homemade food to nourish & indulge

Wontons with Yuzu Mayo Shrimp

These Wontons with Yuzu Mayo Shrimp are crunchy, savoury, creamy, spicy and tangy all in one incredible bite. The filling features succulent shrimp, creamy mayonnaise, spicy chili garlic sauce, tangy rice vinegar and aromatic brightness of yuzu juice. I serve these with an easy and delicious dipping sauce — just 4 ingredients of mayo, honey, soy sauce and yuzu juice. Sooo good.

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Raspberry Yogurt Clusters

These cool, sweet and tangy RASPBERRY YOGURT CLUSTERS are a spin-off of the viral Blueberry Yogurt Clusters that I shared in my previous post. Those were so good we immediately created a different — dare I say it — even BETTER version with these RASPBERRY YOGURT CLUSTERS!

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Blueberry Yogurt Clusters

Thin, crunchy chocolate enveloping a creamy centre with pops of juicy blueberries, these BLUEBERRY YOGURT CLUSTERS have been going viral recently! I added my own spin to it by adding tahini, maple syrup and cinnamon to the yogurt mixture which add really nice flavour dimensions.

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Easy Shrimp Spring Rolls

These are the easiest spring rolls you will ever make! No filling to prepare and cool before assembling, these Easy Shrimp Spring Rolls are inspired by one of my must-get dim sum items — but simplified. Golden and crunchy exterior with a succulent bite of shrimp inside, you won't be able to stop at one or two or three!

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Shanghai Spring Rolls

These SHANGHAI SPRING ROLLS are exactly the kind I grew up eating so they are, hands down, my favourite type of spring rolls! My paternal Shanghainese grandmother used to make it and my dad makes it. We usually make a big pot of simple meatless congee to go with it for a weekend lunch everybody looks forward to!

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Tartines with Mackerel with Refried Butter Beans

The universe has not given canned Mackerel the love it deserves!

Mackerel has long been one of my go-to sushi choices. But as far as shopping in the canned fish aisle of the grocery store, I’m guilty of reaching for tuna most of the time, with sockeye salmon and sardine being my second and third choices. Why? Habit. Little did I know until now, canned mackerel is equally if not even more habit-forming. Case in point: these super simple and suuuper tasty Tartines with Mackerel and Refried Butter Beans are loved by my family and my foodie adult friends. The refried beans are creamy and savoury, and the mackerel fillets flakey and umami-packed. The parsley salad’s acidic and herbaceous freshness perfectly balances the other rich and creamy elements for a seriously delightful bite!

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Spanish Tapas Party! { gluten-free, dairy-free, paleo + Whole30 options }

Last week I threw a little tapas dinner party and it was sooo much fun. Not to mention, utterly delicious! I made some of the greatest hits and you know what, they are all surprisingly easy to prepare, as you'll see in the recipes below. Are you ready for this epic, six-recipe blog post featuring some of the most popular and best loved tapas? I promise the deliciousness you're about to encounter will make your tastebuds extremely happy!

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DIY Vanilla Chia Pudding Parfait { gluten free, dairy free, refined sugar free, vegan, paleo }

I assume most people's mornings are just as hurried as ours.  Mine goes like this:  wake up, get self ready (aka barely splash some water on face and put a bra on), dress children, make breakfast, pack lunches and most importantly drink that coffee that's getting cold dammit.  The saving grace of warmer mornings now is more simple options for breakfast, such as chilled overnight oats or overnight chia puddings.  Lately the girls have been obsessed with chia pudding parfaits and they really get a kick out of choosing their own fixings and assembling their own little parfaits.  Which is a complete score for me.  I can sip my hot coffee while they take over that part of the morning routine.

Besides hurried mornings, this Do-It-Yourself concept translates really well for overnight guests or a weekend brunch gathering with friends too, as the main event (as it is definitely filling enough) or a hands-off component of a larger spread.  The assortment of goodies is more or less the same, although you may add more options to make it extra special (see my suggestions further below).  All you need to do is scale up in quantity.  The best part is how it can be styled beautifully into an impressive spread, as I've done for this blog post.  Isn't it pretty?  As a mama of a daughter with food restrictions, it's bonus for me that it is suitable for both adults and children, as well as people with dietary constraints since the entire set up is dairy-free, gluten-free, refined sugar free, vegan and paleo-friendly (if the granola is omitted from the parfait for those individuals).  

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4-Ingredient Crunchy Chicken Nuggets

This is an essential weeknight recipe that I default to again and again because it is so easy to prepare and because of how much my girls love them!  Think 4 ingredients, 15 prep time, 25 mins bake time. There is no reason to buy packaged nuggets ever. EVER.  I also make this recipe regularly with ground turkey with wonderful results too but of course it will be a tad less juicy. I always make a double-batch and freeze a portion of uncooked nuggets for future school lunches.

Apr 2017:  I have added gluten/grain-free AND dairy-free alternatives.  Hurray!  Nuggets for everyone! 

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