocolate chips

I still haven't figured out why lemon is key for Easter's dessert. I was tasked to bring a dessert to our Easter Dinner gathering. I thought of trying to bake the classic Lemon Meringue Pie and as I looked online for lemon dessert ideas and stumbled upon this Lemon Velvet Tart and it looked interesting and that was what I have baked. I followed most of the recipe and have just minor changes. I did away with the caramelized sugar spirals and replaced with my easy lazy white chocolate chips instead (which I have a bag handy).

Here is the link to the recipe lemon-velvet-tart .



Sunday, April 13, 2014

Pork Sirloin Tip Roast with Brussel Sprouts

My weeknight dinners are mostly quick and simple especially when you work all day and rush home to prepare dinner. Tonight, I cook a very fast and super healthy (low calorie) and still savory dish.

Get this, this recipe does not use a drop of oil, all the favor comes for the juice of the pork with the magic of the the pressure cooker.







2 lb pork roast (sliced in /4 inch thick)
3 rib of celery, sliced
2 stick of carrots, sliced
1 24 ozs frozen brussel sprouts ( or fresh brussel sprouts )
1/2 cup black beans ( I boiled and freezed that I use any time )
1 medium tomato, diced
1/2 chopped onion
1/4 jalapeno (optional), chopped
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 Tbs worsheshire sauce
1 Tbs soya sauce
1 1/2 cup water

Start by placing slices of pork at bottom of pressure cooker.
Add tomato over pork slices
Add all the rest of vegetables on top of pork slices.
Pour in water into the mixture in the cooker.
Shake in onion and garlic powder.
Mix in worsheshire sauce and soya sauce.
Add in the black beans.

Set timer to 20 minutes.
Cover lid on cooker and heat at high heat until the cooker starts to boil or when you hear hissing noise.
Turn heat to medium heat and let it continue to cook until 20 minutes timer is up.
Turn heat off, let cooker stands on stove for another 5 minutes before you attempt to open the cooker. ( make sure you let out the air pressure out first and then open the lid )

Open cooker lid, stir the cooker and serve hot with rice, noodle, nann bread or tortilla wrap, we chose to eat with a piece of tortilla wrap for dinner.

Serves with hot sauce for 6 and up 10 servings. Light, healthy and tasty dinner :)



Sunday, April 6, 2014

Mandarin Orange Hot Cross Buns

With Easter just around the corner, I have planned on baking Hot Cross buns for our church 'Coffee Fellowship'. Then, it darned on me that I have so  many mandarin oranges.

Hmm.. and I saw this recipe on Orange Hot Cross Buns at Taste Of Home, I thought it sounds and looks interesting. Besides, I thought I could bake some of these and be able to participate in this month Little Thumbs Up with 'Orange' theme.



Recipe:
One Tangzhong Starter recipe. ( recipe does not use this )
3 mandarin oranges - squeeze the juice, and finely chopped up the orange peels.
6 1/2 cup flour
6 Tbs butter ( recipe uses 1/2 cup butter)
2 eggs (recipe uses 3 eggs)
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbs yeast
3/4 cup warm water
1 cup chopped dried cranberry ( recipe uses raisins)
1/2 cup sugar.

Direction:
Mix flour, cinnamon, salt.
In a mixer and hook attachment, drop in yeast and warm water, let it stands for 5 mins, will be foamy.
Add in 1 cup flour and sugar, mix well.
Add in butter and eggs, mix well.
Add in another cup of flour, mix well.
Add all the Tangzhong to mixture, mix well.
Alternatvely add in flour and orange juice and mix well.
Gradually add in the rest of the flour and mix well.
Add in chooped orange peels and cranberries.
Mixture will be stiff, knead with hand for 2 to 4 minutes.

Fold dough into a ball, place in bowl and cover with a dry towel, let it stands for at least an hour. Dough will double in size.
Punch down dough, divide dough into 20 to 24 pieces.



This post is linked to the event, Little Thumbs up organised by Doreen from my little favourite DIY and me, Bake for Happy Kids, hosted by Ann from Anncoo Journal at this post.

 

The Little Thumbs Up event starts on first Tuesday of the month until the last day of the month. Please join us! To join, simply cook or bake any recipe with the theme of the month which is ORANGE for April 2014 and link with us at this post anytime until 30th April 2014.