Lo Bak Go (Chinese Radish/Turnip/Daikon Cake)

(This tastes way better than it sounds, I promise). 

If you've tried this dish before, it was likely at a dim sum restaurant. Dim sum places offer a quick lo bak go fix, but usually leaves me unsatisfied as restaurant lo bak go contains too much gloppy rice flour filler and isn't as firm and flavorful as my grandma's recipe. My grandma is one incredible lady though, so it might be unfair to compare anything to hers. When I lived in Vancouver, each Chinese New Year, I'd be the lucky and grateful recipient of a pan or two of my grandma's homemade lo bak go, ready to be steamed or pan-fried, heavily dipped into oyster sauce, and delivered to my belly. Man, I miss those days. 

My grandma speaks Cantonese only, and my Cantonese abilities are limited and sometimes laughable. Luckily, she's passed the recipe on to her daughters, and my mom learned the recipe from her sisters-in-law and wrote it all down in English, yay! During my last visit home, my mom bought all of the ingredients so I could learn the recipe myself. What a great way to spend a day - chopping, measuring, stirring and chatting with my mom in the kitchen, all the while preparing what we hoped to be as delicious a lo bak go as my grandma puts out! This recipe does not disappoint.

This recipe is for three 7" foil pans. This may seem like a lot, but if you're a lo-bak-go-fiend, like any self-respecting Chinese person, these 3 pans won't last long at all. Plus, there's quite a bit of prep work involved, so it makes sense to make a larger batch while you're at it. 

Yields three 7" round foil pans 

• 12 large dried Chinese black mushrooms
• 4lbs "lo bak" (daikon or Chinese radish: please see photo to the right as these are not the usual radishes used in Western cuisine)
• 1 tsp sugar
• 3 Chinese sausages
• 1 tbsp dried shrimp
• 1 tbsp dried garlic
• 3 cups rice flour
• 1 cup corn starch
• 3 tbsp wheat starch
• 2 tsp salt
• chicken broth (14.5oz can, 1/4-1/2 cup as needed, and 1/2 cup as needed)
• optional garnish: sesame seeds
• oyster sauce (for serving)

Prepare the dried Chinese black mushrooms in advance, as they take some time to rehydrate and soften. Place dried mushrooms in a large bowl and cover with hot water. Let soak until softened (about 20min), then cut off stems (can be discarded or saved for other use such as soup). Do not discard the water used to soak mushrooms as it now contains a deep mushroom flavor, and will be used later in this recipe. Transfer the mushrooms to a medium pot with 2 cups of water and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low-med, cover, and let simmer for 45min until soft, checking often to ensure there is water left in the pot (add more water, 1/2 cup at a time, as needed). Remove from heat, uncover, and let cool.

Peel diakon as you would a carrot, then slice into small strips about 2 inches long. In a large pot, bring 1 1/2 cups water and 1 tsp of sugar to a boil. Add sliced daikon to pot, reduce heat to medium, cover, and let cook until daikon appears transparent (pictured left). Stir occasionally, and top up with water, 1/2 a cup at a time, if none left in the pot. Once transparent and very little liquid remaining, leave daikon in pot, remove from heat and set aside.

Fine dice the Chinese sausage, cooled black mushroom and dried shrimp. Diced pieces should be small, about the size of your pinkie finger nail. 

Heat 1 tsp of olive oil in a medium non-stick pan over med-high. Add diced sausage, mushroom, dried shrimp, and dried garlic. Add a pinch of ground pepper, and stir fry til fragrant, about 8min. Remove from heat and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the rice flour, corn starch, wheat starch and salt. Stir. Add one can of chicken broth and stir til dry ingredients moistened. Add 1/2 cup of the reserved water used to soak mushrooms, and stir. Stir in an additional 1/4 to 1/2 cup chicken broth, as needed to mix well. Set aside. 

Reheat the pot of daikon, then remove from heat. Add stir-fried mixture of sausage, mushroom, dried shrimp and dried garlic to daikon. Stir. Add the flour mixture to the pot of daikon, stirring well to mix. Add up to another 1/2 cup of chicken broth, if consistency is too stiff to mix thoroughly. Stir well. 

Divide evenly between the three 7" foil pans, smoothing over the top to finish. Sprinkle sesame seeds over top. Steam using a large pot with steamer baskets, by filling the pot with just enough water not touch the steamer basket at the bottom. When placing the steamer baskets/pans inside the pot, make sure edges of pan do not touch the sides of the pot. Bring to a boil, then steam for one hour, or until the daikon cake sets and is firm to the touch. Replenish pot with boiling water if necessary during steaming. Once the daikon cake is set, carefully remove from steamer, and cool on rack for at least 1 hour. Cover and refrigerated for at least 3 hours, preferably overnight before preparing to eat. Stored properly in airtight containers, the steamed daikon cake keeps about a week and a half in the fridge. 

When ready to make for serving, loosen the sides of one pan by running a knife along the edge. Flip over into palm of one hand to unmold, then place right-side up onto cutting board. Slice into rough squares/rectangles about 1/2-inch in thickness. Heat a small amount of oil on a non-stick an over medium heat. Add sliced daikon cake to pan and cook 3-4 minutes each side, til golden brown. You may need to cook in batches depending on how many slices you can fit onto the pan (sliced daikon should only be placed single layer onto pan). Serve hot, with oyster sauce. 

Lentil and Prosciutto Soup

To satisfy those soup cravings on cold days like these, try this lentil and prosciutto soup out that's hearty enough to satisfy a dinner-sized appetite. Lentils are ridiculously rich in protein, fiber and folate, and a solid source of iron too.

Serves 4

• 1 large onion
• 2 small carrots 
• 2 stalks celery
• 1 roma tomato
• 4 oz prosciutto
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups lentils, rinsed
• 6 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
• 3/4 tsp ground pepper
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 bunch fresh parsley

Dice the onion, carrots, celery and tomato, then set aside. 

Remove as much of fat off the sliced prosciutto as possible, then cut roughly into 1-inch pieces. 

Heat olive oil in a large pot over med-high. Add prosciutto and saute for a 1-2min to release smoky flavor. Add diced onion, carrot and celery and let cook for 8min, stirring often. 

Add rinsed lentils, chicken broth, pepper and salt to the pot. Cover, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and let simmer 30min. 

With 10min left in simmering time, stir in fresh chopped parsley. 

Serve with bread for dunking. Also tastes great with gnocchi for an even more filling meal. 

Asian-inspired Cucumber Cups

This healthy and refreshing appetizer is perfect because it won't fill your guests up before a meal. Plus they're pretty to look at! And it's a perfect way to use up some of the to die for spicy peanut sauce from my Chicken Nood Wraps recipe! 

Yield: 10 cucumber cups (+/- depending on length of cucumber)

• spicy peanut sauce: 

• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1-inch section of fresh ginger, minced
• 2 small chilis, minced, with seeds 
• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice (1-2 limes) 
• 2/3 cup reduced-fat creamy peanut butter
• 1/4 cup light soy sauce
• 2 tbsp sesame seeds
• 1/2 tsp cayenne
• note: this yields more peanut sauce than you will need, but it lasts a few days in the fridge, and can easily be used up for stir-fry, thai curry, veggie dip, etc. 
• 1 cucumber
• 1 small carrot
• 30 lo-mein  noodles (approx) 
• 10 peanuts, crushed

Prepare peanut sauce. Start by mincing the garlic, ginger and chilis. Heat a small amount of olive oil to a small frying pan over med-high. Add garlic, ginger and chilis. Cook for a few minutes, stirring, til fragrant and the edges of the garlic turn golden brown. Remove pan from heat and set aside. 

Juice lime(s) and pour into small sauce pan with lid. Combine all other peanut sauce ingredients, including the cooked garlic, ginger and chili peppers with lime juice in sauce pan. Cook over low heat til peanut butter melts. Stir frequently to mix and prevent the sauce from sticking to the bottom. Remove from heat, cover with lid and set aside. 

Set a small pot of water to boil and cook noodles per package instructions. Rinse with cold water and strain. 

Peel carrot. Cut carrot into thin strips using peeler and set strips aside (note: you'll likely only need half of a small carrot). 

Wash cucumber. Using a peeler, strip the length of the cucumber four times, creating a stripe pattern (optional step, just to make it look pretty). Slice cucumber into 1 1/2 inch "cups". Using a small spoon, scoop out the center. Be sure to leave 1/8-1/4 inch at the bottom to hold cup contents. 

Scoop a small dollop of peanut sauce to coat the bottom of the cucumber cup. 

* Make sure your hands are washed and clean for this part! *

Gather 1-2 noodles with 1-2 strips of carrot, holding them at one end between your finger and thumb. Use your other hand to twirl the length of the noodles and carrot around your finger. Carefully slide the coiled noodles and carrot off your finger and into the cucumber cup. Press the coil gently into the cup to ensure the ends don't spring loose. Repeat until all cucumber cups are stuffed. 

Top each coil with another small dollop of peanut sauce. Sprinkle crushed peanuts over top. 

Guacamole

During one of our various wanders through the town of San Juan del Sur, we stepped into the locals market strip behind the store fronts along the street. The inside of this square block was alive in a completely different way than the rest of town. Children played with their puppies, while their parents minded the grocery shops, and women prepared food in back kitchens where unidentifiable smells wafted out of. It was clear we had to make some purchases here to bring back to our jungle lodge. I settled on guacamole because I was amused by the shape and color of the avocados found in the market, and gathered the necessary ingredients. 

Makes enough for 1-2 people.

• 1/2 small onion
• 1/2 tomato 
• 1/2 jalapeno
• 1 large, ripe avocado
• 1/2 small lime 
• salt and pepper, to taste
• smoked paprika
• tortilla chips or whatever vessel you prefer to use as a carrier of guac to mouth

Very finely dice/mince the onion, tomato and jalepeno. Place into serving dish. 

Halve the avocado and remove pit. Hold the avocado, skin side to palm, and squeeze flesh into serving dish. Spoon out any avocado remaining on skin. 

Squeeze juice of half a lime by hand into serving dish. Add salt and pepper to taste. 

Mash all ingredients together using spoon or fork until the desired consistency is achieved. Top with smoked paprika, then dip away!

Volcano Wraps

On our honeymoon, we went volcano boarding at Cerro Negro in Nicaragua. It was a challenging hike given the strong winds, and overall a petrifying experience. The rewards of this adventure came in the form of a gash in my left shin caused by fallen volcanic rock, black ash lodged firmly into every crevasse of my body, a wind-designed hairstyle that impenetrable by brush, comb or fingers, and a delightful lunch made by our guide at Quetzaltrekkers. This meal tastes extraordinarily good devoured while sitting on a hammock, sipping on a Toña cerveza, but tastes just as good now that we're back home, reminiscing about the goodtimes in Nica. 

Going down the side of Cerro Negro
as slowly and fearlessly as possible. 

Victory meal for volcano boarding survivors.

Makes 4-5 medium wraps. 

Nica journaling

• 3 large carrots
• 1/2 cucumber
• 1 roma tomato
• 1 ear of corn (use frozen if fresh isn't available)
• 1 very small onion (more or less to taste)
• 1 squeeze of lime
• salt and pepper, to taste
• soft, medium, whole wheat tortilla wraps
• 14oz squeeze pouch Ducal refried beans (canned variety is close enough if you don't live near any Mexican & South American grocery stores)
• topping: spicy nacho Doritos

 

Peel carrots, then shred through large-hole shredder of your grater. Place shredded carrots into large salad bowl. 

Wash cucumber (you only need half), then quarter lengthwise before slicing thinly. I prefer thin slices, but you can make chunkier if it suits you. Add sliced cuke to salad bowl. 

Wash tomato, slice in half, then remove seeds and slime. Dice, then add to bowl. 

Shuck the corn, then take a sharp knife to slice the kernels off in swaths. I lay the corn flat on a large chopping board instead of holding it vertically so the kernels don't fall everywhere. Add kernels to salad bowl. 

Dice as much onion as you'd like and add to the mix. I use most of a small onion, because although I don't mind the taste of raw onion, it is not meant to overpower the salad. 

Add a squeeze of lime, salt and pepper to the salad, then toss to mix. 

Wrap assembly can be done however you like, but this is the order I like:  Squeeze a good dollop of refried beans into the center of the wrap. Pick up the wrap and fold lightly to evenly distribute beans. Re-open the wrap, crush a few spicy doritos into the beans, then pile high with salad mix, before topping off with a few more crushed spicy doritos. Hot sauce can be added if you are a fan of goodness. Fold up, enjoy and repeat as necessary! 

Brussel Sprout & Avocado Hash

After a busy year finishing my practicum and teaching adorable preschoolers, there's time again now to get back to food posts! 

Brussel sprouts (don't hate) pack a lot of nutrients and, surprisingly, are a complete protein! Combined with avocado (which also contains 3gr of protein per cup), another one of the healthiest foods you can put in your mouth, this hash makes a seriously filling lunch. It actually was my lunch today, but it's likely more palatable to most as a side dish. 

Yield: side dish for 2-4 people (or a filling lunch/dinner for 1)

• 15-20 brussel sprouts
• 1 large avocado, ripe
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 1/2 tbsp minced garlic
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
• drizzle of balsamic vinegar

Wash and trim brussel sprouts. Slice lengthwise into quarters. 

Slice avocado in half and remove pit. Halve the avocado again and carefully remove peel. Halve the quartered avocado, then slice into bite-size chunks.

Heat olive oil over med-high heat in a non-stick pan. Add brussel sprouts and stir to evenly coat pan with olive oil. Let saute for 5min. Add minced garlic to pan and reduce heat to medium. Add a few tablespoons of water, as necessary, to steam-fry brussel sprouts for another 5-10 minutes, or until tender, but firm. Add avocado, salt and paprika. Increase to med-high heat and saute for another few minutes until avocado is heated through, but still holds shape. 

Plate the brussel sprout and avocado hash, then drizzle with balsamic vinegar. Serve warm.

Pumpkin Craisin Granola Bars

Instead of wastefully composting the small freebie from our Lemos Farm field trip, I decided to revamp my Oatmeal Raisin Bars. This is my first stab at doing anything with pumpkin other than carving jack-o-lanterns, so I'm pretty happy with the healthy results! Pumpkins are extremely rich in Vitamin A and also contain Vitamin C and potassium.

Yield: 8 bars

1 small pumpkin (1 cup and 1 tbsp roasted pumpkin, pureed)

1 tbsp water

2 cups old-fashioned oats

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1/3 cup packed brown sugar (1/2 cup if you like it sweet)

1/4 tsp salt

2 tsp cinnamon

1 cup craisins

1/3 cup roasted, salted sunflower seeds

1/4 cup chopped almonds

Preheat oven to 350. 

Wash and remove the stem off 1 small pumpkin. Slice in half, scoop out seeds and fibers, and place flesh side down on a baking sheet covered with tin foil. Add 1 tbsp of water to the pan, then roast for 40 minutes, or until fork pierces through skin. Let cool before scooping the flesh out with a spoon and processing in a blender/magic bullet to puree. Half of my pumpkin yielded 1 cup and 1 tbsp of pureed pumpkin, so this is the amount I used. 

Combine pureed pumpkin with all other ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Blend with a spoon until dry ingredients are moist.

Spread mixture in pan (will likely fit an 8x8 pan, but if your pan is larger like mine, spread over half the pan only so that mixture sits about an inch high). Bake at 350 for 25min (or until golden - my oven will burn the craisins if baked for 30min, so adjust baking time accordingly). 

Let cool completely before cutting. I like to saran wrap each bar individually so they are easy on-the-go snacks. Otherwise, store in an airtight container. 

Craisin Quinoa Salad with Grilled Balsamic Basil Chicken

Time to shake up our usual quinoa salads with something a little sweeter and citrusy for the summer. 

Makes 2 dinners with chicken and 2 leftover vegetarian lunches for the next day. 

• 1 boneless, skinless chicken breast
• Chicken marinade: 
• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 2 tsp dried basil
• 1 tsp salt
• fresh ground pepper (a few shakes or grinds)
• 1 1/4 cups quinoa
• 2 1/4 vegetable broth (or water)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 ear of corn
• 1 1/3 cup diced cucumber
• 1 cup diced celery
• 1 ripe avocado
• 1 5oz (142 gr) package craisins (50% reduced sugar is best!)
• Dressing: 
• 1 1/2 tbsp fresh basil
• 1 tbsp orange juice
• 1 tbsp fresh squeezed lime juice
• 1 tbsp olive oil (I used a Mediterranean blend of extra virgin olive oil, canola & grapeseed)
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp salt

A few hours in advance (or overnight), trim any fat off chicken breast and place in a bowl. Add all marinade ingredients, mixing well to coat. Set aside in fridge to allow marinade to soak in.

The quinoa should also be prepared in advance to allow time for it to cool. Add vegetable broth/water, salt and cumin to quinoa in a small pot over high heat. Bring to a boil, reduce to low, cover, and set a timer for 15min. Let cool completely after it has cooked, then set aside in fridge. 

De-husk the corn, then take a sharp knife to slice the kernels off in swaths. I prefer laying the corn flat on a large chopping board instead of holding it vertically so the kernels don't fall everywhere. Place kernels in a large salad bowl. 

Slice the celery and cucumber lengthwise into thin strips before dicing. If the cucumber has a lot of mushy wet seeds in the center, take a small spoon to carve out the seeds in the center after slicking the cuke in half before slicing and dicing. Add diced veg to the salad bowl. 

Cut avocado in half and remove pit. Slice lengthwise into 8 strips and remove the peel. Give the peeled avocado a quick cold water bath to prevent them from turning brown. Remove from water and dice into bite size pieces. Add to salad bowl along with the craisins and cooked, cold quinoa, tossing well. 

Put all dressing ingredients into a jar, then shake/stir to mix. Pour over quinoa salad, mixing well to combine. 

To cook the chicken, I use a 2-sided grill (ie. George Foreman). Once the grill has pre-heated, place chicken breast in the center and set timer for 8min. Slice and arrange over salad. 

Tabbouleh with Quinoa

Summer salad time! Parsley is seriously overlooked because it's an herb and usually only used as garnish. Nutrition-wise however, parsley is an amazingly healthy green, rich in anti-oxidants, vitamins (A, B, C, E and K), dietary fiber, essential volatile oils, potassium, calcium, iron, manganese, magnesium and folates. Wow, that was a long list of goodness! So here's a way to get a whole lot of good in you, fast: tabbouleh!

This parsley salad makes a great starter or side for two, but sometimes I demolish the entire recipe as a main. Because I'm hungry. And it's completely guilt free.

I've used quinoa instead of the traditional bulgur, and lime instead of lemon. Also opting out of cucumber. Bonus is that I got to use our homegrown tomatoes - yay! 

Yield: 2 sides or 1 main

• 1/2 cup quinoa
• 3/4 cup water
• 1/4 tsp cumin
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3 cloves garlic
• 2 small, ripe tomatoes (or 1 medium)
• 2 green onion
• 1 bunch flat leaf parsley
• juice of 1 lime (approx 2 tbsp)
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1/4 tsp cumin
• 1/4 tsp sumac
• salt and pepper to taste

Start by cooking the quinoa in advance to allow time for it to cool. Add water, cumin, and salt to quinoa in a small pot over high heat. Bring to a boil, reduce to low, cover, and set a timer for 15min. Let cool completely after it has cooked. 

Wash all vegetables thoroughly, and dry parsley in salad spinner. 

Mince garlic, dice tomatoes, and thinly slice the green onion and parsley. Use all leafy parts of the parsley, and discard parsley stems or save for some other use (I keep the stems to make vegetable broth).

Juice the lime. Toss all ingredients together in a large bowl, along with the lime juice, olive oil and seasonings. Let marinate for 10min before serving. Enjoy! 

Avocado Cheddar Scramble

$2 for a sack of 11 peewee avocados? Sold! California rocks. 
And these mini avocados are the perfect size for a lunchtime scrambler. 

Yield: Lunch for one

• 1 pee wee avocado
• 1/3 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated
• 3 large eggs
• 2 tbsp skim milk
• 1/2 tsp dried parsley
• 1/4 tsp salt
• fresh ground pepper, to taste
• 1 tsp olive oil
• dash of paprika

Peel, pit and slice the avocado into small, bite-sized pieces. 

Grate cheese (feel free to grate more or less than 1/3 cup, according to your preference). 

Beat eggs, milk, parley, salt and pepper in a small bowl with a fork for one minute. Add half of the grated cheese to eggs and beat to incorporate. 

Heat olive oil in a non-stick pan at medium. Pour egg mixture into pan. When you see the edges of the egg begin to set, start stirring with a spatula. Stir for one minute, then add remaining cheese. Stir for another minute, then add chopped avocado. Continue stirring for another 5 minutes, increasing heat to high for the final minute (I like my eggs hot). 

Serve with a sprinkle of paprika.