Hoisin Sauce Makes It Delicious

Tonight I was working on a "bowl" idea since restaurants are now beginning to serve mixed veggies, meat and starch in bowls, which I love.  I had fresh salmon and Brussels sprouts on hand.  I put some rice in the rice cooker and got busy creating this Asian meal layering rice then vegetables then salmon with a drizzle of the hoisin marinade.

Hoisin salmon and Brussels rice bowl

Hoisin Salmon

2 Tbs hoisin sauce
1 Tbs brown sugar
1 Tbs soy sauce
1 Tbs rice vinegar
1 Tbs sesame oil
1 tsp grated fresh ginger
1/8 tsp red pepper
4 salmon filets
1/4 tsp salt
2 Tbs sliced green onions

Heat oven to 400 degrees.

Combine hoisin sauce, brown sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, ginger, and pepper in a small bowl.  (Set aside 2 Tbs. of the sauce to use for drizzling over finished dish.)

Coat a baking dish with cooking spray, place salmon filets in dish and sprinkle with salt.  Cover fish with sauce.  Bake 15 minutes, basting occasionally.  (While fish cooks, sauté vegetables.) Top salmon with green onions.

Sautéed Brussels Sprouts and Carrots

1 lb. Brussels sprouts
2 medium carrots
1/2 large onion
1 Tbs. vegetable oil
salt

Prepare Brussels sprouts by washing, trimming stem, and removing outer leaves.  Peel carrots and remove outer skin of onion.  In a food processor with grater attachment, grate all vegetables and combine.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.  Add vegetables and sauté stirring occasionally.  Add salt to taste.

Assemble Bowl:

In a bowl, add rice, then vegetables and top with salmon.  Pour a bit of reserved sauce over all and top with green onions.

Groom's Cake - a Family Tradition

Today I'm practicing baking a groom's cake for my son's wedding next month.  I only make these cakes every few years for the weddings of family members, so I have to practice before the big event.  Grandmother owned a bakery and had talents well beyond mine, but I have tired to continue her Groom's cake tradition.  This recipe makes one pound cake (10" tube pan).

Chocolate pound cake

Chocolate Pound Cake

3 cups flour (13 oz)
1/2 cup cocoa powder (1.5 oz)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
2 sticks butter, softened (1/2 lb.)
1/2 cup Crisco shortening, room temperature (3.6 oz)
3 cups sugar (1 lb. 6 oz.)
5 eggs, room temperature
1 cup milk, room temperature
1 Tbs. vanilla

All ingredients should be at room temperature.  Grease and flour a large tube pan.  Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Sift flour, cocoa, salt, baking soda and baking powder together three times and set aside.  Combine milk and vanilla and set aside.

In large bowl of stand mixer, combine butter, shortening and sugar and mix at medium speed for 9 minutes, scraping down sides occasionally.  Add eggs, one at a time, until well blended.  Alternately add flour mixture and milk mixture, beginning and ending with flour, blending well after each addition.

Pour into tube pan and smooth out top.  Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.  Test cake for doneness, a skewer should come out clean and top should spring back when pressed.  Cool in pan on wire rack for 10-15 minutes then turn out onto wire rack and cool completely.

(I frosted this cake with Chocolate Buttercream)

Groom's Cake Notes:
4"x4"x4" pan = 4 cups full, used 2/3x4= 2 2/3 cup batter, cooked 1 hr 15 min, 207 degrees internal temp
6"x6"x4" pan = 10 cups full, used 2/3x10= 6 2/3 cup batter, cooked 1 hr 30 min, 206 degrees internal temp (probably need to reduce oven temp)
10"x10"x4" pan = 26 cups full
14"x14"x4" pan = 48 cups full

1 cup batter = 8 oz.