Kate Chou's Taiwanese Pearly Meatballs...

So happy to introduce you to Kate Chou, my fellow Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution Ambassador in Taiwan with the most infectious smile ever and a witty humour! Her huge passion for food is evident in her amazing photo collage posts of her eating frenzy with family and friends on our JOFR global community Facebook page. She loves to try exotic and bizarre food everywhere she goes, such as natto (Japanese fermented soy beans), pig's gingiva (teeth gums) and even fried crispy grasshopper on a stick that tastes like roasted nuts. She tells me eating with her lovely family is her happiest moment and that’s why her life is always filled with love and of course….FOOD! Although Taiwanese cuisine is deliciously vast and enticing, she balances eating everything with real sensible food choices as a registered dietitian in Taipei Medical University Hospital, furthering her mission as a JOFR ambassador. Here is Kate from halfway around the world...

Kate Chou, Taiwan

Pearly Meatballs is a recipe passed down from my late grandmom; she used to make these at every festival including Chinese New Year. I can still remember her hand motions while rolling these tiny meat balls! It’s not only super delicious, but also filled with so much love! My grandmom had always loved to cook for us because she believed that people needed good food to get enough energy to do better work!

It’s called pearly meat ball because it looks like a precious pearl :)! This recipe is very suitable for all family members to make together; for elders, it gives them an opportunity to move their hands and participate in this fun activity; for children, they get to roll up their sleeves, and have fun while rolling meat balls! I believe after making this amazing food, family will stick together, forever and ever!!

Kate's Taiwanese Pearly Meatballs

Makes about 20 meatballs

600 g lean ground pork

1 egg, beaten 

1 tsp. minced ginger

1 green onion, chopped

1 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 Tbsp. rice wine

Salt and ground pepper to taste
1 tsp. sesame oil
100 g water chestnuts, chopped
2 tsp. cornstarch

1-1/2 cups uncooked glutinous rice, well-rinsed
lettuce leaves for steaming 

Mix pork well with egg, ginger, green onion, soy sauce, salt, pepper, rice wine and sesame oil. Add the water chestnuts. If you have time, let mixture marinate in the fridge for one hour for flavours to meld and texture to firm. TIP: For best texture, stir everything in the same direction until it forms a sticky paste about five minutes (using a pair of chopsticks works well to do this raking and stirring as you go). Add 2 tsp. cornstarch and mix well to ensure binding.

Form meat balls equally to the size of ping pong balls. Coat the meat balls with the rice; with your hands, press rice firmly and evenly to stick to the meat balls, otherwise they will break apart after steaming.

Lay the meatballs on lettuce leaves in a steamer, and steam for about 20 minutes.Cook in batches if your steamer is small. Afterwards, keep the lid on for an extra ten minutes to let the sticky rice cook thoroughly. Discard the wilted lettuce leaves. Let cool slightly before eating. Don't worry if some rice sloughs off, it still tastes really good...

Susan says, "Cute as ping pong balls. I'm sure my kids will love their taste too!"

I couldn't resist and just had to make these the next day for the fam... thumbs up from my boys in Toronto!!

Turned out oh so tasty! Served dipped with soy and sesame oil.

An example of Kate's appetite-whetting Taiwanese food photo collages... see what I mean?

Kate cooking up scrumptious oyster omelets at Taipei's Medical University Hospital.

Vive Food Revolution Taiwan! Keep up the great work Kate!

For more recipes and inspiring work around the globe from the Food Revolution team see Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution!

Beef Pot Roast and Gravy...

Slow food such as pot roast is a true Canadian comfort dish and is much more than fuel. This roast is delicious, nutritious and sets off a kitchen full of wonderful aromatic anticipation! Usually these slow dinners are reserved for Sundays, but my husband has been away on a week-long business trip, and I thought what a terrific meal this was to welcome him home with a sit down dinner with the family... food away from home usually means breakfast on-the-go, sandwich lunch meetings and some greasy spoon for dinner near the hotel. The best thing ever is this recipe makes lots of gravy with healthy puréed vegetables to drench the meat and everything else in. So with that, pass the gravy boat please!

Beef Pot Roast and Gravy
Makes 8 servings

3 lb. (1.4 kg) boneless beef pot roast (see Cook's note below for which cuts make the best pot roast)

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 Tbsp. oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1 medium carrot, chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 dried bay leaf
1 cup beef stock, or 1 cup water seasoned with beef bouillon cubes or liquid concentrate
1/2 cup red or white wine

2 Tbsp. tomato paste

Salt and ground black pepper to taste 

1/4 cup minced fresh parsley

Cook's NOTE: Which cuts of beef makes the best pot roast? Tough cuts do.. let's get into the specific cuts. 

Chuck – From the front portion of the animal; look for chuck roast, shoulder steak, boneless chuck roast or chuck shoulder pot roast.

Brisket – From the breast or lower chest with long strands of meat; the flat cut is leaner, the point cut has more fat; brisket is best sliced against the grain of the meat for maximum tenderness.
Round – From the rear leg area of the animal; look for rump roast or bottom round.

Pat roast dry; coat with flour. Shake off excess and reserve flout. Brown beef in a pan or skillet with oil over medium-high heat; brown beef all over, turning to cover all areas. Transfer to plate and set aside. TIP: If using dutch oven, continue to cook remainder of recipe in there.

Reduce heat to medium; add onions, carrots, celery, garlic, thyme and bay leaf stirring occasionally, until golden, about five minutes. Sprinkle with reserved flour; cook, stirring for one minute. Add beef stock, wine and tomato paste; bring to a simmer. Return roast and any juices to dutch oven. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat, turning halfway through, until tender, or pour vegetable mixture over roast in casserole and bake in oven at 325F, turning once for two hours.

Place remaining tomato paste in a freezer-lock bag 
and press flat. Freeze; break into pieces as you need. 

I cooked mine placed in a casserole in the toaster oven- perfect size for it and reduces energy consumption.

Transfer roast to cutting board; tent with foil and let stand for ten minutes before slicing. Meanwhile, skim fat from pan juices. Discard bay leaf. Pour cooking liquid into blender or use a hand-blender and purée until smooth. Slice roast; sprinkle with parsley.

Slow roasting yields nice tender slices of beef. True Canadian comfort!

Remove twine from roast before slicing.

Simply served with baked French fries, roasted broccoli and cauliflower and tomato slices dressed with EVOO.

And hefty helpings of gravy, but of course.......

Roasted Sesame Kale Chips...

We've all heard how great kale is for you and it's not just an over-used food trend that will go away soon. The plethora of health benefits puts it in the top category of superfoods, if not #1. You may have seen the different renditions of homemade kale chip recipes and store-bought kale snacks with ingredients such as paprika, garlic salt, chili powder, even sweet flavourings like vanilla and honey, but how about changing up the usual olive oil to another, like fragrant and nutty sesame oil? They bake-up tasting just like roasted seaweed that are popularly sold in Korean markets 'cept you get to control the salt level and you're not grappling with seaweed :) And my kids absolutely adore them! I love serving these nutritious chips for my kids packed as a snack for school or as a quick after school nibble. Just make sure you give them a plate, or crispy bits will be everywhere at the rapid rate they'll be munching.

1 bunch kale
1 Tbsp. sesame oil
1/2 tsp. kosher or sea salt

Preheat an oven to 325F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. With a knife or kitchen shears carefully remove the leaves from the thick stems and tear into bite size pieces. Wash and thoroughly dry kale with a salad spinner. Drizzle kale with oil and sprinkle with salt. Bake until the edges brown but are not burnt, 15 to 20 minutes.

TIPS for perfect chips:

* Remove the stems and tear leaves into medium pieces;
* Thoroughly dry the washed leaves; drain and pat dry;
* Don’t drench leaves in oil; massage oil to coat all the nooks and crannies and to help spice/salt stick;

* Spread kale, curly-side down into a single layer on the baking sheet;
* Use low-heat for even baking and let cool a few minutes before serving (to crisp up even more).

With these simple techniques you’ll be well on your way to kale chip heaven...

Grab base of stem with one hand and push outwards along stem to slide off leaves.

Kadoya is my favourite sesame oil brand.

Make sure the curly-side of the leaves are turned down. This ensure crispier roasting.

Super healthy, crispy, crunchy, aromatic with a salty finish... what's not to love?

If you tried making these at home and haven't absolutely loved them (burnt or too soggy), follow the above TIPS for a few things you can do to ensure crispy flawless roasted chips. Because if done right, honestly they'll be gobbled up in no time flat. Just ask my kids... here one second, gone the next...

For more on incorporating kale in your family's diet, try Toasted Sesame Kale Stir-Fry and Portuguese's national soup Caldo Verde.

Creative Leftovers... Chilli Con Veggie Patties...

I have been eyeing the piece of homemade pastry sitting in my freezer for months, stored after being leftover from my Jamaican patty-making session. And now I get a chance to use it.... enter Chilli Con Veggie Patties, using remaining chilli as a filling from last night's meal! I love that when it happens... like boy meets girl and heaven is made :) 

If you use chilli just make sure you remove the excess water, or thicken with cornstarch or flour, otherwise the contents will make the pastry soggy. Check out my Jamaican Beef Patties recipe to make the pastry.

Adding some scotch bonnet pepper sauce to give the chilli a super kick!

Preheat the oven to 400F. Cut dough into equal-sized pieces. Using a rolling pin on a floured surface, roll out each piece into a rectangular shape with rounded edges. Spread two large spoonfuls (or one large spoonful for appetizer size) of the cooled mixture over one side of the dough, leaving a 3/4-inch border on the outer edge. Rim the edge with water on your finger.

Fold the other side of the dough over, and roll and crimp the edges. Press a fork around the edge to seal if you wish.

Brush each patty with egg wash and bake for 20 minutes, or until patties begin to turn a golden brown colour.

The curry in the pastry really gives the chilli another layer of flavour! Hot and crispy! Delicious!

When you have leftovers, look around your fridge, freezer and pantry for an alternative dish... you just never know what goodness you can come up with. My friend was hungry after a night of partying and decided to throw some leftover Chinese chow mein into a tortilla wrap and bingo.... Chino Locos (Chinese meets Mexican burritos restaurant) was born :)

Meatless Monday... Jamie Oliver: Kerryann's Chilli Con Veggie...

I wanted to begin this week with a nutritious and tasty Chilli Con Veggie inspired by Jamie Oliver's Ten Meals to Kick-Start A Healthier 2015. It is part of one of the challenges the Food Revolution Ambassadors are completing for January and also timely as a wonderful meat-break from two nights of beef and pork-heavy soup over the weekend. Three super protein powers are the stars of this Chilli: white kidney beans, black beans and red lentils. I wasn't sure my kids would take to this vegetarian version, but I was pleasantly surprised when they woofed it down in spoonfuls telling me it was one of their best meals. What a great start to the family week knowing that adopting a meatless Monday every so often will be welcomed at our table! The proof was in the chilli... :)

Jamie Oliver's Ten Healthy Meals

This recipe was adapted from Jamie Oliver's Kerryann's Chilli Con Veggie where she says, "it's an easy chilli recipe full of good stuff and makes the perfect midweek vegetarian meal for the family." I couldn't agree more.

Adapted Jamie Oliver: Kerryann's Chili Con Veggie

Makes 4 to 6 servings

1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 long fresh red chilli or 1 to 2 dried chili peppers

1/2 bell pepper, chopped
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. ground cumin
1 Tbsp. ground coriander
1 Tbsp. smoked paprika
½ cinnamon stick, or 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 Tbsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
250 g dried red lentils
1 can (540 mL) red or white kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 can (540 mL) black beans, drained and well rinsed
1 can (400 mL) diced tomatoes
1 L vegetable broth

1 cup corn kernels
kosher/sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Garnishes: cilantro, green onions, jalapeno, red onions, avocado, lime wedges and hot sauce.

Heat oil in large pan and cook onions, garlic, chili and bell pepper for about five minutes, or until softened. Add the spices and dried herbs; stir-fry for two minutes – if it's a little dry at this point, simply add a splash of water to help it out. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for a further two minutes.

Stir in the lentils, beans and chopped tomatoes, then add the broth (or use water and add vegetable seasoning cubes). Bring it all to a boil, then reduce to low heat and let it simmer for at least one hour, or until thickened and reduced, stirring occasionally. Discard the cinnamon stick. Add corn and cook five minutes more then season to your taste. Let everyone dress up their chilli bowls at the table with the bounty of fresh toppings!

Make sure you stir every so often to distribute the liquid or it will burn on the bottom.

Served with an option of long grain and wild rice on the side as well as a hearty green garden salad.

With the older kids dashing hot sauce all over their bowl and Matias being a chilli one-tooth monster...

It was like a mini Mexican fiesta with all the fresh flavours and vibrant colours. 

Hearty, tasty and no one missed the meat! Olé!

To take it a step further, I used left overs to make Chili Con Carne Patties with homemade pastry.

Chili Con Carne Patties

Check out Jamie Oliver's Ten Meals to Kick-Start A Healthier 2015. Delicious, nutritious midweek meals you can cook all year, with videos and features to get you inspired!