Superbowl Meatballs

Happy New Year!

Hope your holidays were filled with lots of friends, family and delicious food.

As the Superbowl is just around the corner, this is the time to start considering foods for the big day. I like meatballs for casual get togethers. They are the ultimate party food!

The inspiration for this recipe came from my mother-in-law who gave me her recipe. I adjusted this recipe to make it extra saucy and to brighten the flavour with the addition of citrus. While it may seem a little different from other sweet and sour meatball recipes with the cranberry sauce & orange zest, but trust me, it tastes wonderful!

The best part about these meatballs is they can be made ahead and frozen. They cook from frozen very easily and the sauce is a snap to pull together.

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

1 lb lean ground beef
¾ cup of bread crumbs
1 egg
2 tbsp finely diced onion
2 tbsp milk
2 cloves garlic minced
1 tsp salt
pinch of black pepper
vegetable oil for brushing

1 c Heinz Chili sauce
1/4 c orange juice
1 tbsp lime juice
1 c cranberry jelly
zest of 1 orange

Mix together the beef, breadcrumbs, egg, onion, milk, garlic, salt & pepper. Form into approximately 40 bite-sized meatballs and place on a cookie sheet. Freeze cookie sheet for at least twenty minutes. (If you are making the meatballs ahead, you can remove the meatballs from the cookie sheet and place in a resealable freezer bag and store in the freezer until you are ready to use.)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Brush meatballs with vegetable oil and bake in the oven for approximately 15 minutes until fully cooked. In a large saucepan, or slow cooker, combine chili sauce, orange juice, lime juice, jelly and zest. Add meatballs. Stir well. Simmer 10-12 minutes on stove top or cook on low in the slow cooker. The sauce will thicken. Baste occasionally.

...Read more

Stir Fry Beef with Coconut Rice

When you feel under the weather, comfort foods soothe the belly and the soul. I have had a cold now for four weeks (!). Due to allergies, I can't take any medication so I have to wait it out. So I took a couple of days off work, watched Season 2 of Bones and tried to get some rest.

When I don't feel great, I reach for the foods I grew up eating: those comforting meals my mother made that made me feel better when I was feverish, tired & curled up in bed. (It's amazing no matter how old you get, you are always your mother's child.)

One of the foods I long for when I am under the weather is the soul-satisfying stir fry beef. A venerated a Chinese restaurant staple, this dish is so simple & deliciously easy to make it at home. It's very flavourful, so comforting and quick, you'll be diving into a steaming bowl within minutes.

This is not exactly my mother's recipe as the marinade for the beef is enhanced by a touch of malt vinegar. This addition came from one of my favourite cookbooks, Simple Chinese Food, by Kylie Kwong. Her cooking is simple, accessible and wildly delicious. In her fabulous cookbook, she has a recipe for stir-fried beef where she adds a dash of malt vinegar. When I tried adding malt vinegar to my regular stir fry beef, I knew I could never go without it again. The malt vinegar adds a zippy, perky flavour that enhances the umami of this dish.

Coconut rice isn't exactly something I grew up with, but for some reason, I had a craving for it. The rice has is lightly fragranced with a faint hint of coconut flavour. It is a nice match for the stir fry.


Stir Fry Beef with Coconut Rice

1lb beef - sliced thinly (sirloin or flank work well)
1/4c + 1 tbsp light soy sauce, separated
2 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp malt vinegar
1 tbsp cornstarch
1 tbsp vegetable oil
2-3 tbsp water
3 green onions - sliced thinly
1 thumb-sized piece of ginger, peeled & finely sliced into matchsticks*
1 large red pepper, cut into bite sized pieces

Coconut Rice
2 c white rice
1 c coconut milk
1 c water
1 tsp salt

optional: 1 tsp sesame seed

1. Marinate beef with soy sauce, sesame oil and cornstarch. Set aside (in your refrigerator) for at least 30 minutes, but ideally 2 hours. Overnight is fine as well.
2. Meanwhile prepare rice by rinsing rice until water is clear. Put rice, coconut milk, water & salt into a rice cooker. Set on. (If you don't have a rice cooker, use a medium sized sauce pan with a well fitted lid. Bring ingredients to a boil without lid on, then cover & reduce to medium-low and simmer for at least 5 minutes. Reduce to low and cook until all the liquid is absorbed about another 5 minutes.)
3. Drain meat from marinade. Reserve marinade liquid.
4. Heat a wok or a large fry pan, add vegetable oil and watch for vegetable oil to shimmer but not smoking. Carefully add meat in batches and allow meat to sizzle and brown - about a minute or two. (Depending on the thickness of your beef.) When you have cooked all of the meat, remove and set aside. Turn down heat to medium-low and add ginger and red pepper to the pan (add a tsp more vegetable oil if the pan is dry.) Stir after about a minute. Toss in green onions. Return the beef to the pan alongside any liquid that may have accumulated. With reserved marinade, add 3 tbsp water, 1 tbsp soy sauce & stir re-incorporate the marinade and add to pan. Turn up the heat slightly.
5. Remove from wok/fry pan when the liquid transforms into a clinging sauce. Serve over coconut rice. Add sesame seeds if using.

*if you find ginger too spicy - try using half of the amount or try ginger powder which is far less "warm"
...Read more

Fried Rice Noodles with Shrimp & Beef (Char Kway Teow)

When we were growing up, my Mom made this noodle dish every weekend for lunch like clockwork. It involved wok-frying creamy white rice noodles with assorted seafood, beef and vegetables, a dousing of soy sauce and it is transformed into an easy popular Singaporean lunch. Of course, it would not be complete (for me, that is) without a proper dosing of fiery chili sauce.

It has been years since I lived with my mom but if I pop by any given weekend, my mom has some Char Kway Teow on the go. Since my mom is spending her summer in Singapore and New Zealand this year, I am left to make my own weekend lunches. (Not that she makes me lunch every weekend, but when there is a visit.... let's just say there is food...)

This meal is a very common noodle dish you will find in the local (often al fresco) eating establishments in Singapore called, "hawker stands" but I have also had in also eaten this dish in some of Singapore's finer dining establishments.

This recipe is inspired mostly by my mother's recipe but also by Kylie Kwong (a food goddess amongst us mortals!) Kylie's cookbook Simple Chinese Cooking is my go-to Chinese recipe reference guide. Many of Kylie's recipes use malt vinegar as part of the marinade for beef and I think it is excellent. It adds a nice tang and cuts the saltiness of the soy sauce while still lending a complex flavour to the beef. Also, I am a big proponent of using what you have in the fridge. This recipe often uses Chinese green vegetables, if you don't have them, use spinach. (It may not be exactly traditional, but hey, traditions evolve.)

Making this dish, reminds me of eating meals with my family. I remember the gorgeous smell of the beef browning in the wok (sorry, my dear vegetarian and vegan friends, meat is good!) followed by the sizzling and sputtering of the rice noodles hitting a hot wok. When that happens, you know it's only a matter of minutes until lunch is served. (Of course, you can always have this for dinner as well.)




Fresh rice noodles are found in the refrigerated section of the Chinese grocery. You can use the dried ones that are used for pad thai. They tend to be a little more toothy, but nevertheless still equally delicious.


1 lb beef fillet (or you can use the cheaper cut, flank steak*)
1 tbsp cornstarch
1/4c malt vinegar
1/4c soy sauce
1/4 tsp chili flakes (optional)
1/2 garlic clove minced

1 lb fresh rice noodles
3 tbsp vegetable oil
1 lb large shrimp, peeled & deveined
4 1/2 garlic cloves, minced
2 large eggs beaten
1/4c soy sauce
1 tbsp oyster sauce
2 large handfuls baby spinach (very unscientific, I know)
3 stalks green onions, cut into 2 inch logs

1/4 lb bean sprouts, rinsed
1/2 sweet red/orange pepper thinly sliced

sesame oil

To marinate beef:
1. Thinly slice beef and toss with cornstarch. Add malt vinegar, soy sauce, minced garlic and chili flakes. Mix well, cover with cling wrap and return to the fridge for at least 30 minutes(or more if you have the time.)

To make the noodles:
1. Fill a large bowl with warm water. Add the fresh rice noodles and gently untangle them. Drain immediately and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, heat a wok or a large wide fry pan with 2 tbsp of vegetable oil. Drain the beef from the marinade. Lightly pat dry. Working in batches, saute the meat until the outside is browned but not thoroughly cooked. (This happens fast so make sure you have a fresh plate before you start.) Remove beef from pan and cook the next batch until you have cooked all the meat.
3. Then do the same for the shrimp (it can go on the same plate as the beef.) Set aside.
4. Add 1 tbsp of vegetable oil to the pan. When the oil shimmers, turn down the heat & add the garlic until fragrant. Add drained & separated rice noodles. I resist the urge to immediately start to stir fry. (I let always allow a litle bit of the noodles to get crisp to add to the texture. But that is definitely not traditional.)
5. Make a well in the middle of the wok/pan. Add the beaten eggs and cook for a minute. Slowly, fold the noodles into the center.
6. Add soy sauce, & oyster sauce and continue to toss with the noodles. Return the shrimp & beef back to the dish along with the thin slices of pepper and bean sprouts.
7. Toss together to incorporate.
8. Serve immediately with additional sprouts and peppers and a drizzle of sesame oil.

*flank steak is one of those meats seem to be quite expensive in the mainstream grocery stores around here. If you venture into a Asian grocery store, you may be able to find flank steak is alot cheaper here.
...Read more

Dumplings Made Easy

As I sat down to write this, I had contemplated titling this blog entry as, “Dumplings for Dummies” as a way to convey how simple they are to make. But then I began to wonder if you, dear reader, might feel slighted in some way should you attempt this recipe. It’s not really a recipe for dummies, it’s just really simple to make. My intention here is to de-mystify dumpling making with easy to find ingredients. So hence, dumplings made easy.

Dumplings are a Sunday morning thing for us. On several occasions, we have visited a little place in Chinatown, Mother’s Dumplings for fresh and delicious dumplings. But since we have moved to the other side of the city, we visit it less and less. For those lazy Sunday mornings when our only plan is to watch a couple hours of football in the afternoon, we make dumplings.

They are really easy to make and a great way to shake off the Sunday morning haze. Of course, we gladly eat them anytime of the day (and we have), but when we are not feeling like the usual breakfast fare, we think of dumplings.

Most of the ingredients are thinks we normally have in our fridge (except for maybe the dumpling wrappers) so it is really easy to whip together at a moment’s notice. I call it a master recipe because you can switch out the ingredients as you wish as long as you keep an eye on the proportions.

A word on folding dumplings. I was not born with the dexterity of a master dumpling maker. My mom pinches this and pulls that and with a twist of her wrist, she produces enviable perfect little dumplings. I, on the other hand, still make bunny ears to tie my shoelaces, so I don’t purport to provide you with the technique for perfect dumpling wrapping (I am quite certain you can google this if you're keen), but this is a great and very simple way to make dumplings.

Sunday Morning Dumplings (Master Recipe)

1 lb of extra lean ground beef / chicken (or mixture with minced raw shrimp)
2 stalks green onions, finely minced
1 thumb-sized ginger, finely grated
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
1 tsp soy sauce
1 egg, beaten
2 tbsp cooked vegetables, minced (examples: spinach, mushrooms, savoy cabbage, carrots)

1 package of Shanghai dumpling wrappers / wonton wrappers*

1. Mix all the ingredients together except for the last ingredients. Mix well to incorporate, but do not over mix. To check for seasoning, make a small meatball and drop into a pot of boiling water, when it floats to the surface and starts to bob around, remove it with a slotted spoon. When cool enough, taste the meatball and adjust your seasonings.
2. Fill a small dish with a little warm water.
3. Using a teaspoon, scoop the filling onto the center of the wrapper. Dip your finger into the water and wetting the edges of the half side of the wrapper. Fold into half with the wet edge affixed to the dry edge to form a triangle or semi-circle (depending on the shape of your wrapper.)



4. Place on a dry plate, cover with a damp towel.
5. Repeat as necessary, keeping the dumplings covered under the towel.
6. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to boil. Once a rolling boil is achieved, carefully drop dumplings in one by one in small batches (depending on the size of your pot – 6 -12.) Don't be tempted to add too many to the pot as it will lower the temperature of the water and will take longer to return the water to boiling temperature. Give the dumplings a quick stir to ensure it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot. Once the dumplings start to float to the top and the water is boiling again, scoop them out with a slotted soup into a deep bowl.
7. Serve with chilli soy dipping sauce (recipe below)

Alternatively, you can steam the dumplings. Lay down a leaf of cabbage over a steamer and place dumplings on top. Steam until the wrapper turns from opaque toward translucent.

To make pot stickers, heat oil in a large, deep fry pan and carefully add dumplings and cook until the outside is crisp and slightly brown. Add about ½ c of water to the pan. Partially cover and steam, until the water is evaporated and the bottom side is crisp.

Chilli Soy Dipping Sauce

This is a recipe I base on proportion:

1 part acid (malt vinegar, lime juice)
2 parts soy sauce
1 part chilli sauce (sriracha, chilli garlic sauce, whatever you have)
splash sesame oil

Mix together and serve with dumplings.

*dumpling wrappers are either round or square. (We have used wonton wrappers but they are much thinner and lend themselves better as part of a soup. If you are looking to make this, try to look for Shanghai dumpling wrappers. You can find dumpling wrappers in the grocery store, usually in the refrigerator section in the vegetable aisle in most grocery stores – at least in Toronto. Most Asian supermarkets will have them as well.)

...Read more

Meat, Cheese and Heat: Raclette is the Ultimate Weekend Dinner

For our wedding last summer, we received a raclette grill as a gift. (We love our friends and family!) We were thrilled to receive it but it gathered dust in our basement over the summer and the fall as we continued to use our barbeque.

We decided that over the Christmas holidays, it would be a great time for us to break out our raclette grill. So my husband bought about a kilo of raclette cheese from the cheesemonger in anticipation for a New Year’s Party that didn't happen. The cheese sat in our fridge this week and we decided that immediate intervention was required in order to make a dent in it.

So we celebrated the end of our first week at work with a relaxing and fun dinner. We poured ourselves some bubbly (also another remnant from our wedding) and fired up the indoor grill. We assembled platters of roast turkey, the hottest Genoa salami, pickled onions, gherkins, escargots, shrimp, cubes of salmon, quail eggs, sliced mushrooms, boiled baby potatoes and loads of shaved raclette cheese. Then we sat down to talk about the events of the past week as well as the next stage of our home renovations. (Oh dear...)

There is something truly sublime about oozy molten cheese. But it’s a balance: too much cheese and it is unctuous and unpleasant and too little, well then, what’s the point? But just the right amount and it is a luxurious and comforting.

Unlike fondue where you plunge cubes of bread and meats into hot oil or cheese, with raclette, you grill your seafood, meat and vegetable on the grill on top. Then you shovel them onto the tiny raclette pan, sprinkle cheese and slide it under the broiler below until the cheese is bubbly and golden.



The beauty of raclette is its simplicity: melted cheese over grilled vegetable, meat and seafood – few things are this easy to prepare and are this delicious. The preparation is also quite simple. In fact, it took us less than fifteen minutes to assemble our food for grilling. Then we spent about ninety minutes grilling, and nibbling. And of course, sipping champagne. (Wouldn't it be nice to live like this every day?)


Raclette Party

8 oz raclette cheese per person (I think you could probably use other cheeses you like – I think mozzarella, cheddar, emmental, gruyere may all work nicely.)

For grilling – some suggested items:
• cubes of salmon or beef
• peeled raw shrimp
• green onions, cut into two inch pieces
• sliced button mushrooms
• boiled mini potatoes, sliced in half
• cooked escargot (my husband’s request)
• quail eggs (we cook them in the mini raclette pan versus the grill)
(We grilled tomatoes, I don't recommend them because the liquid gets so hot that it's a tongue burner.)

For the side:
• deli meats: prosciutto, roasted turkey, hot salami
• cornichons
• pickled onions

Sparkling white wine or champagne is a great accompaniment because it is very bright and refreshing.