Vanilla Coffee Granita and Giveaway Reminder

I hope you all had a wonderful week, my friends. Did any of you tried my Grilled Ribeye Steaks with Vanilla Coffee Rub recipe?  Not yet?  I sure hope you’ll give that a try soon because the Vanilla Coffee Rub really embarks wonderful depth of flavors into your steaks and enhances the texture of your steaks by creating a lovely crust to seal in the juices.  The rub is super easy to put together with a rather short ingredients list.  Anyhow, don’t forget to enter the Singing Dog Vanilla Lover’s Set Giveaway (2 winners), if you haven’t done so.  The giveaway is available to my Readers worldwide, click here to enter.



Now, back to this Vanilla Coffee Granita.  As I promised you from the last post that I will share a dessert recipe using the Vanilla Coffee and Vanilla Salt.  This is one cool treat that could tame any flames and heats!  Boy, I don’t know what’s up with the weather here in the past 2 weeks, but it’s been super hot all week in L.A.  I can probably use a cool treat any time of the day.  This is a light and refreshing treat, a perfect sweet ending to any meal (more so if you made my Grilled Ribeye Steak recipe).  If you haven’t try a granita before, it’s a semi-frozen dessert made from sugar, water and various flavorings.  This time, I used vanilla coffee.  It’s ridiculously easy to prepare and let me show you how.



First, brew your coffee in your coffee maker, or French press.  While the coffee is still hot, add the sugar and salt. Stir until all the sugar is dissolved. Add the coffee liqueur and stir well. Pour the mixture into a freezer safe 9 x 13 container. Leave at room temperature until completely cooled.



Cover the container and freeze for an hour. Remove from freezer and with a fork, scrape the ice crystals that have formed on the side of the pan. Return to the freezer and scrape every 30 minutes.



Once the mixture is completely frozen (the whole process might take 2-4 hours), fluff with a fork and scoop the granita onto your favorite cup, dollop with some freshly whipped cream (recipe followed) and a sprinkle of vanilla salt on top.



The hardest part about this recipe?  Waiting!  Waiting for the granita to freeze up before you can take a bite! But it’s all worth it at the end.  It’s like having a sweet and creamy iced coffee in frozen form.  But the icy granita has a nice crunchy texture that is really refreshing on the palates. 



When you mix a little freshly whipped cream with the granita along with the crunch from the vanilla salt, that’s one perfect bite for me!  It’s definitely a party in my mouth that wakes up all my senses.  You would want to close your eyes and savor each spoonful slowly.  But then, you would also want to finish it quickly before it’s all melted.  These mini martini serving glasses are perfect for the job.  They are must-haves for parties and entertaining too.  (Please click here for product link).  I love the mini size because I won’t feel as guilty if I indulge more than one!  I hope you enjoy today’s recipe.  Have fun brewing, and freezing!  

Grilled Ribeye Steaks with Vanilla Coffee Rub and a Giveaway

 
 
 
It's the Labor Day Weekend in the States.  Which means, it's time to firing up the grill and enjoy some BBQ goodness.  Today, I have a very special recipe for you, Grilled Ribeye Steaks with Vanilla Coffee Rub.  Most of us relate vanilla, or vanilla beans, with desserts or sweet treats only.  However, vanilla works just as beautifully in savory food, in my opinion.  This Grilled Ribeye Steaks with Vanilla Coffee Rub is one of them!  I’ll get into the details in just a minutes.  But first, I want to introduce you to some wonderful products that I used in this recipe.



Still remember my Vanilla Dream Cake recipe?  If not, you've got to check out that recipe here.  In that recipe, I used Singing Dog Vanilla Bean Paste and infused their Vanilla Blackberry Sage tea into the cake.  Boy oh boy, that was really one dreamy cake to indulge.

Recently, the kind folks at Singing Dog Vanilla sent me the Organic Ground Vanilla Coffee and Vanilla Salt to try out.  You might wonder, how did the vanilla infused into the coffee beans?  Well, that was the same question I had in mind.  And quoted from Singing Dog’s website, “Our Organic whole bean/ground coffee is flavored with real organic vanilla beans.  No fake sugary flavors or syrups - just real vanilla beans.”  Click here to check out their site for more information.  I really love the fact that there are real vanilla beans in each bag (ground or whole, respectively), and nothing artificial!  I used the ground vanilla coffee to make the spice rub for my Ribeye steaks.  If you use this vanilla coffee for drinking, the whole house would be infused with vanilla and coffee fragrant after brewing.  I love the subtle vanilla aroma in my coffee and it brings a kind of gourmet sweetness that you can’t get from sugar at all.  



Up next is the Vanilla Salt.  Check out the ingredient of this salt. Ingredients: Murray River Salt from Australia and Organic Ground Vanilla from Indonesia.  And let me tell you, this is the perfect example of “less is more”!  The salt itself is super flaky and you can see the specks of vanilla beans all through out the salt.  It’s saltiness is softer than kosher salt and you get the distinct sweet aroma from the vanilla beans. 



Want to find out how I prepare the Vanilla Coffee Rub for the Ribeye steaks?  It’s super easy and the flavor is wonderful.  The coffee rub developed the most fragrant crust on my steaks and sealed in the juices; leaving my steaks juicy, tender and succulent.   



Here’s what you need for the coffee rub: Vanilla coffee (of course!), smoked paprika, brown sugar, granulated garlic, vanilla salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes.  (Please check the measurements of each ingredient in the recipe at the end of the post.)  




Mix all the ingredient with a fork and you’re done with the rub!  Super easy, isn't it?  Yup, my kids can do this too.  And let me tell you.  This rub is so good that I doubled the recipe and keep it in an air tight container for future use.  That way, I can have them on-hand at any time and they sure will make a wonderful homemade gifts!  Your friends will sure be impressed with this coffee rub for sure!



Up next, give the steaks some love.  Gently rub some olive oil on the steaks.  We can all use a massage any time of the day, right?!



Then, sprinkle on the coffee rub, all over the steaks!  Be generous, it’s all good stuffs!  Then, let the steaks hang out in the fridge to get happy, I mean to marinade, for 2 hours, before grilling.



Isn't that a lovely crust of grill marks on the steaks?  Make sure to let your steaks rest for 10 minutes before cutting so the juice stays inside the steak and not running all over your board!


 
I simply serve this ribeye steaks with a side salad, some lettuces, and homegrown tomatoes.  It was one satisfying meal.  Of course, I always have room for dessert.  But that will be covered in another post. 
So, are you ready to make your own Vanilla Coffee Rub and indulge in some succulent steaks?  Of course, you can purchase the vanilla coffee and vanilla salt here, if you can’t wait any longer.  However, I’m hosting a giveaway, courtesy of the generous people from Singing Dog Vanilla.  This is one giveaway you don’t want to miss out!  Check out the giveaway details below.
 

 
 
 
Giveaway Details:
2 (Two) uTry.it readers will win a Vanilla Lover's Gift Set, one set to each winner (as shown in the picture below. Each gift set values at U.S.D. $31.25). Each Vanilla Lover’s Gift Set includes:

1 Organic Vanilla Coffee (2 oz) flavored only with real vanilla beans;
1 Organic Vanilla Lip Balm;
1 Organic Pure Vanilla Extract (2 oz.) for cooking; and
1 Vanilla Salt,2 oz.

Product Image from Singing Dog Vanilla’s website

This Giveaway is open my Readers worldwide.  Deadline to enter is September 15th, 2013 by midnight PST. Winner will be selected through Random.org and announce shortly after the giveaway is closed. Prizes will be shipped out directly by Singing Dog Vanilla.

To enter this giveaway, simply leave a comment below telling me what is your favorite cut of meat.  Is it a ribeye steak, a New York steak, a Porterhouse, or something else?  If you are a vegetarian, or don’t eat beef, simply leave a message just to say hi, or tell me you want to win this giveaway.

This giveaway is now closed!  Thank you everyone who participated in this giveaway.  Please see the winner announcement post for names of winners.


For extra entries, do any or all of the following (simply leave a separate comment for each extra entry):

1) “Like” Singing Dog Vanilla on their Facebook Page, click here.
2) "Like" uTry.it's Facebook Page, click here.
3) Pin a picture from this post onto your Pinterest board.
4) Follow Singing Dog Vanilla on Pinterest, click here.
5) Add me to your Google+ circle here.
6) Share this giveaway on Facebook (with a link back to this post please)
7) Share this giveaway on Twitter (with a link back to this post please)

Good luck everyone! And stay tuned for an awesome dessert recipe on my next post featuring the Vanilla Coffee and Vanilla Salt.

Disclaimer: I received the Singing Dog Vanilla Coffee Tea and Vanilla salt free of charge for the purpose of this review. And Singing Dog Vanilla is sponsoring the prizes for this giveaway.  All opinions are 100% my own and always will be. 

Lychee Martini (荔枝馬丁尼)

It’s almost “back to school” time for most of us!  I can’t believe Summer slipped by in the blink of an eye.  That’s just too quick, in my opinion!  I sure will miss spending time with my Kiddos.  On the other hand, I also look forward to the “me” time when the Kids are at school.  So it’s a mixed feeling.  Since my Kids will be going to a new school this year, there are quite a few things that we need to adjust.  Adjustments such as a new school schedule, policies, and a long list of school supplies!  Yeah, I’m totally not used to that since the previous school took care of most of the supplies.  Let’s just say, I’m glad that I tackled the list quite early on and I only have a few more things to get before school starts.  Certainly, going back to school could be a stressful event, but proper planning definitely helps to ease some stress…and a cocktail in between wouldn’t hurt either.  Whether you’re in the middle of “back to school” stress, or about to celebrate having the “me” time back.  I have the perfect cocktail for you.  Ladies and gentlemen, check out this Lychee Martini (荔枝馬丁尼)!



This Lychee Martini is a sweet and fragrant cocktail that’s packed with the fresh lychee flavor.  I added a little lemon juice to balance out the sweetness and a splash of vermouth for depth and to round out the flavors.  Lychee ( 荔枝in Chinese) is a tropical fruit native to southern China, Taiwan, and Southeast Asia. The fresh fruit is delicate with a floral and sweet fragrant. When ripe, the skin turns brownish-red (from green), and the flesh is super juicy and sweet. Since the perfume-like fragrant is lost in the canning process, I certainly prefer fresh Lychee way better than the canned ones.




Lychee is one of my favorite fruit to enjoy in the late summer!  I always buy them fresh whenever they’re available in my local Asian markets.  And now, is the prime season!  So, if you visit your local Asian market, see if you can find these gems!  The outside of the fruit is covered by a brown-red, slightly rough textured rind that is inedible but easily removed to expose a layer of sweet, slightly translucent and white flesh.



There is a round, smooth and hard seed in the middle that’s also inedible (as shown in the picture below).




And before you head over for the recipe below, I have a tip for you today.  I guess my memory is getting worse as I aged became more matured.  So, forgetting to put the martini glasses in the freezer before I make the cocktail is not surprising to anyone, anymore.  Good news is, I have this trick for you.  Simply fill your martini glasses with crushed ice, while you prepare the cocktail, works just as fine.  So, whether you’re as forgetful as I am, or you simply couldn't find any space in the freezer to chill your glasses (unfortunately, I’m also in this category), this tip is for you! 



For those of you with kiddos, whether your own kids or grand-kids, going back to school this Fall, I wish you a wonderful school year!  I hope you enjoy today’s recipe and tips.  Stay tuned for some “back to school” friendly recipes in the near future.





Please drink responsibly.  Health and General Disclaimers.

Orange Chiffon Cupcakes (香橙雪芳蛋糕)

Growing up in Hong Kong, I had my fair share of a very famous bakery’s chiffon cupcakes.  They were individually packaged and available in most supermarkets (yeah, I know, they were packaged cupcakes, not even freshly baked from a bakery!  What was I thinking, huh?)  Their orange flavor chiffon cakes were my favorites.  I couldn't recall how many times I had it for breakfast or as afternoon pick-me-ups, probably too many and too often.  But they were good, at least, I thought so when I was a kid.  I craved for this childhood favorite every now and then.  Of course, I won’t be flying back to Hong Kong any time soon just to ease my craving for a chiffon cake, worse, a packaged chiffon cake!   Fortunately, I can recreate this childhood favorite in my own kitchen now!  Plus, freshly baked chiffon cakes are better than packaged ones, yes I know better now! 



A chiffon cake is a light  and fluffy cake usually made with vegetable oil, eggs, sugar, flour, baking powder, and flavorings.   To achieve the light and fluffy texture, the egg whites and egg yolks are separated.  The egg whites are whisked with sugar until stiff peak.  The egg yolks are incorporated with other ingredients, then a folding technique is used to combine the two into one batter before baking.  In my recipe, I used butter instead of vegetable oil for a richer flavor.  As always, I like my cupcakes not overly sweet.  However, my Kids do have a sweet tooth so I created an orange glaze just for them to drizzle on top for extra flavor and sweetness.   



In case if you wonder, yes, I used the oranges from my In-Law’s garden.  They were super sweet and juicy.  I used both the orange zest, which was extremely fragrant, and the orange juice in these chiffon cupcakes.  These chiffon cupcakes will stay soft and fluffy for a few days….that is, if they last that long in your house.  Now, I don’t need to fly back to Hong Kong for the chiffon cakes, but I do wish I have any orange tree in my own garden!  



Below is how the cupcake looks inside, soft, light, spongy and fluffy, which is exactly how a chiffon cake should be.  So, when you fold the egg whites into the egg yolk batter, make sure you do not deflate too much air from the egg whites.  Using a soft silicone spatula such as this one for the job will definitely help.  Also, I used these paper baking cups to make this batch.  Not only they are beautiful, but they are also very sturdy.  Unlike traditional baking cups, these stay in shape and keep their color even after baking, so they are perfect for parties and gatherings.  Plus, you don’t need a muffin pan when you use these baking cups.  I highly recommend them.  But then of course, you can always use the traditional cupcake pans and paper linings for these cupcakes, they will taste equally good. 

Note:  I won these paper baking cups from the giveaway at Carol’s beautiful blog not long ago.  Thank you again, Carol.



I personally can’t decided if I like this Orange Chiffon Cupcake better with or without the orange glaze on top.  The glaze adds a little sweetness and more orange flavor as it’s packed with orange zest.  Guess I’ll have to do a little bit more taste tests before I can decide!  My Kiddos definitely love these cupcakes with the glaze, especially when I let them pour their own glaze on top of the cakes.   



Do you have a childhood favorite treat that’s not available to you anymore?  Were you able to recreate it in your own kitchen like I did?  I would love to hear from you and maybe try your recipes too.   
Hope you enjoy today’s post and recipe.  Until next time…..

Nutella Swirl Ice Cream With Dark Chocolate Covered Hazelnuts

You might still remember the heart shaped Nutella Macarons that I made a while ago and my confession for the love of Nutella from that post.  No?  Never mind. Because I've got something even bigger, and better.  A bigger confession, and a better recipe compared to the macarons.  If this Nutella Swirl Ice Cream With Dark Chocolate Covered Hazelnuts is wrong, I don’t want to be right.  There, I said it.   My confession.  Why?  Because this ice cream is probably one of the best ice cream I've ever tasted, period!  Store bought or homemade, nothing can compare to this!  Even though if you’re not as crazy as I am for Nutella, I’m sure you’ll still be crazy for this ice cream.  That’s how good it is. 



I used my favorite vanilla ice cream as the base, then, add swirls and swirls of creamy and nutty nutella into the mix while the ice cream is churning.  The Nutella slowly infused its flavor into the ice cream, yet, some remains as beautiful swirls throughout the ice cream.  Drooling yet?  Get a box of tissue paper ready because there’s more.  At the last minute of the churning, I added some Dark Chocolate covered Hazelnuts with Fleur de Sel into the mix, churn just until the hazelnuts are evenly distributed.




Boy oh boy, that’s totally drool worthy, isn't it?  The Chocolate covered hazelnuts add a lovely crunch in this ice cream.  The nutty aroma of roasted hazelnut enhanced the flavor tremendously.  The slightly salty Fleur de Sel balanced perfectly with the sweetness of the ice cream and the Nutella.   Each spoonful is heavenly, the smooth and silky texture of the ice cream melt slowly in my mouth.  Made me want to close my eyes and enjoy this concoction slowly and savor each bite.  The flavor, the texture, the aroma, all so vivid on my palates and imprinted in my memories.  If there’s one dessert that I would dream about tonight, this would be it.




Now, ready to join me in the kitchen to prepare this drool-worthy ice cream?  Follow me.

1) Heat the milk, sugar and salt until the mixture reaches a simmer.
2) With a paring knife, scrape off the seeds of the vanilla bean.
3) Place both the seeds and bean pod into the milk mixture, cover and let it steep off the heat for an hour.
4) In a heat proof bowl, whisk the egg yolks together.
5) Reheat the milk mixture.  While whisking, slowly add the re-heated milk mixture into the yolks.
6) Pour the egg yolk mixture back to the saucepan and cook the custard on low heat until thicken and coat the spatula.
7) Place a strainer on a large bowl with the cream.  Strain the custard into the cream.  Stir in vanilla extract and liqueur (if using). Cover and refrigerate to chill thoroughly. Preferably overnight.
8) Churn the custard in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.  5 minutes before the churning is done, with a fork, add the Nutella into the churning ice cream in a slow steady stream, a tablespoon at a time.
9) Add the Dark Chocolate Covered Hazelnuts right before churning is done. Enjoy the ice cream as is for a soft serve texture. Or, place ice cream in a freezer safe container overnight for a firmer texture.  Enjoy!




Pretty straight forward, right?  It really is.  I usually make a big batch of the chocolate covered hazelnuts and keep them available in the fridge.  They make a great snack and perfect when I need to churn up this ice cream.  Check out the most sexy ice cream on earth here, the Nutella Swirl Ice Cream With Dark Chocolate Covered Hazelnuts!



And the best part of photo shooting ice cream?  I have to act fast and get the job done before it’s all melted!  Then, I get the sweetest reward at the end, which is... I get to enjoy what I just shot!  



Yes, that fast, and it’s totally awesome!  This ice cream is absolutely my latest guilty pleasure of all time.  Do you have a guilty pleasure treat that you simply couldn’t resist?  Either homemade treats or store bought ones? I would love to know what they are, so please share.  Stay cool and have fun churning!