Posted on by — Leave a comment

Vegan and vegetarian noodles, nooddles, noodles

Can you believe it is October? It is so easy to lose the track of time this year. I know fall has started in many parts of the world, but where I live late summer weather, which is a lot more bearable than early and mid summer weather, is here to stay for another few weeks. I promised to post more cold noodle recipes during this summer but I only seem to have shared them on my Instagram. (By the way, please check out my Instagram if you haven’t yet). So I decided to share 3 recipes today. They are all quick and easy, healthy and light with a little kick from spicy sauce. They are perfect for summer but good for any time of the year. Continue reading Vegan and vegetarian noodles, nooddles, noodles

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Green tea noodle salad with spicy Asian dressing

If you ever wanted to visit Hong Kong in the future, you should know that mid October through December and late March through early May are the most beautiful months to be here. There are rainy days in spring of course, (we have subtropical climate after all) but we also have many days of beautiful sun and breeze with relatively low humidity. Well, our spring has just passed by us without most of us even noticing it. Now it is full on summer with scorching heat, rains and unbearable humidity all the way through October, urgh….But at least now I have an excuse to make my favorite noodle salads all the time. Not that I need an excuse, but I really do make cold noodle salad a lot in summer ;-). Continue reading Green tea noodle salad with spicy Asian dressing

Posted on by — 2 Comments

Dairy free, gluten free dark chocolate almond marshmallow cookies

Life never goes as planned. A phrase that I always loved and believed. And this year so far has once again proved what I believe…well, not in a good way. My husband had a big birthday at the end of April (not saying any number here, but it was one of those big ones ;-)). So from early this year I started planning/plotting a surprise party and a trip. His family in the US was supposed to fly to Hong Kong and show up at his birthday party unannounced. And we would all take a trip to Bali together a couple days later. Obviously something like that is not going to happen for a while. And since we had a ban on gathering of more than 4 people (now it’s changed to 8), I couldn’t even organize a party with friends that we normally have every year.

Continue reading Dairy free, gluten free dark chocolate almond marshmallow cookies

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Yogurt Orange Cake

Without a doubt, one thing that I learned to love more than anything during this social distancing period is baking. As you can probably tell I am not much of a baker (I only posted one recipe of baked good on this blog so far). I guess I could use my husband as an excuse for that. He is the second best home baker I know (the first has to be his mom), and has been spoiling me with delicious sweet treats over a decade. But since I am staying and eating at home so much more than I used to I decided to give baking a try, and so far, everything I baked was a success :-). And the fact that we already have almost all the essential stuff I need for baking at home (thanks to hubby) definitely makes everything easier. Continue reading Yogurt Orange Cake

Posted on by — 5 Comments

Kimchi, pork and Asian chives dumplings “Mandu” with spicy dipping sauce

Can you name one person who does not like dumplings? I certainly can’t. I can’t even think of anyone who wouldn’t shout out “I love dumplings!” with a big smile in their face. I think anywhere in the world has its own version of dumplings. And they are often associated with warm fuzzy memories of home, family and holidays. Like every Korean kid who grew up with their grandma, homemade dumplings (Mandu in Korean) were staples that we had to have during the festive seasons. Continue reading Kimchi, pork and Asian chives dumplings “Mandu” with spicy dipping sauce

Posted on by — 12 Comments

15-minute vegan pasta with garlic, chili and capers

Unlike other dishes I posted in the past, this one was made and shot without any planning whatsoever. No brainstorming on recipes, visualizing and sketching the plating or testing the flavor. It was one of those days when my husband couldn’t go to work because whole central business district in Hong Kong was paralyzed due to the protest, and I woke up feeling like making a bunch of things that I wanted him to try. So I made a few things we could snack on here and there, then hit the jackpot. This wholesome vegan pasta was so quick, easy, healthy and beautiful that I had to share it here. And cooking and eating this dish was a distraction that I really needed. Continue reading 15-minute vegan pasta with garlic, chili and capers

Posted on by — 1 Comment

Turkish “Menemen” inspired scrambled eggs

If you read my previous post, you would know how much I loved Turkish breakfast. Every single breakfast I had in Turkey was incredible, but there is one dish that I had to make my own version of. I am not a huge fan of having sweet things in the morning, so my choice usually involves eggs. My favorite is always a fried egg (with crispy edge if I make it myself at home), but in Turkey I had been cheating on my sunny side up with a traditional egg dish called “Menemen”. This dish has everything I love; tomatoes, eggs, peppers, and warm spices. It is delicious, satisfying and comforting, kinda perfect breakfast I must say :-).

Continue reading Turkish “Menemen” inspired scrambled eggs

Posted on by — 2 Comments

Eat, Play, Love in Turkey

Turkish Tea time

Saying my expectation for Turkey was extremely high would be an understatement. I don’t think I had ever been that excited before holiday, even though I had been to many incredible places in the past. And thankfully, Turkey had exceeded my expectations by far. From the stunning natural beauty of Cappadocia to the rich history and culture of exotic Istanbul, the country had everything I wanted.

Hot air balloon Turkey

Watching sunrise in a hot air balloon in Cappadocia was a dream. I had to wake up at 4am (I am more like staying up till 4am rather than waking up at 4am person) but it was all worth it. It was one of the most magical experiences I have ever had, and I would go back and do it again in a heartbeat, maybe even in cold winter with snow. Continue reading Eat, Play, Love in Turkey

Posted on by — Leave a comment

20 minute meal – Tofu kimchi scramble with chilis and chives

tofu kimchi scramble

Without a doubt “Tofu kimchi” is a Korean soul food. And it is also a perfect example of a dish that was born out of necessity. Just until a few decades ago Korea was extremely poor, which means most people had to make the best of whatever they had. And so many of those dishes that came from the hardship in the past have in fact become the backbone of Korean cuisine. They might have been the only options for those who were in my grand parents and parents generation back then, but now they are kind of dishes that we all love and cannot imagine living without. And for that I feel quite lucky and grateful.

Continue reading 20 minute meal – Tofu kimchi scramble with chilis and chives

Posted on by — 2 Comments

Gluten-free, dairy-free banana pancake and raspberry banana sorbet

gluten free banana pancake

Pancake is my husband’s favorite food of all time. And he is a traditionalist when it comes to it, meaning he’s not into any of fancy new versions (such as souffle pancake, which I personally love). To him, pancake is one of those perfect comfort foods that no one needs to mess with. So I get quite nervous about doing something different or experimenting with pancake recipes. One of the successful ones from the past is my “vegan coconut and cinnamon pancake” . Although he couldn’t help adding a little butter on top of the pancake, he liked the flavor. Continue reading Gluten-free, dairy-free banana pancake and raspberry banana sorbet