APPLE BUTTER

This is my first time making apple butter. I first saw and learned about apple butter at the farmers market and was determined to make them during apple season. Well, this will not be my last, i'm definitely making more of this.
Great as holiday gift!

I got this recipe from Dinner and Drinks with some tweaking ofcourse=;)

Ingredients:

10 big apples or 12 medium apples, peeled cored and diced
2 cups packed brown sugar
1/2 C apple cider
2 1/2 pumpkin pie spice
1 1/2 T lemon juice

Mix all the ingredients in a slow cooker, cover and cook on low for 8 hours.
Puree the cooked apples ( I used my immersion blender), you can also mash the apples if you want some texture.
Cook uncovered on low heat for 30 minutes just to thicken the mixture.
Store in an airtight container in the fridge.

*Shelf life 3 weeks inside the fridge.

I've been enjoying the apple butter on my toast every morning.

APPLE BUTTER FRENCH VANILLA ICE CREAM WANTON NAPOLEONS (OCT. DARING COOKS CHALLENGE PART 2

This is my wanton dessert challenge. Hope this will make me win Jaden's Steamy Kitchen cookbook!!!

Ingredients:

Wanton wrappers - fried
homemade apple butter - will blog the recipe asap
french vanilla ice cream
mint leaves for garnish.

PHO TAI GAN (REAR STEAK, TENDON PHO) OCT. DARING COOKS CHALLENGE

The October Daring Cooks Challenge is making Pho. We love Vietnamese food and pho is one of our favorite. I have made this a lot of times, but i am not an expert in pho making (I wish!). I also know that there’s a whole slew of method and process to this dish, that’s why i was excited when this months hostess Jaden of Steamy Kitchen chose Pho. Let’s see maybe i will be an expert after this challenge. I can dream right?

Jaden suggested to make Pho Ga (Chicken Pho) but she also gave us other options should we decide not to make the chicken pho. I ask my family w/c would they like me to make, a unanimous decision was made...Pho Tai Gan (Rear Steak, Tendon Pho) which is one of my fave at the Vietnamese restaurant. The other fave of ours is Bo Ko Ca Rot (Spicy Beef and Carrot Stew)

I then decided to cook this specific pho using the slow cooker, primarily because i have no time to babysit the long and slow cooking process by using the conventional method on the stove top. Check Jaden’s crockpot pho recipe HERE . The recipe serves 4.

I followed Jaden’s basic broth recipe and then made some tweaking as i went ahead w/ the rest of the process. Since I'm fortunate enough to have access to some authentic ingredients, i challenged myself to make this pho as authentic as possible.

The broth you make is the success to your Pho, so this stage is crucial.

BEEF BONES- I used 5 lbs. shin bones (Asian Markets sells this type of bones). These bones has cartilage, marrows and some meat attached to it.

Par-boil the bones on high for few minutes just to get rid of the those scums (those grayish/brownish stuff!) Rinse your bones briefly. I know what you're thinking..what? rinse and throw the broth? yes!!! You get the "bone goodness" when you boil them for a longer period. Slow cooking the bones will produce clear broth.

CHAR THE GINGER AND ONIONS - 2 medium onions, about 4 inch ginger cut into half. Jaden say's this stage is optional but i say it's imperative. For me, charred ginger and onions imparts a fortified and smoky flavor. Believe me because i have tried both charred and not.

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TOAST YOUR SPICES - Toasting will bring out the oil of the spices and for surely add depth to your broth flavor. These are the standard pho spices sans the black cardamom w/c i don't have. If you will notice i used Saigon Cinnamon
this is the type of cinnamon used for pho but regular cinnamon will be okay although the Saigon kind has an intense cinnamon flavor.

SINCE I WANTED TO AT LEAST STAY AUTHENTIC I USED ROCK SUGAR W/C IS SOMETIMES CALLED ROCK CANDY W/C AGAIN IS COMMONLY USED IN MAKING AN AUTHENTIC PHO. THIS CAN BE PURCHASED IN ASIAN STORES BUT REGULAR SUGAR WILL BE FINE. I USUALLY BANG IT W/ THE HANDLE OF THE KNIFE OR A HAMMER THEN BANG AWAY=;) A LITTLE OF THIS SUGAR ROCK GOES A LONG WAY.

USE A GOOD BRAND OF FISH SAUCE. THIS BRAND IS MY FAVORITE.

AT THIS STAGE YOU'LL PUT THE PAR BOILED BONES, SPICES, SEASONINGS, ONIONS AND GINGER INTO THE SLOW COOKER THEN ADD WATER ENOUGH TO COVER THE BONES. SET YOUR SLOW COOKER ON LOW AND LET COOK/SIMMER FOR 8 HRS.

THIS IS MY PHO BROTH AFTER 8 HOURS OF SLOW COOKING. TAKE OUT THE BONES, THE SPICES AND SKIM SOME SCUM IF NEEDED. BUT IN MY CASE I DIDN'T REALLY HAVE MUCH SCUMS TO SKIM.

AND YOU'LL BE LEFT WITH THIS FATTY BROTH. THERE ARE A LOT OF METHOD TO GET RID OF THE FAT, I FIND PUTTING THE BROTH IN THE FRIDGE IS THE BEST FOR ME.

UNTIL THE FATTY SUBSTANCES WILL CONGEAL. IT'LL BE EASY TO TAKE THE FAT OUT

AND YOU'LL BE LEFT W/ A CLEAN CLEAR BROTH.
THIS IS THE BASE OF A WONDERFUL PHO.

SO WHILE THE BONES WERE SIMMERING. I BOILED THE TENDONS SEPARATELY WITH SOME OF THE SPICES UNTIL COOKED. THEN SLICED THINLY.



SO W/ THE BROTH READY AND THE TENDONS SLICED THINLY WE ARE READY TO MOVE ON TO THE ASSEMBLY OF THE PHO TAI GAN.

THE REST OF THE INGREDIENTS FOR PHO DISH.

THINLY SLICED REAR STEAK. YOU CAN BUY THINLY SLICED STEAK AT ASIAN MARKETS. IF YOU CAN'T BUY THESE KIND, YOU CAN ASK YOUR BUTCHER TO SLICE IT THINLY FOR YOU.

HARD BOILED QUAIL EGGS

NOW THE PIECE DE RESISTANCE !

ARRANGE YOUR MEAT AND HERBS AND VEGGIES BEFORE POURING THE STEAMING HOT BEEF BROTH.

YOUR BROTH SHOULD BE STEAMING HOT WHEN YOU POUR IT TO THE BOWL. THE BROTH WILL COOK THE VERY THINLY SLICED STEAK.

NOW WHEN IT COMES TO PHO, I'M A PURIST...I DON'T LIKE TO ADD CONDIMENTS OR SAUCE FLAVORINGS SUCH AS HOISIN SAUCE, SRIRACHA ETC. I LIKE TO SAVOR THE WELL SEASONED BROTH. I ADD THAI BIRD CHILI IF I WANT IT SPICY NOTHING ELSE!

Thanks, Jaden for the Pho-tastic challenge. This was spot on, it was just like the restaurant's Pho! Pls. also check my Apple Butter, French Vanilla Ice Cream Wanton Napoleons HERE

BO KHO CA ROT (SPICY BEEF AND CARROT STEW)

Since it's "soup weather" already i thought i'd share our all time favorite Vietnamese Stew/Soup. A must have everytime we go to any Vietnamese Restaurant. We liked it so much that i had to research and experiment lots of different recipes so i can make it anytime we want it. I found this recipe at the library, "Authentic Vietnamese Cooking", i had to xerox the page. I have had this for years so don't ask me who the author is coz i can't remember. I'll have to google it.

Don't be overwhelmed nor be intimidated by the ingredients, some i'm sure are already in your pantry and some can be purchased easily...promise, well if you have an Asian store in your neck of the woods.

Through the years i have tried/tweaked the recipe. I have also cooked this in 3 different ways using slow cooker, dutch oven simmering for hours and pressure cooker w/c means cooked in an hour. I personally didn't see any difference it's all about your preference and how much time you have. I have tendons aside from the chuck roast so i opted to use pressure cooker to tenderize the meat fast.

The kind of meat cut really is again your preference, i have used short ribs, oxtail but for now i'm using chuck roast, beef tendons and bone marrows.

Y: 4 to 6

1/4 cup fish sauce
1/4 t five spice powder
2 T sugar (use 1 T if using coconut juice in can)
4 lbs. beef cut of your choice (chuck roast, short ribs, ox tail, stew meat)
1 T vegetable oil
4 to 6 small yellow onions or 1 med. sweet onions
3 large cloves garlic, peeled and lightly crushed
3 oz.fresh ginger, sliced and lightly crushed
2 cups young coconut juice or beef stock (i personally like coconut juice)
2 stalks lemongrass, remove green tops and root ends, bulbs halved crosswise and lightly crushed.
3 star anise
1 cinnamon stick, about 2 inches long
3 to 4 dried chilies or 2 fresh bird's eye or Thai chilies
1 t annatto seeds or powder (sometimes called atsuete/achuete)
2 to 3 large carrots, peeled and sliced diagonally 1/4 inch thick

After cooking this a lot of times, there are steps i skip but will still show you all the original steps on how to cook this.

1. Combine the fish sauce, five spice powder, and sugar in a dish. Add the beef meat, coating well and allow to marinate, refrigerated for 4 to 6 hours. (I skip this step).

2. Heat the oil, onions, garlic and ginger in a pot. Cook the ingredients until fragrant and golden, about 10 minutes. Add the meat, fish sauce, five spice powder and sugar. Then add the coconut juice or beef stock and cover the pot. Bring to a boil over medium heat. (I've used both coconut juice and beef stock, i like using coconut juice)

3. Add the lemongrass, star anise, cinnamon stick, chilies and annatto seeds or powder. (Annatto seeds or powder turns the dish red/orange color) simmer, covered over medium-low heat for 2 hours or until meat is tender.

4. Add carrots and continue braising until the meat falls off the bones. Skim off the fat.

5. Restaurants typically serve this w/ noodles but i love mine w/ steamed white rice. Garnish w/ cilantro leaves, Thai basil, lime wedges, bean sprouts, fresh Thai chilis if you want it more spicy.

Note:
To simplify the task of skimming fat and getting a clear and rich colored stock, remove onions, carrots, and meat from the pot. Then place a double or triple layer of paper towels in a sieve set over a bowl and strain the cooking liquid through the paper towels.

Some of the ingredients

Serve with lemon wedges and onion flakes

Or simply the soup sans lemon and all condiments

If you go to a Vietnamese Restaurant i highly recommend this! This dish is called Bo Kho Ca Rot, Spicy Beef and Carrots or simply the spicy orange/red soup.

ENJOY!!!!!