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

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

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

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

Blue Cheese Broccoli Salad

Date Published: August 17th, 2020 | Last Updated: August 17th, 2020
Author: Abby |Category: salads, vegetarian
Serves: 4-6 | Prep time: 15 mins | Cook time: 20 mins

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In many Chinese households raw vegetables are not very common – if at all. When we moved to Canada it was really strange watching my classmates eat raw carrots and celery as a snack. It was even stranger that someone would bring a platter of uncooked vegetables to a party as their contribution. To this day I’m still not a big fan of raw veg on their own but when it’s paired with a delicious creamy dip or in a flavourful salad, sign me up!…Except for celery. I still can’t eat that shit raw.

Broccoli was one of the last few veg I came to terms with eating raw. I’ve always loved steamed broccoli especially with some garlic and black pepper, but crunching on it raw just felt so wrong…until I came upon this amazing salad that a friend brought to a party a couple years ago. I was going to call this “Jess’ Broccoli Salad”, but I went with a more descriptive title instead for those of you that don’t know Jess 😜 (who’s also a super amazing baker). If you’re a fan of blue cheese, this salad is definitely for you! The bold blue cheese is offset by the sweet and tart cranberries and juiciness of the red onions, then mellowed out with crispy bacon and toasted pecans, all transported by the humble crunchy broccoli for a super flavourful mouthful.

The ingredients list seems long, but most of it is the balsamic dressing. A freshly made balsamic vinaigrette really does make a difference to tie all the flavours of the salad together, but if you’re in a rush, feel free to take a shortcut and use a store-bought version. There are also a few other shortcuts in the recipe marked as “optional” steps, but I encourage you to take the time to toast the pecans, blanch the broccoli and sauté the bacon to bring out the maximum flavours of the ingredients.

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

Balsamic Dressing:
- 2 Tbsps balsamic vinegar
- 1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 Tbsp dijon mustard
- 2 Tbsps brown sugar
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
Salad:
- 6 cups broccoli, chopped (roughly 3 middle-sized broccoli heads or 2 large ones)
- 1/2 cup pecans
- 1/2 cup bacon, chopped
- 1 cup red onion, sliced or diced (personal preference)
- 1/2 cup blue cheese, crumbled
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries

Directions:

Make the dressing: put all the ingredients for the dressing in a bowl (balsamic vinegar, red wine vinegar, dijon, brown sugar, olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic) and whisk until it becomes a homogenous mixture. Set aside.
(Alternatively, you can put all the ingredients in a mason jar and shake well until all the ingredients are combined.)

Blanch the broccoli: place the broccoli in a pot of boiling water for 1-2 minutes then drain and run under cold water. Use a salad spinner to get rid of excess water on the broccoli. Set aside.

This step is optional but it helps soften the broccoli a little but and bring out the bright green colours. If you prefer your broccoli raw and crunchy, feel free to skip this step. You can also boil the broccoli a little longer if you prefer it softer.

Toast the pecans: Preheat the oven to 180˚C and toast the pecans for 10-15 minutes until fragrant and darker brown, then roughly chop it and set aside.

This step is also optional, but I find toasting the pecans bring out a lot more depth in the flavours of the salad.

Sauté the bacon: While you’re waiting for the pecans to toast, sauté the chopped bacon until light brown and crispy. Set aside.

Assemble the salad: In a large bowl, mix together all the salad ingredients: broccoli, pecans, bacon, red onions, blue cheese, and cranberries. Pour the dressing over and mix well. Serve and enjoy!

Summarized Recipe:

Blue Cheese Broccoli Salad

Date Published: August 17th, 2020 | Last Updated: August 17th, 2020
Author: Abby |Category: salads, vegetarian
Serves: 4-6 | Prep time: 15 mins | Cook time: 20 mins

Ingredients:

Balsamic Dressing:
- 2 Tbsps balsamic vinegar
- 1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 Tbsp dijon mustard
- 2 Tbsps brown sugar
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
Salad:
- 6 cups broccoli, chopped (roughly 3 middle-sized broccoli heads or 2 large ones)
- 1/2 cup pecans
- 1/2 cup bacon, chopped
- 1 cup red onion, sliced or diced (personal preference)
- 1/2 cup blue cheese, crumbled
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries

Directions:

Make the dressing: put all the ingredients for the dressing in a bowl (balsamic vinegar, red wine vinegar, dijon, brown sugar, olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic) and whisk until it becomes a homogenous mixture. Set aside.
Blanch the broccoli (optional): place the broccoli in a pot of boiling water for 1-2 minutes then drain and run under cold water. Use a salad spinner to get rid of excess water on the broccoli. Set aside.
Toast the pecans (optional): Preheat the oven to 180˚C and toast the pecans for 10-15 minutes until fragrant and darker brown, then roughly chop it and set aside.
Sauté the bacon: While you’re waiting for the pecans to toast, sauté the chopped bacon until light brown and crispy. Set aside.
Assemble the salad: In a large bowl, mix together all the salad ingredients: broccoli, pecans, bacon, red onions, blue cheese, and cranberries. Pour the dressing over and mix well. Serve and enjoy!

August 17, 2020September 6, 2020

Abby5 Comments

Khao Soi (Thai Coconut Curry Noodle Soup)

Date Published: August 11th, 2020 | Last Updated: August 11th, 2020
Author: Abby |Category: mains, soups, asian, quick and easy
Serves: 4-6 | Prep time: 5 mins | Cook time: 15 mins

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Khao Soi? Oh boy! If you’ve never had Khao Soi before, you’re about to have your taste buds obliterated because this dish is THE BOMB (I’ll see myself out). It uses an intense curry paste that’s similar to red curry but with the addition of curry powder (like a yellow curry paste) which is then simmered with coconut milk that results in a luxe creamy coconut curry soup with some heat. This northern Thailand dish is commonly served with egg noodles, chicken, and topped with crispy noodles. There are many variations of this dish and you can easily customize it yourself with extra veg, tofu puffs, fish cakes…etc.

I’m going to admit something here. I’m actually pretty new to Khao Soi and only heard about it a month ago on Masterchef (when Jess made it in the ramen challenge) and I haven’t been able to get it out of my mind since. I LOVE curries, especially Thai curries for their aromas so it’s no surprise that Khao Soi instantly made it straight to the top of my (long) list of dishes to make. Since I’ve never had Khao Soi from Thailand I can’t attest to how “authentic” my recipe is to the real thing but I can guarantee that this recipe is f*cking delicious. I ate two bowls in one sitting the first time I made it! Move over green curry, I actually think this may be my new favourite Thai curry. Since I’m a novice to Khao Soi, I came up with this recipe by reading through a LOT of highly rated “authentic” recipes and compiled all the best parts together. I’m surprised I pulled it off!

I’m a huge advocate of homemade curry paste because it just has so much vibrant flavours that you can’t get from a can without “freshening it up” with aromatics. I used my pre-made homemade Thai red curry paste for this recipe which saved SO much prep work and made this recipe infinitely easy and fast to come together (I haven’t tried this with canned paste so apologies to anyone that was hoping to use it. If you try it, let me know how it turns out!). This dish takes about 15-20 mins from start to finish. The only thing you need to chop is the chicken! So quick and easy for something SO full of flavour.

Hopefully one day when this pandemic is over I’ll be able to travel to northern Thailand and have Khao Soi to see how it compares. It’s a shame because I was actually in Chiang Mai last year for 3 weeks volunteering at an animal shelter desexing stray dogs and cats. The whole time I was there no one mentioned Khao Soi but I did have some pretty amazing green curry. Ah well, another excuse to travel! 😊

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

4 portions of egg noodles
Khao Soi paste:
- 1/2 cup homemade Thai red curry paste
- 4 tsps curry powder
- 4 tsps turmeric powder
1kg chicken thighs (or breast), diced into large pieces (or to preference on how big you prefer your chicken pieces)
4 cups (1 litre) reduced salt chicken stock (or vegetable stock)
600ml (1 1/2 cans) coconut milk
2 Tbsps fish sauce (or more to taste)
Optional: any additional veg you like

Directions:

Cook the egg noodles according to package instructions. Drain and rinse under cold water. Set aside.

In a bowl, make the khao soi paste by mixing the red curry paste, curry powder and turmeric powder together. Set aside.

Warm a pot on MED-HIGH heat, add 1-2 Tbsps of oil and sauté the chicken pieces until browned (don’t worry about cooking it all the way through – it’ll finish cooking in the soup). Remove from heat and set aside in a bowl.

In the same pot, use the leftover oil from the chicken (or add more if there’s not much left) and add the khao soi paste (red curry paste, curry powder and turmeric powder). Quickly sauté for a couple minutes until the paste dries out a little and becomes fragrant.

Add in the chicken stock and coconut milk. Stir until no clumps remain from the paste. Simmer the soup for 5 minutes then add in the browned chicken pieces (and any additional veg you like). Simmer for another 5 minutes (or until veggies have cooked – if using). Add the fish sauce. Taste and adjust flavours as needed (if it’s not salty enough you can add more fish sauce or salt, if you prefer your soup creamier add more coconut milk).

Divide the egg noodles into 4 bowls and ladle the soup with ingredients into each bowl over the noodles. Done!

Summarized Recipe:

Khao Soi (Thai Coconut Curry Noodle Soup)

Ingredients:

4 portions of egg noodles
Khao Soi paste:
- 1/2 cup homemade Thai red curry paste
- 4 tsps curry powder
- 4 tsps turmeric powder
1kg chicken thighs (or breast), diced into large pieces (or to preference on how big you prefer your chicken pieces)
4 cups (1 litre) reduced salt chicken stock (or vegetable stock)
600ml (1 1/2 cans) coconut milk
2 Tbsps fish sauce (or more to taste)
Optional: any additional veg you like

Directions:

Cook the egg noodles according to package instructions. Drain and rinse under cold water. Set aside.
In a bowl, make the khao soi paste by mixing the red curry paste, curry powder and turmeric powder together. Set aside.
Warm a pot on MED-HIGH heat, add 1-2 Tbsps of oil and sauté the chicken pieces until browned (don’t worry about cooking it all the way through – it’ll finish cooking in the soup). Remove from heat and set aside in a bowl.
In the same pot, use the leftover oil from the chicken (or add more if there’s not much left) and add the khao soi paste (red curry paste, curry powder and turmeric powder). Quickly sauté for a couple minutes until the paste dries out a little and becomes fragrant.
Add in the chicken stock and coconut milk. Stir until no clumps remain from the paste. Simmer the soup for 5 minutes then add in the browned chicken pieces (and any additional veg you like). Simmer for another 5 minutes (or until veggies have cooked – if using). Add the fish sauce. Taste and adjust flavours as needed (if it’s not salty enough you can add more fish sauce or salt, if you prefer your soup creamier add more coconut milk).
Divide the egg noodles into 4 bowls and ladle the soup with ingredients into each bowl over the noodles. Done!

August 11, 2020August 11, 2020

Abby1 Comment

Apple Chicken Goat Cheese Salad

Date Published: August 10th, 2020 | Last Updated: August 10th, 2020
Author: Abby |Category: salads, healthy, easy, < 30 mins, mains
Serves: 4 as mains, 6-8 as side salads | Prep time: 20 mins | Cook time: 5 mins

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This is my ALL TIME FAVOURITE SALAD. Seriously. Back in Canada I used to go to Montana’s a lot with my friends and I almost never order salad when I’m eating out because I always think it’ll never be as good as a warm cooked meal and not way could it be as flavourful. One night I wasn’t particularly hungry and I was trying to be a bit more healthy since I was training for a marathon so I decided to browse their salads section and ordered the ‘Apple Harvest Salad’. I only chose this one because it had goat cheese in it (and I LOVE goat cheese). When the food arrived, my salad portion was HUGE with dressing served on the side. I was skeptical, but ohhhhh boy was I wrong. That salad changed my world and it actually became my new favourite thing on their menu (other than the goat cheese stuffed chicken breast and Kapow Shrimp). I’d actively go to Montana’s just to get this salad – which doesn’t sound like me at all! Now that I live in Australia, there’s no Montana’s in sight and I decided to recreate it myself! I’d say I did a pretty good job because this salad is FANTASTIC. If you love goat cheese, this is the salad for you! The juicy crisp apple pairs so well with the warm nutty toasted pecans and the creaminess of the goat cheese all tied together in a homemade balsamic vinaigrette.

I’ve only ever eaten this salad as a main dish because it’s THAT good and there’s no way I could eat it as just a small side dish so I’ve categorized this in both the mains and sides section. If you want to serve it as a side, you might want to consider skipping the chicken so your meal isn’t too bulky. If you’re packing it for lunch, keep the salad dressing separate and pour it on when you’re ready to eat.

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

Salad:
- 1 cup pecans
- 4 cups cooked chicken breast or thigh, chopped to bite-sized pieces – you can use leftover chicken from a roast or make it fresh the way you prefer (see my preferred method to cook chicken breast here)
- 12 cups of lettuce or mixed greens (enough for 4 main salads)
- 1 red bell pepper (aka capsicum), sliced (I ran out of peppers in the house and used cherry tomatoes instead in the photos)
- 1 large apple, sliced
- 1 cup dried cranberries
- 140g goat cheese, crumbled
- Fresh ground black pepper
Balsamic vinaigrette dressing:
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- 1 tsp honey
- salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Toast the pecans: Preheat oven to 180˚C (~350˚F) and bake the pecans on the top rack for 5-10 mins and flip over and continue to bake until fragrant and toasty darker brown (another 5 mins). When done, set aside and let them cool then roughly chop.

Optional step: if you haven’t made your chicken breast, you can pop them in the oven with the pecans (see my preferred method). When cooked, slice into strips or bite-sized pieces and let cool.

Assemble the salad: In a large bowl, add all the salad ingredients together: pecans, chicken, lettuce/mixed greens, red pepper, apple, cranberries, goat cheese, and fresh ground black pepper. If you want to be fancy you can place the ingredients on top of the salad and serve the dressing on the side.

Make the balsamic vinaigrette: Combine all the ingredients for the dressing (olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic, dijon, honey, salt and pepper) in a bowl and whisk until you get a homogenous mixture. Drizzle half of the dressing over the salad and toss to combine. Taste and add more dressing as needed. Enjoy!

Summarized Recipe:

Apple Chicken Goat Cheese Salad

Ingredients:

Salad:
- 1 cup pecans
- 4 cups cooked chicken breast or thigh, chopped to bite-sized pieces – you can use leftover chicken from a roast or make it fresh the way you prefer (see my preferred method to cook chicken breast here)
- 12 cups of lettuce or mixed greens (enough for 4 main salads)
- 1 red bell pepper (aka capsicum), sliced
- 1 large apple, sliced
- 1 cup dried cranberries
- 140g goat cheese, crumbled
- Fresh ground black pepper
Balsamic vinaigrette dressing:
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- 1 tsp honey
- salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Toast the pecans: Preheat oven to 180˚C (~350˚F) and bake the pecans on the top rack for 5-10 mins and flip over and continue to bake until fragrant and toasty darker brown (another 5 mins). When done, set aside and let them cool then roughly chop.
Optional step: if you haven’t made your chicken breast, you can pop them in the oven with the pecans (see my preferred method). When cooked, slice into strips or bite-sized pieces and let cool.
Assemble the salad: In a large bowl, add all the salad ingredients together: pecans, chicken, lettuce/mixed greens, red pepper, apple, cranberries, goat cheese, and fresh ground black pepper.
Make the balsamic vinaigrette: Combine all the ingredients for the dressing (olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic, dijon, honey, salt and pepper) in a bowl and whisk until you get a homogenous mixture. Drizzle half of the dressing over the salad and toss to combine. Taste and add more dressing as needed. Enjoy!

August 10, 2020September 6, 2020

Abby1 Comment

Easy Moist Chicken Breast

Date Published: August 10th, 2020 | Last Updated: August 10th, 2020
Author: Abby |Category: basics, how-to, healthy, easy
Serves: 2 | Prep time: 5 mins | Cook time: 30 mins

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Chicken breast is one of the things I always have in my freezer. It goes well with so many things and it’s so easy and quick to make. You can have it as part of a healthy meal seasoned with simple spices and paired with a veg or pack it full of flavour with a kickass sauce and toppings. The most common way I like to use it is in salads. It’s amazing how you can turn pretty much any side salad into a main dish just by adding chicken breast.

Chicken breast often get a bad rep for being dry and bland which is why some people avoid it. There’s not much fat on the meat and thus it’s easy to dry out when cooking. Follow this basic tutorial and I’ll show you how I like to prepare chicken breast so it comes out moist and perfect every time! I use a combination of baking and steaming to ensure the chicken stays moist.

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:

Chicken breast – as many as you like, but try not to crowd them too much in a pan so they cook evenly.
Olive oil – roughly 1 tsp per breast. You don’t need much oil since you’re steaming.
Water – enough to fill 1 cm of the pan
Salt & pepper
Optional: any seasoning you like – I keep it plain with just salt and pepper if I’m using it as a base with a sauce, but if I’m adding it to a caesar or garden salad, I rub some Italian seasoning or oregano over it.

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 180˚C (~350F) and arrange a rack in the middle of the oven.

Rinse your chicken breasts and place them in a baking tray. Add a drizzle of olive oil, a sprinkle of salt and pepper, any additional spices you like, then rub it all over the chicken breasts on both sides.

Pour 1 cm of water into the pan (it doesn’t have to be exact).

Cover the tray with aluminum foil and make sure the edges are sealed (otherwise steam will escape while baking and could result in a dry chicken). Bake in the oven on the middle rack for 20-30 minutes. You can check the doneness of the chicken by either cutting the thickest part and if the juices run clear, it’s finished. If it’s pink, then put the foil back on and bake for another 5 minutes. Alternatively you can use a thermometer and poke it into the thickest part of the breast until it reads 65˚C.

*Caution: HOT steam will escape when you unwrap the foil so please be careful when checking on your chicken!

Once your chicken is cooked, serve it on a plate immediately or rest them for 5 minutes before slicing. It’s VERY important not to slice them when they’re steaming hot, otherwise the juices inside the chicken will evaporate and your chicken will be dry. By allowing them to rest, it lets the juices redistribute throughout the meat.

Enjoy!

Tip: if you’re adding this to a leafy salad, wait until the chicken comes to room temperature before adding it in otherwise the heat might wilt your salad leaves.

Summarized Recipe:

Easy Moist Chicken Breast

Ingredients:

Chicken breast – as many as you like, but try not to crowd them too much in a pan so they cook evenly
Olive oil – roughly 1 tsp per breast. You don’t need much oil since you’re steaming.
Water – enough to fill 1 cm of the pan
Salt & pepper
Optional: any seasoning you like – I keep it plain with just salt and pepper if I’m using it as a base with a sauce, but if I’m adding it to a caesar or garden salad, I sprinkle some Italian seasoning or oregano over it.

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 180˚C (~350F) and arrange a rack in the middle of the oven.
Rinse your chicken breasts and place them in a baking tray. Add a drizzle of olive oil, a sprinkle of salt and pepper, any additional spices you like, then rub it all over the chicken breasts on both sides.
Pour 1 cm of water into the pan (it doesn’t have to be exact) and cover the tray with aluminum foil. Make sure the edges are sealed (otherwise steam will escape while baking and could result in a dry chicken). Bake in the oven on the middle rack for 20-30 minutes. You can check the doneness of the chicken by either cutting the thickest part and if the juices run clear, it’s finished. If it’s pink, then put the foil back on and bake for another 5 minutes. Alternatively you can use a thermometer and poke it into the thickest part of the breast until it reads 65˚C.
- *Caution: HOT steam will escape when you unwrap the foil so please be careful when checking on your chicken!
Once your chicken is cooked, serve it on a plate immediately or rest them for 5 minutes before slicing. It’s VERY important not to slice them when they’re steaming hot, otherwise the juices inside the chicken will evaporate and your chicken will be dry. By allowing them to rest, it lets the juices redistribute throughout the meat. Enjoy!

Tip: If you’re adding this to a leafy salad, wait until the chicken comes to room temperature before adding it in otherwise the heat might wilt your salad leaves.

August 10, 2020August 10, 2020

AbbyLeave a comment

Spicy Garlic Miso Green Beans

Date Published: August 9th, 2020 | Last Updated: August 9th, 2020
Author: Abby |Category: asian, sides, vegetarian
Serves: 4 | Prep time: 5 mins | Cook time: 15 mins

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I love cooking with green beans. They’re a common ingredient in a lot of Asian cooking and there’s so many ways you can make them. The flavour of green beans are relatively subtle so I find them fantastic when paired with a bold and flavourful sauce, like in this recipe! These beans are steamed to tenderize, then sautéed in a miso, ginger, and garlic sauce to pack a punch. This recipe is super easy and makes a great quick side dish to pair with a salmon (like my popular maple salmon recipe – click for recipe ) or steak. It only takes 15 minutes to make with minimal clean up :).

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

Sauce:
- 2 Tbsps soy sauce
- 1/2 Tbsp miso paste
- 1/2 Tbsp chilli pepper flakes (makes it medium spicy)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp fresh ginger, finely minced
1 Tbsp sesame seeds
1 Tbsp oil
600g fresh green beans, trim off ends

Directions:

In a bowl, make the sauce by mixing together the soy sauce, miso paste, chilli flakes, garlic and ginger. Set aside.

In a dry pan on medium heat, add the sesame seeds and toast it until light brown. Remove from heat and set aside.

In the same pan, add 1 Tbsp of oil and add in the green beans. Stir-fry for a couple minutes then add in enough water to cover 1cm of the pan. Put the lid on and steam the beans until they’re tender (~5 minutes).

Once tender, remove the lid and bring the heat up to MED-HIGH and continue to stir-fry until the beans are lightly browned. Turn off the heat and add the toasted sesame seeds and the sauce to the pan. Stir quickly to combine. The residual heat from the pan should cook off any liquids. Serve!

Summarized Recipe:

Garlic Miso Green Beans

Date Published: August 9th, 2020 | Last Updated: August 9th, 2020
Author: Abby |Category: asian, sides, vegetarian
Serves: 4 | Prep time: 5 mins | Cook time: 15 mins

Ingredients:

Sauce:
- 2 Tbsps soy sauce
- 1/2 Tbsp miso paste
- 1/2 Tbsp chilli pepper flakes (makes it medium spicy)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp fresh ginger, finely minced
1 Tbsp sesame seeds
1 Tbsp oil
600g fresh green beans, trim off ends

Directions:

In a bowl, make the sauce by mixing together the soy sauce, miso paste, chilli flakes, garlic and ginger. Set aside.
In a dry pan on medium heat, add the sesame seeds and toast it until light brown. Remove from heat and set aside.
In the same pan, add 1 Tbsp of oil and add in the green beans. Stir-fry for a couple minutes then add in enough water to cover 1cm of the pan. Put the lid on and steam the beans until they’re tender (~5 minutes).
Once tender, remove the lid and bring the heat up to MED-HIGH and continue to stir-fry until the beans are lightly browned. Turn off the heat and add the toasted sesame seeds and the sauce to the pan. Stir quickly to combine. The residual heat from the pan should cook off any liquids. Serve!

August 9, 2020August 9, 2020

AbbyLeave a comment

Taiwanese Cheese Egg Crepe 起司蛋餅 (Cheese Dan Bing)

Date Published: August 7th, 2020 | Last Updated: August 7th, 2020
Author: Abby |Category: asian, snacks
Serves: 4 crepes | Prep time: 5 mins | Cook time: 30 mins

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I’m SO excited to share this recipe with you guys! This is my ALL TIME FAVOURITE Taiwanese breakfast item. I would eat this dish nearly every day in Taiwan for breakfast from Hong Ya Hamburger which is a breakfast shop just outside the alleyway of our home. There are many varieties of dan bing, but NOTHING beats the cheese dan bing. I remember when I was a kid, this one time my mom accidentally ordered a dan bing without the cheese and the shitty younger me threw a hissy fit and refused to eat breakfast that morning (sorry mom, love you!). I also remember my mom trying to make dan bing for us in Canada from pre-packaged wrappers that she found at the Asian grocer, but unfortunately it just wasn’t the same. Trying to recreate a cheese dan bing on my own seemed like a daunting task. I had never had a good dan bing outside of Taiwan. Dare I challenge the Taiwanese street food gods and try it myself where far better cooks have failed? And from scratch?? I guess this is why they call it quarantine cooking. What have I got to lose? After a few attempts from different recipes and many failed gloopy bings, I came across ChooChoo-ca-Chew‘s recipe and it came out near perfect! This recipe is going straight into the top 10 list. I owe this recipe to her blog and I’ve rewritten it with tweaks and notes from my experience cooking these so they can come out perfect for you every time – and of course, lots of pictures to guide you through the process. It’s actually pretty quick and easy to make, but the tricky part is getting your crepe spread out evenly to the right thickness. Once you get the hang of it, it’s a breeze.

A typical quick breakfast for me in Taiwan

What is a cheese dan bing? The direct translation is cheese egg “crepe”. It’s essentially an egg with melty cheese wrapped up in a crepe-like wrapper topped with soy sauce paste. Kind of like a cheesy omelette wrapped in a ‘bing’. Chinese people use the term “bing” as an overarching word for pretty much anything round and flat. Whether it’s cakes, pastries, sweets, or savoury spring onion pancakes, as long as they’re that shape it’s a bing! I’ve used the word “crepe” in the title translation to replace “bing” because in this recipe, this version of a bing is most similar to a crepe. However when I think of crepes, I think of sweet french crepes with chocolate, fruit and whipped cream which, although delicious, just doesn’t fit in here so I’ll continue to call them “bings” for the rest of this post.

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

Bing Batter:
- 110g (3/4 cup) all purpose flour
- 30g (1/4 cup) tapioca flour (or potato starch)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 egg
- 280ml (1 cup + 2 Tbsps) water
2 spring onions, chopped
Assembly:
- shredded cheese (~1/3 cup per crepe)
- 1 egg per crepe
- ground white pepper
- soy sauce paste to drizzle
  - Soy sauce paste is CRUCIAL to this dish. Soy sauce paste is essentially a thickened and sweeter version of soy sauce that pairs beautifully with the cheesy egg. I always ask for extra sauce when I order dan bing. You should be able to find it from most Asian grocers. It’s on my to-do list to try and recreate soy sauce paste at home, so keep a look-out for the recipe when it’s uploaded!

Directions:

Make the batter: in a bowl, mix the all purpose flour, tapioca flour, salt and egg in a bowl. Add in 1/4 of the water and mix until there are no clumps then add the rest of the water and continue to mix. Set aside.

Note: you can add the spring onions to the batter as well, but I always have trouble having them distribute evenly when cooking so I choose to keep it separate and sprinkle it on instead.

Cook the Bing: Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat and add 1 tsp of oil and swirl your pan around to coat it in oil. Once your skillet is hot enough, add 1/3 cup of batter into the middle of the pan and quickly swirl your pan around to let the batter distribute around the pan evenly. Sprinkle spring onions over the batter.

Once the edges of the bing are lifting from the pan edges (see second photo), flip it over and cook the other side. Continue to cook until you get small toasty brown spots on the bing on both sides. You can use your spatula to compress down areas that are taking longer to cook. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Repeat this step to finish cooking the rest of the bings. Don’t worry if they’re not perfectly round or if your spring onions aren’t perfectly distributed – you’re rolling them up in the end anyway!

Note: Like pancakes, the first one might be a dud to get the temperature of the pan right. Don’t get discouraged!

Tip: If you’re making multiple dishes for a meal, you can make the bings first and set them aside until you’re ready for the next step. The next step goes fairly quickly (roughly 1-2mins each to assemble) and you want to serve these hot so I suggest not starting this next step until all your other dishes are ready.

Assemble the Dan Bing: In the same skillet (still on MED heat), pour in one lightly beaten egg into the centre then quickly place one bing ontop of the egg while it’s still undercooked (it’s very important you put the bing on the egg while it’s still undercooked so it sticks together. If you let the egg fully cook, the egg will separate from the bing). Let it cook for about 30 seconds until you’re able to lift and flip the egg with the bing together without it falling apart.

Once flipped over, add shredded cheese in a line in the middle of the egg, then top with a small drizzle of soy sauce paste then a dusting of white pepper. Fold up both sides of the dan bing towards the middle. Press it down lightly for the cheese to stick the layers together then transfer to a plate. Repeat to make the rest of the bings.

Slice into 1 inch pieces and serve with extra soy sauce paste for dipping if needed. Enjoy!

Tip: You can also add additional toppings other than the cheese. Some popular options in Taiwan: corn, ham, pork floss…etc.

Summarized Recipe:

Taiwanese Cheese Egg Crepe 起司蛋餅 (Cheese Dan Bing)

Date Published: August 7th, 2020 | Last Updated: August 7th, 2020
Author: Abby |Category: asian, snacks
Serves: 4 crepes | Prep time: 5 mins | Cook time: 30 mins

Ingredients:

Bing Batter:
- 110g (3/4 cup) all purpose flour
- 30g (1/4 cup) tapioca flour (or potato starch)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 egg
- 280ml (1 cup + 2 Tbsps) water
2 spring onions, chopped
Assembly:
- shredded cheese (~1/3 cup per crepe)
- 1 egg per crepe
- ground white pepper
- soy sauce paste to drizzle

Directions:

Make the batter: in a bowl, mix the all purpose flour, tapioca flour, salt and egg in a bowl. Add in 1/4 of the water and mix until there are no clumps then add the rest of the water and continue to mix. Set aside.
Cook the Bing: Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat and add 1 tsp of oil and swirl your pan around to coat it in oil. Once your skillet is hot enough, add 1/3 cup of batter into the middle of the pan and quickly swirl your pan around to let the batter distribute around the pan evenly. Sprinkle spring onions over the batter.
Once the edges of the bing are lifting from the pan edges, flip it over and cook the other side. Continue to cook until you get small toasty brown spots on the bing on both sides. You can use your spatula to compress down areas that are taking longer to cook. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Repeat this step to finish cooking the rest of the bings.
- Note: Like pancakes, the first one might be a dud to get the temperature of the pan right. Don’t get discouraged!
Assemble the Dan Bing: In the same skillet (still on MED heat), pour in one lightly beaten egg into the centre then quickly place one bing ontop of the egg while it’s still undercooked. Let it cook for about 30 seconds until you’re able to lift and flip the egg with the bing together without it falling apart.
Once flipped over, add shredded cheese in a line in the middle of the egg, then top with a small drizzle of soy sauce paste then a dusting of white pepper. Fold up both sides of the dan bing towards the middle. Press it down lightly for the cheese to stick the layers together then transfer to a plate. Repeat to make the rest of the dan bings.
Slice into 1 inch pieces and serve with extra soy sauce paste for dipping if needed. Enjoy!

Tip: You can also add additional toppings other than the cheese. Some popular options in Taiwan: corn, ham, pork floss…etc.

August 7, 2020August 23, 2020

Abby1 Comment