Peach Cobbler. Peaches are so in-season right now. It’s really your loss if you haven’t picked some up! This recipe is so easy even the most entry-level Baker can nail this! I like to add a bit of orange in as it complements peach so well. This takes exactly like Summer should taste. I like to add a bit of texture on-top in oats and almonds, but that’s completely up to you if you want to keep that in! It’s your life! I’m just saying it’s better with crunch. Not judging you. 🍑
Ingredients:
5 large peaches, skinned and cut into 1″ thick slices
1 cup flour
1 cup whole milk
3/4 cup organic raw sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup oats
4 tbsps almond slivers, toasted
1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 tbsp baking powder
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
a couple pinches of nutmeg
zest of one orange
2 tbsps juice of orange
Instructions:
1. Pre-heat oven at 375°F.
Gallery:
(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)
Hello Kitty Mac & Cheese. She’s an icon and what better way to celebrate her in a dish worthy of her greatness, Mac & Cheese? Our mind was blown that Hello Kitty Pasta exists and we found this in a Japanese Houseware Store (Oomomo). You also can find this online. Something a little fun and comforting to make your day for kids big and small!
Ingredients:
3 cups whole milk
3 cups Old Cheddar, grated
1 cup Gruyere, grated
6 Kraft Singles
1 cup whipping cream
¼ cup flour
6 tbsps unsalted butter
5-6 drops red food colouring (or beet juice if you’re conscious like that!)
Sea salt and pepper
Olive oil
Crust:
1 cup Panko
½ cup Parmesan, grated
4 tbsps unsalted butter, melted
½ tsp Paprika
4 drops red food colouring (or beet juice!)
Instructions:
1. Cook Pasta till al dente and set aside. Toss in a bit of olive oil.
Gallery:
(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)
Savoury Miso Oatmeal. Who said Oatmeal had to be boring and basic? Try this amazing recipe for a savoury oatmeal which should leave you with some leftovers so you won’t have to worry about breakfast the next day! This idea came years ago when I interviewed Giada DeLaurentiis and she told me her favourite go-to breakfast was savoury oatmeal. Since then, I’ve been obsessed with the idea! Guaranteed this will leave you starting your day energized and satiated!
Ingredients:
2/3 cup quick cooking oats
6 cups water
8 mushrooms, cleaned and sliced thin
1/2 white onion, minced
1/4 cup corn kernels
10 grape tomatoes
1 heaping tbsp miso paste
1 tbsp olive oil
1 egg
1/4 cup grated cheddar cheese
Sea salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
1. Soak oats in water till just covered for about 10-15 minutes.
2. Bring water to boil with salt.
3. Add miso paste and oats, boiling on medium-high heat. Reduce to medium-low heat slightly-uncovered.
4. Cook till oats fully expand and mixture is thick.
5. While cooking oats, heat oil in skillet on medium-high heat.
6. Sautée mushrooms, onions, corn and tomatoes till mixture is caramelized. Season with salt and pepper.
7. Once oats are cooked and thick, crack an egg into mixture, stirring gently as wispy egg clouds form. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
8. Turn off heat and let sit for a couple minutes.
9. Scoop mixture into bowls. Top with with mushroom mixture and grated cheese. Serve.
Gallery:
(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)
Coconut Cream Pie. This is a classic and it has been so liberating knowing now that making a pie crust isn’t so terrifying after all! Give this pie a little overnight patience. It is so worth it. Do be careful when baking this crust on its own, you need to weigh it down to prevent shrinkage.
Pie Pastry:
1 1/4 cups flour
3/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 cup butter, chilled
1/3 cup + 2 tbsps Crisco Golden All-Vegetable Shortening
1/4 cup cold water
Filling:
1 can coconut milk
1 cup half and half cream
4 egg yolks
1/2 cup organic raw sugar
1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
1/4 cup corn starch
2 tbsps unsalted butter
1 tsp vanilla
2 tsps coconut extract
1/4 tsp sea salt
Topping:
1 cup whipping cream
3 tbsps icing sugar
1 tbsp coconut extract
2 tbsps shredded unsweetened coconut, toasted
Instructions:
1. Prepare pastry, combining ingredients, adding water 1 tbsp at a time, handling minimally. Knead dough gently on floured surface. Roll into ball. Chill minimum 2 hours, no more than 5 days.
Gallery:
(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)
Pasta with Shrimp and Mussels in Wine-Cream Sauce. This is one you save for someone you love a lot! The way the juices from the mussels and shrimp infuse into this gorgeous creamy wine sauce is perfection. Be careful not to overcook your seafood. You want to remove this from the heat as soon as they’re cooked.
Ingredients:
450g spaghetti, cooked
2 lbs mussels, scrubbed clean and soaked in salt water
1 lb shrimp
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup 18% cream
1/2 cup whipping cream
4 tbsps unsalted butter
4 tbsps flour
1 white onion, minced
5 cloves garlic, minced
Handful of Cilantro, minced
Sea salt and pepper
Parmesan Cheese
Instructions:
1. Cook spaghetti till Al Dente. Strain and set aside.
Boba Butter Tart Pie. Happy Canada Day! 🇨🇦 What better way to celebrate this wonderful country than an immersion of the classic Canadian Butter Tart and our favourite, Chatime Tea! Even if you can’t find those tea packets, use your favourite bold black tea.
Pie Pastry:
1 1/4 cups flour
3/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 cup butter, chilled
1/3 cup + 2 tbsps Crisco Golden All-Vegetable Shortening
1/4 cup cold water
Filling:
3/4 cup corn syrup
1/3 cup brown sugar
125g Instant Pearl Brown Sugar Tapioca
2 packets of Chatime Double Rich Roasted Milk Tea (or your favourite bold black tea)
1/2 cup raisins
1/4 cup butter
3 tbsps maple syrup
2 eggs
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Whipped cream
Instructions:
1. Prepare pastry, combining ingredients, adding water 1 tbsp at a time, handling minimally. Knead dough gently on floured surface. Roll into ball. Chill minimum 2 hours, no more than 5 days.
Gallery:
(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)
Ingredients:
General Tao Broccoli. You’ve all had this classic with chicken, but who knew it could be replicated so well and done vegan? This is so hearty it serves as a main with a side of rice. We’ve been seeing this pop-up on Instagram often of late and thought we’d give it a go. Loved it! 🥦
Broccoli:
1 head of broccoli, chopped into florets
1 cup corn starch
1/2 cup Aquafaba (Chick Pea liquid)
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tbsp soy sauce
Canola oil
Sauce:
3 tbsps rice vinegar
1 tbsp Gochujang (Korean Pepper Paste)
3 tbsps organic raw sugar
3 tbsps soy sauce
2 tbsps maple syrup
1-2 tbsps corn or tapioca starch
1 tbsp ginger, minced
3 green chillies, seeded and minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 stalk green onion, minced
1 tbsp canola oil
Parsley, chopped for garnish
Instructions:
1. Heat oil large skillet/wok on medium-high heat till hot.
Gallery:
(Photo/video credit: Mr. Will Wong)
Chocolate Fudge Macarons. I was hesitant to try Macarons again since they gave me so much anxiety, but my dear friend Angela enjoyed the last batch I made so much, I couldn’t let her down! She literally said those were the best Macarons she’d ever had. She even went out of her way at nine months pregnant to buy me more Almond Flour so I could make more. Say what you will about the look of these which I know need a bit of work still in terms of piping, but they were phenomenal. That fudgy Butter Cream center is to die for.
Macarons:
1 cup Almond Flour, sifted three times
1 1/2 cups icing sugar, sifted three times
3 egg whites, room temperature
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp sea salt
3 tbsps cocoa powder
Chocolate/Rainbow Sprinkles for decoration
Instructions:
1. In large bowl, combine 1/2 tsp salt, almond flour, cocoa powder and icing sugar. Ensure these are all sifted three times.
2. In separate bowl, beat egg whites and 1/2 tsp salt with handmixer till stiff peaks form. You should be able to flip bowl over and nothing moves. Gradually add granulated sugar.
3. Add flour mixture into egg white mixture bit by bit and combine gently with spatula. When ready, you should be able to lift spatula and draw a “figure 8” with batter.
5. Scoop into piping bag with a circular tip and pipe each corner of baking sheet. Place parchment paper over it, using paste on corners to secure it.
6. Pipe Macaron batter evenly in circles over parchment paper. When done, take baking sheet and tap it on counter 3-5 times gently to rid of air bubbles and even out batter. Distribute sprinkles on-top.
7. Let sit for one hour.
8. Preheat oven at 300°F. Bake for 17-21 minutes depending how large your Macarons are. You’ll know they’re done when they don’t stick to the wax paper.
9. Allow to cool about 20 minutes out of oven and gently use spatula to remove from parchment paper and transfer to a tray. If they stick to paper, peel them off gently, taking a sparing amount of warm water and rub against back of cookie till paper peels off. Be gentle and do not over-wet.
10. Cool in fridge quickly for 20 minutes while you prepare Butter Cream.
11. Whip butter in large bowl till creamy. Add icing sugar, cocoa, vanilla and cream till you get a thick icing.
12. Scoop into piping bag and pipe onto “foot” of Macarons leaving a bit of space around the edge. Place another Macaron on-top and gently press into a sandwich.
13. Place in air-tight container overnight, room temperature before serving.
Gallery:
(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)
Jumbo Shrimp Pasta in Pesto. Few things are as decadent as Seafood on Pasta. And it can be prepared so quickly! If you can find jumbo Argentinian Shrimp at your Grocer, it’s definitely worth it for this. I stock-up on my Trader Joe’s every time I visit the U.S., but you can use whatever basil-based Pesto you like in this.
Ingredients:
454g Spaghetti
190g jar Trader Joe’s Genovese Pesto (or your favourite)
15 jumbo Argentinian Shrimp, shelled and de-veined
1 cup Arugula/Spinach mix
4 tbsps unsalted butter
12 Grape Tomatoes
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 red chillies, seeded and minced
1 tbsp basil, chopped
Sea salt and pepper, to taste
Parsley, minced for garnish
Parmesan Cheese
Instructions:
Gallery:
(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)
Pot Roast with Giant Yorkshire Pudding. A good old-fashioned, Pot Roast never goes out of style. I love that there’s always leftovers which are just perfect for a sandwich the next day… and day after! We pair our Pot Roast with a giant Dutch Baby-like Yorkshire Pudding and gravy! While not the most tender of cuts, this one is easy to find. Cooking at about 20 minutes at 325°F per lb, should set you up for success.
Pot Roast:
3 lb Sirloin Tip Roast
2 cups beef broth
2 white potatoes, skinned and chopped into chunks
1 white onion, chopped into chunks
2 stalks celery, chopped into chunks
3 shallots, chopped into chunks
1 carrot, skinned and chopped into chunks
5 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tbsp Herbes de Provence
1 tbsp Rosemary
Handful of parsley, bunched with twine
Sea salt and pepper
Olive oil
Instructions:
1. Season pot roast in salt and pepper and refrigerate covered overnight.
2. Pre-heat oven to 325°F.
3. In large skillet on medium-high heat, heat olive oil and sautée shallots, garlic and onion.
4. Add potatoes, celery and carrots. Cook till potatoes start to brown. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Season pot roast with Herbes de Provence and Rosemary.
6. Push vegetables to side of skillet. Place roast on skillet and sear each side of pot roast for 1 minute.
7. Place roast into roasting pan and set aside.
8. Add broth to skillet and scrape brown bits. Bring to boil.
9. Add vegetables and liquid to roasting pan. Top-up with more broth till roast is covered part-way.
10. Cover with foil or lid and roast for about 1 hour.
11. Remove from oven. Separate roast and vegetables. Let stand 30 minutes before carving.
12. Run drippings through sieve and prepare gravy.
Gravy:
2 cups juices from Pot Roast (excess oil skimmed if you like)
1 cup beef broth
2 tbsps butter
3-4 tbsps flour or corn starch
1 tbsp soy sauce (optional)
Instructions:
1. Melt butter in sauce pan on medium-high heat.
2. Pour in juices and broth and bring to boil.
3. In small bowl, mix flour and equal parts water and mix into a smooth paste.
4. Once boiled, add in flour paste and whisk till sauce thickens. If lumpy, run through sieve.
5. Add soy sauce if desired to taste, stir and remove from heat.
Giant Yorkshire Pudding:
3 eggs, room temperature
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup milk, room temperature (out for about an hour)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 ladle of beef drippings
Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 425°F.
2. Throw all ingredients into blender or mix with handmixer.
3. Ladle drippings into 9″ cast iron skillet.
4. Heat pan in oven for about 3 minutes (don’t leave too long as drippings with char).
5. Pour batter into skillet.
6. Bake in oven 20 minutes.
7. Reduce heat to 300°F for 5 more minutes.
8. Serve with Pot Roast and Gravy.
Gallery:
(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)
For advertising opportunites please contact mrwill@mrwillwong.com