Zuppa Toscana – Creamy Sausage, Kale, Bacon, Mushroom Soup


Date Published: July 22nd, 2024 | Last Updated: July 22nd, 2024
Author: Abby |Category: mains, soups, sides
Serves: 4-6 (as a main) | Prep time: 30 mins | Cook time: 30 mins

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Zuppa Toscana is a deliciously indulgent soup that consists of sausage, kale, and bacon. In this version I add in mushrooms and corn, two of my favourite produce!

This soup is an adaptation of a copycat version of the one at Olive Garden, but I have no idea how close this is because I’ve never actually been to Olive Garden 😅. Let me explain. There weren’t many near me in Canada growing up and there aren’t any in Australia where I’ve spent a good chunk of my adult years. Now that we live in New York City, there’s one in Times Square, however with so many amazing restaurants in NYC, the list of restaurants to try are never-ending and forever getting longer and Olive Garden is sadly on the bottom of the list since I hear so many mixed reviews about it. Perhaps if we ever leave New York and head to somewhere with fewer exciting restaurant options, we’ll hit up the local Olive Garden. Despite the mixed reviews, one item I do hear about time and time again (apart from the breadsticks) is their Zuppa Toscana soup. I had no idea what kind of soup it was, but I knew it had to be something good for it to be so popular! I found a copycat version from GimmeSomeOven and it turned out AMAZING the first time. I’ve made this a few times now and tweaked it a little to suit my liking by changing the proportions and adding in mushrooms and corn (two of my favourite produce). I must say, this is now one of my top comfort soups!

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:

  • 6 strips of bacon
  • 450g (1 lb) spicy Italian ground sausage (without sausage casing)
  • 1 large yellow onion, diced
  • 350g white or portobello mushrooms, sliced (optional)
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 large (~800g) Yukon gold potato, peeled & diced to 1″ cubes
  • 6 cups chicken stock
  • 4 packed cups kale, stem removed and leaves chopped
  • 1 can (430g) of sweet whole corn kernels, drained (optional)
  • 1.25 cups heavy cream
  • Salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

In a stock pot on MED-HIGH heat, cook the strips of bacon in batches on both sides until crispy then set aside on a plate. Once cool enough to handle, chop the bacon into small pieces.

In the same pot, add in the ground sausage and continue to cook until the outside is browned, chopping up the ground sausage into small pieces as you sauté (~3-5 mins). Remove the sausage into a bowl and set aside.

Remove all but 1 Tbsp of oil from the pot and add in the diced onions. Cook for 5-7 mins until the onion softens.

Add in the sliced mushrooms and garlic. Continue to sauté for another 3 minutes until the mushrooms soften.

Next, add in the diced potato, chicken stock, and the ground sausage (from step 2) (avoid adding in any pooled oil from the ground sausage).

Bring the heat up to HIGH and let the soup come to a boil, then turn the heat back down to low and let it simmer until the potato is nearly cooked (~8-10 minutes). Stir in the kale, corn kernels, and heavy cream and continue to let the soup simmer until the potato is fully cooked (about 5 more minutes).

Mix in the bacon (from step 1) and then taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed. Done!

Summarized Recipe:

Zuppa Toscana – Creamy Sausage, Kale, Bacon, Mushroom Soup

Date Published: July 22nd, 2024 | Last Updated: July 22nd, 2024
Author: Abby |Category: mains, soups, sides
Serves: 4-6 (as a main) | Prep time: 30 mins | Cook time: 30 mins

Ingredients:

  • 6 strips of bacon
  • 450g (1 lb) spicy Italian ground sausage (without sausage casing)
  • 1 large yellow onion, diced
  • 350g white or portobello mushrooms, sliced (optional)
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 large (~800g) Yukon gold potato, peeled & diced to 1″ cubes
  • 6 cups chicken stock
  • 4 packed cups kale, stem removed and leaves chopped
  • 1 can (430g) of sweet whole corn kernels, drained (optional)
  • 1.25 cups heavy cream
  • Salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

  1. In a stock pot on MED-HIGH heat, cook the strips of bacon in batches on both sides until crispy then set aside on a plate. Once cool enough to handle, chop the bacon into small pieces.
  2. In the same pot, add in the ground sausage and continue to cook until the outside is browned, chopping up the ground sausage into small pieces as you sauté (~3-5 mins). Remove the sausage into a bowl and set aside.
  3. Remove all but 1 Tbsp of oil from the pot and add in the diced onions. Cook for 5-7 mins until the onion softens.
  4. Add in the sliced mushrooms and garlic. Continue to sauté for another 3 minutes until the mushrooms soften.
  5. Next, add in the diced potato, chicken stock, and the ground sausage (from step 2) (avoid adding in any pooled oil from the ground sausage). Bring the heat up to HIGH and let the soup come to a boil, then turn the heat back down to low and let it simmer until the potato is nearly cooked (~8-10 minutes).
  6. Stir in the kale, corn kernels, and heavy cream and continue to let the soup simmer until the potato is fully cooked (about 5 more minutes). Mix in the bacon (from step 1) and then taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed. Done!

AbbyLeave a comment

Aloo Gobi Masala (Saucy Curried Cauliflower & Potatoes)


Date Published: July 21st, 2024 | Last Updated: July 21st, 2024
Author: Abby |Category: mains, healthy, low-cal, vegetarian
Serves: 4 (as a main) | Prep time: 20 mins | Cook time: 45 mins

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If you’re unfamiliar with aloo gobi, it’s a vegetarian Indian dish that is made up of cauliflower, potatoes, and onions, all cooked in a mixture of fragrant spices. This masala version is a saucy version of the traditional aloo gobi dish. Not only is it a great dish, but it’s also healthy and relatively low calories for something so flavourful. Although I do prefer the masala version because I like a good saucy curry, but if you prefer the OG aloo gobi without sauce, try the original recipe here.

Aloo Gobi Masala (left) vs Regular Aloo Gobi (right)

This recipe is originally from: Indian Healthy Recipes but with a few tweaks.

A Quick Note on Chilli Powder

This recipe uses Kashmiri chilli powder, which is an Indian chilli powder variety that’s not too spicy and it is what gives the dish its orangey/red colour. It can be a bit hard to find unless you’ve got an Indian grocer near you, but if you can’t find it, a good substitute is gochugaru, which is a Korean chilli powder. Do NOT substitute with cayenne pepper which is a MUCH spicier chilli powder. If you absolutely can’t find Kashmiri chilli powder nor gochugaru, then you can substitute with 1 part cayenne powder: 3 parts paprika.

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:

  • 1 large cauliflower head, cut into 1.5 inch florets
  • 2 medium (500g) Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced to 1 inch cubes
  • 1/2 tsp + 1/2 tsp garam masala
  • Spice mix:
    • 1/2 tsp kashmiri chili powder
    • 1.5 tsp garam masala
    • 1.5 tsp coriander powder
    • 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
    • 1/2 tsp cumin powder
  • 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
  • 3 green cardamoms
  • 1/2 Tbsp ginger, grated
  • 1/2 Tbsp garlic, finely minced
  • 1 large onion, finely diced
  • 1.25 cups (265g) tomato purée (or purée 3 medium-sized tomatoes in a blender)
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/2 cup cashew cream (or blend 20 cashews + 1/3 cup water using a high speed blender until smooth)
  • Salt to taste
  • 1 Tbsp dried fenugreek leaves
  • Serve with your choice of carb (ie. naan, roti, rice…etc.)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 220C/450F.

Prepare two lined baking trays. Place the diced cauliflower onto one tray and the diced potatoes on the other. Add a small drizzle of oil, 1/2 tsp of garam masala, and a pinch of salt to each tray. Use your hands and massage the spices and oil into the potatoes and cauliflower respectively. Bake in the preheated oven with the potatoes on the lower rack and the cauliflower in the middle rack. Bake for 20 minutes until both the potatoes and cauliflower are fully cooked – you want them to be fork-tender, but want the cauliflower to still have a bit of crunch.

Be careful not to overcook them or they’ll be too soft. Once they’re done, remove them from the oven and set aside until ready to be used.

While the potatoes and cauliflower are baking, make your spice mix by mixing chilli powder, garam masala, coriander powder, turmeric powder, and cumin powder in a bowl. Set aside.

Make the sauce/gravy: In a pan on MED heat, add a drizzle of oil and add in the cumin seeds and cardamoms. When they start to sizzle, add in the ginger and minced garlic and continue to cook for another 30 seconds, or until fragrant.

Next, add in the diced onions and continue to sauté until the onion is translucent and softened. Add in the tomato purée and spice mix (from step 3) and mix everything together. Sauté for 2-3 minutes until the spices turn fragrant.

20 cashews + 1/3 cup water
Blend on high until smooth
Finished cashew cream

Make the cashew cream if you haven’t already by blending 20 cashew nuts with 1/3 cup of water. Add in 1/2 cup water, cashew cream, and a big pinch of salt.

Simmer sauce until thickened

Bring the sauce to a boil, then reduce the heat to LOW. Let the sauce simmer for 8-10 minutes or until thickened.

Add in the baked potato, baked cauliflower (from step 2), and crush the fenugreek leaves into the pan. Stir it around and let it simmer for another 2-3 minutes. Taste again and adjust salt if needed. Done! Serve with your choice of carb (ie. naan, roti, rice…etc.).

Aloo Gobi Masala (left) vs Regular Aloo Gobi (right)

Summarized Recipe:

Aloo Gobi Masala (Saucy Curried Cauliflower & Potatoes)

Date Published: July 21st, 2024 | Last Updated: July 21st, 2024
Author: Abby |Category: mains, healthy, low-cal, vegetarian
Serves: 4 (as a main) | Prep time: 20 mins | Cook time: 45 mins

Ingredients:

  • 1 large cauliflower head, cut into 1.5 inch florets
  • 2 medium (500g) Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced to 1 inch cubes
  • 1/2 tsp + 1/2 tsp garam masala
  • Spice mix:
    • 1/2 tsp kashmiri chili powder
    • 1.5 tsp garam masala
    • 1.5 tsp coriander powder
    • 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
    • 1/2 tsp cumin powder
  • 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
  • 3 green cardamoms
  • 1/2 Tbsp ginger, grated
  • 1/2 Tbsp garlic, finely minced
  • 1 large onion, finely diced
  • 1.25 cups (265g) tomato purée (or purée 3 medium-sized tomatoes in a blender)
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/2 cup cashew cream (or blend 20 cashews + 1/3 cup water using a high speed blender until smooth)
  • Salt to taste
  • 1 Tbsp dried fenugreek leaves
  • Serve with your choice of carb (ie. naan, roti, rice…etc.)

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 220C/450F.
  2. Prepare two lined baking trays. Place the diced cauliflower onto one tray and the diced potatoes on the other. Add a small drizzle of oil, 1/2 tsp of garam masala, and a pinch of salt to each tray. Use your hands and massage the spices and oil into the potatoes and cauliflower respectively. Bake in the preheated oven with the potatoes on the lower rack and the cauliflower in the middle rack. Bake for 20 minutes until both the potatoes and cauliflower are fully cooked – you want them to be fork-tender, but want the cauliflower to still have a bit of crunch.
    • Be careful not to overcook them or they’ll be too soft. Once they’re done, remove them from the oven and set aside until ready to be used.
  3. While the potatoes and cauliflower are baking, make your spice mix by mixing chilli powder, garam masala, coriander powder, turmeric powder, and cumin powder in a bowl. Set aside.
  4. Make the sauce/gravy: In a pan on MED heat, add a drizzle of oil and add in the cumin seeds and cardamoms. When they start to sizzle, add in the ginger and minced garlic and continue to cook for another 30 seconds, or until fragrant.
  5. Next, add in the diced onions and continue to sauté until the onion is translucent and softened.
  6. Add in the tomato purée and spice mix (from step 3) and mix everything together. Sauté for 2-3 minutes until the spices turn fragrant.
  7. Add in 1/2 cup water, cashew cream, and a big pinch of salt. Bring the sauce to a boil, then reduce the heat to LOW. Let the sauce simmer for 8-10 minutes or until thickened.
  8. Add in the baked potato, baked cauliflower (from step 2), and crush the fenugreek leaves into the pan. Stir it around and let it simmer for another 2-3 minutes. Taste again and adjust salt if needed. Done! Serve with your choice of carb (ie. naan, roti, rice…etc.).

Abby2 Comments

Aloo Gobi (Curried Cauliflower & Potatoes)


Date Published: July 21st, 2024 | Last Updated: July 21st, 2024
Author: Abby |Category: mains, healthy, low-cal, vegetarian
Serves: 6 | Prep time: 20 mins | Cook time: 30 mins

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What better way to use up cauliflower than to make it into a delicious and flavourful aloo gobi! If you’re unfamiliar with aloo gobi, it’s a vegetarian Indian dish that is made up of cauliflower, potatoes, and onions, all cooked in a mixture of fragrant spices. Not only is it a great dish, but it’s also healthy and relatively low calories for something so flavourful – in fact, I’ll often make this when I’m on a diet but don’t feel like a week of salads.

This recipe is originally from: Indian Healthy Recipes but with a few tweaks.

A Quick Note on Chilli Powder

This recipe uses Kashmiri chilli powder, which is an Indian chilli powder variety that’s not too spicy and it is what gives the dish its orangey/red colour. It can be a bit hard to find unless you’ve got an Indian grocer near you, but if you can’t find it, a good substitute is gochugaru, which is a Korean chilli powder. Do NOT substitute with cayenne pepper which is a MUCH spicier chilli powder. If you absolutely can’t find Kashmiri chilli powder nor gochugaru, then you can substitute with 1 part cayenne powder: 3 parts paprika.

Aloo Gobi Masala (left) vs Regular Aloo Gobi (right)

This is a dry dish (no sauce). If you prefer something saucy and more curry-like, try the recipe for aloo gobi masala here (slightly more in calories, but with even more flavour)!

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:

  • Spice mix:
    • 1/2 tsp kashmiri chili powder (or gochugaru – Korean chilli powder)
    • 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
    • 1 tsp garam masala
    • 1 tsp coriander powder
    • 1/2 tsp cumin powder
  • 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1/2 Tbsp ginger, grated
  • 1/2 Tbsp garlic, finely minced
  • 1 medium brown onion, diced fine
  • 2 medium (~500g) Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
  • 1 large cauliflower head, cut into 1.5 inch florets
  • 2 medium tomatoes, finely chopped
  • 1 Tbsp dried fenugreek leaves
  • Salt to taste
  • Serve with carb of choice (rice, roti, naan…etc.).

Directions:

Make your spice mix by mixing chilli powder, turmeric powder, garam masala, coriander powder, and cumin powder in a bowl. Set aside.

In a pan on MED heat, add a drizzle of oil and add in cumin seeds. Once the seeds start to sizzle, add in the grated ginger and garlic and sauté for 30 seconds until fragrant.

Add in the onions and continue to sauté until the onion softens and turns translucent (3-4 minutes). Add in the diced potatoes with a pinch of salt and cook for 5-6 minutes until they’re halfway cooked (slightly softened).

Once the potatoes are halfway cooked, add in the cauliflower florets with another pinch of salt and continue to sauté for another 3 minutes.

Then add in the spice mix (from step 1) and 1/2 cup of water. Mix well and cook with a lid on until both the potatoes and cauliflower are ALMOST fork-tender (5-8 mins) – the cauliflower should have a slight crunch. Be sure to stir every few minutes so nothing sticks to the bottom of the pan. Add a small amount of water if the dish gets too dry.

Add in the diced tomatoes and crush in the fenugreek leaves and sauté for 2-3 minutes until the tomatoes have cooked down a little and the potato and cauliflower are fork-tender and fully cooked. Taste and adjust salt to taste. Turn off the heat and serve with carb of choice (rice, roti, naan…etc.).

Aloo Gobi Masala (left) vs Regular Aloo Gobi (right)

Summarized Recipe:

Aloo Gobi (Curried Cauliflower)

Date Published: July 21st, 2024 | Last Updated: July 21st, 2024
Author: Abby |Category: mains, healthy, low-cal, vegetarian
Serves: 6 | Prep time: 20 mins | Cook time: 30 mins

Ingredients:

  • Spice mix:
    • 1/2 tsp kashmiri chili powder (or gochugaru – Korean chilli powder)
    • 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
    • 1 tsp garam masala
    • 1 tsp coriander powder
    • 1/2 tsp cumin powder
  • 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1/2 Tbsp ginger, grated
  • 1/2 Tbsp garlic, finely minced
  • 1 medium brown onion, diced fine
  • 2 medium (~500g) Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
  • 1 large cauliflower head, cut into 1.5 inch florets
  • 2 medium tomatoes, finely chopped
  • 1 Tbsp dried fenugreek leaves
  • Salt to taste
  • Serve with carb of choice (rice, roti, naan…etc.).

Directions:

  1. Make your spice mix by mixing chilli powder, turmeric powder, garam masala, coriander powder, and cumin powder in a bowl. Set aside.
  2. In a pan on MED heat, add a drizzle of oil and add in cumin seeds. Once the seeds start to sizzle, add in the grated ginger and garlic and sauté for 30 seconds until fragrant.
  3. Add in the onions and continue to sauté until the onion softens and turns translucent (3-4 minutes).
  4. Add in the diced potatoes with a pinch of salt and cook for 5-6 minutes until they’re halfway cooked (slightly softened).
  5. Once the potatoes are halfway cooked, add in the cauliflower florets with another pinch of salt and continue to sauté for another 3 minutes.
  6. Then add in the spice mix (from step 1) and 1/2 cup of water. Mix well and cook with a lid on until both the potatoes and cauliflower are ALMOST fork-tender (5-8 minutes) – the cauliflower should have a slight crunch. Be sure to stir every few minutes so nothing sticks to the bottom of the pan. Add a small amount of water if the dish gets too dry.
  7. Add in the diced tomatoes and crush in the fenugreek leaves and sauté for 2-3 minutes until the tomatoes have cooked down a little and the potato and cauliflower are fork-tender and fully cooked. Taste and adjust salt to taste. Turn off the heat and serve with carb of choice (rice, roti, naan…etc.).

Abby1 Comment

Roasted Garlic Dal (Yellow Lentil Curry)


Date Published: July 20th, 2024 | Last Updated: July 20th, 2024
Author: Abby |Category: mains, vegetarian, easy, healthy, low-cal
Serves: 4 as a main | Prep time: 1 hour | Cook time: 2 hours

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Dal (or dahl, daal, dhal) is a delicious vegetarian Indian curry made of lentils. You’ll find it on the menu at any Indian restaurant and there is a huge variety of ways you can make dal. It’s both flavourful and healthy!

In the past I’ve always found dal to be good, but never comparable to the infamous butter chicken, however that all changed during our recent trip to London. Toby took me to a Michelin-starred Indian restaurant called Trishna for my birthday and holy moly, of the entire tasting menu, the roasted garlic dal blew me away! I was thinking about it for days after and hoped I would be able to recreate it when I got home. After some trial and error testing different dal and roasted garlic recipes, I’m glad to report that I’ve done it! I’ve recreated that magical garlic dal from ‘Trishna’. The main base dal recipe is from RecipeTinEats but with a few little tweaks and with the addition of the roasted garlic.

HIGHLY recommend going to Trishna if you’re in London!

Although this recipe is not difficult to make, there are a few ingredients required and it takes a little to let everything simmer – I promise it’s well worth the wait!

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:

  • Roasted garlic:
    • 2 garlic bulbs
    • Drizzle olive oil
    • Pinch of salt
    • Pinch of black pepper
  • Dal:
    • 1 cup chana dal/yellow split lentils
    • 2 Tbsps ghee (or 1 Tbsp oil + 1 Tbsp butter)
    • 2 long green chillies, deseeded & diced small
    • 1 small onion (red or yellow), diced small
    • 6 garlic cloves, minced
    • 1.5 Tbsps ginger, minced
    • 8 dried (or 10 fresh) curry leaves
    • 1 tomato, diced small
    • 1/2 tsp ground cumin
    • 4 cups (1L) water
    • 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
    • 1/8 tsp garam masala
    • 1 tsp kosher/cooking salt (or more to taste)
  • To serve: basmati rice or naan

Directions:

Rinse the chana dal/yellow split lentils and let it soak in water for at least 1 hour, then strain and set aside.

While the lentils are soaking, roast the garlic:

Preheat the oven to 375˚F (190˚C).

Prepare a small square baking tray and pour in a drizzle of olive oil. Slice the base off of the garlic bulbs (the flat side – see photo) and dip the exposed side into the olive oil and place the bulbs in the tray, cut side up. Sprinkle salt and pepper over top. Make sure all the exposed garlic cloves are covered in oil so it doesn’t burn.

Cover the tray with aluminum foil and bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes.

After 40 mins, take it out of the oven, remove the foil and let the roasted garlic cool down. Once cool enough to handle, gently remove the garlic cloves from the outer layer and set aside.

In a skillet on HIGH heat, melt the ghee (or butter/oil). Then add in the green chillies and sauté for 2 minutes until starting to soften. Next add in the onions and continue to sauté for another 3-4 minutes until the onion softens.

Once the onion has softened, turn the heat down to MEDIUM and add in the minced garlic, ginger, and curry leaves. Cook for 1 minute until the garlic is fragrant.

Add in the diced tomatoes and cumin and continue to sauté for another 2-3 minutes until the tomatoes break down and you’re starting to get a paste.

Add in the water, turmeric powder, garam masala and salt. Mix everything around and bring the heat up to HIGH to let it come to a boil, then turn the heat down to LOW and simmer the dal with the lid on for 1 hour, stirring intermittently.

(You can make the basmati rice or whatever side you like in this time.)

After 1 hour take off the lid and let the dal continue to simmer for 30 minutes to reduce the liquid. The dal has finished cooking when it looks like a porridge-consistency and the liquid has reduced to your liking.

Mash the roasted garlic cloves (from step 1) and add it into the dal. Taste and adjust salt as needed. Done! Serve over a bed of basmati rice or with naan.

Summarized Recipe:

Roasted Garlic Dal (Yellow Lentil Curry)

Date Published: July 20th, 2024 | Last Updated: July 20th, 2024
Author: Abby |Category: mains, vegetarian, easy
Serves: 4 as a main | Prep time: 1 hour | Cook time: 2 hours

Ingredients:

  • Roasted garlic:
    • 2 garlic bulbs
    • Drizzle olive oil
    • Pinch of salt
    • Pinch of black pepper
  • Dal:
    • 1 cup chana dal/yellow split lentils
    • 2 Tbsps ghee (or 1 Tbsp oil + 1 Tbsp butter)
    • 2 long green chillies, deseeded & diced small
    • 1 small onion (red or yellow), diced small
    • 6 garlic cloves, minced
    • 1.5 Tbsps ginger, minced
    • 8 dried (or 10 fresh) curry leaves
    • 1 tomato, diced small
    • 1/2 tsp ground cumin
    • 4 cups (1L) water
    • 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
    • 1/8 tsp garam masala
    • 1 tsp kosher/cooking salt (or more to taste)
  • To serve: basmati rice or naan

Directions:

  1. Rinse the chana dal/yellow split lentils and let it soak in water for at least 1 hour, then strain and set aside.
  2. While the lentils are soaking, roast the garlic:
    • Preheat the oven to 375˚F (190˚C).
    • Prepare a small square baking tray and pour in a drizzle of olive oil. Slice the base off of the garlic bulbs (the flat side – see photo) and dip the exposed side into the olive oil and place the bulbs in the tray, cut side up. Sprinkle salt and pepper over top. Make sure all the exposed garlic cloves are covered in oil so it doesn’t burn.
    • Cover the tray with aluminum foil and bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes.
    • After 40 mins, take it out of the oven, remove the foil and let the roasted garlic cool down. Once cool enough to handle, gently remove the garlic cloves from the outer layer and set aside.
  3. In a skillet on HIGH heat, melt the ghee (or butter/oil). Then add in the green chillies and sauté for 2 minutes until starting to soften. Next add in the onions and continue to sauté for another 3-4 minutes until the onion softens.
  4. Turn the heat down to MEDIUM and add in the minced garlic, ginger, and curry leaves. Cook for 1 minute until the garlic is fragrant.
  5. Add in the diced tomatoes and cumin and continue to sauté for another 2-3 minutes until the tomatoes break down and you’re starting to get a paste.
  6. Add in the water, turmeric powder, garam masala and salt. Mix everything around and bring the heat up to HIGH to let it come to a boil, then turn the heat down to LOW and simmer the dal with the lid on for 1 hour, stirring intermittently.
  7. (You can make the basmati rice or whatever side you like in this time.)
  8. After 1 hour take off the lid and let the dal continue to simmer for 30 minutes to reduce the liquid. The dal has finished cooking when it looks like a porridge-consistency and the liquid has reduced to your liking.
  9. Mash the roasted garlic cloves (from step 1) and add it into the dal. Taste and adjust salt as needed. Done! Serve over a bed of basmati rice or with naan.

AbbyLeave a comment

Czech Tomato Gravy (over Sliced Beef) – Rajská Omáčka


Date Published: May 28th, 2024 | Last Updated: May 28th, 2024
Author: Abby |Category: mains, Czech, easy
Serves: 4 | Prep time: 15 mins | Cook time: 45 mins

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I’m told that “Rajská Omáčka” (pronounced: rays-ka oma-ch-ka) directly translates to “tomato sauce”. This is one of Toby’s childhood dishes that his grandmother used to make him. Every time he says it, all I hear is “racecar” 😅. To me, this sauce pretty much tastes like a tomato soup without the herbs, but it’s served over slices of beef or pork and some knedliky (Czech dumplings – potato or bread). There are other versions of this sauce that vary in tartness and sweetness (like my original attempts), but I’ve written this recipe to be as similar to babička’s as possible.

You have no idea how hard it is to get a picture of babička standing still and smiling 😅

To be honest, this is not my favourite dish, but its got nostalgic value for Toby so I set out to try and make it for him. After a couple of attempts from online and cookbook recipes, he said it “just wasn’t like babička’s” but he couldn’t tell me what was wrong with it 😒. So I put it on the back burner up until our recent trip to Czech a couple weeks ago and we asked babička to show us how she makes it. Her version was a little less tomato-y than the versions I made and although it’s still not my favourite dish, seeing Toby’s happy face slurping down his second helping of the tomato sauce was enough reason for me to add this recipe to the collection.

This recipe is easy and cooks up quickly. You can pair the sauce with whatever meat you wish including a vepro, but for a quick lunch or dinner with minimal effort, I’ve included the instructions to cook a rump roast in a pressure cooker in 30 minutes and it’ll be ready around the same time as the sauce.

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!

Recipes that pair well together with this sauce:

Ingredients you’ll need:

  • Beef:
    • 900g (2 lbs) rump roast/chuck steak
    • 1/2 Tbsp salt
    • Enough water to cover the beef
  • Sauce:
    • 1 Tbsp pork lard
    • 2 medium (~800g) onions, diced
    • 1 large can (793g/28oz) diced tomatoes
    • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
    • 4 cups (1L) beef broth
    • 1 tsp salt
    • 1.5 Tbsps granulated sugar
    • 5 black peppercorns
    • 3 allspice berries
    • 2 bay leaves
    • 2-4 Tbsps heavy cream (to taste)
  • To serve: with slices of knedliky/Czech dumplings (potato or bread)

Directions:

A. Cook the beef: in a pressure cooker/instant pot: *This step is optional. You can serve this tomato sauce with whatever type of meat you like, but if you’re looking for a quick cooked beef, the instant pot will be the fastest.

Add enough water to cover the beef
Pressure-cooked for 30 mins
Let rest of 10 minutes
Slice after resting

Add the beef, salt and enough water to cover the meat. Put the lid on and cook on HIGH PRESSURE for 30 minutes, then quick release. Remove the beef from the liquid and let it rest for 10 mins before slicing.

  • Alternatively if you don’t have a pressure cooker, you can boil the beef in water over the stove until the beef is tender. This will take about 2 hours.

B. Make the sauce while the beef is cooking:

In a small pot on MED-HIGH heat, melt the pork lard and sauté the onions for 5-8 minutes until softened.
Add the salt, sugar, black peppercorns, allspice berries, and bay leaves. Stir for 2 mins until the sugar has fully dissolved.

Next, add in the flour and stir for 2 minutes until well incorporated and the flour cooks a little. Make sure to scrape the bottom of the pan so nothing sticks.

Pour in the beef broth and stir everything together. Bring the heat up to HIGH to let it come to a boil then back down to MED heat and let it boil for 8-10 minutes until the sauce thickens into a gravy-like consistency.

Once it has thickened, pour in the can of diced tomatoes including all of the liquid. Bring the sauce to a boil again, then simmer on MED heat for 20 minutes.

Note: Make sure to stir and scrape the bottom of the pot every few minutes so nothing sticks to the bottom.

After 20 minutes, turn off the heat and discard the bay leaves and all spice berries.

Next, use a stick blender (or transfer the sauce to a blender) and blend the sauce until you get a smooth texture. If you want an extra smooth sauce, strain it through a fine sieve.

Add 2 Tbsps of heavy cream then taste and adjust salt, sugar, or more heavy cream as needed. (Babička will sometimes add in some ketchup if she wants it more tart and tomato-y 🤫.)

Serve the sauce ladled over the cooked sliced beef and a few knedliky. Enjoy!

Summarized Recipe:

Czech Tomato Gravy (over Sliced Beef) – Rajská Omáčka

Date Published: May 28th, 2024 | Last Updated: May 28th, 2024
Author: Abby |Category: mains, Czech, easy
Serves: 4 | Prep time: 15 mins | Cook time: 45 mins

Ingredients:

  • Beef:
    • 900g (2 lbs) rump roast/chuck steak
    • 1/2 Tbsp salt
    • Enough water to cover the beef
  • Sauce:
    • 1 Tbsp pork lard
    • 2 medium (~800g) onions, diced
    • 1 large can (793g/28oz) diced tomatoes
    • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
    • 4 cups (1L) beef broth
    • 1 tsp salt
    • 1.5 Tbsps granulated sugar
    • 5 black peppercorns
    • 3 allspice berries
    • 2 bay leaves
    • 2-4 Tbsps heavy cream (to taste)
  • To serve: with slices of knedliky/Czech dumplings (potato or bread)

Directions:

A. Cook the beef: in a pressure cooker/instant pot: Add the beef, salt and enough water to cover the meat. Put the lid on and cook on HIGH PRESSURE for 30 minutes, then quick release. Remove the beef from the liquid and let it rest for 10 mins before slicing.

  • Alternatively if you don’t have a pressure cooker, you can boil the beef in water over the stove until the beef is tender. This will take about 2 hours.
  • *This step is optional. You can serve this tomato sauce with whatever type of meat you like, but if you’re looking for a quick cooked beef, the instant pot will be the fastest.

B. Make the sauce while the beef is cooking:

  1. In a small pot on MED-HIGH heat, melt the pork lard and sauté the onions for 5-8 minutes until softened.
  2. Add the salt, sugar, black peppercorns, allspice berries, and bay leaves. Stir for 2 mins until the sugar has fully dissolved.
  3. Next, add in the flour and stir for 2 minutes until well incorporated and the flour cooks a little. Make sure to scrape the bottom of the pan so nothing sticks.
  4. Pour in the beef broth and stir everything together. Bring the heat up to HIGH to let it come to a boil then back down to MED heat and let it boil for 8-10 minutes until the sauce thickens into a gravy-like consistency.
  5. Once it has thickened, pour in the can of diced tomatoes including all of the liquid. Bring the sauce to a boil again, then simmer on MED heat for 20 minutes.
    • Note: Make sure to stir and scrape the bottom of the pot every few minutes so nothing sticks to the bottom.
  6. After 20 minutes, turn off the heat and discard the bay leaves and all spice berries. Next, use a stick blender (or transfer the sauce to a blender) and blend the sauce until you get a smooth texture. If you want an extra smooth sauce, strain it through a fine sieve.
  7. Add 2 Tbsps of heavy cream then taste and adjust salt, sugar, or more heavy cream as needed. (Babička will sometimes add in some ketchup if she wants it more tart and tomato-y 🤫.)
    Serve the sauce ladled over the cooked sliced beef and a few knedliky. Enjoy!

Abby1 Comment

F*cking Good Butter Chicken (Chicken/Murgh Makhani)


Date Published: April 16th, 2024 | Last Updated: April 16th, 2024
Author: Abby |Category: Asian, main
Serves: 6 | Prep time: 30 mins | Cook time: 30 mins

Jump to recipe |

Butter chicken is no doubt the most popular dish at most Indian restaurants. It’s creamy, full of flavour, and has the perfect amount of sweetness. It’s an indulgent dish and I can never get enough of it. I’ve tried a LOT of different butter chickens in my life and I’ve come to realize that my favourite butter chickens have been on the sweeter side. I’ve tried to make this dish multiple times in the past with different recipes and methods, but it was never quite right to my liking. There is a lot of variation out there between recipes in terms of level of heat, salt, sweetness, tomato flavour, and even blend of spices. I was beginning to give up on my quest, until someone mentioned trying the Youtube recipe by Chef Varun Inamdar. I’m not a big youtube person when it comes to recipes (which is probably why I never came across it on my own), but this video had 47 MILLION views and has been deemed THE most popular butter chicken recipe on the internet. With a reputation like that, of course I had to try it. As you can probably guess, it was fucking amazing! It’s rich, buttery, and on the sweeter side. You can even taste the flavours of the aromatics that elevate this dish. The only complaint I had was that it was TOO sweet for my liking so I’ve cut down the sugar level by 1/3. I also decreased the amount of butter used (don’t worry, there’s still plenty in this dish to make it deliciously unhealthy) and swapped out cream with cashew cream. OH, and lastly I also doubled his original recipe because it was so damn good that I’d finish it all in one sitting on my own, so i figured I should make enough to share 😜.

A Quick Note on Chilli Powder

This recipe uses Kashmiri chilli powder, which is an Indian chilli powder variety that’s not too spicy and it is what gives the dish its orangey/red colour. It can be a bit hard to find unless you’ve got an Indian grocer near you, but if you can’t find it, a good substitute is gochugaru, which is a Korean chilli powder. Do NOT substitute with cayenne pepper which is a MUCH spicier chilli powder. If you absolutely can’t find Kashmiri chilli powder nor gochugaru, then you can substitute with 1 part cayenne powder: 3 parts paprika.

Check out my easy naan recipe to serve with this butter chicken!

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:

  • Chicken marinade:
    • 600g (3 medium-sized) chicken breasts, skinless, boneless, diced to 2.5cm pieces
    • 1 Tbsp ginger, grated
    • 1 Tbsp garlic, finely minced
    • 2 Tbsps kashmiri chilli powder (or gochugaru/Korean chilli powder)
    • Pinch of salt
  • Sauce:
    • 1 large brown onion, diced
    • 2 Tbsps (30g) + 1 stick (115g / 8 Tbsps) butter
    • 1kg (~5 large) tomatoes, roughly chopped
    • 100g raw unsalted cashews
    • 1 cup water
    • 2 Tbsps garlic, finely minced
    • 3 Tbsps white vinegar
    • 1/4 cup (53g) sugar
    • 1 tsp garam masala
    • 1/4 cup kashmiri chilli powder (or gochugaru/Korean chilli powder)
    • 1 cup cashew cream (or blend 40 raw cashews (90g) with 2/3 cup water)
    • 2 tsps dried fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi)
    • Salt to taste

Directions:

Marinate the chicken: in a mixing bowl, add the ginger paste, garlic, chilli powder, and a pinch of salt. Mix well and set aside at room temperature for 15 minutes.

In a large pan or pot on MED heat, add a drizzle of oil and sear the marinated chicken pieces on both sides for 1-2 minutes. Do not crowd the pan, have the chicken in a single layer. You will have to do this in 2-3 batches depending on the size of your pan/pot. Once finished, remove the chicken and set aside in a bowl.

In the same pan, add another drizzle of oil then add in the diced onion and 2 Tbsps butter. Sauté for 4-5 minutes until the onion is translucent.

Next add in the tomatoes and cashews and mix well. Add in 1 cup of water, garlic, vinegar, sugar, garam masala, chilli powder, and a big pinch of salt. Turn down the heat to LOW-MED and let the sauce simmer for 20 minutes. Mix it around every 5 minutes to ensure nothing sticks to the bottom of the pan.

(While you wait, you can make any sides you wish to serve this with: ie. basmati rice, naan.)

After 20mins
Blend with a stick blender or high-speed blender

After 20 minutes, turn the heat OFF and use a stick blender or a high speed blender to purée everything in the pot until smooth (a high speed blender will get you smoother results than a stick blender).

Return the blended sauce back into the pan. Turn the heat back on to MED and add in the chicken (from step 2), 1 stick of butter, cashew cream*, and crush the dried fenugreek leaves into the pot. Mix it all around and let it simmer for 5-7 minutes. Taste and adjust salt and sugar as needed. Done! Serve with basmati rice or naan.

*Note: if you don’t have cashew cream, you can simply blend 40 raw cashews (90g) with 2/3 cup water in a high speed blender until smooth.

Summarized Recipe:

F*cking Good Butter Chicken (Chicken/Murgh Makhani)

Date Published: April 16th, 2024 | Last Updated: April 16th, 2024
Author: Abby |Category: Asian, main
Serves: 6 | Prep time: 30 mins | Cook time: 30 mins

Ingredients:

  • Chicken marinade:
    • 600g (3 medium-sized) chicken breasts, skinless, boneless, diced to 2.5cm pieces
    • 1 Tbsp ginger, grated
    • 1 Tbsp garlic, finely minced
    • 2 Tbsps kashmiri chilli powder (or gochugaru/Korean chilli powder)
    • Pinch of salt
  • Sauce:
    • 1 large brown onion, diced
    • 2 Tbsps (30g) + 1 stick (115g / 8 Tbsps) butter
    • 1kg (~5 large) tomatoes, roughly chopped
    • 100g raw unsalted cashews
    • 1 cup water
    • 2 Tbsps garlic, finely minced
    • 3 Tbsps white vinegar
    • 1/4 cup (53g) sugar
    • 1 tsp garam masala
    • 1/4 cup kashmiri chilli powder (or gochugaru/Korean chilli powder)
    • 1 cup cashew cream (or blend 40 raw cashews (90g) with 2/3 cup water)
    • 2 tsps dried fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi)
    • Salt to taste

Directions:

  1. Marinate the chicken: in a mixing bowl, add the ginger paste, garlic, chilli powder, and a pinch of salt. Mix well and set aside at room temperature for 15 minutes.
  2. In a large pan or pot on MED heat, add a drizzle of oil and sear the marinated chicken pieces on both sides for 1-2 minutes. Do not crowd the pan, have the chicken in a single layer. You will have to do this in 2-3 batches depending on the size of your pan/pot. Once finished, remove the chicken and set aside in a bowl.
  3. In the same pan, add another drizzle of oil then add in the diced onion and 2 Tbsps butter. Sauté for 4-5 minutes until the onion is translucent.
  4. Next add in the tomatoes and cashews and mix well. Add in 1 cup of water, garlic, vinegar, sugar, garam masala, chilli powder, and a big pinch of salt. Turn down the heat to LOW-MED and let the sauce simmer for 20 minutes. Mix it around every 5 minutes to ensure nothing sticks to the bottom of the pan.
  5. (While you wait, you can make any sides you wish to serve this with: ie. basmati rice, naan.)
  6. After 20 minutes, turn the heat OFF and use a stick blender to purée everything in the pot until smooth. To get a smoother sauce, you can put everything in a high speed blender instead. Return the blended sauce back into the pan.
  7. Turn the heat back on to MED and add in the chicken (from step 2), 1 stick of butter, cashew cream, and crush the dried fenugreek leaves into the pot. Mix it all around and let it simmer for 5-7 minutes. Taste and adjust salt and sugar as needed. Done! Serve with basmati rice or naan.

Abby1 Comment

Haluski – a yummy buttery cabbage & noodle dish


Date Published: April 16th, 2024 | Last Updated: April 16th, 2024
Author: Abby |Category: mains, easy, Czech, <30 mins
Serves: 4-6 | Prep time: 20 mins | Cook time: 30 mins

Jump to recipe |

I’ll be honest, I had never heard of Haluski before until one day I was googling recipes for inspiration on how to use up my week old leftover cabbage in the fridge, so there’s no heart felt nostalgia or travel memory associated with this dish to fill up this post. I simply saw it, tested a few recipes, and decided on this version that I’m sharing today because it’s tasty.

From my Google research, Haluski is a central/eastern European dish with arguable origins of either Poland, Solvakia, Hungary, or Ukraine – Toby thinks there’s even a Czech version too. It’s essentially bacon, onions, and cabbage cooked in butter and bacon fat, then mixed with fresh cooked egg noodles. It’s quick and easy, a little oily (from the butter and bacon fat), and definitely delicious. Give it a try!

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:

  • 3 Tbsps butter
  • 400g (~6 strips) of thick cut bacon, chopped
  • 1 large yellow onion, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 med cabbage (~1kg), cored and diced
  • 4 portions (~10oz) of egg noodles – or alternatively nokedli
  • Fresh ground black pepper to taste
  • Kosher salt to taste

Directions:

In a large skillet on MED-HIGH heat, melt the butter until it starts to lightly brown – you’ll smell the aroma of brown butter.

Then add in the bacon and sauté until browned and lightly crispy.

Next, add the garlic and onions. Continue to cook for another 3-4 minutes until the onion is translucent and lightly browned.

Next, add in the diced cabbage and sauté for 8-10 minutes until the cabbage has softened and lightly browned.

While the cabbage is cooking, cook the egg noodles in salted water according to package instructions. When cooked, drain and set aside.

Once the cabbage has cooked, add in the cooked egg noodles, freshly ground black pepper, and a big pinch of salt. Mix it around and taste to adjust salt as needed. Done!

Summarized Recipe:

Haluski – a yummy buttery cabbage & noodle dish

Date Published: April 16th, 2024 | Last Updated: April 16th, 2024
Author: Abby |Category: mains, easy, Czech, <30 mins
Serves: 4-6 | Prep time: 20 mins | Cook time: 30 mins

Ingredients:

  • 3 Tbsps butter
  • 400g (~6 strips) of thick cut bacon, chopped
  • 1 large yellow onion, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 med cabbage (~1kg), cored and diced
  • 4 portions (~10oz) of egg noodles – or alternatively nokedli
  • Fresh ground black pepper to taste
  • Kosher salt to taste

Directions:

  1. In a large skillet on MED-HIGH heat, melt the butter until it starts to lightly brown – you’ll smell the aroma of brown butter, then add in the bacon. Sauté the bacon until browned and lightly crispy.
  2. Next, add the garlic and onions. Continue to cook for another 3-4 minutes until the onion is translucent and lightly browned.
  3. Next, add in the diced cabbage and sauté for 8-10 minutes until the cabbage has softened and lightly browned.
  4. While the cabbage is cooking, cook the egg noodles in salted water according to package instructions. When cooked, drain and set aside.
  5. Once the cabbage has cooked, add in the cooked egg noodles, freshly ground black pepper, and a big pinch of salt. Mix it around and taste to adjust salt as needed. Done!

AbbyLeave a comment

Cantonese Fried Fish with a Corn Gravy (粟米斑塊)


Date Published: April 14th, 2024 | Last Updated: April 14th, 2024
Author: Abby |Category: Asian, easy, mains
Serves: 4-6 (1 large plate) | Prep time: 20 mins | Cook time: 30 mins

Jump to recipe |

This dish a wrapped in nostalgia for me. It’s fried fish fillet pieces with a cornstarch/egg/corn gravy drizzled over top. It’s a savoury dish with a little sweetness in the sauce. Serve over a bed of jasmine rice and some veggies.

When our family first moved to Canada from Taiwan, there were limited options of Asian restaurants and grocery stores in our neighbourhood at the time. I remembered my mom always went to the same small Asian grocery store and beside it was a little Asian restaurant called ‘New Asia’. It was a small place with no more than 4-5 tables, each with a thick layer of disposable white plastic tablecloths on top. We’d either dine-in or mom would occasionally get takeaway to bring home after a visit to the grocery store next door. On one dine-in occasion, I must’ve been about 8-9 years old at the time, it was a quiet wintery night and there was only one other table apart from ours at the restaurant. My mom was taking care of us 3 kids on her own and suddenly the older white couple at the other table came over to us and gave us their order of corn fish that had just arrived at their table. They said it was really good and we had to try it. I thought it was really random that these strangers were offering us part of their dinner, but my mom didn’t want to be rude so she accepted it. There is a lot of similarity and overlap in Taiwanese/Chinese/Cantonese cuisine, but I had never seen corn fish before. It looked like a weird plate of corn goop over fish and at first we were skeptical, but we all tried it and it was AMAZING! Ever since then, that corn fish dish became one of our favourite items to order. Sadly, that restaurant has since closed down (ages ago, actually) and I had forgotten all about that dish until in recent years I was walking past a Cantonese restaurant in Melbourne and they had their menu with blown up photos pasted all over their windows and surprisingly, corn fish was one of the photos! It brought me right back to those childhood days eating this dish with my mom and siblings.

This recipe has been on my to-cook list for a while and I have no idea why it took me so long to actually attempt it, but it’s actually so much easier than I thought and it cooks up quickly. I’m proud to be adding this to my recipe collection. 😊

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:

  • Fish marinade:
    • 1/4 tsp kosher salt
    • 1/4 tsp ground white pepper
    • 2 Tbsps cornstarch
    • 1 green onion, minced
    • 800g boneless, skinless white fish fillets (ie. cod, haddock, tilapia, sole, pollock)
  • 4 cups of neutral oil for frying (ie. vegetable oil, canola oil)
  • Breading:
    • 2 eggs, beaten
    • 1 cup all-purpose flour
    • 1/3 cup corn starch
  • Creamy Corn Gravy:
    • 3/4 tsp cornstarch
    • 1/3 cup water
    • 1 clove garlic, minced
    • 1 can (418g) creamed corn/cream style corn
    • 1/4 tsp chicken stock powder
    • 1 egg, beaten
  • Salt and black pepper to taste
  • Garnish (optional): sliced green onion

Directions:

Rinse and pat dry the fish and slice it into 2 inch pieces. Set aside.

Marinate the fish: In a bowl, mix together the salt, white pepper, cornstarch, and green onion. Add in the sliced fish and mix well, ensuring every piece is coated. Be careful not to break the fish when you mix. Set aside and let it marinate for 15 minutes at room temperature.

Prepare the breading: Beat the eggs into a bowl and set aside. In another bowl, mix together the flour and cornstarch.

Heat the oil in a small pot. Once the oil starts to shimmer or if it sizzles when you add in a bit of flour, it’s ready for frying.

Bread and deep fry the fish: When the oil is nearly hot enough, start breading the fish. First coat the fish in the beaten egg (prepared in step 3), then coat it in the flour and cornstarch mixture.

Do not overcrowd the pot
First fry
Second fry – better colour and crunchier

Gently drop the breaded fish pieces one at a time into the hot oil. Only add enough to not overcrowd the pot, roughly 6-7 pieces per batch. Move the pieces around, making sure they’re not sticking to each other and not sticking to the bottom of the pot. Cook for 5-7 minutes or until the outside is slightly browned. Use a slotted spoon to remove the fish from the oil and let it cool on a rack. Repeat this process until all of the fish is fried. Once all of the fish have been fried, fry them all a second time for 2 minutes per batch, starting from the most cooled batch first. This will make the fish extra crispy. Once finished, turn off the heat and set the fried fish aside on the cooling rack while you prepare the corn gravy.

Make the corn gravy: In a small bowl, mix together the cornstarch and water, ensuring there are no lumps. Set aside.

In a saucepan on MED heat, add a small drizzle of oil and sauté the garlic for 1 minute until fragrant. Add in the creamed corn, chicken stock powder, and the cornstarch/water mixture. Whisk everything well and let the sauce come to a boil. Turn the heat down and drizzle the beaten egg into the sauce. Slowly mix it around until the egg is cooked. You want swirls of cooked egg, so don’t over mix it. Once the egg has cooked, turn off the heat. Taste and adjust salt and black pepper to taste.

Finishing touches: To serve, put the fried fish pieces onto a serving plate and pour the hot corn gravy over top. Garnish with sliced green onion. Serve immediately with a side of rice. Done!

Summarized Recipe:

Cantonese Fried Fish with a Corn Gravy (粟米斑塊)

Date Published: April 14th, 2024 | Last Updated: April 14th, 2024
Author: Abby |Category: Asian, easy, mains
Serves: 4-6 (1 large plate) | Prep time: 20 mins | Cook time: 30 mins

Ingredients:

  • Fish marinade:
    • 1/4 tsp kosher salt
    • 1/4 tsp ground white pepper
    • 2 Tbsps cornstarch
    • 1 green onion, minced
    • 800g boneless, skinless white fish fillets (ie. cod, haddock, tilapia, sole, pollock)
  • 4 cups of neutral oil for frying (ie. vegetable oil, canola oil)
  • Breading:
    • 2 eggs, beaten
    • 1 cup all-purpose flour
    • 1/3 cup corn starch
  • Creamy Corn Gravy:
    • 3/4 tsp cornstarch
    • 1/3 cup water
    • 1 clove garlic, minced
    • 1 can (418g) creamed corn/cream style corn
    • 1/4 tsp chicken stock powder
    • 1 egg, beaten
  • Salt and black pepper to taste
  • Garnish (optional): sliced green onion

Directions:

  1. Rinse and pat dry the fish and slice it into 2 inch pieces. Set aside.
  2. Marinate the fish: In a bowl, mix together the salt, white pepper, cornstarch, and green onion. Add in the sliced fish and mix well, ensuring every piece is coated. Be careful not to break the fish when you mix. Set aside and let it marinate for 15 minutes at room temperature.
  3. Prepare the breading: Beat the eggs into a bowl and set aside. In another bowl, mix together the flour and cornstarch.
  4. Heat the oil in a small pot. Once the oil starts to shimmer or if it sizzles when you add in a bit of flour, it’s ready for frying.
  5. Bread and deep fry the fish: When the oil is nearly hot enough, start breading the fish. First coat the fish in the beaten egg (prepared in step 3), then coat it in the flour and cornstarch mixture. Gently drop the breaded fish pieces one at a time into the hot oil. Only add enough to not overcrowd the pot, roughly 6-7 pieces per batch. Move the pieces around, making sure they’re not sticking to each other and not sticking to the bottom of the pot. Cook for 5-7 minutes or until the outside is slightly browned. Use a slotted spoon to remove the fish from the oil and let it cool on a rack. Repeat this process until all of the fish is fried. Once all of the fish have been fried, fry them all a second time for 2 minutes per batch, starting from the most cooled batch first. This will make the fish extra crispy. Once finished, turn off the heat and set the fried fish aside on the cooling rack while you prepare the corn gravy.
  6. Make the corn gravy: In a small bowl, mix together the cornstarch and water, ensuring there are no lumps. Set aside. In a saucepan on MED heat, add a small drizzle of oil and sauté the garlic for 1 minute until fragrant. Add in the creamed corn, chicken stock powder, and the cornstarch/water mixture. Whisk everything well and let the sauce come to a boil. Turn the heat down and drizzle the beaten egg into the sauce. Slowly mix it around until the egg is cooked. You want swirls of cooked egg, so don’t over mix it. Once the egg has cooked, turn off the heat. Taste and adjust salt and black pepper to taste.
  7. Finishing touches: To serve, put the fried fish pieces onto a serving plate and pour the hot corn gravy over top. Garnish with sliced green onion. Serve immediately with a side of rice. Done!

AbbyLeave a comment

Roasted Cabbage with Pickled Mustard Seeds and a Parsley Cream Sauce (a Dominique Crenn recipe)


Date Published: Mar 27th, 2024 | Last Updated: Mar 27th, 2024
Author: Abby |Category: mains, vegetarian
Serves: 4 | Prep time: 24 hours before | Cook time: 1 hour

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Netflix Bites pop-up restaurant

In August of last year Toby and I went to LA for the first time to attend my friend Mehdi’s wedding. We stayed at a nice hotel called Short Stories and they happened to be hosting a pop-up restaurant called Netflix Bites! It was a restaurant that served dishes from celebrity chefs that appeared on a Netflix series. There were quite a few exciting dishes to choose from so naturally we over-ordered and had 3 main dishes between the two of us. My favourite of the night was a roasted cabbage dish by Dominique Crenn. I had never had cabbage like this before and the flavours were so unique! I was instantly obsessed and knew I had to recreate it somehow. Lucky for me, it’s one of the dishes on her Masterclass – yes, I subscribed to Masterclass just to cook this dish. It was worth it. 🙂

Strap in, this is a lengthy recipe. There are 5 components and it takes some time to put them all together but each step on its own is actually quite simple and you can make most of these components ahead of time and keep it in the fridge if you don’t want to jumble 5 different things at once in the kitchen.

Although there are a lot of components, each one has a purpose:

How it all began – the roasted cabbage dish served at the restaurant
  1. Homemade Sauerkraut – this adds extra tartness and a bit of crunch. You have to make this 2 weeks ahead. Dominique Crenn teaches us to appreciate the humble cabbage by making our own sauerkraut. It’s surprisingly easy and you only need 2 ingredients!
  2. Pickled Mustard Seeds – these add a little pop (kind of like caviar or roe on sushi) and sweetness to balance out the texture and flavours of the dish. It takes a minimum of 2 hours to marinate but it tastes better if left overnight so definitely make this ahead of time.
  3. Parsley Oil – this is pretty easy to make and results in a beautiful deep green oil, super concentrated in parsley flavour. You will need a powerful blender like a Vitamix to break down the parsley fine enough. You can either make this the day-of or up to a week early.
  4. Crème Fraîche Sauce – this is the creamy tart sauce that makes the base of the dish. The parsley oil will be mixed through this to complete the flavours. You can either make this the day-of or up to a week early.
  5. Roasted Cabbage – the cabbage is first seared with thyme and garlic to bring out extra flavour, then finished off in the oven to cook through.

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 & Tools you’ll need:

  • Sauerkraut:
    • A small or medium savoy cabbage (depending on how much you want to make)
    • Kosher salt
    • Tools: a kitchen scale and maybe gloves, fermenting container with weights or glass jar with a lid and something heavy in a ziploc bag.
    • A knob of butter (~30g) – used later on for heating up the finished sauerkraut before serving
  • Pickled Mustard Seeds:
    • 1/2 cup (100g) yellow mustard seeds
    • 2 Tbsps (30g) rice vinegar
    • 2 Tbsps (30g) sherry vinegar
    • 1.25 Tbsps (20g) granulated sugar
    • 1/2 tsp (3g) kosher salt
  • Parsley Oil:
    • 50g flat leaf parsley leaves
    • 100g grapeseed oil
    • Tools: a powerful blender
  • Crème Fraîche Sauce:
    • 2 Tbsps sauerkraut liquid
    • 500g crème fraîche
    • 2 Tbsps (30g) Sherry vinegar
    • 1/2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
    • Salt & pepper to taste
  • Roasted Cabbage:
    • 1 large cabbage, cleaned
    • Grapeseed oil for searing (or any other neutral flavoured oil tolerant to high heat)
    • 2 + 2 cloves of garlic, peeled
    • 4 + 4 sprigs of fresh thyme

Directions:

A. Optional: Homemade Sauerkraut (Make at least 2 weeks ahead, it will keep in the fridge for up to 3 months):

This step is optional. You can use store-bought sauerkraut as well for the recipe, the flavours will be similar.

  • Ingredients & Tools you’ll need:
    • A small or medium savoy cabbage (depending on how much you want to make)
    • Kosher salt
    • Tools: a kitchen scale and maybe gloves, fermenting container with weights or glass jar with a lid and something heavy in a ziploc bag.

Cut: Peel away any wilted, dirty outer leaves of the cabbage. Cut the cabbage in half and cut out the core. Chop the rest of the cabbage thinly.

Weigh & Salt: Weigh the amount of sliced cabbage you have on a kitchen scale. Calculate 2.5% of the weight of your cabbage and that will be the amount of salt you will add to the cabbage.

Example: my sliced cabbage weighed 1033g (or 1.033kg) x 0.025 = 25.8g. I rounded up and used 26g of salt.

Salt the cabbage
After massaging

Massage: Make sure your hands are thoroughly washed and cleaned (you can wear disposable kitchen gloves if you’ve got some) – we don’t want to introduce contaminants into our cabbage. Once you’ve added in your salt, massage the cabbage with your hands to mix the salt through, lightly crushing the cabbage as you massage. Do this for about 5-10 minutes until you get a slightly softened and wet cabbage mix.

Add cabbage to a glass container
Use a ladle to pack it down
Add a weight to the cabbage
Add an air tight lid

Pack and Compress: Transfer your sauerkraut to a clean fermenting vessel or glass jar. Use the back of a ladle and compress down the sauerkraut to allow the juices to come up and surround the cabbage. Add a weight* to the top and close the lid. If your container is not light-proof, put your jar in a dark cool place.

*You can get special glass weights for fermenting purposes, but if you don’t have any on hand you can just fill a clean ziploc bag with water, salt, sugar – or anything that will add weight, seal it tight and use it as a weight.

Check on it regularly: If you’re not using a fermenting vessel and if your lid is air-tight, you will need to check on it at least once a day to quickly release any built up gasses. Do not leave the lid off too long to introduce excess air. If you have a special fermenting vessel then you don’t need to do this because the lid will allow the gasses to escape on its own. However, you do need to check on it at least once every 3-4 days to see if any mold has developed or there is any odd discolouration patches. If so, you will need to start over and ensure all your instruments are clean.

Day 1
Day 14 (there’ll be released liquids and the cabbage will be yellow)

2 week final check: After 2 weeks, the sauerkraut should be ready! Do a final inspection for any mold or weird dark patches. The sauerkraut should be a uniform colour and a pale yellow/brown colour (like regular sauerkraut). Give it a taste! This will keep in the fridge for up to 3 months.

B. Pickled Mustard Seeds (Make the day before – this step takes some time and patience and needs to marinate at least 2 hours, so make it early – it will keep in the fridge for 1 month):

  • Ingredients you’ll need:
    • 1/2 cup (100g) yellow mustard seeds
    • 2 Tbsps (30g) rice vinegar
    • 2 Tbsps (30g) sherry vinegar
    • 1.25 Tbsps (20g) granulated sugar
    • 1/2 tsp (3g) kosher salt
Blanch the seeds by simmering for 5 minutes
Drain and rinse and repeat
Continue repeating the blanching process until the seeds are no longer bitter and are soft and pop when eaten

Blanche the mustard seeds: Place your mustard seeds in a saucepan and add enough cold water to submerge the seeds and cover it by about 2-3cm. Turn on the heat to HIGH to bring it to a simmer, then turn the heat down to LOW and continue to simmer for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, strain and discard the water. Repeat this step 3-8 more times until the seeds are no longer bitter and softened but with a crunchy/pop like caviar. The seeds themselves will not have much of a flavour. Once done, strain the seeds and set aside.

The amount of water doesn’t matter too much but if you use too little, the seeds will absorb it all and you won’t be able to simmer, but if you use too much then it will take much longer for the water to come to a boil and you will be waiting for ages.

Yes, this will take a while depending on how many times you have to do it. I did it 6 times. Dominique Crenn said to do it 10-20 times!! 🤯

Make the brine
Add in the blanched seeds
Simmer on low for 15 minutes
Simmer until the brine has absorbed

Prepare the vinegar brine: In the same saucepan on LOW heat, add in the rice vinegar, sherry vinegar, sugar, and salt. Stir together until the sugar and salt have dissolved. Add in the blanched mustard seeds and simmer on LOW heat for 15 minutes, until the majority of the vinegar brine has been absorbed by the seeds. Turn off the heat.

Transfer to a container and let it cool
Chill in the fridge to continue marinating

Marinate & Chill: Transfer the mustard seeds and all of the liquid into a heat-proof container and allow it to cool. Put on an airtight lid and let it marinate and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before using. This will keep in the fridge for up to 1 month.

C. Parsley Oil (Make ahead or the day-of. It will last in the fridge up to a week):

  • Ingredients and Tools you’ll need:
    • 50g flat leaf parsley leaves
    • 100g grapeseed oil
    • Tools: a powerful blender

Remove the stems off the parsley so you’re left with just the leaves. Wash and thoroughly dry all the parsley.

Get out your blender and add a third of the amount of grapeseed oil into the the blender, then the parsley, then drizzle the remaining grapeseed oil over top. Start the blender off slow until everything is broken up, then turn it up to HIGH for 2-3 minutes until you get a smooth paste.

You want a 1:2 ratio between the leaves and the oil. The recipe calls for 50g leaves and 100g oil. If you don’t quite have 50g or have more than 50g, just weigh it and multiply it by two and that will be the amount of grapeseed oil you’ll need.

Once blended, line a fine mesh strainer with a cheesecloth/muslin/coffee filter. Strain the blended parsley in oil through this. You can squeeze the bag to release all the oil, but be careful not to squeeze any chunks. You should have a beautiful smooth deep green-coloured oil.

D. Crème Fraîche Sauce (Make ahead or the day-of. It will last in the fridge up to a week):

  • Ingredients you’ll need:
    • 2 Tbsps sauerkraut liquid
    • 500g crème fraîche
    • 2 Tbsps (30g) Sherry vinegar
    • 1/2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
    • Salt & pepper to taste

In a saucepan on LOW-MED heat, add the sauerkraut liquid and let it come to a simmer. Add in the crème fraîche and whisk until smooth.

Add in the sherry vinegar, lemon juice, pinch of salt and pepper and mix thoroughly. Taste and add more salt if needed – it should be a creamy tart and slightly salted sauce. Once the sauce is hot, turn off the heat – you do NOT want the sauce to come to a boil, just heated through.

E. Roasted Cabbage (Make the day-of):

  • Ingredients you’ll need:
    • 1 large cabbage, cleaned
    • Grapeseed oil for searing (or any other neutral flavoured oil tolerant to high heat)
    • 2 + 2 cloves of garlic, peeled
    • 4 + 4 sprigs of fresh thyme

Slice the cabbage into wedges, each wedge will be an eighth of the cabbage – cut it in half, then half of each piece, then half again (see photo). Do NOT remove the core of the cabbage. You want to keep it intact so the leaves all stay together when you’re cooking.

Preheat the oven to 160˚C/325˚F and prepare a lined baking tray.

Sear the cabbage: In a wide-based pan on HIGH HEAT, add a drizzle of grapeseed oil to cover the bottom of the pan. Heat the oil until it starts to shimmer then add in 2-3 cabbage wedges depending on the size of your pan (you do not want to crowd the pan or else the moisture released from the cabbage will end up steaming it). Add in 2 peeled garlic cloves and 4 sprigs of fresh thyme to the oil. When fragrant, tilt the pan and baste the hot oil over the cabbages as it sears. As you sear the cabbage on HIGH heat, you will have to move the pan on and off the heat intermittently when the pan gets too hot to control the heat. Watch out for oil splatters and check the underside of the wedges after 2-3 minutes. Once the underside is a nice brown colour, flip it over and sear the other side, continuing to baste with the oil as it cooks. When both sides are seared, transfer the cabbage to a lined baking tray. Repeat with the rest of the cabbage wedges, adding in more grapeseed oil as needed and replacing the garlic cloves and fresh thyme if they get too browned.

Roast the cabbage: Once all the cabbage wedges have been seared, bake them in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until the cabbage is cooked through – use a fork to check the centre for doneness. The fork should go through with a bit of resistance – not too hard that you can’t poke through, but not too soft that it’s mushy. Turn off the oven when done.

While the cabbage is cooking, start heating up the sauerkraut and the crème fraîche sauce to prepare it for plating (see next steps below).

F. ASSEMBLY (finally!):

Heat up the sauerkraut: Take out about 2 cups of sauerkraut and squeeze out the liquid a little. Add the sauerkraut to a saucepan on MED heat with 30g of butter and mix until the butter has melted and the sauerkraut has heated through. Turn off the heat.

Warm up the crème fraîche sauce (if it isn’t already): Pour the crème fraîche sauce into a saucepan and heat on LOW-MED heat until hot. Do not let it come to a boil.

Add 2 Tbsps of parsley oil to the crème fraîche sauce and lightly mix together – don’t mix too thoroughly, you want to see specks and streaks of the green oil contrasting with the white sauce.

Plating: In a wide base bowl or plate, place 2 roasted cabbage wedges in the centre, followed by a big spoonful of warmed sauerkraut beside it. Add a few spoonfuls of the parsley oil/crème fraîche sauce around the cabbage and finish it off with small spoonfuls of pickled mustard seeds around the plate. Serve immediately. Enjoy!

Summarized Recipe:

Roasted Cabbage with Pickled Mustard Seeds and a Parsley Cream Sauce (a Dominique Crenn recipe)

Date Published: Mar 27th, 2024 | Last Updated: Mar 27th, 2024
Author: Abby |Category: mains, vegetarian
Serves: 4 | Prep time: 24 hours before | Cook time: 1 hour

A. Optional: Homemade Sauerkraut (Make at least 2 weeks ahead, it will keep in the fridge for up to 3 months):

This step is optional. You can use store-bought sauerkraut as well for the recipe, the flavours will be similar.

  • Ingredients & Tools you’ll need:
    • A small or medium savoy cabbage (depending on how much you want to make)
    • Kosher salt
    • Tools: a kitchen scale and maybe gloves, fermenting container with weights or glass jar with a lid and something heavy in a ziploc bag.
  1. Cut: Peel away any wilted, dirty outer leaves of the cabbage. Cut the cabbage in half and cut out the core. Chop the rest of the cabbage thinly.
  2. Weigh & Salt: Weigh the amount of sliced cabbage you have on a kitchen scale. Calculate 2.5% of the weight of your cabbage and that will be the amount of salt you will add to the cabbage.
    • Example: my sliced cabbage weighed 1033g (or 1.033kg) x 0.025 = 25.8g. I rounded up and used 26g of salt.
  3. Massage: Make sure your hands are thoroughly washed and cleaned (you can wear disposable kitchen gloves if you’ve got some) – we don’t want to introduce contaminants into our cabbage. Once you’ve added in your salt, massage the cabbage with your hands to mix the salt through, lightly crushing the cabbage as you massage. Do this for about 5-10 minutes until you get a slightly softened and wet cabbage mix.
  4. Pack and Compress: Transfer your sauerkraut to a clean fermenting vessel or glass jar. Use the back of a ladle and compress down the sauerkraut to allow the juices to come up and surround the cabbage. Add a weight* to the top and close the lid. If your container is not light-proof, put your jar in a dark cool place.
    • *You can get special glass weights for fermenting purposes, but if you don’t have any on hand you can just fill a clean ziploc bag with water, salt, sugar – or anything that will add weight, seal it tight and use it as a weight.
  5. Check on it regularly: If you’re not using a fermenting vessel and if your lid is air-tight, you will need to check on it at least once a day to quickly release any built up gasses. Do not leave the lid off too long to introduce excess air. If you have a special fermenting vessel then you don’t need to do this because the lid will allow the gasses to escape on its own. However, you do need to check on it at least once every 3-4 days to see if any mold has developed or there is any odd discolouration patches. If so, you will need to start over and ensure all your instruments are clean.
  6. 2 week final check: After 2 weeks, the sauerkraut should be ready! Do a final inspection for any mold or weird dark patches. The sauerkraut should be a uniform colour and a pale yellow/brown colour (like regular sauerkraut). Give it a taste! This will keep in the fridge for up to 3 months.

B. Pickled Mustard Seeds (Make the day before – this step takes some time and patience and needs to marinate at least 2 hours, so make it early – it will keep in the fridge for 1 month):

  • Ingredients you’ll need:
    • 1/2 cup (100g) yellow mustard seeds
    • 2 Tbsps (30g) rice vinegar
    • 2 Tbsps (30g) sherry vinegar
    • 1.25 Tbsps (20g) granulated sugar
    • 1/2 tsp (3g) kosher salt
  1. Blanche the mustard seeds: Place your mustard seeds in a saucepan and add enough cold water to submerge the seeds and cover it by about 2-3cm. Turn on the heat to HIGH to bring it to a simmer, then turn the heat down to LOW and continue to simmer for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, strain and discard the water. Repeat this step 3-8 more times until the seeds are no longer bitter and softened but with a crunchy/pop like caviar. The seeds themselves will not have much of a flavour. Once done, strain the seeds and set aside.
    • The amount of water doesn’t matter too much but if you use too little, the seeds will absorb it all and you won’t be able to simmer, but if you use too much then it will take much longer for the water to come to a boil and you will be waiting for ages.
    • Yes, this will take a while depending on how many times you have to do it. I did it 6 times. Dominique Crenn said to do it 10-20 times!! 🤯
  2. Prepare the vinegar brine: In the same saucepan on LOW heat, add in the rice vinegar, sherry vinegar, sugar, and salt. Stir together until the sugar and salt have dissolved. Add in the blanched mustard seeds and simmer on LOW heat for 15 minutes, until the majority of the vinegar brine has been absorbed by the seeds. Turn off the heat.
  3. Marinate & Chill: Transfer the mustard seeds and all of the liquid into a heat-proof container and allow it to cool. Put on an airtight lid and let it marinate and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before using. This will keep in the fridge for up to 1 month.

C. Parsley Oil (Make ahead or the day-of. It will last in the fridge up to a week):

  • Ingredients and Tools you’ll need:
    • 50g flat leaf parsley leaves
    • 100g grapeseed oil
    • Tools: a powerful blender
  1. Remove the stems off the parsley so you’re left with just the leaves. Wash and thoroughly dry all the parsley.
  2. Get out your blender and add a third of the amount of grapeseed oil into the the blender, then the parsley, then drizzle the remaining grapeseed oil over top. Start the blender off slow until everything is broken up, then turn it up to HIGH for 2-3 minutes until you get a smooth paste.
    • You want a 1:2 ratio between the leaves and the oil. The recipe calls for 50g leaves and 100g oil. If you don’t quite have 50g or have more than 50g, just weigh it and multiply it by two and that will be the amount of grapeseed oil you’ll need.
  3. Once blended, line a fine mesh strainer with a cheesecloth/muslin/coffee filter. Strain the blended parsley in oil through this. You can squeeze the bag to release all the oil, but be careful not to squeeze any chunks. You should have a beautiful smooth deep green-coloured oil.

D. Crème Fraîche Sauce (Make ahead or the day-of. It will last in the fridge up to a week):

  • Ingredients you’ll need:
    • 2 Tbsps sauerkraut liquid
    • 500g crème fraîche
    • 2 Tbsps (30g) Sherry vinegar
    • 1/2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
    • Salt & pepper to taste
  1. In a saucepan on LOW-MED heat, add the sauerkraut liquid and let it come to a simmer.
  2. Add in the crème fraîche and whisk until smooth.
  3. Add in the sherry vinegar, lemon juice, pinch of salt and pepper and mix thoroughly. Taste and add more salt if needed – it should be a creamy tart and slightly salted sauce. Once the sauce is hot, turn off the heat – you do NOT want the sauce to come to a boil, just heated through.

E. Roasted Cabbage (Make the day-of):

  • Ingredients you’ll need:
    • 1 large cabbage, cleaned
    • Grapeseed oil for searing (or any other neutral flavoured oil tolerant to high heat)
    • 2 + 2 cloves of garlic, peeled
    • 4 + 4 sprigs of fresh thyme
  1. Slice the cabbage into wedges, each wedge will be an eighth of the cabbage – cut it in half, then half of each piece, then half again (see photo). Do NOT remove the core of the cabbage. You want to keep it intact so the leaves all stay together when you’re cooking.
  2. Preheat the oven to 160˚C/325˚F and prepare a lined baking tray.
  3. Sear the cabbage: In a wide-based pan on HIGH HEAT, add a drizzle of grapeseed oil to cover the bottom of the pan. Heat the oil until it starts to shimmer then add in 2-3 cabbage wedges depending on the size of your pan (you do not want to crowd the pan or else the moisture released from the cabbage will end up steaming it). Add in 2 peeled garlic cloves and 4 sprigs of fresh thyme to the oil. When fragrant, tilt the pan and baste the hot oil over the cabbages as it sears. As you sear the cabbage on HIGH heat, you will have to move the pan on and off the heat intermittently when the pan gets too hot to control the heat. Watch out for oil splatters and check the underside of the wedges after 2-3 minutes. Once the underside is a nice brown colour, flip it over and sear the other side, continuing to baste with the oil as it cooks. When both sides are seared, transfer the cabbage to a lined baking tray. Repeat with the rest of the cabbage wedges, adding in more grapeseed oil as needed and replacing the garlic cloves and fresh thyme if they get too browned.
  4. Roast the cabbage: Once all the cabbage wedges have been seared, bake them in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until the cabbage is cooked through – use a fork to check the centre for doneness. The fork should go through with a bit of resistance – not too hard that you can’t poke through, but not too soft that it’s mushy. Turn off the oven when done.
    • While the cabbage is cooking, start heating up the sauerkraut and the crème fraîche sauce to prepare it for plating (see next steps below).

F. ASSEMBLY (finally!):

  1. Heat up the sauerkraut: Take out about 2 cups of sauerkraut and squeeze out the liquid a little. Add the sauerkraut to a saucepan on MED heat with 30g of butter and mix until the butter has melted and the sauerkraut has heated through. Turn off the heat.
  2. Warm up the crème fraîche sauce (if it isn’t already): Pour the crème fraîche sauce into a saucepan and heat on LOW-MED heat until hot. Do not let it come to a boil.
  3. Add 2 Tbsps of parsley oil to the crème fraîche sauce and lightly mix together – don’t mix too thoroughly, you want to see specks and streaks of the green oil contrasting with the white sauce.
  4. Plating: In a wide base bowl or plate, place 2 roasted cabbage wedges in the centre, followed by a big spoonful of warmed sauerkraut beside it. Add a few spoonfuls of the parsley oil/crème fraîche sauce around the cabbage and finish it off with small spoonfuls of pickled mustard seeds around the plate. Serve immediately. Enjoy!

AbbyLeave a comment

Asian Smashed Cucumber Tomato Egg Salad


Date Published: Mar 5th, 2024 | Last Updated: Mar 5th, 2024
Author: Abby |Category: Asian, side dishes, salads, mains, <30 mins, easy, quick, healthy, low-cal, Taiwanese, vegetarian
Serves: 2 as mains, 1 large plate | Prep time: 30 mins | Cook time: 5 mins

Jump to recipe |

This recipe came to me on a search to use up leftover salad ingredients to clear the fridge before our 2 week vacation overseas. It’s quick, easy, flavourful, and kept us on track of our healthy eating goals! This dish is like a cross between a smashed cucumber salad and a tomato egg stir-fry (番茄炒蛋).

In our efforts to be more healthy in this new year, we stocked up on fresh salad ingredients in bulk from Costco just over a week ago and have been slowly getting through it before our trip (it’s amazing how long cos lettuce keeps in the fridge!). It’s the night before our flight and we managed to finish all the leafy greens, but I still had one cucumber and a handful of cherry tomatoes left. Toby has not been a fan of this batch of cherry tomatoes and says they’re too tart for him (I think it’s fine), so instead of making a basic chopped cucumber and tomato salad, I looked for other options that might mask the tomatoes, but to also be quick and easy so I could start packing. I came across this recipe from Bon Appétit. It came out beautifully and so easy the first time. I’ve made some adaptations and added in exact measurements and ended up with this recipe to share!

What is Asian Smashed Cucumber Salad?

Smashed cucumber salad is a very popular Chinese starter/side dish. It’s served cold and in its essence is a mix of cucumber, salt, raw garlic, and some sort of acid (usually black vinegar). It’s supposed to light and refreshing, yet still have a punch of garlicky saltiness to be savoury. There are many variations out there and some people will add in sesame seeds, chilli, ginger, and/or cilantro. You’ll commonly see this dish not only in nice restaurants, but also in small street-side shops in Taiwan. It’s quick, easy, and takes minimal effort and ingredients. An Asian smashed cucumber salad does not traditionally have tomatoes nor eggs in it, so if you want to go the OG route, leave them out, but I prefer this version because it bulks it up and balances the dish out so it’s not so punchy in flavours and you can eat a whole bowl in one sitting as a main meal.

Smashing is important!

A key component to this dish is smashing the cucumbers. If your cucumbers look like they’ve been chopped, then you haven’t smashed them enough. You want the outside skin to crack and the inside to be crushed, but not flattened. Smashing cucumbers allow the marinating sauce to penetrate deeper and infuse the flavours better. It’s also a good way to relieve some stress 😜.

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:

  • 1 cucumber (English hothouse – those long ones)
  • 1/2 Tbsps cooking salt
  • A large handful of cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 2 large cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/4 cup black vinegar
  • 2 Tbsps granulated sugar
  • 6 eggs
  • 3 green onions/scallions, sliced
  • 1/4 tsp white pepper
  • Drizzle of sesame oil 
  • 2 Tbsps of chilli crisp (or more to your liking) – you can substitute with chilli oil instead

Directions:

Smash the cucumber then slice

Cut the cucumber in half lengthwise and again crosswise. Use a large knife on its flat side to smash the cucumber until cracked then slice into bite sized pieces (see photo).

Add salt to the cucumber
After 30mins, discard this cucumber water

Place the smashed cucumber in a strainer over a bowl and mix in 1/2 Tbsp of salt. Let the cucumber sit for 30 minutes to allow excess water to be released. After 30 mins, discard the released cucumber water and place the cucumber in a mixing bowl.

Add the sliced cherry tomatoes, minced garlic, black vinegar, and sugar to the cucumbers. Mix everything together and let it marinate for another 30 minutes.

Make the egg mixture
Heat a skillet with oil
Oil is hot enough when the egg puffs up right away
Add in the rest of the egg
Gently move the egg around to get big clumps of scrambled egg
You want big chunks of scrambled eggs that’s slightly crispy on the edges but still soft and moist

Make the eggs: While the cucumber and tomatoes are marinating, crack the eggs into a bowl and whisk. Mix in green onions and a pinch of salt. Heat a pan on MED HIGH heat and add in enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Let the pan get hot (it’ll be ready when the oil is shimmering and just starting to smoke) then add a drop of egg. The oil is hot enough if the egg drop puffs up right away. Add in the rest of the egg mixture carefully and the edges should start to puff within a few seconds. Once the edges are slightly browned, use a spatula to gently move the egg around to cook evenly. You want big chunks of scrambled eggs that’s slightly crispy on the edges but still soft and moist (see photo). This should take less than 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and scoop the egg into the bowl with the marinating cucumber and tomatoes.

Add white pepper, a drizzle of sesame oil, and a few spoonfuls of chilli crisp. Mix everything around, taste and adjust salt or sugar to taste. You should have a tangy, sweet, and salty dish. Serve immediately on a wide bottom dish so the liquid pools outwards.

Summarized Recipe:

Asian Smashed Cucumber Tomato Egg Salad

Date Published: Mar 5th, 2024 | Last Updated: Mar 5th, 2024
Author: Abby |Category: Asian, side dishes, salads, mains, <30 mins, easy, quick, healthy, low-cal, Taiwanese, vegetarian
Serves: 2 as mains, 1 large plate | Prep time: 30 mins | Cook time: 5 mins

Ingredients:

  • 1 cucumber (English hothouse – those long ones)
  • 1/2 Tbsps cooking salt
  • A large handful of cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 2 large cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/4 cup black vinegar
  • 2 Tbsps granulated sugar
  • 6 eggs
  • 3 green onions/scallions, sliced
  • 1/4 tsp white pepper
  • Drizzle of sesame oil 
  • 2 Tbsps of chilli crisp (or more to your liking) – you can substitute with chilli oil instead

Directions:

  1. Cut the cucumber in half lengthwise and again crosswise. Use a large knife on its flat side to smash the cucumber until cracked then slice into bite sized pieces (see photo). Place the smashed cucumber in a strainer over a bowl and mix in 1/2 Tbsp of salt. Let the cucumber sit for 30 minutes to allow excess water to be released. After 30 mins, discard the released cucumber water and place the cucumber in a mixing bowl.
  2. Add the sliced cherry tomatoes, minced garlic, black vinegar, and sugar to the cucumbers. Mix everything together and let it marinate for another 30 minutes.
  3. Make the eggs: While the cucumber and tomatoes are marinating, crack the eggs into a bowl and whisk. Mix in green onions and a pinch of salt. Heat a pan on MED HIGH heat and add in enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Let the pan get hot (it’ll be ready when the oil is shimmering and just starting to smoke) then add a drop of egg. The oil is hot enough if the egg drop puffs up right away. Add in the rest of the egg mixture carefully and the edges should start to puff within a few seconds. Once the edges are slightly browned, use a spatula to gently move the egg around to cook evenly. You want big chunks of scrambled eggs that’s slightly crispy on the edges but still soft and moist (see photo). This should take less than 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and scoop the egg into the bowl with the marinating cucumber and tomatoes.
  4. Add white pepper, a drizzle of sesame oil, and a few spoonfuls of chilli crisp. Mix everything around, taste and adjust salt or sugar to taste. You should have a tangy, sweet, and salty dish. Serve immediately on a wide bottom dish so the liquid pools outwards.

AbbyLeave a comment