​Happy Halloween! What better way to celebrate this spooky holiday than with some homemade treats!
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Today, I have a super simple oatmeal chocolate chip cookie recipe to share. For cookie fillings, feel free to add or swap ingredients out as you see fit! Rum-soaked raisins, dried cranberries instead of chocolate chips, opting out of oats, adding M&M's... the possibilities are endless. Enjoy!

​Pan-fried fish is quite a common dish in Asian households. Especially smaller fish where you can fry it just enough that you can basically eat the fish whole, including the fins and bones, since it's so crispy!

​Strolling along the frozen seafood aisle at my local Asian supermarket, I picked up a package of frozen yellow croakers. These are perfect for pan-frying and goes great with rice. This is another quick and easy recipe which can be prepared within 20-30 minutes, provided that the fish has been defrosted beforehand. Blanch (boil for a short period of time) some vegetables on the side and here's to another simple meal! Enjoy!

​This recipe is inspired by a popular Chinese dish, dry-fry green beans with minced pork (in Chinese: 乾煸四季豆). As I was lacking the ground meat and all the other sauces required for the original dish in my pantry, I tried to recreate a simplified, vegetarian version with only a handful of ingredients. Savory and sweet, but without the heaviness of all the minced meat, I'm glad that it worked out pretty well! Enjoy!

After much procrastination, I have finally set out to grow my own SCOBY in hopes to brew some kombucha at home.
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First, a little background information:

Kombucha is a fermented tea that is usually a bit sweet, tangy and fizzy. Due to the fermentation process, kombucha is packed with probiotics that promotes a healthy intestinal system. Depending on the type of tea used, kombucha can be packed with other vitamins and minerals as well. There is a small percentage of alcohol produced as a result of the fermentation process, but it is usually a minuscule amount (less than 1%). 
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To produce kombucha, you will need to ferment either black or green tea with something that is called a 'SCOBY'. SCOBY is actually the acronym for Symbiotic Culture Of Bacteria and Yeast.

You can actually purchase your own SCOBY through online shops, or if a friend is making their own batch, you can kindly ask them to provide you with a piece of theirs from their Mother SCOBY. Another option is to grow your own from a bottle of store-bought kombucha.
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Here lies instructions and pictures of part one of my first kombucha brewing adventure: growing my own SCOBY.

​Oyakodon, meaning 'parent and child rice bowl', is traditionally a Japanese style dish where chicken and egg (hence 'parent and child') are simmered with onions in a seasoned liquid. While the traditional method is delicious, here's my slightly-altered rendition of the dish where we add an additional step by browning the chicken first before simmering, producing a slightly richer flavour. Best part, you can make this in half an hour (provided you have cooked rice available). Enjoy!

Light, smooth, creamy and sweet - custard pudding is a perfect dessert to follow dinner for times when you find yourself craving something a little extra, or just as a snack! It is a delicious light treat that can be made at home with just a handful of ingredients you would normally have in your pantry and offer satisfaction to the sweet tooth that many of us possess.
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This recipe was primarily inspired by "Purin" (or pudding), a packaged crème caramel aka custard pudding  that you can find in convenient stores in Japan. This recipe makes pudding that is similar in texture, soft and sweet, but not as rich and filling to the palate. I have provided instructions for both steaming or baking the pudding, whichever you prefer. If you are planning to bake it, remember to preheat your oven first before starting the recipe! Enjoy!

Getting ready for Thanksgiving festivities? The main task of roasting the turkey has always been traditionally prepared by my mother for our family Thanksgiving dinners. As a result, the task of preparing small side dishes and desserts is placed on the rest of the family. If this is also the case for you, or if you just need to bring something delicious to a potluck, look no further! Here's a super easy and lazy pumpkin tart recipe that you can prepare in 30 minutes to sweeten and spice up any Thanksgiving potlucks or gatherings that you're planning to attend! Enjoy!