Sunshine Angel Cake

Personal Blog

2010-03-10T21:24:00.000-05:00

Until I can bring SAC back up and running I have a personal blog at http://simpleserenity.wordpress.com/. Sunshine Angel Cake will be back soon

Hiatus

2010-01-16T12:54:00.000-05:00

Sunshine Angel Cake is on hiatus indefinitely.

I like to eat with my hands

2009-12-19T19:00:00.000-05:00

While in the middle of a manga marathon consisting of Kaichou wa Maid-sama, Dance In The Vampire Bund, Addicted to curry, and a few more shoujo mangas I can't remember I got hungry and couldn't figure out what to eat. I had absolutely no idea what to eat until Misaki-chan from Kaichou wa Maid-sama prepared onigiri for the male students during a spring cleaning weeked. I've never made onigiri before but for some reason it just look like pure fun and it would have completed my manga filled day. So off I went into the far reaches of the internet and got some ideas for my very own onigiri recipe. It's quick, simple, and easy and even though it was my first time making it I had a blast and I thought it came out really well. Take a look at mine and give it a try. If I could do it so can you.

For this manga classic you will need:

4 cups cooked japanese sushi rice

salt

1 sheet of nori seaweed

1 tsp toasted sesame seeds(optional)

You need hot and fresh cooked rice for this dish. I seasoned my rice with a sushi seasoning mix but if you don't have that just add rice wine vinegar and salt to taste, just as if you're preparing sushi. A lot of recipes online just ask for the plain cooked rice, but I wanted a more acidic and salty taste since I didn't use any fillings.

Get yourself a large bowl of water for your hands. When handling sticky rice your hands need to be wet at ALL times. This makes preparation easier and it wont leave a mess.

After you wet your hands, salt your hands. This may sound weird but it ensures that salt is placed evenly over the onigiri to give it that salty taste. And while onigiri may be salty, don't go overboard with it and make your onigiri completely inedible. While I did not specify the exact amount of salt just apply it liberally and take a bit of the first one to make sure it's to your liking.

Onigiri comes in many different shapes and sizes. While they may be traditionally round or triangular, you can go ahead and experiment. I created an oval onigiri for myself this session along with a circular and triangular onigiri. You can shape it with your hands until just right and then apply the seaweed.

The nori can be cut in strips, squares, or you can even use the whole sheet to cover the entire rice ball! The nori provides an edible wrapping for the rice and you can use as little or as much as you'd like. After applying the seaweed you can roll it in sesame seeds for an additional flavor. Now your onigiri is ready to go.

Yaki-onigiri

This is just a grilled onigiri. For yaki-onigiri you can heat a little oil in a small frying pan and sear both sides until crispy and brown. I use sesame oil for a little more flavor. When both sides are crispy brush on some soy sauce and you're all set.

As always more pictures on the dishes can be found at my Twitpic and on Flickr. I hope this inspired you. Until next time!

♥Sunbun♥

Welcome back!

2009-12-19T18:16:00.000-05:00

Howdy! I know I've been gone a while and I haven't even been tweeting as much but one of my New Year Resolutions is to blog more and bring in more visitors to Sunshine Angel Cake. And before you think I'm going to mke excuses for not being around you need to look up. Got a new recipe!

♥Sunbun♥

Not again!

2009-11-14T14:24:00.004-05:00

Sorry guys but I'm sick again. I think it's weird for the cook to get sick so much...

♥Sunsun♥

Sorry!

2009-11-08T18:41:00.007-05:00

No posts this week! I have a lot on my plate but check back and keep following.

Sorry!

2009-11-08T18:41:00.005-05:00

No posts this week! I have a lot on my plate but check back and keep following.

Sorry!

2009-11-08T18:41:00.003-05:00

No posts this week! I have a lot on my plate but check back and keep following.

Ramyun Review

2009-11-04T19:12:00.000-05:00

One of the worlds greatest ramen(ramyun)in my personal opinion has to be Shin Ramyun noodle soup. From Nong Shim, the manufacturer of best selling instant noodles and snacks in South Korea comes this instant favorite.

Unlike many other instant noodles, this comes in a round shape with a packet of seasoning and another of dried vegetables.

But as always it contains MSG which is not healthy, but tastes pretty darn good.

The cooking time is 4-5 minutes which is a bit longer than most ramen that requires 2-3 minutes of cooking time. But the reason why is...
This is HOT! Not Tae Yang's first mini album but extradinarily spicy. I've had spicy Korean noodle bowls before and I've had hot and spicy ramen, but this takes heat to a whole new level. Mixed in with a little bit of vegetables and a lot noodles is this really hot flavor, and for my taste buds it was a bit off putting until your mouth got used to it. Then the flavors come in and you have to go "Wow". It's extremely spicy but not so much that it kills the taste of the ramen noodles and soup, which tastes a little of miso soup, but the vegetables never seem to fill the bowl leaving something to be desired. I usually put in a little extra seaweed but for todays review I'll leave it out.

If you love Korean variety shows as much as I do you will remember some squabbles on We got Married over the proper preparation of this particular ramen. Crown J and Alex boils the noodles first and likes to add egg, while In Young and JoKwon says no egg and boiling the soup first is the proper way. Which ever you prefer do it that way!

Simplicity: 5/5
Presentation: 4/5
Taste: 5/5

Overall Score: 14/15

For anyone looking for something different and spicy in their ramyun this one is for you. I'm serving it along side fried crab from my local Chinese restaurant and I have a full meal.

♥Sunbun♥

Ramen Review Wednesday

2009-11-02T21:18:00.000-05:00

Sunshine Angel Cake will have it's monthly Ramen Review on Wednesday. Mark your calenders!

♥Sunbun♥

And you said there's nothing in the fridge...

2009-11-01T18:33:00.000-05:00

It's after 5 on a Sunday, I just came home from a weekend class and I am STARVING. It seems that everyone ate what was left of lunch and I have to fend for myself. I opened the fridge and I have:

a bowl(2 cups) of white rice from 3 days ago
1/2 cup of onions diced*

1/2 cup of green onions diced*

1/2 mushrooms sliced*

*from yesterday

I have the makings of some pretty good fried rice. The only few things left are:

2 tbs say sauce
2 tbs cooking oil
1 tbs sesame oi
1 tsp sesame seeds

This is REALLY simple. Fried rice is best cooked with old rice because it's lost all of the moisture and absorbs the new flavours with ease.

1)Heat pan with cooking and sesame oil. When the pan is hot add cut vegtables

2)When the vegtables become translucent or tender add the rice. You need to heat the rice for 3 minutes until it is hot and starts to develop a crust from the hot pan.

3) Add the soy sauce and toss until it has coated all of the rice and vegtables. You can heat it a little more but it's not really neccesary at this point. You can add the sesame seeds for added crunch and flavour.

And there you go. A quick meal after class or a long day of work.

♥Sunbun♥

Looking good!!

2009-10-31T21:36:00.002-04:00

Sunshine Angel Cake got a facelift. What do you think?

♥Sunbun♥

From The Land of the Morning Calm

2009-10-31T14:40:00.002-04:00

One of my favorite Korean dishes is Japchae. Jap Chae, stir fried glass noodles, glass noodle salad, sweet potatoe noodle salad; these are all names for this traditional Korean dish. It consists of stir fried rice or potato noodles covered in a delicious sauce with loads of vegatables and beef. The highlight of this dish is the colors from the vegtables, your ability to cut them uniformity, and the contrast to the clear thin noodles. Do this right and it will be a hit at your next party or pot luck!

You will need:

Cooking oil

1 package of dangmyun or cellophane rice noodles or chinese vermicelli noodles
1 whole onion sliced

5 stalks of green onion chopped
3 cloves garlic chopped

1/2 green pepper sliced

1/2 red pepper sliced

2 carrots cleaned and julienne(sliced VERY thin)
1 cup blanched spinach
1 cup blanched broccoli florets
1 cup cut shitake mushrooms or white mushrooms
1 lb beef sirloin or round cut into strips. Season to taste.

Sauce ingredients:

6 tbs soy sauce
6 tbs sesame oil(add more or less to your taste)
1 tsp sugar(more or less to your taste but try 2 tbs at most)
1 1/2 tbs sesame seeds

If you're allergic to, or just plain don't like a few of the ingredients here, feel free to omit what you want. While all these ingredients are key to the taste of this dish and make it especially aesthetically pleasing to the eyes, you're the one who's going to be enjoying this dish at home!

1) Saute carrots, onions, green peppers, and garlic first in oiled pan. These aromatic vegtables will start off our vegtables. Cook until translucent. After they're done after they're done remove from pan and add more oil to the hot pan.

2)Saute green onions, mushrooms and when onions begin to wilt remove from heat.

3) Add beef strips until througly cooked.

4) While beef is cooking prepare noodles per directions on package. They should need no more than 5 minutes preparation to be cooked al dente(firm to the bite).

5)When beef is done add previously cooked vegetables and blanched spinach and broccoli.

'Blanching is a cooking process to bring out the green color in vegetables without cooking them and removing the nutrients. For this just add broccoli or spinach in hot water for 2 minutes, remove, and drain.'

Saute veg and meat for 1 minute together and remove from heat.

6) The noodles should be ready at this time. Prepare the sauce by adding all the ingredients together in a large bowl and mix until throughly combined.

7) Add veg, meat and noodles to prepared sauce and toss until coated completely. Sprinkle additional sesame seeds on top for added flavor and garnish.

I omitted spinach and peppers from my completed dish. I'm not a fan of them and if you aren't either feel free to omit them! Also, you can remove the beef if you're vegetarian and replace it with firm tofu or add additional vegtables. This dish can be served by itself, on top of rice (japchae bap) or as banchan(korean side dish).

Enjoy!

♥Sunbun♥

Korean post!

2009-10-31T09:05:00.000-04:00

If you love korean food then the recipes for this weekend is for YOU. I hope you're hungry :P

♥Sunbun♥

Hurray for fans!!

2009-10-29T19:55:00.000-04:00

Sunshine Angel Cake has fans! Yes I may be overly excited, but this was a long time coming. So thanks to Donephalitus and Jamal for making my day! You're welcome to comment on facebook, tweet back at us on Twitter or leave suggestions or praises on the site. Welcome!!

♥Sunbun♥

2 recipes!!!

2009-10-24T12:54:00.000-04:00

In an effort to catch up I've posted 2 recipes today and hopefully I can have another post tonight. The Bahamian Curry Chicken and The English Toffee are all I have for you guys right now but later into the evening I should come with something new. Sorry for keeping you guys waiting! Don't forget to follow us on Twitter and befriend us on Facebook. We would love to know what you think about the blog and feel free to leave suggestions or comments on the blog, facebook, or twitter. We also have a Flickr photostream with all of the photos we haven't posted here. Thanks for the support and look out for another recipe tonight!

♥Sunbun♥

Tummy full of Toffee

2009-10-24T12:41:00.001-04:00

Who doesn't like toffee?

Yeah, yeah, I know some of you may say "I Don't!", but for me there isn't anything better than toffee. An original English Candy recipe, this very old and still very special recipe can be modified to include nuts and chocolate, mine omitting both. But a tiny little warning...

WARNING: SUGAR AT HIGH TEMPERATURES CAN BURN THROUGH SKIN AND GIVE YOU 2ND AND 3RD DEGREE BURNS. HANDLE WITH CARE AND PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO WHAT YOU ARE DOING!!

Now that I've said that you will need:

1 lb butter
1 lb sugar
1 tsp vanilla flavor
1/2 tsp salt

Yup. Thats all there is to it. You will need to melt the butter first in a large saucepan over high heat. Reduce to medium and add sugar. When the suger comes to a slow boil reduce heat to low and cook for 10-15 minutes.

Candy work is extremely easy to screw up so if you don't have a candy thermometer and you aren't sure when it's ready you can use a cold cup of water to determine when your toffee is ready. When you're reaching the 10 minute mark using a metal spoon, remove some of the mixture and CAREFULLY add to a cup of cold water. You are cookign the candy to the hard crack stage. That is, when it hits the water it solidifys and becomes solid enough to break. When you can crack or break it. Your candy is ready.

When you have reached the hard crack stage, remove from heat and add salt and vanilla. Quickly spread mixture onto a greased cookie sheet. Do not under ANY circumstances place this in a glass container or cover the container in foil or plastic wrap. It will stick to the candy and make it uneatable. It takes very little time for your toffee to cool and when it does break into pieces and store in an airtight container.

♥Sunbun♥

Welcome to The Bahamas!

2009-10-24T12:14:00.001-04:00

It's been 20 days since the last recipe post so this is 1 of a few recipes I'm going to post today to make up for missing the last 2 1/2 weeks.

This dish is a Bahamian favorite, although I know many of you are going to be thinking "Huh?". We, along with many Caribbean countries, have many dishes believed to be from one general area. This is because of our long history from spice traders, pirates, and slaves. Although many people will shake their head to this one, it still is a part of me as a Bahamian.

Chicken Curry.

Yes, I know that look. You may know it to be an Indian dish but did you know that many of the spices found in India are grown in the Caribbean island of Jamaica? That's where we got this dish from and we have made it our own.

For this you will need:

6 tbs curry powder
Cooking Oil

1 tbs garlic powder
1/2 onion chopped
1/2 green pepper chopped
1 tsp salt(optional)
1tsp black pepper(optional)
2 tbls roux
2 cups chicken broth

1 lb fryer chicken pieces
3 cups cooked long grain rice

First things first we prepare the curry sauce. Because of the strength of the powder it needs to be "cooked" to ensure that the flavor comes out without leaving a bitter aftertaste. You heat the cooking oil in a large pot big enough to old the chicken and sauce without boiling over. When the oil is hot enough add the curry powder. The powder should cook for approximately 3-7 minutes on medium low heat just enough to darken the color. If a little scorches the bottom of the pan don't worry, you'll get it off in the latter part of the cooking process and it enhances the taste of the curry! After this add the onions and green peppers. If needed add a little more oil and cook the vegtables until they are translucent(clear). Remove pot from heat.

After cleaning the fryer chicken pieces, cut them into smaller portions. The drumsticks may be left whole but the thighs and breast pieces should be cut into portions about 2-4 inches in size. Season with salt and black pepper if you'd like but it can be omitted if you prefer.

Reheat large pot and add enough oil to saute the chicken. When the pot is hot enough, add the chicken pieces and coat with the curry paste. After this is done add 2 cups of chicken broth and stir pot until all the paste remaining at the bottom on the pan is lifted off. Reduce heat to medium low and cook for 30-45 minutes until chicken is cooked.

After the chicken is cooked add roux to the pot and stir until mixed in completely and the sauce is thickened. If you don't have any handy feel free to use a "slurry" which is equal parts cornstarch(arrowroot) and water. You just need to be able to thicken the sauce.

Serve over your favorite long grain rice and you have a Carribean dish!

You can add potatoes, carrots, celery, and even tomatoes if you'd want. Every Bahamian family has a different curry recipe, just as this recipe is different from the Jamaican or Indian recipe. I have many more Bahamian recipes to come so Enjoy!

♥Sunbun♥

We're so sorry!!

2009-10-24T11:40:00.000-04:00

It's been more than a week since the last update and I have to sincerely apologize for that. I've had the flu and mid-terms all at the same time so it was hard for me to get out of bed and post or do much of anything. But today is a new day and I have TWO(2), count em, two new recipes for this afternoon and quite possibly a surprise recipe for this evening. As always thanks to all those who have been faithful to us and for the new visitors on Sunshine Angel Cake. Our tally is almost up to 30 visitors and for a site that technically still isn't finished I'm very pleased. Just a reminder we are on facebook so just search Sunshine Angel Cake and you will find our facebook page. Don't forget to become a fan!

I have a Bahamian dinner recipe and a English recipe that I'm sure you all will love. Stay tuned and look out for our posts. See you in a little while!

♥Sunbun♥

We're on facebook!

2009-10-12T23:58:00.000-04:00

After MySpace didn't work out we've set up shop on facebook. Just search "Sunshine Angel Cake" or simply click on the widget on the lower right hand side of the blog. Become a fan and comment on recent posts there if not here, or on our twitter at https://twitter.com/sweetsunbun . I'm over my flu and midterms are being completed so I should be back at top form for delicious posts and mouthwatering recipes. Stay loyal and stick with us!

♥♥♥♥♥♥Sunbun♥♥♥♥♥♥

Still here!

2009-10-11T20:02:00.000-04:00

Between mid-terms and being sick Sunshine Angel Cake hasn't been updated lately. But I'm still here you guys so stay following us on twitter and watching for updates. I'll update soon!!

♥Sunbun♥

Old English Sunday

2009-10-04T15:32:00.001-04:00

Every once in a while there is a dish that makes my mouth water in anticipation, causes me to gain 10 pounds in one sitting, and make me forget to eat with a fork and knife. Yorkshire Pudding and Roast beef is one of those dishes. Traditionally English, this is one of my all time favorite meals, and even though it is a bit of a hassle to prepare, I can't help but love it.
You will need:

2 lb roast(sirloin, bottom round, top round. Any favorite roast cut)
salt
pepper

Yorkshire Pudding:
5 eggs(1 1/4 cup)
1 1/4 cup milk
1 1/4 flour
1/2 cup butter or shortening for muffin pan

Gravy:
3 cups beef stock or broth
2 tbs roux

Season your desired roast cut to taste with salt and pepper. For those who'd want a stronger taste to their roast, ground rosemary would do the trick. Your oven should be preheated to 400 degrees and ready for your roast. The times for a 2 pound roast are as follows:

Rare:15-25 minutes
Medium rare 30-40 minutes
Medium 45 minutes
Medium Well 50 minutes
Well 55 minutes - 1 hour

As all ovens are different, pay close attention to your roast as not to over cook it. I'm a medium rare girl myself, so 30 minutes was enough for me!

While the roast is cooking you can go ahead and prepare for your yorkshire pudding.

Add your eggs and milk in a large mixing bowl and mix vigorously with a whisk or electric mixer until frothy. After which shift in flour and mix until you have a creamy consistency. The batter will be very thin so don't be afraid if it only thickens a little! Mix for an additional 3 minutes and set aside. Grease muffin tin with butter or shortening, putting a little more at the bottom of the pan. Place greased muffin pan in oven with roast and heat until fat begins to smoke. The muffin tin for the puddings must be EXTREMELY hot. This being said, be very careful not to burn yourself or others. Using a ladle or other pouring device, add the pudding batter to hot muffin tin until you fill each hole with 3/4 worth of batter. Place in oven with roast and bake for 10-15 minutes or until puddings bake up golden brown with a slight hole in the center. This is one baked dish you WANT to see with a collapsed center!

To prepare the gravy you must first have roux. If you don't have any on hand, it's a simple recipe. You will need:

1 tbs of butter or shortening
1 tbs of flour

You melt the butter in a small skillet and then add flour. You cooked until combined. Add roux to medium sized sauce pan on high heat. Add broth or stock, reduce to medium low heat and whisk until thicken. You can season this to taste or leave it as it is.

Add this point your roast should be finished. Take roast out of the oven and allowed to sit for 10 minutes before cutting to ensure that the juices remain inside the roast and not on your cutting board!

Cut roast in thick slices, place on yorkshire pudding and top with gravy. This is delicious as it is or you may add horseradish to spice up the dish and make it into a full family meal with carrots and peas. Either way it's delicious!

♥Sunbun♥

A Taste of the Mediterranean

2009-10-04T14:31:00.002-04:00

Mediterranean cuisine is full of life, flavor and color. Not to mention is has an abundance of my favorite ingredient...Seafood! This dish has to be one of my personal faves, and something I love to cook for anyone with a passion for food and a taste for the extraordinary.

Fried Calamari

A favorite dish of the Mediterranean and a lot of countries with a large fishing industry, calamari (or squid), can be stuffed, fried, dried, or eaten in salads. This is one of the more popular way of eating this versatile delicacy!

You will need:

1 pound frozen calamari(whole or rings and tentacles)
3 cups flour
1/2 cup milk

1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
oil for frying

2 stalks cilantro
1 whole lemon

You will find that you can purchase calamari in many different forms; from whole calamari that has not been cleaned or calamari rings and tentacles, where all the work is already done for you. Know ahead of time if you have the effort and knowledge to put into cleaning whole calamari, and if not, feel free to purchase the squid with the labor already completed.

If the calamari has already been cleaned and cut, go ahead and season it with the salt and pepper to taste. You can add as little or as much seasoning to it as your preference.
After which you coat the squid in milk to prepare for deep frying.

The amount of oil for deep frying is not mentioned in here because of the amount of different procedure that can be used for frying. With that in mind, use enough oil so that the squid has enough oil to float in the pot, pan, or deep fryer, else it will stick to the bottom of the pan which causes it to burn. The oil should be heated to 350 degrees, or hot enough that it "pops" up when you add piece of calamari.

The Calamari should be fried until golden brown, or approximately 3-5 minutes so it doesn't overcook and become tough. After you remove the squid and drain the excess oil on a paper towel, add fried squid to a medium sized mixing bowl. Here you will squeeze the juice of a whole lime over the squid and add cilantro leaves. Toss. You can add additional salt or pepper as you like.

Enjoy!

♥Sunbun♥

Let's try this again

2009-10-04T11:11:00.000-04:00

It's a new day so it's time for my to try to get the dishes out for the loyal readers of Sunshine Angel Cake. I hope to have something today, so keep checking my twitter updates for what's going on with me. I'll try not to let you down!

♥Sunbun♥

Sorry!

2009-10-03T20:31:00.000-04:00

Today has been full of unexpected surprises and I haven't been able to prepare anything today much to my annoyance. I'll try again tomorrow!

♥Sunbun♥

This should be fun!

2009-10-03T12:16:00.000-04:00

Thanks for the two vote for this weeks recipes! It's not much, and while I do expect more participation for the posts and polls on Sunshine Angel Cake, I will prepare the 3 foods voted on by our loyal followers.

English, Bahamian, and Mediterranean were the winners at 50% a piece so I have to ensure that all 3 are incorporated in the posts this weekend. I hope that the dish prepared is a favorite of the readers, and if it's not, by the time you view it and try it for yourself I hope you will be hooked. I'm off to the store!

♥Sunbun♥

Ramen Review!

2009-10-01T20:28:00.001-04:00

Here is the first ever ramen review for Sunshine Angel Cake! We're going to try to make these happen as often as possible, so if you leave good comments this may be an ongoing thing on your favorite food blog.

The ramen of this review is Sapporo Ichibin chow mein style fried instant noodles.

As always, this ramen is cheap and easy to prepare. Coming it in the basic square block, it is accompanied by a seasoning packet and dried seaweed topping.

You prepare it just as you do regualr ramen except with a few differences:

1) You boil the water for the ramen in a skillet

2) You must cook the ramen until the water EVAPORATES

This is not the regular soup ramen. After you add the seasoning, which in my opinion is exceptionally dark, you remove the ramen and here the product minus the seaweed.

The noodles were perfect and the seasoning had just the right balance of sweet and savory. In fact, it was a bit more sweet then savory. It was a taste that required a little getting used to, especially if you only know soup based ramen. If you're looking for a spicy ramen dish then this is not for you. While the package says that you can add meat and vegtables to this chow mein, I found that it was filling and enjoyable with just the ramen and seaweed topping.

Simplicity:4/5

Presentation:5/5

Taste:3.5/5

Overall Score: 12.5/15

Here are the finished pictures.

If you think that a ramen review is something you'd like to see on Sunshine Angel Cake, comment and let us know. Don't forget to vote for this weeks dish before Saturday. I hope to see all of our visitors participating. See you soon!

♥Sunbun♥

Recipe ideas anyone?

2009-09-28T20:44:00.001-04:00

Sunshine Angel Cake has gotten a few more views so I'd just like to thank everyone who has come through and enjoyed what we have to offer so far.

The weekend is coming up quickly and I'd like your opinion again on what should be done for the site. The top two recipe picks will be posted on Saturday and Sunday, so if any of these ideas strike your fancy vote for it and maybe I'll be preparing one of your favorite dishes this weekend. Even if your favorite cuisine isn't there, send me an email or leave a comment under this post and I'll see what I can do for you in later postings! The poll will close on Friday night so be sure to vote earlier. As always thanks in advance for your participation and I hope to hear from you guys soon and see your votes being tallied up. Thanks for all the love!

♥Sunbun♥

We're setting up shop everywhere!!

2009-09-27T20:07:00.002-04:00

You can now find Sunshine Angel Cake on Flickr! You can pull up our photostream at http://www.flickr.com/photos/sunshineangelcake/ and our profile page at http://www.flickr.com/people/sunshineangelcake/. Show us some love by adding us as contacts, viewing our photos, and leaving comments. You know anything you do will be greatly appreciated. Until later!

♥Sunbun♥

Something Light: Wakame Salad

2009-09-27T18:22:00.002-04:00

On lazy Sundays you really don't want to be thinking about what to prepare, and you sure don't want to spend your entire day in the kitchen when you could be lounging on the porch, reading a good book, doing homework, or watching the latest episodes of We got Married and Family Outing...well, that's just me. But we all want something quick, easy and delicious, not to mention light if you're on a diet, so this wakame salad is perfect on all counts.

Wakame is japanese seaweed that can be bought cut or whole. It is very versitile and can be used in soups, other salads, garnishes, or anything your mind can conjure up. It's also extremely cheap and a little can go a LONG way. For this simple yet sinfully delicious dish you will need:

3 tbsp dried wakame (this will equal to 1- 1 1/2 cups of reconstituted wakame)

Salad Dressing:

1 tbsp soy sauce
1 1/4 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp sushi seasoned vinegar
2 1/2 tbsp sugar
1/4 tbsp seasame seeds

Prepare the wakame to the directions on the package. If you cant find any, simply place the wakame in lukewarm water for 5 minutes or until it reconstitutes. The wakame should start off looking like this :

And this should be the end result:

Big difference huh?

After the wakame has been fully reanimated, drain and squeeze all of the remaining water out of the wakame. If left in the seaweed, the water will not allow the sauce to coat the wakame properly and you'll end up with an icky product. You don't want that.

In a small sauce pan, combine all of the ingredients for the salad dressing and bring to a slow boil. Remove from flame and set aside.

In a small frying pan brown sesame like we did for our Unagi Don and remove from flame

If you prefer a warmer salad you can toss the wakame, the dressing and sesame seeds together while the dressing is still hot. But if you prefer a cold salad, allow the dressing to cool before tossing the wakame and sesame seeds together.

You can garnish with cucumbers for extra texture and serve.

Now you are ready for your very own seaweed salad, and you didn't have to travel to a sushi restaurant for it!

I couldnt help myself :P

♥Sunbun♥

TwitPic photos

2009-09-27T10:55:00.001-04:00

While I have 3 photos of the Unagi Don we did yesterday, there are quite a bit more on http://twitpic.com/photos/sweetsunbun. This is my Twitpic address ladies and gentleman, and all of my dishes pics will be posted here right after I post on Sunshine Angel Cake. Don't forget to follow me on twitter at https://twitter.com/sweetsunbun. Also you can email me atsweet.sunbun@gmail.com and tell me what you'd like to see prepared for another recipe. I have a fantastic cinnamon roll recipe that's a little reminiscent of Cinnabon, some Bahamian recipes I know you'll love, and a few french dishes that you can impress your friends with. Don't be shy to drop us a line using any of these outlets, and I'm trying to make myself accessible to everyone, no matter your social networking site. See you later today!

♥Sunbun♥

Donburi Day. Unagi Don!

2009-09-26T16:54:00.002-04:00

When I started this blog, I wanted to use it as a tool to show different food ethnic foods prepared not in the strict traditional way, but in a way that is accessible to everyone of all walks of life, and even for people who the ingredients won't be in their super market.

I live in The Bahamas, a small country made up of many many islands off the coast of Florida. Wikipedia has a great page on my country here in case you want to find out more about where I'm from. Finding ingredients for ethnic foods is extremely hard, even though we are a multicultural society, so for someone like myself who was a chef by profession, it can be extremely frustrating when I'm craving kimchi and the course pepper flakes are no where to be found in Nassau(where I am). That's why I created Sunshine Angel Cake. A helpful site for those like myself who love food but can't find the ingredients that they need, or a recipe that facilitates their foodie dilemma. But even if you can find all the ingredients for my dishes, you can use this site for its recipes, and who knows, maybe you can come to love it for it's insight and my quirky personality ^^.The first recipe for Sunshine Angel Cake is one of my personal favorite Donburi Dishes: Unagi Don.

Donburi is a Japanese word for "Rice bowl" and it is essentially used to described meat over rice. Unagi don is one of my favorites, and is sweet grilled eel over Japanese rice. For this easy dish you're going to need:

1hour and 15 minutes of cooking and prep time

1 can broiled or grilled eel
1 1/2 cups of medium grain or sushi rice
2 cups water

2 tbsp of sushi seasoning
1/2 tsp white sesame seeds

For Sauce:

4 tbsp prepared unagi sauce
4 tbsp sugar
1 tsp soy sauce

The most time consuming and the most important part of this dish is the washing and soaking of the rice! As any Japanese sushi chef can tell you, washing the rice is extremely crucial, and if not done properly, it can ruin the entire meal. I use Nishiki sushi grade rice for this dish because it is the easiest to wash(even though it claims to need no washing), and it cooks up perfectly in my Oster rice cooker.

Washing takes time. Seriously. The rice needs to be washed THOROUGHLY, and for this to be done right, the water needs to be changed at least 4 times in the process. To this this you must first submerge the rice in water(I suggest you use a large bowl for this) and using your hands, you need to shift through the rice in the water to remove the starch that is present. This will make the water cloudy and after discarding the water and refilling it, the water should be clear. At this point the rice needs to soak for 25 -60 minutes depending on the climate. Because of my tropical climate, I soak my rice for 30 minute before using, making it softer and allowing it to cook more evenly in the cooker and allowing for a better product. After the rice is soaked it should have almost doubled in size and hold a rich white color. Cooking sushi rice requires exact measurements so make sure to measure measure everything out before placing it in your rice cooker. Your rice should cook for 15 minutes.

While the rice has been set to cook take the can of eels and drain it of all the liquid inside and set the liquid aside.

The eels would not have the sauce already on them because it is not sushi grade frozen eels. They are extremely expensive where I'm from and exporting them from the United States is not an option because of the long travel time and the cost of shipping. Canned eels are smaller in size and require more preparation, but the pride you'll feel after making your first Unagi Don will be priceless☻.
I use prepared Unagi sauce because finding the ingredients to make it from scratch is expensive regardless of where I purchase them. While prepared sauce has it benefits, one taste and you'll know that this is not the sauce you're used to in sushi restaurants. To get that authentic Unagi Sauce taste combine all the sauce ingredients as well as the liquid set aside from the canned unagi in a small sauce pan and over medium heat bring to a rolling boil. Remove from heat and allow to thicken. After the sauce has thickened, add 2 tbsp of your finished sauce to the unagi and slowly, using a spoon, cover the Unagi.

At his time your sushi rice should be completed and using a bamboo paddle or rubber spatula, stir the rice in the rice cooker and cover for an additional 10 minutes.

Heat up flat grill or large frying pan and add your unagi to hot pan or grill. Your unagi should be warmed for 5 minutes before being removed from heat.

Remove rice from cooker and place in large bowl. Add 2 tbsp of sushi seasoning and stir until combined well, and place in donburi bowl or serving dish.

Add Unagi pieces over rice, pour remaining sauce to taste over unagi and rice and heat a small saute pan. Add sesame seeds to hot pan until seeds begin to "pop". Remove pan from heat and shift seeds back and forth until seeds are lightly browned. Sprinkle seeds over Unagi to finish dish. You just made your first Japanese dish, Unagi Don!!

I hope this recipe has been informative and given you the push you need to make your own Unagi Don. If you like what you see feel free to comment. Enjoy the pictures!

♥Sunbun♥

Cooking!! Cooking!!

2009-09-26T13:01:00.001-04:00

Today is the day. I'm putting on my apron, sharpening my knives, and preparing all my ingredients for the very special Japanese style dish that the faithful two had voted for on Sunshine Angel Cake. I'm keeping the exact dish a secret, but I'll let you have one teenie weenie hint...It's Donburi :P

♥Sunbun♥

VOTE! VOTE!

2009-09-24T19:32:00.000-04:00

I got a vote for Japanese with a day and a half left on the poll!! I know you guys got more love for food and for Sunshine Angel Cake than that, so why don't you click on what you'd like to see on Saturday? I want more followers on twitter, a follower on Blogspot, and more votes on what to prepare for you guys!

Don't be shy! I won't bite hard :P

♥Sunbun♥

First recipe posting ideas!!

2009-09-22T21:38:00.000-04:00

I'm posting my first recipe on Saturday and I need YOUR help to decide what to prepare. I love Asian cuisine,and I've never turned down a bowl of Bibimbap or met a sushi roll I didn't enjoy i.e devour, so should I go Asian or introduce a little of my culture in the first dish? Let me know via email, twitter, or just leave a comment on this site. Don't be shy. When it comes to food you're allowed to get your hands dirty!!

I can't wait to see what you choose!

♥Sunbun♥

2009-09-21T21:15:00.001-04:00

One month later and I'm still not up and running...

But do not despair future followers and fans! As you can tell by this post and the recent updating of my profile and Blog, I am slowly but surely creating Sunshine Angel Cake, and in a short while it will be fully operational, and I can share myself and my love for all things food with the masses.

So become a follower to receive updates on my progress, stop by every once in a while to check out my profile, or email me at sweet.sunbun@gmail.com to push me to finish the blog faster. Any small bit of love counts!

I'm out, but I'll be back soon. Promise.

♥Sunbun♥

2009-08-21T22:07:00.000-04:00

UNDER CONSTRUCTION.