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Sweet Potato Chips
When you live with J, a bag of chips in the pantry is guaranteed. It's not always the best snacks to keep on hand so I've trying to come up with different health snacks. This one seem to have won J's interest.
I don't know why I only discovered how to make these now. But we're obsessed! It took a lot of trial and error but I think I've finally nailed it!
Ingredients:
1 or 2 Sweet Potatoes (thinly sliced with a mandolin)
1 tsp Olive oil or melted coconut oil
Sea salt to taste
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 400F.
- Thinly slice sweet potatoes with a mandolin. If you don't have a mandolin, slicing it with a sharp knife will be fine. However, using a mandolin will just save you so much time and effort. You will also end up with uniformly sliced potato chips.
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or foil (this is just to save you all that extra cleaning). Place a oven safe baking rack (or a cooling rack) on top of the baking sheet.
- Spread out the slices of potato on top of the rack.
- Drizzle a light layer olive oil or coconut oil on both side of each slice. Try and avoid putting too much oil or else you will end up with soggy chips - yuck!
- Bake in oven for 20 mins. Flip then bake for another 20 mins. If you do end up with some soggy chips, continue you bake for a little longer. Do this in intervals of 5 mins until you get the crispness you prefer.
- Let cool on the same cooling rack and season with touch of sea salt or your favourite spices!
Health snack for all ! Enjoy!
Fluffy Dairy-Free Waffles
Wake up to a healthier morning! Do you ever crave a hearty and decadent breakfast during the weekends? I do! However, as much as I love the taste of butter and bacon in the morning, I needed a healthier option.
Aside from my more health conscious mind. This idea actually stemmed from an exciting trip to Bulk Barn (my favourite food store in the world). Amongst the rows and bins of random powders, seeds, nuts and sugar was 'chickpea flour'. I didn't realize this was a thing until now! I mean, of course it is! What isn't a thing these days? Oat flour, quinoa flour - you name it!
I decided I would pick some up for some sort of experiment. It took me a while to figure it out until J's sister sent us a lovely Christmas gift - mini waffle maker!!! I can't get over how obsessed I am with this cute appliance! Then and there, I decided I was going to make waffles!
While I was figuring out and researching what make the perfect waffle, I was also trying to come up with a dairy free recipe. I've recently experienced the dreaded adult hormonal acne (gasp!). I knew the reason was due to stress, lack of sleep and of course my allergy to dairy products. It's really sad because I LOVE ANYTHING to do with dairy - cheese, milk, cream, ice cream! But my skin and body is more important. I'm glad to report my skin is starting to clear up after a week of a non-dairy diet.
So I came up with this yummy recipe. It took a couple of times to get this recipe right but I am totally happy with the way these turned out! Fluffy, soft and so delicious! The banana binds everything together while adding a sweet taste and fantastic aroma
This will make about 6 mini-waffles or 3 medium-large waffles
You will need a waffle maker and blender or food processor
Ingredients:
1/2 cup ground oats (you can grind rolled outs yourself)
1/2 chickpea flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 ripe banana (chopped)
1 tbsp honey
1.2 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup almond milk (unsweetened)
3/4 tbsp coconut oil
1/2 tsp water
Cooking oil spray for the waffle maker
Direction
- Start with your dry ingredients. If you don't already have ground oats, you can do this yourself easily. Pour in rolled oats into a blender and blitz until it's powder fine.
- Add in chickpea flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt. Blitz until it's well mixed
- Add in the wet ingredients - banana, honey, vanilla extract, almond milk, coconut oil, water.
- You make need a bit more water or almond milk to get the right consistency. You're basically looking for a similar consistency as pancake but slightly thicker
- Spray you waffle maker with some cooking spray to prevent the waffle from sticking.
- Pour the batter in and cook according to the waffle maker's settings. It should take less than 5 mins to cook one waffle
- Garnish or top with your favourite toppings
Enjoy!!
Broccoli Asiago Soup
My soup creations are usually a result of leftovers in the fridge that I need to get rid of before spoiling. This soup du jour was due to an abundance of broccoli sitting in the bottom drawer and asiago cheese I was so sure was going to spoil sooner than later.
One of my favourite soup is cream of broccoli. Instead of adding cheddar and another cup of half and half. I just used some sharp asiago cheese to substitute for both ingredients. 2 in 1! I love it.
I barely needed to season this soup since the asiago was so pungent already. I LOVE smelly cheese!
This soup was extremely easy to make (minus the casualties in the kitchen - nicked my finger with my knife and splash liquid on myself). It pairs really well with fresh parmesan croutons, which was another leftover creation. I had some day old and half eaten french baguette lying around. Instead of tossing it out in the garbage, I chopped it up and popped it in the oven to toast
I couldn't get enough of this soup!
Ingredients
You'll need a hand blender
Soup:
1 small Shallot (finely minced)
1 1/2 cups Broccoli (roughly chopped into small bits)
1/2 cup Asiago cheese (shredded)
350 ml Chicken broth (or any broth will work). You made need more, depending on the consistency you like
1/2 tsp grated nutmeg
salt and pepper to taste
Croutons:
1/4 loaf of day old French baguette
1/2 tbsp Olive oil
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
Directions
- In a medium pot on med-high heat, saute shallots in some olive oil until tender and translucent
- Add chopped broccoli and stir with the shallot
- Add chicken broth until the broccoli is just covered and cook for 10 mins until the broccoli is soft. (You can start the croutons at this time, while you're waiting)
- Lower the heat and let the soup cool a bit if you can. Blitz with the hand blender until it the consistency you like. I like mine rustic style and like seeing little chunks of the broccoli still in there.
- Add shredded asiago cheese and stir continuously until the cheese has melted and blended well into the soup
- Pour some into a bowl and top with croutons
Croutons:
- Preheat oven to 300F
- Chop up the baguette into small bite size pieces
- Place on a foil lined baking sheet and drizzle olive oil all over. Mix until all the croutons are covered in olive oil
- Place in the oven and toast for 10 mins
- After 10 mins, toss around so that the other side is also toasted. Toast for another 5 - 8 mins
- After the 2nd time, turn your oven to broil and brown the croutons for about 2 mins until it's golden.
- Serve with your soup
Enjoy!!
Squash Poutine
If you haven’t noticed already, I love to eat out. As much as
it’s bad for my waistline and my wallet, it’s my vice (along with spending too
much money on kitchen related items and groceries). But it’s January and I am
doing so well not eating out so far!
When J and I are out treating ourselves for a hard week at work, we are usually seen in
the King West area or Ossington area in Toronto. King West is known for it 5
star quality restaurants – great for a fancy date night or a evening with great
girlfriends who loves to gossip over wine! However, Ossington is a gem. It’s
very low key, casual, comfortable and filled with amazing flavours that will
tingle your taste buds. I often opt to go to Ossington if I want to try
something different and unique (call me a hipster lol). One of my favourite
restaurants (rather J’s favourite) is Oddsouel. We rave about this place way too
much.
They offer Korean-Canadian fusion and takes you on an
exciting journey and culinary experience. Did I mention most of their plates
are between $5 - $12?! Amazing! One of my favourite dishes is their Squash
Poutine. I can’t leave this place without at least one (maybe two) orders of
this amazing curry flavoured poutine. Curry and cheese curds? Trust me .. you
will fall in love.
It’s basically delicious roasted squash, smothered in
Japanese curry sauce, add on some cheese curds for that classic squeaky chewy
texture, drizzles of mayo and sriracha, topped with Kim Chi (yes that’s
right!), and a quick garnish of Furikake and toasted black sesame seeds.
Since my cliché new years resolution is to spend less and
eat better. I wanted to recreate this dish so that I can enjoy it from home
without the guilt (sorta). Here’s my version of the Oddsouel Squash Poutine. I
must say, I got really close to the flavours!
Ingredients:
1 whole buttercup squash. Peeled, deseeded and cut into 1
inch cubes (or use any squash of your choice)
Garnishes:
1 pack of Japanese curry (buy these premade or in
powder form from an Asian grocery store)
Cheese curds
Mayonnaise
Sriracha
Kim Chi (Available at any Asian grocery store)
Furikake (Available at any Asian grocery store)
Toasted Black Sesame seeds (I toasted mine on a dry pan for
extra flavour)
Directions:
- · Roast your squash in a 475F oven for 40 mins. Toss in between
- · Layering your poutine:
- First layer: roasted squash
- Second layer: Curry gravy
- Third layer: cheese curd
- Add this back in the oven to melt the cheese
- Then continue your layering:
o
Fourth layer: Drizzle of mayo and sriracha
o
Fifth layer: Kim Chi
o
Sixth layer: Sprinkle Furikake and Black Sesame
seeds
Enjoy!!
Egg Muffins TO-GO
Like you, I have a busy lifestyle as well. Living in the city doesn't give you much time to breathe and relax. There is always an errand to do, pile of laundry to put away, an appointment to get to or friends to meet for dinner. In my juggling act, I don't like having to resort to ready made meals from the store, food in cans or boxes and fast food (don't get me wrong, I love me a quarter pounder BLT anyday).
Meal prepping is the key to my stress-free days. I like to prep meals that will last the week, or at least until Thursday. Dishes that will stay fresh and taste great. I also like meals that I can easily store and pop into a container for my lunch or "to-go" breakfast.
Breakfast - I can't live without it! I don't know how people get by without eating the most important meal of the day! I will literally faint if I don't have anything before I'm out the door. But who has the time to sit down and have a deliciously poached egg with toast and a cup of strong coffee? Don't we all wish?!
My egg muffins to-go are a staple in my weekly meal prep. I pop a couple of these into a small container and into my lunch bag. It's the perfect mid-morning breakfast when I'm running late for work (which is often). I usually have these around 11 AM as a 2nd breakfast. My first breakfast being a Green Smoothie.
There are so many different ways to make these. Different mixes. But this is my go to favourite. Quick and easy ingredients! Healthy as well.
One major advice - SPRAY YOUR MUFFIN PAN WITH LOTS OF PAM! Or else you will end up with the worst cleaning job ever!
Ingredients:
For 12 Egg Muffins
10 Whole Eggs
150 ml Skim milk
1 cup of Cremini mushrooms (diced)
1/2 Red bell pepper (diced)
1 stalk of Green Onion/Scallion (thinly sliced or julienne)
Salt and Pepper to taste
(my other favourite add on are diced tomatoes. Just make sure you get rid of the seeds and drain the tomato as much as possible or else you'll end up with soggy egg muffins)
Directions:
- Preheat oven 350F
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs thoroughly
- Pour in milk
- Season with salt and pepper
- Toss in the bell peppers, onions and mushrooms
- Mix thoroughly
- Spray your 12 muffin pan liberally with Pam cooking spray. Don't skip this step!
- Using a small ladle - scoop in the egg mixture into each muffin cavity
- Bake for about 17 mins or until the egg muffins look done.
Don't be afraid if it deflates. It's normal. Some do that.
Enjoy!!
Mixed Berry Croissant Pudding
I must admit...this isn't my best photography work but my mom had urged me to make this and give her the recipe. I didn't have my camera with me nor did I have the best lighting available...so this is why it's here. Don't let the photos deceive you...it taste way better than it looks! (My sister my comment on this since the one I originally made at Christmas was better she says)
This is one of my favourite quick desserts. It's not too sweet, very comforting and decadent, yet tart. It's the perfect winter dessert. You can easily cozy up on the couch with a bowl of this and binge on your favourite show (my current one is The Crown and Westworld!)
It's funny because when I was over for New Year's day, my mom begged me to re-make it. I had to think hard about the directions. It was another one of those recipes I kinda just winged (very Nigella-seque). I honestly don't think there's a right or wrong way to do bread pudding. For example, I used croissants here instead of normal bread because life is just too short! More buttery goodness please. I think as long as you have enough of the liquid concoction to soak the croissants then you've got it! The goal is to get them to plump up in the soaking processing just before you bake them
Although, you don't have to wait to soak the croissant for hours. If you're just as impatient as me, then by all means, go ahead and pop it into the oven right away. Soaking it for a couple of hours just makes the whole dessert more luscious and melt as you eat it. I love serving this with devon custard but you can serve it easily with any cream or ice cream you have on hand. Heck! You can even eat it on its own.
Here's a disclaimer, nobody said dessert isn't "healthy". Let's call it extra insulation for the winter. It's minus 20 degrees in Toronto today!
Ingredients:
15 to 20 Mini Croissants (or regular croissant is fine. Just enough to cover your baking dish..basically enough so that you can't see the bottom of your dish)
1 pint or roughly a cup of mixed berries of your choice. I used Blueberries and Raspberries here.
1 1/2 cup of Half & Half
3 Whole Eggs (beaten)
1/4 cup white sugar
1 tsp Vanilla extract
2 tbsp melted butter
1 tbsp coarse sugar (for sprinkling on top)
Serve with Devon Custard or vanilla ice cream.
Directions:
- Rip the 1/2 the amount of croissants into rough bite size pieces and spread out evenly on your baking dish, making your first layer. You want enough croissant to cover the baking dish and not be able to see the bottom of the dish.
- Toss in 1/2 the amount of the berries and spread out evenly.
- Toss in the other 1/2 of the ripped up croissants to make your second layer
- Toss the remaining 1/2 of the berries last. You want the berries to peak put (pretty presentation)
- In a separate bowl, mix the half & half, eggs, white sugar, vanilla extract, melted butter. Pour it over the croissants/berries evenly. Try your best to coat everything.
- Let this soak for at least 2 hours
- After soaking - Sprinkle coarse sugar on top and pop the pudding into a 350F oven. Cook for 20- 25 mins or until golden brown
Serve with Devon Custard or vanilla ice cream.
Enjoy!!
Bacon and Smoked Gouda stuffed JalOPEÑAs
Name is clever right? (OPEÑA is my last name hehe)
These are so delicious! It was my potluck go-to this past Christmas season. Holiday season isn't without its number of potluck get togethers - right? Of course the Christmas preparation stress plus gift shopping doesn't help as well. So I needed something semi-quick but mostly easy, so J gave me the idea of stuffed jalapeno peppers. They are so juicy, cheesy and a touch crunchy.
The brightness of the green jalapenos and the specs of brown-red bacon gave this dish quite a festive look. But to be honest, these are fantastic throughout the year! Call it an "all season potluck dish". These are not only so fun to make but also a real crowd pleaser. Just try and stop yourself from snacking on these before you get to the party!
In order to figure out how many I needed to make, I assumed each person would eat at least 2 or 3 pieces. So I suggest base your calculations on that when you're purchasing the peppers.
Ingredients:
3 strips of smoked bacon or pancetta (diced)
6 to 8 Jalapeno peppers (depending on how many you're feeding)
1 tsp Olive oil
1 package (8 oz?) Light Cream Cheese (room temperature - really important!!)
1 1/2 cups shredded Smoked Gouda
1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
1/4 tsp Chili or Cayenne Powder
Pinch of salt
3/4 cups Panko crumbs (just enough to coat the top)
Directions:
- Preheat your oven to 400F.
- Pan fry the bacon (or pancetta) in a dry frying pan. You won't need any oil since the bacon will give off quite a bit of fat. Feel free to add a bit of olive oil if you don't feel your bacon is getting enough fat to fry into a perfect crisp. Once fried (and super crispy), set aside on a plate lined with kitchen paper towel.
- Prepare your jalapeno peppers by cutting it in half length wise (try to be a symmetrical as possible). Hollow out the cavity of the pepper by removing the seeds and membrane with a small spoon. Try and keep the top stem for pretty presentation. Brush each pepper halves with a little bit of olive oil. Set on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or foil
- In a medium size bowl, soften the cream cheese by giving it a quick mix with your spatula. Add in the shredded smoked gouda, garlic powder, cayenne/chili powder, salt. Mix it really well.
- Add the bacon bits into the cream cheese mixture and carefully mix it in. You want to distribute the bacon bits throughout the cream cheese mixture but not over mix it causing the bacon bits to break apart too much. You want to be able to kind of see the bacon bits once it's cooked.
- THE FUN PART! Stuff each jalapeno pepper halves with the cream cheese mixture. You want to some what over fill it so that about 1/4 of an inch of the cream cheese mixture is visible.
- After you've stuffed your jalapeno peppers, dip the tops of the peppers into a plate of panko bread crumbs. If this is too difficult, you can also grab a pinch of the bread crumbs and press it on to the cream cheese that's in the pepper (see image below). I recommend panko crumbs as it will give the peppers an extra crunch. You just want to coat the exposed cream cheese.
- Pop the stuffed peppers into the hot oven and bake for about 18 to 20 mins or until the tops are golden brown.
Enjoy!!
Hearty Split Pea Soup (non-dairy)
Soup is a really popular meal for me this time of year. Also, did you know that my favourite food is SOUP? You might have noticed the trend...
I first had this soup during my first visit to the North East of the UK. I travelled there to visit J in his home town and stayed with his mom ("mam" where he is from). I had a lovely time learning about his childhood, getting to know the place he grew up in and met a lot of lovely and friendly people.
One of my favourite visit was to the award winning Knitsley Farm Shop. It was so beautiful and quaint. Everything I imagined an authentic British farm. They had an array of fresh meat, organic produce, cured meats, luscious cheeses and a cute cafe in the back where they offered a few dishes made with their gorgeous products/ingredients. If you happen to visit Durham, UK, I urge you to visit this place. It's a must for me now (I've been twice).
Photo credit: link
Photo credit: link
Photo credit: link
The best part of my trip was that I got to taste a lot of amazing home cooking by J's mom. Got to try a few British classics like Toad in the Hole, which I've attempted to make.
However, her Ham and Pea soup was so delicious and hearty that I had to attempt to relive it for myself again. It was like a warm hug, since the time I was there was deep into the heart of winter. It was a soup I kept remembering until now and so I thought I would try my version of this.
My version has cured meat (a bit like chorizo) instead of gammon. It won't beat J's mom's version but it kept me warm nonetheless.
Ingredients:
Olive oil for sauteing
50g of any cured meat of your choice
1 chopped shallots
1/2 cup of chopped carrots
1/2 cup of chopped celery
1 tsp of dry oregano
1 carton of no-salt added chicken stock (any stock will work well)
225g (half the bag of a 450g package) of Organic Yellow Split Peas (dry). I used President's Choice
Salt and pepper to taste
Garnish with red chili flakes and fresh chopped parsley (optional)
Direction:
- On med-high heat, add olive oil and saute shallots and cured meat until the shallot is soft and the cured meat has a bit of colour on it
- Add chopped carrots and celery and cook until soft
- Add dry oregano and season with salt and pepper
- Add dry yellow split peas, cook for about 5 mins
- Pour broth. Switch to high heat and let it boil
- Once it's boiling, lower heat to low-med and simmer for about 20 mins or until the peas are softer (note, the dry peas never really get super soft. I've noticed this even after I've soaked them for hours or cooked for a longer cooking time. I've just accepted they don't get that soft unless you cook forever)
- You can turn off your soup and let it cool a bit before using a hand blender (avoid burning your face off! I've made this mistake lol)
- Blitz the soup until it's to the consistency you like. I wanted the soup to be smooth but also be able to bite into the meat. This part is to your liking.
Enjoy!
(Thanks Angela - for the inspiration)
Maple Whiskey Glazed Chicken Meatloaf with Sweet Potato Gratin
THIS meal was heaven. Savoury goodness on all sorts of levels. Hot and tangy home made maple whiskey glaze smothered over smoked bacon covered chicken meatloaf. Accompanied by cheesy sweet potato gratin.
I don't think I can describe this meal any more. Just go on and make it !
Ingredients:
For the meatloaf:
450g Ground chicken
1/2 cup of chopped leeks
1 shallot (minced)
1 tbsp of fresh thyme (half if you're using dry)
1 tbsp of fresh rosemary (half if you're using dry)
1/2 tbsp red chili flakes (optional)
3/4 cup panko bread crumbs
1 whole egg
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp cayenne powder (optional)
4 dashes of Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp low sodium ketchup
Salt and pepper to taste
5 strips of smoked bacon or any bacon you have (this is for topping the meatloaf, don't mix into the meatloaf)
For the Maple Whiskey glaze:
Equal parts your choice of brown sauce/BBQ sauce, low sodium ketchup, organic maple syrup, your choice of whiskey. Mix together in a small saucepan on med heat until it boils. Cook down the alcohol for about 5 mins and lower heat until the sauce reduces in volume. Set aside
Direction:
- Preheat oven to 375F
- Mix all of the meatloaf ingredients together in a large bowl until well combined
- Mold into a long log on a foil covered baking sheet
- Lay bacon strips on top of the meatloaf
- Brush HALF whiskey maple glaze on to the meatloaf until well covered
- Cover meatloaf loosely with foil
- Cook for 30 mins covered loosely
- After 30 mins, glaze the meatloaf again with HALF of the REMAINING glaze (making sure you have some left for the finishing touch). Pop back into the oven for another 15 to 20 mins or until the bacon is cooked and looking golden
- Glaze the remaining glaze to the finished meatloaf
- Enjoy with a size of cheesy sweet potato gratin (recipe to follow below)
SWEET POTATO GRATIN (or my version of it)
Nothing can be easier than making this as a side dish to your next potluck. Some gorgeous expensive ingredients will certainly elevate a seemingly ordinary dish. Wow your friends! A rule of thumb for me is to use 1 large potato per person. That's how you know how much to make.
For the sweet potato gratin:
3 to 4 sweet potato (peeled and thinly sliced. For the love of God, please try and use a mandolin. If you don't already use this, it will change your life!)
1 leek stalk (chopped)
150g gruyere cheese (shredded)
150g cheddar cheese (shredded)
1/2 cup half and half
2 sprigs of fresh thyme
1 can of cream of mushroom
2 tbsp butter
1/2 tsp ground/zested nutmeg
Salt and pepper to taste
Direction:
- Preheat oven to 375F
- Layer! That's it! In this exact order:
- Sweet potato (overlapping the one before)
- Leeks
- Both cheese
- Thyme
- Repeat over and over again until you get to the top of the bake safe dish. Ending with the sweet potato.
- In a small mixing bowl, mix half and half and 1/2 of the cream of mushroom can. Zest in a bit of nutmeg. Pour cream/milk mixture over the gratin.
- Pour the cream of mushroom over the last sweet potato layer until it's covered evenly.
- Sprinkle the last remaining cheese on top
- Dot small bits of butter all over the top. This will help the cheese brown up into an amazing crust
- Cook for 45 mins or until the cheese is melted and golden.
Quick and Creamy Mushroom Soup
It's winter season in Toronto and the thought of leaving the warmth of my condo to gather food for lunch seemed like a treacherous mission I wasn't willing to embark upon. It's times like these, where my knack for "pantry cooking" comes in real handy.
I actually pride myself in being able to rummage through my fridge and pantry for a quick meal that I will actually enjoy. It's almost like I'm on an episode of Food Network's "Chopped" and my kitchen is the studio. Some pseudo gourmet pantry meals that have emerged from my kitchen are tuna spaghetti, lentil curries, chocolate slathered crepes, luscious omelettes, to name a few.
This was a day I was feeling poorly and soup seemed like the perfect antidote. However, there was no way I was going to put on winter boots, trek through ice and snow for some soup and opening a can of high-sodium "soup" just wasn't going to cut it for me. Luckily, I found the key ingredients in my pantry staples to make the perfect and creamy Mushroom Soup.
I actually didn't know how to make mushroom soup and this was definitely the first time I've ever made it....but how hard can it be? Mushroom, broth, half & half and some seasonings, right?
It turned out phenomenal! The perfect pantry soup without having to resort to a can.
Ingredients:
About 2 cups of chopped cremini
1 small onion (diced)
2 garlic cloves (minced or run through a zester to get it really fine)
Coupe sprigs of fresh thyme (dry it fine but use sparingly, it's strong. About 1/4 tsp)
Salt and pepper to taste
1 carton of stock (I used chicken here but any will work)
1/4 cup half and half (you can omit this if you want it vegan/dairy-free. It will just be less creamy)
1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg or ground nutmeg
Directions:
- Sauté the onions on med-high heat, until soft
- Add the mushrooms and season, cook until soft
- Add the thyme, stir
- Add the stock. Let the boil on high heat. When it's boiling lower it to low-med. Cook for 5 minutes
- Blitz with a hand blender/processor until the consistency you like. I like mine a bit chunky where I can see the mushrooms.
- Add the half and half. Stir and simmer for another 5 mins
- Add freshly grated nutmeg
Enjoy with fresh garlic bread!
Stay warm!
Sweet Potato Gnocchi in brown butter sage sauce (my way)
Hello world! I'm back! I wish I could say I was away on a very long break but in fact it was the complete opposite. Work, weddings, baby showers, trips and the usual life activities in between has taken up most of my time.
As much as I enjoy being busy with life, I have missed cooking and writing recipes. Hopefully more consistent this time.
On to the gnocchi! I wanted to make gnocchi with sweet potato for a slightly healthier meal but I realized I used a generous amount of butter and cheese so I guess it defeated the purpose. I used a mix of yellow potato and sweet potato to balance the sweetness of the sweet potato and to add a bit more starch. Sweet potato tends to be less "starchy" (is that a word?) than normal yellow potatoes. I wanted something to help hold the consistency together.
I have to say... gnocchi - not easy to make. However, with a bit of patience and ability to accept things will get messy, it will be quite fine! Unfortunately for me, those qualities are not my strongest.
It may seem like there are several steps to making fresh gnocchi, but I think the simplicity and minimal number of ingredients has made this less daunting for me.
So if you're all okay with that - you'll definitely enjoy making this as much as I did
I snapchat most of my cooking adventures these days, so that has made it extra fun to cook. Not that cooking isn't fun on its own already ! If you're interested, my snapchat handle is "larlarlarlars". I tend to swear and use millennial slang, so I apologize if none of it makes sense. Just ignore the rap/hip hop music and the fowl language and hopefully you'll enjoy the cooking adventure (mess) with me.
Anyways, I shall babble less and get on with the recipe!
For the Gnocchi:
2 large sweet potatoes
1 yellow potato
2 to 3 cups of all purpose flour (have extra on hand in case you need to adjust)
Salt to taste
1 egg yolk
1 tbsp of freshly grated parmesan cheese
For the Brown Butter sauce:
3 tbsp of unsalted butter (this isn't THAT healthy)
3 sage leaves
Salt & pepper to taste
Pinch of chili flakes (optional)
1 tbsp freshly grated parmesan cheese
Grated parmesan and chives to garnish
Let's make gnocchi:
- Cook the potatoes in boiling water until very tender. It will almost feel like it's fallng apart when you poke it with a fork. Let that cool completely.
- Mash the potatoes as finely as you can. It seems a potato ricer is best to use here but I didn't have one, so I just used a regular potato masher
- Dust your counter top (or large cutting board) with about 1 cup of all purpose flour
- Dump all of the mashed potato on the flour
- Sprinkle in salt
- Add the egg yolk & parmesan cheese
- Mix it up well
- Add the remaining flour little by little until you get a soft dough or until the dough is less wet (slightly wet is okay). It shouldn't stick to your hands completely... only a bit (hope that makes sense)
- Roll your dough into a large ball, cover with a kitchen towel or tea towel and let it rest for about 15 mins
- Cut a small chunk of the dough and roll it out into a snake-like shape, about 1inch in diameter. It doesn't have to be perfect
- Cut the rolled out snake looking dough into little bite size pieces. This is your Gnocchi!
- There are so many different ways to shape gnocchi. I just went with using my fork and making indents in the gnocchi. Which ever way you want to shape your gnocchi is up to you !
- Once you've rolled and cut up your gnocchi. Cook them in boiling salted water. Cook in batches so they don't stick together. They will look done once they are floating
- Take them out as soon as they are floating, drain, set it aside.
Time for the delicious brown butter sauce:
- In medium to high heat, melt butter in your pan until it bubbles and start turning golden.
- Add sage in and let that crisp up a bit
- Add your gnocchi into the pan and brown each side by toss it
- Once your gnocchi is seared and looking delicious, add your parmesan until it melts
- Take off the heat and plate
- Garnish with freshly grated parmesan and chives
Enjoy!
option: cook in red sauce or white sauce
Fresh Summer Rolls
One of my favourite apps to get at any Pho/Vietnamese restaurant is the Fresh Summer Roll. It's nice and light yet super filling. I can have these as a meal on their own.
I wish I could call this recipe as my own but there's not much I can do to enhance these rolls. I love them the way they are. You can cucumbers or carrots for some extra crunch.
Makes 8
Ingredients
8 sheets of rice paper
1 cup of cooked rice noodles
100g of cooked prawns (I cooked it with just a bit of oil, salt and pepper.. that's it!). Cut in half
1/2 head of butter or boston lettuce
For the sauces
Hoisin sauce is one of the main sauces I love dipping these rolls in
or
Spicy/Sweet/Tangy/Salt Fish Sauce:
6 tbsp water
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 to 2 tbsp spoon lime juice or calamansi juice
2 tbsp fish sauce
1 clove of garlic , minced
1 thai red chili pepper, minced
Mix all together!
Directions:
- Soak the rice paper in warm water until it's soft and pliable. Lay flat on a plate.
- Place 3 or 4 shrimps first
- Put a handful of lettuce
- Then a handful of rice noodles
- Roll! Roll an inch of the way, fold in the sides and continue rolling until the end and secure
Dip and enjoy!
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