Easy 10 Minute Scones with 5 Pantry Staples and Whipping Cream

It's been a long time since I last posted, over 8 years ago to be exact. The world looks a lot different than when I last posted: a global pandemic, invention of ChatGPT, and the meteoric rise of my favorite artist Taylor Swift. The only one I could have foreseen would have been Taylor Swift as I have been a Swiftie since 2010.

Many things have also changed in my personal life: on the food allergy front, on the family front and on the health front. There is a lot to unpack, especially on the allergy front that I can't wait to share with you. Since my last post, my little man will soon turn 11, and not so little anymore. I am also blessed to have a little princess who recently turned 8. During the pandemic, I discovered a new passion for running and fitness and ran my first 10k in 56 minutes. Stay tuned for content on self care for food allergy parents.

In spite of all the changes, the heart of this blog will remain the same: I remain resolute in my advocacy for those with food allergies, and my inner frugalness wanting to constantly seek the best value for my time and money. 

As a mom of two who loves to overcommit to activities, my time is also limited and precious. I enjoy watching short videos and my goal is to create videos for some of my most popular recipes and share new recipes, life hacks and ways to you save time and money. I will be sharing content on my blog as well as filming YouTube videos and Instagram reels. Thank you for your patience as I learn and grow. 

Reader Survey: Leave me a comment below and let me know a little about you and what type of content interests you. Or head over to this 1 minute survey and let me know what type of content you want to see featured in the future. https://bit.ly/FAMReaderSurvey

I want to conclude my post with a quick recipe for scones using whipping cream. This King Arthur recipe uses only 6 ingredients, and whips up in 10 minutes if you use a food processor or 15 minutes if you don't. For those with food allergies, it is hard to find safe baked treats free of cross contamination. This is why I always resort to making my own and have come to rely on this particular recipe for scones that are quick to whip up, but tender, crumbly and slightly sweet. This recipe is low effort, budget friendly and perfect for Mother's Day celebrations, quick breakfasts on the go, or your next brunch or tea party! For those who are visual, check out my very first YouTube video.  

Ingredients

3 cups all purpose flour 

1 TBSP baking powder

1 tsp salt (I use sea salt)

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1-1/2 to 1-1/3 cups whipping cream plus extra for brushing on scones

Sugar for sprinkling 

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat like Silpat. 

3. In a bowl or food processor, mix 3 cups of all purpose flour, 1 TBSP baking powder, 1 tsp salt and 1/4 cup granulated sugar. 

4. Mix 1 tsp of vanilla with 1-1/2 to 1-1/3 cups of whipping cream. Slowly mix into the dry ingredients until no traces of flour remain; the dough should not be sticky. Drizzle a tablespoon of whipping cream if the dough looks dry. Repeat as necessary.

5. Lightly flour a surface and dump out the dough. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out to 3/4" thickness. With a biscuit cutter, or sharp knife, divide the dough into 12 (or baker's dozen 13) equal sized scones.

6. Brush with whipping cream, and sprinkle sugar on top.

7. Bake for 14 to 16 minutes in the preheated oven until golden brown. 

8. Remove from the oven and serve warm with jam, clotted cream or with a cup of tea.

Source: King Arthur Cream Scones

Savory Green Onion and Egg Pancakes

I have been sick most of December with a severe cold and persistent cough that kept me awake at night. The sleep deprivation was the worst, caused by the non stop cough which got worse at nighttime. The last time I was this sick must have been over 12 years ago.

My husband was a huge help during the 18 days I was sick. He helped take care of the little man after work, grocery shopped, shopped for Christmas presents, cleaned the house and missed his company Christmas party at an upscale restaurant to take care of us. I am so grateful for his help despite his demanding work schedule.

Given my lack of energy, we had soup and congee on rotation for most of our meals. I aimed for quick, easy and simple during those 18 days. After two weeks of soup and congee, we were all ready for a break. Even though I was sick, I would think dream of foods I could eat when I got slightly better: one of things I craved was prime rib, and the other is Chinese green onion and egg pancakes.

When I was young, I would beg my late grandmother to make this green onion and egg pancake on a regular basis. My grandmother would often indulge me as she took immense pleasure in feeding those she love. Even in her last year of life, she would stand over the stove and make all my favorite dishes every time I went home to visit. Since her death over 8 years ago, I have been trying to recreate some of the recipes she used to make as we never wrote down any of her recipes.

This recipe is incredibly easy to make, with only 5 ingredients that you likely already have on hand. I took a short cut and used my blender to combine all the ingredients but you can combine the ingredients by hand as well.

Ingredients
4 large eggs
1 cup all purpose flour
1-1/2 cups water
1 tsp salt
2 large stalks of green onion, chopped

Canola oil

Directions
1. In a bowl or blender, mix eggs, flour, water and salt. Once the batter is fully combined, stir in chopped green onions.

2. Add half a tablespoon of canola oil to a large skillet over medium heat. Once the skillet is fully heated, pour/ladle in a thin layer of batter. Cook until the surface of the pancake bubbles and the other side is light golden brown.

3. Flip the pancake and cook until the underside is light golden brown. Repeat with the remaining batter. Make sure to lightly coat the skillet with canola oil before ladling in batter each time. Serve as is or with hot sauce.

Source: Slightly adapted from Asia Dish 

Greek Pasta Salad with Shrimp, Feta and Roasted Veggies

The first time I made this salad, it was in the middle of August, the hottest time of the year here in Vancouver. I have no idea what prompted me to make this salad and deciding to roast the vegetables in my oven instead of turning on the BBQ.

As my house heated up, roasting veggies in my oven seemed like a really bad idea. I was sweltering from the heat, questioning my sanity. All was good once I took a bite of this pasta salad; then it all seemed worth it.

If you want to make this pasta salad in the summer, I would HIGHLY recommend grilling your vegetables and the shrimp on the BBQ grill. Or even better, grill extra vegetables and shrimp for dinner and use the leftovers in this pasta salad the next day.

I have made this recipe a few times since, and used my oven to roast the vegetables once the weather cooled off. It makes a nice, light, but satisfying meal that doesn't weigh you down. The roasted vegetables really shine through with the simple Dijon vinaigrette. You can substitute chicken in lieu of shrimp but I have to say that shrimp and roasted vegetables are a winning combo!

This pasta salad tastes delicious served either warm or cold. I find that it tastes best if it is allowed to sit for an hour or so for the pasta to absorb the flavors of the vinaigrette. Make sure to keep this salad chilled in the refrigerator.

Ingredients
2 medium zucchinis, sliced into 1/8" rounds, or half moons
1 lb cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
1 large yellow or orange bell pepper, cut into bite sized pieces (optional)
3 tbsp olive oil
Pinch of salt and pepper

1 lb wheat or gluten-free pasta (rotini, penne, or rotelle pastas all work well)
1 lb shrimp, unshelled and deveined
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup kalamata olives, pitted and sliced in half
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/2 small red onion, finely diced

Dijon Vinaigrette
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 large clove of garlic, finely minced
2 tbsp dried oregano
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions
1. Toss zucchini, cherry tomatoes, bell peppers in olive oil, salt and pepper. Broil in the oven on medium for 20 minutes or until the vegetables are soft and slightly charred. (An even better idea is to grill your vegetables on the BBQ, especially in the Summer!)

2. Cook the pasta according to package directions until it is al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water. Set aside.

3. Pan fry the shrimp in a tablespoon of olive oil until the shrimp is pink and cooked through. Set aside. (You can also skewer the shrimp and grill it on the BBQ.)

4. Mix the ingredients for the vinaigrette: rice wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, olive oil, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper.

5. Toss the roasted veggies, pasta, shrimp, kalamata olives, feta cheese, and red onion with the Dijon vinaigrette. Serve warm or cold.

Source: Slightly Adapted from Allrecipes

Grilled Chicken Avocado Wrap

Everywhere you go, everyone is offering low-carb in an effort to court the weight conscious crowd. I find that I rarely buy wraps these days since I can replicate the $8 wrap easily at home, for a fraction of the price.

I kept seeing the same recipe showing up on my Pinterest feed where I pinned the exact same recipe no less than 3 times within a month. I made a mental note to cook some extra chicken breast to make these grilled chicken avocado wraps for a quick weekend brunch.

With only 5 ingredients, this grilled wrap is as simple as it can be. I loved that it took no more than 10 minutes to assemble and heat up on the panini grill. I think the main reason why this wrap tasted so good is because it is grilled. Friends, this wrap actually tastes as amazing as it looks. It is definitely worth a bazillion repins on Pinterest.

Ingredients
4 large flour tortillas
1 large chicken breast, cooked, sliced or diced
1 large ripe avocado, cut into slices
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 fat, juicy lime
2 tbsp cilantro, finely chopped (optional)

Directions
1. Preheat a panini grill.

2. Divide the chicken breast, avocado, mozzarella cheese and cilantro equally among the four tortillas.

3. Squeeze a little lime juice over the chicken breast and avocado.

4. Wrap tightly (like a burrito, tucking in the ends) and heat on the preheated panini grill.

5. Remove from the panini grill once the ingredients have warmed through and the cheese has melted. Serve warm, eat and repeat.

Source: Adapted from Closet Cooking

Classic BLT Sandwich

BLT sandwiches are as ubiquitous in the North American culture as peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Writing a recipe for a BLT sandwich seems wrong as the name, BLT, (which stands for Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato) pretty much indicates what is in the sandwich.

For those of my readers who are not familiar with the BLT sandwich, you are missing out. It's high time you tried this easy and delicious sandwich.

I believe there are a few key things that separates an average BLT sandwich from an amazing BLT sandwich. The most important thing is to use a hearty and thickly sliced bread. Sourcing good quality thick cut bacon and using real mayonnaise are my other two must haves. If you can, buy tomatoes in season as they taste more flavorful. For the lettuce, I like using romaine lettuce but you can use other varieties such as iceberg, butterhead or green leaf.

Quick and ready in under 10 minutes, this sandwich is perfect for those who want lunch in a hurry.

Ingredients
2 slices hearty bread
2 slices of thick cut bacon (can substitute turkey bacon)
2 slices of tomato
1 lettuce leaf, washed and dried
1 tbsp of mayonnaise

Directions
1. Toast the bread in a toaster until golden brown.

2. In a microwave or pan, cook the bacon. Try this tip to cook bacon in 90 seconds.

3. Spread the mayonnaise on both slices of bread. Place lettuce, then tomatoes on one slice of bread. Place the bacon on the other sliced bread. Place the mayonnaise/bacon side down and cut the sandwich in half.

Source: Frugal Allergy Mom

Weekday Banana Pancakes

On my blog, you will notice that there is a lack of breakfast recipes, for good reason. That's mainly because I am not a morning person. Paying attention in the morning is a challenging task for me, at least until I have had a cup or two of caffeine.

I made this recipe a few months ago and never got around to posting it. It all came about when my little man wanted pancakes on a weekday morning. Had this been on a weekend, I would have happily pawned him off to my husband. But since it was a weekday, I had to suck it up and cook up some pancakes, at 7 am. Explaining to a hungry toddler why I don't like mornings seemed like more work to me than making the pancakes.

Luckily for me, this recipe is fairly straightforward and did not require too many steps. As I was nursing my mug of tea, I mused to myself, "Hey, this is a pretty simple recipe. I could pull this off on a weekday morning."

Ingredients
1 cup all purpose flour
1 tbsp white sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg
1 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 ripe bananas, mashed

Directions
1. In a large bowl, combine flour, white sugar, baking powder and salt.

2. In a separate bowl, mix together egg, milk, vanilla, vegetable oil and bananas.

3. Stir the liquid mixture into the dry mixture until the flour is just mixed in. Do not over mix.

4. Heat oil in a large pan over medium high heat.

5. Scoop 1/4 cup of the batter into the pan and cook the pancake until the pancake is bubbly on top.

6. Flip the pancake and cook for another minute or two until the pancake is golden brown.

Freeze/Make Ahead: Allow the banana pancakes to cool to room temperature before wrapping each stack of 5 pancakes in plastic wrap. Place the wrapped stacks of pancakes into a ziploc bag, date and freeze for up to a month.

Source: Allrecipes

4 Ingredient Microwaved Gluten-Free Bread (Ready in 3 Minutes)

Baking bread in the oven is the last thing I want to do in the summer when it is hot and sunny outside. When I came across this microwaved bread recipe on Pinterest, I was delighted. The best part about this recipe is that it is ready in 3 minutes.

This recipe was incredibly easy to whip up and required only 4 ingredients: melted butter, coconut flour, egg and baking powder. After allowing the bread to cool down a little, I sliced the bread in half and spread a little raspberry jam on each slice of bread. My little man and I both loved this quick and easy microwaved bread as it was soft and fluffy. This bread reminded me of a dense and unsweetened sponge cake both in taste and texture.

For those with gluten allergies, this recipe is effortless, made to order and a delicious alternative to expensive store-bought specialty bread.

Ingredients
1 tbsp butter
1 large egg
1 tbsp coconut flour
1/4 tsp baking powder

Directions
1. Place 1 tablespoon of butter in a small microwavable bowl measuring 4.5 inches across (I used a small Pyrex glass container). Microwave for 10 to 20 seconds until melted. Swirl the melted butter around so that it coats the bowl.

2. To that same bowl, add the egg, coconut flour and baking powder. Mix thoroughly until the batter is smooth and no lumps remain.

3. Microwave on high for 90 seconds until the bread has puffed up and is firm to the touch. The bread will pull away from the bowl once it is cooked. Repeat in 15 second increments if the bread feels soft to the touch or sticks to the bowl.

4. Allow the bread to cool for a minute before loosening it with a knife. Invert the bowl and slice the bread in half. Serve with jam, honey, butter or your favorite seed butter!

Source: Slightly adapted from Healthy Recipes

Baked Ham and Cheese Melts

One of my favorite sandwiches is ham and cheese. At the heart of it, it is one of the simplest sandwiches you can make. With a little more effort, you can transform the basic ham and cheese into something magical.

For this recipe, I used the leftovers from my Honey Mustard Glazed Ham and baked these amazing Bakery Style Buns (which only takes 75 minutes). This would be a perfect recipe for Easter brunch that is sure to satisfy a hungry crowd.

Ingredients
1/4 cup melted butter
1/2 tbsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp dried minced onion
8 small sandwich buns, sliced in half (try this 75 minute recipe)
1/2 pound thinly sliced ham
1/2 pound thinly sliced cheese (I used cheddar)

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Lightly grease a baking dish just big enough to fit 8 buns.

3. In a small pot over medium heat, melt the butter. Add in Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce and dried onion.

4. Separate the tops and bottoms of the buns. Place the bottoms in the greased baking dish. Divide the ham evenly between the buns. Then layer cheese on top of the ham.

5. Brush the mustard mixture over the top of the buns.

6. Bake uncovered for 20 minutes or until the buns are lightly browned and the cheese has melted. Serve immediately.

Source: Slightly adapted from Allrecipes

Best Belgian Waffles

I have had an obsession with Belgian waffles for a long time now. So much so that when we traveled through Brussels on our trip to Europe 3 years ago, I dragged my husband everywhere to look for this delightful treat. Sadly, most of the places we went to were tourist traps and resulted in waffles that are sub-par to what I envisioned: a buttery and sweet waffle with a crispy exterior and a soft fluffy interior.

My mission for Belgian waffles was also thwarted by Belgian beer, moules frites (mussels and fries), and Belgian frites (crispy fries with a crazy amount of sauces to dip the frites in!). I guess I will have to go back to Belgium to seek out more authentic waffles and hopefully not get distracted!

As my regular readers know, I am not a morning person. Making breakfasts is not my thing unless it is relatively easy to execute. Most of this recipe is fool-proof, however, it requires you to pay a little attention when it comes to whipping the egg whites. But trust me when I say the result is worth getting up early for.

This is the waffle I was longing for when we went to Brussels. The waffle is buttery, sweet and crispy on the outside, and soft and fluffy on the inside. It is also slightly sweet so you could eat this waffle on its own, without any syrup.

Now, this is the type of waffle you dream of and obsess about.

Makes: 10 - 12 waffles

Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar (scant)
3-1/2 tsp baking powder
2 eggs, separated*
1-1/2 cups milk
1 cup butter, melted**
1 tsp vanilla extract

Top with fresh fruit (blueberries, strawberries - optional)

* Separating the eggs: Make sure to separate the egg yolk from the egg white carefully, ensuring the egg white is not contaminated with any egg yolk. Please read Wikihow's methods for separating an egg. I prefer separating the egg yolk by hand and placing the egg whites into a clean and dry bowl.

** The best way to melt butter without splatters or without overheating it is to defrost it in your microwave on the regular defrost setting (and not quick defrost).

Directions
1. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar and baking powder. Mix well.

2. In a separate bowl, lightly beat the egg yolks. Add in milk, butter and vanilla and mix well.

3. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until it is just combined. Make sure not to over mix.

4. In a stand mixer, beat egg whites on low until the egg whites are foamy.

5. Then beat on high until stiff peaks form. Please read the troubleshooting tips below if this is your first time beating egg whites.

6. Fold in 1/2 of the egg whites into the batter, mixing thoroughly.

7. Add in the remaining egg whites, carefully fold the batter with a rubber spatula until just combined. Do not over mix!

8. Preheat a waffle iron according to manufacturer's directions. For my waffle iron, I use a scant 1/4 cup of batter (I used my muffin scoop) and cook for 10 minutes until the waffle is light golden brown.

9. Serve on its own, with fresh fruit or a light dusting of powdered sugar. Note: The waffle will appear quite soft when you take it out of the waffle maker but will crisp up after it cools. As my husband said, "Who in the world could wait that long?"

Source: Slightly adapted from Taste of Home

TIPS: Beating Egg Whites

1. Make sure your utensils and bowls are clean and dry. Any residue of oil or water will prevent your egg whites from forming stiff peaks.
2. Separate the egg yolk carefully from the egg white. The presence of the slightest bit of egg yolk will foil your plan for stiff peaks.

How to Poach 12 Eggs at Once (Kitchen Hack)

Discovering new cooking hacks are one of my favorite things. That's why when I came across a method to poach 12 eggs at once this week, I decided that I must try this out ASAP. I first saw the tip from Food and Wine and then a few hours later from The Kitchn. You know it is a legitimate hack when it has been verified by two credible sources.

We love poached eggs and the easiest method I have found so far came from America's Test Kitchen to poach 4 eggs at once (I blogged about it here). We have been using the ATK method since last year but I have found it was difficult to poach eggs for a large crowd. If you have made eggs benedict for brunch, you know how time consuming it can be to poach eggs for a crowd.

We made eggs benedict for breakfast this morning using this tip. This tip is an easy, efficient and stress-free way to poach up to 12 eggs at once. Hakuna Matata.

The texture and taste is the same as pan poaching. The only difference is the eggs take on the shape of the muffin tins (which, if it is an issue, can be easily remedied by pouring the hollandaise sauce over the eggs). For those catering to guests who like their eggs differently, leave the eggs in the muffin tin for a few extra minutes for more well done eggs (take those out last).

Special Equipment: Muffin tin

Ingredients
Eggs
Cold Water

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Place 1 tablespoon of cold water into every muffin tin (even if not using to prevent the pan from burning).

3. Crack an egg into the muffin tin. I prefer The Kitchn's tip to crack the egg into a ramekin first (in case any shells fall in) and then pour the egg into the muffin tin.

Add a tablespoon of water to each muffin tin to prevent the pan from burning.

4. Bake for 11 minutes for soft runny yolk and 13 minutes for well-cooked yolk. Scoop the egg out of the muffin tin with a spoon. Note: The eggs will continue to cook a little more in the pan after you take it out of the oven.

Top off with homemade hollandaise sauce (recipe here)

Source: Food and Wine, The Kitchn

3 Ingredient Pull-Apart Onion Blossom Bread

I have been wanting to make pull apart onion blossom bread for a while. There is something about melted cheese and bread that has my name written all over it.

To make this pull apart onion blossom bread, you only need three ingredients: bread loaf, cheese and green onions. If you are using store bought bread, this recipe is a cinch and will be ready in under 15 minutes! Make sure to buy a hearty loaf that will not fall apart.

If you decide to make your own bread, I would recommend giving yourself a little more time for the bread to bake, to cool off and then to make the onion blossom bread. Check out my recipes for No Time Bread*, No Knead Bread in a Hurry* or No Knead Bread*.

We dug into this onion blossom bread and were rewarded with fresh homemade bread smothered with ooey gooey melted cheese. It was the perfect accompaniment to the Cream of Mushroom Soup I made (check back tomorrow for the recipe) . Come to think of it, I think this recipe has your name written all over it too!

Ingredients
1 loaf of bread (store-bought or homemade*)
1 lb (16 ounces) of cheese (Cheddar, Monterey Jack, Jalapeno or Marble), cut into 1/8" rectangles
1 stalk green onion, chopped

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. With a bread knife, cut the bread length-wise and width-wise making sure not to cut through the bottom of the loaf.

3. Insert the cheese slices into the bread loaf, making sure every crevice is covered.

4. Wrap in tinfoil and bake in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Alternatively, place the bread on the BBQ under indirect heat. Close the lid and cook for 5 to 10 minutes.

5. Remove tinfoil and sprinkle green onion all over. Serve immediately.

Source: Slightly adapted from The Girl Who Ate Everything