Healthy “Creamy” Chicken Thyme Mushroom Spinach Soup

Date Published: Sept 5th, 2022 | Last Updated: Sept 5th, 2022
Author: Abby |Category: easy, healthy, low-cal, mains, appetizers, soups, vegetarian
Serves: 4 (as a main) | Prep time: 15 mins | Cook time: 30 mins

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The countdown is on to our wedding and thus our wedding diet is in full swing which means healthy, low-calorie meals that cut out the fat without compromising on flavour. This recipe ticks all the boxes. I love a good soup and I love a good mushroom dish. When you put two together, I’m loving life! This soup is PACKED full of mushrooms – 600g of mushrooms, to be exact; and it’s creamy without actually using any cream! The creaminess comes from a bit of flour to thicken it all up and soy milk.

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:

600g white button mushrooms (400g chopped, 200g sliced)
3 large enoki mushrooms, sliced (optional for extra texture)
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsps plain flour
4 cups (1 litre) chicken stock
2 dried or 3 fresh bay leaves
2 Tbsps fresh thyme leaves
2 cups soy milk (optional, for extra creaminess)
4 cups (100g) kale and/or spinach leaves, stalks removed, chopped
2 cups shredded roast chicken

Directions:

In a large pot on MED-HIGH heat, add a drizzle of olive oil and sauté the 200g of sliced mushrooms and enoki mushrooms until tender. Remove from the pot and set aside in a separate bowl.

In the same pot, add another drizzle of olive oil and sauté the onion and garlic for a few minutes until the onion is soft and translucent. Add in the 400g of chopped mushrooms and continue to cook until the mushrooms are tender and turn a deep brown colour. Sprinkle the flour over the mushrooms and mix together for 1 minute until all the liquid is absorbed. Pour in a few splashes of chicken stock and mix it all together, scraping the sides and ensure nothing is clumped to the sides or the bottom of the pot. Pour in the remaining stock and add in the bay leaves and thyme leaves. Turn the heat up to HIGH and bring the soup to a boil. Once it boils, turn the heat down to LOW-MED until a simmer and let it simmer uncovered for 15 minutes.

After simmering, remove the bay leaves and remove from heat. Use a stick blender and blend the soup until smooth. (You can also pour it all into a blender if you don’t have a stick blender). Add in the soy milk and bring to a simmer again. Stir in the cooked mushrooms that was set aside in step 1, kale/spinach leaves, and/or shredded chicken (if using). Warm through and adjust salt and pepper to taste. Done!

Summarized Recipe:

Healthy “Creamy” Chicken Thyme Mushroom Spinach Soup

Ingredients:

600g white button mushrooms (400g chopped, 200g sliced)
3 large enoki mushrooms, sliced (optional for extra texture)
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsps plain flour
4 cups (1 litre) chicken stock
2 dried or 3 fresh bay leaves
2 Tbsps fresh thyme leaves
2 cups soy milk (optional, for extra creaminess)
4 cups (100g) kale and/or spinach leaves, stalks removed, chopped
2 cups shredded roast chicken

Directions:

In a large pot on MED-HIGH heat, add a drizzle of olive oil and sauté the 200g of sliced mushrooms and enoki mushrooms until tender. Remove from the pot and set aside in a separate bowl.
In the same pot, add another drizzle of olive oil and sauté the onion and garlic for a few minutes until the onion is soft and translucent. Add in the 400g of chopped mushrooms and continue to cook until the mushrooms are tender and turn a deep brown colour.
Sprinkle the flour over the mushrooms and mix together for 1 minute until all the liquid is absorbed. Pour in a few splashes of chicken stock and mix it all together, scraping the sides and ensure nothing is clumped to the sides or the bottom of the pot. Pour in the remaining stock and add in the bay leaves and thyme leaves. Turn the heat up to HIGH and bring the soup to a boil. Once it boils, turn the heat down to LOW-MED until a simmer and let it simmer uncovered for 15 minutes.
After simmering, remove the bay leaves and remove from heat. Use a stick blender and blend the soup until smooth. (You can also pour it all into a blender if you don’t have a stick blender).
Add in the soy milk and bring to a simmer again. Stir in the cooked mushrooms that was set aside in step 1, kale/spinach leaves, and/or shredded chicken (if using). Warm through and adjust salt and pepper to taste. Done!

September 5, 2022

Abby3 Comments

Grilled King Oyster Mushrooms

Date Published: Sept 5th, 2022 | Last Updated: Sept 5th, 2022
Author: Abby |Category: easy, <15mins, appetizer, asian, sides, healthy, low-cal, snacks
Serves: depends on how much you make | Prep time: 5 mins | Cook time: 5 mins per batch

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This recipe is simple, so easy, and cooks up quickly! King Oyster mushrooms are perfect for grilling due to its texture and also has a great chew. It makes a super quick appetizer, side dish or a snack. There’s not much to this recipe other than slicing the mushrooms and grilling or pan-frying with some salt and pepper. Done!

You can make as much or as little as your want. The mushrooms shrink a little when you cook them so keep that in mind. I always double the amount I plan to serve because I snack on them as I wait for the next batch to cook because they’re so damn delicious.

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:

Olive oil
King oyster mushrooms, sliced lengthwise to 1.5cm thickness (in any amount you want)
Salt & pepper

Directions:

In a large skillet or grill top on MED-HIGH heat, add a small drizzle of olive oil. Make sure the pan is very hot. Add the sliced king oyster mushrooms to the pan in a single layer (you may have to do this in multiple batches if you have a lot of mushrooms). Sprinkle salt and pepper over the top. Cook each side for 1-2 minutes until slightly golden brown. Remove from pan and repeat with the remaining mushrooms, adding in another small drizzle of olive oil each time. Serve immediately.

Summarized Recipe:

Grilled King Oyster Mushrooms

Ingredients:

Olive oil
King oyster mushrooms, sliced lengthwise to 1.5cm thickness (in any amount you want)
Salt & pepper

Directions:

In a large skillet or grill top on MED-HIGH heat, add a small drizzle of olive oil. Make sure the pan is very hot. Add the sliced king oyster mushrooms to the pan in a single layer (you may have to do this in multiple batches if you have a lot of mushrooms). Sprinkle salt and pepper over the top. Cook each side for 1-2 minutes until slightly golden brown. Remove from pan and repeat with the remaining mushrooms, adding in another small drizzle of olive oil each time. Serve immediately.

September 5, 2022

Abby1 Comment

Mussels in a Rich Tomato White Wine Sauce

Date Published: Aug 17th, 2022 | Last Updated: Aug 17th, 2022
Author: Abby |Category: mains, easy, appetizers, <15mins, healthy, low-cal,
Serves: 2 | Prep time: 5 mins | Cook time: 15 mins

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Travelling around Australia has really reinvigorated our love for mussels. We’ve hugged the coast throughout our travels and there is so much fresh seafood on offer around this beautiful country! We never skip an opportunity to visit a seafood farm, especially one with mussels. Mussels are traditionally offered in two ways: a white wine garlic broth or a tomato based sauce. This is where Toby and I differ in opinions – I’ve always loved the white wine option whereas Toby will no doubt choose the tomato base.

I’m still working on making the best leek and white wine mussels recipe, but today I finally perfected the BEST tomato sauce base and I’m so excited to add it to the collection and share it with everyone! We’ve had a LOT of mussels in tomato sauce throughout our travels (once I ate mussels every day for 5 days – srsly), some were better than others, but our all time favourite style was served in Cervantes, Western Australia, where they had a spicy rich tomato sauce that was so different from a classic thin tomato broth. The thick sauce was so flavourful and delicious that we came back the next day and ordered it again. I’m so happy to finally be able to recreate that dish. This recipe achieves the thick and rich tomato sauce and you can adjust it to make it as mild or spicy as you like. The original recipe is from Bar Alto on the Gourmet Traveller, but with a few changes to make it the mussel recipe of my dreams.

What is Polpa?

One of the main contributors to this thick and rich tomato sauce is Polpa, which is finely chopped tomatoes in a can. It’s finer and thicker than regular diced tomatoes, and some say it’s higher quality and tend to be sweeter. The most common brand of polpa in Australia groceries is Mutti and they come in a few different varieties and flavours. I’ve used the basic one in this recipe (see photo). If you can’t find polpa in your store, just use regular diced tomatoes in a can.

The recipe also uses fresh roma tomatoes, blanched and diced with the skin removed. It’s not super important to remove the skin, but when you simmer diced tomatoes, the skin tends to peel off in the sauce and curl into little fibrous pieces which is still completely fine to eat, but it just adds a little extra texture and takes a little longer for the tomatoes to break down. It’s worth the extra few minutes and effort to remove the skin.

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

2 roma tomatoes
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 long red chili, finely chopped (deseed it if you prefer less spicy)
1/2 cup (125ml) dry white wine (ie. Sauvignon blanc)
1kg live mussels, washed and debearded
1 can (400g) polpa tomato (or chopped canned tomatoes)
1/2 tsp paprika
2 Tbsps fresh parsley, chopped
2 Tbsps fresh basil, chopped
Salt & pepper to taste
Serve with some crusty bread for dipping

Directions:

Make cross cuts at the base of each tomato

Prepare the tomatoes: Bring a small pot of water to a boil and cut a cross at the base of each tomato. Place the tomatoes in the boiling water until the skin starts to peel off (~1-2 mins). Place the tomatoes in an ice bath or under cold running water and peel off the skin. Coarsely chop the tomatoes and set aside.

Cook the mussels: In a pot on MED-HIGH heat, add a drizzle of olive oil and sauté the garlic and chili for 1 minute until fragrant. Add in the white wine and mussels. Stir and put the lid on. Cook the mussels for 4-5 mins until they all open up. Once cooked, use a slotted spoon and remove the mussels and divide it evenly amongst two serving bowls, reserving the liquid in the pot.

Make the sauce: Add the chopped peeled roma tomatoes from step 1, a can of polpa tomato, and paprika to the reserved liquid in the pot. Mix and turn the heat up to HIGH. Let the sauce simmer and evaporate until you get a thick tomato sauce (~5 mins). Mix in the chopped parsley and basil and season salt and pepper to taste. Turn off the heat and divide the sauce evenly over the cooked mussels. Serve with toasted crusty bread. Enjoy!

Summarized Recipe:

Mussels in a Rich Tomato White Wine Sauce

Ingredients:

2 roma tomatoes
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 long red chili, finely chopped (deseed it if you prefer less spicy)
1/2 cup (125ml) dry white wine (ie. Sauvignon blanc)
1kg live mussels, washed and debearded
1 can (400g) polpa tomato (or chopped canned tomatoes)
1/2 tsp paprika
2 Tbsps fresh parsley, chopped
2 Tbsps fresh basil, chopped
Salt & pepper to taste
Serve with some crusty bread for dipping

Directions:

Prepare the tomatoes: Bring a small pot of water to a boil and cut a cross at the base of each tomato. Place the tomatoes in the boiling water until the skin starts to peel off (~1-2 mins). Place the tomatoes in an ice bath or under cold running water and peel off the skin. Coarsely chop the tomatoes and set aside.
Cook the mussels: In a pot on MED-HIGH heat, add a drizzle of olive oil and sauté the garlic and chili for 1 minute until fragrant. Add in the white wine and mussels. Stir and put the lid on. Cook the mussels for 4-5 mins until they all open up. Once cooked, use a slotted spoon and remove the mussels and divide it evenly amongst two serving bowls, reserving the liquid in the pot.
Make the sauce: Add the chopped peeled roma tomatoes from step 1, a can of polpa tomato, and paprika to the reserved liquid in the pot. Mix and turn the heat up to HIGH. Let the sauce simmer and evaporate until you get a thick tomato sauce (~5 mins). Mix in the chopped parsley and basil and season salt and pepper to taste. Turn off the heat and divide the sauce evenly over the cooked mussels. Serve with toasted crusty bread. Enjoy!

August 17, 2022August 17, 2022

Abby1 Comment

Savoury Spiced Oat Cluster “Croutons”

Date Published: Aug 16th, 2022 | Last Updated: Aug 16th, 2022
Author: Abby |Category: sides, salads, snacks, easy, healthy
Serves: 2 cups (enough for 4 salads) | Prep time: 10 mins | Cook time: 45 mins

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WARNING: THESE ARE HIGHLY ADDICTIVE.

Time is ticking down to our wedding date and our diet is in full swing. I’m always on the hunt for interesting recipes or ways to sneak in oats and cut down on carbs (such as the steel cut oats risotto recipe). When I first came across the original recipe from Grazing Kayne, I was skeptical. How can oats replace croutons? The ingredient list didn’t even seem like it would surmount to anything close to a crouton, but I gave it a try anyway – boy was I glad I did! These things are SO addicting. It’s deliciously salty, sweet, with a mild spicy kick. I nearly ate the first batch in one sitting! I tried a couple of other oat crouton recipes after but this recipe had the best flavours so of course they had to be an addition to the Polyphagic Abby collection.

“Croutons” – do they really taste like croutons?

If you’re looking for something that’s light and crunchy with a buttery garlic flavour like a regular crouton, then the answer is no. These taste nothing like a bread crouton, BUT these oat clusters are super crunchy and is a good replacement for traditional croutons in salads to achieve the same crunch factor and healthier with whole ingredients and fewer carbs. These are sweet, salty, and a little spicy which gives it a completely different flavour profile and in my opinion, way more addicting.

How to achieve clusters:

The first time I made these they didn’t cluster at all and I ended up with a loose granola. They flavours were still good which didn’t stop me from eating them by the handful, but it took a couple of tries to finally achieve the clusters. A few features of this recipe helps create clusters:

The frothy egg white adds protein which helps it alls tick together.
Press down the oat mixture into the pan before baking.
GENTLY toss every 15 mins. I tend to scoop and flip large parts of the baked oats with a spatula and gently breaking it up into large clusters before continuing to bake.
Once done baking, let it cool COMPLETELY to allow it to solidify before storing it. If you tamper with it while it’s warm, the clusters will break easily.

The serving size for the recipe is enough for 4 salads, but if you’re like my and can’t stop snacking on them, I suggest you double the recipe. It keeps really well in the pantry in an air-tight container for a couple weeks.

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

1 cup (95g) rolled oats
1/4 cup (38g) sunflower seeds, hulled
1/4 cup (34g) pumpkin seeds
1/2 tsp cooking salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
4 garlic cloves, minced
6 Tbsps (113g) maple syrup
3 Tbsps olive oil
1 egg white, whisked until frothy

Directions:

Preheat oven to 180˚C and prepare a lined baking sheet.

Add all the ingredients to a bowl and mix together: rolled oats, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, salt, pepper, rosemary, nutmeg, red pepper flakes, garlic, maple syrup, olive oil, and egg white.

Spread evenly on the prepared baking sheet and press down flat. Bake in the preheated oven. GENTLY toss every 15mins until deep golden brown (~45 mins). Try to toss it in chunks to encourage clustering. Don’t toss too much or else it will break up the clusters. Let it cool completely. Store in an air tight container.

Summarized Recipe:

Savoury Spiced Oat Cluster “Croutons”

Date Published: Aug 16th, 2022 | Last Updated: Aug 16th, 2022
Author: Abby |Category: sides, salads, snacks, easy, healthy
Serves: 2 cups (enough for a big salad) | Prep time: 10 mins | Cook time: 45 mins

Ingredients:

1 cup (95g) rolled oats
1/4 cup (38g) sunflower seeds, hulled
1/4 cup (34g) pumpkin seeds
1/2 tsp cooking salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
4 garlic cloves, minced
6 Tbsps (113g) maple syrup
3 Tbsps olive oil
1 egg white, whisked until frothy

Directions:

Preheat oven to 180˚C and prepare a lined baking sheet.
Add all the ingredients to a bowl and mix together: rolled oats, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, salt, pepper, rosemary, nutmeg, red pepper flakes, garlic, maple syrup, olive oil, and egg white.
Spread evenly on the prepared baking sheet and gently press down. Bake in the preheated oven. GENTLY toss every 15mins until deep golden brown (~45 mins). Try to toss it in chunks to encourage clustering. Don’t toss too much or else it will break up the clusters. Let it cool completely. Store in an air tight container.

August 17, 2022August 17, 2022

AbbyLeave a comment

Quick and So Easy 2-Ingredient Naan

Date Published: Aug 17th, 2022 | Last Updated: Aug 17th, 2022
Author: Abby |Category: <15mins, easy, appetizers, sides, breads, quick and easy, snacks
Serves: 6 pieces | Prep time: 5 mins | Cook time: 4 mins per piece x 6

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This two-ingredient naan is easy, fuss-free, and makes a quick side dish to any saucy dish or soup. I originally found the recipe from a Coles weekly magazine and was amazed that it actually turned out well (after a couple tweaks)! It has a beautiful fluffy texture with the classic chewiness of naan. It’s super quick: no yeast, no resting time, no proofing, and minimal kneading. It’s great for a last minute on-the-go side dish. All you need are two ingredients: Greek yogurt and self-raising flour in a 1:1 ratio by weight.

You’ve got to give this simple recipe a try – you’ll be amazed by how quick and easy it comes together!

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:

280g Greek yogurt
280g self-raising flour + more for kneading
1 Tbsp cooking salt (optional to leave out if you’re pairing it with a salty dish)
For brushing: 100g melted butter (or olive oil)
Garnish: 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Directions:

Mix the flour, yogurt and salt in a bowl

In a bowl, combine the Greek yogurt and self-raising flour until you get a loose sticky dough. Turn the dough over on a floured surface and knead by hand until you get a smooth ball of dough (~5mins). Add more flour as needed until the dough is no longer sticky.

Divide the dough into 6 equal pieces and use a rolling pin to flatten each one into 1cm thickness round or oval shapes. Make sure it’s not too thick since they puff up and double in thickness once cooked.

Brush one side with melted butter/olive oil

Heat up a flat pan/skillet on MED-HIGH heat. Brush the melted butter (or olive oil) on one side of the naan and cook oiled side down for 2 mins until it puffs up and bubbles. Brush the other side with butter/oil before flipping and cook for another 1-2 mins or until golden brown then remove from the pan. Repeat with the rest of the dough balls. Brush with a bit more butter on each side before serving.

If making garlic naan, brush the naan with a butter/garlic parsley mixture instead.

Summarized Recipe:

Quick and So Easy 2-Ingredient Naan

Ingredients:

280g Greek yogurt
280g self-raising flour + more for kneading
1 Tbsp cooking salt
For brushing: 100g melted butter (or olive oil)
Garnish: 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Directions:

In a bowl, combine the Greek yogurt and self-raising flour until you get a loose sticky dough.
Turn the dough over on a floured surface and knead by hand until you get a smooth ball of dough (~5mins). Add more flour as needed until the dough is no longer sticky.
Divide the dough into 6 equal pieces and use a rolling pin to flatten each one into 1cm thickness round or oval shapes. Make sure it’s not too thick since they puff up and double in thickness once cooked.
Heat up a flat pan/skillet on MED-HIGH heat. Brush the melted butter (or olive oil) on one side of the naan and cook oiled side down for 2 mins until it puffs up and bubbles. Brush the other side with butter/oil before flipping and cook for another 1-2 mins or until golden brown then remove from the pan. Repeat with the rest of the dough balls. Brush with a bit more butter on each side before serving.
- If making garlic naan, brush the naan with a butter/garlic parsley mixture instead.

August 17, 2022

AbbyLeave a comment

Corn Potage (Creamy Japanese Sweet Corn Soup)

Date Published: Aug 16th, 2022 | Last Updated: Aug 16th, 2022
Author: Abby |Category: asian, soup, easy, healthy, low-cal, mains, soups, vegetarian
Serves: 4 (as an appetizer) | Prep time: 20 mins | Cook time: 45 mins

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I LOVE corn. I could eat corn on the cob all day everyday, especially when roasted and dipped in butter 🤤. In fact, when we were working in Tasmania there was this wonderful sweet corn stall at the weekly Saturday farmer’s market that had the BEST, juiciest, and sweetest corn. We’d buy at least 4 every week and I’d often just have corn for dinner sprinkled with some chicken salt. Mmmmm. I think it always amazes Toby on how much corn I can eat in one sitting 😅. So it’s no surprise that corn soups and corn chowders are one of my weaknesses.

This soup is sweet, creamy, and FULL of corn flavour! It’s delicious and perfectly warming to have on a cold winter’s day.

What is Corn Potage?

Corn Potage is a French-inspired sweet corn soup popular in Japan. It’s so popular that you can find corn potage-flavoured junk food and instant versions in Japanese convenience stores!

This soup is easy and uses simple ingredients to bring out the sweet flavours of the corn. It’s made with onion, garlic, milk/cream, stock/water, and of course sweet corn. There are some purist recipes that only use corn and milk in the recipe to keep the flavours of the corn undiluted. Most versions of this soup is served silky smooth by straining it through a fine sieve, but I prefer a soup with some filling and bite so I leave in all the fibres and reserve some of the corn and onion before blending.

No sugar required!

The secret to this soup sweet without any added sugar is to boil the corn cobs in the chicken stock – yes, the cobs! Don’t be so quick throw them away after cutting off the kernels. The cobs have plenty of flavour and brings out the sweetness when simmered in the stock.

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

4 ears of sweet corn, de-husked
1 Tbsp Japanese soy sauce (ie. Kikkoman)
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp paprika
2 Tbsps unsalted butter
1 clove garlic, minced
1 small onion, diced
3 cups chicken stock or water
1/2 cup thickened cream (optional)
Salt & pepper to taste
Optional add-ins:
- Shredded cooked chicken

Directions:

Preheat oven to 180˚C.

Cut the corn kernels off the cob and put the kernels in a bowl, do not discard the cobs, set aside. Mix the soy sauce, olive oil, and paprika into the corn kernels and spread on a lined baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven for 20mins, turning tossing once halfway through. Once the corn kernels are finished baking, set aside.

In a medium sized pot on MED-HIGH heat, melt the butter and sauté the garlic and onion for a few minutes until the onion softens and turns translucent. Add in the chicken stock, baked corn kernels, and break up the de-kernelled cobs from step one into 3 pieces and add it into the pot as well. Bring the soup to a boil and let it simmer with the lid on for 20 mins.

After 20 mins, remove the corn cobs from the soup and discard. Scoop out 1 cup of the kernels and onions and set aside. Use a stick blender and blend the soup until smooth. (If you prefer a smoother soup, you can blend the soup whole without taking anything out).

Optional step: If you want a smoother soup, strain the soup through a fine sieve to remove the small fibrous bits of corn and return the soup back to the pot. Discard anything that has filtered out.

Simmer until desired consistency (~10mins)

Add in the thickened cream and the 1 cup of kernels and onions to the pot that was removed in step 4. Bring the soup back to a boil and simmer until desired consistency. The longer you simmer it, the thicker the soup will be. Salt and pepper to taste. If you’re adding in shredded chicken, add it in now and stir until warmed. Done!

Summarized Recipe:

Corn Potage (Creamy Japanese Sweet Corn Soup)

Ingredients:

4 ears of sweet corn, de-husked
1 Tbsp Japanese soy sauce (ie. Kikkoman)
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp paprika
2 Tbsps unsalted butter
1 clove garlic, minced
1 small onion, diced
3 cups chicken stock or water
1/2 cup thickened cream (optional)
Salt & pepper to taste
Optional add-ins:
- Shredded cooked chicken

Directions:

Preheat oven to 180˚C.
Cut the corn kernels off the cob and put the kernels in a bowl, do not discard the cobs, set aside. Mix the soy sauce, olive oil, and paprika into the corn kernels and spread on a lined baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven for 20mins, turning tossing once halfway through. Once the corn kernels are finished baking, set aside.
In a medium sized pot on MED-HIGH heat, melt the butter and sauté the garlic and onion for a few minutes until the onion softens and turns translucent. Add in the chicken stock, baked corn kernels, and break up the de-kernelled cobs from step one into 3 pieces and add it into the pot as well. Bring the soup to a boil and let it simmer with the lid on for 20 mins.
After 20 mins, remove the corn cobs from the soup and discard. Scoop out 1 cup of the kernels and onions and set aside. Use a stick blender and blend the soup until smooth. (If you prefer a smoother soup, you can blend the soup whole without taking anything out).
Optional step: If you want a smoother soup, strain the soup through a fine sieve to remove the small fibrous bits of corn and return the soup back to the pot. Discard anything that has filtered out.
Add in the thickened cream and the 1 cup of kernels and onions to the pot that was removed in step 4. Bring the soup back to a boil and simmer until desired consistency. The longer you simmer it, the thicker the soup will be. Salt and pepper to taste. If you’re adding in shredded chicken, add it in now and stir until warmed. Done!

August 16, 2022August 16, 2022

Abby3 Comments

Easy Healthy French Onion Meatballs

Date Published: Aug 9th, 2022 | Last Updated: Aug 9th, 2022
Author: Abby |Category: < 15mins, appetizers, easy, healthy, low-cal, mains, quick and easy, snacks
Serves: 24 meatballs | Prep time: 15 mins | Cook time: 20 mins

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This meatball recipe will probably not be the best meatballs you’ve ever had, but they will probably be the most healthy and without compromising on flavour! High cholesterol runs in my family so I’m always looking for ways to lower fat, cut the grease, and sneak in some veg or oats – this meatball recipe does just that, by incorporating zucchinis, rolled oats, and 95% lean beef mince as the bulk of the meatball.

The one down side about a healthy minimal fat meatball is that it has a tendency to become dry when cooled, therefore they must be served asap when hot or tossed in a sauce or soup to absorb extra moisture. I like to add it to a pasta sauce and serve it with zoodles (zucchini noodles).

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

French Onion Seasoning:
- 1/4 cup onion flakes
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 beef bouillon cube, crushed into a powder
- 1/2 tsp dried parsley
- 1/4 tsp celery salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
1 cup rolled oats
500g extra lean beef mince (95%)
1 egg
1 zucchini, grated with liquid squeezed out

Directions:

Preheat oven to 180˚C.

In a mixing bowl, mix together the seasoning ingredients (onion flakes, onion powder, garlic, beef bouillon, dried parsley, celery salt, black pepper). Next add in the rolled oats, beef mince, egg, and zucchini to the bowl and combine.

The cooked meatballs will be darker when cooked in the oven.

Form the mixture into even-sized meatballs – any size you like, as long as they’re all the same size. Makes about 50 x 3cm meatballs, or 24 x 5cm meatballs. Arrange the meatballs on a lined baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for 15-20mins or until cooked (the timing will depend on how large your meatballs are). Serve immediately, toss in a sauce, or add into a soup.

Summarized Recipe:

Easy Healthy French Onion Meatballs

Ingredients:

French Onion Seasoning:
- 1/4 cup onion flakes
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 beef bouillon cube, crushed into a powder
- 1/2 tsp dried parsley
- 1/4 tsp celery salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
1 cup rolled oats
500g extra lean beef mince (95%)
1 egg
1 zucchini, grated with liquid squeezed out

Directions:

Preheat oven to 180˚C.
In a mixing bowl, mix together the seasoning ingredients (onion flakes, onion powder, garlic, beef bouillon, dried parsley, celery salt, black pepper). Next add in the rolled oats, beef mince, egg, and zucchini to the bowl and combine.
Form the mixture into even-sized meatballs – any size you like, as long as they’re all the same size.
- Makes about 50 x 3cm meatballs, or 24 x 5cm meatballs.
Arrange the meatballs on a lined baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for 15-20mins or until cooked (the timing will depend on how large your meatballs are). Serve immediately or toss in a sauce.

August 9, 2022

Abby2 Comments

Guilt-Free “Creamy” Mushroom Soup

Date Published: Aug 8th, 2022 | Last Updated: Aug 8th, 2022
Author: Abby |Category: easy, healthy, low-cal, mains, appetizers, soups, vegetarian
Serves: 4 (as a main) | Prep time: 15 mins | Cook time: 30 mins

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Original recipe adapted from: AustralianMushrooms.com.au – this is a fantastic website chocked full of beautiful mushroom recipes. I highly recommend checking it out.

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!

We move house quite a bit and it’s not always easy to find the perfect sunny spot for food photography. Often times Toby will be holding the plates of food for me to get that perfect light. Here, he’s concentrating holding the pose and trying not to move to dirty the edges of the bowl. It looks like he’s praying to the soup gods. 😂 Always my #1 supporter. ❤️

Ingredients you’ll need:

600g white button mushrooms (400g chopped, 200g sliced)
1 onion, diced
1 long red chilli, deseeded, finely chopped
2cm ginger, peeled, minced or finely grated
2 Tbsps plain flour
4 cups (1 litre) beef stock (chicken stock is fine too)
2 dried or 3 fresh bay leaves
Optional: 2 Tbsps heavy cream
Optional add-ins to bulk up the soup:
- 4 cups (100g) kale and/or spinach leaves, stalks removed, chopped
- Roasted butternut squash
- Shredded roast chicken

Directions:

In a large pot on MED-HIGH heat, add a drizzle of olive oil and sauté the 200g of sliced mushrooms until tender. Remove from the pot and set aside in a separate bowl.

In the same pot, add another drizzle of olive oil and sauté the onion, ginger, and red chili for a few minutes until the onion is soft and translucent. Add in the 400g of chopped mushrooms and continue to cook until the mushrooms are tender. Sprinkle the flour over the mushrooms and mix together for 1 minute until all the liquid is absorbed.

Pour in a few splashes of beef stock and mix it all together, scraping the sides and ensure nothing is clumped to the sides or the bottom of the pot. Pour in the remaining beef stock and add in the bay leaves. Turn the heat up to HIGH and bring the soup to a boil. Once it boils, turn the heat down to LOW-MED until a simmer and let it simmer uncovered for 15 minutes.

After simmering, remove the bay leaves and remove from heat. Use a stick blender and blend the soup until smooth. (You can also pour it all into a blender if you don’t have a stick blender). Stir in the cooked mushrooms that was set aside in step 1 and cream (if using). Salt and pepper to taste. Done!

Optional for a bulkier soup: Once the soup is smooth, return to the stove and add in any additional add-ins you’d like to bulk up the soup (ie. spinach, squash, roast chicken). Stir until the leaves are wilted or the veg or chicken is warmed. Turn off the heat and serve. Enjoy!

Summarized Recipe:

Guilt-Free “Creamy” Mushroom Soup

Ingredients:

600g white button mushrooms (400g chopped, 200g sliced)
1 onion, diced
1 long red chilli, deseeded, finely chopped
2cm ginger, peeled, minced or finely grated
2 Tbsps plain flour
4 cups (1 litre) beef stock (chicken stock is fine too)
2 dried or 3 fresh bay leaves
Optional: 2 Tbsps heavy cream
Optional add-ins to bulk up the soup:
- 4 cups (100g) kale and/or spinach leaves, stalks removed, chopped
- Roasted butternut squash
- Shredded roast chicken

Directions:

In a large pot on MED-HIGH heat, add a drizzle of olive oil and sauté the 200g of sliced mushrooms until tender. Remove from the pot and set aside in a separate bowl.
In the same pot, add another drizzle of olive oil and sauté the onion, ginger, and red chili for a few minutes until the onion is soft and translucent.
Add in the 400g of chopped mushrooms and continue to cook until the mushrooms are tender. Sprinkle the flour over the mushrooms and mix together for 1 minute until all the liquid is absorbed.
Pour in a few splashes of beef stock and mix it all together, scraping the sides and ensure nothing is clumped to the sides or the bottom of the pot. Pour in the remaining beef stock and add in the bay leaves. Turn the heat up to HIGH and bring the soup to a boil. Once it boils, turn the heat down to LOW-MED until a simmer and let it simmer uncovered for 15 minutes.
After simmering, remove the bay leaves and remove from heat. Use a stick blender and blend the soup until smooth. (You can also pour it all into a blender if you don’t have a stick blender). Stir in the cooked mushrooms that was set aside in step 1 and cream (if using). Salt and pepper to taste. Done!
Optional for a bulkier soup: Once the soup is smooth, return to the stove and add in any additional add-ins you’d like to bulk up the soup (ie. spinach, squash, roast chicken). Stir until the leaves are wilted or the veg or chicken is warmed. Turn off the heat and serve. Enjoy!

August 8, 2022

Abby1 Comment

Unintentionally Amazing Soft Tea Eggs (茶葉蛋)

Date Published: Aug 8th, 2022 | Last Updated: Aug 8th, 2022
Author: Abby |Category: Asian, sides, snack, appetizers, healthy, low cal
Serves: 8 eggs | Prep time: 30 mins | Cook time: 5-10 mins + resting overnight

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The empty bottle of the brand of sweet vinegar I used. Any sweet vinegar should be fine.

I’ve had a bottle of Chinese sweet black vinegar in the back of my pantry for the past 2 years that has gone untouched and collecting dust. I have no idea what I originally bought it for but whatever it was, I only ever used a small amount. Toby says I bought it originally because I couldn’t find regular black vinegar and tried to use this as a substitute and failed – I have no recollection of this 😅🤷🏻‍♀️. I’ve tried to look for recipes to use up this bottle over the years but I can only ever find it used in a very specific Chinese pork knuckle dish. This bottle has become an eye sore and in a desperate attempt to clean out my pantry before we hit the road again, I decided to try adding it to a marinade for tea eggs. I had very low expectations for this – I just wanted to make something somewhat edible so I’m not wasting it. The end result turned out so much better than I could have ever hoped for! It gave the egg a subtle sweetness along with the saltiness. In fact, it was so good that I ended up buying another bottle of sweet black vinegar just so I can keep making these tea eggs, which is now my favourite way to eat them.

Chinese sweet black vinegar isn’t as tangy as regular vinegar. It’s more subtle and has a light sweetness with a star anise/liquorice flavour. When mixed with the rest of the marinade ingredients, it makes a slightly sweeter tea egg that’s lighter on the palate compared to the classic tea egg that’s usually only soy sauce based. Soft boiled eggs are my favourite style of eggs and perfect for this recipe. The yolk remains soft and jammy which allows some of the marinade to penetrate through giving it more flavour. Make sure you set a timer to cook them perfectly. I’ve included cooking times for medium and hardboiled eggs as well if that’s your thing.

What is a tea egg?

If you’re unfamiliar with tea eggs, it’s a classic Chinese side dish commonly made of hardboiled eggs marinated in a soy-sauce based concoction with black tea leaves. The eggs are cracked before marinating and as a result you get a beautiful marbled appearance on the eggs with a savoury umami flavour with a hint of tea. I remember getting a few of these in a baggie from the local 7-11 in Taiwan before hopping on a train and having these as a snack. I’ve never had them soft-boiled until I started playing around with this recipe. It’s a total game changer and I think this will be the only way I’ll be having my tea eggs from now. 😛

Tips for using up leftover marinade:

Sauté with garlic, cabbage, splash of shaoxing wine until the cabbage cooks down, then stir in chilli paste like lao gan ma or leftover red chilli oil wonton sauce.
Reuse the marinade again! Make sure you reboil the liquid and let it cool before using it again.

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

Marinade:
- 1/2 cup Sweet Black Vinegar
- 1/4 cup light soy sauce
- 2 Tbsps dark soy sauce
- 2.5 Tbsps soy sauce
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 tsp Sichuan peppercorns
- 2 Tbsps (or 2 tea bags) extra strong black tea leaves
- 1 cup water
8 large eggs

Directions:

Make the marinade: Mix all the ingredients of the marinade (vinegar, soy sauces, bay leaves, cinnamon stick, peppercorns, tea leaves, water) in a saucepan and heat on MEDIUM until it boils, then turn the heat down to LOW-MED and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let it cool completely.

Make the eggs: While the marinade cools, boil a pot of water (use a pot large enough to allow all the eggs to submerge in the boiling water without crowding). Once the water boils, carefully lower the eggs into the water – be careful not to crack them. Start a timer and boil for 5 minutes and 30 seconds for soft-boiled eggs, 7 minutes for medium eggs, or 10 minutes for hard boiled eggs.

Dunk them in an ice bath or under cold running water until cooled

Prepare an ice bath for the eggs while they are boiling. Once the timer goes off, immediate transfer the eggs to the ice bath to cool. If you don’t have any ice, run the eggs under cold water until completely cooled.

Once the eggs are cooled, use the back of a spoon and gently crack the egg shells around the entirety of the egg. You want the egg shells to be cracked and broken without breaking the actual egg. This allows the marinade to get through the shell and create a marbled effect. Be careful not to hit them too hard, especially for soft-boiled eggs.

If your container doesn’t immerse the eggs, rotate the eggs 6 hours later or next morning for even marinating

Once the marinade has fully cooled, transfer the marinade with the ingredients to a container or a large ziplock bag and add in the cracked eggs. Ensure the eggs are submerged in the marinade. Choose a container or a bag big enough to fit all the marinade and eggs. It’s better to use a deeper container than a wider one so the eggs submerge better.

Let the eggs marinate in the fridge overnight, or best for 24 hours (or longer!).

Serve the eggs either cold, room temperature, or slightly warmed. Enjoy!

Summarized Recipe:

Unintentionally Amazing Soft Tea Eggs (茶葉蛋)

Ingredients:

Marinade:
- 1/2 cup Sweet Black Vinegar
- 1/4 cup light soy sauce
- 2 Tbsps dark soy sauce
- 2.5 Tbsps soy sauce
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 tsp Sichuan peppercorns
- 2 Tbsps (or 2 tea bags) extra strong black tea leaves
- 1 cup water
8 large eggs

Directions:

Make the marinade: Mix all the ingredients of the marinade (vinegar, soy sauces, bay leaves, cinnamon stick, peppercorns, tea leaves, water) in a saucepan and heat on MEDIUM until it boils, then turn the heat down to LOW-MED and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let it cool completely.
Make the eggs: While the marinade cools, boil a pot of water (use a pot large enough to allow all the eggs to submerge in the boiling water without crowding). Once the water boils, carefully lower the eggs into the water – be careful not to crack them. Start a timer and boil for 5 minutes and 15 seconds for soft-boiled eggs, 7 minutes for medium eggs, or 10 minutes for hard boiled eggs.
Prepare an ice bath for the eggs while they are boiling. Once the timer goes off, immediate transfer the eggs to the ice bath to cool. If you don’t have any ice, run the eggs under cold water until completely cooled.
Once the eggs are cooled, use the back of a spoon and gently crack the egg shells around the entirety of the egg. You want the egg shells to be cracked and broken without breaking the actual egg. This allows the marinade to get through the shell and create a marbled effect. Be careful not to hit them too hard to break the eggs inside, especially for soft-boiled eggs.
Once the marinade has fully cooled, transfer the marinade with the ingredients to a container or a large ziplock bag and add in the cracked eggs. Ensure the eggs are submerged in the marinade. Choose a container or a bag big enough to fit all the marinade and eggs. It’s better to use a deeper container than a wider one so the eggs submerge better.
Let the eggs marinate in the fridge overnight, or best for 24 hours (or longer!).
Serve the eggs either cold, room temperature, or slightly warmed. Enjoy!

August 8, 2022August 8, 2022

AbbyLeave a comment

Taiwanese Style Beerhouse Clams (台式九層塔炒海瓜子)

Date Published: Feb 16th, 2022 | Last Updated: Feb 16th, 2022
Author: Abby |Category: Taiwanese, Asian, easy, mains, sides
Serves: 2-4 | Prep time: 15 mins | Cook time: 10 mins

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This was one of my all-time favourite dishes growing up in Taiwan. My brother once got mad at me when we were kids when I ate them too fast, lol. The sauce is SO good, you MUST serve it over white rice to soak up all the delicious flavours. This recipe is commonly found in the beerhouses of Taiwan or seafood shops.

The clams that are traditionally used are called hai gua zi (海瓜子) which roughly translates to ‘ocean melon seeds’ – I think it has to do with the oval shape of them that resembles melon seeds? 🤷🏻‍♀️ They’re small oval clams with a patterned shell that are commonly found in the region. Any small species of clams can be used in this recipe as long as they’re fresh! I actually had a bit of a hard time finding fresh small clams for this recipe in Australia – even the local seafood shops didn’t have them. Surprisingly they were available at the Costco in Adelaide, SA however were a bit pricy at $20/kg for pipis (it was totally worth it though 😜).

Note the patterned shell and the oval shape of the hai gua zi –>

Image source: https://inf.news/en/nature/b6dd63ea2ba851d1cda05f356fb35732.html

What is a Taiwanese Beerhouse (啤酒屋)?

A Taiwanese beerhouse is a place where locals like to go afterwork to unwind, drink beer and eat hot stir-fry dishes. They’re not breweries, they’re just a place to drink and eat. If you’re a foreign visitor to Taiwan, chances are your host wouldn’t bring you to one of these beerhouses. They’re usually noisy, loud with drunk people, and no doubt lots of cigarette smoke. It’s frequented by people of lower socioeconomic classes and call girls as well as the average working man with their coworkers. It’s kind of like taking a guest to a rowdy grungy bar – it’s not for everyone, but the food is usually damn good. These beerhouses are becoming a dying culture and it’s getting harder to find them in Taiwan – possibly due to an attempt to elevate the social status of the area or maybe from the years of economic downturn and less availability of disposable income, or maybe it’s from Westernization 🤷🏻‍♀️. I remember my dad taking us out afterwork when I was a kid and getting out of the cab to see a long street of back to back beerhouses lit up with flashing neon lights (although in hindsight, beerhouses definitely aren’t the best place to bring children 😅). The last time I visited a couple years ago there were only two left on the street – the food was still just as good though!

What is beerhouse-style food?

Taiwanese beerhouses usually serve food that is made quickly over a high heat that packs a ton of flavour. These dishes are commonly very salty and/or spicy which goes great with a bowl of rice and a bottle of cold beer. Common dishes you’ll find are “three-cup” based recipes, which involve the triple threat for a lip-smacking combination: soy sauce, sesame oil, and rice wine. It is often sautéed with ginger, garlic, and Thai basil – the basis of classic Taiwanese beerhouse flavours. This clam recipe doesn’t diverge far from the beerhouse basics.

Thai Basil vs Italian Basil?

There are no substitutions for basil in this recipe. You MUST use Thai basil which is a lot stronger in flavour. Basil is a key component of this dish and without a good strong basil, the flavours just won’t be right. You’d have to probably at least double the amount of Italian basil to get similar results.

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

1kg fresh small clams (ie. Pipis)
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
4cm ginger, peeled and thinly sliced into matchsticks
2-3 long Thai red chilis, sliced (remove the seeds if you want it less spicy)
Sauce:
- 2 Tbsps Chinese cooking wine (ie. Shaoxing)
- 1 Tbsp of black vinegar
- 2 Tbsps oyster sauce
- 3 tsps white granulated sugar
- 1/4 tsp white pepper
1 LARGE handful (~3 cups) of Thai basil leaves
1 Tbsp sesame oil for drizzling

Directions:

*This recipe cooks QUICKLY on HIGH HEAT! Make sure all your ingredients are chopped, prepped and ready to go before you start cooking.

Rinse the clams thoroughly under running water. Optional: soak in salty water 15mins before.

Prepare the sauce by mixing all the sauce ingredients in a bowl: cooking wine, black vinegar, oyster sauce, sugar, and white pepper. Set aside.

In a wok on HIGH heat, add a drizzle of oil and sauté the garlic, ginger, and chilli for 2-3 mins until fragrant.

Add the clams to the pot and sauté for 30 seconds then drizzle in the sauce ingredients: cooking wine, black vinegar, oyster sauce, and white pepper. Mix around and let the sauce simmer for 2-3 minutes then put the lid on. Let the clams steam for 3-4 minutes or until they all open up. Careful not to steam them for too long or else the clams will get tough and chewy.

Once the clams have opened up, add in the basil leaves and drizzle the sesame oil over the clams. Sauté for another minute and turn off the heat. Serve! Best served over white rice.

Summarized Recipe:

Taiwanese Style Beerhouse Clams (台式九層塔炒海瓜子)

Ingredients:

1kg fresh small clams (ie. Pipis)
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
4cm ginger, peeled and thinly sliced into matchsticks
2-3 long Thai red chilis, sliced (remove the seeds if you want it less spicy)
Sauce:
- 2 Tbsps Chinese cooking wine (ie. Shaoxing)
- 1 Tbsp of black vinegar
- 2 Tbsps oyster sauce
- 3 tsps white granulated sugar
- 1/4 tsp white pepper
1 LARGE handful (~3 cups) of Thai basil leaves
1 Tbsp sesame oil for drizzling

Directions:

*This recipe cooks QUICKLY on HIGH HEAT! Make sure all your ingredients are chopped, prepped and ready to go before you start cooking.

Rinse the clams thoroughly under running water. Optional: soak in salty water 15mins before.
Prepare the sauce by mixing all the sauce ingredients in a bowl: cooking wine, black vinegar, oyster sauce, sugar, and white pepper. Set aside.
In a wok on HIGH heat, add a drizzle of oil and sauté the garlic, ginger, and chilli for 2-3 mins until fragrant.
Add the clams to the pot and sauté for 30 seconds then drizzle in the sauce ingredients: cooking wine, black vinegar, oyster sauce, and white pepper. Mix around and let the sauce simmer for 2-3 minutes then put the lid on. Let the clams steam for 3-4 minutes or until they all open up. Careful not to steam them for too long or else the clams will get tough and chewy.
Once the clams have opened up, add in the basil leaves and drizzle the sesame oil over the clams. Sauté for another minute and turn off the heat. Serve! Best served over white rice.

February 17, 2022February 17, 2022

AbbyLeave a comment