Being Small Has Its Advantages - Mini Chicken Pot Pies with a Cajun kick

For the longest time, our society has programmed us to believe that being small was not a good trait, in almost anything.   To go even further, it's being looked down upon.   Unfortunately, many believe that nonsense which is saddening and unhelpful to those who are below the average size.  Bigger does not mean better.  It only means bigger or taller people have more mass structure. The good news is that there are ways to deal with it which require self-discipline and daily self-reminders:

1. Accepting and embracing who you are make you unique
2. Strengthening self-respect prompts respect from others
3. Ridiculing the belief that being short or small is a drawback
4. Learning to laugh at yourself
5. Prioritizing on other things that matter most in your life : your projects, your goals, your dreams (other than wishing to be taller)

By applying the above methods, you'll notice a definite change in your perspective of things in life.   So what if you're being called names and finger-pointed for stretching your muscles a little more than the others to be able to reach out for the cookie jar that's purposely placed on the highest kitchen shelf?  Just get a chair.  Yes, it's more work, but at least you're moving and you are getting that darn cookie jar.  Problem solved.  Nothing else matters more than your well-being and your happiness.


Now you'll ask, 'what does this have anything to do with food?'.  Well, being small can have its advantages.    These mini pot pies can be the perfect appetizers or the original entree that can wow everyone during a holiday dinner party.   Their size makes them practical for a buffet-style dinner for your guests.  They're easy to eat and so fun to prepare.  Invite your guests or your kids to prepare them. Kids love helping out in the kitchen and they have fun cooking when you make a game out of it.


I enjoy making those so much more than making a regular sized chicken pot pie only because it's a different way of making chicken pot pie.  In addition, they're cute.  Who doesn't like biting into canapés or amuse-bouches just before dinner?  They're fun and eye-popping treats that never fail to amaze your guests with 'Ooohs' and 'Aaahs'.  When it comes to cooking, I love being creative and making something a little out of the box for the sake of making my experiments in the kitchen all the more interesting.  The minute I start falling into a routine, I get bored and lose my sense of creativity.


That being said, I hope you will try those for the holidays and I promise that they are treats that you and your guests will love sinking your teeth into.  Adding some cajun spices adds a nice kick to those pies.

Preparation : 15 minutes, Baking time : 10-12 minutes or until crust is golden and flaky

Recipe "au pif":

1/2 kg boneless chicken upper thighs (cut in 2 inch chunks)

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

2 sprigs fresh thyme, chopped

1 sprig fresh rosemary, chopped

1/2 tsp ground cajun spice (found in any local supermarket)

1 red chili pepper (seeds removed and finely chopped)

2 tbsp flour

3/4 tbsp chicken concentrate with 125 ml boiling water (or 125 ml chicken stock)

pinch of coarse sea salt

pinch of ground black pepper

1/2 cup frozen peas

1 tbsp olive oil or 1/2 tbsp butter

200 gr frozen puff pastry (defrosted) and a bit of flour

1 egg


Preheat oven at 350F

In a hermetic plastic bag, throw in the chicken, salt and pepper, chili, thyme, rosemary, cajun spice and flour

Seal the bag and shake well until the chicken is well coated and seasoned.

In a medium-size sauce pan, heat oliver oil (or I prefer using butter for flavour) on high. Add in the seasoned chicken and give it a good stir for about 2 minutes.

Add boiling water and the chicken concentrate, or simply your choice of chicken stock.

Cover, lower the heat to medium and simmer for about 5 minutes.   Turn off the heat and stir in the frozen peas.  Put lid back on and set aside.

With a rolling pin, flatten the puff pastry about 30 cm by 20 cm, and 1/2 cm thick. Sprinkle flour on your board under and on top of the puff pastry so as to avoid sticking to the board and rolling pin.

Use of one your small ramequins and trace with a pairing knife a circle just about 1/2 cm wider around the ramequin.  Repeat until you run out of dough.

Fill each ramequin 3/4 full with the chicken stew.

Cover each ramequin with the puff pastry.  Dab a little bit of water around the edges and squeeze the dough lightly around the rim.  With a fork, poke the top of the pastry dough to allow steam to go through while the pies are baking.

Pop the chicken pot pies in the oven and bake for about 10-12 minutes or until the crust is golden and flaky.

Serves 4 - 6  people.


share and enjoy!

Bánh Cuốn' is Fast Becoming a Favorite at the Office

Steamed rice flour paper filled with minced pork, onions, bean sprouts and black mushrooms. Sprinkled with crisp fried onions and drizzled with fish sauce dip (nuoc mam)

I need to thank my mum for having introduced me to this new Vietnamese local caterer who happens to live a 10-minute car drive away from my house.  Her specialty are these light Vietnamese rice flour crepes filled with minced pork, onions and mushrooms, also known as 'Bánh Cuốn' in Vietnamese.  They're usually eaten as a lunch or dinner meal.  In Vietnam, they're also served for breakfast.  When made right, these little raviolis or dumpling-like treats literally melt in your mouth. Like a fresh pizza served out from a wood burning oven, Banh Cuon needs to be eaten fresh on the same day it is made, to appreciate the lightness of the crepe and the flavours of the filling. They're definitely a family favorite. Come to think of it, all Vietnamese foods happen to be family favorites.  Might not make sense to some of you, but from a glutton perspective, we truly enjoy eating and sharing together good food, making the foods we eat our favorite during each gathering.  Though, this caterer not only sells fifty of these little ravioli-like treats at an insanely affordable price, these Banh Cuons are the best ones  I've ordered from a caterer.  In fact, fifty was plenty to have a batch of leftovers, that I brought some for my lunch at work the following day.


Having a few Vietnamese co-workers, I couldn't resist teasing them by giving them one ravioli each.  These little things are usually eaten like chips, which means that you can't eat just one!  So you can imagine the torture I've impounded in them. I know, it was cruel on my part, but it was a great way to test my sales skills, which worked wonders.  Immediately after savoring his ration, one of my colleagues came to see me at my desk to ask me for the address of the caterer so that he can order a batch every week for his family and in-laws.  He simply takes his SUV and drives 20 minutes to pick up his order and he is done!  Next thing I knew, word on these Vietnamese delicacies spread around the office by simple word-of-mouth and sharing with other co-workers.  It's now become a sort of 'office tradition' to order batches of Banh Cuon for all those who are interested, on a weekly basis.  For the record, the Quebecois love it!


It's great to start a trend in a workplace.  It goes to show that people are always open to try new foods, ideas, and even share them with others.  It's called social community work!


Since I've only made these a few times when I was living back home with my parents, I rarely make them anymore, or even not at all.  So, I'm sure a lot of you would love to have the recipe which is not difficult at all.  I found this very good and easy step-by-step video on how to make those wonderful Vietnamese rice crepes, here by Unspokensinz.  You may want to turn the sound off - the music is quite loud for some reason.


Serve with fish sauce dip.


Share and enjoy!

Fast Beef Tenderloin 'Roast' from One Of My Favorite Chefs Jamie Oliver

I had recently discovered Jamie Oliver's, one of my favourite Chefs, newest cooking shows called '30-Minute Meals'.


There is something about men who love to cook and who are actually good at it that makes women melt.  It's the confidence, the energy and the sensuality they have with respect to food.
With this video, I was able to prepare this wonderful and luscious beef tenderloin roast just as he clearly instructed.  I just love his charisma when he talks about eating good food.  Perhaps I may have a small crush on this fabulous lad.  a Ya' think?  Who wouldn't?


Enough said.  After watching this video, I couldn't resist the temptation of trying out this incredibly easy beef tenderloin roast.   Jamie Oliver made it look like anyone can do it in a cinch and blind folded.   His tricks and tips made the whole experience so much fun.


The result....SUCCULENCE at its best.

Preparation time : 10 minutes, Cooking time : 10 minutes

Recipe "au pif":

1 1/2 lb beef tenderloin, at room temperature

2 sprigs fresh thyme, finely chopped

3-4 leaves of fresh sage, finely chopped

2 sprigs fresh rosemary, finely chopped

pinch of coarse sea salt, to taste

pinch of fresh ground black pepper, to tate

olive oil

Heat large frying pan on medium high

Lay out the herbs (thyme, sage, rosemary) evenly across a large cutting board, sprinkle the salt and pepper.

Drizzle a little bit of olive oil on the beef tenderloin

Drop the beef tenderloin on the spice mix and roll it so as to cover the entire surface of the meat with the spices. 

Cut the tenderloin in half, lengthwise.  You should now have two pieces of beef tenderloins.  Roll again in remaining spices on the board until your cutting board is clean and free of any of the spices and all sides of the tenderloins are well seasoned.

Carefully lay the seasoned meat in the hot pan to sear all sides, about 2 minutes each.  It should sizzle.

Drizzle a little bit of olive oil to the meat if desired.

Lower the heat to medium and let it cook for about 5-7 minutes or until medium  or medium rare to achieve a nice juicy roast. Overcooked beef turns out tough and dry.

Remove the tenderloins from the pan and let it rest, covered with aluminium foil, for about 3-5 minutes.

Slice the meat at an angle about 1cm inch thick.

Serve with another drizzle of olive oil, with a side dish of potatoes or rice, and a salad.

Serves 4 people.

Share and enjoy!

Vietnamese-Style Stuffed Tomatoes - A Family Favorite

When I brought a hearty stuffed cabbage dish for lunch last Friday, a flock of colleagues invaded my office to take a look at my lunch with pure curiosity while smelling the aroma  of my meal. No one dared to try to poke it, like some would do in the past (which was quite annoying) because I do not like sharing my lunch with just anyone, do you hear me, with just anyone.  I may be perceived as selfish only because I've grown up to become a glutton, thanks to my family.  I love food! My family taught me to share food with only those you love and with whom you feel comfortable.  And yes, I often do eat my lunch at my desk, since our cafeteria is located in another building and the food seems to clash with my taste buds. Cafeteria food is rarely good, except in France.  That's another topic which I could write about in another post. Alright, never mind that.  My point is that the stuffed cabbage definitely caught people's attention because it's a dish that hits the spot on chilly Fall days. I do have to admit that I do love it when my lunches inspire people to cook or to want to make something similar when they go home.  My ego does get a kick out of it.  In fact, two of my colleagues decided to go grocery shopping that same day to go and buy some cabbage. What contentement I felt.  I am pleased to hear about people wanting to cook and to eat well as much as I do.


Another similar dish that is as comforting, is Vietnamese style stuffed tomatoes for which I've already posted the recipe back in 2009.  I need to repost the recipe since it's one of my all-time favorite family recipes. Let me reassure you that it's a dish that never fails to please guests.  It's incredibly tasty, thank goodness for fish sauce! It goes amazingly well with steamed white rice and a fried runny egg. Fried runny eggs are great additions to rice meals for Asian families.  There's nothing like eating a nice fried egg and mixing the egg yolk with your rice and meats.  Ask any Vietnamese, or any Asian, and they'll know what I mean.


For this installment, the difference in the recipe is the stuffing. I used ground lamb instead of ground pork. I also grilled the top of the stuffed tomatoes instead of frying it, giving the tomatoes a smokier taste.  You can use a skillet if you don't have an indoor gas BBQ grill.  It's just as delicious and tasty.


May I add that the best part of this great tasting dish is its simplicity?  These stuffed tomatoes are succulent and so easy to make after a hard day of work, you'll be delighted to see how little effort is required: scoop, stuff, cook...




Preparation time : 10 minutes, Cooking time : 15 minutes


Recipe "au pif":
4-6 big ripe tomatoes
1 lb ground lamb
1/2 of a large yellow onion, chopped in cubes
1/4 cup cooled steamed white rice
1/3 cup black mushrooms , soaked in warm water for 5 minutes (water discarded)
1/4 cup cooked rice vermicelli (can be found at Asian grocery store)
1 tbsp fish sauce (or 1/2 tsp kosher salt, or to taste)
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 egg
1 tbsp of canola oil


Cut the tomatoes in halves, remove the flesh from the tomatoes with a small scooper, and put the tomatoe flesh aside for sauce preparation.


Mix 1/2 of the lamb, chopped onion, rice, vermicelli, mushrooms, fish sauce, egg and pepper in a medium sized salad bowl. Mix well with your hands until all ingredients are all well incorporated.


With a table spoon, fill in each tomato half with the lamb mixture up to the rim of the tomato. Add in a little more stuffing if desired. Repeat until you filled all the tomatoe halves. If you have stuffing left, you can use it in the sauce.  Drizzle the tomatoes with a little bit of canola oil


In a large hot skillet, high heat for about 2 minutes. Add in the stuffed tomatoes face down so that the stuffing browns first. Add 4 at a time if your pan is not large enough. Or add them all at once. Grill them for about 3 minutes. Put aside.


In a separate large frying pan, heat about 1/2 tbsp of oil then brown the remaining lamb and give it a good stir so as to avoid big lumps.  


Once the lamb is cooked,  add the tomato flesh remaining lamb to the pan. Stir. Lower the heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer for about 5-7 minutes, until the tomatoes have dissolved and formed a tomato sauce.


At that point, lay gently the stuffed tomatoes upwards in the pan, cover and simmer on low-medium heat for about 5 minutes or until the lamb is cooked.  You'll know when it's cooked when the side of the tomatoes are starting to detach from the meat.  Immediately remove from heat and serve hot.


Serve with rice and vegetables...and a fried runny egg!


Bon appétit!

No-Bake Cheese Torte with Raspberry and Blackcurrant Coulis

Preparing this awesome dessert felt like I was in my bubble, fantasizing that I was in an upscale restaurant's kitchen, creating and improvising from pure imagination. I must say that it was the first time I've experienced such intense concentration while concocting a dish in my kitchen. Passion comes from within and its results is clear pleasure regardless of the level of intricacy being used during the process.

Moreover, there are no words to describe the determination I had today to get my dish right this time. When deeply focused, I feel that my senses and intuition are fully awoken. The moment I would feel uneasy, I would have a presentiment that the mixture I was working on wouldn't turn out. And it hadn't. Nonetheless, my perserverance took over and I repeated the failed steps over and over until I finally nailed them. Needless to say, I was more on adrenaline than feeling frustrated. The end result was worth the repetition and effort. All that to say that having the coulis inside the cake was the hardest part. Other than that, it's a very simple recipe if you don't want to bother with the fuss. You can simply drizzle the coulis over the cake. I just like to make things a little bit more interesting!

The cream cheese was bursting with vanilla flavour while timidly divulging a ginger fragrance. On its own, the torte was oozing with sensuality with its rich raspberry and blackcurrant coulis flowing down from the center, waiting to tickle the taste buds....need I say more?

Preparation time : 20 minutes, Refrigeration time : 1 hour

Recipe "au pif":
1 1/2 package of 250g cream cheese, softened at room temperature
2 tbsps icing sugar
1/2 tbps granulated raw cane sugar (or double the amount for regular granulated surgar)
50 ml heavy cream
2 vanilla pods, seeds removed and set aside
1 tbsp grated ginger (tip: freezing ginger facilitates grating)
handful of fresh raspberries
handful of fresh blackcurrant
Crème de Cassis liquor
crushed bran chocolate chip cookies for topping (or any other cookies of your choice)


Mix cream cheese, icing sugar and vanilla seeds in a large mixing bowl.

Mix the heavy cream and granulated sugar in a separate bowl using a hand electric mixer until the cream has thickened into a crème chantilly (whippe cream).

Blend in well the whipped cream into the cream cheese mix until they're well incorporated and you've reached a nice velvety and smooth texture.

Gently put in half of the cream cheese in a 4-inch whide or 2 x 2-inch wide stainless steel food ring (s), set on a plate, and pat firmly the cream cheese along the walls of the ring so that there are no air pockets.

Scoop out a 2 inch hole in the middle and let it sit in the fridge for about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the raspberry and blackurrant coulis by slowly simmering the fruits into about 1/2 cup of Crème de Cassis, in a small sauce pan on medium heat for about 3-4 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Once chilled, take out the cream cheese and mold from the fridge and put in just enough of the raspberry and blackcurrent coulis to fill the hole. Add in the remaining cream cheese mixture as a top layer and to cover the hole. Pat firmly. Chill for another 40 minutes.

Once chilled, run a small knife inside the edges of the ring to loosen the cheese torte, and remove the ring slowly.

Sprinkle the crushed cookies on top of the torte as topping and drizzle a bit more of the coulis, and add more fruit if you wish.

Now, cut half-way through the torte and watch the coulis ooze out like there is no tomorrow.

Serves 2 people.

Share and enjoy.