Okonomiyaki Wraps { gluten free, dairy free, paleo }

February 20, 2017 Sonia Wong

Guess what! I have another awesome mash-up for you. OKONOMIYAKI WRAPS

First of all, what is okonomiyaki? Other than that it's fun to say (rolls off the tongue doesn't it), it is a Japanese savory pancake originating from Osaka, Japan. The pancake batter itself is traditionally flour-and-egg based, with finely shredded cabbage mixed right in. The name itself translates to "grill as you like it", meaning you can adapt it by adding to the pancake batter a variety of different ingredients from veggies (i.e. corn, mushrooms, potatoes) to meats (i.e. pork, beef, chicken) to seafood (i.e. shrimp, squid, fish). When we lived in downtown Toronto, we were lucky to be a 2-minute walking distance from Okonomi House, a small Japanese-run restaurant that specializes in - you guessed it - okonomiyaki. It was there that we discovered this ultra tasty food.

Passionfruit + Meyer Lemon Tart { gf, dairy free, refined sugar free, paleo }

February 5, 2017 Sonia Wong

If you love a little pucker with your sweet with a little tropical twist, you'll go mad for this tart!

Fluffy! Grain-free Pancakes w/out bananas { gf, dairy free, paleo }

February 2, 2017 Sonia Wong

I wrote about my daughter's grain-free / dairy-free (essentially "paleo") diet in a previous post here. This meant our beloved weekend pancakes became a fond memory. Until NOW.

Miso Gochujang Braised Pork Roast

January 28, 2017 Sonia Wong

I have been looking forward to sharing this recipe for months...I just had to make it a second time to make doubly sure it was a winner. IT IS. If you know miso's intense brininess and gochujang's savory pungency, then you might hesitate to believe me that using both of these together in this recipe results in a braised pork roast that is deeply flavorful, yet mellow. Wonderfully mellow. Believe.

Tamarind Chicken Banh Mi Tacos { gf, dairy free, paleo }

January 17, 2017 Sonia Wong

I'm so happy to kick off the new year with a recipe I'm rather excited about as it uses an amazing and wildly flavorful ingredient that is a relatively recent discovery for me - tamarind. I didn't grow up with tamarind, but I have made up for that lost time by how much I love it now. Are you thinking what even is tamarind anyway?

Tomato Eggdrop Zoodle Soup { gf , paleo option }

December 21, 2016 Sonia Wong

I have a dichotomous personality when it comes to food. I avoid processed food in the house, go to great lengths to find products with no added color, flavors, preservatives or emulsifiers (like that insidious soy lecithin). I make a conscious effort to ensure our meals are not heavy with refined carbs and that vegetables & leafy greens are well-represented in general. All measures to eat more clean and healthy.

Cashew Waffles { gf, dairy free, refined sugar free, paleo }

December 10, 2016 Sonia Wong

In my previous post, I wrote about my family's (temporary) grain-free and dairy-free diet. Since then, we had our follow up visit with the naturopath and received an 'okay' to consume rice, oats and quinoa in small amounts. I won't pretend to understand naturopathy at all. I don't. As a fairly science-based household (my husband is an intellectual property lawyer with a specialty in biotechnology and medical devices, while I worked nearly a decade at a global pharmaceutical company in a Finance capacity), this venture into alternative medicine is a giant leap of faith. A leap we had not choice but to take since traditional medicine failed to help my daughter beyond full-body topical steroid cream applications to treat her eczema and absolutely nada to diagnose or treat her mild but persistent, daily stomach aches.

Italian Almond Cookies { gf, paleo, dairy free }

December 2, 2016 Sonia Wong

Being prescribed a grain-free diet by my daughter's naturopath just before the holidays is like getting sick right before vacation ... or scoring free drink tickets only to get bar rail liquor ... or finding a hole in your sock the moment you take off your shoes at someone's house ... or dripping yellow mustard on your brand new sneakers (that stuff's like dye and never completely comes off!) ... or getting an unexpected visit from Auntie Flo when you're totally unprepared OK THAT IS GOING TOO FAR.

NYC Chicken & Rice with 'Secret white sauce' { inspired by 'The Halal Guy's' food cart ! }

November 8, 2016 Sonia Wong

If you've been the New York City, then you've seen the plethora of street food carts selling pretzels or nuts or bagels that fill the streets with their amazing aromas. But I don't waste my money there.

Pumpkin Spice Cashew Smoothie { gf, dairy free, refined sugar free }

October 18, 2016 Sonia Wong

I made this the other day because I had hella pumpkin puree to use up. It's only mid October and I'm still on my annual pumpkin (and pumpkin spice) bender and I wannit in EVERY. SINGLE. THING.

Cashew + Oats Smoothie { gf, dairy free, refined sugar free }

September 27, 2016 Sonia Wong

It doesn't get any more simple or nourishing than this! This smoothie is filling, nutritious, free of refined sugar yet delightfully kissed with just a bit of sweet. It is a perfect breakfast, post-workout snack or even a light meal.

Honey Apple Muffins { gf, oil free, refined sugar free }

September 20, 2016 Sonia Wong

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, they say, and yet it seems rather over-represented with not the healthiest options involving bread, fatty cheese and salty meats. When my first born was around 2 years old, I somehow got away with serving her oatmeal cooked in unsweetened almond milk with a sprinkling of raisins (no sugar) every single day for an entire year! Then she got wise.

Crispy Chicken Cutlet Sliders { Lightened Up! }

September 13, 2016 Sonia Wong

[ October 2018 ] This recipe was updated with improvements! I switched to using roasted chickpeas for an amazing gluten-free alternative for the breading! (see image above) Note the use of store-bought, snacking kind of roasted chickpeas (like Watusee Foods roasted organic chickpeas; not sponsored) which I blitz into a coarse crumb in a blender or food processor. They also have ready-made chickpea crumbs if you can find it (I don’t have access to that in Canada). Home-roasted chickpeas would likely be too moist to achieve the same results.

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This one's a home run at my house! And I am willing to bet it would be at your's too, if your peeps like crispy little chicken sandwiches on warm soft brioche buns served with a good schmear of creamy tartar-y sauce goodness. The best part about it is, it's a lightened up (healthier) version that is EASY to make (less than 30 minutes) with NO COMPROMISE in taste! What is this voodoo magic, you ask? Read on friend…

Blueberry Breakfast Muffins with Oat Crumble {gf, dairy-free, refined sugar free}

August 10, 2016 Sonia Wong

This is a gold star muffin recipe! I adore this recipe because it begins with walnuts and rolled oats ground into a coarse flour which gives the muffins substance, keeping you full longer because of the healthy oils in the walnuts and the heartiness of the oats. Buckwheat flour is used which happens to make this gluten-free. Muffins have a bad rap as the evil breakfast food loaded with hidden fat and sugar, but it doesn't have to! I hope you like this one.

Roasted Sockeye Salmon + Pineapple Basil Sauce { made in 20 minutes! }

July 23, 2016 Sonia Wong

Here's a tasty and healthy option for a quick weeknight meal. Did I hit all the right words...tasty...healthy...quick?! Not lying, this meal can be made in 20 minutes flat. We all need more of those in our busy lives.

Chinese Chicken Rice (Easy Weeknight Version)

July 18, 2016 Sonia Wong

This is, hands down, one of our favourite dinners of all for adults and kids. The aromas of ginger, garlic and scallions permeate every component of the dish, resulting in something far more than the sum of its parts. It is really, really spectacular. I'm talking about CHINESE CHICKEN RICE. Made simpler and easier for a weeknight hit.

Pulled Pork & Brussels Sprouts Fried Rice

June 30, 2016 Sonia Wong

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).

Simple Beer Braised Pork

June 30, 2016 Sonia Wong

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.

Perfectly Crispy Sheet Pan Chicken { No Oil! }

April 28, 2016 Sonia Wong

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.

Healthy Double Chocolate Muffins {gf, refined sugar free}

April 22, 2016 Sonia Wong

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?

hello, I’m Sonia!

Welcome to my site, where I share recipes I crave and make for my family. I was born in Hong Kong before immigrating to Canada at the age of eight. This blend of East and West cultural upbringing informs my palate and recipes. I love dumplings and lasagne, get weak in the knees for chocolate cake, gag on cilantro, and controversially dislike whole chickpeas (especially in salads) but love them pureed into silky smooth hummus. If you like what you see here, you can find more food things by me on Instagram, Food Network Canada and occasionally on the small screen as a food expert on CTV’s The Good Stuff with Mary Berg. More about me and my food philosophy here…

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