Grilled King Oyster Mushrooms

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

Jump to recipe |

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

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

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:

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

Directions:

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

Summarized Recipe:

Grilled King Oyster Mushrooms

Ingredients:

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

Directions:

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

September 5, 2022

Abby1 Comment

Quick and So Easy 2-Ingredient Naan

Date Published: Aug 17th, 2022 | Last Updated: Aug 17th, 2022
Author: Abby |Category: <15mins, easy, appetizers, sides, breads, quick and easy, snacks
Serves: 6 pieces | Prep time: 5 mins | Cook time: 4 mins per piece x 6

Jump to recipe |

This two-ingredient naan is easy, fuss-free, and makes a quick side dish to any saucy dish or soup. I originally found the recipe from a Coles weekly magazine and was amazed that it actually turned out well (after a couple tweaks)! It has a beautiful fluffy texture with the classic chewiness of naan. It’s super quick: no yeast, no resting time, no proofing, and minimal kneading. It’s great for a last minute on-the-go side dish. All you need are two ingredients: Greek yogurt and self-raising flour in a 1:1 ratio by weight.

You’ve got to give this simple recipe a try – you’ll be amazed by how quick and easy it comes together!

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:

280g Greek yogurt
280g self-raising flour + more for kneading
1 Tbsp cooking salt (optional to leave out if you’re pairing it with a salty dish)
For brushing: 100g melted butter (or olive oil)
Garnish: 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Directions:

Mix the flour, yogurt and salt in a bowl

In a bowl, combine the Greek yogurt and self-raising flour until you get a loose sticky dough. Turn the dough over on a floured surface and knead by hand until you get a smooth ball of dough (~5mins). Add more flour as needed until the dough is no longer sticky.

Divide the dough into 6 equal pieces and use a rolling pin to flatten each one into 1cm thickness round or oval shapes. Make sure it’s not too thick since they puff up and double in thickness once cooked.

Brush one side with melted butter/olive oil

Heat up a flat pan/skillet on MED-HIGH heat. Brush the melted butter (or olive oil) on one side of the naan and cook oiled side down for 2 mins until it puffs up and bubbles. Brush the other side with butter/oil before flipping and cook for another 1-2 mins or until golden brown then remove from the pan. Repeat with the rest of the dough balls. Brush with a bit more butter on each side before serving.

If making garlic naan, brush the naan with a butter/garlic parsley mixture instead.

Summarized Recipe:

Quick and So Easy 2-Ingredient Naan

Ingredients:

280g Greek yogurt
280g self-raising flour + more for kneading
1 Tbsp cooking salt
For brushing: 100g melted butter (or olive oil)
Garnish: 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Directions:

In a bowl, combine the Greek yogurt and self-raising flour until you get a loose sticky dough.
Turn the dough over on a floured surface and knead by hand until you get a smooth ball of dough (~5mins). Add more flour as needed until the dough is no longer sticky.
Divide the dough into 6 equal pieces and use a rolling pin to flatten each one into 1cm thickness round or oval shapes. Make sure it’s not too thick since they puff up and double in thickness once cooked.
Heat up a flat pan/skillet on MED-HIGH heat. Brush the melted butter (or olive oil) on one side of the naan and cook oiled side down for 2 mins until it puffs up and bubbles. Brush the other side with butter/oil before flipping and cook for another 1-2 mins or until golden brown then remove from the pan. Repeat with the rest of the dough balls. Brush with a bit more butter on each side before serving.
- If making garlic naan, brush the naan with a butter/garlic parsley mixture instead.

August 17, 2022

AbbyLeave a comment

Unintentionally Amazing Soft Tea Eggs (茶葉蛋)

Date Published: Aug 8th, 2022 | Last Updated: Aug 8th, 2022
Author: Abby |Category: Asian, sides, snack, appetizers, healthy, low cal
Serves: 8 eggs | Prep time: 30 mins | Cook time: 5-10 mins + resting overnight

Jump to recipe |

The empty bottle of the brand of sweet vinegar I used. Any sweet vinegar should be fine.

I’ve had a bottle of Chinese sweet black vinegar in the back of my pantry for the past 2 years that has gone untouched and collecting dust. I have no idea what I originally bought it for but whatever it was, I only ever used a small amount. Toby says I bought it originally because I couldn’t find regular black vinegar and tried to use this as a substitute and failed – I have no recollection of this 😅🤷🏻‍♀️. I’ve tried to look for recipes to use up this bottle over the years but I can only ever find it used in a very specific Chinese pork knuckle dish. This bottle has become an eye sore and in a desperate attempt to clean out my pantry before we hit the road again, I decided to try adding it to a marinade for tea eggs. I had very low expectations for this – I just wanted to make something somewhat edible so I’m not wasting it. The end result turned out so much better than I could have ever hoped for! It gave the egg a subtle sweetness along with the saltiness. In fact, it was so good that I ended up buying another bottle of sweet black vinegar just so I can keep making these tea eggs, which is now my favourite way to eat them.

Chinese sweet black vinegar isn’t as tangy as regular vinegar. It’s more subtle and has a light sweetness with a star anise/liquorice flavour. When mixed with the rest of the marinade ingredients, it makes a slightly sweeter tea egg that’s lighter on the palate compared to the classic tea egg that’s usually only soy sauce based. Soft boiled eggs are my favourite style of eggs and perfect for this recipe. The yolk remains soft and jammy which allows some of the marinade to penetrate through giving it more flavour. Make sure you set a timer to cook them perfectly. I’ve included cooking times for medium and hardboiled eggs as well if that’s your thing.

What is a tea egg?

If you’re unfamiliar with tea eggs, it’s a classic Chinese side dish commonly made of hardboiled eggs marinated in a soy-sauce based concoction with black tea leaves. The eggs are cracked before marinating and as a result you get a beautiful marbled appearance on the eggs with a savoury umami flavour with a hint of tea. I remember getting a few of these in a baggie from the local 7-11 in Taiwan before hopping on a train and having these as a snack. I’ve never had them soft-boiled until I started playing around with this recipe. It’s a total game changer and I think this will be the only way I’ll be having my tea eggs from now. 😛

Tips for using up leftover marinade:

Sauté with garlic, cabbage, splash of shaoxing wine until the cabbage cooks down, then stir in chilli paste like lao gan ma or leftover red chilli oil wonton sauce.
Reuse the marinade again! Make sure you reboil the liquid and let it cool before using it again.

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

Marinade:
- 1/2 cup Sweet Black Vinegar
- 1/4 cup light soy sauce
- 2 Tbsps dark soy sauce
- 2.5 Tbsps soy sauce
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 tsp Sichuan peppercorns
- 2 Tbsps (or 2 tea bags) extra strong black tea leaves
- 1 cup water
8 large eggs

Directions:

Make the marinade: Mix all the ingredients of the marinade (vinegar, soy sauces, bay leaves, cinnamon stick, peppercorns, tea leaves, water) in a saucepan and heat on MEDIUM until it boils, then turn the heat down to LOW-MED and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let it cool completely.

Make the eggs: While the marinade cools, boil a pot of water (use a pot large enough to allow all the eggs to submerge in the boiling water without crowding). Once the water boils, carefully lower the eggs into the water – be careful not to crack them. Start a timer and boil for 5 minutes and 30 seconds for soft-boiled eggs, 7 minutes for medium eggs, or 10 minutes for hard boiled eggs.

Dunk them in an ice bath or under cold running water until cooled

Prepare an ice bath for the eggs while they are boiling. Once the timer goes off, immediate transfer the eggs to the ice bath to cool. If you don’t have any ice, run the eggs under cold water until completely cooled.

Once the eggs are cooled, use the back of a spoon and gently crack the egg shells around the entirety of the egg. You want the egg shells to be cracked and broken without breaking the actual egg. This allows the marinade to get through the shell and create a marbled effect. Be careful not to hit them too hard, especially for soft-boiled eggs.

If your container doesn’t immerse the eggs, rotate the eggs 6 hours later or next morning for even marinating

Once the marinade has fully cooled, transfer the marinade with the ingredients to a container or a large ziplock bag and add in the cracked eggs. Ensure the eggs are submerged in the marinade. Choose a container or a bag big enough to fit all the marinade and eggs. It’s better to use a deeper container than a wider one so the eggs submerge better.

Let the eggs marinate in the fridge overnight, or best for 24 hours (or longer!).

Serve the eggs either cold, room temperature, or slightly warmed. Enjoy!

Summarized Recipe:

Unintentionally Amazing Soft Tea Eggs (茶葉蛋)

Ingredients:

Marinade:
- 1/2 cup Sweet Black Vinegar
- 1/4 cup light soy sauce
- 2 Tbsps dark soy sauce
- 2.5 Tbsps soy sauce
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 tsp Sichuan peppercorns
- 2 Tbsps (or 2 tea bags) extra strong black tea leaves
- 1 cup water
8 large eggs

Directions:

Make the marinade: Mix all the ingredients of the marinade (vinegar, soy sauces, bay leaves, cinnamon stick, peppercorns, tea leaves, water) in a saucepan and heat on MEDIUM until it boils, then turn the heat down to LOW-MED and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let it cool completely.
Make the eggs: While the marinade cools, boil a pot of water (use a pot large enough to allow all the eggs to submerge in the boiling water without crowding). Once the water boils, carefully lower the eggs into the water – be careful not to crack them. Start a timer and boil for 5 minutes and 15 seconds for soft-boiled eggs, 7 minutes for medium eggs, or 10 minutes for hard boiled eggs.
Prepare an ice bath for the eggs while they are boiling. Once the timer goes off, immediate transfer the eggs to the ice bath to cool. If you don’t have any ice, run the eggs under cold water until completely cooled.
Once the eggs are cooled, use the back of a spoon and gently crack the egg shells around the entirety of the egg. You want the egg shells to be cracked and broken without breaking the actual egg. This allows the marinade to get through the shell and create a marbled effect. Be careful not to hit them too hard to break the eggs inside, especially for soft-boiled eggs.
Once the marinade has fully cooled, transfer the marinade with the ingredients to a container or a large ziplock bag and add in the cracked eggs. Ensure the eggs are submerged in the marinade. Choose a container or a bag big enough to fit all the marinade and eggs. It’s better to use a deeper container than a wider one so the eggs submerge better.
Let the eggs marinate in the fridge overnight, or best for 24 hours (or longer!).
Serve the eggs either cold, room temperature, or slightly warmed. Enjoy!

August 8, 2022August 8, 2022

AbbyLeave a comment

Taiwanese Style Beerhouse Clams (台式九層塔炒海瓜子)

Date Published: Feb 16th, 2022 | Last Updated: Feb 16th, 2022
Author: Abby |Category: Taiwanese, Asian, easy, mains, sides
Serves: 2-4 | Prep time: 15 mins | Cook time: 10 mins

Jump to recipe |

This was one of my all-time favourite dishes growing up in Taiwan. My brother once got mad at me when we were kids when I ate them too fast, lol. The sauce is SO good, you MUST serve it over white rice to soak up all the delicious flavours. This recipe is commonly found in the beerhouses of Taiwan or seafood shops.

The clams that are traditionally used are called hai gua zi (海瓜子) which roughly translates to ‘ocean melon seeds’ – I think it has to do with the oval shape of them that resembles melon seeds? 🤷🏻‍♀️ They’re small oval clams with a patterned shell that are commonly found in the region. Any small species of clams can be used in this recipe as long as they’re fresh! I actually had a bit of a hard time finding fresh small clams for this recipe in Australia – even the local seafood shops didn’t have them. Surprisingly they were available at the Costco in Adelaide, SA however were a bit pricy at $20/kg for pipis (it was totally worth it though 😜).

Note the patterned shell and the oval shape of the hai gua zi –>

Image source: https://inf.news/en/nature/b6dd63ea2ba851d1cda05f356fb35732.html

What is a Taiwanese Beerhouse (啤酒屋)?

A Taiwanese beerhouse is a place where locals like to go afterwork to unwind, drink beer and eat hot stir-fry dishes. They’re not breweries, they’re just a place to drink and eat. If you’re a foreign visitor to Taiwan, chances are your host wouldn’t bring you to one of these beerhouses. They’re usually noisy, loud with drunk people, and no doubt lots of cigarette smoke. It’s frequented by people of lower socioeconomic classes and call girls as well as the average working man with their coworkers. It’s kind of like taking a guest to a rowdy grungy bar – it’s not for everyone, but the food is usually damn good. These beerhouses are becoming a dying culture and it’s getting harder to find them in Taiwan – possibly due to an attempt to elevate the social status of the area or maybe from the years of economic downturn and less availability of disposable income, or maybe it’s from Westernization 🤷🏻‍♀️. I remember my dad taking us out afterwork when I was a kid and getting out of the cab to see a long street of back to back beerhouses lit up with flashing neon lights (although in hindsight, beerhouses definitely aren’t the best place to bring children 😅). The last time I visited a couple years ago there were only two left on the street – the food was still just as good though!

What is beerhouse-style food?

Taiwanese beerhouses usually serve food that is made quickly over a high heat that packs a ton of flavour. These dishes are commonly very salty and/or spicy which goes great with a bowl of rice and a bottle of cold beer. Common dishes you’ll find are “three-cup” based recipes, which involve the triple threat for a lip-smacking combination: soy sauce, sesame oil, and rice wine. It is often sautéed with ginger, garlic, and Thai basil – the basis of classic Taiwanese beerhouse flavours. This clam recipe doesn’t diverge far from the beerhouse basics.

Thai Basil vs Italian Basil?

There are no substitutions for basil in this recipe. You MUST use Thai basil which is a lot stronger in flavour. Basil is a key component of this dish and without a good strong basil, the flavours just won’t be right. You’d have to probably at least double the amount of Italian basil to get similar results.

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

1kg fresh small clams (ie. Pipis)
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
4cm ginger, peeled and thinly sliced into matchsticks
2-3 long Thai red chilis, sliced (remove the seeds if you want it less spicy)
Sauce:
- 2 Tbsps Chinese cooking wine (ie. Shaoxing)
- 1 Tbsp of black vinegar
- 2 Tbsps oyster sauce
- 3 tsps white granulated sugar
- 1/4 tsp white pepper
1 LARGE handful (~3 cups) of Thai basil leaves
1 Tbsp sesame oil for drizzling

Directions:

*This recipe cooks QUICKLY on HIGH HEAT! Make sure all your ingredients are chopped, prepped and ready to go before you start cooking.

Rinse the clams thoroughly under running water. Optional: soak in salty water 15mins before.

Prepare the sauce by mixing all the sauce ingredients in a bowl: cooking wine, black vinegar, oyster sauce, sugar, and white pepper. Set aside.

In a wok on HIGH heat, add a drizzle of oil and sauté the garlic, ginger, and chilli for 2-3 mins until fragrant.

Add the clams to the pot and sauté for 30 seconds then drizzle in the sauce ingredients: cooking wine, black vinegar, oyster sauce, and white pepper. Mix around and let the sauce simmer for 2-3 minutes then put the lid on. Let the clams steam for 3-4 minutes or until they all open up. Careful not to steam them for too long or else the clams will get tough and chewy.

Once the clams have opened up, add in the basil leaves and drizzle the sesame oil over the clams. Sauté for another minute and turn off the heat. Serve! Best served over white rice.

Summarized Recipe:

Taiwanese Style Beerhouse Clams (台式九層塔炒海瓜子)

Ingredients:

1kg fresh small clams (ie. Pipis)
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
4cm ginger, peeled and thinly sliced into matchsticks
2-3 long Thai red chilis, sliced (remove the seeds if you want it less spicy)
Sauce:
- 2 Tbsps Chinese cooking wine (ie. Shaoxing)
- 1 Tbsp of black vinegar
- 2 Tbsps oyster sauce
- 3 tsps white granulated sugar
- 1/4 tsp white pepper
1 LARGE handful (~3 cups) of Thai basil leaves
1 Tbsp sesame oil for drizzling

Directions:

*This recipe cooks QUICKLY on HIGH HEAT! Make sure all your ingredients are chopped, prepped and ready to go before you start cooking.

Rinse the clams thoroughly under running water. Optional: soak in salty water 15mins before.
Prepare the sauce by mixing all the sauce ingredients in a bowl: cooking wine, black vinegar, oyster sauce, sugar, and white pepper. Set aside.
In a wok on HIGH heat, add a drizzle of oil and sauté the garlic, ginger, and chilli for 2-3 mins until fragrant.
Add the clams to the pot and sauté for 30 seconds then drizzle in the sauce ingredients: cooking wine, black vinegar, oyster sauce, and white pepper. Mix around and let the sauce simmer for 2-3 minutes then put the lid on. Let the clams steam for 3-4 minutes or until they all open up. Careful not to steam them for too long or else the clams will get tough and chewy.
Once the clams have opened up, add in the basil leaves and drizzle the sesame oil over the clams. Sauté for another minute and turn off the heat. Serve! Best served over white rice.

February 17, 2022February 17, 2022

AbbyLeave a comment

Mama Hung’s Apple Potato Salad

Date Published: Dec 25th, 2021 | Last Updated: Dec 25th, 2021
Author: Abby |Category: sides, salads, easy, appetizers, vegetarian
Serves: 6-8 (one large bowl) | Prep time: 1 hour | Cook time: 1 hour

Jump to recipe |

Happy holidays everyone! Wherever you are, I hope you’re filled with good food for the holidays. 😊

‘Tis the season for potato salads! Potato salads are pretty much a staple at most big family dinners – maybe because they’re easy to make? I’ll admit, I’ve never been a huge fan of them because they always seem to be the same combination of potatoes, mayonnaise, eggs and carrots. Not that I have anything against a potato salad, but I just find it pretty bland and just a filler between the mains. However over the last few Christmases, I’ve been happily proven wrong. Last year Toby’s mom made a traditional Czech potato salad with mustard and pickles which sounded weird to me at first, but was really delicious – I just posted that recipe earlier today and I highly recommend trying it 😊. Three Christmases before that, I celebrated the holidays with my friend Janice and her family in Point Cook and her mom made this delicious potato salad with apples, pineapples, corn and shrimp! The fruit in the salad was so refreshing, I kept going back for more! It’s like a cross between a fruit salad and a savoury potato salad. (We actually had a work Christmas party a few days ago and I couldn’t decide which potato salad to make so I brought both 😜.)

This recipe is technically easy, but labour-intensive (like most potato salads). The recipe instructions seem long, but it’s pretty much just describing how to boil the vegetables. It also takes some time due to waiting around for the vegetables to boil, so I’d recommend doing this on a lazy afternoon while playing some Netflix in the background. All of the work is in the chopping of the potatoes, carrots, apples, pineapple, shrimp, and eggs. The rest is just boiling and mixing together. This potato salad is best served chilled for at least an hour or overnight. I love recipes that are better made the day before because it frees up plenty of time for me during the day of a party and all I have to do is scoop it into a bowl to serve. 😊

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

1kg (~4-5 large) white potatoes, diced to 2cm pieces (peeled or unpeeled)
500g (~3-4 large) carrots, diced to 2cm pieces
5 eggs
1 can (430g) pineapple, diced to 1cm pieces (you can use fresh pineapple as well)
1 can (420g) of cooked sweet corn kernels, strained
3 apples, cored and diced to 1cm pieces
300g cooked, peeled, and deveined shrimp, chopped to 2cm pieces (you can use thawed cocktail shrimp)
3/4 cup mayonnaise (good quality)*
- I prefer whole egg mayonnaise or kewpie mayo. Do not buy the cheap stuff – I made that mistake earlier and the generic brand mayo was so nasty that I nearly had to throw out the whole salad. 🤢
Salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

*Note: if you have the space, you can boil the potatoes, carrots, and eggs all at the same time in separate pots to save time, or if you prefer to do less clean-up, you can do them one after another.

Boil the Potatoes: In a large pot on HIGH heat, add in the diced potatoes and fill the pot with hot water until all the potatoes are submerged. Once the water boils, turn the heat down to MED and keep to a rolling simmer until the potatoes are soft enough to cut easily with a fork (~30mins). Strain and set aside to cool (or if you’re impatient, run it under cold water). Do not over boil the potatoes or else they will be too mushy.

Boil the Carrots: While the potatoes are boiling, in a medium pot on HIGH heat, add in the diced carrots and fill the pot with hot water until all the carrots are submerged. Once the water boils, turn the heat down to MED and keep to a rolling simmer until the carrots are soft enough to cut easily with a fork (~20mins). Strain and set aside to cool (or if you’re impatient, run it under cold water).

Hard boil the Eggs: Gently place the eggs in a medium sized pot and fill the pot with cold water until it is 2cm above the eggs. Turn the heat on HIGH. Once the water comes to a hard rapid boil, turn off the heat and cover the pot with a lid. Let it sit for 12 minutes then submerge the eggs in cold water. Once the eggs are cool enough to handle, peel the shells and dice the eggs into 1cm cubes.

Assemble the salad: In a large bowl, add together the cooked potatoes, cooked carrots, hard boiled eggs, apples, pineapple, corn, shrimp and mayonnaise. Mix until combined. Salt and pepper to taste and add more mayonnaise if needed.

Place the salad in an airtight container and keep refrigerated for at least an hour before serving, or best if chilled overnight. Enjoy!

Summarized Recipe:

Mama Hung’s Apple Potato Salad

Ingredients:

1kg (~4-5 large) white potatoes, diced to 2cm pieces (peeled or unpeeled)
500g (~3-4 large) carrots, diced to 2cm pieces
5 eggs
1 can (430g) pineapple, diced to 1cm pieces (you can use fresh pineapple as well)
1 can (420g) of cooked sweet corn kernels, strained
3 apples, cored and diced to 1cm pieces
300g cooked, peeled, and deveined shrimp, chopped to 2cm pieces (you can use thawed cocktail shrimp)
3/4 cup mayonnaise (good quality)
Salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

*Note: if you have the space, you can boil the potatoes, carrots, and eggs all at the same time in separate pots to save time, or if you prefer to do less clean-up, you can do them one after another.

Boil the Potatoes: In a large pot on HIGH heat, add in the diced potatoes and fill the pot with hot water until all the potatoes are submerged. Once the water boils, turn the heat down to MED and keep to a rolling simmer until the potatoes are soft enough to cut easily with a fork (~30mins). Strain and set aside to cool (or if you’re impatient, run it under cold water). Do not over boil the potatoes or else they will be too mushy.
Boil the Carrots: While the potatoes are boiling, in a medium pot on HIGH heat, add in the diced carrots and fill the pot with hot water until all the carrots are submerged. Once the water boils, turn the heat down to MED and keep to a rolling simmer until the carrots are soft enough to cut easily with a fork (~20mins). Strain and set aside to cool (or if you’re impatient, run it under cold water).
Hard boil the Eggs: Gently place the eggs in a medium sized pot and fill the pot with cold water until it is 2cm above the eggs. Turn the heat on HIGH. Once the water comes to a hard rapid boil, turn off the heat and cover the pot with a lid. Let it sit for 12 minutes then submerge the eggs in cold water. Once the eggs are cool enough to handle, peel the shells and dice the eggs into 1cm cubes.
Assemble the salad: In a large bowl, add together the cooked potatoes, cooked carrots, hard boiled eggs, apples, pineapple, corn, shrimp and mayonnaise. Mix until combined. Salt and pepper to taste and add more mayonnaise if needed.
Place the salad in an airtight container and keep refrigerated for at least an hour before serving, or best if chilled overnight. Enjoy!

December 25, 2021December 25, 2021

Abby1 Comment

Czech Potato Salad (bramborový salát)

Jump to recipe |

Merry Christmas everyone! Wherever you are, I hope you’re filled with good food for the holidays. 😊

What is bramborový salát?

Bramborový salát is a traditional Czech potato salad. Toby’s mom first made it about a year ago (it actually may have been for Christmas, exactly a year ago) and it was SO GOOD. I usually find most potato salads pretty boring and they all taste the same, but this one was different. It’s made with potatoes, carrots, onions, eggs, and pickles. Yes, pickles! It sounded weird to me at first, but trust me it totally works. The salad dressing has the addition of mustard which gives it an extra kick that pairs fantastically with the rest of the salad. Bramborový salát is also often made with the addition of parsley root (kind of like a cross between carrot and celery) but I’ve decided to skip it in this recipe because A) its difficult to find in Australia, B) I’m not a huge fan of celery anyway, and C) there’s already so much chopping involved and I cbs doing more 😜. Besides, when I made this salad for the first time, Toby said it tasted just like his mom’s and his grandma’s (who are Czech, btw) and ate 4 servings in one sitting, so I’d say the parsley root wasn’t missed 😂. If you want to make it more traditional, feel free to add it in the same amount as the carrots in the recipe. If you can’t find parsley root, Toby’s mom said you can replace it with either a celeriac or parsnip.

This recipe is technically easy, but labour-intensive (like most potato salads). The recipe instructions seem long, but it’s pretty much just describing how to boil the vegetables. It also takes some time due to waiting around for the vegetables to boil, so I’d recommend doing this on a lazy afternoon while playing some Netflix in the background. All of the work is in the chopping of the potatoes, carrots, onion, pickles, and egg. The rest is just boiling and mixing together. This potato salad is best served chilled overnight to allow the flavours to marinate through (its definitely worth the wait). I love recipes that are better made the day before because it frees up plenty of time for me during the day of a party and all I have to do is scoop it into a bowl to serve. 😊

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

1kg (~4-5 large) white potatoes, diced to 2cm pieces (peeled or unpeeled)
500g (~3-4 large) carrots, diced to 2cm pieces
1 medium yellow onion, finely diced to 0.5cm pieces
2.5 cups dill pickles, diced to 1cm pieces
5 eggs
Dressing:
- 3/4 cup mayonnaise (good quality)
- 1/4 cup pickle juice
- 2 Tbsps dijon mustard
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper

Directions:

*Note: if you have the space, you can boil the potatoes, carrots, and eggs all at the same time in separate pots to save time, or if you prefer to do less clean-up, you can do them one after another.

Make the Dressing: Add all the ingredients of the dressing to a bowl and whisk together until combined: mayonnaise, pickle juice, dijon mustard, salt, and pepper.

Assemble the salad: In a large bowl, add together the cooked potatoes, cooked carrots, hard boiled eggs, diced raw onion, and diced pickles. Mix in HALF the amount of dressing and taste. Add in more dressing to taste.

The amount of dressing required will depend on personal taste and also how big or small you cut up your potatoes and carrots. I usually find I need less dressing if I cut up the veggies smaller and vice versa. We also like our potato salad mayo-y and will usually use up most of the dressing.

Place the salad in an airtight container and keep refrigerated for at least an hour before serving, or best if chilled overnight. Enjoy!

Summarized Recipe:

Czech Potato Salad (bramborový salát)

Ingredients:

1kg white potatoes, diced to 2cm pieces (peeled or unpeeled)
500g carrots (~3-4 large), diced to 2cm pieces
1 medium yellow onion, finely diced to 0.5cm pieces
2.5 cups dill pickles, diced to 1cm pieces
5 eggs
Dressing:
- 3/4 cup mayonnaise (good quality)
- 1/4 cup pickle juice
- 2 Tbsps dijon mustard
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper

Directions:

*Note: if you have the space, you can boil the potatoes, carrots, and eggs all at the same time in separate pots to save time, or if you prefer to do less clean-up, you can do them one after another.

Boil the Potatoes: In a large pot on HIGH heat, add in the diced potatoes and fill the pot with hot water until all the potatoes are submerged. Once the water boils, turn the heat down to MED and keep to a rolling simmer until the potatoes are soft enough to cut easily with a fork (~30mins). Strain and set aside to cool (or if you’re impatient, run it under cold water). Do not over boil the potatoes or else they will be too mushy.
Boil the Carrots: While the potatoes are boiling, in a medium pot on HIGH heat, add in the diced carrots and fill the pot with hot water until all the carrots are submerged. Once the water boils, turn the heat down to MED and keep to a rolling simmer until the carrots are soft enough to cut easily with a fork (~20mins). Strain and set aside to cool (or if you’re impatient, run it under cold water).
Hard boil the Eggs: Gently place the eggs in a medium sized pot and fill the pot with cold water until it is 2cm above the eggs. Turn the heat on HIGH. Once the water comes to a hard rapid boil, turn off the heat and cover the pot with a lid. Let it sit for 12 minutes then submerge the eggs in cold water. Once the eggs are cool enough to handle, peel the shells and dice the eggs into 1cm cubes.
Make the Dressing: Add all the ingredients of the dressing to a bowl and whisk together until combined: mayonnaise, pickle juice, dijon mustard, salt, and pepper.
Assemble the salad: In a large bowl, add together the cooked potatoes, cooked carrots, hard boiled eggs, diced raw onion, and diced pickles. Mix in HALF the amount of dressing and taste. Add in more dressing to taste.
- The amount of dressing required will depend on personal taste and also how big or small you cut up your potatoes and carrots. I usually find I need less dressing if I cut up the veggies smaller and vice versa. We also like our potato salad mayo-y and will usually use up most of the dressing.
Place the salad in an airtight container and keep refrigerated for at least an hour before serving, or best if chilled overnight. Enjoy!

December 25, 2021December 25, 2021

Abby4 Comments

Avocado Fries

Date Published: Oct 10th, 2021 | Last Updated: Oct 10th, 2021
Author: Abby |Category: easy, healthy, snacks, appetizers, low-cal, sides, vegetarian
Serves: 4-6 | Prep time: 30 mins | Cook time: 35 mins

Jump to recipe |

I could eat these all day everyday! Avocado fries are a great way to snack healthy. They’re easy to make, but I’ll admit a little time-consuming since you have to bread each one separately, but they’re SO worth it. You can change up the spices for different flavours but I prefer to keep them simple and let the dipping sauce create the extra flavour. They’re crunchy on the outside and soft & creamy on the inside. Serve it as an appetizer, a snack, or a side to a burger.

To keep with the healthy profile, these fries are baked in the oven instead of deep-frying. The secret to keeping them crispy and crunchy is to bake them on a wire rack so both sides get evenly cooked without any liquid pooling and softening the breading. You can also cook them in an air-fryer but I find it easier to make large batches in the oven. Pair it with any dipping sauce you like! Our favourite is sriracha mayo or toum mixed with Greek yogurt. Mmmmmm. To change it up, you can make zucchini fries using this exact same recipe too – in fact, the steps are identical so I’ve just duplicated the blog post and changed up the ingredients.

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

5 large hass avocados
1/2 cup flour
2 large eggs
1.5 cups panko
3/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
1.5 tsps Italian seasoning
1.5 tsps paprika

Directions:

Preheat oven to 200˚C (425˚F). Prepare a greased cooling rack over a baking sheet (see photo).

Slice each avocado in half. Remove the seed and use a spoon to scoop out the avocado from the skin. Then slice the avocado halves into strips.

I made zucchini fries at the same time and forgot to take a photo with avocado instead so pretend the zucchinis are avocados 😅

Prepare 3 bowls and put the following in each bowl: 1) Flour, 2) Beaten eggs, 3) Panko, parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, and paprika.

Bread the avocado strips one at a time by first covering it in flour, then dredging it into the beaten eggs, then finally tossing it in the panko/parmesan mixture and pressing down so the coating sticks well to the avocado strip. Place the breaded avocado strip onto the greased cooling rack prepared earlier. Repeat for the rest of the avocado.

Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown and crispy. Let them cool slightly on the rack before transferring it to a serving plate. Enjoy!

You can alternatively put them in the air fryer at 200˚C for 8-10 minutes.

Summarized Recipe:

Avocado Fries

Ingredients:

5 large hass avocados
1/2 cup flour
2 large eggs
1.5 cups panko
3/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
1.5 tsps Italian seasoning
1.5 tsps paprika

Directions:

Preheat oven to 200˚C (425˚F). Prepare a greased cooling rack over a baking sheet (see photo).
Slice each avocado in half. Remove the seed and use a spoon to scoop out the avocado from the skin. Then slice the avocado halves into strips.Prepare 3 bowls and put the following in each bowl:
1. Flour
2. Beaten eggs
3. Panko, parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, and paprika
Bread the avocado strips one at a time by first covering it in flour, then dredging it into the beaten eggs, then finally tossing it in the panko/parmesan mixture and pressing down so the coating sticks well to the avocado strip. Place the breaded avocado strip onto the greased cooling rack prepared earlier. Repeat for the rest of the avocado.
Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown and crispy. Let them cool slightly on the rack before transferring it to a serving plate. Enjoy!
- You can alternatively put them in the air fryer at 200˚C for 8-10 minutes.

October 10, 2021October 17, 2021

AbbyLeave a comment

Zucchini Fries

Jump to recipe |

I could eat these all day everyday! Zucchini fries are a great way to snack healthy. They’re easy to make, but I’ll admit a little time-consuming since you have to bread each one separately, but they’re SO worth it. You can change up the spices for different flavours but I prefer to keep them simple and let the dipping sauce create the extra flavour. They’re crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. Serve it as an appetizer, a snack, or a side to a burger.

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

4 medium sized zucchinis
1/2 cup flour
2 large eggs
1.5 cups panko
3/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
1.5 tsps Italian seasoning
1.5 tsps paprika

Directions:

Preheat oven to 200˚C (425˚F). Prepare a greased cooling rack over a baking sheet (see photo).

Cut the top end of the zucchinis off and discard. Then slice each zucchini in half horizontally and then slice each half into about 6 sticks (see photo).

Prepare 3 bowls and put the following in each bowl: 1) Flour, 2) Beaten eggs, 3) Panko, parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, and paprika.

Bread the zucchini strips one at a time by first covering it in flour, then dredging it into the beaten eggs, then finally tossing it in the panko/parmesan mixture and pressing down so the coating sticks well to the zucchini strips. Place the breaded zucchini strip onto the greased cooling rack prepared earlier. Repeat for the rest of the zucchini strips.

Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown and crispy. Let them cool slightly on the rack before transferring it to a serving plate. Enjoy!

You can alternatively put them in the air fryer at 200˚C for 8-10 minutes.

Summarized Recipe:

Zucchini Fries

Ingredients:

4 medium sized zucchinis
1/2 cup flour
2 large eggs
1.5 cups panko
3/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
1.5 tsps Italian seasoning
1.5 tsps paprika

Directions:

Preheat oven to 200˚C (425˚F). Prepare a greased cooling rack over a baking sheet (see photo).
Cut the top end of the zucchinis off and discard. Then slice each zucchini in half horizontally and then slice each half into about 6 sticks (see photo).
Prepare 3 bowls and put the following in each bowl:
1. Flour
2. Beaten eggs
3. Panko, parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, and paprika
Bread the zucchini strips one at a time by first covering it in flour, then dredging it into the beaten eggs, then finally tossing it in the panko/parmesan mixture and pressing down so the coating sticks well to the zucchini strips. Place the breaded zucchini strip onto the greased cooling rack prepared earlier. Repeat for the rest of the zucchini strips.
Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown and crispy. Let them cool slightly on the rack before transferring it to a serving plate. Enjoy!
- You can alternatively put them in the air fryer at 200˚C for 8-10 minutes.

October 10, 2021October 10, 2021

Abby1 Comment

Hearty Mexican Rice

Date Published: Sept 26th, 2021 | Last Updated: Oct 18th, 2021
Author: Abby |Category: mains, sides, easy
Serves: 4-6 | Prep time: 15 mins | Cook time: 45 mins

Jump to recipe |

Update Oct 2021: This recipe has been updated with slightly different ingredients to make it easier to make and even more flavourful!

Mexican rice is a flavourful rice typically cooked with tomatoes and spices and often served as a side dish. It kind of reminds me of a paella. Traditionally, white rice is used but I’ve decided to use a mix of brown and black rice for the extra health benefits. I’ve also further deviated from the traditional form and added ground beef and roasted red peppers to make it more hearty and filling so it can be served as a main dish as well. This recipe is easy and cooks up quickly. You can serve this on its own or as a side, topped with some sour cream and extra grated cheese. It’s also fantastic as a filling in a stuffed red pepper.

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

1 large onion, diced
4 large cloves garlic, minced
500g lean ground beef
200g mushrooms, diced
4 Tbsps taco seasoning, or:
- 3/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1.5 Tbsps dried oregano
- 3 tsps ground cumin
- 3 tsps ground coriander seed
- 2 tsps onion powder
1 tsp salt
1 can (410g) crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup brown rice
1/2 cup black rice (or substitute with more brown rice)
1 can corn kernels, drained
4 cups chicken stock
3 roasted red peppers, diced (you can buy them in jars or roast them yourself)
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated (optional)

Directions:

In a large skillet over MED heat, sauté the onion and garlic in olive oil for a few minutes until the onion starts to turn translucent.

Add in the ground beef and mushrooms and cook until the beef is browned.

Next add in the spices: taco seasoning (or cumin, coriander, onion powder), and salt. Sauté for a minute until the spices are all combined, then add in the crushed tomatoes and stir for another minute.

Then add in the rice, corn, chicken stock, and chicken thigh (if using). Stir and cover with a lid. Let it simmer for 30-40mins until the rice is cooked. Do not lift the lid while the rice is cooking, otherwise you’ll let the steam escape and will likely need to add in more water for the rice to finish cooking.

Once the rice is cooked, turn the heat off and stir in the parmesan cheese and roasted red peppers. Enjoy!

Summarized Recipe:

Hearty Mexican Rice

Date Published: Sept 26th, 2021 | Last Updated: Oct 18th, 2021
Author: Abby |Category: mains, sides, easy
Serves: 4-6 | Prep time: 15 mins | Cook time: 45 mins

Ingredients:

1 large onion, diced
4 large cloves garlic, minced
500g lean ground beef
200g mushrooms, diced
4 Tbsps taco seasoning, or:
- 3/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1.5 Tbsps dried oregano
- 3 tsps ground cumin
- 3 tsps ground coriander seed
- 2 tsps onion powder
1 tsp salt
1 can (410g) crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup brown rice
1/2 cup black rice (or substitute with more brown rice)
1 can corn kernels, drained
4 cups chicken stock
3 roasted red peppers, diced (you can buy them in jars or roast them yourself)
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated (optional)

Directions:

In a large skillet over MED heat, sauté the onion and garlic in olive oil for a few minutes until the onion starts to turn translucent.
Add in the ground beef and mushrooms and cook until the beef is browned.
Next add in the spices: taco seasoning (or cayenne pepper, cumin, coriander, onion powder), and salt. Sauté for a minute until the spices are all combined, then add in the crushed tomato and stir for another minute.
Then add in the rice, corn, chicken stock, and chicken thigh (if using). Stir and cover with a lid. Let it simmer for 30-40mins until the rice is cooked. Do not lift the lid while the rice is cooking, otherwise you’ll let the steam escape and will likely need to add in more water for the rice to finish cooking. Turn the heat off and stir in the parmesan cheese and roasted red peppers. Enjoy!

September 26, 2021July 28, 2022

Abby1 Comment

Roasted Red Pepper Zucchini Fritters

Date Published: Sept 26th, 2021 | Last Updated: Sept 26th, 2021
Author: Abby |Category: mains, sides, snacks, easy, healthy, < 15mins, appetizers, low cal, vegetarian
Serves: 8 large fritters | Prep time: 15 mins | Cook time: 15 mins

Jump to recipe |

This past weekend Toby and I discovered a discount produce market only 10 mins near our new place in Western Australia. The market is held every Saturday at a large produce distribution centre and at the end of every week they sell BOXES of leftover produce that didn’t get sold to the shops for CHEAP. We got an entire box of zucchinis (that’s ~40 zucchinis!) for only $5. We also got a box of 45 red bell peppers (known as capsicums in Oz) for only $10. The deals were insaneeeeee. Toby and I love a good market and even better yet we LOVE a good deal. So now we have a shit ton of zucchini and capsicums that we have to use up – we just can’t pass a good deal. For the past week I’ve been researching and experimenting with different zucchini and capsicum recipes. I decided to roast most of the capsicums so they keep longer and its just so versatile to use in sauces, spreads, topping in salads, marinades…etc. With the zucchinis I’ve made a few soups that have turned out pretty well and of course this fritters recipe has definitely been a winner. I’m sharing this recipe as the first of many capsicum/zucchini recipes that is to come. We’ve made these twice now and they’ve turned out great each time. They’re so easy to make, packed full of vegetables, healthy, and quick to make.

This recipe makes 8 large patties. You can eat these on their own, in a burger, or served with a dipping sauce. Our favourite is to have it with a side of garlic aioli. You can even form them smaller and serve it as an appetizer or a snack. They store pretty well in the freezer as long as you cook them first. To keep it healthy, we’ve air-fried them (which was actually a bit of a pain to do them in batches because we only have a small air-frier 😅), but you can also shallow-fry them for optimal crunch, or bake them.

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

5 cups (~3 medium) zucchini, grated* (see note)
3 roasted red peppers, diced small (you can buy them in jars to roast them yourself)
1 medium red onion, diced
2 cups panko
1 cup parmesan cheese, grated
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp white pepper
4 large eggs, beaten

*Grate the zucchini with a food processor if you have one so the zucchini retains its moisture. If you grate it by hand, the zucchini becomes watery and your batter will be more wet. If you don’t have a food processor and only have a box grater, then add a couple tablespoons of flour to your batter until you get a consistency thick enough to form into patties.

Directions:

Combine everything except for the eggs in a large bowl and mix well: zucchini, roasted red peppers, red onion, panko, parmesan, salt, and white pepper.

2. Once everything is combined, add in the beaten eggs and form the batter into 8 evenly-sized patties. (If your batter is a little wet, add in a few tablespoons of flour to thicken it up.)

3. Air-fry at 180˚C for 10-15mins until crispy on the outside. Alternatively you can fry them with some oil in a shallow pan until crispy or bake them at 200˚C for 15-20 minutes until golden brown.

Serve on its own or with a dipping sauce. Enjoy!

Summarized Recipe:

Roasted Red Pepper Zucchini Fritters

Ingredients:

5 cups (~3 medium) zucchini, grated* (see note)
3 roasted red peppers, diced small (you can buy them in jars to roast them yourself)
1 medium red onion, diced
2 cups panko
1 cup parmesan cheese, grated
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp white pepper
4 large eggs, beaten

Directions:

(Preheat the oven to 200˚C if you’re going to be baking them.)
Combine everything except for the eggs in a large bowl and mix well: zucchini, roasted red peppers, red onion, panko, parmesan, salt, and white pepper.
Once everything is combined, add in the beaten eggs and form the batter into 8 evenly-sized patties. (If your batter is a little wet, add in a few tablespoons of flour to thicken it up.)
3. Air-fry at 180˚C for 10-15mins until crispy on the outside. Alternatively you can fry them with some oil in a shallow pan until crispy or bake them at 200˚C for 15-20 minutes until golden brown. Serve on its own or with a dipping sauce. Enjoy!

September 26, 2021September 26, 2021

Abby1 Comment