Share Good Food with Good Friends...

To kick off my personal campaign on sharing my love of good food and inspiring others to get excited in the next few weeks leading up to May 16th, I can't think of a better way than sharing my all-time favourite home cooked wonton noodle soup with my closest friends. Kaitlyn, whom I knew since secondary school and Eve who I met from work were meeting today for the first time finally after many missed opportunities. Since they heard so many great things about each other, their encounter was easy and natural as though they have been longtime friends. We had been planning a playdate at Kaitlyn's place with her daughter, Jenna and my son Matias, and Eve would join us. 

Originally, we were going for dim sum but after thinking how I could use this time to support the food revolution cause, I knew right away I wanted to cook for them. What made it more wonderful was that I had recently made a fresh frozen batch of wontons which we all love and was perfect to save preparation time! I boiled turkey bones to make the broth and prepared as much ahead yesterday so all I needed to do for lunch was quickly cook up the frozen wontons and noodles, and heat up the soup. Minimal time in the kitchen made for maximum time to talk and get to know each other.  

What a great afternoon spent with good friends over some good food- both close to my heart!

I brought home-prepared foods in containers,

including dessert. 

 

Kaitlyn and Eve enjoying a bowl of my wonton noodle soup.

 

Things You Can Do:
* Cook up your specialty dish or download a food revolution day recipe and cook from scratch for your friends, family and colleagues; http://www.foodrevolutionday.com/recipes/
* Surprise a neighbour with a homemade dish or sweet treat and share the recipe;
* Host an activity to promote cooking tasty and nutritious meals/snacks from scratch such as a potluck or a fun hands-on cooking lesson or session with your friends and kids.

Check out my related recipes: How to Make Delicious Wontons, My Heaven In a Bowl.... Wonton Noodle Soup, and Try Turkey Broth Instead.

Jamie Oliver's 3rd Annual Food Revolution Day!

What is Food Revolution Day?
Food Revolution Day is a global day of action to keep cooking skills alive.

It is a campaign led by the Jamie Oliver Food Foundation in the UK and USA, and The Good Foundation in Australia. It’s about celebrating the importance of cooking good food from scratch and raising awareness of how it impacts our health and happiness. With diet-related illnesses rising at an alarming rate, and our over reliance of convenient and fast foods, it has never been more important to educate people, especially kids about food- what they put in their bodies and how to cook it.

Jamie says, "We need every child to understand where food comes from, how to cook it, and how it affects their body. This is about setting kids up with the knowledge they need to make better food choices for life. Cooking is, without a doubt, one of the most important skills a person can ever learn and share. Once someone has that knowledge, that's it - they're set for life."  To date, 74 countries have taken part and over 900 ambassadors are championing the cause worldwide.

It's time to take action! What will you do? Follow me here in the few weeks leading up to May 16th on activities in the community, updates from Jamie's site, tips to organize fun activities, and what I'll be doing with my family to get kids food savvy and excited about food!

This year Jamie wants to break a Guinness World Record to get schools around the Globe participating in making a Rainbow Wrap. http://www.foodrevolutionday.com/rainbow-salad-wrap/ and he wants to get more people to spread the word and join in, attend an event, become an Ambassador or participate in some way in your area. For more information, check out: http://www.foodrevolutionday.com.

UPDATE: On Food Revolution Day 10,000 events took place in over 121 countries with 237,822 participants! And they SMASHED the Guinness World Record! Amazing!! 2015 will be even bigger and better!

Delectable Kimchi Pancakes...

Kimchi takes the cake... pancakes that is, and boy are they fine. Crispy with caramelized bits on the outside, mildly spicy, slightly crunchy and chewy on the inside... It can be served as an appetizer, or an accompaniment to a Korean meal such as BBQ meats and lettuce wraps. My twins enjoy eating kimchi on it's own but in small doses with rice; when they are served in a pancake, they can woof those things down easy.

Simply combine in a mixing bowl, 1 cup coarsely chopped kimchi (do not drain), 1/2 small onion, chopped, 1/2 tsp. sugar, a pinch of salt, 1 green onion, chopped, 1/2 cup flour and 1/3 cup of water. Mix well.

My favourite kimchi brand is Chongga- it's the most popular in Korea.

Heat 2 Tbsp. oil in a non-stick pan set over medium heat. Pour the
batter and flatten evenly with a spoon.



Cook for two to three minutes until the bottom crisps up and turns golden brown.

Carefully flip with spatula to cook onto the other side for the same time.

Remove onto a cutting board. Slice into bite-size pieces and layer onto a serving plate.

Serve the pancake with a dip mixed with 2 Tbsp. light soy sauce and 2 Tbsp. rice vinegar; drizzle with 1 tsp. sesame oil. Oh, the delectable goodness! 



My Son's "Grocery List"...

I was scouring my fridge and cupboards yesterday to see what I need to stock up and pick up this morning from the store. My son Étienne knows my Sunday routine and started writing up a grocery or wish list of his own by sounding out the words- he's only 4! My husband and I couldn't stop chuckling over the ingredients and deciphering what he actually means with the misspellings- barbekhur sose ;) or chickenocket (maybe chicken nuggets?) . Oh and the coffee could be for his brothers, they love coffee but we milk it down of course. At the same time he got distracted with other writing bits- like his friend's name Russell, and words like Canada and finch ;)... but we get it and it's too cool!!

Do-It-Yourself Korean BBQ Lettuce Wraps...

BBQ is usually the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Korean cuisine, especially BBQ beef.

In the recent years, I have become a Korean food fanatic, and there was a time when our household had Korean food almost two weeks straight. I refer to a couple of trusted resources for recipes, tips and guidance- two fantastic comprehensive Korean cookbooks namely, "Eating Korean" by Cecilia Hae-Jin Lee and "Growing Up in a Korean Kitchen" by Hi Soo Shin Hepinstall, and when in doubt I always turn to Maangchi to view the step-by-step cooking videos on her popular web-site www.maangchi.com.

The weekend is always a great time to cook more elaborately and eat more festively. My husband was out playing hockey with the twins and they each worked up a huge appetite. They were super pleased to come home to a spread of different Korean dishes for dinner. In this post, I will share with you how to prepare the BBQ, ingredients and condiments to make your own lettuce wraps, and other recipes from the meal will follow in subsequent posts.

I don't use fancy grills or equipment you see in the restaurants to BBQ my meats. Since it's unsafe to have a table-top BBQ to grill and eat as you go with my young kids, I just do it on a grill pan over the stove and serve it immediately. Here are the things I prepare for a nice BBQ wrap dinner. There are four components:

1) Prepare an onion salad, garlic and jalapeno/Korean green pepper slices for vegetables;
2) Prepare two condiments for dressing and dipping the wraps;
3) Prepare lettuce leaves to encase the meat and vegetable fillings;
4) BBQ the meats.

1) Cut two onions into 2-inch pieces. Slice into slivers. Slice two green lettuce leaves into shreds and mix them in a medium bowl with the onions. Prepare the dressing with 2 Tbsp. each light soy sauce and rice vinegar. Add a squirt of lemon juice, 2 tsp. sesame oil, 1/2 tsp. each toasted sesame seeds and Korean red pepper flakes; mix and store in fridge until ready to use.

TIP: Dress the onion salad just before serving or the salad will wilt.

2) Prepare condiments: 1. Seasoned bean paste mixed with a little water to soften; 2. Sesame oil dip for each person. Use 1/2 tsp. kosher salt and 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper for 2 Tbsp. sesame oil.

3) Red leaf lettuce is very popular to use for wrapping, and Korean stores even sell the leaves individually separated. Perilla leaves (sesame leaves) are another favourite to use as a wrapper and adds a grassy licorice taste. I used a few Korean green peppers as they are much milder than jalapenos and sliced them along with garlic cloves.

4)  I picked up some fresh Angus beef flap tail which is an under blade centre cut that is highly marbled and tender. Unfortunately the plastic had a small hole and by the next day some slices darkened due to oxidation but they were fine. I seasoned both sides with kosher salt and ground black pepper. I pour 1/2 cup of Korean BBQ beef marinating sauce into a bowl and take out a pastry brush. TIP: Brush on the sauce at the last minute of grilling or it will burn due to the high sugar content.

Grill on hot grill pan with a little oil on high heat for one to two minutes.

Flip meats over and grill for another two minutes; meanwhile brushing tops with sauce.

Flip meats over again, basting this side and grilling one minute more on both sides.

Serve with various panchans (Korean side dishes) with the lettuce and perilla leaves ,and fixings at the table with the condiments for everyone to serve their own. I cut the beef up into four pieces for easier wrapping. 



Take a red lettuce leaf, add a perilla leaf on top, place a piece of beef in the centre, spread with bean paste, top with dressed onion salad, pepper and garlic slices and enjoy with a dip into the seasoned sesame oil. Nom nom!

Try grilled Japanese shishito peppers (mild slender mini peppers with a distinct peppery taste)-- something "new" and interesting as a topping in the lettuce wraps. 

If you like Korean BBQ, you will also like grilling pork belly, Stir-Fried Pork Belly with Kimchi and Spicy Pork and Peppers Stir-Fry a try using them in wraps too. For more on Korean cuisine, check out my Korean food blow-out on our family favourites! Something here for everyone!

Stir-Fried Pork Belly with Kimchi

Spicy Pork with Peppers Stir-Fry

How to Make Pork and Shrimp Wontons...

If you've been reading my posts, you'll know that wontons is the ultimate food for me created by fond memories growing up preparing and eating it with my family. In fact, I titled a previous post "My Heaven in a Bowl... Wonton Noodle Soup." In it, I explained how to create a delicious pork bone soup to go with my all-time favourite wontons and noodles, but I didn't talk about making the wontons; I was using previous homemade wonton dumplings that were frozen. There are two kinds I often make-- one that is wrapped smaller with mostly pork, plus shrimp, black mushroom fungus and chives, and the other is shrimp dumplings, called "sui gow" in Cantonese, made mostly of shrimp, pork, black mushroom fungus and bamboo shoots . Here is my recipe for the first version.

Pork and Shrimp Wontons
Makes about 70 dumplings

1 lb. lean ground pork
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground white pepper
1 tsp. fish or chicken bouillon powder
1 tsp. soy sauce
1/2 tsp. sesame oil
1 Tbsp. Chinese cooking wine
400 g raw shrimp, shelled, cleaned, rinsed and chopped
1/3 cup dried black mushroom fungus slice, rehydrated in water for 1 hour, drained and chopped
1 handful Chinese chives, finely chopped or 3 green onions, finely chopped
1-1/2 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 package of wonton wrappers (I like the Hung Wang brand)

Season ground pork in a large bowl with salt, pepper, seasoning powder, soy sauce, sesame oil and cooking wine; incorporate well. Add shrimps, mushroom fungus and chives and mix well. Add cornstarch and mix again. Wrap and chill at least one hour for flavours to meld.

 

  

Assemble dumplings right before cooking. Place 1 Tbsp. filling in centre of wonton wrapper. Wrap the skin upwards to encase the filling and pinch at the top to seal. Repeat with the remaining wrappers and filling. Cook immediately and freeze the remainder (see tip). Do not refrigerate or they will get moist and stick to the plate.

TIP: Place a plastic wrap on the bottom of a Tupperware or reusable plastic container. Lay the wontons in a single layer. Then, cover with plastic wrap to add a second layer. Place another plastic wrap before closing with lid. Can be frozen for two months if properly sealed.









Cook fresh egg noodles by bringing a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Loosen noodles before placing into the water. Cook for two minutes, stirring with chopsticks. Drain and place immediately in cold water to stop the cooking process. Place noodles in strainer and pour boiling water over to reheat when ready to serve. Drain well before placing in bowl/plate.

Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add 2 tsp. chicken seasoning to flavour the wontons during cooking. Carefully add the wontons and cook for three to four minutes or until all the wontons are floating. Remove with a large slotted spoon or strainer.

The wontons are served on the side with noodles and oyster sauce- a popular Cantonese dish called wonton lo mien, as an alternative to soup. I topped the noodles with chopped green onions and cilantro and dip the wontons in red vinegar. A side of stir-fried snow pea leaves in garlic rounds out the meal. Wontons is a regular in my house and my kids love it as much as I do! 

Classic wonton noodles in soup...

Check out my related recipes: Sui Gow Dumplings in Soup, My Heaven In a Bowl.... Wonton Noodle Soup, and Try Turkey Broth Instead.

This is also a great recipe for your kids to help with the dumpling wrapping and build on their finger dexterity. My kids love helping me and they feel extra special when they boast during dinner how they prepared our meal together :). 

Asian-Spiced Salmon Rice (Kedgeree)...

My go-to fish one-pot rice meal when I need a quick fish fix for the family!  I remember first seeing this recipe on a Nigella Lawson cooking show on a flight back from London, England. I was immediately struck by the combination of flavours and the amazing results; I knew I had to get my hand on the recipe. Kedgeree as I read, started in India as a dish of rice and lentils which later, with the influence of Anglo-Indian Ascendancy became a golden rice dish with eggs and smoked haddock. Nigella, eating it as a child, played with the recipe and it soon became South-East Asian inspired trading the haddock for fleshy coral salmon. I don't know what the original haddock dish was like but if it's anything like the adapted version, I'm sure I would love it too. This is a colourful healthy dish and great for the family. My kids really like it!

Asian-Spiced Salmon Rice (Kedgeree)

Makes 6 servings

500 mL cold water for poaching fish
1 (750 g) salmon fillet, skinned
2 kaffir lime leaves or thinly shaved lime skin
1 Tbsp. butter
1 tsp. oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1/2 tsp. kosher/sea salt
1 tsp. each ground coriander, ground cumin and turmeric
1-1/2 cups of basmati rice (soaked in water for 30 minutes, then washed and drained)
1 Tbsp. fish sauce
4 hard-boiled eggs
3 Tbsp. chopped cilantro and/or green onions
lime juice to taste

Preheat the oven to 425F. Pour the water into a roasting dish. Add the salmon and lime leaves. Cover with foil and bake to poach the salmon for 15 minutes or until tender. Remove the dish and drain the liquid off into a measuring cup. Keep the fish warm and moist by replacing foil on top.

Melt the butter in a wide skillet and add the oil to prevent butter from burning. Soften the onion and add the salt and spices; cook until onions are translucent and spices distributed. Add the rice and stir with a wooden spoon so that everything is well-coated and the rice is fragrantly slicked.

Pour the reserved liquid from the measuring cup- about 500 mL- and stir before covering with the lid and cooking gently for 15 minutes. The resulting rice should be moist and fluffy- not too wet or dry.

Just before serving, drain off any excess liquid from the salmon, then flake with a fork carfully looking for bones and removing them. NOTE: It is fine if the salmon is slightly undercooked. Once you add it to the rice it will cook from its heat. Cut eggs into eights. Add salmon and eggs to the rice along with cilantro, lime juice and fish sauce. Stir gently to mix. 

Absolutely stunning and tastes divine! 

Serve immediately with extra cilantro and lime wedges at the table.

I got the kids' smiling approval! 

Ok, altogether now.. let's eat more fish! It does a body good! Check out more fish recipes by selecting fish from labels or enter fish in the search field!