Soft Shortbread cookies

Usually shortbread is so hard, I like this recipe because the shortbread comes out nice and soft. The secret is not to overbake it. If you like things soft, always underbake it, that's why Mrs. Field's was so successful. I like it this way.

Ingredients

1 cup cold butter, cubed

2 cups flour

1/2 cup sugar

salt

1 tbsp cold water

1 tsp vanilla

Recipe

• Mix the ingredients together


• Knead with your hands


• Cover in saran wrap


• Put in fridge for 1 hour


• Take out of fridge


• Roll out with rolling pin


• Cut whatever shape you want


• Bake 325 for 15 minutes


• After cools down, spread filling like an oreo, and create a shortbread sandwich!

(I used my apple strudel filling. Note that this is used in so many of my recipes. You can make a batch, and put it in the freezer, and just take out what you need and use in countless dishes)

Crunchy Croutons

Croutons are probably the most basic, common, simplest leftover anyone can do. DON'T THROW AWAY THE OLD BREAD. Yes, it might be a little harder than you like. That's fine, it's time for croutons.

Cut into cubes, drizzle with olive oil, add some garlic salt and toast in a baking tray in an oven for a few minutes or even your toaster oven. You can now save for days in a zip loc bag and serve them on your favorite salad.

Fennel Salad

Salads can be scrumptious, and in fact be a whole meal. This fennel capsicum salad is healthy, delicious and will seem truly gourmet to whoever you serve it to.

Ingredients

1 Bell Pepper (Capsicum)

1 Fennel

6 Cherry tomatos

1 Avocado

1/2 teaspoon crushed peanuts

1/4 orange, slices

3 tbsp orange juice

1 tsp salt

1 tbsp honey mustard bourbon sauce

Simply chop the solid ingredients above, add the orange juice, slices, salts, and a honey mustard bourbon sauce (can even find this in Safeway), serve and enjoy!

Coffee Cake with Apple Strudel Topping

My tip here is if you don't have sour cream, DON'T RUN TO THE STORE. If a recipe calls for sour cream, simply add some vinegar to some milk, and stir until it curdles. Then add it to the recipe, and you have just added sour cream. Here I used for a coffee cake I made, and added my apple strudel recipe on top.

Orange Truffle Salad

The beauty of this dressing is you don't see any dressing. A clear dressing is something different, where you see the beauty of each food through a transparent glossy glaze. What makes this recipe luxurious is the Truffle Oil. If you can find a reasonable truffle oil, it's worth it. It can last a long, long time in many different recipes. The freshness of the orange juice, the richness of the truffle oil, the sensuality of the orange slices, makes this salad come together in one explosive taste sensation!

Ingredients:

Butter Lettuce - 1 head

Truffle Oil - 1 tsp

Olive Oil - 1 1/2 tbsp

Garlic Salt - 1 tsp

Orange - 2 sectioned

Orange Juice - 3 tbsp

BBQ Seasoning - 1/4 tsp

Candied (Glazed) pecans - 2 tbsp (You can buy this in a store, or make homemade)

Recipe

• Mix all ingredients together
• Toss
• Plate it, eat it, and you're in heaven!

It's good to go green

I don't know how brussel sprouts got their bad reputation. I love brussel sprouts. Make them like this recipe for your loved ones, and you'll change brussel sprout's reputation, one person at a time.

Ingredients:

Dried shrimps - 1 tbsp

Brussel sprouts - 3 cups julienned, shredded or chopped

Olive Oil - 2 tbsp

Salt - to taste

Curry powder (optional) 1 tsp

Recipe

• Heat the oil on medium heat
• Put the shrimp in (You might have to go to an asian market to get this, BUT GO! You'll find so many things - get some fish sauce, oyster sauce, hot sauce, greens, live seafood. You'll find a world of new tastes for a great price)
• Fry the shrimp for a few seconds until it's brown
• Add the brussel sprouts and stirfry until some is brown, for that great caramelized taste
• Add salt and curry powder (if you'd like a little kick)
• Stirfry again for another few seconds until well mixed

Serve with some rice, and brussel sprouts might become your new favorite veggie dish.

Queer Dada

It's really called Kueh Dada, but this was for dessert at a gay party, so the name stuck. It's a Malaysian dessert, the place where I'm from, so it was fun introducing it to my friends. It's sweet and coconutty, so if you like both of those, you'll love this.

Recipe:

Crepes

1 can coconut milk

1 cup all purpose Flour

1 egg

2 tbsps cup sugar

1/2 tsp salt

Filling

3 cups of Coconut Flakes

2 cups of Palm Sugar (you can get this at the asian market, if not, just use brown sugar)

• For crepes, use spatula and mix all the ingredients together
• Then spray pam on pan, and make a few crepes
• For filling, just mix together, and melt on low heat in a skillet, and stir until reduced
• If you can, drain the coconut mixture, so dry enough to roll into crepes
• Like making a burrito, just roll the coconut mixture into the crepes, cut into slices, and have fun.

Food all around the world is pretty much the same, it's just a different ingredient here, a different ingredient there, so don't be shy of trying new things!