This GREEN BEANS WITH MISO BUTTER BRAISED ONIONS is side dish perfection. Onions are cooked until nearly melt-in-your-mouth in a simple but flavourful 3-ingredient braising liquid of butter, miso paste and water. To serve, the tender onions are served over green beans, under a blanket of the umami-rich, unctuous sauce.
Read moreBeef Rolls with Enoki and Veggies
My family loves these Beef Rolls with Enoki and Veggies. Since there is protein, veggies and mushrooms all bundled together, it is the perfect standalone, well-rounded meal which makes me love it even more. They are soo good — with all that sauce — served on rice! Once the bundles are prepared, they cook in a matter of minutes right in the pan along with the sauce. Faster than the time it takes to cook the rice. Dinner is served!
Read more10-Minute Cream Corn Chicken Rice (粟米雞粒飯)
This 10-MINUTE CREAM CORN CHICKEN RICE is my take of a popular homestyle Cantonese dish (粟米雞粒飯) and my version takes only 10 minutes to make! You also won't be needing a knife or chopping board, either. Sound good? GOOD.
Read moreCucumber Wrapped Sushi Roll
This CUCUMBER WRAPPED SUSHI ROLL is kinda like the love child between a Japanese maki and a smoked salmon tea sandwich! The refreshing cucumber exterior nicely contrasts the tasty interior of vinegared rice, savoury smoked salmon, creamy avocado and cream cheese. They are delicious little bites perfect for brunch, as an appetizer or a fun minimal-cook meal.
Read moreShrimp in Lobster Sauce
Shrimp in Lobster Sauce features succulent shrimp and ground pork coated in a silky and flavourful sauce that is SO perfect for serving on steamed rice! After the shrimp is prepped, the dish comes together in less than 15 minutes, all in one cooking vessel. Yasss.
Read moreChinese Shrimp in Tomato Sauce
Large succulent shrimp tossed in a sauce of aromatic scallions and ginger, umami soy sauce and tangy sweet ketchup. This dish begs to be served on a bowl of steamed rice!
Read moreTaco Salad
This easy and hearty TACO SALAD will be a hit with the whole family! If there’s one meal that will get the children and adults in your life (and yourself lol) to gobble down a huge pile of salad, THIS IS IT. Crispy lettuce, crunchy tortilla chips, hearty beef and beans and creamy ranch dressing…these flavours and textures play so well together in this addictive TACO SALAD.
Read moreSpeedy Chicken Katsu Dinner
This SPEEDY CHICKEN KATSU DINNER features juicy chicken cutlets served with freshly steamed rice, crunchy shredded cabbage dressed in a 5-minute sesame dressing, and sweet-tangy tonkatsu sauce. This is a meal I can throw together in 30 minutes!
Read moreShanghai Vegetable Rice ( 上海菜飯 )
This SHANGHAI “VEGETABLE RICE” is a simple comfort food of my childhood. It is the kind of humble home cooking that I love nd crave. The name of this recipe is a direct translation of its name in Chinese, 上海菜飯. Actually, the character 菜 (pronounced cài in Mandarin or choy in Cantonese) in this context refers specifically to leafy vegetables versus the broader definition of vegetables. Growing up, we simply called this “choy faan” or leafy vegetable rice.
Read moreMushroom and Egg "Gyudon" Japanese Rice Bowl
This MUSHROOM AND EGG “GYUDON” JAPANESE RICE BOWL is an easy, healthy 30-minute meal perfect for weeknights. King mushrooms are an amazing swap-in for meat because of its inherent “meaty” texture and ability to soak in loads of flavour. My favourite way to prepare king mushrooms is hand-shredding into strips and sautéing them with a little bit of oil in a searing hot pan until they’re nice and brown on the edges. This technique brings out their flavour and make them satisfyingly “meaty”. If you haven’t tried this, you MUST. I highly recommend it 🤌
Read moreSweet Glutinous Rice Dumplings with Black Sesame Filling with Step-by-Step Photos and Video 黑芝麻湯圓 (Tang Yuan)
Tender and chewy glutinous rice dough encasing a rich, oozy sweet black sesame filling and served in a light ginger broth, these SWEET GLUTINOUS RICE DUMPLINGS WITH BLACK SESAME FILLING are heaven in every bite!
Read morePoached Shrimp + Melon Salad
Succulent poached shrimp and juicy melons are the stars of this POACHED SHRIMP + MELON SALAD. Dressed deliciously in an easy 5-ingredient vinaigrette of evoo, white balsamic vinegar, fresh lime juice, sugar (you can sub honey) and salt, and finished with addictive Tajín on top, this is a salad you’ll probably want to make all summer long!
Read moreConfit Garlic Hummus with Grilled Mushrooms
Before you think this is yet another hummus recipe, think again. This CONFIT GARLIC HUMMUS WITH GRILLED MUSHROOMS is absolutely unlike any other hummus recipe I’ve seen or tasted. Loads of garlic (two heads) is roasted in oil in the oven to flavour the smooth and creamy hummus. But it’s the mushroom topping that gives this dish its OH-MY-GOD swoon factor. A mix of cremini and shiitake mushrooms are grilled and then marinaded in garlic, lemon juice and peel, thyme, maple syrup and dried cascabel chile.
Read moreMeringue Nest Cookies with Mascarpone Whipped Cream
These MERINGUE NEST COOKIES WITH MASCARPONE WHIPPED CREAM topped with mini chocolate eggs are absolutely necessary for Easter! These darling treats are definitely not just for the kids 😉
Read moreEasy Kimchi Fried Rice + Tips For Perfect Rice!
I love rice and I love kimchi. Like, looooooove. Today I’m sharing this EASY KIMCHI FRIED RICE recipe that’s become a weeknight staple ever since my two girls finally learned to enjoy kimchi! This is one of the quickest dinners you can pull together using fairly basic fridge and pantry staples. You can use homemade kimchi or store-bought kimchi. As easy as this recipe is, there is one thing I want you to pay attention to: perfect fried rice starts with perfectly prepared rice!
Read moreMochi Waffles with Cinnamon Sugar + Lemon { gluten free }
What happens when you cross-breed a Belgian waffle, with Japanese mochi, with a Canadian doughnut aka a ‘Beaver Tail’? The result is like culinary eugenic whereby the best qualities of each are leveraged to create a superior breakfast or anytime treat – these addictively delicious Mochi Waffles with Cinnamon Sugar and Lemon. Don’t be misled by their unpretentious appearance. The texture of the waffles with the cinnamon-sugar-lemon combination is so amazing they need no further adornment. What’s more is, after researching other mochi waffle recipes and testing a handful myself, I streamlined the method so that the batter involves merely whisking dry ingredients and wet ingredients, then combining the two with a spatula. No stand mixer, and no need to first microwave a portion of flour and water separately. Because I’m lazy. And mostly because I didn’t feel the extra step was justified based on the outcome in this particular application. Awesome, right? Wait til you read what’s next!!
Read moreHoney Cardamom Meringue Roulade with Mandarin Curd { gluten-free, dairy-free option }
In my humble opinion, meringues live their best life when tumbled together with barely-sweetened cream and fresh fruits. If you’re feeling extra, a citrus curd adds a rich dimension while conveniently using up orphaned egg yolks from making the meringue. If that’s not delicious serendipity, I dunno what is. In this luxurious Honey Cardamom Meringue Roulade with Mandarin Curd, there is billowy whipped cream kissed with honey and orange blossom water, dribbles of luscious mandarin curd, and fresh juicy mandarin segments. All of it gets rolled up snug as a bug inside a marshmallow-y duvet of cardamom-flavored meringue. More fresh fruit and a smattering of crunchy slivered almonds on top is the perfect touch for a beautiful presentation and for each perfect, textured bite.
Read moreWhole Roasted Duck with Plum Butter Glaze + Slaw
May I interest you in an epic recipe perfect for the holidays? Actually, it is ideal for any dinner party at any time of the year, for that matter. Yes? I’m so glad! Because today I’m sharing this recipe — the second of my six-recipe collaboration with All-Clad Canada — a succulent Whole Roasted Duck with Plum Butter Glaze + Slaw made with All-Clad Canada’s Large Roaster with Rack. This was such a fabulous meal that everyone loved. I highly recommend this recipe if you’re into impressive, delicious, and NOT the same-old-same-old!
Read moreVanilla Layer Cake with Peach-Passionfruit Curd { gluten-free }
Tender and rich. Gorrrgeous in a subtle and unpretentious way. Reliable, yet full of surprise. Ladies, I know it sounds like I’m describing the perfect man but what I’m talking about is even better (read: attainable, real, non-fictitious. Ha. Sorry fellas, I couldn't resist 😉). I’m talking about this cake: gluten-free vanilla cake layers with vanilla Swiss meringue buttercream hiding a luscious, peach-passionfruit curd inside. I’ve declared this Vanilla Layer Cake with Peach-Passionfruit Curd my favourite cake of all time! The recipe for the gluten-free vanilla cake itself is frankly, the only gf vanilla cake recipe you’ll ever need. But the show-stopper here is the peach-passionfruit curd which is simply sublime.
And both of my girls agree. Which is extra, extra important because I made this cake for Elise, for her 6th birthday. The flavour of her birthday cake to-be was the topic of many, many conversations leading up to the actual day. Six year olds take their birthdays very seriously (bless their sweet little hearts). We came up with this flavour together, the day we stumbled upon our beloved passionfruit on sale for half price at Whole Foods and each gleefully grabbed handfuls of them into our shopping cart. They are normally pricey little suckers probably on account of them being tropical, or at least subtropical, fruits that do not grow anywhere near us.
It’s also late summer, so there are loads of peaches on sale as well. Peaches and passionfruit are heavenly together so it is no surprise that this peach-passionfruit curd is to die for. Do try to make it before peach season is over. (And if the season is over, you can puree frozen peaches for the curd).
Remember when I said ‘tender and rich’? I was in fact referring to the gluten-free vanilla cake layers. I make it often as my go-to vanilla cake or cupcakes. Some say it tastes as good as, if not better than, a traditional version made with wheat flour. Yup. It’s really good. The egg (yolks), the butter, and the almond flour are to be credited for its lovely richness. Whipped egg whites folded into the batter at the last step to lighten it up, my trick for gluten-free bakes. This cake is similar to a pound cake in that it has a dense but moist crumb. Do take a moment to read the NOTES below, before starting, as they are there to help you.
NOTES:
Thick batter: The vanilla cake layers in this cake are rich and cakey, rather than light and fluffy. This is by design, as it is more similar to pound cake. The cake batter will seem very thick when spreading into cake pans but don’t worry, they will bake up just as it looks in the photos, with a moist and dense crumb.
Lightly sweet: The cake batter is intentionally sweetened with a light hand (i.e. not a lot of sugar) since it is part of a layer cake, surrounded by Swiss Meringue Buttercream which is very sweet. Together, they are a perfect bite.
Almond Flour: For baked goods, you should always use almond flour that is blanched (no brown bits / skin) and finely-ground. I use either Bob’s Red Mill Super Fine Blanched Almond Flour or JK Gourmet Very Fine Ground Almond Flour. I believe Costco also sells a reasonably priced fine almond flour under their Kirkland brand. (not sponsored)
Gluten-Free Flour: Each brand of gluten-free flour blend is not the same. Therefore, using different brands may yield different outcomes. I always use Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour because it is very accessible and available in most grocery stores. (not sponsored)
Make in Advance: The cake layers can be baked a day ahead, kept well-wrapped in a cool room or several days ahead but kept frozen (wrap well then frozen inside freezer bag) and defrosted overnight. The Swiss Meringue Buttercream can be made ahead and kept in a cool room for 3-4 days. The Peach-Passionfruit Curd can be stored in tightly-lidded container in the fridge for up to a week.
Tip for Swiss Meringue Buttercream: Make sure the butter is at a “cool” room temp of about 65f. If it curdles at any point, whip the mixture on high speed for as long as it takes to get it smooth again, anywhere from 5 to 10 minutes. Quickest way is to also aim a hairdryer perpendicularly at the mixing bowl as it whips. Works like a charm every single time.
Vanilla Layer Cake with Peach-Passionfruit Curd
Recipe makes one 3-layer 6” round cake (pictured in blog post) or one 2-layer 8” round cake.
INGREDIENTS
For the Peach-Passionfruit Curd (makes ~1 cup of curd; can be stored refrigerated in an air-tight container for up to a week):
2 large egg yolks (save egg whites to use in Swiss meringue buttercream – recipe below)
3 tbsp (45ml) honey or pure maple syrup
¼ C (60ml) pureed peach (from about 1 medium peach, de-skinned and pit removed)
1 tsp (10ml) fresh lemon juice
Pinch sea salt
3 tbsp (43g) unsalted butter (can substitute coconut oil or ghee)
Pulp from 2 fresh passionfruits (or about 2-3 tbsp of pulp)
For the Vanilla Swiss Meringue Buttercream (Makes ~3 cups which is just enough for naked cake look, as pictured in blog post. Double the recipe for traditional frosted cake. SMB can be made 3-4 days ahead and stored in a cool room. Extras can be frozen.):
3 large egg whites (90g)
¾ C (140g) granulated sugar
½ C + 2-3tbsp (80g) confectioner’s sugar, sifted
1 C + 2 tbsp (256g) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature 1-2 hrs or 65f
2 tsp vanilla bean paste or pure vanilla extract
Pinch sea salt
For the Gluten-Free Vanilla Cake Layers:
4 large eggs, separated
1 C (228g) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature 1-2 hrs or 65f
¾ C (140g) granulated sugar
1 1/3 C (130g) finely ground blanched almond flour (see headnotes)
2/3 C (90g) Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour (see headnotes)
2 tsp baking powder
Pinch sea salt
2 tsp vanilla bean paste or pure vanilla extract
Optional for garnish:
Additional peaches (sliced) and fresh passionfruits (halved)
METHOD
Prepare the Peach-Passionfruit Curd (can be stored in tight container refrigerated for up to 1 week): Heat and whisk all the curd ingredients, except the passionfruit pulp, in a small pot over low heat. Once the butter has completely melted, increase the heat to medium-low and cook 7-10 minutes or until tiny bubbles surface, all the while stirring frequently. Keep going until mixture is noticeably thickened, like thin yogurt. A thermometer should read 170f. Strain over a sieve into a bowl and stir in passionfruit pulp. The curd will thicken further as it cools, to the final pudding-like consistency of curd. Refrigerate if not using right away. Once fully cooled, check to make sure your curd is thick. If it is too thin, it may bleed through the cake layers or cause your cake layers to be less stable once stacked. Put the curd over a double-boiler again and repeat the process to cook further. Whisking in another egg yolk while you do this is also an option.
Prepare the Vanilla Swiss Meringue Buttercream (can be made 3-4 days ahead and stored in a cool room): Place both sugar and whites together in a large bowl. Over a double boiler, whisk sugar and egg whites, stirring and moving everything around constantly, until mixture reaches 115f [ update: mixture can heat up to as high as 160f ] or you can feel between your fingers that the sugar grains are completely dissolved. Pour mixture into the metal bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whip on high speed until thick, glossy and white (very firm peaks), about 4 minutes. Meanwhile, sift confectioner's sugar. Once the egg whites are done, turn the stand mixer to the lowest speed and add the confectioner's sugar all at once. Let the whisk turn a few times to settle the sugar before increasing mixer speed to medium-high and whisking until everything is evenly incorporated. While the mixer is still running on medium-high, add the room temperature butter in 2-tbsp chunks at a time until all of it is incorporated. Add the vanilla bean paste or extract. Mix until thoroughly combined. Switch to the paddle attachment and blend on medium-low speed until the buttercream is nice and smooth, about a minute. Swiss meringue buttercream can be stored at room temperature for up to 4 days. Tip: if your Swiss meringue buttercream curdles at any point, whip the mixture on high speed for as long as it takes to get it smooth again, anywhere from 5 to 10 minutes. Quickest way is to also aim a hairdryer perpendicularly at the mixing bowl as it whips. Works like a charm every single time.
Prepare the Gluten-Free Vanilla Cake Layers: Preheat oven to 325f. Lightly grease and/or line with parchment paper, three 6” round cake pans (or two 8” round pans). Whisk the flours, baking powder and salt together and set aside. Place the butter and sugar in the mixing bowl of a stand mixer, and cream them at medium speed for 5 minutes or until light and fluffy. Separate the eggs. Add the yolks and vanilla to the butter-sugar mixture and beat a minute more. Add the flour mixture all at once and beat on low until just mixed. Transfer batter to new bowl and clean the stand mixer bowl very thoroughly with soap and wipe dry. Whip egg whites to soft peaks. Fold whites into cake batter. Divide batter evenly amongst prepared cake pans. If you are making three 6” cakes, bake them for 25-30 minutes, or until a skewer pierced into the middle emerges clean with just a crumb or two. If you are bake two 8” cakes, bake for 50-60 minutes or until a skewer emerges clean with just a crumb or two. Since ovens vary widely, it is always a good idea to check doneness earlier to ensure cake does not over-bake. Over-baking will surely result in dry cake. Cool cakes in their pans for 5 minutes on a wire rack, then remove the cakes and cool fully. Make sure cakes are fully cooled before frosting.
Assemble the Cake: Scoop some of the buttercream into a piping bag and snip off the end for ¾” opening – you just need to eyeball enough to pipe rings around the edge of the inside layer(s) to encircle the curd. Place bottom cake layer on your cake stand or serving plate. Scoop about ½ cup of buttercream for 6” cake (more for 8” cake) and spread evenly with spatula. Pipe a ring of buttercream around the edge. Fill center of the ring with fully cooled peach-passionfruit curd, about ¼ cup for a 6” cake layer, more for 8”. Place next cake layer on top, upside down so the flat bottom is facing upward. Repeat one more time for a three-layered cake, placing final cake layer upside down again so the flat cake bottom is facing upward. Frost top and outside of cake with a thin layer of buttercream, filling in the outside in between the layers as needed and smoothing the buttercream with a spatula or icing smoother. This is the crumb coat. Refrigerate 15 minutes. Frost entire cake with remaining buttercream, this time taking more care for a smooth finish. Garnish the cake with fresh peaches, fresh passionfruit curd and flowers or petals if you like. I used Dahlias.
If you like this recipe, pin it to Pinterest. You can also leave me a comment below to let me know what you think of this post - I would love that!
Crab Cakes with Peach Salsa and Tarragon Aioli { gluten-free, dairy-free, pescatarian, meatless }
Is it just me or are people pretty divisive when it comes to crab versus lobster? I feel like they’re usually in one camp or the other, with few who like them equally. It may be the more pedestrian choice but I’ve always been team lobster since I was a child. My husband, on the other hand, is all about the crab. My lobster bias is due in no small part to sheer laziness and my desire to get large juicy morsels of seafood into my mouth with a minimal amount of work. Large lobster tails = chunks of seafood in my mouth with minimal work. There is no equivalent body part on a crab! Eating crab requires patience and finesse to extract the meat from the claws, legs and body. But ahhhhh…enter: LUMP CRAP MEAT. Fresh picked and already cooked, juicy crab meat can be purchased from any seafood monger or the seafood counter of a well-stocked grocery store. This magical food item is ready to be tossed with a shortlist of simple ingredients to create this decadent yet totally approachable recipe, Crab Cakes with Peach Salsa and Tarragon Aioli. Imagine the warm and juicy crab cakes together with the cool creaminess of tarragon aioli and zippy freshness of the peach salsa! This meal will awaken your taste buds, guaranteed.
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