Soy Eggs in Miso Ramen Nest

I'm back in LA for a bit and it is hot hot hot! My face has become several shades darker just from driving around 😱. Alsoooo, I finally got me a studio in Manhattan! Luckily it's subsidized by the hospital, or I'd be living out of a cardboard box at the rate some of these apartments go! Can't believe I'm going to be a New Yorker and living in the city!

Anyway, keeping up with the Easter theme, I made some coconut macaroon nests before on the blog, but I saw this on TastyJapan's Instagram and thought it was a brilliant Easter nest idea too. The nest part is made of baked ramen so it's crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Then I topped it with delicious ramen toppings, like soy marinated eggs and corn. You can put whatever you like on top and make it vegetarian too!

Soy Eggs in Miso Ramen Nest

makes 5-6 "nests"

Soy Marinated Eggs
3 medium eggs
3 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp mirin
1 tbsp brown sugar
2 cloves garlic, minced

Ramen Nest
1 pack fresh ramen
2 tsp sesame oil
3 tsp miso (loosened in 1 tbsp water)
3 tsp soy sauce
1 egg white
pepper

Toppings
corn
naruto (Japanese fish cake with the pink swirl)
ham
green onions, diced

1. To make soft boiled eggs, place 3 medium eggs in a small pot and put just enough water to cover the top. Bring to a boil on high heat and from the time it starts really boiling, time 3.5 minutes. Once time is up, pour out the hot water and immediately run eggs in cold water or place in ice bath
2. To make soy eggs: place all marinade ingredients in a small sandwich ziplock bag and mix well. Place peeled eggs in marinade, let air out before sealing and refrigerate overnight. Turn the bag once or twice to coat eggs evenly
3. Preheat oven to 350 F and grease 5-6 muffin cups. Cook ramen according to package. Season with sesame oil, miso, soy sauce and pepper. Stir egg whites to coat ramen noodles.
4. Distribute ramen into cupcake pan or 5-6 muffin cups and make a well in the center for the ingredients to be placed afterwards. Bake for 15-20 mins. Let rest for a minute.
5. Cut marinaded eggs in half and place in center of ramen nest. Place other ramen ingredients and serve warm!

Read More

Hot Cross Bun Spiced Pretzels

It's almost Easter and I've been admiring all the pretty egg, coconut and bunny pictures on Instagram! I don't really do too much during Easter other than follow my mum to church, but what I can't miss is eating hot cross buns! I was given this Silpat pretzel mat and since I was going to make bread anyway, I thought why not put the same stuff in pretzels?! So I've added all the nice things, like sugar, cinnamon, ginger, orange zest and cranberries into these pretzels.

Also how awesome is this mat? It totally helps a pretzel shape challenged person like me to roll out pretty pretzels!

I love the spicy and fruity flavor of the dough, and it's all shiny and sticky with melted butter and honey. You can eat these plain or they actually go pretty well with this Maille Acacia honey and Orange blossom mustard. The taste is pretty floral and fruity with a very good amount of sharpness and tang. It pairs quite well and is a nice play of sweet and salty.

I'm currently on a one-week bootcamp at med school (last week ever!), which is pretty much learning how to adult. Like buying a house, paying off loans etc... I just can't adult yet! Ah! 

Hot Cross Bun Spiced Pretzels

makes 14-16 pretzels

4 tsp active dry yeast
1 tsp white sugar
1 1/4 cup warm water
4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
3 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger

1 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
Zest of 1 orange
1/2 cup dried cranberries or currants

1/4 cup baking soda
2 cups hot water
2 tbsp butter, melted
1.5 tbsp honey

1. In a small bowl, dissolve yeast and 1 tsp of white sugar in the warm water until bubbly, about 10 minutes
2. In a stand mixer with the dough attachment, mix flour, brown sugar, salt and spices. Add oil, yeast and vanilla extract and mix to form a dough. Adjust flour and water if mixture is too sticky or dry. Add orange zest and currants and knead until smooth. Lightly oil a large bowl, place dough in it and cover with a damp cloth. Let rise in a warm place for 1.5 hours.
3. Punch dough down, cover bowl with plastic wrap and another damp cloth and let rise overnight in the fridge. This makes the dough more elastic!
4. Allow the chilled dough to come to room temperature, about an hour in a warm place. Prepare baking sheets with silpat mat or wax paper
5. In a medium bowl, dissolve baking soda in 2 cups of hot water and set aside
6. Divide dough into 15 equal pieces. Dip your fingers in the baking soda solution and rub in your hands. Roll each piece between your hands into a rope. Start in the middle and roll using medium pressure with both hands as you work out to the ends. You're done when the dough thickness is about the size of your finger (it will puff!). Grab each end and slap on your surface like a jump rope a few times. Be careful not to use too much force or the dough will tear. Twist into a pretzel shape and place on prepared sheets. Cover with plastic wrap while working on the rest of the dough
7. Once all shaped, brush baking soda water solution over the pretzels. Let rest for another 10-15 mins. You can sprinkle with raw sugar (optional). Preheat oven to 425 F, place rack above middle 
8. Bake in preheated oven in top rack until browned, about 10-12 mins
9. Brush mix of melted butter and honey together and brush over pretzel when they come out of the oven

This post was sponsored by Silpat and Maille. I'm teaming up with them via CoactionPR to create awesome recipes. I was compensated for this post, but all opinions are completely my own and not endorsed. Thank you for supporting products that keep this blog running!

Read More

Lemon Curd Creme Puffs with Matcha White Chocolate Ganache

I'm done with my surgery rotation and I finally have time to meddle in the kitchen! Even if I was waking up at 4am and sleeping 4 hours everyday, I'm going to miss the excitement of being in the operating room. Surgery has been hand downs my fav rotation and I got to work with so many amazing people (including an attending who may be reading this...but I only have high praises for him hahaha ;))

I can't believe I spent all of winter in the OR and it's almost spring! Here, I made some cream puffs filled with fluffy lemon curd cream and topped them off with matcha white chocolate ganache and edible flowers. Don't they just look like spring and sunshine?

Don't let the long list of instructions fool you! These are actually very simple to make. You can make the lemon curd cream the night before, so all you need to make are the puffs and matcha ganache the next day. If you have a kitchen aid mixer, making the dough will be a breeze. I have mixed the dough by hand before and I think that's why my right arm is twice the size of my left :P. Hope you guys are enjoying the warmer weather!

Lemon Curd Creme Puffs with Matcha White Chocolate Ganache

makes 20-25 mini creme puffs

Pâte à Choux (made here too!)
1 stick butter, cubed
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup water
1 tbsp white sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup flour
4 large eggs

Whipped Lemon Curd
2 large egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
juice of 1 large lemon and zest
pinch of salt
1 tbsp cornstarch
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla
1 tbsp powdered sugar

Matcha White Chocolate Ganache
1-2 tsp matcha powder
1/4 cup white chocolate chips (I used ghirardelhi)
1/4 cup heavy cream

• Cream puffs: 

1. Preheat oven to 425 and line a large baking tray with parchment paper or a silicone mat
2.  In a medium sized pot, put in the butter, milk, water, sugar and salt. Place on medium-high heat and stir frequently. Once it has all melted and starts bubbling on the top, reduce the heat to low
3. Dump in the flour and stir with a heat proof spatula. It will start coming together and form a giant shiny yellow ball (less than 5 minutes)
4. Place the dough in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment and stir slowly to cool for about 2 minutes. Crack 1 egg at a time and mix on low until it is thoroughly incorporated. Repeat with the other eggs. Now the dough will be smooth, yellow and thick.
5. Transfer into a pastry bag with a 1/2" tip. Pipe out 1.5" mounds on the prepared tray about 1 inch apart (they don't spread too much). Using a wet fingertip, smooth the top of each mound where you pulled the dough away from the tip so they don't burn in the oven. 
6. Place in the oven, reduce the temp to 350F after 1 min and bake until puffs are golden brown (~30-35mins). DON'T open door while baking or all the puffs will deflate! Once they come out, take a paring knife and poke a hole in the side to let the steam escape and transfer to a cooling rack.

• Lemon Curd (made the night before):

1. In a small pot, whisk egg yolks, sugar, lemon zest and its juice and salt. Heat on medium flame and continuously whisk until thickened slightly. Whisk in cornstarch and keep whisking until it is the consistency of greek yogurt (taste test here and add more sugar if needed). Take off heat and cool for a few minutes. Place saran wrap directly on the lemon curd surface and stick it in the refrigerator
2. In a clean and cold mixing bowl, whisk heavy cream and powdered sugar on high until stiff peaks form. Whisk in vanilla
3. Fold the now cold curd with the whipped cream. You don't have to use all the cream if you think it's too much. I put in 3/4 of it I think
4. Only pipe in the cream when you are about to eat/serve it, otherwise the puffs can get soggy.

• Matcha Ganache
• Stir matcha powder, chocolate chips and heavy cream in a small bowl. Microwave in 10 second bursts and stir. Mine was done in 14 ish seconds. I always have trouble with white chocolate seizing on me, so now I have chocolate PTSD and check every 5 seconds
• Drizzle this over lemon curd cream filled puffs and serve!

Read More

Whopper Stuffed Cupcakes with White Chocolate Glaze

I don't understand this Richmond weather. I thought it was supposed to warm up. But it is getting more cold and rainy. At least I don't suffer from allergies! The bf goes through entire kleenex boxes, his eyes are super puffy... and the sniffling!! It's killing me. HAHA kidding. Because he reads this, I need to be nice.  He pops his anti-histamines and now he squirts steroids up his nose. I'm always joking that he's going to become like A. Schwarzenegger with all those 'ROIDS.

Six more exams until summer! I can't wait to go back to LA. I think I'm going to try surfing again. Gosh, I really miss Costa Rica and the perfect surfing conditions. I'd love to go again, but I seriously came back looking like a monkey (far too tanned). I don't get a healthy golden glow like most. Just burned brown/sienna. Worst color evaarrr D:

Here are some cupcakes I made for my friends birthday. These are incredibly moist and keeps that way for a few days. You can substitute with any candy you like!

Whopper Stuffed Cupcakes with White Chocolate Glaze

Read More

Easter Egg Nest Macaroons

Free weekend!! Man, it has been a while since I got to stay up watching the Mindy Project and then waking up really late (And I mean embarrassingly late :X ...) The past few weeks have been so draining. Learning about alcoholic fatty livers and cirrhosis. I felt like my brain was being overused and abused. Now, I have time to do anything I want...that is until...um Monday. Boo!

Eek, I really complain too much. Anyhoo, I decided to go a little easter themed today, so I baked these macaroons. They're super cute and takes literally 5 mins of prep. Enjoy :)

Easter Egg Nest Macaroons

Read More