Linguine With Shrimp In Tomato Cream Sauce

We have finally reached the last day of 2011.  Wishing you all a wealthy and healthy new year!  This is going to be my last recipe of 2011.  I will try my best to find more good recipes to share with you in the coming year.   Happy New Year!

Ingredients
3 cups grape or cherry tomatoes
400g shrimp - peeled and deveined
1 cup vegetable broth
6 garlic cloves - minced
2 rosemary sprigs
3 basil leaves
1/4 cup heavy cream
300 g or 10 oz. linguine - cooked
Pinch salt and pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil - more for drizzling
1 tablespoon butter

Directions

1. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.
2. Saute tomatoes and half of the minced garlic until tomatoes are softened. 
3. Add in rosemary, basil and vegetable broth and cook for 1 minute.
4. Remove from heat and place them in a blender.
5. Puree until smooth.
6. Clean the skillet and return to medium heat.  Heat the butter and the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
7. Saute the remaining minced garlic.
8. Add shrimp to the garlic and saute until the shrimp start to turn pink. 
9. Add the pureed tomato sauce and heavy cream to the shrimp.
10. Bring to a boil.
11. Add cooked linguine pasta to the skillet and toss with the sauce and shrimp.   
12. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
13. Remove from heat. 
14. Drizzle some olive oil over the linguine.
15. Serve with garlic toast.

Cabbage, Enoki Mushroom and Goji Berry Stir-Fry

Today I would like to introduce to you two new ingredients that you probably wouldn't normally cook them on a regular basis.  These are goji berries and enoki mushrooms.  The goji berries have been getting attention recently.  There are more and more health stores and supermarkets starting to carry goji berries.  Some studies show that goji berries contain antioxidants and have lots of health benefits.  For those who have never tasted goji berries before, they taste sweet and tangy which are similar to the flavor of cranberry.  The goji berries are usually sold in a dried form.  You need to wash and soak them in warm water for a few minutes before you use them for salad or other dishes.  You can make a hot drink by steeping the goji berries in the boiling water for a few minutes. In the future, I will introduce more recipes to you using these amazing goji berries.

For the enoki mushrooms, you can find them fresh or in cans in some of the Asian markets.  I prefer the fresh kind because they contain a delicate flavor which you can hardly taste it when they are in cans.  Wash and pat dry with paper towels before you use them.  The lower part of the stems should be trimmed off.  Also, try to separate them if they are all attached together.  My experience is that you can get choking by putting a whole bundle into your mouth.  For me, I even cut them in half crosswise, so that accidents can be prevented.

Hope you enjoy this new recipe.

Dried goji berries

Soak dried goji berries in warm water 

for 10 to 15 minutes

Trim off the stems that are attached to Enoki Mushrooms

Ingredients

4 cups cabbage - shredded

200g enoki mushrooms

1/4 cup goji berries - soaked and drained

5 garlic cloves - minced

3 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 cup vegetable broth

Pinch salt

Directions

1. Heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat.  
2. Saute garlic.  Add cabbage and stir-fry for about one minute.
3. Add vegetable broth and goji berries to the cabbage.
4. Cook until cabbage becomes translucent.
5. Add enoki mushrooms and mix well.
6. Season with salt.
7. Remove from heat.  Serve immediately.

Thumbprint Cookies

Cookies have been massively baked this whole week.  I thought I would be close to get my Christmas baking done, but every time when the cookies are out of the oven, they smell so good that we can't help but eat them.  Until today, more than half of the cookies have already been eaten before I have a chance to gift wrap and send them to friends.  I guess there will still be another week of baking to do until I can sit back and relax.  Good that I enjoy baking.  All these colorful cookies get me into the Christmas spirit.

I came across a website called  'Joy of Baking'.  There are so many marvelous recipes on that site.  I tried this Thumbprint Cookie recipe, and I really like it.  I also used the same dough recipe, and made a different kind of cookie which I called it Cherry Shortbread.  All the cookies came out beautifully.

Adapted from joyofbaking.com

Ingredients

1/2 cup unsalted butter - room temperature

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg - separated

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup all purpose flour

Pinch of salt

3/4 cup finely chopped and toasted hazelnuts, almonds, pecans or walnuts

1/4 to 1/2 cup jam

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or reusable non-adherent silicone baking  mat.  
3. In a bowl of a stand mixer, using a flat paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy for 2 to 3 minutes.  Add the egg yolk and vanilla extract and beat until combined.  
4. In a separate bowl, mix flour and salt together.  
5. Add the flour mixture to the batter and beat until combined. 
6. Chill the dough for 30 to 60 minutes if it's too soft to roll into balls.
7. In a small bowl, whisk the egg white until frothy. 
8. Place the chopped nuts on a plate.
9. Roll the dough into 1" balls.
10. Dip the balls into the egg white one at a time, and then roll in the nuts.
11. Place the balls 1" apart on the baking sheet.  
12. Using the thumb to make an indentation into the center of each cookie.  Fill with about 1/2 teaspoon of jam.
13. Bake for 12 - 15 minutes or until the cookies are nicely browned.  
14. Remove from oven and place on wire rack to cool.

Cherry Shortbread cookies

Ingredients

1/2 cup unsalted butter - room temperature

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg - separated

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup all purpose flour

Pinch of salt

1/4 cup chopped maraschino cherries

1/2 cup finely chopped and toasted hazelnuts, almonds, pecans or walnuts

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or reusable non-adherent silicone baking  mat.
3. In a bowl of a stand mixer, using a flat paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy for 2 to minutes.  Add the egg yolk and vanilla extract and beat until combined.  
4. In a separate bowl, mix flour and salt together.  
5. Add the flour mixture to the batter and beat until combined. 
6. Add chopped maraschino cherries to the mixture.  Mix well.
7. Roll the dough into a 2" diameter log.  Chill the dough for 30 to 60 minutes if it's too soft to roll into a log.
8. Brush the log with the beaten egg white.  Roll in the chopped nuts.
9. Cut the log into slices about 1/4" thick.  Place the slices 1" apart on the baking sheet. 
10. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes.
11. Remove from oven and place on wire rack to cool.

Poppy Seed Shortbread

I baked some poppy seed shortbread today.  The recipe is the same as pecan ball recipe, only substituting poppy seeds for chopped pecans.

Ingredients

2 cups flour

1 cup butter - softened

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup poppy seeds

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. In a bowl of a stand mixer, using a flat paddle attachment, beat butter for 30 seconds.
3. Add sugar, salt and vanilla.  Beat until combined.
4. Add flour and beat until well mixed.  
5. Stir in poppy seeds.  
6. Shape the dough into about 3/4" balls.
7. Place the balls 1" apart on ungreased cookie sheet.
8. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until bottoms begin to brown.
9. Transfer to wire rack.  Let cool.

Makes approximately 3 dozen cookies.

Jam Diagonal Cookies

The jam diagonal cookies are among my favorites.  I am a huge fan of cookies.  Not only do I enjoy baking all these yummy, beautiful cookies, but also I enjoy eating them.  The ingredient of the glaze for these cookies is melted white chocolate.  If you prefer the original glaze, just mix 3/4 cup of icing sugar with 4 teaspoons of lemon juice.  Hope this recipe will work for you.

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter - softened
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/4 cups flour

Pinch of salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup jam - I use apricot

Melted white chocolate - for drizzling -optional

Icing sugar - for sprinkling

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or reusable non-adherent silicone baking  mat.
3. In a bowl of a stand mixer, using a flat paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar until creamy.
4. Add vanilla extract.
5. Gradually add flour.  Mix until the dough is smooth.
6. Divide dough into 4 parts.  Chill for 30 minutes.
7. On a floured surface, roll each into 8" rope. 
8. Place the dough about 2" apart on the baking sheet.
9. Press down the center of the rope.  Spread jam in the indentation.  
10. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.
11. Let cool on the baking sheet.
12. Drizzle melted white chocolate over jam.  
13. Cut diagonally.  Sprinkle some icing sugar over the cookies.  

Christmas - Lemon Squares

Lemon Squares

December is always my busiest baking time of the year.  I have a wide collection of Christmas cookie and dainty recipes.  Most of my favorite recipes are very traditional and easy to follow such as shortbread cookies, pecan balls, sugar cookies and candy cane cookies.  I love cookies that are made with real butter.  Every year I make so many batches of shortbread cookies for Christmas.  The kind I bake the most is Whipped Shortbread Cookies.  I have this recipe for a long time.  It was my friend who passed it onto me.  I was just a beginner in baking at that time. This Whipped Shortbread Cookie recipe is very simple and very popular.  When you search on the internet, you can see a lot of people posting the same one.  Although this recipe is not unique, I still like to share it with you or with someone who has never baked before. 

Whipped Shortbread Cookies & Pecan Balls

Whipped shortbread cookies

Ingredients

1 cup butter - softened

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup icing sugar

9 maraschino cherries - cut each into 4 pieces

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and beat for 8 to 10 minutes.
3. Drop teaspoonfuls of mixture onto baking sheet.
4. Put one piece of cherry in the center.
5. Bake for 13 to 15 minutes or until lightly browned.

Makes approximately 3 dozen cookies.

Pecan Balls

Adapted from Better Homes and Gardens

Ingredients

2 cups flour

1 cup butter - softened

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup finely chopped pecans

Icing sugar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. In a bowl of a stand mixer, using a flat paddle attachment, beat butter for 30 seconds.
3. Add sugar, salt and vanilla.  Beat until combined.
4. Add flour and beat until well mixed.  
5. Stir in chopped pecans.
6. Shape the dough into about 3/4" balls.
7. Place the balls 1" apart on ungreased cookie sheet.
8. Bake for 15 minutes or until bottoms begin to brown.
9. Transfer to wire rack.  Let cool.
10. Sprinkle with icing sugar.

Makes approximately 3 dozen cookies.

Candy Cane Cookies

Adapted from familyfun.go.com

Ingredients
3/4 cup butter - softened
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
2 1/4 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract 
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Red food coloring


Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. In a bowl of a stand mixer, using a flat paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar until creamy.
3. Add egg and beat well.
4. Add peppermint and vanilla extracts to the mixture.  Mix well.
5. Gradually add flour.  Mix until the dough is smooth.
6. Divide the dough into two parts.  
7. Color one half with red food coloring.  Leave the other half plain.  
8. Roll out a tablespoon of red dough and a tablespoon of plain dough into 6" to 8" long.  If you find the dough too soft to work with, refrigerate the dough for half an hour. 
9. Twist them together into a candy cane.  Pinch the ends. 
10. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes.

Makes approximately 2 dozen cookies.