Showing posts with label recipe. Show all posts
Showing posts with label recipe. Show all posts

Friday, June 14, 2013

Baked Eggs in Avocado with Chorizo and Fried Bread

Nothing is worse than a badly cooked egg—overcooked, rubbery, bland. But when cooked superbly, it is perfection. Eggs are on my list of things I can never tire of eating. Scrambled, poached, baked, boiled, fried (and deep-fried)—I love them all. Pair them with another favourite food of mine, avocados, and they become a new favourite breakfast entrée.

Baked Egg in Avocado

This is so incredibly easy and non-fussy, with only a handful of ingredients. You can omit the sausage if you want to keep this dish vegetarian, but the chorizo adds a beautiful smokiness to the creaminess of the egg and avocado. (Or try using your favourite smoky bacon for an alternative.)

Monday, June 10, 2013

Coconut-Saffron Tapioca Pudding

Lately I’ve been craving tapioca. A lot. Coconut tapioca, to be specific. I have a recent dinner hosted by a friend to thank for this hankering, as coconut tapioca was part of that night’s menu. There’s just something so comforting about tapioca. It’s something that brings me back to my childhood, when I would be delighted to get a bowl of coconut milk and tapioca dessert soup after a Cantonese dinner out (rather than the usual standard of red bean soup). And on occasion, my mom would make this incredible baked sago (what we liked to call tapioca) pudding—super eggy, super rich, and super delicious.

Coconut-Saffron Tapioca Pudding

Then last week, I had the brilliant Shole Zard dessert at Richmond Station—a Persian saffron pudding. It was ethereal and subtly sweet, with beautiful floral notes from the saffron. I was instantly in love with this dessert, and had been thinking about it ever since.

Monday, April 22, 2013

Piña Colada Pancakes

Pancakes…my total and utter weakness. I usually keep things simple with plain buttermilk pancakes drizzled with maple syrup. But I decided to have a little fun with some leftover pineapple and a can of coconut milk in my pantry, and made these amazing Piña Colada Pancakes.

Coconut Pancakes

Rather than using all buttermilk in the recipe, some coconut milk was used in the batter instead to enrich the pancakes with some coconut flavour. The addition of the shredded coconut added a wonderful textural quality to the fluffy pancakes. And instead of maple syrup, a very tropical and delicious pineapple-rum sauce was served with the pancakes, topped with some whipped cream flavoured with—you guessed it—more rum.

This is a decadent brunch entrée for sure, but I promise you, these will make any weekend morning that much more special (and worth getting out of bed for)!

Coconut Pancakes

Piña Colada Pancakes
Makes 8 pancakes

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
1 large egg
1/2 cup buttermilk
3/4 cup coconut milk
1 tablespoon coconut oil (or vegetable oil)
1/4 cup coconut flakes or chips, lightly toasted

For the pineapple-rum sauce:
1/2 pineapple, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon water
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch of salt

For the rum cream:
1/4 cup whipping cream
1/2 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 tablespoon rum, or to taste

Sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and shredded coconut.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients. Slowly add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until just incorporated. Do not overmix; your batter should still be a little lumpy. Set aside the batter to rest for 10 minutes.

Heat some oil or butter in a cast-iron pan or heavy skillet over medium heat. Drop a small ladleful of batter into the centre of the pan and let cook until bubbles begin to pop in the centre, about 2 minutes. Flip pancake and cook for an additional minute or two, until golden brown.

Keep the pancakes warm in a very low-temperature oven while you finish cooking the pineapples. Pile a couple of pancakes onto a plate, and serve with pineapple=rum sauce and rum cream.

To make the the pineapple-sauce: Heat 3 tablespoons sugar and a tablespoon water in a small, heavy skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the sugar has melted. Allow the sugar to simmer for about 2 to 3 minutes, when it just starts to brown. Add the pineapples and toss to coat, and allow to cook for about 2 minutes, to allow the pineapple to soften a bit and release some of its juices. Sprinkle in some salt and cinnamon and stir. Remove the pan from the heat and add the rum. Carefully hold a lighter close to the pan until it catches, return the pan over the heat, and allow the fire to burn off the alcohol. Cook for another 30 seconds, and serve with the coconut pancakes immediately, and some rum whipped cream.

To make the rum cream: Put all the ingredients into a bowl and whisk until stiff peaks form (or use an electric mixer). Keep in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Friday, February 8, 2013

Almond Butter Blondies

You know when you have that love-at-first-bite moment? You tell yourself you're going to have just one piece. And then you (quietly) go back for a second. And before you know it, you want to hoard the whole pan all to yourself. Yeah...I had that moment when I made these Almond Butter Blondies. Thankfully, I did NOT hoard the whole pan (although I did keep a few extra slices for myself), because these blondies are definitely worth sharing with others.

Almond Butter Blondies
Throughout my January detox, I wasn't allowed sugar. Or carbs. And that meant no baking for me. Which is totally fine post-holidays, after I had spent the previous month and half baking non-stop. But after three weeks of salads, raw vegetables, and green smoothies, I was more than ready to bring out my mixer and turn on the oven again. I had this recipe flagged for some time, as they came highly recommended by a coworker, and I thought a gluten-free baked good would be a great reintroduction to sweet treats.

Thursday, December 13, 2012

Twelve Cookies of Christmas #10: Pierre Hermé's Sablé Viennois with Stirling Creamery Churn84

Don't let the name Pierre Hermé intimate you. These sablés are surprisingly very easy to make, despite coming from the famed French pastry chef. And these have instantly become my favourite cookie this holiday season.

Sablé Viennois

I recently found out that Stirling Creamery will be making their “European-style” unsalted butter Churn84 available to consumers (it was previously only available through Foodservice). Curious about their higher fat content butter, the folks at Stirling Creamery were nice enough to send me a few samples for me to test out.

Friday, December 7, 2012

Twelve Cookies of Christmas #4: Pecan-Cocoa Nib Florentines

These were probably the most labour-intensive cookies on my list this year. What had originally started out to be (what I thought would be) an easy project turned into a three-hour-plus affair that took me well into the wee hours of the morning.

Pecan-Cocoa Nib Florentines

It's not that the recipe itself is complicated—the dough comes together in a matter of minutes. What takes so long is the actual baking time. Because florentines, like any tuile cookie, spread while baking, there are only so many cookies you can fit on one pan. Then you have to let them cool properly before you can even move them off the pan without deforming then. And being the neurotic baker that I am, I also had to use a circular cookie cutter to "cut off" the raggety edges to get as close to a perfect circular cookie as possible. All those different steps and waiting adds up. (I should also add that the recipe made a LOT more dough than I thought it would on paper, which meant that it felt like the never ending bowl of cookie dough).

Thursday, December 6, 2012

Twelve Cookies of Christmas #3: Peppermint Marshmallows

I usually have two or three non-cookie items on my list to mix things up a bit. I made homemade marshmallows for the first time last year and was surprised by how easy they were to make. If you've never made marshmallows before, it's one of those "must try at least once" experiences. Because trust me, homemade marshmallows taste nothing like the commercial store-bought kind, and will completely change your view on marshmallows.

Peppermint Marshmallows

Friday, November 23, 2012

Broiled Eggs with Kale and Roasted Kabocha

I love kale, but I've been particularly crazy for them this season. For the past few weeks, I've been eating kale non-stop—in salads and in soups; roasted as chips or simply sauteed. And just when I thought it couldn't get any better, it did. All thanks to a perfectly cooked egg on top.

Broiled Eggs with Kale and Roasted Kabocha

I've made this dish of Broiled Eggs with Kale and Roasted Kabocha several times now. You get the crunchy bits from some of the charred kale bits, and then the creaminess of the egg yolk. The saltiness of the cheese and the sweetness of the kabocha. It's a fantastic vegetarian brunch option, but also lovely as a light dinner entree. It tastes so fresh and doesn't weigh your stomach down, yet it's a surprisingly hearty dish that won't leave you famished an hour later.

Monday, November 19, 2012

Creamy Marinara Sauce (I Can't Believe It's Dairy-free!)

The leftover dilemma continues, with this week's excess ingredients being tomato puree (from the harira) and half a block of tofu. It was never my intention to combine both leftover ingredients into one dish. However, in my search for inspiration for either of the ingredients, I came across a recipe that incorporated both—a creamy marinara sauce...that's dairy-free. Rather than the aid of cream or cheese (like ricotta or mascarpone), the sauce uses tofu to give it a creamy quality. I'll be honest, I was skeptical with the combination at first, but thought, what the heck! I might as well experiment with leftover ingredients for the fun of it.

Creamy Marinara Sauce (Dairy-free)

Monday, June 11, 2012

Brussels Sprouts and Bacon Hash

While I love a big, grand brunch on Sunday mornings, there are also those Sundays when I just want it to be the truly ultimate lazy Sunday. Sleeping in, and then staying in bed just a little longer after I've woken up. Plodding around in my PJs all day. Catching up on my favourite magazine or a book with a cup of coffee...or two. And an easy brunch dish that won't have me slaving in the kitchen for more than ten minutes.

brussels hash_01

Monday, May 14, 2012

Spicy Peanut Yakisoba

A busy work schedule has kept me for the most part out of the kitchen lately. So when I finally had an evening to step into my kitchen again, I was craving something home-cooked and healthy.

yakisoba_02

Yakisoba—literally “fried noodles in sauce”—is an incredibly quick and easy dish to throw together. As long as you have some soba noodles lying around, your favourite vegetables and protein, and some creativity with the sauce, you are good to go.

Monday, May 7, 2012

Anyday Magic Recipe Makeover: Mushroom Pork Schnitzel Sandwich

I often like to take a recipe and fly with it. A few months back, I was invited to participate in The Dairy Farmers of Canada's Anyday Magic Recipe Makeover, which challenges three food bloggers to makeover the assigned recipe in their own way. We could do whatever we wanted to the original recipe, as long as we incorporated cream into our recipe.

pork mushroom sandwich_03

Monday, March 19, 2012

Banana Foster Maple-Pecan Waffles

I love the weekends. Not only for the chance to rest and recharge for the upcoming work week, and catch up with friends. But also for the mornings when I actually have time to make myself a hot breakfast from scratch.

banana foster waffles_02

Monday, March 12, 2012

Beet, Carrot, and Spinach Curry

beet carrot curry_01

Spring is in the air! And what better way to celebrate spring than with this beautiful, colour dish.

Bright oranges and magentas, and rich greens.

This rich, flavourful curry is sure to impress any vegetarian (and non-vegetarians!).

Monday, March 5, 2012

Mini Strawberry Cheesecakes

While it’s been an incredibly mild winter in our neck of the woods, it’s still winter none the less, and I’m counting down the days when the days are longer, the air is warmer, and the patios are open for business. But for now, the best way for me to chase away the winter blahs is with these adorable—and brightly coloured—Strawberry Cheesecakes!

strawberry cheesecake_01

Thursday, February 23, 2012

National Banana Bread Day

Today is National Banana Bread Day, and to celebrate, I'm posting up my go-to banana bread recipe! I've turned to this recipe time and time again for many years now, and it never fails me. Perfect banana bread every time. Intense banana flavours. Not too sweet. Super moist. Great crumb. What else can you ask for in a stellar banana bread?

banana bread_01

I don't remember where I got the original recipe, as it has been so many years ago. I have made numerous changes over the years to adjust to my own tastes, and the result today is the recipe found below.

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

1-2-3-4 Spareribs

I haven't had a chance to cook much lately, but with a long weekend before me, I finally had the chance to get into the kitchen and play around with a few recipes. After a whole day of baking, I wanted to make something quick and easy for dinner, and this recipe instantly came to mind.

1-2-3-4 spareribs_01

Monday, January 30, 2012

Quinoa Granola

There's always a batch of granola in my house, as it's my morning ritual to have a bowl of yogurt with homemade granola and honey for my breakfast. This basic granola recipe I rely on still remains one of my favourites, but the most popular post on my blog here is actually this granola recipe made with steel-cut oats.

quinoa granola_01

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

A Sweet Start to the Year of the Dragon

Gong hei fat choy! The Chinese/Lunar New Year is upon us once again (it officially began yesterday), and this year, we're celebrating the Year of the Dragon, supposedly the luckiest of the 12 Chinese zodiacs. The year has certainly started off lucky, as I've been stuffing my face non-stop with delicious New Year's foods.

cny sweets_01

Friday, January 20, 2012

Hearty Turkey Chilli

Surprisingly, this is my first time making chilli. Ever. I'm just not a chilli kind of girl really. But I needed a recipe that I could easily prep ahead of time and easily assemble on a weeknight with friends coming over for dinner. A one-pot dish was the answer, and with the blustery winter days upon us, I thought that a big pot of chilli would make for a casual, comforting weeknight dinner.

chilli_01

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