Pavlova with fresh berries

tossed in vanilla bean essence

and whipped cream

Looking for a delicious dessert for Memorial Day?!  This light, airy and refreshing dessert will be the hit of your Memorial Day BBQ!

This segment will be airing on the Vegas Morning Blend on Monday, May 27th at 9 am on KTNV-ABC Ch. 13. (Video will be available later).

Below is the recipe and you can wow your friends and family with this delectable dessert!

Here's a picture of the pavlova shell...

Pavlova with Fresh Berries

tossed in Vanilla Bean essence

and whipped cream

Recipe courtesy of Chef Doreen Fang

Serves 8-10

Vanilla Bean Essence

Aka Vanilla Bean simple syrup

½ cup                    sugar

½ cup                    cold water

1 Tbsp                    vanilla bean paste or 1 vanilla bean split and scraped

In a small sauce pan, add sugar and water and cook over medium high heat. Cook till all the sugar has dissolved and bring to a boil.  Once it comes to a boil, turn down, add the vanilla bean paste, stir, make sure the paste is completely incorporated into the simple syrup.  Simmer for a few minutes to cook off the alcohol taste from the paste.

Remove from heat and allow to syrup to cool before tossing with fruit.  This can be made a day in advance.

Pavlova shell

6                              egg whites, room temperature

1 ¾   cup               Castor sugar (baking sugar)

Pinch                     salt

2 Tbsp                    cornstarch

1 ½ tsp                   white wine vinegar

¾ tsp                      vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 300F.   Have a piece of parchment paper ready and cut for your sheet pan.  Use an 8” round cake pan if available and trace the bottom of the tin onto the middle of the parchment paper. Spray and “X” on the sheet pan and turn the parchment paper with the ink/pencil side down. The spray will help the parchment from slipping and moving around.

Using a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on high to a foam, add the salt and continue beating till soft peaks form.  Continue beating the whites on high and slowly add the sugar a little at a time, allowing the sugar to fully incorporate till all the sugar is in. 

Continue beating till mixture till stiff peaks form.

Add the cornstarch, white wine vinegar and vanilla and just turn on mixer to low just to incorporate the rest of the ingredients and allow to combine.

Using your spatula, spread your meringue out on the parchment paper filling the circle.  Do not exceed the circle since the meringue will get bigger.  Add more meringue to the outer part of your circle building a bit of a wall and creating a well in the center.  You can make swirls in the meringue to give it more texture. 

Put in the oven immediately and bake for 1 ½ hours.  Once it is done, turn off the oven and prop the door open. Allow the pavlova to cool in the oven over night to cool completely.  If the center seems a bit wet still, continue baking for another 5-10 minutes. But do not over bake it.

Vanilla Bean Berries

2 pints                    strawberries, hulled and halved/quartered

½ pint                    raspberries

½ pint                    blackberries

½ pint                    blue berries

2 pints                    heavy whipping cream

¾ cup                    powdered sugar

Wash all the berries and dry.  Set aside and toss with Vanilla Bean Essence about 10 minutes before serving. 

Using a stand or hand mixer with the whisk attachment, whip the heavy cream and powdered sugar to stiff peaks.  Whipped cream can be made slightly ahead of time and kept in the refrigerator.

To serve:

Carefully and gently place remove your pavlova from the parchment paper and place on to your serving platter.  

Add the whipped cream in the center of the pavlova, filling the center.  Top with the Vanilla scented berries and garnish with a sprig of mint or your choice of garnish. 

Enjoy and Happy Memorial Day to you and your loved ones!

Happy New Year!!!

Orange-Berry Sparkler

Recipe courtesy of

Chef Doreen Fang

1 oz     Blood Orange liqueur

1 oz     Blueberry Vodka

            Prosecco

1          Orange twist (slice of orange peel)

In a shaker, fill with ice then add the blood orange liqueur and blueberry vodka and shake till chilled.

Pour the orange/blueberry mix (strained, no ice) into a champagne flute and top off with Prosecco.  Twist the orange slice to release the orange oils and serve!

Happy New Year all and please drink responsibly!

Wishing you all the very best in 2013.

Cheers!!!

Chef Doreen

Happy Thanksgiving...now what to with all that extra turkey?!

Happy Happy Turkey Day to all of you!!!

Some of you out there always make a ton of food and have LOTS of leftovers! Well, here's a delicious way to savor Thanksgiving on a later date!

Here's a delicious idea and recipe I've put together for you to utilize your leftovers!  Remember, you can put whatever you want into these little pockets of goodness that'll remind of you Thanksgiving all over again.

Make ahead and freeze...pull them out when you want or just eat them right away!!  Either way...this is a fun little thing to do in the kitchen with your family, kids, friends...whomever!

I'll be posting the video from the Vegas Morning Blend as soon as it's up!

Until then...have a wonderful day with family and friends.  And thank you all for taking the time to read and watch!

Enjoy!
Doreen

Turkey Turnovers

Recipe courtesy of

Chef Doreen Fang

Makes 10-14 servings

1 cup             frozen vegetables like peas, carrots and corn

1/3 cup         onion, small dice

2 Tbsp            shallots, finely diced

1 Tbsp            unsalted butter

1 tsp               canola oil

                        Kosher salt to

                        Black pepper

2 cups            leftover turkey, small dice

1 cup             gravy, thickened

2 boxes          puff pastry

1                      egg

Preheat oven to 400F.

Pull out your puff pastry sheets and allow follow thawing directions on packaging.  It normally takes about 15 minutes to thaw.

In a small pan over med/high heat, add the butter and oil, allow the butter to melt and heat up, but do not let the butter burn.  Add the onions and shallots, saute for 2-3 minutes to soften, add the frozen vegetables.  Cook for about 1-2 minutes.  Season the vegetables with salt and pepper to taste.  Put the vegetables in a bowl, put in fridge and allow mixture to cool completely. 

Make sure your gravy isn’t really thin and runny, if so, make sure to thicken it up with roux or Wondra powder.

In a medium bowl, add the cold diced turkey, cooled vegetable mixture and cold gravy.  Put mixture aside.

In a small bowl, beat your egg to make your egg wash.  You may add a tbsp of water to the egg wash, beat completely.

Get your puff pastry dough and cut into squares.  Make them any size you like.  Using a brush, brush the egg wash on the all four sides of the pastry dough and put a spoonful of filling in the center of the dough.  Make sure you do not over fill it, or it’ll burst open and all the gravy and delicious goodness will come out.  Bring in the top and bottom corners creating a diamond and carefully seal the edges, pressing it together between your fingers.  Lay the turnover on one side and using the tip of the fork, use the tines to crimp down the edges, creating a better seal. 

Brush the tops of the turnovers with the egg wash.  This will give it that nice golden brown color.

Put each finished turn over on a baking sheet with parchment paper or silpat.  Leave about an inch or two between each one.  Bake for about 20 minutes or until golden brown.

You may also make and freeze them and pull them out when ready to bake off.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Halloween!!! Last minute ghoulish treats!

This morning on the Vegas Morning Blend!  See how you can whip up some ghoulish treats for all to enjoy!

http://www.vegasmorningblend.com/videos/176602131.html

Last minute Halloween ideas!

Graveyard Chocolate Goodness

Courtesy of Chef Doreen Fang

1 whole                      Chocolate pie (your choice)

20-25                           Oreo cookies – crumbs

1 bag                          Gummy worms

10                                Fake fingers

If you cannot find Oreo cookie crumbs, get 25 cookies, open up each cookie, scrap off the filling and put all the cookies into a food processor and process the cookies till you get a fine crumb.

If you purchased a frozen chocolate pie, allow the pie to thaw first according to the directions on the box.  Pour the cookie crumbs over the top (reserve about ¼ cup), making sure to make a nice layer to create the perfect grave scene on your pie.  Add your gummy worms and fingers, burying them slightly.  Please feel free to decorate with any ghoulish decorations to add more creepiness to your graveyard pie. 

Make sure to warn your guests NOT to eat the fingers…who knows where they have been!  muahahahah

Sweet and Nutty Bloody Popcorn

Recipe courtesy of

Chef Doreen Fang

4 cups                        Popcorn (approximately 1 bag of microwave popcorn)

½ cup             White chocolate chips

½ cup             Caramel (you can buy ready-made caramel to save time)

½ cup             Almonds and pistachios (shelled)

                        Red food coloring

                        Vegetable spray

If using microwave popcorn, make ahead of time and allow popcorn to cool completely. 

In a small microwaveable bowl, add the white chocolate chips and microwave and 15 second intervals, do this three (3) times for a total of 45 seconds.  Stir until smooth.

In a small microwaveable bowl, add the caramel and microwave for 15 seconds three (3) to four (4) times till smooth and slightly runny. 

In a large mixing bowl, spray a light coating of the vegetable oil, then spray a silicon or rubber spatula with vegetable spray as well.  Add the popcorn to bowl.  Using the spatula, get some of the chocolate and drizzle over the popcorn and mix.  Continue to add more chocolate, drizzling and mixing till all the chocolate has been added.  Do the same with the caramel and add the nuts while doing the caramel.  After all the caramel has been added, add dashes of red food coloring and mix popcorn to incorporate the red dye.  Add till you achieve the perfect bloody look in your popcorn treat. 

Allow the white chocolate and caramel to “dry”.  Let it sit out for at least 1-2 hours, uncovered. 

Serve and enjoy this ghoulish sweet treat!

 Happy Halloween everyone!!!

Celebrating Mexican Independence Day with something meaty and cheesy!

Today on the Vegas Morning Blend...I was able to create and show off my own version of a tasty Queso Fundido!  

Chorizo Queso Fundido segment on the Vegas Morning Blend.

It was a crazy morning...with a terrible accident and road closures...so I was running behind schedule so there are no pics...so sorry.  But believe me...this is soooo tasty!!  

Guests, TV news anchors, hosts and crew members absolutely loved this recipe!!  

Chorizo Queso Fundido

Recipe courtesy of

Chef Doreen Fang

Serves 6

Ingredients

2                      Poblano peppers, roasted, small dice

1 Tbsp             Vegetable oil

6 oz                 Chorizo

1 med             White onion, small dice

2                      Serrano peppers, seeded and finely diced

1                      Roma tomato, seeded, small dice

4 whole          Button mushrooms, sliced

1 cup              Spinach, loosely packed

2 tsp                Kosher salt

4 Tbsp             Negro Modelo

8 oz                 Oaxaca cheese, finely chopped (or shredded) substitutes: Mozzarella or

                        Monterey Jack cheese

4 Tbsp             Oaxacan sour cream (can be found at Mexican grocery stores)

¼ cup             Cilantro, loosely packed, finely chopped

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400F degrees.  Place poblano peppers on a sheet pan and roast for 25-30 minutes.  Half way thru, turn the peppers over.  The skin will blister and look charred.  Transfer peppers to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let stand till cool enough to handle.  Using rubber gloves, peel the blistered skin off the peppers.  Cut the tops off and discard all the seeds and ribs. Cut into ¼ inch strips and dice.

In a medium non-stick saute pan, add the 1 Tbsp oil, heat to medium high.  Add the chorizo, breaking it up and lightly browning it.  About 3-4 minutes.  Drain off most of the oil, saving about 1 Tbsp.  Add the onions, Serrano chilies, poblanos, tomatoes and mushrooms, stirring constantly for about 7 minutes till onions are softened.  Add the beer and allow all the liquid to evaporate.  Add the spinach, stir.  Add 1 tsp of salt. 

Reduce the heat to medium low and sprinkle the cheese evenly over the chorizo and vegetables.  Stir slowly and constantly to allow the cheese to melt.  Add the 4 Tbsp of sour cream and 1 tsp of salt, stirring constantly, make sure to incorporate all the sour cream into the queso mixture.  Season to taste with additional salt if needed.  Remove from heat and put in a heat proof dish with a tea light beneath to prevent the cheese from hardening as it cools.  (Don’t let the cheese stay over the heat too long or it’ll become tough.)  

This can also be made a day ahead and re-heated gently till it becomes melted.

Serve with chips or warm tortillas.

Asian Barbecue Marinade

Memorial Day episode from the Vegas Morning Blend!!  But now even more perfect for Labor Day weekend!! So get your grills ready and make this super tasty marinade.

I forgot to post this after the show...but here's the segment along with the recipe for terrific Asian marinade!

Thanks to the fans for asking for this recipe!!

Asian Barbecue Marinade

Recipe Courtesy of Chef Doreen Fang

Yields:  1 ¾ cup

16 cloves           Garlic, crushed or minced

1 cup                 Soy Vay’s Veri Veri Teriyaki sauce

½ cup                Soy sauce – Preferably Golden Mountain Seasoning Sauce or a light 
                           tasting soy sauce. (This can be found at any Asian market.  Don’t use Kikkoman, 
                                    it's too salty for this recipe)

4 ½ Tbsp           Granulated sugar

2 Tbsp               Pear nectar

1 tsp                  Ground black pepper

1 cup                *Green onions, chopped (optional)

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and stir till sugar is completely dissolved.  Marinade your choice of steak, short ribs or chicken in a Ziplock bag(s) and add the marinade.  Remove all the air, making sure the marinade is completely surrounding the meat.  Refrigerate till ready to barbeque.  Depending on the thickness of the meat, marinade anywhere from 2-6 hours. 

This amount of marinade is great for 5-6 lbs of meat.

For smaller amounts and/or thinner cuts, marinate for 2-3 hours.

For larger amounts and/or thicker cuts, marinate for 4-6 hours. 

Adjust the marinating according to your tastes. 

* When I make Korean style barbeque meats, for example short ribs, I like to add the green onions for extra onion flavor. 

POP UP PIZZA AT THE PLAZA!! Here in Downtown Las Vegas.

Pop Up Pizza

1 S Main Street

Las Vegas, NV 89101

Neighborhood:  Downtown 

702.336.0049

http://www.popuppizzalv.com/

Hours:

Mon - Sun: 9am - 2pm

I think I have a love affair with pizza and I try my hardest not to eat it every day or even every week...but it's so hard to resist.  But I am so excited to share a new pizzeria with you guys!  

It's called Pop Up Pizza and I had a chance to talk with Chef Mike Vakneen about his labor of love and check out what we talked about!

Check out this cool picture of the dough after it's proofed. The network of dough "strings" is created during the proofing process.  The network of dough is what gives it its chewiness and doughy goodness!

During the shoot, Mike and I shared our own Lady and the Tramp moment while sharing some White Chapel pizza...

Besides the White Chapel being my favorite, I also like to do a variation on the White Chapel and add sausage to it!  Sooooo good!!!  You gotta try it.  I love the drizzle of garlic oil, so fragrant and it just blends so well with the ricotta.  Speaking of ricotta...I think I may ask for extra ricotta on my pie next time!!  I can't get enough of that creamy soft cheese!  

Another fave...The Fremont!!!!  Even though you guys know I am NOT a bell pepper lover...this pizza is awesome!  Great flavor and really hits the spot! 

And seriously...I was very impressed with the Vegan pizza!!  I already told one of my besties, Alison about it, because she's been introducing me to more Vegan restaurants and I'm really enjoying them!  Really!  Anyhow...I can't wait for her to try it and give me her opinion.

Next time I'm going to get some of those massive onion rings and I'd like to try the Vegan soft serve...because you all know I'm an ice cream fanatic...I would like to give it a try and see how it stands up to one of my all time favorite dairy desserts.  

Many thanks to Mike Vakneen and the entire gang at Pop Up Pizza for opening your doors to us and letting us partake of the deliciousness!!

Head over to Downtown Las Vegas and pick up your own slice or pie!