Favourite Roasted Pumpkin Spinach Soup

Date Published: March 22nd, 2021 | Last Updated: March 22nd, 2021
Author: Abby |Category: soups, vegetarian, easy, quick, healthy
Serves: 4 | Prep time: 15 mins | Cook time: 45 mins

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Of all the soups I make, this is probably one of the top go-to soups that Toby and I put together the most often. Why? Because it’s damn delicious, damn easy, healthy, low calorie and and filling. It even makes for an easy clean up. Sounds too good to be true, eh? The best part is that you don’t need to follow this recipe to a tee. You can add whatever veg you like to the roasting pan – which is a perfect way to sneak in extra veg for picky eaters or an even better way to clear out the fridge. All you gotta do to make this delicious soup is to roast the veggies, add some chicken stock, and blend it all up. That’s all! No cream, no butter, just a buttload of veg that keeps you full. If you ever follow the NY Times Cooking Blog, they occasionally post “no recipe recipes” which I think is a term that perfectly describes this type of recipe.

I’ve written the recipe as a guide to the basic version of the soup but feel free to swap out or add in any of the ingredients – the combinations of this soup are endless. I’ve made it with cauliflower, red pepper, zucchini…etc. If you want to bulk up this soup even more, you can add in rice and chicken as well. To make it indulgent, add a cup of cream at the end.

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 (~6 cups) pumpkin, peeled and diced
3 cups (3 large stalks) celery, diced
1 large onion, peeled and cut into quarters or eighths
6 cloves of garlic, peeled and lightly smashed
1.5 tsps paprika
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup olive oil
1 litre (4 cups) chicken stock
4 cups loosely packed (120g) baby spinach leaves
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 180˚C (375˚F).

I snuck some carrots in there as well leftover in the fridge

Roast the veggies: In a large baking tray, add in: pumpkin, celery, onion, garlic, paprika, salt, and olive oil. Mix it all around and roast in the preheated oven until all the veggies are soft and breaks apart easily when cut with a wooden spoon (30-45 mins). Toss the veggies around halfway through to ensure even cooking.

Once the veggies are cooked, empty the contents of the baking tray into a pot and add in the chicken stock. Turn the heat on to MED-HIGH and let the soup come to a boil. Once the soup comes to a boil, turn the heat OFF and remove the pot from the heat*. Then use an immersion/stick blender and blend the soup until smooth.

*It’s very important that you remove the pot from heat before you start blending otherwise when the thickened soup starts boiling again it starts to splatter everywhere!

Add in the spinach and submerge it into the soup until the leaves become soft, then blend the soup again until everything is combined. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot!

(Tip: If you’re feeling indulgent you can add 1 cup of heavy cream at the end. I always leave out the cream to make it a healthy soup.)

Summarized Recipe:

Favourite Roasted Pumpkin Spinach Soup

Ingredients:

1kg (~6 cups) pumpkin, peeled and diced
3 cups (3 large stalks) celery, diced
1 large onion, peeled and cut into quarters or eighths
6 cloves of garlic, peeled and lightly smashed
1.5 tsps paprika
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup olive oil
1 litre (4 cups) chicken stock
4 cups loosely packed (120g) baby spinach leaves
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 180˚C (375˚F).
Roast the veggies: In a large baking tray, add in: pumpkin, celery, onion, garlic, paprika, salt, and olive oil. Mix it all around and roast in the preheated oven until all the veggies are soft and breaks apart easily when cut with a wooden spoon (30-45 mins). Toss the veggies around halfway through to ensure even cooking.
Once the veggies are cooked, empty the contents of the baking tray into a pot and add in the chicken stock. Turn the heat on to MED-HIGH and let the soup come to a boil. Once the soup comes to a boil, turn the heat OFF and remove the pot from the heat*. Then use an immersion/stick blender and blend the soup until smooth.
- *It’s very important that you remove the pot from heat before you start blending otherwise when the thickened soup starts boiling again it starts to splatter everywhere!
Add in the spinach and submerge it into the soup until the leaves become soft, then blend the soup again until everything is combined. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot!

(Tip: If you’re feeling indulgent you can add 1 cup of heavy cream at the end. I always leave out the cream to make it a healthy soup.)

March 22, 2021March 22, 2021

Abby1 Comment

Insanely Good Mushroom Cream Sauce

Date Published: March 21st, 2021 | Last Updated: March 21st, 2021
Author: Abby |Category: sauces
Serves: 2-3 cups | Prep time: 5 mins | Cook time: 40 mins

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If you’ve ever been to the Italian restaurant called Universal on the popular Lygon Street in Melbourne, you’ll know that they’re best known for their giant oversized chicken parma for $14 where most uni students gather for a good cheap meal and drinks. Although the parma is pretty good, my favourite dish there is their mushroom schnitzel. The schnitzel is like any other, but the star of the show is the amazing creamy mushroom sauce. It’s hands down the best mushroom sauce I’ve ever had. I’ve tried to recreate it many times over the years and never got it quite right until finally I stumbled across the recipe from RecipeTinEats – after a few minor tweaks here and there I think I’ve cracked the code to Universal’s famous mushroom cream sauce!

The great thing about this sauce is that it’s super versatile. You can put it over just about anything – think: schnitzel, french fries, grilled chicken, baked potatoes, pasta…etc. The possibilities are endless! This sauce is super easy to make, the hardest part is the waiting game for the sauce to simmer down until you can dive right in. Depending on what you intend on using this sauce for, you can make it as runny or as thick as you like just by changing the amount of time you simmer it.

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

2 Tbsps (28g) butter (salted or unsalted)
Drizzle of olive oil
400g mushrooms, sliced (white or brown are fine)
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup (80ml) white wine
1/2 cup (125ml) chicken broth
1 cup (250ml) thickened/heavy cream
pinch of paprika (optional but adds a little smokiness)
2 tsp fresh thyme leaves (or 1/2 tsp dried)
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

In a skillet on MED-HIGH heat, melt the butter with a drizzle of olive oil. Add in the mushrooms and sautée until golden brown (~5 mins). Stir in the garlic and cook for another minute.

Add in the white wine, chicken broth, cream, and paprika. Stir together and let the sauce come to a light simmer then turn the heat down to low/medium to continue simmering until the sauce starts to thicken. Add in the parmesan cheese and mix. Continue to simmer until desired consistency.

Stir in thyme, and salt and pepper to taste. Done!

Served over a baked chicken katsu:

Summarized Recipe:

Insanely Good Mushroom Cream Sauce

Date Published: March 21st, 2021 | Last Updated: March 21st, 2021
Author: Abby |Category: sauces
Serves: 2-3 cups | Prep time: 5 mins | Cook time: 40 mins

Ingredients:

2 Tbsps (28g) butter (salted or unsalted)
Drizzle of olive oil
400g mushrooms, sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup (80ml) white wine
1/2 cup (125ml) chicken broth
1 cup (250ml) thickened/heavy cream
pinch of paprika (optional but adds a little smokiness)
2 tsp fresh thyme leaves (or 1/2 tsp dried)
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

In a skillet on MED-HIGH heat, melt the butter with a drizzle of olive oil. Add in the mushrooms and sautée until golden brown (~5 mins). Stir in the garlic and cook for another minute.
Add in the white wine, chicken broth, cream, and paprika. Stir together and let the sauce come to a light simmer then turn the heat down to low/medium to continue simmering until the sauce starts to thicken. Add in the parmesan cheese and mix. Continue to simmer until desired consistency. Stir in thyme, and salt and pepper to taste. Done!

Try serving it over a baked chicken katsu!

Recipe for Baked Chicken Katsu

Baked Chicken Katsu

by Abby August 1, 2020August 20, 2020

March 21, 2021March 21, 2021

Abby5 Comments

Warm Pumpkin Kale Pesto Bowl

Date Published: March 20th, 2021 | Last Updated: March 20th, 2021
Author: Abby |Category: salads, easy, mains, vegetarian, healthy
Serves: 2 | Prep time: 15 mins | Cook time: 30 mins

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Last weekend Toby’s parents came to visit us in Grafton, NSW and we took them for brunch at a local café called Heart & Soul, recommended by one of our nurses. Like many restaurants in the COVID-age, their menu was digital and after scrolling through a few options, this caught my eye: “Breaky Bruschetta Stack – Organic sourdough bread with sautéed mushrooms, tomato, kale, pumpkin, danish feta & H&S pesto. Can be made vegan & is also a great lunch option $17.90″. Usually when we eat out, I tend to get something hearty, meaty, and not at all healthy, but I wasn’t particularly hungry that morning so I decided to get something a little lighter from their limited menu. I wasn’t expecting too much since the ingredients seemed pretty basic but I was happily surprised! In a small town of pubs and cheap takeaway food, I was impressed by the wholesome food and myriad of hearty flavours that came through in this dish that not only made it super filling but it was damn delicious. If you’re ever in Grafton, NSW I’d recommend heading to this café.

True to my nature, of course I had to try and recreate the dish when I got home. This recipe is the result of my attempt at recreating the dish and I must say I’m pretty damn close. Even Toby, who’s not usually a fan of kale, enjoyed it! The feta and pesto flavours dominate this dish but are contrasted well by the sweetness of the warm roasted pumpkin and the juiciness of the sautéed mushrooms and tomatoes on a bed of soft massage kale. This hearty healthy dish is satisfying, filling, and a snap to put together. Serve it warmed or cooled.

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

500g (~3 cups) pumpkin, diced into 2cm cubes
Drizzle of olive oil
1/4 tsp paprika
1/2 bunch (~5 cups packed) curly leaf kale
200g brown or white button mushrooms, cut into halves or quarters
Pinch of fresh or dried thyme
2 medium tomatoes, diced into 2cm cubes
150-200g soft Danish Feta (Greek Feta is okay too but will have a stronger taste and you may want to use less of it)
1/2 cup pesto
1/4 cup flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped (for garnish)
2 poached eggs (optional)
2 slices of sourdough bread or rye (optional)

Directions:

Roast the pumpkin: Preheat the oven to 180˚C (375˚F). In a bowl, mix together the diced pumpkin with a drizzle of olive oil, 1/4 tsp of paprika, and a pinch of salt. Bake in the preheated oven for 15-20 mins until golden. Set aside.

You can roast it in an air fryer as well to save some time.

Prepare the kale: While the pumpkin is roasting, prepare the kale by removing the leaves from the tough stems. Discard the stems. Wash and dry the leaves in a salad spinner. Add a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt to the leaves and massage the kale with both hands until the leaves are soft and turn a darker shade of green (1-2 mins). Set aside.

Note: Massaging the kale well is KEY to this dish! Massaging it softens the kale and makes the flavour more subtle.

Poach 2 eggs (optional). Set aside.

In a skillet on MED-HIGH heat, add a drizzle of olive oil to the pan and sauté the mushrooms with a pinch of thyme until golden brown. Remove the mushrooms from the pan and add the diced tomatoes to the hot pan. Cook the tomatoes for a few minutes until they start to soften then add back in the mushrooms and cooked pumpkin to the skillet and mix around until everything is warmed through. Turn off the heat.

Butter and toast the sourdough (optional).

Assemble the salad: Divide evenly between 2 large plates: sourdough (if using) + massaged kale + roasted pumpkin/mushrooms/tomatoes + 4-5 spoonfuls of pesto + 4-5 spoonfuls of feta + 2 poached eggs (if using) + sprinkle of flat leaf parsley. Top with fresh cracked pepper. Serve warm!

Summarized Recipe:

Warm Pumpkin Kale Pesto Bowl

Ingredients:

500g (~3 cups) pumpkin, diced into 2cm cubes
Drizzle of olive oil
1/4 tsp paprika
1/2 bunch (~5 cups packed) curly leaf kale
200g brown or white button mushrooms, cut into halves or quarters
Pinch of fresh or dried thyme
2 medium tomatoes, diced into 2cm cubes
150-200g soft Danish Feta (Greek Feta is okay too but will have a stronger taste and you may want to use less of it)
1/2 cup pesto
1/4 cup flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped (for garnish)
2 poached eggs (optional)
2 slices of sourdough bread or rye (optional)

Directions:

Roast the pumpkin: Preheat the oven to 180˚C (375˚F). In a bowl, mix together the diced pumpkin with a drizzle of olive oil, 1/4 tsp of paprika, and a pinch of salt. Bake in the preheated oven for 15-20 mins until golden. Set aside.
- You can roast it in an air fryer as well to save some time.
Prepare the kale: While the pumpkin is roasting, prepare the kale by removing the leaves from the tough stems. Discard the stems. Wash and dry the leaves in a salad spinner. Add a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt to the leaves and massage the kale with both hands until the leaves are soft and turn a darker shade of green (1-2 mins). Set aside.
Poach 2 eggs (optional). Set aside.
In a skillet on MED-HIGH heat, add a drizzle of olive oil to the pan and sauté the mushrooms with a pinch of thyme until golden brown. Remove the mushrooms from the pan and add the diced tomatoes to the hot pan. Cook the tomatoes for a few minutes until they start to soften then add back in the mushrooms and cooked pumpkin to the skillet and mix around until everything is warmed through. Turn off the heat.
Butter and toast the sourdough (optional).
Assemble the salad: Divide evenly between 2 large plates: sourdough (if using) + massaged kale + roasted pumpkin/mushrooms/tomatoes + 4-5 spoonfuls of pesto + 4-5 spoonfuls of feta + 2 poached eggs (if using) + sprinkle of flat leaf parsley. Top with fresh cracked pepper. Serve warm!

March 20, 2021March 20, 2021

AbbyLeave a comment

Oma’s Pumble and Knockle (Hungarian Paprika Potatoes with Bread and Nokedli)

Date Published: March 19th, 2021 | Last Updated: March 19th, 2021
Author: Abby |Category: mains, easy, vegetarian
Serves: 4 | Prep time: 15 mins | Cook time: 25 mins

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Years ago when I first started cooking, I asked my friend Alex what his favourite dish was. He said it was a traditional Hungarian dish that his Oma (grandmother) would often make for him called “Pumble and Knockle” (we’re not sure if this is actually how the name of the dish is spelt, but it was his closest guess). I asked him to get the recipe for me to expand my cooking repertoire, but like typical old school grandmas she doesn’t measure what she puts in the dish and does it all by feel. He eventually took some photos and notes of her making it and this is my attempt at deciphering her recipe. Some of the amounts aren’t exact so I had to guesstimate a little. I’ve never actually had this dish from her before and I have no idea how close I am to the real thing, but I must admit its pretty damn tasty.

This may not be the most mind-blowing dish you’ve ever had, but its humble, down to earth, and made with basic cheap ingredients that make it satisfying and filling. This pumble and knockle is made up of caramelized onions, paprika potatoes, simple nokedli (noodles), and buttery bread. The simple flavours make you just want to keep eating and eating.

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

Nokedli:
- 1 egg
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/3 cup (80ml) water
- ~1 cup (~150g) all-purpose flour (you may not need the whole cup)
1 Tbsp + 50g of salted butter
1 large onion, diced
2 potatoes, peeled and sliced thinly into rectangles 2mm thick
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp salt
3 slices of white bread, cut into 2cm squares

Directions:

Make the nokedli (noodles) dough: combine egg, salt and water in a bowl. Whisk until combined, then gradually add in the flour until you get a thick sticky dough (you may not need the whole cup of flour). Set aside.

For more comprehensive step-by-step instructions, follow the nokedli instructions here.

In a large pan or wok on MED-HIGH heat, sauté the onion in 1 tablespoon of butter until it starts to turn translucent (~5mins). Then add in the sliced potatoes, paprika and salt. Continue cooking until the potatoes are cooked and the onion is caramelized (~15mins). When finished cooking, remove from the pan and set aside.

While the onion and potatoes are cooking, cook the nokedli by bringing a small pot of water to a boil and tear off 2cm pieces of the nokedli dough and drop it into the boiling water or use a spoon to drop the dough into the water to make it less messey. The dough will be ready when it floats to the top. Taste to see if they’re cooked (3-5 mins). Once they’re ready, remove them from the pot and strain them. Set aside.

In a pan (you can use the same pan as before, just give it a quick wipe-down) on medium heat, melt the butter and add the bread pieces to it. Stir for a few minutes until the bread soaks up the butter and becomes lightly toasted. Then add in the cooked nokedli and cooked potato/onion mixture. Mix it all together and cook for another few minutes until everything is warmed through. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve!

Original photos of Oma making Pumble and Knockle: an homage

Summarized Recipe:

Oma’s Pumble and Knockle (Hungarian Paprika Potatoes with Bread and Nokedli)

Date Published: March 19th, 2021 | Last Updated: March 19th, 2021
Author: Abby |Category: mains, easy, vegetarian
Serves: 4 | Prep time: 15 mins | Cook time: 25 mins

Ingredients:

Nokedli:
- 1 egg
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/3 cup (80ml) water
- ~1 cup (~150g) all-purpose flour (you may not need the whole cup)
1 Tbsp + 50g of salted butter
1 large onion, diced
2 potatoes, peeled and sliced thinly into rectangles 2mm thick
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp salt
3 slices of white bread, cut into 2cm squares

Directions:

Make the nokedli (noodles) dough: combine egg, salt and water in a bowl. Whisk until combined, then gradually add in the flour until you get a thick sticky dough (you may not need the whole cup of flour). Set aside.
- For more comprehensive step-by-step instructions, follow the nokedli instructions here.
In a large pan or wok on MED-HIGH heat, sauté the onion in 1 tablespoon of butter until it starts to turn translucent (~5mins). Then add in the sliced potatoes, paprika and salt. Continue cooking until the potatoes are cooked and the onion is caramelized (~15mins). When finished cooking, remove from the pan and set aside.
In a pan (you can use the same pan as before, just give it a quick wipe-down) on medium heat, melt the butter and add the bread pieces to it. Stir for a few minutes until the bread soaks up the butter and becomes lightly toasted. Then add in the cooked nokedli and cooked potato/onion mixture. Mix it all together and cook for another few minutes until everything is warmed through. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve!

March 19, 2021March 19, 2021

Abby4 Comments

Nokedli (Hungarian ‘Dumplings’)

Date Published: March 19th, 2021 | Last Updated: March 19th, 2021
Author: Abby |Category: basics, easy, < 30mins, sides
Serves: 2 | Prep time: 15 mins | Cook time: 5 mins

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Get ready to make the quickest and easiest “pasta” you’ve ever made. Nokedli is a Hungarian “dumpling” which I can best describe as a gnocchi but slightly squishier and fluffy. It’s made with only 4 ingredients and takes 15 minutes to whip up and a few minutes to cook. It’s so easy and versatile, you may never want to buy pasta again. They may not be the most beautiful, but you just can’t beat the texture of a fresh pasta at such minimal effort. You can make them as big or as small as you like. It’s fantastic sautéed in a dish or tossed in something saucy to soak up the flavour. My new favourite way to have it is mixed in a rich creamy mushroom sauce. This recipe makes 2 servings but if you’re tossing it in a dish with lots of other ingredients such as meat or veggies, it will easily bulk it up to 4 portions.

As an Asian person, the term “dumpling” has always been known to me as pockets of meat wrapped in a thin dough so it confused me greatly when I learned that the European definition of “dumpling” is generally an overarching term for a dough without any filling. European dumplings can vary greatly in ingredients and textures and can be vastly different between different regions and countries. I was actually low-key disappointed when Toby first told me he was going to make Czech dumplings and it ended up being a bread dough 😂. I still find it weird to use the term ‘dumpling’ for anything else but Asian-style dumplings but I’m sure I’ll adjust.

I first came across the idea of making nokedli through my friend’s oma’s recipe for Pumble and Knockle which is a simple hearty Hungarian dish of paprika potatoes cooked in buttery bread. She made hers without any egg which I thought was a bit dense so I went hunting for more traditional nokedli recipes and put this one together (food.com and venturists.net had a couple good ones that I based this one off of).

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

1 egg
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup (80ml) water
~1 cup (~150g) all-purpose flour (you may not need the whole cup)

Directions:

In a mixing bowl beat together the egg, salt and 1/3 cup water.

Add in the flour gradually to the bowl, mixing with a fork, until you get a thick sticky dough – it should be roughly thicker than cake batter (you may not need to use the entire cup of flour). Set aside to rest for 10 mins.

While the dough is resting, boil a medium pot of water with 1-2 teaspoons of salt. When the dough has rested, mix it around one more time and drop half a teaspoon of dough into the boiling water at a time. (Tip: lower the spoon into the boiling water for the dough to release from the spoon). When the dough floats to the top, it’s ready (2-3 minutes). Strain and ready to use!

Note: you may want to cook your nokedli in batches to not overcook them or get someone to help you spoon the dough into the pot so they all go into the pot faster.

If you’re not using them right away, rinse them in cold water to prevent them from sticking together. Otherwise if you’re serving it in a sauce, you can add them directly in the finished sauce and serve.

Nokedli served in Pumble and Knockle (Hungarian paprika potatoes with buttery bread)

Nokedli tossed in a creamy mushroom sauce 🙂 mmmm

Summarized Recipe:

Nokedli (Hungarian ‘Dumplings’)

Date Published: March 19th, 2021 | Last Updated: March 19th, 2021
Author: Abby |Category: basics, easy, < 30mins, sides
Serves: 2 | Prep time: 15 mins | Cook time: 5 mins

Ingredients:

1 egg
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup (80ml) water
~1 cup (~150g) all-purpose flour (you may not need the whole cup)

Directions:

In a mixing bowl beat together the egg, salt and 1/3 cup water.
Add in the flour gradually to the bowl, mixing with a fork, until you get a thick sticky dough – it should be roughly thicker than cake batter (you may not need to use the entire cup of flour). Set aside to rest for 10 mins.
While the dough is resting, boil a medium pot of water with 1-2 teaspoons of salt. When the dough has rested, mix it around one more time and drop half a teaspoon of dough into the boiling water at a time. (Tip: lower the spoon into the boiling water for the dough to release from the spoon). When the dough floats to the top, it’s ready (2-3 minutes). Strain and ready to use!
- Note: you may want to cook your nokedli in batches to not overcook them or get someone to help you spoon the dough into the pot so they all go into the pot faster.
- If you’re not using them right away, rinse them in cold water to prevent them from sticking together. Otherwise if you’re serving it in a sauce, you can add them directly in the finished sauce and serve.

March 19, 2021March 19, 2021

Abby3 Comments

Creamy Mushroom Coconut Lentil Soup

Date Published: March 11th, 2021 | Last Updated: March 11th, 2021
Author: Abby |Category: soups, mains, low calorie, vegetarian, healthy
Serves: 6 | Prep time: 15 mins | Cook time: 40 mins

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I’ve literally JUST made it up in the kitchen and thought it was too good not to add to the recipe collection. As an attempt to eat healthier, Toby and I have been cooking with more green lentils lately. Although higher in carbs, green lentils pack a ton of fibre which keeps you feeling full for longer, lowers cholesterol, and makes you regular (lol). Toby never thought he liked lentils but ever since we started cooking with them he’s realized that he has just never had them made properly!

This soup is not only packed with veggies, high in fibre, and healthy, but best of all it’s low in calories!! Each serving is only 280-380 calories (exact calories will depend on the brand of coconut milk and chicken stock you use). When I say “serving”, I don’t mean a dinky half-ladle bowl – I mean a decent sized bowl of soup that makes you feel satisfied and full. Sounds too good to be true, right?

This soup tastes creamy but not overly heavy. It’s a chicken stock-based soup cooked with onions, celery, a ton of mushrooms and fragranced with fresh thyme and lemon. The lentils add bulk to the soup and are cooked to your liking. The small amount of coconut milk (only half a can for the entire pot) is just enough to make it creamy and indulgent – you’ll forget this soup is low in calories!

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

4 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, diced
4 stalks of celery, diced
500g mushrooms, sliced
1 cup (200g) green lentils
4 cups chicken stock (or vegetable stock)
6 sprigs fresh thyme (roughly 1 Tbsp of fresh thyme leaves)
2 bay leaves
Lemon peel of 1 large lemon, sliced into large strips
200ml (1/2 a can) coconut milk

Directions:

In a large pot on med-high heat, sauté the garlic in a few tablespoons of olive oil for 30 seconds until fragrant, then add in the diced onion and celery.

Cook until the celery softens then add in the sliced mushrooms. Continue sautéing for another 5 minutes until the mushrooms start to release their liquid.

Add in the rest of the ingredients to the pot: lentils, chicken stock, thyme, bay leaf, lemon peel, and coconut milk. Let the soup come to a boil, then turn the heat down to low-medium and let it simmer until the lentils are cooked to your liking (~25-30 mins), stirring occasionally.

Once the lentils are cooked, pick out the lemon peel, thyme sprigs, and bay leaves. Serve!

Summarized Recipe:

Creamy Mushroom Coconut Lentil Soup

Ingredients:

4 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, diced
4 stalks of celery, diced
500g mushrooms, sliced
1 cup (200g) green lentils
4 cups chicken stock
6 sprigs fresh thyme (roughly 1 Tbsp of fresh thyme leaves)
2 bay leaves
Lemon peel of 1 large lemon, sliced into large strips
200ml (1/2 a can) coconut milk

Directions:

In a large pot on med-high heat, sauté the garlic in a few tablespoons of olive oil for 30 seconds until fragrant, then add in the diced onion and celery. Cook until the celery softens then add in the sliced mushrooms. Continue sautéing for another 5 minutes until the mushrooms start to release their liquid.
Add in the rest of the ingredients to the pot: lentils, chicken stock, thyme, bay leaf, lemon peel, and coconut milk. Let the soup come to a boil, then turn the heat down to low-medium and let it simmer until the lentils are cooked to your liking (~25-30 mins), stirring occasionally.
Once the lentils are cooked, pick out the lemon peel, thyme sprigs, and bay leaves. Serve!

March 11, 2021March 15, 2021

AbbyLeave a comment

Lemon Parmesan Tuna Cakes

Date Published: March 6th, 2021 | Last Updated: March 6th, 2021
Author: Abby |Category: appetizer, snacks
Serves: 6 medium sized cakes (or 4 large ones) | Prep time: 15 mins | Cook time: 10 mins

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These tuna cakes pack a punch of lemon flavour! They’re easy to make and pretty quick to whip up. Lemon, parmesan and garlic are the heroes of this recipe all packaged together into a patty then breaded with panko breadcrumbs for a crispy exterior. You can make these cakes small to serve as an appetizer or a quick snack, or form them larger and put it between two buns to make a crunchy tuna patty burger! Enjoy them on their own or drizzled with a creamy tartar sauce or sriracha mayo.

I first stumbled across the original recipe from CrunchyCreamySweet when I was looking for tuna recipes to use up all the tuna we caught when we went deep sea fishing last year. We caught 6 fish and it was quite the struggle to use it all up – we ended up eating tuna for 2 weeks straight! I’ve adjusted the proportions from the original recipe to pack more flavour into the cakes but the root of it is still essentially the same.

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

Tuna Cake:
- 250g tuna in water, very well drained
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
- 4 Tbsps fresh dill leaves, roughly chopped (or 1 tsp dried dill)
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 2 Tbsp lemon zest
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 4 Tbsps mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 2 tsp dried parsley
Breading:
- 8 Tbsps panko breadcrumbs
- 6 Tbsps grated Parmesan cheese
- 4 Tbsps olive oil divided

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients for the tuna cakes: tuna, garlic, onion, salt, pepper, lemon juice, zest, egg, breadcrumbs, mayonnaise, parmesan, and parsley. Set aside.

In a shallow ball, combine the ingredients for the breading: breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese.

Form the tuna mixture into 6 equal sized patties (or 4 large ones). If your mixture is a little too wet, you can put it in the fridge for 20 mins to firm up then form them. Dip each patty into the breading mixture and coat all sides, including the edges. Set aside.

Heat a skillet on medium heat and add 2 Tbsps of oil. Shallow fry each patty on both sides until golden brown. Set cooked patties on top of a paper towel to drain excess oil. Serve!

Serve it on its own as an appetizer or paired with a side salad or drizzled with creamy tartar sauce or sriracha mayo! Click the links for the recipes.

If you’ve made the recipe let me know what you think about it in the comments! Like and follow our FB page and instagram for the latest updates.

Summarized Recipe:

Lemon Parmesan Tuna Cakes

Ingredients:

Tuna Cake:
- 250g tuna in water, very well drained
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
- 4 Tbsps fresh dill leaves, roughly chopped (or 1 tsp dried dill)
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 2 Tbsp lemon zest
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 4 Tbsps mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 2 tsp dried parsley
Breading:
- 8 Tbsps panko breadcrumbs
- 6 Tbsps grated Parmesan cheese
- 4 Tbsps olive oil divided

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients for the tuna cakes: tuna, garlic, onion, salt, pepper, lemon juice, zest, egg, breadcrumbs, mayonnaise, parmesan, and parsley. Set aside.
In a shallow ball, combine the ingredients for the breading: breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese.
Form the tuna mixture into 6 equal sized patties (or 4 large ones).
- If your mixture is a little too wet, you can put it in the fridge for 20 mins to firm up then form them. Dip each patty into the breading mixture and coat all sides, including the edges. Set aside.
Heat a skillet on medium heat and add 2 Tbsps of oil. Shallow fry each patty on both sides until golden brown. Set cooked patties on top of a paper towel to drain excess oil. Serve!

Serve it on its own as an appetizer or paired with a side salad or drizzled with creamy tartar sauce or sriracha mayo! Click the links for the recipes.

March 6, 2021March 6, 2021

Abby2 Comments

Lemon Poppy Seed Loaf

Date Published: March 5th, 2021 | Last Updated: March 26th, 2025
Author: Abby |Category: dessert
Serves: 1 loaf | Prep time: 30 mins | Cook time: 60 mins

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This is my copycat version of Starbucks’ lemon poppy seed loaf. It’s pretty much the only food item I buy from Starbucks back home. I don’t usually like loaves, but this one draws me in every time. It’s a moist fluffy cake bursting with lemon flavour topped with a lemon icing drizzle overtop. It pairs wonderfully with a coffee or better yet, a London Fog (essentially a vanilla earl grey latte). The loaf is delicious and full of lemon flavour on its own, but the lemon icing is what gives it an extra punch. If you’re not a fan of sugar, feel free to skip the icing but to me its my favourite part!

There aren’t many Starbucks in Australia and the ones that are here don’t sell this cake so I actually don’t know how close this recipe is to the ones at Starbucks since I don’t have one to compare it to, but when I have it it brings me right back to those memories – so I must be pretty close, right? Let me know what you think in the comments!

This recipe uses lemon juice. You can choose to use fresh lemons or bottled lemon juice. You’ll need lemon zest for the recipe so I tend to just use the juice from the rest of the lemon and top it up with bottled lemon juice if I don’t have enough. The lemon extract is optional in this recipe but I do find that it does have a slightly stronger lemon flavour with it.

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

Cake:

3/4 cup (170g) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
Dry Ingredients:
- 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/8 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 Tbsp lemon zest (~2 lemons)
- 2 Tbsps poppy seeds
3 large eggs, room temperature
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp lemon extract
1/4 cup (60ml) lemon juice
3/4 cup (180 ml) buttermilk (or 3/4 cup milk + 3/4 Tbsp lemon juice, sit until curdled)

Lemon Icing:

1 cup (120g) powdered sugar
1 Tbsp lemon juice
3 tsps milk

Directions:

(If you don’t have buttermilk, step one should be to mix 3/4 cup milk with 3/4 Tbsp of lemon juice. Let it sit at room temperature for 10-15 mins until curdled and use it in place of buttermilk.)

Preheat the oven to 180˚C (350˚F)

Grease a 9 x 5 loaf pan and line it with parchment paper. You don’t need the parchment paper but it makes it a LOT easier to remove the cake cleanly from the pan.

In a medium bowl, mix together the dry ingredients: 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour, 1/4 tsp baking powder, 1/8 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 Tbsp lemon zest, 2 Tbsps poppy seeds. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl with a whisk attachment or an electric beater, cream together the 3/4 cup (170g) unsalted softened butter and 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar until light and fluffy (~3-4 mins).

Add in the eggs one at a time until incorporated, then add in the 1/2 tsp vanilla extract, 1 tsp lemon extract, and 1/4 cup (60ml) lemon juice while on medium speed.

On low-medium speed, add the dry flour mixture (from step 4) and buttermilk in alternations: add in 1/3 of the flour mixture, followed by half the buttermilk, then another 1/3 of the flour mixture, then the rest of the buttermilk, and finally the rest of the flour mixture. Allow each of the ingredients to be incorporated before adding in the next.

Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake in the preheated oven for 50-60 mins until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let the loaf cool in the pan for 10 mins before removing it onto a wire rack to let it cool completely.

Tip: If the top of your loaf is browning too quickly before the loaf is cooked, you can place a sheet of aluminum foil on top to protect it while the rest of the loaf bakes.

While the loaf cools, make the lemon icing by sifting the 1 cup (120g) icing sugar into a bowl, then add in the 1 Tbsp of lemon juice. Mix until combined. Add in 1 tsp of milk at a time until you get the desired consistency (thick and not too runny).

If you prefer a thinner icing to make it less sweet, then add more milk. If you want a thicker one, then add less milk (or no milk at all).

When the loaf is completely cooled, slowly drizzle the icing onto the loaf or pour it down the centre and let the icing flow off the sides. Set aside to let the icing harden. Once the icing dries and sets, slice up the loaf and serve!

Summarized Recipe:

Lemon Poppy Seed Loaf

Date Published: March 5th, 2021 | Last Updated: March 26th, 2025
Author: Abby |Category: dessert
Serves: 1 loaf | Prep time: 30 mins | Cook time: 60 mins

Ingredients:

Cake:

3/4 cup (170g) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
Dry Ingredients:
- 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/8 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 Tbsps poppy seeds
3 large eggs, room temperature
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp lemon extract
1 Tbsp lemon zest (~2 lemons)
1/4 cup (60ml) lemon juice
3/4 cup (180 ml) buttermilk (or 3/4 cup milk + 3/4 Tbsp lemon juice, sit until curdled)

Lemon Icing:

1 cup (120g) powdered sugar
1 Tbsp lemon juice
3 tsps milk

Directions:

(If you don’t have buttermilk, step one should be to mix 3/4 cup milk with 3/4 Tbsp of lemon juice. Let it sit at room temperature for 10-15 mins until curdled and use it in place of buttermilk.)
Preheat the oven to 180˚C (350˚F).
Grease a 9 x 5 loaf pan and line it with parchment paperYou don’t need the parchment paper but it makes it a LOT easier to remove the cake cleanly from the pan.
In a medium bowl, mix together the dry ingredients: 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour, 1/4 tsp baking powder, 1/8 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 Tbsp lemon zest, 2 Tbsps poppy seeds. Set aside.
In a mixing bowl with a whisk attachment or an electric beater, cream together the 3/4 cup (170g) unsalted softened butter and 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar until light and fluffy (~3-4 mins).
Add in the eggs one at a time until incorporated, then add in the 1/2 tsp vanilla extract, 1 tsp lemon extract, and 1/4 cup (60ml) lemon juice while on medium speed.
On low-medium speed, add the dry flour mixture (from step 4) and buttermilk in alternations: add in 1/3 of the flour mixture, followed by half the buttermilk, then another 1/3 of the flour mixture, then the rest of the buttermilk, and finally the rest of the flour mixture. Allow each of the ingredients to be incorporated before adding in the next.
Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake in the preheated oven for 50-60 mins until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let the loaf cool in the pan for 50-60 mins before removing it onto a wire rack to let it cool completely.
- Tip: If the top of your loaf is browning too quickly before the loaf is cooked, you can place a sheet of aluminum foil on top to protect it while the rest of the loaf bakes.
While the loaf cools, make the lemon icing by sifting the 1 cup (120g) icing sugar into a bowl, then add in the 1 Tbsp of lemon juice. Mix until combined. Add in 1 tsp of milk at a time until you get the desired consistency (thick and not too runny). If you prefer a thinner icing to make it less sweet, then add more milk. If you want a thicker one, then add less milk (or no milk at all).
When the loaf is completely cooled, slowly drizzle the icing onto the loaf or pour it down the centre and let the icing flow off the sides. Set aside to let the icing harden. Once the icing dries and sets, slice up the loaf and serve!

March 5, 2021March 26, 2025

Abby3 Comments

Chinese Lettuce Wraps (My version of a San Choy Bow)

Date Published: Feb 15th, 2021 | Last Updated: Feb 15th, 2021
Author: Abby |Category: asian, healthy, quick and easy, sides, mains
Serves: 4 | Prep time: 15 mins | Cook time: 20 mins

Jump to recipe |

If you’ve never had a san choy bow (aka Chinese lettuce wraps), you’ve been missing out on life, my friend. It’s a boldly flavourful stir-fry of minced veggies and ground pork served with a bowl of lettuce leaves where you DIY the wraps yourselves. The mince stir-fry is meant to be on the salty side and when paired with the crisp lettuce leaves it balances out the saltiness perfectly. The bold sauce is the heart of the dish – in fact, you can change up whatever veggies you want or substitute the protein for whatever you want (even tofu) and it won’t make too much of a difference as long as the sauce is right. It’s often made with oyster sauce, but I’ve chosen Hoisin sauce as my base because Hoisin is life. You may also see water chestnuts in many recipes for that extra crunch, but I struggle to find it nearby in my grocery stores so I use diced celery instead for the crunch and a little extra flavour. If you’re feeling fancy, you can add in some puffed rice noodles in it as well.

San choy bow is a pretty common dish in Chinese restaurants either served as a side dish or as a main – either way, there’s no neat way to eat it. Be prepared to have sauce drizzle down your hands no matter how careful you are. The first time I had it was at a Chinese restaurant in Brampton as a secondary dish to our peking duck – the first dish was the typical crispy duck skin wraps and the second dish was the meat of the duck stir-fried with Hoisin sauce and served in lettuce wraps. It was heaven. This recipe is my version of a san choy bow and its an homage to the dish I’ve loved for so long.

Not only is this dish delicious, it’s actually also pretty healthy, low-carb, gluten-free, and best of all really easy and quick to make! You can make everything in about 20 minutes and its also easily customizable and a great way to sneak veggies into the diet.

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp ginger, minced
1 large onion, diced
2 large sticks of celery (or 3 medium ones), finely diced
2 medium sized carrots, finely diced
8 shiitake mushrooms, finely diced (fresh or dehydrated)
500g lean pork mince
Iceberg lettuce for wrapping
Sauce:
- 6 Tbsps Hoisin sauce
- 3 Tbsps soy sauce
- 1.5 Tbsps rice wine vinegar

Directions:

Finely dice all of your veg. Tip: if you’re feeling lazy you can put it in the food processor and pulse it until you get small pieces. If you’re using dehydrated shiitake mushrooms, rehydrate them by soaking them in hot water for 10-15 mins until soft.

In a wok on MED-HIGH heat, add a few tablespoons of oil and sauté the garlic, ginger and onion for 30 seconds until fragrant.

Add in the celery and carrots to the wok and continue sautéing for another 2 mins. Put a lid on the wok, turn the heat down to MED and let the veg steam for 5-10mins until they’re soft enough to break with a spatula. Stir occasionally to ensure the veg doesn’t burn. If the veg seems a bit dry or is burning before it softens, add a tablespoon of water and stir it around then put the lid back on to continue steaming.

While the veg is steaming, you can dice your rehydrated shiitake mushrooms, discarding the hard stems and wash the lettuce leaves. You can also trim the lettuce leaves to shape them like cups if you’re feeling fancy. I usually just eat them whole, but will put in the extra effort to trim them if I’m serving it out to friends.

Make the sauce by mixing together the hoisin sauce, soy sauce, and rice wine vinegar. Set aside.

Once the veg has softened, add in the pork mince and mushrooms to the wok and stir-fry on MED-HIGH heat until the pork is cooked. Then pour in the hoisin sauce mixture and stir until combined. Done! Serve with iceberg lettuce leaves for wrapping and lots of napkins for the inevitable sauce to drip down your hands 😜.

Summarized Recipe:

Chinese Lettuce Wraps (My Version of a San Choy Bow)

Date Published: Feb 15th, 2021 | Last Updated: Feb 15th, 2021
Author: Abby |Category: asian, healthy, quick and easy
Serves: 4 | Prep time: 15 mins | Cook time: 20 mins

Ingredients:

3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp ginger, minced
1 large onion, diced
2 large sticks of celery (or 3 medium ones), finely diced
2 medium sized carrots, finely diced
8 shiitake mushrooms, finely diced (fresh or dehydrated)
500g lean pork mince
Iceberg lettuce for wrapping
Sauce:
- 6 Tbsps Hoisin sauce
- 3 Tbsps soy sauce
- 1.5 Tbsps rice wine vinegar

Directions:

Finely dice all of your veg. Tip: if you’re feeling lazy you can put it in the food processor and pulse it until you get small pieces. If you’re using dehydrated shiitake mushrooms, rehydrate them by soaking them in hot water for 10-15 mins until soft.
In a wok on MED-HIGH heat, add a few tablespoons of oil and sauté the garlic, ginger and onion for 30 seconds until fragrant.
Add in the celery and carrots to the wok and continue sautéing for another 2 mins. Put a lid on the wok, turn the heat down to MED and let the veg steam for 5-10mins until they’re soft enough to break with a spatula. Stir occasionally to ensure the veg doesn’t burn. If the veg seems a bit dry or is burning before it softens, add a tablespoon of water and stir it around then put the lid back on to continue steaming.
While the veg is steaming, you can dice your rehydrated shiitake mushrooms, discarding the hard stems and wash the lettuce leaves.
- You can also trim the lettuce leaves to shape them like cups if you’re feeling fancy. I usually just eat them whole, but will put in the extra effort to trim them if I’m serving it out to friends.
Make the sauce by mixing together the hoisin sauce, soy sauce, and rice wine vinegar. Set aside.
Once the veg has softened, add in the pork mince and mushrooms to the wok and stir-fry on MED-HIGH heat until the pork is cooked. Then pour in the hoisin sauce mixture and stir until combined. Done! Serve with iceberg lettuce leaves for wrapping and lots of napkins for the inevitable sauce to drip down your hands 😜.

February 15, 2021February 15, 2021

AbbyLeave a comment

THE Best Mushroom Stuffing

Date Published: Feb 10th, 2021 | Last Updated: Feb 10th, 2021
Author: Abby |Category: sides
Serves: 1 large tray | Prep time: 30 mins | Cook time: 1.5 hrs

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Stuffing is definitely in my top 10 favourite things to eat. I could eat it all day everyday – just let me drown in the buttery goodness of the soft bread in aromatic herbs. Warning: this recipe makes quite a big batch for a party, so if you’re scaling down for dinner, feel free the halve the recipe. I always make the full recipe no matter the party size in hopes that there would be leftovers so I could keep eating it for the rest of the week 😜.

Stuffing is a classic side dish to any Thanksgiving dinner. There are many variations out there but the base ingredients are always the same: bread, celery, parsley, and onion cooked in butter and baked in a blend of herbs including poultry seasoning. Poultry seasoning doesn’t seem to exist on the supermarket shelves in Australia (then again, neither does Thanksgiving) so whenever I visit home in Canada I always bring back a bag with me. If you can’t easily access poultry seasoning, there are a few recipes floating online to make your own!

I’ve made this stuffing at least a dozen times over the years and it’s always a talking point. The trick that I learned the hard way is not to add too much liquid to the stuffing. You must mix things quickly and not let any liquids pool at the bottom or let it sit for too long before baking, otherwise the bread becomes too soggy and you end up with a really mushy stuffing and doesn’t bake as nicely. To limit the mushiness, you want your bread cubes to be as dry as possible before starting and you want to add only enough liquid so everything is just slightly wet.

Side story: One year at the food pavilion at the annual CNE in Canada, a food booth made stuffing WAFFLES! It blew my freaking mind. The waffle was made of delicious stuffing and then topped with turkey, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce and gravy. It was like the perfect Thanksgiving dinner in waffle form! I’ve always wanted to try and recreate it, but never got around to buying a waffle maker.

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

1 loaf of sliced plain bread (cheapest one will do) (or 12 cups dry bread cubes)
1 cup (227g) salted butter
1 large (2 cups) yellow onion, finely diced
2 cups celery, finely diced
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
500g mushrooms, sliced
1 tsp poultry seasoning
1.5 tsp dried sage
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried marjoram
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
Chicken broth as needed (~2-3 cups) (you can use vegetable broth as well to make it vegetarian)
2 eggs, beaten

Directions:

Slice up an entire loaf of white bread into cubes

Tip: You can store the cubes in the bread bag until ready to use

Dehydrate your bread (skip this step if you’re using dry bread cubes): Preheat oven to 180˚C (350F). Slice the entire loaf of bread into cubes. Spread out the cubes evenly in a single layer on a baking tray (you will need to split it up between a few trays so they get evenly toasted) and bake until the cubes are dry and crunchy, flipping over once. This should take about 10mins. Once the bread cubes are dehydrated, set them aside to let cool.

Alternatively, if you plan ahead you can leave the bread cubes out overnight to air dry instead of baking them – but this may take longer depending on how humid your environment is. I like to store them in the bread bag once cooled.

Tip: This is probably the most time-consuming part of this whole recipe. You can do this step a couple days ahead of time to save time if you’re cooking a big dinner – just keep the bread cubes away from moisture until you’re ready to use.

Preheat oven to 180˚C (350F).

Melt the butter in a pot and cook the onion, celery, mushroom and parsley until they’re soft and break easily with a spoon. Once cooked, turn off the heat.

Place the dried bread cubes into a large bowl and season with poultry seasoning, sage, thyme, marjoram, salt, and pepper. Spoon the cooked vegetables over the bread without the butter liquid and mix everything together quickly, otherwise the bread will start getting soggy.

Pour in the remaining butter liquid from the pot and continue to mix well. Don’t let liquid sit on bottom of bowl! Add the eggs and ONLY enough chicken broth to MOISTEN the bread crumbs (too much will result in mushy stuffing, ~2-3 cups). Mix well.

Once everything is incorporated, transfer the mixture to a large baking tray and bake uncovered for 30-45mins, flipping and stirring once halfway through. The stuffing is done once it turns a toasty golden brown colour. Serve!

Alternatively, you can also cook this in a slow cooker: cook on High for 45 minutes, then reduce heat to Low, and cook for 4 to 8 hours.

Summarized Recipe:

THE Best Mushroom Stuffing

Date Published: Feb 10th, 2021 | Last Updated: Feb 10th, 2021
Author: Abby |Category: sides
Serves: 1 large tray | Prep time: 30 mins | Cook time: 1.5 hrs

Ingredients:

1 loaf of sliced plain bread (cheapest one will do) (or 12 cups dry bread cubes)
1 cup (227g) salted butter
1 large (2 cups) yellow onion, finely diced
2 cups celery, finely diced
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
500g mushrooms, sliced
1 tsp poultry seasoning
1.5 tsp dried sage
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried marjoram
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
Chicken broth as needed (~2-3 cups) (you can use vegetable broth as well to make it vegetarian)
2 eggs, beaten

Directions:

Dehydrate your bread (skip this step if you’re using dry bread cubes): Preheat oven to 180˚C (350F). Slice the entire loaf of bread into cubes. Spread out the cubes evenly in a single layer on a baking tray (you will need to split it up between a few trays so they get evenly toasted) and bake until the cubes are dry and crunchy, flipping over once. This should take about 10mins. Once the bread cubes are dehydrated, set them aside to let cool (I like to put them back in the bread bag).
Preheat oven to 180˚C (350F).
Melt the butter in a pot and cook the onion, celery, mushroom and parsley until they’re soft and break easily with a spoon. Once cooked, turn off the heat.
Place the dried bread cubes into a large bowl and season with poultry seasoning, sage, thyme, marjoram, salt, and pepper. Spoon the cooked vegetables over the bread without the butter liquid and mix everything together quickly, otherwise the bread will start getting soggy.
Pour in the remaining butter liquid from the pot and continue to mix well. Don’t let liquid sit on bottom of bowl! Add the eggs and ONLY enough chicken broth to MOISTEN the bread crumbs (too much will result in mushy stuffing, ~2-3 cups). Mix well.
Once everything is incorporated, transfer the mixture to a large baking tray and bake uncovered for 30-45mins, flipping and stirring once halfway through. The stuffing is done once it turns a toasty golden brown colour. Serve!

February 10, 2021March 6, 2021

Abby1 Comment