Shiitake Mushroom and Ginger Omelette

I was reminded this week that cooking is more an art than a science. I was making this mushroom omelette using a Donna Hay recipe online. It turned out very nice looking and it tasted great. But it was totally stuck to the pan. How frustrating.

The omelette was finished in the oven, as per the recipe. For this reason, you can't use a non-stick pan or any pan with a plastic handle. I don't own a cast iron pan, just the stainless steel one you see pictured. It's actually a great quality wedding gift with copper in the base, etc, etc. But sadly, there's no use touting its quality when half the egg is falling out of the pan in large, jagged bits and the rest is still stuck inside. Sigh.

Tahini, Cumin, and Buttermilk Marinated Chicken Thighs

I am relatively new to chicken thighs. But now I have realised that they are beautifully moist and tender. In fact, I think they taste like real chicken in a way chicken breast never will.

Tahini is one of my long time favourite ingredients. I love its nutty taste and I find it is quite versatile. When you start throwing it in things, you realise that it can make a nice saucy texture to a finished dish, or give some depth to a dressing, or add bulk to a dip. It's a key ingredient in hummus and baba ghanoush.

Earth Day 2014

Earth Day is coming up on Tuesday, 22 April! Have you decided how you will mark the occasion? I have a few ideas for you!

My friend and colleague, Michael Broadhead, publishes a cookbook which is updated with a new edition each Earth Day. I urge you to go download a free copy from his website.

Earth Day gives us a chance to think about how what we do affects the earth and what we can do to be better stewards of our world. One key way to do this is to eat less meat. Or no meat at all. I want to encourage you to try a meatless month or week. Many people do a once-a-week meatless day on "Meatless Mondays". Another idea is to restrict animal products to one meal or item a day. One popular version of this is often called "Vegan before 6pm".

This year I was honoured to be the first guest recipe contributor to Michael's recipe book! I have a page on which I share a delicious vegan recipe for frozen banana cream pie. But my recipe is not the reason you should download Michael's book. Here are the recipes that caught my eye that I'm sure you will like.

Thai Red Curry with Beef and Pumpkin

Cooking = Ingredients + Execution

In the case of this Thai red curry, the execution is very simple. Use only one big pot or pan and add things one at a time until it is all cooked.

As for ingredients, use a prepared red curry paste to make things both simple and authentic in taste. Add ingredients you have around the kitchen like beef (or another meat or protein) and vegetables (such as pumpkin or another root vegetable). Some sweet basil leaves and kaffir lime leaves (optional) add a nice little touch of differentiation from last night's easy dinner.

Art in the Kitchen

There are a few items of art in my kitchen. Out of the three things I am going to show you, two are food-themed and one is not.

The postcards above are from Ikea and have appeared on this blog before: three years ago when I gave you a tour of my Hong Kong kitchen. (The postcards were brought along when we moved to Singapore last year.) I love these postcards; I had them laminated so they would last longer in the kitchen.

Grain-Free Banana Pancakes

People are always asking me how I eat without grains. I have stopped eating any wheat, rice, oats or other grains. It was an experiment last year that really paid off in terms of my digestive health and energy levels. I'm not intolerant to any of these items, but I have come to believe that my body (and most others) are not designed to handle grains.

I get asked especially about breakfast. Breakfast food is full of grains: cereal, toast, pancakes, waffles, and muffins. Lots of times I avoid grains at breakfast by avoiding these foods. Instead I eat a lot of eggs and vegetables. Scrambled eggs with some green beans on the side. A salad with a hard boiled egg. Two fried eggs plus the leftover broccoli from last night.

But I also make grain-free versions of all our favourite breakfast items.

Baked Pear Custard

Aren't these little pears beautiful? I found them recently at our grocery store. They are called Honey Belles, from New Zealand. They are in season now in New Zealand.

Here in Singapore, we are half a degree above the equator, so there are no seasons. How can I eat seasonally? Is it even worth it?