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Showing posts from July, 2023

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SLOW COOKER QUINOA ENCHILADA CASSEROLE

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SKINNY, lightened up and healthy enchilada bake!!!! Made right in the crockpot!!! So cheesy and yet guilt-free!!! INGREDIENTS 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts 1 1/4 cups chicken broth 1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed 1 10-ounce can enchilada sauce 1 4.5-ounce can chopped green chilies 1/2 cup corn kernels, frozen, canned or roasted 1/2 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves 1/2 teaspoon cumin 1/2 teaspoon chili powder Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese 3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese 1 avocado, halved, seeded, peeled and diced 1 Roma tomato, diced INSTRUCTIONS Place chicken into a 6-qt slow cooker. Stir in chicken broth, quinoa, enchilada sauce, green chiles, corn, black beans, cilantro, cumin and chili powder; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Cover and cook on low heat for 4-6 hours, or until liquid is reduced. Remove chicken from the slow cooker and shred, using two forks. Stir...
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Butter Waffle with Egg – 4 Ways

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  There are more than 101 ways to cook eggs. Each method is different from the other. Some of these methods require skill and experience, and even special tools, while a handful can easily be done by anyone. Cooking eggs is probably the first thing that you learned when you started to learn how to cook. In fact, the egg is one of the easiest ingredients to work with in the kitchen. It is one of our staple ingredients. We got interested in cooking at a young age. Back then, we started to learn basic things; one of them is frying eggs for breakfast. Frying an egg might sound simple, but it can be challenging if you are doing it for the first time. After practising which resulted in something like a dozen burnt eggs, we got the hang of it. I became aware of the many ways to cook eggs and this time we are going to share with you our top 4 ways of having our eggs cooked – fried, soft boiled, hard boiled and scrambled. You can enjoy these eggs alone, however, to have a complete breakfast...
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International Hotdog Month

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This month we celebrate our loves for the hotdog, and we think why not have a hot dog party would make a great addition to your long weekend! Add your favorite creative toppings, and let your guests mix and match. Why should ketchup and mustard get the monopoly on hot dog toppings? From a ginger-scallion relish to a Buffalo–blue cheese takeover, we’ve got three new-wave treatments that are more than just condiments: They’re a way of life. (P.S. These dogs are cookout game-changers, but any of the accompanying slaws and sauces would slay on their own too.) Prepare your bun + sausages A little crispiness to the bun is always a must-do while having a hotdog. This time we glaze it with some butter and sesame seed before baking them to add flavoring to it. We choose the chorizo sausages for this hotdog party. Grill them with bits of oil and butter till brown and crispy. Flavor 1: Banh Mi HotDog The Banh Mi Hotdog has a combination of Spicy Mayonnaise, Pickled Carrots, thinly sliced pickles ...
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Salt Crusted Lamb with Mint Jelly

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This technique has been on my to-try list for ages. I wish I had a good reason for putting it off so long, but we’re making up for a lost time. We may or may not have enjoyed three fish prepared this way in the past week alone. It is incredibly easy to do, and in my experience, turns out perfectly every time. If you happen to have a nice oven-proof serving platter available, I would encourage you to serve the whole rack of lamb tableside straight from the oven. It’s fun to watch the crust being cracked open, exposing the perfectly cooked lamb. Word of warning though: Have a spare plate available for the pieces of the salt crust as you remove them or you’ll have a mess on your hands. Ingredients | free-range spiced racks of lamb 2 T olive oil 1 kg fine salt 500 g coarse salt 3 egg whites 20 g thyme, chopped Method | Sear the Woolworths free-range spiced racks of lamb in a hot pan in olive oil for 3 minutes on each side, or until golden brown. Mix the fine salt and coarse salt with egg w...
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Hojicha Tiramisu

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Hojicha Tiramisu Ingredients 1 cup strong hojicha tea 1 tbsp sugar 24 ladyfinger cookies 3 large eggs, separated 1/3 cup granulated sugar 1 cup mascarpone cheese 1/2 cup heavy cream hojicha powder for dusting Methods Begin by brewing a strong cup of hojicha tea. Add the sugar to enhance the sweetness and let it cool. Dip each ladyfinger cookie into the hojicha tea syrup, ensuring they are soaked but not overly saturated. Arrange the dipped ladyfingers in a single layer in a rectangular dish. In a mixing bowl, whisk the egg yolks and granulated sugar until pale and creamy. Add the mascarpone cheese and whisk until well combined. In a separate bowl, whip the heavy cream until soft peaks form. Gently fold the whipped cream into the mascarpone mixture. In another clean bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the egg whites into the mascarpone mixture. Pour half of the mascarpone mixture over the ladyfingers in the dish, spreading it evenly. Repeat the process with ano...
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Making Ochazuke at Home

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Ochazuke (お茶漬け) – usually served in one bowl, it consists of steamed rice with savoury ingredients, partially infused with green tea. Ocha means green tea, and zuke means “submerged”. It is more commonly eaten as a quick meal or as a filling snack at the end of a meal in Japan rather than as proper mealtime food. Ochazuke is the kind of comfort food that we crave because it is soothing to eat and easy on the stomach. My midnight hunger pangs would always be satisfied with this rice dish after a long day. We immediately felt comfortable when we tasted the warm tea and rice and it instantly soothed our busy day. There is no easier way to make a meal than this! Ochazuke (Green Tea over Rice) Ingredients 2 tbsp of green tea leaves + 200 ml of water 200g – 300g cooked rice (2 portions) Saba Ochazuke 2 miso saba fillets (approx 200g) 2 tbsp of Nori seasoning powder Nori (for garnish) Umeboshi Ochazuke 2 Umeboshi 2 tbsp of Shrimp Flakes Egg Ochazuke 2 Eggs 1 tsp of salt 1 tbsp of Ume seasonin...
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Miso Glazed Turnips

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I’ll tie this into cooking in a minute, but I found this framework quite fascinating and it was the first time I’ve ever thought of myself as a “rebel”. The word seems a little dramatic in this context, but this was one of the very few times that I’ve been able to relate to some sort of generalized human personality category. I fully understand the benefits of having good habits, but I’m finally realizing why I’m more efficient at life without trying to do things in a structured or planned out the way, while the rest of the world seems to live in list-land. I’m talking about this here because the way that we form (or don’t form) habits has a lot to do with how we cook and eat. The resistance of internal expectations is why I’m so drawn to cook intuitively, experiment, and let curiosity guide the process. I love all turnips, especially the small white Japanese turnips that appear in the greenmarkets in the late spring. Since, turnips are related to the cruciferous family and are a great...
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Crispy Cereal Prawn

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There is no way you want to miss having a prawn dish on your table during Chinese New Year. Prawns are pronounced “Ha” in Cantonese, which means to 笑哈哈, laughing all year long. How could you miss the happiness of a brand new year? Therefore you wouldn’t want to miss out on this additive Chinese New Year dish – Crispy Cereal Prawns Recipe, 香脆麦片虾. Highly addictive, pour some on plain-tasting white rice to add some taste, especially the kids who love the cereal coating that goes on the prawns!  The contrasting but complementary flavours of sweetness from the cereal and spiciness of the chilli padi! Both add to the fresh taste of the prawn. How to prep your Prawns We start by preparing the prawn, there are two options for this, the unshell and shell prawn. We prefer the shelled prawn as after deep-frying it gave the dishes a crispy texture. Remove the legs and head of the prawn. Start by cutting off the legs and half of the head of the prawn using a scissors. It doesn’t changes the tas...
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Beautiful Nut milk with Cereal

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Let’s talk about nutmilks. Fresh, creamy, served with the right cereal and a handful of fresh berries – that’s one of my favourite breakfasts (or breakfast for dinner to keep it interesting!) Replace the milks Nut milk is a delicious alternative for those who can’t tolerate dairy, or simply a more easily digestible option for all! When we first learned how easy it is to make almond and cashew milk at home, our world was changed. A whole other planet: rich, tasty, and satisfying. Nut milk is an easy dairy-free milk substitute, made with nuts and water. It’s perfect for pouring over cereal, using it in smoothies, or even adding to your coffee! It takes your morning routine (other than having kombucha) to a whole new level! If you ask me, homemade nuts milk tastes way better than store-bought nuts milk. I think you’ll agree once you taste it– homemade is the best! In fact, you probably won’t be able to go back to a store brand after you see how good it tastes, and how easy it is to make (...
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Pork Tenderloin Stuffed with Spinach

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We love making food during the holiday season, as we can make food that we can’t make during the usual time. Food is always better when we can share with each other. This Stuffed Pork Tenderloin is one of our favourite dishes to make as it is juicy, where it filled with Mediterranean spinach and feta cheese blend and then covered in a tangy balsamic and rosemary sauce. Any home cook can make this gorgeous pork tenderloin recipe with restaurant-worthy results! Alright, let’s get to the good stuff! This Mediterranean Stuffed Pork Tenderloin packs a big flavour punch. If you’re feeling intimidated by stuffing the tenderloin, don’t fret! It’s easier than you think! Pork Tenderloin Stuffed with Spinach Ingredients 2kg pork tenderloin For Filling 1 teaspoon olive oil 3 garlic cloves Pinch red pepper flakes 5 cups packed baby spinach Pinch salt 1/2 a 7 ounce container sundried tomatoes packed in oil (About 6 tomato pieces), chopped 3 ounces feta cheese For Coating 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar 2 T...
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Vietnamnese Iced coffee

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We have this Phin Filter seating at our cardboard for years and finally, we decided to get it out for use. Vietnamese coffee is an intensely strong and sweet coffee, that’s sure to dissolve your morning daze and perk you up for the day. Its dark roast coffee and potent condensed milk make this a unique coffee. After trying it, it became one of my favourite coffee. How to make Vietnamese Coffee? The Vietnamese coffee was rich, flavorful, sweet and perfect on a cool day, but the method for brewing and serving the coffee is what really impressed us. The coffee was brought out with a layer of condensed milk at the bottom of a small, clear thick glass, with a stainless steel Phin Vietnamese filter sitting on top. The coffee was already dripping into the glass and mixing in with the condensed milk. When our coffees were done dripping, we stirred them to combine the coffee and condensed milk. You can enjoy them hot or fill the glass full of ice. Vietnamese coffee filter aka Phin Filter The Vi...
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Rosemary Honey Roasted Chicken

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The roasted chicken tight is one of the easiest ways to make fast protein for the whole family – or stockpile some leftovers if you’re only cooking for one or two. If you’ve never roasted a chicken before, it looks a little intimidating the first time, but it’s not hard at all: really all you have to do is put some vegetables inside the body cavity and stick it in the oven. The vegetables and herbs give the chicken a great flavor from the inside out, and brushing the bird with our homemade rosemary honey glaze adds just a little bit of extra intensity. And as a bonus, it gives you an extra-delicious layer of chicken skin.  Rosemary Honey Roasted Chicken Ingredients | 6 pieces of chicken tight 4 tbsp of homemade rosemary honey 3 tbsp of olive oil 2 tbsp of whole grain mustard 1 tsp of mustard 2 sprig of fresh rosemary 4 potato, cut into cube Method | Preheat your oven to 450 F. Season the chicken to taste with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. In a bowl, combine the olive oi...
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Roasted Peppers & Brussels Sprouts

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Do you want something savory, crispy but salubrious for dinner? You will be in love with Roasted Peppers & Brussels Sprouts, it matches the description above. It’s a very simple dish that requires just a 20 minutes of your time. This recipe was inspired by a small bowl of Roasted Brussels Sprouts I tasted a couple months ago. With the skin of the Sprouts stayed crispy and within juicy. For those who follow our blog notice that we have a love-hate relationship with Brussels Sprouts. Still, it is still as our favorite ingredients for dishes. The roast vegetable can be very easy if you manage a few handful of tips. The time, temperature and seasoning. The reason I say so as there is the time we roast vegetable for dinner, we roasted it for too long and it turned out dry with burn smell. Even you manage your time well, if the temperature is too low or high it will not stay crispy and within juicy if you didn’t add enough oil, it then to be very dry and brittle. Seasoning is always the ...
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Sriracha Roasted Sweet Potatoes

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If there’s a sweet potato fan club out there, we’d like to join. The tuber is versatile, healthy and as close as we’ll get to eating candy for dinner. This recipe for roasted sweet potatoes with sriracha and lime—from Amanda Frederickson’s cookbook Simple Beautiful Food—could work as a side dish, a base for meal prep or a light dinner (served with a yoghurt sauce and roasted chickpeas, perhaps). “The exact roasting time for the sweet potatoes will vary depending on their thickness,” Frederickson writes. And if the sriracha doesn’t seem hot enough, you can add more at the end. “But, be warned,” she says. “The sriracha heat builds over time.” Sriracha Roasted Sweet Potatoes Ingredients ¼ cup coconut oil, melted 2 tsp kosher salt 2 tsp sriracha, plus more as needed 1½ pounds sweet potatoes, cut into 1-inch chunks zest and juice of one lime coarsely chopped fresh cilantro, for serving Methods Preheat the oven to 425°F. In a large bowl, whisk together the coconut oil, lime juice (save the z...
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Ume-Shiso Yakitori

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Summertime brings with it the perfect excuse to indulge in the simple pleasure of having a BBQ. The sun shines brightly in the clear blue sky as the tantalizing aroma of sizzling meat fills the air. The warm weather and the delicious feast create an unforgettable experience, making BBQ in summer a cherished tradition to look forward to year after year. This summer we fall in love with yakitori, bursting with traditional flavors and a contemporary twist, this dish is a perfect representation of Japan's rich culinary heritage. We delve into the world of savory grilled skewers infused with the delightful combination of Ume (plum) and Shiso (perilla) leaves! What is Ume-Shiso Yakitori? Yakitori is a classic Japanese dish, where bite-sized pieces of meat, vegetables, or seafood are threaded onto skewers and grilled to perfection. Ume-Shiso Yakitori takes this beloved street food to new heights by introducing the dynamic duo of Ume and Shiso. Ume, with its tangy and subtly sweet flavor, ...
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Pan-Fried Nian Gao Sandwich

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Ever since we were a kid, our family inevitably buys or makes this treat for the Chinese New Year celebration, in the hopes of having a better year ahead. It’s also a popular gift to give when visiting family and friends during the festive season. Traditionally, our grandma will just dip the Nian Gao (we got from the store) with egg wash and pan-fried it. While our mom preferred to steam or pan-fried it with root vegetables like sweet potatoes or yam. Honestly, the block of Nian Gao is not quite appetizing. We promise that it is very delicious so don’t judge the book by its cover! Just to let you know, you might fall in love with this piece of Sweet Niao Gao sandwich instantly. Nian Gao 年糕 Making Nian Gao from starch it’s tedious but it can simply do it at home. The basic ingredient that you require is banana leaves, glutinous rice flour, water and brown sugar. These ingredients are easily found at the market or supermart. Place the water and brown sugar in a small saucepan and heat un...
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Tamago Onigirazu with Bacon Cucumber

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 it is a new idea of sandwiching your ingredients rather than wrapping your filling in the rice. This method is so much easier than the onigiri where many skills are needed when shaping the onigiri. Still, some patience is needed when wrapping it up, as you don’t want your filling to drop when you are enjoying them. This is also a recipe whereby there is no right or wrong. You can use any rice and filling that your like, go wild with it! However, in this recipes, we would like to share with you one of our favourite combination – Tamago Onigirazu with Bacon & Cucumber. You could also find some simple guideline to follow so that nothing goes wrong. Prepare your Rice Japanese Rice, brown-short grain or any mixed grain rice is welcomed for this recipes. For use, we have a combination of Japanese and bamboo rice that we got from our trip at Scoop Wholefood. The bamboo rice tastes almost the same as the Japanese Rice but it has a light fragrance to it. While the Japanese Rice is alre...
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Salt-Baked Fish

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Too much of the meat for this holiday season? For those who are sick of meat – we are glad to share with you this dish for your family occasion. You also might be surprised to learn how easy it is to make a salt-baked fish, it might be the most fancier dish but the taste of the fish will make your guests in love with you all over again. We promised that the results are an incredibly moist and well-seasoned fish with a gorgeous presentation! Are you ready to dive in the journey with us in making this delicious salt-baked fish! Why Salt-Bake Fish? Most of the dishes will lose it moist during baking and the meat of the fish will become dry and flaky. Using the salt crust keeps the fish moist and locks in the flavours of the aromatics. You can use any herbs and citrus, that you preferred, depending on your individual preferences for the serving. In order to prepare this dish – the most important of the star is the salt. You have to ensure your salt is well mixed in order to wrap the fish b...
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Table Stories | Make your own Purple Cabbage Pickled

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  The next following weeks, in between we’re going to share a series of our favorite homemade pickles to you. It is easy and tasteful for those of you who are busy however who want to remind healthily. Stop buying commercial jars or cans food, making your own pickles and sauce is very simple, and you could do them all at one go. With proper storage, they could be very lasting. Another name for this Purple Cabbage Pickled is Red Cabbage Pickled, as it turns red in the pickling brine. As purple cabbage is a PH indicator. It turns red in acidic conditions (purple in neutral, and green or yellow in alkaline, cool huh?). Purple Cabbage Pickled is very simple, and it’s a great addition to so many things. We love it for topping burgers, tacos, and sandwiches, and it’s a great side for anything spicy, and anything Asian. It’s fun to play with this recipe to get different flavours. You can change the vinegar for cider vinegar and add some soy sauce, and ginger slices for a specifically Asia...
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Summer Tea Melonade

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While summer is the hottest season of the year, this is the best time we enjoy great drinks and laughter. Also, who says it has to be spirits in the glass. We love to share this beautiful drink we have our favorite combination with. They’re watermelon, lemonade, and white-tea hence this summer you got to try this Summer’s Tea Melonade. Watermelon is our go-to for staying hydrated. Since it’s naturally sweet, you don’t need to add a ton of sugar. And who doesn’t love the mellow buzz and fresh flavor of white tea? We decided to go with the T2 brand with lots of recommendation from friends. Among the different variate of white tea, we chooses Pai Mu Tan. Beautiful light, smooth white tea with bits of nutty taste. We re-brew this tea up to three times and it’s good to the last drop! As the local market always deliver fresh fruits to their store in midnight and to avoid the crowd. To get started, remove the rind from a quarter of a large watermelon. We got our watermelon in the middle of th...
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Creamy Scalloped Potatoes

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Time files, December just jump quickly before we realised it, leaving only 7 days more to the Christmas. For those, who are worrying there wasn’t enough time to prepare the feast on the Christmas’s day. Do not have to worry about it. Sides are the most simple yet tricky dish to choose from. As we need it to accommodate the main that we are preparing. Therefore this time we are sharing with you an all-time favourite dishes from our family – Creamy Scalloped Potatoes. Most importantly it is using the most basic ingredients you have in the kitchen. This Creamy Scalloped Potato is the most creamy, delicious scalloped potatoes are all an all time dinner favourite. The dish can be largely assembled ahead: Leave off the last portion of cheese, cover the dish with plastic wrap (pressing it directly onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming), and refrigerate it for up to one day. Remove it 30 minutes before baking, sprinkle with the remaining cheese, and bake as instructed. Tell us, who d...
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