Coconut-Banana Chia Pudding with Lime 香蕉椰奶奇亞籽布丁

For a while, I've been waiting to make this delicious-looking super creamy coconut banana chia pudding from Fedelicioso, and I finally have some ripened bananas on hand! I love anything with banana or coconut, and when I saw her recipe on Instagram, I just knew that I'd have to try it. The end result was indeed very creamy as she described! 

Cherry Tomatoes, Alfalfa Sprouts, and Avocado Greek Yogurt on Matzo 苜蓿芽小蕃茄酪梨希臘優格與蘇打餅

It was a very busy day, and I wanted to use up some leftover ingredients, so I whipped up this yummy "quickie" yesterday morning. The combination of the sweet, juicy cherry tomatoes, the sprouts, the creamy avocado Greek yogurt, and the light, crunchy matzo were soooo good that we ended up having it for both breakfast and lunch!（≧▼≦；) Avocados are rich in vitamin A, C, E, B6, folic acid, and minerals, and contain high-density lipoproteins (a cholesterol that can protect the body against heart disease). It's a great recipe for you when you have very ripe avocado on hand. The topping goes perfectly well with any type of bread or crackers, but if you can get some matzo, you've gotta try it!! It's light, easy and delicious, and is perfect for either breakfast, lunch or snack. I can promise you that you won't have to feel guilty for having a lot of it!!

Matzo Brei Scallion Pancakes with Sriracha Sour Cream 猶太馬佐蔥油煎餅與拉差酸奶油

Having married a Jewish man, I had to learn a thing or two about Jewish cooking. It was all very new to me, from the meaning of kosher, the religious rules, the big Jewish holidays, the challah bread, the blintzes, to the non-rising bread, matzo, etc. The funny thing is my hubby isn't actually kosher, and he isn't the biggest fan of traditional Jewish cooking either. It was I, on the other hand, who took a liking to a lot of the traditional Jewish food, including gefilte fish - which my hubby referred to as one of the most disgusting Jewish foods (>_<), and that was what got me into learning about Jewish cooking in the first place!

Asparagus, Smoked Salmon and Goat Cheese Oeufs en Cocottes (Eggs inPots) 法式燻鮭魚蘆筍烤蛋杯

 

When I first saw the name, œufs en cocotte (Eggs in Pots), I was thinking, is this some kind of fancy French classic egg dish? Only after I looked it up did I realize that it's actually quite simple, yet also a very elegant dish that is perfect for either your weekly or holiday brunch. You basically crack the egg in a ramekin, then bake it with your favourite vegetables or cheese. Not so difficult, right? Since it's (finally) the beginning of spring, I thought I'd use some asparagus here, as it goes so well with the smoked salmon and goat cheese. It'll be perfect for your spring Sunday brunch!

Crispy Butterflied Chicken with Lemon and Thyme 脆皮檸檬蝴蝶烤雞

I love roast chicken and I spent a lot of time searching and trying different ways of roasting them. Many years ago, I was watching the Martha Stewart Show, and she happened to butterfly a chicken by browning it in a pan, then finishing it with some lemon juice and garlic. After that, it became one of my favourite ways to prepare it. Over the years, I lost the recipe and added my own little tweaks and changes to what I had remembered, but I've always kept the idea of lemon and garlic in there. Normally, I use regular lemons for this recipe, but since I bought a lot of Meyer lemons lately, I thought I'd use them for this recipe and share it with you. The chicken is butterflied and browned in a cast iron pan first, then goes into the oven to continue cooking. The result is a nice crispy skin with very juicy and tender flesh. Butterflying the chicken easily shortens the roasting time, so your hungry belly doesn't have to wait too long.(￣▽￣) The juice of the chicken, the garlic, the thyme and the lemon all blended together make for a really yummy gravy. It's truly a simple and delicious way of enjoying chicken! Bon appétit!

Black Sesame-Oat Porridge 燕麥芝麻糊

This porridge is actually based on a traditional Chinese sweet dessert porridge that is normally a mixture of blended black sesame seeds and rice. Here, I'm using oats instead of rice, and I make it less sweet than the traditional one. Black sesame seeds are extremely nourishing, and contain a great amount of protein, vitamin E, magnesium, calcium, and more. By blending the two together with a little bit of soy milk, you get this really creamy and thick texture with a rich sesame flavour, just like the traditional one, plus more health benefits from the oats, walnuts, and goji berries!

 

Two Eggs Two Ways 雞蛋兩吃

Inspired by the halfnhalf eggs (fried egg whites + scrambled eggs) from Weekendbreakfast on Instagram, I made a fried egg and topped it with scrambled eggs (made from a leftover baking mixture of egg whites, some egg yolks, and a little bit of cheddar cheese). It was so yummy with the combination of crispy fried egg, the creamy runny yolk, and the soft curd of the scrambled eggs! If you're a true egg lover like me, you must make this, and also check out Weekendbreakfast for more breakfast inspiration!

Stir Fried Veggie Beef and Green Peppers in Taiwanese Shacha Sauce 沙茶青椒素牛肉

It's hard to imagine I'd write a recipe using green bell peppers since I've refused to eat them most of my life! Mom used to make this dish (with real beef or pork sometimes), and I would always pick out the peppers. In fact, I hated any peppers. So how did I learn to like it? To be honest, I don't quite understand it myself! (?・・)σ I was watching a Japanese drama, which happened to be about food several years ago (are you surprised???). In one of the episodes, someone cooked a pork stuffed green pepper dish, which looked very delicious to me, and that was it! From then on, I decided that I like green peppers. Actually, I'll even correct myself, and say that I now LOVE green bell peppers! Isn't it funny how your mind can just change like that one day?

Chicken-Taro Meatballs and Tofu Hot Pot 香芋雞肉丸油豆腐粉絲煲

Lately, I've been missing the Chinese hot pot. My mom often made it for the Chinese New Year or on cold days. Unfortunately I can't have it at home because I don't own a portable stove for the table (due to not having enough storage space). I decided that I'd make a hot pot dish that is similar to the traditional one I grew up with, but is done on the stove, and with fewer ingredients. Instead of the fish balls (which are very difficult to find here without all the msg and chemicals) or thin slices of hot pot meats, I made these really yummy and unique taro-chicken meatballs to replace the fish balls, and it still has the cellophane noodles and the tofu I love, plus three other ingredients (because six is the lucky number for Chinese!). Everything is cooked in the same broth like the traditional hot pot, so in the end, all the flavours come together. I didn't even have to season the broth much at all! It was sweet and flavourful all by itself! I hope you make this during the Chinese New Year, and I wish you all a happy and peaceful sheep year!

Chicken-Taro Meatballs 香芋雞肉丸

Whole Wheat Cranberry-Oat Scones with Almonds 全麥蔓越莓杏仁司康餅

I love cranberries in breakfasty things, whether it's a muffin, a scone, bread, pancakes, or waffles, you name it! For Valentine's Day last year, I did a cranberry heart swirled cheesecake for Foodie in Quebec City, so I wanted to do something different this year but still with cranberries. I thought, why not start the romance right from the morning?! I love surprising my hubbie with a nice homemade breakfast in bed, even when it's not Valentine's Day. You can easily make this dough the day before and refrigerate it until use. It'll give you the perfect scone texture you're looking for: crisp on the outside, moist and flaky inside. I love the texture of the oats and almonds mixed together, plus a little tartness from the cranberries. It"s so delicious, you wouldn't believe it contains no butter! So what do you say?

Cranberry Vanilla Butter 蔓越莓香草奶油

I'm a true butter person! I put butter on almost anything I can think of. I also enjoy making different flavoured butters to go with my breakfast bread. It's not just about the flavour; I also love transforming that pale yellow hue into something colourful and flavourful. Maybe I'm obsessed with colours, or perhaps deep down I believe the colour can bring out the flavour even more. Since pink is one of my favourite colours, I thought I'd make a pink butter for this Valentine's Day. It's innocent, romantic, cute and playful! I'd tried one before with fresh cranberries, but this time, I wanted something that has a really smooth and silky texture, with a unique flavour. Then it struck me: cranberry vanilla butter! A perfect breakfast accompaniment for your sweetie this holiday. To get that texture I wanted, I decided to make a cranberry vanilla sauce first, then blend it together with butter. It was so luscious with a hint of orange and vanilla, and the colour turned out to be perfectly pink and seductively pretty!