Author: Hungry Celebrity

  • Japanese Homestyle Cabbage Rolls

    Thank you to my childhood besties mother, Lisa, for this recipe. It’s so nostalgic to me and reminds me of when I would sleepover at their place and her mom would make this for us. It’s such a comforting meal.

    Ingredients: 

    • Savoy cabbage (can do regular cabbage or napa cabbage)  
    • 1 lb ground beef OR ½  lb beef + ½ lb pork 
    • 1 egg
    • ¼ cup panko
    • 2 tbsp milk
    • Salt + white pepper
    • ½ tbsp Nutmeg
    • 1 tsp MSG 
    • 3 bay leaves
    • Minced garlic and ginger
    • ½ onion finely chopped
    • Kayanoya vegetable stock packs (3 packs)
    • Toothpicks
    • 1-2 Carrot + Daikon (cut with a flower shape vegetable cutter – optional) 
    1. Cut out the core of the cabbage as best you can and then place cabbage in a big pot of boiling water 
    2. Boil for 2-3 minutes then begin peeling the cabbage leaves one by one using tongs and place each leaf into a bowl of ice water
    3. Leave leaves out to dry
    4. Mix meat, egg, milk, panko, onions, garlic + ginger, salt + pepper, nutmeg, and MSG till well combined
    5. Roll up meat into cabbage (using a small piece and a large piece helps, and make sure to cut out the core like a triangle). Secure the cabbage rolls with a toothpick. 
    6. OPTIONAL: Cut up carrot and daikon into small pieces (I used a flower shape cookie cutter because it looked super cute) 
    7. Place the cabbage rolls into a donabe or dutch oven tightly. Add cut up carrots and daikon all around the cabbage rolls and cover completely with water with the dashi packs tucked in. 
    8. Bring to boil and then cook on medium low heat for 30 minutes
    9. Serve with rice and garnish with parsley 

  • Perfect Skirt Steak with Chimichurri Sauce

    I made this for the first time the other night and it was beyond delicious. I served it with @kalejunkies – crispy parmesan potatoes and grilled tomatoes and onion. Hot take, skirt steak might be my new favorite cut of beef…

    Ingredients: 

    • Skirt steak
    • Soy sauce 
    • Oregano 
    • Salt + Pepper 
    • Olive oil 
    • 1 Lime

    Chimichurri sauce: 

    • Finely chopped parsley 
    • 1-2 cloves grated garlic
    • Olive oil 
    • 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar 
    • Salt 
    • Adobo flakes
    • Paprika 
    • Oregano 
    1. Tenderize the steak by stabbing it with a fork a bunch of times, then cover in marinade (soy sauce, olive oil, oregano, salt + pepper – measure by eye depending on how big the steak is) and let it sit for about 20-30 min (make sure steak is as close to room temp as possible) 
    2. In the meantime, chop up the parsley and make the sauce
    3. Heat up cast iron skillet on medium high heat for 10-15 min until really hot, then add oil to the pan and cook the steak for 2-3 min on each side depending on thickness 
    4. Let the steak rest for 10 min and top with lime juice and chimichurri sauce!
  • One Pot Hainanese Chicken Rice

    This dish is so yummy and filling. You can feed a lot of people at once and it makes excellent leftovers!

    Ingredients: 

    • 2 cups Jasmine or white rice 
    • 1lb Chicken thighs 
    • 4 stalks green onion
    • Ginger 
    • 7 cloves garlic 
    • Red chili 
    • 1 cup chicken stock 
    • Vegetable oil 
    • MSG 
    • Sesame oil 
    • Salt
    • White pepper 
    • Dashi soup base 
    • Cilantro

    Optional: cucumber salad and cilantro 

    1. Marinate chicken w sesame oil, salt and white pepper (if u have if not black pepper is fine)
    2. Julienne about 2 inches worth of ginger and finely chop the rest
    3. Finely chop 4 cloves of garlic and lightly smash the other 3 but keep it whole 
    4. Cut 2 stalks of green onion in to 2 inch pieces and finely chop the other 2 stalks 
    5. Slice the red chilli into thin pieces 
    6. Render chicken fat by cooking skin side down starting from a cold pan on medium heat. Cook until chicken skin is brown and flip and cook the other side for 1 minute.
    7. Into rice maker: Washed rice with a mix of chicken stock and water with a splash of dashi and a pinch of MSG 
    8. Place chicken on top of the rice with aromatics (2 inch pieces green onion, julienned ginger, smashed garlic)
    9. Cook the rice as instructed 
    10. While the chicken and rice cook, make the sauce: heat up ½ cup of vegetable oil in a pot. Once the oil is bubbling or smoking, pour the oil over finely chopped ginger, scallion, garlic and red chilis. 
    11. OPTIONAL – Make the cucumber salad: Cut up cucumber into chunks, dress with salt, fish sauce, and sesame oil 
    12. Once the rice is done cooking, the dish is ready to be served. Serve with cucumber salad and garnish with cilantro.
  • My Favorite Breakfast Tacos

    Ingredients: 

    • 2 eggs
    • Shredded mexican cheese blend 
    • Cilantro
    • Pickled red onions
    • Cholula hot sauce 
    • Salt
    • Tortillas (I like the low cal tortillas from Trader Joes when I’m trying to be healthy) 
    1. In a non stick pan, heat up some olive oil in medium low heat and add a handful of cheese into the pan
    2. Let the cheese cook until browned 
    3. Mix the eggs well with a pinch of salt
    4. Add the eggs to the pan and scramble  
    5. In a separate pan, heat up tortilla 
    6. Serve the scrambled eggs on the tortilla and top with cilantro, pickled red onions and cholula
  • Kamo Nanban (Duck Soba)

    This is my all time favorite way of enjoying soba. I did a lot of research on the best way to cook the duck breast and it is tedious but comes out perfect every time.

    Ingredients: 

    • 1 duck breast 
    • Dashi stock 
    • 1 leek 
    • Soba
    • Finely chopped scallions
    • Yuzukosho (optional) 
    1. Score the duck skin and place it in a cold pan skin side down
    2. Turn on the heat to medium low and let the fat render
    3. Once the duck is making noise and cooking, put a timer on for 4 minutes
    4. Flip the duck and cook for about 30 seconds
    5. Wrap the duck in foil for 5 minutes 
    6. Place the duck back onto the pan skin side down and cook for another 4 minutes
    7. Flip the duck and cook for another 30 seconds
    8. Place duck back into foil and rest until serving 
    9. In the meantime, boil water and get started on cooking the soba
    10. In another pot, warm up dashi broth on medium low heat 
    11. Cut the leaks into 2 inch pieces and cook them in the duck fat until browned 
    12. Add the cooked leaks into the broth 
    13. Place cooked soba into a bowl and pour broth over, top it with the cooked leeks, thinly sliced duck, and scallions. I like to eat the duck with a little yuzukosho on the side but that is optional 
  • Mediterranean Baked Cod

    This fish came out so good, it went really well with lemon potatoes and my beet, pomegranate, orange salad.

    Ingredients: 

    • 1 lb cod 
    • Kalamata olives 
    • Parsley 
    • Butter 
    • Tomatoes 
    • White onion

    Marinade: 

    • 3-5 cloves of minced garlic 
    • Lemon zest 
    • Lemon Juice
    • Olive Oil 
    • Turmeric
    • Coriander 
    • Cumin 
    • Oregano 
    • Paprika 
    • Chili Powder 
    • Salt + Pepper 
    • Adobo flakes 
    1. Preheat oven to 400F 
    2. Cover fish in marinade in a baking dish 
    3. Coat quartered or halved tomatoes, thinly sliced onions, sliced olives in the remaining marinade 
    4. Put a little knob of butter in between fish and vegetables 
    5. Bake for 15-20 min 
    6. Garnish with Parsley
  • Lemon Garlic Salmon

    This salmon seriously never gets old. I legit make this at least once a week. It’s so easy and always a hit. I love to serve it with a side of pesto pasta or as you can see in the photo – a side of pesto pasta salad… something about salmon and pesto just goes so well together 🙂

    Marinade: 

    • Grated garlic (2-4 cloves)
    • Lemon zest
    • Juice of 1 lemon (if it’s a big lemon do half)
    • Paprika 
    • Hot chilli powder 
    • Adobo pepper flakes
    • Cayenne 
    • Oregano (mexican oregano & fennel seed combo good too)
    • Salt + pepper
    • Dash of Balsamic vin
    • Dash of honey 
    • Olive oil
    1. Place marinade over salmon (lightly stab salmon w fork) and let it sit for about 15-20 min 
    2. Place salmon on a baking tray and wrap with foil then bake at 375F or 190C for 15 min (if you don’t want to bake the fish, you can also air fry at 400F for 9-11min depending on thickness)
    3. Unwrap and Broil at 450F for 5-8 min 
    4. Also can add onions and cherry tomatoes around the fish when baking, the tomatoes came out extra good put some marinade on them too 
    5. Add parsley for garnish 
  • Red Coconut Curry Poached Cod

    This dish is an elevated take on my easy laksa. Poached fish sounds intimidating but it’s actually one of the easiest things you can make.

    Ingredients: 

    • Lemongrass (1 stalk use only the white part – smash then finely chopped) 
    • Garlic (2-3 cloves finely chopped) 
    • Ginger (about 1in worth – finely chopped)
    • 1-2 shallots (thinly sliced)
    • 2 tbsp red curry paste (I like the Maesri brand)
    • 1 tbsp curry powder 
    • 1 lb cod
    • ½ cup coconut Milk
    • 1 cup chicken Stock 
    • Pinch of MSG
    • Fish Sauce
    • Sugar
    • Salt 
    • Cilantro 
    • Fried shallots/onions
    • Green onion
    1. Lightly salt the cod and let it sit for 30 min to firm up, then pat dry
    2. Add vegetable oil to pan on medium heart and cook the curry paste until fragrant 
    3. Combine curry powder into the paste and then add aromatics (lemon grass, garlic, ginger and shallots) – cook for about 2-3 min 
    4. Add coconut milk and stir then add chicken stock
    5. Bring to a light boil then lower the heat to medium low and add MSG, fish sauce, salt and sugar to taste
    6. Poach fish in broth for about 8 minutes
    7. Serve with rice and garnish with cilantro, fried shallots/onions, and green onion
  • Misozuke Salmon

    A classic, staple Japanese dish. My marinade is not traditional but I promise it’s better 😉

    Ingredients: 

    • Salmon (skin on) 

    Marinade: 

    • 4 tbsp miso
    • 1 tbsp cooking sake
    • 1 tbsp sugar
    • 1 tbsp mirin
    • ½ tbsp dashi
    • 1 tbsp soy sauce
    • 1 tsp vinegar
    • Grated ginger (about 1 inch worth)
    • Grated garlic (1 clove)
    • Pinch of MSG
    • Salt
    1. Mix marinade ingredients together
    2. Put salt all over fish (Don’t be shy with it, salmon can take a lot of salt since it’s super fatty)
    3. Put fish into a ziplock bag or container and pour marinade over the fish, leave in fridge for up to 2 hours
    4. Air fry for 9-11 min depending on thickness at 400F – If you don’t have an air fryer, you could also pan fry the salmon on medium heat in a non-stick pan. Flip the salmon so that the skin side is up during the last 1-2 mins so that the skin can get crispy (this is optional – if you’re not going to eat the skin, don’t bother with this step)
    5. Serve with rice and a side of grated daikon

  • Tomato Soba

    I love to make this on a hot summer day 🙂

    PS:I like to add natto to this sometimes.

    Ingredients: 

    • 1 Tomato (I like really beef steak tomatoes for this) 
    • Dashi Tsuyu 
    • Soba
    • Scallions
    1. Grate a cold tomato and leave it in the fridge while you cook the soba
    2. Rinse soba in cold ice water 
    3. Top soba with grated tomato, dashi, + scallions