Creamy Garlic Vegetable Dip | 蒜香美乃滋沾醬

INGREDIENTS:

6 tablespoons Mayonnaise, low fat

1 head Garlic, peeled and minced

1/4 cup Milk, 2%

1 tablespoon Dijon Mustard

1 teaspoon Oregano, dried

 sprinkle of Sea Salt

材料：

6 湯匙  美乃滋，低脂

1 頭  蒜頭，去皮，磨蓉

1/4 杯  牛奶，2%

1 湯匙  芥末醬

1 茶匙  奧勒崗，乾燥

少撮  海鹽

DIRECTION 做法:

1. Whisk all ingredients together until smooth and well combined.  Chill it before serving.

1. 把所有材料攪勻至幼滑。雪凍後才享用。

How to make Tomato Jam | 蕃茄果醬

The first time I tried tomato jam was in Dundurn castle, Hamilton.  The historians dressed in the traditional clothes, presenting this preserve that they had made on site for the guesses to try.  The jam contained chunks of candied tomatoes.  It tasted more like a marmalade than jam and it was perfect to pair with soda cracker.

I asked the historians for the recipe and here it is.  It is a very straightforward recipe and my jam turned out nicely.  I hope you will also give this recipe a try.

How to make Tomato Jam | 蕃茄果醬

Ingredients: (yield about 1 cup)

6 Tomatoes

1.5 cups Sugar

1/2 Lemon, juiced

1 teaspoon Chilli Flake (optional)

材料：(約1杯)

6 個   蕃茄

1.5 杯   糖

1/2 個   檸檬汁

1 茶匙   辣椒碎 (隨意)

DIRECTION:

Homemade BBQ Sauce 自家製燒烤醬

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups Tomato Sauce (large)

1/4 cup Tomato Paste

1/2 Apple Cider Vinegar

1/3 cup Honey

1/4 cup Molasses

3 tablespoons Worcestershire

1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper

1 teaspoon Smoked Paprika

1 teaspoon Garlic Powder

1/2 teaspoon Sea Salt

DIRECTION:

1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together all ingredients until smooth. Store it in an air tight container and place it in the fridge.

Cilantro Zesty Oil

INGREDIENT:

2 cups Cilantro, leaves and stems

4 Garlic Cloves, minced

1 Lemon of zest of juice

1/4 cup Olive Oil

1/3 teaspoon Sea Salt

DIRECTION:

1. Soak and rinse the cilantro; drain well.  Chop it finely with a knife.

2. In a bowl, add all the ingredients.  Mix well.  Serve it with fish or meat.

Our Family Barbecue Sauce

If you never try the combination of soy sauce and fenugreek, you should try it. They are meant to be together. I am a Chinese, and Chinese barbecue sauce can not without soy sauce and garlic , right? But I also got some fenugreek in hand. So ta-da! That is how I come up with this sauce. Unlike the traditional sweet and spicy barbecue sauce, this sauce is oil based and tastes absolutely compatible. 

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup Vegetable Oil

1/2 cup Light Soy Sauce

2 large tablespoons Fenugreek Leaves

1/2 head Garlic, peeled and minced

DIRECTION:

1. Add all ingredients in a large jar and shake to combine.

Pine Tip Mayonnaise Dip

They are called pine tips, but they actually grow from fir trees instead of pine.  Pine tip is one of the delicious wild edibles my son enjoys eating.  Every spring when the bright green pine firs start to emerge from their brown and papery skins, we are excited.  Before collecting pine tips, you should give it a taste test to see if you like the flavour.  While many people like that citrus and piney flavour, some others find it too strong or bitter.  And the taste of pine tips can be very different from tree to tree.  Try to look for the tips that are still half wrapped inside the brownish case.

This recipe is dead simple that I actually don't even think it is necessary to write an article.  However, it is a tasty recipe and everyone likes tasty food.  So, I believe there is a need to share this delicious gift from Mother Nature.

We eat this pine tip mayonnaise as a dip with vegetable sticks or French fries, but it is also tasty to serve as a spread on ham sandwich. 

INGREDIENTS:

1 Cup Mayonnaise (I used full fat)

12-15 Pine Tips

1 tablespoon Sugar

1/8 teaspoon Salt

DIRECTION:

1. Soak the pine tips in water to remove the papery case; drain well.  Finely chop the pine tips.

2. In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients together and mix thoroughly.  It can be serve as a dip or sandwich spread.

Pine Tip Vinegar | 嫩松葉尖浸醋

Spring is the time to pick the young green pine tips.  They are the sprouts of the new branches.  Try to take one and nibble.  You will find it tastes like citrus.

Our family likes to add the pine tips directly into salad green, or chop them up to mix it with mayonnaise.  But I use pine tip vinegar the most.  I use it for salad dressing, marinade, or even for adding to my Chinese noodles snack.

Just like any vinegar, this vinegar seems to last forever! Each year I make two large bottles and they still taste great until the end of the year when I use up the last drop of them.  Though, the longer the tips sit in the vinegar, the browner the vinegar will become.  So don't be alarmed.  I hope you enjoy this spring flavour.

INGREDIENTS:

Young Pine Tips, about 20-30 pcs

1-2 cups White Wine Vinegar

DIRECTION:

1. Rinse the fresh pine tips with cold water; drain well.

2. In a large mason jar, add the pine tips.  Pour vinegar until the pine tips are completely submerged.  Store it in the pantry for at least a month before using it.

Kid-friendly Chickpea Hummus

The traditional hummus contains tahini, but tahini has a slightly bitter aftertaste that not all people like.  My son doesn't really like tahini so I use mayonnaise here.  It is not a super healthy recipe since I admit it calls for mayonnaise.  However, the kids are really going to enjoy this chickpea packed snack.

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup Canned Chickpea, rinsed and drained

2 Garlic Cloves, peeled

1/4 cup Mayonnaise

1/3 Lemon of Juice

3 tablespoons Water

4 tablespoons Olive Oil

1/4 teaspoon Salt

DIRECTION:

1. In a food processor, add all ingredients.  Process until the mixture becomes smooth and creamy.

2. Before serving, sprinkle some sweet paprika and extra olive oil if desired.  Serve it with pita, naan, cucumber, carrot, or blanched beans.

Mashed Avocado Egg Sandwich

The avocado replaces the mayonnaise in this mashed avocado egg sandwich, making it a more healthy meal while it still tastes pillowy and smooth.

INGREDIENTS:

2 Eggs

1 ripe Avocado, pitted

1 tablespoon Mayonnaise

1/2 teaspoon Apple Cider Vinegar

Salt and Pepper to taste

Sandwich Bread (for serving)

DIRECTION:

1. Place the eggs in a pot of cold water.  Bring it to a boil over high heat for about 10 minutes; drain.   Fill the pot with cold water and allow the eggs to sit for about 1 minute before peeling them.

2. In a bowl, add the eggs and pitted avocado.  Mash them together with a masher or a folk until they are well incorporated.  Add the rest of the ingredients; mix well.  Serve with sandwich bread.

Cilantro Chutney

If you have a whole bunch of cilantro left from another recipe, you can use it to make this lemony chutney.  This chutney is very delicious when paired with chicken, white fish, and baked potato.

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup Cilantro, leaves and stems

1/2 inch Ginger, peeled and cut into pieces

1/2 Lemon, juice

2 tablespoons Olive Oil

3/4 teaspoon Cumin Powder

1/3 teaspoon Salt

DIRECTION:

1. In a food processor, add all the ingredients.  Blend until it is well incorporated.  This chutney can be kept in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Crunchy Salad Green and Strawberry Salad with Fresh Strawberry Vinaigrette | 青脆草莓沙律配草莓醋汁

Although it is nearly the end of the summer the weather is still so hot and humid.  It is joyful to have a big bowl of crunchy salad that is packed with leafy greens and juicy fruit.

For the dressing, I used fresh strawberries to make the vinaigrette, adding another layer of fruitiness.  After trying this dressing, you will agree how much it goes well with the greens.

INGREDIENTS: (2 servings)

1 cup Baby Arugula

2 cups Cabbage, shredded

10 Strawberries, hulled and quarter

1 Mini Cucumber

A handful of Walnut, roasted

DRESSING:

6 Strawberries, hulled, quarter

2 tablespoons Sugar

5 tablespoons Olive Oil

3 tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar

small pinch of Salt and Pepper

材料：(2 人份)

1 杯  芝麻菜

2 杯  椰菜，切幼絲

10 粒  草莓，去蒂，切4份

1 條  迷你青瓜

少量  合核，烤過

汁料：

6 粒草莓，去蒂，切4份

2 湯匙  糖

5 湯匙  橄欖油

3 湯匙  意大利黑醋

少撮鹽和黑胡椒粉

DIRECTION:

1. In a small mixing bowl, mash the strawberries from the dressing ingredients along with the sugar, until there are no big chunks.

2. Add the rest of the dressing ingredients; mix well.

3. On a serving plate, arrange the salad ingredients.  Drizzle the strawberry vinaigrette.  Serve immediately.

做法：

1. 在一只小碗內，加入汁料用的草莓。用搗碎器壓至無大顆粒。

2. 下所有汁料用的材料；拌勻。

3. 沙律材料在餐碟上排盤；淋上草莓醋汁食用。

Seasonal Peach and Ginger Vinaigrette | 蜜桃薑沙拉醬汁

When you have some overly ripe peaches, this salad dressing will be a good idea to use them up.  You can always taste the peaches before adding agave syrup so that you can have a better control of the sweetness.  This dressing is best to go with bitter greens such as kale, arugula, and spinach.

INGREDIENTS:

1 Peach, pitted

Salad Green

Thumb size of Ginger, fresh, peeled

3 tablespoons Olive Oil

1 tablespoon Agave Syrup

1 tablespoon White Vinegar

1 teaspoon Poppy Seeds

Small pinch of Sea Salt

材料：

1 個  桃，去核

沙律菜

一節  薑，去皮

3 湯匙  橄欖油

1 湯匙  龍舌蘭蜜

1 湯匙  白醋

1 茶匙  罌粟籽

少撮  海鹽

DIRECTION  做法：

1. In a blender, add all ingredients.  Process until the mixture until it becomes smooth.  Drizzle on the salad before serving.

1. 在攪拌器內加入所有材料，攪拌直至其變成汁料。

Cold Mushroom Cream Cheese Dip ｜蘑菇忌廉芝士沾醬

This long weekend my son was at my in-law's, so my husband and I got some of our own time together.  Since it was a rainy day, we decided to go to St. Lawrence Market to look for some fresh local vegetables and to stay dry.

Honestly, my husband is not the guy who enjoys looking at vegetables, so he suggested to find something to eat right after we entered the market.  It was bustling and filled with people's chatters and laughs, just like any Sunday markets.  My heart lifted, I felt alive.

There were a few seafood shops right beside the entrances, but one of the shops in particular offered dine-in service.  It brought out our excitement.  We have oysters once in a while, but we usually brought them home and shucked them ourselves, because that way was cheaper and more comfortable anyways.  It'd been a long time since we sat at the restaurant and enjoyed well prepared oysters that I didn't need to scrub and shuck.  We like creamy oysters so we ordered European flats and Blue point oysters, plus some seasonal clams.  Our mouths started to water.

Other than the variety of fresh seafood, they also had a pretty complete section of condiments for oysters and clams - rose vinaigrette, mignonette, cocktail sauce, Japanese soy sauce, and lemon wadges.  My husband and I tried each on the clams and we both agreed that the best condiment is just a few drop of fresh lemon juice.  They were good, but not as fresh as we expected.  And they were quite sandy around the edges.  Apparently the staff didn't scrub the clams and oysters well before shucking them.  We were a bit disappointed.  

After we finished the whole tray of seafood, we actually felt like more oysters.  The good quality oysters.  So we decided to drive to Diana's Seafood across town where we could always buy the best oysters.  I was hoping to get a case of sixty, but my husband insisted on just buying the fifteen for the two of us because we would have no way to finish them.  But I recalled last time when we bought the oysters, I ate nearly thirty just by myself.  I am not kidding.  I am truly an oyster craver and I have a very strong stomach for that.  We ended up settling on thirty of the European flats.  I carefully scrubbed them under running water with a toothbrush as always.  They tasted much creamier and fresher than the ones we had this morning, and they were sand free!

I learned how to shuck oysters long ago when I was working at a fine dining restaurant.  I used to be able to do it so fast, but now my skill was rusty.  And, I started to enjoy just sitting and eatting the shucked oysters rather than serving them.  I showed my husband how to do it.  He succeeded in one take, which took me nearly ten attempts back then.  He showed me a winner's smile and took the shucking knife from my hand.  I was delighted.  I immediately pulled the bowl of lemon wedges closer to myself and got ready to be served.  My husband patiently took on the role until all the oysters were down into our tummies.  For a man who rarely set foot in the kitchen, he was very sweet.

I also prepared this mushroom dip for our Entree.  You can use white mushrooms instead of the brown ones, but I like the contrasting colours on the dip.  Wrap it tightly, and it can keep well for at least 4 days.

INGREDIENTS:

7-9 Brown Button Mushrooms, rinsed

1 pack Cream Cheese, 250 gram

1/3 cup Coriander, leaves only, roughly chopped, squeeze out all the juice

1/2 Lemon of Juice

1/3 teaspoon Sea Salt

材料：

7-9 顆  蘑菇

1 盒  忌廉芝士，250克

1/3 杯  莞茜，葉部份，切碎，搾乾多餘水份

1/2 個 檸檬

1/3 茶匙  海鹽

DIRECTION 做法:

1. Roughly chop the mushrooms and place them in a bowl.  Add sea salt and lemon juice and mix well; leave them for about 10 minutes.  Squeeze out all the excess juice.

1. 蘑菇切碎，加入大碗內。下海鹽和搾入檸檬汁；拌勻。靜置10分鐘；搾乾水份。

2. In a clean bowl, combine the chopped mushroom, chopped coriander, and cream cheese.  With a spatula, mix everything until well combined.

2. 下莞茜和忌廉芝士；用力拌勻便成。

3. Serve it with tortilla chips or crackers.  This mushroom dip can be kept in the fridge up to four days.

3. 配以墨西哥玉米片或梳打餅食用。封好，可處存在雪櫃內若4天。

Basil Flavoured Oil | 九層塔油

Basil Flavoured Oil

九層塔油

Ingredients:

2 cups Basil Leaves

1 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 cup Grape Seed Oil

材料：

2 杯   九層塔葉

1 杯   初榨橄欖油

1 杯   葡萄籽油

DIRECTION:

Homemade Strawberry Jam without Pectin ｜自製草莓果醬 (不含果膠)

Strawberry is almost the first fruit to welcome summer in Ontario; many of the local farms will open to the public for pick-your-own strawberries.  Every year my husband and I will bring our son to a strawberry farm to learn where the food comes from while picking some of the freshest fruit home.

Like many other children, my son always has fond memories of going to a strawberry farm, sampling those fresh fruit right on the field.  He will walk up and down the aisles, finding the biggest and the best looking strawberries between the leaves and shoving them into his mouth.  "It's so juicy! Mommy, look!" my son says happily.  His content face is usually covered with delicious juice.

The 30 pounds of strawberries we picked this summer.

This summer, we brought home thirty pounds of strawberries.  It was a little crazy.  I spent a full two and a half hours hulling them to prepare for the jam making.  It was a mind-over-matter job indeed.

There are two common ways to make strawberry jam.  One is using pectin and the other one without.

Pectin is extracted from high pectin fruit, like apple, through heat and acid.  It is a thickening agent that helps gelling jam or other preserves.  By adding pectin, the jam can solidify without too much reduction in the liquid.  So, it generally helps speed up the cooking process, also resulting in a larger portion of jam.  Though, pectin may cause stiff jam and may also leave some off flavour in the product.

Strawberries contain high amounts of pectin naturally; therefore, it's not necessary to thicken the jam with extra store-bought pectin.   My strawberry jam recipe is the traditional way without pectin, which means that it requires longer cooking time to reduce the liquid to the right consistency.  The finished product is usually about half of the amount of the fruit.  However, the jam is much more fruity and has no off flavour from the pectin.

Thanks for dropping by.  I hope you will enjoy this recipe.

Homemade Strawberry Jam without Pectin

自製草莓果醬 (不含果膠)

INGREDIENTS

8 cups Strawberries

3 cups Sugar

1/2 Lemon of Juice

DIFRECTION:

1. Gently rinse the strawberries.

2. With a chopstick, hull the green leafy top of the strawberries.  Discard the tops.

3. Pour the strawberries in a big deep pot.  Mash them with a potato masher until lumpy.

4. Add sugar and lemon juice.  Mix together over high heat until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture starts to boil.  Reduce the heat to medium.

5. Continuously boil the mixture until it becomes thicker.  Reduce the heat to simmer.  Skim off the foam and stir the mixture occasionally.

6. When the mixture reduces to nearly half, test the jam by dipping a cold spoon in the jam.  If the jam coats the spoon without falling, the jam is ready.  Remove the pot from the heat immediately.

I tested my jam on a cold plate.

7. Bottle the jam in hot sterilized mason jars immediately.

8. Seal the jars in water bath for 10 minutes.  The jars need to be totally submerged.  Leave the jars to cool and check carefully to see if the lid is moving.  The lids should not be movable.  Once cool, store them in a dark cool place.

The best part of making jam for my son was that he got to lick the spoon after I finished the jam.  Another lovely memory!  He said it was a big strawberry lollipop. 

The batches I made this year.  They should be enough to last until next summer.

Yum!

Homemade Balsamic Reduction ｜如何做濃縮意大利黑醋

Homemade Balsamic Reduction

如何做濃縮意大利黑醋

Ingredients:

Balsamic Vinegar

DIRECTION:

Baked Polenta Fries + Vegan Mayonnaise | 香焗玉米糕條 ＋素食美乃滋

This vegan mayo is absolutely healthy and simple enough to make at home often.  The silken tofu does a good job to provide lots of protein while forming a substantial texture.  It is the mayo I don't worry about my son having so much of.  The polenta fries have a slightly chewy texture and are as good as the traditional fries.  If you are looking for the substitute for the yam fries, polenta fries will not disappoint you.

Baked Polenta Fries + Vegan Mayonnaise

香焗玉米糕條 ＋素食美乃滋  

Ingredients for Polenta Fries: (yield about 1 portion)

100 gram Polenta

1/2 teaspoon Paprika

2 tablespoon Olive Oil

Sea Salt

Ground Black Pepper

Ingredients for Mayonnaise: (yield about 2 cups)

250 gram Silken Tofu

3/4 cup Canola Oil

1/4 cup Olive Oil

2 tablespoons Fresh Lemon Juice

2 tablespoons Dijon Mustard

Sea Salt to taste

焗玉米糕條材料： (1人份)

100 克   玉米糕

1/2 茶匙   甜紅椒粉

2 湯匙   橄欖油

海鹽

黑胡椒碎

素食美乃滋材料: (約2杯)

250 克   滑豆腐

3/4 杯   芥花籽油

1/4 杯   初榨橄欖油

2 湯匙   鮮榨檸檬汁

2 湯匙   芥辣醬

少許   海鹽

DIRECTION:

Egg Wrap Mozzarella Cheese Sticks + Fresh Tomato Dipping Sauce | 白乾酪芝士脆條 + 鮮茄沾汁

These cheese sticks are as good as the ones coated with breadcrumbs or panko, but we don't need to lay out three dishes for the flour, egg, and the seasoned crumbs.  All we need is just to lay out the sheets of egg wraps and roll out some "mozzarella mummies".  For the sauce, you can add some tabasco if you like heat.

Egg Wrap Mozzarella Cheese Sticks + 

Fresh Tomato Dipping Sauce

白乾酪芝士脆條 + 鮮茄沾汁  

Ingredients:

200 gram Mozzarella Cheese, cut into 7 sticks

7 Egg Wraps

Water

2.5 tablespoons Light Cooking Olive Oil (for frying)

Tomato Sauce: (about 1/2 cup)

3 Tomatoes, diced

3 cloves Garlic Gloves, crushed

2.5 tablespoons Light Cooking Olive Oil

1/3 teaspoon Dried Rosemary

1 tablespoon Red Wine Vinegar

1 teaspoon Paprika

1 tablespoon Brown Sugar

Sea Salt and Pepper to taste

材料：

200克  白乾酪芝士, 切成7條

7 塊   蛋春卷皮

水

2.5 湯匙   淡味煎煮用橄欖油 (煎春卷用)

蕃茄沾汁: (約1/2 杯)

3 個   蕃茄， 切粒

3 瓣   蒜頭，壓扁

2.5 湯匙   淡味煎煮用橄欖油

1/3 茶匙   乾迷迭香

1 湯匙   紅酒醋

1 茶匙   紅甜椒粉

1 湯匙   黑糖

DIRECTION:

Avocado Yogurt Dip | 牛油果乳酪醬

It is an easy and healthy dip I love to serve when some little guess come over for a play day.  I guess no one will complain greek yogurt and avocado.  Also, the refreshing green colour and the lemony flavour gives a perfect snack for spring.

Avocado Yogurt Dip | 牛油果乳酪醬  

Ingredients:

1 Ripe Avocado

1/4 cup Plain Greek Yogurt

2 tablespoons Fresh Lemon Juice

1/4 teaspoon Black Ground Pepper

1/4 teaspoon Sea Salt

Corn Tortilla Chips (to serve) 

材料：

1 個   熟牛油果

1/4 杯   原味希臘乳酪

2 湯匙   鮮檸檬汁

1/4 茶匙   海鹽

1/4 茶匙   黑胡椒碎

墨西哥粟米片 (伴食)

DIRECTION:

How to make Herb Butter | 香草牛油

How to make Herb Butter | 香草牛油  :

Ingredients:

1 stick Unsalted Butter, softened

4-6 sprigs Tarragon

4-6 sprigs Thyme

2 sprigs Rosemary

2 bunches Flat Leaf Parsley

材料：

1 條   無鹽牛油

4-6 支   龍蒿草

4-6 支   百里香

2 支   迷迭香

2 棵   莞茜

DIRECTION: