Les ouefs Brouillés: Sublime Scrambled Eggs 法式炒蛋

I like my scramble eggs soft, creamy, or for the lack of descriptive words, "gooey". I could never forget les oeufs brouillés, French for scrambled eggs, that I had in Provence and in Québec. I remember my host family mom telling me that French people eat scrambled eggs that are "mushy". That must be when I started falling in love with the French-style scrambled eggs. The little secret (from Gordon Ramsay) to making THE perfect eggs is to start with a very low/medium heat and constant stirring and whisking, first. No oil is added but a bit of butter is thrown in with the eggs at the start of cooking. The butter helps glaze your eggs and gives it fantastic flavor. I don't use Crème fraîche on my eggs, I add either a tablespoon of milk or some fat-free Philadelphia cream cheese instead. And last but not least, I always like to add (gently fold in) either some chopped chives or green onions at the end to accentuate the flavour. But then you can mix in whatever other ingredients such as slices of smoked salmon.

前些日子下雪了 外面白茫茫的一片 不知道為什麼讓我突然很想吃滑嫩的炒蛋. 以前作炒蛋時 總覺得自己在不知不覺中把蛋煮過熟 可是又找不出原因 直到前幾天發現了Gordon Ramsay (榮獲米其林三顆星的英國名廚 之前主持了一個我還蠻愛看的電視節目: 地獄廚房Hell's Kitchen)的影片 其實完美炒蛋背後的小秘訣很簡單 大家可以試試

我喜歡吃的是法式炒蛋 有些人不太習慣 因為法式炒蛋 雖然非常滑嫩 入口即化 可是很濃稠 用台語說就是有點"ㄍㄜˊ ㄍㄜˊ" 的感覺

Sublime Scrambled Eggs

1. 拿2顆蛋直接剝殼 放入鍋子中 千萬不要先把蛋打好再丟入鍋中 也不要事先加鹽巴胡椒類的調味品 (這些都要最後加 否則會出水) 可先加奶油 讓炒蛋更加滑嫩順口


2. 這個步驟就是"秘密" 啦! 取一支塑膠或木製鏟子spatula 用中小火炒蛋 秘訣在於: a) 不要停止打蛋 要不停攪拌在鍋中的蛋 一直拌勻防止沾鍋 b) 要讓蛋不變老 過熟 就必須煮一下之後 把鍋子拿開瓦斯爐 讓餘溫自然將蛋炒熟 在放回爐子上一下下 重複這個步驟3-4次 這時候的蛋有些黏稠 濃濃的看起來還似乎半生不熟的感覺 不過千萬不要放回爐上喔!

3. 依個人喜好 加入適量1/2 tbsp Philadelphia low-fat cream cheese 低脂起司乳酪 不要停止攪拌 這是加入鹽巴胡椒 和少許蔥 也可以加入你喜歡的蔬菜或燻鮭魚





這樣就大功告成了! 這是我生平做過最成功的炒蛋 恰到好處的濕潤 起司乳酪帶給一般平凡炒蛋一種特殊 柔軟滑嫩的口感 蔥則增添了香氣 配上塗上一層薄薄橄欖油的烤麵包 和烤蔬菜 既有飽足感又健康

在家裡煮了一杯抹茶拿鐵 邊吃邊喝 一口炒蛋 一口咖啡 幸福地品嚐著溫暖冬日裡慵懶的早午餐

Served with a small green salad and some grilled caramelized onions, as well as a cup of soy matcha latte, the eggs were absolutely delicious!

Cauli-fredo 白花椰菜青醬?!

Sometimes I do not know what I am getting myself into. Fettuccine Alfredo? I haven't had it in a few months, but I was not about to make it at home simply because I know what goes into the sauce. Then I came across a recipe from the Fatfree Vegan Kitchen which seemed to be perfect for replacing the creamy but extremely unhealthy Alfredo. And the answer is a sauce made from cauliflower! YES, c-a-u-l-i-f-l-o-w-e-r!

Cauliflower makes a good, creamy sauce with no fat, no soy, no gluten, no "bad carbs," and is a great way to "hide" vegetables in a meal. I decided to test the recipe last night. I cooked the cauliflower with garlic, oregano, and sautéed onion. After the sauce was blended and seasoned to my liking, I tossed it with some spaghetti (since I had no fettuccine at home) and broccoli and topped the whole thing with some carrots.

Cauli-fredo with Broccoli

1 head cauliflower, chopped into small pieces
4 cups vegetable broth

4-6 cloves garlic

1/2-2 tsp. oregano

1/2 onion

pinch cayenne pepper

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Sauté the chopped onions with a pinch of salt until they reduce into a nice brown mass, about 15-20 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another few minutes. Using the lesser amounts of each seasoning, place all the remaining sauce ingredients into a large saucepan and cook, covered, until the cauliflower is very soft, about 15 minutes. When it's completely tender, use a blender to puree the cauliflower to a smooth sauce. Check the seasoning of the sauce, and add more to taste. Allow the sauce to simmer and thicken while you prepare the pasta.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add the pasta. Add the broccoli florets about 2-3 minutes before the set cooking time for the pasta. Cook until the pasta is al dente. Drain the pasta and broccoli and return it to the pan. Stir in the cauliflower sauce.

Of course I was not expecting this healthy version to even resemble the taste of the classic fettuccine Alfredo. But it tasted surprisingly good: the cauliflower forms a light yet slightly creamy sauce and to me tasted so much better simply because of the healthy factors : D

Artisan Bread in Vancouver: Transylvanian Peasant Bread

我最愛的東歐手工雜糧麵包: 樸實的農夫麵包

I would not say that Vancouver fits my idea of an artisan bread town (Canadian cities like Montreal and Quebec do).

A few days ago I stopped by Transylvanian Peasant Bread in the 3400 block W. Broadway and picked up one of most outstanding bread products in the city: a 2lb loaf of Transylvanian Peasant Bread, fresh out of the oven. As soon as I set foot in the bakery I felt as if I had gotten caught in time and in the twilight zone of bread. There was a really special ambiance, an old yet genuine kind that tells a story. It's got an atmosphere without actually trying to have one. The smallest yet cutest bakery I have ever been to, Transylvania Peasant Bread is a family-owned business that strives to honour their tradition of offering their signature Peasant bread: a whole-wheat sourdouugh levain, from a wood-burning oven.


They sell only three kinds of fabulous rustic bread: the Transylvanian Peasant Bread, the Light Rye Bread, and the Sprouted Wheat Bread .

I ripped off a small chunk and nibbled on my way down the street. Hmmm.... definitely one of those breads that needs to be eaten fresh, and one of those that does not need any spread, jam, or butter. This heavy loaf has a hard crust, and a dense, chewy centre, luscious with a bit of sourness. It was exactly what I wanted and needed to find in Vancouver: the authentic and orginial, natural (I do not like overly processed breads) whole-wheat bread wthout preservatives. The verdict: best bread in Vancouver I have ever had!

海鮮鑲冬瓜

上星期買了一小顆冬瓜 可是不知道為什麼 不太想煮冬瓜湯 剛好冰箱裡還剩下一塊豆腐 就利用它代替魚漿 加入海鮮 胡蘿蔔 一些簡單的調味料之後 拌一拌 送入電鍋裡蒸大約15分鐘... 把高湯煮滾之後芶芡淋在上頭 就完成啦!

Multi-grain Sushi Roll/ Kimbap: 紫米五穀壽司捲

這幾天在家唸書 突然好想吃壽司 我想應該是綜合日本御飯糰 韓式綜合捲和台灣飯糰等想法 最後把他截長補短變呈現出這個玩意: 我的紫米壽司
除了鋪了一層五穀紫米之外 裡面包著營養的各式配料 不油不膩 清爽沒負擔

I was experiencing another craving for sushi rolls the other day, but I was not planning on going to a sushi restaurant anytime soon. So I took the ideas of Japanese make sushi rolls, the Korean kimbaps, and the Taiwanese rice balls, and "fused" them to make my multi-grain rolls stuffed with healthy and yummy fillings like celery, carrot, egg rolls, lettuce, cucumber, and imitatoin crab meat. Sprinkled with sesame seeds, it has a savory taste and the smell. Then again in my opinion, anything can go into a sushi roll ：). Experiment, and it might turn out to be a pleasant surprise!

For a recipe of Kimbap, check out the post on My Korean Kitchen

Baby Sardine Pasta 青蔥蒜味吻仔魚義大利麵

Very simple seasoning: garlic, finely chopped onions, olive oil, red pepper and salt , but surprisingly tasty. When it is ready, generously sprinkle with chopped green onions.

這一盤麵就真的蠻有水準的 麵條(煮熟後快速用冰水沖洗)非常Q 而且橄欖油浸潤了麵條 口齒留香 爆香的蒜頭和已經煮到金黃色的洋蔥 也有提味的效果 真的好好吃啊~~~~~~~

Healthy Carrot Spice Muffins 肉桂紅蘿蔔瑪芬

There's just "something" about the combination of carrot and spice. This recipe of the tantalizing carrot spice muffins makes a healthy breakfast or a quick snack between meals. They turned out even better than I had expected! Days later they were still really moist and cake-like. Besides, they are so healthy I didn't even feel guilty like I normally do when I buy muffins from the bakeries or coffee shops.
So here is my version (after a few substitutions) of the carrot spice muffins:

Whole-Wheat Carrot Spice Muffins

Makes 12 muffins
Dry ingredients:

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour (or a mixture of whole wheat and unbleached flours) 1 really ripe banana, mashed
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ginger
1/8 teaspoon cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt

Wet ingredients:

1/2 cup water

1/3 cup unsweetened apple sauce
1 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cup shredded carrots (about 2 long carrots)
1/4 cup raisins
Optional topping: Cinnamon sugar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a muffin pan with non-stick spray or use muffin liners. Mix together all dry ingredients in a large bowl. In a small bowl, combine the liquid ingredients.
Add the liquid to the dry and mix just long enough to combine. Add the carrots and raisins and stir to combine. Spoon the batter into the muffin cups--it will be very thick. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar, if desired. Bake for 20 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.

Per Muffin: 88Calories; 0.3g fat; 20g carbohydrates; 5g sugar

Nutrition data calculated and retrieved using tools from NutritionData.com

What's for dinner?

• 薑汁蒸南瓜 Ginger-spiced steamed Kabocha (Japanese squash)

• 三杯中卷 Three-spice Ika

• 和風涼拌海帶豆腐 Tofu and Wakame Seaweed Salad