Golden french toasts, crunchy oat crumble, warm peaches spiked with maple syrup and bourbon and a luscious fried egg. I call this a perfect weekend indulgence!
Read morePappardelle with Pulled Pork & Wilted Spinach
This recipe is a supplement to my previous post "Simple Beer Braised Pork" as one of a few ways to transform a single braised pork shoulder into several different meals that can be made in less time, by freezing portions of pork to defrost and use as needed on busy weeknights. See also my recipe for "Pulled Pork & Brussels Sprouts Fried Rice", another versatile dinner idea that can be assembled in a jiffy once you have portions of the braised pork tucked away in your freezer.
Read morePulled Pork & Brussels Sprouts Fried Rice
You need a good fried rice in your weeknight repertoire. You really do. I wrote up this recipe as a supplement to my previous post "Simple Beer Braised Pork" as one of a few ways to make a single braised pork shoulder and turn it into multiple delicious meals by freezing portions of it to pull out as needed on busy weeknights. (See also my post "Pappardelle with Pulled Pork & Wilted Spinach" for another scrumptious meal idea).
Read moreSimple Beer Braised Pork
What if I told you that all you need is half an hour of active prep time (excluding oven time) for this beer-braised pork, which can then be turned into 3 or 4 different dinners? Do the work upfront say, on a Sunday and reap the rewards on hectic weeknights. I think you maybe definitely should read on.
Read moreGrapefruit Elderflower Gin Cocktail with fizzy Ginger Kombucha
This cocktail was inspired by the grapefruit martini I enjoyed at Nobu Bahamas recently. Since I tend to steer away from overly sweet cocktails, I simply love the bitter & sweetness of grapefruit juice as a vehicle to transport gin or vodka into my mouth. The elderflower liqueur adds a floral complexity and also will make you appear 1000% more sophisticated if you make this for your friends. I added ginger kombucha to the recipe because, you know, gut health and all that ;) But if you don't have kombucha on hand, you can substitute soda water for that fizzy satisfaction.
Read moreHK Milk Tea No-Churn Ice Cream with Coffee Honeycomb Crunchies
This recipe was loosely inspired by a popular beverage served in Hong Kong cafes which combines HK-style milk tea (strong brewed black Ceylon tea + evaporated or condensed milk) with a smaller amount of strong black coffee. It is called 'yuan yang' in Chinese - the name, a nod to the Chinese philosophy of balance & harmony or 'Yin Yang' i.e. the bitterness of coffee balances the creamy roundedness of the milk tea.
Read morePerfectly Crispy Sheet Pan Chicken { No Oil! }
I have been making this crispy chicken forever but it never occurred to me to blog it because it is just so simple. I finally decided it is less about a 'recipe' and more about the method. One that is tried and true and results in the crispiest chicken to come out of an oven without a single drop of added oil.
That is correct. Crispy. No oil. Skeptical? Let me explain.
Read moreHealthy Double Chocolate Muffins {gf, refined sugar free}
Like, am I even allowed to call a double chocolate muffin 'healthy' when it is this chocolate-y good? But truly, these muffins are naturally sweetened with dates and ripe bananas (no processed sugars), are gluten-free, has fiber and heartiness from rolled oats and has only healthy oils from ground up pecans and extra-virgin olive oil. The chocolate-y goodness comes from a combo of raw cacao powder and melted dark chocolate. Because sometimes we just need a little chocolate at 7am, don't we?
Read moreNo Fail Pierogies with Cheddar Potato Filling + Sweet Potato Filling
Making your own dough can seem pretty intimidating. I have had my fair share of dough failures. Lucky for you, my kitchen flops can become your culinary successes :)
Read moreTangy Yogurt Marinated Chicken Skewers
A tangy, garlicky, finger-licky delicious yogurt marinade works its magic by simultaneously flavoring and tenderizing pieces of chicken, which get skewered and seared on a hot grill to give you juicy, tangy, garlicky, finger-licky morsels of yumminess! Serve it with rice and your favorite veggies for a bright and healthy weeknight meal.
Read moreBlack Sesame Raw "Cheesecake" Bars {gf, v, dairy-free}
Sweetened black sesame paste is a mega-superstar in desserts. This is well known in east asian countries like Japan and China where it is a quintessential staple in sweet treats like ice cream, pastries, cakes and glutinous rice balls. In western culture we know how well nuts like pistachios, almonds and pecans work in all sorts of sweet applications, too many to list really. Black sesame lends a similar nuttiness to desserts although for some reason has not enjoyed the same ubiquity. The color maybe? Perhaps now is the time to give yourself to the Dark Side!
Read morePanna Cotta with Blood Orange Campari Syrup
Here is a little twist on a classic mild and creamy panna cotta by serving it with fresh blood orange segments, drizzle of blood orange syrup spiked with Campari, and garnished with bits of candied ginger and savoiardi (aka lady fingers).
Read moreMatcha Cake with Azuki Red Beans & Vanilla Swiss Meringue Buttercream
Matcha + azuki red beans is a ubiquitous flavor combination in Japanese desserts because they are such a match made in heaven!
Read moreBraised Beef Shortribs & Glutinous Rice Shumai
Are these not the cutest little parcels you want to treat your family and friends to? I came up with this recipe when I had leftover Korean-style braised beef shortribs in the freezer that wasn't enough for a full meal so I had to think of a way to stretch it into one.
Read moreBraised Beef Shortribs, Korean-style {gf}
In Korean, this is called Galbijjim. Since I am not Korean, I do not have a "mom's best" recipe passed to me for these Korean-style braised shortribs. So I did the next best thing and adapted my recipe from David Chang's mom's recipe posted on the GQ site. After I made his version a couple of times I wanted to simplify the ingredients and cooking method for more practical home cooking, so I can make and enjoy it more often of course!
Read moreThe Very Best Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies with Pecans
Version with sliced almonds mixed in batter, plus chocolate chip, chunks and mini marshmallows.
I know, calling these The Very Best Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies is bold and very unlike me. It is an overused descriptor around the internet especially for chocolate chip cookie recipes, isn't it? So I do solemnly promise, hand to heart, that I am doing it most judiciously.
Read moreStuffed Sweet Potatoes & Portobellos with a Crunchy Walnut Breadcrumb Topping
I most frequently make this with sweet potatoes and portobello mushrooms because they are my family's favorites, and that is how I wrote this recipe. However it is also wonderful using acorn squash, baking potato, eggplant, sweet pepper, heck hot pepper even. Once you make the stuffing and walnut breadcrumb topping, you can personalize the meal by putting it into everyone's respective favorite veggie vessel, adjusting time in the oven based on it.
Read moreMini Cheesecakes with Quince Jam on Almond Flour Crust {gf}
Almond flour makes a most delicious and fragrant gluten-free tart crust. I have long been a devotee to the buttery cookie crust. Still am, really, but I heard somewhere from someone it is good to diversify and I'm pretty sure they were talking about cheesecake. Even when gluten intolerance is not an issue, I love to make this crust because it is super yummy and also because I can rationalize that by eating 2 or 3 of these tarts I am loading up on heart-healthy monounsaturated fats and antioxidants and other nutrients from the almonds. ;)
Read moreAvocado Veggie Rainbow Rolls + Tangy Tahini Dipping Sauce
I generally abhor salad prep. I love to eat salad. But the prep, no. So much washing and spinning and trimming and seeding and cutting. But these rolls and the dipping sauce. Oh I'll do it for them. They are one of my favorite ways to eat a load of vegetables in one sitting. The filling can be quite versatile. The only 'formula' (for me) is the inclusion of buttery avocado + crunchy carrots + refreshing cucumber + something leafy. Beyond that, almost anything goes.
Read moreTurkey Sausage, Butternut Squash & Turmeric Chili
When the weather is cold, I turn to hearty chilis and stews to warm up. I'm also lazy. And stews and chilis are wonderful one-pot meals loaded with meat, beans and lots of veggies! This recipe has no actual heat (spiciness) so who knows if it should still be called a chili. Feel free to enlighten me on this in the comments. Regardless, if you are unlike me and have no young children to worry about, by all means add a tsp of chili flakes when the turmeric goes into the pot.
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