Cooking

This is now present my favorite soup. The soup that Little Isabelle would have loved to have on a cold day. Little Isabelle would have loved carrots if this soup existed. :) I have been imagining this soup for a long time. Ever since I made tomato soup with the secret of adding carrots for sweetness (no sugar in this recipe!), I thought what if making a creamy carrot soup was possible. The pitiful was plainly I hated carrots when I was a kid. Scratch that. I HATE carrots now too! After all, that's why I loved the tomato soup trick. It sneaked them in for me and also took out the acidity I hated from tomato soup. But, I guess I kinda liked carrots as a kid. They were sweet when cooked right. (Raw carrots were the worst - weirdly crunchy. By the way, ranch and dips never helped!)

Just recently, I got my second teeth extraction so I finally decided to give my imagination a try! What I didn't expect was another unexpected childhood ingredient that I hated too! It was my mom's idea - ginger. I was idealizing sweet, creamy soup. But my tastebuds now more diverse, the warmth and spiciness (that I hated as a kid) seemed to be a great addition. Hence, me with gauze pads in my mouth nodded agreeably.

We made it the next day and I have to say, it was everything I imagined it to be. Sometimes, childhood hates can become a new adult favorite. Best of all, one of my favorite adults, my precious Mom adding a missing piece that truly makes this soup comforting. As I said, Little Isabelle would have loved carrots if this soup existed! ^^

Ingredients

A bunch of carrots, sliced super thin (Ensures the carrots cook down fast to get creamy!)
One bulb of garlic, minced
One bunch of scallions, cut small (Separating the white parts and green parts!)
One big onion or two small onions, sliced
Half a bunch of parsley, cut small (Separate the stalks from the leaves)
Ginger to taste, cut into fine strips (Fresh ginger can very spicy so beware! You can also omit this.)
Water or Chicken stock or mix of both
Salt and pepper to taste
Fat (I recommend olive oil and a tablespoon of butter - this is the one time where I would say to say no to bacon grease. This delicate, warm, slightly spicy soup doesn't do well with meat.)
Optional (but suggested) seasonings/add-ins: Garlic/Onion powder, dried parsley, paprika

Directions

Heat about a tablespoon of oil in a pan
While the oil is still cold, toss in your garlic to flavor the oil as it gets hot
Stir and cook until the garlic gets fragrant
Add seasonings of choice and cook for another minute
If desired, add a tablespoon of butter and stir in till it melts
Add your scallions (the white parts) and onions
Cover to allow flavors to meld together and allowing the onions to sweat (We want to draw out the sweetness before adding the carrots so they can have a flavor bath. This is also the integral flavor right here!)
When the onions turn translucent, add the parsley (stalks only) and carrots in along with more salt if needed
Cover and allow flavors to meld together and allowing the carrots to get soft (This is why you want the onions to sweat as much of their liquid as possible)
When the carrots get soft, add enough water or stock till it just covers the carrots (I like to do a mix of both - If I feel confident in my flavor, I try to only use water so I can taste the vegetables! After all, you worked so hard chopping and cooking the vegetables, why now make it taste like meat? But, I do add a little chicken stock or it's a little bland for me.)
Add your sliced ginger and scallions (the green parts) at this stage
Cover and simmer till the flavors meld together
Taste and check seasoning
Blend in batches and serve immediately with fresh parsley (leaves)!

Eggy Bread Grilled Cheese

If you’re a cheese lover and you want a twist on the familiar classic grilled cheese, take this breakfast creation. Growing up, whenever I got sick of eggs, my mom would make me eggy bread so I could still get protein. There’s something so nostalgic about golden crusty eggs wrapped around sandwich bread which is ever so soft because of the soaking. What’s more, that ideal cheese pull is so dreamy. Hence, I decided to combine the two.

This protein packed sandwich for a cheese lover is sure to please! My Cousin Jerry even exclaimed this was the sandwich better than any he had in breakfast cafés! ^^

If classic grilled cheese is your go-to, feel free to follow everything besides the eggs. :)

You can also sprinkle a thin layer of cheese in a dry pan and leave it to turn golden. Once golden, place your finished classic grilled cheese on top and wrap the cheese around the sandwich. This can give your classic grilled cheese a crispy cheese jacket!

Ingredients

Bread (The standard sandwich bread is perfectly fine as they are uniform in shape with the perfect thickness so they’re easy to portion and dunk. You may use other white breads with a soft interior but they may be harder to manage. However, avoid hard breads like French baguette or ciabatta as they resist being soaked, save those for toasting with butter.)
4 to 6 eggs depending how big your eggs are
½ to ¾ cups of cheese – optional (This is the cheese for the eggs, if you’re not a big fan of cheese or want a lighter variation, omit this extra portion of cheese. You don’t need to shred it yourself as prepackaged will work just fine. I recommended mild cheddar cheese or those four cheese blends)
Secret Ingredient 1 - ¼ a cup of milk (This is what loosens up your eggy bread making it easier to dunk and allows the egg to coat evenly! If you want something more decadent you may replace it with heavy cream! My mom once tried her version without milk, and it turned out to be anything but grilled cheese. From then on, she no longer laughs at the details of my recipes.)
Salt and pepper to taste
Optional (but suggested) seasonings/add-ins: Garlic/Onion powder, dried parsley, paprika, and nutmeg (Secret ingredient 2 as this accentuates cheesy flavors!)
Slices of cheese of your choice (My favorite has always been yellow cheddar cheese. Keep in mind to be careful not to stuff too much. I’ll share a secret trick later as well! ^^)
Other fill-ins if you so desire! (Some of my favorites are sliced avocado or bacon.)
Butter to fry sandwiches

Directions

Prepare your bread and cheese for the number of sandwiches you are going to make (This may seem minor but once your pan gets hot, things will get hectic!)
If you desire to make eggy bread, in a bowl, whisk together your eggs, milk, seasonings of choice, and cheese (if you so desire)
Heat your pan with butter (1/2 or 1 tablespoon is plenty)
Wait for your pan to heat up (This is especially important if you are doing eggy bread as you don’t want to have your bread stay in the egg mixture as it’ll get soggy and fall apart)
For easier dunking, I recommend pouring the contents into a shallow dish or rectangular cake pan so you don’t risk tearing the bread while dunking
When the pan comes to temperature (you can test it by allowing some of your egg mixture touch the butter and see it sizzle), dunk your two slices of bread into the egg on both sides and place them in the pan
Have your cheese ready
Here is where you become a grilled cheese expert! Once the bottom of the two bread slices turns golden brown, flip one of them over and place the cheese on top of the toasted bread (and other fillings if you so desire!)
The bottom of the second slice of bread should be also golden brown – do not flip over! Scoop it up (preferably with a cooking spatula) and place its toasted side on top of the bread that you just laid with cheese (The heat from both toasted sides will ensure the cheese will melt through without burning the outside.)
If needed, add more butter in your pan
Toast both sides of your sandwich until golden brown and like magic, the cheese should be melted! ^^
Continue until all your sandwiches are made. Small batches are preferable as these sandwiches are best served hot (Keep in mind to watch how hot your pan gets as you don’t want the bread to burn)
I recommend serving with a side salad and rashers of bacon
If you went with plain grilled cheese, this would be divine with tomato soup!

Hand Pies

These are hands down (Haha, get it? Hands down, hand pies?), my favorite thing ever to make. Making these delicious pies brings so much joy, and it’s so easy to make a massive batch for a casual playdate or a party. If you’re worried about all the wrappings, you may have a “hand pie night” where everyone can pitch in to help wrap these delicious pastries, which may even create fun interaction! You may also make them all ahead as the meat fillings have to cool overnight.

When served, hand pies can either be a side appetizer/snack or even a whole entrée with a side salad and dessert. To top it off, leftovers stored in a fridge can be reheated in a toaster oven or an air fryer, making an easy feast as good as fresh for a week. You may also freeze unbaked pies for later baking, or even freeze leftover filling for later wrapping and baking.

Vegetarian fillings are the quickest to make and can be ready to wrap in a pinch. If wrapping pies is too much trouble or you want to try something new, there are two options that you may consider. One is an easy dip: transfer the final mixture to a baking dish, top with cheese and bake at 350 till the cheese browns and it’s warm in the middle. The other is stuffed mushrooms: simply stuff the filling into mushroom caps, top with cheese, and bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes till golden. (You may also chop the mushroom stalks fine and add to the filling for added mushroom taste! My mom always does this as she hates waste, haha!)

Curry Puffs

Tiropita (Greek Cheese Pie)

Spanakopita (Greek Spinach Pie)

Spanakopita - Spinach Pie - Greek

It would be a miss for me if I didn’t have a spanakopita recipe. This Greek spinach pie was my favorite because of my love of spinach and cheese. I remember vividly for a preschool assignment; I wrote that I wanted CiCi’s pizza for Thanksgiving. I was obsessed with their spinach pizza. So, when my mom introduced me to Cuisine Adventure’s Spanakopita, it became my absolute favorite. After moving to college, I missed this childhood snack and decided to try to make it. I have perfected it since then and it certainly satisfies my cravings.

Ingredients

A good deal of Spinach (The more the merrier, I buy the large plastic boxes of salad green spinach from Sam’s or Costco. At least two for each batch.)
Half a bulb of garlic, minced finely
1-2 onions, minced finely
Fat for cooking (This is to cook our filling not for wrapping, you may use olive oil for completely vegetarian or use bacon fat)
8 oz of cream cheese (Good old Philadelphia cream cheese works great here. This isn’t authentic of course but I feel this adds a great deal of creaminess and makes the filling juicer.)
1-2 eggs (Lightens the mixture)
Secret ingredient: 3 tablespoons of mayonnaise (Yup. Let me explain… as a person who hates mayo – so you’re not alone, you won’t taste this. This secret ingredient somehow not only lightens the mixture but also gives a creamy, custardy mouthfeel. Trust me on this.)
1 to 1 ½ cups of shredded cheese (No need to fuss on shredding it yourself, I recommend mild cheddar or those four cheese blends packages!)
¼ cup of feta cheese (You may need to adjust this depending on how salty your feta is!)
Optional (but suggested) seasonings/add-ins: Garlic/Onion powder, dried parsley, paprika, nutmeg (another secret ingredient – accents cheese flavors)
Salt and pepper to taste
Phyllo dough
Some butter/olive oil for wrapping (We will heat this up just before wrapping. Choose either one depending on your dietary needs/occasion. Butter tastes the best but olive oil is healthier. When I make this, I do half of each ^^)
STUFFED MUSHROOMS Recipe: If you’re planning to stuff mushrooms with this recipe, if desired, cut up those mushroom stalks fine for the filling

Directions

Set a pot of boiling water to blanch the spinach till its cooked
Remove as much water from the spinach as you can using a cheesecloth or pressing against a strainer
Chop fine and set aside for now
In a pan, heat fat and cook minced garlic until fragrant
Add minced onions and cook until onions are translucent (You can add some salt to prevent them from browning)
Add finely chopped spinach and allow the flavors to meld together (This is also the stage where you can add finely chopped mushrooms)
Take off the heat and set aside to cool
In a separate bowl, mix together the cream cheese, shredded cheese, feta till mixed (Don’t worry if it’s hard to mix as the eggs will make everything smooth)
Add mayonnaise and seasonings of choice
Once you reach your ideal taste, add your eggs – this should make the mixture generally smooth now!
By now, your spinach should be warm but not hot, let it cool longer if you need to
Once cool, add your spinach into your cheese mixture and mix till combined
To wrap, begin by melting your butter or measuring a ½ cup of olive oil or if you’re like me, half of both (I do this by melting two tablespoons of butter first and then cooling it down with a little more than ¼ cup of olive oil)
Prepare your baking sheets to be loaded with joy
Preheat your oven according to package directions, you want to do it now because trust me, it’ll go by fast!
Depending how big your sheets are, you may want to cut them in half
Take a sheet of phyllo pastry and brush on butter/olive oil
Place another sheet on top (DO NOT press down as you will lose the layers and hence flakiness)
Brush on more butter/olive oil (You don’t need much each time, so lightly tap the brush against the cup to remove any excessive amounts of fat. You don’t need to have pools of fat for flakiness.)
Fold your sheets to form a long rectangle (Please refer to my diagram illustration for the wrapping steps)
Brush on more butter/olive oil
At approximately 1/3 of the bottom of the phyllo dough, place one teaspoon of filling
From that same spot, pick up the corner of the phyllo dough and gently seal the filling almost like dog-earing a page of a book
Brush on the triangle more butter/olive oil
Fold over while keeping the triangle’s original form
Brush on more butter/olive oil
Fold over once again, keeping in mind not to press!
Brush on more butter/olive oil
Continue the steps depending how long your rectangle is finishing with a tuck in if needed!
Brush one last time on top and continue wrapping till you run out of filling, pastry, or patience (Haha)
Bake according to your package’s directions, for me it takes about 15 to 20 minutes
Feel free to continue wrapping more while one batch bakes if you so desire! Or if not, relax and enjoy while warm! (Don’t forget to let them cool because these are really hot coming out of the oven)

Tiropita – Cheese Pie - Greek

I love Tiropita as much as I love Spanakopita. I wish this was as popular as its cousin, spanakopita. After all, who doesn’t like cheese? This definitely pleases cheese lovers and if spinach isn’t your thing, this is an excellent second option. Simply follow everything above except cooking the spinach! ^^

Meat Lover's Puff - American

This recipe began after an unsuccessful shopping trip. My mom had bought some butcher fresh bacon and ham. What we didn’t expect was the thick streaks of fat and thin streaks of meat (Not recommended). In the end, we rendered the fat down to make crispy pork rinds (one of my grandfather’s favorite snacks) and chopped the bacon and ham for my attempt to recreate Starbuck’s egg cups. The result was awful so I decided to use the remaining ingredients to make a “meat lover’s hand pie.” It was a gamble, but the pies were delicious. If I were to make this again though, I would stick to the usual packaged bacon and ham.

Ingredients

1 bulb of fresh garlic, minced finely
3 large onions, diced
½ to a 1 pound of ground beef
½ cup of diced cooked ham (No sweet ham here please)
½ cup of diced cooked bacon (Reserve the fat if you want to use it)
5 tablespoons of soy sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
Optional (but suggested) seasonings/add-ins: Garlic/Onion powder, dried parsley, paprika, dried basil, dried oregano
Puff pastry (I recommend Greenwise)
Egg wash (One egg and enough water to thin, beaten together)

Directions

In a pan, heat fat and cook minced garlic until fragrant
Add minced onions and cook until onions are translucent and almost jammy (You can add some salt to prevent them from browning)
Add your bacon and ham and seasonings of choice, allowing flavors to meld together
Finally, add your ground beef and cook till the meat is no longer pink
Adjust seasoning and allow filling to cool on the stovetop before transferring to a container to cool completely in the fridge! Overnight is best.
To wrap, make your egg wash with an egg and thinning out with water
Then, prepare your baking sheets to be loaded with joy
Preheat your oven according to package directions, you want to do it now because trust me, it’ll go by fast!
Cut your puff pastry into small squares (Please see the diagram illustration for the wrapping steps!)
Scoop about a teaspoon of filling on top of each square
About this time, the puff pastry will start to get soft so quickly fold each one into the shape of a triangle, don’t worry about crimping them yet
Once each triangle is formed, take a fork and crimp the edges (Don’t forget the back!)
Place on the baking sheet and brush each one with egg wash
Bake according to your package’s directions
For me, it takes about 20 minutes

Curry Puffs - Asian

This is one of the most beloved Asian snacks out there! ^^ It is commonly displayed at Chinese bakeries along with other traditional baked goods. My mom and I made this once when I was in middle school but cooking wasn’t in my repertoire then. This recipe is certainly much better than when we first started out. :) These aren’t spicy especially if you mild down the filling with some milk. However, feel free to make it spicier if you so desire!

Ingredients

1 bulb of fresh garlic, minced finely
3 large onions, minced finely
1 bell pepper, blended - optional
Note about the vegetables - I strongly recommend the first two, they will seem like a lot but onion likes to sweat down so it’ll turn into a small pile in no time at all. Garlic and curry are also best friends. If texture is a concern, feel free to blend the onions/garlic, you’ll still get the taste that way. :)
The peppers are optional, but they not only sneak in vegetables but also bring some sweetness. The sweetness balances well with the spicing of the curry. I wouldn’t mince this or chop finely as the crunch of the peppers will turn mushy and unpleasant. We’re mainly using this for taste.
½ to a 1 pound of ground beef (You can use other meats too but I believe beef is the most traditional!)
¼ - ½ a cup of soy sauce (You may need more so taste as you go)
Salt and pepper to taste
Fat (Olive oil is healthiest but I recommend bacon fat if you’re going for delicious!)
Curry powder (I recommend Golden Curry Japanese Curry Mix, double check that the flavor profile is “Mild” if you’re not into spicy)
Milk (To mild down curry if needed)
Optional (but suggested) seasonings/add-ins: Garlic/Onion powder, dried parsley, ginger powder, paprika, turmeric, coriander, cumin
Secret Ingredient: Mushroom powder/Umami seasoning (This is hard to find so, in the worst case, find a seasoning that has mainly mushroom powder and you are golden! This adds a special salty hit that makes these to die for but don’t sweat it if you don’t have it. DO NOT replace it with mushrooms, it’s not the same.)
Puff pastry (I recommend Greenwise)
Egg wash (One egg and enough water to thin, beaten together)

Directions

In a pan, heat fat and cook minced garlic until fragrant
Add minced onions and cook until onions are translucent and almost jammy (you can add some salt to prevent them from browning)
Remove from the pan and save for later
Heat more fat in your pan, add your ground beef and cook till the meat is no longer pink
Add soy sauce and seasonings of choice – but keeping the curry for later
In a separate pan while this is cooking, pour the blended peppers in the pan and cook till the water from it is evaporated
Add some curry powder and cook for a little longer
Taste the ground beef to make sure the seasoning is on point (especially with the soy sauce since adding soy sauce after this point will make the vegetables overly salty and bitter)
Add the stir-fried peppers, and the prepared onions/garlic and allow flavors to meld together
Taste while adding curry powder, adding a little at a time to make sure the curry is prominent but not overpowering
Add milk to mild down the curry if it’s too spicy
Adjust other seasonings EXCEPT for the soy sauce
Allow the flavors to meld together one last time while letting the filling cool on the stovetop. Then, transfer to a container to cool completely in the fridge! Overnight is best.
The wrapping and baking directions are the same as Meat Lover’s Puff

Sushi

Sushi or any seafood is my favorite food of all time. It's my comfort food and celebration food. However, they can be quite pricey so my mom and I decided to make them from home. The sushi rice is surprisingly easy to make and the possibilities are endless! Just make sure you chop your filling small so your rolls won't burst. ^^

Ingredients

Cooked rice (Sushi rice or any sticky variation of rice should be fine! Just don't do glutinous rice cause it'll be too sticky nor basmati as it'll be too dry.) from about 1 1/2 to 2 cups of raw rice
Rice vinegar (About a 1/4 to a 1/2 cup, be mindful here as it depends how seasoned you want your rice to be. Also, please do not use any other vinegar as they are much too acidic for sushi rice.)
Sugar (Preferably white sugar and I use about a tablespoon or two but this is to your taste.)
Salt (Regular salt works just fine and I use about a teaspoon and a pinch more but this is to your taste.)
Seaweed sheets (Do not use mini seaweed snacks, they don't provide enough space for wrapping.)
Any fillings you want to add :) I like salmon cooked medium rare, grated cucumber, and avocado but you decide your desired fillings.

Directions

Prepare fillings
When you are ready to make the sushi rice, wash the rice till the water runs clear
Add enough clean water back to the rice just to cover it slightly
Cook your rice and when it's almost cooked, go ahead and begin your rice vinegar mixture
In a small pot, add your rice vinegar, sugar, and salt
Turn on the heat to low and heat mixture till sugar and salt have melted
Set aside and pour cooked rice into a cooled tray
Spread out flat to allow as much surface area for the vinegar mixture as possible
Pour vinegar mixture and stir it into the rice, a little bit at a time
Taste as you go so you make sure it's seasoned to your liking
Allow rice to cool to room temperature to prepare for rolling
When you're ready, layer sushi rice on top of a seaweed sheet, being mindful to leave an inch or two of space. This will be paramount when you roll it up. You don't want to ooze rice everywhere.
Lay (Don't pile) your fillings starting from the middle and lay each filling next (Not on top) to each other. Be careful not to overstuff, this takes trial and error.
Gently roll, starting from the part with the rice to the edge
When you reach the end, take a bit of the sushi rice and use it as a glue to seal your roll
If it cracks, wrap another seaweed sheet around the roll
Slice using a fast, sharp knife and serve with soy sauce and wasabi! ^^

Tomato Soup

This is a multipurpose tomato base that can be served as a creamy tomato soup on the sweet side. I personally don't like overly acidic tomato soup but if you do, add more tomatoes or omit the carrots. There are lots of veggies in this soup but trust me, you'll only taste tomato! If you hate something listed/don't have it, don't sweat it. Make use of what you have! There are no exact measurements as this all depends on taste but I will write down roughly what I use when I make this soup so you can have a guideline. We will also blend everything so chop small but don't sweat to make it super fine! This is great also as a creamy tomato sauce for meatballs, served with grilled cheese, or even a base for a better soup.

Ingredients

1 stalk of Celery, chopped
1 whole Garlic, chopped
1 and/or 1/2 whole Onion, chopped
1 or 2 Carrots, chopped (This is the secret: Without adding sugar, we're adding carrots to bring sweetness!)
5 Tomatoes, chopped
Seasonings: Salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, basil, oregano, Italian seasoning, bay leaf (If you only have salt and pepper, it works fine!)
Stock (This may not be needed since tomatoes give a lot of juice but if needed: Meat stock or vegetable stock, water is fine too...you just need more seasoning)
Olive oil (If desired, butter too.)
Heavy cream/milk if you desire really creamy soup

Directions

Begin by cooking your onions until they become translucent or caramelized
Once caramelized, take out pan and set aside
Heat olive oil in a pan enough to coat the bottom of the pan
Add the garlic to the pan and cook till it becomes fragrant
Add butter to fragrant garlic and toast garlic till golden brown! This also becomes a delicious garlic butter to cook everything in
Add celery to the pan and cook till it becomes soft
Add carrots to the pan and return caramelized onions into the pan
Add your seasonings of choice
Stir in the seasonings and let the ingredients mingle for a few minutes
Remove from the pan and set aside
Oil your pan for the last time and add tomatoes, smashing them to release juice
If needed, add stock/water to thin out soup
Once tomatoes release enough broth and are soft, add back vegetable mixture
Adjust seasoning of desired
Cover and at low boil, cook till carrots get soft and flavors melded
Once soft, turn down the heat and taste
Adjust seasoning if desired
If desired a creamier soup, make sure the burner is on low (you don't want it to curdle) and pour in some heavy cream/milk
For a smooth tomato soup/sauce (your imagination is the limit), blend the soup in small batches and serve warm!
For a chunky texture, serve right away!
For a those who can't decide or something in the middle, blend half and pour back into the pot. Allow both mixtures to mingle for a few minutes and serve warm!
If desired as soup, serve with a drizzle of heavy cream and toasted bread.
Or boil spaghetti for the ultimate spaghetti and meatballs (a future recipe)!