Pink Lady Smoothie

Most mornings my breakfast consists of a ginormous smoothie that I guzzle up on my way out the door. And unlike that dainty little glass of pinkness above, I do mean ginormous– I normally chug them from a passata bottle that measures 750mL, filled to the brim and sometimes followed by a refill!

My smoothie habit has been invaluable- getting my fix of carbs and sugar done in five minutes means I can get to my lessons on time despite hitting snooze twice! 🙂 This smoothie is something a little fancier, and instead of five minutes you’ll need perhaps seven, but rest assured! You will be rewarded with an awesomely pretty smoothie that will make you feel oh-so-very ladylike.

Roasted Beet & Mango Tacos

sal·sa (säl′sə) n.
A spicy sauce of chopped, usually uncooked vegetables or fruit, especially tomatoes, onions, and chili peppers, used as a condiment.

I didn’t use to like salsa much- it might have been the onion-ey spiciness, the trauma of my tongue’s encounter with a particularly sharp tortilla chip, or the fact that I have never been a huge fan of salads and similar raw mixtures. But before you take up your pitchforks and burn me at the stake for heresy, let me say that I’m a total salsa convert now. Seriously, I swear.

What converted me was a fresh encounter- no garlic, way less onion, and most importantly the addition of roasted beets and mangoes. Together they add nuttiness and sweetness to the mix that complements the heat, the tanginess, the crunch, and the sharp raw flavours- all these, wrapped up in a warm homemade tortilla.

Chewy Rice Balls in Coconut Milk (Ginataang Bilo-Bilo)

The other day I visited the World Wide Plaza in Central with Evelyn, and after being treated to a lovely lunch of taro greens, jackfruit, rice, and halo-halo, she showed me around the place. It was a wonderful jumble of stores selling all sorts of things- Filipino souvenirs, fast food, snacks, clothing, DVDs, toys, jewelry… You name it, and they probably have it!

One thing I didn’t get to try there was ginataang bilo-bilo, for the simple reason that I was absolutely stuffed! But Evelyn promised to teach me make it at home, and I promised to write about her recipe. So here it is, ginataang bilo-bilo in all its glory- with many thanks to Evelyn, until I can properly return the favour! 🙂

Udon. From Scratch.

Are you a noodle person or a rice person? Tell you what, I’m both. And as a noodle eater, I can tell you that the one noodle you can’t go cheap on is udon. Made properly, udon is silky and chewy, and has a wonderful bite to it that beats al dente pasta hands down. It doesn’t need much dressing up either- just a dribble of soy sauce and maybe some sesame oil, and you’re good to go. 

Sourdough Fougasse

Fougasse! A week ago I didn’t even know what the heck a fougasse is. Now? Boy, am I glad you asked! They’re crispy and golden and just awesome and gorgeous! And did you see the shape? They’re leaf-shaped! How cool is that? That untechnically makes them a vegetable and any day now I’m gonna make a fougasse salad, with some good olive oil and balsamic vinegar. No kidding.

This past week I’ve been in a bread-making frenzy, and these beautiful fougasse are my favourite so far! I have been so happy to stick my hands in a gigantic pile of dough and watch it rise and bubble and retrieve loaf after loaf of fresh, hot bread from the oven and stuff my face with a slice (or five) of fluffy, crusty goodness! My dad is happy too, but for a different reason- his days of eating dense, gummy loaves of brick produced by his daughter are officially over!

Cucumber & Mango ‘Noodle’ ‘Soup’

The weather is starting to warm up, and I’m positively rejoicing! Not only can I sport shorts around the house, but mangos and nectarines and other not-wintry fruits and produce are starting to show up more at the market. I don’t really know if they’re seasonal… but something’s better than nothing at all!

Apart from mangos, I also came across some lovely Thai basil for 6 HKD a bunch at an Indonesian speciality stall at the market. And just a few posts ago I was lamenting to lack of affordable sweet basil… Sweet and Thai basil are definitely not the same, but I got pretty excited! Because though I can’t make any pesto with Thai basil, I love its flavours combined with mango, and I had something wonderful in mind- ‘noodle’ ‘soup’!

Curried Potato Pockets

I don’t really know what these are, and so coming up with a name for these in today’s post was a real headache. But that’s okay, because I’ve been more than compensated by how fun and delicious the recipe is!

These curried potato pockets are the result of a marriage between the Indian aloo paratha and the Chinese pan-fried bun, and let me assure you that it is a very happy marriage indeed. Think fluffy surrounded by chewy. Think creamy and rich. Think spiced and piping hot. Do not think burning your tongue on molten potato magma because you didn’t wait to take the first bite, or the second or third.

Penne with Wakame Peasto

Nope, it’s not a typo. I say peasto, because there really isn’t any other word that sums up ‘pesto made from sweet peas’ as perfectly. (Pun unapologetically intended 😉 )

Pasta is an important part of daily life (that’s a scientific fact- go ask the guys at NASA!), and I rarely go a few days without eating some form of pasta. Making (sometimes from scratch) and eating all this pasta means I’ve done a considerable amount of crazy stuff with it. And once in a blue moon, the crazy stuff turns out to be surprisingly good, like today’s ‘peasto’.

Korean Potato Pancakes (Gamjajeon)

The Chinese new year is looming round the corner, and here I am making Korean potato pancakes. The thing is, being Chinese doesn’t mean you automatically know how to cook the food. To me, ‘Chinese food’ basically amounts to a vegetable stir fry with soy sauce splashed in at some point. Pathetic, I know.

But what is not pathetic is today’s recipe for Korean potato pancakes. Unlike the regular pancakes, these pancakes are savoury and have a dense and slightly chewy texture. They are also gluten free and vegan because the pancakes are made entirely of potato- no flour, eggs, or milk!

Cherry and Coconut Carob Ice Cream

It’s winter. And yes! I made ice cream. And guess what? It’s made with just a handful of ingredients and does not include sugar, dairy, or heart-stopping amounts of fats and cholesterol.

I’ve been waiting for a long while to share this ice cream recipe, and since summer isn’t coming round fast enough, I’m going to enjoy my ice cream now. Plus, it’s never too early in the year for ice cream- who needs summer when you’ve got scarves and jumpers and blankets and the warmest spot of sunshine near the window to cuddle up in while you enjoy your ice cream?