The Aimless Cook

Valentines Day is coming and this Matcha Toast is definitely something you and your Valentine are sure to enjoy. Best of all, it’s elegant and easy to make. We combine the best of 3 great things in one recipe; the simplicity of French toast, the decadence of tres leches and the experience of cracking that caramelized sugar crust of a creme brulee. This is a triple threat that’s sure please. 

Inspired by Anthony Myint of Mission Street Food. You are my culinary hero.

• 500ml Half and Half
• half can of sweetened condensed milk
• 2 teaspoons matcha (green tea) powder
• a loaf of thick-sliced bread (Texas toast)
• sugar
• butter

Ok, guys, a very easy recipe here and we’re gonna start with a large mixing bowl with 500ml of half and half and about 2 teaspoons of matcha green tea powder. Whisk them together until well combined then add about half a can of sweetened condensed milk to taste. Continue whisking until the ingredients are well combined then set aside.

Now grab yourself a couple of slices of thick-sliced bread or Texas toast and spread each slice with 2 tablespoons (don’t judge me) of butter. Pop them under the broiler until the edges turn brown.

When the bread is ready, dip the slices butter-side down (just like how you drop them) in a plate of sugar. Sprinkle more sugar to coat the bread evenly. Now grab a chef’s torch and slowly cook the sugar layer until evenly browned. If you don’t have a torch, simply pop your sugar toast back under the broiler.

When your toast is done, it’s time to plate up. Put a nice generous pool of the green tea milk in the plate and place the toast right on top. Finish the dish by sprinkling more matcha powder on top and get ready for some homemade awesome. 

So that’s all there is to our Matcha Green Tea Toast. Special thanks to Anthony Myint of Mission Street Food for writing such an incredible and inspiring book. So take this recipe with you, make it yours and have fun in the kitchen, which brings me to my question of the day: What are you cooking up for your special someone on Valentines Day? 

Buddocks are a home style meat bun made with a basic bread dough, stuffed with ground beef or pork, cabbage and onions. You can actually put whatever you got in them and experiment. I got this recipe from Jo’s family recipe book. If you know where the name ‘buddocks’ came from, please let me know.

The buns:

• 1T quick rise yeast
• ½ t salt
• 2 cups warm water
• ½ cup sugar
• 2 beaten eggs
• ½ cup melted butter
• 7 cups all purpose flour

Start with the warm water in a large mixing bowl and add sugar. Stir briefly, then add the quick rise yeast. Stir it in and let stand for about 15 minutes while the yeast activates. 

Add salt, eggs, butter and flour. Combine until smooth and let stand for 1 hour to rise. Now let’s start our filling.

The cabbage roll filling:

• 300g sour cabbage, rinsed and minced
• ½ lb each of ground beef and pork, combined
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 large tomato, diced
• S&P

In this recipe, I’m using sour cabbage. I got this idea from the cabbage roll video back in 2010. It adds a lot of flavour to the filling. Be sure before you use it to rinse well in cold water to get rid of the excess brine. After that, shred the cabbage and set aside.

In a large skillet or wok, brown the ground beef until it starts to change colour then add onion. Cook for a couple minutes more, season with salt and pepper then add the cabbage and tomato. Mix well to combine, cover and cook on medium to wilt the cabbage and break down the tomatoes. When the filling is done, give it a final taste and season again. Remove from heat, set aside and let cool. 

At this point, your dough will be at least twice its size. Cut into 2 and roll your dough into a sheet to about the thickness of a chopstick. Cut them into palm-sized squares and get ready to assemble. 

Put a square of dough in your palm and scoop in some filling in the center of the square. Fold the corners into the center and pinch the edges to seal. Fold in the remaining corners and twist. Once you get a few dozen of these made, you’ll have the technique down.

Pop your buns onto a baking sheet and bake on 350F for about 20 minutes or until golden brown. Once they are finished, set aside to cool since the fillings will be molten hot, especially if you’re using a filling with cheese. 

Speaking of fillings, you can let your imagination go wild and put whatever you want; leftover curry, adobo, pulled pork… Be creative and have fun in the kitchen. Enjoy!

Garlic Chicken is another great Hawaiian favourite that’s super easy to make. In fact, we can look at this post as 2 recipes in one since we’re gonna be making a stop in Japan on the way. I love Hawaiian food because it’s a melting pot of cultures. You have your Japanese, Chinese, Filipino and American influences all mingling together with local island ingredients and flavours. This recipe is great finger food for watching the game and having a beer, or serving at parties. It’s also awesome with rice as part of a mix plate! YouTube subscriber, Kratz808 gave me the idea to make this and since she’s homesick for some serious ono grindz, I’m dedicating this recipe to you! 

The Chicken Karaage:

• 1lb chicken thighs, boneless/skinless, cut into bite-sized pieces
• pepper to season
• a dash of soy sauce
• a dash of garlic powder
• 2 Tablespoons corn starch

In a large mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients together and let sit in the fridge for about 15-30 minutes. Meanwhile, heat some oil (a couple inches) in a heavy pot or wok til you can put a chopstick tip in and see tiny bubbles…lol. Drop in a tiny piece of chicken and it should sizzle. If not, wait a little longer til the oil gets hotter. If the chicken turns brown too fast, the oil’s too hot. When the oil is ready, gently put in the chicken in small batches and fry until golden brown and crispy. Bite-sized pieces won’t take long to cook (about 3 minutes). Take out with a slotted spoon or spider and drain on paper towels. Congrats, you just made Chicken Karaage. If you wanna stop here, season immediately with salt and pepper and serve with lemon wedges and some shichimi togarashi. Enjoy!

If you want to make some broke da mouth garlic chicken, keep reading…

Da sauce:

• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/2 cup mirin
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp chili flakes
• 1 tsp sesame seeds
• 2 Tbsp minced garlic
• 1Tbsp honey

Heat up a non-stick skillet with the sesame oil on medium heat and gently cook the garlic. When it starts to smell good, take off the heat and add the rest of the ingredients. Return to the heat, turn up to max and whisk together until combined. Keep whisking while it cooks and let it reduce til it’s like syrup. Take off the heat and let’s invite the chicken over for a play date.

In a large mixing bowl, add the chicken karaage and pour over the sauce. Gently toss until the chicken is evenly coated. Serve on it’s own, with steamed rice or on tiny toothpicks. Enjoy!

Special mahalo to Kratz808 for her awesome suggestion for this killer chicken!

Macaroni salad is a staple side to the Hawaiian mix plate. What makes it unique is the subtle Asian influence to this common salad. It’s delicious and there are many ways you can add your own creativity to it to make your own version. Here is mine.

• 6 oz macaroni
• 1.5 oz crab meat
• 1.5 oz salad shrimp
• 2t grated carrot
• 1t grated celery
• 1t minced onion
• 1c mayo (Best Foods…just sayin’)
• ¼ t sugar 
• 2t mirin
• 1/8t hon dashi
• s&p to season

Start by boiling the macaroni in salted water until tender. Strain and rinse in cold water. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the macaroni and the other ingredients and mix until combined. Cover with kitchen wrap and put in the fridge for at least an hour to let the flavors make love and have illegitimate children. Just wanted to see if you were paying attention. lol. If you like your mac salad sweeter and you don’t want to more sugar, try shredded pineapple. That’s another trick from my aunt.