Whenever you’re feeling like a comforting dish my friend…
It just doesn’t get any better than this!
So the other day I was browsing through the meat section in Coles, one of the most popular supermarkets in Australia. I noticed they had these new lamb bones packs in their meat section that was an absolute bargain!
It’s basically lamb bones with more than enough meat on them and it only costed something like $4 per kg.
The package looked pretty fresh although the meat I must admit had quite a bit of fat on them. However, it didn’t bothered me one bit because I kind of like my lamb to be on the fatty side.
I’m serious…if lamb doesn’t have fat…then what’s the point??
(SMH. . . )
Anyway, so I decided to buy a pack and see what kind of dish I could make from it. The moment I got home, I started trimming all the meat off and discarded the bones. It was really worth the price because the amount of meat I was able to cut off would have costed me at least double if I were to buy it separately.
Hmmm…..I’m starting to sound like a stingy person aren’t I?
I’m serious, I’ve noticed this more ever since I started my cooking journey and constantly comparing prices whenever I do my grocery shopping.
I mean….I don’t really like this side of me, because that’s not who I am.
But hey, it’s all part of budgeting right?
Plus…I just don’t like wasting money on things that I shouldn’t, especially if I feel like I’m being taken advantage of. And I’m sure we all know what that feels like from time to time.
You bought something from this grocer only to find out that the shop next door was selling the exact same ingredient at half price. Yup…it sucks!
Okay I’m getting a little off track here.
So back to my cheap lamb, a bargain lamb actually that I literally stole off the shelf (at least it felt that way). I brainstormed and came up with a lamb stew with tomato recipe which would be perfect with the meat that I’ve cut out.
I checked on the fridge to see if I had any fresh tomatoes left…but no, I didn’t!
Just when I wanted to go out and get some, I suddenly remembered that I had a can of peeled tomatoes in my cupboard. I quickly opened my cupboard door and there it was.
Now as you probably know, I’m not the biggest fan when it comes to canned food, but when I saw that this thing had whole tomatoes in it and that they were peeled already. I really wanted to give it a go. Plus the label had BPA Free written on it so that was an extra incentive.
This was the can I bought…
And boy was I glad or what….because this lamb stew recipe turned out absolutely amazing!
Check it out below:
A simple, quick and delicious lamb stew that you'll want to make for your family again and again. It was also cheap to cook and totally satisfying!
I hope you enjoyed this recipe as much as I enjoyed writing it.
Especially if you could get your hands on some cheap lamb cuts like I did.
Whatever the case, I honestly don’t think you can fail with this….unless of course, you simply don’t like lamb.
In that case, there’s really not much I can do, but thanks for reading anyway!
No really…lamb and beef are two of my favorite meat in this world.
Although I do enjoy eating chicken too and pork, and venison every once in a while. Okay I’m just a freakin meat eater and I’m NOT ashame to admit it!
Why should I?
I guess the point I’m trying to make is that if you really want to enjoy meat to it’s full potential, then you’ve got to know what you’re doing to bring out the best flavors.
Like Gordon Ramsay once said, it’s all about respecting the food…
….plus a touch of olive oil!
(Sorry…just couldn’t help myself)
But say a lamb leg for example.
Even though it’s not the most expensive cut in the word. In fact, it is quite cheap compare to other parts of the sheep. But once a lamb leg is overcooked, it can be quite tough to eat and I don’t care how you cook it or what you marinade it with.
That’s why I prefer to roast it if I ever buy a whole chunk. A roasted lamb leg with a mix of spices, rosemary, garlic, giving it an aromatic fragrance while not overpowering it’s natural flavours. And when it’s cooked to perfection, the tenderness of the meat, the juicy and succulent pink flesh OMG!
I’m honestly drooling just think about it….again.
Oh yes, I’ve already tasted it the other day and the result turned out exactly how I just described it too….I’m telling ya.
Here’s my recipe if you want to try it out yourself:
Unique, fragrant and delicious roasted leg of lamb with mix spices served with potatoes, sweet corns and carrots.
So how did you like my recipe?
And did you notice anything different with this than some of my other ones?
Well…I certainly hope so because I spent some extra time taking photos on the different steps which I thought will make the process much clearer for you guys.
It actually looks quite nice and clear if you asked me. I guess when they said a picture is worth a thousand words…well, it’s true in this scenario.
But if you didn’t notice it, then I guess I’m not gonna do it again…simple!
Now for those of you who loves lamb like I do, i strongly believe that you’ll know how this dish will taste from just looking at the recipe. The cumin seeds along with the rosemary, they are the perfect match with lamb. The fact that I added other spices and the fennel seeds really took it to another level.
Absolutely delicious I tell you….so you really owe it to yourself not to give this tasty combination a go.
And for those of you who don’t eat lamb often, this is truly a dish that you’ll want to get your tongue on. Trust me…and it was actually very quick and easy to make. The only part that you may find a little weird is to stick a knife into the flesh and make those holes.
This is a much needed step to ensure the meat inside gets the full flavors from the rosemary and garlic. What I did was just stick the knife in, twist it a few time to ensure the stuffing will stay inside. The rest is pretty self self explanatory.
So what are you waiting for?
If you want good food my friend, then it’s time to get your hands dirty!
Green beans casserole is a classic thanksgiving dish in the United States.
OMG…that starting sentence sounded so boring. Sorry that was just….completely wrong!
Allow me to start this article again.
WHERE IS THE FREAKIN MEAT!! (That’s better…)
These were the exact words I used when an American friend recently invited me and my wife over to their Thanksgiving dinner. Yes, they wanted us to try their rather “bland” casserole dish, which happens to be a traditional meal they’ll eat on this special day.
Now don’t get me wrong, their casserole still tasted nice and everything. In fact, it was the first time I ever tried this nationally celebrated dish. But i just couldn’t believe how much space were wasted inside that casserole pot.
Okay, my friend’s house has an open kitchen so I couldn’t help myself staring into their preparation as we sat down on their couch making ourselves at home.
Also, seeing all those lovely FROZEN green beans swimming inside that CANNED creamy mushroom sauce, or soup just weren’t very pleasing to say the least.
Yes, I’m serious…I couldn’t believe my eyes too when I saw his wife opened a CAN of creamy mushroom soup and poured it straight into the pot. I’m not gonna lie because seeing that almost destroyed my appetite.
And if you have been following my website, my food blog or whatever you like to call it. You should know by now that I absolutely hate canned food. No, really…i’m the type who will go through the “trouble” of cooking my own baked beans if I have the time…Yes SERIOUS!
Health aside…canned food just tastes nothing like fresh cooking.
That’s my opinion anyway…
And don’t even get me started on the frozen veggies! Like…REALLY??
Now back to that green bean casserole which I’ve been mocking until I took that very first bite. Boy oh boy…that mouthful almost took me to America, Canada, and back to Sydney…
That delicious sauce (I still couldn’t believe it was canned soup!) followed by layers after layers of roasted garlic, fried onions and then those green beans, mushrooms, that touch of soy sauce, combined and baked perfectly inside that oven for less than an hour.
I mean, I’ve never had anything this simple, yet so delicious and comforting!
I was in love with the combination…well ok, not madly in love because after all….there were no meat, remember?
But the fact that the casserole was so easy to make and tasted so great really impressed me.
And who would have thought that Americans would actually use soy sauce in one of their national dishes. I’m not being racist or anything, but i just seemed more Asian than AMERICAN to me.
Nevertheless, the flavor combinations worked superbly well together and as far as my tongue is concerned, that’s all that matters!
So the next evening after our thanksgiving invitation, i decided to do my own version of green beans casserole because my kids were with my parents at the time, so I really wanted to let them try this amazing meal.
Only this time…well you guessed it, I will be using only FRESH ingredients and then of course…
I will be adding….MEAT!
YESSSSS!
And what would go better with creamy mushrooms than our all time beloved CHICKEN!
Just think about it, we’ve all tasted creamy chicken mushroom soup, and then there’s the actual chicken mushroom dinner that’s become an all time favourites for many families, including my own.
Only now….we are going to be doing it the “casserole” style!
So here’s the recipe i came up with and the result…well, all i can say is YUMMY!
So there you go foodies!
If you have been thinking about making this dish, but unsure about how to use fresh ingredients to do so, then you can try my recipe above.
Although I’m not from the United States and we don’t really celebrate Thanksgivings here in Australia, but I must admit I truly enjoyed making this dish, especially the eating part.
The fact that it was so quick and easy to prepare and make is truly a blessing in the kitchen. I don’t care which country you’re from but I do urge you to give this a go…because trust me, you won’t regret it.
By the way, for anyone who’s currently living in the USA, it’ll be great if you could share with me what you’ll personally add to your green beans casseroles.
I mean, here I’ve added chicken into the mix, but i would love to know what you did to yours so that I can perhaps try some different varieties next time.
Yeah just tell me the combinations you use. For example, greens beans with prawns, beef, lamb, fish….I don’t know, just whatever tickles your tastebuds. Please do share it with me.
YES, I’m talking about the always popular can of tomato soup that seems to be on sale all the freakin time, with nice photo packaging and discount price tags, making them appear so cheap and delicious!
(But they’re NOT!)
So it’s not difficult to see why anyone, with a cooking IQ below 50, will find them hard to resist, especially once they know just how QUICK and EASY it is to prepare and cook them!
(FYI, it’s cooked already….just saying.)
Definitely the best and most convenient way to make a simple soup, really fast!
A soothing and comforting meal suitable for ALL occasions, ANY season, including the hot summer, but especially the cold winter, when your body craves for warm liquid.
You can even add in some cream to make the tomato soup texture more smooth, creamy and tasty. Or you can do without cream and instead…
…find out how to add other ingredients like garlic, spices (Yes, spice it up!), mushroom, herbs (basil is nice!), roasted pumpkin, potatoes, nuts…
It doesn’t matter!
Because the point is, if you went through all that effort to make the canned soup better. Then why not learn how to make the whole thing yourself, starting from scratch?
It really doesn’t take long…and it’s bloody worth it!
But a can of tomato soup, is easier!
Sure, unless you actually DO mind flavors that’s just “hmmm…ok” (translate: BORING!), and you don’t want to eat food that’s not very healthy for everyday consumption.
Or perhaps you have a set food budget and prefer to use your money wisely…like cooking your own soup because you’ll always end up with a larger, tastier and healthier batch.
Otherwise, there’s really no reason why you should forget about canned soup.
Then of course…if you’re one of those “busy people”.
Who I refer to as…”bussies”!
(Meaning: lazy to cook individuals, with poor sense of taste or just don’t give a crap!)
Then that’s a totally different story…
So if you are a bussy, who’s got absolutely no time to spare.
Not even “30 mins” to cook some real food…using real, natural ingredients with amazing flavors, that will in fact do something good for your body…
….like my “spice up cream of tomato soup”, for example.
A unique HEALTHY recipe made from scratch. A REAL homemade tomato soup that’s fast and simple to cook, FRESH!
With aromas and flavors sooooo incredibly TASTY, that the moment you taste it, you may actually stop and think, deeply, about the true meaning of life.
So the real question here is…
Are You A Bussy?
If you don’t have time to at least…attempt my tomato soup recipe because you’re just too busy then please…
…..just keep eating your canned soup.
And I have a great tip for you too!
Yes, this idea will not only save you time, you’ll end up with less cleaning and washing up to do (a dream come true?), without sacrificing any of that amazing creamy pureed tomatoes flavors, and that lovely can soup taste..oh yea!
So, are you ready?
Good!
Here’s the FIRST part.
Use a can opener to cut open your favorite brand of can tomato soup. (Let me guess, campbell’s ??)
Grab a spoon. Any size that fits into the can and your mouth.
Here’s the SECOND and most important part.
Scoop out a spoonful of tomato soup from the can.
Place it directly into your mouth. Eat it.
Repeat step 1 and 2 = keep eating until can is emptied.
Enjoy and thank me later.
Bonus Tip: Since you’re so busy, here’s a REM to help you save even more time!
REM (Rush Eating Method) 1) Pour the canned soup directly into your mouth. (forget the spoon, it’s not worth it!) 2) Don’t even taste it, no licking, no chewing, just swallow it!
By following my REM technique, I guarantee you will finish your soup within seconds.
So there you have it….you time sensitive addicts! If this is not the quickest and easiest way to eat up your store bought cans, I don’t know what is.
And if you’re currently cursing me inside your almighty powerful head, but suddenly realized that you actually DO have an expectation for food.
Then please read on…
I’ll show you 2 ways to make your canned soup taste better.
I promise, no more eating from the can!
No more cold soups (it was room temperature…)
Yes, we’re going to heat things up this time.
Method 1
Open the can
Pour soup content into a saucepan
Place on stove and turn to medium high heat.
Cook and stir soup for 3 mins. Serve immediately.
Prep time: 1 min Cooking Time: 3 mins Total Time: 4 mins
The whole cooking process takes less than 5 mins. But if this is still too long for you, or it’s too much hassle, dish washing, stove etc. Please see method 2 below.
Method 2
Open the can
Pour soup into a bowl
Microwave for 1 min. Serve!
Prep time: 1 min Cooking Time: 1 min Total Time: 2 min
Takes only 2 mins, or less….if you have really fast hands.
So there you have it bussies! I have just given you the “PERFECT” recipes to eat any canned food. Yes, you have everything you need to eat any canned meals or dishes from now on.
Please enjoy and now get back to your busy life.
Bye bye!
So you want a REAL, FRESH, HOMEMADE cream of tomato soup?
Well well well, look who decided to stay…
I’m glad you did because honestly, anyone who’s ever tasted true home cooking, freshly made, natural and delicious tomato soup, will tell you that canned soup sucks!
Sure, there will always be a brand out there that tastes better than others. Like say the campbell’s tomato soup? It’s good, not great, and if I’m honest, it’s no where near the best. Not even close!
The same can be said for many brands too:
Pacific roasted red pepper and tomato
Progresso tomato basil soup or their hearty version.
Amy’s Chunky Tomato Bisque
Wolfgang puck creamy tomato soup
Heinz cream of tomato soup
Campbell’s gourmet tomato with roasted garlic bacon
Health Valley….
Muir Glen….
Healthy choice….
etc etc
So many brands, so much variety, but they are really….just…good soups at best!
And don’t even try comparing them with my 100% homemade, natural, cooked fresh, made from scratch, spice up creamy tomato soup.
There’s really no point, especially if you look at the ingredients at the back of those can labels alongside with my recipe. You’ll understand what I mean.
To give you a rough idea, most canned foods are made with a rather high level of sodium content? Then, there’s the fat, the citric acid (I can tell you it’s NOT lemon, lime or vinegar), potassium chloride, phosphate, man made artificial colors, unnatural flavors, chemically engineered additives, preservatives, and list goes on….
The truth is, food companies are here to make money and to do so, they must find ways to lower their production cost (ingredients), while keeping a long shelf life. This is the only way they’ll be able to make a profit and keep their sale price low.
Of course, not all soup makers are the same and as consumers are becoming more educated and health conscious. Many soup companies have now ditched harmful ingredients, turned to a more healthy approach to keep their reputations afloat.
Good quality and healthier canned or even boxed soups comes at a higher price, which doesn’t do a family’s budget much justice. And then….they don’t even taste that great!
Leaving health aside, I actually find most of them taste rather awful. A selected few might be good at best and then the price doesn’t cut it for me either. For the same price, I can easily make a larger batch and it’ll taste much MUCH better!
Leave money aside, there’s just something about canned soup that I don’t enjoy, no matter how well their flavor combinations are. Perhaps they’ve been stored in that tin can or that plastic cardboard box for too long, and somehow it’s been leaked into the soup, I’m not sure.
But if you want the best flavors, health and value for money…
Homemade is the best!
So let’s hear it one more time…shall we?
I’m glad we finally got that out of the way. I guess we can all now agree that homemade soups will always be cheaper, healthier and tastier (once you have the right recipe!)
And I can tell you that whatever is inside that tin can will taste “no where” near what I’m about to show you. Not even close! And yes, it’s quick and easy to make, smooth and creamy and I’ve actually spiced up the tomato soup, giving it an extra layer of flavors that you won’t even taste at a high end restaurant!
In saying that, I can’t remember the last time I actually ordered a tomato cream soup at a restaurant. I mean, it’s probably the easiest soup dish to make in the world, so I just make it myself. But if I’m correct, the last time I had one would have been inside a buffet.
And the experience wasn’t pleasant…
Oh don’t get me wrong, the tomato soup wasn’t disgusting or anything. Like seriously, how can anyone go wrong with a creamy tomato soup?
It’s like the most basic soup to make, to prepare and just between us, I bet you that most of these buffets use canned tomatoes as their soup base. Just think about it, fresh produce only adds up to the business expense. Not to mention the man hours and labour that goes into making such a large batch of soup.
It’s a buffet after all, so would they even bother?
And if my stomach wasn’t too full from tasting every single bite that I could get my tongue on, then I’d probably have remembered that soup a little bit more. The truth is I can’t, so I guess it must have tasted nothing special, or just plain ordinary.
By the way, I’m in a mindset where I’m really starting to hate buffets now. As you probably know (you should!), I freakin’ love food with my heart and soul! So every time I finished eating at a buffet, my gut would feel so full (an understatement) and bloated as if my inner abdominal wall linings are waiting for the perfect chance to split open.
(Plus, I’m a cheap bastard who wants to get his money’s worth, All You Can Eat! Arrrhhh!)
So anyways, let’s get back to my spice up, aromatic, delicious cream of tomato soup made from scratch. Yes and if you have been wondering how to spice up a tomato soup, well…now is your best chance!
I must admit this is a rather unusual and unique soup recipe that I’ve created here. And to be honest, I was literally forced into making the soup this way.
True story…
You see, the day I decided to make this soup, I realized that I ran out of tomato paste. There was nothing similar in my kitchen cabinets, nor the fridge. Usually, I’ll have some backup frozen tomato puree cubes which I strategically stored in the freezer for days like this. But apparently, I emptied those as well.
Ask me again how I felt at that very moment and i’ll still shout out….FMD!!
To make matters worst, we also experienced this crazy weather that day (I’m guessing 400 miles per hour strong winds, flood warning rains and heart stopping thunders!). So leaving home for the sake of buying a commercial tomato paste, purely for some extra red color and more concentrated tomato taste in my soup…just wasn’t worth the effort. Nope!
But guess what?
If I hadn’t encounter those sequence of unfortunate events, I wouldn’t have come up with the idea, nor would I have created such an interesting tomato soup recipe using spices that actually WORKS!
Like seriously, hearing the name of the “Spice Up Tomato Soup” is already quite erotic and if you’re lucky enough to actually taste it, with your very own tongue, then you might actually get to experience a sensation known as….Foodgasm!
Yes, because this final product right here my friend. This finely tuned and intelligently tweaked (as if…lol), spiced up cream of tomato soup recipe is totally out of this world, and possibly sending all earthlings a very delicious BANG!
So behold my dear and experience this yourself, first hand, the perfect ways on how to add spices to a tomato soup. (now, a round of applause please.)
Get this right the first time and I doubt anyone can stop you from spicing up other soup recipes from now on.
Don’t say I didn’t warn you…
An aromatic spice tomato soup with two tasty spices added into the cream soup, giving it a unique twist to the creamy delicious taste!
As I said earlier, I didn’t add any tomato paste like most of other cream of tomato soup recipes you find online (or in some cookbooks), but that’s only because I’ve replaced it with the beautiful paprika spice.
Why?
Because it’s red and it’ll give a really nice looking reddish color to my soup.
But that’s not the only reason I used it. Oh No!
You see, I already knew that paprika had good flavors. What I didn’t know was that when I combined the paprika along with it’s humble, honest team mate, the ground oregano spice. Then added them both in to cook together with the fresh tomatoes…something magical happened.
Viola!
The chemisty between the spices slowly reacted with the tomatoes and it’s natural juices, working in a mysterious way, and somehow developed a unique and gorgeous aromatic flavor that almost knocked me off my seat.
At first, I was afraid that the spices might be too overpowering. But they just knew their place and weren’t taking over the spotlight. I could still easily taste the freshness of the tomatoes from the soup, except that it’s was combined perfectly and in a subtle way, complimented by the additional spice flavors…pure awesomeness!
So I dare you to give it a go.
Honestly, my tongue don’t lie!
(not sure about yours though…)
This cream of tomato soup is bang on smooth and creamy, fragrantly spicy (not in a hot way), while staying humbly tomatoey (is that a real word??). Okay, the bottom line….it is a very healthy and delicious soup that’s suitable for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Seriously, would you mind having it for breakfast? Like with a toast?
I won’t!
The fact that it was so easy to make and cooked fresh, so anyone can make this soup for their families on a daily, or even weekly basis. Just stop and think about all the nutrition and health benefits your family will be getting from all those big red juicy tomatoes?
And don’t even start me on the incredible spices!
They are pure gold to our body!
So there you have it tomato soup lovers, this is my special soup dish of the day.
Please enjoy and do let me know how it turned out. I’ll love to hear it.
Also, don’t forget to SHARE this recipe with other people, so that everyone can benefit from this yummy healthy soup…and then stay away from overrated canned versions.
P.S Did I just hear someone say get rid of the thick cream?? Okay, I’m not a health professional nor would I consider myself, a super healthy specie. All I know is that a little cream won’t hurt and you are NOT going to die, okay?
P.S.S Of course, if you are vegan (which I highly respect…), then sure, simply remove it from the recipe. This tomato soup will still taste superb without cream! Although I’d probably add some grated macadamia nuts just to increase the milkiness of the soup. Just a personal preference. It’s entirely your call….your mouth and your body.
(That was my first reaction when a friend asked me to try this dish.)
“Just look across your table”, he said.
I saw a HUGE egg omelette with some meat, prawns and vegetables.
“So you want me to eat a monster egg omelette?”, I asked.
“No”, he replied. “It’s not an egg omelette, you stupid F!” (sorry, but that’s how we communicate in our “friendly” world), “It’s a vietnamese pancake made with rice flour and coconut milk…just try it man”, he insisted.
I must admit…I’m not the biggest fan of omelettes and certainly hesitated when I saw the size of that YELLOW thing!
It was huge man!
No, I don’t have a problem with anything yellow, especially food. I just didn’t feel like an egg omelette, a very large one that is, not for dinner anyway. But since it was just a savory pancake, so I took him on and gave it a shot.
And I’m soooo glad that I did, because ever since then, this Banh Xeo Vietnamese pancake has taken a special place inside my heart.
By the way, this is not a dish that can be easily found in vietnamese restaurants, at least not in Sydney anyway. I certainly never had it here. I mean, the most popular viet dish we eat here is pho (a special beef noodle soup, yum!)
And maybe pork roll too (cheap, satisfying and tasty!).
This place in Melbourne was different though. Everyone had one of these yellow pancakes on their table. It was as if the dish was on a special promotion or something, like a buy one get one FREE deal!
When it finally came to our table, my friend showed me how to roll up that first batch, because I didn’t know how to eat it. The combination was actually quite interesting, very easy to make, and smart too!
So I dipped it into the sauce and took a trial bite…..then I suddenly realized what all the fuss was about.
Because…boy oh boy, it was the best pancake I’ve ever had in my entire life!
Sweet or savory, I no longer care! That crispy pancake skin, the juicy fillings with shrimp and tender pork meat, followed by layers of fresh crunchy vegetables and when you eat it with that magical sauce…OMG!
The combination was just bang on….mouthwatering….DELICIOUS!
So when I came back to Sydney, I told my Mrs about it. She wanted to give it a try, but unfortunately…we couldn’t find it in any of the Vietnamese cuisine that we know of (and that’s a lot of places too I tell you…)
But one day, out of sheer luck, I finally found it!
It was a small restaurant inside the suburb of Bankstown, NSW, a popular vietnamese area which we go and buy asian groceries from. So if you happened to live in Sydney, this is an area to find traditional southeast Asia ingredients and food items that you won’t find elsewhere.
And the prices are cheap too!
(Hey…every dollars counts when you’re raising a family, right?)
I’ve never tried eating at this restaurant before, because I always thought that the place was too small. Like tight spaces, small tables and everything’s just so cramped up.
If it wasn’t for my sore tiring legs, I wouldn’t have walked in. Simple.
But when I saw a familiar picture on their menu, I was over the moon (Yes, I found it….all thanks to my legs!).
I couldn’t remember the pancake name at the time, “Banh Xeo”, but I definitely knew what the dish looked like.
I pointed to the photo and told my wife,
“This is it!!”
“This is the dish that I’ve been bragging to you about….the yellow pancake from Melbourne…'”
So we ordered it straight away and you wouldn’t believe how happy I was, because I finally get to eat this fantastic meal again. Seriously, it was like God had answered my foodie prayer.
Moments later, there it was, a huge plate filled with green leaves, a dipping sauce and that humongous pancake that I’ve been so eagerly to get my tongue on again…YES!
Like a professor who thinks he know it all, I gentlemanly showed my Mrs how to eat it the “correct way” and when I tried to rip a part off the pancake, I sort of sensed that something wasn’t quite right.
But I rolled it up for her anyway…
…and then monitored closely as she took her first bite…
“WTF”, I thought to myself so I immediately made myself a piece and took a bite. Oh YUCK!
The pancake was thick, soggy, tasteless and worst of all, the fillings lacked any kind of seasoning whatsoever. I mean, come on man! What the F is wrong with the chef??? He could of at least marinaded the F**kin meat!!!
Yes…I was blowing steam!
And if it wasn’t for that vietnamese dipping sauce, I wouldn’t even attempt a second bite.
I was very pissed! Extremely upset because I take pride in everything that I recommend to people (I meant food), especially to the dearest person in my life, my gorgeous humble wife.
So for me to recommend this pancake dish to her, it felt like my tongue was impotent! Yes, it destroyed my confidence alright.
When I went home that day, I researched every single recipe out there on this vietnamese pancake. You see, I needed to regain my reputation in the family. In other words…
I want my tongue to rise again!
After thorough research, test and trial, I finally created it.
The result, I’d say 99.5% similar to what I had in Melbourne.
And that basically means SPOT ON DELICIOUS!
So here’s my easy recipe for you….
So that’s my Vietnamese pancake recipe for you and guess what?
My wife absolutely loved it!
It was light, crispy, fresh and yummy! Just like how these yellow pancakes are meant to be. The pork was marinaded to perfection and my dipping sauce…well, let’s just say she couldn’t keep her hands off it. 🙂
Unlike the traditional pancake mix, I tweaked the ingredients a bit to make it even more crunchy. My kids loved it too and it has now become a family favorite.
The fact that it was so quick and easy to make, and came out soooo tasty. I have no problem making it again, again and again.
So give it go…trust me, you’ll love it.
Next time, I’ll try to add some prawns in with the pork as well. Actually, I think that’s the authentic way of making it.
But I’ll leave that for another day.
So enjoy and please don’t forget to SHARE this Banh Xeoe pancake recipe with other people.
I’m sure some of your friends and family have been wondering how to make it. So do them a favor and do me a favor. Like & Share….easy.
Everyone raves about their amazing health benefits, but not everyone likes the taste.
I certainly didn’t, but that’s only because I never really knew how to cook them. In fact, I didn’t know how to cook anything until my first child was born, my sweet loving daughter.
Yes, I changed a lot because of her.
That was 9 years ago. (time really does fly…)
My mother used to give Kale to us all the time (still do), because she plants a whole bunch of them in her garden. The homegrown organic type too.
Kale really does taste superb, when done right!
The way I used to cook them is to either stir fry, blanch (more like boil) or worst, steam. I even cook the stems as well. That was wrong, very wrong…
Kale actually tastes quite bitter, especially the stem part (it is stubbornly tough so I used to blanch the hell out of it!). My wife never liked it so we involuntarily discarded quite a lot of them. We just weren’t getting though them quick enough before our next shipment arrived.
So yup, I was wasting A LOT of them goodness. (Sorry Mom!)
I wasn’t good with flavor combinations either, so no matter how hard I tried to cover kale’s distinctive taste by using a different variety of store bought sauces and gravy (can you imagine?). It just never worked.
I still remember having so much Kale in my fridge that one day, I decided to make baby food out of it. Yes, that was very ambitious of me, given my expert foodie background (yeah right..), but I did it anyway.
So yes, my poor baby daughter became my lab rat and tasted my very first blend of “homemade baby food” using:
Fresh bananas (peeled)
Kale (cooked)
Carrots (cooked)
Baby formula powder (I know, but it was good for her…)
Placed them all in a blender, added a little warm water, turned it on and done. Genius!
(By the way, that image above is not my daughter, although she had a very similar reaction.)
Anyway, so fast forward a few years. (Did I say 9 years? Damn!)
I have learned so much about “how to use different types of ingredients”, including kale. More importantly, I’ve learnt respect them, compliment them, a lot!
There are many different ways to eat kale and one of the best way to do so is to make a salad out of it. By doing so, you’re not losing any of it’s nutrients, vitamins, minerals and all the other goodies that comes with this dark leafy green.
It’s not rocket science…really.
Now before I begin, I just wanted to say that I have seen many kale salad recipes with apples, and maybe apple with avocado, or pear, grapes, pecan, walnuts, bacon and so on…
But interestingly, I have never seen anyone putting mangoes into a kale and apple salad?
It was weird because I eat this all the time. My families loved it, all my friends enjoyed it, so I just don’t understand why?? I mean, I was only searching around online to find some different ideas and variations, but there was none!
Like…come on, raw kale salads are not even that hard to make, at least mine wasn’t. As a matter of fact, my recipe here is super quick, easy and absolutely delicious.
And when you tossed everything together with my lemon garlic dressing…YUM!
Check it out.
So that’s it for this easy salad recipe.
It is very healthy because not only are you getting all the nutrition from the dark greens (fresh raw kale leaves), the apple, the mango, but you’re also absorbing all the health benefits from the mixed seeds (natural protein), which your body wouldn’t be getting otherwise.
I find them to be a great compliment to the salad as it provided an extra layer of crunchiness and texture to the overall dish. And if you happened to get the same brand of paleo mix as the one I got from aldi, then you’re absorbing the additional goodness from the almonds flakes too.
A perfect balanced meal for a quick, healthy and delicious lunch in summer.
So give it a go!
And please don’t forget to LIKE or SHARE this wonderful apple, mango and kale salad recipe with other people. You’re really only doing them a favour in terms of their health.
Oh hang on, I love sake as well…and did I forget about sushi?
I just absolutely adore Japanese cuisine, their flavors, their sauce and how they are able to create amazing new dishes and ideas using simple fresh ingredients.
Yes! Just look at the way they eat fish…..you don’t even need to cook it!
Kill, Clean and Eat!
Too easy!
And same goes with many other foods, there’s always a new way to eat things.
But take teriyaki sauce for example. A world known indulgence using a simple mix of mirin, sugar and soy sauce. You can use it on just about any type of meat you can think of.
Think chicken, beef, pork, and what about fish?
That’s exactly what I did here tonight with my beautiful piece of salmon fillet.
Yup, I’m gonna make an easy and tasty teriyaki salmon for the family, a dish which we haven’t had for a while.
To be honest, I was actually getting a little tired with my normal baked or pan fried salt and pepper method (even though it is simple, quick…and QUICKER!!), but when you eat the same thing over and over again, for a period of time, you just kind of lose interest.
Given the fact that we eat fish at least 3 times a week, so I don’t really need my 4 year old son telling me that my method of cooking fish was getting a little boring. He basically stopped eating them since last week.
Guess I spoiled him too much with the amount of varieties I usually put on the table, when I’m not too too busy. But hey….I’m just a doing a good father’s role here and that is, putting “good” food on the table.
So today I’m going to share with you a really simple, insanely delicious teriyaki salmon recipe that might redefining your way of eating fish forever.
First, you head to your local Asian supermarket, preferably a Japanese grocer and then you simply ask for a special sauce known as the “Teriyaki Sauce”.
Easy, right?
Got you there for a second, didn’t I?
Well, you really can buy this type of sauce from an Asian grocery, but what’s the fun in that? Why not just make a homemade teriyaki sauce yourself, from scratch?
And we all know how “healthy” store bought sauces are, right? The hidden additives, chemically processed flavors, do you really want me to go on?
For something as simple as a teriyaki sauce…like seriously, just do it!
I promise, this homemade marinade sauce is very easy and fast to make, that you won’t even notice it and you’re done!
And…I’ll also show you:
How to marinade the salmon properly
The healthier sugar to use (I used a type with NO fructose. So…it’s Bad Sugar FREE!)
Which soy sauce for the best tasting?
And then I’ll eat the fish for you…
Kidding!
Here’s my tasty teriyaki salmon recipe.
Easy teriyaki salmon recipe and how to make marinade sauce from scratch. A fast and healthy way to cook a tasty teriyaki salmon fillet using one pan only.
So that’s it, a delicious and easy salmon teriyaki using one pan only!
And jf you cooked the fish perfectly (you just know it when the meat comes out flaky, juicy and tender, right?), then this rich and thick homemade teriyaki sauce is only going take that lovely glazed salmon to another level!
A word of warning though, especially those with kids. Once you made this gorgeous meal for your family, they are literally gonna beg you to cook it again…and again!
Sure, unless you are allergic to garlic!! (Is that even a thing??)
Today, I’m going to share with you a really quick and easy recipe to make your own homemade garlic and cheese pizza with a just few simple ingredients.
Forget about takeaways or deliveries, you lazy rich bums!
You just never know what they put into their dough, their sauce and not to mention all the extra FAT that you have no control of.
By making your own garlic pizza bread at home, at least you’ll have total control so you can adjust the ingredients to your liking and it’ll just be that much healthier.
Hey! Every little bit helps, right?
Pizzas are no doubt great for lunch and lazy dinners, as well as those Saturday nights where you don’t feel like going out, nor cook a proper meal, but just want to lay back on your couch, with your loved ones….and watch some netflix.
Why not?
By the way, I’ve been going on a netflix binge lately too.
And it’s been pretty addictive…I tell you.
But I get a weird empty feeling every time an episode ends.
It’s true!
Source – Netflix and Pizza are the perfect companions and you will be eating one before the episode finished, serious!
Lately, I feel like I’ve been wasting so much time watching “A Series of Unfortunate Events” on netflix. I don’t even know why I watch that crap, but I guess you only get to see what your wife and kids wants, right?
Like seriously, as if my life isn’t unfortunate enough already.
I mean sure, I’ve only scratched my car onto the letterbox the other day as I reversed out of the driveway. And I think it’s gonna cost me at least $500 to fix, to repaint and everything.
But hey I’m not complaining….
…..not before my wife finds out anyway…
…………come on, you think I’m not stupid!
Anyway, so I guess watching these kind of shows would at least make me feel a “little” better about my own life, escaping the modern city life, the computers, the internet, the traffic jam, the fast cars….ARHHH!!
To be honest, it’s a pretty wicked series exploring a little fantasy world in a weird, dark, kind of way. It’s better than the movie I’d say, but then….I only watched that because of Jim Carrey…..and the kids, and the popcorns too of course, although I would have loved a pizza if they actually had them at the cinemas.
Exactly, why don’t they sell it in the theatres?
WHY???
Imagine if they do a promotion deal or something, like a FREE slice of pizza with every purchased ticket! How awesome would that be? Seriously…the place will be packed!
That’s a business idea for ya!
So if you’ve been planning to binge watch some netflix like we have (just don’t watch A series of Unfortunate Events, it’s NOT worth it), then I’d suggest getting yourself some snacks or food that’s really naughty and possibly guilty to munch on. Perhaps something garlicky, maybe a little cheesy as well, but it has to be yummy!
Like say…..a FRESH garlic pizza straight out of the hot oven?
Perfect!
Just pump up the oven and roll out the dough (It’s fast and simple!). Then slap on the garlic butter sauce using my recipe below. You don’t even need to preheat your pizza stone, even if you have a good one like mine.
It’s too bloody heavy, so I don’t bothered…..NOT on a binge night anyway!
Instead, I’ll just show you how to make a pizza that’s just as good and tasty, using a normal pizza pan. Yes…It’s too easy!
Trust me, it took me a while to get it right (I told you I’ve been watching a lot of boring netflix lately), but seriously….you’ll be enjoying a delicious crusty cheese garlic pizza bread in no time!
Just follow my recipe below
Remember, you only have 15 seconds to decide before the next episode begins.
May the wise get to EAT pizza!
Fast and delicious garlic pizza recipe with melted cheese. Learn how to make the best garlic sauce for pizza and perfect dough base mix for tasty crusts.
So there you have it!
Seriously, how can anyone resist this easy garlic pizza bread recipe?
Those hot melted cheese surrounded by beautiful tasty crusts, with crispy pizza base supporting layers of soft and fluffy pizza bread that’s infused with the best garlic sauce that you’ve made from scratch!
You will taste the difference…because it really does taste that good!
Oh la la!
My mouth is watering just from writing this.
So I’ll stop here and let you do your thing.
I shall go and watch some more netflix with my family…..and make pizza!
This was one of my favorite dish whenever I ate at a French cuisine. The melt in the mouth texture from the fatty liver, full of silky smooth richness, surrounding each and every bite with exquisitely elegant, buttery and heavenly flavors.
yes yes YES!
I loved my foir gras, seared, they’re just the absolute best…although quite expensive.
They can also be made into a mousse, a parfait, or served as a pate to spread on toasts.
Yes, I’ve tasted it all and I bloody loved it!
When cooked to perfection….oh boy, it can only be described as….a delicacy from another dimension! If I’m even more honest, nothing else in this world can compare.
But if only I knew what really goes on behind the scene to have such exquisiteness put on my plate. I’ll probably vomit.
Yes and you’ll probably vomit with me, once you find out the way these animal’s been treated and suffered in order to produce such fine indulgence.
What Is Foir Gras and How It’s Made?
Foir Gras is a french term used to describe….a fatty goose’s or duck’s liver that’s deliberately produced by farmers using an unnatural forced feeding method.
By expanding and fattening the animal’s liver, farmers can turn it into a luxury food item and sell it at a much higher price.
Seriously, no matter how much I love eating animals, their meat, flesh, organs, or whatever…
Seeing them getting treated like this and not given a chance to “at least” enjoy their natural way of eating…or basic swallowing, is just completely wrong and inhuman!
Come on man….eating is like the best part of being alive!
We here at…I LOVE MY TONGUE….stand by it!
And this…
Just watch the video below and tell me what you think.
Now I understand this is probably the worst example out of all the foir gras farms in the world. In fact, there is this one particular farm in America who produce these abnormally large livers ethically or so they claimed.
But then…that is only the BEST EXAMPLE! (Good on them by the way…or not)
I would, however, really hate to see how the average foir gras farm operate.
Regardless, shoving a pipe down someone’s throat, whether it’s made of metal or plastic, just leaves a bitter taste in my mouth. Forced feeding is forced feeding, no matter which way you look at it.
Can you imagine someone shoving a whole box of dry corn flakes down your throat…with no milk?
Now I don’t want to go through the specific details as to how foie gras are produced.
In brief, it basically involves forcing 4 pounds of grains and FAT into a male duck’s or a goose’s throat, in order to fatten and enlarge the liver.
This process goes on everyday for I don’t know how long, but it won’t stop until the animal’s liver reaches up to 10 times of its normal liver size. You can learn more about it HERE.
As far as I know, the following countries have already participated in either banning the production, importation or sale of foie gras:
Austria
Australia
Argentina
Czech Republic
Denmark
Finland
Germany
India
Israel
Italy
Luxembourg
Norway
Poland
UK
Some parts of United States (e.g California State, San Diego City, Chicago City)
I would really like to see more countries join in and ban this practice once and for all, but I also understand that humans can be very ambitious when it comes to eating good food…especially luxury food.
That’s just the reality.
So even if the whole world decides to ban the production of these enlarged livers, there will always be some jerks doing it behind our back, in the dark and there will always be a black market going on.
But that’s another story which I’m not interested in…
As you already know, foie gras is an unnatural fatty liver that’s produced via a “gavage” process (forced fed) and then sold according to it’s market sale price.
Liver pate on the other hand, is a natural and normal sized liver, cooked and then ground into a rich thick paste. Both duck and chicken livers can be used to make a pate.
Now I have no problem replacing foie gras with any normal liver pate, duck or chicken.
While it may not taste the same, but trust me. If you prepare and cook it correctly using other tasty oil such as butter or duck fat, it can also be turned into a delightful delicate dish.
In terms of liver pate, at least I know that the animals didn’t suffer too much before turning into our food. As for the unethical process of “you know what”, I have decided to boycott and stop eating it altogether.
I’ll try to make some delicious liver pate recipes (using normal duck or chicken liver) in the near future, so if you’re interested to find out how, then please stay tune.
As for all the vegans and vegetarians out there who may be reading this article. I just wanted to quickly say that while you guys have my utmost respect (HONESTLY!), but please do not attempt to convert me into one.
Please don’t even try…
I’m a meat lover, an animal eater and forever will be, just like most humans who have been eating fish, pigs, beef and so on for thousands of years. I truly enjoy it.
And for the record, I love eating vegetables too!
I just don’t like seeing animals getting treated the way such as the ones shown in the video.
If I know other companies or farms who are doing this, not just for foie gras, but with other food products such as meat cuts, eggs etc. I’ll seriously consider boycotting their brands too.
So that’s it…I made my point.
Whether you should stop eating it, I’ll let you decide.
I don’t know about you, but cold spaghetti pasta salad is now one of my favorite lunch to eat in summer.
They sell it everywhere, in cafes, in restaurants, in food courts (ok…food halls) and is the best “go to” meal….whenever you’re spoiled with too many unhealthy choices.
This is especially true when you head to the shopping mall with your kids, after school, and waiting for her next tutoring class.
Yes, my daughter has reached an age where we needed to put her through tutoring lessons (Asian parents, right?), but we’re only doing it because we wanted the best for her future.
We do our best to protect them, to provide for them and lead them into the right path.
Right…??
My daughter goes to tutoring every Tuesday and Thursday. Not straight after school. There is a 1 hour gap in between, from 3pm-4pm. So after we picked her up from school, we would take her to get some food just so that she can freshen up and have enough energy to last up to 8pm.
(Yes, that’s how long her tutoring lessons goes for…from 4pm-8pm, poor thing!)
We normally take her to a nearby shopping mall (we actually call them shopping centres here..). And I’m not sure how it is in the United States or other countries that I’ve never been to, but in Australia, the food courts are filled with many “not so” healthy foods.
I mean things like deep fried chickens, fish and chips, calorie overloaded burgers (I don’t actually count it), greasy chinese takeaways, kebabs, KFC, McDonalds, and the list goes on.
As a “responsible” parent (right???), we try our best NOT to feed our kids too many of these, no matter how yummy they are. I mean, besides the obvious, you just never know what really goes behind the scenes.
Plus, there’s only so much junk foods you can eat before your mouth becomes a train wreck. Even my daughter agrees (Thank God!).
So lately, she’s been addicted to a healthy cold pasta pasta that’s made with spaghetti, fresh herbs and tomatoes. I loved it, she loved it, our whole family loved it.
It doesn’t feel heavy at all because you can often tell when something makes you bloat and tired, so we’ve been eating these a lot lately. My only concern is whether these guys we buy from actually uses extra virgin olive oil.
After all, business is business and in the commercial world, cost cutting is an important factor to consider, so in saying that, I don’t really blame them even if they do in fact use a cheaper diluted version.
That’s exactly why I decided to make my own and It wasn’t even hard to make.
The whole process was so quick and easy that I kind of feel stupid for not to come up with this cold pasta recipe any sooner. It tastes just the same as the ones we bought from the healthy shop, if not, better…HA!
This is what I came up with:
Cold pasta is the perfect summer dish using spaghetti, mixed fresh herbs and tomatoes with added garlic, lemon and lime juice, giving it a truly refreshing taste!
So there you go people!
If you have been wondering how to make a cold pasta salad from scratch, then you’ve got the recipe right there.
The truth is this combination goes superbly well with ANY kind of pastas. Whether it is spaghetti like what I have used here, fettuccine, penne, linguine, just any pasta that tickles your fancy.
You can also add in some diced zucchini if you like, some cucumbers, capsicums, or any type of fresh salads to make your pasta even more tasty, nutritious and healthy.
The best part is, you will save a lot of money doing it yourself. Yes!
I’m not sure about other countries, but in Australia, one medium sized container sells for about $10. Now imagine if a whole family was to eat one of these…each, you do the simple calculations.
And how much does a pack of pasta cost these days? Like $1??
What about tomatos? (You really only need to dice one to make 4 portions)
The herbs? (They’re pretty cheap!)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil? (You only need a few tablespoons)
Salt & Pepper? (Come on mate…)
Garlic? (Ok…I think you got the point.)
So to make 4 portions that’ll ensure your family gets fed properly (really enough). It’ll only cost you a few bucks.
Whereas if you are eating these 2 times a week, like we do during those “waiting” period before my daughter goes into tutor, these costs can really add up.
Call me stingy or whatever, but budgeting is an important part of raising a family.
And by doing the cooking yourself, you’re also raising a healthier family….RIGHT?
