Baked Spare Ribs with Red Wine Lees

Apart from Hong Zao Ji(红槽鸡) which is one of the common confinement dishes that most confinement nanny would prepared. This Baked Spare Ribs with Red Wine Lees (烤红糟排骨) is also another simple Foochow(Xinghua - 兴化人) homecook dishes where red wine lees is used to marinate and bake together with the spare ribs.

Thanks to one of my cooking pal, Alice whom share her recipe and tips on baking this Foochow style spare ribs dish. This is indeed a keeper recipe and it is best to use spare ribs instead of the usual pork ribs for its tender texture and nice presentation. The adding of extra ginger juice here is to remove some of that pork odor as well as act as natural tenderiser to the spare ribs.

Ingredients: (serves 2 - 3)
600g Spare Ribs(排骨), about 10 pieces
2 Heap Tablespoons of Red Wine Lees(红糟)
1 Teaspoon of White Sesame Seeds(白芝麻), optional

Seasonings:
1 Tablespoon of Cooking/Rice Wine
1/2 Tablespoon of Light Soy Sauce
1 Teaspoon of Dark Soy Sauce
1/2 Tablespoon of Sesame Oil
1 Teaspoon Fresh Ginger Juice
1 Teaspoon of Cornflour
Dash of Pepper

Method:-

1. Trim, rinse and blanched the spare ribs in boiling water for about 3 minutes. Rinse well and set aside. (this step is to allow the meat to absorb the marinate but it is optional)

2. Marinate prepared spare ribs with Red Wine Lees and seasonings till well combined.

3. Transfer mixture into a zip-lock bag and keep in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to an hour. (try not to marinate more than ah hour or else the meat will be tough)

4. Arrange marinated spare ribs on baking tray that is line with baking paper and drizzle some extra sesame oil on it before baking in preheated 180 degree oven for about 25 - 30 minutes  or till meat is cooked through (turning at least twice to get an even colour coating).

5. Remove the cooked spare ribs, arrange on serving plate and sprinkle some lightly toasted sesame seeds on it for that extra fragrant.


If you have NEW ways of using these Red Wine Lees(红槽) for cooking/baking do share with us your ideas or recipes so that we can keep these traditional ingredient and dishes going on.

Thanks for all your "BUZZ(s)" and support friends. Baked Spare Ribs With Red Wine Lees post has make it to FoodBuzz Todays Top 9, 21st May 2011.(Here)

Featured On: FoodBuzz Todays Top 9, 21st May 2011.(Here)

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Baked Crab and Artichoke Dip – A Snack So Nice You Finish it Twice

Nothing says, “this party rocks” like a creamy, cheesy, baked dip, and when you’re talking about a hot crab and artichoke dip, people have been known to put an extra choice word or two before “rocks.” If only there were a big event coming up soon to test this theory.

Not only is this additive dip easy to make, it works with any budget. You can load it up with the finest fresh crab, use frozen or pasteurized lump crab meat, or even canned in a pinch. By the way, (and off the record) I’ve had these made with fake crab, and it wasn’t bad at all.

While the loaf of bread base does make for a nice presentation, not to mention recycled after party snack food, you can simply bake this in a casserole dish as well. As I mentioned in the video, I had a little extra leftover, and if this happens to you, give it a try as a stuffing for ravioli, wontons, or other dumpling-like delivery systems.

No matter which team they’re rooting for, all your guests will be cheering for more of this delicious baked dip. By the way, nothing beats watching your friends play tug-o-war with the crust once the dip is gone. I hope you give it a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 12 portions of Baked Crab and Artichoke Dip:

2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese

1/2 cup sour cream

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup finely diced red bell pepper

1/3 cup chopped green onions

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp fresh chopped tarragon leaves

zest and juice from 1 lemon

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

salt and pepper to taste

cayenne to taste

1 pound lump crab meat, drained

1 (14-oz) can artichoke bottoms

6 oz white Cheddar cheese, divided

1 large round or oval loaf sourdough bread

About 30 min at 375 degrees F.

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Baked Mussels in Garlic Butter 奶油蒜烤青口

 My husband knows I love mussels so when he saw this pack of mussels when we were (supermarket) shopping, he picked it up for me. The first thing he commented was, "You mean mussels are so cheap?!" Yes, the pack of mussels cost only .... $1! Its small though but I prefer this than the larger one.



I used the Garlic Butter Spread I had in the fridge to make this. If you dont have any, you can substitute it with 4 gloves of grated garlic and 1 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder to 1 1/2 tablespoon of softened butter.

Ingredients:

• 200g Mussels, washed & cleaned


• 3 clove Garlic, chopped


• 1 1/2 tbsp Garlic Butter Spread


• 1 teaspoon Dried Mixed Herbs


• 1 teaspoon Dried Parsley


• A pinch of Salt


• A dash of Ground Black Pepper

How to do it:

1. Mix all ingredients except Mussels, salt and ground black pepper together.


2. Combine butter mix with mussels. 


3. Season with salt and ground black pepper.


4. Bake in oven at 200C for 15 - 20 minutes or till all mussels are cooked.


5. Serve immediately.

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Twice Baked Potatoes with Bacon Mushrooms and Cheddar

With the holidays right around the corner, its the perfect time to make these absolutely loaded twice baked potatoes; but theyre so darn good, youll want to make them all year round. Filled with plenty of bacon, chunks of sauteed mushrooms, and best of all, ooey gooey cheese pockets, then topped with even more cheese for a browned and bubbly cheesy crust, can it get any better? These potatoes are a favorite of Steven and I and have been a holiday tradition for the last few years. Traditionally, a twice baked potato is a regular baked potato with the filling scooped out, mixed with a few more things, then added back into the potato skins, topped with cheese, and baked again. They look great with that browned skin, bursting with filling, and bubbly cheese, but restuffing each potato can be a pain. So instead, the potatoes are simply baked in a large baking dish. For the holidays, digging into a big dish and scooping out mounds onto your plate is fantastic but for something a little more elegant, the filling can be baked in ramekins for individual servings, which is much easier than trying to coax the hefty potatoes back into their skins.

One of the best things about this recipe is the ooey gooey cheese pockets. When I first made this recipe, I mixed shredded cheese into the potatoes and by the time they came out of the oven, the cheese had melted into the potatoes and disappeared. Then I came up with the great idea of cutting cubes of cheese and mixing that into the filling. After the potatoes come out of the oven and you break through the cheesy crust to find the melty cubes of cheese formed golden pockets of deliciousness. If the cubes are too small, they will melt and disappear into the potatoes, if they are too big, they might be too overwhelming; 3/8 inch to 1/2 inch cubes are ideal. And if youre feeling particularly adventurous, you can add in some of the bacon fat from rendering the bacon (only about a tablespoon) and make sure to get the browned bits at the bottom. As for the leftover potato skins, some people really like them, so you can cut them into strips, pan fry them in a little oil (or bacon fat) or brush some oil on them and bake until theyre crisp, add a little salt and pepper, and serve them on the side of the potatoes.

Notes:
- My Kitchenaid capacity makes enough for a 8 x 8 dish. To make a 9 x 13 dish, youll need to mix everything in two batches. Mixing by hand is possibly doable but tedious.
- For such a tasty dish, its a shame the photos were taken after dark. But with the sun setting at 5pm, its hard to get a good photo of dinner.

Twice Baked Potatoes with Bacon, Mushrooms, Green Onions, and Cheddar

2 lbs russet potatoes, about 5 - 6 medium potatoes
8 oz. thick cut bacon, chopped 1/2 in pieces
8 oz. mushrooms, chopped into small pieces
4 - 5 green onions, thinly sliced, separate white part from green part
Half of a 16 oz. container of sour cream (regular kind but you can get away with low fat, but definitely not nonfat)
8 oz. sharp Cheddar
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
Salt and plenty of freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Scrub the outside of the potatoes. Using the tines of a fork, poke holes in the potatoes to allow the steam to escape. One time I forgot to do this and a potato exploded in my oven, wasnt pretty. Bake until a knife slides easily into the potatoes with no resistance, about an hour. To speed up the process and cut the baking time in half, you can microwave the potatoes and cook them about halfway and then bake them in the oven until they are fully cooked, will take about another 20 - 30 minutes, make sure a knife can glide through easily.

Meanwhile, heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat and add the chopped bacon. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the bacon bacon pieces are crisp and the fat has been rendered. Remove the bacon pieces to paper towels to drain. Pour out of bacon fat and reserve. I used about 3/4 C of bacon bits.

Heat one tablespoon of vegetable oil in the same skillet and add the mushrooms. Add some salt and pepper to the mushrooms and cook until the water from the mushrooms has evaporated and they start to brown. Remove to a bowl and set aside.

Finally, heat up the second tablespoon of oil over medium heat and add the sliced white part of the green onion. Cook in hot oil for about a minute to bloom the flavor, then add the sliced green parts, cook for another 30 seconds and remove from heat.

When the potatoes have finished baking, cut them in half and scoop the flesh out from the skins into a large mixing bowl. Leave the oven on at 400 degrees F. I like to use my KitchenAid and the paddle attachment to mix everything together. Let the potatoes cool a little before proceeding, otherwise the cheese will melt. You can finish prepping the rest of the ingredients as the potatoes cool.

Cut 3/4 of the cheese into 3/8 inch to 1/2 inch cubes. Grate the remaining 1/4 of cheese.

When the potatoes have cooled slightly, add the bacon pieces, cooked mushrooms, green onions and oil, half the 16 oz. container of sour cream, 1/4 tsp of salt (sprinkle it evenly across the potatoes), and plenty of freshly ground black pepper. Mix until everything looks about halfway evenly incorporated, then scatter in the cheese cubes and try to separate the cubes that are stuck together. Taste the mixture to determine if it needs additional salt. Usually the bacon and cheese add plenty of salt but depending on the salt content of your bacon, you may need to add a little more. I like to go light on the salt but add plenty of fresh pepper. Mix until everything is evenly mixed.

Transfer the potatoes to a 8 x 8 inch baking dish and scatter the remaining grated Cheddar on top. Bake until the potatoes are hot and the cheese is bubbly and slightly browned, about 40 - 45 minutes minutes. For individual ramekin servings, you will only need to bake about 20 - 25 minutes.

Links:
To see other food bloggers favorite Thanksgiving recipe, check out the November Monthly Mouthful over at Chew on That.

Final Note:
Ive been extremely busy recently (prepping for one of the most important interviews of my life) and havent had much time to visit all my favorite blogging buddies. Im sorry guys! :( With three weeks to go, its going to get even more stressful, and Im sad to say Ill have very little time for blogging. Ill try my best to not neglect this humble little blog and Ill visit everyone in a few weeks!

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Twice baked buns Tvíbökur

Twice-baked bread keeps well and is good in all kinds of sweetened soups, like Sweet Soup, Crowberry Soup, and Cocoa Soup.

250 g flour OR

100 g bread or all-purpose flour and 100 g whole-wheat flour

t tsp baking powder
1 tbs sugar
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
75 g butter or margarine
100-150 ml milk

Sift together the flour, baking powder and cardamom and add the sugar. Add the softened butter or margarine and rub into the dry mix until the mixture is crumbly. Add the milk, no more than needed to make the dough stick together. Knead until smooth and roll up into sausage shapes. Cut into even-sized pieces and roll into balls. Arrange on a greased cookie sheet and bake at 180°C until light brown.

Remove the buns from the oven and cool until they can be handled, then cut in half, put back on the cookie sheet and dry in the oven at a low temperature.

Serve with the above-mentioned sweet soups or with coffee.

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Baked Chicken Taquitos

    Hi guys! I just wanted to start off by letting you know that I have started a Facebook page for my blog! So if you are a fellow Facebooker, like myself, then search for Life as a Lofthouse food blog and LIKE me :)

As for this recipe... Holy cow, are these little guys great! I am such a big lover of mexican food! Taquitos are not normally something I would order at a restaurant, but when I saw this recipe on OurBestBites blog, I had to try them.... and I did...... and we LOVED them! How does a crispy corn tortilla wrapped around a warm center of creamy cheesey mexican chicken sound?? ... Mmmmm SO good :)  I made only a few minor changes to the original recipe and was really happy with how they turned out. These would be so great for appetizers at a party or for an easy lunch! I made them for dinner tonight with some refried beans, and as we ate Kelsey told me for the millionth time how I am the best cook in the world! :)  Love that kid! Here is the recipe:

Baked Chicken Taquitos
Recipe by: Our Best Bites

2 1/2 cups cooked shredded chicken

5 oz cream cheese, softened

2 tbs fresh lime juice

1/2 c green salsa

1/4 tsp minced onion

1 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp cumin

1/4 c cilantro, chopped

2 tbs green onion, chopped

1 1/2 cups shredded Monterrey Jack cheese

20 corn tortillas

             Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with tinfoil and spray with cooking spray. In a large bowl, Mix the cream cheese, salsa, lime juice, onion, chili and garlic powder and cumin. 

         Then add the cilantro, green onion and cheese. Add in your shredded chicken last, and mix well together.

         Heat your corn tortillas in a microwave by placing them in between damp paper towels and heating for 30 seconds at a time so their easy to roll and wont crack.  Take one tortilla, spreading about 3 tbs of the mixture on the lower part of the tortilla. Roll up, and place seam side down on the baking sheet. Continue with all 20 tortillas.  (Make sure none of the taquitos are touching or they will stick together while they bake)  After they are all rolled up, spray them with cooking spray. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until edges are golden brown! Serve with salsa, sour cream or whatever your heart desires :)

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Oven baked potato wedges with caraway seeds

I love caraway seeds, thats not a secret. There have been roasted beets with caraway seeds, shaken cucumber salad with caraway seeds, creamy beetroot soup with horseradish and caraway seeds, caraway-infused sauerkraut braised in beer, easy cheese crisps with caraway seeds - to name just a few. And one of my old favourites that has recently enjoyed a comeback, is a recipe for oven-baked chips with caraway seeds.

So heres what you need to do.

Take your favourite roasting potato (I use a variety, Laura, which has a thin pink skin and dark yellow flesh - Estonians like their potatoes to be yellow, not white inside), scrub very clean and cut lengthwise into wedges (four is plenty). Place into an oven tray, preferably large enough to snugly fit the potatoes in one layer. Drizzle generously with oil (and give them a good stir, so theyd be covered with oil), season with sea salt and caraway seeds.

Bake for 35-45 minutes (the timing really depends on the size and variety of your chosen potato) at 200 C/400 F, until the potato wedges are soft inside and crisp & brown outside and a lovely smell of caraway seeds has filled your kitchen. Sprinkle with some extra sea salt, if necessary.

Serve as a side dish with some meat, or simply dip them into some nice sour cream. Mmmmmm....

Ahjukartulid köömnetega

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Traditional Christmas roast oven baked pork shoulder with honey mustard and rosemary

Photo by Juta Kübarsepp for the December issue of Kodu ja Aed magazine, 2012 

Whats your traditional Christmas roast (assuming youre eating meat)? Turkey? Goose? Duck?

In Estonia its definitely pork, though roast poultry has become more popular during recent years. Ive been flirting with roast goose and actually served duck leg confit on Christmas Eve this year. It was delicious.

However, for years Ive been serving pork roast - a pork shoulder (kaelakarbonaad in Estonian) in a mustard-honey-garlic-rosemary marinade, to be more precise. I love that its a pretty fool-proof recipe, simple to make, with lots of flavour. And - as an added bonus - any leftovers are excellent on top of rye bread on the days after the party, or as part of a salad. So if youre not making it for a big family feast, you can still make the same amount and simply make several meals out of it.

So here you go. Nami-Namis traditional Christmas roast. On the photo above, its accompanied by black pudding (blood sausages) - another traditional Christmas dish.

Wish you all a lovely festive season!!!

Traditional Christmas roast
(Ahjupraad karbonaadist)
Serves about 10

2 kg boneless pork shoulder (Boston butt)
3-4 Tbsp honey
3-4 Tbsp Dijon mustard or Estonian Põltsamaa mustard
2-3 fresh rosemary sprigs (leaves only)
3 large garlic cloves
2 tsp sea salt

Finely chop garlic cloves and rosemary leaves, then mix with honey and mustard until combined.
Season the meat generously with salt, then spread the mustard-honey mixture all over the pork shoulder and massage into the meat.
Place the pork shoulder into a large ovenproof dish, cover with foil and place into a fridge or cold larder for 1-2 days.
Bring back to the room temperature about an hour before you plan to cook the meat.
If you have a meat thermometer, then stick it into the thickest part of the meat (you can do this through the kitchen foil).
Roast the meat in a pre-heated 160 C / 320 F oven for about 2,5 hours or until the meat thermometer has reached 82-85 C/ 180-185 F.
If you plan to serve gravy with your meat, then pour a cup of hot water into the baking tray half-way through the cooking. 
When the meat is cooked, remove the foil, season the meat once more lightly with salt and then bake for another 10-15 minutes at about 200-220 C/ 390-425 F, just to brown the meat  a little.

Remove the roast pork from the oven, cover again with a kitchen foil and leave to rest for 20-30 minutes before carving into thin slices.

This recipe was also included in my latest cookbook, Jõulud kodus ("Christmas at Home"), published in Estonian in November 2011. 
I also included the recipe in the December 2012 issue of Kodu & Aed magazine. 

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Baked Chicken and Spinach Flautas

  Cinco de Mayo is this coming Saturday, so I thought I would share some Mexican inspired recipes this week. To those of you who celebrate Cinco de Mayo, I hope these delicious recipes will give you some ideas for your celebration!

  Flautas are one of my very favorite Mexican dishes. These ones are stuffed with seasoned chicken, spinach and monterey jack cheese. Best of all they are baked, not fried. They are sure to be a big hit as an appetizer or the main course.

Baked Chicken and Spinach Flautas
Makes 10 flautas


3 boneless, skinless Chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
1/2 cup chicken broth, divided
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon paprika
3/4 teaspoon cumin
3 cups fresh baby spinach, chopped
8 ounces monterey jack cheese, shredded
10 taco-size flour tortillas
cooking spray
(Favorite Toppings: salsa, sour cream, guacamole)



DIRECTIONS:   Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Place the cooked, shredded chicken in a large bowl. Pour 1/4 cup of chicken broth over the chicken and then sprinkle with the chili powder, garlic powder, salt, paprika and cumin. Mix well. Set aside.

In a medium skillet, heat the remaining 1/4 cup chicken broth over medium heat and then add the chopped spinach leaves. Cook 3-4 minutes or until spinach wilts. Remove from heat, and set aside.

Take one flour tortilla and spread about 1/4 cup of seasoned chicken down the middle. Sprinkle with monterey jack cheese and then top with 1 Tablespoon of spinach. Roll up. Place flauta seam-side down onto a baking sheet lined with foil. Repeat with remaining tortillas, chicken, cheese and spinach.

Once all flautas are rolled and on baking sheet, spray the tops of them with cooking spray. Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until golden-brown and crispy. Serve immediately with your favorite toppings!

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