A Food Journey

Serving size: 2-3 Duration:  1 hour Ingredients 1/3-1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped 1 (~ 58 g) boneless skinless chicken breast, cubed 100 mL heavy cream (35%) 50 g fresh baby spinach 1/2 medium shallot, chopped 2 cloves garlic, chopped 230 g short cut pasta 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese 1 tbsp butter 2.5 tsp Italian seasoning (0.75 tsp basil, 0.75 tsp oregano, 0.25 tsp thyme, 0.25 tsp rosemary, 0.25 tsp sage) 0.5 tsp smoked paprika 0.5 tsp red pepper flakes 3/4 tsp kosher salt for chicken 1 tsp kosher salt for pasta + more to taste lemon (optional) Directions Prepare the chicken by marinating it in 1 tsp of EVOO (or use the oil from the sun-dried tomatoes), 3/4 tsp kosher salt, pepper, 2.5 tsp Italian seasoning, paprika, and 1 tbsp water. Set aside for at least 20 min. Prepare the other ingredients (chop shallots, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes; measure out spinach and pasta) Heat 1 tbsp EVOO and the red pepper flakes for 1-2 mins. Raise to medium-high heat. Add the chicken. Purp...

My tried and tested, go-to French toast recipe that works every time! I even regularly use multigrain bread for this recipe and the grains add a great additional crunch and wholesome fullness to the meal. Use low heat to ensure it is cooked through and doesn't burn. Serving size: 2 slices Duration: 15 mins Ingredients 1 tsp sugar 1/4 tsp cinnamon 1/8 tsp nutmeg 1/2 tsp vanilla 1/3 cup milk 1 egg 1 tsp butter 2 slices of bread Directions Combine all dry ingredients first, then add wet ingredients and mix. Dip bread in last to ensure evenly coated on both sides. Melt butter on a frying pan. Add bread and cook on low heat setting, flipping occasionally so it doesn't burn. If you have leftover egg mix, you can add to the bread once it's on the pan. After about 10 minutes total, it should be ready. Serve with maple syrup and fruit.

I can't remember when I first stumbled upon the original recipe, but I definitely modified it to a flavour profile I feel proud to call my own. Very simple to make and goes well over any rice + pan-fried fish/chicken dish. Serving size: 2 people Duration: <5 mins Ingredients 1/8 cup low sodium soy sauce 1 tbsp sweet vermouth 2 tbsp white granulated sugar 1 tsp garlic powder 1 tsp sesame oil Pinch of sesame seeds Directions Mix it all and pour over your cooked meat/fish. Enjoy!

This has a "restaurant style" taste to it, and I think it's because of all the olive oil in the sauce. I've made pizza so many different ways before. This was probably my most unhealthiest recipe but also the tastiest =P Serving size: dough for 2 small individual pizzas; sauce is enough for ~2 medium pizzas Duration: Best to prep a few hours ahead of time Ingredients Dough 1/2 cup warm water 1/4 tbsp sugar 1/4 tbsp quick rise yeast 1/4 tbsp salt 1/2 tbsp olive oil 1 1/4 (1.25) cups AP flour, or more, enough to make a soft, smooth dough Sauce 3/4 cup water  1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 1 (6oz) can of tomato paste 2 cloves garlic, minced  3/4 tsp salt, to taste  ground black pepper to taste  ½ tbsp dried oregano  ½ tbsp dried basil  ½ tsp dried rosemary, crushed Directions Combine pizza sauce ingredients and let it sit in fridge for a couple hours to allow flavours to infuse. Add yeast, sugar, and water together and let it sit for a few minutes for yeast to...

These are not your typical bakery muffins; these are serious business muffins packed with tons of natural protein, fiber, and fruit with a focus on being health conscious! With no egg, this is easy to do in small batches. I am still testing this recipe out so I may modify from time to time. Serving size: 6 muffins Duration: <1 hr Ingredients 1/12 tsp salt 1/12 tsp baking soda 1/4 tsp baking powder 5/6 tsp cinnamon 1/2 cups AP flour 2/3 cups whole grain oats (steel cut is fine) 1 ripe bananas 1/4 cup honey 1/8 cup plain yogurt (Skyr works) 1 tsp apple cider (or lemon juice) 1/2 tsp vanilla extract 1 tbsp melted/softened butter (optional) 1/2 cup fresh blueberries Coconut oil for greasing Directions In a small bowl, mix salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, flour In a larger bowl, mash bananas and add honey, yogurt, apple cider, vanilla extract, and butter Add the dry ingredients from the Step #1 into the wet ingredients in Step #2. Also add whole grain oats and mix. Fold in fr...

Fresh, fluffy, and not too sweet. I've made this several times now for family. It's so much better than the store bought ones because it doesn't taste artificial, uses half the cream fat, uses quality hot dogs, and is loaded with as much coconut filling / pineapple bun topping as you want! Pair it with the easy homemade HK milk tea recipe below. Duration:  3 hours Serving size: 12 buns: 4 coconut, 4 hot dog, 4 pineapple INGREDIENTS Note: For best results, use exact weights. For the bread dough: 160 ml table (18%) cream, at room temp 250 ml milk, warmed (125F; warm by microwaving milk for ~60sec) 1 large egg, at room temp 1/3 cup sugar (75g) 1/2 cup cake flour (70g) 3 1/2 cups AP flour (500g) 1 tbsp active dry yeast (11g) 1.5 tsp salt (7g) For the coconut filling (4 buns): 2 tbsp softened butter (28.3g) 12.7g of superfine sugar* 1 tbsp cake flour (6.3g) ¼ cup shredded, unsweetened coconut flakes (20g) For the coconut topping (4 buns): 25.3g cake flour 28.7g softened butter 1...

Comes out surprisingly moist and fragrant! Choose large ripe bananas (i.e. half dark brown and soft), can add extra apple sauce, and it's OK to do the 3/4 cup sugar (will come out more satisfyingly sweeter!). When reheating, toast it for a nice crunch. Serving Size: 1 loaf Duration: ~1 hr Ingredients 3 very ripe bananas 38g butter, melted 50g of unsweetened apple sauce (about half a 113g cup) 1 tsp baking soda Pinch of salt 3/4 cup sugar (1/2 cup if you would like it less sweet, 1 cup if more sweet) 1 large egg, beaten 1 tsp vanilla extract 1.5 cups all-purpose flour Directions Mash bananas and mix in apple sauce in a large bowl Add butter, vanilla, egg, sugar, salt, baking soda and mix Add flour and mix until smooth Pour into a loaf pan lined with parchment paper and let it rest for a few minutes to smooth out on top Bake at 350F for 50 minutes Remove from oven and after a few minutes, transfer out of loaf pan and onto a cooling rack Let it cool completely before slicing Based on...

This recipe is very simple but requires some patience, time, and elbow grease to work it by hand (no pasta machine!). I really enjoyed making this and eating it, simply because I love pasta and making it from scratch is something I've always wanted to do. I love the simplicity of this recipe - just 4 ingredients; it reminds me of what "real food" should taste like.  Serving size: 3 Duration:  1.5-3 hours Ingredients 200 g all purpose flour (measure exactly on scale; don't use cups) 2 eggs dash of salt 2 tbsp cornstarch Directions On a flat surface or mixing bowl, combine the salt and flour and shape it into a mound. Form a well in the middle of the flour mound and crack the eggs inside. Using a fork, whisk the eggs gently to slowly combine the flour. Be patient. When the egg is mostly mixed, use your fingers to combine the rest of the flour, kneading as you go. Be patient and use your body strength as kneading will be very difficult. However, slowly, your ball of doug...

I couldn't resist making a dish named "chakalaka"! This is a classic South African trio, but the highlight for me was the sausage (boerewors or simply "wors"), which reminded me of my North African meatballs. Typically the wors are stuffed into sausage casings and grilled on the braai (BBQ), but this is the stovetop patty version: Ingredients Boerewors Sausage Patties (2-3 servings) 1/4 lb ground beef  1/4 lb ground pork  1/8 tsp black pepper  1/4 tsp ground allspice  1 tsp coriander seed  1 crushed whole clove  pinch of nutmeg  1/3 tsp salt  1 tbsp balsamic vinegar  1/8 cup water  1/6 cup panko  Chakalaka (1 serving) 1 tbsp cooking oil  1/4 medium onion, chopped  1/4 tsp curry powder  1/2 tsp garlic, minced  1/8 tsp thyme  1/8 tsp smoked paprika  1/4 tsp cayenne pepper  1/8 tsp ginger, minced  1/3 of tomato, chopped  1.5 cup sliced cabbage and carrot mix  1/4 red bell pepper, chop...

I am mostly writing this recipe just for the phenomenal sweet potato fries; the cornmeal and turmeric really gave a surprisingly delightful taste! As for the chickpea nuggets, it is important to remember to appreciate it on its own and not as a replacement for chicken nuggets... Serving Size: 3-4 Duration: 1.5 hr Ingredients Chickpea Nuggets 1 cup chick peas (from can, rinsed) 1 cup panko 1 tsp garlic powder 1 tsp onion powder 1 tsp smoked paprika 1/4 large onion 1/4 cup steel cut oats 3/4 tsp salt Sweet Potato Wedges 2 medium sized sweet potatoes 1 tsp smoked paprika 1/2 tsp ground ginger 1/2 tsp garlic powder 1/2 tsp Kosher salt 1 tsp turmeric 2 tbsp cornmeal 1 tbsp olive oil  Directions Chickpea Nuggets Toast panko on stovetop until nicely browned and set aside. Grind steel cut oats in a food processor for several minutes until it is a mostly fine powder (it will still have chunks). Add all other ingredients (except panko) into the food processor and blend until it is...

The rice flour is the star in this no-beer fish and chips recipe, and I don't recommend making it unless you have it. The rice flour, cornstarch, and beer substitute (club soda) were probably what gave the fish such a crispy/crunchy crust. Although I still have some work to do on refining this recipe (I've only made it once!), I was pleasantly surprised with how it turned out. Serving size: 3-4 servings Duration: 1.5 hours Ingredients Fish 1 lb of haddock filet, boneless, skinless Batter 1 large egg 1/2 cup rice flour 1/2 cup all purpose white flour 1/2 tbsp baking powder 1/2-1 tsp salt 1/2 tsp pepper 6 oz club soda Dredging 1/4 cup cornstarch 1/4 cup rice flour Tartar Sauce 2 tbsp sweet relish 4 tbsp light mayo 1/2 tsp kosher salt 1 tsp lemon juice 2 tbsp onion, finely minced 1/2 tsp parsley Pepper Directions In a small bowl, mix all tartar sauce ingredients together and taste test. Play around with the amounts until it's to yo...

My attempt at a Chinese/HK spaghetti bolognese. Even though it tasted more like an asian beef stroganoff, it was surprisingly delicious and a very easy pack-for-work lunch for a retail healthcare professional! Serving size: 2 servings Duration: < 1 hour Ingredients 227g dried spaghetti (i.e. half a 454g box of De Cecco) 1/2-3/4 lb of ground meat (e.g. beef, turkey) 1/2 medium onion, diced 2-3 cloves garlic, minced 2 tsp Shaoxing wine 1.5 cup chicken or beef stock 2 tbsp oyster sauce 1 tbsp soy sauce* 1 tsp sesame oil Pepper and salt to taste (max 1 tsp)* 4 well rounded tsp cornstarch, mixed with 1 tbsp water Directions Boil water and cook spaghetti 1-2 mins under the al dente time (i.e. I cooked for 8 minutes when box said 10 minutes for al dente). Drain pasta. Add oil to a pan and cook beef until medium well. Break up any large chunks. Add onions, garlic, and Shaoxing wine. Cook until onions are slightly translucent. Add chicken stock and bring mixture...

This is definitely not your traditional bun rieu recipe; it's my mom's version, and what I grew up eating. We try to avoid using the pre-made spices / canned crab because I always find it tastes very processed, salty, and oily. Although I still use a lot of sodium in this recipe, the fact that it is all made from scratch helps it taste a bit "healthier" and lighter. It's like a comforting seafood tomato/chicken soup. Note: This was one of the harder recipes for me to write because I really cook this dish totally by intuition. I may adjust this recipe from time to time as I revisit. Serving Size: 6 servings, with extra broth Duration: 1.5 hrs Ingredients Soup and Noodles 1 bag (400g) of vermicelli (I use  Jiang Xi Rice Vermicelli  brand) 1 lb of chicken (approx. 2-3 chicken breasts, or 10 chicken thighs), skinless, sliced 9.5 cups of water 3-4 extra large tomatoes (5-6 medium tomatoes), sliced into thick wedges 2 tsp fish sauce * 3 tsp salt * 3.5...

This dish has that legitimate dim sum taste, and is super easy to cook. However, I rarely make it because the Chinese sausage is so notoriously unhealthy. I only buy the ones with the Vietnamese translation (i.e. lap xuong) on the package because that's what I grew up eating. Approx: Serving size: 4-5 servings Duration: 1 hour Ingredients  1/2 cup dried shiitake mushrooms  1 cup glutinous rice  3 links Chinese sausage, chopped  1.5 cups water or chicken broth (or half and half to reduce the saltiness) 1 tbsp soy sauce  1 tbsp sesame oil 2 tsp oyster sauce  Directions Soak the dried mushrooms in hot water and let them sit for at least 20-30 mins to soften. While waiting, prepare the other ingredients. Add them all to the Instant Pot. Once softened, slice the mushrooms into very thin pieces, and add them to the Instant Pot.  Stir all ingredients and close the lid. Cook on high pressure for 10 minutes. Once cooking is done, release...

I promise, there really is a difference in taste between homemade bread and the ones from the store. For me, I find homemade bread is more fresh, digests better, and makes me salivate more vs. the ones from the store (which are dry and make me thirsty). This particular recipe does not make crunchy crusty French baguettes; rather, they are soft and can easily be made crunchy by re-baking in the oven as needed when ready to be served. I usually store them in an airtight plastic bag at room temperature for 3-4 days, and then put the remainder in the fridge (it lasts about 1.5 weeks after that in the fridge but obviously the sooner you eat it, the fresher it tastes!) Approx: Serving size: Three 2 inch x 8-10 inch thick baguettes, or two 3.5 inch x 10-12 inch thick baguettes Duration: 3 hours Ingredients 1.5 tbsp quick rise yeast* 2 tbsp honey 3.5 to 4 cups all-purpose flour** 2 tsp salt Olive oil, for greasing bowl Boiling water (see directions below) Directions In a me...

Home comfort food that you can make in advance and store in the freezer for those days when you aren't feeling your best. It tastes much less greasy than the ones you get outside, and a lot more hearty and healthy. I typically make a big batch and then individually freeze them in plastic freezer bags that can be defrosted as an emergency meal when I feel sick. Approx: Serving Size: 8-10 servings Duration: 2.5 hours Ingredients 3 skinless chicken breasts (frozen or unfrozen) 1 cup of water (to cook the chicken) 2 carrots full size, chopped  4 celery stalks, chopped  1 medium onion, chopped  2 tbsp butter (salted or unsalted)  2-3 cloves garlic, minced  2 slices fresh ginger 1.5 cups of twisty dry pasta noodles* 2 dry bay leaves Salt, pepper, thyme, oregano, basil to taste  8 cups chicken broth** Directions Place chicken breasts in Instant Pot, adding 1 cup of water.  Put on the lid and cook at high pressure for 10 minutes. Onc...

Super smooth and comforting; this has the same consistency of Congee Wong/Queen. The meat ingredients are all optional; I personally just love a good seafood congee but you can replace with chicken or any other meat you prefer. My recipe tends to lean more on the watery side, so reduce the water by 1/4 cup if you prefer your congee a bit thicker. Approx: Serving size: 6-8 servings Duration: 2 hours Ingredients Congee 3/4 cup Jasmine rice  6.5 cups cold water  1 tbsp sliced fresh ginger 1.5 cups of shrimp  1.5 cups of imitation crab meat  1.5 cups of sliced salmon Salt and pepper to taste Garnish/Toppings Green onion Parsley / cilantro Fried onion Lime wedges Chinese fried dough fritters (baked until crispy and sliced into bite size pieces) Directions Rinse rice with cool water to remove starchiness (usually I do 3 cycles of rinsing and pouring out the milky water). Add the rice to the Instant Pot along with sliced ginger and 6.5 cups ...

This is a very unauthentic pad thai, but hits my taste buds perfectly and we make it all the time at my house! It's more on the sweet side, and less vinegary. Approx: Serving size: 4-5 servings Duration: 1.5 hours Ingredients Main 1/2 pack of Banh Pho noodle (about 1/2 lb) 8 jumbo shrimp 1 chicken breast 6-7 fried tofu, sliced 2 large eggs, beaten (or beat in pan if lazy) 1.5 cups bean sprouts 4-5 cloves garlic, minced 1/2 large onion, chopped Pad Thai Sauce 5-6 tbsp brown sugar 2 tsp low sodium soy sauce 1 tbsp white vinegar 4 tbsp fish sauce 4 tsp oyster sauce 2 tbsp ketchup Garnish/Toppings Scallions Parsley Peanuts Lime wedge Directions Mix all the ingredients for the pad thai sauce in a small bowl and set aside. Taste test to ensure you like the flavour. Bring about 3 cups of water to a boil. Add Banh Pho noodle and turn off the stove. Leave the noodle to soak for about 1.5 minutes then drain and set aside. It should feel al-dente....

I always get lazy when I think of making this, but then it ends up tasting so good. The garlic adds so much flavour that you might not even need all the salt. Approx: Serving Size: Makes about 2 cups Duration: 1 hour Ingredients 3/4 English cucumber 1 tsp kosher salt, divided 4 to 5 garlic cloves, minced 1 tsp white vinegar 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 400 mL of plain Greek yogurt (can use Oikos 4x200mL yogurt packs) 1/4 tsp ground pepper 1 tbsp dill (fresh is preferred) Directions Slice cucumbers and place into a food processor. Blend until mushy. Place the cucumber mush onto a mesh strainer and leave for about 1 hour for the liquid to drain out and the mush to dry. In a container, add garlic, salt, vinegar, pepper, olive oil, (freshly chopped) dill. Once cucumber mush is ready, add to the container along with Greek yogurt. Mix well. Refrigerate for 30 mins to let flavour sink in or serve right away and enjoy! Based on: https://www.themediterranea...

These meatballs may be small, but they pack quite the flavour punch due to the cloves and nutmeg. Served with couscous and tzatziki sauce, it tastes very light and refreshing. You can also wrap the meatballs in a pita and serve with lettuce and vegetables. Approx: Serving Size: Makes about 30-34 small meatballs. Duration: About 1.5 hours Ingredients Meatballs 1 lb lean ground beef 1/3 cup panko crumbs 1-2 large eggs, beaten* 4 garlic cloves, minced  3 tbsp chopped parsley  3 tbsp chopped cilantro 3 tbsp chopped scallion 1 tsp salt  1/4 tsp black pepper 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg  1 tsp ground ginger  1 tsp turmeric 2 tsp paprika 1/4 tsp cayenne  1/4 tsp ground cloves (can do a bit more, and can crush roughly whole cloves) 1/4 tsp ground coriander  1/2 tsp ground cumin Couscous 1.5 cup couscous 1.5 cup water (or chicken stock) 1 tbsp salted butter Other Toppings (Optional) Tzatziki sauce Sliced tomatoes Sliced on...