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.

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!

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: Sept 27th, 2021
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
2 tsps kosher/cooking salt
3 cups neutral oil
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
2 tsps kosher/cooking salt
3 cups neutral oil
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, 2021

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

Insanely Good Mushroom Cream Sauce

Date Published: March 21st, 2021 | Last Updated: March 21st, 2021
Author: Abby |Category: sauces
Serves: 2-3 cups | Prep time: 5 mins | Cook time: 40 mins

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If you’ve ever been to the Italian restaurant called Universal on the popular Lygon Street in Melbourne, you’ll know that they’re best known for their giant oversized chicken parma for $14 where most uni students gather for a good cheap meal and drinks. Although the parma is pretty good, my favourite dish there is their mushroom schnitzel. The schnitzel is like any other, but the star of the show is the amazing creamy mushroom sauce. It’s hands down the best mushroom sauce I’ve ever had. I’ve tried to recreate it many times over the years and never got it quite right until finally I stumbled across the recipe from RecipeTinEats – after a few minor tweaks here and there I think I’ve cracked the code to Universal’s famous mushroom cream sauce!

The great thing about this sauce is that it’s super versatile. You can put it over just about anything – think: schnitzel, french fries, grilled chicken, baked potatoes, pasta…etc. The possibilities are endless! This sauce is super easy to make, the hardest part is the waiting game for the sauce to simmer down until you can dive right in. Depending on what you intend on using this sauce for, you can make it as runny or as thick as you like just by changing the amount of time you simmer it.

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

2 Tbsps (28g) butter (salted or unsalted)
Drizzle of olive oil
400g mushrooms, sliced (white or brown are fine)
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup (80ml) white wine
1/2 cup (125ml) chicken broth
1 cup (250ml) thickened/heavy cream
pinch of paprika (optional but adds a little smokiness)
2 tsp fresh thyme leaves (or 1/2 tsp dried)
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

In a skillet on MED-HIGH heat, melt the butter with a drizzle of olive oil. Add in the mushrooms and sautée until golden brown (~5 mins). Stir in the garlic and cook for another minute.

Add in the white wine, chicken broth, cream, and paprika. Stir together and let the sauce come to a light simmer then turn the heat down to low/medium to continue simmering until the sauce starts to thicken. Add in the parmesan cheese and mix. Continue to simmer until desired consistency.

Stir in thyme, and salt and pepper to taste. Done!

Served over a baked chicken katsu:

Summarized Recipe:

Insanely Good Mushroom Cream Sauce

Date Published: March 21st, 2021 | Last Updated: March 21st, 2021
Author: Abby |Category: sauces
Serves: 2-3 cups | Prep time: 5 mins | Cook time: 40 mins

Ingredients:

2 Tbsps (28g) butter (salted or unsalted)
Drizzle of olive oil
400g mushrooms, sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup (80ml) white wine
1/2 cup (125ml) chicken broth
1 cup (250ml) thickened/heavy cream
pinch of paprika (optional but adds a little smokiness)
2 tsp fresh thyme leaves (or 1/2 tsp dried)
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

In a skillet on MED-HIGH heat, melt the butter with a drizzle of olive oil. Add in the mushrooms and sautée until golden brown (~5 mins). Stir in the garlic and cook for another minute.
Add in the white wine, chicken broth, cream, and paprika. Stir together and let the sauce come to a light simmer then turn the heat down to low/medium to continue simmering until the sauce starts to thicken. Add in the parmesan cheese and mix. Continue to simmer until desired consistency. Stir in thyme, and salt and pepper to taste. Done!

Try serving it over a baked chicken katsu!

Recipe for Baked Chicken Katsu

Baked Chicken Katsu

by Abby August 1, 2020August 20, 2020

March 21, 2021March 21, 2021

Abby5 Comments

Red Curry Satay Sauce

Date Published: August 27th, 2020 | Last Updated: August 27th, 2020
Author: Abby |Category: sauces, dips, Asian
Serves: roughly 1 cup | Prep time: 5 mins | Cook time: 5 mins

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There are few things in the world better than a good creamy peanut satay sauce and when you pair it with coconut milk and red curry paste? Ohhhh boy. Get your tastebuds ready for a flavour explosion! This recipe uses the homemade red curry chilli paste recipe for a bold and fresh flavour. Depending on how much you make your curry paste, this satay sauce can add a kick! Use the leftovers mixed with cold noodles for a quick lunch or save it for a dip with spring rolls or prawn toast. You’re only 5 minutes away from making this delicious red curry satay sauce!

Recipe adapted from Recipe Tin Eats.

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

330ml coconut milk
3/4 cup (185ml) water
2 Tbsps homemade red curry paste
3/4 cup (180g) peanut butter, smooth or crunchy
1/4 cup + 2 tsps white sugar
2 Tbsps apple cider vinegar
2 tsps dark soy sauce
2 tsps fish sauce
1 tsp salt

Directions:

In a saucepan on LOW-MED heat, add in all of the ingredients and stir. Simmer the sauce for 5 minutes for the flavours to infuse. Taste and adjust flavours as needed. Done! Easy, huh?

If the sauce is too thick for you, add in a little bit of water until you reach your desired consistency.

Summarized Recipe:

Red Curry Satay Sauce

Ingredients:

330ml coconut milk
3/4 cup (185ml) water
2 Tbsps homemade red curry paste
3/4 cup (180g) peanut butter, smooth or crunchy
1/4 cup + 2 tsps white sugar
2 Tbsps apple cider vinegar
2 tsps dark soy sauce
2 tsps fish sauce
1 tsp salt

Directions:

In a saucepan on LOW-MED heat, add in all of the ingredients and stir. Simmer the sauce for 5 minutes for the flavours to infuse. Taste and adjust flavours as needed. Done!

Note: If the sauce is too thick for you, add in a little bit of water until you reach your desired consistency.

August 27, 2020August 27, 2020

Abby1 Comment

Tzatziki

Date Published: August 21st, 2020| Last Updated: August 21st, 2020
Author: Abby |Category: sauces/dips, easy
Serves: 1 cup | Prep time: 10 mins | Mix time: 30 secs + resting overnight

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Tzatziki tzatziki. It’s so simple and so good. My dill plants had been struggling on my balcony over the winter months so I wasn’t able to make this recipe for ages, but now that we’ve moved onto the farm with plenty of space and sunshine, the dill plant here has gone wild! This dip is so refreshing with the cucumber, lemon and dill. Our favourite way to eat this is slathered between two burger buns in a beef patty to make a quick Greek burger but its also fantastic on its own as a dip with bread or veggies.

This is a make-ahead recipe. It takes less than 10 minutes to whip up this recipe but the full potential of the flavours don’t come out until it’s refrigerated for at least 4 hours, ideally overnight. This dip needs time for the flavours to marinate and work themselves out. It sounds a bit crazy but trust me. The first time I made this dip I spent over 20 minutes adding a little more of this and that and it still never seemed quite right. I ended up putting it away and when I revisited it the next morning, it was AMAZING! I was surprised how everything just fixed itself overnight. Now when I make this sauce I don’t even bother with adjusting the flavours until the next day, after its had time to sort itself out.

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

1/4 (100g) of a continental cucumber
3/4 cup (184g) Greek yoghurt
1 small clove of garlic, minced
1/2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp lemon zest
2 Tbsps fresh dill, chopped
1/2 tsp salt, or to taste
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
Splash of lemon juice (optional)

Directions:

Grate the cucumber (with the peel) and then wrap it up in a clean tea towel or a few layers of paper towel and squeeze out as much liquid as you can. You should end up with nearly half the weight of cucumber you started with.

The salt in the dip will draw out the water in the cucumber and result in a wet sloppy tzatziki which is why it’s so important to squeeze out as much water as you can at the start.

Mix the rest of the ingredients in a bowl. Refrigerate overnight, or a minimum of 4 hours. Trust me, the flavours are SO much better the next day once the ingredients have had time to marinate together. Taste and adjust ingredients as needed. Enjoy!

Summarized Recipe:

Tzatziki

Ingredients:

1/4 (100g) of a continental cucumber
3/4 cup (184g) Greek yoghurt
1 small clove of garlic, minced
1/2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp lemon zest
2 Tbsps fresh dill, chopped
1/2 tsp salt, or to taste
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
Splash of lemon juice (optional)

Directions:

Grate the cucumber (with the peel) and then wrap it up in a clean tea towel or a few layers of paper towel and squeeze out as much liquid as you can. You should end up with nearly half the weight of cucumber you started with.
Mix the rest of the ingredients in a bowl. Refrigerate overnight, or a minimum of 4 hours. (Trust me, the flavours are SO much better the next day once the ingredients have had time to marinate together.) Taste and adjust ingredients as needed. Enjoy!

August 21, 2020August 21, 2020

Abby1 Comment

Classic Hummus

Date Published: August 21st, 2020 | Last Updated: August 21st, 2020
Author: Abby |Category: dips/sauces, snack
Serves: 1 large bowl | Prep time: 10 mins | Mix time: 1 minute

Jump to recipe |

A good classic hummus makes me so happy. Something about the classic flavours of the creamy tahini with cumin and chickpeas blended together with that kick of garlic makes it magical. There are so many variations out there these days but at the end of the day I always prefer the old-fashioned hummus and best of all it only takes 10 minutes to make! Don’t get me wrong, I love a good spin on a classic such as beetroot hummus or even roasted red pepper hummus, but the additional flavours distract from the true creaminess of a classic which is what makes it unbeatable. This smooth creamy dip is so so good as a dip with some crackers or veggies and even better smeared in a warm wrap! Try it with some leftover lamb roast in a homemade flatbread – I promise it’s phenomenal.

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

1 can (400g) of chickpeas
3/4 cup tahini
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
4 cloves of garlic, peeled
1 Tbsp ground cumin
1 tsp salt (or more to taste)

Directions:

Drain the chickpeas and keep the liquid aside.

Put the drained chickpeas and the rest of the ingredients (tahini, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, salt and cumin) into a food processor or blender and blend until thick and smooth. If the hummus is too thick, add in one tablespoon of the reserved chickpea fluid at a time and mix until desired consistency. Taste and adjust seasonings to your preference. Discard the rest of the chickpea liquid.

When serving, drizzle olive oil over the hummus and add a pinch of paprika for garnish.

Pair it with some pita chips made from the homemade flatbread recipe!

Notes:

To make this a low carb version, substitute the can of chickpeas with 4 cups zucchini, peeled & chopped.
You can try other combinations: beetroot, roasted red peppers and parmesan…etc.

To make a roasted red pepper hummus: roast 3 peppers over the grill or fire until charred. Set aside to cool and scrape off any excessively blackened bits. Place the peppers in a clean tea towel or paper towel and over a bowl, squeeze out any liquid. Save this liquid. Add the roasted red peppers to the hummus and blend until combined. If it’s too thick, then add in a teaspoon of the liquid from the peppers at a time until you reach the desired consistency. You can also add in the liquid from the drained chickpeas as well. Taste and adjust flavours as needed. You may need to add additional salt to the above hummus recipe since adding red peppers will dilute the saltiness of the hummus. Done!

To make a beetroot hummus: Drain a can of beetroots and reserve the liquid. Blend the beetroots into the hummus. Taste and adjust the amount of beetroot as needed.

Summarized Recipe:

Classic Hummus

Date Published: August 21st, 2020 | Last Updated: August 21st, 2020
Author: Abby |Category: dips/sauces, snack
Serves: 1 large bowl | Prep time: 5 mins | Mix time: 1 minute

Ingredients:

1 can (400g) of chickpeas
3/4 cup tahini
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
4 cloves of garlic, peeled
1 Tbsp ground cumin
1 tsp salt (or more to taste)

Directions:

Drain the chickpeas and keep the liquid aside.
Put the drained chickpeas and the rest of the ingredients (tahini, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, salt and cumin) into a food processor or blender and blend until thick and smooth. If the hummus is too thick, add in one tablespoon of the reserved chickpea fluid at a time and mix until desired consistency. Taste and adjust seasonings to your preference. Discard the rest of the chickpea liquid.
When serving, drizzle olive oil over the hummus and add a pinch of paprika for garnish. Done!

August 21, 2020September 6, 2020

Abby4 Comments