All posts tagged: eat

Easy 4-Ingredient Potato Casserole

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My brother-in-law’s mother made this ridiculously simple, yet creamy and delectable baked potato casserole that has become a weekly staple in this household. My niece loves to eat it and I like to make it for her since it requires minimal effort. This dish is the perfect accompaniment to any meal, especially on a busy day. Ingredients: 6 starchy potatoes like russet, white or yellow potatoes 1/2 tablespoon of Vegeta (European vegetable based seasoning) or any vegetable seasoning of your choice. If your vegetable seasoning does not contain salt, you will need to add at least 1 teaspoon of salt or an amount to your preference for this recipe. 1 tablespoon of olive oil 5 tablespoons of Mexican or Guatemalan crema or crème fraiche thinned with approximately 1 to 2 teaspoons of lime juice or water. You can easily find this at your local supermarket, Amazon or Walmart online. Directions: Preheat the oven to 450F. Cut 6 potatoes into 1/4 inch thick slices and soak in cold water for 5 minutes to remove excess starch. …

Easy Holiday Baked Brie in Puff Pastry

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One of the simplest crowd pleasing appetizer in my holiday cooking arsenal is this delectable baked brie in puff pastry. My version smothers creamy cheese with honey, cranberries and chopped nuts and then wrapped in a delicious puff pastry…just to be extra. Serve this salty and sweet melted cheese with thin slices of French bread or crackers to kick off the holiday season or any season of the year. Difficulty: Easy / Time: 30 minutes / Servings: for 4-6 people Ingredients: 1 Brie circle or camembert 1/2 cup of unsalted roasted nuts of your choice 1/2 cup of dried berries of your choice. My favorite is a mix of dried cranberries and other berries. 1 sheet of frozen puff pastry slightly chilled but not frozen (You can defrost frozen puff pastry in the fridge.) 3/4 to 1 cup of honey, depending on your preference for sweetness 1 egg for egg wash Crackers or your choice of bread Directions: Preheat oven to 400F and line a baking tray with parchment paper to prevent sticking. Rough chop 1/2 cups of roasted nuts …

Bánh Mì Chiên Chạo Tôm / Easy Vietnamese Shrimp Toast

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A fantastic party dish that is easy to make ahead of time is my version of shrimp toast with a Vietnamese twist. Shrimp paste mixed with ground meat of your choice, pressed between slices of white bread and then deep fried is always a crowd favorite. I have deep fried these mini sandwiches and have also used the air fryer. Deep frying creates a crunchier and tastier shrimp toast. Air frying these mini sandwiches is a healthier alternative and you will still get the nice crunch in every bite. Whichever method you choose, your friends and family will love you for it. Difficulty: Easy / Time: 30 minutes / Servings: 24 toasts Ingredients: 3/4 lb. / approximately 22 shrimps/ 350 gram of shrimp (devein with no shell and no head) 1/2 lb. of frozen ground meat such as pork, chicken or turkey 1 teaspoon of chicken bouillon powder 1 teaspoon of sugar 1/4 teaspoon of salt 1/8 teaspoon of ground pepper 1 and 1/2 tablespoon of a neutral oil 1/4 teaspoon of chili powder or annatto powder 1/2 tablespoon of …

Quick and Easy Egg and Tomato Noodle Soup

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When I have only a few basic ingredients on hand and need a meal asap, I turn to this fairly simple yet delicious egg and tomato noodle soup to feed a family of four. Try it for your next weeknight meal. You won’t be disappointed. Difficulty: Easy Time: 30 minutes Servings: 4 large bowls *This recipe can be modified for one or two servings by cutting the measurements according to the serving size. Ingredients: 6 cups of low sodium chicken stock 1 cup of water 3 large ripe tomatoes 3 medium size egg 1 tablespoon of minced garlic 1/2 of an onion diced 1 tablespoon of oil 1 teaspoon of salt 2 teaspoons of sugar 1 teaspoon of soy sauce 1/2 teaspoon of sesame oil 1/4 teaspoon of ground black pepper 1 and 1/2 teaspoons of chicken bouillon powder. (You can skip this if you do not have it.) Tapioca starch water (2 tablespoons of tapioca starch mixed with 1 and 1/2 tablespoons of water). You can substitute tapioca starch with corn starch. A package of egg noodles …

Bosnian Donuts / Krofne

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One day, my twin came home with some krofne or Bosnian donuts from her sister-in-law’s BBQ and left it on the kitchen counter. They looked so good that I had to have one, even though I generally do not eat sweets and fried food. One small bite became four large donuts later and I knew I had to have this recipe. Luckily, Azra decided to teach us so we can share it on this blog. This recipe has just the right amount of sweetness that it doesn’t overwhelm the taste buds and keeps you coming back for more. Difficulty: Easy to Medium/ Time: 2 hours including 1.5 hours of dough rest time / Servings: enough for a BBQ Ingredients: 6 cups / 900 gram of all-purpose flour 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour 2 whole eggs 2 egg yolks 300 ml of lukewarm milk 300 ml of water 3 teaspoons of instant yeast 2 tablespoons of sugar Pinch of salt Oil for deep frying Powder sugar to sprinkle on the donuts Directions: Mix 3 teaspoons of …

Bosnian Cheese Pie / Pita Sirnica

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My brother-in-law family’s emigrated from Bosnia to the US during the Bosnian War. With it, they brought along their culture including the wonderful rustic cuisine from the Balkans region. My brother-in-law’s mother, Sefira, bakes really delicious traditional cheese pie called pita sirnica with phyllo dough made from scratch. I was very intimidated at the thought of making phyllo dough by hand rather than getting it from the friendly frozen section of the supermarket. Her recipe and handed down phyllo technique are actually beginner friendly and not as laborious as I had expected. Try this delicious cheese pie today. This recipe makes approximately 6 to 8 cheese pies depending on how large the phyllo sheet will be at the end of the stretching process. You can also use store bought phyllo dough and skip to the filling section. Buy the largest sheet that you can find. Ingredients: Phyllo 4 and 1/3 cups / 600 grams of all-purpose flour 1 and 3/4 cups / 400 grams of water 1 teaspoon of salt Approximately 2 to 3 tablespoons …

Chè Nhãn Hạt Sen / Longan and Lotus Seed Summer Pudding

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Summer in Vietnam can be brutal with the average temperature hitting in the high 80F’s and with the suffocating humidity, it can feel like it’s 100F degrees. I remembered taking two to three showers a day when I was visiting my family in July. As a result, locals turn to refreshing food and drinks such as longan and lotus seed summer pudding served with a generous scoop of ice in order to keep cool. This chè comprises of sweet longan, crunchy lotus seeds, and other ingredients that are also common Chinese herbal medicine known to have cooling properties. Don’t worry…this dessert will not taste like medicine but it does help keep your body from melting during a hot summer day. Ingredients: 1 cup of dried lotus seeds 1/2 cup of dried logan meat (You can substitute with dried lychee.) 8 dried red dates (red jujube) 12 dried black dates (dried Ziziphus jujuba mill) 1 cup of rock sugar. 1/4 teaspoon of salt 5 cups of water Directions: Soak all the dry ingredients for 1 hour …

Honey Milk Bread

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Ever since my first trip to Japan years ago, I have been obsessed with fluffy white bread that is drastically tastier than the US version. I could only find this at good Asian bakeries like Tous Le Jour. Due to the pandemic, milk bread was hard to come by. I scoured Youtube and blogs to find the perfect recipe and after a few trials and errors, I finally modified one that works for me. This recipe is based on Aimee’s Cooking’s dinner rolls, where I adjusted the sugar and honey ratio and used a different bread formation. The differences make the honey flavor more pronounced and the bread less sugary tasting. The loaf method compared to the dinner roll method also gives the bread more structure while retaining the fluffiness.  I hope you like this as much as my family. This recipe is for one bread using an 8 1/2″ x 4 1/2” loaf pan. It’s medium in difficulty and takes around 2.5 hours including a lot of waiting time. Ingredients: 3/4 cup of milk …

Refreshing Summer Slaw

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I randomly created this refreshing and crunchy slaw during our quarantine when we ran out of everything else. The key ingredients are Asian pear, apple and crab sticks. The family devoured it and kept asking for more.  Furthermore, I also found that it keeps very well in the fridge and tastes better the longer it marinates.  This slaw goes well as salad for a meal or a side dish to your next BBQ. This recipe is rated easy and serves 2 as a main dish. Ingredients: 1/2 ripened avocado (cubed) 1 green apple 1/2 English cucumber 1 Asian pear 2 scallion finely chopped 1/2 tbsp of minced garlic 6 crab sticks shredded 1/3 tsp of sugar 1 and 1/2 tbsp of Kewpie mayo (regular mayo will work, but you will not get the tangy-sweet taste that you will get with Japanese mayo) 1/4 tsp of salt 1/4 tsp of pepper Direction: Julienne the apples, Asian pears, and English cucumbers into matchsticks and place into a large bowl. Finely dice 2 scallions (discard the white ends) …

Nước Sâm / Vietnamese Herbal Ice Tea

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Vietnamese herbal tea is usually served with ice, which makes it a refreshing drink in the middle of a hot and humid summer day. This drink is inspired by Chinese medicine with a focus on ingredients that have “cooling” properties. There are many variations and the one that we are sharing includes artichokes. Don’t be put off by the scary ingredient list as they are easy to find at any Asian grocery store or online. Ingredients: 1 gallon or 3.75 litres of water 2 artichokes cut into quarters 1 pack (6 oz.) of dried longan 1 cup of dried dates 1 cup of dried chrysanthemum flowers 2 pieces of sanh dia (dried Rehmannia glutinosa) 1 tablespoon of rock sugar or regular sugar (adjust to taste). Rock sugar is less sweet and has a clearer taste than regular sugar so it doesn’t overwhelm the light drink.   Directions: Soak the artichoke in cold water and rinse thoroughly to remove any sediment. Quickly rinse the dried ingredients to remove any impurities. Boil all the ingredients in a …