Spicy Cucumber Curry 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

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With an abundance of cucumbers on the Homolka farm lately, I’ve been experimenting with different ways of using it up. This recipe uses up 4 cucumbers at a time, however full disclaimer, the actual flavour of the cucumber is masked by the spices, but it’s still a delicious and hearty soup nonetheless, and also healthy and low in calories! (If you’re looking for a cucumber soup full of cucumber flavour, check out the Hot or Cold Creamy Cucumber Soup recipe.)

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 onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
4 large cucumbers, peeled, deseeded, and chopped
1.5 Tbsps curry powder
2 tsps red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (or more if you prefer it spicier)
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tsps sesame oil
2 cups chicken stock (or vegetable stock)
1 cup milk
4 cups of cooked shredded chicken (optional)
1 cup Greek yogurt
Salt and pepper to taste

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).

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 curry powder, red pepper flakes, and cayenne pepper. Sauté for another minute until the spices are fragrant, then add in the soy sauce, sesame oil, chicken stock, and milk. Bring the soup to a boil then simmer gently for 10 mins with the lid on, until the cucumbers are soft.

After 10 minutes, turn off the heat and use a stick blender and blend until smooth. Alternatively, you can pour the soup into a blender instead of using a stick blender.

Put the soup back on the stove on MED heat and add in the shredded chicken. Once heated through, stir in the greek yogurt and taste to adjust salt and pepper as needed. Garnish with the reserved cucumbers when serving. Enjoy!

Summarized Recipe:

Spicy Cucumber Curry Soup

Ingredients:

1 large onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
4 large cucumbers, peeled, deseeded, and chopped
1.5 Tbsps curry powder
2 tsps red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (or more if you prefer it spicier)
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tsps sesame oil
2 cups chicken stock (or vegetable stock)
1 cup milk
4 cups of cooked shredded chicken (optional)
1 cup Greek yogurt
Salt and pepper to taste

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).
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 curry powder, red pepper flakes, and cayenne pepper. Sauté for another minute until the spices are fragrant, then add in the soy sauce, sesame oil, chicken stock, and milk. Bring the soup to a boil then simmer gently for 10 mins with the lid on, until the cucumbers are soft.
After 10 minutes, turn off the heat and use a stick blender and blend until smooth. Alternatively, you can pour the soup into a blender instead of using a stick blender.
Put the soup back on the stove on MED heat and add in the shredded chicken. Once heated through, stir in the greek yogurt and taste to adjust salt and pepper as needed. Garnish with the reserved cucumbers when serving. Enjoy!

January 1, 2023January 1, 2023

AbbyLeave a comment

Hot or Cold Creamy Cucumber Soup

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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?

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

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, 2023

Abby1 Comment

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

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, 2022

Abby1 Comment

Copycat KFC Gravy (so easy and quick!)

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

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

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

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

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

Directions:

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

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

Summarized Recipe:

Copycat KFC Gravy (so easy and quick!)

Ingredients:

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

Directions

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

September 5, 2022

AbbyLeave a comment

Healthy “Creamy” Chicken Thyme Mushroom Spinach Soup

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

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

Suggestions, I’d love to hear from you in the comment section! You can follow me on instagram, youtube and facebook to see all the recipes I post!

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

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

Directions:

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

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

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

Summarized Recipe:

Healthy “Creamy” Chicken Thyme Mushroom Spinach Soup

Ingredients:

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

Directions:

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

September 5, 2022

Abby3 Comments

Grilled King Oyster Mushrooms

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

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

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

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

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

Directions:

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

Summarized Recipe:

Grilled King Oyster Mushrooms

Ingredients:

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

Directions:

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

September 5, 2022

Abby1 Comment

Mussels in a Rich Tomato White Wine Sauce

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

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

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

What is Polpa?

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

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

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

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

Directions:

Make cross cuts at the base of each tomato

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

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

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

Summarized Recipe:

Mussels in a Rich Tomato White Wine Sauce

Ingredients:

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

Directions:

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

August 17, 2022August 17, 2022

Abby1 Comment

Savoury Spiced Oat Cluster “Croutons”

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

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WARNING: THESE ARE HIGHLY ADDICTIVE.

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

“Croutons” – do they really taste like croutons?

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

How to achieve clusters:

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

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

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

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

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

Directions:

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

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

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

Summarized Recipe:

Savoury Spiced Oat Cluster “Croutons”

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

Ingredients:

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

Directions:

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

August 17, 2022August 17, 2022

AbbyLeave a comment