Eggs and Soy-Braised Sardines, a Japanese-inspired breakfast bowl

Too much has happened in 2020 and since the last time I blogged. Instead of waxing on about them, I’ll go straight to the food, with a recipe for soy-glazed sardine rice bowl ! My pantry frequently alternates between fully stocked and barren, because I go to the shop only sporadically and honestly order a lot of takeout. Cooking has been emotionally draining these days, and I find myself ordering food for Alex and myself or grabbing ramen, and if I cook it’s never something involved. Instead I’m gravitating towards quick, simple meals. A little late to the game, but I’ve been loving canned fish and how easy they can be incorporated into meals! I’ve partnered with Matiz Wild Sardines to make this super simple rice bowl.

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Vermicular Lamb with Lentils | bettysliu-3

This post is in partnership with Vermicular. All opinions expressed are purely my own, as always. Thank you so much for supporting the companies that support this blog.

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  • That looks absolutely yum and seems simple enough to make, too! Thanks for the recipe… going to surprise the family with this one.ReplyCancel

  • Congratulations on starting your residency!!! That is such a huge step!

    I just have a quick question. It may be in the post and I missed it, but how many servings does this make? I just want to know if there will be leftovers to freeze!!

    Looks soooooo yummy and like it would be easy to freeze!ReplyCancel

  • I was searching for a method to cook lamb shanks in my brand new Vermicular and came across your blog. Just wanted to offer some words of encouragement; I am at the tail end of my 34 year career in General Surgery and share your passion for photography and food as well.
    I am going to experiment some with this as I don’t know that I am going to have 7 hours to cook these. Hoping that I can get the Musui effect to cook these a little faster with some root vegetables.

    Hang in there – residency can be a drag but worth it in the end.

    Best wishesReplyCancel

  • kathy

    Hello, I was wondering if this could be made with beef or chicken, our family doesn’t care for lamb. But this looks delicious, if we could replace the lamb with beef or chicken. Thank you for such detailed instructions!ReplyCancel

Duck Wontons | bettysliu-6I’ve been asked many times what my favorite meal is, or what my last meal ever would be. My answer is always wontons. My mom made wontons constantly throughout my childhood, and pork wontons swimming in a potent, flavorful broth topped with scallions and white pepper became a staple. But I love them in all forms: pork-only wontons, pork and shepherd’s purse, in soup, or tossed in a spicy vinegar-y sauce. My parents always used pork, and that’s probably the most traditional way, but I’ve had delicious lamb and beef wontons as well. When Wines of Rioja asked me to create a recipe that pairs with red wines from their region, I immediately had the thought, what about wontons, and with duck?? I’ve had this idea brewing in my mind for a while, and when I tried my first glass of wine from the region, I knew that a wonton full of aromatic duck would be incredibly harmonious. Read more »

  • Li

    Wow! Congratulations for EVERYTHING! It’s a wonder you have time for writing a blog!
    But thanks! The duck wonton recipe looks wonderful—sure you don’t want to open a restaurant too!?ReplyCancel

  • That’s amazing, Betty! I’ve long been a fan of your cooking and photography and you have so much to share in this space. Residency is tough. What is your specialty? My dad is a pediatrician. You’ve certainly got a lot on your plate. All good things though. Looking forward to following your journey! XoReplyCancel

  • These look so delectable!!! Have you ever tried gluten-free wonton wrappers? I have celiac disease so I am unable to eat typical wrappers. I have never tried them but would love to make this recipe!!!ReplyCancel

  • Lydia

    My new favorite food blog.ReplyCancel

  • Oh, those wontons look amazing! I’m like you – so hard to pick a favorite dish or recipe!ReplyCancel

  • Talia

    I made this recipe exactly as written. Delicious. Here are my notes:

    – If you’re not good at mincing meat or have a bad knife, you can cut the duck meat as small as you can, then put it with the rest of the filling ingredients into a food processor or use an immersion blender (I did the latter). Came out as a paste, just as written.

    -You end up with very little sauce. Double the sauce ingredients.ReplyCancel

Black Sesame Karaage | Bettysliu.com

I fell in love with karaage, Japanese fried chicken, on one of my first trips to Japan. I’d never before paid much attention to karaage, choosing to order ramen, agedashi tofu, or a classic chirashi bowl in Japanese restaurants in the States instead. Fried chicken? I thought, whatever. Well. Wow. Karaage – it’s truly special. I learned it’s made with dark chicken meat (i.e., chicken thigh), making it incredibly juicy and tender. It’s double fried. It’s deliciously spiced so that the breading creates a crispy, crunchy exterior that tastes peppery and divine. Now, I order it whenever I see it on the menu! And now, I give you a black sesame karaage!

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  • It’s so good to hear from you Betty! This chicken sounds absolutely delicious! Congratulations on the book! Can’t wait to see/hear more!ReplyCancel

  • Veronica

    You’re writing a book?! Congratulations!ReplyCancel

  • Hey girl! This recipe couldn’t have come at a better time. I was craving karage and had just bought chicken thighs a few days ago to make it with, then I saw your pic and had all the recipes cuz, duh all Japanese people have all of the above pantry ingredients always! :p So I’m making it tonight. It’s already in the fridge marinated and ready to go. Cannot wait. You genius you!ReplyCancel

  • Japanese is my absolute favorite cuisine, would love to read a cookbook with similar recipes

    Jared | MatchaReplyCancel

  • This looks absolutely mouthwatering I will be making this at our family gathering I absolutely love karage and this recipe looks very appetizing.ReplyCancel

Pumpking Shiitake MeltThis post is in partnership with Land O’Lakesand The Feedfeed.

My husband’s favorite cheese is American. He loves it in any way – in burgers, melted in sandwiches, even lone-standing. So, when The Feedfeed reached out to me to create a sandwich with it, I immediately thought of that melty, goo-ey potential of melted American. When I tried Land O Lakes®Deli American, I immediately fell in love. Now this is made for a sandwich. It’s creamy, thick, and melts so beautifully when heated.

I was asked to create a sandwich that is inspired by my hometown, Boston. This is my 5thyear living in Boston, and I’m still completely enamored by it. Even after 5 years I still feel like I am discovering it. I grew up in California and loved living there, but I absolutely adore the stark season changes on the east coast. And now that fall is ushering in, I’m welcoming it with open arms. I’m so happy to offer this recipe for pumpkin and shiitake melt, something that has since been on a regular rotation in our household (hey, got to use up all that Deli American now!). It’s quick, easy, and super comforting.

Pumpkin Shiitake Melt LOL| bettysliu-9

 Pumpkin Shiitake Melt LOL| bettysliu-1
 Pumpkin Shiitake Melt LOL| bettysliu-7

Pumpkin Shiitake Melt LOL| bettysliu-3

You start by roasting pumpkin to create a thick puree. This will end up melding with the melted Deli American, and that combination is sublime. Scallion-sautéed mushrooms provide that umami and texture, and with crispy sourdough bread, this is a sandwich I will eat all season long.

You can also add whatever you want – I’ve added in prosciutto, bacon, even sautéed firm tofu blocks. It’s extremely customizable (it is, after all, a sandwich).

Pumpkin Shiitake Melt LOL| bettysliu-8

RECIPE: Pumpkin and Shiitake Melt

Ingredients:

8oz shiitake, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 stalks scallion, chopped finely

2 sandwich sourdough slices
4 slices of Land O Lakes®Deli American
1 sugar pumpkin, or a wedge of a large pumpkin

Directions

Preheat oven to 350F.

Slice pumpkins in half (I slice the cap off the pumpkin for ease of handling). Scoop out the seeds and fibrous guts. Brush with olive oil, then place face down on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Roast for 45-50 minutes, or until fork tender. Let pumpkins cool for 10-15 minutes. Remove skin. Blend with a few tablespoons of water until smooth. If puree is too runny, heat up in a small saucepan and gently cook off water until thick, to the point that stirring a wooden spoon will create a trail that doesn’t disappear (see photo above).

Heat up 2 tablespoon oil or butter on medium, add in scallions and cook for 3-4 minutes, letting the aroma of sautéed scallions arise. Then add shiitake in a single layer. Don’t stir, just let it cook. After 5 minutes, begin to stir, add in garlic and let cook for another 2 minutes, until mushrooms are cooked and golden brown. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Heat up ½ tbsp oil or butter on medium low, add sandwich slices to pan, then layer 1-2 slices of Deli American on the surface. If making just one sandwich, place mushrooms on one side, spread pumpkin puree on the other. Or, if making two sandwiches, first spread with pumpkin, then top with mushrooms. Cook slowly until bread turns golden brown and crisp. By this point, most of your Deli American should be melted. Remove from pan, add more butter, and flip and repeat with other side – this side will be faster so be sure to turn heat to low. When toasty and golden brown, remove and enjoy!

scallion sambal milk bread | bettysliu.com

Hi friends – it’s been quite a while, hasn’t it? I’m really excited to be sharing this recipe for scallion sambal milk bread with scallions, a recipe inspired in part by a visit to Girl and the Goat in Chicago (back in the fall), and of course my obsession with scallions and how wonderfully aromatic this scallion pancake challah was. Read more »

  • Lu

    Hi Betty, will the recipe work if I eliminate the sambal paste? Thank you.ReplyCancel

  • What a fabulous recipe! I love to make bread and have never made a savory bread quite like this. I can’t wait to give it a try. Thank you!ReplyCancel

  • Have loved following along with your trip to China, and big congrats on finishing third year! Does that mean you’ve pretty much finished up with exams for the moment?? So with you on this whole instagram community / pressure to post thing / discussion about being a “brand” – I mean, I don’t feel like a brand, I feel like a real person! I guess its easy to say that because my blog isn’t my main focus and I’m not selling a product, but it really feels like that’s what most of the instagram and blogging community is geared towards. Anyway hope you are well! xxReplyCancel

  • Hi Betty,

    Your blogs are inspiring me to write blog AND THE Recipes are so unique, lovely I love to prepare this dish by today. Thanks for the blog keep posting.ReplyCancel

  • This bread actually looks pretty, lol. I’m really curious to try it!ReplyCancel

  • That’s a really unusual bread , just thinking of what to pair it up with.
    Lovely photos too….gives me inspiration for my own blog.
    Thanks from the UKReplyCancel

  • hey betty! I am surprised I did not see this post in my inbox, but I am so happy I thought of you and came to your site for a visit. I can completely relate to all of your sentiments and have truly found my joy for blogging once again since moving to Greece…it has been such an incredible thing to be on the outside looking into the world I was once so raveled up in. No more clients, no more sponsored posts, just creating out of passion, for the audience that looks forward to what I am dreaming up from my heart. Miss you so much and hope to catch up soon <3ReplyCancel

  • This looks incredible! I can’t wait to try making it!

    Laura
    http://www.laurelandfern.comReplyCancel

  • such a nice article regarding scallion sambal milk bread. superbReplyCancel

  • Hi Betty,

    I just discovered your blog and really like it. I can see the hard work you’ve put in and the high quality pictures are really classy. I appreciate your honesty about the difficulty of finding motivation to finally publish and as a blogger myself I definitely understand.
    Also – green onion with Japanese milk buns?! Awesome. Wish I had though of that 😉

    Respectfully,
    Devan

    http://devancameron.com/ReplyCancel

  • Agnes Chia

    Hi Betty,

    I am trying out your recipe today but since I don’t have sambal available, I am trying it out with Satay ingredients instead and hope I can make them as nice as yours. my yeast didn’t bloom much so am keeping my fingers crossed. Thank you for your sharing and wishing you all the best there can be.ReplyCancel