Homemade Strawberry Chia Seed Jam

Ingredients:

2 cups of strawberries (or blueberries), washed and hulled
2 tbsp chia seed
1 tbsp maple syrup
1 tbsp honey
few drops vanilla extract

Procedure:

1. Place the strawberries in a bowl. Using a potato masher, and mash the strawberries until they are a rough puree (kind of chunky).
2. In a medium pot, combine mashed berries, sweetener of choice, and lemon juice. Incorporate chia seeds by sprinkling a layer of seeds over the berry mixture, stirring in, and continuing to add the seeds in this way until they are all incorporated. (Chia seeds gel almost immediately upon hitting liquid–this method keeps the seeds from gelling with each other, creating lumpy jam).
3. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat.
4. Reduce heat to low, and simmer, stirring constantly, for five minutes.
5. Remove from heat and add vanilla extract.
6. Transfer jam to storage containers (Mason jars). Jam thickens as it cools.
7.  Store the jam in the refrigerator for up to two weeks, or the freezer for up to six months.

Life is like a camera...

White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies

Lab Bake Off Time!!!

With Roshani leaving to Sweden very soon, the lab decide to host a Lab Bake Off!!!  I was looking through my favourite recipe website, and couldn't really decide what I want to bake on a weeknight with limited time to get ingredients and bake.  Then I came across the cookies section with my favourite cookie of ALL time - white chocolate macadamia nut cookies - serenading to ask me to make them hahaha.  So I sucked it up and finally bought baking powder and baking soda.  I don't know why I was so reluctant to get these two items before.  I have always picked recipes that doesn't use them, or if I'm baking with friends I asked who can bring some over.  Now that I have them... I'm tempted to make some banana bread lol!  

The Lab Bake Off was a success! We had more turn outs than anticipated... Nancy baked some peach pockets, Ben baked some coffee chocolate cookies, Prarthna made some strawberry walnut chocolate fudge, and Ply's girlfriend Megan baked some rhubarb tarts. <3  I'm really happy how the cookies turned out!!! I like how thick they are, and not your conventional thin cookies.

**Note to self ** to buy lots of macadamia nuts when I go to Hawaii for wedding/honeymoon.

Ingredients

yields about two dozen cookies

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. coarse salt
1¼ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
1 cup (16 tbsp.) unsalted butter, cold and cut into large chunks
1 cup granulated sugar
½ cup packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
½ tsp. coconut extract (optional - didn't use this, but added more vanilla extract)
12 oz. white chocolate, coarsely chopped (I used 1 bag of white chocolate chips instead to save time)
1½ cups coarsely chopped macadamia nuts (I used 2 bags of 100g macadamia nuts)

Procedure

1. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.  Whisk to blend.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the cold butter and the sugars.  Beat on medium-high speed until smooth and just combined, 1-2 minutes.  Blend in the eggs one at a time just until incorporated, scraping down the bowl as needed.   Blend in the vanilla and coconut extracts. With the mixer on low speed, mix in the dry ingredients just until incorporated.  Fold in the white chocolate and macadamia nuts with a spatula.  Cover and refrigerate the dough for about 30-60 minutes.
3. Preheat the oven to 350˚ F.  Line baking sheets with parchment paper.  Roll a small handful of dough into a ball and place on baking sheets.
4. Bake the cookies, rotating halfway through, until light golden and just set, about 14-16 minutes total.  Let cool on the baking sheets for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.  Store in an airtight container.
   
   
   Recipe adapted from Annie's Eats
   

   Thoughts:

   1. I love how it is less sweet because I put more macadamia nut than white chocolates.  Cookies turned out really delicious! And the recipe is super easy to follow.
   2. Remember to bake for 14 minutes for lighter, more raw, chewier texture.
   3. I creamed the butter-sugar by hand, definitely would help if I have a stand mixer lol =P

Chocolate Soufflé

I have been DYING to try making soufflés at home ever since watching the most epic and toughest pressure test in the history of MasterChef Season 3, where Frank and Josh has to make three different types of soufflé in 60 minutes; one savory cheese, one dessert chocolate and one dessert raspberry.  The opportunity came when my friend Lindie has some ramekins and we were going to make some crème brûlée together, but we don't have a torch yet.  So at one of the BBQ dinner gathering, with Lindie's ramekins and Freddy's stand mixer, we let the baking dream begins!

Blog by Josh Marks from MasterChef Season 3.
http://www.ishootonions.com/

Ingredients:

Vanilla Pastry Cream Base
2 cups milk
40 g butter
2 vanilla beans (spilt and scraped) - replaced with 1-2 tsp of vanilla extract
40 g corn starch
80 g egg yolks (approx. 4 yolks)

Chocolate Soufflé
100 g egg whites (approx. 3 1/2 eggs)
50 g castor (berry) sugar
pinch of salt
50 g vanilla pastry cream base
100 g chocolate - used 50g of milk chocolate chips and 50g of dark chocolate chips

***tips: one of the main tips for perfect soufflés is the egg whites. They must be handled with clean hands, free from all oil.

butter – as needed
sugar – as needed
butter 4 ramekins and coat with sugar

Procedure:

preheat oven to 425F

1. In a saucepan heat half of the milk, all of the butter and the 2 vanilla beans. place on medium heat.
2. In a bowl, mix the rest of the milk with the cornstarch and beaten egg yolks to make a slurry.
3. Once the milk is at scald point, whisk in slurry and cook to boil. Take off heat and reserve for soufflé assembly.
4. Melt chocolate over double boiler.
5. In a stand mixer, add egg whites and a pinch of salt. Whisk on medium until frothy. Slowly rain in sugar to make meringue. Increase speed from 4 to 5 to 6 as your meringue gets stiffer.
6. When you take your meringue out of the mixer, it should be a pointy tip on your whisk attachment and should droop over like an elf’s hat.
7. Fold 50 g pastry cream base into melted chocolate
8. In 3 steps fold the meringue into the chocolate mixture while rotating bowl. No Streaks! (it's ok to mix until no streak even the meringue looks deflated)
9. Place mixture into ramekins, flatten it with a small offset spatula and wipe the rim with your thumb to create a “moat”. DO NOT BANG THE BOTTOM OF THE RAMEKIN ON THE COUNTER.
10. Place in oven at 425 degrees F for 11-12 mins
11. Serve with icing sugar and seasonal fruits

Recipe adapted from Josh Marks http://www.ishootonions.com/the-most-amazing-chocolate-souffle/

Thoughts:

1. ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS! The texture is spot on, between a mousse and cake, airy and light.  I don't think there's anything to change about the recipe! IT IS PERFECT.  I just need to get smaller ramekins next time, so that the soufflé can poof over the ramekins to be as authentic as possible.  So happy ^^

Bourbon Street Bar & GrillFIRE DUSTED CALAMARI 13 creole aioli, lemon, red onionFIRE DUSTED CALAMARI 13 creole aioli, lemon, red onion

4411 32 Street, 
Vernon, BC V1T 9G8
http://bourbonstreetbarandgrill.ca/

JALAPENO SHRIMP DIP 12
with house made cajun tortilla chips

FIRE DUSTED CALAMARI 13
creole aioli, lemon, red onion

BRAISED LAMB SHANK 28
locally raised lamb, parmesan grits, seasonal vegetables, red wine jus

BATON ROUGE BABY BACK RIBS 24
bourbon bbq sauce, yam puree, seasonal vegetables

BLACKENED CATFISH 22
house made spice blend, hush puppies, seasonal vegetables

BOUILLABAISSE 19
prawns, catfish, mussels, crab leg, fingerling potatoes, white wine, tomato saffron broth 

Terrace Restaurant at Mission Hill Family Estate Winery

1730 Mission Hill Rd, 
West Kelowna, BC V4T 2E4

Leisure Coffee and Tea

8391 Alexandra Rd,
Richmond, BC V6X 3W5

Shaved ice with pudding and condensed milk

Red bean soup with tofu fa and taro tong yuen

Mango yogurt BBT and Berry yogurt BBT

Strawberry yogurt BBT

Suika

Suika
1626 W Broadway
Vancouver, BC V6J1X6
http://www.suika-snackbar.com/

So so excited to go to get sushi with friends!! On a recent trip to go to CNPN, I was able to meet up with friends from Vancouver for dinner!  Since I wanted sushi and only know how to take the bus from UBC on broadway, Hazel recommended Suika snack bar.  This meet up was my first time, alone without Charles, and meeting Hazel and Kaiser for dinner.  I had such a great time meeting up and getting to know them better =) The food from Suika was amazing! Loved every dishes we ordered!  And I love how their service never gets slow or forget about you.  They even always walk you out the door. In fact I liked it so much, the second time on a road trip with Haley, Danny, and Freddy, I brought them here for dinner. And they loved it too =)  P.S. just sad I couldn't show them the doraemon background menu.

First Time with Hazel and Kaiser

Chef's Choice Sashimi Seven ways ($30)

Toro Toro Cha-Shu ($6.80) - pork roasted and slowly braised til tender served with Suika's special secret spice blend. It melts in your mouth.

Negitoro Tartar ($6.20) - Original Kimchi sauce marinated chopped tuna and scallions served with garlic butter toast.

Grilled Sable Fish ($9.80) - Grilled miso marinated sable fish

Kakuni Bibimbap ($9.80) - Stewed pork belly, sweet dried shrimp and scallions on rice served in a hot stone bowl.  Hot hot hot!!!

Tokyo Oxtail Ramen ($9.80) - Slowly braised oxtail and noodles in a soy broth topped with dried fish powder and scallions.

Tuna sushi roll ($10)

Second Time with Haley and Danny

 

Calpico mix drink - citrus, watermelon, and lychee

Chef's Choice Sashimi Five Kinds ($24)

Deluxe Suika Box ($12.80) - Nine kinds of sampling appetizers.

Agedashi Ebiten Tofu ($6.40) - Deep fried tofu and prawns in a soy broth with shrimp infused oil and dried baby shrimp

Grilled black cod sushi ($8)

Toro Toro Cha-Shu ($6.80) - pork roasted and slowly braised til tender served with Suika's special secret spice blend. It melts in your mouth.

Chicken Kara-age ($8.80) - Famous Japanese "Osho" style deep fried chicken served with sansho jio (Japanese salt and pepper).

Tokyo Oxtail Ramen ($9.80) - Slowly braised oxtail and noodles in a soy broth topped with dried fish powder and scallions.

 

Grilled Duck ($7.50) - Grilled duck breast with tomato, granny smith apple slices and "special" sauces (balsamic, soy, butter, and Japanese pepper).