FALL-OFF-THE-BONE SLOW COOKED ASIAN SHORT RIBS

Ever since I have been in self-isolation due to COVID-19 I have been cooking up a storm. Yesterday, Adam and I decided to try to make some Asian style beef short ribs in the Le Creuset his parents got us for Christmas and they turned out even better than imagined! Adam said I can definitely make this again! The best part, everything goes into one pot and you just have to let it sit on low. It’s so easy!

INGREDIENTS:

 Serves 2 People

-Short Ribs-
3 LBS of Beef Short Ribs - bone-in, cut crosswise into 2” pieces
1/2 a CUP of reduced-sodium soya sauce
1/2 a CUP beef broth
1/4 CUP of brown sugar
3 Garlic cloves (minced)
1 TBSP Ginger (freshly grated)
1 TSP of Sesame Oil
1 TSP of Crushed Red Chili Pepper flakes (optional)
2 TBSP of Corn Starch
1/4 CUP of Water
Sesame Seeds for garnish
Fresh parsley (chopped finely) for garnish

-Sides-
Sticky Rice

DIRECTIONS:

In a large bowl, combine soya sauce, beef broth, brown sugar, minced garlic, freshly grated ginger, sesame oil, and chili flakes (optional) in a large bowl. Wisk until well incorporated.

Place short ribs (bone down) in Le Creuset and add in the soya sauce mixture. With Le Creuset’s you will need to give each piece of meat a little space, in other words, don’t pack them in too tight. Make sure meat is well coated with sauce - there should be a pool but not necessarily completely submerged.

Cover and bring to a boil on medium before lower temperature to low and allowing to cook on low heat for 5-6 hours.

30 minutes before the meat reaches the end of its cooking time, in a separate small bowl mix cornstarch with 1/4 cup of water and whisk until fully incorporated. Add the cornstarch mixture to the Le Creuset and stir well. Allow meat to cook for the remaining 30 minutes or until the sauce has thickened.

After, start to preparing/cook your sticky rice!

Once meat is finished cooking, garnish with sesame seeds and freshly chopped parsley and serve immediately over sticky rice.

Enjoy!

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If you like this recipe or have any comments/questions, feel free to leave them in the comment section below!

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HOMEMADE PEROGIES FROM SCRATCH!

“Food is our common ground, a universal experience.” –James Beard

Life hasn’t been all sunshine and rainbows lately. I know this global pandemic raging over the world has taken away everyone’s ability to move freely and enjoy the comforts we once took for granted, dining out included. For me personally, I feel like I am in a constant state of limbo unsure of what the future may hold or when self-isolation and social distancing will end. Turning to comfort foods that both keeps my mind busy and nourish my soul has been a great escape from this new reality.

Perogies for me are one of those comfort foods that take time and patience to prepare but always manages to soothe the mind and soul. They are also great if you want to batch make something to keep in your fridge so you can enjoy them over the course of a week or want something relatively inexpensive to give to someone in need. During this time we must all be a little bit kinder to ourselves and to others, and giving someone a home-cooked meal is a great way to show you still care even when you can’t be there physically. Whatever your purpose for making them, I hope they bring you the same happiness and enjoyment as they have brought me. Stay well!

INGREDIENTS:

Serving: 6 People @ 5 Perogies Each,

- Cheese and Potato Perogies: Filling-
1 1/2 LBS of Russet Potatoes (typically around 2-3 potatoes should suffice) - peeled and chopped into 1-inch squares
2 TSP of Olive Oil
1/2 a CUP of Onion (diced)
1 Clove of Garlic (minced)
1/2 CUPS of Cream Cheese
1/2 TSP of Salt
Pepper to taste

- Dough For Perogies -
2 1/2 CUPS of All-Purpose Flour
1/2 TSP of salt
1/4 CUP of Sour Cream
1 Egg
2/3 CUP of water

-What To Serve With Perogies - Optional Toppings -
Bacon
Chives
Sourcream
Caramelized Onion

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CRAVING COMFORT FOOD? CHECK OUT THESE OTHER RECIPES!

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HOW TO MAKE PEROGIES:

First, we need to make the filling.

Put your cut up potatoes in a pot with lukewarm water, add salt and bring to a boil.

In a pan, drizzle a little bit of olive oil and allow it to heat up on medium. Once hot, add in your chopped onions and allow them to cook until they become translucent. This may take 3-5 minutes and you may want to reduce the heat to ensure they don’t burn.

Add in your garlic to the onions when they are close to being done (garlic cooks faster than onion).

Once the potatoes are ready, strain the water out and place the cooked potato back in the pot before starting to mashing them into a smooth texture. To help you make them creamier, add in your cream cheese.

When onions and garlic are ready, add them to the potato pot as well, mix until well incorporated, salt and pepper to taste, and set aside to cool down to room temperature.

Dough For Perogies

Next, we need to make the dough.

Add flour and salt into a large bowl and mix until well combined.

Make a well in the middle and add in your eggs, water, and sour cream. Using a fork or spoon start to mix it together starting from the inner circle and working your way toward the outer edges. You may need to eventually switch to using your hands.

Once the dough starts to form, use a countertop to knead it till it isn’t powdery and has a smooth texture. Place dough back in the bowl, cover with a cloth and let sit for 10 minutes.

After 10 minutes, flour a working station and roll out 1/3 of the dough till it is 1/8’ in thickness. Cut out circles using a circle cookie cutter with a 4’ diameter. You can also use a lip of a cup as a stencil and a pizza cutter if you don’t have a circle cookie cutter! Feel free to get creative! If you don’t have a 4’ wide diameter cup you can always roll out the dough a little thicker, use a 3’ wide diameter cup and then roll them out a little thinner after to spread out the dough wider. It doesn’t have to be perfect.

Set dough pancakes aside on a floured surface and cover with a cloth. Once you have a few cut out, fill the middle with about a tablespoon of the mashed potato filling and fold the dough over, pinching the sides to create a seal. If the seal doesn’t hold use a little water along the edge to help. Secure the seal by pressing the prongs of a fork along the dumpling edge and making indents into the dough.

How To Cook Perogies & How Long To Boil Perogies

Once you have a few complete, boil a pot of water. Once boiled, add salt and drop in 3-4 dumplings. You will need to stir the water at first so they don’t stick together. Eventually, after 3-5 minutes the Perogies, will float to the surface of the water, when that happens, allow them to cook for an additional 30-45 seconds before taking them out of the water and setting them aside on an oiled tray or casserole dish. As you add more cooked perogies to the oiled tray or casserole dish, make sure they are covered in olive oil to avoid them sticking to one another. You can store them like this for a few days in the fridge if you don’t want to eat them right away.

I like my perogies fried so typically I will heat up some butter in a pan on medium and once hot, place a few of these finished, pre boiled perogies in the plan flipping them as they become nicely browned. When ready, remove them from the pan, add a dollop of sour cream, chives, and bacon bits and serve!

Pierogies in Air Fryer

You can also air fry pierogies in an air fryer if you have one! It usually only takes 4-5 minutes to get them crispy and golden brown but I have found that each air fryer I have tried them with is a little different so just keep an eye on them. Typically 4-5 minutes though is good!

Enjoy!

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If you like this recipe for perogies with bacon or have any comments/questions about how to make homemade perogies or suggestions as to what to serve with perogies, feel free to leave them in the comment section below!

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KETO CREAMY AVOCADO PESTO WITH ZUCCHINI NOODLES!

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After Christmas, I starting to feel like I had really over done it this holiday season. With all the parties and dinners I was really starting to feel unhealthy. I knew I was in need of making some serious changes to my diet. Both my mom and my boyfriend have been eating KETO for awhile and both of them would sing me praises about their new KETO lifestyle. Both said that eating KETO for them has provided them with great energy, they don't ever feel hungry, and both have experience weight loss. My mom who suffers from bad inflammation not only had lots of energy and lost weight, but she also started to feel better and was able to move around more without feeling as much pain. Fast forward to now - I have been on KETO for a month and I have lost 5 lbs! I get to eat full fats like avocado, butter, and olive oil, and never feel drained of energy.

When I started on the diet I was looking for some recipes and realized there aren't that many out there there were actually healthy and KETO.  So here is a delicious recipe that I altered and made my own to help you get started. It can also easily be transitioned to a Vegan recipe by removing the cheese. ENJOY!

Good for 6 People

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INGREDIENTS:

4 Zucchini Large - (1 zucchini can usually feed 1.5 people regular portion sizes)
1 TBSP of Olive Oil
1.5 Large Avocados
1 Cup of Fresh Basil Leaves (Washed and left on paper towel to dry)
2 Cloves of Garlic
1/3-1/4 Cup of Pine Nuts (depends on your palette)
2 TBSP of Lemon Juice
1 Cup of Grated Parmesan Cheese
3 TBSP of Olive Oil
Large Pinch of Sea Salt
Cracked Pepper

YOU WILL ALSO NEED:

-A Spiralizer
-A food processor

DIRECTIONS:

Spiralize your zucchini and set aside on a piece of paper towel so that all the excess water/juice is absorbed.

In the food processor add in your avocado, basil, garlic, pine nuts, lemon juice and grated Parmesan. Pulse until basil is finely chopped and you have a creamy consistency. While the motor is still running add in your 3 TBSP of olive oil. When finished add a large pinch of salt and pepper to taste and mix in until well incorporated.

In a skillet add 1 TBSP of olive oil and let it heat up on medium heat. When ready add in your spiralized zucchini and let cook until soft (around 2-3 minutes).

Once ready, move cooked zuchinni to a bowl and toss n the avocado pesto (there will be pesto left over don't feel like you have to use all of it). Garnish with Parmesan cheese and serve!

*This recipe can easily become vegan if you remove the cheese!

Enjoy!

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If you like this recipe or have any comments/questions, feel free to leave them in the comment section below!

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LINGUINI MARINARA WITH CLAMS

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I recently made this dish for a family dinner and I had to share! It was so delicious and quick to make - its honestly the perfect seafood dish to add to a meal. The sauce is light yet flavorful so you can still taste those delicate clams. I went for a thicker linguini noodle so as to get more sauce with each bite. If you are into Italian food you gotta try this recipe! It will be having your guest asking to take home leftovers...that's if there is any!

Makes Pasta for 5 People

INGREDIENTS:

3 TBSP of Olive Oil
2 -3 Shallots (minced)
2 Garlic Cloves (minced)
1 TSP of Dried Basil
1 TSP of Dried Oregano
Salt and Pepper to taste
2 Cans of San Marzano Tomatos (Drained and Chopped)*
3/4 Cup of White Wine
50 Clams (I used Little Neck Clams and washed them to remove any sand or dirt on the shell)
750 grams of Linguini (usually 150 grams per person is good)
A handful of fresh Italian Parsley (for garnish)

*Keep the juice just in case you want to add it in later for an even lighter sauce

DIRECTIONS:

Heat oil on medium in a nice big sauce pan. Add in your shallots, turn your heat down to low/medium and let those shallots sweat a little.

Once your shallots are starting to become translucent add in your garlic followed by the dried basil, oregano and a pinch of salt and pepper.

Once garlic has released its flavor into the mixture add in your strained and chopped tomatoes. Mix well and let the water in the pan evaporate a little before adding in the wine.

In a separate pot bring water to boil, add salt followed by your linguini.

Once you add in the wine let that sit for a while to reduce before adding in the clams. As the clams open up they release the flavor of sea water so the dish may need to thicken up a little bit but you also need to cover the dish so to properly steam the clams to open.

Once clams are fully open, add your cooked linguine, garnish with fresh Italian parsley and you are ready to serve!

ENJOY!!!

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I hope you enjoyed this recipe as much as I do. If you have any comments please leave them below and I'll be happy to answer them as soon as I can! Bon Appetite!!!

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#FOODIEFRIDAYS EPISODE 3 - CHEF HAROLD'S SMOKED DUCK

For episode 3 of #FoodieFridays I teamed up with Summerhill Market and Chef Harold to show you how to make delicious smoked chicken duck sandwiches using his smoked product available at Summerhill Market.

For all of you who are not familiar with Chef Harold he makes fabulous smoked products that he sells directly to restaurants and high end grocery stores here in Toronto and Montreal. To check out his full range of products click -> HERE

Again I also would like to reiterate that creating this YouTube series has long been a dream of mine and I am a true believer in giving thanks where it's due so,... Thanks again to everyone who helped make it possible. Also thank you everyone who showed me love and support over my first year blogging! You guys rock!