Cottage Cheese Veggie Egg Frittata

Small yet mighty, eggs pack in dense nutrition for 70-80 calories. It's a staple in our family. Is it also a basic ingredient/food necessity for your family?

The whites brim with protein, while the yolks deliver Vitamin D, cholin, lutein and zeaxanthin. Vitamin D - essential for bone health, immune function and calcium absorption; Cholin - an essential nutrient to maintain muscle and memory; Lutein and Zeaxanthin - antioxidants to prevent age-related macular degeneration.  


Today's Cottage Cheese Veggie Egg Frittata is like any other frittata made before - just tweaked and improved with addition of cottage cheese to boost amount of protein; at the same time making the egg frittata more moist and fluffy.

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Onion Cheese Crisp Chips

This is another viral recipe tried (and tested). A savory crispy snack or appetizer Onion Cheese Crisp Chips made using 2 simple ingredients. Onions and cheese. 

There is no batter involved. So, for those looking for low-carb "onion rings" alternatives, rejoice!

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Roast Cauliflower with Cheese

Camp broccoli or team cauliflower? It's hard to choose which one because each vegetable shines in its own special way, especially with how it's being prepared. For example, if it's a dish that needs slightly longer cooking time Whole Spiced-Roasted Cauliflower, cauliflower might be a preferred choice as it may withstand extended cooking duration without turning over-sulfurous.

Well, for this side-accompaniment today, both broccoli and cauliflower should be interchangeable. Adapted from Roast Broccoli Steak with Cheese, is this Roast Cauliflower with Cheese.

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Marinated Feta Cheese Salad

A simple and easy salad is always a refreshing and welcoming treat during the hot summer days.

Today, this Marinated Feta Cheese Salad is the star of the salad. Basically, if you have prepared marinated feta cheese in the fridge, this salad comes together in less than 15 minutes.

The marinated feta cheese perfectly flavors up the entire salad of lettuce, cucumbers and red onions. This salad is very versatile and goes well with everything, almost everything. You can enjoy on it's own, use it to fill wraps or sandwiches, pair with avocado and eggs for breakfast or brunch, serve as side-salad with an entree dish.

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Fish Meat Floss Cheese Toast

Growing up, old-school Asian bakeries' soft buns/breads filled with BBQ pork (char siew), tuna, curry chicken (just to name a few) were part of my childhood.

Meat-floss (goes by Rousong 肉松 in Wikipedia) topped bun was one of the later and newer commercial bakery bread creations in the early 2000s. The salty and sweet flavor combo in this bun is addictive, and to my personal liking.


This idea of making meat-floss cheese toast was actually from someone in the family who does not cook and in fact does not KNOW how to cook. But surprisingly, he shared how he made the toast when he was a hungry young kid/teenager. Well, with my craving for meat floss/Rousong bun, I put his idea to the test. He said it was easy - sliced cheese on bread, sprinkle with meat floss, then toast in the oven till the cheese melts.

That easy. And it worked! Here's how:

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Zucchini, Feta Cheese Turkey Burgers/ Patties

Dry? Lack of flavor? That's often associated with ground turkey of lower fat content; but these turkey burgers made from lean ground turkey are not. Instead, they are moist, juicy and so delicious because they are made to be - using onions, zucchini and roasted mushrooms, and a secret ingredient (not-so-secret following this post) - Feta Cheese!

Swap out regular chicken for these healthy and delicious Homemade Zucchini, Feta Cheese Turkey Burgers/ Patties in protein bowls.


They make great burgers and sandwiches as well.

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Spinach Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms

The size of these stuffing portobello mushrooms is between that of regular huge portobello mushrooms and the standard-size cremini mushrooms; and as the name goes, perfect for stuffing.


Nothing too fanciful, so here goes the stuffing for Spinach Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms.

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Gouda Cheese Egg Frittata

Not only are vegetable egg frittatas nutritious and healthy, they are typically easy and versatile recipes, making them convenient add-ons to veggie bowls and grain bowls.

If you enjoy slightly harder cheeses like Aged Cheddar or Gouda (compared to softer cheeses e.g. Brie cheese, Mozzarella cheese), you will appreciate this Gouda Cheese Egg Frittata better, as it is not going to be stringy but instead a firm (just like firm-tofu, firm does not mean hard) bite of the baked egg. All cheeses alike, they will meld into goodness under the heat of the oven, and the Gouda cheese notes give so much depth and flavor to the egg.

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Roast Broccoli with Cheese and Pistachios

Steaming broccoli is unbelievably fast, no over-cooking, five minutes to perfect tenderness, minimal nutrition loss. That is my go-to when it comes to preparing broccoli. Steamed or blanched broccoli are great with dips (try Broccoli with Sardine-Cheese Dip).

Oven-roasting usually goes longer, about 15mins or more, depending on a few variables e.g. how thick/thin/size of broccoli florets, oven temperature; hence the reluctance and seldom done. What's going to break the rule ?

Say "cheese", smile, go nuts and all will be justified in the oven.


This Oven-Roast Broccoli Steaks with Cheese and Pistachios is a savory cheesy and nutty delicious recipe. Not as easy and quick as steaming of course, but honestly, simple enough for a fancy side-dish. The most "difficult" part might be just to slice the broccoli as thin as possible, just so the cooking time in the oven can be reduced, that's about it. Melty cheese, crunchy nuts atop tender-roasted broccoli, what's not to love.

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Marinated Feta Cheese

Briny and tangy Feta Cheese - a rich-flavored cheese that brings plain (boring) salads to life.  See how this simple tomato and cucumber salad is brought alive when feta cheese is crumbled over (try Tomato Cucumber Feta Cheese Salad). Personally, no salad dressing is necessary when there is feta cheese. How about complementing sweet and juicy with salty - the harmony one can enjoy in this Watermelon with Feta Cheese.

Today, this Marinated Feta Cheese transforms feta cheese to extra-ordinary, and ultra-flavorful! Marinated feta cheese can be enjoyed just like how you would use feta cheese - as salad-toppers, salad flavor-enhancers, cracker accompaniments etc.


The "flavored" oil that marinates the cheese can also be used as salad dressing, so nothing in the jar comes to waste.

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Vegetables Platter with Cheese Dip

Just in time for summer, we bring Gado Gado or Vegetables with Peanut-Sauce Dressing closer to home. Today, we have assorted vegetables with hummus or cheese dip.

Broccoli, cucumbers, okra, bell peppers, tofu, lettuce with store-bought hummus [vegetarian]

The joy of preparing this dish is that you get to speak the rainbow by incorporating different varieties and colors of vegetables.

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Broccoli with Sardine-Cheese Dip

Today's recipe is going to be...or wait!...let's not call it recipe. This post is going to be as short and swift as the time it took to prepare this little broccoli snack.


A sandwich spread, a sardine and ricotta cheese filling and now, a dip. Sweet! No, it's savory! But the idea is sweet, isn't it? Chunks of fish and cheese on steamed broccoli.

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Tomatoes, Cucumber, Feta Cheese Salad

Briny and crumbly feta cheese works magic in salads such as Apple Blueberry Cucumber Salad and Watermelon Feta Salad. Today, let us make another feta-worthy salad rightfully balanced with summer sweet tomatoes and refreshing cucumbers.

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Avocado with Sardine Ricotta Cheese

Now, can anyone tell me if ricotta cheese is considered "healthy" cheese? Or bluntly, are all cheese(es) unhealthy? High sodium? High fat?

So that you know, our family does not buy reduced-fat milk or half-half, always going for whole milk. On the same note, we do not go for reduced-fat, skimmed-fat cheese. If ricotta cheese is super-fattening, we better cut down on the usage, especially when I have found a super easy way to create a dip/spread/filling (e.g. Sardine Ricotta Cheese Spread) out of it, and this convenience might be deemed a hidden evil.


Not only this is an easy recipe to fall back on when we are in a rush, it is also a mess-free filling and spread for sandwiches and a wonderfully great pre- or post-workout snack (morning and/or in the afternoon) when paired with vegetables and fruits such as celery, bell peppers, avocados and apples.

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Watermelon Feta-Cheese Pizza-Salad 西瓜披萨沙拉

It is the first day of Summer, and so extremely hot!

This appetizer or dessert (whatever you think it should be, or want it to be) Watermelon Feta-Cheese Pizza is the perfect summer thirst-quencher and palate-refresher.


I absolutely love the idea of using watermelon wedge(s) as the base, making this one of the most interesting (and pretty) appetizers - sweet juicy watermelon, topped with briny crumbly feta cheese, mild red onion and cooling crisp cucumber. It is also super easy to put together and so ready for the "Wow!" factor.


I am usually not a huge fan of watermelon because I find it one-dimensional too sweet. However, with this combination of complementary flavors and textures, this fruit pizza has become irresistibly delicious.

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Sardine Ricotta Cheese Spread/ Pâté 沙丁鱼里科塔奶酪酱

When it comes to sliced cheese, I usually go for Swiss. How about you? With sliced cheese, the fastest (proper) lunch ever, will be two slices of whole-wheat bread, sandwiching Swiss cheese and organic microgreens.

Well. talking about trying something different, I got my hands on a little tub of whole milk ricotta cheese for the first time! From Trader Joes. The ingredient list seems acceptable: whey, acetic acid, salt. Of course, there was something in my mind that I wanted to make.


Canned sardines was mashed into this creamy ricotta cheese to make a protein-packed spread or pâté. A spreadable paste that can be used as easily as...just like lathering creamy peanut butter on bread/toast and crackers. Now, with this homemade sardine-cheese spread, I can have another super-quick sandwich option besides a basic sliced-cheese sandwich.

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Apple, Blueberry, Bean, Cucumber Salad with Feta Cheese 苹果蓝莓黄瓜杂豆沙拉

This summer, I made more salads than any other last summer(s). Not because it was unusually hot (it is always hot in summer); but because I was unusually "lazy" - looking for ways to make quick and easy meals out of salads.  The type of salad which is "made-ahead-instant-the-next" and importantly, able to stand alone as a meal.


With a basic bean salad, build on it by adding more greens (e.g. broccoli, lettuce, arugula, cucumber, avocado) whenever possible, and throwing in seasonal fruits such as blueberries and stone-fruits e.g. nectarines and peaches. Towards end of summer, start thinking about organic apples for the added crunch (and its health benefits of course!). Call it shoulder-season salad, or summer-fall salad.

Look at these other fruit-inspired side-salads e.g. Blackberry, Cucumber, Radish, Orange Salad and Cucumber, Carrot, Dried Mulberry Salad-Pickle.


Why "made-ahead and instant the next"? The bean salad can be prepared the night before, store/chill in the fridge and the next day, add the freshly prepared greens, and carbs (the fastest one for me is whole-wheat couscous).

An instant healthy lunch can be put together in no time. It is also a balanced meal with vegetables (fiber), beans, egg and cheese (protein) and pasta/couscous (carbs).

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Kimchi Fried Rice with Cheese 起司泡菜炒饭

It has been such a long time since I made kimchi "fried" rice. That time, it was more alike kimchi bibimbap in the rice cooker. However with some "precious" (precious because we hardly have any leftover rice at home) rice leftover from the day before, it is now time to make real fried rice, as in...really frying the rice. A serving of leftover rice is good for one, so it better be easy and quick cooking.

The probiotic benefit of kimchi is always a bonus. This kimchi rice recipe is to experiment the robust flavors of kimchi in many possibilities and interesting dimensions.

Again, I had some vegetable scraps of broccoli stems; and added mini sweet bell peppers and egg to the rice. This is a great way to clean out the fridge and use up ingredients that are on their last leg!



Note: I also wanted to test melting cheese atop kimchi fried rice (seen it being done before but forgotten where). However, I did not want to turn on another equipment (the oven) just to melt the cheese, so I finish it off in the same pot that has cooked the fried rice. When the fried rice is done, add sliced cheese over the rice, cover the pot with the heat on the stove still on - keep at low-medium. After a few minutes, the cheese will just melt into the rice.


Note1: In order to reduce the mixing time in the pot yet enable the kimchi flavors to fully get into the rice, the kimchi was "premixed" with the rice first, before frying the rice.

Note2: When it comes to fermented food such as miso or even kimchi, I try to minimize high-heat (e.g. boiling) or long-duration (on medium-heat) cooking, so that the good-for-you bacteria does not get destroyed in the cooking process.

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Thyme Mushrooms with Cheese 百里香奶酪蘑菇

What do you see in this dish?

A side-component to a Western-style dinner paired with a roast chicken entree?


How about Burger King's Swiss Mushrooms Burger? That was my favorite burger in Burger King when I was much younger.

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Noodles Soup with Cheese 乳酪/芝士汤面

Another advantage of cooking for one is - getting to play around and be bold in mixing and matching ingredients. With some leftover cheese from making pizza, in the cheese goes into the noodles!

Adding a slice of cheese (I prefer Swiss or Cheddar Cheese) into spicy ramen noodles e.g Kimchi Noodles, is quite a cult thing to do. You can also use shaved cheese if you have that available.

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