Shoyu/Soy Sauce Chicken Stir-Fry

It took less than 30 minutes to prepare this Shoyu Chicken Stir-Fry. It's simple and tasty with steamed rice and soft-boiled eggs, if you desire.   

Shoyu/Soy Sauce Chicken Stir-Fry

Ingredients

300 g (4 pieces) Skinless & Boneless Chicken Thighs, cut into bite size
Sea Salt
Freshly Ground Black Pepper

1 tsp Chopped Ginger
1 Small Onion, sliced
2 Tbsp Peanut or Vegetable Oil

Sauce
3 Tbsp Japanese Soy Sauce
2 Tbsp Dark-Soy Sauce
3 Tbsp Mirin
3 Tbsp Sake
200 ml Chicken Stock or Water
¾ tsp Corn Starch

Toppings
2 Scallions, chopped
Soft-Boiled Eggs
Steamed Rice

Method

In a medium bowl, combine the soy sauce, dark soy sauce, Mirin, Sake, chicken stock, and cornstarch. Set aside.

Toss the chicken pieces with some salt and pepper. In a skillet or wok, stir-fry the chicken with oil and ginger over high heat until no longer pink. Mix in the soy sauce mixture. Bring it to a boil, add the onion, reduce the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes. Serve over rice, and top with soft-boiled eggs, and some chopped scallions.

Serves 4


Click here for the recipe...

Rosemary And Garlic Roasted Potatoes Pizza

One of my favorite carbo fix is this delicious Rosemary And Garlic Roasted Potatoes Pizza. This pizza is for potato lovers and best of all, it is easy to make and tastes fantastic!

Rosemary And Garlic Roasted Potatoes Pizza

Ingredients

2 Packet (About 300grams each) Fresh Pizza Dough (available at Whole Foods Market),
6 Tbsp Fresh Basil Pesto, divided (recipe here)
1 Large Fresh Mozzarella, torn and divided

1 Bag (600 grams) Fingerling Potatoes, ½ inch diced
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
4 Sprigs Rosemary
4 Cloves Garlic, smashed
Sea Salt
Black Pepper
Chili Flakes, optional

Method

Preheat oven to 425˚F.

Roast the potatoes: Toss the diced potatoes with olive oil, sea salt, black pepper, and rosemary. Bake in the oven for about 35 to 40 minutes until golden and tender.

Press down the dough on a lightly flour surface. Then pull and stretch the dough into desire size and shapes.

Spread the pesto over the dough, and season with salt and pepper. Scatter the mozzarella cheese, follow by the roasted potatoes. Sprinkle some chili flakes, if desired.

Bake the pizza for about 12 minutes, or until the pizza is crispy. Remove from the oven and serve warm.

Makes 2 Pizza
Click here for the recipe...

Hearty Vegetables Soup

This Hearty Vegetables Soup is thick with chock-full of healthy ingredients, and it will keep you feeling satisfied. It's made with fresh leeks, carrots, celery, and Bob's Red Mill Vegi Soup Mix. The vegi soup mix is made from green and yellow split peas, barley, lentils, and some alphabet pasta.   

Hearty Vegetables Soup

Ingredients

2 to 3 Tbsp Olive Oil


4 Medium Leeks, sliced
2 Cloves Garlic, chopped

2 Carrots, peeled and diced


3 Ribs Celery, diced


1 ½ Cups Bob’s Red Mill Vegi Soup Mix


About 10 Cups of Vegetable Stock

3 Tbsp Flat Leaf Parsley, chopped


Sea Salt


Freshly Ground Black Pepper



Method





Heat the olive oil in a stockpot over moderate heat, add the leeks and garlic. Stirring frequently until it is sticky and golden in color. Mix in the carrot and celery, Vegi soup, and parsley. Continue to stir the vegetable mixture with a wooden spoon, for about 5 minutes. Then add vegetable stock.


Bring the soup to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for about 35 to 40 minutes. Season the soup with sea salt and pepper and serve warm.
Click here for the recipe...

Roasted Red Peppers, Cheese, and Bacon Scrolls

These are savory Roasted Red Peppers, Cheese, and Bacon Scrolls recipe. The scrolls are scrumptious, and it is also perfect for school lunch-box.  


Roasted Red Peppers, Cheese, and Bacon Scrolls

Ingredients

1 Packet (about 310g) Fresh Pizza Dough (available at Whole Foods Market)
2 Tbsp Basil Pesto
1 Roasted Red Peppers, sliced
3 to 4 Sundried Tomatoes, sliced
2 Strips Cooked Bacon, chopped
50 g Shredded Mozzarella Cheese 


¼ tsp Italian Seasoning
A few Shakes of Chili Flakes
Some Black Pepper
A Pinch of Sea Salt, or to taste
2 tsp Olive Oil


Muffin Pan, or Baking sheet lined with parchment paper

Method



Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 400˚F/200˚C.

Press down the dough on a lightly flour surface. Then pull and stretch the dough out to a 14 by 8 inches rectangle.

Spread pesto onto the dough; scatter the peppers, tomatoes, bacon, cheese, and season with Italian herbs, chili flakes, pepper, and sea salt.

Roll up the dough as tightly as you can. Pinch both ends, brush the dough with some olive oil, and slice the log into 12 slices. Place the rolls on the muffin pan, or baking sheet, cut side up, and bake for about 18 to 20 minutes, or until the cheese has melted, and light golden brown in color.

Makes 12 scrumptious Scrolls
Click here for the recipe...

Happy Chinese Lunar New Year & Pineapple Tarts

To all my loyal readers who celebrates the Chinese Lunar New Year, Gung Hay Fatt Choy or Gong Xi Fa Cai! May this lunar new year of the snake bring you an abundance of prosperity, happiness, and great health!

The lunar New Year celebration is no different from any other festive gatherings; it's all about family, friends, and good food. Cookies are an integral part of this celebration.  Here is my all time favorite, Pineapple Tarts. This is a simplified version from the traditional one, which I posted here previously. The recipe is the same; but, the difference is how the pastry is shaped.

Well, it's a long weekend over here in British Columbia. We are celebrating our first BC family day. The weather is great and so, we will be taking advantage of it by enjoying some outdoor activities this weekend. Have a great holiday everyone!


Pineapple Tarts

Pineapple Jam

2 Large Ripe Pineapples, skin and cut into chunks
120 g to 180 g Sugar (adjust accordingly)

2 cloves

5 cm Cinnamon Stick

3 Pandan leaves, cleaned and knotted

50 g Golden Syrup or Maltose

Method



Blend the pineapple chunks in a blender or a food processor. Then pour into a sieve and drain off some of the juices.

Place the pineapple, sugar, cloves, cinnamon stick and pandan leaves in a heavy bottom saucepan and cook over a low heat. Adjust the sugar accordingly. Stir frequently until the jams are slightly thick and add in the golden syrup. Then cook until the jam is thick and glossy. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.

 (Preferably overnight in the fridge) Then roll the pineapple jam into a small cherry sized balls, about 11 grams each.



Pastry
250 g Unsalted Butter, softened at room temperature

50 g Confectioner Sugar

½ tsp Sea Salt
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
2 Large Egg Yolks

350 g All-Purpose Flour, sifted

50 g Corn Flour, sifted

1 Large Egg Yolk, beaten, for egg wash

Method

Preheat the oven to 350˚C and line baking tray with parchment paper.



In a large mixing bowl, combine the butter, sugar and salt. With a wooden spoon mix until they are well combined and add the egg yolks and vanilla extract. Then mix in all the sifted flours and knead lightly to form soft dough.

To shape the tarts - Flatten a piece of dough (about 15 g) with lightly floured hand and place a piece of the prepared pineapple jam in the center, wrap and seal well. Roll the tart into a round shape, flatten lightly and place on the baking tray. Brush the pastry with the egg wash and bake for about 20 minutes or until they are light golden in color. 

Cool on the rack and store in airtight cookie jar.

Click here for the recipe...

Hae Mee, Prawn Noodle, or Penang Hokkien Noodle

Hae Mee, Prawn Noodle, or Penang Hokkien Noodle is a popular street food in Malaysia. The slightly spicy, sweet, and savory soup for this delicious noodle is made with sambal paste, whole prawns, prawns' heads & shells, and chunks of pork ribs, or chicken bones. This noodle recipe will take about a couple of hours to prepare; but, if you like prawns like I do, then chances are you will enjoy this tasty noodle soup.

Hae Mee, Prawn Noodle, or Penang Hokkien Noodle

Ingredients

Soup Base
20 grams Dried Chilies. cut into smaller pieces, soaked with boiling water, and drained well
6 (about 120 grams) Shallots, peeled and chopped
2 Cloves Garlic, peeled
1 tsp Roasted Belachan (shrimp paste)
4 Tbsp of Peanut Oil
500g Prawns Head and Shells
1.2 kg Chicken Legs and Carcass, blanched and drained
40 to 50 grams Rock Sugar
12 Cups of Water
Sea Salt to taste

Topping
400g Peeled Prawns
2 tsp Chili Powder
300 grams Blanched Water Spinach
250 grams Blanched Bean Sprouts
6 Hard-Boiled Eggs
Fried Shallots
300 grams Cooked Rice Vermicelli (Bee Hoon)

Sambal
16 Dried Chilies, cut into smaller pieces, soaked with boiling water, and drained well
4 Fresh Red Chilies, chopped
3 (60 grams) Shallots, peeled and chopped
½ tsp Roasted Belachan
3 Tbsp Peanut Oil
¼ tsp Sea Salt
2 tsp Sugar

Method

For the soup base: Blend the chilies, shallots, garlic and belachan (shrimp paste).

Heat a stockpot, with about 3 Tbsp of the oil. Stir in the chili paste, and stir-fry on moderate heat until fragrant. Then mix in the prawn head and shells and turn up the heat to high. Once the prawn head and shells are coated with the chili paste, add in the chicken legs, carcass, and rock sugar. Continue to stir for another 5 minutes. Add the water and bring it to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for about 45 minutes to an hour.

While, the prawn soup base is simmering, blend together the chilies, shallots, and belachan. Then heat up a small pan, add the peanut oil and cook the sambal until fragrant, season with sea salt and sugar.

In another pan over moderate heat, add about 1 tablespoon of oil, prawns and chili powder. Stir-fry briefly until the prawns are cooked.

When you have prepare the rest of the ingredients. Strain the soup base into a clean pot. Bring it to a boil again, season with sea salt and sugar, if necessary.

To serve the Hae Mee: Place a portion of rice vermicelli, water spinach, bean sprouts, prawns and egg in a bowl. Ladle the hot stock and sprinkle with deep fried shallots and served immediately.
Click here for the recipe...

Chickpeas And Black Bean Salsa

This zesty Chickpeas And Black Bean Salsa is one of my favorite condiments. The salsa is great for snacking with chips, as a lettuce wrap, or with other dishes.

Chickpeas And Black Bean Salsa

Ingredients

1 Can (410ml/13.8 US fl oz) Organic Chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 Can (410ml/13.8 UD fl oz) Organic Black Beans, rinsed and drained
1 Small Red Bell Pepper, small diced
1 Small Green Red Pepper, small diced

2 Medium Tomatoes, diced

¼ Red or White Onion, finely diced
2 Avocado, small diced

2 Jalapeno, seeded, finely chopped

A handful of Coriander, chopped

Juice of 1 Lime
¼ tsp Ground Cumin
½ tsp Chili Flakes
3 Tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
Sea Salt
Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Method


In a large mixing bowl, combine chilies, chickpeas, black beans, peppers, tomatoes, onion, avocado, jalapeno, coriander, lime juice, cumin, chili flakes, olive oil, and season with sea salt and black pepper. Refrigerate the salsa mixture until ready to serve.


Click here for the recipe...