Enoki Scrambled Eggs
My first memory of this dish was made by my aunt, my mom’s oldest sister. She served a handful of dishes in a matter of minutes! This particular dish I remembered all…
Turmeric Rice
The boys find it fun that the rice isn’t the regular white color but a bright yellow. The sweetness of the raisins and crunchiness of the cashews makes this rice inviting and…
Garlic Bread
When this garlic bread comes fresh out of the oven, it is absolutely irresistible! I have to make at least 2 loaves to serve our family gathering. You can prepare the loaves…
BBQ Flavored Popcorn
I felt so spoiled whenever I had popcorn in the theatres. With the pandemic lockdown, this BBQ flavored popcorn recipe has become a family favorite whenever we watch movies together. Only takes…
Steamed Scallops
The presentation of this dish makes us feel like we’re eating at a fancy restaurant. However it is actually quite a simple dish that anyone can make at home. The delicate seafood…
Mango Topper
I always try to look for creative ways to serve food so that the boys will enjoy their meal. As mangos are one of their favorite fruits, I thought that if I…
Stuffed Fuzzy Cucumber
At my paternal grandma’s first visit to my new home, after I got married, she gifted me with some expensive dried scallops. It is Chinese tradition to give a gift when visiting…
Baked Pompano
My boys love to eat fish. This fish stores well in the freezer so that I can make this dish anytime. The meat of pompano is surprisingly sweet and juicy. Another thing…
“Fish-Fragrant” Eggplant
There are some sauces that are worth buying from a bottle to save time. But this recipe for the “fish-fragrant” sauce is so easy to make with balsamic vinegar, that it is…
Steamed Fish Head
Every time we eat any fish with eyeballs intact, the boys fight over who gets the eyeballs! Sometimes I have to make more than one fish head in order to fulfill their…
Steamed Garlic Shrimp and Tofu
I need to record this dish somewhere for my boys to find in the future. They all licked it up and finished the meal so quickly, including my slowest eater! It is…
Pan Fried Hot Peppers
How many hot peppers can you eat at one meal? This stuffed hot peppers dish is one of my mom’s favorite dishes at Chinese Dim Sum restaurants. If you can stand the…
Steamed Stacks
This is another side dish best served with rice and other meat dishes. Fuzzy melon is more commonly used in this type of steamed dish. Since I had turnip and the boys…
Mushroom Trio
Do you have a mushroom lover in the family? This is the dish to make for them! My husband and I are mushroom lovers. The oldest used to be a fan, but…
Fish Paste Stuffed Peppers
The boys love this dish because it is colorful and it is fun to dip into hoisin sauce. This is one of my mom’s favorite lunch dim sum dishes. You can easily…
Steamed Salmon Fillet
We like to eat fish in our family but we’re always weary and cautious about serving fish containing bones to our children. We love to eat fish, but I don’t want to…
“Beet-Full” Dish
Beets are deep in color and packed with nutrients. Thankfully, this root vegetable is sweet and easy for the boys’ to accept. It is actually my picky eater’s favorite vegetable because it…
Cesar Salad
This Cesar salad recipe is easy to make at home. The creamy and cheesy dressing is not for everyone though. Only some members in the family love cheese and can eat cheese…
Pineapple and Onion Topper
You cut open a fresh pineapple, and it turns out that it isn’t as sweet as you expected. What to do now? Cook with it! The pineapple will taste sweeter after it…
Oyster Century Egg Miso Soup
The boys always request soup to accompany meals. After going through the regular canned soups and broths, I needed new ideas. This is a fresh take on miso soup with the addition…
Quick Naan Without Yeast
Sometimes the boys like a change like to have naan instead of noodles or rice. This naan recipe uses basic pantry ingredients and doesn’t need yeast! If you don’t mind a mess,…
“Fun See” Hotpot
My Mom made this Cantonese dish a lot when I was a kid. Making it and eating it brings back many good memories. Now it’s one of my boys’ favorite dishes too.…
Pan Fried Panfish
Over this past summer, I was gifted by friends with fresh caught panfish. I’ve never caught, bought or cooked panfish so my boys were happily surprised to experience something new. They also…
Tempura At Home
The boys love to eat foods that are crispy. I never used to deep fry at home until the pandemic. We were craving tempura and I thought I would try this out.…
Baked Seafood Stuffed Avocados
Do you have one too many ripe avocados? Try this baked avocados appetizer and make any dinner extra fancy. You can use any seafood you have. I always have shrimp in my…
Panko Shrimp Balls
This dish is my sister’s favorite. Traditionally this shrimp ball is wrapped around an actual crab claw. Even though the name of the dish is “crab claw”, the batter has no crab…
Baked Cauliflower and Carrots
On weekdays, we like to keep our meals simple and easy. If I already have the oven on to cook the meat, I usually bake this accompanying dish when the meat is…
Steamed Buns
This steamed white bread (“man tou”) is the size of my fist. They come both steamed and deep fried, and served with a side of condensed milk. I loved dunking this bread…
Versatile Bread Roll
Since I have three little kids, I need smart shortcuts to everything I do or make! The usual 2 hour double rise deterred me to bake bread in the past. But after…
Postpartum Congee
The best decision we ever made after having our third baby, was hiring a Chinese postpartum doula. She helped take care of the baby but most importantly cooked special soups and foods…
Rice Roll Dim Sum
Rice roll, a.k.a. “cheung fun”, is one of my childhood favorites when eating brunch at a Chinese restaurant. The rolls must be made fresh and eaten warm, so take out doesn’t cut…
Dipping Sauces for Rice Rolls
My boys love to interact with their food. One way to interact is dipping their food in sauces. There are four different sauces that are traditionally served with steamed rice rolls. Any…
Baked Spring Rolls
My boys can never turn away from anything crispy. This is an easy way to sneak in meat and veggies into one meal. Baking a large batch decreases cooking time and baking…
Chicken Wings From Frozen
Did I forget to defrost the meat again? That’s okay, chicken wings ready in 20 minutes from frozen! Do you ever wonder whether the people you feed enjoy the food you serve…
“Camera Film” Dim Sum
My boys won’t ever fully comprehend what “camera films” are. The responsibility involved in safeguarding a roll of camera film from being exposed to light, is a huge stress. All the precious…
Carmen Cooking Diary 