How to Make Holiday Individual Turkey Pot Pie

Disclaimer: This post was sponsored by Better Than Bouillon as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central and all opinions expressed in my post are my own.  For more recipes and inspirations, please visit: http://goic.io/GpuqMV

My family loves the holiday season when we get to gather around the dinner table to share our favorite dishes and recipes.  When I host holiday gatherings at my place, I always prepare a main dish while my family and friends would bring appetizers and side dishes to share.  It's always wonderful to share and create memories with my family through food!  If you can't tell by now, everyone in my family are foodies!  I guess you can say that the apples don't fall far from the tree!  This year, I'll be sharing these amazing Holiday Individual Turkey Pot Pies with my friends and family!

If you haven't done so, be sure to check out my video tutorial above.  This recipe is so much fun and so easy to make, yet its super festive and scrumptious!  Best of all, you can prepare them a day in advance.  Simply prepared the pies (without the egg wash), covered, and keep them in the fridge until ready to bake.  On the day of the party, simply brush the egg wash on the pastry and pop them in the oven before your guests arrive.  This way, you can join in and enjoy the party, too!  As much as I enjoy a holiday feast, I don't think anyone should, or wanted to, slave inside the kitchen for the holidays!  This recipe is a perfect solution for you if you are hosting a gathering for your friends and family this holiday season!  Think of how easy it will be for the upcoming Thanksgiving, Friendsgiving, Christmas, or New Years' parties!   

The flavors of these Holiday Turkey Pot Pies are so amazing that your guests would think that you've spent hours in the kitchen preparing them!  Thanks to the Better Than Bouillon Turkey Base, it adds a depth of flavor in the turkey pie fillings in a cinch.  It truly elevates and transforms the flavors of your ingredients.  You would feel like you're enjoying a traditional slow roasted turkey, but in a pie form, which is a lot more fun to eat than just a traditional roasted turkey (sorry Mr. Turkey!)  Rather than the traditional bouillon cube, the Better Than Bouillon Turkey Base is a paste, which makes it a lot easier to incorporate with the ingredients because you don't have to wait for the cube to dissolve.  The flavor is so concentrated that it won't dilute your sauce at all!  It's truly a flavor bomb, in my opinion!

I'd been using Better Than Bouillon for many years now and always have them on hand.  Besides the Turkey Base, my favorites are Roasted Beef Base and Roasted Chicken Base.  I make my family's favorite beef stew at least once a week and Better Than Bouillon Roasted Beef Base is the secret ingredient that make it tastes so amazing!  Better Than Bouillon Roasted Beef Base intensifies the beefy flavors in the stew without diluting the sauce.  I also use it create a soup base, to build flavor in my sauces, to make a quick beef au jus for roasted beef, and to create gravy with it as well.  Also, you can substitute the turkey meat in this recipe with chicken (and swap in the Roasted Chicken Base) to make chicken pot pies.  And I promise, they will be the best chicken pot pie you'll ever had!  They are so good that my kids always wonder if I ordered and pick up the Chicken Pot Pies from the restaurant!  There are so many different flavors of Better Than Bouillon to explore, such as the Seasoned Vegetable Base, Roasted Garlic Base (perfect for making garlic bread), and Mushroom Base, & etc. Be sure to grab a few on your next grocery run to take your holiday recipes to the next level and make your life a whole lot easier and flavorful!  You can use the product locator on the Better Than Bouillon site or order online to get those hard to find flavors as well! 

For more product information, please visit:

 https://www.betterthanbouillon.com/our-products/?utm_source=Influence-Central&utm_medium=Social-Influencers&utm_campaign=BTB-Social-Influencers&utm_content=holiday-social-influencer

Back to these Holiday Individual Turkey Pot Pies!  Imagine buttery and flaky pie crust, fresh mixed vegetables, and tender turkey meat surrounded by creamy and velvety sauce that has a "cooked all day" flavors, thanks to the Better Than Bouillon Turkey Base. This decadent turkey pot pie is served with sweet and tart cranberry sauce for a contrast of flavors!  Each bit is simply heavenly!   You'll definitely be making this recipe again and again!  What are your family's holiday traditions?  Do you have a family's favorite recipe?  Have you tried Better Than Bouillon products before?  If so, which one is your favorite?  Be sure to leave a commend below and share with me.  Can't wait to hear from you!  Happy Holidays, from my kitchen to yours!








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Holiday Individual Turkey Pot Pie Recipe
Makes: 6 (8 ounces Pies)

4 tablespoons butter
1 yellow onion, diced
1 cup pumpkin (frozen, diced)
1 cup mixed vegetables (frozen)
4 cups roasted turkey (diced)
1 tablespoon sage (chiffonade)
1 teaspoon thyme
1/3 cup all-purpose flour (plus more for rolling puff pastry)
2 tablespoons Better Than Bouillon Turkey Base
2 cups turkey stock (low sodium)
3/4 cup heavy cream
2 sheets puff pastry (thawed)
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon water
Cranberry Sauce (for serving)
Fresh Cranberries and Sage leaves (optional, for garnish)

Preheat the oven to 425°F.  In a large pot, melt butter over medium heat.  Stir in onions and cook until translucent, about 3 to 4 minutes.
Add in pumpkin, mixed vegetables, turkey, sage, and thyme.  Sprinkle the flour over the ingredients,  stir gently, and let the flour cook for 1 minute.  Add in the Better Than Bouillon Turkey Base and turkey stock.  Let the sauce cook until thickened, about 3 minutes.  Remove from heat and stir in the heavy cream.  Let the fillings cool off slight while you prepare the puff pastry.

Gently roll out the seams of the puff pastry on a lightly flour-dusted surface.  Place your ramekins up-side-down on the pastry as a guide.  Cut out 3 pastry per puff pastry sheet.  Repeat with the remaining puff pastry sheet.

Evenly divide the turkey fillings into the 6 ramekins.  Top each one with a cut out puff pastry.  Place the filled ramekins onto a foil lined baking sheet.  Whisk the egg yolk and water to create an egg wash.  Brush a think layer of egg wash onto each puff pastry.

Bake for 22 to 25 minutes, or until the puff pastry is golden brown and cooked through.

Let cool slightly before serving.  Be very careful, fillings is extremely hot.  Garnish with cranberry and sage (if using.)  Serve these Holiday Turkey Pot Pies with cranberry sauce and enjoy!

Pomegranate Mimosa

How was your Christmas holiday?  I hope you all enjoyed a wonderful time with your family and friends.  My family had a wonderful reunion with relatives travelling from Hong Kong.  The Kiddos had so much fun playing with their cousins.  We sure hope they’ll visit again soon. 



With so many things and events happened in 2016, some were great and some were definitely bad, it’s quite a mixed feeling to say goodbye to 2016!  On the bright side, there are many great things to look forward to.  The key is not to lose hope!  I constantly remind myself not to worry about the things that I cannot change, but to focus on how to improve myself in case I need to change and make things better!  I always tell my kids to think positive, but prepare for the worst!    



On a lighter note.  Today, I wanted to share with you the very last recipe and video tutorial for this year: Pomegranate Mimosa.  It’s a perfect cocktail to ring in the new year!  Usually, mimosa is a mix of fresh orange juice and champagne.  I’m changing things up and used pomegranate juice instead.  It’s a gorgeous and delightful twist to the traditional mimosa for sure!  I hope you’ll give this delicious cocktail a try soon.

Last but not least, I wanted to take this opportunity to thank everyone for all your supports in 2016!  I’m truly grateful for each and everyone of you.  Your comments, feedback, and encouragement mean a lot to me.  Wish you and your family a happy, healthy, and prosperous 2017!  Cheers!




Please drink responsibly.  Health and General Disclaimers. 

Baked Mozzarella Cheese Sticks

Hope you had a wonderful Christmas celebration with your family.  Did Santa treated you well this year?  I certainly hope so.  My Brother hosted our family Christmas gathering at his place for the first time.  It was warm and wonderful.  We had a pot luck style party so we all brought a dish or two to share.  I’m really thankful to spend time with my family, to eat, talk, laugh, share, drink, and then eat some more.

As I promised last week, I’m sharing an appetizer recipe with you in case you’re hosting a party to ring in the New Year.  Let me present to you, Baked Mozzarella Cheese Sticks!  These are not just special occasion party food!  My kids love them so much that they asked me to make them every once in a while.  Best of all, they are super easy to prepare.  You can also prepare these ahead of time and keep them in the freezer right before your guests arrive.  They only take 10 minutes to bake and will turn out perfect every single time.  Have you checked out my video tutorial above?  You can even have a little competition to see whose melted cheese stretches the longest!

I hope you enjoy today’s video tutorial and recipe.  If you haven’t done so, please subscribe to my YouTube channel here.  You’ll be the first to know when I have new video tutorials published.  Last but not least, I want to wish you and your family a healthy and prosperous 2016 that is also filled with good food and great companies!  Please take care, until next time!  Cheers!

Tools and ingredients used:

Mozzarella String Cheese (Click here for more information)
Panko Bread Crumbs (Click here for more information)
Marinara Sauce (Click here for more information)
Organic Cooking Spray (Click here for more information)
Calphalon Nonstick 2-Piece Baking Sheet Set (Click her for more information)
Cooling Rack (Click here for more information)

Matcha Shortbread Cookies (抹茶酥餅)for Chinese New Year 恭喜發財!

February 10, 2013 marks the first day of the Chinese New Year.  Chinese New Year is the biggest Holiday in many countries in Asia, pretty much like Christmas or Thanksgiving in the United States.  I love all kinds of holidays, which gives me more excuses reasons to share wonderful treats with friends and family and indulge a little bit more without feeling guilty (although the feeling guilty part seems like never happened.)  It is the tradition that on the Eve of Chinese New Year, supper is a feast with families.  On the New Year morning, children will greet their parents by wishing them a healthy and happy new year (Gong Hay Fat Choi), and receive money in red envelopes like those from the pictures below.  Last year when my hubby’s cousin visited us, she got us some newer design “red” envelopes with our family name printed on them (those with the purple background and red Chinese characters).  We loved them as we know those are quite impossible to find in the States.    



Another tradition on the Chinese New Year is that the families are to visit the oldest and most senior members of their extended family, usually their parents, grandparents or great-grandparents and so forth.  Along with our visits, we always bring some delicious treats.  Boy, our culture really value sharing food and treats with our loved ones!  I created these Matcha Shortbread Cookies to celebrate this special time of the year. 



With the same cookie dough, I made two variations of these cookies; one with vanilla sugar coated on top and one without (see the close up picture below).  They are both lovely.  The one with the sugar coated gets an extra crunch from the sugar and just a tad sweeter.  These cookies are not overly sweet to start with, so, even with the extra sugar coating, they are still pretty well balanced.  I can’t decided which one I like more.  They are equally good to me.




Since it's the holiday season, I'm feeling extra generous.  Sorry, it's not that I have a red envelope for you,  I've got to save those for my kids.  But, it's a great tip that you'll love to know for making rolled out cookies, such as this one.  Here's my tip: Roll your cookie dough between two plastic wraps.  That way, you can roll the dough easily without using extra flour on your board or rolling pin.  Why is that important? Without adding extra flour to your dough, it means that the rolling process won't change the texture and taste of your dough.  You can roll and re-roll the scrapes from the cut-out dough as many times as you like, which means no wastage!  As your dough getting softer from re-rolling, you can simply pop it back to the fridge to harden it up a bit and roll it again. Additional advantages of rolling dough between the plastic wraps are that it's super easy to roll  and the dough won't stick on the board/roller which minimize tearing of the dough.  So, there you have it.  I think the tip is way better than a red envelope!



Are you ready to come into the kitchen with me to make a batch?  Here’s what I did:

1) In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the powdered sugar, matcha and butter together until light and fluffy.

2) Add the egg yolks and vanilla extract until fully incorporated.

3) Scraped the sides of the bowl if necessary. With the mixer on low, add the flour slowly until just combined.

4) Gather the dough into a ball and flatten it into a disk. Wrap the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or until it is firm.
 


5) Preheat the oven to 345°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silpat. Place the vanilla sugar onto a small shallow dish, if using. Roll the dough between two plastic wrap to 3/8 to 1/2-inch thickness.

6) Use a small cookie cutter (I used 1 ½-inch ones) and cut shapes from the dough. Place cut out dough onto prepared baking sheet, at least 1-inch apart.

7) If using sugar coat, gently press cut out dough onto sugar before placing on the baking sheet.

8) Bake 10 to 14 minutes, or until the bottom and edges are slightly golden. Cool completely on wiring rack and enjoy.



Pretty simple right?  The Matcha aroma really shines through in these little cookies.  I truly enjoy the flaky texture and buttery taste as well.  I hope you’ll give them a try soon.  Before we go, I would love to wish all of you a healthy and fruitful new year (Gong Hay Fat Choi!) 祝大家恭喜發財, 龍馬精神, 身體健康, 步步高升!

Wishing You All a Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year!

Last weekend, we took the kids to Big Bear Mountain to experience an early White Christmas.  The kids had been asking to see the snow since July!  I’m so glad that the weather didn’t disappoint us. 



If you’re living rather closed by, the Big Bear Lake area is a great place to visit to ski, play the tire sled, or just to hang out and enjoy the lovely views.  It was a good two hours drive for us from our place and totally worth it.  You might want to have the snow chains for your tires ready before you go though.  One the day we went, there were check-points half way up the hills to make sure you’ve got the snow chains on before you can go any further.  Some helpful workers were there on stand-by to help you put on the snow chains with a fee, that is if you already have the chains.



It was our kids’ first time to play in the snow and they loved it.  They couldn’t help themselves but to fall into the fluffy and powdery snow on purpose.  They are so much fun to watch.  Just make sure to dress warmly when you visit.  That’s all.



It felt a lot cooler than 28 degree F though, especially in the snow!



We made it a day trip and left the area right before Sunset.  Seems like everyone was leaving at around the same time.  But it was no big deal in getting stuck a little in traffic.  It was such a nice view on the way down the hill as well.




This weekend, we took the kids to Disneyland trying to take more Christmas pictures.  Well, I guess I won’t be back next year around this time of the year and you’ll see why from the picture below. 



It was a different kind of traffic jam!  We could hardly take any decent pictures with the kids.  Oh well.  But it was nice to see the spectacular Christmas decorations of the castles and beautiful fire works.



Thank you for stopping by today!  Wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year!

Coconut and Azuki (Red Bean) Glutinous Rice Cake 椰汁紅豆糯米糕—For Chinese New Year

According to the Luna Calendar, the Chinese New Year (CNY) falls on January 23rd this year.  I can't believe it's only a week away from now.  Chinese New Year is the biggest Holiday in many Asia countries, pretty much like Christmas or Thanksgiving in the United States.  In Hong Kong, most retail stores, businesses and schools are close for a week during the CNY to celebrate.  Traditionally, the days off also allow everyone to celebrate and visit family members and distanced relatives.  Boy, don't I miss that tradition!  To read more about other Chinese New Year traditions and a scrumptious Butter Cookie recipe, you can also refer to this post here from last year.  As we say farewell to the Year of Rabbit, we'll be welcoming the Year of Dragon.  The Dragon certainly has the characteristic and image of strong, energetic and mysterious.

There are many specialty food, savory dishes or sweet treats, made just for the Chinese New Year.  These special treats often have special meanings, for good health, wealth and/or good luck for the new year.  Rice cakes are one of the "must have" treats during the CNY because the pronunciation of Rice Cake in Chinese (年糕) sounds exactly like "growth (taller) every year".  These rice cakes symbolize growth and improvement for the year to come.  There are many different version of Rice Cake.  The more traditional ones are simply glutinous rice flour mixed with brown/palm sugar and/or coconut milk or water, and then steam away.




This particular recipe of Coconut and Azuki (Red Bean) Glutinous Rice Cake 椰汁紅豆糯米糕 is my modernized version of the Rice Cake.  Baked with a crunchy and fragrant layer of coconut flakes on top.  The first time I tried this coconut rice cake was from my Aunt.  It was so amazing that I went back for second and third.  I adopted my Aunt's recipe and added Azuki beans.  The red beans not only added a little sweetness and tender texture to this rice cake, but also added some red color that symbolized good luck in Chinese.  The slightly sweetened red bean flavor compliment really well with the coconut.  My Aunt's recipe called for just vegetable oil, but I replaced it with some coconut oil to add more coconut flavor.  It came out wonderfully.  Here are the main ingredients you'll need: Coconut milk, glutinous rice flour, eggs, coconut milk, prepared azuki red beans, evaporated milk, sugar and of course coconut flakes.



When the batter is done mixing, pour onto a prepared baking dish and dollop the red beans on top randomly.



With a spoon, swirl around to make the marble patterns as shown below.  Don't worry about the red bean staying on top now as some of them will sink during the baking process.  Also, I bake the rice cake for a few minutes before sprinkling the coconut flakes on top to prevent the coconut flakes from sinking.  When the coconut flakes stay on top, that’s how you get the golden brown and crispy layer.



See the golden brown top and crunchy edges?  YUM!  I particularly love the sides and corners for the extra crunch, just like brownies.



When the rice cake cooled down a bit, cut them into bars of your preferred size and serve.  I love them when they are still slightly warm from the oven.  The texture is a mix of crunchy from the edges, flaky and crisp from the coconut flakes on top, and tender and chewy from the inside.  The sweetness is perfect and packed with red beans and coconut flavors.  The coconut aroma truly shines through.



These Coconut and Azuki (Red Bean) Glutinous Rice Cakes 椰汁紅豆糯米糕 are perfect for sharing in gatherings, pot lucks, or package them to give to friends and relatives for the CNY.  Just a reminder, the edges of these rice cake will soften the next day.  Simply pop them back to a toaster oven or regular oven for a few minutes if you prefer them to be crispy.  Or simply enjoy their tender and chewy texture as is.




I want to wish all of you all a bountiful, healthy, and happy Year of Dragon (Gong Hay Fat Choi). May you reach higher than ever, exceed your next goal and target in life, just as these Rice Cake symbolized. 祝大家恭喜發財, 龍馬精 神  , 身體健康, 步步高升!

Happy New Year (新年快樂)!

Thanks to all of you who have been reading, following and commenting on uTry.it.  It means a lot to me and I always appreciate your love and supports.  In 2012, I will continue to bring you more delicious recipes, creative ideas, fun reviews, giveaways (of course), and maybe a few contests to change things up a little bit.   

As we say goodbye to 2011, I want to wish you all a Happy New Year and a Prosperous 2012!  Thank you for making 2011 a wonderful and memorable year.  Cheers!

Happy Chinese New Year—恭喜發財 (Gong Hay Fat Choi)

Today is the first day of the Chinese New Year or the Lunar New Year, and 2011 is the Year of the Rabbit.  Chinese New Year is the longest and most important festivity in the Chinese Lunar Calendar.  It is the tradition that on the Eve of Chinese New Year, supper is a feast with families.  Early the next morning, children will greet their parents by wishing them a healthy and happy new year(Gong Hay Fat Choi), and receive money in red paper envelopes like those from the picture below (yeah, I know, these are not red.  They are more modernized designs and the Chinese believe that gold is another lucky color besides red). 



Another tradition on the first day of Chinese New Year is that the families visit the oldest and most senior members of their extended family, usually their parents, grandparents or great-grandparents and so forth (pretty much like Thanksgiving in the U.S.)  Along with our visits, we always bring some delicious treats.  And butter cookie has been a popular item that people would bring as a treat.  However, I think the popularity of the butter cookie treat is totally influenced by the British culture.  This is because Hong Kong was a British Colony from 1841 until 1997, when China regained sovereignty.  Nevertheless, these butter cookies are delicious treats, addictively delicious treats!  They are buttery and got the melt-in-your mouth texture.  I made a batch 2 days ago and they were all gone in a few hours.  So, I made 2 more batches yesterday just to make sure I have enough to share with my parents and brothers.  (I better wrap them up before they all migrate to my stomach before the new year!)




Since butter is the star ingredient in this recipe, I used the best I could find, Pure Irish Butter!  The cookies came out richer and creamier than those with just regular butter. Since one of the Chinese New Year tradition is to go all out to celebrate, it is time to bring out the good stuffs!  :)   And, how can I resist from adding a chocolate chip on top of each cookie!?  I used bitter-sweet chocolate chips, a nice match with these butter cookies since they are not overly sweet.  Oh my, I can’t find words to describe their deliciousness any more, they are out of this world yummmmy! 




Although I may not be able to visit all of you to deliver a Gong Hay Fat Choi and a basket of butter cookies in person, I want to share this recipe with you and hope you’ll make some at home to enjoy with your family.  恭喜發財(literally means wish you good wealth), also, wish you good health, happiness, longevity and prosperity in the Year of Rabbit!





I'm sharing this post with Holiday Recipe Swap.  Come join the fun at the My Baking Addiction and GoodLife Eats Holiday Recipe Swap sponsored by Kerrygold.

New Year, New Home, New Start…

First of all, I want to wish you all a Happy New Year!  For those of you who’s been following my blog, you know I’ve just moved.  Some of you might be curious to know how my new home/kitchen looks like.  Well, I guess the kitchen is pretty much the center of the house.  So, if you take a good look at the kitchen, you pretty much can tell how the rest of the house is, relatively.  I just want to show you two pictures of my old kitchen as a comparison.



I like my old kitchen.  There are many counter top space.   Decent appliances, although nothing fancy, and for sure not top of the line products.  To me, as long as everything functions well and works fine, I’m satisfied.  You can say, I’m not a picky person.  The lower left hand corner from the picture above shows the corner of our dinning table.  That’s the dining area where we have every meal.  Although there’s a formal dining area adjacent to the kitchen, we used that space as a play area for the kids.   



Are you ready to take a look at the new kitchen?  Just scroll down a bit after the drum roll please….



















This is my new kitchen right before we moved in.  Of course, I have filled up the counter top space with my junks by now!  :P   Is it lovely?  You can imagine how much I love my new kitchen!!!  The lower right hand corner from the above picture is our new dining area, with a pretty awesome view!  You can take a closer look of the kitchen area from the picture below.  I really love my new spacious and beautiful kitchen.  I feel so blessed everyday when I prepared each meal for my family in this gorgeous kitchen. 



Originally, I planned not to shared a not so good news with you on my post.  Especially, on the New Year post.  However, my heart is telling me otherwise.  More so, when I talk about food and kitchen.  Recently, my Grandmother (living overseas) has not been feeling so well because of a minor incident.  She was in the ICU for a while and now she’s back home with my aunt.  However, she couldn’t eat solid food and couldn’t even keep her food down.  There’s a constant pain in her stomach that keeps her from getting a good rest.  When I prepare delicious food for my family, it breaks my heart and makes me feel sad that my Grandmother couldn’t even keep water or soup down in her stomach.  Come to think of it, I’ve never prepared a meal or cook anything for my Grandmother!  When I was young, she’s always the one who cook and took care of us. After my family (parents and siblings) immigrated to the States, I don’t even see my Grandmother often.  I just hope my Grandmother will get better soon, real soon.  If I get the chance, I really want to prepare a nice meal for her to enjoy.  If you don’t mind, please keep her in your prayers and wish her a speedy recovery. 

On the brighter side, my Grandmother just became a Christian recently.  My family has been praying for that for many years.  That really is the best Christmas gift to us.  Hopefully, her faith will give her new hopes.  May she finds comfort and supports during this tough time. 
Thank you for your precious time and prayers.  Happy New Year again to you and your loved ones.  Wishing you all a joyful, healthy, and prosperous 2011!