Creamy Mint Yogurt Sauce


Date Published: August 19th, 2020 | Last Updated: August 19th, 2020
Author: Abby |Category: sauces/dips, easy
Serves: 1 cup | Prep time: 10 mins | Cook time: 30 secs

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Cool boy Sheldon helping out with harvesting mint from the garden

Lamb is a pretty popular meat in Australia and it’s commonly paired with a mint sauce/jelly. Toby and I made our first roast lamb a couple months ago and it was so delicious that we’ve made it 3 more times since (recipe here). The lamb we made had such beautiful strong flavours from the rub that I decided to make a more subtle mint sauce using Greek yogurt. The sauce was a big hit with the fam and I’m sharing it here with you today! There’s only a few ingredients required to make this creamy sauce. The mint flavour is more subtle compared to a traditional mint sauce but it works well with the lemon and garlic and the addition of cumin adds a little extra depth to compliment the lamb. You can also use this sauce as a dressing over a quick cucumber salad to have on its own or as a side with the lamb.

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 cup (245g) greek yogurt
  • 1/2 cup mint leaves, chopped
  • 1 large clove garlic, minced
  • 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice
  • 1/2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper

Directions:

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl. Taste adjust lemon, salt or pepper as needed. Done!

Try it with the garlic rosemary lamb roast. Mmmmmm.

Summarized Recipe:

Creamy Mint Yogurt Sauce

Date Published: August 18th, 2020 | Last Updated: August 18th, 2020
Author: Abby |Category: sauces/dips, easy
Serves: 1 cup | Prep time: 10 mins | Cook time: 30 secs

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup (245g) greek yogurt
  • 1/2 cup mint leaves, chopped
  • 1 large clove garlic, minced
  • 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice
  • 1/2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper

Directions:

  1. Mix all the ingredients in a bowl. Taste adjust lemon, salt or pepper as needed. Done!

Abby1 Comment

Curry Mayo


Date Published: August 14th, 2020 | Last Updated: August 14th, 2020
Author: Abby |Category: sauces, dips, easy
Serves: 1 cup | Prep time: 30 secs | Cook time: 30 secs

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This is one of my favourite dips for anything deep fried: sweet potato fries, hashbrowns, potato cakes, fish and chips…the list goes on. It’s also fantastic in all kinds of mayo-based salads: potato salad, egg salad, tuna salad…YUM! I’m a firm believer that curry powder makes life better ❤️. This 30 second recipe is ridiculously simple. If you can scoop mayo out of a jar, you can make curry mayo!

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 cup mayonnaise
  • 1 tsp curry powder

Directions:

  1. Mix curry and mayo together. Taste and add more curry if you prefer if stronger. Done!

Summarized Recipe:

Curry Mayo

Date Published: August 14th, 2020 | Last Updated: August 14th, 2020
Author: Abby |Category: sauces, dips, easy
Serves: 1 cup | Prep time: 30 secs | Cook time: 30 secs

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • 1 tsp curry powder

Directions:

  1. Mix curry and mayo together. Taste and add more curry if you prefer if stronger. Done!

Abby1 Comment

Sweet Chilli Eggplant


Date Published: August 12th, 2020 | Last Updated: August 12th, 2020
Author: Abby |Category: sides, asian, easy, quick, vegetarian
Serves: 4 | Prep time: 5 mins | Cook time: 10 mins

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Australians really like their sweet chilli sauce. I had no idea until I moved here nearly 6 years ago. It’s most commonly used as a dip for deep fried foods (especially with chicken salt potato wedges and sour cream – YUM) and it’s also widely available as a condiment in many takeaway shops. Sweet chilli sauce isn’t a very common ingredient in Chinese cuisine so I didn’t have much exposure to it growing up but since moving to Australia I’ve increased my sweet chilli intake by 200% 😅.

This recipe came from my good friend Anita. We had dinner at her place one day back in the vet school days and she wanted to recreate a dish she had at a restaurant with eggplant steaks. After a dash of this and that, she concocted a delicious sweet and savoury sauce that the eggplant steaks were bathed in. It was SO good. There wasn’t a written recipe since she didn’t measure anything (like a true OG Asian cook, eh?) so I’ve recreated it based on the ingredients she used and the result is bang on. I know the serving size says 4, but I could seriously eat a whole plate of this myself over a bowl of rice. I actually wasn’t a fan of eggplants until that day, surprisingly, and now I can’t get enough of it! I’m currently working on a few more eggplant recipes at the moment so keep an eye out!

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:

  • Sauce:
    • 1/4 cup sweet chilli sauce
    • 1/4 cup Chinese cooking wine
    • 2 Tbsps kecap manis (Indonesian sweet soy sauce)
    • 1 Tbsp soy sauce
    • 1 Tbsp black vinegar (I like the Chinkiang brand)
    • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 Tbsps neutral oil
  • 2 medium eggplants, diced in roughly 4cm pieces (I just use regular eggplants but you can use the Chinese variety if you like)
  • 1 Tbsp cornstarch

Directions:

Make the sauce by mixing all the sauce ingredients in a bowl: sweet chilli sauce, cooking wine, kecap manis, soy sauce, black vinegar, and garlic. Set aside.

Heat a skillet on MED-HIGH heat and drizzle 2 tablespoons of oil into the skillet and swirl around to coat. Add the eggplants in batches (don’t overcrowd the pan, only sear one layer of eggplant at once) and sear them until the centres are soft and the skin blisters or wrinkles.

The eggplant will absorb the oil right away so don’t worry if your pan looks dry because the eggplants will release some oil and liquid as it cooks. Remove from the pan and set aside.

In the same skillet, turn the heat down to MEDIUM and add in the sauce. Stir-fry the sauce for 30 seconds, then scoop out a couple tablespoons into a bowl and mix it with the cornstarch then add it back into the skillet with the rest of the sauce and stir. Let the sauce simmer and bubble for a minute and continue stirring until the sauce thickens (the consistency should be gloopy, similar to sweet chilli sauce). Taste and adjust flavours as needed.

Pour the sauce over the eggplants and mix. Done! Serve immediately.

Tip: You can make these into eggplant steaks by slicing the egg plants into 3cm thick slices and follow the recipe exactly the same way and pour the sauce over before serving.

Summarized Recipe:

Sweet Chilli Eggplant

Date Published: August 12th, 2020 | Last Updated: August 12th, 2020
Author: Abby |Category: sides, asian, easy, quick, vegetarian
Serves: 4 | Prep time: 5 mins | Cook time: 10 mins

Ingredients:

  • Sauce:
    • 1/4 cup sweet chilli sauce
    • 1/4 cup Chinese cooking wine
    • 2 Tbsps kecap manis (Indonesian sweet soy sauce)
    • 1 Tbsp soy sauce
    • 1 Tbsp black vinegar (I like the Chinkiang brand)
    • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 Tbsps neutral oil
  • 2 medium eggplants, diced in roughly 4cm pieces (I just use regular eggplants but you can use the Chinese variety if you like)
  • 1 Tbsp cornstarch

Directions:

  1. Make the sauce by mixing all the sauce ingredients in a bowl: sweet chilli sauce, cooking wine, kecap manis, soy sauce, black vinegar, and garlic. Set aside.
  2. Heat a skillet on MED-HIGH heat and drizzle 2 tablespoons of oil into the skillet and swirl around to coat. Add the eggplants in batches (don’t overcrowd the pan, only sear one layer of eggplant at once) and sear them until the centres are soft and the skin blisters or wrinkles.
    • The eggplant will absorb the oil right away so don’t worry if your pan looks dry because the eggplants will release some oil and liquid as it cooks. Remove from the pan and set aside.
  3. In the same skillet, turn the heat down to MEDIUM and add in the sauce. Stir-fry the sauce for 30 seconds, then scoop out a couple tablespoons into a bowl and mix it with the cornstarch then add it back into the skillet with the rest of the sauce and stir. Let the sauce simmer and bubble for a minute and continue stirring until the sauce thickens (the consistency should be gloopy, similar to sweet chilli sauce). Taste and adjust flavours as needed.
  4. Pour the sauce over the eggplants and mix. Done! Serve immediately.

Tip: You can make these into eggplant steaks by slicing the egg plants into 3cm thick slices and follow the recipe exactly the same way and pour the sauce over before serving.

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Khao Soi (Thai Coconut Curry Noodle Soup)


Date Published: August 11th, 2020 | Last Updated: August 11th, 2020
Author: Abby |Category: mains, soups, asian, quick and easy
Serves: 4-6 | Prep time: 5 mins | Cook time: 15 mins

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Khao Soi? Oh boy! If you’ve never had Khao Soi before, you’re about to have your taste buds obliterated because this dish is THE BOMB (I’ll see myself out). It uses an intense curry paste that’s similar to red curry but with the addition of curry powder (like a yellow curry paste) which is then simmered with coconut milk that results in a luxe creamy coconut curry soup with some heat. This northern Thailand dish is commonly served with egg noodles, chicken, and topped with crispy noodles. There are many variations of this dish and you can easily customize it yourself with extra veg, tofu puffs, fish cakes…etc.

I’m going to admit something here. I’m actually pretty new to Khao Soi and only heard about it a month ago on Masterchef (when Jess made it in the ramen challenge) and I haven’t been able to get it out of my mind since. I LOVE curries, especially Thai curries for their aromas so it’s no surprise that Khao Soi instantly made it straight to the top of my (long) list of dishes to make. Since I’ve never had Khao Soi from Thailand I can’t attest to how “authentic” my recipe is to the real thing but I can guarantee that this recipe is f*cking delicious. I ate two bowls in one sitting the first time I made it! Move over green curry, I actually think this may be my new favourite Thai curry. Since I’m a novice to Khao Soi, I came up with this recipe by reading through a LOT of highly rated “authentic” recipes and compiled all the best parts together. I’m surprised I pulled it off!

I’m a huge advocate of homemade curry paste because it just has so much vibrant flavours that you can’t get from a can without “freshening it up” with aromatics. I used my pre-made homemade Thai red curry paste for this recipe which saved SO much prep work and made this recipe infinitely easy and fast to come together (I haven’t tried this with canned paste so apologies to anyone that was hoping to use it. If you try it, let me know how it turns out!). This dish takes about 15-20 mins from start to finish. The only thing you need to chop is the chicken! So quick and easy for something SO full of flavour.

Hopefully one day when this pandemic is over I’ll be able to travel to northern Thailand and have Khao Soi to see how it compares. It’s a shame because I was actually in Chiang Mai last year for 3 weeks volunteering at an animal shelter desexing stray dogs and cats. The whole time I was there no one mentioned Khao Soi but I did have some pretty amazing green curry. Ah well, another excuse to travel! 😊

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 portions of egg noodles
  • Khao Soi paste:
  • 1kg chicken thighs (or breast), diced into large pieces (or to preference on how big you prefer your chicken pieces)
  • 4 cups (1 litre) reduced salt chicken stock (or vegetable stock)
  • 600ml (1 1/2 cans) coconut milk
  • 2 Tbsps fish sauce (or more to taste)
  • Optional: any additional veg you like

Directions:

Cook the egg noodles according to package instructions. Drain and rinse under cold water. Set aside.

In a bowl, make the khao soi paste by mixing the red curry paste, curry powder and turmeric powder together. Set aside.

Warm a pot on MED-HIGH heat, add 1-2 Tbsps of oil and sauté the chicken pieces until browned (don’t worry about cooking it all the way through – it’ll finish cooking in the soup). Remove from heat and set aside in a bowl.

In the same pot, use the leftover oil from the chicken (or add more if there’s not much left) and add the khao soi paste (red curry paste, curry powder and turmeric powder). Quickly sauté for a couple minutes until the paste dries out a little and becomes fragrant.

Add in the chicken stock and coconut milk. Stir until no clumps remain from the paste. Simmer the soup for 5 minutes then add in the browned chicken pieces (and any additional veg you like). Simmer for another 5 minutes (or until veggies have cooked – if using). Add the fish sauce. Taste and adjust flavours as needed (if it’s not salty enough you can add more fish sauce or salt, if you prefer your soup creamier add more coconut milk).

Divide the egg noodles into 4 bowls and ladle the soup with ingredients into each bowl over the noodles. Done!

Summarized Recipe:

Khao Soi (Thai Coconut Curry Noodle Soup)

Date Published: August 11th, 2020 | Last Updated: August 11th, 2020
Author: Abby |Category: mains, soups, asian, quick and easy
Serves: 4-6 | Prep time: 5 mins | Cook time: 15 mins

Ingredients:

  • 4 portions of egg noodles
  • Khao Soi paste:
  • 1kg chicken thighs (or breast), diced into large pieces (or to preference on how big you prefer your chicken pieces)
  • 4 cups (1 litre) reduced salt chicken stock (or vegetable stock)
  • 600ml (1 1/2 cans) coconut milk
  • 2 Tbsps fish sauce (or more to taste)
  • Optional: any additional veg you like

Directions:

  1. Cook the egg noodles according to package instructions. Drain and rinse under cold water. Set aside.
  2. In a bowl, make the khao soi paste by mixing the red curry paste, curry powder and turmeric powder together. Set aside.
  3. Warm a pot on MED-HIGH heat, add 1-2 Tbsps of oil and sauté the chicken pieces until browned (don’t worry about cooking it all the way through – it’ll finish cooking in the soup). Remove from heat and set aside in a bowl.
  4. In the same pot, use the leftover oil from the chicken (or add more if there’s not much left) and add the khao soi paste (red curry paste, curry powder and turmeric powder). Quickly sauté for a couple minutes until the paste dries out a little and becomes fragrant.
  5. Add in the chicken stock and coconut milk. Stir until no clumps remain from the paste. Simmer the soup for 5 minutes then add in the browned chicken pieces (and any additional veg you like). Simmer for another 5 minutes (or until veggies have cooked – if using). Add the fish sauce. Taste and adjust flavours as needed (if it’s not salty enough you can add more fish sauce or salt, if you prefer your soup creamier add more coconut milk).
  6. Divide the egg noodles into 4 bowls and ladle the soup with ingredients into each bowl over the noodles. Done!

Abby1 Comment

Apple Chicken Goat Cheese Salad


Date Published: August 10th, 2020 | Last Updated: August 10th, 2020
Author: Abby |Category: salads, healthy, easy, < 30 mins, mains
Serves: 4 as mains, 6-8 as side salads | Prep time: 20 mins | Cook time: 5 mins

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This is my ALL TIME FAVOURITE SALAD. Seriously. Back in Canada I used to go to Montana’s a lot with my friends and I almost never order salad when I’m eating out because I always think it’ll never be as good as a warm cooked meal and not way could it be as flavourful. One night I wasn’t particularly hungry and I was trying to be a bit more healthy since I was training for a marathon so I decided to browse their salads section and ordered the ‘Apple Harvest Salad’. I only chose this one because it had goat cheese in it (and I LOVE goat cheese). When the food arrived, my salad portion was HUGE with dressing served on the side. I was skeptical, but ohhhhh boy was I wrong. That salad changed my world and it actually became my new favourite thing on their menu (other than the goat cheese stuffed chicken breast and Kapow Shrimp). I’d actively go to Montana’s just to get this salad – which doesn’t sound like me at all! Now that I live in Australia, there’s no Montana’s in sight and I decided to recreate it myself! I’d say I did a pretty good job because this salad is FANTASTIC. If you love goat cheese, this is the salad for you! The juicy crisp apple pairs so well with the warm nutty toasted pecans and the creaminess of the goat cheese all tied together in a homemade balsamic vinaigrette.

I’ve only ever eaten this salad as a main dish because it’s THAT good and there’s no way I could eat it as just a small side dish so I’ve categorized this in both the mains and sides section. If you want to serve it as a side, you might want to consider skipping the chicken so your meal isn’t too bulky. If you’re packing it for lunch, keep the salad dressing separate and pour it on when you’re ready to eat.

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:

  • Salad:
    • 1 cup pecans
    • 4 cups cooked chicken breast or thigh, chopped to bite-sized pieces – you can use leftover chicken from a roast or make it fresh the way you prefer (see my preferred method to cook chicken breast here)
    • 12 cups of lettuce or mixed greens (enough for 4 main salads)
    • 1 red bell pepper (aka capsicum), sliced (I ran out of peppers in the house and used cherry tomatoes instead in the photos)
    • 1 large apple, sliced
    • 1 cup dried cranberries
    • 140g goat cheese, crumbled
    • Fresh ground black pepper
  • Balsamic vinaigrette dressing:
    • 1/2 cup olive oil
    • 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
    • 1 clove garlic, minced
    • 1 tsp dijon mustard
    • 1 tsp honey
    • salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Toast the pecans: Preheat oven to 180˚C (~350˚F) and bake the pecans on the top rack for 5-10 mins and flip over and continue to bake until fragrant and toasty darker brown (another 5 mins). When done, set aside and let them cool then roughly chop.

Optional step: if you haven’t made your chicken breast, you can pop them in the oven with the pecans (see my preferred method). When cooked, slice into strips or bite-sized pieces and let cool.

  • Fancified!

Assemble the salad: In a large bowl, add all the salad ingredients together: pecans, chicken, lettuce/mixed greens, red pepper, apple, cranberries, goat cheese, and fresh ground black pepper. If you want to be fancy you can place the ingredients on top of the salad and serve the dressing on the side.

  • Unmixed and settled
  • Homogenized and ready to use!

Make the balsamic vinaigrette: Combine all the ingredients for the dressing (olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic, dijon, honey, salt and pepper) in a bowl and whisk until you get a homogenous mixture. Drizzle half of the dressing over the salad and toss to combine. Taste and add more dressing as needed. Enjoy!

Summarized Recipe:

Apple Chicken Goat Cheese Salad

Date Published: August 10th, 2020 | Last Updated: August 10th, 2020
Author: Abby |Category: salads, healthy, easy, < 30 mins, mains
Serves: 4 as mains, 6-8 as side salads | Prep time: 20 mins | Cook time: 5 mins

Ingredients:

  • Salad:
    • 1 cup pecans
    • 4 cups cooked chicken breast or thigh, chopped to bite-sized pieces – you can use leftover chicken from a roast or make it fresh the way you prefer (see my preferred method to cook chicken breast here)
    • 12 cups of lettuce or mixed greens (enough for 4 main salads)
    • 1 red bell pepper (aka capsicum), sliced
    • 1 large apple, sliced
    • 1 cup dried cranberries
    • 140g goat cheese, crumbled
    • Fresh ground black pepper
  • Balsamic vinaigrette dressing:
    • 1/2 cup olive oil
    • 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
    • 1 clove garlic, minced
    • 1 tsp dijon mustard
    • 1 tsp honey
    • salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

  1. Toast the pecans: Preheat oven to 180˚C (~350˚F) and bake the pecans on the top rack for 5-10 mins and flip over and continue to bake until fragrant and toasty darker brown (another 5 mins). When done, set aside and let them cool then roughly chop.
  2. Optional step: if you haven’t made your chicken breast, you can pop them in the oven with the pecans (see my preferred method). When cooked, slice into strips or bite-sized pieces and let cool.
  3. Assemble the salad: In a large bowl, add all the salad ingredients together: pecans, chicken, lettuce/mixed greens, red pepper, apple, cranberries, goat cheese, and fresh ground black pepper.
  4. Make the balsamic vinaigrette: Combine all the ingredients for the dressing (olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic, dijon, honey, salt and pepper) in a bowl and whisk until you get a homogenous mixture. Drizzle half of the dressing over the salad and toss to combine. Taste and add more dressing as needed. Enjoy!

Abby1 Comment

Classic Basil Pesto


Date Published: August 10th, 2020 | Last Updated: August 10th, 2020
Author: Abby |Category: sauces, easy, quick, < 15 mins
Serves: makes 1.5 cups | Prep time: 5 mins | Cook time: 5 mins

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Of all the herbs out there, basil is my absolute favourite so it’s no surprise that I’m obsessed with pesto. I would have an entire veggie patch of just basil if I could, but sadly growing basil has always been my achilles heel when it came to gardening. Basil on its own is so bright and flavourful, best when paired with a bocconcini and sun dried tomato with some fresh ground black pepper in my opinion mmmm. It’s also great on top of a pizza or pasta to freshen it up. Pesto opens up a whole new ball game and is so versatile – you can use it as a rub, marinade, sauce, dip…etc. I love using it as a pizza sauce with some garlic and olive oil brushed onto the dough or stirred through a creamy pasta sauce for a quick dinner. Ohh boy I could go on forever on all the ways I would use pesto. I’ll probably ramble on more about my love of pesto in future posts on how to use it (of which I’m sure there will be many) so keep your eyes peeled for pesto recipes! Here is my version of a classic basil pesto. It’s insanely easy and you don’t even need to do any chopping. If you can press a button, you can make pesto. Presto pesto!

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:

  • 1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
  • 3 cups fresh basil leaves
  • 3 cloves of garlic (you don’t need to chop it)
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 3/4 cup parmesan cheese

Directions:

If you haven’t already, toast the pine nuts until golden brown. You can either toast it on a dry skillet on medium heat or in the oven at 220˚C until golden brown.

Put all the ingredients into a food processor and blend until it forms a smooth paste. Done! Easy, eh?

Storage:

  • Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week or freeze them in ice cube trays or a bag.

Summarized Recipe:

Classic Basil Pesto

Date Published: August 10th, 2020 | Last Updated: August 10th, 2020
Author: Abby |Category: sauces, easy, quick, < 15 mins
Serves: makes 1.5 cups | Prep time: 5 mins | Cook time: 5 mins

Ingredients:

  • 1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
  • 3 cups fresh basil leaves
  • 3 cloves of garlic
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 3/4 cup parmesan cheese

Directions:

  1. If you haven’t already, toast the pine nuts until golden brown. You can either toast it on a dry skillet on medium heat or in the oven at 220˚C until golden brown.
  2. Put all the ingredients into a food processor and blend until it forms a smooth paste. Enjoy!

Storage:

  • Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week or freeze them in ice cube trays or a bag.

Abby1 Comment

Easy Moist Chicken Breast


Date Published: August 10th, 2020 | Last Updated: August 10th, 2020
Author: Abby |Category: basics, how-to, healthy, easy
Serves: 2 | Prep time: 5 mins | Cook time: 30 mins

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Chicken breast is one of the things I always have in my freezer. It goes well with so many things and it’s so easy and quick to make. You can have it as part of a healthy meal seasoned with simple spices and paired with a veg or pack it full of flavour with a kickass sauce and toppings. The most common way I like to use it is in salads. It’s amazing how you can turn pretty much any side salad into a main dish just by adding chicken breast.

Chicken breast often get a bad rep for being dry and bland which is why some people avoid it. There’s not much fat on the meat and thus it’s easy to dry out when cooking. Follow this basic tutorial and I’ll show you how I like to prepare chicken breast so it comes out moist and perfect every time! I use a combination of baking and steaming to ensure the chicken stays moist.

If you have any comments or suggestions, I’d love to hear from you in the comment section! You can follow me on instagram, youtube and facebook to see all the recipes I post!

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

  • Chicken breast – as many as you like, but try not to crowd them too much in a pan so they cook evenly.
  • Olive oil – roughly 1 tsp per breast. You don’t need much oil since you’re steaming.
  • Water – enough to fill 1 cm of the pan
  • Salt & pepper
  • Optional: any seasoning you like – I keep it plain with just salt and pepper if I’m using it as a base with a sauce, but if I’m adding it to a caesar or garden salad, I rub some Italian seasoning or oregano over it.

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 180˚C (~350F) and arrange a rack in the middle of the oven.

Rinse your chicken breasts and place them in a baking tray. Add a drizzle of olive oil, a sprinkle of salt and pepper, any additional spices you like, then rub it all over the chicken breasts on both sides.

Pour 1 cm of water into the pan (it doesn’t have to be exact).

Cover the tray with aluminum foil and make sure the edges are sealed (otherwise steam will escape while baking and could result in a dry chicken). Bake in the oven on the middle rack for 20-30 minutes. You can check the doneness of the chicken by either cutting the thickest part and if the juices run clear, it’s finished. If it’s pink, then put the foil back on and bake for another 5 minutes. Alternatively you can use a thermometer and poke it into the thickest part of the breast until it reads 65˚C.

*Caution: HOT steam will escape when you unwrap the foil so please be careful when checking on your chicken!

Once your chicken is cooked, serve it on a plate immediately or rest them for 5 minutes before slicing. It’s VERY important not to slice them when they’re steaming hot, otherwise the juices inside the chicken will evaporate and your chicken will be dry. By allowing them to rest, it lets the juices redistribute throughout the meat.

Enjoy!

Tip: if you’re adding this to a leafy salad, wait until the chicken comes to room temperature before adding it in otherwise the heat might wilt your salad leaves.

Summarized Recipe:

Easy Moist Chicken Breast

Date Published: August 10th, 2020 | Last Updated: August 10th, 2020
Author: Abby |Category: basics, how-to, healthy, easy
Serves: 2 | Prep time: 5 mins | Cook time: 30 mins

Ingredients:

  • Chicken breast – as many as you like, but try not to crowd them too much in a pan so they cook evenly
  • Olive oil – roughly 1 tsp per breast. You don’t need much oil since you’re steaming.
  • Water – enough to fill 1 cm of the pan
  • Salt & pepper
  • Optional: any seasoning you like – I keep it plain with just salt and pepper if I’m using it as a base with a sauce, but if I’m adding it to a caesar or garden salad, I sprinkle some Italian seasoning or oregano over it.

Directions:

  1. Preheat your oven to 180˚C (~350F) and arrange a rack in the middle of the oven.
  2. Rinse your chicken breasts and place them in a baking tray. Add a drizzle of olive oil, a sprinkle of salt and pepper, any additional spices you like, then rub it all over the chicken breasts on both sides.
  3. Pour 1 cm of water into the pan (it doesn’t have to be exact) and cover the tray with aluminum foil. Make sure the edges are sealed (otherwise steam will escape while baking and could result in a dry chicken). Bake in the oven on the middle rack for 20-30 minutes. You can check the doneness of the chicken by either cutting the thickest part and if the juices run clear, it’s finished. If it’s pink, then put the foil back on and bake for another 5 minutes. Alternatively you can use a thermometer and poke it into the thickest part of the breast until it reads 65˚C.
    • *Caution: HOT steam will escape when you unwrap the foil so please be careful when checking on your chicken!
  4. Once your chicken is cooked, serve it on a plate immediately or rest them for 5 minutes before slicing. It’s VERY important not to slice them when they’re steaming hot, otherwise the juices inside the chicken will evaporate and your chicken will be dry. By allowing them to rest, it lets the juices redistribute throughout the meat. Enjoy!

Tip: If you’re adding this to a leafy salad, wait until the chicken comes to room temperature before adding it in otherwise the heat might wilt your salad leaves.

AbbyLeave a comment

Spicy Garlic Miso Green Beans


Date Published: August 9th, 2020 | Last Updated: August 9th, 2020
Author: Abby |Category: asian, sides, vegetarian
Serves: 4 | Prep time: 5 mins | Cook time: 15 mins

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I love cooking with green beans. They’re a common ingredient in a lot of Asian cooking and there’s so many ways you can make them. The flavour of green beans are relatively subtle so I find them fantastic when paired with a bold and flavourful sauce, like in this recipe! These beans are steamed to tenderize, then sautéed in a miso, ginger, and garlic sauce to pack a punch. This recipe is super easy and makes a great quick side dish to pair with a salmon (like my popular maple salmon recipe – click for recipe ) or steak. It only takes 15 minutes to make with minimal clean up :).

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:

  • Sauce:
    • 2 Tbsps soy sauce
    • 1/2 Tbsp miso paste
    • 1/2 Tbsp chilli pepper flakes (makes it medium spicy)
    • 4 cloves garlic, minced
    • 1 tsp fresh ginger, finely minced
  • 1 Tbsp sesame seeds
  • 1 Tbsp oil
  • 600g fresh green beans, trim off ends

Directions:

In a bowl, make the sauce by mixing together the soy sauce, miso paste, chilli flakes, garlic and ginger. Set aside.

In a dry pan on medium heat, add the sesame seeds and toast it until light brown. Remove from heat and set aside.

In the same pan, add 1 Tbsp of oil and add in the green beans. Stir-fry for a couple minutes then add in enough water to cover 1cm of the pan. Put the lid on and steam the beans until they’re tender (~5 minutes).

Once tender, remove the lid and bring the heat up to MED-HIGH and continue to stir-fry until the beans are lightly browned. Turn off the heat and add the toasted sesame seeds and the sauce to the pan. Stir quickly to combine. The residual heat from the pan should cook off any liquids. Serve!

Summarized Recipe:

Garlic Miso Green Beans

Date Published: August 9th, 2020 | Last Updated: August 9th, 2020
Author: Abby |Category: asian, sides, vegetarian
Serves: 4 | Prep time: 5 mins | Cook time: 15 mins

Ingredients:

  • Sauce:
    • 2 Tbsps soy sauce
    • 1/2 Tbsp miso paste
    • 1/2 Tbsp chilli pepper flakes (makes it medium spicy)
    • 4 cloves garlic, minced
    • 1 tsp fresh ginger, finely minced
  • 1 Tbsp sesame seeds
  • 1 Tbsp oil
  • 600g fresh green beans, trim off ends

Directions:

  1. In a bowl, make the sauce by mixing together the soy sauce, miso paste, chilli flakes, garlic and ginger. Set aside.
  2. In a dry pan on medium heat, add the sesame seeds and toast it until light brown. Remove from heat and set aside.
  3. In the same pan, add 1 Tbsp of oil and add in the green beans. Stir-fry for a couple minutes then add in enough water to cover 1cm of the pan. Put the lid on and steam the beans until they’re tender (~5 minutes).
  4. Once tender, remove the lid and bring the heat up to MED-HIGH and continue to stir-fry until the beans are lightly browned. Turn off the heat and add the toasted sesame seeds and the sauce to the pan. Stir quickly to combine. The residual heat from the pan should cook off any liquids. Serve!

AbbyLeave a comment

Taiwanese Cold Noodles 涼麵 (Liang Mian)


Date Published: August 7th, 2020 | Last Updated: August 7th, 2020
Author: Abby |Category: asian, mains, easy, vegetarian
Serves: 4 | Prep time: 10 mins | Cook time: 2 mins + time to cook noodles

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If you’ve ever been to Taiwan in the middle of summer, you’ll know that not only does it get hot, it gets HUMID AF. What’s better on a hot sticky day than a refreshing bowl of cold noodles? This dish is commonly found everywhere in Taiwan – you can even pick them up from most convenience stores, pre-packaged in a lunch box and ready to eat – just add the sauce! The direct translation of “liang mian” is “chilled” or “cold” noodles and it’s served as a bowl of cold white noodles mixed with a savoury peanut sauce and topped with cucumber and carrot slices, occasionally a sliced egg. It’s delicious, filling and crazy easy to make! It’s also a great lunch to pack to eat on the go or to avoid the microwave queues at work or school 😉.

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:

  • Sauce:
    • 6 Tbsps crunchy peanut butter (smooth is okay too but crunchy gives it better texture)
    • 2 Tbsp soy sauce
    • 2 tsp garlic, minced
    • 2 tsp sugar
    • 2 tsp black vinegar
    • 1 tsp sesame oil
    • 3 Tbsps warm water (or more)
  • White Noodles (any brand you like)
  • 1 Tbsp sesame oil
  • 1 cucumber, julienned
  • 1 carrot, julienned

Directions:

Make the sauce by combining all the sauce ingredients together except for the water. Once combined, add 1 Tbsp of warm water at a time to the sauce and mix until you get a thin runny sauce but not overly watery (only add as much water as you need).

Make the noodles according to package instructions. Drain well and rinse under cold running water until the noodles are cooled. Drizzle 1 Tbsp of sesame oil on the noodles and mix it around so they don’t stick together.

Assemble the noodles by adding the sauce to the noodles with the cucumber and carrots. Mix until combined. Taste and adjust flavours as needed. If you’ve made too many noodles (as I always do because I’m terrible at judging how much noodles to cook), make more sauce for the noodles until you’re happy with the intensity of the flavours. Serve cold!

Tip: If you’re making this ahead of time, I’d suggest you pack the sauce separately and pour it on the noodles when you’re ready to eat to avoid the noodles getting too soft from sitting in sauce for too long.

Summarized Recipe:

Taiwanese Cold Noodles 涼麵 (Liang Mian)

Date Published: August 7th, 2020 | Last Updated: August 7th, 2020
Author: Abby |Category: asian, mains, easy, vegetarian
Serves: 4 | Prep time: 10 mins | Cook time: 2 mins + time to cook noodles

Ingredients:

  • Sauce:
    • 6 Tbsps crunchy peanut butter (smooth is okay too but crunchy gives it better texture)
    • 2 Tbsp soy sauce
    • 2 tsp garlic, minced
    • 2 tsp sugar
    • 2 tsp black vinegar
    • 1 tsp sesame oil
    • 3 Tbsps warm water (or more)
  • White Noodles (any brand you like)
  • 1 Tbsp sesame oil
  • 1 cucumber, julienned
  • 1 carrot, julienned

Directions:

  1. Make the sauce by combining all the sauce ingredients together except for the water. Once combined, add 1 Tbsp of warm water at a time to the sauce and mix until you get a thin runny sauce but not overly watery (only add as much water as you need).
  2. Make the noodles according to package instructions. Drain well and rinse under cold running water until the noodles are cooled. Drizzle 1 Tbsp of sesame oil on the noodles and mix it around so they don’t stick together.
  3. Assemble the noodles by adding the sauce to the noodles with the cucumber and carrots. Mix until combined. Taste and adjust flavours as needed. Serve cold!
    • If you’ve made too many noodles (as I always do because I’m terrible at judging how much noodles to cook), make more sauce for the noodles until you’re happy with the intensity of the flavours.

Tip: If you’re making this ahead of time, I’d suggest you pack the sauce separately and pour it on the noodles when you’re ready to eat to avoid the noodles getting too soft from sitting in sauce for too long.

AbbyLeave a comment

Curry Tuna Salad


Date Published: August 6th, 2020 | Last Updated: August 6th, 2020
Author: Abby |Category: snacks, easy, <15mins
Serves: 4 | Prep time: 10 mins | Cook time: 30 secs

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This is by far my favourite version of a tuna salad. The addition of dill and curry with the crunch of the pickle all infused into the creamy mayo brings this to the next level. You’ve got to try it. It’s packed with flavour and so easy and quick to put together for a quick snack or lunch. Serve it in a sandwich, in a tuna melt, or even as a dip with some crackers. (Recipe adapted from Allrecipes with changes to ingredients and proportions.)

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:

  • 200g (~2 cans) tuna in springwater , drained very well (the drier the tuna the better, otherwise you’ll have a sludgy tuna salad)
  • 1/3 – 1/2 cup mayonnaise (depends on how creamy you prefer it)
  • 3 Tbsps parmesan cheese
  • 5 Tbsps (36g) pickles, finely chopped (or 3 Tbsps sweet pickle relish)
  • 1/2 tsp curry powder
  • 1 Tbsp dried parsley
  • 1 tsp dried dill weed
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • Fresh ground pepper to taste
  • 1/4 tsp dried minced onion flakes (optional)

Directions:

Mix everything together and taste. Adjust salt and pepper as needed. If you prefer a creamier tuna salad, add more mayonnaise. If you want it crunchier, add more chopped pickles or even some cucumber or red bell peppers/capsicums.

Chill for 20 minutes before serving to let the flavours infuse. Done!

Summarized Recipe:

Curry Tuna Salad

Date Published: August 6th, 2020 | Last Updated: August 6th, 2020
Author: Abby |Category: snacks, easy, <15mins
Serves: 4 | Prep time: 10 mins | Cook time: 30 secs

Ingredients:

  • 200g (2 cans) tuna in springwater , drained
  • 1/3 to 1/2 cup mayonnaise (depending on how creamy you like your tuna salad)
  • 3 Tbsps parmesan cheese
  • 5 Tbsps (36g) pickles, finely chopped (or 3 Tbsps sweet pickle relish)
  • 1/2 tsp curry powder
  • 1 Tbsp dried parsley
  • 1 tsp dried dill weed
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • Fresh ground pepper to taste
  • 1/4 tsp dried minced onion flakes

Directions:

  1. Mix everything together and taste. Adjust salt and pepper as needed. If you prefer a creamier tuna salad, add more mayonnaise. If you want it crunchier, add more chopped pickles or even some cucumber or red bell peppers/capsicums.
  2. Refrigerate for 20 minutes before serving to let the flavours infuse. Done!

Serve in a sandwich, as a tuna melt, or with crackers!

AbbyLeave a comment