Copycat KFC Gravy (so easy and quick!)

Date Published: Sept 5th, 2022 | Last Updated: Sept 5th, 2022
Author: Abby |Category: easy, <15mins, quick, healthy, low-cal, sauces
Serves: 4-6 | Prep time: 2 mins | Cook time: 5 mins

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KFC is one of the first fast foods I remember having when we first moved to Canada, and of course you HAVE to get the gravy when you have KFC. We were all obsessed with the gravy but my brother was the biggest fan of all. As the years went on and my older siblings moved away to uni, it was just my mom and I and we would occasionally get the Tuesday KFC deal at the food court in the mall near our house and the gravy has always been a staple. Now every time I have KFC gravy I’m transported back to the good ol’ family days of us huddled around a bucket with popcorn chicken. These days when Toby and I get KFC together, I always get a large popcorn chicken with not one, but TWO gravies because there’s only one gravy size in Australia and it’s never enough.

When I first came across this gravy recipe from RecipeTinEats, I was amazed by how quick and easy it was to make a copycat version of the KFC gravy and it’s also surprisingly low in calories. I’ve made it a bunch more times since with a few small tweaks. It goes amazing on everything, including these Healthy French Onion Meatballs.

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:

4 Tbsps plain flour
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 beef stock cube (concentration 1 cube = 1 cup)
1 chicken stock cube (concentration 1 cube = 1 cup)
2.25 cups (560ml) hot water
4 Tbsps (60g) unsalted butter
Salt to taste

Directions:

In a small bowl, combine the flour, onion powder, garlic powder, and black pepper. Set aside. In another bowl dissolve the beef stock cube and chicken stock cube in 2 cups of hot water. Set aside.

Put a saucepan on MED heat and dissolve the butter. Add in the flour mixture from step 1 to the butter and mix until combined. Add in a quarter cup of the stock at a time to the pan and mix thoroughly between each addition, making sure there are no clumps. Once you’ve finished adding all of the stock, taste and add salt if needed. Add more hot water if you prefer a runnier gravy. Turn off the heat and serve!

Summarized Recipe:

Copycat KFC Gravy (so easy and quick!)

Ingredients:

4 Tbsps plain flour
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 beef stock cube (concentration 1 cube = 1 cup)
1 chicken stock cube (concentration 1 cube = 1 cup)
2.25 cups (560ml) hot water
4 Tbsps (60g) unsalted butter
Salt to taste

Directions

In a small bowl, combine the flour, onion powder, garlic powder, and black pepper. Set aside.
In another bowl dissolve the beef stock cube and chicken stock cube in 2 cups of hot water. Set aside.
Put a saucepan on MED heat and dissolve the butter. Add in the flour mixture from step 1 to the butter and mix until combined. Add in a quarter cup of the stock at a time to the pan and mix thoroughly between each addition, making sure there are no clumps. Once you’ve finished adding all of the stock, taste and add salt if needed. Add more hot water if you prefer a runnier gravy. Turn off the heat and serve!

September 5, 2022

AbbyLeave a comment

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

Corn Potage (Creamy Japanese Sweet Corn Soup)

Date Published: Aug 16th, 2022 | Last Updated: Oct 16th, 2023
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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*Updated Oct 16th, 2023: changed ingredients slightly to make a creamier corn soup.

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 olive oil
1/2 tsp sweet 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 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 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 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, 2022October 17, 2023

Abby3 Comments

Butternut Squash, Leek & Mushroom Oats Risotto (Ris-oat-to)

Date Published: Aug 12, 2022 | Last Updated: Aug 12, 2022
Author: Abby |Category: healthy, low cal, mains, vegetarian
Serves: 4-6 | Prep time: 20 mins | Cook time: 35 mins

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Oats are great at lowering cholesterol and because of this I’m always trying to sneak them in my recipes in an attempt to make them healthier. They’re heart-healthy, a low carb alternative, and add more fibre to your diet. I LOVE risotto and I could eat it all day every day, so when I first heard about using oats instead of arborio rice in a risotto, I was skeptical. The first time I gave it a shot, I was disappointed – it turned out weird, slimy, and goopy. Toby didn’t mind it as much, but as a risotto-fanatic, it just couldn’t compare. I recently decided to give it another try and I realized where I went wrong the first time.

The key to a good oats-risotto is moisture.

The key to a good oats-risotto is moisture. The oats absorb moisture a lot quicker than a rice-based risotto and will continue to soak up liquid even after you turn the heat off. In a rice-based risotto, the more you cook down the liquid and allow it to absorb, the softer and mushier the rice becomes. However when you’re using oats, the oats don’t become mushy, they become gluey – like a breakfast oatmeal/porridge. Therefore, to prevent it from getting goopy, you have to keep the oats-risotto wetter and turn off the heat earlier before all the liquid absorbs.

How to fix a goopy, gluey oats-risotto:

If you’ve accidentally taken your oats-risotto a bit too far, don’t worry, just add more moisture! You can either add in more hot stock or hot water and mix it around. If you have leftovers that have dried out a little in the fridge, add a splash of hot water and mix it around before serving.

Steel Cut Oats vs Rolled Oats vs Quick Oats – what’s the difference?

You MUST use steel cut oats for this recipe. The difference between these three types of oats is all about the way they’re cut and processed. Steel cut is the least processed of the three which results in more fibre but also because of this you’ll need to cook it down longer than the other three which is what makes it perfect for this dish. Risotto is all about slow absorption of the stock and letting the flavours simmer and infuse into the “rice”. If you use rolled or quick oats, it’d absorb liquid too quickly and expand and become soggy.

Recipe adapted from: FoxesLovesLemons.com

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

Half a butternut squash, cubed to 2cm pieces
6 cups chicken stock
2 Tbsps unsalted butter
1 leek, sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
500g white mushrooms, chopped
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
1 tsp ground dried sage
1/3 cup dry white wine
1 cup steel cut oats
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Directions:

Preheat oven to 180˚C.

Prepare a lined baking pan and add in the cubed butternut squash. Sprinkle salt and pepper overtop and a drizzle of olive oil. Mix together and bake in the preheated oven for 20-30 mins until soft and roasted. Set aside to cool.

In a sauce pan, heat up the chicken stock.

In a large pan or wok on MED heat, add in the butter. Once the butter is melted, add in leeks and sauté for a few minutes until softened.

Next add in the garlic, mushrooms, thyme, and sage. Continue to sauté until the mushrooms cook down and turn a deep brown colour (see photo). Add in the wine and let it simmer for 1 minute.

Next add in the steel cut oats and 2 ladles of the preheated chicken stock. Mix everything around and let it simmer. Once the liquid has absorbed, continue adding in 1 ladle of stock at a time, making sure to let the liquid fully absorb before adding in the next ladle. You don’t need to stir continuously, but do stir it every couple minutes to ensure nothing sticks to the bottom of the pan.

When you get to the last ladle of chicken stock, give it a mix and do NOT let the liquid fully absorb. Only let it absorb about 70%. Stir in the Parmesan and the cooked butternut squash and turn off the heat. You want the oats-risotto to be a little wetter than usual because the oats will continue to absorb the liquid even after you turn off the heat. Taste and adjust salt and pepper to taste. Serve! If the texture is too dry and goopy for you, mix in more hot chicken stock or hot water before serving.

Summarized Recipe:

Butternut Squash, Leek & Mushroom Oats Risotto (Ris-oat-to)

Date Published: Aug 12, 2022 | Last Updated: Aug 12, 2022
Author: Abby |Category: healthy, low cal, mains, vegetarian
Serves: 4-6 | Prep time: 20 mins | Cook time: 35 mins

Ingredients:

Half a butternut squash, cubed to 2cm pieces
6 cups chicken stock (or vegetable stock)
2 Tbsps unsalted butter
1 leek, sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
500g white mushrooms, chopped
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
1 tsp ground dried sage
1/3 cup dry white wine
1 cup steel cut oats
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Directions:

Preheat oven to 180˚C.
Prepare a lined baking pan and add in the cubed butternut squash. Sprinkle salt and pepper overtop and a drizzle of olive oil. Mix together and bake in the preheated oven for 20-30 mins until soft and roasted. Set aside to cool.
In a sauce pan, heat up the chicken stock.
In a large pan or wok on MED heat, add in the butter. Once the butter is melted, add in leeks and sauté for a few minutes until softened.
Next add in the garlic, mushrooms, thyme, and sage. Continue to sauté until the mushrooms cook down and turn a deep brown colour (see photo). Add in the wine and let it simmer for 1 minute.
Next add in the steel cut oats and 2 ladles of the preheated chicken stock. Mix everything around and let it simmer. Once the liquid has absorbed, continue adding in 1 ladle of stock at a time, making sure to let the liquid fully absorb before adding in the next ladle. You don’t need to stir continuously, but do stir it every couple minutes to ensure nothing sticks to the bottom of the pan.
When you get to the last ladle of chicken stock, give it a mix and do NOT let the liquid fully absorb. Only let it absorb about 70%. Stir in the Parmesan and the cooked butternut squash and turn off the heat. You want the oats-risotto to be a little wetter than usual because the oats will continue to absorb the liquid even after you turn off the heat. Taste and adjust salt and pepper to taste. Serve! If the texture is too dry and goopy for you, mix in more hot chicken stock or hot water before serving.

August 12, 2022August 17, 2022

Abby2 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.

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

Green Curry Fish Soup

Date Published: Feb 16th, 2022 | Last Updated: Feb 16th, 2022
Author: Abby |Category: mains, soups, vegetarian, easy, healthy, low-cal
Serves: 6-8 (1 large pot) | Prep time: 20mins | Cook time: 45mins

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I love a good Thai green curry but making the curry paste from scratch is always time-consuming since there are so many ingredients involved, however the end result is ALWAYS worth it so I always make a big batch of it and keep it stored in a large ice cube tray in the freezer. I freeze them in 1/4 cup portions so it’s easy for me to measure out and defrost when I need it. Since I always make a large amount, I’m constantly looking for new creative ways to use it. This recipe uses my homemade Thai green curry paste. It’s so easy and quick to whip up a large pot with enough portions to pack for lunch for the week!

Thai Green Curry Paste

Homemade Curry Paste vs Pre-made curry paste in a can?

I will always choose a homemade curry paste over one that comes in a can. The flavours of a homemade paste is so much fresher and more pungent compared to one in a can. You’ll find that in many recipes that use a canned paste, you always have to add aromatics to it such as ginger, garlic, or galangal to “freshen” it up and bring out the flavours of the paste first before you add in your main ingredients, however when you use a homemade paste, you don’t need to add in anything extra. You can just start sautéing it in the pan and add in your veg, protein…etc. Although it’s more time consuming to make the paste at the start, I found that it ended up saving me so much more time when I’m trying to whip up something quick.

A Healthy Green Curry?

Nearly all Thai green curries use coconut milk in the recipe which has a high saturated fat content – something I try to avoid as much as possible due to high cholesterol running in the family. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE a good Thai curry with the creamy coconut flavour, however for the sake of my health I’ve experimented with alternatives to make it healthier and still satisfy my green curry cravings. This recipe uses soy milk or oat milk as the replacement which is low in calories, no saturated fats, and overall healthier! You don’t get the coconuttiness however the flavours of the green curry still shine through.

A great recipe to clean out the fridge!

The vegetables I’ve chosen in this recipe are the common veg I usually have in the fridge but feel free to change it up to whatever you like. I’ve thrown in leftover cabbage, carrots, potatoes…etc. I’ve also chosen fish as the protein for this soup due to health reasons, but you can easily substitute with chicken, beef, pork, or even no protein at all and keep it vegetarian.

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

1/2 cup homemade green curry paste
4 cups (1L) unsweetened soy milk or oat milk
4 cups (1L) chicken stock or vegetable stock
2 chicken stock cubes (concentration of 1 cube = 1 cup)
Vegetables: *feel free to substitute with whatever vegetables you like*
- Butternut pumpkin – 2 cups
- 1-2 zucchinis, diced
- 1 roasted eggplant, diced
- 1 can bamboo shoot slices
600g white fish fillets (~3 fillets) (ie barramundi, ling fish or any white fish that won’t disintegrate easily in a soup)
2-4 Tbsps fish sauce to taste

Directions:

Sauté the green curry paste in a pot with a drizzle of olive oil over MED heat until the paste dries out a bit and turns slightly brown.

Add in the soy milk, chicken stock, and chicken stock cubes. Mix it around and bring the heat up to HIGH until the liquid boils, then turn it back down to LOW-MED. Make sure there are no clumps of curry paste.

Add in the pumpkin and zucchinis. Let the soup simmer with the lid on until the pumpkin is cooked, then add in the roasted eggplant, bamboo shoots and fish.

Let the soup come to a boil again and turn the heat off once the fish is cooked. Add fish sauce to taste. Serve!

Summarized Recipe:

Green Curry Fish Soup

Date Published: Feb 16th, 2022 | Last Updated: Feb 16th, 2022
Author: Abby | Category: mains, soups, vegetarian, easy, healthy, low-cal
Serves: 6-8 (1 large pot) | Prep time: 20mins | Cook time: 45mins

Ingredients:

1/2 cup homemade green curry paste
4 cups (1L) unsweetened soy milk or oat milk
4 cups (1L) chicken stock or vegetable stock
2 chicken stock cubes (concentration of 1 cube = 1 cup)
Vegetables: *feel free to substitute with whatever vegetables you like*
- Butternut pumpkin – 2 cups
- 1-2 zucchinis, diced
- 1 roasted eggplant, diced
- 1 can bamboo shoot slices
600g white fish fillets (~3 fillets) (ie barramundi, ling fish or any white fish that won’t disintegrate easily in a soup)
2-4 Tbsps fish sauce to taste

Directions:

Sauté the green curry paste in a pot with a drizzle of olive oil over MED heat until the paste dries out a bit and turns slightly brown.
Add in the soy milk, chicken stock, and chicken stock cubes. Mix it around and bring the heat up to HIGH until the liquid boils, then turn it back down to LOW-MED. Make sure there are no clumps of curry paste.
Add in the pumpkin and zucchinis. Let the soup simmer until the pumpkin is cooked, then add in the roasted eggplant, bamboo shoots and fish. Let the soup come to a boil again and turn the heat off once the fish is cooked. Add fish sauce to taste. Serve!

February 16, 2022

AbbyLeave a comment