Yummy Fresh Cashew Basil Pesto

The last month has been so busy... studying, and getting ready for christmas, actually I don't know why I have felt so busy because I haven't even been working.  I started a few posts but couldn't seem to post them arg...!  So this is what I have been up to the last month...

Spicy Carrot And Basil Soup

I originally made this soup with 2 birds eye chili's! It was really hot, but goooood!  So if you love hot food put 2 chili's in the soup, if you don't like it hot make sure to remove the seeds first.  I made this soup for lunch and accompanied by a grilled cheese sandwich.

Quinoa Beef Salad

I have never cooked Quinoa before but we had a bag of it in our cupboard that a friend bought so I decided I would try to make some Quinoa Salad.  I made the salad with an assortment of food that we had in the fridge and the freezer...   It worked out wonderfully the lime and herbs give the salad a refreshing taste.

Fresh Rice Paper Beef Rolls

I love Vietnam, the food is awesome fresh healthy amazing, I have visited Vietnam 3 times and discover something new every time I visit. One the best Vietnamese dishes to make is fresh spring rolls you can make them with almost any fillings, whatever is fresh is great.  Today I used beef today, but I have made them with prawns, chicken, fish, pork or vegetarian.  In Vietnam I have had the rolls with Vietnamese Sausage and Soft shell crab.

Eggplant Dip

garnish with fresh herbs I used basil

Campfire Cooking

Resident beach-side ruminant - he looks hungry!  

What better way to escape the chaos of Hong Kong than to go camping. You only need to share the beach with a few other campers - and the occasional heard of cows! It's the perfect time of year for camping in Hong Kong as it's warm enough, but not so hot that you would get heat stroke in your tent.  It's also a great time for surfing; the waves are good and the water is still warm enough not to have to wear a wet suit. Each night we have a camp fire to cook our dinner, then we often wander along the beach and stop at other fires for a drink and a chat; you get to know the camping and surfing regulars on the beach! These are a few of the meals which I made last weekend...

Pomegranate Salsa

Pomegranate Salsa

This salsa is vibrant, well-textured, and bursting with fresh flavors; the pomegranates add a refreshing, juicy crunch.  I served the salsa with tortilla chips as a snack, but it would also go very well with fish tacos, barbecued chicken and other mexican food.  

Ribs!

For the boyfriend's birthday in September I made these ribs. I made them with a jumble of sauces which I had in the cupboard. I have perfected the recipe over the last month and this is what I came up with. On one occasion I was cooking the ribs and the boyfriend came into the kitchen, turned up the oven to 200°, and doused them in more chili flakes - this is a very bad idea! In 20 minutes he seared them to a carbonized mess; don't let anyone mess with the oven when you're cooking...  

Fresh Red Rock Crab

This summer while I was in Canada, I visited my family at the beach house on Denman Island. On the way to Denman we decided we should try to go fishing, so we stopped to get some fishing licenses!  The guy at the shop suggested we try out some crabbing as well, so we purchased the cheapest crab trap that they had - I think it was C$10. When we arrived, my boyfriend, cousin and I set out in the row boat with the trap, a chicken drum stick and some pink Croc shoes for a float. With my cousin rowing we dropped the trap and waited... 20 minutes later nothing; only seaweed. But we didn't give up; we rowed out a bit further to try our luck again. We dropped the trap a second time and went off for a row. When we returned about half an hour later we couldn't believe our luck - we had netted ourselves 4 healthy specimens, and they were big enough to keep! We were hooked(!); we dropped the trap a few more times and got about 3 more crabs. (We ended up throwing a few smaller ones back and kept the best ones.)

Carrot Cake

Beach camping in Hong Kong - enjoying carrot cake cupcakes!

As fall approaches - well, as fall approaches in Hong Kong - it's still about 25°c each day! My boyfriend and I love to go camping, and I always like to try and bring along some sort of baked goods; what is better than Carrot Cake? Yum... This cake is so easy to make; you can make it either as a cake, or as cupcakes.

Green Mango Salad with Lemon Grass Garlic Prawns

Green Mango Salad with Lemon Grass Garlic Prawns 

Nuoc mam cham

Dressing (Nuoc mam cham)

1½ teaspoon raw sugar

¼ cup water or coconut water

2 tablespoons Thai or Vietnamese fish sauce

1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar

1½ tablespoon lime or lemon juice

1 - 3 chilies (diced)

2 cloves garlic (diced)

Mix all ingredients in jar and shake; let sit for 20 minutes. 

Fresh Mozzarella Salad

This salad is very quick to make and tastes amazing; the chili adds an extra kick. I made this the other night for my mom and the boyfriend. We had this as a starter followed by barbecued prawns and sausages. For the chili flakes we ground up dried Szechuan chili peppers, but you could use any hot dried chili pepper for this recipe.

Vero Chocolate Master Class Hong Kong

Recently, I left my design job and was given a going-away present - a gift certificate to attend the “Vero Chocolate Master Class”. They hold a 3-hour master class each month, where you learn to temper chocolate and make Ganache accompanied by free flowing Prosecco.