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My BF is GF - Recipes
I wanted eggs with the flavours of banh xeo (a vietnamese rice flour crepe) so I came up with this vietnamese style omelette. it’s a great addition to your weekday lineup, whether for breakfast, lunch or dinner!
an incredibly quick and simple meal to make, this kung pao shrimp is sweet, salty, sour and spicy, with a distinctive ma-la / 麻辣 (numbing hot) sensation from the sichuan peppercorns. I’ve toned down the quantity of it in this version as I don’t like it to overpower.
the next time you go to a pho restaurant, look for this hidden gem on the menu. it’s probably past #20 of all the potential meat combos you can get in your pho. compared to pho, bo kho has a deeper umami taste, due to the tomatoes and fish sauce in the broth. it’s almost like the vietnamese version of beef bourguignon, but this time served on rice noodles! you can either cook this low and slow, sans agression (thanks ludo lefebvre for the best way to describe gentle cooking), or the process can be expedited with a pressure cooker or instant pot.
your mind will be blown the first time you make fresh curry paste. pounding each ingredient in the mortar and pestle and smelling the wafting perfumes that are released is absolutely intoxicating. even if you don’t have a mortar and pestle, the satisfaction of making fresh curry paste from your food processor, blender, whatever it may be, is well worth the effort. your curry will turn out more fragrant, flavourful, and luscious, plus, you can freeze portions of it for a quick weeknight meal! this does require some ingredient hunting, but most of it can be found at your local asian market. if you’re okay with store bought paste, skip to part 2 of the recipe for instructions. serve with steamed white rice, or try our coconut rice for some extra richness.
the word fusion may have fallen out of favour, but I love nothing more than when food sits at the intersection of two cultures, bringing different ideas and histories together, and bringing different people together. hong kong style cafes, or cha chaan tangs, are a beautiful example of intersectional cuisine at its homiest and most satisfying.
I have so many treasured memories of sneaking quiet afternoons at cha chaan tangs in toronto with my dad. ma may not have approved of the sugary drinks, buttery buns and white bread egg sandwiches, but it was always my decadent little haven with pa.
this is my homage to hainanese chicken rice. a ubiquitous dish found throughout parts of east and southeast asia, and a dish that hits close to home.
what I love about hainanese chicken rice is that it’s an incredibly simple dish. skin-on, bone-in chicken is poached in a ginger scallion broth until just cooked through. the broth is then used to cook rice, ‘cause that sh*t ain’t going to waste! the results are tender, succulent meat with glistening skin, paired with punchy dipping sauces and schmaltzy rice. it takes experience to master, but when done right, hainanese chicken rice can be utter perfection.
an all around feel-good grain bowl with glazey carrots, charred broc, jammy onions and savoury shroomies. a lot of the time, peanut sauce is too thick for my liking so this sauce is thinner than most without sacrificing on flavour. feel free to sub the peanut butter with any other nut butter (or even tahini!) if there’s an allergy involved.
with minimal effort, you can achieve this flavour-packed miso-glazed salmon in no time at all! buy a big portion of fresh salmon at your local seafood store and portion it out into freezer bags for convenient portions to defrost during the week. serve this dish with steamed rice and veg and you’ve got a meal in less than 30 minutes.
a classic nicoise salad with a not-so-classic dressing. it’s me, so I have to shake things up a bit.
perfect as a weeknight dinner or meal prep option, this lemongrass turmeric soba bowl comes together in no time and contains ingredients you can feel good about.
if you’ve never heard of beef rendang before, let me tell ya - it is going to blow your mind. originating from west sumatra in indonesia, this braised beef dish is simmered in an elixir of coconut milk, punchy aromatics, and fragrant spices until the concoction has reduced enough to fry itself again. yes, you read that right - the velvety and tender beef that took its sweet time to stew begins to fry itself in its own rendered fat and leaves you with an utterly unctuous and saucy beef that is so flavourful, you’ll want to cry. give yourself an afternoon for this one as it takes about 4 hours from start to finish.
I used to think that I needed a protein with every meal to make it a substantial one. during my early days of cooking, I would have to plan out exactly what type of meat, vegetable, and carb I had to buy at the grocery store. if I didn’t have all 3 components, the meal was incomplete. it’s been years since I’ve shopped and cooked that way, and now it seems only intuitive to grab what’s fresh and what’s in season.
this bowl is great for this frigid time of year as you can utilize any root vegetable and brassica available. feel free to sub the sweet potato with carrots or squash, the broccoli and brussel sprouts with other brassicas, and the noodles with any other grain. kimchi adds the perfect tang, spice, and crunch to brighten all the deeper notes. if you do want the protein, add a poached or sous-vide egg for extra unctuousness.
with a well-stocked pantry of grains and sauces, plus the addition of well-seasoned vegetables, it’s extremely easy to have super delicious and filling meals at your fingertips! this is just one version of what you can do.
one of the national dishes of indonesia, gado gado is a ‘mix mix’ of vegetables and rice in a thick peanut sauce. I like to use quinoa at times for a lighter option, but you can sub in other grains as well. you can also make it a heftier meal by adding traditional fixings like boiled eggs, tofu or tempeh. feel free to add whatever vegetable your heart desires as the peanut sauce goes well with just about everything.
by far my favourite wings in the world, these thai style wings are the ultimate umami bomb. they’re crispy, sweet, sour, salty, not too saucy, and finger lickin’ gooood. serve them as is, or make it a full hands on meal with steamed sticky rice and grilled corn. make a double or triple batch of the sauce as it easily keeps in your freezer for up to 3 months (but probably longer). add to literally any protein (not just chicken wings) and you’ve got yourself a quick meal. be cautious though as a little goes a long way.
I love the simplicity of this classic chinese dish, and using leftover steak makes it even simpler! if you’re in TO, my favourite version of this is served at maple yip in scarborough where they use fresh chinese broccoli, and the beef slices are the most velvety and tender I’ve ever had. (they are currently in the process of relocating, but my parents will let me know once they announce it on fairchild radio) simple yet flavourful, this dish is perfectly paired with white jasmine rice.
another one of my favourite things to eat, this dish is inspired by the classic vietnamese ‘com tam’. it’s herbaceous and fresh from all the delightful herbs and veggies, yet rich and nourishing from the savory pork patties, the perfectly yolky fried egg and the luscious coconut rice. top with some pickly and crunchy bits for punch and texture, and everything is singing in haaaarmonyy! crack open that egg, mix everything together and dig innnn.
alton toast (named for inimitable alton brown who created the original version of this recipe) is our go-to breakfast/lunch/dinner/snack when we need something filling and delicious that feels good. it's easy to throw together as long as you keep a couple cans of sardines on hand and have an avocado ripening at home, and it's packed with all the best kinds of fat from fish and avocados. as a bonus, because they're low on the food chain sardines are super sustainable, so you can chow down free from guilt. if you're unsure about canned fish, this recipe will make you a true believer and may even turn you (like us) into an obsessive canned sardine hunter whenever you visit a new grocery store! for the least fishy flavour, try to find small sardines like brislings.
tbh, this recipe came about when I wanted to make a colourful stir fry with lots of veg and realized I only had kale in my fridge. happy surprise! I’m glad to now have this one in my back pocket for an easy meal to whip up when I’m feelin’ something simple. hope you enjoy it too.
it wasn’t too long ago that I had my first real deal kung pao chicken. I always thought of it as an americanized-chinese-mall-food-court thing, often looking way too electric orange for comfort, and always mixed with an assortment of previously frozen vegetables (including the dreadful baby corn) note: fresh baby corn is actually amazing but really difficult to come by in north america
the other day, we found some frozen beef cheek at our fav new neighbourhood butcher (shout out to fore quarter!) and decided to experiment with it. beef cheeks are amazingly tender and delicious when cooked down, but feel free to use beef chuck or any other braisable cut with this recipe too!
we were craving something braised and something asian, and that of course led to…korean beef tacos!!! spicy and savory, tangy and sweet, these are sure to satisfy any taco craving you may have (reid gets them A LOT). if you don’t have a pressure cooker, braise for about 2 hours at 250 F in a dutch oven or oven proof pot. serve with fresh homemade corn tortillas, kimchi, lightly pickled cucumbers, and cilantro.
this version of laksa is one of my favourite noodle soups in the world. my day is instantly better with a bowl of this laksa in front of my face. it’s like a hug for your soul, and belly! traditionally made with fish stock, some versions can be quite fishy. I tried to find a balance of just the right amount of fishiness (from the shrimp paste) with just enough spice, tang, and richness. once you have this laksa, you won’t be able to live without it. I definitely wouldn’t want to. even if we are just 2 people, I usually make the full batch for 4 since you can freeze the leftover broth for a quick meal!
I have to pay homage to the thai-viet restaurant I worked at in montreal for this one, restaurant hà. this salmon is so damn flavourful, you’ll be shocked at how incredibly simple it is to make. the main ingredient is store bought tom yum paste (yes, I actually cheat sometimes), which you can usually find in the sauce or canned goods section of an asian market, or in the international aisle of a larger grocery chain. the salmon is even a bit forgiving when overcooked (but it won’t be!) as the decadent and luscious coconut sauce pairs beautifully coated on the fish. it’s a stellar contrast between vibrant and delicate flavours all in one bite!
We’re always looking for new ways to integrate vegetarian meals into our diets, and as much as we love tofu we’re eager to explore some more imaginative alternate proteins. Lately, that has meant pulse-patties, from black bean burgers to falafels. We love falafels for transforming relatively-boring-but-packed-with-nutrients chickpeas into crisp-on-the-outside-moist-on-the-inside flavour bombs that add substance to rice bowls and keep us full for hours after a meal. They’re traditionally spiced with cumin, coriander, mint and cilantro, but we wondered if they could be done using the same blend of aromatics as our favourite Thai sausage, Sai Ua. The answer is a resounding yes. Full of lemongrass, turmeric, chilies, kaffir lime leaves and galangal, these Thai inspired falafels have a bold flavour that keeps you going back for more. For strict vegetarians, we use powdered dry mushrooms for umami, but if you’re more lenient we recommend a healthy dose of fish sauce.
There's something incredibly satisfying about eating with your hands, but sometimes it seems like everything in the world is held by the glutens. Pizza, burgers, wraps, sandwiches - gluten makes an excellent handle. But then there are tacos. I drive Jannell nuts trying to turn everything I can into tacos. Breakfast-tacos, stupid-fusion-tacos-that-should-just-unfuse-and-be-served-on-rice tacos, vegetarian-tacos, and these. These are my favourite tacos ever, modelled after a taco stand at Jean Talon market in Montreal that sells exactly one type of taco: cochinitas pibil. They start with the meat - pork shoulder slowly braised in achiote paste, garlic and orange juice. Then you add some refried beans for a nice soft texture to round out the pork. Throw some pickled onions, hot sauce and cilantro into the mix and you're done.
I first made this for the family I've been personal chefing for the summer. I drew inspiration from multiple recipes online and combined them to achieve the ultimate buddha bowl! If you're body is craving a hearty and healthy meal, this is a great option. If you care for more protein, sautéed shrimp is a nice addition.
this is reid’s most cherished recipe and what he claims won over my heart. I would like to think otherwise, but it’s true that this is my favourite meat sauce on the planet. we’ve tried numerous recipes from different sources over the years with varying degrees of complexity; some had chicken liver, many had a mixture of pork, veal and beef, while others required you to render the fat from lardon. this recipe, passed on from a family friend in bologna will always be the best balance of simple and absolutely delicious. it is a staple in our home.
This is one of the courses that we served when we hosted a supperclub at Toronto's Depanneur recently. It's inspired by a dish we tried on an island in Malaysia a couple of years ago. This island had absolutely awful food. Every restaurant had the exact same menu and none of the options were great. But! Every day, this family of women from a neighbouring island would boat over with a few giant tupperwares of home cooked food that they'd sell on the beach. One of the recurring dishes was called kecap beef (pronounced "ketchup"), named after the kecap manis, or sweet soy, that was in the dish. This recipe is our best attempt at recreating their kecap beef. It's sweet, savoury, a bit spicy and incredibly rich. To balance the richness and to complement the soft texture, we recommend serving it with a side of either pickled vegetables or a vinegar-based slaw as well as topped with something crispy - fried shallots, fried potato, peanuts, whatever you want.
Noodles & Rice
My BF is GF - Recipes
the next time you go to a pho restaurant, look for this hidden gem on the menu. it’s probably past #20 of all the potential meat combos you can get in your pho. compared to pho, bo kho has a deeper umami taste, due to the tomatoes and fish sauce in the broth. it’s almost like the vietnamese version of beef bourguignon, but this time served on rice noodles! you can either cook this low and slow, sans agression (thanks ludo lefebvre for the best way to describe gentle cooking), or the process can be expedited with a pressure cooker or instant pot.
soft and chewy rice cakes are decadently coated in umami-rich xo sauce made from dried seafood, shallots, garlic, and chilis. tossed with ground pork, shrimp and greens, this dish makes for a quick and texturally satisfying meal.
note - not all xo sauces are gluten-free so make sure to read the labels!
the word fusion may have fallen out of favour, but I love nothing more than when food sits at the intersection of two cultures, bringing different ideas and histories together, and bringing different people together. hong kong style cafes, or cha chaan tangs, are a beautiful example of intersectional cuisine at its homiest and most satisfying.
I have so many treasured memories of sneaking quiet afternoons at cha chaan tangs in toronto with my dad. ma may not have approved of the sugary drinks, buttery buns and white bread egg sandwiches, but it was always my decadent little haven with pa.
this is my homage to hainanese chicken rice. a ubiquitous dish found throughout parts of east and southeast asia, and a dish that hits close to home.
what I love about hainanese chicken rice is that it’s an incredibly simple dish. skin-on, bone-in chicken is poached in a ginger scallion broth until just cooked through. the broth is then used to cook rice, ‘cause that sh*t ain’t going to waste! the results are tender, succulent meat with glistening skin, paired with punchy dipping sauces and schmaltzy rice. it takes experience to master, but when done right, hainanese chicken rice can be utter perfection.
a pliable gluten-free pasta that’s transformed into ‘qq’ ramen noodles (with that delightful, toothsome bounce) by cooking them in baking soda water.
perfect as a weeknight dinner or meal prep option, this lemongrass turmeric soba bowl comes together in no time and contains ingredients you can feel good about.
at one point I wanted to serve pad thai for lunch at my work but didn’t have the equipment or time to do it à la minute, so I took out the stir fry aspect and made this version instead! the ingredients are more or less the same, but this version is served cold like a salad.
plus, burners in home kitchens aren’t powerful enough to get the desired char and wok hay anyway (the flavour from the breath of the wok), so save yourself the hassle from ending up with a gloppy and broken pile of noodles.
this can easily be bulked and prepped the day ahead, just toss the salad in some dressing to keep the noodles from sticking together in the fridge. great option as a packed lunch!
this is the type of food I want to eat all summer long! vibrant, fresh, simple, and easy. this recipe is great when your a/c is on full blast, as you won’t unnecessarily warm up the house with blazing kitchen appliances. the veg can all be tossed in a bowl and the grilling can be done outside! best enjoyed with a crisp cider in hand.
even though I grew up cbc (canadian born chinese), cooking cantonese always seemed so technical and intimidating, until I realized that it can actually be pretty simple.
sure, some dishes can have a lot of components, but simple dishes are really simple. and that’s how my mom likes her food. hot and simple.
once I figured out that all it takes is a hot wok, I mean screaming hot, and a little flick of the wrist (practice makes perfect with uncooked rice in a pan), I knew how to make food that she’d truly enjoy.
this version of laksa is one of my favourite noodle soups in the world. my day is instantly better with a bowl of this laksa in front of my face. it’s like a hug for your soul, and belly! traditionally made with fish stock, some versions can be quite fishy. I tried to find a balance of just the right amount of fishiness (from the shrimp paste) with just enough spice, tang, and richness. once you have this laksa, you won’t be able to live without it. I definitely wouldn’t want to. even if we are just 2 people, I usually make the full batch for 4 since you can freeze the leftover broth for a quick meal!
this is reid’s most cherished recipe and what he claims won over my heart. I would like to think otherwise, but it’s true that this is my favourite meat sauce on the planet. we’ve tried numerous recipes from different sources over the years with varying degrees of complexity; some had chicken liver, many had a mixture of pork, veal and beef, while others required you to render the fat from lardon. this recipe, passed on from a family friend in bologna will always be the best balance of simple and absolutely delicious. it is a staple in our home.
SIDES
My BF is GF - Recipes
a simple side dish that delivers tons of flavour in not a lot of time. baby bok choy is sliced in half and charred on the grill to become deliciously roasty vessels that soak up a bright and zesty vinaigrette. top it off with tangy pickled onions and toasted peanuts for zing and crunch.
sweet and caramelized sweet potatoes are paired with classic vietnamese nuoc cham for a zesty take on roasted veg. feel free to sub the sweet potatoes with pumpkin or butternut squash (cooking time may be slightly less).
a classic nicoise salad with a not-so-classic dressing. it’s me, so I have to shake things up a bit.
there’s just no way a home burner can get hot enough to produce restaurant-quality-sichuan-green-beans. having said that, there is a way to produce restaurant-quality-sichuan-green-beans with the use of your oven broiler! it’s fast, approachable, and even healthier since you’re using less oil. all you need to do is broil your green beans until blistered and charred, then toss them in a flavourful aromatic paste consisting of garlic, ginger, chili paste, along with the quintessential fermented black soybean. so much flavour for so little work. a great side for any occasion - I could crunch on these any day.
okay okay, I’ve been slipping a bit with the 2x a week recipes…
but I’m going to say that it’s totally okay to honour my own time and energy with all the movement going on right now!
I’ve been keeping busy with some exciting projects lately, from the launch of my new pop up dinner series (monty’s), to working on a dream-come-true project for a dtk magazine, where I get to eat my way through a ‘spice tour’ of mom and pop restaurants and write about them! I can’t wait to share my discoveries when the article is published and will definitely keep you posted.
anyway, here’s a super easy and delicious chinese condiment that I grew up eating. I recently made it for a cooking class I taught and wondered why it wasn’t already on my blog. so here it is! ginger scallion oil on mybfisgf.com!
here’s a fun and vibrant twist on your classic hummus recipe. the addition of sesame oil nicely rounds out the bitterness of the tahini while bumping up the flavour of sesame. depending on the consistency of the tahini you have, you can adjust the viscosity of the hummus by adding or omitting water. devour as a snack with a rainbow of assorted veggies and gf crackers (sesame rice crackers are bomb in this context!), or as the main component to a hummus grain bowl with roasted veggies and your grain of choice.
a couple of years ago, reid and I spent 3 months backpacking around southeast asia, planning our days around eating all the food we possible could. our mission was to find locals who could give us lessons on what they cooked at home.
when I first discovered thai chili jam a couple years back, my mind was blown. I had finally found an all-in-one flavour bomb that could instantly transform any stir fry into magic. the store bought version looks like this, but it contains some added flavour enhancers and colouring (if you’re not into that).
traditional homemade chili jam requires deep frying your own garlic and shallots, but this recipe uses store bought versions of those - cutting your time in half. store in the fridge for up to a month, or in the freezer for up to 6, and use with veg, seafood, meat, rice, noodles - the possibilities are endless!
do you love thai mango salad but live in a place where mangos don’t grow naturally? ‘cause I do! and green apples are a great substitute. they give a similar crunch and tanginess that green mangos have, plus, they don’t need to travel 11,000 km to get to your plate. pair this with our chicken and squash penang curry and maybe even this coconut chia pudding, and you’ve got a thai feast ready in no time.
it wasn’t too long ago that I had my first real deal kung pao chicken. I always thought of it as an americanized-chinese-mall-food-court thing, often looking way too electric orange for comfort, and always mixed with an assortment of previously frozen vegetables (including the dreadful baby corn) note: fresh baby corn is actually amazing but really difficult to come by in north america
this soup is as easy as combining 5 ingredients in a pot and waiting for 10 minutes! I highly recommend tracking down tom yum paste as this is the base of your flavour. plus, you’d need even more ingredients to substitute it in order to find the right balance. tom yum paste should be available in the international aisle of your major supermarket or at your local east/southeast asian grocery store. if you’re looking for a quick, and I mean rrreeaallyy quick appetizer with not much effort and all the gain, you’ll win with this one. add a little rice vermicelli to make it more filling, or a lot to make it a full meal. we all deserve an easy fix sometimes!
one upside of it being the dead of winter is that it’s also citrus season!!! from pomelos to clementines, blood oranges to navel, we’ve got some beautiful, tropical imports that remind us that there’s still colour in the world. this slaw uses one of my favourite citrus fruits - pomelo! it’s a sweeter, milder grapefruit that’s less bitter. combine that with easily available winter veg and a dressing that’s shelf stable for a week, and you’ve got an easy, healthy option for lunch or dinner. for added protein, toss in some cooked chicken.
corn tortillas are the best! everyone should make corn tortillas! they could not be easier to make and there’s absolutely no question that they taste and hold together better compared to the store-bought refrigerated ones. all you need is masa harina, a.k.a. corn flour, a staple ingredient from latin america. add some water and bam! you’ve got corn tortillas. we use maseca which can be found at most major grocery stores near the crispy, crunchy, old del paso tex-mex shells. those are a guilty pleasure and have a different purpose of their own, but about that another time…if you’ve got a mexican store in your area, maseca is 100% sold there. consume with any of your favourite taco fillings or as a vessel for your breakfast!
Ever wondered how to make that mysterious fish sauce dressing you get at Vietnamese restaurants? The one that adds a little tang and life to your vermicelli bowl or fresh spring roll?This is it! Nuoc Cham is our go-to for livening up rice bowls, cold noodles, and even salads! Of course, you can add adjust the level of sambal or chili to your liking. If you don't have Chinese soup spoons, 1 is equivalent to 15-20mL or approximately 1 tablespoon.
Sweets
My BF is GF - Recipes

whenever I’m feeling like I need reset, I make this coconut dahl. it’s nourishing, jammed with fiber, and super delicious.
I love the use of coconut milk instead of dairy, as well as the addition of sweet potatoes and hearty greens to make it a more substantial meal.
if we’re feeling extra hungry, we’ll make a round of brown rice to go with it as well.