Cheese Bread

This is a recipe from Sally's Baking Site.

Ingredients

Buttermilk - 1/2 cup, warmed to about 110°

Water - 1/3 cup, warmed to about 110°F

Dry yeast - 2 and 1/4 tsp (1 standard packet)
Sugar - 2 TBSP
Unsalted butter - 5 TBSP, melted + slightly cooled
Egg - 1 large, substituted with 1/4 cup apple sauce for egg-free
Salt - 1 tsp
Garlic powder - 3/4 tsp
Bread flour - 3 cups

Shredded cheddar cheese - 2 cups
Topping: 

Unsalted butter - 2 TBSP, melted
Herb - 2 tsp chopped fresh parsley (or your favorite dried or fresh herb)*
Garlic powder - 1/4 tsp

Steps

1. Prepare the dough: Whisk the warm buttermilk, warm water, yeast, and sugar together in the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with a dough hook or paddle attachment. Cover and allow to sit for 5 minutes. Add the butter, egg, salt, garlic powder, and 1 cup flour. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds, scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula, then add the remaining flour. Beat on medium speed until the dough comes into a smooth ball, about 4 minutes.
2.Lightly grease a large bowl with oil or nonstick spray. Place the dough in the bowl, turning it to coat all sides in the oil. Cover the bowl and allow the dough to rise in a relatively warm environment for 1-2 hours or until double in size.
3. Grease a 9×5 inch loaf pan.
4. Shape the bread: Punch down the dough to release the air. Place dough on a lightly floured work surface and with a floured rolling pin, roll the dough out into a 9×15 inch rectangle. Sprinkle cheese all over the top, leaving a 1/2 inch border uncovered. Tightly roll the dough into a 15-inch log. Place the log on its seam. Using a sharp knife, cut the log in half lengthwise. Criss-cross one half, cut side down, on top of the other half– forming an X. Tightly twist the two together. Pinch the outer edges to seal as best you can. If you have any leftover cheese, cut a few small squares and tuck into the dough. Place in prepared loaf pan and cover with plastic wrap.

5. Allow the covered loaf to rest for 30 minutes. It will slightly rise during this time.

6. Adjust the oven rack to the lower third position. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
7. Topping: Whisk the melted butter, herbs, and garlic powder together. Drizzle or brush on top of dough.

8. Bake: Bake until golden brown and, when gently tapped, the top of the loaf sounds hollow, about 45-55 minutes. (Place aluminum foil on top after about 25 minutes.) Remove bread the oven and place on a wire rack. Cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then remove from the pan and cool loaf on the wire rack.

9. Slice and serve. Cover and store leftovers at room temperature for 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Bread slices taste delicious when warmed in the microwave for 10 seconds.

Mutton Rice (新疆羊肉抓饭)

This is an easy one-pot meal.

Ingredients

Lamb - 1.5 to 2 lb

Carrots - 2-3, julienne

Onion - half medium, sliced

Rice - 2 cups

Cumin - 1 tsp

Raisin - some for garnish

Salt - to taste
Hot water - 2 cups

Steps

1.Soak rice with cold water for at least 1 hour.

2.In a large frying pan, add oil and stir fry the lamb, scope out the meat and put aside.
3.In the same frying pan, add oil and stir fry the onion and carrot until they are fully cooked and soft.
4.Put meat back to the frying pan, then layer rice on top, add hot water.

5. Cover the frying pan, and cook for 20-30 minutes until the rice is fully cooked.
6. Sprinkle raisins on top, and mix the meat and rice in the pan and serve hot.

Cooking with a pan on stove can result in burned bottom if timing is off. An easier way to cook this is to pour everything in rice cooker and cook with a quick cook setting, but you will not get any rice crust.

Bauyrsak

This is a recipe from a friend who is from Kazakhstan. It is very similar to the fried Chinese donut. Bauyrsak is a traditional meal of nomads-herdsmen in Central Asia. As a ritual meal, it was served by the Kazakhs at any feast, joyful party, or funeral feasts, with the thick tea with dairy cream or cheese. Traditional bauyrsaks are made of un-fermented dough.

Ingredients

Buttermilk - 2 cups (used 2 cups of milk+2 TBSP lemon juice)
Flour - 4-5 cups
Baking soda - 1 tsp
Dry yeast - 1 tsp
Salt - 1/2 tsp
Sugar - 1 TBSP

Steps

1. Warm up buttermilk and add all ingredients except flour. Once mixed well, add flour to make a soft elastic dough. Cover the dough and wait until it double in volume, about 1 hour.

2. Roll out the dough into sheet about 1/4 inch thick; cut into rectangular pieces. (dust the work surface and rub rolling pin with oil if dough is sticky)

3. Deep fry in hot oil until puffy and brown.

Focaccia Bread

This Ridiculously Easy Focaccia Bread is easy to prepare, but you do need to start at least 10 hours before you want to serve it.

Ingredients

All-purpose flour - 4 cups
Salt - 2 tsp
Dry yeast - 2¼ tsp (1 packet)
Warm water - 2 cups
Butter or oil - 1 tsp for greasing pan
Olive oil - 4 TBSP, divided
Italian seasoning or finely chopped fresh herbs
flaky sea salt

Steps

1.In a large bowl, combine flour, salt, and instant yeast. Stir well. Add the warm water. Using a rubber spatula, mix until all of the flour is incorporated. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 8 hours and up to 24 hours.

2.Lightly butter two 9-inch cake pans. Line pans with parchment paper. Pour one tablespoon of olive oil into the center of each pan. Divide dough in half with a large spoon or rubber spatula and place one piece of dough in each pan, turning to coat with oil. Tuck edges of dough underneath to form a rough ball. Cover each pan tightly with plastic wrap and allow the dough balls to rest for 2 hours depending. The dough should cover most of the pan.

3.Preheat oven to 450˚F with a rack positioned in the center of the oven.
4. Drizzle another tablespoon of oil over each round of dough. With oiled fingers, using both hands, press straight down and create deep dimples that go all the way through the dough (in other words, you'll actually be making deep holes.) If necessary, gently stretch the dough as you dimple to allow the dough to fill the pan. Sprinkle tops with Italian seasoning (or fresh herbs) and flaky sea salt.

5. Transfer the pans to the oven and immediately reduce the temperature to 425˚F. Bake for 22 to 28 minutes, until the tops are golden and the undersides are crisp. Remove pans from the oven. With a metal spatula remove bread rounds from the pans and transfer to a cooling rack. Serve warm or allow to cool completely then store in a zippered bag.

Note: To freeze, allow bread to cool completely, then transfer to a ziploc bag and freeze. Thaw and enjoy at room temperature or warm for 10 minutes in a 350˚F oven.

Teriyaki Chicken

Ingredients

Chicken legs - 4
Ginger - 4 slices
Minced garlic - 1/2 tsp, optional
Salt - 1/4 tsp
Teriyaki sauce - 5 TBSP
Soy sauce - 1/2 TBSP
White sesame - optional garnish

Steps

1. Trim the bones from the chicken legs. Sprinkle some salt and marinate for 10 minutes or more.
2. Put frying pan on high heat, add oil, minced garlic; Turn heat down to medium, fry the chicken pieces until they are browned on both sides, about 8 minutes. Put the meat on the side.

3. Use another frying pan, add some oil to cook the ginger until fragrant; Add 1 cup of water, teriyaki sauce, soy sauce, the chicken pieces; Cover the pan and simmer until the sauce thickens.

4. Slice the chicken pieces, sprinkle with white sesame (optional), and serve over rice  with some vegetables.

Pusheen the Cat Cookie

These were the egg free sugar cookie with the egg free royal icing for my daughter's Pusheen birthday party.

Pusheen the Cat Cake

This cake was vegan chocolate cake, with chocolate ganache for filling and crumb coating, then covered with rolled marshmallow fondant. The little cake was decorated with vanilla buttercream frosting.