Instant Pot Hearty Vegetable and Lentil Soup 法式綠扁豆與薏米蔬食湯［電子壓力鍋版］

There have been several snow storms in Quebec this winter. I was especially happy when I received my friend's text and invitation for a lunch at his home on a very cold and snowy day a little while back. If you ever tasted my friend's cooking, you would know why I was happy to be invited. You see, my friend is a very good cook. His food is simple but homey at the same time, which is exactly what I love to have during the cold weather. As a local, he's proud of his culture and heritage, and he often likes to share with me the traditional Québécois cooking that he grew up with.

Green Spring Sushi Rolls with Miso Tofu and Edamame-Lime Cream 味噌豆干與生菜養生壽司和青檸檬毛豆醬

One of the reasons why I love making vegan/vegetarian sushi at home is because good ones are not easy to find. Typically, rice is one of the key ingredients for sushi, but sometimes I like leaving it out, especially in the spring or summer time. This recipe, which I created for Sabatier Santoku knife, is a really good example! The kale filling gives it a wholesome, crunchy texture and a very refreshing taste, while keeping it light. Since April is Earth Month, I wanted to make something vegan, green and springy. With the rice paper and all the veggie filling, it's across between a spring roll and a sushi roll. Though the roll tastes perfectly good by itself with the miso tofu filling, the edamame-lime cream adds a nice, creamy texture as well as an interesting and subtle flavour. Besides tasting great, it's an excellent way to get your daily veggies!

Purple Power Salad 紫色養生沙拉

I love foods that have deep colours, and some days I just crave for a particular colour. This is a salad that I made one day when I was in the mood for something purple (yes, purple is actually one of my favourite colours!). I wanted something very nutritious and hearty, yet light in terms of taste. It'll help boost your immune system and lowers the risk of heart disease and cancer. It turns out to be a truly satisfying meal that I can have again and again without getting tired of it. Besides all the health benefits, it tastes really delicious and looks beautiful, too! It has become one of my all-time favourite salads, and this is why I want to share this special recipe with you. Perhaps it'll become one of yours as well!

Homemade Blueberry Balsamic Vinaigrette 自製藍莓巴薩米可醋沙拉醬

The intense, sweet flavour of balsamic is probably what makes it one of my favourite vinegars. Since the flavour pairs so well with fruits, you often find different flavours of fruity balsamic vinegars/vinaigrettes in stores, but if you look at the ingredients from their labels, cane sugar is usually among the first few ingredients. To make a fruity vinegar is quite easy (see my Peach Balsamic Vinaigrette). You don't need many ingredients or thickening agents, and it tastes much more natural.  With just a touch of maple syrup, real fresh blueberries, balsamic vinegar, and a good extra virgin olive oil, you can make your own vinaigrette that tastes better than just about anything you can find in a store!

Gluten-Free Cheddar-Scallion Potato Scones 巧達起司蘇格蘭馬鈴薯煎餅

When I think of Irish food, besides the cabbage, the beef stew, the Guinness beer, I think of potatoes. For St-Patrick's Day last year, I made some potato scones for my Instagram that were adapted from a recipe at Martha Stewart. I added some parsley and extra cheddar cheese in the recipe. Since the scones were so yummy, I thought I'd make them again this year with a different twist.

Double Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Bread with Crunchy Granola 巧克力花生醬香蕉蛋糕

My husband and I both love banana bread, but when it comes to peanut butter, we're not quite on the same page. As a typical American, he naturally loves anything that has to do with peanut butter - from peanut butter and jelly, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, he loves them all! As for me, peanut butter wasn't something I grew up with in Taiwan. In my childhood memory, peanut butter wasn't as popular at the time and the Western food was just starting to come into the market. I don't recall that we had much peanut butter at our house. Therefore, I guess I never quite developed a palate for it, but occasionally there are some peanut butter flavoured things that I like. For example, any peanut butter cereal or cinnamon flavoured peanut butter, and this bread here is also one of those rare occasions where peanut butter becomes my good friend.

Red Bean Tang Yuan in Red Bean & Black Glutinous Rice Soup 紅豆湯圓與紫米紅豆湯

Growing up in Taiwan, I naturally ate a lot of tang yuan (glutenous rice balls or sticky rice balls). Traditionally, we eat them on both the Winter Solstice Festival (Dong Zhi) and the Lantern Festival (Yuan Xiao). There are two kinds of tang yuan: smaller balls without filling and lager ones with filling. At home, my mom would either make it herself or buy them freshly made from the farmers market. After moving to New York alone, I would buy the frozen packages in Asian markets. Of course it wasn't ideal, but it was good enough to fulfill my craving and my homesickness during the holidays, until one day, I saw my roommate making some homemade tang yuan, and it made me very curious. She was always a good homemaker and she loved making everything herself. I, on the other hand, wasn't such a good cook at the time, and thought that it would be good to learn how to make them from her.

Sugar-Free Sweet Red Bean Paste 無糖紅豆餡

Red beans (the name is directly translated from the Chinese name - Hong Do 紅豆) are also called adzuki beans. In Asia, we use a lot of red beans in desserts, and traditionally, red bean paste is made with red beans, water, and sugar. Red beans are a very good source of protein, fiber, and potassium, and are low in calories, but when you add the sugar, it starts to become less healthy. I thought it would be great to make a healthier version of it, so I don't need to feel guilty eating it. You can use it for your bread, toast, pancakes, tang yuan, mochi, or other desserts. It's a great recipe and a good thing for you to have in your freezer!

Vegan Cranberry Chocolate Truffles 蔓越莓松露巧克力

 

When it comes to Valentine's Day desserts, fruits like strawberries or raspberries are widely used, but I've always thought that cranberries are such an under-appreciated fruit. They're often used for Christmas and Thanksgiving, but not much else. The truth is, they're a very powerful fruit. The dried cranberries used here contain good amounts of fiber and heart-healthy unsaturated fats, they're also high in vitamin C and have a lot of anti-oxidants, and so can be quite beneficial for your health. Recently, I visited Nutra-Fruit - a local store that specializes in cranberry products. I was really inspired by their product, so I decided to create this recipe for this year's Valentine's Day. (See my Valentine's Day Cranberry Heart Swirl Cheesecake, Homemade Cranberry-Vanilla Butter, Whole Wheat Cranberry Oat Scones)

Crispy Curry Tofu with Mini Peppers in Sweet Onion Sauce 甜椒脆皮豆腐與洋蔥醬

Have you ever tried pairing a salad dressing with a hot dish, instead of with salad? This month, I had the pleasure of teaming up with Litehouse Foods and Food Bloggers of Canada, to create this beautiful and flavourful dish with Litehouse's Sweet Onion dressing (from their new Green Garden line). Since this month is the Chinese New Year, I combined some elements from the East in this dish. This recipe shows you how to make the tofu crispy without having to deep fry it or dredge it in flour. Not only does the dish have different textures, but also layers of interesting flavours as well! And the best thing is that it's all made with plant-based ingredients, so it's vegan and even gluten-free! You can serve it with rice or as an hors d'œuvre. Find out more about the delicious dressing and my recipe at Food Bloggers of Canada. I include plenty of photos to show you how to make it, too!

Kumquat Honey 金桔蜂蜜

This is my first post in two months. Yes, it's been ages, and I'm sorry for not being in-site for a while. Life has been an adventure for me since last November. First, I was invited to work in the kitchen of Ma Station Café, and right after a busy reopening of the café, I received news that I had to go back to Taiwan to help with some family business. It was an overwhelming period for me, and right after I arrived in Taiwan, I got the flu. Thanks to my mom, who gave me the greatest care, I was able to recover in a week, but with the traveling, stress, and new job, everything has taken a toll on my health. I got very sick again right after my return to Quebec and on top of that, I had to fight my jet-lag for almost two weeks!

Pumpkin Brown Rice and Millet Congee with Shan Yao 南瓜山藥糙米與小米粥

Before the western style bakeries and American cereal boxes got popular, congee was definitely one of the breakfast staples in Taiwan. Not only did I grow up having it for breakfast regularly, but whenever my tummy was not well or when I got a cold, my mom would also make it for me. It can soothe the stomach and is easy to digest. Moreover, you can make it in your rice cooker without having to do much work! In fact, the congee recipe I made last year - Chinese Cabbage, Tomato, and Shiitake Congee, was something I made throughout a terrible flu! Since it's the cold season, I decided to do a new type of congee whose key ingredients are pumpkin and shan yao (山藥). Shan Yao is also called huai shan (淮山). It's a type of wild Chinese yam, that is very nourishing. It can be used to aide digestion, relieve a cough, boost the immune system, lower high blood pressure, and tonify the kidneys, among other things. In this recipe, I used puréed pumpkin, instead of pumpkin pieces, which gives a thick and creamy texture, as well as a beautiful orange fall colour! Make this congee when you're feeling a bit under the weather or when you need an easy, warming nutritious bowl!

Tofu & Acorn Squash Rice Casserole with Tomato Sauce 義式南瓜豆腐焗烤飯

When the leaves start falling, you know this is the time of the year that you begin to crave hot baked dishes. I love baked pasta, but I also enjoy making asian-inspired baked rice dishes like this one. 

Spiced Pumpkin & Apple Overnight Oat Smoothie 肉桂南瓜蘋果隔夜燕麥粥奶昔

My latest must-have has got to be overnight oat smoothies! I've been making overnight oats for many years now, but only recently did I think about blending it into a smoothie! The result is this luscious, thick texture, which I love, and it's much easier to eat and digest for your first meal of the day. For these reasons, it's great for both elderlies and kids, too. Besides the apple and pumpkin, there are plenty of other healthy ingredients such as turmeric, allspice, and nut butter. In addition, it's naturally sweetened by the apples, pumpkin, and dates without any sugar or sweeteners! If that weren't good enough, I also find that by using the combination of allspice and other spices, it almost achieves the taste of chai tea! Bringing more spices into our diet can be very beneficial for our health, too. So start your morning off with this yummy, nutritious smoothie, and taste all the comforting flavours of Fall!

Baked Pear & Ricotta Wonton Hand Pies with Rosemary and Chocolate 巧克力梨子奶油起司香酥派

Whenever I make Chinese wontons, I almost always have some extra wonton wrappers left. Of course, the simplest thing is to wrap them and store them in the freezer until the next use, but why not use them to make something completely different? Since pears abundant this time of the year, I thought they would make a perfect filling for the season. With the rosemary, it adds a fragrant woody aroma to make this dessert even more special, not to mention that it goes perfectly well with chocolate, too! There's no sugar, just a little maple syrup, and since it's not fried, you can pop as many as you wish without worrying about your health or feeling guilty. Next time you have some leftover wonton wrappers, turn them into this simple, yet sophisticated dessert!

Grilled Corn with Miso Butter, Scallions, and Nori 日式味噌烤玉米與海苔和七味粉

A few days ago I had a strange urge to make some miso grilled corn. Miso is one of the most used Japanese ingredients in my kitchen. Since it's salty, it always pairs well with something sweet. I know that there are quite a lot of variations on this recipe and most of them call for more butter than I personally would like. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE butter and I'm not vegan, but for health reasons, I generally try to cut it down as much as possible. I find that even with the small amount of butter I used here, the buttery flavour still comes though, and with the scallions, nori and a bit of Japanese spicy chili powder, it's absolutely scrumptious!

Grape & Olive Tea Sandwich with Dill 葡萄青橄欖與羊乳酪抹醬英式三明治

This recipe was the first time I tried this combination of toppings on bread, and just like the Strawberry & Radish Tea Sandwich, everyone seemed to really love it at our party! I used local Ontario blue grapes that I found here in season. They're a little smaller than regular grapes, which I thought would be kind of cute, but you can always substitute with regular grapes. With the lemony goat cheese spread and some dill on top, it was the perfect combination of salty-sweet.

Strawberry & Radish Tea Sandwich 草莓櫻桃蘿蔔與羊乳酪抹醬英式三明治

I made this sandwich when I had a little party a few weeks ago and it was very well-received! Not only does it look elegant, it's very simple and delicious at the same time! The creamy spread gives a little hint of lemon and goat cheese flavour, and it blends perfectly with the sweet strawberries and radishes!

Creamy Lemony Goat Cheese Spread 檸檬羊乳酪麵包抹醬

Two weeks ago, I had the pleasure to host a little going away party for my dear friend. I could've made several big dishes and had everyone serve themselves, but I thought, why not make it an event that everyone would remember! I've always believed in expressing love and making lasting memories for others through food. It was my mom's cooking that taught me that. Even though I didn't realize it at the time, it kind of grew on me later.

Japanese Cucumber & Radish Sunomono with Fava Beans and Wakame 日式涼拌小黃瓜沙拉佐蠶豆與海帶芽

This is a salad that I actually have been meaning to share with you for a long time! Thanks to my dear friend, who gave me these beautiful Japanese Koransha ceramic dishes last year, which gave me the idea to use them and write this recipe. It's one of my favourites and is something I make very often during the summertime. It's basically inspired by the traditional Japanese sunomono, which is often made with cucumbers or cucumber and wakame in vinegar and soy sauce. You can find it in most Japanese restaurants. It's actually quite easy to make at home, and it's the perfect appetizer or accompaniment for any Asian food. In this recipe, I added some radishes and fava beans, which contain a good amount of protein, vitamins, minerals, and anti-oxidants to make this traditional dish even more nutritious. The dressing is slightly tangy and sweet, and with the different textures of the vegetables, everything just ties together nicely!