20 – Minute Chicken Pho

Created on 6/21/2024

Ingredients:

  • 1 rotisserie roast chicken
  • 1 onion, skin on, halved
  • 4cm (1.5”) piece of ginger, sliced
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 3 whole star anise
  • 3 tbsp fish sauce, or to taste
  • 2 tsp salt, or to taste
  • 2 beef stock cubes
  • 400g (14 oz) dried rice stick noodles

To Serve:

  • ½ onion, finely sliced
  • ¼ cup spring onion (scallions)
  • bean shoots
  • Thai basil leaves
  • lemon wedges
  • sliced red chilli
  • hoisin sauce (optional)
  • sriracha sauce (optional)

Instructions:

Step One: Remove the chicken meat from the rotisserie chicken. Shred and set aside until ready to serve

Step Two: Place the bones of the rotisserie chicken in a large microwave-safe bowl. Add the onion, ginger, cinnamon stick and star anise. Top with 2 litres (2.1 qt) of water. Microwave on high (1000W) for 10 minutes. Crumble in the beef stock cubes and stir to combine. Microwave on high for a further 5 minutes. Remove from the microwave and strain the broth, discarding the solids. Taste and season with the fish sauce and salt to taste

Step Three: In the meantime, soak the noodles in room temperature water for 10-15 minutes or until softened slightly. Cook in boiling water for 2-3 minutes or until the noodles are just tender. Drain and divide among serving bowls

Step Four: To serve, top the noodles with onion slices, chicken meat and spring onion. Ladle over hot broth (reheat in the microwave if you need). Serve with the bean shoots, Thai basil, lemon, chilli, hoisin and sriracha

Gluten Free Banana Bread

Created on 5/28/2024

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups gluten-free all-purpose baking flour (without xanthan gum)
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 4 large eggs, room temperature
  • 2 cups mashed ripe bananas (4-5 medium)
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
  • 1/3 cup canola oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Instructions:

Step One: Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt

Step Two: In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs, bananas, sugar, applesauce, oil and vanilla

Step Three: Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients just until moistened

Step Four: Pour the batter into two greased 8×4-inch loaf pans. Sprinkle the tops of each with the walnuts

Step Five: Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 45 to 55 minutes. Cool the loaves in their pans for 10 minutes. Remove the loaves from the pans and put them on wire racks. Let them cool completely to room temperature

Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

Created on 5/24/2024

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/3 cups (225g) gluten-free measure-for-measure flour
  • 1/4 cup (25g) almond flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 cup (113g) butter
  • 1 tablespoon milk of choice
  • 3/4 cup (160g) brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 cup (170g) chocolate chips
  • sea salt for sprinkling optional

Instructions:
Step One: In a medium bowl, whisk together the gluten-free flour, almond flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside

Step Two: Melt the butter in a medium skillet over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally

Step Three: Once the butter is melted and begins to foam, stir continuously to prevent the milk solids from sticking to the skillet. The butter will change from yellow to golden brown quickly and will have a nutty aroma. Remove from the heat and immediately pour into a medium bowl

Step Four: Add the milk, brown sugar and granulated sugar to the brown butter. Whisk to combine.

Step Five: Whisk in the egg and vanilla until smooth and creamy

Step Six: Using a rubber spatula, mix in the dry ingredients until well-combined. Stir in the chocolate chips

Step Seven: Cover the bowl and let the dough sit at room temperature for 30 minutes, or refrigerate for up to 5 days

Step Eight: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats

Step Nine: Scoop the cookie dough into round balls, about 2 tablespoons per ball. Place on the prepared baking sheet, about 2 inches apart

Step Ten: Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the edges are golden brown and the center is set

Step Eleven: Remove from the oven and cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with flaky salt, if desired. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely

Notes:

Gluten-Free Flour: Be sure to use a gluten-free flour blend that contains xanthan gum. I use King Arthur Flour Measure-for-Measure Flour. Other 1:1 gluten-free flours that contain xanthan gum such as Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Baking Flour will also work. Dairy-Free: Skip steps 2-3 and simply use melted dairy-free butter (note that dairy-free butter will not brown). Omit the milk. Use dairy-free chocolate chips. 

Crab Fried Rice

Created on 5/13/2024

Ingredients:

Instructions:

Step One: First, prep all of your ingredients, including your aromatics–ginger, garlic, cilantro, and scallion. Prep the beaten eggs as well and set them aside. Only when you have all the ingredients prepared and ready to go should you start cooking

Step Two: Heat the cooking oil in a wok over medium-high heat. Add the ginger first, stirring for 30 seconds. Then add the garlic. When the garlic is just cooked (before it starts to turn golden), add the cooked rice to the wok, and turn up the heat to high. Stir fry the rice for 3 minutes or so until it’s thoroughly combined with the ginger/garlic mixture and/or warmed through if you’re using leftover rice

Step Three: Now for the flavorings: add the white pepper, fish sauce, soy sauce, and shaoxing wine to the rice. If it’s not quite salty enough for you or if you know you won’t be eating it with added hot sauce, now is the time to add salt to taste. Stir-fry to combine

Step Four: Using your spatula, spread the rice out into an even layer along the surface of the wok. Pour the beaten egg evenly over the rice. Stir the rice until all of the egg is cooked and incorporated. The egg coats the rice and makes for a most excellent savory experience. Much better than broken up bits/huge chunks of scrambled egg throughout

Step Five: Before adding the crab, use your spatula to once more spread the rice evenly in the wok. Add the crab to the rice and stir fry thoroughly. When the crab is warmed through, add the scallion and cilantro and stir-fry briefly until the herbs are just wilted. Serve and finish with a squeeze of lime and your favorite chili oil

Hot and Sour Soup

Created on 1/10/2024

Ingredients:

  • 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil or vegetable oil
  • 6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • 2 1” piece ginger, peeled, finely chopped
  • 2 Tbsp. dark miso
  • 1 Tbsp. soy sauce
  • 4 tsp. unseasoned rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar
  • ½ tsp. toasted sesame oil
  • 1 tsp. Aleppo-style pepper or ¼ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes, plus more for serving if desired
  • 2 oz. shiitake or crimini mushrooms, trimmed, thinly sliced
  • 1 cup mixed peas (such as baby and/or trimmed snow and/or sugar snap, halved if large)
  • 1 large egg, lightly beaten, or 8 oz. silken tofu or 2.5 oz. yuba sheets
  • Kosher salt
  • Optional – squeeze of lime, udon noodles, cilantro, switch out water for chicken broth

Instructions:

Step One: Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium. Cook garlic and ginger, stirring often, until softened and very fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add 3 cups water. Combine miso and 2 Tbsp. water in a small bowl and stir to dissolve miso. Whisk into aromatics, then add soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, and ½ tsp. Aleppo-style pepper. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat as needed to maintain a simmer and cook until flavors come together, about 10 minutes

Step Two: Add mushrooms and peas and cook until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Gently stir in the egg (a few turns of a spoon will be enough to set it into ribbons without blasting it apart) and cook until just set, about 30 seconds. Or, if using tofu, drop in by spoonfuls, or if using yuba, thinly slice before adding, and cook just until heated through, about 1 minute. Season with salt

Step Three: Ladle soup into bowls and sprinkle with more Aleppo-style pepper if desired

Notes: For a hardier soup, serve over cooked udon noodles. If the soup is too bland, add a squeeze of lime and chopped cilantro

Char Sui Pork

Created on 1/8/2023

Ingredients:

  • 2 tablespoons honey (or maltose or barley malt syrup or fancy molasses (not blackstrap molasses))
  • 1-2 cubes  red fermented tofu (add an additional 4 teaspoons of the sauce, mashed together – this is also known as red bean curd) (Substitute gochujang, find GF version)
  • 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce (check for wheat as a thickening agent to keep GF)
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce (swap for GF soy sauce)
  • 2 cloves garlic (roughly chopped, approximately 1 ½ tablespoons)
  • 4 slices of ginger (roughly chopped, approximately 2-3 tablespoons)
  • 1 teaspoon  Chinese five spice powder (Substitute star anise, nutmeg and onion powder)
  • 2 tablespoons Chinese rice cooking wine (or dry sherry or mirin)
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon Korean pepper flakes (optional, for additional color and a mild spiciness. It will also give it an earthier flavor)
  • 2-3 lbs pork shoulder (cut into long strips, 3 inch wide)

Instructions

Step One:

Cutting and Marinating the Meat

  • Cut the pork shoulder into long strips, that are roughly 3 inch thick. Mine are usually sized around 3 inches wide, and 5-7 inches long
  • Combine the ingredients in the marinade section into a ziplock or a big bowl and combine it with the pork
  • Marinate it in the fridge for 24 hours

Preparing the Glaze

  • Remove the meat from the marinade and let it sit for an hour at room temperature before cooking
  • Add all the marinade to a small pot including the chunks of garlic and ginger. Cooking the glaze with the ginger and garlic will make it more flavourful.
  • Add 2 tablespoons of honey into the marinade and mix well
  • Cook it on low heat on a stove for 5 minutes or when the sauce starts to boil.
  • Set it aside for later, we will use this for glazing at the end

Grilling the Pork on the BBQ

  • Heat up BBQ to 325F (162C)
  • Cook the char siu for 15 mins on one side, then flip it for another 10 mins. Check the meat thermometer. The temperature should be around 145F (62C). If it’s not, keep the meat on longer until it reaches that internal temperature
  • Once it hits an internal temperature of 145F (62C), we will use the glaze and glaze it 4-5 times, flipping the meat every minute to prevent burning
  • When the meat looks red, sticky and slightly burnt, remove it from the BBQ and let it rest for 20 mins on a plate before cutting into it
  • Once the meat has rested, cut it up and enjoy

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Created on 1/8/2024

Ingredients:

  • 1 Tbsp olive oil
  • medium onion, chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 jalapeno pepper , seeded and diced
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp chilli powder
  • 1 lb chicken breasts, (2 medium)
  • 20 oz can crushed tomatoes
  • 32 oz chicken broth 
  • 14 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 14 oz can corn, drained and rinsed
  • 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped, divided (reserve 1/4 of it for garnish)
  • 1 lime, juiced
  • 1 tsp salt, or to taste
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 8 corn tortillas , (6″ tortillas)
  • 1 large avocado, diced
  • 1 lime, cut into wedges, to serve

Instructions:

Step One: Preheat a pan with 1/4 cup oil over medium-high heat. Cut tortillas into thin strips and fry them in batches in the hot oil until crisp. Remove from the pan and allow them to drain on a paper towel. Repeat with remaining tortilla strips, adding more oil as needed then set aside

Step Two: Preheat a pot with oil over medium-high heat. Add chopped onion, garlic and chopped jalapeño and sauté until veggies soften

Step Three: Add whole chicken breasts, corn, beans, chilli powder, cumin, crushed tomatoes, salt, ¼ cup of cilantro and chicken broth. Bring to a boil and let simmer for at least 25 minutes

Step Four: Remove chicken from the pot and shred it using 2 forks. Add shredded chicken back to the soup and simmer another 5 minutes then add lime juice

Step Five: Serve the soup with some tortilla strips, pieces of avocado, fresh cilantro and lime wedges

Thai-style Grilled BBQ Pork

Ingredients:

  • Frozen sticky rice
  • 16 ounces pork loin
  • 5 ounces pork back fat
  • Bamboo skewers
  • 4 garlic cloves, peeled
  • 3 cilantro roots
  • 1/2 tsp coriander seeds
  • 1/2 tsp palm sugar (or regular white sugar)
  • 2 tbsp fish sauce
  • 3 tbsp black soy sauce
  • 2 tsp vegetable oil
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp cornstarch
  • 1/4 coconut milk, extra for basting

Instructions:
Step One:
For the pork skewers, start by cutting the pork loin into very thin, around 2mm-thick (1/16 inch) slices – you almost want to be able to see through it. Transfer the slices to a large bowl. Next, take your strip of back fat and cut it into slightly thicker slices than you did with the pork loin. Transfer to a small bowl

Step Two:
To make the marinade, add the garlic cloves, coriander roots, coriander seeds and peppercorns to a mortar. Use a pestle to pound the ingredients into a rough paste. Transfer to the pork loin, followed by the palm sugar, fish sauce, Thai black soy sauce or kecap manis, vegetable oil, salt, cornflour and coconut milk. Using clean hands, mix everything together until the palm sugar has dissolved into the marinade and the meat is evenly coated. Set aside for 1 hour to allow all the flavours to make friends with one another

Step Three:
In the meantime, soak your bamboo skewers in water to prevent them from burning on the grill later. Once your pork has marinated, add a piece of pork fat to the skewer, then concertina a couple of slices of pork on. Repeat with another piece of pork fat and two more pork slices. Continue on in this way with the remaining skewers, pork slices and pork fat

Step Four: To cook the skewers, you could use a charcoal grill like I did, or a frying pan, grill plate or a barbecue. Cook the skewers for around 2-3 minutes on one side until you’ve got some nice colour, then flip and baste with some coconut milk. Cook for another 2–3 minutes or until the pork is cooked through and everything is looking nice and golden brown. Serve with the sticky rice

Buffalo Chicken Wings

Created on 12/22/2023

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb chicken wings
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 cup Hot Sauce (such as Frank’s Red Hot Sauce)
  • 2 tablespoons Butter (melted)
  • 1/2 tablespoon Honey
  • ½ teaspoon Pepper
  • ½ teaspoon Garlic Powder
  • ½ teaspoon Onion Powder
  • Add Celery/Carrot Sticks And Ranch Dressing (for serving)

Instructions:

Step One: Preheat the oven to 400˚F (200˚C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil and set a wire rack on top.

Step Two: Add the chicken wings to a large bowl and dry with a paper towel, then toss with the baking powder and salt until evenly coated.

Step Three: Arrange the wings on a wire rack, then bake for 1 hour, flipping every 20 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy.

Step Four: Make the buffalo sauce: In a large skillet over medium, combine the salt, hot sauce, butter, honey, black pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. Add the wings and toss to coat.

Notes: Serve with tater tots or french fries! Allow these to cook in the oven for about 40 minutes.

Truffle Roast Chicken

Created on 10/17/2023

Ingredients:

  • 1 5lbs whole chicken organic
  • 2 g black truffles small 30 (jarred truffles)
  • 2 tsp truffle sea salt + more to taste
  • 1 tsp sweet paprika
  • 10 thyme sprigs
  • 2 leaves bay
  • 3 sage sprigs
  • 8 leaves sage
  • leaves from 2 thyme sprigs
  • 10 cloves garlic in paper
  • 2 lb golden potatoes
  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp truffle butter (optional, can sub for oil)

Ingredients:

Step One: Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and set it in the refrigerator to air dry overnight

Step Two: Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and set it in the refrigerator to air dry overnight

Step Three: Remove the chicken from the refrigerator and pat dry some more with paper towels including the cavity

Step Four: Preheat your oven to 450”F. Meanwhile rub the chicken all over with 1 teaspoon of olive oil and season with the truffle salt and paprika all over. Stuff the cavity with the thyme and sage sprigs, garlic cloves and bay leaves

Step Five: Thinly slice 6 slices of the black truffle. Without tearing the skin make sure to stuff them underneath the skin of the chicken breast

Step Six: Make a slit in the fat hanging from the back of the chicken and insert the end of each chicken leg through the slit in the opposite direction, having the legs cross each other

Step Seven: Very lightly oil the bottom of a large roasting pan and set a roasting rack in the middle. Make sure to oil the roasting rack before placing the chicken on top breast side up. Make sure to tuck in the wing tips as well

Step Eight: Allow the chicken to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes before roasting. While the chicken is resting, scrub and cut the potatoes into large but equal pieces. Transfer to a pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a simmer, add a good pinch of sea salt and boil for 7 minutes

Step Nine: Drain the potatoes in a collander and allow them to dry in their steam for a few minutes. Meanwhile transfer the truffle chicken to the preheated oven and roast for 25 minutes. After 25 minutes have past carefully open the oven door and add the potatoes in the bottom of the roasting dish together with the sage leaves. Gently toss them to coat a little in the drippings from the bottom

Step 10: Roast everything together for another 25 minutes and carefully using a spatula try to turn the give the potatoes a gentle toss

Step 11: Very carefully add the truffle butter on top of the chicken. It will immediately melt from the heat and drip down onto the sage potatoes to coat them

Step 12: Roast everything together for another 20 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165”F

Step 13: Remove the truffle chicken from the oven and carefully transfer it to a serving dish. Taste the sage potatoes and give them a final sprinkling of truffle salt if necessary. Then scoop them out and place them on the serving dish surrounding the truffle chicken

Step 14: Thinly slice the remaining black truffle and sprinkle it over the top of the chicken together with the thyme leaves and whatever edible flowers you might have around

Notes: Allow the chicken to rest for 10 minutes before slicing