Za’atar Manakish (Lebanese Flatbread)


Date Published: August 2nd, 2020 | Last Updated: August 2nd, 2020
Author: Abby |Category: breads, easy, snacks, vegetarian
Serves: 8 (or 4 large ones) | Prep time: 1.5hrs (from start of dough) | Cook time: 10 mins

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This is mine and Toby’s go-to snack. We divide a batch of basic dough and freeze them ahead of time and when we feel like snacking, we’ll defrost it for a couple hours, roll it out then spread za’atar over it and bake. It’s so quick and simple – in under 15 minutes we have freshly baked za’atar manakish. If we’re feeling a little more indulgent, we’ll sometimes use our defrosted dough to make halloumi cheese pies out – which is also super easy (click here for the recipe)!

  • Za’atar (Lebanese spice mix)
  • This is our favourite brand of za’atar!

If you’re unfamiliar, Za’atar is a blend of Lebanese spieces that usually include oregano, sumac, thyme, and sesame seeds. It’s packed full of earthy flavours with a lemon-y acidity from the sumac. I’ll admit when I first I tried it, I didn’t think too much of it, but Toby kept buying the manakish and after a few sneaky bites here and there over time, now I can’t get enough! Lots of shops sell za’atar but everyone has their own ratios of spices so they can taste vastly different depending on the brand. Our favourite brand is called “Za’atar extra” (pictured above) where we buy from A1 bakery in Dandenong. It’s on my to-do list to try and recreate their spice mix just incase we move and can’t find this brand anywhere else (I’ll post it if I’m ever successful).

Side story: This dish has sentimental value to me. When I first started dating Toby (my now fiancé), he took me to a small Lebanese bakery shop in Werribee called A1 bakery and ordered two cheese pies and an “oregano pizza” as he called it. Between the two of us, I’m usually the one introducing him to good restaurants and new foods. This is the first place he took me to that really impressed me. The halloumi cheese pies were to die for but the “oregano pizza” was just okay for me. As time went on, we’d keep going back to the bakery and the “oregano pizza” really grew on me (which we later learned the proper name was: za’atar manakish). After we moved out of the Werribee area, we had to drive 40mins to the closest A1 bakery in Dandenong to get the cheese pies and manakish, but it was worth it. It was magical every time. At our last trip, Toby surprised me with a packet of za’atar seasoning that the bakery sold and suggested we try making it at home during quarantine for some fun. After reading through a handful of recipes online, I made a compilation of them all and combined it into this recipe. We made it for the first time a few months ago and it came out A-MAZING! We’ve made it countless times since.

Back in 2018: Toby would take me to A1 Bakery for Za’atar Manakish and cheese pies all the time when we lived near Werribee

The recipe is a bit word-y but it’s actually super easy once you make it. The dough is made from the basic dough recipe which gives it a beautiful fluffiness if you roll it out thick and a nice crispy crunchy texture if you roll it out thin. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do! If za’atar isn’t your jam, you can always turn the dough into halloumi cheese pies :D.

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:

Directions:

Make one dough ball from the basic dough recipe and let it proof for 1 hour until doubled in size (click here for tips on how to proof your dough in the oven). Once risen, punch the dough and knead a couple times on a floured surface to get rid of any air pockets. Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces (or bigger if you prefer your manakish larger) and let it rest for 10 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 200˚C.

In a bowl combine the za’atar with the olive oil and mix.

After the dough has rested, knead each ball a couple times on a floured surface then roll it out to 5mm thick (or to preference – the thinner you roll it, the crispier your flatbread and the thicker it is, the more fluffy it will be). Transfer the dough onto a greased baking tray. (It’s important to transfer the dough to the tray FIRST before spreading the za’atar otherwise it may get a little messy!)

I prefer mine a little crispy so I roll it out thinner here. If you want it fluffier, roll it thicker.

Mix and spread your za’atar mixture over the dough and bake in the oven at 200˚C for 7-10 minutes until the edges are golden. Let it sit for 5 minutes before serving so the olive oil gets soaked into the bread. Enjoy!

Tip: If you don’t want to make an entire batch, you can freeze the divided dough balls by wrapping them in cling wrap and just defrost the dough a few hours before you want to use it. You don’t need to rest it, just roll it out and spread za’atar over it (use roughly 2 Tbsps of olive oil + 2 Tbsps za’atar per flatbread). This makes a quick and easy late night snack!

Did you try this recipe? I’d love your feedback or any comments on what you thought! Leave a message below and follow me on facebook and instagram (@polyphagicabby). 🙂

Watch the Video Tutorial!

Summarized Recipe:

Za’atar Manakish

Date Published: August 2nd, 2020 | Last Updated: August 2nd, 2020
Author: Abby |Category: breads, easy, snacks
Serves: 8 (or 4 large ones) | Prep time: 1.5hrs (from start of dough) | Cook time: 10 mins

Ingredients:

Directions:

  1. Make one dough ball from the basic dough recipe and let it proof for 1 hour until doubled in size (click here for tips on how to proof your dough in the oven). Once risen, punch the dough and knead a couple times on a floured surface to get rid of any air pockets. Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces (or bigger if you prefer your manakish larger) and let it rest for 10 minutes.
  2. Preheat the oven to 200˚C.
  3. In a bowl combine the za’atar with the olive oil and mix.
  4. After the dough has rested, knead each ball a couple times on a floured surface then roll it out to 5mm thick (or to preference – the thinner you roll it, the crispier your flatbread and the thicker it is, the more fluffy it will be). Transfer the dough to a greased baking tray.
  5. Mix and spread your za’atar mixture over the dough and bake in the oven at 200˚C for 7-10 minutes until the edges are golden. Let it sit for 5 minutes before serving so the olive oil gets soaked into the bread. Enjoy!

Tip: If you don’t want to make an entire batch, you can freeze the divided dough balls by wrapping them in cling wrap and just defrost the dough a few hours before you want to use it. You don’t need to rest it, just roll it out and spread za’atar over it (use roughly 2 Tbsps of olive oil + 2 Tbsps za’atar per flatbread). This makes a quick and easy late night snack!

AbbyLeave a comment

Baked Chicken Katsu


Date Published: August 1st, 2020 | Last Updated: August 1st, 2020
Author: Abby |Category: asian, mains, easy, low-cal
Serves: 4-6 | Prep time: 15 mins | Cook time: 30 mins

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NOM NOM NOM I LOVE KATSU. When Toby and I head out to a Japanese restaurant, katsu is usually one of our go-to items to order (second to ramen, of course).

If you’re not familiar with katsu, it’s essentially a Japanese version of a schnitzel topped with an iconic tonkatsu sauce. A katsu is made with either chicken (breast or thigh) or a pork cutlet (called tonkatsu). The breading is made with panko (Japanese breadcrumbs) rather than traditional breadcrumbs which results in a lighter, flakier, and crispier texture.

I’m not a fan of deep-frying things at home because a) you need to use so much oil, b) it pains me to waste all that oil for one dish, c) health reasons, and d) the clean up afterwards from oil splatters. Don’t get me wrong, I love having the occasional take-away fried foods, but I just really dislike deep-frying things at home. This was the reason why I never tried to make katsu at home and save it for restaurant outings until now! I stumbled across this recipe from Just One Cookbook (which is filled with amazing Japanese recipes btw and defs worth checking out) and I was skeptical if it would be as good as the real deep-fried thing. For the sake of science, experimentation, and the quest to making great food, I made both versions: one deep-fried one and one baked.

  • Top is baked, bottom is deep-fried
  • Both version served with homemade Japanese curry!

I’m VERY happy to report that the baked version was unanimously favoured over the deep-fried version. Who would’ve thought!? The baked version had a crispier texture with better crunch and was (obviously) less oily than the deep-fried version. The colour wasn’t as dark, but that’s easily solved by pre-toasting the breadcrumbs for the baked version.

Overall this recipe was surprisingly easy and quick with very minimal prep work. It’s rare that I can cook up a dish without having to do any chopping. Best of all, it’s also relatively low in calories too (under 300 calories per serving!). This recipe definitely makes the top 20 list in my books.

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 chicken breasts, butterflied (note: one chicken breast makes a pretty large portion once you butterfly it (see finished photo) so I usually aim for 3/4 of a breast per person (unless you’ve got a big appetite) which is why I’ve written 4-6 servings for this recipe)
    • This recipe works well with chicken thighs or boneless pork loin chops as well (pound the chops to ~1.2cm thick)
  • salt & ground black pepper
  • 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 cups panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
  • 4 Tbsp all-purpose flour (plain flour)
  • 2 large egg, beaten

Directions:

Rinse and pat the chicken breasts dry. If you haven’t already, butterfly your chicken breasts (see photo tutorial below on how to do this or click here for more detailed instructions). Season breasts with salt and pepper. Set aside.

(If you’re using pork cutlets, score the edge where the fat and the meat meet to ensure your cutlet doesn’t curl when cooking and use a meat tenderizer mallet to pound the cutlets to about 1.2cm thick.)

  • Two chicken breasts
  • Cut off the small side piece of meat and reserve it for later use
  • Starting at the thicker side, slice the breast in half, keeping your knife parallel with the chopping board but don’t cut all the way through
  • Stop cutting when you get near the end of the breast. Open it up and done!
  • Ta-da! Two butterflied chicken breasts

Preheat oven to 200˚C.

Heat a skillet on medium heat and add olive oil.

Add in the panko breadcrumbs and stir to combine with the oil and toast the panko until golden brown. Put the crumbs in a large bowl and set aside to cool.

Note: When you bake a katsu, the colour of the breadcrumbs doesn’t change much in the oven compared to deep-frying, which is why this step is important to get that delicious toasty crumb.

Prepare three bowls: 1) Flour, 2) Beaten eggs, 3) Toasted panko

Dip your butterflied chicken breasts first in the flour on both sides and shake off any excess flour. Make sure sure you cover every crevice. Then dip it in the beaten egg and finally in the toasted panko, pressing the crumbs in slightly to help them stick.

Set your chicken breasts on wire racks placed ontop of a baking tray and bake in the oven at 200˚C for 20-25 minutes, until the chicken juices run clear or a thermometer reads 74˚C in the thickest part of the breast.

Ready to bake! We made both chicken breast (top rack) and chicken thighs (bottom rack). Both came out perfectly. The breasts were more dense and steak-like whereas the thighs were more moist and chewier. Toby liked the thighs better whereas I liked the breasts. I guess to break the debate, chicken breast is healthier 😜.

While your chicken bakes, you can make the tonkatsu sauce (click to follow link to recipe).

Once your chicken is cooked, let it cool for a couple minutes on the wire rack and serve immediately as whole cutlet or slice it into strips, drizzled with tonkatsu sauce.

Summarized Recipe:

Baked Chicken Katsu

Date Published: August 1st, 2020 | Last Updated: August 1st, 2020
Author: Abby |Category: asian, mains, easy, low-cal
Serves: 4-6 | Prep time: 15 mins | Cook time: 30 mins

Ingredients:

  • 4 chicken breasts, butterflied (or chicken thighs or boneless pork loin chops (pound chops to ~1.2cm thick))
  • salt & ground black pepper
  • 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 cups panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
  • 4 Tbsp all-purpose flour (plain flour)
  • 2 large eggs, beaten

Directions:

  1. Rinse your chicken and pat dry. Butterfly the chicken breasts (see photo tutorial above) and season with salt and pepper on both sides and set aside.
    • If you’re using pork cutlets, score the edge where the fat and the meat meet to ensure your cutlet doesn’t curl when cooking and use a meat tenderizing mallet to pound the cutlet until about 1.2cm thick. Season with salt and pepper on both sides and set aside.
  2. Preheat oven to 200˚C.
  3. On a pan on medium heat, toast the panko with the olive oil. Stir to combine and toast until golden brown. Then put your panko in a large bowl and set aside to cool.
  4. Place your flour on a large plate or bowl for easy dipping and do the same with the beaten egg.
  5. Now bread your chicken:
    1. Dunk the chicken breast in the flour bowl to cover both sides. Shake off any excess flour.
    2. Next coat it in the beaten eggs.
    3. Finally coat it in the toasted panko crumbs, pressing the crumbs in slightly to help them stick.
  6. Place your katsu onto a wire rack over an oven tray.
  7. Bake for about 20-25 minutes on the middle rack until the chicken is no longer pink inside. If you have an oven thermometer, your chicken should be about 74˚C.
  8. While your chicken is baking, you can make the tonkatsu sauce (click on this link for the recipe).
  9. When your chicken is ready, serve immediately either as an entire cutlet or you can cut them into strips, drizzled with tonkatsu sauce.

Abby3 Comments

Tonkatsu Sauce


Date Published: August 1st, 2020 | Last Updated: August 1st, 2020
Author: Abby |Category: sauces, asian
Serves: 1/3 cup (enough for 4 tonkatsu dishes) | Prep time: 2 mins | Cook time: 2 mins

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Here’s a recipe for an easy peasy tonkatsu sauce so you’ll never need to buy bottled sauce again (especially if you live ages away from the nearest Asian grocer like me). As the name suggests, tonkatsu sauce is most commonly used drizzled over a tonkatsu (a pork cutlet coated with breadcrumbs and deep fried). It’s a tangy flavourful sauce that gives tonkatsu its iconic flavour and it only takes a minute to make. This recipe makes enough for 4 tonkatsu dishes. You can double or triple the recipe and store it in an airtight container for a couple of weeks in the fridge. If you’d like to learn how to make a katsu, follow the recipe here.

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

  • 2 Tbsps ketchup
  • 1 3/4 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 3 1/4 tsp oyster sauce
  • 2 1/4 tsp sugar

Directions:

Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl until smooth. Taste and adjust to personal preference. Done!

Tip: if you fine that the sauce us a little grainy from the sugar, you can warm it up in the microwave for 15 seconds and stir until the sugar melts.

Summarized Recipe:

Tonkatsu Sauce

Date Published: August 1st, 2020 | Last Updated: August 1st, 2020
Author: Abby |Category: sauces, asian
Serves: 1/3 cup (enough for 4 tonkatsu dishes) | Prep time: 2 mins | Cook time: 2 mins

Ingredients:

  • 2 Tbsps ketchup
  • 1 3/4 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 3 1/4 tsp oyster sauce
  • 2 1/4 tsp sugar

Directions:

  1. Mix all the ingredients into a bowl until smooth. Taste and adjust to personal preference. Done!

To make a katsu to pair with this sauce, follow the recipe here.

Tip: if you find the sauce a little grainy from the sugar, microwave it for 20 seconds and stir until the sugar dissolves. Serve when cooled.

AbbyLeave a comment

Good For You Chocolate Peanut Butter Granola


Date Published: July 30th, 2020 | Last Updated: July 30th, 2020
Author: Abby |Category: healthy, < 30mins, quick & easy, snacks
Serves: 8 cups (16 servings) | Prep time: 10 mins | Cook time: 20 mins

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Ohhh granohhhhla! I love making my own granola. I love the smell that fills the kitchen as it bakes and I love that I can put in whatever I want and feel good about it. I’ve adapted this recipe from Erin Lives Whole which and changed it up to better accommodate my taste (read: making it chocolate!) – don’t worry, I’ve kept all the good stuff in there so I can still enjoy this relatively guilt-free. I’ve also doubled the recipe because Toby and I go through it so quickly.

In the vet world you don’t always get to have your lunch break, so I usually pack a small container in my bag just in case and sneak in bites here and there between consults. It’s perfect to keep me satiated for the rest of the day and I don’t have to worry about heating it up or taking time to prepare it – just add milk! This recipe has saved so many people from a hangry vet 😜.

What makes this granola good for you? The natural and wholesome ingredients! Like most granolas, the bulk of this recipe is rolled oats. Oats is chocked full of fibre and has benefits in lowering cholesterol. It’s also made with coconut oil, chia seeds, honey, and natural peanut butter. Depending on the brand of peanut butter you use, each serving (1/2 cup) is roughly 220 calories. This granola makes a wonderful quick breakfast on the go when topped with some fresh fruit, or a filling snack throughout the day. You can change it up and add extras like nuts, dried fruit, chocolate chips…etc. Have it with milk (regular, almond, soy…etc.), greek yogurt, or even sprinkled on top of ice cream. Mmmmmmm.

This recipe is super simple and quick to put together. I’ve added in the weights of each ingredient so if you’re feeling lazy and have a kitchen scale, you can just pour everything in one bowl to the correct weight and mix!

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 (280g) natural chunky peanut butter (unsalted and unsweetened)*
  • 2/3 cup (220g) honey
  • 1/2 cup (100g) melted coconut oil
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 6 cups (620g) rolled oats (also called old fashioned oats)
  • 1/3 cup (26g) cocoa powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 4 Tbsps (47g) chia seeds
  • 2 tsp cinnamon

*If you’re struggling to locate natural peanut butter or find it too $$$, you can use regular peanut butter but skip the salt and half the amount of honey (110g instead of 220g).

Directions:

Preheat oven to 165˚C (~325˚F). Line a baking sheet with a baking mat or parchment paper.

In a large bowl, mix together the wet ingredients: peanut butter, honey, coconut oil, and vanilla.

Then add in the rest of the ingredients except for the oats: cocoa powder, salt, chia seeds, cinnamon.

Then add in the oats and mix until fully combined.

Press the mixture into the tray and compress it down (this will help you get chunky clusters).

Bake until golden brown (about 15-20mins).

Let it COMPLETELY cool before breaking apart (~20 minutes). If you try to break it apart too early, it will be very crumbly.

Enjoy! Store in an airtight container for 3 weeks.

Summarized Recipe:

Good For You Chocolate Peanut Butter Granola

Date Published: July 30th, 2020 | Last Updated: July 30th, 2020
Author: Abby |Category: healthy, < 30mins, quick & easy, snacks
Serves: 8 cups (16 servings) | Prep time: 10 mins | Cook time: 20 mins

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup (280g) natural chunky peanut butter (unsalted and unsweetened)*
  • 2/3 cup (220g) honey
  • 1/2 cup (100g) melted coconut oil
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 6 cups (620g) rolled oats (also called old fashioned oats)
  • 1/3 cup (26g) cocoa powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 4 Tbsps (47g) chia seeds
  • 2 tsp cinnamon

*If you’re struggling to locate natural peanut butter or find it too $$$, you can use regular peanut butter but skip the salt and half the amount of honey (110g instead of 220g).

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 165˚C (~325˚F). Line a baking sheet with a baking mat or parchment paper.
  2. In a large bowl, mix together the wet ingredients: peanut butter, honey, coconut oil, and vanilla.
  3. Then mix in the cocoa powder and chia seeds.
  4. Finally, add in the oats and mix until full combined.
  5. Press the mixture into the baking pan and compress it down with your spatula.
  6. Bake until golden brown (about 15-20mins).
  7. Let it COMPLETELY cool before breaking apart. Enjoy! Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 weeks.

AbbyLeave a comment

Tabbouleh (Mediterranean Quinoa Salad)


Date Published: July 28th, 2020 | Last Updated: July 28th, 2020
Author: Abby |Category: salads, healthy, easy, < 30 mins
Serves: 4 as a side dish | Prep time: 10 mins | Cook time: 5 mins (20mins including cooking quinoa)

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Tabbouleh (or tabbouli) is a simple mediterranean salad mainly comprised of whole grains, tomatoes and parsley. There are many versions of this salad out there but this one is by far my favourite and simplest. The freshness from the lemon juice and veg pairs really well with a heavy main dish such as a roast lamb. It’s also pretty good as a topping in wraps!

I like to use white quinoa in this recipe for the fluffiness, but you can sub it out for a different whole grain if you like for different textures. This recipe is super simple, healthy and filling. Feel free to add in some baked chicken breast or canned tuna or salmon for an easy lunch.

Anyways, without further ado, here’s the recipe! If you have any comments or suggestions, I’d love to hear from you in the comment section! You can follow me on instagram, youtube and facebook to see all the recipes I post!

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

  • 3 cups of cooked quinoa, cooled to room temp (equates to 1 cup uncooked quinoa) – if you’ve never cooked quinoa before, it’s super simple. Just boil 2 parts water to 1 part quinoa until the liquid is absorbed. You can follow this tutorial for a step-by-step guide on how to make quinoa for some guidance if you need.
  • 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 2 cups fresh parsley, finely chopped (either curly or flat-leaf)
  • 1 cup dried cranberries or raisins, roughly chopped
  • 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed – optional
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Dressing:
    • 1/4 cup olive oil
    • 1.5 tsps lemon or lime juice
    • 3 tsps ground cumin
    • 1/2 tsp sea salt
    • 1 tsp red pepper flakes (or more to taste)

Directions:

Make the salad dressing by combining all the dressing ingredients together (olive oil, lemon juice, cumin, salt, red pepper flakes) and whisk until incorporated. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the rest of the salad ingredients together (parsley, cherry tomatoes, dried cranberries, black beans (if using)). Add your salad dressing and toss everything together. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve at room temperature or chilled in refrigerator.

Done!

Summarized Recipe:

Tabbouleh (Mediterranean Quinoa Salad)

Date Published: July 28th, 2020 | Last Updated: July 28th, 2020
Author: Abby |Category: salads, healthy, easy, < 30 mins
Serves: 4 as a side dish | Prep time: 10 mins | Cook time: 5 mins (20mins including cooking quinoa)

Ingredients:

  • Salad Dressing:
    • 1/4 cup olive oil
    • 1.5 tsps lemon or lime juice
    • 3 tsps ground cumin
    • 1/2 tsp sea salt
    • 1 tsp red pepper flakes (or more to taste)
  • 3 cups of cooked quinoa, cooled to room temp (equates to 1 cup uncooked quinoa) – you can follow this tutorial for a step-by-step guide on how to make quinoa for some guidance if you need
  • 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 2 cups fresh parsley, finely chopped (either curly or flat-leaf)
  • 1 cup dried cranberries or raisins, roughly chopped
  • 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed – optional
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

  1. Make the salad dressing by combining all the dressing ingredients together (olive oil, lemon juice, cumin, salt, red pepper flakes) and whisk until incorporated. Set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, combine the rest of the salad ingredients together (parsley, cherry tomatoes, dried cranberries, black beans (if using)). Add your salad dressing and toss everything together.
  3. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve at room temperature or chilled in refrigerator. Done!

Abby1 Comment

Smoked Salmon Salad with Roasted Sesame Dressing


Date Published: July 24th, 2020 | Last Updated: July 24th, 2020
Author: Abby |Category: salad, healthy, quick and easy, <15 mins, asian
Serves: 1 person as a main, or 2-3 as a side salad
Prep time: 8 mins | Cook time: 30 seconds to toss the salad

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I love this salad. It’s so flavourful, satisfying, and best of all it’s really easy and quick. You can easily customize it too. I came up with it one morning while trying to make a quick lunch for the fam and at the same time clearing the fridge of ingredients – I never expected it to turn out so good!

This recipe sounds fancy smancy but it’s the quickest most ridiculously easy salad to put together as long as you have roasted sesame dressing on hand. You can make the dressing yourself from scratch (the recipe is on my to-do list to upload, I swear), but often times I let the good people at Kewpie do the hard work for me especially if I’m in a rush or just feeling extra lazy. Kewpie does such a fantastic job with this dressing that Toby and I like to keep a 1L bottle in the fridge and use it on SO many things as a dipping sauce – I highly recommend picking up a bottle next time you’re at an Asian grocer.

Roasted sesame dressing is commonly seen in many Japanese restaurants served on their side salads in bento boxes. It’s a creamy dressing that’s packed with roasted sesame flavour. It elevates the most basic salads to another level, including this one. While you can use this dressing with virtually any salad ingredient, I found that when you pair it with smoked salmon, something absolutely magical happens. The heavy savoury smoked salmon paired with the dressing is balanced out by the fresh crisp veggies that results in a refreshing salad with a heap of flavour.

Next time you’re in a rush to pack lunch but still want something delicious and healthy, think of this salad! Or better yet, next time you’re inviting people over for a dinner party but you’ve exhausted all your energy on the main dish, you can quickly whip up this salad as a starter or a side dish to impress.

I’ve written this recipe with veggies I commonly have in my fridge as a staple in most of my salads (lettuce, cherry tomatoes, red bell peppers/capsicums, and cucumbers) but of course you can change it up to whatever veggies you like such as grated carrot, radishes, spinach, red onions…etc. This recipe is so easily customizable. The only thing I don’t usually pair with this dressing is cheese. I find that the creaminess of the dressing tends to overpower most cheeses so why bother adding it in – fewer calories, amiright?

Anyways, without further ado, here’s the recipe!

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

  • 2 handfuls of lettuce, washed and shredded
  • 1 handful of cherry tomatoes, sliced in halves
  • 1 handful of cucumber, chopped
  • 1 handful of red bell pepper/capsicum, chopped
  • 50g smoked salmon, sliced – you can use smoked trout as well which I find is usually cheaper and tastes very close to smoked salmon
  • Kewpie roasted sesame dressing to taste
  • Freshly ground black pepper

Feel free to customize the ingredients to whatever you like or whatever you’ve got in your fridge. The bold flavours of the salmon and the dressing makes this salad pretty forgiving with whatever veggies you want to chuck in it.

Directions:

Mix everything together in a large bowl and toss with as much dressing as your heart desires. Done!

I hope you enjoyed this recipe as much as I do. Let me know how yours turned out in the comments! You can follow me on instagram, youtube and facebook to see all the recipes I post!

Summarized Recipe:

Smoked salmon salad with roasted sesame dressing

Date Published: July 24th, 2020 | Last Updated: July 24th, 2020
Author: Abby |Category: salad, healthy, quick and easy, <15 mins, asian
Serves: 1 person as a main, or 2-3 as a side salad
Prep time: 8 mins | Cook time: 30 seconds to toss the salad

Ingredients:

  • 2 handfuls of lettuce, washed and shredded
  • 1 handful of cherry tomatoes, sliced in halves
  • 1 handful of cucumber, chopped
  • 1 handful of red bell pepper/capsicum, chopped
  • 50g smoked salmon, sliced
  • Kewpie roasted sesame dressing to taste
  • Freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

  1. Mix everything together in a large bowl and toss with as much dressing as your heart desires. Done!

AbbyLeave a comment

Classic Simple Guacamole


Date Published: July 24th, 2020 | Last Updated: July 24th, 2020
Author: Abby |Category: sauces/dips, easy, < 15mins, snacks, vegetarian, healthy
Serves: 1 large bowl | Prep time: 10 mins | Cook time: 5 mins (not including refrigeration)

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I love guacamole. LOVE. Seriously. The creaminess of the avocados with the freshness of the tomatoes and lime juice is pure happiness in a bowl. I could easily devour a whole bowl of it myself while binge-watching something. It’s quick and easy with no actual cooking required – just chop some ingredients and mix it all up. Try to make it a little ahead of time because it tastes so much better after a few hours in the fridge to let the flavours infuse. Trust me.

Avocados are quite fatty by nature so the bad news is that the calories tend to stack up when you have too much. However the good news is that it’s good fat and has numerous health benefits so it’s actually quite good for you (as long as you don’t pair it with too many chips 😅).

My favourite way to eat guacamole is to simply have it as a dip served with tortilla chips. It’s a simple, quick and filling snack – but of course it goes amazingly on so many other things such as nachos, fajitas, tacos, burritos…etc.

I think my guacamole obsession started back in my university years in Canada with my old roommate Taryn. We’d frequently go to Gryph’s Sports Lounge/Campus Bar above the hockey rink and always order nachos with a side of guacamole. I don’t know what they put in their nachos, but it was so simple and satisfying. No fancy meats or sauces – just good ol’ nachos, cheese, sour cream, salsa and guacamole. Even after we graduated we met up a couple times at Gryph’s just to get the nachos and catch up (although from memory the last time we went there they had changed their nachos 😞).

Anyways, without further ado, here’s the recipe!

Happy Cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

  • 3 large hass avocados – a tip on how to choose avocados: gently squeeze them. You want them to be firm but with a slight give. If they squeeze in too much then they’re over ripe. If you don’t plan on using them for a while, then buy them more firm and leave it out on your counter to ripen. Hass avocados work best in guacamole.
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 2 cups tomatoes, diced (~2 tomatoes)
  • 1 1/2 cups red onion (~1 medium onion), diced – you can use regular yellow onions instead but the red ones give a bit more sweetness
  • 1 Tbsp lime juice (or more to taste) – different limes will have different sourness, so taste as you go and add more if you need (if you accidentally go overboard, add some sugar or more salt)
  • 1/2 tsp salt (or more to taste) – salt enhances the flavour of the ingredients. If you’re not sure whether you need more salt, I’d recommend letting the guacamole sit in the fridge for an hour after the flavours marinate together and then taste it to adjust flavours
  • 1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper (or more to taste)
  • 1 pinch ground cayenne pepper (optional for a bit of heat)
  • Optional: chopped cilantro/coriander

Directions:

Peel, pit and mash the avocados in a large bowl. I find it easiest to mash avocados by using a whisk as a masher. If you prefer your guac more chunky, stop mashing when you get to your desired consistency.

Mix in the rest of the ingredients to the mashed avocados (garlic, tomatoes, onion, lime juice, salt, pepper). Taste and adjust ingredients as needed. I find that different limes have different degrees of sourness, so start with a small amount (like half a tbsp) and then add more as needed – I’ve had to add up to 2 Tbsps of juice before. It’s better to start with a small amount rather than overdo it. If you’re having some trouble adjusting the flavours, you can let it chill for a few hours first to let the flavours blend together and season it afterwards.

Ideally refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving (overnight is better) to let the flavours marinate together, then taste and adjust ingredients as needed. The difference between letting it chill in the fridge for a few hours or overnight vs serving it right away is night and day. Trust me.

Enjoy! Serve on the side of burritos, fajitas, nachos, or even just with some chips and crackers as a snack.

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!

Summarized Recipe:

Guacamole

Date Published: July 24th, 2020 | Last Updated: July 24th, 2020
Author: Abby |Category: sauces/dips, easy, < 15mins, snacks, vegetarian, healthy
Serves: 1 large bowl | Prep time: 10 mins | Cook time: 5 mins (not including refrigeration)

Ingredients:

  • 3 large hass avocados
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 2 cups tomatoes, diced (~2 tomatoes)
  • 1 1/2 cups red onion, diced
  • 1 Tbsp lime juice (or more to taste)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt (or more to taste)
  • 1/2 tsp ground black pepper (or more to taste)
  • 1 pinch ground cayenne pepper (optional)
  • Optional: chopped cilantro/coriander

Directions:

  1. Peel, pit and mash the avocados in a large bowl.
  2. Mix in the rest of the ingredients (garlic, tomatoes, onion, lime juice, salt, pepper). Taste and adjust ingredients as needed.
  3. Ideally refrigerate for 1 hour before serving to let the flavours marinate together then taste and adjust flavours again as needed.

AbbyLeave a comment

Spinach Balsamic Blueberry Grilled Cheese


Date Published: July 24th, 2020 | Last Updated: July 24th, 2020
Author: Abby |Category: snacks, quick and easy, < 30mins
Serves: 2 | Prep time: 15 mins | Cook time: 25 mins

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Blueberries and spinach in a grilled cheese makes this sandwich healthy, right?? This sandwich works with a lot of different types of cheeses but my favourite would have to be white cheddar or havarti. The syrupy blueberries paired with the ooey-gooey cheese is just too good to not try.

Grilled cheese (or toasties in Australia), are THE ultimate comfort food. It’s quick, easy, and indulgent. Nothing beats the ooey-gooey cheesiness of a good crisp grilled cheese.

Making 4 grilled cheeses for lunch!

This post is a continuation of the grilled cheese lunch marathon we had last week. You can read more about it in yesterday’s sriracha butter apple grilled cheese post.

We made:

I came across this recipe back nearly 5 years ago from Amanda k. by the Bay and it’s still as delicious as ever! I’ve since experimented with different cheeses and my favourites so far are a sharp white cheddar or havarti. I tried it with mozzarella recently and although still good, I felt that the bold flavours of the balsamic blueberry overpowered the subtlety of the mozarella.

Unlike my other recipes, I didn’t make a video for these sandwiches since the instructions are fairly straightforward (let me know in the comments if you’d like me to make a video). I was also a little too excited when making these sandwiches and forgot to take some photos of the process 😅. I’ll update this post with more photos the next time I make them again (which probably won’t be long).

Anyways, without further ado, here’s the recipe!

Ingredients you’ll need:

  • 1 cup blueberries
  • 2 Tbsps balsamic vinegar
  • 3 Tbsps brown sugar
  • Mayonnaise for spreading – this is the secret to a crisp golden grilled cheese! Mayo gives a nicer crisp and colour compared to butter.
  • 4 slices of white bread (I like to use sourdough, but whatever white bread you’ve got works)
  • 1 cup of baby spinach leaves
  • Enough cheese for 2 sandwiches – white cheddar, coon, havarti…etc

Directions:

In a small saucepan on medium heat, combine the blueberries, balsamic vinegar and brown sugar. Let it come to a slow simmer and cook until the blueberries have started to soften. Gently crush some of the blueberries with your spatula (don’t crush all of them too flat or else you’ll lose some of that delicious blueberry flavour). When finished, strain your mixture through a sieve and set aside to cool. Keep the drained juices as an option to drizzle with later.

Spread mayonnaise on one side of each slice of bread (this will be the outside of the sandwich that you will toast to get that crisp golden colour).

Please use more spinach than in this photo. I forgot to buy some and scrounged up these ones from the garden last minute 😦

Assemble your grilled cheese with the mayonnaise side facing the outside. Add a layer of your cheese, then top it with the balsamic blueberries, spinach, more cheese, and then the other slice of bread (again, mayo on the outside).

(Incase that sentence was confusing, your layers should be: mayonnaise + bread + cheese + balsamic blueberries + cheese + bread + mayonnaise).

Make sure you grill this sandwich right away or else you risk the bread going a little soggy from the blueberry mixture.

Get a pan on the stove on medium heat and once your pan is heated, place your sandwich in the pan (you don’t need any oil in the pan because the mayonnaise on the outside of your sandwich will act as your oil base).

Toast your sandwich until the bread is a beautiful crisp golden brown and the cheese is melty (~3-5mins), then carefully flip your sandwich over and toast the other side. (Tip: if your sandwich is quite tall, you can gently flatten your sandwich as your cheese melts. This will help compact your sandwich and make it less messy to eat.) Once your second side is toasted and your cheese is melted, repeat with your second sandwich and serve immediately! Optional: drizzle your sandwich with a bit of that reserved juices strained from the balsamic blueberries. Enjoy!!

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!

Summarized Recipe:

Spinach balsamic blueberry grilled cheese

Date Published: July 24th, 2020 | Last Updated: July 24th, 2020
Author: Abby |Category: snacks, quick and easy, <30mins
Serves: 2 | Prep time: 15 mins | Cook time: 25 mins

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup blueberries
  • 2 Tbsps balsamic vinegar
  • 3 Tbsps brown sugar
  • Mayonnaise for spreading – this is the secret to a crisp golden grilled cheese! Mayo gives a nicer crisp and colour compared to butter.
  • 4 slices of white bread (I like to use sourdough, but whatever white bread you’ve got works)
  • 1 cup of baby spinach leaves
  • Enough cheese for 2 sandwiches – white cheddar, coon, havarti…etc

Directions:

  1. In a small saucepan on medium heat, combine the blueberries, balsamic vinegar and brown sugar. Let it come to a slow simmer and cook until the blueberries have started to soften. Gently crush some of the blueberries with your spatula (don’t crush all of them too flat or else you’ll lose some of that delicious blueberry flavour). When finished, strain your mixture through a sieve and set aside to cool. Keep the drained juices as an option to drizzle with later.
  2. Spread mayonnaise on one side of each slice of bread (this will be the outside of the sandwich that you will toast to get that crisp golden colour).
  3. Assemble your grilled cheese with the mayonnaise side facing the outside. Add a layer of your cheese, then top it with the balsamic blueberries, spinach, more cheese, and then the other slice of bread (again, mayo on the outside).
  4. Get a pan on the stove on medium heat and once your pan is heated, place your sandwich in the pan. Toast your sandwich until the bread is a beautiful crisp golden brown and the cheese is melty (~3-5mins), then carefully flip your sandwich over and toast the other side. Once your second side is toasted and your cheese is melted, repeat with your second sandwich and serve immediately. Enjoy!!
  5. Optional: drizzle your sandwich with a bit of that reserved juices strained from the balsamic blueberries.

AbbyLeave a comment

Caramelized Onions Mushroom and Fig Goat Cheese Grilled Cheese


Date Published: July 23rd, 2020 | Last Updated: July 24th, 2020
Author: Abby |Category: snacks, quick and easy, < 30mins
Serves: 2 | Prep time: 20 mins | Cook time: 25 mins

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This grilled cheese is insane. It’s PACKED with flavour. I love pairing savoury and sweet flavours together and this sandwich does just that. The sweet syrupy caramelized onions and mushrooms sandwiched between fig jam and goat cheese is ridiculously good. Although the goat cheese won’t give you that ooey-gooey grilled cheese texture, the flavours of this sandwich will blow you away that you won’t even miss it!

Grilled cheese (or toasties in Australia), are THE ultimate comfort food. It’s quick, easy, and indulgent.

Making 4 grilled cheeses for lunch!

This post is a continuation of the grilled cheese lunch marathon we had last week. You can read more about it in the sriracha butter apple grilled cheese post.

We made:

Don’t worry, I’ll be posting the recipe to all 4 grilled cheeses above – just give me a little time 🙂

Unlike my other recipes, I didn’t make a video for these sandwiches since the instructions are fairly straightforward (let me know in the comments if you’d like me to make a video). I was also a little too excited when making these sandwiches and forgot to take some photos of the process 😅. I’ll update this post with more photos the next time I make them again (which probably won’t be long).

Anyways, without further ado, here’s the recipe!

This recipe takes a little more effort than the other grilled cheeses posted so far because caramelizing onions and mushrooms can be a little time-consuming – but definitely worth it for those flavours!

Ingredients you’ll need:

  • 50g unsalted butter
  • 1 small onion (~1.5 – 2 cups), sliced
  • 2 cups mushrooms, sliced
  • Mayonnaise for spreading – this is the secret to a crisp golden grilled cheese! Mayo gives a nicer crisp and colour compared to butter.
  • 4 slices of white bread (I like to use sourdough, but whatever white bread you’ve got works)
  • 4 Tbsps fig jam (2 Tbsps per sandwich) – you can replace it with most jams that aren’t too overly sweet. I’ve tried it with apricot jam before and it worked really well.
  • Goat cheese, enough to spread on two slices of bread – you can either keep it as a slice or if your goat cheese is soft and crumbly, then use it as a spread. My favourite is Meredith Dairy goat cheese in olive oil.

Directions:

In a skillet on medium heat, melt the butter. Once the butter is melted, add in the onions and mushrooms. Cook until the onions become brown and syrupy (~5-8 mins). Set aside.

Spread mayonnaise on one side of each slice of bread (this will be the outside of the sandwich that you will toast to get that crisp golden colour).

Assemble your grilled cheese: spread mayonnaise on two slices of bread. On the other side of these two slices of bread, spread one with fig jam and the other with goat cheese. Sandwich caramelized onions and mushrooms between the fig and goat cheese bread slices (with the mayo on the outside).

(Incase that sentence was confusing, your layers should be: mayonnaise + bread + fig jam + caramelized onions and mushrooms + goat cheese + bread + mayonnaise).

Get a pan on the stove on medium heat and once your pan is heated, place your sandwich in the pan (you don’t need any oil in the pan because the mayonnaise on the outside of your sandwich will act as your oil base).

Toast your sandwich until the bread is a beautiful crisp golden brown (~3-5mins), then carefully flip your sandwich over and toast the other side. (Tip: if your sandwich is quite tall, you can gently flatten your sandwich as your cheese melts. This will help compact your sandwich and make it less messy to eat.) Once your second side is toasted, repeat with your second sandwich and serve immediately! Enjoy!!

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!

Summarized Recipe:

CARAMELIZED ONIONS MUSHROOM AND FIG GOAT CHEESE GRILLED CHEESE

Date Published: July 21st, 2020 | Last Updated: July 21st, 2020
Author: Abby |Category: snacks, quick and easy, <30mins
Serves: 2 | Prep time: 20 mins | Cook time: 25 mins

Ingredients:

  • 50g unsalted butter
  • 1 small onion (~1.5 – 2 cups), sliced
  • 2 cups mushrooms, sliced
  • Mayonnaise for spreading
  • 4 slices of white bread (I like to use sourdough, but whatever white bread you’ve got works)
  • 4 Tbsps fig jam (2 Tbsps per sandwich)
  • Goat cheese, enough to spread on two slices of bread

Directions:

  1. In a skillet on medium heat, melt the butter. Once the butter is melted, add in the onions and mushrooms. Cook until the onions become brown and syrupy (~5-8 mins). Set aside.
  2. Spread mayonnaise on one side of each slice of bread (this will be the outside of the sandwich that you will toast to get that crisp golden colour).
  3. Assemble your grilled cheese: spread mayonnaise on two slices of bread. On the other side of these two slices of bread, spread one with fig jam and the other with goat cheese. Sandwich caramelized onions and mushrooms between the fig and goat cheese bread slices (with the mayo on the outside).
  4. Get a pan on the stove on medium heat and once your pan is heated, place your sandwich in the pan. Toast your sandwich until the bread is a beautiful crisp golden brown (~3-5mins), then carefully flip your sandwich over and toast the other side. Once your second side is toasted, repeat with your second sandwich and serve immediately. Enjoy!!

AbbyLeave a comment

Bacon Brie Apricot Grilled Cheese


Date Published: July 22nd, 2020 | Last Updated: July 24th, 2020
Author: Abby |Category: snacks, quick and easy, < 30mins
Serves: 2 | Prep time: 15 mins | Cook time: 10 mins

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Ohhhhh boy. Does it get any better than bacon in a grilled cheese? This sandwich is a must-try. The savoury salty bacon with the sweetness of the apricot jam, all brought together by the ooey-gooey brie.

Grilled cheese (or toasties in Australia), are THE ultimate comfort food. It’s quick, easy, and indulgent. Nothing beats the ooey-gooey cheesiness of a good crisp grilled cheese.

Making 4 grilled cheeses for lunch!

This post is a continuation of the grilled cheese lunch marathon we had last week. You can read more about it in yesterday’s sriracha butter apple grilled cheese post.

We made:

Don’t worry, I’ll be posting the recipe to all 4 grilled cheeses above – just give me a little time 🙂

Unlike my other recipes, I didn’t make a video for these sandwiches since the instructions are fairly straightforward (let me know in the comments if you’d like me to make a video). I was also a little too excited when making these sandwiches and forgot to take some photos of the process 😅. I’ll update this post with more photos the next time I make them again (which probably won’t be long).

Anyways, without further ado, here’s the recipe!

Like the sriracha butter apple grilled cheese recipe, this one is also quick and easy to put together, but it does take a little more time because you need to fry up the bacon – but it’s definitely worth it.

Ingredients you’ll need:

  • 4 slices of bacon (2 slices per sandwich) – you can use whatever type of bacon you like. In Australia it’s a little harder to get the typical fatty bacon like from back home (called ‘streaky bacon’ here) so I used short cut bacon here. It’s not as fatty or crispy as streaky bacon, but it’s still delicious.
  • Mayonnaise for spreading – this is the secret to a crisp golden grilled cheese! Mayo gives a nicer crisp and colour compared to butter.
  • 4 slices of white bread (I like to use sourdough, but whatever white bread you’ve got works)
  • 4 Tbsps Apricot jam (2 Tbsps per sandwich)
  • Brie cheese, sliced (you can choose a different cheese if you like. Brie takes a bit of a backseat in this sandwich and lets the bacon and apricot takeover but still provides the ooey-gooey goodness)

Directions:

Fry up your bacon on a skillet on medium heat. If you’re using streaky bacon, you won’t need any oil and just cook on both sides until crispy and set aside on some paper towel to absorb extra grease. If you’re using the less fatty short cut bacon, then you might need a little oil in your pan so your bacon doesn’t stick. Cook on both sides until fragrant and you get some light brown colour. Set aside.

Spread mayonnaise on one side of each slice of bread (this will be the outside of the sandwich that you will toast to get that crisp golden colour).

Assemble your grilled cheese with the mayonnaise side facing the outside. Spread apricot jam on the other side of the bread, then layer with brie, two slices of bacon, a little more brie, the other slice of bread (again, mayo on the outside).

(Incase that sentence was confusing, your layers should be: mayonnaise + bread + apricot jam + cheese + bacon + cheese + bread + mayonnaise).

Get a pan on the stove on medium heat and once your pan is heated, place your sandwich in the pan (you don’t need any oil in the pan because the mayonnaise on the outside of your sandwich will act as your oil base).

Toast your sandwich until the bread is a beautiful crisp golden brown and the cheese is melty (~3-5mins), then carefully flip your sandwich over and toast the other side. (Tip: if your sandwich is quite tall, you can gently flatten your sandwich as your cheese melts. This will help compact your sandwich and make it less messy to eat.) Once your second side is toasted and your cheese is melted, repeat with your second sandwich and serve immediately! Enjoy!!

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!

Summarized Recipe:

bacon brie apricot grilled cheese

Date Published: July 21st, 2020 | Last Updated: July 21st, 2020
Author: Abby |Category: snacks, quick and easy, <30mins
Serves: 2 | Prep time: 15 mins | Cook time: 10 mins

Ingredients:

  • 4 slices of bacon (2 slices per sandwich)
  • Mayonnaise for spreading
  • 4 slices of white bread (I like to use sourdough, but whatever white bread you’ve got works)
  • 4 Tbsps Apricot jam (2 Tbsps per sandwich)
  • Brie cheese, sliced (see the notes above)

Directions:

  1. Fry up your bacon on a skillet on medium heat until cooked (see notes above depending on which kind of bacon you use).
  2. Spread mayonnaise on one side of each slice of bread (this will be the outside of the sandwich that you will toast to get that crisp golden colour).
  3. Assemble your grilled cheese with the mayonnaise side facing the outside. Spread apricot jam on the other side of the bread, then layer with brie, two slices of bacon, a little more brie, the other slice of bread (again, mayo on the outside).
  4. Get a pan on the stove on medium heat and once your pan is heated, place your sandwich in the pan. Toast your sandwich until the bread is a beautiful crisp golden brown and the cheese is melty (~3-5mins), then carefully flip your sandwich over and toast the other side. Once your second side is toasted and your cheese is melted, repeat with your second sandwich and serve immediately. Enjoy!!

AbbyLeave a comment