Tag: Breakfast

French Toast Wraps with Mixed Berry Compote & Vanilla Yoghurt

French Toast Wraps with Mixed Berry Compote & Vanilla Yoghurt

amcarmenLeave a comment

Hello Everyone! Yesterday I shared a recipe for a simple mixed berry compote, and tonight I’ll show you how you can use it in a sweet breakfast dish (or even for dessert), featuring Binda Valley’s Vanilla Bliss Natural Greek Style Yoghurt, courtesy of Gourmet Direct PH!

French Toast Wraps with Mixed Berry Compote & Vanilla Yoghurt

These French Toast Wraps are a creative cross between traditional French toast and crêpes. They are made by dipping wholewheat wraps in a mixture of egg, soy milk, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla extract. Make sure that you dip the wraps in the egg mixture rather than soak. You can let them soak for 30 seconds or so, but it will make the wraps a touch more fragile to handle. They are then fried in butter on both sides until golden brown. For my recipe, I fried them in coconut oil as I realised I didn’t have any butter left in my fridge.

The result is a deliciously mouth-watering, crêpe-like wrap without the hassle of actually making crêpes from scratch. Fill the wraps with your yoghurt of choice, sweetened or unsweetened, and you can also mix up your choice of fruits and granola, and even use herbs such as basil or mint. You can even go for savoury French Toast Wraps if you want with this recipe!

French Toast Wraps with Mixed Berry Compote & Vanilla Yoghurt Ingredients

PREP TIME 10 MINS | COOKING TIME 10 MINS | SERVES 3

INGREDIENTS

For the French toast wraps

  • 6 wholewheat tortilla wraps
  • 1/2 cup soy milk
  • 1 large free range egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 3/4 cup Binda Valley’s Vanilla Bliss Natural Greek Style Yoghurt
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1/2 tbsp honey
  • 1/3 cup mixed berry compote
  • 3 large bananas, peeled and sliced
  • Granola (with dried cranberries and pumpkin seeds)
  • Confectioners’ sugar (optional)
  • Coconut oil, for cooking

METHOD

  1. In a shallow bowl, add the soy milk, egg, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and nutmeg together. Whisk until well combined. Dip both sides of each tortilla in the egg mixture.
  2. Add the coconut oil to a pan over medium-high heat. Add the dipped tortilla to the pan and cook until golden brown, about 1 to 2 minutes on each side. Once done, transfer to a plate and repeat with the other tortillas.
  3. In a small bowl, mix the yoghurt, lemon juice, and honey together until well combined. Spoon the yoghurt mixture down the centre of each tortilla and top with the sliced bananas.
  4. Fold the sides of the tortilla over the top of the yoghurt and bananas, and top with the warmed mixed berry compote. Top with more sliced bananas, granola, and sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar (optional). Serve and enjoy immediately!

French Toast Wraps with Mixed Berry Compote & Vanilla Yoghurt

French Toast Wraps with Mixed Berry Compote & Vanilla Yoghurt

@amcarmenskitchen

French Toast Wraps #amcarmenskitchen #foodieph #MARCHarap #tiktokeatsph #foodtiktok #foodtokph #breakfast #brunch #frenchtoastwraps

♬ Cafe Paris – HeyAudio

BON APPÉTIT

– Ally xx

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Mixed Berry Compote

Mixed Berry Compote

amcarmenLeave a comment

Hello Everyone! A great way to use up fruits, especially berries, that have been sitting in your fridge for a while and on the verge of over-ripening, is to make compote! I’ve made my fair share of compote when I was still living in Australia, usually using fresh, overripe berries as they are easily accessible when in season. While you can sometimes get fresh berries here in the Philippines, they’re really expensive which is why I opted to use frozen berries for this compote recipe that I will be sharing.

Mixed Berry Compote

Compote is a type of fruit spread that is made from slowly cooking whole or small fruit pieces combined with a sugar syrup. The three main ingredients for a compote are as follows:

  • Berries – fresh or frozen, whatever you have on hand,
  • Juices – any liquid with some tang i.e. lemon, lime, orange, or pomegranate juice, and
  • Sweeteners – sugar, honey, maple syrup, or other natural sweeteners.

Other than those three main ingredients, you may also add other flavours to enhance your compote. Some options include, but are not limited to orange zest, lemon zest, mint, or your favourite liqueur.

This mixed berry compote is best served over pancakes, toast, French toast, waffles, yoghurt, ice cream, or cheesecake. The possibilities are endless! Stick around tomorrow to see what I served my mixed berry compote over!

Mixed Berry Compote Ingredients

PREP TIME 5 MINS | COOKING TIME 10 MINS | SERVES 4

INGREDIENTS

  • 250g frozen mixed berries
  • 1/4 cup white granulated sugar
  • Zest of 1 lemon
  • Juice of half a lemon

METHOD

  1. Combine all the ingredients in a small saucepan.
  2. Over medium-high heat, bring the mixture to a boil until the berries break down and the compote thickens to your desired consistency, not more than 10 minutes.
  3. Serve over your choice of breakfast foods to satisfy your sweet tooth cravings in the morning. Enjoy!

I served mine over some delicious Vanilla Bliss Greek Style Yoghurt from Binda Valley. If you’re residing in the Philippines, you can get your fix of this yoghurt from Gourmet Direct PH.

Mixed Berry Compote & Binda Valley's Vanilla Bliss Yoghurt

You can easily make a large batch of compote and store them in the fridge, warming them up as you need them. Just be sure to keep the compote in an airtight container or sterlised jar. It should be able to last for up to 2 weeks when properly stored and refrigerated.

If you want to keep some around for even longer, you can always freeze it. Pour the compote into jars, then seal it while it is still hot. The compote will last in the freezer for up to 2 months.

@amcarmenskitchen

Mixed Berry Compote #amcarmenskitchen #foodieph #MARCHarap #tiktokeatsph #foodtiktok #foodtokph #mixedberry #compote

♬ Mon Soleil (from “Emily in Paris” Soundtrack) – Ashley Park

BON APPÉTIT

– Ally xx

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Mango Berry Probiotic Yoghurt Smoothie

Mango Berry Probiotic Yoghurt Smoothie

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Hello Everyone! If you read my post last week, I mentioned that in the upcoming weeks ahead, I’ll be featuring recipes using Binda Valley’s Probiotic Drinking Yoghurt and/or Greek Style Yoghurt that Gourmet Direct PH sent over in mid January. Last week I shared a recipe for Peach Mango Pie Probiotic Yoghurt Smoothie Bowl and this week I’ll also be sharing another smoothie recipe.

This Mango Berry Smoothie Probiotic Yoghurt Smoothie combines the delicious flavors of a juicy sweet mango together with tangy berries in one refreshing drink. Since berries aren’t native to the Philippines (except for strawberries where you can source locally), I decided to use frozen mixed berries to make this smoothie. You can also use fresh berries for this recipe but I find that they don’t give off a vibrant colour as opposed to using frozen fruit. Also, using frozen fruit gives the smoothie a nice and thick consistency.

Gourmet Direct PH x Binda Valley Yoghurt

To be honest, I was never really a smoothie kind of person until I left for Australia for my university studies. I always cherished my sleep more than waking up early in the morning to prepare my breakfast. I leave just enough time to shower, get ready, and dash out the door, grabbing breakfast either on campus or just outside my workplace during my internship. While this worked out fine, I realised I was spending so much money for breakfast. I remember getting toast with ricotta and berries for AUD 8 (almost 300 PHP) which is like a full fancy meal here in the Philippines or 3 full fast food meals.

Not that this smoothie is any cheaper than a fast food breakfast meal, but if you’re pressed for time in the mornings, and want to eat healthier, this smoothie is perfect for a quick and on-the-go breakfast. All you need to do is add an extra 5 minutes to your morning routine!

Mango Berry Probiotic Yoghurt Smoothie Ingredients

PREP TIME 5 MINS | COOKING TIME — | SERVES 1

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 cup Binda Valley’s Probiotic Drinking Yoghurt
  • 1 cup mango, frozen
  • 1 & 1/2 cups mixed berries, frozen
  • 1 banana, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 tbsp coco syrup
  • Granola, to top

METHOD

  1. Add all the ingredients, except the granola, into a blender and blend until smooth.
  2. Transfer to a glass and top with the granola. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Mango Berry Probiotic Yoghurt Smoothie

@amcarmenskitchen

Mango Berry Smoothie with Probiotic Yoghurt #amcarmenskitchen #healthyfood #bindavalley #tiktokeatsph #foodietokph #foodtiktok #foodtokph

♬ Stuck in the Middle – Tai Verdes

BON APPÉTIT

– Ally xx

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Peach Mango Pie Probiotic Yoghurt Smoothie Bowl

Peach Mango Pie Probiotic Yoghurt Smoothie Bowl

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Hello Everyone! Last week I received a message from Gourmet Direct PH asking if they could deliver some yoghurt by Binda Valley to me to use in my recipes, to which I said yes to since I also collaborated with them last year when they sent Nuttelex products over to create recipes for the holiday season. I was actually very surprised by their generosity as I did not expect to receive 2 bottles of Probiotic Drinking Yoghurt (1 kg each), 1 tub (1 kg) of Natural Greek Style Yoghurt, and 1 tub (1 kg) of Vanilla Greek Style Yoghurt, all worth P1,560.00 in total. So expect to see some yoghurt-centered recipes over the next few weeks on Amcarmen’s Kitchen.

Gourmet Direct PH x Binda Valley Yoghurt

Tonight, I will be sharing a recipe using the Probiotic Drinking Yoghurt. While you can enjoy it as a drink on its own, you can also use it in your baking, add it to your cereal for breakfast, or in my case, use it as a base for a delicious smoothie! Binda Valley’s Probiotic Yoghurt is made from 100% Australian ingredients – the freshest milk to give it its deliciously rich and creamy texture. In addition, Probiotic Yoghurt also contains a lot of vitamins and minerals to promote a healthy digestive system.

The idea behind the flavour of this smoothie bowl is inspired by Jollibee’s famous Peach Mango Pie. You’ve got the sweet peach and juicy mango blended together with some cinnamon and nutmeg for that pie flavour, and topped with granola for the crusty pie texture to complete it. Unlike a deep fried pie pocket, this smoothie bowl is rich in protein, vitamins, and minerals.

Peach Mango Pie Probiotic Yoghurt Smoothie Bowl

This Peach Mango Pie Probiotic Yoghurt Smoothie Bowl is the perfect weekend breakfast bowl to jumpstart your day in the morning or to cool off with after an afternoon workout. It’s also a healthier option to satisfy your sweet tooth at night. You can get creative with the toppings as well by adding things like assorted fruits, nuts, seeds, and granola to name a few. Since peaches aren’t native to the Philippines, I decided to use canned peaches that I froze in the freezer overnight before making this smoothie bowl. But if you’re living in a country where fresh peaches are available locally and in season, then it’s best to buy them fresh and freeze them yourself. It’s important to use frozen fruit for this smoothie so that you get a nice and thick consistency.

Peach Mango Pie Probiotic Yoghurt Smoothie Bowl Ingredients

PREP TIME 5 MINS | COOKING TIME — | SERVES 1

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 cup Binda Valley’s Probiotic Drinking Yoghurt
  • 1 cup mango, frozen
  • 1 cup peaches, frozen
  • 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

For the toppings

  • Banana slices
  • Black sesame seeds
  • Canned peaches, sliced
  • Desiccated coconut
  • Fresh mango, cubed
  • Granola

METHOD

  1. Add all the ingredients for the smoothie into a blender and blend until smooth.
  2. Transfer to a bowl and top with your choice of assorted fruits, nuts, seeds, and granola. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Peach Mango Pie Probiotic Yoghurt Smoothie Bowl

I’m also contributing this recipe to an open collaboration on Instagram (not run by me) called No Flame, No Fire Recipes where we basically have to share recipes that do not require to be cooked. The collaboration started today and runs until Saturday hence why I posted this recipe today, Thursday, instead of my usual Wednesday night schedule.

To get your hands on Binda Valley Fresh Yoghurt and Probiotic Yoghurt Drink or inquiries, you may head to their IG: @gourmetdirectph, FB: Gourmet Direct Philippines, or their website on http://www.gourmetdirect.ph.

@amcarmenskitchen

Peach Mango Pie Probiotic Yoghurt Smoothie Bowl #amcarmenskitchen #healthyfood #bindavalley #tiktokeatsph #foodietokph #foodtiktok #foodtokph

♬ Tea Time – Steve Mushrush & Klaus-Lothar Dietrich & Rolf Kersting

BON APPÉTIT

– Ally xx

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Htamin Gyaw (Burmese-style Fried Rice)

Htamin Gyaw (Burmese-style Fried Rice)

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Hello Everyone! It’s time to pack up our bags and head onto our next destination on our Flavours of Southeast Asia – to Myanmar! Myanmar (Burmese) cuisine is known for the simplicity of its recipes. Essentially, the building blocks to most dishes use shallots, turmeric, and peanut oil. Other ingredients to give a dish more complexity include ginger, garlic, tomatoes, lime, chillies, dried shrimp, and fish sauce.

Out of all the Southeast Asian cuisines, I would have to say that, alongside Cambodia and East Timor, Myanmar too is a cuisine that I am most unfamiliar with. Nevertheless, I’m up for the challenge to share with you some dishes that I have come across during my research.

Htamin Gyaw (Burmese-style Fried Rice)

Htamin Gyaw (Burmese-style Fried Rice)

Htamin Gyaw (don’t ask me how to pronounce it *cheeky grin*), or in English, Fried Rice with Boiled Peas is the traditional Burmese recipe for fried rice. Like with every cuisine, adaptations of this fried rice can be found in different households. A popular plain version consists of rice, boiled peas, onions, garlic, and dark soy sauce. The dish is a common breakfast meal in Myanmar, but it can also be served for lunch and/or dinner. The rice can optionally be topped with a fried egg and served with any leftovers you may have lying around from a meal the night before.

The version that I will be making to share with everyone tonight consists of fried red onions in place of shallots, peas, chillies, and turmeric. I also served it with a side of blanched bok choy, sunny side up egg, and drizzled some sriracha sauce on top. If you want to keep this meal vegetarian or vegan-friendly, then feel free to omit the egg.

Htamin Gyaw (Burmese-style Fried Rice) Ingredients

PREP TIME 10 MINS | COOKING TIME 20 MINS | SERVES 5-6

INGREDIENTS

  • 4 cups day old cooked rice
  • 2 tbsp sesame oil
  • 1 small red onion, diced
  • 1 stalk spring onion (white and light green parts only), finely sliced
  • 1 long green chilli, sliced
  • 1 red bird’s eye chilli, sliced
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
  • 1 cup green peas, fresh or frozen
  • Fried red onions
  • Salt and black pepper, to taste
  • Blanched bok choy
  • Fresh red and green chillies
  • Sunny side up egg
  • Sriracha sauce
  • Lemon or lime wedges

METHOD

  1. Add the sesame oil into a large pan over medium-high heat. Sauté the onions until cooked through, about 3 minutes before adding the sliced spring onion and chillies. Cook for a further 30 seconds and then add in the turmeric powder.
  2. Add the cooked rice and mix well, breaking up any remaining clumps of rice. Season with salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste and cook for a further 5 minutes making sure to coat every single grain of rice in the turmeric evenly.
  3. Add the green peas along with the fried red onions and cook for another 5 minutes. Taste and adjust as you go.
  4. Once done, transfer the rice to individual serving bowls and serve with blanched bok choy, a sunny side up egg, and a lemon or lime wedge on the side. Top with extra chillies and fried red onion if you wish, and a drizzle of sriracha sauce. Enjoy!
  5. In Myanmar, this dish would also often be served with a condiment known as ngapi kyaw, which is fried fish paste with shredded fish flakes. Of course, if you want to keep the dish vegetarian/vegan-friendly, you can leave this out. Fresh cucumber strips mixed with chopped onions, green chillies, and vinegar can also be served with this fried rice.

Htamin Gyaw (Burmese-style Fried Rice)

Htamin Gyaw (Burmese-style Fried Rice)

BON APPÉTIT

– Ally xx

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Purple Sweet Potato Rösti Eggs-in-a-Hole

Purple Sweet Potato Rösti Egg-in-a-Hole

amcarmenLeave a comment

Hello Everyone! How is it that we’re already more than half way through the last month of 2020? Where did the months in quarantine go by? Who would’ve thought that staying at home, isolated from the outside world, would actually fly by this quickly?

To be honest, never did I once feel a day go by so slowly. I’ve experienced slower days when actually in the office – the type where I’d look at the clock and it’d read 3pm. An hour later (or so I thought) and it would only read 3:05pm. At home, I’d look at the clock and it’d be 9am; 5 minutes later and it’s already 11am.

Firstly, I’d like to apologise for not uploading a new recipe on the blog for the past two weeks. I actually had this recipe ready to be posted in the first week of December, but at the last minute, I was invited to join two Noche Buena (Christmas Feast) Challenges. Here are my two entries for two separate challenges:

Christmas Noche Buena Challenges

Left: Christmas ‘Spaghetti’ with Meat-free Baubles for the #LODINGNocheBuena Challenge

The theme for this challenge was ‘Christmas Essence on a Plate’. We had to prepare a Pinoy Noche Buena dish, entailing the story behind it. I decided to take a Classic Pinoy Spaghetti and put my own healthy twist to it (you can read the full story on my Instagram account. This was a challenge set by The Official LODI LPG to the Food IG Community and I’m proud to say that I bagged the top spot and won a plus 3,000php cash!

Right: Potato ‘Wreath’ Salad for the #WVNocheBuenaCookOff2020

The theme for this cook off was ‘Christmas Like No Other’. We had to prepare a dish that’s always present on our Noche Buena table and describe how this year’s Noche Buena celebration will be different from the previous ones. This is a campaign spearheaded by World Vision Philippines to help provide Noche Buena packs to World Vision registered children and families in the Philippines. The winners for this cook off will be announced on December 22, 2020!

You can find the recipes to both my entries by clicking on the links that will direct you to my Instagram page.

So here’s a little insight first and foremost, I initially wanted to serve this dish with some smoked salmon to bulk up this brunch dish. However, since I couldn’t seem to source any from the various grocery stores I’ve been to over the course of a month, I then decided to make my own smoked salmon at home after coming across a video on how to DIY without a smoker. Of course, I got lazy and scraped the whole idea of adding smoked salmon to the dish and kept it ovo-vegetarian instead for a simple and light brunch.

Purple Sweet Potato Rösti Eggs-in-a-Hole

Rösti or rööschti is a Swiss dish that is made of potatoes in the style of a fritter. The potato, either parboiled or raw, is coarsely grated, and seasoned with salt and pepper. They are then shaped into rounds or patties and fried in either oil or butter. Rösti are most often pan-fried and shaped in the frying pan during cooking, but they can also be baked in the oven. Although the most basic of rösti consists of nothing but potato, various ingredients can be added, such as bacon, onion, cheese, apple, and/or fresh herbs. And that’s exactly what I did to put a little spin on a traditional potato rösti…

Keeping in line with our violet theme to end the year, I substituted regular potatoes for purple sweet potatoes instead and added an ‘egg-in-a-hole’ twist. An egg-in-a-hole is traditionally a piece of bread with an egg in the center, cooked with a little butter or oil. Serve with some pan-fried cherry tomatoes and asparagus on the side and you’ve got one heck of a brunch. Feel free to add any meat of choice to bulk up your brunch meal.

Newsflash! Breakfast just got a <em>hole</em> lot more interesting!

See what I did there? *cheeky wink*

Purple Sweet Potato Rösti Eggs-in-a-Hole

PREP TIME 5 MINS | COOKING TIME 25 MINS | SERVES 4

INGREDIENTS

For the sweet potato rösti

  • 2 cups shredded purple sweet potatoes (about 4 small-sized sweet potatoes)
  • 1 large free-range egg
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
  • 1 small red onion, finely diced
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • Olive oil, for frying
  • 4 large free range eggs
  • Asparagus
  • Cherry tomatoes
  • Chives or parsley, chopped
  • Lemon slice

METHOD

  1. Wrap the shredded sweet potatoes in a clean cheesecloth and wring out any excess moisture from it until dry. Place in a large mixing bowl and add one egg, garlic, onion, and season with salt and pepper.
  2. Heat a non-stick pan over medium-high and add oil. Add half a cup of the shredded sweet potato mixture in an even layer and cook for approximately 2 minutes or until golden and crisp. Flip and use a round cookie cutter to remove the center of the rösti.
  3. Drop an egg in the center of the rösti and cook until the whites are set. Remove the rösti from the pan and repeat with the remaining sweet potatoes until all are cooked.
  4. Top with fresh chives or parsley, and salt and pepper. Get creative at this point and serve with your choice of veggies; I went for some pan-fried asparagus and cherry tomatoes. Enjoy!

Purple Sweet Potato Rösti Eggs-in-a-Hole

BON APPÉTIT

– Ally xx

myTaste.com

Ube Champorado

Ube Champorado

amcarmenLeave a comment

Hello Everyone! Everything is about ube these days; ube ice cream, cakes, and desserts and all that. ‘New’ recipes are being developed all the time – new meaning adding an ube twist to already classic favourites. The latest ube trend/craze to come out of this quarantine is of course none other than the overrated Ube Cheese Pandesal.

Ube Champorado

Like this Ube Champorado, it is as good as our favourite original chocolate version. Almost two years ago (just shy of a few days actually), I made the classic version of this champorado using tablea chocolate. In that post, I talked about pairing a sweet rice pudding with dried, salted fish. I remember getting messages from friends when I posted a photo of the dish on IG; all with the same “wow, that’s interesting!” reaction. There are a lot of desserts out there that embrace the salty-sweet combination; salted caramel and salted chocolate being the top two favourite bases to endless dessert options!

This Ube Champorado with dried salted fish is no exception. It adds pops of salty surprises to each spoonful of the sweet ube rice porridge that you take. If the combination is off putting for you, then you could get away with adding a pinch of rock salt into your champorado – but it won’t be the same. For all the ube lovers out there, this is an ideal breakfast, snack, or dessert for any occasion!

Ube Champorado Ingredients

PREP TIME 5 MINS | COOKING TIME 25 MINS | SERVES 6

INGREDIENTS

  • 4 cups filtered water
  • 1 cup (250g) white glutinous rice, rinsed
  • 1 cup ube jam/halaya
  • 1/2 cup coconut milk
  • 1 tsp ube extract
  • Pinch of salt

METHOD

  1. Add the rinsed glutinous rice together with the water in a medium-sized stockpot over medium heat. Bring to a boil and then lower the heat down to a simmer. Cook until the rice is almost tender, about 15 minutes. Stir regularly to avoid scorching and sticking. Add more water if necessary to achieve your desired consistency.
  2. Stir in the ube jam/halaya, ube extract, coconut milk, and season with a pinch of salt. Taste and adjust if needed. Cook, still continuously stirring, until tender and the ube is mixed in well with the rice, a further 10 minutes or so.
  3. Once done, ladle the champorado into individual serving bowls and top with a swirl each of the ube condensada and coconut milk. You may also top them with fried boneless dilis if you’re feeling adventurous.
  4. Enjoy immediately while steaming hot on a chilly and crisp morning!

Ube Champorado

You may use fresh/raw ube for this recipe, however, so using store-bought ube jam/halaya, ube extract, or ube powder is just as good; quick and hassle free as how champorado should be. Having to work with fresh Ube will totally ruin that aspect of a no-fuss champorado for me.

Ube Champorado

BON APPÉTIT

– Ally xx

myTaste.com

Auguest 2020: Jialing Mew

Roasted Purple Winter Vegetable Salad

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“Waste not, want not.” — Jialing Mew

Short of blackened and burnt, I’ve learned from my many Auguest disasters that you can almost always save a dish on the brink of catastrophe! Just get creative, do a quick Google search, or go with your gut. I’m also a big believer of using up what you have, even if it means not quite following the recipe to a T (shoutout to anyone with random vegetable halves rotting away in their fridge!). In the same vein, ingredients can always go further than you think. Simmer bones for a flavoursome broth, that, when combined with your salvaged refrigerator produce, equals soup for supper! It’s kinder on your wallet and better for the environment.

Auguest 2020: Jialing Mew

So before we get started, I would like to explain that were it not for a HIGHLY misleading label at my local supermarket, this dish would have been much more on-theme (surely I can’t be the only one who didn’t know that ‘Purple Sweet Potato’ is in fact WHITE once peeled??). Also. Having never actually cooked with beetroot before, I was woefully unaware of how shockingly long it takes to roast in the oven, thereby obliterating whatever small amount of purple pigmentation my poor adjacent sweet potato had to begin with.

Anyway. Just your standard Auguest post featuring Food Fiascos by Jialing.

Roasted Purple Winter Vegetable Salad

Actually, though, apart from the frustrating lack of purple, I consider this to be one of my standout Auguest recipes, as it makes for a pretty fab morning meal. Feel free to skip the pomegranate if unavailable (if we’re being completely honest, that was mainly brought onboard in an effort to edge our way closer to the violet spectrum, though it did turn out to be a nice addition). I do highly recommend the candied walnuts and feta, though!

This dish comes together with fairly minimal effort, despite the lengthy roast-time. Plus, it’s warm and carb-y – the good kind of carbs, I’m told! – making it the perfect cure for your winter morning blues. P.S. keep reading until the end of the recipe for a sneaky vegan plot-twist #Auguest2016

Roasted Purple Winter Vegetable Salad Ingredients

PREP TIME 15 MINS | COOKING TIME 2 HRS 30 MINS | SERVES 4-6

INGREDIENTS

For the roasted vegetables

  • 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 2 tbsp maple syrup
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp thyme
  • 3 beetroots, cut into 2cm cubes
  • 3 red onions, cut into wedges
  • 1 purple sweet potato, cut into 2cm cubes
  • 1 tsp flaky sea salt (or 1/2 tsp regular salt)
  • Pepper

For the candied walnuts

  • 1 cup walnut halves
  • 2 tbsp maple syrup

For the balsamic glaze

  • 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 2 tbsp maple syrup

To assemble

  • 50g baby rocket leaves
  • 1 cup feta, crumbled
  • 1 pomegranate (arils only)

Roasted Purple Winter Vegetable Salad Ingredients

METHOD

  1. Preheat your oven to 180C (160C fan-forced), and line a baking tray with parchment (this is for the walnuts) plus a large roasting tray with parchment paper or aluminium foil (this is for the vegetables).
  2. First prepare the candied walnuts. Toss the walnuts with the 2 tbsp maple syrup until evenly coated. Spread out over your lined baking tray and place in the oven for 10 minutes (in the meantime you can begin to prepare your vegetables), then take out and turn pieces over to ensure even cooking. Return to the oven for a further 10 minutes, then transfer from parchment onto a plate for cooling.
  3. To prepare the roasted vegetables, first combine the 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar, 2 tbsp maple syrup, 2 tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp thyme in a bowl and lightly whisk with a fork until emulsified.
  4. In a large bowl, toss the beetroot, red onion, and sweet potato with the balsamic mixture until evenly coated. Transfer to a roasting tray and season generously with pepper and 1 tsp flaky sea salt. Roast in the oven for 1 hour, then turn the vegetables to make sure they cook evenly, and return to the oven for another 1 hour.
  5. In the last 15 minutes or so of roasting, you can start to arrange your rocket leaves on a serving dish, and prepare the balsamic glaze by heating the 2 tbsp of balsamic vinegar and maple syrup over low heat until it begins to bubble (about 2-5 minutes). Remove from heat after 10 seconds and let cool slightly (it will thicken as it cools).
  6. Arrange roasted vegetables on top of the rocket leaves, and top with crumbled feta and pomegranate arils. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar, serve, and enjoy!

Roasted Purple Winter Vegetable Salad

Tips:

  • To make it vegan, simply omit the feta (or use a plant-based substitute).
  • To make this dish even better (but less vegan) serve on toasted sourdough bread topped with poached eggs for the ultimate Instagram-worthy brunch!

Photo Courtesy & Recipe Copyright © 2020 | Jialing Mew (@jialingmew)

BON APPÉTIT

– Jialing Mew

myTaste.com

Dr. Seuss’ Green Eggs and No Ham

Dr. Seuss’ Green Eggs and No Ham

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Hello Everyone! I’ve been wanting to do my own take on Dr. Seuss’ Green Eggs and Ham for Amcarmen’s Kitchen ever since last year. I was super excited when I realised that I could tackle this idea for this month, but then quickly questioned, what am I going to do about the ‘ham’ part of this recipe?

For those of you who don’t know me personally, or if you haven’t picked it up from the recipes I have been sharing since the beginning of the year, I’ve been slowly cutting meat out from my diet. Since the second half of last year, I’ve managed to cut both beef and pork from my diet (with very rare relapses – I can’t avoid a good beef kaldereta during work events). I tried cutting out chicken from my diet this year too and attempted a pescatarian diet, but that didn’t quite work out. Nonetheless, I’ve strictly kept the recipes I’ve been uploading on the blog to pescatarian, vegetarian, or vegan.

Dr. Seuss’ Green Eggs and No Ham

Mini tangent aside and back on to tonight’s recipe; after having spent countless hours on the Internet searching for how I could adapt Dr. Seuss’ Green Eggs and Ham without the ham, I came across Jenny’s Green Eggs, No Ham over on Jenny Can Cook.

Breakfast can’t get any healthier than this! This recipe for Dr. Seuss’ Green Eggs and No Ham has three servings of green vegetables to boost your immune system, combined with the fluffiest, moist, flavorful, and evenly cooked scrambled eggs for protein – all in one single meal!

The best thing about this recipe is that you can get creative with the greens. Choose what’s cheap and local to your area; what’s in season and most importantly, your favourite greens to eat!

Dr. Seuss’ Green Eggs and No Ham Ingredients

PREP TIME 10 MINS | COOKING TIME 10 MINS | SERVES 3

INGREDIENTS

  • 6 large free-range eggs
  • 1 red bird’s eye chilli, sliced
  • 1 small red onion, diced
  • 1 cup kale leaves, roughly chopped
  • 1 cup spinach leaves
  • 1/2 cup broccoli, roughly chopped
  • 4 tbsp milk
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp sesame oil
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

METHOD

  1. In a small bowl, beat the eggs together with the sesame oil and milk. Season with a touch of salt and freshly ground black pepper then set aside.
  2. In a large non-stick frying pan, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium-high. Add the diced onion and cook until soft, about 1 minute. Then add in the broccoli and cook for a further minute or two. Season with a touch of salt and freshly ground black pepper.
  3. Add in the kale leaves and give it a good mix before adding the spinach leaves in. Reduce the heat down to low and cover for about a minute to allow the leaves to wilt. Once wilted, transfer the cooked vegetables to a plate or bowl.
  4. Bring the heat back up to medium* and in the same frying pan, add the remaining olive oil. Pour the eggs into the pan and using a rubber spatula, begin pulling the cooked outer edges in towards the centre of the eggs. Uncooked eggs will flood the area you just pulled back while the cooked scrambled eggs will gather at the centre of the pan.
  5. When the eggs are about halfway cooked through, add the cooked vegetables back to the pan and continue pulling the uncooked eggs to the center of the pan.
  6. Turn off the heat when the eggs are 90% cooked. And transfer to a serving plate immediately. Perfectly cooked scrambled eggs are moist but not runny, with no crisp or brown edges.
  7. Garnish with some sliced red chillies, freshly ground black pepper, and a sprinkle of ground smoked paprika. Serve immediately with some toasted bread on the side if you desire. Enjoy!

Dr. Seuss’ Green Eggs and No Ham

* It’s important to leave the heat somewhere between medium-low and medium, so that it warms up but doesn’t get too hot. If the pan is too hot, the eggs will cook too quickly and become rubbery.

** If you plan on adding cheese to your eggs, add it in at this point. This will allow ample time for the cheese to melt and integrate into the eggs. Make sure that the cheese is shredded/prepared and set aside so you can add it to the eggs quickly.

Dr. Seuss’ Green Eggs and No Ham

BON APPÉTIT

– Ally xx

myTaste.com

Kaya (Malaysian Pandan Coconut Egg Jam) with Fried Mantou

Nyonya-style Kaya (Malaysian Pandan Coconut Egg Jam)

amcarmen1 Comment

Hello Everyone! Try something new on your morning toast! If you’re looking to change up your breakfast condiment selection from the everyday jams and jellies, try this Pandan Coconut Egg Jam. It will transport you to the tropics with its flavourful, rich, and sweet taste!

Kaya (Malaysian Pandan Coconut Egg Jam) with Fried Mantou

Kaya in the Malay language means “rich”, with reference to the texture of this jam. It is a sweet coconut egg jam that is rich, thick and custard-like in texture, and flavoured with pandan, giving it a fun green colour.

There are two well-known varieties of kaya:

  • Nyonya, which is green in colour
  • Hainanese, which is darker brown in colour and often sweetened with honey

The colour variation depends on the number of eggs, the caramelisation of the sugar, and the amount of pandan leaves used. In the Philippines, a variation of this jam is known as matamís sa báo, but it does not contain eggs and is less thick in texture. In Thailand, it is known as sangkhaya.

Kaya (Malaysian Pandan Coconut Egg Jam) with Fried Mantou

This version of kaya that I will be sharing with you guys tonight is the Nyonya-style one, which gets its aromatic fragrance and natural green colour from the pandan leaf. The idea of treating it as a dip rather than a spread or a filling was inspired from my trip to Thailand a couple years back, in 2013. We (my family and I) were at a roadside stall for dinner and on their menu they had steamed thick-sliced bread with a kaya and condensed milk dip. I decided to recreate this dish to share with you guys tonight, but instead of serving it with steamed bread, I fried some mantou buns for that extra-added crunch on the outer layer while still keeping the inside of the buns soft.

Before we dive into tonight’s recipe, please take the time to check out the original where I drew my inspiration from over on Curious Cuisiniere by Michelle Wong.

Kaya (Malaysian Pandan Coconut Egg Jam) Ingredients

PREP TIME 5 MINS | COOKING TIME 15 MINS | MAKES 1 SMALL JAR

INGREDIENTS

  • 4-5 pandan (screwpine) leaves
  • 200ml coconut milk
  • 4 large free range eggs
  • 1/2 cup coconut sugar

Optional (to serve with)

  • Condensed milk
  • Fried mantou buns

METHOD

  1. Place the pandan leaves together with the coconut milk in a food processor or heavy-duty blender, and blitz/blend for a few minutes until the pandan leaves have been finely puréed.
  2. Pour the blended pandan-infused coconut milk over a fine sieve and into a large bowl. Strain the coconut milk from the pandan leaf pulp, pressing down firmly with the back of a spoon to extract all of the coconut milk from the pulp. Discard the pandan leaf pulp.
  3. In a separate heat-proof bowl, beat together the eggs and sugar, until frothy. Then, add the pandan-infused coconut milk to the egg and sugar mixture.
  4. Create a bain-marie (double-boiler) by pouring some water into a pot that is slightly larger than your heat-proof bowl. Very important, check to see if your bowl can sit on top of the pot without any water touching the bottom of the bowl.
  5. Heat your pot of water over low-medium and bring to a slight simmer. Once slightly simmering, place the bowl with the coconut milk and eggs over it and gently whisk for 10-15 minutes, ensuring no water escapes from the bottom pot. It’s important to keep a low simmer or else the eggs can curdle quickly (refer to notes).
  6. Once done, transfer the kaya to a small serving dish and add just a touch of condensed milk (just enough that it doesn’t become overly sweet) and serve with your choice of steamed or fried bread. Whatever tickles your fancy! Enjoy!

Kaya (Malaysian Pandan Coconut Egg Jam) with Fried Mantou

Transfer the remaining kaya into a sterilised and clean jar. Let it cool before storing in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. Kaya is eaten as a condiment spread on bread or toast, usually as breakfast.

Kaya (Malaysian Pandan Coconut Egg Jam)

Notes:

  • If you don’t have access to fresh pandan leaves, you may be able to find pandan extract which comes in a small bottle or pandan leaf powder, which will work perfectly fine with the recipe.
  • If your eggs curdle during the cooking process, not to fret! Continue to cook for the full 15 minutes, and then transfer the mixture to a blender. Blend until the kaya is smooth.

Growing up in Brunei, Nyonya-style kaya was my go-to choice of spread (together with peanut butter or just butter) on the waffles that you’d get at the local supermarket (Hua Ho) in the snack corner. Their freshly made kaya-filled pancakes, or even the kaya buns on their shelves were also my go-to choice. Also not forgetting the Hainanese kaya-filled cakoi (Chinese youtiao fried dough) from a nearby roadside stall from my workplace that my then workmates and I used to drive to our lunch breaks, and the kaya-buttered toast from a popular Chinese kopitiam known as Chop Jing Chew. These are, if not all, then some of my fondest memories of kaya.

BON APPÉTIT

– Ally xx

myTaste.com