Taiwanese Stir-fry Lamb with Water Spinach 炒羊肉 (chǎo yáng ròu)

Date Published: August 23rd, 2020 | Last Updated: August 23rd, 2020
Author: Abby |Category: taiwanese, mains, asian, sides
Serves: 1 large plate (enough for 4 ppl as sides) | Prep time: 15 mins | Cook time: 15 mins

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Shihlin is home to the largest and arguably the most popular night market (士林夜市) in Taiwan. Lucky for me our home was only a 5 minute walk from the famous night market and it was almost a nightly ritual to have supper there after closing time of my dad’s vet clinic. The night market is full of the best street food Taiwan has to offer. The food stalls are always bustling with the sound of sizzling oil, the scraping of woks, and shouting across the room from servers that hastily take your order.

Over the many years we’ve lived in Shihlin, we’ve seen many food stalls come and go and many food trends suddenly appear then disappear, but the old school stalls where the locals know and love always stay right where they are. Same location, same time, rain or shine. 士林炒羊肉 (Shihlin Stir-Fry Lamb) is one of these OG stalls. This place actually started off in a shop across the road from my dad’s vet clinic on DaDong Road over a decade ago. The shop was run by a man and his family. In the morning they’d serve traditional breakfast items like soya bean milk, oil sticks, sandwiches…etc. I remember buying breakfast for my family at the start of the work day. Then at night he’d open late and serve stir-fry lamb. My dad would often work until 11-midnight and we’d head over to his place for a late night supper after closing. I don’t ever remember it being that crowded, but then again we’d always go really late at night. I’m not really sure of the reason for their move (perhaps the rent was getting to expensive, perhaps the man had health issues, or maybe he just didn’t want to run the business anymore 🤷🏻‍♀️), but I remember returning back to Taiwan one summer and my parents told me he closed his shop and now his daughters run a food stall at the Shihlin night market serving only the stir-fry lamb we know and love. They opened up the stall in a small alleyway just off of the main road of the night market where exposure was limited, but surprisingly over the years they’ve built up their business pretty well and always seems to be busy despite of the location. Their place used to be one of our go-to locations when we visit Taiwan, however they’re not open as often anymore with seemingly random operating hours which makes it hard to plan for and their prices have gone up drastically as well ($150NT for a plate is quite expensive for Taiwan street food). However on those nights when the stars have aligned and we happen to catch them while they’re open, we indulge ourselves and order a plate of stir-fry lamb each. My mom doesn’t usually eat lamb, but this is the only place she’ll ever have it. Stir-fry lamb is a common dish across many street food/hole in the wall restaurants in Taiwan, but this places makes it different. I’m not sure what it is, but their sauce just seems more rich and creamy than the other places.

If you’ve never had stir-fry lamb before, it’s thin-sliced lamb that’s cooked in sa-cha sauce (Chinese bbq sauce) with water spinach and garlic. If you’re a fan of sa-cha sauce, then you’ll love this dish. It’s funny that it’s translated as bbq sauce because I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone use it for barbecues. I see it most often used in stir-fries or eaten as a dip with hotpot or dumplings. The most famous brand is the “bull head” brand and it’s really the only brand I’ve ever known. The sauce is oily and pasty, mainly made of shallots, garlic, and dried shrimp. I don’t quite know how else to describe this since there aren’t any other sauces that is quite like this one (or at least none that I know of).

As you may already know, I’ve been trying to cook more Taiwanese/Chinese foods lately to get back to my roots. Now that we’re all in a pandemic, international travel is out of reach for probably another 6 months (or likely longer) and it will be a long time before I’m able to see my family or visit Taiwan again. Trying to recreate my favourite childhood foods is a way for me to reconnect with home from so far away. This recipe is my copycat version of the stir-fry lamb from the Shihlin night market. It’s still not as good as the night market version, but I suspect that’s due to the lack of MSG in my recipe. I hope you enjoy it anyway as much as I do!

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:

375g lamb, thinly sliced (Slice it as thin as you can manage. It may be easier to freeze the lamb for half an hour first before you slice it. You can use sliced hotpot lamb as well.)
Marinade:
- 1 medium egg
- 2 tsps Chinese BBQ sauce 沙茶酱 (Bull head brand), try to avoid the excess oil
- 2 tsps black vinegar
- 2 Tbsps cornstarch
- 2 Tbsps vegetable oil
Sauce:
- 1/4 cup Chinese BBQ sauce 沙茶酱 (Bull head brand)
- 2 Tbsps soy sauce
- 2 Tbsps Chinese cooking wine (ie ShaoXing Wine or rice wine)
- 1 tsp black vinegar
- 2 Tbsps ground peanuts (or substitute with 1 Tbsp all natural peanut butter without sugar)
- 1/2 Tbsps white sugar
6 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
2 birds eye chillis, sliced (for mild spiciness – feel free to add more!)
1 large bunch of water spinach (also called Kang Kong or 空心菜)
1/4 cup Chinese cooking wine (ie Shao Xing Wine or rice wine)

Directions:

Make the marinade by mixing all the marinade ingredients together in a bowl (egg, bbq sauce, black vinegar, cornstarch, vegetable oil). Add the lamb slices to the bowl and mix. Set aside to marinate for about 15mins while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

Make the sauce by adding all the sauce ingredients together in a bowl and set aside (bbq sauce, soy sauce, black vinegar, peanuts, sugar).

Chop the water spinach in half to separate the stems from the leaves

Prepare the water spinach by first washing and trimming off the ends of the stems that may be discoloured or hardened. Discard these pieces. Next, separate the leaves from the stems by chopping the bunch in half (it doesn’t have to be too exact, just eyeball the halfway point). Chop the stems into 4-5 cm pieces and set aside in a bowl. Put the leaves in another bowl.

In a non-stick wok or a wide base pan on MED-HIGH, heat 2 tablespoons of oil and stir-fry the marinated lamb for a couple of minutes until just brown (doesn’t have to be cooked all the way through). Remove the lamb from the pot (strain it if there’s a lot of oil) and discard the rest of the oil from the pot except for 1 tablespoon.

I used hotpot lamb slices for this recipe which happened to be a fattier cut so I had a LOT of oil in my pot. Try to use a leaner cut or be prepared to strain out all the oil!

Add in the garlic and chillies and stir-fry in the leftover oil until fragrant (~30 seconds). Add in the spinach stems and stir-fry for another couple of minutes until it starts to soften.

Then add in the lamb, water spinach leaves and 1/4 cup cooking wine. Do not stir the pot and put on the lid to let the veg steam for 1 minute.

We’re not stirring the layers at this point because we want to keep the tougher spinach stems on the bottom to cook more while the leaves on the top layer steams as the cooking wine evaporates.

Remove the lid and stir everything together. Add in the sauce and stir-fry until it’s evenly mixed through. Taste and adjust flavours as needed. Turn off the heat and add a drizzle of sesame oil before serving.

(Optional: If you find that your cut of lamb is too fatty and there’s too much oil in your dish, you can strain out the oil before serving.) Done! Serve as a main dish with some rice or as a side.

Summarized Recipe:

Taiwanese Stir-fry Lamb with Water Spinach 炒羊肉 (chǎo yáng ròu)

Ingredients:

375g lamb, thinly sliced (You can buy it already sliced usually in the hotpot section at the Asian grocer, or just buy regular lamb and slice it as thin as you can manage. It may be easier to freeze the lamb for half an hour first before you slice it.)
Marinade:
- 1 medium egg
- 2 tsps Chinese BBQ sauce 沙茶酱 (Bull head brand), try to avoid the excess oil
- 2 tsps black vinegar
- 2 Tbsps cornstarch
- 2 Tbsps vegetable oil
Sauce:
- 1/4 cup Chinese BBQ sauce 沙茶酱 (Bull head brand)
- 2 Tbsps soy sauce
- 2 Tbsps Chinese cooking wine (ie ShaoXing Wine or rice wine)
- 1 tsp black vinegar
- 2 Tbsps ground peanuts (or substitute with 1 Tbsp all natural peanut butter without sugar)
- 1/2 Tbsps white sugar
6 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
2 birds eye chillis, sliced (for mild spiciness – feel free to add more!)
1 large bunch of water spinach (also called Kang Kong or 空心菜)
1/4 cup Chinese cooking wine (ie Shao Xing Wine or rice wine)

Directions:

Make the marinade by mixing all the marinade ingredients together in a bowl (egg, bbq sauce, black vinegar, cornstarch, vegetable oil). Add the lamb slices to the bowl and mix. Set aside to marinate for about 15mins while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
Make the sauce by adding all the sauce ingredients together in a bowl and set aside (bbq sauce, soy sauce, black vinegar, peanuts, sugar).
Wash the water spinach and trim off the ends. Next, separate the leaves from the stems by chopping the bunch in half. Chop the stems into 4-5 cm pieces and set aside in a bowl. Put the leaves in another bowl.
In a non-stick wok or a wide base pan on MED-HIGH, heat 2 tablespoons of oil and stir-fry the marinated lamb for a couple of minutes until just brown (doesn’t have to be cooked all the way through). Remove the lamb from the pot (strain it if there’s a lot of oil) and discard the rest of the oil from the pot except for 1 tablespoon.
Add in the garlic and chillies and stir-fry in the leftover oil until fragrant (~30 seconds). Add in the spinach stems and stir-fry for another couple of minutes until it starts to soften.
Then add in the lamb, water spinach leaves and 1/4 cup cooking wine. Do not stir the pot and put on the lid to let the veg steam for 1 minute.
Remove the lid and stir everything together. Add in the sauce and stir-fry until it’s evenly mixed through. Taste and adjust flavours as needed. Turn off the heat and add a drizzle of sesame oil before serving. Done! Serve as a main dish with some rice or as a side.
- (Optional: If you find that your cut of lamb is too fatty and there’s too much oil in your dish, you can strain out the oil before serving.)

August 23, 2020April 3, 2024

AbbyLeave a comment

Tzatziki

Date Published: August 21st, 2020| Last Updated: August 21st, 2020
Author: Abby |Category: sauces/dips, easy
Serves: 1 cup | Prep time: 10 mins | Mix time: 30 secs + resting overnight

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Tzatziki tzatziki. It’s so simple and so good. My dill plants had been struggling on my balcony over the winter months so I wasn’t able to make this recipe for ages, but now that we’ve moved onto the farm with plenty of space and sunshine, the dill plant here has gone wild! This dip is so refreshing with the cucumber, lemon and dill. Our favourite way to eat this is slathered between two burger buns in a beef patty to make a quick Greek burger but its also fantastic on its own as a dip with bread or veggies.

This is a make-ahead recipe. It takes less than 10 minutes to whip up this recipe but the full potential of the flavours don’t come out until it’s refrigerated for at least 4 hours, ideally overnight. This dip needs time for the flavours to marinate and work themselves out. It sounds a bit crazy but trust me. The first time I made this dip I spent over 20 minutes adding a little more of this and that and it still never seemed quite right. I ended up putting it away and when I revisited it the next morning, it was AMAZING! I was surprised how everything just fixed itself overnight. Now when I make this sauce I don’t even bother with adjusting the flavours until the next day, after its had time to sort itself out.

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

1/4 (100g) of a continental cucumber
3/4 cup (184g) Greek yoghurt
1 small clove of garlic, minced
1/2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp lemon zest
2 Tbsps fresh dill, chopped
1/2 tsp salt, or to taste
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
Splash of lemon juice (optional)

Directions:

Grate the cucumber (with the peel) and then wrap it up in a clean tea towel or a few layers of paper towel and squeeze out as much liquid as you can. You should end up with nearly half the weight of cucumber you started with.

The salt in the dip will draw out the water in the cucumber and result in a wet sloppy tzatziki which is why it’s so important to squeeze out as much water as you can at the start.

Mix the rest of the ingredients in a bowl. Refrigerate overnight, or a minimum of 4 hours. Trust me, the flavours are SO much better the next day once the ingredients have had time to marinate together. Taste and adjust ingredients as needed. Enjoy!

Summarized Recipe:

Tzatziki

Ingredients:

1/4 (100g) of a continental cucumber
3/4 cup (184g) Greek yoghurt
1 small clove of garlic, minced
1/2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp lemon zest
2 Tbsps fresh dill, chopped
1/2 tsp salt, or to taste
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
Splash of lemon juice (optional)

Directions:

Grate the cucumber (with the peel) and then wrap it up in a clean tea towel or a few layers of paper towel and squeeze out as much liquid as you can. You should end up with nearly half the weight of cucumber you started with.
Mix the rest of the ingredients in a bowl. Refrigerate overnight, or a minimum of 4 hours. (Trust me, the flavours are SO much better the next day once the ingredients have had time to marinate together.) Taste and adjust ingredients as needed. Enjoy!

August 21, 2020August 21, 2020

Abby1 Comment

Classic Hummus

Date Published: August 21st, 2020 | Last Updated: August 21st, 2020
Author: Abby |Category: dips/sauces, snack
Serves: 1 large bowl | Prep time: 10 mins | Mix time: 1 minute

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A good classic hummus makes me so happy. Something about the classic flavours of the creamy tahini with cumin and chickpeas blended together with that kick of garlic makes it magical. There are so many variations out there these days but at the end of the day I always prefer the old-fashioned hummus and best of all it only takes 10 minutes to make! Don’t get me wrong, I love a good spin on a classic such as beetroot hummus or even roasted red pepper hummus, but the additional flavours distract from the true creaminess of a classic which is what makes it unbeatable. This smooth creamy dip is so so good as a dip with some crackers or veggies and even better smeared in a warm wrap! Try it with some leftover lamb roast in a homemade flatbread – I promise it’s phenomenal.

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

1 can (400g) of chickpeas
3/4 cup tahini
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
4 cloves of garlic, peeled
1 Tbsp ground cumin
1 tsp salt (or more to taste)

Directions:

Drain the chickpeas and keep the liquid aside.

Put the drained chickpeas and the rest of the ingredients (tahini, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, salt and cumin) into a food processor or blender and blend until thick and smooth. If the hummus is too thick, add in one tablespoon of the reserved chickpea fluid at a time and mix until desired consistency. Taste and adjust seasonings to your preference. Discard the rest of the chickpea liquid.

When serving, drizzle olive oil over the hummus and add a pinch of paprika for garnish.

Pair it with some pita chips made from the homemade flatbread recipe!

Notes:

To make this a low carb version, substitute the can of chickpeas with 4 cups zucchini, peeled & chopped.
You can try other combinations: beetroot, roasted red peppers and parmesan…etc.

To make a roasted red pepper hummus: roast 3 peppers over the grill or fire until charred. Set aside to cool and scrape off any excessively blackened bits. Place the peppers in a clean tea towel or paper towel and over a bowl, squeeze out any liquid. Save this liquid. Add the roasted red peppers to the hummus and blend until combined. If it’s too thick, then add in a teaspoon of the liquid from the peppers at a time until you reach the desired consistency. You can also add in the liquid from the drained chickpeas as well. Taste and adjust flavours as needed. You may need to add additional salt to the above hummus recipe since adding red peppers will dilute the saltiness of the hummus. Done!

To make a beetroot hummus: Drain a can of beetroots and reserve the liquid. Blend the beetroots into the hummus. Taste and adjust the amount of beetroot as needed.

Summarized Recipe:

Classic Hummus

Date Published: August 21st, 2020 | Last Updated: August 21st, 2020
Author: Abby |Category: dips/sauces, snack
Serves: 1 large bowl | Prep time: 5 mins | Mix time: 1 minute

Ingredients:

1 can (400g) of chickpeas
3/4 cup tahini
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
4 cloves of garlic, peeled
1 Tbsp ground cumin
1 tsp salt (or more to taste)

Directions:

Drain the chickpeas and keep the liquid aside.
Put the drained chickpeas and the rest of the ingredients (tahini, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, salt and cumin) into a food processor or blender and blend until thick and smooth. If the hummus is too thick, add in one tablespoon of the reserved chickpea fluid at a time and mix until desired consistency. Taste and adjust seasonings to your preference. Discard the rest of the chickpea liquid.
When serving, drizzle olive oil over the hummus and add a pinch of paprika for garnish. Done!

August 21, 2020September 6, 2020

Abby4 Comments

Brown Butter Thyme Mushrooms

Date Published: August 20th, 2020 | Last Updated: August 20th, 2020
Author: Abby |Category: sides, vegetarian
Serves: 4 (as sides) | Prep time: 2 mins | Cook time: 15 mins

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This super easy brown butter mushroom recipe was something I whipped up in the spur of the moment today when I was making a goat cheese stuffed chicken breast for lunch. I LOVE mushrooms and lucky for me I had some spare in the fridge as well as thyme in the garden. Something about thyme and mushrooms just makes a perfect combination and even better when cooked in a beautiful aromatic nutty brown butter. I’d recommend slicing them thick like the photos below for maximum absorption of the delicious brown butter!

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

70g unsalted butter
1 large clove garlic
2 sprigs fresh thyme
500g white button mushrooms, thickly sliced to 1.5cm width
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

In a large skillet on MEDIUM heat, brown the butter (I’ve written a tutorial here on how to brown butter).

When the butter is browned, quickly add in the garlic and thyme, sauté for about 15 seconds then add in mushrooms.

It’s important to lay the mushrooms in a single layer and not crowd them in the pan. You need space to let the liquids evaporate or else they’ll boil in their own juices and result in soggy mushrooms. If you don’t have a pan large enough to fit all the mushrooms, take out half of the brown butter/garlic/thyme from the pan and cook the mushrooms in batches.

The mushrooms will initially absorb all the brown butter and your pan will look dry but as it cooks it will start releasing a little liquid. Mushrooms are cooked when they’re brown and just start to release their own liquid. You can cook them longer if you prefer softer mushrooms.

When the mushrooms are cooked, turn the heat off and sprinkle black pepper and salt to taste. Done!

Note: Do not add salt before the mushrooms are done or else they’ll dehydrate the mushrooms and release liquid into the pan.

Summarized Recipe:

Brown Butter Thyme Mushrooms

Date Published: August 20th, 2020 | Last Updated: August 20th, 2020
Author: Abby |Category: sides, vegetarian
Serves: 4 (as sides) | Prep time: 2 mins | Cook time: 15 mins

Ingredients:

70g unsalted butter
1 large clove garlic
2 sprigs fresh thyme
500g white button mushrooms, thickly sliced to 1.5cm width
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

In a large skillet on MEDIUM heat, brown the butter (I’ve written a tutorial here on how to brown butter).
When the butter is browned, quickly add in the garlic and thyme, sauté for about 15 seconds then add in mushrooms. Do not crowd the pan. If your pan is too small, take out half of the brown butter/garlic/thyme and cook the mushroom in batches.
Mushrooms are cooked when they’re brown and just start to release their own liquid. You can cook them longer if you prefer softer mushrooms.
When the mushrooms are cooked, turn the heat off and sprinkle black pepper and salt to taste. Done!

August 20, 2020August 20, 2020

AbbyLeave a comment

Pesto-Crusted Goat Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breast

Date Published: August 20th, 2020 | Last Updated: August 20th, 2020
Author: Abby |Category: mains, easy
Serves: 4 | Prep time: 15 mins | Cook time: 25 mins

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Pesto. Panko. Goat cheese. Spinach. Garlic. These are a few of my favourite things and make me salivate just by reading them out loud. We’ve been cooking with a lot of chicken breast lately mainly by breading them to make a katsu or katsu parma, or adding them to salads like my favourite apple goat cheese salad. I was doing some research for meal prep and stumbled across a stuffed chicken breast recipe. This immediately made my mind go into a million different possibilities of what I could put in a chicken breast. After a whole day of thinking about it (seriously), I settled on a pesto-crusted chicken breast stuffed with goat cheese and garlic spinach. I was SO excited to make this dish and hoped it would be everything I had imagined it to be. Sadly I didn’t actually get to make this dish until 2 painful weeks later because during pandemic times, we only do grocery shopping once a week and I kept missing all the ingredients I needed. The first week we didn’t have enough basil for pesto, then the next week we didn’t have enough spinach. Bah! I FINALLY got to make it today and I’m happy to report that everything turned out fantastic and this dish was definitely worth the wait! It got rave reviews at the dinner table. Everything came together so quickly and it was so easy, I was looking for more things to do in the kitchen (I ended up making two side dishes to go with it: brown butter thyme mushrooms and bacon mashed peas). The panko with the pesto made a crunchy little crust on top of the breast with gooey melted goat cheese and spinach in the middle of the chicken. The goat cheese mixture actually kept the chicken really moist while baking so it came out perfectly cooked!

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

2 large cloves garlic, minced
8 cups (200g) fresh spinach leaves
3/4 cup (150g) soft goat cheese
1/4 tsp black pepper
4 chicken breasts, butterflied (click to see tutorial)
salt and pepper
3/4 cup pesto (you can make it yourself with my recipe here or use store-bought)
1/2 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)

Directions:

Warm a skillet on MEDIUM heat and add in a drizzle of oil (~1/2 tablespoon). Sauté the garlic for 30 seconds until fragrant then add in the spinach leaves and sauté until the leaves are just wilted (~3-5 mins). Remove from heat and set aside in a bowl to cool. Discard any excess liquids.

While the spinach is cooling, rinse and pat dry the chicken breasts and butterfly them (click here for tutorial). Sprinkle black pepper and salt over the breasts. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 200˚C (~400˚F).

Once the spinach has cooled, mix it with the goat cheese, 1/4 tsp of black pepper, and a pinch of salt.

Spoon and divide evenly the goat cheese spinach mixture amongst the 4 chicken breasts. Only put the mixture on half of the breast, then fold the other half over to enclose it. Use a few toothpicks to secure the breast closed.

As the chicken cooks the meat will shrink and open up the breast which is why the toothpicks are necessary to keep them closed and maintain their shape.

Mix the pesto and panko together then evenly divide the mixture amongst the 4 breasts and cover the top of each breast.

Bake in the preheated oven at 200˚C for 20-25 minutes. The pesto crust should be golden brown and the chicken juices run clear. Carefully remove the toothpicks then serve immediately. Done!

Summarized Recipe:

Pesto-Crusted Goat Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breast

Date Published: August 20th, 2020 | Last Updated: August 20th, 2020
Author: Abby |Category: mains, easy
Serves: 4 | Prep time: 15 mins | Cook time: 25 mins

Ingredients:

2 large cloves garlic, minced
8 cups (200g) fresh spinach leaves
3/4 cup (150g) soft goat cheese
1/4 tsp black pepper
4 chicken breasts, butterflied (click to see tutorial)
salt and pepper
3/4 cup pesto (you can make it yourself with my recipe here or use store-bought)
1/2 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)

Directions:

Warm a skillet on MEDIUM heat and add in a drizzle of oil (~1/2 tablespoon). Sauté the garlic for 30 seconds until fragrant then add in the spinach leaves and sauté until the leaves are just wilted (~3-5 mins). Remove from heat and set aside in a bowl to cool. Discard any excess liquids.
While the spinach is cooling, rinse and pat dry the chicken breasts and butterfly them (click here for tutorial). Sprinkle black pepper and salt over the breasts. Set aside.
Preheat the oven to 200˚C (~400˚F).
Once the spinach has cooled, mix it with the goat cheese, 1/4 tsp of black pepper, and a pinch of salt.
Spoon and divide evenly the goat cheese spinach mixture amongst the 4 chicken breasts. Only put the mixture on half of the breast, then fold the other half over to enclose it. Use a few toothpicks to secure the breast closed.
Mix the pesto and panko together then evenly divide the mixture amongst the 4 breasts and cover the top of each breast.
Bake in the preheated oven at 200˚C for 20-25 minutes. The pesto crust should be golden brown and the chicken juices run clear. Carefully remove the toothpicks then serve immediately. Done!

August 20, 2020August 20, 2020

AbbyLeave a comment

Bacon Mashed Peas

Date Published: August 20th, 2020 | Last Updated: August 20th, 2020
Author: Abby |Category: sides
Serves: 4 (makes one big bowl) | Prep time: 5 mins | Cook time: 20 mins

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I’m going to be the first to admit that this is a pretty ugly dish and it was a challenge to photograph to make it look delicious 😂. After about 15 mins trying different angles on the small patio table outside, it was still a pile of green mush. Despite its appearance, these mashed peas are so yum and makes a great side dish for almost anything. It’s also a great way to use up that half opened bag of green peas that’s been sitting in the back of your freezer for the past year.

I’m not a huge fan of peas on their own. I find them kind of tasteless and boring. They always seems to be served the same way: boiled with salt and pepper as a filler on a plate. No one really loves eating them but we do anyway because it’s veg, and our mothers have engraved in our brains that we must have a serve of veg with every meal. Welp, I’ve taken those boring peas and put my own spin on it sautéed with onions, garlic and bacon then simmered in beef broth and blended (not mashed unlike the title suggests). Peas are actually quite sweet in their nature and when you blend it all up it enhances the sweetness and you end up with a kind of sweet pile of green mush with bits of salty and savoury bacon. Full disclaimer: this dish still tastes very much like peas so if you actually dislike the taste of peas then this recipe is not for you. Toby has been a lifelong hater of peas and although this isn’t his favourite dish, he did say this was the best peas he’s ever had (but he still doesn’t like peas). His father however loves peas and had multiple servings. I’ll take that as a double win!

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

4 cups frozen peas
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 large onion, diced
6 strips of “streaky bacon”, diced (or 3 slices of rasher’s bacon, diced)
- Streaky bacon is the typical North American bacon that’s higher in fat and crisps up when cooked.
- Rasher’s bacon is the typical Australian bacon that’s leaner and essentially like ham.
- I prefer streaky bacon for this recipe because it gives it an extra crispy texture and the bacon flavour is more prominent however it’s not always easy to find in Australia (especially in a pandemic) so I’ve used rasher’s bacon for the photos.
1 cup warm water
2 beef stock cubes
Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions:

Defrost your peas by placing them in a bowl filled with room temperature water. Keep replacing the water every 15-20 mins until completely defrosted then drain. You can alternatively defrost them the night before.

Dissolve two beef stock cubes in 1 cup (250ml) of warm water. Set aside.

Heat a skillet or pot on MEDIUM heat and sauté the garlic, onion and bacon together until the onions are tender and the bacon is browned (and crispy if using streaky bacon).

You shouldn’t need to add any oil because the fat from the bacon should melt and provide the oil needed, however if you’re using a leaner cut of bacon like rasher’s bacon, add 1 tablespoon of oil to the pan.

Remove half of the bacon/onion mixture from the pan and set aside. Add the defrosted peas and beef stock to the pan and stir. Let it come to a simmer then take the peas out and transfer it to a blender or food processor (leave excess liquid in the skillet). Pulse it a few times until you get a thick paste. Add a few spoonfuls of the liquid in the pan if your paste is too dry and difficult to pulse.

Pour the contents back into the skillet and stir together with the liquid and add in the reserved bacon/onion mixture. Simmer the peas until the liquid has evaporated and you end up with a thick pasty consistency. Taste and adjust salt and pepper. Done!

Summarized Recipe:

Bacon Mashed Peas

Date Published: August 20th, 2020 | Last Updated: August 20th, 2020
Author: Abby |Category: sides
Serves: 4 (makes one big bowl) | Prep time: 5 mins | Cook time: 20 mins

Ingredients:

4 cups frozen peas
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 large onion, diced
6 strips of “streaky bacon”, diced (or 3 slices of rasher’s bacon, diced)
1 cup warm water
2 beef stock cubes
Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions:

Defrost your peas by placing them in a bowl filled with room temperature water. Keep replacing the water every 15-20 mins until completely defrosted then drain. You can alternatively defrost them the night before.
Dissolve two beef stock cubes in 1 cup (250ml) of warm water. Set aside.
Heat a skillet or pot on MEDIUM heat and sauté the garlic, onion and bacon together until the onions are tender and the bacon is browned (and crispy if using streaky bacon).
- You shouldn’t need to add any oil because the fat from the bacon should melt and provide the oil needed, however if you’re using a leaner cut of bacon like rasher’s bacon, add 1 tablespoon of oil to the pan.
Remove half of the bacon/onion mixture from the pan and set aside. Add the defrosted peas and beef stock to the pan and stir. Let it come to a simmer then take the peas out and transfer it to a blender or food processor (leave excess liquid in the skillet). Pulse it a few times until you get a thick paste. Add a few spoonfuls of the liquid in the pan if your paste is too dry and difficult to pulse.
Pour the contents back into the skillet and stir together with the liquid and add in the reserved bacon/onion mixture. Simmer the peas until the liquid has evaporated and you end up with a thick pasty consistency. Taste and adjust salt and pepper. Done!

August 20, 2020August 20, 2020

AbbyLeave a comment

How to butterfly a Chicken Breast

Date Published: August 20th, 2020 | Last Updated: August 20th, 2020
Author: Abby |Category: how-to
Serves: — | Prep time: 5 mins | Cook time: —

Butterflying a chicken breast sounds fancy but it’s so much easier than I initially thought. You’re essentially just cutting the the thickness of the breast in half and opening it up, effectively doubling the size of the chicken! This is how you get giant schnitzels at restaurants and if you pound down the breast it becomes even bigger like the famous Hot Star Taiwanese Big Fried Chicken.

Other than doubling the size of your chicken, butterflying a chicken breast also evens out the thickness and helps the chicken cook more uniformly, especially when you’re breading it for a parma, schnitzel, or a katsu. It only takes a couple of minutes and all you need is a knife and cutting board.

I’ve included photos and tried to be as descriptive as I can in how to butterfly a breast. If you have any comments or suggestions, I’d love to hear from you in the comment section! Let me know if a video would be helpful as well. You can follow me on instagram, youtube and facebook to see all the recipes I post!

Happy cooking!

What you’ll need:

Chicken breast
Cutting board
Sharp kitchen knife

Directions:

Start off by rinsing your chicken breasts and pat them dry with paper towels. Lay them flat on a chopping board.

The breast on the left has the side piece cut off whereas the right breast still has it intact for comparison.

2. Cut off the small side piece of meat located on one side of the breast (see photo above). Note: Some butchers sell chicken breast with this small piece already cut off so don’t worry if you can’t locate yours. Set aside this piece for another use.

Starting at the thicker side, slice the breast in half, keeping your knife parallel with the chopping board but don’t cut all the way through

3. Starting at the thicker side (opposite side of where you just cut off the small side piece), take your knife and cut the thickness of the breast in half, keeping the knife parallel to the chopping board. Do NOT cut all the way through the breast. Stop when there’s about 2cm left from the edge, then open up the breast.

Stop cutting when you get near the end of the breast. Open it up and done!

4. Congratulations! You have just butterflied a chicken breast. Repeat with the other breasts.

Recipes that use this method:

Pesto-Crusted Goat Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breast

Baked Chicken Katsu Parma

Baked Chicken Katsu

August 20, 2020August 20, 2020

Abby2 Comments

Cheesy Thai Red Curry Pork Stuffed Paratha

Date Published: August 19th, 2020 | Last Updated: August 19th, 2020
Author: Abby |Category: snacks, asian
Serves: 8 slices | Prep time: 15mins + resting time | Cook time: 30mins

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Have you ever made too much filling for the amount of wrappers you have and didn’t know what to do with it but don’t want to throw it away? This happens to me more often than I would like to admit. Dumplings. Spanakopita. Curry puffs. Ravioli. Well get ready for the solution to all your leftover fillings: stuffed parathas! I got this idea from El Mundo Eats where I’ve had their Chicken Keema Paratha recipe saved on my “to make” list for ages. I didn’t have any chicken mince on hand, but I did have some leftover pork mince from making spring rolls last week and also homemade Thai red curry paste that I’ve been meaning to experiment with more. An hour later, this delicious creation was born! The pork filling tastes just like a Thai red curry with the use of my homemade red curry paste and coconut milk. I also added cheese to mellow out all the flavours and to help everything stick together more. I wish I took more photos of the process but I was just playing around in the kitchen and didn’t actually expect this to turn out sooo good! It’s kind of like a quesadilla but with more bread and less messy to eat. You can serve it with any kind of dipping sauce you like or eat it on its own. You could even make a sweet version!

Any filling should work with this dough as long as it’s not too saucy (it will leak when you roll it) and cooked. You’re not cooking the parathas for very long, so raw filling most likely won’t cook enough before the parathas are ready. I’ve made one giant paratha with this recipe but you can definitely split the dough and make multiple smaller stuffed parathas if you like – you’re only limited by the size of your pan. The dough is super easy and doesn’t require any yeast or proofing. You only need a few ingredients and minimal kneading to make the dough.

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

Paratha dough:
- 2 1/4 cup (290g) all purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 2/3 cup (160ml) water
Filling:
- 3 Tbsps homemade Thai red curry paste
- 250g pork (or chicken) mince
- 1/4 cup coconut milk
- 1/2 Tbsp fish sauce (or more to taste)
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

*Note: In the photos I added half a cup of chopped black fungus because I had some on hand that I needed to use up. It doesn’t add much flavour to the dish, just an extra texture. I didn’t include it in the recipe list because it’s not a common ingredient many people have and isn’t essential to the flavours, but feel free to add it in if you like.

Directions:

Make the paratha dough: combine all the ingredients together in a bowl and mix with your hands until you get a rough loose dough. Turn the contents of the bowl out onto a flat surface and knead the dough until all the flour is incorporated and you get a smooth ball. Cover the dough with a clean kitchen towel and let it rest for 30 minutes.

Make the filling: While the dough rests, warm a skillet on medium heat and add the red curry paste to the dry pan to toast for a few minutes until some of the water evaporates and it becomes fragrant (~2 minutes). Add in the pork mince and sauté with the curry paste until the pork is nearly cooked, then add in the coconut milk and fish sauce. Continue to sauté until the pork is fully cooked and liquids evaporate. Taste and adjust flavours as needed. Place the filling in a bowl and set aside to cool.

Place all the filling into the centre of the dough

Assemble: Once the filling has cooled and the dough has rested, assemble the paratha. Make sure you have a large pan 30cm wide that the paratha will fit in. If not, divide the dough into half or quarters and make multiple small stuffed parathas. Roll out the dough into a flat circle about 7mm thick. Mix the shredded cheese with the pork filling and pour the contents into the centre of the dough. Bring the edges of the dough together over the filling to form a ball, try to squeeze out any air pockets before you seal it. Make sure the top is sealed well. Gently press down on the dough ball to flatten it and then use a rolling pin and carefully flatten the ball in all directions until roughly 1cm thick. You may be able to see the filling just under the dough.

Cook: Heat a large skillet on medium heat. Add a drizzle of olive oil to the skillet and swirl it around. Place the stuffed paratha onto the pan and cook until the underside is toasty and golden brown (~5-8mins). Brush a bit of olive oil on the top of the paratha then flip and cook on the other side until golden. Remove from heat and slice into pieces and serve immediately. Enjoy!

Summarized Recipe:

Cheesy Thai Red Curry Pork Stuffed Paratha

Ingredients:

Paratha dough:
- 2 1/4 cup (290g) all purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 2/3 cup (160ml) water
Filling:
- 3 Tbsps homemade Thai red curry paste
- 250g pork (or chicken) mince
- 1/4 cup coconut milk
- 1/2 Tbsp fish sauce (or more to taste)
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

Make the paratha dough: combine all the ingredients together in a bowl and mix with your hands until you get a rough loose dough. Turn the contents of the bowl out onto a flat surface and knead the dough until all the flour is incorporated and you get a smooth ball. Cover the dough with a clean kitchen towel and let it rest for 30 minutes.
Make the filling: While the dough rests, warm a skillet on medium heat and add the red curry paste to the dry pan to toast for a few minutes until some of the water evaporates and it becomes fragrant (~2 minutes). Add in the pork mince and sauté with the curry paste until the pork is nearly cooked, then add in the coconut milk and fish sauce. Continue to sauté until the pork is fully cooked and liquids evaporate. Taste and adjust flavours as needed. Place the filling in a bowl and set aside to cool.
Assemble: Once the filling has cooled and the dough has rested, assemble the paratha. Make sure you have a large pan 30cm wide that the paratha will fit in. If not, divide the dough into half or quarters and make multiple small stuffed parathas. Roll out the dough into a flat circle about 7mm thick. Mix the shredded cheese with the pork filling and pour the contents into the centre of the dough. Bring the edges of the dough together over the filling to form a ball, try to squeeze out any air pockets before you seal it. Make sure the top is sealed well. Gently press down on the dough ball to flatten it and then use a rolling pin and carefully flatten the ball in all directions until roughly 1cm thick. You may be able to see the filling just under the dough.
Cook: Heat a large skillet on medium heat. Add a drizzle of olive oil to the skillet and swirl it around. Place the stuffed paratha onto the pan and cook until the underside is toasty and golden brown (~5-8mins). Brush a bit of olive oil on the top of the paratha then flip and cook on the other side until golden. Remove from heat and slice into pieces and serve immediately. Enjoy!

August 19, 2020August 19, 2020

AbbyLeave a comment

Classic Greek Salad

Date Published: August 19th, 2020 | Last Updated: August 19th, 2020
Author: Abby |Category: salads, vegetarian, easy
Serves: 4 (as side servings) | Prep time: 20 mins | Mix time: 30 secs

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I love Greek salad. It’s so refreshing and easy to make, perfect for a hot summer’s day or paired with a delicious roast lamb. The dressing only takes 3 ingredients to make and the salad components are easily adjustable to whatever proportion you like. Toby’s not a big fan of olives so I tend to go easy on them when I’m making this salad but feel free to double or even triple the amount of any of the salad ingredients. This salad is healthy (if you don’t go crazy on the feta) and so delicious. If you’re making this ahead of time, I’d suggest holding off on the dressing until right before you serve it because the salt content from the dressing will draw out water from the veg and you’ll end up with a soggy salad.

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

Dressing:
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 3 tsps lemon juice
- 1 tsp red wine vinegar
Salad:
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved (or 3 large ripe tomatoes, chopped)
- 2 medium Lebanese cucumbers, chopped
- 1 small red onion, chopped or sliced
- 1 cup feta cheese, roughly chopped or crumbled
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 15 black olives, pitted and sliced (or more to taste)
- salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Make the dressing by whisking together the olive oil, lemon juice and red wine vinegar in a bowl. Set aside.

Assemble the salad by mixing the rest of the ingredients into a large bowl: tomatoes, cucumbers, red onion, feta, oregano, and olives.

Pour the dressing over the salad and toss. Salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!

*Note: if you’re making this ahead of time, don’t add the dressing until you’re ready to serve, otherwise the salt content from the dressing will cause the veg in the salad to release their liquids and you’ll end up with a wet sloppy salad.

Summarized Recipe:

Classic Greek Salad

Date Published: August 19th, 2020 | Last Updated: August 19th, 2020
Author: Abby |Category: salads, vegetarian, easy, healthy
Serves: 4 (as side servings) | Prep time: 20 mins | Mix time: 30 secs

Ingredients:

Dressing:
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 3 tsps lemon juice
- 1 tsp red wine vinegar
Salad:
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved (or 3 large ripe tomatoes, chopped)
- 2 medium Lebanese cucumbers, chopped
- 1 small red onion, chopped or sliced
- 1 cup feta cheese, roughly chopped or crumbled
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 15 black olives, pitted and sliced (or more to taste)
- salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Make the dressing by whisking together the olive oil, lemon juice and red wine vinegar in a bowl. Set aside.
Assemble the salad by mixing the rest of the ingredients into a large bowl: tomatoes, cucumbers, red onion, feta, oregano, and olives.
Pour the dressing over the salad and toss. Salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!
- *Note: if you’re making this ahead of time, don’t add the dressing until you’re ready to serve, otherwise the salt content from the dressing will cause the veg in the salad to release their liquids and you’ll end up with a wet sloppy salad.

August 19, 2020September 6, 2020

AbbyLeave a comment

Vietnamese Fish Sauce (Nuoc mam)

Date Published: August 19th, 2020 | Last Updated: August 19th, 2020
Author: Abby |Category: sauces, dips, asian
Serves: 1/2 cup | Prep time: 10 mins | Mix time: 30 seconds

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Nuoc mam is a staple in Vietnamese cuisine. You may also see it commonly referred to as “nuoc cham” in many restaurants. I’ve been told “nuoc cham” means ‘sauce’ in Vietnamese whereas “nuoc mam” is more specifically ‘fish sauce’ which would be more accurate in this case. Whichever name you call it, it is delicious. It’s a sauce made of sugar, garlic, lime, chillies, and fish sauce (shocker), giving it a salty, sweet, sour and a little spicy taste all in one sauce! It’s often used as a dipping sauce (think lemongrass pork, prawn spring rolls…mmmm) or as a dressing drizzled over a bowl of vermicelli with veg. If you’ve never had it before, it smells a little funky but adds SO much flavour to a dish. It’s so simple to make and because of the high acidity content of the ingredients, it keeps for a very long time in the fridge so you can make a buttload and always have some on hand for a quick meal.

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

3 Tbsps warm water
1 Tbsp caster sugar
1 Tbsp lime juice (~1 lime)
2 Tbsps fish sauce
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 bird’s eye chillies, finely chopped

Directions:

Dissolve the caster sugar in the warm water then add the rest of the ingredients to the bowl. Mix and taste. Adjust ingredients as needed. Done!

More sour = add more lime juice
More salty = add more fish sauce
More sweet = add more sugar
More spicy = more chillies

Summarized Recipe:

Vietnamese Fish Sauce (Nuoc mam)

Date Published: August 19th, 2020 | Last Updated: August 19th, 2020
Author: Abby |Category: sauces, dips, asian
Serves: 1/2 cup | Prep time: 10 mins | Mix time: 30 seconds

Ingredients:

3 Tbsps warm water
1 Tbsp caster sugar
1 Tbsp lime juice (~1 lime)
2 Tbsps fish sauce
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 bird’s eye chillies, finely chopped

Directions:

In a bowl, dissolve the sugar in the warm water.
Add the rest of the ingredients to the bowl and mix. Taste and adjust ingredients as needed. Done!

Feel free to make a buttload. It keeps really well.

August 19, 2020August 19, 2020

AbbyLeave a comment