Individual Strawberry Pavlova

Continue with the strawberry theme this week! I have some leftover roasted strawberry puree and strawberries from the Roasted Strawberry and Buttermilk Ice Cream, so I thought what I can do. And yes, pavlova is the winner. I first learned about pavlova from watching Barefoot Contessa on Food Network. Ina made a beautiful mixed berry pavlova. I have been wanting to try it, and finally I did. I made individual ones, so it is easier to serve and Bryan and I do not have to eat the 7-inch cake by ourselves.

As far as I know, Pavlova is from Australia. It is a really popular dish in Australia and New Zealand. No matter where it is from. It is truly an amazing dessert to present and serve at a dinner party. It is light and it has fresh ingredients. It also highlights the berries during the spring season. The meringue is light and crisp on the outside and slightly gooey on the inside. With the fresh strawberry, strawberry puree and whipped cream, every bite is the perfect bite. You may think 3½-inch is a lot, but that is not true. It is a great serving size for one person. If you haven’t tried pavlova before, I urge you to make them today. You will not be disappointed!

Roasted Strawberry and Buttermilk Ice Cream

Two weeks ago, I finally got a copy of Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams at Home. I should have got this two years ago. It is a bit late, but better late than never. I am so happy I got it. This is a cookbook for all ice cream lovers. The recipe steps are easy to follow. Not only there are 100 recipes, there are also all kinds of condiments recipes, like cake, brittle, ice cream cone, candy, and sauces. You can really make any ice cream you want with the help of this book. It is a must-have for ice cream fanatics! Buy it if you still haven’t got one!

I read through the whole book once I got it. And the one that screamed to me most was this roasted strawberry and buttermilk recipe. Strawberry season has just arrived. Nothing beat to have sweet and ripe strawberries to cook with. The roasted strawberries smelled and tasted amazing. I thought I would have eaten everything before I added them to the ice cream base. The ice cream came out very thick and creamy. The strawberry can be tasted and I really like the hint of tanginess from the buttermilk. What a perfect scoop of ice cream! I am sure you will like this too!

Shrimp and Guacamole Tostada

I don’t always make Mexican food at home, because Bryan’s families are from El Salvador. We can easily eat those similar tasty food from Bryan’s mom. But when I make “Mexican” food, they are usually not very authentic and very different. This tostada is the perfect example. When I saw this recipe in Bev Cooks, I hesitated for a moment. Tostada traditionally is fried and it definitely does not top with guacamole. Because of the beautiful looking pictures and tasty combination, I decided to give it a try. It turned out to be amazing. The tortilla was crispy and great with melting cheese. The guacamole was creamy. Shrimps were well seasoned and meaty. These tostadas are good as main dish and good to serve with salad or veggies.

Roasted Fingerling Potatoes with Rosemary

My neighbor has a huge bush of rosemary near his door. It started from a few sprigs to a 3 x 3-feet bush now. My neighbor is nice enough to let me pick use his rosemary. Woo hoo! Free herbs! Ever since then, I am always looking for dishes with rosemary. Roasted potatoes with rosemary is just a classic. And it sounds so much better with the cute and colorful fingerling potatoes. These potatoes go well with the pan seared rib-eye steak that I made last week, or chicken dishes.

Pan Seared Rib-eye Steak with Béarnaise Sauce

A nice fancy dinner at home may just require a good piece of steak. To top it off, Béarnaise sauce will make your steak much more special. It doesn’t require much time to make, but it will sure impressed your loved one or your guests.

When it comes to steak, Bryan is the cook. I guess because he likes steak and he was the one who started to make steak in the house, so that job stays with him. But of course, I can cook it too. There are tons of ways to cook a perfect steak. We cook our steak on the stove. No oven is needed. The steak is seared perfectly every time and it stays juicy. Very simple.

In January, when Bryan and I went to Mon Ami Gabi in Las Vegas, Bryan ordered the steak with Béarnaise sauce. It was a fantastic match. And I decided to make that at home. The sauce was so easy to make that anyone can do it. It was rich and creamy. It paired really well with the steak, but didn’t overpower the steak flavors. A great touch to a perfect steak. Love it!

Snack: Ferrero Eggs

This Easter, Ferrero has pushed out a new product in the US, the Ferrero Eggs. There are two flavors: Hazelnut and Cocoa. When I saw them at Ralph’s last week, I grabbed a bag of the hazelnut one. Once I have tried it, I couldn’t stop eating. I ate 5 eggs continuously. If I have no health concern (that chocolate is not too healthy for you), I really would have finished all 10 eggs at once. This week, I went back to Ralph’s and got 3 bags. We will see how long they last.

A hard chocolate shell covers a thin layer of crispy wafer with a creamy chocolate filling. They remind me so much of Ferrero Rocher, but without the nut. I grew up eating Ferrero Rocher. I love them, but not a huge fan of the nut. When I am eating a Ferrero Rocher, I always eat the nut first, because I want to enjoy just the chocolate, wafer and creamy center on their own. Therefore, these eggs are perfect for me. No nut picking any more.

The hazelnut ones are must better than the cocoa ones. They are unique and different. The flavors of the cocoa ones are too simple and couldn’t stand out. Anyway, try them! Buy them before Easter is over.

Where to buy? I bought them at Ralph’s, but I don’t think all Ralph’s have them. You may have to check out a few stores. Please let me know if you see them somewhere else.

Source: Read

Roasted Turkey Legs

Turkey legs are definitely not only for Thanksgiving. They can be perfect for a simple weeknight meal too. Don’t worry. These won’t require hours of cooking time. Brine them in the morning and come home to roast them in the oven for about 45 minutes. These legs were juicy and flavorful. No need to worry about the dry and rough turkey meat.