Apple Crumble Pie

X’mas is 22 days left. Are you ready? Taiwan is not a Christ country so that we don’t really celebrate X’mas. Of course, most of us have no ideas what the story of X’Mas. Why do people celebrate X’Mas? Although this is my second X’mas, I really understand the meaning of X’Mas this year. It’s good. People can go travelling every time. But, it is difficult to understand their culture and festivals in their countries. I know why we should be encouraged to go and see the world. Because you will know and learn more during the adventure.

Oven Temperature Setting: 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4

Baking Time: 20~25 minutes
Recipe: A 7” Apple Crumble Pie

Shortcrust Pastry Link

 

 

Steps of Apple Crumble Pie

(1) Prepare a sauce pan. Put sugar, chopped apple and blackberry in the pan. Switch the medium heat on. Cook around 5~10 minutes until it turns soft. Dry the filling. Set aside.

 

(2) Prepare crumble: Add Sugar and flour in a big bowl. Mix a little bit. Add cubed butter in the bowl. Use your finger tips to rub the butter into flour until it turns crumb-like.

 

 

(3) Get shortcrust pastry ready. Pour the apple filling over the top of the pastry. And then, cover the apple filling with crumble. Send into the pre-heat oven at 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4 around 20~25 minutes until it turns golden.

 

 

 

I like this kind of pie a lot. It is not really a cake. It is more fruit dessert. Sweet and sour flavor… um… yum… yum… This pie was eaten out by 4 people. We ate with custard and ice cream. So, enjoy it.

Beef Mince with Sweet Potato

It is so weird today that it is so HOT. I check the temperature that it goes to around 13 degree C in the morning. Doing some house works this morning lets me sweat immediately. I really think I am living in a very warm house.

Last night, we went to choir practice for the carol services. It was very funny. Our director couldn’t remember what he has told to us. When we sang what he told us, he looked at us confusedly. Then, we needed to remind him what was happened. I hope everything will be fine soon because I am so nervous about this. It is only 2 weeks left.

Recipe: Serve around 2~3 people

 

 

Steps of Beef Mince with Sweet Potato

(1) Prepare a saucepan. Boil the chopped sweet potato for 10 minutes. Then, dry it and set aside.

 

(2) Get another sauce pan. Add some oil, and then fry half of sliced onion for 3 minutes.

(3) Add beef mince into the pan. Fry the beef mince until it turns golden.
(4) Add beef stock, water, salt, and dry basil into the pan. Mix all of them well. Simmer beef mince for 10 minutes. Then, leave in a bowl and set aside.

 

(5) Use the same pan to fry another half of onion and sweet potato for around 3 minutes. Add some oil if needed.

(Selena’s Kitchen Talk: If you like crispier on your sweet potato, you can cook longer.)
(6) Add beef mince back to the pan. Mix it with sweet potato. Add some salt if needed.

 
I did this meal because I got some beef mince and sweet potato left. I just tried to cook them together. But, I was so surprised that it is very delicious. Serve this with some vegetable than you get all nutrition you need. Enjoy it.

Butter Roll

Advent calendar should be another game expected by children during X’mas, shouldn’t it? A very special box is used to count down the day to X’MAS. People can open a window every day. And there is always a chocolate or sweetie inside. So, today is 1^st December that I believe lots of children can’t wait to open their advent calendar. There are only 24 days left to X’mas. Every family is very busy in preparation. Get X’mas tree out, assemble it, and decorate it. Let us count down to X’Mas together!

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

Baking Time: 12~15 minutes
Recipe: 16 Butter Rolls

 Steps of Butter Roll

(1) Add flour, salt and sugar into a big bowl. Mix a little.

(2) Add 210 ml milk with instant yeast and egg into the bowl. Knead it into the chunk
(*Selena’s Kitchen Talk: I leave 1 Table Spoon of egg for the brushing later.
**Selena’s Kitchen Talk: My instant yeast’s instruction is to add yeast in the water around 5 minutes. Check the instruction before using it.)

(3) Knead olive oil into the dough. Then, keep kneading 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. Separate it to 2 equally.

(6) Get 1 dough. Roll it to a circle. The diameter is around 30 minutes

(7) Brush butter over the top. Cut the dough into 8 equal pieces.

(8) Roll into the crossiant-like from the base of triangle

(9) Repeat step (6)~(8) for another dough. Then, Brush some egg and leave in the warm place to grow up. It takes around 40~60 minutes

(10) Send it into the pre-heat oven at 200C/400F/Gas Mark 6. Bake it around 12~15 minutes until the top turns golden.

I like this butter roll since I was in Taiwan. Finally, I got time to bake it. The taste is like what I ate. The bread absorbs the flavor of butter. Every bite you can enjoy it. If you are butter-lovers, Come and try this bread. And ENJOY IT!

Checkerboard Biscuit

Shortbread is very popular in the UK. It is a good choice for the tea time. When X’mas is coming, shortbread becomes more popular. There are lots shortbread gift boxes. My friend, Miss S, tells me that shortbread gift box is a very good gift for people during X’Mas. So, we can see lots of these sold in the shops.

So, I decide to do shortbread again. But, a little different. Checkerboard style.

 

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

Baking Time: 20~25 minutes

Recipe

 

 

Step of Shortbread

(1) Place flour and sugar in a bowl. Mix them well.
(2) Add butter into the bowl. Rub butter into the flour. It will be crumble-like

(3) Add milk into the mixture. Lightly knead it into a ball. Cover with kitchen film or put in a food container. Set in the fridge for 30 minutes.

 

Step of Chocolate Shortbread
(1) Place chocolate powder, flour and sugar in a bowl. Mix them well.
(2) Add butter into the bowl. Rub butter into the flour. It will be crumble-like

(3) Add milk into the mixture. Lightly knead it into a ball. Cover with kitchen film or put in a food container. Set in the fridge for 30 minutes.

 

Step of Assembly
(1) Roll shortbread into a 15 x 25 cm rectangle. Then, cover with a kitchen film.
(2) Roll chocolate shortbread into a 15 x 25 cm rectangle. Then, place shortbread over the top off chocolate shortbread. Cover with a kitchen film. Set in the fridge for 30 minutes.

(3) Slice into a 0.8 cm wide stripe.

(4) Brush some egg at the side you would like to stick with another stripe. Make sure the color is cross-over.
(5) Wrap with kitchen film and Set in the fridge for 60 minutes.

(6) Slice the dough into 0.8 cm height. Place the dough on the baking tray. Send into the pre-heat oven at 160C/325F/Gas Mark 3 for 20~25 minutes.

 

The biscuit is not hard to make. The only thing you need is PATIENCE. As a baking lover, we won’t feel tired even stand in the kitchen all day. Our satisfaction comes from the big smile of our family and friends. So, enjoy it.

Tomato Stew Beef

The weather in the UK backs to normal, around 10 degree C recently. It is nice. Not so cold as long as it is not so windy. X’Mas is coming soon that my friend and I were discussing what kind of X’Mas movies we should watch together? I have no ideas what she talked about, like “Miracle on 34th Street” or “It's a Wonderful Life”. For me, X’mas movies are like “Home alone” or “The Holiday”. HAHA… It is a huge difference. I have no ideas what those movies are. And I don’t think they are broadcasted in Taiwan. But, I will definitely watch those classic movies in the UK to experience the real X’MAS.

Recipe: Serve for 3~4 people
 

Steps of Tomato Stew Beef

(1) Prepare a saucepan. Add some oil in. Switch the medium heat on. Add the beef in. Fried the beef until the surfaces turn golden. Then, pour the beef into a bowl. Set aside.

(2) Add the chopped onion and carrots into the pan. Cook around 5 minutes until it turns soft

(3) Add the quartered tomatoes into the pan. Stir it with onion and carrots. Boil it until tomato start to juice.

(4) Use a kitchen blender to blend all ingredients

(5) Add 2 table spoons of tomato puree, 1 dried basil and beef into the tomato sauce. Bring it to boil. Then, switch off the heat.
(6) Pour tomato stew beef to slow cooker. Turn it to the low heat and cook around 3 hours until beef turns tender. Then, season with salt if it is necessary.

 

I like tomato stew beef that I never tried this before. This is my first time to cook this. It is very delicious that my friend and I want more after we ate out all. Will definitely cook this again. Eat with pasta, rice, or bread. Or, any way you like. Enjoy it.

Creamy Chicken

Finally, “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2” is in the cinema now. My friend and I went to watch it yesterday. Because it is off-peak time that only 8 people were there. But, no matter how many people there, they still need to play the movie. All of us hope they can skip advertisements and trails and jump into the movie. HAHA… No… we still spent 20 minutes to watch it. Anyway, the movie is good. Although we know what the ending is, we still cried at the end. Jennifer Lawrence is an excellent actress that she makes this movie better.

Recipe: Serve for 1 person

Steps of Creamy Chicken

(1) Prepare a sauce pan. Add a table spoon of oil. Fry chicken by medium heat until it turns golden at both sides. Then, set aside.

(2) Use same pan. Place onion in the pan and fry it around 5 minutes until it turns soft.

(3) Add mushrooms into the pan. Fry another 2 minutes.

(4) Add cream and water into the pan.

(5) Add grazed cheese and chicken into the pan. Bring it to the boil. Simmer it another 5 minute. Add some salt.

 

It is very easy to make this creamy chicken at home. Just around 20 minutes then you can have a very delicious chicken to eat. It is good for you during the week when there is no time prepare lots of meals. Then, you just need a pan to cook everything. Enjoy it!!

 

Chinese Pork Rib Soup with Mushrooms

Cold winter needs lot of HOT soup and food. I like to drink soup when I was in Taiwan. If it is possible, I would like to drink soup every single day. But, most of Chinese soups takes long time to cook so that I always cooked a big pot and leave in the fridge.

When I start to use slow cooker, I find out it is really easy to cook soup and you can just leave there when you go to work. After finishing the work, you can have fresh soup to drink. I think slow cooker is a good helper for every family.

Recipe: Serve 2~3 people

 

 

Steps of Chinese Pork Ribs Soup with Mushrooms

(1) Put Chinese mushroom in the bowl. Add the hot water in. Wait around 20~30 minutes.

(2) Wash pork ribs. And put in the pan.

(3) Add the mushrooms in. Add water in. Water needs to be covered over the ribs. Cover the lid. Switch to high and cook around 2 hours until the pork becomes tender. Add salt in. Serve it in hot

 

Drinking hot soup in the winter is a very happiness thing. It helps me against the cold and keep warm. So, would you like to try Chinese soup to help you warm up? Enjoy it.