Polly's Cabbage Rolls

 I love to watch movies and TV shows with some cooking tips and the Japanese TV series "Midnight Diner" is one of the show that inspires me to try something I haven't tried for a long time or something new.  I also like to discover the techniques that make the cooking more refined.  I normally bake my Cabbage Rolls, but this one is stewed.  The recipe on the TV didn't have rice in it and I should have just followed it, but I added basmatic rice.  I figure since they are going to be stewed, the liquid would cook the rice along.  I think it turned out quite tasty.  The technique I discovered is to make the rolling of cabbage easier when filled is to gently pound the stems of the boiled cabbage leaf flat before wrapping. Buy the largest Cabbage you want.  Core the Cabbage.  Gently open up each leaves.  Of course, if you are very patient, after coring the cabbage, you could dunk it in ice cold water to help opening it up.  Wash the cabbage leaves.

Blanch the leaves untilquite tender.

Do not throw away the cabbage liquid.  Transfer to ice water.

Take a leaf and pat the stem area down with wooden spoon or anything that will do the work.

Make your filling.

Add your spices.

Save half of the cabbage liquid.  Add 2 cans of chopped Tomatoes, a can of sauce.

Have some toothpicks ready to hold the roll closed.

Keep al the cabbage rolls down in the liquid.  Place a heavy heat proof plate in.  Cook long enough to make sure that rice is cooked.

Remove toothpicks before serving.

Serve with Parmesan.

Serve with Cheddar cheese - microwave it for 20 sec.

More Creamy Flan - Creamy or Bubbly

 I noticed whenever I double the recipe, there is a lot more chance for failure.  Mixing time and the cooking time becomes critical controller in the quality. I think they turned out all right, but they could be better.  Darn! some eggs got frozen from keeping the temperature too low due to hot temp in the garage.  It still worked out after thawing it out.  Kind of pretty.  It reminds me of the Amber in the Jurassic Park movie.

Making the double amount of Caramel was time consuming.

(I really hate this new version of Blogger app feature.  Can't adjust the spacing like in the old days.)

I tried not to make the mixture floathy, but what is interesting is the result in baking in the gas oven and in the counter top electric convection oven.

The ones in the countertop electric convection oven seem to be more smoother than the gas oven ones.

These were baked in the gas oven.  I watched the baking time very carefully to make sure that they are not over baked.  When the top is touched with finger, the flan jiggles slightly still.

Let them cook 15 min in the bath before taking them out.

These are actually my 3rd Flan baking.  During the 2nd Flan baking, I noticed when I went over the baking time because I was too busy doing something, the flan turned out bubbly and more solid than creamy smooth.

 

 

 

Polly's Morning Scones with Chocolate Chips and Flaxseed Mills

 Scones are so simple to make.  

Ingredients hasn't changed:

Shift  three times - 6 oz AP flour, 2 tsp baking powder, 1/4 t salt together   Add Total of 4 oz of goodies of your choice - Chocolate chips, Ground Flaxseed Mills, Green Tea, Kale Powder, Raisins.  Coat them well with Flour.  Whisk 2 oz sugar in.  Then, Add 6 oz cold Heavy Cream.  Mix to combine.   Heat oven to 425'F.   Slice the sides of the dough ends off and add them to the top and press gently down to make them even.  Slice with knife vertically without pressing down so the cutting would not press down to seal the dough.  This will help the dough to rise.  Apply Egg Wash: Mix 1 Tbsp heavy cream - 1 yolk or 1 whole egg whichever - your preference and brush on without sealing the cut edges.  Bake until Beautifully browned, but also the tester comes out dry.  You can turn down the oven to 375 - 400'F if the top is too brown, but it needs 7-10 more minutes to bake through.  or Cover the top with aluminum.