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Archives for October 2018

Mango Chia Coconut Pudding

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This creamy, delicious Mango Chia Coconut Pudding is super easy to make and is a nutritious and yummy dessert or snack. Many Asian puddings feature tapioca pearls or sago, but we use chia seeds for our version.

Mango chia coconut pudding in a cup on a placemat
Creamy, delicious mango chia coconut pudding.
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Mango pudding popular in Southeast Asia

The first time I made this dessert was for a book club I was hosting. It was a huge hit and everyone asked for the recipe.  Chia seeds were just starting to become a ‘thing’ but now they are everywhere! Almost every country in Southeast Asia has a version of a mango pudding, using either tapioca pearls or sago.  In Vietnam, it’s called Chè chuối and includes bananas. In Hong Kong, a restaurant called Lei Garden made a hugely popular mango sago pudding featuring pomelo and it’s been copied all over Asia ever since.  Our version features chia seeds instead of tapioca or sago and doesn’t require any cooking or pre-soaking.

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3 Fresh Dipping Sauces for Asian Food

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All three of these flavorful sauces can be used to enhance dishes such as the famous Singapore Chicken Rice or your favorite stir-fry.

Singapore Chicken Rice on a white plate with cucumbers.
Singapore Chicken Rice is flavorful, healthy and super easy to make.

Chicken Rice is considered a national dish of both Singapore and Malaysia.  Prior to becoming an independent country in 1965, Singapore was a part of Malaysia.  Since this dish has been around for generations (originally brought over from Chinese immigrants) it makes sense that both countries lay claim to Chicken Rice.

Chicken is poached along with herbs such as ginger and spring onion, so the flavor is very delicate. Most of us like to kick up the flavor and that’s where the chili sauce comes in.  You need two types of sauces to get the most out of your Chicken Rice:

  1. Chili sauce
  2. Soy-based dipping sauce

Fresh ingredients including ginger, garlic, lime, and red chilies make the best chili sauce.

Red chili pepper, garlic, lime, ginger, salt and chicken stock on a white plate
Ingredients for fresh Asian chili sauce

 Simply mix together all of these ingredients in a food processor or blender, just like you would do with a salsa.  A fresh chili sauce will keep in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. 

Fresh red chili sauce in a jar
A vibrant and delicious fresh homemade chili sauce.

A soy-based dipping sauce is also an absolute must for Chicken Rice.  This sauce is super easy with just three ingredients:

  1. Soy Sauce
  2. Sesame oil
  3. Reserved chicken broth

If you don’t have the time or desire to make fresh chili sauce, I’ve also included a no-peel, no-chop, no-kitchen-gadget required recipe below. All of these Asian sauces can be served with a variety of dishes — be creative!

Red chili pepper, garlic, lime, ginger, salt and chicken stock on a white plate
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Singapore Chili Sauce

This is a fairly traditional chili sauce used in Asia to enhance dishes such as Chicken Rice.

Course Condiment
Cuisine Malaysia, Singapore
Keyword Singapore Chili Sauce
Prep Time 10 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 123 kcal
Author Carrie Hack

Ingredients

  • 5 fresh red chilis seeds removed (size of a finger)
  • 3 cloves garlic peeled
  • ½ inch section of ginger peeled
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 2 tbsp lime juice
  • 4 tbsp chicken stock

Instructions

  1. Place all ingredients in a food processor and puree.

Recipe Notes

This is a fairly traditional chili sauce used in Asia to enhance dishes such as Chicken Rice. You can keep this in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. 

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No Peel or Chop Chili Sauce

This is an easy chili sauce that doesn’t require peeling, chopping or a food processor.  You can use this sauce to enhance Singapore Chicken Rice or your favorite stir-fry noodle dish. 

Course Condiment
Cuisine Malaysia, Singapore
Keyword Chili Sauce
Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 51 kcal

Ingredients

  • 4 tablespoons sriracha chili sauce
  • 1 tablespoons lime juice
  • 2 tablespoons reserved chicken broth
  • 2 teaspoons ginger paste
  • 2 teaspoons sugar

Instructions

  1. Mix all ingredients together until well blended.

Recipe Notes

You can refrigerate this chili sauce for up to a week. 

Singapore Chicken Rice on a white plate with cucumbers.
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Chicken Rice Soy Dipping Sauce

This soy-based dipping sauce that will take you less than a minute to prepare and is a perfect compliment to Singapore Chicken Rice. 

Course Condiment
Cuisine Malaysia, Singapore
Prep Time 1 minute
Total Time 1 minute
Servings 4
Calories 19 kcal

Ingredients

  • 3 tbsp soy sauce you can use tamari or liquid aminos for gluten-free version
  • 2 tbsp reserved chicken broth
  • 1 tsp sesame oil

Instructions

  1. Whisk all ingredients together.

Japanese Cucumber Salad (Sunomono)

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A family-friendly, light and flavorful salad with thinly sliced cucumbers marinated in a simple dressing of soy sauce, rice vinegar and sugar.  Serve as a side-dish or even as a lunchbox snack.

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Japanese cucumber salad in a bowl
Family-friendly Japanese cucumber salad

Many cultures have their own version of a cucumber salad. One of our favorites is a Japanese cucumber salad that you find at sushi restaurants called Sunomono.  This word basically means “pickled dish” in Japanese, so vinegar is a key ingredient.

Japanese Cucumber Salad with Octopus

Several years ago, my youngest daughter ordered Tako Sunomono. When it showed up, I realized that “tako” meant octopus.  My initial reaction was to quickly remove the “tako,” so she would eat the salad. Before my chopsticks could swoop in and get rid of the offending item, she stuffed a piece of octopus in her mouth and proceeded to eat the entire salad.   She clearly didn’t have the same preconceived notions about eating octopus that I had…and fortunately I kept those to myself. I still think that octopus (not to be confused with fried calamari which is totally delicious) tastes like a rubber band. She still orders Tako Sunomono every time we visit a Japanese restaurant.  

Octopus on a Japanese cucumber salad.

Now, we frequently make this Japanese cucumber salad at home. Sometimes I serve it along with a meal, but often I make it as an easy snack for the kids.  Sliced vegetables can get boring and this is an easy way to mix it up. The girls have requested this in their school lunch, since Japanese cucumber salad stays fresh, while other sliced veggies and salads can become droopy after a short time outside of the refrigerator.

Use a box grater to thinly slice cucumbers

Cucumbers being sliced for a Japanese cucumber salad
Kids can use a box grater to thinly slice cucumbers.

To make this Japanese cucumber salad, thinly slice cucumbers (preferably the Japanese or Persian kind). You can even leave the skin on!  We have a box grater with a slicer on the side and found this to be a fast and easy way to get the cucumber sliced very thin.

Thinly sliced cucumbers sprinkled with salt.
Thinly sliced cucumbers sprinkled with salt.

Only 3 ingredients for Japanese cucumber salad dressing

Sprinkle the sliced cucumbers with salt and let them sit for 5 minutes.   There are only 3 ingredients necessary for the dressing:

  • 3 tablespoons of rice vinegar
  • ¼ teaspoon of soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon white sugar (or 2 teaspoons of agave)
Soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar for Japanese cucumber salad dressing.
3 simple ingredients for Japanese cucumber salad dressing.

Gently squeeze out and drain any water from the cucumbers and combine together with the dressing. You can keep this salad in your refrigerator for up to three days but after that, the cucumbers will start to get too soggy.

Japanese cucumber salad in a bowl
Serve Japanese cucumber salad as a side-dish or as a healthy lunchbox snack.
Japanese cucumber salad in a bowl
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Japanese Cucumber Salad (Sunimono)

A family-friendly Japanese cucumber salad marinated in a dressing of soy sauce, rice vinegar and sugar or agave. Serve as a side-dish or as a healthy lunchbox snack.

Course Side Dish
Cuisine Japanese
Keyword Japanese Cucumber Salad
Prep Time 15 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 53 kcal
Author Carrie Hack

Ingredients

  • 3 Japanese or Persian cucumbers
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons agave or 1 tablespoon of white sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon soy sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon Sesame seeds

Instructions

  1. Slice cucumbers as thin as you can. A box grater with a slicer on the side works perfectly.

  2. Sprinkle salt over the sliced cucumbers and let sit for 5 minutes. Squeeze water out from cucumbers.

  3. In a small bowl, mix rice vinegar, agave, and soy sauce together.

  4. Combine dressing with sliced cucumbers and mix well.  Sprinkle with sesame seeds

Easy Fall Off-The-Bone BBQ Ribs

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This is hands down the best (and easiest) way to make fall-off-the-bone BBQ ribs right in your oven.  After making a simple dry rub, steam your ribs in a roasting pan for delicious, fall-off-the bone, juicy ribs in only 2 hours.    

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BBQ ribs on a cutting board
Fall-off-the bone, juicy ribs in just 2 hours.

All you need is an oven

I share a lot of Asian-inspired recipes, but this one is straight from the USA. We don’t have a grill in Singapore and we love BBQ ribs. This recipe is seriously the BEST (and easiest) way to make fall-off-the-bone BBQ ribs.  Over the years, I’ve tried everything from boiling (which I don’t recommend) to the sous vide method. I’m a huge fan of using a sous vide for perfectly cooking meat, but this oven-baked BBQ rib recipe is even better. You start by making a very simple dry rub and then steam the ribs in the oven.

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Thai Chicken Lettuce Cups (Larb Gai)

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My family LOVES Thai food. Most people do when they finally give it a try! Thai cuisine can be spicy and complicated to replicate. I’ve taken one of my all-time favorites dishes, Larb Gai (Thai Chicken Lettuce Cups) and made it SUPER easy.  Trust me, anyone can make this healthy, flavorful recipe at home as either a light meal or an appetizer! You have loads flexibility with the ingredients, so you can keep the spice level in check for your kiddos. This recipe also happens to be a naturally gluten free dish.

Thai chicken lettuce cups on a plate
Thai Chicken Lettuce Cups can be served as a light meal or an elegant appetizer
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Miso-Glazed Chicken Breasts

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You can easily buy a marinade for chicken, like our old standby Soy Vay, but this recipe for Miso-Glazed Chicken Breasts is super easy, more flavorful and totally homemade!

Grilled chicken breasts and a spelt salad on a plate.
Miso Glazed Chicken Breasts are grilled and served with a delicious spelt and corn salad.

Not your average, boring chicken!

To be honest, I get a little sick of chicken.  We eat it every single week.  It’s a healthy protein that’s easy to cook, so it tends to get more than its fair share of time on our weekly dinner menu.  We love Japanese foods and flavors, so I stumbled on this marinade recipe a few years ago, made some tweaks, and now it’s a family staple. Miso makes chicken just a bit more exciting!  

Miso paste is the key ingredient

You can use any cut of chicken, but I prefer boneless chicken breasts with this recipe. Miso paste is the key ingredient here.  It’s salty, earthy and has that rich umami flavor that most taste buds seem to adore.  Either red or white miso paste work well for this recipe.  If you don’t have any miso, it’s definitely worth picking up. You’ll find its one of the most versatile condiments in your refrigerator! Marinades, salad dressings, soups…the uses are endless.

miso glazed chicken ingredients including miso paste, sesame oil, ginger and garlic.
Only 5 ingredients to make a delicious miso-glaze.

For this Miso-Glazed Chicken recipe, just scoop out 2 tablespoons of miso paste and mix in 1 tablespoon of soy sauce (or water), 2 teaspoons of sesame oil, 1 teaspoon of grated ginger or ginger paste, and 1 clove of minced garlic. The consistency should be smooth, like a creamy paste.  Cover 4 chicken breasts with the marinade and let sit for at least 30 minutes, and up to 2 hours.  There is something about the miso that tenderizes the meat so that it’s extra juicy and flavorful. 

Miso-glazed chicken breasts marinating in a pan.
Marinate boneless chicken breasts for 30 minutes in homemade miso glaze.

A grill pan works great!

Remove the chicken from the glaze and wipe off any excess.  At this point, you can either grill the chicken for 10 minutes (flipping mid-way) or pan fry.  We don’t have a grill in Singapore, so we purchased a grill pan and it’s been a total life-saver! I was looking for an eco-friendly, non-stick ceramic grill pan and chose the Scanpan grill pan, which is a Danish brand that wasn’t super expensive but has great quality.  If you don’t have a grill pan, and don’t feel like firing up the grill, you can easily pan fry.  Heat up a bit of  canola oil and cook the chicken breasts around 5 minutes per side.

Miso-glazed chicken breasts can be served this with a variety of side dishes, but I had a bunch of spelt on hand and wanted to make use of it.  I know this sounds strange, but as expats, we often empty out our pantries and alcohol cabinets before moving home. My dear friend Gabriela was an amazing cook with a vegan husband, beautiful children and pantry full of healthy staples.  Though we personally suffered from their departure, my kitchen definitely benefited. Instead of half-empty bottles of liquor, I was the lucky beneficiary of spelt, several bags of hazelnuts, madagascar bourbon vanilla extract, organic cocoa, and a variety of amazing spices.  

Bulgur salad with roasted corn in a bowl.
Roasted corn and bulgur salad with radish, fresh herbs and a miso dressing.

Toasted corn and spelt with miso dressing

This was my first time trying this recipe for a toasted corn and spelt salad with a miso dressing and we were pleasantly surprised. We made a few changes, based on what we had in our pantry (regular almonds, not smoked, and regular rice vinegar, not brown), but it still turned out great. You could also pair this with any rice side dish and salad, preferably with a soy-sauce or Japanese dressing.

Grilled chicken breasts and a spelt salad on a plate.
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Miso-Glazed Grilled Chicken Breasts

Miso-glazed chicken breasts are super easy to make, flavorful and sure to be a new family favorite.

Course Main Course
Cuisine Japanese
Keyword miso chicken, miso-glazed chicken
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Marinating time 30 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Servings 4 people
Calories 295 kcal

Ingredients

  • 4 Chicken Breasts about 1/4 lb each
  • 2 tablespoons Miso Paste red or white
  • 1 tablespoon Soy Sauce or water
  • 2 teaspoons Sesame Oil
  • 1 teaspoon grated ginger or ginger paste

Instructions

  1. Whisk together 2 tablespoons of miso paste, 1 tablespoon of soy sauce (or water), 2 teaspoons of sesame oil, 1 teaspoon of grated ginger or ginger paste, and 1 clove of minced garlic. The consistency should be smooth, like a creamy paste.

  2. Cover 4 chicken breasts with the marinade and let sit for at least 30 minutes, and up to 2 hours.

  3. Remove the chicken from the glaze and wipe off any excess. You can either grill the chicken for 10 minutes (flipping mid-way) or pan fry by heating up 1 tablespoon of canola oil and cooking the chicken breasts around 5 minutes per side.