Breakfast Eggs In Tomato Sauce

It’s New Year’s Eve in Vancouver, and I hope you guys are having a great evening. May your New Year be the happiest one! Happy 2014!!

This one-pan “Breakfast Eggs In Tomato Sauce” is a wholesome start to the morning. You can prepare the tomato sauce in advance and just crack in the eggs when you are ready to serve.

Rosemary Garlic Focaccia

Rosemary and garlic flavored oil give incredible flavor to this Focaccia and it's best eaten warm.

Banana Chips

How To Make Fried Banana Chips

Ingredients

Plantains, peeled
Sea Salt
Vegetable Oil, for frying

Method

Peel and slice plantains with a mandoline. (refer to the video tutorial)

Heat oil in a fryer or wok over medium-high heat (about 350˚F). Place a slice of plantain at a time and deep-fry until crisp and golden in color. Drain on a paper towel, sprinkle some sea salt and let cool completely before serving.

Baked Ham And Cheese Egg Bread Rolls

All you need is a few simple ingredients to make these “Baked Ham & Cheese Egg Bread Rolls”. If you want to change it up you can replace the ham with other cold cuts and the Jack cheese with Asiago, or any of your favorite cheeses.

Chocolate Hazelnut Cookies

This is another simple yet delicious cookie that I love to bake. Basically, you will need equal weight of butter, flour, ground hazelnuts, and half portion of sugar. This recipe yields about 80 small cookies but if you want you can easily adjust the recipe to bake the amount you wanted.

Sambal Fried Rice

Spice up your fried rice with this easy Sambal Fried Rice recipe.

Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

These are crunchy chocolate oatmeal cookies, packed-with-good-stuff cookies and a layer of bittersweet chocolate. Switch the dried cranberries with your favorite dried fruits, such as currants, blueberries, dates, apricot, and raisins-it is totally up to you.

Purple Sweet Potato Ondeh Ondeh

Purple Sweet Potato Ondeh Ondeh

Ingredients



500 grams Purple Color Sweet Potato Flesh (3 Medium, about 720g)
120 grams Glutinous Rice Flour
20 grams All-Purpose Flour

Filtered Water, adjust accordingly
150 grams Gula Melaka (Palm Sugar), finely chopped
150 g Grated Coconut

1 Pandan leaf, cut into 1 ½ pieces
A Pinch Of Sea Salt



Method


Boil the sweet potatoes in a medium pot until tender, 20 to 30 minutes, depending on size of potatoes. 

When cool enough to handle, mash the potatoes in a potato riser or masher. (If you are using a masher, you will have to peel the potatoes first)

In a large bowl, combine the mashed sweet potato with glutinous rice flour, all-purpose flour, knead, and add water gradually to form soft dough.

Mix the grated coconut with pan leaf, and a pinch of salt and steam for about 2 - 3 minutes and let it cool completely. 



Bring a pot of water to boil. Pinch a small piece of dough (about 15 g each) and flatten lightly. Fill the center of the dough with palm sugar. Roll them in your palm to form a smooth ball and cook the ondeh ondeh in the boiling water. When the ondeh ondeh float to the surface, remove them with a slotted spoon and shake off the excess water. 

 Coat the ondeh ondeh with grated coconut and serve immediately.

Makes about 40 balls

Homemade Rigatoni With San Marzano Sauce

UPDATED: January 10th 2014
This is an updated post with a new video cooking guide.





Homemade Rigatoni With San Marzano Sauce

Ingredients

500 grams of Homemade Rigatoni or Store-bought, cooked el-dente
Parmigiano-Reggiano

San Marzano Sauce
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Large Yellow Onion, peeled and chopped
4 Cloves of Garlic, peeled and chopped
2 Tbsp of Peperoncino (chili in olive Oil) available at Italian Stores or 2 tsp of Chili Flakes
2 Tins 796ml/28oz San Whole Marzano Tomatoes, reserved tomato juice from 1 tin
1/4 Cup firmly packed fresh Basil leaves, torn
2 Tbsp Chopped Italian Flat Leaf Parsley, chopped
2 tsp Cane Sugar
Sea Salt to taste
Black Pepper

Method

Place oil in heavy saucepan over moderately high heat. Add the onion and garlic and saute, stirring occasionally, until it just starts to brown, about 5 minutes. Then stir in the Peperoncino or chili flakes.

Empty contents of tomato cans into a sieve, reserving 1 tin tomato liquid. Squeeze the juice out of the tomatoes with your hands, letting the juice out of the tomatoes with your hands, letting the juice run through the sieve. (The remaining tomatoes should be a coarse, chunky pulp.) Add the tomatoes and reserved liquid to pan with basil and parsley. Simmer for 10 minutes, season with sugar, salt, pepper and serve with pasta with some freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Serves 6-8

Kung Pao Noodles With Chicken

This popular take-out stir-fried noodle is so simple to make at home. Cooked with cubed chicken fillet, vegetables and the irresistible “kung pao” sauce and topped with cashews. Please check out the video below on "How To Make Kung Pao Noodles With Chicken".

Homemade Dumpling Wrappers

Homemade dumpling wrappers tend to stick together, so remember to cover them with plenty of flour. If you are not going to use it straightaway, then wrap it with a saran wrap.

Cheesesteak Sandwiches

What do you get if you add beef and cheese? I say, it's a comfort food at its best! Try this Cheesesteak Sandwiches recipe, marinated with store-bought fajita seasoning. Also, don't forget to check out my cooking video and please subscribe. Thanks.

Goreng Pisang/Fried Bananas

Fried Banana's also known as Goreng Pisang in Malaysia is one of my favorite deep-fried snacks, made with ripe bananas and coated with batter before deep-frying. It's a simple snack, but they taste so good!

How To Crack Open and Grate A Coconut

Hey guys, I want to share a short video on "How to crack open and grate a coconut" with you. This video guide is for anybody that doesn't have access to freshly grated coconut. They taste so much better on any Asian snacks that required coconut. A coconut grater is a good kitchen gadget to have if you work a lot with coconut. It's easy to use, and it took me less than ten minutes to grate a coconut. Anyway, I bought the grater from eBay and at a reasonable price too. 

Pan Grilled Rockfish Fillet In Banana Leaf

This recipe demonstrates the versatility of the Sambal Paste With Lemongrass that I posted earlier. Once you have the sambal on hand- you can create many delicious spicy meals like this Pan Grilled Rockfish Fillet In Banana Leaf. I use rockfish fillet, but you can opt for skate wing, stingray, or any mild flavor fish. 

Claypot Steamed Fluffy Eggs

If you are short of time to cook, then try this simple and healthy Steamed Fluffy Eggs recipe. Just whisk up some eggs and mix it into a small pot of chicken broth, and let it steam on low heat for 3 to 4 minutes. That's all there is to it, and best of all, the eggs taste superb. Please check out the video below for the full recipe. 

Sambal Paste With Lemongrass

This Sambal Paste With Lemongrass is one of my favorite recipes. It is aromatic, spicy, and it's great to cook with chicken, seafood or vegetables. You'll be surprised by how versatile this simple sambal paste is, it can be turned into many mouth-watering dishes. Which, I will share with you too.

Steamed Fish With Garlic, Chili, & Lime Sauce

Barramundi is a readily available fish, and it is perfect for steaming whole. Try it with this fast, Thai styled recipe. Just steam the fish and whip up a sweet, spicy and sour sauce while it's cooking. Once the fish is cooked, spoon or pour the sauce over it. Topped with some coriander and served with plenty of steamed rice.

Easy Peanut Sauce

Recently, I posted a recipe on Malaysian Chicken Satay, and to complete the dish; I have an Easy Peanut Sauce. It is made with only two ingredients, first is some natural peanut butter, made without oil or seasoning, and the second is some Sweet Chili Sauce.

Malaysian Chicken Satay

Today, I have a flavorful, juicy Malaysian Chicken Satay recipe for you. It just isn't satay if you don't have some peanut sauce. So I'll be sharing my new and improved "Easy Peanut Sauce" for my next post.

Recently, I started uploading step-by-step videos on YouTube, so if you liked the videos, please leave a like and subscribe if you want to see more.





Malaysian Chicken Satay

Ingredients

500 grams (2 pieces) Chicken Breast, lightly pounded and cut into strips

Spice Paste
2 Tbsp Onion Powder
3 ¼ tsp Ginger Powder
¼ tsp Fennel Seed Powder
4 tsp Lemongrass Powder
¼ tsp Cumin Powder
4 Tbsp Sugar
1 Tbsp Turmeric Powder
¾ tsp Sea Salt
4 Tbsp Warm Water
1 Tbsp Peanut Oil

Peanut Oil for basting
20 Bamboo Skewers, soaked
Charcoal Grill

Method

Combine the Spice paste ingredients and marinate the chicken for at least 6 hours or overnight.

Prepare the charcoal fire for direct heat cooking.

Thread the marinated chicken pieces onto each skewer. Grill the satay and baste with more oil until they are cooked. Serve warm with some satay sauce, onions, cucumbers and compressed rice.

Crispy Chocolate Walnut Truffles

These delectable Crispy Chocolate Walnut Truffles are quick and easy to make. You will need chocolate chips, almond butter, walnuts, dates, and rice puffs. If you are making these as a gift, then placed the truffles in candy cups and present it in a gift box or tin.   


Crispy Chocolate Walnut Truffles

Ingredients

200 grams Dark Chocolate Chips
50 grams Lightly Toasted Walnuts, divided
20 grams Organic Rice Puffs, divided
3 Large Medjool Dates, pitted and chopped
100 grams Natural Almond Butter
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
Pinch of Sea Salt

Tray or plate lined with parchment paper

Method



Process one portion of walnuts, rice puffs and chopped dates in a food processor until it resembles fine crumbs.

Crush a half portion of walnuts with rolling pin.

Combine crushed walnuts, finely chopped walnuts, dates, rice puffs, dates, whole rice puffs, vanilla, sea salt, and almond butter. Mix together until it all looks a bit like cookie dough. Roll a small portion of the dough into a ball.

Melt the chocolate in the top of a double boiler, making sure that the water doesn’t touch the top bowl. Remove from the heat and let the chocolate cool for a few minutes. Drop the balls in one by one, turning them around so that they are completely covered. Return them to the tray or plate, where they will flatten a bit on the bottom. Refrigerate until it’s ready to serve.

Makes about 18

Sweet Chili Sauce

This Sweet Chili Sauce is a breeze to make at home. It is delicious on chicken, or as a dip on any of your favorite grilled meats. You should try it with my Sweet Chili Chicken Wings or use it as a spice for my quick and easy Peanut Sauce, that I will share soon.




Sweet Chili Sauce

Ingredients

12 Red or Mixed Color Chilies, chopped
2 to 3 Thai Bird's Eye Chilies, chopped
4 Cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
4 Tbsp Rice Vinegar
4 Tbsp Melted Palm Sugar
1/4 tsp Sea Salt
1 tsp Corn Flour mixed with 1 Tbsp Water

Method

Process chilies and garlic until you have a coarse paste. Combine rice vinegar, palm sugar, sea salt, and chili paste and bring to the boil. Mix in corn flour mixture, stir, and lower the heat. Let it simmer for about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool before serving.

How To Make Roti Jala (Net Pancake)

Roti Jala or Net Pancake is a popular Malaysian tea time snack served with curry dishes. However, to make this light pancake you will need to use a special mold. The traditional mold, made of brass, had three spouts, sadly, it is very to hard to find these days. I did have plastic mold though it wasn't very user-friendly, but don't fret, I have a perfect solution to this, and it involves using any water bottle, and nailing three holes onto the cap. Once you have the water bottle all you have to do is fill it with batter, apply a gentle squeeze on the bottle, and let your"artsy skill" swirl into a net-like pancake. I am sure you'll prefer this foolproof method since it's simple, quick, and clean.




Roti Jala

Ingredients

200 g All-Purpose Flour
2 Large Eggs
2 tsp Vegetable Oil
1 tsp Sea Salt
1/2 tsp Ground Turmeric
200 ml Water
200 ml Coconut Milk

10" non-stick pan
Oil for brushing

Method

Combine all the ingredients and whisk until the batter is free of lumps. Strain the batter.

Fill the bottle with half of the batter, lightly oil the pan with vegetable oil. Gently squeeze the bottle and make some swirl around the pan. When the batter is set, fold them in any shape of your choice. Serve warm with curry dishes.

Makes 20 pieces of Roti Jala

Japanese Beef Rolls ~ Negimaki

Next time you throw a party, these Japanese Beef Rolls will do the trick! It is a thinly sliced beef rolled with Enoki mushrooms, scallions, and asparagus. If you prepare ahead of time, it should take less than 10 minutes to serve this delicious appetizer.

Anyway, recently I started filming some home cooking videos to make it easier for anyone who is learning how to cook, especially my own kids. So I will try to include a step by step video whenever possible. If you liked the video or just want to see more, please give the video a thumbs up and make sure to subscribe my channel. Thanks :-)




Japanese Beef Rolls ~Negimaki

Ingredients

400 g of Thinly Sliced Rib Eye or Sirloin Steak (available at Asian grocers)
5 Stalks Asparagus, trimmed, halved
5 Stalks Scallions, trimmed and halved
120 g Enoki Mushrooms
4 Tbsp Japanese Soy Sauce
4 Tbsp Mirin
1 Tbsp Cooking Oil
2 to 3 Tbsp Sake
Shichimi-Togarashi

Method

In a small bowl, mix together the soy sauce and Mirin. Set aside.

Spread the slice beef on a cutting board and top with asparagus, scallion, and Enoki mushrooms. Roll up tightly and place seam side down.

Heat a large skillet over high heat and coat with oil. Arrange the rolls with the seam side down and sear all sides, and at the same time brush the rolls with the soy and mirin. Once the rolls are cooked, splash some sake and let the alcohol evaporated and top with some Shichimi pepper. Serve warm Wasabi mixed with soy sauce, if necessary.

Makes about 9 to 10 pcs of Japanese Beef Rolls

How To Slice Hasselback Potatoes

Today I'm posting a video on "How to slice Hasseback Potatoes," by placing a potato on a wooden spoon and then slice the potato was suggested by a majority of my readers. It's easy and quick, great when you are preparing a big batch of potatoes. So, thanks everyone for this fantastic idea!

5-Minute Breakfast Sandwich

Everyone loves a quick and good breakfast. Needless to say, it's the most important meal to start your day. My family loves this "5 Minute Breakfast Sandwich"; it's a simple combination of egg, bread, cheese and salami. I created this recipe for my two grown kids, so they could have a wholesome breakfast before school. I have also included a step-by-step video guide. So, enjoy the video and thanks for watching.   

5-Minute Breakfast Sandwich

Ingredients

1 Tbsp of Vegetable Oil
2 Large Eggs 


1 Tbsp Chopped Chives
A Big Pinch of Chili Flakes

Sea Salt

Freshly Ground Black Pepper
1 Hamburger Buns

3 Tbsp Shredded Jack Cheese

Method

Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat coat with vegetable oil. Pour the eggs, break the yolk, and sprinkle chopped chives, chili flakes, sea salt, and black pepper. When the egg is almost set, top with cheese and place the buns, pressing down lightly with a spatula, and then carefully flip over. Place salami and cheese on one half of the bun and top with other half of bun. Cook until the cheese has melted.

Slide the sandwich onto a plate lined with greased proof paper or paper towel. Serve warm.

Chocolate, Almond, And Walnuts Energy Bars

These are gluten-free Chocolate, Almond, And Walnuts Energy Bars. These irresistible bars are made with dates, cocoa powder, almond butter, almond meal, and toasted walnuts. In this recipe, I used some lightly toasted walnuts, so the bars have a nice crunch and nutty taste to it. So, do try this healthy alternative to your regular brownies. 

Chocolate, Almond, And Walnuts Energy Bars

Ingredients

1 ½ Cups (135 grams) Toasted Walnuts
15 Medjool Dates (225 grams), pitted and chopped
1 Cup (120 grams) Almond Meal
l
½ Cup (50 grams) Raw Cacao or Cocoa Powder
½ tsp Cinnamon
A Pinch Of Sea Salt
½ Cup Natural/Unsweetened Almond Butter

1 ½ Tbsp Vanilla Paste/Extract

1 to 2 Tbsp Cold Water

½ Cup (45 grams) Toasted Walnuts, coarsely chopped

Equipment: Food Processor
11 ½ x 4 ½ inches (29 x 12 cm) Loaf pan, lined with aluminum foil



Method



Combine walnuts, dates, almonds, cocoa powder, cinnamon, and sea salt in a food processor. Pulse and process all the ingredients together until the texture is coarse. Then add almond butter, vanilla extract, and a little water at a time until it reaches a dry but moist dough consistency. Mix in coarsely chopped walnuts, give it a quick pulse, and scrape the dough mixture into the lined pan, press evenly with a rubber spatula, and chill for about an hour before serving.

Note: Toasted Walnuts; preheat oven to 350˚F & bake for about 7 to 8 minutes. Let cool before use.

Steamed Bao/Buns With Pumpkin Filling

Steamed Bao/Buns With Pumpkin Filling

Ingredients

Pumpkin Paste
1 Medium Size (about 700 grams) Pumpkin (Butternut), peeled and cut into large chunks (600 grams)
1 Tbsp Unsalted Butter
2 Tbsp Coconut Sugar
Pinch of Sea Salt
¼ tsp Cinnamon

16 Baking Cups
A Steamer

Method

Steamed pumpkin over high heat for about 15 minutes, or until it’s soft. Remove from the steamer and mashed with a fork. Melt butter in a saucepan on low heat; add mashed pumpkin, sugar, salt, and cinnamon. Stir until the pumpkin is thick and glossy, about 20 minutes. Let it cool and chilled for at least 2 hours.

Basic Buns/Bao/Pau Dough
Step 1
¾ Cup of Lukewarm Water
1 ½ tsp Instant Yeast
1 Cup (120 grams) of Self-Rising/Cake Flour

Step 2
¼ Cup Water
2 Tbsp Sugar
¼ tsp Sea Salt
2 Cups (240 grams) of Self-Rising/Cake Flour
2 Tbsp Shortening or Vegetable Oil

Method

Step 1: Dissolve yeast with lukewarm water, mix in the flour, and cover with plastic wrap or cloth. Let it rise for about 45 minutes, or until bubbles appear.

Step 2: Combine water, sugar, and sea salt. Stir well. Then pour into the yeast mixture and add 2 cups of flour and shortening. Knead the dough until it’s smooth. Cover with plastic wrap, or cloth and allow the dough to rise until it has double in bulk, about 2 hours.

Make the buns: Knead the dough for a minute and divide into 2 portions. Roll into a cylinder and cut into 8 pieces (small buns). Repeat with the second portion. You will have 16 small buns. Cover with plastic wrap and let the dough rest for 15 minutes.

Flatten each piece of dough with palm of your hand. Roll the dough into circles with the edges thinner than the center. (About 2 ½ inches circles) Place a heap tablespoon of pumpkin paste on the center of dough and draw the sides in to enclose the filling and seal properly. Then turn the buns over and place on baking cup. Continue with the rest of dough and filling. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest and rise again for another 25 to 30 minutes.

Place water in a steamer over high heat. Once the water boil, adjust the heat to low and steam the buns for about 15 minutes. Serve Warm.

Makes 16 small buns

Putu Piring

Putu Piring is a popular sweet snack in Malaysia, and typically sold at night market. To make this delicious snack you will need rice flour, palm sugar, and grated coconut. So, check out the recipe and have fun making them.

Putu Piring

Ingredients

1 Cup Frozen Rice Flour, thawed
3 ½ tsp Water
¼ tsp Sea Salt
6 Tbsp Grated Coconut + pinch sea salt
4 to 5 Tbsp Grated Palm Sugar

Small saucer (Soy Sauce saucer)
Square Muslin/White Cloth (about 6x6 inches) lightly damp
Steamer, lined with muslin or white cloth
Banana Leaves, cut into squares, optional

Method

In a mixing bowl, combine thawed rice flour, sea salt, and water. Rub the flour with your fingers until they resemble fine breadcrumbs. Then sieve the lightly wet rice flour, push it through with a spatula.

Set the steamer on high, once the water boiled, reduce the heat to medium. Fill about 1 to 1 ½ tablespoons of rice flour into a small saucer or mold, top with 1 ½ teaspoons of grated palm sugar, and cover with another 1 to 1 ½ tablespoons of rice flour. Lightly press the flour into the saucer and place a piece of muslin cloth over it. Turn over, and tap the saucer to release the shape rice flour onto the cloth. Steam for about 2 minutes, remove from the steamer, open the muslin cloth, top the kuih with some grated coconut, place a piece of banana leaf, place onto a plate and carefully remove the cloth.

Makes 5 to 6 Putu Piring

Kale Bread

This Kale bread has a lightly sweet flavor, good texture, and slices beautifully. The flavor of the kale and olive oil really comes through. It's delicious and excellent with any egg dish.

Kale Bread

Ingredients

2 Cups/100 grams Chopped Organic Curly Kale Leaves
¾ Cup Water
2 Cups/240 grams Organic All-Purpose Flour
¾ Cup/90 grams Organic Pastry Flour
¾ tsp Instant Yeast
1 ½ Tbsp Fine Granulated Sugar
¼ tsp Sea Salt
2 Tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
Additional all-purpose flour, if needed

Method

Combine kale and water, puree until smooth. Pour kale juice through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl.

Place the flours, yeast, sugar, sea salt, olive oil, and kale juice in a mixing bowl. Attach the dough hook. Stir and knead until the dough is soft and elastic. (If the dough is too soft, begin adding more all-purpose flour, one tablespoon at a time.)

Place the dough into an oiled bowl; turn dough over so that the top is greased too. Cover with plastic wrap or a damp tea towel and leave the dough to rise, about an hour.

Punch down the dough. Roll into a rectangle, beginning at short end, roll up tightly as for jellyroll. Pinch seams and ends to seal. Place dough into oiled loaf pan. Cover and let rise again for about 45 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375˚F. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until golden brown. Turn bread onto a cooling rack to cool.

Make one loaf

Stir-Fried Chicken With Holy Basil

Stir-Fried Chicken With Holy Basil

Ingredients

1 ½ Tbsp Peanut Oil
3 Cloves Garlic, Chopped

4 Bird's Eye Chilies, chopped

1 Small White Onion, sliced
2 Pieces (about 300g) Skinless & Boneless Chicken Breast, chopped
2 Red Chilies, sliced

2 Stalks Scallions, sliced

(about 1 inch)
1 Tbsp Oyster Sauce

1 Tbsp Fish Sauce



1 Tbsp Soy Sauce

1 tsp Sugar


1 Cup Loosely –packed Holy Basil
Note: Holy basil has a peppery flavor, and it is a classic ingredient in Thai stir-fry's dishes.

Steamed Jasmine Rice
Fried Eggs

Method

Heat the peanut oil in a wok over moderate heat, cook garlic and chilies until fragrant. Turn the heat on high and toss in the chopped chicken, stir, mix in the onion, oyster sauce, fish sauce, soy sauce, sugar. Stirring constantly, until the chicken is fully cooked. Add the chili slices and scallions. Switch off the heat, and toss in the Holy basil, stir to mix and serve immediately with steamed rice and fried egg.

Serves 2

Homemade Chili Oil

Homemade Chili Oil

Ingredients

150 ml Peanut Oil
3 Star Anise
2 tsp Sichuan Peppercorns
20 grams Chili Flakes
10 g Chili Powder

Method

Combine the peanut oil, star anise, and Sichuan peppercorns in a small saucepan. Cook over low heat for about 2 minutes. Discard the star anise and peppercorns.

Reheat the oil over medium heat until very hot. Remove from the heat, add the chili flakes and chili powder, stir until well blended, and let cool to room temperature. Transfer the oil and chili sediments to a glass jar.

Double Chocolate Brownies

Double Chocolate Brownies

Ingredients

100g Bittersweet Chocolate, coarsely chopped
100g Unsalted Butter, cut into smaller pieces
2 Large Eggs, beaten
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
70 g Granulated Sugar
½ Cup/70 g Pastry Flour, sifted
A Pinch of Sea Salt
¼ Cup/50 g Chocolate Chips
100g Walnuts, lightly toasted and coarsely chopped

Method

Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Butter and line a small square baking pan or a loaf pan with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, over a double boiler, melt the chocolate over gently simmering hot water, stirring, just until the mixture has melted and remove from the heat.

Whisk in the butter until well blended. Gradually add the eggs, vanilla extract, sugar, and followed by the flour, sea salt, chocolate chips and walnuts, stirring only until each ingredient is incorporated.



Scrape the batter into the pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer the pan to a cooling rack and allow the brownies to cool for about 20 to 30 minutes.

Then run a blunt knife around the edges of the pan and unmold the brownies; remove the parchment paper and turn the brownies over to cool to room temperature. When ready to serve, cut the brownies into 12 pieces.

Crispy Chicken Wings

These chicken wings are crispy and flavorful, perfect game-day snacks. 

Crispy Chicken Wings

Ingredients


1 kg (About 12) Chicken Wings, tips removed
½ Cup Rice Flour
Lime Wedges
Thai sweet chili sauce


Marinate


¾ tsp Garlic Powder
1 ½ tsp Ground Coriander
½ tsp Ground White Pepper
1 Tbsp Sugar

1 ½ tsp Chili Flakes


1 Tbsp Fish Sauce
1 Tbsp Soy Sauce

¼ tsp Sea Salt


Method



In a medium bowl, whisk together the garlic powder, ground coriander, white pepper, sugar, chili flakes, fish sauce, soy sauce, and sea salt. Marinate the chicken wings for about 4 hours, or overnight.


When ready to cook: Preheat the oven to 450˚F.

Coat the chicken wings with rice flour, making sure that all the nooks and crannies are covered, and shake off any excess flour. Arrange coated chicken wings in a single layer. Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes on each side. Serve warm with some lime wedges and Thai sweet chili sauce, if desired.

Easy Shrimp Scampi

Easy Shrimp Scampi

Ingredients

1 lb Frozen Peeled Large Shrimp, thawed
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
4 Tbsp Garlic Butter
1 Tbsp Chili Flakes
2 Tbsp Chopped Italian Flat-Leaf Parsley
Lemon Wedges
Sea Salt, to taste

Method

In a large skillet add oil, garlic butter, and chili flakes over medium-high heat until butter is melted. Add shrimps and cook for about 5 to 6 minutes or until shrimp turn pink. Stir in parsley and season the shrimp with salt, transfer to individual serving dishes. Serve with lemon wedges on the side and some lightly toasted baguette, if desired.

Spicy Crab Fried Rice

Spice up your fried rice with this easy Thai inspired recipe. Homemade roasted chili paste together with sweet Dungeness crab meat creates this mouth-watering fried rice.

Spicy Crab Fried Rice

Ingredients

3 Tbsp Peanut Oil

2 tsp Minced Ginger


3 Cloves of Garlic, chopped


4 Large Egg

6 Cups Cooked Rice, cold or at room temperature


4 Tbsp Roasted Chili Paste (store-bought or click here for the recipe)
200 g Dungeness Crab Meat

1 Tbsp Light Soy Sauce
Sea Salt to taste
Freshly Ground White Pepper


4 Scallions, chopped





Method

Heat oil over medium heat and fry the ginger and chopped garlic until fragrant. Turn the heat on high, crack in the eggs, let it set, and gently move it around. Toss in the rice and stir frequently make sure the rice is coated with the eggs. Add the chili paste, crab meat, and soy sauce. Then season the fried rice with salt and pepper. Serve warm with some chopped scallions. 


Serves 4

Steamed Tilapia With Spicy Oyster Sauce

Tilapia fish is readily available in Vancouver and adaptable to many styles of cooking. I chose to steam the fish whole and made a spicy sauce with garlic, chili, ginger, scallion, soy and oyster sauce. The sauce compliments the delicate flavor of the fish perfectly. 


Steamed Tilapia With Spicy Oyster Sauce

Ingredients



1 (about 750 grams) Whole Tilapia, scaled and gutted

½ inch Ginger, peeled and julienned
1 tsp Chopped Ginger

3 Cloves Garlic, chopped
2 Scallions, chopped

5 Thai Chilies, chopped
1 Tbsp Light Soy Sauce
2 Tbsp Oyster Sauce
2 Tbsp Peanut Oil

Method



Place the fish on a large heatproof plate, lightly salt the fish and scatter the julienned ginger, and steam over high heat for about 12 minutes or until the fish is fully cook.

While the fish is steaming, prepare the sauce. Heat a wok over medium to high heat. Add the peanut oil, ginger, garlic, scallion, chili, and stir-fry until golden and fragrant. Then mix in the light soy sauce and oyster sauce. Give it a quick stir.

Remove the fish from the heat, and discard the ginger. Then drizzle the spicy oyster sauce over the fish. Serve immediately with steamed rice.

Chicken & Egg Rice Bowl With Green Chili Sauce

These chicken thighs are tender and succulent, benefit from a quick brine. This comforting meal is easy to throw together, and perfect served over steamed rice with soft-boiled eggs, salted cucumber slices and a good dollop of my favorite green chili sauce. 

Chicken & Egg Rice Bowl With Green Chili Sauce

Ingredients

1 Kg (8 pieces) Boneless & Skinless Chicken Thighs
4 Cups of Water
¼ Cup of Kosher Salt
¼ Cup of Sugar
2 to 3 Tbsp of Peanut Oil

Green Chili Sauce
1/3 Cup of Peanut Oil
6 Green Chilies, seeded and finely chopped
4 Scallions, finely chopped
2 Cloves Garlic, finely chopped
½ tsp Sea Salt

Salted Cucumber
4 Kirby Cucumbers, sliced
½ tsp of Sea Salt

Steamed Rice (4 to 6 portions)
4 to 6 Soft-Boiled or Poached Eggs
3 Tbsp Light Soy Sauce
3 Tbsp Dark Soy Sauce


Method

Mix the water, salt and sugar until the salt and sugar have dissolved. Place the chicken thighs in a large plastic container. Add the brine over the chicken until it’s completely submerged. Refrigerate for an hour. Rinse the chicken and pat dry with paper towels.

While the chicken is brining, make the Green Chili Sauce:
Combine the green chilies, scallions, garlic, and sea salt into a medium bowl. Heat oil over high heat and pour into the chili mixture and mix well.

Salted Cucumber:
Combine the sliced cucumber with sea salt in a colander for about 10 minutes. Then squeezed the extra water from cucumber with paper towel.

Preheat the oven to 400˚F.

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Brown the chicken in batches if necessary until is brown and place in the oven for about 20 to 25 minutes. Let it cool slightly and chop into smaller pieces.

To serve, place a portion of chicken, egg, cucumber over steamed rice with some light and dark soy sauce, and green chilies with scallion sauce.

Serves 4 to 6

Stir-Fry Spicy Green Beans With Shrimp

A quick and tasty, Stir-Fry Spicy Green Beans With Shrimp recipe, perfect served with steamed rice.

Stir-Fry Spicy Green Beans With Shrimp

Ingredients

1 lb/454g Green Beans
¼ Red Onion, finely diced
2 Cloves Garlic, chopped
1 to 2 Red Chilies, finely chopped
1 tsp Chopped Ginger

120g Peeled Shrimps, chopped

1 Tbsp Dark Soy Sauce
1 Tbsp Light Soy Sauce
Freshly Ground White Pepper
Peanut Oil

About 1 Tbsp of Water

Sea Salt to taste

Method





Remove any strings from the edges of the green beans and top and tail them. Slice into short sections.

Heat 1 Tbsp of oil in a wok over a medium to heat. Add the green beans and stir-fry over a medium heat for about 6 minutes, or until they are cooked and tender, with slightly puckered skins. Remove and set aside.

Heat 1 Tbsp of oil in the wok over a medium heat. The add the onion, garlic, chili, ginger and stir-fry until fragrant. Crank the heat to high and toss in the shrimps, quick stir and mix in the green beans, follow by the dark and light soy sauce, water, adding pepper and sea salt to taste. Serve immediately with some steamed rice.

Fish Congee

Congee or rice porridge is a simple comfort as it best, and traditionally served as breakfast throughout Asia with some side dish. For this recipe, I have flavored the rice porridge with fresh red snapper fillet, ginger, soy sauce, and sesame oil. To complete the congee, top it with some freshly chop scallions and coriander.

Fish Congee

Ingredients

½ Cup of Long-Grain or Jasmine Rice
6 to 7 Cups of Water or Chicken/Vegetable Broth
300 g Fish Fillet (I used Red Snapper), sliced
1 Tbsp Light Soy Sauce
2 tsp Chinese Rice Wine
1 Tbsp Sesame Oil
1 Tbsp Finely Sliced Ginger
2 Stalk Scallions, chopped
3 Tbsp Chopped Coriander
Freshly Ground White Pepper
Sea salt to taste

Method

Boil the rice with water in the rice cooker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

When the congee is cooked. Transfer it into a large pot. Bring it to a boil and mix in the ginger, fish slices, and season with light soy sauce, rice wine, sesame oil, pepper and sea salt. If the congee is too thick, adjust with additional water or chicken broth. Once the fish is cooked, switch off the heat, and serve the congee warm with scallions and coriander.

Homemade Soy Milk & Grass Jelly Drink

Homemade Soy Milk & Grass Jelly Drink

Ingredients

300 g Soybeans, soaked overnight
14 Cups of Water
3 Pandan Leaves
Sugar Syrup to taste
1 Block/Piece Grass Jelly, shredded

Method

Blend the soybeans with 4 cups of water. In a large pot, combine the soybean mixtures, pandan leaves and the rest of the water. Bring it to a boil and simmer for about 30 minutes. (With the cover open)

Let the soybean milk cool slightly and strain through a muslin cloth. Then return the soy bean milk to a boil again. Simmer for another 20 minutes.

Serve the soybean milk warm or cold with sugar syrup and some shredded grass jelly.

Stir-Fry Rice Vermicelli With Vegetables

This is a homely rice vermicelli recipe, packed with vegetables and seasoned with lots of freshly ground white peppercorns. A quick and healthy meal, full of fresh flavors, and I'm sure to become your family's favorite.

Stir-Fry Rice Vermicelli With Vegetables

Ingredients

1 Packet/454g/16oz/1 lb Rice Vermicelli, soak according to manufacture’s instructions and drain well


4 Tbsp Peanut or Vegetable Oil


4 Cloves of Garlic, peeled and chopped
1 Yellow Onion, peeled and diced
1 Medium Size Cabbage, shredded
2 Large Carrots, shredded

¾ to 1 Cup of Chicken or Vegetable stock


2-3 Tbsp Light Soy Sauce


1 Tbsp Freshly Ground White Peppercorns
Sea Salt to taste



Garnish
4 Omelet, thinly sliced
2 Red Chiles, sliced
2 Scallions, sliced



Method



In a large wok over medium heat, mix in the oil and cook the garlic and onion until light golden in color. 
 Turn the heat on high, toss in the cabbage follow and softened rice vermicelli. Use a tong and spatula to stir-fry, then add chicken or vegetable's stock and season with soy sauce, pepper, and salt. When the rice vermicelli almost dry, mix in the carrots. Continue to stir-fry until all the ingredients are well mix and the carrots are just cooked, and adjust the seasoning with sea salt. Serve warm with omelet, red chilies, and scallions.

Serves 6 to 8

Prawn Sambal

Prawn Sambal-Sambal Tumis Udang


Ingredients

400 g Peeled Prawns
1 Medium (200 g) Red Onion, halved, sliced
40 g Tamarind Paste mix with 125 ml Water
1 Tbsp Sugar or to taste
1 tsp Sea Salt or to taste
5 Tbsp Peanut Oil

Sambal Paste
25 (25g) Dried Chilies, cut into smaller pieces
1 Medium Yellow Onion, peeled and coarsely chopped
2 (50 g) Shallots, peeled, chopped
2 Fresh Red Chilies, seeded and chopped
1 tsp Roasted Shrimp Paste (Belacan)

Method

To make the sambal, soak the dried chili pieces with boiling water until they are soften. Drain the chilies and make sure to get rid of the seeds. Then combine it with yellow onion, red chilies, shallots, shrimp paste and blend until they become a paste.

Heat oil and cook the sambal paste on moderate to low heat. Cook until the sambal is fragrant. Then add the slice red onion. Give it a quick stir and mix in the tamarind mixture and season with sugar and salt.

Add the prawns into the sambal mixture; stir briefly until the prawns are cooked. Serve the prawn sambal at room temperature with steamed rice.

ABC~Apple, Beet And Carrot Juice

Beetroot juice tastes great, but it's even better juicing it together with apples and carrots. This wholesome combination is refreshing, sweet with a hint of earthy flavor.

Apple, Beet, And Carrot Juice

Ingredients

2 Fuji Apples, quartered
1 Large Beetroot, scrubbed and quartered
About 20 Carrots, scrubbed

Method

Juice all the ingredients in the juicer. Serve chilled.

Makes 2 Cups

Cucumber With Sesame Dressing

This is a light and refreshing Japanese inspired Cucumber With Sesame Dressing appetizer. A quick cucumber pickle flavored with toasted sesame and soy sauce.



Cucumber With Sesame Dressing

Ingredients

2 Japanese Cucumbers
½ tsp Sea Salt
1 Tbsp Roasted Sesame Seeds, pounded (for sprinkling)
Shichimi (Japanese 7 spice mixture) Optional

Sesame Dressing
2 Tbsp Sesame Oil
2 tsp Light Soy Sauce
4 tsp Sugar
2 tsp Yuzu Vinegar
1 Tbsp Pounded Toasted Sesame Seeds
2 Tbsp Peanut Oil

Method

Cut cucumber into ¼ inches slices and put into a mixing bowl, sprinkle with salt and mix well. Leave the cucumber for 10 minutes to absorb the salt then drain off excess liquid. Return cucumber to the bowl and mix with the sesame dressing. To serve, arrange the cucumber and spoon the sauce over it, and sprinkle with some pounded sesame seeds and spice mixture.

Easy Chicken Curry With Potatoes And Eggs

UPDATED: January 2nd 2014
This is an updated post with a new video cooking guide.



Easy Chicken Curry With Potatoes And Eggs

Ingredients

2 Pieces (about 450g) Chicken Breast (boneless & skinless), cut into chunks

1 ½ Tbsp Curry Powder (store-bought)
½ Tbsp Chili Powder
5 Yellow Flesh Potatoes, boiled, peeled, and cut into chunks
8 Hard-Boiled Eggs, peeled

1 Large Yellow Onion, chopped
2 Shallots, sliced

4 Sprigs Curry Leaves
6 Tbsp Curry Powder (store-bought)
2 Tbsp Chili Powder
3 to 4 of Tbsp Water

400 ml Coconut Milk

3 Cups Chicken Stock

 or Water
Sea Salt to taste
Peanut Oil for cooking



Method



Combine chicken chunks with 1 ½ Tbsp of curry powder, ½ Tbsp of chili powder, a big pinch of sea salt. Marinate for about 30 minutes.


Mix the curry powder and chili powder with water to form a paste.

In a heavy pot, heat the oil (about 5 to 6 Tbsp), add the chopped yellow onion, shallots, and curry leaves. Cook until the onions are lightly brown in color. 

Add the curry paste, and cook until they are fragrant. Mix in the marinated chicken and cook for about 10 minutes or until the chicken is almost cooked. Then add the coconut milk together with the chicken stock or water. Bring the curry sauce to a boil and then lower the heat and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. Then, add the eggs and potatoes and cook for about 15 to 20 minutes. Season the curry with sea salt and serve warm or at room temperature.

Serves 8