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. 

Roasted Gold Acorn Squash with Arugula

Finally, the temperature is cooling down in Southern California.  Phew….I thought the summer would never end!  It’s time to bring out the light sweaters and Autumn ingredients.  Some of my all time favorite Fall ingredients are on this plate, Gold Acorn Squash, Arugula and Pomegranate!  Nice and simple.  This dish is not just only a gorgeous to look at, but also delightful to the palates.



I love to keep the flavors nice and clean in this recipe so that you can taste each ingredient.  When the fruit and vegetable you use are in season, they taste the best!  In my opinion, the best way to prepare them is to keep it simple.  Therefore, I roasted these gold acorn squashes with just a little brown sugar, salt, pepper and oil to bring out it’s natural sweetness and slightly nutty flavor.  After roasting, it is tender, creamy and oh so satisfying!  The soft and tender squash is resting in a bed of crisp and peppery arugula, sprinkle with the crunchy, sweet and tart pomegranate seeds on top. Each bite is heavenly.  




Here’s how I prepare this dish, follow me to the kitchen!

1) & 2)  Preheat oven to 400F degree. Wash and pad dry the gold acorn. Cut them into 1/2-inch thick slices and remove seeds.

3) Place on two large sheet pan and drizzle with grapeseed oil.



4) In a small bowl, mix the brown sugar, salt and pepper together. Sprinkle over the acorn squash slices. Gently toss with your hands to evenly distribute the seasonings.

5) Roast the acorn squash for 10 minutes, then flip the squash and rotate the baking pans. Bake for another 10 minutes, or until squash is golden brown on the edges and tendered. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.

6) In a large bowl, toss all the salad ingredients together. Taste and adjust flavor to your own preference.  To assemble:  On a large serving platter, place the arugula salad on the bottom and top with roasted gold acorn squash. Enjoy!



Nice and simple, isn't it?  This dish is perfect for your upcoming Thanksgiving gathering.  You can serve it as an appetizer, or as a side dish.  It’s elegant enough to impressed your guests and super easy to prepare, in other words, a very host friendly dish!  I hope you’ll give this recipe a try.  I’m sure your friends and family will fall in love with it just after trying a bite. Stay warm and wish you all a happy gathering. 

How to Remove Seeds from Pomegranate, the Easy Way

It’s the pomegranate season and I’m so excited!  It’s one of the super fruit that is packed with vitamins and antioxidant.  You can eat it straight, add it on salad for a crunchy pop, or turn it into juice and make a smoothie.  I’ve always love pomegranate but it is not the most easy fruit to eat.  If you’ve tried it before, you know what I mean.  It has a rather hard shell to start with, after cutting it up, the seeds (the edible parts) are all surrounded by a white and bitter membrane!  So, I’m going to show you how to take those little jewels out of the shell, the easy way.



1) Wash and pat dry the shell of the fruit.  With a sharp knife, cut the pomegranate in half.

2) Hold the pomegranate cut side down over a large mixing bowl.  With the flat side of a meat tenderizer, gently tap on the shell of the pomegranate.

3) After a minute, the seeds will be all out from the shell! 



Super easy, isn’t it?  I hope you like this method and will give it a try soon.  Do you have another easy way to remove the seeds as well?  Or a recipe using the pomegranate?  I would love to hear from you.

Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta with Pomegranate Lemon Gelée and a Giveaway

It’s only a few more weeks from Valentine’s Day.  If you do celebrate, I have a fabulous dessert recipe for you today.  Okay, even if you don’t celebrate, you can still make this gorgeous desserts, right?  Who knows, if you make this dessert for that special someone, after just one bite (of the dessert of course), that person could be falling in love with you.  Worse case scenario, that person only falls in love with this dessert.



After tasting this Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta with Pomegranate Lemon Jelly, my Little Boy named it “Bouncy Jelly with Cream”.  Very descriptive and to the point!  My Little Girl was too busy eating and she didn’t even say a word until the whole cup disappeared in less than a few minutes.



Just like how my Little Boy described it, the Pomegranate Lemon Gelée was quite bouncy, yet tender and smooth.  The perfect texture for Gelée.  It’s sweet and tart at the same time.  Super refreshing and packed with fresh lemon scent because of the NuNaturals Lemon NuStevia that I used as the sweetener.  The Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta was creamy and decadent.  The vanilla aroma was wonderful.  Please note that I don’t normally use sweeteners because of the after-taste that is often associated with most of them.  I have to say, I was very surprised there’s no after taste from these natural liquid sweeteners at all.   I also love the fact that these sweeteners are made with natural ingredients, alcohol free and gluten free.  It’s a great way to reduce or eliminate refined sugar from my diet, yet still satisfy my sweet tooth cravings.
      


Want to check out how to make these Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta with Pomegranate Lemon Gelée?  Please follow me to the kitchen.

1)  In a medium saucepan, heat the cream, vanilla seeds and pod on medium-low heat until simmer. Cover, remove from heat and let mixture steep for an hour.

2) Sprinkle the gelatin over the milk in a bowl and let stand for 5 minutes, or until the gelatin softens. Reheat the vanilla cream mixture and add the gelatin mixture into the hot cream, stir to dissolve. (sorry, I forgot to take a picture of that) Add the Vanilla Sweetener, taste and add more if needed.

3) Strain mixture into a measuring cup with beaker.

4) Equally divided the mixture into 10 3-ounce ramekins or glasses, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, preferable overnight or until set.



5) In a small heat proofed bowl, place 1/2 cup pomegranate juice and powdered gelatin and mix well. Let it sit for 5 minutes.

6) Place the remaining 1/2 cup of pomegranate juice in a measuring cup. Heat the gelatin mixture in the microwave for 30 to 45 second, or until gelatin dissolved. Add gelatin mixture to the measuring cup, add Lemon Sweetener and adjust to your own taste.

7) Evenly divided the pomegranate mixture over the panna cottas and refrigerate for at least two hours, or until set.

8) Garnish with fresh pomegranate seeds and mint leaves when ready to serve.



Simple enough, right?  I hope you’re convinced to give this dessert a try.



Here’s a closer look of that perfect bite.  The fresh pomegranate seeds on top add a little crunch and the juice will burst in your mouth when you bite into one. 
 

Great news for you, my friends!  Here’s a chance to win some of these NuNaturals products of your own to create this wonderful dessert, courtesy of NuNaturals. 


This giveaway is now closed.  Winners were announced on this post.

Giveaway Details:
1) NuNaturals generously offered 4 uTry.it readers a bottle of each of their new all-natural sweeteners (as shown in the picture below):

• Chocolate NuStevia Liquid, Alcohol-Free, 2 oz. Bottle
• Lemon NuStevia Liquid, Alcohol-Free, 2 oz. Bottle
• Orange NuStevia Liquid, Alcohol-Free, 2 oz. Bottle
• Peppermint NuStevia Liquid, Alcohol-Free, 2 oz. Bottle

2) This giveaway is open worldwide

3) To enter, simply leave a comment on this post and tell me your favorite thing to make/cook for a special occasion.

4) Deadline to enter is January 28th, 2013 (my mid-night PST). Winners will be randomly selected and notify by email. So, please make sure to leave your email address in the comment so that I can contact you if you’re one of the lucky winners.

5) For extra entries, share this post (with a link back to this post) on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or any social media that you like.  Simply leave a separate comment for each action that you did to let me know you’ve shared.

NuNaturals is also offering a special discount for uTry.it’s readers as well.  At check out, enter the SPECIAL DISCOUNT CODE of  BLG0613 to receive a  -15% discount on your entire order. This Discount remains effective until  June, 30, 2013.

That’s all. Good Luck everyone.



Disclaimer: I received NuNaturals products free of charge to try.  I was not required to write a review at all, nor a positive one.  I was NOT compensated in any other way.  All opinions are 100% my own.

Japanese Apple Salad

Nothing says Fall better than a basket full of apples of any kind.  My favorite type has always been Fuji apples.  They are crisp, juicy and sweet.  I’m indifferent toward starchy food, I guess.  Another favorite fruit of mine in the Fall are pomegranates.  They are sweet, tart and juicy.  I love the way they pop in my mouth.  I say, they’re even better than eating popping candies. Not to mention, they are good for you too.



I’ve been enjoying this salad for many years. Usually, I toss in some cooked shrimps and blenched green beans when I’m serving them as dinner.  But as a light brunch or a meal in between, this is just as delicious and satisfying.  In this recipe, I used the Japanese Mayonnaise and some curry powder.  I found that the Japanese Mayo is more flavorful and creamier than the regular ones; Which fits this recipe much better, especially one without too many ingredients.  The pistachios add a nice crunch and the pomegranate are just fun to eat as they pop in my mouth. 



Join I Wash… You Dry and Southern Fairytale for the California Avocado Cinco de Mayo Recipe Fiesta, sponsored by the California Avocado Commission.

Snow Skin Mooncake 冰皮月餅—Happy Mid-Autumn Festival中秋節快樂

If you remember my post from last year about Mid-Autumn Festival(中秋節), you probably remember I had some traditional Mooncakes (as shown in the image below) to celebrate the occasion.  I love that picture because, as you can see, the natural oil from the salty egg yolks dripping down the Mooncakes.  For those who are not familiar with Mid-Autumn Festival, you can also refer back to that post for more history on the tradition and culture about this festival.



This year, instead of buying the Mooncakes from retail outlets, I made my own.  Not the traditional kind of Mooncakes though, but the more trendy type, Snow Skin Moon Cakes (冰皮月餅).  Some people call them Ice Skin Mooncakes which is exactly how it translates to, in Chinese.  It’s my very first attempt in making Mooncakes of any kind, period.  I really like how they turned out. 



I made 3 different flavored dough from 1 batch.  The white ones were original, slightly flavored with coconut milk; the green ones were flavored with Matcha (Japanese Green Tea) powder; and the red ones were flavored with Pomegranate juice (from fruit in my In-Law’s garden). I used 2 different kinds of fillings, black sesame and Japanese Azuki Bean Paste (sweetened red bean paste).



Each one is unique in the flavor combination.  I really love the pomegranate juice one.  The pom added a little tangy flavor and a vibrant red color.  Filling wise, I always love black sesame over red bean paste, that’s just my personal preference.     



In case if you’re wondering what it said on the Mooncake, the two Chinese characters mean “Mid-Autumn” (中秋).  I got the Mooncake mold from my previous trip back to Hong Kong back in May.  Since it wasn’t any time close to the Mid-Autumn Festival, I was told this was the only Mooncake mold available from the baking supply store I visited.  I was happy that they had this one in stock and I got an extra mold for my dear friend who lives in the States as well. 



I wish you all a Happy Mid-Autumn Festival, 中秋節快樂 and 人月兩團圓.  As this is the time to gather with the family and loved ones to enjoy the beautiful full moon and each other’s company. 



***Update***
After a simple Mid-Autumn Festival dinner, we hung out at the back yard and enjoyed some tea and Mooncakes. I captured the gorgeous full moon as shown below.  Hope you and your family had a great time as well.

Labor Day Weekend

As “promised” from my previous post, there will be another birthday celebration.  This round is for my loving Mother-in-law’s birthday.  It also falls onto the Labor Day long weekend.  So, we celebrated her birthday with a “sleep over” at my in-law’s place.  I’m sure you all recognized this cake.  Yes, it’s another Chocolate and Hazelnut Meringue Cake.  Sorry if I disappointed you for not making something new for my Mother-in-law’s birthday.  But this cake is just so delicious that I have to make it one more time in such a short period of time.  Not to mention, my Mother-in-law is also a chocolate lover!  I guess it runs in the family! hehehe…


Of course, I used the best chocolate I can get.  This time with some chopping to do since the market ran out of those in small chips size.  I think the cake looks better this time around, too.  Don’t you think? 


To make it up to you for not having a new cake recipe on this post, I’ll share more pictures with you that I took over the weekend.  Did I mention that there are a few dozens of fruit trees at my in-law’s place?  So, I picked some fruits that are in season.  Unfortunately, my little boy got a fever over the weekend and he was not allowed to go outside (the outside temperature was 110 degree Fahrenheit).  Otherwise, he would be my fruit picking buddy.  Here are some of the harvests: juicy peaches, sweet figs and tart apples….



These peaches are so sweet and juicy.  Look at that vibrant color.  I love it!




Really hate to see food going to waste!  So, I picked a basket full of peaches, maybe I’ll make some preserves out of them later on. 
 
The picture below is a Meyer Lemon.  It’s a cross between a lemon and a mandarin.  They’re not only great for cookies and cakes, but also really nice in savory dishes, marinates and vinaigrettes. 




This is the flower from the Michelia tree (白蘭花).  You can smell its fragrant whenever you walk by.  The color of the flower should be ivory.  Somehow, this one turned into orange.    


These figs are super sweet.  They’re really good as is, excellent when you put them into Chinese soup, and divine if you wrap them with prosciutto!   Yup, another basket full! 



Not too sure what kind of apples these are.  They’re a bit too tart and firm to be eaten fresh.  Guess they’ll be really good in apple tarts/pies.


Up next, I was eying these pomegranate.  They’re not really ripe yet.  Not until the end of this month.  So, I’ll be visiting my in-laws again, soon.  Please wait for me, pomegranate!!!



It’s such a luxury to have the freshest fruits whenever you want them, right off the trees from the backyard.  Not many people are as fortunate as we do to have this garden of plants and fruits.  I truly appreciate and cherish it.  Once again, thank you Mother- and Father-in-law!