I’ve finally gotten over the fear of using raw eggs in a salad dressing.  Being able to make the Classic Caesar Salad at home was my motivation.  Trust me, I’ve tried alternatives, like recipes that use mayonnaise in place of raw eggs, but it just didn’t taste quite right.  I wanted restaurant quality, and to get that I had to use raw eggs.  If you’re like me and hesitant to use raw eggs too, maybe it helps to know that the acidity from the lemon juice typically kills off any lingering bacteria.  This little tip was good enough for me to give raw eggs a try. (more…)

Maybe not everyone can make a perfect sushi roll as pretty as those made by trained sushi chefs, but I can certainly assure you that absolutely no training is needed when making this stunning sushi tower, the Spicy Shrimp Sushi Tower. (more…)

Love love LOVE gyozas.  These small Japanese dumplings, filled with meat and vegetables, and then pan-fried on one side and steamed on the other side (a two-step in a one pot method…sounds complicated but cross my heart it’s very simple) are one of my favorite appetizers.  We order gyozas all the time when it appears on a menu, and because my children love them too I’m always competing with their six little hands to get my chopsticks around just one gyoza.  This only meant one thing…time to make gyozas at home (and a lot of them at that!). (more…)

Temaki literally means ‘hand-rolled’ in Japanese.  It doesn’t require a sushi mat nor a very sharp knife to make clean cuts through a freshly-made sushi roll.  A temaki is rolled using just your hands, as the term implies, and it’s easier to make than it looks.  The Spicy Salmon Temaki (hand-rolled sushi) is one of our favorites, and this recipe makes about 20 temakis (the perfect amount for a family meal, or as an appetizer for a larger crowd). (more…)

Vietnamese Spring Rolls are like veggie-noodle salads… in a roll.  It’s a fresh and healthy alternative to the deep-fried spring rolls we’re better familiar with. (more…)

What’s sour, sweet, salty, savory and spicy all in the same bite?  Nuoc Cham!

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I’ve been cooking a lot of Asian-inspired dishes lately.  I don’t know if it’s because of the anticipation to my upcoming trip to Tokyo and Seoul or my need to reconnect back to my roots in Chicago.  Whatever the reason it’s inspired me to make this Asian Glazed Baked Salmon.  Keep reading if you can say ‘delicious’. (more…)

If you’ve ever dined at a P.F. Chang’s restaurant chances are you’ve tried their Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps…and loved it!  And when you love something so much, chances are you’re going to crave for more.   Unfortunately for me I live thousands of miles away from the nearest P.F. Chang’s (I live in The Netherlands), but no problem because I have the best recipe for Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps and it tastes just like the one from P.F. Chang’s.  (more…)

This is a dream salad for those who love to eat a big bowl of delicious noodles.  With the Citrus Ginger Tofu Soba Noodle Salad you can do this…guilt-free!  The soba noodles are made with buckwheat flour so it’s high in fiber, high in protein and packed with many essential vitamins and minerals.  Best of all it has about half the calories and carbohydrates as traditional spaghetti noodles.  This means you can simply eat a normal portion and consume less calories.  Or do what i always do…eat double the amount!

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The Portobello Mushroom on Puff Pastry is a recipe I found in a cookbook called Fresh by Michele Cranston. At first glance it looked too elegant, thus too complicated to make (probably due to the combination of making a puff pastry and Portobello in one dish), but the list of ingredients was so simple that I decided to give it a try. Good I did because not only did it turn out looking just like Michele’s picture but it was fast, easy and really REALLY delicious. (more…)