Welcome back!  Today, we have a fiery Habanero Salsa! Salsa is deceptively easy to make - just chop up a few ingredients and put it through a food processor - and if you do it yourself, you're able to get it to exactly the right consistency and flavor that you want. In this case, we were able to concoct a devilishly spicy salsa with a fresh habanero. Plus, this is so much fresher than the store-bought variety of salsa! Habanero Salsa Ingredients: 3 medium tomatoes (or Roma tomatoes), deseeded 1/4 small red onion 1 jalapeno 1 habanero Cilantro 1 tablespoon lime juice Pinch of salt Directions: Chop the tomatoes, onion, jalapeno, and habanero into rough chunks - not diced. Cut the cilantro so that there aren't any long stems. Add the chopped ingredients into a food processor along with the lime juice and salt. Pulse until the desired consistency is reached. This salsa is great by itself but it also is an amazing way to add an extra kick to guacamole or some Brisket Queso, and of ...

Welcome back!  Today, we have a delicious holiday side: Roasted and Spiced Kabocha! This is a simple pumpkin dish that brings both the sweet and savory undertones of the kabocha through a complex blend of spices. Adding the pecans and cranberries on top of that brings forth even more flavor and texture. Pair it with some roast beef, holiday ham, or even seafood like lobster, and you’ll have a great meal for the holiday season! Roasted and Spiced Kabocha Ingredients: 2 pounds kabocha, peeled (optionally) and cubed 1/2 cup pecans, broken into pieces 1/4 cup dried cranberries 2 tablespoons olive oil Salt to taste Spice mix: 2 tablespoons brown sugar 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin  1/2 teaspoon ground ginger 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander 1/4 teaspoon cayenne 1/4 teaspoon allspice 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper Directions: Season the cubed kabocha with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and salt, and bake at 400°F for 15-20 minutes. Mix together t...

Welcome back!  Today, we have an fresh and easy Italian dish: Caprese Salad! Caprese salad is possibly the most iconic Italian dish that isn't also loaded with carbs: it's really just cheese, tomatoes, and basil. These are also the three colors that make up the Italian flag, as well as the three ingredients that you find on the classic margherita pizza. There's just something refreshing about eating the juicy tomato with the creamy mozzarella together; plus, it's super healthy! Caprese Salad Ingredients: Fresh mozzarella cheese Tomato Basil leaves Extra virgin olive oil Balsamic vinegar Directions: Slice the mozzarella and tomato into similar sized slices. Aim for about a quarter of an inch. Pick and wash some basil leaves. Arrange the ingredients in the pattern of tomato, cheese, and then basil. Drizzle some olive oil and balsamic vinegar on top. Balsamic vinegar isn't always a necessary addition, but we found it to be a nice flavor contrast with the rest of the in...

Welcome back!  Today, we have a quick recipe to enhance something very simple: corn! This method of preparing corn is inspired by the viral dish, "corn ribs", but it's really not anything too complicated, consisting primarily of just a seasoning rub over the corn. The interesting component to this dish is how the corn sort of curls when cooked because of being quartered the way it is.  Oven-Baked Spiced Corn Ingredients: 2 ears corn 1 tablespoon melted butter/oil 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1/2 teaspoon paprika 1/4 teaspoon salt Pinch of cayenne (optional) Directions: Cut the corn into quarters to create four long strips. This will be easier if you cut the corn in half first, giving you eight shorter strips. Mix the melted butter/oil, garlic powder, paprika, salt, and cayenne together in a bowl. Rub this mixture on the corn. Bake in the oven at 425°F for 10-12 minutes. For an oven like ours with an air-fry setting, you could air-fry it at 400°F for about 10 minutes. Honestly...

Welcome back!  Today, we have a classic - perhaps even the most classic - Italian antipasto : bruschetta! This is an extremely simple dish that you can quickly whip together to start off a nice Italian meal. There are many, many different ways to prepare bruschetta - after all, it is just toasted bread with toppings - but the most common is this one, which features tomatoes. The way that the fresh tomatoes really pop with flavor and juiciness in contrast with the crunch of the bread is absolutely delightful! Tomato Bruschetta Ingredients: 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 4 large tomatoes, seeded and diced (you could also use 8 roma tomatoes) 1/4 cup basil, cut into ribbons (aka chiffonade) 2 cloves garlic, finely minced Salt and pepper to taste 1 large baguette, sliced about 1/2" thick More extra virgin olive oil for brushing 1 clove garlic, halved Directions: In a bowl, mix the olive oil, tomatoes, basil, garlic, salt, and pepper. Lay the slices of the baguette on a baking pa...

Welcome back!  Today, we have another great side dish: this one is a quick recipe for roasted mini potatoes. This is something that can go with anything, and everyone likes potatoes, so everyone will like this dish! This dish also works with many different ingredients; you can use different types of potatoes or different seasonings on top. Quick Roasted Mini Potatoes/Smashed Potatoes Ingredients: 1 pound mini potatoes Olive oil Salt and pepper to taste To garnish: Herbs Parmesan/shredded cheese Directions: For standard roasted potatoes: Cut the mini potatoes to desired size (we usually cut them in half) Put a pot of water on the stove and put a little salt in it. Once at a boil, put the potatoes in the water. Cook for about 8-10 minutes until almost fully cooked. Put the potatoes on a baking pan and sprinkle with olive oil and your desired seasoning. Bake in the oven at 375°F until golden brown (maybe about 15 minutes). For smashed potatoes: Don't cut the potatoes - leave them whol...

Welcome back!  Today, we have a quite unique dish: stuffed bell peppers! This type of culinary concoction is found all over the world, with different cuisines adapting the dish to their own cultures. They vary greatly, but the one we have here is more of a traditional American version. However, you could honestly stuff these peppers with whatever you want; there are plenty interesting ones out there on the Internet, from vegan  to Southwestern filling. Stuffed Bell Peppers Makes 4 servings Ingredients: 2 large sweet bell peppers (any color) 1/2 pound ground beef (pork or turkey also works) 1/2 onion, chopped 1 clove garlic, minced 1/2 can (7 ounces) diced tomatoes (you can also use fresh tomatoes) 1 cup cooked wild rice 2 teaspoons Worcestshire sauce 1 teaspoon herbs (thyme, oregano, Italian, pepper flakes, etc.) Salt and pepper to taste 1/2 cup cheese (we used pepper jack) Directions: Cut the bell peppers in half. Scoop out the inside membranes and seeds. Put the bell peppers...

Welcome back!  Today, we have a recipe for a casserole that's commonly featured as a side dish for Thanksgiving feasts: Green Bean Casserole! It was first created by a Campbell's Soup worker, featuring their cream of mushroom soup. Nowadays, a large portion of Campbell's Cream of Mushroom Soup sales go towards the making of this casserole, which is quite interesting. However, since we wanted to make something as fresh and gourmet as possible, we didn't use the canned soup and instead made our own "soup" to go with the beans. Green Bean Casserole Ingredients: 1 pound green beans, trimmed and cut 1 shallot, chopped 1 clove garlic, chopped 3 slices of bacon, chopped 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced 2 tablespoons butter 2 tablespoons flour 2 cup half & half 1/2 cup cheddar cheese (optional) French fried onions Salt and pepper to taste Directions: In a pot of salt water, blanch the green beans for 6 minutes until fork tender. Once done, take these out and rinse them ...

Welcome back, Chefpo Jr. here!  Today, we have my favorite Mexican street food, elotes! Ever since I saw one of these on the internet, I've been dying to give it a try. I had the chance to try it at two different restaurants, but it always came "off the cob". So, I figured that there was no choice but to make it myself. This is a fun, family friendly recipe that is super easy to make. The creamy sauce, spicy chili, smooth cheese, and hearty grilled corn is perfect to eat with tacos, burritos, or just on it's own. Elotes Makes 4 servings Ingredients: 4 ears of corn on the cob 1/4 cup crema or sour cream 1/4 cup mayo 1/2 teaspoon ancho chile powder 2 clove garlic, minced 1/2 lime juice 1/2 cup cotija cheese, finely shredded 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro Directions: Mix the sauce by combining the crema/sour cream, mayo, ancho chile powder, garlic, and lime juice together. Prepare the corn. You can do this one of two ways: Grill the corn on a grill or in the oven. Or, st...

Welcome back!  As a follow up to the Ten Layer Dip , here's our recipe for homemade refried beans, guacamole, and pico de gallo. Refried Beans Ingredients: 1 tablespoon olive oil 1/2 tablespoon butter 1/4 small onion, finely chopped 1 clove garlic, minced 1/2 teaspoon chili powder 1/2 teaspoon cumin 1 can pinto beans 1/4 cup water 1/2 lemon/lime juice Salt to taste Directions: Saute the onions and garlic with the oil in a pan until soft. Add the spices (chili powder and cumin) into the pan and mix it a little. Rinse out the pinto beans thoroughly and put them in the pan. Add the water, lemon/lime juice, and salt and cook until the beans are soft. Once done, add the butter and mix it together. Now, to mash it. You can mash it like you do with mashed potatoes (using a fork or a special mashing tool), or you can use a blender/food processor for a smoother texture. Guacamole Ingredients: 1 large avocado or 2 small avocados 1/4 red onion Juice from 1/2 limes Some cilantro Some jalapenos...

Welcome back to Chez Chefpo!  Today, we have an iconic dish: Confit Byaldi! If you haven't heard of it, this is the real name for the variation of ratatouille from the 2007 Pixar movie. Ratatouille in general is just a stew that contains many of the same ingredients as the confit byaldi, and it doesn't have to be sliced into such thin slices; in fact, it's often just chunks of the vegetables. From the movie, it seems like this dish is for the intense gourmets and that it's really hard to make. However, all it takes is a some precision with the knife and a little patience! Easy Ratatouille (Confit Byaldi) Makes a 8" by 5" oval dish Ingredients: 1/2 zucchini 1/2 yellow squash 1/2 Chinese eggplants (you'll want these because you want the size to be the same as the rest of the vegetables unless you have massive zucchinis and squash) 2 roma tomatoes 1/2 cup marinara sauce Olive oil Some herbs, like thyme Salt and pepper Directions: Thinly slice all the vegetabl...

Welcome back!  Today, we have kind of a follow up on the Chicken Piccata . This is a side dish consisting pretty much of just vegetables that we served alongside the chicken, and I'm sure it would go well with other things, including meats or bases like rice. Although it's called a stew, it's more like ratatouille (which comes in more than just the circular variety ) in that the ingredients are softened. With the help of the potato and the whipping cream, it's creamy and smooth too. Creamy Veggie Stew Makes 4 servings Ingredients: 1/4 onion 1 small zucchini 1/4 each of red and yellow sweet bell pepper 1 carrot 1 medium potato 1/2 cup chicken broth 1/2 cup whipping cream Salt and pepper to taste Directions: Chop everything up! Everything should be diced into relatively equal size. After chopping them up, steam the carrot and potato a little bit and put it aside. This makes later steps a little easier. Put a little bit of olive oil in a pan. Saute the onion in the pan for...

Welcome back!  Following up on Chicken Tenders on our fast food recreations is coleslaw! This is a great dish that is commonly featured alongside fried chicken whether it's drumsticks, tenders, or a even a taco! (Did you know KFC has a fried chicken taco  available in Singapore?) This is a pretty standard recipe, and honestly tastes quite like those seen in fast food chains. Coleslaw Makes a lot Ingredients: Half of a cabbage, shredded (this is about 4 cups) 1 small carrot, shredded 1 tablespoon onion, minced (optional) 1/2 cup mayo 3 tablespoons sugar 1 1/2 tablespoon olive oil 1 1/2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar A pinch of paprika Directions: Chop up all of the vegetables. Mix together all of the ingredients. Chill for at least four hours, or preferred, overnight. That's it! We tried to add some celery seeds once, but it tasted a little different. Li'l Chefpo thinks it has to do with the sweetness of the coleslaw which doesn't match with the celery. You could totall...

Welcome back!  Today, we got a refreshing kale salad! This is different from the other types of salad that we usually eat, and although it was different, it was actually really nice. It's very cool and relaxing to eat, which is a little strange, but it's healthy and you feel good after eating it. Once again, this is recipe where you can pretty much add anything in your pantry or fridge, just as long as there's kale. Kale Salad Makes about 4 servings Ingredients: Salad: 1 bunch kale 1/4 small onion 1/4 cup corn 1 avocado 1/4 cup raisins 2 mangos Dressing: 1 tablespoon olive oil 2 tablespoons lemon juice 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar 2 tablespoons honey 2 teaspoons dijon mustard Salt and pepper to taste Directions: Prepare the kale: Wash it thoroughly, remove the stems, then drain. Chop the kale into small pieces Spray with some olive oil Massage the leaves for a couple minutes to soften the kale Prepare your toppings, just chop everything into chunks of similar size to t...