Puff Pastry Turnovers

Today I made these quick and easy apple turnovers. You could make them with any fruit filling you want, but I happened to have apples on hand. I think lemon blueberry, sweet cherry or even peach could be good, too.

I sliced and peeled one large apple, and cooked it on medium heat in a saucepan with 3-4 T of cornstarch, 2 T water, 1/3 cup white sugar, 1/3 cup brown sugar, cinnamon, clove and nutmeg. You could easily change the spices to match the fruit you use. The sugar mixture thickens as it cooks and turns more syrupy the longer it heats. 

I quartered one sheet of puff pastry, filled each half with a few slices, and then used a little water to moisten the edges and fold and seal the pastries. To give it a little extra, I pressed around the edges with a fork and brushed the top with milk (although I think I'd use egg white next time). 

They baked for about 15 minutes at 400 F. Once cooled, I dusted with powdered sugar! Powdered sugar makes everything better. 

These were quick, easy and hit the spot for a sweet craving. They met the approval of the bf, although if they didn't, I'd probably just have eventually ended up eating them all myself. 

Baked Vegetable Egg Rolls

This post is appropriately timed as my boyfriend and I were out purchasing a Crock-Pot when he spotted a selection of deep fryers.

Boyfriend: "Ooh. What is..."
Me: "No."
Boyfriend: "A deep fryer!"
Me: "NO."

Wanting to escape the terror that is Wal-Mart, I was lucky enough to find the Crock-Pot aisle and we escaped the trip without a deep fryer. However, when we arrived at the party later that day (with Crock-Pot of yum), there was...a deep fryer.

There are a few reasons for me to dodge the deep frying bullet:

1. Deep frying is dangerous. I am clumsy and accident-prone (one time I cut myself on BREAD). My boyfriend almost set his house on fire grilling bacon. Those seem like good reasons.

2. Deep frying makes your house smell like a fryer. This isn't the smell of fries or cheesesticks. It's the smell of OIL coating everything in your house.

3. I think owning a deep fryer sets you on the edge of...'Merica. Hey, let's deep fry food that's already extra fattening (Twinkies, Snickers, cheesecake).


And that brings us to egg rolls. Baked. Not fried.
Recipe adapted from fortheloveofcooking.net

Ingredients:

2 tsp. sesame oil
2 C savoy cabbage - chopped
2 C shredded carrots
1 Can chopped water chestnuts
1 C mung bean sprouts
2 green onions - chopped
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. fresh grated ginger
3-4 T. soy sauce
1/2 tsp. fish sauce
1 package of egg roll wrappers - usually found with produce

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Spray baking sheet or bottom of baking dish with cooking spray.

In a medium skillet heat sesame oil, ginger and garlic until fragrant. Add cabbage, carrot, water chestnuts and green onion. Add soy sauce and fish sauce. Stir. Cook until softened but not soggy!

Cooked cabbage, carrot, water chestnuts and onion

Place spoonful of cabbage mixture on wrapper. Add bean sprouts. Carefully roll egg rolls. Place on sheet and lightly spray with cooking spray.

Flag wrapper with cabbage mixture and bean sprouts

Bake about 8 minutes. Egg rolls should be golden brown and crispy. Turn egg rolls. Bake an additional 5-7 minutes.

Baked to golden brown on both sides

Slice or serve whole. I prefer to slice mine in half on a diagonal to make them more bite sized and crowd-friendly! They work great as appetizers with dipping sauce. You could serve with a ginger, peanut or ponzu dipping sauce - or all three!

Sliced and ready to eat!

Spring Rolls - My Boyfriend Can and So Can You - No, Really, You Can.

Recently, I saw an article about how food companies categorize people by the texture of food they eat. They had the basic categories broken down into Chewers, Crunchers, Smooshers and Suckers. This article stated that companies are marketing food to consumers by "mouth feel", claiming texture is as important as taste.

"Why should I care and what does this have to do with spring rolls" you may ask.

Good question.

I get hungry for spring rolls because I am a Chewer. I like chewy food, and spring rolls just happen to be a delicious fit to this category. That's the number one reason I crave spring rolls. I prefer not to eat them fried because then they lose that perfect chew the wrapper has.

The great thing about all this, if you're a spring roll fan, is that they're very easy to make. They just require some preparation. Assembling and rolling is simple for anyone who has ever rolled a burrito...ever. Even my boyfriend, who claims he cannot cook, found success assembling and rolling his first spring roll...ever. So there you have it.

And here's the photo to prove it!

"What do I need?"

Cooked chicken thighs are my
favorite. These are seasoned
with soy sauce, sesame oil, pepper
ginger and coriander.

What you need to make spring rolls is mostly based upon your tastes. What do you want to put in your roll? Chicken? Shrimp? Carrot? Bacon? Think about it. If you use cucumber or carrot (or any crunchy vegetable), I suggest you julienne them. Yes, I have used bacon. No, I don't like bacon. But, yes, I know other people do.

The one thing you definitely need is the wrapper. The rest is up to you. I buy my wrappers at Weis in the Queensgate shopping center. I buy the Vietnamese ones that say "Good for Restaurant." I'm not kidding. I don't know if they're "good for restaurant" but they're good for me.

The other thing you probably (but not necessarily) want to have is cellophane noodles or thin rice noodles. I like cellophane noodles because they're more chewy. To prepare these, you boil water and drop in the noodles for about 2-3 minutes. Remove from the water immediately and place in a bowl. Keep the hot water. You'll need it for the wrappers.

"Okay, I'm ready now."

So now that you have all your ingredients prepared, it's time to start rolling. Spring roll wrappers are thin and brittle but soften quickly in hot water. The key is to have the water be hot or very warm or else the wrappers will not get sticky, meaning they won't stay wrapped.

Here is one dry spring roll wrapper. 

To soften the wrappers, I like to have 2 things: 1. a pie pan and 2. a medium to large sized plate. I pour my hot water into the pie pan and use the plate for rolling. To soften the wrapper, I carefully dip it into the hot water and turn it to evenly wet the entire wrapper. What you want is to have the wrapper softened so it is pliable but not too soft that it gets soggy. It will continue to absorb some of the water as it sits on the plate and you add your ingredients. This is probably the trickiest part because the wrapper will tend to curl or fold up on itself.

Softening the wrapper in a pie plate

Once the wrapper is soft, place it on the plate and add the ingredients. I like to add mine is a specific order that I've found to roll the easiest for me. You may find another way to do yours that works just for you. I like to add noodles first, then crunchy vegetables, followed by meat, adding the lettuce/greens last. Personally, I add the lettuce last because I use shredded, which packs down nicely and keeps it all together as I roll. If you use leaf lettuce or mint leaves, you may want to add that first.

This one doesn't have noodles,
but I usually put them closest to me
(below the carrots) when I do.

"Ready to Roll!"

Once you have all your ingredients arranged how you like them, you are ready to roll. Carefully, fold in both sides (left and right) and start rolling from the edge closest to you. This is what I mean that it's just like rolling a burrito. You want to make sure it rolls snugly so everything stays packed in. Just be careful you don't wrap too tightly and rip a hole in the wrapper. It happens. If the spring roll wrapper seems very sticky, just wet your fingers in the hot water, and that should help.

One of the reasons you want the water to be hot is so that when you are rolling, the wrapper sticks to itself and stays sealed, holding all the ingredients neatly inside.

The spring rolls will be best eaten fresh. They do keep in the refrigerator in a sealed container for about a day, but they will start to dry out and the texture will be different. As they dry out, the wrappers will start to crack or the rolls will stick to each other and the wrappers will tear. Because they are so quick and easy, I prefer to always make and eat them fresh.

Here I served them with peanut sauce and ginger sauce.
These are actually the ones that my boyfriend and I made last week!

Give it a try and let me know how they turn out!

If you need help, tweet me at @korea_has_seoul.

Changing Palates: Brussels Sprouts Are Not Your Enemy

There's no reason your palate shouldn't change. As you get older (old-ER, not OLD), you develop a taste for new things, whether it's due to new experiences or just time.

For example, as a child, I was a big fan of eating ham. I haven't eaten a baked ham (GAG) since I was about age 12, at which point I stopped eating pork products in general. Within the last two years or so, I've slowly started giving pork products a chance again and have found that some of them are pretty delicious (ham excluded). What changed wasn't my taste buds but new experiences. I learned I didn't hate pork products, I just hated the way they had always been prepared for me (sorry, mom). Once I began cooking and trying them new ways, I found out they were good and not nearly as gross as I once thought.

A second great example of this is brussels sprouts. I hated them as a kid, and I've found two friends who hated them but who recently discovered they like them. Sometimes it's just a matter of giving things another try. I found I hate boiled brussels sprouts, but I love oven-roasted brussels sprouts, and that is how I convinced my friend Ashlee that she likes them, too. Brussels sprouts are not your enemy (except for this). Just give them a chance. Here's my suggestion.

Balsamic Roasted Brussels Sprouts
with Crock Pot Beef Short Ribs

Balsamic Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Wash brussels sprouts and trim stems. Cut each in half. If you don't cut them in half, they don't absorb the balsamic vinegar.

Toss in a bowl with olive oil, salt and pepper, and balsamic vinegar - enough to coat. I like a little more balsamic, a little less oil, but I love balsamic vinegar.

Bake in a pan for about 15-20 minutes. Stir/turn. Bake for another 15 minutes.

*Any time you can use fresh brussels sprouts over frozen, please do. Not only is fresh better, but when you thaw out frozen ones, they tend to be a little soggy and lose their texture, meaning the get a little mushy.

**If you don't like balsamic vinegar (GASP), then you can bake them without, and they'll still taste good. I'd suggest adding a little extra pepper. You can also grill them in foil pack.



If you have any other suggestions on cooking brussels sprouts, I'm definitely open to suggestions!

No Bake Pudding Cake

I can't take the credit for this recipe, but I really would like to. It is so simple and still rich and delicious, a winner in my book, and I don't even like pudding (usually). Yes, I don't like pudding. It is a texture thing, I think.

This is a no-bake cake, meaning it is supposed to simulate a cake-ish texture without actually being a cake. For those of you who hate baking (gasp!), this is fantastic. I should warn you, this doesn't really have a cake-like texture. That being said, it's still yummy.

I found the recipe here. But you can substitute the from-scratch pudding with any instant pudding mix (1 large box or 2 small). I used pumpkin. But I think vanilla, chocolate, Oreo, cheesecake...any of those would be good, too. I did find that I needed more than one box of graham crackers. I am not sure if my pan was too big or I used to many per layer, but I could have used one more sleeve of crackers to finish the top layer.

Layering the graham crackers and pudding

To keep things extra delicious, I used Martha Stewart's recipe for chocolate ganache glaze instead of their recipe for chocolate glaze. I am a firm believer that ganache makes things that much better. If you opt for Martha's ganache recipe, make sure you use a DOUBLE recipe. One batch just wasn't thick enough...at least not for me. If you don't know how to make ganache glaze, I highly recommend you learn. It is really simple, and trust me, you'll love it.

Making ganache

Good luck, and comment back on what pudding flavor you use!

Final piece! Wish this was a better photo...

Krusteaz Crumb Cake

So while most of my blog is recipes you can learn to make, file away to try, etc., I'm also going to share products I like. So first up is the Krusteaz Crumb Cake (aka coffee cake boedx mix). I'm sure you are wondering if I have my own coffee cake recipe, and I do. But I know we don't always have as much time every day to cook or bake as we'd like. So sometimes we just have to take the short cuts, and there's no shame in taking a short cut every once in a while. Plus, for those of you who may just be starting out as a rookie baker, a boxed mix is a cheap and easy way to start out.

All you need is egg and water plus an 8x8 pan (and an oven). You don't have to be good at baking to follow this recipe. But it will make a pretty good coffee cake! Usually you can find the mix at the grocery store for about $2-$3. I like to buy it when it is on sale 2 for $4 just to keep a box on hand. Boxed mixes are good to keep on hand for "emergency situations" - when you need something fast. Also, if you visit the Krusteaz website, they have variations on their boxed mixes for you to try. For example, you can use the Cinnamon Crumb Cake to make Cinnamon Apple Bars. If you give it a try, let me know what you think!

Easy Fresh Peach Cobbler

Snatch up some fresh peaches and make a quick cobbler. I always use storm days as an excuse to cook new recipes and have a glass of wine. Today, post Irene, if you are lucky to have electricity, take the opportunity to bake something delicious! It's a great dessert, but I eat it for breakfast, too.

I add whipped cream and powdered sugar! Yum!

Ingredients:
3-4 Fresh ripe peaches
1 Stick (1/2 C) butter (melted)
1 C Milk
1 C Flour
1 1/4 C White sugar (divided)
Pinch of salt
Dash of cinnamon
2 tsp baking powder

Other:
8 in. deep-dish pie pan
Small or Medium mixing bowl

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Pour melted butter in pie pan.

In mixing bowl, mix together milk, flour, sugar (1 C), salt, and baking powder. Pour mixture into pie pan.

Peel and cut fresh peaches - add cinnamon. Add peaches to top of batter mixture. Peaches will sink into batter. Sprinkle remaining 1/4 C of sugar over top. Bake for approximately 25 minutes.

All done! Batter should be cakey but moist when baked. I use a deep-dish pie pan, but I think you could sub a 2 Qt. baking dish. I would not suggest using a pie pan that is not deep-dish because of the volume.

Lemongrass Chicken (or Tofu)

Great for a quick dinner - cooks up a nice sweet and spicy sauce with a citrus tang. I make it with chicken, but you can alter the recipe for tofu, too. Serve with steamed rice, and add vegetables or steam them for a crispy, fresh side. It's a nice alternative to ordering take out! Serves 2.

Ingredients:
1/2 lb. Cubed chicken (or tofu)
Flour
1 tsp. Vegetable Oil
2 cm pc. Fresh Ginger - grated or finely chopped (or 1 tsp. dried)
1 Garlic Clove (crushed)
1 Small Red Chili
5 cm pc. Lemongrass (finely chopped or grated)
2/3 C. Chicken Stock
1 T Fish Sauce
2 tsp. Sugar
1/2 tsp. Salt
Juice of 1/2 Lime
1-2 T. honey

Other:
Medium Bowl
Medium skillet or wok

Toss cubed chicken in bowl with enough flour to coat. Add oil, ginger, garlic, chilies, and lemongrass to wok. Heat on medium and add cubed chicken 3-4 minutes.

Add chicken stock, fish sauce, sugar, salt, and lime juice. Once bubbles begin to appear (light boil), reduce heat and simmer for approximately 30 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent burning. Stir in honey during last 5-10 minutes of simmering.

Serve over steamed white rice and enjoy!

Sesame Candy

A simple recipe that is similar to making Rice Krispie Treats. Brown sugar and honey are easily accessible ingredients, but finding enough sesame seeds at a fair price can be tricky. I found mine in the international spice section of my local grocery store. They weren't nearly as expensive as buying the little spice jars that can cost $3-$5 per jar, which is important since you will need approximately 5 oz. of seeds and most jars are about 2 oz. This is a sweet treat with a strong sesame flavor!

(yogabuffs.com)

Ingredients:

1 C sesame seeds (or approx 5 oz)

3 T packed brown sugar (light preferred)

3 T honey

1/2 T butter

Other:

Non-stick cooking spray

Parchment paper

Medium skillet

Small saucepan

Rolling pin

Coat 2 sheets of parchment paper with non-stick cooking spray. In a medium skillet, toast sesame seeds with melted butter over medium-low heat. Stir to prevent burning until seeds are golden. Approximately 5 minutes.

In small saucepan, combine brown sugar and honey, cooking on low heat. Stir often to prevent burning. Sugar will melt, and mixture will thicken. Approximately 5 minutes.

Add toasted sesame seeds to sugar mixture, and stir well with wooden spoon or scraper.

Spoon mixture onto first piece of prepared parchment paper. Place second piece of prepared parchment paper on top of seeds, prepared side down to prevent sticking. Use rolling pin to roll  mixture into approximately 1/4 inch thick slab. 

Remove top sheet, and carefully cut candy into small squares. Some seeds will stick to knife. Let the candy cool completely before storing in airtight container. I do not recommend stacking the pieces without a divider. They will stick together, even after cooled.