Avocado Salsa Verde

Date Published: March 2nd, 2025 | Last Updated: March 2nd, 2025
Author: Abby |Category: dips, vegetarian, easy, healthy, snacks
Serves: 3 cups | Prep time: 15 mins | Cook time: 15 mins

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Since moving to the US 2 years ago, Toby and I have had a lot more exposure to Mexican/Latin cuisine. There’s a severe lack of good Mexican food in Melbourne and Toby’s mind has been blown away by all the amazing choices within arms reach. Our South Slope neighbourhood is full of so many authentic Mexican restaurants that sometimes we need a Spanish translator app just to order our food (seriously, once we asked one of our Spanish-speaking co-workers to order our food for us 😅). We joke that every new shop is either going to be a cannabis dispensary, bodega, or Mexican restaurant.

We have had more than our share of amazing burritos, tacos, and empanadas in this neighbourhood and it often comes with a red, green, and sometimes orange sauce. These sauces tend to be a house-made chilli salsa in varying degrees of spiciness and no two sauces are the same between restaurants. I usually gravitate towards the green sauce which is made with a green chilli but on one occasion the green sauce had hints of avocado flavour and took me by surprise. It was so good that I went right back and ordered a large container of it just to keep in the fridge. This avocado salsa verde recipe is a result of that sauce. Although I haven’t been able to recreate it to exactly the same sauce, this end result came out so good that I’ve decided to share it anyway. I hope you enjoy!

What are Tomatillos?

A tomatillo is also known as a Mexican husk tomato. To me it looks exactly like a green tomato, but with a papery shell/husk on the outside. You must remove the shell/husk before using them and the underlying skin can have a slightly sticky residue that comes off with a quick rinse. Tomatillos can be used raw or cooked. The flavour of a tomatillo is a bit unique in that in can have a tartness to it when eaten raw, but it mellows out when cooked.

Avoiding a bitter salsa verde

A common complaint when making salsa verde is that it can turn out a bit bitter. I came across this in my first few batches and it took a bit of research to figure out why – the tomatillos! Before this recipe, tomatillos were foreign to me and I had to learn how to use them. They are the most common cause for a bitter salsa verde due to a number of reasons:

Unripe tomatillos – a ripe tomatillo should be:
- Bright green under the husk
- Have a tight husk (the fruit fills up the husk rather than a small and shrunken fruit within which can indicate that it was harvested too early)
- Have some firmness but not too hard (under-ripe) nor mushy (over-ripe)
Overcooked tomatillos – tomatillos should be cooked until they just turn colour from a bright green to a more pale/army green colour. Overcooking your tomatillo is one of the most common causes for bitterness.
Remove the ribs and stem base – The stem base can be a cause of bitterness so I like to remove it before blending it in my salsa. Some people also claim that the seeds and ribs can also cause the bitter flavour and will scoop it out as well.
Taste! The best way to avoid a bitter salsa verde is to taste your tomatillos and its components after its cooked before blending it with the rest of your ingredients so you know if you need to make any corrections.

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:

2-3 (200g) tomatillos
1 medium (100g) avocado, deseeded and peeled (weight is after deseeding and peeling)
1 large (90g) red shallot (or a quarter of a red onion)
7g cilantro, leaves and stem
1/2 (10g) fresh jalapeño, deseeded, for mildly spicy. Add more to your liking, you can also use serrano chili
2 large (7g) garlic cloves, peeled
1/2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
1 tsp salt, or more to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400˚F/200˚C.

Remove the outer husks of the tomatillos, rinse off the sticky residue, remove the rib/stem base, then place it on a baking tray. Add a drizzle of oil over the tomatillos and bake in the preheated oven for 10-15 minutes, or until soft with a light golden brown on top (the colour will turn from a bright green to a lighter/army green).

Not pictured: remember to remove the rib/stem base before using in your sauce

While the tomatillos are roasting, prepare and add the rest of the ingredients to a blender: avocado, red shallots, cilantro, jalapeño, garlic, lime juice, and salt.

Once the tomatillos are done roasting, add them to the blender with the rest of the ingredients and blend on HIGH until smooth. Taste and adjust salt, lime juice, and jalapeños to your liking. Done!

Tip: If it’s too spicy, add more avocado.

Summarized Recipe:

Avocado Salsa Verde

Ingredients:

2-3 (200g) tomatillos
1 medium (100g) avocado, deseeded and peeled (weight is after deseeding and peeling)
1 large (90g) red shallot (or a quarter of a red onion)
7g cilantro, leaves and stem
1/2 (10g) fresh jalapeño, deseeded, for mildly spicy. Add more to your liking, you can also use serrano chili
2 large (7g) garlic cloves, peeled
1/2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
1 tsp salt, or more to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400˚F/200˚C.
Remove the outer husks of the tomatillos, give it a rinse, then place it on a baking tray. Add a drizzle of oil over the tomatillos and bake in the preheated oven for 10-15 minutes, or until soft with a light golden brown on top (the colour will turn from a bright green to a lighter/army green).
While the tomatillos are roasting, prepare and add the rest of the ingredients to a blender: avocado, red shallots, cilantro, jalapeño, garlic, lime juice, and salt.
Once the tomatillos are done roasting, add them to the blender with the rest of the ingredients and blend on HIGH until smooth. Taste and adjust salt, lime juice, and jalapeños to your liking. Done!
- Tip: If it’s too spicy, add more avocado.

March 2, 2025December 24, 2024

AbbyLeave a comment

How to make horseradish from scratch

Date Published: Jan 26th, 2025 | Last Updated: Jan 26th, 2025
Author: Abby |Category: basics, how-to, <15 mins, easy, sauces, vegetarian
Serves: 1 jar | Prep time: 5 mins | Blend time: 1 minute

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I’m not a fan of horseradish, but recently I needed a small amount for a new recipe I was trying out and for whatever reason I couldn’t find any jarred horseradish at the bodegas near me. Surprisingly, I did manage to find fresh horseradish root instead. I’ve never used fresh horseradish before (I thought the shop worker was giving me a parsnip 😅), but a quick google search showed how easy it was to make my own prepared horseradish. So here I am, sharing another recipe with everyone on what I’ve learned and to document it incase I’m ever in the same situation again in the future. Preparing your own horseradish is actually super easy and you can tailor it to how spicy, mild, or salty you like. The best part is that it keeps in the fridge for months, which perfect if you go through a jar of horseradish super slowly like me.

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

240g horseradish root, peeled and chopped
1/4 cup water
1 Tbsp white vinegar
Pinch of salt

Directions:

1. Wash, peel, and chop up the horseradish root.

2. Add the horseradish root (peeled and chopped) to a small blender or food processor and add enough water to blend the horseradish into a smooth purée (I added about 1/4 cup). Be careful when opening the blender lid. Horseradish can be pretty pungent and can sting your eyes like an onion if you get a big enough whiff.

3. Once blended, strain out any excess water, then add in 1 Tbsp of white vinegar and a pinch of salt to offset the spiciness. Done!

Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a month.

Summarized Recipe:

How to make horseradish from scratch

Ingredients:

240g horseradish root, peeled and chopped
1/4 cup water
1 Tbsp white vinegar
Pinch of salt

Directions:

Wash, peel, and chop the horseradish root.
Add the horseradish root (peeled and chopped) to a small blender or food processor and add enough water to blend the horseradish into a smooth purée (I added about 1/4 cup).
- Be careful when opening the blender lid. Horseradish can be pretty pungent and can sting your eyes like an onion if you get a big enough whiff.
Once blended, strain out any excess water, then add in 1 Tbsp of white vinegar and a pinch of salt to offset the spiciness. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a month.

January 26, 2025December 22, 2024

AbbyLeave a comment

Garlic Soy Sauce Paste/Dressing

Date Published: April 16th, 2024 | Last Updated: April 16th, 2024
Author: Abby |Category: easy, Asian, quick, Taiwanese, <15 mins, sauces
Serves: 1.5 cups of sauce | Prep time: 5 mins | Cook time: 5 mins

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Soy sauce paste is one of the most popular sauces you’ll find in Taiwanese street food, often drizzled over a wide variety of dishes including fried fish cake tempura, century egg with silken tofu, dan bing, sautéed vegetables…the list goes on! It’s so versatile, yet so difficult to find outside of Taiwan.

Soy sauce paste is more than just thickened soy sauce – it’s lightly sweetened but still maintains the umami profile. It’s a little similar to oyster sauce – in fact, some people use it interchangeably with vegetarian/mushroom oyster sauce if soy sauce paste is not readily available.

This recipe is a garlic version of the classic soy sauce paste which in my opinion makes it even better! It’s quick and easy, and the sauce will keep in the fridge for up to a week – just give it a shake each time you’re about to use it!

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

Garlic puree:
- 4 cloves (25g) garlic, peeled with fibrous ends cut off
- 1/2 cup (120ml) water
Soy sauce paste:
- 1/4 cup (60ml) soy sauce (ie. kikkoman)
- 1/4 cup (60ml water)
- 2 Tbsps (25g) granulated sugar
- 1.5 Tbsps cornstarch
- 2 Tbsps water
2 Tbsps (25g) granulated sugar

Directions:

Make the garlic purée: Add the garlic with 1/2 cup of water into a high speed blender. Blend until you get a smooth paste. Set aside.

Add the soy sauce paste ingredients to a saucepan

Make the soy sauce paste: In a small saucepan on MED heat, add in the soy sauce, 1/4 cup water, and sugar. Stir until the sugar has dissolved. Let the sauce come to a light simmer. While you’re waiting, in a separate bowl, mix together the cornstarch and 2 Tbsps of water. When the sauce has come to a simmer, add in the cornstarch/water mixture and continuously whisk for about 1 minute or until the mixture comes to a gloopy paste. Turn off the heat and set aside to let cool.

Once the soy sauce paste has slightly cooled, add in the garlic purée (from step 1) and 2 Tbsps of sugar. Mix it all together and taste to adjust salt or sugar. Done! Keeps well in the fridge for up to 1 week.

Summarized Recipe:

Garlic Soy Sauce Paste/Dressing

Ingredients:

Garlic puree:
- 4 cloves (25g) garlic, peeled with fibrous ends cut off
- 1/2 cup (120ml) water
Soy sauce paste:
- 1/4 cup (60ml) soy sauce (ie. kikkoman)
- 1/4 cup (60ml water)
- 2 Tbsps (25g) granulated sugar
- 1.5 Tbsps cornstarch
- 2 Tbsps water
2 Tbsps (25g) granulated sugar

Directions:

Make the garlic purée: Add the garlic with 1/2 cup of water into a high speed blender. Blend until you get a smooth paste. Set aside.
Make the soy sauce paste: In a small saucepan on MED heat, add in the soy sauce, 1/4 cup water, and sugar. Stir until the sugar has dissolved. Let the sauce come to a light simmer. While you’re waiting, in a separate bowl, mix together the cornstarch and 2 Tbsps of water. When the sauce has come to a simmer, add in the cornstarch/water mixture and continuously whisk for about 1 minute or until the mixture comes to a gloopy paste. Turn off the heat and set aside to let cool.
Once the soy sauce paste has slightly cooled, add in the garlic purée (from step 1) and 2 Tbsps of sugar. Mix it all together and taste to adjust salt or sugar. Done! Keeps well in the fridge for up to 1 week.

April 16, 2024April 16, 2024

AbbyLeave a comment

French Onion Spinach Dip ‘Cob Loaf’

Date Published: Jan 15th, 2024 | Last Updated: Jan 15th, 2024
Author: Abby |Category: snacks, appetizer, <15mins, easy, sauces/dips, snacks, vegetarian
Serves: 4-6 | Prep time: 10 mins + chill overnight | Cook time: 20mins

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Toby has a bad habit of leaving the microscope on at work and the nurses kept calling him out on it. Eventually they started a tally and if he left the microscope on 5 times, he had to make the clinic a cob loaf. He actually lasted a good few weeks until he reached five 😂. We had no idea how to make a cob loaf and came upon this recipe from Taste.com.au when we were looking it up for the first time. The recipe was ridiculously easy and the results were SO GOOD. We’ve made it 5 more times since and it has become a part staple for us! I guess you just can’t beat a classic.

What is a Cob Loaf?

A “cob loaf” is a round loaf of bread. I had never heard the term ‘cob loaf’ until I came to Australia. The term cob loaf is used interchangeably here as the definition of the round bread loaf but also as a dish where a dip is served inside the round loaf of bread. So when someone says they’re bringing a “cob loaf” to the party, they mean that they’re going to bring a dip that is served inside a carved out round loaf of bread. It took me so much longer than I’d like to admit to figure all of this out 😂😂😂. Upon further research for this post, I’ve learned that a cob loaf has been consistently the most popular party food in Australia and has been around for 100 years! 😮

The traditional and most popular “cob loaf” dip is a spinach dip consisting of cream cheese, spinach, and french onion soup mix. The other common type I’ve seen is a bacon and cheese cob loaf. Cob loaves have evolved over the years and pretty much any type of dip served in a round bread bowl is considered a cob loaf. This recipe is a traditional cob loaf.

You can either buy the pre-made French onion soup mix powder from the shops, or make your own. I’ve done a blind taste test trial with Toby and he couldn’t tell the difference between the two. So if you’re feeling extra lazy, just buy the prepackaged mix. I prefer making my own mix for a number of reasons: A) more cost-effective if you already have all the pantry ingredients, B) there aren’t any preservatives or synthetic ingredients when you make the mix yourself, C) the flavour will be consistent time after time in case you can’t find your favourite french onion mix or if you’re travelling and it’s not a commonly available item in the shops, and D) you can tweak the ingredients easier for a personalized flavour.

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

Spinach Dip:
- French Onion seasoning mix (or you can buy a 40g packet pre-made French onion soup mix):
  - 1/4 cup onion flakes
  - 1/2 tsp onion powder
  - 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  - 1 beef bouillon cube, crushed into a powder
  - 1/2 tsp dried parsley
  - 1/4 tsp celery salt
  - 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 250g frozen spinach, thawed
- 250g cream cheese, softened
- 300ml sour cream
- Salt and pepper to taste
1 cob loaf (any round bread loaf)

Directions:

Defrost the spinach and squeeze out all of the water.

Put all of the ingredients in a mixing bowl and stir until completely mixed through, making sure you get rid of any clumps: french onion soup mix (or spice blend), spinach, cream cheese, and sour cream. You can put it all in a food processor to make it easier.

Place the mixture into an airtight container and chill for 4 hours, or best if overnight.

The next day, pre-heat oven to 180˚C (or 160 fan-forced).

Prepare the cob loaf by cutting the top 1/4 off and slicing it into large pieces. Then cut a hole into the remaining bread bowl and remove the bread inside. Tip: if you have a particularly large bread, don’t remove as much bread from the inside or else your dip won’t fill up the bowl nicely and it’ll look too ’empty’ when serving.

Pour the spinach dip into the bread bowl. Serve cold or warmed in the oven (I personally prefer it warmed so the flavours come out better).

To serve it warmed: Place the bread bowl with the dip inside on a baking tray and the sliced bread pieces around the bowl and bake for 15-20 minutes until the edges are golden brown. Serve immediately. Enjoy!

Summarized Recipe:

French Onion Spinach Dip ‘Cob Loaf’

Ingredients:

Spinach Dip:
- 40g packet French onion soup mix OR:
  - 1/4 cup onion flakes
  - 1/2 tsp onion powder
  - 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  - 1 beef bouillon cube, crushed into a powder
  - 1/2 tsp dried parsley
  - 1/4 tsp celery salt
  - 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 250g frozen spinach, thawed
- 250g cream cheese, softened
- 300ml sour cream
- Salt and pepper to taste
1 cob loaf (any round bread loaf)

Directions:

Defrost the spinach and squeeze out all of the water.
Put all of the ingredients in a mixing bowl and stir until completely mixed through, making sure you get rid of any clumps: french onion soup mix (or spice blend), spinach, cream cheese, and sour cream. You can put it all in a food processor to make it easier.
Place the mixture into an airtight container and chill for 4 hours, or best if overnight.
The next day, pre-heat oven to 180˚C (or 160 fan-forced).
Prepare the cob loaf by cutting the top 1/4 off and slicing it into large pieces. Then cut a hole into the remaining bread bowl and remove the bread inside.
- Tip: if you have a particularly large bread, don’t remove as much bread from the inside or else your dip won’t fill up the bowl nicely and it’ll look too ’empty’ when serving.
Pour the spinach dip into the bread bowl. Serve cold or warmed in the oven (I personally prefer it warmed so the flavours come out better).
To serve it warmed: Place the bread bowl with the dip inside on a baking tray and the sliced bread pieces around the bowl and bake for 15-20 minutes until the edges are golden brown. Serve immediately. Enjoy!

January 16, 2024

AbbyLeave a comment

Copycat KFC Gravy (so easy and quick!)

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

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

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

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

Directions:

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

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

Summarized Recipe:

Copycat KFC Gravy (so easy and quick!)

Ingredients:

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

Directions

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

September 5, 2022

AbbyLeave a comment

Smoked Salmon Spread

Date Published: Dec 14th, 2021 | Last Updated: Dec 14th, 2021
Author: Abby |Category: easy, <15 mins, appetizers, on the go, quick, dips, snacks
Serves: 1 large bowl or 6 bagel spreads | Prep time: 10 mins | Mix time: 2 mins

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This is one of my all time favourite dips. I’m surprised it has taken me this long to write it up! A good cream cheese bagel has always been one of my weaknesses. When I did a vet student placement in New York years ago, there was a bagel cart parked outside of the American Medical Centre. Every morning I’d get an ‘everything bagel with cream cheese’ and it was always the best part of my morning because he loaded it with so much cream cheese 😛. One day I walked up to the cart and before I even spoke, he already started apologizing that he had sold out of the ‘everything bagel’. Although I was disappointed, I was more surprised that he actually remembered me and it was nice the have a bagel guy that knows my “usual”. (Don’t worry guys, I got a plain bagel instead, and it had just as much cream cheese 😜). Aaaaanyways, I digress. The point of that story is that I really fucking love bagels and cream cheese – but what’s even better? Smoked salmon and cream cheese! You’ll commonly find “lox” on the menu of a bagel shop in New York (lox and cold smoked salmon are often used interchangeably, although lox isn’t always smoked). It’s usually served on a toasted bagel with cream cheese, capers, dill, and red onion. Mmmmmmmmm. This recipe is essentially all of those ingredients blended together to make a quick and easy salmon spread.

This dip is perfect to serve as a dip at a party served with some fancy crackers, or as a quick and easy snack or breakfast spread over a warm toasted bagel.

What type of salmon?

I prefer to use cold-smoked salmon for this recipe (the fancy pieces of sliced pink heaven). I usually buy them in big packages from Costco so it’s a little cheaper and it’s also a great way to use up the remainder of the smoked salmon before it goes off. Blending it with the cream cheese and other ingredients preserves it a little longer. It also gives you a break from eating straight up smoked salmon because you bought too much from Costco because it was so cheap… You can also use smoked trout which is a little cheaper and to me, they taste very similar.

You can also used canned smoked salmon instead which will make this recipe even cheaper to make, however the canned version will have a more robust fishy taste so you’ll either have to use less of it in this recipe or increase the rest of the ingredients. It also won’t have the pretty pink colour so your dip won’t have the blush pink colour, but flavour wise is similar.

Happy cooking!

Recipe originally adapted from: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/233564/the-best-smoked-salmon-spread/

Ingredients you’ll need:

1 package (8oz/226g) cream cheese, softened
150g smoked salmon (cold smoked sliced or canned*)
1/4 cup capers, rinsed and drained
3 Tbsps fresh dill, (leaves only, no stem)
1/4 cup heavy cream
4 dashes Worcestershire sauce
3 drops hot pepper sauce (ie Tabasco) OR 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (or to taste)
1/4 tsp paprika
2 Tbsps fresh lemon juice
2 Tbsps green onion, chopped (optional)

Directions:

Put all the ingredients in a food processor and blend until creamy/smooth.

Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or best overnight before serving. Enjoy!

Serve spread on a toasted bagel or as a dip with crackers.

Notes:

Halve the recipe if you’re making it for yourself for breakfast. It’s a large portion and you’ll end up eating it for a week trying to finish it before it goes off. Speaking from my own experience 😜.
*If you’re using canned smoked salmon, the fish flavour will be more robust and you may have to use a little less of it or increase the other ingredients to adjust.

Summarized Recipe:

Smoked Salmon Spread

Ingredients:

1 package (8oz/226g) cream cheese, softened
150g smoked salmon (cold smoked sliced or canned*)
1/4 cup capers, rinsed and drained
3 Tbsps fresh dill, (leaves only, no stem)
1/4 cup heavy cream
4 dashes Worcestershire sauce
3 drops hot pepper sauce (ie Tabasco) OR 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (or to taste)
1/4 tsp paprika
2 Tbsps fresh lemon juice
2 Tbsps green onion, chopped (optional)

Directions:

Put all the ingredients in a food processor and blend until creamy/smooth.
Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or best overnight before serving. Enjoy!
- Serve spread on a toasted bagel or as a dip with crackers.

Notes:

Halve the recipe if you’re making it for yourself for breakfast. It’s a large portion and you’ll end up eating it for a week trying to finish it before it goes off. Speaking from my own experience 😜.
*If you’re using canned smoked salmon, the fish flavour will be more robust and you may have to use a little less of it or increase the other ingredients to adjust.

December 14, 2021December 14, 2021

AbbyLeave a comment

Toum (Lebanese Garlic Sauce)

Date Published: Sept 27th, 2021 | Last Updated: Nov 25th, 2025
Author: Abby |Category: <30 mins, appetizers, sauce, easy, vegetarian
Serves: 1 large bowl (4 cups) | Prep time: 15 mins | Mix time: 20 mins

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This recipe is for all you garlic lovers out there. If you’ve never had toum before, you’re in for a treat! It’s a Lebanese whipped garlic sauce with the most amazing intense garlic flavour. It goes well with meats, as a sandwich spread, or even a quick way to make garlic bread. It’s made with only 4 easy ingredients: garlic, oil, salt, and lemon juice. Although this sauce is technically easy to make, but it can be time-consuming. The key is patience. You need to drizzle the oil and lemon juice verrrry slowly – if you do it too quickly, the sauce won’t emulsify properly.

Make sure you use the freshest of ingredients for optimal flavour. This recipe yields a whopping 4 cups, but for the amount of effort you’re going to put in, you might as well make a big batch. It keeps well in the fridge for up to 3 weeks. This sauce also never seems to last long because its so damn delicious and versatile. I’ve just made a fresh batch today to have with shawarma and pita bread, and Toby has already gone through a quarter of it in one sitting. 😅

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

You need about 1 cup of garlic cloves = ~2 bulbs of garlic. This is definitely a tedious process but well worth it.

1 cup of garlic cloves (~2 bulbs), peeled with the fibrous tips cut off
- Note: you can also use frozen pre-peeled garlic, however the overall garlic taste will be less punchy
2 tsps kosher/cooking salt
3 cups neutral oil (putting the oil in the freezer first for 90 minutes will ensure a fool-proof way to prevent your toum from splitting!)
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

Directions:

Put the garlic cloves and salt in a food processor and blend until the garlic is minced.

Add in a couple tablespoons of oil and blend until you get a thick paste.

Next, SLOWLY drizzle the oil and lemon juice into the food processor, alternating between the two. Emphasis on the SLOW – you want a 1-2mm stream while you’re drizzling it in. If you pour it in too fast, your sauce will separate and won’t be light and fluffy. This process should take about 10-15 mins. Scrape down the sides as needed. You should have a light and fluffy white garlic paste by the end. Enjoy! Store in an air tight container.

Summarized Recipe:

Toum (Lebanese Garlic Sauce)

Ingredients:

1 cup of garlic cloves (~2 bulbs), peeled with the fibrous tips cut off
- Note: you can also use frozen pre-peeled garlic, however the overall garlic taste will be less punchy
2 tsps kosher/cooking salt
3 cups neutral oil (putting the oil in the freezer first for 90 minutes will ensure a fool-proof way to prevent your toum from splitting!)
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

Directions:

Put the garlic cloves and salt in a food processor and blend until the garlic is minced.
Add in a couple tablespoons of oil and blend until you get a thick paste.
Next, SLOWLY drizzle the oil and lemon juice into the food processor, alternating between the two. Emphasis on the SLOW – you want a 1-2mm stream while you’re drizzling it in. If you pour it in too fast, your sauce will separate and won’t be light and fluffy. This process should take about 10-15 mins. Scrape down the sides as needed. You should have a light and fluffy white garlic paste by the end. Enjoy! Store in an air tight container.

September 27, 2021November 25, 2025

Abby2 Comments

Baba Ghanoush

Date Published: Sept 27th, 2021 | Last Updated: Sept 27th, 2021
Author: Abby |Category: dips, appetizer, easy, healthy, snacks, vegetarian
Serves: 4-6 (1 medium sized bowl) | Prep time: 10 mins | Cook time: 45 mins

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Baba ghanoush is a Lebanese dish that is typically served as a starter or a side to a meat dish. It’s made with charred eggplants, tahini, garlic and lemon. It tastes similar to a hummus but with an extra smoky flavour from the grilling of the eggplants. The ingredients to a baba ghanoush and hummus are nearly identical but instead substitute the chick peas with eggplants. Comparatively, hummus is much easier to make because you skip the step of grilling eggplants, but flavour-wise I prefer baba ghanoush for the smokiness. If I’m feeling lazy and wanting a whip up something quick for a party or a side, I’ll go for the hummus (you can check out my hummus recipe here).

There are many ways to char an eggplant. Traditionally the eggplant is placed over an open flame until the skin wrinkles and the flesh softens, but I find this method more time-consuming to constantly watch the eggplant and I also find it harder and messier to peel. My preferred method is to slice them in half and char them in the oven on high heat. You can then simply scoop out the eggplant flesh instead of having to peel it.

You can simply serve it with some sliced veg and pita chips, or slathered in a wrap with a chicken shawarma.

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

2 medium sized eggplants
2 Tbsps olive oil for brushing
1/4 cup tahini
3 cloves of garlic, peeled
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
2 Tbsps lemon juice (or more to taste)
1/2 tsp salt (or more to taste)

Directions:

Roast the eggplants: Preheat oven to 220˚C (430˚F). Cut the tops off of each eggplant and then cut them in half. Arrange the eggplants skin side up on a baking sheet and brush each one with olive oil. Roast in the preheated oven until the skin wrinkles and the flesh is very soft.

I was making enough for a party. There’s about 6 eggplants in this photo.

Prepare the eggplants: Once the eggplants are done, set them aside to cool. Once it is cool enough to hand, use a spoon and scoop out all of the flesh. Discard the eggplant skin. Place the eggplant flesh in a strainer and squeeze out as much liquid as possible. You can let it rest for another 30 mins to let more juices drip out.

Blend it all together: Add the eggplant flesh and the rest of the ingredients (tahini, garlic, cumin, paprika, lemon juice, salt) in a blender or food processor and blend until you get a smooth texture. Taste and adjust salt and lemon to your preference. Done!

Summarized Recipe:

Baba Ghanoush

Ingredients:

2 medium sized eggplants
2 Tbsps olive oil for brushing
1/4 cup tahini
3 cloves of garlic, peeled
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
2 Tbsps lemon juice (or more to taste)
1/2 tsp salt (or more to taste)

Directions:

Roast the eggplants: Preheat oven to 220˚C (430˚F). Cut the tops off of each eggplant and then cut them in half. Arrange the eggplants skin side up on a baking sheet and brush each one with olive oil. Roast in the preheated oven until the skin wrinkles and the flesh is very soft (~30-45 mins).
Prepare the eggplants: Once the eggplants are done, set them aside to cool. Once it is cool enough to hand, use a spoon and scoop out all of the flesh. Discard the eggplant skin. Place the eggplant flesh in a strainer and squeeze out as much liquid as possible. You can let it rest for another 30 mins to let more juices drip out.
Blend it all together: Add the eggplant flesh and the rest of the ingredients (tahini, garlic, cumin, paprika, lemon juice, salt) in a blender or food processor and blend until you get a smooth texture. Taste and adjust salt and lemon to your preference. Done!

September 27, 2021

Abby1 Comment

Malaysian Satay Sauce

Date Published: June 28th, 2021 | Last Updated: June 28th, 2021
Author: Abby |Category: asian, sauces, <15mins, quick and easy
Serves: ~1.5 cups | Prep time: 5 mins | Cook time: 7 mins

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This recipe is from Sarah Tiong, one of my favourite contestants on Masterchef Australia. I’d strongly recommend everyone to check out her cookbook which is full of amazing flavourful Southeast Asian dishes.

What is Satay?

Satay is a very popular dish in Southeast Asia (especially Malaysia and Indonesia) made of skewered meat marinated and grilled in a savoury peanut sauce. The flavourful sauce is what makes the dish and there are so many variations of it. In its essence, the sauce base is made of ground roasted peanuts and the mix of different spices and aromatics are what takes it to the next level.

This recipe uses curry powder and tamarind paste for its robust flavour. It’s quick any easy to make, with minimal ingredients. You can use this as a marinade or dipping sauce for whatever you like. I’ve even tossed this sauce with some roasted cauliflower for a quick savoury side dish!

If you’re a fan of satay, check out my other satay recipe that uses red chilli paste and coconut milk: Red Curry Satay Sauce.

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

1 cup (150 g) roasted salted peanuts, finely ground or blended
1 Tbsp (9 g) curry powder
1 Tbsp (15 g) tamarind paste
1 1/2 Tbsp (14 g) brown sugar
1/2 cup (125 ml) water (or more if you want a runnier sauce)

Directions:

Heat a dry small skillet or saucepan over LOW heat.

Add the ground peanuts and curry powder to the pan and stir together for 1 minute until fragrant. Mix in the tamarind paste, brown sugar and water and let it simmer for 5 mins or until it reduces to a thick sauce. If you prefer a runnier sauce, add more water. Done!

Summarized Recipe:

Malaysian Satay Sauce

Ingredients:

1 cup (150 g) roasted salted peanuts, finely ground or blended
1 Tbsp (9 g) curry powder
1 Tbsp (15 g) tamarind paste
1 1/2 Tbsp (14 g) brown sugar
1/2 cup (125 ml) water (or more if you want a runnier sauce)

Directions:

Heat a dry small skillet or saucepan over LOW heat.
Add the ground peanuts and curry powder to the pan and stir together for 1 minute until fragrant. Mix in the tamarind paste, brown sugar and water and let it simmer for 5 mins or until it reduces to a thick sauce. If you prefer a runnier sauce, add more water. Done!

June 28, 2021

AbbyLeave a comment

Currywurst (A Curry Ketchup Recipe)

Date Published: April 4th, 2021 | Last Updated: April 4th, 2021
Author: Abby |Category: sauces
Serves: ~1 cup sauce | Prep time: 10 mins | Cook time: 15 mins

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I’ve only been to Europe once in my life and that was back in 2014 where a few of my friends and I spent a 3 week adventure in Belgium, Berlin, Paris, Amsterdam, and Barcelona. It was such a fantastic trip filled with fantastic company, plenty of beers and great food. Apart from the amazing tapas in Barcelona, I was obsessed with the Currywurst in Berlin. We went to a few locations but I think Curry61 was my all time favourite. Currywurst is a street food dish originating from Berlin that is essentially just sausages served with curry ketchup. Sounds simple enough, but the curry ketchup is much more than just adding curry powder to ketchup. It’s got a much richer flavour and I just couldn’t get enough of it! I’ve been told you can buy curry ketchup by the bottle in Europe, but its nearly impossible to find in Australia so I’ve experimented to making my own. I’ve follow the recipe from CraftBeering.com and added a few minor adjustments.

This recipe is really just a recipe for the sauce because you can serve it over whatever you like. Once the sauce is made, feel free to fire up the grill and cook up a few sausages or add it to a burger or french fries.

Once this pandemic is over, Toby and I have plans to visit again and he can try it for the first time and tell me how close my recipe is. 😜

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 medium onion (1.5 cups), diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp curry powder + more for dusting
1 cup ketchup
3 Tbsp white wine vinegar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp paprika
2 tsp salt
1 tsp mustard powder (or 1 tsp prepared yellow mustard)

Directions:

Heat a small pan on MED heat and sauté the diced onion with the vegetable oil until the onion softens and turns translucent (~ 5 mins).

Add in the garlic and curry powder and continue to sauté for another minute to toast the curry powder.

Turn the heat down to LOW and add in the ketchup and continue to cook for a few minutes until heated through.

In a small bowl, add and mix together the rest of the ingredients: vinegar, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, paprika, salt, mustard powder. When the ketchup has heated through, add this mixture to the pan and continue stirring for another few minutes until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is heated through.

Turn off the heat and pour the sauce into a blender or use a stick blender and blend until the mixture is smooth. If you want your sauce runnier, add in a tablespoon of water at a time until desired consistency.

Serve with crispy grilled sausages, french fries…etc. Enjoy!

Summarized Recipe:

Currywurst (A Curry Ketchup Recipe)

Date Published: April 4th, 2021 | Last Updated: April 4th, 2021
Author: Abby |Category: sauces
Serves: ~1 cup sauce | Prep time: 10 mins | Cook time: 15 mins

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 medium onion (1.5 cups), diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp curry powder + more for dusting
1 cup ketchup
3 Tbsp white wine vinegar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp paprika
2 tsp salt
1 tsp mustard powder (or 1 tsp prepared yellow mustard)

Directions:

Heat a small pan on MED heat and sauté the diced onion with the vegetable oil until the onion softens and turns translucent (~ 5 mins).
Add in the garlic and curry powder and continue to sauté for another minute to toast the curry powder.
Turn the heat down to LOW and add in the ketchup and continue to cook for a few minutes until heated through.
In a small bowl, add and mix together the rest of the ingredients: vinegar, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, paprika, salt, mustard powder. When the ketchup has heated through, add this mixture to the pan and continue stirring for another few minutes until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is heated through.
Turn off the heat and pour the sauce into a blender or use a stick blender and blend until the mixture is smooth.
- If you want your sauce runnier, add in a tablespoon of water at a time until desired consistency.
Serve with crispy grilled sausages, french fries…etc. Enjoy!

April 4, 2021April 4, 2021

Abby1 Comment