Fudgy Brownies to Impress


Date Published: January 17th, 2020 | Last Updated: January 17th, 2020
Author: Abby |Category: dessert
Serves: 1 tray | Prep time: 20mins | Cook time: 25mins

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One day Toby wanted to make brownies for work. We can’t remember exactly what the occasion was for or if it was for a specific person, but I remember googling a recipe for him and stumbled upon the one from Tasty.co. The brownies came out fantastic and were a big hit. We’ve since made it at least half a dozen times and made some minor changes along the way. Because brownies are so sugary and fatty in nature, we pretty much only make these for other people and sneak a couple of squares for ourselves. These are now Toby’s go-to baked goods to bring to any occasion and make an impression – they get rave reviews every time!

The recipe takes a couple of steps but is overall pretty easy to make. The hardest part is trying not to eat them before they cool completely!

Anyways, without further ado, here’s the recipe! If you have any comments or suggestions, I’d love to hear from you in the comment section! You can follow me on instagram, youtube and facebook to see all the recipes I post!

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

  • 112g + 112g (4oz + 4oz) chocolate chips or chopped semi-sweet chocolate
  • 3/4 cup (95g) all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup (30 g) cocoa powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 3/4 cups (180g) unsalted butter, melted or softened
  • 1 1/4 cups (250g) sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tsps vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 180˚C (350°F). Line an 8-inch (20 cm) square baking dish with baking/parchment paper.

Weigh out two bowls of chocolate chips (112g each) and melt one bowl in the microwave 20 seconds at a time until it’s just melted (without cooking it). Set the other bowl of chocolate aside.

In a medium sized bowl, mix together the flour, cocoa powder and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl or stand mixer, whisk the butter and sugar until combined, then add in the eggs and vanilla and continue to whisk until its somewhat fluffy and lighter in colour.

Next whisk in the melted chocolate (make sure it’s not too hot or else it will cook the eggs).

Sift the flour/cocoa powder/salt mixture into your batter and use a spatula to fold the ingredients together – don’t over mix it otherwise the brownies will be denser and cake-like.

Fold in the unmelted chocolate chips and pour the batter in the prepared baking dish.

Bake for 20-25 minutes until an inserted toothpick comes out clean (the less you bake it, the more fudgy your brownies will be). Let it cool completely then slice. Enjoy!

Summarized Recipe:

Fudgy Brownies to Impress

Date Published: January 17th, 2020 | Last Updated: January 17th, 2020
Author: Abby |Category: dessert
Serves: 1 tray | Prep time: 20mins | Cook time: 25mins

Ingredients:

  • 112g + 112g (4oz + 4oz) chocolate chips or chopped semi-sweet chocolate
  • 3/4 cup (95g) all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup (30 g) cocoa powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 3/4 cups (180g) unsalted butter, melted or softened
  • 1 1/4 cups (250g) sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tsps vanilla extract

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 180˚C (350°F). Line an 8-inch (20 cm) square baking dish with baking/parchment paper.
  2. Weigh out two bowls of chocolate chips (112g each) and melt one bowl in the microwave 20 seconds at a time until it’s just melted (without cooking it). Set the other bowl of chocolate aside.
  3. In a medium sized bowl, mix together the flour, cocoa powder and salt. Set aside.
  4. In a large bowl or stand mixer, whisk the butter and sugar until combined, then add in the eggs and vanilla and continue to whisk until its somewhat fluffy and lighter in colour.
  5. Next whisk in the melted chocolate (make sure it’s not too hot or else it will cook the eggs).
  6. Sift the flour/cocoa powder/salt mixture into your batter and use a spatula to fold the ingredients together – don’t over mix it otherwise the brownies will be denser and cake-like.
  7. Fold in the unmelted chocolate chips and pour the batter in the prepared baking dish.
  8. Bake for 20-25 minutes until an inserted toothpick comes out clean (the less you bake it, the more fudgy your brownies will be). Let it cool on the bench completely then slice. Enjoy!

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Stir-Fry Black Pepper Beef & Carrot


Date Published: January 17th, 2020 | Last Updated: January 17th, 2020
Author: Abby |Category: Asian, mains, sides, easy
Serves: 4-6 | Prep time: 15mins | Cook time: 15mins

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I don’t tend to buy many pre-made sauces because I want to limit the amount of half opened jars in my fridge and also I haven’t found many pre-made sauces that I haven’t been able to re-create or liked enough to keep around. UNTIL my mom introduced me to the Lee Kum Kee black pepper sauce. She learned this recipe from one of her church friends. My mind was blown the first time she ever made this for us. I could eat this dish all day, everyday, the saucier the better! I always hoped she would double the recipe every time she made it. There were never any leftovers. This dish goes so well over rice or sautéed with some thick noodles. Mmm mmmm. You can even change it up and stir-fry it with some onion and bell peppers if you’re not a huge fan of carrots.

Because this recipe is based on a pre-made sauce, it’s incredibly easy and cooks up quickly – perfect if you haven’t got much time.

Anyways, without further ado, here’s the recipe! If you have any comments or suggestions, I’d love to hear from you in the comment section! You can follow me on instagram, youtube and facebook to see all the recipes I post!

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

  • 1kg (~3.5 cups) steak, sliced into strips (any stir-fry steak will do: rump, flank, skirt)
  • 1.5 tsps cornstarch
  • 6 cups (~4-5 large) carrots, julienned (or thickly grated to save time)
  • 1/2 jar (~1/2 cup) of Lee Kum Kee black pepper sauce

Directions:

In a bowl, mix the steak strips and cornstarch together until combined.

In a wok, over medium-high heat, sear the steak strips until they’re browned on the outside (~1-2 mins). Remove the steak into a bowl and set aside.

In the same wok, still over medium-high heat, add the carrots and stir-fry it with the leftover oil from the steak for 4-5 mins until they’re slightly soft.

Turn down the heat to medium and add in the steak and black pepper sauce. Stir-fry until everything is combined for another 2 mins. Taste and add more black pepper sauce if needed or some water if too strong. If you have too much liquid or if you prefer the sauce to be thicker, remove a few tablespoons of liquid from the wok into a small bowl and mix in half a tablespoon of cornstarch then add the mixture back into the wok and stir it until the sauce has thickened. Serve over rice, noodles or as a side dish. Enjoy!

You can also try stir-frying it with noodles instead of serving over rice

Summarized Recipe:

Stir-Fry Black Pepper Beef & Carrot

Date Published: January 17th, 2020 | Last Updated: January 17th, 2020
Author: Abby |Category: Asian, mains, sides, easy
Serves: 4-6 | Prep time: 15mins | Cook time: 15mins

Ingredients:

  • 1kg (~3.5 cups) steak, sliced into strips (any stir-fry steak will do: rump, flank, skirt)
  • 1.5 tsps cornstarch
  • 6 cups (~4-5 large) carrots, julienned
  • 1/2 jar (~1/2 cup) of Lee Kum Kee black pepper sauce

Directions:

  1. In a bowl, mix the steak strips and cornstarch together until combined.
  2. In a wok, over medium-high heat, sear the steak strips until they’re browned on the outside (~1-2 mins). Remove the steak into a bowl and set aside.
  3. In the same wok, still over medium-high heat, add the carrots and stir-fry it with the leftover oil from the steak for 4-5 mins until they’re slightly soft.
  4. Turn down the heat to medium and add in the steak and black pepper sauce. Stir-fry until everything is combined for another 2 mins. Taste and add more black pepper sauce if needed or some water if too strong. If you have too much liquid or if you prefer the sauce to be thicker, remove a few tablespoons of liquid from the wok into a small bowl and mix in half a tablespoon of cornstarch then add the mixture back into the wok and stir it until the sauce has thickened. Serve over rice, noodles or as a side dish. Enjoy!

AbbyLeave a comment

Taiwanese Ground Pork with Pickled Cucumbers 瓜子肉 (Guā Zǐ Ròu)


Date Published: January 17th, 2020 | Last Updated: January 17th, 2020
Author: Abby |Category: Taiwanese, mains, Asian, easy
Serves: 4-6 | Prep time: 10mins | Cook time: 30mins

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Gua zi rou 瓜子肉 is a ridiculously easy dish my mom made quite often when I was growing up. It’s a Taiwanese dish in origin similar to the ever popular Lu Rou Fan (marinated pork over rice) but requires way fewer ingredients and is so much faster to make. It’s not a dish that you’d see commonly sold in Taiwan and I’m not sure why – my guess is that the Lu Rou Fan outshines it and it is also such a simple dish to make yourself at home 🤷🏻‍♀️. I didn’t even know how easy it was to make until recently when I was suddenly craving it and called up my mom for her recipe. I always thought it took her hours of effort due to the delicious rich umami flavours, but it’s as easy as opening up a can, chopping, and simmering. Best of all, it can all be done in one pot for easy clean up!

Gua zi rou directly translates to “melon/cucumber meat” which is exactly what this dish is made of: minced pork and Chinese pickled cucumbers (jiang gua/醬瓜). These two ingredients are simmered over half an hour and you end up with a salty mix of meat and slightly crunchy cucumber in a rich liquid sauce to drizzle over a warm bed of rice.

There is no doubt many brands out there, but the brand of Chinese cucumbers I’ve grown up with since a child is pictured below. Don’t ask me what the difference between the brands are, but this is the one I most often see at the shops and the one our family has been buying for ages – it just feels wrong to buy any other brand now. We call them jiang gua/醬瓜 and commonly eat it as an accompaniment to congee. They’re essentially pickled cucumbers (pickles), but instead of marinating it in vinegar as is common in the Western world, these are marinated in soy sauce, sugar and vinegar to make a salty/sweet/slightly tangy bomb of flavour.

Anyways, without further ado, here’s the recipe! If you have any comments or suggestions, I’d love to hear from you in the comment section! You can follow me on instagram, youtube and facebook to see all the recipes I post!

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

  • 500 ground pork
  • 1 tsp cornstarch
  • 1 jar of Chinese pickled cucumbers (jiang gua/醬瓜)
  • 1/3 cup green onion, chopped (optional)
  • Cooked rice – for serving (optional)

Directions:

Mix 1 tsp of cornstarch with the ground pork. Set aside.

Strain the jar of pickled cucumbers, reserving the liquid. Finely dice the pickled cucumbers (you can use a food processor here to save some time).

In a wok over medium heat, add a drizzle of oil and sauté the white part of the green onion for 30 seconds until fragrant (optional). Then add in the ground pork, diced pickled cucumbers, and the reserved pickled juice. Mix it all up, put a lid on the wok and let it gently simmer for half an hour, intermittently stirring.

(While you’re waiting for the pork to simmer, you can cook your rice now. Your pork should be done when the rice is cooked.)

After half an hour, taste and adjust saltiness as needed. If it’s too salty, add some water. If it’s not salty enough, add some soy sauce (I usually don’t add anything additional, but to each their own taste). Serve warm over rice. Enjoy!

*Remember: the pork and the sauce is supposed to be salty and meant to be eaten over warm rice to dilute out the salt, so keep that in mind when adjusting the saltiness!

Summarized Recipe:

Taiwanese Ground Pork with Pickled Cucumbers 瓜子肉 (Guā Zǐ Ròu)

Date Published: January 17th, 2020 | Last Updated: January 17th, 2020
Author: Abby |Category: Taiwanese, mains, Asian, easy
Serves: 4-6 | Prep time: 10mins | Cook time: 30mins

Ingredients:

  • 500 ground pork
  • 1 tsp cornstarch
  • 1 jar of Chinese pickled cucumbers (jiang gua/醬瓜)
  • 1/3 cup green onion, chopped (optional)
  • Cooked rice – for serving (optional)

Directions:

  1. Mix 1 tsp of cornstarch with the ground pork. Set aside.
  2. Strain the jar of pickled cucumbers, reserving the liquid. Finely dice the pickled cucumbers (you can use a food processor here to save some time).
  3. In a wok over medium heat, add a drizzle of oil and sauté the white part of the green onion for 30 seconds until fragrant (optional). Then add in the ground pork, diced pickled cucumbers, and the reserved pickled juice. Mix it all up, put a lid on the wok and let it gently simmer for half an hour, intermittently stirring.
  4. (While you’re waiting for the pork to simmer, you can cook your rice now. Your pork should be done when the rice is cooked.)
  5. After half an hour, taste and adjust saltiness as needed. If it’s too salty, add some water. If it’s not salty enough, add some soy sauce (I usually don’t add anything additional, but to each their own taste). Serve warm over rice. Enjoy!

*Remember: the pork and the sauce is supposed to be salty and meant to be eaten over warm rice to dilute out the salt, so keep that in mind when adjusting the saltiness!

AbbyLeave a comment