I tried grits for the first time when I was on vacation many years ago. They had little packets of instant grits along with the instant oatmeal and cold cereals as part of the hotel breakfast spread. I decided to give them a try and discovered that I quite liked them! Unfortunately, grits are relatively hard to come by in Canada. I kept my eyes peeled for them for years, but never found any. Until about a year ago! When I finally spotted a bag of Bob's Red Mill corn grits. Finally!

To be fair, now that I've tried them properly, they're not all that different from polenta. But I still appreciate having the opportunity to give them a go.

I know shrimp and grits is a classic. But I didn't feel like cooking shrimp for breakfast yesterday morning. So, instead, I opted for some chicken sausages, fried eggs, and a garlic-y kale sauté to top my cheesy grits. And I feel like this worked out pretty well all-in-all.

I think the only change that I'd make next time is to adjust the proportion of cooking liquid slightly. The recipe I had called for cooking 3/4 c. of grits in 3 c. of water. But the package specified a full cup of grits for that amount of liquid. I decided to follow the package instructions, but I think the cookbook may have actually had it right. It's not a huge deal either way. Just something to keep in mind for next time.

Cheesy Grits with Sausage, Kale, and Eggs

Ingredients

• 3 c. water
• 1/2 tsp. coarse sea salt
• 3/4 c. grits
• 450g chicken sausages
• 1-2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 5-6 cloves garlic, minced
• 300g kale, chopped
• 2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
• 6 large eggs
• 2 Tbsp. milk
• 1 c. grated cheese

Directions

1. Combine water, salt, and grits and bring to a boil.
2. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring often, until thickened.
3. Reduce heat to very low and keep warm while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
4. Cook the sausages over medium heat.
5. Remove from the pan, allow to cool slightly, and slice. Set aside.
6. Heat the oil over medium heat.
7. Add the garlic and cook until softened.
8. Add the kale and cook until wilted.
9. Stir in the vinegar and season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.
10. Fry the eggs in a little butter or lard and season to taste with salt and pepper.
11. Stir the milk and cheese into the grits.
12. Dish up a portion of grits and top with some sausage, kale, and an egg.

As written in the original recipe, this is meant to be more of a syrup. Made with pineapple juice and strained smooth. I chose to make it as a chunky sauce using chopped fruit rather than juices and skipping the straining.

Pineapple-Cranberry Sauce

Adapted from Waffles: Sweet, Savory, Simple by Dawn Yanagihara

Ingredients

• 300g sugar
• 1/4 c. water
• 340g fresh or frozen cranberries
• 1 pineapple, trimmed and chopped
• 1 Tbsp. grated ginger (or ginger paste)

Directions

1. Combine the sugar and water and bring to a vigorous simmer.
2. Shake the pan a few times to mix and continue cooking until a light caramel forms (~8 minutes).
3. Carefully add the cranberries and pinapple to the pot and stir to combine.
4. Caramel will harden. Continue cooking until caramel softens and dissolves and cranberries begin to break down.
5. Stir in the ginger and cook for another minute or two.
6. Serve over waffles or pancakes.

The Kidlet requested cake pops for her birthday party this year. I was somewhat apprehensive since I've never made them before and they seemed a bit fiddly. But, truth-be-told, they weren't actually that difficult to put together!

On the one hand, you have to bake the cake and then crumble it and mix it with milk to form the "dough". Then form it into balls, partially freeze them, impale them on sticks, and coat each one in chocolate. So it is a bit of a process. But, on the other hand, you don't have to make icing or split, fill, and stack cake layers. You don't have to do any decoration beyond a few sprinkles. And they're extremely easy to serve. No plates or cutlery required!

All-in-all, I'd call these a great success and happily make them again in the future!

My cake pops were a little on the large size. According to the recipe, we were supposed to get 36 cake pops, but we only ended up with 30. I could have reduced the size a bit to the proper proportions, but I figured no one would mind the extra-large size. They're a little less dainty, to be sure. And a little more top-heavy. But I quite liked them nonetheless.

Cake Pops

Slightly adapted from The Perfect Cake by America's Test Kitchen

Ingredients

• 210g all-purpose flour
• 200g sugar
• 1/4 tsp. coarse sea salt, ground
• 1/2 Tbsp. baking powder
• 1/2 c. unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 c. sour cream
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 Tbsp. vanilla extract
• 1/2 c. milk¹
• 2 Tbsp. icing (powdered/confectioners') sugar
• ~2 c. white or dark chocolate chips
• 30-36 lollipop sticks
• sprinkles

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F) and grease and flour a 20cm (8") square pan.
2. Combine the flour, sugar, and salt.
3. Sift in the baking powder and mix well.
4. Add the butter, sour cream, eggs, and vanilla and mix until just combined.
5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake at 180°C (350°F) until golden and cooked through (~25 minutes).
6. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto wire rack to finish cooling.
7. Once cake has cooled completely, break into small (1-2cm) pieces.
8. Add the milk and sugar to the bowl and mix until a dough forms.
9. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
10. Form the dough into balls (aim for 30-36 total).
11. Freeze for ~1 hour until firm, but not frozen solid.
12. Gently melt the chocolate in a large measuring cup and place in a bowl of hot water to keep it liquid.
13. Dip a stick into the melted chocolate and then stab it about halfway through one of the cake balls.
14. Dip the cake pop in the chocolate to coat completely.
15. Dip in sprinkles so that some are picked up by the chocolate.
16. Stand cake pop in a piece of florist's foam and allow chocolate to set.
17. Repeat dipping process with remaining cake pops.
18. Store at room temperature for up to 4 hours or in the fridge for up to 4 days.

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¹ The original recipe only called for 1/4 c. of milk, but that wasn't nearly enough to form a cohesive dough. I needed to add an extra 1/4 c. of milk for it to reach that point. ^Back

Blueberry Buttermilk Waffles (Big Book of Breakfasts)

I've been on a bit of a waffle kick lately. I've already made most of the waffles from the waffle cookbook (except for the dessert ones), but there are still a bunch of as-yet-untried ones in the Big Book of Breakfasts that I haven't made yet, so I decided to give another one of them a go. To be fair, this one is pretty similar to other buttermilk waffle recipes that I've made, but it still lets me check off another recipe, even if it's not a completely new type or flavour.

The original recipe just used all-purpose flour for these crispy and fluffy waffles. After giving it a bit of thought though, I decided to go with a mix of white and whole wheat flour for mine. I used a 50/50 mix, but I think 100% whole wheat also would've been fine. It might even be nice to try to incorporate a bit of sourdough starter next time.

Blueberry Buttermilk Waffles

Slighty adapted from The Big Book of Breakfasts by Maryana Vollstedt

Ingredients

• 130g flour
• 130g whole wheat flour
• 1 Tbsp. sugar
• 1/4 tsp. coarse sea salt, ground
• 1 Tbsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 3/4 c. buttermilk
• 2 large eggs
• 100-150g sourdough discard @ 100% hydration (optional)
• 1/2 c. butter, melted
• 1 c. frozen blueberries

Directions

1. Preheat waffle iron.
2. Combine flours, sugar, and salt.
3. Sift in baking powder and baking soda and mix well.
4. Beat eggs into buttermilk.
5. Mix in the sourdough discard (if using) and stir in the melted butter.
6. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir to combine.
7. Scoop a portion of batter into the waffle iron and sprinkle a few blueberries on top. Close waffle iron and cook according to manufacturer directions.
8. Repeat cooking process wiht remaining batter and blueberries.
9. Serve topped with yogurt, maple syrup, and/or cream.

I actually made these waffles several weeks ago, but I've still have a huge backlog of recipes to write up, so this one is very late in getting posted.

These were pretty good. Not may favourite waffles, I don't think, but perfectly serviceable.

The cookbook suggested serving them with baked apples, so I whipped up a quick, chunky, homemade apple sauce to serve with them. (Not the same, I know, but I was hoping that it'd be close enough). This was alright as a topping, but I think other fruits and/or a sweetened cream cheese topping of some description would've worked even better.

Gingerbread Waffles

Slightly adapted from The Big Book of Breakfasts by Maryana Vollstedt

Ingredients

• 300g whole wheat flour
• 1 Tbsp. brown sugar
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp. ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp. ground cloves
• 4 tsp. baking powder
• 3 large eggs
• 1 3/4 c. milk
• 1/4 c. molasses
• 1/4 c. butter, melted

Directions

1. Preheat waffle iron.
2. Combine flour, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves.
3. Sift in baking powder and mix well.
4. Beat eggs and molasses into milk and mix in butter.
5. Pour wet ingredients into dry and stir to combine.
6. Scoop a portion of batter into the preheated waffle iron and cook according to manufacturer directions. Repeat with remaining batter.
7. Serve with baked apples, applesauce, fresh fruit, whipped cream, maple syrup, and/or maple cream cheese.

I needed bread in a hurry last night. I had intended to give the chocolate bread a try when next I was baking, but I didn't have time to make the sponge. So instead I flipped a bit further through the book and settled on this high-fibre quick bread recipe.

Using chemical leaveners rather than yeast meant it was ready in about an hour. And, while it does have quite a bit of sugar in it, it also contains a hefty quantity of wheat bran and no added fat. So it comes out sweet, but quite lean. And the molasses makes it pleasingly dark and fragrant.

Hilo Bran Bread

Slightly adapted from Bernard Clayton's New Complete Book of Breads

Ingredients

• 375g flour
• 150g wheat bran
• 1/2 c. sugar
• 1 tsp. coarse sea salt, ground
• 4 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 2 1/2 c. milk
• 6 Tbsp. molasses

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F) and grease and flour two 20x10cm (8x4") loaf pans.
2. Combine the flour, bran, sugar, and salt.
3. Sift in the baking powder and baking soda and mix well.
4. In a large measuring cup, combine the milk and molasses and mix well.
5. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir to combine.
6. Pour the batter into the prepared pans and let stand for 10 minutes.
7. Bake at 180°C (350°F) for 40-45 minutes.
8. Turn out onto wire racks to cool.

Basic Waffles (with Variations)

I've been meaning to make waffles for breakfast all week. But I kept sleeping in and not quite getting to it. Today I finally managed to rouse myself early enough to get them done before the Kidlet went to school.

I was going to just make plain waffles. But then I saw that it had a bunch of suggested variations down at the bottom: chocolate, cheese, poppy seed, and nut. I briefly contemplated doing cheese waffles. But TF said that something sweet might be better since we don't really have much to put on savoury waffles right now. So, in the end, I went with the chocolate version.

They were perfectly serviceable waffles with a nice (if not particularly intense) chocolate flavour. They got a bit of crisp to the exterior and weren't too sweet either. I think I'd probably mix in some chopped dark chocolate next time. Just to punch up the flavour a little bit. But all-in-all this made for a perfectly acceptable quick breakfast. (Not the most nutritionally complete, to be sure, but okay as an occasional thing.)

Basic Waffles

Slightly adapted from The Big Book of Breakfasts by Maryana Vollstedt

Ingredients

• 2 large eggs
• 1 3/4 c. milk
• 1/2 butter, melted
• 250g flour
• 1 Tbsp. sugar
• 4 tsp. baking powder

Directions

1. Preheat your waffle iron.
2. Beat the eggs with the milk and butter.
3. Add the flour and sugar and sift in the baking powder.
4. Stir until just mixed.
5. Pour a portion of batter into the preheated waffle iron and cook according to manufacturer's directions. Repeat with remaining batter.
6. Serve with fruit, syrup, whipped cream, and/or other toppings of your choice.

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Variations

Chocolate Waffles

Ingredients

• 2 large eggs
• 1 3/4 c. milk
• 1/2 butter, melted
• 250g flour
• 1 Tbsp. sugar
• 4 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 c. brown sugar
• 30g cocoa powder, sifted
• 60g dark chocolate, chopped

Cheese Waffles

Ingredients

• 2 large eggs
• 2 c. milk
• 1/4 butter, melted
• 250g flour
• 1 Tbsp. sugar
• 4 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 c. grated Cheddar

Poppyseed Waffles

Ingredients

• 2 large eggs
• 1 3/4 c. milk
• 1/2 butter, melted
• 250g flour
• 1 Tbsp. sugar
• 4 tsp. baking powder
• 2 Tbsp. poppyseeds

Nutty Waffles

Ingredients

• 2 large eggs
• 1 3/4 c. milk
• 1/2 butter, melted
• 250g flour
• 1 Tbsp. sugar
• 4 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 c. chopped toasted walnuts, pecans, or hazelnuts

Waffles with Ham

Ingredients

• 2 large eggs
• 1 3/4 c. milk
• 1/4 butter, melted
• 1/4 c. unsweetened applesauce
• 250g flour
• 4 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 c. diced cooked ham

RM put me onto this recipe a while ago. I had hoped to make it with some fresh limes from Reiver's tree while I was in NZ, but I never quite got to it. Luckily we had a bunch of limes in the freezer here though and Granny Smith apples are easy to come by, so I decided to give it a try after I got home instead.

I cut back the sugar significantly in the cake. And I was tempted to skip the icing altogether. But TF was keen on having a bit of frosting, so I did end up using it in the end.

The icing was good. Although I was definitely glad to have cut back the sugar in the cake once the frosting was added. That said, I think that next time I'd be inclined to swap out the American buttercream for a cream cheese icing. I think the cream cheese tang would complement the other flavours nicely. And cream cheese icings tend to need proportionally less sugar and butter to begin with. So, while still not a health food by any stretch, it would still make for a marginally less sweet and calorific topping.

Green Apple and Lime Slice

Adapted from Twisted Citrus

Ingredients

Cake

• 2 Granny Smith apples, grated
• 2 limes, zested and juiced
• 125g butter
• 3 Tbsp. golden syrup
• 240g soft (plain/standard/cake) flour
• 1 Tbsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. coarse sea salt, ground
• 2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 c. brown sugar
• 125g unsweetened applesauce
• 2 c. dessicated coconut
• 1 c. sultanas
• 1 c. dried currants
• 2 large eggs

Icing

• 100g butter, softened
• 240g cream cheese, softened
• 1 lime, zested and juiced
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 250-300g icing (powdered/confectioners') sugar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F) and grease and flour a 23x33cm (9x13") baking dish.
2. Mix the lime zest and 2 Tbsp. of the juice with the grated apples.
3. Combine the butter and golden syrup in a small pot and melt over low heat.
4. Sift the flour and baking powder into the bowl with the apples and mix in the salt, cinnamon, sugar, applesauce, coconut, sultanas, and currants.
5. Pour the butter mixture into the bowl and stir to combine.
6. Add the eggs and mix well.
7. Scoop the batter into the prepared pan and smooth into an even layer.
8. Bake at 180&det;C (350°F) until done (~30 minutes).
9. Remove from oven and allow to cool in pan.
10. Meanwhile, make the icing byt beating the butter with the cream cheese until light and fluffy (2-3 minutes).
11. Beat in the lime juice, lime zest, and vanilla.
12. Sift in icing sugar until desired consistency is reached.
13. Once cake has cooled completely, spread the icing on top.
14. Cut into squares and serve.

As has become typical recently, this write-up is late. I made this bread several weeks ago, but it's taken me a while to get to the write-up for it.

It was a fine loaf. Very wheat-y. As you might expect from something containing so much extra wheat germ. But it rose well and the flavour was nice. It wasn't special, but it was perfectly serviceable and we've eaten the lot now.

Wheat Germ Bread

Slightly adapted from Bernard Clayton's New Complete Book of Breads

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 c. water
• 1 Tbsp. sugar
• 2 tsp. coarse sea salt
• 1/3 c. butter
• 1/3 c. molasses
• 4 1/2 tsp. dry active yeast
• 1 c. wheat germ
• 3/4 c. milk, warmed to ~50°C (120°F)
• 600g hard (strong/high grade/bread) whole wheat flour
• 200-300g hard (strong/high grade/bread) flour

Directions

1. Combine the water, sugar, salt, butter, and molasses and warm to ~40°C (105°F).
2. Add the yeast and set aside.
3. In a separate bowl, combine the wheat germ with the warm milk and set aside until liquid is absorbed and mixture has cooled slightly.
4. Add the molasses mixture to the wheat germ mixture.
5. Add ~300g of the whole wheat flour and 125g of the white flour and stir vigorously for 150-200 strokes.
6. Add the remaining whole wheat flour and mix very well.
7. Use some of the remaining white flour to dust your work surface and turn the dough out onto it.
8. Knead, working in as much of the remaining flour as needed to form a soft, supple dough. (If in doubt, it's better for the dough to be a bit too loose than a bit too tight.)
9. Continue kneading for another 10 minutes or so.
10. Round the dough and place it in a covered bowl to rise at room temperature for 60-90 minutes.
11. Knock back, knead a few strokes, divide into two equal portions, and round each one.
12. Cover and let rest for 5-10 minutes.
13. Meanwhile, grease two 22x12cm (8.5x4.5") loaf pans.
14. Shape the loaves by your preferred method (I like to do a letter fold followed by a coil fold) and place them, seam-side-down, into the prepared tins.
15. Cover and let rise at room temperature for 45-75 minutes.
16. Preheat oven to 190°C (375°F).
17. Bake loaves at 190°C (375°F) for 30-40 minutes.
18. Remove from oven and let cool in tins for 5-10 minutes.
19. Brush crusts with a little butter if desired. (It will give them a light gloss.)
20. Turn out onto wire racks to finish cooling.

We had the Kidlet's birthday party this past weekend. She requested cake pops rather than a regular cake, which actually worked out really well. That said, once we'd finished with the cake pops on Saturday, TF and I were both craving some sort of dessert that we could eat. So I quickly threw together this sheet cake as well.

Powdered buttermilk and frozen lemons meant that it was easy to make with ingredients on hand, without needing to do a special shop for supplies. And I also appreciated that the glaze can be added while the cake is still warm. (In theory, you're still supposed to wait for it to cool completely before you actually cut it, but at least the glaze can go on right away. And you can always cheat the timing on cutting it a bit in a way that you can't do with icing.)

I cut back the sugar a little bit for this one, but I was nervous about scaling it back too far because there's so little else in the cake to begin with. I omitted ~50g of sugar from the cake itself and maybe 40g from the glaze. I might've been able to reduce it a bit further, but I'd be wary of changing it too much more. This might just be one of those recipes that I enjoy sparingly and infrequently and just let it be an extra-rich treat when I do have it.

Lemon-Buttermilk Sheet Cake

Slightly adapted from The Perfect Cake by America's Text Kitchen

Ingredients

Cake

• 280g soft (plain/standard/cake) flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. coarse sea salt, ground
• 3/4 c. buttermilk
• 1/4 c. lemon juice
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 300g sugar
• 3 Tbsp. lemon zest
• 3/4 c. unsalted butter, softened
• 3 large eggs
• 1 large egg yolk

Glaze

• 300g icing sugar
• 3-4 Tbsp. lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp. powdered buttermilk (or 1-2 Tbsp. regular buttermilk)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 160°C (350°F) and grease and flour a 23x33cm (9x13") cake tin.
2. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and baking soda.
3. Mix in the salt and set aside.
4. Combine the buttermilk, lemon juice, and vanilla in a measuring cup and set aside.
5. Beat the sugar with the lemon zest until well-mixed and fragrant.
6. Separate out ~1/4 c. of the sugar and set aside.
7. Cream the butter into the remaining lemon sugar.
8. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, followed by the egg yolk.
9. Mix in the dry ingredients in three additions, alternating with the wet ingredients in two additions.
10. Give a final stir by hand and then pour the batter into the prepared tin.
11. Bake at 160°C (325°F) for 25-35 minutes.
12. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes.
13. Meanwhile, make the glaze by mixing the icing sugar, lemon juice, and buttermilk powder (or buttermilk) together until it reaches a smooth, pourable consistency.
14. Pour the glaze over the cake, making sure it covers the entire surface.
15. Sprinkle with reserved lemon sugar and allow to cool completely before cutting into squares and serving.

It's been a tough couple of days. I woke up late this morning and was craving comfort food for breakfast. And, while I may not be able to solve anything else right now, I could at least solve that. So I made these very basic oatmeal-buttermilk waffles.

The book called for topping them with a fresh blueberry sauce, but I didn't have any blueberries. What I did have though, was serviceberries! And they were a lovely treat here.

The waffles came out very light and crisp and were great with the serviceberry sauce (which comes together in ~5 minutes). The Kidlet had hers with a dollop of whipped cream, just to make it extra special. I had mine with just the sauce and didn't feel that I was missing out.

I think the only change that I'd make next time is to add just a touch of vanilla to the waffle batter. I nearly did so this time. I thought it seemed like it would be a nice addition. But, in the end, I decided to stick to strictly what was in the recipe. And, to be fair, the waffles did come out very well. I just think a hint of vanilla would've made them even better! And, if you're making the sauce to go with them (which calls for lemon juice, you can always zest the lemon first and toss a bit of the peel into your batter as well. Don't overdo it, of course, but I think that a 1/4-1/2 tsp. would go quite nicely.

Oatmeal-Buttermilk Waffles with Serviceberry Sauce

Slightly adapted from The Big Book of Breakfast by Maryana Vollstedt

Ingredients

Waffles

• 140g whole wheat flour
• 100g quick oats
• 1 Tbsp. brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 1/2 c. buttermilk
• 2 large eggs
• 1/4 c. butter, melted
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract (optional)
• 1/4-1/2 tsp. lemon zest (optional)

Sauce

• 3 Tbsp. sugar
• 1 Tbsp. cornstarch
• 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
• 1/2 c. water
• 2 c. fresh or frozen serviceberries (or blueberries)

Directions

1. Preheat your waffle iron.
2. Combine the flour, oats, and sugar.
3. Sift in the baking powder and baking soda.
4. Beat the eggs with the buttermilk and melted butter.
5. Beat in the vanilla and lemon zest, if using.
6. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir until just mixed.
7. Scoop a portion of batter into the preheated waffle iron and cook according to manufacturer directions. Repeat with remaining batter.
8. Meanwhile, combine the sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, water, and berries over medium-high heat and bring to a boil.
9. Cook, stirring often, until liquid portion of sauce is smooth and glossy and thickens slightly (2-3 minutes).
10. Serve waffles topped with sauce (and any other toppings you'd like).

粽子 (zòngzǐ) are sticky rice dumplings. They're the tetrahedral ones that you see wrapped in bamboo leaves and tied up with string. They are made with glutinous rice, can be savoury or sweet, and are traditionally eaten during 端午节 (duānwǔ jié) or Dragon Boat Festival, which occurs sometime between late May and mid-June each year.¹

Unlike "real" 粽子, this version is not wrapped into individual bamboo leaf packets before steaming or boiling. Instead, all of the ingredients are mixed together in a leaf-lined steamer basket. This gives you all of the same flavours without going to the effort of making individual dumplings.

I didn't have any dried bamboo leaves on hand and I did have a surplus of lettuce. So I just ended up using that to line my steamer basket. This did not, of course, impart any of the traditional bamboo flavour to the rice, but it worked just fine to prevent the rice from sticking to its cooking vessel. And we still got to enjoy all of the other flavours in the rice. So, all-in-all, I'd call this a success. Even if not necessarily a super traditional one.

Lazy Zongzi Rice

Slightly adapted from The Woks of Life

Ingredients

Rice

• 1 1/2 c. uncooked glutinous (sticky/sweet) rice
• 8-10 dried bamboo leaves
• 1/2 c. shelled raw peanuts (without skin)
• 3-5 Chinese sausages, sliced thin
• 3-4 green onions, chopped
• 1 Tbsp. light soy sauce
• 1 tsp. coarse sea salt

Pork Belly

• 450g pork belly², cut into 1cm dice
• 2 Tbsp. light soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp. coarse sea salt
• 1 tsp. dark soy sauce
• 2 Tbsp. Shaoxing wine (绍兴酒)
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 1 tsp. white peppercorns, ground

Directions

1. Place the rice in a large bowl with enough water to cover by at least 2-3cm. Cover and soak for at least 6 hours or as long as overnight.
2. Soak the bamboo leaves for at least 3 hours (or overnight).
3. Soak the peanuts for 1 hour, then boil for 10 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, combine the pork belly, light soy, salt, dark soy, wine, sugar, and white pepper and mix well. Cover and chill for 1-2 hours.
5. Drain the rice and the peanuts.
6. Combine the rice, peanuts, Chinese sausages, green onions, soy sauce, and salt and mix well.
7. Line a steamer basket with some of the bamboo leaves.
8. Place a layer of rice over the leaves, followed by a layer of pork belly. Repeat once more.
9. Cover the last layer of pork belly with the remaining bamboo leaves.
10. Place the steamer basket into a pot/steamer over cold water.
11. Cover, bring to a boil, and steam for 60-90 minutes. Or, if pressure steaming, cook on high pressure for 45 minutes with a 10-minute natural release.
12. Keep warm until ready to serve. (Rice will harden when cooled.)

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¹ Meaning that I even managed to make this dish at a vaguely seasonally appropriate time! ^Back
2 The original recipe only called for 225g of pork belly, but I had extra, so I used it all and just scaled up the marinade accordingly. I liked these proportions, but feel free to use more or less as you see fit. ^Back

Pears were on sale the other day and I vaguely remembered that I had a lot of pear recipes yet to try, so I picked a few up on spec. In the end, I was feeling too tired to do anything very involved last night, so I skipped over the upside down cake and the custard tart and the various other options in favour of this very, very simple roast pear dessert. The pears are simply oven-roasted with butter, glazed with a bit of honey and returned to the over for a few minutes, and then topped with a slice of brie. The recipe suggests adding a few toasted almond slices if desired, but TF and I both decided that we wanted ours plain.

Honey-Roasted Pears with Brie

Slightly adapted from Dessert of the Day by Kim Laidlaw

Ingredients

• 4 pears, halved and cored
• 1-2 Tbsp. butter¹
• 2-4 Tbsp. honey
• 125g brie
• toasted sliced almonds, to serve (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 200°C (400°F) and grease a large baking dish with some of the butter.
2. Place the pears, cut-side-down, into the prepared tin/dish.
3. Melt the remaining butter and brush it over the skin of the pears.
4. Roast at 200°C (400°F) until pears are tender (15-30 minutes, depending on firmness of pears).
5. Flip pears over and brush with honey. Return to oven for 5 minutes.
6. Serve pears topped with cheese and almonds (if using).

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¹ The original recipe called for 1/4 c. of butter, but I thought that seemed like way too much, so I cut it back to just 2 Tbsp. That said, I think it probably would've been fine with even less butter and I'd be inclined to try using just 1 Tbsp. next time. ^Back

I had intended to make some "lazy" steamed zongzi rice for dinner last night. But I forgot to put the rice in to soak. So that particular recipe had to be bumped to tonight and I needed to pick something else to make for dinner yesterday. Luckily I had another recipe queued up that was much quicker and easier to make. All that's required is a quick stir-fry of some pork belly with ginger and mushrooms, then just add a bit of sauce and water and stir in some rice and green onions. Easy peasy!

I reduced the shiitake mushrooms slightly for my rendition because I had a huge pile of cremini mushrooms in the fridge and liked the idea of using a mix. I also tossed in the last couple of handfuls of baby spinach. It was really enough veg for the amount of rice, but at least it was something and at least it used it up. If I'd been thinking, I would've thrown in some peas as well, but it didn't occur to me until too late. Maybe next time.

Photo goes here.

Pork Belly and Mushroom Rice

Slightly adapted from The Woks of Life

Ingredients

• 1-2 Tbsp. oil
• 1 Tbsp. minced ginger or ginger paste
• 250g pork belly, cut into 1cm dice
• 4-5 dried shiitake mushrooms, rehydrated and sliced (soaking water reserved)
• 6-8 cremini mushrooms, sliced
• 1 1/2 Tbsp. Shaoxing wine (绍兴酒)
• 1 Tbsp. sugar
• 3 Tbsp. light soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp. dark soy sauce
• 3/4 c. mushroom soaking water
• 1 c. fresh or frozen peas (optional)
• 4 c. cooked rice
• 1-2 scallions, chopped

Directions

1. Heat wok over medium heat.
2. Drizzle in oil and swirl to coat.
3. Add ginger and stir-fry for a minute or two.
4. Add pork belly and increase heat to medium-high. Stiry-fry until pork starts to get crispy (3-5 minutes).
5. Add the mushrooms and stir-fry for another 3-4 minutes.
6. Reduce heat to medium-low and add the wine, sugar, light soy, dark soy, mushroom soaking water, and peas (if using).
7. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to a boil.
8. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes.
9. Add the rice and green onions and mix very well.
10. Serve as-is or topped with a fried egg and a bit of Laoganma.

I'm a big fan of whipped cream. Especially when it's lightly sweetened and flavoured with a bit of vanilla. This variation adds some additional layers of flavour to the mix: A small amount of sour cream gives it a distinctive tang. And using brown sugar rather than powdered or granulated gives it just a touch of complexity from the molasses.

I made it to go with a sour cream chocolate cake, but it also pairs beautifully with fresh fruit.

Tangy Whipped Cream

Slightly adapted from The Perfect Cake by America's Test Kitchen

Ingredients

• 1 c. heavy (35%) cream
• 1/4 c. sour cream
• 1/4 c. brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions

1. Combine the cream, sour cream, sugar, and vanilla and beat on low speed until slightly frothy.
2. Gradually increase speed to high and beat on high speed until cream stiffens.
3. Serve with fresh fruit and/or cake.

I was pretty tired when making this one and I think it came through in the final results. It was edible, but not great, honestly. And I've had "classic" tteokbokki before and liked it. Oh well... it happens. Maybe I'll make it again sometime or maybe I'll just stick with some of my more reliable tteokbokki recipes.

Classic Tteokbokki

Slightly adapted from Aaron & Calire

Ingredients

Flavour Paste

• 2 Tbsp. gochugaru (Korean chile flakes)
• 2 Tbsp. sugar
• 1 Tbsp. dasida
• 2 Tbsp. gochujang (Korean chile paste)
• 3 Tbsp. corn syrup
• 1/4 tsp. black peppercorns, ground

Everything Else

• 600g tteokbokki (Korean-style/long cylinder rice cakes)
• 3 c. water
• 1/2 Tbsp. dasida
• 3 sheets Korean fish cakes, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 4 green onions, cut into 5cm lengths
• 2-4 hard-boiled eggs

Directions

1. Combine gochugaru, sugar, dasida, gochujang, corn syrup, and pepper. Mix well and set aside.
2. If using frozen rice cakes, soak in cold water for 20-30 minutes, then drain and set aside.
3. Combine the remaining 1/2 Tbsp. dasida with the water and mix well.
4. Combine rice cakes, stock, fish cakes, green onions, and eggs and bring to a boil.
5. Reduce heat to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally, until tteokbokki are cooked through (12-13 minutes).

Asparagus is in season! And this quick stir-fry seemed like a nice way to enjoy it while it lasts (as well as adding a little green to our plates).

Asparagus Stir-Fry

From the The Woks of Life

Ingredients

• 1/3 c. chicken stock
• 1 Tbsp. Shaoxing wine (绍兴酒)
• 2 tsp. oyster sauce
• 1/4 tsp. sugar
• 1/4 tsp. sesame oil
• 1/8 tsp. white peppercorns, ground
• 1-2 Tbsp. oil
• 450g asparagus, trimmed and sliced on the bias
• 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp. cornstarch
• 1 Tbsp. water

Directions

1. Combine the stock, wine, sugar, sesame oil, and pepper and mix well. Set aside.
2. Heat a wok or pan over medium-high heat.
3. Add the oil and swirl to coat.
4. Add the asparagus and stir-fry for a minute or two.
5. Add the garlic and the sauce and stir-fry for another 2-3 minutes.
6. Make a slurry of the cornstarch and water and add it to the pan.
7. Cook until sauce thickens (~30 seconds).

---

Variations

Vegan Version

Ingredients

• 1/3 c. vegetable stock
• 1 Tbsp. Shaoxing wine (绍兴酒)
• 2 tsp. vegetarian oyster sauce
• 1/4 tsp. raw sugar
• 1/4 tsp. sesame oil
• 1/8 tsp. white peppercorns, ground
• 1-2 Tbsp. oil
• 450g asparagus, trimmed and sliced on the bias
• 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp. cornstarch
• 1 Tbsp. water

Yes, kung pao beef. I know that chicken is the traditional choice. But Woks of Life had a recipe for it using steak, so I decided to give it a try. And, I gotta say, while it wasn't a favourite, it was very good.

Like many stir-fries, the mise en place takes longer than the actual cooking, but I don't mind that. Just be sure to do all of your chopping before you start cooking. Because once you're underway, there won't be much time to stop until it's done.

Kung Pao Beef

Slightly adapted from The Woks of Life

Ingredients

Beef

• 400g steak (preferably flank steak or similar), sliced ~5mm thick against the grain
• 2 tsp. cornstarch
• 2 tsp. Shaoxing wine (绍兴酒)
• 2 tsp. oil
• 2 tsp. oyster sauce
• 1/8 tsp. baking soda

Sauce

• 3 Tbsp. water
• 1 Tbsp. light soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp. rice vinegar
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 1 tsp. cornstarch
• 1 tsp. hoisin sauce
• 1/2 tsp. Sichuan peppercorn powder
• 1/2 tsp. sesame oil
• 1/2 tsp. dark soy sauce

Everything Else

• 1 tsp. minced ginger
• 5 dried chiles¹, chopped
• 1 bell pepper, chopped
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2-3 green onions, chopped with greens and whites kept separate
• 1 c. roasted (unsalted) peanuts
• 2 Tbsp. oil

Directions

1. Combine the beef, cornstarch, wine, oil, oyster sauce, and baking soda. Mix well and set aside for 1-2 hours.
2. Meanwhile, combine the water, light soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, cornstarch, hoisin sauce, Sichuan peppercorns, sesame oil, and dark soy sauce and mix well. Set aside.
3. Combine the ginger and chiles and set aside.
4. Combine the bell pepper, garlic, and the white parts of the green onions and set aside.
5. Combine the peanuts and the green parts of the green onions and set aside.
6. Heat a wok over high heat.
7. Drizzle in the oil and swirl to coat.
8. Add the beef and cook for 3-4 minutes, flipping and turning once or twice until seared on the outside, but not quite cooked through.
9. Reduce temperature to medium-low, remove beef from wok, and set aside.
10. Add the ginger and dried chiles and cook for a minute or two.
11. Add the bell peppers, garlic, and white parts of the green onion and stir-fry for another 2 minutes.
12. Return the beef to the wok.
13. Give the sauce a good stir and pour it over the beef.
14. Stir-fry until beef is desired doneness (2-3 minutes longer).
15. Add the peanuts and the green parts of the green onions and stir-fry for one more minute.
16. Serve over rice.

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¹ The original recipe calls for removing the seeds from the chiles, which I did. I found this made for a very mild final dish however. And while I suppose that this could be addressed by adding more chilies, I do wonder if simply leaving the seeds in might be the better way to go next time. ^Back

Dumplings with Steamed Egg and Rice

I picked up a bag of frozen beef and kimchi dumplings on sale at the grocery store earlier this week. So, when I wanted something quick and easy for dinner tonight, that seemed like the way to go. I hit up Aaron & Claire for preparation ideas. They have a whole bunch of frozen dumpling recipes, but this one looked pleasingly straigh-forward and we hadn't made it before, so that helped me with my choice.

I scaled up the sauce to match the number of dumplings, but I think I'd cut it back slightly next time. I also think it really wanted a few mushrooms in. It was okay as-is, but some mushrooms would've really made it. And, since we had a bunch of asparagus on hand, we also added that to the pan. Not strictly necessary, but having something green in does help to balance it out a bit.

Dumplings wiht Steamed Egg and Rice

Slightly adapted from Aaron & Claire

Ingredients

• 1/4 c. sugar
• 1/4 c. dark soy sauce
• 1/4 c. light soy sauce
• 1/4 c. mirin
• 1/2 c. water
• 500g frozen dumplings
• 2 Tbsp. oil
• 2 onions, halved and sliced
• 225g shiitake mushrooms, sliced
• 225g asparagus, broccoli, green beans, or vegetable of your choice, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 6 large eggs, beaten
• 6 green onions, chopped
• cooked rice, to serve
• toasted sesame seeds, to serve

Directions

1. Combine the sugar, dark soy, light soy, mirin, and water in a bowl and mix well.
2. Place the dumplings in a bowl with a little water, cover, and microwave on high for 4 minutes.
3. Heat the oil over medium-high heat.
4. Add the onion and mushrooms.
5. Break up 6 of the dumplings, add them to the pan, and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes.
6. Add the remaining dumplings, asparagus, and sauce and bring to a boil.
7. Reduce heat to medium and pour in the beaten egg.
8. Sprinkle with green onion, cover pan, and steam until eggs are set (~10 minutes).
9. Serve dumplings over rice and sprinkled with sesame seeds.
10. Add the onion

陕西臊子面 (Shaanxi Saozi Mian)

The name of this dish literally translates as "Shaanxi sauce noodles". The final product is a delicious lightly spicy, savoury, and sour noodle soup. Full of pork belly, fried tofu puffs, carrots, potatoes, wood ear fungus, and lily blossoms. But the first step is making the intensely flavourful meat sauce. Once the concoction is complete, you make the rest of the soup and then add the sauce, which then gets ladelled over freshly cooked noodles and topped with thin ribbons of omelette and a mix of garlic chives and green onions. The finished product is incredibly delicious and satisfying. This one is definitely a keeper!

Hanzi: 陕西臊子面
Pinyin: Shǎnxī sàozǐ miàn
English: Shaanxi sauce noodles

陕西臊子面

Slightly adapted from The Woks of Life

Ingredients

Meat Sauce

• 2 Tbsp. oil
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 3 star anise
• 3 bay leaves
• 2 Tbsp. minced ginger or ginger paste
• 450g pork belly, cut into 5mm dice
• 2 Tbsp. 老干妈 (Laoganma)¹
• 1/4 c. 绍兴酒 (Shaoxing wine)
• 1/2 c. black vinegar
• 1/2 Tbsp. five-spice powder
• 2 Tbsp. light soy sauce
• 2 tsp. sugar

Soup

• 1-2 Tbsp. oil
• 1 Tbsp. minced ginger or ginger paste
• 1/2-3/4 c. diced carrots
• ~1 c. diced potatoes
• 20g dried wood ear fungus, rehydrated
• 5-6g dried lily blossoms, rehydrated
• 1 Tbsp. oyster sauce
• 6-8 c. chicken or vegetable stock
• 8 fried soy puffs, quartered

Toppings

• 1 tsp. cornstarch (cornflour)
• 4 tsp. water
• 2 large eggs
• 1-2 tsp. oil
• 450g dried spaghettini or other thin wheat noodles
• 1/3-1/2 c. chopped garlic chives
• 1-2 green onions, chopped

Directions

1. Heat the oil over medium-low heat.
2. Add the cinnamon stick, star anise, and bay leaves and cook, stirring occasionally, until oil is infused (2-3 minutes).
3. Add the ginger and pork belly, increase heat to medium, and cook until meat is opaque.
4. Add the Laoganma (or chiles and salt, if using) and cook for another 5 minutes.
5. Add the Shaoxing wine, vinegar, five-spice powder, soy sauce, and sugar and bring to a boil.
6. Lower heat slightly and cook until sauce is slightly reduced (6-8 minutes). Remove from heat and set aside.
7. Heat the oil for the soup over medium heat.
8. Add the ginger and stir-fry for 30-60 seconds.
9. Add the carrots and potatoes and cook for 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally.
10. Drain and chop the wood ear fungus and the lily blossoms and add them to the pot with the vegetables.
11. Add the oyster sauce and cook for 2-3 minutes.
12. Add the stock, soy puffs, and the meat sauce prepared earlier and bring to a boil.
13. Simmer for 10 minutes.
14. Meanwhile, mix the cornstarch with the water and then beat in the eggs.
15. Heat the remaining oil over medium heat.
16. Pour in the egg mixture and cook until eggs have set.
17. Carefully flip and cook for ~30 seconds on the other side.
18. Remove omelette from pan and cut into ribbons. Set aside.
19. Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil and cook the noodles according to package directions. Pasta should be fairly al dente and not too soft.
20. Drain noodles and portion out into bowls.
21. Ladel a generous quantity of the soup over the noodles.
22. Top soup with some omelette ribbons, garlic chives, and green onions and serve immediately.

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¹ The original recipe called for 1/4 c. of oil (rather than just 2 Tbsp.) here + 2 Tbsp. Sichuan chile flakes and 1 tsp. of salt. I didn't have any Sichuan chile flakes and didn't want to try to go out and get yet another variety of chiles, so I reduced the oil, omitted the salt, and swapped out the chile flakes for the same amount of 老干妈. This gave me the heat, salt, and extra oil all in one. And, I must say, I'm quite happy with the results. Would definitely be happy to go that route again! ^Back

Sometimes you just get a craving that will not quit. I had one for chocolate cake hit me last week and nothing I did would banish the thought from my head. So I finally gave in and picked out a recipe I hadn't tried before.

I like a good sour cream chocolate cake. And I appreciated that this one didn't need any sort of glaze or icing. They suggest serving it with lightly sweetened raspberries and tangy whipped cream, but those are both completely optional and the cake is still lovely on its own or with just a light dusting of icing sugar.

Chocolate Sour Cream Bundt Cake

Slightly adapted from The Perfect Cake by America's Test Kitchen

Ingredients

• 65g cocoa powder¹
• 170g dark chocolate, chopped
• 1 tsp. instant espresso or coffee powder
• 3/4 c. boiling water
• 240g all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp. coarse sea salt, ground
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 c. sour cream
• 12 Tbsp. (~170g) unsalted butter, softened
• 400g brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
• 5 large eggs

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F) and grease and flour² a Bundt pan.
2. Combine cocoa, chocolate, and coffee powder in a heat-proof bowl.
3. Pour the boiling water into the bowl, cover, and let stand for 5 minutes.
4. Stir until chocolate is melted and mixture is homogeneous. Set aside.
5. In a separate bowl, combine the flour and salt and sift in the baking soda. Mix well and set aside.
6. Add the sour cream to the chocolate mixture and stir to combine.
7. Cream the butter with the sugar until light (~3 minutes).
8. Mix in the vanilla.
9. Beat in the eggs, one at a time.
10. Add ~1/3 of the dry ingredients and stir to combine.
11. Add ~1/2 of the sour cream mixture and, once combined, follow with 1/2 the remaining dry ingredients.
12. Finish up by mixing in the last of the sour cream mixture followed by the last of the dry ingredients.
13. Scoop the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.
14. Bake at 180°C (350°F) until done (40-50 minutes).
15. Allow to cool in tin for 10 minutes, then turn out onto wire rack to finish cooling.
16. Serve as-is or topped with a dusting of icing sugar, fresh or macerated fruit of your choice, and/or whipped cream. (Or tangy whipped cream, if you prefer.

---

¹ The original recipe calls for using natural cocoa powder. I got mixed up and used Dutched/alkalized cocoa instead. I was very happy with the results, so I'm going to go ahead and say that either is fine. I think there's probably enough acid in the sour cream that the pH of the cocoa powder doesn't really matter that much for this one. ^Back
2 If you're worried about flour showing on the surface of the finished cake, brush the pan with a paste of melted butter and cocoa instead. About 1 Tbsp. of each should do the trick. ^Back

Yachaejeon (Korean Vegetable Pancakes)

I think I was a bit too skimpy with the oil when frying these pancakes. They were good, but came out a little gummy. I think a bit more oil, a slightly higher temperature on the pan, and going to the trouble of properly julienne-ing the potato (rather than grating it) probably would've made the difference. But I was still feeling a bit tired and decided to try to save some time and simplify my life by grating the carrot and potato rather than exercising my knife skills. And I had hoped that I could get away with just a light coating of oil on the pan to make these somewhat healthier. But, sadly, this lead to somewhat lacklustre results. Not bad. Just not great either.

On the bright side, this did make for a very low-effort vegetable side to go with the leftover stir-fry from the night before. And it let me clear some things out of the fridge that needed to be used anyway. I didn't have quite as many garlic chives as I would have liked, but everything else was lovely. Although I might consider adding some thinly sliced yellow onion along with the green onion next time. Can't go wrong with more alliums!

Also, given that the batter is basically just a lightly seasoned mix of flour and water, I'd be tempted to try making these with sourdough starter at some point. The hydration of the batter is much higher than what I usually keep my starter at. But that could be easily remedied by simply watering it down a bit. A 2:1 ratio of starter to water by mass should produce the right proportions. The flavour would be a bit different, to be sure, but I think it'd still be good! Something to try for next time...

Yachaejeon

Slightly adapted from Aaron & Claire

Ingredients

Sauce

• 1 cheongyang or jalapeño chile, thinly sliced
• 1 mild red chile, thinly sliced
• 1 green onion, thinly sliced
• 1/4 yellow onion, coarsely chopped
• 1/4 c. light soy sauce
• 2 1/2 Tbsp. white vinegar
• 1/8 tsp. sugar

Pancakes

• 180g flour
• 1/2 tsp. dasida (or salt)
• 1/8 tsp. black peppercorns, ground
• 360g water
• ~150g (or more) garlic chives, cut into 5-cm pieces
• 1 small Yukon Gold (or similar) potato, julienned
• 1 carrot, julienned
• 1 bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 1 cheongyang or jalapeño chile, thinly sliced
• 2-3 green onions, thinly sliced
• 1/2 yellow onion, thinly sliced (optional)

Directions

1. Combine the chiles, green onion, yellow onion, soy sauce, vinegar, and sugar for the dipping sauce. Mix well and set aside.
2. Combine the flour, dasida, and pepper and stir to mix.
3. Pour in the water and mix.
4. Add the garlic chives, potato, carrot, bell pepper, chile, green onions, and yellow onion (if using) and mix well.
5. Heat a pan, skillet, or tawa over medium-high heat.
6. Pour in ~1 Tbsp. of oil.
7. Spoon some batter onto the tawa and spread thin.
8. Cook until golden-brown on underside, then flip and cook until second side is also nicely browned.
9. Repeat with remaining batter, adding more oil as necessary.
10. Serve pancakes with the chunky dipping sauce.

I took a few liberties with this recipe, but I'm quite happy with the results overall. This produced lovely waffles with a crisp exterior and a moist centre. I think I, personally, would have preferred a few more nuts in them. And next time I'd definitely add some vanilla and maybe a few spices, but they were still quite excellent as-is.

The original recipe called for making these with sour cream, but I opted to swap that out for fat-free Greek yogurt instead. And when I came up slightly short on the yogurt, I made up the difference with a bit of cottage cheese. And I swapped out half of the all-purpose flour for whole wheat. And, frankly, I think I probably could've gotten away with doing 100% whole wheat. I also omitted half of the butter and added an extra banana. But, despite all of those modifications, I'm very pleased with how they turned out! And they should be quite a bit healthier this way too: lower fat, higher protein, more fruit, more fibre... Not a bad outcome all-in-all!

Banana-Nut Waffles

Adapted from The Big Book of Breakfasts by Maryana Vollstedt

Ingredients

• 250g whole wheat flour
• 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. coarse sea salt, ground
• 4 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 c. unsalted butter, melted
• 3 bananas, mashed
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 1 1/2 c. plain Greek yogurt
• 1/2 c. cottage cheese
• 1 1/2 c. milk
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/2-3/4 c. walnuts, chopped fine

Directions

1. Preheat waffle iron.
2. Combine the flour, cinnamon, and salt.
3. Sift in the baking powder and baking soda and mix well.
4. Combine the butter, bananas, eggs, yogurt, cheese, milk, and vanilla and mix well.
5. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir to combine.
6. Stir in the walnuts.
7. Scoop a portion of batter into the waffle iron and cook according to manufacturer directions. Repeat with remaining batter.
8. Serve as-is or topped with butter, maple syrup, applesauce, custard, whipped cream, sliced bananas, nut butter, and/or chocolate sauce.

This was quite easy to make and we all enjoyed it. It's not a spectacular dish or anything, but it's pleasant enough and simple and comforting. And the egg gives it a little substance too.

Tomato Egg Drop Soup

Slightly adapted from Aaron & Claire

Ingredients

• 2-3 green onions
• 1-2 Tbsp. oil
• 1-2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 Tbsp. dark soy sauce
• 1 small (~400mL) tin diced tomatoes
• 3 1/2 c. water
• 1 Tbsp. dasida (or chicken bouillon powder)
• 1 1/2 Tbsp. ketchup
• 1/8 tsp. while peppercorns, ground
• 1 Tbsp. cornstarch
• 2 Tbsp. water
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 1/2 tsp. sesame oil

Directions

1. Chop the green onions, keeping the white parts and green parts separate. Set aside.
2. Heat oil over medium heat.
3. Add the garlic and the white parts of the green onion, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook until oil is infused (1-2 minutes).
4. Add the soy sauce and cook for another 30-60 seconds.
5. Add the tomato and cook until heated through (3-5 minutes).
6. Add the water, dasida, ketchup, and pepper, increase heat to medium-high and bring to a boil.
7. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 5 minutes.
8. Mix the cornstarch with the remaining 2 Tbsp. of water to make a slurry and stir it into the soup.
9. Cook until broth thickens slightly.
10. Reduce heat to medium-low and slowly drizzle in the beaten eggs.
11. Remove from heat and give the pot a stir.
12. Sprinkle with the green parts of the green onions, drizzle in the sesame oil, and serve.

Aaron & Claire describe this as "easy" and "so simple", and as a "15-minute" recipe. I submit that this is only the case if you don't count any of the time needed to prep the sauces and the ingredients; once the mise-en-place is done, yes, it comes together very quickly and easily, but the mise-en-place is a lot! I can't argue with the results, though; it's delicious.

Compared to the original recipe, this uses more carrot, and consistently chooses shaoxing wine over mirin where the choice is given, but is otherwise unaltered.

Beef & Onion Stir-Fry

Aaron and Claire

Ingredients

• Marinade
• 1 tbsp oil
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp shaoxing wine
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ¼ tsp white pepper, ground
• Sauce
• 5 tbsp water
• 2 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp shaoxing wine
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp chicken stock powder
• ½ tsp dark soy sauce
• Stir-Fry
• 500g chuck flap tail, steak, or similar beef, cut into thin strips
• 1+1 tbsp neutral oil, divided
• 2 large yellow onions, sliced
• 4 green onions, sliced, whites and greens divided
• 3 tbsp garlic paste
• 2 tsp ginger paste
• 1 carrot, sliced
• 1 tsp toasted sesame oil

Directions

1. Whisk together all marinade ingredients in a medium bowl.
2. Add the beef and toss thoroughly to coat. Marinate in the fridge for at least ten minutes.
3. Whisk together all sauce ingredients and set aside.
4. Do all mise-en-place before proceeding.
5. Heat the wok and add 1 tbsp of oil.
6. Add the beef in its marinade and stir-fry until comfortably seared all over. Remove and buffer.
7. Add the other tbsp of oil.
8. Add the onions and let them sit for 1-2 minutes until they start to char and soften.
9. Add garlic, ginger, and green onion whites. Stir-fry until fragrant, <1 minute.
10. Add beef, carrots, and sauce. Stir-fry until slightly thickened and heated through, 1-2 minutes.
11. Remove from heat and toss with sesame oil and green onion greens.
12. Serve over rice.

I probably could've gotten away without making anything for breakfast this morning since we had plenty of bread. But I'd already forgotten that I made it! So I groggily leafed through my cookbooks upon waking and settled on some gingerbread waffles as a relatively quick and easy option. I decided that they needed some sort of sauce to go on them, so TF helped me put together this simple apple sauce.

Personally, I think the cranberry-pineapple sauce actually complements them better, but the chunky apples are good in a pinch. (Cinnamon cream cheese would also be good!)

Chunky Apple Sauce

Slightly adapted from The Big Book of Breakfasts by Maryana Vollstedt

Ingredients

• ~700g apples
• 1/4 c. water
• 2 Tbsp. sugar
• 1/2 Tbsp. lemon juice
• 1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon
• dash (~1/16 tsp.) of ground cloves
• dash (~1/16 tsp.) of ground nutmeg
• a few grinds of salt

Directions

1. Peel, core, and slice apples.
2. Combine apples, water, sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and salt and bring to a boil.
3. Reduce heat to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally, until apples are tender (20-30 minutes).

I've been a little preoccupied lately and haven't felt up to doing much meal planning or cooking. This meant that I needed to find something quick and easy to do for dinner last night. Normally my go-to for that is curry. But I've been feeling kind of curried out lately, so I decided to hit up Aaron & Claire for some ideas instead.

I ended up settling on this spicy chicken stir-fry. We were all out of doubanjiang (豆瓣酱/Sichuan spicy bean paste), but we did have Laoganma (老干妈), so I just used that instead. It's not the same. Laoganma is much more oily and salty than doubanjiang. But it makes a tasty dish nonetheless. And some people¹ find they prefer the results of dishes made with Laoganma over doubanjiang anyway. Personally, I think I still prefer the doubanjiang flavour, but this certainly got the job done.

Spicy Ground Chicken Stir-Fry

Slightly adapted from Aaron & Claire

Ingredients

Sauce

• 2 Tbsp. doubanjiang (豆瓣酱/Sichuan spicy bean paste)
• 1 Tbsp. dark soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp. oyster sauce
• 1/2 Tbsp. sugar
• 2 Tbsp. mirin
• 1 tsp. chicken bouillon powder (or dasida)
• 1/8 tsp. black peppercorns, ground

Stir-Fry

• 1 Tbsp. oil
• 500g ground chicken
• 10 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp. minced ginger or ginger paste
• 200g garlic scapes, cut into bite-sized pieces (optional)
• 450g asparagus or green beans, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1 small red bell pepper or mild chile, chopped
• 1/2 Tbsp. sesame oil
• 1 Tbsp. toasted sesame seeds
• cooked rice, to serve
• fried eggs, to serve

Directions

1. Combine the doubanjiang, soy sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, mirin, bouillon powder, and pepper. Mix well and set aside.
2. Heat a wok over high heat.
3. Drizzle in the oil and swirl to coat.
4. Add the chicken and cook until underside is browned.
5. Flip and continue to cook, breaking up as it sears, until chicken is cooked through and liquid has boiled off.
6. Add garlic, ginger, and garlic scapes (if using) and cook for 2-3 minutes.
7. Add the asparagus and bell pepper and cook for another minute or two.
8. Pour in the sauce and stir-fry for another 2-3 minutes.
9. Remove from heat and sprinkle with sesame oil and sesame seeds.
10. Serve on a bed of rice, topped with a fried egg.

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¹ Looking at you, Reiver!

My last feijoa recipe for the year! I managed to bring a few home with me and we've been enjoying them, but this tart used up the last few. Luckily, it was delicious, so I feel pretty good about using them up this way. And I doubt they would've kept much longer anyway. After a week, they were definitely reaching their "use by".

TF and I both liked this pie. Although, I have to admit that I found it a bit too sweet. I think I'd cut the sugar significantly next time. I might also try swapping out some of the flour for oats, since I do enjoy a crumble with oats in!

Feijoa and Custard Crumble Tart

Slightly adapted from NZ Woman's Weekly

Ingredients

• 1/2 recipe sourdough pastry or sweet shortcrust pastry
• 3 large eggs
• 50g sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/2 c. heavy (35%) cream or half-and-half (10% MF)
• 1/2 c. flour
• 50g brown sugar
• 100g butter
• 1/2 c. rolled oats
• 250g fejoas, scooped and sliced

Directions

1. Make your pastry, wrap, and chill it for at least 30 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 190°C (375°F) and place a baking sheet in the oven.
3. Roll out the pastry and use it to line a 23cm (9") pie plate, crimp the edges, and line it with baking paper and fill it with baking beans.
4. Blind bake the pastry shell for 15 minutes, then remove the baking paper and pie weights and continue baking for another 5 minutes.
5. Remove the pastry shell from the oven and set aside and reduce oven temperature to 160°C (325°F).
6. Beat the eggs with the sugar, vanilla, and cream.
7. In a separate bowl, combine the flour and brown sugar and cut in the butter. Then mix in the oats.
8. Place the feijoas in the pastry shell and pour in the custard, then sprinkle with the crumble topping.
9. Return to oven and bake at 160°C (325°F) until custard is just set (~25 minutes).
10. Serve with whipped cream and or powdered sugar.

Cochin Jhinga (Kerala Shrimp Curry)

I made this tasty shrimp curry on Easter to go with the fish and dal when we had Reiver's parents over for dinner. The kahawai was definitely the standout of the night, but the shrimp seemed to be thoroughly enjoyed as well.

Photo goes here.

Cochin Jhinga

Slightly adapted from 660 Curries by Raghavan Iyer

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp. coconut oil
• 1/2 c. chopped shallots
• 10 fresh or frozen curry leaves
• 1-2 fresh green Thai, jalapeño, or serrano chiles, halved lengthwise
• 200mL diced tomatoes
• 2 Tbsp. vinegar
• 1 tsp. coarse sea salt
• 1 tsp. ground Kashmiri chilies¹
• 500g peeled and deveined shrimp
• 3 slices of fresh ginger² (each 6x2.5x0.3cm), julienned

Directions

1. Heat oil over medium-high heat.
2. Add the shallots, curry leaves, and chilies and sauté for 2 minutes.
3. Add the tomatoes, vinegar, salt, and ground chilies and bring to a boil.
4. Add the shrimp and stir to coat.
5. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and poach, stirring occasionally, until shrimp are cooked through (~5 minutes).
6. Sprinkle with the ginger and serve.

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¹ As I was trying to make this curry extra mild, I used only half of a fresh jalape&ntile;o with its seeds removed and 1/2 tsp. of Kashmiri chiles. This produced a flavourful curry and, more importantly, everyone was happy with the spice level. That said, if I were making it again, in a situation where the spice level didn't matter, I would probably put 1 fresh chile and a whole teaspoon of ground chiles in. ^Back
2 I didn't have any fresh ginger on hand when making this, so I ended up just tossing a few Tbsp. of ginger paste into the sauce. Obviously, that is not ideal and produces a different effect, but the overall result was still quite tasty so I'm not upset about that! ^Back

Kishmish Waale Murghi (Raisin Chicken)

Whole chickens were on sale at the grocery store again a couple of weeks ago. I was somewhat reluctant to get any since I was worried that I wouldn't have time to break them down before I left. But, after discussing it with Reiver, I decided to go for it anyway. I got the chickens broken down the next day and then ended up using one of them in this curry a few days later.

I ended up going with this recipe, specifically, both because it wasn't on the blog yet and because it let me incorporate some veggies into the meal without having to make an extra dish. The original recipe calls for making this with chunks of chicken breast, but I think it also works quite well with bone-in chicken pieces.

Photo goes here.

Kishmish Waale Murghi

Slightly adapted from 660 Curries by Raghavan Iyer

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp. oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1/2 c. golden raisins
• 1/2 c. slivered almonds
• 1kg skinless boneless chicken breasts, cut into 2cm pieces
• 1 Tbsp. Punjabi garam masala
• 1 tsp. coarse sea salt
• 1/2 tsp. ground cayenne or Kashmiri chilies
• 1/2 tsp. ground turmeric
• 250g chopped frozen spinach
• 1/2 c. water

Directions

1. Heat oil over medium heat.
2. Add the onion, raisins, and almonds and cook until the onions soften and nuts brown (15-20 minutes).
3. Add the chicken and cook until it sears (~10 minutes).
4. Add the garam masala, salt, ground chilies, and turmeric and cook for a minute or so.
5. Add the spinach and water, bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until chicken is cooked through (~10 minutes).
6. Serve with rice and/or your favourite flatbread.

My square pan is dead! I didn't know it was dead. TF had literally just used it to make brownies. I cleaned the brownie crumbs out of it and put it to use for this crumble. And everything seemed fine until we went to dish it up and found that the fruit had turned strange colours and had a funny aftertaste to them. I think the pan must have reacted with the fruit. Which has me feeling incredibly bummed. I managed to bring fresh feijoas home all the way from NZ and make a crumble immediately while they were still at their peak. To have it ruined by a faulty pan is just heartbreaking! I'm so mad at myself.

I mean, I'm still going to eat the crumble anyway. It's still decent. It's just not nearly as good as it should be. Because my pan failed me!

As far as the recipe itself goes... I found this one very interesting. It is a crumble without oats! The topping is composed almost entirely of ground hazelnuts! With just a bit of flour, honey, and butter to hold it together. It's a tasty combo. And there's enough ginger in it that it actually comes through quite nicely. And I enjoy the sweetened topping with the unsweetened fruit. (Although it would've been even better if the fruit hadn't picked up that slightly nasty pan aftertaste, but... oh well. Not much I can do about that now!)

I'm not sure I'd bother too much with this recipe in the future when the basic crumble is so good. But it was definitely an interesting experiment. And it was fun to try something a bit different.

ETA: So, my feijoa failure is even weirder and more complicated than I'd originally realized. It looks like it's not just that the pan was a little old and scuffed up. It was a reaction between the nuts, the acid in the fruit, and the metal in the pan. If the pan had been in better shape (or I'd used a non-metalic pan), then this wouldn't have happened. Or if I'd made a nut-free crumble, it also would've been just fine. Or even if we'd simply eaten the crumble right away rather than letting it sit all day. But nope! The combination of those three factors caused a chemical reaction -- basically forming iron gall ink in the pan -- and caused my fruit to turn a disturbing purplish-blue and taste funny. Whoops! Oh well... at least it was an interesting failure mode!

Photo goes here.

Feijoa, Apple, and Hazelnut Crumble

Slightly adapted from NZ Woman's Weekly

Ingredients

• 1 c. hazelnuts¹, ground
• 1/2 c. flour
• 1 Tbsp. ground ginger
• 50g butter
• 1/4 c. honey
• 2-3 apples, peeled and sliced
• 400g feijoa pulp, chopped
• ice cream and/or whipped cream, to serve

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F) and grease a 23cm (9") square pan. (Preferably a glass or stoneware baking dish and not a metal one.)
2. Combine the hazelnuts, flour, and ginger and mix well.
3. Cut in the butter and mix the honey through.
4. Bring the apples to a gentle simmer with a little water and stew until just softened.
5. Drain the apples and mix them with the feijoa pulp.
6. Pour the fruit mixture into the prepared pan and spread in an even layer.
7. Sprinkle the crumble on top.
8. Bake at 180°C (350°F) for 30 minutes.
9. Serve topped with ice cream and/or whipped cream.

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¹ The recipe didn't specify skin-on or skin-off for the hazelnuts. Mine were skin-on and peeling them is always a huge pain, so I just used them that way. This was fine, but I do think they probably would've been slightly better peeled. I recommend using skin-off if you can find them. ^Back