Creamy Pistachio Spread


Date Published: March 31st, 2025 | Last Updated: March 31st, 2025
Author: Abby |Category: dessert, easy, quick, snacks
Serves: 2-3 cups | Prep time: 15 mins

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This recipe for pistachio spread came from my own attempt at trying to recreate the Pisti Pistachio Cream – which became my new obsession when I discovered it while having a go at making the viral Dubai Chocolate Bars. Although I haven’t been successful at making a duplicate, the end result was still fantastic inside the chocolate bars and I figured I’d share the recipe here incase I can’t get my hands on the Pisti Pistachio Cream in the future. You can use this spread on toast, in baked goods, or filled in a Dubai Chocolate Bar!

Although this recipe is pretty basic and there’s not many ingredients you need, but one important piece of equipment is a good high speed blender such as a Vitamix to get the smoothest results.

Pistachio Butter vs Pistachio Cream vs Pistachio Spread?

Pistachio butter is just pistachios blended until you get a paste. This is the same way you’d make any kind of nut butters such as peanut butter. The consistency tends to be a bit more grainy and with or without added sugar.

Pistachio cream is blended pistachios (pistachio butter) with added milk products and sugar to give it a creamy and smoother consistency.

Pistachio spread is a broad term that can be used interchangeably with any spreadable pistachio product. Since my recipe is neither that creamy nor as simple as just blended pistachios, I’ve elected to label mine as a ‘pistachio spread’.

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:

  • 450g pistachios, shelled, unsalted, unroasted
  • 1.25 cups whole milk powder
  • 2 Tbsps granulated sugar
  • 7 Tbsps neutral oil (ie. canola or a light tasting olive oil)
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 115g condensed milk

Directions:

In a high speed blender, add in the pistachios. Blend on HIGH until you get a paste.

Add in the rest of the ingredients: 1.25 cups milk powder, 2 Tbsps sugar, 7 Tbsps oil, 1/2 tsp salt, 115g condensed milk. Continue to blend on HIGH until you get a smooth paste. Drizzle in more oil if your paste is becoming too thick and difficult to blend.

Taste and adjust salt or sugar as needed. Store in an air tight container until ready to use. Done!

Summarized Recipe:

Creamy Pistachio Spread

Date Published: March 31st, 2025 | Last Updated: March 31st, 2025
Author: Abby |Category: dessert, easy, quick, snacks
Serves: 2-3 cups | Prep time: 15 mins

Ingredients:

  • 450g pistachios, shelled, unsalted, unroasted
  • 1.25 cups whole milk powder
  • 2 Tbsps granulated sugar
  • 7 Tbsps neutral oil (ie. canola or a light tasting olive oil)
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 115g condensed milk

Directions:

  1. In a high speed blender, add in the pistachios. Blend on HIGH until you get a paste.
  2. Add in the rest of the ingredients: 1.25 cups milk powder, 2 Tbsps sugar, 7 Tbsps oil, 1/2 tsp salt, 115g condensed milk. Continue to blend on HIGH until you get a smooth paste. Drizzle in more oil if your paste is becoming too thick and difficult to blend. Taste and adjust salt or sugar as needed. Store in an air tight container until ready to use. Done!

AbbyLeave a comment

Asian Chicken Rice


Date Published: March 25th, 2025 | Last Updated: March 25th, 2025
Author: Abby |Category: < 30 mins, Asian, easy, quick, sides
Serves: 4 | Prep time: 10 minutes | Cook time: 15 minutes

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What is Chicken Rice?

If you’ve ever had Hainanese Chicken Rice, you’ll know that it’s a poached chicken dish served with a flavourful savoury chicken flavoured rice. This recipe is for that rice, which is so damn good that I decided that it needs a separate recipe post for itself and unlike the Hainanese Chicken Rice recipe, you don’t need to cook a whole chicken just to make this rice. This rice is packed with chicken flavour by using chicken fat (or schmaltz), chicken stock, and chicken stock powder.

Why is the rice yellow?

Short answer: I have no idea. Possible answer: aesthetics? In some Malaysian/Singaporean restaurants, the chicken rice is yellow in colour due to the additional of turmeric powder. Some places will even add turmeric to their chicken poaching liquid so the skin is also tinted yellow. I can’t find an exact reason for this, but my guess is due to the aesthetics of the dish 🤷🏻‍♀️. The turmeric here is purely optional and does not add any additional flavour, so feel free to leave it out if you wish!

Stove top vs Instant Pot?

In this recipe I’ve included instructions for both stove top and Instant Pot cooking methods. There’s not much difference between either – if anything, the stove top is actually a little faster, but the Instant Pot saves you the effort from having to constantly keep an eye on it so it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot and burn.

What is Schmaltz?

Schmaltz is rendered chicken fat that is commonly used in Jewish cooking. It typically comes in a glass jar and you should be able to find it at Whole Foods (labelled as rendered chicken fat) or jewish grocery stores. I found a large container of it at my local farmer’s market and froze them in ice cube trays for easy use. It keeps for ages.

If you can’t find rendered chicken fat, you can render it yourself. Ask your local butcher if they have any chicken fat or chicken skins and let it slowly cook down on the stove until you get a clear oil.

What is Asian Chicken Powder 雞粉?

Asian Chicken Powder 雞粉 is a flavourful chicken bouillon powder that usually has the addition of MSG. It’s a common ingredient used in many dishes to enhance the flavours in a pinch and add a boost of chicken aroma. I like the Lee Kum Kee Brand, but Knorr makes one that’s pretty good as well. If you can’t find it Chicken Powder, you can use regular chicken bouillon instead.

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

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

  • 4 Tbsps rendered chicken fat/schmaltz
  • 5 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 2 cups Jasmine rice, rinsed
  • 1/2 tsp ground turmeric (optional, for colour)
  • 4 cups chicken stock (3 cups if using Instant pot?)
  • 2.5 tsps Asian chicken stock powder 雞粉
  • 2 green onions, trimmed and sliced to 4cm pieces
  • 2 slices of ginger

Stove Top Directions:

In a medium sized pot on MED heat, melt 4 Tbsps of chicken fat/schmaltz and sauté the minced garlic in the fat for 30 seconds until fragrant.

Add in the Jasmine rice and continue to sauté for 1-2 minutes until the rice heats up and is covered in the fat.

Next, add in the 1/2 tsp ground turmeric (if using), 4 cups chicken stock, 2.5 tsps chicken stock powder, green onion, and ginger. Mix it all around, let the liquid come to a simmer, then turn the heat down to LOW and put a lid on. Let the rice cook until soft (~10-15 minutes), stirring occasionally and making sure nothing sticks to the bottom of the pot. Add more chicken stock if the rice is getting too dry before it finishes cooking.

When the rice is done, fluff it up with a fork. Let the rice sit for 10-15 minutes before serving for best flavour. Enjoy!

Instant Pot Directions:

In an Instant Pot, start the sauté setting on MED heat and melt 4 Tbsps of chicken fat/schmaltz. Add the minced garlic and sauté it in the fat for 30 seconds until fragrant.

Add in the Jasmine rice and continue to sauté for 1-2 minutes until the rice heats up and is covered in the fat.

Cancel the Instant Pot sauté setting and add in the rest of the ingredients: 1/2 tsp ground turmeric (if using), 3 cups chicken stock, 2.5 tsps chicken stock powder, green onion, and ginger. Mix well, put on the lid, and set it to Pressure Cook on HIGH for 3 minutes and a 15 minute natural release.

Once finished, carefully release the rest of the steam, then open the lid. Fluff up the rice with a fork and let it sit for 10-15 minutes before serving for best flavour. Enjoy!

Summarized Recipe:

Asian Chicken Rice

Date Published: March 25th, 2025 | Last Updated: March 25th, 2025
Author: Abby |Category: < 30 mins, Asian, easy, quick, sides
Serves: 4 | Prep time: 10 minutes | Cook time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 4 Tbsps rendered chicken fat/schmaltz
  • 5 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 2 cups Jasmine rice, rinsed
  • 1/2 tsp ground turmeric (optional, for colour)
  • 4 cups chicken stock (3 cups if using Instant pot?)
  • 2.5 tsps Chicken stock powder – ASIAN BRAND
  • 2 green onions, trimmed and sliced to 4cm pieces
  • 2 slices of ginger

Stove Top Directions:

  1. In a medium sized pot on MED heat, melt 4 Tbsps of chicken fat/schmaltz and sauté the minced garlic in the fat for 30 seconds until fragrant.
  2. Add in the Jasmine rice and continue to sauté for 1-2 minutes until the rice heats up and is covered in the fat.
  3. Next, add in the 1/2 tsp ground turmeric (if using), 4 cups chicken stock, 2.5 tsps chicken stock powder, green onion, and ginger. Mix it all around, let the liquid come to a simmer, then turn the heat down to LOW and put a lid on. Let the rice cook until soft (~10-15 minutes), stirring occasionally and making sure nothing sticks to the bottom of the pot. Add more chicken stock if the rice is getting too dry before it finishes cooking.
  4. When the rice is done, fluff it up with a fork. Let the rice sit for 10-15 minutes before serving for best flavour. Enjoy!

Instant Pot Directions:

  1. In an Instant Pot, start the sauté setting on MED heat and melt 4 Tbsps of chicken fat/schmaltz. Add the minced garlic and sauté it in the fat for 30 seconds until fragrant.
  2. Add in the Jasmine rice and continue to sauté for 1-2 minutes until the rice heats up and is covered in the fat. Cancel the Instant Pot sauté setting and add in the rest of the ingredients: 1/2 tsp ground turmeric (if using), 3 cups chicken stock, 2.5 tsps chicken stock powder, green onion, and ginger. Mix well, put on the lid, and set it to Pressure Cook on HIGH for 3 minutes and a 15 minute natural release.
  3. Once finished, carefully release the rest of the steam, then open the lid. Fluff up the rice with a fork and let it sit for 10-15 minutes before serving for best flavour. Enjoy!

AbbyLeave a comment

Biryani (Kuska) Rice


Date Published: March 19th, 2025 | Last Updated: March 19th, 2025
Author: Abby |Category: sides, asian, mains, vegetarian
Serves: 6-8 | Prep time: 20 mins | Cook time: 40 mins

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I’ve only ever known “biryani” in the form of chicken biryani, an Indian dish that cooks the chicken and rice together in a mix of spices which results in a flavourful rice dish. I always thought you needed the meat to achieve the flavours of the rice but when we went to Cairo Cafe in Perth for the first time back in October 2021 during our big road trip around Australia, they had an option of plain biryani rice as a side and it blew me away! Their rice was smokey yet flavourful and I just couldn’t get enough of it! I’ve since tried to recreate it multiple times, but sadly I have not achieved a copycat version. However, I did find an alternative biryani/kuska rice recipe from IndianHealthyRecipes and after a few tweaks, it’s still not the same as Cairo Cafe, but also just as tasty so I decided to share it here anyway.

If you’re ever in Perth, I definitely recommend checking out Cairo Cafe in Canning Vale or Cannington. I always got the Chicken Shawarma platter with biryani rice (of course) and Toby would usually order the Gourmet Mixed Platter. This place does grilled meats REALLY well.

What is Kuska Rice?

Kuska rice is also commonly known as ‘plain biryani’ which is a South Indian dish that is made without any meat. It is a flavourful spiced rice dish that pairs well with grilled meats such as shawarmas or kebabs. This rice is packed with flavour and goes really well served alongside pita bread and a mint yogurt sauce or toum (Lebanese garlic sauce)!

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

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

  • 2 cups basmati rice
  • 2.5 Tbsps neutral oil
  • Spice mix:
    • 2 bay leaves
    • 6 cloves
    • 6 green cardamom pods
    • 1 star anise
    • 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
    • 1 cinnamon stick (~3-4cm)
    • 1 tsp red chilli flakes
    • 1/2 tsp coriander seeds
    • 6 curry leaves
  • 1 medium red onion, sliced
  • 1/2 Tbsp garlic (~2 cloves), finely minced
  • 1/2 Tbsp ginger, finely minced
  • 1 large tomato (or 2 medium), diced small
  • 1/4 cup plain or Greek yoghurt
  • 1/2 tsp salt (or more to taste)
  • 1.5 tsps garam masala powder (or biryani masala)
  • 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • Handful of mint leaves, chopped
  • 3.5 cups chicken stock

Directions:

Rinse and soak the basmati rice for 20 minutes then drain it (you can prep the rest of the ingredients while the rice soaks).

Heat up a medium pot or pan on MED-HIGH heat and add in the oil. Next add in the spice mix (2 bay leaves, 6 cloves, 6 cardamom, 1 star anise, 1/2 tsp cumin seeds, 1 cinnamon stick, 1 tsp chilli flakes, 1/2 tsp coriander seeds, 6 curry leaves). Sauté the spices in the oil until the cumin seeds start to sputter (~5 mins).

Next add in the red onion and continue to sauté until the edges of the onion turn golden brown (~5 mins). Add in the garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant (~1 min).

Next add in the tomatoes, 1/4 cup plain yoghurt, 1/2 tsp salt, 1.5 tsps garam masala, 1/4 tsp turmeric, 1 tsp paprika, and handful of mint leaves. Stir to combine and continue to sauté until the tomatoes break down and you end up with a thick mushy paste (~5-8 mins).

Once you have a mushy paste, pour in the 3.5 cups of chicken stock and mix. Turn the heat up to HIGH and once the liquid boils, add in the drained basmati rice and mix. Turn the heat down to MED and let the rice simmer uncovered until the liquid is nearly gone (~10-15mins – see photo) then turn the heat to LOW and put a lid on the rice to steam for a further 5-10 mins until fully cooked, then turn off the stove. Taste and adjust salt as needed.

Add in the stock
Bring it to a boil
Add in the rice
Mix it all together and let it simmer uncovered
Once liquid is nearly gone, put the lid on
Steam the rice for another 5-10mins until cooked

Fluff up the rice and Serve!

Goes well with beef rendang!

Summarized Recipe:

Biryani (Kuska) Rice

Date Published: March 19th, 2025 | Last Updated: March 19th, 2025
Author: Abby |Category: sides, asian, mains, vegetarian
Serves: 6-8 | Prep time: 20 mins | Cook time: 40 mins

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups basmati rice
  • 2.5 Tbsps neutral oil
  • Spice mix:
    • 2 bay leaves
    • 6 cloves
    • 6 green cardamom pods
    • 1 star anise
    • 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
    • 1 cinnamon stick (~3-4cm)
    • 1 tsp red chilli flakes
    • 1/2 tsp coriander seeds
    • 6 curry leaves
  • 1 medium red onion, sliced
  • 1/2 Tbsp garlic (~2 cloves), finely minced
  • 1/2 Tbsp ginger, finely minced
  • 1 large tomato (or 2 medium), diced small
  • 1/4 cup plain or Greek yoghurt
  • 1/2 tsp salt (or more to taste)
  • 1.5 tsps garam masala powder (or biryani masala)
  • 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • Handful of mint leaves, chopped
  • 3.5 cups chicken stock

Directions:

  1. Rinse and soak the basmati rice for 20 minutes then drain it (you can prep the rest of the ingredients while the rice soaks).
  2. Heat up a medium pot or pan on MED-HIGH heat and add in the oil. Next add in the spice mix (2 bay leaves, 6 cloves, 6 cardamom, 1 star anise, 1/2 tsp cumin seeds, 1 cinnamon stick, 1 tsp chilli flakes, 1/2 tsp coriander seeds, 6 curry leaves). Sauté the spices in the oil until the cumin seeds start to sputter (~5 mins).
  3. Next add in the red onion and continue to sauté until the edges of the onion turn golden brown (~5 mins).
  4. Add in the garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant (~1 min).
  5. Next add in the tomatoes, 1/4 cup plain yoghurt, 1/2 tsp salt, 1.5 tsps garam masala, 1/4 tsp turmeric, 1 tsp paprika, and handful of mint leaves. Stir to combine and continue to sauté until the tomatoes break down and you end up with a thick mushy paste (~5-8 mins).
  6. Once you have a mushy paste, pour in the 3.5 cups of chicken stock and mix. Turn the heat up to HIGH and once the liquid boils, add in the drained basmati rice and mix. Turn the heat down to MED and let the rice simmer uncovered until the liquid is nearly gone (~10-15mins – see photo) then turn the heat to LOW and put a lid on the rice to steam for a further 5-10 mins until fully cooked, then turn off the stove. Taste and adjust salt as needed. Fluff up the rice and Serve!

AbbyLeave a comment

Taiwanese Oil Rice/Sticky Rice 油飯


Date Published: March 13th, 2025 | Last Updated: March 13th, 2025
Author: Abby |Category: Asian, mains, Taiwanese
Serves: 4-6 | Prep time: soak rice overnight + 30 mins | Cook time: 40 mins for rice + 10 mins for stir-fry

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油飯 (Yoú Fàn) is a Taiwanese dish comprised of glutinous rice sautéed in a sauce and various add-ons (most commonly pork, shiitake mushrooms and small shrimp). This is a dish that can be found served at special occasions, restaurants, or made at home for a fancy night in. The name directly translates to “oil rice” because the rice is sautéed in a decent amount of pork fat (1/4 cup, to be exact in this recipe), but don’t worry the end result won’t be overly greasy. The pork fat gives it extra flavour, but you can substitute it with another neutral oil if you wish. You can eat the rice on its own or serve it with a drizzle of sweet Haishan sauce.

The cooking process for this dish is quite quick, so before you turn on the heat, make sure all the ingredients and sauces have been prepped and portioned out, ready to go!

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

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

  • 2 cups (400g) glutinous rice (sometimes called ‘sweet rice’)
  • 8 dried shiitake mushrooms
  • 1.5 Tbsps small dried shrimp
  • Pork marinade:
    • 1.5 Tbsps soy sauce
    • 1/8 tsp ground white pepper
    • 1 tsp sesame oil
    • 200g pork tenderloin, cut into thin 2cm strips
  • Sauce:
    • 1/4 cup (60ml) soy sauce
    • 1 Tbsps granulated sugar
    • 2 tsps rice wine vinegar/michu
    • 1 tsp black vinegar
  • 1/4 cup (60ml) lard (or neutral oil)
  • 3 large (~1.5 cups) shallots, finely diced
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2-3 sticks (85g) of lap cheong (Chinese sausage)
  • 1 medium (~100g) carrot, peeled and julienned
  • 1 can (280g) sliced bamboo shoots, sliced into sticks
  • Optional: haishan sauce

Directions:

Soak the rice the night before: Wash the glutinous rice in a colander a few times then transfer to a large bowl and add enough water to cover 2-3 inches above the rice. Let it soak overnight.

Soaked rice the next day
Strain the rice
Prepare steaming baskets with moistened liners
Add the rice into the baskets
Poke holes into the rice
Add a lid on and steam for 30-40 mins
Cooked glutinous rice – should be chewy, not hard & not mushy

Cook the rice: The next day, strain the rice. Prepare a large steaming basket with a moistened liner. Add the rice into the steaming basket and use the back of a chopstick to create holes in the rice help it cook evenly. Note: I used two smaller bamboo steaming baskets stacked since I didn’t have a large one. Steam for 30-40 minutes until the rice is cooked (a little chewy but not too tough or mush). Once finished, turn off the heat and set the rice aside.

You can steam it however method you wish. I put my steaming baskets with a lid on into a wok with a couple inches of boiling water and let it simmer until the time is up. Add water as needed to the wok when it evaporates.

Prepare the mushrooms: In a bowl, add the dried shiitake mushrooms and enough warm water to cover. Let it soak for at least an hour (or overnight) until the mushrooms have softened. Once softened, reserve 1/3 cup of the mushrooms soaking liquid and strain out the rest. Cut off and discard the thick stems and slice the mushrooms thinly. Set aside.

Prepare the shrimp: Add the 1.5 Tbsp dried shrimp into a small bowl and soak in warm water for 10 minutes then strain.

Slice the pork thinly
Marinate the pork

Marinate the pork: Add all of the pork marinade ingredients into a bowl: 1.5 Tbsps soy sauce, 1/8 tsp white pepper, 1 tsp sesame oil, sliced pork. Mix together and set aside to marinate for at least 15 minutes.

Prepare the sauce: Mix together the 1/4 cup soy sauce, 1 Tbsp sugar, 2 tsps rice wine vinegar, 1 tsp black vinegar, and the reserved 1/3 cup of the mushroom soaking liquid. Set aside.

Putting it all together (make sure all of your ingredients are chopped and ready – this will be a quick process): In a wok on MED-HIGH heat, add the 1/4 cup of lard. Once it starts to sizzle, add in the shallots and sautée for 1-2 minutes until softened, then add in the garlic, shrimp, shiitake mushrooms, and lap cheong. Continue to sautée for another 1 minute until fragrant.

Add in the marinated pork (from step 5). Cook for 1-2 minutes until the edges of the pork turns opaque then add in the carrots and bamboo. Cook for another 2-3 minutes until the carrots have softened and the pork is completely cooked. Add in the sauce (from step 6) and mix everything around for 30 seconds.

Adding in the cooked gllutinouse rice

Turn off the heat and add in the cooked glutinous rice (from step 2). Gently mix it all together until the rice absorbs all of the liquid. Taste and adjust salt as needed. Serve immediately with an optional side of Haishan sauce.

Summarized Recipe:

Taiwanese Oil Rice/Sticky Rice 油飯

Date Published: March 13th, 2025 | Last Updated: March 13th, 2025
Author: Abby |Category: Asian, mains, Taiwanese
Serves: 4-6 | Prep time: soak rice overnight + 30 mins | Cook time: 40 mins for rice + 10 mins for stir-fry

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups (400g) glutinous rice (sometimes called ‘sweet rice’)
  • 8 dried shiitake mushrooms
  • 1.5 Tbsps small dried shrimp
  • Pork marinade:
    • 1.5 Tbsps soy sauce
    • 1/8 tsp ground white pepper
    • 1 tsp sesame oil
    • 200g pork tenderloin, cut into thin 2cm strips
  • Sauce:
    • 1/4 cup (60ml) soy sauce
    • 1 Tbsps granulated sugar
    • 2 tsps rice wine vinegar/michu
    • 1 tsp black vinegar
  • 1/4 cup (60ml) lard (or neutral oil)
  • 3 large (~1.5 cups) shallots, finely diced
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2-3 sticks (85g) of lap cheong (Chinese sausage)
  • 1 medium (~100g) carrot, peeled and julienned
  • 1 can (280g) sliced bamboo shoots, sliced into sticks
  • Optional: haishan sauce

Directions:

  1. Soak the rice the night before: Wash the glutinous rice in a colander a few times then transfer to a large bowl and add enough water to cover 2-3 inches above the rice. Let it soak overnight.
  2. Cook the rice: The next day, strain the rice. Prepare a large steaming basket with a moistened liner. Add the rice into the steaming basket and use the back of a chopstick to create holes in the rice help it cook evenly. Note: I used two smaller bamboo steaming baskets stacked since I didn’t have a large one. Steam for 30-40 minutes until the rice is cooked (a little chewy but not too tough or mush). Once finished, turn off the heat and set the rice aside.
    • You can steam it however method you wish. I put my steaming baskets with a lid on into a wok with a couple inches of boiling water and let it simmer until the time is up. Add water as needed to the wok when it evaporates.
  3. Prepare the mushrooms: In a bowl, add the dried shiitake mushrooms and enough warm water to cover. Let it soak for about an hour (or overnight) until the mushrooms have softened. Once softened, reserve 1/3 cup of the mushrooms soaking liquid and strain out the rest. Cut off and discard the thick stems and slice the mushrooms thinly. Set aside.
  4. Prepare the shrimp: Add the 1.5 Tbsps dried shrimp into a small bowl and soak in warm water for 10 minutes then strain.
  5. Marinate the pork: Add all of the pork marinade ingredients into a bowl: 1.5 Tbsps soy sauce, 1/8 tsp white pepper, 1 tsp sesame oil, sliced pork. Mix together and set aside to marinate for at least 15 minutes.
  6. Prepare the sauce: Mix together the 1/4 cup soy sauce, 1 Tbsp sugar, 2 tsps rice wine vinegar, 1 tsp black vinegar, and the reserved 1/3 cup of the mushroom soaking liquid. Set aside.
  7. Putting it all together (make sure all of your ingredients are chopped and ready – this will be a quick process):
    • In a wok on MED-HIGH heat, add the 1/4 cup of lard. Once it starts to sizzle, add in the shallots and sauté for 1-2 minutes until softened.
    • Add in the garlic, shrimp, shiitake mushrooms, and lap cheong. Continue to sautée for another 1 minute until fragrant.
    • Next, add in the marinated pork (from step 5). Cook for 1-2 minutes until the edges of the pork turns opaque.
    • Add in the carrots and bamboo and cook for another 2-3 minutes until the carrots have softened and the pork is completely cooked.
    • Add in the sauce (from step 6) and mix everything around for 30 seconds.
    • Turn off the heat and add in the cooked glutinous rice (from step 2). Gently mix it all together until the rice absorbs all of the liquid.
    • Taste and adjust salt as needed.
  8. Serve immediately with an optional side of Haishan sauce.

AbbyLeave a comment

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

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

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:

  1. Preheat oven to 180˚C/350˚F.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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!

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.

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!

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)

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

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:

  1. 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.
  2. Sprinkle the 1/2 cup of flour over the onions and mix well. Continue to cook for 1-2 minutes while continuously stirring.
  3. 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.
  4. Add in the broccoli and carrots and continue to simmer for 15-20 minutes until the vegetables are cooked.
  5. 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.

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!

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!

Jim’s South Street, Philadelphia

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.

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

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

  • 1 + 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:

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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!

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.

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:

  • 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.

Make slits or X’s into the beef
Place a garlic clove in each slit
Garlic cloves in the slits
Rub more salt and pepper on all sides with oil
Rubbed in salt, pepper, and oil on all sides
Wrap and let it rest for another 20 mins

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).

Rub oil on one more time
Insert thermometer
Bake on the middle rack
Set thermometer temp for 120˚F/49˚C.

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:

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. When rested, use a sharp knife or deli meat slicer and slice the roast into very thin slices.

Caraway Focaccia Bread:

  1. 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:

  1. 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:

  1. 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).
  2. 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:

  1. Slice the focaccia into desired sandwich size rectangles, then slice it horizontally.
  2. 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.

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?

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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

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

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

  • 2-3 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.

Make slits or X’s into the beef
Place a garlic clove in each slit
Garlic cloves in the slits
Rub more salt and pepper on all sides with oil
Rubbed in salt, pepper, and oil on all sides
Wrap and let it rest for another 20 mins

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).

Rub oil on one more time
Insert thermometer
Bake on the middle rack
Set thermometer temp for 120˚F/49˚C.

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.

Use a knife or deli slicer to slice the beef into thin pieces
Chuck roast
Eye round

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:

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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).
  4. 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.

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

Jump to recipe |

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

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:

  • 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
+ 1 cup (250ml) warm water, mix until sugar dissolves
Set aside and wait 5-10 mins until it froths
Ready when you see the tiny bubbles/frothiness
3 cups (432g) all purpose flour + 1 tsp salt
Knead and slowly add the flour/salt mix to the yeast mixture
Drizzle in 1/2 cup (125ml) olive oil while kneading
Continue to knead until your dough ball forms
Knead a few times by hand on a floured surface until no longer sticky
Dough ball ready to proof
Rub oil to the bowl and the dough ball
Set aside to proof in warm place or proof in oven with hot water
Proof until dough doubles in size (~1hr)
Turn proofed dough onto a floured surface again
Knead until any bubbles have released – one basic dough ball, ready to use!

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

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

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:

  1. Make one basic dough ball (you can double the recipe for a thicker focaccia)
  2. Preheat the oven to 400˚F/200˚C.
  3. 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.
  4. 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).
  5. After 20 minutes, use your fingers and make indents all over dough to release any air bubbles.
  6. 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.
  7. 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.
  8. 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!

AbbyLeave a comment