Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Easy Mixed Berries-Kiwi Sorbet with Meyer Lemon and Basil (no ice cream machine needed)

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I love living in California.  Mainly because of the sunny weather, and not so much on the traffic.  Sunny days make me smile and happy most of the time.  Unfortunately, three digit temperature is also something we need to deal with sometimes, especially during the summer months.  What’s the best way to cool down?  To me, indulging in some frozen treats and iced drinks are the solutions.

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This Easy Berries, Kiwi, Meyer Lemon and Basil Sorbet is perfect to enjoy in hot summer days.  It’s sweet from the simple syrup, balances by the tanginess from the berries, kiwi and lemon juice.  Thanks to the wonderful blueberries that gives this sorbet the vibrant purple color.  The fresh basil leaves add a wonderful fragrant and aroma to this sorbet; Bringing this dessert to a whole new level and add flavors to the overall taste.  If you haven’t try any dessert with basil in it, this would be THE recipe to start and I guaranteed you’ll love it. Even though my hubby hates dislikes berries, he loves this sorbet.

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Another bonus to this dessert?  It’s super easy to make and doesn’t require an ice cream machine (because I don’t have one yet!  LOL)  I’ve been wanting to invest in one because my family loves frozen treats.  However, with so many frozen treat recipes out there without using an ice cream machine, I’m still debating if I really need one.  What do you think?



Before we go, just want to share with you that ZESPRI® is sponsoring a wonderful giveaway at Kitchen PLAY. Simply recreate any one recipe from this month’s Progressive Party, post about the experience on your blog and provide a link to your post on Kitchen PLAY to enter. All qualifying bloggers in each course will be entered to win $100 (6 prizes total). The deadline is July 10, 2011. Please review the complete contest rules before entering. Good luck!

This recipe is inspired by Bridget of Bake at 350 who created kiwifruit and strawberry parfaits.






Easy Berries, Kiwi, Meyer Lemon and Basil Sorbet (no ice cream machine needed)
Printable Recipe


1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup water
3 ZESPRI® Kiwi, peeled and cut into quarters
1 cup fresh strawberries, stems removed and cut in half
1/2 cup fresh raspberries
1 cup fresh blueberries
zest and juice of 1 Meyer Lemon
A handful of fresh basil leaves

In a sauce pan, heat sugar and water until sugar dissolved. Remove from heat and let cool.

In a blender, add kiwi, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, lemon zest, lemon juice and basil. Blend until well incorporated. Add cooled simple syrup and blend until well combined.

Pour mixture onto a freezer safe container, cover with plastic wrap (better if container comes with its own cover) and freeze for 1 hour. Give the half frozen mixture a quick stir and return to the freezer for another 2 hours or until frozen.

When ready to serve, remove from freezer and let it stand in room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes before scooping.

Recipe Linked to:

Full Plate Thursday
These Chicks Cooked
Thrilling Thursday
Sweet Tooth Friday
Fresh Food Friday
Sweets for Saturday
Theme Sharing Sunday
Theme Bakers Sunday

Saturday, June 25, 2011

Fairy Hobmother visited me and the Fairy granted my wish!

I have a wonderful news to share.  Have you heard of the Appliances Online Fairy Hobmother?  The Fairy, who comes from this Site, goes around to different blogs granting wishes to those who have left a comment.

Not long ago, I left a comment on Lisa’s blog, Sweet as Sugar Cookies, who just got a visit from the Fairy Hobmother!  Now, the Fairy just visited me and gifted me an Amazon gift card.  It was such a pleasant surprise visit!  I spent my gift card on a lovely pink cake stand that I will use it for my Baby Girl’s upcoming birthday party.  I will show you the picture in a future post.

If you want a chance to be visited by the Fairy Hobmother, simply leave a comment and make a wish on this post and you will never know... the Fairy Hobmother could visit YOU next!!!  Good Luck!

Thank you Fairy Hobmother for granting my wish!

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Nutella Macarons—And a confession…

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I have something to confess.  A love affair, to be exact.  I guess it’ll be easier to admit it, than try to hide my true feelings.  My husband probably should know by now, after he caught me a few times sneaking out of the bedroom in the middle of the night.

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Yes, that is bad. I know, really really bad.  He also noticed I daydream throughout the day, all day long, just to think of this affair.  Of course, the affair is with something sweet.  Don’t you know me by now that I daydream about food all the time?  Well, now you know.

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No, my love affair is not with the macarons!   That’s more of a love-hate relationship.  My love is all sweet, soft and gentle.  No fuzziness or attitude like how I described them here

Making 1

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Yes, my love affair is with Nutella.  My husband should know when he saw me picked up the extra large, double packed tubs of Nutella from Costco.  Nutella and I go way back to my childhood.  It’s truly my childhood sweetheart.  Back then, I usually get Nutella in a sandwich, a crepe, or by the spoonful (and I still do)!  Now, I love to enjoy it most with salty pretzels!  If you haven’t try that, you just simply don’t know what you’re missing out on.

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These Nutella Macarons are heavenly.  I used some hazelnuts along with almonds for the shells to tie back the nutting flavor of the Nutella fillings.  The macaron shells are slightly crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside, just how a perfect macaron should be.  I made some Nutella buttercream for the fillings, but I preferred it straight out of the tub.  The hazelnut flavor is more intense.  My hubby love the hazelnut buttercream fillings, which is more fluffy and creamy.  Either way, I’m a happy girl with these Nutella macarons. 

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Note: I also used some vanilla powder to add more flavors on the shells.  It works much better than liquid ones since macaron doesn’t like moisture.

For more tips on making French Macarons, please refer to this post.





Nutella Macarons:
Makes: 35 to 40 filled macarons


For the macaron shells:

90 grams egg whites (about 3) preferably aged 3-5 days in the fridge
pinch of kosher salt
30 grams granulated sugar
185 grams powdered sugar
55 grams almonds
55 grams hazelnuts
1 teaspoons of vanilla powder
Nutella for filling



In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the egg whites and salt on high, gradually add the sugar until stiff peak forms.

Place the powdered sugar, almonds, hazelnuts, and vanilla powder in a food processor and process until the nuts are finely ground.

Add them to the meringue. Fold the mixtures carefully until you obtain a batter that falls back on itself after counting to 10. The whole process takes about 40 to 50 strokes.

Test a small amount on a plate; if the tops flatten on its own after counting to 10, the batter is ready. If there is a small beak, give the batter a couple more folds.

Fill a pastry bag fitted with a large plain tip with the batter and pipe small rounds (1 inch to 1.5 inches in diameter) onto parchment paper or silicone mats lined baking sheets.  Here, I pipped them into heart shape instead of circles.  You can do whichever way you preferred.

Preheat the oven to 280F. Let the macarons sit out at room temperature for 30 minutes to an hour to harden their shells and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, depending on their size. Rotate baking pans once half way through baking. Cool completely on wire rack before removing macaron shells from baking sheets.

Fill a shell with 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of Nutella, top with another shell, repeat until all shells are filled.  If the filling gets too soft (especially here in California during summer time), keep filled macarons in the refrigerator.  When ready to serve, remove from fridge and leave in room temperature for 3-5 minutes.  Enjoy.

This recipe is linked to:

Foodie Friday
Full Plate Thursday
Sweet Tooth Friday
Friday Favorite
Fresh Food Friday
Sweets for Saturday

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

"On A Stick" cookbook Giveaway--Winner Announcement

We have a winner….


On A Stick

….to this wonderful cookbook. 

The winner will surely enjoy all 80 Party-Perfect recipes….and the winner is Melissa from Melissa’s Cuisine who said...

“I love food on a stick...I would love to have a copy of this book!”
June 14, 2011 11:06 AM


Congratulations, Melissa! 

Thank you everyone for entering the giveaway.  Thanks to Quirk Books and Matt again for sponsoring such a wonderful giveaway.  Have a wonderful day.

Saturday, June 18, 2011

Kiwi-Strawberry Bellini—Happy Father’s Day

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A few years ago, I discovered Prosecco and felt in love right after the first sip.  Prosecco is an Italian sparkling dry white wine.  Taste-wise and mouth feel are very similar to Champagne, but it’s a lot less expensive.  Isn’t that already a good reason to open a bottle of Prosecco to celebrate?  Seriously, with Prosecco’s price tag, you don’t need a special occasion or reason to enjoy one.


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Here, I share with you a refreshing Kiwi-Strawberry Bellini that’s perfect to cool down in the summer.  Bellini is a cocktail with mixture of Prosecco and fruit purée (peach purée is the most traditional fruit of choice).  However, I couldn’t resist using Kiwis and strawberries as they are both in season right now.  They are such a perfect match for each other, too. 

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If you want to turn this drink into a kids friendly version, just substitute the Prosecco with sparkling white grape juice.  Just make sure to use a different shape of glass, decoration, or plastic champagne glasses to distinguish the kid's version.  That way, they won’t “accidentally” drink the REAL Bellini.

Now, we all can celebrate.  Happy Father’s Day to all the awesome fathers out there.  Cheers!

Here’s one more thing to celebrate.  ZESPRI® is sponsoring a wonderful giveaway at Kitchen PLAY. Simply recreate any one recipe from this month’s Progressive Party, post about the experience on your blog and provide a link to your post on Kitchen PLAY to enter. All qualifying bloggers in each course will be entered to win $100 (6 prizes total). The deadline is July 10, 2011. Please review the complete contest rules before entering. Good luck!

*This recipe is inspired by Hagan of Wandering Foodie ferments ZESPRI® kiwifruits to make kiwi mead and mixes up a refreshing Kiwi Mead Cocktail.




Kiwi-Strawberry Bellini
Makes: 8 servings
4 Zesperi Kiwi
16 Strawberries
1 (750ml) bottle Prosecco

Remove skin from kiwifruits, cut into quarters.  In a food processor or blender, puree until smooth.
Remove  stems from strawberries, cut in halves.  In a food processor or blender, puree until smooth.

Spoon kiwi puree and strawberry puree onto the bottom of champagne glasses, about 1 to 2 heaping tablespoons each.  Pour Prosecco over fruit puree and enjoy.

*Note: As mention in the post, you can substitute Prosecoo with sparkling white grape juice for a non-alcohol version. 

You can also substitute kiwi and strawberry with your favorite kind of fruit for this cocktail as well.


This Recipe is linked to:
Melt in Your Mouth Monday
Tasty Tuesday

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

“On A Stick”—Book Review and a Giveaway

On A Stick

Ever since I discovered Matt Armendariz’s blog, Matt Bittes, I became his blog’s loyal reader.  I really admired Matt’s talents in food photography and enjoyed his sense of humor and creativity that shown throughout his blog.  When I found out the opportunity to review his first book, “On A Stick”, I jumped right in and signed up.  You wouldn’t believe how excited I was when I received the book in the mail.  I was like a kid in a candy store.  

Deep Fried Ravioli

Flipping through this book was truly a treat!  There were 80 mouth watering and party-perfect recipes all calling my name.  The photography was simply amazing.  Don’t we all eat with our eyes first?  I loved the fact that each recipe, including the sauces, came with a beautiful picture on the finished product.  So you know exactly how they should look like when they’re done.

Deep Fried Ravioli

The recipes instructed in this book were clear and easy to follow.  Many recipes came with extra tips on the side.  There are many varieties of recipes; I’m sure that there’s something for everyone… “from health-conscious vegetarians to carnivores of the he-man grilling club.”  (Just like how he said it.)  You’ll find some traditional State-fair food, and some others that you’ve never imagined to serve on a stick, such as Spaghetti and Meatballs and Strawberry Shortcake.  Matt was truly creative. 
My husband picked out this Deep-Fried Ravioli (the two pictures above) recipe to try first.  It was fun to make and fun to eat. If it’s not that we have desserts (see below) waiting, we would have made a second batch!  They were that good!

Frozen Bananas

The Frozen Bananas recipe was my choice to prepare.  Since my son has been asking for ice cream and frozen treats lately, these Frozen Bananas were definitely a healthier alternative, yet just as indulging.  Best of all, they were super simple to prepare. 

On A Stick

These are just a few recipes that I’ve named and prepared from the “On a Stick” book.  You’ve got to get a copy of the book and try some of these treats yourself.  And I confirmed, everything does tastes better and more fun to serve…On A Stick!  

On A Stick



Giveaway:
Here’s your chance to win a copy of “On A Stick”, courtesy of Quirk Books and Matt.  Simply leave a comment on this post to let me know that you want to win a copy of this book.  (No clicking numerous buttons or jumping through hoops to qualify this time!)  Deadline to enter is June 21st by midnight PST.  One lucky uTry.it reader (U.S.A. only, sorry international readers) will be selected through random.org.  Good luck!

***Disclaimer:  I received a copy of “On A Stick” for the purpose of this review and I am not compensated in any way to write this post.  All comments and opinions are 100% my own.




Deep-Fried Ravioli with Marinara Sauce (Recipe from On A Stick):
4 Wooden Skewers

Ingredients for the Marinara Sauce:
1 tbsp olive oil
1 garlic clove, Minced
1 (14.5-ounce) can whole tomatoes, drained, seeded and roughly chopped
1/4 cup dry red wine
2 tbsp fresh oregano, minced
2 tbsp sugar
salt and pepper

1 qt vegetable oil
1cup all-purpose flour
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup plain bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
2tbsp dried oregano
2 tbsp dried basil
1 tbsp dried thyme
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
12 store-bought ravioli

1. Make the marinara sauce: Warm oil in a medium pot over medium heat.  Add garlic and tomatoes and cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Deglaze pot by adding wine, stirring to loosen browned bits from bottom of pot; then stir in oregano and sugar and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Transfer mixture to a food processor and process to desired consistency. Return mixture to pot and simmer 30 minutes.  Cool slightly before serving.

2. Preheat vegetable oil in a large, heavy pot over medium-high heat.


3. Place flour in one shallow dish and eggs in another.  In a third, mix bread crumbs, 1/4 cup Parmesan, oregano, basil, thyme, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.


4.  In two batches, toss ravioli in flour, gently shaking off excess.  Dip in egg and then in bread crumb mixture.  Thread 3 breaded ravioli onto each skewer.

5.  Once oil reaches 350F, carefully place skewers in pot, 2 at a time, and fry about 4 to 5 minutes.  Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan.  Serve warm, with marinara sauce on the side.


This post is linked to:
Tasty Tuesday
Mouth Watering Monday
Melt in Your Mouth Mondays
Tuesday Night Supper Club
Delectable Tuesday
So Sweet Sunday
This Week’s Cravings
Made it On Monday
Full Plate Thursday
Thrilling Thursday
Foodie Friday
Friday Potluck
Fresh Food Friday
Everyday Sisters Sharing Sundays

Monday, June 13, 2011

Baking Molds and Hong Kong Trip Goodies Giveaway--Winner Announcement

Hong Kong Trip Giveaway

This Giveaway includes:

  • 10 "Paper Wrapped Cakes" Cake Molds (aluminum)
  • 20 Paper Cups that fit perfectly into these molds
  • 2 Pairs of Wooden Chopsticks with Cloth Covers
  • Some of my favorite candies from Hong Kong (Coke Cola flavor mentos—tempting? Frutips—black currant fruit drops, mango flavor hard candies with fructose filling)

Sorry, table cloth not included!    :P
 
And the winner is….Vseward from V’s Daily Indulgence who said



“I also "liked" uTry.it ... showing on my FB Wall. I'm suddenly craving cola mentos? Those have to be bomb, I Love mentos!”


Crave no more, Vseward.  You’ll be getting your cola mentos really soon.  Smile

Thank you everyone who participated.  Please stay tuned for the next post and a new giveaway!  Yup, you’ve heard me right.  Another giveaway coming up soon!  Happy Monday everyone.

Friday, June 10, 2011

$50 Thrive Product Giveaway Winner Announcement

Thrive Products

Thank you everyone who participated on the $50 Thrive Products giveaway.  The winner of this giveaway is…Mikaela, aka mama mouse who said...




“i subscribe to mistys blog”
May 29, 2011 9:59 PM


Thank you again, Misty for this wonderful giveaway.  We will contact Mikaela directly to claim her prize.  If you did not win the giveaway but interested to purchase Thrive products, simply go to Misty’s site, Shelf Reliance, or contact Misty directly for more information and discount rates on the retail prices.
Misty Marsh:  misty [at] yourownhomestore [dot] com

The baking molds and goodies from Hong Kong giveaway is still up for grabs, simply click here for the details.  Stay tuned for more giveaways on my future posts.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone.

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Tips on How to Make Perfect French Macarons--With Raspberry Macaron Recipe

Raspberries Macarons with Dark Chocolate Buttercream and Vanilla Bean Buttercream

I know I said it before that the French Macarons are too temperamental!  After all, I did had some bad experiences with them in the past.  But, everybody deserves a second chance, don’t you agree?  Especially with something as irresistible as Macarons.  Honestly, they are really not that hard to master... as long as you follow a few tips.
 Raspberries Macarons with Dark Chocolate Buttercream and Vanilla Bean Buttercream

I have a few inquiries on tips and techniques in making these Macarons.  Of course, I’m not going to leave you empty-handed.  From my many successful and some not so successful macaron baking experiences, here are my few tips in summary.

Tip #1:  Get a kitchen scale.  It’s important to follow the exact recipe down to the gram (or ounces.) Take the time to measure and weight out each ingredient.  You’ll be rewarded.  This is the digital kitchen scale that I’ve been using.  It’s not expensive at all and it’s one of my best friends in the kitchen.

Raspberries Macarons with Dark Chocolate Buttercream

Tip #2: Aged the egg whites.  I usually separate the egg whites (save those yolks for crème brûlée!) and leave the egg whites covered with plastic wrap in the fridge for 3-5 days before using.  The aging process dehydrates the egg whites, resulting in a tighter and more stabilize meringue. 

Tip #3: Pay attention during Macaronage—mixing the dry ingredients into the meringues!  If the batter is over mixed, the macarons will turned out flat and cracked.  If the batter is not mixed enough, there will be a peak on top and the feet won’t form.  Just make sure to use a spatula to fold the ingredients together between 40 to 50 strokes.  Testing a small amount of batter on a plate before piping is a smart move.  If the peak falls back on its own in 10 seconds, you’re good to go.
 Raspberries Macarons with Vanilla Bean Buttercream

Tip #4: After piping the macaron shells, let them sit out at room temperature for 30 minutes to and hour to harden the shells before baking.  That would prevent the tops from cracking. 

Tip #5: Double stacking the baking sheets.  That would help the macaron shells bake up more evenly.  When using double baking sheets, the bottoms of the maracons do not heat up too quickly, resulting nicer and taller feet.

I hope these tips would help you in making some beautiful French Macarons.  

Raspberries Macarons with Dark Chocolate Buttercream and Vanilla Bean Buttercream

In these Raspberries Macarons, I used some Thrive freeze dried raspberries for the shells.   The freeze dried raspberries really gives the macaron shells a beautiful vibrant color and slightly tart raspberries flavor.  I really couldn’t decide what flavor to fill these shells with, so I made a dual buttercream:  Dark Chocolate and Vanilla Bean.  Both buttercreams match perfectly with the raspberry shells, in a different way. 
I hope you’re inspired and encouraged to make your own batch in the kitchen, soon.  You’ll be happy that you did. 

Reminder for Giveaways:
If you haven’t enter the giveaway for the $50 worth of Thrive products yet, please click here to enter.  The deadline to enter is tonight (June 8th by mid night).  Another giveaway is baking molds and goodies from my Hong Kong trip.  Please click here to enter.  Dead line to enter is June 12th.  Good luck to you all!





Raspberries Macarons with Dark Chocolate Buttercream and Vanilla Bean Buttercream
Makes: 30 to 35 filled macarons
For the macaron shells:

90 grams egg whites (about 3) preferably aged 3-5 days in the fridge
pinch of kosher salt
30 grams granulated sugar
185 grams powdered sugar
110 grams almonds
8 grams Thrive freeze dried raspberries
A pinch of powdered red food coloring (optional)

Prepare the macarons:
In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the egg whites and salt on high, gradually add the sugar until stiff peak forms. Place the almonds, powdered sugar, raspberries and food coloring (if using) in a food processor and pulse until the nuts are finely ground. Add them to the meringue. Fold the mixtures carefully until you obtain a batter that falls back on itself after counting to 10. The whole process should not take more than 50 strokes. Test a small amount on a plate; if the tops flatten on its own, the batter is ready. If there is a small beak, give the batter a couple more turns.

Fill a pastry bag fitted with a large plain tip with the batter and pipe small rounds (1 inch to 1.5 inches in diameter) onto parchment paper or silicone mats lined baking sheets. Preheat the oven to 280F. Let the macarons sit out at room temperature for 30 minutes to an hour to harden their shells a bit and bake for 20 to 22 minutes, depending on their size. Rotate baking pans once half way through baking.
 
Dark Chocolate and Vanilla Bean Buttercream:
1/2 cup (100gr) sugar
2 large egg whites
1 1/2 sticks (6 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 vanilla bean, split open and seeded
6 ounces of dark/bittersweet chocolate chips
A pinch of Kosher salt
A pinch of instant coffee granulate

In the bowl of a stand mixer or a heat proof bowl, add the sugar and egg whites together. Whisk constantly over a saucepan of simmering water. Keep whisking the mixture over the heat, until it feels hot to the touch, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and place the bowl back to the stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat the meringue on medium high until it cools. Switch to the paddle attachment and add the butter, one tablespoon at a time, beating until smooth. Once all the butter is in, beat the buttercream until thick and very smooth, about 6-10 minutes. Divided the buttercream in two portions.

For the dark chocolate buttercream:
In a small microwave safe bowl, melt chocolate chips, salt and coffee until melted. Stop and stir mixture in 30 second increments until smooth and shiny. Let cool slightly before folding it into the buttercream.

For the vanilla bean buttercream: add the seeds from the vanilla bean to the buttercream and fold with a spatula until fully incorporated.

To assemble:
Pipe or spoon about 1 tablespoon of butterceam in the center of one shell and top with another one.


This Recipe is linked to:
Mouth Watering Monday
Melt In Your Mouth Monday
Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays
Tempt My Tummy Tuesday
These Chicks Cooked
Full Plate Thursday
Thrilling Thursday
Made it on Monday
Foodie Friday
Friday Potluck
Pink Saturday
Fun With Food Friday
Sweets for Saturday
A Theme Bakers Sunday
This Week’s Cravings
Sweet Treats Thursday

Friday, June 3, 2011

Braised Stuffed Cabbage—Using Thrive Products

Braised Stuffed Cabbage

As you know from my previous post that I’ve received some Thrive products to try.  I really enjoyed using them to create new recipes.  This was one of my favorites to share with you.  Many stuffed cabbage recipes required hours of baking/braising because of the stuffed raw meat and rice.  Thanks for Thrive products, this dish was simplified and energy friendly.  I say, it truly was a green recipe (no pun intended).

Stuffed Cabbage Ingredients

With a few simple ingredients, dinner was ready in no time.  I really love Thrive’s freeze dried products.  The flavors of each ingredient was really concentrated.  Just wanted to show you how the products looked before I add them into my recipe.

Thrive Products
Freeze Dried Shredded Cheddar Cheese and Freeze Dried Instant White Rice

I love onions, but not so much in chopping them.  These freeze dried chopped onions (picture below) came in handy!  I used them in both the sauce and the stuffing for these Braised Stuffed Cabbage.
 Thrive Products
Tomato Powder, Freeze Dried Chopped Onions and Freeze Dried Cooked Ground Beef

Picture below shown the inside of the Braised Stuffed Cabbage.  My family loved this dish.  The tartness from the tomato powder really balanced well with the savory beef and cheese stuffing.  This is such a perfect dish to enjoy in the summer.  Not only it was elegant, it was also easy to make but looked as if you put hours of work into it.


Braised Stuffed Cabbage

I included pictures of each steps on how to prepare the cabbage leaves and to stuff them. 
1) Remove and discard the tough bottom ribs of each cabbage leave.
2) Add the cabbage to the boiling water and cook for 3 to 4 minutes.
3) Immediately plunge them into the bowl of iced water, then, remove leaves from water and pat dry.
4) Spoon a generous 1/4 cup of filling into each leaf.

Instructions 
5) Fold the bottom part of the leaf to the center.
6) Then fold the outside edges in and roll the leaf around the stuffing
7) Arrange each roll with the seam side down so that the roll will hold itself shut.
8) Add the cabbage rolls to the sauce. Cover and simmer over low heat for 15 minutes. Uncover and simmer until the sauce has reduced to a thick, sauce-like consistency, about15 to 20 minutes.


Instructions

Sounded easy enough?  It really was.  My kids loved the cheesy, beefy, rice stuffing!  The cabbage leaves were soft and tender and absorbed the lovely tomato sauce.  They both ate 2 stuffed rolls each all by themselves (they are only 2 and 4 years old).  I’ll definitely make these Braised Stuffed Cabbage more often from now on.  How about you?  Would you like to try? 
  Braised Stuffed Cabbage

It's still not too late to enter your name for a giveaway, courtesy of Misty from Shelf Reliance.  Please refer back to my previous post here for details.  Good Luck!

If you have any questions regarding Thrive products, Misty will be available to chat with you live at her blog on June, 6th (Monday) between 1:00pm to 1:30pm PST. Please click here to access the chat room.

A Friendly Reminder from Misty: I notice some of you shown interest in purchasing Thrive products.  Please make sure you place the order through Misty's site here (http://yourownhomestore.shelfreliance.com/yourownhomestore) and you'll save 5%-45% off retail price, courtesy of Misty.  Isn't it cool?  If you go straight to http://shelfreliance.com you will end up paying full retail price.  Thank you for the great tip and savings, Misty!


Just linked up this recipe with “Get Grillin’ with Family Fresh Cooking and Cookin’ Canuck, sponsored by Ile de France CheeseRösleEmile HenryRouxbe and ManPans.”




*Disclaimer: I received the free samples for the purpose of this review and I am not compensated in any way to write this post.  All comments and opinions are 100% my own.





Braised Stuffed Cabbage: 

Makes 12-15 Stuffed Cabbage rolls

For the sauce:

1 large carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
3 garlic cloves, smashed
Extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup white wine
1/4 cup Thrive Tomato Powder
1/4 cup Thrive Freeze Dried Chopped Onions
2 cup beef stock
2 bay leaves
1 bundle thyme
1 tablespoon of sugar
Kosher salt
For the stuffing and cabbage:
1 large head savoy cabbage (or green cabbage), tough leaves removed and tough bottom ribs discarded
1/2 cup Thrive Freeze Dried Chopped Onions
3 garlic cloves, smashed and finely chopped
1 1/2 cup Thrive Freeze Dried Ground Beef
1 cup Thrive Freeze Dried Instant White Rice
1/2 cup Thrive Freeze Dried Shredded Cheddar Cheese
1 egg
2 sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves finely chopped
Pinch crushed red pepper flakes
kosher salt
3/4 cup beef stock

To make the sauce:

Puree the carrot and garlic to a coarse paste in a food processor. Coat a large wide pan with olive oil and heat over medium heat. Add the pureed veggies and cook until they become very soft and aromatic and are starting to turn brown, about 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in the white wine and let it reduce by half. Add the tomato powder, onions, beef stock, bay leaves, and thyme bundle sugar and season with salt, to taste. Adjust seasonings to your own preference.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Reserve.

To prep the cabbage:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over medium heat. Set up a bowl of iced water. Add the cabbage to the boiling water and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, then immediately plunge them into the bowl of iced water. When the leaves are cool, remove them from the water and pat them dry. Reserve.

In a large bowl combine the onions, garlic, ground beef, rice, cheese, egg, rosemary and crushed red pepper flakes. Season with salt, to taste. Add the beef stock and mix well to combine.

Lay each cabbage leaf on a flat work surface. Spoon a generous 1/4 cup of filling into each leaf. Fold the bottom part of the leaf to the center, then fold the outside edges in and roll the leaf around the stuffing.

Arrange each roll with the seam side down so that the roll will hold itself shut. Add the cabbage rolls to the sauce. Cover and simmer over low heat for 15 minutes. Uncover and simmer until the sauce has reduced to a thick, sauce-like consistency, about15 to 20 minutes. Rotate the cabbage rolls once half way through braising.

Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary. Transfer the cabbage rolls to a serving platter and lightly cover with the sauce.


This recipe is linked to:
Full Plate Thursday
Food Trip Friday
Potluck Friday
Foodie Friday