Silicon Valley Supermom’s Stunning Cooking Skills: “Make Two Dishes in Just 10 Minutes”

Reported and photographed by Chen Ziying, Taipei

How long does it take to prepare ingredients, cook, and serve a dish? The answer “ten minutes” might be hard to imagine, but “Silicon Valley Supermom” Xie Kaiting managed to make two dishes in ten minutes. The process was not only simple and quick, mess-free, but also full of color, aroma, and flavor.


▲ The dishes by “Silicon Valley Supermom” Xie Kaiting are surprisingly simple, fast, and delicious.

“Silicon Valley Supermom” – Xie Kaiting (Katie), started sharing quick recipes on her blog two years ago, which once attracted over 100,000 views in a single day. Katie explained: “Originally, I just wanted to simplify cooking steps as much as possible, hoping that each meal would take no more than half an hour so I could spend more time with my kids. I believe this is the mindset of every mom — it all comes from love for the family.” With this in mind, Katie shared one quick recipe after another on her blog, eventually publishing a book and becoming an author. The reason she’s dubbed “Silicon Valley” is actually because Katie currently lives in Silicon Valley, USA. At her new book launch on the 4th, she demonstrated three main dishes and one dessert, with two of the main dishes taking just ten minutes in total, and the dessert ready in just ten seconds.

The first dish, “Golden Honey Crispy Shrimp Balls,” involved Katie using a “secret weapon” — a plastic bag. She put shrimp, low-fat yogurt, and breadcrumbs into the bag and shook it a few times to coat the shrimp. After baking them in the oven for about ten minutes, she plated them to complete these tasty shrimp balls. Katie said “low-fat yogurt” is the key to their deliciousness because it helps remove the fishy smell and greasiness.


▲ Low-fat yogurt is the secret to the delicious taste of the “Golden Honey Crispy Shrimp Balls.”

The second dish, “Caramel Apple Beer Pork Chops + Lemon Pepper Paper Steamed Fish,” saw Katie amazingly flipping expectations by cooking two dishes simultaneously in a single pan. She used a plastic bag to marinate the pork chops with beer, and while cooking the pork, she heated up fish fillets and vegetables wrapped in parchment paper. Katie said this method not only saves time but also aligns with today’s “energy-saving and eco-friendly” values.

 
▲ The Western-style combo of “Caramel Apple Beer Pork Chops (left) + Lemon Pepper Paper Steamed Fish (right)” takes just ten minutes combined to cook.

Ten minutes not enough? Katie even made a “whipped cream summer dessert” in just 10 seconds on-site. By shaking fruit jam and liquid fresh cream together in a glass jar for 10 seconds, she created a delicious dessert that even kids can easily make themselves.


▲ A refreshing summer dessert that can be made effortlessly in just 10 seconds — tasty and healthy.

Another feature of Katie’s cooking is that it’s almost entirely “hands-off.” She explained that having two young children, aged 5 and 1, has made her realize how chaotic cooking while caring for kids can be. So, she came up with simple ways to make multiple tasty dishes without getting her hands greasy.

In fact, Katie’s quick and time-saving cooking methods aren’t only suitable for moms with kids, but also ideal for busy office workers. Spending less than half an hour a day can yield a full table of dishes that are both healthy and delicious.