The smell of freshly baked pandan waffles is pure nostalgia for me. Crisp on the outside, and cake-like on the inside, these waffles make for a great and addictive snack. Best eaten warm using your hands, no maple syrup needed.
Pandan extract can be found at your local Asian grocery store, or online. I prefer the Butterfly brand over others, just note that extract is potent, and a little goes a long way. If you’re lucky enough to have fresh pandan juice, you’ll achieve an even stronger and fresher pandan flavor.
Pandan Waffles Total Time: 30 Minutes Active Time: 15 Minutes Servings: About 4-5 Waffles, depending on size of waffle iron
Ingredients: 50g or 1 large egg 80g or 3/8 Cup granulated sugar 50g or 1/2 Cup Mochiko, or glutinous rice flour 95g or 1/3 Cup canned coconut cream, warmed in the microwave 40g or 3 Tbsp canola oil, or melted coconut oil 1/2 tsp salt 1/4 tsp pandan extract, or 1 tsp fresh pandan juice 70g or 1/2 Cup All-purpose flour 1/2 tsp baking soda 40g or 1/4 cup shredded dried coconut (optional)
Preheat waffle iron to medium heat.
2. MixBatter. In a bowl, whisk together eggs and sugar until light yellow and the sugar is dissolved. Whisk in mochiko until smooth, then add warmed coconut cream, oil, salt, and pandan extract. Stir in flour, shredded coconut (if using) and baking soda last, mixing until just combined.
3. Cook and Eat Warm. Scoop about 1/3 cup of batter for each waffle and cook per manufacturer’s directions until done. Place on a wired rack to cool slightly and crisp, then serve warm as-is.
Also known as profiteroles, these cream puffs are the perfect bite-sized dessert. I prefer cream puffs made with pastry cream instead of whipped cream because I like the richer flavor of the egg and the silky texture that the pastry cream provides.
What makes this fool-proof? The secret’s in the can. Unlike bovine milk, coconut milk doesn’t have any dairy solids that would burn and create lumps in your pastry cream. The coconut milk is also higher in fat so the cream is more likely to set, with help from the cornstarch. The final result is an ultra smooth finish and a nice subtle coconut flavor to the cream. Another bonus is that canned coconut milk is shelf-stable and doesn’t spoil as quickly as refrigerated milk (I always keep a can somewhere in my apartment because it’s so useful to have!).
Fool-proof Cream Puffs Total Time: 2 Hours Active Time: 45 Minutes Servings: About 24 filled puffs
Ingredients: (Total Eggs Needed = 7-8) Pastry Cream: 80g or 4 egg yolks 80g or 1/2 cup granulated sugar 16g or 2 Tbsp cornstarch 1/2 tsp salt 440g or 1 can unsweetened canned coconut milk 52g or 4 Tbsp unsalted butter, cut into pieces 10g or 2 tsp vanilla extract
Choux: 113g or 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, cut into pieces 233g or 1 cup water 120g or 1 cup all-purpose flour 3g or 1/2 tsp salt 120g or 2 large eggs (+1 extra in case your batter is too thick) 1 egg yolk, for egg wash
1. Make the Pastry Cream.
1a) Heat coconut milk and prepare egg mixture. In a medium pot, heat coconut milk over medium heat until a gentle boil is reached. In a separate large bowl, whisk together egg yolks and sugar until smooth; then whisk in cornstarch and salt.
1b) Combine mixtures, add butter and flavor, and chill. When coconut milk is at a gentle boil, slowly pour hot milk into the egg mixture to temper the eggs. Add warmed egg mixture back to the pot of milk and while continuously whisking, bring to a boil or until well-thickened (about 1-2 minutes, you should feel resistance on your whisk). Remove from heat and transfer to a bowl. Whisk in butter pieces to chill mixture and add final vanilla extract. Cover with plastic wrap and store in the fridge while you make your choux batter. You can also stop here and use your cream for cakes, tarts, or eaten simply with fresh berries.
Note: The cream should be very smooth however if your pastry cream is clumpy, you can pass your cream through a mesh strainer.
Thickened cream, still hot
Pastry Cream after chilled
2. Prep Oven & Baking Sheets. Preheat oven to 400°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
3. Make the Choux batter.
3a) Make roux. In a clean medium pot, heat water and cubed butter together until a full simmer, and whisk vigorously to emulsify the fats from the butter and the water together. Remove from the heat, add flour and salt and stir until well incorporated and no dry clumps remain. The consistency will be a thick paste (roux). Transfer to a separate bowl.
Full Simmer
Thick paste/Roux texture
3b) More emulsification (with eggs)! Incorporate eggs, one at a time until fully combined. The batter will look clumpy at first, but it will come together as you mix. After the last egg has been incorporated, check consistency of your batter- it should be elastic, smooth and should slowly fall off the spoon into a “V”. Depending on what kind of flour you are using or the size of your eggs, you may need to add an extra half-egg (whisked egg, poured into the batter) to achieve this.
Before emulsification
Final texture of batter
4. Pipe, Egg Wash, and Bake. Using a round pastry tip or a Ziploc bag with the tip cut off, pipe 1″ rounds onto baking trays about 1″ apart from each other. Dampen your finger with a small amount of water and flatten the tops, then mix 1 egg yolk with 1 Tbsp of water to make egg wash. Brush rounds with egg wash, then bake trays in oven for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool complete before assembly.*
5. Assemble. Carefully slit the cream puffs in half, then fill with your chilled Pastry Cream. Dust with powdered sugar and enjoy!
Also great with strawberries 🙂
Q: What if I don’t have canned coconut milk? Can I use ___ milk as a substitute? You can absolutely substitute 1:1 for any milk you have. If you have full fat coconut cream, you can dilute by adding 1:1 coconut cream to water. Just a note that if you’re using dairy-based milk, keep an eye out for the milk to make sure it doesn’t scald on the stovetop.
Cheers! -Jenna
*If you’re not planning to eat within 1-2 days, you can store the unfilled puffs in the freezer for about a month. Allow them to come to room temperature before filling. (Do not place your cream in the freezer)
If you’re thinking this is the recipe for the famous KichiKichi omurice, with the voluptuous omelette that spills over when sliced and drenched in thick demi-glace sauce… sorry to say, this isn’t it. I’ve attempted, failed numerously, and finally came to terms with the hard truth that: 1) I am not an omelette pro, and 2) I do not need to have this perfect cascading omelette in order to make good omurice. So you can leave that one to the pros (or for your weekend omurice).
This is the weeknight recipe, the one I whip up when I have leftover cooked rice on hand and plenty of eggs. It’s one of the easiest meals I keep in rotation and trust me when I say, you won’t be missing the runny egg goo with this recipe.
This recipe is different than your typical omurice recipe because it uses toppings normally used for okonomiyaki (my fav Japanese street food!). These days, I keep these toppings on hand in the pantry not for okonomiyaki, but mostly for omurice.
Weeknight Omurice Total Time: 25 Minutes Active Time: 20 Minutes Servings: 2
Ingredients: 1 Tbsp unsalted butter 1/4 cup yellow onion, diced 2 cloves garlic, minced 1/4 cup carrot, diced 1 Tbsp soy sauce 2 Tbsp ketchup 4 oz boneless chicken thigh, diced 1 cup cooked rice 6 eggs, whisked Salt and pepper to taste For topping: Dried bonito flakes, dried seaweed, Kewpie mayo
In a non-stick pan, heat butter over medium heat until foamy, and add carrots, onion, and garlic, stirring until fragrant and softened.
2. Add chicken and cook until thoroughly cooked before adding soy sauce, ketchup and cooked rice. Gently stir until rice is evenly coated in sauce. If needed, add 1 Tbsp of water, and salt and pepper to taste. Set ketchup rice aside in a separate bowl and wipe pan clean.
3. To make the omelette, heat 1 Tbsp of oil over medium heat. Add half of whisked eggs, stirring gently and swirling pan until eggs are par-cooked. Remove pan from heat.
4. Add half of ketchup rice mixture to the middle of the pan, and very gently and using a rubber spatula, fold omelette around rice. Carefully flip onto serving plate.
Don’t worry if your omelette doesn’t come out 100% perfect. You’ll cover it up with toppings later anyways!
5. Place pan back on heat, and repeat process for remaining eggs and rice mixture. To finish, top both omurice plates with Kewpie, ketchup, dried seaweed, and bonito flakes. Enjoy! 🙂
This is my tried-and-true O-G recipe for dutch baby pancakes. Perfect for lazy Sunday mornings because it’s so simple and doesn’t require you to slave over the stove top making stacks of pancakes. The result is one large pancake with crispy tall edges and a soft fluffy center, with its impressive presentation that will warrant “oohs” and “aahs” from your friends… even though all you did was mix things together and pour them into 1 pan.
A small history of past dutch babies
You will need: 1 mixing bowl (w/a pour spout), 1 whisk, 1 microwave-safe cup, 1 cast-iron skillet (or oven-safe pan, about 6-10″). Easy clean-up so you can carry on with the rest of your day.
Dutch Baby Pancake (sweet batter) Total Time: 30 Minutes Active Time: 10 Minutes Yield: 2 Servings (1 Dutch Baby Pancake)
1. Prep Oven & Pan. Preheat oven and pan at 425°F.
2. Mix together all ingredients except butter. Warm the milk in the microwave-safe cup (1 min should be fine)
Whisk together ingredients in this order: Eggs, sugar, salt, milk, flour, vanilla extract. Mix until incorporated and you have a thin batter.
3. Melt the butter in the pan and add batter. When the oven has been pre-heated, remove the hot pan (carefully!) and melt the butter directly on the pan, swirling the pan to coat the edges. Pour in the batter from your bowl, place pan back into oven and bake.
4. Bakeand lower temp. Bake for 15 minutes at 425 °F. The pancake will have reached an impressive height at this point but do not open the oven door! Lower temperature to 350 °F and bake for 13-15 minutes longer.
5. Add toppings and serve! Remove pancake from the oven and top with chopped berries, or simply lemon juice and powdered sugar before serving alongside your favorite maple syrup. 🙂
The best maple syrup comes from Canada. Period.
*For a dairy-free version, you can substitute 1:1 for ricemilk or almondmilk!
Kimchi has quickly become a staple in my fridge because of its versatility: not just by itself on the side, but also in weeknight fried rice, Korean stews/pancakes, in sandwiches, even on top of tacos. For a while now, I’ve stopped buying kimchi altogether and started making my own because it’s more cost-efficient, and I can control the spice level and amount of funkiness/fermentation I like. Mild-medium spice, with just the perfect amount of fizzy crunch.
This kimchi recipe is adapted from Maangchi‘s O-G recipe. I really like her porridge-method, because it thickens up the kimchi paste nicely (better paste-adhesion to the wet cabbage leaves). I simplified and tailored the recipe to my preference by using the ingredients (and jars) I have on hand, and shortening the porridge step by using the microwave instead of the stovetop. If you prefer more spicy, you can add more Gochugaru or if you prefer a young, crunchy kimchi then you can shorten the fermentation time on the counter.
Mason-Jar Kimchi, adapted from Maangchi Total Time: 1.5 Hour Active Time: 30 Minutes Yield: About 2 Cups of Kimchi paste*
Ingredients: 2 Napa cabbages, cored and coarsely chopped 4 scallions, coarsely chopped 1/2 Cup kosher salt 1-inch ginger, peeled 6 garlic cloves 1 small apple or Asian pear, coarsely chopped 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped 1/2 Cup Gochugaru/Korean red pepper powder 2 Tbsp fish sauce 2 Tbsp glutinous rice flour 1/4 Cup water
1. Prep and salt the cabbage. Coarsely chop the cabbage into large pieces and place into very large bowl. Add half of the salt, mix together and allow cabbage to sit for approx. 30 mins.
After 30 mins, drain the excess water, then add remaining salt. Wait another 30 mins. Then, drain and rinse cabbage with cold water and set aside. The cabbage pieces will feel limp and bendable compared to rigid.
Before Salt
After Salt
2. Make the Kimchi paste. Place fish sauce, onion, apple, ginger, and Gochugaru into blender and blend until smooth. Pour in some water if needed to get the mixture going.
With the remaining water, add glutinous rice flour and mix together in a separate bowl. Microwave on HIGH for 30 seconds, or until water is hot. Mix together until very thick porridge is formed, then add to blender.
Before Blending
Porridge Consistency
Mix Porridge into Paste
3. Prep clean Mason jars (or any fermenting containers). Place plastic wrap over the jar opening, then pierce hole in the center; make sure the wrap covers the inside and outside of the opening. This prevents the lip of the jar from getting messy with kimchi paste, and provides easier clean-up when you’re filling the jars.
My preferred Mason jar size is wide-mouth 32 oz.
4. Combine kimchi paste + cabbage + scallions, then jar. Add kimchi paste and chopped scallions to the rinsed cabbage pieces, then mix with a spoon, ensuring all pieces are coated with the paste. Then pack the kimchi into the jars, pushing down with the back of a spoon and leaving about 3 cm of headspace towards the top. Loosely cap the jars. Place all jars onto a lipped plate in case of leakage, then ferment.
5. Ferment at room temperature for desired time, about 3-5 days. Once a day, examine kimchi for activity and press down kimchi with the back of a spoon. When desired flavor is achieved, fully close jars and store in the fridge. Your kimchi is now ready 🙂
Q: Will mold grow on my kimchi if I leave it at room temperature? The gochugaru will have enough spice to prevent unwanted mold from contaminating your kimchi. To stay safe, always use clean containers, and check on/press down at your kimchi daily to keep the cabbage submerged in the spicy paste. If you see any unwanted growth or no activity within 2 days, discard and try again.
Q: How will I know my kimchi is actively fermenting? When pressing down on the kimchi, you will see + hear the CO2 bubbles rising to the top! The addition of the pear/apple (aka readily available sugar) helps to kick-start the fermentation, so it’s very likely that your kimchi has become active after 1 day.
Cheers! -Jenna
*The recipe for the kimchi paste yields about 2 cups which is enough for about 2 large Napa cabbages, or about 5 – 32 oz mason jars. If you’re using just 1 cabbage, you can make the full recipe for the paste, then keep the remaining in the fridge for readily-available kimchi paste.
Inspired by Momofuku Milk Bar’s own Compost Cookies, these pantry cookies begin with a simple base, then any add-ins you can scrounge in your pantry. The result is a delicate, sweet + salty cookie with tons of texture, and endless pantry possibilities.
Today, I have found chocolate chips, chopped hazelnuts, tortilla chips, coffee, and honey cookies. Since we are just coming off of Halloween, I also have some candies that I’m throwing into the mix as well (from the post-Halloween 50% off section). Some of my other favorite mix-ins for this cookie recipe have been:
Pretzels (esp. the peanut-butter filled ones!)
Potato chips
Graham crackers
Dried fruit (esp. cranberries)
Toasted oats
Other toasted nuts (esp. walnuts)
From-the-Pantry Cookies Total Time: 35 Minutes Active Time: 20 Minutes Servings: About 1 dozen cookies
Ingredients: 140g butter, room temperature 60g granulated sugar 70g brown sugar 100g all-purpose flour 20g buckwheat flour (or another flour is fine, even corn-meal is ok) 6g ground coffee, medium grind (Baratza Encore grind: #17) 3/4 tsp baking soda 3/4 tsp kosher salt 1 egg (about 50g), room temperature 1 tsp vanilla extract Roughly 130g Crispy Crunchy Mix-Ins (chips, nuts, crackers, etc)* Roughly 130g Other Mix-Ins (chocolate chips, candies, dried fruit)*
1. Prep Oven & Baking Sheets. Preheat oven to 325°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Prep your Mix-Ins. Place all crispy crunchy bits (chips, pretzels, crackers, toasted nuts, etc) into a ziploc bag and crush using a rolling pin or hands until sand-like texture. Cut other mix-ins into bite sized pieces if needed.
3. Assemble the Base. Cream together butter and sugars in a mixer on medium speed. While butter and sugars are creaming, in a separate bowl, whisk together flours, coffee, salt, and baking soda.
Once butter and sugar is incorporated, add the egg and vanilla extract to emulsify into mixture. Then, lower mixing speed and slowly stir in dry ingredients until dough base is formed, about 30 seconds.
Cream butter and sugar in a mixer.
While butter and sugar is creaming, gather dry ingredients into a separate bowl.
Whisk together and set aside.
Back to the mixer, add egg and vanilla extract.
Continue to mix wet ingredients until well incorporated.
Slowly add dry ingredients and mix for 30 seconds or until just incorporated.
Base is complete & ready for mix-ins!
4. Stir in your Mix-Ins. Mix until everything is dispersed evenly in the final dough.
5. Portion and Bake. Portion cookies (~50g each) and place onto baking sheet, about 2 inches apart. Bake cookies in oven for 13-15 minutes or until golden brown.
*You can also place the portions into a freezer-safe bag to bake off at a later date!
6. Allow to cool, then enjoy! Flaky sea salt is optional, but always welcome.
Cheers! -Jenna
*No more than 300g of mix-ins total, otherwise the batter will be too thick 😦
Today’s mix-ins: 30g hazelnuts / 60g honey cookies / 40g tortilla chips / 50g bitterswt choc chunks / 85g Reese’s Another good combo: 85g crushed graham crackers / 60g peanut butter pretzels / 40g sea salt potato chips / 50g bitterswt choc chunks
Chicken noodle soup has a special place in my heart. It is one of the few foods I could eat repeatedly without getting tired. It’s also what I make whenever I need to cure any sickness or sadness. And if you tell me you’re feeling down or looking for an easy recipe to make for your weeknight rotations, I would recommend this go-to recipe for chicken noodle soup.
The best part about this soup is the simplicity– Low Effort for Maximum Yield of Deliciousness. This recipe doesn’t require store bought chicken stock, uses 1 stockpot, and it’s easy to gather up all the main ingredients if you know Beyonce’s* favorite number…. 4!
For 6 servings (or enough for 4 very hungry people), I need 4 chicken leg quarters, 4 carrots, 4 celery stalks, 4 onion halves**, 4 Tbsp of chopped parsley and 4 cups of noodles.
The Chicken Noodle Soup Total Time: 1 Hour Active Time: 15 Minutes Servings: 6
Ingredients: 4 chicken leg quarters, bone-in and skin-on (about 3 lbs) 4 cups dry wide egg noodles (about ½ lb) 4 celery stalks, chopped into ¼ in. pieces 4 medium carrots, sliced into ¼ in. rounds 2 medium yellow onions, diced 4 Tbsp parsley, finely chopped 2 dried bay leaves 1 Tbsp salt 1 tsp black pepper 1 tsp dried thyme (optional)
1. In a large stockpot, bring 6 cups of water to a boil. Add 2 Tbsp salt and egg noodles. Cook noodles for 3-4 mins, stirring the pot occasionally until pasta is al dente.
(I forgot to take a photo of me boiling the pasta, but you get the idea…)
2. While pasta is cooking, wash and chop all the vegetables, keeping the onion, celery and carrot together in a bowl. (Don’t forget to keep stirring the noodles.)
Time saver: Keep extra chopped parsley in a container that you can keep in the fridge and use anytime you need fresh herbs for a dish.
3. When noodles reach al dente, drain and reserve noodles in colander. Rinse the stockpot with more water to remove excess starch, then place it back on stove top over medium heat, adding 2 Tbsp canola oil to the pot.
To prevent the noodles from sticking, add 2 tsp of canola oil.
4. Add onion-celery-carrot mixture, 1 Tbsp salt, 1 tsp pepper, and 1 tsp thyme (optional) to the stockpot, stirring occasionally and cooking for 3 minutes or until onions are translucent.
5. Add chicken legs, 6-8 cups of water (enough to cover the chicken legs), and bay leaves to stockpot. Allow mixture to come to a boil, then lower heat and cover with lid. Simmer for 45 minutes or until chicken is falling off the bone.
6. Turn off heat, remove chicken legs from soup and place into bowl. Shred meat using 2 forks into bite sized pieces. Remove bones and add chicken meat back to stockpot.
**If you’re meal prepping for later, you can store the noodles and the chicken soup in separate containers to prevent the noodles from bloating and soaking up all your delicious broth.**
7. When ready to eat, stir in cooked pasta noodles and chopped parsley. Portion into bowls and devour 🙂
Once you try homemade chicken noodle soup, there’s no going back to the canned supermarket soup. And once you learn how to make it for yourself, you too may find yourself eating 3 bowls in one sitting…
Cheers! -Jenna
*Speaking of Beyonce, Love on Top is my ode to Chicken Noodle Soup and should be played on full volume while making this recipe for optimal results. **Technically it’s 2 onions, but let’s call it 4 onion halves… I like the 4.
jenna huynh 