It’s been 3 months since I returned to work from maternity leave and the biggest challenge has been learning to balance work (starting a new role), family and making time for myself. Stephen’s been amazing at his new role of working dad while I’m slowly coming to terms with the limited number of hours in a day. After a week of work and hustle, Stephen de-stresses by cooking and experimenting with new recipes while I crave quality time with family and friends. It’s been a great combination so far, filling our summer weekends with amazing food and company.

When hosting guests I like recipes that can be prepped ahead of time and customizable to accommodate personal tastes. Baos are a perfect fit for both criteria. The protein and toppings can be cooked separately, baos can be served hot or cold and best served assembled on demand. We’ve been eating a lot of turkey recently between smoked turkey legs (one of my favourite meals) and adding ground turkey to our pasta sauce, it’s a tasty and versatile ingredient. The light flavor of turkey also makes it a great protein to use as a base to build on from tacos to wontons to baos! It’s easy to ThinkTurkey outside of the oven and support Canadian Turkey Farmers.

We came up with two recipes for turkey baos, one that can be served cold and one hot. Both delicious and sure to impress. While Stephen and I choose to use turkey leg because we prefer dark meat, turkey breast would work just as well. Ready to steam bao buns can usually be found in the freezer section of Asian grocery stores. We bought ours from T&T and they were soft, fluffy and steamed in just 15 minutes from frozen. Each recipe will make enough turkey filling for 4-6 baos.

For more delicious recipes featuring turkey, visit www.ThinkTurkey.ca

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post in collaboration with Turkey Farmers of Canada. All ideas and opinions expressed are wholly mine.

Deep Fried Turkey Baos

2019-07-27 18:13:37

Serves 4

Tangy, juicy, crispy bites of deep fried turkey with wakame salad and kimchi

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Prep Time

1 hr

Cook Time

15 min

Total Time

1 hr 15 min

Prep Time

1 hr

Cook Time

15 min

Total Time

1 hr 15 min

The Turkey

1. 1 lb turkey leg deboned
2. 1/4 cup potato or corn starch
3. 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
4. ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
5. 1 inch of ginger grated
6. 8 cloves of garlic grated
7. 1 tbsp soy sauce
8. 1 tbsp sake or Sherry (optional)
9. 1 tsp sesame oil
10. 1 tsp sugar

The Toppings

1. Wakame salad
2. Kimchi
3. Garlic mayo
4. Roasted sesame seeds

The Baos

1. 4-6 frozen baos

Instructions

1. Cut turkey into quarter size chunks
2. Combine grated ginger, garlic, soy sauce, sake, sesame oil, sugar and black pepper to create a marinade for the turkey
3. In a large mixing bowl, marinate turkey for at last one hour, covered, in the fridge
4. Add potato starch and flour to the bowl of marinated turkey and combine by hand until each piece is coated
5. Bring wok filled with oil, to 350 F and fry turkey, a few pieces at a time, until golden brown and cooked through, 3-5 minutes
6. Remove turkey from oil and set aside on a wire rack or in a mesh colander to keep them crispy
7. Turn up the heat on the oil and dry each piece again for 1-2 minutes
8. To prep the garlic mayo, grate 1 clove of garlic / tablespoon of mayo, adjust to taste
9. Steam baos as per cooking instructions
10. Assemble bao with deep fried turkey bites and garnish with wakame salad, kimchi, garlic mayo and top of sesame seeds

Tips

1. To test the oil temperature, dip a bamboo chopstick into the oil and look for bubbles
2. When frying, cook only a few pieces at a time to prevent the oil from cooling down too quickly
3. To avoid the turkey from clumping together, slide pieces into the oil one at a time
4. If the chicken gets too dark too quickly, likely the oil temperature is too high

xiaoEats | Toronto Food Blog http://xiaoeats.com/

Mouth Watering Turkey Baos

2019-07-27 18:17:26

Serves 4

Spicy, numbing turkey baos, can be made with white or dark meat

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Prep Time

20 min

Cook Time

25 min

Total Time

45 min

Prep Time

20 min

Cook Time

25 min

Total Time

45 min

The Turkey

1. 1lb turkey leg deboned
2. 1 tsp rice wine
3. 1 tbsp soy sauce
4. 1 tsp sesame oil
5. 1/4 tsp white pepper

The Sauce

1. 4 tbsp red chili oil
2. 2 tbsp Chinese vinegar
3. 1 tbsp sesame paste
4. 1 tsp sesame oil
5. 1 tsp ground Sichuan peppercorn
6. 1 tbsp Sichuan pepper oil
7. 1 tsp chicken bouillon powder
8. 1/2 tsp sugar
9. 1 tbsp light soy sauce

The Toppings

1. Shredded Cucumber
2. Crispy Shallots
3. Quick Pickled Radishes

The Baos

1. 4-6 frozen baos

Instructions

1. For the pickled radish, in a small saucepan heat 1/3 cup of white vinegar, 1/3 cup of sugar, 1/3 cup of water and 1 tsp of salt, stir until the sugar dissolves, do not bring to a boil. Once heated, transfer to a lidded container and add thinly sliced radish, pickle for at least 3 hours.
2. Season turkey for 1 our with rice wine, soy sauce, sesame oil and white pepper
3. Steam turkey until internal temperature reaches 180 F, about 20 minutes
4. Shred the turkey or cut into 1inch chunks
5. In a mixing bowl mix together ingredients for the sauce
6. Add shredded turkey to the sauce and mix to thoroughly coat each piece
7. For the crispy shallots, thinly slice shallots and lightly dust with flour and season with salt, fry in oil until golden brown
8. Steam baos as per cooking instructions
9. Assemble bao with sauced turkey and garnish with shredded cucumber, quick pickled radish and crispy shallots

Tips

1. If you are having trouble finding Sichuan pepper oil, double up on the group Sichuan peppercorn for a similar numbing sensation
2. A substitute for Sichuan peppercorns is an equal part combination of balck peppercorns and coriander seeds, however the numbing sensation is irreplaceable
3. Peanut butter can be used as a substitute for sesame paste
4. For the red chili oil, can use a store bought version or try this recipe https://www.chinasichuanfood.com/chinese-chili-oil/.

xiaoEats | Toronto Food Blog http://xiaoeats.com/

Eggs have always been my go to source for a quick and inexpensive protein. They’re versatile and easy to cook. My go to breakfast is usually a fried or hard boiled egg. I do get bored eating the same thing everyday though. So, in preparation for a busy week at work, The Hubby and I made a batch of Chinese Tea Leaf Eggs for a change to my instant breakfasts. This recipe adds a new level to the plain hard boiled egg.

Tea Leaf Eggs

2015-08-02 03:38:12

Leveling up hard boiled eggs

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Prep Time

5 min

Cook Time

2 hr

Total Time

2 hr 5 min

Prep Time

5 min

Cook Time

2 hr

Total Time

2 hr 5 min

Ingredients

1. 6-8 large eggs
2. 1 1/2 tbsp of black Pu'erh tea or 2 black tea bags
3. 2 whole star anise
4. 1 tbsp of rock sugar
5. 1 tbsp of light soy sauce
6. 1 tbsp of dark sauce

Instructions

1. Rinse the eggs and place in a small pot, cover with water and bring to a boil, remove the pot from heat and let sit for 10 minutes
2. Drain the hot water and rinse. Using the back of a spoon, lightly tap on the boiled eggs to crack the shell, this creates the marbling effect, place eggs back in pot
3. Cover the eggs with water and add in the tea, star anise, soy sauce and rock sugar
4. Bring to a boil and then turn heat to low, simmer for 2-3 hours

Notes

1. Pu'erh tea can be found for low price at Chinese grocery stores
2. Eggs can be eaten right away or left to marinate in the sauce, the flavour will get stronger over time
3. Like all hard boiled eggs, Tea Leaf Eggs do need to be refrigerated

xiaoEats | Toronto Food Blog http://xiaoeats.com/

Step by Step Photos

Assemble Ingredients

Boil Eggs

Gently crack shell

Put eggs back in pot, cover with water and add in remaining ingredients

Bring to a boil and let simmer for 2-3 hours

Walking through a Chinese grocery store’s butcher section can sometimes be a test of knowledge. There’s plenty of hand written signs labeling cuts on meat in Chinese, but often the English translations are more vague (ie. lean pork, lean meat, beef meat). When The Hubby and I came across Beef Finger meat on sale, we had to try it out. This cut of meat is boneless and actually the meat that is in between the ribs. We decided to cook it the best way we knew how for an unknown cut, slow-cooked into a stew. The end result was saucy, flavourful and super tender.

Asian BBQ Beef Finger Stew

2015-07-24 15:51:05

Serves 4

Slow cooked beef finger meat stew, saucy and tender

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Prep Time

15 min

Cook Time

4 hr

Total Time

4 hr 15 min

Prep Time

15 min

Cook Time

4 hr

Total Time

4 hr 15 min

Ingredients

1. 1.5-2lb boneless beef finger meat
2. 2 tbsp grated ginger
3. 3 cloves of garlic minced
4. 1/2 diced onion
5. 1/2 tbsp five spice powder
6. 1/8 cup rice vinegar
7. 1/6 cup brown sugar
8. 1/6 cup soy sauce
9. 1/4 cup hoisin sauce
10. 1 tbsp cooking wine
11. 1 tbsp sesame oil
12. 1 1/2 tbsp Sriracha
13. 1 1/2 tbsp oyster sauce
14. 1/2 cup water
15. 1 tsp cornstarch

Instructions

1. Grate the ginger, mince the garlic and dice the onion, add to large mixing bowl
2. Into the mixing bowl, add the five spice, rice vinegar, brown sugar, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, cooking wine, sesame oil, Sriracha and oyster sauce and stir together
3. Cut the boneless beef finger meat into 2" by 1" strips and lightly sear all sides
4. Transfer the beef into the slow cooker, pour in the sauce and add in the water
5. Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours
6. If there's a lot of fat that comes out from the meat, skim at this point (we didn't skim any)
7. Add in cornstarch to thicken the sauce before serving

xiaoEats | Toronto Food Blog http://xiaoeats.com/

Step by Step Photos

Assemble ingredients

Grate ginger

Dice garlic

Combine all ingredients for sauce

Lightly sear beef finger meat

Slow cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours, skim fat and add in corn starch before serving

With Easter coming up this weekend, this Leg of Lamb Roast makes a perfect centrepiece for a family meal. It’s amazing how easy the recipe is and how beautiful the lamb turns out with the help of a meat thermometer, which was by far my best kitchen gadget investment of 2014. If you’re looking for a change from turkey, lamb is a great alternative.

Leg of Lamb Roast

2015-04-02 02:37:58

Serves 6

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Prep Time

15 min

Cook Time

1 hr 30 min

Total Time

1 hr 45 min

Prep Time

15 min

Cook Time

1 hr 30 min

Total Time

1 hr 45 min

Ingredients

1. 1 leg of lamb bone-in (2-3kg)
2. 6 cloves of garlic, minced
3. 2 tbsp olive oil
4. 3 stems of rosemary, fresh or dried
5. salt and ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Let the lamb sit out of the refrigerator to reach room temperature before cooking, place the lamb in a roasting pan on top of a rack
2. Rub the lamb with olive oil and generously season both sides with salt and ground black pepper
3. Broil the lamb until it is seared and browned, then flip and repeat for the other side
4. Set the oven to 325 degrees F and place oven rack in middle of the oven
5. Mince the cloves of garlic, mix with rosemary and pat onto both sides of the lamb
6. Tent the roasting pan loosely with tin foil and roast until desired internal temperature (135 degrees for medium rare - medium, ~1 hour to 1 hour 1/2)
7. Rest the lamb for 15 minutes before carving

Notes

1. The lamb will continue to cook a bit once out of the oven. For best results, remove from the oven when the internal temperature is a 5-10 degrees lower than desired.
2. The pictures lef of lamb was taken out of the oven at an internal temperature of 135 degrees

xiaoEats | Toronto Food Blog http://xiaoeats.com/

Step by Step Photos

Assemble ingredients, let lamb sit until at room temperature

Rub both sides with olive oil, season with salt and pepper

Broil each side until browned

Mince garlic and mix with rosemary

Pat garlic and rosemary onto both sides of the lamb

Insert meat thermometer, tent pan with tin foil and roast at 325 degrees F for ~ 1 hour

Let lamb sit for 15 minutes before carving

Lobster Mac and Cheese was another dish we served at New Year’s Eve and it was a hit. We updated the classic comfort dish by adding in fresh lobster and topping with panko crumbs. This dish also freezes and reheats well, perfect for lunches during the work week. The recipe is a little intensive and takes some time, but the results are worth the effort.

Lobster Mac and Cheese

2015-01-19 00:31:42

Serves 8

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Prep Time

30 min

Cook Time

1 hr

Total Time

1 hr 30 min

Prep Time

30 min

Cook Time

1 hr

Total Time

1 hr 30 min

Ingredients

1. 4 cups of macaroni (or large shell pasta)
2. 4 cups of milk
3. 8 tbsps of butter
4. 1/2 flour
5. 4 cups of Gruyere cheese, grated
6. 2 cups of sharp cheddar cheese, grated
7. 1/2 tsp of ground black pepper
8. 1 1/2 pounds of cooked lobster (Two 1 and 1/2 lb fresh lobsters)
9. 1 1/2 cups of panko crumbs
10. Sea salt to taste
11. 1 tbsp of vegetable oil

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2. Cook the fresh lobsters, take apart, chop roughly and set aside
3. Cook the pasta as directed on the package, grate cheese and set aside
4. In a small saucepan, heat the milk without boiling it
5. In another large pot, melt the butter, add in the flour while whisking, cook for 2 minutes
6. Continue to whisk and add in the heated milk, continue to whisk until the sauce is smooth and thickens, remove from heat
7. Add in the salt, cheese pepper and stir until the cheese is melted, then add in the cooked pasta, lobster and stir together
8. Pout the entire cheesy pasta mixture into a casserole dish, top with panko crumbs and bake for 30-35 minutes

Notes

1. The pasta will continue to cook in the oven, so initially, cook it a little more al dente than preferred

xiaoEats | Toronto Food Blog http://xiaoeats.com/

Step by Step Photos

Boil and prepare fresh lobster

Remove lobster meat from shell

Roughly chop the lobster meat

Cook the pasta

Melt the butter

Whisk flour into butter

Add in heated milk

Remove from heat, add in salt, pepper and grated cheese

Stir cheesy mixture until smooth, add in cooked pasta, lobster and stir together
Transfer everything to a casserole dish, top with panko crumbs and bake for 30-35 minutes at 375 degrees

This was our first time making a prime roast and the meal turned out beautiful. A few hours in the oven with some careful tending and dinner was served along with roasted brussels sprouts and yorkshire pudding. This recipe is perfect for the holidays and easily serves 4-6 people. I was surprised with how straight forward the recipe was and not intimidating.

Cooking for guests is stressful, even more so as a new cook. The fiance and I have only just begun having guests over for dinner and I can’t wait to serve this roast to friends and family. Until then, while we continue to try out family size meals, I get a delicious lunch for the work week.

Prime Rib Roast

2014-12-21 23:38:37

Serves 6

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Prep Time

15 min

Cook Time

4 hr

Total Time

4 hr 15 min

Prep Time

15 min

Cook Time

4 hr

Total Time

4 hr 15 min

Ingredients

1. 4lbs prime rib roast
2. sea salt
3. crushed black pepper
4. vegetable oil
5. meat thermometer

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 225 degrees
2. Place the rib roast in a baking pan just bigger than the roast, rub with oil until fully coated
3. Generously rub each side of the roast with sea salt and then crush black pepper
4. Insert the meat thermometer as per its instructions and place the pan in the oven
5. Roast, uncovered until the desired internal temperature is reached (this will take ~ 4 hours: ~140 degrees for rare, ~160 degrees for medium) - see note
6. Take the roast out of the oven, tent with aluminium foil and turn the oven up to 500 degrees
7. Wait until the internal temperature drops back down to 130 degrees and place roast back into the oven
8. Bake for another 10-15 minutes to form a crust as desired
9. Keep the roast covered until ready to serve

Note

1. The roast will continue to cook once removed from the oven and the internal temperature can climb anywhere from 5 - 20 degrees. To ensure the roast isn't overcooked, it can be taken out of the oven before it reaches 140 or 160 degrees.
2. The drippings can be used for any gravy recipe and served alongside

xiaoEats | Toronto Food Blog http://xiaoeats.com/

Step by Step Photos

Prep ingredients

Rub roast with oil, salt and crushed black pepper. Insert meat thermometer and bake at 225 degrees

Once desired internal temperature is reached, remove from oven, tent and wait until internal temperature drops to 130 degrees before baking at 500 degrees to form a crust

Serve with sides and gravy

Yorkshire Pudding is incredibly easy to make and an excellent vessel for gravy. The fiance and I made a batch to eat with our Prime Rib Roast dinner. The Yorkies from this recipe puff up like balloons and deflate to create a perfect well. I’ve also been eating the extras for breakfast this week and the egg flavour and fluffy texture is perfect. 

Yorkshire Pudding

2014-12-18 00:09:17

Yields 12

A perfect side for roast beef dinner, well for gravy

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Prep Time

5 min

Cook Time

30 min

Total Time

35 min

Prep Time

5 min

Cook Time

30 min

Total Time

35 min

Ingredients

1. 4 eggs
2. 2 cups all purpose flour
3. 2 cups milk
4. 6 tsp roast drippings

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees
2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, eggs and milk until smooth
3. In a muffin tray, spoon 1/2 tsp of roast drippings into each tin
4. Place the muffin tray into the oven until the oil begins to smoke, ~3-4 minutes
5. Carefully take out the tray and ladle the batter into each tin, filling up to 3/4
6. Bake for 30 minutes

Notes

1. The puddings will collapse once out of the oven, they are best served hot

xiaoEats | Toronto Food Blog http://xiaoeats.com/

Step by Step Photos

Assemble Ingredients

In a large mixing bow combine eggs, flour and milk

Whisk until smooth

Spoon 1/2 tsp roast drippings into each muffin tin, put tray in over until the drippings just begin to smoke

Ladle the batter into each tin and bake for 30 minutes at 425 degrees

With the holiday season around the corner, one meal that The Fiance’s family loves to cook is Prime Rib Roast. A perfect side dish to accompany the roast is this Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon recipe. The sprouts come out of the oven crispy and infused with bacon flavour. It may not be the healthiest dish, but it’s green.

Roasted Brussels Spouts with Bacon

2014-12-15 00:09:08

Serves 4

Quick and easy side dish for any meal

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Prep Time

5 min

Cook Time

45 min

Total Time

50 min

Prep Time

5 min

Cook Time

45 min

Total Time

50 min

Ingredients

1. 1 lb brussels sprouts
2. 4 slices of bacon
3. 1 shallot
4. sea salt
5. fresh ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees
2. Trim the brussels sprouts, halve and remove any yellow leaves
3. Cut the bacon stripes into one inch pieces and mince the shallot
4. In a cast iron pan, fry up the bacon until most of the fat has rendered
5. Add the brussels sprouts, heavily season with salt, fresh ground pepper and add the shallots
6. Transfer the cast iron pan to the oven and bake for 35 to 40 minutes

If you're not using a cast iron pan

1. Lay out the brussels sprouts on a lined baking sheet
2. Cook the bacon in a frying pan, transfer all of the rendered oil bacon onto the baking sheet and mix with brussels sprouts, season and then bake

xiaoEats | Toronto Food Blog http://xiaoeats.com/

Step by Step Photos

Assemble ingredients

Trim and halve brussels sprouts

Cut bacon into one inch pieces and fry in a cast iron pan

Once bacon is cooked, add in the brussels sprouts, season and bake for 35 to 40 minutes

I am not a baker. I have no patience for measuring and I have a tendency for estimating. Despite that, there’s something about the holidays that make me reach for my mixing bowls (buried under many other kitchen gadgets). One thing I love about cookie recipes is that they’re usually a single step. Cream, stir, bake and eat. This dried cranberry and white chocolate chip cookie recipe was easy to whip up, even for me and the results were delicious, soft and chunky. The dried cranberries are perfect for holidays and balance with the sweet white chocolate chips, a perfect cookie to sip with tea by the fire.

Dried Cranberry & White Chocolate Cookie

2014-12-03 00:45:55

Yields 24

Quick and easy cookie recipe with festive dried cranberries and white chocolate chip

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Prep Time

15 min

Cook Time

10 min

Total Time

25 min

Prep Time

15 min

Cook Time

10 min

Total Time

25 min

Ingredients

1. 1/2 cup of butter at room temperature
2. 1/2 cup of packed brown sugar
3. 1/2 cup of white sugar
4. 1 egg
5. 1 tsp of vanilla extract
6. 1 1/2 cups of all purpose flour
7. 1 tsp of baking powder
8. 3/4 cup of white chocolate chips
9. 1 cup roughly chopped dried cranberries

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2. Grease cookie sheets (I like to save butter wrappers to do this)
3. In a large bowl, cream together the brown sugar, white sugar and butter until smooth
4. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract
5. In a separate bowl, combine the flour and baking powder
6. Add dry ingredients to the creamed butter and stir together
7. Add in white chocolate chips and chopped dried cranberries, stir together
8. Drop balls of dough onto the baking sheet, making two dozen
9. Bake for 8-10 minutes, remove from the oven, let sit for 1 minute and transfer to wire racks to cool

xiaoEats | Toronto Food Blog http://xiaoeats.com/

Step by Step Photos

Prep ingredients

Cream sugar and butter

Beat in egg and vanilla extract, combine dry ingredients in another bowl

Mix in dry ingredients and then dried cranberries and white chocolate chips

Spoon onto greased cookie sheets, bake at 375 for 8-10 minutes

I love to eat duck at restaurants, but my mom never cooked it at home and therefore it was a foreign and intimidating ingredient. This recipe from The Fiance’s mom changed all of that. With a few easy steps and some TLC, the duck comes out tender, with authentic Chinese flavours (sweet and sour) and renders a delicious stock that can be re-used.

Chinese Plum Duck

2014-11-30 21:34:16

Yields 1

Easy oven roasted Chinese Plum Duck

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Prep Time

15 min

Cook Time

3 hr

Total Time

3 hr 15 min

Prep Time

15 min

Cook Time

3 hr

Total Time

3 hr 15 min

Ingredients

1. 1 whole duck ~4 lbs
2. 6 cloves of garlic
3. 2 tbsp of rock sugar (cane sugar)
4. 5-6 pickled plums (per preference)
5. 2 tbsp of dark soy sauce
6. 2 tbsp of cooking wine
7. 2 cups of water

Instructions

1. Rinse off the duck and pat dry with a clean tea towel or paper towel
2. In a roasting pan, bake the duck at 350 degrees for one hour
3. Remove duck from oven and drain liquid
4. Mince the garlic, smash pickled plums, break apart rock sugar and mix all together (Tip: Use some of the pickled plum juice to help dissolve the rock sugar)
5. Place half the garlic mixture in the pan, stuff the other half in the body cavity of the duck
6. Place duck back into the pan breast side up and brush with dark soy sauce
7. Add water and cooking wine to the roasting pan
8. Bake for 2 hours at 350 degrees, flipping every 30 minutes and brushing again with dark soy

Notes

1. Tip: If the duck is frozen, be sure to thaw in the fridge overnight
2. Optional: Add corn starch to thicken the sauce and serve alongside or save and use as sauce for noodles later

xiaoEats | Toronto Food Blog http://xiaoeats.com/

Step by Step Photos

Prep ingredients, bake duck at 350 degrees for one hour

Mince garlic, smash plums and break apart rock sugar

Put half the garlic mixture into the pan and stuff the other half into the duck cavity

Brush the duck with dark soy sauce

Bake for 2 hours, flipping every 30 minutes and brushing with dark soy sauce