Brown Butter Carrot Purée with Roasted Carrots

Date Published: Feb 25th, 2025 | Last Updated: Feb 25th, 2025
Author: Abby |Category: sides, vegetarian, easy, <30 mins
Serves: 4-6 | Prep time: 15 minutes | Cook time: 30 minutes

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I’m obsessed with anything brown butter. Seriously. What’s not to love? It’s nutty, umami, complex, flavourful, and is just such a unique flavour that it can’t be substituted anyway else. Any time there’s mention of brown butter on a menu, I’m all over it. This dish came to me at our friend Amy’s wedding in Melbourne a few years ago. It was a beautiful wedding in an intimate venue and although the weather could’ve been better, the heartfelt speeches and the amazing family-style food made it a wonderful evening. This roasted brown butter carrot dish was my absolute favourite of the night and I’m pretty sure I had more than my fair share 🤫. After the wedding I obsessed until I was able to recreate this dish myself. So here I am again, sharing the fruits of my labour. I hope you enjoy this dish as much as I do!

This dish tastes luxurious and is actually so easy to make. It’s a perfect side dish to serve when you’re wanting to impress! The nutty butter carrot purée paired with the roasted carrots are the perfect combination.

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:

113g/1 stick unsalted butter
500g Dutch carrots, leaves removed, peeled, and kept whole
500g large carrots, peeled and sliced
Drizzle of olive oil
1/4 cup whole milk (or more)
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 190˚C/375˚F.

Prepare 2 lined baking trays. Place the whole Dutch carrots in one and the sliced carrots in the other. Add a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper to each tray and mix thoroughly. Bake in the preheated oven for 20-30 minutes until roasted and tender.

They’re cooked when they’re soft enough to pierce with a fork

While the carrots are baking, make the brown butter: In a saucepan on MED heat, add the butter to the pan and occasionally stir until you get browned bits on the bottom then remove from heat into a separate bowl to cool.

You can refer to this more thorough guide for browning butter here.

When the carrots have cooked, add the sliced carrots into a blender (set aside the whole Dutch carrots for later). Pour the brown butter over the sliced carrots in the blender along with 1/4 cup of milk. Blend on HIGH until you get a smooth purée. If the purée is too thick to blend, add 1 Tbsps of milk at a time until you get the desired consistency. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed.

To plate: Spread the puréed brown butter carrots (from step 4) onto a plate, then place the cooked whole Dutch carrots over top. Serve immediately. Enjoy!

Summarized Recipe:

Brown Butter Carrot Purée with Roasted Carrots

Ingredients:

113g/1 stick unsalted butter
500g Dutch carrots, leaves removed, peeled, and kept whole
500g large carrots, peeled and sliced
Drizzle of olive oil
1/4 cup whole milk (or more)
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 180˚C/350˚F.
Prepare 2 lined baking trays. Place the whole Dutch carrots in one and the sliced carrots in the other. Add a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper to each tray and mix thoroughly. Bake in the preheated oven for 20-30 minutes until roasted and tender.
While the carrots are baking, make the brown butter: In a saucepan on MED heat, add the butter to the pan and occasionally stir until you get browned bits on the bottom then remove from heat into a separate bowl to cool.
- You can refer to this more thorough guide for browning butter here.
When the carrots have cooked, add the sliced carrots into a blender (set aside the whole Dutch carrots for later). Pour the brown butter over the sliced carrots in the blender along with 1/4 cup of milk. Blend on HIGH until you get a smooth purée. If the purée is too thick to blend, add 1 Tbsps of milk at a time until you get the desired consistency. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed.
To plate: Spread the puréed brown butter carrots (from step 4) onto a plate, then place the cooked whole Dutch carrots over top. Serve immediately. Enjoy!

February 25, 2025December 24, 2024

AbbyLeave a comment

Broccoli Cheddar Soup (a Panera copycat)

Date Published: Feb 20th, 2025 | Last Updated: Feb 20th, 2025
Author: Abby |Category: < 30mins, easy, soup, vegetarian, mains, quick
Serves: 6 as a main | Prep time: 15 mins | Cook time: 30 mins

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There’s something about Panera’s Broccoli Cheddar Soup that just spells out warm and cozy. This recipe is a copycat version of said soup. It’s quick, easy, and in no way light on the calories. It packs in the butter, cream, milk, and cheese. This soup is to be made for those indulgent meals where you just don’t give a f*ck. It’s an easy crowd pleaser and a big pot can be whipped up in no time. Feel free to add in shredded chicken and extra chicken to round out this soup.

Happy cooking!

This recipe is adapted from The Girl Who Ate Everything.

Ingredients you’ll need:

113g (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 large onion, diced
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
4 cups (1L) chicken broth
2 cups heavy cream
2 cups whole milk
1 large head (500g) of broccoli, cut into bite sized pieces
1 large (~2 cups) carrot, julienned or grated large through large holes
500g cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
Salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

In a large pot on MED heat, melt the 1 stick of butter then add in the diced onions. Cook for 3-4 minutes until the onions soften.

Sprinkle the 1/2 cup of flour over the onions and mix well. Continue to cook for 1-2 minutes while continuously stirring.

Pour in the 4 cups of chicken stock, 2 cups of heavy cream, and 2 cups of milk. Mix well, then turn the heat up to HIGH to bring the soup to a boil, then turn it down LOW-MED.

Add in the broccoli and carrots and continue to simmer for 15-20 minutes until the vegetables are cooked.

Add the cheddar cheese and ground nutmeg. Stir until the cheese has fully melted then taste and adjust salt and pepper to your liking. Done! Serve with some bread and an additional sprinkle of cheddar cheese on top.

Optional step: to make the soup thicker, you can remove 4-5 ladles of soup into a separate bowl and blend until thickened then pour it back into the pot.

Summarized Recipe:

Broccoli Cheddar Soup (a Panera copycat)

Ingredients:

113g (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 large onion, diced
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
4 cups (1L) chicken broth
2 cups heavy cream
2 cups whole milk
1 large head (500g) of broccoli, cut into bite sized pieces
1 large (~2 cups) carrot, julienned or grated through large holes
500g cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
Salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

In a large pot on MED heat, melt the 1 stick of butter then add in the diced onions. Cook for 3-4 minutes until the onions soften.
Sprinkle the 1/2 cup of flour over the onions and mix well. Continue to cook for 1-2 minutes while continuously stirring.
Pour in the 4 cups of chicken stock, 2 cups of heavy cream, and 2 cups of milk. Mix well, then turn the heat up to HIGH to bring the soup to a boil, then turn it down LOW-MED.
Add in the broccoli and carrots and continue to simmer for 15-20 minutes until the vegetables are cooked.
Add the cheddar cheese and ground nutmeg. Stir until the cheese has fully melted then taste and adjust salt and pepper to your liking. Done! Serve with some bread and an additional sprinkle of cheddar cheese on top.
- Optional step: to make the soup thicker, you can remove 4-5 ladles of soup into a separate bowl and blend until thickened then pour it back into the pot.

February 20, 2025December 24, 2024

AbbyLeave a comment

Philly Cheesesteak – “Whiz Wit Mushrooms”

Date Published: Feb 15th, 2025 | Last Updated: Feb 15th, 2025
Author: Abby |Category: mains, easy
Serves: 2 | Prep time: 30 mins | Cook time: 45 mins

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Since moving to New York nearly 2 years ago, we’ve visited Philadelphia a handful of times. This city is full of rich history and endless food options. Of course with this being a food blog, no trip to Philly is complete without a cheesesteak. There are debates over who has the best cheesesteaks, with top 2 mentions from locals being Jim’s South St. and D’alessandro’s and the more tourist-driven places being Pat’s and Geno’s. So far, Jim’s South St. is our favourite.

If you’re looking for the best cheesesteak in Philly, check out my separate post below!

The Ultimate Guide to Top Philly Cheesesteak Spots

This is my ultimate guide to Philly Cheesesteaks in Philadelphia! I’ve made it my personal mission to try as many popular cheesesteak spots as I can find through online research,…

Keep reading

by Abby March 25, 2025September 8, 2025

This sandwich is a local favourite and I’m sure every Philadelphian will have their own go-to spot and opinions on how a good cheesesteak should be. In this recipe I’ve written it to how I prefer my cheesesteaks (with mushrooms, onions, cheez whiz and provolone), but it is very customizable to tailor to your liking.

What is a Philly Cheesesteak? What makes it so special?

A Philly Cheesesteak is a sandwich that is essentially bread, cooked steak, and cheese. The combination of these 3 ingredients don’t sound like much, but it’s the quality of the bread, the tenderness and juiciness of the beef, and the cheesy goodness all combined together that makes this sandwich magical. There’s no fancy truffle aioli, or a complex combination of marinades and spices. It’s just simple ingredients made well. Also be prepared – a good cheesesteak tends to be pretty greasy so pack your wet wipes!

Dissecting the Philly Cheeseteak:

Bread:

You want a sandwich roll that’s got a light crust on the outside (but not hard like a baguette) and soft on the inside. You don’t want the bread too soft like a hotdog bun or else the juices from the sandwich will make the bread soggy and it won’t hold up. I went for a locally available “hero roll” at my bodega.

Usually the bread is not toasted in a traditional cheesesteak, but for my recipe I’ve done a quick broil in the oven so the bread gets a little more crunch to hold up to the moisture of the beef a little better.

Steak:

Although more expensive, rib eye steak is the go-to choice for a Philly cheesesteak. It’s a good quality cut with enough marbled fat to give it extra flavour. A cheaper alternative is skirt steak. The steak needs to be very thinly sliced to achieve the right texture, so you can either slice it yourself if you happen to have a deli meat slicer at home (we just got one recently!), freeze the steak for 20 minutes to firm up the beef to make it easier to slice by hand with a knife, or ask your butcher to slice it for you. Another alternative is to buy the pre-sliced frozen beef at Asian grocery stores in the hotpot freezer section.

Toby playing with our new meat slicer for the first time!

Cheese: Provolone, Cheez Whiz, or American Cheese?

When Toby and I went to order our first ever Philly Cheesesteak, we had no idea that there were cheese options! The guy at Jim’s didn’t specifically ask us what cheese we wanted. He instead asked “Provolone?”. In a moment of panic, we just said “yes”. Surely provolone is the most popular option, otherwise he would’ve led with a different cheese choice, right? When we unwrapped our cheesesteak, it was decent, but I couldn’t really taste the provolone and it didn’t look ooey gooey with cheese as I had imagined it. For a cheesesteak, I was expecting big cheesy flavours so we were a little disappointed. Maybe we chose the wrong cheese? Maybe we should get extra cheese? After polishing off our sandwich, Toby went right back in line and ordered another one, this time with BOTH provolone and Cheez Whiz. After taking the first bite, we were in love! This was it. The Cheez Whiz made all the difference. This gooey fake cheese product penetrated through the layers of the beef and onions and melded the flavours together into a mess of greasy cheesy delicious goodness. I now understand why this sandwich is a classic. For my recipe, I’ve included both provolone and Cheez Whiz below, but feel free to change it up to your liking.

A cheesesteak at Jim’s South St. in Philadelphia

Fun fact: local slang for a cheesesteak with onions and Cheez Wiz is called a “Whiz wit“. If you don’t want onions, it’s called a “Whiz without“!

Onions (optional):

Onions are optional, but essential in my opinion. They’re usually cooked to just browned and softened with a bit of a bite. I prefer the cheesesteak joints that take it a little further and slightly caramelize the onions to add a bit of sweetness to a sandwich that’s full of cheese and salty meat. In my recipe below, the onions are slightly caramelized but feel free to cook it as much or as little as you like.

Mushrooms (optional):

Sautéed mushrooms are also another must for me, but I just love mushrooms in general. I find that it adds a nice texture to the sandwich, but Toby prefers it without.

Other toppings:

Other toppings you’ll often find are sautéed bell peppers, hot banana peppers, relish, ketchup, mayonnaise, and mustard. I prefer my cheesesteak with just onions and mushrooms, but Toby likes to add relish for a bit of sweet vinegary kick.

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

1 + 1 Tbsp of bacon fat/neutral oil
2 large onions, diced
Drizzle of olive oil
300g white mushrooms, sliced
2 sandwich/hoagie rolls
6 slices of provolone cheese
1 pound/500g rib eye steak, sliced as thin as possible
Salt & pepper to taste
1/2 cup of Cheez Whiz

Directions:

Cook the onions: In a wide skillet on MED heat, melt 1 Tbsp of bacon fat and add in the diced onions. Cook until the onions slightly caramelize and brown (~20-30 minutes) – you don’t want to fully caramelize it, but with a bit of bite and sweetness. When finished, remove the onions into a bowl and set aside until ready to use.

Cook the mushrooms: In the same skillet on MED heat, add a drizzle of olive oil and sauté the sliced mushrooms with a pinch of salt and pepper until cooked (5 minutes). Remove the cooked mushrooms into a bowl and set aside until ready to use.

Optional step: Toast the bread: Slice each bread roll lengthways without fully cutting through, and lay open on a baking tray. Brush a small amount of olive oil onto the inside of the bread and toast in the oven on the BROIL setting for 1-2 minutes or until golden brown.

Cook the steak: In the same skillet on MED heat, melt another 1 Tbsp of bacon fat and add in the rib eye steak slices. Add a pinch of salt and fresh ground black pepper and continue to sauté until the steak is fully cooked (~5 minutes). Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed. Turn the heat off.

Assemble the sandwich:

Add 3 slices of provolone cheese to one side of each sandwich.

Spoon the cooked onions (from step 1) and cooked mushrooms (from step 2) to the other side of each sandwich.

Add the just-cooked hot steak (from step 4) over the provolone cheese (if it’s not hot, turn on the heat to warm up the steak so it melts the provolone when you add it on top).

Microwave the Cheeze Whiz for 30 seconds until it’s warmed and gooey, then drizzle on 1/4 cup of the cheese whiz over the steak on each sandwich.

Close the sandwich and serve immediately. Enjoy!

Summarized Recipe:

Philly Cheesesteak – “Whiz Wit Mushrooms”

Date Published: Feb 15th, 2025 | Last Updated: Feb 15th, 2025
Author: Abby |Category: mains, easy
Serves: 2 | Prep time: 30 mins | Cook time: 45 mins

Ingredients:

1 + 1 Tbsp of bacon fat/neutral oil
2 large onions, diced
Drizzle of olive oil
300g white mushrooms, sliced
2 sandwich/hoagie rolls
6 slices of provolone cheese
1 pound/500g rib eye steak, sliced as thin as possible
Salt & pepper to taste
1/2 cup of Cheez Whiz

Directions:

Cook the onions: In a wide skillet on MED heat, melt 1 Tbsp of bacon fat and add in the diced onions. Cook until the onions slightly caramelize and brown (~20-30 minutes) – you don’t want to fully caramelize it, but with a bit of bite and sweetness. When finished, remove the onions into a bowl and set aside until ready to use.
Cook the mushrooms: In the same skillet on MED heat, add a drizzle of olive oil and sauté the sliced mushrooms with a pinch of salt and pepper until cooked (5 minutes). Remove the cooked mushrooms into a bowl and set aside until ready to use.
Optional step: Toast the bread: Slice each bread roll lengthways without fully cutting through, and lay open on a baking tray. Brush a small amount of olive oil onto the inside of the bread and toast in the oven on the BROIL setting for 1-2 minutes or until golden brown.
Cook the steak: In the same skillet on MED heat, melt another 1 Tbsp of bacon fat and add in the rib eye steak slices. Add a pinch of salt and fresh ground black pepper and continue to sauté until the steak is fully cooked (~5 minutes). Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed. Turn the heat off.
Assemble the sandwich:
- Add 3 slices of provolone cheese to one side of each sandwich.
- Spoon the cooked onions (from step 1) and cooked mushrooms (from step 2) to the other side of each sandwich.
- Add the just-cooked hot steak (from step 4) over the provolone cheese (if it’s not hot, turn on the heat to warm up the steak so it melts the provolone when you add it on top).
- Microwave the Cheeze Whiz for 30 seconds until it’s warmed and gooey, then drizzle on 1/4 cup of the cheese whiz over the steak on each sandwich.
- Close the sandwich and serve immediately. Enjoy!

February 15, 2025July 12, 2025

AbbyLeave a comment

French Dip with Caraway Focaccia Bread and Horseradish Chives Cream Cheese

Date Published: Feb 10th, 2025 | Last Updated: Feb 10th, 2025
Author: Abby | Category: mains
Serves: 6 | Prep time: 3 hours | Cook time: 3 hours

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If you haven’t guessed it already, my last three published recipes have been gearing up for this one! This recipe makes the most incredible juicy roast beef sandwich that is balanced with a subtle hint of horseradish masked in the chives cream cheese, and placed between soft fresh focaccia bread topped with caraway seeds. The homemade jus made from the roast beef drippings bring it all together in this amazing sandwich. *chef’s kiss*

I’m going to admit, this combination of flavours is not my original idea. This sandwich is a copycat to a French dip that we had at WINNER Bakery in Brooklyn on 7th Ave a few months ago. If you’ve never been, you should definitely hit them up. There’s usually a queue but their sandwiches and breads are well worth it! I tried this sandwich for the first time a few months ago when I was strolling home from the farmer’s market, and the combination of flavours were so good that I had to bring Toby back to try it. I wanted this sandwich all the time, but at $20 a pop for a small sandwich and the long queue, it wasn’t going to be an everyday sandwich. I thought about this sandwich frequently and knew I just had to give it a go and try to make it myself – and I did! In my humble opinion (and Toby’s), I think my version is even better than the original with a more flavourful jus. I use a focaccia instead of a bun and fresh roast beef. The best part is that I can pack on as much roast beef and cream cheese I want and have it again and again. This recipe make enough for at least 6 sandwiches (if you’re a cream cheese fiend, you may want to double the horseradish chives cream cheese portion).

Where it all began – the French Dip sandwich at WINNER Bakery, Brooklyn

Everything is made from scratch in this recipe. I mean everything, from the bread to the roast beef to even the prepared horseradish. It is a labour of love so you’ll need to dedicate your morning to this. The good thing is, there’s a lot of waiting (ie. for the beef to come to room temperature, for the dough to proof, for the beef to cook), so you can do multiple steps while you’re waiting to cut down on the overall time to make this sandwich. If you’re in a rush, you can cut corners by using store bought roast beef deli slices, pre-made jus, and any kind of sandwich bread. The only thing you can’t buy is the horseradish chive cream cheese, which is pretty easy to whip up anyway. I’d highly recommend not cutting any corners to get the full experience of this beauty.

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

Roast Beef:
- 2 lbs chuck roast/whole eye round/rump roast (I like to use chuck roast with some marbling)
- 2 + 2 Tbsps salt
- 10 cloves of garlic, peeled
- Fresh ground black pepper
- Olive oil
Caraway Seed Focaccia:
- 1 x basic dough ball
- Olive oil drizzle
- Salt
- 1/4 cup Caraway seeds
Au Jus:
- 1 cup beef stock
- 1 Tbsp Worccestershire sauce
- 2 Tbsps red wine (ie. pinot noir)
- +/- butter
- +/- beef bouillon cube
- Salt to taste
Horseradish & Chives Cream Cheese:
- 1 package (8oz/226g) of plain cream cheese, softened
- 3 Tbsps (7g) of fresh chives, chopped
- 1-2 Tbsps horseradish (or more to taste) – check out how to make your own horseradish from scratch here
- Salt to taste

Directions:

Roast Beef:

Take the beef out of the fridge 2 hours before. Rinse, pat dry and salt all sides. Wrap it back up in plastic wrap and leave it at room temperature.

You can make the caraway focaccia bread in this time.

After 2 hours, preheat the oven to 400˚F/200˚C (if it’s not already preheated from baking the focaccia). Unwrap the beef and pat dry with a paper towel. Use a pairing knife and create 5 slits into both sides of the roast and push a clove of garlic into each slit. Rub salt (yes, more salt), fresh ground black pepper, and olive oil on all sides of the beef. Cover again and leave at room temperature for another 20 minutes.

Prepare a baking tray with a metal rack over top and place the beef on the rack. Rub a small amount of olive oil on the outside one more time. If you have a layer on your beef, face the fat layer on top so the fat will drip onto the meat as it cooks. Insert an oven-safe thermometer into the middle of the beef if you’ve got one. Bake in the preheated oven at 400˚F/200˚C for 15 minutes to start the browning process, then turn the heat down to 325˚F/163˚C and continue to cook until the internal temperature reaches 120˚F/49˚C (roughly 1.5-2.5 hours, depending on the size of your beef).

You can make the horseradish chives cream cheese in this time.

Once done cooking, let the roast rest for 20-30 minutes at room temperature before slicing.

You can make the au jus in this time.

When rested, use a sharp knife or deli meat slicer and slice the roast into very thin slices.

Use a knife or deli slicer to slice the beef into thin pieces

Caraway Focaccia Bread:

Follow the recipe for Easy Focaccia Bread. When you get to the toppings part, use 1/4 cup caraway seeds and a sprinkle of salt with the olive oil. Bake according to instructions at 400˚F/200˚C for 20-25mins.

After baking, brush on another 2 Tbsps of olive oil over the top. Let it rest for a few minutes then transfer on a cooling rack and let it cool completely before slicing.

Horseradish & Chives Cream Cheese:

In a mixing bowl, add the softened cream cheese, chopped chives, and the horseradish 1 teaspoon at a time until desired taste (horseradish can be very strong and some brands are hotter than others, so add small amounts until you’re happy).

Au Jus:

Once the roast beef has finished cooking, collect the drippings from the roast tray into a small saucepan. You should have about 1/4 cup (if not, add enough butter to make it 1/4 cup).

Add 1 cup of beef stock, 1 Tbsp of Worcestershire sauce and 2 Tbsps of red wine to the saucepan and heat on MED heat until simmering. Taste and adjust salt as needed. To make it a more robust beefy flavour, add in 1 beef bouillon cube.

Assembly of the sandwich:

Slice the focaccia into desired sandwich size rectangles, then slice it horizontally.

Apply a layer of the horseradish & chives sour cream onto one slice of the bread, then sandwich a few slices of roast beef in between. Serve with the jus. Done! Serve immediately with a hot jus.

Summarized Recipe:

French Dip with Caraway Focaccia Bread and Horseradish Chives Cream Cheese

Date Published: Feb 10th, 2025 | Last Updated: Feb 10th, 2025
Author: Abby | Category: mains
Serves: 6 | Prep time: 3 hours | Cook time: 3 hours

Ingredients:

Roast Beef:
- 2 lbs chuck roast/whole eye round/rump roast (I like to use chuck roast with some marbling)
- 2 + 2 Tbsps salt
- 10 cloves of garlic, peeled
- Fresh ground black pepper
- Olive oil
Caraway Seed Focaccia:
- 1 x basic dough ball
- Olive oil drizzle
- Salt
- 1/4 cup Caraway seeds
Au Jus:
- 1 cup beef stock
- 1 Tbsp Worccestershire sauce
- 2 Tbsps red wine (ie. pinot noir)
- +/- butter
- +/- beef bouillon cube
- Salt to taste
Horseradish & Chives Cream Cheese:
- 1 package (8oz/226g) of plain cream cheese, softened
- 3 Tbsps (7g) of fresh chives, chopped
- 1-2 Tbsps horseradish (or more to taste)
- Salt to taste

Directions:

Roast Beef:

Take the beef out of the fridge 2 hours before and salt all sides. Wrap it back up in plastic wrap and leave it at room temperature.
- You can make the caraway focaccia bread in this time.
After 2 hours, preheat the oven to 400˚F/200˚C (if it’s not already preheated from baking the focaccia). Unwrap the beef and pat dry with a paper towel. Use a pairing knife and create 5 slits into both sides of the roast and push a clove of garlic into each slit. Rub salt (yes, more salt), fresh ground black pepper, and olive oil on all sides of the beef. Cover again and leave at room temperature for another 20 minutes.
Prepare a baking tray with a metal rack over top and place the beef on the rack. Rub a small amount of olive oil on the outside one more time. If you have a layer on your beef, face the fat layer on top so the fat will drip onto the meat as it cooks. Insert an oven-safe thermometer into the middle of the beef if you’ve got one. Bake in the preheated oven at 400˚F/200˚C for 15 minutes to start the browning process, then turn the heat down to 325˚F/163˚C and continue to cook until the internal temperature reaches 120˚F/49˚C (roughly 1.5-2.5 hours, depending on the size of your beef).
- You can make the horseradish chives cream cheese in this time.
Once done cooking, let the roast rest for 20-30 minutes at room temperature before slicing.
- You can make the au jus in this time.
When rested, use a sharp knife or deli meat slicer and slice the roast into very thin slices.

Caraway Focaccia Bread:

Follow the recipe for Easy Focaccia Bread. When you get to the toppings part, use 1/4 cup caraway seeds and a sprinkle of salt with the olive oil. Bake according to instructions at 400˚F/200˚C for 20-25mins.

Horseradish & Chives Cream Cheese:

In a mixing bowl, add the softened cream cheese, chopped chives, and the horseradish 1 teaspoon at a time until desired taste (horseradish can be very strong and some brands are hotter than others, so add small amounts until you’re happy).
- Making your own horseradish:
  - 1. Add 240g 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).
  - 2. 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.

Au Jus:

Once the roast beef has finished cooking, collect the drippings from the roast tray into a small saucepan. You should have about 1/4 cup (if not, add enough butter to make it 1/4 cup).
Add 1 cup of beef stock, 1 Tbsp of Worcestershire sauce and 2 Tbsps of red wine to the saucepan and heat on MED heat until simmering. Taste and adjust salt as needed. To make it a more robust beefy flavour, add in 1 beef bouillon cube.

Assembly of the sandwich:

Slice the focaccia into desired sandwich size rectangles, then slice it horizontally.
Apply a layer of the horseradish & chives sour cream onto one slice of the bread, then sandwich a few slices of roast beef in between. Serve with the jus. Done! Serve immediately with a hot jus.

February 10, 2025December 24, 2024

AbbyLeave a comment

Classic Juicy Roast Beef

Date Published: Feb 5th, 2025 | Last Updated: Feb 5th, 2025
Author: Abby |Category: mains, easy
Serves: 4 | Prep time: 2.5 hours | Cook time: 2 hours

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This classic roast beef recipe is easy and guarantees juicy and tender results. All you need is beef, garlic, salt, and pepper as the ingredients and a little patience. Most of the work is in the prep, which is essentially rubbing salt and pepper and inserting cloves of garlic, then slow roasting it in the oven. The hardest part of this recipe is waiting for it to rest before diving in!

Which cut of beef to choose?

When it comes to choosing which cut of beef to use, there are many choices. The most common cuts are top round, bottom round (rump roast), eye of round, and top sirloin. These are leaner cuts and are best suited for slicing thinly for sandwiches, but it can be a little tough and chewy if you can’t slice it thin enough.

If you’re making a roast beef to serve on its own in thick slices, choose a cut with some fat marbling for better flavour and tenderness (such as chuck roast, prime rib, sirloin, or rib eye).

If you’re struggling to find a specific cut of meat, this roast beef recipe is pretty forgiving – essentially get anything that is a big chunk of meat that resembles a roast and it should be fine. If it’s on the leaner side, then it’s best to slice it thin for sandwiches.

What’s the secret to a juicy roast beef?

Browning the outside to seal in the juices – This is achieved either by searing the meat separately before putting it in the oven, or cranking up the heat briefly at the start of cooking, then turning it down low. You can do either with this recipe. I’ve done it the oven-method to save on cleaning.
Cook it low and slow – After the browning process, turning down the heat and slowly cooking the roast will ensure that the juices are slowly released as it cooks.
A meat thermometer is important – Overcooked beef becomes dry and tough. The best way to avoid this is to get an oven-safe thermometer, ideally with a temperature timer so you can set it and forget it.
Letting it rest appropriately before resting – As tempting as it is, slicing a piping hot roast that has just come out of the oven will make the juices drip out from the meat and evaporate from the heat, causing it to dry out quickly. To avoid this, you must let the roast rest for at least 20-30 minutes after taking it out of the oven to allow the juices to be maintained in the meat. I usually leave my meat thermometer in after taking it out of the oven and once the temperature stops climbing, that’s when I know it’s time to slice.

What to do with leftover roast beef?

A 3 pound roast is a hefty amount of meat and you’re bound to get leftovers, especially if you’re only cooking for 2 people. Here are a number of ideas to help you use up the leftovers:

Steak & Blue Cheese Salad
Beef stroganoff
Shepherd’s/Cottage Pie
Beef stew
Chillis
Quesadillas
Nachos
Philly Cheesesteaks

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

2-3 pounds/1-1.3kg chuck roast/whole eye round/rump roast (I like to use chuck roast with some marbling)
2 + 2 Tbsps salt
10 cloves of garlic, peeled
Fresh ground black pepper
Olive oil

Directions:

Take the beef out of the fridge 2 hours before. Rinse, pat dry and salt all sides. Wrap it back up in plastic wrap and leave it at room temperature.

After 2 hours, preheat the oven to 400˚F/200˚C. Unwrap the beef and pat dry with a paper towel. Use a pairing knife and create 5 slits into both sides of the roast and push a clove of garlic into each slit. Rub salt (yes, more salt), fresh ground black pepper, and olive oil on all sides of the beef. Cover again and leave at room temperature for another 20 minutes.

Once done cooking, let the roast rest for 20-30 minutes at room temperature before slicing.

If you’re using this for sandwiches, use a sharp knife or deli meat slicer and slice the roast into very thin slices.

Summarized Recipe:

Classic Juicy Roast Beef

Date Published: Feb 5th, 2025 | Last Updated: Feb 5th, 2025
Author: Abby |Category: mains, easy
Serves: 4 | Prep time: 2.5 hours | Cook time: 2 hours

Ingredients:

2 – 3 lbs chuck roast/whole eye round/rump roast (I like to use chuck roast with some marbling)
2 + 2 Tbsps salt
10 cloves of garlic, peeled
Fresh ground black pepper
Olive oil

Directions:

Take the beef out of the fridge 2 hours before and salt all sides. Wrap it back up in plastic wrap and leave it at room temperature.
After 2 hours, preheat the oven to 400˚F/200˚C. Unwrap the beef and pat dry with a paper towel. Use a pairing knife and create 5 slits into both sides of the roast and push a clove of garlic into each slit. Rub salt (yes, more salt), fresh ground black pepper, and olive oil on all sides of the beef. Cover again and leave at room temperature for another 20 minutes.
Prepare a baking tray with a metal rack over top and place the beef on the rack. Rub a small amount of olive oil on the outside one more time. If you have a layer on your beef, face the fat layer on top so the fat will drip onto the meat as it cooks. Insert an oven-safe thermometer into the middle of the beef if you’ve got one. Bake in the preheated oven at 400˚F/200˚C for 15 minutes to start the browning process, then turn the heat down to 325˚F/163˚C and continue to cook until the internal temperature reaches 120˚F/49˚C (roughly 1.5-2.5 hours, depending on the size of your beef).
Once done cooking, let the roast rest for 20-30 minutes at room temperature before slicing.
- If you’re using this for sandwiches, use a sharp knife or deli meat slicer and slice the roast into very thin slices.

February 5, 2025December 22, 2024

AbbyLeave a comment

Easy Focaccia Bread

Date Published: Jan 31st, 2025 | Last Updated: Jan 31st, 2025
Author: Abby |Category: breads, how-to, easy, <30 mins, appetizers, basics, pastry, snacks, vegetarian
Serves: 1 pan | Prep time: 1.5 hours | Cook time: 25 minutes

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Making your own focaccia bread is incredibly easy and so customizable. With this recipe, you can make any flavour of focaccia you like and you can be as creative and artistic as you like. Go crazy with your focaccia art!

This recipe uses my basic dough recipe, which can be used for so many other things as well – think halloumi cheese pie, za’atar manakish (Lebanese flatbread), pizza dough, flat bread! You can follow the recipe for the basic dough here, but I’ve also outlined the gist of the recipe in a series of photos in this post.

My Go-To Basic Dough

This is my go-to recipe for a basic bread-based dish (ie. flatbread, pizza, manakish, cheese pocket…etc). It only requires 5 ingredients + water and comes together so easily. Make it an hour or two ahead of time and…

Keep reading

by Abby July 13, 2020December 22, 2024

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

One ball of basic dough, after proofing: follow the instructions here
- 1 Tbsp (1 packet) active dry yeast
- 1 Tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 cup (250ml) warm water
- 3 cups (432g) all purpose flour + extra for dusting/kneading
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup (125ml) olive oil
3 + 2 Tbsps extra virgin olive oil
+ Any toppings you want (tomatoes, black olives, caramelized onions, feta cheese, parmesan, basil, honey…etc.)
- I like to infuse the olive oil with rosemary, lemon zest and garlic as a topping

Directions:

Make one basic dough ball (you can double the recipe for a thicker focaccia): follow the instructions here, I’ve summarized the process in a series of photos below.

1 Tbsp active dry yeast + 1 Tbsp granulated sugar

Preheat the oven to 400˚F/200˚C.

Place a couple tablespoons of olive oil in a 9″x13″ pan and spread it around to coat the entire pan, including the sides and edges. Place your dough ball in the pan and gently spread it out to the edges ensuring even thickness. If your dough is difficult to spread out to the edges and is tearing, wait 5-10 mins and try again (letting the dough rest relaxes the gluten).

Cover with a clean tea towel and set aside for another 20 minutes to relax the dough.

Use your fingers and make indents all over dough to release any air pockets.

Brush 3 Tbsps of olive oil over the bread then add your choice of toppings (I used caraway seeds and salt in the photos). Gently press down on the toppings into the bread and use your fingers to make indents again.

Bake in the preheated oven on the middle rack for 20-25 mins until the top is golden. Rotate your pan halfway through so the top cooks evenly.

After baking, brush on another 2 Tbsps of olive oil over the top. Let it rest for a few minutes then transfer on a cooling rack and let it cool completely before slicing. Enjoy!

Summarized Recipe:

Easy Focaccia Bread

Ingredients:

One ball of basic dough, after proofing:
- 1 Tbsp (1 packet) active dry yeast
- 1 Tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 cup (250ml) warm water
- 3 cups (432g) all purpose flour + extra for dusting/kneading
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup (125ml) olive oil
3 + 2 Tbsps extra virgin olive oil
+ Any toppings you want (tomatoes, black olives, caramelized onions, feta cheese, parmesan, basil, honey…etc.)
- I like to infuse the olive oil with rosemary, lemon zest and garlic as a topping

Directions:

Make one basic dough ball (you can double the recipe for a thicker focaccia)
Preheat the oven to 400˚F/200˚C.
Place a couple tablespoons of olive oil in a 9″x13″ pan and spread it around to coat the entire pan, including the sides and edges.
Place your dough ball in the pan and gently spread it out to the edges ensuring even thickness. Cover with a clean tea towel and set aside for 20 minutes to relax the dough.
- If your dough is difficult to spread out to the edges and is tearing, wait 5-10 mins and try again (letting the dough rest relaxes the gluten).
After 20 minutes, use your fingers and make indents all over dough to release any air bubbles.
Brush 3 Tbsps of olive oil over the bread then add your choice of toppings (I used caraway seeds and salt in the photos). Gently press down on the toppings into the bread and use your fingers to make indents again.
Bake in the preheated oven on the middle rack for 20-25 mins until the top is golden. Rotate your pan halfway through so the top cooks evenly.
After baking, brush on another 2 Tbsps of olive oil over the top. Let it rest for a few minutes then transfer on a cooling rack and let it cool completely before slicing. Enjoy!

January 31, 2025December 22, 2024

AbbyLeave a comment

Chicken and Andouille Sausage Jambalaya

Date Published: Jan 21st, 2025 | Last Updated: Jan 21st, 2025
Author: Abby |Category: mains
Serves: 6 | Prep time: 30 mins | Cook time: 45 mins

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What is Jambalaya?

Jambalaya is a savoury rice dish often made with chicken and Andouille sausage, but can contain any variety of proteins. It’s a staple in Louisiana cuisine and is very similar to gumbo in terms of flavour (think of this as a rice version to the stew). The ingredients to both of these dishes are so similar that when I’m making one, I’ll usually make the other 😅. To best describe Jambalaya as a dish, I’d say it’s like an earthy rustic paella – which is not surprising since it has roots from both Spanish and French cuisines.

Special Southern Seasonings:

There are 2 special seasonings in this recipe that I had to order specifically to make this as authentic as possible.

Cajun Seasoning – This is a blend of spices that adds salt, spiciness, and smokiness to the dish. Common go-to brands are “Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning” or “Slap Ya Mama Cajun Seasoning“. If you can’t find either around you, a quick Google search will yield many recipes to make a spice blend of your own.

Gumbo Filé / Filé Powder – Filé powder, also known as gumbo filé, is a spice that is made from dried ground leaves of the sassafras tree. This powder has dual purpose as a thickening agent and also provides earthy flavours. The aroma is similar to that of sage and bay leaf. If you can’t find gumbo filé in a pinch, consider using cornstarch to thicken and some pinches of sage – it won’t be quite the same, but it’ll be similar enough.

Creole vs Cajun – adding tomatoes is optional

Both Creole and Cajun food are Louisiana cuisines from different areas. Think of Creole as city-style cooking with more variety of ingredients at their disposal, whereas Cajun food can be considered country-style cooking with ingredients that are more limited to what can be harvested and what is available. Tomatoes is one of those ingredients that is commonly seen in Creole food, but not Cajun. Across my hours of research, I found tomatoes incorporated into many recipes, but also just as equal number of comments omitting the tomatoes to tailor to the authenticity of cajun rustic flavours. I’ve chosen to exclude tomatoes in my recipe to bring out the earthy flavours more, but feel free to add a can of crushed tomatoes if you want it more tangy.

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

500g / 1lb chicken thighs, cut to 2.5cm pieces
1/2 Tbsp + 2 tsps Cajun seasoning (I use ‘Slap Ya Mama’ brand, find it here)
1 Tbsp of bacon fat (you can use vegetable oil or lard instead)
340g/12 oz (1 package) Andouille sausage, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 large yellow onion, diced
1 green bell pepper/capsicum, diced
1 stick of celery, diced small
1 + 0.5 tsps gumbo filé/filé powder
2 tsps Worcestershire sauce
1.25 cups of uncooked white rice, rinsed (a long-grain white rice is preferred, but you can also use basmati. Jasmine is okay but will be a little softer and mushier)
2.5 cups of chicken stock
Garnish: sliced spring onions

*Note: if you prefer a tomato-based jambalaya, add in one 16oz crushed can of tomatoes just after the vegetables have softened (between step 4 and 5).

Directions:

In a small mixing bowl, mix the diced chicken with 1/2 Tbsp of Cajun seasoning and let it marinate until ready to use.

In a deep pan on MED-HIGH heat, melt 1 Tbsp of bacon fat and sear the sliced Andouille sausages on both sides until browned (you may want to do this in batches if you can’t fit all the sausage in a single layer). Once browned, remove the sausage onto a plate and set aside.

In the same pan, add in the marinated diced chicken (from step 1) and sear both sides until lightly brown, about 1-2 minutes per side. You don’t want to fully cook the chicken at this time. When browned, remove from the pan and set aside.

Still in the same pan, add in the garlic, onion, green bell pepper, and celery. Sauté for 5-8 minutes until the vegetables are soft.

Add in 1 tsp gumbo filé, 2 tsps Cajun seasoning and 2 tsps Worcestershire sauce. Mix well, then add in the Andouille sausage (from step 2) and the chicken (from step 3). Cook for 5 minutes.

Add in 1.25 cups of white rice and 2.5 cups of chicken stock. Mix well, turn the heat down to LOW and put the lid on, checking on it every few minutes to give it a stir, ensuring nothing sticks to the bottom. Let the rice cook until all the liquid has been absorbed. If the rice is still undercooked once the liquid is gone, add a little more chicken stock to continue cooking.

Once the rice is cooked, turn off the heat, mix in another 0.5 tsp gumbo filé, taste and adjust salt as needed.

Garnish with sliced spring onions. Enjoy!

Summarized Recipe:

Chicken and Andouille Sausage Jambalaya

Date Published: Jan 21st, 2025 | Last Updated: Jan 21st, 2025
Author: Abby |Category: mains
Serves: 6 | Prep time: 30 mins | Cook time: 45 mins

Ingredients:

500g / 1lb chicken thighs, cut to 2.5cm pieces
1/2 Tbsp + 2 tsps Cajun seasoning (I use ‘Slap Ya Mama’ brand, find it here)
1 Tbsp of bacon fat (you can use vegetable oil or lard instead)
340g/12 oz (1 package) Andouille sausage, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 large yellow onion, diced
1 green bell pepper/capsicum, diced
1 stick of celery, diced small
1 + 0.5 tsps gumbo filé/filé powder
2 tsps Worcestershire sauce
1.25 cups of uncooked white rice, rinsed (a long-grain white rice is preferred, but you can also use basmati. Jasmine is okay but will be a little softer and mushier)
2.5 cups of chicken stock
Garnish: sliced spring onions

*Note: if you prefer a tomato-based jambalaya, add in one 16oz crushed can of tomatoes just after the vegetables have softened (between step 4 and 5).

Directions:

In a small mixing bowl, mix the diced chicken with 1/2 Tbsp of Cajun seasoning and let it marinate until ready to use.
In a deep pan on MED-HIGH heat, melt 1 Tbsp of bacon fat and sear the sliced Andouille sausages on both sides until browned (you may want to do this in batches if you can’t fit all the sausage in a single layer). Once browned, remove the sausage onto a plate and set aside.
In the same pan, add in the marinated diced chicken (from step 1) and sear both sides until lightly brown, about 1-2 minutes per side. You don’t want to fully cook the chicken at this time. When browned, remove from the pan and set aside.
Still in the same pan, add in the garlic, onion, green bell pepper, and celery. Sauté for 5-8 minutes until the vegetables are soft.
Add in 1 tsp gumbo filé, 2 tsps Cajun seasoning and 2 tsps Worcestershire sauce. Mix well, then add in the Andouille sausage (from step 2) and the chicken (from step 3). Cook for 5 minutes.
Add in 1.25 cups of white rice and 2.5 cups of chicken stock. Mix well, turn the heat down to LOW and put the lid on, checking on it every few minutes to give it a stir, ensuring nothing sticks to the bottom. Let the rice cook until all the liquid has been absorbed. If the rice is still undercooked once the liquid is gone, add a little more chicken stock to continue cooking.
Once the rice is cooked, turn off the heat, mix in another 0.5 tsp gumbo filé, taste and adjust salt as needed. Garnish with sliced spring onions. Enjoy!

January 21, 2025December 19, 2024

AbbyLeave a comment

Cajun Chicken, Shrimp, and Andouille Sausage Gumbo

Date Published: Jan 16th, 2025 | Last Updated: Jan 16th, 2025
Author: Abby |Category: mains, soup
Serves: 6 | Prep time: 30 mins | Cook time: 2.5 hours

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The first time I ever had southern food was years ago and the unique rich earthy flavours drew me in from the very beginning. Making the perfect gumbo has been on my ‘to cook’ list for as long as I can remember and this past weekend I made it my mission to make the best gumbo I could through a lot of research and many hours in the kitchen. No corners were cut in the making of this recipe. Shrimp shells are saved to extract the seafood flavours into the broth, bacon fat is used for extra flavour, time and care is taken to create a beautiful deep caramelized roux, and not 1, not 2, but 3 proteins are used to make this the most flavourful and filling gumbo you can find! Even Toby, who usually doesn’t like gumbo, loved this version!

What is Gumbo?

Gumbo is a a southern style stew commonly made with chicken, Andouille sausage and/or seafood (spoiler: I use all 3 in my recipe). It’s actually the official state cuisine of Louisiana! What makes this stew unique is the deep earthy flavours that comes from a carefully watched browned roux, cajun seasoning, and filé powder (more on that below).

What is a roux?

The secret to a good gumbo starts at the beginning: with a good roux. A roux is a thickening agent made with a mixture of equal parts fat and flour. It is cooked slowly with constant care and whisking to add a richness to a dish. The colour of the roux will vary depending how long you cook it, ranging from white, brown, or dark brown. The longer you cook it, the more intense the flavour, but the less the thickening power. The same works vice versa – the less you cook it, the more thickening power but the blander the flavour. I like to go with a deep caramel colour to get the best of both worlds. You can use any kind of fat, but I chose to use bacon fat for the most flavour. You must constantly stir and watch the roux, as it can easily burn. This is a labour of love and can take up to 30-40 minutes, but it will be well worth it!

Special Gumbo Seasonings:

There are 2 special seasonings in this gumbo that I had to order specifically to make this as authentic as possible.

Gumbo Filé / Filé Powder – Filé powder, also known as gumbo filé, is a spice that is made from dried ground leaves of the sassafras tree. This powder has dual purpose in a gumbo: as a thickening agent and also provides earthy flavours. The aroma is similar to that of sage and bay leaf. If you can’t find gumbo filé in a pinch, consider using cornstarch to thicken and some pinches of sage – it won’t be quite the same, but it’ll be similar enough. Some gumbo recipes will use okra as the thickening agent instead.

Creole vs Cajun – adding tomatoes is optional

Served with rice vs potato salad?

Gumbo is commonly served with white rice, but I’ve seen multiple people get a heaping blob of cold potato salad right in the middle of their hot soup. This mix of hot and cold seemed so bizarre, but I gave it a go and it wasn’t half bad! The cold potato salad cuts into the heavy rich flavours of the gumbo and actually works quite well. Toby wasn’t as much of a fan of the combination as I was. 😅

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

Broth:
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 4 cups beef stock
- 1 kg/2 lbs of raw shrimp with shells, deveined without heads
1 Tbsp + 2/3 cup bacon fat (you can use vegetable oil or lard instead, but the bacon fat adds extra flavour)
340g/12 oz (1 package) Andouille sausage, sliced
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 large yellow onion, diced
1 green bell pepper/capsicum, diced
1 bunch celery, diced
4 large chicken thighs, bone-in (with or without)
1 Tbsp Cajun seasoning (I use ‘Slap Ya Mama’ brand, find it here)
1/2 tsp dried thyme
3 bay leaves
4 tsps gumbo filé/filé powder
2 Tbsps Worcestershire sauce
Garnish: sliced spring onions
Serve with: white rice or potato salad

Directions:

Prepare the broth:

In a small pot on MED heat, add in 4 cups of chicken stock and 4 cups of beef stock.

Remove the shells from the shrimp and add the shells into the stock. Let it simmer on the lowest heat for at least 20 minutes (or longer) while you prepare the rest of the ingredients. Keep the lid on with a small crack to avoid evaporation and boiling over.

Brown the sausage:

In a large soup pot on MED-HIGH heat, melt 1 Tbsp of bacon fat and sear the sliced Andouille sausages on both sides until browned (you may want to do this in batches if you can’t fit all the sausage in a single layer). Once browned, remove the sausage onto a plate and set aside.

Make the roux:

Using the same pot on MED heat with the residual oil from the sausage, melt in the 2/3 cup bacon fat. Sprinkle 1 cup of flour over the melted fat and whisk the flour until combined. Continue to whisk regularly until you get a thick paste that is the colour of milk chocolate (this step is tedious and can take 30-40 minutes, take your time, don’t let the roux burn!).

Once your roux reaches the desired colour, add in the vegetables: 3 cloves minced garlic, onion, green pepper, and celery. Sauté until the vegetables are soft (8-10 minutes), making sure you regularly scrape the bottom of the pot so nothing sticks. You can put a lid on the let the vegetables sweat to speed up the softening process.

When the vegetables have softened, strain the shrimp shells from the broth (in step 1) and slowly pour the broth into the vegetable/roux mixture while stirring at the same time so no clumps form.

Let the soup come to a simmer then add in 1 Tbsp Cajun seasoning, 1/2 tsp dried thyme, 3 bay leaves, and 4 bone-in chicken thighs. Simmer for 1 hour, partially covered with a lid.

After 1 hour, remove the chicken into a bowl and add in the cooked sausage (from step 2) back into the soup along with 2 tsps of gumbo filé. Simmer for another 15 minutes.

While the soup continues to simmer, use two forks to shred the cooked chicken and remove the bone and skin (if present).

When the timer is up, add the shredded chicken back into the soup with the de-shelled raw shrimp (from step 1), and 2 more tsps of gumbo filé. Let it simmer for another 3-5 minutes until the shrimp is fully cooked, then turn off the heat.

Add in 2 Tbsps Worcestershire sauce, stir, and taste. Adjust salt, pepper, Cajun seasoning or Worcestershire as needed.

Done! Serve with rice or potato salad. Enjoy!

Summarized Recipe:

Cajun Chicken, Shrimp, and Andouille Sausage Gumbo

Date Published: Jan 16th, 2025 | Last Updated: Jan 16th, 2025
Author: Abby |Category: mains, soup
Serves: 6 | Prep time: 30 mins | Cook time: 2.5 hours

Ingredients:

Broth:
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 4 cups beef stock
- 1 kg/2 lbs of raw shrimp with shells, deveined without heads
1 Tbsp + 2/3 cup bacon fat (you can use vegetable oil or lard instead, but the bacon fat adds extra flavour)
340g/12 oz (1 package) Andouille sausage, sliced
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 large yellow onion, diced
1 green bell pepper/capsicum, diced
1 bunch celery, diced
4 large chicken thighs, bone-in (with or without)
1 Tbsp Cajun seasoning (I use ‘Slap Ya Mama’ brand, find it here)
1/2 tsp dried thyme
3 bay leaves
4 tsps gumbo filé/filé powder
2 Tbsps Worcestershire sauce
Garnish: sliced spring onions
Serve with: white rice or potato salad

Directions:

Prepare the broth:
- In a small pot on MED heat, add in 4 cups of chicken stock and 4 cups of beef stock.
- Remove the shells from the shrimp and add the shells into the stock. Let it simmer on the lowest heat for at least 20 minutes (or longer) while you prepare the rest of the ingredients. Keep the lid on with a small crack to avoid evaporation and boiling over.
Brown the sausage:
- In a large soup pot on MED-HIGH heat, melt 1 Tbsp of bacon fat and sear the sliced Andouille sausages on both sides until browned (you may want to do this in batches if you can’t fit all the sausage in a single layer).
- Once browned, remove the sausage onto a plate and set aside.
Make the roux:
- Using the same pot on MED heat with the residual oil from the sausage, melt in the 2/3 cup bacon fat. Sprinkle 1 cup of flour over the melted fat and whisk the flour until combined. Continue to whisk regularly until you get a thick paste that is the colour of milk chocolate (this step is tedious and can take 30-40 minutes, take your time, don’t let the roux burn!).
Once your roux reaches the desired colour, add in the vegetables: 3 cloves minced garlic, onion, green pepper, and celery. Sauté until the vegetables are soft (8-10 minutes), making sure you regularly scrape the bottom of the pot so nothing sticks. You can put a lid on the let the vegetables sweat to speed up the softening process.
When the vegetables have softened, strain the shrimp shells from the broth (in step 1) and slowly pour the broth into the vegetable/roux mixture while stirring at the same time so no clumps form.
Let the soup come to a simmer then add in 1 Tbsp Cajun seasoning, 1/2 tsp dried thyme, 3 bay leaves, and 4 bone-in chicken thighs. Simmer for 1 hour, partially covered with a lid.
After 1 hour, remove the chicken into a bowl and add in the cooked sausage (from step 2) back into the soup along with 2 tsps of gumbo filé. Simmer for another 15 minutes.
While the soup continues to simmer, use two forks to shred the cooked chicken and remove the bone and skin (if present). When the timer is up, add the shredded chicken back into the soup with the de-shelled raw shrimp (from step 1), and 2 more tsps of gumbo filé. Let it simmer for another 3-5 minutes until the shrimp is fully cooked, then turn off the heat.
Add in 2 Tbsps Worcestershire sauce, stir, and taste. Adjust salt, pepper, Cajun seasoning or Worcestershire as needed. Done! Serve with rice or potato salad. Enjoy!

January 16, 2025June 28, 2025

AbbyLeave a comment

French Onion Mac & Cheese with Garlic Toasts

Date Published: Jan 11th, 2025 | Last Updated: Jan 11th, 2025
Author: Abby |Category: mains, sides, vegetarian
Serves: 8 as a main | Prep time: 20 mins | Cook time: 1.5 hours

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French Onion soup + Mac and Cheese. This is it. The ultimate comfort food. There are no short cuts here and no low-calorie nonsense this time. This is the real deal – pile on that butter and pack on the cheese because it’s time to indulge.

This mac and cheese recipe incorporates the essence of a French Onion soup: the sweet caramelized onions, tons of gruyère cheese, and topped with slices of toasted garlic bread. There’s just no better way to marry these two classic comfort dishes. This recipe does take a bit of time to caramelize the onions, but do it slow and low and you won’t regret it!

Happy cooking!

This recipe is adapted from the NYT version.

Ingredients you’ll need: *This recipe makes a LOT of mac and cheese (8-10 servings), halve the recipe if needed.

Caramelized onions:
- 3 Tbsps butter
- 900g/2 lbs (about 3 large) yellow or sweet onions, sliced
- 6 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 large bay leaf
- Splashes of beef stock as needed
- 2 Tbsps sherry vinegar
Pasta:
- 1 box (1lb/16oz/454g) of elbow pasta/macaroni
Baguette toasts:
- 1 baguette, sliced to 2.5cm thickness
- 1 garlic clove, peeled
- 1 cup (4oz) gruyère cheese, freshly grated (do not get the pre-grated cheese)
Béchamel Cheese Sauce:
- 2 Tbsps butter
- 3 Tbsps all-purpose flour
- 4 cups whole milk
- 4 cups (170g/6oz) gruyère cheese, freshly grated (do not get the pre-grated cheese)
- 4 + 1 cups (200g/7 oz) sharp cheddar cheese, freshly grated (do not get the pre-grated cheese)
- Salt & pepper
Fresh thyme leaves for garnish

Directions:

Caramelize the onions (you can do this the day before):

In a large deep oven-safe skillet (I use a 5.5 qt braiser enamel cast-iron pot) on MED heat, add in 3 Tbsps of butter, sliced onions, 6 sprigs thyme and 1 bay leaf. Cook until the onions soften (3-4 minutes), then turn the heat down to LOW and slowly continue to cook the onions until they’re a deep brown colour (~45 minutes to 1 hour).

Stir frequently, every 4-5 minutes to ensure the onions don’t burn and scrape the brown bits off bottom regularly. If it seems like it’s about to burn, add a splash of beef stock to loosen everything.

The onions will occasionally threaten to burn

Once the onions are done, add in 2 Tbsps of sherry vinegar to deglaze the pan and scrape up any remaining bits for 30 seconds. Discard the bay leaf and thyme sprig stems. Remove the onions from the pan and set aside.

Make the pasta:

While the onions are caramelizing, cook the pasta according to package instructions with a pinch of salt in the water, but stop cooking 2 minutes before it’s finished. Strain the pasta but reserve the pasta water for later in case needed and run the pasta under cold water until ready to be used.

Run under cold water to stop the cooking process

Make the baguette toasts:

While the pasta cooks, arrange the baguette slices onto a baking tray and broil for 1-2 minutes to lightly toast them until they’re just firm (you don’t need to brown them). Cut the end off of one clove of garlic and rub one side of each toasted baguette slice and set aside.

Make the cheese sauce:

Preheat the oven to 450˚F/230˚C.

In the same pan that was used for the onions, melt 2 Tbsps of butter on MED heat. Once melted, sprinkle in 3 Tbsps of flour. Whisk for 1-2 minutes until the flour is incorporated, bubbles, and turns a light golden brown.

Slowly add in the 4 cups of milk while whisking at the same time to ensure the flour and milk mixes well together without clumps. Let the sauce come to a simmer.

Add back in the caramelized onions (from step 1) and mix together.

Next, add in 4 cups of gruyère and 4 cups of cheddar cheese. Continue to whisk until all the cheese has melted, then add in the cooked pasta (from step 2). Mix it all around, then add salt and pepper to taste.

If you prefer your mac & cheese on the runnier side, add some reserved pasta water (from step 2) to the pot until you reach the desired consistency. Turn off the heat.

Assemble & Bake!

Arrange the garlic-rubbed baguette toasts over the mac and cheese and sprinkle the 1 cup grated cheddar cheese over the top of the toasts.

Bake in the preheated oven for 10-15 minutes until the cheese is bubbly. Broil for 1-2 minutes at the end until the cheese is golden brown.

Garnish with fresh thyme leaves and serve immediately!

Summarized Recipe:

French Onion Mac & Cheese with Garlic Toasts

Ingredients:

Caramelized onions:
- 3 Tbsps butter
- 900g/2 lbs (about 3 large) yellow or sweet onions, sliced
- 6 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 large bay leaf
- Splashes of beef stock as needed
- 2 Tbsps sherry vinegar
Pasta:
- 1 box (1lb/16oz/454g) of elbow pasta/macaroni
Baguette toasts:
- 1 baguette, sliced to 2.5cm thickness
- 1 garlic clove, peeled
- 1 cup (4oz) gruyère cheese, freshly grated (do not get the pre-grated cheese)
Béchamel Cheese Sauce:
- 2 Tbsps butter
- 3 Tbsps all-purpose flour
- 4 cups whole milk
- 4 cups (6oz) gruyère cheese, freshly grated (do not get the pre-grated cheese)
- 4 + 1 cups (7 oz) sharp cheddar cheese, freshly grated (do not get the pre-grated cheese)
- Salt & pepper
Fresh thyme leaves for garnish

Directions:

Caramelize the onions (you can do this the day before):
- In a large deep oven-safe skillet (I use a 5.5 qt braiser enamel cast-iron pot) on MED heat, add in 3 Tbsps of butter, sliced onions, 6 sprigs thyme and 1 bay leaf. Cook until the onions soften (3-4 minutes), then turn the heat down to LOW and slowly continue to cook the onions until they’re a deep brown colour (~45 minutes to 1 hour). Stir frequently, every 4-5 minutes to ensure the onions don’t burn and scrape the brown bits off bottom regularly. If it seems like it’s about to burn, add a splash of beef stock to loosen everything.
- Once the onions are done, add in 2 Tbsps of sherry vinegar to deglaze the pan and scrape up any remaining bits for 30 seconds. Discard the bay leaf and thyme sprig stems. Remove the onions from the pan and set aside.
Make the pasta:
- While the onions are caramelizing, cook the pasta according to package instructions with a pinch of salt in the water, but stop cooking 2 minutes before it’s finished. Strain the pasta but reserve the pasta water for later in case needed and run the pasta under cold water until ready to be used.
Make the baguette toasts:
- While the pasta cooks, arrange the baguette slices onto a baking tray and broil for 1-2 minutes to lightly toast them until they’re just firm (you don’t need to brown them). Cut the end off of one clove of garlic and rub one side of each toasted baguette slice and set aside.
Make the cheese sauce:
- Preheat the oven to 450˚F/230˚C.
- In the same pan that was used for the onions, melt 2 Tbsps of butter on MED heat. Once melted, sprinkle in 3 Tbsps of flour. Whisk for 1-2 minutes until the flour is incorporated, bubbles, and turns a light golden brown.
- Slowly add in the 4 cups of milk while whisking at the same time to ensure the flour and milk mixes well together without clumps. Let the sauce come to a simmer.
- Add back in the caramelized onions (from step 1) and mix together.
- Next, add in 4 cups of gruyère and 4 cups of cheddar cheese. Continue to whisk until all the cheese has melted, then add in the cooked pasta (from step 2). Mix it all around, then add salt and pepper to taste.
  - If you prefer your mac & cheese on the runnier side, add some reserved pasta water (from step 2) to the pot until you reach the desired consistency. Turn off the heat.
Assemble & Bake!
- Arrange the garlic-rubbed baguette toasts over the mac and cheese and sprinkle the 1 cup grated cheddar cheese over the top of the toasts.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 10-15 minutes until the cheese is bubbly. Broil for 1-2 minutes at the end until the cheese is golden brown.
- Garnish with fresh thyme leaves and serve immediately!

January 11, 2025December 19, 2024

AbbyLeave a comment

Drunken Chicken (a Chinese cold dish)

Date Published: Jan 6th, 2025 | Last Updated: Jan 6th, 2025
Author: Abby |Category: easy, <30 mins, Asian, appetizers, healthy, low cal, sides, Taiwanese
Serves: 1 plate | Prep time: 5 mins | Cook time: 28 mins (+ 2 hours marinating)

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Drunken Chicken is a traditional Chinese savoury appetizer dish served either cold or at room temperature. Fair warning, if you don’t like alcohol, you’re not going to like this dish. I grew up with this dish and I absolutely hated it when I was a kid because of how strong the alcohol flavour was. It was almost always served as part of a 10 course prix-fixe meal at fancy Chinese restaurants during get-togethers with extended families, work dinners, or wedding banquets. Any time there’s any occasion to celebrate, drunken chicken makes an appearance. Now as an adult and being more accustomed to alcohol, I found a new appreciation for this dish. It’s unique and is a nice way to open your palate before the hot stir frys come out, and the salty cool alcohol flavours gives a good break from hot spicy foods.

This recipe is ridiculously easy and cooks up quickly. Make sure you use good quality Shaoxing Wine for this dish since it’s 50% of the marinade – you’ll taste the difference. You’ll need to marinate the chicken for at least 2 hours or better if overnight, so make sure you give yourself enough time before serving.

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

4 chicken thighs, skin-on, bone in or out
1 Tbsp kosher salt flakes + more to taste
4x 3mm slices of ginger
2 spring onions, trimmed and cut 4cm lengths
Ice water bath
1 tsp granulated sugar
1.5 cups (375ml) Shaoxing Wine (Chinese cooking wine)
1 Tbsp goji berries

Directions:

In a pot or a deep pan (with a lid), arrange the chicken thighs in a single layer and add in 1 Tbsp salt, ginger slices, and spring onions. Add enough water to just cover the chicken. Put the lid on and turn the heat up to HIGH to bring the water to a boil, then turn it down to LOW to let the chicken simmer for 8 minutes.

Add just enough water to cover the chicken

After 8 minutes, turn the heat off and let the chicken sit for another 5 minutes with the lid on (do not open the lid until the timer is up or else you’ll let the heat escape). Prepare an ice water bath for the chicken in this time.

When the timer is up, check that the chicken is cooked (internal temp should be at least 165˚F/74˚C). If it hasn’t cooked, simmer it for a bit longer, otherwise remove the chicken and place it in the prepared ice water bath. This will allow the skin to firm up with a bouncy texture.

With the remaining broth, turn on the heat again to MED-HIGH and let the broth simmer until the liquid has reduced to about 1.5 cups (15-20 mins).

While the broth is reducing, once the chicken has cooled, remove it from the ice bath and remove the bone with your hands (if present). Slice the chicken and place it in a glass or non-reactive bowl with a lid.

Once the broth has reduced, strain it into a measuring cup and add in the equivalent amount of Shaoxing wine into the measuring cup (ie. if you have 1.5 cups of broth, you will add to it 1.5 cups of the wine), 1 tsp sugar, and the goji berries. Stir until the sugar dissolves and taste. You should have a very savoury alcohol-tasting broth.

Pour the alcohol/broth mixture into the bowl with the sliced chicken and cover. Refrigerate to marinate for at least 2 hours or overnight.

When serving, strain the liquid from the chicken and serve chilled. Enjoy!

Summarized Recipe:

Drunken Chicken (a Chinese cold dish)

Ingredients:

4 chicken thighs, skin-on, bone in or out
1 Tbsp kosher salt flakes + more to taste
4x 3mm slices of ginger
2 spring onions, trimmed and cut 4cm lengths
Ice water bath
1 tsp granulated sugar
1.5 cups (375ml) Shaoxing Wine (Chinese cooking wine)
1 Tbsp goji berries

Directions:

In a pot or a deep pan (with a lid), arrange the chicken thighs in a single layer and add in 1 Tbsp salt, ginger slices, and spring onions. Add enough water to just cover the chicken. Put the lid on and turn the heat up to HIGH to bring the water to a boil, then turn it down to LOW to let the chicken simmer for 8 minutes.
After 8 minutes, turn the heat off and let the chicken sit for another 5 minutes with the lid on (do not open the lid until the timer is up or else you’ll let the heat escape). Prepare an ice water bath for the chicken in this time.
When the timer is up, check that the chicken is cooked (internal temp should be at least 165˚F/74˚C). If it hasn’t cooked, simmer it for a bit longer, otherwise remove the chicken and place it in the prepared ice water bath. This will allow the skin to firm up with a bouncy texture.
With the remaining broth, turn on the heat again to MED-HIGH and let the broth simmer until the liquid has reduced to about 1.5 cups (15-20 mins).
While the broth is reducing, once the chicken has cooled, remove it from the ice bath and remove the bone with your hands (if present). Slice the chicken and place it in a glass or non-reactive bowl with a lid.
Once the broth has reduced, strain it into a measuring cup and add in the equivalent amount of Shaoxing wine into the measuring cup (ie. if you have 1.5 cups of broth, you will add to it 1.5 cups of the wine), 1 tsp sugar, and the goji berries. Stir until the sugar dissolves and taste. You should have a very savoury alcohol-tasting broth.
Pour the alcohol/broth mixture into the bowl with the sliced chicken and cover. Refrigerate to marinate for at least 2 hours or overnight. When serving, strain the liquid from the chicken and serve chilled. Enjoy!

January 6, 2025December 18, 2024

AbbyLeave a comment