Hot or Cold Creamy Cucumber Soup

Date Published: Jan 1st, 2023 | Last Updated: Mar 7th, 2024
Author: Abby |Category: starter, appetizer, main, healthy, vegetarian, < 30mins, easy, low-cal
Serves: 6-8 as a starter, 4 as mains | Prep time: 15 mins | Cook time: 20 mins

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Happy New Year everyone!

Summer is upon us which means the Homolka farm is once again in full swing with an array of fresh home-grown veggies! Of these veggies, zucchini and cucumber seem to always be in abundance with Toby’s dad at least harvesting 4-6 per day! There’s only so much cold cucumber salad you can make, so I was on the hunt for cooked cucumber recipes. I’ve always been a sucker for soups so when I came upon a hot cucumber soup recipe from EatingWell.com, I just had to try it! It was delicious right from the start but I made a few little adjustments and doubled the recipe amount so I can have this as a main dish instead of a small appetizer portion. This recipe can be served hot, warm, or chilled – cold soups never seem satisfying and hearty for me, so I always like to have it hot.

This is only part of the cucumber mania on the farm! ❤️

This soup is so quick and easy to make. It’s also fantastic for using up an abundance of cucumbers and best of all it’s creamy and low in calories at the same time! Sounds too good to be true, eh?

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:

4 cloves garlic, minced
1 large onion, diced
2 Tbsps lemon juice
4 large (~8 cups) cucumbers, peeled, deseeded, and sliced
3 cups chicken stock (or vegetable stock)
1 tsp cooking salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 avocados, diced
1 cup Greek yogurt

Directions:

In a medium sized pot on MED-HIGH heat, add a drizzle of oil and sauté the garlic and onion until the onion is very soft, translucent, and slightly browned (~5 mins).

Add the lemon juice and sauté for another minute, scraping up any bits on the bottom of the pot.

Set aside a large handful of sliced cucumbers for garnish at the end and add the rest into the pot. Mix around for 30 seconds then add in the chicken stock, salt, and black pepper. Bring the soup to a boil then simmer gently for 10 mins, until the cucumbers are soft.

After 10 minutes, turn off the heat and add the diced avocados to the pot. Use a stick blender and blend until smooth. Alternatively, you can pour the soup into a blender instead of using a stick blender.

Stir in the greek yogurt and taste to adjust salt and pepper as needed. Garnish with the reserved cucumbers when serving. Enjoy hot, or chilled!

Summarized Recipe:

Hot or Cold Creamy Cucumber Soup

Date Published: Jan 1st, 2023 | Last Updated: Jan 1st, 2023
Author: Abby |Category: starter, appetizer, main, healthy, vegetarian, < 30mins, easy, low-cal
Serves: 6-8 as a starter, 4 as mains | Prep time: 10 mins | Cook time: 15 mins

Ingredients:

4 cloves garlic, minced
1 large onion, diced
2 Tbsps lemon juice
4 large (~8 cups) cucumbers, peeled, deseeded, and sliced
3 cups chicken stock (or vegetable stock)
1 tsp cooking salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 avocados, diced
1 cup Greek yogurt

Directions:

In a medium sized pot on MED-HIGH heat, add a drizzle of oil and sauté the garlic and onion until the onion is very soft, translucent, and slightly browned (~5 mins).
Add the lemon juice and sauté for another minute, scraping up any bits on the bottom of the pot.
Set aside a large handful of sliced cucumbers for garnish at the end and add the rest into the pot. Mix around for 30 seconds then add in the chicken stock, salt, and black pepper. Bring the soup to a boil then simmer gently for 10 mins, until the cucumbers are soft.
After 10 minutes, turn off the heat and add the diced avocados to the pot. Use a stick blender and blend until smooth. Alternatively, you can pour the soup into a blender instead of using a stick blender.
Stir in the greek yogurt and taste to adjust salt and pepper as needed. Garnish with the reserved cucumbers when serving. Enjoy hot, or chilled!

January 1, 2023May 7, 2024

Abby4 Comments

Creamy White Wine and Garlic Mussels

Date Published: Dec 28th, 2022 | Last Updated: Dec 28th, 2022
Author: Abby |Category: < 30mins, easy, appetizers, mains
Serves: 2 as mains | Prep time: 10 mins | Cook time: 20 mins

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I LOVE mussels. I could eat them all day everyday. It is physically impossible for me to not order mussels if it’s on a menu. I prefer them in a white wine broth like this recipe, whereas Toby prefers it in the a tomato sauce base. Either way, mussels are one of my favourite seafood items and I could eat a whole kilo of them all on my own – ask Toby 😜. We’ve travelled around Australia and have tasted the freshest seafood available but my favourite is at the Queen Victoria Market mussel van where they have the plumpest mussels farmed in Port Arlington and they offer them cooked in a variety of flavours. You gotta try the blue cheese mussels. Seriously. (It’s on my to-do list to try and recreate them.)

I’ve spent a few months trying to perfect this recipe and we’ve also tasted a lot of disappointing white wine garlic mussels in my research. I’m glad to finally be able to share my version of a classic mussel dish! This recipe has a buttery garlic and onion broth base and finished off simmering in cream for that perfectly flavourful indulgent broth. They’re a breeze to whip up and add a touch of fanciness to dinner parties.

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

2 Tbsps + 1 Tbsp (43g) unsalted butter
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, diced
1 dried bay leaf
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1 cup dry white wine (ie. sauvignon blanc – I’ve used Chinese cooking wine successfully as well 😅)
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 kg live mussels, washed and debearded
1/4 cup heavy cream

Directions:

In a large pot on MED-HIGH heat, melt 2 Tbsps butter then add in the garlic and onion. Sauté until the onions are soft.

Add in the bay leaf, parsley, thyme, and white wine. Bring the sauce to a boil and then lower the heat and simmer for 2 minutes. Add in the mussels and stir. Put the lid on and cook for 5-7 minutes until the mussels all open up.

Once all the mussels have opened up, take them out with a slotted spoon and divide evenly amongst serving bowls. Leave the sauce in the pot and add in 1 Tbsp of butter and the heavy cream. Let it simmer for 10 mins to let the flavours infuse and until the sauce thickens a little. Turn off heat and pour sauce over the mussels. Serve with slices of toasted bread. Enjoy!

Other mussel recipes:

Mussels in a Rich Tomato White Wine Sauce

Summarized Recipe:

Creamy White Wine and Garlic Mussels

Ingredients:

2 Tbsps + 1 Tbsp (43g) unsalted butter
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, diced
1 dried bay leaf
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1 cup dry white wine (ie. sauvignon blanc – I’ve used Chinese cooking wine successfully as well 😅)
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 kg live mussels, washed and debearded
1/4 cup heavy cream

Directions:

In a large pot on MED-HIGH heat, melt 2 Tbsps butter then add in the garlic and onion. Sauté until the onions are soft.
Add in the bay leaf, parsley, thyme, and white wine. Bring the sauce to a boil and then lower the heat and simmer for 2 minutes. Add in the mussels and stir. Put the lid on and cook for 5-7 minutes until the mussels all open up.
Once all the mussels have opened up, take them out with a slotted spoon and divide evenly amongst serving bowls. Leave the sauce in the pot and add in 1 Tbsp of butter and the heavy cream. Let it simmer for 10 mins to let the flavours infuse and until the sauce thickens a little. Turn off heat and pour sauce over the mussels. Serve with slices of toasted bread. Enjoy!

December 28, 2022

AbbyLeave a comment

Creamy and Tangy Czech Mushroom & Dill Soup (Kulajda)

Date Published: Dec 25th, 2022 | Last Updated: Dec 25th, 2022
Author: Abby |Category: soups, appetizers, <30mins, easy, mains, vegetarian
Serves: 4-6 | Prep time: 20 mins | Cook time: 45 mins

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What is Kulajda?

Kulajda (pronounced “koo-lie-duh”) is a creamy and tangy mushroom, dill and potato soup that is traditional to Southern Czech. We first came upon it on our trip to Prague this past summer. Apart from all the nostalgic Czech dishes that Toby wanted to have (including steak tartare), we also googled some famous must-have Czech dishes that led us to the historical Michelin-guided restaurant, Café Imperial. There were SO many delicious things at this restaurant but my all-time favourite was the kulajda. In fact, I liked it so much that I was on the lookout for it at every subsequent restaurant we went to on our trip around Czech! The flavour combination of savoury and tangy and highlighting the ingredients of mushrooms and dill were out of this world. It was a combination that was new to me and I loved it!

Also a big fan of their svičkova and steak tartare!

After googling recipes and experimenting with a few, I’ve come up with this version that is a mix of a couple of different recipes that resulted in a soup just like the one at Café Imperial. 😊 The soup was surprisingly easy and straightforward to make. If it wasn’t so heavy, I’d probably make this all the time 😜.

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

40g dried porcini mushrooms
5 bay leaves
4 whole allspice berries
2 cups (480ml) water
40g (1/3 stick) unsalted butter
4 Tbsps (40g) all-purpose flour
3 cups (720ml) beef or chicken broth
500g potatoes, peeled and cut into 2cm cubes
3/4 cups (180ml) heavy cream
2-3 Tbsps white wine vinegar (start with 2 Tbsps and add more if you prefer it more tart)
1/4 cup (50g) sugar (or more to taste)
3 Tbsps fresh dill leaves, chopped (no stems) + additional for garnish
1 tsp salt (or more to taste)
1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper (or more to taste)
4 eggs

Directions:

In a small saucepan, add the dried porcini mushrooms, bay leaves, and 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil then turn down the heat to simmer for 15 mins. After 15 mins, turn off the heat and set aside.

While the mushrooms are simmering, make a basic roux: In a medium sized soup pot on MED heat, melt the butter, then gradually sprinkle in the flour bit by bit while stirring until it’s all incorporated and you end up with a thick paste. Don’t add in the flour all at once or you’ll get a big clump of dough.

Once you get a thick paste, slowly pour in the beef broth while continuously stirring to ensure no clumps form.

Strain the mushrooms from the saucepan in step 1 and pour the mushroom-soaked water into the beef broth pot. Bring to a boil and simmer with a lid on for 10 minutes. Set the mushrooms aside and discard the bay leaves and allspice berries.

After 10 mins, add the potatoes and soaked mushrooms to the soup and continue simmering for another 15 minutes or until the potatoes soften.

Turn off the heat and stir in the cream, white wine vinegar, sugar, and dill. Taste and adjust salt, sugar, or vinegar to your liking. Let the soup rest for a few minutes before serving.

While the soup is resting, poach 4 eggs.

When serving, add a poached egg to each bowl and pour the soup overtop. Sprinkle extra dill leaves on top to finish. Enjoy!

Summarized Recipe:

Creamy and Tangy Czech Mushroom & Dill Soup (Kulajda)

Ingredients:

40g dried porcini mushrooms
5 bay leaves
4 whole allspice berries
2 cups (480ml) water
40g (1/3 stick) unsalted butter
4 Tbsps (40g) all-purpose flour
3 cups (720ml) beef or chicken broth
450g potatoes, peeled and cut into 2cm cubes
3/4 cups (180ml) heavy cream
2-3 Tbsps white wine vinegar (start with 2 Tbsps and add more if you prefer it more tart)
1/4 cup (50g) sugar (or more to taste)
3 Tbsps fresh dill leaves, chopped (no stems) + additional for garnish
1 tsp salt (or more to taste)
1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper (or more to taste)
4 eggs

Directions:

In a small saucepan, add the dried porcini mushrooms, bay leaves, and 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil then turn down the heat to simmer for 15 mins. After 15 mins, turn off the heat and set aside.
While the mushrooms are simmering, make a basic roux: In a medium sized soup pot on MED heat, melt the butter, then gradually sprinkle in the flour bit by bit while stirring until it’s all incorporated and you end up with a thick paste. Don’t add in the flour all at once or you’ll get a big clump of dough.
Once you get a thick paste, slowly pour in the beef broth while continuously stirring to ensure no clumps form.
Strain the mushrooms from the saucepan in step 1 and pour the mushroom-soaked water into the beef broth pot. Bring to a boil and simmer with a lid on for 10 minutes. Set the mushrooms aside and discard the bay leaves and allspice berries.
After 10 mins, add the potatoes and soaked mushrooms to the soup and continue simmering for another 15 minutes or until the potatoes soften.
Turn off the heat and stir in the cream, white wine vinegar, sugar, and dill. Taste and adjust salt, sugar, or vinegar to your liking. Let the soup rest for a few minutes before serving.
While the soup is resting, poach 4 eggs.
When serving, add a poached egg to each bowl and pour the soup overtop. Sprinkle extra dill leaves on top to finish. Enjoy!

December 25, 2022February 10, 2024

AbbyLeave a comment

Bobotie with Turmeric Rice

Date Published: Dec 25th, 2022 | Last Updated: Dec 25th, 2022
Author: Abby |Category: mains
Serves: 8 | Prep time: 15 mins | Cook time: 1 hour 30 mins

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Merry Christmas and happy holidays everyone! Toby and I have been so busy getting married, starting a new locum job, and organizing our move to NYC lately that the website has been on the back burner for a few months. However, I have also been trying out a few new recipes and even picked up some inspiration from our recent travels. I’ve written a few draft recipes here and there that I’m working on polishing up to share soon!

What is Bobotie?

Bobotie is a South African dish introduced to me by a friend in vet school years ago. It’s a curried ground beef dish with a thin eggy topping often served over turmeric rice and a fruit chutney. It’s sweet, savoury, hearty, and oh so delicious! This dish has been on my list to publish for ages and I’m happy to finally be able to share it with you!

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:

Bobotie:
- 1 cup milk
- 4 slices plain white bread
- 2 Tbsps unsalted butter or neutral oil
- 2 medium onions, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 Tbsp curry powder
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- 1kg ground beef
- 1/2 cup of raisins
- 1.5 Tbsps of fruit chutney + extra to serve
- Zest and juice of 1/2 a lemon
- 1.5 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 eggs
- 1 pinch salt
Turmeric rice:
- 2.5 cups water
- 1 cup long grain white rice (basmati is a good choice)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1.5 tsp ground turmeric
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup raisins
- 1 Tbsp unsalted butter

Directions:

*Ideally make this in a cast-iron or ceramic/dutch oven pot so you can ease the clean up by transferring directly from stove-top to oven, but if you don’t have one, just use a regular pan to cook it then transfer to a baking dish when baking.

Preheat oven to 175˚C (350F). If you’re not using an oven-safe pot or pan, lightly grease a 9×13 baking dish or meatloaf pan.

In a bowl, pour milk over the bread and let it soak.

In a pot or pan over MED-HIGH heat, melt the butter and sauté the onions until soft.

Add in the garlic, curry powder, and turmeric. Continue to sauté for another minute.

Next, crumble the ground beef into the pan and add in the raisins, chutney, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, and black pepper. Sauté everything until the beef starts to brown. Turn off the heat.

Remove the soaked bread in step 2 and squeeze out any excess milk back into the bowl. Set the milk aside. Tear the soggy bread up into chunks and add it to the pan along with bay leaves and mix.

If your pot/pan is oven-safe, put the lid on and bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, covered. If your pot/pan is not oven-safe, then transfer it all to the greased baking dish and cover it with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes.

*While you wait for the bobotie to bake, make the turmeric rice (see step 12).

After 30 minutes, take it out of the oven and remove any excess pools of oil. Mix it around then cover again and bake for another 15 minutes.

After 15 minutes, take it out of the oven and remove any excess pools of oil. Mix it around then pat down the surface of the beef. You want a nice flat tight bed of meat so your egg topping doesn’t sink down.

Make the egg topping: whisk the reserved milk (from step 2) with eggs and a pinch of salt. Pour this mixture over the flattened bed of beef then put it back in the oven for another 15-20 minutes (until egg is done and top is golden brown). Done!

Turmeric rice:

Mix all the ingredients (water, rice, salt, turmeric, cinnamon, raisins, butter) in a small pot/sauce pan and cover with a lid. Switch it on high heat and bring to a boil. (Mix the rice occasionally so it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan)

After it reaches a boil, turn the heat on low and simmer for 15-20 minutes until the water is gone or rice is fluffy. Done!

To serve: spoon the bobotie over the turmeric rice with a dollop of chutney (fruit or hot) on the side. Can also sprinkle desiccated coconut over it, some chopped almonds and sliced bananas. Enjoy!

Summarized Recipe:

Bobotie with Turmeric Rice

Date Published: Dec 25th, 2022 | Last Updated: Dec 25th, 2022
Author: Abby |Category: mains
Serves: 8 | Prep time: 15 mins | Cook time: 1 hour 30 mins

Ingredients:

Bobotie:
- 1 cup milk
- 4 slices plain white bread
- 2 Tbsps unsalted butter or neutral oil
- 2 medium onions, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 Tbsp curry powder
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- 1kg ground beef
- 1/2 cup of raisins
- 1.5 Tbsps of fruit chutney + extra to serve
- Zest and juice of 1/2 a lemon
- 1.5 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 eggs
- 1 pinch salt
Turmeric rice:
- 2.5 cups water
- 1 cup long grain white rice (basmati is a good choice)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1.5 tsp ground turmeric
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup raisins
- 1 Tbsp unsalted butter

Directions:

Preheat oven to 175˚C (350F). If you’re not using an oven-safe pot or pan, lightly grease a 9×13 baking dish or meatloaf pan.
In a bowl, pour milk over the bread and let it soak.
In a pot or pan over MED-HIGH heat, melt the butter and sauté the onions until soft.
Add in the garlic, curry powder, and turmeric. Continue to sauté for another minute.
Next, crumble the ground beef into the pan and add in the raisins, chutney, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, and black pepper. Sauté everything until the beef starts to brown. Turn off the heat.
Remove the soaked bread in step 2 and squeeze out any excess milk back into the bowl. Set the milk aside. Tear the soggy bread up into chunks and add it to the pan along with bay leaves and mix.
If your pot/pan is oven-safe, put the lid on and bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, covered.
- If your pot/pan is not oven-safe, then transfer it all to the greased baking dish and cover it with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes.
*While you wait for the bobotie to bake, make the turmeric rice (see step 12).
After 30 minutes, take it out of the oven and remove any excess pools of oil. Mix it around then cover again and bake for another 15 minutes.
After 15 minutes, take it out of the oven and remove any excess pools of oil. Mix it around then pat down the surface of the beef. You want a nice flat tight bed of meat so your egg topping doesn’t sink down.
Make the egg topping: whisk the reserved milk (from step 2) with eggs and a pinch of salt. Pour this mixture over the flattened bed of beef then put it back in the oven for another 15-20 minutes (until egg is done and top is golden brown). Done!
Turmeric rice:
1. Mix all the ingredients (water, rice, salt, turmeric, cinnamon, raisins, butter) in a small pot/sauce pan and cover with a lid. Switch it on high heat and bring to a boil. (Mix the rice occasionally so it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan)
2. After it reaches a boil, turn the heat on low and simmer for 15-20 minutes until the water is gone or rice is fluffy. Done!
To serve: spoon the bobotie over the turmeric rice with a dollop of chutney (fruit or hot) on the side. Can also sprinkle desiccated coconut over it, some chopped almonds and sliced bananas. Enjoy!

December 25, 2022December 25, 2022

AbbyLeave a comment

Chicken and Sweet Corn Dumplings

Date Published: Sept 14th, 2021 | Last Updated: Sept 14th, 2021
Author: Abby |Category: < 30mins, easy, low-cal, healthy, asian, quick, mains, snacks
Serves: ~100 dumplings | Prep time: 15 mins + time to wrap | Cook time: 10 mins

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When Toby and I took a trip to Alice Springs early last year, a local dumpling house called Confucius Palace Dumpling Restaurant came up on our radar when looking for places to eat. I’m always skeptical of asian restaurants located in a predominantly non-asian town but we were both pleasantly surprised by how good the dumplings were! Our favourites were the lamb and onion dumplings and the chicken and sweet corn dumplings which is the recipe I’m publishing today! Both dumplings are actually quite simplistic in their ingredients and super quick to make which is fantastic for a quick and easy meal. Dumplings also store very well in the freezer so you can whip up a big batch and save them for a rainy day when you don’t feel like cooking.

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:

Dumpling Filling:
- 1kg chicken mince
- 2 cans of super sweet corn
- 2 Tbsps soy sauce
- 3 Tbsps chicken stock powder
- 3 tsp white pepper
- 1 Tbsp sugar
Two packets of dumpling wrappers

Directions:

Mix all the ingredients of the dumpling filling in a bowl: chicken mince, sweet corn, soy sauce, chicken stock powder, white pepper, and sugar.

Wrap the dumplings.

You can either cook the dumplings right away or store them in the freezer. Make sure the dumplings aren’t touching when you freeze them or else they’ll all stick together in a block. Once they’re frozen you can transfer them into a container or plastic freezer bag. Check out this post on how to cook dumplings – 2 ways.

Summarized Recipe:

Chicken and Sweet Corn Dumplings

Ingredients:

Dumpling Filling:
- 1kg chicken mince
- 2 cans of super sweet corn
- 2 Tbsps soy sauce
- 3 Tbsps chicken stock powder
- 3 tsp white pepper
- 1 Tbsp sugar
Two packets of dumpling wrappers

Directions:

Mix all the ingredients of the dumpling filling in a bowl: chicken mince, sweet corn, soy sauce, chicken stock powder, white pepper, and sugar.
Wrap the dumplings.
You can either cook the dumplings right away or store them in the freezer.
- Check out this post on how to cook dumplings – 2 ways.
- Make sure the dumplings aren’t touching when you freeze them or else they’ll all stick together in a block. Once they’re frozen you can transfer them into a container or plastic freezer bag.

September 14, 2022September 14, 2022

AbbyLeave a comment

Czech Steak Tartare (Tatarský Biftek/Tatarák)

Date Published: Sept 13, 2022 | Last Updated: Sept 13, 2022
Author: Abby |Category: <15 mins, appetizers, mains, easy, quick, low cal, snacks
Serves: 2 (as an appetizer/snack) | Prep time: 10 mins | Cook time: 0! No cooking required.

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Steak tartare is a dish served in many different countries and in many different ways. I’ll admit I was never a fan of raw meat, but Toby grew up with it when he would visit Czech Republic to see his grandparents. It became a nostalgic dish and watching him enjoy this dish with such excitement of course tempted me to give it another try. We spent 3 weeks in Czech a couple months ago and during that time the dish really grew on me. A Czech steak tartare is traditionally served with slices of crispy rye bread that is panfried in lard and a garlic clove. You’re meant to rub the garlic on the crispy rye bread for that extra garlicky flavour and spoon the steak tartare over the bread and eat it together. Yum! The basic ingredients are usually steak, mustard, salt, pepper, and onion, but you’ll find many different variations. This dish can be found everywhere in Czech Republic, from basic rural pubs to fancy high-end Michelin-guided restaurants. You can request to have it served with the ingredients all mixed together, or unmixed and you can mix it yourself to adjust the flavours to your liking (see photo). However you have it, it’s always best served with a cold Pilsen beer!

What’s the best cut of beef to use?

Since you’ll be eating the beef raw, it’s very important to choose the best and freshest cut, and of course you also want to get it from a reputable clean butcher that knows their stuff. Usually when I buy my meats I get it either from the regular supermarket or a nearby butcher, however we went specifically to a higher end fancy butcher shop specifically for a steak tartare. It might be a bit more expensive, but it’ll be worth it.

You want a lean piece with little to no fat and connective tissue. The most popular choice is usually a tenderloin (or eye fillet/fillet steak) which is the most tender cut of meat available, but you can also use sirloin/porterhouse as well. If you’re not sure which cut to use, ask the butcher and let them know you’re intending on eating the steak raw for a tartare and they should be able to point you in the right direction.

How to prepare the beef?

Once you’ve selected your perfect cut of beef for the tartare, it’s time to prepare it to your desired consistency. If you like the texture chunkier with more bite, you can finely dice it into cubes. Put your steak in the freezer for 15 minutes to firm it up prior to dicing – this will make it much easier to cut. For a softer texture, you can put your steak through a meat grinder or ask your butcher to grind it for you. I get a little weary of getting someone else to grind it for me since I’m not sure how well the grinders are cleaned between each order. I like my texture somewhere inbetween so I prefer to chop it up finely with a knife. The texture isn’t quite as mushy as a ground beef and has a little more bite to it.

This recipe is easy and cooks up quickly!

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

200g high quality lean steak (ie.tenderloin/eye fillet), trim off any fat and connective tissue
- If you’re unsure which cut to get, ask your butcher for the freshest cut and let them know you’re intending on eating it raw for a tartare. Buy one a little heavier to equate 200g after trimming
1 large egg yolk
1/4 cup (1/4 of a large) yellow onion, finely minced
1 large clove of garlic, minced
1 tsp ground paprika
2 Tbsps Dijon mustard (or more to taste)
1/2 tsp salt (or more to taste)
1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper (or more to taste)
2 dashes of Worcestershire sauce
To serve:
- 2 slices of rye bread, either panfried in lard or toasted and buttered
- 1 garlic clove, cut in half

Directions:

Finely chop the beef until desired consistency. You can also put it through a grinder if you’ve got one.

Add in the rest of the ingredients (egg yolk, onion, garlic, paprika, Dijon mustard, salt, black pepper, and Worcestershire sauce) to the chopped steak and mix. Taste and adjust flavours to personal taste. You can also serve it pre-mixed and lay out the ingredients separately on a plate (see photo).

Toast the slices of rye bread and spread on butter, or alternatively you can pan-fry it with some oil or lard.

Serve the steak tartare with toasted bread and a garlic clove sliced in half. When eating, rub the garlic over the toasted bread and spoon the steak tartare over the bread. Enjoy!

Summarized Recipe:

Czech Steak Tartare (Tatarský Biftek/Tatarák)

Ingredients:

200g high quality lean steak (ie.tenderloin/eye fillet), trim off any fat and connective tissue
- If you’re unsure which cut to get, ask your butcher for the freshest cut and let them know you’re intending on eating it raw for a tartare. Buy one a little heavier to equate 200g after trimming
1 large egg yolk
1/4 cup (1/4 of a large) yellow onion, finely minced
1 large clove of garlic, minced
1 tsp ground paprika
2 Tbsps Dijon mustard (or more to taste)
1/2 tsp salt (or more to taste)
1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper (or more to taste)
2 dashes of Worcestershire sauce
To serve:
- 2 slices of rye bread, either panfried in lard or toasted and buttered
- 1 garlic clove, cut in half

Directions:

Finely chop the beef until desired consistency. You can also put it through a grinder if you’ve got one.
Add in the rest of the ingredients (egg yolk, onion, garlic, paprika, Dijon mustard, salt, black pepper, and Worcestershire sauce) to the chopped steak and mix. Taste and adjust flavours to personal taste. You can also serve it pre-mixed and lay out the ingredients separately on a plate (see photo).
Toast the slices of rye bread and spread on butter, or alternatively you can pan-fry it with some oil or lard.
Serve the steak tartare with toasted bread and a garlic clove sliced in half. When eating, rub the garlic over the toasted bread and spoon the steak tartare over the bread. Enjoy!

September 13, 2022February 10, 2024

Abby1 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

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