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Matcha Cheese Tarts

12/9/2016

4 Comments

 
Not to be mistaken with molten cheese tarts, these indulgent pastries are more representative of a cheesecake baked in a crispy croissant shell and omit the small dosage of Parmesan typically used in Japanese-style lava tarts.

Honestly speaking, I have a fear of leaking batter, which is why it's always difficult to picture something of high viscocity turning solid once slow-baked. As a consequence of this phobia, I allowed the mixture to congeal over a hot water bath - reminiscent of forming a custard - before pouring the filling into the shell for baking.
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Peachy Bunny's video served as a great guide. Those knowing me, though, will know that I have a hard time adhering to a recipe in its entirety. Eventually, my mind trailed off and found this cheese tart recipe. Combined, the methods (miraculously) yielded this successful product.
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Ingredients
(Recipe inspired by and adapted from Peachy Bunny)

- 1 pkg original Philadelphia Cream Cheese (8 oz. / 226 g), softened
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar
- 3 eggs
- pinch of salt
- 1/4 cup half & half cream*
- 1/4 milk*
- 1 tbsp corn starch
- 2 tbsp matcha/green tea powder *
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 pkg Pillsbury original Crescent Roll (225 g)


Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 375 F. 
2) Line aluminum trays with puff pastry dough as desired. (I opted to line some in their entirety and others solely on the bottom.)
3) Beat softened cream cheese until smooth. Add in sugar and mix again.
4) Add in the pinch of salt, vanilla extract, cream, and milk. Beat lightly to combine.
5) Sift in cornstarch and matcha powder, then gently mix.
6) Add in eggs and beat until well combined.
7) Bring a small pan of water to a roaring boil, then reduce to medium heat.
8) Place matcha cheese filling over the pot of simmering water, stirring constantly as the mixture thickens.
9) Remove from heat once the mixture achieves a runny custard consistency. When lifted with a spatula, the mixture should drip back into the bowl very slowly.
10) Allow the mixture to rest for 1-2 minutes before carefully filling each puff pastry-lined tin. Gently drop on a sturdy surface to remove any air bubbles.
11) Bake for 10 minutes, or until the edges of the puff pastry become a rich copper shade. Let cool on a wire rack, then refrigerate. Allow the tarts to chill for at least 4 hours.
12) Serve and enjoy!


Notes
- I commited the dreaded mistake of baking my puff pastry tart shells once before pouring in the filling. As a result, the shell drastically puffed up and was required to be flattened before the second baking process. When using storebought puff pastry, I would recommend baking at the same time as the filling to prevent burning.
- Both cream and milk were utilized in this recipe, however it should be noted that either form of dairy is fine. The type of milk (1%, 2%, or whole) can be varied to your preference. If substituting with skim milk though, please add a splash of cream to maintain the required fat content.
- As opposed to Peachy Bunny's rendition, I opted to use a much smaller amount of matcha powder. Personally, I found that two tablespoons' worth was sufficient in obtaining the desired flavour and colour intensity, but feel free to adjust this amount to suit your preferences.

4 Comments

Homemade Poke Bowl

12/3/2016

0 Comments

 
Poke bowls are to me as what Chipotle burrito bowls are to our neighbours in the south: an incurable addiction. I'd like to revel in the fact that protein-topped rice and veggie combinations are far more nutritious and provide supreme post-consumption satisfaction though.

Several poke restaurants throughout the GTA (1, 2) , as well as Vancouver, already allow meals to be fully personalized to customers' preferences, but attempting to compile one's own rendition at home literally hands over the baton of customization.
The concept is simple, really, but the resouce allocation and preparation processes themselves are quite time-consuming.
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Ingredients

Marinade:
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp wasabi
- 1 tsp rice wine vinegar
- juice of half of a lime
- 2 tbsp light soy sauce
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp white sesame seeds
- 1 tsp black sesame seeds
- pinch of sea salt
- pinch of granulated sugar

Poke Bowl*:
- 1/2 fillet salmon sashimi
- 2 tbsp corn kernels
- 1 cup romaine lettuce, roughly chopped
- 1 tbsp potato salad
- 1 stalk green onion, finely chopped
- Jeju mandarin wedges
- dried seaweed strips (to taste)
- black and white sesame seeds (to taste)
- 1/3 cup cooked white rice

- 1-2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
- pinch of sea salt
- pinch of granulated sugar
- Kewpie mayonnaise


Directions:

Part i:  Salmon Poke
1) Using a sharp knife, carefully slice sashimi-grade salmon fillet into small cubes of approximately 2 cm each.
2) Mix marinade ingredients in a medium bowl and coat cubed salmon well.
3) Let sit covered while the other components of the poke bowl are prepared.


Part ii: Poke Bowl
1) Combine white rice with rice wine vinegar, sea salt, and sugar. Mix well.
2) Place sushi rice and/or romaine lettuce at the bottom of a shallow, wide bowl. Top with potato salad, corn kernels, and Jeju mandarin wedges. Spoon marinated salmon poke to the centre of the bowl.
3) Garnish with green onion, sesame seeds, nori strips, and mayonnaise.
4)
Serve and enjoy!

Notes
- Poke bowls allow for complete customization; this being stated, it should be noted that the items utilized in this recipe should be viewed as a mere guideline for variance in nutritional properties. White sushi rice can easily be substituted for quinoa, brown rice, or soba noodles; sunomono (crab meat salad) and pineapple chunks can be used in place of potato salad and mandarin wedges respectively. Feel free to let your creativity guide you!
- It is crucial that sashimi-grade fish is obtained for this recipe, as raw salmon and tuna fillets cannot be handled in the same manner and may induce disease if not treated properly.
- For a vegetarian or vegan option, tofu (or any other plant-based protein of choice) can be utilized in place of salmon.

0 Comments
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WHAT DOES "QUIRKY AESTHETICS" MEAN?

Quirky =  a term that commonly refers to something/someone distinctly different and unique
Aesthetics = the visual aspect of things



Together, Quirky Aesthetics refers to the things, events, and happenings seen and perceived by this blog's creator - quirky perspectives in a visual form.

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