Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Hot Cinnamon Rolls in Muffin Pan


One morning, I tried baking the normal cinnamon rolls that I make for my grand-children in a muffin pan.  And to my surprise, it turned out great.
Ingredients are the usual flour shifted with baking powder and salt, hand mix in the butter pieces, and formed into dough with cold milk.   Rest the dough, then, roll flat into rectangle.  Mix Ceylon cinnamon with sugar.  Rub the surface of the dough with soft butter, then, sprinkle with cinnamon mixture.     Roll up the dough and cut into the size to fit in the muffin mold.  Bake at 350'F till 'soft' golden brown.     Drizzle with optional frosting made with powder sugar and milk.


 

Dungeness Crab Cake

I know, I know, whenever you order crab cakes at the local restaurant, it's a disappointment.  You slice a piece with the fork and lift it up to look for a 'sign' of Crab meat, and all you see is this strand of "something" that you end up comforting yourself - 'that's the crab meat'.   As you place that piece of the crab cake into the mouth, surely you are convincing yourself that you that are biting into some sort of crab that taste like a 'ocean'.    Then, you take another bite, hoping that you will find a 'chunk' of crab meat, but yet again, it's another strands of something surrounded by corn meal and other mixtures.   So, I got tired of the cheap cheat of the restaurants, and I decided to make one myself.   For sure I have the Crab chunk in the crab cake I am making, and I enjoyed every bite of it.
 1 Cup of crab meat hand picked out of the shells - use chopsticks to do this to prevent shredding of crab meat.  Leave most of the meat whole.  Mix mayonnaise, chopped home grown scallion, chopped bell peppers, 1 egg, mixed with Panko crumbs, paprika, chili powder, salt and black pepper to taste.     After combining them well, add crab meat and toss together.   Careful not to shred the crab meat.




 I used the largest biscuit ring to form the cake.





 Deep fry it till brown.




 Enjoy!


Chickpea Salad with Lentil and Curly Parsley

The most we see the curly parsley being used is as a garnish on top of a dish or on a plate.   This salad contain garlic, red onions, French lentils, chickpeas, orange bell peppers, and curly parsley; sea salt and peppers, olive oils, red sherry wine vinegar, and served with Jasmine Basmati fried rice with raisins, chickpeas, flavored with cumin, turmeric, paprika, cayenne pepper.