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

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 garlic, 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

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.

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

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.

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.