Syrup-Roast Carrots and Parsnips

I know daily diets vary considerably around the world! The major cause is the weather and geographic differences. So, it limits our adventure on looking for new food. Why do I say this? Spending X’Mas with my friends found out some interesting difference could be. For example, pickle onion is a very common food in the UK. Most British people like it and eat it as the side or in the tea time when they grow up. For me and another Asian friend, we don’t like this tasty. The Asian friend brought some red bean pancake (Dorayaki). Most of my British friends don’t like it. But, it is a very common dessert in most of Asian cities.

So, I think it is not only climate and geographic issues are the major cause, but also psychology will affect a person’s diet, right?

Oven Temperature Setting: 200C/400F/Gas Mark 6

Baking Time: 40 minutes
Serve: Around 3~4 people

 

Steps of Roast Carrot and Parsnip

(1) Add sliced carrot and parsnip into the pan. Bring to boil for 5 minutes. Then, drain them in a colander.

(2) Place it on the bake tray. Sprinkle oil over the top, and then season with salt and black pepper. Drizzle over the syrup.

(3) Roast for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and turn them over. Return to the oven and roast for another 20 minutes until they are tender and caramelized.

Before coming to the UK, I never thought of how tasty roast carrots and parsnips could be. Or, I never eat parsnip before. So, open our mind to enjoy new food. Try it.

Priddy Oggies

I am interested in a game called RummiKub. My friends and I played at the day one of 2016. I searched the wiki that it is a combination of Rummy and Mahjong. I have no idea what is Rummy. But, Mahjong?! Of course, I know how to play Mahjong as a Taiwanese girl. So, I definitely enjoy this game. And I think it is more complicated than Mahjong. For Mahjong, you need to focus on what you have and find a way to get sets. For RummiKub, you focus on not only what you have, but also what are played. Then, you can manipulate players’ cards and try to get rid of you have on hand. RummiKub has sold online, but you can actually use 2 sets of playing cards to play. So, google the rules on-line and try it.

Oven Temperature Setting:

Bake at 200C/400F/Gas Mark 6 for the first 20 minutes.
Then, lower the temperature to 160C/325F/Gas Mark 3 for the next 30 minutes.
Recipe: Serve 5 people

 

Steps of Priddy Oggies

(1) Make the pastry firstly. Mix the salt and flour in a bowl. Then, place the diced better in the bowl. Rub butter into the flour with fingertips until it is breadcrumbs like.

(2) Stir grated cheese with breadcrumbs. Add water into the bowl to make it into a firm dough. Set aside around 30 minutes.

(3) Prepare the filling. Add chopped apple and sliced mushroom into a big bowl.

(4) Cut the pork and bacon into a roughly 0.5 cm pieces. Add into the bowl with grated cheese and chopped basil. Mix them well. Season with some salt.

(5) Divide pastry into 5 balls. Take one ball. Roll it into a 24 cm diameter circle. Place the filling in the center of the pastry.

 

 

(6) Place it on the baking tray. Bring both sides of pastry up to press it together. Brush with beaten egg over the top of pastry. Use a chopstick to poke some holes over the top of pastry.

(7) Repeat step (5) and (6) for the rest of 4 pasties. Then, send it to the pre-heat oven at 200C/400F/Gas Mark 6 for the first 20 minutes. Then, lower the temperature to 160C/325F/Gas Mark 3 for the next 30 minutes.

 

 

It is a very good pastry. The pork is so tender that eating with apple advances the taste. 

Bacon and Goat Cheese Bread Roll

What is the most hot topic around? Recently, people keep talking about how much they ate during X’Mas when I went to work out in the gym or went swimming in the pool. Yes, I believe everyone enjoyed lots of feasts with your families and friends. So do I. It is very important to have exercise after those delicious food. What are you going to do today after work off? Pick up your walking shoes and just walk to the park. Be healthy and enjoy more delicious food.

Oven Temperature Setting: 200C/400F/Gas Mark 6

Baking Time: 20~30 minutes
Recipe: Serve 3~5 people

 

Steps of Bacon and Goat Cheese Bread Roll

(1) Add flour, and salt in the bowl. Mix all ingredients well

(2) Add egg, milk with instant yeast and butter into the bowl. Knead it into the chunk
(Selena’s Kitchen Talk: I reserve 1 table spoon of egg for brushing on the surface of bread.)

 

(3) Move the dough into the floured table. Knead the dough until it turns softer and more elastic.
(4) Shape the dough into a ball and put back to the bowl. Leave the dough in a warm place to double its size. It takes around 90 ~ 120 minutes

 

(5) At this moment, prepare a pan. Fry bacon and set aside for later use.

(6) After the first grow-up, move the dough to the working table with light flour. Roll it into around 35X25cm rectangle.

 

(7) Place bacon on the top of bread. Then, add chopped goat cheese and basil leaves on the top of bacon.

 

(8) Roll it up. Slice in the middle of the bread. But, leave one end. Roll it again to shape the bread into a bow.

 

(9) Leave in the warm place to grow up again. It takes around 40~60 minutes. Brush some egg over the top. Then, send it to the pre-heated oven at 200C/400F/Gas Mark 6 for 20~30 minutes until it turns golden on the top.

 

 

It is a very tasty bread roll which can be eaten as the breakfast, light lunch, or your tea time. Try it and let me know your feeling.

Coconut and Cranberry Tart

Bye bye 2015 and welcome 2016! It is a new year AGAIN. So, why not go and do some things you really want to do?! Don’t wait it. Don’t wait for the right time. There is no right time. Just do it. Make your dream come true. I am so happy for myself when I made decision to study in the UK. I have learned about lots of new things, learned about how to see who I am, what I want to do in the deeper heart, and learned about how to show your respect when there is another opinion. If I didn’t decide to step out and spend all my saving to study abroad, I will not get so much inspiration. Don’t hesitate! Just go and do it

Oven Temperature Setting: 160C/325F/Gas Marker 3

Baking Time: 20~25 minutes
Recipe: 12 Coconut Cranberry Tart

 



7" Shortcrust Pastry Link 

 

Steps of Coconut and Cranberry Tart

(1) Roll out 7” pastry thinly(around 0.2cm). Use a 8 cm round cutter to cut 12 round pastry. Line it into 12 cup bun tin. Send it to pre-heat oven at 200C/400F/Gas Marker 6 for around 20 minutes until the top turns golden. Then, set aside.

(2) Then, place 1/2 tea spoon of cranberry jam into the pastry case.

(3) Place butter and sugar in a big bowl. Whisk them until it turns light and fluffy.

(4) Stir coconut and egg into butter.

(5) Place around 1 table spoon over the top of jam.

(6) Send it to the oven at 160C/325F/Gas Marker 3 around 20~25 minutes until it turns golden.

 

This is an adorable little tart for someone who looks for some easy dessert. Enjoy it.

Broccoli Soup

What did people get from X’Mas gifts? I got aprons, bath gels, a cooking plate, Paul Hollywood’s British Baking… and lots of other things. Thank you... all of my lovely friends!!

In Taiwan, we don’t give gifts to people in Chinese New Year. Instead, we put some money in the red envelop and give to people. It is still a gift, but I think there is a different meaning of getting money and gifts. Money, we just see how much we get it. Gifts, you can see how hard your friends and family choose for you. If I could choose, I would like pick every single gift to my family instead of money. What is your idea?

Recipe: Serve 2~3 people

 

Steps of Broccoli Soup

(1) Prepare a saucepan. Melt butter in the pan.

(2) Add chopped onion into the sauce pan. Cover the lid and cook around 3 minutes.
(3) Add chopped broccoli into the pan. Stir a little bit.

 

 

(4) Add water and stock in the pan. Bring it to boil, and then simmer for 15 minutes.

(5) Add milk in and keep simmering it for another 5 minutes.

 

 

(6) Blend all ingredients by a hand blender.

 

(7) Add 80 g grazed cheese into the pan. Stir until it melts. Then, switch the heat off. Add some salt if it is needed

(8) Drizzle the rest of cheese before serving the soup.

 

 

This broccoli soup is very creamy and cheesy and full of goodness. Lots of vegetables can offer us all-day energy. It is very good to drink in the winter time. Enjoy it.

 

Lemon Oat Bread

Guess which X’Mas movie I saw? Not Miracle on 34^th road! Not It's a Wonderful Life. I watched THE HOLIDAY!!

OH My God, it feels like so good to watch again. It gives me more than watching romance movie this time. Of course, the love story in the movie is good. I also like how Iris would like to help Arthur. How Iris cares about Arthur. Maybe, I came to UK alone. Then, I met some friends who would like to care about even though we don’t know each other. The caring they offer is hard to describe by words. The only thing I can say it Thank You to all my friends who have help me in the UK.

Oven Temperature Setting: 200C/400F/Gas Mark 6

Baking Time: 12~15 minutes
Recipe: 8 Lemon Oat Bread

 

Steps of Lemon Oat Bread

(1) Add lemon grazed, flour, salt, and sugar in the bowl. Mix all ingredients well

(2) Add lemon juice, milk with instant yeast and butter into the bowl. Knead it into the chunk

 

(3) Move the dough into the floured table. Knead the dough until it turns softer and more elastic.

(4) Shape the dough into a ball and put back to the bowl. Leave the dough in a warm place to double its size. It takes around 90 ~ 120 minutes

 

(5) After the first grow-up, move the dough to the working table with light flour. Knead 80g of oat into the bread

 

 

(6) Separate it to 8 small balls equally. Shape 8 dough into 8 balls, and put on the greased plated. Set aside at a warm place and wait for the dough double the size again. It takes around 40 ~ 60 minutes.

 

(7) After the double the size, glaze some egg over the top and put some oat over the top. Send them into the pre-heat oven at 200C/400F/Gas Mark 6. It takes around 15 minutes until it turns golden on the top.

 

 

It is a very lemon bread. You can smell lemon flavor and enjoy lemon at every single bite. So, don’t hesitate and just do it. Enjoy

 

Beef Stew with Swede Soup

Congratulation to my friend, Miss S, and me!! We made it. The carol services were good and brilliant :D :D :D It was a very busy week. We needed to practice more and longer to make sure every song is right.

I was so excited before on stage. I was not sure what’s wrong with me?!?! And the choir was so good. We did have a good performance.

 

Recipe: Serve 3~4 people

Steps of Beef Stew with Swede Soup

(1) Dip dice beef with some plain flour. Fry it until it turns brown. Then, set aside.

(2) Use the same pan. Fry onion for around 3 minutes and add carrot and swede in. Cover the lid and fry for another 5 minutes.

 

(3) Add beef back. Add water, beef stock, tomato puree, dry basil. Bring to boil, and then switch the heat off.

(4) Pour the beef stew into slow cooker. Switch to small for around 2 ~3 hours until beef turns tender.

 

Swede makes the soup’s flavor better. I cooked this soup one day before we enjoy it, it was very late. But, we all wanted to open the lid and tasted it immediately. Before the X’Mas feast, try this light soup with all goodness. Enjoy it.