Husband Says: "Wow. This was a treat. Seriously. A treat with a capital T. Oh screw it, ALL CAPS TREAT. Who ever would have thought that Daily Mail could have a recipe that wasn't stolen from somewhere else. That's what they do with most of their news anyway. But this, I'm alright with this. If anything, Carmen made it better. I know she did. She improved upon the original. So good. I ate all three put in front of me. I don't always eat all of my dinner (naughty) but I sure did this time. Highly recommend. Bacony goodness."

Cooking and eating together is important for the well-being of a family. Sharing a meal strengthens the family bond. The times that you spend together at meals are memories that will last forever.I am very grateful to be blessed with two very close families who enjoy spending time together at dinning tables, as well as in the kitchen together.

My mom is a great chef, she can cook anything and make anything tasty. Many of the recipes on this blog are inspired by her! I started having cooking lessons with my mom the summer before I got married and moved to New York City. Those lessons I will always remember fondly. That's where my cooking journey and Carmen's kitchen began, as some of you would know. 

My Mother-in-law is another wonderful chef, she gave me many wonderful family recipes and has given me many cooking tips. And my father-in-law makes awesome Christmas cookies! I enjoy cooking with my mother and father-in-law, we had a great time making festive goodies last Christmas. Check out Bourbon Ball & Candy Cane Cookies Recipe

My father-in-law's wife Judy is also an amazing cook. She recently published a cook book called California Cooking. Please check out her book too!
  
But one person in my family I didn't expect to be a good cook is my cousin Deacon. Cousin Deacon is like a brother to me and my sister. When we were growing up, he was only into boy stuff, e.g sports, computer, maths and more sports...So you can imagine how  completely surprised I was when he brought out this tasty homemade Soy Chicken Wings when we visited him in Hong Kong last year.

Those were some of the tastiest chicken wings I've tried. They were rich, juicy and succulent. There was plenty of yummy pre-ordered food on the table that night, but that was the most popular dish by far. We were all fighting for them! And right there I knew I wanted to feature his recipe on Carmen's Kitchen! 

Enough rambling! I present you the recipe and I hope you would enjoy it as much as we do!



Ingredients: 

• 10 medium size chicken wings
• 5 tablespoon light soy sauce
• 3 tablespoon dark soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon of brown sugar
• 4 cloves garlic,crushed
• 8 slices of fresh ginger
• 3 cups water
• a dash of white pepper 

Preparation:

1. Put chicken wings, ginger, garlic, water in a pot, bring it to boil over medium heat. Once it 's boiling, turn heat to low and allow the chicken to simmer for another 10 minutes. Turn the wings every now and then to make sure they are cooked evenly.
2. Once the chicken wings are cooked. Add light and dark soy sauce, brown sugar and pepper. Mix well. Turn heat to low and keep liquid at a gentle simmer. Cook for another 10 minutes. 
3. Remove from braising liquid and serve hot or col

Husband Says: "Deacon! Deacon! He's our man! If he can't cook chicken wings nobody can! Darn good these are. I was there on that fateful night. I'm the one in the orange Giants t-shirt. Looking scruffy and totally unprepared to be featured on Carmen's blog. I still love you wifey. Don't worry. Back to the chicken wings. So good. And easy to make as well. Seriously, these things are no trouble at all. Even I could make them. Yes really. A great alternative to buffalo wings if you're looking for something a little bit different on the wing front. Test drive these babies today!" 

Ingredients:

• 8 chicken drumsticks
• 1/3 cup fine Italian-style breadcrumbs
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt 

Preparation:

1. Sprinkle salt evenly over chicken drumsticks; set aside
2. Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat a wire rack with cooking spray and set it on a large baking sheet.
3. Mix breadcrumbs, garlic powder and salt in a bowl. Brush both sides of chicken with honey mixture, Roll each chicken drumstick in the breadcrumbs, making sure each piece is covered on both sides.
4. Place the chicken on the prepared rack. Bake at 400° for 40 minutes or until brown and thoroughly cooked. Don't like raw chicken! Turn chicken pieces every 10 to 15 minutes.

Husband Says: "Rave! Rave! Rave! Rave! Rave! Rave! Rave! Rave! Rave! Rave! Rave! Rave! Rave! Rave! Rave! Rave! Rave! Rave! Rave! Rave! Rave! Rave! Rave! Rave! Rave! Rave! Rave! Rave? Yes. Rave. It's good. Cook this. That is all."

This is one of the coldest and longest winters in a long time, and still there is no sign of spring in New York City. And like many New Yorkers, I'm really feeling the winter blues. So my husband and I booked a holiday in sunny Florida for some much needed warmth and sunshine.

But in the mean time, I decided some tropically coconut goodness was in order. Lately, I've been totally obsessed with coconut. Dried coconut flakes for a snack here and there, drinking coconut water non-stop, using coconut oil to cook. I even brought a bottle of coconut oil to make my hair smell like coconut all day! It was just a matter of time before I get my hand into making these fancy little treats!

I have never really known anybody that makes macaroons and I don’t know why. I think it could have to do with the fact that macaroons sound really fancy and people probably think that you have to go to an expensive bakery to get them, but in reality its one of the EASIEST things in the world to make. They make yummy party finger-food, as well as elegant after meal dessert. They are also great for gift giving, as they will stay fresh for up to 5 days!


So get your coconut obsession on and start making some macaroons!

 

Just because I'm on a low carb diet doesn't mean I don't the foods that I love... pizza being one of them. I have been working on a low carb pizza crust for awhile, and after many failed attempts, I could not be more excited about this recipe! Great success! 

The secret in making a successful soy flour pizza is to make the crust thin and brown the crust longer than usual. What I love most about this soy flour pizza crust is that you can be creative and know that this crust will still hold the toppings you want without falling apart or crumbling. 

The toppings we happen to love is for a Hawaiian pizza. Pineapples, ham and maybe even bacon. Good stuff!

A little warning for those who are not used to soy products, this recipe is NOT going to rival your neighborhood pizzeria; what it will do is satisfy your pizza craving while not messing with a low carb diet. Plus, its filling and goes a long way!

Ingredients

Crust:

• 1 1/2 cups soy flour
• 3 large eggs
• 3/4 cup heavy cream 
• 1/3 cup club soda
• 1 teaspoon salt

Toppings:

• 1 can of homemade/ ready made spaghetti source
• 3/4 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese 
• 1 cup of sliced ham pieces
• 1 can (8 oz) of pineapple
• 1 Tablespoon Italian herbs
• 1/2 cup of shredded cheddar cheese

Preparation

Husband Says: "So... soy crust. Hrm. Hrm I say. Skeptical. Skeptical! Oh sure, why not I'll give it a go. BUT JUST THIS ONCE! I gave it a go and... well, I'm not on a soy diet so why would I eat this? I'm Carmen's husband that's why, and I eat anything she puts in front of my maw. Now, she had tried this a few times already and they didn't really work out (sorry babe, I know you know this so I can say it and not face wrath!) but this time it was actually pretty tasty. I'm not sure I would choose a soy crust over normal crust if I had a choice, but I'll admit it was good, just different. For those on a carb diet, this is great. Those not on a low carb diet who like soy products should definitely love it."

Hello Everyone! Happy New Year, I hope you all had a great holiday. Carmen's Kitchen is finally back on track after a long two month break! The reason you haven't heard from me for so long was that my husband and I have been busy traveling visiting family and friends. But I have not forgotten you -- my friends -- during my traveling. I have collected some wonderful recipes, and will be sharing them with you over the coming weeks.

So lets get things rolling!

Candy Cane Cookies




My family LOVES Christmas! Candy cane cookie baking is a holiday tradition in the Anderson household. Myself and my father-in-law, the Candy Cane cookie master, embarked on a journey to Candy Cane City! (that's exactly how he put it!) and roll up dozens of yummy pink and white  cane cookies!

There really is nothing like rolling cookies with your family in front of a Christmas tree and listening to your favorite Bing Crosby holiday albums.
 
Thought you might like to do the same next year. So I have gathered two standard recipes to share. Sorry, these aren't EXACTLY the same as what I made, those have to stay a secret I'm afraid. 

But even though these recipes are very basic and versatile, they are easy and fun to make and you can put in your own stamp on it by altering the colors or taste. (e.g Instead of using walnuts, you can use pecans. Or instead of using vanilla flavoring, you can use peppermint!) 


Go on, surprise your family and friends with some delicious candies! Did i mentioned that they make wonderful gifts for your friends too!  

Candy Cane Cookies Recipes 

Ingredients

1 cup butter, softened  

1 cup powder sugar

1/2 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon almond extract

1 egg

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

Pinch of salt

1/2 teaspoon red food color

Preparation

1. Using a mixer, mix all ingredients together.Divide dough in half. Add red color into 1 half.
2. Heat oven to 375ºF.
3. For each candy cane, take a small dough of each half roll it into 6-inch rope. Place 1 red and white rope side by side; press together lightly and twist. Place on ungreased cookie sheet; curve over the top to form candy cane.
4. Bake for 9 minutes or until set and very light brown.

Bourbon ball Recipe

My mother-in-law, aunty-in law and I also got together for a bourbon ball making extravaganza. Aunty Debbie got us coffee and we put on Andrea Bocelli's CD, and off we went, we made 3 batches of bourbon balls for the family, the first batch was smooth and sweet, the second batch was crunchier and stronger, and then we took a little cocktail break, and what goes better with bourbon balls than a classic bourbon based HighBall ? And after our little break, we made our 3rd batch, and it was the best batch of them all, it was crunchy, sweet, and very very strong!!!!! Maybe we got a little heavy handed with the bourbon after our drinks? Anyway, I love it!

• 1 cup  vanilla wafer crumbs
• 1 cup crushed walnuts
• 1 cup confectioners sugar
• 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
• Between 1/3 to 2/3 cup bourbon ( depending how strong you want them to be)
• 1 tablespoons plus 1 1/2 teaspoons light corn syrup
• confectioners sugar

1. In a dry bowl, mix together all dry ingredients (vanilla wafer crumbs, walnuts, confectioners sugar, and the cocoa)  
2. In a separate bowl, mix the wet ingredients together (bourbon and corn syrup )
3. Stir this bourbon mixture into the dry mixture; blend well.
4. Prepare 1/2 to 1 cup of confectioners' sugar on a plate
5. Shape small bits of the dough into balls and roll them in the confectioners sugar. 
6. Store in refrigerator in tightly covered containers. 

Stopping for a High-ball cocktail hour!

Husband Says: "Its true. My family is obsessed. My father with candy cane cookies, and my mother and aunt with bourbon balls. Can't say I mind. I grew up with candy cane cookies. Once, my dad and I got into the bag in the freezer and ate something like half of what my mom made, then tried to cover up the crime by arranging them in a way to look like the bag was still full. Mom didn't buy it. She ended up slapping my dad around with the remaining cookies until they were but crumbs.

We ate the crumbs.

Like I said, kind of a family tradition/obsession. Bringing Carmen into it was a rite of passage for sure. We'll make candy cane cookies for our kids some day and I'll steal them and eat them and get slapped around by the wife. Can't wait."

My father's family is from the former Portuguese colony of Macau and we used to travel there a lot. It is just an hour away from Hong Kong by ferry and it's worth a visit. Macau has been under Portuguese rules more than 4 centuries, it is a truly unique place. Today Macau has become an Asian Las Vegas with many casinos and clubs. But if you look closely,  Portuguese history can still be seen clearly throughout the streets and architecture of Macau... and its unique cuisine.
One of the most famous Macanese foods are the egg tarts.These yummy egg tarts evolved from Pasteis de nata, a traditional Portuguese custard pastry consisting of a creme-brulee-like filling in puff pastry shell. It was created more than 200 years ago and is now a popular pastry in every pastry shop around the world owned by Portuguese descendants.

These tarts were my childhood favorite. When I tasted them again on my last visit to Macau two years ago with my husband, they were even better than I remembered. I have been wanting to recreate this special dessert at home ever since.
 
If you ever visit Macau, you must go try this wonderful dessert. In the mean time, enjoy this Portuguese egg tart recipe.

Classic Portuguese architecture in Macau

The oldest Casino in Macau , the Casino Lisboa

Husband Says: Oh my. Oh my oh my oh my. These are goooood. Loving the cinnamon on top! I'll be honest, I'm actually not a huge fan of Hong Kong style egg tarts. I understand that people love them, but I could just never get into them. THESE on the other hand, are more to my tastes and I think have a wider appeal. Its tart time!

As all low carb eaters would know, besides a cooked breakfast and oat bran cereals, it can be challenging to figure out what to make with no or low carbs. It wasn't a big problem for me until I recently started teaching in a music school. I need to be up early and I really don't have time to cook in the morning. Since then I've been looking for some filling breakfast/ snack to eat on the run. Cereals doesn't seem to fill me up, it is embarrassing when the hunger noise that your tummy makes is louder than the piano. I have heard so much about low carb baking, I knew it was time for me to give it a try.

Here is what I come up with. Soy flour may smell like melted plastic when it is raw, but the end result is really not too shabby! I added some lemon juice to help to cover the taste of soy flour, and the blueberries really hide it as well. Of course this isn't an issue if you like soy, but for those adverse to it, you can in fact hide quite a bit of it.

Ingredients

• 1 tbs flax seed meal  
• 1 tbs soy flour  
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tbsp of lemon juice
• 1 cup soy flour 
• 1/2 cup sugar substitute
• 1/4 cup evaporated milk
• 1/4 cup light cream (table cream) 
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/3 cup Carbonated water (club soda)
• 1/2 cup fresh blueberries (frozen blueberries would make the muffins soggy)

Preparation

Husband Says: Can barely taste the soy. Its soylicious! Soyrific! Soytastic! Soyanara soy flavor! Soy...ah never mind. These are REALLY good muffins. I'm not a huge soy fan personally. I'll drink soy milk occasionally, but then I get tired of it quickly. But if you cook these bad boys right, its really hard to tell the difference if they are soy infused or not. They're really, truly good. Carmen is actually baking a new batch of these as I write this, because she ate all of the last batch, much to my sadness.

• 1 cup of Adzuki Beans
• 6 cups water
• 2 cups of brown sugar 
• 2-4 pandan leaves (Optional) ( use 2 fresh leaves or 4 frozen ones )

Preparations

1. Rinse and strain the beans, put them in a pot together with water and pandan leaves. 
2. Bring it to boil, and let it simmer on low heat for 1 1/2  hour, until the beans are soft.
3. When the beans are cooked, add brown sugar and boil it till all sugar is dissolved.Stir gently.
4. Remove from heat, take out the pandan leaves and let the cooked beans mixture cool to room temperature
5. Set aside 1/3 of the whole cooked beans mixture. Blend the rest of the beans mixture in a blender for  1-2 minutes until smooth.
6. Mix both mixtures together before pouring it into popsicle mould, then into freezer.
7. Serve frozen.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb fresh cod fillet (or any other white fish), rinsed and patted dry
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 large egg
• Vegetable oil for frying

Preparation

1. Cut the fish into small pieces, approx 1"x3" sizes. Season with salt and pepper. Let it sit for 15 minutes.
2. Mix the 1/2 cup of flour, 1/2 tsp salt and garlic powder. Put into a zipper sealed plastic bag. Put the fish pieces into the bag, shake them around to coat with flour.
3. Blend the egg ½ tsp salt with a fork. Dip each of the flour coated pieces into the egg pieces.
4. Heat a frying pan, and cover with 2-3 tbsp of oil. When the oil is hot, add enough fish pieces to cover the pan. Fry for 20-30 sec, or until the edges turn brown, lower the heat and turn it over with a spatula and cook for 1 more minute. Add more oil if needed.
5. Arrange on a plate and serve with your favorite dipping sauce. (This fish is wonderful with Ketchup, BBQ sauce or hot sauce.)
6. To make a fast Korean style dipping sauce, mix 1 tbs of soy sauce and 1/2 tbs vinegar in a bowl.

Husband Says: "Egg on the OUTSIDE!? What is this insanity! Its good is what it is. Definitely a different take on fried fish. Carmen's really been into experimenting with fish batter lately. Egg on the outside, pork rind, oat bran, etc.. This is probably my favorite of her mad scientist batter experiments! Cue evil laugh. Nailed it!

Since I went on a low carb diet, I've been doing a lot of research on low carb recipes. So when I heard about using pork rind crumbs as a no-carb breading for fried chicken, pork and fish, I couldn't wait to try it!
                
                     Pork Rinds (Utz Brand)              Potato chips
Calories            160                                                160
Fat                    10g                                                10g
Carbs                0g                                                  15g
Fiber                  0g                                                  1g
Protein              16g                                                 2g
 
Even though pork rinds are not bad, it is definitely not a health food! Remember everything (well almost everything, my husband could live off French Toast if given the choice) is OK to eat in moderation! But if you are on a low carb diet, and if you need some occasional crunch, porks rinds will do the job.


Cook Time: 15 minutes
Serves: 2
Estimated Cost: $8

Ingredients

• 2 cod filets
• 1 egg white
• 2 bags pork rinds, very finely crushed (about 1 cup) (Use a food processor)
• Oil for frying
• Salt

Preparation 

1. Use a small food processor that holds about a cup and a half. Season them while they were still in the food processor. Carmen's touch: I also crush more than I need and keep them in a sealed container in the fridge.
2. Put the egg white in a pie plate and beat with a fork until foamy. Put the pork rind crumbs in another plate 
   
3. Heat a good amount of oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. The oil should cover the bottom of the pan. Coat the fish well with the egg white and then dip the filets into the crumbs to coat them well. Carmen's touch: put the crumbs on as thickly as you can because a lot of them will fall off while cooking. 
4. Gentle handling will keep the crumbs from falling off too much. Very carefully place the fish in hot oil in the skillet and fry on both sides until the coating has browned slightly and the fish is cooked through. It will only take a minute or two per side. Season to taste with salt. Eat at once while the fish is hot and the coating is nice and crisp.
   
   

Ingredients:

• 4 (6 ounce) chicken breasts boneless, skinless
• 1/2 cup pesto sauce
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded 
• 1/4 cup cheddar cheese, shredded  
• 8 Cherry tomatoes 
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup of breadcrumbs
• Salt and pepper (optional)

Preparation

1. Wash chicken and pat dry. Trim excess fat and remove skin if desired. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper and place in the prepared pan, refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours.
2. Heat oven to 450F. Use a small sharp knife to make a slit along the side of each chicken breast to form a pocket. Mix together the pesto and cheese, then carefully spoon a quarter of the mixture into each chicken breast and smooth over the opening to seal.
3. Put the breadcrumbs onto a large plate and place each chicken breast pocket on the plate and press all over with the breadcrumbs. Place in a lightly oiled shallow baking dish along with the tomatoes. Drizzle over the remaining oil.
4. Cook in the oven for 20-25 mins until the chicken starts to turn golden and is cooked through.

 
I'm a big fan of pesto! Pesto sauce is a simple traditional Italian sauce great for topping pasta dishes, it also goes incredibly well with chickens and cheese! The best thing about it is that it is super easy to make. I really cannot tell you how delicious and satisfying it is to make your own pesto. it tastes 1000  times better than the store-bought stuff. If you can chop, you can make pesto. You will need a food processor though.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup homemade arugula pesto (recipe see below)
• 2 cups boiled salad pasta or macaroni
• 4 oz mushrooms, cleaned and chopped into bite sized pieces
• 2 – 4 tbsp olive oil or margarine/butter
• 1/2 tsp salt (or to taste)
• black pepper to taste

 Preparation

1. Cook pasta according to the package direction, drain and cool pasta. 
2. Heat a saucepan over medium heat and add 2  tbsp olive oil.
3. When it shimmers, add the mushroom. Stir occasionally, let the mushrooms cook down. They will release their water and start to turn brown.
4. Now add the arugula or greens on top of the mushrooms along with the salt and pepper. Stir to combine.
5. Add the cooked pasta to the pan, along with 1/4 cup of pesto. Mix gently to combine. Add more pesto to taste.

Easy Arugula Pesto

• 1 bag (5 oz)  baby arugula 
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup walnuts
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• Juice of 1 lemon
• salt to taste

1. In a food processor add all of the ingredients  except the olive oil. It will look full. Keep stuffing the arugula down if neccessary.
2. Start to pulse the mixture until the arugula leaves start to get nice and chopped, then turn it on low.
3. Drizzle in the oil until you have a smooth sauce or until it reaches the desired consistency.  
4. Taste the pesto and adjust the seasonings if you need to.
5. Store in an airtight jar in the refrigerator until ready to use. Serve on anything you’d like!

Husband Says: "Classic, Italian dish. Not too filling, pretty healthy and best eaten outside with a few glasses of wine if you can swing it. Fellas, I should also mention this is a good meal to prepare for a date you want to impress, or for your wife to show her that you can cook more than SPAM and pancakes. This is an easy one to put together."

Love pasta but not the carbs? Then Shirataki noodles might be your new best friend! I recently discovered this low-carb pasta equivalent! Don't let the tofu in the name scare you away from this delicious product. Shirataki noodles are traditional Japanese noodles made of tofu and yam flour. They look like noodles, feel like noodles, and have pretty much no flavor. But! There are only 20 calories in a half cup serving! While they obviously work great in Asian recipes, I love to use them to make Italian style pasta. There are few things more comforting than an over-sized bowl of Italian love.

1. 1 packet of shirataki noodles (spaghetti shaped)
2. 1 large onion,finely chopped
3. 2 cups (6 oz) raw spinach, chopped
4. 4 Italian chicken sausages, diced 
5. 1 teaspoon olive oil
6. 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
7. Parmesan cheese
8. Salt and pepper
9. 1/3 cup half and half

1. Thoroughly rinse rice shirataki noodles until odorless, meaning until it has no tofu smell. (Follow instruction on package)
2. In a medium sized skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Once hot, add garlic and 3/4 onion, sautee until fragrant for about 3 minutes. Put in spinach and stir fry for another 3 minutes until it softens. 
3. Mince the garlic, onion and spinach in a food processor. Add salt, pepper and 1/2 cup of half and half. Blend until the mixture is creamy and smooth.
4. Cook sausage pieces and the rest of the onions over medium heat until sausage is no longer pink. Stir in noodles and spinach sauce. Add salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve hot.

Husband Says: "I hate tofu. Alright, that might be a bit of an exaggeration, but I definitely don't CHOOSE to eat it when I have the choice. But when it comes to Carmen Dishes, I pretty much eat whatever is put in front of me. In this case, she did warn me that the pasta was made of tofu. It was good. I enjoyed it. This is a very clever dish and pretty unique. I ate an entire plate and it wasn't too filling. Felt great. I could use more dishes like this as I don't want the ol' tummy getting too round. That would be bad. So, for all of the skeptic fellows out there, this is pretty damn good. Can't complain."

Ingredients