Cameron Diaz’s Roasted Corn Salad + Fried Chicken Thighs. Who knew Cameron Diaz was such an amazing cook? I fell into a black hole of cooking videos over the weekend and was rather impressed with Diaz‘s play-by-play of her Salad recipe. She’d explain the process of roasting and caramelizing corn, the impact of salt and the types of salt being important, plus also, her chopping skills were mesmerizing. I did worry about the raw Sugar Snap Peas being too tough and fibrous, but sliced thinly and mixed with the corn, there were no issues. She suggests serving this Salad with Chicken Thighs, which I do in my Air Fryer. I made a couple modifications because most of us don’t have her fancy vinegars and salts, and threw-in some Edamame for added protein. Simple, clean and flavourful eating meant for Summer. I make enough here for six people. Perfect with a glass of Chardonnay. Enjoy!
Ingredients:
8 Chicken ThighsInstructions:
1. Season Chicken Thighs in Pink Himalayan Sea Salt and pepper. Refrigerate and bring out about 45 minutes before cooking.
2. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in iron skillet on medium-high heat.
3. Roast corn kernels, uncovered, stirring occasionally. Add sprinkling of sea salt. Cook till brown and caramelized (about 10 minutes).
4. Prepare dressing in small bowl with vinegar, juice, garlic, 4 tbsps olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
5. Pre-heat Air Fryer five minutes at 375°F.
6. Drizzle 1 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp truffle oil onto Chicken Thighs. Cook in two batches in Air Fryer, about 15 minutes each batch, turning once half-way through.
7. In large salad bowl, toss corn kernels, Edamame and thinly-sliced Sugar Snap Peas in dressing.
8. Plate Chicken Thighs with rice (if you like), and a few scoops of the Salad. Garnish with chopped Cilantro if you like. I like to sprinkle Furikake on rice for flavour. Cameron sprinkles Feta on her Salad, so there’s an option!
Gallery:
(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)
Jalapeño and Red Pepper Poppers. These fan-favourite apps are the best and I honestly don’t know why I haven’t made these sooner. They’re super-easy to make! Are these really spicy? The answer is no, but I have a really high tolerance to spice. The richness of the Cream Cheese balances out all the heat in the Jalapeños, but I’ve made a Red Pepper option just in case so that there’s something for everyone. This serves two.
Ingredients:
1 8oz container of Cream Cheese (I prefer Herb & Garlic)Instructions:
1. Pre-heat oven to 400°F.Gallery:
(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)
Vietnamese Fresh Spring Rolls. Spring’s arrived and what better way to ring it in than with some Fresh Spring Rolls? These are a staple of Vietnamese cuisine and are also known as Gỏi Cuốn. These are a great way to eat clean and they’re great as an appetizer but substantial enough as a standalone meal. Yes, I know my wrapping skills need work, but no matter what they look like, they still taste great and that’s the truth! Thanks to my pal Bee for sharing her sauce recipe with me! I added a few twists, enjoy! These are so simple and fun to make.
Ingredients:
8 Rice Paper Wrappers
8 or more large shrimp (i.e. Argentinian) cooked, peeled and halved
2 cups Butterhead/Green Leaf Lettuce
1/4 cucumber, peeled and chopped into strips
4-5 tbsps mint, chopped
1 avocado, sliced
1 Jalapeño pepper, seeded and sliced
2 cups vermicelli, cooked
1 handful Cilantro, chopped
Sauce:
4 tbsps smooth peanut butter
3 tbsps Hoisin Sauce
1 tsp Sesame Oil
1 tbsp Fish Sauce (optional)
Chopped peanuts (optional)
Lime sections
Instructions:
1. In small bowl, mix sauce ingredients together and set aside.
2. Soak rice paper wrappers briefly in warm water in batches of 2-3 at a time till softened.
3. Gently place individual wrapper on clean, flat surface and assemble lettuce, avocado, cilantro, jalapeño, vermicelli, cucumber, mint and shrimp onto it. Refer to carousel gallery for visual.
4. Fold-in left and right corners slightly and then proceed to fold other two edges of wrap over tightly, being super careful.
5. Once folded over fully, transfer roll to serving plate. Repeat till you have 8, serving 4 people. Serve within 20-30 minutes with sauce. Might we suggest also La Presserie‘s Thai Mango Cold Pressed Salad Dressing?
Gallery:
(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)
Filipino Spaghetti. What is this and how is it different from the Italian classic version we know and love? Well, this Filipino favourite is very popular at birthday parties and fast food chains like pride of The Philippines, Jollibee, serve it as a menu staple. Defined by its bright red sauce, which has a base made of Tomato Sauce, Tomato Paste and Banana Ketchup (tomatoes were hard to come by during the war!) and also its distinctly sweet flavour, we’re sure you’ll love this if you have a sweet tooth. Also, its protein is a sweet Filipino sausage called Longganisa – or sliced hot dogs – and pork. Stop judging. Don’t knock it till you’ve tried it! This is actually great!
Ingredients:
450g Spaghetti
2 cups Tomato Sauce
1 cup Banana Ketchup or Tomato Ketchup
1 can Tomato Paste
8 small Longganisa, sliced
1/2 lb ground pork
1 small onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsps Brown Sugar
2 tbsps Oyster Sauce
3 tbsps unsalted butter
Sea salt and pepper, to taste
1 cup grated Cheddar/Mozzerella
Instructions:
1. Prepare Spaghetti till al dente. Strain in colander and set aside, reserving a ladle-full of liquid from pastaGallery:
(Photo credit: Mr Will Wong)
Oxtail with Rice & Peas. One of the greatest things about growing-up in Toronto is the vast array of diverse cuisines we have at our convenience. I am a huge fan of Caribbean cuisine, and while I’ve been a Chicken Roti and Jerk Chicken connoisseur my whole life, Oxtail of late has surged to the front as my new favourite. I thought I’d give it a go and while it takes a while to prepare, that little bit of extra love is worth it. Time to break-out the Slow Cooker! Gravy on rice makes everything nice!
Oxtail
2 lbs Oxtail, rinsed and pat dry
1 can Butter/Lima Beans, drained
1 cup (or more) beef stock
1 white onion, chopped
3 stalks green onion, chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 Scotch Bonnet Peppers, seeded and minced
1 cup mini carrots
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tbsps garlic powder
2 tbsps Maggi Sauce
1 tsp celery salt
1 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
1 tbsp Allspice
3-4 sprigs of thyme
4 tbsps tapioca/corn starch
Sea Salt and Pepper, to taste
Olive oil
Instructions:
1. Marinate oxtail pieces in soy sauce, Maggi, Worcestershire, garlic powder, allspice, brown sugar, salt and pepper.Rice & Peas
2 cups long-rain white rice, rinsedInstructions:
1. Combine all ingredients in rice cooker.Gallery:
(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)
Abalone and Ramen. One of the most sumptuous items you can have in Chinese Cuisine is Abalone. This nutritious shellfish, high in protein and Omega-3 is reserved for special celebrations and is on the pricier side. It has been dubbed “White Gold” for the amount of money it fetches. While it can be rather tricky to prepare as it can succumb to toughness if overcooked, fortunately, you can find amazing quality Abalone canned from places like China and Chile, which save you a lot of work. A good quality can of Abalone would be around $35 CAN for about six pieces (about $6-7 a piece). The trick is to prepare on low heat and at a short duration. Traditional Chinese Cuisine often contains different types of sun-dried seafoods and fungus, reconstituted and stewed. These earthy-woodsy umami flavours complement Abalone perfectly. Where do you get this stuff? Try Chinese Herbal/Health Food Shops as a starting point.
This dish is a celebratory one! Dishes like this run deep in tradition.
Ingredients:
6 pieces of canned Abalone, sauce reserved
4 cups chicken stock
6 or more stalks Baby Bok Choy, rinsed
4 or more individual portions of Ramen
10 Shiitake Mushrooms, soaked in water one hour, stems chopped
Handful Dried Cloud Ear Fungus, soaked in water one hour
Handful of Dried Fat Choy (Black Moss), soaked in water one hour
Handful of Dried Daylillies, soaked in water one hour and stems chopped
3-4 Dried Conpoy, soaked in warm water one hour
8-10 tbsps Oyster Sauce
2 tbsps Organic Raw Sugar
2 tbsps Shaoxing Cooking Wine
1 1″ knob of organic ginger, minced
1 stalk green onion, minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
5-6 tbsps Tapioca/Corn Starch
Sea salt to taste
Vegetable Oil
Instructions:
1.Sautée green onion, ginger and garlic in oil. Add wine and oyster sauce and cook till it bubbles. Remove from heat.Gallery:
(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)
Pork Floss Doughnuts. If you love bacon on your doughnuts, you’ll love Pork Floss on it! Pork Floss is pork that’s been dehydrated and seasoned to sweet-savoury goodness. Its texture is like a coarse Candy Floss and it’s eaten as a topping, a filling or a snack on its own. We added these to our fave Ghetto Doughnuts with a vanilla icing and the results are magic! So simple! You’ll love these.
Ingredients:
1 tube of Pillsbury Country Biscuit Dough (10 Biscuits)
Topping:
2 tbsps Black Sesame Seeds, toasted
4 tbsps Pork Floss
1/4 tsp sea salt
2 tsps Brown Sugar
Coconut Oil
Icing:
1/2 cup Icing Sugar
2 tbsps Whole Milk
1/2 tsp Organic Vanilla Extract
Instructions:
1. Preheat Air Fryer at 360°F for 3 minutes.Gallery:
(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)
Black Pepper Fried Chicken Steak. This is a favourite, which traditionally is deep-fried but I’ve adapted it for the Air Fryer. And it came out perfect! A crispy, Panko-crusted chicken fillet topped with a spicy, savoury brown gravy, served with rice. This is something I grew-up with, a staple at any Hong Kong-style Diner or food court, and actually not too tough to prepare at home. Come to think of it, this is a converging of Southern cuisine and Hong Kong cuisine. We know Americans in the South love them Country Fried Steak and a nice gravy too!
Ingredients:
6-8 Chicken Drumsticks de-boned or thin Chicken Breast filets
2/3 cup Panko
1 egg, beaten
1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
1/2 tsp Onion Powder
1 tsp Sea Salt
1/2 tsp Black Pepper
Sauce:
1 cup Beef Broth
3 tbsps Soy Sauce
2 tbsps Corn or Tapioca Starch
3/4 tsp Black Pepper
2 tsps Organic Raw Sugar
1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
1 tbsp Canola Oil
1/2 tsp Sea Salt
1/2 white onion, minced
5 cloves garlic, minced
Instructions:
1. Season chicken in half of salt and pepper, allow to stand 30 minutes.
2. Mix salt, pepper, Panko, garlic and onion powder in shallow platter.
3. Prep shallow platter for egg wash.
4. Preheat Air Fryer for 3 minutes at 390°F.
5. Coat chicken in egg wash and then dip in Panko mixture.
6. Arrange a batch of 3-4 chicken pieces in Air Fryer. Cook for about 8 minutes, turning once halfway through.
7. Once cooked, set aside in platter.
8. In skillet, sautée onions and garlic in oil till caramelized. Add stock, soy sauce, Worcestershire, pepper, salt and sugar. Bring to boil.
9. Make a slurry with starch and equal parts water. Mix into gravy to thicken. Bring to boil and set aside.
10. Arrange chicken and rice on serving plate. Pour sauce over top and garnish with parsley.
BiBimBap. This healthy and cheerful Korean staple is an all-time favourite and I have been known to go through periods where all I eat is this. It is extremely hearty and fun to make. The term itself translates to “Mixed Rice”, which is accurate. You assemble all the ingredients together, add the sauce and toss it like a salad. While the traditional recipe uses Bulgogi Beef, I’m doing a spicy Korean Chicken and adding-in fried Zucchini fritters, Hobak Jun and Japchae, Korean Glass Noodles. This is a real tour-de-force! This recipe serves four. This is a medium-spicy.
Rice:
1 1/4 cups Botan Rice, rinsed
2 cups water
Korean Chicken:
4-6 Chicken Thighs, de-boned and cut into thirds
3 tbsps Gochujang
1 tbsp Korean Red Chili Pepper
1 tbsp Organic Raw Sugar
3 tbsps Sesame Oil
1 tbsp Shaoxing Cooking Wine
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 white onion, chopped
1 inch knob of ginger, peeled and minced
1 stalk green onion, cut into 2-inch-long pieces
Canola oil
Japchae:
1 handful Sweet Potato Glass Noodles
3 tbsps Sesame Oil
2 tbsps Organic Raw Sugar
2 tbsps Soy Sauce
1/2 sweet red pepper, sliced thinly
1/2 white onion, sliced thinly
2 stalks green onion, chopped into 2-inch pieces
1/2 tsp sea salt
Sesame seeds, toasted
Carrots:
6 miniature carrots, slivered into thin matchsticks
Sprinkle of sea salt
1 tbsp Seasoned Rice Vinegar
Crown Daisies:
1-2 handfuls of Crown Daisies (Spinach will do too)
1 tbsp Sesame Oil
Sea salt, to taste
Shiitake Mushrooms:
6-8 Dried Shiitake Mushrooms, soaked in water minimum 1-2 hours and sliced thinly
1 tbsp Oyster Sauce
1 tbsp Soy Sauce
1 tbsp Sesame Oil
Sprinkle of Organic Raw Sugar
Hobak Jun:
1 Zucchini, cut into 1/4″-thick slices
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup flour
Sprinkle of sea salt
Canola oil
Additional Toppings:
1/4 cup Kimchi, chopped
Sesame Seeds, toasted
4 eggs
BiBimBap Sauce:
1/2 cup Gochujang
1 tbsp water
2-3 tbsps Organic Raw Sugar
2 tbsps Sesame Oil
2 tbsps Seasoned Rice Vinegar
3 cloves garlic, minced
Instructions:
1. Prepare rice in rice cooker.
2. Prepare Japchae. In medium-size pot, boil water with salt. Once boiled, add Yam Noodles and cook uncovered. Bring to a boil and cook no more than 3-5 minutes. You do not want the noodles too soft. Strain in colander and run under cold water. Press dry with paper towel.
3. In skillet, heat 1 tbsp sesame oil and sautée green onions, red pepper and white onion for about 5 minutes till caramelized.
4. In small bowl, mix soy, sugar and 2 tbsps sesame oil.
5. Toss noodles into skillet with sauce and fry for about 3 minutes, careful to avoid noodles breaking. Set aside.
6. In small pot, blanch carrots and drain in colander. Toss-in rice vinegar and sea salt. Set aside.
7. In small pot, blanch Crown Daisies and drain in colander. Do not overcook. Toss in sesame oil and sea salt. Chop bunch in half. Pat dry with paper towel. Set aside.
8. In small skillet, add sesame oil and sautée Shiitake mushrooms. Add oyster sauce, soy sauce and sprinkle of sugar. Cook till the mushrooms shrink-in a bit and set aside.
9. Prepare Hobak Jun. Place flour on one plate and have beaten egg in a shallow dish. Heat skillet on medium heat with a bit of canola oil. Season zucchini gently with sea salt and once they start sweating, dip in flour and then egg mixture lightly before placing in skillet. Fry till golden and flip. Transfer to platter and set aside.
10. Prepare Korean Chicken. Marinate chicken pieces in Gochujang, Korean Red Chili Pepper, soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil and wine.
11. Heat large skillet with canola oil, on medium-high heat. Sautée green onion, ginger, garlic and white onion. Add chicken and cook till marinade begins to thicken (approx 10 minutes) and chicken caramelizes, stirring occasionally. Set aside.
12. Prepare sauce. In small sauce pan, sautée garlic in sesame oil and add-in remaining ingredients, bringing to boil. Pour into bowl and cool. Heat canola oil in skillet on medium heat. Fry eggs sunny-side up, leaving yolk runny. Carefully set aside, being careful not to break yolks.
13. In serving bowl, assemble by placing rice at bottom first. Create even sections for Kimchi, Carrots, Crown Daisies, 2-3 pieces of Hobak Jun, Chicken, Japchae and Shiitake. Place fried egg on-top and then add sauce. Garnish with sesame seeds.
Serve with large spoon and mix well.
Gallery:
(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)
Air Fryer Turon. For those of you who aren’t familiar with Filipino Cuisine, it honestly is so satisfying! One of my favourite things is Turon and it’s been so long since I’ve had it. It’s basically a sweet, caramelized egg roll with banana/plantain stuffed inside. So delicious. I was watching SELENA + CHEF and it was so cool seeing Toronto-born, New York-based Chef Jordan Andino guest star on the show, showing us how to make some traditional favourites. I love that his take on Turon has Jackfruit, a stinky, albeit delicious and underappreciated fruit. If you can find it fresh, use fresh, if not, no shame in canned. I’ve played around with this and adapted it for the Air Fryer, cutting sweetness and grease, but still enough to satisfy your sweet tooth.
Ingredients:
8 Egg Roll WrappersInstructions:
1. Lay Egg Roll Wrapper on cutting board.Gallery:
(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)
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