Don't Ever Say "I'll Never Eat That!" - Because you will!

What is a Century Egg? Glad you asked! It's one of the most vile forms of egg you can imagine...it's the wrong color, the wrong taste, the wrong texture...it's just plain wrong! But they love them over here!






Here are some good pics of what century eggs looks like after it's been cut open. Before it's opened, it looks like an egg that you dipped in glue and rolled in hay. It is a Chinese cuisine ingredient made by preserving duck, chicken or quail eggs in a mixture of clay, ash, salt, lime, and rice hulls for several weeks to several months, depending on the method of processing. After the process is completed, the yolk becomes a dark green, cream-like substance with a strong odor of sulphur and ammonia, while the white becomes a dark brown, transparent jelly with little flavor or taste.

I said I'd never eat a Century Egg...but I did it! I was pressured into it in order to feed my blog. My darling husband "egged" me on until I agreed to do it.

Just before the first bite...this is the only pic I posed for. The egg sat on that spoon for quite a while before it entered my mouth!

It's in! It feels bad, it smells bad, it tastes bad... tears are forming and the gag reflex is setting in.


It's out! The texture was so repulsive I couldn't go any further. Remember the show "Fear Factor" where they bit into cow eyes and fish eyes and the contestants commented about how they popped? Well, that image was in my head and the egg was out of my mouth!!

This is the "Never Again" or "I've learned my lesson (this time)" expression. I say "this time" because those of you who know me, know that there will always be some weird food that I will try. Like this next one...


I asked the man at the dessert counter what this was BEFORE I tasted it. He said "chocolate". So, to make sure, I asked what was inside. He said, "chocolate". And just to double-check I said, "Oh, inside is chocolate too?" And he said, "Yes, chocolate". Could it possibly be that "chocolate" is the only English word he knows" Why YES! I believe it was! Inside this beautiful little truffle was a bean paste...bean, as in kidney bean or red bean or black bean. If it wasn't for the company we ate with that night, I would say the night was a total disaster. Thank God for friends to laugh with!

Thank you Adeline and Deno for such a fun evening!


With Love In The Mix!
Shannon

I Have a New Found Love!

My darling husband should be jealous when I've found a new love, not because I've replaced him, but because I will spend hours and hours with this new love creating new dishes to please my palette. My new love this past year became Avocados!

Question - Is it wrong to admit that I found a "new" love within my first year of marriage? (giggling inside)

I've always known about avocados but never truly found them until we lived in Malaysia. And the sneaky little scientist in me crept up and said, "Let's figure out what we can do with these things to make them taste exceptional". Well, as it turns out, not much had to be done. Seeded, skinned and sliced...just adding a sprinkling of sea salt and black pepper was enough. I loved them like this to top off a salad! I also enjoyed stacking a sandwich on crackers with a bit of honey mustard and cheese. Stack 'em on a Dagwood sandwich! Mmmm!

Ever had bad guacamole? Well, maybe I should say, have you ever had good guacamole? I lived 35 years before I stumbled onto some good guacamole. In restaurants and grocery stores, it always seemed to have this sort of, well, a smothering taste. And if it's not treated with an acid such as lime or lemon juice, it takes on a whole new meaning of "disgustingly brown". My husband has a much more graphic description of it but we'll leave that for another time.

The key to a good avocado is to get a ripe one. If the avocado is very hard, you will not be able to seed it short of renting a jack-hammer from the local equipment supply company. Find an avocado that gives just a bit if you squeeze it. If it gives too much or feels very soft, it is over-ripe. Regardless of the color, grab the ones that have a little give. To seed it, use a large, sharp chef's knife to cut all the way around the seed from top to bottom and back up to the top again. Twist the two sides in opposite directions and they should come apart easily. One half will hold the seed, the other half, obviously will not. Hold the half with the seed in your hand and the knife in your dominate hand (the one you write with - trust me, you'll want to use the hand with the most control and accuracy for this next step). Whack the seed with the blade (embedding the blade into the seed) and then give the blade a twist just as you did to separate the halves. The seed should pop right out and still be embedded with the knife blade. To remove the seed, grab it with your hand using a kitchen towel as a barrier of protection.

Use a tablespoon to scoop our the flesh. Just wedge it between the skin and the flesh and dig the spoon through to scoop it out. It should take only a swipe or two.

Please note - DO NOT ALLOW YOUR CHILDREN TO SEED AVOCADOS! You might also benefit from using an oven mitt or a towel when holding the avocado half, you know...just in case your aim is a bit off. ; )


Quick Tip for Ripening Avocados

• Place 2-3 avocados in a brown paper bag and store at room temperature. If you don't have paper bags on hand, wrapping them in newspaper will also do.
• For even quicker ripening, add an apple or a tomato to the bag.
• Check daily to see if avocados are ripe yet. Don't just judge by their color, as some varieties will retain their green color, even when ripe, rather than turning a deep greenish brown.
• Ripe avocados will peel easily and are soft, yet still firm and not squishy.
• Extra Tip: If your avocados are ripening before you have a chance to eat them, place them in the crisper of your refrigerator, as this will help them keep a bit longer once they are ripe.

Basic Guacamole

• 1 Large Ripe Avocado
• 1 tsp Fresh Lime Juice
• 1/4 cup Pica de Gallo
  
• 1/2 tsp Fresh Minced Garlic
  
• sprinkling of Sea Salt to taste
• 1 Extra-Finely Minced Chili Pepper (with or without seed & it's optional)

Mash avocado with a fork until almost smooth, or until desired consistency. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix until well combined. That's it! Dip your chips and enjoy!


Avocado Dip

• 2 Large Ripe Avocados
• 2 Tbsp Fresh Squeezed Lime Juice
• 1/2 Block Cream Cheese, soft
• 1/2 C Sour Cream
• 2 Tbsp Butter, soft
• 1/4 c Finely Chopped Yellow Bell Pepper
• 1/2 c Finely Chopped Onion
• 2 Cloves Garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp Fresh Cracked Black Pepper, fine ground
• 1/2 tsp Ground Cumin
• 1 Chili Pepper, extra-finely minced (with or without seeds)

Seed and skin the avocado and place in a medium sized bowl with lime juice. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. In another bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth then beat in the butter and sour cream. (Butter should be soft but not melted). Combine the cheese mixture with the avocados and beat until smooth. Add in the rest of the ingredients and whip up until thoroughly blended.

This is a perfect dip but it is also great as a spread. The next time you make fajitas or burritos, try spreading this on the tortilla before piling on the rest of the ingredients! It's also a tasty replacement for sour cream on tacos, taco salads and other Mexican dishes. Ole'

I hope you will give these recipes a try! They are delicious!! If you have a favorite recipe for using avocados, please add them to the comment section. I'd love to post them!

With Love in the Mix!
Shannon


Just Adding Another Avocado Recipe!!


Avocado Corn Salsa

• 3/4 cup frozen corn, thawed
• 1/2 cup quartered grape tomatoes
• 1 medium avocado, diced
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 teaspoons lime juice
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Toss avocados, tomatoes, corn, cilantro, lime juice and salt in a medium bowl. Make sure the juice covers the avocados so they don't turn brown.

Also try with minced chili peppers, thinly sliced garlic and/or pineapple chunks

Yee Sang!

No I didn't sing! I have sung but this time...Yee Sang! What a delicious dish!

Today I went to a cooking class put on by the American Association of Malaysia. It's a group of expat ladies who get together (in whatever country they happen to be living in at the time...really, they're everywhere)and do fun activities such as quilting, cooking, cultural events and so on. Today, we learned all about the Chinese New Year and the foods prepared for that day. This one...Yee Sang...was my favorite. Never in this world would I have imagined that a salad would be my favorite. And you know me...it didn't contain CHicken, CHeese, CHocolate or CHilies so it wasn't at the top of my "Must Try" mental list.

Judy Loh, the instructor, gave us all the details. Chinese everything is so full of symbolism and the Chinese New Year is no exception. Instead of telling you what each and everything stands for, let me summarize by saying that nearly every symbol of the Chinese New Year means Prosperity, Blessings, Luck or Fortune. Even the tossing of the salad...the higher you toss the salad, the more blessings you'll receive.

So here are the ingredients to make Yee Sang. I hope you will attempt this as it is no more difficult than preparing a chef salad in your home. And the flavor will keep you coming back for more! I'm quite sure you can find these ingredients in Asian markets or possibly in the Asian food section of larger grocery stores.


Yee Sang

# 1 C white radish, shredded
# 1 c carrot, shredded
# 1 c mango, shredded
# 1/2 c spring onions, shredded
# 1 red chilli, shredded
# 3/4 C pickled papaya, shredded
# 6 pickled leeks, shredded (or non pickled is fine)
# 1 c pomelo wedges, peeled and separate the sacs (substitute mandarin orange)
# 4 kaffir lime leaves, finely shredded (substitute 1/4 c Lemon or Lime Zest)
# Just under 1/4 C young ginger, finely shredded
# 1 pair yao char kwai, sliced thinly and deep-fried until crispy (see note)
# 1 c sweet potato, finely shredded
# 1/3 c toasted sesame seeds
# 1/2 c roasted peanuts, pounded

Sauce ingredients (cook and cool)
# 1 c plum sauce
# 1 tbsp apricot jam
# 3 tbsp lime juice
# 3 tbsp honey
# 1 tbsp sesame paste
# 1 tsp sesame oil
# 1/2 tsp salt or to taste

10g Chinese five spice powder, put into a red packet

Method
Deep-fry shredded sweet potatoes in hot oil until crispy. Drain. Add sliced yao char kwai pieces to the hot oil. Deep-fry until lightly golden and crispy. Remove from oil and drain well on crushed kitchen paper.

Combine the sauce ingredients in a small saucepan. Bring to a low simmering boil. Leave aside to cool completely before use.

Arrange the shredded ingredients attractively on a big, round serving platter.

To serve, pour the sauce over the yee sang and sprinkle the with five-spice powder.

Add a sprinkling of sesame seeds and roasted peanuts.



Note - You can substitute deep fried wonton skins for yao char kwai. Cut them into thin strips and deep fry quickly in oil. Don't let them over-brown. About one cup is nice.

When all of the ingredients have been prepped, they are placed in mounds on a large platter. The seasonings, oils, sauces etc (anything not a veggie) is sprinkled on top by those sitting around the table. Everyone grabs a pair of chopsticks and yells out "Xīnnián kuàilè" 新年快乐 which translates Happy New Year while tossing the salad high in the air. Thank heavens blogs are written and not verbal...I would have butchered that phrase just as I did during the dinner. ;) Happy Chinese New Year everyone!!


Just from my experience (and hearing the oooos and aaahhhs of the ladies at the cooking show, if you make this salad once, you will find reasons to make it again and again! It's really quite tasty!

Enjoy!

With love in the mix,
Shannon

A Spin on the Ever-Popular Sloppy Joe

I love homemade Sloppy Joes. The teacher inside of me has to let you know that the term "Sloppy Joe" does not come from the consistency of the saucy meat inside the bun. It actually originated from Sloppy Joe's Bar in Key West, Florida. So it's actually named after the establishment. OK, class is over...let's go to the kitchen lab...

This recipe for Sloppy Joes is great for a party...


Party Sloppy Joes

* 1 tablespoon olive oil
* 2 pounds lean ground sirloin
* 2 pounds ground pork
* 1 onion chopped (finely mince this if your children are fussy about onions)
* 1 1/2 tablespoons Montreal Steak Seasoning by McCormick
* 1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
* 4 tablespoons dark brown sugar
* 5 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
* 1 (14.5-ounce) can tomato sauce
* 1 cup water
* 9 soft burger rolls - like at the ballpark


Directions

* Heat the extra-virgin olive oil in a deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add meat and crumble as it browns. Add the onions to the pan and cook to soften, 5 to 6 minutes more. In a bowl mix the spices, sugar, Worcestershire, tomato sauce and water. Pour sauce over the meat and simmer for about 30 minutes on medium high heat to reduce the liquid and thicken it up a bit. This also allows the flavors to get to know one another. Slop onto buns and serve. Serves a crowd.

Notes:
This also makes a great sauce for dogs or brats!


Now I imagine there are some people who are a bit fussier about their foods and like something more refined even though their inner child is screaming that they really want a sloppy joe! So this one is called Sloppy Josephines and is right up my alley!


Don't Panic - if you don't cook with alcohol, replace the sherry with the same amount of ginger ale or chicken broth.



Sloppy Josephine

* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 1 pound ground sirloin
* 6 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
* 1 medium onion, chopped
* 24 medium-sized mushrooms, (I prefer baby bellas) chopped
* Sea salt and black pepper
* 1/2 cup dry sherry
* 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
* 1 14-ounce can tomato sauce
* 4 crusty rolls, split
* 2 tablespoons butter, softened
* A handful of flat-leaf parsley, chopped
* A wedge of Manchego cheese, for shaving (or sharp white cheddar)




Heat a deep skillet over medium-high heat with olive oil. Add beef and deeply brown, 6-7 minutes, breaking it up into pieces with a wooden spoon. Try not to leave big chunks.


Add garlic, onions and mushrooms, and cook until mushrooms are dark and onions tender, 7-8 minutes.


Season with salt and pepper, then add the sherry to deglaze the pan. Scrape up the brown bits from the bottom of the pan and reduce liquid, 1 minute with a wooden spatula. Add Worcestershire and tomato sauce, and stir to combine. Reduce heat to low and cook 5 minutes more. Preheat broiler.


Spread rolls with softened butter and sprinkle heavily with parsley. Toast rolls until charred at edges. Dollop Sloppy Joe mixture on the bottoms of the rolls and add some shaved Manchego cheese. Set roll tops in place and serve.



Gluten Free - Serve this on a crispy fresh piece of Bibb Lettuce and eat with gluten free corn tortillas!


If you ever go back to Manwich after making either one of these, let me know. I want to take your picture and post it for everyone to see ... and giggle at. Just kidding! Hope you'll try these!


With Love In The Mix!
Shannon

My Style of Cooking!

Experimenting in the kitchen is probably my favorite hobbies of all time. Maybe it's the scientist in me that enjoys discovering new ingredients and new flavor combinations. Maybe it's the counselor in me that enjoys the therapeutic aspect of spending so much time doing what I love and encouraging others to use this as an outlet for their stress. Maybe it's the teacher in me who loves sharing what I've learned with others. I have no idea which is the dominant trait but it's more than likely a civil combination of the three.



It usually happens like this...I see a recipe that catches my attention. That's easy. I have 4 food loves...CHicken, CHeese, CHilies and CHocolate! If the recipe targets one of these ingredients...I'm interested! I'll eat just about anything but these categories always cause a double-take.



Then I think on it for a while....stir ingredients around in my head and begin the "I wonder if"s. I wonder if this would be good in this dish. I wonder if I could do this instead of that and it still work.



Once I have the full concept of what I want to do, I go to the store and get the ingredients. Making it is the fun part. I will read the recipe over and over until I've got it exactly how I want it. Then it's go time. All ingredients are out and in order and I make one trip around the kitchen putting the entire dish together. It's methodical, I know. Insane how I go about this, I know. But this is fun!!



While the dish is cooking, baking, resting or whatever, I run to my laptop and note all the changes I made. Type out everything I did in the procedure that was different from the original. Next the taste test. If all went well and the recipe turned out great then the copy of my changes are kept and I have declared success! If it's less than great, I sit and think. Hmmm [*-)] What could have gone wrong? What flavor does it need? What should I do differently next time? It may be weeks before I try this recipe again. If it doesn't work the second time, then I'm done. (That's the perfectionist in me [;)] ) But I haven't had too much trouble in the experimenting department.



Here's my latest experiment. Someone posted a recipe for Terrific Tomato Pie. Important point here - there is nothing wrong with this recipe. I didn't look at it and go "Eeewww! I can make it better". I looked at it and said "Yum!" and then I started thinking about what I could add. I'll post the original recipe and then my Italian Herb Tomato Pie remake.



The Original:



Terrific Tomato Pie

1 unbaked 9 inch deep dish pie shell
Enough peeled and sliced tomatoes to make 2 layers - about 4 tomatoes
1 bunch of green onions with tops, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup each: grated cheddar cheese and Mozzarella cheese
1 cup mayonnaise
2/3 cup Parmesan cheese

Bake the pie shell as directed on the package, but first covering the edges with foil to prevent them from browning. They will brown later when the pie is being baked. While the crust bakes, peel and slice tomatoes. Place on layers of paper towels to drain well on both sides. When the crust is ready, remove the foil from the edges. Place half the tomatoes in the pie shell to make a single layer. Add half of the onions, half of the oregano and basil, and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Repeat the layer once more with remaining tomatoes, onions, and seasonings. Heat oven to 350°. Combine cheeses and mayonnaise and spread evenly over the top. Bake until golden brown, about 45 minutes. Cut in wedges to serve.



The Remake:



Italian Herb Tomato Pie



1 Unbaked 9" Deep Dish Pie Shell

1 Egg (whisked with 1 tsp milk for egg wash)

2 Red Tomatoes (or yellow) sliced medium

1 Pt Yellow Grape or Cherry Tomatoes (or red) Halved

4 Green Onions with tops, chopped

1 tsp Fresh Italian Flat Leaf Parsley, chopped

1 Tbsp Fresh Basil, chopped

Salt and Pepper to taste

1 C each Grated Colby and Mozzarella Cheese

1/2 C Mayo

1/2 Block (4oz) Cream Cheese (softened)

2/3 C Grated Romano Cheese

2 Cloves Garlic, minced

2 tsp Fresh Chives, minced



Thaw pie crust. Prep all herbs and green onions. Brush crust with the egg wash and poke the bottom and sides of crust with a fork. Cover the edge of the crust with foil to prevent it from browning. It will brown later when the pie is being baked. Bake at 350 for 12 minutes. While crust bakes, slice tomatoes and halve the cherry tomatoes. Place on layers of paper towels to drain well. When the crust is done, remove the foil from the edges. Let crust cool 5 minutes. Place half the tomatoes in the pie shell to make a single layer - fitting the cherry tomatoes in wherever they will fit. Pack them in. Add half of the onions, half of the parsley and basil and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Repeat the layer once more with remaining tomatoes, onions and herbs. Oven should still be at 350. Beat cream cheese and add mayo to mix thoroughly. Fold in cheeses and garlic thoroughly and spread evenly over the top. Sprinkle with the minced chives. Bake until golden brown, about 45 minutes (30 minutes in a convection oven). Let cool about 10 minutes. Cut in wedges to serve.



Note #1 - Try adding cooked, crumbled bacon to the layers!

Note #2 - I used regular red tomatoes and yellow cherry tomatoes for color and taste. It doesn't matter if you used regular yellow tomatoes and red cherry tomatoes. It will still be delicious.


Do you have a recipe that you've altered and had wonderful results? Do you have a recipe that needs altered to fit your tastes? Let me know...


With Love in the Mix,
Shannon