Kao Soi Noodles

Being on the quarantines makes a lot of people do nothing but cook in the kitchen. If my fridge could talk, it would probably say: NOW WHAT? 

I learned this recipe from a ZOOM cooking get-togheter. It is simple, easy, and exotic. The best? Fridge cleaner! I can use any kind of protein and vegetables I have left. So no doubt no doubt, I am writing a post immediately and planning to repeat this recipe for tomorrow lunch. 

I’ve adapted the proportion of this recipe so it’s single serving.

Ingredients:

  • 1 egg noodles
  • 1 can of coconut milk
  • 1/8 cup or less of red curry paste
  • half lime
  • 1/4 peanuts or fried shallots 
  • cilantro (optional)
  • green onion (optional)

Seasoning Mix: (It’s for 2 servings, so when you add it in, just add half of it.)

  • 1/3 tsp. turmeric
  • 1/2 tsp brown sugar
  • 2 tsp soy sauce
  • 1 scant tbsp. fish sauce
  • pinch of salt

Preparation:

  1. Freeze the coconut milk for 20 mins, so the fat rises to the top.
  2. Chop the vegetables and proteins into desired bite size. (From my fridge today, I got 2 mushrooms, small batch of snow peas, small batch of broccoli, and small batch of sliced carrots. I blanched my vegetables for a 1-2 mins and set them aside. But you can eat them raw if you would like.) 
  3. Mix the seasoning in a bowl.
  4. Roughly chop the peanuts.

Instructions:

  1. Heat a 7″ or 9″ pan. Add 1/4 coconut milk fat. Cook until it reduces to the texture like batter. 
  2. Meanwhile, start a pot. Bring the water to boil. 
  3. Add 1/8 or less of red curry paste. Stir and cook until it is fragrant. Approximately 1 min to 2 mins.
  4. Add protein. Cook until it is half way done.
  5. Add 1/2 cup of coconut milk, the seasoning mix, and 1/4 lime wedge juice. Simmer the protein in it until the protein is completely cooked.  (HERE! THIS IS YOUR KAO SOI SAUCE!)
  6. When the pot of water boils, add 1 serving of egg noodles. Every package may require different cooking time. When the noodles are ready, drain the water. 
  7. Put the noodles in a plate, and add the KAO SAI sauce and protein. On the top of the sauce, place the vegetables, chopped peanuts, cilantro, green onions, and fried shallots. Drizzle another 1/4 lime wedge juice. Time to serve! 

 

Please let me know if you enjoy this recipe as much as I do!

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Moroccan Spiced Carrot Slaw

The Super Bowl is a great excuse to eat like crap. Burgers, pizzas, chicken wings, fries, chips… you name it. So it’s time to go back to a healthy and delicious diet. The new issue of Food & Drinks by LCBO has this wonderful and easy-to-make recipe. I tried it, and I liked it, so I am sharing it.

It serves approximately 4-6.

Ingredients:

  • 2 lbs (1 kg) carrots, peeled and julienned or shredded
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/2 tsp paprika
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne
  • 1/4 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp grated garlic
  • 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
  • salt
  • 1/2 cup raisins
  • 2 tbsp dill, chopped
  • 2 tbsp mint, chopped

Instructions:

  1. In a frying pan, put cumin, paprika, cinnamon and cayenne in on small to medium heat. Toast for 1 to 2 mins until fragrant. Remove from the heat.
  2. In a small bowl, add olive oil, grated garlic, and the toasted spices. Stir and mix well until it combines.
  3. In a big bowl, add julienned or shredded carrots, the spiced oil, lemon juice, and toss.
  4. Season with salt to desired taste.
  5. Add raisins, dill, and mint and toss.
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Toronto Design Offsite Festival 2017

January went by faster than I realized. I may have spent too much time recovering from post-election symptoms, but I didn’t forget about Lo Hanging Fruit. Last week I finally got a morning off to wander around in the city. It was very fun to see the small exhibitions and the window installations spread out over Toronto. Here are some photos that I took during my wandering.

Translucent @Image Foundry, 1581 Dupont St.

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Pet Furniture @Helen + Hildegard, 3036 Dundas St. W.

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Dressing Room @Gerhard, 2949 Dundas St. W.

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Adorn: Objects for Better Living @Latitude 44 Gallery, 2900 Dundas St. W.

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“W.E.” – Welcome Everyone @ARTiculations|Earl Selkirk Gallery, 2928 Dundas St. W.

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Eat Sleep Stitch Repeat @Spectacle, 752 Queen St. W.

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IDS 2017 @Metro Toronto Convention Centre

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Shelter Bay x Stylegarage @Stylegarage, 78 Ossington Ave.

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IDS 2017 @Metro Toronto Convention Centre

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Abacus @The Devil’s Workshop, 890 Queen St. W.

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Taiwanese Beef Stew

December was a busy month. I traveled, worked, traveled, and played. It has been fun, but I am ready to embrace 2017 with these resolutions: read more, write more, and draw more.

So let me start 2017 with my favourite authentic Taiwanese beef stew.

My grandpa used to make this beef stew with homemade noodles as a quick meal for me when I was little. In my many years living in North America, I never found any restaurant that served a beef stew similar to the one my grandpa made.

Until I found this recipe.

When I said authentic, that means it’s not North Americanized. So if you would like to try the flavour but prefer different cuts of meat, you can substitute them for the beef shank that I use.

This serves approximately 5-6.

Ingredients:

  • 2 lbs beef shank
  • 6 slices ginger
  • 2 green onions
  • 6 garlic cloves, diced
  • 1/2 onion, diced
  • 1 tomato, diced

Spices:

  • 1 cup soy sauce
  • 3 tbsp spicy bean paste
  • 1 tbsp Sichuan pepper corns
  • 2 tsp sugar
  • 3 star anise
  • 2 bay leaf
  • 3 tbsp rice wine
  • olive oil

Instructions:

      1. In a big pot, add approximately 3 Qt. of water, the beef shank, ginger, green onion, and 1 tbsp rice wine. Bring it to boil. Use a spoon to take out all the bubbles(Important!). Save the beef broth for later.
      2. Remove the cooked meat from the broth, let it cool, and cut it into cubes.
      3. In another pot, heat the olive oil, and add the Sichuan pepper corns, garlic cloves, onion, and tomato. Cook it on low heat for 1-2 mins until the onion softens. Stir it frequently.
      4. Add spicy bean paste, sugar, soy sauce, and the rest of rice wine. Cook it for 1-2 mins.
      5. Add the beef to the pot. Cook it for another 1-2 mins.
      6. Add the beef broth, star anise, and bay leaf. Bring it to boil and simmer it for 1 hour.
      7. Turn the heat off. Put the lid on. Let it sit overnight in room temperature.

Tips:

  • Make sure you let it sit for a day or so. The beef becomes tender and soft.
  • In Taiwan, we serve this beef stew with noodles as beef noodle soup. The noodles I often see are somewhat close to the shape of linguine. You can certainly serve it with different grains like rice, or quinoa.

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