Soy Chicken Ginga & my new Ninja!!

My love and appreciation for the organizers of the International Food Bloggers Conference continue to grow when my brand new Ninja 3-in-1 Cooking System arrived in the mail last week!! Yes, all IFBC attendees were gifted our very own Ninja, how amazing is that?! I know, I can't contain my excitement;)

The beauty of the Ninja 3-in-1 Cooking System allows home cooks to use one appliance to meet most of your cooking needs: (1) fast one-pot meals, (2) steam infused roasting & baking and (3) serious slow cooking.

To inaugurate my Ninja, I decided to try the "serious slow cooking" method with one of my favourite dishes, Soy-Ginger Chicken with brown rice (made on the stove top). This recipe is so simple! Basically dump all ingredients into one pot, leave for 5 hours, then feast on tender, juicy chicken, brimming with tonnes of flavour from the soy-ginger stew.

When I tested the Soy-Ginger Chicken recipe on my Ninja, I was pleasantly surprised that it only took almost half the time! Good thing I was home;)  The chicken was moist, the carrots still had a soft bite and the soy-ginger sauce tasted like it was stewing all day.

Plus the Ninja cooking pot was light, making it easy to pour out the soy-ginger sauce, while the non-stick surface made clean up a breeze!!  They weren't kidding when they said the Ninja would mean making meals faster and with true convenience.

Thank you Ninja 3-in-1 Cooking Systems for introducing me to a more convenient and multi-functional kitchen tool. I can't wait to try the other Ninja cooking modes and will incorporate more Filipino recipes into the cooking pot, stay tuned!

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons dark-brown sugar
• 5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 2/3 cup fresh parsly, chopped, plus sprigs for garnish
• 1 piece fresh ginger (about 2 inches long), peeled and cut into thin strips
• 5 green onions, thinly sliced on the diagonal (1 cup packed)
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1/2 tsp ground pepper
• 4 skinless chicken drumsticks and 4 thighs
• 2 medium carrots, sliced in rounds
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds & brown rice for serving

Preparation

1. In a slow cooker, mix together soy sauce, sugar, garlic, parsley, ginger, 1/2 cup scallions, vinegar, sesame oil, and pepper.

2. Add chicken and carrots; toss to coat. Cover, and cook on low until chicken is tender, about 5 hours. Using a large spoon, skim off and discard any fat from surface of cooking liquid.

3. In a glass measuring cup, whisk cornstarch with 1 tablespoon water. Ladle 1 cup cooking liquid into measuring cup; whisk to combine. Pour into a small saucepan, and bring to a boil; cook until thickened, about 1 minute. With slow cooker turned off, stir in cornstarch mixture. 

4. Serve chicken with brown rice, and garnish with parsley sprigs & sesame seeds and remaining 1/2 cup scallions.

Recipe adapted from Everyday Food

Are you a food blogger? Then you must attend the 2013 International Food Blogging Conference to learn about exciting new kitchen products (like the Ninja), hone your craft in food writing & cooking, meet great friends and of course, eat lots of amazing food!!

Candice & Bob Like Thai Food

What's in a name? That which we call Bob Likes Thai Food. It's a fun and unique take on a restaurant brand yet, you can't help but wonder the obvious, who's Bob? 

As we entered the playfully decorated restaurant adorned with children's artwork and larger than life-sized paintings of a fork and spoon, I looked around hoping to find Bob. 

Upon asking our waitress, I learned there sadly isn't a Bob. She said the owner, Tai Keattivanichvily, couldn't find the authentic Thai flavours from home when he moved to Vancouver 15 years ago. Leaving his career in animation, he opened his shop in 2011, recruited Thai cooks and they worked hard to replicate his favourite dishes. Also, he simply likes the name, Bob.

Roasted Duck Red Curry

We started with the roasted duck red curry, as recommended by the waitress, and it was the best of the dishes we tried. The meaty duck just melted in your mouth and the sweet hints of fresh pineapple, lychee and cherry tomatoes helped to cut the richness of the coconut-based curry. 

Pad Thai

The well-executed Pad Thai had a nice sweetness from tamarind and thankfully not from ketchup, typically used in Western renditions of this dish. The gentle tang from the lime brought out the savoury flavours of the perfectly cooked noodles stir-fried with prawns, tofu, bean sprouts and crushed peanuts. 

Thai Ice-Tea

We accompanied our meal with some refreshingly sweet and creamy Thai ice-tea that went down way too fast!

Fried Banana Fingers with Ice-Cream

Despite being full from dinner, I imagined Bob wouldn't end a meal without dessert. So we opted for the deep fried bananas, a la mode. We managed to devour the tempura battered banana fingers, rich vanilla ice-cream and sweet blackberries. I even had to resist licking the plate when it was all done!

What matters is what something is, not what it's called. The Thai food is delicious and there is no mistaking that the dishes are authentic and reasonably priced. Bob Likes Thai Food, to be called by any other name wouldn't smell as sweet. 

Bob Likes Thai Food

3755 Main St                     &         1521 West Broadway Street

Vancouver, BC                              Vancouver, BC 

Lunch: 11:30 am - 2:30 pm

Dinner: 5:00 pm - 9:00 pm

Candice's recommendations:

Roasted Duck Red Curry $13.50; Pad Thai $12; Thai Ice Tea $2.50; Deep Fried Finger Banana Ice-Cream $4.50

Buko (Young Coconut) Custard Pie

Coconut is known to be the "tree of life" because it's highly valued as a source of food and medicine. Coconuts provide a nutritious source of meat, juice, milk and oil that has fed and nourished the Filipino population for generations.

Fresh Young Coconut

Did you know: Early Spanish explorers called it coco, which means "monkey face" because the three indentations (eyes) on the hairy coconut resembles the head and face of a monkey. 

According to the Food & Agriculture of the UN, Philippines is the largest producer of coconuts and naturally the versatile fruit is used as medicine, decorations, clothing, construction materials, instruments, jewelry and food!

Did you know: Coconuts are classified as a fibrous one-seeded drup. A drupe is a fruit with a hard stone.

Young Coconut Meat

The young coconut meat, buko, is tender, creamy and juicy. The delicious, buko pie is one of the most famous desserts from Laguna, 35 miles south of Manila, PHI. Wrapped in a flaky crust and filled with custard made with buko and condensed milk, it's a treat worth making for all special occasions.

Ingredients

Crust:
3 cups pastry flour
2 tbsp sugar
12 tbsp (1 1/2 sticks) very cold unsalted butter, diced
1/3 cup very cold vegetable shortening
 6- 8 tbsp (1/2 cup) ice water
1 egg whites

Preparation:
1) Place flour & sugar in a bowl and stir. Cut in butter, using finger tips or a food processor with a steel blade and pulse until mixture is crumbly and butter is the size of peas.
2) Sprinkle ice water until dough comes together. Dump dough onto a floured board and divide into 2 equal balls, flattened. Wrap each piece in plastic wrap and let rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.
3) Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Roll out one dough into 11" circle then place onto a 9" pie plate. Smooth the dough into the bottom and sides of pie plate.
4) Trim off excess around edges of pie plate. Prick bottom & sides with fork. Blind bake for 15 minutes. Let cool and brush with egg whites, set aside.

Frozen Young Coconut

Buko custard:
4 cups young coconut meat, 1" strips (frozen or fresh)
2 cups young coconut water, divided
1 cup evaporated milk
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
1/4 cup cornstarch
egg wash (egg yolk & water)

Coconut Custard

Preparation:
1) In a medium saucepan, combine the coconut meat, 1 cup coconut water, evaporated milk, sugar and condensed milk. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring often for about 8-10 minutes until mixture starts to simmer.
2) Stir in cornstarch with 1 cup coconut water to dissolve.

3) When mixture starts to boil, add cornstarch & coconut water, stirring quickly until mixture thickens. Will take about 5 minutes, then set aside.

Baked Buko Pie

Assembly:
1) Pour buko custard into the crust, smooth top.
2) Roll out the 2nd piece of dough into 11" circle. East on top of custard and pinch edges to seal crust.
3) Brush top of crust with egg wash.
4) Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for 20-30 minutes, or until crust is golden brown.
5) I like to let pie cool completely then at serve room temperature with ube ice-cream!!

Kedah House Restaurant Simply Delicious

Buffet

I long for the flavours from my childhood growing up in Singapore. So it's a rare treat to find a Vancouver restaurant making good Malaysian food at a bargain. For a value of $9.99, Kedah House Restaurant & Cafe's AYCA (all-you-can-eat) buffet offers a small spread of Malaysian dishes that are fresh and flavourful.

Kedah, Malaysia

Owner and chef, Cheslah Othman, named the restaurant, Kedah, after the Northwest Malaysian region of where she is originally from. Operating the modestly decorated restaurant since 2006, she proudly claims to be one of the pioneers offering authentic Malay cuisine in Vancouver. 

Gado Gado plated on the right

I started with the build-your-own Gado Gado salad.  I towered lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, sliced fried tofu, shredded turnip and bean sprouts and then topped it all off with a sumptuous savory peanut sauce. The contrast of crisp veggies and savory sauce was wonderfully refreshing.

Tom Yum Soup

When I returned to reload my plate, Cheslah's husband, Mohammed, told me that the beef rendang is a buffet staple after customers protested when they replaced it with other Malay dishes. After tasting the tender beef rendang that was stewed to perfection in a rich coconut curry, I can understand their addiction!  

Beef Rendang

The fluffy steamed basmati rice and sambal telur, hard-boiled eggs cooked in chilli paste, team well with the beef rendang. It was culinary nostalgia when the familiar combination of complex flavours reminded me of warm afternoons feasting on hot Malaysian food in an outdoor Singapore hawker centre.

The BEST banana cake!

Light banana cake with kopi, Malay coffee known for its stronger, darker and richer flavours, cap off my meal with a sweet ending. At Kedah House you can expect friendly service, bold flavours and good value - a humble approach to simply delicious food.

Kedah House Restaurant & Cafe

1652 SE Marine Drive, Vancouver

604-325-9771

Wednesday & Thursday: 11:30am-2:30pm & 5:30pm-8pm

Friday-Sunday: 11:30am-9:30pm

Monday & Tuesday: Closed

Candice's Recommendations:

Daily buffet: $9.99; From Friday-Sunday Malay fried chicken rice is offered in the buffet; Roti Canai: $6.00

Pinoy Plug: Jazzing with musician Kate Hammett-Vaughn @ Java Jazz

Enjoy a buffet dinner with delicious Filipino dishes and live jazz with Canadian musician, Kate Hammett-Vaughn. Guests will also get to meet Java Jazz owner, chef & musician Salve Sayao. Don't miss out! 

Java Jazz Cafe & Bistro, 412 6th Street, New Westminster
Sept 21 & 22 @ 7pm ($25)
Limited seats available, RSVP: (604) 521-2929

Also, Candice's Cusina will be live on location on September 22, see you all there!!!

Give Peaceful Restaurant a chance

The name may be misleading, but the food is anything but. Packed with diners on a regular basis Peaceful Restaurant is certainly not a calm oasis, but then its understandable given their serious cooking chops.

By the time the doors are set to open at 11AM, the lunch crowd line-up has already formed outside the door. Once you get your table, the cosy seating arrangements also guarantee you’ll be making fast friends.

Open since 2006, Peaceful Restaurant has won the hearts of many regulars and also many accolades, including an award for their “Peaceful Beef Rolls” and a feature on Food Network’s Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.

Owner Charlie Huang is at the helm of the kitchen making hand-made noodles (dragged and blade-sheared) and cooking authentic regional specialties from Northern China. Just before we sat at our table, I peered through the kitchen’s glass window to watch the magic unfold as the chefs effortlessly pulled balls of white dough into long noodle strands then transforming them into something delicious.

The menu is extensive with over 150 items. You get help narrowing down your selection, with the letters “R” beside their recommended favourites and “V” for vegetarian dishes.

My top two recommendations are their 5-spiced Peaceful Beef Rolls and the Dan Dan noodles.

Peaceful Beef Rolls

The beef rolls are a perfect combination of contrasting tastes and textures as you crunch into the flaky green onion flat bread and savour the thinly sliced beef with sweet hoisin sauce.

Dan Dan Noodles

A spicy explosion of flavours, the meaty Dan Dan hand-dragged noodles hold their own against the dense peanut sauce, ground pork and blanched spinach.

Xiao Long Boa Steamed Buns

Chili-Garlic Eggplant

The service is friendly, prices are reasonable and the food is addictive. They only take cash or debit cards so come prepared. Leftovers are another guarantee, good for a delicious lunch the next day. If you haven’t done so already, all I am saying is give Peaceful Restaurant a chance.

Peaceful Restaurant
#110-532 West Broadway, Vancouver
604-879-9878

Candice’s Recommendations:
Peaceful Beef Rolls - $7.25, Dan Dan Noodles - $7.95, Chili-Garlic Eggplant - $11.95 & Xiao Long Boa Steam Buns - $7.25.

All that Java Jazz!

Where else can you find world-class live jazz and delicious Filipino food? At New Westminster's Java Jazz Cafe & Bistro restaurant! Owners Salvacion (Salve) and Ed Dayao have been running the family-operated restaurant and sharing the jazz stage entertaining guests for the last 10 years. Salve does do double duty as the head chef cooking up her made-from-scratch specialities including pastas, burgers, curries and of course, classic Filipino dishes.

Fun Fact: The name Java Jazz was developed from a fusion of Ed's love for coffee and Salve's love for jazz. 

Salve & Ed Dayao

I had the privilege to meet Salve. Her warm and inviting smile easily brightens up the dimly lit restaurant. She sat down to introduce herself and I soon learned that she is also a fellow Pampangan (like me). Both her and Ed are trained musicians who have travelled the world singing (Salve) and playing the piano (Ed). They landed in Canada over 10 years ago and decided to live out their dreams by opening up their own restaurant while continuing to delight customers with their music.

Fan Fact: Pamanga is located in the province of Luzon, Philippines and is also known for their passionate cooks;) 

Salve then slowly introduced more Filipino dishes to the menu over the years with her own unique twists. Java Jazz now offers many Filipino favourites like Kare Kare (peanut-based ox-tail stew), Sizzling Pork Sisig (fried hog head, truly a delicacy but best with beer) & Lechon Kawali (deep-fried pork belly).

Salve's niece and waitress, Cheryl, gave her recommendations to help narrow down the list: Pinkabet Special (sauteed veggies in a shrimp sauce), Crispy Binagoongan (battered & fried pork in a shrimp & coconut sauce) and Beef Calderata (beef stew) - all served with coconut-achiote rice.

Pinkabet Special

Beef Calderata

Crispy Binagoongan

Served in large heaping portions, all three dishes were masarup! My favourite had to be the crispy binagoongan. It had a nice contrast of flavours and textures with the crispy pork coated perfectly in the seasoned shrimp & coconut sauce against the freshly diced mangoes, tomatoes and onions.

You will be welcomed with friendly service, tantalized with tasty home-cooking and entertained with good live music. So come on down and paint the town at New West's Java Jazz!

Java Jazz Cafe & Bistro Restaurant
412 - 6th Street, New Westminster
Closed Tuesdays, 5:30pm-12am

Candice's Recommendations:
Crispy Binagoongan - $12.99, Pinkabet Special - $14.99 & Chicken Wings - $9.95
New customers get 10% off!!