*This recipe contains a vegetarian alternative using Tempeh

Jasmine Rice

1 C Jasmin Rice

1 1/2 C Water

Place rice in a pot and wash thoroughly with water until water runs nearly clear.  Tip the pot and drain off the water.  Place 1 1/2 C water to pot and cover.  Cover the pot and place over medium heat and bring to the boil, approximately 5 minutes.  As soon as rice starts to boil, reduce heat to lowest temperature and cook covered till done, approximately 10 minutes.  Fluff rice with a fork and cover to keep warm.  

Thai Vegetable Curry

1 Tbsp Coconut Oil 

1 C diced Carrot

2 C quartered Mushrooms

1 Tbsp sliced Garlic

1 /2 C fine diced White Onion

4 Tbsp Thai Red Curry Paste

1 1/2 C Chicken or Vegetable Stock

1 x 400 mL can Coconut Milk

1 C halved Green Beans

1 C julienne Red Pepper

1 C julienne White Onion

Sea Salt for seasoning

freshly cracked Black Peppercorns for seasoning

Lime wedge for plating

fresh Cilantro for plating

Heat a pot to medium high heat, add coconut oil followed by mushrooms and carrots.  Allow the vegetables to brown on all sides.  Add garlic and diced onion and allow them to brown.  Add curry paste, stock and coconut milk and mix till all combined.  Reduce heat to medium and simmer till the sauce reduces and thickens slightly, approximately 12 minutes.  Add beans, peppers and onions, and simmer for another 5 minutes or so, making sure to keep vegetables crisp but still tender and hot.  Season with salt and pepper,  remove from the heat, cover and keep warm.  

Lime and cilantro will be used in final plating.  

Salmon / Tempeh

1 1/2 Lbs Salmon filet (skin on) OR 230 grams Tempeh

1/2 Tbsp Coconut Oil

Sea Salt for seasoning

freshly cracked Black Peppercorns for seasoning

Cut the salmon or tempeh into 4 equal portions.  

Heat a skillet to medium high heat and add coconut oil.  Season salmon or tempeh with salt and pepper on both side and place skin side down (salmon) in the pan first.  Cook till skin in crispy and browned and salmon begins to cook through, approximately 5 minutes.  Using an offset spatula or a fish spatula, gently and slowly flip salmon or tempeh and repeat till cooked to desired doneness.  Salmon should take another 5-7 minutes.  Remove pan from heat and begin to plate your meal. 

Sichuan Peppercorn Spice Mix

• 3 Tbsp Black Peppercorns
• 3 Tbsp Sichuan Peppercorns
• 2 Tbsp dried Papaya Seeds, optional

Place the black peppercorns into a mortar and pestle, and grind.  Add in the Sichuan peppercorns and papaya seeds, if using, and grind.  Transfer the spice mix to a container.

Sichuan Peppercorn Crusted Steak 

• 4 (8-oz) Beef Strip Loins, at room temperature
• 1 Tbsp Vegetable Oil
• Kosher Salt

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Heat a cast iron pan or skillet over high heat.  Press the Sichuan peppercorn spice mix into all of the sides of the steaks, coating entirely and ensuring the spices adhere to the meat.  Add the vegetable oil to the cast iron pan and heat.  Season the steaks with salt to taste.  Once the pan is smoking hot, add the steaks. Sear the steaks for 2 minutes or until golden.  Do not move.  Turn the steaks over and transfer the pan to the preheated oven for 5 minutes or until desired degree of doneness.  Remove the pan from the oven, turn over the steaks and set them aside.  Before serving, allow the meat to rest for 10 minutes so the juices redistribute.

Grilled Green Onions

• 2 bunches Green Onions, roots removed 
• 1 Tbsp Vegetable Oil, plus more for greasing the grill grate
• Kosher Salt 
• freshly ground Black Peppercorns

Heat a grill over medium-high heat, and lightly grease the grates with oil.  Toss the green onions in the vegetable oil, and season them with salt and pepper to taste.  Grill the green onions for 1 minute.  Flip the onions over, and continue cooking for 1 minute or until onions have softened and are slightly charred.

Chili Padi Sauce

• 1/4 Cup Low-Sodium Soy Sauce or Tamari
• 1 Tbsp Brown Sugar
• 1 Tbsp chopped red Thai (Bird’s Eye) Chili
• 1 Tbsp chopped green Thai (Bird’s Eye) Chili

In a small bowl, combine all ingredients well, making sure sugar is fully dissolved. Set aside.

Chive Funnel Cakes

• 1 1/2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
• 1 Tbsp White Sugar
• 2 Tsp Baking Powder
• 1 Tsp Kosher Salt
• 1 Egg
• 1 Cup Milk
• 2 Tbsp Unsalted Butter, melted
• 1/4 Cup finely chopped Chives
• 3 Tbsp Kewpie (Japanese-style) Mayonnaise
• 2 Tbsp toasted Sesame Seeds
• Additional chopped chives for garnish, optional
• Vegetable Oil for frying

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. To the dry ingredients, add egg, milk and melted butter. Whisk until just combined and mixture is free of any lumps. Fold in chopped chives.

Open a large resealable freezer bag, and fold the edges over a large mug or liquid measuring cup. Pour the chive batter into the bag and seal the top. Prepare a baking sheet with a double layer of paper towel.

Bring a medium pot no more than one-third full of vegetable oil up to 350º F. Snip a very small corner of the freezer bag to form a piping bag and very carefully but quickly pipe small snack sized fritters into the hot oil. Aim for about 2 x 4 inches per mini funnel cake. (Tip: The batter will want to dance across the oil – to get a consistent sized shape, try piping one short line, and wait for it to rise up to the surface. Then pipe small criss-cross squiggles over that first line to form a little “raft”.) Fry until light golden brown on both sides, using a slotted spoon to flip over as needed. Use the slotted spoon to transfer each funnel cake to your prepared baking sheet. While still warm, very lightly season the funnel cakes with kosher salt.

To serve, transfer freshly fried funnel cakes to serving platter, and lightly drizzle over with a nice even squeeze of kewpie mayo. Sprinkle toasted sesame seeds over the mayo and garnish with additional chopped chives if desired. Serve hot with Chili Padi Sauce for dipping.

• Juice of 1 Orange
• 4 Tbsp Soy Sauce
• 1 Tbsp Blond Miso
• 1 Tbsp Honey
• 1 1/2 lbs Short Ribs
• 2 shallots cut in half
• 2 stalks celery chopped large
• 4 Garlic cloves smashed
• 1/4 C Beef Stock
• 1/4 C picked fresh Mint
• 1/4 C picked fresh Basil
• 1/2 Tsp Sesame Seeds

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

In a small saucepan combine orange juice, soy, miso, and honey.  Bring to the boil

then reduce to a simmer till all ingredients are combined and miso melts away.

Preheat an oven ready Dutch oven, large enough to hold short ribs in a single

layer, to medium high heat.  Season short ribs with salt and pepper then place

them flat inside of Dutch oven, allow to brown.  Flip and repeat then remove ribs. 

Add shallots, celery and garlic and sauté for a couple of minutes in the same

Dutch oven until onions are browned and softened.  Add beef stock and reduce to

almost all the liquid is reduced.  Remove Dutch even from heat and remove all

ingredients from Dutch oven.  Place short ribs flat in a single layer and top with

sauté shallot, celery and garlic.  Add orange soy sauce to pot and cover then

place in preheated oven for 2 hours, or until ribs are fork tender and bones fall

away from the meat.

To serve, gently transfer to a service platter and garnish with fresh herbs and

sesame seeds.

• 1 Lb Thin Cut Korean Short Ribs (look for Miami Short Ribs or LA-Style Short Ribs)
• 1/2 Cup Low Sodium Soy Sauce
• 1/2 Cup Pineapple Juice
• 1/4 Cup Honey
• 2 Tbsp Minced Fresh Garlic
• 1 Tbsp Grated Fresh Ginger
• 1 Tbsp Toasted Sesame Oil
• 2 Red Thai Chilis, whole, smashed with side of knife
• 3 Tbsp chopped Green Onion bottoms (white parts only)
• 3 Tbsp chopped Green Onion tops (green parts only), reserved for garnish

In a small bowl, combine soy sauce, pineapple juice, honey, garlic, ginger, sesame oil, chilis and white part of green onions. Pour over short ribs and marinate, refrigerated, for up to two hours. Do not overmarinate, as the ribs will overtenderize and take on an unpleasant mushy texture. 

Preheat a large cast iron grill to medium high. Brushing marinade onto ribs, grill over medium high heat until nicely charred but not overcooked inside, about 2-3 minutes per side. 

Transfer to a service platter and garnish with reserved chopped green onion tops. Serve hot.

Brine for Pork Chops

• 1/2 C Kosher Salt
• 1/4 C Brown Sugar
• 15 whole Allspice Berries, toasted
• 10 whole Black Peppercorns, toasted
• 2 Bay Leaves
• 2 sprigs fresh Thyme
• 4 C Water

In a medium saucepan, add all dry ingredients and 2 cups of water. Bring mixture up to a low simmer, stirring to dissolve salt and sugar. Remove from heat and add remaining 2 cups of water. Set aside and let cool down to room temperature.

Allspice Brined Pork Chops

• 2 (10 oz each) bone-in, center cut Pork Chops
• 2 Tbsp Vegetable Oil
• freshly ground Black Peppercorns to taste

In a large non reactive bowl, add pork chops to room temperature brine. Make sure chops are completely covered – weigh down with a small plate if needed. Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours – overnight is ideal.

When ready to cook, remove chops from brine and blot very dry with paper towel. Let chops come slightly up to room temperature (at the very least, remove from fridge 5 minutes before cooking to take the chill off, for more even cooking.) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F, and have a small baking sheet (with a wire cooling rack if you have one) standing by.

Heat a cast iron (or other oven ready) pan to medium high and add vegetable oil. Season pork chops with pepper and sear over high heat, pressing down very slightly, until lovely dark golden brown, about 5 minutes on one side. Flip the pork chop and place the entire pan with pork chops directly into the oven, for 10-12 minutes or until chops are cooked to desired doneness. Check with an instant read thermometer inserted sideways into the the thickest part of the chop – it should read 150 F – remembering that the chop will continue to cook as it rests.

Remove chops from oven and let rest at least 10 minutes, tended with foil to keep warm, before slicing. To serve, slice in 1/2 inch thick pieces towards bone, leaving a nice piece remaining on the bone (that’s the cook’s treat!) Serve warm with Easy Sambal Vermicelli.

Easy Sambal Vermicelli

• 200 g (about 1/2 package) dried Chinese Rice Vermicelli noodles
• 2 Tsp Vegetable Oil
• 1/4 C Low Sodium Soy Sauce
• 2 Tsp Sugar
• 3 Tsp Sambal Oelek (use more if you like it spicy)
• 1 Tsp Sesame Oil
• 1 Tbsp toasted Sesame Seeds
• 1/3 C finely sliced Green Onions

In a large bowl, place dried vermicelli and pour over enough boiling water just to cover. (Push noodles down slightly with tongs as needed.) Let stand 1-2 minutes, then drain well and rinse with plenty of cold water. Drain again and spread now cooked noodles on a clean tray. Toss lightly with vegetable oil to prevent sticking.

Meanwhile in a large bowl, combine remaining ingredients, stirring well to dissolve sugar. Add back cooled, cooked noodles and toss to evenly coat noodles with the delicious dressing. Serve with Allspice Pork Chops.

• 1 large Egg
• 3 Tbsp Vegetable Oil
• 1/3 C diced White Onion
• 1/4 C diced Carrot
• 2 Tsp minced Garlic
• 1 Tsp sliced Green Onion (white part only)
• 1/2 C diced Red Pepper
• 3/4 C cubed leftover Pork Chop
• 2 1/2 C cooked, cold day old, Long Grain White Rice
• 1/4 C Peas (frozen is fine, thawed)
• 1 Tbsp Low-Sodium Soy Sauce
• 1/4 Tsp freshly ground White Peppercorn

For garnish, 2 Tsp slice Green Onion (green part only)

Preheat a large non-stick pan over medium high heat.

In a small bowl, whisk egg and 1 tsp vegetable oil until well combined and slightly frothy. To hot pan, add 2 tsp vegetable oil and swirl to coat pan evenly. Add egg to pan in one swift movement, and let it spread evenly and thinly across the hot surface to form a thin crepe. This will only take a few seconds, so don’t walk away! As soon as the egg has begun to set, slide or flip the crepe directly onto a cutting board, using a heat resistant spatula to assist as needed. Let egg crepe cool down slightly while the fried rice is assembled.

Return the non-stick pan back to stovetop, and raise heat to high. Add 2 tbsp vegetable oil to hot pan and add onion and carrot first. Fry, stirring occasionally until onions have taken on a little colour and carrots have softened slightly, about 2 minutes. Next, add minced garlic and the green onion whites and fry another minute, followed by the diced red pepper. After another minute, add the cubed pork chop and stir through, letting the meat brown and slightly crisp up. Add rice and let sit, untouched, for a minute to crisp up the bottom, before stirring. Try to use a folding motion as you stir to avoid breaking up the rice grains too much. Add in peas and soy sauce and fold in to combine everything thoroughly. Season with white pepper, toss till evenly distributed and transfer immediately to serving platter.

To finish, roll the egg crepe into a little cigar, and thinly slice across to form ribbons. Garnish the hot fried rice with the egg ribbons, and sliced green onion tops. Serve right away.

• 12 Jumbo Shrimp (16/20 size), peeled, tail-on (about 12 oz)
• 1 Tsp finely chopped Garlic
• 1 Tsp finely chopped Shallot
• 1 Tsp fresh Lemon Zest
• 1/2 Tsp Ground Coriander
• 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 1/2 cored Pineapple, sliced into 6 spears
• 2 Tbsp store bought Chili Oil
• 1/4 Tsp Kosher Salt
• 1/4 C Coconut Milk
• 1 Tsp Honey
• Fresh Mint Leaves, for garnish
• Fresh Basil Leaves, for garnish

Preheat BBQ to medium high heat.

Pat shrimp dry and place in a medium bowl. Add garlic, shallot, lemon zest, ground coriander, pinch of kosher salt and olive oil, and very gently toss to combine. Let stand for at least 15 minutes, refrigerated, to marinate. Using a pair of metal skewers, thread shrimp on both tail and “head” side, leaving about half inch of space in between each shrimp. You will end up with a total of two sets of skewered shrimp (6 per pair of skewers).

Place pineapple spears on a large plate and drizzle over chili oil. Gently flip the spears around to thinly and evenly coat the pineapple all over with the oil.

Place the seasoned pineapple spears directly on the grill, cooking about 3-4 minutes per side (without moving the spears too much) to get nicely caramelized grill marks. Transfer to a large serving platter and finish seasoning with a touch of salt.

Place skewered shrimp onto grill and cook over direct heat until they appear pink and just firm at the thickest part, about 2-3 minutes per side (they will continue to cook slightly as they cool, so try not to leave them on the grill too long!). Remove from heat and carefully remove shrimp from hot skewers. Arrange shrimp over the grilled pineapple.

In a small bowl, mix the coconut milk and honey until the honey is fully dissolved into coconut milk. Drizzle the mixture over and around the shrimp and pineapple. Garnish with fresh mint and basil leaves and serve right away.