Garlic Prawns...

Helloooo Monday! 

Hope everyone had a fantastic weekend! Here's another recipe I've been meaning to post for awhile...Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 pound raw shrimp tail on

1/4 cup olive oil

2 lemons, juiced and divided

5-6 cloves garlic minced

2 tbsp fresh parsley chopped plus more for garnish

1 tbsp flour

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (I opted out)

6 tbsp salted butter

1/2 tsp pepper

My Verdict: Praiseworthy. Here's another one I found on IG, and have added it to my recipe box. I love pairing this when I have a Mediterranean feast. Or enjoy it alone with pita or rice.

Directions:

1. Add the shrimp in a ziplock bag or medium size bowl.

2. Add olive oil, juice of 1 lemon, minced garlic, 1 tbsp of chopped fresh parsley, flour, cayenne pepper and pepper.

3. Toss well to combine, and marinate in fridge for 30 minutes or up to 24 hours.

4. Heat a large skillet on medium heat. 

5. Once hot add shrimp, be sure to add the garlic and season with salt and pepper.

6. Saute the shrimp until pink, 2-3 minutes on each side.

7. Remove the shrimp from skillet and set aside, leaving only the garlic.

8. Add butter and 1 tsp pepper to skillet.

9. Cook the garlic until it becomes caramelized and golden brown(watch out because left to long it will just get burnt).

10. Remove from heat and stir in 1 tbsp of chopped parsley and juice of 1/2 of a lemon.

Enjoy! Hope you love it as much as I do!

Pork Tofu Mushroom...

Happy Friday Everyone! Welcome Weekend!

Here's a post I've had for awhile...haven't made this one in some time, might try this again this weekend!

Ingredients:

1/2 pound lean ground pork

1/2 pound dace meat 

1 package soft tofu

1/4 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp sesame oil

1/2 tsp vegatable oil

1/4 tsp of salt

1/4 tsp pepper

6 shitake mushrooms, chopped

Serves 6-8

Serve with rice...

I added a splash of fish sauce for more flavour...

Found this recipe while watching Bubzvlogs, thanks to her doula!

Directions:

In a bowl combine pork, dace meat, soft tofu, sugar, salt, pepper, sesame oil, and vegetable oil. Fold in mushrooms. Place on steamer or double boiler and steam for 15-20 minutes. I had to split this into 4 in order to fit my pot.

Humpday Happenings...

This is a long overdue update...

First breakfast of 2015...

enjoying some home cooking: Ina Garten's Herb-Baked Eggs Recipe...

finished off Book 3 of the Arcana Chronicles...Dead of Winter

New recipe I found that I've made 3x already...

First time making blueberry pancakes...(thinking of you Ian!)

satisfied a craving...(thanks D!) purchased from Thu Hien Restaurant

As you can see I've been mostly keeping myself busy with breakfast, lunch and dinner and I can safely say no more rookie in the kitch! Still lots to learn, but I've come a far way! Hope you've been able to add some delish recipes to your repertoire as well!

Buddha's Feast...

Ingredients:

3 tbsp low sodium soy sauce

1 tbsp dark sesame oil

1 tbsp rice vinegar

1 tsp sugar

1 pkg (14 ounce) water-packed extra firm tofu (drained and cut into 1inch cubes) I prefer fried tofu like you see below

5 cups broccoli florets

1/2 cup peeled broccoli stems (I omitted this)

2 tbsp canola oil

1 1/2 cups carrots (1/4 inch cut diagonally sliced)

1 cup snow peas, trimmed

1 can (14 ounce) whole baby corn, drained (I omitted this)

1 can (8 ounce) sliced water chestnuts, drained (I omitted this)

1 1/2 cup sliced green onions (I chopped mine)

1 tbsp grated peeled fresh ginger

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup vegetable broth

1 tbsp cornstarch

1/2 tsp salt

I added baby bok choy instead of the water chestnuts and corn...

My Verdict: Praiseworthy. I've made this dish 5 times already since finding it online. Its filling enough to enjoy alone or with rice. 

Recipe

Salmon Recipes...Japanese Dishes

Recently while catching up on my fave You Tube guru's I came upon Melodee's Channel and found myself glued to my iPad watching all of her videos! I immediately went out and bought ingredients to make the salmon dish she ate in the video...

Ingredients:

1 piece of salmon ( I got 100 grams)

1/2 a carrot (thinly sliced)

1 tsp of mayonnaise

salt and pepper

handful of spinach

2 tbsp of bonito sauce

1 tbsp of mirin

Ingredients:

1 piece of salmon ( I got 100 grams)

2 mushrooms (thinly sliced)

1/4 of a sweet onion (thinly sliced)

1 tsp of mayonnaise

salt and pepper

2 tbsp of bonito sauce

1 tbsp of mirin

Mirin Sauce

Bonito Sauce

I googled top brands, but these are the only ones available at T&T (local asian mart) that they carried in small sizes

Plated and ready to eat...rice and miso soup would be great sides to accompany this

Directions for both:
Preheat oven to 350 F
On a baking sheet, place enough tin foil for the slices of salmon to be fully wrapped and covered.
For the carrot and spinach:
place the slices of carrot on the tin foil
lay salmon on top and sprinkle with salt and pepper, then the mayonnaise
top with spinach and pour on the mirin and bonito sauce
fold the tin foil over and wrap the salmon tightly closed
Bake for 15 minutes

For the mushroom and onions:
place salmon on top and sprinkle with salt and pepper, then the mayonnaise
top with mushrooms and onions, then pour on the mirin and bonito sauce
fold the tin foil over and wrap the salmon tightly closed
Bake for 15 minutes

If you try these recipes send me a pic, I'd love to see! Enjoy!

Eggplant Dip...Kashkeh Bademjoon

1 Eggplant (next time I'll try this recipe with Japanese Eggplant, I found this one had too many seeds)

1 onion (chopped)

2 garlic cloves (crushed)

1/2 cup Sour Cream or Kashk

4 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 tsp Salt

1/4 tsp Black Pepper

And the meal...Garlic Prawn Recipe coming soon!

My Verdict: Praiseworthy. I am absolutely addicted to eggplant dip from Zeitoon. There was a time I ate Persian food every week and this was a must! I googled and found a recipe and decided to try it. I'm so pleased with the results, definitely time consuming for this meal but was well worth the wait!

Instructions:

Peel and cut eggplant into 1" rounds. On wire rack with paper towels, lay eggplant on and salt both sides. Add another layer of paper towels and top with something heavy ( I placed 3 cookbooks). Leave on for 1 hr, this will help expel the excess liquid.

Preheat oven at 400 F bake eggplant for 20 minutes. Flip and continue baking for another 15 minutes. Remove from oven to cool.

During this time chop onions and garlic. In a pan on medium heat add 1 Tbsp of EVOO, add onions and sauté until soft. Lower heat to low and caramelize, mine took about 28 minutes. Add the garlic in the last 2 mins. Set aside 1 Tbsp of onions for garnish.

In a bowl add the eggplant and onion garlic mixture and mash with a fork. Add the sour cream and pepper to combine. You can transfer to a serving dish, but I kept mine in the same bowl(less dishes to wash yay! lol) Add the onions from earlier as garnish. 

Here's another recipe that's quicker...

Readers if you try this recipe I'd love to see your creations! tag #passorpraiseblogbakes 

Here's my IG: kngap

* update round 2 with lots of butter on the garlic prawns

Brazilian Cheese Bread...

Fresh out of the oven...

I used a mini size ice-cream scoop and it yieled about 35 

My Verdict: Praiseworthy. This is the second time I made these, and they truly are addicting! I managed to find this gem on IG from the colorfulfoodie! 

Ingredients:

1 Sweet Potato 

1 Cup Shredded Cheese (your choice, but I used Chedder)

1 Cup Tapioca Flour

1 Cup Low Fat Ricotta Cheese

1 egg

2 egg whites

Directions:

Preheat oven at 400 F 

Wash and dry your sweet potato. Prick with fork all over and bake for 30 mins. Flip and continue baking for another 30 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

Preheat oven to 350 F

In a bowl add sweet potato and mash with a fork. Add flour, ricotta cheese, egg and egg whites. Combine everything and fold in shredded cheese. Spray a baking sheet and spoon on balls or use an ice-cream scoop for convenience. Bake for 25 minutes or until golden. Don't leave them in longer than 30 mins or else they look like this!

Still edible and tasty if you like them super crispy!

Readers if you try this recipe I'd love to see your creations! tag #passorpraiseblogbakes 

Here's my IG: kngap

Thanksgiving Dinner I made and first time baking of the cheese bread...

Proscuitto Wrapped Chicken with Steamed Veggies...

Hello everyone! Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving:D I think I gained a few pounds from all the meals *~* 

Anywho, here's a dish I made a week ago...try it and let me know your thoughts!

Ingredients:

1 Skinless boneless Chicken Breast

3-5 slices of Proscuitto

Handful of steamed veggies ( I purchased those ready washed veggie bags from the grocery store)

1/2 Lemon 

Salt and Pepper to season chicken 

1 tbsp Olive Oil

*recipe adapted from Martha Stewart

My Verdict: Praiseworthy. Here's another recipe that's quick and easy, serves 2. Preheat oven to 350 F. Season chicken breast with salt and pepper (since proscuitto is salty already I only used a tiny amount of salt to season). Lay proscuitto flat tin foil and wrap around chicken, placing seam side down. Place on baking sheet and coat with olive oil, baking for 20 -35 minutes (depending on the size of your chicken breast). Chicken should be cooked through and proscuitto nice and crispy. While chicken is baking, steam veggies in microwave or steamer. Remove chicken from oven and right before serving hit the chicken with a squeeze of lemon. Adds a nice zing!

Humpday Happenings...Update

Sorry I haven't been updating as frequently(baby A caught a stomach virus :"( )... but here's some things I've been up to lately...

baking salted butter chocolate chip cookies...recipe here

new obsession: Hummus from Urban Fare and Pretzel Crisps, with cucumber fingers 

dinner- yams, spinach with onion and garlic, corn on the cob and a slice of ham

detox water- cucumber, mint and lemon with alkaline water

recent brunch- bacon, spinach, mushroom and egg cups, avocado and pineapple with my detox water

Hope everyone's having a productive midweek! Can the weekend come any sooner! 

Humpday Happenings...Food Edition 4

In case you missed it...IG

Yogen Fruz

Rogue Kitchen & Wetbar

Scuie

Scuie

Edible Canada

And these Caramel popcorn bags I found at Homesense that I'm obsessed with!

Humpday Happenings...Food Edition

In case you missed it...

Gramercy Grill

Le Petit Saigon

Earls

Zeitoon North Vancouver location

Follow me on Instagram...kngap

Lunar New Year...2014 Wood Horse

Hope everyone had a safe and joyous Lunar New Year celebration...

Here's what I did...

Spent the day making a flower arrangement with flowers I purchased from Whole Foods..

Spent the night satisfying a craving(green onion and ginger crab and baked tapioca) at Western Lake Restaurant with the family...

Hope everyone had a chance to spend it with family and friends, here's to the Year of the Horse!

Update...Xmas Aftermath

Hope everyone had a wonderful 24th and 25th!

Here's a quick update on what I was up to...

Picked up some goodies for myself...

Aritzia bag: Beekman Sweater and Upton Dress

In the Hermes bag: Oran Sandals

Prepped for Xmas Lunch Potluck with my family: Made Ina Garten's Tomato Feta Pasta Salad and Salted Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies (first time making these, they were great right out of the oven but got crispy after a few hours. I would suggest keeping them in only 2 minutes after lightly tapping the tops.)

Before Baking (this batch was for the kids)

After Baking (this batch was for the grown ups)

Part of the table spread: Not seen Turkey Pot Pie, Fruit Punch, Cinnamon Buns and my cookies were on another table...

Readers how did you spend the holidays? Would love to see pics!

Rookie in the Kitch...Old Favorite and Apple Dumplings

We had company over the weekend and I made my old favourite...

Lasagna

Spinach, mushroom and bacon salad

Plus a new dessert...

Apple Dumplings!!!

Right before baking...

After 40 minutes...

Plated with Vanilla Icecream...Yummo!

My Verdict: Praiseworthy. Thanks to Chrissy Tiegan's blog I found this delicious recipe. I didn't have a 9 x 13 baking dish so used 2 ramekins I had instead, along with a 9 x 9. Worked just fine! I also used about 3/4 of the can of Mountain Dew. My apples were also on the smaller side so I doubled them up in some. The end result was a mix between a churro/apple pie. I'll call this one a lazy man's apple pie :D This was on the sweeter side for me but everyone else loved it! Highly recommend if you have someone who loves apple pie!

Readers if you try this would love to see pics or tag me on Instagram! @kngap