Happy Lunar Year of The Smart Rat...

Happy Lunar New Year to all my friends who are celebrating 🍊🈺️!

The rat won the race 🐭🏁 That's why it's ☝️ in the Chinese zodiac astrology signs 🏮

How could a meager rat be bestowed in a noble zodiac astrology amongst 11 other important most worshipped animals in ancient times? The Jade Emperor (The Emperor in Heaven in Chinese folklore) ordered that animals would be designated as calendar signs with the twelve that arrived first. The witty and swift rat hopped skipped and jumped to the finish line on the back of the second-to-finish ox and was declared the winner, leaving his neighbour cat in the dust. Thus the reason for the cat's forever disdain for the tiny creature 😾🚫🐁!

So we are all winners in this year of the rat 🤗! Rat is popular, friendly, smart, insightful and adaptive. This year forecasts that being flexible and open minded will make your life much easier. Good luck and prosperity will follow you in your vocation. Just keep a lookout for opportunities and make the most out of them! 

Easy Three Ingredient Egg Dumplings...

Three ingredient egg dumplings 😛. Yes you heard right... essentially, all you need are eggs, sweet potato noodles and green onions to make this tasty handheld snack! Often, the best things in life are the simplest things. And eggs tend to draw us in with that winning combo of simple comfort 🥚.

I saw this on a Korean cooking youtube vid and was so enthralled by its easy deliciousness I had to make it asap! To season, simply add salt and pepper, or enliven the noodles with soy sauce, sesame oil and sugar. So many ways to customize- mix eggs with finely chopped carrots and corn. Place a cooked shrimp in its centre. Add chopped Asian herbs. Just ensure that your ingredients will cook through as the cooking time is quick. Cut finely or add in cooked. Spice things up by adding chopped red chilies or serve with sriracha. 

As a snack before after school classes, my sons went gaga! Nothing makes this mama happier than happy bellies! Excited of the reactions also with my social sharing, these will be on our Chinese New Year menu this weekend 😀.

Don't they look so-o appetizing?

Easy Three Ingredient Egg Dumplings

Makes 12

4 large eggs
1 small bunch of sweet potato noodles (about 60 g), cooked according to package directions
1 or 2 green onions, halved and chopped
salt and ground black or white pepper to taste
oil for pan-frying

or/ season cooked noodles with 2 Tbsp. soy sauce, 1 Tbsp. sesame oil and 2 tsp. sugar (mix well)
or/ season with 1 tsp. fish sauce

Cut the cooked noodles into small pieces about 1/2-inch in a medium bowl.

Add the eggs, onions and seasonings. Whisk well with a fork.

Heat oil in pan on medium heat. When hot, ladle about 1/3 cup egg mixture onto pan and spread into ovals. Work in batches, keeping the eggs from touching, cook until the bottom is golden brown about one minute. Using a spatula, carefully flip one oval side up to meet the other side (form into a half moon). Press slightly to seal and cook thoroughly for another minute or two more. 

So scrump!

This son could not get enough of egg dumplings. Eyes and mouth wide with delight!

Handheld portable comfort right there! 

Probably one of my most liked and commented food instagram posts of all times. Check out how to cook these.

Nom Nom 😃!

This guy likes his food spicy!

Full Recipe:

Easy Three Ingredient Egg Dumplings
Makes 12

4 large eggs

1 small bunch of sweet potato noodles (about 60 g), cooked according to package directions

1 or 2 green onions, halved and chopped

salt and ground black or white pepper to taste

oil for pan-frying

or/ season cooked noodles with 2 Tbsp. soy sauce, 1 Tbsp. sesame oil and 2 tsp. sugar (mix well) 

or/ season with 1 tsp. fish sauce

Cut the cooked noodles into small pieces about 1/2-inch in a medium bowl.

Add the eggs, onions and seasonings. Whisk well with a fork.

Heat oil in pan on medium heat. When hot, ladle about 1/3 cup egg mixture onto pan and spread into ovals. Work in batches, keeping the eggs from touching, cook until the bottom is golden brown about one minute. Using a spatula, carefully flip one oval side up to meet the other side (form into a half moon). Press slightly to seal and cook thoroughly for another minute or two more. 

I Was The Little Seed That Could...

Recall this pretty papaya from my last post... I mean look at it! How rare of a sight, it has to metaphor something right? What could this germinating seed be trying to tell me? It took a while to make the connection, but when I did make sense of it, everything unfolded like a flower blooming 🌸- literally 😊.

First, a little about myself to give you a back story. The time I spoke in front of 1500 people at my largest event ever- a noteable 2015 Food Revolution cooking event with the entire Northview high school body with Mr.Jamie Oliver himself connecting in live...

You see presenting was one of my biggest fears 😬... All my life I shied away from speaking to any crowd if I could. At school, at work, I'd rehearse my lines over and over again, and I'll get super stressed out as presentation day nears. I was to kick-start this huge food event; even though I only had two paragraphs to sound off, I grew anxious as peeps trickled into the jam-packed cafeteria. It went without a hitch; it was that pivotal moment I knew I conquered my fear 🙂. I mean I was speaking in front of strangers- 1500 students, teachers, principals, VIP guests, the police and heck I was on live TV!! Our moment with Jamie was short and sweet. But OMG! I did it 🤗!!!

For all the event details, check out my Post.

Fast forward to the last two years... how blessed am I to have the opportunities to speak in front of crowds regularly, to let my passion for cooking, health & wellness and food education be my VoiCe! Because speaking from the heart is as authentic and un-rehearsed as you can get 😊. Times a-changed and the potential to grow and expand feels real and liberating. So finally back to the papaya... a couple days after new year I cut open the papaya to find this germinating seed. As a person who looks for meaning in everything, I pondered what this conveyed. I know I figured it out... it has to be... Bloom 🌸! 

Brings me back to the magazine Bloom- for women when I was Food Editor at the start of my food career 20 years ago. A reminder in #2020- I was the little seed that could! Nourished with love and passion for food, flourished and is still blooming. And if it can't get more symbolic... my birthdate is also a 20 😯❤. 2020 for a 20!

Grateful for moments experienced, lessons learnt, and the new opps that lay ahead. If we are not a little bit uncomfortable everyday, we're not growing. All the good stuff is outside our comfort zone. I see and hear acts of heroism, strength, courage and wisdom in women I encounter all the time! 

Let it be this year for us to shine and bloom together 🌸🌸!

Furthermore, somethings that never change. I said it then (at 30) and I say it again... 

Life is to be lived now. Live. Love. Learn. Be All You Can Be. Now. Not Later.

Every sunset is an opportunity to reset. 

"Each morning we are born again. 

What we do today is what matters most"-- Buddha

It really has been 360 for me- the seed that wants to help others suc-seed.

Truthfully, isn't that what we are all doing here, planting seeds? For our future? For the next generation?

Ending 2019 And Starting Anew On A Cooking Note...

What better way to end a year and to start a new one than cooking for and eating with loved ones ❤... There is no sincerer love than the love of food. And sharing that 💞 forward.

Starting with India's most globally popular curry- Butter Chicken 🤤🤤🔥!

Cause you need butta' and whipped cream in butter chicken...

The night before NYE... Eating well and working out goes hand in hand. What better than to cook up nourishing comfort South Asian faves with some hard working folks after a sweat-inducing grapple and roll jiujitsu session 🥋💥?

@kingjiujitsu At Chu's Martial Arts

It was an intimate social cook and eat venue, as we whipped up Indian faves with butter chicken, wilted spinach raita, a chopped salad, basmati rice and fresh bought plain and onion roti, samosas and fish patties.

What a delicious soul-comfort South Asian spread!

Guaranteed good times with this dynamic bunch- I don't know what our bellies were more full from- 

Food or Laughter?? 🤣🤣🤣. #jellyinmybelly #laughtertherapy

With @kingjiujitsu (Prof Greg), Kofi, Sasha, Ivan and Ana

Caught the eyes of my friends at the Martial Arts studio when I posted about my Indian cooking class with seniors 😁. Mild and spicy versions of butter chicken served with basmati rice countered with a cooling wilted spinach raita... thank you to recipes by my friend, renown cookbook author and leading authority on Indian cooking Smita Chandra! See her step-by-step Butter Chicken recipe.

At St.Stephen's Community Centre for Seniors

Made it a complete meal experience with Indian counter-bought fresh fried veggie samosas served with coconut sambal and springy roti. Finished off with Chai tea and butter cake! What an incredible cook & learn comfort lunch on that cool wintry day!

"There is something almost addictive about the rich, creamy, mildly spiced tomato sauce, studded with succulent morsels of roasted chicken." -- Smita Chandra. We all agreed it was "Aromatic, rich and velvety" ...

Perfect fluffy basmati rice finished with cubes of butta'.

What a way to end the year doing what I love best- sharing it forward with my love for cooking and eating with AmaZing people 💕! First with friends, then hosting family on NYE.

DIY Trio Cocktail Seafood Platter

Guacamole 🥑 in tortilla cups topped with sweet crunchy pomegranate seeds!

Pom studded guacamole bites anyone?

Cold appie spread courtesy of me.

DIY Kim Bap courtesy of my sister.

Then starting the New Year with a blueberry pancakes brunch for the sleepover bunch cause this auntie promised!

I was a super tired auntie but so worth it seeing the smiles on these Happy Campers!

Cuz buzz!

So today I open up this pretty papaya, and I find a seed germinating within. As a person who strongly believes in symbols and hidden messages, I immediately conjure up what this budding seed is trying to tell me- is it growth? Potential? Resurgence? Birth? More thoughts on this, for the new year and projects in the works on my next post. 

Have a brilliant start to 2020 my friends 🤗!

Everything Tasty and Nice For The Holidays...

This is the time of renewal during Winter Solstice 🌬❄. Enjoying Korean cinnamon punch sujeonggwa, traditionally served cold brewed with cinnamon sticks, ginger and sweetened with sugar and persimmon. This is my go-to drink in the fridge. Soothing, wards off the cold and eases congestion 🥃.

"I prefer Winter and Fall, when you feel the bone structure of the landscape - the loneliness of it, the dead feeling of winter. Something waits beneath it, the whole story doesn't show." -- Andrew Wyeth.

"In a way Winter is the real Spring - the time when the inner things happen, the resurgence of nature"-- Edna O'Brien

I've been disengaged, giving social media a break, keeping busy with family and friends. I hope you are too.

May your festive holiday be a pinch of patience,

a dash of kindness,

a spoonful of laughter

and a heap of love! 💗

Sharing scenes of wrapping up my fall cooking programs to prepare for the holidays!

Here is the term-end potluck with the moms over at Thorncliffe's Community Kitchen.

Fraser Mustard- Parent Engagement Culinary Program

Everyone brought their favourites to entertain with families and friends.

Savoury and Sweet- and we are complete!

With facilitator Sofie and some of the best mom crew eva' 💕. See you in 2020!

Over at TDSB Learn4Life Seniors Asian Cooking Program, we wrapped up the year with Creative Ways With Sushi Rice... 🥢🍚.

Everyone knows sushi rolls but did you know there are a myriad of ways to serve Japanese sushi rice -- each distinctive and mouth-watering in its own presentation? Our last cooking session with Seniors and I delivered four different ideas all inspired by the humble seasoned vinegared rice-- a little sweet, a little salty, a little tangy and a whole lotta deelish with a whole lotta fixin's! The main feature was the construction of taco-style DIY sushi wraps and from there we made vegetarian maki rolls, poke bowl, and onigiri rice balls 🍙.

For more on the Creative Ways with Sushi Rice.

Sushi Taco Wrap

As part of our year end party, students brought in whole teriyaki salmon fillet, Japanese chow mein, durian cakes, fresh fruit red bean paste sticky rice mochi balls and chocolate. It was a grand feast indeed for all our senses! I appreciate their kind and thoughtful gifts 🎁🙏.

Eat to your hearts' content my friends...

I look foward to seeing many of you in the new year! Thank you all for another great term 💕👩‍🍳👨‍🍳!

My kids' school Spectacle de Noel kicked started the holidays to come.

One of my favourite things to entertain with- a DIY Trio Seafood Platter. Impress and save $$$ by making your own DIY cold seafood platter trio with shrimps, mussels on the half shell and imitation crab pieces served with homemade cocktail sauce without the extravagant price.

Popular but pricey frozen shrimp rings don't cut it-- defrosted overnight the shrimps are waterlogged and their natural flavours diluted. NO need to buy cocktail sauce, I repeat, just don't do it! You likely have the four ingredients on-hand to make a wicked one, namely ketchup, horseradish sauce, Worcestershire and lemon (hot sauce optional). Why add another condiment in the fridge? And the bill on this gourmet delight of a seafood platter? A mere $25 (for a combined 4 lbs).. A gourmet offering without the extravagant cost.

For the bells and whistles on presentation, add green garnishes such as parsley sprigs and seaweed tucked in and around different points of the platter. I made mine super simple-- still gorgeous no?

Stunning for any gathering, for this holiday, entertain with this sophisticated platter of juicy seafood succulence and watch your guests swoon 🦐🐚🦀!

This is going to be my hosting new year's eve attraction plus oysters!

Rosemary sprigs make awesome evergreen pine-like twirlers in pomegranate juice cocktails with champagne or mocktailed with sparkling lime water. Pom seeds adds that festive touch!

How about guacamole 🥑 in tortilla cups topped with sweet crunchy pomegranate seeds! Such a pretty pop against green!

Not only are pom seeds juicy, crunchy pops of tart flavour, they're nutritious-- a great source of fibre, vitamins C and K. Instead of picking kernels out one by one, de-seed a beautiful pom with no more stained fingertips, but just make sure you're not wearing white!

Wash the pomegranate well. Cut in half. Hold a half, cut side down in the palm of your hand spreading your fingers a bit over a medium size bowl. Take a wooden spoon and tap firmly on the top surface and then give it some good whacks to release the red kernels. Tumbling out through your fingers into the bowl, continue to firmly tap until all seeds have been removed. Repeat with other half. Remove any bits of white pith that may have fallen in. To juice, scoop the seeds back into the empty pom shell and squeeeeeeze. Bottoms up!

Savoury nuts is a favourite over the holidays as a crunchy snack for pre- and post dinner munchies. What better than to make your own. Mine is concocted with all the elements I love in such a cocktail nut mix-- the warm exotic flavours of ground coriander and cumin, jazzed with hints of garlic, onion and cayenne for kick bound together with egg white and Dijon mustard-- deliciously flavourful and crunchy that falls in the betcha'-can't-eat-one category! Use your fave combo of nuts as long as you get 4 cups. I happened to have lots of different kinds in my cupboards, and I was meeting up with my besties for dinner... so a little homemade lovin' from my oven was in order 🌰💓.

Mixed Spiced Nuts
Makes 4 cups

2-1/2 cups natural almonds
1 cup walnut halves, cashew nuts, brazil nuts etc.
1/2 cup pepitas
2 egg whites, save yolks for another use
2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp. packed brown sugar
2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
2 tsp. ground coriander
2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1/4 to 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

Preheat oven to 300 F. In a large bowl, whisk the egg whites and Dijon mustard until frothy; toss together nuts until coated. Combine spices in a small bowl and add to toss with nuts to coat.

Arrange the nuts in a single layer on parchment paper–lined baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes until golden and fragrant. Cool for one hour. Break the nuts into bite- sized pieces and place in serving bowls or store sealed in container for five days for freshness.

Check out post to see step-by-step recipe!

Toasted nuts- homemade lovin' from my oven!

My besties and their families 💕 get-together at AYCE new sushi joint Ai Sushi in Markham.

Thank goodness these were dessert shooters... Give it some years and these will be the real deal! 

Hangin' out with this special girl Leia. She recently got her first dan for her black belt in TKD 👊!

At Dave and Buster's

Making up some chocolate candy cane bark.

One of my favourite all-time Kraft holiday sweet treat recipes.

Check out my Memories of Holidays with Kraft Kitchens!

The festive potluck spread at my aunt's place for the entire family at Christmas!

Much more cooking to come 💕... I got a cool Indian cook-off with some cool peeps at my sons' tkd school and I am hosting NYE this year with the fam bam... stay tuned for morrrrre deliciousness! Yasssss!!!